I am what you'd call an ordinary person. My former name isn't important anymore, buried along with my death. For someone who has already died once, the past is just that—the past.
Let's talk about something truly unexpected: I was reborn. Not only that, but I was reborn into the world of Pokémon. This makes me incredibly happy, even if my memories only just resurfaced.
In my previous life, the pressure of adulthood was suffocating. I managed okay, though; I worked hard, built my own business, and eventually found some breathing room. But just when I thought life would continue peacefully, my girlfriend developed anorexia.
I visited countless famous doctors to help her. I even studied medicine and nutrition myself. In the end, none of it worked. I exhausted every resource trying to improve my cooking skills just to cater to her failing appetite.
But reality is cruel. For unknown reasons, her condition worsened until she could only survive on glucose IVs. I watched helplessly as her body wasted away until she finally passed. Perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion, but shortly after, I fell into a sleep from which I never woke.
I feel a bit guilty toward my friends and family, but the assets I left behind should be more than enough to ensure my parents and her parents are taken care of for the rest of their lives.
Now that I've been reborn, I should start a new life in this world—a world I love, yet one that also holds my greatest regrets. I love it because Pokémon was an eternal classic of my childhood. My regret? Fujita, go eat shit! It's a damn shame no one took you out, you bastard!
Now that I'm here, honestly, I don't have much of a competitive drive. I just wanted to make up for my regrets and maybe try to train some "dense brat" to become the legendary Red. Or so I thought...
"Ash, stop daydreaming! Pichu is here to see you again!"
At the sound of a gentle female voice, Ash turned his head and gave a soft smile.
"I know, Mom. I'll go grab the ketchup first; that little guy loves it."
That's right. I'm the "dense brat" now! Who would have thought I'd be reborn as the legendary Ash Ketchum! This is a real pain in the... forget it. I should get some food ready for the little guy first.
He skillfully pulled out a bottle of ketchup, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to the Pichu waiting expectantly in Delia's arms. The little creature's eyes lit up as it immediately began licking away. Watching the happy Pichu, Ash chuckled. He put on an apron and began preparing lunch under Delia's proud gaze.
"Ash, I've signed you up for the Summer Camp. You should go and meet some new friends."
At the dining table, Delia dropped the news on him while they ate.
"Uh, Mom, you're kind of springing this on me. I'm pretty busy here..."
"Oh, hush. Your friends are being looked after by Professor Oak, so it should be fine, right?"
Hearing this, Ash sighed softly and tapped on the window.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Instantly, several heads popped up. They looked at Ash with glowing green eyes (of hunger), and Ash said helplessly, "Come on in..."
A group of Pokémon filed into the house in an orderly fashion. However, they were all carrying rare delicacies from the mountains and the sea—clearly high-end items that were hard to come by.
Looking at the group of Pokémon trying to win him over with expensive ingredients, Ash said mockingly, "If the stuff you brought wasn't so valuable, you guys would have eaten us out of house and home by now."
"Waaa!" "Roar!" "Quack!"
The only response Ash got was the shameless cries of a bunch of freeloaders looking for a good meal.