Why is my Pokémon girl a bit strange?

"No... don't lift it any higher. I can't handle this kind of stimulation right now."

Qiao Ran covered his eyes with his hands, peeking through the gaps between his fingers. It wasn't that he was... well, he was a bit attracted to the other's body.

Qiao Ran swore that the Pokémon in front of him had a level of beauty that could instantly kill most humans. Even without clothes, it looked better than others wearing them.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Rather, what exactly are you? Why did you suddenly appear here? And what is that anthropomorphic function?"

Qiao Ran's head was spinning. Why hadn't he encountered any of this before, and now it was all coming out at once?

Could this be a perk of transmigration?

"I am the Rotom Phone, the carrier of the Pokémon breeding system. I exist to help Master become a Pokémon Master, lotto. Also, Master, do you really not remember me?"

The Rotom floated in the air, revealing part of its true form from the phone. However, unlike the usual orange-yellow body of a Rotom, its body was a rose red.

"Shiny Rotom! You're...!"

Qiao Ran's eyes widened in surprise. Hearing the other's tone and seeing its unusual color, an unprecedented thought struck Qiao Ran.

"Could it be... you..."

Qiao Ran had collected many Shiny Pokémon before, but that wasn't in this world. It was in... that game.

"That's right, I am one of Master's Pokémon companions—I thought Master had truly forgotten me, lotto."

The Rotom Phone happily flew around in the air, seemingly delighted that Qiao Ran had recognized it.

"My purpose is to help Master become the strongest Pokémon Master! With the system installed, I can help Master do many, many things. This anthropomorphism is just one of them, lotto!"

"Wait, wait, wait. I need a moment to process this. Please, tell me slowly."

There was a lot of information in the Rotom's words, and Qiao Ran found it difficult to digest it all at once.

This Rotom Phone... was actually the carrier of a so-called "system"?

The Rotom's next words confirmed Qiao Ran's thoughts.

"Simply put, I have a system installed within me. This system is bound to you, Master. The system's purpose is very simple: to help Master become a Pokémon Master."

"And what can this system do, besides that anthropomorphic feature?"

"Hmm... it can also complete certain requests, unlock Pokémon that Master originally owned..."

"...Unlock the Pokémon I used to have?? Can you unlock my old boxes... those legendary Pokémon? Those companions???"

Hearing this, Qiao Ran couldn't help but get excited.

He had played almost all versions of the Pokémon games, so these companions in his boxes had accompanied him through generation after generation. He would much rather adventure with these Pokémon than catch new ones in this world.

Moreover, these Pokémon possessed considerable power. They were either legendary or mythical Pokémon, or powerful ordinary Pokémon.

"Yes, but only under certain special conditions."

The Rotom Phone floated in front of Qiao Ran, and a strange button appeared on the phone's screen.

It was emblazoned with five large characters: "Teleport to Pokémon Pioneer Land."

"Teleport?... Pokémon Pioneer Land?"

"Please, Master, click teleport. Once we get there, I can continue my explanation."

"Is that so?"

Qiao Ran nodded and pressed the button on the Rotom Phone.

Although Qiao Ran was still a bit confused, his past experiences with various web novels from his previous world allowed him to accept these things.

As the button was pressed, a flash of light began to flicker. Qiao Ran didn't know what was happening, but after the light subsided, he, the Rotom Phone, and Vulpix were all transported to a seemingly barren wasteland.

"Where is this...?"

"This is Pokémon Pioneer Land, a personal world exclusively for Master. It's a place for Master to train Pokémon, where Master's Pokémon can live. It's also where Master can earn Pioneer Points."

"Pioneer Points?"

Another strange term. Qiao Ran rubbed his head, feeling that the amount of information was growing exponentially.

The Rotom Phone then began its passionate explanation.

"Pioneer Points are the necessary points for Master to unlock his former companions. For every 100 points collected, one companion can be randomly unlocked, lotto."

"As for how to obtain Pioneer Points... since this world is a brand new world with no wild Pokémon, Master must capture suitable Pokémon listed by the system from the outside world and bring them into this world to earn Pioneer Points. The world will also evolve as more Pokémon are added, lotto."

"In other words, to earn 100 Pioneer Points, Master must capture 100 Pokémon listed by the system and bring them into this world. The system list can be checked on the Pioneer Land billboard or anytime within me, lotto."

"So, I need to keep capturing new Pokémon..."

Qiao Ran nodded. Although the Rotom had said a lot, the main point was simple: as long as he kept capturing, he could unlock his old companions. As long as he didn't stop, companions would continue to be unlocked.

Therefore, he must not stop, lotto!

"Then, what about the issue with that creature over there? Why did she turn into that? How can she be turned back?"

After listening to the explanation, Qiao Ran shifted the topic to his own Vulpix. His Alolan Vulpix was intelligent, clever, and adorable. How did she end up like this???

Where was his cute Vulpix? Why did she turn into a human? How would they battle like this in the future?

Was I supposed to put a beautiful girl on the field to wrestle with my opponent??

Qiao Ran couldn't help but imagine a humanoid Vulpix going head-to-head with a powerful female Pokémon, a thought that sent a shiver down his spine.

"So, what's the principle behind this... Holy crap!"

Qiao Ran's words were cut short as he couldn't help but exclaim "Holy crap!" because he saw his Vulpix, whom he had been ignoring, quietly walk over to a small tree and lift a leg...

"You, you, you, you, you, you... What are you doing????" Qiao Ran's mouth hung open as he lunged forward, stopping the Vulpix who was about to engage in some "harmonious" behavior.

While foxes are canids and this behavior might be understandable, it's not acceptable! If this continues, you'll ruin the entire story!

