So much had happened that day. Though Tetsuya was utterly exhausted, he still couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning restlessly.
He ended up turning on the television, which was replaying the Elite Four Ranking Tournament match between Will and Koga.
Will's Slowbro was constantly in a state of Calm Mind, its Confusion was absurdly powerful, and Koga's Pokémon were completely unable to resist, quickly falling in defeat.
Tetsuya let out a sigh. He had later learned the origin of that Slowbro. It was a pity he had never encountered such an opportunity.
Exceptionally gifted Pokémon were rare and hard to come by. Finding one could easily save a person ten years of hard work.
'That's fate.'
And then there was the Gengar Koga used today. Its behavior was completely different from its previous battle style. Judging from what had happened to his own Pokémon, they had clearly had their vitality drained by Mega Gengar. 'How had it been trained…?'
As Tetsuya pondered, he gradually dozed off, images of his sixty-some years in this world drifting through his mind.
'If I could do it all over again… I would never miss those opportunities.'
---◓---
In a hazy half-sleep, he heard the sound of someone weeping. Reflexively, Tetsuya covered his ears, but the crying grew more and more sorrowful and tragic.
"Hahh… Who's mourning this early in the morning at the Gym?"
Tetsuya squinted and walked toward the door, opening it.
'This place…? Why did it feel so familiar?'
He saw an old man holding two boxes, wailing loudly.
'No… this wasn't the Ecruteak Gym. And that old man…'
Tetsuya was struck with overwhelming shock.
He hurriedly shook his head hard and ran back into the room, splashing cold water on his face.
Finally, he was awake!
Tetsuya looked around at the furnishings in the room, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.
He slowly walked over to the wall calendar.
Staring at it, he was unable to calm himself…
[League Calendar, Year 687, July 10]
The date from sixty-three years ago; the very day he first arrived in this world…
He remembered clearly. He had only been seven years old at the time.
Still not fully convinced, Tetsuya looked to the mirror by the bed for confirmation.
Staring back at him was a boy of six or seven…
Realizing he had "traveled through time", Tetsuya sat on the bed, struggling to calm his heart!
---◓---
After gaining over sixty years of experience in this world, he was now suddenly faced with the question of how to use it. How to plan the path ahead? He was momentarily at a loss.
His greatest strength was in Poison-types. Ariados and Drapion were must-haves, but raising them came at a steep cost. It required several generations of breeding.
Even in the best-case scenario, it would take three to five years. He simply didn't have the resources now.
'And there was Koga's Gengar, Will's Slowbro…'
A torrent of thoughts surged through his mind.
'Unrealistic… All of it is unrealistic.' Tetsuya shook his head.
He had clearly overestimated himself again. Better to start with what was right in front of him. In his previous life(?), he had suffered too many setbacks because he saw this world through rose-colored glasses; nearly losing his life because of it.
Now that fate had given him another chance, he would not walk down the same mistaken paths again!
The "old man" outside was his "grandfather" in this world. He had seemed respectable when Tetsuya first arrived in this world. After all, back on Earth, he had a loving grandfather as well.
In his hands were the ashes of his son and daughter-in-law; Tetsuya's parents.
Tetsuya's parents had traveled between Saffron City and Hearthome City for business. This time, their S.S encountered a tsunami, and both had drowned.
They had left behind a big inheritance, all legally left to Tetsuya. But his grandfather seized control of it.
Even that would've been tolerable. At age ten, Tetsuya could have used the money to purchase a Starter Pokémon and begin a proper journey.
But fate played its tricks…
Tetsuya never imagined the old man was a gambling addict. Within just half a year, he squandered all the inheritance his son had left behind. Debt collectors came knocking and even tried to seize properties in his name.
At the time, Tetsuya was still completely unfamiliar with this world. Feeling pity for the old man, he allowed him to sell the house in Hearthome City. But the more money he had, the more recklessly the old man gambled. Before long, everything was gone again.
