"Ding-a-ling-a-ling..." The early morning light seeped through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating dust particles floating in the air, while the alarm clock's ringing broke the silence.

Lying in bed, the boy furrowed his brow at the sound, then slowly opened his eyes, gazing blankly at the ceiling before sitting up abruptly. He scratched his tousled hair and yawned lazily, stretching his arms with a groan.

"It's time..." Once fully awake, his eyes brightened. Today was the day he would receive his first Pokémon as a novice trainer, the day he had decided to set off on his journey to challenge the Kanto League.

"But..." A thought seemed to temper his initial excitement. With furrowed brows and arms crossed, he fell into deep thought. "Should I go to Professor Oak's lab on time to choose from the starter Pokémon, or should I wait a bit longer and choose Pikachu?"

The boy had pondered this question since he arrived in this world a few days ago, and even the night before, he hadn't resolved it.

The starter Pokémon gifted by the League—Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle—each held great potential. They were not only suitable for a novice trainer but also powerful in their final evolutionary forms, even capable of Mega Evolution.

But Pikachu was no ordinary Pokémon. Compared to regular Pikachus, it possessed tremendous potential and was the designated protagonist in the animated series.

However, this was neither a game nor a show but a real, living world. Here, Pikachu was not necessarily a Pokémon of great potential, and the boy couldn't be sure if this Pikachu would be the same as the one in the animated series.

Most importantly, this Pikachu seemed to have a peculiar issue; every time Ash, the protagonist in the animated series, traveled to a new region, Pikachu seemed to reset its abilities.

Despite having power comparable to deities, it could be embarrassingly outmatched by a starter Pokémon freshly chosen by a new trainer, which was not at all typical for a character who had battled extensively.

"If only my system were intelligent..." The boy sighed. In his original world, he had found the notion of intelligent systems in stories quite annoying, viewing them as filler. But now, he wished for such a system to advise him in times like these.

"And my own system..." Speaking of his system made the boy sigh again. While other people's systems seemed impressive, his own system, capable only of identifying basic Pokémon attributes, seemed practically useless.

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"Never mind, let's have breakfast first; there's still half an hour until eight o'clock..." Shaking his head, the boy left his room to wash up. His mother, working early at a local dairy farm to support their single-parent family, was already out milking cows.

"Once I make a name for myself in the League, Mom won't have to work so hard..." He looked at his reflection in the mirror—not particularly handsome, with his tousled dark green hair, but it had a certain appeal.

"So... I must try my hardest!" After washing his face with cold water and slapping his cheeks to wake up further, he went to the dining room to eat the breakfast his mother had left behind.

This boy was Ash, yet not the same Ash. It was a soul from Earth.

In another world, this was a world that existed only in comics, animations, and games. Initially, Ash did not realize which world he was in, as even within the Pokémon universe, there are many parallel worlds.

But soon, Ash came to understand the peculiarities of this world. Overall, its trajectory followed the anime series, although there were many details distinctly different from the animated version.

One clear difference was the sandwich in Ash's hand. In the anime, the food consumed by Ash and his companions was basically vegetarian, consistent with a world where, apart from humans, all other ordinary animals were believed to be extinct.

However, this world was different. Originally extinct, normal animals and fish were brought back three years ago thanks to a breakthrough in fossil restoration technology. The Pokémon League extensively revived numerous species through fossils and aggressively bred them, allowing regular meat to become widely available again.

These details made Ash uncertain whether to choose from the starter Pokémon or opt for Pikachu. There were too many unknowns.

"I'm full now..." After four years, Ash had gotten used to saying this after meals, even though no one else was around.

After cleaning up, he sat on the sofa and glanced at the clock on the wall. Hesitating for a moment, Ash clenched his teeth and made a decision. He decided to trust the animated series' version, choosing Pikachu, believing it wouldn't pose a problem. Even if issues arose, Ash felt confident that he could train Pikachu to surpass its animated counterpart.

Time ticked by, swiftly passing the scheduled eight o'clock, but Ash remained seated in the living room. His continuously shaking legs revealed his inner anxiety.

At 8:30, Ash suddenly stood up. It had been half an hour, and he believed that if anyone else was late like him, they would have already gone to the lab to get their Pokémon by now. So, it was time for him to leave.

Without hesitation, he opened the front door and quickly walked along the path to the research lab. The town, more of a village, was deserted on his way there. If not for Professor Oak's lab, it couldn't really be called a town at all.

Soon, Ash was near Professor Oak's lab, just a bridge away. However, the area in front of the lab was crowded with villagers who had come to see the new trainers receive their Pokémon. Many of them recognized Ash.

"Ash, why are you so late? Two people have already picked their Pokémon and left, and Gary just went in!" a man said upon seeing Ash. Ash often helped the villagers with various tasks, so they were fond of him.

"I overslept, I'm going in now..." Ash couldn't explain his real reasons and resorted to a lie. The villagers stepped aside to let him through.