Chapter 2: Adapting to Life
My initial days as an infant were peaceful, but definitely not dull. I held no responsibilities. All my time revolved around basic necessities: eating, sleeping, pooping, and the routinely playtime the maidservants scheduled everyday.
This left me with the ample amounts of time I needed to think about the future. My future.
In a foreign world such as this one I found myself in, such line of thinking was of the utmost importance. From what I could grasp upon, my body was no different from a baby on Earth. Even my reproductive utensils were as I knew it. The same could also be said for my parents.
Apart from the limited memories this body held of its parents, I hadn't consciously met them until a few days ago, when 'my' mother and father entered my room together.
'My' mother was very elegant and refined, and also tall, especially for a lady. Her long, straight hair cascaded down her back in a rich, midnight-black hue, framing her face.
From the lines of her face it was obvious that she was not a woman who often smiled or laughed. Yet, when her azure-colored eyes fell upon my tiny visage and she cradled me in her arms, a remarkable transformation occurred. Her stern expression softened, revealing a tender and affectionate side.
This was a good sign.
'My' father, on the other hand, maintained a certain distance from the bed where I lay, his gaze was fixed stoically upon the scene unfolding before him. This made it difficult to properly catch a sight of the man.
Though not venturing closer, the towering figure stood tall, surpassing even 'my' mother in height. His wavy, shoulder-length hair cascaded in a radiant dark brown hue, adding to the enigmatic aura that surrounded him.
One aspect that caught my attention during their visit was the intriguing blend of Victorian and Regency era fashion reflected in their attire. 'My' mother adorned a regal dress in a delicate shade of vanilla, complemented by the graceful placement of a white rose in her hair, adding a touch of elegance to her appearance.
Meanwhile, 'my' father donned a meticulously tailored frock coat, its muted charcoal gray tone emanating an aura of refined sophistication, creating a commanding presence.
The sartorial fashion style prevalent in this world appeared to be several centuries behind the times, but also a bit more advanced than the typical Victorian/Regency era fashion.
In the absence of Pokémon, I might've entertained the notion of having traversed through the corridors of time itself. But reality proved far more complex and enigmatic than such a simple explanation could account for.
Ultimately, I determined that I had one priority above anything else at the moment: learning the language of this world.
After meeting 'my' parents and interacting with several maidservants, it was apparent that I could not discern their language. As such, this language barrier has become the biggest issue for me.
With such a barrier gate-keeping me from learning more knowledge about this world, it would surely cause me problems in the future. For God's sake, I don't even know this body's(my own) name yet.
Moreover, It was a norm, even on Earth, for babies to learn their native language, and I had only so much time before others began to consider me a retard.
Fortunately, as a kid, I had a greater potential for learning rather than an adult. This was true on Earth, so I could only hope for it to be the same here.
So on the first day when I gained consciousness and the maidservants came around, I spent my time listening. Whenever some talked to me, I paid close attention, trying to figure out common words or speech patterns.
The rest of the time I had, where I wasn't eating or having my underwear changed, I would study Pokémon—or at least the very few I'd see from time to time.
These studies led me to two conclusions regarding Pokémon, that was quite interesting about them and the world entirely.
Firstly, in this world it appeared, from what I could assess with the limited amount of context and coverage I was allowed with the maidservants, that Pokémon were somewhat of a rarity to actually possess.
Apart from the head maidservant that I'd had met upon my awake, none of the other maids owned one.
However, when the head maidservant told her stories, it wasn't hard to filter in the certain Pokémon names she spoke of while pointing through a cheap picture book. It was a book that attempted to portray 'my' father, mother, and me, who 'my' mother was still pregnant with at the time.
Pokémon names such as Ninetales, Mienshao, Tropius, and Miltank were the ones I were completely sure I had heard when listening to the foreign language of the maidservant.
Of course, there were obvious potential reasons for Pokémon not being as common as one would think. And I had multiple hypotheses regarding the matter, but I wasn't one to jump to conclusions, so I kept them at the back of my mind in the meantime.
When the time came, someone would teach me about such things.
Secondly, the Pokémon that I had already met, which weren't many at all, to say the least, weren't kept in a Pokéball. In fact, I was almost certain that Pokéballs didn't even exist in this world—at least not yet.
Sigh. Contrary to my labeling to these discoveries as my "studies," in reality, they were nothing more than keen observations.
With the several amounts of advantages I could think of regarding my really young age, one sole massive disadvantage irked my soul. Being an infant prevented me from conducting proper studies or delving deeper into the subjects that intrigued me most.
The most important things that I needed to know simply weren't assessable with my current state. For now, I relied solely on my keen eyes and ears as my most valuable tools for gathering information.
With each passing day, a sense of unease gnawed at me, intensifying my anxiety. The fear of the unfamiliar and the uncertainty of what laid ahead became a heavy burden on my young shoulders.
And amidst it all, the discomfort of adjusting to the bodily functions of a baby, like soiling myself involuntarily, added to this distress.
Fortunately, my devoted maidservant, Diane, and her gentle Chansey, showered me with the attention and affection I apparently so desperately needed.
After all, it was her who was with me most of the time; always by my side, tending to my needs. It was through her patient persistence that I had even managed to learn her name, as she would repeatedly try to coax me to say it.
To be quite honest, at first I found it peculiar and assumed she must have had some intellectual challenges, expecting a newborn baby of a few weeks old to speak.
However, despite her seemingly foolish attempts, she was, in fact, helping me—not to verbally say her name, but instead to learn the language of this unfamiliar world. She, of course, had no clue of this, but I was thankful regardless.
Apparently she had become my permanent caretaker, because I no longer saw the other maids anymore.
I also learned my new name from Diane after a while of having her company. In this new world, my name would be Sariel d'Maliketh.
It sounded fancy, which made me cringe a bit, but I held no qualms about dropping my past name. Embracing this new name, Sariel, would aid my adjustment into this new world in the long run, and that was far more important than the name I was previously addressed as in my past life. I had my priorities.
(The MC will, from now on, be addressed as Sariel d'Maliketh. Please keep this in mind.)
Anyway, despite my previous feelings toward the maidservant, Diane managed to elicit a likeness to herself, and I gradually grew an affinity toward her, even if it was the tiniest.
She wasn't half bad, but I also understood that this was just her job; getting too close to her wasn't something I was going to do.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone