There was an ugly green couch in the middle of the room, along with a coffee table in front of it and a sofa to the side, there was also a flatscreen TV on the wall, some shelves lined up on one side, a potted plant at the corner and–God, it was so plain. Why couldn't there have been at least one futuristic machine sitting in the corner?
Whatever. He wasn't going to complain if it kept his flame from getting wet. Ah, wasn't that an experience he wished he could forget. The little bite-sized prickling that came with each droplet, the constant mind numbing sensation that spread across his whole body, it was like having a trillion cuts all over and then dipping himself in a bath of soy sauce. And it just… just… He shivered. Point was, he would rather not endure something like that again especially when he considered the fact that his tail flame had only gotten soaked a teeny bit. He couldn't imagine how painful it could be if he submerged the whole thing.
A nudge from a paw snapped him out of his trance and he noticed a towel being handed to him by a yellow furry arm. Muttering a "Thanks." to his brother and drying himself, he hopped onto the couch beside him.
June saw the two, likewise drying themselves, and Professor Oak eying them with a curious look. Clearing his throat, he pointed at the man with a claw, bowing and saying, "Thank you for your kind hospitality, Professor. We're sorry for the inconvenience our presence has caused."
Oak smiled, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, it's no trouble at all. I couldn't just very well leave you three out there, now could I?"
June nodded. "The name's… June and these are my brothers, Ane and Quil. It's nice to officially meet you," he said, then added a few moments later. "Oh and by the way, I'm a guy." His name was rather feminine so a little clarification would help out a long way, in case this Oak was anything like the games.
"It's a pleasure meeting you three, June, Ane, and Quil." He greeted each of them with a nod before returning his full attention to the Charmander. "May I ask what brings you to my lab? You said you have something you want to discuss?"
Well, here comes the moment of truth. "Have you ever entertained the idea of the Multiverse Theory?" A brief spark of recognition appeared in the professor's eye and he nodded, gesturing for June to go on. "Well, hypothetically, what would you say or do if someone got transported here from another universe?” The professor’s brows furrowed and his lips creased into a neutral expression. “And how would you react if said person came from a universe with no Pokémon, and instead their knowledge of the Pokémon world comes from video games, shows, and comics." That garnered a bigger reaction from the old man, his mouth hung loosely, staring at June with a dumbfounded expression.
"Are you…"
"Yes." June nodded, a grin stretching across his face. "We are that someone! And we would love it if you could help us get back home!"
He could almost feel Ane rolling his eyes at his dramatic flair.
Taking a sip from his glass of water, June watched as the expression on Oak's face flowed from contemplating to intrigue. "That is… quite a peculiar situation."
After his little melodramatic statement, Oak had left, saying he needed a moment to process everything. After about a minute or two, he came back, with glasses full of water. Even though June didn't feel particularly parched, he still appreciated it.
Then the man sat down, hands rubbing his chin as he hummed out in thought. "Am I safe to assume that you three aren't trying to pull a silly prank on me?" he said, giving June am intense look that made him feel more than a little discomfort.
He wasn't sure why he was feeling like that — he had nothing to hide, after all — so he merely nodded. "Yeah, we woke up a few hours ago in Route 1 in these bodies and we kinda freaked out a bit–"
"You freaked out and by a lot," Ane unhelpfully provided.
"–I kinda freaked out a bit. " He threw a glare at the Pikachu before returning his attention to the professor. "Then we almost stumbled into Ash Ketchum before we had to run from the rain."
"I see," Professor Oak mumbled, brows furrowing as he played with the end of his coat. "Alright," he said, standing up. "While I don't fully trust you three based on your claims. Frankly, I can't imagine a world without Pokémon. But as a case like yours isn't truly unheard of–"
Wait, what? June blinked. This universe had other isekai-ees before? He… he hadn't expected that. What? "What… what do you mean by that?"
That got Professor Oak to pause, his eyes locking onto the Charmander who flinched slightly at the sudden attention. It took the combined effort of his will and the fact that Professor Oak didn't seem like he was looking directly at him, to not squirm under the man's gaze.
Thankfully though, before it got too uncomfortable, Oak broke away, hands resting on his sides. "While it isn't common, there have been cases where people and Pokémon from other worlds were stranded in ours."
"Really? So we're not just some one-off special?" He tried to hide the disappointment from his tone with a grin which, fortunately, Oak didn't notice.
The professor rubbed his chin. "Well I wouldn't say that," he said. "We never had any cases where the person who crossed over had subsequently turned into Pokémon. I might say you three are the very first recorded case we've had where we actually have an explanation for your Poké-fication!"
Poké-ficarion? Were people turning into Pokemon really that commonplace where there was even a term for it? It would explain why Oak didn't freak out when they met him. He opened his mouth to question that exact topic but was beaten to the punch by his groaning brother.
"Hey, as much as I 'adore' this history lesson. Can we please get to the point?"
Damn it, Ane! He was getting invested in this world's lore! Why did you have to go and ruin everything?
With a hint of redness on his cheeks, Oak rubbed the back of his head, "Right, sorry." Clearing his throat, he faced them with a more serious look. "If I may ask, would you three be fine if I conduct some tests to verify your claims?"
Now it came down to this. This decision, his decision might change how things would look out for them. And all he had to do was say a word. Say the word that would forever change the future… hah, as if this whole bit was anything as dramatic as he was making it out to be. Besides, he had nothing to worry about. They weren't lying so the answer was obvious.
Locking in his answer, he opened his mouth, ready to give in and–
His body froze.
The world around him faded into a realm of dark and white. It was quiet, unnervingly so, he could hear the sound of his blood flowing in his veins, the sound of his scales clinking together as he moved and the sound of his heart beating erratically. Spots of black littered his vision as his eyes darted around. His body refused to obey him. His mind went through several scenarios, working overtime as he tried to come up with something.
What was going on? What was happening? Why couldn't he move? Where was everyone? Why was he in a void devoid of colors? What was going on? What was going on? What was going on?
