"Where am I?"
Lu Chen looked at the unfamiliar forest and surroundings before him, feeling utterly bewildered.
"Wasn't I on the battlefield? How did I suddenly end up in this unfamiliar forest?"
"I really can't figure out what's going on, but at least you're all still here."
Had he arrived in an unfamiliar forest alone, Lu Chen would have been somewhat panicked. But as long as they were here, forget a forest-even if a Legendary Pokémon appeared in person, he would not be afraid in the slightest.
"Roar!"
Lu Chen patted the oddly shaped Aerodactyl beside him and said,
"Scout the area and see if there are any other magical beast legions or soldiers."
Unlike ordinary Aerodactyl, whose skin was entirely gray, Lu Chen's Aerodactyl had countless sharp black rocks covering his gray skin.
Rather than an ordinary Aerodactyl, he looked more like a Mega Evolution Aerodactyl.
Moreover, Lu Chen's Aerodactyl was steeped in the heavy stench of blood and killing intent, like a god of slaughter who had fought his way out of hell.
Aerodactyl's mere presence made the Pokémon within several kilometers tremble, not daring to raise their heads.
Boom!
With a beat of his wings, Aerodactyl shot into the sky.
Aside from Aerodactyl, Lu Chen had three other magical beast companions. They had all fought countless bloody battles alongside him on the battlefields between magical beasts and humans, growing together into who they were today.
As Aerodactyl went out to scout, Lu Chen began examining the forest.
Looking at the completely unfamiliar plants before him, Lu Chen felt a headache coming on.
"Completely unfamiliar plants. Just where have I been sent?"
And Lu Chen soon discovered that it was not only the forest's vegetation-even the magical beasts had changed considerably.
"How strange. It's not just the vegetation-even the most ordinary magical beasts, like Caterpie, have changed this much?"
Lu Chen studied a Caterpie trembling all over beside him, rubbing his chin as he said,
"Normally, the antennae on a Caterpie's head are yellow, but the Caterpie in this forest all have orange antennae."
"And it's not just Caterpie. The other magical beasts all look somewhat different too..."
"Could these be regional forms of magical beasts?"
"Somewhere this far away-just where have I been taken?"
"Sigh."
Resting his chin on his hand, Lu Chen could not help grumbling,
"What is all this? First, I transmigrated into the ultra-ancient wartime era of the Pokémon world. I'd have died long ago if I hadn't been lucky, and now I've been teleported to some unknown forest."
Lu Chen's Pokémon were already used to his muttering to himself. After all, their boss was good in every way, except that he always liked saying things they could not understand.
Just then, Lu Chen heard Aerodactyl's roar in the distance, and his eyes lit up.
"Looks like Aerodactyl found someone."
Lu Chen hurried over, only to see Aerodactyl pinning an old man in a white lab coat to the ground with one claw.
Besides him, several powerful Pokémon, including Kangaskhan and Arcanine, all at least Elite Four level, were glaring furiously at Aerodactyl.
Lu Chen's Aerodactyl paid no attention to the enraged Pokémon, even giving a bored yawn. Just as the other Pokémon could no longer hold back and were about to attack, Lu Chen arrived.
Taking in the scene, Lu Chen immediately understood what had happened.
Although Aerodactyl was one of his main fighters, Lu Chen also knew that his Aerodactyl was no saint.
Looking at the old man pinned beneath Aerodactyl, Lu Chen sighed helplessly and said,
"That's enough, Aerodactyl. You need to learn to respect the elderly. Besides, they aren't wearing armor, and they haven't killed many people. They definitely aren't from a magical beast legion."
Only after hearing Lu Chen's words did Aerodactyl reluctantly move his claw away.
That allowed the old man pinned to the ground to stagger to his feet.
As Lu Chen looked at the surrounding Kangaskhan, Arcanine, and other Pokémon, he suddenly found something odd. Not only were these Pokémon quite strong and exceptionally well raised,
but they also carried no trace of the scent of blood. They were clearly flowers raised in a greenhouse.
What's going on? In that ultra-ancient battlefield where slaughter was everywhere, why wouldn't Pokémon this strong go to war and kill?
Could I have stumbled into some hidden space?
While Lu Chen was puzzling over this, he saw that the old man in the white lab coat had finally stood up.
"That hurt like hell. Your Pokémon nearly crushed these old bones of mine."
