Here's the third chapter, and boy, did I have fun writing it and inserting all these references! There were times when I laughed out loud when deciding what to call a certain establishment. I would like to thank everyone for their support of this story.

Anyway, I present to you the third chapter of Otherside!

Well then. That's quite a way to end Orientation, isn't it?

After Professor Oak had finished giving his speech, as well as warned us, albeit in rather vague terms, of the harsh consequences of misbehavior, he told us we were free to go. I tried not to spring up from my chair too abruptly, since doing so might make the professor think I was very eager to leave.

In reality, I was pretty happy to be done with Orientation. While it had told me some things that I needed to know, I was mostly excited to head back to the house and begin my new life.

I tried following the crowd outside of Forza Park, since I realized that I didn't quite remember where I had come from. However, this in itself didn't help much, because everyone was heading in different directions.

Surely I'm not the only one who's lost. I'm sure that I'll find someone who can help me.

After a few minutes of walking through Enil Edam, I came across a street corner containing four establishments: A pizza parlor called Eatsa Pizza, a high-end clothing store, a small library, and an establishment serving frozen yogurt.

I realized then that the sun was stronger than I was used to back at home, since Paradise Island was obviously in the tropics. Of course, it didn't pose any danger to me, but the perceived extra heat made me feel rather uncomfortable.

As I walked inside the frozen yogurt shop, which was labelled as Frozen Assets, I could almost picture my mother being upset at me eating dessert first, that it would spoil my appetite. But now that I was in the next life, what my mother thought no longer retained its relevance.

The inside was air-conditioned, and I saw the Lucario, the one who had helped me find Forza Park earlier, sitting at the counter, enjoying a bowl of frozen yogurt. I could tell he was the same one, because I just could. It's hard to explain, but I'd appeared to gain a sixth sense for this sort of thing.

"Hey, Cyrus," I said, trying to get him to notice me. He didn't seem to, though, and continued digging into his sundae.

The owner of the fro-yo place, a female Glaceon (how on Earth, or anywhere else, could a quadruped scoop the cold stuff into a bowl?), barked at me.

"Please don't harass our customers, sir, or you will be asked to leave!"

I put my long arms in the air, raising them higher than someone being arrested would. "I just recognized someone who helped me earlier. He helped me find Orientation when I was lost." And I'm still lost.

Cyrus the Lucario turned to face me. When he recognized my face, he smiled.

"Oh, it's you. What's your name again?"

I saw no reason to lie to him; he'd told me his name, and done much more than that. "Victor Chelan."

"Ah, I don't think I knew that. Anyway, you're welcome. And please, you should get some fro-yo here, it's really good!"

"I don't have any money, though," I replied. "Remember, I'm new here; you're the one who showed me to Orientation."

"It's no problem," the Glaceon behind the counter said, sounding a lot more friendly than she had before. "If you're new here and don't have any dough to cough up, it's on the house. Get whatever you wish."

I went over to the counter and saw that there was a greater variety of flavors than I'd ever seen at an ice cream parlor. However, I went right for the ones I'd preferred in my previous life.

Once my sundae had been created, I went to sit across from Cyrus, digging into my vanilla-and-mango frozen yogurt creation that had kiwi, strawberries, and breakfast cereal on it. It was some of the best frozen yogurt I'd ever had.

We didn't make much small talk as we ate; really, what was there to talk about? I suppose I could have asked him any number of questions about life in paradise, but I didn't want to sound like I was intruding on his privacy.

Eventually, when Cyrus was almost done with his sundae (he was an even faster eater than me, and that was saying something), he spoke up with an offer I'd have a hard time refusing.

"So Victor, there's something I'd like you to know" he began.

My eyes opened widely. Given that he'd been nearly silent while eating, I was taken aback by this statement. Surely he would have told me earlier if it was so important.

"What is that?" I asked, taking another bite of kiwi, strawberries, and mango fro-yo.

"There's a Machamp here on Paradise Island who throws parties at his manor for newcomers, although he also invites some of his friends. His name is Maximus Waters."

A manor? My new home here was pretty large, it was true, but nothing that would qualify as a manor. Presumably, Maximus Waters must have been really good on Earth.

"Why are you telling me this?" I replied, thinking that I probably already knew the answer. I asked the question anyway, just to make sure.

Cyrus smiled. "I was wondering if you wanted to attend the one tomorrow night. To Maximus, his parties are like massive rock concerts; the more, the merrier. They're also going to have a band playing, Billy Talonflame!"

