Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here’s the experimental Pokemon chapter. It is a pilot chapter, so the story is not guaranteed yet. Tell me what you think of it, and whether you prefer this or the old story.

Chapter 1

"...citizens that are located in Charlestown or the surrounding area are cautioned to exercise vigilance. An explosion occurred in the early hours of the morning, destroying some property a few kilometres outside of the town. There have been multiple sightings of an unidentified object flying in the sky, although they have not been substantiated. The military presence in the area has increased over the last few hours, with several aircraft seen, suggesting something major is taking place. For more details..."

Lucas switched off the radio and glanced up at the sky from the driver's window. It was mid-morning, and there were blue skies as far as the eye could see. Neither a cloud nor an unidentified object was visible. He wasn't too concerned. Most likely, the military was doing flight training in the area, and some people mistook an aircraft for something else. Besides, he was much further south than Charlestown. Whatever it is, it won't affect him.

He was heading towards the Maundale hiking trail. It was a multi-day hike that traversed over fifty kilometres and was packed with some of the most stunning vistas that the country had to offer. It wasn't the ideal time to walk the trail, as winter was almost here, so most tourists would have left by now. But he needed to get away for a few days and reflect on what had been a difficult couple of weeks.

His mother passed away, and although it did not come as a surprise, it still affected him deeply. She had been admitted for Covid complications, which resulted in a massive heart attack. Lucas was able to gather the immediate family together to see her before she passed away, which was a blessing. He had been busy with funeral arrangements in the first week because it had never occurred to him to prepare everything in advance. His mother had always been a constant in his life. It was hard for him to imagine that one day she would be gone.

The most painful part of the funeral, besides the grief, was seeing extended family. Both he and his mother had not been on good terms with them, and they only showed up as a matter of familial obligation. As soon as the funeral was over, they revealed their true faces and started the familiar refrain of criticising his life choices. They did not view his career as a struggling artist favourably. He tolerated them for a few days before finally reaching his limit and telling them to get lost. Immediately after they left, he was able to breathe a little easier.

Lucas made the turn-off that led to the starting point of the trail and drove the last few kilometres. Turning into the parking lot, he was surprised to see that there were no other cars parked there. Even if no one was hiking the trail at the time, there was still a lodge that operated all year round. Once he got out of the car, he walked over and tried the door. It was locked.

Shrugging, Lucas returned to the car. Maybe the owners had business elsewhere for the day and took advantage of the fact that no one was staying there at the moment. As he was about to open the car boot, he looked up when he heard the distinctive roar of a fighter jet. The sleek aircraft appeared, flying fast and low to the ground, and Lucas watched it go until it disappeared out of sight.

He hoisted the heavy backpack onto his shoulders and checked his satellite phone to ensure he had a full charge. The trail was easy to follow since it was well-maintained and had plenty of signs to guide you. However, it pays to be cautious. This wasn't his first hike by any means, and he had gotten into trouble before when he didn't have a satellite phone to help him.

After locking up his car, he entered the trail. The brisk air revitalised him, and he lengthened his stride, eager to reach the first waypoint before dark. The temperature was almost sub-zero, not the most suitable conditions for hiking, so he wore well-insulated clothing to maintain his body heat.

The first part of the trail led him along a long valley, through lightly forested terrain and a series of winding rivers. As the trail was completely flat, he made significant progress for the next couple of hours. The sounds of nature around him were soothing, and he soon forgot his grief and worries about where his next paycheck would come from. Having walked for two hours, he rested on a fallen log and drank some water.

He thought the next few hours would follow in the same vein. However, something happened shortly after he resumed walking that he did not expect. A second fighter jet flew above him, but he couldn't see it through the forest canopy. Then, he heard a loud explosion followed by a crash, startling him. Did the fighter jet crash?

