Pokémon: Rich Re:Start

Two days before the camp was set to begin, Julius had already arrived in Viridian City.

Traveling from his estate to Pallet Town wasn't a simple trip—it was nearly three thousand kilometers away. Thankfully, distance wasn't a problem when your family owned a private jet. The sleek, black-and-silver aircraft had cut the journey down to mere hours, and now, Julius and Caesar were resting in one of Viridian's finest hotels.

Currently, they were staying at the Celestial Garden Hotel, a five-star luxury tower known for catering to the elite of the Kanto Region. The lobby alone was grander than most people's homes, lined with velvet carpets, cascading waterfalls, and even a towering indoor bonsai tree nurtured by Grass-type Pokémon.

From their suite on the top floor, Julius could see almost the entire city. Lights flickered across buildings, and Pidgeottos soared lazily in the sky. The bustle of trainers, tourists, and League officials down below filled the streets—but he stayed quiet, leaning against the glass window, his Snubbull Iggy curled up near his feet.

The Kanto Region was far more expansive than Julius had ever imagined.

Back in his previous life, maps and games made it seem compact—towns just a few steps apart, forests easily crossed. But reality painted a different picture. Cities were separated by vast stretches of untamed wilderness, rolling hills, dense forests, and winding rivers. Even the routes, once thought of as mere connecting paths, were full ecosystems brimming with Pokémon and life.

On the day of the summer camp, their sleek black limousine pulled up to Professor Oak's Laboratory.

The building was exactly as Julius had remembered from the anime—rustic yet well-kept, sitting atop a hill with wind turbines spinning lazily behind it. The scent of earth, fresh grass, and blooming flowers filled the air. Dozens of kids were already there, chattering excitedly with bags slung over their shoulders, some holding Poké Balls, others clutching notebooks.

Julius stepped out of the car, his posture calm, expression unreadable. Behind him, Caesar followed in silence, dressed in his usual butler's attire, yet drawing eyes with his sharp and composed presence.

"Master Julius," Caesar said softly, holding an umbrella against the morning sun, "shall I carry your bag?"

Julius shook his head. "No need, Caesar. I'll carry it myself."

He adjusted his shoulder strap and took a deep breath.

The murmuring started slowly—just a few voices pointing, then growing into a full-blown hush that spread through the gathered kids like wildfire.

"Who is that…?" someone whispered.

A sleek black limousine rolled to a stop just outside the gates. From it stepped a tall man dressed like a butler, expression unreadable. But it was the boy who followed that made everyone pause. His steps were silent but sure, his posture upright, every movement precise—refined. Unbothered by the stares. As if he walked through crowds like this every day.

A girl clutched the brim of her hat, rising slightly on her toes. She hadn't seen what the others were staring at until then—but now she could. The boy moved with elegance, not childish pride. There was no wide grin, no awkward fumbling. Only quiet grace and unsettling composure.

"Is he some celebrity's son or something…?" a boy muttered nearby, arms crossed tightly.

He watched the new arrival closely, eyes narrowing with subtle disdain. Limousine? Butler? Silk-trimmed cuffs? Who did this guy think he was? And yet… it was hard to deny—he didn't look like the type to be pampered. His presence was sharp, like someone who could cut through the crowd without raising his voice.

Annoying.

He hadn't even spared a glance their way.

From the lab's doorway, an older man stood, half in shadow, one hand on his chin. His eyes followed the boy's every step—curious, calculating. There had been rumors, of course. The Rose family was no stranger to the news, but this… this boy didn't move like a product of wealth.

No, this one had something else. Something… buried deep.

A stillness too precise to be taught.

How interesting.

As the crowd funneled toward the laboratory where the welcoming speech was set to begin, someone stepped beside him—quiet, but not timid. A boy with spiky black hair and sharp, calm eyes kept pace with him, walking with a steady rhythm that matched his own.

"Hey," the boy said, flashing a casual smile. "My name's Ethan. I'm from the Johto region. And you?"

Julius blinked, his steps faltering slightly as his mind processed the name.

Ethan?

Wait, no—he quickly corrected himself. In the anime, this boy had been called Jimmy… but here, he was Ethan. The same boy, but with a different name. The game world and the anime world… they were all merging together now.

Julius's gaze drifted briefly over Ethan, recognizing the familiar features from both the anime and the games. It was strange—there shouldn't be any discrepancy between the two, but here it was: Ethan, a character from Pokémon Gold and Silver... or Jimmy, as he was known in the anime.

Julius felt a wave of realization hit him. If Ethan was here, then this wasn't the game world he remembered—it was the anime world. The world where everything had already played out differently than what he'd known from his previous life. And the presence of Jimmy-Ethan here was just another sign that the anime timeline had taken precedence.

Still, no matter how much knowledge he carried from both worlds, Julius had to acknowledge that the timeline appeared to be following the anime's course. No butterfly effect had appeared... yet. The events unfolding around him—the trainers, the gym leaders, Oak, even the way things were progressing—seemed to be in line with the anime world, not the games.

He glanced over at Ethan again, now realizing the true gravity of the situation. If everything was following the anime's course, that meant certain things were set in stone. There were events that Julius couldn't change. But the knowledge he had… it could still help him make decisions. And those decisions could alter how things played out.

"Julius," he replied, steadying himself and returning the smile—though there was a hidden depth in his eyes, a flicker of curiosity.

"Nice to meet you," he added, keeping his composure. His mind, however, was already racing. No going back now. It's the anime world I'm in.

As they walked toward the steps, Ethan glanced up at Julius, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Hey, hey! You were, like, super fancy back there! What's with all the cool stuff? You have a big house, don't you?" Ethan asked, bouncing a little on his feet.

Julius blinked, surprised at the sudden question. He was used to being quiet, but this kid was all over the place.

"Uh, yeah. My family has a lot of stuff," Julius said, trying to keep it simple. "They like to make an impression."

"Whoa, that's so cool!" Ethan grinned. "My family's not like that at all! But I have a lot of friends in Johto. They say I'm gonna be the best Pokémon trainer ever!" He paused, then added quickly, "What about you? Are you gonna be the best too?"

Julius thought for a moment, feeling a little amused. "I guess we'll see," he replied, giving a small shrug.

Ethan's eyes sparkled, and he bounced on his toes again. "I wanna be the best! And maybe we can have a battle later! You're, like, super different from everyone else. Are you a special trainer?"

Julius shook his head. "I'm just... different, I guess. But let's focus on the camp first."

As they reached the bottom of the stone steps, a few other kids were already there, chatting excitedly. Some of them glanced at Julius curiously, their eyes flickering over him before looking away.

Ethan didn't seem to care about the stares and continued talking. "You're, like, way cooler than everyone here. I bet you've been to all sorts of places with your family. Right?"

Julius gave him a simple nod. "Yeah, lots of places. But it's not that important."

Ethan tilted his head. "Huh, okay! Well, I'm still gonna be the best, and we'll be buddies, right?"

Julius smiled slightly. "Sure, we can be friends."

They finally reached the top of the steps, where a group of kids were gathered. The doors of the laboratory stood ahead, and Julius felt the excitement building as the speech from Professor Oak was about to start.

Ethan gave him a wide grin. "Okay, let's do this!"

Author's Note: I am gonna age them by 6 years, when the cannon comes like ash would be 16 when he starts his journey.