Peter stared at the Machamp.

"This is insane. I'm literally standing here, looking at a Machamp directing traffic. Why is this dream so focused on Pokémon?" he thought, bewildered.

The realism of the scene before him was startling.

I've had vivid dreams before, but this... this is something else.

It's like I've stepped into a world where Pokémon are as real as anything else.

But why Pokémon?

Why this specific detail from my childhood?

His thoughts swirled as he tried to make sense of it all.

Is my mind trying to tell me something? Maybe it's because I saw that news about Ash Ketchum yesterday.

Or is it deeper than that?

Am I clinging to a simpler time, to my childhood dreams?

The Machamp's movements, the sound of its voice, even the texture of its skin looked incredibly lifelike.

I've never experienced a dream this detailed.

Every sense is heightened. I can hear the traffic, smell the city air, and see every detail on that Machamp.

It's overwhelming.

Peter shook his head, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

And why do I feel so... normal in this setting?

It's like part of me accepts this as reality. But it can't be.

It has to be a dream.

What other logical explanation could there be?

I couldn't have just slept and woken up as someone else in the Pokémon world.

That's absurd.

Peter's train of thought was suddenly interrupted when a pair of hands covered his eyes.

Reacting in a panic, Peter grabbed the hands and yanked them away from his eyes. He quickly turned around and took up a boxing stance he remembered seeing in the anime "Hajime no Ippo."

However, his stance was all wrong—it was too stiff, and his arms were awkwardly positioned, making it clear he wasn't used to real fighting.

"Ouch," said the owner of the hands, pulling back.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight.

The girl, petite and vibrant with her sunshine-yellow hair and amber eyes, was adorned in a sleeveless dress, the top a snug black wrap that left her arms and back bare, transitioning seamlessly into denim shorts edged with playful ruffles. Over the dress, she wore a sleeveless jacket of golden hue, laced crisscross at her midriff, hinting at the style of a sea captain's uniform. A hat sat askew on her head, its carefree tilt matching the daring of her laced boots. Around her waist, a belt with a large pouch was fastened. [https://ibb.co/k6wJrP7]image [https://ibb.co/k6wJrP7]image [https://ibb.co/k6wJrP7]

"Cute," Peter blurted out, immediately feeling a bit embarrassed.

The girl's cheeks turned a soft pink as she noticed a few people watching them.

"You idiot, let's go. People are staring at us," she said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"W-Who are you?" Peter stammered, feeling awkward. He wasn't used to talking to anyone, especially women.

The girl's expression changed to one of confusion and concern. "Don't tell me you forgot about your girlfriend in all your stress?"

The word 'girlfriend' echoed in Peter's mind, repeating over and over.

His face turned bright red, a mixture of shock and embarrassment washing over him. He felt as if he had drifted into his own world, lost in the realization that he had a girlfriend even though he had never been on a date.

Before he could gather his thoughts, the girl grabbed his hand and started running, pulling him along.

[ A Few Minutes Later ]

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Walking hand in hand with the girl, Peter felt completely out of his element. Her chatter was a blur in his ears, something about an uncle, a fish, and a bucket of ice cream. "Yeah," he responded, though he had no idea what he was agreeing to.

She pointed excitedly at a Meowth nearby.

"That Meowth is so cute, I really want to catch it when I get my trainer's license," she said.

"Yeah," Peter echoed, his mind racing.

A girlfriend? This is crazy.

He couldn't shake the surreal feeling, even as part of him relished the idea.

Trying to break the awkward silence, Peter ventured a guess.

"Uh, Honey?"

The girl's cheeks flushed a deep red, adding to Peter's confusion.

"Are... are you really my girlfriend?" Peter managed to ask, his voice shaky with nerves.

"Of course," the girl replied, her worry evident.

"Are you alright? You've been acting really strange."

Taking a deep breath, Peter impulsively wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, causing her to blush with embarrassment.

"I want to kiss my girlfriend!" he declared, his face turning a deep shade of red.

If this is a dream, I'm going to enjoy it my way.

Peter puckered up his lips awkwardly, making it obvious he had no clue how to go about kissing.

The reaction was instant.

The girl slapped him, screamed "Ahh!" in embarrassment, and ran towards the school.

Peter stood there, stunned, as bystanders stared.

As Peter touched the reddened area on his face, the reality of the pain hit him hard.

"I just felt pain," he thought, his mind racing. "But this is supposed to be a lucid dream, right?

He could feel the warmth and the sting on his cheek, too real to be just a figment of his imagination.

No way, this pain, these sensations... "They're real," he realized, panic starting to set in.

