Leo stared blankly at the pitch-black computer screen on the desk.
His mind felt as if it had completely shut down.
Am I Leo?
And yet… it also felt like he wasn't that Mingzheng.
Fragments of memories that did not originally belong to him surged through his head, replaying rapidly, right up to the moment when the computer had just been shut down.
Join Team Rocket.
Demonstrate exceptional computer skills.
Become an intelligence operative.
Get transferred to the Sinnoh Region.
Receive a starter Pokémon…
Cubone!
Leo's hand moved instinctively to his lower back. His fingers closed around a small spherical object, no bigger than a pigeon's egg.
Red on top. White on the bottom.
A black line through the middle.
A white circular button at the center.
Light, yet unmistakably solid.
A Poké Ball!!!
His pupils shrank. Without thinking, he pressed the white button with his index finger.
The next instant, the Poké Ball expanded to full size, perfectly fitting in his palm.
Damn it!
Leo clenched the Poké Ball tightly, not daring to press the button again.
According to the memories he had inherited, pressing it once more would release the Pokémon inside.
And inside this Poké Ball lived the original owner's one and only partner…
Cubone.
So… had he transmigrated?
Was this possession? Reincarnation?
Or was this all just a butterfly dream, like Zhuangzi?
Leo's expression turned complicated.
Moments ago, he had still been someone else. Now, he seemed to have become Leo, in a world of Pokémon.
Following the instinct left behind in his memories, he held down the button on the Poké Ball for three seconds. The ball shrank back to its original size and snapped neatly onto his belt.
He wasn't ready yet.
Or perhaps… he simply didn't know how to face Cubone.
Rubbing his aching temples, Leo finally began to take in his surroundings.
He was inside a small, cluttered storage room. A dim desk lamp illuminated an ordinary-looking computer.
But he knew now, so long as the correct encrypted password was entered, this "ordinary" computer could directly access Team Rocket's internal intelligence network.
Team Rocket…
Leo smacked his lips. His starting point really didn't seem all that promising.
He wasn't affiliated with the Pokémon League.
He didn't come from any prestigious family.
Even though he had joined the notorious Team Rocket, he was still just a low-level operative who had only just received a Cubone,
practically no combat power at all.
Worse still, before he'd even had time to get used to carrying Poké Balls, he had been sent straight to Sinnoh to open a shop with his captain, Yusaku…
A ramen shop.
Leo's expression turned strange.
His memories overlapped with reality. Right now, he was in the back storage room of that ramen shop, running a login test for Team Rocket's private system so he could transmit intelligence smoothly in the future.
Knock, knock, knock.
A voice sounded from outside the door.
"Is the debugging finished, Mingzheng?"
Captain Yusaku.
Leo's heart skipped a beat, but he was extremely grateful that he had inherited the original owner's memories and knew exactly who was standing outside.
He opened the door, a respectful expression appearing naturally on his face.
"Captain, the system has been tested. It's ready for use at any time."
"Good. Efficient work," Yusaku said with satisfaction. "Looks like bringing you here was the right decision."
The ordinary-looking man patted Mingzheng on the shoulder, clearly pleased.
Leo kept his head slightly lowered in humility, but the original owner's memories flashed through his mind again.
The real Leo had been deliberately hiding his ability.
The system debugging had actually taken only five minutes, but he had waited a full ten before reporting back, even lingering for a while afterward.
And yet, that was already considered "efficient" in Yusaku's eyes.
"Come on," Yusaku said. "The shop's opening soon. You won't be making ramen or soup yet, but you'll need to help with cleaning and moving supplies at first…"
He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Leo understood immediately.
Otherwise, it would be suspicious.
"Understood, boss," Leo replied smoothly, correcting his form of address.
"Hahaha! Good. That's what you'll call me from now on."
Yusaku was clearly very satisfied. A smart subordinate, this one understood things without needing them spelled out.
Opening a new shop meant endless chores.
Leo worked quietly, all the while digesting the memories he had inherited.
There was a lot of important information… but one thing was missing.
There were no memories of any original storyline.
Which meant,
Had the "main plot" not started yet?
Were all the major events still in the future?
Was Altaria really supposed to betray the Dragon-type lineage?
Could Groudon still not fly?
Of course, it was also possible that this Pokémon world wasn't identical to the one from animation or games.
Transmigration existed, parallel worlds weren't exactly unacceptable.
It wasn't until dinner time that Leo finally got a chance to rest.
"Thanks for the hard work today," Yusaku said. "I'll recruit more staff tomorrow. Once business starts, you can focus on your own tasks. Tonight, let me show you my cooking skills!"
With that, he confidently walked into the kitchen.
Perhaps it was because he'd just been transferred and only had Leo as someone he trusted.
Or perhaps he was simply committed to staying in character.
Either way, Yusaku had none of the airs of a Team Rocket captain.
When Leo saw the eager look in his eyes, he couldn't help but feel that Yusaku simply… really wanted to be a ramen chef.
Gurgle, gurgle…
Delicious.
The rich, aromatic tonkotsu broth.
The springy, chewy noodles.
Leo ate until not a drop of soup was left. Even his earlier unease faded significantly.
"It's great," Leo said sincerely. "I remember, back then…"
Yusaku looked at him happily, as if recalling something from the past, but in the end, he only shook his head and said nothing more.
"Golbat, Rattata, you two eat up as well."
At Yusaku's words, Leo subconsciously glanced at the Pokémon beside him.
Golbat's massive mouth could easily swallow his head whole. Its sharp fangs gleamed coldly.
Rattata looked capable of tearing out his throat in a single bite.
Yet now, both Pokémon sat obediently by Yusaku's side, calmly eating the Pokéblocks prepared for them.
"They're good partners," Yusaku said proudly.
Golbat and Rattata had contributed greatly to his promotion to team leader, and to his transfer back to his hometown.
"Yes… your Pokémon are very strong, boss," Mingzheng said honestly.
Unlike in the games, this world had a clear and widely accepted strength ranking system.
Pokémon unable to fight were considered in the larval stage.
After that came official classifications:
Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced → Elite → Gym Leader → Pseudo-Champion → Champion.
This was the standard evaluation system recognized worldwide.
And both Golbat and Rattata were Elite-level Pokémon.
In official League tournaments, where only Trainers with eight badges could participate, even the average strength of the top sixteen competitors was merely Elite-level.
"What about your Cubone?" Yusaku asked. "Aren't you going to let it out to eat?"
Mingzheng froze.
Under Yusaku's puzzled gaze, he silently took out the Poké Ball.
You could avoid it for a while, but not forever.
After an entire afternoon of mental adjustment, Leo had gradually accepted his situation. Deep down, there was even a trace of excitement he hadn't noticed himself.
He pressed the button twice.
Red light flashed.
A small Cubone appeared in front of him.
Quiet. Indifferent. Lonely.
Despite clearly being just a young Pokémon, Cubone's eyes looked as though it had already seen through the world. There was no emotion in them at all.
Naturally, it ignored Leo as well.
Leo carefully observed Cubone, and the lingering sense of unreality in his heart finally began to fade.
It was only about twenty centimeters tall.
A yellow body with a pale belly.
A skull helmet far too large for its size, making it look slightly awkward.
The small bone club in its hand was tiny, but it was Cubone's greatest weapon.
How should he put it…
It was actually kind of cute.
I'll start over from here.
Please, take care of me.