Starter Pokémon: Greninja?

Xu Mu woke up baffled.

How had the world changed?

After absorbing the memories of his predecessor, Xu Mu finally let out a long breath.

Good. Everything was under control.

This was a world where Pokémon had appeared. In other words, Pokémon and humans lived side by side!

As a reigning Pokémon tournament champion in his previous life, Xu Mu had no objection to crossing into this world.

"Have I really come to a world where Pokémon exist?"

"I, Xu Mu, swear that I'll travel the whole world with the girl I love and live a free and easy life!"

What, the strongest Trainer?

Please. Only a fool would go for that.

He had finally made it to this world. Only a fool would become some kind of Trainer.

It was exhausting, not to mention dangerous!

Trainer had the highest mortality rate of any profession in this world. Nothing else came close!

The dangers of the wild were beyond anything a young person could imagine.

As long as he was strong enough to protect himself, that was plenty. What was the point of getting stronger, working himself to the bone? None!

With that in mind, Xu Mu began slowly reviewing the memories of the body's previous owner.

He was sixteen, the only child of an ordinary family. Nothing special about him, except for a father who had mysteriously disappeared years ago.

By this world's rules, once Xu Mu turned sixteen, he would be considered an adult and become eligible to officially own a Pokémon.

"A Starter Pokémon, huh? What should I choose?"

"I can't afford anything too rare, but I don't want to settle for an ordinary one. Forget it. I'll check out the hatchery later and see how things go."

After mulling it over, Xu Mu decided there was no rush to choose his Starter Pokémon.

Something far more important needed doing right now: dropping out of school!

Why bother going to school?

Xu Mu knew more about Pokémon than the experts in this world!

Going to school now would be a complete waste of his life.

He would rather spend that time finding a pretty girl, getting married, and traveling the world with the Pokémon he loved!

School? Not a chance.

"Son, your dad sent this for you. He said it's your coming-of-age present."

The bedroom door slowly opened, and a middle-aged woman with a few wrinkles stood in the doorway.

Xu Mu froze. So this was his mother in this world?

"O-okay... Mom."

"Get yourself ready. I'll take you to the hatchery to pick out a Pokémon Egg in a bit."

His mother smiled gently and urged him on.

"Mm."

Xu Mu answered in a daze. Only after his mother left did he let out a breath.

Calling a stranger "Mom" out of nowhere was going to take some getting used to.

"But she's had a hard life too..."

Muttering to himself, Xu Mu picked up the small package sent by his bastard of a father, who had vanished years ago without showing his face since.

Since I'm here and I've taken over this body, you're my mom now. If I ever meet that bastard, I'll give him a beating for you.

Still muttering, Xu Mu quickly tore open the package.

When he opened it, Xu Mu was stunned all over again.

Whoa, a Poké Ball?

That was right. The bastard, as Xu Mu called him, had sent him a Poké Ball!

Well, would you look at that. Did he know Mom had a hard time raising me alone and money was tight, so he sent me a Starter Pokémon?

Deep down, Xu Mu still doubted that this irresponsible man would send him any rare Pokémon.

He curled his lip and opened the Poké Ball.

A flash of light, and a dark-blue Pokémon stood before Xu Mu.

"Croak!"

"What the hell?"

The Pokémon and Xu Mu spoke at the same time.

Greninja?

Xu Mu's brain froze.

What was going on? That bastard who'd left and never come back had actually sent him a Greninja?

Could it be... could I, Xu Mu, be a rich kid after all?

He hasn't gotten himself into some kind of trouble out there, has he?

"Croak!"

Seeing Xu Mu standing there motionless, Greninja looked a little puzzled, but still held out his hand... or rather, his claw.

[Hello, I'm Greninja, the Starter Pokémon your dad sent to keep you company!]

Of course, Xu Mu couldn't understand Greninja.

But Greninja seemed to be offering a greeting, so Xu Mu reached out too.

"Hello, Greninja. I'm Xu Mu."

The instant their hands touched, an ethereal voice sounded in Xu Mu's mind.

"The Pokémon Check-In System is now active!"

Xu Mu had already had more shocks today than in his entire previous life.

Crossing worlds, a world of Pokémon, his bastard dad sending him a Greninja, a system activating...

After being stunned so many times, he was getting used to it.

Xu Mu slowly collected himself, set the system aside, and asked Greninja:

"My dad sent you?"

Such was reality!

A moment ago, he'd called the man a bastard. Now he was "Dad"...

"Croak!"

[That's right!]

Greninja nodded.

Xu Mu swallowed.

"So you're my Starter Pokémon?"

"Croak!"

[That's right! From now on, I'm your Starter Pokémon. Croak!]

Xu Mu pressed the button on the Poké Ball and abruptly recalled Greninja.

"All right, wait there. I've got something to do."

After calmly addressing the Poké Ball, Xu Mu turned his attention back to the system.

"Croak!"

[Okay, take your time, little Xu Mu.]

Xu Mu could faintly hear Greninja's reply from inside the Poké Ball. His face darkened. Wasn't this guy a little too lively?

As for figuring out the system, that was simple.

It existed directly in Xu Mu's mind. He could inspect it just by thinking about it.

The Pokémon Check-In System was, in short, a superpowered tool designed to help Xu Mu become the strongest Trainer.

"Get lost. You're a Trainer. Your whole family's Trainers!"

After that offhand complaint, Xu Mu kept investigating.

The system took the form of a virtual panel with many empty slots.

The first slot contained a miniature model of Greninja.

When he opened it, all of Greninja's information appeared before his eyes.

[Pokémon: Greninja]

[Type: Water, Dark]

[Strength: Early King tier]

[Ability: Protean (Each time he uses a move, his type changes to match the move's type)]

[Moves: Water Shuriken, Night Slash, Water Pulse, Hydro Pump, Double Team...]

[Check-in tasks: (1) Complete a Pokémon battle with Greninja at Fengcheng No. 1 Middle School — Battle Bond]

[(2) Win a battle at the Dawn Gym while carrying or using Greninja — Ninja Mastery]

[(3) Enter the National High School League with Greninja and win the championship — Rasengan]