This fanfiction contains instances of detailed graphic harm and some intense situations.

Cover art created by my friend Plum.

Hm.

I'll preface this by admitting I can't recall the entire story. I can hardly remember how it all began, much less how everything went south. Believe me, I would love to if I were able.

...

Perhaps a bit of imagery may help.

Ahem.

First, imagine you're tucked beneath your bed sheets. A smooth warmth envelopes your frame as you allow your head to sink into pillow. Your brain aimlessly drifts off to sleep, the mattress gently cradling your body as you doze off.

A dream begins to waft into your mind. As though feeding a film reel, a gentle environment drifting into view.

After a moment, a lush set of rolling hills rise from the ground. Each blade of pristine grass dances along together in sync to the melodic silence. The rays of sunshine are scintillating, resting high amongst still, wispy clouds dotting the baby blue ocean.

Upon the crest of one of the hills, a herd of sheep are fashioned into an orderly line, marching across the mounds. With a grumbling reminder for food, the farm animals' sights are set on the alluring landscape in front of them. Ahead, vast acres of plains blanketed in delectably cultivated grass and natural clovers sprouted; the paradise's beauty rivaled only by the Garden of Eden.

Ohhh, what an allure. The thought of food lit a fire inside the animals. Soon, the only barrier impeding the woollies is a wooden fence, a short and stocky design.

Still retaining the line, the sheep leap across the posts sequentially as your mind unknowingly begins counting them. Unbeknownst to any of the carefree livestock, a bead of sweat began to form above each of their woolly brows.

As the first sheep to cross the metaphorical fence in your mind engages in its well deserved snack, the sun shining down on the luscious pasture beams a little bit more. A few of the grazing farm animals are taking note of the development, but hardly care. The flora within their jaws is simply too delectable for anything else to occupy the mind.

The sun seemed to pulse, beaming a bit brighter.

The sheep are beginning to sweat and their vision merges into an amorphous mish-mash of rudimentary shapes and colors. Those within the pasture are now unable to chew, their lungs mandating a steady flow of air. Soon, the sheep start faltering from exhaustion.

The heat is now pounding.

All of the poor animals are now suffering splitting headaches, their fluffy little bodies overheating rapidly. The once comforting dream has melted away, a mere shell of its former self in the wake of a nightmare rapidly taking shape.

Fear running rampant in your system, your eyes fly open and you shoot up drenched in your own sweat. Each breath you take feels like inhaling pure charcoal. The labored mess that is your lungs are heaving as hard as they can. In your desperation, you toss off the sheets and covers in an attempt to alleviate the excess warmth, only to find it was futile.

It's become a sweltering hell.

Hardly anything could lessen the fervor now. Even stripping down to take an ice bath would make no difference in the face of the seething swelter. Your eyesight has become a spec-ridden haze as your eyes jolt about the room for something to focus on; each of your senses steadily deteriorating. You could've sworn that a blazing light had been kicked up as if the sun itself had been summoned in your room, but it was too difficult to tell.

The room had already dispersed from view, replaced with a pure white haze.

Within seconds, your entire body and mind is engulfed in agony, charred flesh replacing the original. It's a nigh impossible struggle to stay conscious, no longer able to hold back the torturous torridity. Finally, the intensity of the heat is too much, and you slip away. A moment later, you completely lose your grip on the world around you, presumably dead.

...

...catch all of that?

...

I hadn't.

...

...woooooooooooooshhhhhhhhhh.

Small strands of grass brushed against my cheek, occasionally tapping against skin. A gentle breeze whistled along to its own, silent tune as I lay motionless.

Eventually, I began to regain consciousness. One by one, each of my senses awoke from their comatose.

The first sense to return was my hearing, a tangled mess of high-pitched ringing and pounding obscuring it. I wanted to plug my ears, but I couldn't even lift a finger. Thankfully, the fog of white noise eventually dispersed, a stagnant silence massaging my ear drums.

Ah. Much better.

It took a few moments for the first understandable sound to enter my ears. It was a simple song floating with the wind from a choir of dry leaves, each rustling in a scattered unison. The melody... it felt so soothing. The serene grace allowed for my consciousness to fill with an ironic confidence, my mind deciding it was a good time to switch to the next sense.

Boy, was that a mistake.

In less than a second, an explosion of various pains stabbed through me, my left side concentrating a majority. Aches, stings, and sores ran across my frame all at once. Muscles contracted and released over and over, seemingly indecisive on what to do with themselves. My nervous system was immediately sent into a frenzy, speechless questions zipping through my groggy mind at breakneck speeds. If I thought I'd ever been overstimulated before, this blew it well out of the park.

Ironically, I was frozen in place; the feelings forcing me to wince from every breath. While I was partially confident I had yet to arrive in hell, I couldn't help but think of it as a damnation. A burning question steamrolled through my thoughts, placing itself center-stage.

'What kind of insanity is this!?'

Had I left the stove on? Was there a riot? Was it an assassination of some sort? A bombing?

Well, the two former guesses were too far-fetched for any consideration; my quaint residence rarely faced any adversity. To think someone radical enough would have business there is outlandish, especially of this caliber.

Then what had thrust me into all of this?

As I was scrambling to find some sort of answer, a new sensation burst from my torso. A small, round object had landed on my chest, causing a new wave of convulsions.

A raspy gasp escaped me. The impact wasn't too strong, but the landing still hit like a pack of bricks had landed instead.

The object had knocked my head out of the clouds, forcing me to come to my senses. A rancid smell wafted into my nose, urging me to flee from the stench. The odor - while noxious - seemed familiar, reminiscent of a burnt-to-a-crisp steak. By the chemical aftertaste left in my mouth, the scent was still "fresh" of sorts. Yeck.

...The last detail did little to ease my alarm.

Forcing the uncomfortable feeling from my mind, I finally cracked my eyes open, allowing light to spill into view.

It was bright.

Much brighter than any artificial source could possibly form. My ceiling fan had never been this brilliant, and even then I was dreadfully certain that the dense forest surrounding my apartment would obscure most of the beams. Finding answers was beginning to look futile.

'If I'm outside, it's not of my own doing. Couldn't be. Maybe... someone had rescued me from a fire or something similar. I guess it may be possible...' I waved the buzzing questions away. 'Nevermind that. 'How' doesn't matter. Finding a landmark is my first priority. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too hard.'

...

I had no clue where I was.

Wonderful.

'Being able to look around would be nice, if only my everything wasn't tearing itself apart at the seams...'

I silently prayed that sitting up would be less of a hassle in the future. Thankfully, I was able to right myself by shifting to my elbow. At last, I was finally capable of witnessing where I was.

Oh, but no.

How very wrong I was to foolishly think I would be given some form of clarity. My initial theories about being in a wooded area were fortunately correct when I swept the clearing, but there were a few aspects that set off alarms:

One: my apartment building was nowhere in sight. Not a good sign in the slightest.

Two: the senses had belied the true weight of my predicament.

As I peered over my collarbone to get a better view, my eyes came to a sudden halt. The surroundings had completely fled my mind. I froze.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Rather, I didn't want to believe my eyes.

...

Bloody, raw fragments of flesh pulsed and cracked, still hot to the touch from their dance with destruction. Devastating scorches coated my torso, reaching out to my right breast and ending off around mid-stomach. A chunk of thigh as large as my hand had seemingly burned away, practically devoured by long-gone flames. Peaking through decimated fabric revealed even more blackened handiwork, a sea of flesh having been replaced with a demon's hide as a faulty replacement. As fate would have it, my back had not been spared from the onslaught either. The only area not converted into red waves of deformed flesh fell to my right shoulder blade and further down. A large splotch of mangled flesh sprouted from the base of my neck and connected to the burns on my cheek.

My clothes had been thoroughly abused as well, a majority of my shirt had vanished. A large portion on the left side of my red cargo pants had been lost as well to pyre. The articles of clothing left relatively intact were the char-grilled sneakers cooked onto my feet. The checkerboard design had been replaced by a blackened coat of charred fabric, a vile stench emanating from roasted rubber.

I had to exhaust as much willpower as possible to choke back the urge to vomit. Any muscle contortions would worsen the severity ten-fold and I wasn't willing to tempt fate. With each attempt to caress the areas I was rewarded with vicious tremors piercing my body. If I were to run the risk of brushing my fingers along the areas, the fear of agitating the wounds now vastly overpowered it.

