Xiao Xiang was a very unfortunate orphan. He had no father or mother since childhood. As an abandoned child, he didn't even know his own birthday. Still, he managed to survive somehow.
But what was the point of survival alone? For Xiao Xiang, life in the orphanage was nothing but existing. He had no dreams, and sometimes, when he looked up at the sky in the yard, he wished he could turn into a bird and fly away.
Birds could go wherever they wanted, live on their own, and find their flocks. But Xiao Xiang had no one. Every child there disliked him now. It all started a few mornings ago.
The orphanage had a caretaker aunt. She was in her forties and still unmarried, rumored to be because of the scar on her face. The scar looked terrible, running from her forehead to her mouth. When she was calm, it wasn't so bad, but when angry, her face was terrifying.
"Wake up, you brats! Get up now!" the aunt shouted angrily.
It was still barely dawn in winter, and the children naturally wanted to stay in bed. But no one dared defy her. Everyone got up quickly, except Xiao Xiang, who stayed under his blanket.
Seeing his stubbornness, the aunt felt her authority being challenged. "Oh, so you're not getting up? I'll beat you with the broom!"
Her scarred face twisted even more fiercely, yet Xiao Xiang refused to move. His thin arms clutched his blanket tightly, lips pressed together.
"Fine, you'll regret this!" the aunt growled, grabbing an old broom. She swung it hard at him. The broom had long lost its bristles, leaving only a bare stick, which hurt even more in the winter's cold.
Xiao Xiang, just a child, couldn't bear the pain for long and moved slightly. The aunt then quickly pulled the blanket away.
"Oh, so you wet the bed!" she sneered. Xiao Xiang's face flushed red. Bedwetting was common for a child his age, but the aunt didn't let him go. Laughing loudly, she said, "This dirty brat, no one should play with him anymore!" Xiao Xiang looked up at her.
"Still daring to glare at me?" she shouted. "Fine, then I'll teach you a lesson!" She beat him again.
That happened days ago, yet the children still refused to talk to him. Though only six, Xiao Xiang understood enough. Orphanage kids grew up fast.
He had recently fallen ill, so he could only lean against the wall and watch others play outside. He missed the times they'd crowd around the old TV, watching Pokémon cartoons together, even if they'd often been punished by the caretaker afterward. He would never forget that wonderful world on the screen and longed to live in such a place.
Cough, cough!
Xiao Xiang's cough echoed in the cold air. The weather grew colder by the day. He was sick, alone, and ignored by everyone, even the aunt. The headmaster was away seeking donations and wouldn't be back for several days.
That day, the aunt seemed furious again. No one knew why. The children stayed silent, afraid of her temper. Then, one child accidentally dropped a bowl of soup. It shattered on the floor. The aunt, seizing the chance, picked up the broom and rushed over. Before he knew it, Xiao Xiang ran in front of the child, shielding him, as if protecting his younger self.
The aunt was large and strong. Cursing, she grabbed Xiao Xiang and threw him out the door, slamming it shut. The cold wind cut through the air.
In an instant, Xiao Xiang's whole body went numb. His body grew colder and colder, yet when he looked at the blood on his skin, he felt no pain.
"What's happening to me? This feels so strange," he thought. His small mind couldn't grasp what was happening. He thought he might be sick.
But this wasn't sickness, it was the thing humans feared most: death.
Hours later, snow began to fall, covering Xiao Xiang's body. He was only nine, and his small frame soon disappeared under the snow. "Ugh, they want me to bring him back in this cold?" the aunt muttered as she stepped outside. "Still hiding from me?" She kicked the hard body. Only then did she realize what had happened. "Oh no… I hit him too hard? Never mind, no one saw. I'll just tell the headmaster he ran into something." She hurried away, leaving footprints that the snow soon erased. It was as if nothing had happened.
Later, the orphanage was shut down. A reporter had exposed the abuse, drawing government attention. The staff were dismissed, and both the headmaster and the aunt were taken to the police. The aunt confessed and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Some say people go to the underworld after death. Some say they reincarnate. Some say the good go to heaven and the wicked to hell. No one truly knows. But Xiao Xiang discovered his soul had left his body. Without understanding what was happening, he drifted into a dark tunnel.
Then, suddenly, he entered a strange place and was drawn into another body, one that looked exactly like his own. As soon as he merged with it, he lost consciousness again.
"He should be fine now. Let's go," said a solemn voice.
"Thank you!" replied a young voice.
Slowly, Xiao Xiang felt he could open his eyes again. His vision focused, revealing a small Pokémon before him. Around him was a dense forest. A figure in the distance faded away, not wanting to be seen.
"Where… am I?" Xiao Xiang asked.
"This is a forest of the Hoenn Region," said Celebi.
"Oh, really?" Xiao Xiang blinked, then realized something. "Wait, you can talk?"
"Of course! We Celebi can use powerful psychic abilities. You can too," said Celebi. "Stretch out your hand and swing it forward!"
"Oh!" Xiao Xiang extended his right hand and swung. A green wave shot outward in an arc, slicing through the grass.
"What was that?" he asked in surprise.
"To save you, our elder used a great deal of divine power and transformed your body. Now, you can draw energy from the forest itself. Close your eyes and feel it," said Celebi.
Xiao Xiang closed his eyes. To his amazement, he sensed the air around him filled with green energy, flowing into his body.
"Your body was weak before, but now you can grow up strong and healthy," said Celebi.
"Really?" Xiao Xiang laughed in joy. "Haha!"
He had always dreamed of making something of himself. Now, with this power and a healthy body, he could finally chase those dreams.
"Haha! Pokémon World, here I come!" Xiao Xiang shouted into the forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.
That night, Xiao Xiang and Celebi talked for a long time. He learned that he was now in the Pokémon World and that his body had been remade. Celebi also gave him six Poké Balls.
"You must train hard," said Celebi. "I'll leave tomorrow. We've already given you a powerful gift. What comes next depends on you."
"Okay, thank you!" said Xiao Xiang.
"No need to thank me. Just promise to become a great Pokémon Trainer," Celebi said seriously. There was something hidden in its expression, but Xiao Xiang was too happy to notice.
"Alright, I promise!" Xiao Xiang replied earnestly.
"You must be tired. Go to sleep," said Celebi.
Xiao Xiang nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted after all the excitement. He fell asleep quickly.
When he woke, the sun was high. The forest was alive with Pokémon. He saw a Raticate dash past and two Butterfree flutter slowly under the sunlight, their wings shimmering beautifully. His heart filled with joy and excitement. He wanted to start his journey right away, but then realized,
"This is a forest. How do I get out?" he muttered, remembering how Ash in the anime always got lost in forests.
"Oh well. I'm not rushing to any Gym battles yet. I'll take it slow. Step one, catch some Pokémon!" Xiao Xiang could feel the green energy within him surging as he set off.
Among Grass-type Pokémon, his favorite, especially in the Hoenn Region, was Tropius; it was strong, majestic, and capable of flight.