Darkness came first.
Not the gentle darkness of sleep, nor the familiar black behind closed eyes—but something deeper, heavier, like sinking into cold water without air. Kaito felt his thoughts stretch and thin, memories pulling away from him one by one.
He remembered his world.
Concrete streets. Screens glowing late into the night. Games, videos, endless information about Pokémon—types, matchups, regions he had memorized for fun, never imagining they would matter.
And then—nothing.
A violent sensation followed, as if reality itself folded inward.
Kaito gasped.
Air slammed into his lungs, sharp and clean, filled with unfamiliar scents—fresh grass, warm soil, and something faintly electric. His eyes flew open, and sunlight burned across his vision.
He lay flat on his back.
Blue sky stretched endlessly above him, broken only by drifting white clouds. Tall trees surrounded him, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. Somewhere nearby, birds chirped—not normal birds, he realized distantly, but Pokémon cries.
His heart pounded.
"I… what?"
Kaito sat up abruptly, hands pressing into the dirt. The ground was real—too real. Cool earth stuck to his palms. His body felt smaller, lighter. He looked down.
Child-sized hands.
Slender arms.
He scrambled to his feet and staggered toward a reflective patch of water near a tree root. Staring back at him was a boy no older than fifteen, with dark hair, sharp eyes, and a face that didn't belong to his old self.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't a game.
His breath trembled.
"…Pallet Town."
The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
He recognized the forest instantly—the edge of Route 1. He had seen it a thousand times on screens, maps, anime episodes. The realization sent a chill through him far colder than fear.
He had transmigrated.
And before he could process that truth—
A translucent blue panel flickered into existence before his eyes.
---
**SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE**
**HOST DETECTED**
**WORLD: POKÉMON**
**STATUS: STABLE**
---
Kaito froze.
The panel wasn't a hallucination. It didn't flicker like imagination—it hovered, sharp and precise, responding to his focus.
"…A system," he whispered.
Another line appeared.
---
**TRAINING SYSTEM ACTIVE**
**APPRAISAL FUNCTION UNLOCKED**
**TRAINING MULTIPLIER: ×10**
---
His chest tightened.
This wasn't just reincarnation. This was a cheat.
Before he could think further, movement in the grass caught his eye.
A small purple shape darted forward, eyes red and sharp, teeth bared.
"Rattata!"
The cry was shrill and aggressive. The Pokémon lunged without hesitation, driven by hunger or territorial instinct.
Kaito's body reacted before fear could set in.
"Wait—!"
Too late.
The Rattata leapt, claws slashing toward his legs.
Instinct screamed.
"Appraisal!"
The word left his mouth naturally—and the system responded.
---
**SYSTEM – APPRAISAL COMPLETE**
**Pokémon:** Rattata
**Type:** Normal
**Current Tier:** F
**Potential Tier:** B
---
The information slammed into his awareness with unnatural clarity.
Weak. Very weak.
But the potential…
Kaito didn't hesitate.
He dropped low, scooping up a fallen branch from the forest floor and swinging it sideways—not to strike, but to block. The Rattata collided with the wood, tumbling back with a surprised squeak.
It scrambled upright instantly, eyes blazing.
Kaito held the branch steady, heart pounding—not with fear, but something else.
Excitement.
Focus.
"This world…" he muttered, eyes narrowing. "It's real."
The Rattata lunged again.
This time, Kaito stepped forward instead of back.
The branch snapped against the Pokémon's side—not hard enough to injure, but enough to shock it. The Rattata skidded across the dirt and stopped, chest heaving.
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then Kaito slowly lowered the branch.
He reached into his pocket and found a small piece of bread. He held it out on his palm. The Rattata sniffed and took the bread. It ate quickly and watched him.
A line of text appeared in his mind.
SYSTEM – APPRAISAL Pokémon: Rattata
Type: Normal
Current Tier: F
Potential Tier: B Notes: Cautious trust; responds to calm commands
Kaito read the appraisal. He understood the words. The Rattata was weak now. It could grow. The system would not fight for him. It only showed what was possible.
