NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Frightened
"Huhu..."
The breeze slipped into the house, carrying the laughter of the leaves outside the window. The curtains danced in the wind. The mischievous sunlight sneaked in, bringing a touch of warmth. A ball of catkins, like a drunkard, swayed and landed on the nose of the sleeping boy.
The boy twitched his nose a few times, rubbed it subconsciously, turned over, stretched gently, raised his hands above his head, and arched his body slightly backward.
"Ahyawn..."
I opened my eyes slightly, and what I saw was a pair of red eyes carved into the ceiling.
"Ah, I'm still dreaming."
"It's time to wake up."
I closed my eyes first, then opened them again—still, the same pair of red eyes, but this time, they were closer. And why were these eyes embedded in a fat purple figure?
I shut my eyes again, frowning.
"Am I seeing things?"
Suddenly opening my eyes again, those red eyes were fixed on my face, which was still youthful yet undeniably handsome.
"Oh shit! Ah! Oh shit!"
"Ehehehe! Hey! Hey!"
The boy kicked wildly, flailing his arms as he scrambled against the bed, finally backing up against the wall, breathing rapidly, his heart racing at 200 beats per minute.
On the other hand, the big purple figure was just as startled. It had jumped back in fright and now clung to the wall with one tiny paw while pressing the other against its chest, looking at the boy with equal terror.
The two of them just stared at each other, fear mirrored in their eyes, until the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open by a woman.
"What are you two doing? It's supposed to be a celebration, and here you are, screaming first thing in the morning!"
The boy slowly turned his head to look at the woman, his face clearly full of confusion.
"What are you looking at? Your name isn't even on the property deed yet. Are you that shocked to see me back?"
"Hurry up and get ready. Breakfast is almost done."
"Gengar, go get the dishes and chopsticks."
"Hey hey~"
With that, the woman walked into the kitchen, Gengar following behind. Before stepping out, she turned back, stuck out her tongue at the boy, then closed the door.
The boy finally snapped back to reality and slowly lay down.
That was Gengar just now, right? He wasn't imagining it—it was really Gengar.
He raised his hand and fanned himself lightly.
It's okay, not too painful.
What's going on?
Did he… time travel?
That was Gengar just now, which means this is the Pokémon world? The world he had always dreamed of?
But he was sure he saw a string of data next to Gengar… he wasn't mistaken.
This time travel was too sudden! He almost got scared to death and became the weakest of all time travelers!
The boy got out of bed, stood up, and walked over to the mirror. Reflected back at him was a handsome yet slightly cold face, sharp and well-defined features, an air of confidence between his brows, and a hint of unruliness in his slightly raised eyebrows. His nose was straight, lips well-shaped, and his skin had a healthy tan.
A high school student? He had just graduated from university in his previous life, and now he had to go back to high school for another college entrance exam?
What a joke!
As he studied his new reflection, a woman's voice rang out from outside the door.
"Jiang Yu, come out for breakfast!"
"Jiang Yu! Jiang Yu!"
A loud bang echoed as an unlucky table took a heavy, undeserved blow.
The boy quickly responded, "Coming!"
Then, he opened the door and walked to the kitchen.
He sat down at the table in a daze, looking at the woman across from him. Slowly, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
"You'll be a senior next semester. Have you decided on your starter Pokémon yet?"
"Don't worry, I'm going through my memories."
"?"
The woman in front of him was Jiang Yu's mother, Xia Shuhua. She was a well-known researcher in the field of Pokémon evolution, having published papers like "How Eevee Evolves into Sylveon" and "The Evolutionary Path of Chansey to Blissey."
As for starter Pokémon, in this world, when students transition from sophomore to senior year of high school, they must choose their first Pokémon. Usually, the Pokémon Association provides a selection, and students can visit a Pokémon Breeding Center to pick one for free. Some Pokémon are already hatched, while others are still in egg form—for those who enjoy the thrill of the gamble.
As for the standard Starter Trio? Those were rare. After all, the Starter Trio were not only good-looking and well-behaved but also had high base stats and useful abilities. Most importantly, they could stay with their trainers for life. Take Turtwig, for example. According to its Pokédex entry: "It is said to have a lifespan of 10,000 years. Its fluffy tail is a symbol of longevity, making it beloved by people." Truly, a case of one turtle surviving three generations. The trainer is gone, but the Pokémon lives on.
"I remember the day after tomorrow is the Pokémon selection day. Mom, I want to go to the training center first." As a newly arrived time traveler, Jiang Yu planned to familiarize himself with this world first.
"That's fine. If you don't find one you like, don't worry—I'll take you somewhere else to choose one."
"Great!" Jiang Yu's eyes lit up. It seemed his family background in this life was pretty solid. A good start!
"Hey hey~"
Hearing Gengar's laughter, Jiang Yu turned to look at it again. Indeed, there were data lines floating around it—proof that a system was an essential cheat for any time traveler.
Pokémon: [Gengar]
Type: [Ghost/Poison]
Gender: [♀]
Ability: [Cursed Body]
Potential: [Gym Leader Level]
Level: [46] (Professional Tier)
Moves: [Destiny Bond, Toxic, Substitute, Protect, Hypnosis, Dream Eater, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch…]
Wait… What's up with this Gengar? Its early moves seemed normal, but why were all its later moves physical attacks? It had a whopping 130 base Special Attack, yet it insisted on using its measly 65 base Attack? So it relied on Destiny Bond to create a Stand and then engaged in close combat? Wouldn't hitting the opponent be the same as hitting itself?
"Mom, what's the deal with this Gengar? I don't remember you having one." Based on the memories Jiang Yu had just browsed through, Xia Shuhua never owned a Gengar. He asked curiously—not because he wanted to claim this big purple fat guy for himself.
Xia Shuhua responded while eating, "Oh, because of an unknown energy discovered some time ago, a trainer and his Gengar experienced some changes. The Pokémon Association wanted me to investigate, so they sent me a Gastly. I liked its personality, so I kept it."
"Unknown energy? What kind?"
"I'm not sure. We only collected some stones and fragments from the site. Research showed they contained a special energy that could enhance Gengar."
"What kind of stone?" Jiang Yu's mind immediately jumped to a certain possibility.
Xia Shuhua pulled out her phone and showed him a picture. Jiang Yu's eyes widened instantly, his pupils dilating.
Wasn't this a Mega Evolution Stone?!
It seemed that this world hadn't discovered Mega Evolution yet! Had they also missed Dynamax and Terastallization?
His heart pounded.
These stones… were his now!