Pokémon Lost in Distortions

[K_S]

Spoiler: Content Warning

Unhealthy amount of suppressing grief, guilt and a near mental breakdown

Beta-read by Tango
​

---

Is this… How… how am I here?

I was home. Back in my room. Sprinting out into the familiar hallway, and down the firm and solid wooden steps with hurried gasps.

Was this… was this a dream?

honestly at this point I suspect he should stop journeying. I think its the only thing going to save his sanityat this point.

I was in the living room, my eyes trailing from one side of the room to the other, slowly, methodically. I scanned through the furniture of the living room, eyes lingering on each item for a second longer than I normally would've. There was the TV hanging on the comforting beige walls, the couches and sofas facing it, there was the coffee table in the middle, the same blue curtains all tied up that I barely gave a second glance when I left. Along with a wall clock showing it was a minute past eight thirty.

I looked down at my hands and flexed my fingers, my muscles tensing. The chill of the AC ran through my digits and arms. Yet despite the cold, I could feel sweat forming beneath my brows. This was real… wasn't it?

I pinched myself, hard enough for me to wince.

I could remember it. The burning pain. The numb dread of blood leaving my body. The crushing cold creeping into my skin and bones as my body desperately struggled to hold in the warmth. The horror I felt as everything dimmed and blurred into a mesh of shapes. I remembered it as vividly as it'd happened.

That criminal, my starter, that little girl, Rachel, the pain. The world was spinning. My breathing grew laboured. My heart pounded like a set of drums in a concert. What happened? How did this happen? How was I here? How was I…

… alive?

My stomach churned, bile burning my throat.

Terra…

I remembered her face, the tears streaming down her cheeks, her crimson hair that once shone as bright as the sun, had hung off her head like a thread of torn silk. Her eyes burning with a bitter cocktail of grief, despair and wrath.

I shook my head, tearing myself out of my mind. The bile still lingered in my throat but the smell coming from the kitchen reminded me of reality, grounding me back to life. There was the scent of something crispy, meaty, along with a warmth tasting like sweets embracing me. It helped push back the horror of a life that was gone and I couldn't help the smile painting my face.

Mom…

She was in the kitchen right now, humming out a tune that I recognised from her favourite musical. A cheery, happy song that held fond memories of a time that was a bit less lonely.

I steeled myself, looking at my backpack hanging on the railing. I should get going. I was going to be late for my starter. But at the same time, my feet stay rooted to the floor.

Her smile came into my mind. “...next time, try and stay with me a little longer before running off like that, okay?”

I should stay for a bit, talk with her, chat with her. Something to get my mind off of that… that…

Whatever that was.

tips head. huh so he's treating this as a grondhog day event? Well it's one gruesome way to tackle it and get some agency, right?

My legs carried me into the kitchen where my mom was washing the dishes, looking all the world entrenched in her task. She was wearing a pretty pink blazer dress with a complimenting yellow apron draped over it. A wide smile was on her face and just looking at her sent a warmth through my body, soothing and comforting. Her presence alone was almost enough to make me forget about my horrific wake up.

My feet pattered against the floor as I made my way to my seat where there was already a plate of fresh made bacon and pancakes on the table.

“Good morning, Cygnus,” my mother said, turning around with a smile. The corners of her mouth curled up in amusement when she saw my pyjamas. “I knew you were excited for today. But I hope you didn't forget to change before going to the professor, I could imagine they got quite the sight with you there.”

I didn't respond to the teasing. Too busy staring at my plate as I held the fork and spoon, the cool metal in my hands chilling down to my bones. I took a bite out of my meal, savouring the taste of the juicy grease and the sweetness of the pancakes in my mouth. It was warm, comforting, and familiar.

I chewed on my food, the thoughts about my morning swirling in my head. There was something I wanted to ask her, something to truly confirm my suspicions. With a gulp, I swallowed my nerves and steeled myself. “Mom?”

My mom’s smile fell upon hearing my voice, her eyes glistening with worry as concern creased her features. Her voice came out quiet, calm of emotions like all the times she comforted me when I was down. “Yes, sweetie?”

The question rolled under my tongue. My heart was racing, my throat felt tight and the words hurt to even think about. Could I even ask her something like this? Would she think I was weird for asking?

Would she believe there was something wrong with me?

I bit my lip, second guessing, fearing. I craned my neck to look up, and the sight of her worrying eyes pulled at my heart, wringing the words out of me. “What… what day is it?”

And… do you remember anything? I managed to bite it down.

There was silence. A long, awkward and tense pause that skittered under my skin like an unpleasant itch. My mom was contemplating, setting the plate into the sink as her frown deepened. “Huh,” she murmured to herself, her eyes scrunching up in confusion. “It's Monday, isn't it? Your big day, Cygnus? I thought you already got your starter? Weren't you just taking a short nap before heading out…”

The lump in my throat felt heavy, settling inside me like a ball of lead. Yesterday was Monday. My fork tapped against the plate. I'm in the past? No. I shook my head. That's… that's not possible.

Things like time travel were myths, legends. Ones where people saved the world or solved calamities. Not… of a random kid getting in trouble way too over their head. That just wasn't possible…

…

Then maybe…

Am I psychic?

