Chapter 110: The Prelude

Chapter 0: Prologue

The first icon was a red flame gently swaying in the wind, radiating a faint warmth.

The second resembled a white cloud shaped like wings, conveying a sense of lightness and agility.

At the very center was a small, reddish-brown fist symbol—brutal and domineering.

The fourth icon was a hollow hexagon, like a metal nut from machinery, gleaming with a silvery, hard luster.

The final icon took the form of a jagged stone, emitting a heavy yellow glow that flickered intermittently.

“Hmm…”

“Fire, Flying, Fighting, Steel, Rock, huh?”

At the sight of these straightforward icons, Lu Yun immediately recognized the corresponding types.

To be honest, Lu Yun felt somewhat disappointed.

In his ideal world, he hoped for four types, ranked by priority as: Dragon, Ghost, Psychic, and Fairy.

But the five types randomly assigned this time didn’t include a single one of these.

It must be noted that there are only eighteen known types in the Pokémon world.

Even if he were to randomly pick one, the probability of getting an ideal type would be about two-ninths.

Not to mention getting five in a row.

“Sigh.”

With a light sigh, Lu Yun knew he had already exhausted all his luck on shop items.

Putting his frustration aside, he focused intently on choosing the types.

Upon closer inspection, these five types were not bad at all.

Flying-type Pokémon possess high mobility and have a natural advantage in aerial dominance, making them nearly invincible in low-level battles.

Fire-type Pokémon boast strong burst power and fierce offense; even among all eighteen types, Fire-types rank near the top in attack strength.

Fighting-types excel in physical offense with great burst potential, and their move sets include terrifying skills like “Aura Sphere,” which can almost stand as a system in itself.

Steel-types have few weaknesses and boast remarkable resistances against nearly half of all types in the Pokémon world.

Rock-types are balanced in offense and defense, with tremendous resilience. The largest land-dwelling Pokémon mostly belong to this type.

Lu Yun found himself torn.

He felt no particular bias toward these five types, nor did he carry any prejudices from his past life.

No matter which one he reincarnated into, he could accept it.

So he had to analyze and decide from other angles.

First, the Heart of Zamazenta.

Since he had chosen this extraordinarily powerful equipment, it was natural to select types that could synergize with it to some extent.

“In that case…”

Lu Yun stroked his chin, concentrating deeply.

“Let’s eliminate Fire and Flying first.”

The damage reduction effect was closely tied to maximum HP.

The higher the HP cap, the stronger the defensive resistance, and the more effective the Heart of Zamazenta’s power.

Therefore, he first excluded the two types, Fire and Flying, which were relatively weak in defense.

Next, Lu Yun’s gaze fell on the Mantle of Terrakion.

He glanced over the shop’s description and, inspired, made his decision immediately.

His finger lightly pressed the fist-shaped icon.

A faint vibration coursed through him, and a surge of hot blood rose from his chest, bursting forth with vigorous fighting spirit.

“Whoa!”

“This Fighting-type really packs a punch.”

Before him, in the void, a whirlpool of ghostly blue mist suddenly formed.

The swirling vortex spun in midair, scattering brilliant blue-purple sparkles outward.

Amid the dreamy splendor, there was a strange hint of decay and ruin.

It was like a hazy, intoxicating dream; beneath the swirling shadows lay the purest, most innocent malice hidden deep in the subconscious.

A strong suction emanated from the misty vortex.

Before he could react, Lu Yun’s ethereal body transformed into a faint white light and was drawn in.

…

…

In Tinglan City, inside an ordinary apartment building.

“Ringing, ringing.”

A black, full-touchscreen smartphone vibrated gently on the bedside table, emitting a noisy alarm.

A tall, high-end air conditioner operated quietly, circulating cool air with a humming sound throughout the room.

“Sigh.”

A displeased sigh echoed within the room.

An arm stretched out from the warm blanket, groping in the dark to grab the phone, shaking it forcefully.

The alarm ceased, and the pitch-black room returned to silence.

Hart was deeply annoyed at being woken from his sleep by the weekend alarm.

But since he had forgotten to turn it off himself, there was no one else to blame.

He could only silently close his eyes, wishing to return to that sweet dream.

“Tap, tap.”

Soft footsteps sounded at the bedside.

As if anticipating what was about to happen, Hart buried his head deeper into the covers.

Crack!

The tightly drawn curtains were suddenly yanked open.

Bright sunlight poured through the glass floor-to-ceiling window, flooding the entire room with light.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Can’t I just sleep a little longer, Lotad!”

Hart seemed to give up, closing his eyes and clutching the blanket fiercely, shouting wildly.

“Taso!”

A lively voice sounded near the window, and a small Pokémon appeared in the sunlight.

Like a child, its tiny body stood on the floor; droplets of water glistened on its moist turquoise skin.

Short, round ears, a red beak-like mouth, and large, distinct black-and-white eyes gleamed mischievously.

On its head, a green lotus leaf resembling a wide-brimmed hat absorbed the warm sunlight, photosynthesizing.

