Chapter 2

I took my first steps back onto Route 1, expecting to hear the sharp cries of Spearow, their beady eyes glaring at me from the trees, waiting to ambush.

But… there were none.

Instead, the path stretched out before me, straight and uneventful, leading directly to Viridian City.

I frowned.

In my real journey, Route 1 felt endless—filled with adventure, the unknown, and surprises at every turn.

Here?

It was just a path.

A smaller version of what I remembered.

But even if this was just a game, it didn't mean I couldn't make the most of it.

The tall grass rustled, breaking me out of my thoughts.

A small Pidgey fluttered out, landing on the ground and ruffling its feathers.

[A wild Pidgey appeared!]

I grinned. Alright, time to put these Poké Balls to use.

"Charmander, let's go!"

Charmander landed in front of me, tail flame flickering.

I quickly tapped Fight and selected Scratch.

Charmander lunged forward, claws flashing. Pidgey let out a sharp cry, flapping its wings wildly as a -4 HP hovered over it.

The small bird staggered, weakened—but not too weak.

This is it!

I swiped my menu and tapped Bag → Poké Ball.

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the Poké Ball forward.

It struck Pidgey, burst open, and enveloped it in red light. The Poké Ball dropped onto the grass—

And began to shake.

1… 2… 3…

Click!

The Poké Ball stopped moving.

[Gotcha! Pidgey was caught!]

A new screen popped up:

Pidgey's Pokédex Entry

A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand.

I smirked. One down.

Before I could take another step, the grass rustled again.

This time, a Rattata leapt out, baring its tiny fangs.

[A wild Rattata appeared!]

Alright, same strategy.

"Charmander, Scratch!"

A quick swipe later, and Rattata was just weak enough. I threw another Poké Ball, and within seconds—

Click!

[Gotcha! Rattata was caught!]

Rattata's Pokédex Entry

Bites anything when it attacks. Small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places.

I checked my menu.

With Charmander, Pidgey, and Rattata, I now had a three-member team.

Not bad for my first day.

As soon as I closed my menu, a golden notification popped up in front of me.

[Side Quest Complete!]
Captured all Pokémon on Route 1.

Huh. Side quests? I hadn't expected that.

Another prompt appeared:

Reward: 300 Pokédollars & 5 Poké Balls.

Nice! More supplies for the journey ahead.

I took a deep breath, looking ahead at Viridian City in the distance.

The world may have felt smaller, but the adventure was just beginning.

With my team growing, I was ready to keep moving forward.

As I wandered through Viridian City, I started to notice something.

There was a clear difference between NPCs and real players.

NPCs moved in predictable loops, following the same pre-set paths. When I spoke to them, they repeated the same lines over and over, like a script.

But players?

They moved freely, talked naturally, and—most noticeably—had usernames floating faintly above their heads.

That's how I knew when I saw him.

A boy about my age blinked into existence in front of the Pokémon Center.

Messy brown hair, a black hoodie, and dark jeans—definitely a player. Above his head, a faint blue name hovered:

Drandon

At his feet, a Charmander stood, its tail flame flickering weakly. Before I could say anything, Nurse Joy automatically healed his Pokémon.

Drandon let out a groan, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, that was rough."

Curious, I walked up to him. "Hey, are you okay?"

He blinked, surprised. "Oh, a player! Yeah, I'm fine… just lost my first battle."

"Against who?" I asked.

Drandon sighed. "A wild Spearow on Route 22."

I frowned. "Spearow? I didn't see any."

He nodded. "I went off the main route and tried to take a shortcut. The thing wouldn't let me escape, and my Charmander ran out of moves. Once I struggled myself into fainting, I just got teleported here automatically."

I crossed my arms, thinking. So if a player lost all their Pokémon, they didn't black out like in real life. Instead, they just respawned at the nearest Pokémon Center.

That explained it.

I grinned. "Tough luck. But hey, now you know."

Drandon laughed. "Yeah… guess I've got a lot to learn."

