Chapter 1: Whole New World

I awoke to the feeling of a gentle morning breeze that sent a chill down my spine. Enough to force me awake. My eyes snapped open and I was not met with the familiar ceiling of my bedroom. Instead, I was met with trees, lush green leaves obscured the sky, but the sun's rays managed to bleed through, illuminating the forest around me. I sat up with a sudden jolt and a short scream.

"WHERE ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH?!"

I looked around and processed where I was. This seemed to be some kind of cruel prank--I wasn't in my room, but in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. My heart hammered in my chest and I flinched at the slightest noise. The sounds of birds chirping, and the rustling of leaves.

I calmed my breathing, a tranquil feeling washing over me. There was a soothing feeling about this forest that made me feel at ease, though my caution arose as I started patting myself down. I was confused to find myself fully dressed. I was only in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts when I'd fallen asleep. Whoever dropped me off had dressed me.

Which isn't weird at all...

A pink dress shirt with a black tie, a white shirt, black pants with thin red stripes on each leg, a pink belt with a black stripe at the center and gold buckle, white sneakers with red lines fit to handle any terrain, a black high-collared vest, and a single red square-cuffed red glove on my right hand.

I wouldn't normally wear something like this, but I dig it.

I pat my head and felt a hat resting on top neatly. I took it off and was met with a black baseball cap with a light pink brim, and a halved circle of the same color etched onto the center of the cap, with a smaller, circle in the middle.

It fits the aesthetic, but it wasn't something I typically wore, either.

"Weird..." I muttered under my breath and blinked, resting the cap on my head and looking around. Off to the side was a dark magenta backpack with black and white lining, I looked around, to see if anyone was nearby. Assuming they'd left it there. But there was nobody in sight.

I got up and picked the backpack up, inspecting every inch of it, and running a hand along the fabric. I noticed something etched onto the side and squinted in confusion as I read it aloud, "Silph. Co..."

I stood there in silence, my brows creasing in confusion at the familiarity of the name. I ran the name through my head a few more times, and soon enough, it clicked. Silph. Co. That was a company in... Pokèmon, right? But what was...

... my eyes shot open in alarm and I unzipped the bag with haste, digging into it and fishing for the contents. Feeling a hard plastic material, I tugged it out and noticed a card, an ID card. I came face to face with myself, but there were distinct differences. I looked so much... brighter, and cartoonish, with a broad smile, tan skin, unblemished with boyish features, and bright, daring sapphire eyes, with messy, unkempt pink hair that reached his neck. And he was wearing the same hat and clothes I was right now.

I looked like something that came out of an anime or Saturday morning cartoon, than a real human being. Yet, I still looked so... lifelike.

My hair wasn't pink, either. It was black. But this wasn't dyed. It was pink down to its roots... all natural.

Apollo Pastel read the ID in bold. Age 16. Pokémon Trainer.

Pokémon Trainer.

I nearly dropped the ID card out of shock, my jaw slackening in disbelief. I rubbed my eyes numbly and looked back at the card. Then I pinched myself and felt a jolt of pain. No. This was all real, this was real. What the actual hell just happened? How did I get isekai'd and slammed into a new, yet familiar body?

That goddamn alpaca had something to do with it, surely...

I let out a hysterical laugh, collapsing to my knees and shaking my head in disbelief. Shit, this is happening. It's hard to comprehend, but this is real. I'm living and breathing, not dreaming. I can smell, hear, feel everything... whether I liked it or not, this was...

"Fletchling!"

I jolted and looked up to see a small bird chirp and perch itself on a branch. It was not an ordinary bird, the narrow body shape and red and blue feathered coat gave that much away. That was a Fletchling. I was looking at an honest-to-god Pokèmon. My panic and dysphoria were abated, replaced by childlike wonder and awe as I stared at the mystical creature.

