DISLCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON
|CHAPTER 1|
"Fire Blast!"
My eyes were glued to my laptop's screen as I watched Ash Ketchum battle the Galar Champion Leon in the finals of the World Coronation Series.
"Come on, Pikachu, finish it with Thunderbolt!"
Even though I had seen this battle a dozen times over, I leaned forward in anticipation as Pikachu knocked out Leon's Charizard in a spectacular finish.
The camera panned across thousands of screaming fans as the crowd erupted into cheers, and I couldn't contain my excitement. "Yes!" I pumped my fist, a wide grin breaking out across my face.
Ash Ketchum, in the flesh, had just won it all. And I had been there from the start, following the journey step by step...
This wasn't a battle in an anime anymore—this was history unfolding before my eyes. Part of me still couldn't believe any of this was real. Just months ago, I'd been wandering the streets of my hometown, my eyes glued to my phone as I chased a rare Pokémon GO spawn. I hadn't seen the truck barrelling toward me until it was too late. The impact came hard and fast. I expected oblivion, not to regain consciousness in Pallet Town, straight out of the games and anime I'd loved.
Beside me, I felt the warm, feminine body that my other arm was curled around shift slightly as a dissatisfied moan escaped her lips. I winced and lowered the volume on my laptop, only for my phone to start buzzing. I grabbed it from where it was sitting on my nightstand, quickly shutting off my alarm.
"Sam...it's way too early..." the body grumbled, snuggling deeper into the covers.
"Sorry," I whispered back, slipping my arm out from under her. She rolled away from me, pulling the covers along with her until she was cocooned in a bunched-up mass of sheets. I swung my legs over the edge of the twin bed and stood up, pulling on a pair of pants and a T-shirt before stepping out of the room.
After closing my bedroom door softly, I walked down the hallway. It was eerily quiet in the house, except for the faint rustling coming from the kitchen where the lights were on.
In the kitchen, my mother, Daisy, was standing at the sink, her lab coat swapped for an apron as she washed dishes.
Though she wasn't my mom.
It was true my name was Sam, and I looked the same as I remembered and was the same age.
…But I was not Samuel Oak III.
Samuel Oak III was a boy who grew up in the world of Pokémon and was raised in Pallet Town by his parents, Daisy Oak and Ash Ketchum.
Or as I personally knew them from my own experiences, the main character of the Pokémon Anime and Gary Oak's sister from the Pokémon Adventures Manga.
This world for me after all was a fictional world I loved, only to suddenly one day after waking up, find myself in the world of it, real.
No, I was not Samuel Oak.
Yet…I had all the memories of the boy. Had since I found myself waking up in this body just a few months ago. When I first realized where I was and who my new parents were, I gave Ash a mental thumbs up. I was proud of my boy for banging Gary's sister. The two had moved past their rivalry in the later seasons of the anime, but Gary was still a jerk at the beginning. Turning over a new leaf didn't magically erase who Gary had been for years prior. And there was no better way to get back at someone than smashing a relative.
Though, Gary did have the retort of Professor Oak, my namesake, retiring to Alola...with Delia.
So the banging of relatives kind of canceled out.
I rapped my knuckles against the door frame.
"Arceus, Sammy!" Daisy yelped, whirling to face me, her hand clutching her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Wasn't sneaking," I said. "Just, y'know...walking quietly."
Daisy fixed me with a sharp look. "Uh-huh. And does this walking quietly have anything to do with a certain houseguest I found in your bed recently?"
I groaned at the reminder of when Daisy had walked in on me and Joy. I felt a little guilty about subjecting Daisy to seeing that. Before I arrived she would have never had to worry about her son having a girl over.
"Are you ever going to stop bringing that up?" I asked.
Yes, forgetting to lock the door had been a mistake on my part, but who could blame me? Joy had practically been throwing herself at me! In the Pokémon World, Sam Oak wasn't just part of the Oak family, he was the son of the World Champion.