Help him. Somebody help him. This wasn't fun anymore. He was scared. Frozen. He wanted to leave. Leave leave leave leave leave leave.
Get him out of this hellscape!
Help him!
Help–
The spots around him began to move. Like planets converging on a doomed path to their parent star's corpse.
They mixed. They merged. They reacted. Becoming one. Becoming a single orb that warped the very fabric of reality.
Dark and writhing. It shook him to his very core. He wanted to turn. He wanted to look away. He had to run.
But his body didn't obey, his body never obeyed.
He was stuck, rooted to the void like an added accessory.
And yet, despite his situation. Despite the orb of everlasting consumption. Despite the dread that threatened to consume his realm.
He wasn't afraid.
His mind was numb. His emotions muted. Silenced by an intense drive.
A drive that wanted to satisfy his curiosity.
Reaching an arm forward, he moved.
And the world obeyed.
His face distorted into a frantic grin. He needed to grab it! He needed to have it! That orb! That feeling of familiarity!
Of pain. Of pleasure. Of power. Of change. Of weakness. Of control.
He had to take it.
He had to spread it.
He had to–
Then his realm, his Sol's realm collapsed.
And he was back.
Back in the lab, back to answering the professor's question.
He gasped, ignoring the alerted looks from his brothers and the professor. His eyes darted around, taking in the world one step at a time. Nobody knew.
… nobody knew…
The professor held a concerned look, Ane a worried glance and Quil a look of surprise, they seemed to be saying something but June wasn't in the right state to listen.
What should he do? Should he tell someone? Would they even believe him? His brothers would likely think he was joking and the professor was an unknown. What could he do? What should–
He should hide it. It wasn't like anyone would believe him anyway. Yes, there wasn't anything wrong with not telling them right now. He could tell them later.
So for now, he put the experience to the back of his mind and forced a grin onto his face.
"We'll be fine."
"Age?"
"Fifteen. Turning sixteen in a few months," June said, watching as the professor jotted it down on his clipboard.
Next was Ane. "Fourteen," he said with a dull look in his eyes.
And another down for his report.
Quil stood still, eyes darting to the ground and to his brothers for a moment before saying, "I'm… ten."
After the… incident with that void of dark and white, the professor brought them to his actual lab. Filled with doohickeys and futuristic thingamabobs everywhere! There was an unknown machine there, an unknown machine here. Sure he had to stumble over or around random metal bits and devices on the floor but he was too awestruck by actual flipping solid holograms to even care about how messy Professor Oak's lab was.
June had imagined the test would use one of the machines around them and he was correct! Though when Professor Oak revealed the machine that would help them confirm their claims, it was — oh, how would he put it nicely? — disappointing. Its design was rather simple. And by simple, he meant it was literally just a remote. Sure it had a little screen, with an antenna sticking out, and far too few buttons but that didn't mean it was futuristically cool!
… okay maybe the body-wide beam of yellow light scanning them was pretty cool. But that only let it make it to the 'meh' scale of his coolness meter.
Anyway, where was he? Oh right, the test.
The test itself went by pretty quickly. Oak had the aforementioned laser beam scan them and that was it. When June asked exactly what he was scanning them for, Oak replied with ‘Ultra Residue'. It sounded a lot cooler than what it actually was. See, isekai-ed people, or Fallers as most people called them, had this ‘residue' on their bodies. Ultra Wormholes were rather unstable, they constantly leaked out energy that mixed into the very fabric of whatever universe they appeared in. So whenever something went in, this excess energy would cling onto them and since it had also mixed into the energies of the universe, it could also be used to track and enter wherever said person or object came from.
It was probably a lot more complex than that but that was the jist of it.
Anyway, after Oak did the scan of them, he plopped the remote into a computer and now, all they had to do was wait for the computer to finish its job, uploading and scanning the data. That was the part that was taking a while. June sighed. Figured that even with the Pokémon world being several decades ahead of them in technology, computer loading time still took ages to go through.
So in the meantime, the professor thought it'd be great to do a few body checks of them. 'cause apparently, that was the standard procedure for newly Poké-fied people. He took samples of their blood, scales/fur, and whatever examinations you’d usually find at a clinic.
The results came back to them being the prime example of health. No, he was not exaggerating. Those were the exact words Professor Oak used to describe their health. He would say he was surprised but between the whole turning into Pokémon bit, gaining the ability to speak and read previously unlearned languages, and discovering that there were others like him, having perfect health was nowhere near as shocking when you compared them.
Plus, they even received a snazzy bracelet for all their troubles. Oak said it was supposed to be their 'ID' for Poké-fied people. So, naturally, he picked orange since it blended in nicely with his scales. He mentally snickered to himself. It'd be so fun messing with people who thought he was a wild Pokémon, doubly so when he had nothing to worry about since Poké-fied people couldn't be caught. Orange was also his favorite color so he would've picked it regardless of whether or not he could trick someone with it.
"Full name?"
"June…"
And with that, the rest of the hour went by rather fast and by the end of it, they had their personal information recorded and ready to be used. According to Professor Oak, the FHS, short for Fallers Helpers Society, would need a few months before they could begin the search for their home and it would be ideal to create a sort-of temporary ID for them to do simple things like buying stuff and whatnot.
So they were staying here for a while. Ane didn't take it well and Quil was as silent as ever, still staring at empty space like it had all the answers to the universe. It was a bit unnerving...
He, on the other hand, was fricking ecstatic. Like, they were going to be in the Pokémon world for an unquantifiable amount of time! If he played his cards right, he could potentially find a way to become a trainer and live every child's dream of becoming a Pokémon champion!
… although he didn't know outright whether Poké-fied people could become trainers, he was willing to put his pessimistic thoughts aside to think of a few plans that could convince the professor.
A nagging beeping noise rammed its way into his mind, knocking away his thoughts and snatching him back into reality. He blinked, wincing at the constant ringing in his head. Thankfully, Oak helped alleviate the pain by hopping onto the computer and silencing the notification.
