Back in his hotel room, Link collapsed onto the bed. He had chosen the most luxurious suite available; gilded decor, plush furniture, and a mattress softer than clouds.
His eyes drifted to the two large suitcases brimming with cash stacked nearby. Even now, it all felt a bit surreal.
Not long ago, he was just at home, rewatching Hunter × Hunter while playing a Pokémon game.
Who would have thought that after just one blink, he'd wake up in this world?
After some cautious investigation, Link finally confirmed it, he had transmigrated into the Hunter × Hunter universe.
Now, under normal circumstances, getting transported into your favorite anime might sound like a dream come true. But this was Hunter × Hunter we're talking about.
As a fan, Link understood all too well the brutal truth: this was a high-risk world ruled by survival of the fittest.
Monsters, magical beasts, treasures, secret realms, ancient ruins, it all sounded tempting, but you needed real strength to chase any of it.
In this world, power was everything.
Without it, you were nothing more than an ant, your life and death at the mercy of others.
Take the Phantom Troupe, for example, classified as A-level criminals and notorious mass murderers, yet they still roamed free.
This world wasn't black and white, it was a finely painted shade of gray.
No matter your background or whether you walked the path of good or evil, as long as you had power, you could live freely.
Look at the infamous Zoldyck family, the number one assassin clan in the world. No one dared to mess with them, and why? Because of their overwhelming strength.
At first, Link had grumbled. Why did he end up here? He was literally playing Pokémon at the time! Shouldn't he have gone to the Pokémon world instead?
Now, he was stuck in a world where just making it through the day alive was a gamble.
A passing Nen user could look at him the wrong way and end his life on a whim.
And then there were all the bizarre creatures, viruses, and disasters that plagued this world. Without a bit of ability, dying from some freak infection wasn't just a possibility, it was likely.
The only small mercy? He hadn't landed in the notorious Meteor City. Instead, he'd woken up in a random alley of a regular town.
According to fanfiction stats, eight out of ten transmigrators landed in Meteor City. He'd count his blessings.
Once he finally calmed down, a stream of information surfaced in his consciousness:
Nen Ability: Pokémon Master
Acquisition: Traveling to new regions or getting involved in significant events may trigger the birth of a new Pokémon.
The more famous or unique the location, the higher the chance of acquiring a Pokémon and the stronger it is. Participating in original Hunter × Hunter plotlines also increases the odds.
Each Pokémon is a unique, independent entity. Though formed by Nen, they cannot be duplicated. If they die, they disappear permaNently.
Limitation: Pokémon take time to incubate. The stronger they are, the longer the incubation period, though the time required is randomized.
Growth: Pokémon gain experience through battle. Once their XP bar is full, they evolve to the next stage.
Fighting stronger oppoNents grants more experience. Some special Pokémon may have unique evolution paths. When multiple Pokémon battle at once, XP is shared.
Limitation: A Pokémon can only gain XP from each unique oppoNent once. Repeated battles yield no additional XP.
Pokédex: Can identify information about any object or entity, including Pokémon. The more mysterious the target, the less detail is revealed.
Pokémon may exhibit skill variations due to differences between their original world and this one.
Limitation: Identifying anything other than Pokémon consumes a small amount of Link's Nen.
After reading the full message, Link finally understood why he hadn't ended up in the Pokémon world, because the Pokémon were coming to him.
No exaggeration, this was his golden cheat code as a transmigrator.
According to the system, all he needed to do was travel to various famous locations or get involved in plot events, and he'd have a shot at gaining new Pokémon.
What's more, his Nen wasn't awakened through the traditional method of opening aura nodes. Like Neon Nostrade from the original story, he was apparently a natural-born Nen user.
Link turned his head, and the first thing he saw was a graceful figure with emerald-green hair and eyes like gleaming rubies.
A crimson gem adorned her chest, and her long white dress flowed like moonlight. She looked like an elegant young noblewoman straight out of a fantasy tale.
It was none other than Gardevoir, the Psychic Queen.
Pokédex Activated!
Name: Gardevoir
Trait: (Unavailable)
Type: (Unavailable)
Power Level: B
Skills: Telekinesis (Others unavailable)
This Gardevoir had appeared alongside his Nen ability information, as if part of a starter pack.
There were only two complete lines of data in the Pokédex, and it felt oddly sparse. That alone gave Link some pause.
He deduced that the system categorized strength using letter grades.
Without a reference point, Link couldn't say for sure how powerful "B" rank was, but it couldn't be too bad, right?
Most importantly, even though the Pokémon manifested as Nen beasts, they were completely independent.
They didn't drain his Nen when they fought. They relied on their own strength, like real, living creatures.
Link himself was like a giant Pokéball, he merely stored them, and they could return to him to recover their energy.
Which meant that even if Link never trained to expand his own Nen pool, he could still become powerful, through his Pokémon.
While others charged into battle themselves, he could stand safely behind the lines, commanding like a true Pokémon Trainer.
The only ability that consumed his own Nen was the Pokédex.