Dune POV
We finally arrived at Oldale Town, which, in this life, was much bigger than I remembered it from my past. Back when I was human, the town was just a small dot on the map, barely worth mentioning. Now, it felt like it could easily house a few thousand people—maybe even pushing toward tens of thousands. That’s a big leap from what I expected. Petalburg, the city just up the road, is even larger, with its population stretching into the millions. It’s strange how everything here seems both familiar and different at the same time.
Even with all the growth and the sheer number of people, though, the world I live in now feels oddly underpopulated compared to my past life. I think the total human population barely breaks one billion, which is low compared to what I remember. Still, I try not to get too hung up on it. What really matters is the now, and right now, I’m sitting in a Pokécenter, getting healed after a long day of training.
The healing process is pretty similar to how it worked in the games from my previous life. The Pokémon gets put into its Poké Ball, and then the ball gets placed in a machine. But instead of being healed instantly, it takes a few hours here. It’s a slower process in reality, and, if I’m honest, it’s a little boring. I’ve got nothing to do while I wait. So, like any self-respecting Trapinch who used to be human, I decide to pass the time by imagining myself in a desert oasis—a little mental escape. Funny enough, when you’re in a Poké Ball, you're converted into energy. Don’t ask me how that works; James tried explaining it once, but I still don’t get it. The technology in this world is something else.
Take Pokémon healing, for example. Pokémon here can regrow limbs with the help of Ditto stem cells. Yeah, you read that right. Ditto, of all things, has been key in regrowing limbs for Pokémon. I remember seeing it on TV once; some genius named Dr. Blaine discovered how to do it. Then there’s the Pokémon Centers themselves. They can bring Pokémon back from the brink of death without any lasting damage. Seriously, a Pokémon could be inches from the afterlife, and a quick session in the healing machine would have them up and running like nothing happened.
And don’t even get me started on Poké Balls. Time moves weirdly in here. I could stay inside for weeks without feeling hungry, thirsty, or tired. Injuries almost seem to pause once you’re recalled into the ball. For Pokémon, technology is super advanced—healing, regrowing limbs, even the ability to stop time—but for humans? It’s like the 2010s all over again. Sure, there are some regions that are more technologically advanced. I remember watching a TV program about Sinnoh, and they had all sorts of human tech that seemed more futuristic than here. On the flip side, some places, like Kanto, are behind the times by quite a bit.
While I’m mulling over all this, waiting for the healing process to finish, I start to notice something. My human memories—they’ve been coming back slowly, but they’re there. It’s weird. I don’t know why they’re coming back now, but I think maybe it’s because my mind needed time to adjust to this whole “being reborn as a Trapinch” thing. Maybe my memories were temporarily suppressed so I wouldn’t have to deal with the emotional baggage—thinking about the family and friends I left behind, the things I’ll never get to do as a human again. Nope, better not go down that road. It’s too easy to get lost in that kind of thinking.
Sure, it’s sad. I died, after all. But I’ve got a second chance now, and honestly, I kind of like this new life. It’s simple, straightforward. I’ve got a caring trainer in James, and I’m getting to experience a world I only ever dreamed of. So, I’ll make the best of it. I’ll live this life to the fullest, not just for myself, but for James, too.
Just as I’m lost in thought, I feel the familiar sensation of being released from my Poké Ball. I blink and look up, greeted by the friendly face of the Nurse Joy working at the Pokécenter.
“Hey there, little guy,” she says with a smile. “We’re almost done. Just a quick physical checkup now.”
She runs a series of tests on me, making sure the healing process took care of everything. Pokémon Centers’ healing machines mostly work by boosting a Pokémon’s aura—the life force we all have. They’re great at healing most injuries, but there are some things that need a closer look. During the physical, they check for anything the machine might’ve missed—diseases, underlying conditions, or anything else that needs attention. She also checks my move set and level using a different machine, the one that gives trainers all the important data.
“Alright, everything looks good! You’re all set, little guy,” Nurse Joy says, giving me a final pat before recalling me back into the Poké Ball.
