I had been dead. That was my first thought as I was born for the second time. The second was admittedly panic from being alive again, and third was an existential crisis over remembering my past life.

I’d lived as a primary school teacher, teaching young children as they grew. When I wasn’t working, I’d pass the time reading, or enjoying media and games. Particularly close to my heart was the Pokémon franchise. This worked out well for me, as my second life was in a Pokémon World.

I realized that quite quickly when I heard a Chansey cry in happiness at my safe delivery. My new parents were ecstatic and gave me the name “Kai”. Luckily, I wasn’t the blonde-haired speed demon from Sinnoh. No, I was Kai Jerez of Alola. My mother was Alolan, while my father was from Paldea. This caused quite a few revelations as I grew up. I had a bad habit of eavesdropping on conversations which led to me quickly picking up on a few things.

The first thing of note that this world wasn’t exactly the one from the anime or games. Paldea was not an open nation run by a school for Pokémon Trainers. Rather, it was a secretive police state, with very little known about it. Anyone who escaped would keep silent about it, as they feared what would happen if they were found out. The locals of Poni Island had no idea about my father, and my family kept it that way as I grew. Father’s Bellibolt had to often hide when we had visitors, which was truly a shame. Bellibolt was old and died shortly before my 10th birthday.

Another thing I noticed was that over time as I grew, my emotions steadily returned to those more in line with my physical age. This was exemplified when I was 5 years old. There was an incident involving a Grubbin that ended up with me simply tripping, and I cried about it for hours. I learned to just accept it as a part of my new life, though I dreaded when I’d end up hitting puberty again.

It was expected that once I turned 10, I would embark on my island journey, completing the trials like my mother had before me. For my tenth birthday, my father gifted me a Pokémon Egg, and I carried that thing everywhere. My parents decided to surprise me with a vacation before I was due to leave. Unfortunately, this irrevocably changed our fates.

A week later, I was onboard the S.S. Anne off of the coast of Vermillion City. I wasn’t worried, as I didn’t believe events from the anime or games would happen. I was wrong. As I’d wandered the halls, I saw him. Ash Ketchum, alongside his Pikachu. This terrified me, and I’d run to get our things from the cabin. That was when Team Rocket attacked. In the ensuing chaos, I managed to secure my parents’ suitcase with the egg tucked inside, but I couldn’t find my parents initially.

I found them a deck below, pinned under rubble that my 10-year-old arms weren’t strong enough to move. I cried as I held them a final time before they begged me to run and save myself. It was then that the world around me exploded with water, and I watched as they were swept to the bottom of the ocean. They were dead.

I floated back to the surface thanks to my parents’ suitcase, and it kept me above water until I washed up on an island. It wasn’t the island of giant Pokémon. Indeed, there had been little Pokémon around that island. Over the months, I survived on the vegetation the island provided.

My parents’ suitcase had held two final gifts for me. A Z-Bracelet, along with a box of 19 Z-Crystals. That was from Mother, and I had realized that they were from her island journey. My father had left me his Tera Orb. I could tell 18 of the crystals were for the standard types, but I couldn’t identify which Pokémon the final crystal was for. The Tera-Orb was a dark-opaque ball, with a button to activate it. I kept them safe, but my focus was kept on my and the Egg’s survival.

It must have been nearly two years later that I was found by a passing Johto fishing ship that had gotten lost. I can still feel the relief I felt when I think back on it. When the Johto authorities looked me up, they found out how I was listed as a victim of the S.S. Anne tragedy. I didn’t have any family remaining, as my mother was an orphan, and my father was who he was. I also had no desire to return to Alola, as the locals had often treated me and my father as ‘others’ in the community.

In the end, I was sent to a group home, though that didn’t last long. Soon after my 12th birthday, I met my adoptive father, Professor Utsugi Elm. I was shocked when he walked into the group home, as I didn’t recall anything about Elm having a child. That cemented my opinion that while this world contained Pokémon and people like Ash and Elm, it was not a direct copy of those worlds.

He ended up taking a shine to me, as during a conversation with him, we both geeked out over the announcement of Mega-Evolution and the scientific theories behind it. While I was still devastated my parents’ death, the brave man decided to take me in and provide me with as good of a life as he could.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I loved Little Root Town, and the people there saved me from my despair. It was small, and the locals were incredibly welcoming to me. Ethan and Kris were the only other two children in town, and the three of us got along well, though Ethan and Kris were only 9 years old by the time I was ready to leave on a Journey. Over time, the fresh pain of my parents’ death faded, and I was able to move past the pain. The Egg was confirmed to be safe and alive, but the circumstances prevented the egg from hatching for many years.