Who am I?

How did I get here?"

His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

Rushing into the school, Peter looked around frantically. His heart was pounding, and his mind was spinning out of control. He found a water tap and turned it on, splashing cold water on his face in an attempt to calm down or wake up from this nightmare.

As the water dripped down his face, the gravity of his situation began to sink in.

I'm in someone else's body, in a world that's not mine, in the world of Pokémon.

How did this happen?

How did I get here?

He leaned heavily against the sink, feeling the cool metal against his skin.

This isn't just a dream. I can feel everything too vividly.

The slap, the water, the panic... It's all too real.

How do I get back?

What if I'm stuck here forever?

Peter's thoughts spiraled into despair.

I don't belong here.

I'm not this person. I'm Peter Asher, not... not whoever this is.

He felt a sense of helplessness wash over him.

"Ash," the worried voice came again, and Peter turned to see the girl who was this guy's girlfriend.

"That's the nickname I had as a kid," Peter thought, a fleeting sense of nostalgia passing through him.

But as he saw the girl's face, his heart sank. She was the one he had impulsively tried to kiss, thinking there were no real-world consequences since this was all a dream.

"Ash, are you okay?" she asked, stepping closer with a look of concern.

Panicking and without thinking, Peter blurted out louder than intended, "I am fine!"

The girl flinched at his tone, then gathered herself and apologized.

"I-I-I overreacted. I didn't expect..."

"No, it's fine," Peter interrupted, feeling a lump in his throat. "I-It's my fault."

She nodded, looking relieved yet still a bit uneasy. "Let's go to class, okay? Today's the big day."

Peter just nodded absentmindedly, his mind still trying to process everything.

What does one even think when they wake up in their childhood show?

This is insane.

I'm living in a Pokémon world, and I just made things awkward with... 'my' girlfriend?

He followed her to class, his mind a mess of thoughts and emotions.

I have to figure this out.

I need to understand what's happening.

But first, I have to get through this 'big day' without making things worse.

----------------------------------------

In the classroom, Peter sat uncomfortably, feeling the weight of curious stares from his classmates.

It seemed the original owner of this body and the girl had kept their relationship quiet, a fact Peter had unwittingly changed.

"Quiet down, everyone. It's been an amazing year teaching most of you," the teacher said, his gaze landing on Peter, who felt himself shrink under the scrutiny.

Alright, it looks like the real owner of this body was quite the trouble-maker, huh? Peter thought to himself.

The teacher continued, "But today is your big day. Did everyone prepare well?"

The class responded in unison, "Yes, sir," leaving Peter more confused than ever.

"Prepare for what?" he whispered to the guy sitting next to him, who gave him a look of disbelief.

"Today's the Pokémon trainer license exam," the guy informed him.

Realization dawned on Peter as the guy mentioned the Pokémon trainer license exam.

"Ah, so that's why they called it the big day," Peter thought, finally understanding the significance of the day.

The teacher started calling out names for roll number slips.

"Ash Ketchum," the teacher announced. Silence fell over the class.

Peter's eyes widened in shock.

Ash Ketchum?

He's in this world too?

Does that mean I am in pallet town?

No one moved.

"Ash?!" the teacher called out again, his tone more demanding.

The class turned to look at Peter, who was still processing the situation.

"What is everyone looking at?" Peter muttered, baffled.

"Ash, stop trying to piss off the teacher and get up," his neighbor nudged him.

In a moment of realization, Peter understood.

No way, I am Ash Ketchum.

Peter quickly got to his feet, feeling the teacher's glare as he approached the desk. "Good luck, Ketchum. Your test center is in Pallet Town. The school bus leaves in two hours. Be there on time," the teacher said with a stern tone.

Peter nodded, taking the roll number slip in his hand. It was a simple piece of paper, with "Ash Ketchum" boldly printed at the top, followed by a series of numbers and instructions for the exam at Pallet Town.

As he sat back down, Peter pondered over the peculiar details of this world.

If there's a bus to Pallet Town, then where am I right now?

Turning to the student next to him, he asked, "Hey, what's the name of this city?"

The student gave him a puzzled look, as if Peter had asked the most obvious question. "Viridian City," he replied, still looking at Peter strangely.

Peter nodded, absorbing this new piece of information.

Just then, the teacher called out another name.

"Yellow Amarillo."

Peter watched as his 'girlfriend' stood up and walked towards the teacher. The name 'Yellow Amarillo' struck a chord in him, though he couldn't quite place why it felt so familiar.

"Yellow Amarillo... where have I heard that before?" he thought, feeling a strange sense of recognition.