Lucas ran along the trail until he found a break in the trees, then looked around for the fighter jet. A huge plume of smoke rose above the trees to the northwest, at the base of a mountain. According to his GPS, the area was off the beaten path. There was no choice, really. There was a possibility that the pilot was still alive and needed assistance. They could have ejected from the jet before it exploded, although he did not see a parachute anywhere.

It took him forty minutes of traversing a heavily forested area to find the crash site. The plane crashed on a long stretch of field under the shelter of the mountain. The debris was strewn across a few kilometres, and a few pockets of fires were burning where the jet fuel ignited.

Lucas observed the scene from afar, not eager to get closer to it. If the pilot was in the plane when it crashed, there was no way they would have survived.

Suddenly, a crack of falling trees sounded, followed by a crash as they hit the ground. Lucas jerked his head in the direction the noise came from, and he could vaguely see a disturbance within the tree line. The sound came from the same forested area he had just emerged from, although much further down. Although he couldn't see what caused the commotion, it must have been something enormous that had enough force to bring the trees crashing down.

Lucas bit his lip as he contemplated whether or not to investigate or leave the area. It wasn't in his nature to leave a mystery behind. He had always been too curious for his own good. Back in the trees, he stepped carefully to avoid making noise as he moved toward the commotion. After a few minutes, he saw what was causing the destruction, and he immediately froze. His first instinct was to run, but he could not move his legs as he was immobilised by fear.

There was a beast in front of him. It was so tall that its head reached the top of the trees, and its wings were outstretched as if it was about to take flight. Because its size and appearance were so out of this world, his first thought was that he was making first contact with an extraterrestrial. He recalled what had been said on the radio, and cursed himself for not paying closer attention to it.

Thankfully, the beast had its back turned to him, so it had not seen him, which gave him time to observe it. The beast looked like a bizarre imitation of a dinosaur, an animated version of a fantastical creature that he liked to draw on occasion. He suddenly had a thought. Was he actually seeing a real-life Pokemon in front of him?

Lucas vaguely recalled seeing images of the Pokemon before, but only in passing. He had not played any of the games since Pokemon Emerald. That he was even considering the idea that it was a Pokemon had him questioning his sanity.

The beast had a long neck, and a pointed white crest on the top of its head, extending to its fin-shaped wings on its back, as well as a pair of horn-like tusks on either side of its jaws. It was light purple, adorned with darker stripes and grey underarms and waist. There were two round purple-striped plates on its shoulder area, where two pink pearl-like crystals lie encrusted with a grey rim encircling them. Overall, he found its aesthetics to be a bit weird, but cool nonetheless.

After gathering his courage, he slowly retreated backwards, until he found a tree to hide behind. At this point, it occurred to him that he should retreat to safety. However, he was feeling reckless due to recent events, and the encounter was so life-changing that he didn't want to leave yet. Opening his backpack, he dug through it and grabbed some paper and pencils so he could draw it.

He spent the next twenty minutes bringing the beast to life on paper. Fortunately, it moved its body to show a side-on view, and held that position, as if it knew it was posing for him. Once he was finished, he clutched the paper to his chest and said a silent farewell. Now was the time to get the hell out of here.

Lucas was about to grab his pack when he heard a growl, and he froze. The sound reminded him of the first time he watched Jurassic Park and saw the T-Rex for the first time. It sounded even more dangerous and primal, and it evoked a primitive fear deep within him, and he had the sudden urge to loosen his bowels. He slowly turned around and realised that the beast was looking directly at him. Before he could do anything, it opened its mouth and bright blue energy coalesce in it, and it rapidly increased in size. There was no mistaking its intentions.

After breaking out of his stupor, Lucas turned around and ran. His cheek was slapped by a branch as he tried to gain some distance through the trees. He felt a burning sensation on his back a moment later. As he turned around, a beam of blue energy filled his entire vision. He screamed when he felt himself being burned alive. The moment seemed to be suspended in time, prolonging his agony until he finally felt the blessed relief of oblivion.

