Chapter 5: Rules of a Second Start
The screen did not flash.
It did not animate dramatically.
It simply settled in front of Aarav, massive and vertical, stretching far beyond what his eyes could follow. Lines of faint light flowed downward like rain, symbols forming and dissolving in patterns that felt deliberate rather than decorative.
Text resolved slowly.
Not all at once.
As if whatever governed this space wanted him to read it carefully.
->CURRENT RULES
Aarav straightened instinctively.
His stomach tightened.
Rules meant limits. Limits meant consequences.
---
You may take only lower-level Pokémon out of this space.
---
He frowned.
Lower-level.
That made sense. Whatever this void was, it wasn't meant to be emptied wholesale. It wasn't a warehouse to exploit.
---
You may take only ONE Pokémon.
---
Aarav exhaled through his nose.
"One," he murmured. "Figures."
Of course it wouldn't be easy. Of course he couldn't walk out with a full team.
---
You must never abandon a Pokémon.
---
His expression hardened.
That line hit deeper than the others.
He read it again.
Never abandon.
No trading away responsibility. No discarding mistakes. No treating Pokémon as replaceable.
Aarav didn't look away.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I figured."
---
Breaking rules will result in penalties.
---
The text paused.
Then two more lines appeared beneath it.
---
(Locked)
(Locked)
---
Aarav stared at the word.
Locked.
Not hidden. Not unknown.
Locked.
Meaning the consequences existed—he just wasn't allowed to see them yet.
That was worse.
His gaze moved downward as the rules faded, replaced by a new heading.
ABILITIES
---
Druid Blessings (Level 1)
Increases affinity by 30% with young, hatching, and emotionally unburdened Pokémon.
---
Aarav blinked.
"Druid…?" he muttered.
The wording felt deliberate. Not combat-focused. Not stats-first.
Affinity.
Bonding.
He scrolled further without touching anything—his focus alone seemed to move the screen.
---
Eye of Truth (Locked)
Aura (Locked)
(Locked)
(Locked)
---
More locks.
More withheld power.
He didn't feel cheated.
If anything, it made him uneasy.
Whatever this system was, it wasn't rushing him toward strength.
It was forcing him to earn it.
The screen shifted again.
PLAYER STATUS
---
Name: Aarav
Race: Human
Player Level: 1
---
That was it.
No health bar. No mana. No combat rating.
Just existence.
Below it, smaller text appeared.
---
You may increase your level by gaining experience.
Experience is gained by causing meaningful change in the world.
Greater change yields greater experience.
Significant achievements yield greater rewards.
---
Aarav stared at that for a long time.
"…So grinding isn't just battles," he said slowly.
Changing the world.
Altering outcomes.
That wasn't something you could farm mindlessly.
His eyes drifted lower.
More text existed—but it was different.
Symbols replaced letters. Lines twisted into shapes that hurt to look at for too long. Meaning tried to form and slid away again, like trying to read underwater.
Encrypted.
He knew instinctively he wasn't meant to understand them yet.
The screen dimmed slightly, as if acknowledging he'd reached the limit of what he could access.
Aarav leaned back, suddenly aware of how long he'd been floating there.
Time felt strange in this place. Elastic. Unmeasured.
He sighed.
"So," he murmured. "Back to level one."
No legendary team.
No saved progress.
Just rules, limits, and a warning not to mess up.
He rubbed his face with both hands.
"Guess I really did lose the account."
Something moved near his leg.
Aarav froze.
He looked down.
A small shape stood beside him, so close he could have stepped on it without noticing.
It was quadrupedal, but compact—much smaller than he remembered. Its body was dark, earthen, with short legs that looked more suited for careful walking than destruction. Its eyes were large, round, and quietly observant.
Aarav's breath caught.
"…Ting-Lu?"
The Pokémon tilted its head.
This wasn't the towering calamity described in legends. Not the land-shattering force sealed away by ancient Paldeans.
This Ting-Lu was barely taller than Aarav's knee.
Its massive ritual vessel—said to be heavy enough to crack the earth—was absent. Instead, a small, rusted bowl lay nearby, half-buried against a rock, like an abandoned relic rather than a weapon.
Golden cracks did not scar the land beneath its feet.
Nothing around it trembled.
The void here was… calm.
No fear.
No greed.
No resentment.
No sorrow.
Aarav swallowed.
"That's why," he whispered.
This space held no negative emotion for Ting-Lu to feed on.
No human despair. No hatred. No accumulated ruin.
Stripped of what empowered it, the Legendary Pokémon had reverted into something smaller. Weaker.
Almost… young.
Ting-Lu sniffed the air, then stepped closer, bumping gently into Aarav's leg. Its hide was warm, solid. Real.
It looked up at him again, eyes curious rather than ominous.
It didn't radiate malice.
It didn't feel cursed.
Aarav's chest tightened painfully.
"One of Paldea's great calamities," he murmured, voice low. "Reduced to this."
He glanced at the rusty bowl.
Then back at Ting-Lu.
"…Because of me."
The thought settled heavily.
Not guilt exactly.
Responsibility.
He didn't know if Ting-Lu suffered like this, but the idea that such a legendary being was diminished simply by being here felt wrong.
Ting-Lu didn't understand his thoughts.
It only tilted its head again, then sat down awkwardly, hooves tucked beneath its body.
Aarav laughed weakly.
"Yeah," he said. "I don't get it either."
His stomach growled.
He flinched at the sound.
Hungry.
Tired.
Only now did his body begin demanding attention.
He looked around and spotted a cluster of berries growing along a floating stone ledge. Familiar shapes. Edible. Safe.
He plucked one and hesitated.
Then crouched beside Ting-Lu and held it out.
"Do you… eat?" he asked quietly.
The Pokémon sniffed the berry, then looked back up at him.
It didn't move.
Didn't bite.
Right.
Legendary.
Feeds on emotions.
Or what used to be emotions.
Aarav pulled the berry back, chewing it himself. It was tart, grounding.
He sighed.
"I don't even know what you need anymore."
Ting-Lu leaned against him, its weight slight but steady.
Aarav stared into the void.
Rules.
Only one Pokémon.
Lower level only.
Never abandon.
He had wanted to explore this space more. See everything. Understand how it worked.
But hunger gnawed at him.
And the world outside this void—the real Paldea—waited.
He needed answers there.
He glanced at Ting-Lu again.
"Would you even listen to me?" he wondered aloud. "Or would you go rogue the second you stepped outside?"
Ting-Lu blinked slowly.
Then nudged his knee again.
Not defiant.
Not submissive.
Just present.
Aarav closed his eyes briefly.
"If you cause trouble," he said softly, "I'll send you back immediately. No hesitation."
The Pokémon didn't react.
It didn't understand the words.
Only the tone.
Aarav stood slowly.
Decision settling into place.
"If I'm going to start again," he murmured, "I might as well do it honestly."
He reached out.
His hand rested gently against Ting-Lu's head.