It was oddly animated - not realistic, in the sense that it'd fit in the real world. It had texture, feathers, and all, but it was so much more vibrant and alive than any animal could even possibly hope to replicate. The Fletchling picked at its wings and peered down at me with expressive, black beady eyes. A smile broke out across my face and the bird chirped, before flapping its wings and flying deeper into the forest.

... Well. If that didn't confirm things, I didn't know what else could. I was in the world of Pokémon. No doubt due to a certain alpaca's divine intervention.

I didn't panic. I felt rather... calm. Actually, no. That was wrong. The buzzing energy inside me indicated excitement. A giddy smile stretched across my face and I squealed under my breath. Anyone would be ecstatic in my situation. Pokémon was potentially one of the best worlds to end up in!

Sure, there were godlike animals and evil corporations hellbent on world domination, but those were normally dealt with by ten-year-olds. The fate of the world was placed in the hands of pre-pubescent teens, and most of the time, it worked out!

And when you have someone like Ash Ketchum around, that's a 100% guarantee.

I wasn't too worried. I honestly lucked out. It wasn't something like Attack on Titan, and you could become strong if you put in the effort and dedication. Not much plot armor involved.

I mean, Ash lost how many times?

And unlike the people here, I've got meta-knowledge~ all I need to do is apply it. I need to figure out where the hell I am, first.

"Okay!" I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. With a beaming smile, I stretched. "First things first... find civilization! And that means getting out of this forest."

And catching a Pokémon, too.

"A-Audi..."

Speak of the devil!

I turned around to see an injured Audino stumble out of the bushes, covered in gnarly scrapes, bruises, and scars. My eyes widened in surprise when its bright sapphire eyes locked onto me, and my first instinctual response was pure unbridled fear.

It looked so... wrong on something so cute.

"Woah, woah! Easy." I waved my hands in a placating gesture as the Hearing Pokémon backed up against a tree, shivering like a leaf. I smiled uneasily. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

I eyed her wounds with narrowed eyes. She was most certainly attacked by something... or someone. I don't know. It could be a human or Pokémon. I have no idea what type of wild Pokémon roam around these parts, but those wounds... they were vicious.

I could see the signs of burn marks and slash scars. The bruises were a nasty dark purple and looked swollen. With the amount of damage she'd taken, I was surprised she was still standing.

"... Hey, you mind if I take a look?" I asked gently, keeping my hands raised. I needed to show her that I wasn't a threat. As she regarded me with wariness and fear, I smiled.

Eventually, she slowly calmed down. She gave no direct confirmation, but I took that as a yes. Slowly, I knelt opened my bag again, and began shifting through what I had inside.

I smiled in relief at what I found. I had about five options five poké-balls, two oran berries, two pecha berries, and one sitrus berry. Along with that were the basic traveling essentials, like a tent, extra clothes, a notebook, some bandages, and... a phone?

All of that was good, but I was focused on the healing it

I was focused on the healing items, though.

I pulled out a potion and sitrus berry. I offered her the berry first. "Here."

Audino looked at me intensely, as if trying to find any hint of deceit. But there was none. I had no intent of harming her... it was quite the opposite.

I wanted to catch her. But I had to earn her trust first.

She stared at the berry in my hands and gulped. Shakily, she reached out and gently took it into her paws. Her eyes sharply glanced in my direction again, as though she feared I was going to steal it back. I smiled again, and she blinked, before munching away at the berry in her paws.

My eyes sparkled at the way her ears bounced and let off a gentle chime in delight, a happy hum leaving her lips. "Di~" I chuckled softly, grabbing the bandages and gauze next as I watched some of her wounds fade away and seal up. But not all of them went away.

It was common knowledge, at least from the perspective of the games, that berries held a variety of properties. The most notable effects were the ones capable of restoring a Pokémon's HP. Oran berries and citrus berries typically came to mind. But they were really useful for healing status ailments. Especially in competition.

I held up the potion in my hand and sprayed it on the rest of Audino's wounds. She flinched and let out a squeak of pain. I gave her an apologetic smile as she turned to me. "Sorry, just treating your wounds."

