i wanna be a hero. the boyz

1. it's a whole new world we live in

"It's a whole new world we live in, it's a whole new way to see. It's a whole new place with a brand new attitude, but you still gotta catch 'em all and be the best that you can be!"
— Pokémon: Johto Journeys

— — —

⠀⠀Jacob felt weightless in the dark silence, almost as if he was floating. He looked down at himself and could only see a vaguely flickering form where his body should've been, and a rush of fear quickly seized him as he thrashed around, scrambling for purchase on something—anything. Suddenly, a bright light flared in front of him, catching his attention as he watched the glimmering light grow to a painful size. Jacob found himself squinting in a desperate attempt to soothe the burning pain in his eyes, but also to find the source of the light. What was happening? Where was he?

⠀⠀"Welcome to the world of Pokémon!" a disembodied voice boomed from the light, the sound utterly filling the void and surrounding him. Jacob barely withheld the extremely unmanly scream that almost leapt from his chest, and his arms flailed backwards as he struggled to put distance between himself and whatever that was.

⠀⠀"Who are you?" Jacob asked, trying to keep the trembling fear out of his voice but to no avail.

⠀⠀"We humans live alongside Pokémon as friends. At times we play together, and at other times we work together. Some people use their Pokémon to battle and develop closer bonds with them, and some use their Pokémon to simply enrich their lives and our society."

⠀⠀Lord, Jacob felt like he was about to pass out. What was even going on? His hands shook so badly that he thought he was doing involuntary jazz hands. The bright light combined with the bellowing voice was almost too much for his brain to comprehend, not to mention the utter confusion he was feeling.

⠀⠀"Jacob, I think it's about time you take your first step into this amazing world. You've lived all of your waking hours without truly living, loved without truly loving. To begin a journey would be a difficult one, and you would encounter countless trials and tribulations, but for you, it is as necessary as the air."

⠀⠀"Who are you?! How do you know me?!" Jacob screamed into the light with grit teeth, eyes finally wide open in defiance despite the searing pain. His head pounded in confusion and anger; how dare this being make such a ridiculous claim about who he was as a person? He was still terrified out of his mind but his indignation managed to override some of his fear and quell some of his shaking.

⠀⠀The voice chuckled, almost as if it were lovingly admonishing a small child. "Alright, Jacob, the time has come. Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. On your journey, you will meet countless Pokémon and people. I'm sure that along the way you will discover many things, perhaps even something about yourself. Now, go on, leap into the world of Pokémon!"

⠀⠀The light began to fade away into nothing, and Jacob began to feel something heavy weighing on his chest. Jacob tried to yell something in his frustration at the light, maybe to demand answers and explanations, but the tightening feeling in his chest only got worse. Soon, it felt like he could not breathe anymore. As he grew dizzy, the light faded away completely and he was left in the dark once more.

— — —

⠀⠀"Bui, bui!"

⠀⠀Jacob's eyes shot open, a scream of surprise ripping from his throat. As adrenaline rushed through his body, his hands scrambled for the bedsheets to grip onto. After a few moments of labored breathing, Jacob relaxed with an overwhelming sense of relief and a thought of, I'm in bed. It was just a dream.