Chapter 002: No Way I’m Becoming a Trainer in This Lifetime

After calming down, Natsume began scouring the internet for information.

First, he needed to figure out exactly how this world had changed.

Due to the Worldline Convergence, the world Natsume lived in had merged with the Pokémon world.

But it seemed like only Natsume was aware of this.

Even the history textbooks had been altered.

Based on the emergence of Pokémon, history could roughly be divided into Ancient Times, Medieval Era, Modern Era, and Contemporary Era.

In Ancient Times, the number of Mew gradually decreased, and the earliest Prehistoric Pokémon were born.

In the Medieval Period, a meteorite fell in the Hoenn Region, awakening Ancient Pokémon, which were eventually quelled by Rayquaza.

In the Modern Era, Professor Westwood V of Celadon University invented the Poké Ball in 1925, marking the beginning of "Pokémon Studies."

"These are actually part of the required history curriculum?" Natsume muttered, his expression odd.

Even Pokémon history was filled with endless details to memorize.

For example, the Parfum Palace was built in 1700, and the first Pokémon League Tournament was held in 1896...

If Natsume had to memorize all of this, it would be pure torture.

"Looks like even in the Pokémon world, being a top student isn't easy!" Natsume sighed as he flipped through the online version of High School Politics: Volume 3.

With the emergence of Pokémon, centralized organizations like the League had gradually formed.

In this Parallel World, Natsume was located in Tokyo City, part of the "Touran League."

Other regions, such as the "Kalos League" and "Unova League," were exactly as Natsume remembered them.

"So, it really is a fusion of the Pokémon world and reality," Natsume muttered after a long pause, exhaling deeply.

"Does that mean... I have a chance to become a Trainer too?"

Becoming a Pokémon Trainer had always been Natsume's dream.

But after researching online, he began to have second thoughts.

"The mortality rate is that high!?"

In this world, becoming a Trainer was no easy feat.

Mastering multiple languages was just the basics—Japanese, French, English, and Chinese were mandatory for Trainers.

Wealth, education, resources, and connections were all essential.

The high mortality rate had even classified being a Trainer as a "high-risk profession," with Pokémon battles being considered an "extreme sport."

Compared to other careers, the high risk and high barriers to entry meant that the number of Trainers was extremely limited.

Of course, Poké Balls were still widely accessible.

Ordinary people could also catch Pokémon, and there were plenty of Pokémon enthusiasts who owned them.

After a moment of stunned silence, Natsume suddenly snapped out of it.

"Why bother being a Trainer... when I can just be a content creator?"

With the emergence of Pokémon, the cost of special effects in movies and games had dropped significantly, but the quality of the content was... questionable.

Take, for example, the commercial film Hachiku Hero, produced by Pokémon Hollywood and starring Brycen, the Icirrus Gym Leader from Unova.

The clichéd plot and formulaic heroism had somehow made it into the Eiga no Mori Top 250.

Natsume couldn't think of a single reason why he wouldn't succeed in this world.

In the gaming industry, due to the Parallel World's divergence, many of the hit games from his previous life didn't exist.

The most popular game was Pokémon: Battle, developed by Hoenn's Devon Corporation, which Natsume streamed daily.

Pokémon: Battle was inspired by real Pokémon battles, using virtual imaging technology to create a real-time experience, and it had a massive audience.

Some Trainer Academies even used the game as a teaching tool to train students' strategic thinking.

Many famous Trainers, including "The Battler" Red, were avid players of the game.

Due to the high barriers to entry for real Pokémon battles, many of the strategies Natsume knew hadn't yet become widespread.

This was why a simple strategy like "SubProtect Toxic" had earned Natsume a million views.

"Looks like if I just make a couple more videos, becoming a top content creator is within reach..."

With Natsume's understanding of Pokémon battles, creating a few more million-view videos would be a piece of cake.

But before that, he needed to figure out how Nico Dou operated in this Parallel World.

Munching on a roasted duck with a side of green onions, Natsume continued browsing Nico Dou.

Unlike in his previous life, the same group of content creators dominated platforms like Nico Dou, YouTube, Twitch, and Niconico.

For example, the currently trending content creator on YouTube—

Nessa, the Water-type Gym Leader from the Galar League, known as the "Black Pearl," was also hugely popular on Nico Dou.

With her long, athletic legs and healthy tan, Nessa appeared in a video riding a Milotic, leaping out of the ocean with sparkling water droplets flying everywhere.

The sheer beauty of the scene left Natsume momentarily entranced.

"It's really... Nessa!"

"Thinking about it, if Red exists, then Gym Leaders must be the same too."

This photoshoot video was the top post in Nico Dou's Fashion Section, uploaded by Nessa herself.

The comments section was filled with talent.

"Nessa's doing a photoshoot for LV! My youth is back!"

"Wahh, Nessa, my angel, mommy loves you!"

"You call that admiration? You're just lusting after her. Shame on you!"

Following the principle of "practice makes perfect," Natsume clicked into the Dance Section.

Expecting to see the usual dance content, Natsume was instead greeted by a man.

Raihan, the popular Instagram influencer and Dragon-type Gym Leader from Galar, with his dark skin and roguish charm.

Wearing an orange headband, Raihan flashed a bright smile, his white teeth gleaming.

Though not as handsome as Natsume, Raihan's dancing skills and status as a Dragon-type Gym Leader had earned him a massive following on social media.

As for the Film Category, the cover featured a promotional poster for a new movie starring Hollywood actress and Kalos Champion, Diantha...

"Looks like being a content creator has a lot of potential," Natsume murmured.

"I'll keep streaming tonight and see how things go before making any decisions..."

Natsume already had a rough plan for the future.

Becoming a Trainer was out of the question—never in this lifetime.

Only by writing novels and making videos could he make a living.

Though he had no plans to become a Trainer, the idea of raising a few Pokémon as pets was still tempting.

"What Pokémon should I raise..."

"Since I'm not going the battle route, cuteness is definitely the priority!"

"Eevee? Pikachu?"

"Imagine snuggling with both an Eevee and a Pikachu. That'd be the dream!"

A single Poké Ball cost 500 Pokémon Coins.

After checking his balance, including the earnings from his million-view video, Natsume had about 20,000 Pokémon Coins to his name.

He planned to visit a specialized Pokémon Sleep store in Tokyo tomorrow to buy some Poké Balls.

That night, Natsume went live as usual.

Thanks to the popularity of his video, his stream hit 200,000 viewers the moment he started.