Chapter 4

Lillie and I made our way back to Viridian City, the echoes of our victory over Gyarados still lingering in my mind.

Despite the tension, the battle had proven one thing—we could fight. We could win.

But something wasn't right.

As we walked, I opened my Trainer Menu, checking Nidoran's stats.

Nidoran – Level 10
Bulbasaur – Level 10

Lillie glanced at her own screen. "That's strange… Bulbasaur didn't gain any EXP after the last battle."

I frowned. "Nidoran didn't either."

Something was wrong. Normally, a boss battle like that should've given us tons of experience. But instead—our Pokémon had stopped leveling up.

I tapped on the EXP bar, trying to figure out what was happening. A system message popped up.

[Level Cap Reached: Trainers must fulfill a special condition to continue leveling Pokémon.]

I clenched my jaw. "A level cap?"

Lillie's eyes widened. "Does this mean we're stuck at Level 10 until we figure out how to remove it?"

I nodded, my mind racing. "Yeah… and I have a bad feeling this isn't going to be easy."

She sighed, deep in thought. "Then before we leave Viridian City, we should find out what that condition is."

I smirked. "Agreed. Time to investigate."

Something was stopping our growth.

And we needed to break through.

Lillie and I approached the Viridian Forest gate, hoping that this time, we'd be able to pass through.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward—

The moment my foot crossed the threshold, the world lit up.

A blinding glow surrounded us, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut.

"Ash?!" Lillie called out, her voice distant, almost echoing.

Before I could respond, the light swallowed everything.

Then—

A new scene appeared.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in an empty white void.

A figure stood in front of me.

My stomach dropped.

Professor Oak.

He smiled warmly, as if we'd never met before.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Professor Oak. But everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor."

I frowned. Wait… what?

"Before we go any further, I'd like to tell you a few things you should know about this world!"

I glanced at Lillie, who stood beside me, looking just as confused as I was.

"This world is widely inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. We humans live alongside Pokémon as friends. At times we play together, and at other times we work together. Some people use their Pokémon to battle and develop closer bonds with them."

I gritted my teeth. "This is the same introduction as before…"

Lillie's eyes darted around. "Is this… a bug?"

"Now, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?" Oak continued, completely unfazed by our reactions.

"Are you a boy? Or are you a girl? Won't you please tell me?"

I clenched my fists. "I already did this."

"So, you're a boy/girl then?"

"Please tell me your name."

I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what was happening. Why was this happening again?

"Your name is Ash?"

I glanced at my hands. I was still me. My Trainer ID hadn't changed.

Then why was it acting like I was starting over?

Oak smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Ash! Are you ready? Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. Fun experiences, difficult experiences, there's so much waiting for you! Dreams! Adventure! Let's go to the world of Pokémon! I'll see you later!"

And with that, the light flashed once more—

And we were thrown back into the game.

The light flashed once more—

And the next thing I knew, I wasn't in Viridian City anymore.

I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I was lying in a bed, a familiar setting… but something was off.

The furniture was different. The room felt smaller. The layout wasn't my house in Pallet Town.

I sat up quickly, my heart pounding.

Lillie stirred beside me, groaning softly. "Ugh… what just happened…?"

I turned to her, eyes wide. "Lillie?"

She rubbed her eyes and looked around, her expression shifting from confusion to shock.

"Wait… where are we?"

I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, heading to the window. The moment I looked outside, my stomach dropped.

This wasn't Pallet Town.

This was New Bark Town.

I clenched my fists. "No way… We were just in Kanto! Why are we in Johto?!"

Lillie gasped, running to my side. Her eyes widened as she took in the familiar blue-roofed houses, the windmill spinning in the distance, and the open path leading toward Route 29.

"Ash… did we just… restart in another region?"

My head was spinning. This made no sense.

We were about to enter Viridian Forest, and suddenly, we got thrown into Professor Oak's introduction again—and now, we were in an entirely different region.

I pulled up my menu, searching for answers.

My Pokémon… were still the same. Nidoran and the others were still with me.

Lillie checked her own menu. "Bulbasaur is still here too. Our levels didn't reset."

That meant this wasn't a hard reset.

Then why were we here?

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think.