During my first life, I hadn't been invited to very many social events, let alone those large enough to be considered parties. For the most part, I preferred to stay at home watching Netflix or YouTube while eating barbecue chips; the point is, I wasn't exactly a social butterfly.

Was social anxiety a reason for that? Perhaps, but I'd say that social stamina was the bigger problem. I found interacting with others face-to-face not only emotionally exhausting, but physically so as well. And, the longer I tired myself by talking with others, the more likely I was to make an embarrassing comment or other mistake.

Then again, what's the worst thing that can happen to me if I go? I was fortunate enough to be given a second chance at life. And as they say, life is for living.

"So tell me more about Maximus," I said to Cyrus. "Who is this Machamp?"

The Lucario smiled at me. "He's one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. Even though he resides in the manor, he otherwise lives modestly, and saved up much of his weekly stipend goes towards planning these parties. He goes all-out with them."

I was tempted to say no. I really was. But the more I thought about it, the less reason I had to turn it down. Sure, it would be a bit unnerving for someone like me, but sometimes it's worth the risk even if you're somewhat nervous.

And what risk is there? I already faced death, this is next to nothing by comparison.

"I'll go," I told Cyrus. "Just tell me where Maximus lives, so I can find the mansion when it's time."

"Sounds good," the Lucario replied. "Well, I see you don't have a map with you. That's a bit of a problem, since this means I can't write down a list of directions."

I realized Cyrus was right; I hadn't brought the map Lauren had given me on this outing. I hadn't expected to need it, and this had resulted in me getting lost on the way to Orientation.

"The good news," Cyrus continued, "is that Maximus Waters' profile on Pillowtalk states his neighborhood, and it should be on your map. You'll know the house when you see it, not that it should be called a house."

"So this place must be pretty big."

"Oh, it is huge, definitely a legitimate mansion. I'm not going to spoil it for you; like I said, you'll be able to find it easily. Not only is it the biggest house in the neighborhood, but it'll have a lot of people and Pokemon lined up outside."

My frozen yogurt was still half-finished, so I set back to eating it as Cyrus stood up from the counter.

"I have to head out now," he told me. "But if you ever need anything, you'll find my phone number on Pillowtalk. I can't wait to see you at the party!"

With that, the Lucario left the frozen yogurt parlor, leaving me alone with just the Glaceon for company.

Speaking of said Glaceon, she turned toward me and said, "Congratulations, young man. I see you're getting rather popular with the neighbors."

"Have you ever been to one of the parties?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Just once; that was the one right after I came here. Haven't been to any since. I can't go to the one tomorrow night, though."

"Why not?"

The Glaceon laughed. "I didn't break any rules, if that's what you're asking, although I would be by attending that party. Working at Frozen Assets is my chore for the week, and chores don't vanish just because there's something you'd rather be doing."

"Fair enough," I replied. "Well, thank you for the frozen yogurt, but I must be going."

Fortunately, Frozen Assets was fairly close to the edge of the city, so it didn't take that long for me to find my way out. After that, it was just a matter of walking the three miles back home.

I still had a hard time thinking of this place as my home. Perhaps, as I grew more accustomed to it and made more friends besides Cyrus, that feeling would come, with time. Speaking of Cyrus…

I can't believe it! On my very first day here, I got invited to a party! And by the sound of it, it's a pretty big one at that!

While I was certainly excited for the event, I was also more nervous than I would have liked to admit. Being a newcomer in a large group that seems relatively tightly knit isn't an easy position to come to terms with. Then again, everyone had to go through this at some point.

And I don't HAVE to go to the party. I GET to go to the party. There's a big difference.

The sun had sunk low enough to turn the sky orange by the time I reached 1109 Palm Drive. I realized that since Paradise Island was in the tropics, there would be less difference between the seasons, and this included day length. It couldn't be that far past six in the evening, given that Orientation hadn't been very long at all.

In any case, once I was on the porch, I knocked in order to be polite. I didn't want to simply barge in there without permission. But then, was there really a need to ask for permission? I lived here now.

Amanda came to the door a few seconds later. While most of the Pokemon I had noticed weren't wearing clothes (since their fur covered anything that would be considered indecent, acting as clothing of its own), my soulmate was not among that group.

She was dressed in an apron that had a few patches that looked like broth stains on it. In addition, the smell of said apron was reminiscent of times I'd been sick as a kid and my mother had made me soup.

"Good evening, Victor," Amanda told me in a rather formal manner. "How was your Orientation?"

"It went pretty well" I replied, not thinking of any other way to describe it. I considered telling her about the party I'd been invited to, but decided not to, since she seemed to want to move on to a different topic.

