Chapter 1: The World of Beast Masters? No, the World of Pokémon
**[Consciousness loading progress: 99.998%]**
**[Consciousness loading progress: 99.999%]**
**[Consciousness loaded]**
Mark slowly awoke as if emerging from a deep sleep. He looked around in confusion but saw nothing.
Where am I?
**[Aural module activated]**
A voice echoed in his mind, followed by a soft rustling sound.
The sound resembled a breeze. Mark could hear the rustling of leaves, along with faint bird calls and the buzzing of insects.
Is this a wild forest?
But why can't I see anything?
**[Gravity sensory module activated]**
**[Temperature sensory module activated]**
**[Tactile module activated]**
Accompanied by a series of beeps, Mark began to sense his surroundings.
He still couldn't tell front from back or left from right, but he could feel up and down.
He felt warmth, as if sunlight were shining on him. His body started to take shape in his mind.
With the activation of the tactile module, Mark felt a breeze brush across his skin and the ground beneath his feet.
The ground was soft, with grass beneath his feet. He could also feel something rubbing against his right leg…
**[Taste module activated]**
**[Smell module activated]**
Mark noticed a bitter and salty taste in his mouth; he felt dehydrated. Simultaneously, he smelled the earthy aroma of soil mixed with the freshness of plants.
**[Vision module activated]**
Suddenly, a blue electric current flashed in the dimness of his vision, splitting into two, then four, then eight...
The beautiful blue currents twisted and turned, exploding like fireworks.
A magnificent, colorful world appeared before Mark's eyes.
The sky was a deep blue, with white clouds scattered across it. Green grass stretched endlessly across the ground, leading to forests and mountains in the distance. As the breeze blew, the dark green forest swayed like waves on the mountainside...
The fresh, vast scene overwhelmed Mark with awe.
However, the feeling didn't last long.
Mark soon realized he couldn't move his body at all. Not his legs, not his arms, not even his eyes.
What's wrong with my body?
And what's that thing rubbing against my leg?
**[Key information missing, system loading error]**
**[System reloading...]**
**[System loading error]**
An error? What does that mean?
Is this why I can't move?
Mark tried desperately to control his body but found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move an inch.
His mouth and throat grew drier. Am I going to die of thirst?
**[Alternate solution enabled, simplified compatibility mode activated, system loading...]**
**[Movement module activated]**
**[Body function module activated]**
**[Welcome to the world of Beast Masters. I wish you %￥**#@￥￥%...]**
Finally, Mark regained control of his body and staggered, falling to the ground.
It seemed his body had been tense for a long time, causing his calves, waist, and arms to ache severely.
But compared to the soreness, the dryness in his mouth and throat was more unbearable.
"So thirsty..." Mark croaked, feeling his tongue thick and dry.
Fortunately, he soon spotted several puddles nearby. It looked like it had rained recently. About ten meters away, he noticed a small, clear stream meandering by. Looking upstream, Mark faintly saw a small spring.
Without hesitation, Mark lay down beside the stream and began drinking.
The water was sweet and refreshing. After a few minutes, Mark sat up and wiped his mouth.
"Just now, I was so focused on drinking that I didn't think much. Now that I do, I should have become a Beast Master and obtained a career template. Judging by the game's opening animation, this seems to be a world inspired by ancient mythology..."
In his previous life, Mark was a small-time writer living in the city.
One day, while browsing games to relax, he stumbled upon a mobile game called "Royal Beast Master."
The promotional animation was well-made, and since Mark enjoyed games involving mythical creatures, he decided to download and try it.
He remembered lying in bed at the time.
After downloading, logging in, and registering, he was greeted by a magnificent world reminiscent of ancient myths, which left a deep impression on him.
The memory grew hazy...
Mark mused, "I remember clicking into the game, swiping twice, and just as I was deciding whether to choose the Blue Dragon or the White Tiger from the four sacred beasts, I felt sleepy and dozed off on the bed..."
His memory ended there. Mark sighed and lay down on the grass beside the stream.
The grass was damp from recent rain, but Mark didn't mind. He stared up at the sky.
"I've really transmigrated..."
In his previous life, he was alone, with nothing to hold him back. If anything, he missed the novels he was reading and the TV shows he might never finish.
"Well, since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. The world of ancient myths and Beast Masters, here I come..."
Mark stretched his arms toward the sky, then pulled them back as if to get up.
But as he started to sit up, he froze.
A turquoise bug, about half a meter long, appeared in his sight. The bug crawled toward his head, tilted its head, and gave him a curious, almost human-like expression.
"Hiss, hiss?"
The bug's four spherical forelimbs waved as if asking what was wrong.
Mark stared in disbelief. "Is this... a Caterpie? This isn't the world of the Beast Masters but the world of Pokémon? The thing rubbing against my leg earlier—was it this little guy?"
As if to confirm his words, a purple rat with narrow eyes scurried through the nearby grass.
The rat had red eyes, a white and yellowish belly, and a curled purple tail. It was a Rattata, a common Pokémon in the Pokémon world.
Then, from the grass where Rattata disappeared, two brown and yellow birds flew out in a panic, chirping loudly and stirring up dust as they took flight. They were Pidgey, a small bird Pokémon known for its ability to create gusts of wind.
"It's really the Pokémon world... and I've got the game system from the Beast Master?"
"Enhancing Pokémon with the Beast Master's game system?"
"That might not be so bad..."
Mark pondered.
A strange light appeared in his mind.
Although he'd never seen this light before, he instinctively knew what it did.
After those system prompts, the light appeared in his mind, merging with him, and he naturally understood its purpose.
As he focused on it, a panel appeared in his vision.
---
**[Mark]**
**[Occupation: Beast Master]**
**[Experience: 1%]**
**[Points: 1]**
**[Royal Beast: Caterpie]**
---
Mark stared at the system panel.
The earlier prompts had mentioned errors and a simplified compatibility mode, and the final message had included some garbled characters.
"It seems that transmigrating into the Pokémon world caused the Beast Master game system to mutate."
"But how did this Caterpie become my Royal Beast?"
Mark gently stroked the Caterpie beside him. It wiggled slightly, enjoying the touch of his palm.
Mark felt a strong bond with the Caterpie, as if it were his own kin.
As he explored this feeling, he suddenly realized something.
Mark looked at his hands, arms, and clothes, then grabbed his hair.
He used to have short hair, but now his hair was long and messy, and his arms and legs were thinner.
—This isn't my body.
Boom—
It was as if something exploded in his mind. A series of fragmented memories surged into Mark's consciousness...
---
Chapter 2: The Initial Pokémon, Caterpie
After a few minutes, Mark rubbed his head and sat up again on the grass, then carefully looked at his reflection in the puddle next to him.
He appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, about 1.8 meters tall. After arranging his hair and washing his face, he saw that he was still handsome, with a well-proportioned and strong body, although his tattered clothes made him look a bit shabby.
"Is this my body..." Mark muttered to himself.
He had mostly figured out what had happened. It seemed that the consciousness-loading speed of the Royal Beast Master system was incredibly slow.
It took more than ten years to go from 0.001% to 99.999%.
During that time, he had grown from a baby to a young man, and his consciousness had only just fully loaded, leaving him in a daze for all those years.
He had lived in a nearby small village, wandering around in a daze.
He didn't know the village's name, only remembering its general outline and scale. It was probably a small village with two to three hundred households.
Both his parents seemed to have died when he was very young, leaving him to wander the village alone.
In his memories, some elderly villagers would occasionally take pity on him and give him some food, but most of the time, he survived by picking up potato skins, rotten vegetable leaves, and the like to satisfy his hunger. He would sometimes find wild fruits and mushrooms in the forest, and when he was really desperate, he would even eat grass...
In short, survival wasn't easy, but he had somehow managed to live tenaciously like a weed. As for the Caterpie that followed him, it seemed to have been by his side for the past few years.
Yes, this Caterpie had been with him for several years. In some Pokémon novels, Bug-type Pokémon are synonymous with short-lived creatures that die within a few years, but in the official settings and the world he had transmigrated into, Bug-type Pokémon were clearly not so short-lived.
In fact, the original translation of Pokémon as "Pocket Monsters" hinted that they were magical creatures with longer lifespans. Even in reality, some insects can live for several years, so it was naturally impossible for Bug-type Pokémon to be so short-lived.
As for why the Caterpie followed him, Mark couldn't find the answer in his muddled memories. He just remembered that the Caterpie had been by his side, wandering around the village and forest with him since he didn't know when.
When he slept, the Caterpie would snuggle up next to him.
They would often search for edible food together in the village's garbage dumps and eat whatever scraps they could find.
