Chapter 1

Chapter 1

You ever just die then somehow find that you ended up reincarnated in some other world that you've been familiar with ever since you bought a set of VHS tapes along with a multitude of games that follow or sometimes deviate from the tried and true patterns of the past?

No? Well good because I wouldn't want you all to know the sheer pain it was to experience and be cognizant through childbirth and the horrible, helpless child rearing nightmarish experience that came with it.

Now…ugh, okay, I'll just skip all pretense because using prose and referential words that imply what you're already getting (or completely missing) is tiresome and seriously killing my deep meditative trance that helps my focus.

*SNORE~!*

Ignore that.

Anyways, to cut things short.

I died, experienced a huge WTF moment when I saw my new mom being helped and aided by a doctor, an extremely familiar yet attractive pink-haired nurse, and an egg-shaped creature crying "Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!".

I was reborn into the world of Pokémon, or Pocket Monsters if you preferred the full name of the franchise…which is technically now the World I live in.

Soon using phrases likes "Oh dear Arceus" and "Letting sleeping Growlithes lie" became a natural stable in my new life here. But none of that was important. What was important was the opportunity to live out my wildest dreams of being able to interact with and train these fantastical beasts that had been a significant part in my childhood to young adolescence.

Also being a huge fan of lore and getting the lay of the land of a fictional universe's laws and society, I was overly enthused when I enrolled as one of the few students to be taught by THE Professor Oak. A living legend of a pokémon Trainer, who was Kanto's old champion for over ten years, and the world's most influential researcher in the field of pokémon studies.

It helped to have parents who are old friends/students under him to help give me some ease into becoming chosen amongst the other children in my age bracket at school. I'd call it nepotism, but it only got me 25% of the way there when earning the Professor's eye and eventually his future sponsorship.

You see, when I realized where and when I was plopped in this new world, I decided to abuse my meta knowledge of the anime and mostly the games to my advantage. It wasn't super hard to get high passing marks and patiently observe and carefully interact with any pokémon brought into standard classes.

Well, it's all of that or the fact that I became quick friends with his grand-d…

Never mind.

So my new life's goal as a Pokémon Trainer was immediately locked in as I and a couple of trainers were tested and educated by the professor himself, who was just a joy and a treat to be around. The old man's enthusiasm about pokémon in general was just infectious and how he treated everyone from his students to even strangers was just so fatherly that it made me jealous of my childhood friend for having him as a grandfather.

But to get back on topic, I managed to work my butt off to learn as much as possible about the world without taking any expense to goof off and simply play around with pokémon like the others were wont to do. Unlike a certain twerpish, hat wearing pain in the butt, I had to actually plan things out for the nine-month duration of the Kanto Pokémon League Circuit.

In summation, things followed the usual tropes. You needed at least 8 badges to be eligible for the Pokémon League that's held every nine months, and since this was real life, you didn't need to go to just the standard 8 gyms and towns as shown in the games to be eligible. The Kanto Region is huge with loads of towns and cities with their own gyms. Though they aren't as significant as the well-recognized 8 gyms, they still are counted as legit by the League.

Which is why I worked super hard to get sponsored by Professor Oak so I can live the dream and challenge the iconic 8 gym leaders. Now I've been saying the word "sponsor" for a while now, so I'll explain the crucial importance of it.

Being a Pokémon Trainer is…stressful.

The games and anime do a meh job to convey it since it's mostly conveying how awesome it is to work and train with pokémon. However, in a real world's sense, everything costs money. From food costs, stable costs (your pokémon have to go somewhere if you have more than six), lodging costs, and etcetera. A sponsorship by a regional professor, a corporation, gym or even a highly competent Pokémon Breeder would help you reap rewards.

Not taking Professor Oak's offer as a sponsor, a caretaker for my pokémon in his pokémon ranch, provider of my pokédex, and extremely helpful counsellor during my journey would be downright stupid. Opportunities like that don't come around for just about anyone, and so I grasped it with both hands with no hesitation.

In order to be a Pokémon Trainer, you need to have the essentials ready beyond simply being a competent trainer otherwise you'd be struggling to properly prep and care for your pokémon in future battles.