What if that whole thing was a vision, a premonition of sorts? It made some sense. I remembered watching and reading interviews of famous psychic people back when I was volunteering for Professor Rowan’s class a few years ago. I remembered seeing a video of Kanto’s Sabrina using her future vision to predict some poor unfortunate folk falling from their window and saving him with her telekinesis without so much as blinking… so perhaps future vision was something that was very vivid and involved?

yeah this eels more like sadistic cosmic punishment rather than something controlled.

Hm… I don't know. I scratched the bottom of my chin in thought. If I really was psychic, shouldn't that mean I have other powers?

Teleportation, telekinesis, barriers. They were the standard amongst any psychic, and if I really was one then that meant I could do them, no?

Okay, let's start with the basics. I glanced down at the fork in my hand. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and channelled all of my mental strength into… the… thing…

…

Nothing happened.

Okay, so I don't have telekinesis. I set the fork down with a sigh. Ugh, I have no idea what's going on anymore.

I picked at the scraps remaining on my plate, mostly just staring at the bits getting punctured by the metal. The thoughts and questions brewed heavily in my head and to be honest, I was getting tired of thinking about them.

There was a blur of motion in the corner of my eyes, tearing me away from my thoughts. I blinked, swerving my head towards the living room. Mom? She was running up the stairs in a flurry of action, her footsteps thumping upstairs like an amateur drummer. What was she doing?

Putting my plate and utensils into the sink, I stepped out of the kitchen just in time to see my mom running downstairs with her hair ragged and eyes livid as she stared right into my soul.

I took a step back before my vision was blocked out as she threw clothes at my face.

“Get dressed! Get ready and get out! You're going to march over to Professor Rowan and explain to him why you're late! And if I see not a single Pokémon by your side when you come back, you're going to be grounded until next year!”

honestly that might be the safest option. I mean... grounded people dont get offed by team galactic and scythered to death.

My heart leapt into my throat and I gulped in fear. I darted over to the kitchen, rapidly changing my clothes and running back into the living room where my mom stood, holding my bag. Her glare was sharp and livid but deep down, I knew it was because she didn't want me to lose my chances of receiving a regional starter.

Though that didn't mean I wasn't absolutely terrified of her. I took my bag off her hands, face pale in fright and bursted out the door like the wind before a storm.

---

Something was wrong.

Something was terribly, horribly, impossibly wrong.

This shouldn't be possible, there was no way, absolutely no way in heck this was correct.

So what could possibly be so bad that it had me pacing back and forth in my room like I was trying to drill a trench with my feet? Well…

Before meeting up with the professor, I was ecstatic, excited about reuniting with my Chimchar. Then when time came to receive him, things sorta went downhill. It was really eerie honestly. Things played out almost exactly the same as my vision: from their dancing around my late arrival and down to the vehement denial of my starter. Their firm denials left me feeling nervous and anxious after the umpteenth attempt of shaking them down.

For a moment, I thought that maybe I was wrong, that maybe I really did have a weird dream. I left the lab in a daze, hurt, confused and in disarray. Thankfully Lucas came in to dispel all my worries. I had never felt so relieved, so happy that I wasn't wrong, that I didn't just squander my chances of becoming a trainer, of making up with Sun.

Heat crept onto my cheeks as I remembered how I acted when I got the news. The moment where I cried and slobbered over him like a little kid. The sheer relief I felt as the anxiety exploded out of my body in big blobs of tears.

I can never show my face to him again.

Dread crawled down my spine as I let out a long and suffering groan as another memory assaulted my mind. Why did I have to pose like that in front of him? Why can't I just be normal and accept things without any theatrics? Aaaaaahhh!

he even bemoans his theatrical nature melodramatically... raises eyebrow. methings Cy' is barking at hte wrong tree in his life to fix...

An-anyway, after enduring the cringe of my horrible past mistakes, I swung my eyes towards the beanbag across my room, specifically at my starter, lazing around and attempting to become one with the seat.

He was the very reason I was still in my room, having what one would normally call an ‘existential crisis’.

What seemed to be the problem? Well… there was a glaring issue with my starter, a problem that rocked me down to my core when I first released him.

And that was the fact that my starter wasn't my life partner, Sun the Chimchar.

But instead a Torchic.

A Torchic!

I had a Torchic!

How?!

Winces, when he dind't find his flyer earlier I suspected the world was deleating his mon, and I suspect that each "death" is thinning out the pokedex one at a time that he can deal with. kinda like a continuous nuzlock here the deaths clean out whole spiece blocks. I suspect the mons death are pernament... which means theres serious consequences for him going on this journey and heroics are not going to be a good thing for him to persue... not that he's realized that yet....

How did this even happen? How did me staying back for breakfast change things so badly that my Chimchar got replaced by a Torchic? How on Earth was there even a Torchic in the first place? I remembered the special program Professor Rowan did on TV a while back where he showcased and talked about our regional starters. Never once did he ever entertain the idea that he'd be diverting things from the norm. It just didn't make sense for him to change things like that.

So what happened? How did things change so badly that my starter was different?

I looked down at the notebook in my hands. My notes looked messy, more so than they usually did. Words, ideas and theories were all sprawled over each other, with arrows pointing from and to random notes. I let out a sigh, this wasn't working. I didn't have enough information to even start here, let alone figure things out on my own.

