[Flashback]
-Sieg POV-
"What the fuck?"
The first thing I knew after opening my eyes was a myriad of stars as far as my eyes could reach. The second thing is that I am currently sitting in the middle of space.
"Okay, I must be dreaming." I calmly stated, while pinching my cheek.
"Ouch…"
I didn't wake up from this strange dream, despite my cheek now being completely red. "Okay, not a dream…"
I sighed, standing up from where I sat, looking upon the various scenery before my own eyes.
The stars shined brightly, and then moved and curved at a weird angle before one of them clashed, causing a brilliant explosion directly across my face, which made me fall flat on the 'ground'.
A bright light passed me, devouring the surrounding stars like a damn black hole, it kept appearing and disappearing somewhere across the sea of stars.
It was honestly breathtaking and also haunting at the same time.
[Sup.]
Suddenly from afar, I heard a whisper gnawing like a nail grating on chalk, thrummed and caused me a brief headache. If I could describe it, it felt like innumerable living hearts, beating as one to pump life into the cosmos.
[Apologies for that, I forgot to adjust it. There, it should be much more tolerable.]
The whisper was gone, replaced with an echoing voice not far from where I stood, as stars and meteorites collided, leaving bright flashes before disappearing.
I turned my head, and widened my eyes.
It was a figure of a human whose body is all transparent white. It had no face or clothes; almost like a naked mannequin.
'What the hell, a bootleg version of Truth from Fullmetal Alchemist?'
[Rude, even though I even bothered to come here to greet you.] The figure spoke as a table simply materialized out of nowhere, along with a pair of chairs placed in opposition. [Sit. We have much to talk about.]
I immediately sat where the mysterious transparent figure said, trying to comprehend this whole dream-like experience.
"Okay... Thanks? But seriously buddy, where the hell am I?"
The figure sighed as it snapped its fingers, summoning a pair of white cups along with a tea for both of us. It took the cup, hugging it a bit without having any mouth, before speaking with an uncaring manner.
[To put simply, you died.]
I raised my eyebrow at the response.
"... Okay… and, what now?" I replied with uncertainty.
[...Your reaction is quite dull. Don't your kind usually start denying and moping by now?]
"Well, what do you want me to do? 'Cuz neither felt like something I'd do. And that wasn't to play up my machismo."
[You're an odd one. But that's fine, I have taken quite a liking to you.]
Somehow, I think I should be offended.
Was it simply because I was unable to properly comprehend the news of my own demise? Maybe. But other than asking, I had no clue what to feel or say.
It's not like I'd prepared a response for when I first walked into the afterlife.
[Anyway, now that we're over your whole 'being dead', I do have an offer for you—]
I spoke before it started to explain, already had a hunch about this whole familiar trope.
"You're gonna send me to another world, aren't you." Dead, check. Mysterious ethereal stranger, check. Mystical shit, check. Casual Isekai 101. "So what will I get? Inhabiting the dead body of the main character? Mama Mia, I hoped I didn't get sent to DxD to deal with that boob-sucker, Issei. Or, you're probably gonna plop me in a random mob, huh. I don't really condone cucking but if it's Issei then I probably will offer some compromise—"
[Shut it.]
I instantly stopped talking when the Truth-parody abruptly tutted.
Rude.
[No. You are the rude one. Yes, I can tell what you intend to say. Don't talk too much. Even if I'm quite used to mortal chatter, it does not mean I take enjoyment from the assumptions your kind seems to be fond of. I'd like to get this over with sooner, however most if not all that come by me blather on and on and on about nonsense that may or may not even be true. Try to consider how I feel about having to listen for the millionth time about the character sheet you all have prepared.]
Well, can't blame me when I already read too much about those overused tropes.
Then again, it must be a chore trying to put up with that much work for that,
I hummed in understanding.
[Setting aside your race's… morbid fascination for the afterlife that has made things boring for my end, I would like to continue uninterrupted. May I? ]
The silence was released and I was allowed to answer. "I'm listening… "
[Like you guessed before, you will have a chance of getting reincarnated. And before you start another tirade of ranting about the choice, the list is already decided, and you only need to choose one of the worlds.]
Numerous sets of titles appeared in front of me, showing the worlds' option which I could choose for my transmigration, alongside with its descriptions.
My eyes immediately narrowed when I read the first title on the top of the list.
Berserk
I immediately gave the Truth look-alike a dirty look. "Seriously? Right off the bat, I immediately got an option of going to possibly the worst world ever, which is probably suited for extreme masochists?"
'Truth' just shrugged at my response. [They were generated at random, so it depends on your luck.]
I grumbled at the response, while immediately scrolling down for the next title.
Dark Souls
"No. Just. No."
[What? Not even gonna consider it? I thought your kind likes challenges?]
My eyebrow twitched at the jab. "Sure, a challenge. Just not from that WORLD, for the love of all that is… Just, Nein." I shudder at the thought of dealing with that fuckery shit again.
Never again, after a grueling long-ass hour of stress, I am not dealing with that as my new life.
[Oh, you were in luck. Choose that and you get the most rated of the bunch. Negative ratings though—] 'Truth' simply responded with a voice laced in sarcasm.
"I knew you did plan on dumping me in the 2nd world after all! Porca miseria, Signore!"
[—I will let that slide since that is quite amusing. Now continue.]
I grumbled in annoyance after being ignored by this crazy-ass random being who just enjoyed my suffering, as I scrolled down to check my third option—
Made In Abyss
"—Why the hell that first three worlds on the list are ALL fucking death world!?" I shouted, flipped the table out of anger.
[Heh.]
'Truth' just sipped its tea while giving a dry response to my outburst, causing a tick mark to appear on my forehead. "Are you even serious about guiding me in the first place, bootleg-Truth?"
Its response was a simple snap of its finger to fix the table like nothing happened, while placing its arms atop the table.
[Hey, now. I'm doing my job in an acceptable manner. That being said, the pay's terrible and it's not enough to have me put a customer-service front for every whiny no-name mortal. Though, by far, you're the most talkative one when most of them are simply drowned in their rapacity.]
I rolled my eyes hearing its explanation. "Doesn't mean that I will let it slide by trying to get me on that 'world', monsieur."
[And here I thought giving you a shot at pioneering the endless deep would make your boring life worth living. What? Do you prefer a boring existence, mortal?]
"Ain't gonna let myself be careless in front of 'ya, mister." I fired back at its jab, which earned me an 'annoyed expression' from its faceless husk.
[Smartass, for a mortal.] replied 'truth' as it raised its left arm, before pointing it directly at me.
Or to be more specific, the letters in front of me as they suddenly scrolled downward without any pause. I saw various titles from japanese series such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Gundam U.C, Attack of Titan, to an even crazier option such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, or even Warhammer 40k.
Heck I even briefly saw a fucking Junji Ito Universe, out of all possible options…
I swear, either the higher dimensional beings just wanted me to suffer for their playground, or my luck was just that shitty.
The list goes on before finally stopping at the last option.
Pokemon
"... That was unexpected." I raised my eyebrow at the last world's option. Which was much better if compared with the earlier three.
God forbid for the skipped options.
[Hm. The most boring of options. Honestly, I am expecting more challenges in sending you to this world where the supernatural rules over it far more directly than most.]
"You said it was based on my luck, I ain't complaining for the pick, mate." I replied to 'Truth' sarcastically, quickly taking the option as my pick before it changed.
My eyes quickly scanned the additional information for a moment, before I turned back at 'Truth' who was currently occupied with a book while resting its chin atop his palm.
"Yo, mister Truth-look-alike-"
[Care to drop the nonsensical name? I don't enjoy being called that thing's parody.] replied the figure in irritation, but complied as it put down the book, while facing me directly. Just the thought of what I was about to say flitted by before he continued. [Very well. Hm. Pretty forward of you. Most people I've hosted in the past don't often ask to discuss the more nuanced details that follow after the destination.]
I nodded at his assertion, no longer surprised given he could read my mind.
The being smirked.
Literally, as a mouth manifested out of nowhere on its face as it stared directly at my astonished expression, speaking before I had a chance to react. It really resembled Truth more than it disliked the reference.
