Sealine City, Sealine Trainer Academy
The sky had taken on a faint yellowish hue. Beams of bright light slanted through the white clouds, illuminating every corner of the campus…
There were very few people walking around. It was still class time.
Senior Year, Class 4.
"Students… there are only ninety days left until the college entrance examination. You must seize your time and review your Pokémon courses diligently!"
"Get into a good Pokémon university and become a respected Pokémon Trainer!"
"Make something of yourselves in the future—protect the people you care about!"
"Understand!?"
On the podium stood a middle-aged man in his forties, his hair already streaked with gray, speaking with passionate intensity.
"Understood, Teacher…!"
Below him, the students sat upright and answered in unison.
"Oh, right…" the teacher added. "Starting tomorrow, we'll begin Pokémon practical training classes. Remember to bring your first Pokémon with you!"
"Students who haven't captured a Pokémon yet should go with a family member after school to purchase the Pokémon you like."
The graying teacher repeated himself to make sure everyone heard.
"Awesome! We finally get Pokémon practical training classes!"
"After school, I'm going with my family to buy a Pokémon. I'm getting an Eevee!"
"Hmph… my family already prepared one for me. A Charmander!"
"Whoa… Charmander can evolve into Charizard! A powerful Pokémon with a base stat total of 534! I'm so jealous…"
"Tsk… as expected of the class monitor. Rich people really are different!"
"Hahaha… my family got me a Pokémon too—a cute Sandshrew!"
…
The moment the students heard the teacher's words, the classroom erupted into excited chatter.
Meanwhile, in the very last row, a tall, slender boy with fairly handsome features sat quietly, staring out the window in a daze. He didn't join in the excitement at all, looking distinctly out of place.
"Aaron, Aaron… what are you spacing out about again?" his deskmate asked.
The boy had a round face and a bit of baby fat.
"Did your family prepare a Pokémon for you yet?"
"If not, let's go to a Pokémon shop together after school and buy one!"
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"Oh… not yet. That works," he replied after a moment, nodding.
With that, he fell back into his daze once more…
His name was Aaron.
In truth, he didn't belong to this world.
He had originally been an ordinary otaku living on Earth in the twenty-first century. One stormy night, acting on a sudden impulse, he stared at a photo of his waifus and let his imagination run wild.
Just as Aaron was about to completely lose himself, a massive bolt of lightning struck.
He collapsed on the spot, frozen in an indescribably awkward posture.
He was struck dead by lightning.
The only thought left in his mind before death was:
"Guess the old warnings were true… excessive 'rubbing' leads to utter ruin…"
The next day, the news reported:
A man was struck dead by lightning while exercising in his dormitory.
Some experts claimed: rapid hand friction can generate static electricity and attract lightning.
…
What he never could have imagined was that he would transmigrate.
He had arrived in a world where Pokémon and humans coexisted.
That's right—Pokémon.
The Pokémon he loved most back in the twenty-first century.
In this world, being a Pokémon Trainer was a source of pride, and everything revolved around Pokémon. Even schools taught knowledge related to Pokémon battles.
And now, he was one of the senior students preparing for university entrance exams.
He had already been in this world for three months.
What puzzled Aaron the most was that he didn't have the standard "cheat" that every transmigrator was supposed to have…
That realization instantly dampened his excitement.
Looking out the window, Aaron watched adorable Butterfree lazily flapping their beautiful wings in the air.
"Sigh…"
"Whatever. With my Pokémon knowledge from my previous life, I can still make something of myself in this world."
He patted his pale cheeks, forcing himself to perk up.
"Ding~"
"Host has finally stopped thinking about the system. Initializing system…"
"Ding~ System successfully activated!"
"Greetings, esteemed host. The system is at your service…"
At that moment, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Aaron's ears.
"Holy—!"
His pupils shrank abruptly, and a loud, instinctive expletive burst out of his mouth.
The lively classroom instantly fell silent. Teacher and students alike turned to stare at Aaron.
…
The room grew eerily quiet.
"Ahem…" the teacher coughed. "Aaron, watch your language. Now—what Pokémon are you planning to catch?"
"Uh… Teacher," Aaron said with a perfectly straight face, "I was talking about catching an Oddish."
"Oh, oh…" The teacher nodded in realization, smiling. "So Student Aaron really likes Oddish. Once it evolves into Vileplume, it's a pretty good Pokémon as well."
"Alright," he continued. "We'll dismiss class early today. Go prepare to obtain your first Pokémon."
"Yay~!"
"That's awesome!"
"We love you, sir!"
"Let's go—time to get our Pokémon!"
…
Before long, only a handful of people were left in the classroom.
Aaron's heart was pounding with excitement.
This damn system… it finally showed up!
But why did it only activate after I stopped thinking about it!?
Unable to hold back any longer, Aaron asked eagerly in his mind:
"System… what functions do you have?"
"Do I get a legendary Pokémon at the start?"
"How about Arceus with a full set of Plates?!"
"Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre would work too…"
…