Which made me practically royalty after waking up in his body.
Of course, Pallet Town wasn't very big, so the dating pool for my age was quite small. Or, it would have been if this world followed the same laws as the real world. But it didn't, which meant Joy, the daughter of Viridian City's Nurse Joy who was interning at Professor Oak's lab while on break from college didn't have a problem sleeping with me, legally or morally.
"If it's embarrassing for you to talk about, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it?" Daisy waved aside my objection.
I crossed my arms, meeting her stare flatly. "I'm an adult. I have no problem talking about sex. Just not with you." I retorted, and wow, was it wild to say that at 14, but that's the world I was living in now.
Basically, as of the April following their 14th birthday, a person was able to gain a Pokémon License and was permitted to carry poké Balls to capture Pokémon. Of course, there's more to being a legal adult than the right to own Pokémon.
All adult rights are granted. Under-18s didn't qualify as minors. For example, if a 14-year-old were to steal something from a convenience store, the consequences would be more than just the shopkeeper getting mad, the police would arrest the thief. And no matter how much their parents tried to apologize, the thief was still culpable as an adult.
The most important point of this law is... after leaving junior high school people can make their own life choices. They could strive to achieve higher education or take over the family business. No matter how old you were, after they turned 14 years old a person was considered an adult right down to details like traffic violations and paying taxes.
In this new world of Pokémon I found myself in, the "All Primary School Graduates are Adults Law" was not a thing. Instead, the law was more similar to an "All Junior High School Graduates are Adults Law". School in this world was set up like in Japan where the academic year begins in April and ends in March of the following year. Children who are born between April 2nd of the current year and April 1st of the following year enter the same grade.
Children start their education at age 6 and attend elementary school for six years, followed by three years of Junior High School and three years of High School. In the Kanto Region, High School was optional. You could still attend, but more "adults" left home to become Pokémon Trainers after finishing Junior High.
"Why not?" Daisy asked, pulling me back into the conversation.
Because of memories of her as my mother and him as her son, there were just some topics I never wanted to talk to Daisy about if could help it. But after she'd accidentally walked in on me and Joy mid-act, Daisy seemed intent on bringing it up whenever she could while making it clear she didn't like the eight-year age gap between us.
Daisy flicked water at me. "Being an adult and being mature isn't always the same thing, Sammy," she said, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
It seemed no matter what world you lived in, there was going to be a double standard when it came to age. In my old world, the moment you legally became an "adult" you could volunteer, or even be drafted to go to war to fight, die, and kill...but you had to wait three extra years to buy a drink or be mature enough to date a someone more than a few years older?
If Uncle Sam could start a war and call my ticket the moment I became an adult, then I should be able to date 35-year-old divorced cougars without snide comments.
And in the world of Pokémon, it was even more outrageous!
"Adults" were mature enough to be trusted to travel around the world—alone!—when even the weakest species of Pokémon could easily kill a human and the strongest could level entire cities.
But Daisy had a problem with me dating Joy...yeah, that made sense...not!
I glanced at the clock on the wall. I still had time, but I wanted to get away from this conversation sooner rather than later. "I'm going to head over to Professor Oak's...I'll come back before leaving Pallet."
Arceus was it weird talking to the woman who I remembered as my mother but wasn't actually my mother.
I'd only taken two steps when Daisy's soapy hand closed around my wrist. "Sammy, wait," she said, her tone serious now.
I paused, bracing for whatever embarrassing, entirely too personal remarks were coming next. Some maternal objection or plea to make better dating choices.
"I wanted to ask if you're still set on becoming a Pokémon Trainer."
I blew out a long breath, shoulders sagging. Of course, that's what this was about. Lately I felt like I couldn't make a move without someone questioning my goals or trying to steer me back towards becoming a Pokémon Researcher.
"Yeah, I am," I said finally, unable to keep a defensive note from entering my voice. "I know everyone expected me to become a Pokémon researcher like you and Uncle Gary but nothing's changed. I'm going to be a Trainer, like Dad."