And then there was the ever present reason I was even back here in the first place. That criminal and that girl.

I clicked my tongue, taking in a breath to calm myself. No point in panicking and worrying about things I couldn't control. I should get going, be productive, proactive. Maybe I could get something from Jubilife’s library instead, see if there was anything that could explain all of this.

“Return.” I reached out with my pokéball and slung my backpack over my shoulders.

Time to get going.

---

It was around ten when I reached Route 202. A lot earlier than the last time I got here. But I couldn't risk getting distracted when there was so much to do. I had to get to the city quickly. That criminal was still out there, ready to prey on that unsuspecting little girl.

h no he's going to pull the hero card and plow in endangering another team he's building up and.. and he's not training the bird? oh this is going to go bad.

I trekked through the tall grass without concern nor caution, risky but I didn't want to waste time here. My mind was racing as I moved, churning out ideas and strategies to fight that criminal.

Klick was incredible during her fight against that Scyther. If I could find her and focus on teaching her Wing Attack quicker, there was a higher chance of us winning.

I tried to remember exactly where I found her, my eyes darting left and right. Trying to find any clues or trails that was familiar–

A tiny blur of blue fur attacked me.

It knocked me off my feet, sending me back first into the grass as I felt little fangs digging into my arm. Naturally, I mustered every tiny bit of training and knowledge I'd accrued over the past decade to prevail in this crisis.

“Aaaah! Get off me get off me get off me!”

I mean it's fair,.. and is first encounter is a... shinx... yeah the whole dex is rewiring itself abround him and he's not noticing...

I struggled, I screamed, I panicked, waving my arms around like a maniac as I tried desperately to make it let go. But no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't let go! I could feel its teeth sinking deeper. Aaahh! I had to think of something quick!

Come on. Stop panicking. Stop panicking! Think, think! What can I do? What– wait, I got it!

I held out my free arm and curled my index and middle finger, tensing my muscles before jabbing its furry stomach. The little blue cub gagged, and I used the opportunity to swing it away.

“Hah!” I clambered to my feet, wincing slightly at the pain in my arm. It wasn't bleeding so I took that as a victory. “Take that! You can't sneak up on someone like–Gah!”

I leapt to the side, evading a bolt of electricity. The Shinx was glowing brightly, electricity running up its forelegs as it launched another attack. Pushing myself back onto my feet, I sprinted, screaming like my life depended on it. Bolts of lightning came at me in an endless barrage, not once giving me a moment to catch my breath.

“Gah!” One tore into the ground just ahead of me, blowing dust and smoke into my eyes. I coughed, an arm raised to rub at my eyes while I took the chance to swipe my other hand down into my belt. “G-go, Su–Torchic!”

I threw the ball with all my might, trusting my Torchic to deal with that Shinx while I caught my breath.

The cloud of dust and smoke died down after a few seconds. The attacks had also stopped. I assumed that my Torchic had…

I blinked, looking down at the pokéball still clipped on my belt. “Wait a second…” This wasn’t right. My Torchic was still with me, but then what the heck did I throw?

Then as if to answer my inquiry, I saw something glinting under the sunlight, red and white. Realisation settled under my chest as it made way for disbelief.

I caught it?

Huh?

I don't know how long I'd stayed there just staring at the pokéball. At some point, my Torchic had gotten out and started pecking my shins with a bored look. But the fact that I somehow caught a Shinx by complete accident was perplexing. How in the world did that even happen–

One quick slap to the face later, I moved forward. Though my arms and legs were still shaking with nerves even as the adrenaline wore off. Those lightning attacks were far too close for comfort and while I knew that recently caught Pokémon couldn't escape on their own until the four hour gracing period was over, I couldn't exactly quell the anxiety simmering in me.

That Shinx had been gunning for me and while most Pokémon in Route 202 could barely hurt someone, let alone kill. I couldn't shake off that fear. Getting electrocuted once was bad enough.

i like how he's sharply veering away from the mom stereotypes of shrugging off mon attacks. electricity is deathly dangerous, and Cy knows it.

Also the raised hostility is interesting, wonder if the wild mon can smell he's a dath ticket?

I shuddered at the memory that resurfaced, of that time when Terra brushed a Pikachu the wrong way…

A-anyway, I took the pokéball in my hands, gazing at it apprehensively. My Torchic was standing beside me with a serious expression that looked odd on his usually lazy face.

they traveled together long enough to get a lazy look. but form what I read it sounds like Cy just shoveled tor into the pokeball and started running...

As I stared at the pokéball in my hand, a rather stupid idea crawled onto my mind.

I could… I could use this.

A Shinx against a Scyther and a Zubat? If I played it out correctly, I could very well beat that criminal. An Electric-type like Shinx against two Flying-types? And looking back at the fight, I'd felt a deeply unnatural fear seep into my mind. Someone as small as a Shinx wouldn't have been able to scare me that badly despite the memories associated with its typing. No, that suggested it might have Intimidate, a seriously useful ability that could be an incredible asset at my disposal–

I shook my head. This was stupid, really stupid. Was I really thinking of befriending something that tried to zap me countless of times? Was I insane?

um yes, you've lsot your mind. a sane person would say "I'll try next year" and sit this out umtil this evil groundhogdayloop died its own natural death...