Seeing its master still lingering in bed, refusing to get up, Lotad flashed a playful smile and lightly waved its slender arms in front of its chest.

“Zzzt!”

A clear stream of water shot straight at Hart’s face like a thin thread.

…

The clinking of metal cutlery against white porcelain bowls rang crisply.

Hart, with damp black short hair, wearing loose pajamas, sat at the dining table.

Filled with deep resentment, he stabbed the fried egg on his plate with his sharp fork and knife.

On the sofa beside him, Lotad looked cheerful, holding a large bowl filled with specially made grass-type Pokémon feed from the “Mango Pokémon Food Company.”

On the white wall ahead, a massive embedded LCD screen displayed a glamorous female anchor seated in the studio, broadcasting the morning news.

“Led by the legendary explorer Mr. Cole, an archaeological team recently discovered an ancient ruin near Genzi City, said to date back as far as the Silver Age five hundred years ago.”

“A few days ago, a Pokémon riot broke out at the world-renowned Hall Ranch. Under the suppression of the League Commissioner, the situation has been brought under control. Experts analyzing the incident suggest the riot was likely caused by a new type of Pokémon virus.”

“Yesterday, at…”

Suddenly, the television screen went pitch black.

Its smooth, mirror-like surface reflected Lotad clutching the large bowl, looking bewildered.

“Taso!”

With a look of complaint, Lotad turned its head toward Hart.

There, having just finished breakfast, Hart held the TV remote, grinning mischievously.

As if a furious anger symbol appeared on his forehead, Lotad opened its red beak wide.

Inside, shimmering water began to pool slowly.

“No!”

“I’m sorry!”

Hart’s face showed panic as he raised his right hand, fingers spread defensively.

Zzzt—

…

The scorching sun hung high in the sky, its fiery rays turning the world into a giant oven.

On the crowded street, Hart held Lotad’s small hand, stooping as he walked weakly.

“Can’t we wait until the temperature cools down at night?”

“Isn’t a cool air-conditioned room better on such a hot day?”

Hart grumbled with strong complaints.

“Taso!”

Under the blazing sun, Lotad seemed to grow even more excited.

Bounding along the broad street, it pulled the feeble Hart toward their destination.

Ahead, at the end of the road, surrounded by tall buildings, a distinctive cubic structure appeared.

Its translucent blue walls flashed the words “Tinglan City Aquarium” in glowing letters.

“My day off…”

Hart muttered to himself.

After all, he had chosen a lively Lotad as his starter Pokémon when he was ten.

Suddenly, Hart’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of an ice cream shop by the street.

His eyes brightened, and he froze in place.

Licking his dry lips, he signaled with his eyes to the puzzled Lotad before him.

Ten minutes later,

Amid the bustling street, two figures, one large and one small, appeared, each clutching a pure white ice cream.

Hart blissfully took a crisp, sweet, and tender lick of his ice cream.

He closed his eyes in happiness.

With a boastful tone, he proudly said to Lotad beside him:

“Look at what I picked…”

Before he could finish, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled violently.

He staggered; if not for Lotad’s quick reflexes pulling him, he would have fallen.

“An… earthquake?”

Hart’s face grew panicked as he tried to pull Lotad toward an open area.

He tugged hard with his right hand, but found Lotad unmoved behind him.

Surprised, Hart turned to look.

Lotad stood frozen in place as if stunned.

Its head, topped with the huge lotus leaf, tilted upward, its large, distinct eyes staring blankly skyward.

“Run!”

Urging him, Hart also looked up, following Lotad’s gaze toward the sky.

Plop.

The white ice cream dropped onto the bluish asphalt.

Sparkling frost crystals scattered, with faint white steam rising.

The vast blue sky resembled a shattered glass pane, cracks spider-webbing through space.

At the center, a pitch-black void like a black hole appeared.

Inside was a chaotic nothingness, thick with malevolence and surrounded by semi-transparent black-purple tentacles curling outward like mist.

Above—

In the ancient, vast cosmos, a flash of pale blue light streaked past.

Then came the furious, primal roar of a dragon.

“Boom!!!”

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing hum accompanied by a terrifying shockwave swept down like an explosion from the sky.

Crash, crash—

The transparent glass on skyscrapers shattered violently under the sound wave, breaking into countless tiny shards that rained down.

On the street, it seemed as if a shower of glass fragments poured from the sky.

Amid the broken sky, a slender black shadow appeared abruptly.

Falling downward, the dark figure grew larger and clearer in Hart’s sight.

It was…

“Rayquaza!?”

Shock and disbelief escaped from Hart’s pale lips.

Pale blue flames ignited high above, then drifted down weakly.

Rayquaza wailed mournfully, its slender body swinging feebly through the air.

Its sky-blue skin was covered with gruesome wounds.

Pale golden blood gushed out recklessly, like a sacred stream from heaven pouring onto the earth.

At that moment, beside Hart, Lotad’s once pure and clear eyes suddenly glowed with a streak of crimson.

…

Year 2036 of the Solar Calendar, Rayquaza fell.

The darkest era officially began.