Qiao Ran lunged forward and scooped up the Vulpix who was about to do the deed. Vulpix looked up at him with innocent, wide eyes.

"?"

Qiao Ran's heart pounded in his chest.

This guy... has serious issues with etiquette.

Section 3 003 [Why Didn't You Say So Earlier!]

"This kind of 'harmony' isn't allowed! You have to do it like this, like this, and like this, you know! Be polite when you're being 'harmonious'!"

"Master..."

The Rotom Phone floated over speechlessly, watching Qiao Ran teach Vulpix about "harmony."

"Master, only Pokémon with an intimacy level of 80 or higher can undergo anthropomorphism. After anthropomorphism, intimacy can be further increased, thereby boosting the power of Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions. The average trainer can only reach 80, but Master is different; you can break through that value!"

"So that was the purpose... I thought anthropomorphism was mainly about becoming prettier..."

Listening to Rotom's explanation, Qiao Ran was slightly taken aback. He finally began to understand the purpose of anthropomorphism. Simply put, it wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about increasing intimacy, which in turn would grant more powerful abilities to Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions that relied on bonds to unleash their full potential.

When it came to battles, Qiao Ran and his Pokémon could casually Mega Evolve or unleash Z-Moves, while opponents would still be fumbling around for a long time. How could they even compete?

However, Qiao Ran still had many questions.

"Then how do I change back?"

Qiao Ran looked at Vulpix in his arms. She had just finished her "harmony" and was nuzzling his chest with her little head. But... unlike her beast form, this posture looked rather strange. If anyone else saw her in this state, they might think he was engaging in some weird roleplay.

"For that, Master, you just need to silently think about changing back. It's the same for transforming into human form. Of course... Pokémon can also control the transformation themselves; it might just take some getting used to."

"Is that so?"

Qiao Ran looked at Vulpix and began to silently concentrate.

As expected, after a second of eye contact, Vulpix's body emitted a glow and began to change.

Before long, Vulpix shrank into a small white mass, transforming into an ice-type fox with a very pleasant texture.

The Alolan Vulpix was always an adorable sight, no matter when you looked at her.

Perhaps she wasn't very strong in battles, but since she had become his Pokémon, Qiao Ran wouldn't give up on her. Even Vulpix could prove her worth.

"Awooooo..."

Vulpix lay on Qiao Ran's body, yawned, and settled down quietly.

"By the way, Rotom, can you anthropomorphize now too?"

"I... uh..." The Rotom Phone's screen turned red, and its expression became somewhat dejected.

"For Pokémon that originally belonged to their masters, the intimacy level with the master starts from zero. So..."

"I see," Qiao Ran nodded in understanding.

"Then we'll take it slow."

"The first step now is to win the upcoming adventure battle at school. Only by winning can I get the chance to travel and catch more Pokémon!"

"Mm."

Rotom also floated up excitedly. She recovered from her dejection quite quickly.

"Does Master like battling very much?"

"Of course. I'm the man who's going to become a Pokémon Master. Winning battles, becoming the champion, and receiving cheers from the crowd... Isn't that something everyone wants to do?"

Qiao Ran gave a matter-of-fact answer. He wanted to win, to become strong, not for survival, not for anyone else, but simply for the title of "champion."

Rotom nodded and continued.

"Oh, right. Since this is the first time Master is activating the system, you have a chance to draw one of your past companions."

"What?"

Qiao Ran's eyes widened in surprise.

To... draw companions?? Draw Pokémon??

Why wasn't this important information told to me sooner!

The next day.

Longjiang City Third Middle School.

The students of Class 3, Grade 1, woke up early that day. They had all changed into their most carefully prepared sportswear and rushed to the school's battle stadium.

Qiao Ran was among them. He had also made some preparations for today's competition. And as time went on, he remembered a lot of his memories in this world.

The class homeroom teacher gave a passionate speech on the stage.

"Students! Today is the day our class begins its adventure and battles! Only the four who persevere to the end will be qualified as adventurers recognized by the League!"

"Adventurer qualifications are very important. I hope everyone can strive their best to obtain them. Traveling and adventuring outside will also grant you more knowledge than school. However, the prerequisite is that you possess the skill and qualifications!"

"By becoming an adventurer, you will gain free access to all facilities built by the League, and you will also earn the right to challenge Gyms, collect badges, and participate in the Celestial Pokémon League!!"

"Strive to become the League Champion!"

The homeroom teacher's impassioned speech ignited the fighting spirit of many. The eyes of these young boys and girls were ablaze, as if they could see their future.

However, some people were looking down, silent. They were likely the stragglers of the class, unable to continue on the path to becoming Pokémon Master or a star. But they also had other paths they could choose, such as becoming a Coordinator for Grand Festivals, or a Breeder.

But those things would have to wait until they went to university.

"Is the match about to start?"

Since it was a class league, everything was kept simple. The only spectators were the teachers and the dean of students. However, Qiao Ran still felt an excitement from the bottom of his heart.

"Battle... battle."

A real Pokémon battle!

This wasn't some fake world where a couple of screen shakes could unleash a two-stage kick, but a world where Pokémon could truly battle!

"The third match's contenders... Qiao Ran! Chang Mengda!"

Soon, the competition reached Qiao Ran's turn. The battles between students ended very quickly. They basically just used attacks directly, which made Qiao Ran shake his head.

"Too reckless."

If this were a game, these people would probably be the type who have all four Pokémon moves as attacking moves and never learn any other skills. And they wouldn't consider type matchups when learning moves, only their power.

Qiao Ran walked onto the arena. Facing him was a short, plump little guy dressed in a suit, fully embodying the feeling of "wearing adult clothes."