Tong Hua

He woke up.

The first sense to return was touch. Something hard lay beneath him, jolting and swaying.

Next came the whisper of a breeze and the cries of birds. He caught the fresh scent of earth.

Tong Hua opened his eyes to find himself lying in an uncovered horse-drawn cart, traveling along a country dirt road.

Where was this?

Tong Hua sat up, and the next thing he noticed was his thirst. His throat felt as though it had been baked dry.

"Oh, you're finally awake."

Tong Hua looked toward the voice. It was the man driving the cart.

"We're almost there. Get your luggage together."

Tong Hua lowered his head. Beside him was a coarse cloth sack, with a few things scattered inside.

Tong Hua lowered his head. A coarse burlap sack lay beside him, with a few belongings scattered inside.

He rummaged through it and pulled out a canteen. Without caring what it held, he tipped it up and gulped it down.

"Glug, glug, glug... ah!"

Clear, sweet, ice-cold water washed down his throat. Only then did Tong Hua feel alive again.

But what exactly had happened?

Wasn't I supposed to be playing games at home? Why was I here?

"Argh... my head hurts!"

It felt as though something had forced its way into his mind all at once, making Tong Hua's scalp tingle.

Memories surged in like a tide, and Tong Hua absorbed them all like a sponge. After a while, the pain on his face gradually gave way to excitement.

I'd transmigrated!

Taking in his surroundings, Tong Hua now understood his situation.

He really had transmigrated.

Apparently, lightning had struck his computer while he was gaming last night. Whatever the details, he had ended up here.

This was a world completely different from Earth.

Pokémon were truly incredible creatures native to this planet. In the sky, on land, beneath the sea-even in smoke-filled volcanoes and deep forests crowded with towering trees-they could be found in every corner of the world.

"The Pokémon world, huh? Not bad!" Tong Hua immediately broke into a grin.

After all, this was Pokémon, the world's biggest franchise, which had filled most of his childhood! Even as an adult, he had never missed its games, anime, movies, cards...

He could safely say that this was the world he had most longed to visit.

The thought of traveling around this world with Pokémon, setting out on adventures as freely as Ash did, filled Tong Hua with eagerness.

But once his excitement faded, Tong Hua soon calmed down amid the jolting of the cart.

There was still a gap between dreams and reality.

The person whose body he now occupied was also named Tong Hua, and his hometown was in the Almia Region, where there were neither Pokémon Trainers nor Poké Balls.

Wanting to become a Pokémon Trainer, the original Tong Hua had moved to the Sinnoh Region with his parents when he was little.

Only a few years after the move, both his parents had died in an avalanche. Before he could become a Pokémon Trainer, he had been taken back to his hometown to live with his grandfather.

Finally, a few days ago, his last remaining relative had passed away as well. Despondent, the original Tong Hua had sold all his family's property and bought an abandoned ranch, intending to start a new life with Pokémon.

But overcome by grief and utterly exhausted, he had died in the cart before he could even reach the ranch.

The memories flickered through Tong Hua's mind like scenes from a passing life, leaving him wistful.

He, too, had grown up in a broken family. His material circumstances might have been more comfortable than those of this body's original owner, but the pain of losing loved ones was the same.

"We're here."

The cart came to a stop in front of an old wooden cottage.

Weeds grew thick outside, and stones littered the ground. There was not even a path leading to the door.

Carrying his sack of belongings, Tong Hua crossed the grass. He pushed open the heavy wooden door with a creak, and a musty odor of years of decay hit him in the face. He frowned involuntarily and held his breath.

The interior was fairly spacious, and the furnishings were cozy: a broad wooden bed, a wooden clock that had long since stopped hanging beside the window, and a large fireplace against another wall.

Tong Hua hurried over and opened the window. The breeze flowed in from outside, finally making the air just about breathable.

"It's a little dirty, but it'll be livable once you clean it up." The elderly driver set a bag of tools outside the cottage.

Only then did Tong Hua remember that the old man was the head of Chicory Village, where he now lived.

He was also the man who had sold him this ranch cheaply.

"I took a look. The nearby wild Pokémon have made a mess of the fields. With a bit of tidying up, you should still be able to get your spring planting done.

"The well behind the house still works, and there are some fruit trees too. They don't need much tending. Just water and fertilize them every few days.

"As for the other facilities on the ranch, like the Pokémon sheds and beehives, you can ask the village carpenter if you need anything. Mention my name and you'll get a discount.

"Tomorrow, I'll bring you a few Pokémon that are easy to raise. For today, just clean up and get familiar with the place."

As he spoke, the old village head took things out of his bag and handed over a broom and a watering can. Once Tong Hua had accepted them, the old man continued earnestly.

"Look ahead, lad. Everyone has to learn to stand on their own. You're eighteen now. At your age, your grandfather was already a well-known craftsman in the village. You can't let him outdo you."

The old village head gave Tong Hua a firm, weighty pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, one more thing. Keep those Poké Balls you brought put away. Don't take them out and use them. They aren't explicitly banned here, but most people still dislike those things."

Tong Hua nodded without saying anything.

Seeing this, the old village head sighed and left, leaving Tong Hua alone in the cottage.

After thinking for a moment, Tong Hua stepped outside and headed around the back to find the well and draw some water.

After all, he apparently had nowhere else to go for the time being. At least a ranch gave him shelter from the wind and rain. Everything else could wait until he figured out how to survive.

Just as the old village head had said, there was an Orchard behind the cottage, along with a well that still worked.

Struggling to turn the somewhat rusty crank, Tong Hua exerted every ounce of strength before finally hauling up a bucket of clear

Well water.

[Ordinary well water: Quality F. Cold underground well water containing large quantities of microorganisms. Boiling before drinking is advised. Recommended processing methods (culinary/alchemy).]

Tong Hua: "?"

Staring at the panel that had appeared before him, Tong Hua's brain briefly froze. But having read all kinds of webnovels, he quickly caught on. This was probably the Golden Finger every protagonist was supposed to have.

"Culinary, alchemy?"

Those familiar words naturally reminded Tong Hua of some farming games he had played in his previous life.

Gathering materials and crafting items—the Golden Finger seemed to let him view information and quality ratings for various materials.

To test his theory, Tong Hua set down the bucket, bent over, and picked up a stone.

[Ordinary loose stone: Quality F. A small stone of low hardness with some decorative value. Recommended processing methods (goldsmithing/alchemy).]

He then casually picked up a branch.

[Withered branch: Quality F. Low-strength wood that is too short. Recommended processing methods (carpentry/alchemy).]

After several more attempts, Tong Hua had gained a rough understanding of his Golden Finger.

"Looks like it really only displays information about materials I gather with my own hands. Also, all the materials so far have been quality F. The ratings probably run from F to A, or even S.

"There seem to be only six recommended processing methods: culinary, carpentry, smithing, goldsmithing, weaving, and alchemy..."

Tong Hua thought back over the games he had played in his previous life, then suddenly remembered the online game he had been playing on the night before his transmigration.

"It's Baboon Fourteen! Right, that was the game I was playing when the lightning struck! So this Golden Finger is based on that game's crafting and gathering classes?"

Everything fit. In an instant, Tong Hua felt as though he understood it all.

No wonder every material could be used for alchemy. In that game, players universally agreed that alchemy was the most profitable crafting class.

"Does that mean I can use these materials to make items with special effects, just like in the game?"

"But there isn't even an instruction manual. How am I actually supposed to do alchemy and all that?"