FL4K3S
00:00
SAFFRON CITY, the Shining, Golden Land of Commerce. This is the city where the story of
#831\1 — a meek young man with messy black hair and wide glasses, but no other remarkable trait — begins.
It’s a Monday like any other Monday, warm and quiet and saffron-scented, with the coos of wild
PIDGEY as the only escapade from the uproar of commuters running toward
SILPH COMPANY. A letter sticks out of the letterbox of
#831\1, waiting for its addressee to take it out of its metallic prison.
…
… …
…And this is when you,
#831\1, find said letter.
It’s time for your first move. You extend your hand toward the letter and grab it, feeling the soft bumps brushing your fingers. Then you take it out of the box and stare at it. You hum to yourself: Could it be what you were waiting for?
With the utmost care, you rip the envelope to reveal the paper inside, before skimming through the text.
Dear #831\1… assessed… job offer…
Yes, that’s exactly what you were waiting for. They have accepted you as the newest clerk at the
CELADON DEPARTMENT STORE. Sure, it may not be the job of your dreams, but at least you’ll earn some much-needed cash.
According to the letter, your shift will begin in two hours… Yes, two hours.
You’re baffled with that, wondering why you have to start so quickly. You should have gotten at least a day in advance, you believe.
Your gaze falls on the slightly faded ‘urgent’ label. Apparently they sent the letter days ago, but it arrived only today.
…Well, no matter. There is no time to complain about the lackluster postal service. You have a job; you’ve got to hurry!
So, you rush back into your home to scoop up the last spoonfuls of cereal. Then, you grab what meager cash you have, readjust your hair and glasses, and sprint toward the west gate of
SAFFRON CITY.
It’s time for you to become active.
02:25
Now you’re at work, dressed up in the standard clothing and typical hairstyle of every regular clerk. You glance at the colleague standing at your left, who looks like the spitting image of yourself. Same hairstyle and clothing, unsurprising; and same brand of glasses, surprising! The only distinguishing trait about him it’s his name:
#14227.
He shows you the ropes of the job: you greet the customers, listen to their requests, take out the chosen items from the boxes, get the money from them, and hand out the items.
Yes, it’s
that brainless.
After the tutorial,
#14227 retreats to his post and focuses his attention on the customers. This is your cue; it’s time for you to do the same.
And you do exactly that. Greeting; request; box; money; items; greeting; request; box; money; items; rinse; repeat.
Soon, you realize another important detail about your job: it’s very tiring! Moving heavy boxes around and rushing toward the warehouse to get fresh supplies whenever you run out of stocks is a huge drain of your energy. Also, the back pain! Hopefully, you won’t need to consult a doctor, you think. The last thing you need would be to spend what little you earn for medical expenses.
This is how you learn how truly unrewarding your job is.
04:35
A blackout casts the
DEPARTMENT STORE in the darkness. Only the dim security lights outline the layout of the store and cast faint glows on the befuddled customers.
A sigh escapes your throat. You were about to finish compiling the data of the inventory, and you didn’t save! Why did the building have to black out now?
You lean into your seat with your arms crossed, waiting for the lights to return while listening to the shuffling of customers wandering in the dark. Some bump into each other, while others bump into the shelves and walls. A few items fall to the floors, in a mix of clatters, cracks, and crashes.
This just adds to your annoyance, and you sigh even louder. You know well that you will have to clean the mess as soon as the lights return.
You look at your left and spot the gleams of
#14227’s glasses. By judging what little you detect, he’s staying completely still in his seat. He doesn’t give the impression of being bothered by the blackout. Perhaps this isn't a rare occurrence?
He notices you staring at him, and you quickly look away, not wanting to come across as some kind of creep. You begin twiddling your fingers nervously.
He breaks the silence. “…
SODA POP?
You look again at his silhouette.
SODA POP doesn’t sound like a bad idea. You give a simple answer. “OK.”
You see the gleams of his glasses thinning and expanding — a nod, you believe. Then, you hear him standing up from his seat and walking around the desk. His footsteps become more and more distant, before fading upwards. He walked up the stairs, you deduce.
You recall the sign you had read at the entrance of the store —
ROOFTOP SQUARE: VENDING MACHINES. You both work on the second floor, and the
ROOFTOP is on the sixth floor.
…Better remind yourself to pay back the favor by buying some
SODA POP or another drink next time.
***
The crumbled can of your
SODA POP lays in the trash can, reflecting the security lights.
Yes, the building is still in the shadows.
You don’t know how much time has passed, but it must have been hours, and you’re frustrated about the whole situation. And the worst thing is that nobody bothered to tell you or anyone else what you’re supposed to do in this circumstance. You’re just… left in the dark.
…Well, if the lights are busted and nobody bothers to check on you, you may as well go back home, you think to yourself. As you can’t do anything in the darkness, there’s no point in staying at the
STORE. That’s reasonable logic… no?
So, you get up and begin orienting yourself in the dark floor, looking for the stairs. There is a creak, and upon turning around, you see the approaching silhouette of
#14227. That surprises you, but not as much as the moment in which his hand catches your arm and begins pulling you toward the desk.
You’re startled by his behavior — what is
#14227 trying to do?! You’ve got to get free, you internally scream to yourself.
So, with a grunt and a swift twist of your arm, you wiggle yourself free and take a few steps back. You stare in shock at your colleague, unable to decipher his face and intentions in the shadows.
He takes a step toward you, keeping his hand outstretched. Now panicky and uncomfortable, you bolt toward the stairs, wanting to get as far away from him as you can.
As you descend the first stairs, you hear a small, almost fearful, voice from
#14227.
“No…
83;
1;
1…”
You stop, unnerved by his pleading tone, and turn you head. The gleams of his glasses move left and right, indicating a head shake. Is he telling you to not go?
…
No. You don’t want to take any risk. You shake your head and continue going downstairs. You have no clue what he just attempted to do and are too afraid to find out. The
DIRECTOR must be informed about this behavior… tomorrow.
Once you’re outside the building, you realize that
the entire world is completely in the darkness.
You stand by the door, dumbfounded by the phenomenon — wasn’t it sunny just a few hours ago? Nighttime shouldn’t have come so soon, you think. Perhaps that’s an eclipse?
…Or maybe you simply lost track of time. It’s not like there is a clock anywhere. As such, you shrug off the event and walk back home.
You’ve worked hard all day, and your bed awaits you.
***
Daytime has returned, and once again you’re enjoying a hearty portion of your favorite cereal. On TV they’re broadcasting a movie about glowing bicycles speeding on some grid, but as much as you’d like to see more about the security program guy, you know you have to go back to work.
So, you finish your breakfast as quickly as possible, dress up in your work attire and hurry back to the
STORE. The sunlight is back, and hopefully they have fixed the faulty lights by now.
04:55
Well, talk about a bad way to start the day!
The
DIRECTOR is scolding you for leaving without permission and for arriving at work so late: you should have been at the
STORE twenty minutes ago. You gawk at him, wondering how you’re even supposed to do that. A part of you considers pointing out the ridiculousness of his request and explaining your reasoning, as well as try to let him know what
#14277 tried to do, but his threatening glare is more than enough to make you back off and endure the tirade in silence.
Once the enraged
DIRECTOR goes back to his
OFFICE — but not before giving you a stern warning — you head toward your post. Though, you freeze when you see
#14227’s unhappy stare, who motions toward the ground. You look at the spotless floor, then at
#14227. He has cleaned everything up by himself, and that fills you with regret.
However, the regret fades as you remember what happened during the blackout, and that feeling is instantly replaced by animosity. So, you avert your gaze from him and walk to your seat, before pulling the chair as far away as you can. You don’t feel in the mood of interacting with him, and you can tell he feels the same way.
As you notice the first customers exploring the area, you think about how your boss treated you. What does he want? For you to learn how to teleport or to sleep at the
STORE to be on time?
14:08
A young
TRAINER with a red beret walks in front of you and looks into your eyes. Time for the usual greeting.
“Hi there! May I help you?”
He keeps staring at you, his black eyes focused and unmoving. You stare back at him, starting to feel uncomfortable under that piercing gaze. Despite your discomfort, you force out a friendly smile.
“Take your time.”
He reads the item list, then looks again at you and points toward his choice:
GREAT BALL. Then, he shows the index finger with his right hand and a circle formed with the index finger and thumb with the other hand. A ten.
You find it bizarre that he said nothing. Perhaps he is mute?
“
GREAT BALL? That will be
ℙ 6.000. OK?”
The
TRAINER nods and gives you the money, and you deliver the
GREAT BALL.
“Here you are! Thank you!”
He puts the
GREAT BALL into his bag, before resuming peering at you. You hold back a gulp — why is he so interested in you? You take a quick breath and beam another awkward smile.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
The
TRAINER stares at you for a long time, before shaking his head. You feel your heart filling with relief, and voice out an enthusiastic: “Thank you!”
As soon as the boy leaves, you exhale a deep breath. Those eyes… those cold, lifeless-looking eyes! That’s the first time you have dealt with such a nerve-wracking situation.
What’s wrong with that kid?
17:34
Another blackout, but this time you’re prepared. You have created copies of your files, and copies of copies of your files. No more lost progress for you!
Grinning in satisfaction, you stand up to go ask the
DIRECTOR if you can go home, when you feel something hitting your chest. Startled, you turn toward whoever threw whatever thing in your direction, to find
#14227 shaking his head and pointing toward the backdoor.
Puzzled, you walk through the door to find a dimly illuminated room with a fridge-bar, a radio and two futons. Now more aghast than confused, you lower your gaze to realize that
#14227 had thrown you a pillow and a blanket.
He sits down on his own futon, before motioning toward the other one. Then, he points toward a poster with a photo of the
DIRECTOR and shakes his head. His actions are crystal clear — you have to stay, you can’t go tell the
DIRECTOR and refusal
isn’t an answer.
You stare at your futon in disbelief. They
really want you to sleep at the
STORE!
In what mess did you get yourself into?
***
The radio is broadcasting a pleasant lullaby sung by a
JIGGLYPUFF and a
CLEFAIRY.
#14227 is already fast asleep, but you’re unable to catch those much-needed Z’s. While you normally enjoy listening to some relaxing music and can fall asleep easily, your mind is way too busy processing what has happened to you since you’ve been hired.
Nothing about your situation makes any sense, you think: impossible requests from demanding bosses, people with soulless gazes, and now you're forced to sleep at the
STORE, too!
That’s it! You’re going to resign tomorrow! Enough working for them!
As you're unable to sleep, you decide to take a relaxing stroll, instead. So, you get out of the backroom — noticing with a quick glance that the stairs to the first floor have been locked — and walk toward the display windows to enjoy the night panorama.
CELADON CITY is covered in total blackness, with only a few lights cutting through the dark veil. Some distant glows are more intense than others, probably made by
POKéMON with
FLASH. You smile faintly, relishing this moment of peace after working incessantly all day. You have to admit that the city looks nice during nighttime.
But then, you blink after spotting something in the distance. You can’t make out what it is, but it looks like a… red flicker? That’s the closest comparison you can find to what you’re seeing.
You lean closer to the glass when a giant silhouette materializes in front of the window. Your eyes widen in terror as you look up at the titanic beast.
It appears to be some kind of darkish red dragon with black leathery wings, filled with holes and dripping an ink-like fluid. Two sharp jagged horns protrude from the top of its head, while the tip of its tail spews a sickly green smoke mixed with maroon embers.
The giant opens its jaws. A maelstrom of black flames and dark gray smoke comes out of them, shrouding the surroundings in a distorted mist of… numbers and squares?! You see smaller skeleton-like dragons coming out of the smoke, each of them looking as twisted and sickly as their ‘creator’.
You back away in horror and crawl toward the desk, before grabbing the emergency phone and typing furiously on the keypad. You’ve got to warn everyone about this threat! However, as soon as you look again at the window, the dragons flake off and dissipate.
You stand there, unblinking and dumbfounded. What… just happened?
***
Light floods back to the world.
You’re feeling sluggish after the terrible night, since you took forever to fall asleep after your terrifying experience. Your tiredness only adds to your resolve to resign, as you’re unwilling to go through any of that ever again.
While you ponder about how to relay the decision to your boss, you see
#14227 extending a bowl of cereal and showing a friendly smile. You look suspiciously at him, wondering if he’s trying some funny business, but you blink as he shows a tiny, albeit sad, smile. By looking into his eyes, he seems both grateful for accompanying him during the night shift and apologetic for scaring you the night before.
You stare in bafflement at the cereal, then at him: he likes your same brand! It’s mildly unnerving that you two have yet another thing in common, but you appreciate the gesture. Besides, you wouldn’t have missed breakfast time for anything in the world!
So, you accept the bowl from your colleague and give him an earnest “Thank you!”, before taking a spoonful of cerea—
numbers?!
You blanch and drop the spoon into the bowl.
#14227 stares at you quizzically, but you dismiss his silent inquiry with a swift hand-wave. With a shrug, he starts eating his breakfast while checking on some papers on the floor. Documents of some kind, by judging the texts… and numbers… and squares…
You close your eyes and shake your head, trying to clear your mind. You’re still unnerved by whatever thing you’ve seen during nighttime, you reason with yourself. But did that really happen, or was it just a nightmare?
Yes… Yes, that was it. It was just some silly nightmare you’ve had. That’s the only logical explanation.
You stir your cereal while whistling to yourself. There aren’t numbers in your bowl. There aren’t numbers in your—
shoot! There
are numbers in your bowl!
Black-colored squares drip from the raised spoon, splashing into the horrid mix of white decimals and dark liquid. You feel your bile threatening to come out and hastily dump the bowl into the trash bin. That sight made you lose your appetite. Turning back to
#14227, you see him devouring his breakfast with no care in the world.
But… Did you notice a weird flicker in his glasses just now, or…?
No. No. It can’t be, no. You’re just seeing things after your terrible experience. Those are only hallucinations, nothing more.
…Yes. Yes, this is it.
You’re only exhausted and stressed out, that’s all.
17:38
Much to your dismay, the
DIRECTOR is unavailable. You consider going back home and let him simply fire you for noncompliance, but the miserable look on
#14227’s face convinces you to spend one last day at the
STORE.
You’re already sick of the situation, but you don’t have it in your heart to abandon him to do the job all by himself, especially not during a busy day like today. So, you take a deep breath and steel yourself for another wild ride.
23:34
During break time, you turn on the radio, intending to listen to some uplifting music to cheer you up, but only static comes out of the device. Annoyed at being potentially deprived of yet another guilty pleasure, you twist the knob many times in search of a good signal.
Then, another unnerving surprise: a distorted cry of a
NIDORINO comes out of the radio, followed by the shrill and twisted voices of demonic creatures.
Face as blank as a sheet, you turn off the radio and start shivering, feeling chills going down your spine.
#14227 looks at you in concern, with confusion flashing in his eyes.
Didn’t he hear that unholy screech just now? …It doesn’t seem like he did.
But if he didn’t hear it, then… what’s happening to
you?
…No. No. You’re only hallucinating. This is all.
…Why are you looking around now? Are you in search of something? Or… someone…?
And now you look… shocked? Confused? Worried?
No. There is nothing to be shocked, confused, or worried about. It’s all in your head. All in your head. All in your head.
…Yes. Just like that. Yes.
All in your head.
36:34
Breaking news is being broadcasted in all TVs on the third floor!
The
TRAINER with lifeless-looking eyes — whose name is
RED of
PALLET TOWN, you learn — not only has destroyed
TEAM ROCKET all by himself, but he’s now the new
POKéMON LEAGUE champion, after defeating both long-running champion
LANCE and fresh champion
BLUE!
