"System, you must have made a mistake!"
Unfolding the hidden details, Ace saw it contained items, intimacy levels, and digitized stats for offense, defense, and HP. He frowned, saying, "It's fine if you don't give me any pseudo-legendaries, and I can even tolerate not getting a starter, but it's a bit too much to not even give me a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve!"
"Random generation, no targeting."
The system responded succinctly, essentially telling Ace that he just had bad luck.
Ace sighed, saying no more.
It had been over two months since he came to this world. Ace only complained verbally, but he didn't regret the initial Pokémon choice.
Because in these two months, he had already seen through the living conditions of the common people.
Basically, just acquiring one Pokémon was incredibly difficult, so there was no room to be picky about whether it was a powerful one.
For impoverished families, parents might struggle for decades and still not be able to help their children obtain an initial Pokémon.
Compared to them, Ace's opportunity to get an initial Pokémon for free would probably make many children from poor families green with envy.
Ace opened the Poké Ball. A flash of white light later, a small Zubat, with a wingspan of over a meter and a body length of about fifty centimeters, flapped its wings and finally landed on Ace's shoulder.
The Pokémon given by the system already had an intimacy level of 150. So, when Zubat emerged, it didn't attack or show dissatisfaction towards Ace. Instead, it affectionately rubbed against Ace's face, not minding Ace's dirt and stench.
"Zubat, growth stage, excellent physical condition, wings are more powerful than its peers. Recommended primary training direction is towards speed."
Ace only observed Zubat for a moment, and the system quickly provided Ace with a training direction.
Taking a glance at the system's suggestion, Ace silently gave the system a thumbs up.
Upon Ace's careful observation, he found that Zubat had no eyes. It would only grow eyes when it evolved into Golbat.
However, Ace felt that Zubat's evolved eyes were actually a flaw.
Zubat perceives the world through Supersonic waves. Therefore, in its Zubat form, its proficiency with Supersonic is absolutely the strongest among all Pokémon that master this move.
This is because other Pokémon merely have it as an additional move, but for Zubat, since it has no eyes, Supersonic is an essential move for it to perceive the world.
But once it evolves into Golbat and gains eyes, the visual stimulation will cause Golbat to lose its proficiency with Supersonic.
That's why Ace felt that Zubat's evolved form, Golbat, was a flaw.
Ace gently stroked Zubat's entire body, feeling its fur and its strong wings. He now had a clearer idea of how to train Zubat in the future.
"Submit task."
Ace silently thought in his mind. His first task in life was successfully submitted.
"Task 'Survive' completed. Task evaluation: C. Reward: 100 gold coins, two task points."
"Congratulations, Host, for completing your first task. Daily Task template unlocked."
"Daily Task (Training): Cultivating Pokémon is not achieved overnight. Accompany your Pokémon in training for four hours. Task Reward: 10 gold coins, task points given based on task completion evaluation. (Refresh time: 1 hour)"
"Daily Task (Feeding): Cultivating Pokémon is not achieved overnight. Properly combine Pokémon food to supplement your Pokémon's nutrition. Task Reward: 10 gold coins, task points given based on task completion evaluation. (Refresh time: 1 hour)"
"Daily Task (Learning): Cultivating Pokémon is not achieved overnight. Daily learning is indispensable. Diligently study Pokémon knowledge for one hour. Task Reward: 10 gold coins, task points given based on task completion evaluation. (Refresh time: 1 hour)"
"Main Quest (Absolute Freedom): You have killed a poacher. If the buyer does not see the poacher after 72 hours, your actions will be exposed, and you will be hunted by powerful families. Find a way to escape the pursuit and gain absolute freedom. Task Reward: 500 gold coins, task points given based on task completion evaluation."
Before he could even ask the system why his task evaluation was only C, the subsequent daily tasks brought a surge of joy to his heart. Although there weren't many tasks, Ace saw a stable source of income.
But the next moment, the activation of the main quest made Ace jump up directly.
Zubat, who had been resting on Ace's shoulder, was also startled and flapped its wings, flying up.
He had never imagined that simply killing a poacher would lead to being hunted by powerful families!
The waters of the Sinnoh region were deeper than other regions. Ace had been somewhat disbelieving before, but looking at the tasks issued by the system, he had no choice but to believe.
To say it was "deep water" didn't refer to the strength of Sinnoh Gyms or anything, but rather to the numerous nobles and families in the Sinnoh region, whose intertwined powers made it arguably the least welcoming region for common trainers.
Especially now, in the early days of the Pokémon world, it could be said to be the most chaotic era. If someone lacked strength, they could truly die out there, and no one would even know.
"I can't stay in Sinnoh..."
Gritting his teeth and thinking for a while, Ace quickly figured out his next steps.
First, he had to leave Sinnoh. As for the destination, Ace had already decided: the Kanto region.
Compared to the Sinnoh region, the Kanto region did seem a bit like a remote countryside.
If he could escape there, he wouldn't have to worry for a while.
Secondly, Ace needed to get money first. Only with money could he buy a boat ticket to Kanto.
Ace glanced at the time displayed on the task. There were currently seventy hours left, less than three days.
"Gotta go now."
Ace rushed into the tent, quickly scavenging for valuable items. Having been with that poacher for so long, Ace knew perfectly well what was valuable and what wasn't.
He found a half-person-tall travel bag, stuffed his belongings into it, and slung the backpack over his shoulders.
Then, he took a burning piece of charcoal from the bonfire and threw it directly into the tent.
Soon, the flames began to spread, gradually engulfing the tent.
Ace, with his backpack and Zubat, before leaving, used the same method to set the poacher's truck on fire as well.
Burning the car was a reluctant move, as the value of a vehicle was significant. However, if he were to drive it to sell, Ace could guarantee that not only would he be caught within 72 hours, he would probably be seized by those powerful families the moment he sold it.
Therefore, packing light and traveling light was the way to go!
With Zubat's companionship, Ace felt a little more at ease. Under the moonlight, Ace bypassed this forest and headed towards another city in his memory...