Elm was…an eccentric Dad to be around, but I grew to love him as I had my first. It took a brave man to adopt a random child based on a conversation, but he put his all into making my life a happy one. I planned to return the favour when I would one day leave for my journey. We had plenty of conversations, and I began to plant the idea of an underlying energy that runs throughout the world and all Pokémon, one that allows Pokémon to learn moves wildly outside of its type. These were the seeds to prepare him to study Terrastal Energy.

One day, about 4 months before I was due to start my Pokémon journey, on my 16th birthday, the egg had begun to shake and crack. I’d fetched Elm to watch, and we witnessed a surprising Pokémon was born. Tadbulb caused quite a few legal issues when he was born, as it turns out that people had no idea what kind of Pokémon could be found in Paldea. And Father’s secretiveness meant the Alolans didn’t know about Tadbulbs or Bellibolts either. As such, I filled Elm in on my father’s history, and he understood. He may have freaked out a little at first, but with the help of his lawyers, he was able to register Tadbulb as a newly discovered Johtonian Pokémon.

Tadbulb was a simple little guy. He loved to float above my head, eat, sleep, and practice his moves. Beyond this, he was perfectly content to sleep in his Pokeball (courtesy of Elm). Before my Journey ended up beginning, he managed to get Mud-Slap and Thunder Shock down, and could use Tackle and Soak if needed, though they weren’t his best moves. As it turns out, Egg moves could be taught, but it took a tremendous amount of effort. Luckily, while Tadbulb was simple-minded, he was eager to learn new moves. Though I’m pretty sure that was just because he liked the feeling of using electric-type attacks. I’d felt like it was nearly time for me to go on my Journey, and it required Elm and I talk about some things.

It was around then that I brought Dad the Tera Orb, and his response had been…enthusiastic. He was a little put out that I’d held onto it for so long, but it solved a lot of the questions he had and gave the man a new purpose in his studies. Additionally, he agreed to be my sponsor for my Journey, but he wouldn’t be able to offer much in terms of financial support. Due to his lack of recent scientific achievements, his research grants had shrunk. However, he would be able to stable my Pokemon if needed. Nevertheless, he paid for his lawyers to do something I asked that I knew would one day help my goals.

And that brings me to today when I am finally setting off for my journey.

“Z-Crystals?”

“Tad”

“Pokedex?”

“Tad”

“What am I forgetting then?”

“Taaaad”

“Oh, you’re right, I need more clothes” I said, before shoving another outfit into my non-SilphCo backpack. Tadbulb just smiled his dopey grin and returned to floating above my head. Heading out the front door, I found Dad waiting alongside Ethan and Kris’ family, and Dad’s new friend Kurt. Kurt the ballmaker had been working with Dad on the development of the Tera Orb and had thus become close with everyone in Little Root Town. A 9-year-old Ethan patted his twin sister on the back as she bawled her eyes out.

“You promise you’ll call?! Pinky swear?!” she sniveled. I lowered myself down to meet her gaze.

“Tadbulb and I promise we’ll call all the time! I pinky swear” I say, and we interlock our pinky fingers. With a small smile, Ethan wordlessly nods in appreciation, and the two step back. I get up and turn towards Dad and Kurt. It’s Kurt who steps forward first.

“Blegh, I haven’t known you that long kid, but I won’t be havin’ a Johto kid using plain Pokeballs when they’re overseas representing us” he mutters, and practically thrusts a case into my hands. Taking a peek, I realise it’s a collection of EVERY ball, sans Master ball of course. I smile widely at my dad’s new bestie.

“Oh, you know you’re only giving them to me because of how much you adore me” I say with a shit-eating grin. Kurt just chuckles.

“Good boy, you’ll do us proud”.

Finally, it’s Dad’s turn.

“Kai…I appreciate everything you’re aiming to do. But if it becomes too much, please come back home” he says with a caring smile, and I nod. Best to keep his soul at ease. He then scratches his head.

“Ok so it took me a while, but I finally tracked down a Pokémon that fit one of the Johto Pokémon on your list. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to want any of those Pokémon you wrote on that list rather than the traditional starters you’re entitled to. But I’m proud that you asked for one that wanted to journey with a trainer” he admits, and Tadbulb begins bobbing up and down in excitement to meet the new ‘starter’. As a trainer sponsored by a professor, I had the option of receiving a traditional Johto starter. However, I’d ended up putting together a list of Pokémon I’d prefer, and Dad had gone and found one to give to me instead. Parents were permitted to provide their children an alternative starter should they either not be qualified to receive one from a professor, or if they wished for a different Pokémon. Ethan’s eyes were locked onto the Pokeball that Dad held out to me. Taking it with a shaking hand, I hugged Dad, squeezing the breath out of him.

“Thanks Dad” I whispered in his ear, and I could see him tearing up a little. Stepping back and straightening out, I pressed the release button on the Pokeball, and the beam of light solidified into the form of my second team member who would be traveling with me.

“Tadbulb!”

“SHUCKLE!!!”

“YEEEESSSSSSS!” I cheered.