Marcus woke up three days after The Manifestation with a revelation.
He was lying in what had become his default sleeping arrangement—a Snorlax bed, Arcanine blankets, and approximately forty small Pokemon distributed across his body like living stuffed animals—when it hit him.
"I'm going to become a Pokemon trainer," he announced to the sunrise.
"You already have Pokemon," Steve the Mewtwo pointed out, hovering nearby as he did every morning. "4,847 of them. By most definitions, you are already a trainer."
"No, I mean a REAL trainer. Gym badges. League challenges. The whole thing." Marcus sat up, dislodging several Eevees and one very sleepy Togepi. "I've been so focused on managing the chaos that I forgot WHY I loved Pokemon in the first place."
"Elaborate."
"Adventure! Battles! Traveling the world with your partners!" Marcus's eyes were shining now. "I spent my whole first life playing these games, dreaming about what it would be like to ACTUALLY be a trainer. And now I'm HERE, in the actual Pokemon world, with more Pokemon than anyone in history, and what have I been doing? LOGISTICS."
"The logistics are important. Your Snorlaxes alone require—"
"I KNOW about the Snorlaxes, Steve. But I didn't get reincarnated into the Pokemon world to be an accountant!" Marcus jumped to his feet, startling a Jigglypuff that had been sleeping on his head. "I got reincarnated to be a TRAINER."
A ripple of interest spread through the assembled Pokemon. Ears perked up. Eyes opened. Even the sleeping Snorlaxes seemed to stir slightly.
"You wish to battle?" Steve asked, and there was something new in his telepathic voice. Something that sounded almost... excited.
"I wish to battle. I wish to travel. I wish to challenge every Gym, enter every tournament, and show the world what happens when someone actually CATCHES 'EM ALL."
Silence.
Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a Charizard roared.
It was answered by five more Charizards.
Then the Dragonites joined in.
Then the Tyranitars.
Within seconds, the entire assembly of 4,847 Pokemon was making noise—roaring, chirping, squeaking, howling, and in Kenneth's case, making a small sound that might have been enthusiasm or might have been indigestion.
"It appears," Steve observed, "that they approve."
Marcus grinned.
"Then let's go get our first Gym badge."
The logistics of traveling with 4,847 Pokemon were, admittedly, complicated.
"I can't bring ALL of you," Marcus explained to the assembled crowd. "The roads aren't big enough. The cities definitely aren't big enough. And I'm pretty sure having Groudon walk through Viridian City would cause an international incident."
Groudon made a rumbling sound that might have been disappointment.
"I know, buddy. I'm sorry. But we need to be strategic about this."
"I propose a rotation system," one of his Alakazams telepathed. "A core team for active training and battles, with reserves on standby for specific situations. The remaining Pokemon can establish a home base and rotate in as needed."
"That's... actually really smart."
"I have an IQ of 5,000."
"You keep mentioning that."
"It remains relevant."
Marcus considered the problem. A standard trainer carried six Pokemon. But he wasn't a standard trainer, was he? Thanks to the absolute chaos of his situation, the Pokemon League had basically thrown up its hands and declared him a "special case" that didn't need to follow normal rules.
He could carry as many Pokemon as he wanted.
The question was: how many did he NEED?
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Marcus announced. "I'm going to pick a core team of twelve for traveling. That's double the normal limit, but I think we can make it work. The rest of you will stay at what we're calling... uh..."
He looked at the massive territory his Pokemon had claimed—a sprawling area that now encompassed most of the land between Pallet Town and Viridian City, complete with artificial biomes created by his Legendaries to accommodate different Pokemon types.
"Pokemon Paradise?" he tried.
The Pokemon seemed to consider this.
"Pokemon Kingdom?"
Mixed reactions.
"The Pokeverse?"
A Loudred booed.
"Look, we'll workshop the name later. The point is, you'll all have a home base, and I'll rotate you in for battles and adventures. Everyone will get their turn."
"And the Legendaries?" Steve asked. "We are... not subtle. Our presence tends to cause disruptions."
Marcus looked at his collection of god-tier entities. Forty-plus Legendaries, including multiple Mewtwos, several Arceus copies, the entire weather trio, the time-space duo (times three), and an assortment of other reality-warping beings.
"You guys are my secret weapons," he decided. "I won't bring you out for regular Gym battles—that would be overkill. But if something serious happens? If there's a real threat? Then we go all out."
The Legendaries seemed satisfied with this arrangement.
Rayquaza in particular looked pleased at being classified as a "secret weapon."
Choosing his core team was the hardest decision Marcus had ever made.
He stood before his army of Pokemon, all of them looking at him with hope and excitement, and realized that no matter who he picked, he'd be disappointing thousands of others.
