Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

evening.

Following the clear trail of human footprints in the snow, Zhang Jianying, carrying the somewhat recovered Ralts, trudged through the dense forest for most of the day. The snow beneath their feet gradually thinned, revealing dark brown frozen soil, and a faint scent of human habitation began to mingle in the air.

"Look, Ralts," Zhang Jianying's voice was weary but couldn't hide his excitement, "It seems like we... really made it through."

The little guy on my shoulder let out a soft "laru," his sky-blue hair brushing against his cheeks in the breeze, his crimson eyes filled with curiosity about the unknown outside world and a hint of instinctive nervousness.

At the end of the footprints, a muddy dirt road, repeatedly crushed by wheels, came into view. At the end of the road, wisps of smoke rose, outlining the silhouette of a small town.

The houses, constructed of wood and stone, looked simple yet sturdy, their roofs covered with snow that had not yet completely melted. At the entrance to town stood a simple wooden sign bearing the town's name—"Snowflake Town."

Unlike the deathly stillness of the snowfield before, this place was full of life. There weren't many pedestrians on the streets, most of whom were dressed in thick, warm clothes and had gentle, simple expressions on their faces.

When Zhang Jianying carried Ralts into the town, they attracted a lot of attention—a ragged, weathered boy with such a beautiful and rare colored Ralts perched on his shoulder; it was hard not to notice such a combination.

But most of those gazes were filled with good-natured surprise and curiosity, without much scrutiny or pressure.

Zhang Jianying stood at the entrance of the town, looking around blankly.

He genuinely didn't know where the Pokémon Center was, and could only guess, based on his knowledge of the Pokémon world from his previous life, that it was a facility that every town had.

"We have no choice but to give it a try..."

He muttered to himself and chose the widest street to walk forward. Laluras seemed to sense his unease and confusion, and gently grasped his collar with her small hand.

After walking for about ten minutes, just as he was debating whether to ask a passerby for directions, a distinctive building came into view—a clean, two-story white building with a huge red Poké Ball logo on the roof, standing out among the surrounding simple buildings.

"Found it!" Zhang Jianying was overjoyed and quickened his pace toward the building.

Pushing open the clean glass door, a warm breeze mixed with the smell of disinfectant rushed in, causing his muscles, which had been tense from the cold, to relax involuntarily.

The Pokémon Center was bright and clean, and several trainers were sitting on benches in the rest area, talking quietly. Some people cast surprised glances at them. After all, shiny Pokémon are quite rare.

"Welcome to the Snowflake Town Pokémon Center. How can I help you and your Ralts?" Behind the counter, a young woman in a nurse's uniform with striking pink curly hair looked up with a warm, professional smile.

The moment Zhang Jianying saw the nurse, she was struck dumb, frozen in place, her mind blank.

Joey!

He was certain this was Miss Joey! After all, she looked almost exactly like the girl he had seen countless times in anime and games in his previous life! That signature hairstyle and hair color, that gentle smile, and that reassuring aura she exuded… This world actually had a “family” called Miss Joey!

He had originally thought this was just a world similar to Pokémon, with Pokémon and similar regions, but he never imagined that even these iconic figures actually existed! The huge cognitive shock left him speechless for a moment, and he just stared blankly at the other person.

"Trainer? Are you alright?"

Miss Nurse Joy looked at his pale face and tattered clothes, and especially noticed that Ralts seemed somewhat weak as well. Her tone became more concerned. "Do you and your Pokémon need any help? It looks like you've had a very difficult journey."

"I...we..."

Zhang Jianying opened his mouth, his voice dry, unsure how to explain his bizarre origins and situation.

Just then, the door to the Pokémon Center was pushed open again, and accompanied by the crisp sound of boot heels hitting the ground, a dashing figure walked in.

She was a tall woman in a distinctive police uniform, wearing a police cap that framed her neat, short blue hair, and her eyes were sharp and clear. Most striking of all, she was accompanied closely by a nimble-looking Growlithe.

He paused for a moment when he saw the policewoman, which confirmed his guess.

The simultaneous appearance of Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny seemed to be declaring to him that this was the Pokémon world he remembered, a world full of dreams and bonds, a real and authentic world!

Miss Officer Jenny's gaze swept across the hall and soon noticed the tired-looking Zhang Jianying and Laltras.

She approached with her Growlithe, her tone calm and businesslike: "Miss Nurse Joy, I didn't find any trapped trainers or Pokémon after the avalanche... And this gentleman? He doesn't seem to be a trainer from this town."

Growlithe approached Zhang Jianying and Ralts, sniffed them gently, then barked softly at Officer Jenny and wagged its tail, seemingly conveying the message that "there is no danger."

Miss Joy explained, "This trainer just came in and looks like he needs help."

She looked at Zhang Jianying again, her voice gentle, "Don't be nervous, child. I'm Joey from here, and this is Junsa, who's in charge of security in Xuefeng Town."

