My claws were still shaking. Not from fear—though yeah, fighting a giant purple snake in the dark wasn't exactly fun—but from something else.
Adrenaline. Or whatever dragons run on.
Lightning still clung to my scales like a second skin. Each step buzzed, tiny sparks snapping in the mud as if the storm itself hadn't decided to leave me alone yet.
> [Level Up Complete.]
[Stats Available: +4. Please Distribute.]
The words hung in front of me, glowing faint blue against the rain. It wasn't written on a screen. It was in my head. Almost like I could touch it if I reached out with the right thought.
Stats. Distribute.
Just like a game.
I focused, and the menu snapped open.
---
[Raikuro – Lv. 3]
Species: Electric/Dragon Variant
Title: Storm Hatchling
HP: 52 / 52
Stamina: 34 / 34
Static Charge: 21%
Strength: 6
Endurance: 7
Agility: 5
Instinct: 6
Control: 4
Unused Points: 4
---
I stared. It was basic, but clean. Like the kind of sheet I'd seen in RPGs or MMOs.
"…So this is me now, huh?"
A hatchling with six strength. Whatever that means.
I thought about where to put my points. Instinct tugged at me—my body wanted more speed, more power, more… something. But a growl from my stomach reminded me of the real problem.
Food.
I hadn't eaten since… since before I died. And now, I wasn't even sure what I was supposed to eat.
Pokémon eat berries. Some hunt. Did dragons eat both?
Another growl. Louder this time. My body answered the question for me.
> [Quest Triggered: First Meal.]
[Objective: Hunt or forage until Satiation Bar is filled.]
[Reward: Recovery Bonus + Minor Skill Unlock.]
Figures. Even my stomach came with a quest line.
⚡
I stumbled through the forest, following instinct more than anything. My senses were sharper now. Every sound was louder, clearer. The drip of water, the rustle of leaves, the tiny scratch-scratch of something chewing bark nearby.
I turned my head and spotted it.
A Rattata. Small. Twitchy. Cheeks full of stolen berry mush.
It froze when it saw me. Its fur stood up, and its whiskers quivered like it already knew something was wrong.
Not just another predator. Not just another Pokémon. Something different.
Me.
I lowered myself slowly, wings half-spread, tail buzzing with faint light.
The Rattata bolted.
And my body moved on its own.
> [Skill Activated: Predatory Instinct – Basic.]
I lunged, claws tearing through mud. Sparks shot from my tail as I chased it through the underbrush, faster than I thought I could go. My claws almost missed, but my jaws didn't.
One bite.
A crackle of static.
It went limp.
> [Wild Rattata Defeated.]
[Exp Gained: 11.]
[Loot: Edible Meat Acquired.]
I stared down at the small body in my mouth. Warm. Fragile. Real.
Human me would've gagged. Pokémon me… didn't.
I was starving.
So I ate.
The taste wasn't pleasant. Raw, iron-heavy, tinged with static from my bite. But my body accepted it. Welcomed it. Strength flooded back into my muscles, and the ache in my bones faded.
> [Satiation Bar: 100%.]
[Quest Complete.]
[Reward: New Passive Learned – Hunter's Nose.]
A faint chime echoed in my head. My vision shifted slightly, smells snapping into sharper focus.
Blood. Bark. Wet earth. I could track anything now.
I lifted my head, licking sparks from my teeth. The rain eased, the storm pulling back to leave a gray, misty dawn creeping through the forest.
Somewhere in the distance, smoke curled into the sky—tiny trails from chimneys. A town. Humans.
Pallet Town.
Ash's town.
My claws dug into the dirt as I stared at it through the trees. My system flickered again.
> [New Path Discovered: Hunter of the Wilds / Challenger of the Trainers.]
[Choice will define your evolution.]
I froze.
Two paths.
Already.
Stay hidden. Grow strong as a beast in the wild.
Or… walk into their world. The world of Poké Balls, gyms, and trainers.The choice wasn't just survival.
It was everything.
The system didn't sugarcoat it. This wasn't some tiny fork in the road I could undo later with a button press. Whatever I chose here would change me. My instincts, my evolutions, my place in this world.
Wild or tame. Beast or partner.
Hunter or caught.
And I didn't know which was worse.
> [Warning: Decision Pending – Path Selection will be locked after first Trainer encounter.]
So I didn't have to choose now. Not yet. That gave me breathing room.
I sat back on my haunches, tail buzzing against the mud. I could see Pallet's lights faint in the mist, glowing like they were daring me to come closer. The thought of it made my scales crawl. People. Poké Balls. Commands.
Could I even fit in with them? I wasn't a Pikachu. I wasn't some cute starter.
I was… me.
I didn't get long to think about it.
The forest went quiet.
Too quiet.
My head snapped up as every instinct screamed. The rain had stopped, but the air still hummed with static—not mine.
Something moved through the trees. Heavy. Sharp. Predatory.
> [Proximity Alert: Predator Class – Beedrill Swarm Detected.]
[Threat Level: High.]
"Oh, come on…" I muttered, voice crackling more like thunder than words.
The buzz hit first. Low at first, then louder, rising like a chainsaw through the fog. And then they came. Not one. Not two. A whole group of Beedrill slicing through the clearing, yellow stingers gleaming wet in the dawn light.
They weren't hunting berries. They were hunting me.
My claws dug into the dirt. Fight or flight. My system flickered in my head, cool and detached.
> [Quest Triggered: Trial of the Hatchling.]
Objective: Survive the swarm.
Reward: Evolution Path Hint.
Failure: Death.
I growled, sparks crawling across my wings. I didn't care what the system thought.
I wasn't going to roll over and die. Not again.
The first Beedrill dove at me, stinger aimed for my throat.
And I lunged forward to meet it.