The wind rushed through Ash Ketchum's hair as he walked along the familiar roads of Pallet Town with Pikachu perched on his shoulder while Lucario strode beside him. The excitement of becoming the World Champion still hadn't faded from his mind. It had been months since his battle against Leon, but every day, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. He wasn't just the boy from Pallet Town anymore—he was the strongest trainer in the world.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu suddenly perked up with ears twitching.

Lucario narrowed its eyes.

Ash stopped and looked around. "What's the matter, you guys?"

The road was quiet, too quiet.

Then, from a ridge up ahead, a familiar trio made their grand entrance.

"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"

Ash groaned. "Not you guys again…"

Jessie, James, and Meowth stood atop a mechanical monstrosity—a towering robot, gleaming with reinforced steel plating. A large vacuum tube extended from its arm, already humming with power.

"That's right, twerp!" Jessie smirked, striking a pose. "Did you really think we'd stop trying to steal Pikachu just because you became a Champion?"

James laughed. "In fact, it only makes Pikachu more valuable to us!"

"Yeah! Da boss will give us a promotion fer sure!" Meowth cackled.

Ash clenched his fists. "You guys never learn, do you?"

The machine's arm shot forward, the vacuum roaring to life. Pikachu yelped as the suction force nearly pulled him in.

"Not happening! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"PIKAAAA…CHUUU!" A bolt of golden electricity arced forward, crackling with power.

The robot, however, was prepared. Its chest panel flipped open, revealing a large, circular cannon that glowed ominously. The moment Pikachu's Thunderbolt connected, the cannon fired a powerful energy blast.

Lucario reacted instantly. "Luuuca!" It launched an Aura Sphere with the glowing blue energy ball streaking through the air to meet the blast.

The two attacks collided—Thunderbolt and Aura Sphere clashing against Team Rocket's energy weapon. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Then, without warning—

BOOM!

A blinding white light exploded outward, swallowing everything.

Ash groaned as he stirred, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the leaves above. His head pounded. "Ugh… what happened?"

"Pi…ka?" Pikachu shook his head.

Lucario was already on its feet, scanning their surroundings with a serious expression.

Ash pushed himself up, taking in their new surroundings.

They weren't in Kanto anymore.

They were in a rural village. The houses, or uh wooden cabins were old and decaying. The atmosphere was very tense and things felt a little off about this village.

"W-Where are we?" Ash asked no one in particular.

A few moments later...

Ash and his Pokémon tread carefully through the eerie village. The few buildings that still stood looked abandoned with their wooden frames worn down by time.

Lucario stiffened with ears twitching. Its crimson eyes scanned the surroundings. Something definetely didn't feel right about this village.

Ash furrowed his brow. "You feel something, buddy?"

Lucario gave a slow nod.

Not a soul was in sight, making the village seem more like a ghost town. Ash approached one of the old wooden houses, raising a fist and knocking firmly on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Silence.

No answer.

He exchanged glances with Pikachu and Lucario before shrugging. "Guess we should check another—"

Lucario's head snapped towards the house. Without warning, it shoved the door open with a strong push.

"Hey! We can't just barge in like that!" Ash protested, but the Pokémon was already stepping inside. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Guess we don't have a choice now…" Crossing the threshold, they were hit by an overpowering stench. Ash gagged. "Ugh… what is that?" It was the foul, unmistakable odor of decay. Something had died here—recently.

They pressed forward, each step creaking under their weight. A sudden thudding noise echoed from deeper inside the house.

Heavy footsteps.

Floorboards groaning.

Ash swallowed hard. "Stay close, guys."

They entered what appeared to be the living room. A lone figure stood in front of the fireplace, his back to them. The man, hunched over, tossed a piece of wood into the fire, sending a burst of embers into the air.

Ash hesitated before speaking. "Uh… sorry to intrude, sir, but we're kinda lost. Do you know where we—?"

No response.

The man didn't even flinch.

Ash frowned, stepping closer. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

The figure groaned with a low, guttural sound. Then, with an irritated grunt, he turned around—revealing himself in full.

Ash's stomach twisted.

The man looked like a villager, clad in simple work clothes, but something was terribly wrong. His skin was ghostly pale, as if all the blood had been drained from his body. His eyes—red, bloodshot—stared at them unblinkingly, devoid of emotion.

He wasn't just sick.

He wasn't human.

"¡Fuera de aquí, muchacho! ¡No perteneces aquí! ¡Tú y tus mascotas!" The villager suddenly barked something in Spanish. The words, though rapid, were nonsensical to Ash's ears, more like a chaotic mix of gibberish than an actual language.

