A bright and shining new day simmered the land with a gentle heat this Sunday. My parents are lazily relaxing in the living room while the last time I saw my sister, she was in her own room. Lyra and I on the other hand have found ourselves outside under the glistening sun in my family's backyard. The fence line marked just how large the area was; if I remember correctly, the land size of our backyard is about a whole acre. Planted around this spacious spot were a few lush bushes and some apple trees that were left by one of the previous owners of this place. From where I was standing now, I could see part of the public park where I met my Pokémon.

I stopped counting how many trips I've made at this point as I descended down the stairs of my deck and onto the grass again. Laid out in one of the clearings sat a cinderblock, an old kiddie pool, an empty cup, a first aid kit, and some soap and shampoo. As I approached the items on the ground, a metal kettle heavily filled with hot water dangled in my left hand while my right arm was covered up with a plastic bag and a latex glove I managed to stretch on over the cast.

"Is it too hot for you?" I asked as I poured the steaming water into the pool. After being told it was fine, I then placed the kettle on the cinderblock, undressed the bandages from the Latias, and ran my fingers through her feathers where the remainder of her injuries were. There's no bruising left, and what remains feels like small scabbed up scratches. "I don't think there'll be any scarring, and at this rate I think you'll be fully healed by tomorrow. But just to be on the safe side, I still want to cover them back up after we're done."

As the eon Pokémon situated herself in the warmth of her bath, I began using the cup to scoop up some the hot liquid and pour it along Lyra's body. Even though my focus was on my friend, a sigh left my mouth as I made a comment on how it was probably more comfortable to sit on the grass instead of the top of my fence. Following that, my ears picked up on something soon landing behind me as a young boy started talking to me.

"You're the one who said I could do this."

"True, but I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." I quickly replied.

"Yeah…well I was just taking up your offer." The Riolu gradually made his way into my view. "So what are you doing?"

"Giving my Latias a bath. Lyra, close your eyes for a moment." I began to lather up some shampoo on the Pokémon's head.

"I can see that, but don't you humans have something in your homes for that?"

"We do, but my mom still isn't too keen on the whole Pokémon being real thing. I unfortunately couldn't win the argument this time, so this was the next best thing I could think of."

"Okay, so then what's with your arm?"

For a moment I glanced at the protective layer I made for my cast to help keep it dry and decided to tease the Riolu. "This is the Fist of Fury!"

I couldn't help but snicker at the visible confusion he presented me, that was until Lyra began to shake the water off her head which I had just recently poured on her. I think she intentionally got me wet for being a smartass, and as I stared back at her, her smile said it all. So with a smirk and the roll of my eyes, I continued to wash up Lyra's body.

After leaping up and snagging an apple from one of my trees, the Riolu said; "So if your mom isn't use to us yet, what about the rest of your family?"

"Cecil likes me, but I'm not really sure about his dad. He just occasionally glances at me." Lyra answered.

"With him, I think it's more of a if it doesn't bother me, I won't bother it situation. So as long as nothing bad happens, he doesn't care." I added.

It took a while to finish washing out the rest of the shampoo from Lyra's feathers, but after giving her a once over, I started putting stuff away as she continued to soak in the warm water. During one of the trips back, I took a moment to stop at the railings from my deck and just look down at the two Pokémon chatting away. As I watched the two of them, a thought I've had once before returned.

What's my future going to be like? Yeah I didn't know that answer before Pokémon were real, but now that they are, what is life going to be like? Hell, what's life going to be like for everyone else? On the day of the incident, apparently my dad went through a lot because of numerous calls relating to the sudden appearances of Pokémon. And who knows just what Nintendo is going through now. So with Pokémon actually existing, does that also mean new job opportunities? I'm pretty sure there will be some people that will try to capitalize on the situation.

My attention was eventually brought back towards the Latias and Riolu as they noticed me again. I gave them a smile as I returned with a towel for Lyra, or it was meant for her until she started to playfully nuzzle me with her wet face as I tried to dry her off. After drying both of us as much as possible, the three of us ended up relaxing under the sun on my deck. Luckily I had positioned us in such a way that only I would be visible from the screen door, lest I want my mom to have a panic attack over a new Pokémon. To add to the serenity that befallen us, I had provided some lemonade for this calm moment.

"It's weird. I know I'm in a different world now, but this place, it still seems the same as home." The Riolu began.

"I know. The same sky, the same ocean, it doesn't even feel like we're in a different world." Lyra chimed in.

"Well for me, this place feels foreign now. With such majestic creatures existing here now, who knows what'll happen or what changes will take place? But I will admit, I am glad that you two are able to feel some resemblance to home." I added.

Lyra soon queried, "But wouldn't us being here negatively impact things?"

"Maybe at first, but in the long run, no. That's the thing about us humans, we're capable of adapting to situations over time. That's how we evolve, so eventually Pokémon will be accepted into society as a normal thing. And even if we didn't, just by being here, you've already left a major impact on us."

