The sky was beautiful, she decided.
She slowed her pace until she came to a stop, partly to catch her breath, partly just to exist for a moment. Orange, pink, and gold spilled across the sky, setting the clouds ablaze, even behind the immense mountains, until they glowed like embers drifting over the world.
And yet, beneath that calm, her mind churned.
It had been a while since they’d started walking. Fortunately, no Pokémon—wild or otherwise—had bothered them since then. There were Pokémon, oh yes, there were: bird Pokémon soaring through the sky in the infinite distance, so far away that they were barely more than silhouettes of varying sizes. There were also small rodent and bug-like Pokémon that could be spotted among the rocks lining the irregular dirt path they were now traveling. But they did nothing more than cast attentive glances at the duo.
Still, that didn't make her feel any less wary of every non-existent shadow or snapping branch that put her on edge and made her look back every so often, as if to make sure they weren't being followed.
Theron obviously realized this, and even though he’d told her it was nothing—that he was pretty sure no one was following them—stopped bringing it up after seeing that words weren’t going to change her mind.
They hadn’t spoken much since they’d escaped that hellish labyrinth and Theron had discovered about her memories. He probably just wanted to give her some time, and she was grateful for that. Because… It was all too much to take in.
Someone. No, a talking Pokémon of her own kind, had tried to kill her simply because she was human. And then, after that, she nearly perished anyway at the hands of wild Pokémon before being rescued. Even after that, she had to face the horrors of the world she had awakened in, in places where the wind didn’t blow and one could lose one’s mind if one didn’t find the way out in time.
All the while, she didn’t know how or why any of it was happening.
All the while she couldn’t even remember anything; it was a truth that still weighed heavily on her mind. But there was something—something there—it had to be. After all, that voice… it seemed familiar. She still wasn’t sure if it was a memory, so, as silly as it might seem, she tried calling out to it again, somehow trying to summon it.
(Hello, can you hear me?) echoed in her mind, which, after several attempts, turned into (Please… you have to help me,) which was met with more silence, it quickly became (Why!? Why did this happen to me!? Is this your fault!? Why… I…)
She stopped, partly because she didn’t want to offend the voice that might be listening, and partly because she noticed Theron watching her.
So she watched the sky. To calm herself, to make sense of it all, with no success.
“Hey.”
She wanted to ignore him, to avoid his surely empathetic gaze, which only made her feel worse, and, if only for a few more moments, let the sky be all she saw. Everything that mattered, just a little longer.
“Alba?”
Until he called her by her new name.
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay? If you don't like the name, we can change it.”
After a whole list of suggestions, Alba had ended up as the final choice. It was… good, she supposed. Better than some of the other names Theron had suggested, such as Redie and Fangs, for example. Although he explained that they were, in fact, real names, she wasn’t so sure; they seemed more like adjectives or jokes than anything else.
So Alba it was. Normal. Simple. Safe.
And, with any luck, only temporary—a name to use until she recovered her real one. Because of that, it didn’t feel like hers. It was just a placeholder. Something to wear for now.
She reminded herself of that. She wouldn’t forget.
“No… the name is fine. Better than the others.”
“Still annoyed by my suggestions? They were all really good names.”
She disagrees. “What kind of name is Scales?”
“A really descriptive one.”
“A really dumb one.”
“Hey, don't look down on names.” Theron chided her, though he couldn't help but smile.
“Where did you get the idea for Alba, anyway?”
To that, Theron seemed a little uncertain. Still, he replied quickly “I'd heard it before, way out west. I think it suits you.”
(Does it?) Alba didn't think so, it was just a random name after all. Still she couldn't deny that it felt nice being called by something other than Charmeleon.
“Are you ok to continue? There is still some ground we need to cover”
After she agreed, the two continued along the path, following the mountain range from its foothills; it seemed as though they were doing nothing but keep going and keep climbing.The river she woke up at was barely visible now. For a moment, Alba feared they were heading for the summit of that mountain—the first thing she had seen upon waking. Although Theron quickly reassured her, saying that wasn't the case.
