Chapter 1: Reborn in the Wild with a System and a Very Judgmental Bird
The last thing Robin saw was the dazzling array of headlights from an oversized transport truck, accompanied by the screeching terror of locked-up brakes. After a brief, dizzying flash of unbearable pain, Robin gasped, his eyes snapping wide open.
There were no sterile white hospital walls here. No pungent smell of antiseptic and rubbing alcohol.
Instead, towering trees stretched upward, their canopies dripping with lush green leaves. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in a golden lattice, and the air was shockingly pure—crisp, clean, and smelling of rich earth and fresh grass. Robin propped himself up, blinking away the fog, only to freeze at the sight of his own hands. They were smaller, younger, and clad in unfamiliar, rugged everyday clothes.
"Where... on earth am I?" he mumbled, his voice sounding a fraction higher than he remembered.
Right on cue, the sound of rhythmic wings flapping echoed right above his head. Instinctively, Robin looked up. Perched on a nearby branch was a round, brown bird with a cream-colored chest and belly, adorned with sharp, tie-like black markings. It tilted its head sharply to the side, examining him with dark, infinitely curious eyes.
Pidgey?!
Robin's heart slammed against his ribs like a trapped Beedrill. As a lifelong, die-hard Pokémon fan who had replayed every generation more times than he could count, he could never mistake that silhouette.
Did I transmigrate? Did I actually cross over into the Pokémon world?
A wave of sheer, unadulterated euphoria washed over him. Robin scrambled to his feet, spinning around to take in the landscape. Not far away, a green, caterpillar-like shape—a Caterpie—inch-wormed its way along a tree trunk, while a Raticate rustled through the tall grass. It was real. Every single pixel of her childhood dreams was suddenly tangible, breathing, and wildly alive.
However, the initial shock quickly yielded to practical survival instincts. Transmigrating into an unknown wilderness at twelve years old meant that high on the priority list were identity, shelter, and basic survival.
As if conspiring with her sudden anxiety, a low rumble shook the canopy. Without warning, heavy raindrops began to pelt the forest floor, quickly turning into a torrential downpour.
"Chirp chirp!"
Pidgey's sharp call cut through the pelting rain. Robin watched as the tiny normal-flying type prepped to take flight from its branch. Trusting animal instinct over human panic, Robin followed the bird without a second thought, sprinting through the thickening mud and sloshing ferns. After a frantic minute of running blind through the sheets of rain, he burst through a wall of vines to find an abandoned, weathered wooden hut nestled deep in a clearing.
Safe and dry under the leaky roof, Robin collapsed against the damp wooden wall, catching his breath and staring at the Pidgey perched safely on a rafter.
Let's see... I must have landed in the Kanto region, right? he thought, wiping rainwater from his forehead. An obvious beginner bird like Pidgey is practically synonymous with Route 1 or 2 in Kanto. Okay, step two: use my meta-knowledge to track down Professor Oak, charm him with my brilliance, and become an official Pokémon Professor. Oh, but wait—my absolute favorite region is Alola! Lillie is an angel and deserves the world. But hey, wouldn't it be an epic character arc to start in Kanto, make a name for myself, and then move to Alola just to hang out with Lillie? Genius.
Lost in this master plan, a strange, triumphant giggle bubbled up in Robin's throat. He sat there in the dark, alternating between grinning like a maniac and wiping rain from his cheeks.
Up on the rafter, Pidgey tilted its head even further, eyeing the human below with a mixture of profound pity and deep concern. Is this human... broken? it seemed to wonder. Did the rain short-circuit his brain?
"Congratulations, host, for successfully identifying your location and locking in your grand ambition: to become a Pokémon Professor and eventually travel to the Alola region."
A mechanical, crisp voice chimed directly inside Robin's head, startling him so badly he nearly headbutted the wooden floorboards.
"Whoa! What?!" Robin yelped, slapping his hands over his ears. "I-I actually have a system?! Oh man, this is amazing! Wait, hold on... why didn't I notice I had a system the second I woke up? Honestly, reincarnation is such a massive life event, who has the mental bandwidth to check for a notification prompt right away? It's definitely the system's fault for being lazy and not announcing itself."
