Night passed quietly.
Minato stepped out of the wooden house and looked around. Above him, dense tree canopies blocked most of the sunlight, allowing only scattered rays to filter through, casting shifting patches of light and shadow across the leaf-covered ground.
When he looked up, he was surprised to see that the Pidgey was still there.
Suppressing his excitement, Minato took out the bread from yesterday's comfort gift pack stored in the system's Inventory. He broke it into small pieces and scattered them on the ground before waving toward the Pidgey.
"Chirp, chirp?"
The Pidgey looked at him curiously before flying down from the tree. It glanced at him briefly, then began pecking at the bread on the ground.
"Chirp, chirp!"
Judging by its reaction, it seemed to really enjoy the food.
At that moment, Minato placed a Poké Ball in front of it.
"Pidgey, would you like to come with me and become the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world?"
The Pidgey looked at him for a moment… then suddenly flew away.
"You don't want to? Hahaha…"
Watching the Pidgey disappear into the sky, Minato felt a little disappointed.
But he also understood.
A Pidgey with such excellent potential was probably a treasured member of its flock. Why would it easily leave everything behind to follow a stranger?
Wait…
Minato suddenly realized something.
Since encountering this Pidgey yesterday, he hadn't seen any other Pidgey nearby.
"Chirp, chirp!"
Just then, the Pidgey flew back and landed on Minato's shoulder.
Something was clutched in its beak.
Minato extended his hand.
A round object dropped into his palm.
He looked down at it carefully.
"…Holy crap."
"A Pidgeotite?!"
The Pidgey looked at him and lightly pecked him again, then tilted its head toward the Poké Ball on the ground.
Minato froze for a moment.
"So… Pidgey, you're willing to become my Pokémon?"
"Chirp, chirp."
Seeing the Pidgey nod slightly, Minato didn't hesitate any longer.
He placed the Poké Ball gently in front of it.
A red light flashed.
The Poké Ball absorbed the Pidgey… and didn't shake at all.
It remained perfectly still.
Minato slowly picked up the ball, staring at it in disbelief before suddenly shouting in excitement.
"I caught a Pidgey! Hahaha!"
At that moment, the system's voice rang out again.
"Congratulations, Host. You have acquired your first Pokémon."
"Issuing Newbie Gift Pack:
Evolution Key ×1
Hyper Beam TM ×1
Choice Specs ×1
Pidgey → Pidgeot Optimal Training Plan
Aura Power Awakening
Daily necessities (solar desk lamp, paper, cloth, etc.)"
Hearing this, Minato felt as if heavenly music were playing in his ears.
However, he didn't forget to release the Pidgey.
A flash of red light appeared.
The Pidgey flew out again.
"Pidgey, from now on, we'll work hard together."
"Chirp, chirp."
Seeing Minato extend his hand, the Pidgey gently bumped its head against it.
Then Minato suddenly remembered something.
"Wait, System. If I've already awakened Aura Power, why can't I understand Pidgey's words?"
"Host has only obtained the opportunity to awaken Aura Power. The awakening process has not yet begun."
Just as Minato was about to ask another question, the system added:
"However, it is recommended that the Host awaken Aura Power in a safe and quiet environment, as external factors may interfere during the awakening."
"Oh… I see."
Hearing this explanation, Minato couldn't help muttering a random foreign phrase under his breath.
"Alright then. My next destination is Professor Oak's laboratory!"
"I'm going to become a glorious Pokémon Researcher!"
At that moment, the system interface changed again.
Side Quest Updated
Side Quest 2: The Little Overlord of Viridian Forest
Spend two years clearing the outer areas of Viridian Forest.
(Warning: The core area contains extremely dangerous Pokémon. The Host is advised not to seek death.)
Reward: Recognition from a Legendary Pokémon
"…Wait a second."
Minato's expression froze.
"How am I supposed to go to Professor Oak's lab if I'm stuck here?"
"Does this mean I have to stay in Viridian Forest for the next two years?!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
He ended up venting his frustration loudly in the forest.
But the system responded coldly.
Daily Quest Updated
Daily Quest:
Live in Viridian Forest for two years. Ensure self-sufficiency. Find a place to settle down.
Reward: Berry Knowledge Mastery
Minato stared at the quest panel in complete silence.
So the system was basically forcing him to grind levels in Viridian Forest for two whole years.
"…Fine."
"Pidgey, fly up and check if there's a water source nearby."
Perhaps the heavens took pity on him.
Behind the wooden house where he had slept for the night, there was actually a large lake, surrounded by several berry trees he couldn't recognize.
Looking at the sun in the sky, Minato knew he had to at least clean up the wooden house enough to live in before nightfall.
