《Making it Work (Pokemon Isekai SI/OC)》


 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 alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡®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.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    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.


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    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. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°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 Arcanine, 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.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    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


    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 his 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 Gardevoir 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.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    *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 Arcanine 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. Watcher 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 Master Ball.


    ¡°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 saw 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!

 Chapter 6

    Markus POV


    Phobia was a big boy, and I had to thank my lucky stars that the world of Pokemon was such a caring and forgiving place. It had taken four of Chansey''s eggs to fill him up, whereas mine had been just a small portion of one. The Chansey had been loving it, cheering Phobia on as he consumed egg after egg. The whole spectacle drew a small crowd as many stared in awe at my beautiful purple boy, and he was loving the attention.


    ¡°Hey, old dude! I challenge you, and your bug to a battle!¡± A trainer had said while marching up to me. He was young, if I had to guess around 15 years, and was wearing a very familiar orange uniform.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯m in the Scarlet timeline, neat! Wait what did that kid say,¡¯ I thought before scowling.


    ¡°Really kid, I¡¯m only 25! Do I look old or something?¡± I whined, ready to throw down with a kid.


    The kid laughed at me, palming his own Pokeball. ¡°Jeez, I hope I don¡¯t look like that when I grow old. So what about it, old timer, wanna throw down?¡±


    I decided at this time, in this place, at this very moment in existence, this damn child was going to be obliterated.


    ¡°Hey, Phobia. Are you down to destroy some kid¡¯s hopes and dreams,¡± I shouted, crossing my arms and staring down the little bastard. Behind me, I felt Phobia loom over me, as my favorite purple spider rose to his full high. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought this Araquanid had the intimidate ability, because with a little show of strength, the kid looked like he lost all confidence.


    ¡°Raq quanid! *With pleasure!*¡± Phobia announced, giddiness and terror oozing from his words. I had to do a quick double take. Phobia was pretty quiet most of the time, so hearing just how unsettling his voice sounded was a pleasant, yet unexpected surprise.


    To the kids credit, he did shake off his nerves, stood a little straighter, and re-locked eyes with me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that grandpa! I¡¯ll have you know I collected all eight badges! I even earned a gold border badge! I can take you!¡±


    ¡®Gold border? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯ I thought, making my way to the battlefield opposite my opponent. My guess was that it had some kind of challenge attached to it, but that was speculation.


    Before the match began, I shouted to the kid. ¡°Hey, just a heads up, I¡¯ve only got Phobia here. You don¡¯t mind making this a one on one match right?¡±


    The kid smirked. ¡°Yea, I¡¯ll take it easy on ya pops! Besides, I¡¯ll only need the one to wipe the floor with ya!¡±


    Fucking hell, these kids are assholes.


    One of the nurse joys rushed over to referee our match. After letting her know our conditions, we started.


    ¡°This will be a one on one battle between Trainer Martin and Markus. The match will be concluded on withdrawal or knockout. Trainers, release your Pok¨¦mon!¡±


    As Phobia was already out, I decided to ham it up.


    ¡°Go forth, PHOBIA! My Vessel of Horror!¡±


    Thankfully, Phobia played along, making sure each of his steps were heard. Once he reached his spot, he released his voice, letting it echo through the field. We were just a couple of drama nerds it seems.


    ¡°Alright Red, this one¡¯s gonna be a tough one, but you¡¯ve got this! You have the advantage after all!¡± Martin cried, throwing his ball into the arena, and from it appeared a Talonflame mid flight. They cried out before looking down to see their opponent.


    To Martin¡¯s credit, a flying type has a pretty decent matchup against Phobia. The ¡°Brave Bird¡± bird had been a menace back in its hay day thanks to Gale Wings.


    I hummed in thought.


    ¡®Maybe Talonflame is better in this world, since Gamefreak isn¡¯t around to clip their wings.¡¯


    ¡°Ready? Match starts!¡± The Nurse exclaimed, quickly dashing away from the field.


    ¡°Alright Red, hit ¡¯em from above with Will-o-wisp!¡± And the talonflame was off, darting into the sky as a gust of wind helped them speed up. Motes of blue fire were conjured around them as it rose. At the apex of its ascension, the wisps darted towards Phobia.


    Seems like Martins never fought an Araquanid before. I sure am happy I¡¯m the one who gets to teach him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother dodging, show them how useless their move is!¡± I shouted, watching as the wisps drew closer. Phobia stood stoically, taking the attack head on as it dissipated into nothing but smoke, as my boy was left unscathed.


    Martin gaped at Phobia, bewildered that his move had been ignored so easily. He shook it off, readopting his cocky attitude.


    ¡°Fine, if they wanna sit still, let them! Pester them with air cutter!¡±


    Blades of wind began swirling around Red¡¯s wings as they flew, growing in power before letting them fly with a single beat of their wings. The move was flashy, I¡¯ll give them that.


    ¡°Alright Phobia, time to use it. Liquidation away their attack!¡±


    The sound of rushing rapids began, promising power. As the air blade closed in, Phobia raised their limb, and swung. I watched as the water whipped out past the tip of his leg, and sliced through the attack with little to no resistance, completely negating their attack once again. It was really interesting to see how Phobia could use the same move in a different way depending on his needs.


    The match was at a standstill, Martin not letting Red get close, instead throwing out attacks from the air, but staying out of range, and Phobia and I not having any viable range options. At the rate things were going, it would be a death by one thousand paper cute. The kid knew this, as when I glanced over to him, he was wearing a shit eating grin. I needed something, and fast. It was watching Phobia slam down on an air cutter that gave me an idea. I waited for Red to start preparing another air cutter volley when I called out.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Alright let¡¯s try something! Jump and use Liquidation on the ground. Try launching yourself at the bird!¡±


    And dutifully, Phobia obeyed, letting both of his front limbs be covered by the rapid waters before slamming them into the ground. Plumes of dust were left in his wake as Phobia blasted towards their target. Martin tried to call for move, but it had been too late, as a pissed off water spider punched into his Talonflame, sending them careening into the earth. When the dust settled, there were two massive craters, one of them occupied by a very unconscious Talonflame.


    I was shaking, my heart was pounding, and my eyes were darting across the field. The adrenaline in my system kept me active, and aware, searching for the next attack.


    The feeling was glorious, and I reveled in its embrace. I understood then just what it meant to be a Pokemon Trainer. The passion for combat was infectious. No wonder people here were such adrenaline junkies.


    This world is truly amazing.


    Martin and I met in the middle of the field after collecting our Pokemon.