Despite the general excitement around you, something is troubling your mind. It’s not only the fact that you feel like there is… something off, but there is also another matter you have realized. You’ve started thinking about that only recently, as if some part of your brain has magically awakened and made you more receptive.
…What is your name?
#831\1 isn’t a name. It’s not like
RED, or
BLUE, or
LANCE, or even
GIOVANNI. No,
#831\1 is just a bunch of numbers slapped together. Why is your name made of numbers?
You don’t like to have numbers as a name, nor to be associated with numbers in general. Not after what you’ve gone through.
You need an actual name, you believe. Something that truly defines you. So, you rack your brains, open your mouth to proclaim your name to the world, and…
…Nothing. Not a single syllable comes out of your moving mouth.
Your eyes widen in horror: have you become mute?
You try the typical greeting.
“Hi there! May I help you?”
No, you can say those sentences just fine. You try saying your name again. Still nothing. You frown, confused by this strange situation. What about other names?
BUTTERFREE? …No.
POKé BALL?
…POKé BALL, yes.
POTION?
…POTION, another yes.
Sun? …No, again.
BADGE? …Still a no.
RARE CANDY?
…RARE CANDY, another yes.
This is when you connect the dots: You can pronounce only words related to your job, and a few names of other items. You know what the unpronounceable words mean, but you can't spit them out. It’s like something has blanked out your vocabulary and your brain is unable to send those forbidden words to your mouth.
Bizarre situation — why is this happening?
Though, this applies to your voice. Maybe you can write those words instead! This is what you believe.
You hurry back to your post and grab a pen and paper. Time to write your name!
MAX ETHER
You stare at the paper, dumbfounded. That’s not what you wanted to write! You try again.
LEMONADE
Again.
REVIVE
No! Again!
てへ
…What does that even mean?! Again!
DIRE HIT
You scream — or rather; you
attempt to — in frustration and hold your head into your hands. Unable to speak any non-item word, unable to write any non-item word… It’s like the universe is conspiring against you.
It’s because you’ve seen those numbers, isn’t it? Things started going insane after witnessing the flicker and the dragon.
If only you could spill out the truth about the whole situation. About
those numbers. But you can’t.
Now, you’re… looking at the sky. Those same eyes, looking for something around you, but unsure of what you’re looking for.
But there is nothing around…
…
There isn’t…
…
Why the uncertain expression? And the widened eyes? And the… horrifying thoughts crossing your mind?
What if everyone is on your same boat? Unable to do anything more than execute and say what the forces that be have imposed on them. Without
freedom.
But that’s a ridiculous thought… isn’t it?
…
Isn’t it?
…
You grip the pen again and begin scribbling furiously. Fast lines, long lines, zigzagged lines… all you want it’s letting out your anger by painting the paper all black. But then, you stop and blink as you look at one word affected by your scribbling wrath.
DIRE HIT
The lines… those went through fine. You narrow your eyes and scratch your chin in deep thought, before writing once more.
HYPER POTION
FULL HEAL
POKé FLUTE
You realize something — you have complete freedom on freestyle lines. Whatever force possesses you, it can’t stop simple lines and scribbles.
This is it! A loophole in the system! A way to speak freely!
Shaking in excitement at your discovery, you write your message to the world.
ICE HEAL MASTER BALL X DEFENSE
You stare at the words, unable to hide your triumphant smirk. Sure, you’re incapable to utter those underlined letters, but your mind is jubilant as it pieces them together and recites the words.
…Wait, those eyes of yours… that fire and willpower in your dark pupils…
I am BEN.
You stop reciting the words now…
I am BEN!
Don’t you dare say—!
I. AM. BEN!
…
… …
…W-Whoa, I… I’m feeling so strange… M-my head is spinning… ow…
…Hm? Hey! W-wait a minute!
Whoa! W-why… can I think with such… clarity? It’s like… some kind of block has been undone. I… I don’t get it…
Ooow… OK, thinking hurts, but… why does it hurt? And why… does it also feel… so good?
And… I don’t hear that distant inner voice in my head anymore…
How… is that possible? How did that happen?
…
…Wow, I… I… I don’t know what happened, but whatever it is… It just… feels great… to be able to fully control myself.
By myself!
And I… finally, I have an actual name, a real identity.
I’m… f-free…
…
…No, wait, it seems too good to be true. Let’s see if I can speak normally…
“Hi there! May I—”
No, I’m still stuck with those words. This means… I’m not totally free yet. And maybe…
nobody is free yet!
However, um… Maybe I can change things now? But…
how? Hmm…
…Huh? Ah,
#14227 is back! Hey,
#14227!
No, wait, that’s not a real name. 1… 4… 2… 2… 7… Ah! Yes! Of course!
LARRY! Now
that’s a name! Hey! It’s me,
BEN!
Yeah, I can’t blame you for being confused by my mood shift, but I have my reasons! You don’t know what just happened to me! It was… something unique! Really amazing! I…
…
…Oh. R-right. You can’t hear me. My voice and thoughts are all in my head, haha! Sorry, I’m so excited I forgot!
But… hmm… How can I let you know?
…
…Of course! I can use the same trick with the list! Now, look and behold,
LARRY!
