Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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"What the hell!"

A loud, anguished cry echoed through the road, startling flocks of bird Pokémon into a panicked flight from the forest.

"What the hell! What the fuck does this even mean?!"

Liam grabbed Lulu's body and shook her vigorously, his face contorted as if she owed him a fortune.

Breaking free from Liam's grip with some difficulty, Lulu stumbled back, putting some distance between them.

"Why are you so worked up? It's not a big deal at all!"

Her face was full of frustration, clearly puzzled by Liam's outburst.

"Not a big deal? Are you kidding me? That's Ash! This means I won't see Ash for 15 years! Do you know what that feels like?" It's like waiting in a massive line for your favorite burger, only for them to tell you that they're out of buns!"

Liam's face was filled with despair. Just imagining finally meeting Ash and the others, only to realize he'd be a middle-aged man by then, was heart-wrenching.

"Geez, it's not 15 years! I said this is five years before Ash is even born. In five years, you'll meet him. Calm down, okay? Hehe."

Lulu grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying Liam's overreaction.

"That's not the same! The Ash with Pikachu is Ash! Before that, who the fuck would I even be meeting?"

Liam plopped down on the ground, clutching the egg in his arms, looking extremely sour.

"Ahem. It's not that bad, really. Since you're here, why not just go with the flow? Life is hard enough as it is. Why make things more difficult for yourself? Relax, young man. A bright future awaits you!"

Seeing Liam looking utterly defeated, Lulu flew over and perched on his shoulder, patting his hair as if comforting him.

"Ugh, fine. It's already like this, so no point dwelling on it. Lulu, just tell me everything else I need to know. Let's get it over with."

Deciding to rip the band-aid off, Liam braced himself for the storm.

"Hehe, there's nothing much to add. This system operates on a hands-off policy. You're free to do whatever you want in this world. If you're bold enough, you can even take over the entire Pokémon League. No one's stopping you."

Liam shot her a look of disdain. Take over the Pokémon League? He couldn't even beat a gym at the moment. His only Pokémon was still an egg with no sign of hatching anytime soon. Thinking about toppling the League was way too premature.

"Ahem, as a newbie bonus, let me give you a welfare mission. I'm so generous; no need to thank me." Lulu, a little flustered under Liam's skeptical gaze, hurriedly threw out a task to shift his attention.

[Ding!] 

[Mission released: Head to Pallet Town.]

[Mission objective: Pallet Town is where it all begins. Reach Pallet Town before nightfall.]

[Mission rewards: 100 exchange points, map navigation function unlocked.]

Liam blinked in surprise at the simple and straightforward mission. The map navigation feature intrigued him, though, and Lulu seemed to pick up on his curiosity.

"This is a major perk! The navigation map is a super practical system function. No matter where you are, it shows you an accurate map of the surroundings. You'll never get lost again. So, what are you waiting for? Get moving!"

Liam considered it and admitted the feature would be useful. After all, protagonists in TV shows and comics were constantly getting lost. This should make things a lot easier.

Feeling somewhat appeased by this bonus, Liam's earlier sadness over not meeting Ash right away eased a bit. He stood up, dusted himself off, and, with the egg in his arms, began walking down the road.

On and on he walked, and walked.. and walked.. not knowing how much time had passed.

"What the hell! How much farther is it?"

Another flock of startled birds took flight as Liam's voice broke the forest's calm again. He had been walking for four hours straight, without seeing any sign of Pallet Town. Sweat drenched his body, and if not for his enhanced physique, he might have collapsed already.

"We're almost there. Really, we are," Lulu said helplessly from her perch on Liam's shoulder.

"You've said 'almost there' at least 50 times already! It's almost night, and I still can't see even a shadow of Pallet Town! If you call this a welfare mission again, I'm going to bash my head into a tree!"

Liam collapsed onto a large rock by the roadside, gasping for breath.

"How can you not trust me? It is a welfare mission! I swear you'll finish it before nightfall. Believe me! (@.@)"

"I almost did! Do you think you're the fountain of truth? Just because you say 'believe me,' I'll actually believe you? Forget it. I'm taking a break."

Liam opened the exchange panel and scrolled to the "Medicine & Berries" section. He spent 10 points to exchange for a bottle of Moomoo Milk, opened it, and chugged it down in one go.

"Such waste! So wasteful! Do you think you're the heir to a rich family or something?"

Moomoo Milk, a premium item that quickly restored a Pokémon's stamina, was also incredibly delicious. Its effectiveness and flavor had earned it a high price of 10 points per bottle.

Cheaper alternatives like soda pop cost only three points each, and buying three even got you one free. Lulu could hardly bear to watch.

Liam glanced at Lulu on his shoulder, smacked his lips, and said, "I've always wanted to taste this milk. Now that I've tried it, I can confirm the legends are true. It's amazing! Compared to this, the milk brands from my old world are a joke. Also, didn't you say the system is hands-off? I'll spend my points however I want!"

"You..."

Before Lulu could retort, the distant sound of a car engine interrupted her. Startled, she let out a small yelp and vanished into Liam's body.

"Uh… Why are you hiding?" Liam asked, puzzled.

"…Oh, right. Normal people can't see me. It's just a reflex, haha. Anyway, no big deal. I'll stay in here for now. You're almost at Pallet Town, so keep going!"

With that, Lulu's voice disappeared.

Liam didn't think much of it. He quietly sat by the roadside, recovering his strength. Though Moomoo Milk worked quickly, human bodies weren't like Pokémon, and he needed time to fully absorb it.

The sound of the car engine grew closer, and soon a red convertible appeared in Liam's field of vision. The driver slowed down as they noticed Liam sitting by the road.

"Hey there, young man. Need a ride?"

The driver took off their sunglasses and asked kindly.

Liam, holding the egg in one hand and a milk bottle in the other, stared at the driver. His handsome face froze in shock as he pointed at the man, stammering, "Pro.. Professor Oak!!"

Sure enough, the man in the car was none other than the legendary Professor Oak. Except this version of Oak looked much younger, with only a few gray strands amidst his black hair.

Professor Oak, flustered by Liam's outburst, scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.

"Looks like you recognize me, but you've got it wrong. My paper just got rejected, so I'm not a professor yet."

"Huh? What?!"

Liam felt his mind go blank. A non-professor, Prof. Oak? What kind of Prof. Oak was that?

Before he could process this, Lulu's voice chimed in his head.

"At this point in time, Samuel Oak hasn't earned his doctorate yet. According to history, he'll obtain it next year. Right now, he is the former first-ever Kanto League Champion and recently started his academic research. Being away from the battling scene and the public eye, it only took him three years to earn his PhD, which is incredibly impressive."

Realizing it was just another quirk of being in the wrong timeline, Liam let out a sigh of relief. Prof. Oak of the future was still the Prof. Oak he knew. Bowing slightly, he apologized.

"I didn't understand the situation and misspoke. My apologies. But I believe you'll become an excellent professor someday."

Prof. Oak laughed heartily, his earlier frustration over his rejected paper easing up. Opening the car door, he invited Liam to hop in.

"Well said, young man. I see you're heading toward Pallet Town. Let me give you a ride."

Startled, then overjoyed, Liam quickly bowed again and gratefully accepted the offer.

"Thank you so much!"