Ever since Logan awoke, the Rocket Team operatives had paid little attention to his existence. Perhaps they assumed that now that the Mewtwo Project was nearing completion, this experimental subject had served his purpose. As long as Mewtwo's consciousness was thoroughly implanted with the right concepts before it emerged from its incubation chamber, the organization believed it could fully control what they saw as the ultimate biological weapon crafted by human hands.
But life rarely follows neatly laid plans. Rocket Team had underestimated both the strength of the creature they had forged and the anomaly that had occurred in their perfect system.
Through his recent conversations with Professor Oak and Blaine, logan had pieced together how Oak ended up in this underground facility. Unlike Blaine, who had joined willingly under the lure of scientific discovery, Professor Oak—respected across the regions as a leading Pokémon scholar—had been approached under the guise of legitimate inquiry. The Rocket operatives, posing as independent researchers, had asked Oak a series of seemingly innocent questions. Oblivious to their true identities, Oak had helped them with enthusiasm.
That generosity became his undoing.
Rocket Team quickly realized Oak's knowledge was a valuable asset. They abducted him without hesitation. Oak, however, refused to cooperate once he understood the true nature of their project. Killing him outright was too risky—his disappearance would raise alarms across the academic and public spheres. So they locked him away, his usefulness declining as the project neared completion, placing him under surveillance alongside Logan. If Mewtwo was successfully born, they would either let the old man rot or dispose of him quietly—depending on how things unfolded.
"Logan, how's your body doing today?" Professor Oak's voice rang out cheerfully from behind, carrying that familiar warmth and light-heartedness.
Logan stood in front of a mirror, studying the person he had become in this strange world. A slight smile curled at his lips at the sound of the professor's voice. Oak had been his lifeline—an endlessly optimistic and kind old man who hadn't hesitated to risk everything to save him, even knowing that 'Logan' wasn't supposed to survive.
"I'm feeling much better. I think I could even run if I had to."
"That's good. Eat up—food is the foundation of recovery. Say what you will about Rocket Team, at least the meals here are pretty decent." Oak chuckled, setting down two trays on the table.
The laboratory clearly had no shortage of funding, and while Rocket Team's morality was nonexistent, their treatment of their prisoners wasn't completely barbaric. The meals were nourishing and even tasted good—much to Logan's relief. Not long ago, he was living in a relatively peaceful world, enjoying warm meals and the comforts of routine. He wasn't keen on suddenly adjusting to a life of stale bread and cold porridge.
"So… how are things progressing on your end?" Oak asked meaningfully as they began eating.
"Smoothly enough."
They spoke in half-phrases, as though engaged in a game of riddles—mindful that the room could be monitored. The truth was, ever since Logan had regained consciousness, a plan had slowly been forming between Oak, Blaine, and himself. With no Pokémon of their own, escape was a near-impossible task. Blaine, despite being a Rocket insider, had never been fully trusted. His Pokéballs were confiscated every time he entered the facility.
The elite Rocket units patrolling the lab were not just a precaution—they were stationed specifically to keep Blaine in check. Other researchers lacked combat ability, but Blaine's strength as a Gym Leader was a genuine threat.
Yet recently, perhaps due to overconfidence in the nearing success of the Mewtwo Project, the oversight on Blaine had relaxed. He had managed to gain limited access to his Pokémon again, and with Logan's health improving, the escape plan was finally being set into motion.
For the past few days, Logan's routine had consisted of eating, light exercises, and reading through whatever books were available in the room. They weren't especially advanced, but they offered foundational knowledge about this new world. Logan, curious and analytical by nature, found himself gravitating toward history books.
Because to truly understand a world, you needed to understand its past.
Whenever something in the history texts seemed contradictory or too vague, Logan would consult Oak, who always had an explanation. And so, slowly, a map of this world's hidden truths began to form in Logan's mind.
"Professor Oak," he said between bites, "I've been going through these history books, and I can't help noticing something odd. This world uses a calendar that closely mirrors my old one—it's currently the year 2010, right? But what exactly is that based on? What's the origin of this calendar system?"
The professor looked intrigued, then pleased at the depth of Logan's question.
"Well, that's a story in itself. About two thousand years ago, in what we now call the Kanto Region, a great nation arose. This civilization was the first to write a legal code that formally recognized both humans and Pokémon. Then, about fifteen hundred years ago, a prominent historian proposed using the year of that legal code's enactment as the calendar's starting point. And that's the system we still use today."
"So… this isn't humanity's first civilization?"
Logan leaned in, intrigued. This Pokémon world already felt more intricate than any child-focused anime he remembered. And now, the deeper he dug, the more layers emerged—layers filled with complexities, inconsistencies, and forgotten secrets.
"Exactly. Through the excavation of countless ruins and artifacts, we've discovered records suggesting that even before the law-giving civilization of two thousand years ago, there were multiple ancient human societies. Some of them were astonishingly advanced. While their societal structures weren't as refined as ours, in terms of raw technology… well, they may have been superior."
Oak's eyes sparkled with scholarly fascination.
"In fact," he continued, "a lot of our modern tech has been developed by reverse-engineering ancient relics. Did you know, Logan, that the lost civilization of Portlantis once created a prototype Poké Ball that could trap human souls?"
Logan's breath caught.
It was like hearing a science fiction thriller come to life—except this was real history here. Real discoveries. Real consequences.
"And what happened to those civilizations?" Logan asked, eyes locked on Oak's. "If they were so advanced, how did they disappear? Have modern historians reached any conclusions?"
Oak sighed, folding his hands.