But the memories of that vision came to mind. That criminal, the way he treated his team, the cruel gleam in that Scyther’s eyes. If they were willing to kill someone like me…

I gritted my teeth, my grip on the pokéball tightening. I wasn't going to let it or that thief hurt anyone!

And I wasn't going to let fear stop me from helping anyone!

Taking a step back, I held the ball out at arm's length, nervous yet determined to befriend a potential ally. “Torchic, get ready. I'm gonna let this guy out and in case it attacks, I'll need you to hold it back.”

“Torch!”

“Alright, come on out!” I braced myself for impact as a red light popped out of the ball.

The first thing the Shinx did was look around. It blinked, a puzzled expression on its face. The little guy was kinda cute when… y’know, it wasn't trying to eat me. It glanced around, brows screwing together before its gaze finally settled on me.

I took a step back, fighting down the unnatural shudder as I held eye contact. Its gaze was intense, not something you'd expect from a Pokémon as big as my wrist but thankfully, it broke away, having noticed my starter glaring daggers at it. The Shinx met his gaze, locking eyes with a tiny smirk on its face.

My Torchic didn't back down from the challenge, his feathers bristling and puffing up in an attempt to intimidate the Shinx.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. For a second, I was prepared for it to lunge at me or charge up an attack. But none of that happened as the little cub was the first to break off their stare down, its smirk morphing into a wide grin as it reared its head back. I expected a roar, a growl or a hiss, something that would belie its cute appearance, but instead it laughed, guffawing like it heard a gut busting joke.

What? What was going on? I looked down, seeing my starter sharing my confusion. He had no clue what was happening either.

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off when it suddenly leapt forward, a foreleg lifted above its head.

Was it saluting?

“Shinx! Shinx shi shinx!” it exclaimed, loudly and proudly. It brought down its paw, moving forward as if asking for a handshake.

What?

Love how expressive each mon is, even if it feels like mr. militant shinx is going to be canon fodder agaisnt an op scycther...

assuming of course the grunt still has a scyther...

My Torchic only gave the extended paw a deadpan stare, murmuring something to the Shinx before shaking his head and laying down, nuzzling up against the dirt and grass.

The Shinx tried to get him to stand back up, posturing, gesturing and outright posing in an oddly familiar way. But nothing was working, so instead it gave up and gave me the most appalled and offended look as if I had anything to do with my starter’s behaviour.

…

This had to be a joke, right? The universe was laughing at me. There was no way I'd gone two for two with catching the weirdest Pokémon. I thought Klick was supposed to be an outlier, an oddball. Why was this Shinx so determined to take the crown of the oddest ball around?

because it was left onthe ground and it was shiny enough to catch his interest? Seriously tho I thnk theres more going on with these rotating mon than we're seeing from our confused protag. Honestly I'd be trying to push comunication... but Cy' doesn't seem reflective in that direction.

I let out a groan and collapsed onto the ground. “Are all my Pokémon going to be this weird?”

---

It didn't take long for me to get over that dramatic little episode as I still hadn't achieved what I intended to do. Tracking down that feisty Starly.

My Shinx was rummaging around, eyes narrowed and whiskers twitching. She insisted on staying by my side after I explained to her what I was doing. At first, she looked confused at my words but after a terribly played-out game of charades and incoherent meowing, she shrugged and moved on.

I didn't question it too much. Having future vision didn't exactly mean I could understand Pokémon any better than I usually did. She probably just thought I was gonna head to the city first and was confused why I wasn't.

The field of grass around me was as dry and dull as the past five minutes of walking. The awe and wonder I had when I began my journey was fading and I couldn't fathom how my past–er future self(?) was able to do all of this exercise without getting tired.

I heaved a gasp, internally cursing myself for only doing the bare minimum in PE. If only I'd accepted my mom’s offer to run in the morning…

“Shinx! Shinx!”

My Pokémon called for my attention as she gestured around with a paw. Did she find something?

I glanced around. The area surrounding us was barren, the grass gave way to a small open patch of dirt. Yet, there was something about this place that felt oddly familiar to me. A small rocky formation near the outskirts, a little ant hill a few feet to my left and…

Wait, this was it! This was where I found her! I didn't know why it took me so long to find this place but this should be where Klick… huh.

There was no one here.

She wasn't–

I looked left then I looked right, seeing nothing but the empty sky and dirt. I ran around, overturning every rock and pushing through the tall grass close to me. Where was she? Where was she?

This isn't right. She's supposed to be here. She has to be here!

But she wasn't. Why?

Why wasn't she here? Why couldn't I see even a hint or trail of that cocky bird?

My arms shook.

Was it because I was too early? Did someone already catch her? Was this another one of the changes? Did knowing my future cause things to change so badly that not even Klick was safe? I grinded my teeth in frustration, my eyes prickling from the wind blowing against me.

Of course, she wasn't safe! Why would she? Sun disappeared, replaced by a Torchic! Why did I think she wouldn't be gone either?

You stupid, idiotic, imbecile!

I dropped to my knees and heaved a sigh, clutching my head. Why? Why did I have to charge head first into that situation so recklessly? If I hadn't gone after that thief, if I had asked for help, if I hadn't run off, then maybe… maybe they wouldn't have died!

