1 The Fresh Start

I walked away from my home, irritation evident in my every step, after having the same argument for the nth time with my mother. She does not agree with my plan to take a year to find something I like to do and unwind from my dictated life. 

'Youth is fleeting, don't waste it' she said with no visible concern across her face like I was just a dumb toddler asking for the moon.

Like I want my youth to be full of books and horrid monotony. I do find some subjects interesting but not interesting enough to dedicate my free time to them. Which is one whole hour per day, it's shocking I know.

No Sundays, no holidays for me. All because of my parents.

 My free time is occupied by watching anime, reading novels, and fanfics. I don't know when they wormed their way into my life, but at least they provided some colour to my otherwise bland life. 

You can say my life is normal with me never going hungry or any life-threatening situations, but I had always found it bland. I believe it's because of my control-freak parents.

My parents have multiple PhDs and are highly popular scientists with record-breaking IQ scores. And they expected me to follow their path as an academic with at least one PhD to my name.

My whole childhood was planned by my parents, from the books I should read, to the subjects I should select, everything was decided, and they won't take no for an answer. I tried in so many ways to make them see reason. No such luck for me.

 At least my mom didn't, whereas my dad is the stereotypical scientist with no time for his family and when he is home, he spends it with my mom. At times when an argument happens in front of him.

He always parrots.

'Listen to your mother' and goes back to whatever he is doing. Sometimes I doubt whether he knows he has a son.

I am a normal guy, with no record-breaking IQ score, but clever enough to get a rank under 2000 on a nationwide exam with a huge number of exam takers, like 6 digits. 

Both my parents are always busy with their research and with my mom's steel-like flexibility when it comes to my life. I didn't have much emotional attachment to anyone. 

I don't remember a time when I had a passion for anything, everything was a chore. With every hour of the day planned by my parents, I didn't even get to try different sports except some normal exercises in the allocated time for my physical health.

 As academics, they think sports are a waste of time and exercising daily is more than enough.

 At least it will change after I graduate and get a job.

'4 years to graduate and 1 year of doing a job to fund my free year. To hell with Mom and her plans.' I thought a small smile gracing my face.

'Five more years to my freedom. At least, they paid the college fee even though that was not the college I wanted to attend.' I thought and looked at the night sky with some optimism about my future and stumbled.

"What the hell?" I cursed out loud. 

One minute I was walking on the pavement of my street and now I am in the middle of what looks like a jungle.

I looked around wildly and tried to control my breath and emotions. The sudden transition left me feeling something wrong with my whole body.

My thoughts ran wildly guessing at what had happened. I looked around properly to get a clue about where I was.

Dense vegetation covered my whole surroundings, with few trees and a buttload of bushes as far as I can see. And as I turned around, I saw an arrow symbol etched onto a tree.

"Let's find people first, then decide whether Dad invented whatever drug I was injected with, or Mom did it" I reassured myself and started walking in the direction of the arrow.

Judging from the position of the sun, it was afternoon. So, one whole day passed from when I left my home, as the fight with Mom happened during the evening.

'Whoever thought that drugging people and tossing them in the jungle is funny are sadists,' I thought grimly.

'Are they trying to emulate the Isekai trope or something?' As the thought struck, I stopped on the small hill I was climbing and looked around carefully. Not finding any drones or cameras, I continued my trek. 

'At least, they didn't go as far as to take my clothes away' I thought and touched my clothes.

"God Damnit" I cursed.

These are not my clothes, the colour and everything is the same, but I can feel the difference and I can't find the pen marks which were supposed to be on my left-hand cuff. 

Always wearing a black generic hoodie and jeans, I didn't care much about fashion or about anything really.

"God damn perverts" I muttered and kept walking for multiple hours. On reaching the peak of the hill, I saw a city covered by walls, stretching far more than 7km, in every direction... and more trees.

'A walled city,' I thought, huge walls encased the buildings forming a protective barrier around the entire city. 

I don't remember a place like this on Earth.