    ¡°You¡¯re not half bad mister, for an old timer that is!¡±


    ¡°You neither, for an inexperienced whelp who just got whooped.¡±


    We stared at each other, one daring the other to try something, before we both broke into laughter. The little shit wasn¡¯t that bad.


    ¡°So you gottta tell me, what is that Pokemon? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything like them before,¡± Martin questioned after our laughter died down. He had his phone out, pointed at Phobia, giving the screen a puzzled look as he flipped through something.


    ¡°Yea, Araquanids are beasts, and my boy here is an absolute monster. Their Water Bubble ability is so completely nutty and I love it! Doubling the power of water moves while also preventing burns is just the best,¡± I replied, giddy that I could gush about my Pokemon. I¡¯d always enjoyed the times I could share my hobby in the past, as few times as that was. I quickly shook out the thought, returning to the current conversation.


    Martin nodded along to my words, drinking in the knowledge before freezing, a scowl growing across his face.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why will-o-wisp failed. Damn, that right there ruined my entire strategy. I¡¯ll have to look out for stuff like that,¡± he said mostly to himself. He then shook himself out of this self reflection, and turned to me. ¡°So where would someone find an Araquanid? I think I¡¯d like to add one to my roster!¡±


    Before I could answer, a familiar voice came from behind me.


    ¡°They¡¯re native to Alola, and usually they¡¯re on the restricted list. They¡¯re considered a guardian on Akala island, making the natives quite territorial of their Pokemon.¡±


    I let out a sigh as I turned to greet Agent Watcher. Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t alone. Accompanying him was the old ranger that helped me out, and a Gardevoir.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to interrupt the after-battle banter, but I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to borrow Markus for a while.¡±


    Martin looked like he wanted to argue at that, but slumped, reluctantly nodding.


    ¡°Thanks for the battle grandpa. I usually hang out around here after school. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll smack ya back to the Stone Age!¡±


    With that, Martin took his leave, b-lining towards the central lobby to get his Pokemon checked on.


    ¡°So, what could I do for you, agent?¡± I asked, turning my attention to the group. I noticed that they weren¡¯t looking at me, but instead their attention seemed to be focused on Phobia, who had moved to loom over me. I coughed into my hand, startling the group as they looked at me.


    Watcher cleared his throat, and started. ¡°Right, apologies about that. I was hoping we could chat some more about yesterday, if ya don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Yea I don¡¯t mind, whatever gets me off the watch list. I can¡¯t help but notice you brought some more friends this time though,¡± I responded, looking to the others. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Gardevoir, and it¡¯s good to see you again, sir. Sorry I couldn¡¯t thank you properly for saving my ass.¡±


    ¡°The names Takahashi, and just doing my job. Good to see you doing better,¡± the old ranger said, extending a hand, which I shook. His grip was akin to a vice, promising strength that lies beneath. I returned the gesture in kind, which he had nodded at. ¡°Congrats on the win. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d ask if you were trained in Kanto, based on how you battle. I¡¯ve got some criticism though, if you¡¯re willing to hear.¡±


    I smiled at the man, leaning in to show my genuine interest in what he¡¯d have to say. I always appreciated advice from those much more knowledgeable than I. Our conversation was unfortunately cut short by Watcher.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure y¡¯all will have enough time to discuss this later. For now, I think it¡¯d be best if we talked.¡±


    I nodded, and Takahasi grunted his annoyance, which got a small round of chuckles from the rest of us.


    ¡°So, did you wanna talk now or¡­¡± I asked after everything settled, purposefully letting the rest of my sentence fall off. Watcher picked up immediately as to what I was implying, quickly glancing at Takahashi. The old ranger sighed, mutating something about a lazy Psychic before releasing his Arcanine. I quickly returned Phobia before stepping close, preparing for the inevitable teleportation.


    It really didn¡¯t help.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡®It¡¯s quite a lovely house,¡¯ I thought after recovering from retching my guts out. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever get used to the feeling, and currently, the Gardevoir cackling up a storm behind me didn¡¯t help. At some point, someone had brought me some nausea medication, and water.


    ¡°I have no clue how you guys can handle that. It¡¯s actually torture,¡± I mentioned, walking into the home.


    ¡°Countless amounts of situations very similar to yours,¡± Takahashi answered. He had a thousand yard stare, probably reliving all of the times he was in my position. We fell into a silent understanding, shuddering at the memories of teleportation''s aftermath.


    The sound of someone slapping their knees drew our attention, and Watcher cleared his throat.


    ¡°Welp, since we¡¯re on the topic of unpleasantness, I don¡¯t see a better time to start. If you don¡¯t mind Markus, I think picking up where we left off yesterday would be just dandy. So mind enlightening as to the quality of the Pokemon available to you?¡±


    Damn, they were starting off with the hardest question to answer. I sighed, reaching into my pocket to grab my Switch. Reluctantly, I placed it on the table and slid it over to Watcher. He looked between the device and me, before inspecting it.


    ¡°So what am I looking at?¡± Watcher asked, picking up my Switch.


    ¡°Probably exactly what you¡¯d think it¡¯d be,¡± I replied. ¡°A Nintendo Switch, filled with a bunch of Pok¨¦mon.¡±


    He nodded, inspecting the device before calling over his colleagues, letting them take a look at it. When it was the Gardevoir¡¯s turn to look, I saw their eyes widen, and flash blue for a second as they continued their inspection.


    ¡°Is everything alright? It looks like you saw something,¡± I question the Psychic type, hoping nothing bad has occurred. After all, they still had yet to open Pandora¡¯s Box.


    *Oh it¡¯s nothing big. Your device just reminded me of an old myth from when I was younger. It has a similar color scheme to the Arc Phone,* a voice suddenly echoed through my head.


    I must have been startled at that, because a moment later, I could hear more giggling coming from the Pokemon, and a sigh came from the agent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Green, he¡¯s a bit of an asshole,¡± Watcher stated, his attention never leaving my Switch.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just wasn¡¯t ready for that. It must be nice having a translator for you!¡± I said after recollecting myself. ¡°And if I¡¯m not mistaken, are you talking about the Hisuian myth? I might know a bit about that subject.¡±


    ¡°*WHAT??!*¡±


    This time, Green had spoken out loud, but instead of hearing the Pok¨¦mon¡¯s name, it had been fully translated. Whatever was going on warranted a much deeper dive than I was hoping.


    ¡®Later issue,¡¯ I decided.


