It was a warm spring morning.
I didn't like warm spring mornings much, anymore.
I suppose you could understand.
Unlike the rest of the Pokemon here at the Sanctuary.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up smaller, surrounded in a world of magical creatures and being one myself. It sounds like paradise, doesn't it?
It's not.
Everyone was so happy about life, skipping around and playing games no matter their age. Firing incredibly dangerous moves at each other and shrugging them off. And they called it fun.
I couldn't tell anyone as well. How would that go? 'Hi, I died and now I'm in a different universe as a pokemon. Guess I'm taking ghost-type to a literally meaning!' No, I would be called crazy.
"Yami? You alright up there?" A voice asked outside the tree hollow I had been moping in. The moment I had waken up in this damn place, I had gotten to know that voice.
It was Garchomp, the Pokemon assistant of the region's Professor. He was intimidating but actually quite kind, and always made it a habit to check on everyone, making his niceness a nuisance as well.
"Yes." I grumbled, taking the golden mask I was bestowed with and covering my head with it, trying to shut out the noises. It got to be too much, hearing Garchomp's concerned question again, and I floated out of the hollow, grabbing the mask as I went.
Let me recount to you the past few days. I wake up, surrounded by people much taller than me, learn I somehow became a Pokemon, a fictional creature of the video games that Nintendo made, and came to the assumption that I died.
Not a pleasant way to perceive your new world, isn't it?
"Come on, Yami, cheer up! Things will brighten up!" Garchomp cheered, and I simply floated down, not paying him any mind. I wasn't the most optimistic, and I surely wouldn't be now. I was also paranoid around strangers, a trait from before this chaos, and I had refused to give my name to Garchomp. As a result, he began calling be 'Yami'. Yami the Yamask.
Hysterical.
"There's food in the center."
"Mhm."
"Many Pokemon here want to say hello to our newest sanctuary-dweller."
"Mhm."
"And Alexander wants a word with you."
I freeze, still bobbing but not moving forward. I was told that Alexander was a human who could talk to Pokemon. I , obviously not liking that idea due to not wanting to have others find out everything, didn't respond to what Garchomp said about him earlier.
He growled with amusement, and began guiding me to the lab's inside, past the doors and into the building.
All in all, I suppose I should have been a bit more ecstatic about this whole ordeal. Yay, you get to play in a video game. It wasn't as so, as I had overhead one of the Pokedex-things describe what my 'species' had to say.
Yamask, the Spirit Pokemon. These Pokemon emerge from the spirits of people who had died. Their mask takes the shape of the face from their past life. Sometimes, they look at it and begin to cry.
Like the mask that faintly resembled me wasn't enough to send me sobbing.
Not the most pleasant given trait.
"Thank you, Garchomp. I already told Professor about this, so no need to worry." This 'Alexander' guy said, and Garchomp walked off, leaving my in the room, alone with this person and some Pokemon next to him.
It was a nice room, with only one window and a green curtain, bookshelves along the wall, and a few benches scattered across, leaning against the empty walls. I fidgeted, floating as far way as I could from the human.
Funny how I now refer to all humans that way. It was odd, how I was starting to think of them as an alien species, almost.
"Introductions are required, so lets get started. I'm Alexander, but Alex works as well. This is Oliver." Oliver, who I recognized as a Sylveon, let out a purr noise, and nodded. His 'streamers' waved around, and although I could tell they were trying to seem welcoming, it was failing, and miserably.
"Yami." I said without realizing it, and before I could correct myself, Alex nodded. "Yami. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand, and I contemplated before slowly putting a 'hand',or what more looked like a wisp into his palm, shaking it. My body was weird, like solidified gas. But I believe I was more solidifying the idea that I was Yami. Yami the Yamask, not Jay-the-really-confused-Yamask.
I didn't know which I preferred.
"New here?" He asked. I nodded.
"We're helpers to the Professor. He wants just a little bit of basic information, since he's never really seen a Yamask in person before. He has to work on his own research, but asks us trainers to help." Oliver explained. "So...just a few questions?" I tentatively ask. They both nod, and Alex takes out his Pokedex, scanning it over me.
I hear the first part of the entry, consisting of what I knew, but then it continued.
Male, ability; Mummy. Knows the moves Astonish, Protect, and the egg move Ally Switch.
"An egg moves, cool. Now, just a few questions, 'kay?" I reluctantly nod. I didn't believe I could get out of it, anyways.
He asked and I answered for about ten minutes. It was very basic questions. Use this move, how do you float, may I see your mask, etc. I dodged the anticipated 'what's your past' question, and he didn't prod.
We went out separate ways, with Garchomp having been waiting for me. He exchanged a few words with Alexander, while Oliver and I began to chat.
...and so you are traveling?"I asked, and the fairy type nodded. "Yup! It's amazing! We've gotten most of our badges already, and we're going to challenge Clemont, Viola, and Grant before we can enter the league competition.." He looked proud, and for the first time since I arrived, I felt impressed. "Then we're going to try and catch the rarest Pokemon, to help Professor Sycamore with his research. Everything's already planned out, and what we do have planned," He chuckled. "is to die for." He waved a streamer at me, before bounding off to join Alex. Garchomp began to escort me back to the sanctuary, and I was lost in thought.
I knew that me probably meant it well, as a typical phrase, but 'to die for' wasn't going to settle in my head well.
That's for certain.
Thanks for reading! I have a plot outlined, so chapters will come! I'm deciding that if I have enough time, I want this to be a three-part series.
I'm actually really happy how I turned Jay into a Yamask instead of an Eevee, which happened my first version of this story. The story will also include some Alolan Pokemon, but none that are really spoiler-y, just a few of the side pokemon.
That is all for today! Please leave a review as well. For those who don't write, I'm telling you now; getting reviews is the best feeling, because someone cared enough to either compliment it or suggest how to make it better. It's a rewarding thing.
-BK