Chapter no.1 I Choose You Part 1

Author Note: Before we begin, I'd like to share some information with you, the readers:

 • This work is a continuation of another fanfiction that I grew to love by Spidey108, titled Pokemon: A Surprising Journey.

 • By "continuation," I mean that I want to take Spidey's work and put my own spin on it. Changes will occur right from the start—small at first but growing to catastrophic proportions.

 • For those who have read Spidey's fanfic, here are some key changes I've made:

 1. There is no Astral Ash to guide Austin.

 2. This world is a much darker version than Spidey's.

- Spidey wrote 117k words for this story; I have already written 300k words and will be uploading/publishing daily.

- I read a lot of popular fanfics and include tropes and story elements from those in my work. I ensure to get permission from the original authors before using these elements, so rest assured that everything included is authorized.

Support Links:

- If you appreciate my work and want to support me, you can do so here:

(https://www.p.atreon.com/Adamo_Amet).

- Join our community on Discord: [Join us](https://discord.gg/h3kDw7ma).

Why include support links? 

Because I enjoy writing, and it seems that people on other platforms like Royal Road and Webnovel enjoy my "jumbled ramblings" enough to donate. It's surprising to me, but I don't judge what people enjoy. Note that under no circumstances will I hold fanwork hostage behind a paywall. I am grateful for anyone who wishes to support me, and I will never delay releases due to perceived insufficient payment. I've seen others succumb to "big-fish, small-pond" egomania, and it's not a path I want to follow.

If you have a dollar and want to support me, that's wonderful; if not, that's perfectly fine too. 

Please join me on Discord; I'd love to chat with anyone interested.

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"Oh, come on, that's bull crap!" The words burst out of me before I could hold them back, the frustration boiling up and spilling over as I stared at the TV. Seriously, Pikachu losing to a rookie Snivy? I clenched my fists, barely holding back the urge to hurl the remote. How in the world does Pikachu, the same Pikachu who took down a Regice, who stood toe-to-toe with a freaking Latios, lose to a Snivy that hasn't even seen more than a day of battles?

The worst part? Ash didn't even seem to care. Just shrugged it off and kept going like his buddy hadn't just gotten wiped by a literal beginner. Sure, Pikachu's electric moves were down, but… Iron Tail should've been more than enough to send that smug little snake flying. I shook my head, muttering under my breath. It wasn't the first time I'd been ticked off at the anime, and it probably wouldn't be the last. But it was definitely one of the worst.

And don't get me started on Ash ditching his Pokémon. Every. Single. Region. He leaves them all behind and only brings Pikachu. The guy doesn't learn. I've watched every episode, hoping they'd fix this mess eventually, but nope. Here we are, same nonsense, different season.

With a frustrated sigh, I finally shut the TV off, feeling like I'd wasted another chunk of my life on pure disappointment. "Anyone could do better than that," I muttered, getting up and reaching for my headphones. If nothing else, music could drown out my irritation for a while.

As I plugged them in, I felt that familiar spark of freedom. My parents wouldn't be back for at least an hour. Just me, my room, and some peace and quiet. Well, after I tackle that school supply list they handed me, anyway. Just thinking about it made me groan. Shopping for notebooks and pencils wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.

I scrolled through my playlist, finally landing on New Divide. The opening chords hit, and I closed my eyes, letting the sound flood my head, my heartbeat slowing in time with the beat. I tried to push the ridiculousness of that Snivy battle out of my mind, but it kept creeping back in. The Black and White series had so much potential. If Ash had just brought more than Pikachu—heck, even a couple of his old teammates—it could've been incredible. But no, they had to go with the same, tired formula. That Snivy loss was just the tip of the iceberg.

And then, out of nowhere, I felt it. Like a heavy blanket dropped on me, tugging me down. Exhaustion hit me hard, like a punch I didn't see coming. I blinked, trying to shake it off, but it only grew stronger, pulling at my eyelids like weights.

God, when did I get this tired? I could practically feel my energy draining away with every second, my body sinking deeper into the mattress. Just a few minutes, I told myself. A quick nap, and I'd be up before my parents got back.

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Something felt… off.

I twitched, scrunching my nose as sunlight poured over me, far brighter than it had any right to be. Groggy, I shifted, curling up under covers that felt soft, warm, and—wait.

I didn't fall asleep under any covers.

My eyes snapped open, confusion sharpening as I took in my surroundings. This… this wasn't my room. I sat up, heartbeat stuttering in my chest. The walls were pale yellow, lined with posters of Pokémon. There was a Clefairy piggy bank on the nightstand, a freaking Zubat hanging from the ceiling, and an old Voltorb clock on the wall with a little Pidgey perched on top of it.

No way. There was no way this was real.

I scrambled to my feet, swaying a little, as if my body didn't quite know how to balance. Everything felt… off. Shorter, somehow. I spun around, my breath coming faster. This had to be a dream. Had to be. But my skin prickled with that unsettling, too-real sensation that dreams just don't have.