"Alright, let's see what we have…" Oak muttered and not for the first time did June hate how short his new body was. He really wanted to see the whole process, but unless he was willing to jump onto the table, he was not going to get a good look at the data otherwise.
Sighing, he turned to his brothers who each held a bored look on their faces. "Pretty sweet bracelet, eh?" June said, flashing and shaking the accessory.
"I guess..." Ane rolled his eyes. "Ugh, this is gonna take forever! "
"Hey, look on the bright side. We're living every Pokémon fan's dream here! I mean, sure we're not humans but at least we're in a world we know instead of a random fantasy place."
Ane merely groaned and slumped onto the armrest.
Welp, that didn't do anything. And he doubted he needed to cheer up Quil since… he was still staring off into the distance. Just what was he thinking about?
June shook his head, shrugging off the mystery and returning… huh, was it him or did Oak look a bit worried?
Oak sat there, staring at the screen and chewing on his lips. Then as if feeling June's gaze on him, he turned and straightened his face. "There appears to be a problem…"
A problem? June raised a brow. "What's up?"
Oak sighed at the puzzled look on June's face. "Please take a step back." He pressed a few keys on his computer before a flat, translucent, blue screen appeared above their heads, flashing white for a moment before revealing a picture of them.
Hm. He didn't see what the problem was. The pictures looked perfectly fine.
Then another picture took their place, this time depicting a young boy enshrouded in a cloud of blue dust and sparkles. Then another took its place, this time showing a Pokémon with a similar aura of blue dust and sparkles. Then another and another and…
Oh, he saw the problem now.
"We don't have Ultra Residue…" June trailed off, eyes widening as his mouth hung open loosely.
"What? What the hell do you mean we don't have Ultra Resi-what's it!" Ane exclaimed, jumping off the chair and pointing an accusatory paw at the screen. "This has to be a mistake! We–it can't–"
Ane's words faded into obscurity. His mind flooding with questions. What did this mean? Why didn't they have Ultra Residue? Professor Oak said that anything that had passed through Ultra Space would have it; objects, people, Pokémon. So why didn't they? Why didn't they have it? Why were they different? Did it have something to do with that white void he found himself in earlier?
Amidst the sea of questions, one constant question resurfaced and dwarfed them all.
Could they not go home?
A mixed torrent of emotions followed through, seeping into his systems and threatening to tear his mind apart at the constant back-and-forth. Unsettling questions crept into his mind, rocking him to his very core.
Did he want to go home? Of course, he did, what kind of silly question was that? Uncertainty filled his answer.
Did he want to stay? Of course not, that'd be silly no matter how fun it would be. Only a hint of truth covered his answer.
Why did he want to stay? He had no answer.
Why did he want to leave? He had no answer.
His brothers were here, he didn't have much, other than an obligation, to return home to. He had no friends – not anymore – and no other bonds with anyone else.
But was it right of him to rob his brothers of their rightful futures because he wanted to have fun? What about their dad? Would he be distressed at their sudden disappearance? And was he currently drowning in despair?
June swallowed thickly, gagging at the bitter taste in his mouth. He hated those thoughts. He needed to say something. Think of a plan. Force something to come out.
He bit his lip, the slight pain jolting him back and feeding him the confidence he needed. "Professor, is it really that strange for a Faller to not have Ultra Residue? Isn't there some other method that could've brought us here? A Legendary? An unknown deity? Someone failing a magic spell? Please, Oak! We're not lying when we say we're from another world! We're not! I promise you! We're not…"
Please let this work. Please let his pitiful tone worm its way through the professor's old heart. He needed to give them hope. He couldn't let them down. He couldn't. He couldn't.
"I believe you."
June blinked and he faced the professor with a puzzled stare. "Yo-you do?"
Ane kept quiet, stepping back and letting his brother take the lead.
Professor Oak nodded with a careful smile. "Only a heartless monster wouldn't believe you after that display," he said, shrugging. "This case has been getting weirder and weirder the longer I observed it, so it wouldn't be too out of the realm to believe a Legendary could be behind this."
Professor Oak was agreeing with him? The Professor Oak agreed with him?
But… but that didn't… why would he… why? Didn't he say he wouldn't believe them until they had the evidence to back them up? Did their desperation play that much of a role in convincing him?
He didn't understand. He didn't really. But he was willing to let go and accept. They'd already convinced him. Now what? The FHS couldn't help them search for a way home without Ultra Residue, they were pretty much useless now… which meant the only option left was…
His eyes widened and he covered his mouth, muffling the sharp gasp escaping him. "Say, professor. Would it be too crazy to ask if we could look for a way home?" June said before quickly elaborating upon noticing the professor's questioning gaze. "Without the Ultra Residue to trace back, the FHS can't really help us much in sending us home. So I was wondering if we could become trainers and look for the Legendary that sent us here ourselves."
"Trainers? Hm… I'm not so sure–"
“If you're worried about us, we have knowledge that can give us a headstart to any exams you throw at us," June pointed out.
"Hey, what are you–" Quil in all his glory cut off Ane's protest before it could begin, once again showing his presence to the audience.
"Yeah, I can cook and if there’s anything else we need to know, we can just learn it from whatever’s available,” Quil said.
"Yeah! We can–wait… what do you mean you can–" June started, turning to Quil but his brother ignored him to continue talking.
"If you guys can send ten-year-olds out in the wilderness with nothing but a Pokémon and some survival equipment, then I'm sure… no I'm very sure that we can do it too, especially considering that we could potentially talk to other Pokémon.”
The silence was suffocating and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this really Quil? Were all those empty gazes secretly some form of thinking-increasing magic? And the craziest part was that Professor Oak was considering it! Quil had managed to convince him with fewer words than June ever could. What on Earth was going on here?
June took in a breath. He could feel the headache brewing…
Y'know what. Nope, he was not gonna question things anymore. It was obvious he wouldn't be getting any answers anytime soon. So from now on until further notice, he was not gonna question anything until something drastic happened.
