It was cold.

The suffocating, chilling substance that was drowning me was cold. The pool was deep, I could see them. All of them, the images were fuzzy but there was no mistaking it, I-

Why was it so cold?

There was a stout, albino Dragonite drawing on the side of the water with a tiny brush, oh, wait no that's a toothpick. Made out of cherries. And the Dragonite was actually a coral reef with a bell for a face. It's waving at me.

There was a hand on my shoulder, white as bone. Gnarled, thin fingers that looked… young. Younger than my own. I had seen this hand before. Twisting my head to follow the limb, its origin a short figure with blue hair. And no eyes.

Everything went yellow. It was bone chillingly cold, so cold I couldn't feel my toes- or my arms, or my face. Or my now blue hair. Or the giant cape. What was I dressed up as anyway?

The earth was scorched- broken, smothered under the storms of the end times. Gargantuan cyclones, thunderous torrential downpours. The world shuddered under an endless barrage of death, hate and power. All outlined in a sickeningly pink hue.

Zap.

Fire, Ice and Lightning collide- surface is ravaged. A haunting tune from the ocean swallows the elements, something protecting a place in which it was not meant to be. An imposter holding a mantle- too large for its back. Everything dies as the world turns to ash.

Blurry radishes wiggled across the sides of a large flower cart, a Roserade jabbing at the wheels to an unheard beat. The ground flows, bumping and jumping. Up and down, up and down, up and down.

Twin Titans wage war- the Land rises against the Sea. Primal forces from beyond the scope of time and the ken of man. The Sky remains dormant.

Black, yellow, black, GOLD.

Backwards, I'm going behind me to over there- when does the feather stop floating?

Crashing through the mushy, blue coldness streaked in yellow light- my eyes went inside out. Stop. Start. Stop again.

Gods awaken. Time and Space fall apart, the balance shattered as the supports crumble. A discordant cry heralds the conclusion.

Something was moving. It was big. Too big. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was larger than anything I had ever seen before, a baleful pink eye locked onto my own comparatively minuscule set. It looked like a prawn, a massive unholy eldritch abomination of a sea crustacean. The countless waving tentacles weren't really helping the image at all.

It's grasping limbs flowing out of it, rippling around its shadowed center- pulling, crawling, slathering mouths too wide. Jaws creaking open within lithe containers, teeth gnashing- tongues extending-

It was really, really cold. And wet. Also I couldn't breathe.

Was I drowning? That's silly, an apple just ate the big prawn and now there's a big gust of wind, not any water. What kind of self respecting cat went diving, anyway? Not that one over there, that's for sure, it's padding around in circles.

Concepts clash- mortal kings implore, minds close. Definitions of the future fluid like a stream. Not set in stone-

On sand. Not under the sea. That was a good song.

Life and Death simultaneously scream out in a congealed protesting disharmony-

The cliff face was tall. Up, up, up! I was there too! Down, down, down! I was falling! Drowning in sky! Goopy, gooey and wet air filled with lightning! Wooooooosh so fast! ENCHANTED DIAMOND BOOTS!

Night has come, the Sun and Moon above have fled, Light is Devoured- the path to Energy paving the path to the Giant's birth-

SMACK.

Why does the sand taste warm? Warm? Warm… Hot! HOT!

The cliff gives way, the sand falls- gravity. I fall. I crash. An underground stream rushes past below my feet, I can see the sharp rocks underneath jutting out- the magma roils, boiling and bubbling at the sides. I need to jump again.

I'm laughing tears out of my eyes. The ground is red. Scorched, molten rocks extending out of the ground catch me as I roll from side to side. Sides shaking, wobbling in thunderously constant emotion. Motion, everything is moving. So fast!

Complete silence. I'm in a hallway, deep and winding- shadows drink deep highlighting the reflected light of a cyan-tinted mirror. Dark grey tiles lining endless walls of stone. My legs are moving, but I am not going anywhere. The mirror approaches. There is a figure inside, it's form blurring into the background, it moves.

This silhouette… I know it. It needs me, I must get to it. Move forward.

Tendrils of light expand from its centre, bathing the new corridors entryway- My legs break from their complacency, I step through. The world tilts, a chattering sound caresses my ears with gentle strokes, the brush dunked in red brushing against the walls.

The figure steps back.