When creditors came knocking once again, Tetsuya finally saw through everything and ignored him. Yet the old man went mad with desperation and actually tried to hand Tetsuya over to settle the debt. Tetsuya struggled free and ran out. When he returned, he discovered the old man had died from a sudden heart attack.
Just eight years old, Tetsuya was deceived by a group of well-dressed beasts and sent into an orphanage. The orphanage then naturally stripped him of his remaining property.
The structure of this world directly resulted in incomplete laws, indirectly "breeding" darkness within society. For example, when a corpse was left exposed in the wilderness, it would be gnawed beyond recognition by Pokémon like Houndoom and Mightyena. Who was the killer then? A human, or a Pokémon? There was simply no way to investigate.
He spent two muddled years in the orphanage.
At ten years old, one was already considered capable of self-care in this world, and the orphanage was only obligated to raise orphans until that age.
The moment he turned ten, Tetsuya was kicked out of the orphanage.
Thus, in his previous life, Tetsuya had been completely destitute at the age of ten, nearly starving to death on the streets.
Now, he would never allow those things to happen again!
---◓---
Steadying his mind, Tetsuya walked straight out. The old man was still crying bitterly.
Tetsuya snorted coldly. 'You only get to cry today…'
"Stop crying. The dead can't be brought back. We still have to live."
Hearing his grandson's words, the old man's sobbing stopped abruptly. He raised his head and looked at the seven-year-old boy before him. Familiar yet unfamiliar, it was nothing like something a child could say.
The old man wiped his tears and said, "From now on, it'll just be the two of us relying on each other. The property your parents left is enough to support your studies…
Then you can find a good job in Ecruteak City. Don't be like your parents, going out to struggle. That's just throwing your life away."
In his previous life, the old man had said the same thing. Unfortunately, once gambling took hold, it was as deep as the sea. When the addiction surfaced, everything changed.
Still, the old man had spoken of one reality of this world.
At present, the League had not yet fully regulated the "wilderness". Going out casually was extremely dangerous. Beedrill, Spearow, and the like could appear at any moment and take your life. The sea was even more dangerous. So-called tsunamis were very likely the result of groups of Gyarados stirring up trouble.
However, none of that could stop Tetsuya.
"I want to purchase a Pokémon and register as a Trainer in three years."
Before Tetsuya even finished speaking, the old man waved his hand.
"No. Absolutely not. Give up that idea. You're not allowed to touch anything related to Pokémon."
'Stubborn old fool. Are you waiting until you lose everything and then sell me to pay your debts again?'
He would never allow that to happen again.
Tetsuya ignored the old man completely and strode toward his room. "That's property my parents left to me. I have the right to decide how it's used."
Whoooooosh~💨
Seeing Tetsuya rush toward his room, the old man hurried after him. He had just checked the inheritance, and the safe was still open.
Tetsuya rushed into the room and immediately saw the open safe. Hearing the old man close behind him, he instinctively dumped everything inside out.
Two Property Certificates, one Johto League bank card, one Sinnoh League bank card, and three stacks of cash…
Tetsuya stuffed everything into his arms.
At that moment, the old man blocked the doorway, glaring at Tetsuya. "Hand it over. Am I no longer able to control you?"
Tetsuya thought to himself, 'You really think I'm a seven-year-old child.'
He showed no fear at all!
"Hn. Move aside. We can still be grandfather and grandson."
Hearing this, the old man flew into a rage. "You unfilial beast!"
He raised his hand and swung it toward Tetsuya's face.
'Heh~ Child's play.'
In his previous life, he had never stopped training in fighting skills. If not for the limitations of his current physical conditioning, he could take on ten of old mans'.
With a sidestep, Tetsuya easily slipped past and out the door.
The old man stumbled, nearly losing his footing.
Seizing the chance, Tetsuya fled back to his room and locked the door. He couldn't afford to completely fall out with the old man yet and run away from home.
First, he still didn't know the passwords to the two bank cards.
Second, before the old man died, he had to obtain a Work ID from a company or factory.
Only with a Work ID could he prove he had the ability to live independently and escape the clutches of the orphanage.