The tried and true, "rite of passage" for eleven-year-olds (yeah, it's a weird arbitrary difference from the game/anime's presented ten years of age, but not one too bothersome) was basically a chance for future trainers to go off into the world, take their own lives into their own hands, and figure out the next course of their life.

Many from my age group, who weren't chosen to be Professor Oak's students and sponsored trainers, left town as Pokémon Trainers and either came back with a new career goal in mind after the lifestyle didn't appeal to them, or simply couldn't make it as a trainer. Some of the defeated looks of some of my old pals were disheartening to say the least. It either came down to them not being properly educated on training, tactics, or having enough personal funds that could last them for the nine months in order to challenge the gyms, get their badges, and be eligible to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference.

That's if you can even defeat the gym leaders, plan around losses, and reschedule a new challenge that won't eat into the time you left to complete the circuit in nine months. Plus, you had to take into account the amount of supplies that's used to feed and care for yourself and your pokémon during the process. After all, this wasn't a game, you can't just turn off and on the Gameboy and Nintendo DS after you lose to make as though you didn't lose the battle and wasted all of your items.

The customary relinquishing of pokédollars after an agreed to match between trainers along with local tournaments (if you were lucky to stumble upon one) could keep you rolling, but just relying on that wouldn't be enough to last you long.

Especially when anything can happen in the wilds out of civilization.

Now after finally getting all of that exposition out of the way, allow me to finally introduce my-

*YAWN~!*

Mys-

*YAAAWN!*

Okay, so I'll introduce myself later…

Probably in like an hour…or two…

*SLAM!*

I groaned and tried to bury my head under my sheets as the annoying pitter-patter of feet scurried across the wooden flooring to reach my side of the bed.

"Hey, bro! Time to wake up!"

"No…" I groaned and tightly kept my eyes shut.

"But mom told me to wake you up so you could take me to school since she's going straight to the work at the café!" I winced and turned over in bed, hoping that would give the energetic voice a hint that I wanted to be left alone. "Pleeeeease~!"

"Just ask mom to call Daisy so she can take both you and Gary then…" And leave me the heck alone to rest.

"Mom did that." Awww, seriously? I might have worried for my safety for throwing Daisy under the bus like that, but it really makes me happy and love my new life's mother even more for being considerate. "Then she was told by Mr. Oak that Daisy was called in early by Prof. Oak for work. So she wants you to take me and Gary to school."

Damn it! Sometimes it also sucks to have such a nice, considerate parent who volunteers you for crap without your say too…

Eh, who am I kidding, I'd still take a bullet for her…and my disaster-prone, hyperactive kid brother.

So with an overly-dramatic groan, I sat up from bed, wiped the crust from my eyes, blink them open to look at my well-organized…fuck, who let Cleo in my room during the night again? She's starting to shed ag-! You know what I'll save my ire for later and choose not to give her anymore snacks for today because I'm petty like that.

Now was the time for me to get up, get ready and…

I looked to the curious pair of brown eyes staring up at me while wearing the super iconic hat from my past life's childhood despite it still being too big for his head. I have to keep reminding myself that I had to thank Mr. Goodshow for answering my quick little favor before I left the Conference.

It might have given Ash a big head once the commercial for the limited offer for the 99 hats (originally 100 from what I remembered from the anime) was broadcasted. But it made the little twerp happy, so I allowed it.

I smiled and roughly ruffled his hair through his hat much to his childish indignation. "H-Hey, quit it!"

I chuckled as he lamely batted my hand away. After a moment of suffering his huffing and pouting, I smiled. "Welp, I'm up now so lets go." I yawned then scratched the back of my head. "Man, what a pain, and I really wanted to sleep in today too."

"But bro, you've been sleeping in almost every day though!" I flicked him on the nose for being wise guy. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For not understanding the importance of a man's beauty sleep."

"But isn't that for gir-ow!"

"Get ready." I scanned him from top to bottom and noticed that I wasn't the only one in my jammies and sighed. "And is mom still here?" I got up from bed and started making my way out of my room.

