He was now on land, tired and drenched.
"Huff, huff," Jason wheezed weakly, struggling to draw breath in his new Pichu form. Some water had entered his lungs after the chaotic escape, but thankfully, the system was already working to clear it.
The tiny Pichu lay there, shivering in the cold night air. His once-soft fur clung to his small body, making him feel even more vulnerable as the night pressed on.
Ding
…
[Initiating synthesis of thermoregulatory hormones]
→ 0/6 of the required hormones have been synthesized.
→ Estimated Time: 00:30:00 [30 minutes]
…
Jason, now in the form of a fragile Pichu, was barely a few days old and could hardly handle the extremes of temperature—first scorching heat, now bone-chilling cold.
He lay unconscious but alive. The cold of the night was merciless, but luck was on his side; most predators had fled the area due to the earlier wildfire and the chaos. For now, the forest—or at least this part of the forest—was relatively safe.
Ding
…
[Thermoregulation has been boosted.]
→ Internal heat is being restored.
…
The Supreme Pokémon System was working efficiently, and Jason's small Pichu body slowly began to warm up. As his temperature stabilized, the system offered him a crucial gift.
Ding
…
[System Skills Gained]
Heat Resistance [Lv.1] -> Passive Skill
→ The host will be resistant to extreme heat conditions.
Cold Resistance [Lv.1] -> Passive Skill
→ The host will be resistant to extreme cold conditions.
…
Though still unconscious, Jason had just acquired survival-enhancing abilities that would greatly improve his chances of staying alive in this dangerous world.
As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, Jason stirred. The warmth of the sun began to chase away the cold, and his tiny body began to move. With a sleepy yawn, he woke up, groggy and disoriented.
"It seems like it's already morning..." he muttered, walking toward a small pond to wash his face. As he gazed into the water, something odd caught his attention.
'Huh?'
He stared at his reflection, shock coursing through him as he realized that he was no longer human. Instead, a small yellow Pichu stared back at him with wide, confused eyes.
'Wait... that's right...'
The memories of the previous night came flooding back—the fire, the humans, the Ninetales that protected him. And now, the truth hit him like a brick—he had been reborn as a Pokémon.
"This feels like a dream… a fucking nightmare…"
'I-I can't believe it! I'm... a freaking Pichu now?' Jason exclaimed, still reeling from the shock. He couldn't believe what was happening.
'Should I laugh in this situation? A Pokémon, seriously?' The mere thought was baffling. His mind refused to believe it.
'Surely this isn't a lucid dream,' he was quick to conclude, considering how much his body still ached, 'definitely not a VR simulation.'
He couldn't help but accept the situation. He was now a Pichu, a Pokémon, no longer bound by human rules. It had its upsides and downsides—the good being he no longer had to please or bootlick any human or face scorn. The bad part was, he now had to bootlick stronger Pokémon to survive.
This was not a typical Pokémon world—deaths seemed to carry real weight here.
"Exciting, I must say," he muttered. In either case, the concept of reincarnation and a new world fascinated him.
Exploring was his first priority, which he had just begun by walking carefully toward a nearby bush. But just as he had taken his first step, a rustling noise in the bushes broke his concentration.
ZZZD ZZZD
'What the—' Jason's heart began to race as he gazed toward the rustling bushes.
'Better to go the other way,' he thought, turning around, ready to walk in the opposite direction when he suddenly paused—not voluntarily.
His body froze as a sense of unease washed over him.
'What's happening? Why can't I move?'
Just then, a wild Ekans slithered out from the bushes, its eyes locking onto Jason with a predatory gleam.
Ding
…
[Pokémon Detected: Ekans]
Level: 5
Type: Poison
HP: 30/30
Moves/Skills:
1. Bite
2. Leer
3. Poison Sting
…
Jason's heart pounded as he stared at the Ekans, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. He had read about Pokémon battles, but this wasn't a game—this was real, and the Ekans was here to attack.
A snake versus a mouse—it wasn't hard to imagine the outcome of this battle. Fighting? That seemed far from possible.
Every instinct screamed—'Run!'
But was that even possible?
The Ekans would outrun him in just a second.
His human mind raced faster than his fragile heart as he tried to think of something.
'Do I have any moves? Skills?' That was the only valid question at the moment, considering he had a system.
Ding
…
[Pokémon Skills Learnt]
Charm Lv.1 -> Lowers the opponent's Attack stat with a cute expression.
Tail Whip Lv.1 -> Lowers the opponent's Defense stat by wagging the tail cutely.
…
'That's it?!' Jason thought in disbelief. No offensive moves? How was he supposed to defend himself?
Moreover, he couldn't even raise his speed. So, was it already decided? Had he been reincarnated just to become snake food? Fuck that!
The Ekans drew closer, its tongue flicking out menacingly as it prepared to strike.
'Fuck…' Jason's brain overworked, barely clicking on something.
'Let's try Charm.'
With no time to lose, Jason puffed out his chest and put on the cutest expression he could muster, activating Charm.
Ding
…
[You have used the Pokémon Skill: Charm Lv.1]
[You are trying to make the target less aggressive.]
…
The Ekans hesitated, its aggressive stance softening for a moment as it blinked at the seemingly harmless Pichu in front of it.
[The skill worked. Ekans' aggressiveness has decreased.]
Jason seized the opportunity. While the Ekans was briefly distracted, he used his small size and what little agility his body could offer to dart away, making use of the terrain to avoid being cornered.
The Ekans, still recovering from the effects of Charm, hissed and lunged at him, but Jason managed to dodge its attacks by staying quick on his feet.
'I can't fight back yet… but I can survive!'
He had two system skills, Heat and Cold Resistance. So, he didn't care about the cold water in front of him—it wouldn't affect his internals. He just jumped into the river and let himself float, all while the Ekans remained on land, continuing to hiss.
He grinned widely as he opened his large mouth and said, "FUCK YOU."
Ekans, who had turned away for just a second, twirled and glared at Jason.
"Fuck you. Whatcha glaring at?"
The very next second, it jumped into the river and headed straight toward him.
In the blink of an eye, the Ekans was right in front of him, pulling itself out and about to bite him.
"Dammit! Weren't you a land Pokémon!?"
Ding
…
[Although Ekans are associated with land Pokémon, they are known to be fast swimmers and can swim long distances.]
…
'Fuck…'