"Caw! Caw!"

  A bird's cry from above snapped Paul out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a Murkrow, entrusted to a local daycare by its trainer, flying overhead. Before he k, he had arrived at his house.

  Uhe cool shade of the eaves, a plump Bibarel y zily on the ground. It opes intelligent-looking eyes at the sound of footsteps.

  "Biii~"

  Reizing Paul, the Bibarel zily waved a paw iing before flopping back down, resuming its nap. It seemed pletely ued in matters that didn't it.

  But Paul wasn't about to let it stay uninvolved.

  "Don't you enjoy battles?" Paul turo the Elekid by his side. "Before our journey begins, if you want to train, battle Bibarel instead. Stop pig on Pikachu. Beating an oppo of that level won't help you improve."

  This Elekid wasn't the one he had captured during a long journey in his memories. Instead, it had hatched from ahat he and his older brother had found in a thunderous yon while returning from the Battle Frohat had been months ago.

  At the same time, a Pichu had also hatched—a Pichu that had since evolved into the Pikachu Elekid frequently bullied.

  The two Pokémon had been at odds from the very start. Initially, it was harmless squabbling. But as time went on, Pichu found itself on the losing end. Even after evolving into Pikachu, it was no match for Elekid and often ended up badly beaten.

  If Elekid was so restless, it needed a stronger oppo. That would help it grow in strength and skill.

  "Elek! Elek!"Elekid, however, failed to grasp the i behind Paul's "generosity." It reized Bibarel—after all, it had known the Bibarel sis first day after hatg. Every day, Bibarel did little more tha and sleep, showing no i in training, ag like a dead weight. To Elekid, it seemed useless.

  What's more, Bibarel was a Water-type Pokémon, and Elekid had a type advantage. Elekid's expression twisted into a mog smirk, its disdain clear. Its thoughts seemed to scream:This guy? What could it possibly do to me?

  Despite its youth, Elekid was determined and hardw. It saw no way it could lose to an oppo like Bibarel.

  "Well then, I look forward to seeing you defeat it," Paul said with a faint sneer as he opehe door.

  "Elek!"Elekid puffed out its chest and cast o sful g the sleeping Bibarel before following Paul i resolved that, after watg the mat TV, it would teach Bibarel a lesson and surprise its trainer.

  "Back already? The match is about to start. e watch,"Paul's older brother, Reggie, stepped out of the kit, holding two gsses e juice. He bore a strong resembo Paul, sharing many facial features and the same purple hair.

  Paul gave a quiet nod, taking a seat on the sofa and accepting the juice Reggie handed him. Elekid plopped down on the floor, its eyes glued to the TV, as if searg for future oppos.

  As Reggie sat down, the announcer's voice filled the room:"The final match of this year's Indigo League Tour is about to begin! Both trainers are remarkably special—they're from the same hometown of Pallet Town and only started their jourhis year!"

  "Fag off are the talerainers Red and Gree's look forward to aing battle!"

  On the s, a stoic boy wearing a cap appeared alongside an adorable, round-faced Pikachu. Then the camera shifted to a spiky-haired boy with a fident smile.

  "This year's tour is truly exceptional," Reggie remarked. "Two rookies making it to the finals in their first league—what a feat! What do you think, Paul? Who'll take the championship?"

  "Red," Paul replied without hesitation, his gaze fixed oV. His fingers unsciously tightened around the gss in his hand.

  Red and Green's presence firmed to Paul that this world was fually different from the animated one in his memories.

  "So sure, huh? Well, let's see if your predi is right."

  Reggie noticed Paul's unusual focus but assumed it was just excitement for the match. He didn't realize that Paul's "predi" wasn't based on analysis—it was simply the "result" from his memories.

  "Red leads with Pikachu, while Green sends out Are…"

  "... And now, it's down to the final Pokémon on both sides! Green's Bstoise faces off against Red's Charizard!"

  "Charizard seizes an opportunity and uses Seismic Toss…"

  With a thunderous crash, Bstoise fell, uo tinue, and the matded decisively.

  "Elek!"Elekid, pletely engrossed itle, finally snapped out of its daze as the match cluded. It hadn't expected its future oppos to be so powerful. Even the seemingly adorable Pikachu looked capable of crushing it with a siackle.

  No way! I have to get stronger! Elekid resolved. It couldn't afford to sck off anymore—not when its current strength left it so vulnerable.

  Elekid stood up abruptly, filled with determination. It marched outside, sparks of electricity crag around its fists as it approached Bibarel.My path to power starts with you!

  "Well, who would have thought? You got it right," Reggie said, impressed by the match's oute.

  "Someday, I'll win the League myself. Then I'll face them on equal footing, defeat them, and bee the strorainer," Paul decred, g his fist.

  "I believe in you—you'll make it happen," Reggie replied with a smile.

  "Oh, by the way, Reggie, I'm pnning to set out on my journey soon."

  Uhe anime, Paul and Reggie in this world shared a good retionship, free of flict. Inf his brother ahead of time allowed him to prepare.

  "A journey, huh? Souing—catg Pokémon, f bonds, and w together toward yoals…"

  Reggie trailed off, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

  "Bonds… fate… maybe," Paul muttered, mulling over the words.

  As a reinated individual, he uood the importance of bonds but chose to form them only with Pokémon he deemed worthy.

  "When are you leaving? Got a destination in mind?" Reggie asked.

  "I ordered a Pokédex. I'll pick it up from Professor Rowan and start my jourhere," Paul replied.

  The thought of his former starter, Turtwig, crossed his mind. In this world, his journey's circumstances and outes differed.

  While he couldn't receive a starter Pokémon like in the anime, his Elekid's exceptional potential was more than enough.

  ge was iable—but Paul embraced it. Many powerful trainers, like thia and Volkner, started with different Pokémon.

  Still, Paul couldn't help but ment the ck of extraordinary Pokémon in their breeding facility. Despite their quality, his high standards.

  Artificially bred Pokémohe unique spark of wild-born talents—a truth that likely expined why the anime's Paul preferred wild Pokémohose from his family's nursery.

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