c1: Time Travel to the World of Pokémon
Night.
Alex lay on his bed, gripping his Nintendo Switch tightly, eyes locked on the screen of Pokémon Sword and Shield. With a flick of the Joy-Con, he hurled a Master Ball at Eternatus known as Wuji Taina in the Galar Region.
"Yes!"
"Finally caught Eternatus!" Alex shouted with joy. Glancing at the clock, it was almost 3 a.m. "It's really late… I should sleep." He put down the console, lay back, and closed his eyes.
Just as Alex drifted off, a mysterious white light flashed through the room.
"God-level Lottery System binding… Host confirmed. Preparing consciousness transfer. Destination: Pokémon World. Dimension confirmed. Initiating traversal"
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The next morning.
Alex opened his eyes groggily, then blinked in surprise. "Huh? Where am I?" His gaze swept across the wooden attic ceiling, then to the Slowpoke-shaped alarm clock ticking on the bedside table, and the Pokémon-themed posters plastered across the walls.
"What… Is this the Pokémon world?"
Suddenly, a stream of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. Alex had been reincarnated into Pallet Town—hometown of the legendary Pokémon Professor Samuel Oak. He was now a six-year-old boy in this world… also named Alex.
Apparently, he had been adopted by Professor Oak himself. "So I'm really here… in the world I always dreamed of. I've always imagined being a Pokémon Trainer. This… This is real!"
Alex sat up and quickly got dressed. He wore a sky-blue shirt and tan shorts, matching well with his neatly combed hair and youthful features. His slightly tousled bangs gave him a carefree charm, and he couldn't help but grin at his reflection. "Still got the looks," he said smugly.
He walked out of his room into Professor Oak's lab, and as expected, the old man greeted him warmly.
"Ah, Alex, you're up."
"Morning, Grandpa!"
"Today's the first day of Pokémon Summer Camp. I've packed your bag already don't forget it! You and Gary will be leaving soon."
Only then did Alex recall—today was the start of Professor Oak's famous summer camp, the same one mentioned in flashbacks during Pokémon Journeys. Maybe he'd even meet Serena, the future Kalos Queen who debuted in Pokémon the Series: XY. She was the childhood crush of many fans, and Alex was no exception.
Just then, Gary Oak's voice rang out. "Hey Alex, hurry up! We'll miss the bus!"
"Oh right! Coming!"
"Grandpa, we're leaving now!"
"Be careful on the road," Professor Oak called after them. "And remember, no wild battles on your own!"
He sighed and turned back inside. "Guess I'll be having instant noodles for lunch again…"
Alex and Gary boarded the bus. As the vehicle rolled through the outskirts of Pallet Town, Alex pressed his face to the window. Pidgeotto and Butterfree soared through the sky; Rattata and Oddish rustled through the tall grass; a Teddiursa peeked out from behind a tree.
"This world… It's just like the anime and games. I'm really here."
He suddenly remembered his backpack. It was light but roomy, stocked with Poké Balls and basic recovery items like Antidotes and Potions.
"Grandpa Oak really prepared everything… but I still don't know which Pokémon I've got."
Gary leaned over and whispered, "He gave us Kanto starters. I got Squirtle."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, but keep it hidden for now. We're still too young to officially receive a Pokémon."
"Got it," Alex nodded. "I hope mine's Charmander."
After about half an hour, they arrived at the summer campgrounds, a wide clearing with cabins and activity stations. Children were already gathered near the welcome center.
A man in a lab coat addressed them. "Quiet down, everyone! I'm Professor Elm from New Bark Town in Johto. I'll be supervising your activities this summer. Welcome to the Pokémon Summer Camp!"
Elm wasn't the usual host, but cross-regional appearances weren't unheard of—especially with academic exchanges between Professors.
"We'll begin by dividing into teams," he continued. "First team: Gary, Alex, Ash, Mairin, Serena."
Alex's heart skipped a beat. Wait, Ash and Serena? The main characters themselves?
A cheerful voice broke his thoughts. "Hi! I'm Serena, from the Kalos Region. Nice to meet you!"
A girl with honey-blonde hair and a pink hat smiled brightly at him.
Alex was momentarily stunned. "She's even cuter in person…!"
"I'm Alex, from the Kanto Region. Great to meet you too!"
Another voice joined in, colder this time. "Mairin. From the Unova Region."
They exchanged quick greetings. Alex didn't need to greet Ash and Gary they'd grown up together in this world.
Suddenly, Ash came running, panting hard. "Sorry I'm late! I overslept!"
Alex grinned. "Still the same Ash… Late to his own journey. Just like in episode one."
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