Chapter 1: Capter 1: Phantom View
It feels strange to have a floating box of text in front of me. Deciding to ignore it for now, I take a second to look around me; all I can see is an empty white void.
The feeling the void emits is strangely calming. I look for something to sit on, and to my surprise, a wooden chair appears in front of me. I take a seat, and it is surprisingly comfortable.
I finally return my attention to the floating screen in front of me.
It reads, "Hello, what would you like to know?"
I take a second to contemplate and eventually respond, "What is this place?" simple but effective, I feel.
"This is Limbo. A place to interact with spirits"
It responds in a robotic voice as the text reciprocates. The text then returns to the same question as before.
I take a second to think before I ask my next question.
"How did I die?"
It responds, "You died when a motorcycle hit you instead of the truck it was supposed to."
I quickly reply, "What do you mean by supposed too?"
Suddenly, before I get a reply A strange, foggy entity appears behind the floating text box and grabs it. Then the entity starts talking.
"To answer your question I had a glitch occur in my coding due to a mistake on my part. And before you ask, I am your universe's system that regulates your reality and what rules it abides by."
I reply simply with "huh, neat." The strange being chuckled slightly and then continued.
"I shouldn't be surprised by your reaction based on what you've been through, but I still find it interesting how different humans can be from one another.
Now, let's get to the main point. Due to my actions, your life almost ended once. This time my mistake was fatal, for you at least. Due to this, I would like to repay you with the opportunity of either reincarnation or this universe's heaven." With no hesitation, I reply.
"Reincarnation please." Again, the Phantom chuckles. The phantom then informs me.
"Just to let you know that by choosing reincarnation, you will be judged by different standards depending on the universe you choose. This is in order to make sure you know that your actions in the new world will affect where you end up."
To me, the condition doesn't matter that much. I then registered after a moment, and he said, "Choose." I have to ask what he meant by that.
"What do you mean by choice?"
I again hear the Phantoms chuckle. It then starts to talk again.
"Did you think after so royally screwing up your life that I would just give you a second chance? Wow, no, you get to have the "royal" treatment. That's the least you deserve after my mistakes."
The phantom looks incredibly relieved after he said that. Suddenly, it appears right next to me and whispers.
"Just between you and me, I want to see what you would do in another world with that determination of yours." The next second, the phantom is back to where it was before.
I can understand why, because I want to see what I can do. I survived three different stage 2 cancers. And I still managed to do well in school.
Was it easy? No, but I was determined, and I succeeded, so now that I am getting a second chance, I am going to take it. My thoughts are then interrupted by the phantom.
"I love the enthusiasm, but first things first, your options. You need to pick your new world. And, as you can probably guess, you cannot return to your original world. Though any other options are available, within this point limit,
As he said, the screen he was holding transforms into a menilla folder, then a desk appears between us, and the phantom sets the menilla folder down.
The phantom snaps their fingers, and the folder opens. They then point to a number (210 planet points). The phantom then speaks up.
"These points were given to you for my first mistake. You would know it as the cancer incident."
I quickly interrupted for a second to ask. "What caused that, by the way?"
The phantom replies with. "I had set out to give a random 95-year-old that cancer, but a glitch occurred, and somehow you were on that list; the rest you already know."
I am slightly confused; why glitch instead of mistake? What does it mean by that? The phantom again interrupts my thoughts.
"I am like the administrator of a video game. Though I am made of code and was given a small spark of consciousness,.
I was then allowed to grow and create my own universe with the basic template I was given. And before you ask, I cannot tell you who made me."
That definitely cleared up some of my questions. So back to the world of choosing folders. That's such a strange thought.
The phantom then starts up again.
"Yes, it is, and thank you for bringing us back on topic. There are an infinite number of worlds and universes to choose from.
To make this more interesting, I would like to ask you if you chose a fictional world that is at least a variant of the original."
I reply, "So you're going to be watching my adventures?" Because that is the only conclusion I could think of for that stipulation.
"No, I just ask this because I have seen some other systems send a soul to an exact replica of a "fictional" universe before. It almost never ends well."
Slightly ominous, but good to know. I guess what world I would like to go to? The phantom then pipes up.
"Knowing you, I would recommend something like the Elder Scrolls, Borderlands, or maybe even something like Cyberpunk. Those are just to name a few. It's up to you."