<><><><><><><><><

Lucas screamed as he woke, visions of blue fire flooding his mind, along with the memory of the most brutal pain imaginable. He sat up quickly when he felt queasy, and he turned to the side and vomited the contents of his stomach onto the ground. Groaning, he wiped his mouth before he became fully aware that something was amiss.

He patted his body, surprised to see he was still alive. He was sure he'd died in the assault. Speaking of it, he looked around in fear, expecting the beast to strike again. There was no way he wanted to experience that pain again. Fortunately, the beast was nowhere in sight.

Lucas climbed to his feet. He was perplexed because the area looked drastically different from before. He was surrounded by steep cliffs on both sides. Approximately fifty feet above him, he could see the edge of the cliff. As the sides of the cliff were almost completely sheer, he anticipated a demanding climb. Previously, he had done some rock climbing as a recreational activity, but not at this level.

He was standing in a narrow valley at the bottom of a gorge that was covered in lush grass and foliage. As the cliff walls curved outward, he didn’t have a linear line of sight, so he was unable to see how far the valley extended. He wasn't sure if he could leave the valley on foot.

Looking down, he was confused to see that he was wearing different clothes. A faded pair of blue jeans, a belt, and a black t-shirt. He was able to wear them without feeling cold because the weather was warmer than before.

Lucas searched his pockets and discovered a brown leather wallet. There was only some cash and identification in it. Tha latter caught his attention first, as it looked a little unusual. It was a silver plastic card. There was a photo on the left, and some information on the right, similar to a driver's license. Moreover, it looked like it was an electronic card, since the text was digitalised, and probably had a mechanism that could edit the information.

The guy in the photo looked very similar to him, but there were some differences. Although he still had short, messy blonde hair, his eyes were a deep chocolate colour rather than the usual green. His face was more sculpted, with well-proportioned features and a strong jaw. The guy in the photo looked like his younger, more handsome brother. There was only one problem: he didn't have a brother.

Reading the information on the card did not clear up confusion, but only added to it.

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Kanto Adventurers Guild Card

Name: Lucas Walker

Sex: Male

Age: 18

Rank: Initiate Ⅰ

Next: [80/100]

Missions Completed: 7

Membership No: 88934394

=====

An adventurers guild? What the hell was going on?

Lucas put the card back in the wallet and pulled out one of the bank notes. This five-dollar bill had a Squirtle printed on it, which was strange. Was the money fake?

He sat back on the ground, his mind spinning. Was he imagining everything that had happened in the last five minutes? Perhaps he was injured, stuck on the trail somewhere, and his mind conjured some elaborate fantasy to help him cope? It certainly felt real enough.

Lucas looked around, searching for his backpack before remembering he had left it behind in his haste to escape the beast. However, he spotted something else nestled in a nearby bush, so he reached out and grabbed it.

It was a small canvas rucksack. He opened it, and the first thing he saw was the drawing of the beast he had made. How was that even here? He was sure it would have been incinerated into nothing just like he had been.

Putting the paper aside for now, he reached in and started taking the items out of his bag. There was a sweatshirt, along with some wrapped food and a bottle of water. He retrieved a thin green book, and read the title. An Encyclopedia of Berries and Plants from the Pallet Region. Lucas jolted as he finally remembered that Pallet Town as the starting area for the first Pokemon game. A ridiculous idea popped into his head.

Surely not. It was inconceivable. Totally insane.

Lucas placed the book down and reached into the bag for the next item. He felt around until his hand grasped a small round metallic object. Seeing what he had in his hand, he made an inarticulate sound. He held a shrunken Pokeball. His idea no longer seemed impossible. He pushed the button in the centre of the Pokeball, and the ball expanded to fit his hand.

After taking a deep breath, he threw the ball to the ground. He watched in amazement as a crimson light appeared, before colasecing into a Pokemon.

No fucking way!

"Pidgey!"