I could hardly recognize my own body anymore, much less consider it to still be the body of a human.

My human body.

This was a complete nightmare spilling into reality.

It just... felt so wrong.

It all felt wrong.

Oh so wrong.

With the last remaining strength I had, my head jerked away from the bodily horror. My heart felt like it was going to leap from my chest. Time and time again, I tried to cast the mangled images to the depths, but despite how repulsed and horrified I felt it never worked. The images remained steadfast in my mind, branded center-stage.

Unfortunately, the mess only became more complicated. Fast.

The third destination my attention fell upon was what had incurred the wrath of my wounds, lying perfectly still amidst grassy foliage.

What could only be described as a blue strawberry with significantly fewer seeds sat in plain view.

...

All I could do was stare, dumbstruck.

My mental state was hanging by a tiny thread, mere fibers restraining me from falling to pieces. Nothing seemed to line up, as though my world had become a bastardization of Alice's Wonderland.

It was just happening all so fast.

Disbelief trumping my rationality, I cautiously picked up the foreign fruit and observed it closely. The fruit bore no other identifying traits aside from the green leaves protruding out the top and a striking familiarity.

I had seen the discolored food somewhere before. I knew I had.

I took a weary sniff of the berry. It had a scent reminiscent of a blueberry, rather than the strawberry it better portrayed. Seriously, where had I seen the thing before?

Next to test out was taste. I mean, it looked pleasant, held a pleasing aroma; by all accounts the taste would be nice too, right?

Wrong. Absolutely wrong.

The instant the cursed berry touched my taste-buds, a burst of bitterness slammed my taste buds. It didn't just taste bad; it was putrid. How could a berry that looked so gorgeous and smelled so decedent be so bitter? It was as though the sweetness resided purely in the visuals.

I hastily spat out the small portion in my mouth with a 'Blarghh!'

...

"How... I- how... hrgh... did I see that as a good idea..."

Meanwhile, my brain had finally caught a second wind, putting the pieces into place before me.

I held the berry back in front of me, eyeing it carefully. A theory began to weave it's way through my brain, immediately clashing against skepticism.

'There is no- not an absolute goddamn way this is... No- no. I'm only... hallucinating from smoke intake. And… the person who saved me is searching for help. Right, yeah... That has to be the explanation. Right?'

A heavy-handed slap to the cheek brought me back to my senses. The scorched areas on my neck cried out in anguish at the chance, causing me to grit my teeth. If this… thing was what I thought it was, the only way to confirm was through an...

Oh. A second taste test. Wonderful.

I sighed and grimaced at the thought. After choking down my tongue's pleas, I reluctantly popped the berry in my mouth.

A sour sensation struck my face. The foul fruit fell directly onto my tongue, eliciting a repulsed recoil. The texture may have been tolerable, but I would be stuck with the aftertaste for weeks.

Thankfully, my prediction was proven correct as I looked down at my wounds. Almost instantly had the berry gone to work, open burns stitching themselves together with fresh tissue. Hardened, black ash began to crack with a bright red underside being exposed, thin strands of pink flesh weaving themselves sluggishly over the exposed areas. Over the course of a few minutes, the miracle fruit had managed to create temporary layers of skin over the damage on my face and neck.

The outer veil wouldn't last long from its litheness, and the elasticity of the temporary fix seemed to be better geared towards a quick solution. From my chest-down I was still worse for wear, but that was the least of my worries. Although it caused me to dig my nails into my palms and gnash my teeth, the oddest aspect had to be how I could feel my body repairing itself. It was uncomfortable, yet foreign and intriguing, if not for the excruciating agony of skin and muscle being stretched over one another.

Neurons began to fire off together, a sudden realization of what I ate striking like a hammer.

My chest felt constricted and my thoughts came to a grinding halt. What I had eaten; it was no Aloe Vera nor magic fruit; no.

It was a Rawst Berry.

And if I could recall correctly, the berry helped heal the Burn affliction when a pokémon was afflicted, curing it immediately.

A berry from Pokémon.

...

'What the hell is going on.'

Thousands of questions circulated in a torrent of confusion, each leading back to denial about the whole dilemma. Was I in some kind of sick, lucid dream? Was I dead? How did I get to where I was? What next?

'It... it doesn't matter. I don't- I don't want to die...'

After sitting for around half an hour contemplating if I had finally gone loony, I tried to get to my feet. The task to simply stand proved much more difficult than I initially anticipated, as my left leg would begin to rupture whenever I applied too much weight to it.

An annoyed frown settled on my face, thick eyebrows furrowed.

After a few slews of curses and muscling through agony, I managed to rise onto my legs with little feedback. As cautiously as I could, I leaned onto my right elbow once again, this time bending my leg forward and twisting it at the hip. The position allowed me to find my vertical footing, shifting myself into a lopsided crouch before rising up. The motion kept the pain to a minimum, two or three slim trickles of blood rolling down my arm.

Finally on my feet - or rather singular foot - I hobbled around the area. The forest I had found myself in was plentiful with dark green foliage and plump trees, flowers flipping around happily in their beds. Thick branches shook in the wind as a swift breeze blew through, the draft causing my burns to wail out like a fussy toddler.

I stifled the urge to collapse, the sudden flare of the wounds proving to be a pain in both instances of the term.

'Remember, it doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't matter. Just keep going. God knows how much longer I'll be able to move.'

Once the breeze had died down, I began to limp around. I was unable to walk properly, as my only functional arm was being used to lead my left leg along like a stubborn dog on a leash. I could only imagine how much I resembled a zombie at the moment; shuffling around aimlessly with the occasional groan of pain and destroyed figure.

During my wandering, my eyes unintentionally locked with a separate pair within a bush a few meters away. A pair of tall black pupils tracked me curiously while I tried to get a better look in return. Whatever animal the thing was, it was incredibly weary of me and refused to move a muscle until I took a step forward. The creature responded with a step back of their own.

I decided to try my luck communicating with the creature.

"Hey... hey. I'm not going to do or... ngh... try anything. I need your help. Are there any p- urgh-! People around? Please." I pleaded. It felt like there was a coat of soot on my vocal chords.

The animal's eyes narrowed before disappearing from the bush, a tan, glove-like hand extending out from the thick brambles. It signaled for me to follow before bounding off from its hiding spot. I raised an inquisitive eyebrow, mystified in regard to many of the newly spawned questions.

Wait, had I been watched the entire time?

My face flushed with frustration as I hobbled through a gap between a sturdy trunk and wall of plants. I had to be especially careful not to brush up beside too much flora, lest I suffer further at the hands of the sensitivity. Unfortunately, this turned out to be extremely grueling the longer I followed.

Speaking of, I hadn't the foggiest idea who - or rather what - my guide was. I was grateful for the hospitality; truly, I was. But I after all I had witnessed in the few minutes that had passed, I couldn't help but stay on edge. Not to mention, I wasn't sure how much longer I could last in my condition, and I was already beginning to see double. My whole body pleaded to just crumble and lie down, and I couldn't hold out long enough for any detour.

Eventually we came upon a clearing of short, dark green grass and berry trees, a massive oak tree standing proud center stage. A wall of thick-trunked trees dotted the area, one popping up every few feet in each direction. In all honesty, I have no clue how long it took to arrive. I was barely conscious, so my perception of time was likely quite skewed. It felt like hours, but in reality the trek probably lasted less than fifteen minutes.

Despite the less than preferable travel time, the scenery made up for the painful dredge. Lush greenery sat on every side, not a speck of man's touch anywhere across the natural sanctuary. I couldn't help but marvel at the sights. At least, I could only marvel from at as much haziness I could make out.

My childish wonder didn't last long, however, as my legs deemed it a perfect time to buckle, causing me to come crashing down through the line of plants and brambles.

A stream of labored breaths and agonized cries rose within the stumpy shrubbery. A moment later my battered body emerged from the flora, my panting form struggling to catch my breath amidst the array of new insufferable pains. By the weakness shackling itself around me more and more, I only had a few hours at best. After then, I had no clue what would become of me.

Right then, I heard a distant chirp from up with a tree, followed closely by the calm swish of branches and leaves. The creak of a limb here and the crunch of a twig underfoot there closed the distance with each noise. Closer and closer came the rustling until it came to an abrupt halt directly above, a small figure flying out of the shower of cover.