Like most conversations about my future lately, an undercurrent of tension filled the room as soon as the words left my mouth. I watched emotions flicker across Daisy's face, there and gone before I could interpret them. Though she hid it well, I knew Daisy still harbored anxieties over the path I had chosen.
Finally Daisy nodded, a strained smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. "Of course Sammy. I just worry, you know? It won't be easy."
I crossed the kitchen in two long strides and pulled Daisy into a hug. I really did feel bad for her. She'd lost her son and didn't even know it, so I could understand her concern. To her, this was all a sudden change, as if her son had woke up one day and decided to change his entire career path just a few months before High School.
But for me?
Becoming a Pokémon Trainer wasn't even a question for me. I was in the world of Pokémon! I wasn't going to go to high school or college to get a degree! I was going to be the best Pokémon Trainer in the world!
"Don't worry," I said to Daisy. "I know what I'm doing."
I hoped if I sounded confident enough, Daisy would start believing me, because what I said was the truth. There wasn't a person in the world who had a better chance than me of becoming a Pokémon Champion.
When I pulled back from the hug, the lines on Daisy's forehead had smoothed out some and she regarded me now with a gentle, if anxious, affection. She reached out to ruffle my already messy hair.
"Alright, I trust you," she said softly. "Now, hurry up and get off to the lab." Her mouth curved into a smile. "Arceus knows your Uncle Gary would never let me hear the end of it if you were late today."
I huffed a small laugh as I headed for the front door. "I'll see you when I get back!"
There wasn't a chance in hell I'd be late today.
As I stepped out into the sunshine, I felt energy thrumming through my veins. This was really happening!
I'm about to get a Starter Pokémon! I thought as I set off down the street towards Professor Oak's Pokémon Research Lab at the edge of Pallet Town. Now the largest and most advanced lab in the entire Kanto region, Professor Oak's lab had long been Pallet's sole claim to fame before a certain hometown rookie trainer took the battling world by storm.
I arrived breathless at the lab's front gate, doubling over with my hands on my knees for support.
As I looked up towards the entrance, my face suddenly fell when I saw three other kids standing outside the front doors. The most familiar face leaning casually against the lab's outer wall, arms crossed and signature smug look firmly in place.
"Well, well...looks like little Sammy Oak finally decided to show up," Blue announced loudly. "Cutting it close, aren't we Sammy? Guess you just assumed Professor Oak would make an exception for you, right?"
I clenched my fists but didn't respond. Don't let him rile you up, I reminded myself firmly, refusing to let the other boy rattle me. Blue never missed a chance to bring up my background with veiled accusations of nepotism and unfair favoritism by Professor Oak.
In other words, Blue was deeply jealous of my ties to the Oak legacy—not that the blowhard would ever admit it.
The other two rookie trainers, Chase and Elaine looked uncomfortable with Blue's teasing but were too meek to protest.
Blue threw an arm around my shoulders. "I got here over an hour ago, but I'm sure you needed your beauty sleep. Gotta look good stepping out of Professor Oak's shadow, right?"
I snapped, shoving Blue's arm off me. "Shut up, Blue!"
Blue stumbled, looking shocked at the sudden physical confrontation. I was trying to act the part until I got out of Pallet Town, but damn was it hard sometimes.
"C'mon guys, let's not fight," Elaine said, glancing between us.
"Yeah," Chase nodded. "Leave the battling to the Pokémon."
I just smirked in response. "Hah, as if a loser like Blue stands a chance against me," I looked at Blue and nodded. "But fine, let's do it. I'll show you what it takes to be a real trainer."
Blue's face turned red but before he could respond, the lab doors slid open. A petite woman wearing a crisp white lab coat greeted us with a smile. "You must be the new trainers I was told about," she said, leading us into the lab. "Please follow me, and I'll take you to meet Professor Oak."
