Aiden had once heard a strange rumor in his old world:
humans in the Pokémon world are actually a special kind of Pokémon themselves.
He never gave it much thought back then, but now… twenty minutes after eating the Pecha Berry the greedent had given him, the purplish marks of poisoning on his waist had already begun to fade.His dizziness subsided, and color returned to his face.
It was working.
The berry's effects on him a human were real.
humans in the Pokémon world weren't just ordinary beings. They could digest Berries just like Pokémon.
That rumor felt a little more believable now.
"Maybe that's why humans here are born with strange gifts," he muttered ,thinking of powers like the Viridian Forest's ,Aura wielders, and psychics who could move objects with their minds.
The Greedent ts belly still full and fur damp from the rain watched him for a while. Once it confirmed he was alright, it twisted its round body and waddled off.
"Wait!" Aiden call out quickly before it could leave,he quickly pulled up its info with his Modifier ability that only he could see.
[Species: Greedent]
Type: Normal
Ability: Gluttony
Base Stats: 460 (HP: 120, Attack: 95, Defense: 95, Sp. Atk: 55, Sp. Def: 75, Speed: 20)
Known Moves: Tail Whip, Tackle, Bite, Stuff Cheeks
Current Mood: Confused, Relieved
Condition: Minor injury – strained right leg (recovery time ~1.5 days)
Fatigue , Tired after heavy exertion, reduced alertness
Friendship: 38 (a little guy who likes to be close to humans)
"Greed?" it squeaked, tilting its head as if wondering why he was staring.
"Do you… know the way to the nearest human town?" Aiden asked hopefully.
The chubby squirrel Pokémon paused, then pointed its short paw toward the west.
Aiden's heart leapt. "Thank you," he said sincerely, bowing slightly before setting off in that direction.
...
As he walked, he compared Greedent's clear, detailed data to that of his shiny Cramorant.
Cramorant's stats had been absurdly high, its moves broken, but its emotions showed only garbled text. Greedent, on the other hand, had emotions and conditions written plainly.
"Could it be because Cramorant was modified… that it can't understand me properly?" Aiden frowned. "Did altering a Pokémon damage its brain somehow? Enough to make it act like a fool?"
The thought unsettled him.
That "Modifier" system had once been his livelihood, his golden finger. Back on Earth, he'd made money altering Pokémon data for clients. He had been excited when he realized the system had come with him… but now, something felt wrong.
Three templates Ability Modification, Base Stat Modification, and IV Modification were missing. Only Identify, Move Teaching, and Shiny Modification remained.
"It can't just disappear mid-way, can it?" he muttered. "I've read enough webnovels to know cheats don't usually break like this."
But time travel itself was bizarre enough. Anything after that wasn't surprising.
After some thought, Aiden made a firm decision: until he figured out the truth, he wouldn't use anything except Identify. These Pokémon weren't just data. They were living beings with flesh, blood, emotions, and intelligence.
...
By nightfall, he still hadn't found any signs of a human settlement. Without transportation, his walking speed was painfully slow.
Then, as if mocking him, rain poured from the sky.
Cursing his luck, Aiden climbed into the hollow of a large tree, using his damp jacket for cover. "Unbelievable," he groaned, staring at the sheets of rain.
But there was a silver lining: nearby stood a wild fruit tree heavy with berries.
Because his clothes were still damp, he released Cramorant and hugged it close for warmth. The bird, surprisingly obedient in this moment, didn't resist. Though they couldn't communicate, a silent bond was forming.
The forest quieted as the downpour continued. Even wild Pokémon seedot huddling in the bushes, a Venomoth clinging behind a trunk sought shelter. The only sound was the rhythm of falling rain.
Aiden shared the berries with Cramorant, keeping half for himself. It wasn't filling, but it was better than nothing.
Then rustling.
He looked up to see a Sentret, soaked by rain, staring at him from the entrance of the hollow. Startled by the human boy's presence, it bolted back into the grass.
"...Am I really that scary?" Aiden sighed.
Exhaustion from the day, mixed with the hypnotic lull of rain, pulled him into sleep faster than he expected.
...
When he awoke, daylight streamed through the trees. The rain had stopped.
But Cramorant was gone.
Panic surged through him until the bird swooped back down from the sky, landing in front of him. It opened its beak and spat out a fat magicarp onto the ground.
Aiden blinked, stunned. "You… hunted this for me?"
"Gah," Cramorant answered vaguely, preening its feathers.
Aiden smiled faintly. "Guess you can take care of me, even if we can't talk."
He wrapped the fish in broad leaves even though he does know it only has bone but still stored it with his remaining berries, and slung the makeshift pack over his back.
This time, he didn't return Cramorant to the Master Ball. Instead, he let it perch on his shoulder, much like a hunter's hawk.
"You sure really know how to stick to me," he muttered, shaking his head.
---
The next day, the rain cleared. The forest was still damp, but as Aiden trudged forward, he suddenly froze.
Voices. Human voices.
His heart pounded. He sprinted toward the sound, crouching low in the bushes when he saw them.
Two men in matching uniforms stood with Pokémon at their sides Mightyena, growling and circling.
And in front of them, a small white figure trembled on the ground.
Aiden's vision lit up.
[Species: Ralts]
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Ability: Synchronize
Base Stats: HP 28 | Attack 25 | Defense 25 | Sp. Atk 45 | Sp. Def 35 | Speed40
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team
Condition: Severely injured (hit by Dark-type moves, psychic powers suppressed, multiple bruises)
Mood: Fear, pain
Friendship: 0 (It does not know you)
"Damn thing finally caught!" one of the men sneered.
"Yeah," his partner grinned, "this'll fetch for a good price."
Aiden's fists clenched.
They were… poachers. And the victim was a wounded Ralts.
For the first time since arriving, he was about to step into real danger.
......