11/4/23 Update: Changed some things so that the new prologue and this chapter are in sync. Nothing important, so no need to reread it, if you already did.
Chapter 1: Rebirth
I walked through the little forest next to my small town. After a long day of having to deal with customers at the shop, it just relieves me to be alone for a bit.
Nothing to calm myself down like a small walk through the forest.
After a bit more walking, I arrived at the place I called "secret lair": A little clearing in the middle of the forest with a river crossing through the middle.
As always, I sat at the shore, letting the water get to my paws. It's a way to relax, even if it is weird.
Look at me. A Braixen who doesn't mind being wet. Maybe I am weird.
When I come here, I usually use this time to think and plan what I would do the next day, and that's what I thought it would be today too.
After some minutes of just zooming out and thinking about stuff, I noticed something odd with the water from the river. Normally, it's purely crystalline, but now, it seemed to have some sort of red tint to it. It was subtle, but it was there.
That color... That metallic red... IT LOOKS LIKE BLOOD!
I stood up and realized what this actually meant. If there is blood, there must be someone hurt!
I started running as I never did in my life. Knowing that someone was hurt that badly meant that he or she could be in great danger.
After following the river upstream, I saw it. Someone was KO'd near the shore. They were bleeding. I quickly ran towards the unconsciouss stranger and kneeled next to him.
A Lucario. Unconsciouss. That's definitely not what you see everyday. I quickly checked for pulse, and surprisingly -and thankfully- this guy had one!
Doesn't matter if he is too injured to do anything! Please, tell me I have something here... Bingo!
I pulled an oran berry from my bag and put it in the Lucario's mouth. After a bit of trickery, I managed to make him chew it and swallow it.
After a bit of time, he seemed to open his eyes.
"Hello?! Are you there? Wake up!"
"Hello?! Are you there? Wake up!"
Huh?
I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was blurry, but I somehow managed to see someone or something kneeling in front of me.
I'm...alive?
"Ughhh..."
The stranger let out a sigh of relief and picked up her bag.
"You are alive... Thank Arceus. I thought you didn't make it"
Slowly, my eyes managed to focus at the person in front of me. I widened my eyes at the sight, since what was in front of me was not a person, but a Pokémon. A Braixen to be more especific. And to top the weird things, she was talking.
I tried to stand up, but the pain in my whole body made it difficult, if not outright impossible.
"Woah! Did you see a ghost? Why the sudden jolt? You still need to rest for a bit"
A ghost? Not that, but a talking vixen!
"Y-You are talking! But how?"
"What? Did you get hit in the head too hard? Of course I can talk! Like everyone else here!"
"B-But you are a Pokémon! H-How?!"
"So are you! Are you sure you are okay?"
I'm what?
I looked at my body trying my best not to make my everything hurt. That only left me with the option to look at my hands.
Hands.
No more. Those weren't hands anymore. Those looked more like paws rather than anything else. And not any paws.
I've seen these paws before. These are the paws of a Lucario. Does that mean-?
I was almost at the verge of a breakdown. I survived that fall, but what happened to me?
You know what? Whoever is up there could go and express his anger on someone who actually deserved it. Like that stupid girl that apparently tried to kill me.
Kill me.
Why would she want to kill me?
"I-..."
What happened to me? Why can't I remember anythithing?
The voice of that Braixen took me away from my thoughts and snapped me back to the bitter reality.
"You look like you need some rest. Where do you even live?"
"I don't-...I don't know. I don't even know what I am doing here. I barely remember who I am"
"So you are amnesiac? That explains a lot, actually. At least you know who you are. Do you remember how you got here?
"I-"
Flashes of the sunset appeared in my mind. The girl, the attacks, the cliff, the fall...
"Someone pushed me off a cliff for no reason. Seems like I survived, even though I am like this now..." That last part was nothing more than a small whisper.
"YOU WHAT? You got pushed from a cliff?! But why?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure. But it's hard when I'm on the ground, unable to move a muscle"
"At least you survived! Not many people can share that experience!"
"Yeah..."
She tilted her head at that, but didn't say anything.
