Boooooom—!
On the calm, azure sea, a medium-sized passenger ship was slowly approaching the harbor, accompanied by the long blast of its horn.
Although the coastal city was bustling and prosperous, and the docks were equally lively, a closer look revealed that the passengers aboard the ship had no interest in admiring the scenery.
Instead, everyone's attention was focused on the deck.
There, a Pokémon battle was already reaching its climax!
The two Pokémon facing off were Ralts and a purple rat Pokémon, Rattata.
Their trainers were a handsome young man around twenty years old and a middle-aged man dressed in a formal suit.
In the middle of the battlefield, the fierce fighting had rapidly drained Rattata's stamina.
Seeing that his Pokémon was already at a disadvantage and couldn't even touch Ralts, the middle-aged man grew anxious and couldn't help shouting, "Rattata, close the distance quickly, then use Tackle!"
Hearing the command, Rattata seized its opportunity.
Its four limbs suddenly accelerated, and it dashed straight toward Ralts, lowering its head to deliver a powerful blow.
However, just as it was about to collide with Ralts, the little Pokémon suddenly used Double Team, creating several illusory copies of itself!
Unable to stop in time, Rattata charged straight through one of the illusions.
Among the spectators were quite a few tourists who knew plenty about Pokémon.
Naturally, most of them recognized the move.
It was Double Team, a Normal-type move that many Pokémon could learn!
Meanwhile, watching Rattata stand frozen in confusion, Itsuki realized that after dragging this battle out for so long, it was finally time to end things.
"Ralts, use Confusion!"
The moment his words fell, all of Ralts's illusions raised their arms simultaneously and pointed toward Rattata.
In the very next instant, a mysterious glow enveloped Rattata, lifting it straight into the air!
No matter how desperately it struggled, it was completely useless.
It couldn't break free from the invisible restraints of Confusion.
Then, with a forward sweep of Ralts's arm, Rattata's body was sent flying backward against its will.
Bang!
It slammed into the nearby railing.
The force of the impact was so tremendous that everyone around could clearly see the metal railing had visibly bent out of shape!
This time, Rattata could no longer endure it.
Its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed helplessly onto the deck.
The crew member acting as referee bent down to examine it.
After a brief glance, he shook his head, raised his right hand, and loudly announced, "Rattata is unable to battle! Ralts wins!"
Hearing the announcement, the surrounding tourists burst into applause for the spectacular battle.
At the same time, they couldn't help marveling at the strength Ralts had displayed.
One particularly attractive young woman even gave Itsuki a few flirtatious whistles.
"That was amazing!"
"Whoa, hasn't that guy won seven battles in a row already?"
"Exactly! And that Ralts hasn't taken any real damage from beginning to end! It's seriously incredible!"
With praise pouring in from every direction, Itsuki maintained his composure.
He walked over to Ralts and affectionately patted its head before approaching the middle-aged man.
The two exchanged a light handshake.
After taking another look at Ralts, the middle-aged man couldn't help praising it.
"You've raised your Ralts exceptionally well! I have absolutely no complaints about losing this battle!"
"Your Rattata was pretty impressive too."
Itsuki remained quite friendly toward his defeated opponent, offering a polite compliment of his own.
"Hopefully, we'll have another chance to meet!"
The middle-aged man shook his head with a wry smile before stepping aside.
Seeing him leave the battlefield, the surrounding tourists began exchanging glances.
Everyone was curious to see who would step forward next to challenge this handsome young trainer!
However, just as several trainers eagerly prepared to rush onto the battlefield, Itsuki suddenly took a step backward.
"Sorry, everyone. I'd love to keep battling, but it looks like we've reached our destination. It's time for us to get off the ship!"
Hearing this, the tourists hurriedly turned around.
Only then did they realize that, without anyone noticing, the ship had already docked!
...
Warm, brilliant sunlight shone over the city.
Driven by the ceaseless movement of the sea, waves tirelessly washed against the long, narrow breakwater.
Looking toward the horizon, all that entered one's vision was an endless expanse of blue.
The sea and sky blended into one, making the entire world seem like a gigantic mirror.
A gentle sea breeze, carrying the damp, salty scent of the ocean, brushed against the skin.
It felt indescribably pleasant.