Still, the long walk gave her enough time to acknowledge other things about her situation. The main one: her body, and how strange it still felt to her. Even after all that walking, running, and that rather clumsy attempt at fighting, she still didn't feel anywhere close to comfortable. The uneven ground felt unforgiving to her feet. Every now and then, she lost her balance and stumbled, sometimes even hitting the ground. The scales felt weird under the intense mountain wind when it hit them. The crest on her head felt heavy for no reason. And the tail… didn't help with her balance at all. If anything, it was counterintuitive, adding extra weight to her back that she had to counteract by leaning forward in order to avoid straining the new articulation.
Theron looked rather amused, but stayed quiet. Good. She didn't feel like snapping at him over a joke at her expense.
But what surprised her most was that breathing was getting harder and harder. It got worse as they walked, and she could have sworn the air was getting thicker and thicker the higher they climbed. Eventually, she found herself taking deep breaths just to keep up with Theron.
To that, Theron did seem concerned and suggested they take a break. Alba felt a little unwell—was she so unaccustomed to physical exercise that just a couple of minutes of walking had left her feeling this way? Maybe she could blame it on exhaustion. Or her body and her short legs, which meant she had to take three steps to cover the distance of one of Theron’s. But even so, she couldn’t help feeling that she was slowing them down more than necessary.
The only positive in her situation was that, apparently, being a Charmeleon kept her from feeling the intense cold of the mountain range. Theron on the other hand would occasionally rub his hand together or tremble slightly when a specially bad gust of wind hit them head on.
“The sun should be coming up soon,” Alba said once she had caught her breath. “That should help with the cold, right?”
“Youre right it should. But don't worry about that right now” The Gallade answered her with a small smile. “Say, you're feeling okay, right? We’re much higher up than you probably realize. Those who aren’t used to mountain air can get sick up here.”
“Oh.” The thought hadn't crossed Alba's mind, but it would explain why she was having trouble just breathing. “No, aside from that I'm fine.”
“That's not exactly being fine.” Theron said, shaking his head. “If you feel anything else, let me know, okay?”
Alba, of course, agreed.
After a while, she realized that Theron was lost in thought. A moment later, he turned toward her.
“Is something wrong?”
“Just thinking.” he said “That amnesia of yours is really severe, but there has to be some way to undo whatever happened to you.”
Theron walked over and crouched down so he could be at eye level with her. “Psychic abilities were my first thought, but… as I told you, I’m not particularly skilled with them. If I force my way too deeply into your mind to try and salvage anything. I might hurt you instead.”
“Wait, that's an option? Its-Its worth the risk, don't you think?”
“I'm sorry, Alba, but it's more than just a headache. The mind is far too delicate; one wrong move and I could break something irreplaceable. It's simply a risk I'm not willing to take.” Theron took a moment before he continued. “Perhaps another psychic more talented than me would be able to. But the ones that I know are too far away from here.”
(Well, I guess it couldn't have been that simple.) That information made her feel a little uneasy. Knowing that trying to recover her memories might have some sort of effect for her. It was certainly discouraging.
“Dont worry, I have another idea.” He said trying to keep her spirit up. “What about if we just try to stir up your memories? Maybe there's something that you'll recognize on a subconscious level. That would be as good a start as any.”
He took off the heavy backpack he was carrying and set it down on the ground. After checking its contents, he carefully pulled out a roll of paper from it.
“Here it is. A map of the whole continent.” He said with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm “It’s not the most highly detailed—if it were, the scale would be bigger and the paper so large that it would be a hassle to carry around. But even so, it has enough landmarks marked that you might just recognize your home! That is, assuming you don’t live in a region so rural that no one would bother putting it on the map—but it’s still worth taking a look, right?”
A map? Well... she didn't have high hopes. Maybe, if she recognized something—a place, hopefully very, very far from here. Somewhere with other humans and Pokémon that didn't talk.
(Ugh! Why can't I remember anything! I just get a headache if I try too hard.)
Something, anything, even the slightest mention of humanity. She had to cling to something.
Taking the roll anxiously from Theron, she realized how awkward it was just to hold anything. Missing two extra digits made handling the paper far more difficult than she had expected. She wasn't entirely sure she even had the equivalent of thumbs anymore.
Holding the paper open with both arms, careful not to tear the delicate material with her clumsy claws, she observed the map in detail.
The map was fairly detailed. It depicted a massive landmass surrounded by water to the west and continuing far into the east, apparently extending beyond the map itself.
The western side of the continent looked crowded. There were multiple dots and markings which most likely depicted cities and roads so dense in some areas that the ink almost blurred into dark stains. Rivers were carefully traced, mountain passes labeled, and coastlines filled with tiny boat symbols. Most probably ports.