"This must be part of the game's mechanics." I reasoned. "Ray told me there were 10 bosses per region. Maybe we're supposed to go through multiple regions to reach Arceus."

Lillie frowned. "But why transport us like this without warning? And why another character introduction from Professor Oak?"

I had no idea. But one thing was certain—this game was hiding more than we thought.

I clenched my fists.

We needed answers.

And the only place to start… was Professor Elm's Lab.

"Come on, Lillie." I turned toward the door. "We need to figure out what's going on."

Lillie and I exchanged uneasy glances before making our way downstairs.

If we were in New Bark Town, then we had to see if the NPCs recognized us—or if this world was treating us as completely new trainers.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, a familiar woman sat at the table, humming softly.

"Oh, Ash! There you are!" she greeted warmly as she turned toward me. "Lyra was just here, playing hide-and-seek with her Marill!"

I stiffened. Lyra?

That confirmed it—this wasn't just a town change. The game's story was forcing us into Johto's role.

I glanced at Lillie, and her reaction told me she was going through the same thing.

Her own "Mom" smiled at her. "Ethan was just here earlier! He and Marill were playing around."

Lillie bit her lip. "Ethan… so the game is assigning us new roles?"

Before we could say anything, "Mom" clapped her hands together.

"Oh! That reminds me! Professor Elm has been looking for you. He has a favor to ask!"

I tensed. The storyline was forcing us forward.

"His lab is right next door," she continued cheerfully. "You should go see him right away!"

Then, just like in every Pokémon game, she handed me a Bag and Trainer Card, while Lillie received the same items.

As I equipped them, I exhaled slowly.

This was happening.

Stepping outside, New Bark Town felt eerily normal, as if we had always been here.

The windmill spun lazily in the distance. The smell of fresh grass filled the air. A few NPCs walked by, greeting us with the usual pre-programmed lines.

But something stood out.

Near Professor Elm's Lab, a young man with red hair stood by the side window, peering inside.

My eyes narrowed. Silver.

I approached him, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Hey, what are you—"

WHAM.

Before I could finish, he suddenly shoved me backward with surprising force, sending me stumbling a few steps.

"Tch. Get lost."

Then, without another word, he turned back to the window, completely ignoring me.

I clenched my jaw. So he wasn't just a background NPC—he reacted to me.

Lillie frowned. "That was… aggressive. What's he looking at?"

I dusted myself off. "I don't know. But we'll find out soon."

Taking a deep breath, we stepped toward Professor Elm's Lab.

Whatever this game was doing, it wasn't just changing regions.

It was rewriting the rules of reality itself.

As we stepped into Professor Elm's Lab, the familiar sight of bookshelves stacked high, computers humming softly, and scientific instruments scattered across the room greeted us.

Professor Elm, a tall, slightly frantic-looking man, turned toward us the moment we entered.

His eyes lit up.

"Hi, Ash/Lillie! I've been waiting for you!"

Lillie and I exchanged glances.

So, the game is treating us like we're the protagonist now…

Elm continued, oblivious to our confusion.

"Do you know anything about my research?" he asked, adjusting his glasses. "As you know, Pokémon are carried in Poké Balls these days. But before the Poké Ball was invented, people used to walk with Pokémon. Just like your friend Ethan/Lyra does!"

I nodded slowly, already knowing where this was going.

"Poké Balls are great because they allow Trainers to carry many Pokémon. But walking with Pokémon must have some advantages."

His expression turned thoughtful.

"It could have something to do with how Pokémon grow or evolve… So I'm going to give you a Pokémon!"

Lillie's eyes widened. "Another starter…?"

I folded my arms, listening carefully.

"Can you walk beside this Pokémon, outside of its Poké Ball, to see if this brings any special feelings or bonds between Pokémon and people?"

He gestured toward the device at the far end of the lab.

"The Pokémon are inside that machine. You can choose one."

I took a step forward—but then, Elm suddenly perked up.

"Oh, hey! I got an email!"

He turned toward his computer screen, reading through the message quickly.

"...Hm... Uh-huh... OK..."

His brows furrowed, and his tone became more serious.

"Hey, listen. I have this acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries."

Lillie blinked. "Mr. Pokémon?"

I nodded. "He's an expert on rare finds—especially Pokémon Eggs."