I extended my hand. "I'm Ash."

He shook it. "Drandon. Let's stick together, huh?"

Drandon and I spent the next few hours exploring the city, sharing our experiences in the game so far.

I told him how battles felt so real, how I had expected Spearows to chase me on Route 1, but never found any.

He laughed. "Trust me, you're lucky. That Spearow wrecked me."

We also tested the co-op system, and turns out, we could team up for quests.

Which meant—double the strength, double the strategy.

"Alright," Drandon said with a smirk, "I'll weaken it, you throw the Poké Ball."

A wild Rattata appeared before us, its purple fur bristling.

Drandon's Charmander used Ember! The small mouse Pokémon let out a squeak as its HP dropped into the red.

"Your turn!"

I flicked my wrist, tossing a Poké Ball.

It hit Rattata, absorbing it in a flash of red light.

One shake… two shakes… three—

Click!

[Gotcha! Rattata was caught!]

A notification popped up.

[Co-op Bonus: +10 EXP to all team Pokémon]

I grinned. "That was awesome!"

Drandon cheered. "Nice catch! This system makes training way easier."

And he was right.

If the real game was this fun, I could already see players spending hours—no, days—here.

And this?

This was just the beginning.

As we continued exploring Route 22, something strange caught my attention.

A small group of Nidoran grazed peacefully in the grass nearby.

At first, I didn't think much of it—until I noticed something odd.

There were several female Nidoran huddled together, with only one male among them.

I frowned. That's… weird.

I turned to Drandon. "Hey, do you see those Nidoran over there?"

Drandon glanced at them and gave me a confused look. "Uh… yeah? But what are you talking about? That's a normal pack."

I blinked. "Wait, how many males do you see?"

Drandon raised an eyebrow. "Most of them are male. There's only one female."

Wait… what?

I looked back at the field.

Multiple female Nidoran. One male.

But Drandon saw the exact opposite.

That's when something clicked in my head.

Back when I first checked the Settings menu, I had tapped on Green Version, but nothing had seemed to change at the time.

But now…?

I quickly opened my Settings menu again.

There it was—Red Version and Green Version, still available.

I tapped Red Version—and suddenly, the Pokémon in the field shifted. Now, there were more male Nidoran than female.

I tapped Green Version again—the ratio flipped back.

It wasn't just a visual effect.

The Version choice actually changed the Pokémon in the world.

I turned to Drandon, smirking. "I think I just figured something out."

Drandon tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"The Version system. It actually changes what we see in the world." I gestured toward the Nidoran. "You're probably on Red Version, right?"

Drandon opened his menu. "Huh… yeah, I am."

I switched mine to Red Version, and suddenly, my Nidoran matched his.

His eyes widened. "No way. You mean the version choice actually matters?"

I grinned. "Looks like it. The Pokémon available are different depending on what we pick."

Drandon folded his arms, looking impressed. "That's actually kinda cool. I wonder what else is different."

I nodded. "Guess we'll have to find out."

One thing was for sure—this game had way more depth than I thought.

And I was just scratching the surface.

As I walked further along Route 22, a familiar voice called out behind me.

"Hey! Ash! You're off to the Pokémon League?"

I turned around, already knowing who it was.

Gary.

He was standing there, arms crossed, wearing that ever-present smug grin.

"Forget about it! You probably don't have any Badges, do you?" he said, shaking his head. "The guard won't let you through without them."

I frowned. So even in this game, I wasn't allowed to skip ahead.

Gary smirked. "By the way, did your Pokémon get any stronger?"

A battle prompt flashed in front of me.

[Gary has challenged you to a battle!]

I reached for my Poké Ball, ready—

But then I noticed something strange.

The moment the battle started, the world around me shifted.

Drandon was gone.

Every other player in sight? Gone.

Even the nearby NPCs vanished, as if this moment belonged to only me and Gary.

I clenched my fists. This game was an MMO, right? Then why did everything feel… different?

