"I'm going to ask one more time, Mister Beccaria," the inspector sitting across from me, a middle aged man with graying hair and a well-kept beard, calmly asks. "Who are you and where are you really from?" He waves my identity card in front of me. "And what's with this counterfeit?"

"I'll tell you one more time!" I snarl at this knucklehead. "It's not a counterfeit and it's all on it!"

This has gone for however long he has been here. True to the receptionist's words, before the medic of their infirmary could look at my leg and remove the spikes, three security guards and their canine look alikes (that I didn't immediately recognize as Herdiers) seized me and demanded my documents. Knowing better than to contradict this world's equivalent of the cops, I did as they requested. Although the looks that came over their faces as they examined them were not really reassuring.

And sure enough, I was right. After finishing with the medic, they took me outside the structure and handed me over to the actual police who proceeded to shove me into their car. The two parties also shared some vague words about me being a 'foreigner who entered Unova illegally' or some such in the process.

The car then drove away from the Resort, passing through Route 4 and finally reaching Castelia City.

The drive through Route 4 at least was interesting. The police car passed through the highway you can only see in the game, giving a pretty good view of the actual route one normally goes through in the game. To my surprise, I think I also managed to see a few Pokémon there, even though it wasn't that well between the distance and the moving vehicle. The Pokémon I most clearly spotted were a brownish crocodile that must have been a Sandile, a goofy marsupial that must have been a Scraggy and an ugly red ball that must have been a Darumaka.

However, Castelia city, from what little we could see of it on our way was...disappointingly average. I've lived in a big city my whole life, and if it weren't for the various other species of Pokémon walking the streets, this one would be no different.

The one bright spot of this whole situation is the Maractus. The little guy stuck to me through everything that happened, not leaving my side and always trying to give me a smile, even making some maraca sounds with his ears. I can at least appreciate that he tries to stay positive.

Unfortunately, when we arrive inside the police station, we are separated. I'm taken to an interrogation room and he's taken somewhere else. I can only pray they won't do anything bad to him. He was merely leading me out of the damned desert.

But either way, the inspector arrived not long after I did, said I was accused of entering the Desert Resort illegally and being in Unova illegally. And then we started this back and forth.

The inspector looks over my card and, still obscenely calmly, comments on it. "The front page says 'Repubblica Italiana'." He looks up to me. "A region that does not exist." He looks down at my card again. "Then, everything else I see are your name, your surname and physical traits." He looks up again. "The last one is easy to recognize. But your name, your accent and what precisely is written here all suggest someone not native to Unova. Unfortunately, there are no records to be found of a man matching your name and description entering our region."

"That's because I didn't come here of my free will!" I protest. "I was out buying groceries when fucking Hoopa dropped me in te middle of that dustball you call a Resort!"

"A likely story," the inspector replies condescendingly. "But it doesn't explain this." He waves my identity card. "There are precious few regions that speak the language written here. None of them recognize cards like this."

Goddammit!

"If you have an explanation as to why your documents are like this, other than a very poor attempt at forgery, I'm all ears."

Great, what now? I say I'm from another world, he'll think I'm crazy. I stay quiet, I'll be a convicted criminal faster than I can say 'welcome to the world of Pokémon'.

Well, the latter has a hundred percent chance of happening, while the former has only a ninety-nine, so I guess I know what is more mathematically sound.

"Because I'm not from this world," I blurt out.

"Oh?" the inspector says, finally furrowing his brow. "Care to elaborate?"

"I hail from a world different from this one. One where we don't have Pokémon, only animals that don't have their powers. Italy - the nation I come from - doesn't exist here because it is not part of this world. We only know of your world because in our own it's the setting of a fictional franchise."

For a moment, the inspector looks at me puzzled. Then he lets out a snort. "Is that the best excuse you could think of? That you are a Faller?"

I wince. "A what?"

"Come on, don't play dumb. Everyone has heard of them after that incident in Hoenn."

...the hell is he even talking about?

"What is the real story?"

"I told you what it is!"

"The real real story."

