Carbink

Evening

After returning home, Su Hao eagerly took out the Poké Ball containing Carbink.

Winter break officially began after receiving his Starter Pokémon. This month-plus holiday was just enough time to bond with his Starter Pokémon, train together, and build a solid physical foundation for it.

Holding Carbink's Poké Ball in both palms, Su Hao softly called, "Come out, Carbink."

The red-and-white Poké Ball sprang open, releasing a ball of light.

"Hmm?" The light gradually condensed into Carbink's form.

Carbink's azure eyes stared straight at Su Hao.

"Are you my master?"

At the same moment Carbink was released by Su Hao, the system began chiming out notifications.

[Task—Claim your own Starter Pokémon completed!]

[Beginner's Gift Pack opened! Items have been stored in the System Space!]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a Diancie Mega Stone!]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining beginner-level Wave Power!]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining 10 Pink Diamonds containing Rare Rock and Fairy Energy needed for Carbink's growth!]

[As the Host has obtained a Starter Pokémon, the exclusive nurturing function for the Host's Pokémon has been activated!]

Su Hao did not immediately inspect the new additions in the system. Instead, he crouched down and solemnly looked into Carbink's beautiful blue eyes. "Hello, Carbink! My name is Su Hao, and I'm your Trainer. From now on, we're family. Please take care of me!"

Before transmigrating, Su Hao had loved Pokémon deeply. He also understood just how pure-hearted Pokémon were.

He did not want to treat these intelligent little creatures like weapons.

His own ideas were closer to Ash and the Team Rocket Trio from the TV anime in his previous life.

He wanted to treat Pokémon as partners, friends, and family.

The power created by bonds forged over time would surely be far stronger than relentless exploitation.

Su Hao extended his right hand, his clear gaze meeting Carbink's directly.

Carbink had been born in a Secret Realm no human had ever entered.

When Carbink was born, the Earth before it, the sky, the water, grass, and trees were all barren. Broken stone statues transformed from various Pokémon lay scattered everywhere.

Yet unlike the deathly, devastated scene before it,

a circular space three or four meters across, centered around Carbink leaning against a withered tree stump, was filled with endless vitality. New shoots emerged from the ground, and green slowly began to cover the Earth.

Then, after some time, Carbink, which had lived within the ever-expanding circle of Life Energy, was suddenly expelled from the Secret Realm through an extremely small spatial rift and eventually fell into a Nursery Center of the Divine Land Alliance.

In Carbink's brief life, it had not encountered many humans. Yet the aura Su Hao gave off made it feel incredibly comfortable and close to him.

In truth, most Pokémon were not so complicated. If they liked someone, they liked them, and they were extremely straightforward about their feelings.

The moment Carbink realized it liked Su Hao, it immediately acted.

Its gray-and-white body, formed from a blend of minerals and diamonds, bounced directly onto Su Hao's legs.

"Hello, Trainer. Please take care of me from now on~"

A clear, lively childlike voice suddenly appeared in Su Hao's mind.

Su Hao was startled by the sudden voice in his head.

However, he quickly figured out the truth. The source of the voice was Carbink before him.

The beginner-level Wave Power awarded by the system earlier should allow Su Hao and Pokémon to communicate without barriers. Put simply, Wave Power, which was fundamentally a form of mental power, possessed a Telepathy-like effect.

Having figured that out, Su Hao immediately mobilized the Wave Power within his body and began communicating with Carbink.

After some conversation and interaction, the relationship between Su Hao and Carbink grew even closer.

At the same time, Su Hao learned of Carbink's experiences after its birth.

The deathly aura Carbink had described, the stone statues made from Pokémon, the withered tree stump, and the vibrant protective circle—

all of it pointed to Yveltal, the God of Death that absorbed life, and Xerneas, the Life Deity with eternal life, the two legendary divine Pokémon from the sixth-generation game Pokémon X and Y from his previous life.

The relationship between Xerneas and Yveltal was like that of sworn enemies. Life and death were naturally opposed.

The information Carbink conveyed was astonishing. After all, it concerned Legendary Pokémon.

However, the Legendary Pokémon in the settings of his previous life were all beings that governed the world's Authority. Though the news was tempting, it was not something he and Carbink, who were still weaklings, should be considering right now.

Su Hao calmed himself and suppressed the shock this stunning revelation had caused.

After taking a short time to compose himself, Su Hao prepared to open the system and inspect the new additions.

First was Su Hao's personal panel.

Name: [Su Hao]

Gender: [Male]

Age: [17]

Attributes: [Normal, Fighting-type]

Special Ability: [Wave Power (Beginner)]

Pokémon: [Carbink]

Items: [Diancie Mega Stone, Rare Rock, Fairy Energy Powder Diamond x10, (miscellaneous items stored by the Host)]

The personal panel was extremely simple. Su Hao skimmed past it after one glance. Although he had a strong urge to complain about why he had attributes too, the nurturing function coming next should be more important. After all, it concerned how he and Carbink could grow stronger.

"System, introduce the [Nurturing] function."

[Ding! Nurturing.]

[The Host may use System Currency obtained by completing System Tasks to upgrade the Host's own Special Ability.]

[The Host's Pokémon may use System Currency to learn moves from their move pool ahead of time, including Egg Moves.]

[As the Host's Pokémon have had their levels made visible by the system, the system can allow Pokémon to gain experience through battles, accelerating the growth of their strength.]

After hearing the system's explanation, Su Hao could not help feeling excited.

With the system's experience cheat, he could stay one step ahead at every turn.

Moreover, his own Wave Power could also be upgraded using System Currency. Though the function had few features, it possessed a simple, unpretentious beauty of overwhelming strength.

In this world, Pokémon strength rankings converted into system levels were as follows.

[Level 0–4]—[Infant Stage]

[Level 5–19]—[Novice Level]

[Level 20–29]—[Normal Level]

[Level 30–49]—[Elite Level]

[Level 50–59]—[Professional Level]

[Level 60–69]—[Gym Level]

[Level 70–79]—[Elite Four Level]

[Level 80–90]—[Champion Level]

[Level 90–100]—[Master Level]

Among them, Champion Level Trainers were the strongest combat power publicly known within the Divine Land Alliance. As for anyone who possessed Master Level Pokémon, neither Su Hao nor his father had even heard of such a person. Perhaps only Pokémon capable of contending with legends could be considered Master Level.

Diancie