Pokemon : An Unexpected Journey

Gary's iconic catchphrase might have sounded cool to a kid, but to Austin? It was just… bizarre.

Smell ya later?

He almost let out a snicker, forcing himself to keep a straight face. What kind of weird fetish does Gary have?

But before he could spiral further into his own thoughts, an elderly voice cut through the air.

“So, you decided to show up after all.”

Austin whipped around, heart pounding, and there he was—Professor Samuel Oak.

He blinked up at the man like an idiot, his brain stuttering as he processed the sight. The guy looked exactly like he did in the show—greying hair, white lab coat, the whole deal. His outfit wasn’t as pristine, though; he had on a red shirt and brown cargo pants, as if he had just come back from some wilderness trek.

Before Austin could say anything, he stumbled backward, landing on the ground with a thud.

Smooth, real smooth.

"P-Professor Oak?!" The words spilled out before Austin could stop himself.

The way the professor's eyebrow shot up told Austin he must've looked completely out of it. “Well, you look like you’re ready for bed, not Pokémon training,” Oak remarked, clearly amused.

What? Austin blinked, looking down at himself and—oh, crap. In all the chaos, he had managed to mirror Ash’s disheveled appearance from the anime. Fantastic.

“I—uh, I can fix this.” His voice cracked slightly, nerves eating away at him.

But then, something clicked in his mind. Wait, what the hell am I freaking out for? This is a dream.

A grin tugged at the corners of Austin's lips. If this was all some weird, vivid dream, he might as well enjoy it.

"But I am ready for a Pokémon," he said, his confidence building.

______________________________

Standing in Oak’s lab, Austin scanned the room, eyes darting from one machine to another. The place was more impressive in person, but there was also a tight knot forming in his gut.

Deep breath, Austin, it’s all good. Just play along.

The glass panel slid open with a hiss, revealing three Pokéballs.

“Are you alright, Ash?” Professor Oak asked, his voice full of concern.

Austin nearly flinched at the name. Ash.

“Oh, I’m fine, Professor. Just… excited.” His enthusiasm felt forced, even to himself, but he pushed through. He doubted he could keep this act up for much longer.

Professor Oak narrowed his eyes a bit, as if trying to read him. “Hm… Well, alright then. So, who will be your choice?”

Think, think. Austin furrowed his brow, going for a calculated move.

“Well, Gary said he got a Squirtle, so that's out,” he said, reaching for the Pokéball nearest to him.

Charmander. Let’s get that one.

But of course, it was empty. Just my luck. He feigned disappointment.

“That one was also taken by a kid who wasn’t late,” Oak chimed in with a slight shrug.

Right. Austin reached for the next one, determined to see this through.

“Well, that’s fine. Bulbasaur is a great Pokémon—” And another empty ball. Great. Fantastic. Just keep smiling, Austin.

“The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the Pokémon,” Oak said, stroking his chin like this was some philosophical moment.

Austin sighed. “So… there’s no Pokémon left?”

Professor Oak hesitated. Austin could see it in his face. “Well, there’s still one left, but I—”

“I’ll take it!” Austin blurted out, too desperate to move things along to care about any warnings.

Oak looked taken aback but eventually pressed a button. A Pokéball with a lightning bolt emblem rose up.

“I should warn you, there’s a problem with this last one,” Oak said as Austin practically bounced on his feet.

Oh, I know.

“I’ll take my chances,” Austin said with a grin.

Oak handed over the Pokéball, and Austin couldn’t resist the excitement bubbling up as he pressed the button. A flash of light erupted, and there he was—Pikachu, small, yellow, and just as grumpy-looking as ever.

“His name is Pikachu,” Professor Oak introduced. Pikachu glanced at them, scowling like they’d interrupted his day.

“Hi, Pikachu,” Austin said, extending a hand. This’ll be fine. No problem.

But before he could make contact, Oak’s warning came a second too late.

Electricity surged through Austin, every nerve in his body lighting up like a Christmas tree.

Oh God, why did I forget this part?!

His muscles spasmed as Pikachu unleashed a full-on shock, and the pain was all too real. Not a dream. Definitely not a dream.

Pikachu huffed, crossing his arms as Austin lay there twitching on the floor, his mind spinning.

"Shocking, isn’t it?" Oak said, deadpan.

Screw you, Oak. Austin groaned internally, his body still jerking from the aftershocks.

______________________________

Once he could finally move again, Austin shot Pikachu a wary glance. Pikachu avoided eye contact, which felt about right given his attitude.

Okay, this is real. Definitely real.

A thousand questions swirled in Austin's head. How the hell did I end up here? Was he in Ash’s body? Was the real Ash stuck in his back in the real world?

Oh no. Oh crap. What if Ash is in my body? Austin's stomach dropped. How would my parents react to someone claiming to be me?

He swallowed hard. I need to find a way to fix this.

“Here, you’ll need these.” Oak handed Austin a Pokedex and a couple of Pokéballs, breaking him out of his spiraling thoughts.

Austin took them, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. I’m Ash now… for however long this lasts.

Curious, he pointed the Pokedex at Pikachu, who glanced over, clearly puzzled by Austin's actions.

“Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon. The red sacs on its cheeks store energy equal to a lightning bolt. If one finds a charred berry in the woods, it is a sure sign that a Pikachu is nearby.”

The voice of the Pokedex felt both familiar and surreal, but what really threw Austin off was the level of detail.

“This Pikachu is male, with the ability Static. He knows Thundershock, Growl, and Tail Whip. Age: Two years and five months.”

Huh, age too? That’s new.

Pikachu huffed again, clearly unimpressed.

“You may want to return him to his Pokéball,” Oak suggested, causing Pikachu’s ears to twitch.

Austin remembered what happened in the anime and quickly shook his head. “Nah, I think he’d prefer to stay out.”

Pikachu side-eyed Austin as if to say, Yeah, right.

“Besides,” Austin added, trying to play it cool, “how can I be his friend if I keep him in the ball all the time?”

Pikachu’s scoff was almost audible. Good luck with that, his expression said.

Oak scratched his cheek. “If you’re sure, Ash.”

Ash. Gotta get used to that.

Austin swallowed again, his throat dry. I need to keep pretending to be him. No one can know I’m not Ash. 

Taking a deep breath, Austin closed his eyes and tried to imagine what Ash would be feeling right now. Excitement, probably. He could fake that.

When Austin opened his eyes again, Oak was watching him, concern etched on his face.

“You alright, Ash?”

“Uh, yeah,” Austin answered with a sheepish grin. “Just trying to calm myself. You know… ‘cause I’m so excited.”

Oak chuckled softly. “Well, excitement is a good start for any Pokémon Trainer.”

Yeah, excitement... or pure panic.