The creature soared down from the treeline, sticking its landing gracefully a few feet in front of me.

"Pan?"

The creature had tan arms and lower face with the body reminiscent of a monkey, the tan color cutting off around their lower belly. The rest of their body was a brisk green, easily blending in with the forest leaves, and no taller than around two feet in height. Interestingly, the ends of their tail split off into two flat flaps, one a few inches larger than the other. Two big, lively ears twitched on each side of its head, listening to see if I was still breathing. Lengthy black eyes scanned me over, curiosity and worry overtaking them.

What really stood out about the monkey was the miniature tree that grew atop its head, from which the monkey pinched a small handful of the tree off of his head.

...

It was a Pansage.

A pokémon.

A real, living pokémon.

...

...

'Holy SHIT.'

In my astonishment, I sat still as a statue on the ground, eyes agape in awe at the Pansage. The poor grass monkey pokemon proceeded to misinterpret this and thought I had passed out, hastily tossing the head-tree chunk away and scrambling to my chest. A giant ear placed itself next to my chest to listen for breathing.

Ba-bump.

A relieved sigh escaping the pokémon as a slow but steady beat thumped against its ear drums.

A few more moments of stunned silence passed before I was able to snap out of the daze. I leveled my gaze at the Pansage, who had consequently gone to retrieve the tree chunk.

My mind knew that it was certainly real, and even more so there was no going back.

I was officially within the world of Pokémon, whether I liked it or not...

...with no clue how I had arrived, and more importantly, no clue how to leave.

...

"Christ almighty. What... was in that berry…" I muttered. My acquaintance temporarily paused, shooting me a confused glance.

There wasn't much time before my body reminded me what kind of shape I was in through a set of blazing beneath the skin.

'Christ, this is insane. I... I don't understand, there's no possible way any of this could be real! Nothing happened, I- I have no memory of anything going awry, it's- None of this is alright, damn it.'

Despite the waves of pain, I bit it down and dug my fingers into my palm. 'Keep your head on straight, this thing is helping you. Keep moving.'

Pansage poked me on the nose, face scrunching in concern.

"Pansaaage? Pan pa, sage!" It insisted, nudging the bushel to my face.

Sighing, I picked up the piece and popped it into my mouth, much to the delight of the grass monkey. The texture was fluffy and light, sort of like cotton candy. Thinking back, the tuft seemed like an amalgamation of a head of broccoli and lettuce.

Swallowing, I felt the chewed offering slide down my throat, sliding smoothly along the way. I began to feel the effects almost immediately, my limbs tensing with vitality and my eyes flying open fully. Granted, I was still in copious amounts of pain, but a considerable weight had been lifted. Thanks to the energy boost, my brain finally fetched Pansage's pokédex entry from the depths of my memory banks.

'Pansage will offer leaves on its head to Pokémon that have low energy. The leaves are supposed to... act like a sort of energizer. That's... amazing.' I recalled.

Making the best of my newly replenished stamina, I decided that rising up again would be a good means of testing the leaves' effects. This time I walked as normally as I could rather than merely drag myself about. Pansage hopped with glee, clapping their hands together, acting like it had discovered a trove of delicious berries.

"Um...thank you, I guess. You- probably just... saved my life." I admitted, awkwardly patting the pokemon. Its smile spread even further.

Unfortunately, my body killed the mood by howling in agony when I bent down. I responded with a grimace, dropping to a knee. I didn't have much time left before I would pass out again. The inklings of my smile faded, a blank mask replacing it.

"I need to find a town, or- anything like that. I'm not- not doing too great right now, and that, urgh- piece of...whatever that was probably won't fix everything. Do you know anywhere close?" My lungs felt weak, leaving me to sputter out my words.

Pansage sat quietly, eyes scanning me over.

"Anything? Come on- you know anywhere?"

Pansage kept staring. I blew out a frustrated sigh, letting my head rock backward.

"Alright, great, uh... can't understand me."

I began chewing on my lip, racking my brain.

"What about... hm, what about a trainer, huh? Any of those?"

No response.

"How about a pokemon center? You know what those are, right?"

That question did receive a response, the pokemon scratching its grassy chin for a moment before pointing to my two o' clock. They tried to give me a few instructions, but it was all just 'pansage'. I nodded along anyway to be polite.

"Thank you, little friend. Not- not every day I get lucky finding a..." A strong convulsion surged through my midsection. "... helpful guy like you."

To my surprise, Pansage huffed in annoyance and stomped on the ground.

"Whoa, whoa. Easy. Didn't... mean to make you upset."

"Pan!"

"Look, I... I can't understand you either. Was it because I called you 'guy'? That it?"

The grass monkey made an odd warbling noise, flicking its tail about. I took it as a confirmation.

"Ah- understood. That's my fault, I'm sor- Ngh... sorry. Tell you what, I... I have a question for you."

The pokemon's irritation fizzled out as quickly as it came. Pansage glanced up, curiosity lighting up her eyes.

"Understood that, huh? Good, good. You should come with me. I need... some guidance right about now. How does that sound?"

Pansage looked around on the ground for a few seconds, then turned back to me. She met me with a blank stare.

...

We sat staring at each for another five minutes, neither one of us breaking eye contact. In all honesty, it was one of the most uncomfortable moments I had ever experienced to this day.

Finally, Pansage spun around and began to head back to a closely-knit grove of eucalyptus trees. Although I should've expected such an outcome, having an offer for companionship rejected by a pokémon was a bit difficult to swallow. I doubted it was particularly difficult to befriend a Pansage.

Then again...

The creature was sentient. It had preferences and mannerisms. The pokemon had the capacity for a higher capability of thought, but despite that logic I felt there was a small shred of childish hope that she would've agreed.

Despite the letdown, I observed wordlessly as my little green friend departed. 'Would be nice- gah... -nice to see it again. I doubt I will, but- I'm hardly sure of anything at this point. Ngh... Regardless, it's time to move. I can't bleed out now, not when I still have a chance.'

One uncertain step after another, I began ambling along once more. I still had energy and daylight on my side, although time was waning.

It was high time I put my feeble body to use. The start of a long and arduous journey lay ahead of me, one I didn't want nor wish for.

But I no longer had a choice.

"Alright. Alright. I'll be fine- ngh! ...once I find help. For now, just step and lift. Step, and lift. Step- and lift. Step, and lift..."

...

...catch all of that?

I could hardly make out basic outlines of trees as I shoved myself forward. No water, no food, and blistering heat. All of the remaining energy left in my body were from reserves, as venturing across enormous plots of wilderness proved difficult to navigate. Strangely enough, I hadn't seen a single pokemon ever since my run in with Pansage. To think such a dense biome would be barren of life was difficult to wrap my head around, and the only thing keeping my mind awake.

Another band of salty beads trickled down my forehead. I was sweating like a pig in a desert. My clothing remnants were soaked in both blood and sweat, now torn accompanying the burns from many trips and crashes. I'd done my best to nurse any reopened wounds I could, but I knew I'd lost a considerable amount of blood. The slow, constant trickles of ruby-red liquid were beginning to take a toll.

On any other occasion, I'd be squealing with delight over the idea. Being immersed within such a rich and promising world? Sign me up in a heartbeat!

But now?

I couldn't even foster the thought.

The sun had far since reached its highest point in the sky since I had begun slinking along, and the consistent shower of sunshine did little to improve my experience. Aches and burns were beginning to mesh in with the new prominent threat of sunburns, the wails of old injuries rising in volume with each step. To my detriment, I'd discovered the only driving force I had left was the absurdly large rush of adrenaline that was finally wearing off. To keep my mind off of the terrifying thought of losing mobility, I allowed it to wander; and the moment I did, blooms of dormant questions resurfacing.

Why was I in the pokemon world? What was the point?

There was no chance I was a part of some ridiculous prophecy. My pounding head and ringing ears didn't make my situation any better or provide any clarity of the mind.

I wasn't special. By no means was it in a derogatory sense; I simply didn't have a "god-given attribute" or astounding gift. I was an average man.

Was it some kind of punishment? If so, what for?

Bad luck?

What do I do?

...

'Oh, to hell with it.'

If I couldn't find something useful, then chances were I wouldn't be escaping any time soon. My entire body screamed and sobbed to lie down and rest, but I kept on shuffling.

I survived whatever had incinerated my body, overcome the harsh conditions thus far, and continued to push myself further. I may not have been traditionally exceptional, but I did have a chance.

But my chance was burning at both ends and I was powerless to stop it.

The idea of dying, by a situation like that, it- it rattled me. If I did...

No, it wouldn't happen. Under no circumstance would it ever be allowed to happen. Under no circumstance would I ever allow that to happen.

It was only a matter of time before I cou-

POW!

I was broken from my thoughts with a powerful slam to the back, knocking the wind out of me and sending me through a cacophony of branches and thick bushes.

Blurs of colors rushed past me as hundreds of sensors in my body simultaneously activated. A sensory overload sent my mind into a frenzy the further I tumbled, a couple of sharp objects embedding themselves into my skin. I could no longer repress the agonies any longer as a guttural scream erupted from my chest, continuously interrupted each time my head struck the dirt. Many of my burns had been either coated in dirt or torn open, as the roll had ripped through the marred flesh. It took all my concentration to remember how to breathe rather than hyperventilate, an even bigger challenge resided in keeping my airways clear of blood to prevent clogging.

Plucking the protruding thorns and splinters that I could find, I struggled to roll myself onto my side. I made an attempt to push my body to an angle with my good arm, but the damage I had recieved caused the appendage to give out on me. My head slumped back down onto the grass, a few clumps of dirt settling within my hair. The second attempt yielded a similar result, but with the third try I finally righted myself, legs wobbling like a newly born giraffe.

Almost on my feet again, I was nearly stable when I felt a large slash form on my right shoulder, tearing through my shirt and skin. As more crimson liquid rose around the wound I tried to scream again, but garbled sputtering was all that came out.

It was then that I saw a small, frail figure curled up next to a thick pine tree. I could only make out the yellow body, the head and legs tucked away as the poor pokemon shook in terror. While my vision was still hazy, I could still make out similar cuts and slashes littering their back. A handful of bird pokemon were hovering around the fox, enraged squawking rippling through the air.

Whatever assaulted me likely thought I was a guardian of the other victim.

'Just get back up. That's all I have to do.'

I tried to stand. But my legs collapsed again.

'Come on, I'm still breathing. Get back up!'

I got slightly further that time, only for another beating to arrive in my flank. Not only was I back down, I couldn't even catch my breath.

'It's all just- distractions-'

I couldn't even lift myself a foot off the ground before buckling.

'Let- let me get up. You're not- done yet...'

My previous attacker swooped in for another potshot, beak cutting into my left forearm. The burns didn't help to soothe the injury; if anything, they amplified it. The constant searing I had felt seemed to explode at that moment, as though my arm had released a trove of fiery demons from its depths. A slew of cries spilled out as well, seemingly joining in with the roar of blood in my ears. That's when I came to the realization.

'What now? My- my body... I can't move. I can't escape. Whatever this is, it's too fast for me. There... There's...'

It hit me.

'I can't do anything.'

…

...

Well, perhaps I could do something.

Yes, by no means did I have a chance of survival if I tried. I had simply sustained too many injuries.

Of course, rationale had flown out the window.

Ironically, I can never recall why the fox came to mind at that moment. Perhaps it was from a deeply ingrained generosity lying within my heart that decided to pull the strings a bit. Perhaps a strong dose of empathy kicked in and I simply couldn't tolerate the scene. While most of the ideas seemed feasible, a single, separately buried emotion was enough of a tell.

Yes, when I laid eyes on the fox a second time, I witnessed it shriveling up against the protruding roots, and I felt a weird sensation welling in my chest.

I felt mad.

The way the fox had already given up on life, no longer shivering and accepting of it's cruel judgement; it had me fuming.

And I could stand it no longer.

So far, I could hardly feel the left side of my body, and left leg muscles from the joint down had all but gone limp. Despite the vigor, I was still on my last leg, metaphorically and literally. To put weight on them would certainly lead to permanent damage.

'It won't matter.'

Acknowledging the gambit, I tossed caution to the wind and stuffed the sturdiest remains of my own shirt in my mouth, jaw slamming shut upon the fabric. My face contorted into a beet-red expression of frustration and exasperation, every able muscle in my body tensing. The last few remaining doses of adrenaline blasted through my veins as I rose off my knees, struggling even more than the previous times to move.

It wasn't enough. I wanted to keep going.

Another sloppy swoop merely nicked my ear.

Not enough. Get up.

'You aren't allowed to give up.'

So I tried...

'I need to get up. I have to get up and it doesn't matter how much it hurts or stings or burns. It won't hurt forever.'

...and tried.

'Get up, damn it. Get up. Get up. Get up.'

...and tried.

'Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get UP.'

...and succeeded.

I shook like a leaf, had one foot in the grave, but I stood. A strained yet determined demeanor covered in all manner of debris stuck itself to my face.

A fourth attack flew by, missing me entirely.

Two words roared in my mind.

'Move. Now.'

My legs lurched forward, remaining hand clenched hard enough my knuckles turned white. Blood roared louder in my ears and coated my shoulder, the muscle spasms causing the blood to flow quicker.

Go.

Trees streaked by in a big splotch of color, my eyes drilling into the motionless fox. I allowed my right fist to sag behind me, every fiber of my being either screaming themselves hoarse to stop or yelling at me to rip them to pieces. I broke into a jog.

Six meters sat between us. The bird in my sights - a large Spearow - closest to the fox screeched in annoyance and flapped backwards, moments away from delivering another blow.

Go.

Five meters between us. I could feel tissue in my calves tearing themselves apart as I forced them forward.

Go.

Four meters between us. I could no longer think of anything else.

Go.

Three meters between us. The birds began taking notice of my presence.

Go.

Two meters between us. Time seemed to slow down.

GO.

One meter between us. There were only a few precious moments away from impact, and yet the Spearow had yet to move.

Fool.

Zero.

...

WHACK!

The moment my fist made contact, a flood of dopamine wafted over me. That cathartic rush was one of the best feelings I had ever felt. Pure ecstasy.

My fist collided perfectly on target, the tiny body of the bird pokemon crushing around my knuckles. I heard nothing but the roar of blood in my ears, my body stumbling forward as my legs begged to drop beneath my weight like wet paper. The feathered foe launched through the air before bouncing off the tree, finally dropping to the ground in a writhing mess.

I stood gasping and wheezing over the small fox, leaning on the tree for dear life. The pokemon withdrew from its furry shell when it realized that the beating had lulled, raising its head and taking a weary glance.

The little fennec stared deep into my eyes, a mix of petrified confusion, emptiness, and a third emotion I couldn't place my finger on. However, there wasn't a hint of fear.

My heart sank. My act of saving the thing hadn't even mattered in the end.

The fox hardly even cared.

I craned my head around to face the horde, numerous aggravated pokemon gathered away from the tree. I had used the final bite of energy I could to take out the one miscreant, there was no way I could defend against an entire onslaught. I was forced against a wall, and I couldn't run or dodge. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed shut, every breath laborious.

All I could do was gaze blankly at the scene before me.

"...get- hrgh... out." I wheezed.

My stomach began to quiver.

"...get out."

A lump appeared in my chest. It was suffocating.

"Get out!"

A tiny whimper peeped behind me.

The lump grew.

"Get out!"

The lump grew larger, feeling as though my rib cage would burst. It kept growing bigger, pressing against my heart and pinching my lungs. My heartbeat felt like a kickdrum.

As I swung my head to the side, my eyes burned holes into the pokemon.

It was peering up at me. The moment our eyes met, the lump exploded.

"You are alive, so leave! Are you really going to make my effort be for nothing?!" I spat with the last of my breath, sputtering and heaving in recoil.

...

...what was I doing?

I'm not someone to carry grand ambitions.

And I'm fine with that.

I'm a normal man.

I had made a terrible decision amidst my panic, diving head first into business that wasn't mine. I didn't even care much about the pokemon in the first place.

...

...

So... why?

Why hadn't the fox fled?

Why was it choosing to stay?

Why?

Why-

Why would it choose to sit in front of me?

As the flock of destruction grew closer, the battered fox raised its hackles and a growl rumbled in it's throat. The irritation and pain in my face drained.

Every thought in my mind had been thrown away, replaced by a stunned silence. Whether it was from the audacity of the mite or impending doom, I'm not sure. If I was still thinking straight, I would've been sending my last few prayers.

But who was I kidding?

If there were a god watching, I would've been back home.

Then, it hit me: I had recognized what the third emotion the pokemon had shown was.

