At that moment, Kiyomi Tsugumi was having lunch with his Charmeleon. In the heat of summer, the soft grass beneath him provided a cushion, while the tall trees overhead blocked most of the scorching sunlight. Occasionally, a breeze swept through the area—it was incredibly refreshing.
Charmeleon was focused on its food. The nutritious meal, poured straight from Kiyomi's backpack, was piled high in a bowl like a small mountain. Kiyomi could only watch helplessly as it devoured the contents. Ever since Charmander had evolved, its appetite had grown considerably. What Kiyomi originally thought would be enough supplies to last through three or four cities might barely be enough to make it to the next one. And on top of that, his stock of wound medicine was running dangerously low—Charmeleon had been taking a serious beating lately.
"I'm going to have to restock everything soon," Kiyomi muttered, sighing.
He had no idea where Ash was at the moment. Out of the four kids who had set out from Pallet Town, Ash had always been the slowest. And Gary, that smug hedgehog-headed guy, was the fastest. He even had a sports car—and a row of cheerleaders riding along with him! As the grandson of the famous Professor Oak, Gary didn't need to worry about money at all. He could eat and travel in luxury.
Then there was that mysterious girl. According to the Cerulean City sisters, someone had recently given them a serious beatdown—and the only person they hadn't seen yet was her. That placed her somewhere just behind Gary in terms of speed. Kiyomi figured that made himself third, with Ash dragging behind in last place.
Still, Kiyomi couldn't help but feel a little envious. Sure, Gary was a spoiled brat—but Ash? He had Misty, the cute girl in denim shorts, constantly chatting (and bickering) with him. Then there was Brock, who handled the cooking, Pokémon meals, and all the daily chores. No wonder Ash always looked so well-fed and energetic.
Just the thought of it made Kiyomi grind his teeth in frustration. In every version of the game or show, there's always that one guy who gets the full package: a mascot Pokémon, a companion team, and an unfair amount of plot armor. As the saying goes: girls come and go, but Pikachu is forever.
As Kiyomi gnawed on a piece of dry bread and sipped juice, he found himself unable to enjoy the meal. The image of Ash dining on a gourmet lunch prepared by Brock played vividly in his mind, making his own food seem even more bland. To avoid wasting it, Kiyomi forced himself to finish the bread. Charmeleon, now full, lay sprawled on the grass, rubbing its round belly in contentment.
Time sure flies, Kiyomi thought as he lay back on the grass. From the day I woke up in this world, to receiving Charmander from Professor Oak, to now...
It had already been quite a while since his arrival in this world. The memories of his past life had started to fade, slowly eroded by the demands of his new reality.
After a short rest, Kiyomi and Charmeleon hit the road again. Before heading out, he carefully checked his map, confirming the direction toward Vermilion City.
Strangely, the farther he walked, the more trainers he encountered along the way. After another short battle, Charmeleon easily defeated a Rattata. Its trainer stood stunned, unable to comprehend his loss.
Kiyomi sighed.
Despite appearances, Kiyomi Tsugumi wasn't just some wanderer. Before the age of ten, he had actually gone to school. In the world of Pokémon, there are two types of schools—trainer academies and general education schools. If you wanted to become a trainer, you had to attend a trainer academy. There, students were taught survival skills, type matchups, and battle strategies. Ordinary schools, on the other hand, taught regular subjects, with little emphasis on Pokémon.
Civilians weren't allowed to freely interact with Pokémon until the age of ten, which created a massive gap in knowledge and experience between academy graduates and ordinary people.
Further along the route, Kiyomi came upon a strange building surrounded by wood fencing. The door was wide open, and a sign above read "Winning Streak: 86." Beneath it was a smaller plaque. Kiyomi stepped closer to read the writing: "Fei Gong Idokong."
"Wait… Beastmaster Xiao Ming? I almost forgot about this storyline…" Kiyomi thought, blinking.
His memory wasn't great to begin with, and he had only watched parts of the anime before reincarnating. Over the ten years he'd spent in this world, much of that knowledge had faded. Still, he vaguely remembered Beastmaster Xiao Ming as a formidable opponent.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Kiyomi entered the building. The first thing he saw was a massive battle platform. Behind it stood a large dome-shaped tent. Kiyomi stepped up and pulled open the tent flap.
Inside, the place was bustling with activity. A boy with turquoise hair tied up in a bun stood at the center, holding a long whip as he supervised a group of Pokémon. On a raised platform in the distance, a Sandslash prepared to dive into the water.
After observing for a few minutes, Kiyomi realized something important—every Pokémon here was significantly stronger than what he'd encountered on the road. Despite the intense training, each one endured it well, thanks to what appeared to be nutritional supplements.
"Ding-ding!" An alarm bell rang from the wall. The boy lowered his whip and called for a break. It was only then that he noticed Kiyomi standing behind him.
"Who are you? Why are you in here?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hello," Kiyomi replied politely. "I'm a new trainer from Pallet Town. My name is Kiyomi Tsugumi. I came in because I saw your sign and wanted to challenge you."
"Oh? That's it? Sure," the boy said with a nod. "Wait a few minutes for my Pokémon to rest, then we'll battle."
During the break, they discussed battle terms. Kiyomi only had one Pokémon, so it would be a one-on-one match. The boy accepted without hesitation.
Soon after, they both stood on the battlefield outside.
"Let me introduce myself properly," the boy said. "I'm Xiao Ming, also known as Beastmaster Xiao Ming. This here is my partner, Sandslash."
A Sandslash stepped forward, claws glinting. Charmeleon responded eagerly, stepping onto the field with blazing energy.
The match began—and Xiao Ming made the first move. Instead of giving vocal instructions, he cracked his long whip. Sandslash responded by curling into a ball and using Rollout, barreling toward Charmeleon at high speed.
Kiyomi immediately instructed Charmeleon to block with Alloy Claw. The initial collision was stopped—but then Xiao Ming cracked his whip again. Instantly, Sandslash unfurled and launched into close combat.
To Kiyomi's surprise, Charmeleon was being pushed back.
Despite Charmeleon's combat instincts, the Sandslash was well-trained—its strength clearly enhanced by the intense regimen and high-protein diet it had received. Its entire body was covered in tough, armored scales. Though Charmeleon could parry most attacks with Alloy Claw, Sandslash's sharp claws were deadly. Fortunately, they hadn't yet pierced through.
Then things escalated.
Impatient with the stalemate, Xiao Ming cracked his whip twice. Sandslash disengaged and leapt into the water, then suddenly burrowed underground. Charmeleon, ready to give chase, was caught off guard and froze, unable to locate its opponent.
Xiao Ming smirked and gave another command.
Sandslash burst from the ground at an unexpected angle and struck Charmeleon hard. The impact sent it flying five or six meters, crashing onto the ground. It took several seconds for Charmeleon to recover and get back on its feet.
But it wasn't over. Sandslash had already burrowed again, preparing another subterranean assault—leveraging its type advantage and digging techniques for devastating effect.
This was not looking good for Kiyomi Tsugumi.
To find out how Kiyomi plans to turn the tide of battle—don't miss the next chapter!