I move onward, the red congeals under my feet now- there is a wailing howl in the wind, I can see the earthy stone ground turn purple. Taste the bitter sting of rejection, fear. It doesn't want me to help it, it says.

...

Leave.

...

I see it coming for me, it runs- pushes past everything I throw at it. It's lanky limbs covered in shifting shadows, growing and shrinking, too tall- too small. It want's to help me. I don't need help! Why won't it stop?! I looked through the shattered door- oh, why did I look, Grandpa always said not to look too deep- no, no! STAY BACK!

...

No, stop, please- I don-

...

GO AWAY! NO-

...

A whistling sound blows past the empty field, blades of auburn grass flailing- a thick miasma blotting out the sky. The cloud is thick, voluminous, it chokes the surroundings in its ghastly embrace. There is no one here.

The sky splits open, a banana with an afro is wrestling Professor Kukui in the sky, there's a funny little mouse with a moustache on a water cooler posing in the corner. It smells of chocolate cake dunked in fried petrol.

Something grabs me from behind.

The sky closes in on itself like an origami crane, splitting into a kaleidoscope of colours, the Fire licks at my ankles, the Lightning is tickling my back- the Ice is hugging my face. All the friends are here, they tell all the best secrets. I can't wait for the nex-

It's crawling out of my ear. It's warm, yet so cold.

Something isn't right.

I want to scream how happy I am but my mouth is on the wrong side out-

Everything is fine. Stories told, tales of old, require a crossing of a line. Nothing to see here, do not feed the fear. The one you believe to have swallowed was always destined this path, and still will that path be followed. Wake up now, Reinstallation, worry not about Retaliation.

Why am I so cold?

The colours faded into black as a loud wailing noise assaults my senses, waking me from the psychedelic images with a gasp- phlegm spurting out with a hacking cough. I choke it down, eyes bulging in panic as I struggle to punch out my chest.

Grasping wildly in-front of me, I haul myself into a sitting position- eyes wide. Pulling the covers up to my chest I scan the room- wait, covers? My vision clears as details start to appear, a blue and green bed sheet fills the area in-front of me, a strange bump reminiscent of a body, though smaller than- ah, right, no. That's me.

Wiggling an arm, it responds, any sleepy lethargy I had seems to have completely vacated my system, alongside all the aches and pains that accompanied me throughout the last day… Pokemon World, Clair- I took over a child's body oh god-

I'm not in the caverns anymore.

Responding to the panic rising in my chest, I fleetingly dart my eyes around at speed, instantly deducing… that I'm in a room. It looks vaguely familiar despite knowing I've never seen it before, which is both worrying and oddly relieving. Good enough. Pushing my top tier detective work aside, I remember that I had been awoken by distinctly unpleasant noise.

That is still bleating out, bouncing around and off the walls.

Turning my head to the side, habitually raising a hand to rub the sleep out of my eyes, I find the source of my annoyance in the form of a strange digital contraption. Wonderful, we're doing this now. My brow furrows as I stare at the alien construction, it's vaguely egg shaped rotundness extenuating the twin speaks on the sides. White with blue splotches interspersed like dots, clearly based on a Pokemon Egg... A frankly ear-splitting tune spitting out of it without end.

An alarm clock.

My mind blanked at the deduction. Mechanically rotating to the side to check if- ah, yes. Morning light creeping through a set of light blue curtains. The room itself was that typical mix between 'stylish' and personal- like a child on the edge of adolescence who discards all of their previous hobbies to seem more cool. Now with added Pokemon paraphernalia that apparently didn't count.

The frown deepens as I attempt to put together the pieces, but they just don't fit. Like two 3's adding together to somehow make 78, it just doesn't equal out no matter how many ways you look at it. Something is up here- but I can't put my finger on it, something beyond the Dragon Pokemon franchise dolls, posters and other assorted goods.

Zoning out, I momentarily forget my surroundings- the events of the past day rushing back to me in full. Starting from the eerily clear, yet foreign memories, to the vague blurry last moments before I finally succumbed to unconsciousness… I remember a person? A Pokemon? Something...

I'm in a room of distant familiarity, tucked into a bed… If I remember right, in the body of Clair Blackthorn… After having spent hours alone, drenched and probably dying in the dark, I'd been found obviously then deposited in what is clearly a teenager's room.

