"Brother, it's almost time, the sun is setting, let's go back."
The speaker was a little girl who looked to be five or six years old. Her clothes were heavily patched. In her dirty little hands, she held a basket containing some sitrus berry.
"Alright, let's go back. Xiao Yan must be hungry, right? Here, eat this."
The one who replied was a young boy, holding three pink, peach-like sitrus berry in his hand, which he handed to the little girl.
The young boy was Yuèxià Xiao Zuo, 15 years old this year, a transmigrator.
Two years ago, Xiao Zuo's predecessor, a young man from Blue Star named Liu Chuang, died unexpectedly and then transmigrated into this body. This body had died from poisoning after being attacked by an Ekans on the mountain.
After Liu Chuang woke up, he became Xiao Zuo. Relying on his memory, he went down the mountain and found his home.
When Xiao Zuo first transmigrated, he didn't know where he was.
It wasn't until he went down the mountain and saw several Rattata by the roadside, and several Pidgey flying overhead, that he realized.
As the memories in his mind slowly recovered, he finally knew that this was the Pokemon World.
He had transmigrated into the anime world.
When he was still on Blue Star, Xiao Zuo often played Pokemon games and watched Pokemon anime.
He was very fond of the Pokemon within. He never thought he would one day truly come here.
Xiao Zuo held the little girl's hand and walked down the mountain with the supplies they had gathered.
The little girl was Xiao Zuo's younger sister, Yuèxià Yan. She was 7 years old this year.
Due to long-term malnutrition, she looked only five or six years old.
When Xiao Zuo first transmigrated, this little sister almost starved to death at home.
If it weren't for his efforts these past two years, who knows what would have happened to the little girl.
In this world, Xiao Zuo only had two relatives: his sister and their mother.
Xiao Zuo was once a member of a prominent family, but due to factional disputes, his father died unexpectedly.
Other factions within the family betrayed them and drove out the remaining orphans and widow.
They expelled Xiao Zuo, his mother, and his sister from the family, and didn't give them a single penny.
They just wanted them, mother and children, to die outside.
Thanks to Xiao Zuo's mother's persistent efforts.
No matter how difficult it was, she tried every means to take care of the two children, allowing the siblings to survive until now.
As they spoke, the siblings had already returned to their home.
To call it a home, it was actually just an abandoned house where the mother and her two children lived.
The mother, He Zi, went to town during the day to find odd jobs.
At home, Xiao Zuo took care of his sister, and they usually went to the nearby wilderness to collect things to supplement their household income.
"Brother, Mom hasn't come back yet. I'll go prepare dinner first. Brother, you can put things away."
After speaking, the little girl immediately took off her shoes and ran barefoot to the river to wash the sitrus berry she was holding.
There was a river next to Xiao Zuo's house, making it convenient to fetch water.
Xiao Zuo found a stone to sit on and opened the basket to sort out the things they had found today.
Today, Xiao Zuo and his sister found many sitrus berry on the mountain.
Xiao Zuo needed to sort them out to prepare them for sale.
In fact, the mountain was very dangerous because there were wild Pokemon everywhere.
Any wild Pokemon poses a danger to humans.
Moreover, sitrus berry are food for Pokemon, so collecting sitrus berry on the mountain is equivalent to competing with Pokemon for food.
It was very dangerous, but Xiao Zuo was already used to it. Compared to the danger, preventing his mother and sister from going hungry was more important.
Xiao Zuo poured all the sitrus berry out of the basket. There were Oran Berry, as well as Lum Berry and Pecha Berry, about thirty of them.
These would be taken to the store tomorrow to be sold. Each could be sold for 20 yuan, and the money from these sales would be enough for Xiao Zuo's family's food supply for three days.
Of course, it couldn't all be used to buy food. Xiao Zuo was also preparing to become a Trainer.
In the Pokemon World, only Trainers could change their lives.
For the past two years, Xiao Zuo had been struggling to survive while learning about this world.
This world was vastly different from the anime. Not all children could become Trainers and go on adventures. Without money, they couldn't even afford to raise a Pokemon.
People like the protagonist Ash, who received a starter Pokemon, were either wealthy or had family members in the Alliance.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to receive a starter. Those were carefully cultivated by the Alliance over many generations and selected as the most suitable initial Pokemon for Trainers. How could just anyone get them?
Also, a pokemon illustrated handbook. One pokemon illustrated handbook costs 100,000 Alliance currency.
To register as a Trainer, one also needed to pay 20,000 Alliance currency to the Alliance.
Each treatment at a Pokémon Center for a Pokemon cost 200 Alliance currency.
As for Pokemon breeding and management, these were all free for Trainers dispatched by the Alliance.
Ordinary Trainers, however, had to buy them with their own money. This was the rule of the world.
Therefore, ordinary people simply did not have the ability to become Trainers, they couldn't even feed them properly.
However, only by becoming a Trainer could ordinary people rise in status and change their fate.
If one performed exceptionally well and was invited to join the Alliance, then they would truly be set for life, receiving government support.
