The Kanto Region.Lavender Town.Pokémon House.
"Ruaaa~!"
In a dim corner of the room, a flash of brilliant yellow caught the light—fire danced from the mouth of a Shiny Charmander as it suddenly lashed out, sending a plume of flames toward the nearest human.
That human happened to be a young man with sharp features and a slightly messy head of dark hair. He froze for a split second, startled, before instinctively sidestepping out of the attack's path. The heat brushed past him, close enough to singe his sleeve.
Charmander's fiery breath faded after a few seconds, leaving only the smell of smoke.
"Ruaaa~!" the Pokémon growled again, glaring up at the boy with fierce eyes that carried no real hope—only a warning. Its gaze seemed to say: Come closer, and I'll burn you to ash.
Then, as though all strength had drained away, Charmander turned its back, curling up tightly on the cold floor.
The boy let out a quiet sigh.
"How on earth am I supposed to win your trust?" he murmured to himself.
His name was Ethan Carter, a second-year university student majoring in psychology—and, before all this, a long-time veteran of competitive Pokémon games.
Just yesterday, Ethan had been at home, glued to his laptop, playing Pokemmo late into the night. At some point, exhaustion had caught up with him. He remembered closing his eyes for "just a moment"… and when he opened them again, he was no longer in his bedroom. Somehow, impossibly, he had woken up in the world of Pokémon itself.
More than that—he had found himself inhabiting the body of a young man whose parents had recently passed away.
At first, he thought it was a dream. He had pinched his arm, splashed his face with cold water, and even slapped himself hard enough to sting—none of it had changed anything. Only when a strange, holographic interface appeared in front of him did he finally accept the truth: this was real.
The "system" that had come with him had only two functions, but both were extraordinary.
The first was the ability to receive real-time feedback on Pokémon training. If a battle shortened the time a Pokémon needed to level up, he would see the new estimate instantly. If a Pokémon was learning a new move, the system would display how long it would take and the current mastery percentage of that move.
The second was a system of "intimacy rewards." Every time the affection value of a Pokémon he owned increased by one point, the system would automatically grant him a reward.
He quickly learned that Pokémon intimacy was measured on a scale from 0 to 255. The system divided rewards into five tiers:
At +60 intimacy: unlock Tier 1 rewards.
At +120 intimacy: unlock Tier 2.
At +180 intimacy: unlock Tier 3.
At +255 intimacy: unlock Tier 4.
And—mysteriously—at over 255 intimacy: unlock Tier 5.
When he first saw that last condition, Ethan was baffled. The scale capped at 255, so how could it ever go higher?
That was until he passed by the Pokémon House earlier today, his stomach rumbling, and noticed several Pokémon with negative intimacy values toward humans.
The staff had explained: these Pokémon had been abandoned by their trainers or left without an heir when their trainers died.
Intrigued, Ethan had applied to volunteer at the Pokémon House. The process was surprisingly easy, and in return for helping take care of the Pokémon, the House would cover his meals and lodging. More importantly, there was one special rule: if he could convince a Pokémon here to join him on a journey, he could take it away—free of charge.
That was how he had found himself face-to-face with this Shiny Charmander.
It wasn't just the rare coloration that drew him. Through his system, Ethan could see details invisible to anyone else:
Pokémon: Charmander (Shiny)Level: 14 (Negative emotions present — leveling speed greatly reduced. Estimated: 158 days to next level)Potential: EliteIntimacy: –25Ability: BlazeGender: MaleMoves: Scratch (25%), Growl (18%), Ember (19%), Smokescreen (15%), Dragon Breath (learnable, not yet mastered)Background: Once a promising battler, this Charmander's spirit was shattered in the underground arena scene. Due to his trainer's reckless commands, he suffered a humiliating defeat. To cover massive gambling debts, his trainer sold him to the arena owners, where he was forced to fight again and again. Defeat after defeat followed as Charmander grew more fearful of battle. Punishments were frequent and merciless. His nightmare ended only when Officer Jenny led a police raid that dismantled the arena. Afterward, she placed Charmander in the care of the Pokémon House.Note: Among all Pokémon here, Charmander holds the lowest recorded intimacy toward humans. The second lowest belongs to a Snorlax, at –20.
Just then, a warm voice called from behind.
"Everyone, it's time for the Pokémon to eat."
Ethan turned and saw Mr. Fuji, founder of the Pokémon House, approaching with his granddaughter Lena. They pushed a cart laden with food trays toward the room's center.
Ethan stepped aside as other volunteers gathered. Over a dozen young people worked here, tending to Pokémon of all shapes and sizes.
"How's it going with Charmander, Ethan?" Mr. Fuji asked as the young man began ladling food into bowls.
"Thanks for asking, Grandpa Fuji. We're getting along fine," Ethan replied politely.
Mr. Fuji's mild expression didn't change, but there was a note of doubt in his tone when he said, "Don't force yourself. If you're struggling, speak up. That one's… more difficult than most."
Charmander's reputation was well-known here. Many volunteers had requested reassignment after failing to connect with him. When Ethan had first requested to care for the Pokémon, Mr. Fuji had been ready to caution him—but before he could, the previous caretaker had all but leapt at the chance to pass the job on.
"Don't worry," Ethan said with a confident smile. "I'm not forcing myself. I can take good care of him."
Fuji simply nodded. He had seen many volunteers start with the same confidence, only to give up days later.
Before leaving, Fuji added, "Remember—meal time is half an hour. When that's up, it's Snorlax's turn. You know what happens if you're late."
Ethan chuckled. "I've been warned."
The "little" Snorlax in question was kept locked in another room during feeding time—for everyone's safety. If released too early, it would devour every last crumb before the others had a chance.
Ethan carried Charmander's bowl over and set it down gently.
Charmander didn't even glance at it. His tail flame flickered low, his body still curled in on itself. Even when Ethan softly said, "Dinner's ready," the Pokémon didn't stir.
From nearby, the former caretaker shook his head. "Don't waste your breath. The more you try to coax him, the less he eats. No one's ever gotten him to eat willingly—not even Mr. Fuji. He'll take a few bites when the hunger really hits, but that's it. Just make sure Snorlax doesn't see that bowl, or you'll regret it."
Ethan frowned. He's like an old man who's already given up on life, he thought. No energy, no appetite. This isn't just stubbornness—it's trauma. A mental wound.
If Charmander's heart remained locked, there would be no progress. Ethan knew what he had to do: win his trust and help him heal.
After a moment's thought, he fetched a notebook and pen.
"All right," he murmured under his breath. "Let's start with a psychological profile…"