"Nuh-uh, she left just after making us breakfast!" Ash happily hopped from foot to foot behind me.

Which meant that Jubilee went with her. "That sucks…" Really, it was always such a pleasant experience to say good morning to her, but I looked on the bright side. "So, what did she make?"

"Oran berry pancakes!"

"Yes!" I quietly fist pumped to myself. "Well, I'll be down to distribute the food myself after I'm done getting ready." I grabbed my towel off my desk's seat and went for the bathroom.

"I can do it!" My gluttonous little brother offered.

"No."

"But mom said-!"

"No is no, Ash." I shook my head with a tired, good-natured smile at the pouting kid as he crossed his arms and pointedly looked away from me. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a shower that's calling my na-."

And emerging from the shadows of the dark bathroom door was quite a shocking surprise…if it were anyone but me. The popped out eyes, tongue and creepy visage of a Gengar ambushed me and Ash.

My little brother hopped back behind me in fear as I stared blankly at the Ghost pokémon.

I blinked.

Then blinked again.

Before I smiled and held up six fingers. "Eh, 6 out of 10. Next time, you should wait for me to open the door then scare me before going all out. Otherwise, I'll anticipate you. Good try though, Kidd."

"Gen!" Click your tongue all you want pal, but we're no longer in your home base of Lavender Town. You might be able to scare hapless rubes who strolled into you and your friend's tower, but I've essentially grown past being taken off guard and screaming like a little bitch.

I laughed and petted my mischievous Ghost type pokémon. "Hey, don't be like that, Kidd. You almost had me for like a whole sec-." Ah, he was starting to shift through the ground. "H-Hey, where are you going?" I did my best (and failed) to hide the laughter in my voice. "Don't be like that! Just try harder next time and you'll have me peeing my pants soon."

"Ew! You actually want that to happen?" My six-year old little brother let his tongue hang out in disgust.

"Of course not, but it's mostly to cheer Kidd u-." I blinked and noticed that Kidd was long gone…

…I also noticed that every painting and picture in the hallway was turned upside down…

…Petty little bastard…

I sighed and mentally reminded myself to fix the problem, and ball Kidd so he wouldn't do it again when mom comes back. I didn't want to get another lecture of disappointment from her because it really hurts whenever she gave me that look.

"Be on the look out once I'm in. I don't want Kidd to cause any last-minute stirs when we're ready to leave." I groaned.

"Okay, but only if you let me take Kamina to school tomorrow!" Ugh, this again? I rolled my eyes and shook my head in swift denial.

"Ash, no."

"Oh come on~! My friends say that they want to see it, and I promised!" Ash whined.

"It wasn't a promise for you to make in the first place. Unless it's "Bring your Pokémon" to school day, then I can't willingly bring Kamina into school without disrupting classes and getting in trouble."

"B-But what about after school?"

"No."

"O-Okay, then what about Epona?" Ash asked.

"No." Because I don't want to deal with a bunch of kids potentially hurting themselves from either falling off her back or burning themselves in the attempt to ride her.

"Macaque?"

"No." Besides, Macaque's still bitter about the Conference and would probably snub anything besides training as an annoyance…or simply punch the distraction in the face.

"Dartz?"

"Hard no." Beedrill + Kids = Big trouble for me.

"Sylvie?"

"She's at Professor Oak's lab until further notice...*SIGH!* or until she gives them the slip again." Now if only she would stop freaking out and sneak back home (here) whenever the old professor and Daisy weren't busy.

"Ki-Kidd?" I narrowed my eyes at his last desperate attempt.

"Are you serious?" That was the final nail in the coffin as Ash slumped down.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I'm probably going to regret this, but… "Look, I can't let you take one, but…"

Soon a high-pitched scream belonging to a woman resonated from outside of the house.

…And knowing a certain pokémon that's out there watching everything like a hawk…

"Shit!"

"Swear jar!"

"Not now Ash, you get ready first!" I dropped my towel and rushed down the stairs. "Make sure to remember to brush your teeth too!"

"Okay!"