[Again, don't compare me to that feeble excuse of a deity.] It scoffed. [Let us speak about the terms then. As you will surely need it.]
-Flashback End-
My eyes opened, though I quickly squinted them in reflex from the rays of sunshine that managed to peek through my closed blinders.
"It's been a while since I dreamed about that day," I mumbled while slowly rising from my bed.
Looking at the clock, my eyebrow twitched when I realized that it's still six in the morning, since I usually slept a bit more and awoke around nine or something.
"Annnd I'm in no mood to sleep again, guess I'll just prepare breakfast now. " I grumbled, while kicking my blanket away as I walked to the bathroom to wash my face. "Gotta refuel gas after this; parking near Viridian City isn't a bad idea, but it's kinda hard to find a gas station…"
Living in an RV does have some downsides, even though it was fitting for someone like me who was moving a lot from one town to another. It's not a huge RV, but it has several facilities for my daily needs such as a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and a few gray-colored sofas if I just wanted to relax while watching any show.
While brushing my teeth, I felt a small tug on my sleeve, where a pair of yellow rounded eyes stared back at me before meowing softly.
"Eon~"
I crouched down to rub his head in response, which enticed a pleased yelp from my black-colored Pokemon, as he responded by lightly biting my fingers in a playful manner. I responded by scratching his head, to which he quickly laid down, and asked for a belly rub. Naturally, I obliged, much to his delight as he purred when my fingers were scratching his fur-coated belly.
It took a while, but I decided to end the grooming session, which naturally got a protest from my Pokemon, as he tried to steal an extra time by pulling my finger using his teeth.
"Not now, Wyrm, I still have to prepare breakfast for the others, including you as well." I chuckled as he just pouted, but nonetheless obliged with my order.
Though he let his displeasure be shown by stretching his tail upward, much to my amusement.
-Chloe Cerisa PoV-
"Yes, you will have to wait for the next batch if you're still unable to get any starter as the Academy already runs out of stock." a middle-aged man explained with a hint of pity in his tone, looking at me sympathetically after I informed about the reason for my lateness. "I am sorry about this, Chloe. But there's nothing that I could do, despite your unfortunate predicament."
I nodded at my homeroom teacher while trying to hide my disappointment beneath a thin smile. "Don't worry about it Mr. Andersen. It couldn't be helped if I couldn't get any starter until the next batch. I will try somehow to get my own."
Mr. Ardersen nodded, closing his eyes while sighed in disappointment. "If there isn't anything that you need, you may return to your class. Please try to enjoy your final time in this Academy with your friends."
I nodded at my homeroom teacher, standing from my seat while bowing respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance as my homeroom teacher, Mr. Ardersen. I'll see you again."
"Have a good day, Chloe. You'll need it." came the reply from my soon to be former homeroom teacher as I nodded once more, before turning my back, taking my step to leave the teacher lounge. "And don't forget to retrieve your PokeNav as a part of your trainer license later!" He called out to me.
"I understand, Mr. Andersen." I replied curtly as I left the aging professor alone.
'... At least I tried…' I thought inwardly, trying to encourage myself, but it wasn't enough to hide my utter disappointment that I couldn't get any starter from the Academy due to being withheld by the police for a long interrogation. '... What a waste, leaving empty-handed after studying here for almost seven years…'
Looking at my newly received PokeNav, a commemorative prize for graduating from Pokemon Academy, my mind began to wander about my time in this Academy and about the history behind its creation.
According to Pokemon League regulation, any children within an age range of ten to twelve were required to study at an official Pokemon Academy which was located in almost every town in nearly every region if they wanted to become a pokemon trainer.
This wasn't the case some time ago, people used to be able to become pokemon trainers rather easily; either through catching their own pokemon and registering at their local Pokemon Center, or managing to earn their spot as a professor sponsored trainer.
But that changed when incidents involving young trainers with their Pokemon significantly increased. Various cases like pokemon abuse, trainers getting attacked by their pokemon, even a possession of high-leveled Pokemon under the ownership of a trainer without any prior experience; which mostly caused disobedient behaviors from the pokemon and ended with collateral damages.