The fuzzy little pokemon in front of me had been pleading. They were finally pleading for help, for me to find a way out. Even in my corpse-like state, despite the human on the brink of death that berated it for losing the value of itself in life, it still wanted to return the favor.

With a few tremors rocking through the fox, a tiny lump began to swell within its throat. In a few seconds, the growl in it's maw seemed to rise through it like an elevator. The lump stopped by the time it reached the lips, a mischievous glimmer tiptoeing along it's cage.

Suddenly, a small ball of yellow flew from the fennec's mouth. As it sped through the air, another swirl of red and orange shot out. Then came a third.

Each ball seemed to somersault through the wind, soaring into the heart of the frazzled swarm. Some of the Spearow and Pidgey at the front managed to veer away, but the projectiles erupted in the back, a spew of smoke gushing out the top. A Murkrow and some Pidgey tumbled to the ground through the mesh of bodies, awkwardly landing on the ground. Screeches of retaliation and disgust arose from the mob. The fennec readied another attack in it's throat.

A twinge of motion whispered to my peripheral vision, my attention darting to the left of the tree. A form sat along the outer area, creeping along as though stalking prey. Before I could react, the Spearow sprang out and drilled it's beak into the back thigh of the fox. The little furball yowled in pain, whipping it's head back as a few stray embers fumbled from its mouth.

The assaulting avian let out a victorious "squawwwk!", a handful of praising chirps rising from the flood of shrieks. An uncertain yet vexing feeling welled in my stomach.

Then, something peculiar happened.

One moment, I was staring in horror at the swelling gash along the animal's thigh.

The next moment, my hand was no longer at my side.

It was as if my body had developed a mind of it's own.

Fingers found feathers and bone bashed with beak. The sickening crack of cartilage and tissue snapping hammered against my ears.

The unconscious Spearow's body landed a few feet away, bouncing once before coming to a stop.

On one hand, I was bewildered how I had even managed to knock out a pokemon so easily. On the other hand, I wondered how I had even moved. It was like a second wind of vitality had sprang from the depths of my soul, like I was somehow still able to run away from the situation. But that couldn't be the case; my legs refused to respond to any command I sent them as if encased in steel.

"Feeeeeeen…" the fox murmured, reeling its head back with a miniature ball of embers forming within its jaws.

With the horde finally upon us, my head sagged.

What happened next though was something I would never be prepared for.

...

"...KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINN!" the fox belted out, a massive belch of flame spouting out of the maw onto the mass of birds.

It was… captivating, yet horrifying, watching all the pokemon drop from the sky.

...

Deja-vu.

It was a sick deja-vu and I hadn't the foggiest idea why. No specific memories resonated with the scene, and yet an almost explosive streak of spasms struck my burns, earning a startled gasp. The gasp faded quickly as I found myself unable to breathe.

I wanted so desperately to avert my eyes, but I... couldn't. They were glued to the scene unraveling, and I was utterly powerless to stop it as though I had been subjected to a real-time warzone massacre.

Scores of birds began to fall from the sky. Most were frantically searching for a means of salvation. Terrified cries rang out in all directions, pounding against my ears. The only sense I could feel besides the sizzling aching and chilling terror were the unsteady breaths entering my lungs. It sounded more like a lifeless machine than an organ, each pump wheezing along in an unsteady tempo.

The rest of my body had gone numb, my control no longer prevalent over the fatigue. Sections of my body began to fail.

First, my arms flopped to my sides like swings.

Next came my legs, giving out as my frame careened down to the ground with a thud. I clenched my teeth and tried to force them to put me upright again, but no matter how much I willed it so, all that came was a single twitch.

I had hit my true limit.

The beaten fennec hopped back when I landed. Flicking its head back and forth, the Fennekin stared at me for another moment and nudged me once with its nose. Suddenly it broke into a sprint, zooming away beneath a fallen log. It had acquired a limp from the stab wound on it's thigh but made a speedy escape all the same.

I was now alone with the two unconscious Spearow, the weak crackling of dying flames whisking away.

I blew out a deep breath and allowed my face to plant itself among the grass.

...

I needed some time.

'Deep breaths. In... out. In... out. IN... and out. Almost- shit!'

My elbow began to slip on the smooth bark, the friction scraping against smooth flesh. I hastily wrapped my arm back around the trunk for dear life, knees wobbling. I had nearly regained my footing, but I had to be extra cautious. The moment I was on my feet again I'd be able to, at the least, shuffle to civilization. It wouldn't be the optimal way to make an entrance into an entirely new reality, but by then? I couldn't care less about first impressions.

Clinging with my remaining arm I had control of, I quickly shifted my weight over to one of the protruding sticks. Careful not to apply too much pressure at once, I allowed for the tip of the rounder side to nestle itself within my armpit. The dead wood creaked once from the additional weight but held strong.

With a few short heaves of the stick, I managed to slide my pulsing legs underneath me. The strong aching sensation from the muscle exhaustion flared up immediately, but I refused to let the pleas of my muscles dissuade me.

'Forgive me, legs. You need to hold out only a little while longer. I won't retain consciousness for long, not to mention the throbbing headache... that Pansage better've given me the correct directions.'

Before I had committed to struggling to perform a basic human function, I had marked the direction I intended to leave ahead of time, scribbling an arrow to a rigid area I'd spotted through a gap in a hedge. The grass growing was sparce along the adjacent sides and the sunlight seemed to be more concentrated when I first viewed it. The last note was taken with a grain of salt though since my vision had deteriorated pretty harshly. Blood loss had wrought serious havoc on my system, and the effects only worsened by the minute. If my gut was right though, I wasn't too far off from a route path.

I desperately hoped my gut was right.

Pushing off of the stick and taking my first few steps, I was surprised when I didn't keel over. Although, I did have to manually lift and move my left leg to keep it from getting caught on any undergrowth.

Parting the branches as best I could to keep from rebounding, I ambled through the grassy threshold. A barren pathway lay ahead of me, an elegant stone archway staring down at me towards the end of the path.

Weary lips parted in reverence for a wide grin, the burned skin on my left cheek hissing at the expression.

'I... made it. I actually made it! Dear lord, I can't believe-. That... that doesn't matter yet. Ngh- Focus! Now, all I need to do is find a hospit- wait. Are the- are the stones getting bigger...?'

An unstable leg shot forward to catch me, my right arm pushing on the knee to keep myself from eating dirt. My teeth chattered together to choke back a shriek. I had let my focus slip for just a moment and nearly passed out as punishment.

'Blood loss and severe... body trauma are... taking too much of... a toll. Can't... let myself drift... away like that again...'

One flimsy trudge at a time, I moseyed through the gateway.

The sunlight seemed pretty comforting right then. Felt just right for a quick nap. Yes, I would've loved a quick nap...

I swiveled my head around, barely grasping onto the colors of the buildings. A thick haze of light had swathed everything, more viscous fog rolling in by the second.

Ironically, my ears did just fine picking up one certain noise. And that sound; that dreadful sound, it was ungodly.

A sudden, ear-shattering shriek shredded through my eardrums. My teeth gnashed together and every facial muscle tensed, helpless to block out the sound. The shriek lasted for only a moment, but the ringing in my ears caused it to linger much longer, a torturous echo trapped in my skull. It just kept bouncing and echoing, over and over! Pounding and pounding and pounding-

My body pleaded to loose an equal scream, but nothing could come out. No part of me could soothe the pain, as though I was a defenseless village being ravaged.

I was reallytempted to give up right then.

Through the ringing, a separate, concerned voice resounded in the direction of the scream, quick murmuring following suit. Blurs of movement shifted along the streets then, which I eventually recognized as curious onlookers.

My eyes drifted towards a familiar shape amidst the fog, a massive sign held on the front of an orange roof building. The sign was round, divided by a striking red and the bottom a brilliant white, the same kind consuming my eyes.

"I mu... t get t..." I slurred, jaw locked firmly as fragments of words fumbled against my lips.

More blobs sloshed into view. The onlookers had melted into a mass of different colors along the sidewalks. Black spots began to cloud my vision and everything was swimming.

I was mere meters away from the building now. I was close.

But to my horror, my remaining good leg began to pop and shift. My heart was all I could hear in my ears, pounding harder and harder.

I was going to lose my balance.

My right arm wrapped around something, something hoisting it over a support as it began to drag me along. Feeling the new force carry them, my legs fell completely limp.