    ¡°Yea, back in my previous world, we had an entire game dedicated to ancient Hisui, and the events that unfolded. We played as the person who was displaced in time, being granted the Arc Phone. I never finished it, but I know a lot about it!¡±


    ¡°*Are you telling me that you know of ancient Hisui, and everything that we had spent decades trying to decipher,*¡± Green cried out, again not bothering to use their telepathy.


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not completely one to one information, but yea,¡± I said apologetically.


    It was at this time that I noticed both Watcher and Takahashi had paused their investigations, staring bug-eyed at the two of us. It was Takahashi who broke the deafening silence.


    ¡°Kid, did you just hold a conversation with Green, without him using his mind tricks?¡±


    The expression on Green¡¯s face had shifted from astonishment to complete bafflement as his eyes bulged from his head. ¡°*YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME??!!?!*¡±


    ¡®I guess that ¡°later¡± is now.¡¯


    ¡°I can, when I first came here, I could sense the intention behind their words, but now I¡¯m getting full sentences.¡±


    A stillness settled over the room at the reveal. The group was taking in my multiple sudden reveals, and not handling it well.


    ¡°Fucking distortion kid, you sure don¡¯t make paperwork easy,¡± Watcher muttered, bringing an end to the yet again building quiet. Their group all let out a soft chuckle as they went back to their work.


    I idly played with Phobia¡¯s Pokeball, trying to calm my nerves. My paranoia kept telling me that they¡¯re gonna see the boxes and decide I was too much trouble to keep around, especially with what I had already revealed about myself. What didn¡¯t help was Green constantly keeping me in their sight, their eyes filled with suspicion. I began to shake, seeing Watcher turn on the Switch.


    It was then that chaos erupted in that sleepy house.


    Watcher took one look at the boxes, and passed out.


    Green took a defensive stance in front of Watcher, extending their hands as energy warped around them.


    Takahashi and I shot out of our seats, releasing our Pokemon.


    Fire erupted from Archie¡¯s mouth, and the sound of an angry river started beside me.


    I looked down at my Switch, turning pale as I understood what happened.


    Staring back from the screen were the icons of many Legendary Pokemon.


    One of those Pokemon being Arceus themselves.


    Thanks for Reading!

 Chapter 7

    Markus POV


    ¡°Start talking. Now.¡±


    Takahashi¡¯s words were harsh, and demanding. The tension had grown thin with the biggest reveal, and now people, and Pokemon stood ready for something to happen.


    I took a deep breath, trying to release the adrenaline that was building. A couple of moments passed before the shaking had calmed, and I had enough clarity to speak.


    ¡°I will, but could you wake up Watcher? He should hear this.¡±


    I tried to put as much genuine emotion behind my words in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. My efforts paid off, as I saw Takahashi¡¯s expression soften slightly. He turned to Green, who returned a slight nod. Without taking his eyes off of me, he made his way to the kitchen, and began filling a mug with ice. I had to stop my smirk for what was about to happen.


    Takahashi used Avalanche on Agent Watcher.


    It¡¯s super effective.


    ¡°FUCK ME! THAT¡¯S COLD!¡± cried the agent as he jolted into a sitting position. His eyes began frantically scanning the room until they fell on me. ¡°YOU! HOW?¡±


    I winced at the noise. There was fear and accusations in his voice, and I was the cause of it. I started to shake again, feeling myself shut down. I wasn¡¯t able to handle this kind of confrontation. The feeling of crawling into a ball and finding the nearest corner was swiftly growing.


    Before I could spiral any further, my head was engulfed by a water bubble. The sudden coolness helped to calm my nerves.


    ¡°*Better?*¡±


    ¡°Yea, a bit better. Thanks partner.¡±


    I reached out to embrace Phobia after he let me out of the bubble. I still felt jittery, but the constant contact with my friend helped to quell those feelings.


    Takahashi cleared his throat, drawing the room back to the current situation. ¡°So, can you explain the alarming amount of legends you are in possession of?¡±


    I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t known I was holding, and looked to the ranger.


    ¡°So, Pokemon was a collection based role play game back where I¡¯m from, and one of the goals was to complete the Pok¨¦dex. The games themselves would give out gifts and events in the form of Legendaries like Arceus.¡±


    ¡°And how is it you can have them physically here?¡± This time it was Watcher who spoke. He still looked bewildered, but he seemed to reclaim some sanity.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I spoke honestly. ¡°In the old world, I threw myself off a bridge, and I brought some of my stuff down with me. When I woke up here, most of them were either destroyed or relatively unharmed. My Switch, however, has changed into what you see now. Somehow, I¡¯m able to call upon the Pokemon I collected in the game.¡±


    I felt multiple people stare at me after saying that.


    ¡°Are you able to summon them whenever you¡¯d want? And do they share the same personalities, and characteristics the Pokemon would normally be known for?¡±


    It was Takahashi who spoke this time. It made sense, as rangers are widely considered experts when handling dangerous Pokemon, and I had just said I can summon hundreds of them.


    ¡°There seems to be a seven day time limit on the withdrawal. As for the mannerisms of the Pokemon, I can¡¯t say. My only one on record is Phobia, and he¡¯s absolutely wonderful.¡±


    ¡°I see, we may need to see a larger sample size, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Watcher started. ¡°And it makes sense when you mentioned not worrying about Ultra Beasts, since your method to get here was¡­ unorthodox. Listen, Markus, if you wanted to talk abou-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I snapped at the agent, wincing a bit at how quickly I interrupted him. ¡°Sorry, I just want to get through this first.¡±


    Watcher nodded, dusting himself off as he stood, and went to his seat.


    ¡°We can do that. So, how much about our world do you know about?¡± He asked after settling back in.


    ¡°It really depends on a couple of things,¡± I started, rummaging through my mind for any information. ¡°In my world, there were multiple different timelines. Those included the Anime, Manga, and Game Series. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s others, but those were the main three. The easiest way to know the difference between the three would be its protagonist.¡±


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    I paused my ramblings when I saw Watcher taking notes. He urged me to continue after he finished writing.


    ¡°The anime followed a boy named Ash Ketchum, or Satoshi. The manga follows the main characters from the games, but with their original names. An example would include Red from Kanto or Black from unova. The games would put the players into the role of the protagonist like Red or Black, but they¡¯d have a different story and goal, somewhat. Did any of those characters ring a bell for you guys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this Ash person you¡¯re referring to, but when you say Red, are you referring to The Lost Champion Red, from Kanto?¡± asked Takahashi.


    I nodded, and the usually stoic face of the old ranger cracked slightly.


