The rain outside kept falling non-stop, the water droplets streaming down the glass window gave the impression that the long rainy night was just beginning.
Inside the luxurious but not overly extravagant room, a young man lay on his bed with his Nintendo Switch. Despite his pale skin and seemingly frail body, the boy wore a bright smile.
"Just one more to complete the Pokédex!" he exclaimed, his smile growing even wider. Throughout his life, he had completed all the games from famous franchises such as Pokémon, God Eater, Final Fantasy, and many others. His anime catalog was equally impressive. During his 17 years, he dedicated every second of his life to games and anime. To outsiders who didn't know his story, he seemed like just another useless kid living off a wealthy family. "It's easy when you're born rich!" his neighbors would say. But their opinions quickly shifted.
"He has cancer."
That single sentence changed the neighborhood's entire perception of the young man. His name? Ryoung — a boy who wouldn't live past the age of 18 due to cancer discovered when he was only 10. From that moment on, knowing his time was limited, his parents allowed him to live each day as if it were his last. Sadly, today was that day.
Still sitting on his bed playing Pokémon, Ryoung felt a strong pain in his chest. Placing his hand there and massaging in hopes of relieving the discomfort, he noticed something wet dripping from his nose.
"Blood..." he muttered as he wiped it, seeing the red liquid stain the back of his hand. "I kinda expected this," he smiled, looking at the screen displaying his Pokédex: 400/400.
Despite death knocking on his door, there was no regret in his eyes — only relief at having completed his final mission. Ryoung had no doubt he lived a life many middle-aged men, forced to abandon their hobbies for adult responsibilities, would envy. Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain... but it never came.
1...2...100...24000...
Time passed, but the pain he expected refused to arrive. Opening his eyes, Ryoung found himself in a strange white room. In front of him, a beautiful woman was sipping tea, looking at him kindly — like a mother seeing her son return from the army.
"You've arrived, little one~!"
Her gentle voice echoed in Ryoung's ears like a Beethoven melody — a beautiful symphony, almost unreal.
'A Goddess!' was the first thought that crossed his mind. The stunning woman, with long silver hair cascading like a waterfall and black clothing resembling a baby doll, radiated divine energy. Her presence alone soothed Ryoung's mind and soul. Looking into her beautiful eyes, shining like obsidian, he noticed a pair of crystalline horns protruding from her head.
"Nibel!" she said.
Startled, Ryoung locked eyes with hers, and after a few seconds of admiring her beauty, he asked, still confused, "Nibel?"
Smiling softly, the beautiful woman — Nibel — responded, "Yes, Nibel. That's my name."
"...Ryoung," he replied, still staring at her horns. 'She's not human...' he thought.
"Fu~Fu~Fu... I really am not~!" she giggled softly while rising from her chair and walking toward Ryoung.
'She read my mind!?'
As Nibel approached him, his mind became a whirlwind of questions. Reaching him, she extended her hand, touching the small ball of light that Ryoung had become.
Before he could protest, her gentle voice comforted him like a mother: "You must be very confused now, but your questions will be answered in time." Without waiting for a reply, she enveloped the small luminous sphere in a strange metallic shell that soon took the shape of an ostrich egg. Holding it tenderly, she kissed the surface of the shell. From her red lips, a faint light fused with the crystalline egg. Then, gently biting her index finger, she let a few drops of her blood fall onto the egg.
"I await your return, my precious child~!" Nibel said while looking at the egg in her hands. A strange portal opened below, and she let the egg fall into it.
As the dark hole swallowed the egg, Nibel tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear, a soft smile forming on her lips.
......
First-person POV...
I feel something warm touching my skin but... Wait!? Where's my skin!? Instead of skin, I see strange silver scales with bits of gold here and there.
Trying to examine my surroundings, I realize I'm wrapped in a strange wall. An egg?! I'm trapped inside an egg!? Let's see... Scales, some weird liquid bathing me, and this oval cocoon... Did I reincarnate as a lizard!?
End of POV...
......
Inside a strange cave, a silver eggshell sat atop a small stone altar.
*Crash!!*
Small cracks spread across the surface of the egg until a fragment broke off, revealing a tiny reptilian eye staring out with curiosity and fear.
Nearby, something moved in the darkness where the faint cave light couldn't reach. As it stepped forward, the light bathed its body, revealing itself in all its glory.
'Pheromosa?!' was the first thought that popped into the little lizard's mind.
Standing tall before him, the humanoid creature nearly touched the cave's ceiling. Despite her slender, thin body, she radiated an aura of overwhelming power that intimidated the tiny lizard. A golden crown gleamed atop her head, adding a regal charm. Two long antennae draped down, passing through the crown and nearly touching the ground. Combined with the white membrane resembling hair, it gave her a fantastic appearance. Her large gem-like eyes, purple with blue irises, left the tiny creature even more fascinated.
Approaching the egg, causing panic in the little lizard, her eyes held no hostility, which slowly calmed his heart. As she reached the now shattered egg, Pheromosa gently caressed the newborn's head. As an Ultra Beast herself, she naturally felt some affection for the little one before her.
This little lizard was, in fact, Ryoung, who had just awakened. Pheromosa's actions temporarily captivated him. Had he really become a Pokémon? Even better — an Ultra Beast!?
But what were Ultra Beasts, really? They were rare Pokémon from a different dimension called Ultra Space. Little is known about the creatures inhabiting Ultra Space, except one fact: Ultra Beasts are extremely powerful, transcending human comprehension. And Ryoung? He was now one of them.
Enjoying Pheromosa's affectionate caresses, Ryoung decided to test his new reality. Like any good reincarnator, he went for the obvious. 'System!' he shouted in his mind. But after waiting a while, nothing happened.
'So I don't have a system?' Though a bit disappointed, he wasn't crushed. Pokémon were extraordinary creatures. As an Ultra Beast, he shouldn't be inferior. Maybe with training, he could reach great heights — with or without a system.
'It would be easier if I at least knew what kind of Pokémon I am.' As that fleeting thought crossed his mind, a familiar ding echoed.
[Ding! New ability acquired: Biological Pokédex — Allows the user to analyze any registered Pokémon.]
Looking at the strange translucent screen in front of him, Ryoung tried calling the system again. 'System?! Hellooo??' But after waiting some more, he gave up. Apparently, his "system" wasn't like those from the novels and mangas. Strangely, that relieved him. Having a system that handed him everything easily would make this new life feel pointless.
'As an Ultra Beast, I refuse to grow using Rare Candies!' he declared in his mind — but his attention quickly returned to Pheromosa, who now held him like a newborn baby. 'When did I end up here???' he wondered, staring at the cave ceiling now within reach. 'She really is tall...'
Focusing his gaze on Pheromosa, he activated his new ability.
[Pheromosa]
A life form from another world. Its body is thin and flexible, yet it possesses tremendous power.
Type: Bug/Fighting
.....
'That's it?' Staring at the small amount of floating info, Ryoung felt slightly disappointed. Ignoring Pheromosa, who was now affectionately poking his cheeks, he activated the skill again.
[Ryoung (Temporary Name)]
No Data!
Type: Dragon/Fairy/Psychic
....
"What the hell!?" Ryoung yelled, staring at his own information. Though he shouted, all Pheromosa heard was an adorable growl — which she took as a joyful cry for her affection, causing her eyes to sparkle even brighter. Gently, she walked toward the cave's exit, holding the stunned Ryoung in her arms. 'I'm a Dragon/Fairy type!?'
Neither of them noticed the strange fissure forming in the air — a crack that would soon mark the beginning of Ryoung's true journey in the Pokémon world.