"Mew… it's really Mew!"
Rex was overjoyed—so excited he nearly jumped.
This was a Mythical Pokémon, a being said to possess the genetic code of all Pokémon.
Because it could become invisible at will, it could stay close to humans without ever being detected.
And because it could learn every Pokémon move, many scholars believed Mew to be the ancestor of all Pokémon.
---
Ding!
You have successfully captured the Mythical Pokémon Mew. Please select one of its moves to obtain.
A system notification suddenly sounded in Rex's mind.
At the same time, a translucent panel—visible only to him—appeared before his eyes.
---
Mythical Pokémon: Mew
Gender: None
Ability: Synchronize
(Passes poison, paralysis, or burn to the opponent.)
Held Item: Lum Berry
(Cures any status condition and confusion when held.)
Known Moves:
Earthquake – Causes the ground to violently shake.
Mega Punch – Strikes the opponent with a powerful punch.
Ancient Power – May sharply boost the user's stats.
Aura Sphere – A sphere of Aura energy that never misses.
Future Sight – An attack that strikes the target several turns later.
…And many more.
The long list of powerful moves left Rex dazzled.
Yet when the time came to choose, he didn't hesitate at all.
Without even pausing to think, he spoke directly in his mind.
"I choose Mew's Transform."
---
The next moment, Rex felt an unusual sensation spread throughout his body.
It was as if he had become a Pokémon.
A new move appeared clearly in his mind.
Looking at Mew floating before him, Rex's lips slowly curled into a smile.
To others, Transform might seem unimpressive.
But to him, it was practically a god-tier ability.
If he could transform into any Pokémon and use all of their moves…
Then by turning into Mew, he would effectively have access to every move in existence.
---
Three seconds later, the original Mew tilted its head.
When it saw Rex suddenly transform into another Mew, it froze in shock, instinctively drifting backward.
After observing him for a moment, it seemed to slowly accept the situation and floated closer with curiosity.
"Mew?"
—Are you a human, or one of my kind?
After transforming, Rex discovered he could understand Mew's voice.
"Mew."
—I'm human. But from now on, you can treat me as one of your kind. We'll share good fortune and hardships together.
With a Mew-like face, Rex grinned as he began building a bond with his first Legendary partner.
"Mew?"
—But how did a human like you transform?
Hearing this, Rex paused thoughtfully for a moment.
Then he shamelessly bluffed.
"Mew."
—Because I'm not an ordinary human. I possess divine power. Otherwise, how could I have captured you with just one Poké Ball?
"Mew!"
—Divine power? Master, you're amazing!
Mew paused briefly.
Then, being innocent and naïve by nature… it actually believed him.
The small Pokémon floated happily around Rex, tugging at his attention.
"Mew!"
—Master, let's go play! I know a place with delicious berries!
"Mew."
—Not yet. First we need to earn some money.
Rex shook his head.
"Mew.
—I don't have much money right now. From now on, our living expenses will depend on you transforming into Pidgey and battling other trainers for me. If we win, we'll have spending money."
After arriving in this world, Rex only had a backpack and a phone containing 3,000 yuan.
Nothing else.
If he didn't quickly find a way to make money, he might actually starve before finding another Legendary Pokémon.
"Mew…"
—Master, I don't want to fight.
Mew looked reluctant.
It hated battles.
"Mew." Rex explained patiently.
—You don't have to seriously hurt anyone's Pokémon. Just make them lose the ability to fight. You know Hypnosis, right?
—After transforming into a Pidgey, with your strength, a single Hypnosis will be enough. No one here will be able to resist it.
Mew hesitated for a moment.
Then it nodded obediently.
"Mew…
—Okay, Master."
The next second, Mew transformed into a Pidgey.
Seeing this, Rex reverted to his human form, allowing the disguised Mew to flutter onto his shoulder.
Then the pair headed back toward New Bark Town.
---
At that moment, many players in New Bark Town had similar ideas to Rex.
After receiving their starter Pokémon, they were full of confidence and began challenging other players.
Most battles had wagers ranging from 100 to 500 yuan.
---
"2,000 yuan per match!"
"Anyone want to battle me?"
"I accept type-disadvantage challenges too. My Pokémon is Fire-type!"
On a grassy field in New Bark Town, a young man leaned against a tree while shouting loudly.
His words quickly attracted a crowd.
"Are you serious about accepting type disadvantages?" a girl asked with a frown.
At the moment, most battles were same-type matches:
Chikorita vs Chikorita
Cyndaquil vs Cyndaquil
Totodile vs Totodile
No one wanted to fight:
Grass vs Fire
Fire vs Water
Water vs Grass
Doing so would basically be handing money to the opponent.
"Of course," the young man replied confidently, holding up his phone.
"If I lose, I'll transfer the money immediately. If I'm lying, you can deal with me however you want."
The moment he said that, the crowd exploded with excitement.
Everyone wanted to be the first to take advantage of this "free money."
Only a few people looked disappointed that his Pokémon wasn't Water-type, otherwise their Chikorita could have joined as well.
In the end, the young man chose the girl who had spoken earlier.
---
"Come out, Totodile!"
Without hesitation, the girl released her Pokémon.
A red beam shot out from the Poké Ball.
A mischievous Totodile appeared in a flash of light.
"Totodile! Totodile!"
The little Pokémon bounced happily around its trainer.
The girl hugged it briefly before turning back to the young man.
"Hurry up and send out your Pokémon."
The young man smiled faintly.
He took a Poké Ball from his waist and tossed it forward.
A flash of red light appeared.
Then a Pokémon emerged that left everyone present stunned.
"Come out—Typhlosion!"
A massive Pokémon stood upright before them, flames erupting from its neck.
The moment it appeared, the surrounding temperature seemed to rise several degrees.
The crowd stared in shock.
But the most stunned person of all…
was the girl standing opposite him.