I was having a normal day when I died. I found myself in a black void, but soon, I felt an instinct to break free from wherever I was. Without thinking, I began pushing and flailing about, not even noticing the changes happening to my body. I heard a crack and kept going. This struggle continued for what felt like minutes until finally, I heard a loud crack, and light burst through.

Disoriented, I squeezed my eyes shut, the light overwhelming me. Then, I heard a young male voice say, "Oh wow, what Pokémon is that?"

"That's a Trapinch, dear," said an older, motherly voice.

Wait—Trapinch? As in the Pokémon Trapinch? I used to play Pokémon Emerald all the time when I was younger. I’d always have a Flygon on my team during re-runs. Flygon was my favorite, and I even took one to a tournament once, only to get swept by a better Ground-type. I knew everything about Trapinch and its evolutions—its level-up moves, its breeding moves. I loved the entire Flygon line.

"That's quite a good Pokémon for your future, son," the motherly voice added.

Why are these people talking about Pokémon as if they're real? Where am I? Did I survive the accident? Am I in a hospital? And why can I hear them so clearly?

I opened my eyes slowly, only to be shocked by the sheer size of everything around me. Everything looked gigantic. It was like I’d stepped into a world made for giants. And then I realized—the three gigantic figures were staring directly at me.

Wait… these aren't giants. They're normal-sized people, which means… I’m the small one. I panicked, trying to back away but stumbling over something. Why did it feel like I was on all fours? I glanced down, noticing an orange color beneath me. Now that I think about it, why does my vision seem so… wide?

I looked again at the orange thing—it was a stubby leg. Suddenly, the child reached down and picked me up. "Oh, it’s okay, little Trapinch."

Wait. I’m a Trapinch.

Panic welled up inside me again, but before I could react, I heard a voice in my head: "It’s okay, young one. You died, but I’ve given you a second chance at life, along with some gifts."

With that, a flood of information filled my mind, overwhelming me. It was too much for my small Trapinch brain to process, and I blacked out, my vision fading to black.

When I woke up, I was alone in a bed. I decided to check the information I had been given. The first thing that came to mind was my moveset. I should have Astonish and Sand Attack, right? But no—I also had Bug Bite, Feint, First Impression, Flail, Fury Cutter, Gust, and Quick Attack. Those were Trapinch’s egg moves. Why do I have them?

I thought back to the voice. It had said I was given "gifts." The moves felt instinctual, like I knew how to perform them, although not perfectly—except for Astonish and Sand Attac, which I felt more familiar with.

I started wondering, what else do I have? Are there more gifts? What about my nature—does that exist in this world? What about abilities? I know Trapinch has Sheer Force, but it loses it upon evolving. Speaking of evolving… what will it feel like? Do abilities even exist here?

What about my past life? I can barely recall anything significant. I remember having parents, but not much else. I had a job, but I don't remember what it was. I can only recall basic memories, and even my name escapes me. However, I remember everything about Pokémon. I was a huge Pokémon nerd growing up. I think Scarlet and Violet had just come out, and I was planning to buy them.

It's scary how little I remember, but I guess it helps me adapt to this new life. What about held items? Do they exist in this world? Are there regular animals, or just Pokémon? How do wild Pokémon survive? There's no way a Garchomp lives on a diet of just berries. Do Pokémon eat other Pokémon? I know in the anime, people ate Pokémon like Farfetch and Magikarp, but still… so many questions.

I looked around the room. It looked like a typical young boy's bedroom—blue wallpaper, a bed with Pokémon-themed sheets, an older model TV, and posters of Steven Stone, the champion of Hoenn. There were also posters of the Hoenn starters and a massive one of all the gym leaders. So, I’m in the Hoenn region.

Suddenly, the door burst open. The boy from before rushed in, about 12 years old with white skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. He was a little short and skinny for his age, wearing a simple white T-shirt and black shorts. His eyes locked onto me immediately.

"Sorry!" he said, sounding a bit guilty. "I’m just so excited about getting my starter Pokémon for my journey!"

He paused, realizing I might not understand. "My name is James, and you’re my first Pokémon for my quest to become a Pokémon Master! You’re going to be my partner in that. My very first. You’ll grow up to be the strongest Flygon in the world. So, will you join me?"

