The boy reading the book was Ma En, the protagonist of this story. Sixteen years had passed since Agatha found him in that dark alley and decided to adopt him. The once frail infant had grown into a handsome, intelligent young man with a sunny disposition.
However, Ma En knew something that no one else did—he wasn't originally from this world. As he grew older, his memories from his previous life slowly resurfaced, and he realized he had been reborn in the Pokémon world!
At first, Ma En was thrilled. While he hadn't been an expert on Pokémon games, he had always enjoyed watching the anime. But as he pieced things together, a sense of confusion crept in.
For one, he had been adopted by Agatha, a name he instantly recognized from his previous life. But in his memories, Agatha was an elderly woman with a cane, a sharp tongue, and a somewhat villainous air—not the forty-year-old woman who had taken him in.
It didn't take long for him to realize that the timeline was much earlier than he expected. Even the Elite Four system had only been officially established ten years ago, meaning many of the powerful Trainers he knew from the anime and games were still young and unknown.
Among Kanto's current Elite Four, only Agatha and Bruno, the Fighting-type specialist, were familiar to Ma En. The other two were completely different from the Lance and Lorelei he remembered.
Several years ago, Ma En had casually asked Agatha about Lance to confirm his suspicions. He still vividly recalled her answer:
"Lance? Oh, you mean the young lad from the Dragon Clan? He's talented, no doubt, but he's no Elite yet. In fact, he's only a few years older than you. It's much too early for him to take such a position!"
That was when Ma En fully grasped just how far back in the timeline he had been reincarnated. Many of the famous characters from the Pokémon world were still training and striving to make a name for themselves. Even the Pokémon League had only announced the Kalos Region—Alola and Galar weren't even acknowledged yet!
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A Sudden Disruption
At that moment, Ma En, who had been flipping through his book, felt something grab his wrist.
He glanced down and saw a Dusknoir emerging from the darkness, its massive, ghostly hand gently grasping him. The spectral Pokémon met Ma En's gaze with its single, glowing red eye before shaking its head and pointing at Ma En's wrist. Then, it made a "rest" gesture, clearly worried.
Ma En chuckled at Dusknoir's concern.
"I'm sixteen now, not a little kid anymore," he said with a helpless smile. "It's way too early for me to rest."
Dusknoir scratched its head, looking embarrassed.
If any outsider had seen this scene, they would have been shocked beyond belief. Dusknoir, after all, was feared by many because of its eerie legend—it was said to guide lost souls to the underworld. But to Ma En, Ghost Pokémon were just like any other Pokémon. He had lived with them for years and had seen how gentle and even adorable they could be.
At that moment, another surprise arrived—a thick, pink tongue suddenly emerged from the shadows and ran up Ma En's face, licking from his chin to his forehead in one big motion.
The culprit? A chubby Gengar, now floating in the air with a smug expression, its red eyes narrowed into happy slits.
Ma En groaned, wiping his face with his sleeve.
"Gengar, seriously? How old are you? Why are you still acting like a mischievous child?" he scolded. But then, as if remembering something, he raised an eyebrow. "Wait… if you're here, does that mean Grandma Agatha is back?"
Gengar nodded enthusiastically, then floated in front of Ma En, motioning for him to follow.
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Reunion with Agatha
Following Gengar, Ma En arrived at the reception room of their old house in Viridian City.
Sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, was Agatha—the only person in this world whom Ma En could truly call family.
Time had changed her. Now nearing sixty, her current appearance closely resembled the elderly Elite Four member from Ma En's memories.
Agatha glanced at him as he entered, a faint smile appearing on her usually serious face. She tapped her cane against the floor and gestured toward the sofa across from her.
"Come, sit," she said. Then she turned her sharp gaze toward Gengar, who had tried to slink away unnoticed. "You were teasing Ma En again, weren't you? No wonder you took longer than usual."
Gengar scratched its head awkwardly, then vanished into Agatha's shadow to escape further scolding.
"It's been a few months since we last met," Agatha continued, her tone carrying a hint of concern. "How have you been?"
Ma En grinned. "Grandma Agatha, I'm fine! I'm sixteen now, not a little kid. And besides, I've got Dusknoir and the others looking out for me."
Agatha sighed, shaking her head. "Sixteen already… Time flies." Her expression softened briefly as she reminisced about the baby she had found in the alley all those years ago.
Then, her eyes sharpened. "Speaking of which, how is your ability? Have you mastered it?"
Ma En nodded confidently. "Completely."
He stretched out his right hand, palm facing up.
As he concentrated, a small, swirling sphere of darkness formed above his palm. It pulsed with shadowy energy—a perfect Shadow Ball.
Agatha watched closely, her sharp eyes gleaming with interest.
---
The Power of Darkness
After being reborn, Ma En had quickly realized he had no system—no "cheat code" to help him like in some stories.
However, he did possess something unique—an innate ability that no other Trainer in this world seemed to have.
At first, he was confused. But then he reminded himself that special powers weren't unheard of in the Pokémon world. There were people with:
Aura (Wave Force) like Riley and Ash's Lucario,
The Power of Evergreen,
Psychic Abilities,
And even the Power of Super Conqueror.
Realizing this, Ma En felt relieved. After all, as a protagonist, he couldn't possibly be completely ordinary!
But there was something different about his power. Unlike Aura or Psychic abilities, no one in Pokémon history had demonstrated anything quite like his.
Ma En suspected that his soul being reborn into this world had enhanced his mental strength, leading to the birth of his unique power.
He called it "Dark Power."
And this was only the beginning of what he could do.
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