Author's Note: So I make my very first foray into the world of Pokemon, something very different from my usual haunt in Harry Potter, but I've been wanting to do this story for so long that I finally just decided to go for it. For fans of my other stories, don't worry they'll still be frequently updated along with this one.

This story follows the coma theory only with a major twist. If you do not know what the coma theory is it is where Ash supposedly was put into a coma at the beginning of the series. What if Ash really did slip into a coma? Only everything he dreamed was actually a test by Arceus, one which he passed and allowed him to be sent to another world, this one where Pokemon are much more humanlike.

Chapter 1

Ash had finally done it! He'd become a pokemon master!

As he viewed his winning team of pokemon, there was a sense of pride and accomplishment at having managed it.

Then...

Everything disappeared and he suddenly found himself somewhere else entirely...definitely not the stadium he had just been in with a crowd of people surrounding him chanting his name.

Instead he was now inside a totally dark room, dark enough that he couldn't even see any light whatsoever.

Since it had been daytime before he was totally confused as to just what had happened or how he'd gotten here..

Just as he began to wonder just what was going on however a figure began to emerge.

As he looked closer, it appeared to be a beautiful woman with a very kind looking face and very long black hair that fell to her ankles and was arrayed in a shimmering white dress with a gold sash around her waist.

He was sure he'd never seen the woman before but she still somehow looked vaguely familiar.

"Hello Ash," The woman greeted him warmly.

The woman did not actually say it, but he could somehow still tell just what she was saying in his head.

"Hello," Ash replied back out loud, "what's going on?"

"I'm afraid you died," She admitted.

"I died?" Ash asked in shock and confusion, "but what are you talking about? I just became a Pokemon master. I can't have just died now. What I do die of a heart attack out of sheer happiness?"

Admittedly that would totally stink. To have spent so long striving towards something only to die right afterwards?"

"Ah, but can you remember how you won or even who you beat?" She pointed out.

As Ash tried to think however, he realized he just couldn't seem to remember.

How strange? He thought. Surely he should have been able to remember something that had only just taken place, especially something that memorable.

"It's because your entire Pokemon journey has actually been a dream," She explained, "your very first trip out after getting your first Pokemon you were struck by lightning, causing you to fall into a coma. There were plenty of attempts to revive you but all ended in failure. Eventually after 6 years your body finally gave out and you died."

Ash's mind was reeling, trying to take in this news.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me all that time has been just a very long complicated dream?" Ash asked her.

"Don't you think there were some major problems you never noticed during that time?" She pointed out, "first of all why you never aged? Considering the amount of adventures you went through, you would have expected to have aged at least a little."

That stumped him.

Come to think of it he hadn't ever aged, but he'd never really thought about it. If it was real life surely he would have noticed why he nor anyone else ever aged.

"That's just so messed up though," Ash argued, "why I did all that, and yet it was only just a very long dream."

"Oh don't worry, there will be plenty more things to come that will be even more messed up as you say," The woman claimed, having the nerve to grin.

Something struck him about what she said.

"Well if I'm dead, then how will there be anything more to come? Unless maybe you are referring to heaven," He pointed out.

"I could send you to heaven if you'd like," The woman offered.

"Does that mean that you're...god?" Ash asked her, somewhat nervously.

He'd always thought of god as male, but then again the metaphysical had never been something he'd concentrated too much on.

Especially with all the freaks out there worshiping Bellsprout or something.

"I prefer the name Arceus," She admitted.

"How could you be Arceus? Arceus is a pokemon," Ash replied.

"I can take many different forms," She said, "including that of a pokemon. I however chose to take a human form to speak with you. I'm sure that you noticed the resemblance."

"Yes," He admitted as he looked her over. She did seem to look very similar to Arceus. Her dress was the same color as Arceus had been and her gold sash was somewhat like the gold thing that had been around Arceus' middle.

"Now that that is setttled," Arceus observed, "I'd like to offer you a choice?"

"What's the choice?" Ash asked her warily, "if the choice is to return to earth and actually have the chance to live life, that's what I choose."

"Unfortunately that is not what I have in mind for you," Arceus told him, "you see I have a problem. Not from the world that you came from, but another one that I created."

"Wait a minute?" Ash asked in surprise, "are you saying there is more than one world?"

"Of course," Arceus said, "and I'm only responsible for the creation of only some of them. Another world that I created I made it very similar to the one you are from only where 95% of the world's population, including Pokemon are female, and Pokemon much more closely resemble human women than the Pokemon that you are used to. Due to the very high number of females, male trainers usually have harems of both Pokemon and regular girls."

"Yeah, that definitely sounds very different from the world I'm used to," Ash admitted.