I was practically shaking with excitement as I stepped into Professor Oak's lab. My eyes darted around, taking in the gleaming machinery and advanced technology that looked far too advanced to exist in the real world.
In the center of the room sat a small table, my eyes were immediately drawn to the gleaming red and white Pokéballs placed neatly on top.
This is it!
After months of waiting, today was the day I'd finally get my first Pokémon partner!
Standing next to the table was Professor Gary Oak himself. "Welcome, welcome!" Professor Oak gestured broadly, his lab coat swishing. "As I'm sure you all know, today you'll be taking your first steps as rookie Pokémon Trainers!
"Now, each of you will get to choose one of these three Pokémon as your first partner," Professor Oak explained, gesturing towards the Pokéballs on the table. "There is Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur."
I noticed a small problem, my brows furrowing in concern. "Professor? There are only three Pokéballs," I pointed out, gesturing to the limited number on the table.
"Don't worry about that," Professor Oak said, waving the question away. "Due to an unfortunate error with another lab, I only have three starter Pokémon available at the moment."
How can we not worry about that? I thought, not understanding how the Professor could be so flippant.
"You will all still receive a Pokémon of your own," Professor Oak reassured us. "One of you may just have to wait a few moments for a different Pokémon."
The group let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Now, who is willing to wait on their Pokémon?"
As the professor's words sunk in, I realized that Blue, Chase, and Elaine were all looking at me. Their silent expectation hung in the air that I should be the one to wait because obviously, Professor Oak wouldn't let his nephew miss out on getting a starter Pokémon.
Well fuck that!
I wanted Charizard and I wasn't about to throw the chance away for three strangers!
As the silence stretched, Professor Oak let out a heavy sigh. "Alright then, since we have no volunteer, we'll have to determine who gets a Kanto Starter at random."
Professor Oak pulled out four straws of different lengths from a pocket in his lab coat.
"Each of you will draw a straw, and whoever gets the shortest one will receive an alternate Pokémon that I have available. Sam, you pick first."
I leaned in and squinted at the row of straws, four thin green cylinders poking out from between Professor Oak's fingers as if I could somehow see through Professor Oak's fingers if I stared hard enough.
After a moment, I reached out and tapped the straw nearest to Professor Oak's thumb.
"That one?" Professor Oak asked.
I nodded firmly. "Yes, that one."
Blue stepped up to me, bumping my shoulder. "Hold on," he said. "Why does he get to go—"
Professor Oak opened his hand, revealing the size of the straw I had picked. It was barely an inch long, clearly the shortest of the bunch.
Shit! I cursed as Blue snapped his mouth shut, a bright grin on his face.
"Great!" Professor Oak clapped his hands. "Now that we've got that settled, once the others have their Pokémon, I'll see what other Pokémon I have available."
I sighed as Professor Oak turned away from me, gesturing to the three Pokéballs on the table.
"The Pokéball on the left contains Bulbasaur, a grass type. The one in the middle holds Charmander, a fire type. And the one on the right is Squirtle, a water type. Who's choosing first?"
I watched with envy as Blue pushed his way in front of the others and snatched the Pokéball containing Charmander off the table. Ever since I first started playing and watching Pokémon I had wanted one. The fire Pokémon was strong even when it was young, and only got stronger as it aged and evolved.
Chase chose Squirtle and Elaine was left with Bulbasaur, but she was smiling so I didn't think she was upset at all about which starter Pokémon she got.
"Sam, wait here." Professor Oak said before leaving the room to get my starter Pokémon. I hoped my uncle would be able to get a Charmander from another breeder.
"I'll be waiting outside, Sammy!" Blue grinned as he held up Charmander's Pokéball. "Don't think just because you're not getting a Kanto starter I'll forget our battle."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I muttered as Blue walked out of the lab. Chase and Elaine followed, but they kept a few steps behind. I doubted I'd see them waiting with Blue when it was time for us to battle.
After they left, I started pacing the small room as I waited for Professor Oak to come back. Finally, after almost half an hour, the door to the room slid open.