He stood and walked toward the path. The Rattata followed at a careful distance. Kaito kept his steps slow. He did not want to scare it.
When he reached the edge of the trees, he saw houses and a small road. A child played near one house. The child was very small. He laughed and ran to a woman who called him.
Kaito watched for a moment. He felt a strange pull in his chest. He did not know why. He only knew the child looked safe.
Kaito kept walking. He wanted to find the lab on the hill. He had seen the lab in pictures. He wanted to know if people there could help him. He kept the Rattata close.
A man stood on the lab steps and watched him. The man walked down and came closer. He had gray hair and a calm face.
"You look like you know how to handle a Pokémon," the man said.
Kaito looked at him. He nodded.
"I woke up in the forest," Kaito said. "I don't know how I got here. I found this Rattata."
The man listened. He did not ask many questions. He asked one simple question.
"Are you alone?" he asked.
Kaito said, "Yes."
The man looked at the Rattata and then at Kaito. He said, "Come inside. We will get you something to eat. We will see what we can do."
They walked into the lab. The man gave Kaito a warm drink and a blanket. He did not push for answers. He wrote a few notes in a small book. Then he looked up.
"You are young to be training," the man said. "Why do you want to train?"
Kaito thought about the question. He thought about the city he had left. He thought about the screens and the facts he had learned. He thought about the Rattata and the way it had looked at him when he held out the bread.
"I want to learn how to help Pokémon," Kaito said. "I want to be strong enough to protect them."
The man nodded. "Training is not only about winning," he said. "It is about trust. It is about knowing when to push and when to stop. If you stay here, you will learn. But you must be careful. People will notice a child who trains like an adult."
Kaito listened. He felt the truth of the man's words. He felt a steady resolve. He had a plan now. He would stay in Pallet Town for a while. He would train the Rattata. He would learn from the man when the man had time. He would not tell anyone about the system. He would not use it to cheat in fights. He would use it to make his work count.
The man walked with Kaito to a flat patch of grass near a small stream. He pointed to the ground.
"This is a good place to train," he said. "Keep your sessions short at first. Watch the Rattata's breathing. Watch its eyes. If it looks tired, stop. If it looks scared, stop."
Kaito thanked him. He sat on the grass and called the Rattata. The Rattata came and sat near him. Kaito set a small training plan in his head. He would do timing and balance and small commands. He would repeat them until the Rattata did them without thinking. He would do this every day.
He started with a simple drill. He held out his hand and said, "Stay."
The Rattata looked at him. It moved a paw and then stopped. Kaito kept his voice calm. He repeated the command. The Rattata stayed. He gave it a small piece of bread as a reward.
When the sun moved low, a short line of text appeared in his mind.
SYSTEM – TRAINING COMPLETE 10× Efficiency Applied
Kaito read the message. He felt a small satisfaction. He had worked and the work had counted. He did not feel like he had cheated. He felt like he had used a tool that made honest work more effective.
That night, Kaito slept on a small cot in a spare room at the lab. He kept the door open a little so he could hear the town. He thought about the day and about the Rattata and about the system. He thought about the man's words and about the plan he had made. He felt tired and he felt ready.
He did not know what would happen next. He did not know how long he would stay in this world. He only knew that he had a choice now. He could run and hide. He could try to find a way back to his old life. Or he could stay and learn and work and see what the Rattata could become.
Kaito closed his eyes and decided to stay. He decided to train. He decided to keep the system to himself and to use it only as a way to make his work matter more. He decided to be brave and to be careful. He decided to be the kind of trainer who would protect Pokémon and not use them.
Before sleep took him, he heard a soft voice in the hall.
"Good night," the man said.
Kaito answered, "Good night."
Outside, the town was quiet. Inside, the lab light burned low. Kaito slept and the Rattata slept on a small mat near the door. The system waited in the back of his mind, a set of facts and numbers that would appear when he needed them. For now, the work would be simple and the days would be long. Kaito would learn the rules of this world one step at a time.