Chapter 5: For Survival
When Arthur received his new ID and left the police station, it was already noon on the sixth day since he had traveled to this era.
Stepping outside, he stood at the police station's entrance, still wearing the clothes the kind officers had given him over the past few days.
Looking up at the clear sky and the unfamiliar skyscrapers in the distance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment.
The first major problem since his time travel had finally been solved.
He had obtained a new identity that fit this era, he was no longer an undocumented person, and he didn't have to fear being questioned.
But more problems were quickly arising.
Where should he go next? What should he do? How should he eat? How should he survive?
These were all questions...
Not to mention, he also wanted to figure out what had happened to him and what had occurred in the world over the past two hundred years.
Behind him, Zhang, who had been responsible for watching him, saw him lingering at the police station entrance and kindly called out to him.
"Hey, kid, if you really don't have anywhere to go, after I get off work, I can take you home for a while."
This team leader was quite kindhearted; he guessed that Arthur was standing at the door in a daze because he had nowhere to go.
Before Arthur could turn around and thank him, a group in business suits quickly approached Arthur.
Leading them was a young woman around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in sharp office attire, with short ear-length hair and sunglasses. As soon as she arrived, she quickly extended a hand to Arthur and introduced herself, "Hello, we are Articuno Media, a professional internet celebrity agency."
Arthur, still clueless about his online fame, paused and honestly replied, "Sorry, I don't really understand. What do you need me for?"
"We see great potential in you, Arthur, and we would like to sign you as an internet celebrity with our company. Don't worry, we are a very reputable agency with all the necessary licenses and registrations."
They explained quickly.
At this point, they were explaining more to the officers watching from the door than to Arthur.
They had essentially rushed to the police station to pick him up, and if they didn't explain quickly, they might be mistaken for human traffickers.
Arthur, meanwhile, was completely bewildered, understanding the individual words but not the overall meaning.
Unable to find anyone to ask, he turned to the only person he somewhat knew, Zhang.
Sensing his gaze, Zhang chuckled and said, "Heh, lucky you, kid. If what they're saying is true, this could be a good thing for you."
Hearing this, Arthur had a general idea and asked Zhang, "Officer, can you give me the number you mentioned earlier? I'll go with them now, and if nothing goes wrong, I'd like to call you around this time tomorrow."
Zhang paused, then gave him an approving look.
"Sure, here's my number—"
After writing it down, Arthur didn't hesitate and followed the internet celebrity team.
After he left, the officers who had witnessed everything at the police station entrance were still talking about it.
"That kid's pretty clever."
...
Arthur then got into a business van with the group.
In the van, woman in office attire introduced herself, "My name is Eleanor Vance, you can call me Eleanor. Our company is very sincere. Considering you might not have a place to stay, we've provided you with an apartment to use temporarily. We'll take you there now."
"Okay, thank you," Arthur nodded cooperatively.
Articuno Media's offer relieved a major immediate concern and even gave him the fleeting thought that his luck might be turning.
Was time travel really so blessed by fate?
Little did he know that this was all being exchanged for his lost seniority...
The van then started, driving through wide and bustling streets.
Arthur spent most of the time looking out the window.
The scenery of this new era felt both unfamiliar and intriguing.
Among the sights, he also perceived a very crucial piece of information: peace.
This era, at least in the city he was currently in, was completely devoid of the smell of war and gunpowder.
Humans and Pokémon seemed to have achieved unprecedented reconciliation.
As the car traveled through the streets, he saw Pokémon everywhere—
Office workers riding Ponyta alongside electric bikes in the slow lane, stopping obediently at traffic lights.
Delivery personnel stopping in front of apartment buildings, then directing Pidgeotto to deliver packages directly to high-rise residents through their windows.
Young people walking Growlithe and Poochyena on leashes.
Passing a park, he even saw flocks of wild Pidove flying overhead, circling the city park.
These sights were unimaginable in his time.
Then, when humans and wild Pokémon were fiercely competing for living space, only a small fraction of Pokémon chose to follow humans.
Trainers were a rare and elite profession in that era.
He never imagined that two centuries later, human cities would have so many Pokémon.
Arthur's feelings were complex, a mix of joy, relief, and melancholy.
This made him even more eager to learn what had happened over the past two hundred years.
After about a half-hour drive, the Articuno Media team brought Arthur to a fully furnished studio apartment of about 60 square meters.
Once they arrived, Eleanor Vance began her pitch. "This is one of our company's properties. If you sign with us, you can rent this apartment for free for five years, including utilities and internet."
It was a tempting offer right from the start.
But Arthur was not the naive fifteen-year-old he appeared to be. He coolly asked, "What exactly do you need me to do?"
Eleanor Vance sat on the sofa and confidently continued, "Just normal internet celebrity operations, taking orders, promoting products, and doing advertisements. The most important thing is that you need to maintain your current persona—the 'Son of Suicune'."
Hearing this, Arthur finally couldn't maintain his composure.
He finally understood why they had approached him.
Never did he imagine that as a former Heavenly King, he would have to acknowledge a mythical beast as his mother just to survive...
Life is indeed tough and full of twists...