As I follow the Pokémon Club and my siblings, we arrive at a restaurant known as Helen's Kitchen, which is closed. I ask, "A closed restaurant?" The sign hanging on the door sways slightly in the breeze, emphasizing its message.

"My family owns this place and today is not on business, so we get to use all the space here." Helen smiles, her eyes twinkling with pride as she pulls out a set of keys.

"As expected from our famous chef star." Luke chuckles while taking a seat, his laughter echoing in the empty room, and the rest of us do the same. The chairs scrape softly against the tiled floor as we settle in. I am now sitting beside Alice, because I feel quite comfortable around her. The soft scent of her floral perfume mixes with the lingering aroma of the kitchen, making me feel at ease.

Drandon then asks, "So first, Ash, how much do you know about the Pokémon games?" His tone is curious, eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes me slightly uneasy.

A bit puzzled, I respond, "Well, I only know that there are games that mimic the Pokémon world where I live in... as for the rest, not yet." My mind races as I try to recall any details, but they remain frustratingly vague.

Mark steps in, "Considering he just woke up after his coma, we didn't have much time to explain everything first. But anyway, the Pokémon games are mostly a set concept." He pauses, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "In essence, all the games involve trainers capturing Pokémon, training them, and battling against other trainers. Players usually start with a beginner Pokémon, travel across various regions, and aim to become the Pokémon Champion by defeating the Elite Four and the regional Champion. Along the way, they also encounter and thwart the plans of various villainous teams, participate in numerous side quests, and strive to 'catch 'em all' by completing the Pokédex."

As Mark elaborates, I begin to piece together the structure of these games. The idea of capturing and battling Pokémon feels familiar, almost second nature, yet the concept of structured gameplay and digital adventures is still foreign to me. The atmosphere around the table is relaxed, with everyone leaning in, listening intently. I can see the excitement in their eyes as they discuss the games, and it makes me even more curious about this digital world that mirrors my own in such fascinating ways.

"Right now, there are nine generations of Pokémon, and it has been 26 years since Pokémon first came out," Nate elaborates, his enthusiasm evident. "It started with the Game Boy, then moved on to the Game Boy Advance, followed by the DS, 3DS, and eventually the Switch consoles."

As they show me the various game consoles, a wave of nostalgia hits me. "I remember having those in my world as well..." The familiar shapes and colors trigger memories of simpler times.

Reisa leans in, curious. "What kind of games did you play with them then?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but mostly Mario, Sonic, Kirby, and maybe a few others. Pokémon? Not really..." I reply, my mind sifting through hazy recollections. The group's interest seems to peak, their expressions a mix of surprise and intrigue.

"So, you never experienced the Pokémon games?" Nate asks, eyebrows raised.

"Nope, my adventures with Pokémon were always real," I chuckle, the irony of the situation not lost on me. The room fills with a mix of laughter and amazement as they digest this new perspective.

"It seems like we will need to explain everything from the beginning, but we also need to finish our daily conquest... how about you do the honors, Alice?" Eve suggests, glancing at Alice with a knowing smile.

"Me? I mean, I'm glad to teach him, but why?" Alice looks surprised, her eyes widening slightly.

"Because you are the first of all of us to complete the Pokédex, while we are still missing some of them," Flora explains. "You are obviously the better choice."

Alice sighs before turning to me, her expression softening. "Well, if that's the case, Ash, I'll be the one showing you how Pokémon games work."

I smile warmly, feeling a sense of excitement. "I'm looking forward to it." My response makes her blush again, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Alice then asks, "So Ash, can you show me your phone? Before we begin, there's something I need to do with it."

A little confused, I nod and take out my phone, which, surprisingly, is still with me even after I teleported into this world. As soon as Alice notices my phone, she gasps in shock, her eyes widening. "No way! It's the Arc Phone!"

"The Arc Phone?" This causes everyone to gather around, their curiosity piqued. David leans in closer, exclaiming, "Wow, is it really the Arc Phone?"

"If it is possible, check the messages!" Golly suggests eagerly. Intrigued, I decide to open and look at my messages. To my surprise, there is one unread message, and it's from an anonymous sender. The room grows quiet as everyone waits in anticipation, their eyes fixed on the screen.

As I read the message, it says, "Hello, Ash. This is Arceus, the creator of the Pokémon world and your friend. I've decided to give you a final message before sending you to a world without Pokémon: Thanks to you, the Pokémon world is now at peace. To save your life, I used my final powers to teleport you to that world. You cannot return to the Pokémon world because my power is now exhausted and the balance must be maintained. But you are not alone; I have decided to bring Serena to you. However, unlike you, Serena's soul is fused with a girl from that world. She will gain her memories, her strength, and I hope you are able to find her. I wish you both a happy life in the new world."

After reading the message, everyone gasps in surprise. Eve, wide-eyed, says, "Wait, if what Arceus said is true, then the girl who fused with Serena is..."

