Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. If I did, Mega Flygon, Mega Dragonite, and Mega Mew would be a thing.

Prologue

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon."

"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon." (Objection, Nintendo. It's a tortoise)

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon."

Seriously, is there even a need to choose?

Call me original if you like, but I've always picked Charmander. This may be my third time playing Pokémon Red, but Red (the character) simply looks wrong standing next to Blastoise, and I'm not about to let Blue get his dirty paws on Charmander. Which is what would happen if I picked Bulbasaur.

So, for the third time in the history of Aster Emilis Silverwood (that's my name, by the way), I walked the avatar of Red to the table and picked Charmander's Pokéball.

(Yes, even though I'm a girl I've always chosen the male avatar and named him Red. Just like how I've always named the rival Blue. Again, call me original if you want)

The Gameboy in my hands started to grow warm. I frowned a bit. I'd only just turned it on, so it shouldn't be overheating so soon. It's not like I was standing in the sun or something. Psh, please, I ain't stupid enough to play Pokémon Red in full view of the universe, especially because my elder brother is in the backyard with his kid (Yes, I'm an aunt. At fourteen years old. My stupid twenty-three year old brother just couldn't keep his pants on long enough for me to have a peaceful, annoying-kids-free life).

Then the machine started shaking. I dropped it with a yelp. Okay, this was not normal. The screen started spazzing out and I leapt back, fully expecting it to explode and cover me with a shower of metal and plastic bits.

It didn't.

After a few moments of twitching, the screen went black again and everything was normal. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I went to pick up the device. Looks like I won't have to pay for the repair bill for blowing up my room just yet.

"No, Blue." I said firmly to the screen as I picked it up. "You cannot have revenge for all those times I whopped your ass by blowing up my Gameboy. That would be just cruel"

Just as I said that, the device started to hum softly, growing louder and louder. But before I could drop it again, a bright flash emitted from the screen, blacking out my vision for a moment and making me see stars.

Dammit, I thought dazedly. I can see bloody fairies now. Yippee.

For a brief moment, I felt like I was dissolving, vanishing away from my bedroom.

Ooh, I think the Death Star just fired on our planet. Why am I even thinking about this-

Then darkness swamped my vision, and when my eyes blinked, I was somewhere else entirely. Definitely not in a house anymore.

Now I'm John Carter on Mars. Bow, peasants!

Then my wacked-up brain sorted itself out and I stopped thinking extremely weird out-of-place thoughts and gaped at my surroundings instead.