He woke up.
The first sense to return was touch; he was lying on something hard, feeling every jolt and sway. Next came the sound of a gentle breeze and the calls of birds. His nose caught the scent of fresh, clean earth.
William Macaw opened his eyes. He was lying in an uncovered cart, trundling along a dirt path through the countryside.
Where am I?
William sat up, his next immediate reaction a profound, deep-seated thirst, as if his throat had been baked dry.
"Hey, you're finally awake."
William turned to see the cart's driver speaking to him.
"We're almost there. You should get your things ready."
The driver was a thin man with a wrinkled face, a pair of bushy mustaches, and white hair visible beneath his wide-brimmed hat.
William looked down beside him. There was a burlap sack holding a few scattered items. He rummaged through it, found a waterskin, and without a second thought, brought it to his lips and drank deeply.
Gulp, gulp, gulp. Ahh—
The clear, cold water washed down his throat, and William finally felt like he was truly alive again.
But what had happened? Shouldn't he have been at home playing video games? Why was he here?
"Agh… my head!"
It felt like something was forcing its way into his mind, making his scalp prickle. A flood of memories surged in, and William absorbed them like a sponge. After a moment, his expression of pain shifted to one of excitement.
He had crossed over!
Looking at the surrounding scenery, William understood the situation. He had definitely traveled to another world. He must have been struck by lightning while playing games last night. Somehow, he had ended up here.
This was a world completely different from Earth. Pokémon, incredible creatures that could be found in the sky, on the ground, in the sea, even in smoky volcanoes and deep forests, inhabited every corner of the planet.
"The Pokémon world! Not bad!" William grinned. This was the world's number one franchise, the series that had defined most of his childhood! Even as an adult, he had kept up with the games, anime, movies, and cards. It was, without a doubt, the world he had always dreamed of.
The thought of traveling everywhere with Pokémon, adventuring freely like Ash, filled him with excitement.
However, as the initial thrill faded, the cart's bumpy ride helped him calm down. There was a gap between fantasy and reality.
The person he had crossed into was also named William, but his hometown was in the Almia region, a place without Pokémon Trainers or Poké Balls. Wanting to become a Trainer, the original William had moved with his parents to the Sinnoh region as a child. A few years after moving, his parents tragically died in an avalanche. Before he could even become a Trainer, he was sent back to his hometown to live with his grandfather.
Then, just a few days ago, his last remaining relative passed away. Heartbroken, the original William sold everything he owned and used the money to buy a dilapidated ranch, intending to start a new life with Pokémon. But ultimately, overcome with grief and exhaustion, he passed away on the cart before even reaching the property.
The memories flashed through William's mind like a slideshow, making him sigh. He too had grown up in a broken home. While his material life might have been more comfortable, the pain of losing family was the same.
"We're here."
The cart stopped in front of an old, weathered wooden house. Weeds and scattered rocks covered the ground outside; there wasn't even a proper path leading to the front door.
William grabbed his burlap sack and walked through the tall grass. He pushed open the heavy wooden door with a loud creak and was met with a wave of stale, dusty air. He winced, holding his breath.
The interior was spacious and still had a cozy feel to it, with a large bed, a stopped wooden clock on the wall by the window, and a big fireplace on the opposite wall. William hurried over and opened the window. The breeze from outside flowed in, making the air breathable again.
"It's a bit dirty, but it's livable once you clean it up," the old man said, placing a bag of tools just outside the door.
William then remembered: this old man was the mayor of Saffron Village, the place he was now in. He was also the one who had sold him the ranch at a low price.
"I took a look; the fields are a mess from the local wild Pokémon. If you tidy it up a bit, you might still make the spring planting. The well behind the house still works. There are also some fruit trees that don't need much care, just some water and fertilizer every few days. As for the other ranch facilities, like the shed for housing Pokémon or the beehives, you can see the town carpenter if you need them. Mention my name for a discount. Tomorrow, I'll bring you a few easy-to-raise Pokémon. For today, just clean up and get familiar with the place."
With that, the Mayor pulled a few items from the bag and handed William a broom and a watering can. After William took them, the Mayor spoke again, his tone earnest.
"Son, you have to look forward. Everyone has to stand on their own eventually. You're 18 now. Your grandfather was already a famous craftsman in the village at your age. You can't let him down."
The Mayor patted William's shoulder; the gesture was heavy and firm.
"Oh, one more thing. Those Poké Balls you have with you, keep them to yourself. Don't go using them around here. It's not exactly forbidden, but most folks around here don't care for them."
William nodded silently.
The Mayor sighed at his response, then turned and left, leaving William alone in the house.
After thinking for a moment, William walked outside and went around to the back of the house to find the well. It seemed he didn't really have any other options for now. Having a ranch, even a run-down one, meant he had shelter. As for everything else... he just needed to survive first.
Just as the Mayor had said, there was a small orchard and a functional well behind the house. William struggled to turn the rusty crank, using all his strength to haul up a bucket of clear well water.
[Well Water: Quality F, Cold groundwater, contains microbes. Boil before drinking. Recommended Processing: (Cooking/Alchemy).]
William: "?"
Staring at the panel that had appeared before his eyes, William's brain short-circuited for a second. But as an avid reader of web novels, he quickly realized what this was: the golden finger, the special advantage every protagonist seemed to get.
"Cooking? Alchemy?"
Seeing these familiar terms, William naturally thought of the life simulation games he had played in his past life. Gathering materials, crafting items... it seemed this ability showed him information about various materials and their quality.
To test his theory, William put down the bucket and picked up a stone from the ground.
[Common Stone: Quality F, A small stone with low hardness, has some decorative use. Recommended Processing: (Stonecraft/Alchemy).]
He then picked up a twig.
[Withered Branch: Quality F, A piece of wood with low strength, too short for most uses. Recommended Processing: (Woodworking/Alchemy).]
After several more attempts, William had a basic understanding of his new ability. It seemed only items he gathered himself would trigger the information display, and so far, everything was Quality F. The rating system was likely F through A, or maybe even S.
"The recommended processing methods seem to be limited to six: Cooking, Woodworking, Blacksmithing, Stonecraft, Weaving, and Alchemy..."
William thought about the games he'd played before his sudden memory clicked. The game he was playing the night he was struck by lightning.
"It's that MMO! So this golden finger is based on the Disciples of the Hand and Land from that game?"
Everything fell into place. William felt like he understood it all now. No wonder everything could be used for Alchemy; in that game, Alchemy was widely considered the best crafting class for making money.
"Does that mean I can use these materials to make items with special effects, just like in the game?"
"But there's no instruction manual. How exactly do I do alchemy?"