Kapitel 2: Chapter 2: Journey Start Today
Chapter Start:
*****[(-o-)]*****
{ Third Person P.O.V. }
The breeze was gentle, calm, and invigorating. He savored the sensation of the soft, warm grass beneath his feet. Reaching down, he ran his fingers through the grass and soil, feeling a sense of freedom that had eluded him for so long. Suddenly, he noticed a dampness on his cheeks and realized, somewhat reluctantly, that he was shedding tears for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.
He didn't care that it was both pathetic and sad. He kept crying out all his pain, despair, and anguish through his tears and joy-filled laughs. For the first time in a decade, he was finally free from that void, the afterlife filled with absolute loneliness. He didn't know how long he cried and laughed, just that he did until he eventually ran out of tears to cry. Wiping away the last of his tears and snot, he was left tired and empty but calm, with a profound sense of relief washing over him.
As he took in his surroundings, he glanced around to figure out where he was. It dawned on him that he was in the middle of a forest surrounded by towering trees. After a brief moment of surveying the area, he noticed something peculiar about his own body. Looking down at his hands, he realized he had shrunk to the size of a teenager.
He was shocked. "What... What is this?" Why am I a kid again? He took stock of himself and noticed that he wore all the same clothes as before on his journey with his friend on the African savanna.
When he checked his backpack, he noticed a few strange things. His backpack still had all his survival gear and a few other things besides what he remembered packing. There was what looked to be food for animals, some strange fruits, a med kit that held bottles for something called a potion, and a few peculiar-looking red and white balls. Wait, he knew what this was, and he reached out. He grabbed one of the said balls, 'This is...no, it couldn't be, but what if it is?'
He then grew more excited because if his hunch was true, maybe. He decided to test his hunch by pressing the small white button in the center of the ball. As if by magic, the ball started to shrink in on itself, which greatly shocked him. "No freaking way this is real!! This is an honest-to-Arceus Pokéball, which means!!"
He had read enough fanfiction and similar works to anticipate where this was heading. He couldn't deny feeling excited, although a good part of him was terrified. Who wouldn't want to be stuck in the Pokémon world? But at the same time, this is the Pokémon world! There's a lot of crazy stuff that happens in this world, and many of the more dangerous elements are glossed over.
This might not be the world from the anime and cartoon series; it could also be from the movies, comics, or Arceus forbid the manga. He shuddered; let's not go down that rabbit hole, or is it a Bunnelby hole? Ahh, who cares? Whatever, it's not essential. What is important is figuring out his situation.
He struggled to understand his surroundings and what was happening. He questioned whether this was indeed his original body from his previous life. The latter was more significant since, despite recognizing some familiar clothes and gear from his old life, he realized that he didn't have any of the same scars he had acquired from his work at the Zoo or his adventures in camping and exploration. It seemed implausible that his body had regressed to childhood, especially when he noticed a few small, barely visible white scars on his hands and arms that he didn't recall having before he removed his gloves.
The next clue emerged when he searched his backpack and found his I.D. Usually, he would always carry important information with him, but not this time. He noticed that his first name had changed from Duke to Dean, which was odd. His last name, Opal, remained the same. However, things took a different turn when he discovered that his birth date was June 6th instead of July 13th. Then came the mystery of his parents. His father was a skilled breeder, and his mother was a high-ranking coordinator from Sinnoh. They relocated to Kanto after civil unrest in their homeland, just before a new Champion named Cynthia emerged.
They've relocated to Pallet Town! He thinks it's a bit cliché, but he's not one to grumble. In this life, his parents are Jackson and Maria Opal, and he's their only child.
He was taken aback. He had anticipated something like this, but discovering that his new parents were entirely different from his old ones felt strange. It made him question what was happening and who he indeed was. He knew whose body he was in but didn't realize Dean was a person. Then, unexpectedly, he felt a faint vibration at the back of his head that grew stronger. "Argh." Then, with a rush of pain, he began to feel dizzy; his surroundings started to spin in a blur until he felt his head hit the soft grass and quickly lost consciousness.
