Summary

"Alright. I'm ready," Delia said as she made her way down the steps. "Let's get going."

Juda looked up from his position on the couch, egg placed cozily by his side as he gave Ash's mother a good once over, a hint of surprise working it's way into his gaze the longer he stared. Before she had went to the second floor, the woman had possessed a motherly aura what with her casual loose jeans and simple white shirt paired with her friendly demeanor and overall charm. Now however she gave off a much stronger sex appeal as she reached the bottom of the stairs, garbed in tight fitting jeans, a form fitting shirt, and hair that had been nicely braided to give off a more mature vibe.

The older woman now looked much younger than she had previously and Juda would've been lying if he said he didnt like it.

"Since when are you trying out for the runway?" Juda remarked as he waited the newly made vixen by the door, Ash having already went on ahead. Unlike himself, the black haired lad had no need to wait as he had bid farewell some time ago. "You sure took an awfully long time to get ready and now I can see why. "We're merely headed to this lab that you spoke of earlier, why the dressup?"

"What are you talking about?" Delia questioned back, clearly confused. "This is normal everyday outdoor clothes for me. I haven't even put on makeup."

Juda found that rather hard to believe, but he simply chose to ignore the subject matter altogether opting to simply keep his mouth shut rather then spout nonsense. He had no room to argue with her as they walked out the front door, with Delia locking it behind her before they began the long trek towards the Professor's lab.

Before the woman had came down, Ash had given Juda a brief rundown on the surface level summary of the world he was currently in. Of course, after hearing it, he was now certain that using the term "otherworld" was now appropriate as things became more and more fantastical.

To put it bluntly, the world was full of two races, one called Humanity, and the other called Pokemon. These Pokemon possessed immense power called moves at their disposal, able to use up to four of these moves to defend themselves or attack those that irritated them, moves that varied depending on type and species. Juda wasn't too sure what Ash had meant by type and when asked, he simply replied that he would learn about it soon enough. What he did say though was that most of the moves were dangerous enough to kill humans and that wandering around without a Pokemon was dangerous in and of itself.

Despite the danger though, Ash went on to mention a variety of topics, namely the Trainers. Apparently, Pokemon possessed an intrinsic, deep rooted desire for strength and companionship that was buried beneath their regular instincts. However, once captured within the device called a pokeball, their desire welled up to the surface and they wanted nothing more then to prove th themselves to their captor. While this made little sense to Juda, Ash went on to explain that not every Pokemon went on to fight as, if the Pokemon didnt want to fight then it simply wouldnt. Many Pokemon became simple companions with their trainers while others found ways of helping that weren't battle related in the slightest.

In short, Pokemon were no different then humans in a way as they contained their own personalities, hopes, dreams, and desires. They grew alongside their trainer and grew stronger as a team, pushing through life as equals.

After that, Delia's son then went on to talk about Gyms and badges, various cities and tournaments, and a plethora of other such topics, all of which Juda absorbed into memory. There were just so many things that Juda had to look into and would have to memorize should, worst come to worsr, he become stuck here for the rest of his life. While he was choosing to remain optimistic and believe that he would find a way home, the possibility of it being a permanent transfer was still up there and remained to be seen.

"So, Ash went on ahead then?" Delia sighed as she walked long casually. "That boy. Always moving but never hitting the brakes. Then again, it was supposed to be the day he started his journey and got a starter.

I suppose it's only natural for him to he restless."

"Journey?" Juda asked, eyes filled with confusion. "Forgive my intruding into his business but what exactly are you talking about?"

"Well, you'll learn about it when we get to Oak's laboratory but telling you now is fine." Delia sped up slightly as they reached the main path, the one that lead to the large hill in the distance. "A journey is sort of like a rite of passage that young folks go on when they turn 14. The purpose of the journey is to travel, go on adventures, and find out what they wanna do with their lives in the future. They interact with others, creating meaningful bonds and maybe even find love. A journey is probably the most important part of those that live in this world."

There was a moment of silence, Juda running through what she said, mulling it over thoughtfully, the egg sending warm vibrations that kept him relaxed.

"What about the starter you mentioned earlier," Juda prompted after a few minutes of silence.

"Starters are the Pokemon you recieve when you start the journey," Delia explained patiently. "As travelling around with potentially dangerous creatures can be.....hazardous, starters are offered for self protection. Every place has different starters and for here specifically its the grass type Bulbasaur, the fire type Charmander, and the water type Squirtle. Of course, if one has his or her own Pokemon given to them by someone else, such as a parent or friend, then that's also allowed. The starters are mainly for those who have no Pokemon to call their own."