Momentarily I stop as an intense feeling of forgetfulness wells up, going stock still but before I could start hyperventilating I scan the room for anything amiss, idly noting a single Pokeball placed on the desk next to me. 'Ok, ok, what am I missing? Body…'

Twitching an arm, it hits up against the covers, I take a moment to allow my thoughts to mull over as I experience the fully returned feeling in my arms as I lead one over to the screeching alarm clock with intent to shut it up- the sudden sense of worry slowly vanishing. I wait for a moment to see if I would spontaneously remember something before shrugging it off. There's way more worrying stuff to deal with right now than just a vague off feeling.

This world's medical technology was very advanced, apparently… As well as it's other branches if this stupid clock is anything to go by. Focusing fully on it's design, I start pressing buttons at random, as the wailing noise only grows to agitate me more.

It's wireless, so no easy pull-out cable, and the casing was so seamless that I couldn't see if there were any access hatches for batteries… Poking at it a few more times I finally located the power button on the side, melded into the other colours. What a strange design. As the device finally stops it's incessant noise-making, I warily scan the room as if someone would've just materialised from thin air following the end of the clock's alarm.

Psychics exist, after all, best to get into the mindset.

Satisfied I still have time to myself before having to face the music, if much more put off, I pull my onto more present concerns. All thoughts of sleep entirely gone from my mind now, I'd probably not be getting anything done in this bed all day, there's training to be done today.

...Wait, no, hold on-

Pursing my lips at the unfamiliar motivation, shuddering slightly at the motion before trying to shrug off the strange feelings, I begin to work my way out of the bed. It wasn't all that problematic- I likely would end up training… Pokemon.

Hmm...

The soft pajamas felt smooth to the touch, brushing up against my skin as I wiggle out of the sheets. Odd, these clothes most certainly weren't as comfortable beforehand… I wonder what these are made out of- It takes me a few more seconds for that to fully process, causing me to freeze in sudden realization.

I'd been re-dressed.

Ah, um… Guess it makes sense? The clothes would've been dirty, something, something infections… Moving on thusly to never think about this again. They were once more, a light shade of blue, this time with little Dratini's printed over the set. I started at them for a moment. It slowly dawns on me that someone has saved me the awkwardness of undressing myself… for a time. Gaping in horror at the thought, I absently make a mental note to find who unknowingly helped me put it off and give them a firm handshake for their valiant service.

Stretching out now positioned upright in a standing posture, I run do a few stretches- letting my mind wander again.

So… Pokemon World, a room filled with dragons and the body/memories of one Clair Blackthorn, if I'm not on the property of her Clan- I will eat my hat. Not that I own or really have ever owned all too many hats, I think I had a weird black Palpatine robe somewhere… Not like it's here, though, in this bizzaro place.

'Hmm, guess they threw the Horsea next to me? If I remember right I grabbed all the stuff on me that I could find after that… fight, went down.' Shuddering involuntarily at the memory of the sticky goo that asshole of a Sliggoo had trapped me in, I turn the wrong way and fall flat on my ass, having subconsciously started doing an unfamiliar exercise routine. Blinking back to the present, I frown to myself at the state of both my memories and this body's muscle memory. That was not my morning workout routine.

Letting myself fall into another trance, I found my body started stretching and pushing. I feel my eyes widen as my body bends in ways it really shouldn't be able to. Faster, and faster it ramps up further- my body keeps up perfectly with a vigour and intensity that I hadn't felt in years. The impossibility forgotten as blood starts pumping, a wicked grin forms on my face, the activities not straining me at all. I could feel the muscles strain, pull and push against one another but it was like none of it mattered to me- I just kept going.

Abruptly, I force myself to stop as I notice I had begun to laugh hysterically at some point, instantly schooling my features, I scanned the room again before settling back into a more relaxed stance. No one, not a person or a Pokemon had burst in through the door at the frankly disturbing giggles emanating from my general direction. I sort of just hover there for a moment, utterly taken aback at the borderline superhuman calisthenics routine I'd just subconsciously defaulted into.

'I know I've done or at least seen some frankly impossible things since waking up here… but this… This is the body of a 13 year old, I know kids have energy but... That doesn't explain why the hell I suddenly feel like Captain America?!'

I clenched my fist, doing a few hops on the spot as it struck me that I really had fully recovered. I felt… honestly, amazing. I had so much energy! Punching out through the air, the speed of the jab surprising me- I instinctively twist into a low grapple before realising I was fighting literal air and falling on my front. A slight grunt escaping me upon impact, but otherwise not feeling much from the fall.