This... was much more than she had expected. Were the Pokémon really that well organized here? She had thought they would prefer to be free, not tied to a single location. Or small scattered tribes at best. But the map suggested the exact opposite.
It was strangely human.
The farther east the map stretched, however, the emptier it became. Settlements grew sparse and isolated, separated by enormous plains, forests, and jagged mountain ranges that cut across the land like scars. Vast stretches of emptiness dominated entire regions, broken only by thin rivers lacking a proper beginning or end and the occasional lonely mark that might have been a village.
But that wasn't what caught Alba's attention.
(What in the world is this?)
Alba blinked repeatedly to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
(Are these… paws?)
Instead of any kind of written language, what she found were pawprints. Or at least symbols shaped like Pokémon paws. Why? What kind of joke was this?
(How are you even supposed to read any of this?)
No matter how hard Alba looked, she couldn't make sense of them. They were all very irregular, some larger than others, running from top to bottom and from left to right. Some seemed to be made with a different kind of ink—so small they could barely fit on the crowded map. Notes, perhaps? They didn't seem to belong on the map itself. But these, too, were indecipherable.
Theron was waiting for her to say anything.
(No. No. No, I can read, I'm sure of it! These are just scribbles. Because they're not in... in...)
What language?
(No...)
She had also forgotten even that.
Theron must have seen the defeated look on her face, because he asked, “Is something wrong, Alba?”
“I… I can't read these.”
“You can't…? Well…” Theron hesitated. “No offense to rural folk, but that makes it more likely you're from somewhere like that. Perhaps somewhere here in the east? Were you at least able to recognize any landmarks? I know they're just drawings, but…”
Alba glanced at the map again. “No, I can't recognize anything.”
There went another chance to reach her goal. Maybe she should get used to disappointments.
“Ah… this really hasn't helped much,” the Gallade said, taking the roll back. “In all my years, I can count on one hand the number of times I've met someone of your kind this far east. Normally, you lot stay closer to the western side of the continent. I could try checking the registers, but that would take time.”
Theron sighed. He looked exhausted.
“Well, that leaves us with one last option: the guild. Hopefully someone has noticed you're missing and posted a notice,” he said, a small smile returning to his face.
(I don't think that's going to happen.)
She was actually hoping that wouldn't happen.
If someone really was looking for her, there was no guarantee they had good intentions. Ever since that Charmeleon had recognized her for what she truly was, the idea of being found no longer sounded comforting.
No. She needed to understand what was happening to her. Even after that, revealing the truth might still be dangerous. She would have to talk to Theron about that later.
They resumed walking once Theron put his pack back on.
“What's the guild,
exactly, anyway?”
The moment the question left her mouth, Theron seemed more enthusiastic than she had seen him so far.
“The guild. The most noble institution dedicated to the most noble profession in all of Solyderia. Since ages long past, Sentinels from every era have gathered there, organizing to protect the vulnerable and innocent. We stand as the first and last line of defense for order and progress, so that Pokékind may prosper united under a common cause.”
He spoke quickly, almost as if reciting an oath he had repeated countless times.
“At least, that's what we're supposed to do anyway.” He added that last part, with a bit of melancholy.
“Solyderia?”
“Yeah. That's where we are. The nation encompasses the whole continent.”
(So they have a level of organization almost identical to that of humans. But why?)
They continued at a leisurely pace, taking short breaks whenever Alba felt like her lungs were about to collapse from the effort.
It was during one of those breaks that a strange noise startled her.
Grrrrrrr…
Alba jumped in place, scanning her surroundings. Where had that sound come from? Were they being followed? In every direction, she saw nothing but more mountains. Where—
Grrrrrrrr…
It was then that she realized. The sound was coming from her.
“I think this might be a good time to eat something.” Theron chuckled at her reaction upon hearing her own stomach growl.
Alba couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Since when could stomachs make sounds like that?
It wasn't until then, however, that she realized just how hungry she really was. With everything that had happened, she simply hadn't noticed until that moment.
They stepped a short distance off the path and sat down, despite Alba’s initial objections. She wasn’t entirely sure having an open flame so close to the dry grass—even if it was sparse—was a good idea.
Fortunately, it didn’t start any kind of fire. Theron explained that as long as her emotional state remained calm and composed, her flames would rarely spread to smaller fuel sources.
That was probably going to be difficult, considering… well,
everything.
Still, Alba tried to keep it in mind.
What he gave her was a small apple... and a couple of seeds? Theron apologized for not having any more food than that, since he hadn't expected to have to share it.
The apple was devoured in an instant; her teeth were now much sharper than those of a normal human, and she was even afraid of biting her tongue. She left the core of the apple behind, which left Theron somewhat confused. And then the seeds...
“I promise they'll fill you up just right,” Theron said as he ate a single bluish berry. “I know you'd probably prefer something more substantial, but those seeds have as many nutrients as a piece of meat.”
(I really doubt it.)
Though now that Theron mentioned it, she
did crave something meatier, for lack of a better word. How strange.
Still, she ate the seeds one by one, trying to make them last as long as possible.
They were odd. Completely flavorless and gritty in her mouth, though pleasantly crunchy.
While she was eating, Alba realized that Theron hadn’t eaten anything else. When she asked him about it, he said he wasn’t hungry.
That struck her as strange—though, to be fair, Theron himself was strange to begin with.
At times, he looked like he was seconds away from collapsing from exhaustion. Yet moments later, he would flash a smile that made it seem as though nothing was wrong at all.
She briefly considered offering him some of her seeds, but... well, if he said he wasn’t hungry, it wasn’t really her place to question him.
Besides, she was still starving.
“Oh, looks like we have a visitor.”
What?
When Alba turned around, she couldn't see anyone at first. But then the dirt just behind started to break apart, sinking and allowing a Raticate to begin emerging from the ground, It was just like the others before it. It had grayish eyes, and its behavior was almost rabid. With its fur completely unkempt and covered with dirt, a few pebbles and small twigs were tangled in it. It was glaring at them furiously.
“Looks like it smelled our food,” Theron said as he stood up. “Come on, get out of here!”
The rat Pokémon didn't back down. Instead, it let out a horrible hiss.
Alba quickly moved behind Theron, seeking cover behind the Blade Pokémon and wanting absolutely nothing to do with the confrontation.
“Ah, years ago that would've been enough to scare it off,” Theron lamented. “Hey, I have an idea.”
Oh, good. Of course Theron had a plan. He’d surely deal with this Raticate just like he had handled the other Pokémon before. As long as she stayed with Theron, she was safe...
“Why don't you fight it?”
“What?!”
No way. No way in hell. She didn't want to fight anything.
“Y-you're serious? I’m not—I don't think I can…”
“Come on, it's just a Raticate. It doesn't even look that strong.”
“It's almost as tall as me!”
“I just want to see how you do. Remember what happened back in the dungeon? I'm sure you can do better than that,” Theron explained. “Besides, I'm right here if anything goes wrong—which I'm sure it won't.”
Theron started walking away.
“W-wait!”
Alba tried to move back toward his side, but the moment she took a step, the Raticate let out a feral screech and rushed at her.
This time, there was no instinctive reaction. Her body didn't move before she could even process what was happening.
She froze in place and took the tackle head-on.
Alba thought she heard something crack before she hit the ground hard, the Raticate still on top of her.
Finally, the adrenaline—that same sensation that had carried her this far—surged through her again, and the flame on her tail flared brighter, fiercer, and far more violently than before.
With a growl, Alba managed to shove the rodent away. But that was far from enough to put it down.
Using that brief burst of strength, she forced herself back to her feet, staring at the Pokémon that seemed utterly determined to bring her down.
It lunged at her again. This time, however, Alba managed to dodge at the very last second, causing the Raticate to slam hard into the ground and skid several feet forward.
It looked even angrier than before. What was she supposed to do?
She was already gasping for breath, and the adrenaline rush was fading quickly, leaving behind a sharp pain in her chest where she had taken the brunt of the blow.
“Well? What are you waiting for?” Theron called from across the field.
He watched the entire scene with his arms crossed, a focused look on his face.
“If you never attack, sooner or later it'll find an opening in your defense.”
“But I don't know how!” Alba said as she barely managed to dodge a bite that threatened to tear into her tail.
“Of course you do! Your memories may be gone, but a Pokémon's fighting spirit never fades—that's what makes us who we are.”
(But I'm not a Pokémon.)
At that moment, though, it didn't really matter.
