The sun of Pallet Town rose with Dodrio's crowing.
Slowly, sunlight illuminated the beautiful sky as the wild Pokémon emerged from their dwellings.
"Well, it's about time…" Damon thought as he looked up at the dark sky gradually gaining brightness.
He glanced back at the town's orphanage—the place where he had grown up under the funding of Professor Oak.
His background in this world was that of an orphan. His parents were once residents of Pallet Town who had died in an accident. After that, he was admitted to the orphanage, which Professor Oak ran as a form of charity.
Under Oak's care and various programs, Damon and the other children grew up in a nurturing environment. After excelling in his studies and earning scholarships, Damon was given the chance to obtain a Trainer's License and receive a Pokémon directly from Professor Oak, who was happy to see his growth.
"Everything is packed, so let's go…" The previous Damon had already made all the preparations for travel, so Damon only had to report to the laboratory.
There was still some time before the starter selection, but even so, Damon decided to report as early as possible to call dibs on the Pokémon of his choice.
Enjoying the fresh air of Pallet Town, Damon reached the laboratory before anyone else. He hadn't slept the entire night since he had transmigrated during that time, and he didn't want to risk waking up late like Ash and losing the opportunity to get one of the starters.
"Well, Ash's Pikachu is great and all… I really don't fancy it that much."
That electric rat had a lot of potential, Damon admitted. It was ridiculously overpowered for a Pikachu. But even so, Damon had no special interest in it, since with the cheat he possessed, any Pokémon he wished for could become overpowered.
As Damon waited for Professor Oak to arrive, he recalled the knowledge and skills the previous owner of the body had honed.
He knew basic cooking and general information about Pokémon. When cross-checking his knowledge with that of the previous Damon, he found some differences.
First, there were no visible levels in this world. Like in the anime, Pokémon evolved through effort and growth, but humans couldn't see numerical levels.
Unlike the games, where Pokémon could only learn four moves, Pokémon here weren't limited in that way. They could remember all the moves they had once learned and could train to acquire new ones through repetitive practice.
Levels, IVs, and similar mechanics didn't exist here. It was a big difference from the games, but then again, this was the anime world.
Shrugging, Damon also recalled his age. His body was already fully developed, unlike that of a ten-year-old.
Time ran differently in the Pokémon world, and Damon was already considered an adult here—around eighteen by Earth standards.
As Damon waited on the steps of the lab, he saw an old man wearing a white lab coat approaching.
"Professor!" Damon blurted out as he immediately stood up to greet him. "Good morning, Professor Oak!"
"Good morning to you too, Damon," Oak replied with a kind smile before looking him over from head to toe. "Looks like someone is ready for their Pokémon journey."
He chuckled, and Damon scratched the back of his head.
"Haha, it reminds me of myself. When I was first going to receive my starter, I also arrived early, waiting for the professor to hand me my first Pokémon."
With a nostalgic laugh, Oak walked up the stairs. "Don't tell me you didn't sleep the entire night either?" He glanced at the dark circles under Damon's eyes and sighed, then asked him to follow inside.
"Well then, since you're early, do you want to wait for the rest, or—"
"I want to choose the Pokémon, sir!" There was no specific order for receiving Pokémon; the selection was essentially first come, first served.
"Haha, thought so." Opening the lab door, Professor Oak led Damon to the center of the laboratory. A large cylindrical device stood there, above which three red-and-white Poké Balls were arranged in a triangular formation.
"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander." Pointing to the Poké Balls one by one, Professor Oak introduced the three starters of the Kanto region.
"You can only select one of them. What will be your choice?" He looked at Damon with a smile.
Damon stared at the three Poké Balls seriously. All three were excellent choices.
Bulbasaur, a Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon, whose final evolution, Venusaur, was one of the all-time favorite Grass-types.
Squirtle, considered by many to be the best starter choice.
And Charmander, whose final evolution was none other than Charizard—the dream Pokémon of countless trainers.
"Take your time. Choosing your first Pokémon is a significant decision. All three are great," Oak said.
Damon nodded as his gaze moved from one Poké Ball to another.
"God, I want them all…" he thought, before shaking his head and settling on the one he wanted most.
"I choose you…" Picking up the farthest Poké Ball, Damon opened it. With a flash of white light, the Pokémon materialized in front of him.
"Char! Char!"
The orange lizard Pokémon with a flame burning on its tail appeared before him.
"Charmander, huh… A great Pokémon. Fire-types can be a bit tricky for beginners, but its potential is among the best," Professor Oak said, pleased.
Damon crouched down and gently patted the orange Pokémon's head.
"Char," Charmander purred happily, closing its eyes as it enjoyed the warmth of Damon's hand.
"Oh, look at that. He already likes you. You two will make a great duo," Professor Oak commented as he watched the interaction, before handing Damon his Pokédex and Poké Balls.
After accepting everything and recalling Charmander into its Poké Ball, Damon bade Professor Oak farewell, eager to begin his journey.