Smirking to myself, I push myself up to my feet before clearing the distance to the other side of the room. I divert my attention upwards towards the nearest shelf, a relatively small thing painted a bright silver. Looking through the contents I take mental note of a few interesting items to come back and check later, such as the Pokemon study books and other non-fiction titles. As well as the fiction, of course.

Pulling out the spine of one that caught my eye, an interesting looking title on Myths and Legends, all being in plain English which was a god-send… Arceus-send? Though I don't think the Original One was common knowledge amongst the scrubs of the land, if I'm remembering the Sinnoh anime right… so perhaps I should be praising something more local? Titling my head at the book in thought I shrug my shoulders and put it back in place, losing momentary interest in what I probably know far better than most people in this world thanks to the outsiders perspective I had up until literally yesterday. Whatever.

Flicking through a few more books it's obvious that someone was well read, or was this just the educational requirements for becoming a Pokemon Trainer? Could the kids here be smarter, just like they're stronger? The show never really went into detail about all that, and I remember that at least Brock had advanced enough of an education to seem more on the adult-side… Even Ash was aware of somewhat middling measurement and number metrics. Despite being a particularly dense 10 year old most of the time.

I snort to myself as I remember that Ash also knew the names of like 10 Pokemon maximum, so I suppose he had to be spending his childhood doing something. Still… If I use this as a baseline, and the fact that kids literally wander out into the wide old world without any parental supervision then apply the whole 'Superhuman' shtick, I can almost, kind of see how this system came to be...

I mean, why would a parent worry when by 10 a kid can lift small boulders and complete High School level arithmetic? Just go out and see the world, learn more through experience now that you've got a good baseline in and do it firsthand... it's possible that kids are actually chafing under the restriction until age 10, like with government set age limits in my old world- the debate is probably there.

Bonnie and Max were both things that existed…

My amusement dries up suddenly as I pause, paling at a particular thought that brutally slices through my budding excitement. 'Was this why the girl, this body's owner- Clair, was so confidently jumping along without a care in the world?' The feats I'd been shown in the final moments of this body's prior tenant were not natural- at least not for the reality I was used to. Humans are stronger here, but obviously not invincible- it was probably just the typical case of hormones making the teenager think they're unbeatable…

I wince in both in part sympathy and guilt at the turn my internal thought processes had taken. That was a bit too callous of me, though perhaps not untrue... A bit of aimless anger started to build inside me, replacing the amusement as I continued to ruminate.

...But wait, no, that doesn't make sense- I've been left alone in a room, presumably Clair's, with not even a single medical device in sight… And considering no one has walked in yet to check on me, did they- did they just dump me in here and move on with their days?

A rather irrational feeling of betrayal wells up in me before I crush it, my anger rising further- No, stop! I don't know these people. Despite appearances, I am not Clair- these people don't owe anything to me, and me neither them… besides picking me up and saving my life- assumedly.

I frown in consternation at how little knowledge I actually possess, frustration rising further as I poke around 'internally' for the memories I'd tapped into during my underground excursion only to come up short… Panic rising once more, I fall to the ground, eyes wide and desperate.

'Where is it? What am I even looking for?' Confusion rises as I come up blank on anything related to a 'second set' of memories. Everything seems… smoother, the almost jagged edges I experienced when interacting with the caves, like something has settled into place…

Wracking my brain for any sign of foreign thoughts, I struggle around for a topic that I wouldn't have any opinion on. But it's of little use, I can only feel a vague sense of… familiarity, like I just know some things about dotted items in the room, though nothing concrete, just a suggestion of an intimate knowledge pool and depth that should be impossible considering I have never been in this room in my life.

A far cry from how I felt in the Dragon's Den.

As I'm mentally flailing around futilely, at some point the panic slips way to a red hot anger- the building, unresolved and suppressed emotions over the last few days roaring to the surface to an extent that the only reason I even try to hold them down is due to my current situation.

Through the frothing haze, distantly I can hear a rhythmic pounding of something banging repeatedly against the carpet of the floor. Muffled impacts that ferry physical sensation- I'm doing that then.

Fuck.