Theron seemed determined to make her fight this battle alone.
(How am I supposed to...?)
Suddenly, her opponent moved far faster than her eyes could follow.
In a zigzagging blur, the Raticate slipped past her guard completely and slammed hard into her side.
Though Alba managed to stay on her feet this time, before she could even think of counterattacking, the Raticate spun around and lashed out with its tail, striking her square across the face.
Alba let out a scream.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
Why was Theron putting her through this? Couldn't he see she wasn't cut out for this?
“You have to fight with your whole body! Don't just rely on your eyes—use all your senses!”
The advice fell on deaf ears. Alba was far too busy barely dodging tackles to pay any attention.
“Alba, you have to attack! At this rate, your body will give out from the strain!”
He was right. Only a few minutes had passed, and Alba was already struggling just to stay standing.
Then she saw it.
The Raticate, convinced Alba was already cornered, lunged at her once more. But this time, she saw it coming. Mid-air, it couldn't change direction. Alba swung her arm at it, aiming to slash straight across its body with her claws. She heard the sound of fur tearing apart and couldn't stop herself from wincing.
The attack had connected.
The Raticate let out a cry of agony and stumbled violently before regaining its footing. A long mark across its side exposed the skin beneath the torn fur.
“That's it!” Theron called out. “But it won't give up so easily!”
Alba had feared exactly that.
The only attack she had managed to land hadn't shifted the battle in her favor at all. She was going to lose.
Her flame flickered violently.
(No...)
She couldn't afford to lose—especially against something so mundane.
(That stupid rat won't beat me!)
Once again, her vision began to redden.
She could feel nothing but anger.
Anger toward the Raticate. Toward Theron for letting things get this far. Toward herself for being so... weak.
She remembered how it had felt the first time.
The heat. The fire that had seemed to urge her forward, almost encouraging her to crush her opponent where it stood.
Drawing in as much air as she could, Alba prepared to burn the creature to a crisp.
But then something snapped.
Instead of fire, only smoke spilled from her mouth, followed immediately by another violent coughing fit. This was the worst of them all. Kneeling down, she could barely catch her breath.
Out of the smoke, Raticate appeared, intent on ending the fight once and for all. Alba closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. But the attack never came; instead, Theron finally stepped in, swinging up with his blades he knocked up the Raticate in an instant, which lay now motionless on the side.
“Okay… that… well I don't know what to say.”
The adrenaline had long since worn off; Alba didn't have the strength to respond.
… … …
Another thing she had learned from being a Pokémon was just how absurdly resilient they could be.
After the battle, she would have sworn she could barely take a single step. Yet after some rest—and an Oran Berry—there she was, walking once again toward wherever the guild was located.
All the damage she'd taken was still there, don't get her wrong.
Theron explained that Oran Berries were less effective outside dungeons, something about the distortions affecting not only Pokémon, but the items brought inside as well.
Still, they eased the pain somewhat. And according to Theron, her body would heal completely on its own before long.
But more than anything, Alba felt annoyed.
Mostly at Theron, for forcing her into a fight she had never wanted in the first place.
But... was she also angry at herself?
That was the strange part.
When she thought back to the fight, yes, she remembered the pain. The blows. The almost rabid look in the Raticate’s eyes and the fear she'd felt the entire time.
But she also remembered something else.
The feeling the outcome had left behind. The frustration of being defeated so easily.
It had to be because she was a Charmeleon. It had to.
Back in the dungeon, she had felt something similar near the end of the battle. Though that time she had actually managed to defeat her opponent, and the victory had filled her with something almost... pleasurable.
(Stupid body. Stop thinking so much about the fight. You don't even like fighting.)
“We're almost there.”
Theron’s voice snapped Alba out of her thoughts.
He didn't say anything when she failed to respond. Alba had been giving him the silent treatment ever since the fight.Though he did seem at least a little remorseful.
Still, she couldn't help noticing how often his gaze drifted toward her tail.
(The flame! It makes my emotions way too easy to read.)
Not that her face looked particularly happy either. But she was getting sick of it.
After a while Theron left out a sigh.
"Okay, Alba you can say it. I know you're mad at me."
“I-But of course I am! How else am I supposed to feel?!”
“Please, Alba, let me explain,” Theron replied calmly. “First, I'm sorry. I should've stepped in sooner once I realized you were struggling that badly. But at no point were you in any real danger and I needed to see how well you could handle yourself in a fight.”
