H̵̡͉̝̭͍̼̣͉͔̋̄̅̕ͅa̴̳̳͌l̵̡̯͙͎͈̟̜͖͙͇̝̣̒͑̐͒͜ͅf̶̨̨̛̻̤̳̭͉̭̦̳͚̣̬̖̠͆̽͌̽̾̔̀͘̕͠ ̶̯̾̂̃̈̊͜Ḩ̵̨̮͉̱̻͇͙͙̱͈̒͛ͅͅe̵̡͈̞̘̗̭̙̅͛̈́a̸̰̖͔̫͕̖̞̹̱̳̳͍̬̍̈́̈̑̍̔͆͋̂̋̚̕͠͝ŗ̵͔̮̭͓͈̫̣͊̀̎͌̅͌̂̾͆͊̓̓̚͠͝t̸̹͇͔̎̉̈̒͒̓̿̕͠e̵̡̤̬̗̣͓̦̦̮̫͖͉͓͋͒̊́͗͐̍́̕͝ͅd̶̡̡̪͖̟͚̲͓͔̤̼̮̯̻͉͒̽̿͂̄͊̏͛̐̎ ̸̰̰̹̓̒̃̔͆͋̚͝͠ͅH̴̼̲͎͕̮̻́̒̀̐̅̔̅͑̇̈́̈́͑́͘͠ę̴̨̪̬̱͍̻̗̈͘ͅr̴̢̧̹̖̰͙͔̥̳̮͈̓õ̷̧̱͓͚͇̮͕̯̮͉̳͆

Fire.

It was everywhere, swelling inside my lungs. Brushing against my arms and scorching the hairs on my skin. It was burning my nerves wherever it touched upon my skin, my flimsy t-shirt did not help at all and the blindpain crashed into my body like a wave.

I heard barking noises, they were aggressive yet they held a tone of despair in them. I blinked my tearing eyes and tried to rub them clean but got more ash in my eyes. Where did the sound come from?

Through my teary eyes I could see the stairs leading up higher. I took a deep breath, knowing the air above would probably be even worse. My lungs swelled with an inky like substance that I could feel dripping down my esophagus instead of the fresh air I expected.

No time to think about it. I ran up the stairs, skipping 4 steps at a time while trying to preserve my breath and not exhaust myself.

The barking noise called out to me. Where did it come from?

I reached the 3th floor and came face to face with a burning hallway. I felt lightheaded, the pain was becoming numb and I feared that the fire had burned through my nerves. I heard sounds coming from outside the window, someone had left it open but instead of providing me with fresh air it only fed into the flames, allowing them to scorch up to the ceiling. The smoke smells horrible, like a spoiled food with acid thrown into it, vaporized and spread through the air.

Snarling sound came from somewhere in front of me. I tried to locate it. Somewhat deeper in the hall there was a door.

I tried to move as fast as I could through the flames hoping to enter but I found the door hanging loose in its hinges, tilting over and barricading the way. I stepped towards it and reached for the doorknob. Immediately I let go of it as the piece of metal made me scream out in pain.

Desperately I began kicking the door, harder and harder until it fell to the ground with a loud sound. A burst of flames shot out of the room and nearly burned me on the spot. When it disappeared I bowed my head and continued into the room, trying to stay below the layer of smoke that floated below the ceiling.

I crawled over the floor, my hands meeting a carpet.

Desperate whining came from ahead of me. I scanned the room while still trying to stay below the smoke. My eyes stung and I was forced to cough which led to me inhaling even more smoke.

Then I found it. There, in the corner of the room was a dog. He was trapped inside of a pet cage, the one people used for traveling.

The dog sensed my presence and began desperately clawing against the cage. Whining and barking loudly while parts of the wall were scorched away, revealing pipes and planks.

I moved over the floor towards the pet cage. The smoke was blinding me and for a desperate moment I wanted to turn back. I could most likely still make it out but my heart didn't allow me to go back.

There was an animal trapped inside here.

Finally I had reached the cage. A golden retriever was clawing at the metal bars. It was still small, most likely a pup. I felt a sudden wave of anger crashing over me. What kind of sick person would leave their dog trapped like this?

"Hey don't worry." I croaked. "I'll get you out of here."

As if the animal understood me it moved away from the door. I moved the iron hook up and with my fingers I pulled the door open.

The dog jumped, moved out and I reached out to grab it with my hands. Knowing it would most likely not make it out alive.

It was heavier than I thought and squirming as well.

I gazed around, trying to find a way out. Fire was eating away everything in my vision.

A window!

It was still closed, I held the dog with one hand while trying to turn the knob with my other hand. Moving that arm was hard, I could not even feel the knob when I twisted my fingers around it.

I rotated it and shoved my arm forward, the window opened but only a small gap was created.

