Ch. 00 - Prologue (Edited)

"Damn it, I lost to Misty again."

{Image Of Misty From Pokemon Fire Red}

"It is so much harder to defeat the gym leaders in PokeMMO compared to the original Fire Red game."

My name is Dipper, and I'm currently playing a game called PokeMMO, which I stumbled upon one day while scrolling through short videos. A video about PokeMMO caught my eye, and I couldn't resist diving deeper into it. Unlike other Pokémon games—official or fan-made—that are strictly single-player, PokeMMO is a whole new ball game. It's multiplayer, where you can play alongside others, trade Pokémon, duel, and much more. And the best part? The game doesn't just stick to one region. There are not one, not two, but five regions to explore, and as long as you have 4 Gym badges, you can travel between them. I was immediately intrigued.

However, there was one big problem: I'm not a Pokémon expert. The only Pokémon game I had played through to completion was Pokémon Fire Red, and that had taken me two months. I wasn't exactly a seasoned veteran. But despite that, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to download PokeMMO.

Since I'd only ever played Fire Red, I chose Kanto as my starting region.

{Map Of Kanto Region}

I picked Charmander as my starter, and right from the first few battles, I could feel the differences. The wild Pokémon encounters were far more frequent, and I even encountered Pokémon that weren't part of the original Fire Red.

{Image Of Charmander}

The more I played, the more addicted I became. The thrill of exploring Kanto and facing other trainers, the unexpected encounters—it was all so exciting. Two days later, I finally made it to Cerulean City, home of the second Gym and Misty, its Gym Leader.

{Image Of Cerulean City}

Today was the day. I was determined to beat Misty and try out the infamous infinite Nugget trick, just like I did back in Fire Red. But after 17 attempts, I still couldn't get past her.

"Fuck that [Water Pulse] attack!!! And fuck Starmie!!!"

{Image Of Starmie}

I slammed my fist onto the desk, frustration taking over. "Maybe I should catch some Grass-Type Pokémon to counter Misty's Water-Types."

Sigh "Back to the grind, I guess."

I had Charmeleon and Mankey on my team—two strong choices, but I needed something else. A Grass-type.

"Which Pokémon should I catch? Maybe a Bellsprout or an Oddish?"

{Image Of Bellsprout}

{Image Of Oddish}

Before I could head to Route 4 to catch a Grass-type, something strange happened. A loud crackle echoed through the air, followed by a flash of purple lightning that seemed to tear through the roof of my house. Everything went black in an instant.

Groan

"Where am I?"

The last thing I remembered was the bolt of lightning and a bright flash. And then, nothing. Now, my surroundings were unfamiliar, and I could feel a pounding headache setting in.

'This isn't my room.'

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my head, forcing me back onto the bed. It was red, with vibrant sheets that seemed too new to be my old ones.

Thump

I fell back, clutching my forehead as memories that weren't mine began flooding in.

"Surprise, surprise, Motherfucker," I muttered, standing up despite my wobbly legs. "I got Isekai'd."

The memories weren't my own, but they felt real enough. The previous owner of this body was also named Dipper, with the same face and age as me. But unlike me, he didn't have a family. He grew up in an orphanage, with no real ties to anyone. After he turned 15, he left the orphanage, struggling to make a life for himself. He worked part-time jobs, just to get by, eventually renting this small, modest apartment.

'Now I've taken over his life.'

I couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the guy. His life hadn't been easy. And now, I would have to deal with all the mundane stuff he left behind.

"This world doesn't even have magic or anything cool. Still, it's better than being dead."

I sat there for a while, letting my legs stabilize and my breath steady. Once I was somewhat calm, I rose to my feet again, surveying the apartment. The room was small—just a bed, a chair, and a table. The walls were chipped and stained, with a faint smell of mildew lingering in the air. Nothing special, but it would do.

I fished my phone out of my pocket, the same model I had in my previous life. It was the same phone, but this one had a cracked screen—a reminder that the previous owner hadn't had much to work with.

I checked the internet to see if anything had changed, but nothing major stood out. This world was nearly identical to the one I had known. Even the date was the same.

Knock Knock

A loud knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

'It must be the landlord.'

I dragged myself toward the door and opened it slightly.

"Give me the rent," came a gruff voice from the other side.

It was Umash, my landlord—an old man who had little hair left but a lot of personality. Despite his grumpy demeanor, he was a softie when it came to his tenants. He was the one who had given me this place at a discounted price.

"Gramps, why are you shouting at Dipper?"

A soft, melodic voice interrupted him.

Behind Umash stood a beautiful girl—Lily, his granddaughter. She was around my age, and ever since the tragic accident that claimed her parents and her grandmother's life, Umash had taken on the responsibility of raising her.

"Gramps, you know Dipper's struggling to find a stable job. If he could pay, he would have by now."

"Is that so?" Umash grumbled. "Well, I'll make an exception this time." He grunted and walked off, probably to another room to get the rent papers.

Lily turned to me, her cheeks tinted a soft pink. "Hi Dipper, you look handsome as always."

My heart skipped. Who would have thought?

The previous owner of this body never noticed her, but I wasn't as dense. Lily clearly had feelings for me, though she was shy about showing it.

"Hey," I responded, a bit flustered but trying to keep cool. "Did you know about the Harry Potter books?"

"Harry Potter?" she asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Well, even all seven books of Harry Potter don't have as much magic as your eyes," I said, flashing a playful smile.

Puff

Her face turned beet red, and even her ears were flushed.

"I... I think Gramps is calling me," she stammered, clearly flustered. "I should go!" Without another word, she quickly ran off.

"Heh, she's cute," I muttered to myself, still smiling.

As I closed the door, I remembered the errands I had to run.

Turning around, I made my way out of the apartment and locked the door behind me.

After about ten minutes of walking, I arrived at a small convenience store—one that the previous owner often visited for groceries.

Another ten minutes later, I stepped outside with a plastic bag full of instant noodles and energy bars. But just as I was about to head home, something in the sky caught my eye.

I froze. What I saw was the most unimaginable thing I could have possibly hoped for: a giant Professor Oak, his face looming across the sky.

{Image Of Professor Samuel Oak From Pokemon Fire Red}

I stared, wide-eyed. "What the hell is going on...?"