Raylen was still lost in fantasies about his future.
Dolores had already taken his hand, smiling brightly. "Come on, let's head out."
The two walked side by side.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves above them.
As they walked, a loud chanting suddenly echoed from up ahead.
"Back! Back! Back!"
Raylen looked over curiously—and froze.
Three middle-aged women in flowery clothes were walking by, baskets on their arms, chanting nonsense just to entertain themselves.
[Wild Pokémon: Nagging Auntie — Final Evolution of the Resentful Woman][Species: Oddfolk][Rarity: Common][Type: Psychic][Moves: Street Shouting, Complaining, Trick Talk, Pimping]
Dolores didn't even look at them. She couldn't understand human speech anyway.
Raylen was the only one silently horrified.
The Pokémon in this forest were way too bizarre!
A small stone suddenly smacked his back—pa!
A burst of childish laughter followed.
"Catch me if you can!"
"Bet you can't catch me, big bro!"
A few toddlers in open-crotch pants threw their pebbles and ran off, sticking their tongues out and making faces at him the entire time.
[Wild Pokémon: Bratty Kid — Juvenile Stage of the Delinquent][Rarity: Common][Type: Poison][Moves: Throw Rock, Make Faces, Tongue Out]
"I've never seen you before. Where'd you come from?"
"Tch."
"Guess you picked her as your trainer? Pathetic. She doesn't even look qualified."
A raspy voice drifted over.
Dolores kept walking, clueless as usual, but Raylen understood every word.
He turned his head.
A shabby uncle leaned against a tree trunk, puffing on a rolled leaf. His eyes were full of disdain.
The system window popped up again.
[Wild Pokémon: Smoking Uncle — Evolved Form of the Delinquent][Rarity: Common][Type: Poison][Moves: Smoke Cloud, Shoe-Off Stench Burst (AoE), Spit Sticky Phlegm…]
"You're right," Raylen forced a smile.
His gaze dropped to the uncle's shoes—so filthy they practically glowed. Those things probably hadn't been cleaned or changed in ten years.
He's charging up a disaster-level attack. If that move goes off, no one survives!
Nope. Not dealing with that.
Raylen hurriedly pulled Dolores along.
They didn't stop until they reached a clear forest pool. Laughter tinkled through the air.
"Heehee—"
"Haha—"
Raylen followed the voices—and completely froze.
A group of little girls in floral dresses were splashing around in the shallows, their skirts soaked, cheeks flushed from playing.
[Wild Pokémon: Water-Play Loli — Juvenile Stage of the Swimming Girl][Species: Waterfolk][Rarity: Common][Moves: Bubble, Water Gun, Cute Appeal]
But what truly stunned Raylen was the girl sitting at the water's edge, focused entirely on her fishing rod.
Bright orange hair tied into a high side ponytail. Clear green eyes fixed on the surface of the pool.
A yellow sleeveless top showing sun-warmed skin. Short denim shorts revealing long, toned legs.
That was…Wasn't that Misty from Pokémon?!
[Wild Pokémon: Fishing Girl (Misty)][Species: Waterfolk][Rarity: Rare][Moves: Cast Rod, Slap Combo, Water Gun…]
"Wait! There's a rare Pokémon over there!"
Raylen grabbed Dolores excitedly, pointing straight at Misty.
Rare?
Dolores immediately looked over—and her eyes lit up. "It really is!"
"Let's go catch her!"
Raylen had already adapted frighteningly well to this insane world. His mind was spinning through all the "benefits" of capturing Misty.
At the very least… he wouldn't be sleeping alone.
"But… I don't have a Poké Ball…"Dolores lowered her head awkwardly.
The academy only gave her one, and she was allowed to catch only one Pokémon with it.
"What about your ball?" Raylen frowned.
"Look…" Dolores lifted the Poké Ball that had cracked cleanly in half. There was still a swollen bump on her forehead from earlier.
Raylen leaned in. "This fragile?!"
On impulse, he suddenly grabbed his own Poké Ball from her hands and slammed it hard onto the ground—
And instantly regretted it.
A sharp pain twisted his heart, making him gasp as if something were being ripped out of him.
He scrambled to pick it up, brushing off the dirt with trembling hands, treating it like a newborn.
This wasn't a Poké Ball—This was his lifeline.