I felt a strange connection to him. I nodded. After all, what else was I going to do—go into the wild, where I’d probably die? Sure, I would’ve preferred a more experienced trainer, like a Ground-type specialist, but James seemed nice enough.

"Awesome! We’re going to be the best!" he shouted, picking me up and hugging me. I squirmed a little, not used to the treatment, but I didn’t mind.

He set me down and said, "Oh right, I need to capture you in a Poké Ball and take you to the Pokémon Center."

He pulled out a regular Poké Ball. I’d always wondered what it felt like to be inside one. I guess now I’d find out. He held out the ball. "Just tap your head against it. It’ll be okay."

I did as he said and was sucked into the ball in a swirl of energy. I opened my eyes to find myself in a strange space—it was like a forest, but more abstract. I could still hear James outside the ball, excitedly shouting about how he had caught his first Pokémon. I could also faintly see outside the ball.

It was surprisingly comfortable in there. I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me, so I decided to sleep.

James POV

My name is James. I’m 12 years old and I live in Petalburg, a city in the Hoenn region. I’m still attending trainer school, and I should be ready to start my Pokémon journey in about four years when I turn 14. Different regions have different starting ages: in Kanto, trainers can start at 10, in Johto it’s 14 (like us), Sinnoh is 15, Unova is 16, Kalos is 13, Alola is 10, Galar is 15, and Paldea is 13. You can get a trainer's license early if you're skilled and knowledgeable enough, but it can only be reduced by one year at most.

Today is one of the happiest days of my life—I finally caught my starter! The other kids in school used to make fun of me because I didn’t have one yet, but a few months ago, my mom and dad brought home a Pokémon egg, and that’s where my Trapinch hatched. Well, it could be a she, but we don’t know yet. We have to go to the Pokémon Center to check its gender and health. I feel like it’s a male, though, so I’ve been referring to it as “he.”

Right now, my dad and I are on our way to the Pokémon Center to make sure everything is okay. We were a bit worried when he fainted after hatching, but Mom said he was probably just tired from breaking out of his shell.

Ever since my parents brought the egg home, I’ve been researching baby Pokémon care on our family computer. From what I’ve learned, baby Pokémon generally can’t battle for their first few weeks of life. It’s recommended that they sleep and eat during their first two weeks. They also need special baby Pokémon food. Once they reach about three weeks old, they’re usually battle-ready and can eat normal Pokémon food.

I spent months wondering what Pokémon would hatch from the egg, and I got a Trapinch! I didn’t know much about it at first, so I stayed up all night researching. I learned that Trapinch is quite rare and can only be found in the desert. It evolves into a powerful Pokémon called Flygon, and Flygon is a Dragon-type! I couldn’t believe it—my starter Pokémon, when fully evolved, would be a dragon!

My parents were a bit worried at first since Dragon types are known for having fiery tempers, but I discovered that Flygon is one of the few Dragon types that’s kind and gentle, along with Dragonite and Altaria. These three are considered the easiest Dragons to raise. If someone wants to become a Dragon-type specialist, one of these three is recommended as a starter.

I could hardly contain my excitement at the thought of raising such a powerful and well-regarded Dragon-type. Even though Trapinch isn’t a Dragon-type yet, knowing that he would evolve into Flygon filled me with determination.

Finally, we arrived at the Pokémon Center for Trapinch’s check-up. There was a decent line, as we were in the middle of the Pokémon circuit season. Petalburg’s gym leader, Norman, is the fifth in the circuit, and this time of year is especially busy with challengers aiming to collect gym badges. The circuit season typically lasts around nine months, during which time trainers can challenge gym leaders for badges to qualify for the Pokémon League. If you win the League, you can challenge the Elite Four and the Champion. However, if someone under 20 years old becomes the Champion, they must wait until they turn 20 to officially take the title. This rule also applies to the Elite Four—you can challenge them to take their place, but you have to be at least 16 years old to do so.

At last, it was my turn to check on Trapinch.

“Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How can I help you today?” asked the lady behind the counter.

"Um, I’m here for a check-up on a Pokémon that just hatched. I’d like to get its health status and information," I replied nervously.

