Author's Note: Yeah, I know, I have too many stories. But I just don't know where to go with Shadow Tides, and so I'm going to be writing this instead. I'm also working on a manuscript for an original story, so expect slow updates.

I wasn't expecting much when my crazy uncle Joe called for me. He did it at least once a day, and every time he would lecture me on nanoplasmic whatevers and octo-whatsits while I pretended to listen. I didn't know why he expected me to understand. I was twelve, for goodness sake! But from the way he talked to me, he thought I was a super genius or something. This was how I knew he was crazy.

Sighing, I turned off my 2ds. I was almost glad to have a breather from Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon. I liked all of the other games, but this one was different. For starters, I was so weak in the game, and I had to go to school with a bunch of bratty kid pokemon! I couldn't even save in a dungeon without some stupid Progress Device that I could only use once. I knew some of the major plot due to Wikipedia, but I was stuck on Nectar Meadow. It was excruciating.

"Maddie? Are you there?" Joe called again. Annoyed that Joe still called me Maddie (I hated that nickname! Why were ninety percent of Madelyns called Maddie?), I rolled over on my bed and buried my face in my pillow. Joe could go and shove his dumb zanzomatron thingies up his nose for all I cared.

"Madelyn Roseline Fisher, get over here now! And bring your pokeman game!"

"It's pokemon, not pokeman!" I moaned. But I still got up, somewhat intrigued that Joe wanted to see my game. I pulled the Super Mystery Dungeon cartridge out of my 2ds and walked down the hallway to Joe's room.

When I opened the door, I shrunk back with a start. In the center of the room, looking completely out of place with the beige carpet and walls, was what looked like a white electric chair, complete with a helmet and arm cuffs. The chair was hooked up to a machine that looked like one of those old computers from the seventies, complete with the blocky shape and flashing lights. In front of this I could see Joe, red hair sticking out at all ends and freckles covering his skin.

"Hello, Maddie!" Joe said cheerfully. "Come in! I have something wonderful to show you!" Usually, Joe's definition of wonderful meant a twenty-minute speech on the mechanics of virtual reality, but this time I could feel that things were different. Hesitantly, I crept into the room, staying as far from the electric chair as possible. That thing gave me the creeps.

"So, remember what I told you yesterday?" Joe asked. I nodded, though I couldn't remember a word of what he had said. Something about an avatar.

"Yeah," I said. "It was cool. But what is that electric chair for? And why do you need Super Mystery Dungeon?"

Joe raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated that game."

I shrugged. "You just said to bring a pokemon game. Whatever you want with this game, I'm sure I won't mind."

"Well, okay then. Let me show you my new invention!" Joe gestured to the electric chair. "Sit down, please."

I looked toward the door, considering running for it, but deciding not to. My mom would probably catch me and make me take out the trash. And it wasn't like Joe could actually build a functioning electric chair. Reluctantly, I sat down in the chair. Before I could move, the helmet slammed down on my head. I shivered as the cold metal of the cuffs wrapped around my wrists.

"Um, so exactly what does this thing do?" I stammered.

"It inserts your consciousness into the main character of any game inserted into the main computer," Joe explained proudly, pointing to the blocky machine. "It's just a prototype, but soon these will be sold everywhere! I call it the Virtual Consciousness Transfer, or the VCT for short."

The idea of this thing working seemed so ridiculous that I almost laughed. "So how does it work?"

"Well, it sends an electric shock through you to get your consciousness out of your body and into a wire, where-"

I cut Joe off. "You mean you're going to electrocute me? No wonder you have these cuffs." I was reminded of the special episode of Explorers of Sky where Dusknoir tried to shock Grovyle's spirit out.

"Well, I wouldn't call it electrocution. It's more of a quick jolt. And the cuffs are just to make sure you don't fall out of the chair." I rolled my eyes as Joe spoke. I did not believe him one bit.

"So, say this thing works. How do you get my consciousness back into my body? Won't my body be dead after the electrocution?"

"I can easily get your consciousness back into your body by shocking your virtual form. As for your body being dead, well… The VCT shocks both you and the game at once. Chances are, some random AI will wind up in your head."

"You mean I get possessed?" This seemed more and more like that special episode.

Joe pretended not to hear me. "Your game?"

I handed him the cartridge, and he inserted it in a slot in the computer. While he flipped a couple of switches, I relaxed in my chair. I hoped the VCT wouldn't explode, though I assumed that the machine would not do anything.

