Pokémon: The Master who emerged from the slums

Morning light streamed through the window, filling the room with a warm glow. Inside, a boy, around fourteen or fifteen years old, lay fast asleep in his Eevee pajamas.

Suddenly, a Poké Ball-shaped alarm clock began blaring, and the boy jolted awake, his body tensing.

"Already 7:30? I have class at 8:30... I shouldn't have stayed up all night reading that Pokémon training guide. Although, I have to admit, the guide had some unique insights."

He grumbled to himself, but his movements were swift and practiced.

Quickly, he pulled off his slightly clumsy pajamas, revealing his toned muscles, then threw on some clothes and slung his blue-and-white backpack over his shoulder before heading out the door.

A series of ringing sounds echoed through the street.

A figure appeared, riding a bicycle while munching on a piece of bread, his eyes occasionally glancing at the electronic watch on his wrist, as if calculating the time.

His speed was so fast that even the 'Bean Pidgey,' resting on the trees by the street, was startled and took flight.

Yes, it was indeed the Bean Pidgey.

But this wasn't the world of "Pokémon."

Rather, it was a parallel world, similar to Earth!

However, due to some unknown reason, over five hundred years ago, strange rifts suddenly appeared in the sky. Along with these rifts came bizarre creatures that could release various elemental powers.

At first, people were terrified. Even the most ordinary Bug-type Pokémon, like a Caterpie, could easily suffocate a person with its silk attack.

But after a period of panic, people were surprised to find that not all of these newly appeared creatures were aggressive. Many of them were gentle, non-threatening beings.

The boy riding the bicycle, on his way to school, was "James," a young man who had crossed over from Earth.

At first, James was ecstatic. He had arrived in a world like Earth, but with Pokémon! Though this world didn't exactly resemble the Pokémon world he had seen in games and TV shows, it still thrilled him.

But as the days passed, reality hit James hard.

In this world, he didn't have parents—only his grandmother, whom he lived with. Unfortunately, even his grandmother had passed away two years ago.

James didn't mind too much. After all, he had been an orphan in his past life as well.

As the school bell rang, the door to the classroom of Class 3-A opened with a soft "creak."

James, dressed in his athletic gear, slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked in.

A few classmates waved at him as he entered, and James politely nodded in acknowledgment.

James was now 16, the age at which he could officially receive his first Pokémon. But inside, he felt more like a young man in his twenties, his mind having matured over the past five years since his arrival in this world.

Although James made an effort to adapt to his role as a student, there was a noticeable gap between him and the other kids. Compared to their youthful energy, he appeared particularly mature and composed.

James walked past rows of desks and sat at his usual spot. He pulled out the Pokémon training guide he hadn't finished reading yesterday and placed it alongside the textbooks he'd need for class. He only took out the textbooks to avoid drawing attention from the teacher, since the material was not all that important to him.

For someone who had played Pokémon games in his past life and understood the basics, the teacher's lessons on simple type matchups seemed trivial. James was baffled to see some of his classmates still struggling with them!

However, not all of the lessons were irrelevant. The topics on Pokémon breeding, move usage techniques, and move manuals were new to James. These were things he had never encountered in his past life.

By the way, this world was still in the early stages of Pokémon research, especially concerning legendary Pokémon, evolutionary methods, and some rare species. People were still studying these mysteries.

However, research on Pokémon types and their characteristics was already quite advanced, and James had his own theories, even wondering if they were connected to ancient records about Poké Ball crafting.

The classroom door opened, and a young woman in professional attire entered.

Her name was Laura, the homeroom teacher for Class 3-A, and the one who taught James all things related to Pokémon.

She walked calmly to the front of the class, tapped her textbook lightly on the desk, and immediately commanded the attention of the students who had been whispering and giggling.

Laura had a certain charm, particularly for the young boys in the class, who couldn't help but be captivated by her presence.

"Class," she began after clearing her throat, "Next week, you will all be selecting your first Pokémon."

Before she could finish, the classroom erupted in excited cheers.

"Finally! It's the day we get our first Pokémon!"

"Yeah! But I wonder what kind of Pokémon we'll get..."

"I hope it's a Charmander!"

"You're dreaming!"

The students were thrilled at the prospect of receiving their first Pokémon.

This wasn't surprising, as Pokémon in this world had incredible destructive potential. This wasn't just hearsay; it was a lesson learned from the lives of many Pokémon trainers.

In the wild forests, untouched by human hands, even a simple Rattata or Beedrill could kill a person.

And these Pokémon often traveled in packs, so even if you managed to defeat one, the others would overwhelm you.

As a result, the Violet League, where James lived, had strict rules: trainers had to be at least 16 years old to receive their first Pokémon. This was partly to prevent immature individuals from using Pokémon for malicious purposes, and also to allow time for people to learn about Pokémon, from type advantages to advanced breeding techniques.

These lessons would provide the foundation for trainers when they finally received their Pokémon.