Upon waking up, he felt different. He felt "new," as if he were an entirely new person in body and mind. It was hard to describe, but he felt his consciousness was now wholly his own. This wasn't particularly worrying, as the other part of him, which made up his new consciousness, was similar to him in some ways. The dormant consciousness of Dean Opal had reawakened and seemed to merge with Duke, creating something new. He was still Duke in some ways but also Dean in others.
Duke felt his thoughts were intertwined with Dean's, and their memories, experiences, dreams, and goals were all connected. He remembered a term used by Professor Oak in one of his classes that described certain Pokémon that are joined together, like the Pokémon from the Koffing, Diglett, and Exeggcute lines. He thought the professional term for this was "gestalt"; although he knew its technical definition, he initially needed clarification on its meaning. It refers to a coherent whole perceived as more than just the sum of its parts.
Once their consciousnesses intertwined, he finally grasped the true essence of his existence. He understood he was more than just a fusion of Duke and Dean. To preserve his sense of self and prevent confusion, he mainly goes by the name Duke while integrating Dean's consciousness and memories to fill the voids in his understanding of this world.
Hold on. If I recall correctly, from a trivia game about Pokémon, there was a ghost-type Pokémon called Spiritomb. Spiritomb was created from the fusion of 108 spirits, similar to how Duke and Dean are intertwined. Their souls and consciousness combined to form it. But setting that aside, he decided to concentrate on himself and sort out his thoughts.
After merging their minds, he had to sift through the memories of both Duke and Dean. Duke's memories were buried in the back, while Dean's recent ones took center stage. He kept Dean's personality and Duke's mature mindset to avoid raising red flags with his parents and friends. At the same time, he retained Duke's past life skills and experience to help him on his journey. He also held onto Dean's knowledge from Professor Oak's lesson on Pokemon. Organizing his thoughts took time, but once he was done, he carefully reviewed everything to ensure everything was in order. After that, he had to figure out his next steps.
That's when his stomach started to rumble; he realized that he hadn't eaten all day. Since his body was still growing, he needed plenty of nutrients. Thinking quickly, he decided to set up camp and prepare a meal before figuring out his next steps. He swiftly set up his tent, made a small fire, and prepared his meal.
He unpacked his pot, kettle, other cooking tools, and his parents' provisions for his journey. He also gathered various fruits and berries to stock up on extra supplies in case he didn't reach a town. After completing this task, he prepared a small dinner. By the time he finished eating, the sun was already beginning to set. Following his meal, he decided to call it a night and contemplate his route and aspirations for the following day.
After tidying up and organizing his cooking tools, he washed in the nearby stream and changed into his original clothes. As he glanced at his reflection, he noticed that although he resembled his former self, he appeared more minor and less bulky. His skin had a sun-kissed glow, and his wild, untamed black hair almost obscured his deep forest-green eyes. He was dressed in a wide-brimmed beige safari hat with goggles perched on top; a light-green shawl layered over a deep green poncho, a black undershirt, thick black cargo pants, sturdy brown leather gloves, knee-high mountain boots, and a large brown backpack.
He returned to his camp after gazing at his reflection in the stream. He extinguished the remaining embers of the fire, changed into his nighttime clothes, and settled into his sleeping bag inside the tent. "My adventure begins tomorrow. What's the phrase? A journey starts with only a single step. Some say it starts today, but for me, it's tomorrow. I'm eager to see what unfolds on my journey."
*****[(-o-)]*****
Chapter End:
A/N: GreatSage here. I am sorry for the wait, but here is the next chapter. This is a shout-out to the readers to ask what they think the MC starter should be and what his Pokemon team should look like. I won't make any promises, but I promise to review the chapter commits to receive some ideas in the future.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein