A sharp pain bloomed in his chest. The screech of tires. A flash of headlights. A deafening crash—metal crunching, glass shattering.
Then... silence.
And darkness.
It swallowed him whole, heavy and infinite. Time unraveled into nothingness. There was no pain, no sound—only the void.
Until...Light. Blinding and brilliant, it pierced through the abyss like a star exploding into existence.
Crying.
Was that... him?
Everything was too loud, too cold, too bright. The air stung his lungs. His skin prickled with overstimulation. He tried to speak, to scream, but all that escaped was the helpless wail of a newborn.
He was being held—cradled in soft, warm arms. The world felt impossibly large. His limbs flailed, weak and uncoordinated. Voices surrounded him, muffled yet familiar.
"Congratulations, Professor Oak," a woman said warmly. "It's a healthy boy!"
Professor Oak?
His panic dulled to confusion. His brain, foggy yet functional, grasped at the name. That voice—it spoke to someone important.
"Welcome to the world, little Gary," the nurse cooed.
Gary?
He opened his eyes, just barely. The world swam in hazy shapes and light. A woman in a white coat leaned over him, her face soft and smiling. Beside her, a Chansey holding a clipboard bobbed its head cheerfully. Behind them stood a tall man with short gray hair and gentle eyes, gazing down with warmth and awe.
"So this is my grandson," he whispered as gary gave into drowsiness and slept away after crying so much.
[Three Years Later]
The wind rustled the leaves above him, casting dancing shadows on the grass. Gary Oak sat cross-legged beneath a large tree in the garden behind the Oak estate. The afternoon sun was warm but gentle, and the scent of blooming apricorn trees drifted through the air.
Bird Pokémon chirped in the distance. A Butterfree flitted lazily above a patch of flowers.
But Gary wasn't paying attention.
He stared into the koi pond before him, watching the ripples disrupt his reflection. A toddler's face stared back—round cheeks, tousled brown hair, and deep eyes far older than they should've been.
He took a deep breath. "Okay... let's go over this again."
He spoke softly, as if saying it out loud helped make it real.
"I died getting hit by a truck. Woke up as a baby. And now... I'm Gary. Gary Oak. The grandson of Professor Samuel Oak. I am his only family member alive since my dad died in a car accident, while my mom died after giving birth to me. And unlike the Anime I have no older sister."
His memories had returned slowly, like puzzle pieces falling into place. At first, they'd been fuzzy impressions—dreams of another world. But as his mind developed, so did the clarity. He remembered his previous life: watching the Pokémon anime, obsessively playing the games, collecting trading cards, reading fanfiction and theories.
He remembered Gary Oak too—Ash's smug rival. Cocky, overconfident, ultimately defeated. He quit after Johto and became a researcher like his grandfather.
But I'm not that Gary. Not anymore.
"I'm not going to be the stepping stone in Ash's journey," he muttered, fists clenched. "I've been given another chance, and I'm going to make it count."
He turned his head toward the horizon, where the trees parted and the blue sky opened wide.
"Not just a Pokémon Master... I'll be something more."
His heart pounded as he remembered the first time he saw a Pokemon (Chansey doesn't count). A graceful, towering creature with small sky-wide wings and eyes like ancient wisdom. Professor Oak, his Grandfather's, Dragonite. It had flown over the reserve like a guardian, trailing power in its wake.
"—I'll become the greatest Dragon-type Master in the world," Gary declared aloud, eyes gleaming.
Not like Lance. The supposed "Dragon Master" who had three Dragonites... and three flying types that weren't even dragons.
Gary smirked. "More like Flying-type poser."
---
Professor Oak's lab was a marvel—part modern laboratory, part natural sanctuary. Glass corridors overlooked wild habitats teeming with Pokémon, and steel cabinets held samples, Poké Balls, and rare research notes. Gary had spent hours just watching, absorbing everything.
Though only three, Gary had started helping his grandfather with small tasks—sorting berries, fetching clean beakers, organizing notes. Oak had been surprised by his grandson's early aptitude.
"Careful now," the Professor said one day, as Gary handed him a beaker filled with pale-blue fluid. "Nice and steady—there we go. Perfect!"
