"General Jaws, end this—Outrage!"
At the summit of Mount Coronet, Xu Li stood atop the nearly shattered Spear Pillar, its ruins echoing the devastation of the battle. Beneath his feet lay the unconscious deity of space—Palkia, felled in combat.
Ahead, his jet-black Haxorus shimmered with a metallic gleam, charging up a violent wave of draconic energy before launching itself forward in a primal burst.
Its target: the god of time, Dialga, who stood frozen in place, eyes wide with terror as the onyx beast hurtled toward him.
"Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
Xu Li threw his head back in laughter, hands on his hips, completely unaware of the figure slowly materializing behind him.
"Why dost thou laugh?" came a calm, resonant voice from the space behind him.
"I laugh not at others," Xu Li answered instinctively. "Only at the mindless recklessness of Time and Space's twin gods—and the shortsightedness of Arceus. If I were Arceus, I'd have set an ambush right here at the Spear Pillar and—huh?"
He paused mid-sentence, eyes widening as he abruptly turned around—only to be met by a barrage of radiant Judgment beams, dozens of divine light-blades surging toward him in blinding waves.
_____
"A-Li! Wake up already!!!"
"Yah~ yah yah yah~!"
A girl's voice, as bright and crisp as birdsong at dawn, rang through the air. The blanket was suddenly yanked off his body, and Xu Li jolted awake from his dream, startled and cold.
Damn it, he cursed inwardly. Arceus is seriously petty!
The girl who had roused him was already fully dressed, eyes shining with mischief. Seeing his sluggish expression, she grinned wickedly, climbed onto his bed, and—without warning—dug her icy hands into his sides.
"Come on, you lazybones! Grandma Carolina's busy this morning, so we need to go buy some Moomoo Milk for her!"
"Wah—!"
Xu Li jumped from the chill, grabbed her wrists, and pulled her straight into his arms.
"Whew…"
Her soft, fragrant hair brushed against his cheek. He instinctively took a deep breath, letting her delicate scent fill his lungs.
"You're the worst, A-Li! You stink!"
The girl on top of him, cheeks flushing and body stiffening at the awkward pressure against her stomach, quickly scrambled off him in a panic.
He looked at her—long, flowing golden hair that shimmered even more under the deep green hairpins on either side of her head. Her face, flawless and glowing, never ceased to dazzle him.
No matter how many hundreds of times he saw her, she was always beautiful.
"Good morning, my lovely Cynthia."
Her eyes darted away as her face turned crimson, unable to meet his gaze.
For a while, neither of them said a word, basking in a quiet, tender moment.
Then a third party, having been thoroughly ignored, grew impatient. With a small huff, it leapt onto Xu Li's stomach and bellowed indignantly:
"Yah yah yah yah~!"
"Haha! How could I forget you? Good morning, General Jaws."
______
The Sinnoh Region lay in the northeast, far from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Its northern areas were cloaked in snow nearly year-round, and entire roads were often buried beneath it.
The endless Mount Coronet range split Sinnoh from north to south, dividing it into east and west. Xu Li lived in Shinnoh Town, on the eastern foot of the mountains. And since it was winter, the chill hung heavy in the air.
This morning's mission: head to the Mountain Trail Café to buy Moomoo Milk.
"We're heading out!"
Xu Li dressed swiftly, white puffs of breath still curling in the air as Cynthia dragged him out the door. Following close behind were her Gible and Xu Li's Axew.
As they walked along the snow-covered path, Xu Li recalled something he had heard in his sleep—an old, familiar system notification. He opened his interface to check.
Congratulations, Host! You've unlocked the achievement: Survive 5 Years in the Pokémon World!
Reward: Ability Patch x3 - (Reward has been sent to your System Inventory)
Seeing that, Xu Li felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Five years since he had transmigrated into the Pokémon world.
Back then, he'd been just a small child—arriving alongside a Pokémon egg that would become Axew—and was taken in by Cynthia's family. He hadn't had to survive alone in the wilderness.
Instead, he'd become the adopted grandson of Professor Carolina and grew up alongside Cynthia, his childhood friend.
It was the quiet, peaceful life he'd always dreamed of. He imagined a future of becoming Pokémon Trainers together, journeying together, reaching the summit together—then retiring to this little house, side by side.
"Yah~!"
Sensing Xu Li's good mood, Axew chirped excitedly and climbed up to his shoulder, swaying happily before being scooped up into Xu Li's arms.
Xu Li looked down at the little dragon, noticing it had gotten chubbier again, and opened its stats panel.
Axew ♂ (Shiny) – Tera Type: Steel
Type: Dragon
Level: 24
Ability: Mold Breaker
Moves: Tackle, Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, Crunch, Outrage, Iron Head, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Aerial Ace, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, Giga Impact, Grassy Terrain, Dig, Reversal, Protect, Shadow Claw, Sucker Punch, Thrash, Draco Meteor, Pursuit, Focus Energy, Guillotine, Breaking Swipe…
Affection Level: Only has eyes for you
Flavor Text:Who dares block my path? None but I, General Jaws!