With that mental promise set up, he tuned back just in time to hear the professor sigh. "If that is what you three really want then–"
"H-hey! I didn't agree to this!" Ane shouted, fed up with being ignored and interrupted. "Why the hell are we doing this? We–”
And June was going to put a stop to this before Ane ruined everything. He covered the Pikachu's mouth with a claw, glaring at him. "Shut up. This is our best chance at getting home. If you want to go back home, we have to do this. We have to look for the Legendary that sent us here!" he whispered harshly, neglecting to mention that this supposed ‘Legendary’ wasn't even a guarantee either, what with the multiverse theory and all.
The Pikachu glared back, not backing down without a fight.
Sighing, his face softened. "Look, I don't like this either." That was a lie. "But it's either this or stay in this world forever. You have friends and whatnot back home, don't you?" Ane nodded. "And so do I and–hey don't look at me like that. I have friends." Slightly miffed, he turned away with a huff before remembering the audience in front of him. He let out a sheepish chuckle, scratching his cheek. "Uh, you were saying?"
The professor's face creased up with a worried look. "You know, it's fine if you don't want–"
"No, no. We can do this. We can do this! We can… no need to worry about us. We'll be fine."
Happy grin. June. Happy grin. Give him your best smile.
The professor didn't look entirely convinced but he didn't push any further. "If you're sure then… alright. Let's get you three ready for adventuring. Fortunately, we already have most of the paperwork done so this will be quick."
And with that, June did a mental victory dance.
"Remember to call me when you reach Viridian City," Oak said, watching as they leave with a smile.
When he first met the three, he was ecstatic of course. It wasn't everyday he'd met a Poké-fied person, and having three of them in his lab had him barely holding down his enthusiasm. He wanted to ask them so many questions: What was it like? How did it feel? Was their transition smooth? How did it even happen? And so much more.
But that excited curiosity was curbed when he heard their story. It brought him back to reality, reminding him of where he was. After hearing that story, he was skeptical of them. Even after excusing himself and retrieving a pokéball with a Pokémon linked to his mind and checking them for lies, he was still unsure despite their full honesty. A world without Pokémon? Such a thing was inconceivable. The Pokémon Professor could hardly comprehend the idea let alone, believe in a world where humans and animals were the only beings on the planet.
But when he gathered their data with the energy detector, he decided to scan more than necessary, he wasn't sure why he did it but he was glad he had as the results were… concerning.
Ultra Residue. Inconclusive. As seen by the normal picture of the three.
Infinity Energy. Inconclusive. As noted from the lack of distinct energy inside them.
Type Energy. Inconclusive. As observed when he compared them to other Poké-fied people, they held barely any difference from other victims.
It was only the final data he'd received that forced him to a halt.
Aura. Inconclusive.
He couldn't get those words out of his mind the moment he saw them.
He had checked the systems, redoubled his findings, and tried everything he could think of. But it all came back to…
Inconclusive.
Everything, whether living or not, had Aura. The trees, the rocks, Pokémon, people, Poké-fied people, even the very clothes he wore had Aura.
… and yet, those three… those three children had thrown everything he knew, everything he studied about back into his face.
A loud voice had screamed in his mind then. He wanted to understand them, their culture, their world's history. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to learn everything about them!
But he didn't…
He made a lot of mistakes in his time alive and he liked to think he'd learned a thing or two from his mistakes. He wouldn't push another person away because of his impulsive drive to learn, not again. These children needed someone to support them in a world where they weren't supposed to exist. And he was willing to put his researcher side away in order to help someone in need.
Once the three were out of his house, he smiled as he pulled out a pokéball. "Alright, Tutor. Keep an eye on them."
With that command, his Pokémon blinked away.
"And we're off! To see a land unknown~" With a bounce in his steps and the pokéballs jiggling in his belt, the Charmander snapped his claws and raised his arms to the sky. "This is it! We're actual freaking Pokémon trainers! This is so cool! I mean, technically, we still gotta get to Viridian City first to register but this is close enough!" Nothing could ruin his day.
"Ugh, why do we have to be trainers?"
Yup, nothing could ruin his day.
"Hey, since it's gonna take a while before we can register. What kind of Pokémon do you think we should catch in the meantime? I'm thinking of Pidgey. Pidgeot, I've read, can move faster than the speed of sound. Super speed and flight are so cool, and considering that we're operating on anime rules instead of game rules, there's so much we can work with!"
Silence took hold of their surroundings the moment he finished his sentence. Empty. Quiet. Peaceful. Calm. Only the sounds of their feet walking and the grass swaying in the wind could be heard.
…
God, just what the hell was that white void? Why are we even here for? Ugh, try not to think about the possibility of reincarnation and how that meant my brothers and I died in our sleep…
…
Aah! Bad thoughts! Baaaad thoughts! Leave him alone! He winced, looking for a distraction before taking note of his brothers' gloomy expressions.
Fine. Guess he shouldn't ignore the situation any further.
"Come on, guys. Stop acting like thaaat~'' He nudged them with a grin on his face. "We're in a world where children can catch and beat up gods so stop acting like what we're doing is impossible~"
"I'll feel better if you yourself would stop acting like that," Ane muttered, not looking his brother in the eye.
"Hm… how about you, Quil? What Pokémon do you wanna catch?" He moved on to the Bulbasaur, not at all discouraged by his brothers' lack of a reaction. "Come on, you were so talkative earlier."
Quil sighed. "Fine. If you want my thoughts then I say we wait till Route 22. If we're going to beat Brock then a Mankey would be good against him."
"Do you think Brock's even gonna be the gym leader? 'cause I'm pretty sure his dad takes his place after Ash fights him."
"Oh… oh huh, you're right."
"I know! And I just realized that!" June groaned. "Now we won't know what his strategy will be. I mean, yeah he's probably gonna still use Rock-types but Brock's like all rock hard so how would his dad be? Stone cold?"
And most damning of all, what should his one-liner be after beating the gym?
Ah, so much to consider!
"Come on! We gotta catch that Pidgey now if we're gonna figure out a strategy!"
"Wait, let's do that after I catch a Rattata," Quil said.