Sometimes, the Caterpie would find some sweet wild fruits and share them with him; in return, he would stand up for the Caterpie when it encountered danger, such as from Spearows, Pidgeys, and other bird Pokémon, probably scaring those bird Pokémon away with some strange noises...
Mark looked at the Caterpie beside him again.
After merging his memories, he looked at the Caterpie with a completely different expression.
The Caterpie was not just a Pokémon, but also his relative and family member in this world.
"Cate..?"
The Caterpie tilted its head and looked at Mark with some confusion.
Since ten minutes ago, Mark had been acting a bit strange.
Mark's scent was still the same, but the expression on his face was something the Caterpie had never seen before. And just a little while ago, Mark had been whispering something—something the previous Mark couldn't do.
What had happened?
The Caterpie didn't think too long about it. The red Y-shaped tentacles on its head trembled slightly, and it detected a sweet fragrance.
The Y-shaped tentacles on Caterpie's head could not only release pungent odors to ward off enemies but also served as its sensory organ.
"Hiss, hiss!"
The Caterpie showed an excited expression, its four spherical forelimbs waving as it tried to share its discovery with Mark.
Mark looked at the movement of the Caterpie and guessed, "You mean, you found food?"
"Hiss!"
The Caterpie nodded continuously, then quickly crawled toward the forest, with Mark following close behind.
The Caterpie looked back from time to time to ensure that Mark was still following it. Once it confirmed that he was, it gradually picked up speed.
As they traveled together, Mark once again opened the Royal Beast Master's game panel in his mind.
---
**[Mark]**
**Occupation:** Beast Master
**Experience:** 1%
**Points:** 1
**Royal Beast:** Caterpie
---
"I didn't think much about it just now. Is this point a skill point? Or is it for leveling up?"
While pondering, Mark clicked on the panel with his mind and suddenly discovered something.
When he focused on himself or the Caterpie, a submenu appeared, displaying more information.
---
**[Mark]**
**Beast Control Talent:** None
**Beast Control Skill:** None
**Special Talent:** Strong physique (+), Poison Resistance (+)
---
There were no Beast Control talents or skills, but he had two special talents.
When he continued to focus on these two talents with his mind, further explanations appeared.
---
**[Strong physique ]:** Physically robust, with a constitution far superior to that of others. (Can be strengthened)
**[Toxin Resistance]:** Has a certain resistance to toxins, reducing damage from them. (Can be strengthened)
---
These two talents, Mark guessed, came with his new body.
Being able to survive like a weed in a state of neglect and mental abnormality was likely due to his physical fitness and talent.
As for toxin resistance, it might be connected to the vague memory of him eating garbage, unknown wild fruits, and even possibly poisonous mushrooms in the wild.
Without dwelling too much on his own panel, Mark continued to examine Caterpie's panel.
---
**[Caterpie]**
**Five-Dimensional Potential:**
**Strength:** F (+)
**Body:** F- (+)
**Agility:** F+ (+)
**Spirit:** E
**Perception:** E+
**Characteristic:** Unawakened
**Special Talent:** Evolution
**Skills:** Tackle (+), String Shot (+)
---
"If I remember correctly, the six dimensions in Pokémon games are HP, Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed. The game panel of the Royal Beast Master seems to have simplified it into five dimensions?"
"Strength should be Attack, Body should be HP, then Agility, Spirit... Spirit probably relates to Special Attack, and Perception isn't reflected in Pokémon games but could be useful in the real world, helping to sense danger or something."
"As for the characteristics of Caterpie, this panel shows that it hasn't awakened yet."
"I remember in the Pokémon game, Caterpie should have two possible abilities: [Shield Dust] and [Run Away]. Every Caterpie naturally awakens one of them."
"The former prevents secondary effects from moves like [Flamethrower], which might otherwise burn the target. The latter, [Run Away], ensures successful escape in wild battles..."
"So... in this real world, do Pokémon characteristics not awaken naturally?"
Mark pondered, not lingering too long on the characteristics of Caterpie. He continued to examine the special abilities and skills listed on the panel.
"It seems that the evolution of Pokémon is regarded as a special talent by this game panel."
"[Tackle] and [String Shot] haven't changed much. In the Pokémon game, every Caterpie is born with these two moves."
Mark then mentally focused on the two skills, Tackle and String Shot, and detailed information about them appeared before him.
---
**[Tackle]:** Slam your body into the opponent to attack. (Can be strengthened)
**[String Shot]:** Spit out silk to wrap around the target. (Can be strengthened)
---
He stared at the game panel for a while.
Mark lightly squeezed his chin and said, "It looks like the (+) sign next to some abilities indicates that I can use points to strengthen that ability.
I have one initial point, which I can use to strengthen Caterpie's five-dimensional potential, its skills, or even myself.
Now, how should I spend this point..."
---
Chapter 3: 1,149,620 Tackles!
At present, Mark only had one point available, and he didn't intend to use it to strengthen himself.
In the world of Pokémon, it's essential to strengthen your Pokémon first. Wasting points on the trainer is impractical. Besides, attributes like physical strength or poison resistance aren't useful to him at the moment.
He also wasn't planning to enhance Caterpie's five-dimensional potential.
The reason was simple.
Caterpie's five-dimensional scores were either F or E, and the spirit and perception scores of E couldn't be strengthened. Investing points in such low potential would be fruitless, at least for him right now.
Whether it was an F or E score, it was essentially a poor score. Upgrading from F to F+ wouldn't make much difference.
So, the only two options left to strengthen were [String Shot] and [Tackle].
[String Shot] is a long-range ability where the Pokémon spits out silk from its mouth. In the real world, the effect of [String Shot] isn't limited to just slowing down the opponent as in the game; there are many ways to utilize it, including setting traps.
However, in the real world, insects can't spit silk after they evolve into butterflies. Mark wasn't sure if Caterpie could continue using [String Shot] after evolving like in the Pokémon games.
If in this world, Caterpie couldn't use silk after evolving, then it would be a waste of points to strengthen [String Shot].
On the other hand, [Tackle] is the most straightforward attack move in Pokémon. The simpler the ability, the more reliable it can be in critical moments.
Although Butterfree's special attack stat is much stronger than its physical attack after evolution, and strengthening [Tackle] might seem pointless, Mark didn't have better options. He couldn't just save the points indefinitely, waiting for Caterpie to evolve.
Naturally, the sooner the points are used, the better. This will also allow him to understand the mechanics of adding points earlier. After some thought, Mark decided to strengthen Caterpie's [Tackle] and did so immediately.
"Caterpie, I'm going to strengthen your [Tackle] move!" Mark shouted to Caterpie, who was climbing up a fruit tree.
Caterpie, now at the top of the tree, turned its head in confusion and looked down at Mark, who was smiling up at it.
As long as Caterpie could remember, Mark was always smiling.
But the smile Caterpie remembered was one of a fool, whereas the smile Mark showed now wasn't foolish at all; in fact, it made him look quite handsome.
Hum—
As Caterpie pondered why Mark looked so handsome, a strange buzzing erupted in its mind.
Distracted, Caterpie fell from the fruit tree. Mark rushed forward and caught it in his arms.
"After adding the points, why did Caterpie faint? Its body doesn't seem to have changed at all..." Mark murmured to himself, quickly flipping through the system panel.
Then...
Hum—
The same buzzing sound that had struck Caterpie also hit Mark's mind, and soon, his body staggered, and he too passed out...
---
Blue sky, white clouds, grasslands, forests...
Mark didn't know when he woke up from the coma, but everything looked the same.
He walked through the forest with Caterpie and soon found a clearing that seemed familiar.
In the center of the clearing stood a massive, dried, and rotten tree stump.
Caterpie followed him obediently, waving its forelimbs energetically as if it sensed his gaze.
Mark nodded slightly and said, "Caterpie, today we are going to practice [Tackle]!"
"Hiss!" Caterpie nodded obediently.
Mark lightly stroked his chin, saying, "[Tackle], as the name suggests, involves using all of your strength to hit the opponent, causing significant damage. I don't fully understand the specifics.
However, I'm a writer from a small town, and I have some basic knowledge. I'll try to analyze it.
To increase the power of [Tackle], I believe that the strength of the body should be condensed into one force, focused on a single point, and then used to attack the opponent.
Additionally, when using [Tackle], you must put in all your effort, but you shouldn't exert your full strength. You need to leave some reserve power to adapt after the impact."
Caterpie listened intently to Mark's words, though its expression was somewhat confused, as if it didn't fully grasp what he was saying.
Mark smiled, "It's okay if you don't understand everything. No matter how much you think about it, practice is better. Let me demonstrate first, and you can mimic my movements."