“Okay, wonderful. Please hand me the Poké Ball. It may take a little while, so please wait here.”

With that, I handed Trapinch's Poké Ball to the nurse, and she took it to the back for the check-up

Trapinch POV

I was still sleeping when, suddenly, I was pulled out of my Poké Ball. Groggily, I opened my eyes and looked around. It seemed like I was in some kind of hospital—oh, right, my check-up. I spotted a human and a Chansey in the room.

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“All right, little Trapinch, this will be over in just a couple of minutes,” the nurse said kindly.

She started by measuring my height, which turned out to be 0.4 meters (15.7 inches), and my weight, which was 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds). Then she began checking my moves and printed them out.

“Oh my, you know quite a lot of moves for a Trapinch!” she said, giving me a warm smile.

After that, she confirmed my gender—I was male—and checked my ability, which turned out to be Sheer Force. The nurse seemed surprised by that, and I was too. I assumed it must be another gift from that mysterious voice I’d heard before.

Next, she performed a level test. Apparently, levels exist here, which was interesting. She explained everything as she tested me, saying that levels aren’t set in stone. They’re more like a gauge for a Pokémon’s aura and strength. Aura, she told me, is what we use to perform moves.

For example, she said that I should expect to evolve into Vibrava around level 25, though there’s some flexibility. There’s a buffer zone of about a level, meaning I could evolve as early as level 24 or as late as 26. She also mentioned that I should learn Bite at around level 8.

After that, she ran the rest of the tests, which were mostly just basic health checks. Once everything was finished, she smiled again.

“All right, that’s all the tests done, little guy. Time to get back to your trainer.”

With that, I was returned to my Poké Ball, ready for whatever came next.

James POV

I was quite nervous waiting for the nurse to finish with Trapinch. My dad tried to calm me down, but I couldn’t help it. What if there was something wrong with him? What if he was sick or wouldn’t be able to battle? Just as I started to spiral into those thoughts, the nurse came out with a warm smile on her face.

I ran up to her. “Is he nice and healthy?”

She grinned. “Yes, he is a perfectly healthy newborn Trapinch.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the good news. I took his Poké Ball and health information from the nurse. My dad and I thanked her and left the Pokémon Center, eager to start talking with my new partner.

Once we arrived home, I dashed to my bedroom and released Trapinch from his Poké Ball. He looked around, a little dazed, probably still adjusting to being in the ball.

“All right, little guy, let’s look at your information.” With that, I began reading the medical details. It was boring but necessary—according to school, you should know all about your Pokémon’s health. I wanted to achieve the top 3 in the region to earn myself one of the royal trio: Mudkip, Treecko, or Torchic.

After a few minutes of skimming through the boring stuff, I flipped to the more interesting parts—his ability and known moves. The technology the presenters used was quite state-of-the-art, able to read things a normal person could only discover through trial and error. The only other way was to have a Pokédex, but those are expensive.

Another reason I wanted to be in the top 3 of the Trainer Academy is that the top three students in the region receive a free Pokédex, along with other helpful items like Poké Balls and potions.

As I read through his moves, I was shocked. He knew a bunch right out of the egg: Astonish and Sand Attack—two normal moves for a newly hatched Trapinch. I thought I might get lucky and maybe receive an egg move, but this was ridiculous! My Trapinch has seven!? The egg moves included Bug Bite, Feint, First Impression, Flail, Fury Cutter, Gust, and Quick Attack.

I sat there stunned, then looked at my Trapinch, who was just sitting there. I still couldn’t tell his facial expression. I glanced back at the papers and saw his ability: “Sheer Force?!” That’s an incredibly rare ability in the Flygon line! I looked back at him, shocked, and picked him up into a hug, holding him out in front of me. “Who were your parents, buddy, for you to have all this?” All I heard in response was a quick trap, right—Pokémon can’t speak to humans. He squirmed a little, wanting to be set back on the ground, so I did.

All I could think about was how lucky I was to have Trapinch as my starter.

Trapinch POV

It’s been about three weeks since I hatched into this new world, and I can say it has been pretty awesome. All I do all day is lie in my bed, watch TV, relieve myself of waste, eat, and sleep. Plus, I am quite pampered! The family I’m a part of seems to be fairly wealthy; I wouldn’t say rich, but definitely upper middle class. Apparently, James’s parents own a popular business that makes quite a bit of money.

