Obviously, I don't own Pokemon.

[=-CHAPTER 2-=]

[Sandshrew ( )]

[Type: Ground]

[Estimated Level: 3-7]

[Energy Mastery: Ground (Beginner), Normal (Beginner)]

[Ability: N/a]

[Moves: Scratch, Sand Attack, Defense Curl, Mud Shot]

If it weren't for his rapidly twitching eye, Izan would look like the picture of serenity as he copied Sandshrew's information into his notebook.

He took a deep breath through his nose and out through his mouth. 'At least they gave me a refund for that Goldeen. Be grateful for the little things, Izan.'

Although he did have to pay two-hundred Pokedollars for evaluations, the most annoying part for him was the information itself.

Rather than give him concrete answers that satisfied him, the details only raised more questions.

Like why didn't Sandshrew have an ability? Every Pokemon had an ability back on Earth. And what did levels even measure? The overall power of the Pokemon? How close they were to learning a new move? Did Pokemon even learn moves by leveling up?

His pencil snapped as his mind raced with questions.

"Uh… are you okay? That's the fourth pencil you've broken over there." The researcher said as he handed him another one.

He'd been assigned to answer questions that Izan might have while they waited in the lobby for the other worker to come back with his Sandshrew.

"I'm perfectly, completely fine," Izan answered with a crooked smile. His expression sobered as he abruptly tilted his head. "I do have a question though. What in Arceus' name is Energy Mastery?"

The researcher gave him an odd look before he shook his head. "Sorry, I forgot that you hadn't gone to Pokeschool for a moment there.

Energy Mastery represents how much control and power a Pokemon has with a certain typing. For your example your Sandshrew has a D grade for both types, meaning it will exhaust quickly and its Ground and Normal-type attacks will be pitiful in comparison with stronger Sandshrew."

Izan hummed as he scribbled down what the researcher was saying to the letter in his notebook. 'Seems pretty self-explanatory.'

After getting to the last part, he again tilted his head before speaking. "So how exactly would you go about raising the 'grade'? And what exactly are the grades?"

Pushing up his glasses, the man answered with a patient smile. "Certain diets or valuable items can accelerate the growth rate, but in general it functions like a muscle. Since Pokemon are such deliciously intuitive creatures, most just use it over and over until they figure it out.

Ah, and the gradings are fairly simple: D, C, B, A, and finally S being the apex of control and power."

Izan's eyebrows rose as he scribbled that down too. If that was the case, that meant he didn't have to think too creatively about training methods regarding moves.

And he didn't even have to get his Pokemon to individually train each move. That would be beyond exhausting to keep track of.

But if he was smart about it, he could get a leg up on others if he discovered his own faster training method than just simple repetition.

It was something to think about.

His constant scribbling was interrupted by a blonde woman wearing a blue Pokemon League uniform coming toward them.

"Apologies for the wait. There were a few things we had to make sure of before letting you- Oh!"

Abruptly, Sandshrew broke out of the Pokeball the woman was holding and materialized on top of Izan's head.

"Oof." She was fairly light, but he wasn't expecting her to do that. "Warn me at least, Sandshrew." He said fondly, scratching under her chin.

They may not have known each other for long at all, but a Pokemon was a Pokemon. He couldn't be happier to see her trust him so easily.

He looked away for Sandshrew as the blonde woman began speaking again.

"Uh, well, okay. Here's your license and your Pokegear back. Keep in mind that your license doubles as your bank account, so try not to show it off. We also installed an app that should be useful to you in the future." The woman spoke professionally, expertly ignoring her initial shock.

Izan nodded, stretching as he stood up from his seat. "Got it. So I can go now?"

"Yes, that should be it. Do make sure to register your Sandshrew at the Pokemon Center database whenever you get the chance." She called after him. "Take care!"

Izan, already walking away, waved over his shoulder. "See ya, lady. Bye-bye lab guy."

