Icarus put on the second-hand protective suit he had bought earlier.
It looked old, and the color had faded in several places. But when he selected it, he had carefully checked every seam and joint. The suit might be ugly, but its protective performance was reliable.
Out in the wild, there were all kinds of dangers—hidden treasures, yes, but also poisonous plants and venomous Pokémon. A small scratch could lead to poisoning.
This was the lowest-grade protective gear, but it could still defend effectively against attacks from newborn-stage Pokémon.
Of course, stronger impacts or toxic gas would require higher-end suits and proper helmets. But he was only heading to the forest's outer area, where most Pokémon were beginner-level. This would be enough.
Since he planned to return the same afternoon and not stay overnight, he only packed some medicine and repellent spray. After double-checking everything, he was ready to leave.
Then he paused.
"Wait… who said Pokémon battles have to be Pokémon versus Pokémon?"
A slow smile spread across his face.
He realized he had been influenced by anime and official League-style battles from his previous life—structured, rule-bound matches.
But the wild wasn't a tournament arena.
In the wild, there was only one rule:
The one who survives wins.
"It's too late to order blades or anything fancy. This time, I'll just bring small stones. They're good enough for ranged interference."
He grabbed a handful of stones from the yard and stuffed them into his backpack.
"Bellsprout, let's go."
"Sprout!"
Since he was now a registered Trainer, he didn't need to keep Bellsprout inside a Poké Ball. The little Pokémon happily followed behind him on its short root-like legs.
Being outside felt far better than staying inside an ordinary Poké Ball. Standard balls only provided a small, empty space—barely enough to move around. High-end balls were different, offering training features and recovery functions, but those were expensive.
The walk through town attracted little attention. New Trainers appeared every year. Icarus wasn't a particularly famous figure at school, and he had few close friends.
A few familiar classmates glanced at him in surprise but didn't approach.
When he reached the town gate, however, he ran into someone unexpected.
"Uncle Sam! I didn't expect to see you today. I never properly thanked you for saving me last time."
Icarus bowed to the burly middle-aged guard captain.
"Haha, it's you again. What a coincidence!" Uncle Sam laughed heartily. "So this is your Pokémon? Looks like you finally became a Trainer. But remember—don't take reckless risks like last time, Icarus."
He patted Icarus heavily on the shoulder.
Icarus winced slightly.
Two years ago, after transmigrating into this world, he had foolishly believed he had protagonist-level luck. With knowledge from his previous life, he had confidently tried to capture a Caterpie on his own.
In anime, Caterpie looked weak.
Reality was different.
While Caterpie was indeed among the weakest Pokémon—only slightly stronger than Magikarp—it could produce astonishing amounts of sticky, durable silk.
He had been entangled for so long that he failed to notice nearby Caterpie gathering.
In the end, several of them wrapped him into a human cocoon.
If his homeroom teacher hadn't realized he skipped class—and guessed he might have sneaked out to catch Pokémon—Uncle Sam might never have come searching.
He might have become the first transmigrator defeated by Caterpie.
"You're officially a Trainer now," Uncle Sam said. "You can pass through the gate freely. One last suggestion—the northwest outer area was recently cleared. There might be a few… old friends of yours there."
He laughed knowingly and pointed in that direction.
Icarus blushed slightly.
"Thank you, Uncle Sam."
Originally, he had planned to hunt near the front entrance for safety. But after hearing that, he changed course toward the northwest.
As they entered the forest outskirts, both he and Bellsprout grew cautious.
"No unnecessary sounds. Follow commands strictly," he whispered.
"Sprout."
Suddenly, Bellsprout tugged lightly at his pant leg and pointed with a leaf toward the grass ahead.
Two red antennae.
Caterpie.
"Finally found one…"
He scanned the area with binoculars. Only one Caterpie was visible, quietly chewing fallen leaves.
"First battle. We play it safe."
He crouched beside Bellsprout.
"Follow my signal. Hold back if you can. Conserve energy."
"Sprout…"
Though slightly helpless at the overly cautious tone, Bellsprout nodded.
Icarus threw a stone far from the Caterpie.
Thunk.
The noise made it lift its head suspiciously.
At that moment—
"Sprout!"
Bellsprout dashed forward and kicked up a burst of sand directly into Caterpie's face.
The Caterpie squirmed wildly in discomfort.
"Now!"
Two vines shot out.
One wrapped tightly around Caterpie's mouth. The other bound its lower body. With a swift motion, Bellsprout hurled it against a nearby rock.
Crack!
Before it could recover, another stone struck its head—thrown precisely by Icarus from a distance.
The Caterpie weakened quickly, eyes spinning.
In League rules, this would count as "unable to battle."
But this wasn't a League match.
This was the wild.
"Don't stop. Keep going."
Bellsprout obeyed without hesitation. It continued striking until the Caterpie finally stopped moving completely.
Silence returned to the forest.
Icarus stepped forward and examined the fallen Pokémon.
"Well done, Bellsprout. You won your first battle."
"Spri~!"
The praise and victory made it sway happily.
This was the reality of the wild—no referees, no mercy.
Only survival.
(End of Chapter 10)
There will be a few side charecter with Chinese name like a shop owner or something.