Chapter 1: Rebirth
"Evan! Get up!"
Ethan Carter vaguely heard someone calling him.
But that wasn't his name.
Ethan opened his eyes in a daze, and the person in front of him gradually came into focus—a completely unfamiliar face.
The man said,
"Get up and eat," then turned and walked out of the room.
Still foggy-headed, Ethan followed him out.
As he walked, he suddenly noticed something strange about the room and then it hit him.
"Wait… where am I?"
This wasn't his room. He remembered reading a Pokémon novel last night before dozing off.
So why was everything different now?
A flood of memories surged into Ethan's mind. It was like watching someone else's life from childhood to now. But the memories stopped after last night—like a broken tape.
"Did I… transmigrate?"
And not just anywhere—but into the world of Pokémon.
Ethan had dreamed of this possibility before—taming Pokémon, traveling with them, living the adventure. But he never imagined it would really happen.
His thoughts were a mix of excitement and confusion as he went to wash up.
Looking into the mirror, he saw big brown eyes, thick black hair, small features, and smooth, pale skin.
Just a cute ten-year-old kid.
It wasn't so strange now that he saw it.
He sat down to eat breakfast silently, absorbing the memories of the original boy.
His new name was Evan Taylor. He had just turned ten a few days ago.
His mother passed away when he was very young, and he'd lived with his father ever since.
His dad was a simple laborer in a small town outside Viridian City. The family had humble means.
Evan loved Pokémon and dreamed of becoming a bug catcher. His dream was to become a trainer—the strongest there was.
He had been studying Pokémon every day to make that dream come true.
In this world, the Pokémon League allowed children to own Pokémon only after turning ten. Catching Pokémon before that was illegal and strictly punished.
Until now, he'd only tagged along with local bug catchers, watching different Pokémon in the wild. But now that he was ten, it was time to get his first Pokémon.
Ethan felt a rush of excitement.
But then he looked at Evan's father—rough hands, tired eyes—and that excitement softened.
He sighed.
"I'm sorry, Evan. Since I've taken over your body, your father is now my father. I'll be Evan from now on. I'll chase your dream… and mine."
According to Evan's memory, he had to go to school soon.
In this world, every child had to attend Pokémon School starting at a certain age.
At minimum, kids had to complete elementary school before choosing whether to continue studying or enter the world as trainers.
Evan's school was called Viridian Elementary, located near Viridian Forest, just outside Viridian City.
There, students learned basic reading, writing, and of course, Pokémon studies—starting with the creatures native to Kanto.
It was all introductory, like elementary school back on Earth. To learn more, you'd have to go to a more advanced Pokémon academy.
The sun shone down as Evan walked to school, the sky a clear blue.
The air was fresh, without the pollution of the world he left behind.
Homes were scattered among trees.
Passing through a small forest, he saw flocks of Pidgey, Butterfree, and Spearow flying above.
Rattata darted across the trail, and Pokémon clung to tree trunks and branches.
No familiar animals from Earth existed here—only Pokémon from games and anime.
Looking around in awe, Evan smiled. "This world is amazing."
Up ahead, several buildings came into view. At the gate was a large sign: Viridian Elementary School.
The three-story building looked like something from Earth—gray and white walls, orderly classroom doors.
Students and teachers bustled with energy.
To the side was a small field, about 300 meters long. Not huge, but perfectly suitable.
Evan smiled and greeted teachers and classmates as he entered.
"Good morning, Mr. Grant!"
"Oh, hey Evan!"
"Hey Evan, morning!"
"Morning!"
He found his seat and waited quietly. When it was time, the teacher came in and started the lesson.
"Class, open to page 30 in Basic Pokémon Identification 1. Today, we'll learn about Ghost-type Pokémon in the Kanto region.
"First up—Gastly and its evolutions, Haunter and Gengar…"
To Evan, this was child's play. He already knew all of this thanks to both his own past and the memories of the original Evan.
Evan had always been a top student. He ranked first in the class every time.
Teachers didn't mind if he zoned out during class—he had earned the privilege.
Ethan—now Evan—found that funny.
Back in his original life, he was never more than average. Always in the top ten, but never the best. No matter how hard he studied, he couldn't beat the top students.
He didn't get into his dream college. He ended up at an average university, living a regular life.
Wake up, classes, phone, sleep. That was it.
Then one day… he just woke up here. No truck, no glowing artifact. Just a nap—and bam—new world.
But something had changed. Since arriving here, Evan felt smarter. He could solve problems he struggled with before.
His memory was sharper too.
He remembered every detail of today with total clarity.
That made him happy.
Even more exciting was all the Pokémon knowledge and future event memories stored in his brain.
They were like his own personal cheat codes.
No system. No status screen.
And yet… Evan felt like the luckiest kid alive.
(End of Chapter)