"Shrew, Sand-shrew!" Sandshrew emulated Izan, waving, despite not knowing what exactly she was doing.

"Lab guy…? My name is Noah." He barely heard the lab guy mutter.


Walking through the streets with a Sandshrew on his shoulders felt good. There was just something about having a Pokemon with him that made him feel like he belonged.

His mood was only slightly soured when he went to the Pokemart and realized his weekly stipend was far less than minimum wage back on Earth.

125 Pokedollars per week? That was 6,500 per year! Something most people made in a month and a half.

Still, he didn't spend much. The only thing he bought was a month's worth of the most basic Pokemon food and a reusable water bottle. And a 'refresh' kit to help with cleaning Sandshrew.

It wasn't really necessary, since Sandshrew regularly shed, but it couldn't hurt to wash her up every once in a while.

All of that only cost him 85 out of his initial 1,115 . It would've cost much more if he bought a travel kit, but he wasn't planning on going anywhere yet.

As a trainer in the Youngster program, he wasn't allowed to travel anywhere besides the designated safe routes.

So there was no point traveling yet since he would only encounter the commonly weak Rattata or Pidgey.

Plus with the Pokemon Center having free rooms for trainers? It only made sense to him.

But the fact that Sandshrew was awed by every little thing was a major plus. She must've been born in that building for her to be so amazed.

She wasn't social by any means, turning up her nose to anyone who even looked at her, but she couldn't hide her curiosity.

It was cute.

Izan chuckled as he walked into the Pokemon Center, Sandshrew tilting her head adorably at the automatic doors.

The interior of the Pokemon Center was nearly identical to the games, except that it was much bigger. Several couches and tables were near the entrance while flatscreens were being displayed on both sides of the walls.

There were a few other things in the building but Izan ignored them in favor of focusing on the nurse sitting behind a counter.

The classic hair loops he remembered were actually in a bun rather than on both sides like pigtails.

There was no denying it, though. That was Nurse Joy.

When he approached, Nurse Joy gave him her full attention and a warm smile.

"Hello, I just came here to get Sandshrew registered in the… database? I think that's what the League lady said."

"Of course. Can I see your Trainer License first, please?"

As soon as she saw the license, her lips thinned momentarily, before she schooled her expression and gave it back to him.

"I see. May I please see Sandshrew's Pokeball for a moment?"

"Sure thing." He took it out of his pocket and handed it over. She in return placed it on a black square that seemed out of place on the counter.

"You may not be aware since you're an F-class trainer, but there is no special bonding method between trainer and Pokemon like those silly rumors." She began, typing away at the desk computer.

"Just a click of a button." She concluded, clicking something on her desk.

Smiling, she gestured to the ball. "Now just take the Pokeball back and you should be all set!"

Izan stared for a moment before shrugging and reaching out, clasping onto the ball firmly.

The moment it interacted with his skin, he flinched hard. It felt like a jolt went throughout his body, touching and locking up every nerve. And then a sensation he couldn't describe abruptly arrived.

It was the difference between knowing you have a stomach in your midsection and feeling the acid slosh around inside you. Like he suddenly became aware of some part of him that was always there but he took for granted.

And then it was gone.

He slowly turned his head to Nurse Joy who was looking at him with an innocently concerned face.

"Uh… Thanks. C-can I get a room?" He asked, jittery.

She didn't seem to know why he just flinched, so he wouldn't question it either.


Was it finally happening?

Would he actually get the most important thing he dreamed about in his past life? Would he really get a golden finger? A cheat? A system or something similar?

Evidently… no.

"Fuck it, I give up! C'mon Sandshrew, we're going out to train. I need to get my mind off of this." Izan threw his hands up, walking out the door to his room as Sandshrew gracefully hopped onto his shoulder.

Or at least not yet.

After describing that feeling in vivid detail, he tried everything he could to replicate it. From meditation to saying every single variation of cliche system messages to even attempting balancing on a chair for magic like Adventure Time.

Nothing had worked. And when that odd feeling didn't even so much as flicker, he only got more frustrated as time went on.

The only thing he hadn't tried was looking it up. But he was purposely blocking that idea out, holding onto hope.

Just like in MMOs he would play in the past, it was much more fun figuring things out than looking up a guide.

After wandering around a bit, he came across a clearing near the tree line of the city. Besides the trees, there were also some berry bushes nearby that he wanted to harvest.

It was almost out of the city's bounds but it was close enough that people would hear him if he screamed for help.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to.

Taking Sandshrew off his shoulder, he placed her gently on the ground in front of him.

"Okay, this training might be annoying in the beginning, but I think you're smart enough to get the hang of it. You up for it?"

Sandshrew looked at him, almost offended, and raised her nose into the air. "Sandshrew, shrew Sandshrew!"

Izan chuckled at how cute that was before sobering and getting serious. Her arrogance could be dealt with later. For now, it was a source of useful belligerence.

"Do you remember Voltorb and how he would roll around to move?" Sandshrew blinked, scrunched her nose in thought, and then nodded. "Good. You do that too and try to keep up with me."

With that, Izan sprinted as fast as he could to the opposite side of the clearing.

Rolling, or spinning, was a key element in most of Sandshrew's arsenal. Whether it be just for movement or for the useful moves that all deviated from rolling, there was not a single powerful Sandshrew or Sandslash that didn't know how to roll fast.

Especially since Sandshrew looked more like an armadillo while Sandslash was most definitely a pangolin.

Plus there was the whole training speed thing that Sandslash would need if Sand Rush was a real ability and there was no better starting training in Izan's mind.

Sandshrew, momentarily stunned, blinked at the air. Not one to let anyone get a leg up on her though, she began rolling at the highest speed possible.

At first, he noticed, she couldn't do it well. She stumbled and fell over multiple times. But she always got back up.

After getting a hang of it, she pushed herself to go at top speed to keep up with Izan. She was bursting with confidence that she could pass him up, even if he did lap her several times.

Soon, she began to regret going so fast despite being told to keep up. After ten laps she was significantly slower, almost stopping to take a break after a while.

Izan focused but also paid attention to Sandshrew's development and kept moving. His body was currently fairly average. The injuries he got did stall his development while he healed, but that was the only detriment his body currently had.

For all intents and purposes, he had a good bill of health. His height was what made him seem so frail and skinny.

Sweat dripped from his forehead to the tip of his nose and he took off his upper clothes slowly as he kept running at his top speed.

He was slowly reaching his limit and wouldn't be able to continue soon enough. But something stirred in him when he saw Sandshrew about to give up as well.

Although he knew this was just a training session, something told him Sandshrew wouldn't respect him if he gave up before her.

And then abruptly, it was back.

That feeling from before resurfaced, coursing through his body like blood through veins. This time it filled him with an eerie sense. Like he could feel the wrongness in his body.

Somehow he just knew that his form was off. Hindering him. Slowing him down and making things harder.

He corrected it.

Suddenly, he was sprinting at full speed again, rushing past Sandshrew as she momentarily stopped to look at him, dazed.

"Don't give up! If you can't continue, try again a different way!" His voice suddenly boomed through the clearing.

Hearing those words, Sandshrew was invigorated. Looking forward, it planted its feet and jumped into the air, forming a ball and rocketing off upon impacting the ground.

Lap after lap they ran and rolled, their heartbeats heavily thumping in their ears.

Eventually, Izan felt himself slowing down again and decided to take a break. Looking over to Sandshrew he saw her sluggishly getting up to roll again before falling over in exhaustion.

Walking so he didn't throw up, he moved over to one of the berry bushes, plucked one-off, and continued onward to Sandshrew.

Placing a hand on her head he stopped her from throwing herself at the roll.

"We can take a break now. You did really well all things considered. Here, eat this." He carried her despite his legs protesting from the weight.

