In a completely white space,
with nothing more than a table and a cup of coffee, sat a young man probably in his early twenties talking to someone who looked suspiciously like Robert Downey Jr.
"Well, maybe you should calm down first and listen to me, kid. It was a mistake on my part… but you're dead."
"....Was that supposed to calm me down?"
Yeah, this is me Licht.
And to understand what's going on right now, we have to go back a little.
Flashback
On an empty road, a young man was walking down the street.
This was Licht a recent graduate who had just landed his first job and was heading home.
Pulling out his phone. He scrolled through some news about Pokémon Legends ZA.
"What kind of abomination is that? What did they do to Starmie!? Why does it look like Patrick!?"
Just as he was criticizing the new Mega Evolutions, he heard a commotion a little boy was crossing the road, and a truck was barreling toward him.
"The game might've caught up to you, but rest in peace, Boy…" Licht muttered, closing his eyes for a moment.
The road was quiet. Only the sound of cars in the distance and the rustle of leaves broke the silence. He sighed and was about to walk away when a loud roar echoed nearby.
The truck didn't hit the boy.
Its tires screamed as it swerved straight toward Licht.
For a split second, everything seemed to stop. He saw the blur of metal, the flash of headlights, and the driver's panicked face. His body refused to move.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
He barely finished before the truck came at him full force.
"Fuck you! What did I ever do to you bastard?!" he shouted, throwing up his arms.
The crash hit hard. Pain exploded through him, sharp and bright, then quickly faded. The world spun, his vision darkening as the sound of crushing metal filled his ears.
Then nothing.
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'And that's how I ended up in this situation… uhhh seriously? I just got a good job! You couldn't wait a year or two before taking me in, huh?'
Finally, the RDJ-looking guy spoke again.
"Well, I'm not going to lie to you, but you're not supposed to be here. You still had some years left. But what can I say people make mistakes. I might be a higher being, but even I'm not perfect."
"Uh-huh… how often does this happen? And why do you look like RDJ?" Licht asked, taking a sip of the coffee in front of him only for his expression to twist in disgust.
"It happens every once in a while," the man said with a small grin. "But you're a rare case the first one who didn't panic after learning you were dead." He leaned forward slightly, amused. "As for why I look like RDJ well, I'm formless, and you do like Iron Man, right?"
"Yeah, I do like RDJ," Licht admitted, "but that's not the question. What happens to me now? Do I stay here or go to the afterlife?"
The man paused, thinking. Then he nodded.
"If you want, I can send you to a different world. You'll be reborn as a child, and I can give you some powers to help you out there."
Licht was skeptical at first, but quickly realized if this guy really was a god, then he didn't have much of a choice anyway.
"Well… can I get to choose the world and the powers I get?"
The man smirked. "You can choose the world. The powers, however, are random."
As he said that, a glowing book appeared out of thin air and landed in his hand.
"This book contains the powers based on the world you choose. You'll receive two random abilities. So… what world do you want to live in?"
Licht took a moment to think, then smiled.
"Can I be reborn in the Pokémon world?"
"Pokémon world it is, then."
The book in his hand glowed, a shining symbol of Arceus appearing on its cover.
Two golden lights shot out and entered Licht's body.
"What did I get?" Licht asked as he suddenly felt light and warm, his body glowing faintly.
"You've been granted the Power of Aura and Viridian, along with the knowledge to use them," the god said, closing the book with a gentle smile.
"Kid… I'm sorry for what happened to you. But in this life live freely."
As he spoke, Licht's body began to fade away into light.
And with one last wave, the RDJ-looking god said softly,
"Good luck… Boy."
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"Ugh…"
He tried to open his eyes, but all he saw was a blinding light pouring in from every direction like his eyes had never seen light before. His body felt heavy and strange, every muscle sore.
Muffled voices echoed around him. He couldn't make out any faces, only the faint sound of sobbing and hurried footsteps. Then, amid the noise, a woman's voice cut through soft, trembling, yet filled with warmth.
"It's alright… they're both safe…" another voice said gently.
Delia wiped her tears of joy as the nurse held out two tiny, crying babies for her to see. The nurse smiled warmly.
"Congratulations, Ms. Ketchum. They're both healthy," she said cheerfully. Then she paused for a moment, tilting her head curiously as she looked down at the first baby. "This one has heterochromatic eyes one blue, one golden. But don't worry, he's completely healthy."