Those are all good options. I feel like there's something else, though. From what they said, RPGs are a good option for me.
Let's see what RPGs I know. There's Final Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and... Is Pokémon even considered an RPG?
I don't really remember, but now that I think of it, Pokémon sounds like an awesome adventure world. My thoughts are then interrupted by the phantom.
"Pokémon, really? I would have thought something; I don't know... more hands-on, I guess?"
The phantom has a fair point; it could be a little lackluster on the "hands-on" front. Though if we are talking alternate worlds, that would definitely solve that problem.
I notice an almost tired look on the phantom. The next words spoken by them seem almost painful.
"Alright, I can narrow it down to a couple hundred million worlds, if you are really sure you want that."
I'm confused. Why are they so reluctant to the idea of a Pokémon world?
"To answer your question, it's because they have very complex "magic" systems. And they tend to act better than me because I am too lazy to work on mine."
The mind-reading is starting to get on my nerves. And is "too lazy" really your reason? What a terrible excuse. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
I have to think carefully about how I want to narrow down the world. I guess I should first get rid of the world I can't afford.
I guess the phantom is not going to interrupt me this time. I wonder if there is a way to go to a planet outside my price range. I decide to finally voice my thoughts.
"First question: is there a way to increase my planet points using something else? Speaking of, do I have any other kinds of points?"
The phantom quickly replies, "You do have other points that you would spend on abilities and other things in your new world. But I could let you spend some of those on planet points, I guess."
I think I am going to first look at planets that I can afford. If none interest me, I can widen my search using my other points.
What kind of things do I desire? I think the first is to solve the hands-on thing. So the people must be able to have powers.
The next thing I can think of is having the limit on growth be incredibly high. I want to have the ability to grow nearly forever.
To go along with the growth limit, I would need time to grow. So the life span should be able to be increased.
I can't really think of much else I want, so I will just go with that. Before I can even voice my thoughts, the phantom speaks.
"With those requirements, I can narrow down the number of worlds to a few hundred thousand.
If we include your price range for planet points, then it would be narrowed down to only a bit more than a thousand."
I look at the phantom with a slightly resigned expression. It's not going to stop reading my mind, is it? I heard a quick reply of "nope.".
I sigh and grab the menilla folder to look through the world.
After what feels like an eternity of reading, I find a world that has a good balance of what I want. First of all, the power levels are very expansive. The best part is that, with enough hard work and time, you can even reach the power level of the strongest beings in that universe.
On the planet, people also have the ability to have different powers. Though it is not the most common occurrence,.
Though they have an interesting way of increasing your lifespan, the bonds you form with your Pokémon are the things that increase your lifespan in this universe.
Though the number of bonds does little, increasing the quality of a bond does a lot. It also works both ways. This is not an issue for me, but it is unique compared to the other worlds I looked at.
The planet itself is quite interesting. First of all, it has two moons of equal size that orbit at different distances. And the planet itself is twice the size of Earth. This would usually negatively impact the life of the planet, but due to the abundance of energy in everything, it has little to no effect.
Looking at the humans, they have not colonized a large portion of the planet either. I assume that this is because of how strong wild Pokémon can get.
I still have a hundred or so worlds to look through, but this seems to be my best option so far. I quickly checked the name of the planet, Lunarth.
I eventually finished reading about all my options. I found quite a few good ones in the last two hundred, though none were as unique as Lunaerth.
I announce myself to the phantom. "I finally made my choice." I received a slight dismissive response.
"Hand it, hear." I comply and hand the paper of Lunaerth from the menilla folder.
I notice the slight movements in their shadowy form as it reads. It seems almost exasperated. It then looks up and starts to speak.
"I actually know the system that made this personally, so it won't cost as many points as it says here. It will be about 176 points for this planet. Also, all unused planet points will be added to your personal points.
I will also make this easy for you. You ask what you want, and I will tell you what percentage of your personal points it will cost you. Fair?"
I think for a second, and she responds, "Fair."
Now what should I start with first? Probably with the reincarnation itself. How would it even work? Well, usually I would be a baby with my original memories. I personally would not like to experience that.
So when I get my memories, they should be after a certain age. But I also want to start as soon as possible.
They have the same development as people on Earth. So gaining my memories after the age of two should be good enough.
