“Ding.”
The sound came without any warning.
Lucas froze in place, his right foot still suspended mid-step.
The sound hadn’t come from the outside world.
Instead, it echoed directly inside his mind—crisp and clear, like a single drop of water falling into a calm lake.
A translucent light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
It wasn’t a hallucination.
When he closed his eyes, it was still there.
When he opened them again, it remained unchanged.
Even after vigorously shaking his head, the pale blue screen continued to float steadily at the center of his vision.
Lucas felt his heart skip a beat.
He had been waiting for this ever since he woke up in this world.
He had even prepared himself mentally, convincing himself that he would have to survive without a cheat.
He had already begun seriously planning how to stretch his 5,000 League Credits until he found the next human settlement.
And now…
The moment he had completely given up expecting it…
It finally appeared.
“You really know how to pick your timing,” Lucas muttered, his voice still slightly hoarse.
The system ignored his complaint and continued glowing quietly.
The interface was astonishingly simple.
In fact, it looked so plain that it almost resembled an unfinished project.
The main screen contained only a single icon—a simple sketch of a shopping bag—with one small line of text beside it.
Lucas stared at it for several seconds before reading it aloud.
“Shop.”
“…That’s it?”
There were no levels.
No experience points.
No quests.
No lottery wheel.
Not even a beginner’s guide.
Lucas spent nearly two minutes exploring every corner of the interface, searching for hidden menus or secret buttons.
There were none.
The only function available was the Shop.
Curious, he tapped it.
As the product list appeared, his eyes widened.
There were Poké Balls, Potions, Berries, held items, Technical Machines (TMs), and many other familiar products.
Most of the prices matched those from the games.
However, several items had never appeared in the games before.
A Portable Freshwater Filter.
High-Energy Compressed Rations.
And the item that immediately caught his attention…
Pokéblocks.
There were countless varieties, categorized according to Pokémon types, species, and individual preferences.
Prices ranged anywhere from 100 League Credits to 10,000 League Credits per serving.
The cheapest was labeled:
Basic • General Type
The most expensive was:
Master • Custom Recipe
The staggering prices made his eyelids twitch.
But that wasn’t what surprised him the most.
The important discovery was this…
He didn’t need to own a Pokémon before purchasing supplies.
There were no prerequisites whatsoever.
As long as he had enough League Credits…
He could buy anything in the shop.
“I was just complaining that five thousand credits weren’t enough.”
Lucas couldn’t help smiling.
“Looks like this is my startup capital.”
He immediately began planning his expenses.
Shoes came first.
Walking barefoot through the wilderness was practically asking for trouble.
Inside the Daily Necessities category, the shop sold everything imaginable—from tents and sleeping bags to cooking pots and basic clothing.
Naturally…
Shoes were included.
A pair of ordinary hiking boots suitable for wilderness travel cost only 10 League Credits.
Lucas didn’t hesitate.
He tapped Purchase.
Nothing dramatic happened.
There were no beams of light.
No magical effects.
No treasure chest falling from the sky.
Instead…
A sturdy pair of hiking boots simply appeared on his feet.
They fit perfectly, as though they had been custom-made for him.
When he shifted his weight, the thick soles rustled softly against the sand.
Looking down, Lucas smiled.
One problem solved.
He reopened the shop.
His eyes swept across the expensive merchandise as he considered his next priorities.
He needed food.
He needed clean water.
He needed shelter.
A compass—or some kind of navigation device—would probably become necessary as well.
Unfortunately…
None of those items were cheap.
And after buying the boots…
He had 4,990 League Credits remaining.
He would need to spend them carefully.
Just as he was about to switch to the Food category…
Something moved at the edge of the forest.
His hand froze.
Near the tree line stood a patch of thick shrubs with broad, dark green leaves glistening beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Something small shifted within the shadows.
Lucas’ attention instantly locked onto it.
His first thought was:
A wild Pokémon.
His second thought:
Potential danger.
His third thought finally caught up.
I was just thinking about finding something to defend myself…
and now something has appeared.
The bushes rustled again.
A tiny head cautiously peeked out.
Lucas stopped breathing.
A pair of large crimson eyes stared back at him like polished gemstones.
Its body was white.
Its bangs were bright green.
Two red horn-like protrusions extended from either side of its head.