"But, young man, where did you catch your Aerodactyl in this day and age? Why is he seething with so much killing intent, as though he's killed a great many people and eaten a great many Pokémon...?"
The old man in the white lab coat slowly raised his head. Seeing his face, Lu Chen froze in shock-not because he did not recognize it, but precisely the opposite. He knew who the old man was at a glance.
"You're... you're Professor Oak?!"
"So you know me! That's wonderful. These old bones can't take this kind of ordeal."
Looking at Professor Oak before him, Lu Chen suddenly formed a bold guess.
"What year is it? And where are we?"
"It's September ten... eleventh, year 138 of the Pokémon League calendar. We're near Pallet Town in the Kanto Region." Professor Oak found it somewhat strange that Lu Chen would ask such questions.
But considering that the other party's terrifying Aerodactyl was standing right behind him, Professor Oak chose to answer honestly.
"The Pokémon League calendar? Professor Oak? Have I come to the future? Have I finally, finally made it out of that damned ultra-ancient battlefield alive? Hahahaha..."
Looking at Lu Chen, dressed entirely in ancient garb, covered in scars and dark red bloodstains, and laughing heartily, as well as the equally murderous Aerodactyl, Professor Oak suddenly noticed something amiss.
This fellow before him did not seem to be a modern human...
He was a traveler from another time and space!
Anyone else would never have dared think such a thing, but Professor Oak had personally experienced time travel in his younger years, which was why he dared make such a bold guess.
"You're a traveler from another time and space?!"
Seeing that Professor Oak had actually recognized his identity at a glance, Lu Chen recovered from his excitement and said,
"Yes. I finally got out of that damned ultra-ancient battlefield. This is wonderful!"
Hearing Lu Chen's words, the Pokémon beside him were all stunned.
They had thought they would keep fighting on that damned battlefield, on and on until they died, but now they suddenly had another choice.
"Roar!"
The enormous quadrupedal Pokémon with a huge crest on his head, who closely resembled Entei-Entei's Paradox Pokémon, Gouging Fire-was now beside himself with excitement too!
Opening his mouth and lifting his head, he unleashed a fierce, terrifying stream of blazing fire straight into the sky.
Its terrifying heat and power made even Professor Oak and his ace Pokémon shudder.
"S-so strong!"
Although Professor Oak felt that his strength had declined somewhat after focusing on research all these years, his judgment was still sharp. This Pokémon that resembled Entei was probably an ultra-ancient Legendary Pokémon that had never been discovered!
And his strength was terrifying! Even if a Pokémon League Champion came, they probably... would be no match for him.
No... never mind the Pokémon that resembled Entei. Even that Aerodactyl was probably strong enough to contend with a Pokémon League Champion's ace!
Ordinary Pokémon felt little at the sight of those flames soaring into the sky, but in the Johto Region, Entei, who had been wandering near a volcanic crater, abruptly raised his head and looked toward the Kanto Region.
A strangely human emotion appeared on Entei's face.
That power was very similar to his, yet completely different, and even stronger than Entei's own...
What happened over there?
Looking at the terrifying Pokémon before him, powerful enough to topple an entire Pokémon League, and the Trainer who commanded these monsters, Professor Oak cautiously asked,
"Um, may I ask your name, senior?"
"No need to call me senior. Just call me Lu Chen."
Lu Chen reached out and patted Gouging Fire beside him. As he looked at his companions' varying expressions, a complicated look appeared in his eyes.
Looking at Lu Chen, Professor Oak hesitated for a moment before saying,
"Then, would you be willing to visit the Pokémon League? With your strength, you could absolutely become the Kanto Region's new Champion!"
"A Champion is the strongest person in a region. Once you become Champion, you can..."
At Professor Oak's invitation, Lu Chen looked at the companions beside him. They were powerful, but they had spent their entire lives killing on the battlefield, covered in scars and even left with numerous lingering ailments. Lu Chen shook his head and said,
"Champion? I've fought wars my whole life. I lost count of the people and Pokémon I've killed long ago."
"This time, I just want to retire, start a farm, and enjoy the rest of my life with my old friends."
At the mention of retirement and enjoying life, even the most bloodthirsty of them, Aerodactyl, slowly raised his head, faint traces of tears spilling from his blood-red eyes.
"But... but..."
Looking at Professor Oak, who was still saying "but," Lu Chen stepped forward and said to him,
"Professor Oak, would I be able to buy a plot of land in Pallet Town?"
"Of course, I'll pay for it."