"That berry should have done its magic by now. Let me help you" she said as she extended her paw towards me.
I grabbed it and somehow managed to stand up. Standing still, however, was a difficult task.
"Great! You seem able to at least stand up. Do you remember anything else?"
I do, but...should I tell her? Is she going to believe that a human survived a fall and turned into a Pokémon? She might think I'm crazy. And even though I don't know her, I at least need her to tell me where to go...
"I... don't. Sorry..."
"Well, you can't expect to remember everything after that fall. Do you at least have somewhere to stay? Money? Friends? After all the criminals that have been appearing lately, I can't go without making sure you will be ok"
"I don't. I have no friends, no money, and nowhere to stay. Do you at least know somewhere I could sleep at?"
She probably expected that answer, but for the face she made, she didn't really like it. She turned away from me and began thinking.
What can I do? She said there were criminals! I can't sleep in the forest! I'm sure that I won't survive an attack knowing that I can't defend myself! What to do? AGHHH! Why did this have to happen to me?!
The Braixen finally turned around. She looked at me, as if eyeing me and sighed.
"Listen, I don't know you, and you don't know me, but you don't seem to be a bad guy. You say you have nowhere to stay? I'll give you a chance. How about I put you up until you manage to remember anything or find somewhere to live?"
She what?!
"You are...asking a complete stranger if he would like to sleep at your home, knowing well the risks that carries?"
She sighed again.
"Please, just answer me before I change my mind"
I know that I won't last here. I can't even stand still! But is sleeping on a stranger's house the only option I have?
I looked at her
Might as well take it.
"Alright, deal. You are willing to let me into your house? I'm willing to take it" I extended my hand (or, well, paw) "Name's Jake, by the way"
She took it and shook it.
"I'm Ember. Nice to meet you, Jake!"
"A fire type called Ember? Original "
"You are the one to talk! What does even 'Jake' mean? That sure is a weird name!"
I giggled a bit.
If only she knew... That reminds me!
"So uh... thanks for saving my life. Probably wouldn't be here without you..." I said rubbing the back of head with my new paw.
"You are welcome! But don't worry about it. It's what most 'mons would have done. Now lets head to the village, shall we?"
I nodded and tried to walk, but fell to the ground after losing my balance.
Being in a new body sure sucks.
Ember looked back at me with a grin across her face.
"Are your wounds too big? Or did you forget how to walk too?"
I could feel my cheeks go red
"Shut up! It's not that!"
"Is it lazyness then?"
"Are you going to help me or not?"
She rolled her eyes and helped me stand up again, but this time, she put one of my arms over her shoulders.
"Don't make this a habit, yeah? You better start remembering how to walk..."
"You see... I'm a bit lazy to do that so..."
We both laughed and started walking through a small path that cut through the shrubbery of the forest.
"What were you doing here anyway?"
She grinned and without looking at me said "This forest is the place I go to relax myself after work"
"Guess today has been different, huh? Go to relax, come back with a stranger on your shoulder"
Her grin grew bigger, but she didn't reply. There was no more conversation for the rest of the trip.
After some time, we arrived at what looked like the outer part of a town, with its small buildings and houses. Each house made with a combination of wood, rocks and other materials. The path we were walking on also turned from dirt to cobblestone.
Woah...Did they do this? It's so amazing! I can't believe this is real. How did they do it?
Ember seemed to notice my interest in the town and commented "You like it, huh? Unfortunately, I can't give you a full tour now. It's starting to become nighttime and I have to work tomorrow"
I was a bit sad, but understood it. If they have homes, why won't they be able to work?
But wait, if they have to work, that means there is money involved. There are a lot of things I should ask Ember. But how am I going to explain the purpose of those basic questions to her? Surely 'I have amnesia' doesn't work for everything.
We passed some more small buildings before we found a medium sized building with a small hanging sign. However, the text in the sign was illegible. No matter how hard I tried, those letters didn't make any sense.
"'New Hope Town department store. All you need in just this building'. Here's where I work. Did you forget how to read too?"
That sudden question made me jump, but I nodded.