"I'm glad to hear it," the Braixen said, sounding as though she were just going through the motions. Leading me into the wooden, slightly fancy kitchen, she pointed at a pot of something steaming on the stove.

"What's that?" I asked her. "Our dinner, I assume?"

Amanda nodded. "I made kielbasa and sauerkraut soup for dinner. It's one of my favorite dishes, and I think it'll be one of yours too."

I didn't have the heart to mention that, thanks to my earlier frozen yogurt sundae, I wasn't particularly hungry anymore. Even so, the soup smelled pretty damn good.

"Let's eat, then, once it cools off."

"It seems to have cooled down considerably" my soulmate told me. "It's been sitting out for a few minutes; I was waiting for you to come back."

"Sorry about that. I got lost; still trying to find my way around Enil Edam."

"Understandable. It's not an easy city to navigate for first-timers. Anyway," she continued, setting two bowls of soup on the table, with coasters beneath them, "eat up."

I took a few sips of the soup, and realized that it was almost as good as the cookies and frozen yogurt. It was healthy food, too, although nutrition was no longer as important now that I was dead. Still, knowing that it was good for you made it taste even better.

"This is really awesome" I told Amanda. Trying to be more articulate so as not to sound like a robot, I continued with, "I never thought soup could be this delectable, but somehow, you made it work."

Amanda shrugged. "I've gotten a lot of practice. Soup's really not that hard to master if you commit yourself to it."

The food might have been positively scrumptious, but that didn't mean that the other aspects of the meal were pleasant. I wish I could tell you that I was unafraid to talk to Amanda about anything, but I still had some reservations about it.

And then I reminded myself that I had two things to say to her, two very important things. One was a question, the other an announcement.

It's a conversation I need to have soon, and it's only going to be harder to initiate the longer I wait. So what am I waiting for?

"Amanda, there's something I have to tell you" I said as I was finishing up my first bowl of soup and standing up to get another one.

"Yes?" the Braixen replied, still only halfway through her own bowl.

"I know I don't need your permission for this", I continued, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, "but I was invited to a party tomorrow night, and I said yes. That I would go."

To my surprise, Amanda didn't look angry, resentful, or even concerned. I had thought she'd probably be mad that I was going to the party without her, or else that I would be leaving her alone, since, to my knowledge, she had not been invited.

Instead, the Braixen lady smiled warmly, more so than I'd seen her face look all evening. And then she said something I wasn't expecting.

"That sounds awesome, Victor. I wish I could go; is it at the Maximus Mansion?"

"Yes," I replied. "At least, it's where Maximus Waters, the Machamp, lives, according to the Lucario who invited me."

"Cyrus? Yeah, he's a nice guy, always willing to invite the newcomers to Maximus' parties. I hope you have a great time there, Victor; I'm happy for you."

Now that I had Amanda's blessing to attend the party, I couldn't think of a single reason why I should be nervous. Okay, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I certainly felt a lot better about it.

Once we were both done with dinner, and all of the dishes had been put away, I decided to head back up to my room. I'd had enough excitement for one day, so I decided to retire early and get some rest.

Even though I'd been sleeping for an indeterminate amount of time prior to getting here (but then again, did time even work the same way on Paradise Island?), I still felt rather tired as I entered my bedroom, too lazy to do so much as brush my teeth.

I did, however, put on my plaid flannel pajama pants once I had closed the door. Unlike most twenty-year-old males, I tended to dress modestly for sleep, choosing pajamas rather than boxers or my birthday suit. I didn't put on a shirt during the summer, and, since it was practically eternal summer here, I went shirtless that night.

Once I was under the covers, though, I found it hard to sleep. My eyes just wouldn't stay shut for as long as I wanted them to, and it wasn't quite dark enough outside.

You know what usually helps when you're too tired to fall asleep? Reading a book.

In addition to the dresser, my bedroom held a small bookshelf with an assortment of volumes on it. Getting out of bed, I looked through the list of titles before I found one that looked interesting: Reckless Paradise.

The book was a real page-turner, and I soon found myself engrossed in it. Reading by a small light clipped to the headboard, I found myself back in the human world, in a small American suburb known as Wildebush.

Wildebush doesn't sound too different from where I grew up. And look, this book has Pokemon in it too!

So far as I could tell, the novel involved a world where Pokemon had been presumed to be fictional before an unprecedented event had resulted in 30% of the human population turning into those creatures. Not unlike the world I had lived in before.

I almost wished I could go back through the metaphorical door, between the metaphorical countries of Life and Death, and warn the citizens of Earth that Pokemon were in fact real. Of course, the story was a work of fiction, but I felt bad for the characters nonetheless.