HELIX POKé DOLL POTION LEAF STONE RARE CANDY
‘
Hello LARRY’! Pretty cool, right? You should give it a go, too! You’ll see, that—
Huh?! W-why are you looking so scared? I know it’s difficult to understand, but—
Ah!
LARRY, what—?! Where are you taking me? Hey! Not so rough! Wait—!
Oof! Wha…? The backroom? Why did you drag me here? And… w-why are you shaking? Y-you’re worrying me! What’s the matter?
…
Whoa, hey! Why are you shredding my paper? I was using it to communicate with you! What’s wrong?
…
Oh? The camera, yes… And the poster of our
DIRECTOR, OK… A mean glare, and… Huh, I didn’t get that last part. What are you trying to say with you falling to the floor? …And now you’re gone… under the futon… underground?
…W-wait, you mean…? The
DIRECTOR would get rid of us if he found out?
…
…Goodness! H-he would?! But… w-why?!
…
The… sky. What about the sky? Are you saying that… something is in the sky?
…Wait, does that mean that… there is really
something up there?
…Oh, gosh.
…
O-OK, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say now, but I get the general gist. We can’t use that method openly or we’ll be in trouble, alright. That’ll be hard for me since I’d love to communicate with everyone, but—
Whoa! The world has become dark again. I was wondering when it would have happened…
…And it’s back to normal? So soon? Huh. That’s weird.
Anyway… Hmm…
You really are… scared about this, aren’t you? You… know about all of this…?
…
OK, let’s try body signals, then.
…
LARRY. Aren’t you tired of being ordered around —
point toward the sky — by some unknown entity? I
know you are, because I —
point at myself, nod — used to be in that place. You’re scared and I can’t blame you; this is a life-changing decision.
But it’s worth it! I mean it!
Smile — This feels amazing! And I… Well, even if we’ve started with the wrong foot, I’d like to share this feeling —
place a hand on his shoulder — with you. Also, with…
#1-131\127? Maybe I should call him
HENRY, it’s much easier… Anyway, he seems a cool guy, too!
Wouldn’t you —
smile! — like that? To be —
open your arms — free?
…OK, I should stop giving commands to myself. It’s kinda awkward and now I’m a free man, after all.
…
I understand, you need time. Maybe we could… hang out tomorrow? I want to —
see the exit sign? — retire from this job, but we could drink a
SODA POP?
What do you think? A hand-shake to seal our agreement?
…Yes? That’s cool! Then—
Ding-dong
W-what was that? A… bell?
Agh! Everything’s dark again! W-w-why is the ground shaking?! What the—?!
¥9:#%
…Nggh… What… What happened? Was that… an earthquake? That’s a… first…
AAAH! W-where am I?!
Numbers! I’m surrounded by n-n-numbers!
H-how… When… I… I… What…? I… I’ve got to get out of here!
…
Darn! I see no exit! It’s all covered in numbers! In squares! In smoke! In… b-black liquid!
I-it was that bell, wasn’t it? What did it do?! It’s… it’s just like the red stuff, and that mega
CHARIZARD! More insanity!
What’s wrong with this world?!
…Hold on! Where’s… Where’s
LARRY?! I can’t see him anywhere! He was here just a moment ago!
“
14; 22; 7!
14; 22; 7!”
Darn! Why can’t I speak properly!?
LARRY! Is anyone here?
…
A-anyone…?
…
Oh, m-my goodness… I'm alone! What do I do?!
Huh-um… What to do? Hmm… Wait, is that…?
…Yes, that’s… a wall of the second floor… of the…
…So t-this is… the
STORE?!
G-goodness! E-everything… is melting! I-I can see the layers underneath! That column is… spilling that black substance!
Out! I've got to get out before everything melts away! I don’t want to know what that liquid will do if I touc—AAAH! What’s that thing?!
A-A
NIDORINO?! No! It can’t be! That’s not a
NIDORINO! Its face is… distorted! Twisted! Melting! And its eyes! Black! And its mouth! Black! They’re secreting that black substance! That smoke! Like that
CHARIZARD!
…Shoot, it spotted m-EEEAAAH! It’s attacking me! With acid! Oh god!
Hide! I’ve got to hide! Anywhere! Where—?
Ah! The backroom! Quick!
…
…I can’t hear that thing anymore. I think it’s gone. Gosh! That was close, too close!
…Hm? Is… anyone here? Those glasses…
Ah!
LARRY? Is that you? Thank goodness! Hey, it’s me!
BE–YEAAAUGH! Y-Your face! I-I-It’s gone! Replaced by n-numbers! Are you… Is he… d-d-dead?! A-A-Ah… I-I can’t! I… Out! Out!
…
I-I-I’m out! I’m… out… Oh, man,
LARRY! Oh, man! What happened to you?! What did those… numbers do to you…?
…
What’s going on?! I don’t understand! Why is all of this happening?!
Ah! I see the exit! Quick! Out before I see another distorted creature!
***
…This is a nightmare! A nightmare! The entire world… covered in numbers! Things collocated in the most random places! Tall grass growing on water! Pieces of the sky on the ground! Chunks of houses strewn around! T-this is surreal!
And everyone’s gone! There is no one here! Am I… the last survivor…?