"You sure have a strange amnesia. Come on, my house is not too far away"
We continued walking for a bit until we started seeing the small buildings increase in density and number. Surprisingly, there were no other inhabitants on sight.
Maybe the city is just not active at this time.
We stopped in front of one of the houses and we stepped closer to one of them.
"Here it is. Home sweet home. Now, where did I put the key..."
She started rummaging through her bag and eventually found a small wooden key. She took us closer and opened the door.
The inside was rustic. Small wooden furniture and electric spheres hanging from the ceiling. Not a manson, but a house nonetheless.
The spheres on the ceiling were the strangest part. Were those the equivallent of light bulbs here?
"Welcome to my humble home! It's not much, I know, but the salary of a cashier doesn't allow me to buy anything much better"
I looked around the whole house. This whole rustic feeling was kinda nostalgic. It reminded me of the good times I had in the small wooden cabin my dad made for me and my friends when we were young.
"It's...perfect. Thank you again for letting me stay here"
She laughed at my little moment and commented "You are the first one that describes this place as 'perfect'. And don't worry about it. I wouldn't let you stay in the middle of a forest"
She guided me to the small sofa and I sat there. My muscles felt relieved. Who would have thought that surviving a fall from a cliff was going to hurt?
"Wait here, I'll bring you something to eat"
"Not moving on my own, don't worry"
She went to another room which I supposed was the kitchen and brought two apples. She handed them both to me and said "Eat them. You will need energy for tomorrow"
Since she saw I was reluctant to eat them, she assured me "Don't worry about me. I already ate something before going to that forest"
I was still not too sure about eating them all, but my stomach said otherwise. I finally picked the apples and started eating them. Ember sat next to me and waited for me to finish my dinner.
"You know...I may still not be a psychic, but I know that you didn't tell me everything you remember back there"
I almost choked with the last bite of my apple at that. I know I'm no actor, but did I really get busted this easily?
"Now, don't you choke just yet. I'm not asking you to tell me if you don't want to. I'm sure that you are not a bad guy. I just hope that you are not tricking me and then rob me blind"
I looked at her.
So she knows something's up. But will she really believe me? I can't hide it forever. And I need to go back home. I don't know why, but I have the feeling I'm forgetting someone very important!
"I'll bring you something to cover yourself tonight"
She went to another small room which I guessed was her bedroom.
So she doesn't fully trust me yet. It's only natural. After all, I'm just a crazy amnesiac who says that he got pushed off a cliff. Who can tell if I'm lying or not?
Hope I don't mess up with this one.
"Alright, I'm back"
She left the blankets on my side and sat again.
"I forgot to tell you, but I only have one bed, which means that you will have to sleep here"
I weakly nodded and she took notice
"Something wrong?"
"I need to tell you something"
I could feel her face going pale at my words. I could maybe have not put that much enphasis at that sentence.
"It's nothing bad! At least I think so..."
She visibly sighed at my assurance but still didn't relax.
"So I was right. Tell me. You can be honest, I promise I won't say anything to anyone"
Alright. Here goes nothing.
I breathed deeply, mentally preparing myself for whatever consequences could bring this. Worst case? I get kicked out and I sleep on the ground outside.
There may be a worst-er case, but I prefer not to think about it.
"There is a reason I acted like that when you found me, and it's not amnesia. There is a reason I don't know how to read, and again, it's not amnesia. There is a reason I can't walk, and, guess what? Not amnesia. There is another reason. But please, promise me that you won't freak out"
She nodded.
Here it goes.
"I'm not a Pokémon. I never was. I am a human. I somehow turned into one after getting pushed from that cliff"
Silence. For what fell like minutes, no one said anything. Until Ember bursted out with laughter
"You are so funny! You really got me there! 'Human', he says! So funny. Now tell me, what's the real thing you wanted to say"
I frowned. Slowly, her laughter died out and looked weirdly at me
"Why aren't you laughing?"
I just stood still. With all the might I could muster, and for the first time in my life, I used a serious tone.
"Because I'm not joking"
Her face immediately went pale again. A mixture of dread and disbelief present in it.
"S-So the reason why you can't read..."