Xiao Zuo is fifteen years old this year. According to Alliance regulations, one can apply to become a Trainer at ten years old.
If his family hadn't had problems, Xiao Zuo would have received his starter Pokemon at ten, but life is unpredictable.
Now, if Xiao Zuo wants to become a Trainer, he must first own at least one Pokemon.
Then he also needs to submit an application to the Alliance, become a Trainer, pay 20,000 Alliance currency, and obtain the Trainer qualification.
He can then challenge the Gym. As long as he gets a badge, he can participate in the Alliance Tournament. If he achieves a good ranking in the tournament, Xiao Zuo can change the lives of his mother and sister.
However, every step here is extremely difficult. Even ordinary families can't afford to support a Pokemon. How could they, who can barely support themselves, afford one?
But Xiao Zuo never gave up. Since heaven gave him another chance at rebirth, he would seize it and not bow to difficulties.
Just as Xiao Zuo was sorting the sitrus berry, he suddenly heard Xiao Yan's startled cry from the riverside.
Xiao Zuo's heart jumped. He threw down the sitrus berry in his hand and rushed towards the riverbank.
He saw a Rattata baring its teeth at Xiao Yan, seemingly wanting to snatch the sitrus berry from her hand.
Xiao Zuo rushed over without hesitation, picked up a branch, waved it, and loudly scolded the Rattata.
The Rattata was startled by Xiao Zuo's imposing manner and retreated a few steps, but it still lingered unwillingly.
At this moment, a white light flashed, and a Meowth appeared in front of the Rattata.
Meowth let out a warning Growl at the Rattata. Seeing this, the Rattata scurried away.
Do mice fear cats? Xiao Zuo looked at Meowth in surprise. Meowth then turned to look at him and Xiao Yan, its eyes showing friendliness.
Xiao Yan approached Meowth and gently stroked its head. Meowth comfortably narrowed its eyes.
This Meowth was a wild Meowth wandering in the nearby town. Xiao Zuo and his sister had helped it before.
Once, this Meowth, probably foraging, suddenly missed its footing and fell into the river, the same river in front of Xiao Zuo's house. Xiao Yan then discovered it, and Xiao Zuo used a wooden stick to rescue the fallen Meowth.
Subsequently, Meowth frequently appeared near Xiao Zuo's home and became a regular visitor to Xiao Zuo's house.
Xiao Zuo breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile to Meowth, "Thank you, Meowth." Meowth meowed twice, as if responding.
At this moment, footsteps were heard from a distance. Xiao Zuo looked up and saw his mother returning. His mother was lucky today; the family she worked for gave her extra pay and some old clothes.
Xiao Yan happily ran to her mother, telling her about Meowth chasing away the Rattata just now.
His mother smiled and stroked Xiao Yan's head, then looked gratefully at Meowth and thanked it.
Xiao Zuo showed his mother the sitrus berry they had harvested today. His mother nodded with satisfaction, praising Xiao Zuo and Xiao Yan. Then she went inside to put things away.
In the evening, the family sat together eating a simple dinner, and Meowth also shared some sitrus berry.
His mother recounted the day's events. Incidentally, his mother took out something from her backpack, something Xiao Zuo had always dreamed of: a pokemon ball.
"Xiao Zuo, this pokemon ball was given to me by the boss at the place I worked today. His son just received his starter Pokemon today and registered as a Trainer. The family was having a party and was quite happy. Besides giving me my wages, he also gave me some old unused items and clothes from his house. Among them was a pokemon ball. It must be quite old, but it's still usable."
Xiao Zuo looked at the pokemon ball in his mother's hand, his eyes filled with longing.
This one ball was worth five hundred yuan; if they had to buy it, they would be very reluctant.
Xiao Zuo himself had been secretly saving money just to buy a pokemon ball, as it was the foundation for becoming a Trainer. He never expected happiness to come so quickly.
"Xiao Zuo, Mom knows you want to become a Trainer, and this is the best path for you. However, the road ahead will be very difficult. We are not like others; we have to put in more effort, and there will be more difficulties. Since you want to choose this path, you must be prepared for hardship. You must succeed, Mom believes in you."
After speaking, his mother handed the pokemon ball to Xiao Zuo.
After dinner, Xiao Zuo sat by the door, gazing at the starry sky, thinking about his dream of becoming a Trainer.
Looking at the pokemon ball in his hand, he fell into deep thought. He must succeed; he must make sure his mother and sister have a good life.
Early the next morning, Xiao Zuo woke up early. He tightly clutched the pokemon ball and walked out of the house. At the doorstep, Xiao Zuo pondered what he should do.
If he were to try to catch a wild Pokemon, it would be very difficult to capture it without prior battle experience.
Once the capture fails, one pokemon ball is wasted. But he didn't have a Pokemon for battle. He was in a dilemma now.
At this moment, a meow sounded behind Xiao Zuo. Xiao Zuo looked back; it was Meowth.
Last night, Meowth slept on the roof of Xiao Zuo's house and didn't leave. Looking at Meowth, Xiao Zuo made a decision and walked towards it.