Minato rode on Pidgeot's back as it slowly flew from the forest toward his small cabin. Meanwhile, his mind entered the system interface.
Name: Minato
Age: 14
Pokémon: Pidgeot (66)
Skills: Aura Power (not awakened)
Backpack: League Coins × 19,869,753, Master Ball Shards × 66, System Points × 239,856, Riolu Capture Ticket × 1, Pseudo-Legendary Encounter Ticket × 1…
"Pidgeot, what do you say we two…?"
"Congratulations, host, for completing the mission: Living in Viridian Forest for two years. Reward: Reshiram's Favor."
"Wait—Reshiram?!" Minato exclaimed.
"Isn't that a Legendary Pokémon from the Unova region? Does that mean I have to go to Unova next? No, my Lillie!" (A/N. Simp)
He shouted like a madman while riding on Pidgeot's back.
Startled by the sudden outburst, Pidgeot flinched and nearly threw Minato off.
---
Back at the small cabin, Minato and Pidgeot packed up the things he needed.
Fortunately, the system backpack could store items. Otherwise, Minato had no idea how he would carry so many belongings to Professor Oak.
"Alright, Pidgeot," Minato said energetically as he climbed onto its back again.
"Next, we have new goals to accomplish."
"Destination: Pallet Town."
---
The edge of Viridian Forest was like a boundary between two worlds.
Behind him stood towering ancient trees that blotted out the sky, twisting vines, the scent of damp soil, and the endless chorus of wild Pokémon.
Ahead stretched open fields, neat roads, and brightly colored rooftops scattered across the distance.
Further still lay a faint azure hue—the direction of the sea.
Minato stood at the end of the forest path and took a deep breath.
The air smelled of grass and flowers, with the faintest hint of salty sea breeze—completely different from the dense, earthy scent of the forest, where decay and new life mingled together.
This was Pallet Town.
The pure white starting point that symbolized dreams and beginnings.
---
Minato looked about fifteen or sixteen years old.
His body was lean and agile, and his skin had been tanned by years of outdoor living.
His hair was slightly messy, yet it gave him a natural wild charm.
He wore clothes he had "obtained" from the system, deliberately roughing them up so they looked worn and tattered.
His plan was simple.
Pretend to be pitiful and become Professor Oak's student.
Most importantly, he needed a legal identity.
He gently touched the Poké Ball at his waist. The red-and-white sphere pulsed faintly, radiating a reassuring warmth.
"We're here, Pidgeot," he murmured.
His destination was clear—
The building on the edge of town with a spacious courtyard and a red roof.
Professor Oak's Laboratory.
It was his only gateway into this world… and the beginning of his real adventure.
---
Minato walked along Pallet Town's clean asphalt roads.
The sensation beneath his feet felt entirely different from the soft forest soil.
Occasionally, townspeople glanced curiously at his unusual clothing and travel bag, but Minato simply nodded politely in response.
His heartbeat quickened.
Not from nervousness.
From anticipation.
The moment he had prepared for so long was finally here.
---
Standing before the laboratory's automatic doors, Minato took a moment to straighten his clothes and organize his thoughts.
Then he raised his hand.
And firmly pressed the doorbell.
After a brief pause, the door slid open.
An elderly man appeared.
He wore a white lab coat, his gray hair neatly combed. His face was kind, yet carried the sharp focus of a lifelong scholar.
A pair of goggles rested on his forehead, and he held a data report in his hand.
Clearly, he had been absorbed in research moments earlier.
"Hello, young man. Can I help you?" Professor Oak asked kindly, though his tone hinted at mild impatience from being interrupted.
"If you're here to receive a starter Pokémon, I'm afraid this year's quota has already—"
"No, Professor. I think you misunderstood."
Minato bowed slightly.
"My name is Minato. I'm sorry to interrupt your research, but… I have nowhere else to go."
"And I brought something that might interest you. Something related to Pokémon."
---
"Nowhere to go?"
Professor Oak's attention sharpened.
He studied Minato carefully, his gaze lingering on the boy's worn clothing and travel bag.
"You're not from Pallet Town? And your clothes…"
"I… don't have a home, Professor."
Minato looked up, allowing just the right mix of vulnerability and honesty to show in his eyes.
"As long as I can remember, Viridian Forest has been my home."
"I'm an orphan. I survived thanks to the forest… and the Pokémon's occasional mercy."
"Viridian Forest? Alone?!"
Professor Oak's eyes widened.
"Child, do you realize what that means? That place isn't safe even for a picnic!"
"I know."
Minato nodded slowly.
"I learned how to recognize edible berries and safe mushrooms… where to find clean water… and how to read Pokémon's emotions so I'd know whether to approach or run away."