    ¡°He became a bit of a myth to us Kantonians with his actions, sweeping the gyms, conference, and Elite 4, all in a single year, only to vanish into thin air. This is the first I¡¯ve heard his name in a while, and to think it came from an off-worlder.¡±


    No Ash, but Red exists. I think this means I¡¯m in the game''s timeline. I was gonna have to thank the Arceus of this world personally for not throwing me in with that 10 year old natural disaster.


    ¡°I think I understand which timeline I¡¯m in. Now, I¡¯d need to pinpoint where I am on it,¡± I began, a waterfall of questions ready to leave my mouth. ¡°It really depends on what events have happened recently. Have there been any massive rain storms or droughts in hoenn? Has Team Rocket taken over Goldenrod? Did Red come down from Mt. Silver, and if he did, was he spotted in Driftveil or Alola? Have Team Galactic summoned Dialga and Palkia?¡±


    I looked up mid rambling to see three sets of horrified faces, the sight becoming a regular occurrence.


    Watcher pulled out a phone-like device, and began delving with the help of Green. Meanwhile, Takahashi looked like he was struggling to form a sentence.


    ¡°Red¡­ Silver¡­ Alola¡­¡±


    Ah right, only Oak was supposed to know this location.


    Oops.


    The ranger¡¯s mumbling got louder, and increased in speed the longer he stared at the table. It was thanks to Achie putting his head in Takahashi¡¯s shoulder that snapped him out of the spiral. His eyes drifted slowly to the Switch, letting his gaze linger on the device, until he suddenly barked out a laugh.


    ¡°Of course the Arceus man would know the location of our legends.¡±


    He sounded exhausted.


    After far too long, Takahashi stood, and went back into the kitchen. He spent some time scrounging around until he found what looked like a bottle of dark liquid. He didn¡¯t even bother to grab a cup, instead just popping the cap, and started chugging. After wiping his mouth, he came back and reclaimed his seat, sliding the bottle to Watcher. The agent followed suit, snagging the bottle, and eagerly drank from it.


    It wasn¡¯t even noon, but I don¡¯t think I could blame them.


    Eventually, Watcher set down his phone and groaned, passing the bottle back to Takahashi.


    ¡°Seems like the latest natural disaster to occur was some extreme weather in Hoenn caused by some ecoterrorist. What exactly does that tell you?¡± Watcher asked as he started to look concerned. ¡°And what do you mean by some team summoning the creation gods?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got some good news, and some very bad news,¡± I started as I ignored the groans from the agent. ¡°The good news is that I can pinpoint my location somewhat, and we could proceed from there.¡±


    ¡°The bad news?¡±


    ¡°So much worse is yet to come. I¡¯m talking about near universal extinction level events.¡±


    Watcher said nothing this time, just sighed and started rubbing his temple. He stood, making his way towards one of the rooms, before turning towards the group.


    ¡°Taka, I need to lie down. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I use this room,¡± he said, sending a pleading look towards the ranger, who nodded. Watcher sent his friend a weak smile before locking eyes with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to stay here for a while. We still have plenty of questions that need answering, and we need to test your Switch.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for me to answer as he walked into the room and closed the door. I could briefly hear muffled screams of exhaustion coming from that direction.


    With things settled for now, I started to slowly relax, letting today¡¯s worries wash out of me.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked the two remaining members of the group.


    Takahashi looked towards a clock, and sighed, putting down the bottle he had been nursing. ¡°Green will be going through what memories they were able to pull, so he¡¯ll be busy. As for me, my team needs training.¡±


    Green scoffed at the old ranger, and his eyes lit up as he crossed his arms. Takahashi just chuckled as he rose from his seat.


    My mouth was left agape. I hadn¡¯t even felt anything like that happening.


    Green noticed my reaction and started giggling. ¡°*It¡¯s my specialty,*¡± he explained. ¡°You did agree to a psychic search, and if it makes you feel better, I only snagged things that pertained to our conversation, and barely at that. You¡¯ve got some surprisingly strong defenses!¡±


    I shot the Gardevoir a look before resigning. I had told Watcher I was willing, but I was hoping to at least get some warning it would happen. Deciding I needed a distraction, I stood. ¡°Well, that aside, I was wondering if I could join you in training sir.¡±


    I could have sworn I saw the ranger¡¯s lip twitch upward. ¡°I was just about to ask if you¡¯d join me.¡±


    His smile looked sinister, and I felt a chill go down my spine.


    What kind of Hell have I just signed up for?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Hell, as it turns out, was a giant open field, and your torturer is an old man who forces you into heavy exercise.


    I was sprawled out on the ground, breathing slowly, and trying to relax my aching muscles as sweat pooled around my broken body. Accompanying me was a familiar Lechonk, also going through his own form of hell.


    ¡°Good work with the warm-up, boys, take a break, and then afterwards we¡¯ll start the real workout,¡± the devil ranger said, probably grinning evilly at our suffering.


    A couple of moments went by as I stared into the sky, trying to make the best of my break, when I noticed my big purple spider started looming over me. Slowly, I brought myself to a sitting position, and began stroking his leg.


    ¡°Hey, big guy. How are you handling all this?¡± I asked, looking Phobia over. To my surprise, he actually seemed a bit worn out.


    ¡°*This has been an ordeal, but it is one I welcome,*¡± Phobia replied excitedly. ¡°*I do hope to spar with that Archie soon. Our last match ended far too quickly for my liking.*¡±


    I nodded, and a grin slowly made its way onto my face, and my earlier weariness vanished. Whether I liked it or not, I was part of this world, and I was starting to enjoy it.


    Slowly, I got to my feet, and with what energy I could manage, I called out.


    ¡°Hey, Takahashi!¡±


    The Ranger turned, and almost immediately recognized the look in my eyes.


    ¡°You sure about this Markus, we haven¡¯t even finished training?¡±


    He was being cordial, because when I saw his face, I saw the giddiness of a child whose Christmas came early.


    ¡°You know the old saying Takahashi. When two trainer¡¯s eyes meet¡­¡±


    Takahashi whistled, and immediately, his partner appeared at his side, sharing the same crazed look of his Trainer.


    ¡°A battle will ensue. I hope you¡¯re ready, because I¡¯ve got a lot of stress that needs dealing with!¡±


    My grin turned sharp. Win or lose, this is going to be so fucking fun.


    Thank you for reading!

 Chapter 8

    Markus POV


    We took our places on the field across from one another. On Takahashi¡¯s side, Archie stood primed for battle, flames spewing from his mouth. Next to me, I heard my partner¡¯s liquidation roaring out. I had a feeling that this lovely meadow wouldn¡¯t withstand the onslaught it¡¯s about to be subjected to.