And just like that, I’m back in the ball, ready to return to James. As I sit in the quiet stillness of my Poké Ball, I find myself oddly at peace. Yeah, this life is good. It’s different, sure, but it’s good. And I’ve got a trainer who takes care of me and partners like Torchic to battle alongside. That’s more than enough for me.
James POV
I just picked up Dune and my new Torchic, and now I need to come up with a name for the little guy. I was thinking "Phinox," which has a nice ring to it, or maybe "Flame." I’ll have to try out a few names and see which one suits him best.
As I stepped into the Pokémon Center, I noticed it was fairly quiet. A couple of trainers from Littleroot Town were hanging around, but there weren’t any experienced trainers, which made sense. Most beginners tend to head to Rustboro City to challenge Roxanne, the first Gym Leader, and that journey takes at least a week or two on foot.
“Alright, your Pokémon are all nice and healed up,” Nurse Joy said with a warm smile as she handed me Dune's and Torchic’s Poké Balls. I let them out, placing Dune on my shoulders. He gave a cheerful “trap” sound, while Torchic hopped around at my feet.
As I was about to leave the Pokémon Center, a brightly colored poster caught my eye. It was advertising a local beginner tournament with a cash prize and a TM for the move Protect. Protect is a fundamental move that many Pokémon can learn, and I couldn’t help but admire the brilliance of TMs. The way they work is fascinating: they imprint a Pokémon's knowledge onto a specific type of metal that can store the Pokémon's aura. However, when a Pokémon does this imprinting the move this way, it forgets how to use it naturally and has to practice to master it again. This is why TMs are usually expensive—the metal is rare, and there’s a significant trade-off. Protect, being a basic move, is less costly because so many Pokémon can learn it.
I picked up the poster and read the details. The tournament was happening in just three days, and sign-ups were taking place at the Pokémon Center. How convenient! I made my way to the sign-up area, where a young-looking man was hosting the event.
“Hello there,” I greeted him.
“Hello! Are you looking to sign up for the local tournament?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” I replied.
“Alright then! Please write down your name and the number of Pokémon you’ll be using. You can enter with a minimum of one and a maximum of three.”
I quickly jotted down my name and noted that I would be using two Pokémon: Dune and Torchic. I placed the sign-up sheet down and was about to head out when I paused and looked at Torchic. “Hey, Torchic,” I said, catching his attention. He tilted his head curiously. “Would you like a name?”
His eyes brightened, and he nodded excitedly, letting out a cheerful chirp.
“Hmm, how about ‘Scorch’?” I suggested. Torchic seemed to light up at the name, giving an enthusiastic nod.
“Alright then, Scorch! Nice to meet you!” I said with a smile. With our names settled, I turned to my Pokémon. “Okay, guys, it’s time to train for the tournament, especially you, Scorch. We need to get you up to par with Dune.”
With determination in our hearts, we set off in search of wild Pokémon that were eager for a battle. The sun was shining, and the excitement of the upcoming tournament fueled our spirits. We would train hard and prepare ourselves for whatever challenges lay ahead.
Dune POV
I’ve been practicing Mud-Slap recently. In this world, Pokémon learn their moves once they reach the required level, but just because you know a move doesn’t mean you’re immediately good at it. That’s where I am right now. I know *Mud-Slap, but my execution is still pretty sloppy. James told me I needed a ranged attack, and I agree. The only viable one I have at the moment is *Mud-Slap, given that I just learned it. So, I’ve been focusing on practicing and mastering it.
One interesting discovery I made is that the ability *Sheer Force* works differently here. Instead of boosting all moves with secondary effects, it seems to enhance only physical attacking moves—though it doesn’t work on ranged attacks. I realized this when I used *Mud-Slap* on a Wurmple. While the Wurmple was blinded, *Sheer Force* didn’t seem to amplify the damage. I could be wrong, of course. *Mud-Slap* is a weak move to begin with, and Trapinch is naturally better suited to physical attacks. But still, it felt like the damage wasn’t increased by *Sheer Force* as much as I expected. That being said, the Wurmple was definitely blinded—no surprise there. If you get sand in your eyes, it’s going to affect your vision for a while.