"Sorry for that wait, Sammy," Professor Oak said as he walked back into the room.
I jumped out of my seat, staring at the red and white Pokéball in the professor's hand. "Is that it, Professor?"
"We're alone now, Sammy. You can call me Uncle Gary," Professor Oak said, holding out his hand.
I snatched the ball and didn't waste a single moment before pressing the release button. I watched in awe as red energy shot out of the ball and formed into a round-bodied Pokémon. It was yellow in color with striking black stripes wrapping horizontally around its stocky body. But the most interesting features were a pair of menacing yellow horns atop its head resembling the prongs of an electrical plug, holes and all.
Elekid blinked up at me, arms twitching from the excess electrical energy constantly churning inside its body. I could see tiny sparks flying from between its horns.
I was disappointed at not getting a Charmander, but the feeling was fleeting.
An Electric type! My mind raced - this was just like how Ash Ketchum himself had received Pikachu instead of a standard starter. And thanks to Ash, I knew where to get at least two of the three Kanto Starter Pokémon anyway.
"All right then Elekid," I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened the Pokedex app. "Let's see what attacks you know?"
Once Elekid was lined up in the camera, a mechanical voice started speaking.
Elekid, the electric Pokémon. Elekid stores electricity in its body. If it touches metal and accidentally discharges all its built-up electricity, this Pokémon begins swinging its arms in circles to recharge itself.
Gender: Male, Height: 1'10.
This Elekid knows the moves: Quick Attack, Thunder Shock, and Focus Punch.
"Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, and Focus Punch?" I whistled impressed as I tucked my phone away. "Those are some powerful moves."
Elekid preened at the praise and bumped its head against my knee, rumbling happily at the attention.
"This is an impressive specimen of its breed," Professor Oak admitted. "It will do quite well no matter what you use it for."
As I walked out of the lab with Elekid following behind, I noticed that Blue was waiting outside with a cocky smile on his face.
"Ha! That's the Pokémon the Professor gave you?" Blue's face twisted in a mocking smirk, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked down at the yellow and black striped Pokémon. "It's not even a real starter. It looks like a stuffed toy!"
"Starter or not, it doesn't matter," I shrugged. "There's a world of difference between me and a scrub like you."
"Scrub?" Blue growled. "I'll show you!"
He tossed Charmander's Pokéball up in the air. It popped open midair, red energy swirling out in a rush. The energy molded itself into the distinct orange reptile as it formed beside Blue.
My eyes grew wide with excitement. It was a small creature, with bright orange scales glistening in the light and a tiny flame dancing on the end of its tail.
Charmander stretched both arms overhead with a squeaky yawn, fire flaring from its flickering tail.
I wanted it so bad!
"Use Tackle, Charmander!" Blue ordered.
Charmander charged forward, its claws outstretched and ready to strike.
I shook myself out of my amazed stupor as the young fire-type stumbled more than ran on its stubby legs. I really needed to get over to the Charzific Valley in Johto, but for now, I had a battle to focus on.
"Elekid, use Thunder Shock!"
Instantly, Elekid thrust its blunt arms forward, spinning them to gather electricity. Yellow sparks appear around Elekid's horns before discharging a small blast of lighting that crackled through the air towards Charmander.
There was a slight tingle in the air, almost like static electricity that sent a tingling sensation through my body. The air filled with the faint scent of burning ozone as the electricity from Elekid's Thunder Shock coursed through the air.
"Dodge it quick!" Blue countered.
Charmander leapt nimbly aside on clawed feet just as the Thunder Shock plowed a blackened furrow into the space it had just occupied
"Scratch, let's go!" Blue punched the air.
The lizard Pokémon raced forward as the claws on one hand took on a silvery metallic sheen.
"Block and hit it with Focus Punch!"
Charmander swiped furiously at Elekid who shot both arms up just in time to block, skidding backward from the force of the blow. Elekid's right hand started to glow a light blue as it gathered energy.