My nails dug into the dirt as I choked out a cry, my fists slamming into the ground, over and over as I lost myself to the rage.

It was all my fault! All my fault! All my gods damned fault!

Because of me, everything became different! Because of me, everything was wrong! It was because of me that they died a horrible and painful death.

It was all my fault…

It was–

“–Shinx!”

Pain, a familiar burn coursed through my body. Then numbness settled over as quickly as the pain appeared.

Feeling came rushing back as something pushed me down onto the ground. There was something, no someone on my chest. There was the crisp smell of smoke dangling in the air, I could feel the ends of my hair standing up, and my body tingled with a weak ache.

What happened? Why do I feel like I just stuck a fork into a socket?

because your shin realized he was going to be serving as a service animal and stepped in to nip your downward cycle in the butt. I get poor Cy is going through the wringer. but I suspect if he doesn't slow down enough to think he's going to be tossing another lie out as well as those of his two mon...

“Shinx!”

My head swung up, hands wiping off the sweat trickling down my head. There was dampness on my cheeks and my vision was a little blurry. I blinked, feeling the tears prickling at the edges of my eyes. Had I been crying?

“Shin shinx!”

I winced a bit from her claws poking into my chest. Her eyes were wide, full of concern, and her lips trembled in worry and confusion. She mewed, pawing at my clothes, trying to understand what was going on.

A light chuckle escaped my lips, but the sound wasn't one of mirth. I was such a loser.

Priorities cy'. We deduced you arn't a psychic, your in some sort of ground hog day thingie, and its making unfortunate consequences when youndie. So step one of the plan should be, dont die.

Not self confidence issues...

Like, just look at me, crying like a little kid just because of something as silly as things not going my way.

Whistles for shin' to mosy on over....

It was pathetic. I should be better than that. I had to be. My vision was just that, a vision. It wasn't real and… even if it was, I didn't even know Sun and Klick for that long, I shouldn't be crying about them like this.

I was better than this.

“I'm fine. I'm fine,” I said, pushing my lips into a reassuring smile and softening my gaze to show her there was nothing to worry about. “Sorry, I guess I was just a tiny bit disappointed with not finding a Starly. It's no big deal.”

She didn't look convinced but she got off me when I asked.

The smile on my face was as firm as always as I shrugged. I was fine after all. Nothing was wrong, nothing real anywho. “Come on, let’s get going. Jubilife City’s like a ten minute walk away. If we hurry, we can reach it in five.”

“Shiiinx.” She passed at my leg with clear concern in her voice.

“I’m fine.”

Tor: i know hes lying, you know hes lying...
Shin: so should i be charging a shock now or...

Because I really was. There was no real reason to dwell on the past, or the future. Only the present mattered.

That's right. No reason whatsoever to dilly-dally.

I snapped my fingers. “Oh right, there's something I forgot I have to do.”

I turned my head down, ignoring the unease in my chest. There was nothing to worry about. “Why don't we come up with a name for you and my starter before we reach the city? What do you think about Bolt or Watt?”

“Shinx.” She shook her head and while I knew she wanted to continue the previous topic, she reluctantly followed me as I continued to act like nothing had happened as I came up with more shocking and amazing names.

I feel for these mon's upcoming loss of dignity.

---

I made it to the city an hour before noon, partners retrieved and nose assaulted by the scent of smoke and char. Yet, I couldn't focus on the city and its noise. My mind was spinning. My hands were shaking, the pencil in my grip trembling. The words on my notebook were scratched, scribbled on like a toddler’s first attempt at writing a sentence.

There were people walking by me, paying little attention to my barely concealed nerves.

After figuring out a name for both my Shinx and Torchic, which by the way were Volta and Camp respectively. I encountered a few Pokémon that didn't quite fit what I remembered. A Mareep. It was a Pokémon that wouldn't usually be found on Route 202. I'd initially dismissed it, thinking that it had probably gotten lost from like a migrating herd or something. Things like that happened from time to time.

But then the next few ambushes opened my eyes. I found a Ponyta, which was odd but again, it could be explained as a lost member of a migrating herd. An unlikely coincidence, sure. And the same could be said with the Abra I locked eyes with. Though that one was more likely to be an accidental teleport than a lost herd member as Abra were a more solitary Pokémon.

Those instances weren't exactly common per se, but it made enough sense for my mind to not linger too long on.

Wait... wait... no catch the abra. Have it as an escape rope to help against bad life choices...

But then, I was ambushed by two Pokémon that weren't even native to Sinnoh.

Two Litleo.

Squeaks in joy. Litleo? (Falls into chanting, catchcatchcatch!)

The sight had burned into my mind, the confusion and shock rocked my body. What the he— Thankfully, I was able to regain my composure and defeat those two but still…

How? Why? What did I do to cause a change this massive?

I thought my vision was a type of future vision, me seeing a potential future and not… whatever the heck was happening right now. Even if I was time travelling. None of the books and stories I'd read about time travel or prophecies had anything like this happened in them. So what the heck was going on?

I glanced around, watching the people around me mingling about with their day. Nobody had even made a single mention nor realised something was wrong when I asked one of them about the Litleo. Their answers were simple, answers that you'd expect from asking someone about a Route’s potential encounters.

