"Ash, you're going on your journey in ten years. There's no need to study so hard now. You'll have plenty of time to learn later!" After taking care of Pichu's injuries, Delia walked into Ash's room. She gently hugged him from behind and spoke softly.
Though Ash had always been a thoughtful and mature child—which saved Delia a great deal of worry—she still tried to fulfill her duty as a mother. Ever since Ash was born, he had carried a maturity beyond his years.
That very maturity was what made Delia anxious. She worried that her young son would wear himself out from overstudying.
"Mom, don't worry," Ash replied with a smile, feeling her arms around him. "I'll handle everything myself. There's no harm in learning more as a kid. Rather than wasting time playing around, it's better to prepare for the future."
Delia's concerns warmed Ash's heart. He truly felt her love—and a familial warmth he hadn't experienced in his past life. This peaceful home atmosphere made him deeply cherish his current life.
"All right then, I'll go cook. You should take a bath—you're filthy!" Delia sighed. Every time this topic came up, Ash always had a calm and rational response that left her with no room to argue. After all, he wasn't wrong.
Once Delia went downstairs, Ash stripped off his muddy clothes and tossed them into the washing machine. He headed into the bathroom and sank into the tub. He had to admit, the technology in this world was impressive—convenient enough to make anyone want to just lie around and enjoy life.
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for obtaining your first Pokémon independently. Auxiliary system activation complete. Please name the host!]
Just as Ash was enjoying his bath, a mechanical voice rang out of nowhere, startling him. The voice had no clear source, which put Ash on edge—especially considering that in his previous life, he had been an assassin, and spatial awareness was second nature.
Despite the initial confusion, Ash quickly calmed himself. After reflecting on the voice's message, a smirk appeared on his face.
"So this is my golden finger. Looks like novels aren't just for entertainment after all—they have some truth in them!"
"System," he said clearly.
[Ding~ Host name confirmed. Digitization in progress: 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, 100%. Digitization complete. Host data is now available.]
Ash was no longer startled by the robotic voice. With calm anticipation, he gave his next command.
"System, show me my information. I need to understand my stats."
Ding~
Name: Ash Ketchum
Level: Late-Stage Elite
Age: 5 years old
Strength: 7
Speed: 10
Mental Power: 15
Innate Skills:
– Psychic (Awakened)
– Bird Affinity (Locked)
Acquired Skills: None
Attribute Points: 0
Lottery Draws Remaining: 3
Pokémon: Pichu
After exploring the interface for a while, Ash finally understood how the system worked. Its origin was unclear—and even the system itself couldn't provide an explanation. More importantly, it wasn't a sentient, human-like assistant. It was purely mechanical and emotionless.
Its main function was to digitize both the host's and Pokémon's abilities, offering clear, first-hand information for tactical decisions.
Once Ash earned attribute points, he could distribute them freely between strength, speed, and mental power. There was no store, but there was a lottery system that could grant anything—from rare items to supernatural powers—entirely based on luck. If someone managed to win a psychic ability, they would gain it instantly.
If a piece of technology or an item is extracted through the lottery, the host not only obtains the actual object but also gains complete knowledge of how it works. In other words, as long as Ash has the necessary materials, he can reproduce it himself!
However, the reality wasn't that optimistic.
According to the system's internal analysis, the odds of drawing powerful abilities—like psychic powers—were so low they were practically nonexistent. The most common rewards were mid-tier technology or items. High-grade or rare prizes? Extremely unlikely.
Even the lottery attempts themselves were limited. Just like attribute points, they had to be earned—and that's where things became frustrating for Ash.
Attribute points could be obtained through gameplay-like interactions with the world. However, not every action or completed task would yield rewards. The system evaluated each encounter, and the probability of earning points varied based on the challenge's level. The stronger the opponent or more difficult the task, the higher the odds of gaining points.
But there were always exceptions. Sometimes, pure luck could grant you attribute points even from defeating a novice trainer. Other times, you could fight a powerful opponent and receive nothing.
"It's basically a strict, rigid system. Damn... this thing really is stingy," Ash muttered, analyzing the data. "Still, I guess it's better than nothing. At least I've got something to work with."
After finishing his bath, Ash stepped out in a bathrobe, towel-drying his damp, black, medium-short hair. It barely reached his neck, and a fringe of hair had already started covering his left eye. Looking at himself, Ash found the look both handsome and cute—a reminder that he was still only five years old.
He glanced toward Pichu, who was fast asleep on the bed. That made him think of the system again—and more specifically, his newly awakened ability.
His innate talent was a form of perception—an advanced sensory skill that activated when he closed his eyes. When focused, it allowed him to perceive everything within a short radius: living beings, cells, bones, blood vessels, even the flow of energy through meridians. Nothing escaped his notice.
Before the system activated, Ash had trouble controlling this ability—probably because it had only just awakened. But now, with the system stabilizing his body and powers, his control had drastically improved. It was a welcome bonus.
"System, show me Pichu's information," Ash said as he looked over at the tiny electric Pokémon sleeping soundly.
Ding~
Name: Pichu
Level: Novice
Abilities: Lightning Rod, Static
Type: Electric
Potential: 100% (5% currently developed)
"Just as I thought. Pichu is still newborn, only knows three basic moves." Ash recalled the tearful look on Pichu's face when they first met, and it didn't take long for him to piece things together.
In this world, both Pokémon and Trainers were classified into distinct level tiers. These tiers were determined by potential development values. Each Pokémon had a base potential of 100, and growth depended on how the Trainer nurtured that potential.
Here's how the tiers broke down:
Novice: 10–20
Advanced: 20–30
Elite: 30–40
Provisional Ace (Pre-King): 40–50
Elite Four (King): 50–60
Provisional Champion: 60–70
Champion: 70–80
(Note: The numbers above represent percentage of potential developed, not battle level. It reflects how far a Trainer has drawn out a Pokémon's strength. If you still don't get it—well, I've done all I can to explain.)
Each tier was further divided into Early, Mid, Late, and Peak stages. For example:
Novice – Early: 10–13
Mid: 13–15
Late: 15–18
Peak: 18–20
Ash studied the chart closely. He now understood just how far he had to go—not just with himself, but with Pichu too. Still, with the system's help, he had a clear advantage.
And in this world of Pokémon, an advantage could mean everything.
...
TN:
For Advance Chapters: Patreon(.)com/LordMerlin