Not to mention a tragedy known as 'The Outbreak' which happened a few years ago when I was seven.
The reason behind the incident was a psychic-type pokemon rebelled against its own trainer. Being constantly abused, accumulating frustrations, and a higher level of intelligence for being a psychic type caused it to finally snap: breaking its trainer's mind and turning her into a mindless husk.
It escaped long enough before her family found that their daughter's mind was damaged to the point that even the best Psychic pokemon from the league were unable to cure it, rendering her to be permanently crippled.
The family then placed a huge bounty for the psychic pokemon, out of sheer grief knowing their daughter was considered as dead by that point, even if she was still breathing.
But somehow the psychic pokemon had managed to rally other pokemon to rebel against their own trainers. Most Pokemon were being abused by younger trainers and a few experienced pokemon from older trainers who also had suffered from similar treatment. Together, they caused large-scale collateral damages to the point where the League were forced to deal with it.
It took three days before the League forces had managed to completely subdue the rebelling pokemon, where the perpetrator was captured and executed on the spot.
Any surviving pokemon were placed in rehabilitation centers; where, from what I heard, they never once saw the light of day again. Many theories suggested their condition, but most people believed that the rest of rebelled Pokemon were being put out of commission in private.
The amount of incidents later forced the League to enforce a rule stating that any aspiring trainer owned no more than two Pokemon before they had their first badge. The League also issued a new regulation, increasing the minimum age of being a pokemon trainer from just ten years old, to a strictly sixteen years old age. Solely to ensure there would never be a similar future incident.
Thus, the new law was enforced, and the Pokemon Academies were built.
Pokémon schooling was a governmental program to compensate the youths that would become adults by ten. Instead of risking their lives with high mortality rates of pokemon on human violence, they could learn about the pokemon in order to become a Pokemon Trainer properly.
Eventually, this courtesy became a mandate for the new trainers.
Including me.
Reaching my class, I immediately ignored my classmates, slumped my head on the table, completely mentally drained from meeting with my homeroom teacher.
"Oh, she's back!"
"Hey Chloe, how's it going?"
"Stupid Ash, don't ask her about that! Can't you see her demeanor the moment she returned?"
Or so I thought as my friends quickly gathered around my table, which forced me to raise my chin in order to meet their gaze without any words.
"Ah…"
Apparently it was enough to explain my current predicament, causing them to laugh sheepishly in an awkward manner.
"Yeah, that's basically how it was…" I replied while burying my face on the table.
"Man, you got it rough." Gary said while sitting on the empty table beside me, his feet swinging around without care.
"Can't professor Andersen do something about it?" Leaf asked while placing her hand on my shoulder.
"No, apparently I have to wait until the next batch if I want to get my starter, or get one by myself…" I replied dejectedly, causing Leaf to sighed in dismay.
"Darn it, if only you weren't being held by those police for that stupid interrogation—"
"Stop it Ash, there's nothing that Chloe could do, given the situation. Considering she was the victim as well, it was logical for her safety as well." Leaf quickly cut him off before Ash even finished his sentence, which caused him to pout at the brown-haired girl.
"C'mon Leaf, cut me some slack here," protested Ash. "It's not like that they couldn't have just released Chloe so she wouldn't be late for registering herself."
"I know Ash," Leaf acknowledged, a hint of bitterness in her tone. "I wish they could have done it, but considering the case, the police did the right thing by making Chloe stay behind to answer their questions."
"Gramps said it was the protocol, so there was nothing he could do about it." Gary added, "And unfortunately, he ain't got any pokemon left as well to help Chloe about this."
My eyes quickly landed on Gary after hearing what he just said. "You asked Professor Oak about this?"
Garry nodded at my question. "I did after you explained about it in group chat, thought he might have had something to give you to help you but…" He shrugged helplessly. "Sorry about that, Chloe, but I couldn't help you with this…"
I quickly shook my head, while smiling in gratitude. "No… I appreciate that Gary. Thanks for trying to help me."
Gary grinned in response while giving me a thumbs up. "Heh, that's what friends are for."
