Chapter 1: Transmigration!
In a dilapidated, ugly earthen house lived a young man in his twenties. His name was Jacob.
Jacob was a third-rate hacker. The house he lived in was left to him by his grandfather and was many years old. Jacob was an orphan; his grandfather had found him in a garbage heap when he was young.
Jacob's grandfather wasn't married and lived alone. After finding Jacob, the two of them, grandfather and grandson, relied solely on each other. The grandfather's income came from his pension and scavenging from trash. He provided Jacob with food, shelter, and paid for his schooling.
The grandfather passed away when Jacob turned eighteen, the same year he graduated from high school. From then on, Jacob started looking for work, and up until now, he had only been barely scraping by.
Jacob had been fired because his boss caught him playing games during work hours. Now, he constantly stayed home playing on his computer. Jacob's hacking skills were self-taught; although they weren't impressive, he was capable of modifying single-player games. (Modifying games refers to using cheat engines/tools).
And so, I stayed home instead of looking for a job. Modifying games at home could earn some money – not much, but enough for food. Since I could make money at home without getting tired, who would bother looking for a job? So, I just stayed home.
One day, Jacob was at home modifying a game called *Pokémon: Pitch-Black Phantom*. *(Translator's Note: "漆黑的魅影" (Qīhēi de Mèiyǐng) is a very popular Chinese ROM hack, often translated as Pitch-Black Phantom or similar.)* Jacob was slowly modifying the game's data, writing down codes and numbers. After finishing the modifications, he needed to test play it himself. Jacob also loved playing Pokémon games and had played or watched all the Pokémon-related movies and games.
After a whole morning of modifying, Jacob finally finished. He ate some instant noodles and then fell asleep.
When Jacob woke up, it was already evening. He turned on his computer to test play the game he had modified earlier. While Jacob was playing the game using cheat codes, the computer screen suddenly went black, and just like that, he passed out.
---
Early morning, a gentle ray of sunlight shone through the window into a quiet room. The room didn't look large, but various items were neatly arranged, giving off a cozy, warm feeling.
At this moment, lying on the bed in the room was a delicate baby. This was our protagonist, Jacob, however! Because the computer screen went black and he was sucked in, Jacob's consciousness had now miraculously been reborn into this infant's body.
Jacob was very puzzled as to why his body had turned into a baby's and why he hadn't lost his memories. He didn't know where he was at this moment. Whether this was a blessing or a curse for me, there was no way to know yet.
However, just as Jacob was letting his thoughts wander, a woman who looked very young and beautiful opened the door and walked in, holding a baby bottle. Jacob looked at this beautiful woman; she seemed somewhat familiar. Jacob wasn't sure, but the woman standing before him looked extremely similar to Brock's mother from the Pokémon anime, Lola. Since Jacob had enjoyed watching Pokémon in his previous life, he was somewhat familiar with Lola's appearance, though he couldn't be certain yet if it was really her.
"Brock, you must be hungry. Mommy made you some formula," the beautiful woman said softly, holding Jacob in her arms.
*"Brock? This woman is calling me. And calling herself my mother? This is too much of a coincidence..."* Jacob was now half-believing, half-doubting.
Days passed one by one. Brock (let's just call him Brock now!) slowly grew older. He could walk now, looking about two years old. Brock saw himself being held by a middle-aged man who looked like Brock's father from the anime, Flint . Brock was carried into the room where he this current infant body had been born.
Brock saw Lola lying in bed, and beside her was a newborn baby. Just like that, Brock learned he had a younger brother, Forrest.
...Now Brock was certain. This couple and the newborn baby were his father, mother, and younger brother – Flint, Lola, and Forrest. As for how he could be sure? There was no other reason needed: Father Flint's Onix confirmed everything.
This was the world of Pokémon. And somehow, he had come here...