Prologue: "From Darkness to Adventure: A Pokemon Trainer's Rebirth" PART 1

One Thursday night in May, I walked down the streets with a somber expression on my face. The weather was bitterly cold, and the wind seemed to be intentionally ignoring me, making me even more uncomfortable.

Hmm, what should I do now?

As I strolled through the quiet streets, I suddenly realized that my stomach was growling loudly, echoing through the silence.

Ugh, I guess all this moping has made me super hungry, haha.

I blushed awkwardly as I heard my stomach growl. Well, at least there aren't many people around at this late hour, or it would have been so embarrassing!

I decided to find a place to eat before heading back home. After wandering around for a while, I stumbled upon a convenience store that was quite far from my usual route home from work. Since I was always busy and couldn't leave the office, it was my first time there. I walked in, hoping to find something delicious to satisfy my hunger.

I thought to myself, "Maybe a tasty meal can help lighten up my mood and ease my troubled mind."

I ended up purchasing a pack of lasagna, two cheeseburgers, and a refreshing cola drink. I settled down at a table next to the window and started devouring my meal, just the way I always do. But as I ate, memories of what had happened earlier kept flooding back, and it was really irritating. Ugh!

Now, let me tell you why I'm feeling this way. It all started at 10:00 AM that morning, May 12, 2023. I was working at an anime company agency as an anime illustrator, and I was in the final stages of designing characters for a new upcoming anime series.

I was so excited because this was going to be the greatest character design I had ever made. I put in so much detail into the characters' clothes and personalities, exactly as the original author of the anime described. It was going really well!

I thought to myself, "Alright, just a few finishing touches, and it's done!"

I was thrilled with the final result. It turned out even better than I had expected. All that was left to do was to submit it to the studio for production.

But just as I was about to head to the studio to submit it, the company's secretary, Ms. Nayumi, came to the office with a sad and worried expression on her face.

"Haru-kun, Mr. Nakamura wants to see you in his office. He said there's something he needs to discuss with you."

When Ms. Nayumi said that to me, I was so confused. I mean, if there's something he wants to talk about, why couldn't he just come to me directly?

Mr. Nakamura and I have always gotten along well during business meetings, and we only hung out during big events. So, I couldn't understand why it had to be a private meeting.

I said, "Mr. Nakamura wants to see me? If there's something he wants to talk about, he should have just come to me, right?"

Ms. Nayumi replied, "Well, this time it's something important and needs to be discussed privately."

I was even more confused and couldn't figure out what was going on. But I knew I had to go and find out. So, without thinking twice, I went straight to his office. My heart was pounding so fast, and I felt nervous all over.

I knocked on the door and said, "Hello, Mr. Nakamura, it's me, Haru Kageyama. May I come in?"

He replied, "Yes, come in, please."

As I entered the office, Mr. Nakamura was sitting at his desk with a mix of emotions on his face. Despite that, he welcomed me warmly when I entered.

"Welcome, Haru. Please have a seat."

I sat down on the sofa, and Mr. Nakamura took a seat on the opposite sofa, facing me. The office had an air of regret and sadness. He sighed deeply before speaking.

"Haru," he began to speak with a heavy and remorseful tone, "First of all, I want to apologize to you about what I'm about to say. I know you've been working hard all this time to make a name for yourself, but sometimes, everything has to come to an end."

I was completely taken aback and couldn't understand what he meant. It felt like he was about to deliver bad news that involved me. My body started trembling, and I felt really uncomfortable, so I couldn't help but say, "Uh, Mr. Nakamura, what you said doesn't make any sense at all. What do you mean everything has to come to an end?"

Mr. Nakamura began to speak again and said, "Haru, to be precise, I'm sorry to say this, but the upcoming anime series that you and the other staff have been working so hard on..."

When Mr. Nakamura said that, my confusion grew even more. I was curious to know if there was something wrong with the illustrations I made or if there was a problem with the franchise.

"Yes, what about it? Is there something wrong with the illustrations I made? I can make changes and add more details to fit your vision. Maybe I can even create a stunning outfit for the heroine," I blurted out.

Mr. Nakamura blushed a lot after hearing such a lewd and unusual answer. He spoke again with a flustered look, "No, no, that's not what I'm trying to say. Even if I did say something like that, it would be too awkward for me to handle."

Wait, I think we're getting a bit off-topic here.

I smiled mischievously, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Let me tell you something about Mr. Nakamura. He's a gentle and successful businessman who cares a lot about his employees. But behind that kind personality of his, he has a guilty pleasure of reading magazines featuring swimsuit models. You could say he has a bit of a fascination, but it's all in good fun.

Even though he has this peculiar interest, he's a mature and responsible man who takes his job seriously more than anyone else.

"Hahaha, you're blushing! I never thought you would reveal that guilty pleasure, Mr. Nakamura," I teased him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Come on, I'm not like that, you know. Plus, stop with the jokes already and let's get straight to the point," Mr. Nakamura said, still blushing and looking flustered.

"Sorry, I got carried away with the teasing part. Please relax, it was just a joke. I was just trying to lighten the mood a little so it wouldn't be too somber," I reassured him.

