Prologue: Am's Diary

P.S.: Only the diaries are written in the first person. The diary in the prologue mainly explains the events of "the protagonist's first few years after transmigrating and before becoming a trainer," giving the protagonist an identity and background. It is recommended to read it.

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, Day 1 after transmigration (entry added later).]
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect something like transmigration to happen to me!
"Last night," the guy in the bunk below me recommended The Lord of Mysteries, and after staying up late to read it, I woke up in another world…
Fortunately, the world I’ve transmigrated to seems relatively friendly.
It’s a pity that it was a direct transmigration—I'm still an orphan.
I wonder if the guy in the bunk below also transmigrated; maybe he’s out there living the good life somewhere. Hmph!

(This is just a playful jab at Dongdong’s previous work, where the protagonist transmigrated into One Piece. If you’re not interested, you can ignore this.)

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, November 6.]
Second day after transmigration. I finally figured out the exact date and confirmed that it really is the world of Pokémon!
So far, although things differ significantly from the anime, it’s not a dark place—people are very friendly…
Unfortunately, no legendary Pokémon appeared to instantly recognize me as their chosen one, as happens to most protagonists!
This is Songzao Town, a small settlement in the southern Kanto region, part of the farming district. The population isn’t large, with sprawling farms and ranches.
Since it’s not a travel hotspot, few outsiders visit, except for trainers. My sudden appearance as a fourteen-year-old orphan wanderer made the locals curious, but they’re kindhearted people. Uncle Jack’s family not only gave me food but also took me in for a night.
I’ve decided to keep a diary—it’s a tradition from the orphanage.

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, November 7.]
Unwilling to accept charity, I started helping out on Uncle Jack’s farm. I also hope my protagonist’s cheat will arrive soon—let a legendary Pokémon come to me…
Unfortunately, no legendary appeared.
Today, however, a woman named Kiyomi visited. Upon learning my circumstances, she asked if I wanted a place where I could “help out” long-term.
Of course, I immediately agreed!
This farm didn’t really need me; they were just being kind. I didn’t want to freeload.
And from what Uncle Jack says, Kiyomi lives with her grandmother, Granny Lexi, who’s a famous apothecary in town—not anybody suspicious.

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, November 8.]
!!!
I’m so excited I can barely write my diary today!
My protagonist’s cheat has finally arrived. It isn’t a legendary Pokémon, but… it’s still amazing!
Today I went home with Kiyomi and met Granny Lexi.
No one was surprised by my single name, “Am,” since surnames aren’t emphasized here except among a few noble families.
Granny Lexi looks intimidating, like a witch from legend, but in truth, she’s tough-talking but soft-hearted. She agreed to let me stay as her apprentice and help out.
Then, while she was explaining how to process basic herbs, my “cheat” awakened!
(Congratulations! You have become a level 9 Extraordinary. Please choose one of two professions:
1. Pharmacist: You will possess extraordinary talent in pharmacology. Advancement requirement: acquire a Level 1 Pharmacist qualification.
2. Cultivator: You will possess extraordinary talent in plant cultivation. Advancement requirement: acquire a Level 1 Cultivator qualification.)

These lines appeared in my mind…
At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but then I was even more shocked!
Isn’t this the Sequence 9 of the “Moon” and “Mother” paths from The Lord of Mysteries?
Though the abilities seem much simplified, if I recall, Sequence 1 and 2 come with “feminization” effects, right?
Of course, those are far-off concerns. If I can’t reach such a high level, it won’t matter. For now, I focused on the present and chose “1. Pharmacist.”
At first, Granny Lexi was annoyed by my absent-mindedness, but afterward, with my new “Pharmacist” talent, I displayed extraordinary aptitude in pharmacology.
Though Granny Lexi’s sharp tongue still often mocked me, I could see she was surprised by my talent.

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, November 9.]
Last night in my dreams, I glimpsed Sequence 8’s abilities!
(When you complete the roleplay for Level 9, you will obtain Level 8 powers and may choose between two Extraordinary professions:
1. Beast Tamer: You will possess extraordinary trainer aptitude; your physical abilities will be enhanced; you can share senses with Pokémon and have the ability to unearth their potential.
2. Healer: You will possess extraordinary talent in medicine; …)

Frankly, “Healer” is unimportant.
This is the Pokémon world; of course I’ll choose “Beast Tamer.”
More importantly, I now understand how my cheat works…
It seems that each promotion allows a choice between the next sequence in each path. That means…
The “feminization” effects of “Moon” and “Mother” paths don’t occur at the same sequence, so even if I become a Sequence 1 or 2 humanoid legendary, I can zigzag between the paths and avoid feminization!
From today onward, my goal is to become the world’s first male “Mother”!