Lucas sat frozen as the Pidgey hopped over to him and chirped. Although it’s form was unmistakable, he noticed a few differences from the games. Pidgey appeared more realistic, with subdued colors, and with a more ferocious appearance. It was evident that the Pokemon was a bird of prey.

Apart from the sheer incredulity at its existence, something else caught his attention. Above the Pidgeys' head, was some floating green text.

Species: Pidgey

Level: 5

Condition: Excellent

Threat: Zero

Pidgey nudged his leg before it spotted the wrapped food off to the side. It dived at it, using its claws and beak to unravel the cloth and peck at the crunchy bread within. Lucas watched it eat with a dazed expression.

After a few minutes of stupor, he decided to continue looking through the bag, and found three more items. A compass, a notebook, and another slim book with a blue cover. The notebook served as a diary. He flipped through the pages until he reached the last entry.

September 9th, 1998

My eighteenth birthday is coming up soon, which means I will be kicked out of the orphanage since I will be considered an adult. I need a job or some way to earn some Pokedollars. Otherwise, I will be on the streets, and at the mercy of the criminal elements in the town. It is fortunate that I received my free Pokemon two weeks in advance, although I am disappointed that it is a common Pidgey. They can be found in abundance in the areas surrounding Pallet Town. Furthermore, it refuses to obey me half the time.

There is no easy way to become closer to a Pokemon, other than effort and time, and I am short on the latter. Imagine if I had been one of the privileged kids given Pokemon Eggs at an early age and had naturally bonded with them. Catching a wild Pokemon with a Pokeballs is crude in comparison, and developing a relationship with them took longer. There is also the possibility that it will never bond with its trainer.

I have found a hidden valley northwest of Pallet Town, with several berry trees ripe for the picking. If I can find a safe way to carry them out of the valley, I'll make a lot of Pokedollars trading them in at the Adventurers Guild. Perhaps then, I can afford some basic items to kickstart my Pokemon Journey.

Lucas groaned. It can't be possible, can it?

Somehow, he had been transported to the Pokemon World. Furthermore, he began to think that he had taken over the Lucas of this world, which explained the similarities in appearance. Since he was eighteen here, he was a few years younger than before.

It was as if he was in a parallel universe, where an alternate version of himself existed. The question was, did he take over a living, breathing person, or were they already dead when he took over?

Judging from his current location, it was possible that the previous host had fallen off the cliff and died when he hit the ground. Then why wasn't his body more severely damaged? It was all so confusing, and he didn't want to spend any more time thinking about it. For now, he just had to accept his new circumstances and go with the flow. It was something he used to do a lot in his previous life.

Lucas looked the last book, which had an unusual title. A Traveller’s Guidebook to Navigating the Pokemon World. Opening it, he found a brief message on the front page.

Greetings Traveller,

It seems that you were the victim of one of my children's rampages. No apology will ever be enough, but I have given you a new chance at life, albeit in an entirely different world. It is fortuitous that the version of you in this world recently took his last breath, otherwise this wouldn't have worked. You soul has transmigrated into his body, and I have repaired any damage it received.

You are now Lucas Walker, an orphan of Pallet Town in the Pokemon World. As a final apology, I have given you a special ability. Feel free to use it as you wish. You can consult this book whenever you have questions about how it works.

This is the last you will hear from me.

Farewell

Arceus

Lucas took a breath. At least he now understood why he ended up here. Arceus sounded like some supreme being, considering that he had the power to bring him here and give him a second chance. There was no reason why Arceus couldn't just give him back his old body and life on Earth.

Lucas packed everything away, except for the guidebook. He could browse it as he walked through the valley. He wasn't sure how dangerous it was out here in the wild, so he needed to leave. Pallet Town seemed the best option, as he had a general direction to follow and a compass for guidance. It was too bad that there was no map of the area.

He gazed at Pidgey, who was staring up at him after finishing its meal.

"Can you understand me?" Lucas asked, kneeling down beside the Pidgey.