He hesitated briefly.
“And well... we've already seen that you're not exactly the best at fighting.”
“That's what I was trying to tell you,” Alba muttered.
“Putting your memories aside, I was hoping your instincts would be enough. Maybe you were overly sheltered growing up. But that doesn't matter right now, what worries me most is the fact that you don't seem to have any control over your own fire.” Theron’s expression darkened slightly. “That's bad.”
“It is?”
“Yeah. Alba, you're no hatchling. Someone your age—someone of your species—shouldn't have absolutely no control over their fire. I don't even think that's healthy.”
“Oh.”
“Don't worry,” he added with a small chuckle. “It's just another thing we'll have to work on, right? Maybe we should make a list.”
Well, if Theron said it was important, she figured he had his reasons. Alba was still annoyed with him, but he remained the only person—er, Pokémon—she could trust.
The climb had taken them far above the valley nestled between the mountain ranges. From this height, the river where she had first awakened had become little more than a thin silver thread cutting through the land far below.
The mountains seemed endless.
Ridge after ridge stretched toward the horizon, enormous and weathered, their slopes covered in dry grasslands broken only by scattered rocks and the occasional twisted shrub clinging stubbornly to the earth. Farther in the distance, towering white peaks rose above everything else, so massive they almost didn't look real beneath the endless blue sky.
The higher they climbed, the smaller everything below became.
Despite the breathtaking scenery, the path itself was in poor condition, often disappearing entirely beneath loose dirt and patches of dry vegetation, perhaps because few travelers bothered passing through.
(Would anyone really bother living here?)
No matter how beautiful the views were, that didn't change the fact that it all felt so isolated. The harsh altitude didn't help either. There wasn't a trace of civilization until then.
“Ah, we're finally here.”
When the words reached her ears, she couldn’t help but feel something — excitement? Maybe. They had been walking for so long that even the thought of a new place to properly rest felt like a gift. Or perhaps it was simply curiosity. So far, she had only met two sentient Pokémon in this world. What would a whole town look like? How did they live?
It wasn't until she caught up with Theron at the top of the path and looked across to the other side that she was able to see it.
A village that looked carved on the side of the mountain.
There it was in the distance, a glimmer of civilization in the middle of nowhere. Several roads, apart from the one they were traveling on, converged into a single central path that led directly into the settlement. Hundreds of buildings crowded the mountainside, while dozens of thin plumes of smoke rose from their chimneys and vanished into the sky.
The houses were packed so tightly together that some appeared to lean against one another. They formed uneven terraces that climbed ever closer toward the slope of a single towering mountain, as though the entire settlement were desperately clinging to it.
Even from this far away, it looked cramped but also movement and noise could already be heard faintly. Bells. Shouts. Roars. The constant murmur of countless inhabitants.
Somehow, it all felt both foreign and strangely familiar.
“This, Alba, is Stonevein,” Theron added with a smile. “We have a saying here: The mountain bleeds ore, and we bleed with it.”
Stonevein.
As they drew closer to the settlement, the impressive view they’d had from afar slowly began to fade.
Most of those houses were little more than shacks. Built from weathered wood darkened by age and cold, they looked painfully fragile against the brutal mountain climate. Many of the buildings along the outer edges of the settlement stood half finished or partially collapsed, with planks missing from their frames as though they had simply been abandoned by whoever once lived there.
The structures followed no clear pattern, claiming whatever ground they could. Some had even been built directly on top of others, forming unstable multi story constructions that leaned precariously against one another, their wooden frames creaking softly beneath the mountain wind.
Lanterns still burned quietly beside many doorways despite the early hour, their candlelight glowing like tiny hearts against the gray morning. The ground beneath their feet was uneven and bare, never paved, worn down only by the passage of countless travelers.
But nevermind any of that. Because, finally, Alba saw other Pokémon.
There they were.
Creatures that, until then, Alba hadn't been able to imagine living like anything similar to humans.
Some stood in doorways or leaned out of windows, carrying out mundane chores. A Minccino swept the entrance to its home while muttering curses under its breath about all the dust gathering in the streets.
Others wandered through the streets in quiet conversation or hauled heavy crates from one place to another like cargo workers. A Gurdurr lifted an enormous wooden beam onto its shoulder, apparently helping repair a massive hole in the home of a pair of Pachirisu. Everyone moved through their daily routines as though nothing about any of this was unusual.
