Not long after the soft morning sunlight spread across the peaceful little town, a peculiar alarm clock shaped like a Poké Ball suddenly lit up in a quiet bedroom. From it, a bird-like figurine popped out and began to screech in a high-pitched voice, "Pidgey! Pidgey!" The repeated calls were sharp and grating.
The young man sleeping in the bed was jolted awake by the relentless noise. Slowly, he reached over to turn off the alarm. He then shuffled to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, and take a shower. Afterward, he changed into a light red hoodie and black trousers, finished by slipping on a pair of red sneakers. Finally, he stepped out of the house with a relaxed expression.
Kiyomi Tsugumi took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, his heart light with excitement, and headed for the Oak Research Institute.
The dirt-colored path was lined with lively green grass swaying in the breeze. Trees thrived on both sides, and colorful wildflowers bloomed proudly under the sky.
Kiyomi walked leisurely while admiring the scenery. After about ten minutes, the outline of the research institute appeared in the distance. As he approached, he noticed a crowd gathered outside the building—residents who had nothing better to do early in the morning. Men and women, young and old, had all come to spectate. A few cheerleader girls stood at the front, shaking their pom-poms enthusiastically, calling out names. A brightly colored sports car was parked nearby, drawing attention.
Kiyomi glanced at the crowd and let out a soft, ambiguous hum before striding into the institute without hesitation. He had a pretty good idea who was behind all the spectacle—only one person fit the bill: Shigeru Oak.
Shigeru was the grandson of the famous Professor Oak and a childhood friend of Tomoe. He was also Kiyomi's longtime rival.
Sure enough, as soon as Kiyomi entered, his eyes landed on the brown-haired boy with spiky, hedgehog-like hair. Shigeru stood with an impatient expression, his proud demeanor now fraying as time dragged on. The moment he saw Kiyomi, his expression shifted into a mocking smirk.
Before Kiyomi could say anything, Shigeru scoffed and said, "What happened? Were you out stealing last night? Took you long enough to get here—wasting my time and energy."
Kiyomi replied without missing a beat, "Why so arrogant, you walking hedgehog? What's the point of coming early if you have to wait for me anyway? Sit tight next time."
"You…!" Shigeru's face turned red with anger as he rolled up his sleeves, clearly ready for another round of their usual verbal spats. Kiyomi looked equally ready to bicker.
"Alright, that's enough. You two have been at it since you were kids. Don't you ever get tired of arguing?" A firm but warm voice cut in.
The voice belonged to an elderly man with a wide face, large eyes, and gray hair. The moment he appeared, both boys called out, "Grandpa!"
This was the famous Professor Oak.
In Kiyomi's memory, Professor Oak had always been kind, humorous, and down-to-earth. He didn't put on airs and treated the younger generation with patience and generosity. Kiyomi deeply respected him. The moment Oak entered the room, Kiyomi bowed respectfully, and the professor greeted him with a smile.
While Professor Oak chatted with his grandson, Kiyomi noticed that aside from him and Shigeru, there was a third person in the room—a girl. She had side-swept bangs, a single ponytail, green hair, and blue eyes. Quiet and reserved, she stood in a corner, exuding calm and grace.
After taking a quick glance at her, Kiyomi turned his attention back to the professor. Oak soon finished speaking and took a quick headcount. There were three people in the room, but his notes indicated there should be four. The missing person was—of course—Ash Ketchum, known in this world as Xiaozhi.
"Tch. He probably stayed up too late from the excitement and overslept," Shigeru sneered. "Grandpa, can we just pick our Pokémon already? I've been waiting for this moment forever. Who knows when that idiot will finally show up?"
Kiyomi nodded in agreement. He, too, couldn't wait any longer to receive his very first Pokémon.
Professor Oak paused, then said, "Alright, no need to waste time. You three may go ahead and choose."
Kiyomi's heart nearly burst out of his chest. He rushed over to a sleek silver machine where three Poké Balls sat. Ignoring the ones containing Squirtle and Bulbasaur, he immediately reached for the one holding Charmander.
His pulse raced with excitement, his hands clammy with sweat as he clutched the Poké Ball.
Is my dream finally coming true? Is this the moment I've longed for all these years?
Kiyomi's mind went blank, completely overwhelmed by emotion. He vaguely heard someone speaking, but the sound was distant and muffled—likely just a hallucination from excitement.
Trying to regain focus, he steadied his breathing and tossed the Poké Ball into an open space nearby. It split in midair, releasing a burst of red light that quickly materialized into a small orange figure.
Charmander stood in front of him, curiously tilting its head as it looked at its new trainer.
Tears welled in Kiyomi's eyes.
A real, living Pokémon… finally.
He walked up and gently scooped Charmander into his arms. The little Pokémon stiffened at first, surprised by the sudden hug, but then relaxed and wagged its flaming tail more vigorously in response to Kiyomi's affection.
"It seems Charmander really likes you," Professor Oak observed with a kind smile.
Shigeru picked Squirtle, just like in the TV series, while the unknown girl selected Bulbasaur.
"Wanna battle me?" Shigeru sneered at Kiyomi. "I've put up with you long enough. Let's see the gap between us."
"I don't have time to waste on you," Kiyomi replied coolly. "I need to head back and pack for my trip. Come challenge me again after you've actually earned a badge, scrub."
With that, he recalled Charmander and walked out of the lab, ignoring Shigeru's glare.
Just then, Kiyomi spotted someone in the distance running toward the institute in a panic. He squinted, then realized—it was Xiaozhi. He hadn't even changed out of his pajamas.
"Hey, Xiaozhi!" Kiyomi waved.
Xiaozhi waved back as he dashed past, desperate to collect his first Pokémon.
Kiyomi chuckled and shook his head. He was still buzzing with excitement. As he walked away, he hummed to himself and gently rubbed the Poké Ball in his hands. He couldn't help but smile.
But then, something strange caught his attention.
A small blue dot hovered in the upper-left corner of his vision, drifting back and forth. Kiyomi hadn't noticed it earlier—probably because he'd been too overwhelmed by receiving his first Pokémon.
Now that things had calmed down, the odd dot finally registered in his awareness.
Frowning, Kiyomi tried to focus on it. Just as he did, the dot flickered—and in the next instant, his vision shifted. He suddenly saw what the dot truly was.
And in that moment, Kiyomi Tsugumi stood frozen in shock.