Bengaluru Mega City No. 1 High School, Ninth Grade Class 1.
The homeroom teacher, Naveen, stood at the front of the classroom, his eyes sweeping across the rows of students. His expression carried a hint of seriousness that immediately quieted the room.
"Starting the day after tomorrow," he said, "you'll be entering a two-month summer vacation."
Some students straightened subconsciously.
"When school resumes," Naveen continued, "you will officially be tenth graders."
He paused briefly, then added, "I believe you already know what I'm about to talk about next."
"We know!"
Several students shouted excitedly.
"Teacher, I've been waiting for this day for fifteen years!"
Naveen raised his hand slightly.
"Enough. Listen carefully."
The class monitor quickly stood up and gestured for silence. The classroom calmed down, though the excitement on everyone's faces was impossible to hide.
"I understand how you feel," Naveen said. "But becoming a Pokémon Trainer is not something to take lightly. It's dangerous, and it places a heavy burden on your family."
His gaze grew sharper.
"After school today, go home and talk to your parents. Decide whether you will enter the regular class or the Trainer class when you begin tenth grade."
"This choice," he emphasized, "will influence the rest of your life. Even if you think you've already decided, you should reconsider it seriously."
"Alright," he concluded, "class dismissed."
Naveen left the room.
The moment he stepped out, the classroom erupted into noise.
Laughter, shouting, and excited discussions filled the air, spilling into the corridor outside. On normal days, such chaos would have immediately attracted a teacher's attention.
But today was different.
All the ninth-grade classes along the corridor were just as loud.
---
"Vishnu, what are you choosing?"
A thin boy walked over and casually placed his arm around Vishnu's shoulder.
"The Trainer class," Vishnu replied lightly.
His voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
If anyone listened closely, they would never guess how wildly excited he actually was inside.
---
He could finally become a Pokémon Trainer.
Elite-level opponents. Champion-level figures.
In his mind, the future was already roaring.
Vishnu was a reincarnator.
In his previous life, he had lived on modern Earth. One without Pokémon. One where the planet was smaller and far less dangerous.
This world was similar to Earth in many ways, but it had one crucial difference.
Pokémon.
Some people called them Pokémon. Others preferred the term pocket monsters. Either way, they referred to the same extraordinary species.
Vishnu was extremely familiar with them.
In his past life, he had played countless Pokémon games—FireRed, LeafGreen, Diamond, Pearl, Black, White, and many more. He had also watched the anime and read related materials.
He had always imagined what it would be like to live in a Pokémon world.
Now, that fantasy had become reality.
---
According to public records, Pokémon had appeared on this planet five hundred years ago.
Before that, there were none.
When Pokémon appeared, the planet itself began to change. Its radius expanded, and vast new continents, seas, and dangerous regions emerged almost overnight.
Scientists believed that the world Pokémon originated from was gradually merging with this planet.
In the first hundred years, war erupted between humans and Pokémon.
Countless humans and Pokémon died every day.
Humanity used every weapon and method available, yet still stood on the brink of extinction.
Then, an unimaginably powerful Pokémon appeared and stopped the slaughter.
Its strength shook the sky and the earth alike, forcing humans to realize just how insignificant they were in comparison.
Humans thought extinction was inevitable.
But instead of wiping them out, that legendary Pokémon reached agreements with the leaders of various human nations.
Peace followed.
---
Over the next four hundred years, humans and Pokémon gradually learned to coexist.
Technology advanced. Ruins, secret realms, and forbidden lands were discovered. From those ruins, humans learned about Pokémon—and most importantly, about Poké Balls.
Humanity reclaimed control over a small portion of land on the now vast planet.
However, the world was far from peaceful.
A lightly trained Pokémon could easily kill dozens of elite soldiers.
National strength was no longer measured by armies, but by the number of powerful Trainers.
Elite-level Trainers could level cities.
Champion-level Trainers were capable of destroying entire nations.
As a result, cultivating Trainers became a core policy of every country.
---
The country Vishnu lived in was Bharathvarsha.
Its people shared black hair, dark eyes, and brown skin. Its early history closely resembled the India of Vishnu's previous life—until Pokémon arrived and changed everything.
In Bharathvarsha, citizens were only allowed to register as Trainers after turning fifteen.
Only then could they legally possess a Pokémon.
Registering early was strictly forbidden and punished severely by the Trainer Association.
---
"You already have a Pokémon waiting at home, right?" the thin boy asked enviously.
"Yes," Vishnu replied casually.
"What about you?" he asked in return.
"I'll buy one," the boy said quickly. "Either from a breeding house or through school distribution."
He leaned closer and lowered his voice slightly.
"I heard there are a few defective Charmander eggs available recently. Even those cost over a million."
The surrounding students overheard and looked over in surprise.
Charmander eggs were rare.
Expensive.
Their gazes made the boy lift his chin proudly.