“Oh, you've managed to find one?"

“They're pretty rare but it's not like you can't find them if you try."

“Yeah, what about it? They've been around for a while now."

A chill ran down my spine as realisation set deep in my veins. All of them were completely and utterly normal, nonchalant. Like having a Kalosian Pokémon in Sinnoh was ‘normal’.

Huh so he's sharpening up a bit...

There was a question that latched itself onto my skull then, one that I shoved deep into the recesses of my soul but lingered in the back of my mind.

Did I die and change timeli–

I bit my tongue, feeling the pain and taste of copper tearing my head away. I didn't want to entertain this anymore.

No.

I took in a deep breath, a powerful, heavy inhale. Empty my mind. Hold for four, exhale for four and then inhale for four. In and out. In and out. Until finally my heart rate slowed, my mind felt less foggy and the tension in my shoulders relaxed a bit.

Panicking wasn't going to help me. I shouldn't focus too much on something I couldn't control.

I looked down at my notebook and shook my head. No, what I needed was knowledge, information about that criminal, about training. I could figure out these weird changes later. For now, I needed to prepare. Lunch could wait. I needed to get to the library. Find some books on Type Energy, history and whatever I could get my hands on for training.

Taking in another breath, I walked onward, head turning around to let my surroundings ground me. The hustle and bustle of the city was heavy, as it should be. Today was the beginning of a lot of hopes and dreams after all. There was a lot of chatter around me. I could hear snippets about the excitement of starting their journey, parents encouraging and nagging their kids on what and how they should keep themselves safe, and the city Pokémon all chirping amongst themselves.

It was a peaceful and charming sight, one that I'd seen over the many years of wishing and hoping to be a part of. A small prideful smile wormed its way onto my face. I was one of the lucky few to be given a starter. While it wasn't exactly who I'd been expecting, I couldn't deny that my efforts and hard work weren't rewarded.

It was nearing noon and I was feeling a bit peckish but I shrugged it off with practiced ease. Satisfying my hunger could wait until after I was done researching.

I stopped in front of a stoplight, waiting for the colours to switch as my eyes wandered around in boredom. That was when I spotted somebody struggling to walk, with heavy bags weighing her every step. It was an old lady with grey hair, short stature and despite her visibly struggling to walk, her posture was very firm and confident.

For a second, I debated. And then the next, I slapped myself. I couldn't believe I'd even entertain the thought of abandoning someone in need. Shoving others away to save another wasn't kindness, it was selfishness disguised as helping.

I strolled over, putting on my most charming smile and waving a hand. Setting the base for a kind and friendly reaction. “Hiya, need some help with those, miss?”

The old lady gave me a smile and shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, sonny. But these old bones of mine aren't so old that they can't hold onto a few groceries.”

A few? I raised a brow at the dozens of plastic bags she was carrying. Those look like they could feed a family of four for an entire week!

“Are you sure? I don't really have anything important I have to do at the moment… and you look like you need the help.”

There was a silence, or well as quiet as it could be in a city nearing lunch hour. The old lady was looking at me with a scrunched up expression that was supposed to be intimidating but was undermined by how her body was shaking from the exertion.

Gradually with my amazing charm, I was able to persuade her, taking her bags off her hands, and er… nearly stumbling over when I miscalculated how heavy they were.

“... kids these days have too much respect for their elders.”

Isn't that… a good… thing? I wrested the bags into a better position. Gah, just how much stuff did she buy?

Thats an odd line... agreed with cy'.

The old lady sighed. “Look at you, boy. Already strugglin’. Come now, at least hand me a bag or two.”

Shaking my head, I denied her hand. “No, ma’am. I already said I was gonna do it… I'm not backing down from this…”

Seeing the determined gleam in my eyes, she sighed. “Kids these days… all as stubborn as Mudsdale. And here I thought my own granddaughter was an exception.”

She walked along the street, leading me to where I assume was the direction of her home. Her gait was slow though I didn't know whether it was because of her age or because she was taking pity on me.

I staggered forward, managing to catch up to her. For a moment, I caught my breath before asking, “You have a granddaughter, miss? Is she a trainer too?” I mean, it would make sense why this old lady was carrying groceries all on her lonesome.

“A trainer?” She shook her head and chuckled as if the idea was too incredulous. “The day that’d happen would be the day Arceus falls from the sky.”

I raised a brow at that. "Why's that? Are her grades really that bad?” People flunking out of their exams weren't unheard of but I couldn't really understand how someone could do so. It wasn't like the basic exams were difficult.

I mean most kids dmgo on a jouney in mkst canons... so it makes sense the entrence exam woukd be chill

(Looks pointedly at og ash katchem and his first few seasons)

She didn't respond, instead glancing to the side. I followed her gaze, into the nearby park and saw a figure standing out on the brick path. The person was short, not much shorter than I was. They were holding a garbage bag in one hand and a poking stick in the other.

I glanced back at the old lady, seeing the fond recognition and smile on her face. Ah, so that means…

“Is that her?”