Because to them, it wasn't.
Alba, on the other hand, found herself staring almost constantly, her mouth hanging open as she struggled to process what she was seeing.
Dozens of Pokémon of all kinds crossed her field of view at any given moment. Small and large. Bipedal, quadrupedal, crawling... or even digging? Like a Diglett that repeatedly appeared and disappeared along the side of a street, disappearing beneath the dirt only to pop back out a few feet away.
And the noise, now that was extremely offputting.
At first, it sounded like nothing more than a chaotic mess of beastly cries, roars, screeches, and deafening noises coming from every direction at once.
But if Alba listened closely, she could distinguish voices within the chaos.
Voices that sounded nothing like human speech. There was something distinctly different about them, something she struggled to put into words. Almost all of the Pokémon produced sounds, growls, clicks, and strange vocalizations that she was fairly certain no human could ever replicate.
Sometimes she would fixate on one in particular, desperately trying to understand how any of this could possibly exist. In return, she received only confused, empty, or outright hostile looks. Like the one from a Geodude who eventually seemed to grow tired of her staring. The Rock type let out a heavy grunt, snapping Alba out of it. Embarrassed, she remembered she was supposed to keep walking.
(I-I can't believe this.)
It was overwhelming, so overwhelming, in fact, that Alba kept accidentally bumping into other Pokémon as they passed by.
In return, they made their displeasure very clear, muttering what were probably insults under their breath.
Or... at least, she assumed they were insults.
Alba could have sworn she heard a
“Watch it Softscale” but rather than offending her, it just left her even more confused.
One particularly small Pokémon, a Rattata that Alba had nearly kicked away on instinct after colliding with its evolved form, looked ready to pounce on her.
It only held itself back after realizing its opponent was several times its size. And… also because Theron quickly apologized on her behalf.
“Come on.” Theron guided Alba through the labyrinth that was the entire place. “It'd be better if you didn't draw much attention. The locals can be… a bit harsh.”
“You really live here?” Alba finally asked, some of the earlier shock beginning to fade. “I mean, It's not like I had imagined it at all.”
“Well, what were you expecting?” He asked, genuinely curious.
“I don't know, I guess…” Alba made a gesture towards one of the many packs of houses. “Something less crowded.”
“Its not that bad.” Theron laughed. “Besides, the fact that houses are so close together is common in most settlements. It helps retain heat better and provides greater resistance to the wind against the..."
Theron stopped in the middle of the street, causing Alba to do the same. He stared at the Charmeleon for a moment before sighing.
“Right, you don't know about that.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “We really need to make a list”
He seemed to be pondering something for a few moments, until he finally spoke.
“Why don’t we go to my place so you can rest? Then we can go to the guild and figure out what to do with you.”
“Now? When we are this close?”
“Yeah, I can tell you're tired from all that walking. No need to be a psychic to figure that out.”
(Well, I guess he's right. And it would give me a chance to ask him not to say anything about my memories.)
Resting didn't sound bad, a comfortable bed, soft pillows, and heavy blankets... Yeah, it didn't sound bad at all.
Following the Gallade through the settlement, Alba noticed they were steadily climbing uphill, approaching the slope of the mountain upon which the entire town had been built.
It loomed above everything else, impossibly tall, like a massive spike piercing the sky. Even the crowded wooden structures scattered along the mountainside couldn't fully obscure it.
They turned into a narrow alley where several Pokémon seemed to recognize Theron.
Most greeted him with small nods, though the looks they gave Alba were noticeably more suspicious before quickly dismissing her as just a stranger.
Soon, they stopped in front of a modest building tucked between the others.
At first glance, it didn't seem much different from the surrounding homes, though it appeared slightly bigger and consisted of only a single floor with a small window with its curtains closed.
“After you,” Theron said, opening the door.
(Okay... finally, some peace and quiet. Seriously, after everything today, I just want to—)
The moment she stepped inside, Alba immediately noticed the dust.
Turns out the place wasn't very large.
With a floor made of stone, there was only a single main room that appeared to function as a living area. A lonely sofa sat near an old chimney stove, while a few worn cabinets had been pushed up against the walls. Another room could be seen farther in the back.
