Chapter 2: I Don't Think I've Ever Practiced High Jumping...
Pokémon, also known as Pocket Monsters, is an RPG game series that debuted in 1996 and could practically be called a license to print money.
Later adapted into an anime, the story follows trainers traveling the world with Pokémon living in various regions, aiming to become top-tier masters while incidentally saving the world.
And as a fan of the series, the young man realized he had arrived in an even more extraordinary place...
[Oh no, sorry about that. There was a sudden space-time fluctuation just now, causing a slight deviation in the world you transmigrated to.]
[—You didn't even get a proper reincarnation. Right now, you're still in soul form.]
"Then what do we do? I don't mind starting a new life in the real Pokémon world, but without a body, I can't really do anything, right?"
Yang Xiying's expression turned strange upon hearing the god's voice in his mind. He subconsciously responded—this guy really was unreliable...
He had chosen World No. 4 precisely because its fantasy level was higher than Worlds 1, 3, 7, and 8.
Developing the ability to travel between worlds wasn't impossible there, and it even had people from other worlds. Of course, Worlds 2 and 6 had them too.
But one was a zombie crisis with American-style quick-draw action, and the other was medieval fantasy adventure—neither suited someone like him to survive.
So he could only choose between 4 and 5: modernized, safer than the others, with a worldview similar to Pokémon.
Pokémon itself was a world many transmigrators dreamed of—simple folk customs, fairy-tale setting, loved by everyone.
The tech tree was also highly developed, greatly increasing his chances of researching time-space travel methods.
So he wasn't particularly resistant to arriving here now. The only issue was that he seemed to lack a physical body... and his consciousness was starting to fade...
—Was this the legendary soul dissipation?!
[No worries, the mistake is on me. But since no one's being born in this world right now, I'll have to temporarily make you a body.]
The god's voice echoed in his mind again. Soon after, Yang Xiying noticed his form becoming less ethereal—his little tail turned into legs.
A small puddle on the ground suddenly reflected his face, and his consciousness stabilized... Did this count as resurrection from the dead?
[Yes, I used Resurrection on the dead. But in this world right now, you're an outsider with no legal identity.]
As if reading Yang Xiying's inner doubts, the god's voice rang out again. The young man sensed things were turning bad.
"Doesn't that mean I'll get targeted by the... cough, Arceus?" Arceus—the creator god of the Pokémon world.
In the settings from his original world, it was a multiversal-level powerhouse. Now that the Pokémon world had become real, the llama...
[Relax, I'll mention your situation to the llama bro. That guy likes pulling people into the Pokémon world to do grunt work anyway.]
"...So I don't have to transfer to another world?" The things he was hearing were getting more outrageous!
[Since you don't mind this world, it saves me some effort, right?] The god's words carried a carefree tone.
[Of course, there will still be compensation. I can add some elements from the world you didn't go to onto you, and per tradition...]
[I'll issue you a system like I do for transmigrators. So compensation and system together.] The other side was quite straightforward about it.
—Compensation when promised.
"A system? The cheat from web novels?" Yang Xiying was stunned. "This feels even stronger than world travel."
[No no no, which is stronger depends on the situation. Anyway, part of the system installation is complete.]
[You now have a legal identity, but before you can use it, focus on surviving first.]
"Surviving?"
Upon hearing the god's final words, Yang Xiying froze. Then he noticed movement around him.
—The Pokémon had already noticed his presence.
"..."
Though Pokémon was a world many dreamed of, it wasn't a place just anyone could casually thrive in.
Mysterious creatures called Pokémon existed here, and humans maintained a symbiotic relationship with them, coexisting harmoniously.
But most of them still retained their wild nature. He had suddenly intruded into their territory, and he'd been speaking a bit loudly.
So...
Seven or eight purple and orange rats in the distant grass eyed him warily, their gazes filled with hostility—looking quite unfriendly.
Rattata—the bite-anything rat Pokémon. Where there's one, there are definitely forty more nearby.