“Mm… always so hard working and diligent. I don't know where she gets it from, to be honest. Certainly not from me,” she muttered. “You’d think a child like Charlotte would fool around and enjoy their life like everyone else. But she always pushes herself way too hard, taking on so many odd jobs to keep herself busy…”

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, my eyes swerving and locking back onto the figure in a new light. Charlotte? Is she the same…

As if hearing my thoughts, the girl suddenly turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. Then with a quick shake of her head, she narrowed her gaze, hands tightening their hold on her equipment as she walked towards us.

As she approached, and no longer standing beneath the trees’ shadows, I got a clearer look at Charlotte. Her hair was a soft pink, tied up in a ponytail and flowing down to her shoulders like a wreath of cherry blossoms. She wore a very casual outfit, consisting of an orange tee, a blue skirt that reached down her knees, a standard issue albeit worn Silphco backpack and an ugly green pair of gloves. There was dirt and grime sticking to her hair and clothes along with sweat trickling down her head. It looked like she'd been working for a while.

My eyes trailed back up to her face, and I took a step back. Her brown eyes, once dull with pain and tears, glowed with a flame that demanded answers. She was initially set on storming to her grandmother but that stopped upon noticing me.

“Who the heck are you?” The fierce and suspicious glare on her face shook me to my core. Was this seriously the same girl? “What are you doing with my grandma?”

“I…”

The words died in my mouth before they could form as I glanced over to her grandma, finding the old lady giving me a very amused grin and I resisted the urge to sigh.

I took in a deep breath and forced a grin onto my face. “Hey, hey, the name’s Cygnus Plein! Beginner trainer and future Champion of the whole world!”

If my hands weren't occupied at the moment, I would most definitely be showing off my conviction by striking a pose. But since they were, I settled for puffing my chest out and exuding an awesome aura of confidence.

A moment of silence. Awkward. Quiet. With their blank unimpressed stares as the cherry on top.

H-hey! What's with the looks?

Was it the chest thing?

Their expressions were still as blank as ever, the awkwardness that dawned on us practically told me the answer.

… it was, wasn't it? I'd probably look cooler if I had my hands free right now… I mean, all the other kids and elders thought it was cool back home...

Charlotte turned to her grandmother, not paying attention to my amazing pose and jabbing a finger at her direction. “And what are you doing here, granny? I thought I told you to stay at home until I get back! You know you shouldn't be running around at your age.”

Charlotte's grandmother scoffed. “Ah, I ain't that old, silly girl. Certainly not old enough to not go grocery shopping.”

My eye twitched at the blatant lie. I beg to differ.

“Groceries?” Charlotte repeated, blinking in confusion. “Eh?! What do you mean ‘groceries’? You shouldn't be going out and getting groceries. That's my job!”

She spun on her heel, pointing a rather indignant finger at me. “You, weirdo!”

Her words stabbed my soul like a twisted dagger and it physically made me take a step back.

… I think my heart just shattered.

“Give me those bags and get lost! I don't need some… some… punk hanging out with my granny! And don't you think I can't hear you snickering, granny! You're not out of the woods. You're gonna go straight home and enjoy your elderly life doing elderly things or else!”

“And what if I want to add grocery shopping to my ‘elderly things’, dear?” If looks were a Pokémon move, Charlotte’s glare would be super effective against steel. Her grandmother sighed and made to leave, shrugging without remorse.

“Fine. Fine. You're no fun.”

“And you're old enough to need a cane!” Charlotte shouted at her grandmother’s retreating figure. “Lunch’s already made and in the fridge so don't you dare exert yourself!”

The old lady only brought up a hand in response, waving back without looking.

“Ugh, she’s way too energetic for someone her age.” The pinkette huffed before turning to me with a raised brow. “You're still here? I thought I told you to leave the bags and scram.”

The poking from her stick snapped me back into reality, and I took a moment to pick up the pieces of my shattered ego. Giving her a concerned glanced, I said, “Are you sure? These bags are pretty heavy and you're not exactly…”

“What? I'm not ‘what’ exactly?” she said with a scowl that was cuter than it was intimidating. “Are you looking down on me? I'll have you know that I've been doing these things on my own for a long time and I never had any trouble!”

Honestly, it was kinda hard not to look down on her with how much she was pouting and the height difference was making it really hard to take her feisty personality seriously.

“Excuse me?”

Oops, did I say that out loud?

“You're not any taller than I am!” She snarled, pointing an accusatory finger. “You're probably not even a trainer, are you? Just a weirdo with a fake name trying to prey on unsuspecting innocent little girls. Well, I'm not buying it, bucko! So put ‘em down!”

Gah! My hand gripped my chest in pain.

A fake name? Weirdo? Each word pierced my heart like an arrow. Am I really that bad?

Not willing to subject myself anymore to this psychological torture, I handed her the bags, trying not to wince when she nearly fell on her face from the weight. The resulting cry of pain only made my gut churn in worry and I moved forward to help. “Hey, maybe I should–”

“No! You stay where you are… I can… I can handle this…” Her legs were shaking and her arms quivering. Surprisingly, she managed to move a couple of feet into the park… before collapsing and scattering the contents of the bags.

I rushed over to her, making sure not to step on anything and crouched down to check on her. “Are you okay?”

She pushed my hands away, not meeting my eyes as she looked at the fallen groceries and trash. “I'm fine. I don't need your help.” She made a move to get up but hesitated, letting out a pained hiss.

