Chapter 2

Bidding farewell to Drandon, I found myself wandering aimlessly through Viridian City, my mind racing.

Shadow Arceus… the 100th floor… life and death…

The weight of it all pressed against my chest, but more than fear, I felt something else—determination. If this was truly a game of survival, then I had only one goal: win.

A sudden notification blinked in the corner of my vision.

[New Message: 1 Unread]

A red exclamation mark pulsed beside it. My heart pounded as I opened the message.

It was from Ray—one of the game's developers.

Ash,

If you're reading this, then you already know—the game has been hijacked by a rogue program called Eclipse Virus.

We… have no control over Pokémon World Online anymore. The system has been completely locked down. None of us on the outside can stop it.

Thanks to Professor Oak and your mother, we were able to locate your body. You are currently resting in Professor Oak's Lab, and I will be staying here to monitor your vitals and the game's conditions.

Ash, listen carefully. There's only one way to stop this: you must defeat Arceus on the 100th floor.

I know you can do it. The world is counting on you.

I clenched my fist.

So that's it, huh?

If the outside world couldn't save us, then we had to save ourselves.

And I wasn't about to lose.

Ray's message lingered in my mind. If I wanted to reach the 100th floor, I had to clear each floor's boss. That meant understanding the map.

I opened my world map, scanning the layout of Floor 1. Unlike the real Kanto, only a portion of it was available:

Pallet Town Route 1 Route 22 Viridian City

Everything else was either locked or labeled in red. Some areas had skull icons, while others were just blank spaces.

I clicked on the red zones.

Caution: The Wild Zone
"Areas where Pokémon behave aggressively. Trainers entering should be prepared for battle."

Unstable Data Fields
"Locations still under development. Requires special items to unlock."

I frowned. This wasn't like any Pokémon game I'd played before. A Wild Zone? That didn't exist in normal routes. And the Unstable Data Fields… did that mean parts of Kanto hadn't been fully created yet?

Curious, I decided to check out the Wild Zone for myself. Maybe there were strong Pokémon I could catch.

Big mistake.

The moment I stepped in, the air felt different—heavier. Grass rustled violently, and before I could react, a Nidoran lunged at me, its horn glowing purple.

Poison Sting!

I barely dodged, but the attack scraped my arm. A sharp sting shot through me, and my vision flickered with a new notification:

[HP -2]
[Poisoned! Status Effect Applied]

I stumbled back, reaching into my bag. Thankfully, I had Antidotes from my starter pack. Using one, the poison faded, but the pain still lingered.

I exhaled. So HP loss really hurts.

This wasn't just a game anymore.

This was survival.

The Wild Zone had been a rough lesson, but it wasn't all bad.

Battling against wild Pokémon, dodging their attacks, and learning how to adapt was making me stronger. Froakie had finally learned Quick Attack, making battles faster and smoother. Meanwhile, Pidgey's Sand Attack turned out to be a lifesaver, lowering accuracy and giving me time to land crucial hits or escape.

By the time I finished grinding, my team had grown to six:

Froakie (my starter) Pidgey (a great evader) Rattata (quick and aggressive) Spearow (for extra aerial power) Nidoran (powerful poison attacks) Nidoran (good balance of attack and defense)

With a full party, I finally felt prepared for what was ahead.

That's when I stumbled upon Professor Oak's Quest.

Apparently, if trainers completed a certain number of tasks, Oak would reward them with a Kanto starter—Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. It sounded like a dream come true.

But when I checked my completed quests… I didn't have enough.

"Guess I'll have to work for it," I muttered, closing the quest log.

Meanwhile, Viridian City had started to change.

Trainers—people trapped in the game just like me—were adapting. Some had started exchanging items, while others went a step further, setting up stores to sell Poké Balls, healing items, and even food.

A guy with the username Martel waved me over. "Need Potions? I'm selling them cheap!"

It was strange. This wasn't just a game anymore… it was becoming a real society.

And if we were going to survive, we'd need all the help we could get.

After a long day of battling, exploring, and adjusting to this twisted version of Kanto, I decided to check out the Pokémon Center.

A woman at the counter—probably an NPC Nurse Joy—smiled warmly. "Would you like to book a room for the night?"

I hesitated for a second before nodding. Resting sounded like a good idea.

[You have booked a Pokémon Center room. Free for all trainers.]

A small jingle played as the system automatically assigned me a room. The doors slid open, revealing a simple but cozy space—a bed, a desk, a small bathroom, and a storage unit for items.

Curious, I walked into the bathroom and turned the faucet on. Water gushed out, crystal clear.

I hesitantly placed my hand under it.

I felt it.

Cold. Wet. Just like real water.

A shiver ran through me. The game's immersion system wasn't just for sight and sound—it simulated everything. Touch, taste, temperature… even the sensation of being wet.

"This is insane…" I muttered.

After a quick shower, I changed into the simple sleepwear provided and headed downstairs. Some players were gathered in the Pokémon Center's café, chatting and eating food.

The smell of fresh bread and stew hit my nose.

My stomach rumbled.

"Guess food works here too," I mumbled, ordering a bowl of soup.