Gary grinned.
Professor Oak chuckled, ruffling his hair. "You've got a steady hand for someone your age."
"Gramps," Gary asked seriously, "can you teach me about Dragon-type Pokemon?"
Oak blinked. "Dragon-types? Most kids your age want to cuddle a Jigglypuff."
Gary shook his head. "I've seen your Dragonite. It's... incredible."
The professor's eyes twinkled. "Ah, yes. He is magnificent. Dragon-types are rare and powerful—but also fiercely proud and hard to train."
"I want to train them," Gary said, voice firm. "All of them."
Oak regarded him thoughtfully, as if seeing something more than just a precocious child.
"Well then," he said after a moment, "we'll start with the basics. But remember—power means nothing without wisdom. Even a Dragonite listens best to a kind and clever trainer."
Gary nodded solemnly. He would be both.
---
At age five, Gary stood by the trail leading into the Oak estate, arms crossed as he watched the buses roll in.
Kids spilled out in excited clusters. Laughter and shouting filled the air.
Professor Oak's annual Pokémon Summer Camp had officially begun.
Children from all over Kanto—and even a few from other regions—came to Pallet Town for two weeks of nature hikes, Pokémon games, and lessons in care and battling. It was one of the first steps children took before receiving their license at ten.
And among the crowd... there he was.
Ash Ketchum.
Gary spotted him immediately—messy hair, bright eyes, and a grin big enough to split his face. The kid practically radiated enthusiasm as he bolted off the bus, leaving his exhausted mother behind.
"Pokémon Camp is gonna be awesome!" Ash shouted to no one in particular.
Ash turned to a group of kids. "Hi! I'm Ash Ketchum! I'm gonna be a Pokémon Master!"
Gary rolled his eyes and approached. "You? A Pokémon Master? You'll probably sleep through the start of your journey."
Ash blinked at him, startled. "Hey! I will not! Who even are you?"
"Gary Oak," he said coolly. "Future Dragon-type Master."
Ash's eyes widened. "Dragon Master? Whoa! That sounds super cool!"
Gary gave him a confident smile. Despite the teasing, Ash laughed, and the tension dissolved instantly.
They didn't realize it yet, but their rivalry—and friendship—had just begun.
---
By the third day of camp, Gary had grown restless. The group activities were fun, sure, but he was starting to find them boring. Even the banter with Ash was not helping his bordem.
That morning, he spotted Dragonite soaring over the forest edge. Determined to study its behavior and play with it, he snuck away during lunch break, slipping through the trees towards the direction where he saw Dragonite fly.
But what he found wasn't a Dragonite.
It was a girl.
She sat on a mossy rock beside a trickling creek, holding her leg and quietly crying. Honey-blonde hair framed her face, and a soft pink hat lay beside her. Her scraped knee was bleeding slightly.
Gary froze. Serena?
He recognized her immediately—from the Kalos region in the games and anime. But she was younger now—around his age.
"Hey... are you okay?" he asked, stepping closer.
She was startled, wiping her eyes. "I-I got lost due to chasing a Pichu that took my hat… and I fell…"
Gary knelt beside her. "Let me see."
She winced as he examined her knee.
"It's just a scrape," he said softly, pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wrapping it around her leg. "There. It'll heal soon."
Serena looked at him, her eyes wide. "T-Thank you... I'm Serena."
Gary smiled. "Gary Oak. Future Dragon-type Master!"
Before she could react, he slipped one arm behind her knees and another around her back.
"Wha—?!" she squeaked as he lifted her effortlessly into a princess carry.
Gary didn't notice her red cheeks. "I'll take you back. You need rest. Grandpa will fix you up in no time."
Serena buried her face against his chest, clutching his shirt. Her heart fluttered strangely. She didn't understand why... but something about Gary's voice made her feel safe.
They didn't speak as he carried her back, only the rustle of trees and distant Pokémon cries accompanying them.
But something had shifted.
A thread of destiny tugged taut.
Serena would never forget the boy who came for her in the woods, who carried her like a knight from a fairy tale.
And Gary? He had unknowingly altered the timeline.
The butterfly effect had begun.