As I made it through the fifth chapter, my eyelids were getting heavy once more, so I put down the book, turned out the reading light, and tried to get to sleep.

It didn't take very long to drift off this time, but I found myself in a nightmare almost as soon as I'd closed my eyes. I suppose it's important to be careful what you wish for.

The first thing I became aware of upon entering this dream world was the intense stench of sulfur. It smelled like a cross between a natural hot spring and a public toilet on a hot summer day.

Well, if you want me to be more specific, I suppose I could describe more of the gory details, but trust me: Unless you want to lose your lunch, they aren't worth knowing.

Where am I?, I wondered, hearing what sounded like rocks crumbling above me. I instinctively ducked, although doing so underneath falling rocks would be about as helpful as ducking underneath a desk during a nuclear attack.

I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't; they were caked shut with what felt like sand or dust.

That's not good! I need to see in order to know where I am and what I need to do!

Taking a risk, I decided to rub my eyes to get rid of the sand. While some may have gotten into my eyes, I was fairly confident in my ability to blink the sand grains out of said eyes. In any case, I had other things to worry about.

Managing to see again, I was able to perceive that I was on the edge of a slope in a dark cavern. The ceiling was too high to make out, but it was hot as hell, and there was a vague shimmering effect on the landscape.

I wiped some sweat from my brow and looked around at the slope. It seemed to be made of rock the color of peanut butter, with a fine layer of sand covering everything. The slope was relatively gradual, but as soon as I saw where it led, I felt panic well up inside of me.

At the end of the incline, there was a circular pit about thirty yards wide. From this vantage point, I couldn't see the bottom, nor did I notice anything other than darkness in the hole.

Why would I expect anything other than darkness? That's a better question.

In any case, the smell was overpowering, and I found myself holding my nose in order to try and block it out. This didn't work, however, and there came a gust of wind from behind me.

My eyes were now watering, but not from the sand that had been in them, but from the sheer stench of the wind. While it's hard to quantify how awful something smells, this wind was far more intense than the rest of the air here.

"Ah, yes, Victor Chelan" came a disembodied voice. "Welcome to the Pit of Panda."

In between wheezes, I was able to choke out, "Pit of Panda? Why is it called that? Lots of bamboo in there? Would that explain the smell, though?"

It was four questions in a row, but I didn't exactly care about being polite.

I could imagine the voice's bearer narrowing their eyes, but, as stated above, I couldn't see any face.

"There's no reason; do you dare to question me? It doesn't matter why the Pit is called that, it just is! And you're going to end up here if you misbehave."

Almost immediately, ropes were conjured out of thin air, which tightened themselves around my ankles. I was facing the Pit of Panda still, and I tried to scoot away from the giant hole.

"The harder you struggle against the ropes," the voice announced, sounding gleeful in an evil way, "the more you resist, the more they will drag you down into the abyss. You do not want that, do you?"

I realized that even if I tried to move backwards, the ropes would still pull me forwards. It was not unlike quicksand is portrayed in the movies, where trying too hard to escape results in you sinking in deeper.

It was then that I knew with absolute certainty: The ropes around my ankles were tied down somewhere deep in the Pit of Panda. They could be ten feet down or ten thousand feet down, but either way, if I wasn't careful, I'd end up bungee jumping into the abyss.

And then I remembered that this was all a dream, that even if I ended up doing something that would kill me in real life, I should be fine here. Even if it scarred me mentally, it wouldn't scar me physically.

The voice's bearer, however, seemed to read my mind.

"Have you ever heard of dying in a dream, Victor? It is possible, at the hands of the Abyss!"

He's bluffing. He has to be. Besides, I'm already dead, so what leverage does he have over me? None!

Perhaps if I sat down and tried to slowly get out of this cavern, I'd be able to escape. Even if this whole scene was a figment of my imagination, I still didn't want to see the inside of the Pit of Panda.

Maybe I can try to cut away the ropes...but I don't have a knife. Even then, these ropes are too strong for that.

I tried to wriggle my way out of my binds, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. It seemed that no matter what I attempted, the ropes would just get tighter and tighter around my ankles, pulling me closer and closer to the edge.

"You might have earned your way into paradise," the voice announced, "but that does not mean you will stay there!"

Within seconds, I was lying on my back on the edge of the abyss. My feet were dangling over the edge, and the stench was worse than ever. It seemed to be coming right from the Pit of Panda.