Otherwise, even though the Pokémon world looked beautiful…
There were still Pokémon like Abra that could attack humans at night.
This world wasn't as safe as it seemed.
---
Minato and Pidgey stood in front of the dilapidated wooden house.
Although Minato had entered it last night, he had only set up a tent and hadn't carefully examined the place.
Now, in daylight, the house looked even more miserable.
The wooden walls had weathered into a dull gray color.
The windows had no glass, leaving empty frames like hollow eye sockets.
The weeds in the yard had grown taller than a person, swaying in the morning breeze as if quietly telling the story of the house's long abandonment.
"Let's get started, Pidgey."
Taking a deep breath, Minato pushed open the creaking wooden door.
Dust fell like snow.
"Achoo!"
Minato sneezed immediately.
Above him, the Pidgey flapped its brown wings and chirped loudly, as if cheering him on.
They started with the living room.
Minato moved the old furniture outside one piece at a time.
Most of it was already broken:
A chair with only three legs.
A dining table with a cracked surface.
A sofa with exposed springs.
He carefully inspected each item, placing the repairable ones on the left side of the yard and the unusable ones on the right.
The Pidgey wasn't idle either.
It flew onto the cabinet and vigorously flapped its wings, blowing away years of accumulated dust.
Its small body quickly became covered in gray powder, but it continued chirping happily as it worked.
"Hey, look at this."
Minato picked up a rusty tin box from the corner.
The Pidgey immediately flew onto his shoulder, tilting its head curiously.
Inside the box were several yellowed photographs.
A child running in the yard.
A family standing together at the doorway.
An old man resting in a rocking chair under the sun.
Time seemed frozen inside those pictures.
"There must have been many stories here…"
Minato said quietly, carefully placing the photos on the windowsill.
"Once we finish cleaning, we'll frame them."
The Pidgey gently pecked the smiling child in one of the photos and let out a soft chirp.
---
By noon, Minato was exhausted and sat down on the ground to rest.
The Pidgey flew away for a moment and soon returned with several berries, dropping them into his hand.
Minato also took out bread, tearing it into pieces to share with the Pidgey along with the berries.
It was a simple lunch.
Sunlight streamed through the now-clean windows, and dust drifted slowly through the light beams, creating a strangely poetic scene.
"The hardest part is next."
Minato pointed toward the kitchen, which was still buried under thick layers of dust.
The Pidgey grabbed a corner of the cleaning cloth with its claws and worked together with him.
They wiped away years of accumulated grime little by little.
They worked surprisingly well as a team.
Minato handled the higher areas.
The Pidgey squeezed into corners he couldn't reach.
Minato scrubbed surfaces with clean water.
The Pidgey used its wings to sweep dust into piles.
---
As the sun began to set, they entered the final room.
A small bedroom.
While moving an old bookshelf, a notebook suddenly slipped out from a gap.
Opening it, Minato saw childish handwriting on the first page.
"My dream: to become a Pokémon Researcher."
He sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through the pages.
The notebook was filled with detailed observations of different Pokémon, along with clumsy but passionate drawings.
On the last page, a dried leaf was carefully tucked inside.
Beside it was a short note.
"Today I met a Pidgey in the forest. It was injured, so I brought it home to take care of it. It's so cute."
Minato slowly looked up at the Pidgey, which was busy grooming its feathers nearby.
Suddenly, he understood something.
"…Maybe this is fate, Pidgey."
He gently stroked the bird's back.
"The former owner of this wooden house must have loved Pokémon just as much as we do."
The Pidgey rubbed gently against his hand.
---
Night finally fell.
The work was done.
Minato lit the oil lamp he had brought, and warm light filled the wooden house.
The place had completely transformed.
The wooden floor revealed its natural color again.
The windows were bright and clean.
Repaired furniture stood neatly in place.
The old photos were hanging on the walls.
The weeds outside had been cleared, revealing a hidden stone path.
Minato and Pidgey sat together on the porch, watching the stars slowly appear in the sky.
The Pidgey seemed tired too, resting beside him as its small head nodded sleepily.
"It was exhausting…"
Minato gently stroked its feathers.
"But it was worth it, right?"
"We didn't just restore this forgotten place…"
"We also brought back a beautiful memory."
The Pidgey let out a soft cry in response.
A cool evening breeze carried the scent of distant mountains and nearby wildflowers.
At the foot of the mountain, the newly restored wooden house stood quietly, its warm light glowing softly in the darkness like a beating heart.
Minato knew this would be their home for the next two years.
And his very first home in this world.
As the night deepened, the warm light from the wooden house continued shining quietly, as if telling a story of inheritance… and a brand new beginning.