"This isn't fair," he muttered.
"Life rarely is," Steve agreed. "But perhaps you could establish criteria? Choose Pokemon that complement each other in battle while also representing the diversity of your collection?"
"That's... actually helpful, Steve."
"I am occasionally helpful when not threatening to erase people's consciousness."
Marcus took a deep breath and began.
"Okay. First pick: Steve, you're coming."
The Mewtwo's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "I am?"
"You're my strongest Psychic-type, you can teleport us places, and honestly, I'd feel weird leaving you behind. You've been with me since I played Pokemon Red."
"That was... a clone in that game. I am the original, manifested from—"
"You're Steve. You're coming. Don't argue."
Steve didn't argue. If Mewtwos could blush, Marcus suspected Steve would be doing so.
"Second pick: Mama B."
The lead Blissey waddled forward, already producing a medical kit from somewhere.
"You're our healer. Plus, you won't let me skip meals, and I need that kind of accountability."
Mama B nodded firmly and took her place beside Steve, immediately offering the Mewtwo a vitamin.
"Third pick: Sunny."
A Charizard—the first one Marcus had ever trained, back in Pokemon Red, the same save file as Steve—landed with a dramatic flare of wings. This was his original starter, the Charmander he'd picked when he was six years old in his first life.
"You're my first partner. We're doing this together."
Sunny roared with joy and immediately tried to give Marcus a hug, which was complicated by the whole "being a fire-breathing dragon" thing.
"Fourth pick: Big Boy."
The largest of his Snorlaxes opened one eye.
"You're my tank. Nothing gets through you."
Big Boy yawned, stood up (causing a minor earthquake), and lumbered over to join the team.
"Fifth pick: Speedy."
A Jolteon materialized beside him so fast Marcus didn't even see it move.
"Fastest thing I've got. You're my speedster."
Speedy vibrated with excitement, small sparks flying off its fur.
"Sixth pick: Splash."
The Magikarp he'd spent three hundred hours trying to breed into a perfect shiny.
Everyone stared.
"Are you certain?"* Steve asked.
"Splash has been with me through hell. Three hundred hours of breeding. Thousands of eggs. He EARNED this spot."
Splash flopped on the ground, looking as determined as a Magikarp could look.
"Besides," Marcus added, "he's going to evolve eventually. And when he does? Oh boy."
"Seventh pick: Rocky."
A Tyranitar stepped forward, each footstep cracking the ground.
"Pseudo-legendary, dark-rock typing, can literally destroy mountains. You're my heavy hitter."
Rocky nodded solemnly and took his place.
"Eighth pick: Ghosty."
A Gengar rose from Marcus's shadow, cackling.
"You've been hiding in my shadow since The Manifestation, haven't you?"
"Maybe," Ghosty telepathed, still cackling.
"You're my trickster. Plus, I need someone who can phase through walls for... reasons."
"I accept this role with GREAT enthusiasm."
"Ninth pick: Floaty."
A Dragonite descended gracefully, looking for all the world like a giant, friendly orange dragon-dad.
"You're my transport AND my backup powerhouse. Plus, you give the best hugs."
Floaty immediately demonstrated by wrapping Marcus in a gentle dragon embrace.
"Tenth pick: Stabby."
A Gallade appeared, striking a pose with its blade-arms.
"You're my close-combat specialist and also you look REALLY cool."
Stabby seemed pleased by this assessment.
"Eleventh pick: Shelly."
A Blastoise stomped forward, cannons gleaming.
"Water-type coverage and also you're literally a turtle with cannons. How could I NOT bring you?"
Shelly nodded gruffly, a veteran of many battles.
"And twelfth pick..."
Marcus looked at the remaining Pokemon. So many choices. So many friends.
Then his eyes fell on a small purple blob near the front of the crowd.
"Kenneth."
The Shuckle looked up.
"You're coming."
"Marcus," Steve interjected, "while I respect your decisions, I must point out that Shuckle are not known for their... combat utility. Kenneth's offensive capabilities are essentially nonexistent. His speed is—"
"Kenneth is coming."
"He cannot attack effectively. He cannot move quickly. His sole notable trait is defensive capability, and we already have—"
"KENNETH. IS. COMING."
Kenneth made a small noise.
"...Very well," Steve conceded. "Kenneth is coming."
With his core team assembled, Marcus turned to address the remaining 4,835 Pokemon.
"I know this is hard," he said. "I wish I could bring all of you. But I promise—I PROMISE—everyone will get their turn. We're going to rotate regularly. And you'll all be able to watch through the psychic link!"
"I have established a network," one of his Alakazams confirmed. "All Pokemon will be able to observe Marcus's journey through shared consciousness."
