What is the most valuable thing a transmigrator can possess?
There are plenty of answers: a system, a cheat, an exploit, the advantage of foreknowledge…
All useful, all precious, yet to Yuzaki none of them topped the list. The real treasure—one most people overlooked—was "methodology": the lens through which you view problems and the tools you use to solve them. It's the yardstick that measures whether a person is truly "grown-up."
With the right methodology, you won't sink, no matter the world or the starting hand. So-called cheats only speed the journey; the foundation stays the same.
Of course, methodology is worthless without the will to execute. Everyone knows early to bed and early to rise keeps you healthy, but in practice, we all chase longevity and good times, which isn't possible at the same time. And certain nighttime "hobbies"? Let's not even go there.
So the salaryman who drinks a glass of milk before bed, stretches for ten minutes, and never carries fatigue into tomorrow? That guy is a legend.
Yuzaki wasn't that disciplined, but when the stakes were his future, he didn't cut corners.
Rule One: never act on impulse. Rule Two: never put every egg in one basket. Rule Three: Plan for defeat before you plan for victory.
Tsubaki knew he'd petitioned to be struck from the family register and plagiarized light novels for seed money. What she didn't know was the "Full-Aroma Tech Portfolio," the "Crypto-Flip Scheme," the "Overseas Real-Estate Gambit," and a dozen other clandestine moneymakers schemes that Yuzaki knew.
Remember, he awakened his cheat only after leaving home; until then, his brain had one setting—emigrate and get rich anyhow.
Jujutsu sorcerers dominate Jujutsu Kaisen, not the real world. In this reality, curses and sorcerers flourish only in Japan; everywhere else, they're rarities you might never meet in a lifetime. At that point, money talks louder than cursed energy.
Even after awakening his cheat—adorable Ralts, cute Kirlia, gorgeous Gardevoir—he kept hustling, because downtime is deadly. You can only hunt cursed spirits so often; what are you supposed to do the rest of the week, fap and nap?
His Infinite Stratos didn't sell because he had a photographic memory or towering talent; it sold because he polished it for ages, devouring every light novel he could find, distilling every trope, before he even wrote chapter one. He lucked into "mecha," "machine-girls," and "only boy in an all-girls academy," but anyone who thinks that stuff is easy has never actually done it.
Hence Rule Four: endure loneliness, resist temptation.
After the system awakened and Ralts hatched, came Rule Five: kill cursed spirits.
Only after you've hidden your edge for years do you deserve the storm that turns you into a dragon.
Now the storm had arrived, and the blade he'd sharpened for a decade was finally coming out of its sheath.
Seeing the confidence blazing in her boy's eyes, Tsubaki felt a twinge of defeat. "Suddenly I feel… kind of useless."
Knowing your kid is extraordinary is one thing; being outclassed in your own field is another. Her "free time" was genuine—most of what she did was kill boredom. Yuzaki's "free time" was a lie; behind the scenes, he was always grinding for a better tomorrow.
"Nah," he said. "There's an old saying: behind every successful man stands a woman who supports him. Without you, Mom, I wouldn't be here."
Maybe an exaggeration, but taking Tsubaki with him had been a gamble. Strictly speaking, he was the child of her "enemy," and guilt by association wasn't irrational. If he'd stayed in that toxic household, his edge would've dulled; the decade of quiet forging might never have happened.
Calling her his guardian angel ranked right up there with awakening his cheat and hatching Ralts.
"So don't feel bad, Mom. I've got you covered."
Obnoxiously macho, admittedly, but man did it feel good to say out loud.
"That's exactly the problem," she muttered. "I'm supposed to be the parent." When your son is too perfect, you end up looking redundant.
"Actually, I need your expertise." He unfolded a Tokyo map. "Know any spots where curses pop up often?"
Her eyes narrowed. "A few. Planning an exorcism?"
"Gardevoir's growth needs cursed spirits as fuel. And I'd like to see if I can find her some teammates."
"One Gardevoir isn't enough for you?"
"Gar~" Gardevoir's lower lip quivered; she gazed up at Yuzaki like a kicked puppy.
He soothed her with one hand and explained, "She is number one in my heart—unique. Besides, future teammates won't necessarily look like her."
Off the top of his head, only Diancie, Meloetta, and maybe half a Primarina fit the bill—Latias counted as the other half. Compared to the thousand-plus Pokémon out there, the odds were microscopic.
He didn't fancy his luck would hold long enough to chain-waifu the entire dex.
Impossible. Didn't exist.
If he were that lucky, his next worry would be whether another speeding truck waited outside the door.
"When we catch something weird-looking, don't freak out, okay?"
"Don't underestimate me. I've fought curses before."
Tsubaki decided maternal authority needed reasserting.
"You're the mom; your call."
He humored her aloud, but privately, he thought that if he found trash like Grimer and Muk—basically an average level cursed spirit, he would just throw them out in the wild. No way he'd roll that low.
The thought only made him hungrier for number two.
"Any good spots nearby? I'll try my luck tonight."
"Yoshiwara Shrine. After dinner, I'll take you."
"Uh… you're coming too?"
"I'm a sorcerer; I can't exorcise a curse?" She sat ramrod straight, dignity radiating.
"Sure, absolutely."
He shrugged. Tokyo, 2017—avoid two specific people, and the city was a playground. Might as well be a post-meal stroll.
"Gardevoir, protect Mom."
"Gar~!" Gardevoir nodded eagerly.
"Protect yourself first. I'm a Grade-3 sorcerer; you don't even have a technique." Tsubaki knew she was being childish, but her son had bruised her ego too many times.
"Yeah, yeah."
He played along, yet the silent order he shot Gardevoir stayed the same.
He might not wield cursed energy, but that didn't make him harmless. Anyone who can train Pokémon is no weakling. At least, not with their Pokémon.
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