《Making it Work (Pokemon Isekai SI)》 Chapter 1 Markus Fletcher POV ¡®Today is going to be perfect,¡¯ I mused as I let my legs swing over the edge of the railing. The sky was clear, and the cool breeze of the morning helped to mitigate the mugginess of the summer day. I drew my attention back towards the flaming remains of what was my car, with almost all of my possessions trapped within it. Between my lack of PTO and my dwindling funds, I''d decided to risk driving on the highway, but the clicking sound my car had been making had clearly reached a breaking point. My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden vibration from my pocket. Excitedly, I pulled out my phone. ¡°Markus Fletcher, this is a final warning concerning your outstanding debt. If you wish- ¡± I didn¡¯t bother reading the rest of it. Wonderful. ¡®They¡¯re not gonna contact you,¡¯ I thought. ¡®Besides, you don¡¯t want them to ruin your perfect day.¡¯ I glanced down at what meager possessions I had been able to save. Most of what remained were old clothes too small to fit anymore, and some lesser memorabilia, but nestled between it all was my Nintendo Switch. Figuring I had nothing better to do, I grabbed my console, and booted up my copy of Pok¨¨mon Scarlet. Like thousands of hours before, the game helped to keep my mind at ease, letting me wander the world of Paldea. Today I decided to just look through everything I had accomplished by dedicating myself to this game. I never truly 100%-ed the games, but I had gotten pretty darn close, finishing off the Pok¨¨dex and the DLCs, and clearing most of the side quests. I never placed high in any official tournaments, but I wasn¡¯t just some casual player. I had box after box filled with competitive ready mons, all hand crafted to fit a playstyle I enjoyed or thought would be viable. Looking through it all filled me with a sense of pride at what I had completed.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡®Well, no time like the present to get on with things,¡¯ I thought while I pocketed my Switch. I brushed myself off and stood, looking up at the beautiful, clear sky. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting the world fade around me. With my mind at peace, I threw myself off the bridge, into the ravine below. A perfect end to such a perfect day. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Was I still falling? If so, why does air feel suspiciously like the ground? Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to be left confused by the unoccupied sky above, and the vast meadow around me. It took me several more minutes to accept this situation before sitting up to get a better look at my surroundings. I was alive, and there was no sign of the area I was in previously. In the distance, I could see a white and blue colored squirrel playing with an odd-looking pig, and beyond them I could see a lake occupied by some round blue rabbits. A rustling sound startled me, and I quickly turned, only to see a yellow and blue snake with what looked like a drill tail scampering away. It took me several more moments to register just what I was seeing. ¡°Pokemon,¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯m either delusional, or I¡¯m seeing real fucking Pokemon.¡± I brought my hand to my face before violently slapping myself. I winced, not expecting it to hurt as much as it did. Wait. The slap hurt. The pain was real. This is all real. The fleeing Dunsparce is real. The Marill playing in the lake are real. The goddamn Lechonk and Pachirisu are real. I¡¯m alive, and there¡¯s Pokemon. I nodded, taking in that information, before promptly passing out. Welcome to the World of Pokemon. Thank you for reading! Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Markus POV I had woken suddenly, thanks to the horrid dry taste in my mouth. Jolting up, I startled the poor Pachirisu that had been shoving a berry down my throat. I tried desperately to removed whatever was left, shuddering as more of the evil flavor found its way down my throat. After taking a minute to try and recover, I saw what the Pachirisu had been attempting to do. ¡°Were you feeding me a chesto berry?¡± I asked the electric squirrel, recovering slightly from the impromptu torture session. They nodded. ¡°Pachi *confirmation*! Pachi Risu *concern*?¡± they chittered back to me. ¡°Well thank you, little one, that was extremely kind of you. Also, there¡¯s no need to be concerned, I¡¯m just out of it at the moment,¡± I replied before realization dawned on me. Not only was I talking to a Pok¨¦mon, I had understood the context of what it was saying without needing to try and interpret them. ¡®We don¡¯t have time to unpack all of that right now¡¯ I quipped to myself. The Pachirisu seemed satisfied with my answer. They smiled and waved to me before returning to their game with the Lechonk. I took a couple of moments to collect my bearings. I had jumped off a bridge and somehow landed in the world of Pok¨¦mon with nothing but the items in my pockets and the clothes on my back. Calling them clothes would be generous, however, as they were barely held together by hopes, dreams, and common decency. The long hours at the factory had not been kind to them. I checked my pockets, grimacing as I did so. It turned out not everything had survived the fall quite as well as I had. I realized this as I pulled out multiple pieces of what was my phone. My wallet came out with it, though I wasn¡¯t sure how useful an Illinois driver''s license would be in this world, or if they accepted maxed out off-worlder credit cards. My earbuds appeared to be in working order, and my car key, while useless now, had also survived the trip down. The most surprising item, however, was my Switch. I thought it would have been completely beyond any kind of help, but when I pulled it out, it looked not only untouched, but upgraded.