"I've been chased by Beedrill swarms…"
"Spent freezing nights inside Rattata burrows…"
"Watched beautiful Butterfree migrations under the moon…"
"And once nearly became food for an Arbok…"
His descriptions were vivid and believable.
Some came from the body's lingering memories.
Some came from Minato's own past knowledge.
And some were simply excellent acting.
In reality, he was just pretending to be pitiful.
---
As Professor Oak listened, the shock in his eyes slowly turned into sympathy.
And curiosity.
A child raised in the wild with firsthand knowledge of Pokémon ecology…
That alone made him an incredibly valuable research subject.
"Come in, child. Tell me more."
Professor Oak stepped aside and ushered him inside.
---
The laboratory interior was filled with advanced technology.
Machines hummed softly, indicator lights blinked across control panels, and an enormous bookshelf covered one entire wall.
Poké Balls were neatly arranged on several shelves.
The air carried a mixture of machine oil, books, and Pokémon food.
Professor Oak poured Minato a cup of hot tea and gestured for him to sit on a comfortable sofa.
"You said you brought something that might interest me?"
Minato knew the moment had come.
He placed the cup down and stood up, his expression suddenly serious.
"Yes, Professor."
"In the forest, survival requires more than knowledge."
"You also need strength… and protection."
"I wasn't alone."
"I had a partner."
"A partner who protected me."
"And together, we grew stronger."
"I'd like to show you the results of our past two years."
---
Without waiting for a response, Minato walked to the center of the reception area.
He removed the Poké Ball from his waist.
"Come out—Pidgeot."
A brilliant flash of white light burst from the Poké Ball.
When the light faded, a magnificent giant bird Pokémon stood proudly in the center of the room.
Cream-colored feathers.
A majestic red crest.
Sharp, eagle-like eyes.
And wings that seemed capable of stirring a storm at any moment.
"This is… Pidgeot?!"
Professor Oak shot to his feet, eyes wide behind his glasses.
"What an incredible physique… the sheen of those feathers…!"
"This child has raised it exceptionally well!"
This Pidgeot was clearly larger than most of its species.
Its feathers were smooth and radiant, and its eyes held intelligence and calm confidence.
There was no trace of wild ferocity.
Only deep trust toward Minato.
It lowered its head and gently rubbed Minato's hand with its beak.
---
"Professor," Minato said,
"Please allow my partner and me to give you a short demonstration."
He turned to Pidgeot.
Their eyes met.
No words were needed.
"Gust, then Quick Attack, followed by Steel Wing. Target that training dummy."
Pidgeot cried sharply.
Its wings spread wide, instantly generating a powerful indoor wind that rustled the papers on Oak's desk—yet somehow remained perfectly controlled.
Then—
It vanished.
A white blur shot toward the training dummy.
At the final moment, the edges of its wings gleamed with metallic light.
Steel Wing.
SCREEECH!
A deep slash appeared across the sturdy dummy.
The movements were precise.
The transitions between moves were seamless.
The control was flawless.
It was clear evidence of perfect synchronization between Trainer and Pokémon.
---
Professor Oak was completely stunned.
He had seen countless Trainers.
But a teenager who had survived alone in the wild and trained a fully evolved Pokémon to this level?
That was almost unheard of.
It required incredible talent.
Patience.
And deep understanding of Pokémon.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible!"
Professor Oak walked over excitedly, examining Pidgeot closely.
"How long have you been together?"
"Two years, Professor," Minato replied gently while stroking Pidgeot's neck feathers.
"When we first met, I was being chased by a Spearow."
"It saved me."
"We searched for food together… fought predators… evolved step by step into Pidgeotto…"
"And finally—during a battle with a Fearow flock protecting our territory—it evolved into Pidgeot."
"Without it… I probably wouldn't have survived the forest."
The story—half truth, half fabrication—moved Professor Oak deeply.
He saw not just a trainer and Pokémon.
But a bond forged through life and death.
"Remarkable… truly remarkable!"
Professor Oak patted Minato's shoulder.
"You're a genius, child!"
"The talent you've shown as both a Trainer and Breeder is extraordinary!"
"You would be welcomed by any Pokémon Professor!"
---
Minato knew the trap had been perfectly prepared.
Now it was time for the final bait.
His gaze drifted toward a photograph on the shelf behind Professor Oak.
The photo showed an Eevee… along with its three known evolutions.
"Professor," Minato said thoughtfully,
"When Pidgeot and I wandered through the forest… we occasionally encountered Eevee."
"It's a very special Pokémon."
"And… I may have heard some rather unusual legends about its family from a few older Pokémon…"