Boom!
Boom!
Mark and Caterpie took turns tackling the stump.
Mark murmured, "My demonstration wasn't quite right. It seems we'll have to figure out this move together..."
"Hiss! Hiss!"
Mark chuckled, "Let's keep going!"
One man and one Pokémon continued tackling the stump from sunrise to sunset, eventually collapsing in exhaustion beside the stump.
"Caterpie, we'll continue tomorrow!"
"Hiss!"
The moon set, the sun rose, and another day began.
Mark and Caterpie resumed tackling the stump.
One day...
Another day...
Even during a massive rainstorm, neither Mark nor Caterpie stopped; they kept tackling the tree stump.
As time passed, the weather grew colder, the trees in the forest began to wither, and golden leaves fell.
Despite the falling temperature, as snow began to drift from the sky, they continued practicing.
As Caterpie became more proficient in tackling, Mark no longer needed to demonstrate. He simply practiced alongside Caterpie, offering guidance when necessary.
Then spring came, and everything revived.
Summer arrived, bringing an unusual number of torrential rains.
Before they knew it, autumn had returned.
The seasons changed, but one thing remained constant: Mark and Caterpie continued practicing [Tackle].
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The rhythmic sound of impacts continued.
In the clearing, Mark seemed deep in thought, analyzing the recent tackles.
Caterpie should have been continuously tackling the stump, but it suddenly stopped, dazed.
"Hiss! Hiss!"
Caterpie jumped up, seemingly having realized something, and looked excited.
Mark turned to see Caterpie rushing toward the stump again!
Caterpie focused all its strength, condensing it into a single point, and a strange warmth surged from its muscles and blood...
Boom!!
This was a completely different [Tackle]. Caterpie shot forward like a cannonball, crashing into the stump with immense force. Pieces of dead wood flew everywhere as dust filled the air...
---
The dense wood dust obscured Mark's vision. He strained to see Caterpie, who had completed the [Tackle], but his sight grew increasingly blurry.
Then Mark woke up.
Not only Mark, but also Caterpie, who was nestled in his arms, awoke.
Mark's mouth hung open slightly, the memory of practicing [Tackle] feeling like a dream, yet it was astonishingly vivid, even clearer than his own memories. He could clearly recall the time spent practicing with Caterpie, even the exact number of tackles.
He had trained with Caterpie for three years, five months, and twenty-seven days, completing a total of 1,149,620 tackles!
Caterpie crawled out of Mark's arms.
Both Mark and Caterpie remembered the countless hours spent practicing [Tackle].
However, Caterpie seemed more confused about the situation.
Hadn't it just been climbing a tree to pick fruit?
So why did it suddenly have memories of practicing [Tackle] with its trainer for such a long time?
Was it a dream?
But what was this warm sensation that still lingered in its body?
Caterpie tilted its head, dazed as it stared at the fruit tree in front of it, rubbing its head with its forelimbs in confusion.
Eventually, it decided to test things out.
Caterpie took a few steps back and began to focus its energy. It recalled the key point of [Tackle], condensing its strength into a single point, and felt that familiar warmth surge through its body...
Whoosh—
Like a green bullet, Caterpie shot forward and slammed into the fruit tree!
Boom!!
With a violent crash, the tree, thick as a barrel, snapped in half!
Caterpie stood by the fallen tree, rubbing its head with its feet. The impact's recoil left it a bit dizzy. Besides, it still didn't fully understand what had just happened, its mind in a whirl.
-
Chapter 4: [Tackle Training Method]
Beside the broken fruit tree, Mark still had a bewildered expression on his face when he suddenly heard a muffled grunt.
"Huh?"
Caterpie raised its head, and the Y-shaped red antennae on its forehead twitched, searching for the source of the muffled sound.
Scanning in all directions but finding nothing, Caterpie lowered its head and looked at its twitching and wriggling abdomen.
There was another thunderous grunt.
Without giving Caterpie any time to think further, a strong sense of hunger surged from its abdomen.
Although it had been with Mark for many years, and they were often hungry together, this was the first time that Caterpie had felt such a strong sense of hunger. It felt like it could even eat a mountain.
It wasn't just Caterpie feeling this way—Mark, who wasn't far away, also felt a similar hunger.
After waking up from his dream, he didn't feel anything at first, but soon, the hunger became unbearable.
Fortunately, food wasn't far away.
The hungry duo—one human and one Pokémon—rushed to the fruit tree at the same time and began feasting.
The fruit was shaped like a mango, with a similar taste and texture, though the peel was thinner, and the core was spherical instead of flat.
Mark tried to peel the fruit the first time he ate it, assuming it needed to be peeled like a mango. But as he grew hungrier, he simply ate the peel along with the fruit. Although the peel was a bit astringent, he was too hungry to care.
Caterpie, however, ate even more thoroughly. While Mark only ate the fruit with the skin, Caterpie devoured the entire fruit, pulp, and core, only spitting out the core fragments like watermelon seeds.
Time passed.
Mark had eaten dozens of fruits in a row.
While his hunger had subsided somewhat, it wasn't completely gone. Mark also began to ponder why both he and Caterpie were so ravenous.
"From the looks of it, the dream-like experience after allocating points must have consumed a lot of our energy, and now we need to replenish it... Huh, Caterpie, you seem to have grown a lot bigger…"
Mark turned to look at Caterpie.
Caterpie, a small Bug-type Pokémon, usually ranged between 30 cm and 50 cm. Mark's Caterpie was about 40 cm in length, considered average.
But now, it had grown to nearly half a meter—definitely on the larger side for a Caterpie.
"Huh?"
Hearing Mark's words, Caterpie looked down at its body, puzzled. It too noticed that it had grown bigger.
But the doubt didn't last long—the hunger in its belly was too intense, and it soon returned to gobbling up fruit.
It was clear that Caterpie was even hungrier than Mark.
Mark stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It seems that the added points have a bigger impact on Caterpie than on me, so it needs more nutrients…"
He looked down at his stomach. He had eaten dozens of fruits, yet his stomach was only slightly swollen.
The same was true for Caterpie—no noticeable changes in its abdomen.
And yet, Caterpie had eaten at least a hundred fruits.
The pile of core fragments it had spit out was a small mountain. The number of fruits consumed far exceeded Caterpie's body weight.
However, when Mark gently lifted Caterpie, it didn't feel any heavier.
"There's no doubt that this is because of the added points…"
Mark murmured to himself, opening up Caterpie's system panel.
---
[Caterpie]
[Five-dimensional Potential:]
[Strength: F] [Body: F-] [Agility: F+] [Spirit: E] [Perception: E+]
[Characteristic: Unawakened]
[Special Ability: Evolution]
[Skills: Tackle (Charged Attack), String Shot]
---
As Mark had guessed before adding points, after using them, the (+) behind the five-dimensional potential and skills had disappeared.
With the points exhausted, no more could be added.
Caterpie's Tackle skill, after being enhanced, had become [Tackle (Charged Attack)].
"After adding points, an affix was generated within [Tackle], which describes a powerful attack after charging… referring to a strong attack after gathering force?"
Mark murmured softly, focusing his thoughts on the description of [Tackle (Charged Attack)].
---
[Tackle (Charged Attack): The body's strength is condensed into a single point, and this point is used to hit the target. Because some power is conserved during the Tackle, both the accuracy of the attack and the skill connection afterward are improved. The downside is that the attack requires charging beforehand. If used hastily, the impact power is greatly reduced.]
---
Reading the description, Mark was taken aback.
It wasn't that the description was wrong—it was that the description matched exactly what he and Caterpie had practiced in the dream for over three years.
He had taught Caterpie to condense its strength into a single point and use that to strike, leaving some power in reserve for follow-up actions.
This theory of Tackle had been the foundation of their training.
"The strengthening of this skill… it's like the result of our training in the dream…"
Three and a half years of training memories flashed through Mark's mind like a slideshow.
He looked at Caterpie, still devouring the fruit, then walked to the broken part of the fruit tree nearby. He touched the splintered wood, bits of sawdust sticking to his fingers.
The memory of Caterpie's Tackle replayed in his mind.
Aside from the power of breaking through with precision, the strength behind the Tackle was undoubtedly something he had taught Caterpie.
Mark frowned, pondering for a moment, then continued to browse Caterpie's system panel. Suddenly, something caught his eye, and he switched to the main page and his own profile.
---
[Mark]
[Occupation: Beast Master]
[Experience: 4%]
[Points: None]
[Royal Beast: Caterpie]
---
[Mark]
[Beast Master Talent: None]
[Beast Master Skill: Tackle Training Method (Charged Attack)]
[Special: Strong Body, Toxin Resistance]
---
The information on the system panel was clear, revealing two significant changes.