Can you tell us what happened? Where did you and your Ralts come from? Do you have any identification?

Identification? Zhang Jianying smiled bitterly to himself.

He composed himself, knowing that concealing the truth was pointless and would only arouse greater suspicion. He took a deep breath and began to recount a embellished "fact":

"My name is Zhang Jianying. I... I don't remember how I got to that snowfield. I woke up there, but I can't remember many things." This half-true, half-false amnesia explanation is the most reasonable one at present.

"It was Ralts who found me and helped me. We had been struggling to survive in the snowfields until recently when we finally found a way out."

He omitted the time travel and cheat codes parts, but focused on describing how they depended on each other for survival in the snowfield, how they supported each other through one crisis after another, and the process of Ralts overdrawing her power in an avalanche to protect him.

As he narrated, Ralts seemed to realize this was a crucial moment. It gently floated down from Zhang Jianying's back and landed in front of the counter. It looked at the kind-hearted Miss Joy, then at Miss Officer Jenny with a serious expression but clear eyes, its horn glowing slightly.

The next moment, a scene that moved the two ladies appeared—Ralts once again used its unique "Psychic Recall" ability.

Several clear fragments appeared in the air: sharing the only orange fruit in the cold snow cave; huddling by a weak campfire in a blizzard; Zhang Jianying bandaging the injured sneezing bear; and finally, in that breathtaking avalanche, it unleashed all its power to use "teleportation" to save the two of them...

Every scene is full of detail and genuine emotion, especially the scene where Zhang Jianying, after the animal has overdrawn its energy, unhesitatingly takes out the last food and tightly guards it. That unreserved concern and protectiveness almost overflows from the screen.

The images faded, and the area around the Pokémon Center's reception desk fell silent. Nurse Joy's eyes were slightly red, and Officer Jenny's usually serious face softened noticeably. Growlithe even stepped forward and affectionately nuzzled Zhang Jianying and Ralts.

"I see……"

Miss Joy's voice trembled slightly as she looked at Officer Jenny, "Miss Officer Jenny, look..."

Officer Jenny paused for a moment, then walked up to Zhang Jianying, carefully examining the boy's tired yet clear and determined eyes, and then looked at Ralts, who was nestled beside him, completely trusting him.

"According to the league's regulations, the lack of identification and initial Pokémon registration is indeed a problem."

Officer Jenny said in a businesslike tone, but not harshly, "However... there are human considerations beyond the law. Your situation is special, and the bond between you and Ralts cannot be faked. In the League's regulations, this can be considered an 'established bond formed under special circumstances.'"

She exchanged a glance with Nurse Joy, who nodded. "Based on humanitarian principles and the Pokémon Welfare Protection Act,"

Officer Jenny continued, her tone becoming much more formal, "I can act as your guarantor, together with Nurse Joy, to process your temporary Trainer ID and Pokémon registration."

But this is only temporary. You'll need to complete the formal registration and assessment at a Pokémon Center in a larger city, such as Luna City, within a month. Understand?

What a twist of fate!

Zhang Jianying finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously: "I understand, thank you very much, Miss Officer Jenny, Miss Joey!"

The registration process took place at the Pokémon Center's terminal. Nurse Joy conducted a thorough health assessment of Ralts, confirming that it was steadily recovering.

Officer Jenny then used her privileges to enter Zhang Jianying's basic information, generating a temporary Trainer ID card and registering Ralts under his name. In this way, Ralts legally became his starter Pokémon.

When Zhang Jianying received the thin card and a generic Pokédex from Officer Jenny, he took a deep breath.

This is not only a piece of identification, but also the starting point for him to establish himself in this world, and a symbol of his and Ralts being initially accepted by this world!

"Here, take these too."

Miss Joy handed over a small package containing some basic medicine, several bottles of warm MooMoo milk, and some Pokémon food. "Ralts needs to replenish its nutrition, and so do you. You need to rest well."

"Thank you... thank you so much!"

Zhang Jianying bowed deeply to the two ladies. Laluras followed suit, awkwardly bowing as well, which made Miss Joey chuckle.

Officer Jenny patted Growlithe's head and said to Zhang Jianying, "There's a public trainer rest station in town. Take a good rest. The road ahead is long, don't let your partner down."

Leaving the Pokémon Center, the setting sun had bathed the town in a warm golden hue. Zhang Jianying stood on the street, looking at his brand-new ID card and Pokédex, while Ralts on his shoulder looked at its information and let out a pleasant chirp.

He glanced back at the red roof of the Pokémon Center, his heart filled with a sense of unreality and immense joy. Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny… this world seemed far more wondrous than he had imagined.

"Ralts," he gently stroked his companion's hair, his voice firm and full of hope, "we...we've finally truly stood at the starting line of this world."

"Ralu!"