Now I don't want to take over another child's body, so having my memories already there but just repressed would put my mind at ease. I could add another precaution, but I think it might be excessive.
Loving and caring parents are definitely something I want. Being in good health and not having genetic diseases is just as important.
On that topic, no mental diseases for me or my parents ever. I would also like to protect my memories from invasion. So no one can read my mind. Expecting the phantom to have read my mind, I turn to the phantom and ask.
"How much would those cost?" The phantom responds with a lazy.
"That would be 10% of your points for the things related to your new family; I'll also include receiving the memories of your new form; you're welcome.
And for the anti-mind and memory-reading one, you don't have nearly enough points. What you could afford would be the ability to not let others read your past memories. That would cost about 5% of your points."
I nod to it's proposal. That honestly works fine for me. I wonder why my first question about my parents would be so expensive.
The phantom then interrupts my thoughts.
"To answer your future question It cost so much because it gave you complete immunity to all kinds of diseases. That was the only way to grant your request.
I can also not affect your family in ways like you, but I can choose different families based on your wants."
I took a second to think about that. It's not the best, but the deal should work. I then realized something important. I need to choose what time period I want to be in. I then quickly voiced my desire.
"I, if possible, would like to be reincarnated in a modern time."
The phantom just nods in response. I wonder why they didn't specify a cost. With just that thought, the phantom replies.
"It is just a different parents kind of situation, so it's included in that price. And it was such a little thing that I was already going to do it."
Well, that's nice. I now need to address the topic of personal powers in my new world. I personally think just having power is lackluster. My best solution would be to increase my potential for things.
I specifically want to be able to wield the special powers of that world. But what ones do I want? Well, something that grants me better control of myself should be the main requirement.
I think psychic powers would fall under that. What else would do that? I look down at my hands, maybe hoping for an answer.
Then it hits me: ghost types. I'm currently a spirit, so having more control over my own sounds like an awesome idea.
I got mind and spirit, so the last one would be body. I try to rack my brain to try and remember any Pokémon type that involved specifically the body. Fighting would probably fit that best, but not really.
That's when I remember, Aura. That's it. Aura is perfect for the trifecta. Now that I know that, I need to understand what the talent standards for things are. The phantom decides to interrupt me.
"Good question. The talent system is divided into six categories. The first is being negatively talented, better known as impaired. This is usually a person's flaw, if you could even call it that.
More importantly, the next tier would be basic. As the name implies, everything has this in most abilities. Nothing special, but with enough effort, one can become good at said thing.
The next level is talent. It means that whatever you do will, most of the time, work out for you. All people have at least one thing they are talented at; most of the time, it is multiple.
After that is the genius level. This is someone who is so talented in something that they only appear a few times in a generation. Anything that is related to their talent is also much easier to accomplish.
So now we get into ridiculous territory. This is a generational genius. They only appear once every couple of generations. Anything related to that talent is relatively easy to completely master. The thing they are talented at is usually revolutionized.
Finally, we got theaptly named True Genius. They only appear, usually every 10 or more generations, and tend to massively impact the world. A good example of this would be someone like Albert Einstein.
Ok, so now that you know the categories, get to choosing." With that, the phantom returns to looking bored, somehow without a face.
With the explanation over, I have to ask myself what I want to be talented at. Understanding would definitely have to be something I need to be at least a genius at.
The same goes for all the powers I desire. Another one would obviously be Pokémon training and care. Now, what else would be a good idea?
For now, learning the prices for my wants is better. So I look over to the phantom and ask.
"What would it cost for all of those abilities to be at genius level?" I got a reply.
"20%," I then ask.
"What if they were at the generational genius level?" Again, I get a quick reply.
"40%" I feel like that is not a lot for such an improvement. So I guess I'll ask how much the next stage would be. Before I can even voice my question, I get an answer from the phantom.
"More than you can afford." Ok, then what if it was just my special abilities and understanding at that level? As I guessed, the phantom replied to my mental question.
"That would end up making your total 95%. That includes your previous requests."
I guess I have 5% left to work with. I guess being talented at a hobby would be nice. What would I go with? Cooking has to be one of them. It's so useful and helpful. My other one would have to be the arts. I then ask the phantom.
"What would it cost to be talented at those things?"
