The boy of Viridian Forest

Kanto Region, Viridian City.

Viridian Forest was a vast forest inhabited by all kinds of Pokémon, known as a paradise for Trainers.

But for ordinary people, it was a terrifying domain they could not venture into.

In the real Pokémon world, the fairy-tale filter was shattered to pieces. The Pokémon here could eat and kill people.

At night, Ghost-type Pokémon would even devour souls.

One careless mistake could mean death, with your soul becoming food.

There were no unkillable cockroaches in this world, unless they had plot armor.

That day, at the outermost edge of Viridian Forest.

"Huff, huff!"

A scrawny boy was fleeing for his life. Sweat covered his head, blood kept trickling from the corner of his mouth, and part of his chest had even caved in.

Even so, he still clutched a Berry tightly in his hand-a Red Apple, one of the most common Berries in Viridian Forest.

A Berry like this might be beneath a Trainer's notice, but to an ordinary person, it was a precious treasure that could pay for a month of food and shelter.

In this world, where the League was not yet fully established, the middle and upper classes lived in comfort, while only those at the bottom still ran themselves ragged and risked their lives just to stay fed and clothed.

All that talk about qualifying to become a Trainer at ten, having your own Pokémon, and even getting a high-quality Starter Pokémon.

Those were privileges reserved for the children of League insiders.

For ordinary people, never mind Starter Pokémon—even the most common Caterpie cost ten thousand Pokémon Coins, and only Trainers registered with the League could buy Poké Balls.

The registration fee alone was as high as thirty thousand Pokémon Coins.

Even becoming a Bug Catcher was a height ordinary people might never reach in their entire lives.

Not to mention that raising a Pokémon required vast resources, and there was even the possibility of it turning on its owner. The choice was obvious.

So most people chose jobs unrelated to Pokémon, though naturally, they earned very few Pokémon Coins.

Under these circumstances, those at the very bottom could not even count on having enough food and clothing. Orphans in the slums were even more pitiful, and starving to death was commonplace.

Those with courage would take desperate risks.

They ventured into Viridian Forest, just like Giovanni. With luck, finding a single Berry could buy them a month of decent living.

Yes.

This boy was named Giovanni, and he had not originally been from this world. He was a transmigrator.

After this body's owner went out, tripped over a stone, and fell to his death, he had the honor of becoming its new owner.

At first, Giovanni had been happy and excited after transmigrating into this world.

He had thought he could become a Trainer, challenge Gyms, compete in tournaments, and become one of the Elite Four, or even Champion.

With the name Giovanni to boot, he had even started planning whether to catch the super Caterpie first or the one that couldn't fly.

But reality had dealt him a merciless slap.

He was just an ordinary orphan. (He is an orphan in this setting because there is too little information about Giovanni's parents, though the first-generation Team Rocket boss will appear. You can also take this as another parallel world.) Never mind Rayquaza-even a Caterpie could take his life.

Ordinary humans were simply no match for Pokémon.

Ever since he had been kicked out of the orphanage.

Giovanni's situation now was that he had no Pokémon, much less any Pokémon Coins. Even getting a meal was a problem.

Only under these extreme circumstances had he taken this desperate risk.

This was not actually Giovanni's first time. He had simply been luckier on his previous two trips, finding Berries before venturing far inside.

This time, he had gone just a little deeper and run into trouble.

Because a ravenous Rattata happened to be near this Red Apple.

As one of the most ill-tempered Pokémon in the Pokémon World, its little eyes had turned red the moment it spotted Giovanni.

Not to mention that Giovanni had stolen its food.

Then, a single Tackle had nearly taken Giovanni's life.

And that had led to his current situation.

Giovanni ran for his life up ahead, while the Rattata, about the size of an adult cat, pursued him relentlessly.

Rattata were Pokémon that lived in groups. If he did not hurry and escape, what awaited Giovanni might not be just this one Rattata, but an entire pack.

That would probably leave him with no end other than being gnawed down to a pile of white bones.

Do not think it was impossible. Even Trainers would be eaten by Pokémon if they were unfortunate enough to get killed.

Just as tigers and bears in nature ate people, Pokémon and humans interacted in the same way.

According to statistics from the League's biological research institute, Ursaring ate and killed the most people, followed by Ghost-type Pokémon.

So as Giovanni listened to the cries of "Ratta~ Pratta~" behind him, he did not find them cute in the slightest. They only made his scalp prickle, like demonic sounds drilling into his ears.

The Red Apple in his hand was like a hot potato, yet he could not bear to throw it away.

Because he was counting on this Red Apple for a month of food and shelter. Without it, he might starve to death on the streets. It was only a question of dying sooner or later.

"Cough, cough!" His frantic running made his lungs, already damaged by that Rattata's Tackle, rasp like a pair of bellows and burn with searing pain.

Giovanni began coughing violently, blood pouring from his mouth, along with a few fragments of internal organs.

Giovanni felt dazed, his vision darkening. His already sallow face grew paler and paler, like a sheet of white paper.

This was his body crying out under an unbearable burden. He could not hold on any longer. He still had some distance to go before escaping Viridian Forest, while Rattata was right on his heels.

Life and death hung by a thread!

His eyes red, Giovanni raised the Red Apple in his hand and bit down hard. "Fuck this! This goddamn world-I'll fight you to the death!"

This Berry, capable of restoring a Pokémon's stamina, had become the scythe coming for Giovanni's life, and also his only chance of survival.

Since this Rattata had still not caught up with him, and had not even used Tail Whip or Quick Attack, it could be no higher than level one or two.

Then he would stake his life on one last fight!

He would show the Pokémon of this world the might of the Terrifying Upright Ape.

After a few bites, the Red Apple's sweet juice and flesh turned into energy and flowed into Giovanni's body.

He felt the injury in his chest recovering, his frail body gaining strength it did not normally have, as though his adrenaline were surging.

He had to admit, this Red Apple really was sweet!

When the Rattata behind him saw Giovanni eat the Red Apple, it nearly went mad with anger. It was going to bite through this human's throat.

But Giovanni suddenly stopped, turned around, and picked up a withered branch. He fixed it with a murderous stare and roared:

"Come on! Let's see which of us is harder to kill!"

Startled by Giovanni's imposing presence, Rattata even froze for a moment.

But it only lasted an instant before it recovered. As it looked at the scrawny boy holding a broken branch before it, the vicious gleam in its eyes intensified.

"Pratta!" Rattata gave another furious cry, its forepaws scraping the ground as it poised itself to strike!

The best defense was offense. Rather than sit and wait for death, it was better to strike first!

Giovanni tightened his grip on the branch and charged at Rattata. "Come on!!"

P.S. My dear readers, please, please don't stockpile chapters! This humble pet owner will normally keep up three updates a day, and four to five when time allows! A kowtow to all my dear readers!