Panic welled up inside of me as I tried one last time to escape. However, as I did so, there was another gust of the rancid wind that swept my legs deeper into the hole, until I was only holding on by my fingertips.

I grimaced. It hurt to hold on, but I knew that it would only hurt much worse when I ended up at the bottom of the pit. What awaited there, I had no idea, other than the absolute certainty that I didn't want to find myself in the "bad place", as it were.

Once another gust of wind came by, followed by the sound of maniacal laughter, my grip loosened, and I fell into the Pit of Panda, screaming the whole way, until…

...I woke up in my bed, still screaming as though I were being tortured.

Catching my breath after a while, I was able to calm myself down. It had only been a nightmare. A very vivid nightmare, perhaps, but still just a creation of my brain. It hadn't been real.

Nightmares aren't supposed to happen in paradise. Isn't it supposed to be perfect here?

I had no desire to think philosophically at that moment. All I really wanted was some peace and quiet from the mental turmoil that nightmare had induced in me.

According to the digital clock right next to my bed, it was about four in the morning. This was borne out by the color of the sky, too; it was still dark outside, and I couldn't see any of the neighbors' homes.

As I mentally chastised myself for having gone to bed so early, I took a deep breath and rose out of bed. Waking up at 4 AM was no fun, but I would have to play with the cards I was dealt, to put it one way.

I put on my pajama shirt even though I didn't feel cold. If I saw Amanda in the house, on the off chance she was awake too, I wanted to show more modesty than I would by going shirtless.

So I made my way downstairs into the kitchen. It was far too early for breakfast, but I found a packet of cocoa powder that I could use to make hot chocolate. That sounded really good right about now.

Perhaps I could summon Lauren with the button, and she'd show me how to make the hot cocoa. But I don't want to wake Amanda up; besides, I'm sure there are some instructions on how much to mix with milk.

Unfortunately, there was no milk in the fridge, so I turned on the hot water and filled a mug with it. Then, I mixed cocoa powder in until it looked drinkable.

I went to the porch in order to drink my hot chocolate outside. Although it was nearly pitch-black out there, I could still make out some blades of grass, as well as tell that there was a gentle breeze.

Even though I didn't have milk, the hot cocoa was still out of this world. Perhaps it was specially modified to be amazing; why wouldn't it be? In any case, I found myself gulping, despite the fact that this drink is usually meant to be enjoyed slowly.

Just as soon as I'd finished the mug, I heard the door behind me open. My heart began pounding as I remembered my nightmare; what if it was the disembodied voice from my nightmare, made real?

Fortunately, it wasn't; it was simply a female Braixen, the one I had begun living with in this home.

"Oh. You're up early, aren't you?"

"I couldn't sleep," I explained, feeling the need to defend myself. "Sometimes it's hard for me to get used to a new bed that I've never slept in before."

Amanda nodded. "Yes, that can happen. I was having the same problem, believe it or not. Sometimes, with the medicine I take, it's hard to stay asleep."

This confused me a great deal. We were both in the afterlife, in paradise. Why would Amanda, or anyone else for that matter, have to take medication?

I was about to voice this question to the Braixen, but she raised one of her paws. "Really, Victor, it's not a big deal. I got used to it eventually; it's just one of the side effects, and side effects are next to nothing compared to what the medication protects against."

"Really?" I asked. "Are you sure you're not…".

I didn't know how I was going to finish that question, but Amanda looked rather guilty, as though she was aware she'd said too much.

She also looked as though she felt violated, and I realized I must have gone a bit too far in terms of asking for personal details. Truth be told, her own medical matters were none of my business, but the fact that she needed to take medicine just didn't make sense to me.

We sat there for a while in silence. We didn't hold hands; we were on opposite sides of the couch. However, it also didn't feel awkward in the least.

Eventually, the sky began getting lighter. It could only be an hour or so from sunrise, but I had no desire to go back to sleep. The orange streaks on the horizon were stunning, and I wanted this scene to go on forever.

It CAN go on forever, because I'm going to live forever.

I just wanted to grab this scene by the reins and never let go. I didn't want this moment to end.

But then Amanda broke the silence.

"Hey, Victor? There's something I need to tell you."

Let me just state for the record that kielbasa and sauerkraut soup is absolutely delicious. It's a great dish for cold winter nights, and even a great dish if you live on Paradise Island. Also, the reason I'm listing my own fanfiction as books in the universe of Otherside is because I don't have the permission of other authors to list theirs. I COULD ask for it, but I'm not going to.

If anyone wishes to contact me off this site, you can find me on Discord at Lucas Whitefur#7822. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and I will see you guys next time.