I didn't want to kill him. Really, I didn't. I didn't want… any of this to happen. I did something unspeakable, and now all I have are questions. Questions I don't even know if there are answers for.

I should back up, try to think through just what happened.

I remember waking up in an alleyway in a town I didn't recognize. I didn't remember how I got there… actually, I didn't remember anything. My mind was completely blank from any kind of memory from before I woke up! Needless to say, I was confused, as well as concerned.

I took a look at myself after doing my best to calm down. I saw a small, quadrupedal animal with silver fur and a mane of fluff around my neck, along with an equally fluffy tail.

I was an Eevee. A shiny one, at that.

As I looked at myself I couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong, but I couldn't place what. It was just a feeling I had, but without any memories to back it up, it was just that. A feeling, and nothing else.

I looked out of the alleyway I woke up in and saw figures of various shapes moving past. Maybe someone knew what was wrong. I went towards the alley's entrance and stepped out of it, and what I saw… was breathtaking.

It was a beautiful seaside town, with a port, some stores, and quite a few homes… it was rustic, but at the same time it felt rather homely. The gentle smell of salt hung in the air as a cool fall wind blew past, combining with the sun's heat to make an incredible feeling.

But as I was taking in the sights and feelings of the place, I heard a yell from my left side.

"Hey, hey, hey! Out of the way!"

I looked to the side and saw a Mudsdale walking towards me at a trotting pace, and from the looks of things, he wouldn't be able to stop before he ran me over. I scrambled out of the way before his hooves could crush me and he skidded to a stop before sneering at me.

"What are you doing, just standing in the middle of the sidewalk like that?! You're lucky I even saw you with how small you are!"

I couldn't help but wince a bit at the sudden yelling. But it's not like I couldn't understand.

"S-Sorry, sir. I… I think I'm lost. Where are we? I don't recognize this place."

The Mudsdale raised an eyebrow, dragging his hooves on the floor a bit.

"What, are you a tourist? I guess you were gawking at the sights, huh? Not that I blame you. Windsea is a beautiful place."

I tilted my head at the name.

"…Windsea?"

"Yeah, that's where we are. You didn't know that? You must really be lost. Well, if you need to get your bearings there's a hotel over around the corner. Stay safe. Oh, and nice tattoo by the way."

"Thanks, and… wait, what do you mean tattoo?"

He seemed a bit confused at something that seemed so obvious.

"That thing on your face. I've never seen anything like it. It's cool, though."

The Mudsdale looked at a nearby clock tower and his eyes widened.

"Half-past already?! Oh, I'm gonna be late!"

The donkey Pokémon cantered off without another word, and I was left there to wonder. What did he mean by that? I looked over to a nearby window before stepping closer… and I could definitely see what looked like a tattoo on my left cheek, right under my eye. It looked like some kind of crown mixed with a tidal wave, and under that was what looked to be a mouth filled with sharp teeth, balancing on… maybe a handle? It was weird to see it. I reached up to touch it, to make sure it wasn't just something someone drew on my face, but it stayed.

"…More questions for the pile."

I sighed and turned away from the window, making my way down the sidewalk to see what I could find. Some houses, a couple of restaurants, nothing too extravagant. I could tell, however, I was starting to get hungry. I didn't remember the last time I ate, but that was par for the course at this point. I didn't have any money, though.

I continued to walk around for a while, just exploring the town. But the more I walked, the hungrier I became. My stomach started cramping as the sun started to go down, making me feel like I was about to be sick with every step. I breathed heavily and looked down another alleyway, spying a dumpster.

"…Better than nothing…"

I slowly walked my way over to the alleyway, making sure no one was watching before digging around in the trash. Not only was it embarrassing to do so, but it turned out to also be fruitless, both figuratively and literally. There was nothing at all to eat. I was about to get out and try going somewhere else before I starved, but-

"HEY!"

"Wah!"

I yelped and fell out of the dumpster, rolling a bit when I hit the ground. I looked up at the person who yelled at me to see a humanoid figure with lanky arms, a large head with a red mohawk, and what looked to be… saggy pants?

The Scrafty stepped forward towards me, the streetlights behind him turning on as it got just dark enough, giving him a menacing backlight.

"I dunno who you are, but we don't have enough room in this town for street rats. We already have enough Pokémon trying to make a living here, so beat it!"

"I-I… uh…"

I backed up. This situation was terrifying to me! As much as I wanted to run and get out of his way, I just… couldn't. All I could do was slowly back away from him.

"Oh, great, you're a wimp. Dunno how you even survived this long like that. Eh, no skin off my back. Speaking of which…"

He followed after me slowly.

"I didn't notice until now, but you've got a nice coat… I don't think anyone would mind me making a quick deal with it…"

My eyes widened. My breathing quickened. Now I was even more terrified. This Scrafty… he was going to kill me and take my skin!

"Don't worry… th-s —'t hu-t a —…"

My head started pounding as my stomachache reached a peak. I couldn't focus on anything, even my soon-to-be murderer. I had to eat something… anything! I opened my eyes…

And found something to eat.

What happened next was a blur. I felt things… instincts I swear I never had. As if every part of my body was screaming at me. Eventually I got a hold of myself… and when I looked around to see what happened…

I saw the half-eaten corpse of a Scrafty at my feet.

I jumped back and yelped, putting a paw over my mouth as my breathing went erratic. The taste of iron was fresh in my mouth…

Wait, what?

I pulled my paw away from my mouth to look at it. It was colored a deep red. My eyes widened as my mind reached a conclusion.

"…O-Oh… my god…"

I felt like I was going to be sick again. I couldn't understand any of what was happening. I had so many questions without answers, and nothing seemed to help. But above all was one question.

"W…What's h-happening to me…?"