"Huh? Why Rattata? I thought you said you wanted a Mankey?" June raised a brow.
"Yeah, but a Rattata could help in–"
"Hah! Help in what? Being fodder? They're like the most useless Pokémon you could ever catch," June said, dismissively waving a claw. "I mean, there was a reason why Youngster Joey was a meme, y'know. Rattata sucks, period. They're dumb, they're disgusting ugly pests and I don't think I'd ever… Why the hell are you guys scooching away from me? Is there something behind… Oh… oh frick… I see where this is going…"
Did he dare look back?
He turned around and immediately turned back, face paler than a sheet of paper.
Nope nope nope nope. He was getting out of here. He was not going to fight off an entire pack of rats.
But then again, this was the animeverse, maybe if he… "Hey, idiots! Everything I said was one hundred percent true and you know it! Try catching me if you can, suckers!" And to add to his taunting words, he stuck out his tongue.
Ignoring his brothers' shocked gasps, he ran as fast as he could, knowing that his brothers were more than capable of escaping before things went bad.
Things went bad.
No, scratch that. Things went terrible.
It was the worst, the absolute fricking worst. He groaned, nursing a bite mark on his side as he leaned against a stump. Why did he think that was going to go well? Ow. He could barely think over the pain radiating from the bruises and cuts on his body.
He glanced off to his side, Ane sat against a tree. He didn't look as bad as June did but he knew Ane had taken some damage judging by the way he winced and cringed, and Quil lay spread across the grass, exhaustion marring his bruised figure.
He messed up.
"Well, that didn't go as planned." June shrugged, resisting the urge to wince.
"Didn't go as planned?" Ane muttered, his voice holding a dangerous tone that threatened to stab him. "You call pissing off an entire colony of Pokémon a plan?"
"Langua–"
"No! This is the reason why I didn't want to be a trainer! I knew something like this would happen! This is all your fault!" Ane shouted, getting up with his paws balled into fists as he stalked his way to his injured brother. "You made them–"
"Hey, hey calm down. I'm… I'm still hurt…"
"You think I give a damn if you're hurt!" he spat out, raising his fist menacingly.
"Quil… little help here… buddy?"
The Bulbasaur turned his head to give him a deadpan stare. "Long live the king."
Well… he was doomed.
"Wait wait wait, don't–"
Ane brought his fist down.
But it never connected.
Instead, a hand grabbed hold of the paw, stopping its collision with his face. June blinked as Ane let out a startled noise and he stared at the hand with morbid interest. The hand wasn't attached to an arm instead it was coming out of a hole in reality.
"What the fu–"
"Now now now, little Ane. We can't have any of that dirty language here, can we?" A voice giggled from behind June and he jumped, all the aches and pain vanishing from his body as he turned to face the source of the voice.
Staring back at him was a man wearing a hood that covered his entire being. In the void where the person's head should be were two brightly glowing eyes made of gold scanning his very soul.
June glanced back at Ane, watching as the hand let go of Ane and scampered its way to the hooded man.
What the hell was going on?
The hooded person floated down — They were floating! — and accepted the hand's request to rejoin its master. Once reattached, the hooded man tossed their hood aside, and with their being now fully exposed to the sun's rays, June's heart hammered in his chest as he stepped back.
"Who… who are you?" June asked. He needed to know. He needed to know who this was and why… Why did this person have his human face?
With a grin etched onto the being's stolen face, he snapped his fingers and flaming letters appeared above his crimson-glazed hair, blitzing through several letters as he said, "I'm known by many names throughout the Infini-verse. Dark Lord, monster, demon, and other dark and grimy curses but my friends call me Crude. It's a pleasure to meet you, Creator." The flames above his head changed to copy those words, their heat providing warmth that left him uncomfortable.
Creator? What did he mean by that?
"Exactly what it says on the tin, Creator."
Did he just–
'Read your mind? Yes, I did~'
June screamed, clutching his head. "Get out of my head!"
"If you say so," Crude said, switching his attention to the other two, his golden eyes twinkling in mischief. "So you two are Quil and Ane. I've been dying to meet the ones he calls his brothers. What do you think of your sweet little ol' nephew?" He chuckled, swaying to the side and dodging Ane's failed pathetic punch.
"Stay away from us, you stupid impostor!" Ane shouted with disgust marring his face.
"Oh, there's a joke in there that you three wouldn't know for a lo~ong while." His grin reached his eyes as he dodged another punch, making his way over to Quil. "Hey–"
“Stay away from me." Quil glared at the hovering man who merely shrugged and floated away.
"Oof, tough crowd. Am I right?"
June held his head with a shut eye, holding out an arm to prevent the overly aggressive Pikachu from making a mistake. "What are you?" He addressed his flying doppelganger with a bit of difficulty.
"Somebody that you used to know~" He cleared his throat, snapping a top hat into existence and pulling a clipboard out of said hat. "Alright, I've had my fun. Let's get down to business." He gave them a grin that held teeth that fit better if they were on a shark. "'How do you know whether your life is a lie?' Oh wait, that's the wrong question. No need for any existential crises at the moment." He tore the clipboard in half, crumpled it up into a ball, and chucked it back into the top hat which subsequently shattered into a million pieces and bled into the ground.
"Anyway." He snapped a piece of paper into reality. "I'd like you to sign here and here, please."
Please stop… His head hurt from trying to comprehend the last thirty seconds. "What?"
"You three are looking for Pokémon, no? Well, I'm giving you the sweetest package deal of not one, not three, heck not even five, but two, TWO, awesome and rare Pokémon completely free… provided you do the manual work."
"I'd… huh?"
Crude groaned. "Right, I just remembered how slow you can be sometimes." He snapped away the paper, his eyes dimming slightly. "Look, it's simple. You complete some tasks for me and I'll give you two Pokémon as a reward," he said, all the while dodging Ane's futile attempts at hitting him.