※Special: (Seems to have crossed time and space
From a faraway land
To arrive here)
This Axew wasn't ordinary—it had followed Xu Li from his original world as a Pokémon egg, the MVP of his championship-winning team. Its move pool was vast, covering nearly everything Axew could learn.
Xu Li gave the pudgy dragon a little belly squish. Just then, Cynthia leaned closer, her warm breath fogging the air beside his ear.
"Today, we're heading to Professor Rowan's place to begin our training. Soon we'll be able to start our journey!"
"Naomi heard we were traveling and insisted on coming too."
"I heard her psychic powers flared up again recently. Why does her dad keep refusing to let her stay with us? She never has any episodes when she's with us."
Xu Li sighed, picturing that cheerful little girl in his mind.
"Who knows? Once we're on the road, we can go visit her."
"Great! Once we're strong enough, we'll snatch Naomi away from her dad!"
"I like your spirit. You really do have champion potential, Miss Cynthia."
"What about you?" she asked, tilting her head. "You've never told me your goal."
To retire with you, of course.
"…To put you over my knee and spank you."
"You're the worst!"
Cynthia swung at him, aiming a playful slap at his rear, which Xu Li deftly dodged.
______
Mountain Trail Café
As they pushed open the door, a wave of warm air enveloped them. The café's amber lighting and cozy décor instantly swept away the chill.
"Miss Anna, six bottles of Moomoo Milk—put it on Grandma Carolina's tab."
"You got it."
Their grandmother, Professor Carolina, loved Moomoo Milk so much she had a special fund with the café just for it.
"Can we get ice cream too?" Xu Li asked Cynthia.
Her eyes sparkled. "Mhm!"
He walked over to the ice cream machine, giving the Vanilluxe perched on top a light tap to wake it up.
Xu Li knew better than to ask Cynthia what flavor she wanted—just ask if she could eat it. Don't give her choices. Let her focus on eating. That was the trick.
He handed her a fresh vanilla cone, taking a small lick himself before watching her examine it with quiet interest, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
She noticed.
"…Why are you staring?"
"Because you're cute."
"…Shut up."
Cynthia turned her head away.
Eating ice cream on a crisp winter morning… nothing beats it.
______
Back home in Shinnoh Town, Grandma Carolina was finally done with her morning work and sitting on the living room couch. As the front door opened, the bells hanging from her hair ornaments jingled as a small Pokémon ran to greet them, leaping into Xu Li's arms and chirping happily.
"Ding ding~"
This little one had been with Carolina for ages, and whenever it caught the scent of Moomoo Milk, it couldn't resist.
"We're back!"
Xu Li patted the Pokémon's twin hair ribbons, gave it a bottle of milk, and handed another to Grandma.
The TV was on. Professors Oak and Elm were giving a joint interview.
"…Due to an unknown energy, abnormally large and aggressive Pokémon have begun appearing in the wild," Oak was saying. "Pokémon hunters have become more active as well. Traveling trainers should remain vigilant."
Professor Elm added, "We believe the phenomenon began in Sinnoh and is now slowly spreading to neighboring regions. But don't worry—it's not as dangerous as people fear."
Xu Li glanced at Carolina. "Grandma, is something happening in Sinnoh?"
"I spoke with Professors Oak and Elm this morning. It may be related to one of the legendary Pokémon," she said cryptically, then changed the subject.
"That's why we need you two to study under Professor Rowan. After that, your journey begins."
"Cynthia, Xu Li—this afternoon, a car will take you to Sandgem Town to begin your training. Are you ready?"
"Yup!" Cynthia raised her hand excitedly. "And A-Li is ready too!"
______
From Shinnoh Town to Sandgem Town, the trip crossed half of Sinnoh.
A rockslide caused by a rampaging Onix had blocked the route through Oreburgh City, forcing a detour through Mount Coronet's caves and Eterna Forest—adding several hours to their journey.
To make it to Sandgem by nightfall, Xu Li and Cynthia scarfed down lunch and boarded the car waiting outside.
On the narrow mountain path, Xu Li looked back through the frosted window at the warm glow inside their cozy home. Farewell hung heavy in the air.
Cynthia hugged her grandmother tightly, while Carolina ruffled Xu Li's hair with a soft smile.
Departure always came, no matter how reluctant the heart.
She stepped back and gently pushed the two toward the car.
"Goodbye, Grandma! We'll come visit you often during our journey!"
Carolina stood there, saying nothing, eyes filled with pride. In their place, she saw echoes of her younger self.
As the car rolled away, its wheels slowly carried off the laughter and warmth that once filled that little mountain cottage.