    ¡°So how should he do this?¡± I asked. ¡°Are we going till knockout, or until someone calls it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be until one of us calls it. The Pokemon Center is quite far from here, and Archie is the only one who can teleport groups.¡±


    I nodded. It made perfect sense, especially after submitting myself to this so-called training. It would be awful to have to hike there.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are!¡± I exclaimed, sending forth my partner with a flourish. Phobia joined in on the fun, doing some trick with his limbs. It reminded me of some sword taunts you¡¯d see in games.


    Takahashi reached down for a rock on the ground, and sent forth his partner. Archie blurred into his spot on the field. ¡°We¡¯ll start once this hits the ground. Sounds good?¡±


    Again, I nodded, and with nothing else to exchange, he threw the rock. I held my breath in anticipation, waiting for the start.


    A soft thud was heard, and chaos erupted.


    ¡°Trap it!¡±


    ¡°Rush in with Liquidation!¡±


    We called out our moves, Takahashi being far faster than I. Immediately a tornado of fire sprang out around Phobia. The move was strong, as I could feel the heat from where I stood, and it was only getting stronger thanks to the red blur running around it, continually feeding the fire. It was a strong attack, but unfortunately for them, there was a slight flaw.


    A streak of water lashed out, separating the flames, as an angry purple spider slowly emerged, his water bubble reducing the fire¡¯s effectiveness to nothing.


    Neat, didn¡¯t know liquidation could do that.


    Archie had leapt back, trying to play keep away with my partner. He started to build up flames in his mouth, but Takahashi shouted out.


    ¡°Fire doesn¡¯t work, treat it like a Blackthorn!¡±


    And almost immediately, the building flames had shifted, going from an uncontrolled inferno to a ball of purple energy.


    I had a clue as to what was coming thanks to my in game knowledge.


    ¡°Get ready Phobia, they¡¯re using Dragon Pulse! Use Liquidation as a shield, and advance on them!¡±


    I looked at Takahashi, and saw a surprised expression from him. I just chuckled, and flashed him a grin.


    A purple dragon head rushed out from Archie, zig zagging its way toward Phobia. The beam was growing in power, and to my surprise, Phobia didn¡¯t move to block. Instead, he pulled back one of his limbs as water began coating it. Before the beam could connect, my partner acted, spearing the Dragon Pulse. The beam lanced off of Phobia¡¯s limb wildly, shooting off in multiple directions.


    I was wondering why he¡¯d try lancing the beam instead of shielding, but then I saw what he was planning. While his one limb was busy combating the Dragon Pulse, the other was building up a Liquidation that looked longer than usual. Moments later, he lashed out with the whip-like Liquidation.


    Archie had been too busy pushing power into the Dragon Pulse to notice Phobia¡¯s attack. It was thanks to Takahashi¡¯s cry that saved Archie from the full blow. He cut off his beam early, and attempted to Extreme Speed away, only to receive a glancing blow for his efforts. Despite the attack not landing fully, it still packed a massive punch, sending the canine careening.


    I sent a glance to my partner, only to wince at what I saw. Phobia had blocked a lot of the damage, but he wasn¡¯t unscathed. Burn marks littered his limb, and he was having trouble putting pressure on it. Despite everything, I could still see him rearing for a fight, his battle spirit overflowing. Still, I had to make sure.


    ¡°Still good to keep going buddy?¡±


    ¡°*Absolutely.*¡±


    ¡°Then give them Hell, my Vessel of Terror!¡±


    I could have sworn I heard Phobia start chuckling, but it was quickly drowned out by the sounds of his Liquidation starting.


    Looking back to the battle, I saw Archie wobble to their feet before shaking off some water. He sent a glance to Takahashi, who just nodded. Immediately following that, a ball of light appeared above the Arcanine, and I grimaced, realizing my mistake.


    Arcanine had used Morning Sun, and I just sat here, and let it instead of pushing for an advantage.


    The Ranger must''ve noticed my face, because he started to chuckle.


    ¡°Ah, you understand your error. I must say, I¡¯m impressed you¡¯ve done well thus far, but I¡¯m afraid you aren¡¯t at a pro level.¡±


    I huffed a bit before laughing a bit myself. ¡°You¡¯re right, I still have a lot to learn, but at least I managed to put you on the ropes old man!¡±


    Takahashi froze at my words for a second, before having a full belly laugh. He went on like that for a while, having to catch his breath.


    ¡°Humble, yet cocky. Heh, you might just have what it takes to go big after all, upstart!¡± Takahashi exclaimed, putting as much energy into his words as he could. ¡°But I think we¡¯ll have to humble you a bit more! Archie! EXTREME WILD CHARGE!¡±


    At his call, Archie lit up like a lightbulb, with streaks of lightning arching off of his body. He went to take a step, only to blur out of existence as his paw hit the ground, leaving a charred patch where he once stood. A heartbeat later he reappeared, slamming into Phobia, and sending my partner sliding back.


    I tried to call out anything, but Archie was just too fast. Before I could get out a word, he had slammed into Phobia yet again.


    Phobia tried to guard against the assault, summoning his Liquidation, only to be slammed from behind. Each hit felt overwhelming, and Phobia was struggling to withstand it.


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    I was trying to find a solution to get in an attack, but it was just too much, as Phobia was slammed into again. It was then that I noticed something. When Archie backed off of the hit, he had slowed down considerably, the strain of both moves was coming into play. I called out to my partner, knowing this will be our Hail Mary.


    ¡°Phobia! Can you take one more hit? I¡¯ve got an idea!¡±


    My partner slowly stood, wobbling as he did so. It looked like he was on his last leg. He shot me a look, and nodded. I grinned, knowing damn well what he meant.


    We were determined to see this through, and like hell we¡¯re done here.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We aren¡¯t done yet! Prep a Liquidation, and get ready to launch!¡±


    Phobia readied himself, letting the water roar across his limbs, as he drove four of his legs into the ground. He was putting his all into this last attack.


    Archie blurred once more, crashing into Phobia. The thwacking sound that echoed from the attack was bone rattling, and I winced when I saw my partner get pushed back, carving grooves into the ground. After the attack ended, Archie reappeared on the other side of the field, breathing heavily, slowed to a snail''s pace. This was our chance, and I called out, ¡°NOW!¡±


    And Phobia launched, an avalanche of dirt, mud, and grass flew from where he once stood. He rocketed towards the Arcanine, ready to end the battle.