"I…" What… what was this thing talking about? Two Pokémon for tasks? The hell was this? Some sort of main quest-type bullcrap? An-and was his doppelganger's hand covered in a wreath of green flames? What the? Did this 'Crude' guy think he'd be desperate enough to get into some kind of deal with a person who literally called himself a demon lord? This had 'Trap!' written all over it.
June growled, swatting away the hand in front of him. "We don't need your help, you… you… faker."
But instead of looking mad or laughing at his rejection, Crude merely gave a dangerous quiet smile that sent chills down his very soul. "Oh… that's just perfect~ Too bad~ that wasn't a real request."
He showed a wider grin that kept widening and widening and–
The image burned into his retina. Its grin threatened to split the being's face in half as the world around them faded into a crimson abyss.
His muscles locked, an invisible force holding him down, compelling him to look, to watch as portals opened up beneath his brothers, sucking them in as he hung in the air, helplessly.
Ane! Quil! He wanted to scream but he couldn't get his body to obey as a single golden eye floated in front of him, mumbling words that hurt to hear as a snap reverberated in the world and his vision turned blank.
"Have fun, Champion." The stolen voice spoke.
Children's laughter filled the calm night. A group of Pokémon sat around a campfire, smiles dancing on their faces as they told stories and cracked jokes, relishing by the warm fire.
The Purrloin, the daughter of the local guards and the eldest of the group stood on her hind legs, forelegs spread wide as she spoke in a low tone. "... it was then the Shinx turned around and saw the monster… a tall creature made entirely of shadows stood there with an orb in hand. The Shinx screamed as the ball connected with his head, dematerializing him and trapping him in to do the monster's every bidding."
Shocked gasps filled the audience as they looked at each other in worry. The adult sitting by, a Luxio, shook her head in amusement, a small grin on her muzzle as she watched the children have their fun. To think she could bear witness to a sight like this after all those years of constantly living in fear.
There were times when she still believed everything was a dream, imagining that she would one day wake up in the cave she'd spent most of her life in as she hid from The Tyrant, hoping so dearly in her heart that they wouldn't end up like her late partner.
She blinked away the tears, shaking her head and banishing those thoughts. She needed to stay in the present. All of her worries and fears wouldn't help her one bit in assuring little Shez's future.
"Hey, Shez's mom!" the Purrloin called out, getting her attention. "Can you tell us the story of how Evie defeated The Tyrant? Shez said he wants to hear it even though he's a big baby."
Shez, her cute little kitten, protested with a small flush on his cheeks. "I'm not a baby, Gild! I can use Spark! Mom says only babies can't do that and I can!"
"You'll always be my baby, Shez." She patted him on the head, ignoring his embarrassed "Mom!" as she ruffled his fur before facing the group. "Are you sure you want that story coming from silly old me? I'm not sure I could do her story justice."
As expected, cries of outrage erupted from the group.
"But you're the best storyteller, Shez's mom!" a Gligar exclaimed.
"Yeah, Miss Luxio. My dad isn't anywhere near as good at telling stories like you can," said the bright Emolga.
As more and more protests piled on, she relented with a sigh, smiling at the group. "If you really wanna hear it then who am I to turn down such lovely faces?" She giggled. "What about you, sweetie? You're sure you can handle it?"
Shez nodded vigorously, having already chosen a seat closest to her.
"Alright, alright," she said. "Gather around, children, and listen to the tale of The Tyrant's End, a true story of our brave hero, Evie..."
Her voice enraptured the kids as the moon cast its light onto the small village below.
Somewhere deep within the forests of Troublewood and an hour away from the nearest village stood a lone building. It was a cosy little thing with a roof of thatch and walls made of the finest wood around, it stood in a small clearing where the moon freely shone its calm brilliance below.
Peering into the small house, a small black fox, a Zorua could be seen sleeping on a straw bed, her ears twitching every so often, blissfully unaware of her surroundings.
Lying her head on a bed bigger than her younger sister, Evie, with her eyes dull and wrinkled from the nightmares haunting her, stared into the ceiling with a glossy look. Stifling back a yawn, her mind was fuzzy and tired yet she couldn't find the strength needed to sleep.
A minute passed, then another and another and another. The moonlight outside was muffled by passing clouds, the light dimming as the brown vixen let out a heavy sigh.
Life was pain.
Her ear flicked, twitching as she moved her head, barely taking in the world around her. She was tired. No – she muffled another yawn – she was exhausted. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Too many nightmares. Too many voices calling out her mistakes, her failures, her–
She caught herself with a rough shake of her head, accidentally biting her tongue in the process, the pain and warmth that spread further stimulated her mind, jolting her even more awake. Groaning, Evie groggily got onto her paws, eyelids heavy as she made her way outside. A nice walk in the woods should help clear her mind.
Taking in a breath of fresh air, the soft breeze of the night brushed against her fur and her mane swayed under the moonlight. There was a fruity scent waning around her, greeting her as she trudged past a particularly overgrown bush and down a path only known to her.
Feeling the grass beneath her paws and the glimmer of light peeking from the leaves above, memories of a past long ago guided her movements and led her down a path. The path held no discernible differences from many others. No particular groves of trees, no particular landmark. Hell, it wasn't even paved, it was simply there, hidden in plain sight.
Only she knew where the path led, a path that brought memories both bitter and sweet. It opened up to a large field where a river split the land in half, pooling into a lake that sparkled in the moonlight. Stars twinkled high above as the gorgeous moon bathed the land in its pale glow. It looked just as beautiful as it did all those years ago.
Something pricked her eyes and she glanced around, fighting back the memories that threatened to spill into her vision. On the other side of the land, she spied a small crater, now overgrown with grass. That was where she'd first failed her attempts at conjuring a Shadow Ball. The resulting explosion was painful but nowhere near as painful as the memory of her mother’s praises. How her praises never failed to cheer Evie up, how her failures never hurt more than a couple minutes, how everything had felt so simple back then.
A cold sensation gripped her paws and she wiped the tears that blurred her vision. She found herself standing ankle-deep in the lake with no memory of when she’d done so. A glint in the lake caught her eyes and she stared, the amber eyes of her reflection stared back, full of contempt and anger at the pitiful and disgraceful being standing before them.