"Awww, isn't that very sweet of you~" Leaf teased in a singsong manner. "Somehow our Gary has finally grown up to be a man, as his big sister, I am so proud of you~"
"Stop with that smug tone, crazy girl! And the hell with being my big sister!? We're the same age and not even related!" Gary argued while pointing his index finger to Leaf, who was smiling smugly.
"I was few months older than you though~"
"It was only two months difference!"
"Still older than you~!"
"Enough with this stupid chit-chat!" Ash yelled with a grin as he quickly stood up while grabbing a pokeball from inside his pocket. "I want to see my starter as soon as possible!"
Hearing that, Leaf quickly interrupted. "Ash! Chloe didn't have her starter yet! Please show some consideration here!"
"But Leaf—!"
"Don't worry about that Leaf, I am fine with it." I quickly interrupted to prevent any ruckus, and also added to my own curiosity.
Leaf looked that she wanted to protest about it, but she gave up after seeing me shake my head. "Alright then…" She relented, "I guess it's okay if you didn't mind, Chloe."
"Don't worry about it, Leaf," I replied while smiling in reassurance. " Besides, I also want to know about what kind of Pokemon that you guys get from the Academy."
"So… How are we gonna do it? Reveal it one by one from each of us?" added Gary, jumping from the table.
"Why not just reveal the pokemon altogether?" I suggested. My friends perked up at the idea.
"Yeah, together is fine."
"C'mon! Let's do this together so I can show you guys my awesome Pokemon!"
"Please, my Pokemon is the best!"
"What did you say, Gary!?"
"Ladies first~" Ash and Gary looked like they were about to start a fight, but Leaf somehow beat both as she quickly threw her pokemon upward into the air. This caused them to panic as they quickly followed Leaf as they complained to the older girl, much to Leaf's own amusement.
The three pokeballs then popped out, unleashing the Pokemon stored inside in bluish light.
The first one was a golden-brown human-like Pokemon with pointed ears on its head. Its eyes are mostly closed, seemingly sleeping. It had three fingers and toes on both arms and legs, while its shoulder had a type of body armor on its top half, along with a long pointed tail and with a brown band located near the tip.
"Hell yeah! It's an Abra, Luck is on my side!" Gary spoke in excitement.
The second was a small, pink Pokemon with a star-shaped appearance with stubby arms and legs, along with a curl on its forehead and a curled-up tail. Its ears are completely brown and have two small black eyes and a small mouth. On its face, it appears to have a small, permanent blush on its cheeks.
"Wow, A Cleffa! Isn't that a rare pokemon!?"
"Dang it, how the heck you managed to get a rare pokemon like Cleffa!" Gary whined.
"Seems like my luck is better than yours, Lil' bro~"
"Stop with that—What the heck!?"
Anything that Gary was about to say were quickly gone as his eyes landed on the final addition of our group.
If Gary and Leaf's pokemon are already surprising enough, what Ash got completely threw away the competition, as all of us were gobsmacked upon seeing what Pokemon being Ash's starter was.
It was a small green reptilian Pokemon with rocky skin. Its eyes had a black pupil with red iris and black markings around it. It had small, chubby arms and legs alongside with a blunt spike protruding from its head. Red scales cover its diamond-shaped belly, and there are several small diamond-shaped holes in its body, and it has a tail with a conical center surrounded by plate-like scales.
"That is—!?"
"You got a Larvitar as your starter Pokemon!? HOW!?" Gary was the first one to react as he pointed at Ash's pokemon, his outburst laced with a jealous tone.
Ash just grinned while shrugging. "Well, I don't know about that Gary, luck perhaps?"
"Luck doesn't explain how you got a freaking ultra-rare pokemon like Larvitar from a random pokeball provided by our Academy!" Gary retorted as his finger was now tightly placed on Ash's forehead, causing me to chuckle, considering Ash was a lil' bit shorter than his childhood friend.
"Maybe your luck is just average compared to mine!" Ash fired back.
"What did you just say!?"
Ignoring Ash and Gary's banter, Leaf just dragged the nearest empty chair to sit beside me while the starters merely stared at both in confusion. "Boys. Always trying to be competitive like usual."