She stared at me in silence before resuming eating the citrus berry. I chuckled and continued to spray her wounds. They gradually began to heal up, and soon enough, she was good as new!

I set down the half-empty bottle and let out a breath. "There we go! Good as new."

Audino blinked, swallowing the rest of her berry and inspecting herself. She let out a noise of surprise and turned to me with sparkling eyes. I grinned. It looked like she was warming up to me!

"My name's Apollo," I said, taking a seat next to her. "Nice to meet you!"

"... Audino!" she beamed softly after a brief pause.

"So, how did you end up so beaten up like that?" I asked, looking at her curiously.

Audino blinked owlishly, staring at me blankly. Her lip trembled and she looked down at her lap, her ears drooping sadly. "Di... no..."

"Wild Pokémon?" she shook her head hesitantly.

My eyes narrowed. "... Humans, then." a sound of confirmation.

I closed my eyes and crossed my arms. Not just any human. Trainers. Those were the signs of Pokémon attacks... the fact a Trainer would go to that extent... ticked me off. I wasn't some self-righteous goody-two-shoes. Pokémon get hurt in battle. That's expected. They fight until the other is unconscious... but in most media, those are civilized, sanctioned matches.

There's a difference between a fair fight and straight-up abuse. And I wasn't going to tolerate that kind of shit when it comes to innocent Pokémon.

"Alright, I've decided," I spoke up after a small lapse in silence. Audino perked up and looked at me in confusion. I smiled. "I wanna be partners!"

She blinked languidly, tilting her head. "Di?"

"I wanna be a Trainer, you see... but I don't want to be the kind that abuse their power and hurt people and Pokémon. I wanna be strong, and go on a lot of adventures, see the world, have tons of battles..." I muttered wistfully, closing my eyes and remembering the times when I was smaller, waking up early in the morning and looking forward to watching the latest episode of Pokémon. To see the next adventure Ash and Pikachu would get into.

I opened my eyes and looked down at Audino, my expression firm. "But I need a Pokémon to do that. You probably have a bad experience with a Trainer that came around these parts, and while I can't say I'll be better, I can promise one thing." I grinned impishly. "If you team up with me, I'll make you so strong, you'll be able to kick the ass of whoever wronged you! You'll never have to fear getting hurt like that again."

Audino stared at me in silence and looked down at her lap in thought. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I don't know what I was thinking, to be perfectly honest. Fanfiction and the anime made this out to be so easy. Power of friendship and all that...

But I do want to be partners with this Audino. Admittedly, Audino wasn't very strong on their own. In competitive, they operated on a more support role, and in the games, specifically generation five, they were used to farm exp.

But this world... isn't the game world. It's real. And that means game logic doesn't apply... in most cases, anyway. But Audino knew a lot of powerful moves, on top of its healing moves like Heal Pulse. Things like Double Edge, Giga Impact, Thunder Punch, Mega Punch, Hyper Beam... despite its mediocre performance, it had the potential to learn a lot of powerful moves.

Not only that, but it could be Mega Evolve! That increased its value in my eyes. Plus... Audino was one of my favorite Pokémon.

Not that I'd tell anyone that...

"Audino!" I perked up, my attention shifting back over to Audino again. Her face was set in a look of fiery determination. Her eyes shined like glowing sapphires, burning with a familiar desire that I possessed. The desire to be better.

I wanted to be strong and go on adventures. She wanted to be strong so she never had to be hurt again. As far as she was concerned, our goals aligned. And that was enough.

I felt a grin tug at my lips. I reached into my bag and pulled out a pokéball. She eyed the item with a curious squint. "This is a pokéball. It's used to catch Pokémon, and is usually the sign of a partnership between Trainer and Pokémon." she crooned in understanding, nodding her head. "I'm just going to tap you with it and send you out right after. 'Kay!"

She nodded again and I smiled, nodding back. I tapped the button and enlarged the pokéball before pressing it against her forehead. I watched in awe as Audino was engulfed in crimson light and sucked into the sphere. The ball wriggled three times and let off a soft ping.

