A Wonderful Start

Going to school really just meant attending a literacy class to help him learn more characters.

Despite Orre's advanced technology, Pyrite Town's literacy rate was absurdly low. An ordinary person with an elementary school education from a past life was already remarkable.

In the end, there was no sufficiently powerful and enlightened force to unite Pyrite Town.

The people here were left to form factions, turning the place into a disorganized mess.

The social environment in neighboring Silicon Beryllium City was worlds apart from this place.

"A literacy class... I just hope it won't cost too much. I don't exactly have much money." Baimu worried that his little wallet would not hold up.

The expensive books sold in stores already showed how valuable knowledge was. Schooling would probably cost even more.

But unexpectedly, the Quicksand Team's only literacy class was free for official members and their children. They only needed to buy the required books, and even those were reasonably priced.

Knowledge was actually this "cheap"!

Baimu had nearly thought he had returned to his past life. Only after asking carefully did he learn that this was a benefit granted to official members by the top brass.

Excited, he signed up on the spot.

But after entering, much of that enthusiasm cooled. At a glance, most of the classroom was filled with girls, while the few boys left were probably under ten and skilled at every kind of mischief.

There were women in the Quicksand Team's Combat Division, among them powerful executives like Ayana. But for most girls in the controlled districts, learning to read meant their future would be becoming clerks or support staff in various fields.

"Go learn to read. Become a clerk and help support the family."

Words like that were everywhere.

It was not that such work was bad. Support staff enjoyed a high level of safety and decent benefits. Just how high was Team Rocket secretary Matori's standing? Giovanni had even allowed her to lead a special squad.

But the Quicksand Team was not Team Rocket. In this place that worshipped violence, status was calculated entirely by strength.

In short, this literacy class exposed many problems.

Contempt for knowledge, discrimination against the weak, in every aspect...

Baimu suddenly wanted to change things—change the Quicksand Team, change all of Pyrite Town. But did he have that kind of ability?

What was it that he truly wanted to do?

"Guh?"

"It's nothing."

Baimu smiled at Aron and decided to set those matters aside for now. He had not even secured his own safety yet; thinking about such things was inevitably premature.

Both the literacy class students and teacher were surprised by his arrival. Quicksand Team members rarely attended literacy classes; only a few showed up in an entire year.

Perhaps he just found it novel. He probably would not come tomorrow.

The sole teacher knew very well that once Baimu was mocked by his colleagues, he would feel ashamed and choose to quit. Most were like that.

Reading? No need!

The strong did not need to know many words. Once their status was high enough, people would naturally handle reading and similar tasks for them.

This mindset was quite common among the Quicksand Team's middle and lower ranks. What they did not know was that the upper ranks generally hired private tutors in secret, planting the seeds of wisdom in their children at a very young age.

The divide between the upper and lower levels was far too severe.

However.

Baimu came again the next afternoon, and even on the afternoon of the third day. Carrying books and accompanied by the well-behaved Aron, he was not embarrassed in the slightest.

He actually possessed such awareness.

The teacher was greatly surprised and decided to observe him further. If possible, he did not want the Quicksand Team to bury such a talented young man.

It might have only been literacy, but overcoming prejudice and the ridicule of others was extremely difficult.

What he did not know was that on Baimu's very first day of class, news of it had already reached the ears of several Sand Group bigshots.

"As expected of a smart person."

Liu Ge was very satisfied with Baimu's performance.

Finding teammates who shared his ideals within the Quicksand Team was far too difficult. Even such a small action could move him.

Class ended.

Baimu hurried home. After these days of Aron's diligent battles, the simulation countdown had shortened considerably, shifting from midnight to after dusk.

→

He could simulate again soon! Maybe he would unlock a good skill!

Or perhaps Aron would gain five levels at once?

Either would be great. Both would be perfect!

"Lucky emperor, lucky emperor, I'm a lucky emperor~"

He carefully cleaned his face and hands, then sat on the bed with Aron, who was lying beside him, in his arms. He read while waiting.

Over the past few days, he had gathered information about Shigaki. Unfortunately, his social circle was too small, so he had gained very little and could not find anywhere that specifically sold intelligence.

But at least he knew that, for the time being, that guy could not cause him trouble.

That was enough.

As long as he had enough time to grow, anything that needed resolving would eventually be resolved.

Before long, the countdown ended.

[Choose your starting region ▽]

Baimu thought for a moment, decided to switch regions, and selected Johto.

His gender was still male, and the Pokémon could still only be randomized. That made him wonder how exactly he could choose a Pokémon himself.

[Please draw your talents]

He pressed it.

Fixed talent:

[Strong Body (Very Healthy)]

Selectable talents:

[Careless Hands (Rough Pokémon health management)]

[Poor Background (Raising Pokémon is a burden)]

[Ruthless (Single-mindedly completes goals)]

[Elite System (Will not catch too many Pokémon)]

Hm? Oh?

Was he lucky this time? It felt like he was! The fixed talent and the bottom two talents all looked perfectly normal!

Wait, seemingly "normal" could still be abnormal...

Baimu wrestled with it for a while, then vigorously rubbed Aron's head, trying to borrow some of its luck. After that, he resolutely chose the last two talents.

The simulation began!

It was still pixel animation, but this time the protagonist... Hm? A Camper?

He blinked. The little figure in the green hat was clearly one of those passerby NPCs occasionally translated as Boy Scouts.

[You were born in Cherrygrove City to an ordinary family.]

On the screen, the little figure received his first Pokémon from his parents.

[At the age of ten, you received your first partner from your parents: Geodude. You believed that the two of you would travel far together.]

The Camper set out from Cherrygrove City and was attacked by a bird Pokémon along the road. But relying on Geodude's strength, he successfully caught it.

[You caught your second Pokémon on Route 30: Spearow. Your Pokémon Journeys gained another companion.]

After moving forward for a while longer, the Camper encountered a wild NPC and battled him, ultimately winning.

Baimu's eyes widened. Everything felt so smooth—far smoother than the previous two times. Was his luck getting better and better?

On-screen, the Camper met many opponents on Routes 30 and 31. Although he won some and lost some, things still went quite smoothly.

Then.

When the Camper arrived in Violet City, his first Pokémon Gym challenge began.

His opponent was a young man dressed in a kimono, who used three Flying-type Pokémon: Hoothoot, Doduo, and Pidgeotto.

—They were perfectly countered by the Camper's Geodude.

Thus, the Camper smoothly defeated this Pokémon Gym Leader, and Geodude evolved into Graveler during the battle.

[You defeated Violet Gym Leader Falkner and obtained the Zephyr Badge.]

[Your Geodude evolved into Graveler.]

Holy crap, that was way too smooth!

Never had there been such a wonderful start. Please cheer for me!

Baimu was clearly only a spectator, yet he was so gratified that he wanted to cry. The first two had been far too abnormal and had tortured him into having a stomachache.

What was a Pokémon Trainer? You! Camper! You were the true Pokémon Trainer!

Please vote~ Please keep reading~