After that, Mr. Nakamura smiled at me with a happy expression on his face. Now, let's get back to the topic. I spoke with a serious expression this time.

"Alright, Mr. Nakamura, if that's not the reason, then what is it?"

Mr. Nakamura stared at me for a moment and then began to speak with a sad look on his face.

"I'm afraid to say this, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the upcoming anime series... the company has no choice but to not only cancel it but also shut down."

When Mr. Nakamura said those words, I was shocked to the core. It felt like my world was crumbling around me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

EH???, WAIT WWWWHAAAAAAAT!!!! I couldn't believe my ears. Cancel the anime series? Shut down the company? It felt like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. All the dreams and hopes I had poured into this project were suddenly shattered.

Mr. Nakamura looked visibly saddened, nodding with a heavy heart. He said, "Haru, I know it's difficult to accept, but we had to make the tough decision to cancel the anime series and shut down the company. It was not an easy choice."

As he continued to explain, I learned that the reason behind the cancellation was the actions of the new manager of the production team, Mr. Renso Kashima. He had been promoted instead of me.

During a business meeting, Renso had harassed the daughter of one of our major investors. The investor was furious upon witnessing this, and Mr. Nakamura was equally outraged. They both knew that such behavior could tarnish the company's reputation and jeopardize the financial support for the anime.

In the end, Renso was arrested. Not only for the harassment incident, but it was also discovered that he had been embezzling funds from the company to fuel his gambling addiction. He had even attempted to cover it up by falsifying accounting records.

Mr. Nakamura, upon uncovering the truth, was even more furious. Renso was not only held accountable for the harassment but also for stealing from the company. Despite being ordered to repay the stolen funds, it was too late. Renso had already squandered it all on gambling.

Consequently, the law decided that Renso would spend the rest of his life in jail to make amends for his actions.

As Mr. Nakamura shared these details, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions - disappointment, anger, and a profound sense of loss. All the hard work and dedication I had poured into the project suddenly felt meaningless.

"I can't believe it... How could Renso do such a thing? It's unforgivable. I trusted him, and he betrayed us," I muttered, clenching my fists in anger but managing to prevent myself from throwing a tantrum.

However, I quickly reminded myself to focus on the positive and avoid holding grudges. In my mind, I thought, "Well, at least justice has been served. Renso got arrested and will face the consequences of his actions. That's what's important." I felt a sense of relief and satisfaction, thinking, "Haaah, karma."

After hearing the news, I turned to Mr. Nakamura, pleading, "Mr. Nakamura, is there anything I can do to help? Can't we find a solution? Isn't there anything that can be done?" Desperation filled my voice as I searched for a glimmer of hope.

Mr. Nakamura's expression softened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. He said, "Haru, believe me, we explored every possible option. It breaks my heart to see it end like this, but sometimes, circumstances are beyond our control. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have chosen Renso over you for the promotion. If I had chosen you, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

He bowed his head in front of me with a sad and apologetic face. I didn't utter a word, feeling the weight of the situation and sharing in the sadness.

Gently, I helped Mr. Nakamura raise his head and reassured him, saying, "Please, don't apologize, sir. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work for the company and to have met you, Mr. Nakamura. I'm glad to have been a part of such a caring and supportive company and to have made friends here. That's already enough for me."

Mr. Nakamura's expression reflected both gratitude and sorrow. He said, "Thank you, Haru-kun. You've always been an excellent and reliable employee for this company. As a token of appreciation, once you finish everything here, your final paycheck will be increased by 80%. I believe it's a fair reward for all the hard work you've put in over the years."

Upon hearing his offer, shock, panic, and nervousness washed over me. Awkwardly, I replied, "Sir... you don't have to do that. I think 50% would be sufficient." It felt embarrassing to ask my boss for such a significant increase. In my mind, I thought, "Hypothetically speaking, this is like forcing my boss to give me a lot of money."

Mr. Nakamura insisted, "Haru, please accept it. Your skills and dedication to this company were exceptional, and you deserve to be rewarded."

Knowing that Mr. Nakamura wouldn't change his mind once he had made a decision, I sighed and reluctantly accepted the offer. "Very well then, I gratefully accept this, Mr. Nakamura. Thank you for everything," I said, a mixture of happiness and sadness evident in my smile.

Returning the smile, Mr. Nakamura expressed both regret and gratitude. He said, "No, thank you, Mr. Haru Kageyama. Thank you for everything you've done for our company. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors."

"Thank you once again, Mr. Nakamura," I replied, appreciating his kind words.

After our conversation, I posed another question to Mr. Nakamura, my expression tinged with sadness. "Mr. Nakamura, are you going to inform everyone about the company shutting down?"

Mr. Nakamura nodded, his determination shining through. "Yes, I will make the announcement immediately. I understand that it will be painful, but it's something that must be done." He wore a resolute expression.

"Haru-kun, would you accompany me to the meeting room?"

I agreed, saying, "Of course, let's go." I endeavored to maintain a dignified demeanor. Mr. Nakamura added, "Indeed, let's go."

Together, we left the office and headed towards the conference room. It was time to gather everyone and share the difficult news with the team.