As I whirled around, something caught my eye—a mirror. I froze, my stomach twisting as I took a step closer, dread building with each step. Slowly, I raised a hand, almost afraid to look.

Ash Ketchum stared back at me.

I choked, stumbling back a few steps as the reflection did the same. This—this couldn't be happening. But there he was—I was—messy black hair, wide brown eyes, that unmistakable face staring back at me like I'd fallen straight into the anime.

I reached up, brushing my hand over my face. Ash's face. His skin, his nose, his ridiculous hair. My breathing hitched, and when I tried to speak, the voice that came out wasn't mine. It was Ash's. Higher, a little scratchy, nothing like the sound I'd known my whole life.

I did the only thing that made sense.

I screamed.

The sound barely escaped my mouth before I heard footsteps pounding toward the room. Oh, crap. My scream died in my throat as I stared at the door, my mind racing. What the hell was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to explain any of this?

The door flew open, and there she was—Delia Ketchum, looking exactly like she did in the show. Same mahogany hair, same warm eyes. She wore a pink button-up shirt and blue pants, like she'd just stepped off the screen.

"Ash, are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of motherly concern.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. My brain short-circuited, every thought tangling into a mess of panic. Should I tell her I wasn't Ash? That I was actually some random teenager named Austin? No, no, that would sound insane. She'd probably haul me off to the nearest Pokémon Center for a mental evaluation. I had to play along. I didn't have a choice.

"I—I overslept!" I blurted, my voice high and too fast, and before she could say anything else, I darted past her, practically tripping over my own feet. I felt wobbly, like I didn't fully know how to move in this body, but I couldn't stop. I needed to get out. I couldn't sit there and pretend to be Ash freaking Ketchum.

"Ash, wait! You need to eat—" Delia's voice faded as I bolted out the door, my feet hitting the ground with an urgency that bordered on desperation.

My mind spun, racing as fast as my legs. This has to be a dream. It's way too real, but it has to be a dream. Any second now, I'll wake up back in my room, probably with drool on my pillow, and this'll all be over. I'll be Austin again, complaining about that ridiculous Pikachu vs. Snivy battle. This can't be real. It just can't.

But the longer I ran, the more real everything felt. The sun, the smell of grass and dirt, the way my lungs burned as I panted for breath. And when I finally slowed to a stop, right at the edge of what looked unmistakably like Pallet Town, the dread settled deeper.

I pressed my hands to my knees, trying to catch my breath, and muttered, "Okay… okay, let's think this through." The words came out shaky, even to my own ears. "I'm in Pallet Town. I… I became Ash."

Saying it out loud made it worse. My voice sounded wrong—Ash's voice, not mine. I felt like I'd stolen someone else's skin and it didn't quite fit. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the mess of Ash's black locks under my fingers. This cannot be happening.

Suddenly, a commotion nearby snapped me out of my spiral. I looked up, and there it was—Professor Oak's lab, with a crowd gathering around the entrance. My stomach dropped. I recognized this scene. I knew exactly when this was.

"Oh no," I whispered, horror dawning as I stared at the lab. Today was the day Ash got his first Pokémon. The day he overslept, showed up late, and missed out on Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. I'd seen this episode a hundred times. I knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Ash, better late than never, I suppose."

The voice made my insides clench. I turned, and there he was—Gary Oak, looking as smug as ever with his spiky brown hair and his stupid, cocky grin. The real, live Gary Oak, smirking right at me like I was the punchline of some joke.

"Well, Ash," Gary sneered, crossing his arms. "Looks like you're behind from the start. I already got my Pokémon, and you don't have one."

I gritted my teeth. Wow. He was somehow even more obnoxious in person.

"Must be some Pokémon if it has to put up with your big head," I shot back before I could think twice. The words rolled off my tongue, and as soon as I said them, I felt a spark of satisfaction. Finally, someone needed to knock Gary down a peg, and if I was going to be stuck as Ash, I might as well start there.

Gary's eyes twitched, a flicker of shock crossing his face. I guess Ash wasn't exactly known for his comebacks. He quickly recovered, though, smirking like he had some big secret he was just dying to share. "I bet you're wondering what Pokémon I have," he said, oozing with arrogance.

"Squirtle," I deadpanned, barely even thinking about it.

Gary's jaw actually dropped. I had to bite back a laugh. That alone almost made this nightmare worth it. "How did you know?!" he demanded, his tone sharp with disbelief.

Crap. Too much, Austin. Too much. I could feel my stomach twist as I scrambled to play it off. "There were only three choices," I shrugged, forcing myself to sound casual. "I just guessed."

Gary eyed me suspiciously, his gaze narrowing as if he were trying to read my mind. For one terrifying second, I thought he might actually press me on it, but then he just scoffed, tossing his head like it didn't matter. "Whatever. I have a journey to start. Smell ya later, Ashy-boy."