As the last bite of the rice ball slid down his throat, the warm fragrance of the rice spreading through his chest, Paul's drifting thoughts finally settled.
Since he had already transmigrated into Paul, there was no point dwelling on the past. He clenched his fist slightly, his gaze turning resolute.
He now had only one goal—
To become the strongest Pokémon Master.
With his mind made up, Paul rose smoothly to his feet. His eyes locked onto Elekid, who had just finished eating and was now dozing on the ground nearby.
"Elekid, break's over. Continue training."
His voice was low and calm.
He raised his hand and pointed toward a nearby boulder.
"Aim at that rock and use a Brick Break → Thunder Punch combo. Right hand for Brick Break, left hand for Thunder Punch. The transition must be fast—no pauses."
"The speed at which you switch between Fighting-type and Electric-type moves determines whether you can adapt when facing Rock-type or Steel-type Pokémon."
"Bi!"
Upon hearing the command, Elekid immediately sprang to its feet. It nodded vigorously before jogging toward the boulder and assuming a battle stance.
The next second—
Its right palm suddenly shone with dazzling white light.
With a powerful swing, it struck the rock.
Thud!
Stone fragments scattered in every direction.
Immediately after, Elekid's left fist crackled with golden electricity.
Almost the instant the right hand pulled back, the left fist slammed down at the same spot. The electric current burst against the rock, sending tiny sparks flying.
"Too slow."
Paul's voice was flat, but the criticism within it was unmistakable.
His brows knit slightly as his sharp eyes tracked Elekid's movements.
"There's a gap in the transition between attacks. In real combat, that kind of delay is a fatal weakness."
He took a small step forward, his tone still calm but carrying a chilling pressure.
"Elekid, show the level you're supposed to have."
"Don't act like a useless Pokémon."
"Bi—Bi!!"
Those cold words struck Elekid like a whip.
Its body tensed instantly as it let out an unwilling cry.
The electricity around its body surged violently, crackling louder than before.
It raised its right palm again.
This time, the white glow was even brighter.
Brick Break!
The attack slammed into the boulder again.
Almost simultaneously—
Thunder Punch!
The electric strike followed immediately, the transition so fast it nearly formed an afterimage. Each impact made the boulder rumble more heavily.
Paul silently watched Elekid training.
Sweat continuously dripped from the little Pokémon's yellow body, falling onto the ground and kicking up faint dust.
At that moment, a pale blue semi-transparent panel appeared in Paul's mind.
---
[Elekid ♦]
Level: 26 (Superior Level)
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Potential: Excellent
Base Stats: 36
Moves:
Glare, Quick Attack, Swift, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, Thunder Punch, Protect, Ice Punch
---
This was Paul's cheat as a transmigrator.
A system that allowed him to view detailed Pokémon information, including their potential.
According to the system's classification, Pokémon potential was divided into:
Poor — 45%
Average — 35%
Good — 13%
Excellent — 6%
Top-Tier — 1%
Most Pokémon encountered in the wild had Poor or Average potential. Pokémon with Good potential were already rare.
The percentages represented the probability of encountering Pokémon with that level of potential.
The system also categorized Pokémon strength levels:
1–10: Newbie Level
11–25: Intermediate Level
26–40: Superior Level
41–55: Gym Leader Level
56–65: Pseudo-Elite Four Level
66–80: Elite Level
81–90: Champion Level
A Pokémon's potential determined its upper limit.
For example:
Poor potential → capped around Superior Level
Average potential → around Gym Leader Level
Higher potential meant better learning ability and faster growth. But once a Pokémon hit its limit, advancing further became extremely difficult.
However, potential wasn't everything.
A Pokémon's true strength depended heavily on the trainer's nurturing.
Wild Pokémon were usually only Newbie or Intermediate level. Those reaching Superior Level were extremely rare.
Moreover, potential wasn't completely fixed.
Poor nurturing or hidden injuries could lower a Pokémon's potential.
But with strong bonds and proper care, unexpected breakthroughs could occur.
In real battles, things were even more complex.
With the right strategy and commands, a skilled trainer could often defeat stronger opponents with weaker Pokémon.
Within a ten-level difference, the strength gap wasn't overwhelming. But once the gap exceeded twenty levels, the difference became extremely obvious.
Evolution in this world also wasn't purely level-based like in the games. It depended on a Pokémon's growth, potential, and the trainer's nurturing.
The system also included a System Shop.
