Joban City, a row house in the suburbs.
Inside a cramped room, the heavy stench of tobacco and alcohol lingered in the air, filling the entire house.
A young man lying on the sofa rubbed his temples and slowly forced his eyes open.
Confusion clouded his gaze.
"Where am I…?"
The house was still his home, yet at the same time, it wasn't. Everything looked familiar, but countless unfamiliar memories had appeared in his mind out of nowhere.
After spending more than half an hour sorting through the chaotic flood of memories, Sam finally understood what had happened.
"So… I've transmigrated?" He let out a bitter laugh.
He had been quite satisfied with his life on Blue Star.
A car, a house, and a harmonious family,
everything had been stable and comfortable. And yet, without warning, he had crossed over into the world of Pokémon.
As he organized his memories, Sam also gained a rough understanding of this world.
This was a world where strength reigned supreme.
Trainer was the most respected profession of all.
Trainers constantly improved their Pokémon through battle, while also investing massive resources into raising them. To a Trainer, a Pokémon's strength meant everything.
The stronger the Pokémon, the higher the Trainer's status.
It was also a cruel world.
On the path of becoming a Trainer, ordinary civilians were already at a disadvantage compared to wealthy families. Whether it was the selection of starter Pokémon or the resources invested later in cultivation, the gap between the rich and the poor only widened over time.
Sam's situation was neither particularly good nor particularly bad.
He wasn't rich, but he wasn't poor either.
By the standards of his previous life, his family could be considered comfortably well-off, more than enough, but never excessive.
His starter Pokémon had already been prepared for him at home. All he needed to do was visit Professor Oak's Laboratory to officially receive it, and then he could begin his journey as a Trainer.
Just as Sam was lost in thought, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host. The system is updating. Loading…]
"15%…"
"45%…"
"99%…"
…
"A system?"
Sam let out a breath of relief.
The legendary golden finger every transmigrator dreamed of had finally arrived.
"The [Tailed Beast Fusion] System has been successfully activated. Host, please proceed."
"Detected that the host has not yet obtained a starter Pokémon. Starter Pokémon issuance initiated."
"Starter Pokémon: Tyranitar has been issued."
"Detected a 99% compatibility between Tyranitar and Shukaku. Fusion commencing."
"Fusion complete. Congratulations to the host,
Tyranitar has successfully obtained the Shukaku template."
The flood of system notifications left Sam stunned.
Tyranitar?
Shukaku?
Shukaku template… Bangira?
Wasn't this supposed to be the Pokémon world?
Feeling dizzy, Sam rushed into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water over his face until his mind finally cleared.
Once he calmed down, he began carefully analyzing the system.
Just as its name suggested, the [Tailed Beast Fusion] System allowed Pokémon to fuse with tailed beast templates, granting them the power of tailed beasts.
However, not every Pokémon was compatible.
The higher the compatibility between a Pokémon and a tailed beast, the easier the fusion—and the greater the power that could be unleashed afterward.
If Sam remembered correctly, the compatibility between Tyranitar and the One-Tail, Shukaku, was an astonishing 99%.
Didn't that mean Tyranitar was practically born for this fusion?
Unable to contain his excitement, Sam immediately summoned his Pokémon.
The Poké Ball flashed red.
A massive, bipedal dinosaur Pokémon over three meters tall appeared in the room, its body covered in a thick, armor-like green shell.
"So this is Tyranitar…"
This was the first Pokémon Sam had ever seen since arriving in this world.
He slowly approached and carefully placed a hand on Tyranitar's body.
Perhaps because of the system, Tyranitar's favorability toward him was already maxed out.
"Would you like to use the Detection Eye?"
"Yes."
Su Mu chose without hesitation.
---
[Pokémon]: Tyranitar
[Type]: Rock / Dark
[Ability]: Sand Stream
[Template]: Shukaku
[Compatibility]: 99%
[Strength]: Mid-Elite
[Potential]: Champion
System Evaluation:
A body containing peerless power, capable of collapsing mountains and causing earthquakes with a single strike.
---
A smile finally appeared on Sam's face.
Very good. Extremely good.
Tyranitar's elite-level strength alone was enough to ensure his safety in this dangerous world. With Tyranitar by his side, Sam could venture into the wild without fear.
More importantly, Sam was highly satisfied with the Detection Eye. Not only could it determine a Pokémon's current strength, but it could also reveal its potential.
For a Trainer, being able to see a Pokémon's potential was priceless.
It meant that his chances of capturing high-potential Pokémon would far surpass those of any ordinary Trainer.
And in this world,
That advantage was nothing short of terrifying.