There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [1]

Beep beep beep—

The alarm clock rang from under the pillow. Half-asleep, Lu Cheng groggily turned off his phone alarm and opened his eyes.

"An unfamiliar ceiling?... As if!" he muttered, complaining meaninglessly about yet another ordinary day.

It's said that every boy has fantasized about traveling to another world, especially boys of a certain age. But Lu Cheng had clearly outgrown that phase. At 18, he was a miserable high school senior. Last night, he had stayed up studying late, and now he had to rush off to class early in the morning. When would this miserable life finally end?

As he grumbled under his breath, his phone suddenly vibrated.

"Senior: (Image)"

The contact labeled "Senior" had sent a picture. In the image, she sat on her bed wearing a JK uniform, her long black hair cascading down to her thighs. The orange sunlight bathed her fair profile in a warm glow as she appeared deep in thought. No one could deny she was the kind of girl who could make anyone's heart skip a beat.

"Senior: Come to my house for tutoring on Saturday. Don't be late."

Upon closer inspection, Lu Cheng realized that resting on her lap was an open, densely-packed book titled Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests. She was simply sitting on her bed doing practice questions.

Lu Cheng's initial excitement quickly faded.

This so-called "Senior" was actually a distant relative who had just gotten into Jiangnan University last year. His parents had asked her to tutor him, which led to the arrangement of visiting her house every Saturday for study sessions.

He'd been to her house a few times before. Baroque-style, duplex villa, and supposedly just one of her family's many properties.

Slumped over his desk, Lu Cheng lazily typed a reply.

"Lu Cheng: Got it."

He added a Pikachu emoji for good measure.

He reluctantly scrolled through the picture a few more times when, suddenly, his face froze.

What the heck!?

He hadn't noticed earlier, but now he saw an eerie detail in the corner of the room. There was a small, grotesque creature, like something straight out of a Japanese horror story. Its body was covered in yellow, hardened skin, its eyes were blood-red, and it had a gaping mouth on top of its head, lined with sharp teeth.

Senior, you're about to get decapitated!

"Holy crap!" Lu Cheng shouted out loud, his hands trembling as he typed.

"Lu Cheng: What the heck is that behind you!!??"

After a long moment, his phone buzzed. He quickly opened it.

"Senior: You mean Marveil?"

"Senior: You probably haven't met her yet. She's the Pokémon I got last week. Hmm, she's pretty rare around here. Her scientific name should be Mawile."

Mawile? I know Mawile, that cute and adorable little Pokémon from Pokémon! But that thing behind you...

Wait a second! If I set aside my assumptions, this creature, though terrifying, does have some of Mawile's features...

Lu Cheng's expression changed. He immediately opened his computer and logged into a search engine. His face gradually turned more and more bewildered.

"Latest Archaeological Discovery: Precious Fossil Unearthed in Yunnan, Experts Say There's Over an 80% Chance It's an Omanyte!"

"Fire Breaks Out in Liaocheng Pokémon Conservation Forest, Firefighters Deploy Blastoise for Rescue. Sources Say the Fire May Be Related to Wild Charizards Entering Mating Season..."

"Exclusive! Jack Ma Attends Global O2O Trainer Summit with Giant Daewoo Monster in Tow. The Summit Aims to Promote Online Trainer Interaction and Trade..."

Lu Cheng sat dazed at his computer desk.

He woke up, and Pokémon had descended into reality?

Clearly, the timeline of the world had shifted. In this version of reality, Pokémon were part of the real world, and naturally, all the animated shows and games related to Pokémon no longer existed.

Lu Cheng rubbed his face.

This was definitely good news. At least his life would no longer be dull, and he could live with all these adorable Pokémon...

Wait a second, what about that Mawile he just saw!?

In a panic, Lu Cheng quickly opened a documentary about Pokémon, the widely acclaimed Animal World.

"In the vast wilderness, countless little Pokémon with diverse habits live alongside us..."

In the video, a bipedal electric rodent twitched violently as it summoned lightning. A grotesque, purple creature with three rotting cabbage leaves on its head wore a perverted grin. Swarms of Beedrill, with massive red compound eyes and yellow-and-black striped bodies, buzzed around, looking as horrifying as if a natural disaster had arrived. And then there was the green vine monster, covered in tentacles—are you a cultist of Cthulhu?

These Pokémon... something feels off about them!

But the comment section was filled with things like, "Pikachu is so cute!" and "I really want to raise one."

What the hell? You call that cute? Am I the only one finding these creatures bizarre?

Is this even Pokémon? Or is this the Saya no Uta timeline?

WTF!

Descending the stairs with a lifeless expression, Lu Cheng suddenly caught sight of a red figure in the kitchen. Hearing his footsteps, the figure turned around, and their eyes met for three seconds.

Even with his strong mental fortitude, which had prepared him for the Pokémon in this world, Lu Cheng still couldn't help but gasp.

A two-legged creature with a butt-shaped head, and the butt was on fire! And it was wearing a heart-shaped apron!

Well, although it was still pretty bizarre, this Magmar was definitely more pleasing to look at than the bug-type Pokémon.

Lu Cheng took three seconds to accept this reality.

Upon seeing him, the Magmar seemed quite happy, letting out a sound before returning to cooking. On the dining table, a note was placed:

"Little Cheng, your dad and I have gone to work. Magmar will help you make breakfast. Eat up and head to school, don't be late!"

Before the timeline shift, Lu Cheng's father had been a chef, and his mother a nurse. Now, it seemed this Magmar had become his dad's kitchen assistant.

In the kitchen, Magmar was skillfully lighting the fire, controlling the temperature, and flipping the pan. Watching its smooth movements, Lu Cheng felt a sense of surrealism wash over him.

A Pokémon is cooking in my house!

Before long, an omelet rice was ready. Magmar carefully placed it in front of Lu Cheng. Standing at just under 1.5 meters, its actions were a bit clumsy.

This... should be fine, right?

Although the idea of a Pokémon chef might dampen one's appetite, the dish looked surprisingly good, and Lu Cheng couldn't resist taking a bite.

Delicious! Lu Cheng's eyes lit up. The sauce was sweet and savory, the rice grains were distinct, and it was cooked to perfection. It was unexpectedly tasty.

Seeing Lu Cheng devour the food, Magmar's typically dull eyes squinted into a line, and the flames it puffed out nearly singed Lu Cheng's hair.

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