As the last bite of the rice ball went down his throat, the warmth of the rice fragrance sliding through his esophagus, Shinji's thoughts, which had been drifting through an unfamiliar time and space, finally anchored down.
Since he had already transmigrated as Shinji, dwelling on the past was meaningless—he clenched his fist, his gaze suddenly turning resolute, with only one goal: to become the strongest Pokémon Master.
Having made up his mind, Shinji stood up nimbly, his gaze locking onto the Elekid not far away that had just finished eating and was napping on the ground. He called out in a low voice, "Elekid, rest is over. Continue training."
He raised his hand and pointed toward a nearby boulder, his command clear and decisive: "Aim for that boulder and use a combo of Brick Break followed by Thunder Punch! Brick Break with your right hand, Thunder Punch with your left. The transition must be fast, no pauses allowed!
The speed at which you switch between Electric-type and Fighting-type moves determines your ability to adapt when facing Rock or Steel-type Pokémon."
"Bi!" Upon receiving the command, Elekid immediately sprang up, gave a heavy nod of its small head, and jogged over to the boulder. Its limbs tensed as it took a battle stance.
The next second, its right palm was suddenly enveloped in a dazzling white light. It swung high and struck the rock with wind-breaking force. With a muffled "thud," stone chips flew everywhere.
Immediately after, its left fist instantly erupted with crackling golden electricity. Almost as the right palm was retracted, it struck down at the same spot in one fluid motion, the current hitting the rock and kicking up tiny sparks.
"Too slow." Shinji's voice was flat but carried an unquestionable reprimand. His brow furrowed slightly as his sharp gaze locked onto Elekid's movements.
"There's a gap in the combo transition. This level is a weakness in actual combat." He took a half-step forward, his tone showing no fluctuation yet radiating a bone-chilling pressure: "Elekid, show the level you're supposed to have. Don't be a useless thing."
"Bi bi—!"
Those cold words lashed Elekid like a whip. It suddenly tensed its body and let out a sharp cry filled with unwillingness.
The electricity around its body instantly became more violent, the crackling sounds growing denser. It then raised its right palm again, the white light even more dazzling than before.
The rhythm of the attack was noticeably faster this time. The transition between Brick Break and Thunder Punch almost blurred into an afterimage, each impact causing the boulder to emit a deeper roar.
Shinji stared at the Elekid working hard in the field. Sweat continuously seeped from its yellow skin, sliding off and hitting the ground to kick up fine dust.
The next second, a pale blue semi-transparent panel appeared in his mind:
[Elekid ♦]
Level: 26 (Superior Level)
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Potential: Excellent
base stats: 36
Moves: Glare, Quick Attack, Swift, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, Thunder Punch, Protect, Ice Punch
This was his cheat as a transmigrator.
A system that could view detailed Pokémon information, including their potential. According to the system's classification, Pokémon potential was divided into Poor (45%), Average (35%), Good (13%), Excellent (6%), and Top-tier (1%).
Among them, the potential of Pokémon encountered in the wild was basically Poor or Average; Good was very rare. The percentages provided by the system were the probabilities of encountering a Pokémon with that potential.
The system also categorized Pokémon strength: 1-10 Newbie, 11-25 Intermediate, 26-40 Superior, 41-55 Gym Leader Level, 56-65 Pseudo-Elite Four Level, 66-80 Elite, 81-90 Champion.
Potential determined the upper limit of a Pokémon's strength. "Poor potential" corresponded to Superior Level, "Average potential" to Gym Leader Level, and so on. The better the potential, the stronger the comprehension and the faster the leveling up. However, once they hit a plateau, it became very difficult to level up further.
However, potential was only one aspect; true strength depended on the trainer's nurturing. Wild Pokémon were generally Newbie or Intermediate; those reaching Superior Level were few and far between.
Moreover, potential was not set in stone.
If a trainer nurtured them poorly or if the Pokémon had hidden injuries, their potential would drop. But if the bond between trainer and Pokémon was deep and the nurturing was proper, some unconventional changes could occur.
In actual battles, it was even more of a different story. With proper command, a trainer could often use the weak to defeat the strong. Within a ten-level difference, the strength gap wasn't huge; once past level twenty, the difference in Pokémon strength became clearly contrasted.
Furthermore, Pokémon evolution wasn't entirely based on level like in the games; it still depended on the trainer's nurturing and the Pokémon's own potential.