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The old grey of the device was instead replaced with a white and gold color scheme, and the parts felt brand new. The screen itself had a sort of sheen to it that made it look like it could survive any form of damage. Curious about the changes, I started up the Switch. It didn¡¯t load up the usual start screen, instead immediately loading into my in-game boxes on Scarlet. Each box was filled with icons resembling each Pokemon I had meticulously trained. I brought the cursor over one of the icons, prompting a text box to appear. There was only one option I had available, and it was to withdraw the Pokemon. The strangest part was the lack of a ¡°current party¡± section usually shown on the left. ¡®Fuck it. Today has thrown me for such a loop, what¡¯s one more surprise?¡¯ I thought, clicking the withdraw button. My investigation was cut short by the sounds of a violent scuffle and the zap of electricity. I quickly scoured the area to see that the two small Pokemon were desperately fighting for their lives against a very angry Zangoose, and were losing badly. The Lechonk rushed in with a tackle, only to receive a nasty swipe that knocked them away. The Pachirisu tried some kind of electric attack, but the Zangoose just shrugged it off, stalking towards their downed prey. Without a second thought, I dropped everything and sprinted towards the commotion in an attempt to stop what was about to happen. I dove at the Zangoose, attempting to grapple them and draw their away attention from the small piglet. My attempts weren¡¯t in vain, as the Zangoose was caught off guard, giving the Lechonk and Pachirisu enough time to scurry away. I had a brief moment to bask in my victory, only to be reminded of my folly. I had interrupted a very angry Pokemon during their hunt, and I was still trying to grapple with the vastly superior creature. That same creature was looking at me like its next meal. The Zangoose¡¯s claws glowed white as they grabbed me, throwing me over their shoulder. The impact of my landing resonated with the horrid snapping of my arm, and my vision blurred. I struggled to rise as the angry mongoose vanished for a moment, only to reappear and pin me back down. Consciousness began escaping me once again as the Zangoose raised their claws for one final strike. Glancing behind my assailant, I smiled, seeing that the two Pokemon had escaped. ¡®At least this time I won¡¯t go out selfishly,¡¯ I chuckled to myself. Closing my eyes, I accepted my fate. The sounds of chimes flowed through the meadow. ¡°Withdrawal complete.¡± POP ¡°ARAAAAAAAAAQ!¡± *rage* Thank you for reading! Chapter 3 Markus POV There have been many pieces of media throughout my life that portrayed beings of power that wrought terror and fear wherever they went. What they were never able to convey, however, was the primal emotion one would feel when facing something like that, and on that day, the meadow learned just that emotion when the Pokemon let its voice be heard. Standing a ways away was a giant purple spider with glowing orange eyes. Their head was encased in a water bubble which rippled as his bellowed. My fear was quickly replaced with joy, seeing my all time favorite Pokemon looming in the distance. Phobia the Araquanid. My Shining Araquanid. Phobia¡¯s cry was cut short by what sounded like a waterfall. As he rushed in, his two front limbs were covered with rushing water. The Zangoose had barely come to their senses, attempting to throw up a guard as Phobia¡¯s Liquidation slammed into its defenses, completely shattering them and sending the Zangoose flying. With that, the fight was over with a single hit. The Zangoose lay in a heap with no signs of getting up, the two tiny Pokemon poking were their heads out from behind a tree, and a giant water spider was standing above my crumpled form. Whatever adrenaline had been keeping me conscious was quickly leaving me, reminding me of my very broken body. I let out shaky, shallow breaths, trying desperately to keep myself from blacking out. As hard as I tried, the darkness was creeping ever closer in my vision. Realizing I was going unconscious whether I liked it or not, I chose to say the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­ Pho..Bia.. you¡­ giant.. beautiful.. spider.¡± ¡°Raqua *confusion*?¡± And darkness took me. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª I awoke to the feeling of an electric squirrel shoving yet another berry down my throat. Terrified, I braced myself for the onslaught against my tastebuds, only to be pleasantly surprised as a smooth citrus flavor filled my mouth. I tried to sit up, only to wince at the pain that shot up through my arm. The Pachirisu seated on my chest noticed my attempts and bopped me on the forehead. They chittered their concerns to me, indicating I needed to lie down and keep eating the yellow spotted berry they brought me. ¡°Thank you again, Pachirisu, you¡¯ve been an absolute blessing,¡± I said wholeheartedly. ¡°Pachi, rish Pach *Thankful denial*,¡± the small squirrel chirped to me before pointing up and nodding. I followed their indications, craning my neck up to see a set of orange eyes in the distance taking in my form. I shuddered before remembering that those eyes belonged to my other savior. Seeing that I was awake, Phobia made their way over to me. ¡°Ara, araquanid? *Demanding Question*,¡± Phobia asked while staring me down. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I''m sorry, I don¡¯t quite understand. I know you¡¯re wanting me to answer something, but I¡¯m not sure what that something is,¡± I replied, growing slightly nervous about the interaction. The tension grew worse and worse as seconds passed, neither of us saying anything. The silence was finally broken by an exasperated sigh from the Pachirisu on my chest. They jumped off my chest and darted a short distance away before returning with an object. They placed it in my good hand and encouraged me to look at it, and I obliged. A Master Ball. Phobia¡¯s Master Ball. The Pachirisu started gesturing at the Master Ball, then pointed at both Phobia and me. It took me a second to realize what they were trying to convey, and I looked up to Phobia. ¡°Are you asking if I¡¯m Markus, your trainer?¡± I questioned. ¡°Raq *confirmation*,¡± Phobia replied. He then started some charades of his own, moving his two front limbs around his water bubble. Thankfully, it took far less time to understand what he was wanting. In the game, I had tried to design my character to look like they were part of Daft Punk, using the gold motorcycle helmet. Phobia was wondering if I was his trainer. ¡°Right, yea, it¡¯s a very long story,¡± I started, ¡°but to give you some reassurance, yes, I am Markus. I might not look like the Markus you know, but we are the same person.¡± The Araquanid stared at me for a moment before nodding, letting out the tension in their limbs. A collective breath was let out from everyone in the meadow as we all relaxed. The pain in my body was becoming slightly more bearable. I decided I should look over myself just in case anything else was out of place. I started with my arm, but quickly looked elsewhere. Arms aren¡¯t supposed to bend at that angle. Hopefully health care was free here like it was in the games, because that was going to need a significant amount of work. My clothes weren¡¯t much better. It seemed hopes, dreams, and common decency couldn¡¯t save you from the claws of an angry Zangoose. Speaking of Zangoose, I looked around for the Pokemon. I cringed, seeing multiple points where they had bounced across the ground, ending in an impact crater. Phobia¡¯s Choice Banded Liquidation is fucking scary. Much to Pachirisu¡¯s annoyance, I struggled to my feet, grabbing a piece of the discarded sitrus berry as I did so. I hobbled my way to the crater to check on the Zangoose, with Phobia close behind. They was alive, and that was probably the best that could be said. With the help of Phobia, I slowly inched towards the downed Pokemon. Once I was close enough, I crushed the remains of the berry into the Zangoose¡¯s mouth, letting the restorative juices work their magic. Some time passed, and I could see the Zangoose¡¯s eyes start fluttering open. ¡®Pokemon healing magic bullshit,¡¯ I chuckled to myself, wincing as I did so. The Zangoose must have heard my voice, as their eyes shot open and they whipped their head towards me, letting out a yelp as they did. I made no sudden movements, keeping eye contact as I slowly backed into a sitting position. I waited, watching as Zangoose¡¯s eyes went from frantic to calm. Seeing no better time, I spoke. ¡°It¡¯s ok, the fighting¡¯s over. I¡¯m sorry I interrupted your hunt. You must be hungry. I¡¯m going to ask Pachirisu or Lechonk if they¡¯ve seen any humans or rangers around that can get us help. You¡¯re welcome to come along to get healed up. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d even have some spare food for you!¡± The Zangoose took my words in silently, letting them play out in their head before saying anything. ¡°Z..zang *Why?*¡± ¡®That¡¯s a full word. Why can I understand this Pok¨¦mon¡¯s full words now? Later issue.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you suffer. You shouldn¡¯t have to lie there broken and starving just because you were doing what was natural for you.¡± The Zangoose sat unmoving, not even bothering to try and struggle to stand. They locked eyes with me and slowly nodded, accepting our help. I smiled and nodded back, looking over to Phobia as I did so. ¡°Looks like things are wrapping up nicely. Is there any chance you could ask the two if they could help us out?¡± Phobia brought his front limb up into a salute before making his way towards the Lechonk and Pachirisu. I snorted, wondering where and how he knew that gesture, before settling myself down. ¡®And now, we wait in a pit with an angry murder cat who just tried to eat you by yourself.¡¯ I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. After all, I¡¯ve only ever made the smartest of choices. Thank you for reading! Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Markus POV As it turns out, sitrus berries aren¡¯t the cure-all I had originally thought they were. Instead, they act more like a painkiller, temporarily dampening the pain. I learned this valuable lesson thanks to the excruciating pain coming from my broken limb. ¡®At least I¡¯m not going through this alone¡¯ I sighed, glancing at the groaning Zangoose being attended to by the Pachirisu. The little squirrel had taken to the role of an emergency nurse, finding different types of berries from thin air. When Phobia had asked the two if they knew where any other humans might be, only Lechonk had responded, and had set off in order to find some help. Phobia had been looming behind me, cautious of the downed Zangoose. This allowed me to have a better look at him. Araquanids are big Pokemon, and Phobia was no exception. He was the same height as I was, but his body was much more spread out. His purple limbs showed power as the water bubbles on each joint glistened. Tied around his abdomen was the Choice Band, boosting his already impressive attack power. The neat part was that the Band seemed to be custom made for Phobia. I chalked it up to whatever weirdness allowed him here in the first place, and the fact I was far too tired to try and theorycraft. I reached over, running my hand along Phobia¡¯s leg. They felt really smooth and wet to the touch. He must have enjoyed the feeling, because the next second he started making some noises that I registered as contentment. ¡°Thank you, I don¡¯t know what I would''ve done without you, all of you guys,¡± I stated, smiling at the Pokemon. The Pachirisu shot me a thumbs up and a smile before returning to their work with the Zangoose. Phobia looked towards me, staring deep into my eyes. They nodded, and head butted me, submerging my head in their water bubble. I was let free a few moments after, and I gasped for air, laughing as I did so. ¡°If that¡¯s how you show appreciation, I¡¯m gonna need to learn to hold my breath, and fast,¡± I teased, pushing the Araquanid playfully. I was then set upon by a very angry squirrel, who started berating me for overexerting my body before shoving yet more berries into my mouth. I sighed, letting out all the pain and exhaustion today brought as I gazed wistfully at the sky. My eyelids began to droop as I slowly let myself fade into a peaceful unconsciousness. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª I was awoken by a cacophony of sounds. Shaking off the grogginess, I tried sitting up, only to come into contact with an angry Phobia standing above me, with their limbs covered with rushing water. Nestled into my chest was a shivering Pachirisu, trying their best to not bring attention to themselves. I brought the little squirrel closer to me in an attempt to comfort it as I tried to figure out what was going on. My eyes went wide as I spotted the cause of everything. Standing a distance away was an Archanine, crouched down, preparing an attack. Flames lick its jaw as it stared down Phobia. Next to the angry fire dog was an older man dressed in a red get up. He had been screaming into some device, much of it being lost in the noise of rushing rapids that was Phobia¡¯s Liquidation. He must have noticed my movements, as a second later we locked eyes. ¡°FUCKING DISTORTION, WE GOT A LIVE ONE! ARCHIE, RESCUE MANEUVERS!¡± the man shouted. The Arcanine nodded, and blurred into movement. They slammed into Phobia with a bone-rattling crack as the wind caught up with the move. Phobia was pushed back slightly, having brought his limbs into a guard, blocking most of the damage. He brought down his limb like a waterfall, missing the Arcanine as they had blurred away again, but completely obliterated the area it had once occupied. When the dust cleared, I saw both the Arcanine and the man were standing in complete bewilderment and terror, and Phobia stood nearly unblemished, slowly meandering back to guard over the Pachirisu and me, and the sounds of crashing water once again deafening me. I tucked the Pachirisu into my hood as I slowly rose, patting Phobia¡¯s side. ¡°Phenomenal job big guy, that liquidation of yours is monstrous. I think we can call the fight here though, as these should be the guys we called for.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Phobia seemed to relax at this, letting his attack die down as he returned to his usual looming position as I made my way over to the two new arrivals. The Arcanine took a defensive position next to their trainer, staring warily in my direction, but I could tell it didn¡¯t have much fight left. Phobia must have gotten some licks in judging from the damp spots it had, and the destruction around the area. The old man had a stoic expression, but his eyes told me he was having a religious experience seeing my bestest boy''s power. ¡®Praise be to the Choice Banded Liquidation¡¯ We stood staring in silence at each other until eventually I broke the silence. ¡°Sorry about that, Phobia here was just standing guard. Are you guys here because of the Lechonk? If so, we could use some help. I¡¯ve got myself a broken arm, and the Zangoose in the crater isn¡¯t much better.