First, his experience value on the main panel had increased from 1% to 4%.
Second, his Beast Master skills were no longer empty. Now, they included [Tackle Training Method (Charged Attack)].
Curious, Mark clicked on the detailed information of [Tackle Training Method (Charged Attack)].
---
[Tackle Training Method (Charged Attack): You can teach the target the Tackle skill and increase the target's training efficiency. There's a certain probability that the target can learn the Charged Attack variation.]
---
"This is exactly the method I used to train Caterpie in the dream. I just copied the method from the dream to train the Pokémon. Why did it become a Beast Master skill? And is this skill even necessary?"
Mark spoke to himself, feeling a strange sense of realization...
--
Chapter 5: Ways to Increase Experience
The reason Mark's eyes widened was simple—he had just discovered why the skill [Tackle Training Method (charged Attack)] appeared on his system panel.
It wasn't merely about understanding the principles of training and teaching Pokémon; it felt as though he had actually acquired a new skill—like mastering a supernatural ability.
Mark walked over to the Caterpie, which was still munching on fruit nearby, and gently placed his hand on its head. A strange warmth flowed from his mind to his palm and into the Caterpie's mind.
"Hiss?"
The Caterpie looked up at Mark, confused. As Mark's hand touched its head, a flood of images filled the Caterpie's mind, revealing detailed techniques about performing Tackle. The clarity and depth of these insights far surpassed what it had learned in its previous dream. Not only was Mark's teaching clearer, but the principles behind Tackle were now easier to grasp, leading to new revelations.
The Caterpie felt an overwhelming urge to practice immediately, but its hunger still gnawed at it. It looked up at Mark and chirped, "Hiss, hiss!"
Mark withdrew his hand and smiled. "You mean you need to eat first, then practice Tackle afterward?"
"Hiss!" The Caterpie nodded enthusiastically and resumed eating, even faster than before.
Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. So far, the mystery of why he and Caterpie felt so hungry after enhancing their abilities was solved. It wasn't just because of their shared dream experience—it was due to their physical bodies growing stronger, requiring more nutrients.
The Caterpie had improved its Tackle move, and Mark had gained the ability to teach Pokémon. It was like a "buy one, get one free" deal. Enhancing the Pokémon's skills had inadvertently given him a Beast Master ability. Now, he wondered if this process could be replicated. If it could...
"I still need to experiment. If I'm right, when the experience bar reaches 100%, I'll gain a new point."
"As for how to increase experience, I haven't figured out the exact method yet, but I know it's possible. There must be some pattern to it, considering my experience has grown from 1% to 4%."
Mark's thoughts trailed off as he made another observation—the experience points on the system panel were still rising. Yes, they were increasing.
A small experience bar beneath the points was moving upward. When Mark focused on it, he magnified the bar fifty times and saw it slowly inching forward.
The pattern was clear: the experience bar had a rhythmic rise, pausing every few seconds before continuing its slow climb.
This rhythm...
Mark, deep in thought, walked over to the Caterpie and gently held the fruit it was about to eat.
"Hiss?"
"Just a moment... Okay, you can continue."
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
"Yeah, once you're full, we'll practice Tackle!"
"Hiss!"
The Caterpie struck a pose as if gathering strength, then continued devouring the fruit.
Mark observed the changes in the experience bar and raised an eyebrow. If his theory was correct, the reason the experience bar was rising was because of the Caterpie's eating. As it absorbed nutrients from the fruit, the experience bar gradually increased.
The pauses in the experience bar's rise corresponded to when the Caterpie stopped to spit out the fruit's core. So, what if he ate along with it?
Curious, Mark grabbed a few fruits and started eating them in large bites. As he expected, his experience bar increased slightly faster.
Mark continued his tests, pulling out some nearby weeds. Although calling them weeds was a bit of a stretch—Mark had eaten these before when he and Caterpie were desperate to stave off hunger.
These weeds resembled leeks in shape and tasted like water spinach, though with a bitter edge. Mark chewed and swallowed, all the while watching the experience bar.
Eating the weeds did cause a slight increase in his experience bar, but it was nowhere near as effective as eating the fruit. This meant different foods offered varying levels of experience, with more nutritious options providing higher gains.
Mark spent some time eating various types of weeds to further test his theory.
---
Hours later, the fruit tree that had been damaged by the Caterpie were nearly stripped bare, and the Caterpie was finally full.
Having consumed hundreds of fruits, the Caterpie had grown again. It had already reached half a meter in length before, making it a large Caterpie, but now it had grown to around 65 centimeters—a size rarely seen in the wild.
After these hours of eating, the experience bar had also increased to 12%. But now, the rapid rise had slowed down.
Mark estimated that if he and Caterpie maintained their normal eating habits, it would take about two to three months to fill the experience bar to 100%.
While this speed wasn't exactly slow, it wasn't fast either. To speed up the process, they'd need to increase their food intake and possibly engage in more physical activity to accelerate the body's consumption of energy.
Another option was to capture new Pokémon and make them part of his team. However, Mark still didn't know how to add new Pokémon to his roster...
"I wonder if using a Poké Ball to catch a Pokémon would work..."
"Hiss, hiss!"
Mark's thoughts were interrupted by the Caterpie's eager chirping. It was brimming with energy and raring to practice Tackle.
Mark grinned. "Alright, but considering your current power, it's not ideal to use trees as targets anymore. Let me think..."
As memories flashed through his mind, Mark recalled a place.
"I remember there's a pile of rocks near the village. Those should be better for practicing Tackle. But rocks are much harder than wood; it might hurt when you hit them. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Hiss!!"
The Caterpie gave an enthusiastic reply and immediately dashed toward the path leading to the rock pile. It seemed the Caterpie also remembered the location.
"Hiss!"
The Caterpie looked back, realizing Mark hadn't followed yet. It urged him to hurry. Mark shook his head, quickly catching up with the Caterpie, and together they headed toward the rocks for training.
---
Chapter 6: The Training Continues
**Boom! Boom!**
In the rocky area, Caterpie resumed its practice of the **Tackle** move. Compared to its training in the dream, Caterpie had now mastered the technique of building momentum before attacking. Each **Tackle** was now as powerful as a small cannon shot.
Caterpie's expression remained serious, unwavering in its focus. The three and a half years of training flashed in Mark's mind. In those memories, Caterpie was just as dedicated, tirelessly tackling over and over again.
Mark sighed, saying, "Caterpie, you remind me of myself back then... Relentlessly working on problems in that tiny rented room."
**"Hiss?"**
Caterpie turned back, puzzled, looking at Mark with a questioning expression. It seemed to understand Mark's words but couldn't grasp the meaning behind them. Hadn't Mark spent the past few years wandering around the village with it? When had they ever worked on any problems?
And what exactly were "problems"?
Mark approached the confused Caterpie, reaching out to touch its head, gently rubbing the swollen spot where it had hit the stone. The swelling wasn't too bad.
"I transmigrated years ago. I'm a Transmigrator. I only regained my memories a few hours ago, which explains why I've been so clueless all these years... You're asking what transmigration is? It means traveling from one world to another. And soul wear... Well, that's when your soul moves to a different body. But you don't understand what a soul is, do you? Ah, explaining this is so complicated..."
Mark continued trying to explain to the bewildered Caterpie, even gesturing with his hands, but he couldn't seem to make it clear. Finally, he shook his head in frustration.
Mark sighed, "Forget it. You haven't been exposed to some of these terms. You'll probably understand in time. Let's continue practicing your tackling."
Caterpie tilted its head, thinking for a moment, then nodded. **"Hiss!"**
Suddenly, Mark remembered something and stopped Caterpie from continuing. "By the way, Caterpie, your momentum-based attacks have improved significantly. We've reached our initial goal, and the power is already quite good."
"But I think it's time to move to the next stage. The way you build up momentum for your attacks now, although quick, could be a fatal flaw in real battles."
Caterpie tilted its head, still confused.
"How do I explain this..." Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Caterpie, have you ever heard the saying, 'The best martial arts in the world can't beat speed'?"
**"Hiss?"**
Mark continued, "Take your tackle, for example. Your attack power is there, but it's useless if you can't land a hit on your opponent. Imagine tackling 10,000 times but never hitting your target—no matter how strong the tackle, it won't matter!"
"So, in our next practice, let's focus on shortening the time it takes to build momentum. The faster you can start your attack, the better."
"Instead of talking too much, try hitting the rock with your fastest speed right now."