When everyone looks at Alice, she holds her head and stammers, "Am I... did I really..."

Just then, she feels a sharp headache and begins to sway, as if she's about to pass out. The sight of her distress scares all of us. I instinctively reach out to steady her, concern etched on my face. The room erupts in worried murmurs, and we all exchange anxious glances, unsure of what to do next.

"Now what are we going to do? Alice is already weak and now this happens?" Trenor asks, his voice filled with worry.

Daniel adds, "We have to do something!"

An idea suddenly strikes me. I lean forward and gently press my lips against hers, hoping this unexpected gesture will help. The action causes everyone to gasp in surprise, but it's also the moment Alice begins to slowly wake up.

"Alice! Thank goodness, how are you feeling now?" I ask after breaking the kiss, my voice laced with relief.

"A-Ash... I... the Pokémon world... it all feels real... and I... I remember everything," she stammers, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and realization.

"It's okay," I reassure her, holding her hand gently. "It must be hard for you because of the two sets of memories. But I know we can overcome this together. You're not alone in this, and we'll figure it out step by step."

Flora coughs a little and says, "So Serena from the Pokémon anime XY is now fused with our sister? Isn't that a dream come true, Alice? I mean, you always liked Ash and Serena, didn't you?"

Alice sighs before responding, "Yeah... it feels so unreal..." Then, she suddenly stands up, rushing towards the stage. Taking a deep breath, she seems determined to perform. Elline, noticing her intent, asks, "Wait, Alice? Don't tell me you are going to..."

Ignoring everyone's concerns, Alice begins to dance. Eve gasps, "This is bad... Alice has never been able to finish the dance without falling. What are we going to do?"

Confused and concerned, I watch as Alice moves gracefully. But soon, my worry is replaced by awe as I become entranced by her dance and her radiant smile. Everyone else watches in shock, unable to believe that she is managing to perform so fluently.

As she finishes her routine without a single misstep, Alice cheers, "I did it! I didn't fall!"

The room erupts in applause and cheers. Her joy is infectious, and I can't help but smile, feeling a deep admiration for her newfound strength and grace.

"You really do have Serena's dancing skills with you now... if that's the case, you don't need to suffer from bullying anymore!" Minami cheers, her voice filled with hope.

"What do you mean suffer from bullying? What is going on?" I ask, my concern deepening. This question causes everyone to lower their heads, a heavy silence filling the room.

"Maybe it is because you showed up the moment Serena became one with my sister, so you wouldn't know about this..." Golly frowns. "But Alice has been a target of bullying at university. The whole Pokémon Club and us are her only friends..."

As they explain everything to me, I notice Alice lowering her head, a frown forming on her face. It's clear that tears are threatening to flow from her eyes. Unable to bear seeing her in pain, I step forward and gently pull her into a hug.

"Ash?" Alice asks, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I will protect you," I whisper firmly. "Nobody is going to hurt you. If they want to, they'll have to get through me first."

Alice's body relaxes slightly in my embrace, and the room feels a little lighter as our friends look on with supportive smiles.

"So where were we?" Alice asks after breaking the hug. "Oh right, Ash, I want you to lend me your Arc Phone because I have to install some Pokémon-related applications for you."

We all go back to what we were doing, and I watch as Alice navigates to my play store page and downloads an application called Pokémon Home. "Pokémon Home? What is that?" I ask, intrigued.

"It's an application that stores all of your Pokémon," Alice explains while tapping into the app once it is installed. To my surprise, we see the Pokémon inside the boxes, and all of them are actually mine. Pikachu, Greninja, Lycanroc, Lucario... even my 30 Tauros are here.

"Oh my, looks like you already have a bunch of Pokémon... and there's even Solgaleo and Larvitar as well!" Alice exclaims, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"You're right... I missed them so much, but I guess this is also a way to show that they are always by my side, right?" I ask, feeling a warm sense of comfort seeing my old friends again.

"Yeah. In this app, you can fill the Pokédex, do trades, and make requests," Alice says, showing me her own collection. To my surprise, Alice already has 1100 Pokémon in there. However, what surprises her even more is that there are three additional Pokémon she didn't recognize: Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon.

"Wait, those are Serena's Pokémon..." Alice murmurs, her voice trailing off in amazement.

We both stare at the screen, the realization slowly sinking in. It's as if Serena's presence is more tangible than ever, her Pokémon bridging the gap between our worlds.

"Well, looks like we are the same now... though how do I put Pokémon inside?" I ask, curiosity bubbling up inside me.

"I'll show you," Alice smiles, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "First, you will need a Pokémon game." She begins preparing to show me the games, her movements filled with enthusiasm and purpose.

As she sets everything up, I can't help but feel a mix of anticipation and excitement for what's to come. The possibilities seem endless, and I know that this new adventure is just beginning.

Here is a new chapter, and because of Arceus' message, that they all know the truth. I hope you like this chapter, and the next chapter will be Ash learning about the games.