¡± This seemed to snap the man back to attention, though my casual tone seems to unsettle him slightly. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah that¡¯s us. Didn¡¯t realize this beast was yours. Let¡¯s get you guys to a center and getcha patched up. Afterwards I¡¯ve got some questions for you,¡± He said, letting out some tension as he did so. ¡°Come on Archie, play time''s over.¡± The Arcanine relaxed, and started whining at the man looking between him and Phobia. They seemed disappointed that the battle had ended so abruptly, but dutifully resumed its task. After carefully gathering the Zangoose, and the older man applying more thorough first aid, the two approached me. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all set. Before we start, I have to ask. Have you experienced teleportation before? If not, you¡¯ll wanna brace yourself. A lot of people have compared it to the feeling of falling.You¡¯ll probably want to return your Pokemon, it¡¯ll make the ride far less bumpy,¡± the man warned me. I must have grimaced since the man held my shoulder and tried to reassure me. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad after your first one, just takes a little getting used to,¡± he said, unaware of the reason for my reaction. I smiled and nodded, too tired to make any remarks. Instead, I took out Phobias Pokeball before realizing I had no idea how to work these things. I turned toward the man, ready to ask for assistance. When I did, I saw him staring breathlessly at the ball, having what might have been his third mental breakdown. ¡®Me too buddy,¡¯ I said wordlessly, before trying to get his attention. ¡°This might sound silly, but do you know how to return a Pok¨¦mon? I¡¯ve never worked one of these before.¡± ¡°Middle button,¡± the man eventually sputtered out, and I nodded to him in thanks, returning Phobia. It seems like we all need a nap later. I pocketed the ball and waited patiently as the man made his way to his partner. ¡°Right, Archie, Mesagoza main center,¡± he said. ¡®Mesagoza. So I¡¯m in Paldea. Makes sense with the Lechonk that was around,¡¯ I mused, bracing myself for whatever was about to happen. The air around us started to shake as it encompassed the small group, and then the world blinked out. It really did feel like falling. It was then that realization dawned on me. I had forgotten my Switch in the meadow. Fuck. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª I thought teleporting would be easy for me given my most recent experience, but shifting back to reality proved that wasn¡¯t the case. The falling feeling persisted for fall longer than it should have, even while on solid ground, and the nausea it brought was debilitating. As bad as I felt, Pachirisu must have had it even worse, since after a moment he had stumbled out of my hood and fell onto their face. I had sprawled out on the floor, trying desperately to recover, when a handful of nurses and Chansey came by with stretchers to collect the three of us. As they stole me away, I looked to the old man wanting to thank him, only to see him pacing while frantically muttering into that same device from earlier. I waved goodbye anyway and shouted my thanks. The man¡¯s probably busy beyond belief. The staff rushed me into a room and helped me get settled quickly. While they were gathering my vitals, one of the nurses and a Chansey approached me. ¡°I hope you¡¯re doing well this afternoon sir. I wanted to let you know our staff is working to get your arm back in order before sun down! We do have to ask if you¡¯ve got any identification or Pokemon that need attending,¡± she said, holding out a silver tray with obvious Pokeball indents in it. ¡°I do, but it might be a bit¡­ odd,¡± I said hesitantly, reaching for my wallet. As I did so, I felt a familiar object resting in my jeans. Pulling it out, I saw my Switch had somehow made its way back to me. Magic space llama bullshit I assume. I was more concerned with how used to everything I was getting. Ignoring that for now, I snagged my wallet and Phobia¡¯s Pokeball. The room went quiet, only gasps and subtle mutterings filling the open air as I placed his Pokeball and my driver¡¯s licenses onto the tray. The Chansey nodded, and smiled at me as they waddled out of the room. I turned to the nurse, who was looking at me dumbfounded, and asked ¡°That¡¯s the second time today that people went quiet looking at Phobia¡¯s Pokeball. Why is that?¡± I could guess why but I wanted to hear it from them. After all, they handed these out to the player characters all the time. The nurse didn¡¯t say anything at first. Instead, looked at me, and snorted. ¡°You probably get that a lot. Sorry and thank you sir!