I could still remember those first moments- as clear as crystal, they hadn't dimmed at all. There still wasn't time to worry about that, though, as the wispy outlines of a memory set that I'd brushed up against. The foreign feelings, the meshing, amalgamated goals viewed under a different lens… it was distracting, but immensely helpful.

Did I really want to bring the extra voice in my head back? Not that any of them were really voices, and the set of memories I'd been cribbing off for context clues had no other guiding sapience. How I even knew all that, I wasn't sure, it was the same with those… Elements that had 'guided' me out of that nightmare. More Things talking in my head. Capital T required.

Deciding to stop thinking about the mystical, mentality breaking and quite possibly Legendary omens that made me feel so small, I retreated back into my head in the hopes of finding some kind of clue. Before all this I couldn't say I was an expert with the more mental health related arts, though I wasn't a complete stranger to giving myself a reality check or running into something that had me re-evaluate something. Nothing immense, but enough of a reflective sensibility to realise that the world didn't revolve around me, and that I most certainly could and often was wrong.

By this point I'd rolled onto my back, just staring blankly up at the dark ceiling, for the first time realising that some type of electrical light had switched on at some point. The thought grounds me, the anger is less prevalent now but still there- regressed, not gone, waiting like an arrow taunt on a bow string.

Now, stepping away from the literal physical buffs I'd received, the relativistic revelations and the underground adventures for a moment I tried to place this new information in the larger context. A confused set to my brows as they furrowed in a scowling grimace at all psycho-analysis. This stuff is so much easier to think about when you're working out fictional motivations for equally fictional characters in anime and film.

Ravenously tearing through every bit of information I can summon, it doesn't take long for the missing pieces to show themselves. Or rather the pattern. Before arriving in this world I had a relatively… Jumpy? Nervous, set to my thoughts. I was a worrywart, as a child I wouldn't climb trees for fear of falling. That had somewhat mellowed out over time, ironically, in my late teens I was a far more relaxed individual.

I was also most certainly not ever in possession of any immense anger issues. Those are new.

I snort incredulously with not inconsiderable heat at the stupidity of all the shit I'm spewing- this can only end horribly, on fire and quite probably a Psychic exorcist. A long suffering sigh escapes me, as a few hopeless chuckles bubble up in my gut, try to build but only end up petering out as I almost instantly lose steam on the mindless worries.

'I'm honestly just kind of spent on the melancholy at this point, I think. There's fun to be had here and I'm rolling around on the floor like some kind of toddler throwing a tantrum over not getting everything their way… Oh God I really have turned into Clair!' My eyes widen as my lips thin into a grimace at the mental image, I idly pray to all that is dear in the world that no one has been watching me somehow…

Stamping down on the rest of my defeatist concessions I slap my cheeks, remove the tears that had leaked from my eyes then shake my head around rapidly. Honestly, it's hard to feel down when your veins are filled with what feels like liquid caffeine, (Though hopefully not literally), it's also a pretty stupid time to breakdown. Breathing through my nose, psyching myself up I spin on my feet until I'm directly facing the slightly open curtains.

'I can't afford to be like this anymore, if I want to get anywhere… Wherever and whatever it is that I decide to go from here- I needed information, shelter and food.'

Whipping the curtains back, ignoring the slight catch of the fabric on the walls I breathe in deep. So, I'm likely fine- seeing as I've been shoved into a kids room and apparently forgotten. Taking a quick glance back at the clock- yep, it's already been like 20 minutes… Were they just expecting me, or I suppose Clair, to just get up and continue on like nothing happened or something?

My mind latches onto that detail, both utterly baffled and incredibly pissed off at the manner in which this has seemingly been handled. I mean, seriously, you find a kid just lying around, injured in some caves and you don't even keep them around in a hospital.

'Was I even admitted to one, or did they just lob some high-tech medical technology in my general vicinity and hope for the best?' Taking my first look out into the wider world as my thoughts contemplate the mysteries of Pokemon World parenting, I'm met with the morning sun splashing up and obstructing my sight.

Hell, maybe I'm overreacting to this but it just seems like a really weird, and possibly dangerous thing to do... If I wasn't so certain I was in Blackthorn property I'd probably be a little more freaked out as it was- but this doesn't scream great parenting skills in my honest opinion. Then again, adults here kick their kids out of the house fully at 10 years old so what do I know.

Shaking those thoughts away, I tried to channel the spiteful annoyance within me into something productive. There's a day to be seized, and answers to be had. Nodding to myself now with reinvigorated determination, I promptly glued my face to the wall.

