Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Naoki
Chapter 1: Naoki
He opened his eyes.
All was quiet.
The pendulum of an antique clock hanging on the wall swung silently back and forth.
Naoki jolted upright in bed, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily.
Where am I? Naoki wondered, his eyes scanning his surroundings in confusion.
He found himself in a modest wooden cottage.
A single bed was pushed against one wall, and across from it was a desk made of raw wood, on which sat a bulging hiking backpack.
On the adjacent wall hung a yellowing calendar that seemed to be from years past, and on the other side of the room stood a wooden cabinet. Next to the cabinet was a stove with something that resembled a coal stove, along with pots and other kitchen utensils.
Naoki's confusion only grew as he took in the unfamiliar scene.
What's going on?
Shouldn't I be working overtime at the company right now? Why am I here instead?
"Ugh... my head hurts!"
Suddenly, his mind felt flooded with new information, causing a throbbing sensation.
A flood of memories washed over him, and once he had processed them, a look of disbelief spread across his face.
Have I time-traveled?
After a brief moment of astonishment, Naoki slowly made sense of his current situation.
Indeed, he had traveled through time and dimensions.
Overtired from five consecutive days of overtime work, his previous self had died of fatigue, only to be reborn in this new world.
This world was vastly different from Earth.
Here, alongside humans, lived creatures known as "Pokemon," and their presence could be felt everywhere—in the skies, oceans, and on land.
"I'm in the world of Pokemon!" Naoki exclaimed with a mix of surprise and delight.
While he wouldn't call himself an expert, he had played the games and watched the anime and manga.
In his youth, he had even fantasized about living in this world.
After all, it was renowned for its relaxed and carefree lifestyle, where humans, upon reaching the age of ten, could embark on journeys with their starter Pokemon, exploring the far reaches of the world.
Now that he had crossed over, could he also travel wherever he pleased, just like Ash Ketchum in the anime?
The thought of breaking free from the 996 work schedule, mortgage, and car loan, and no longer being a corporate slave filled Naoki with excitement.
However, his enthusiasm was short-lived as reality quickly sank in.
His ideals were lofty, but the reality was stark.
The person whose body he had taken over was also named Naoki, originally from the Paldea region. As a child, he had moved with his parents to the Hoenn region, but tragedy struck soon after—both his parents passed away due to illness, which was the very reason they had relocated, seeking treatment.
After their deaths, the original Naoki had sold their property and, seemingly unburdened by worldly desires, had led a nomadic life for years.
Finally, at the age of twenty, he returned to his hometown in the Paldea region, to the ranch left behind by his grandfather, who had also passed away prematurely. And it was here that he had ended his life.
Despite being in the Pokemon world, the original Naoki had chosen not to capture any Pokemon, not wanting any attachments or responsibilities.
As these memories flashed through his mind, Naoki sighed softly, feeling a pang of sympathy. He couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Grrrrr..."
His empty stomach rumbled in protest, and Naoki glanced at the time.
2:00 AM.
Given the current situation, it seemed that the original owner of this body had not eaten dinner.
Naoki sighed again, apologizing silently to his stomach, before getting out of bed. Following his memories, he opened the backpack and found a packet of instant ramen. He filled a pot with water and placed it on the coal stove to boil.
As he waited for the water to heat up, he searched the room and found only some basic condiments, with no other edible items in sight.
Although this was a ranch, it had been abandoned for years, and the fields were now overrun with weeds and rocks. Naturally, there were no vegetables, fruits, or even eggs to be found.
The Pokemon house was home to a group of imported Miltank from the Johto region and Galarian Wooloo, while beehives were lined up on the grass outside the house.
Combees would collect nectar from flowers outside and bring it back to the hives to make honey. Every few days, they would harvest jars of clear, sweet, golden, and viscous honey.
Just then, the water boiled.
As Naoki was about to open the ramen packet and put it into the water, a new piece of information suddenly popped into his mind.
[Instant Ramen: A low-quality, basic food with little nutritional value, but popular among outdoor workers and travelers for its convenience. Effects unknown.]
"Huh? What's this...?" Naoki felt a strange sense of familiarity with this.
As the ramen was immersed in the boiling water, the once stiff noodles quickly softened.
Naoki added the seasoning.
He wouldn't call himself a cooking expert; he only knew the basics.
Living alone, he mostly prepared his own meals, as it was more economical. Over time, he had learned to cook.
Soon, the ramen was ready.
Without further thought, Naoki poured it into a bowl and sat at the desk, preparing to fill his hungry stomach.
However, just as he was about to eat, that familiar piece of information popped into his mind again.
[Salt-Overloaded Clear Soup Noodles (D-)
: A low-level dish that has lost its original buffing effects due to an excessive amount of salt. It can only fill the stomach, and eating too much may cause thirst. Pokemon that like salty flavors might enjoy it. Review: Although terrible, it's not so bad that Pokemon will faint from eating it.]
Naoki's eyebrows twitched.
"Wow!" he exclaimed softly.
He finally realized where this familiar feeling was coming from!
Wasn't this the exact interface from the game [Master Chef] that their game company had developed, which introduced the dishes in the game?
It was a trash game disguised as a culinary masterpiece designed to milk money from players.
The game was a simulation type, with a setting that players had a magical ability.
The dishes they made in the game could provide various attributes, buffs, and other bizarre magical abilities to the characters.
Moreover, the magnitude of the buffs and the quality of the dishes were related to the player's cooking skills and the rarity and quality of the ingredients, just like in most trash games, where the dishes were rated from F- all the way to SSS.
The dish's rating was influenced by the rarity and quality of the ingredients, as well as the player's cooking skills.
A rating of D- was mediocre, and if the flavor was worse, resulting in an F-, it could even debuff the characters in the game, reducing their attributes and possibly causing them to perish suddenly during battles...
"What's going on?" Naoki was slightly stunned, and he couldn't help but think of the web novels he had read. "Could this be my golden finger?"
As Naoki read the word "Pokemon" in the description, he picked up the bowl and began to eat.
The moment the noodles touched his mouth, a salty flavor filled his palate.
Naoki: "..."
Indeed, it was oversalted.
Although he wasn't used to the taste, this was currently the only food available in the house.
Naoki endured the saltiness and continued to eat while further studying this golden finger ability.
In other words, the dishes he made could bestow various magical abilities and buffs on the Pokemon that consumed them.
Probably?
(End of Chapter)
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