My eyes sparkled and I grinned. Yes! My first Pokémon! The road to becoming a powerful Trainer starts now! I tossed it into the air and released Audino. She shuddered as she gathered her bearings, letting out a dizzy sound.

I smiled, patting her on the head. Her fur was soft... "Now that we're partners... I should probably give you a name, right?"

She tilted her head to the right, blinking owlishly. I cupped my chin and hummed. "Ah... what to name you..."

Mm. Should probably come up with a theme for the rest of my months, shouldn't I? What to go with...

... Oh! I know.

I smiled down at Audino. "How about Tifa?"

Audino blinked again. Her ears bounced a few times, letting off gentle chimes. She smiled gently and cooed, nodding her name. "Audi~!"

I nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, Tifa. Now we gotta get out of her and find some civilization!"

"Dino!"

X-X-X-X-X

We ended up in this small town called Camphrier Town and made a straight bee-line towards the nearest Pokèmon Center. With exactly 10,000 pokèdollars to my name, I was lucky to find out that the currency here worked just like US dollars. Which was good, because I did not know how the other currency systems worked and it was going to be a pain in the ass. Pokèballs cost about 200, and potions 300.

So I bought 5 more pokèballs and 4 potions. Which dropped me down to 7,200. Pretty steep drop, but I can always earn money other ways. Pokèmon battles being one, and although the thought of having a real-life Pokèmon battle was enough to get my heart pounding, there was still other stuff that took priority before I could go run around and pick fights.

After that, I talked with Nurse Joy - she was super nice. Real helpful. I wanted to know about how I could enter the Gym Challenge. All I had to do was register my ID and credentials into the PLA System, short for Pokémon League Administration. It was the government that funded the Pokémon Leagues and Pokémon Centers across the globe.

After all that, she even went ahead and gave me poképuffs for Tifa and gave us a room! What a sweetheart.

While Tifa munched away on her treat, I went to the PC and did some research. I typed in names like Red and Blue, but nothing came up. Searched for Ash, and there was a lot of stuff on him. His tournament matches and exploits in different regions. Most recent forums discussed his recent run in the Unova League, with how undeveloped his team was. A complete downgrade compared to how stacked his team was in his Sinnoh run.

They weren't exactly wrong, but it was still pretty harsh. Some comments were downright toxic. Like geez, cut my guy some slack?

This confirmed some things for me. One, I was in the anime continuity, or at least a variant of it. Two, I was in Kalos. So that means XY should be going on right now. I did some more research, and apparently, a rampaging Garchomp had destroyed most of Lumiose City a couple of weeks ago but was stopped by none other than Ash himself.

So his journey just started, but he's no doubt already way ahead of me at this point...

Eh. I'm sure I'll run into him at some point.

"Alright..." I groaned, leaning back in my seat and stretching my arms over my head. I grunted as I felt my muscles pop and loosen up. I smiled at Tifa. "How about we do some training?"

Tifa stared at me in confusion. "Di?"

"C'mon, I'll show you." I hopped out of my chair and snagged my bag. The sound of padding feed told me that Tifa was following after me.

Didn't take us long to arrive at the training field in the back of the center. Since a bunch of Trainers all mingled to centers to rest and recuperate, it was a no-brainer that some of them would end up getting into a dispute. According to Nurse Joy, every center has a training field for mock battles to take place or to simply train your Pokémon.

A good idea. Because the collateral damage Pokémon can cause is terrifying.

I set my bag down and started stretching. Gotta get nice and limber for this! Tifa stared at me in befuddlement, and I smirked in amusement. "C'mon, you wanna get strong, don't you? Well, start following my lead!"

She nodded quickly and began following my movements to the best of my ability. I could tell she was struggling. Probably didn't do stuff like this. But that was fine, she'll get used to it.

Hopefully.

After a minute of stretching, we finally stopped stretching. I placed my hands on my hips and eyed her with a grin. "Alright! Show me what kind of moves you can do."

