"Brock, Misty! Why are you two here!?"
Reuniting with old friends after so long momentarily eased the emptiness in Ash's heart.
As soon as Misty and Brock approached him, Ash anxiously asked, "Did you hear that voice just now? What on earth is going on!?"
"I haven't seen Pikachu anywhere!"
"Calm down, Ash," Brock reassured him, his usual composed demeanor intact.
Though he, too, felt uneasy about the Pokémon's disappearance, he maintained his calm to steady his friend.
As expected, Brock's reassurance had an effect—Ash's agitation subsided slightly.
At that moment, Misty suddenly spoke up. "Wait, you two… haven't activated your accounts yet?"
"???"
"What account?"
Ash and Brock exchanged bewildered glances before turning toward Misty, suspicion written on their faces.
"This!"
With a casual wave of her hand, Misty summoned a glowing virtual panel that materialized before them.
Then, with a simple authorization, Ash and Brock could see its contents:
[ID: Misty]
[Main Profession: None]
[Secondary Profession: None]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 0]
[Pets: None]
"What… what is this?"
Even Ash, who had encountered countless bizarre situations, couldn't hide his shock at the sudden appearance of the interface.
Misty sighed, giving him a helpless look. "Didn't you hear the announcement from that voice?"
She crossed her arms. "Ash, after all this time, you still don't think before you act, do you?"
"Just close your eyes and focus your mind. The answer will come to you."
"Uh…"
Ash and Brock hesitated but eventually followed Misty's instructions, shutting their eyes.
As their minds cleared, unfamiliar yet strangely familiar memories surfaced—memories they had never experienced yet felt as if they had always been there.
Memories of this world.
At the same time, their own status panels appeared in their minds:
[ID: Ash]
[Main Profession: None]
[Secondary Profession: None]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 0]
[Pets: None]
—
[ID: Brock]
[Main Profession: None]
[Secondary Profession: None]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 0]
[Pets: None]
—
A few moments later, Ash and Brock opened their eyes, glancing at each other with expressions of shock and disbelief.
These were preloaded memories, given to all travelers by Leo.
They served as an introduction to the world's mechanics and a basic guide for newcomers.
This was a Game World!
From the moment they arrived—whether they were travelers from another realm or children born into this world—they were bound to an attribute panel, just like Ash's.
This panel would follow them for life.
Within this world, countless dungeons of varying sizes existed, teeming with monsters.
Players—now including Ash's group—could earn experience points by defeating these creatures, leveling up as they progressed.
Depending on their potential, chosen profession, and other factors, their strength would grow accordingly. Upon reaching specific levels, they would even unlock unique skills or techniques related to their profession.
In short, this world had been fully transformed into a game.
However, there was one crucial rule: dying in a dungeon did not mean true death.
Instead, it stripped the player of their identity as a "traveler," relegating them to an ordinary existence in this world.
...
...
Looking at the situation, it seemed that everyone had been implanted with memories about the [game rules].
After absorbing these memories, Ash and Brock quickly adapted to the sudden time travel.
At that moment, the light returned to Ash's eyes.
A crucial piece of information had just been provided to all the original trainers through these memories—
Their Pokémon hadn't disappeared.
If they proved themselves capable, they would be able to reunite with their Pokémon in the future through a simple process.
For a long time, the Pokémon sold by Leo to the outside world had primarily been unowned Pokémon.
Even when some had so-called "owners," those were owners in name only.
These Pokémon were either mass-raised or put to work in factories...
After all, a Pokémon's bond with its former trainer was often too strong, which hindered the development of bond evolution.
As a result, as long as a Pokémon was still linked to its trainer, it remained in a dormant state within the system.
Additionally, since Leo extracted resources from the system without consuming anything, he had no objections to letting trainers reunite with their Pokémon—provided they worked hard enough.
Because of this...
Although Ash had no idea how long it would take to see Pikachu and his other Pokémon again, his spirit had lifted considerably.
After processing the memory's reminder, the three of them immediately turned their attention to the text displayed on their attribute panels.
After a while, Brock was the first to speak.
"We can't just keep waiting here. Why don't we check out the Career Center?"
"The Career Center..."
Ash and Misty exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
"Alright, let's head there first!"
According to the memories they had received, the Career Center was an official establishment linked to the GOD.
Every city had at least one.
It was a place where all players who had yet to change careers could choose their primary profession.
This was the final piece of information the implanted memories had provided.
When it came to games, Ash—who was obsessed with Pokémon battles—and Misty—who had always dreamed of opening her own gym—knew very little.
Fortunately, Brock had occasionally played games with his younger siblings, meaning he had at least a basic grasp of game mechanics—certainly more than Ash and Misty, who were complete novices.
Given Brock's natural caretaker role, Ash and Misty had no trouble trusting his judgment.
Following the system map's guidance, they weaved through the city streets, turning left and right until they finally arrived at the Career Center in Cerulean City.
However, as soon as they stood before the building, their expressions turned strange.
After a brief silence, Ash pointed blankly at the familiar structure in front of them.
"So... the Career Center is actually the Pokémon Center?"
"This..."
Misty and Brock were equally stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
Despite their confusion, the three of them stepped forward and crossed the automatic doors with practiced ease.
But the next sight made them freeze in their tracks.
"Oh my God! This..."
Ash's mouth hung open in shock as he took in the scene before him.
Quickly, he stepped back and looked up.