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, December 6.]
A month has passed since my transmigration, and my pharmacological talent has shocked even Granny Lexi.
Even though she still acts cold and sharp-tongued, her praise is becoming harder to hide.
I asked Granny Lexi about the “Level 1 Pharmacist” qualification.
My cheat isn’t a divine path, or perhaps it’s a mutated divine path; the roleplaying method is simple and direct, with clear requirements!
“Level 1 Pharmacist” sounds exactly like a certification in this world.
That’s indeed the case. After mocking me for being overambitious, Granny Lexi briefly explained.
Pharmacists can register for certification at the Pharmacists’ Guild, which is recognized by all nine major Leagues! (See Note 1)

But Level 1 Pharmacist isn’t the lowest rank…
The starting rank is Level 3 Pharmacist, followed by Level 2, then Level 1.
Above Level 1 are “Expert” and “Master.”
There are only seven recognized Masters in the entire Pharmacists’ Guild, less than one per League. The Indigo League has one, but in the Johto region—there are none in Kanto.
As for my plan to take the pharmacist exam, Granny Lexi mocked me thoroughly… then tossed me a registration form for next year’s Level 3 Pharmacist exam.

[Year 196 of the League Calendar, December 7.]
To quote Granny Lexi, the Level 3 Pharmacist exam is so easy, anyone with hands can pass.
The exam itself is basic: as long as you can make some standard potions and extract “Pokéblocks” from berries, you’ll pass.
Still, I need to practice.
The “Pharmacist” profession only grants me exceptional talent: I can easily memorize pharmacology and instinctively recognize various herbs, with a near-native ability to distinguish them.
But it doesn’t make me a born pharmacological master—I still have to start from scratch.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, January 1.]
Two months have passed since I transmigrated!
Today is my first New Year in the Pokémon world…
I wonder if my bunkmate also transmigrated, and where he ended up…
He’s probably living the good life!
Still, I have Kiyomi and Granny Lexi with me.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, March 15.]
I’ve been studying pharmacology with Granny Lexi for almost half a year. The Level 3 Pharmacist exam is on the first of next month.
These basic exams are held in the six major cities of Kanto.
I’m preparing to travel with Kiyomi to Cerise City east of Songzao Town. Kiyomi is also taking an exam—hers is for Level 2 Pharmacist, which is ten days before mine.
On the train, I saw wild Pokémon several times along the way…
Unfortunately, I’m not a trainer yet and have no Pokémon of my own. In this world, the starter Pokémon aren’t given out just by age—you have to pay taxes continuously before you can receive one at sixteen, just before you start your journey. As an undocumented person, I have no hope of that.
After two months here, I’ve learned a lot about this world. For example…
Humans are very resilient, especially when Pokémon aren’t attacking with killing intent. It’s actually quite safe for people here.
Even so, journeying trainers don’t start their travels until sixteen, not ten as in the anime and games—that’s the minimum age, though you can wait until eighteen. If you start later, you lose some first-year travel benefits.
There are also academic trainers…

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, March 17.]
Arrived in Cerise City!
It’s even busier and more technologically advanced than I imagined…
Small towns don’t feel much different, but once you reach the city, it’s all near-future vibes compared to my old world!
Chatting with Kiyomi, I learned about population distribution.
Kanto has about two million square kilometers—no precise figures, since vast “wild” areas separate the regions and there are no countries, so borders are vague.
The total population is about seventy million, with fifty million concentrated in the six major cities.
Outside these cities, most areas feel sparsely populated, with towns and villages scattered and small.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, March 20.]
Today, Kiyomi completed her Level 2 Pharmacist exam. We had a small celebration.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, April 1.]
Level 3 Pharmacist exam complete!
As expected, all you need are hands—very easy.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, April 3.]
After a day of sightseeing, Kiyomi and I took the train home.
Though Kiyomi has Pokémon, she isn’t a trainer, so we didn’t travel through the wild or train her Pokémon along the way.
On the train, I read in the newspaper about a new breakthrough in Pokémon fossil research.
It wasn’t the news itself that caught my attention, but…
The famous fossil and mining conglomerate is called the Suzuki Group?
What happened to the Devon Corporation?
Hoping it was a fluke, I asked Kiyomi, but she only knew the Suzuki Group—it’s world-famous. Devon Corporation… never heard of it.

[Year 197 of the League Calendar, December 10.]
The date for next year’s Level 2 Pharmacist exam has been announced—it’s a bit later than last year. I’ve already registered.
To pass, you must be able to make “Super Potions” as well as status-curing medicines like Paralyze Heal and Antidote.
Each year, the exam includes Super Potion and another randomly selected Level 2 medicine.
I’ve been able to make these for a while, but you can only take the exam once a year, and you need the previous qualification to register, so it’s a step-by-step process.

[Year 198 of the League Calendar, April 10.]
Level 2 Pharmacist qualification acquired!

