"Caw! Caw!"
A bird's cry from above snapped Paul out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a Murkrow, entrusted to a local daycare by its trainer, flying overhead. Before he knew it, he had arrived at his house.
Under the cool shade of the eaves, a plump Bibarel lay lazily on the ground. It opened its intelligent-looking eyes at the sound of footsteps.
"Biii~"
Recognizing Paul, the Bibarel lazily waved a paw in greeting before flopping back down, resuming its nap. It seemed completely uninterested in matters that didn't concern it.
But Paul wasn't about to let it stay uninvolved.
"Don't you enjoy battles?" Paul turned to the Elekid by his side. "Before our journey begins, if you want to train, battle Bibarel instead. Stop picking on Pikachu. Beating an opponent of that level won't help you improve."
This Elekid wasn't the one he had captured during a long journey in his memories. Instead, it had hatched from an egg that he and his older brother had found in a thunderous canyon while returning from the Battle Frontier. That had been months ago.
At the same time, a Pichu had also hatched—a Pichu that had since evolved into the Pikachu Elekid frequently bullied.
The two Pokémon had been at odds from the very start. Initially, it was harmless squabbling. But as time went on, Pichu found itself on the losing end. Even after evolving into Pikachu, it was no match for Elekid and often ended up badly beaten.
If Elekid was so restless, it needed a stronger opponent. That would help it grow in strength and skill.
"Elek! Elek!"
Elekid, however, failed to grasp the intent behind Paul's "generosity." It recognized Bibarel—after all, it had known the Bibarel since its first day after hatching. Every day, Bibarel did little more than eat and sleep, showing no interest in training, acting like a dead weight. To Elekid, it seemed useless.
What's more, Bibarel was a Water-type Pokémon, and Elekid had a type advantage. Elekid's expression twisted into a mocking smirk, its disdain clear. Its thoughts seemed to scream:
This guy? What could it possibly do to me?
Despite its youth, Elekid was determined and hardworking. It saw no way it could lose to an opponent like Bibarel.
"Well then, I look forward to seeing you defeat it," Paul said with a faint sneer as he opened the door.
"Elek!"
Elekid puffed out its chest and cast one last scornful glance at the sleeping Bibarel before following Paul inside. It resolved that, after watching the match on TV, it would teach Bibarel a lesson and surprise its trainer.
"Back already? The match is about to start. Come watch,"
Paul's older brother, Reggie, stepped out of the kitchen, holding two glasses of orange juice. He bore a strong resemblance to Paul, sharing many facial features and the same purple hair.
Paul gave a quiet nod, taking a seat on the sofa and accepting the juice Reggie handed him. Elekid plopped down on the floor, its eyes glued to the TV, as if searching for future opponents.
As Reggie sat down, the announcer's voice filled the room:
"The final match of this year's Indigo League Tournament is about to begin! Both trainers are remarkably special—they're from the same hometown of Pallet Town and only started their journeys this year!"
"Facing off are the talented trainers Red and Green. Let's look forward to an exciting battle!"
On the screen, a stoic boy wearing a cap appeared alongside an adorable, round-faced Pikachu. Then the camera shifted to a spiky-haired boy with a confident smile.
"This year's tournament is truly exceptional," Reggie remarked. "Two rookies making it to the finals in their first league—what a feat! What do you think, Paul? Who'll take the championship?"
"Red," Paul replied without hesitation, his gaze fixed on the TV. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the glass in his hand.
Red and Green's presence confirmed to Paul that this world was fundamentally different from the animated one in his memories.
"So sure, huh? Well, let's see if your prediction is right."
Reggie noticed Paul's unusual focus but assumed it was just excitement for the match. He didn't realize that Paul's "prediction" wasn't based on analysis—it was simply the "result" from his memories.
"Red leads with Pikachu, while Green sends out Arcanine…"
"... And now, it's down to the final Pokémon on both sides! Green's Blastoise faces off against Red's Charizard!"
"Charizard seizes an opportunity and uses Seismic Toss…"
With a thunderous crash, Blastoise fell, unable to continue, and the match ended decisively.
"Elek!"
Elekid, completely engrossed in the battle, finally snapped out of its daze as the match concluded. It hadn't expected its future opponents to be so powerful. Even the seemingly adorable Pikachu looked capable of crushing it with a single tackle.
No way! I have to get stronger! Elekid resolved. It couldn't afford to slack off anymore—not when its current strength left it so vulnerable.
Elekid stood up abruptly, filled with determination. It marched outside, sparks of electricity crackling around its fists as it approached Bibarel.
My path to power starts with you!
"Well, who would have thought? You got it right," Reggie said, impressed by the match's outcome.
"Someday, I'll win the League myself. Then I'll face them on equal footing, defeat them, and become the strongest trainer," Paul declared, clenching his fist.
"I believe in you—you'll make it happen," Reggie replied with a smile.
"Oh, by the way, Reggie, I'm planning to set out on my journey soon."
Unlike the anime, Paul and Reggie in this world shared a good relationship, free of conflict. Informing his brother ahead of time allowed him to prepare.
"A journey, huh? Sounds exciting—catching Pokémon, forming bonds, and working together toward your goals…"
Reggie trailed off, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.
"Bonds… fate… maybe," Paul muttered, mulling over the words.
As a reincarnated individual, he understood the importance of bonds but chose to form them only with Pokémon he deemed worthy.
"When are you leaving? Got a destination in mind?" Reggie asked.
"I ordered a custom Pokédex. I'll pick it up from Professor Rowan and start my journey there," Paul replied.
The thought of his former starter, Turtwig, crossed his mind. In this world, his journey's circumstances and outcomes differed.
While he couldn't receive a starter Pokémon like in the anime, his Elekid's exceptional potential was more than enough.
Change was inevitable—but Paul embraced it. Many powerful trainers, like Cynthia and Volkner, started with different Pokémon.
Still, Paul couldn't help but lament the lack of extraordinary Pokémon in their breeding facility. Despite their quality, none met his high standards.
Artificially bred Pokémon lacked the unique spark of wild-born talents—a truth that likely explained why the anime's Paul preferred wild Pokémon over those from his family's nursery.
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