"Yet eventually I foresaw a problem," She explained, "Pokemon of course have many different powers that humans do not have in any world. Humans are of course generally smarter, but that still wouldn't make up for that. Think about your Pikachu for example. Your Pikachu could easily shock you to death if she ever felt so inclined.

"Pikachu would never do that though," Ash pointed out.

"Exactly," She agreed, "fortunately Pokemon are naturally very docile. If they do attack it is usually because they feel threatened. There are of course exceptions, but for the most part this is true. In addition they lack the capability to kill. Otherwise they would cause so many accidental deaths using their powers that the human race would have become extinct long ago. Most importantly humans invented pokeballs that allowed them to capture them and make the Pokemon loyal to them. A Pokemon usually has a sense of pride and will try to fight and make you prove that you are worthy to be their trainer but if you do, then they will proudly serve you and aid you in any capacity you wish. As you know, they are generally quite happy to do so, even battle for you. In a different world this would seem cruel to force Pokemon to do this, but for them it is actually quite enjoyable and they don't actually feel any pain from getting hit by an attack, they just feel tired for awhile."

"Well I know that," Ash said, a bit proudly at his knowledge.

He'd never have battled with his pokemon if it felt like he was actually hurting them.

"However," Arceus continued, "in the world that I am referring to this is all still the case, but the problem is Pokemon are much more humanlike. They can talk and display intelligence beyond that of those in your own world which means they can actually be relied on to perform tasks without the constant guidance of their trainers and can really take care of themselves without the aid of humans. This distinction is what has caused over the years in this world to be able to have humans rely more and more upon pokemon for everything and less for humans. What good is a human building a house if say a Pokemon could do it 10 times faster? The Pokemon also would not need to be paid either. If a person can them simply go catch some Pokemon to go work for him, it will inevitably make the person lazy. Humans simply have become too reliant upon Pokemon there and that is what I hope to correct."

As Ash thought about it, he supposed that could be a problem.

"So how do you fix it then?" Ash asked her.

"Well first of all, not all humans are like that," Arceus explained, "some really do want to be able to do more, but are held back by the restrictions of being only human. If they could become like Pokemon, things would actually be a lot better for them. They would gain valuable powers and their lives would feel much more fulfilled. Being a Pokemon for a good trainer I can assure you is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Exactly how to fix it though is more complicated. Not everyone is going to want to become Pokemon right away. They are rather used to having Pokemon do all the work while they do very little, but that is simply no way to live.

So after thinking about it for a long time, I decided that if I was going to change everyone in this world into Pokemon, I would have to do it gradually, and first give a way to show just how good the change will be for them by providing a trainer who truly and genuinely loves his Pokemon and is willing to sacrifice everything for them. Such a trainer could then be relied upon and trusted enough to have the ability to turn humans into Pokemon.

Unfortunately I was unable to find such a trainer in that world, as my requirements were rather strict. Finally I had to turn towards another world in hopes of finding a suitable candidate and I did.

That's why I selected you.

"Me?" Ash asked in alarm, "why me?"

"Since you passed my test for you," Arceus explained, "while in your coma I was able to put you through dreams designed to test you and your devotion and love for Pokemon. You exemplify all the characteristics of a near perfect trainer and have proven yourself time and time again even in the toughest of situations. Now that you have died however I've selected you as Trainer Zero, or the trainer that will be given the very special power of being able to turn humans into Pokemon."

"What!" Ash exclaimed, "you want me to turn humans into Pokemon?"

"Not all of them," Arceus explained, "just some of them. All of them will actually want to turn into Pokemon. It might be difficult to understand from your perspective but on that world people are much more willing. It will still not always be easy, but you'll receive help from many individuals that existed in your coma world I created in your own mind in order for you to get to know them. However they can be entirely different from what you knew them to be. You'll be presented with opportunities to turn them into pokemon. Then it will be your duty to train them and love them, and also decide when you want to reveal your ability to the world. Another thing required of you will be to go around and catch every type of Pokemon there is, beginning with the ones only found in the equivalent version of the region of Kanto."

"That certainly sounds like a lot required of me," Ash insisted as he struggled ti figure it all out, "but I suppose if I must..."

Arceus smiled and said, "I know that you'll be up to the task. What I'll be doing is sending you into the body of your counterpart Ash in this world, although at the same age as you were when you died at 16 while still in your coma. In addition, I'll be sending Pikachu to be with you too. Pikachu also fell into a coma at the same time you did and was made to dream out the same events you did, only from her point of view. That way you'll at least have someone to talk to and rely on automatically."

That sounded really good. If Pikachu remembered him, then that would be a huge benefit to him.

"Your adventure begins...now," Arceus told him.

He wanted to yell that he wasn't done talking to her, that there were still plenty of things he didn't understand but instead she faded and the next thing Ash knew he was waking up in his bed in his room back in Pallet town.