Pain… then silence.
When Nathan woke up, he expected to see the cracked ceiling of his cramped apartment in Sydney, perhaps with the neighbour's dog barking in the background.
Instead, there was sunlight. Real, golden sunlight filtering through tall green trees, and birds no, Pidgey chirping in the distance.
Nathan sat up slowly. He was lying in a grassy meadow, his black hoodie soaked with morning dew. His heart pounded. "What the hell…?"
𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆…
𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞…
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦.
He stumbled back onto his elbows as glowing blue text hovered in mid-air. Like a sci-fi HUD. "I've been… what?"
The text changed.
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝟏, 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲:
– 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫
– 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬
– 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠
– 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
– 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 (𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝)
– 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 (𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝)
Nathan's breath caught. "Kanto? As in the Kanto? The original?"
His hands trembled as he touched his face, his hair. Still him. Still human. But somehow… somewhere else.
He leapt to his feet and spun around. To his left was a dirt path winding through the trees. To his right? The unmistakable red roof of a Pokémon Centre in the distance.
His heart surged.
"Am I dreaming?" he whispered.
But then, a rustle.
From the bushes emerged a small brown creature with wide eyes and a curled tail.
"Rattata…" he murmured, stunned.
[𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐚]
– 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟑
– 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥
– 𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲
– 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐃+
Nathan stared as the System screen hovered beside the Pokémon. His mouth opened.
"So I can… see their potential?"
This wasn't a game mechanic. It was real. His hands still shook, but adrenaline was replacing panic with curiosity.
The Rattata sniffed the air and scurried off.
Nathan stared after it.
"This… this changes everything."
A sharp breeze blew down the trail, carrying the smell of trees and… freshly baked bread?
Nathan followed the path until the trees gave way to the modest, idyllic town of Pallet. Wooden houses. A white fence. And, in the distance, a familiar white dome.
"Professor Oak's lab," he muttered.
He quickened his pace.
Within minutes, he stood before the building. His mind raced would the Professor even recognise him?
The doors slid open automatically.
"Can I help you?" asked a woman in a lab coat Daisy, if memory served from the games.
"I…" Nathan faltered. "I don't have a trainer licence, but… I want to become a trainer. Is the Professor in?"
Daisy frowned, studying him. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No," he admitted. "I'm… far from home."
She sighed. "Well, you're in luck. Gramps was just about to hand out starter Pokémon to three new trainers. If you hurry—"
Nathan bolted past her.
The lab smelled of old books and disinfectant. Professor Oak stood beside a desk, adjusting his glasses.
"Aha! A fourth candidate?" he said, smiling. "Unusual, but not unwelcome."
Three trainers stood nearby. One was a smug boy with spiked brown hair. The other two, a serious looking girl with short blue hair, and a quiet, freckled boy who fiddled nervously with his backpack.
"I apologise, Professor," Nathan said quickly. "I know I wasn't invited, but—"
Oak raised a hand. "Say no more. I believe in giving opportunities. If you truly wish to walk the path of a trainer, then who am I to deny you?"
He gestured to the table behind him. Three Pokéballs sat in a row.
"Choose your starter, young man."
Nathan stepped forward as his System activated.
[𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐫] – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁++
[𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫] – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐁+
[𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞] – 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐀-
He blinked.
"The System can read even their potential…" he murmured.
His hand hovered over Charmander but then shifted to Squirtle. His instincts screamed to go with the higher rating.
"I'll take Squirtle."
Oak raised an eyebrow. "A wise choice. A calm and resilient companion."
Nathan picked up the Pokéball, and warmth filled his chest as he felt the familiar click.
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭
𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟓
𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐀-
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞, 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐧
His smile was faint, but real.
"This is real. I can do this."
Later that evening, Nathan sat alone outside Pallet Town, watching the stars. Squirtle lay beside him, dozing peacefully.
"I don't know why I'm here," he said quietly. "But this world… this System… it's like something gave me a second chance."
He opened the System again.
𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝟑 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧.
Nathan looked at Squirtle, then at the path ahead.
He stood, fire in his veins.
"If I've got this kind of power… I'm not just going to survive."
His eyes narrowed.
"I'm going to be the best."