**"Hiss!"**
Caterpie nodded and immediately launched itself toward the same stone it had been practicing on.
**Boom!**
The sound of the impact was much smaller than before. Caterpie was knocked back two meters by the force, landing somewhat unsteadily. Overall, compared to a normal **Tackle**, Caterpie's attack was stronger in both power and speed, but it wasn't enough.
Mark shook his head slightly. "The speed of the attack is indeed faster than a normal tackle, but it's not fast enough, and the impact's power is clearly lacking. We need to improve it..."
As Mark spoke, he placed his hand on Caterpie's head, using the **Tackle Training Method** of the Royal Beast Master to transmit his insights into Caterpie's mind.
Soon, Caterpie resumed tackling the stone.
In this rocky area, Mark recalled seeing the occasional Geodude or Diglett in his memories. Today, perhaps due to the noise from Caterpie's powerful tackles, no Pokémon appeared.
Mark didn't dwell on this. He focused on observing Caterpie's tackle, noting its shortcomings and giving pointers. Occasionally, he opened the Royal Beast Master's system panel to explore any undiscovered features.
And then, Mark found something unexpected.
—The experience bar on the system panel was increasing.
"Caterpie, stop for a moment..."
**"Hiss?"**
"Alright, you can continue."
As Caterpie resumed its tackling, Mark noticed the experience bar rising again.
That's right—experience points weren't just gained from eating. Caterpie's tackling practice was also increasing its experience.
This experience-gaining mechanism reminded Mark of the "Elder Scrolls" games he played before he transmigrated. In those games, experience wasn't just gained by defeating enemies but also by practicing skills in various aspects of combat and life.
Mark realized the Royal Beast Master system had a similar mechanism.
—As long as he and his Pokémon performed actions that helped them grow, they would gain experience.
For example, eating with Caterpie allowed the nutrients from the food to be absorbed, leading to growth and experience gain. Caterpie's constant tackle practice also contributed to its growth, thus earning experience.
With this in mind, Mark decided to get more involved.
While guiding Caterpie, he occasionally offered suggestions and used the **Tackle Training Method** to transfer insights to Caterpie's mind.
The result? The experience gain rate increased even more.
Practicing with Caterpie significantly boosted their experience gain compared to when Caterpie practiced alone. Although the experience gain was slower than eating, the benefits were long-term. After all, neither Mark nor Caterpie could eat continuously.
Mark smiled, realizing he had found a way to accelerate experience gain.
The method was simple: practice **Tackle** diligently, expend as much energy as possible to gain experience, make themselves hungrier, then eat more food to replenish energy and gain even more experience. With enough energy, they could practice **Tackle** more, leading to even more experience gain and energy expenditure. The cycle would continue, increasing their experience gain speed.
If Mark had initially estimated it would take two to three months to fill the experience bar, he now believed it could be done in just over a month.
With this in mind, Mark put aside all distractions and focused on practicing **Tackle** with Caterpie in the rocky area.
Time passed slowly.
The sun began to set, and when Mark felt hungry again and was about to head into the forest with Caterpie to find food, they heard some noisy voices.
Mark and Caterpie stopped practicing and listened carefully.
Soon, several children returned from the forest, running noisily towards them...
----------
Chapter 7: Gym League and Ability Awakening Test
A group of children, possibly around twelve or thirteen years old, stood together. One child, wearing a black T-shirt, stood out from the others, who were dressed as young bug catchers in white vests and shorts, each holding a net bag and an insect cage.
Two of the children had a red and white Poké Ball hanging from their waists, and next to them was a brown-yellow Bug-type Pokémon with silver horns on its head.
It was a Weedle, the original form of the popular Beedrill.
In Mark's memory, he had almost no interactions with the other children in the village. This time was no different.
The young bug catchers had run over when they saw him from a distance, probably thinking he was a fellow villager. However, upon realizing it was him—the boy who often wandered around the village aimlessly—they ignored him, chatted amongst themselves, and continued walking toward the village, quickly leaving him behind.
Mark and the Caterpie stood there for a while, then followed the direction the young bug catchers had taken.
Mark overheard some unfamiliar words from their conversation.
As they walked, Mark looked at the Caterpie and asked, "What's this Gym League in the Fallen Leaf Province? Isn't this supposed to be Kanto?"
"Hiss?"
The Caterpie tilted its head and looked at Mark, wearing the same puzzled expression.
Mark mused to himself, "Whether it's Caterpie, Rattata, Pidgey, or Weedle, they're all common Pokémon in the Kanto region. Since they call this place Fallen Leaf Province, the area must be extensive. If it's the same world, how could they not know about Kanto? Is this an alternate Pokémon world?"
In the end, it didn't matter whether it was the Pokémon world or not. After all, he couldn't remember much about the Pokémon series he watched when he was younger.
The important thing was, what was this Gym League?
A Gym League—could it be like a league formed by gyms around the world, similar to basketball and football clubs?
Mark continued to look at the Caterpie.
"Hiss."
The Caterpie spread its four forelimbs, shook its head, and made a gesture that it didn't know.
The Caterpie genuinely didn't know. It had hardly had any contact with other humans besides Mark, and Mark had been in a daze these past years, so he knew little about the human world.
One boy and one bug followed the young bug catchers from a distance as they walked toward the village.
Soon, Mark and the Caterpie began to hear more noise. As they approached the village, they saw a dense crowd.
"Hiss, hiss!"
The Caterpie seemed to remember something and gestured to Mark with its feet.
Mark asked curiously, "Square thing, pictures inside... do you mean the TV?"
"Hiss!"
The Caterpie nodded repeatedly.
It had heard people mention the word TV, and when wandering with Mark in the village, it had seen one from a distance several times.
However, the TV was always surrounded by people, and it was too hot to get close. The Caterpie didn't know exactly what a TV was.
With the Caterpie's description, Mark recalled some vague memories.
If he were to describe it, it was somewhat similar to the world before he transmigrated to the 1940s and 1960s. At that time, televisions were rare. When a family owned a TV, neighbors and villagers would gather to watch it.
The TVs in the village were about twenty-five inches with color screens. A long pole was erected next to the TV, holding the antenna.
At this time, the TV was placed on a built-up table so more people could see it.
Mark squeezed forward with the Caterpie.
Perhaps because he was considered a fool, the villagers didn't say much when they saw him pushing through. Some even made way for him.
It didn't take long for him to find a good spot. Although the angle was a bit tilted, he could clearly see the TV screen and hear the commentary.
On the TV, a battle between a Charizard and a Rhydon was being broadcasted.
According to the commentator, the Rock Gym in Sanshan Town and the Fire Gym in Barre Town were competing.
The flames of the Charizard on the TV screen kept spewing, and it looked powerful, but according to the commentator, Rhydon seemed to have the upper hand.
The villagers around the TV cheered for Rhydon, sometimes shouting happily and other times shaking their heads regretfully when they missed an opportunity.
Mark listened to the villagers' discussions and cheers and quickly picked up on what was happening.
The reason why the villagers cheered for Rhydon wasn't that they liked Rhydon or its trainer, but because Qini Village, where they lived, was an affiliated village of Sanshan Town.
The villagers were supporting their hometown gym.
As Mark continued to listen to the villagers' conversations, he gradually understood what the Gym League was.
As he had guessed before, the Gym League was similar to a football or basketball league.
Usually, each gym would send seven players for up to five games.
The order of the competition was singles, doubles, singles, doubles, singles.
The winner was determined by who won three out of five rounds. Each match was a 6v6, where each team sent out six Pokémon to battle. Although there was no strict rule, the host would generally appear in the final singles match, also known as the host duel.
The battle currently being broadcasted on TV was the third match between the two gyms.
The current score was 2-0, with Sanshan Town Gym leading. If nothing unexpected happened, this match would likely end in a crushing victory for Sanshan Town Gym.
Not far from Mark, the bug-catching teenagers also squeezed near the TV and started arguing. They seemed to be complaining about a companion wasting time, causing them to miss the exciting moments of the first two matches.
Mark suddenly noticed something and looked at the Caterpie on his shoulder. At that moment, the Caterpie was watching the TV screen intently.
Seeing what the Caterpie was thinking, Mark scratched the Caterpie's antennae and said, "Do you want to participate in a competition like the one on TV?"
"Hiss!"
The Caterpie froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
Mark smiled, "There will be a chance."
They were in a Pokémon world now. Even if he didn't have the Beast Master system, he would find a way to become a trainer. And to become a trainer, battles and competitions were inevitable.
Mark didn't have to wait long before the battle on TV reached its climax.