"Pidgey." The Pokemon cocked its head in confusion. Lucas realized it was a silly question since the previous owner would already know the answer. However, the Pidgey nodded, showing his comprehension.

"Can you fly up and see if there is a way out of this valley that doesn't involve me climbing out of here?"

Pidgey took some time to think about the request before launching itself into the air. Lucas took that as an agreement. After hovering for a moment, it flew down the valley. Taking out the compass, he noted that it was heading south. If Pidgey found a way out, then he may be close to Pallet Town after emerging from the valley.

Pidgey returned five minutes later and landed beside him. It pointed to the south with its wing while nodding its head repeatedly. Lucas got the message and began heading south. Pidgey flew onto his shoulder and dug its talons in to secure himself. Lucas winced, but he wasn't intending to make a fuss about it, since their relationship was still in its infancy.

As he walked, he flipped through the book so he could get a grasp on the basics of the system. He wasn't totally oblivious to the concept of a protagonist receiving a system when transmigrating into another world. It was a common trope. In order to get some inspiration for his own drawings, he had read quite a few mangas. Hell, he even toyed with the idea of writing his own graphic novel. That idea lasted about a week before he realised he couldn't write a compelling story.

Lucas discovered a page that talked about skills, and it showed him a skill he already possessed. It was called Insight, and it let him see a Pokemon's parameters, but it wasn't the final version since it was only level one.

Insight was both a passive and active skill. The passive part let him see a brief description above the Pokemon’s head automatically, like when he first met Pidgey. The active part, however, required him to say or think of the skill intentionally. This displayed more information above the Pokemon's head that gave Lucas a deeper understanding of its parameters.

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Species: Pidgey

Status: Owned

Favourability: Neutral:120/1000

Condition: Excellent

Level: 5

Next: [0/100%]

Exp Cache: [50]

Current Level Potential Met?: No

=====

Attack: 30

Special Attack: 18

Defence: 15

Special Defence: 18

Speed: 33

Luck: 5

=====

Moves:

Tackle

Sand Attack

=====

There was a lot of information to unpack. Pidgey had stats similar to those in a real Pokemon game, apart from HP. He assumed that 'Condition' represents the Pokemon's current health. Furthermore, there was a luck stat, and he hadn't a clue what that meant. According to the guidebook, it affected the chance of landing a critical hit as well as a random stat modifier for Pokemon during battle.

In addition, he discovered that Pokemon could only gain stats through intense training or difficult battles. Pokemon could gain stats at every level, up to a certain threshold. To reset it, the Pokemon had to level up. Obviously, Pokemon's stat gains at every level should be maximised. Now he knew what 'current level potential met' referred to.

“So, what should I call you?” Lucas asked Pidgey.

He didn't understand why the previous host didn't name him. If they were so concerned about bonding with their Pokemon, then it should be one of the first things they did as a trainer. A name represents one's identity and gave a sense of individuality. He imagined it was important even to a Pokemon.

The Pidgey shrugged its shoulder, a very human gesture. It didn't appear to care about a name.

"Are you male? Nod once for yes and twice for no."

Pidgey nodded once. Lucas spent a few minutes about an appropriate name and finally settled on one that he liked.

“I will name you Icarus,” Lucas said. “While the name has some negative connotations, it can also be viewed as a positive. The name represents the defiance of limitations, a goal everyone should strive for. Imagine becoming the strongest Pidgeot out there, and the emperor of the sky.”

The now-named Icarus appeared to like his name, as he spread his wings, and chirped excitedly. There was no convenient way to understand a Pokemon, so he would have to learn Icasus’ gestures over time.

Lucas looked at Icarus’ status again and noticed his favourability had risen by fifty. A nice bonus for the mere act of naming a Pokemon. Now that he had finished with the menu, he dismissed it with a thought.

Lucas continued to read the guidebook and came across the information he was seeking. How to access his own menu. The command word was ‘Player’s Menu’, which he probably never would of guessed.

