He was still leaning against the newsstand, the reality of his situation crushing him like a physical weight. 'I am so, so dead.'
[PING]
The… sound wasn't a sound. It was a feeling, a notification that popped directly into the center of his mind, bypassing his ears entirely.
He flinched, clutching his head. "Oh great, now I'm having an aneurysm. That's the perfect cherry on top."
[System Booting… Please Wait.]
[…Error. Kernel mismatch. Forcibly integrating with host consciousness.]
[…Success. Welcome, User.]
A series of translucent blue boxes, like something from a video game UI, materialized in his vision. They hovered there, visible only to him, superimposed over the gritty New York street.
'A system?' he thought, his heart suddenly hammering a frantic, desperate rhythm. 'Like in those web novels?'
[Welcome, User, to the Pokémon Genesis System.]
'Pokémon?' The word hit him with the force of a physical blow. Of all the systems, this? He wasn't just a nerd for comics. He was a Poké-nerd. He knew the stats, the move-sets, the type-matchups of all nine generations.
[Analyzing environment… World Parameters: BLENDED (Marvel-616 / DC-Prime).]
[Threat Level: CATASTROPHIC.]
"No kidding," he muttered, a hysterical little laugh bubbling in his throat. Even the system knew he was screwed.
[Your new life begins. Your potential is limitless. Your goal is to survive, grow, and make an IMPACT.]
[Granting initial 'Genesis Points' (GP): 1,000 GP.]
A new box appeared, a simple menu.
[Status]
[Create]
[Shop]
[Quests (Locked)]
His hands were shaking. He wasn't powerless. He wasn't just a victim. He had a system.
He ignored [Status]—he was pretty sure it would just say 'Pathetic'—and mentally focused on the [Create] tab. It expanded into a massive, searchable index. And there, at the top, was the only category available: [Pokémon].
He clicked it. A search bar appeared.
'Okay, okay, think. 1,000 points. I need a powerhouse. A Psychic-type? Alakazam? No, probably costs a fortune, and Abra would be useless until it evolved. A Ghost-type? Gengar? Same problem. I need something strong right now. Something I can build on.'
His mind flashed back to his childhood, sitting on the floor with his Game Boy, making the most important decision of his life. There was only one real choice. It had to be his first-ever starter.
He mentally typed: C-H-A-R-M-A-N-D-E-R.
A new window popped up.
[OPTION 1: Create Evolutionary Line (Charmander -> Charmeleon -> Charizard)]
[Cost: 5,000 GP]
He deflated instantly. 'Five thousand? I only have one! So much for a Charizard. Okay, okay, plan B. Nothing's ever easy.'
[OPTION 2: Create 'Charmander' (Base Template)]
[Cost: 600 GP]
'Six hundred… that leaves me 400. That's… a lot left over. What's this?' He spotted another tab next to [Base Template] labeled [Customize]. He clicked it.
A new, incredibly detailed menu appeared, looking like a high-end RPG character creator.
[Remaining GP: 400]
[Set Nature: ???]
[Set IVs (0-31): HP: 0, Atk: 0, Def: 0, Sp.A: 0, Sp.D: 0, Spd: 0]
[Adjust Base Stats: (Cost: Varies)]
'Holy… I can design it. I can make it perfect.'
He went to work immediately.
'Nature: Needs to be fast. Jolly. (+Speed, -Sp. Atk). Perfect.'
[Set Nature: Jolly. Cost: 50 GP. Remaining GP: 350]
'IVs: All of them. Max 'em out.'
[Set All IVs to 31. Cost: 150 GP. Remaining GP: 200]
He now had 200 GP left to spend. He focused on the [Adjust Base Stats] option. A new tooltip popped up.
[Cost to increase a stat by +1 point: 5 GP. Cost to increase by +2: 15 GP (5+10). Cost to increase by +3: 30 GP (5+10+15), etc. Cost scales per stat.]
'Okay, a scaling cost. That's smart. It stops me from making one stat absurdly high. I need to be balanced. I have 200 GP to spend here.'
He looked at the base stats. 'A standard Charmander is fast, but a bit of a glass cannon. Let's fix that. I want it sturdier, especially against special attacks, and just a bit faster and stronger.'
He began to allocate the points, watching the cost rack up.
HP: 39 -> 40 [+1 pt] (Cost: 5 GP)
Attack: 52 -> 55 [+3 pts] (Cost: 5 + 10 + 15 = 30 GP)
Defense: 43 -> 45 [+2 pts] (Cost: 5 + 10 = 15 GP)
Sp. Atk: 60 -> 62 [+2 pts] (Cost: 5 + 10 = 15 GP)
Sp. Def: 50 -> 55 [+5 pts] (Cost: 5 + 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 = 75 GP)
Speed: 65 -> 66 [+1 pt] (Cost: 5 GP)
'Whoa,' he thought, looking at the breakdown. 'That fifth point in Special Defense cost 25 GP all by itself. But it's worth it. That's a huge boost. Okay, what's the total damage?'
