Pokemon : An Unexpected Journey

Author Note: Before we begin, I'd like to share some information with you, the readers:

         • This work is a continuation of another fanfiction that I grew to love by Spidey108, titled Pokemon: A Surprising Journey.

          • By "continuation," I mean that I want to take Spidey's work and put my own spin on it. Changes will occur right from the start—small at first but growing to catastrophic proportions.

            • For those who have read Spidey's fanfic, here are some key changes I've made:

       1. There is no Astral Ash to guide Austin.

       2. This world is a much darker version than Spidey's.

- Spidey wrote 117k words for this story; I have already written 300k words and will be uploading/publishing daily.

- I read a lot of popular fanfics and include tropes and story elements from those in my work. I ensure to get permission from the original authors before using these elements, so rest assured that everything included is authorized.

Support Links:

- If you appreciate my work and want to support me, you can do so here:

(https://www.p.atreon.com/Adamo_Amet).

- Join our community on Discord: [Join us](https://discord.gg/h3kDw7ma).

Why include support links? 

Because I enjoy writing, and it seems that people on other platforms like Royal Road and Webnovel enjoy my "jumbled ramblings" enough to donate. It's surprising to me, but I don't judge what people enjoy. Note that under no circumstances will I hold fanwork hostage behind a paywall. I am grateful for anyone who wishes to support me, and I will never delay releases due to perceived insufficient payment. I've seen others succumb to "big-fish, small-pond" egomania, and it's not a path I want to follow.

If you have a dollar and want to support me, that's wonderful; if not, that's perfectly fine too. 

Please join me on Discord; I'd love to chat with anyone interested.

__________________________________

"Oh, come on, that's bull crap!" Austin couldn’t help but shout at the TV, feeling that familiar rush of frustration bubble up inside him. The screen showed Pikachu, of all Pokémon, losing to a rookie Snivy. "How the hell does Pikachu, the same Pikachu who took down a Regice and held his own against a freaking Latios, lose to a Snivy that just started its journey?" He clenched his fists, shaking his head in disbelief. Sure, Pikachu’s electric attacks were disabled, but come on, Iron Tail could've sent that snake flying.

This wasn’t the first time Austin had been pissed off at the Pokémon anime. Ash just taking Pikachu to Hoenn and leaving all his other Pokémon behind? What was that about? He did it again in Sinnoh, too. And Austin watched every single episode, hoping they’d fix it, but here they were.

With a sigh, Austin turned off the TV. "Anyone could do better than that," he muttered, getting up and plugging his headphones in. He needed music to drown out the irritation. He had about an hour before his parents got home, so why not enjoy the peace while it lasted? Shopping for school supplies wasn’t exactly something he looked forward to.

The opening chords of New Divide started playing in his ears, and Austin let the sound fill his head, his thoughts drifting back to how much potential the Black and White series had. Imagine if Ash had actually brought more than just Pikachu. Hell, they could’ve done so much more! The loss to Snivy was just ridiculous.

Then, out of nowhere, a wave of exhaustion hit Austin like a ton of bricks. He blinked a few times, trying to shake it off, but his body felt heavier with each passing second. He yawned, deciding maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt before his parents came home. His eyes fluttered shut as he gave in.

__________________________________

Something felt off.

Austin’s nose twitched as sunlight streamed into the room, and he instinctively shifted, curling up under covers that he didn’t remember pulling over himself.

Wait.

He wasn’t under any covers before.

Cracking his eyes open, confusion set in. This…this wasn’t his room. His heart picked up speed as he jolted upright, stumbling to his feet like he didn’t know how to walk properly. What the hell was going on? He spun around, trying to make sense of everything. There was a Clefairy piggy bank, a Zubat hanging from the ceiling—was that a freaking Zubat?—and a busted Voltorb clock with a mini Pidgey perched on it.

This couldn’t be real. There’s no way this was real. Austin rushed past a mirror, and something made him stop dead in his tracks. Slowly, he turned back to face it.

Ash Ketchum stared back at him.

No…no way.

Austin took a few hesitant steps closer, raising a hand to his face. The reflection did the same. His heart pounded in his chest as his breath quickened.

This wasn’t possible. This couldn’t be happening.

He lifted his voice to speak, but what came out wasn’t his. It was Ash’s. Ash’s voice.

Austin did the only logical thing at that moment.

He screamed.

It didn’t even last long, though, because almost immediately, he heard footsteps coming his way. Oh, crap. He froze, staring at the door as it flew open, revealing Delia Ketchum, Ash’s mom. She looked just like she did in the show—mahogany hair, amber eyes, wearing a pink button-up shirt and blue pants.

"Ash, are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Austin's brain short-circuited. How was he supposed to respond to this? Should he tell her he wasn’t Ash? But he couldn’t do that without sounding completely insane! Panic twisted in his gut, and the only thing he could think of was to play along.

"I-I overslept!" Austin blurted out, rushing past her in a panic. His legs wobbled beneath him, his body still feeling awkward and small, but he had to keep moving. He had no idea how to be a ten-year-old kid again, let alone Ash Ketchum, but he couldn’t stay there.

"Ash, wait! You need to eat—" Delia’s voice faded as Austin bolted out the door, his feet pounding against the ground.

His mind raced as fast as his legs. This has to be a dream. It’s too real, but it has to be a dream. There’s no other explanation. Any second now, he’d wake up back in his room, and this would all be over. He’d be back to being Austin, and he’d be about to go shopping with his parents, like he was supposed to.

…Any second now.

Austin slowed down, his chest heaving as he came to a stop near the edge of town. Pallet Town, to be exact. He could still see Ash’s house in the distance. He pressed his hands to his knees, trying to catch his breath.

“Alright…alright, let’s think this through,” Austin muttered to himself. “I’m in Pallet Town. I became Ash.”

Saying it out loud didn’t help. If anything, it made it worse. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers brushing against Ash’s messy black locks. This couldn’t be happening.

A commotion snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see a crowd gathering in front of Professor Oak’s lab. That’s when it hit him—he knew exactly when this was.

"Oh, no," Austin whispered as he walked toward the crowd, trying to calm the rising panic.

“Ash, better late than never, I suppose.”

Austin turned to face the voice, his stomach sinking as he saw a familiar brunette kid. Gary Oak. He wanted to groan. Of course, it had to be Gary.

Gary smirked at him, his eyes full of arrogance. "Well, Ash, looks like you’re behind from the start. I already got my Pokémon, and you don’t have one."

Austin felt a flash of irritation. He was just as much of a jerk in person as he was in the show. “Must be some Pokémon if it has to put up with your big head,” he shot back, surprising himself with how quickly the words left his mouth.

Gary’s eyes twitched, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He guessed Ash wasn’t known for witty comebacks. "I bet you’re wondering what Pokémon I have."

"Squirtle," Austin deadpanned without thinking.

Gary’s jaw dropped. "How did you know?!"

Crap. Too much, Austin. Too much. He shrugged, trying to play it off. "There are only three choices. I just guessed."

Gary narrowed his eyes at Austin but seemed to accept the answer. "Whatever. I have a journey to start. Smell ya later, Ashy-boy."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Austin standing there, still trying to process everything.

What. The. Hell.