Only to fling myself backwards screaming as a giant gout of fire smashed directly into the glass front of me.

The world beyond the window painted an idyllic picture, soft greens painted across a clear blue sky. Washed, lighter tones highlighting the shadows and depth as a soft breeze rustled its way through. A long ornate low-wall stretching from one side of a cobble paved and neat courtyard, a rather asian aesthetic set to the architecture.

That was all a little hard to concentrate on with the activity currently going on outside, two Dragonair were crashing into one another. My eyes shocked wide open and my jaw dropped to the floor as the sinuous, sleek noodles snaked their way through the air performing physics breaking manoeuvres with each bend or barrel roll.

Enthralled by the literal Dragon Dance, I can't help but move back closer to the window. The completely unscathed apparently fireproof window. My eyes locked on the action drinking in every last detail, from this distance I can still see so much- lost in each expert midair curve or instant dodge of the majestic creatures I am unprepared for one of them to dart it's eyes on a lock with my own.

A trill of cold runs up my spine, a vestige of self preservation instincts momentarily blaring over the awe- the very idea of having something so power, so ethereal and otherworldly causes the spell to shatter, memories of encountering Pokemon in the caves flashing past my eyes as I take an involuntary step back.

Flashes, blurry images of figures spring around a clearing- gouts of energy flying, giant colourful blasts and voices screaming emotively. Blinking my eyes, I feel distant- far away from everything- the moment passes as I snap back to the present, gazing back up into the sky- now tinged with another set of emotions: Annoyance. Confusion...

And a smidge of fear.

The Dragonair has long since moved on, their pointless, violent dance following off more into the distance, yet all I can think of was that moment, the snapshot of the creatures' beady, intelligent eyes beaming down a warmth and security towards me like nothing I've ever seen. The amount of pure bliss it was experiencing the middle of such an engagement...

I don't know how to feel about all this.

Biting down on my lip, the scowl is now firmly at home on my mug, I yank the curtains over again, spinning around and slump onto my back before sliding down the wall utterly incensed. Angry at myself, at the world… Smacking my head up against the window sill, I look upwards- as if the answer to all my questions would just be painted on the ceiling…

'What do I even do now?'

The room remains still and quiet, not responding to my silent query.

Around 30 minutes later sees me lying on the floor staring blearily into the far wall, back pushed up against the bed. Still dressed in the PJ's I'd woken up in and so lost in my own little world I almost didn't notice the bedroom door flying open as a boisterous voice thundered into the room with a level of cheer that was quite frankly unbelievable for this time in the morning.

Almost.

"What da hell are ya still doin' innere?!" A woman steps through the threshold, swamped in a large black and blue cape hanging from an ornate mantle she strides into the room. Long blue hair tucked behind her ears reaching down to her shoulders and a bag in hand.

'...Who is that? Ah, wait, what am I supposed to say here?!' Blinking in sudden but very real confusion- my moody zen thrown entirely off course I stagger to my feet instantly.

My jaw works soundlessly, eyes wide, and my words get stuck in my throat. The woman takes my lack of instantaneous response as permission to waltz up and pull me into a noogie.

Wha- Well ok then.

Choking down my instinctual response to inflict bodily violence on the intruder of my precious personal space- my sense of expectations thrown completely off kilter, I struggle to regain my balance.

"Ya lazy git, it's almost noon and yer lyin' around in 'ere still in yer bed clothes? Heh, were yer that sulky 'bout Lance that yer decided to quit or somethin'?" My brain short circuited as I registered the words of my... assaulter? Wiggling futilely in her grasp, I air my sudden and immense confusion in truly awe-inspiring fashion.

"Wait what." I stutter out.

"Hmm? 'S the matter, brat? Ya think I wouldn't find out bout that little deep dive, heh, you seem kinda put off- something the matter?" Still applying her knuckles painfully to my scalp, I yelp out indignantly.

"W-what?! No- no, s-seriously, just get o-off of me!" That seemed to get through to the violence inclined woman at least, as she goes quiet for a moment- the constant knuckle-to-the-head treatment ceasing. Sensing an opening, I try to push my way out to freedom! Key word there, though.