Additionally, the system came with a system shop. The items in the shop were limited to conventional items of this world: Potions, Pokémon food, Energy Cubes, various held items, and evolution stones.
There were no Legendary Pokémon or various Psychics. The only benefit was—all items were free! It was equivalent to a portable universal supply depot.
Another benefit was that system products were always high-quality, so there was no need to worry about the Pokémon's body suffering irreversible damage.
Shinji raised his wrist to glance at the time; Elekid had been training at high intensity for a full hour. At this moment, the little guy's breathing was ragged, and its limbs were trembling slightly, clearly exhausted to the extreme.
He no longer hesitated and directly called a halt: "Elekid, that's enough for today's training. Come here."
His tone remained flat and emotionless, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of command. Hearing the voice, Elekid immediately stopped and walked toward him with heavy steps, every stride showing the soreness of exhaustion.
The current Shinji was no longer the original—as a transmigrator, he naturally couldn't fully agree with the original's overly harsh training methods that sometimes disregarded the Pokémon's feelings.
Although he appreciated the original Shinji's character charm and his obsession with becoming stronger, he had his own principles in actual interaction.
So, even though the current Shinji still looked indifferent, he didn't lack the necessary concern. After all, if a Pokémon didn't recover properly after training, hidden injuries would damage its potential.
Without unnecessary words, he gestured for Elekid to sit down, then exchanged for a Potion specifically for post-training recovery from the system shop, carefully spraying and massaging it.
His fingertips applied even pressure. The moment the medicinal liquid touched the skin, it turned into a cool, warm current that seeped into the muscles.
Elekid squinted its eyes in comfort, letting out a soft whimper from its throat as its previously tensed body gradually relaxed.
Seeing the little guy's comfortable appearance, Shinji knew—system products certainly lived up to their reputation.
During a gap in the massage, Elekid stole a glance at Shinji.
Its master still had that ice-cold expression, but the warmth from his palms and the meticulousness of his movements allowed it to clearly feel the warmth of being cared for.
Though he was terrifyingly strict during regular training, this tangible concern spoke of a side of Shinji that was unknown to others.
After the massage, Elekid had comfortably curled into a ball and was letting out soft snores.
Seeing his partner sleeping soundly, Shinji didn't disturb it. He turned and exchanged for a portable sleeping bag from the shop, spread it out, and crawled straight in.
Lying in the sleeping bag with his hands behind his head, Shinji looked at the night sky through the gaps in the leaves. On the dark blue canopy, stars were dotted like diamond fragments, and the night breeze carried the fragrance of forest greenery across his cheeks.
His thoughts had already drifted far away, clearly outlining a path to the summit in his mind: first win the Sinnoh League, then defeat Pyramid King Brandon, sweep the Elite Four, challenge Cynthia and Leon, and finally stand at the top as the strongest trainer.
Defeating Pyramid King Brandon wasn't just to fulfill the original Shinji's obsession; it could also temper his Pokémon, as Brandon's strength was still very formidable.
And the starting point for all of this was the championship of the Sinnoh League.
Shinji knew very well that the "Legendary Pokémon Man" who would appear later with multiple Legendary Pokémon would be the biggest obstacle on his path to the championship.
But there was no trace of fear in his eyes; instead, a sharp light flashed. There was still a long time before the Sinnoh League, enough for him and his Pokémon to grow to that level. When that time came, defeating the Legendary Pokémon Man would be no difficult task.
...
The next morning, the morning light was faint.
A light mist still lingered in the forest, and the fine sunlight pierced through the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Shinji and Elekid were sitting on a clean stone slab eating breakfast. Warm Energy Cubes mixed with the sweetness of wild fruits dispelled the morning chill.
After finishing the last bite of food, Shinji packed up his sleeping bag and belongings, deciding to leave this forest today and set out on the road home.
In fact, after the Ever Grande Conference ended, he hadn't returned directly but chose to travel all the way home—both to use the journey to hone his Pokémon's strength and to take the opportunity to catch more powerful Pokémon.
However, the current Shinji just wanted to go home and see the status of the Pokémon caught by his predecessor, and incidentally determine exactly where the current timeline stood.
After packing his things and putting on his backpack, Shinji gave the Elekid beside him a look. The latter immediately perked up and walked briskly beside Shinji.
The person and the pet walked side by side toward Veilstone City. The silence of the forest was gently broken by their footsteps and then gradually restored, leaving only a road leading to the future.