It felt... nice. It was a nice air of relief.

I heard strong blurbs of sounds, most likely urging me to stay awake as I was dragged through the doors of the orange building. White blobs with specks of pink in their middle then rushed toward me with a long sheet of white, more objects cautious yet forcefully moving my body for me.

Boy, was I tired.

One by one, I began to lose feeling across my body, the pain easing into a numb solitude.

Ahhh... that was better.

Eventually I was left with just my heartbeat drumming against my brain.

Thump...

...

Thump...

...

thump.

...

...

Then, my mind went blank.

It felt like only a few minutes had gone by before I came to.

My brain immediately rushed to find a pulse, sending out panicked alerts into the void. Eventually, a faint sound graced it.

...thump.

...

...thump.

I... I was alive.

I survived.

A breath of relief filled my lungs, alerting my brain that it was thankfully functional once again. Among the soothing melody of thumping and flowing oxygen, a different noise caught my ear.

...

Beep.

...

Beep.

Immediately I recognized the sounds of a heart monitor to my left. My brain sent out a diagnostic check to my nerves, later met with an overwhelming clamor of all kinds. I could feel an odd type of material stuck onto my sides and I no longer felt the ruined fabric on my person.

I began to stir, trying my best to escape from the comatose state.

There was a bit of useful advice I had learned though: when in an adrenaline frenzy, try not to charge into a situation with reckless abandon. The resulting pain feels much worse than can be explained through words.

In summary, it.

Hurts.

...

I digress.

After an eternity of wrestling with my senses I managed to regain control. While my breaths were shallow and staying awake was a chore, I recognized the environment after blinking away the spots.

The interior of a well furnished hospital room came into view. The room was adorned with various trays, each with their own sorts of medical equipment. On the adjacent wall was an array of cabinets, labels on each handle marking their contents. The waiting chairs seemed to be of a nicer quality; a sturdy red spine and white seat along with thin metal bars curving around the sides to form the chair legs. The room itself had an orange paint coating, clean enough that it appeared freshly painted. Various screens were attached above equipment with metrics and numbers I couldn't understand, each one completely see-through with no frames.

Only after I was done with the room sweep did I finally notice the nurse who was positioned over a clipboard at the open doorway to my right. She seemed to be signing a slip from the bin beside the doorway, most likely some medical form. Based on the two pink rings of hair hanging down behind her head, short pink skirt, white apron, and blue-crossed cap I could tell she must've been a Nurse Joy, a vital element in keeping a pokemon center running spic and span.

The presence of the nurse struck an interesting thought.

'So, this is a pokemon center. Do they take care of people along with pokemon inside the same building, or are they separated somehow?' I couldn't seem to wrap my head around it.

My mind wandered back to my battle. 'Hold on.'

'If the center asks for any sort of identification, it'll cause all kinds of complications. Will I be thrown into the streets? Or worse, taken into custody?'

A nervous gulp slid down my throat and my face darkened. I had to leave before anyone discovered anything they weren't supposed to. Staying would pose too much of a risk.

I shifted my body over to the side.

...

creeeeeeeaaak.

...whoops.

"EEEECK!" the Joy screamed.

In retrospect, I realize that patiently waiting for her to turn around or allowing her to at least leave before attempting an escape would've been vastly better ideas.

"Oh my goodness gracious; you're up-! This is an absolute miracle... just one moment, sir!" She hastily relayed before dashing out the door, clipboard clattering to the floor.

'Fantastic. Just- ugh. Although irritating, this changes nothing. I may as well get moving now before she arrives with help.'

My first step was to remove the breathing mask wrapped around my face and place it down on the table to my side. Summoning what strength I still had, I swung myself onto my right side to avoid agitating my wounds. My shoulder still cried out in pain, forcing me to wince against the feeling. However, the pain this time seemed to be... lessened than what I had felt.

A hint of surprise briefly crossed my features at the discovery. I must have been tended to already if I was able to move so well already.

I shoved myself close to the edge of the bed, only the white guard rails obstructing me from leaving. Frustrated, I tensed my leg muscles and swung them against the side, then over the barrier. It was a rather awkward position to sit up from, but not nearly as uncomfortable as standing for the first time.

See, I had guessed that I had only been out for a few hours, maybe even a couple of days based on the pain I had felt. I had presumed my legs would ache or be asleep, but nonetheless I would be able to perambulate to some degree, even if it were mere baby steps.

Once again, I was wrong. Dead wrong.

As my bare feet touched the cold, exposed tile on the floor, I could feel every muscle turn to putty.

No matter, it was only experiencing a temporary set back. After virtually welcoming death however long ago it was I was last conscious, fatigue felt like a stepping stone.

My legs wobbled and teetered, forcing me to grasp onto the bed frame for dear life. Standing up proved to be grueling, as I had to be meticulous with each movement to keep my balance. I felt more like a newborn deer instead of a recovering hospital resident.

Unfortunately, I had failed to notice the IV drip being fed into my body, promptly having the tube ripped out of my forearm and causing the liquid to begin pouring out. A few tiny droplets of blood and fluid began to leak. To be honest, I had always been unnerved by how the drip bags seemed to go beneath the skin, but that sensation felt odd in all the worst ways. A brief shudder racked my frame. Other patches and attachments on my chest and legs soon followed suit, freeing me from the bed.

Grasping the side of the bed for dear life, I teetered my way to the open doorway. A few too many close calls met me on my way over, already out of breath while I slumped on the wooden door frame. So good so far.

Peeking my head out into the hallway rewarded me with an interesting sight: multiple Nurse Joys were going about their daily tasks, each taking care of various jobs. It was sort of... unnerving to see so many similar people in the same place.

I knew better than to question it.

The hallway was similar architecturally to my room before, but this time the walls were a lighter hue of orange, with a thin white line protruding from the side to cut the walls into a second tan side. Every few meters was a new room, sliding glass doors with a pokeball insignia painted on the surface, marking the rooms. There was a massive set of double doors sitting at the right wing of the hallway, yet another white pokeball symbol divided between the two doors. Towards the left wing was a further branch in the halls, one sign on each side noting what the paths contained. Unfortunately, I was too far away to actually make out any of the words.

I was running out of time. The previous Joy from before would return any minute, and I'd be dragged back to my bed. Once my coast was clear, I darted out into the hall, shambling as fast as my turtle pace would allow. One of the nurses came over to me when I was halfway to my destination.

"Sir, I earnestly request for you to return to your room. Your body is still recuperating and is in no condition for recreational use! If you continue, you may cause permanent damage!"

My demeanor shifted into a frown. I began to limp along the wall at a slower pace.

"Don't worry, I'll go back to my room in a moment. I just need to use the bathroom."

"Bathroom? I'm not... sure I understand. The bathroom is in the exact other direction"

"Well, I may as well go to these ones ahead since I'm closer. Besides, I just- I really need to go, alright? So please- let go!" I exclaimed, shaking off one of the nurse's arms. She recoiled and pulled away, calling out to another Nurse Joy to get help and move me back. By now I was not far from the door, around thirty more seconds until I reached it.

"The pokemon center has those accommodations for patients taken care of in their rooms as well, but I will only ask you to turn around one more time sir. I will be forced to put you out if you don't comply!"

I had already stopped listening.

I increased my pace again, nearly tripping five times. The Joy who had left to fetch help had arrived, watching the scene unfold in horror. A small group of nurses and a doctor had been searching for me, one pair of nurses wheeling out a stretcher.

It didn't matter though, I was nearly there. I was far ahead of those rushing to get me, and in just a few more seconds I would be able to get a clue to where my acquaintance had gone. The sounds of a crowd began to fill my ears. 'If I can find the exit, I should be able to slip out the front doors and lose them. I just need to make the most of my head-start.'

The aides were closing the distance, and fast. I was luckily a few feet away, launching my body off the wall and towards the doors. As I stumbled around, I had failed to account for one thing.

See, these were fully automatic doors. Not only automatic though, but fast.

The moment my body came close, the screens zipped into the walls, causing me to stumble out.

From the little that I could see, the area was a large two-story lobby, a few counters on one side and a mini lounge seated in the middle surrounding a pillar with monitors displaying the news. Before I could take in much more, my right leg gave out.

Oh no.