"There's no 'real real story'! I do come from a different world altogether! I don't know what a Faller is or what the hell happened in Hoenn and that's exactly because I'm not from this world! You want further proof, check my belongings! You will see that all I have on me are a phone and money that are also not from this world! How else do you explain that?!"

The inspector doesn't flinch at my complaints. He merely takes them on stoically and looks at me with narrowed eyes. When he speaks again, he sounds less condescending. "That last one is a good point. Your wallet didn't contain poké dollars, and the device you had with you was neither a Pokédex nor a C-Gear."

Really? That is what got him to believe me?

"With that said, though, I believe our best course of action for now is still keeping you locked up."

What?! He isn't serious, is he?

As a matter of fact, he was serious. After finishing our conversation, he called a couple of his subordinates that proceeded to escort me to a cell. A cell where I have been for a couple of days now, the light from the window and the dishes being served to me the only proof of time passing.

Truly wonderful. I told the inspector the truth and I ended up in jail all the same. I sure hope this world has lawyers, because I'm going to need a really good one.

At least there's the bright spot that staying in this cell is not as bad as I worried. The 'bed' in it isn't comfy but at least it's not as awful as I always thought its counterparts in my world are. And the food is also decent. Nothing too fancy, just a soup - berry soup they called it - but at least it tasted decently. Guess a world filled with people that are either goody-two-shoes or part of evil teams treats its convicts better than mine ever did.

Still, the decencies don't help with how boring my stay here is. With my phone being kept by the police, I have very little to pass the time besides rummaging in my thoughts.

When I told the inspector I was from another world where this is fiction, he did not dismiss that claim as insanity. Not only that, he also called me 'Faller' and said it had something to do with Hoenn.

But what does that mean? I don't remember that term ever being used in those games, be they the originals or the remakes with its alternate realities mumbo jumbo. And even if I am this 'Faller', what does it actually mean for me? Is it good or bad news?

Of course, I don't have the answers to those questions, but pondering about implications is the best I can do while sitting on my ass waiting for things to happen.

Wonder what happened to that Maractus. I haven't seen the little guy since they separated us. I didn't put him into a pokéball, so he technically isn't mine and should be considered innocent of whatever mess I'm in. But what then for him? We've moved quite a way from his home. Not a distance too great for a person with good legs, but for a plant barely a meter tall that has to hop to move?

God, the little guy must be regretting his decision to follow me right now.

"Ra?"

I look at the bars upon hearing that and, to my shock, he is there, smiling at me.

"What…?"

"Ra!" He waves at me.

"Hi to you too, little guy," is all I can reply with. "But where have you been until now? And how did you find me?"

"Well," the voice of the inspector comes from outside the cell, before the jackass actually walks into view. "First of all, I think you should say 'little lady' instead of 'little guy'."

What?! "What do you mean?"

"This Maractus is a female specimen. I'm honestly not surprised you came to the conclusion she was actually male, though. It's not so easy to tell their gender at a first glance."

...fuck me sideways.

"Second of all, now that we were finally able to determine that she's an unregistered Pokemon," he walks to the cell's lock, opens it, and let's the Maractus hope inside. "I believe she's better off staying with you."

"Ra!" the little guy- gal exclaims as she hops to my side, still smiling all the while.

"I'm surprised by the generosity," I comment as that happens. "Or do you guys normally leave prisoners with their Pokémon?" If they do, that seems like an easy way to have frequent jailbreaks.

"Normally no, for reasons I hope are obvious." Yeah, that's what I thought. "However, your circumstances are different. You are not here as an actual convict, we are merely keeping you until the expert from the International Police arrives."

"Expert?" I ask. "What kind of expert?"

"The International Police has a section dedicated to Fallers," he replies stoically. "For your case, they are sending one of their researchers to aid you acclimatize to our world."

A fresh wave of worry comes over me at that last part. "Acclimatize? Not return to my world?"

"You'll have to discuss that detail with her," he sighs. "If it's any consolation, she should be here by tomorrow." He gives a small nod with his head. "That is all. Good day." He walks away after that.