Pikachu glared with cheeks sparking.

Lucario positioned itself defensively.

Ash raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Hey, we don't want any trouble. We're leaving, okay?"

The man didn't listen. He kept snarling with his voice rising in anger. "Chico estúpido. Mueres aquí. ¡Tú y tus mascotas haréis buenos sacrificios!"

Then, without warning, he lunged—grabbing a rusted machete resting near the fire.

"Look out!"

The blade swung, slicing through the air where Ash had stood just a second before. He had barely managed to roll out of the way, but not without consequence—a sharp sting cut across his cheek. A thin line of blood trickled down his skin.

"Pika!" Pikachu and Lucario instantly leaped in front of him, preparing to fight back.

Ash touched his cheek, wincing before glaring at the crazed man. "What's your deal, huh?! We didn't do anything to you!"

But the villager wasn't listening. He only gripped the machete firmly as he approached.

Ash clenched his fists. He didn't want to fight—but this man was beyond reason. And right now, they were trapped in a house with a machete-wielding lunatic.

This wasn't just a lost village.

Something much worse was lurking here.

And it had already begun.

A sharp click echoed through the tense air.

Ash and his Pokémon snapped towards the sound with eyes widening as a figure emerged from the shadows. A man, clad in a short-sleeved black 5.11 tactical shirt, blue cargo pants, and well-worn Magnum combat boots, stepped forward with calculated precision. His brown B3 sheepskin bomber jacket barely rustled as he raised a sleek silver handgun—its barrel aimed directly at the deranged villager.

Ash had no idea who he was, but right now, he was just glad someone else was here.

"Drop the weapon," the man ordered firmly.

The villager let out a guttural snarl, gripping the machete firmly. He wasn't backing down.

The man sighed. With a squeeze of the trigger, he fired.

BANG!

The bullet struck the machete, knocking it clean from the villager's grasp. The rusted blade clattered to the wooden floor, but the crazed man didn't falter. Instead, he lunged, arms outstretched with his eyes filled with mindless rage.

The man didn't hesitate.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ash flinched as the villager jerked backwards with his body convulsing as bullets tore through his chest. A final shot rang out—one clean bullet straight through the skull. The villager collapsed with a sickening thud, motionless.

Ash felt his stomach tighten. He had battled fierce opponents, faced dangerous foes, but… he had never witnessed death. The finality of it. The way life just—stopped.

Pikachu and Lucario stood rigid with their eyes locked on the lifeless body.

The man exhaled and holstered his handgun before turning to Ash. "You alright, kid?"

Ash swallowed, but nodded. "Y-Yeah… Thanks for the save."

The man studied him for a moment before shaking his head. "Didn't think there'd be actual survivors out here." He extended a gloved hand. "Leon S. Kennedy."

Ash blinked, then let out a nervous chuckle. "Huh. Another Leon. What are the odds?" He shook Leon's hand firmly, trying to ground himself.

Leon arched a brow, clearly unimpressed by the joke. His eyes flickered toward Pikachu and Lucario, scanning them with a mix of caution and confusion. "What are those things?"

Ash frowned. "You mean Pikachu and Lucario?"

"Yeah." Leon crossed his arms. "They don't look like any B.O.W.s I've seen."

"B.O… what?" Ash repeated in confusion.

Leon sighed. "Bio-Organic Weapons. You know, genetically engineered monsters?"

Ash recoiled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold on! Pikachu and Lucario aren't some freaky science experiments! They're Pokémon."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Never heard of 'Pokémon' before."

Now it was Ash's turn to be speechless. "Wait… you seriously don't know what Pokémon are?"

Leon gave him a deadpan look. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"…Okay, this just got a whole lot weirder."

Leon shook his head, deciding to shelve that conversation for later. Instead, he reached into his jacket, pulling out a slightly crumpled photograph. He held it out to Ash.

The image showed a young blonde girl, no older than sixteen, with soft features and a wary expression.

"This is Ashley Graham. The President's daughter." Leon's voice took on a serious edge. "She was last seen in this village. Have you seen her?"

Ash studied the photo, then shook his head. "Sorry. Haven't run into anyone like her. I just got here myself."

Leon exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Figures. Another cold trail."

Ash saw the frustration in his face.

"Well," Ash said, straightening up, "Maybe we can help each other out."

Leon glanced at him. "You offering to tag along?"

Ash smiled. "Hey, you saved my life. Least I can do is help find yours."

Leon looked at him for a long moment before sighing. "Alright, kid. Just don't slow me down."

Ash grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."