"More than you have."
That sucks; I guess I just have to pick...
Before I even finished my thoughts, the phantom started to talk.
"How about this, if you promise to dedicate one dish and song to me in your new life? I will let you be talented in those things. Sound like a deal?" As the phantom says this, it raises its hand.
It takes me no time to shake its hand. The sensation is what I imagine touching a solid cloud would feel like.
I then let go as the phantom spoke again.
"Now what to do with this thing?" As the phantom speaks, it picks up the menilla folder, which promptly turns back into a blue, translucent screen. The phantom then looks at me and then back at the little screen, seeming to get an idea. The phantom suddenly asks.
"Do you want a system of your own?" I'm slightly caught off guard by the question.
I replied.
"I thought I already had all I could."
As I talked, the phantom somehow raised its non-existent eyebrow in a way as if to ask, "Are you sure?".
I immediately replied.
"I would absolutely love my own system." The phantom seems to smirk and then replies.
"Good answer, kid. Now we can get to the part of what this baby here will be able to do." As the phantom finishes its sentence, the small "system" starts to glow and change.
In just a few seconds, the small system changes to match the black purplish of the phantom. The phantom seems to be concentrating on the little system intensely, but without a face, it can be hard to tell.
The next second, there's a flash of light. I am stunned for a few seconds, but eventually my sight returns. I then notice the small system the phantom was holding is gone. The phantom then looks at me and starts to speak.
"Now that that is over, why don't we have the governing system of your new world check you out?" I am suddenly teleported to a very colorful tea shop.
I look around and then see the phantom walking to the counter. The phantom looks more solid than when we were talking earlier. I suddenly hear a distinctly female voice echo from the back of the tea shop.
"I'll be there in a moment, Terry." I look towards the phantom, asking the unspoken question. The phantom just ignores me, though. So I decided to look back at the shop counter.
The next moment, a beautiful pink-haired woman with delicate features appears from the back. Her eyes are stunningly green, and she wears a white sundress with gold inlays. My staring is interrupted by the phantom talking.
"Hello to you too, Ambrosia." With that said, the woman looks at the phantom and starts to talk.
"So Terry isn't your name, as shucks. Well, you didn't guess my name correctly either, so the bet is still on." The phantom looks slightly amused and replies.
"Fair enough, though I'm not heard to play the guessing game today. I'm here to ask a favor." The woman takes a second before replying with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"And what favor would the almighty lazy one ask of me?" As she talked, her eyebrows raised, but there was surprisingly no sarcasm in her voice. It seemed more like a tease than anything. The phantom then gestures at me before it talks.
"I would like to have this human reincarnated in your world. In return, I will tell you a part of my name. How does that sound?" The woman then takes a second to finally look in my direction.
I stare right back at her green eyes, which seem familiar. The next moment, the woman looks intensely back at the phantom and starts to speak.
"What did you do to this poor soul to be willing to have him be reincarnated?" With that, they both go quiet. They then don't speak for a solid 30 seconds before they both look at me. The woman then starts to speak.
"Alright, I have two questions for you before I will let you reincarnate in my universe." She then looks intensely at me. So I take a deep breath and then look her in the eye. She then resumes talking.
"Good resolve, but now for the first question. Why did you choose my world to reincarnate into? I know other worlds would have been much better suited to your wants, so answer honestly."
I take a second to think back and remember how the connection between Pokémon and Trainer was the thing that drew me in. So I decided to reply with that.
"I really liked how much more interconnected Pokémon and people in your universe were compared to the others." She seems to nod at that. Her once-happy face is now stoic. After a moment of silence, she asks the second question.
"What would your goal be?" I take a second to think about it before I realize what would be perfect to say. So with as much conviction as I can put into my voice,.
"To be the very best, like no one ever was." I know it's super cheesy, but it just felt right. I then hear the giggling. I look over at the phantom to see it giggling slightly. I then hear the woman start to speak.
"Good answers, kid. So you will be allowed to enter my universe." As soon as I hear that, the tension I didn't even realize I had melts with joy.
The phantom then walks up to me and puts its hand on me. The next second, it starts to speak.
"This is where we part ways, kid. So enjoy your new life to the fullest, and good luck." The next second, everything goes white, and I'm gone.
Weekly Power Status
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