Chapter 1: Trash Gym! What a Waste of Time!

The sky was bright blue, with a gentle breeze blowing. A few Oddish were lounging on the grass, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight. The surface of the small, crystal-clear lake nearby shimmered, with red Magikarp swimming back and forth, occasionally accompanied by Goldeen.

By the lake, a Slowpoke sat dazedly at the water's edge, its tail submerged, staring blankly into space. It had been sitting there for three hours. It wasn't asleep, though, as its eyes were still open. One had to wonder if its eyes ever got dry.

But that wasn't the main point.

"Is that a Pokémon? Did I wake up too suddenly?"

A black-haired boy sat on a picnic cloth, still a bit dazed as he stared at the Slowpoke opposite him.

If he remembered correctly, he had been discussing the philosophy of life with a girl cosplaying as a Sudowoodo just moments ago.

After some recollection, the boy finally confirmed it.

"I got struck by lightning, so I really did transmigrate."

The boy rubbed his temples, still processing the chaotic information in his mind after three hours.

"This is strange. Is this a soul transmigration or a body transmigration…"

The boy, Dylan, quickly adapted, his handsome face showing a peculiar expression.

"Whatever, this is the world of Pokémon. It's like a dream."

Dylan lay down, staring at the clear blue sky as his pupils gradually lost focus.

He was fond of reading novels, especially transmigration stories that were quite popular. But he never imagined that one day he would transmigrate himself.

Most importantly, he had transmigrated into the world of Pokémon.

This felt like a fantasy.

"Same name, same appearance, just a younger body."

Dylan couldn't help but touch his face. The boy's skin was indeed good.

Before transmigration, he was already twenty-six years old, but now he was only eighteen. He had practically rejuvenated, which was quite nice.

What puzzled him the most was that his name in this world was still Dylan, and even his appearance was the same. The additional memories in his mind weren't fake either.

This was why he was confused about whether he had experienced a body transmigration or a soul transmigration.

"Forget it, better think about the future." Dylan shook his head.

He had always been someone who went with the flow. Since he was here, he might as well settle in. This ancient saying fit him well now.

After all, there were no ties in his past life.

Then, Dylan organized the current basic information:

1. He was now 18 years old, a Pokémon trainer, and even a Gym Leader.

2. His parents were traveling the world and had no idea where they were.

3. The gym was currently in decline because the original owner's skills were quite lacking. It was said to be competing with Cerulean Gym for the weakest gym in Kanto.

"From what I remember, isn't Cerulean Gym currently managed by the three sisters?"

Dylan's mouth twitched at the thought.

According to the known memories, the gym industry in Kanto was quite competitive.

The weakest gym in Kanto was Cerulean Gym, which had been inherited by the four daughters of the previous Gym Leader after his death. The current Gym Leaders were the Cerulean Sisters.

As someone who had watched the anime, Dylan knew how weak those three sisters were. You could even challenge and win their badges with a small Rattata.

It wasn't until Misty returned from her journey with Ash and took over the Gym that Cerulean Gym gradually improved.

"This is a bit of pressure."

Dylan couldn't help but frown slightly. In the game, there were only eight gyms, but in reality, there were more.

For example, in the anime, Gary had more than eight badges. The eight official gyms were just the most famous ones.

The Kanto League encouraged people to establish gyms, but it wasn't easy to meet the criteria. Even if a gym was successfully established, if it didn't perform well, the Pokémon League would send officials to review it. If it failed the review, it would be closed down.

Like Officer Jenny, the inspector with the red plane.

Dylan's current gym, the Rota Gym, was founded by his father. Now it had been passed down to him, making him the new Gym Leader.

"Sprigatito, Oddish, Goldeen, Slowpoke, Spearow… Using these Pokémon to face challengers? What a joke."

Dylan recalled the Pokémon he had to use against challengers and his face darkened.

Sprigatito was the starter Pokémon he received from Pokémon School.

His father was quite strong, so he could establish this gym on a whim. But this didn't mean Dylan was equally capable.

'Son, your mom and I are going on a honeymoon. This gym is now yours. If you can manage it, great. If not, that's fine too. If you can't hold on, contact me. Your dad will always be your strongest support.'

That was what his father had said before leaving, supposedly to enjoy the Golden Coast of Alola.

Dylan was speechless.

However, this carefree father left him several million as living expenses, showing he had some sense.

"Low online reputation and poor feedback."

Dylan checked the Kanto League's official website. There were few comments under his Rota Gym, and hardly any positive ones.

"The Gym Leader is quite handsome and young, but his skills are average. Not recommended for serious challengers."

"Trash gym, waste of time."

"This gym and Cerulean Gym are a joke. Even the kid with shorts on the street is better."

"Poor rating. The league should shut down this kind of gym."

"Gym Leader Dylan is very polite, but he needs to work harder."

Reading these comments, Dylan was momentarily speechless.

Great, the only positive comments were probably from younger trainers.

Dylan then checked the Cerulean Gym.

"Top-notch gym! Worth visiting!"

"The performance was amazing, eyes full of stars!"

"Seriously disappointing. Is this an official recommended gym? Even a newbie can beat them."

"Cerulean Gym is declining. It won't last long."

"The sisters' figures are incredible! How do they maintain them? Their dance performance was excellent!"

"Free badges are free. Not much to ask for, and the performance is nice."

Cerulean Gym had many comments, mostly praising the sisters' looks, figures, and dancing skills, but there were plenty of negative ones too.

For trainers, challenging gyms was about honing their skills.

In this world, traveling and challenging gyms before participating in regional tournaments was common. Most trainers hoped for a worthwhile gym experience to improve themselves.

But the three sisters managing Cerulean Gym were so weak that it led to increasing negative reviews for this official recommended gym.