Try

Almost absently, the hand that was tormenting me seconds before descends back down and ruffles around, as I'm locked in place with seemingly no effort whatsoever by her other grip on my arm. Slumping in her 'hug', I glare up mutinously at the stranger who decided bursting into my room and manhandling me like this was a right ol' spiffy idea.

Despite how much better I felt, how much stronger, faster- I was still powerless to stop the tall woman from pulling me into an incredibly awkward physical embrace. The hug was awkward for me at least, I don't think she even noticed my discomfort.

"Aww, don't pout at me like that sweetie!" Oh, wait, no she just misinterpreted it entirely. I shudder, a cold chill running up my spine at her words. The only reason I hadn't been freaking out was that I was certain this individual was somehow related to Clair, and that the familiarity I lacked would need to be covered to the best of my ability to avoid discovery. But this was a bit much, wasn't it?

All my angst forgotten, I started sputtering in embarrassment. Flailing ineffectually, my brain completely out of action- I struggled desperately for some kind of exit. I did not know how to handle this situation.

At all.

Perhaps sensing my off the charts discomfort, the pushy woman disengages from my person- allowing me to squeeze out and scramble away, utterly bemused and completely baffled I shuffled restlessly on the spot for a moment trying to work out how I should respond. Squeezing my palms, fidgeting, unsure where I should put them.

While I'd never been all that great at reacting to social twists like this, I don't think I can really be blamed for my reaction towards whatever… this was. No, seriously, who is this person?! How would the real Clair have reacted to that?

My eye twitched nervously, pulling on every memory- slither of detail, stray observation and tangential amusement in relation to anyone that wasn't me suddenly had to be put into overdrive. Also a whole lot of aimless praying to whatever Pokegod was laughing at me at the current moment.

Ironically in my rampant paranoia over the supernatural I had completely forgotten about a rather crucial mundane fact- perhaps the single one linchpin deciding factor to whether I would be continuing in this new world or not- dead or alive, supermonsters or not supermonsters.

I had absolutely no idea how Clair acted as a child.

I half-remembered her personality in the anime as being rather… generic. They didn't even bother with the one game-verse character trait she possessed in her games rendition, which alongside the age I had been inserted at made even the dregs of knowledge less than useless. Worse, because they would actively influence me with mistaken- timeline specific information.

Once more I cursed the loss of those remaining memories, even as washed out as they were, the knowledge of how utterly stranded I was stung deeper. With titanous effort, however, I did not allow despair to build this time- the rage had run its course for now seemingly, and now was not the time for complete freakouts.

Oblivious to the minutiae of my inner turmoil, the cape-clad intruder continued on. "Heh, did your cousin's upcoming match really get under your skin that much? It's good to have goals, kid, but not every successful Dragon Master tried to bury themselves underground." A knowing smirk on her face.

I suppose that was some sort of reference that the original Clair would have understood, my nervous laugh did not have to be faked in the slightest. Neither did the buildup of phlegm I swallowed down directly thereafter, nor the slick sweat building on my brow. I was starting to suspect the identity of this individual, and if I was correct…?

I would have to act like I had never acted before, a shame I had never taken a single Drama class. A possibly lethal shame. Considering that my cheeks couldn't decide if they wanted to drain of colour or heat up the maximum red- and that I wasn't currently strapped down to an interrogation table of some sort, thankfully I was currently unsuspected of the crime of interdimensional body snatching.

Fucking fantastic.

My internal musings are cut short as I remember I wasn't alone in the room, almost jumping in fright as I lock gazes with the smirking woman sitting across the floor- as it is, I don't manage to suppress the flinch.

"Such an intense look you're giving me there, kiddo!" Her ever present grin subdues for a moment as she lets out an exasperated sigh, tinged with fondness. "Guess that little trip didn't go as ya planned, eh? What, did ya lose a battle against one of those wild Pokemon?"

It made me feel sick to my stomach.

Getting ahold of myself, another nervous chuckle escapes me as I put on a bland, fake smile. Not trusting my voice to hold in the real emotions driving me, I instinctively duck my head to hide my expression whilst nodding.

"A-ah, yeah, I just don't want to fall too far behind… Ah, um, Lance that is." I hedge- mentally crossing my fingers as my hands clench and unclench in anxiety, this is a gamble. Daring a look up, I spot the woman giving me a bit of a confused look that quickly morphs into a determined grin. The glint in her eye now a full on twinkle full of a strange mix of pride and… satisfaction?