"Well, it's normal to see Ash and Gary like this." I giggled at the rather hilarious interaction, as Ash and Gary had now started to pull each other's cheek while spluttering about a bunch of nonsense.
"Okay, as we just ignored their stupid charade, let's talk about this man you just met yesterday." Leaf said, putting her face very close to mine. "How was he? Was he handsome? How tall is this hunk? Could I have a shot of getting carried in bridal-style like you?"
"That's the first thing you asked about!?" I squawked in astonishment.
"Well, it's not like that you didn't enjoy getting hugged with those thick, dense muscles, right… Chloe?"
"S-stop it-! I-it's not like I was… enjoying it…" I stammered in a weak tone, my mind immediately taking me back to the sensation when that guy was hugging me in his embrace.
It's not like I asked for it! Though… if it happened again I suppose I wouldn't mind if he—
Unfortunately, Leaf just took my daydreaming state as confirmation "Awww~ Look at you blushing like that~! You clearly enjoyed it~!" she teased.
"—Enough with that! Why not talk about how he got a Mega Haxorus instead!" I said hurriedly as I tried to divert the topic into something else. My attempt was somehow successful as Leaf's attention was quickly changed to another thing which the mysterious man somehow had.
"... Actually, I am also curious about it," Leaf said in deep thought. "Has anyone ever seen a Mega Haxorus before?"
"As far as I know, there's no such thing as Mega Haxorus. Even Gramps was shocked when he saw the video." Gary added as both him and Ash joined the conversation. Apparently my topic was enough to make them stop fighting in exchange for joining the topic.
"Yeah, not to mention that Shiny Haxorus, man. Not only was it a very rare Pokemon, the size alone is bigger than a normal Haxorus!"
"What is Haxorus's average height again? Was it around like two meters?" Leaf asked.
"Yeah, the average Haxorus was something close to between one-point-eight to two-point-two meters tall." Gary said, rubbing his chin in thought, while Abra simply decided to stick close to its trainer.
"That Haxorus looked more than three meters tall. Not to mention it was bulkier than a normal Haxorus." added Ash while Larvitar sat on his lap, much to the smaller Pokemon's joy.
"Could be a well-trained Haxorus, like the ones that most professional Pokemon are." Leaf while taking her Cleffa to the top of the table.
"Yeah…"
"Most likely."
The door opened suddenly with a loud thud, interrupting our conversation as an annoyingly familiar voice assaulted my ears.
"Hey guys! Check this cool Pokemon I just got!"
Unkempt black hair, dark-skinned, and that annoying smile of his.
My childhood friend and also the source of my current predicament which unconsciously made me gripped my skirt in anger.
"... Goh."
-To Be Continued-
Beta Readers: Gerald of Revea ReavesTheReader RainbowDumDum
Author Note
Another chapter of Ophidian down.
Here it revealed abit about how Sieg dies and then goes to Pokemon world after narrowly missing his chance. Damn his luck sucks.
Also fuck Goh. All my homies hated this fucker. Poor Chloe who missed her chance of getting a starter.
Also Ash luck is hax, I tell 'ya. I rolled their starter while using only Kanto and Johto Pokemon. And somehow this guy managed to get a freaking Larvitar out of all possible Pokemon he could get.
Damn, Protagonist luck is real.
Also I want to ask you guys opinion whether I should update around this amount of words, but possibly faster update, or just make it longer as usual, depending on how free I am in writing after work.
Also, does anyone want small omakes for Ash's own journey?
Anyway, that's all and I'll see you guys in other updates.
Hope you enjoyed this and leave lots of comments since I liked it.
Sieg's Pokémon:
All of his pokemon are based from pick, while their extra status comes from dice rolls.
- Adam/ Haxorus - Male [Shiny]
- Gina/ Kingdra - Female [Shiny]
- Drasil/ Sceptile - Male
- Wyrm/Drakeon - Male (Yes, it is a Dragon-type eevolution
Other cast's Pokemon:
Ash's Pokemon
- Larvitar - Male
Gary's Pokemon
- Abra - Male
Leaf's Pokemon
- Cleffa - Female