Delia smiled softly, brushing her fingers across his cheek. The faint shimmer in his mismatched eyes caught the light, glowing for just a second.
She whispered, her heart swelling with warmth. "I'll call him Licht. Licht Ketchum."
She turned to the second baby, smaller but loud and full of life. "And this one… Ash. Ash Ketchum."
The nurse smiled, handing both babies carefully into their mother's arms. The room fell quiet two newborns resting side by side.
Three Days Later.
A young woman stepped out of the hospital, cradling two small bundles in her arms. The morning sun bathed the streets of Pallet Town in a soft glow, and waiting near the gate stood a familiar figure a much younger Samuel Oak, smiling warmly as he approached.
"Hello, Delia," he greeted kindly. "Are these the little ones you told me about?"
Delia smiled, her expression full of pride and tenderness. "Hello, Professor. Yes this is Licht and Ash," she said, gently adjusting the blanket around them. "Aren't they adorable? They've got their father's looks… well, except for the eyes. Especially Licht his eyes are just so beautiful."
Oak's smile faltered slightly, a flicker of regret passing over his face. "Ah… yes. About their father… I'm sorry for sending him out. If I'd known you were expecting, I would've found someone else for that mission. I tried contacting him to cancel, but he's too far out of reach."
Delia's smile softened. She shook her head lightly. "Don't worry about it, Professor. You know him even if he were here, he wouldn't stay put for long. He's a Trainer through and through, always chasing the next challenge."
Oak chuckled quietly, though the concern in his eyes lingered. "That's true enough… So, what will you do now? With two little ones, I suppose becoming a full-time Trainer is out of the question."
Delia paused, thoughtful for a moment before her eyes brightened with resolve. "I'll take over the restaurant my mother left me. It's been closed for too long and it's something I can manage while raising them."
Oak smiled warmly. "A fine idea. Pallet Town wouldn't be the same without your mother's cooking. I'm sure you'll do her proud."
------------------------------------------
'My brain can't handle this… I'm a baby again. Great. Well, no point whining about it now.'
'Guess this is what he arranged so I wouldn't just die on the spot. But… where's my dad? Didn't he show up for my birth? That feels kind of important especially since he does show up later in Pokémon Journeys. He's obviously around… even if we never really get to see him.'
Delia carried Licht and Ash through the peaceful streets of Pallet Town. Licht blinked against the bright sunlight, taking in the world around him.
For the first time, he saw it not as pixels or an animated backdrop but as something real. Trees lined the dirt roads, the leaves rustled in the wind while a few Pidgey flew overhead, their gentle chirps filling the calm morning air.
'Okay, focus. My journey starts in ten years… I'll probably awaken my powers before then and with them, the knowledge to actually use them.' His gaze wandered to the sleeping Ash beside him. 'Now that I think about it… having watched his entire story before, and now being here as his older brother it actually feels… kind of nice.'
As they walked down the sunlit path toward home, Professor Oak glanced fondly at the two infants resting in Delia's arms. A gentle smile tugged at his lips. "You know," he began, "I've got a grandson who's just about two weeks older than these two. Maybe they'll all grow up to be great friends. After all, you'll be neighbors."
Delia chuckled softly, rocking the babies in her arms. "Oh, I'm sure they will, Professor. Pallet Town's too small not to become friends." She looked down at the twins, her expression tender. "And who knows? Maybe they'll even end up rivals someday."
Oak's laughter softened into a smile. "Hard to believe… soon it'll be their turn to chase dreams across the world. Time really does fly."
The dirt road split in two. The afternoon sun shone warmly over the path as a light breeze carried the smell of trees and flowers.
"Thank you for everything, Professor," Delia said, her voice warm. "I'll stop by the lab with the boys sometime once they're a little older. I'm sure they'll love seeing all the Pokémon."
"Now that sounds wonderful," Oak replied with a pleased nod. "The lab's always open to little visitors and I'm sure my grandson would love to meet them too. Pallet Town could use a bit more laughter around."
They shared a light-hearted chuckle before parting ways the Professor heading back toward his lab, while Delia continued down the quiet lane toward home. The golden light touched the rooftops, and the air was filled with the quiet sounds of a new day starting.