Cracks rippled through the lake as she brought her paw down, breaking the stoic and quiet facade that masked the truth.
It had been months since she'd dealt the decisive blow against him. It… was nothing short of euphoric. The chains that had shackled her shattered, bringing forth a new wave of peace and joy into her broken state. Everyone was happy.
Perry, Rower, the citizens of Troublewood, her sister… they were overjoyed when she delivered the news. A new era had arrived, one no longer bound by fear and pain.
Yet, despite their happy faces, despite how thankful they were, despite the love and praise they threw at her, she didn't feel anything. In the following weeks, she helped them adjust, helped them learn, helped everyone who needed her. Everyday, she went through the motions with a false smile on her face, each action feeling heavier than the last, the nightmares that lingered definitely didn't help with that regard. Sometimes she didn't feel like leaving her bed, sometimes she didn't feel like moving, sometimes she didn't feel like doing anything.
Days had passed by like a blur and she would often find herself staring into the sky, hours having gone by without her realising. Why did she feel so numb? That was a question that had plagued her for the two months of peace that came.
And it was only during a calm night, sitting by a campfire when she found the answer.
She was bored.
The reason why everything felt repetitive, why it was so dull, was because she was bored. She was bored of the peace. The peace that she and many other had fought over a decade for.
She was bored with it.
Blood, sweat and tears. Countless of lives and deaths. The neverending pressures and pain of everyone, of everything bearing down on her shoulders. She had missed it.
She'd missed the pain that followed her everywhere.
At first, Evie was disgusted at herself, at the thought that had come. She wanted everyone to suffer once more just because she was bored! Why couldn't she have just been satisfied with the peace and be happy with it? Why couldn't she just be happy? Why?
Why did she have to be such a freak?
Water splashed all over her figure but she didn't care enough to notice. Her eyes narrowed and she glared, baring her fangs at the creature in the lake.
Why couldn't she have just been happy with the results? Why was she so fucking selfish? She should be happy! She should be! So why wasn't she? Why was she hiding herself from everyone else? Why did she have to be such a greedy and disgusting twat?
Why?
Why did everyone continue to look up to her as if she was perfect? Why did they love her so much? Why did everyone have to look so happy when they saw her?
Why couldn't they see the weak fool she really was?
She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of it. Not when she couldn't–not when she had failed him.
Why couldn't she have been strong enough to protect the ones she loved? Why was she only strong enough after she’d failed? Why was she so useless?
Tears trickled down her cheeks, rippling the lake as they fell.
Nobody knew the pain and anguish she felt all those years ago. They wouldn't understand. None of them would. Not even her sister.
And in the end, none of it mattered, not anymore. She was strong now. Stronger than anything in this forest. Not even the ancient dragons that hid here could dare hope to challenge her now. She would bear the pain like she always did.
All she needed was for her sister to be happy. Her sister’s happiness was everything to her. All her problems didn't matter as long as her sister was fine and happy.
Cleaning her sorry self off, she cast one final glance over the land, disgust muddying her expression. What used to be a beautiful place was now tainted by her pathetic weakness. Tch, she was such a disgrace.
She turned to leave, ready to try and get some rest before the day began and–
A flicker of light.
There, far off in the distance, she could see yellow light, dancing, wavering. She blinked, rubbing her eyes with a paw to make sure she wasn't seeing things. No, it was still there. What was that? A flame? Was someone out there? That couldn't be right. There shouldn't be anyone living there, not at the moment, she had requested it as such. Plus, she couldn't make out any smoke so it wasn't from any open fires.
A Ghost-type maybe? Again, not likely, their flames were usually purple, blue or pink, never the standard flame. So it couldn't be that.
But then what could it–
Her blood ran cold.
A human.
It could be a human.
She shook her head. No, that couldn't be right. None of them would ever dare venture into Troublewood when he showed up. He–The Tyrant had succeeded at blocking any humans from entering the forest, even the elites and aces stood zero chances against him. They wouldn't come in. They wouldn't…
But what if they did? What if they knew The Tyrant had died and were hoping to expand their hold onto the forest? Her heart stammered a beat and she squished the ugly thoughts that breached her mind, the ones that felt pleasure at the thought of them knowing, the actions that would be taken when they reported their fin
dings, the fights that would ensue, the–No, stop it!
She would never want something like that! She’d never forgive herself if she let innocent Pokémon suffer because of her wants, and her sister…
Okay, she made her decision. Whatever that light was, she would discover the source of it. If it was what she thought it was then she’d take proper actions against them and if needed, kill them. Hopefully, it would never come to that but she wouldn't freeze up if she had to.
“Alright, head in, check it out and see if it needs immediate attention. If not, then scold whoever the fuck is out so late,” she muttered under her breath, her legs tensing up before she cleared the field in the blink of an eye. She glanced around, zipping from tree to tree as she honed in on the brightening light. The woods grew thicker the deeper she went, bushes and overgrown roots obscured the land, forcing her to slow down lest she had to waste more energy healing herself.
Thankfully, there were a couple less cluttered paths available and she stalked them down, leaping over anything she couldn't walk over until finally she rounded a line of oran berry trees and reached the light where it was the brightest. It came from a small field, a little opening with nothing too special.
Her eyes scanned the opening and immediately, she found the source of the light. The sight made her heart leapt to her throat and she found it hard to breathe.
There was a Charmander on the ground, lying dead to the world with their soft breathing being the only indication of life. She couldn't believe her eyes. A Charmander. Here? That made it all the more credible that a human was nearby! But how? How could a human have come here? That shouldn't be possible. Perry had said they were still in an ongoing war. So they couldn't be. They couldn't!
Then perhaps they were abandoned? She almost scoffed at the thought. Charmanders were incredibly popular and sought out back when… She shook her head. It just wasn't possible.