She tried to hide it behind a snarl but I could tell she hurt something during that fall. My eyes trailed down, noticing the rather ugly bruise that was now exposed on her knee. It was purple, black and blue with a distinct white streak across it like something had drained the blood out of her. It was Pokémon inflicted, that much I could diagnose but from what, was a mystery to me.

“Are you sure? That looks a little–”

“I don't need your pity.” Charlotte glowered, trying to push herself up and groaning when she failed.

I wasn't discouraged, instead reaching into my backpack. I pulled out a tube of ointment, one made with medicinal herbs and various berries like oran and pecha to help with recovery and pain relief. “Here, something to help with the pain. A bruise like that can cause quite the problems for you in the future, especially if you leave it untreated. And I can't imagine it to be comfortable.”

She looked at the offered item like it was a trap but between my patient smile and genuine concern shining from my eyes. Charlotte caved, taking it from me and avoiding eye contact. She was quiet, still looking uncertain while she applied the ointment, only letting out a soft hiss of pain.

As she did that, I gathered up all the fallen groceries. Honestly, it was pretty fortunate her granny bought mostly canned food, with the few non-canned stuff being bagged instead. With how much my mom complained about food prices these days, I couldn't stomach the thought of having to throw half of these away.

Charlotte had gotten up at some point, the medicine doing its job rather well as the swelling lessened and some parts of her skin returned to their normal colours. Terra sure did know her stuff, made me wonder where I could get some for myself since last I checked Sandgem’s local stores never had any that worked this fast.

Now if only she could stop throwing them at me for safekeeping because she constantly misplaced hers on a weekly basis.

The little girl kept her head down, crouching low to sweep the junk and trash into her bag. I wanted to help but a particularly fierce glare was sent my way and I didn't wanna push my luck. When she was done, she took in a deep breath and walked up to me, eyes still locked on everywhere but my face.

“Th-thank you… for… the help.” The words came out slowly, as if she wasn't used to expressing herself. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her reddened cheeks.

Aw, she’s so cute.

“You're welcome. I'm glad I could be of use.”

The tip of her ears went red as she fumbled with the trash bag in her hands before handing me the ointment. “He-here.”

“Keep it.” I pushed her hand away as she protested. “Take it as a token of goodwill. And besides, you're still gonna need it anyway. A bruise like that will need a few days to completely heal.”

“Right…” she said, an uncertainty staining her eyes.

A bout of silence settled between us and I let my eyes wander around. The park was empty, calm and devoid of people. There was a fountain in the center, sparkling under the sunlight, it looked well maintained and pretty. Trees were all around us, oak wood looming over us like silent guardians. I even spotted a few Pidgey and Swellow making the branches their home.

It was an unfamiliar but peaceful sight. One that released some tension from my shoulders despite my knowing that Swellow and Pidgey weren't native to Jubilife.

Ignoring the thoughts that were urging me to study this strange phenomenon, I looked back at Charlotte. The little girl was fidgeting with her poking stick and she looked like she was trying to find the words to say something.

“Why don't I help you hold onto these while you work?” I said. “I'll even be nearby so you'll know I won't just skedaddle with these.”

She chewed on her lips before nodding. “Okay, just sit on one of the benches. But… if you try anything…” Her threat didn't hold as much vitriol as it previously did, she mostly just sounded bewildered.

I only smiled and made to rest my legs, sagging into the firm yet comfortable benches. Letting go of the bags, I pulled out a bottle of water from my backpack and took a swig, the refreshing water cooling my tongue and stress.

Honestly, it really was odd, wasn't it? This whole chain of events. I hadn't expected to find Charlotte after helping a random old lady. It was weird, extremely weird seeing this side of her. I never could’ve imagined her to be so feisty, so filled with gusto and fire. She sorta reminded me of an angry Growlithe pup, prickly and constantly barking to hide her timid side.

I chuckled at the mental image before the memories of last night wiped away my mirth.

Last night…

The memory came to me. The memory of her crying, unresponsive and sobbing into the concrete. My fist clenched, the pencil shaking as I forced the anger down with a heavy breath. The flame I could see burning so vividly right now. It genuinely hurt me to see her like this and knowing that tomorrow would snuff that bright flame out of existence, reduced to a snivelling mess.

I'll save him for you, Charlotte. Just to keep that smile on your face. I nodded to myself, nails digging into my palm and solidifying my resolve. No matter what, I won't let another person lose their loved one!

“... Daisy! I thought I told you to–oh you're done already? Great job!”

Her voice drew me back into reality. I shook the cobwebs out of my head and turned my head. What I saw froze me in complete shock.

There, in front of Charlotte, was a small green Pokémon standing on all fours. Using vines that came from its neck, it dragged a garbage bag full of junk, smartly having used another vine to tie it up to prevent the trash from spilling.

“A-a Chikorita?” I sputtered.

She has a Chikorita?

A Pokémon that less than five percent of trainers owned.

How on earth did a little kid have a regional starter?

A good question... not the best questio
.. but a good starting point.

Also its interesting is this charlotte pre misadventure... or is this an au variant skewed due to Cy's previous death.

Thats very interesting.

Thanks for sharing the mystery deepens