    The world seemed to slow moments before impact. Just as Phobia was about to swing down with his Liquidation, the exhaustion of the battle hit him, and he faltered.


    The meadow grew quiet as the battle came to an end. I had already been moving to my partner sprawled out in front of Archie before either of us could call the match. When I got close, I could see just how much damage he¡¯d withstood, and I winced. There were multiple electrical burn spots, and dark colored welts on his purple carapace, and the water bubbles around his head and joints were spent.


    As I knelt down to my partner, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. When I looked up, I saw Takahashi standing over me with a small smile, handing me a bottle.


    ¡°I nearly forgot how new you are to this. Here, use this on him. Should get him back in functioning order. Just pour it onto the bad looking spots, then we can get Joy to check him out.¡±


    I nodded, and muttered out a thanks as I took the bottle. It was tan, and filled with a green liquid, reminiscent of the full restores in the games.


    The process was quick thanks to Takahashi¡¯s help, and soon enough, I could see Phobia start to stir.


    ¡°Hey buddy, you did amazing! How are you feeling?¡± I whispered to him, slowly running my hand across his back.


    Phobia looked at me, and smiled, weakly raising one of his limbs into a salute. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from chuckling.


    I seriously need to learn who taught him that.


    After some final inspections, I returned Phobia, and made my way over to Takahashi. He was finishing up his inspection of Archie, so I waited. A few moments later, Archie was returned, and Takahashi turned to me.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, but I¡¯m not going to risk him teleporting while in his state. Are you ok with flying?¡±


    I gulped, and nodded. I had been fine on airplane rides, so this shouldn¡¯t be so different.


    Right?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong,¡¯ I thought, curled into a ball in the lobby of the Pokecenter, shivering after expelling all of my soul. When he asked me how I¡¯d do with flying, I expected something like an airplane ride from my old world, but no, what he meant was a Mach 2 joy ride with me hanging on for dear life.


    ¡®Fucking adrenaline junkie. Could have given me a warning,¡¯


    Above me was a frantic Nurse Joy trying to get any information from a cackling Takahashi. I didn¡¯t make out much, besides ¡°Builds character¡± or ¡°He¡¯ll be fine¡±.


    With the dizziness wearing off slightly, I groaned as I rose to my feet. ¡°Do you have anything for nausea?¡± I pleaded with the nurse. She nodded, and briskly turned back into the center.


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t good with any form of travel, eh Markus?¡± Takahashi jokes, moments after the nurse had left.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯d be better if you weren¡¯t going Mach 2, you maniacs,¡± I whinged back, playing up the petulance a bit. My efforts were rewarded with a tsk from the Ranger, followed by some chuckles.


    The Nurse Joy from earlier returned, holding a tray with out Pokeballs and a pill bottle. I thanked her, before immediately popping one of the pills. Almost instantly I felt relief.


    ¡°Yet more Magic Pokemon Healing Bullshit,¡± I muttered under my breath while rubbing my once broken arm. I must have accidentally said that aloud, as I noticed Takahashi giving me a side eye as we left the building.


    ¡°Was your world¡¯s healing that bad?¡± He asked, sending me a concerned look. I sighed and shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and one I¡¯m not wanting to go into. Oh, this isn¡¯t going to cost me, right?¡±


    Takahashi shook his head, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    Thank fuck for that. Last thing I need is to go into Pokedebt.


    Instead of calling out his Pidgeot or Arcanine, Takahashi started walking towards a nearby store, gesturing for me to follow.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, having to jog to catch up.


    ¡°There¡¯s a couple of things,¡± Takahashi replied. ¡°For starters, you need new clothes.¡±


    I froze, looking down at my current attire. I had the startling realization that I was still in my work clothes, holes and all. Embarrassment flooded through me as I fruitlessly tried to cover any spots that were too revealing.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine Markus, you know how many times I¡¯ve seen trainers walking around looking like you are now?¡± Takahashi said casually, not even breaking his stride. ¡°Newbies who don¡¯t prepare enough or Aces who just need to get that one strong Pokemon they saw? Far too many times. Now come on, we¡¯re burning daylight.¡±


    I had started fidgeting as I followed behind. I always had an issue with handouts like this, and I had already bothered them enough as is.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯d rather not,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me out so much already, and this is a lot.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re a Faller. Not only do you need all the help you can get, but when we finally send our report, all expenses will be paid by the association.¡±


    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re making the Government pay! Next time lead with that!¡± I quipped, and that got a snort from the older man.


    And for the next couple of hours, that¡¯s exactly what we did. I had chosen a couple of outfits, but what I wore now was a red and black flannel hoodie with a somewhat generic black Pokeball undershirt. The look was complemented with a pair of ripped jeans and fingerless gloves.


    We were currently relaxing on a bench on the side of the road after finishing up with our shopping trip. At some point, Takahashi had picked up some ice cream, and was busy digging into it, while I was distracting myself with people and Pokemon watching. I rolled Phobia¡¯s Pokeball in my hand, thinking about my new life, and what I knew about what was to come.


    ¡°Alright Markus, I was wondering how you felt about our battle earlier,¡± Takahashi said, snapping me back into focus. I pondered my response, looking deep into the Master Ball in my hand.


    ¡°I could have done better,¡± I eventually got out. ¡°I was too slow to act, and it resulted in our loss. Still, it was a great battle, and I had a lot of fun!¡±


    I looked over to Takahashi, and saw him nod along to what I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the makings for a great trainer, and I could see the hallmarks of one in our battle. You¡¯ve got nowhere to go right now, at least until Watcher sends in his report. Until then, I¡¯d like it if you stayed with me, and I can help hone you into a better trainer. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see a better offer than this,¡± I responded almost immediately. ¡°Hopefully it won¡¯t be as bad as today was.¡±


    I looked over at the Ranger, and a chill ran down my spine, as I looked over to Takahashi, a horrid grin plastered on his face. I could only pray that the devil ranger would be merciful upon my wretched soul.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    For the next several days, my life became nothing but training. In the morning, we would work my body to the point of exhaustion, and by noon we¡¯d battle. I still have yet to win, but I can see improvements.


    ¡°Alright Phobia! L-Whip!¡± I shouted out, and Phobia acted, calling upon his Water Type energy to lash out at Archie. The normally short ranged move had gained a significant increase. We had been practicing with the versatility of Liquidation, and we learned that we could shape it quite easily.


    Unfortunately, it hasn¡¯t given us the advantage, as Archie jumped over our attack, and slammed into Phobia with yet another Wild Charge, ending our battle for now.


    We were busy cleaning up, when I heard a chime similar to the one I heard my first day here echo through the meadow.