Elm exhaled.

"Anyway, I just got an email from him saying that this time it's real. It's probably another Pokémon Egg, but we're still so busy with our Pokémon research..."

His gaze shifted toward us, a realization hitting him.

"Wait! I know!"

He clapped his hands together excitedly.

"You can go in our place, right? Can we count on you?"

Before I could respond, he gestured back toward the Pokémon machine.

"You can choose one of the Pokémon over there."

Lillie and I exchanged glances.

The game was forcing us down Johto's storyline, but at least we were getting another Pokémon out of it.

I took a deep breath, stepping toward the machine.

Time to choose our next partner.

I stared at the three Poké Balls resting in the machine.

Chikorita.
Cyndaquil.
Totodile.

Normally, I would have thought carefully about which one to pick, but the moment I saw Chikorita, something clicked inside me.

I reached out and picked up the Poké Ball, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia wash over me.

This felt right.

I had traveled with a Chikorita before—no, not just any Chikorita. My Bayleef.

A smile tugged at my lips as I released the Pokémon in a burst of white light.

"Chiko!" The small Grass-type looked up at me with bright, eager eyes.

Lillie stood beside me, holding her own Poké Ball.

"Then… I'll go with Cyndaquil."

She released her Pokémon as well, and the small Fire-type let out a tiny squeak, fire flickering on its back as it curled up slightly.

Lillie smiled. "It reminds me of the Pokémon in Alola… so warm."

I grinned. "Seems like we both picked Pokémon that feel familiar."

Professor Elm clapped his hands together, beaming.

"How do you like walking with your Pokémon?" Elm asked, watching as Chikorita nuzzled against my leg. "It's not bad, is it?"

I chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. It feels… right."

Elm smiled. "Good! You can take it all the way to Mr. Pokémon's house. If your Pokémon gets hurt, you should heal it with this machine."

He gestured toward the PC on his desk.

"It's so easy to use. Just check the PC, and it will restore your Pokémon to full health!"

Lillie tilted her head. "Mr. Pokémon… he studies rare Pokémon and artifacts, right?"

Elm nodded. "Exactly! He goes everywhere and finds rarities. His house is past Cherrygrove City. Once you reach Cherrygrove, just go north a little, and you'll find him."

Then, he gave us an encouraging look.

"I'm counting on you, Ash! Lillie!"

Lillie and I exchanged glances.

This wasn't the region we expected to travel through, but it seemed like our journey was continuing—whether we wanted it to or not.

As we stepped out of Professor Elm's Lab, one of his aides rushed over before we could take another step.

"Oh! Before you go—take these!"

A small notification appeared on my screen as he handed me a small bag of supplies.

[Obtained 5 Potions!]

I nodded in thanks, storing them away. "Appreciate it."

Lillie did the same, glancing at her Cyndaquil, who was curiously sniffing at the items. "This will definitely come in handy."

I had a feeling we'd need them sooner rather than later.

The moment we stepped into New Bark Town's fresh air, we spotted Lyra (Ethan for Lillie) standing nearby, her Marill bouncing excitedly beside her.

She waved energetically.

"Ash! So you picked… Chikorita!" she said, eyes shining. "That's a cute Pokémon you have!"

She bent down to pat Chikorita's head, making my new partner chirp in delight.

Lillie shifted beside me as Ethan turned to her.

"Lillie! You got Cyndaquil? That's awesome!"

Lillie nodded, gently petting Cyndaquil's back. "It's really warm… I can tell it'll be a strong partner."

Lyra grinned. "When you walk with your Pokémon, it'll become more friendly! You should turn around and talk to it sometimes, too."

She clasped her hands together, then suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, that's right! Why don't you show it to your mom?"

With a playful wave, she dashed off.

"See ya!"

I glanced down at Chikorita, who tilted its head at me, as if waiting for my response.

I knelt down, patting its leaf. "Guess we better go introduce you."

Lillie nodded. "It wouldn't hurt to check in with Mom before heading out."

With that, we headed home.

Stepping back into Mom's house, she greeted us warmly the moment we entered.

"Oh, Ash! You're back! And you have a new Pokémon!"

I smiled as Chikorita hopped forward, looking proud.