The Charizard found the right moment and launched a sneak attack. It flew into the sky with Rhydon and smashed Rhydon heavily to the ground. The move was a spectacular "Seismic Toss," creating a huge crater on the ground. The villagers of Qini, who were cheering under the TV, suddenly fell silent.
But just when everyone thought it was over, Rhydon, who seemed to be on the verge of collapse, suddenly exploded with energy. It rushed at Charizard unexpectedly and used a powerful "Explosion," bringing down Charizard with it.
The villagers cheered uncontrollably, their voices drowning out the sound from the TV.
In the final match between Solrock and Torkoal, the Sanshan Gymnasium also won amidst the cheers of the crowd, ultimately defeating the Barre Town Gym 3-0.
Although the Rock-type's advantage over the Fire-type played a role, the fact that Sanshan Town Gym completely swept the competition was a testament to its strength.
After the match, the villagers slowly dispersed.
In this poor mountainous area, lacking entertainment facilities, such competitive events were thrilling. Both adults and children were discussing the match and looking forward to the next broadcast.
Not long after the broadcast ended, a dignified old man picked up a loudspeaker and called everyone back.
Mark recognized the old man from his memories. He would often wave at Mark and the Caterpie and give them some food, but they didn't often cross paths in the village.
The old man announced that they had just received a notice: the Alliance Commissioner of Fallen Leaf Province had temporarily changed their itinerary and would be arriving soon. He urged all households participating in the ability awakening test to prepare, as there wouldn't be a second chance.
The crowd stirred.
Mark didn't know anything about the ability awakening test from the crowd's commotion, nor did the Caterpie. However, he learned the old man's identity from the villagers' conversations.
The old man was the village head of Qini Village. His surname was Roy. The villagers didn't mention his first name, and Mark didn't know it either.
Village Head Roy hastily directed several villagers to tidy up the high platform where the TV was located, announcing that the qualification test would be conducted there shortly. He urged the villagers participating in the test to bring their children as soon as possible, then left in a hurry.
About ten minutes later, there was another commotion among the villagers.
The previously stern village head now wore a smile as he led a middle-aged Alliance official in a white uniform to the stage. At the same time, he instructed the villagers to bring the children who were to participate in the ability awakening test...
---
Chapter 8: Village Chief, How Can I Become a Trainer?
Soon, the old village chief and the alliance commissioner, Shiro Cho, began their discussion.
Mark listened attentively and learned about the Ability Awakening Test from their conversation.
In the Pokémon world, some humans possess special abilities. These include Psychic powers, Aura, Dragon's power, the Viridian power, and more. Similarly, people in this world have even more types of abilities, like controlling earth, water, wind, and fire. Some renowned gyms have developed methods to cultivate these powers, such as the Heart Flame technique from the Hake City Fire Gym in Fallen Leaf Province.
The purpose of the Ability Awakening Test is to identify qualified children and provide them with better training.
According to Shiro Cho, children between the ages of ten and fourteen are most suited for this test.
On the makeshift platform, Shiro Cho glanced at the gathered villagers and turned to the village chief of Qni Village. "It's about time, Chief Roy. Let's begin the awakening test."
Chief Roy nodded repeatedly. "Sure, shall I fetch a table or something?"
Shiro Cho waved his hand dismissively.
"No need, we can start right away."
As he spoke, Shiro Cho opened a black metal suitcase and took out a peculiar silver hexahedron. With a few touches, blue fluorescent lines flickered, and the hexahedron unfolded, releasing a blue light ball that floated gently in midair.
Shiro Cho briefly checked the activation of the Awakening Ball, then turned his gaze towards the dozen or so children standing nearby.
"Are these the only eligible children in Qni Village, Chief Roy?" he asked, frowning slightly.
Chief Roy replied nervously, "I've been counting the list for two months. These are the seventeen children we have. Is the number too small? Will that affect the test?"
Shiro Cho shook his head. "No, it's just that the Awakening Ball can be used on up to twenty children each time. If there are fewer, it still consumes the energy for twenty. But since we're already here, let's proceed. Just tell the children to stay calm."
Chief Roy immediately approached the children, instructing them to relax.
Seeing that the children were ready, Chief Roy turned back to inform Shiro Cho, but unexpectedly locked eyes with Mark in the crowd, momentarily stunned.
Mark, noticing the village chief's gaze, felt a bit puzzled. He had no idea why Chief Roy was looking at him.
Due to the noise around him, Mark couldn't hear the conversation between Chief Roy and Shiro Cho. All he saw was Chief Roy approaching the alliance official, talking to him for a moment, and then both men looking at him with surprised expressions.
On the platform, Shiro Cho asked in disbelief, "You said that young man is only thirteen?"
"Yes," Chief Roy explained. "His mind may not be fully developed, but he is definitely thirteen, maybe even younger. You might recall the chaotic Pokémon wave ten years ago. This child survived that catastrophe. He was only two or three years old then."
Shiro Cho looked at Mark with a hint of pity, nodded slightly, and said, "A survivor of that disaster... Let him participate in the awakening test as well."
Mark was becoming increasingly confused. He had no idea why Shiro Cho and Chief Roy were so focused on him.
Then, Chief Roy waved to Mark, holding a green fruit as if to entice him to come over.
When Mark didn't move, Chief Roy stepped off the stage, took Mark by the arm, and led him to join the group of children.
Shiro Cho noticed Chief Roy trying to remove the Caterpie from Mark's shoulder and intervened. "No need. The Awakening Ball won't affect Pokémon, and there won't be any adverse reactions. Just leave the Caterpie on his shoulder."
With that reassurance, Chief Roy stepped back, and Shiro Cho activated the Awakening Ball.
A stream of blue light enveloped the seventeen children, including Mark.
It was only then that Mark realized he had become part of the Ability Awakening Test.
But isn't this only for children?
As Mark pondered, a strange sensation washed over him.
The blue light was soft and warm, nourishing his spirit and making him feel invigorated. Beyond that...
Mark focused on his Beast Master panel with his mind.
---
**[Mark]**
**[Occupation: Beast Master]**
**[Experience: 13%]**
**[Points: None]**
**[Royal Beast: Caterpie]**
---
Under the blue fluorescence of the Awakening Ball, his experience rose from 12% to 13% and continued to climb rapidly.
13%, 15%, 19%, 24%, 32%...
His progress increased by the second.
Just as Mark wondered how far his experience would go, he heard a buzzing sound behind him.
Turning slightly, he saw a boy floating in the air, surrounded by sand and pebbles.
Shiro Cho raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his face. "It seems he's awakened Psychic powers. The potential is uncertain, but it's promising."
While Shiro Cho remained calm, Chief Roy was overjoyed, clenching his fists to keep from laughing out loud.
"Well done, Liner Luke! Well done!"
In the crowd, Liner Luke's parents were in disbelief, then embraced each other, crying tears of joy. Neighbors began cheering and celebrating.
But amidst the villagers' jubilation, a strange pressure filled the air.
Within a hundred meters, everyone felt a sudden fog in their minds, and all sounds ceased.
This pressure was coming from a little girl standing next to Mark.
Though Mark had the mind of an adult, even he was shaken by the pressure. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly fell to the ground.
"Dragon? She's awakened the Dragon's power?"
Shiro Cho quickly approached the girl, his face filled with surprise.
What a stroke of luck! He had come to this remote village expecting nothing, yet he found a Psychic and now, a Dragon adept.
If the boy with Psychic powers earned him a reward, this girl's Dragon power could elevate his status and bring unimaginable benefits.
But, if he handed her over now, someone might intercept her, taking most of the credit. He'd be left with little or nothing.
With that thought, Shiro Cho quickly stored the Awakening Ball and approached the girl.
Turning to Chief Roy, he said, "This girl is exceptionally talented. I've decided to take her directly to the capital, Riel. As for the boy who awakened Psychic powers, an official from the Alliance will come in a few days to bring him to Harker City for formal training."
As Shiro Cho spoke, he released a mighty Pidgeotto from its Poké Ball, a three-meter-tall bird Pokémon.
Seeing Shiro Cho prepare to leave, Chief Roy quickly asked, "My lord, now that two children have awakened abilities in our village, could we establish a Pokémon Center here in Qni Village?"
Shiro Cho smiled. "Since the girl awakened here, your village's contribution is undeniable. Even without my recommendation, opening a Pokémon Center shouldn't be an issue.
Oh, and one more thing. The Thunder Group has been causing trouble in Fallen Leaves Province. If you encounter any suspicious individuals, report them to the Alliance or the Sanshan Town Gym.
Also, what's the girl's name?"
Chief Roy replied, "Eir Taylor. Her name is Eir Taylor."