    ¡°Withdrawal is now ready.¡±


    Finally.


    I whipped out my Switch, and sure enough, the countdown had ended. In its place was an indication showing me how many withdrawals I had available.


    I excused myself in order to find Watcher and Green. They had wanted to be there when I used the Switch again for their report, and I was planning on using it immediately.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find the two thankfully, as they had been slumming it up with Takahashi as well. They had been in the middle of a game of cards when I burst in, interrupting the game.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± was all I said, and all I needed to say apparently, as the two dropped what they were doing. They made their way to my side with pens and paper in their hands.


    ¡°Which Pokemon are you planning on taking out?¡± Watcher asked nervously, to which I responded with a smile.


    ¡°Oh nothing serious, just someone who¡¯ll help me immensely in the future. They¡¯re not a Legendary, so no need to worry!¡±


    This seemed to calm the two, and they went back to scribbling on their notes.


    I brought my cursor over to the Pokemon I wanted. This week had taught me a lot, like how ill prepared I was to go out into the wilds. Without food, medicine, or a safe way to travel, I¡¯d be a sitting duck (ducklett?). I had been lucky that both the Pokemon Centers and Takahashi had been kind enough to help with supplies so far, but I couldn¡¯t keep relying on them. It¡¯s why I was confident with my choice.


    I pressed the button, and confirmed my choice. A couple of moments later, and a quick chime to remind me the withdrawal was successful, there was a Luxury Ball resting in my hand.


    ¡®Well, no time like the present to show off my newest friend,¡¯ I thought, smiling down at the Ball.


    ¡°Come on out, Sunny Side!¡±


    Thanks for reading!

 Chapter 9

    Markus POV


    ¡°Come on out, Sunny Side!¡± I shouted as I tossed the Luxury Ball into the air. It popped open, and light began to coalesce into an oval shape momentarily before dissipating. In its place stood a Blissey with pale pink fur, and a Life Orb necklace.


    The first thing Sunny did was stretch, letting out a long ¡°Bliss¡±, and popping her back. She looked around the room for a moment before her eyes locked onto the Luxury Ball in my grasp, and her smile faltered slightly.


    ¡°*Hmm, you aren¡¯t Markus. Who might you be?*¡± Sunny asked, a slight hint of worry in her voice.


    I rubbed the back of my head, only now remembering my first interaction with Phobia, and how he had no recollection of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story Sunny, but to make things short, I¡¯m the same Markus that you know, just different.¡±


    I saw her eyes narrow in response, and she started messing with the swirls on her head. We stood there for an almost uncomfortable amount of time, until suddenly, Sunny reached into her front pouch, pulling out the egg, and offered it to me.


    I was left dumbfounded as Sunny pushed the egg into my hands. It was warm to the touch, and it left a slight tingly feeling as I held it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t quite understand?¡± I started, looking back up at Sunny, trying to hand back the egg. She cut me off with a shake of her head as she pushed the egg back towards me.


    ¡°*I don¡¯t understand either, but I know you aren¡¯t lying about who you are,*¡± she stated, her eyes growing more determined. ¡°*Your emotions would have given you away. Speaking of that, you should eat that. Youa€|need it.*¡±


    I simply nodded, bringing the soft boiled egg to my mouth. When I took a bite, I could feel all the muscle pains that had been growing over the week vanish almost immediately, and I felt a calmness wash over me. A sigh escaped me, as I fell back onto my seat. I could feel a smile begin to form, as tears started to fall from my eyes. For the first time in a while, I realized something I had forgotten so long ago.


    I could be happy.


    ¡®Fuck me, these eggs are dangerous¡¯ I thought, as my state of bliss began to fade. I contemplated taking another bite, but my stomach cried out in protest against the idea, and I couldn¡¯t disagree with my gut.


    ¡°Well now, kid, you¡¯ve got a knack for riling up the Tauros, dontcha?¡± Watcher eventually said, his eyes never leaving Sunny.


    I shot him a glance, tilting my head as I did so. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked, looking between everyone.


    Watcher cracked, shaking his head and sighing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too bad, Markus,¡± he started, ¡°the Joys will just be running us ragged for a long while.¡±


    My confusion must have been evident, because when Watcher looked at me, he started chuckling.


    ¡°We really need to catch you up on this world if you¡¯re gonna be throwing it into chaos. Long story short, The Joy Clan likes to make sure the Chansey line is protected, so seeing one not dressed in their colors is surprising.¡±


    ¡°So how much trouble am I in?¡± I asked. To my shock, Watcher simply shook his head, and started chuckling.


    ¡°Not as much as you¡¯d think, kid. If any, you¡¯re gonna be a celebrity among the Joys. The mechanics to evolve a Chansey is still unknown, so seeing a Blissey is a pretty rare sight.¡±


    ¡°Why would they be so rare? They¡¯re a friendship evolution after all,¡± I said, looking at my newest withdrawal. She had started conversing with Green, and strangely, I couldn¡¯t make out anything they were saying.


    Watcher had been pretty quiet after my reveal, and glancing over to him, I saw he was deep in thought, muttering to himself. He shot me a look, to which I quirked an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Let me guess, more earth shattering news?¡± I quipped. My efforts earned me a chuckle from the agent.


    ¡°Precisely that. There¡¯s been some theories surrounding the idea of alternate evolution methods, bonds being one. I¡¯d like to disagree with you, but I¡¯m also not the one with Arceus on their side.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Watcher let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re here, how about you tell me what Sunny¡¯s capable of? I see the Life Orb necklace, so I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re a battler.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°In the games at least, yea. There wasn¡¯t much else someone could do, besides some side content. As for her capabilities, it depends. I could easily list off stats and moves, but those were mostly applied to in-game statistics. This world works on an entirely different rule set, one I¡¯m still getting used to.¡±


    The Agent finished writing in his notebook, looking back to me as he did so. With a wave of his hand, he urged me to continue, knowing me well enough to understand I¡¯m only halfway done with my ramblings.


    ¡°So the rules I¡¯m used to are that each pokemon can use only four moves, one ability, a set amount of points that can be added to a stat to increase it, usually referred to as Effort Values and Individual Values. How things work here are so much more complex! Rather than just a numbers game, there¡¯s instead strategy and complexity! Pokemon know more than four moves, and each move can be trained to do different things, or work with other moves!¡±


    I paused mid rambling to see both of the agents stare at me with a blank expression, clearly confused about the information overload I just dropped on them. Strangely, I could see Sunny looked at me with stars in their eyes. I felt my face heat up, and I quickly turned away, wishing I could just disappear.