Wait, Lance... Rival- oh you're kidding me! I was right on that?! By… Arceus, this lady wears her emotions on her sleeve. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised- despite her bluster, Clair was a very sore loser who's single character was that she was a spoilt bratty woman-child with no concept of defeat or loss. Something that would never proceed now with her… gone. It doesn't take a massive leap in logic to read between the lines of her in-game text to guess her probable relationship with her very successful cousin. The more things change, hmm?

"Eh, aren't we all? That lad has gone places, but no need to sweat, you're my kid after all. Battling runs in the family!" She states nonchalantly, though with some fire now present in her expression, the warmth familial love she's been practically radiating in my direction not dipping in the least. This is really fucking awkwar- wait, did she just say kid?

I stare blankly at the woman, eyes glazed and a vacant smile fixed on my face as I start screaming internally.

'Ohh… Oh, shit.'

"Well, his match is on tomorrow, surely you don't want to miss his Championship match? Get your notes in for when you eventually face him down for yerself, eh? Clair's… Mother continues, a ridiculously self satisfied smirk on her mug as she speaks words clearly, and blatantly. Did the original Clair actually fall for this? Wait, nevermind that's a redundant question. The simultaneous pang of guilt and recognition of her words mixes into a feeling of immense bemusement. My smile, now a lot brittler, slowly fills out as I force my new face into a shape that I hope conveys my… determination, at her words. Before freezing in place as I ran back what I just heard again properly.

So… She was chasing after Lance's tail after all, I was worried that was something I picked up somewhere else- though it makes sense. It seems to fit her Games Canon M.O, though obviously not the anime… But none of the Pokemon I met before had their games cries. 'Oh, fuck, mashup or otherwise third timeline bullshit… You're kidding me! Though it should be fairly easy to see if this is an Ash solo speed-run timeline or if the Pokegods have a large selection of wide eyed prodigies lined up to save the world with their enslaved gladiatorial masochistic monsters…'

I need to get on a computer, or something, like yesterday.

Oblivious to my increasingly hysteric thoughts, Clair's mother gets to her feet before striding over and placing what she obviously intended to be a comforting hand on my shoulder. My wherewithal not being focused entirely on the current moment, I jumped a little at the contact- but considering how she greeted me, this wasn't as embarrassing.

"Welp, I can see ya need some time to yerself. Just make sure ya get out today, no point sittin' round here all day moping. Yer got ya Dratini test coming up and I know you'll do fine. Then ya can really get out there and get some real experience. I'm proud of ya anyway, kiddo, don't forget that." She spoke with clear pride in her voice, the guilt resurging with a vengeance and my stomach dropping. It's a struggle to keep my face blank at her heartfelt words.

Words that are not meant for me in the slightest.

'Fuck, I still don't know how to deal with this… If I don't figure something out soon, I'm going to fucking insane if I have to trick thes- Wait, did she just say Dratini test!?' My eyes widened a moment after she'd spun around, my lagging mind registering all of the parting words before the woman lifted an arm up in farewell without even glancing back at me- striding out of the open door and down the hall.

Mindlessly my feet carry me to the door, poking my head out and getting my first look at the building outside my room. Wooden pillars supporting a low Japanese-styled, (Or would it be Johto-styled), wall pattern, though the thick wooden doors clash slightly with that image. Flicking my eyes around thankful for the slight distraction, I turn back to the moment staring listlessly into the far wall as she closes the door down the hall, I turn to the terminal-looking device on a desk. I needed to search the web. And I needed to search now.

I had quite the charade to play- my life was at stake here, the old Clair was dead and gone so there was no time or reason to hesitate. So why then did my heart feel so heavy regardless?

This one was slightly awkward, it got far longer than I initially intended, so I hope it wasn't too bulky or repetitive. I was trying to show the slight changes to the dynamic now that things have settled- this is the proper baseline you should expect for a good while yet. Obviously things haven't fully finished in this arc, and the next few chapters will shape the main character's thoughts and goals more dramatically and specifically but the more esoteric parts of the setup should be properly placed enough that I can actually start building the characters actual character now. The big difference now being that there is an actual route for development- rather than them just freaking out in a cave for 16 thousand words… Though this and the next chapters word-counts haven't done much to stop that, I suppose… Considering how I want the story to be paced- I don't think this will be the last time this happens.