Woom!
On the blue surface of the sea, a medium‑sized steamship, amid the long blast of its whistle, was slowly approaching the harbor to dock.
Although the coastal city was very prosperous and the pier was extraordinarily lively, if one looked closely, the tourists on board the ship at that moment had no interest in admiring the scenery; instead, they had focused all their attention on the deck.
There, a Pokémon battle had come to an end.
The two Pokémon facing off were a Ralts and a purple rat, a Rattata, and their trainers were a handsome young man in his twenties and a middle‑aged man in a suit and tie.
The intense battle had drained Rattata's energy rapidly. Seeing that it was at a disadvantage and could not even touch Ralts's body, the middle‑aged man, anxious, could not help but shout: "Rattata, get in close quickly and use Tackle!"
Upon hearing this, Rattata saw the opportunity; its four limbs suddenly accelerated and, with a sprint, it dashed toward Ralts and fiercely charged at it with its head.
However, at the moment it was about to strike Ralts, it suddenly split, creating multiple illusions!
Rattata had no time to stop and ran straight through one of the illusions.
It was Double Team!
On the sidelines, seeing Rattata frozen in place with a look of bewilderment, Natsui Yu knew it was time to end the battle.
"Ralts, use Confusion!"
No sooner had his words ended than Ralts's illusions raised their arms simultaneously and, in the next second, Rattata was suddenly enveloped by a strange halo of light and lifted into the air.
Although it struggled desperately, it was useless; it could not break free from the binds of Confusion. And as Ralts moved its arm forward, Rattata's body involuntarily flew backward and, with a crash, smashed into the railing.
This time, it could not resist any longer and collapsed to the ground, powerless.
The crew member acting as referee bent down to take a look, then shook his head, raised his right hand, and announced loudly: "Rattata can no longer battle; Ralts wins!"
As the tourists watching applauded for the exciting battle, they were also left speechless. Even an attractive young woman let out a couple of flirtatious whistles at Natsui.
"Wow, that's seven victories in a row, right?"
"That's right! And that Ralts hasn't taken almost any damage from start to finish; it's really impressive!"
Natsui stepped forward, first gently stroking Ralts's head, then approached the middle‑aged man.
The two exchanged a light handshake, and the middle‑aged man praised, "You've trained your Ralts wonderfully. I lost this battle without objection."
"Your Rattata isn't bad either." Toward the opponent who had lost to him, Natsui showed considerable respect and tactically returned the compliment. "I hope we have another chance to meet next time."
Seeing the middle‑aged man retreating, the surrounding tourists looked at one another to see who would challenge this handsome young man next.
However, just as several trainers were eager to give it a try, Natsui suddenly took a step back.
"Sorry everyone, we've reached our destination; it's time to disembark!"
The tourists turned around hastily and only then realized that, without their noticing, the ship had already docked.
...
The warm, bright sunlight illuminated the city's sky, and the waves, constantly pushed by the seawater, relentlessly lashed against the long, narrow breakwater.
Looking toward the sea horizon, all that could be seen was a deep blue; the sea and sky merged into a single color, as if the entire world were a great mirror.
The sea breeze—humid, salty, and gentle—blew against the body, an indescribably pleasant sensation.
This was the important seaport of the Kanto region, a southern city bathed in the orange light of the sunset: Vermilion City.
When Natsui stepped out of the ship's cabin and set foot on this land, he could not contain the joy in his heart.
Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Professor Oak, the Kanto region, the Indigo League... from his childhood in his previous life, this place already held too many of his memories.
Although several months had passed since he arrived in this Pokémon world, every time he remembered it, it still didn't feel entirely real.
At his feet, sensing Natsui's mood, Ralts also let out a small, joyful cry.
Looking at Ralts, Natsui smiled: "Well, now that we've arrived in the Kanto region, before challenging the Indigo Plateau League, we should first go to the Pokémon Center to register."
Upon leaving the port, Natsui took out his phone, opened the map, and followed the path to the Pokémon Center.
Along the way, from time to time, trainers with their Pokémon crossed the city. Throughout the world, these Pokémon—whether for entertainment, food, messaging, or security—had long been integrated into people's lives, becoming important and indispensable companions.
However, upon seeing Ralts beside Natsui, many people cast curious glances.
Its green hair, like half a cabbage, covered most of its face, and its white body looked as if it were wearing pants that were too long.
As a Pokémon not native to the Kanto region, Ralts naturally attracted a lot of attention, and even in other regions, it was considered a very rare species.
Upon entering the city center, Natsui crossed several streets and soon arrived at the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy, with her red hair and nurse's uniform, was organizing documents at the counter. Seeing Natsui, a friendly smile appeared on her face.
"Hello, this is the Pokémon Center; how can I help you?"
"Hello, Nurse Joy," said Natsui politely. "Please help me register for the Indigo League challenge."
"Of course, I understand." Nurse Joy pointed to a computer screen to one side. "Then please use your Pokédex to scan here."
Natsui nodded, took his Pokédex from inside his jacket, and placed it on the computer. A moment later, his information appeared on the screen and, at the same time, a synthesized male voice came from the computer.
"Natsui, from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region, has completed registration for the Indigo League. Current number of badges: 0. We wish you success in your battles."
"The Kalos region?" Nurse Joy looked at Natsui with some surprise. "What a distant place."
"It certainly is." Natsui seemed to recall for a moment, then said with a double meaning, "Reaching this land really wasn't easy."
At that moment, a plump Chansey approached from the side.
It carried a box printed with the Indigo League logo and stepped toward Natsui.
Nurse Joy made a welcoming gesture and smiled: "To trainers who complete registration, we give a badge case. Please accept it."
Natsui took the box, first thanking Nurse Joy and then asking, "By the way, my Pokédex still has data from the Kalos region; would it be possible to update it to the Kanto region version?"
"I'm very sorry…" Joy shook her head.
"We cannot perform operations on the Pokédex here. If you want to update it, you could go to Sakuragi Laboratory in this city or to Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pallet Town and ask for the professors' help. I believe they will be happy to assist you."