Another strange thing happened when I used *Bug Bite* on a different Wurmple. The damage it dealt was far greater than expected, even though *Bug Bite* isn’t affected by *Sheer Force*. I’m still figuring out how *Sheer Force* works in this world, but I’ll need to run more experiments to understand it fully.
This also got me thinking about my evolution path. As a Trapinch, I currently have *Sheer Force, but I know that when I evolve into Vibrava and then Flygon, I’m supposed to lose that ability and gain *Levitate*. However, Vibrava and Flygon can fly using their wings, so would I still need *Levitate*? And what about Pokémon like Gengar and Vikavolt, who can float without having the *Levitate* ability? I’m not sure how this will work, but I’m hopeful that I’ll still be able to fly and possibly keep *Sheer Force* as well.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Back to my practice: I’ve gotten pretty good at controlling Ground-type energy, so I think my *Mud-Slap* is finally battle-ready. Over the past few days, I’ve been training hard, though I haven’t leveled up yet. The wild Pokémon in this area are mostly around levels 4 to 9, and the experience system here works differently than it does in the games. It’s not just about the level of your opponent—it’s about the difficulty of the battle. For example, you could theoretically level up a level 99 Pokémon by fighting a level 1 opponent in the games although it would be quite hard. But here since I’ve been one-shotting most of the Pokémon around here and taking little to no damage in return, the fights haven’t been challenging enough to earn much experience.
Scorch, on the other hand, has been making steady progress. Over the past week of training, he’s reached level 10 and learned a few new moves: *Quick Attack* and *Flame Charge*. James has been focusing on training him ever since he hit level 9, which is when Torchic naturally learns *Flame Charge*.
Today is the day of the tournament, and there are about sixteen trainers competing. We’re in the second match, facing a kid named John. Apparently, he only has one Pokémon. The battles are being held right outside the Pokémon Center since all Pokémon Centers have a battlefield nearby. As an added layer of safety, there’s a Kadabra next to the referee. Psychic-types are commonly used in tournaments to project psychic barriers, preventing any stray attacks from hitting the crowd. The Alakazam line is the most popular choice for this role, though Hypno is also sometimes used.
Speaking of the crowd, there are a few hundred people gathered to watch. It’s clear that people really love Pokémon battles here. I was snapped out of my thoughts as the battle began. I didn’t catch the names of the trainers, but one sent out a Poochyena, and the other a Wingull. I started thinking again. Right now, I’m sitting on James’ shoulder while Scorch waits in his Poké Ball. James has told me his plan for the tournament. Naturally, he intends to win, but his strategy for the early rounds is to rely mostly on Scorch. He wants to level up Scorch while conserving my stamina, especially since the only long break is right before the finals. He’ll use Scorch for most of the battles, swapping him out only if he gets too tired.
We do get short breaks between matches, but they’re only a few minutes long. The potions James has are basic ones, which take several hours to fully heal a Pokémon. It’s not like in the games where potions heal instantly. Here, the difference between regular and super potions isn’t how much they heal, but how quickly they work. A regular potion might take a few hours to fully restore a Pokémon’s health, while a super potion can do the same in minutes. The downside is that potions—even the basic ones—are incredibly expensive. I’ve started to figure out the currency system here, and it seems like one PokéDollar is roughly equivalent to a Japanese yen. That means that everything Pokémon-related is really pricey—whether it’s regular Pokémon food, specialized food for different types, Poké Balls, or potions.
Another thing I’ve learned is that the idea of trainers giving out money after losing battles is more about placing bets. That’s the main income for a lot of trainers who aren’t wealthy. It’s not an official rule that you have to hand over money if you lose a battle, but a lot of trainers bet on their own matches.
The battle between the Wingull and Poochyena ended, with the Wingull coming out on top. Now, it’s James and Scorch’s turn for their first real battle against a trainer.
James POV
I stepped into my designated spot, nerves humming with excitement. Both Dune and Scorch were safely in their Poké Balls, ready for the first battle of the tournament. Across from me stood John, a trainer from Scotia Town, exuding a calm confidence that made my stomach twist.
