At the riverbank, the air was quiet except for the soft crackle of fire.
FWOOSH.
A flame flickered at Al's fingertip, stretching into a steady blaze that lit the pile of wood beneath his grill. He leaned back, watching the fire spread and settle. For a while, he simply listened to the river, letting the night breathe around him.
Then he tapped the collar around his neck.
"Pocket, start audio record. File name: Number Thirteen."
[Ding. Order received. Starting audio record in 3… 2… 1.]
"Alright… this is my twenty-eighth day in this world. Today I unlocked Pikachu, and tomorrow should be Sandslash. Interesting thing—alternate forms like Alolan evolutions come bundled with the original. So that means I've got Alolan Raichu and Alolan Sandshrew now."
He paused, a soft smile pulling at his lips before it faltered into something gentler, almost wistful.
"Mom, Dad… I hope you're both okay. And Max, little guy, I hope you're eating right. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, but… I'm doing well here. Really."
He let out a slow breath, staring into the fire. His eyes glistened, though he quickly rubbed at them with the back of his hand.
"…When I used to read stories like this, I'd always wonder why the MC would cling to the main character instead of going solo. Why not live their own adventure? But now… I get it. When you know what's coming, you lean on that safety net. You hold onto the story you know works."
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"But that's not me. I don't want to just survive this world—I want to change it. Improve it. I want to be relied on. To prove to myself… and to you back home… that I can be more than I was."
Al straightened, his voice firm now, steady and filled with resolve.
"This power of mine—it's not a curse. It's my upper hand. My cheat. A gift. And I'm going to use it—not to dominate, but to build something worth protecting. To live a peaceful life… and to make a difference while I'm at it."
He looked up toward the night sky, eyes gleaming with quiet conviction.
"…Even if it means unlocking everything I've got inside me to do it."
---
Walking into the forest, Al patted his stomach and let out a satisfied burp.
"That meal was great. Could've used a bit of seasoning… but honestly, still good even plain."
He muttered to himself as he strolled casually in one direction, unaware—or perhaps uncaring—that the path led straight toward one of the most feared places in the Jura Forest.
Not long after, he stood at the foot of a colossal cave entrance. A heavy pressure spilled out like invisible waves, thick with Magicules. Al tilted his head, staring up at the jagged arch.
"…So this is the cave."
He glanced around, half-expecting someone—or something to stop him.
'Weird. Shouldn't a dryad be popping up, warning me about how dangerous it is in here?'
When nothing happened, he shrugged.
'Well… guess I'll see for myself before anything else finds me.'
The cave swallowed him quickly, its darkness pressing in. Only the faintest light from outside reached a few meters before vanishing. Al frowned, then partially transformed—an orange tail sprouted from his tailbone, its flame burning steadily.
The firelight painted the stone walls with a flickering glow. Every step echoed.
He walked deeper until his instincts sharpened, his skin prickling. Something was watching.
'…Seriously? Even here, I don't get a break. But fine. This is a cave full of Magicules—it'd be weirder if nothing was lurking.'
In a flash, his body stretched and shifted, wings unfurling wide. Charizard burst forth, and his scales glowed faintly with gathered energy.
SHHHHHHH!
He darted forward in a sudden blue streak, {Acrobatics}, smashing through the darkness. From the wall lunged a monstrous centipede, its armored jaws ready to snap him in half—only to be crushed mid-charge. Al spun, tail slamming down with brutal force, caving in the creature's head.
The centipede writhed, then stilled.
Al huffed, reverting to his human form with a shake of his head.
"Nothing useful from that thing. And the taste… don't even get me started."
With that, he stepped over the corpse and continued deeper into the cave, the flame from his tail once more leading the way.
---
After a while. While Al was gripping the head of a scorpion with his claws as a Fearow, and was flying into the air to just crush down again and kill the scorpion.
But while he
As Al was getting back up from his fight with the centipede, the cave walls suddenly shook. A booming laugh echoed, deep and reverberating, rattling the stone itself.
Al froze, eyes wide, then immediately abandoned the corpse and launched himself through the cave, homing in on the largest source of Magicules he had ever felt.
Moments later, he arrived—and his jaw nearly dropped.
Before him was a colossal dragon, his scales glimmering with raw power. And beside the beast… a strange little slime.
"…What does 'Unique' mean?" the slime asked aloud.
The dragon's eyes shifted, locking onto Al. His booming voice carried curiosity.
"Oh? And what do we have here? Hmmm… I have not seen your species before."
Al landed, his wings folding as his Charizard form melted back into his human self. His green eyes shone like a kid seeing candy for the first time.
"My Arceus… a dragon. A real, actual dragon!"
He hurried forward until he stood just beside the slime, pressing close to the shimmering barrier.
"What big wings you have… Can you fly? Can you breathe fire? Oh! Is your weak spot your behind?"
He fired off questions rapid-fire, practically bouncing in place. The slime beside him twitched, a sweat-drop metaphorically rolling down its non-existent face.
Veldora blinked, then threw his head back and laughed.
"Fuhahahaha! What a breath of fresh air. Two guests in one day… no—two friends!"
His tone was grand and thunderous, but there was something softer at the end, almost wistful. Then his massive gaze returned to Al, studying him intently.
"But tell me, pal… what exactly are you?"
Al's grin softened. He rubbed his collar and lowered his voice.
"…I'm what you'd call an Otherworlder. Got dragged into this place by some guy, and then sold as a slave."
The humor slipped away, leaving a flicker of melancholy.
"Got a skill that can kill me if I'm not careful, this collar is the only thing suppressing it. But… well, I've been surviving. Living better now than before."
The slime stirred, its voice carrying surprise.
"…Wait. You mean you were reincarnated, too?"
Al blinked, turning toward it. "Eh… not quite. slight difference."
Both the slime and the dragon tilted their heads, equally confused.
Al stared at them, then let out an exaggerated sigh.
"…You're telling me neither of you know the difference between summoning, reincarnation, and transmigration?"
Two simultaneous shakes of the head.
Al pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…Man. This world seriously needs a culture expert. Guess that's me."