"Alright, to avoid any complications, I'll take her now…"
With that, Shiro Cho picked up the girl, mounted Pidgeotto, and flew eastward, disappearing within moments.
Chief Roy stood speechless, watching them leave. Then, he hurriedly picked up a loudspeaker and instructed the villagers to keep the news of Liner Luke and Eir Taylor's abilities a secret. He quickly explained Eir Taylor's situation to her parents.
After a long day, the villagers began to disperse. Chief Roy returned to his table, took a sip of water, and noticed that a few children hadn't left.
They were murmuring to themselves, looking downcast.
Seeing their disappointment, Chief Roy sighed and said, "Special abilities are only one part of the journey. You should watch the Gym League on TV this afternoon. Of the Gym Leaders in Sanshan Town, only one has special abilities. Marcio Rok, who uses a Rhydon, comes from a background just like yours.
Today, Marcio Rok is an elite trainer. As long as you keep working hard, you'll have a bright future. Don't be disheartened. Go home now..."
Comforted by the village chief's words, the children's spirits lifted, and they left after a while.
Watching them walk away, Chief Roy shook his head and muttered, "A promising future? Not unless they get into the Pokémon Academy. Yet, these kids dream of debuting at the Bug Catching Contest. They don't know how tough it is... Ah, these kids are such a handful..."
"Village Chief, how can I become a trainer?"
Chief Roy was still lost in thought when he suddenly heard a question.
Turning, he saw Mark standing up from the corner, his eyes filled with determination.
---
Chapter 9: The Not-So-Simple Village Chief
Did this kid just ask him a question?
Village Chief Roy was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, "Did you just... speak?"
"Yes, it was me."
Mark answered simply, without explaining why he had been squatting in the corner earlier.
In truth, Mark had been lying on the ground mainly to gain experience.
Eating food could help his body grow and earn experience points, but the blue light released by the Awakening Ball could nourish his spirit, generating even more experience. Mark speculated that the blue light could help his spirit grow to some extent.
When Shiro Cho had put away the Awakening Ball, the blue light did not disappear immediately. Instead, it seemed to be affected by gravity, sinking slowly before gathering in a low-lying corner near the wooden table.
Noticing this, Mark squatted down in the low-lying area.
As the last of the blue light finally disappeared, Mark's experience bar rose to 81%.
Mark estimated that if there was enough food and he and his Caterpie worked hard, it would take seven to nine days to accumulate another experience point.
When Mark noticed that the village chief was nearby, he stood up and asked how to become a trainer.
After all, now that he was in the Pokémon world, his goal was to become a trainer.
Chief Roy looked at Mark closely and saw that his eyes were clear. Though his clothes were still tattered and shabby, his gaze was no longer vacant or dull.
"Wait... you can speak now?" Chief Roy asked, clearly surprised.
"Yes."
Mark nodded. He knew he would have to interact with people sooner or later, and it was impossible for him to continue pretending to be a fool forever.
Just as Mark was about to explain, the old man patted his forehead and said, "I see. It seems the Awakening Ball must have affected you, restoring your intelligence by accident. I've heard stories of people in similar situations. Not only did they regain their intelligence, but they also acquired vast knowledge about Pokémon."
"However, this doesn't necessarily mean you've awakened any special abilities. It's unfortunate that Commissioner Shiro Cho has already left, or we could have asked him about it. Were you squatting in the corner earlier because you had just regained your intelligence and were feeling unwell? How do you feel now?"
The village chief looked at Mark with concern, and even the Caterpie came over, showing the same worry as if it truly thought Mark wasn't feeling well.
Mark rubbed Caterpie's head helplessly. His Caterpie was actually quite intelligent and could understand human language. However, having spent years with Mark pretending to be a fool and with little communication with other humans, the Caterpie had developed a somewhat silly demeanor in some respects.
But now that the matter of Mark's "enlightenment" had been resolved, the old village chief's perfect explanation not only covered why Mark could suddenly speak fluently, but also provided a reasonable excuse for any future gaps in his knowledge.
With that in mind, Mark responded, "I'm fine now. I don't feel any discomfort. The memories of the village from before seem like a dream. I still vaguely remember you giving me and Caterpie food, but everything else is very fuzzy…"
Listening to Mark's words, Chief Roy patted Mark on the shoulder and let out a long sigh.
"It seems you didn't gain the knowledge about Pokémon like the others did... but that's alright, everything will get better with time. You've regained your intelligence, and that's already a blessing. Now, you just asked me how to become a trainer, right?"
Mark nodded eagerly, listening intently.
Chief Roy continued, "It's good that you want to become a trainer. For most civilians, the most straightforward way to become an official trainer is by passing the Trainer Qualification Examination. However, it's quite difficult. You not only need to pass a written test but also a challenging practical exam.
"Another way is to join a gym or be admitted to a Pokémon Academy. Different gyms have different requirements for joining, but your best option is to enroll in a Pokémon Academy. Even if it's just an ordinary academy, you'll receive a decent Pokémon egg upon admission. Over the four years in the academy, you'll systematically learn everything a trainer needs to know and receive guidance on training and nurturing Pokémon.
"That said, it's very difficult to get into a Pokémon Academy. In some respects, it's even harder than passing the Trainer Qualification Exam.
"You regained your intelligence during the Ability Awakening Test, and while you didn't awaken any special abilities, your situation is unique. If Commissioner Shiro Cho can issue a certificate for you, you might earn some extra points. I can ask him for you if you'd like..."
The village chief's explanation was detailed, and Mark nodded repeatedly, thinking it over.
Suddenly, a thought crossed Mark's mind. "I remember there's a school in the east part of the village. Can I borrow books from there?"
Whether it was for the Trainer Qualification Exam or getting into a Pokémon Academy, Mark knew he needed to accumulate a lot of knowledge, which meant he had to read.
Plus, there might be an additional benefit to reading books.
If guiding Caterpie in its practice of Tackle increased his experience, then perhaps actively absorbing knowledge and educating himself might also increase his experience bar.
Mark believed not only could his experience improve, but the rate of improvement might even be faster.
At that point, he could study while teaching Caterpie to practice Tackle, possibly doubling his experience gain...
Seeing the eagerness in Mark's expression, Chief Roy smiled warmly.
It was true that getting into a Pokémon Academy was tough, and it was equally true that the other boys in the village didn't study hard.
Hearing Mark's request made Chief Roy feel genuinely moved.
"Of course, you can borrow books. Not only that, but you can also attend the school. The age limit for admission to Pokémon Academies is generally 16. You're only 13 now, so if you study diligently, you still have three years..."
"I... am 13 years old?"
Mark involuntarily touched his Adam's apple and then looked at his sturdy body.
Chief Roy explained, "Don't be surprised. You're indeed 13, but you've grown quickly.
"During the chaotic Pokémon wave ten years ago, your parents perished, and you were left behind. You were only two or three years old at the time, so your age is accurate."
Mark suddenly realized, "So that's why you and Commissioner Shiro Cho asked me to take the Awakening Test."
Chief Roy reminisced and said, "I arranged for Mr. Liu and his wife to adopt you, but after half a year, they vanished.
"To this day, I still don't know where they went.
"When I found you again, you were scavenging for food in a dump at the east end of the village. I wanted to take you in myself, but you ran away into the grass. I searched for you for two days but couldn't find you.
"At such a young age, I thought you had died, but a few months later, there you were again.
"I tried to catch you several times, but every time you disappeared into the bushes like a Rattata.
"And slowly, things became what they are today..."
Recalling Mark's past experiences, Chief Roy sighed deeply.
It was nothing short of a miracle that Mark had survived so tenaciously.
But instead of dwelling on the past, Chief Roy said, "Alright, since you've regained your intelligence, you can stay with me tonight."
Noticing Mark's reluctance, Chief Roy patted Mark's growling stomach and said, "I've got food at my place. Are you hungry?"
Mark hesitated, then nodded.
In truth, if the village chief hadn't mentioned food, Mark wouldn't have planned on staying with him.
Mark and his Caterpie had absorbed the blue light from the Awakening Ball and were feeling extremely energetic. He had planned to gather some food in the forest and then train Caterpie at night to speed up his experience gain.
But the mention of food intrigued Mark. He had already tested how different fruits and plants affected his experience bar, and now he wanted to see how regular meals would influence it.
So, Mark followed Chief Roy and soon arrived at a large courtyard, which turned out to be the village chief's home.
In the middle of the courtyard stood a two-meter-high black stone pillar, which appeared to be very sturdy. Curious, Caterpie approached it and gave it a few gentle bumps with its head.