"The only other question I would have is...isnt capturing sentient creatures that are borderline human in spirit basically slavery?" Juda was immensely curious about this as, based on everything he was hearing, it sounded like these guys were capture agains their will.

"If a Pokemon doesnt want to do something, he or she simply wont do it," Delia responded with a smile. "There's no slavery involved unless the trainer is abusive and begins to force his or her ideals and concepts onto the Pokemon using brute force. A regular trainer forms a bond of trust with the captured Pokemon and they fight together to achieve their goals. If the Pokemon doesnt feel like doing something, he or she will simply refrain from doing so. It's not like they're locked up as they have intelligence and free wills. Hell, they can even force their way out of the Pokeball after being captured."

Juda readjusted the egg held within his arms, his brain mulling over the newly gained information as he picked up the pace. When dealing with brand new data, the white haired youth always liked to approach it from different angles, to poke at it and garner more information from what was already told.

From what he could gather, Pokemon were essentially a sentient race that sought to grow, be it via companionship or strength, and wanted nothing more then to prove themselves one way or another. The bond between trainer and Pokemon seemed to be one of a mutually beneficial relationship where both recieved what they desired; the Pokemon a coach to teach it technique and strength and the Trainer an ally and travelling companion. In summary, they were two parts of a whole and humanity coexisted with the creatures before he had even arrived. Juda felt foolish for even wondering if this was just basic slavery as it clearly wasn't as bad he initially thought.

Delia nudged the young man with her elbow, snapping him back to reality, causing her to giggle a little as she poked him again in the side. "What's with the silence? Dont you have any more questions for me? I'll be happy to answer if I can."

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." Juda laughed nervously as he hurriedly thought of a question. "How come you're not freakin out despite finding out I'm from another world?"

"How come you're not?" Delia replied, answering the question with a query of her own. "Shouldn't you be far more impacted then me? You were taken from your home and are now stuck in a place that you have no clue about. Why are you so calm?"

Juda merely shrugged as he recalled something from his childhood.

The scent of death, the sight of bloody jaws, and the feeling of sharp claws akin to knives slicing across his chest as rain poured over him, washing every drop of red liquid the escaped his body. The sound of howling resonating around him as he struggled to flee, multiple pursuers slowly gaining in hopes of ending his life as soon as possible.

"No reason. Some things are just far less terrifying then others I guess," Juda responded before deciding to drop the subject.

"I couldn't agree more," Delia responded. "There are things that are far more mindboggling then simple world travelling. Those who have suffered and have been shaped by life know that where are more spectacular, more terrifying, and far worse things then one could imagine."

"Why are you guys getting all depressing?" A voice asked from behind them. "Its such a gorgeous day. Theres no need to be so gloomy."

Juda turned around, red hues fixating on the one who had addressed them, an older gentleman dressed in a black shirt and khakis under a long white lab coat. The man looked to be in his early forties to his mid fifties with gray hair and thick bushy eyebrows, a clipboard clutched in his left hand and a large yellow mouse, that Juda assumed was a Pokemon, resting on his right shoulder with Ash not too far behind them. The man gave off certain vibes, such as a intelligent and perceptive nature along with a kind disposition.

Of course, how Juda had managed to get those feelings from just meeting the man, the youth had no clue.

"Professor!" Delaine exclaimed in surprise, letting out a laugh. "Howd you get behind us? The lab is ahead of us. Did you already finish registering the new departing trainers?"

The Professor gave a smile as he began rummaging through his pockets. "I finished early so I went home to get some sleep as I've been slacking on it for quite some time. That is, until Ash came to inform me that the otherworlder had woken up."

There was a brief lull in the group as everyone fell silent, the word 'otherworlder' bringing everyone to a dead stop. The Professor himself didnt seem to notice as he continued to rummage through his coat, attempting to locate whatever he had lost, unaware of the confusion that had taken place. Even Ash, of whom could have told the Professor about Juda seemed taken aback, making it crystal clear that he hadn't said a word to the man as of yet.

It was only when the man looked up and around that he seemed to understand and cleared his throat.

"Juda Amata," the Professor looked towards the young man with knowing eyes as he gestured with his head towards the hill half a football field away. "Come. We have much to discuss."

//One more chapter today and 3 more tomorrow. Make sure to add it to your library as I plan to take the top spot in the fanfic section.