This was one of the Kanto Region's most important seaports, a southern city bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun—
Vermilion City!
When Itsuki stepped out of the ship's cabin and set foot on this land that felt both familiar and unfamiliar, he couldn't suppress the joy welling up inside him.
Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Professor Oak, the Kanto Region, the Indigo League...
Ever since his childhood in his previous life, this place had held countless memories for him.
Who would have thought that one day, he would actually come here in person?!
Speaking of which, several months had already passed since he arrived in this Pokémon world.
Yet whenever he thought about it, everything still felt somewhat unreal.
Beside his feet, Ralts sensed its trainer's emotions and let out a soft cry.
Glancing down at it, Itsuki chuckled.
"All right. We've finally reached the Kanto Region, but before challenging the Indigo League, we should head to a Pokémon Center and register as a challenger."
Leaving the harbor, Itsuki took out his phone and opened the map.
Following the road, he made his way toward the Pokémon Center in the city center.
Along the way, he occasionally spotted trainers traveling through the streets with their Pokémon.
In fact, throughout this entire world, Pokémon had long since become an inseparable part of human society.
Whether in entertainment, food services, deliveries, or public security, Pokémon played an essential role in people's everyday lives.
They were indispensable companions.
If Pokémon suddenly disappeared one day, that would be what truly felt strange.
However, when people noticed the Ralts accompanying Itsuki, quite a few curious gazes turned toward them.
Well, there was no helping it.
After all, Ralts was an extremely rare sight for people living in this region!
Its green hair resembled half a cabbage, conveniently covering most of its face, while its white body looked as though it were wearing a pair of oversized pants.
As a Pokémon that wasn't native to the Kanto Region, Ralts naturally attracted plenty of attention.
In fact, even in other regions, Ralts was considered relatively rare.
There weren't many trainers who owned one.
Ignoring the curious stares, Itsuki continued into the city center.
After passing through several intersections, he finally spotted the entrance to the Pokémon Center in the distance.
When he entered the lobby, he saw Nurse Joy standing behind the reception counter.
With her pink, curled hair and nurse's uniform, she was busy organizing some documents.
Upon noticing Itsuki, a friendly, professional smile appeared on her face.
"Hello! Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"
"Hello, Nurse Joy."
Looking at her, Itsuki briefly fell into a daze as memories flashed through his mind.
However, he quickly recovered and returned her smile.
"I'm here to challenge the Indigo League. Could you help me register as a challenger?"
"Of course. I understand."
Nurse Joy pointed toward a nearby computer screen.
"In that case, please scan your Pokédex here first."
Itsuki nodded.
He reached inside his jacket, took out his Pokédex, and placed it against the computer's scanner.
The next moment, his personal information appeared on the screen.
At the same time, a synthesized male voice sounded from the computer.
"Itsuki Hayama, from Vaniville Town in the Kalos Region. Your registration for the Indigo League has been completed. Current number of Gym Badges: 0. We wish you success in your battles."
"The Kalos Region?"
Hearing the announcement, Nurse Joy looked at Itsuki in surprise.
"That's quite a long way from here!"
"Yeah."
Itsuki nodded lightly, his words carrying a double meaning.
"It really wasn't easy getting here."
While the two were talking, a round and plump Chansey suddenly approached from the side.
In its hands was a box bearing the emblem of the Indigo League.
Step by step, it walked up to Itsuki.
Nurse Joy made a welcoming gesture and smiled.
"We give every trainer who completes their registration a Badge Case. This one is yours. Please accept it."
Itsuki lowered his head and examined the box.
At first glance, it was nothing more than an ordinary box.
There was nothing particularly special about it, and it didn't appear especially valuable either.
After thanking her, he accepted the box.
Then, as though remembering something, he asked another question.
"Oh, right, Nurse Joy. There's something I'd like to ask. My Pokédex still only contains information from the Kalos Region. Is there any way to expand it to include the Kanto Region's Pokédex data?"
"I'm terribly sorry..."
Nurse Joy hesitated briefly before shaking her head.
"We aren't able to modify Pokédex data here. If you'd like to expand its database, why not visit the Cerise Laboratory here in Vermilion City, or Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pallet Town to the west? You could ask either of those two professors for help. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to assist you!"