I soon found myself gently petting the eon Pokémon and was greeted with a content trill as my fingers glided through her feathers. Lyra then lightly leaned herself against my leg as she continued to sip on her lemonade. I haven't gotten to the point of dressing up the remainder of her injuries yet, but as I scan her body, she looks as healthy as one can be. It makes me a little jealous that I can't heal that fast, but still, I can't wait until Lyra has truly fully healed.

Before anything else could happen for me or the Pokémon, my ears soon picked up on what sounded like something was currently being scratched at. It was close, very close. In fact, whatever was making this noise sounded like it was directly below us. My companions looked at me confused as they could hear it too, and when I heard something that sounded like wood was lightly being slapped, I realized it was the door to my house's crawlspace. Since I couldn't see anything while peeking over the railings, I figured it was best to check the crawlspace itself.

Upon opening the hatch, I was greeted with an unusual sight as my eyes quickly focused on two critters. One of them was a dark grey creature that was almost able to hide perfectly if it wasn't for the outside light. It had what looked to be a tuft of fur on the top of its head where the tip of it was a reddish color. Its four paws were the same color of red, and as it turned towards my direction, the animal revealed its aquamarine green eyes. The back of my mind wanted to say it was a fox, but I already knew what it was.

The other critter was fox like in shape too, but unlike the other one, this one had maybe a brown or reddish coat. The tuft of fur on this animal's head curled up into three orange locks while part of its bangs hung above its brown eyes. The thing that actually caught my attention with this creature were the six orange tails it had.

"Uhh…Hi?"

Without warning, the dark colored fox was already rushing right at me. I wasn't able to react in time as intense pain hit my stomach while the creature's head was bouncing off my body. I soon then hit the ground hard and a few feet away from where I initially was, left groaning in the grass.

"Well fuck you too…"

"Alan, are you alright!?" Lyra called to me as she was peeking over the railings.

"It's a Zorua and a Vulpix…"

Lyra immediately flew down to where I was while the Riolu leapt off the deck and landed right in front of the dark type Pokémon. The Zorua growled at him and then quickly dodged as the Riolu lunged right at it. Following that, the blue canine began to chase after it as my Latias rushed over to help him. Knowing what the Vulpix is capable of, my eyes instantly turned towards the crawlspace, but oddly enough I didn't see the other creature. I cautiously made my way to the door and peeked inside, only to see the Vulpix staring back at me as it was visibly shaking. The fox tried to jump back, but it ended up stumbling down the moment it tried to stand, so after seeing that, I slowly made my way to the animal.

"Easy now, it's going to be alright. I'm not going to hurt you." I softened my voice as I spoke to the Pokémon. I then gradually extended my left hand towards the creature as least threateningly as possible. After tucking its ears back, the Vulpix lunged forward and latched its maw around my palm. "Son of a…!" I swallowed hard to keep my composure, after that, I then gently placed my other hand on it. "See, it's going to be fine."

It took a couple of seconds, but eventually the Pokémon released its grip on me and simply stared. I briefly glanced at my hand and was fortunate enough that the creature didn't puncture my appendage. Once my full attention was brought back to the Vulpix, I then ran my fingers through its soft coat. In doing so, I soon discovered there were some scratches on its body. They weren't fresh or serious, but considering the Pokémon's reaction, it's easy to assume what happened. I carefully picked up the Vulpix and shuffled us back outside.

Lyra and the Riolu were able to corner the Zorua towards the far end of the fence line and luckily didn't draw the attention of my family. Before the three of them could create a louder commotion, I called to them and revealed the Vulpix in my arms. The dark type Pokémon rushed over to me as I laid the other fox on the ground. The Zorua examined its friend before it then cautiously turned to me.

"Look, I don't know how things went down for you two before coming here, but I can assure you that I'm not like the other humans." Once Lyra and the Riolu approached the foxes and I, a thought hit me. "Can you talk?"

The Zorua looked up at me and starting yipping, giving me my answer. After it finished barking, Lyra started speaking. "He's wondering why he should trust you."

"Well for starters, I don't mean you two any harm. Secondly, it looks like you could use the help."

The dark fox seemed a bit conflicted, but after the Vulpix said something to it, the Pokémon looked ready to accept my assistance. I then asked Lyra if it was okay if I treated the Vulpix first, she was okay with it, but was curious as to what the problem was. It was more of a precaution on my part, but I wanted to put some disinfectants on the scratches to prevent any further complications.

The little Pokémon snuggled up in my lap as I started treating its injuries. I also asked the Riolu if it was okay with him to gather up some more apples for the other "guests" and was thankful when he complied. With something pondering in my mind, I curiously asked the foxes what happened with them while Lyra acted as my translator.

"He's saying that after getting lost from the incident, he and his sister wandered around until some older humans attacked them. They managed to escape and have been hiding under your house recovering ever since."

For what I considered was the best for them, I decided to explain how the Pokémon were no longer in their old world. The foxes' faces revealed their worry and confusion, leaving me to wonder what I could do for them. Minutes passed before the tension was broken by the Riolu offering the fruit he had gathered, and after a bit of enticing, the two Pokémon finally started eating.