"Those letters are new to me"
"A-And you can't walk properly because..."
"I'm not a Lucario"
She leaned back on the sofa and put a hand (paw) on her forehead. She looked a bit close to fainting.
"B-But it can't be! Humans don't exist! They are legends! And you are one of them? Of those war-bringers?! But you don't seem a bad guy! It can't be..."
I sighed.
I should have kept my mouth shut. I blew it.
"I'll just go"
But before I could stand up, a seemingly very confused Braixen stopped me.
"Don't. You dare. Move"
Ember was sitting still. She seemed... angry? Probably not. It was hard to tell. But I sure didn't want to anger the one that saved my life.
"How can I believe it? How do I know that you don't just have a gigantic imagination and you are making this up?"
She wants proof. But how?
Maybe something only humans know.
"What is something only a human can know?"
She raised a brow
"I don't know! There is no way to prove anything to you if I have nothing on me! Not even a single Poké-Ball! "
"What? Say again?"
"That I have nothing on me?"
"No, the thing after that!"
"That I don't even have a single Poké-Ball on me?"
Ember wasn't so happy to have heard that.
"You-... You really are a human!"
"I told you! What's the big deal anyway? Have you not seen a human before?"
"NO! Humans are supposed to be a legend! And sorry to break it to you, but not good ones! Humans are supposed to be heartless monsters that try to enslave any Pokémon they come across!"
Enslave?! Damn, I know that throwing a ball at a Pokémon is a bit rude, but not all humans are trainers!
"Enslave?! I think you are a bit off track there. Plus, not all humans catch Pokémon or 'bring wars' as you said before. Some of them are nice people"
She looked at me. A piercing glare searching for any sign of double meanings, trickery or that sort of things in my face. But even if she were a psychic, she wouldn't be able to find them.
Finally, she gave up and leaned back
"And I was one of those 'mons that didn't believe in legends..."
More silence.
After a while, Ember decided to speak again.
"Listen up, Jake. Don't, and I repeat again, do not tell anyone what you just said. Understood?"
"What?! Is it that bad to be a human here?"
She didn't answer that.
"You are lucky that I was the one to found you. Those legends about 'heartless humans' are believed by a lot of Pokémon out there. And most of them, are not exctly open-minded. If they found out, some of them wouldn't have hesitated to kill you'"
WHAT?! KILL ME?! Just because of legends? Well, not like humans haven't done terrible things because of their own beliefs...
I was a bit scared, and Ember seemed to catch that. She closed her eyes thoughtfully and look up, as if contemplating if she should said what she was going to say next.
Finally, she sighed and looked at me, with an expression of, not worry, but assurance.
"Luckily for you, Jake, you stumbled yourself upon one of those 'mons who decide whether someone is bad or not, not from legends, but from experience. And I don't take back what I said about you. You are a good guy. And you being a human won't change my mind"
I sighed with relief and untensed my muscles. I didn't even know I was doing that.
"Thanks? You are a good Pokémon too. You saved my life. Twice if we count your warning just now"
I grinned and asked
"Does that mean you won't kick me out?"
She shook her head.
"Thank you, Ember. I can't thank you enough. Not just for giving me a place to sleep, but for understanding what happened too. I'm glad I got to meet you"
"Same, Jake. Now I know why your name is so weird"
She yawned and looked through the window.
"Alright, human, it's time to sleep. I have to work tomorrow and finding you can't and won't change that! Don't worry, I'll find a way for you to pass the time"
She stood up and walked towards the bedroom. Before closing the door, she flipped a switch and the orb above me turned off.
"If you need me, I'll be here, ok?"
I nodded and laid down on the sofa.
"Goodnight Ember"
"Goodnight Jake"
She closed the door and left me alone in the room. I grabbed the blankets and covered myself. Who would have thought I would need blankets with all this fur?
I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. I didn't want to think about anything, but what Ember said still resonated in my head.
"If they found out, they wouldn't have hesitated to kill you"
Kill me.
After what happened today, that pair of words is not that scary anymore.
And with that, I fell asleep.
END OF CHAPTER 1