"That's wonderful!" she said. "You and Chikorita are going to be great partners!"

Lillie's mom said the same about her Cyndaquil, giving her a gentle smile.

After the introductions, I explained Professor Elm's task—how we were headed to Mr. Pokémon's house to investigate a new discovery.

Mom nodded. "I see… That sounds like an important job."

Then, she suddenly clapped her hands together.

"Oh! That reminds me! Your Pokégear is back from the repair shop!"

She walked over to a nearby table and picked up a sleek, compact device, handing it to me.

A new notification appeared.

[Pokégear Unlocked!]

The Pokégear button now appeared on my Touch Screen menu, glowing slightly.

Mom smiled warmly. "The Pokégear is a handy device that every Trainer should have. It can even make phone calls!"

Lillie examined hers curiously. "A communication system… This could be really useful."

Mom continued explaining.

"To make a call, just select the Phone icon and tap on the name of a registered contact. You already have one contact saved—mine!"

I opened the Pokégear menu, seeing her name listed automatically.

[Registered Contact: Mom]

I chuckled. "Figured as much."

She gave a knowing smile. "If you ever need to hear my voice, just give me a call!"

Lillie softly smiled, but I could tell she was deep in thought.

This wasn't just any normal Pokémon journey.

We weren't sure how long we'd be trapped here.

Would the NPCs realize if we were missing for too long?

Would our real families be worried?

I shook off the thought for now.

As we stepped toward Route 29, I heard footsteps behind us.

"Ah! Wait!"

We turned to see Professor Elm jogging toward us, slightly out of breath.

"I forgot to give you something earlier!"

He fished out another device and handed it over.

[Professor Elm's Phone Number Registered!]

"There! Now you can contact me through your Pokégear!" Elm said with a smile. "If anything happens, just give me a call!"

I nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Professor."

Lillie pocketed her device, glancing toward the open route ahead.

We had our Pokémon.
We had our Pokégear.
We had our first mission.

Time to see what Johto had in store for us.

Stepping onto Route 29, the difference between Kanto and Johto was immediately noticeable.

The hilly terrain stretched far ahead, with patches of tall grass scattered across the path. Wild Pokémon could be seen rustling through the grass, while further ahead, a series of ledges made it easier for trainers heading back to New Bark Town to avoid battles.

To the north, a steep path led toward Route 46, where towering mountains loomed in the distance.

Lillie gazed at the road ahead, deep in thought.

"If the game is forcing us to follow a pattern… then maybe once we beat the Johto boss, we'll be sent to another region again."

I considered her words. "Yeah… but which one?"

She crossed her arms. "Hoenn? Sinnoh? Maybe even Alola?"

I nodded. "We don't know the order, but if Kanto led us here, anything's possible."

Lillie sighed, shaking her head. "This whole thing is strange. What if we don't even have to follow a set path? What if the game chooses randomly?"

I smirked. "Guess there's only one way to find out—keep moving forward."

As we walked, I decided to check my Pokédex for potential wild Pokémon encounters.

Lillie peered over my shoulder. "Let's see… What Pokémon are found here?"

The screen flickered for a moment before displaying a list.

Daytime Encounters:

✔ Pidgey
✔ Rattata
✔ Sentret

Nighttime Encounters:

✔ Rattata
✔ Hoothoot

I frowned. "Pidgey and Sentret disappears at night?"

Lillie pointed at the Pokédex screen. "And Hoothoot only appears after sunset…"

That wasn't too unusual, but it was the first time the game displayed a strict day-and-night cycle like this.

Lillie tilted her head. "I mean, in the real world, Pokémon behave differently depending on the time of day, but… for an MMO? That's a lot of detail."

I nodded. "It's almost like we're actually in their world."

She shivered slightly. "That's exactly what makes it terrifying."

I tapped my menu, flipping through the settings.

This time, under "Version Selection", instead of just Red and Green, there were now three choices.

✔ Gold
✔ Silver
✔ Crystal

Lillie's eyes widened. "Wait… there are three versions now?"

I raised an eyebrow. "So we're not just following a set path. The game keeps changing how many versions we can switch between."

Lillie folded her arms. "Kanto had two… and Johto has three. Does that mean Hoenn will have four?"

I frowned. "Possibly. But what changes between them?"

