Lin Bei woke up with an itchy sting at the back of his head.
Still drowsy, he rubbed his head and opened his eyes to a glaring patch of green.
Instead of his bedroom ceiling, dense blades of grass filled his vision.
'Why am I sleeping on grass?'
Lin Bei sat up, brushed the grass off his clothes, and looked around in bewilderment.
The place felt unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable—low wooden cottages in the distance and a gravel path nearby.
At the end of the path stood a white-painted signboard.
He walked over, squinted, and the words on the board froze him in place.
'Pallet Town: Shinshin means pure white, the color of beginnings.'
Pallet Town?!
Lin Bei's eyes snapped wide, his fingers trembling.
Wasn't this the starting town from the Pokémon games he'd played as a kid?
Could it be—'Ding!'
A crisp electronic chime suddenly rang in his mind, nearly making him jump.
[System: Welcome to the Pokémon world, Host Lin Bei.]
'That voice—was that the system?'
Lin Bei clutched his chest, heart racing.
'Holy crap, I really transmigrated?'
[System: This system is named 'Phantom Covenant' and will assist the Host in growing within the Pokémon world.]
'There really is a system!'
Lin Bei rubbed his hands together excitedly.
'So what does Phantom Covenant mean? Can I form contracts with Pokémon?'
[System: Not Pokémon. The Host may contract characters approved by the system, turning them into your Attendants.
After contracting, the Host can designate an Attendant to transform into a Pokémon to assist in battle.
Strive to become the finest Pokémon Trainer!]
Lin Bei saw the light.
'Oh! I catch specific people as Attendants and they can turn into Pokémon to fight—got it!'
No sooner had he understood than the system spoke again.
[System: Distributing novice gift pack: space backpack ×1, friend ball ×6. Note: space backpack is a storage item with 10 cubic meters inside; friend ball effect equals Master Ball, guaranteeing 100% capture of system-approved characters.]
'Holy—awesome!'
Lin Bei shouted on the spot.
'Six Master Ball-level balls right off the bat? I'm starting at the finish line!'
The moment the words left his mouth, a dark-brown canvas backpack appeared at his feet.
He hurriedly picked it up and unzipped it—inside lay six neatly arranged pink balls.
About the size of a Poké Ball, their surfaces glowed softly, looking far cuter than ordinary Poké Balls.
While he was toying with a friend ball, the system suddenly prompted.
[System: Detected contractable character—Jessie, five meters from Host. Initiate capture?]
Jessie?
Lin Bei jerked his head up and saw a beauty in a white vest and long red hair walking along the gravel path.
That signature hairstyle and outfit—no doubt it was Team Rockets's Jessie!
'Why's she alone?'
Lin Bei was puzzled; in his memory Jessie always acted with James and Meowth, never solo.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on it. He quickly asked the system.
'How do I capture? Just throw the ball?'
[System: Yes, Host must toss the friend ball at the target to trigger capture.]
Without hesitation, Lin Bei pulled a friend ball from the backpack, pinched the button, and lightly lobbed it at Jessie's back.
Swoosh—
The friend ball arced through the air and struck Jessie's shoulder.
The next second the ball snapped open; a pink light wrapped around Jessie and sucked her inside.
The sphere closed, dropped to the ground, gave a small wobble, and then lay still.
'That's it?'
Lin Bei walked over, bent to pick up the friend ball, and just as he was about to inspect it, caught sight of a figure from the corner of his eye.
Another Jessie!
'What the—!'
Lin Bei jumped back in fright, nearly dropping the friend ball.
'Why is there another Jessie?!'
[System: Host captured the real Jessie. To prevent disruption of the original world's plot, the system has generated a Jessie puppet to replace the original and continue her actions.]
'So that's how it is—afraid the story would collapse.'
Lin Bei exhaled in relief, watching the puppet Jessie glance at him in puzzlement before turning toward the town outskirts and soon disappearing.
He looked down at the pink friend ball in his hand and asked the system.
'So is the contract complete now?'
[System: Incomplete. Host has only captured; an 'union' with the Attendant is required to formally establish the contract.]
'Un…union?'
Lin Bei's face flushed crimson, his voice unsteady.
'Y-you mean the kind of union I'm thinking?'
[System: Yes, Host.]
'H-how does that even work?'
Lin Bei scratched his head; the friend ball in his hand felt hot.
[System: Host may enter the friend ball and perform the union with the real Jessie. Upon completion, the contract will be sealed and Attendant affection will increase; higher affection means better battle obedience.]
'I can go inside the ball?'
Lin Bei blinked. 'How?'
[System: Host need only hold the friend ball and silently think 'enter.']
Lin Bei swallowed, gripped the friend ball, closed his eyes, and solemnly thought.
Enter.
In the next instant the scene before him twisted; his body felt wrapped by a gentle force, and the sounds of wind and grass vanished.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood in an unfamiliar space.
Steadying himself, Lin Bei curiously examined his surroundings.
This was no inside of a Poké Ball—it was a cozy little bedroom.
Soft-pink wallpaper covered every wall; a single bed with white lace trim stood in the corner, beside it a beige fabric sofa, and underfoot a plush light-gray carpet.
Even opposite the sofa, a frosted-glass door hinted at a small bathroom beyond.
'Pretty thoughtful of the system, decorating the inside like this,'
Lin Bei muttered, his gaze soon settling on the center of the carpet.
Jessie lay there, eyes closed, long lashes like tiny fans, red hair splayed across the rug, making her complexion look exceptionally fair.
He walked over slowly and crouched for a closer look.
Jessie's features were exquisite: a petite nose, full red lips, and even unconscious the corners of her mouth held a defiant curve.
Lower down, her white vest stretched taut, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath, the outline striking.
Lin Bei's heartbeat inexplicably sped up; he quickly averted his gaze and gently shook her shoulder.
'Wake up…Jessie?'