The Pokémon world

Zhang Cheng opened his bleary eyes to the rhythmic ringing of an alarm.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late for work." He hurriedly pulled on his clothes and rushed toward the bathroom.

His hands suddenly froze. Something felt wrong.

He surveyed the room, then looked through the window at the scenery outside. This isn't my home. What's going on?

Just then, a throbbing pain flared in Zhang Cheng's head as a flood of memories poured into his mind.

Several minutes later, after enduring agonizing pain, Zhang Cheng suddenly wore a complicated expression.

So I've transmigrated. He reached up and pinched his handsome face, and pain promptly shot through his nerves.

Once he confirmed he wasn't dreaming, Zhang Cheng began sorting through his memories.

This planet was called Blue Star. A hundred years ago, turbulence in space and time had caused all kinds of Pokémon to appear across the world. The continental landmasses had also expanded, and the balance of power throughout Blue Star had undergone a massive reshuffling.

He now lived in Huaxia Country. At present, five major powers controlled most of Blue Star's territory and resources.

They were Huaxia Country in the center of the continent, Northern Europe to its north, Aoli to the south, Biya to the west, and Dongyang to the east. Aside from these five major powers, a number of smaller powers also survived.

He lived in Jiangcheng, in the central region of Huaxia Country. The city owed its name to the Yangtze River, the country's largest river, which ran straight through it.

His sixteenth birthday was just two days away. Under Huaxia League regulations, anyone who turned sixteen could obtain their first Pokémon and register as an official Pokémon Trainer.

"Chengcheng, come down for breakfast." A gentle female voice drifted from the living room, interrupting his thoughts. It belonged to his mother in this world.

In his previous life, he had grown up alone without either parent, then found an ordinary job and drifted through his days. Now that he had family in this life, he needed to cherish them.

After composing himself, Zhang Cheng left his room and went to the dining room.

Sandwiches and soy milk sat on the table, both favorites of his.

"Chengcheng, your sixteenth birthday is almost here. Your dad left this for you before he went away, to pay for your first Pokémon." As she spoke, his mother took out a bank card and placed it on the table.

"Okay, Mom. Let's eat."

According to his memories, his father had been gone for a long time, having disappeared in an accident.

Since then, mother and son had tacitly avoided mentioning that painful subject.

"My Chengcheng has grown up. From now on, I won't interfere in your decisions. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

Zhang Cheng's eyes reddened. In his previous life, he had had no one to rely on and had never experienced the warmth of family. In this life, he would work hard and make sure he didn't disappoint his mother. He would also get to the bottom of what had happened to his father.

After breakfast, Zhang Cheng linked the bank card to his account on his phone. It held a total of 200,000 Pokémon Coins.

Now he needed to consider how to choose his first Pokémon.

Starter Pokémon were undoubtedly the best choice for a first partner. They had great potential and were easy to raise in the early stages.

In reality, however, Starter Pokémon were largely monopolized by the major families and the Pokémon League. Ordinary people who wanted one had to pay the League a hefty fee every year. Only when their child registered as a Trainer could they stop paying and receive a Starter Pokémon.

That was essentially impossible for an average family. Most families could only buy their first Pokémon from a local Pokémon Day Care.

He was currently in that very situation. With 200,000 Pokémon Coins to his name, his only option was to buy a Pokémon from a Pokémon Day Care.

Of course, aside from official Pokémon Day Care facilities, there were also plenty of privately run Pokémon markets. However, the quality of the Pokémon sold there couldn't be guaranteed, and their origins were unclear, making them unsuitable as a Trainer's first Pokémon.

With that in mind, Zhang Cheng decided to visit the Pokémon Day Care first and see what Pokémon were available.

He had known a little about Pokémon before transmigrating. Combined with his memories from this world, that gave him some idea of what to choose.

The thought of soon having a Pokémon of his own still filled Zhang Cheng with excitement. He had played Pokémon games before, but now he could actually have his very first Pokémon. The feeling was completely different.

With that settled, Zhang Cheng set off for the Pokémon Day Care to obtain his first Pokémon.

Once he stepped out onto the street, he used a ride-hailing app on his phone to book a car.

From the car, he could see all kinds of Pokémon on the streets outside. Tauros and Dodrio were the most common, serving as this world's main means of transportation, though there were also a few Rapidash.

Rapidash were excellent mounts too, but they were relatively rare, and most people couldn't get one.

Watching these scenes pass by, Zhang Cheng marveled at the wonders of this world.

On the way to the Pokémon Day Care, the middle-aged driver noticed Zhang Cheng's reactions and asked, "Young man, you're about to become a new Trainer, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," Zhang Cheng replied.

"Work hard, young man. When I was your age, I was just like you. I became a Pokémon Trainer full of passion, but things didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped. Ah..." the driver said wistfully.

"Whatever the outcome, what matters most is putting in the effort. How can you know unless you try?" Zhang Cheng said confidently.

"Haha, true. I was overthinking it. Young man, I believe you'll succeed!" The driver laughed heartily.

"Then I hope your words come true," Zhang Cheng replied.

As the driver had said, it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to succeed.

Unless someone was born into a major family, they were already at a huge disadvantage when it came to their very first Pokémon.

Their Pokémon-raising methods and techniques also lagged behind those of the major families. Pokémon had existed on Blue Star for hundreds of years, and people had developed their own systems for studying and raising them.

Yet these resources were often held by the major families. Ordinary people could only learn some basic knowledge through books and the internet.

To gain more knowledge, they needed to study at a Pokémon Academy and improve themselves.

Zhang Cheng was currently enrolled at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School. It was summer vacation, and when school started in two months, he would be in his final year of high school.

By then, everyone would have their first Pokémon, and the school would begin practical Pokémon battle lessons.

After a year of training with their Pokémon, each student's performance would be assessed through the college entrance examination.

They would then enter different Pokémon universities according to their results. Better universities would undoubtedly offer better resources.