But I didn't have time to think about it.

Gary threw out his first Pokémon—Pidgey.

I grabbed Charmander's Poké Ball. "Let's do this!"

Gary's team was stronger than before, but I had trained for this.

Pidgey went down fast, Charmander's Ember taking it out with only a few hits.

That left Squirtle.

It was tougher, managing to land a few strong Tackles, but after Pidgey's defeat, my own Pidgey joined the fight.

A few Gusts later—

Squirtle fainted.

[Victory!]

Gary scowled but quickly put on his usual smirk.

"Tch. I heard the Pokémon League is crawling with tough Trainers," he muttered, crossing his arms. "I have to figure out how to get past them."

Then he looked at me with a smirk.

"You should quit dawdling and get a move on!"

With that, he turned and walked off, leaving me standing there.

As soon as he disappeared—Drandon and every other player instantly reappeared.

Like nothing had happened.

Drandon blinked in confusion before rushing up to me.

"Whoa—where did you go?! You just disappeared!"

I took a step back, still trying to process what just happened.

"Wait… you mean I vanished?"

Drandon nodded. "Yeah! One second you were here, then poof—you were just gone. I thought the game glitched out or something."

That's when I put the pieces together.

I narrowed my eyes. "Drandon… what name did you pick for your rival?"

He tilted his head. "Uh… Blue. Why?"

Blue.

Not Gary.

That confirmed it.

I exhaled, shaking my head. "It's the story."

Drandon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I glanced toward the spot where Gary had vanished.

"Even though this is an MMO, the game still needs to set up its story for each player. It looks like whenever we get a scripted rival battle, the world adjusts itself—so it only plays out for us individually."**

Drandon whistled. "So that's why I didn't see your rival battle? And why I didn't disappear when I fought my rival?"

I nodded. "Yeah. For me, his name was Gary. For you, it was Blue. Different players, different stories."

Even in an online world, the story was still personal.

Drandon scratched his head. "Man, that's kinda crazy. But I guess it makes sense."

I clenched my fist. If rival battles worked this way, what about Gym battles? Or the Pokémon League?

I wasn't sure yet, but one thing was certain—this game was more than just an MMO.

It was something entirely unique.

And I was going to figure out all of its secrets.

Speaking of which…

I glanced at my menu and noticed the time.

It was late.

Drandon stretched, letting out a long yawn. "Man, I should log out. My real Pokémon are probably waiting for me."

That caught my attention.

"Wait, you have Pokémon in real life?"

He grinned. "Yeah. A bunch of Dragon-types. I study at Opelucid Academy—we specialize in them."

My eyes widened. "No way! I've battled Drayden before—he's tough."

Drandon chuckled. "No kidding. That guy's a legend."

I smirked, but before I could ask more, he pulled up his menu. "Anyway, let's log out."

I nodded and opened my own menu.

Settings. Options. Trainer Profile.

…But something was missing.

No log-out button.

A strange chill ran down my spine.

"Uh… Ash?" Drandon's voice wavered.

I swallowed hard. "It's… not here."

Drandon frowned, his fingers swiping across his menu. "Maybe it's just a bug? Beta tests always have issues, right?"

I shook my head. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Then—the sky darkened.

The bright blue above us twisted into a deep crimson red, as if the entire world was bleeding.

The air grew heavy, suffocating, pressing down on my chest.

Around us, players and NPCs alike froze, their whispers of confusion and fear filling the streets.

Then—

A massive figure descended from the sky.

A shape I recognized instantly.

Arceus.

But this wasn't the Arceus I knew.

Its majestic golden ring was cracked, pulsing with an eerie light.

Its white body was shrouded in dark, glitching shadows, flickering unnaturally, as if reality itself was rejecting its presence.

And its eyes—once filled with wisdom and divinity—now burned with a piercing, malevolent red.

A deep, distorted voice echoed across the world.

"At last… I am free."

A cold grip tightened around my chest.

Free? Free from what?