The walled city or fort was surrounded by a great expanse of trees.

I couldn't spot any roads or even any towers, telephone or otherwise(Electric), anywhere near the walled city, at least as far as my eye could see.

It was like someone built a huge fort in the heart of a forest.

Some hopeful thoughts sprang into my mind about getting Isekaied.

With my life being as it is, it's no wonder I liked the Idea of Isekai so much. 

But I ignored such thoughts and kept walking towards the wall.

It took more time than I expected to reach the wall and near it, I saw a welcoming board that said.

'Welcome to Green Leaf City' with oddish beaming adorably on the side.

I was shocked, but not more than when I saw a pink round ball thingy standing on top of the welcome sign - get this that pink thing was a Jigglypuff, a dancing, twirling real Jigglypuff -no way that can be faked. The movements are too human-like for it to be a robot and it is too small for even a child to impersonate. 

'This can't be happening' I thought with equal parts dread and excitement.

And just like some perception filter broke, I noticed the air being cleaner, the sky less crowded with clouds and the final straw which showed that I got Isekaied was that I was thinner than before with all my muscles now shrunk and hair missing in the places it was supposed to be. Like my Mustache and more.

I didn't have six-pack abs or anything, in my allocated exercise time I worked out to get nice biceps and a broader chest, and all the hard work was now gone. At least my height didn't change from what I can tell. My height was.. is… average near 5'8.

I didn't know why I was not freaking out, leaving behind everyone you know should make you feel afraid, but I was not feeling anything but excitement.

'Maybe following all those timetables and sessions messed up my mind. I mean prisoners have more freedom than me.' I thought.

I searched my pockets to check whether I got some Pokeballs or Trainer-Id as generally happens in Pokemon fanfiction. But no such luck.

"Status…., System…., Menu…., All hail Arceus..., The Whitest Goat is the Holiest…...," I spoke loudly, but nothing happened. I cursed.

I was not a fan of systems in Pokemon fictions, I think they take away the charm. But with me here not behind some screen, a system would have given me some confidence about my future.

I was a fan of Pokemon fiction but not a hardcore one, I played some games, watched the anime, and read some fanfiction, that's it.

If you ask me some questions like 'What are the names of the Kanto or any other region's elite four?'

The answer you are going to receive is going to be my handsome blank face. At least I remember Kanto's elite four members typing's due to all the fan fiction I read happening in Kanto.

"I beg you Arceus or … Mew, please let it not be some dark Pokemon world with gangs and terrorists." I prayed.

Thinking about being a Pokemon trainer made my emotions explode like I never experienced before.

With my eyes radiating resolve and determination, I started walking towards the gate of the city.

The walls are huge like in the A.O.T., I hope they are not built to protect the city. If they were, the chances this is going to anime Pokemon world is going to be non-existent.

I can see some farms on either side of the gate, with some people working. As I passed the Jigglypuff I couldn't help but wave at it. Which was royally ignored by the pink fairy.

I don't have any ID on me. So, I can't help but feel nervous when passing through the gate which is monitored by a guard- at least I think he is a guard not some wannabe terrorist with a penchant for violence or something worse.

But the excitement I felt when I discovered to Pokemon world came back in full force on seeing the Growlithe on his side. 

The pocket monster was nearly my height from its toes to head. Damn, I think Growlithe are not supposed to be this huge. Maybe they are supposed to be when they are close to evolving into an Arcanine. 

The guard looked like he wanted to stop me but changed his mind after glancing at his calm pup.

The silly dog was shaking its tail rapidly looking at me.

Damn, Dogs Rule.

Even if they can swallow you in three bites.

I hope a Persian or Meowth is this cute.

It seems cats and dogs always rule, regardless of reality. 

Nodding to myself, I realized what seemed to be one of the fundamental rules of the universe. 

I walked towards what looked like a map of the city, but a thought suddenly made my brain freeze. 

'I didn't see any Wild Pokemon on my way to the city'.