Most of its body remained hidden behind the bushes as it cautiously observed him.
It was…
Ralts.
Lucas recognized it immediately.
In the games, Ralts was a Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon, eventually evolving into the beloved Gardevoir.
He also knew its personality.
Timid.
Sensitive.
Capable of sensing human emotions.
And extremely cautious around strangers.
But…
This wasn’t a game.
This was a real Pokémon.
Those bright red eyes held curiosity…
Caution…
And careful suspicion.
At the slightest sign of danger…
It would probably flee immediately.
Lucas’ mind began racing.
Ralts wasn’t dangerous.
But frightening it away would ruin everything.
Even worse…
If it instinctively used its Psychic abilities…
Things could become very awkward.
Still…
He recognized the opportunity before him.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He reopened the Shop and quickly searched through the Pokéblock section.
Soon he found exactly what he needed.
Basic • Psychic-Type Preferred Pokéblock
Price:
100 League Credits per serving.
The description read:
“A basic Pokéblock designed for Psychic-type Pokémon.
Mildly flavored with no strong taste preferences, making it ideal for first encounters with wild Pokémon.”
Lucas immediately purchased ten servings.
Cost:
1,000 League Credits.
Taking a slow, steady breath…
He crouched carefully.
Every movement was deliberate.
He removed the first Pokéblock from his pocket.
It was pale purple and carried a pleasant aroma reminiscent of melon mixed with fresh milk.
He gently placed it on the sand.
Ralts didn’t move.
Instead…
It shrank even farther behind the bushes.
Yet those bright red eyes never left Lucas’ hand.
Lucas slowly stood up.
He deliberately backed away until he reached what he considered a safe distance.
Then he sat beneath a nearby palm tree.
Pretending to admire the ocean…
He secretly watched Ralts from the corner of his eye.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
About two minutes later…
Ralts finally moved.
It cautiously stepped out from behind the bushes.
Only then did Lucas realize just how tiny it was.
Barely knee-high.
Its white body resembled a small dress.
Its green hair covered much of its face.
Taking tiny, careful steps…
It approached the Pokéblock.
It lowered its head.
Sniffed it.
Then…
It began eating.
Within only a few bites…
The Pokéblock was gone.
When it finished…
Ralts looked toward Lucas again.
The suspicion in its eyes had softened slightly.
There’s hope.
Suppressing his excitement, Lucas took out a second Pokéblock.
This time…
He placed it about two meters closer than before.
Then he retreated once more.
Ralts hesitated for a much shorter time.
It walked over.
Ate it.
Then looked at Lucas again.
The process repeated itself.
One Pokéblock after another.
Each time…
Lucas placed the next one slightly closer.
Each time…
He retreated and patiently waited.
By the fifth Pokéblock…
Ralts stood less than five meters away.
After eating, it didn’t immediately retreat.
Instead…
It tilted its head and quietly observed Lucas for several seconds.
By the tenth Pokéblock…
Lucas had placed it less than a meter from where he sat.
As Ralts approached…
He could clearly see the delicate patterns decorating its crimson horns.
When it lowered its head to eat…
He could even feel the warmth radiating from its tiny body.
Warm…
Soft…
And ever so slightly trembling.
Slowly…
Lucas extended his hand.
The instant his fingertips touched the soft green hair atop Ralts’ head…
Its body stiffened.
Lucas’ heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
He didn’t pull away.
Nor did he move any further.
His hand simply rested gently on its head.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Gradually…
Ralts relaxed.
Then…
It gently rubbed its head against his palm.
Its hair felt unbelievably soft.
Like the finest silk.
Or a gentle spring breeze.
Lucas finally released the breath he had unknowingly been holding.
After that…
He continued feeding Ralts Pokéblocks one after another.
Eventually, he looked into his pocket.
Empty.
All ten servings—worth 1,000 League Credits—had disappeared into the tiny Pokémon’s stomach.
Being a Pokémon Trainer really is expensive…
Lucas laughed helplessly.
“One thousand League Credits gone just like that.”
“Is this little Ralts really such a glutton?”
Still…
The results spoke for themselves.
He could now gently stroke Ralts’ head without it resisting.
Watching the little Pokémon happily narrow its crimson eyes while enjoying his touch…
Lucas couldn’t help smiling.
Every single League Credit had been worth it.