As for my trainer, he’s really smart and responsible for a 12-year-old. He studies constantly for school, is always ready, and he knows what needs to be done around the house. He’s saving money for his journey and keeping track of costs, figuring out what he can afford. He’s constantly researching Pokémon and planning what he wants to catch ahead of time. Apparently, if he makes it into the top 3 of the Hoenn students, he plans to pick a Torchic.

I was just playing around on my bed, watching a Pokémon match when James walked in. “Guess what, Trapinch! It has been two weeks since you hatched, and you can officially start training now!”

With that, my heart sank. The coming weeks were going to be hell.

James POV

It’s been a couple of days since we started training, and Trapinch had just reached level 5. As we walked back from the Pokémon Center, where we checked his new level, I reflected on how it was quite a milestone.

In fact, the early levels are pretty easy to level up in by doing basic training, but once you reach level 5, it becomes harder. You have to actually start battling other Pokémon to level up from there, not just simply train. Levels aren’t everything in this world; there’s also move mastery. The more your Pokémon perfects a move, the faster they can use it. Then there’s strategy, which relies on how well the trainer plays around their opponent's Pokémon and how much coordination they have with their Pokémon.

So, Pokémon battles can be separated into five factors: level, move mastery, strategy type, and, strangely enough, the species of a Pokémon. While any Pokémon can be strong, it’s a proven fact that some species are stronger than others. A Dragonite will almost always win against a Beedrill.

Anyway, back to my Trapinch. I think I’m going to bring him to Trainer School. We can bring one of our own Pokémon with us, but I didn’t take him there before because he hadn’t yet reached level 5, the level you typically want your Pokémon to be before they start battling.

You can have your Pokémon level up just through training, but it’s much harder and takes longer. I’ve had Trapinch practicing Quick Attack to compensate for his natural lack of speed. That’s the only move I’ve been focusing on, really, besides helping him control and use Ground energy in Sand Attack to get a better grip on it for the future. Another reason I’ve had him learn Quick Attack is that using type energy not of your own type is much harder. The easiest type for a Pokémon to manipulate, besides their own, is Normal. That’s why I’ve had him training so much in it.

As we got home, I picked him up, but he didn’t seem to like being carried. I placed him down on my bed as I turned on the TV and flopped down beside him. I spent a couple of hours relaxing before going to bed, ready to bring my Trapinch to school tomorrow.

Trapinch POV

I woke up to the sunlight seeping through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft glow. My resting spot on the bed felt cozy. I was quite excited—I was finally going to see what school my trainer went to. James started to stir slightly after me.

That morning was chaotic, with James rushing around, getting ready with his backpack and other morning activities. He then picked me up and put me on his shoulder. He likes to keep me out of my Poké Ball, so we began our walk to his school.

By the way, Petalburg is much bigger than in the games. It’s like a real town, with way more houses and people! We eventually arrived at the Trainer School, which was quite big, with a massive Poké Ball out front and several outside battlegrounds.

We entered the building and were greeted by a teacher, who led us to a classroom. From then on, we attended a lot of classes. There were basic Pokémon care classes, basic Pokémon identification classes, and classes on understanding Pokémon types and their dangers. There was also a battle class that covered the type chart and strategy, as well as a basic survival class that taught all the essentials you’d need to know in the wild.

James was quite the student in most of them; he seemed to know everything and was always answering questions from the teachers. I received quite a few stares as well. Most of the kids had basic Pokémon like Zigzagoon, Taillow, and Wurmple, along with a few Wingull and Poochyena. Being quite the rare one and not typically found around here, I attracted a lot of attention, and James received many questions.

Finally, the last class of the day was battle class, where we fought other Pokémon. The kids who didn’t have their own Pokémon were given temporary partners for the battles. The class went out into the fields, following a teacher. There were murmurs of excitement among the kids, and the excitement was palpable for everyone.

