"You have 15 new orders pending shipment. Please confirm delivery promptly…"
"Phew… fifteen orders. Not bad. Once I finish shipping these, I can finally clock out."
Serena, 24 years old, was a student.
Yeah—right.
She had just graduated from university this year.
And, as fate would have it, graduated straight into unemployment.
With no better options for the moment, Serena comfortably embraced the life of a shut-in.
Her current means of survival?
Running an online shop on Taobao, selling custom-made Pokémon with perfect 6V IVs.
She was the legendary figure whispered about in player circles—
the mysterious "friend" who specialized in wholesaling illegal Pokémon.
Different customers had different customization requests.
IVs.
EVs.
Nature.
Moves.
Abilities.
Held items.
Shiny status.
There were countless parameters to modify.
The work itself wasn't difficult, but the process was extremely tedious—
pure mechanical labor from start to finish.
Every cent she earned was—
cough—hard-earned money.
"A Garchomp that knows Dragon Dance?"
"A Groudon with its Tera Type changed to Flying, and that can use Fly?"
"——Classic!"
"These two are practically standard orders at this point. I've already saved preset templates for them."
After finishing the modifications on the Garchomp and Groudon in the backend, Serena confirmed everything and clicked Ship.
Some of these illegal Pokémon only slightly bent the official rules—
adjusted within tolerable limits so competitive players could quickly obtain usable battle Pokémon.
Others?
They were completely beyond anything Game Freak officially allowed.
Customers probably bought them just for fun—
to show off their status as diehard Cynthia fans or hardcore (black-hearted) Groudon lovers.
Either way, customizing these "modded" Pokémon was simply Serena's daily routine.
As for whether customers took those Pokémon into official tournaments and got caught?
That was none of her business.
Legal or illegal?
"This Pokémon was given to me by my friend. What's it to you?"
Would my friend ever harm me?!
Serena:
Yes. I am that "friend."
"Next order… hmm. Empoleon with the Competitive ability. Love from Dawn and Piplup fans."
"Ah, this one doesn't even need my heavy-duty backend tools. Game Freak already changed Empoleon's ability from Defiant to Competitive."
"That said… calling yourself a Piplup fan while being this out of date?"
"Feels more like an anti-fan to me!"
"Next order!"
"Gengar with Levitate. You really are the ultimate purple chubby-lover, huh~"
Ding!
You have 1,557 new orders pending shipment…
Fresh orders poured in like an unstoppable tide.
Serena's vision went dark.
Sure, none of the tasks were difficult—but this workload?
Who could survive that?
…
"Ugh… my head hurts. So dizzy…"
When Serena finally woke up, it was already noon the next day.
Her head buzzed as if she had just awakened from a long dream.
She looked around—and froze.
This wasn't her studio.
She was in a simple single room, collapsed face-first onto a desk beside the bed, having slept there all night.
The layout screamed standard college dormitory.
It felt… oddly familiar.
"Who was it that woke first from the great dream?
All my life, I alone know myself."
Who-is-chichi?
"Wow, impressive, Serena—skipping required courses and dodging electives on your very first day of college. I've gotta say, you're the only one with guts like that."
The door knocked twice.
A flat-haired young man with black-rimmed glasses pushed it open, looking honest and simple.
At his feet trotted a short-legged, corgi-like dog.
"…Chen Lidong?!"
"What the hell—did I rebirth or something?!"
"Rebirth my ass," Chen Lidong snorted.
"You been reading too many web novels?"
"Or did you knock yourself out last night and wake up stupid?"
"…Uh."
As unpleasant as his words were, Serena couldn't really refute them.
She spread her hands helplessly.
"But wait—since when are college dorms allowed to keep dogs? They've gotten pretty humane."
"Huh? What do you mean since when?"
"Any adult citizen can raise Pokémon. Isn't that common sense?"
"You don't have to like me—but you must like my Yamper!"
Chen Lidong scooped up the short-legged Pokémon happily.
It looked just like a corgi—round, stubby, adorable—its tongue hanging out.
"Look at how cute it is! (≧▽≦)"
"Yamp~! (✧ω✧)"
Only then did Serena notice the lightning-bolt-shaped yellow tail.
This wasn't a normal dog.
It was Yamper, a Generation VIII Electric-type Pokémon.
"…Holy crap."
Faced with undeniable reality, Serena widened her eyes—
Then instantly calmed down.
So it wasn't just rebirth.
She had crossed into the Pokémon world.
A double jackpot.
Outrageously absurd.
"So your starter Pokémon is Yamper, huh?" Serena asked.
"Obviously! He's been my pet since childhood. This life, it's him all the way."
"Yamp~!"
"Yamper is cute, sure," Serena said casually,
"but once it evolves into Boltund, the cuteness drops sharply."
The words slipped out instinctively.
In her previous life, as someone who sold custom Pokémon for a living,
her knowledge wasn't just extensive—it was second nature.
Yamper was modeled after a corgi: short legs, round body, pure adorableness.
After evolution?
Tall frame. Long limbs. A full-on hunting hound.
Cool? Yes.
Cute? Not anymore.
"I know, I know," Chen Lidong laughed.
"That's why I don't plan on evolving him."
"I'm not a battler or breeder anyway. Just a regular business administration major raising Pokémon as family."
"After graduation? Straight into the workforce."
"Aren't you the same? Slacking through college without ambition?"
"…I see."
Serena nodded.
Even in the Pokémon world, not everyone became a Pokémon Trainer.
Most people were still just ordinary cogs in society—
they just happened to have Pokémon by their side.
And honestly?
Pokémon made better companions than cats or dogs ever could.
"Then… what about my starter Pokémon?"
Serena instinctively reached into her pocket.
"Didn't you say before you didn't have one?" Chen Lidong scoffed.
"Couldn't afford anything good, and didn't like Caterpie or Rattata."
That was the old Serena.
The current her was absolutely certain—
There was a Poké Ball in her pocket.
"Come out… my partner.
My soul.
I choose you!"
Clink—
The Poké Ball opened, red light flashing.
A small, round creature tumbled onto the floor—
A baby shark with a mouth nearly half its body size.
"Kapu—"
Gible waved its tiny arms clumsily, clearly asking to be hugged.
At this stage, it looked like a puffed-up Spheal—
adorable beyond belief.
"WHAT THE—?!"
Chen Lidong's eyes nearly popped out.
"Didn't you say you couldn't afford a good starter?!"
"What kind of nonsense is this—a Gible?!"
"Playing dumb while secretly flexing? Pulling a Sinnoh Son-in-Law or Dragon King Returns After Three Years plot on me?!"