She looked at the offered Leppa berry for but a second before eating it in one bite. After that, she greedily drank the water Izan held out to her.

"I think that's enough training for today. I need to do a bit more research next time. I just wanted to blow some steam and used today's training session for that." Izan chuckled, scratching the back of his head abashedly.

Sandshrew didn't understand what he meant by that, but she gave him an unimpressed look anyway.

"Alright, let's go back to the center. I'm beyond hungry." Izan declared.

"Shrew, Sandshrew!" Sandshrew concurred.

- (Sandshrew) -

The honored one was smart. He had to be if he choose her over the stupid ones.

Even if he acted silly sometimes, like thinking sleeping while sitting up would make him stronger, she knew he wasn't stupid too.

But today, she saw a different side of him. One that opened her eyes.

Awareness was… erratic. Sometimes she had it and most times she didn't. But she knew during those times. She thought. Just like the honored one did all the time.

But today, her worldview was turned upside down.

The honored one was nice, but he seemed weak. Like she could deal with him with just one claw. She assumed that was why he chose her. Because he was weak and she was strong.

It was why she stood atop his head and shoulders. An equal trade. She was at her rightful place, above everyone, and all she'd have to do was protect him.

He seemed honored to let her do so, and that's why he was the honored one.

But she was wrong. He wasn't weak. She'd lost to him, meaning he was stronger.

He wasn't using her for his protection. He must've seen her vast potential. He was training her. To let her ride upon his shoulder was just a sign of his humility.

She was truly the honored one. Honored to have found someone who would nurture her.

He was her master. One who could finally see her worth.

The power of the earth swirled within her, locking her declaration into place. Resolve filling up every part of her body.

She absolutely refused to disappoint him.

But a declaration was just that, a statement. Words.

She needed to back up that resolve with action. To fulfill her destiny, she needed strength.

It was obvious, however, that her master was holding back on her. Her earlier performance must've been so pitiful that he decided to keep their training slow for now.

She was perfectly fine after their first training session, after all. She could've kept going after that berry.

Though she did like his worry. It felt nice to be cherished. To be doted on. Yet it was also annoying.

A truly vexing problem.

Or maybe… Yes, that was it! It was all a test! A test to see how firm her willpower was in the face of constant strife.

And through failure, her master taught her a valuable lesson.

Even if her mind was strong, it wasn't enough if her body couldn't keep up.

Her master was truly the greatest. Even such a small training session showed that his wisdom far eclipsed her own.

Maybe that's why he was so strong. His mind was just so beyond his body that he must have to train often to keep up.

She had to follow in his footsteps. To prove to him that she understood his subtle but profound lesson.

So she stood while the master slept. She maneuvered her way out and raced through the streets and buildings, ending up at the same training spot as before.

Her claws gleamed in the moonlight, her body filling with the energy that connected all beings with a semblance of life.

The energy that sought to stay still. To be ordinary and calm.

She planted her feet. And began digging.

To both prove her strength and to improve herself, she would dig a hole through the world!

Her claws would then come out the other side, and pierce the heavens!

- (Izan) -

Izan was having a very odd day.

Sandshrew, for some reason, looked worse for wear than before she went to sleep. Plus she ate quite a bit more than the Pokemart guy told him she'd have to.

If whatever this was kept up, he'd need to buy more Pokemon food before the month was up.

From there the day was going fairly normally until his high-intensity training ended. Instead of almost collapsing like before, Sandshrew suddenly bowed at him before going off to dig a hole with ferocious zeal.

Most likely just a Sandshrew thing. Though the bow was cute.

So instead of interrupting whatever she was up to, he sat down under a tree and played with his Pokegear.

Despite his financial circumstances, his new life never felt like a struggle. That feeling of desperation and ambition just wasn't there.

Sure, he had a goal. A lofty one at that.