I selected Gold Version, and immediately, the Pokédex encounters shifted slightly.

I flipped open my menu, scrolling through the settings.

Version Selection was still there, but this time, instead of just Red and Green, there were two new options:

✔ Gold
✔ Silver

I frowned. "Gold and Silver… but nothing seems different."

Lillie peered over my shoulder. "Are you sure? Maybe it changes something later?"

I toggled between them, checking the Pokédex encounters, my Pokémon, and the route layout—but nothing shifted.

I exhaled. "Yeah. Unlike in Kanto, changing versions doesn't seem to do anything… yet."

Lillie tapped her chin. "Maybe it only matters when we reach a certain point? Or maybe it only affects later parts of Johto?"

I smirked. "Either way, the game wouldn't put an option there for no reason. We just have to figure out when it actually kicks in."

She sighed. "I just hope it doesn't throw something insane at us like last time."

I laughed. "No promises."

With no clear changes yet, we moved forward—knowing that sooner or later, the versions would come into play.

We settled into a corner of the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, away from the noise of trainers healing their Pokémon and strategizing their next moves.

The moment I opened my menu, I knew what we had to do.

"If we're going to survive," I said, scrolling through the system options, "we need a team. A group of strong trainers who can watch each other's backs."

Lillie nodded in agreement. "A guild."

I smirked. "Exactly. And I think we should call it—"

Before I could finish, Lillie beat me to it.

"The Pokémon Masters."

I blinked, then chuckled. "That… actually sounds perfect."

She smiled softly. "It suits you. You've always wanted to be a Pokémon Master, after all."

I grinned and quickly navigated to the Guild Registration screen in my menu.

[Pokémon Masters Guild Created!]

✔ Leader: Ash Ketchum
✔ Co-Leader: Lillie
✔ Members: 2

I leaned back, satisfied. "Alright, step one complete."

Lillie glanced at the screen. "Now we just need more members."

That was easier said than done.

We approached trainers in the Pokémon Center, striking up casual conversations.

Some ignored us completely. Others gave uncomfortable glances before walking away.

And then there were those who weren't subtle at all.

"Isn't that the Code Trainer?" a girl whispered as we passed.

"He let Garrett die…" another murmured.

A third scoffed. "He's using his real-life skills to cheat!"

Lillie sighed, crossing her arms. "This isn't going to be easy…"

I clenched my jaw, exhaling slowly.

I expected distrust, but I didn't expect them to act like I was the villain.

Fine.

If they didn't believe in me yet…

I'd just have to show them what I could do.

Frustration gnawed at me as we left the Pokémon Center, stepping back into the cool evening air of Cherrygrove City.

No one wanted to join our guild.

The whispers, the stares… I could ignore them for now, but deep down, I knew this wasn't just going to go away.

Lillie nudged me. "Let's focus on the mission for now. We'll figure out the guild later."

I nodded. "You're right. First stop—Mr. Pokémon's house."

We made our way toward the north exit, where Route 30 stretched beyond the city. Just as we were about to leave, a man in a brown hat and a long coat hurried over.

"Oh! Wait, wait, wait!"

I blinked as he stopped in front of us, catching his breath.

"I almost forgot to give you something important!"

He rummaged through his bag, then pulled out a small device chip.

[Obtained: Map Card!]

I glanced at Lillie, then back at the man. "Uh… thanks?"

He grinned. "That Map Card expands your Pokégear! Now you can use it as a Town Map, showing the entire Johto region. It even tracks your current location!"

Lillie tapped at her Pokégear, pulling up the new map display.

A detailed layout of Johto appeared, complete with city markers, routes, and even landmarks.

She smiled. "This will make navigating a lot easier."

I checked mine, watching as a small red dot blinked over Cherrygrove City—our current location.

"Not bad. This should help us keep track of where we're going."** I smirked. "Thanks, Guide Gent."**

The man chuckled, tipping his hat. "No problem! Safe travels!"

As he walked away, Lillie turned to me.

"Ready?"

I exhaled, pushing aside everything else on my mind.

"Yeah. Let's go."

And with that, we took our first step onto Route 30—toward whatever lay ahead.

Here is a new chapter, and you can see that we begin in Johto and I hope you like this chapter.