¡± she chuckled, leaving the room as she was speaking. Weird. I just laid back, and let myself get treated. Almost immediately, my arm felt significantly better thanks to the powers of Chansey. After everyone had cleared out, pulled out the Switch and started it up. Instead of the boxes on screen, I saw a timer for seven days slowly ticking down with no other details. I tried every button I could press, yet it only ever showed the timer. Reaching a dead end, I put it away, and settled in for a much needed nap. I was woken up by the sound of the hospital door creaking open. Stepping into the room was a blonde haired man, wearing a brown trench coat, sunglasses, and an honest to God (Arceus?) cowboy hat. The man noticed I was awake, dipped his hat as an apology, and started addressing me. ¡°Pardon the intrusion, Mr. Fletcher, but I think it¡¯d be best if we had ourselves a chat. My name¡­ isn¡¯t important, so feel free to call me Watcher. Agent Watcher of The International Police Services. Now we¡¯ve gotten a strange report about an Unovan runnin¡¯ around Paldea¡¯s fields with an unregistered Master Ball and a false identification. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have anything to say about that, would you Mr. Fletcher?¡± Fuck. Not even a day into a new world and I¡¯ve already ended up on the FBIs watchlist. Thank you for reading! Chapter 5 Markus POV ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I don¡¯t mean to pry, but I do believe I asked you a question.¡± Agent Walker said with a mixture of sing-song, and southern drawl. I must have been thinking far longer than he liked. I was wracking my brain for any kind of answer or explanation I could give that wouldn¡¯t end up with me in some psychiatric hospital, but it seems my time is running short. ¡°I¡­ I um¡­ don¡¯t know how to explain it or if you¡¯d believe me. Is there a way to have some psychic type verify my claims?¡± I stuttered out finally. To my surprise, Agent Watcher seemed to relax a bit and smiled. ¡°Well, can¡¯t say I was expecting to hear that ever. Folks usually aren¡¯t this eager to get a psychic type involved. ¡®It¡¯s an invasion of privacy¡¯ the big wigs say, like privacy¡¯s gonna save your ass when a Rocket decides to make you their next target. Tell you what, let me hear your story, and I¡¯ll keep an open mind,¡± he said, much of the previous hostility missing from his voice. I nodded, clearing my throat. I mentally prepared myself, collecting my words before speaking. ¡°Here goes. To start, I am not from this world, and I-¡° I was cut off. ¡°A Faller, that makes some sense. Apologies, please continue.¡± Ah right, I had completely forgotten the International Police plot line from Sun and Moon. I chuckled, mentally kicking myself for forgetting that. It seems like I¡¯ll have to refresh my memory a bit more before rushing into things next time. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d fit into the Faller category, since no Ultra Beasts were involved, but for the sake of semantics let¡¯s go with that for now,¡± I continued after letting my laughter die down. ¡°That¡¯ll explain the ID not being recognizable. It¡¯s the Master Ball that I¡¯d need the Psychic type for.¡± Watcher stared at me, and raised an eyebrow. He made a gesture with his hand, urging me to continue. ¡°So, the world I come from doesn¡¯t have any Pokemon. To us, this world was a form of media, and a game series,¡± I paused, letting Watcher take in that information. ¡°When I came to this world, I somehow had access to one of those games, and it allowed me to call upon the Pokemon in it.¡± ¡°I see, and how concerned should we be about the contents of your Boxes?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that. I could lie, hiding the fact that I had access to a handful of extremely powerful Pokemon, or I could tell him the truth, and break his current understanding of the world more than I already had as I pull out legend after legend. ¡°Truthfully, I couldn¡¯t say for certain. I haven¡¯t been here for more than a day, so my investigations into the process have been minimal. It seems fine though, if Phobia has anything to say about it. I¡¯m also not planning on causing any trouble with it, I¡¯m still collecting my bearings after all.¡± Watcher stared at me again, and I could feel the sweat forming. Moments later, he must have come to a decision, as he nodded before he spoke. ¡°As far-fetched as all this sounds, it¡¯s not completely out of the realm of possibility. We¡¯ve had strange personalities come through Ultra Space before, but being able to summon Pokemon is definitely up there for the strangest. I think for now I¡¯ll leave things be, but I still have many questions for you. Thank you for your time, and we¡¯ll be in touch.¡± Watcher stood making his way to the door. He stopped halfway before reaching into his coat pocket. ¡°Before I forget, I think this belongs to you. Don¡¯t open it here, he¡¯s a bit too big for the room,¡± he said, tossing a familiar purple Pokeball at me, and then made his way out. It took a while for the adrenaline pumping through me to disperse. The events of today had been nothing short of exhausting, and I really needed a fucking nap. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Agent Watcher POV This is going to be a nightmare. Of course this would happen to him, a mere twenty-four hours before he was able to return to Driftveil. ¡®I could just write this off as some crazed homeless man wandering into Paldea,¡¯ he considered, feeling some hope of salvaging my well deserved vacation, before sighing. He couldn¡¯t, not with everything involved here. Fallers were a dangerous subject, even when you exclude the Ultra Beast they can attract. This is a situation far above his pay grade. A sudden pop sounded as his partner began walking with him. He had made a fuss about it near the start of his task, but even he had to admit, having a Gardivoir to assist in interrogations had been an Arceus sent gift, especially when emotion readings got around all the regulations of Psychic Types. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve got good news Green,¡± I begged, hoping that Markus had lied about everything. Much to his disappointment, Green shook their head. *He at least believed everything he said. Although, there was some fluctuation when you asked about if we should be worried. He¡¯s hiding something with that* Pokemon with telepathy were extremely rare, so the voice in his head had taken some getting used to, but he got used to it quickly. The viability of it was astounding, but at this moment, Watcher wished he didn¡¯t have to hear that. The thought of the amount of paperwork that single sentence summoned made his shudder. ¡°Wonderful, just what I wanted to hear,¡± He said sarcastically, sighing as he did so. Watcher needed a stiff drink.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. *If it makes you feel better, I think that nurse was checking you out,* Green quipped, elbowing him as they walked. Watcher almost made a full 180, when he saw his partner holding back their laughter. ¡®Fucking Fairy Types,¡¯ he sighed, before chuckling at Green¡¯s antics. He could always trust his partner to help lighten up a situation, but right now, he need a hard drink. ¡°There you are Watcher. Been waiting for you,¡± a familiar voice grumbled, calling for his attention. As he turned, he saw an older Kantonian man in a ranger¡¯s outfit. ¡°Takahasi, it¡¯s always a pleasure to see you,¡± Watcher jokes, genuinely happy to see him. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go get something to drink, your place. Got a lot to tell ya.¡± Ranger Takahashi, despite the drastic differences between the two, had been somewhat of a kindred spirit, and reliable confidant. Both of us had been forced to venture into the blossoming region by their respective agencies, and both were just expendable representatives. The Ranger nodded, and without saying another word, released Archie. ¡°Archie, home,¡± he stated, and with that, the world popped out of existence for a second. If this were anyone else, the sudden teleportation would have severely affected the individual. Watcher, however, had grown far too accustomed to it to be bothered anymore. It was one of the things Takahashi respected about Watcher. The group blipped back into existence in front of a Kantonian styled home far on the outskirts of town. Takahashi was from Fuchsia City, and had spent much of his time exploring the Safari Area. It was that experience that led him to join the Ranger Corps after completing his journey. Before entering, Takahasi took a moment to release the other member of his team for training. A Pidgeot announced its entrance as it coalesced into the field. The bird was smaller than ones Watcher had seen before, but he knew damn well that her looks were deceiving, as she was more than capable of not only keeping up with Archie, but even surpassing him some days. Much to Watcher¡¯s surprise, and amusement, he watched as Takahashi pulled out one last Pokeball, releasing a Lechonk into the training grounds. The newest arrival looked around, taking in their new environment before trotting up to the Ranger. Takahasi knelt down, helping out the piglet and giving training instructions before regrouping with the two agents. Watcher gave him a look, quirking his eyebrow before Takahashi sighed, placing some wads of cash into the agents hand. The two of them had made a bet on who would crack first and catch a Pok¨¦mon in this place, and neither of them had bent for years. ¡°Little one has courage. A bit timid, but any Pokemon willing to confront an Archanine during hard training to try and save a random deserves a chance to prove themselves. Plus, they didn¡¯t take no for an answer,¡± Takahasi explained, walking into his home. Watcher chuckled, and the two followed him in. The interior had a very minimalist design, since Takahashi would spend most of their time in the wilds, but he made sure to have the proper amenities for guests. Watcher and Green took to their seats as Takahashi acquired drinks. Two Whiskeys and some sickeningly sweet concoctions made specifically for Pokemon. Watched had tried it once, and he still couldn¡¯t fathom just how Green could stomach that shit. The three sat in silence, enjoying the simple atmosphere, and the subtle sounds of training happening just outside. Eventually the time had come to discuss today''s events, and Watcher had to be the one to break the quiet. ¡°You¡¯re not the kinda person to ask for help, so when I see you calling and talking frantic nonsense, I had assumed the world was about to end,¡± Watcher joked, trying to start the discussion with a bit of humor. Green burst into giggles as Takahashi scoffed at his remark, and replied. ¡°You saw that spider, it nearly knocked out Archie with a single blow. Not to mention the super weapon that was being so callously used by the boy. I¡¯d like to see you keep calm in that situation.