[Total Buff Cost: 145 GP]
[Remaining GP: 55] (200 - 145 = 55)
'Perfect. A custom-built, optimized starter, and I still have a little change left over.'
[Custom Template 'Charmander' Complete. Total Cost: 945 GP (600+50+150+145). Confirm?]
He mentally pressed [Confirm].
The system flashed.
[Deducting 945 GP. Remaining GP: 55.]
[Please review your creation.]
The stat panel he had just designed popped up in his vision.
Name: Charmander
Type: Fire
Gender: ♂ (Male)
Ability: Blaze – Powers up Fire-type moves when H.P. is low.
Level: 5
Nature: Jolly (+Speed, -Sp. Atk)
Stats (Base / IV / Actual @ Lv.5):
HP: 40 / 31 → 20
Attack: 55 / 31 → 12
Defense: 45 / 31 → 11
Sp. Atk: 62 / 31 → 11
Sp. Def: 55 / 31 → 12
Speed: 66 / 31 → 15
Base Stat Total: 323
Description: A rebalanced Charmander with sturdier defenses and sharper instincts. Its flame burns hotter, and its reactions are quicker than before.
[Creation Confirmed. Generating... Complete.]
[A [Pokéball] has been added to your inventory.]
'Inventory?' he thought. He patted his pockets. The jacket and jeans were still empty. Then his fingers brushed against something small, hard, and perfectly round in his right pocket.
He pulled it out. It was a red-and-white sphere, no bigger than a marble, with a tiny white button in the center.
"No way," he whispered.
He looked around. The street was still busy. He couldn't just… do this here. He ducked back into the putrid alley he'd woken up in, his heart thumping.
He clicked the tiny button.
SSSHK!
With a satisfying, mechanical snap, the marble-sized ball expanded in his palm, growing to the size of a baseball in less than a second. It felt solid, heavy. Real.
"Okay. Okay. Here goes nothing."
He clicked the button again.
A bright, pure-red beam of energy shot out and hit the garbage-strewn concrete. The light solidified, taking shape.
A small, bipedal orange lizard, about two feet tall, stood before him. It had wide, curious blue eyes, a cream-colored belly, and a tiny, flickering flame burning brightly on the tip of its tail.
It looked at the grimy brick walls. It sniffed the air and recoiled with a tiny, disgusted sneeze. Then, it looked up at him.
"Char?" it chirped, tilting its head.
He stared, breathless. A wide, shaky, slightly unhinged grin spread across his face. "Hey there, buddy," he whispered, his voice cracking.
The Charmander blinked, then bounded forward on its small legs and nuzzled his shin, chirping happily. It was warm. The flame on its tail was real, radiating a gentle, comforting heat that pushed back the alley's chill.
He dropped to one knee, ignoring the filth, and ran a trembling hand over the Pokémon's smooth head. The fear, the dread, the utter certainty of his own death… it all just evaporated, replaced by a giddy, overpowering joy.
"He's real," he laughed. "You're real."
The Charmander playfully nipped his finger, its tiny fangs sharp but gentle.
After a minute of just staring, he remembered his remaining points. He let Charmander explore the immediate area (who was now stalking a sewer rat with intense, predatory focus) and pulled the system menu back up.
[GP: 55]
He opened the [Create] menu again.
[Charmander (Custom): 945 GP] - Grayed out.
[Pikachu (Custom): 800 GP] - Grayed out.
[Pidgey (Base): 350 GP] - Grayed out.
He scrolled down, filtering by "Cost: Low to High."
[Wishiwashi (Base): 75 GP] - Grayed out.
[Sunkern (Base): 80 GP] - Grayed out.
[Caterpie (Base): 85 GP] - Grayed out.
[Magikarp (Base): 100 GP] - Grayed out.
'Damn. I can't even afford the absolute weakest Pokémon in the system. A solo Wishiwashi... I'm 20 points short. So close.'
He checked the [Shop] tab.
[Pokéfood (Basic Pellet, 1 Day Supply): 5 GP]
[Pokéfood (Premium, 1 Day Supply): 20 GP]
[Potion (Small): 100 GP] - Grayed out.
[Basic Leash: 15 GP]
[Pokéball (Standard): 150 GP] - Grayed out.
He did the math. He had 55 points left. He could buy his new partner eleven days of basic, crappy food. A small cushion.
He looked over at Charmander, who had just pounced, sending the rat scurrying into a drainpipe. The Pokémon let out a disappointed "Marrr."
'Okay. So. One problem solved. I'm not alone, and I'm not defenseless,' he thought, a new, cold resolve settling in. 'But now I have a new problem. We're broke, we're homeless, and I have a fire-breathing lizard to feed.'
He looked at his new partner. The little flame on its tail burned bright.
'First, we need food. Then, a roof. Then… then we make an Impact.'