"Dragonite just can't cut it anymore. There are way too many strong Pokémon this season, and way too many viable playstyles. Dragonite doesn't have a Z-Move or Dynamax right now. It's at a huge disadvantage!"
"Exactly! Just look at Charizard. Two Mega Evolution forms alone! Now that's a real Dragon-type!"
Chu Xin stared at the complaints on his computer screen, gritting his teeth and not knowing what to say.
As a small-time gaming streamer, Chu Xin wasn't doing particularly well. He was stuck somewhere in the middle, and the game he streamed, Pokémon, was relatively niche.
Not that Pokémon itself was obscure, of course. Most people had heard of it, but pitifully few people in China actually played the games. It simply couldn't compete with smash hits like League or Battle Royale. Even CrossFire was more popular than Pokémon.
Still, being niche had its advantages. Compared with other games, Pokémon had fewer players but plenty of name recognition. Even people who had never played would stop by to watch for a bit. Combined with Chu Xin's serious attitude, that had gradually earned him a core of loyal viewers.
Over the past few days, however, Chu Xin had hit a wall. Better results would be the biggest draw for attracting more viewers, but despite grinding the Pokémon ranked ladder for a long time, he still hadn't achieved anything impressive.
"Damn it! Another Blissey! Is this guy here just to piss me off? I'd rather fight two Fairy-type Pokémon than see this thing!"
It's over!
Another match down the drain. Watching the grinning Blissey on the other side slowly whittle his ace Dragonite to death with its infuriating moves, Chu Xin sighed helplessly.
"LMAO, this streamer sucks. How do you even have the nerve to stream with skills like that? Go find a factory and tighten some screws!"
"Exactly! He's still using Dragonite. That team is outdated!"
"Dragonite isn't strong in this patch. Why not switch teams? I think the streamer's pretty good. He should be able to climb with a different team."
You think I don't want to switch? You think I don't want to switch?
Chu Xin gritted his teeth as he read the comments, his heart bleeding. Why had he run his mouth back then, claiming he was a Dragon-type Pokémon expert and could crush anyone with a single Dragonite? Now, whatever team he used, he always had to include Dragonite. It had become his trademark, and plenty of viewers came just to watch him make a fool of himself.
The thought made his heart bleed!
These are all mistakes I made when I was young. Now I have to pay for them, little by little!
Who could have known that the once-dominant Dragon-types would fall this far? Dragonite had been a pseudo-legendary, with a base stat total of 600, yet now it was just another face in the crowd. What Pokémon in the current meta wasn't relying on Mega Evolution? And that wasn't even counting the recently released Dynamax. Of all those power-ups, Dragonite hadn't gotten a single one!
Pokémon designers, please spare Dragonite a glance! Charizard next door already has two Mega Evolutions, and Dragonite doesn't even have one. Take my Dragon Rage!
People could often push past their limits when their rage peaked. In his fury, Chu Xin abruptly toppled his chair, and the back of his head slammed into the corner of the desk.
Holy shit!
The world spun. Darkness gradually swallowed his vision until he finally lost consciousness.
I'm not going to die, am I?
Where am I? It's so warm. Did someone come to save me?
Still groggy, Chu Xin opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision, something enormous suddenly pressed into his face, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Is this supposed to be a rescue? Whose ass is on my face?
With no other choice, Chu Xin tried to push it away, only for a pair of tiny, infant-like hands to appear before his eyes.
Are... are these my hands?
"Honey, look. Why isn't the baby drinking any milk?"
"Uh, let him go, quick. Our boy was only just born. Give him a moment to catch his breath."
A pair of large hands suddenly took Chu Xin, and a handsome face appeared before him.
Have... have I transmigrated?
More than ten years later, on a manor estate, Chu Xin hid in the garden, cautiously watching the bug opposite him.
It was a Caterpie, one of the lowliest Pokémon. Such weak Pokémon had to tread carefully just to survive, terrified that a Pidgey or Spearow flying overhead would spot them and turn them into a tasty meal.
With a net in hand, Chu Xin looked every bit the Bug Catcher as he took aim at the Caterpie chewing on a leaf, ready to strike.
Just as Chu Xin was about to swing his bug-catching net, a voice startled the Caterpie, and it vanished into the garden.
"Young master, where are you?"
Annoyed, Chu Xin threw his bug-catching net onto the ground.
So close! I was so close to getting my first Pokémon!
"What is it, Aier? I almost caught that Caterpie!"
Chu Xin angrily jumped out of the flower bed and stormed over to Aier.
"Young master, your father will be here soon. We're celebrating your twelfth birthday today, remember? You need to be clean when you see him. No more playing around like this!"
Though Chu Xin still looked thoroughly unwilling, he had no choice but to nod.
It was his twelfth birthday, and he wondered what present his parents would give him.
With the maid's help, Chu Xin soon straightened up his clothes. Looking at the handsome young boy in the mirror, he broke into a brilliant smile.
That's me, all right!
Once he was ready, Chu Xin went to his family birthday gathering. The maid accompanying him pushed open the living room doors, and he saw his parents in this world.
"My baby! Come here and give me a nice big hug!"
The instant Chu Xin stepped into the living room, his mother, Tian Shuyao, swept him into her arms and bit down hard on his soft, rosy cheek. It hurt so much that he hurriedly raised his little hands to push his own mother away.
After releasing his cheek, Tian Shuyao wiped her mouth. Seeing the clear tooth marks and the ** left on his face, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Our little boy is growing up. He just keeps tasting better!"
"All right, honey, stop teasing Chu Xin. Can't you see how scared he is of you?"
Chu Xin struggled free of his mother's embrace and ran behind his father, Chu Lian. With a mother who acted so childishly, Chu Xin, her own child, was worried sick.
"Dad, what present are you going to give me this year?"
"Already asking for your present?" Chu Lian smiled and stroked Chu Xin's head.
"Since you want it so badly, let me show you something that'll broaden your horizons."
As he spoke, Chu Lian took an enormous egg out of the gift box behind him.
"Son, this is your birthday present from me."
This is...
A Pokémon Egg!!!
Before you continue