Okay, so he said I'd have to discuss that detail. Meaning he doesn't know for sure I'm stuck in this world forever. That means there is a way back, right?

Right?

"Ra!"

I snap out of my thoughts at the Maractus prod. She is still smiling at me and has her arms raised in a hug-like fashion.

"Well, I assume you've heard by now what my situation is," I tell her. "I'm from a different world from this one. And from the sound of things, there's going to be some craziness with me. You sure you want to stick around?"

She nods to my question.

"Alright," I sigh. "Guess I've gotta give you a name to call you by. No reason to risk getting you mixed up with other Maractuses, right?"

"Ra."

I'll take that as an 'indeed'.

Now let's see. A plant, female, short, likes being cheery…

"What about 'Annette'?"

Her eyes are clearly incapable of widening. But the way her smile broadens almost makes it seem like they do. "Ra!"

"Argh!"

Before I know it, she jumps up to my arm and starts hugging it. She and I definitely need to have a talk about this kind of behavior.

True to the inspector's words, they summon me back to the interrogation room. At least this time I've got Annette accompanying me.

Upon entering the room, I quickly see the supposed researcher, a woman around my age wearing a pink trench coat, black pants and pink boots matching the trenchcoat. There is also a white fedora resting on her side of the table.

Her middle-length dark blue hair is left flowing on her shoulders, and her blue almond-shaped eyes give off an aura of excitement as they look around.

Strangely she also feels familiar.

"Oh hey!" she exclaims and immediately jumps off her seat. "You must be Eugenio Beccaria! I'm so glad to meet you!" To my surprise, she then takes a bow in front of me. "I'm Dawn Hikari, of the National Police's Faller Unit."

…Dawn? As in the female protagonist from the Sinnoh games? She is the National Police's researcher?

"Are you alright?" she asks me. "You lost color all of a sudden."

"...what's the Sinnoh Champion doing here?" At least, I'm assuming that's her and not Lucas.

Although her wincing seems to suggest that she is. "W-what? How do you know about that already?"

"I assume you've been informed beforehand about the fact this world was already known to me?" She nods. "That's one of the things I know because of that."

To my surprise, my explanation makes her recover from her surprise right away. "Ooooh, I see." She then gives me an embarrassed smile while rubbing the side of her head. "Sorry to tell you, but it's former Champion. I quit that position a few years ago."

Wait, what?

"Anyway, why don't you take a seat?" She gestures to the chair opposite to her own. "It'll be more comfortable for you and-" she stops mid-sentence and her eyes start gleaming as soon as she lays eyes on Annette. "Oh my gosh! This is a Maractus?!" She kneels to her level. "I had yet to see one! Oh, she's so adorable!"

"Ra!" Annette waves at her.

Ooookay...don't we have business first, though?

I clear my throat. "Excuse me?"

Dawn jumps back to her feet. "Oh, right, right, sorry!" She clears her throat and then we both sit down, Annette hopping to my side in the process. Dawn pulls out a notebook and a pen before speaking again, "So, let's get started. First of all, how did you traverse from your world to this one?"

I first tell Dawn of how I was going to buy groceries and how I ended up in the desert, while she writes down on the notebook. However, I stop upon seeing her head jerk up with gleaming eyes when I mention Hoopa.

"Oh my gosh!" she says again. "So Hoopa is also real? Really?"

"Oh yeah," I snort. "That little bastard is very real."

Dawn frowns at that. "Now, now. Pokémon are our friends."

Oh yeah?

"Miss Hikari," I hiss. "That purple fucker took me away from my home and from everything and everyone I know. Someone who does that is no friend of mine."

"I…see," she replies, eyes narrowed. "Please, continue."

The rest of my retelling goes more smoothly. I tell her how I met Annette, how I got to the Resort's exit and how I ended up here.

"I see. Sounds like you had a rather rough introduction to Unova." She purses her lips. "You also mentioned this world being fiction in yours. Can you elaborate?"

