Pokemon: The Journey of Ash's Father

Where Am I?

The exhaustion kicked in as Ethan closed his eyes midway with a final thought. "Is this it... my Pokémon journey..."

TADAAM!

Despite Ethan's dramatic act, the pit was only three meters deep, and the grass patch that fell before him cushioned his fall and minimized the damage to his body.

The entire woods fell silent once again as the leaves of the trees floated around in the wind, and a sweet smell enveloped the dense forest.

The night passed, and the bright sun's rays fell upon Ethan's eyes, breaking his deep slumber.

Parts of his body were still under the effect of exhaustion as he slowly opened his eyes. "Is this heaven?"

Ethan noticed that he was seated on a stool, his legs tied. He tried to move his hands but failed. "No way... Did I end up in hell?"

He swiftly shifted his gaze to his surroundings, his heart racing as sweat piled up on his forehead. To his surprise, he was in a bamboo cage in the middle of a bustling street.

Wooden houses of various shapes, sizes, and colors enclosed the street as occasional tall trees towered above the houses, providing shade.

Confused, Ethan fluttered his eyes, unable to realize if he was dreaming. "Even though I'm usually reckless, I clearly remember falling into a dark pit. How can I end up in the middle of a town, let alone in a cage!"

As he tried to move, his head banged into a log behind, where his hands were tied. "At least, now I know that I'm not dreaming."

Sighing, he decided to shout and inquire about his situation. "HELLO! WHAT DID I DO TO GET IN HERE? IN FACT, WHY AM I HERE?"

His voice dominated the bustling sounds, but not a single person reacted to him.

"Now I am even more confused," he stared blankly at the horizon. "It doesn't feel like a dream, but my eyes are saying otherwise."

Suddenly, a tall man dressed entirely in black emerged from the distant horizon, walking purposefully towards Ethan. He wore a mask covering half of his face, and his body was as buffed as that of a bodybuilder's.

"I'm feeling terrified," Ethan got goosebumps as his heartbeat fastened. "This is something straight out of a movie."

After a few moments, the man approached Ethan's cage and pulled the lock.

Entering through the door, he inquired with a severe, low-pitched voice. "I'll cut out with the formalities. Let's get straight to the point. Are you a spy sent by TK?"

"TK?" Ethan squinted. "What's that?"

The man chuckled. "That's the most classic response a spy would give." "I-I have no idea what you're talking about..." Ethan stuttered slightly, biting his tongue. "I recently started my Pokemon journey."

"Your clothes are all muddy, and sweat dominates your entire body," the man moved closer to Ethan. "Don't you think that's something a spy would do? Hide in the mud and gather information about the enemies."

"That's..." Ethan paused for a moment, recollecting all of his past two days' memories.

"Well, I know you people are very loyal to TK and won't reveal the information without resorting to unconventional methods, like enduring a night of Pikachu-induced electrical shocks," the man grinned heinously.

"P-Pikachus? Actually, I was running from Rattatas, and I ended up falling in a pit," Ethan nodded as he slowly gulped. "So, please trust me and let me go."