My upper body came crashing down, tumbling into a man in front of me. His brown trench coat wrapped around my face and sent him spiraling too, along with the large object he had cradled in his hands. The man let out a yelp as he fell, both of us spilling out on the floor unceremoniously.

Each fiber of my being informed me that I was unable to stand back up no matter how hard I tried. Besides, I was too tired.

Very tired.

Perhaps it wouldn't have hurt to simply relax there for a while.

The man beside me began to get back on his feet, dusting himself off. He muttered something before facing me, an analytical and equally annoyed look beyond his clouded features.

I began to feel an odd sensation besides the writhing pain on the left side of my body, instead this time a ticklish feeling flicked my ear. A small, wet object began nuzzling itself into my ear, making it twitch in response to the feeling. With what little strength I had, I flopped my head to the side to see what had been playing with my ear, coming face to face with none other than my little acquaintance.

The fuzzy little fox had a mixture of worry and surprise on their expression, staring at me without blinking. It was uncomfortable to hold for a while, but became more comforting the longer I sat there.

Without warning, the cream vulpine bowed their head and sat it down on my cheek. It didn't move after that, simply content with its current position.

I couldn't help but let a goofy grin spread across my face at the sight. 'Thank god.'

As the nurses descended upon me to administer the anesthetics, the words of the trench coat man echoed in my head:

"Hmph. Finally. There may be evidence after all."

"Excuse me, ma'am. The young man has awoken." A gruff voice rang through my head.

"Oh? That's a week ahead of schedule… well then, make sure to be careful; we are... unsure how sound his mental state may be due to his last incident."

Flecks of sleep cleared from my eyes as I opened them. I was in the same nursing room as before I had left on my search, but now there was the man whom I had bumped into in the lobby standing before me. He wore a long brown trench coat and seemed to fit perfectly into the whole "classic detective" appeal. The man's expression held a piercing gaze, seemingly zipping straight through me. He scratched the stubble on his chin thoughtfully.

"So, you are awake. Phenomenal." he stated without a moment's hesitation. The man stuck his arm into the coat, fishing around in a pocket before revealing a shiny golden badge.

"My name is- ah, pardon me. Allow me to inform you of my code name: I am Looker. I am one of many officers and investigators part of the International Police Agency," the officer stated as our eyes met, his sudden introduction making me flinch. "I advise that you be truthful with me: Are you by any means connected to the heinous Team Flare?"

Looker's stern eyes locked with mine. While he was certainly dramatic, there was a layer of determination behind the middle-aged man. I, on the other hand, was stuck at a crossroads.

'This isn't right at all. Why would the international police have business with me? Even then, why here? I can't be in Sinnoh, not if I met a Fennekin already. If this is Kalos, I thought that he only appeared in the X & Y game series after Calem has beaten AZ! But here he is, questioning me regardless.'

I could feel a headache beginning to brew, scowling. 'Drat. Fleeing the center is a pointless now. Should I just inform him of what happened or feign ignorance? I mean, I could try faking amnesia... which I very well may have now that I think about it, considering that odd episode with the birds... but that would be too risky if he saw through me. He is a detective... I need more time to formulate a-'

"Detective, I must humbly request of you that you refrain from pressuring the patient much. While his condition may currently appear stable, we are also unsure as to what exactly the definitive cause of his injuries was. Until then, for all we know there may have be an underlying trauma or other brain damage we are unaware of."

Both of us shifted our attention on the Nurse Joy standing astutely at the door. I had almost forgotten about her. 'Bless you, nurse. That should buy me a bit.'

The International policeman huffed but nevertheless straightened himself out, unfazed.

"Of course ma'am, I apologize. I assure you, my visit will cause no adverse effects to my acquaintance here or his recovery." He calmly responded. Looker turned back to me. "Now then, I believe I have gotten ahead of myself. Please, do forgive me. Could you enlighten me as to what caused the reason for your visit to the center?"

'Another direct question. At least I may be able to mosey around this one.'

"I... was in some forest, one nearby. I don't remember where, though. As to why, well... I had- lost my way whilst taking Route 7, if my memory serves me right. After wandering about for a while, I was assaulted by a flock of bird pokemon. But again, I... I can't discern many specifics. I know I tried to fend them off as best I could, but that didn't turn out so well if my condition is any tell. Next thing I know, I've wound up here."

Looker sat in thought for a moment before speaking up.

"Based on the environment which you described, I assume you went through Santalune Forest, and the sudden assault would explain the cuts at least. The true question is the cause," He determined, readjusting his posture. "Why? Why would you, young man, specifically be the victim of such aggression?"

"From what I could gather, it was from a misunderstanding. It's truthfully all a blur except for when I ran into..." I trailed off, a tiny figure wiggling it's way up the foot of my bed. A pointed black nose peeked over the edge, followed by a white muzzle and long, fuzzy cheeks.

'Ha. Well I'll be.'

A pair of yellow ears perked up finally over the bed frame, showing me the large orange tufts flowing out of the interior of the ear. Brilliant red eyes met mine with a kind grin.

"A rebellious one, this pokemon. That Fennekin is rambunctious like no other, I tell you! I wonder, what - pray tell - became of her pokéball?" Looker not-so-subtly asked.

I took a moment to mull over the comment. 'So she's a girl too, hm? Wait- her pokeball? Does he think I'm a pokemon trainer?'

"I think you're mistaken, officer. I'm not this pokemon's trainer."

Nurse Joy and Looker stared at me like I was a Dugtrio with a fourth head. Fennekin's blissful grin faded, replaced by an irate annoyance.

"Are you certain that is so? Young man, I do understand that you were unconscious at the time, but this pokemon caused quite the ruckus in your stead. Nurse Joy, could you please regale this man of the Fennekin's activities?" Looker requested, motioning over to her.

The woman nodded. "With pleasure. It first appeared in front of the center two weeks ago and stationed itself in front of the doors every single day. When it first visited it was practically covered in numerous unchecked battle wounds with an especially nasty stab wound in it's upper thigh. None of the staff knew the pokemon or what it was doing, and we couldn't find her designated trainer anywhere. Many visitors tried to claim her as their own, but this Fennekin would either brushed them off or attack," Joy explained, Fennekin dipping her head but nonetheless stared blankly. "It wouldn't even leave for food. It would just sit in one spot, waiting. Perhaps you just don't remember capturing her..?"

"No, I never 'caught' anything. I don't own any pokéballs." I replied bluntly. The other two shared unreadable looks.

"I'm not sure I understand; what do you mean by 'don't own pokéballs'? Did you lose them?" Nurse Joy asked, placing a hand over her mouth in fear at the possibility.

"Well, no… I don't have pokemon."

Looker's eyebrows shot up. Fennekin was bristling underneath her fur.

"If you don't have any pokemon, then why were you in Santalune Forest, alone, of all places? From what you have said, you had no immediate business there in the first place. And yet, you enter pokemon-rich habitat without any pokemon of your own? Honestly, I don't believe I should have to highlight to anyone how poor of a decision that is. Even then, I'm baffled you were able to make it far without encountering a single pokemon to impede the trek." He scolded, frustration cracking through his rocky demeanor. Although his scolding hardly fazed me, that fact that all of what he said was mainly true began to get under my skin.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, but I already explained that I can't remember how I arrived, no? I can say it once more: I can't remember how I arrived there. Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of literal nowhere. Under what circumstance is that my fault?" I retorted.

Looker simply pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before continuing.

"Hm. I... see. I do apologize for the callous tone. You see, this is precisely what I am attempting to figure out, as your peculiar incident described partially aligns with the current case I have been assigned. However, it seems that our main lead was strutting out in the middle of a Pokémon habitat, with all other available information resources unbelievably scarce. We are virtually in the dark as to the events that transpired. I do hope you understand the predicament that may sow."

As the stoic man encouraged his point, faint tremors rocked inside of my chest. Shallow cracks began to spread along my heart, a viscous black tar seeping out.

"Then, I'd like to review. So; by your explanation, it's safe to assume you were merely coming over to check in what mess a single, debilitated man has stirred." I rebuked hoarsely, no longer willing to look the man in the eye. The pace of the heart monitor picked up speed, but I paid no mind. The simmering boil of recent events surfaced in my memory.

"No, there seems to be a misunderstanding. All I request is your help in the matter and to answer a handful of questions."

The man's request was reasonable, but coupled with everything cluttering my brain?

I was confused, frustrated, and exceptionally injured.

But most of all, I was tired.

