A certain psychiatric hospital.
A man named Han Xin sat with a Nintendo Switch in his hands, deeply engrossed in Pokémon Scarlet.
After finally capturing the last shiny Pokémon in the Pokédex, he let out a long sigh.
"Phew… finally done. Case closed!"
Noticing his Switch battery nearly drained, Han Xin fished out a charger from his bag. At the same time, he held a cartridge of Monster Hunter: Rise between his fingers, planning to switch games once it was plugged in.
But the moment the charger touched the socket—
A surge of electricity, stronger than the breaker could handle, coursed straight into Han Xin's body!
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
With a loud crack!—
He crossed into another world!
Ding! Host's vital signs confirmed. Binding [Pokémon Item Lottery System].
Still dazed, Han Xin opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by strange plants and jagged rocks. The musty scent of moss and the earthy fragrance of dead leaves hit his senses.
This was definitely not the hospital.
Blinking at the unfamiliar landscape, Han Xin suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! I did it—I really transmigrated!"
There was no panic, no confusion—only pure joy and excitement flashing in his eyes.
After a good laugh, he wiped at the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
But when he stretched out his hand, he froze.
There was no human arm—just a blob of irregular, purple, jelly-like goo.
Han Xin's mind instantly recalled the system's words. He muttered:
"Wait… [Pokémon Item Lottery System]? Does that mean… I ended up in the Pokémon world?! And I turned into a…"
He gulped and shouted experimentally:
"System! Show yourself!"
Sure enough, a translucent blue screen appeared before him with a friendly chime:
Dear Host, this system is at your service!
The screen displayed his new status:
Host: Han Xin
Species: Ditto
Ability: Limber
Skill: Transform
Held Item: None
"…Wait. I actually became a Ditto?!"
Shock coursed through him, followed by creeping dread.
He had expected to become a proud Pokémon Trainer—not an actual Pokémon! How was a self-proclaimed chosen one supposed to bow down and be caught in a Poké Ball?!
"System, where am I right now?" Han Xin demanded. Surely a system like this had a map or scanning function.
But the reply caught him off guard.
"Bzzz… Scan error."
And then—silence.
Left with no choice, Han Xin decided to explore on his own.
As a self-proclaimed Pokémon expert, he was confident he could figure out his surroundings.
"Looks like a forest… maybe Viridian Forest? Petalburg Woods? White Forest? Whatever, let's just check it out."
Even in his Ditto form, his body instinctively knew how to move—sliding and wriggling along with surprising agility.
After about ten minutes of crawling through the underbrush, something ahead made his jaw drop.
Underneath a massive tree lay a black-and-white catlike creature, clutching a crude claw-shaped weapon in its paw. A vine-woven scarf hung around its neck, and a pouch was tied at its waist. Its fur was soaked in blood.
Han Xin's eyes widened in recognition.
"Holy crap—isn't that… a Melynx? From Monster Hunter? Don't tell me I ended up in the wrong world?!"
He rushed forward to get a closer look.
The Melynx was barely clinging to life, its breath shallow. Hearing Han Xin approach, it weakly lifted its head. But when it saw only a purple blob in front of it, it lowered its gaze again.
"Hey, buddy, you still alive?" Han Xin asked half-jokingly.
To his surprise, the dying Melynx's eyes widened. Seeing the blob speak, it stared at him like he was an alien.
After a long moment, the Melynx shakily reached into its pouch, pulling out a strange acorn. With trembling paws, it held it out to Han Xin.
Instinctively, Han Xin accepted it.
The instant he did, the Melynx gave a faint, relieved smile… then collapsed, lifeless.
"…Hello? Cat bro?"
Puzzled, Han Xin nudged the unmoving body with his gooey hand.
And in that moment—
A surge of energy exploded out of the Melynx's body, flooding into Han Xin's goo-like form! Along with it came a torrent of fragmented memories:
—battles against terrifying monsters,
—struggles to find food for its clan,
—being swept away by a flood and wandering in exile,
—and most recently, the desperate escape from a pack of Jaggi… led by a Great Jaggi!
As the memories settled in his mind, Han Xin finally grasped the truth.
"You've gotta be kidding me! This damn system dropped me in Monster Hunter instead of Pokémon?!"
Before he could finish cursing, the system's voice chimed again:
Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have unlocked [Meowth] Transformation Access. You also receive one lottery draw!
"…Wait. Did you just say… Meowth?!"
Han Xin's eyes darted from the system screen to the lifeless Melynx at his feet. A horrifying thought struck him.
"No way… This busted system thinks Monster Hunter creatures are Pokémon?!"
And then another realization hit him—one that made his metaphorical stomach ache.
"Hold on… those last memories. The Great Jaggi was chasing it just moments ago, wasn't it…?"
As if on cue, the surrounding forest erupted with the sound of rustling leaves and heavy, rushing footsteps—closing in fast.
"…Oh no. Don't tell me…"