Jiang Shi closed his eyes.
In his mind, a massive roulette wheel materialized instantly. The number 1 glowed at its center—his single available spin.
Without hesitation, he flicked it.
The wheel began spinning wildly. Countless squares flashed past, each bearing the image of a different Pokémon.
Faster. Faster.
Then it slowed.
The pointer stopped.
An orange-and-white Pokémon appeared beneath it—a small, fennec-like creature with oversized ears forming a V shape and bright sapphire eyes filled with life.
Victini.
The Mythical Pokémon.
A dual Fire- and Psychic-type said to generate infinite energy. Legend claimed that any Trainer who partnered with Victini would never lose a battle.
"…Not bad at all."
Jiang Shi opened his eyes.
A Poké Ball rested in his palm.
With Victini as his partner, he finally had the strength—and the confidence—to continue pushing the Pokémon era forward.
He released Victini, letting the little Mythical Pokémon stretch and explore the shop.
Then he opened the System interface and accepted the second mission.
Mission Objective:
Sell two Pokémon. Increase public awareness. Distribute Pokédexes to new Trainers.
Reward:
One spin of the Mythical Beast Roulette.
Note:
After sufficient mission progress, the first Regional Pokémon Descent will occur in the Host's area.
"So the real beginning hasn't even started yet…"
Jiang Shi exhaled softly.
Popularizing Pokémon worldwide was clearly not a short-term project.
"Still," he muttered, "the first step is always the hardest. Now that I've taken it, the rest will come."
"Vee!"
Victini floated beside him and flashed a cheerful V-sign.
Time passed quickly.
Morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
---
"Crap! I'm late!"
Naruto shot upright in bed the moment he saw the clock.
Vulpix, startled by his sudden movement, leapt up as well. Her six tails swished anxiously as she followed him into the kitchen.
Naruto grabbed the prepared bread from the table, skimmed the note his parents had left behind, and shoved his backpack over his shoulders.
Just as he reached the door—
"Vul…"
He stopped.
Vulpix stood there, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
Naruto remembered his parents' warning: no pets at school.
But leaving her alone in an empty house all day?
He hesitated for only a second.
Then he unzipped his backpack.
Vulpix hopped inside immediately, curling into a fluffy orange ball.
"As long as no one notices… it'll be fine."
He locked the door and sprinted off.
---
Taking his usual shortcut through the alley, Naruto rounded a corner—
—and slammed straight into someone.
Bang!
Both boys fell backward.
"Gah! Are you an assassin sent to eliminate me?!"
The black-haired boy clutched his forehead dramatically, glaring with suspicion.
"So it's true. The Uchiha Family's talent draws enemies from every shadow. Which clan sent you?"
"…What are you even talking about?"
Naruto rubbed his own aching forehead. One glance at the time sent him scrambling back to his feet.
"Sorry! I'm late!"
He bolted off again.
Inside the backpack, Vulpix poked her head out, ears twitching from the commotion.
And the black-haired boy saw her.
---
The bell rang sharply through the school.
Class had already started when the classroom door burst open.
"Present!"
Naruto stood in the doorway, panting.
Kakashi-sensei glanced up lazily. "Late again, huh."
He scratched his head and pointed toward the only empty desk.
"The new transfer student's late too. Uchiha Sasuke. You two can share that row."
Naruto followed his finger—
—and froze.
It was the alley lunatic.
Sasuke sat there coolly, still wearing his blue shirt instead of the school uniform. The red-and-white fan crest stood out boldly on his back.
With no other choice, Naruto dragged himself over and dropped into the seat beside him.
"You're Naruto, right?"
Sasuke spoke first, studying him.
"They say you've been the school's top troublemaker for seven years straight."
Naruto snorted. "You're the weirder one. Why aren't you in uniform? And what's with the ping-pong paddle logo?"
"It's not a paddle!" Sasuke hissed. "That's the Uchiha Family crest!"
"Oh. So your family's really good at ping-pong?"
"…Hmph. I refuse to debate the ignorant."
Sasuke turned away sharply, cheeks faintly puffed in irritation.
Naruto sighed.
What a strange guy. Better stay away from him.
---
Homeroom ended quickly.
First period was math—with Aizen-sensei.
Sasuke barely glanced at the board.
This is elementary. I don't even need to listen.
He shifted slightly—
—and noticed Naruto had already fallen asleep face-first on his desk.
Sleeping during class? Right in front of the teacher?
Unbelievable.
Sasuke considered waking him—
—but movement from the backpack caught his eye.
A small, fluffy head slowly emerged.
…He actually brought a pet to school?
Sasuke clicked his tongue and tried to look away.
He failed.
Vulpix's round eyes shimmered pitifully as she wriggled halfway out of the bag.
"Vul… vul…"
The soft whimper tugged at him.
Tch.
Before she could tumble out completely, Sasuke instinctively reached over and caught her.
And then he saw it clearly.
Six tails.
His heart skipped.
He carefully brushed his fingers across them.
The fur was unbelievably soft, sweeping lightly against his skin like a feathered brush.
He had seen plenty of pets before.
But a six-tailed fox? That existed only in legends… or manga.
"Vul…"
Vulpix lifted her head.
A tiny spark flickered at her mouth—
—and with a soft puff, a small flame shot forward before vanishing in midair.
Sasuke froze.
She… breathes fire?
He stared at her in disbelief.
To a chuunibyo teenager, an adorable six-tailed fox that could produce flames was the embodiment of cool.
His heart pounded.
So awesome.
I want one.
Get me one too!
Sasuke screamed internally.