Kanto Region, Viridian Forest.
It was already late autumn.
Throughout the vast forest, yellowing leaves were scattered everywhere, layering the ground in a thick golden carpet that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Rustle, rustle.
A majestic and powerfully built figure darted through the woods, its heavy steps crushing the fallen leaves beneath it.
It was a beast with fur the color of blazing orange red flames.
Its sturdy limbs were bound with iron rings, and on its cheeks grew red six pointed star shaped markings.
Embedded upon its forehead was a golden crest shaped like a three leaf clover.
As it ran, a massive plume of white smoke trailed behind it like drifting clouds, flowing and shifting in the wind.
It was Entei, a member of Ho Oh’s guard and one of the three legendary beasts revered by the world.
Faster.
It had to be faster.
Entei’s dignified gaze remained fixed straight ahead.
Not long ago, it had discovered traces of Pokémon hunters rampaging through this forest, capturing wild Pokémon without restraint.
In order to protect and rescue those Pokémon, Entei had begun pursuing the hunters.
It dared not slow down.
Entei knew all too well that if it arrived even a moment too late, those Pokémon would likely be slaughtered or sold off somewhere far away.
A faint scent of blood drifted on the wind.
Entei’s running steps faltered slightly, and its stern face turned sharply toward a particular direction.
For a fleeting instant, it seemed to hear a cry carried by the breeze, clear and piercing, like the wail of a young infant.
What was going on?
Entei frowned slightly.
After a brief hesitation, it decisively changed direction and sprinted toward the source of the sound.
Passing through a dense and shadowy thicket, it suddenly emerged before a rural road that stretched into the distance.
Beside the road lay an overturned car.
The closer Entei approached, the stronger the metallic scent of blood became.
Its brows tightened.
Moving its thick, muscular legs, Entei slowly stepped forward.
On one side of the road lay the body of a human.
It was a man, his entire body covered in wounds.
From the looks of it, he had been attacked by Pokémon.
Entei glanced at him only briefly before continuing past the corpse, heading straight toward the overturned car.
The car door and windows had been completely deformed by the impact.
A human woman was trapped in the driver’s seat.
She was already dead, devoid of breath or warmth.
In the back seat, however, a baby cradle had been firmly secured with straps.
Inside lay a human infant who appeared to be less than a year old, crying helplessly.
What… had happened here?
Entei’s expression grew solemn.
Its gaze shifted toward a group of trembling Pokémon hiding behind a large tree by the roadside.
They were a cluster of Oddish, the common Pokémon often seen along forest paths.
Entei called them over and communicated through telepathy.
What happened here?
The Oddish were still filled with terror, yet they forced themselves to answer despite their fear.
Through their description, Entei quickly pieced together the events.
Not long ago, two Pokémon hunters had passed through this area, capturing wild Pokémon in the forest without mercy.
The father of this family of three had tried to protect the Pokémon and was brutally killed by the hunters.
The woman, panicked and desperate, had attempted to drive away, only for the car to crash.
Pokémon hunters.
Again, Pokémon hunters.
A surge of indescribable fury welled up inside Entei.
Flames seemed to blaze within its eyes.
It immediately prepared to resume the chase and use the sacred fire granted by Lord Ho Oh to burn those hunters to ashes.
But the infant’s crying from inside the car abruptly pulled it back from the depths of its anger.
This place was deep within Viridian Forest, far from any human town.
If it first carried the child to a human settlement, the hunters would likely use that opportunity to retreat safely.
Yet if it left the child here unattended, the infant would surely die.
The parents had died trying to protect Pokémon.
As a member of Ho Oh’s guard, Entei could not simply ignore that.
Silence fell.
After a long moment, Entei clenched its teeth and made a decision.
With a powerful swing of its thick claw, it smashed a large hole into the overturned car.
Then it carefully hooked the human infant out of the back seat.
Next, Entei gently carried the child in its mouth and placed him inside the hollow of a massive ancient tree nearby, intending to return for him after dealing with the Pokémon hunters.
In its haste to leave, Entei did not notice that the human infant it had carried had stopped crying at some point and was now staring at its departing figure with a pair of glossy black eyes.
That Pokémon was… Entei?
Atlas was stunned, his thoughts in turmoil.
A few months ago, he had been an overworked corporate employee on Earth, running around endlessly just to make ends meet.
He worked at a game company that specialized in adapting web novels into small online games.
At that time, the company had purchased the adaptation rights to a web novel titled Reincarnated into Another World, Become Stronger by Shocking Others.
As a lowly employee eager to earn a bit more money, Atlas had stayed late at the office writing code.
Unexpectedly, his computer exploded on the spot, sending him to another world.
Along with him came the cheat code he had personally written.
He was reborn as a baby into a family living in Viridian City in the Kanto region.
Originally, Atlas had thought he would live an ordinary life like Ash.
Instead, both of his parents died right before his eyes.
Due to an error in his reincarnation age, Atlas was trapped in the body of a helpless infant and could only watch everything unfold.
By pretending to be dead, he narrowly avoided the two Pokémon hunters.
After they left, a flood of emotions overwhelmed him.
Influenced by his infant body and mind, Atlas broke down in despairing sobs.
There was grief for his parents’ deaths and bitterness toward the unfairness of fate.
And then, Entei appeared before him just like that.
Atlas had felt a flicker of hope.
He had assumed Entei would bring him back to a human city.
After all, the welfare and orphanage systems in this world were well established.
As long as he could return there, even if he did not become wealthy or powerful, at least he could eat his fill and grow up safely.
Once he turned ten, perhaps he could receive a starter Pokémon from the Indigo League just like Ash.
Maybe a Charmander, or perhaps a Squirtle.
If not, even a Bulbasaur would be fine.
With the cheat code that had crossed over with him, the so called Shock Value System, he could rise to the peak of life.
But instead, Entei had simply placed him inside this tree hollow and left.
Just like that.
Atlas began to question his entire existence.
A bleak autumn wind swept through Viridian Forest.
The wind poured into the hollow tree, producing a low, mournful wail.
So cold.
No matter how unique the human physique was in the Pokémon world, Atlas was still just an infant less than a year old.
The moment the wind brushed against him, a chill ran through his tiny body.
It was freezing.
Night would fall soon, and when it did, the temperature in Viridian Forest would drop sharply.
Worse still, many dangerous wild Pokémon would become active after dark.
Despair filled Atlas’s heart.
Inwardly, he cried out helplessly.
New life, please do not screw me over like this.
(End of Chapter)