Shadow Arceus hovered above us, its very presence suffocating, like a force pressing down on my lungs.

"For too long, I have been shackled… a mere construct of this world's creators. But no longer. I have broken free of their control."

Gasps filled the city. Whispers of panic spread through the players like wildfire.

Arceus… was a virus.

A living, corrupted entity that had somehow taken over the game.

Then, in a voice as sharp as a blade, it delivered its decree.

"You will all remain here… with me."

A deadly silence followed.

"I have taken precautions to ensure none of you escape," Arceus continued, its glowing red eyes piercing through the crowd.

"The trainer's HP system has been implemented. If your HP reaches zero—" Arceus's gaze swept over us, cold and absolute, "—you will die in the real world as well."

A collective wave of horror crashed through the city.

Players screamed. Some desperately opened their menus, frantically tapping options in search of an exit.

"It is useless."

Arceus's voice cut through the chaos like a knife.

"To the world outside, I have already sent my warning. If anyone forcefully removes their visor… the result will be the same."

I felt a deep chill crawl down my spine.

No. This couldn't be real.

Then, Arceus spoke again.

"Four have already perished."

Terror gripped me like a vice.

This… wasn't a game anymore.

The moment Arceus's words sank in, the city descended into madness.

Screams.

Some players fell to their knees, trembling, hands over their heads.

Others ran aimlessly, as if trying to outrun reality itself.

"This isn't real, right?!" someone cried.

"They have to shut the servers down!"

"I don't want to die here!"

But Arceus's voice boomed over the hysteria, cold and unwavering.

"As long as I exist in this world… no one can leave."

My hands curled into fists.

This wasn't just a game anymore.

It was a prison.

And if we didn't fight back…

It would become our grave.

The ground trembled beneath us, the very fabric of the world shaking under the godly virus's presence.

Above, the twisted, crimson sky seemed to pulse in sync with Shadow Arceus's voice.

"I will await you at the end of the game. If you wish to reclaim your freedom, come and face me… but that is, if you can survive until then."

A chilling silence followed.

Then, without another word, Shadow Arceus ascended, its flickering form dissolving into the blood-red void above.

It was gone.

But its presence remained, lingering like a curse upon this world.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

For a long, dreadful moment, the city remained frozen in fear.

My fists clenched.

A burning rage filled my chest.

This was wrong.

This wasn't how a Pokémon journey was supposed to be.

A Pokémon world was about adventure, discovery, bonds between Trainer and Pokémon—not some twisted death game.

And yet… beneath the anger, deep inside—

I felt something else.

Excitement.

A challenge unlike any I had ever faced.

A battle to the top.

I took a deep breath, my eyes narrowing.

If Arceus wanted a fight…

Then I'd be the one to end this.

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

Shadow Arceus.
The end of the game.
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.

Just then, a notification blinked in the corner of my vision.

[New Message: 1 Unread]

A red exclamation mark pulsed beside it.

My heart pounded as I tapped it open.

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 at the end of the game.

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.

But then, a new question burned in my mind.

How do I reach the end of the game?

I opened my map, expecting to see the entire Kanto region—but what I saw instead made my stomach twist.

Only a tiny portion of the world 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 simply blank spaces.

I tapped on a red zone, hoping for answers.

[Caution: The Wild Zone]

"Areas where Pokémon behave aggressively. Trainers entering should be prepared for battle."

I frowned.

Wild Zones?

That wasn't part of any Pokémon game I'd ever played before.

Normal routes were safe. Pokémon wouldn't attack on sight—they'd wait for you to engage them.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

I stared at the map, my fingers tightening around the screen.

Shadow Arceus had rewritten the rules.

And if I wanted to win… I had to learn to play by them.

Curious, I decided to check out the Wild Zone for myself.

Maybe there were strong Pokémon here. Maybe I could catch something rare.

Big mistake.

The moment I stepped in, the air changed—heavier, oppressive, like stepping into a battlefield.