Once things calmed down, I actually found this moment rather funny. In all my life, I have never once seen a real fox before and I don't know if I ever will. But can I consider this situation as finally having done so? In front of me now are two Pokémon based on…similar to? Actually are Pokémon genetically compatible with the animals I'm familiar with? As cool as it would be to see a fox, I can't help but find it far more interesting to be interacting with these creatures here. Especially now since I'm finding my healthy hand scratching behind the ears of the Vulpix as she's nibbling an apple. Her soft body really does bring into mind and makes me think I'm petting a dog as long as I ignore the fact that she can probably burn a house down.

After the two of them finished eating, the Vulpix soon picked up the same energetic feeling that her brother has as she began to trot around to stretch her legs. Honestly, the longer I watched it, the cuter I found the Vulpix to be. However despite being adorable, my mom wouldn't settle for me keeping more Pokémon at the moment. I can't pass them off as being normal foxes, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't believe me if I told her that the Vulpix was sufficiently injured enough to require my care. Maybe they can keep hiding in the crawlspace until she can finally calm down about the whole Pokémon actually being real thing.

With my thoughts starting to finally come to a close, the Riolu suggested that maybe the Zorua and Vulpix stay with him for the moment. Thinking it over, I figured it would be for the best that they stay with another Pokémon until they can become accustomed to this place. Since there were no disagreements, the three of them left; with Riolu leaping the fence and the two foxes revealing a small hole under the boards to sneak under through. As the Latias and I were left to ourselves, I asked Lyra to take a seat so I could cover up her scratches now.

"Hey Alan, if those three were to stay with you as well, how would you fit them in your room?"

"Well considering their sizes, the Riolu or the siblings could share the futon with you. I could probably get a big dog bed for who's left."

"Yeah, but what about their evolved forms? Since Poké Balls don't exist in your world, how would you fit them in your room then?"

I didn't even think about that. She does raise a good point if I were to keep them during those forms. I'm pretty sure the fox Pokémon would want to be closest to each other, so a Zoroark and a Ninetales would take up all the comfortable space on the futon. I could still go with the dog bed idea for a Lucario. But what about Lyra?

"You could sleep with me on my bed."

Lyra's eyes widened for a bit before she started giggling at my answer.

"What?"

"It's nothing." She smiled.

I finished patching up my friend, and afterwards the two of us decided to stay outside a bit longer to relax. Unfortunately, before we could get comfy, something caught our attention. It's barely been fifteen minutes and the others have returned, but there's only two of them. The Zorua is missing, and the expressions on the other two are worrisome.

"We need your help!" The Riolu cried.

"What happened?"

"On our way to my den, some humans found us. It got messy and the Zorua stayed behind to hold them off."

"Shit…Alright, Vulpix, I want you to stay here. We're going to go get your brother." I left the hatch for the crawlspace open so she could hide there. Following that, I hopped my fence as Lyra and I followed the blue Pokémon.

It was mere moments of rushing to the far end of the park. There, cars remained still with young on lookers hiding inside as adults had surrounded something. The Zorua. He was dodging and counterattacking all the rocks thrown at him and all the sticks swinging by. I called to the group to stop, but they didn't even give me a glance as they told me to stay back.

This is bad. What should I do? I could have Lyra use Mist Ball since the Zorua should be immune to psychic type attacks and we'll have cover to run through. But if any of the adults get hurt, I can foresee further problems happening. I have an idea, it'll take some timing, but it could work. If I have Lyra use Mist Ball at the right moment, the Zorua will be the only one hit with it. After that, I'll have myself and the Riolu run in. The Riolu will get the Zorua out of here and escape while I on the other hand will act as a shield and further distraction.

I was about to explain my plan to my companions, but the moment I saw Lyra's eyes widen in shock, I turned back to the commotion at hand. I soon felt the same fear everyone else was experiencing as I couldn't mentally process what was happening. The Zorua was enveloped in a crimson aura while his eyes were burning bright blue through the energy. He then raised his front paws in the air and then quickly slammed them down. The red aura surrounding him suddenly turned pitch black and exploded outwards. I winced and tried to use my arms to shield myself, but in that last moment where I could see anything, I noticed Lyra rush right in front of me. The only thing I could feel after that was an overwhelming power forcing us back and a lot of pain searing through me .

Car alarms screamed out to the world as a heavy groan escaped me. As I tried to sit up, the full weight of my Latias remained on top of me, whimpering in her natural voice instead of the telepathy I've gotten used to.

"Lyra? Lyra! Are you alright!?"

"Yeah…I'll be fine…" She stated after reconnecting her psychic link with me. She then struggled to levitate herself back into the air.

I managed to stand back up and fight through the pain only to be greeted with uncertainty. All the adults were spread around the place with some of them even looking like they were knocked out. The Riolu also managed to stumble himself back up and looked around until his sights caught the Zorua. At the center of a crater laid the Pokémon, unmoving. I rushed over to the fox and quickly determined that he was simply unconscious.

"Shit…We need to get out of here!" I picked up the Zorua and hurried back to the other Pokémon.

The Riolu looked at me shocked. "Wait, what about the other humans?"

"You're not going to want to be around when emergency responders arrive. We've got to go!"

With nothing else said, the three of us made our retreat.