“This will be a two-on-one battle between Trainer James of Petalburg City and Trainer John of Scotia Town. Are both trainers ready?” The referee’s voice echoed as a Kadabra behind him set up its psychic barrier, shimmering faintly in the midday sun.
I took a deep breath, nodding, while John gave a sharp, confident bob of his head.
“Then let the battle begin! Trainers, send out your Pokémon on the count of three! One... two... three!”
With a flick of my wrist, Scorch’s Poké Ball shot into the air. A burst of radiant light illuminated the field as Scorch, my loyal Torchic, appeared, chirping excitedly and hopping on his small legs. At the same moment, John released his Pokémon, revealing a Lotad. Its small, lily-pad-topped body swayed slightly, its wide eyes gleaming.
“Lotad,” I muttered under my breath, a bit of tension creeping into my chest. *A water-type...* My mind raced, recalling everything I’d studied. Lotad was a Water/Grass-type—water was bad for Scorch, but that Grass-typing evened the playing field.
John smirked, clearly feeling the advantage. “Lotad, let’s make this quick! Use Water Gun!”
A surge of panic hit me. Water Gun could be devastating if it landed. I couldn’t afford to hesitate. “Scorch, dodge it with Quick Attack and then follow up with Flame Charge!”
Scorch’s response was instant. He blurred across the field in a streak of white light just as Lotad unleashed a powerful spray of water. The attack missed by inches, and Scorch, with incredible speed, circled back, flames suddenly igniting around his small body as he charged forward.
Perfect execution.* Scorch's Flame Charge smashed into Lotad before it had time to react, knocking it back with a small explosion of fire. Lotad skidded across the dirt, but managed to right itself, singed but not out of the fight yet.
John’s expression faltered. “Lotad, don’t let it get to you! Use Absorb!”
Lotad’s eyes gleamed with a greenish glow, and tendrils of energy shot from its body, wrapping around Scorch. I grimaced as the energy drained from Scorch, transferring to Lotad and restoring some of its health.
“Hang in there, Scorch!” I called. I knew Absorb wasn’t too strong, but every bit of energy Lotad gained back would drag this battle on.
Scorch shook off the effects, still burning with energy from the first Flame Charge, his speed already heightened. “Let’s close this out, Scorch! Use Ember!”
Scorch inhaled deeply, flames building in his throat before releasing a volley of small fireballs straight at Lotad. The glowing embers peppered Lotad’s body, causing it to wince in pain. John’s Lotad was strong, but I could see its health steadily wearing down.
“Lotad, counter with Growl and then a Water Gun!” John shouted, clearly trying to keep the pressure on. Lotad let out a low growl, the sound reverberating through the field and causing Scorch to momentarily hesitate, his attack power slightly weakened. Then Lotad fired off another Water Gun, the stream of water aimed directly at Scorch.
“Scorch, dodge again with Quick Attack!” I called out, but this time, it was too late. The Water Gun struck Scorch in the side, and he tumbled backward with a yelp. I clenched my fists, my heart lurching in my chest as Scorch struggled to regain his footing. *A clean hit.*
John grinned triumphantly. “Lotad, keep up the pressure! Another Absorb!”
Lotad’s eyes glowed once more, the tendrils of energy lashing out toward Scorch. I needed to act fast before Lotad could regain too much health.
“Scorch, push through! Use Flame Charge, full power!”
Scorch growled, shaking off the water still dripping from his feathers. His body ignited with an even fiercer blaze, flames roaring around him as he bolted forward, his speed even greater thanks to the boost from the previous Flame Charge.
Lotad attempted to complete the Absorb, but Scorch was too fast. He slammed into Lotad with a burst of fire, sending the small Pokémon flying backward once more. This time, the impact was harder, and Lotad hit the ground, struggling to get back up.
“Lotad!” John called, his face now a mixture of frustration and concern. Lotad staggered, wobbling slightly as it tried to right itself. The crowd seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the result.