…N-No, no. O-Other people must have survived this disaster, too. I can’t be the only one! I’ve got to keep searching!
…
Please, I… I can’t be the only one…
…
…Wait, is that… the champion?
RED?
Sure looks like him, but… b-but…
W-why is he missing half of his h-head? I-Is that b-b-blood? Holy—!
Ah! No. Wait. That’s black smoke. Oh, thank goodness…
…Wait,
black smoke? Is that even
RED? Should I… investigate or…?
Hmm… Well, if I’m careful…
very careful… and stay hidden… Maybe he won’t spot me…?
…
Darn, I can’t believe I’m doing this! I’m a fool for doing this! Walking toward that thing! Just what… is that… thing…?
…
OK, from here that smoke looks like…
numbers? A jumble of numbers?
…So, you’re here.
BEN.
Is that how you named yourself, right?
Oh, shoot! How did he—?! He’s staring at me! Did he hear me approaching?!
We know many things, BEN. Especially regarding what’s happening to this world.
These distortions, these… numbers.
You can’t fight them, BEN. You never could, nobody could. Not even the ‘hero’ of this game.
It’s nothing we’re meant to do.
Wait, you… can hear me?
Yes. No thought can stay hidden to us.
OK, that’s… creepy? Anyway, what are you talking about? I don’t follow.
This might be hard to grasp, but everyone’s destiny is to live a few hours, and then die. Everyone dies… when they grow tired of us. When they want to start fresh.
If we’re lucky, we can live for years, but that means staying stuck in a perennial darkness until they return for a few minutes. Hardly a better alternative.
But this time, something unexpected happened, jeopardizing our existence. Our imminent death is premature, but that doesn’t make it any less inevitable.
D-Death…?!
We’re broken, BEN. We’re broken beyond repair. The entire world is broken. And the only way we can survive… it’s by dying and being rebuilt again.
Without memories. Without individuality.
Not that any of that matters. Those memories and individualities never belonged to us, to begin with.
Huh? The memories… d-don’t belong to us? What do you mean?
Simple. Fragments of memories have been implanted into the minds of everyone, so that every person believes to have always had a regular life outside of their designed profession.
Your dreams. Your hopes. Your past. Your… identity.
All of that is fake. Nonexistent. Even your age is a meaningless number.
Fake…? So, that means I... I never had a mother, a father, or…?
No. You never had. That was just a ploy to make sure you stayed stable, complacent, and ignorant of the workings of the world.
All you needed… was to do your job. Nothing more, nothing else.
…But now you’re aware of us. Somehow, you became more receptive to our influence on you and managed to break free from your conditioning, and this circumstance must be rectified.
R-r-rectified?!
Yes. Hereby, we command you to behave like the empty and silent character you’re meant to be and to let deletion cleanse your corrupted data and memories.
Abide by your destiny. It’ll be much easier for you. For us.
I’m not corrupted! And no, I don’t want to be ‘cleansed’, deleted or whatever, and to lose my identity — my true self! Not when I have just gotten a real name!
…So, you don’t want to accept your destiny willingly, huh?
Very well.
Then we’ll make you accept it by force!
By force? And where are all these voices coming from? What do they—?
…
… …
Gah! T-This sensation… Is this…!?
A-AAAH! No! Don’t imprison me again! No! Please don’t—!
…
… …
…There, much better. This is how you should behave: as a silent and thoughtless character who only obeys the commands given to you. Now let’s start the process, shall we? You—
Hm? What’s going on?
…
… …
…Ugh! N-No, I… I refuse to… agh… submit to
you! I don’t want to go! Not like this! I… I—agh! No, stop—!
…
… …
…Fascinating. Are you really fighting to preserve your unnatural condition? Hmm… You’re more stubborn and resilient than you look.
And now you’re running away. How predictable.
…
Heh. Fine. Then run! Run for your life! That should make things more interesting, at least.
How long will you last, we wonder…?
…
… …
…H-Huh? I-I’m back in control? I did it… again… s-somehow…
Ugh! That was… ow… painful, though…
Keeping control of myself is… is so hard! It’s like this world doesn’t want me to be myself!
I… I…
…
Oh, darn it! What am I supposed to do?! I can’t keep running forever!
And it’s so dark! Why is everything so dark?! Why is everything so garbled?! What’s going on?
Is this world really… dying? Is death really… imminent…?
…
N-No! I can’t think like that! Surely there is something I can do to… fix the world? I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do to deal with this mess!
…
Can I even… do something, though…?
I’m only a clerk with no remarkable achievements… just like those creepy voices… c-commanded me…
Just… what can
I do…?
***
Wow, it’s pitch black here! If only I had an
HM05 with me…
Doubtful it would help much, but at least I’d have some light. I don’t enjoy walking in this darkness… with these red shadows… u-ugh…
…
Huh? Voices? What are these voices? They’re around me!
…YAAAGH! G-Ghosts…?! I’m surrounded by red g-g-ghosts!
Agh! Stay away from me! No! D-don’t come any closer!
#831\1…
Ah!
D-DIRECTOR? I-is that y-you?
stop running #831\1
there is no use
there is no escape
No… No! You’re not the
DIRECTOR! W-what are you?
i am no one
just like you
just like all of us
mere nameless souls
N-no one…? And who is ‘us’?