"See? You won't miss anything!" Marcus grinned. "And while I'm gone, I need you all to keep building our home. Make it amazing. Make it a place where every Pokemon can be happy."
The crowd murmured with approval.
"Legendaries—you're in charge of the big stuff. Terrain, weather, making sure reality doesn't collapse. Everyone else, just... be yourselves. Be happy. And I'll be back to visit all the time."
A Mew floated down and booped his nose.
"I love you guys too."
One hour later, Marcus stood at the edge of Pallet Town with his team of twelve.
He had a bag full of supplies (prepared by his Blisseys).
He had a map of Kanto (provided by his Alakazams, who had telepathically downloaded the entire region's geography into his brain).
He had more money than he knew what to do with (generated by his Meowths using Pay Day approximately ten thousand times).
And he had twelve Pokemon who were ready to take on the world.
"First stop: Viridian City," Marcus announced. "Then Pewter City. Then we get our first badge."
"Brock's Gym uses Rock-types," Steve noted. "You have three Pokemon with type advantage on your current team alone. Not counting myself, who could defeat his entire roster without moving."
"That's the spirit! ...Wait, no, we're not going to just STEAMROLL every Gym."
"Why not? It would be efficient."
"Because that's not the POINT. The point is the journey! The growth! The bonds we form along the way!"
Steve stared at him.
"Okay, yes, we're definitely going to steamroll some Gyms. But we'll do it with STYLE."
"Acceptable."
The walk to Viridian City was uneventful.
This was primarily because every wild Pokemon in a ten-mile radius could sense Steve's presence and had decided that today was a great day to be somewhere else.
"This is a little anticlimactic," Marcus admitted. "I was hoping to encounter some wild Pokemon."
"You have 4,847 Pokemon. What possible use could you have for more?"
"It's not about HAVING them, it's about the ENCOUNTER! The excitement! The—"
A Pidgey landed on a tree branch nearby, apparently braver than its brethren.
Marcus's eyes lit up. "See! A wild Pidgey! This is what I'm talking about!"
The Pidgey looked at Marcus.
The Pidgey looked at Steve, hovering ominously behind him.
The Pidgey looked at Rocky the Tyranitar, who had accidentally knocked over three trees just by walking.
The Pidgey looked at Sunny the Charizard, whose tail flame was currently setting nearby grass on fire.
The Pidgey made a small "pidge" noise and flew away at maximum speed.
"...Okay, that's fair."
They arrived in Viridian City by mid-afternoon.
It was exactly as Marcus remembered from the games—a small but bustling city with a Pokemon Center, a Pokemart, and the mysterious Gym that wouldn't be accessible until later.
What he DIDN'T remember was the absolute panic his arrival caused.
"TYRANITAR!" someone screamed. "THERE'S A TYRANITAR IN THE STREET!"
"IS THAT A MEWTWO?! WHY IS THERE A MEWTWO?!"
"CHARIZARD! MULTIPLE CHARIZARDS! Oh wait, there's just one. Still! CHARIZARD!"
Marcus watched as civilians fled in all directions.
"This might be a problem," he admitted.
"Perhaps," Steve suggested, "we should have considered that your team includes multiple pseudo-legendary Pokemon and myself, a being typically associated with catastrophic events."
"Yeah, in hindsight—"
"HALT!"
A squad of Officer Jennys (why were there always so many of them?) had formed a barricade at the end of the street. They had their Pokemon out—Growlithes, mostly—and were pointing at Marcus with shaking hands.
"TRAINER! IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU HAVE BROUGHT THESE... THESE..." The lead Jenny struggled for words. "THESE VERY LARGE AND INTIMIDATING POKEMON INTO A POPULATED AREA!"
"I'm Marcus Chen! I'm the guy from Pallet Town! Champion Lance knows about me!"
The Jennys exchanged glances.
"The one with the Wailord?" one whispered.
"The one with the ARMY?" another replied.
"That's me!" Marcus waved. "I'm just here to heal at the Pokemon Center and maybe buy some potions! I'm not here to cause trouble!"
The lead Jenny slowly lowered her pointing hand. "You're... you're the kid who broke reality."
"I didn't BREAK it, it just got a little... bent. And it's fixed now! Mostly! The extra Tuesdays have been integrated into the timeline!"
More uncertain glances.
"Look," Marcus said, "I know this looks scary. But I promise, all my Pokemon are friendly. Watch—Steve, wave hello."
Steve raised one three-fingered hand and waved.
The Growlithes whimpered and hid behind their trainers.
"...Maybe not Steve. Floaty, you wave."
Floaty the Dragonite waved enthusiastically, his chubby arms and friendly face making him look like an oversized stuffed animal.