Tifa paused and nodded. First, she cocked her fist back and charged up energy into it, then threw a sloppy punch. Second, she took in a breath and let out a piercing shriek, unleashing a blast of pink sound waves. Third, she held out her hand and let off a soft green glow that enveloped me, filling me with vitality. Fourth, and finally, she held my hand and gently kissed it. Suddenly, the energy she imbued me with was... sapped away.

I blinked sluggishly for a moment, then shook my head and smirked sheepishly. "... Okay. So you know Pound, Disarming Voice, Heal Pulse, and Draining Kiss."

A lot of Fairy-Type moves. If we get our hands on Audinite, Dragon-Types are going to cry.

"Alright, first things first. Pound. That punch? Sloppy." her ears flattened against her head, and I smiled, waving my hand nonchalantly. "And that's fine! We'll work on it."

"So, follow my example... okay?"

Tifa nodded slowly. I showed off a basic boxing stance. My arms raised in front of my head and my fists clenched tight. I had some training in self-defense, and boxing, and was slowly getting into Muay Thai before I ended up here. I was no expert, but I could show Tifa the basics.

"When you fight, keep your arms straight and near your head. Your opponents will usually aim for other parts of your body, but your head is the main target. Deal a strong enough blow to the head and it's a surefire way to knock someone out."

She nodded and mimicked my stance to the best of her ability. I paused, kneeling and straightening her arms out a bit before standing back up and throwing a series of punches.

Jab. Left. Right. Straight. Jab.

"The power in your strikes comes from your lower body. Make sure your legs are bent and straightened. When you throw a punch, make sure to twist your hips and chest. Like I said, most of the strength comes from your lower body. And don't hesitate to strike. Extend your arm all the way when you go for a punch."

"Let's practice a straight. Follow my example." I threw my fist out sharply. Tifa followed my lead. I nodded. "Good. Again."

She did it again. Her form was slightly better this time. I smiled. "Alright. I want you to practice that 50 times, then take a break. After that, practice Disarming Voice the same amount of times, try increasing the range and power behind your blasts, and take a break. We'll do this for a few hours before going to bed."

Tifa nodded in determination and resumed her training. Something like Draining Kiss was something I didn't want to practice with, mostly because she needed a living being to drain energy from. And I was the only person here. And I did not feel like going through that.

I shuddered, shaking my head and rolling my shoulders. I dropped to the ground and began to perform some pushups. I wasn't going to sit around on my ass and let Tifa train by herself. I still had to stay in shape, after all!

My eyes drifted up towards the moonlit sky, and I felt my thoughts wander. Was I ready for this? Could I be a Trainer? Rise to be one of the greats? There were monsters like Ash, Alain, and even Sawyer that would be participating in the Gym Challenge, and not to mention, Team Flare was working on their own goals in the background.

There were too many things to account for... and I couldn't make contingencies for all of them. That was a time I didn't have. I needed to get all 8 badges in under a year to qualify for the League. So I couldn't waste my time worrying about that stuff.

...

I dunno if I'll be prepared for what's going to happen. I'll just have to get strong enough to handle whatever comes my way. So strong that not even monsters like Lysandre could scare me.

I smiled. Yeah... that settles things. I'll just have to become an absolute monster like the others and rise to the top. And with the stuff I know?

That should be a piece of cake.

Guess who's BACK?! IT'S 'YA BOY!

So~ the plan to get this story to 1k follows and favorites for the end of the year was botched. And that was mostly in part to me losing access to not only my internet, but my account. So for a while, I was gone without it. But I got both now!

So when I came back, I looked through my old stories, and this one, and hoo... boy. Basically, I decided to rewrite the chapters to a certain quality Iiked. It's mostly polishing up grammar, condensing some chapters to make them longer, and outright adding new scenes in some cases. So I hope you like that!

Won't give an estimated date on any new chapters, just know that I'm BACK, baby!

I'll rerelease the other chapters as I reedit the rest lol.