But right now, I was panicking a little. I should have gotten up at six this morning, eaten breakfast, and rushed to school. After class, I would have come home to review and do homework, living my usual school-to-home routine. There was no helping it; senior year of high school was just that dull and boring. But today was different. I felt like I had crossed into another world! It seemed I had arrived in the world of Pokémon.
Hu Bin lay in bed, staring with mixed feelings at the little creature sprawled on top of him. It had six little tails, snow-white fur all over, and looked like a little fox. It was already sleeping peacefully on his chest.
"Yep, there's no mistaking it. This little fellow lying on me is an Alolan Form Vulpix." Hu Bin gazed at the little creature with a complicated expression.
Looking at Vulpix, Hu Bin muttered to himself, "But why would a Pokémon be here with me? Could I... could I have crossed into another world?"
The more Hu Bin thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Snapping out of his daze, he said, "Holy crap, how freaking cliché! I actually crossed into another world!"
With that, Hu Bin glanced again at Vulpix, who was sleeping soundly on him. He gently picked the Pokémon up and set Vulpix beside him to keep sleeping. Moving slowly, Hu Bin eased out of bed, put on his slippers, and tiptoed out of the room.
"Vuu..."
The snow-white Vulpix lying on the bed murmured, shifted position, and smiled sweetly, continuing that wonderful dream.
After leaving his room, Hu Bin looked around at his familiar home, feeling rather bewildered.
"Didn't I cross into another world? Why does everything at home look pretty much the same?"
As Hu Bin looked around, his home felt both familiar and strange. The familiar part was that none of the furnishings had changed. In the family portrait hanging in the living room, his parents looked the same, and so did he—as ordinary as ever. Another photo, however, looked much stranger. What was unfamiliar was the sight of Hu Bin himself smiling with a Pokémon in his arms: an adorable, snow-white Vulpix!
Hu Bin stared at the photo of himself and Vulpix, both beaming brightly.
"What the heck is going on?" Hu Bin looked as though he was questioning his entire existence. He felt unable to keep up with the shock this world had thrown at him.
Suddenly, a robotic voice sounded in Hu Bin's mind.
Ding! Pokémon system activating! Binding host: Hu Bin. Welcome to the system, host.
Hu Bin had already been bewildered enough, but now his expression became even blanker.
"So I'm actually one of those legendary chosen ones! I even have a system. I must be dreaming."
"Host, you are not dreaming. I am indeed your system, the Pokémon system."
"This world overlapped with the Pokémon world, causing the two separate worlds to merge into one. Pokémon have now been integrated into this world and become an indispensable part of it. My system will also help you become the strongest All-Round Trainer," the system said in a cold, emotionless voice.
"Holy crap, so all of this is real? I didn't cross into another world; this world just merged with another one, and now I'm the only person who remembers how things used to be." Disbelief filled Hu Bin's thoroughly unremarkable face.
The system's icy voice sounded again. "Yes, that is theoretically correct. Otherwise, a system as perfect as myself would never have come to you."
"Well, well, so you're a tsundere! Come on, tell me what features you've got." Hearing the system's not-so-humble bragging, Hu Bin folded his arms and asked with curiosity in his eyes.
The system was displeased at being called a tsundere. Its tone lost its icy edge and took on a hint of mockery instead.
"Hmph. At your current level, you can only access the Pokédex feature and the lowest-access shop. And you don't even have any points to buy things!"
Hu Bin ignored the system's mockery and asked directly, "Points? What points?"
"You receive points and items by battling, studying, catching Pokémon, competing, and completing certain quests."
"That sounds pretty good. Do I have any points right now?" Hu Bin asked, pleasantly surprised by the system's explanation.
"Hmph. Opening Hu Bin's exclusive beginner gift pack now, to prevent little Hu Bin from getting beaten so badly that he's traumatized. After all, Hu Bin is just that unremarkable." The system snorted, the mockery in its voice becoming even more obvious.
Hu Bin's face instantly darkened at those words.
"So the novels were right. Every last system in them is infuriating." Scowling, Hu Bin clicked open his exclusive beginner gift pack.
Suddenly, a flash blazed before Hu Bin's eyes, nearly blinding him, and a series of stats appeared in his mind accompanied by the system's icy voice.
Host: Hu Bin Age: 18 Points: 500 points awarded by the beginner gift pack (still a broke loser) Items: 5 Poké Balls, 5 bottles of Potion, and 1 lottery ticket awarded by the beginner gift pack Overall assessment: Unremarkable (average at everything Pokémon: Vulpix (Alolan Form) Ability: Snow Cloak (in hail weather, increases evasion and prevents hail from depleting sta- mina.) Moves: Tackle, Mist, Powder Snow, Quick Attack, Tail Whip Egg Moves: Hypnosis, Howl, PS: Every Pokémon possesses tremendous potential. Please do not judge Pokémon by game levels, Effort Values, six perfect IVs, and so on. (Even Magikarp can beat Gyarados!)
Hu Bin looked at the display in his mind, then at the Poké Balls and Potions that had appeared in his hands, and fell silent.
Inside, however, he was already seething, unleashing a torrent of curses.
You're average! Your whole family is average! Who knows the toil behind the food on their plate? Nobody's just average!
After venting for a while, Hu Bin still found himself agreeing with the system on the whole. Pokémon were no longer data in a game, but real, living creatures with immeasurable potential. But! I do not agree with the system's assessment of me!
"Open the points shop."
A flash passed before Hu Bin's eyes, and a dazzling array of Pokémon items appeared in front of him, leaving him practically drooling.
"Holy shit, there are this many?"
The system declared proudly, "Anything produced by this system is guaranteed to be top quality. As long as you have enough points, there is nothing you cannot exchange them for."
"This system will provide you with quests. Complete the corresponding quests, and you can earn large amounts of points."
Hu Bin propped his head on one hand, disbelief written all over his face.
"That depends on whether your quests involve making me solo the creator god or teaching Groudon to fly!"
The system went silent. A little while later, it asked weakly, "How did you know?"
Hu Bin was stunned. There really were quests that insane! Who knew you were that kind of system? You're out of your freaking mind!
The system continued, "But you're so weak right now that you can't accept quests of that difficulty. At present, you can only take on a few quests so easy they couldn't possibly be any easier!"
Looking utterly defeated, Hu Bin said, "Damn system. Every time you open your mouth, you twist the knife."
Then Hu Bin reconsidered and smiled faintly. The recipe was still the same: his parents were here, and now he had Pokémon and a reasonably useful system that just happened to be a little hurtful. This Pokémon world was pretty nice!
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