The tension decreased slightly.
"See? Friendly! Now can I please go to the Pokemon Center? Splash needs water."
The Magikarp flopped in agreement.
The Pokemon Center was, predictably, chaos.
Nurse Joy took one look at Marcus's team, turned pale, and excused herself to "make a phone call." She returned twenty minutes later with three additional Nurse Joys and a very nervous Chansey.
"I've been informed of your... situation," the head Nurse Joy said carefully. "Champion Lance has authorized you for standard Pokemon Center services. However, I must ask that your, um, larger Pokemon remain outside."
"Understandable. Rocky, Big Boy, Floaty—you guys okay waiting in the plaza?"
The Tyranitar, Snorlax, and Dragonite nodded and headed outside. Within minutes, a crowd had formed to gawk at them.
"The rest of us should fit," Marcus said, looking at his remaining team.
Steve hovered.
Sunny perched.
Mama B waddled.
Speedy vibrated.
Splash flopped.
Ghosty phased through a wall just because he could.
Stabby posed.
Shelly stomped.
Kenneth... existed.
"This is still a lot of Pokemon," Nurse Joy noted.
"I'm a special case."
"So I've been told. Repeatedly. By the Champion himself."
While waiting for his Pokemon's routine checkup (Mama B had insisted, even though she'd already examined everyone that morning), Marcus decided to explore Viridian City.
This was complicated by the fact that he now had an entourage.
"You don't ALL have to follow me," he said to the six Pokemon trailing behind him. Steve, Sunny, Ghosty, Speedy, Stabby, and Kenneth—the others had stayed at the Center.
"We wish to ensure your safety," Steve explained.
"From what? I'm in a CITY. There are POLICE."
"The police ran away when they saw me."
"That's... okay, fair point."
They walked through the city streets, drawing stares and whispers wherever they went. Marcus was starting to get used to it. Being the most unusual trainer in history came with certain unavoidable attention.
"Pokeball shop," he said, stopping in front of a store. "I should stock up."
He entered, followed by his entourage.
The shopkeeper looked up, saw a Mewtwo, and fainted.
"Steve, maybe wait outside?"
"I am not comfortable leaving you unprotected in an unfamiliar—"
"Steve. Outside."
The Mewtwo grumbled telepathically but floated out through the wall.
The shopkeeper regained consciousness about a minute later.
"I'd like to buy some Pokeballs," Marcus said pleasantly.
"You... you had a Mewtwo."
"He's friendly! Mostly. I'd like some Ultra Balls, please."
The shopkeeper stared at him.
"Also some Potions. And maybe a few Revives."
"Why... why does someone with a MEWTWO need Potions?"
"Backup is always good!"
The transaction took twenty minutes because the shopkeeper kept forgetting what he was doing and staring at the Charizard browsing the TM section.
By evening, Marcus had:
Stocked up on suppliesRegistered at the Pokemon CenterCaused three separate civilian panics (all resolved peacefully)Autographed seventeen items for people who recognized him as "the Pallet Town kid"Explained his situation to four different reporters, two researchers, and one very persistent blogger
He was exhausted.
"Tomorrow," he announced to his team, gathered in the Pokemon Center's enhanced outdoor area (quickly constructed to accommodate his larger Pokemon), "we head for Pewter City. And the day after that, we challenge Brock."
"His strongest Pokemon is a level 14 Onix," Steve noted. "I could defeat it by thinking aggressively in its direction."
"We're not using you against BROCK, Steve. That would be ridiculous."
"Then who?"
Marcus considered his team.
"Splash," he decided.
Everyone stared.
Splash flopped with determination.
"The Magikarp," Steve said flatly.
"The Magikarp."
"Against a Rock-type Gym."
"Against a Rock-type Gym."
"Marcus, I must question your tactical—"
"Steve. Trust me."
"...Very well. But I am registering my objection."
"Objection noted."
Marcus grinned and leaned back against Floaty's warm belly.
"This is going to be FUN."
CURRENT STATUS:
Location: Viridian City Pokemon Center
Badges: 0 (for now)
Team Morale: High
Public Panic Level: Moderate
Steve's Objections Filed: 1
Kenneth's Vibe Status: Immaculate
Tomorrow's Agenda:
Travel to Pewter CityChallenge BrockProve that Splash the Magikarp is a viable combat choice (somehow)
[A/N: NEXT CHAPTER: The Pewter City Gym battle! Can a Magikarp really beat an Onix? (No, but Marcus is going to try anyway.) Also featuring: Brock's complete mental breakdown, the debut of Marcus's "creative" battle strategies, and the moment when the Pokemon world realizes that this kid is going to be a PROBLEM. Leave a comment with your predictions!]