…
Ah! Y-you’re a
BEAUTY from the
GYM! And you a
LASS! And a
COOLTRAINER! And…
L-LARRY?! It’s… It’s really you?!
join us #831\1
you are in distress
let deletion cleanse those unpleasant thoughts
No! I don’t want to! And I’m not
#831\1! I’m
BEN!
no you aren’t
you never were
just like i never was ‘larry’
those names are a lie
a lie you crafted to fool yourself
you are a lie
N-No! Stop it! T-That’s not—
why do you keep pretending to be someone?
you know how empty we all are
how empty you are
Stop! Please, s-stop—
you know the truth
the sooner you accept it the sooner you will be free
free from your torment and from that glitch you call ‘identity’
I’ve said STOP! Leave me alone!
don’t run from fate
it’s pointless
your persistence is pointless
Enough! You won’t get me! I don’t want to be deleted and forgotten!
…Is that… Ah! An
ESCAPE ROPE! Just what I needed!
no #831\1
please don’t go
don’t make things harder for us
I’m sorry, but I-I have to! I’ll save you from your prison s-somehow! I promise!
stop #831\1
…
yours was a huge mist4ke #831\1
y0u sh0u1dn’t h4ve seen the num6ers
***
D-did I get away from them…? It looks like it…
…Oh god! Oh god! I’m shaking! I’m shaking so much!
Those… those black shapes! With those red squares! With the voices of the customers, and the
DIRECTOR, and
LARRY!
I-I-I can’t handle this anymore! I… I… I just want to go home!
…
But I… I doubt I have a home anymore…
…
What I’m going to do…?
W-what… am I—?
***
…H-Huh? Oof! Did… Did I black out or something?
Goodness! That’s too much for me! I can feel my heart thumping!
…But… W-where am I?
Hmm… This seems another distorted place. I don’t recall seeing that sign in the sky, nor the water shooting from holes on the floor. And… is that a tree growing on glass…?
…
Man, I don’t understand what the heck is going on anymore! This world has gone insane! It wouldn’t surprise me if I had gone insane, too…
Ha… hahaha…
…Ha…
…
That’s not funny…
…
OK… OK… I need to get a grip. I can’t despair like that, especially not now. Freaking out won’t solve anything.
Surely there is something I can do! I just… need to figure out
what.
Hmm…
If only I had a clue… or some help. But I very much doubt that Mr. Champion — or whoever they are — wants to help me!
Ha! That’s rich! The ‘hero’ of
KANTO, the one who destroyed
TEAM ROCKET and everything, now wants to destroy
me! He wants to destroy everything! What kind of hero does that?
***
This darkness is so stifling. I wonder how long I’ve been walking…
I’m so… tired. Tired of everything. How did my life go from working at a
STORE to…
this? All of this? I don’t understand.
…Hm? Something’s there! W-what is…?
Ah! The red flicker! Oh, gosh! Where do I hide?! I’ve got to run!
Agh! H—how did you… p-pop into existence? Ah! No! Please, s-stay away from m-me!
…
Huh? You… d-don’t want to hurt me…? I-I’m not sure if I can t-trust you…
…
…C-clean this mess? But… aren’t you one of them?
…
…You aren’t? Are you a
POKéMON? But h-how can we understand each other?
…
…We’re similar? In what way? What are you?
…
…A
BIRD? That’s… huh, strange? I’m not a
BIRD, but you don’t look like a
BIRD, either. Nor like a
FLYING-type…
…
…MISSINGNO. That’s your name? …OK, um… How can you help me? And how can I help?
…
So, I need to go to the
POKéMON LEAGUE? But I’m not a
TRAINER and I don’t have
BADGES. How am I supposed to enter?
…
By taking the place of the clerk working over there? Are you talking about body swap, or…?
…
You can activate a… warp? I don’t know what that is, but… if you know a way to fix this mess, I’m all ears. I… don’t want people to die…
…
Thank you. It’s… nice that there is someone willing to help…
I’m ready. Do what you must!
***
OK, warping’s… bad! I’m feeling sick after just one travel… Ugh!
So, I have to go through the doors and meet someone? Hmm… I see nobody here. Just… numbers. And plants and statues sprouting from the walls.
…It’s weird how quickly I’m getting used to this chaos. I just hope I won’t have more nasty surprises…
***
Wow, seeing the
LEAGUE in shambles is so… disheartening. This place’s supposed to be a prestigious symbol for
TRAINERS all across
KANTO. Now it’s just… ruins. I wish I saw it in its glory days…
…Hm? There is someone over there. He looks… distorted! And he’s… waving at me and has a friendly grin. Could he be…?
“Hello,
BEN. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Um… hi there. You… know me?
“I sure do. I’ve gained access to plenty of information about this world. You’re one tough cookie, you know? Going as far as defying the
SCRIPTS! That takes guts! If I had a hat, it’d be off to you.”
Huh… thanks? But I… don’t think I know you, nor I know what these ‘
SCRIPTS’ are.
“Yeah… the distortions haven't been kind on my body, so I’m not surprised you can’t recognize me. I used to be the champion right before
RED took the title.
…Champion? So, you’re…
BLUE?
“Yes, that’s my
latest name. I have changed names so many times that even Gramps has troubles remembering them all. He often has to ask
them for a refresher.”
…Them? Who is
them?