Through the helmet, I could hear a faint hum. I jerked forward, suddenly scared. What if the electric chair worked? Obviously, I would not go into a video game. No, I'd just die. At least Joe would go to jail. I imagined my mother whacking him over the head with her purse. I almost giggled.

All of a sudden, a shock passed through me. My hair stood on end. For a split second, there was a burning, searing pain. It was worse than anything I had ever felt. I could not feel anything but the pain. I could not open my mouth to scream. I was going to d-

Before I could finish my thought, another jolt flashed through me, and everything was gone.

10100101100010110101...Ugh...10100001011101...Wake up...010010101001101010110...I had to wake up...110011000101011..I had to...1001011010…

My eyes snapped open. I was floating in the middle of an endless expanse of white. I tried to stand, but I could not move. Was I dead? Was this the afterlife?

"Stupid afterlife," I muttered, somehow able to move my mouth and nothing else.

"What do you mean, afterlife? This isn't the afterlife!" A high pitched female voice sounded out from behind me. I could not turn to see whoever had made the noise.

"Wait, is this Super Mystery Dungeon?" I asked. Technically, if this had been Super Mystery Dungeon, I would've been seeing a different intro screen, but I didn't really care.

"What do you mean, Super Mystery Dungeon?"

"You're Mew, and you want me to go fight Dark Matter, right?"

"Yep."

I groaned. If this had been any other Mystery Dungeon game, I would have been excited. Just my luck that I was sucked into the worst game of the series. Well, at least I knew it wasn't Mew that was possessing my body. But then again, wasn't Mew going to wipe my memory? I started to shake. No! I couldn't lose my memory! What if I got stuck with amnesia when I got back - if I got back. The VCT might not work again.

Suddenly, I had an idea. "Sorry, I'm not the human you were looking for. Could you give me the Gates to Infinity plot instead?" I knew that there were no references to amnesia in Gates to Infinity. Plus, the mechanics and 3D were awesome, and the story was pretty good.

"What is Gates to Infinity?" Mew asked.

"It's the one where I turn into a pokemon without losing my memory. I wind up near Post Town, and I go on to defeat the Bittercold and save the world," I explained.

"Um… Sorry, I can't do that. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions to see what your pokemon form will be."

"Can't you just drop me off near Treasure Town? Without wiping my memory?"

Mew didn't reply. After a minute, she started to ask me a question. "You are-"

"I don't care about your stupid questions!" I interrupted. "Just turn me into something cool and don't wipe my memory!"

"Look. We discussed this before-"

"I just found out about a disorder I have," I lied. "If I get my memory wiped, I'll die!"

Maybe the desperation in my voice made Mew believe me. "Oh! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Whatever. Just turn me into a pokemon, I don't care which, and drop me off wherever. If you think I'm gonna kill Dark Matter, think again! I hate this game!" I snapped.

Mew growled, and I gulped. Perhaps I had gone too far.

"Fine. I'll turn you into a pokemon. A pokemon I will choose," Mew whispered sinisterly. "But if you think you can slack off from destroying Dark Matter, you're wrong. No matter what you do, you are set on a path leading to Dark Matter's obliteration!"

As Mew spoke, I felt a tingling sensation. The tingling grew stronger until I felt like I was being poked by needles. Red-hot needles. No, white-hot needles. Hundreds of them. I screamed again and again, but nothing happened. The pain grew even more intense. I thrashed around, now able to use my limbs, but no use came of it. I was being molded into a new shape. A shape I wasn't sure I would like. But pokemon were cool, right? It wasn't like Mew was going to turn me into a magikarp.

Another needle stabbed into me, and I cried out. "I WILL NOT CONFORM TO YOUR PLOTLINE!" Whoa, that sounded weird. Like those hippies on that documentary about the sixties I had watched two days ago.

I tried again. "SERIOUSLY! I WON'T!"

Mew laughed. I had never heard something so evil. Weird that it would come from Mew, but then again, this whole day was turning out weird.

I screamed one more time. "I WILL NOT CONFORM! FROM THIS DAY ON, THE PLOT IS MY ENEMY!"

Hearing my words, I felt a rush of determination. I would not follow the plotline. I would do anything, go anywhere, just to stay out of the plot.

This thought warmed me as the world faded to blackness once again.