The shop only sold normal items that existed in this world:
Potions
Pokémon food
Energy Cubes
Held Items
Evolution Stones
There were no Legendary Pokémon or supernatural powers.
However, it had one massive advantage—
Everything was free.
It was essentially a portable universal supply depot.
Another advantage was that system items were always top quality, meaning there was no risk of causing permanent damage to Pokémon during intense training.
---
Paul glanced at his watch.
Elekid had already been training intensely for an entire hour.
The little Pokémon was breathing heavily now. Its limbs trembled slightly, clearly exhausted.
Without hesitation, Paul called out:
"Elekid, that's enough for today's training. Come here."
His tone remained calm and emotionless, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
Hearing the command, Elekid stopped immediately and walked toward him with heavy steps.
Every movement showed just how tired it was.
The current Paul was no longer the same as the original.
As a transmigrator, he couldn't completely agree with the original Paul's overly harsh training methods that sometimes ignored Pokémon's feelings.
Although he admired the original Paul's determination to become stronger, he still had his own principles.
So while he still appeared cold and strict, he wasn't without concern.
After all, if a Pokémon failed to recover properly after training, hidden injuries could eventually damage its potential.
Without saying anything unnecessary, he gestured for Elekid to sit down.
Then he exchanged a post-training recovery Potion from the system shop and carefully sprayed it while massaging Elekid's muscles.
His fingers applied steady pressure.
The moment the medicine touched the skin, it spread like a cool yet warm current through the muscles.
"Bi…"
Elekid squinted comfortably.
A soft, satisfied sound escaped its throat as its previously tense body slowly relaxed.
Seeing its reaction, Paul thought to himself—
System products truly lived up to their reputation.
During the massage, Elekid secretly glanced at him.
Its trainer still wore that cold expression.
But the warmth of his hands and the care in his movements made it clear—
Paul cared about it.
During training, he was terrifyingly strict.
But this quiet care revealed a side of Paul that few people ever saw.
---
After the massage ended, Elekid had already curled into a ball and fallen asleep, letting out soft snores.
Seeing his partner sleeping peacefully, Paul didn't disturb it.
He turned and exchanged a portable sleeping bag from the system shop, spread it out, and climbed inside.
Lying in the sleeping bag with his hands behind his head, Paul looked at the night sky through the gaps in the leaves.
The dark-blue sky was scattered with stars like shattered diamonds.
A cool night breeze carried the fresh scent of the forest across his face.
His thoughts drifted far away.
In his mind, a clear path to the summit had already formed:
First, win the Sinnoh League.
Then defeat Pyramid King Brandon.
After that, sweep through the Elite Four.
Challenge Cynthia and Leon.
And finally—
Stand at the very top as the strongest trainer in the world.
Defeating Brandon wasn't just to fulfill the original Paul's obsession.
It would also allow his Pokémon to face powerful opponents and grow stronger.
After all, Brandon's strength was truly formidable.
And the starting point of everything—
Was the Sinnoh League Championship.
Paul also knew something very important.
In the future, a mysterious trainer known as the "Legendary Pokémon Man", who possessed multiple Legendary Pokémon, would appear as the biggest obstacle to winning the league.
But there was no fear in his eyes.
Instead, a sharp light flashed across them.
There was still plenty of time before the Sinnoh League.
Enough time for him and his Pokémon to grow stronger.
And when that time came—
Defeating the Legendary Pokémon Man would be nothing difficult.
---
The next morning, faint sunlight filtered through the forest.
A thin mist still lingered between the trees, and soft rays of sunlight created dappled shadows across the ground.
Paul and Elekid sat on a clean stone slab eating breakfast.
Warm Energy Cubes mixed with the sweetness of wild fruit, chasing away the chill of the morning air.
After finishing the last bite, Paul packed up his sleeping bag and belongings.
He had decided—
Today, he would leave the forest and begin the journey home.
After the Ever Grande Conference, he hadn't returned home immediately.
Instead, he had chosen to travel slowly, using the journey to train his Pokémon and capture stronger ones along the way.
But the current Paul wanted to return home first.
He wanted to see the Pokémon the original owner of this body had already caught.
And he also needed to confirm exactly where the current timeline stood.
After packing everything and putting on his backpack, Paul glanced at Elekid beside him.
The little Pokémon immediately perked up and walked briskly to his side.
Trainer and Pokémon walked side by side toward Veilstone City.
Their footsteps briefly broke the silence of the forest.
Then the forest returned to quiet once again—
Leaving behind only a road stretching forward into the future.