[I later found out that the little twerp forgot just mid-way through the trip from dropping him and Gary off at school.]

As I rushed down stairs, I took account of the expanded living room and kitchen.

Why?

Because for one, Cleo, our family's pokémon (more specifically mom's) was napping on the couch in the living. And two, I found out where Kidd had vanished off two.

"Gen! Gengar! Gen!" The smug prick was using the fine china, utensils and glass cups to make towers on dining room table.

"Hey, no! Stop!" I scolded the Ghost pokémon, but he simply pulled his eyelid down, stuck his tongue at me then vanished…again.

"I'll deal with you later…and you…" I growled and pointed at the Persian still napping on our couch without a care in the world.

After making my declaration, I rushed out through the front door and rushed to the source of the noise. But not before greeting my old friend resting on the large slab of stone just to right side of the lawn.

"Good morning, Asch." I received a small huff of acknowledgement from the slumbering of Charizard. A part of me was jealous that my Starter didn't have to deal with morning shenanigans like this while the other part was amazed that he could sleep through Sparrow terrorizing the mailman (the source of the feminine screams).

Speaking of that…

"Sparrow! No! Drop him! Drop him right now!" I commanded the usually gruff and overprotective Fearow to drop the nice man.

"Fe! Fea-Fearow!" The pokémon tried to argue with me, but I just wouldn't have it.

"Drop him! Now…" I glowered.

The important step when communicating with your pokémon was establishing dominance, otherwise they'd walk over you. And so reluctantly, Sparrow complied and allowed the poor frazzled mailman to be placed on the ground before vigilantly returning to scope out for any dangers to the house and it's occupants.

I sighed at how serious the pokémon was and rushed over to help out the poor mailman out.

"I'm so sorry about that, sir." I helped pat him clean. "Sparrow just gets super protective of us, Mr. Fee-!" Ah, I blinked and observed that I was speaking to a different mailman today. Looks like they gave Mr. Feenie another route after last week's incident . "Especially around strangers! He's very protective and gets territorial, and-!"

"No need to apologize kid." The mailman chuckled and waved it off. "I once got chased around by an Arcanine when I used to work over at Celadon city." I wince at the imagination of such a scenario. "Compared to that this was actually mild at best for my first round in this place."

"…Okay." I chose not to bring up how he screamed like a little girl. Mostly because I didn't want to piss him off about my pokémon's rough treatment with him and simply because I've screamed like a bitch before and wanted to help preserve his dignity.

"Here's your mail, Mr. Ketchum." He handed me a whole stack from his bag then waved goodbye. "By the way, I heard from your neighbors, and just wanted to say congratulations for making it to Finals. Until next time, Mr. Luke Ketchum."

He waved goodbye and I appreciatively waved goodbye back. "Yeah, later and thanks…"

I tiredly sighed as I looked at the letters sent to me and glanced at a few.

"Issued request and invitation to Char…Val…, sponsorship offer from Silph Co., another freaking request from some random professor to study Sylvie…" I stopped and blinked. "Huh, a letter from the Laramie family? I don't think enough time has passed for another Free-for-all race to be rea-."

*CRAAAAAAASH!*

I winced and hesitantly looked back through the front door to spot a sheepish Ash, who was supposed to be in the flipping shower, standing next to the towers of stacked kitchen ware and plates with the just as guilty frozen Gengar beside him. The two of them went stock still as I intensely gazed at them then the incredible mess of broken china around them.

"He did it!" "Gen-gengar!"

I facepalmed as the two of them accused each other and went into a full blown argument to avoid getting punished.

Jokes on them, I'm snitching on both of them to mom, who'll probably get mad at me too for not keeping better eye on them…

"Ugh…"

I glared at the slight snort made from my Charizard, who was definitely pretending to nap at this point before resigning myself to going along with the flow of this accursed morning routine.

Hello, everyone, my name is Luke Ketchum.

Twelve years old and pokémon trainer to Pallet Town, who recently accomplished his Kanto Gym circuit.

And welcome to my life as I try to enjoy the down period for this current League circuit to plan out my new set course in the World of Pokémon.