Saffron City.
This was the largest trading hub in the Kanto region. With a daily foot traffic of over a million people, it was a melting pot of every kind of person imaginable—as well as a gathering place for the wicked and the corrupt.
The city's largest underground organization was the notorious Team Rocket. They controlled nearly four-fifths of Saffron City's underworld, and even the world-famous Silph Co. operated under their shadow. It was only because of Team Rocket's clandestine grip that the city appeared peaceful on the surface.
At the end of a secluded street stood a dilapidated little shop. Its sign, weathered by years of wind and rain, was faded and blurred. One could barely make out the words: "Star Pokémon Breeding House."
Despite the exterior, the shop's interior was kept impeccably clean. A beautiful wind chime hung by the door, tinkling melodiously in the gentle breeze. On the counter, a vase held a cluster of blue-purple hyacinths, and the air was filled with the faint, soothing scent of medicinal herbs.
An old television was mounted high in a corner, broadcasting the morning news.
"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news: the notorious Team Rocket has attacked a League-run ranch. Fortunately, the newly appointed Elite Four member, Lance, was nearby on a mission. Master Lance intervened and successfully apprehended a high-ranking Team Rocket leader involved in the raid..."
The news blared throughout the shop. One shouldn't underestimate these antique televisions; the older they were, the louder the speakers seemed to be.
The shop was lined with neatly arranged iron cages housing common Kanto Pokémon: Oddish, Meowth, Pidgey, Rattata, and more. One Rattata was currently gnawing on its bars. As a Pokémon resembling a rodent, its incisors grew rapidly, forcing it to grind them down against hard stones or metal.
The cage was already covered in jagged pits and tooth marks.
Crunch, crunch.
[Rattata: I'll bite, I'll bite! As long as I stay dedicated, I'll break through this cage sooner or later.]
"Rattata, give it a rest. Even if you gnaw on that for a year, you're not getting through," a lazy voice called out from the back of the shop. "Those bars are made of a super-alloy."
A handsome youth was busy working inside. Hearing the gnawing, he knit his brows slightly and looked up, his bright eyes glancing toward the Rattata before he returned to his task.
Startled by the voice, the Rattata froze. It looked around, but seeing no one nearby, it immediately went back to its "work."
Just then, a man in his forties entered. He wore camouflage fatigues and exuded a battle-hardened aura. A large scar ran across his face, and an eyepatch covered his left eye.
"Feng Che, that Rattata is at it again? It's just its nature; there's no point in talking to it," the man chuckled. "Their teeth grow so fast that they'll go crazy if they don't have something to chew on."
"Uncle Kaiser, you're back," the youth said, raising an eyebrow with an excited smile. "Business has been good these past few days. We've made a decent profit—you can check the books."
"Feng Che, I really can't thank you enough. I'm lucky you were here to watch the shop while I was away," Kaiser said sheepishly. "Otherwise, my little darlings might have gone hungry for a few days. No need to check the books; I trust you."
Kaiser watched the black-haired youth, Feng Che, as he continued grinding herbs.
"Don't mention it, Uncle Kaiser," Feng Che replied without looking up. "You pay me, so it's only right that I do my job well. Besides, I like it here. It feels like home."
He spoke calmly, unfazed by the bloodstains on Kaiser's clothes. After a moment, Feng Che inspected the ground herbs with satisfaction, pinching a bit between his fingers to ensure the consistency was perfect.
"You should get some rest. Leave your Poké Balls here; I'll help your Pokémon recover from their injuries," Feng Che added.
"Alright. I'll go grab a shower and regroup. These last few days have nearly killed me." Kaiser stretched, his joints popping like firecrackers.
System, what's the status on the restoration?
A blue screen appeared before Feng Che—a display invisible to anyone but himself.
He had activated this system the moment he arrived in the Pokémon world, but the progress bar had been stuck at 99.9% ever since.
Sigh. When is this thing actually going to finish?
Feng Che wasn't originally from this world. He hailed from 23rd-century Earth, an era where resources were nearly depleted. To enrich human lives, scientists had developed a game called Pokémon World.
He had been deeply captivated by it. Based on the anime and manga, the game used a full-immersion simulation system that felt indistinguishable from reality. People could experience the vibrant life of a Pokémon Trainer without ever leaving their homes.
Through grueling effort, Feng Che had earned the dual titles of Breeding Master and Healing Master—the only player to ever hold both. Countless elite families had begged him to breed Pokémon for them.
However, during a final mission involving Zekrom, he was struck by a million-volt bolt of lightning. Everything went dark. When he woke up, he found himself in the real Pokémon world.
He discovered that he had retained all his memories and expertise as a Breeding and Healing Master. His mind was a literal database of Pokémon traits, training methods, and the precise recipes for energy cubes and medicines he had collected in the game—accurate to the one-hundredth percentile. He could identify a herb's properties at a glance and process it perfectly without losing any medicinal potency.
The body he inhabited was also named Feng Che. He had the same handsome features, looking like a leaner, younger version of his former self—perhaps sixteen years old. His gaunt frame suggested a life of hardship.
Navigating his predecessor's memories, Feng Che realized his situation was dire. He was an orphan who had run away from an asylum, making him an undocumented "black market" citizen.
In this world, being undocumented was a death sentence for ambition. You couldn't buy tickets, board planes, or stay in hotels without ID. Traveling between cities required public transport guarded by League-hired Trainers to ward off savage wild Pokémon.
Humans were fragile compared to Pokémon. Even a common Rattata could kill a person. Every year, hundreds of people were maimed or killed in wild encounters.
Before Feng Che arrived, his predecessor had survived through petty scams and grifting. He had traveled between cities by clinging to the undercarriages of buses. His life ended when, while fleeing a Mightyena, he accidentally touched a live high-voltage wire.
Since crossing over, Feng Che found this world identical to the game, only far more visceral. There was Kanto, there was Team Rocket, and Giovanni was the current leader. Based on the timeline, Mewtwo's development had already begun, and Lance had only recently joined the Elite Four.
The catch? Feng Che didn't have the "Super Pallet Town" constitution of the game characters. A single Rattata could end him. He wanted to achieve greatness, but his status as a "black person" meant the League was closed to him. For someone who had thrived in the League faction in-game, this was a bitter pill to forget.
But he didn't give up. He had discovered a massive secret regarding this new body: he could hear the inner voices of Pokémon.
His predecessor had used this innate gift for petty crimes, which was why he had fled the orphanage in the first place. Feng Che had tested the range; he could hear anything within a five-meter radius.
It was this ability that led him to Kaiser. He had overheard a Mightyena's desperate wish to live while Kaiser was at his wits' end, about to give up on his dying partner. Using his high-level healing knowledge combined with the Pokémon's own feedback, Feng Che saved the Mightyena and won Kaiser's trust.
In return, Kaiser took him in.
Feng Che had since used his vast experience to turn the shop into a thriving business.
Now, he looked up at the floating screen once more. The progress bar had finally hit 100%.