I was quite nervous. I was once human—well, was I? Or am I just a Trapinch born with human memories? I can't recall most of my memories, and the ones I can remember don’t feel like me at all. It’s as if I’m looking through the lens of a different person. But that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous. It’s my first battle coming up, and that’s pretty scary—it’s like getting into your first fight. I hope I don’t mess it up for James. That would be embarrassing and humiliating for both of us, mostly for me.

Our current plan for battling is to wait for my opponent to attack and then strike back with a physical move. Most Pokémon probably can’t withstand a Trapinch’s powerful physical attack. If I ever find myself in danger, I’ll use Quick Attack. My primary counters will be Bug Bite or Astonish. Of course, if I face a Normal-type Pokémon, I’ll use Bug Bite, but since I’m still not very good at it, we’ll rely on Astonish for now. I still can’t quite master First Impression; that move has been particularly challenging for me. James mentioned that he would be training my Bug-type energy in a couple of days since I have so many good Bug-type moves.

“Alright, everyone, we are going to do random 1 vs. 1 battles today!” our teacher announced. With that, she began pulling names from a box. All the kids who didn’t have their own Pokémon received temporary partners for the event. James and I were matched against a kid named Alex, who had a Zigzagoon as his partner. I received Zigzagoon from the teacher for this battle.

I can generally tell if a Pokémon is male or female; I think it has to do with a scent that seems to have improved with my rebirth. Anyway, back to my upcoming battle: I estimated that the Zigzagoon was most likely level 6. James told me that most of the Pokémon at school are generally low-level due to the high number of them and their varying battle experience. So, this battle should be relatively easy; all I need is one solid hit.

Before our battle could begin, we had to wait through several rounds of other people battling. There was nothing extraordinary about their strategies, and none of the Pokémon were particularly rare. I puffed out my chest a little at that thought, and James noticed. “Oh yeah, little guy, you’re that confident in yourself?” he teased. I felt a little embarrassed that he noticed, but I nodded in response.

After some time, it was finally my turn to battle. I walked into the arena alongside my opponent, Zigzagoon. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. “This battle is between Alex and Zigzagoon and James and Trapinch. Are both sides ready?” the teacher asked, looking at the two trainers, who both nodded. “Then let the battle begin!” he shouted, and with that, my first Pokémon battle started.

“Ziggy, use Tackle!” Alex commanded. I knew what to do. I was confident I could take the hit, and so did James. “Trapinch, hold your ground and counter!” he shouted to me. I was a bit anxious since this would be my first time getting hit by an opposing Pokémon move. The Zigzagoon came crashing into me; it hurt quite a bit, but I countered with Bug Bite. Clamping down hard, the Zigzagoon let out a loud whimper of pain.

“Ziggy, hold on! Try countering with another Tackle!” Alex urged. The Zigzagoon attempted to use Tackle again, but I was ready. “Trapinch, don’t let up—use Bug Bite again!” I clamped down even harder this time. The Zigzagoon fought back, but eventually, it was knocked out.

“I’m sorry, little Ziggy, I let you down,” Alex said, tears in his eyes as he recalled his Pokémon into its Poké Ball. James came over and hugged me. “Alright, boy, you did amazing with everything we practiced!” I embraced him in return, feeling a rush of excitement as I enjoyed seeing him smile so brightly.

After that, we watched the rest of the matches. Nothing particularly stood out, but soon it was time to head home from school, feeling quite happy. I felt confident about my performance, but James noticed and praised me. He also made sure I didn’t become too arrogant by reminding me, “You did well, buddy, but don’t let this win get to your head. Stay humble. The opponent didn’t play very well. They could have used Growl to lower your attack, or they could have blinded you with Sand Attack, or if that Zigzagoon had used Tail Whip, it could have lowered your defense to hit harder. They could have played a lot better.”

With that lesson learned and my pride checked, we headed home. When we reached his bedroom, he laid me down on his bed before talking to me. “Hey, buddy, I’ve been thinking. Maybe you should have a nickname. Would you like that?” he asked. I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

“Hmm, how about Dune? That’s a pretty good name, don’t you think?” he suggested. I thought about it for a moment. “Dune... Dune. Yeah, that sounds pretty good,” I thought, nodding my head. He picked me up and smiled, “Alright, it’s great to know you, Dune.”

With that, James and I played for quite some time until we finally went to bed, ready for the adventures that lay ahead of us.