"Use Ember while it close!"
I could almost feel Blue's satisfied smirk from across the small arena without even glancing over. Charmander's small mouth opened. I could see fire starting to gather in the back of its throat.
"Focus Punch now Elekid!"
Elekid slammed its glowing blue fist into Charmander's face with a fierce right hook. Charmander was lifted completely off its feet, hitting the ground and rolling.
Across from me, Blue had lost a bit of his cocky swagger. "Get up Charmander! Walk it off!"
I wasn't planning on giving Charmander any time to walk it off. "Use Quick Attack while Charmander's stunned!" I said, and Elekid didn't waste a second and took off like a bolt of lightning.
In one fluid, graceful motion, Elekid slammed its horns into Charmander's soft belly. The force of the attack knocked Charmander back several feet, the fire-type landing with a resounding thud and staying on the ground.
I bent down and picked Elekid up as it walked back over to me. "Looks like I win, good battle."
Not the most spectacular battle, but I still couldn't stop the smile on my face as I walked away from the lab. Blue didn't give us any trouble, too shocked that he'd lost to bother us. I left Blue with his injured Charmander and walked back to my home riding high on my win.
I just won my first Pokémon battle! I almost started skipping! I'd been in the world of Pokémon for months, waiting for this moment and it didn't disappoint.
Obviously, I knew the battle probably had looked quite boring from the outside. A battle between what were essentially two baby Pokémon wasn't going to be prime-time television, but I didn't care!
Focus Punch was awesome!
Quick Attack was awesome!
Hell, even Charmander's Scratch was awesome!
Everything about the battle was amazing because it was real! The smells, the feeling, the adrenaline.
The Pokémon games were fun, and the anime was flashy, but nothing compared to the real deal.
At my house, Daisy and Joy were waiting on the front step. Daisy held my backpack in her hands and Joy looked uncomfortable. The two of them together on any other day would have made me sigh and psyche myself up for another argument.
Today?
I was ready to give Daisy a kiss on the cheek and pull Joy into a steamy lip-lock, stopping just shy of slipping her tongue.
Instead, I was completely ignored.
Joy's eyes lit up with excitement as she saw the small, adorable creature I was carrying. She scooped up Elekid in her arms. "Oh, it's just darling!" she squealed.
"Look at its fur! So soft!" Daisy cooed, handing me my backpack so she could run her fingers through the dark fur under Elekid's chin.
While Elekid preened and purred, I quickly slung my backpack over my shoulders, feeling excited for my journey to Viridian City. I shifted around, twisting my hips and raising my arms, testing the bag's weight. I had packed light, with only a change of clothes, some food for myself and my Pokémon, and a few other essential items.
It wouldn't take me more than a day to reach Viridian City from Pallet Town, so there was no point in bogging myself down with a lot of gear. I could buy what I needed in Viridian City before heading into the Viridian Forest.
"Why don't you ever treat me like that?" I asked, taking Elekid back from Joy.
She let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes playfully. "I guess you're just not as cute as your Pokémon," she teased.
Daisy coughed to get our attention, killing our flirty banter, and I let out a deep breath. Joy glanced between us before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.
"Good luck, Sam," she spoke softly, patting my chest before turning to leave. "Take care, Ms. Oak," she added as she walked away.
Now all that was left was to say goodbye to Daisy.
I turned to her, but before I could say anything, she had thrown her arms around me in a crushing hug. Her voice was strained as she whispered, "Promise me you'll call when you reach Viridian City."
"I will," I promised as I pulled away from the hug. It was the least I could do.
Waving goodbye, I walked towards the gate that separated Pallet Town from Route 1.
I wanted Sam to have an Electric-type starter like Ash and I decided on Elekid for reasons!
1. Electivire is one of my favorite Electric types!
2. Gary who is Sam's Uncle in the story has an Electivire that he could breed and get Elekid. So it fits with the "Canon" of this story!