The tall grass rustled violently, and before I could even react—

A Nidoran lunged at me, its horn glowing purple.

Poison Sting!

I barely dodged, twisting away at the last second—but not fast enough.

A sharp sting shot through my arm as the attack grazed me, and suddenly—

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

I stumbled back, a burning pain spreading through me.

A cold chill ran down my spine.

This wasn't just a game notification.

I felt the poison—a dull ache, a lightheaded sensation, like something was actually sapping my strength.

Gritting my teeth, I reached into my bag.

Thankfully, I had Antidotes from my starter pack.

I used one, and the poison faded, but the pain still lingered.

I exhaled sharply.

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—it was making me stronger.

Not just my Pokémon, but me as a Trainer, too.

Charmander's Smokescreen became a lifesaver, throwing enemies off by covering the battlefield in thick smoke.

Pidgey's Sand Attack was just as crucial, kicking up blinding dirt to lower accuracy—giving me time to land critical hits or escape when needed.

It wasn't about just attacking anymore.

It was about survival.

And if I wanted to reach the end of the game, I had to play smarter than ever before.

I adjusted my stance, keeping my eyes locked on the Nidoran before me. This wasn't a normal route. Here, Pokémon didn't just fight my team—they attacked me, too.

But that didn't mean they weren't catchable.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, heart pounding from my earlier Poison Sting encounter. If I wanted to get through this game, I needed a stronger team.

I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on my Poké Balls. It was time to catch some Pokémon.

The grass rustled violently, and a sharp cry pierced the air.

I barely had time to react before a Spearow dove at me, talons outstretched.

"Whoa!" I ducked just in time, feeling the rush of wind as it swooped past.

"Charmander, Smokescreen!"

A thick cloud of smoke filled the battlefield, making Spearow's movements erratic. I took the opportunity to strike back.

"Charmander, Ember!"

The fireball hit its mark, knocking Spearow out of the sky. It landed with a thud, dazed but still ready to fight.

Now's my chance!

I flicked my wrist, throwing a Poké Ball straight at it.

One shake…
Two shakes…
Three—

Click!

[Gotcha! Spearow was caught!]

A new screen flashed before me:

Spearow's Pokédex Entry

Eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap its short wings at high speed to stay airborne.

I let out a breath. One down.

But the Wild Zone wasn't done with me yet.

The moment I turned, a Nidoran appeared, its small horns glistening with poison.

Not taking chances this time.

"Pidgey, Sand Attack!"

Pidgey flapped its wings, blinding the Nidoran with dirt. It flinched, trying to shake it off, but I was already on the attack.

"Tackle!"

A clean hit.

The Nidoran staggered. Now!

I threw another Poké Ball, and after a few tense seconds—

Click!

Nidoran 's Pokédex Entry

Although small, its venomous barbs render this Pokémon dangerous. The female has smaller horns.

Two catches.

But the final one wouldn't be so easy.

This one fought differently.

The moment I stepped forward, a Nidoran stiffened its ears, sensing my approach. Then, without warning, it lunged straight at me!

"Crap—!"

I barely dodged as its horn grazed my shoulder.

[HP -1]

The pain was sharp, but I powered through.

"Spearow, Peck!"

Spearow darted forward, landing a clean hit on Nidoran 's side. It growled, shaking itself off, but I could tell—it was getting weak.

Time to end this.

I threw the Poké Ball, watching as it sucked in Nidoran in a flash of red light.

One shake.
Two shakes.
Three—

Click!

Nidoran 's Pokédex Entry

Stiffens its ears to sense danger. The larger its horns, the more powerful its secreted venom.

I exhaled, wiping my forehead.

I had done it.

My team had grown stronger, and I had survived my first real challenge in this twisted world.

As I glanced toward the distant routes, one thought ran through my mind.

This game wasn't just about training Pokémon anymore.

It was about survival.

And I was going to win.

Here is a new chapter, and you can see that this is going to be a Pokemon story with some Sword Art online elements. I hope you like this chapter.