“Let’s finish this, Scorch! Use Ember one more time!” I commanded.
With a final chirp, Scorch unleashed another barrage of embers. The fiery projectiles rained down on Lotad, each hit causing the Pokémon to falter further. Lotad let out a weak cry before finally collapsing, fainted.
The referee stepped forward, raising his hand. “Lotad is unable to battle! The winner is Torchic! Victory goes to Trainer James!”
The crowd erupted into applause, and I exhaled a long breath of relief. Scorch turned toward me, his chest puffed out proudly despite the hit he had taken. I rushed forward and scooped him up in my arms, giving him a quick pat on the head.
“You were amazing, Scorch. I knew you could do it,” I said, my heart swelling with pride.
John approached, a wry smile on his face. “That was a close one. Guess type advantage isn’t everything, huh?”
I nodded, grinning back. “It never is.”
We shook hands, the tension between us replaced by mutual respect. As John walked away, I glanced down at Scorch, who was already nuzzling against my arm, looking for praise.
“One down,” I said to him, smiling as the crowd continued to cheer. “Let’s see what’s next.”
After the match, I headed back to my designated area, my heart still racing from the excitement. I pulled out a berry from my bag and handed it to Scorch, who chirped happily as he munched on the sweet treat. It was a small but effective way to help him recover a bit of energy. I smiled, glad I had a way to soothe him after such a tough battle.
Once Scorch finished his snack, I decided to let Dune out of his Poké Ball. He settled onto my shoulder, his small form perfectly balanced as he observed the arena with bright eyes. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation, but as I glanced around, I couldn’t help but feel that the remaining matches had become somewhat tedious.
“Huh, I guess this is what happens when you watch nothing but the most high-level play,” I muttered to myself, recalling the thrilling final conferences I had seen on TV—the intense battles between top-tier trainers, gym leaders facing off against one another, and the electrifying matches of the Elite Four and champions. Those were the moments that kept me on the edge of my seat, where every move was a nail-biter and every strategy could turn the tide of the battle.
Dune tilted his head as if he understood my thoughts, and I scratched behind his ear absentmindedly. “I guess it’s hard to top those kinds of matches,” I said, letting out a sigh.
As I continued to watch the battles unfold, I noticed one trainer in particular who stood out among the rest. He had an air of confidence that caught my attention. With a keen eye, I spotted his Pokémon—a sleek, green Treecko. My eyes widened in surprise.
Wait a second. That trainer is from Petalburg City too?
“Alex!” I exclaimed, almost forgetting I was in a public space. My heart raced at the realization that another trainer from my hometown was competing in the tournament. I had heard about him before—a rising star known for his exceptional skills and strategic thinking. I had never expected to see him here, especially not with a Treecko by his side.
Dune perked up, sensing my excitement. “Looks like we’ve got some competition now,” I said, a determined grin spreading across my face. “This tournament just got a bit harder.”
I leaned forward, eager to catch a glimpse of the action. Alex was engaged in a battle with a trainer I didn’t recognize. The energy in the arena shifted as the crowd buzzed with excitement, whispering about the talent from Petalburg.
As the match progressed, I found myself entranced by Alex's fighting style. He was calm and collected, directing his Treecko with precise commands. The Treecko darted around the battlefield with incredible agility, using moves like Leafage and Quick Attack with remarkable skill. It was clear he had trained hard, and his partnership with Treecko was nothing short of impressive.
“Wow, he’s really good,” I murmured, a hint of admiration creeping into my voice. Dune shifted on my shoulder, peering down at the battle with wide eyes, as if he too was captivated by the display of skill.
The match drew on, and I felt a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling within me. I couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to face Alex in a battle. After all, having another trainer from Petalburg here made the tournament feel even more significant.
“Maybe we’ll face off,” I said, glancing at Dune. “But first, I need to keep focusing on my own battles. Scorch and I still have more to prove.”
With renewed determination, I turned my attention back to the matches, eager to see how the rest of the tournament would unfold. But in the back of my mind, I knew that the prospect of facing Alex someday added a new layer of excitement to my time in this tournament and the future.