The street was nearly empty as I walked home, plastic grocery bags digging into my fingers.
I had made a quick trip to the corner store down the block.
The house needed snacks, I told myself.
In truth, I just needed air.
Life had become… repetitive. Wake up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Days blurred together until even weekends felt the same.
The cool, crisp breeze brushed against my face, slipping through my hair. For a moment, I let myself enjoy it.
Then I reached home.
The stairs creaked as I climbed them, each step echoing faintly in the quiet house. I pushed open my bedroom door—
—and smiled.
My room was a shrine.
Figures lined the shelves, still encased in their box. Posters covered the walls. Stacks of cards rested neatly on my desk. Plushies sat in the corner, just as pristine as when I first got them.
Pokémon.
I've loved it for as long as I can remember.
The anime. The games. The manga. The trading cards.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it defined my childhood.
Sometimes I would lie on my bed and imagine it—
Running through open plains.
Sailing across endless seas.
Flying through the sky on the back of a Dragon-type. Assuming it could fly of course.
Catching Pokémon. Battling. Exploring vast habitats full of life and history.
Living, truly living.
But reality was far less exciting.
At best, I could settle for new game releases and rewatches. Maybe one day full-dive VR would exist.
Even then…
It wouldn't be real.
I stared at the ceiling.
"I just… wanna see Pokémon."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
That night, as I went through my routine, the feeling lingered.
A dull ache of dissatisfaction.
If only I could go to a world with Pokémon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...Am I dreaming?
I was standing.
No—
I was floating in space.
Stars stretched endlessly in every direction. Planets drifted in the distance. Asteroids passed silently by.
It was overwhelming.
Beautiful, in a way.
[Greetings, child]
The voice boomed, resonating throughout the void itself.
I turned, startled by it's sudden appearance.
"Oh my god..."
White body. Gold arcs.
It was a llama.
It was THE LLAMA.
Arceus.
The Pokémon God stood before me, plates, glowing like a rainbow orbiting its body.
This had to be a dream.
But if it was…
I didn't want to wake up.
[This is no dream.]
My heart started to beat faster.
"Then what is this?"
[I have heard your pleas. Your love for Pokémon is… pleasing.]
My mind raced.
Was this really happening?
Was this—
My chance?
[I intend to send you to another world. One where you shall spread your love for my creations.]
"Another world?" I blinked. "Wait—so not the Pokémon world?"
What the hell did that mean? I couldn't seem to find an answer, no matter how hard I tried.
[The world you shall enter does not naturally contain Pokémon.]
My excitement faltered.
"Then how—?"
[I shall assist you.]
A glowing object materialized between us.
A familiar device.
The Arc Phone.
[You will use this to guide you. Ask, and it shall answer.]
"I don't even know how I would-"
[That is part of your journey.]
There was a pause.
Then—
[Should you succeed, we shall meet again.]
The stars began to dim.
Darkness swallowed the cosmos.
And I fell, feeling my consciousness slip away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading. Any and all criticisms are greatly appreciated. I want to make sure this concept works out.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Question: What Is your favorite Pokémon?