Two more days passed in relative quiet.
The train continued its journey through underground tunnels, the darkness outside broken only by the occasional cluster of bioluminescent moss clinging to carved stone walls.
The rhythm had become almost meditative—the gentle vibration of movement, the soft hum of the engine, the muted conversations that filled the passenger car.
Oak spent most of his time reviewing papers on his tablet, occasionally making notes or muttering to himself about League regulations.
Elara divided her attention between her research and stealing glances at Gible, clearly still processing what she'd witnessed during the optimizations.
And I sat with my partner, training when possible in the small cargo area, bonding during quiet moments, preparing for whatever waited at the end of this journey.
The system notification about the GP threshold reward still hovered at the edge of my awareness. One day remained on the decision deadline.
But I pushed the thought aside for now. There would be time to decide later.
On the morning of the seventh day, I felt the train begin to slow.
"We're arriving," Oak said, closing his tablet and standing to gather his belongings. "Pallet Town station is just ahead."
I looked out the window but saw only darkness and stone. The underground tunnel system gave no indication of what waited above.
The train came to a smooth stop, and the doors opened with a pneumatic hiss. We stepped onto a platform similar to the one at Oak Estate—carved stone, bioluminescent lighting, metal railings—but something about this station felt different.
The signs were faded from use, and I could see scuff marks on the floor where countless feet had passed through.
"This way," Oak said, leading us toward an elevator at the far end of the platform.
We rode up in silence, and I felt my stomach tighten with anticipation.
Pallet Town.
The starting point for every Kanto journey in the games I'd played in my previous life. The place where Ash Ketchum, Red, Blue—all of them had begun their adventures.
The place where mine was supposed to begin, too.
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into—
Cold.
Biting cold that hit me like a truck. I felt my breath catch, saw it mist in the air before my face, and instinctively pulled my jacket tighter around myself.
"What the hell?" I muttered, looking around in confusion.
We were in what appeared to be the ground floor of a large building—Oak's laboratory, presumably—but through the windows, I could see snow.
Not a light dusting, but several inches of white powder covering the ground, with more falling steadily from a gray sky.
Pallet Town was supposed to be temperate. Warm. The kind of place where you could start a journey in spring weather, where the breeze was gentle and the sun was pleasant.
This looked like the middle of winter.
"Is this normal?" I asked, turning to Oak. "The snow?"
Oak glanced outside, his expression unreadable. "Pallet Town has always been on the colder side of the Kanto region. Southern coastal location, proximity to the ocean currents. The winters can be harsh."
"But this is harsh?" I pressed. "In the middle of what should be spring?"
"The seasons have been unusual lately," Elara said, pulling her lab coat tighter around herself. "Climate patterns across all four regions have shown irregularities over the past few years. Scientists aren't entirely sure why."
I wanted to ask more, to push for a real explanation, but something in Oak's expression suggested this wasn't the time. Instead, I filed the observation away alongside all the other discrepancies I'd noticed since transmigrating into this world.
Extreme Mode.
The phrase kept echoing in my mind.
This was supposed to be a harder timeline, a more dangerous version of the Pokémon world I'd known from games and anime. But I'd been thinking of that in terms of more vigorous opponents, higher stakes in battles.
I hadn't considered that the world itself might be different. The geography, climate, and fundamental environmental factors might have shifted.
'What else is different?' I wondered, looking out at the snow-covered town beyond the laboratory windows. 'What else did the previous system user change?'
"Come," Oak said, gesturing for us to follow him deeper into the laboratory. "Let me show you around, and then we'll discuss tomorrow's arrangements."
The laboratory was larger than I'd expected.
The main floor was dominated by a central research area filled with examination tables, diagnostic equipment, and computer terminals displaying various data streams.
Along the walls were glass-fronted habitats containing Pokémon—I recognized several. Bulbasaur, a few Charmander, what looked like Squirtle, and others I couldn't immediately identify.
They moved freely within their enclosures, well cared for and clearly comfortable.
"These are some of the Pokémon I'll be distributing tomorrow," Oak explained, noticing my attention. "Ten new trainers will be receiving their starter Pokémon. I sponsor a cohort each year—young people who've shown promise, who've reached the age of majority, who are ready to begin their journeys."
"Ten starters," I said, counting the visible Pokémon. "That's more than the traditional three."
"The traditional model was established decades ago when resources were more limited," Oak said. "But as the League has grown, as our understanding of Pokémon biology has improved, we've been able to expand the program. More trainers, more diversity in starting partners, better matches between personality and Pokémon."
He led us through the primary research area toward a smaller office space in the back. The room was cluttered but organized—papers neatly stacked, a computer displaying multiple windows of data, a bookshelf filled with reference materials on Pokémon biology and training techniques.
Oak settled into his chair and gestured for Elara and me to sit.
"Tomorrow morning, the new trainers will arrive to receive their partners," he said. "I'll need your help facilitating the distribution, Samael. Explaining the basics, ensuring each trainer understands their responsibilities, answering questions about care and training."