The familiar red roof and white walls loomed overhead.
The only difference was that the Poké Ball symbol on the entrance had been replaced with bold characters: "Career Center."
Yet, when Ash stepped inside once more—
The entire scene shifted in an instant.
A massive indoor plaza stretched out before them.
The space was perfectly circular, with elaborately carved walls and a ceiling that soared nearly ten meters high.
The entire Career Center exuded a grand, classical palace-like luxury.
Yet, beyond its ornate design, the place carried an air of majesty and timelessness that left a deep impression.
Ten service counters lined the walls of the square.
In front of each counter, players stood in long queues.
Directly across from the entrance, a narrow staircase led upward, disappearing into the unknown.
Ash's curiosity flared.
However, seeing the long lines at each counter, they quickly deduced that these must be the lines for job transfers.
Wasting no time, they picked the shortest queue and got in line.
The wait wasn't too long. Every few minutes, someone finished their business and walked away.
As the number of people ahead of them dwindled, the three of them grew increasingly expectant.
Then—
Just as the number of people in front of Ash was getting smaller, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before them.
"Good morning, everyone. Would you like me to introduce some of the characteristics of each profession?"
"Miss Joy!?"
Ash and the others, who had already been surprised several times, stared in disbelief at the pink-clad figure before them. Their faces were filled with confusion as they once again found themselves at a loss.
Then, in an instant, a swift black blur shot forward, darting beneath Miss Joy's skirt.
Kneeling on one knee in front of her, Brock gazed up with a dreamy expression. A rosy aura radiated from his body, with small flowers seemingly swaying behind him.
"Oh! I never imagined I'd have the fortune of meeting the charming Miss Joy here. Surely, fate has brought us together—"
BANG!
"Ow!" Brock yelped in pain.
"Don't just rush off while we're in line! You'll cause trouble for others!"
Misty, having delivered a well-aimed punch, tugged Brock back into place with an exasperated look.
Ash chuckled, pressing his cheek. Fortunately, he was used to Brock's antics. Without missing a beat, he turned to Miss Joy and asked,
"Miss Joy, why are you here!?"
"And just now, you mentioned something about a job introduction... What exactly is that?"
The hints in his memory were vague at best, offering only minor comfort to him and the others so they wouldn't panic. But in reality...
They still had only a fragmented understanding of this world.
Miss Joy glanced at Brock, who had been knocked unconscious yet was still waving at her. She chuckled behind her hand before shifting her gaze toward Ash. As if reading his identification, she greeted him directly.
"Hello, Ash."
"Actually... long before you arrived—about half a year ago—the other Joys and I were brought into this world by Lord God."
"All Joys have now become part of this game world as NPCs, or rather, official personnel."
"We appear in various designated locations to provide players with convenient services."
"And today, my role is to guide newcomers like you through the job transfer process."
"So, would you like to hear some information about the available professions?"
As she finished speaking, Miss Joy turned to the people behind Ash, including several others waiting in line.
Before Ash could respond, someone behind him had already eagerly asked Miss Joy to begin the explanation.
Seeing this, he quickly closed his mouth, and even Brock—normally hopelessly lovestruck—focused his attention.
"Then, allow me to introduce some of the professions available to you..."
Miss Joy gave a warm smile before summoning a virtual screen from thin air.
At the top of the screen hovered a glowing crystal ball, radiating a mysterious light.
She began her explanation:
"In a moment, everyone will enter a place called the [Job Transfer Room], where you will find the Job Transfer Crystal."
"Simply place your hand on it and silently think the words [Job Transfer], and a list of career options will appear in your mind."
"The current professions available for selection are: [Trainer], [Pirate], [Mafia], [Reaper], [Mage], [Ninja], and [Hunter]."
"As of now, these are the only seven professions available. However, more will be introduced in the future."
"So, if none of these professions appeal to you, you can choose to delay your job transfer."
"The Lord God has stated that updates will periodically introduce new professions to enhance the gameplay experience for everyone!"
Miss Joy then proceeded to give a brief overview of each profession, outlining their unique features.
The explanations weren't highly detailed, but they provided everyone present with a basic understanding of each profession's combat style and the possible advancement paths.
For example, those who chose the [Trainer] profession would receive a randomly assigned Pokémon from the starter trio, ranging from level 1 to level 5.
However, the quality of the Pokémon depended entirely on luck.
Trainers could then battle alongside their Pokémon to defeat monsters in dungeons and earn experience points.
Since a Pokémon fought alongside its trainer, experience points had to be split between them.
Pokémon with better stats would level up faster, while weaker ones would take longer.
Additionally, every ten levels, players who chose the [Trainer] profession would receive another Pokémon.
Although at level 10 and beyond, players could use special items to influence which Pokémon they obtained...
The more Pokémon a trainer had, the more their experience would be split, making leveling up progressively harder.
This balancing factor made the [Trainer] profession unique—it granted additional combat strength but also introduced a steeper progression curve.
At the same time, there was another major consideration...
Players from other professions could also obtain Pokémon through various means.
In this game, there were no restrictions on the number of pets a player could have.
If one didn't mind slower leveling and had enough resources to acquire Pokémon...
It was entirely possible for someone to walk around with a hundred Pokémon at their disposal.
However!
Only those who chose the [Trainer] profession could enhance their Pokémon's power and, in turn, draw strength from them.
These benefits would become increasingly evident as a [Trainer] leveled up and unlocked new abilities.