But then how could a Charmander be here if not for a human setting camp nearby? She looked around, eyes scrutinizing every inch of the place for… nothing she could see, no tracks, no footprints, not even a whiff of a human’s salty odour. However, she didn't dare let her guard down. Just because she couldn't see them didn't erase the possibility of a human hiding somewhere.
Her ears flicked forward and her eyes lingered on the yellow flame at the tip of the Fire-type’s tail. Casting one final glance at her surroundings, she crept forward, muscles tensed, ready to bolt or fight if what she was about to do was incredibly stupid.
As she got closer and closer, a new feeling crawled into her range, pressing against her with its weight. A shiver ran down her spine and she froze, eyes locked onto the Charmander that felt like the void.
Pain pounded his head the moment he returned to consciousness. He clutched his head with a claw, groaning as prior memories flashed through his mind. Opening his eyes, he stood up, looked around, and promptly screamed like a little girl.
June scrambled back, arms, legs and tail flailing. His eyes wide, full of panic as his back pressed against the bark of a nearby tree, the sensation of the wood sticking was nothing compared to the fricking heart attack assaulting him. Crap crap craap! “Don't eat me!” he squeaked out, arms covering his face for the inevitable attack. “My flesh is squishy and tainted! It wouldn't be–be…”
He heard laughing. No bites, teeth or claws, just…
Laughter? He lowered his arms, seeing the Pokémon that had previously loomed over him, chuckling, giggling like a little schoolgirl after being told a joke from her crush. Momentarily dumbfounded, he stared in silence at how human it–she? looked.
The Pokémon before him was massive, easily over twice his size and probably near the height of his human self. She resembled a fox, albeit a massive one and she had a light cream mane that was splayed over and yet didn't look as messy as it should look. Her mane trailed down her neck, reaching her withers and meshing well with the fur around her neck, much like an Eevee’s. Though, unlike an Eevee, there was an odd gash of red fur that streaked down from top to bottom and was the same shade as blood.
Huh, was she one of the Pokémon Crude said he was going to catch? If so, then she definitely ticked all the boxes of an interesting mon for an isekai.
Snapping himself out of his stupor, June jumped onto his feet, his cheeks flaring red as he pointed at the Pokémon. “He-hey, stop laughing at me!” he shouted, yet much to his dismay it only made the vixen laugh harder.
“S-sorry,” the fox said between giggles, her fluffy tail swaying slowly behind her. “I just wasn't expecting a reaction like that.” She chuckled, muffling her muzzle with a paw. “Heh, Arceus, I needed that.”
“We-well,” he began, trying desperately to remove the flush on his face, “it isn't like my panic wasn't justified! Any normal person would react like that when they see a giant hungry fox standing over them.”
She raised a brow at him before shaking her head, a toothy grin on her face. “Well, luckily for you, practically no Pokémon can eat each other no matter how hard they try.”
June blinked. “Really?”
She nodded.
How the hell did that work?
Questions for later. He shook his head. He needed to figure out where he was first. With a grin, he struck a pose. “The name’s June and it rhymes with dune! Nice to meet you, lady...”
“Evie, though I’d ditch the lady part. I'm sure I'm not that much older than you are,” she said with a cheery tone that sounded… odd to his ears.
“So mind if I ask where we are or what you ar–”
“Troublewood. You're in Troublewood,” she said, her eyes narrowing the slightest bit, “and I'm an Eevee.”
“An Eevee?” he repeated with a dry look. “You don't look like one.”
“I know what I am, June.” His mind went alert at the danger laced in her tone. The smile on her face thinned and her eyes narrowed in a subtle glare.
“Right,” he said the word in the most sarcastic tone he could make, making a show to roll his eyes. “Evie the ‘Eevee’. Way to hit the nose with that name,” he muttered, missing the way her teeth bared into a growl as he clapped his claws. “Since we're trading secrets! Why don't I share some of mine with ya, Eves?”
“Don't call me that.” She snarled.
Undeterred, he raised a claw. “How would you react if I told ya that I'm actually a human who got turned into a Pokémon and sent to another universe?”
The smile on her face was fully gone now. Hm, that wasn't the reaction he was fishing for. Whatever, too late to back out now.
“Because I actually am a human that got–blah blah blah and not only that but I also, for some dumb reason, have a doppelganger that has godly powers and am now forced into being his–their–my? pawn for some unknown task!” He finished up with a claw pointed to the sky, his legs spread as he struck a pose.
She muttered something he could barely make out, sounding like she was talking about… mind control? The hell? What did that have to do with–
There was a sudden burst of wind blowing against him, dust and grass flying and when he blinked, his vision was obstructed by a round blue object. He took a step back but the orb only pushed itself forward and into his mouth.
“Here, eat this,” Evie said, having closed the distance in the blink of an eye and currently shoving said round object into his mouth. “It's not much but it'll help that wound of yours heal up better.”
His wound? Oh right, he had forgotten about that. He glanced down, it was mostly healed up and was barely even noticeable, how good was her eyesight if she could spot it? Hell, he could barely see it.
And like with anything else that was given to him, June took the fruit with a silent nod, not quite sure how to respond and wishing his voice would come back before awkwardness took hold of their silence. He bit into the oran berry, the juices of the fruit invigorating his mind and body despite its lacklustre taste.
Evie wiped something off her muzzle, probably having already eaten her own berry as she mumbled about the lack of chesto berries nearby. She turned to him, the previous cheer in her tone all but vanished when she said, “Alright, follow me.”
Swallowing the fruit with an audible gulp, June raised a scaly brow. “Follow you? To where?”
“My home,” she answered. “After what happened the last time one of your kind arrived here, not many Pokémon are keen on seeing another Fire-type so soon.”
There was something quite ominous with the way she said it but he didn't dwell on it for too long. With a cheeky grin and an exaggerated gasp, he said, “Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Eves.” He ignored her growl. “I'm sure I'll grow on them just like I've grown on you. I mean, there must be some sort of isekai charm on me if I'm already being invited by a girl to her home.”
She gave him a blank stare, turned around and promptly began walking away.
“Hey, wait! I haven't started my two hundred questions in this new world yet! Don't leave!”