[Year 198 of the League Calendar, October 8.]
Next year’s Level 1 Pharmacist exam date has been announced…
But Granny Lexi didn’t let me sign up, saying my fundamentals are shaky, and if I fail, it’ll embarrass her.
I understand her concern—she’s worried that I’m too focused on advanced skills and neglecting the basics.
It’s true that even with high-difficulty medicines like Full Restore and Stamina Potion, I can already make them, though I still have a small chance of failure.
From a cost perspective, that’s nothing—even my failure rate is lower than most Level 1 Pharmacists!
But as Granny Lexi says, that shows my foundation is weak.
To help me go farther, she forbade me to sign up for next year’s exam.
As for her own pharmacological skill… I have no idea.
I once thought I’d soon surpass her, since she doesn’t have any official guild or league certifications.
But now I understand her mastery is beyond my imagination—even with my Level 1 skills, I have no idea where her limits lie.
Her methods are extremely unorthodox, even arbitrary, yet she never fails.

[Year 199 of the League Calendar, July 8.]
After half a year of consolidating my basics, Granny Lexi now approves of my taking the Level 1 Pharmacist exam, but I’ll have to wait until next year.
I’ve also confirmed that my “cheat” is quite rigid—the promotion condition is “obtain the Level 1 Pharmacist qualification,” not just having the ability!

[Year 199 of the League Calendar, July 9.]
Granny Lexi has started teaching me some special pharmacist techniques…
And some unique ways to brew rare medicines!
These are things only expert Pharmacists encounter…
They’re not the sort of potions you find everywhere in shops and department stores.
Each expert pharmacist has their own specialties, none of which can be mass-produced—and in the Pokémon world, pharmacists tend to focus on Pokémon medicines.
After all, Pokémon are the primary productive force in human society. Even construction workers catch strong Pokémon to help on the job.
The expert pharmacist exam is held once every three years and no longer in all six major cities; in Kanto, it’s in Rainbow City, the largest central metropolis.
After all…
In all of Kanto, only about twenty people have expert pharmacist qualifications—sometimes not even one new expert is added in three years.

[Year 199 of the League Calendar, September 20.]
I hinted that I want to become a trainer.
Sure enough, Granny Lexi was furious, accusing me of being fickle and unfocused…
But once I pass next year’s exam, I’ll become a “Beast Tamer”—then I’ll definitely become a trainer.
Since I made it to the Pokémon world, I don’t want to be just a pharmacist.

[Year 199 of the League Calendar, September 23.]
Granny Lexi has ignored me for days. Kiyomi, though, is very supportive and even persuaded me to apologize to Granny Lexi. She also secretly promised to help me get a starter Pokémon later.
I can tell, though, that Kiyomi thinks I’m just a restless youth—after a few months or a year of travel, I’ll realize the truth and return to be a genius pharmacist.

[Year 199 of the League Calendar, October 3.]
Granny Lexi is still sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Though she’s harsher than ever and always seizes the chance to mock my wild ambitions or cite examples of people who failed due to indecision, she still teaches me earnestly.
That makes me a bit guilty…
I hope that after I show my talent as a trainer, she’ll change her mind!
Besides, I’m not giving up on pharmacology!

[Year 200 of the League Calendar, March 1.]
Hiding under my blanket, secretly watching this year’s new trainers’ tournament in Johto—my eyes are a bit tired.

[Year 200 of the League Calendar, March 3.]
The Level 1 Pharmacist exam is tomorrow.
Also, in today’s newspaper…
I saw that Kanto Pokémon Academy’s famed detective student Shinichi has “once again” solved a Team Rocket Pokémon injury case!
This uncanny sense of déjà vu makes me realize this world is more “complicated” than I thought.

[Year 200 of the League Calendar, March 4.]
Level 1 Pharmacist exam.
Is that it? Anyone with hands could pass…

[Year 200 of the League Calendar, March 6.]
Back in Songzao Town, I can feel that Granny Lexi is in a bad mood…
As for me passing the Level 1 Pharmacist exam, it’s hardly worth celebrating.
According to Granny Lexi, I could probably pass the expert exam now.
At dinner, in a somewhat tense atmosphere, Granny Lexi told me to come see her early tomorrow.
She probably wants to try and talk me out of it one last time.
Kiyomi seemed worried, giving me meaningful looks.

[Year 200 of the League Calendar, March 7.]
I never expected this…
After learning I wanted to be a trainer, Granny Lexi had been quietly paying my new trainer taxes!
She also told me she knows Professor Oak in Pallet Town and that I should go see him to receive one of Kanto’s starters. She’s even giving me the Exeggcute that’s always helped me with potion-making as my first Pokémon.

——
Note 1: The Orange League is considered subordinate to the Indigo League, and Alola has a League as of current settings, making seven Leagues and eight regions. With a ninth region and eighth League coming soon, and possibly a tenth generation if this novel goes on long enough, I’m planning ahead—so “nine major Leagues” is a convenient phrase for the time being.