Nurse Joy's words weren't meant to insult anyone; she was simply puzzled.
Why would a child, who didn't seem that young, be completely ignorant of such basic knowledge?
Had no one taught him since childhood?
Could he have run away from home? Or… perhaps escaped from an orphanage?
"…Sister Joy, can you keep a secret for me?"
Elijah's eyes darted around, then he lowered his voice with a serious expression and asked.
Nurse Joy was momentarily taken aback by his demeanor.
She nodded solemnly.
"Actually… I'm the child of a human and a Pokémon."
"What?!"
As a medical professional, Nurse Joy was stunned.
Humans and Pokémon could have children?
This was the first she'd ever heard of it!
"My dad… he was a jerk!"
Elijah slammed his small fist on the table, gritting his teeth as he continued, "Back then, after he got my mom pregnant… he caught her in a Poké Ball while she was asleep and abandoned her in the forest, along with the Poké Ball."
"Later, my mother gave birth to me in the forest. I grew up with Pokémon, so… I don't know much about the human world."
Nurse Joy was utterly dumbfounded.
This story completely reshaped her worldview.
Meanwhile, Umbreon, sitting beside the chair, had a face full of question marks.
Not familiar with the human world?
On the way to the Pokémon Center, I saw you chatting with humans without any trouble at all.
"This… this is shocking. I never imagined humans and Pokémon could… Little Elijah, you've had such a hard time all these years…"
Nurse Joy's heart swelled with compassion.
"Don't worry about it, Sister Joy. I'm doing fine now, aren't I?"
Elijah silently apologized to his long-deceased father from his previous-previous life.
He hadn't thought of a better excuse on the spot, so he borrowed N's backstory from the Pokémon games.
But now that he thought about it, N's origin didn't necessarily mean a male human and a female Pokémon.
A male Pokémon and a female human could be possible too, right?
Like, say, a Gallade with a big… ahem. After all, that one's got green hair too.
In the end, under Nurse Joy's sympathetic gaze, Elijah, the undocumented kid, successfully registered an identity.
Though she didn't pay the ten years' worth of taxes to make him a registered Trainer eligible for a starter Pokémon, having an official identity would open far more doors than being a nobody.
Afterward, Nurse Joy told Elijah to rest in the guest room and promised to help him find a foster family the next day.
Hearing this, Elijah took advantage of her inattention.
The next morning, he woke up early, left a thank-you letter, and slipped away.
Sure, pretending to be a kid like Momonosuke to gather intel was one thing.
But actually living with another family and playing the part of a child for years? That'd drive him insane!
Besides, while Elijah didn't think Nurse Joy was that kind of person, if she reported his "backstory" to the authorities, he couldn't shake the fear that someone might want to slice him up for research.
No way around it—after spending so long in the ruthless, spy-ridden world of One Piece, Elijah always assumed the worst-case scenario.
Sure, in his previous life, he often used pirates and World Government lackeys as test subjects, but he had no intention of becoming one himself.
…
"I've got a rough grasp of this world, but the money problem still isn't solved."
Elijah stretched lazily, walking down the street with Umbreon, chatting idly, "To help you devolve, I need to study your DNA composition. That means I'll need a lot of professional equipment."
"Syringes, blood collection tubes, blood analysis machines…"
"Those things cost a ton of money, but I don't even have enough for lunch."
*"Bree~ Bree~ Bree~"*
Umbreon responded in kind, matching his casual tone.
It occasionally shot its new Trainer an incredulous sideways glance.
No, seriously, was he for real?
Not just among the Eevee family, but in the entire history of Pokémon—Umbreon had never heard of a Pokémon devolving after evolving.
"Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't. I'm pretty confident in this area."
Elijah patted Umbreon's round head.
"Tch~ No matter how many times I look at you, you're just so beautiful. That jet-black fur, those red eyes, and the golden-yellow markings as accents."
Ever since Sylveon debuted in Pokémon X and Y, with its elegant and beautiful appearance, plus the "Pixilate" ability—the best trait in the Eevee family—it skyrocketed to become the most popular Eevee evolution.
But Elijah still thought Umbreon was the coolest.
It had a mysterious kind of beauty.
Elijah's praise left Umbreon stunned again.
Its appearance… was beautiful?
Until last night, when it fell asleep at the Pokémon Center, its dreams were still haunted by the terrified expression of its former Trainer abandoning it.
The human and the fox continued walking down the street.
Umbreon's sneaky glances at Elijah grew more frequent.
It could tell.
Elijah's words earlier weren't meant to comfort or trick it—he genuinely said them.
Why… weren't you my first Trainer?
"Cyndaquil, use Ember!"
"Wah! Rattata! Dodge quick!"
At that moment, shouts from children rang out ahead.
Elijah and Umbreon looked up.
Two boys, around Elijah's current age, were engaged in a Pokémon battle.
Their Pokémon were a Cyndaquil and a Rattata.
Hmm, both Trainers' command skills were about on par.
But looking at the Pokémon themselves, the outcome was obvious.
Don't give me that "there's no such thing as a weak Pokémon, only a weak Trainer" nonsense.
Or bring up Giovanni's Beedrill or Red's Pikachu as examples.
As a scientist, Elijah would say: don't use outliers to make a point.
For example, if you had to choose between eating Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu
or Hancock's sisters' Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Anaconda, which would you pick?
Giovanni and Red are exceptions among exceptions, okay?
How many others have managed to train a common Beedrill or Pikachu to that unbeatable level?
To all you transmigrators out there, if you're aiming to become a top Trainer without some system cheat, pick a Pokémon with a higher potential ceiling.
Didn't you see how Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi couldn't keep up in the god-tier battles of the late game, so they pulled out the Nika cheat to compensate?
"Yay! I won!"
In the end, Rattata couldn't pull off a comeback with the "god-tier" move Dodge Quick.
Cyndaquil's Trainer claimed victory.
"As per our deal, this pack of Pikachu chocolate cookies is mine."
The boy took a pack of cookies with Pikachu on the wrapper from his opponent.
Seeing this, Elijah's smile turned downright mischievous.
Oh, right—how could I forget how I made money playing the games in my previous life?
(End of Chapter)