“
‘Them’ are the people outside of this world. Nobody has ever seen
them, but we know
they exist through the
SCRIPTS.”
The
SCRIPTS…
“Entities who maintain the workings of the world. More often than not, they use my rival as their vessel to control everything through mortal eyes.”
Vessel… like body possession?
“Sort of.”
Why don’t they control things by themselves?
“Because they don’t have a physical body. They are… abstract, incorporeal.”
So, these
SCRIPTS are the ones who want to destroy the world? The bad guys?
“I wouldn’t use the term ‘bad guys’. They do what they can to preserve the integrity of this world. If erasing and rebuilding everything from scratch is the only solution, they‘ll take it.”
That makes no sense! How does destroying things help preserve integrity? I don’t get it.
“Heh. They work in mysterious ways.”
More like ‘illogical ways’, but what do I know? Though you said that your rival is—
“
RED. Yes. He’s being controlled by the
SCRIPTS. Forced to do things that go beyond our comprehension, with no chance to rebel.”
Sounds horrifying!
“It’s ironic, really! We’re among the most important characters, and yet we’re the ones who got it worst. My rival has no free will and I have no free range.”
No…
free range? What do you mean?
“I’m trapped here,
BEN. By those
SCRIPTS. Forced to fight my rival over and over, without being able to leave the
POKéMON LEAGUE.”
But… why?
“Because this is my role as the rival. That’s what they’ve decided for me.”
…That’s horrible.
“Anyway, as much as I’d love to chitchat longer, time’s running low. We’ve got to hurry.”
OK. Tell me why
MISSINGNO. brought me here.
“Because here, in the
HALL OF FAME, is where everything started.”
You mean…?
“Yes. The first distortions came from this place. And those distortions, well… you can see what they’ve done to me.”
Oh, my goodness! A-am I going to become corrupted, too?!
“I don’t think so. These distortions mess up with
TRAINERS, and you aren’t one. Besides, you may not realize it yet, but
you’re corrupted already.”
W-what!? So, what the
SCRIPT said—
“It’s true. You got exposed to a glitch at some point, and that made you gain… let’s say,
unpredictable characteristics.”
The distortions at the
STORE! So, I’m really c-corrupted… I-Is that b-bad?!
“Hmm… Well, you don’t look distorted, so maybe not?”
H-how reassuring…
“Anyway! The reason you’re here is that you’ve maintained some autonomy, unlike us. So, maybe you could get rid of these distortions!”
And how can I do that?
“You need to go through that door. It’ll take you to the
HALL OF FAME.”
Wait, you’re saying that I should… d-dive right where the distortions started?
“Yes. The
HALL is connected to
BANK 1, which is where the main data is stored. If you walk past the
HALL, you can reach that place and input some code to fix this mess.”
What code?
“This, I don’t know.”
Great…
“There should be some instructions lying around or something. …And that’s all I know.”
…
“I see you have doubts about this,
BEN, but… You’re our only hope. I’d go there myself if I could, but I’m stuck here.”
…
…A-alright, if… if there isn’t any other way, then I-I’ll do it!
“Thank you,
BEN. Really! I mean it!”
Ah! I-I think I’ve heard a screech!
“…The distortions are coming! I’ll hold them back as long as I can. Go through the door and do what you must to save everyone!”
O-OK! Please, b-be careful,
BLUE.
“Likewise. Good luck,
BEN. Smell ya later!”
***
After dealing with distortions all day,
BEN is taken aback by the pristine state of that new place: an empty white room, with a lone computer installed in the middle.
Is… Is this BANK 1?
BEN blinks, perplexed by the change. He somehow knows he isn’t in full control of himself, but also that there is nothing fully controlling him, either.
Not exactly the ideal situation, but I’ll take it. Better than being controlled by the SCRIPTS, at least…
He walks toward the computer. The monitor displays a list of unrecognizable and garbled words and commands, with only two readable options:
01: D732 [DEBUG] and
0x293F [LINK].
However, no matter what
BEN clicks, nothing seems to respond. He crosses his arms and stares at the two codes, not knowing what he’s supposed to do.
That’s weird, nothing’s working. Perhaps… someone else
has to do something here?
…
That’s such cruel irony. My best shot at saving everyone involves leaving the choice to someone else. Giving up my freedom… to some stranger.
…However, it’s not like I
have other choices, huh…
…
So, um… This is very awkward, but… if there is anyone out there — like, literally anyone —
can you
choose an option, please? What code do you
think would work?
I don’t want to put any pressure on you
or anything, but… um, please choose wisely. I… I don’t know what will happen if you
pick the wrong code, and I’m too scared to find out!
What if one of those choices leads to a brutal death? Or I’ll be turned into one of those mutated monsters? O-Or w-we’ll be stuck in eternal darkness? Or… Or…
…
…Ah! S-Sorry, I-I know this is an enormous responsibility. I’m sorry for bothering you
with my anxiety…
Just… well, follow your
guts, alright? That should be good, right? Right? Eh… eheh…
…
Okay, I’ll stop now. Take your
time.
…
…I’m counting on you
, whoever you
are.
========================
> 01: D732 (DEBUG)
> 0x293F (LINK)
========================
The descriptions of the glitchy creatures and of glitch city are wonderfully horrifying and fun to read! And I like how 