After seamlessly shifting all blame onto the imaginary developer, Robin nodded sagely, completely at peace with his own logic.
"System! System, are you broken or just shy? What do you actually do?" Robin whispered mentally.
"This system is designated as the Pokémon Master Training System," the voice replied, carrying a distinct hint of digital exhaustion. "Its core directive is to turn the host into the greatest Trainer in the world, while occasionally assisting with trivial personal side-quests—such as, say, awkwardly engineering a relationship with Lillie in Alola."
"Hey, don't knock the Lillie agenda, it's crucial for my mental health!" Robin retorted defensively. "Anyway, what are your actual features?"
"I possess the ability to scan every Pokémon's latent potential, combat skills, hidden talents, and psychological state—functioning essentially like an omniscient walkthrough guide. I also issue daily, main, and side quests. The rest you will discover on your own, host. Simply think 'System' to check your status interface."
Robin mentally muttered System, and a translucent light-blue holographic window materialized right before his eyes:
Host: Robin
Age: 12
Skills: None (Proficient in boiling instant noodles to a passable texture)
Daily Task:
Catch your first Pokémon.
Prize: Beginner Gift Package
Side Quest: Become a Pokémon Researcher and journey to the Alola region.
Reward: Variable based on performance.
Main Objective: Become the World's Number One Pokémon Master.
Reward: Variable based on performance.
Robin's face fell a fraction. A twelve-year-old kid dropped into a monster-filled forest with zero survival gear? That wasn't a hero's journey; that was a tragedy waiting to happen.
As if reading her gloomy thoughts, the system chimed again: "Noticing the host's distinct lack of survival equipment, a consolation starter pack has been retroactively approved. Congratulations, host! You have unlocked a new system function: Inventory."
A warm digital glow flashed, and Robin felt a wave of relief wash over him. Forget the existential dread—she had loot boxes to open!
"Congratulations, host, you have received: 1 portable sleeping bag, 1 waterproof tent, 30 loaves of standard white bread, 15 sweet Leppa Berries, and 3 standard Poké Balls."
Robin grinned from ear to ear, closing the system interface as the sun began its final descent outside, painting the gloomy forest in shades of deep indigo and purple. "Well, Pokémon hunting can officially wait until tomorrow morning. First order of business: securing a good night's sleep before my back gives out."
Just as Robin reached into his newly minted inventory to pull out a loaf of bread to silence his rumbling stomach, a bright red object dropped right into her lap with a soft thump.
Blinking in surprise, he looked up.
The same Pidgey from the rafters was peering down at her, holding a fresh, dew-kissed Leppa Berry in its beak, which it promptly dropped onto his knees before tilting its head again.
Robin stared at the bird, dumbfounded. Is this wild Pokémon... feeding me? This bird has more survival skills than a reality TV contestant.
Impulsively, Robin decided to test out her new system perk. She focused her gaze on the feathered creature and thought, Insight Eye!
A clean, shimmering data block popped up beside the bird:
Name: Pidgey
Species: Bird Pokémon
Inherited Moveset: Peck, Scratch, Aerial Ace, Hurricane, Extreme Speed
Potential Ability Rating: Blue (Graded from lowest to highest: White, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Black. Entities above Gold generally possess divine or legendary tiers of power.)
Level: 9
Affection: 90 (Thoughts: This human looks a bit unhinged, but he smells like bread and might actually become a decent trainer. Plus, I want to see if he can actually help me become the undisputed king of all Pidgeots.)
Robin's jaw hit the floor. Blue potential?! Extreme Speed?! Hurricane?! At level 9?! This wasn't just a starter Pidgey; this was an absolute statistical anomaly disguised as a cute little bird!
Struggling to contain her sudden, breathless excitement, Robin pointed a dramatic finger at the bird and whisper-shouted, "Pidgey! It is destiny! Forget Professor Oak's lab, forget standard protocol—become my partner, and let's conquer the entire world together!"
Pidgey gave him a long, profoundly blank stare, as if evaluating whether it had hitched its wagon to a total lunatic.
Ignoring the bird's skeptical judgment, Robin flashed a triumphant grin, scooped up his tent, and retreated into the darkest, driest corner of the old hut to set up camp, completely ready to face whatever madness tomorrow had in store.