People were watching me from the street, a concerned expression on their faces. They were shouting, some were crying. I saw a fat lady, the one who lived across from my apartment, filming it with her phone.

I estimated the distance. Maybe I could jump it. It would sure hurt like hell but what could be worse than this?

I banged on the window, trying to widen the gap but it refused to budge even a little. I was running out of breath. I knew I could not last much longer.

"Catch!" My horribly dried out voice cried through the window.

The people down on the street reacted but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I had to trust them.

With tearing eyes I maneuvered the squirming pup out of the window. The air outside felt so cold against my burned arms.

I could not even see like this, my face was pressed against the window as I tried to move the pup through it. I closed my eyes and let go of the weight in my hands. Praying to God to help the dog.

Seconds later I saw someone in the crowd catching the yellow colored pup.

My dried lips curled up in a smile as I saw its feet touch the pavement.

The sound of the ceiling crashing down followed a second later.

My eyes shot open.

Fresh air!

I sucked it in like there was no tomorrow. Greedily I kept filling my lungs. My skin hurt, it hurt so much.

I opened my eyes which I had been squeezing shut on instinct. Bright light flashed into my eyes.

Like a new born baby I kept squirming for a good 10 seconds before I realized something.

There was no pain.

What? I frowned as I began sitting straight. My arms, they looked….perfectly fine? But how? The vivid pain, the smoke in my lungs and sting in my eyes. I could all still remember it so clearly. Was it a dream?

No, impossible. The pain I felt, the despair. It was all real.

I touched my arm. No pain, only the memory of it.

What?

Where was I even? This more important question began to stir inside me, urging me to be answered.

My eyes flew over the scene. I didn't smell smoke. Instead a warm breeze with a slight lavendel scent to it. What on earth?

I heard birds chirping in the trees. Trees! I was in a forest. I slowly got to my feet. Where was I?

Then I saw it.

The bird. With its brown beak, yellow body and chubby body.

No way.

No fucking way.

"Pidgey." My voice cracked.

The Pokémon looked up at me, its head twisting like it was a small animal instead of something from a fictional game.

Nonononono. This is not happening!

The bird flew away, leaving behind a few worn out looking feathers. Nononono. This is not happening to me!

I crashed to the ground as my legs suddenly felt like they were made out of cardboard. My head began spinning. For some reason my eyes were tearing up. I could not stand up straight.

I crashed down. The taste of grass in my mouth made me spit which resulted in me gagging. Trying to choke out that horrible feeling in my stomach.

This is not possible. This shouldn't be possible. Why? Why?!

Tears started streaming down my face as I just lied there in the grass, trying to wake up. I bit my tongue but didn't wake up. The taste of metal filled my mouth and I gave up on that endeavour.

I recognize this scenario. I was transported to another world like all those shitty anime. Except unlike those shitty transported people I actually had a life I cared about.

More tears spilled out as I began to think of my mother, my dad. Everything I left behind.

It was all gone.

My eyes opened. They felt sticky and dry, like they had swollen up.

It was dark outside, light specks were above me in the sky. A bat shaped creature flew over which I sadly recognized as a Zubat. My mouth felt dry and hollow. I heard crisping noises nearby and a sweet smell filled my nostrils.

A warm feeling spread over my body as I felt something heat me up from behind.

With a dazed feeling I turned around like I was lying in my bed instead on a patch of grass in the middle of nowhere.

That memorie immediately brought tears to my eyes but before I could cry even more I heard someone cough.

With a wild twist I spun around, facing the heat. I couldn't see well. A bright fire was burning fiercely in front of me. I haphazardly got to my feet and struggled away from the fire on auto pilot.

"Hey chill dude!" a voice called out.

My head frantically moved around as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

I discovered that the fire was not nearly as big as I originally thought it was. Instead it was just a small campfire. Stones were placed in a pit with wooden twigs feeding into the main fire. A person was sitting behind the fire. It was rather hard to see him, my eyes had trouble focusing with the bright light in my vision.

"Calm down!" the person moved towards me and I flinched unintentionally.

"Who are you?" I cried out, or tried but my throat was so dry it all sounded sluggish.

My eyes, which began adjusting to the dark, began to take in the scene. There was a person around my age with dirty blond hair standing in front of me.

He grinned, showing a row of perfect teeth. "Chill down my friend."

I tried to talk but my voice was not working. A combination of a dry throat and the confusion that drowned out all my thoughts.

"Here." he reached into the backpack that stood near the campfire. It was a rather stylish looking backpack with neon green lining. A silver thermos was retrieved from it.

The blond man handed it to me with a gentle smile. "Here take a drink, maybe that will help you talk."

Eagerly I took the bottle from him. I put my mouth over the lid and threw my head back like I had been starving in the desert.

I shouldn't have done that.

A hot liquid spilled into my throat and burned. The guy raised his arms to help me but I already lowered the thermos and spit out the liquid that I hadn't swallowed.

It burned.

The dirty blonde man gave me a pat on the back as I choked and coughed.

"Easy, easy, take it slow." he took the thermos from my hand and waited for me to finish coughing. When the horrible burning liquid was out of my lungs I eyed him again. He handed me the thermos back with a mirthful smile.

"Try drinking slower now."

I nodded, feeling quite stupid but also to confused to care. I raised the thermos and took a small sip.

It was much better. A warm liquid slid down my throat as I began taking sip after sip. It tasted really good, a weird combination of hot chocolate and Earl Grey tea.

I lowered the bottle and gave the guy a stupid look. "What is this stuff?"

He chuckled. "Twist Berry tea, made it myself. Quite tasty isn't it?"

My nod must have been enough of an answer because he smiled again. "Why don't you sit down for a while, you look like you've been through a lot." He pointed towards a blanket that was strawn out behind the fire.

I did as he invited me to settle down onto it, my body kept warm by the heat of the campfire.

"So…" the stranger coughs awkwardly. "What happened to you kid? You look like you've been through hell and back."

I gulped before answering. Here I was, in the world of Pokémon. Nothing on me except clothes, all alone.

Better make something of it.

"I actually don't remember." I muttered. It felt wrong to lie to this kind stranger who helped me but deep inside I knew I had to start a new life here, if only to get my old one back. That meant I needed a reliable backstory right? Maybe I can feign Amnesia until I find someone in this world capable of sending me back home.

A bitter realization dawned on me as I realized this was my new life. A life not mine.

"You don't remember?" the stranger asked skeptically. Eyeing me carefully. "You certainly don't look like you would be living out here in the forest."

I shrugged. "Wish I could answer your question but...I just woke up."

My voice stammered for a second but if the stranger did notice it he didn't say anything about it.

"So you remember anything about yourself, a name or where you're from? Kanto maybe?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Desperately trying to change the conversation and distract him from poking holes in my story I decided to ask him a question. "So who are you?"

The stranger looked very young, maybe only a few years older than me. His dirty blond hair was short in some places and long in others, making him look like one of those punk rockstars. Green eyes and full perfect teeth, something you expected to see on the face of a supermodel.

He wore a red shirt with a blitz logo on it that I did not recognize but it rooked rather flashy. Around his wrist he wore something I initially thought was a smartwatch but had a Pokéball shaped screen. He wore short hiking pants with a belt that had a couple Pokéballs attached to it. They were miniaturized like small marbles.

I'm not going to lie, he looked handsome in a devilish way.

"My name is Diablo," he proudly proclaimed, pointing at himself. "I was just hiking through these woods when I found you sleeping in the open field."

He shook his head as if thinking of a painful memory. "You could have died there you know? Sleeping in the wild."

With my cheeks red I nodded. "So where are we? What were you doing here?"

I had to know, this information might be crucial to my survival in this world.

"Kalos. Calamity Forest." he replied dryly. He stared up at the sky. "I come here every year to think back and consider my life."

"My life?"

Diablo nodded. "I started my journey as a Pokémon trainer in this forest. Well actually in Aquacorde Town but I consider this my real start."

The way he spoke, it reminded me of war veterans in my old world.

"You can imagine my surprise when I saw you." he raised his eyebrow. "You sure you're not from Aquacorde Town?"

I shook my head.

He sighed. "Well, I think I should bring you to safety when the sun rises, my trip down memory lane can wait."

"If you could I would really be grateful." I replied.

Going back to civilization had to be my number one priority. It was step 1, after that I could figure out the steps necessary to find my way back home. No matter how long it'll take, I will find a way. People had called me a stubborn person before, now I was about to show them how right they were.

"Well you found your fire." Diablo chuckled. "I can see that look in your eyes, the promise to reach your goal no matter what or who stands in your way."

'You are quite right." I couldn't help but to laugh with him. I had indeed found my fire. A promise to come back home.

My stomach suddenly roared loudly, creating a gurgling sound that pierced the silence of the night. I turned red on the spot. The realization that I hadn't eaten for a while dawned on me.

Diablo stared at my stomach like it was a ticking time bomb.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered perplexed. "Are you keeping a Froakie inside your belly?"

"No-no," I stammered as I felt my cheeks turn even more redder. "I am just a bit hunger-"

I stopped talking abruptly.

Jesus Christ. He said Jesus Christ.

Diablo scratched his blond hair as he sighed. "Ay, shouldn't have said that."

I slowly rose from the ground. "Who are you?"

The stranger didn't move from his spot. Instead he just sat there with a defeated expression on his face. "Can we pretend this didn't happen?"

"Who are you?!"

It was almost as if he was a different person now, like he had been putting up an act.

"Fine," he casually waved. "Please let me explain first, no reason to get your balls in a twist."

Slowly I sat down, cautiously looking at the, once again, stranger. This person definitely knew more than he let on. Maybe he had all the answers I needed.

"Explain." I urged him to begin talking when he just kept staring at the campfire.

"You are not the first one to get sent here," he did not look me in the eyes as he spoke. "Let me guess, you died?"

I gasped. He didn't show any sign of surprise. How did he know?

I answered his, surprisingly straightforward question with a slow nod.

Fire. There was just so much of it. The painful memory momentarily paralyzed me but I managed to shake it off. Now was not the time to ponder the past.

"So how did you die?" he asked me with a calm voice.

'Fire." My voice croaked as I could almost feel the fire burning my skin. I decided to tell him now it was clear I wasn't suffering from Amnesia. This person might be able to help me back.

"Our neighbour's dog was trapped inside that building and I tried to save it." I finished with a deep sigh. At least the dog made it out alive. A bitter reward price.

"Phew." the stranger whistled. "Quite heroic, maybe you might be the hero this world needs."

"It was the right thing to do." I retorted, who wouldn't do such a thing? "But what do you mean with the kind of hero this world needs?"

He leaned in closer. "Between you and me, the world could use a lot more heroes." he smiled. "It is like the people in this universe actively seek their own demise."

The stranger shared a toothy grin with me. "I fought hard you know, beat down Team Rocket, Team Plasma and the lunatics that tried to overthrow the League, but you know. I fix one problem and it is just waiting for the next one to arrive!"

The fire cast a dark shadow on his face. "I guess that's why she keeps sending people here."

"So what?" I whispered, not sure what my role in this was. "Am I destined to become a hero all of the sudden?"

I didn't want to. I wanted to go home, back to my family.

The man saw my concern and gave me a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, it's quite easy. The people in this world are not nearly as good at Pokémon battling like we are. I figured out that Protect could be used offensive and everyone just looked at me like I had just invented the wheel."

A low chuckle followed. "It would not be hard for you to climb your way to the top."

I nodded, my mind taking in this information like a sponge. "Okay, so what about the others?"

The man blinked while staring into the flames. It was like this question surprised him. "...others?"

"You said she keeps sending people here."

"Oh," he cracked a smile. "Yeah they did not make the cut."

I intended to ask him what he meant but my jaw was locked and refused to open. I frowned, or tried to but my face wasn't reacting like I wanted.

"Ah good," the man's smile split into a wider one. "The Twist Berry tea is finally working."

I panicked as my body refused to move. My legs and arms wouldn't budge, even though I desperately tried to. It was like they had suddenly become useless jumps of flesh attached to my body instead of a functioning body part. My heart stalled and I could feel it bumping against my chest like it was banging on a wall; screaming to get out.

"Don't take it personal please." he got up from his spot and moved closer, lurking in front of my face until his nose almost touched mine. Green eyes pierced into my soul. "It's just that I really like this world."

I could feel his warm breath. I wanted to move away but I was stuck in place.

He gently tapped the miniaturized Pokéballs on his belt. With a low voice he continued. "I used to be a nobody but here, I became the world champion within a year."

I tried to scream, to move my body but not a single muscle in my body responded. I felt my breathing became rigid but that was the only sign of life I could give.

"I caught a Legendary," he proudly exclaimed, his voice was almost childlike with an edge of excitement. A totally different person was sitting in front of me. With a raspy voice he said. "And have you seen the woman? Have you ever seen Cynthia, or Sonia?"

He licked his lips and gave me a playful wink. "The woman here? They totally dig me and think I'm the coolest guy ever!"

He laughed out loud as if he told me a great joke. He patted me on the back with a grin.

After that he bent over to the right and reached for his backpack, still sporting that insane smile of his. The muscles in his arms tightened as a long object was pulled out of it.

It was a rather big object with a long shaft and sharp blade on top of it.

The smile on his face dropped, so did his voice.

"I was here first." he growled.

I began to hyperventilate, my blood felt cold and a wave of horror washed over me. I tried biting my tongue, anything to wake myself up from this nightmare. My eyes widened as a metal taste filled my mouth but I still could not move my own body.

He rose to his feet and raised the axe above his head.

My body was raging and I felt adrenaline pump through it, despite that not one body part obeyed my commands.

A wet substance began blurring my vision.

"Are you crying?" a snarl was visible on his pretty face. "Did you really think you were that special? The chosen one? The hero?!" He screamed angrily.

"THIS IS MY STORY!" he roared. "I AM THE HERO!"

The axe lined up perfectly with the moon above him.

An impossible wide grin split his face in two.

My heat stopped beating.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and get reborn in another world when you die."

In the light of the campfire I could see him give me a wink.

The axe came down.

An End