"Ding-a-ling—"
Luke slowly opened his sleepy eyes, stared blankly at the ceiling, and let out a long yawn.
"Another ordinary day."
It was the weekend. The Pikachu alarm clock on his nightstand read 12:00 PM, but Luke had only just managed to crawl out of bed.
After shuffling into the bathroom, he turned on the faucet and pulled out his phone to order lunch while the water warmed up.
"Dodrio Delivery… Pelipper Fresh…" Luke chuckled. "Businesses are getting more and more creative with their names."
Several newly opened restaurants had adopted Pokémon-themed branding, giving him an odd sense of familiarity.
Now that's what you call the world's biggest franchise.
He didn't think much of it. After casually ordering the $4.99 Farfetch'd Set Meal (Free Noodles Included), he set his phone aside and began washing up.
Splash.
Luke scooped up a handful of water and splashed it across his face.
The young man reflected in the mirror was tall and strikingly handsome, with chiseled features worthy of a Greek statue. His messy black hair and pronounced dark circles made him look exhausted, yet somehow only added to his charm.
Some people could even make sleep deprivation look good.
After finishing up, Luke returned to his small rented apartment and dropped comfortably into his gaming chair.
He powered on his computer, entered the password "Sakurajima Mai," and Pikachu's animated wallpaper instantly appeared.
"Pika! Pika!"
As usual, he opened YouTube and searched for something to watch while eating.
Luke was a freshman at Metro City University and worked part-time as a YouTube gaming creator.
His channel focused primarily on edited Pokémon battle videos with commentary. Thanks to his entertaining editing style and extensive knowledge of competitive play, he'd built an audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers.
He was also a highly ranked competitive player, once reaching seventh place in the world rankings.
Unfortunately, his luck was infamously terrible.
One of his most popular videos featured Hydro Pump missing three times in a row, earning him a legendary nickname among viewers—
"The perfect channel to watch while eating."
To balance classes, livestreams, and video production, Luke rented an apartment off campus and only returned to the university when he had lectures.
"Huh?"
As he browsed YouTube's homepage, he frowned.
"Why are there so many Pokémon recommendations today?"
Is Pokémon trending again?
Out of the ten recommended videos, eight were Pokémon-related.
Bear Grylls:We Found a Wild Caterpie!
Suggested Change:Water Splash
Central Agricultural University:The Berries Are Ripe! Let's Head into the Mountains!
"…Something feels off."
"What the heck is a Caterpie? Six times the protein of beef?"
"And berries… They don't mean Sitrus Berries… right?"
Luke scratched his head before switching over to the Gaming section.
His eyes widened instantly.
The battle video he'd uploaded the previous night was sitting at the top of the rankings.
Luke swallowed hard and clicked it.
[Teacher Luke Teaches You Pokémon Battles #03: Substitute + Protect + Toxic]
He took a deep breath.
"1.2 million views?!"
"No way… I actually went viral!"
Comments flooded the screen.
I've learned so much! Time to challenge a Gym Leader!
Please… have mercy on us.
After happily scrolling through the comments for a while, Luke gradually frowned.
Substitute + Protect + Toxic was one of the most basic stall strategies in competitive Pokémon.
Why had it suddenly exploded in popularity?
Had some huge creator recommended his video?
But he hadn't collaborated with anyone recently.
Rubbing his chin, he continued scrolling.
A verified Level 6 account named Fighter had left a lengthy comment.
Fighter:
"Substitute + Protect + Toxic" is a battle strategy centered around the moves Toxic, Substitute, and Protect.
To execute this tactic successfully, a Trainer must adapt to constantly changing battle conditions.
The uploader explains the strategy exceptionally well, making this an outstanding beginner's guide.
Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon are naturally excellent users of this strategy.
Thank you to the uploader for creating such a high-quality tutorial.
P.S. I believe this video was uploaded to the wrong category. It should be under the Battle section.
A giant question mark practically appeared over Luke's head.
"The Battle section?"
"Since when did YouTube have a Battle section?"
The replies beneath the comment were just as bizarre.
Master Ball confirmed!
No way… It's actually him!
Red! Mommy loves you!
Completely baffled, Luke gave Fighter's comment a like before opening the profile.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Well-known Battle Creator
Champion of the 9th Indigo Plateau Conference
World Masters Champion
Luke stared blankly at the screen.
"R-Red?"
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"Isn't Red the protagonist of Pokémon?"
"How is he a YouTuber?"
Opening the photo gallery, Luke found a smiling young man in his early twenties.
He wore a red cap, a red vest over a black shirt, and a fluffy Pikachu perched happily on his shoulder.
If it was cosplay, it was unbelievably convincing.
The Pikachu looked completely real.
Luke froze.
"Stay calm."
"Don't panic."
"I just woke up…"
"My video suddenly went viral…"
"And now the World Champion… is Red."
"Ha…"
"Now that I've thought everything through…"
"…What exactly have I figured out?!"
"Did I get transported to another world?"
"Or is something wrong with this world?"
"Did reality somehow merge with the Pokémon world?"
Luke liked to think he was mentally prepared for bizarre situations.
But this…
His phone suddenly rang.
"Hello. Your delivery has arrived. Please come to the window to collect it."
"Oh… okay."
Luke walked toward the window.
Then something occurred to him.
He lived on the sixth floor.
Come to the window?
What are they delivering my food with—a Pidgeotto?
A dark shadow swept past.
A large bird with brilliant plumage landed gracefully on the windowsill.
Its long beak held Luke's takeout bag.
It smiled cheerfully and waved one wing.
Luke stood there completely frozen.
From downstairs, the delivery driver shouted,
"Don't forget to leave a five-star review!"
Luke couldn't even remember how he'd taken the food from the Pidgeotto.
All he remembered was seeing flocks of Pidgey soaring overhead, Oddish waddling through the flowerbeds below, and Rapidash galloping across the distant overpass.
His landlord strolled through the neighborhood with a Growlithe at his side, smiling as he waved.
"Pokémon… really merged with reality…"
Luke stood there in silence for a long time.
Finally, he slowly looked up at the sky.
His eyes gradually filled with tears.
"Eighteen years…"
"A whole eighteen years…"
"I've finally lived to see this day."