But for whatever reason, he couldn't help himself from feeling calm ever since Sandshrew came along. A part of him was screaming to find out why. A part of him that was mostly just curious at the rapid change.

So he satiated his curiosity differently.

And that's when the day got even weirder.

See, he'd decided to check out the app that the League installed on his Pokegear, thinking it was a bootleg Pokedex or something.

In reality, it was just the League website again but in app form. On top of that, he also had an account with access to the numerous trainer-only forums.

With his account finally made, he had insider information about how the league worked and how Pokemon in general worked.

And upon checking out the league's inner workings, he came to his first conclusion of the day.

'I have no idea in what version of the Pokemon world I'm in.'

See, the first thing he noticed was that you could look at anyone's profile page. And each one had fairly intrusive information.

For example, he found out that there were numbers associated with each rank and that Volkner- the eighth gym leader of the Sinnoh region, was A-Class Rank 22.

In essence, he was the 22nd-best A-Class trainer according to the League.

And considering that everyone who wasn't in the top 999 was relegated to C-Class, he was not to be fucked with. It even listed his seen Pokemon and their average level of 63.

So Izan did the reasonable thing anyone in his situation would do, he looked up every notable Pokemon trainer he could think of. And the results were… off.

Blue Oak existed, for one. Though he wasn't that strong yet, it seemed. He was a C-Class trainer who'd only recently started his journey. He was rising fast at least.

The confusing part was when Red didn't show up anywhere. Not even as a D-Class or unranked. Nothing. He'd even tried his really old Japanese name, Isamu Akai. Still, nothing.

On top of that confusing revelation that Red just didn't exist, Ash somehow did.

How the hell was that possible? Misty and Brock were already established and powerful trainers who'd inherited their respective gyms. Who would Ash even travel with?

It was giving him a headache trying to theorize what the hell was going on.

So he stopped, deciding to look through some of the forums about how Pokemon worked and the specifics of each detail.

He skimmed through the threads of actually useful information before his eyes landed on one about Pokemon and leveling up.

Clicking it, his eyes opened wide as he read on.

'Pokemon are like Saiyans.'

It flipped his thought process about training Pokemon on his head.

The first detail that caught his eye was that Pokemon leveled up when you trained them.

That was because levels were just a culmination of the Pokemon's physical prowess and energy capacity compared to others of the same species.

So obviously, working out would increase their level eventually.

The second most prominent way made him have the thought about Saiyans.

Pokemon increased in power and broke through their limits whenever they recovered from great injuries derived from battle.

Due to this, the thread mentioned that Pokemon training was a balancing act of pushing your Pokemon to the very edge without actually hurting them. That method was much faster than just simple training.

Training normally like they were, it was estimated that it would take them around a month to hit level 10 with a standard starter Pokemon.

And training only got slower from there.

That's why people travel most of the time. So they can go in the wild and battle dangerous Pokemon, leveling up fast when they scarcely succeed.

If he wanted to speed up Sandshrew's training without doing that, he'd need more food. And better food. Training items, too. Now he understood why people say Pokemon training costs a lot.

It wasn't that you couldn't do it with little money. It was that the results you'd get would be staggeringly slow.

And taking in the fact that his weekly stipend was 125 …

'Maybe I should go work as a Fisherman man. At least then I'd have a bit more money.'

"Hiya!"

He was startled out of his thoughts when a high-pitched girlish voice came from above.

Looking up, he saw a pale girl with short green hair and red eyes staring back at him. The first thing he noticed was that her wardrobe was… very green.

Under her kimono was green while the kimono itself looked green somehow but was just white. And all of that was accented by red.

There was a theme there that he wasn't getting.

"Uh… hi?" He waved awkwardly, unprepared for randomly appearing girls.

"YOSH! A most magnificent greeting on a beautiful day such as this!" She suddenly yelled, raising her fist into the air dramatically.

The digging stopped. Sandshrew's head popped out of the hole, staring at the strange girl like she was an idiot.

'…What the fu-'