Seeing this, Chief Roy explained, "That's a black heavy stone. It's not only strong but also extremely dense. Even some powerful Pokémon can't budge it..."
Chief Roy squinted his eyes, recalling distant memories.
In this very courtyard, his grandfather used to lift the stone pillar up and down with ease, as if it were a toy, to exercise his muscles.
But he didn't dwell on those memories for long. Instead, he turned to Mark and said, "Don't just stand there. Come inside. If you're thirsty, there's a kettle on the table. I'll go fetch some bacon, and we'll cook up a pot of broth later..."
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Chapter 10: Four Eggs
As the sun set and the moon rose, the sky darkened, and a bright Milky Way traversed the expanse, echoing the moonlight alongside it.
Under the moonlight and starlight, a few Zubat flitted through the night, searching for food over Qni Village.
Unlike cities that buzzed with life at night, Qni Village, with its lack of entertainment, remained quiet.
But tonight, muffled noises emanated from the village chief's house on the south side of the village.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
The sleeping Old Man Roy seemed to hear something, and his eyelids fluttered slightly.
Like many older people, Old Man Roy's sleep quality was not very good, and he was easily awakened by noise.
However, after a long day filled with activity, Old Man Roy slept deeply.
First, in the early morning, traders from Sanshan Town came to purchase tomatoes and haggled the prices. Then, in the afternoon, he organized the villagers to watch the Gym League at the Sanshan Town Gymnasium.
Just after the league ended, he received an unexpected summons saying that Commissioner Shiro Cho had changed his schedule, and the Ability Awakening Test would take place today.
Thus, Old Man Roy hurriedly prepared for the Ability Awakening Test, and before he could finish his preparations, Commissioner Shiro arrived riding a Pidgeotto.
Consequently, the Ability Awakening Test was conducted in a rush.
Lin Tong awakened Psychic power, and Eir Taylor also awakened the rare and mysterious Dragon power.
Thanks to these two children, the establishment of a Pokémon Center in Qni Village had officially been put on the agenda.
It could be said that the future of Qni Village was looking brighter.
Besides these events, the fool, Mark, who had been wandering in the village, also gained enlightenment through the qualification selection test.
Not only did he become enlightened, but Mark also showed a desire to learn.
So, Old Man Roy took Mark home.
He intended to prepare something to eat, but after steaming two small pots of rice and a large pot of broth for Mark and his Caterpie, it still wasn't enough, so he boiled two large pots of vegetable soup in succession.
"This kid Mark and that Caterpie are real gluttons..."
In his sleep, Old Man Roy seemed to have dreamt of something and spoke aloud.
In the dream, Mark and the Caterpie kept consuming all his rice, and then the Caterpie bumped its head against the rice vat as if still hungry, which made him very irritable...
Finally, Old Man Roy opened his eyes.
"It turned out to be a dream... But what is that noise?"
The sound of banging continued to emanate from the yard.
Old Man Roy yawned, quickly put on his clothes, then pushed open the door and walked toward the courtyard. By moonlight and starlight, he saw Mark and the Caterpie constantly hitting the black heavy stone in the center of the courtyard.
They were up at night, hitting the stone pier in the yard?
Old Man Roy yawned again and suddenly squinted.
—At this moment, the Caterpie practicing Tackle in the courtyard, whether in force, speed, or continuity, exceeded the general standard.
"...This kid's Caterpie shows decent talent. If it had been carefully nurtured two years earlier—no, it might not be too late to cultivate it now. It hasn't evolved yet. As long as it builds a solid foundation, then evolves, there won't be much difference."
Old Man Roy stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Cough, cough..."
Without pondering further, Old Man Roy coughed twice and noticed Mark had spotted him. He asked, "You're practicing so hard with the Caterpie at night. Do you really want to become a trainer?"
Mark nodded and replied, "That's right. Actually, the Caterpie and I couldn't fall asleep. After thinking about it, we came here to practice Tackle."
The nourishment from the awakening ball had filled him and the Caterpie with energy, and the food from Old Man Roy had rejuvenated them as well.
Long nights with nothing to do but practice Tackle felt productive.
Moreover, the feeling of continuous practice, accumulating experience, and growing stronger was satisfying.
In many ways, it was enjoyable.
Not only did Mark feel this way, but the Caterpie also appeared to be in high spirits.
Old Man Roy examined Mark's expression and shook his head, saying, "It's good to work hard, but Pokémon training requires a balance of effort and rest...
Moreover, your Caterpie is still in its initial form, and this period is crucial for laying a solid foundation. Thus, focusing too much on using moves may be counterproductive. After all, its form changes upon evolution, and the moves you practice now will need to be adapted later.
However, it's not entirely useless; you can still try it.
In short, it's fine to train like this, but it should be done in moderation; otherwise, it may yield the opposite results.
Now that I see it, let's discuss your Caterpie's Tackle.
Overall, it's not bad—exceeding the average level. If there's any flaw, it's that it lacks some power.
I can't convey it in words, so I'll demonstrate using a Pokémon."
As Old Man Roy spoke, he held up a Poké Ball.
Accompanied by a flash of red light, a muscular creature materialized.
"Ho!"
Without hesitation, the Pokémon let out a low growl and charged toward the black heavy stone.
*When!*
The black heavy stone didn't budge at all. The attacking Pokémon took a step back after colliding with the stone, producing the sound of metal striking metal.
The Caterpie, initially observant, quickly lost interest in the demonstration and resumed focusing on its previous practice.
From the Caterpie's perspective, the Pokémon's Tackle seemed similar to its own charging technique, both involving a buildup of force before executing the Tackle.
Yet the power behind the other Pokémon's Tackle was clearly weaker than its charged attack.
Noticing the Caterpie's thoughts, Mark gently tapped its head with his fist.
The Caterpie recognized the magnitude of the power but overlooked the principles behind the Pokémon's impact.
Mark pondered aloud, "Village Chief, your Pokémon's Tackle seemed to possess a blend of strength and speed. Should we let it teach the Caterpie this skill?"
Old Man Roy raised his eyebrows and replied, "You grasped that after just one demonstration? You have an exceptional talent for training! I thought I'd need to explain it before you understood. It appears that you not only gained intelligence like a normal person but also possess great insight."
Mark smiled and shook his head.
In truth, it wasn't due to his talent; rather, in his dreams, he had spent over three years studying Tackle, gaining substantial experience and insights related to it.
Quickly, Mark continued, "Village Chief, I actually want to enhance the smoothness and speed of the Caterpie's Tackle more than its power. Do you have any skills similar to Quick Attack that the Caterpie could learn?"
"Quick Attack?" Old Man Roy stroked his chin and said, "That's true. After all, the Caterpie isn't a large fighting Pokémon like my strange power. As a small Pokémon, even if we enhance the Caterpie's Tackle, there will be limitations. It's better to improve its agility, which will also be more beneficial in battles. It seems I'm getting old and can't keep up with my own thoughts..."
After finishing his statement, Old Man Roy returned his Pokémon and released a large brown mouse, standing over a meter tall. It was the evolution of the little purple mouse, Rattata.
"Caterpie can't learn Quick Attack, but it might be possible to enhance its Tackle by referencing Quick Attack. Rattata, use Quick Attack on the black heavy stone!"
*Whoosh—*
Accompanied by a flash of yellow lightning, Rattata lunged at the black heavy stone before quickly retreating.
In the blink of an eye, Rattata had returned to its original position.
Old Man Roy observed Rattata, who was gnawing on its forelimbs, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. After all these years, Rattata still hadn't broken the habit of biting things. Was it wise to chew on the black heavy stone?
Was it not afraid of chipping its teeth?
Old Man Roy considered reprimanding Rattata but ultimately decided against it after seeing Mark deep in thought and the Caterpie gazing at Rattata with admiration.
It wouldn't be appropriate to scold Rattata at that moment.
Shooting Rattata a stern glare, Old Man Roy tossed Rattata's Poké Ball to Mark and said, "Let Rattata accompany you in practice for now. Rest early; I'm getting old... I can't take it anymore, so I'll go to bed first."
Mark bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Village Chief. You go ahead and rest. The Caterpie and I will do our best to keep the noise down."
Old Man Roy smiled, waved his hand, and returned to his room.
He intended to sleep immediately but suddenly remembered something. Old Man Roy opened the cabinet and took out four Pokémon eggs with the same pattern.
"Considering Mark's talent, I might as well let him have a try."
"Then again, perhaps it's better for Mark to choose another one tomorrow; no need to rush today..."
Old Man Roy placed the Pokémon eggs beside his bed and soon fell asleep, lulled by the
occasional banging from the courtyard. He was truly exhausted after the day's events...
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