Sinniooy, Pokémon Day Care

  The winds of a new jourirred once again, as the trees began sprouting fresh branches and the sky appeared exceptionally azure. Distant clouds floated idly, serving as the backdrop for a promising adventure.

  Beh the shade of a tree, a purple-haired boy y with his hands behind his head, staring at the endless sky. His thoughts wandered far, pting his journey ahead.

  After a while, he picked up a book beside him and began reading. Nearby, a group of newly hatched Pokémon pyed and frolicked, indifferent to the boy's presence. Some of the little ones even snuggled beside him for a nap, unafraid of his pany.

  In trast, the nearby antics of another presengaged in pyful mischief with a Pikachu—seemed to ule these newborn Pokémon more.

  "Pika~chu!"

  "Bzzzzzt!"

  "Ahhh!"

  "Eek!"

  Suddenly, a surge of goldericity crackled through the air, startling the baby Pokémon. They scurried toward the boy, huddling close as if seeking safety.

  Feeling the otion, Paul set his book aside. What met his eyes were Pokémon like Budew, Pachirisu, Shinx, Cleffa, and Azurill clustered by his side.

  What's going on?Paul immediately stood to shield the little ones and sed the area to find the source of the chaos.

  "Pika!"

  Ahead of him, a Pikachu was wildly discharging golden bolts of electricity, writhing in apparent distress.

  The sight was both chaotid arming: arcs of electricity snaked around like unruly electric serpents, making even the weak current intimidating to the newborn Pokémon.

  And why was this Pikachu ag like this?

  Because on its back sat another Pokémon—a mischievous Elekid resembling a stubborn cowboy.

  The Elekid g tightly to Pikachu's long ears, as if determio tame the rampagiric rodent no matter what.

  "Bzzzzt!"

  Despite being bathed iricity and at risk of falling off, Elekid held on, refusing to yield, like a true fighter. After its persistent efforts, victory seemed close at hand—

  "What are you doing?"

  "Bzzzzt!"

  A familiar cold voice cut through the chaos. Elekid flinched and, almost reflexively, delivered a swift Brick Break to subdue Pikachu before jumping down to the ground. Feigning innoce, it pointed acgly at Pikachu, as if saying:

  "This unruly rodent wouldn't stop dischargiricity. I was just trying to discipli for you."

  "Pikaaa~"

  This btant act of pying the victim made Pikachu's eyes well up with tears. It looked pitifully at Paul, clearly wronged and uo defend itself.

  Paul didn't o think hard to figure out what had happened.

  He stared silently at the Pikachu and Elekid, his unreadable expression making both Pokémon squirm unfortably.

  "Staraptor!"

  Suddenly, a majestic Staraptor swooped down from the sky, letting out a sharp cry that broke the awkward sile circled above Paul and his Pokémon before heading back to its perch.

  Meeting Staraptaze, Paul nodded in aowledgment, signaling that he uood.

  Turning back to Pikachu and the other baby Pokémon, he said:"Pikachu, take these little oo py elsewhere."

  "Pika! Pikachu~"

  Relieved, Pikachu darted off, leading the group of little ooward the woods. Clearly, it wao get as far from the trouble as possible.

  Now, only Paul and Elekid remained.

  "No fighting in front of the young ohis is your only warning."

  Paul's tone softened slightly, though his expression remaiern.

  While Paul didn't usually mind Pokémhhousing, sg newborns wasn't acceptable—especially sihey teically beloo the Day Care.

  The baby Pokémon were sidered valuable assets, destio be sold or distributed as starter Pokémon to trainers across Sinnoh. Ensuring their safety was essential to avoid plications.

  "Bzzzzt~"

  Elekid scratched its head awkwardly, feeling that the situation had simply spiraled out of trol. Normally, Pikaever fought back with electricity during their pyful scuffles. How was Elekid supposed to know it would suddenly discharge like that?

  ime, it thought, it would just use Brick Break right away. After all, Elekid sidered itself far too kind for its own good.

  "Stop scheming," Paul chided. "If yoing to travel with me, you'll o behave. Don't cause unnecessary trouble."

  Elekid, sensing Paul's stern toraightened up and saluted with an overly enthusiastic expression, as if promising to turn over a new leaf. Yet the sly grin tugging at its lips betrayed its true iions.

  "Let's go. The Indigo League finals are about to start. You might as well watch your future petition."

  With that, Paul turned and headed toward the house.

  "Bzzzzt!"

  Future petition?

  The phrase immediately piqued Elekid's i. It trotted after Paul, its curiosity about these "future oppos" growing.

  Though only a few months old, Elekid's determination to bee stronger (and find more oppos to fight) was unshakable.

  With a spring in its step, Elekid followed Paul, occasionally casting cocky g the Pokémon around it. Its mischievous grin never wavered.

  For a brief moment, Elekid noticed Paul's gaze turn distant, as if lost in thought. Out of courtesy—or so it viself—it chose not to interrupt him.

  Paul, meanwhile, was deep in his own musings.

  He wasn't just any ordinary person; he was a transmigrator—a soul from Earth who had been reborn into this world.

  It had taken time for him tain his memories and realize that he had been reinated into the Pokémon universe, inhabiting the body of Paul, Ash's rival from Sinnoh.

  At first, Paul struggled to accept his new reality. But as time passed, he came to terms with it.

  Whether or not he was a transmigrator didn't matter. What mattered was that he aul, and that was enough.

  Moreover, because the development of this world was vastly different from the one in his memories, Paul became increasingly certain that this world and the animated world he remembered were entirely separate universes.

  First of all, in this Pokémon world, the age at which people usually receive their Pokémon and bee trainers is not 10, as depicted in the anime, nor does it vary acrions as in the games. Instead, it is standardized across all regions to 15 years old.

  Currently, Paul had only just turned 15 a few days ago.

  Sedly, his brgie was nothing like the Reggie from the ahe Reggie in this world was not a cold person in his past, nor was his goal to bee a powerful trainer. He also didn't o be enlightened by Brandon to grow into a gentler person aually transition to being a breeder.

  This world's Reggie had always been a kind ale person, with the lifelong goal of being a top-tier Pokémon breeder. Participating in the Pokémon League during his travels was merely a side activity.

  Although he did battle Brandon, he didn't experieny feelings of frustration after losing. He simply returo Veilstoy after a single challenge, ied his te parents' daycare, and has stayed there ever since.

  Apart from these differehere were tless other smaller deviatioween this world and the one in his memories.

  For example, although Paul had yet to start his journey, all eight known evolutions of Eevee had already been discovered.

  For example, fossil Pokémon revival teology had bee almost fully mature, resulting in an increasing number of fossil Pokémon appearing across the world.

  For example, acc to the League Daily, Rotom devices like the Rotom Pokédex and Rotom Phones had already been developed. The only reason they weren't widespread was due to the severe she of Rotom itself.

  Everythi simultaneously familiar and alien—simir yet profoundly different.

  Ign the disparity iarting age for trainers, Paul initially thought all of these differences were butterfly effects caused by his presence as a transmigrator.

  It wasn't until he watched a livestream of the Indigo League tour a few days ago that he became pletely vihis Pokémon world was indeed a parallel world, distinct from the one in the anime he remembered.

  Why? Because this year's Indigo League tour featured two particurly unique partits.

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