True pack animals, making them a genuine threat as a group. And among them were even heavier hitters.
Raticate—compared to Rattata, they possessed far greater strength, capable of gnawing through steel-reinforced concrete buildings in short order.
Their mobilization had even made the previously visible green caterpillars—Metapod—disappear. Though some might be hiding to watch the show.
—Especially those scruffy birds, Spearow...
"...I'm just passing through. I'll leave right away. Sorry for disturbing you."
Knowing the habits of those hostile Pokémon, Yang Xiying immediately performed a French military salute. As an ordinary human, going head-to-head with them wasn't rational.
In the settings, Pokémon could understand human speech, so if he just used Dr. Willy's New Year's greeting method...
"Squee—!" However, Yang Xiying's actions only made the other side more agitated, sending a chill down the young man's spine.
Don't Pokémon understand human language?! How come his fluent Japanese wasn't getting through?!
Yes! Yang Xiying had spoken to the Pokémon in Japanese! After all, he'd transmigrated into Pokémon, an island nation game, so the language...
[While Pokémon do have spiritual abilities to understand human speech, my transmigration work is still very thorough.]
[For language, just speak your native tongue—it'll auto-translate. So Japanese sounds like provocation to them.]
The god's voice rang in his mind again, explaining why the Pokémon were riled up. This made Yang Xiying lose it.
"You could've told me that earlier! And since you can send me to another world, you should be able to send me to a safe place now, right!"
He was now as horrified as Iori Kitahara seeing Chisa with only panties on—wanting to turn and run but afraid it would provoke a sudden attack.
"Chaa—!"
Well, his voice got loud again, and the other side had already snapped. Several purple rats bared their front teeth and launched an assault toward the young man!
"Eeek—!"
Yang Xiying instantly turned and bolted, only to trip and face-plant after a few steps. Things felt even worse now.
—He was about to get bitten to death by these rats!
[I didn't expect you, genius, to speak Japanese directly to them. As for sending you to a safe place—that I really can't do.]
[Of course, no need to be so scared. The system installation has reached a new stage. Just take out those measly rats!]
"New stage?"
The god's voice in his mind stunned Yang Xiying again. At the same time, a rush of air and impact sounds came from behind!
The noise drew Yang Xiying's attention. He rolled over, shifting his gaze backward—and saw slash marks covering a 20-30 meter radius.
As if cleaved by sharp blades—grass, trees, and earth alike. The leading pursuing rats lay on the ground with gruesome wounds.
—The surrounding restless Pokémon thus lost their aggression.
The cause was a deep blue figure standing ahead, back turned to him. Its entire body was covered in blue armor.
Arms, shoulders, chest, waist, legs, and head—all armored, giving the impression of a Western knight.
Its arms were equipped with the weapons a Western knight should have: swords—dual swords, with pale blue flames burning along the blades.
Burning seemed to be its trait—even its head emitted pale blue flames, yet the hue gave a cool, water-like sensation.
It turned toward him now. Beneath the helmet, only indifferent eyes were visible, white flames burning in the pupils.
Holy crap! Mega Man!
Seeing this figure, Yang Xiying's first thought was a certain electronic game series that sold multiple versions like Pokémon.
But Yang Xiying knew this was a Pokémon. Though he liked associations, he wasn't face-blind—the two only had subtle connections.
—And the god had introduced it this way in his mind.
[Since you now have a legal identity to survive in this world, you're naturally a trainer who can command Pokémon in battle.]
[So you can use Pokémon against Pokémon. And the one before you now is my gift to you—the most suitable starting Pokémon.]
[Fire swordsman Pokémon, Cinder Blade Ghost... Tell me, are you my trainer?]
At this moment, the deep blue figure's indifferent gaze fell on Yang Xiying. A calm, cold female voice suddenly appeared in the young man's mind.
[...Aren't there a few too many Pokémon world elements here?]
The voice in his mind left Yang Xiying even more stunned. He hadn't practiced high jumping on the playground before!