¡± ¡°Sorry old man, I think I got you beat. Imagine trying to hold that thing hostage as you¡¯re interrogating their trainer.¡± *You should have seen it Taka, Watcher here nearly had a heart attack when the nurse asked him to deliver it. I even had a heal pulse ready!* ¡°Hey! I thought I told you to stop reading my emotions!¡± *Ah eto¡­ Bheh!* ¡­ *Fuck me, that was cringey.* The three of them broke into a long deserved laughter, and the casual banter was a nice respite from the complete chaos of today. Eventually, Takahashi spoke. ¡°So, what did you learn about the kid? Is he a concern?¡± Watcher grimaced. ¡°Truthfully, we have no idea. What we know is that he¡¯s a Faller, and despite his old world not having Pokemon, he found himself a Masterball, and an incredibly powerful Araquanid. Apparently the kid has more Pokemon just like his first if my partner¡¯s to be believed.¡± Takahashi stared into his drink, taking in the knowledge before shotgunning the rest of his cup. He shivered as the whiskey worked its way down his throat. ¡°I can¡¯t say that¡¯s a relief to hear, but I don¡¯t know if we need to be worried. As terrifying as this all is, the kid seemed fine, after all, an unkind person wouldn¡¯t have helped out that Zangoose, or been able to befriend the two wild Pokemon.¡± Watcher hoped that was the case. It would make his paperwork all the easier to deal with, but until they get some more answers, they¡¯d have to take things as they are, and right now, that requires far more alcohol. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Markus POV I groaned as I gained consciousness. It was far too early, and I could only blame the corporate assholes who decided to put me on a morning shift. I stretched out, wincing as I did so. There was some uncomfortable numbness coming from my left arm. ¡®Must have slept on it wrong,¡¯ I thought, rubbing it to get the feeling out. I reached over, intending to check my phone when I realized I wasn¡¯t in my bed. The morning bleariness quickly left me as I scanned the area I was in. Somehow, I woke up in a hospital, and I couldn¡¯t find any of my belongings. I started to panic. Without any idea why or how I was here, or what I had done to end up here, I was left unaware of just how bad things could be. I couldn¡¯t afford a hospital visit, and I don¡¯t think I had insurance anymore thanks to getting fired or jumping off the bridge. Wait. I jumped off a bridge yesterday. I should have died, yet I woke up in- I quickly shot a look over to the bed stand. Sure enough, there were my meager possessions, and a Masterball. ¡°No fucking way,¡± I muttered, letting my thoughts slip out. It wasn¡¯t just some dream, I was really in the Pokemon world. I cringed, remembering everything that had occurred yesterday as I glanced towards what was supposed to be my broken arm. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but I could move it slightly, and there was some feeling in it. ¡®Magic Pok¨¦mon healing bullshit. This is gonna take some getting used to.¡¯ I heard a soft knock on the door, and the quiet creaking of it opening. They say I was awake and smiled. ¡°Chansey! *Morning!*¡± Ah right, that¡¯s also a thing. ¡°Uh yea, good morning to you too,¡± I replied, still trying to process everything being thrown at me. The Chansey made its way to my bedside, setting down a plate with some eggs on it. The aroma that wafted from them was exquisite. Not bothering to wonder where they came from, I quickly snatched it up and devoured the entire meal. It had been a while since my last meal. ¡°Thank you so much Chansey, that was incredible!¡± ¡°Chan, Chansey chanse *oh, it¡¯s nothing*,¡± they replied, blushing as they waved me off. Whatever had been causing me to understand Pokespeech was improving, and alarmingly fast. Hopefully that¡¯s not an issue in the future. Chansey had collected the plate, and turned to leave. As they did so, I remembered I wasn¡¯t alone, and I called out to them. ¡°Oh hey, before you leave, is there any chance I could get something for my Pokemon?¡± My Pokemon That felt really good to say ¡°Chan? Chansey! *Hmm? Oh right!*¡± they said, as they grabbed the Pokeball. They then tapped me on my good shoulder, wanting me to follow them, and I obliged. Our little trek led us to an open courtyard already scattered with Pokemon, Trainers, and Medical Professionals. Numerous battles were occurring, all of them being overseen by either a Joy or a Chansey. My guide took me to a more open spot before handing back my Pokeball, instructing me to call out Phobia. I struggled with it for a few seconds before eventually it popped open, releasing my big friendly spider. Phobia announced their entrance to the field, and almost everyone had stopped to listen. Many of the smaller mons hurried to find a hiding space, while some medium sized mons, and some people shifted uncomfortably where they stood. The larger Pokemon and their trainers had a different reaction. They had just been challenged, and I could see hunger and eagerness for battle in their eyes. Unfortunately for them, they¡¯ll have to wait. It was breakfast time after all. Thanks for reading!