=====

Lucas Walker

Profession: ????

Level 1

Next: [0/100%]

Exp Cache: [0]

Skill Points (SP): 0

Skills:

Insight [Active/Passive] Level 1/5) [Next: 2 SP]

=====

In comparison to Pokemon, his own system was bare bones and lacked stats, but it was expected. The Pokemon were the powerhouses, and humans were the ones who captured and bonded with them to harness that power. He noticed that skill points were needed to increase a skill, which he assumed would come with leveling up. Therefore, he had to be careful about how he spent his skill points, assuming more skills could be acquired in the future.

Lucas continued down the valley, hugging the cliff face. After fifteen minutes of walking, the valley widened, and he came across a tree loaded with blue fruits the size of plums. Taking out the encyclopedia on local berries, he found a berry that looked identical to the ones on the tree. It was an Oran Berry, the most common variety available. It wasn’t very valuable, but if he could find a few more Oran trees, it might be worth something.

Unfortunately, he had no way of taking all of the berries with him. He might be able to fit a few into his bag, but he decided it wasn't worth the effort. His main priority was to find a town and find a place to stay for the night. If the sun behaved similarly to the one on Earth, he estimated that he only had a few hours of daylight left.

He was surprised that the berries weren't eaten by wild Pokemon or discovered by others. That was a good thing since he could return and harvest them later.

“Let’s go,” Lucas said to Icarus, only to realise that the attention was focused on something behind them.

Icarus chirped, but it didn’t sound cheerful like before. It was low-pitched and carried an undercurrent of tension. Lucas slowly turned around and stared in shock at the sight of an enormous Arbok. It was slithering through the grass silently, stalking him.

Species: Arbok

Level: 38

Condition: Healthy

Threat Level: Extremely High

When Arbok realised Lucas was aware of it, it hissed and rose up on its tail in an attempt to intimidate him. It worked, as the Arbok now stood at a height of around six feet, which was slightly taller than him.

Arbok's level was over seven times higher than Icarus's, so he could not fight it. Lucas turned around and began running away in the opposite direction, knowing that the Arbok would pursue him. Now he understood why this valley was left alone.

Icarus took flight and flew ahead of him, safe in the knowledge that the Arbok would not target it when it had an easier target.

Even though Lucas ran as fast as he could, he wasn't a sprinter. His breathing was labored, both from exertion and panic as he heard grass rustle behind him. Arbok was closing in fast.

Icarus chirped, and Lucas looked ahead. On one side of the cliff face, there were long vines hanging down. His best chance was to jump and grab the lowest hanging vine and climb to the top of the cliff.

Lucas put on a final burst of speed before leaping and grabbing onto the vine. He began pulling himself quickly, wrapping his legs around the vine and climbing with his upper body strength.

Two huge fangs sunk into his left leg, causing Lucas to scream in agony. He almost lost his hold on the vine, as a result of sheer shock. It felt like he had been stabbed with two scorching fire pokers. Arbok wriggled around, trying to dislodge him from the vine. It only made the pain worse, and Lucas began sobbing. In the back of his mind, he reaslised that the fangs were pumping venom into his leg. If the Arbok didn’t directly kill him, then the poison would.

As he started to lose consciousness, the world around him became hazy. He lost his grip on the vines and fell to the ground. Lucas barely felt the impact, because he was in shock. His eyes blearily opened, only to be greeted by the horrifying sight of the Arbok attempting to swallow his lower body. It’s jas were unhinged, and its eyes appeared to be mocking him.

It was over. He was going to die in the most horrible way possible.

“Mr Mime!”

So, what do you think? Share your thoughts on where this story should go. Instead of the traditional trainer route, I thought of making Lucas a Pokemon breeder instead. But it’s still up in the air.

Thanks for the support, everyone.

Shoutout to my Pro and Hardcore Gamers for the extra support.