The Paldea Region—
the stage of the ninth-generation Pokémon games Pokémon Scarlet & Violet,
and also the region featured in the latest anime series Pokémon Horizons, which takes place after Ash's journey comes to an end.
Paldea is vast and surrounded by sea on all sides.
Its eastern, western, southern, and northern reaches each display entirely different climates and seasonal scenery, while the center of the region is enclosed by towering, precipitous mountain ranges.
According to legend, deep within the basin formed by these mountains lies a mysterious treasure.
Yet despite countless attempts, very few people have ever reached the very bottom of that abyss.
Two hundred years ago, an expedition team finally made it to the depths of the Great Crater of Paldea, an area now known as Area Zero.
Based on what he witnessed there, the explorer Heath recorded everything in the Scarlet Book and Violet Book, preserving the secrets of the crater for future generations.
Decades later, humanity began constructing observation facilities within Area Zero.
Eventually, the married research duo—Professor Sada and Professor Turo—conducted long-term experiments at the deepest level of the crater.
Ten years ago, their research achieved a historic breakthrough.
From it, mankind learned how to harness a unique Pokémon power-up phenomenon—
Terastallization.
A battle system capable of crystallizing Pokémon and temporarily altering their elemental typing.
Peter closed the book in his hands, quietly digesting the differences between this world and the game he once played.
Before transmigrating, he had only completed the main storyline of Scarlet & Violet.
The DLC hadn't even been released yet, and many mysteries remained unsolved.
Judging by this world's timeline, the official story hadn't begun either—
meaning all major events were still far off in the future.
Because of that, Peter had no intention of getting involved in Paldea's deeper secrets.
This trip had a single, clear purpose:
Recruiting a new partner Pokémon.
His destination was Artazon, a town known as the City of Flowers and Art.
…
After disembarking from the plane, Peter hopped on his bicycle and headed southeast across Paldea.
"Mi-chuu~!"
Buneary sat on Peter's shoulder, giggling as the scenery blurred past.
After two days together, the little rabbit had become much more cheerful.
Under Peter's prioritized training plan, her level and move proficiency had steadily increased.
She'd gained two levels, all her skills had reached Mastered proficiency,
and her aptitude value was rapidly approaching the 300 mark.
She'd even improved her accuracy when casting skills in League of Legends…
Originally, Peter had planned to guide Buneary toward the Pure Power Ability through yoga training.
Unexpectedly, she showed zero interest in yoga.
Instead, she insisted on developing Big Pecks.
Her reasoning?
Moomoo Milk is delicious, and letting the Trainer hug and knead her feels nice…
Peter was mentally exhausted.
In the end, he resorted to calm persuasion and emotional reasoning before finally convincing her to switch focus to training Speed Boost instead.
As a rabbit Pokémon, Buneary had an instinctive obsession with running.
That made weighted marathon training a perfect fit.
"Alright, Buneary—time to keep training!"
"Mi-chuu~!"
The little rabbit blinked, hopped down from Peter's shoulder, and sprinted across the grassland.
She alternated between slow and fast speeds repeatedly, constantly changing her pace.
Strapped to her body were weighted tools specially prepared by Whitney,
effectively strengthening her leg muscles.
"Alright! I'm speeding up too!" Peter laughed.
"First one to reach Artazon wins a bottle of Moomoo Milk!"
"Mi-chuu~!"
And just like that, trainer and Pokémon began their very own race across the Paldean plains.
….
Afternoon sunlight bathed the streets of Artazon.
White flowers and lush greenery lined the road, shimmering beautifully under the light.
Birdsong and floral fragrance carried the warmth of spring through the air.
Here, people revere nature—and the sun that nurtures it.
Because of that, Sunflora are cherished and well cared for throughout the town.
Today, the tranquil streets welcomed a new arrival—a boy riding a bicycle at breakneck speed.
Peter pedaled furiously, sparks practically flying from the chain,
as Buneary chased him relentlessly from behind.
"Looks like I win today~!" Peter grinned as the town streets came into view.
"Mi…"
Buneary drooped her head in disappointment.
She thought about Moomoo Milk—
especially when Pokéblocks were soaked in it, fully infused, then licked and bitten into.
The taste was unforgettable.
Her dark eyes flared with renewed determination.
The race wasn't over yet!
But just as she tried to accelerate, her foot landed on a loose stone.
She stumbled and fell.
"Mi-chuu!"
Just as Peter was about to cross the finish—
Buneary overcame the hindrance of her Klutz Ability.
Her ears clenched into fists and slammed into the ground.
A white glow burst from her body, her tail trailing light like a shooting star—
In an instant, she surged ahead of Peter by two full body lengths!
"Screeech—!"
Peter slammed the brakes and stared in shock.
"That was… Quick Attack?!"
Buneary stood up, dusted herself off, nodded proudly, and held out her hand.
"Mi, mi~!"
(Hehe, Master—Moomoo Milk!)
"Alright, alright…" Peter laughed, pulling out the bottle while checking her status.
…
[Buneary ♀ | Lv.14 (Beginner)]
Ability: Klutz (Effect Weakened – Body coordination improving)
Aptitude: 288 (Species Max: 350)
Affection: 138
Mastered Moves:
Power-Up PunchTeeter DanceCopycatCircle ThrowBaby-Doll EyesSplash
Learned Move:
Quick Attack
Description:
A highly gifted Buneary capable of naturally awakening bloodline techniques through training.
Glug… pop!
Buneary skillfully popped the cap and hugged the bottle, happily drinking.
For the first time, Peter truly understood what "exceptional talent" meant.
He hadn't trained her to expand her move pool at all—
only raising proficiency through manga, anime, and games.
And yet, she had independently learned Quick Attack.
"Guess this is what a prodigy feels like…" Peter chuckled.
Reincarnated, and my starter is a natural-born genius?
Honestly… this feels amazing.
Just then, a yellow-and-green Pokémon hopped over, eyeing the Moomoo Milk.
It opened its mouth—
And a powerful suction pulled the milk out in a thin stream, vanishing instantly.
"Mi?"
Buneary reached for a straw—
Only to realize the bottle was empty.
She froze.
Turned it upside down.
Not a single drop remained.
"Mi… mi—!!"
Tears welled up as she turned toward the culprit—
a Sunflora patting its belly smugly.
Her ears clenched into glowing fists.
"That's—Sunflora?! Wait, Buneary—!" Peter shouted.
Too late.
Boom!
Two Power-Up Punches blasted forward, sending Sunflora flying straight into a tree with a loud thud.
It slid down slowly, dazed.
"Mi-mi!"
(Hmph! Spit it back out!)
Buneary hopped over, pointing accusingly.