Training was over.
In the locker room, Kashiwagi, who had recently turned sixteen, peeled off his sweat-soaked clothes to reveal a lean, fit physique. A colleague walked in, and Kashiwagi gave a brief wave before heading into the shower with his toiletries.
As the water hit his face, splashing and streaming down, he couldn't help but drift into thought, reminiscing about how he got here.
This was Pyrite Town.
A place defined by a gritty steampunk aesthetic, where thick metal pipes, grinding gears, and rusted, dark mechanical cores were left completely exposed. Though called a "town," its population was larger than many cities in the region. The endless mineral deposits beneath the ground served as the primary lifeblood of its economy.
Located deep in the heart of the Orre region, Pyrite, like most surrounding settlements, was encircled by an infinite expanse of wasteland and desert. A single glance offered nothing but shades of yellow, grey, and black; vibrant greenery was a rare sight indeed. Technology was advanced enough, but it was far from a beautiful place.
Kashiwagi often lamented his luck. As a transmigrator, why couldn't he have been reborn in a main series region?
In a place like Orre, quality of life aside, a "three-nothing" individual like him—no parents, no money, and no influence—faced an uphill battle to obtain a Pokémon. Becoming a Trainer here was a brutal, terrifying competition.
Traveling? Competing in a League Conference? Those dreams felt worlds away.
The primary reason was simple: there are no wild Pokémon to catch in the Orre region.
Being a remote corner of the world, most Trainers relied on imported Pokémon; wild specimens were nearly non-existent. This direct cause was why Kashiwagi still hadn't obtained his first Pokémon—and in this world, without a Pokémon, changing one's fate was almost impossible.
Still, there was hope.
The "Team Snagem"—a second-rate syndicate he had automatically joined upon waking up in this world—was currently selecting official members. If a "grunt" (the outer-tier members) passed the examination, they would receive a Pokémon from an Executive.
While he wasn't thrilled about the career path, he didn't have the power to choose. Once you were in, getting out was a death sentence.
In that sense, Team Rocket, which frequently expelled its incompetent members, was practically humanitarian. In Pyrite Town, everyone was assigned a job; bottom-tier residents who tried to quit were simply dragged to the Underdome to mine ore—likely for the rest of their lives.
Escape? The nearest town was over a hundred kilometers away across a desert so desolate that finding a watery oasis was nearly impossible. A human could lose their sense of direction in minutes. Moreover, no one could outrun a high-tech hoverbike on foot.
The stations leading out were even more dangerous. Pickpockets, thugs, and scammers were everywhere, most of them acting as informants for the major factions. Anyone "marked" would be snatched off the train before it even left the platform.
In Pyrite, population was the most valuable resource.
Furthermore, even if he made it to another region, his status as an undocumented person would be a problem. Getting caught meant immediate deportation. To make matters worse, he was technically illiterate, only able to recognize basic words. There were no libraries in town, nor any free schools for grunts like him.
His only advantage right now was his young, strong body. Team Snagem desperately needed new blood—a perfect match. As for the road ahead, he decided to get his Pokémon first and see where the wind blew.
And then... there was this thing.
Kashiwagi glanced at the countdown timer in the bottom right corner of his vision. It had been counting down since he regained consciousness and merged his memories a week ago. It was almost at zero.
Based on his knowledge of "transmigrator tropes," this was likely his "Cheat" or starter benefit. He couldn't help but feel a spark of anticipation.
After his shower, Kashiwagi suppressed the urge to run back to his shack and wait for the timer. He accompanied a few familiar colleagues for a meal and some beer. Listening to their drunken complaints, his mind remained calm.
Fitting in was important. Without the power to protect himself, being an eccentric loner would only make him a target for hostility and exclusion. Even if he didn't enjoy it, he had to drink with the pack.
In Team Snagem, most grunts lived day-to-day, blowing their wages the moment they got them. But in a town almost entirely controlled by syndicates, they lived reasonably well. At least they had a fixed salary and were better off than the day laborers.
If you factored in the "extra income" from shaking people down, you could save enough to buy a Pokémon in a few months. But raising a Pokémon wasn't that simple. Essential items like Pokémon food and nutrition supplements were outrageously expensive, not to mention grooming and medical care after battles.
Getting the Pokémon was just the start of the spending. This was why most grunts just watched others with envy while spending their own money on booze to escape reality.
Kashiwagi had the instinct to save, but he also had an instinctive revulsion toward the "extra income." He refused to spend money obtained through shakedowns, often finding ways to secretly return it, meaning his actual savings were meager.
Even if his "official salary" wasn't exactly clean either... he liked to tell himself it was different. He wanted to hold onto some shred of integrity; seeing the bitter faces and panicked states of those being extorted made it hard for him to use that money in good conscience.
How much longer until I'm completely assimilated? he wondered.
Iridium Street.
As one of the sectors controlled by Team Snagem, this was where the outer grunts lived. To an outsider, it looked like a junk pile: two-story shacks riddled with holes, filth everywhere, nonsensical graffiti, an unspeakable stench, and jagged, rusted metal scraps...
No sane person would want to live here. But there was one perk: excellent security.
Though Team Snagem was only a second-rate power in Pyrite, very few people dared to cause them trouble. They had a powerful leader and solid backing.
Returning home, Kashiwagi quickly shut the door, leaving the foul smells outside. He lay on his bed, watching the timer.
What will the "Cheat" be? He felt a mix of excitement and the lingering fear that this might not be a benefit, but a countdown to some disaster.
He was lucky enough to end up in the Pokémon world, but unlucky enough to get a terrible start. These conflicting emotions left him feeling restless.
Suddenly, the timer hit zero. Text appeared in his vision, flashing repeatedly.
[Trainer Life Simulator initialized. Remaining uses: 2. Next recharge in: 168:00:00]
A simulator? Kashiwagi blinked as a new line appeared.
[Would you like to start a simulation? Yes / No]
He took a deep breath, thankful the text was in a language he understood. He slowly tapped "Yes." Three more lines flew out:
[Select your Birth Region ▽] [Select your Gender ▽] [Select your Pokémon ▽]
Kashiwagi clicked the first line. A list of main series regions appeared, though spin-off regions were missing. He chose Kanto.
For gender, there were only two options: Male or Female. He chose Male.
The Pokémon selection was strange—there was only a "Random" option. There were no Kanto starters, no roadside Pikachu, and no Eevee. Having no other choice, he clicked "Random" and confirmed his three options.
[Please draw your Talents]
He pressed the button.
Fixed Talent:
[Rookie] (Pokémon training progress is slow)
Selectable Talents:
[Clumsy] (Rough Pokémon health management)
[Impoverished] (Significant financial burden when raising Pokémon)
[Hot-blooded Youth] (Always maintains a positive mindset)
[Romantic Encounters] (High probability of developing relationships)
Kashiwagi looked them over. The fixed talent couldn't be changed, and he could choose two from the list.
Aren't the last two the only logical choices? Only a fool would pick the first two. Unless it was a trap? Regardless, he had two attempts. Kashiwagi knew that action was better than blind guessing. He lit up the last two talents and confirmed.
Instantly, a translucent screen appeared, showing strange pixel animations accompanied by descriptive text below. It looked just like a game trailer.