Waking up to the sun being up was always a bad thing. It meant I was several hours late to work especially to winter.
"Shit shit shit…. This isn't my room?"
The door suddenly bursts open as Delila Ketchum runs in.
"Happy Birthday Ash!"
Suddenly 17 and 364 days worth of memories rushed into his mind not being able to over come the 30 years but boy was it a headache…
"I fee dizzy,"
An everything went black.
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Ash awoke his mother standing over top of him worried.
"Mom?" Ash asks as soon as he wake ups.
"Hey honey? You feeling better? You do need to get your first Pokemon tomorrow, and I dont want you starting your journey feeling sick." Delila asks
"It's fine mom, although I'm thinking I might sleep in a bit tomorrow I'm having one of those gut feelings again." Ash responds
"Ah, that's my que to leave the room I don't wanna be in here while you pass gas," Delila says with a smirk.
"Mom!" Ash shouts slightly mortified before following her downstairs to see a couple of presents and a birthday Cake.
"Wow Mom, this is a lot," Ash states
"You only turn 18 once honey." Delia responds
=========
The party was over and the sun was to set in 30 minutes, Mom was doing dishes when suddenly there was knock on the front door.
The knock at the door interrupted the warm, cozy moment Ash and his mother were sharing. Delia glanced at the clock, her brow furrowing slightly, but she quickly wiped her hands on a towel and moved toward the door. Ash, still marveling at the presents and cake, perked up as Delia returned with a package in her hands.
"Delivery for Ash Ketchum," she said with a slight note of curiosity, passing him the package. "It's from your grandfather on your dad's side. You… haven't really heard much about him, have you? My name is Kyra, and your grand dad saved my life. So it only makes sense that I would deliver his legacy to you."
Ash shook his head. "Not really heard much about grandpa or dad, but…" He trailed off, staring at the package. It was a simple box, but there was something about it that felt important. Carefully, he opened it.
Inside, nestled in protective wrapping, was a sleek, black folding device. It resembled a high-tech Pokédex but had a polished finish that set it apart from the usual models. Alongside it was a vibrant yellow jacket, and a black jacket, both featuring the unmistakable logo of Team Instinct. One jacket looked brand new, while the other was worn, its edges frayed from years of use.
Delia's expression shifted to concern. "Team Instinct? That… that's not something you see every day. And this one looks like it's been through a lot. Are you sure this is safe?"
Ash examined the jackets, noting the distinct signature embroidered inside the older one. It read, "Spark." His heart skipped a beat. Spark, the leader of Team Instinct, his leader… had this jacket ended up with him?
"My name is Kyra, and I am a former sergeant of Team Instinct. Trust me I'm older than I look." Kyra says with a smile.
"Thank you for delivering these items but you should go now," Delia states with a surprising amount of venom.
"He looks like a younger red you know? I bet Ash had blonde hair when he was young." Kyra states
"Leave." Delia states
Kyra turns around and leaves as the door is slammed behind her.
"Ash, I don't think those things are safe." Delia states
"I… don't know, Mom. But I'm going to find out," Ash said, determination glinting in his eyes. He picked up the folding Pokédex-like device and opened it. To his surprise, it powered on with a soft chime, revealing a familiar interface. His breath caught.
"This isn't just a Pokédex," Ash murmured. "It's a 3DS."
Delia blinked. "A what?"
"It's… complicated. But I think it's important." Ash's mind raced as he noticed an unfamiliar icon on the home screen. It read: Inventory Access.
Curiosity overwhelmed him. He tapped the icon, and the screen shifted, revealing an array of items and Pokémon neatly categorized. His jaw dropped as he scrolled through. Unity? Athena? Twilight? Wait does this mean I have my legitimate competition team too?, Then there was the fucking steam deck and mini projector, his computer and server… I am going to need to find a Porygon or a Rotom…
"This is insane," Ash whispered, disbelief flooding his system. "I need to maintenance on the 3DS the system is old."
Delia tilted her head. "Ash, don't get too carried away. You have your journey starting tomorrow, and—"
"Mom, I know. But… this could change everything. Just give me a bit."
Grabbing the 3DS and the jacket that didn't belong to spark. Ash headed out for a walk, the cool evening air helping to clear his mind. His feet carried him instinctively toward Professor Oak's lab. He knew the professor had some components and tools that might help him complete the repairs.
As he approached the lab, Ash's thoughts turned to Kyra, the delivery girl. She wasn't just any delivery person; he recognized her from somewhere—or at least, his other memories did. There was something unusual about her, and he had a feeling their paths would cross again eventually, afterall Black hair with Blonde highlights was fairly distinctive.
Arriving at the lab, Ash knocked on the door. A moment later, Professor Oak opened it, his face lighting up with a welcoming smile.
"Ash! What brings you here so late?" the professor asked.
Ash held up the 3DS. "Professor, I need to borrow some components and a soldering station. I… have a project to work on."
Oak raised an eyebrow but stepped aside. "Well, I can't say no to that kind of enthusiasm. Come on in."
As Ash settled in and began tinkering, he was nervous there were no manuals or schematics. The 3DS wasn't just a video game console; it was now something greater, something far far greater. And tomorrow, when he officially started his journey.
"I mean if the Pokémon Go war happened here I wonder how much of it has my character from that? I was a level 50 team instinct with over 5k Pokémon and well over a thousand being able to take on gyms easily… hundreds of the eeveelutions.
Ash suddenly feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, pulling it out instinctively. Ash looked at the yellow iPhone 11 and its screen displayed a notification saying that the app Pokémon Go had been updated.
"Wait a minute," Ash mutters slightly horrified.