"There are many theories, but no consensus. Some believe natural disasters wiped them out—others think they may have been destroyed by the very Pokémon they once controlled. But there's a growing school of thought among researchers… one that suggests those civilizations met their end for the same reason we nearly did seventy years ago."
Logan listened, captivated, as Oak continued.
"They tampered with nature, violated its balance. And nature, through the Legendary Pokémon—those we now revere as gods—struck back."
A chill passed down Logan's spine.
Was history repeating itself?
Was his arrival in this world not random, but fated?
Whatever the reason, Logan felt it in his bones: he had to uncover the truth.
Even if it meant challenging the gods themselves.
Professor Oak fell silent for a long moment. Then, with a soft sigh, he finally spoke.
"…This actually ties back to a piece of history from seventy years ago. That era… most textbooks only skim the surface. Since you asked, and you're clearly a curious learner, I think as a scholar, it's my duty to tell you the full story."
"Seventy years ago, our current civilization was still quite primitive in many ways. Scholars back then held different opinions about the downfall of the ancient civilizations—no consensus was ever reached. But then… an event occurred that changed everything. Something so monumental that most scholars today believe those ancient, highly advanced civilizations were all destroyed by the very beings we now call 'Legendary Pokémon'—leading entire armies of Pokémon in a sweeping annihilation."
Logan sat up straight, his eyes sharp with anticipation.
These weren't the sugar-coated tales found in games or anime. This was the true history of the world—one that made sense of everything through logic and causality.
"Back then, humanity underwent a massive technological revolution. Two thousand years of accumulated knowledge, paired with the discovery of countless ancient ruins, nearly pushed mankind down an entirely different path. The new tech enabled humans to exploit natural resources to an unimaginable degree. Mountains were hollowed out, forests razed, and underground energy was drained without restraint. Polluting factories popped up everywhere, pushing the environment to the brink of collapse."
"The Pokémon lost their homes and fled in desperation. Countless species died as a result of human greed. Worse still, humans developed terrifying new weapons using those very resources. They believed they no longer needed Pokémon as partners. Why coexist, when you could enslave them instead?"
Professor Oak smiled bitterly, eyes heavy with sorrow.
"…That was the mindset of the times. No one thought it was wrong—until the day came when nature had finally had enough. When the Pokémon had enough."
"The Legendary Pokémon, long thought to be nothing more than myths, finally emerged—one by one. They were like walking cataclysms. Calamities with wills of their own. Disasters that moved across sky, land, and sea. They could reverse time, tear open space, resurrect the dead… They turned the world into a true nightmare. And humanity's most powerful weapons—barely scratched them."
"Under their lead, the displaced Pokémon rose up. An all-out war began between humans and Pokémon."
"…If it had only been one or two Legendary Pokémon, humanity might have had a chance. Elite trainers could have managed. But all of them came together. And when that happened—even the strongest trainers were powerless. What's worse, most Pokémon trained by humans—abandoned their trainers. Only those with deep bonds remained loyal."
"The result was nearly a complete loss for humanity. We were pushed back, our civilization teetering on the edge of annihilation. It was only then… that humanity began to reflect."
"A group of visionaries rose. They tore down the most polluting factories and began rebuilding society—one that would live in harmony with nature and Pokémon. From their efforts, peace was restored. And so, the first Pokémon League was born. The first Gyms. The system of the Elite Four."
"That war—what some call nature's retribution—was also a springboard for modern technological advancement. The cities you see today? Products of wartime research. Even the Poké Ball was invented during that period. Before then, humans didn't even have the tech to create Poké Balls."
"That's why many researchers, myself included, believe that the so-called 'gods'—these Legendary Pokémon—are embodiments of the natural laws of this world. Humanity violated those laws, abused this planet… and was punished. Just as, we think, ancient civilizations were. They lacked the systems we have now. Their tech brought about massive ecological destruction, and so they too… were wiped out."
Professor Oak clenched his fist, passion rising in his voice.
"…I wasn't born during that era, but if I had been—I would've stood with those brave souls who fought for harmony between humans and Pokémon!"
Logan didn't respond to the old man's fiery declaration. Instead, he quietly sank into deep thought.
Seventy years ago—that would be right around the time of World War II in his original world. Only, that war had been fought between humans. In this world, it was between humans and Pokémon. But the outcomes felt oddly similar: war gave birth to a surge in technological progress, and humanity came out changed, scarred—but alive.
So much overlap. Too much to be coincidence. Logan felt that there must be a connection.
"Haha, this is all just human history," Professor Oak said cheerily, trying to lighten the mood. "Humanity should always learn from the past. Let's hope future generations don't repeat such a grave mistake. As for the history of Pokémon—now that's even more ancient. There are many researchers dedicating their lives to uncovering it. But if you truly want to understand the full history… you'd have to ask the one they call the Creator."
"That's right—the god of creation itself! But that's a distant dream. For now, Logan, we need to focus on what's in front of us."
Seeing Logan deep in thought, Oak patted him gently on the shoulder, assuming he was shaken by the bleak tale.
"…The Creator God, huh…"
Logan whispered to himself.
All of his questions—his thirst for understanding—he felt they might one day be answered by Arceus. But meeting the Original One, hearing its truth…
That would require more than just strength.
It would require him to become the strongest, the most worthy.
He had to get stronger. The voice in his heart wouldn't stop telling him that. Urging him to uncover the truth—before it was too late.
But that was all in the future. For now, he didn't even have a starter Pokémon. He wasn't even a Trainer. In fact… he was barely a person.
Just a research subject.
His first priority was simple:
Escape.
Otherwise, he might just become one of the most miserable transmigrators in history.
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