Leon was originally just an ordinary overworked office worker on Earth, enduring the "blessing" of the 996 work schedule every day.
Having lost both parents at a young age, he was introverted and had almost no friends. His only forms of entertainment were playing video games and watching anime. If not for his decent looks, he would have undoubtedly been labeled a "shut-in NEET."
Among all the games and anime he enjoyed, his favorite was the Pokémon series.
Perhaps it was due to the lack of familial and friendly bonds in his real life that made him yearn so deeply for the special connection between humans and Pokémon.
Maybe the heavens sensed his love for Pokémon. One night, after finishing a gaming session and going to bed, he opened his eyes to see a middle-aged man clad in armor, standing beside a Beedrill.
He panicked. Before he could even speak, a sharp pain shot through his head, and he passed out again.
In a half-conscious state, he absorbed the memories of this body—Leon's memories.
When he woke up again, he finally understood: he had truly crossed over into the world of Pokémon.
But the timing of his transmigration seemed off. It wasn't during the League era depicted in the games or anime, but an unknown number of years earlier, during the Kingdom era.
This period of the Pokémon world was far from peaceful. Wars raged constantly between nations and territories.
Humanity's attitude toward Pokémon was still one of fear and exploitation. They referred to them as "monsters" and used restraining devices to forcibly control them in warfare.
Moreover, as the human population grew, people encroached on Pokémon habitats to sustain themselves.
As a result, the relationship between humans and Pokémon wasn't just tense—it was outright hostile. Some Pokémon even formed stampedes to attack human settlements.
Leon's father had mysteriously disappeared a few days ago while defending against one such stampede. Though no body was found, the chances of survival were slim.
A territory could not go without a ruler. As the sole heir of this barony, Leon naturally inherited the land.
However, whether it was the shock of his father's disappearance or the sudden pressure of ruling, his mind became so distraught that he accidentally fell into a river while inspecting the territory.
Though a passing Bounsweet called for help and he was rescued, the original Leon still died. Now, the body housed a soul from Earth.
After absorbing the original Leon's memories, he spent the past few days pretending to still be recovering, using the time to familiarize himself with the body and memories to avoid raising suspicion.
After all, even if his father was missing, many people around him still knew him well—especially Walter, who had watched him grow up. If Walter noticed something off, who knew how he would react to the current Leon?
It wasn't until today that Leon finally dared to step outside and truly experience this world of Pokémon.
Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
Sure, he had sometimes fantasized about crossing into the Pokémon world, befriending all kinds of adorable Pokémon. But he wanted the world from the anime, not this Kingdom-era mess.
Even if he had transmigrated into the Kingdom era, being a baron's son wasn't so bad.
But before he could enjoy a life of being pampered by maids and petting Eevees, his father vanished defending against a stampede. The knights who followed him had all died in battle, and the territory was left in ruins, desperately needing reconstruction.
Worse, neighboring lords were eyeing his land greedily. With the territory practically defenseless, they would have invaded already if they weren't also dealing with the aftermath of the stampedes.
"Internal strife and external threats. Why do other transmigrators get smooth sailing, while I'm stuck with nothing but trouble?"
Leon sighed and stopped petting the Bounsweet in his lap.
"Bounsweet?" The little Pokémon looked up at him in confusion, as if asking why he had stopped.
"You really live without a care, huh? But you're right. No point worrying. Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. Besides, I do have a cheat."
Leon glanced at the wheel-shaped mark on the back of his left hand.
From the moment he regained consciousness, he had noticed this mark—his golden finger. After some experimentation, he had figured out how it worked.
This cheat functioned like a mission system. Completing assigned tasks would grant rewards and lottery draws, such as the Potion he had given to the Scyther earlier.
But quests were just the basic function. Its true value lay in summoning "players" from BlueStar. This was Leon's most prized ability.
As a former gaming enthusiast, he knew all too well the destructive power of the "Fourth Catastrophe." If he could guide them properly, all his current problems could be solved.
"Thank goodness it summons players from BlueStar and not Earth. If it were Earthlings, I'd never be able to fool them." Leon felt a twinge of relief.
From what he understood, BlueStar was a parallel version of Earth. Their technology and history were mostly the same, but there were key differences—for example, BlueStar had no Pokémon games.
Though Leon loved Pokémon, he mostly just watched the anime and played through game stories, never delving into competitive battles.
If he had summoned Earthlings who knew Pokémon inside and out, he'd never be able to control them.
And if they ran wild? The devastation of the Fourth Catastrophe was beyond what a tiny baron like him could handle.
But players from BlueStar were different. They knew nothing, making them much easier to guide (and deceive).
"I hope someone logs in tomorrow. Even though the system can connect to BlueStar's internet, I don't know how to design a game sign-up page. All I could do was post a link on Steam and hope for the best."
Leon checked the sign-up count on the system panel and sighed. In three whole days, only four people had registered. Would even one log in tomorrow?
"Maybe they'll try it. The helmets were mailed straight to them, after all. Whatever, no use overthinking it." Leon scooped up the Bounsweet. "Let's go talk to the Scyther. It can't keep refusing to eat."
"Bounsweet! (﹃)" (I want food too!)
"Don't worry, I won't forget you."
Meanwhile, Ethan Carter was staring blankly at the helmet in front of him.
Just moments ago, after clicking the registration link, there had been a knock at his door. When he opened it, no one was there—just a package on the ground.
Inside was a sleek helmet with the words "Pokémon World" printed on it.
"No way. Is this actually a game helmet? Since when is tech this advanced? And I just clicked the link—I didn't even fill out my address yet."
Ethan was spooked, but his curiosity burned even stronger.
"Trying it on can't hurt, right? I'll just put it on my head lightly, not all the way."
Carefully, he lifted the helmet and slowly placed it on his head.
"Nothing's happening. Knew it was a prank. Who even has time to—holy shit!"
Suddenly, text flashed before his eyes:
[Pokémon World Beta begins in: 22 hours, 32 minutes, 15 seconds]
"This is for real?!"
(End of Chapter)