    ¡°Aha€| Sorry. I just thought you¡¯d want some background for my information,¡± I explained, trying in vain to brush off my embarrassment. ¡°Long story short, I trained her to be a bulky setup sweeper.¡±


    As I was looking around for an excuse to leave the conversation, a hand clasped my shoulder, and a certain old ranger started chuckling behind me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got a trainer¡¯s mindset, kid. I knew there was a reason I liked you.¡±


    I just sighed, letting my nervousness go. I looked at the ranger and asked, ¡°So, how much of that did you hear?¡±


    ¡°Enough to know you¡¯re pretty spot on with your assessment,¡± the ranger said, while taking in my newest member. ¡°What I''d like to know is her moveset, and what she¡¯s got access to.¡±


    I shot Takahashi a knowing smile, understanding just what he wanted to see. ¡°I could,¡± I started, adding a whimsical tune to my voice. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you want a live demonstration instead? If Sunny¡¯s ok with it of course.¡±


    I said that last part loud enough to grab Sunny¡¯s attention. She took a minute, mulling over my words before acting a bit bashful.


    ¡°*Oh, I don¡¯t know, I guess I could show off a little,*¡± she demurred, placing a flipper on her cheek as an attempt to appear modest, but I saw through her act. Her eyes told a different story, as I could see how eager she was to do so.


    I smiled, seeing Sunny¡¯s poor attempt at subtlety. In truth, it was a relief that she was handling everything so well, but just to be sure, I was going to address that.


    ¡°Go on ahead of us, we¡¯ll be right out!¡± I said to the group. ¡°I was hoping to talk with Sunny for a bit. Oh and if you could, can you send Phobia over?¡±


    Watcher and Takahashi both nodded, making their way towards the training grounds. The silence left in their leaving was palpable, and I could feel a nervousness building in my chest. I played with Sunny¡¯s Luxury Ball idly, trying to find something to say. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to, as Sunny broke the silence first.


    ¡°*So Markus, did you like the egg?*¡± she asked cheerfully, breaking the silence. There was a tinge of anticipation in her voice, hoping that I enjoyed it.


    The question broke me from my anxiety¡¯s grasp, and a devious smile began to creep across my face. I had been set up perfectly, and I knew exactly what to say now.


    ¡°It wasa€| Egg-celent, everything that it was cracked up to be.¡±


    Sunny¡¯s face went blank, her eyes taking on a blue-ish sheen just a moment. Slowly, she stood, and made her way over to loom above me. We sat there for far too long, the tension starting to build, before suddenly, I was bonk on my head.


    ¡°*Horrible.*¡±


    The tension immediately broke, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from cackling like a loon. I saw Sunny sigh in defeat before joining in with my cackles. We were both trying to catch our breaths when the door started to open.


    ¡°*Trainer Markus, I was told you were needing my- Oh? Is that you Madam Sunny Side?*¡±


    The Blissey next to me let out a quiet gasp, seeing my big beautiful purple boy make his way into Takahashi¡¯s home. I looked towards my Pokemon, only needing a moment to realize why Sunny was shocked.


    Lichtenberg marks ran all across Phobia¡¯s body, the most prominent ones appeared on his front legs.


    I let out a sigh, already guessing he had been so marked up. ¡°Please tell me you weren¡¯t doing anti-electric training without supervision.¡±


    Phobia was quiet, looking everywhere except towards me. Eventually, he nodded, but still doing his best attempt at avoiding my gaze.


    I didn¡¯t say anything in response. Instead, I stood, placing myself in front of my partner. I watched him squirm slightly as I continued to stare at him, saying nothing. I didn¡¯t want to make Phobia feel any worse, so eventually I pushed my forehead against his water bubble, making sure I didn¡¯t come into contact with any of the lightning marks.


    ¡°I know buddy,¡± I started with a reassuring tone, ¡°losing like that was rough, and I promise you we¡¯ll work to never lose like that again, but we have to be careful about this. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt trying to improve.¡±


    Phobia finally turned to me, and we locked eyes. With just a glance, I could see the fire in his eyes. Understanding passed between us, our determination and desires fully realized. We were going to be terrors, and this world will know our names.


    ¡°*Um, sorry to interrupt, but would you like me to help you Phobia? I¡¯m sure I could heal you up right quick!*¡±


    We both turned, remembering that it wasn¡¯t just the two of us in the room. I felt my face heat up, and a wave of embarrassment flowed over me.


    ¡°Ah, yea, that would be wonderful! Thanks, and sorry Sunny,¡± I said, fighting against the awkwardness we caused. Thankfully, Sunny noiriced, chuckling at my expense.


    Almost instantly, Sunny had appeared next to Phobia, a newly formed Softboiled egg in her hands. I blinked, looking from where Sunny had been to her current position. Shea€| was fast. Faster than I¡¯d ever imagined Blissey could move. It was then that I remembered the countless hours I¡¯d spent grinding on wild Blissey, and how quickly they¡¯d moved in the games.


    ¡®We can look into that later,¡¯ I thought. I shook my head, returning my attention back to the others. I let out a whistle, impressed with Sunny¡¯s work. Almost immediately, the lichtenberg marks had started to fade with each bite of the egg Phobia took. It still baffles me how effective healing is in this world.


    I flopped into a seat, letting out a breath I didn¡¯t realize I was holding. Now that the situation was settled, I was now faced with possibly the hardest challenge I¡¯ve faced in a long while.


    A conversation about the future.


    ¡°So hey,¡± I started, cringing slightly at my awkward opening. It seemed to work though, as it grabbed the attention of my two partners. ¡°I wanted to talk with you guys about where we¡¯re going from here. Firstly though, I¡¯d like to introduce, or maybe re-introduce you two.¡±


    At this point, they had joined me, taking a seat while they chatted with each other. I assumed they were greetings, since I still couldn¡¯t understand a word they were saying. Eventually, they turned to me, seemingly waiting for me to continue.


    ¡°Right, so about that talk. I wanted to discuss some plans for the future, and I wanted your guys'' thoughts on the matter. I don¡¯t want to rush you into things, so I don¡¯t need an answer yet. Mainly, I wanted to get this out there so you guys can think about it.¡±


    I paused, steeling my resolve. I looked up, seeing Sunny¡¯s and Phobia¡¯s eyes, filled with anticipation and giddiness. I smiled, already knowing their answer, but stating it anyways.


    ¡°I plan on going on a journey, and I wanted to ask if you¡¯d join me.¡±


    Thank you for reading!