“Sorry about the mess. I don't use this place very much nowadays.” Theron apologized with an awkward smile. “I travel a lot, so I rarely get the chance to come back here. Honestly, it was pure luck that I happened to be returning from the capital when I ran into you.”
Theron closed the door, set his backpack aside, and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Do you want anything to eat? I'm pretty sure I still have some supplies left from a couple of weeks ago. They should still be edible.”
He walked over to the cabinets and opened a few of them, crouching slightly as he searched through the shelves.
Only to find even more dust.
“Right...” He let out a dry laugh. “I gave the last of it to Dasha.”
“Don't worry, I'm not that hungry,” Alba replied, trying not to trouble the Pokémon who had already helped her so much.
“No, no, I'll go buy something later,” Theron insisted. “I still have some money left.”
“Well, make yourself at home. You can use my bed if you want. I’ll be back in a little while,” Theron said as he headed toward the door.
“W-What? You're leaving me here alone?”
“Only for a bit. I need to do something.”
“W-wait, Theron...”
He paused and looked back at her.
“Could I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Alba hesitated.
“It's about my memories.”
Theron’s expression immediately grew more serious.
“What about them?”
“Could you... maybe not tell anyone I lost them?”
He blinked in confusion.
“Why? Wouldn't hiding it just make things harder?”
“I know, but...” Alba looked down at the floor. “I just don't think it's a good idea for everyone to know.”
Theron stayed silent for a moment. Then, slowly, his expression shifted.
“...Right.”
He leaned slightly against the doorway, thinking.
“If someone realized you couldn't remember anything, they could easily take advantage of you. Or pretend they know you.”
His tone darkened slightly.
“And we’d have no way to verify whether they were telling the truth. At least not easily”
Alba felt her chest tighten.
“Pokémon here can be... wary,” Theron admitted quietly.
His gaze drifted toward her for a brief moment.
“And honestly, if word spreads too far, some might think you're unstable.” He hesitated, before continuing, “Or worse.”
Theron straightened slightly. “It's a shame the world has become like this, but you're right. It's better to be cautious.”
“Don't worry. I won't tell anyone,” he assured her after a brief pause.
“Thank you,” Alba said, releasing a breath she hadn't even realized she’d been holding.
“I'll let you rest now. Just try not to burn the building down, okay?” the Gallade added with a small smile as he stepped through the doorway.
So Alba was left alone.
Deciding it would probably be best to accept Theron’s offer and get some rest, she headed toward the room at the back of the house, which she assumed was his bedroom. When she pushed the door open, however, she found no bed.
(I'm getting really tired of this...)
Straw.
The small room contained little more than a large pile of straw gathered in one corner. Though now that she looked at it more carefully… Was it shaped like a nest? A very large nest, admittedly, but a nest nonetheless.
(Don't tell me this is supposed to be a bed.)
A straw bed. As if the situation wasn't absurd enough already.
“Nope. I refuse to sleep there,” Alba muttered aloud. “Who knows what kind of bugs are living in that thing.”
Not to mention how degrading it felt.
And there was also the very real possibility she might accidentally set the entire thing on fire with her tail.
Resigned, she returned to the main room. Holding her tail to avoid any fire hazard, she sat down on the dusty sofa, which was bigger than she was. It wasn’t as comfortable as she would have liked, but at this point she didn’t care.
(I just want my mind to shut off for a while... and then... I don't know.)
Staring at the unlit fireplace, she couldn't help drifting toward the worst possible thoughts.
(What if I never get my memories back?)
No.
She would.
With Theron's help, she'd find a way.
But where was she even supposed to begin?
Her eyelids gradually grew heavier.
The edges of her vision blurred, the room slowly losing its sharpness.
At some point, she noticed her tail drooping slightly, the flame dimming into a slow, lazy flicker.
(The guild seems like a good place to start. At least Theron thinks so.)
Even if she couldn't openly tell others about her situation, maybe she'd still manage to learn something.
Slowly, the sounds from outside faded away.
The weight in her body grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer resist it.
The flame on her tail flickered once...
Then settled into a low, quiet burn.
Alba fell asleep.
Notes: Its no longer hot. Instead Its just cold. I also learned that Reddie is actually a surname, the more you know...
Doing some edits to chapter 5 before posting it elsewhere. I just didnt like how it ended up. So, uh... yeah. Anyway have a good one!