"Pokémon is the title of a franchise in my world. It consists of mostly videogames, but it also includes a tv series, a card game, several comics and a few movies. Before this happened, it was approaching its twenty-fifth anniversary."

Dawn's eyes widen. "Twenty-fifth?! That's impressive! Are you saying we are really that beloved in your world?"

"Yes," at least, there's got to be a reason if it's been profitable to this day. I may no longer be as attached to it as I used to be, but I don't speak for everyone on Earth.

Dawn blushes and gives me a closed-eyes smile. "Well, I think I can safely say on behalf of everyone here, we're flattered."

"Ra!" Annette chimes in on the side.

Gee, the two of them are taking being fiction in another world better than I thought possible

Dawn recomposes herself before speaking again. "Well, I think that's all I needed to ask for now." She stretches the angles of her mouth. "You are a curious case. Normally Fallers arrive through Ultra Wormholes. Having a Pokémon take you directly from one world to another is a first."

Ultra Wormholes? Weren't those a thing in Moon? Okay, now I need some explanations.

"Could you please explain all of this to me? What are Fallers? And what do Wormholes have to do with it?"

"Oh, you don't know?" I shake my head. "Well, first of all, Fallers are beings of other worlds that fell into ours. Normally they have to first pass through a place we call 'Ultra Space', which is entered and left through special portals: the Ultra Wormholes." She furrows her brow. "Although from the sound of it, you skipped Ultra Space altogether."

Okay, I guess?

"How common of an occurrence is a Faller and how many know their existence?"

"It's not common, to be honest," she admits. "It used to be something only the International Police knew about until-" She shudders and her complexion slightly pales. "Until an incident a few months ago."

What's gotten into her all of a sudden? "What sort of incident?"

"Nothing, it's not important," she hastily replies before calming down and going back to smiling. "Anyway, any other questions?"

I'm talking to a lady who either saw the world almost torn asunder by Dialga or Palkia or descended into a hellscape where time and space are distorted when she was a kid. What could possibly have her scared so much more than that?

Still, that's her business. Not mine. "Now that you've assessed that I'm a Faller...what's next?"

"Well, the standard procedure is giving you a provisional supervisor to help you get settled in our world." She places a hand on her chest and gives a closed-eyes smile. "Given the circumstances, I'll be your supervisor."

"Whoa, wait a second!" I interrupt her. "'Get settled in'? What if I want to return to my world?"

Her smile immediately falls. "That...may not be possible." What?! "Getting access to Ultra Space is as far as we've come. We still are not able to actually travel to- hey, are you okay?"

My body shakes at the news and my breath quickens. There is no known way back?! I'm stuck here?! No...no that can't be! I can't stay here! I have my parents, my friends, my life-!

"Mara?"

I feel my pants being pulled, and I turn to Annette, who is looking at me with...well, not sad eyes, but her mouth's angles are turned downward.

"Ractus?"

"Sorry, little gal." I force a reassuring smile and make to rub her head before remembering she's a cactus. I instead offer her an open hand. "Didn't mean to make you worried."

Her mouth turns into a smile again before she grabs my hand. I have to grit my teeth not to shout, but I don't let it go.

However, the moment is ruined by Dawn's giggling. "You two are cute together."

That is when Annette and I let our hands go.

Dawn goes back to being business-like when she's done giggling. "Now, as I was saying, we don't know how to reach other worlds. The best we can do for Fallers is helping them get settled into our own as best as we can. Giving them proper documentation, helping them find a place to live, get a job, those sorts of things."

"I...see," is all I can whisper before my gaze falls.

"Don't you worry!" Dawn intervenes. "I'll get you up on your feet again in no time!"

We will see about that.

Okay, that was chapter 1, where we get introduced to another of the main characters for this fic. In case anyone wonders, Dawn here is 24 so it's been a while for her since the events of the Sinnoh game. Not as much as some might think, but we'll get to that in the next chapters. As well as why she's no longer the Sinnoh Champion.

I would like to thank Softandhappy with betareading this chapter and Geolight for helping with the beginning of the chapter. You can find us at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at: 9XG3U7a

See you guys next time!