The moment I took a sip, my eyes widened.

It tasted real.

Savory, warm, comforting. But it didn't make sense—none of this was real.

Yet somehow, my brain believed it was.

I sighed, staring at my spoon.

If the game could perfectly mimic real life, how long until we all started forgetting what was real and what wasn't?

I was still trying to wrap my head around how real everything felt when a soft voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Um… excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?"

I froze.

I knew that voice.

Slowly, I turned around, my heart pounding.

Standing there, holding a tray with a small bowl of soup, was a blonde-haired girl in a white dress. Her emerald-green eyes blinked in surprise as she stared at me.

Lillie.

My breath caught in my throat. "L-Lillie?"

Her eyes widened, and she gasped. "Ash?"

For a moment, we just stared at each other, completely stunned. Out of all the people in this world, I never expected to see her here.

She sat down across from me, her hands clutching her spoon tightly. "I… I can't believe it's really you."

I nodded, still trying to process everything. "Same here. What are you doing here, Lillie?"

She sighed. "The Aether Paradise received copies of the game too… I was curious, so I decided to try it." Her expression darkened, her fingers trembling. "But then the Shadow Arceus appeared, and now… now we're trapped."

Her voice wavered. "It's terrifying, Ash. I don't want to be here."

She looked up at me, searching my face.

"Aren't you scared too?"

I exhaled, setting my spoon down. "Yeah, Lillie… it's terrifying."

She looked at me, her hands still trembling.

"But…" I gave her a small grin. "It's also exciting."

She blinked. "Exciting?"

I nodded. "I won't lie, being trapped in here is dangerous. But if we want to escape, there's only one way—defeating Shadow Arceus at the top of the 100th floor." I clenched my fists. "If that's what it takes, then I'll do it."

Lillie hesitated before nodding slowly. "I understand… but I'm still worried." She lowered her gaze. "What will Gladion think? What about Mother and Father? They must be so worried about me…"

That hit me. Lillie's family must be panicking in the real world.

I quickly pulled up my menu and sent a message to Ray.

Ash:
Lillie from Aether Paradise is here. Can you contact the Aether Foundation and let them know she's safe?

It didn't take long for a reply.

Ray:
Already on it. Lusamine and Mohn have been informed. They're moving Lillie to a secure room in Aether Paradise where there won't be disruptions. They'll also monitor her health.

I showed Lillie the message. She exhaled deeply, looking relieved. "So they know… That's a little comforting."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "See? You're not alone in this, Lillie."

She looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "…Then, Ash, if we're really doing this… I want to help."

I grinned. "Then let's survive this together."

Looking at Lillie, I remembered just how strong she really was.

Back in Alola, she had been the smartest student in the Trainer's School, always absorbing knowledge about Pokémon—battles, abilities, habitats. She had learned everything without even being a trainer at first.

But her real strength wasn't just her intelligence. It was her willpower.

She had left her comfort zone to become a Pokémon Trainer. She had stood up to Lusamine, determined to save her mother from Nihilego's grasp. And when her father, Mohn, was revealed to be missing, she and her family had traveled all the way to the Crown Tundra to search for him.

Lillie was far from weak.

"You know," I said, smiling at her, "I've always admired how strong you are."

She blinked, surprised. "Strong?"

"Yeah. You never gave up, even when things seemed impossible." I leaned forward. "That's exactly the kind of strength we need in here."

Lillie looked down, then gave a small smile. "…Thank you, Ash."

I nodded. "So, do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes," she said, setting down her spoon. "I booked Room 303 in the Pokémon Center."

I raised an eyebrow. "No way… I got Room 302!"

Her eyes widened before she chuckled. "I guess we're neighbors, then."

We finished our meal, and I stretched, sighing in satisfaction. "Man, that was good. I feel full."

Lillie nodded. "It's because the visor stimulates the brain's senses. It's not real food, but our minds can't tell the difference."

I stared at my empty bowl. This world was way too real.

But real or not, we had to survive.

After finishing our meal, Lillie and I headed back upstairs to our rooms. The Pokémon Center's dorms were simple, but they felt comfortable enough for the night.

I opened my menu and saw an option to change clothes. With a single press, my outfit switched to a plain set of pajamas.

Lillie did the same, stretching slightly in her white nightwear. "I bought these earlier from a vendor. They were cheap, but they work fine."

I chuckled. "Maybe as we climb higher floors, we'll find better gear."

She nodded. "That would make sense."

I leaned against the doorway of my room. "Tomorrow, we should start looking for the first boss."

Lillie looked at me curiously. "Do you have any clues about what it might be?"

I crossed my arms, thinking. "I have a feeling it could be a Legendary Pokémon… but at the same time, I doubt it." I glanced at her. "There aren't 100 Legendaries in existence, so they must have other bosses in between."

Lillie frowned slightly. "Then… what else could they be?"

I sighed. "Guess we'll find out soon enough."

With that, we both returned to our rooms, ready for whatever challenges awaited us.

Here is the second chapter, and you can see that we have Lillie into the game and I hope you like it. The next chapter will be the first boss.