Oh, so tired.

I could feel the black tar begin to drip into my arteries, an unsettling and cold sensation spreading throughout my body. The flood of liquid pooled around my brain, drowning out any filters I had.

Before I knew it, words began to fall from my lips.

"Ha. I'm sick of this."

"Pardon?"

"It's hardly been a day. One. Day. I've only been conscious for less than one, full day here. And yet, in that time I have been burned, cut, beaten, left for dead, and lord knows what else."

The detective went to speak, but closed his mouth a moment later. I never noticed.

"Despite all of it though, I survived. I took the brunt it all, yet in the end I lived. I don't know how, but that doesn't matter anymore, now does it? What matters- oh, what matters is this. All of this."

I sat silently for a while, mind and body almost paused in time.

Looker shifted in his seat. "That... is quite a lot. You've gone through a rough time, I understand your words. But I'm not sure I get some of what you are saying. What do you mean by 'one day'?"

I nodded for a few seconds, tasting his words. "That's all it took. One day was all it took to utterly shatter all of what I had. And now, I need to pick up the pieces of a broken life and fix something that wasn't even of my own doing. How is that? How even is that?"

"I do not know. But that is not necessarily what I meant-"

"How is it? How is it my responsibility, my job to endure the- an absurd amount of pressure I didn't even elicit? I just can't. I can't possibly understand it."

The black ooze felt suffocating. I couldn't breathe.

"What can you not understand?"

"Any of it. Not one, single bit. No one can. Not one person, because no one can ever comprehend something like it. At the very least no one in their right mind would believe me. I firmly doubt there a single person on this planet that will ever be able to come close. Do you get how frustrating that is?"

"But I want to try. I wish to try and understand you. Maybe I will not be able to. Maybe I will be able to. It is still a chance nonetheless."

I couldn't breathe.

A long sigh left my nostrils, adjusting my posture. "But what even is there to share? I can't remember the important aspects, but my own body tells more than I myself can. How can that be explained?"

"Then try. You can try, and give it a chance. Allow me the chance."

I want to breathe.

"There is nothing to share! There is no chance to take because I have nothing to admit! I have nothing!"

"And yet you are struggling, suffering over something! You do have something to share, and you are able to speak!"

I want to breathe.

"So please, tell me. Tell me what it is that is ailing you."

Let me breathe.

"I can't."

"You can! We both know you can!"

"Detective please, you should let him rest. His heart rate is rising too high!"

"No, I can't. I don't know- but, I want to, so desperately for the love of god..."

Please, let me breathe!

"Then you can! You can speak to me, and you can have as much as you need!"

I need to breathe!

"Everything is already gone."

...

The room fell dead silent. No one dared utter a word. All eyes fell on me.

It took me a while before the weight of my situation and what I had said struck me, my head tucking down lower.

My hand had unintentionally grasped onto the guard railings of the bed, my knuckles a ghastly white from a cast-iron hold. I could feel pieces of the rail dig into my flesh, although the pain did little to quell the small tremors wrapped around my body.

Four words may have been all that had slipped from my mouth, but it was more than enough implication to placate the questions. All commotion had died in an instant.

I could feel my heart slamming against my chest, thrashing to escape somewhere. My lungs pumped oxygen into my body at breakneck speeds, slowly coming to the realization I could breath the entire time.

My body remained locked in the slouched position.

…

...

..more silence.

…

...

No one made a sound for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't move. I couldn't blink. I could only stare at the sheet tucked over me, recent events replaying in my head over and over like a broken recording.

Suddenly, I felt two long, narrow objects followed by a row of smaller ones pierce into my leg. My head shot up immediately, ready to-

Well, I didn't even know what I was going to do.

When I witnessed the tiny Fennekin with her jaws sunken into my thigh, I didn't even flinch.

I was just...surprised.

Once she knew she had broken me out of my trance, the Fennekin released her grip. She strut onto my lap, planting herself directly in front of my face.

"Fenne fen ne kin! Fe fe ki fe nekin! Fennekin fenne kin FEN!" she yowled. Her lips were curled back and fur stood on end. Her tail swished back and forth, a growl rumbling in her throat.

She was just sitting, waiting.

That's when I finally realized what she had been trying to say.

Fennekin wasn't biting into my leg because she felt threatened. She hadn't waited outside of the pokemon center because she wanted treatment. She didn't challenge the horde because I was her "precious trainer" that cared for her. None of that was true.

Suddenly, I felt a wet sensation drip down onto my hands. It was thin and clear, leaving a salty trail as it fell down my skin.

Then, another fell.

And another.

The odd feeling managed to drag my attention from the epiphany down to the tiny fox pokemon, her back ramrod straight. Fennekin dipped her head down to the side, as though holding something with the crook of her neck. The same angry expression stayed sewn onto her face, with the new addition of a stream of tears gliding down her muzzle.

Ah.

This was a whole new world, one where not a single soul knew I had once existed. By technicality, I was an alien; a being that didn't belong and should never have been present in the first place. I had no real reason to be on the planet; no purpose and completely alone in my ventures.

...

And yet,

The pokemon still wept over me.

I couldn't comprehend why, or any semblance of reason behind her actions. At the first chance she was offered, the pokemon quivered in fear at my presence. At the second chance, she ran for the hills, away from her literal dying savior. The little fox cared about me enough to form an attachment, however minute, deep in her heart that she refused to accept. She was fighting valiantly against an internal onslaught to keep the tough facade, and losing.

I wanted to say thank you.

I wanted to tell her that I cared back - to say something - but my lips denied me.

It wasn't my place to comment on her tribulations anyhow.

My hand instinctively reached out to the fennec, her glassy eyes zipping over on high alert. I paused for a moment, showed my empty palm, and sat it down between her ears.

Silent tears welled even further, trickling in their staggered rhythm as they dripped onto my gown. An ache in my chest began to build, constricting my lungs as every tiny whimper racked my body in chills.

Fennekin remained steadfast in her position, a strained whine caught in the back of her throat. I was able to see all the miniature scars and ripples within her fur, vague splotchy lines peeping through the barrier of hair.

The ache jumped into my mouth, flowing out without a second thought.

"You're safe now."

...

And with

one

single

sentence,

the

dam

broke.

Mighty cries erupted from the pokemon, startling me as her body slunk down until her head was nestled in the crook of my arm. A steady stream of tears flowed, and her body softly trembled from time to time. My arm wrapped around Fennekin's curled, fluffy body, the fennec responding by shifting into my cradle.

The constricting feeling within me burst when I felt a strong hand plant itself on my shoulder. I didn't need to look to know it was Looker's, standing in silence. A strong exhale through my nose chimed in time with another suppressed sob from the tiny fox pokemon. I wasn't sure how to react other than to console her.

My gaze began to shift away from the Fennekin, unsure where to focus.

I hadn't been in this world for long, but one fact had been set in stone:

I was going to get home.

And I didn't care what it took to accomplish that.

I can't tell you how many times I've reworked this chapter from the ground up. For a nearly a full year now I've been trying to get this to a point where I think it does my effort justice.

Yes, I'm going to continue reworking it until I've reached a point that I feel it truly satisfies me, even if the newer chapter updates are delayed. Chances are, they will be.

I know this likely won't be shown to many new viewers and will likely be skimmed over due to how old it is. Nevertheless, as long as a handful of people still read and enjoy it, I will absolutely continue to add on and adjust.

Finally, I would like to address one last - and frankly quite prominent - topic I've seen come up a number of times:

Yes, I know about Borne of Caution. If anything, I highly recommend reading it. I love that story, and it's clearly an inspiration for me.

Did I mean to have so many similarities with the story? No. I actually discovered Borne of Caution after I wrote the first chapter when a friend of mine saw the similarities as well. Frankly, I hate that there are so many commonalities and it upsets me greatly that I've hit a point where changing those aspects are an impossibility, so I guess I'll have to live with it.

Will I have a similar plot going forward? Not a chance. I want to have FFF be an independent and unique (as unique as it can be, apparently) story, and not act as watered-down version of a work that clearly doesn't need modification or parody. Call me unoriginal, a parody, copycat, but I won't put any less effort into this series than I already have. I love writing this, and have already stated on multiple occasions I have no intention of ever stopping.

As per usual, feel free to leave a review telling me what you may or may not have liked, input, or critiques and consider following/favorite the story.

Until next time homies.