I don't know how this happened. I'd been working an evening shift at the shop because one of my colleagues had called in sick. It was getting towards closing time and my manager had asked me to take a box into the office so he could look at it later. Which was fine. I'd taken things into the office before. Nothing unusual about that.

But as I was leaving the office, everything changed. One second I was fine, the next I felt my entire body lurch violently as I suddenly entered freefall. It felt like missing a step on the stairs, except it was like the entire world had disappeared. I wasn't even able to scream, as the air in my lungs rapidly vacated. Panic started to kick in as my vision started to blur from a mixture of suffocation and the intense light blinding me.

I'm going to die, aren't I?

Suddenly, a massive pain exploded across my face, causing me to yell in agony as I fall backwards onto solid ground. I'm unable to focus properly as a wave of nausea washes over me as the fire in my face throbs again, the pain overwhelming.

"Mate, you alright?" I hear a voice calling out from somewhere, but I can't pinpoint where as the throbbing across my face has causes my eyes to fill with tears. I feel a wetness start to spread across my lips, and as I attempt to wipe it away a firm hand grips my wrist.

"Careful, your nose is bleeding quite badly" a voice next to me says.

I feel someone start to gently push me into a sitting position as something soft covers my nose and mouth, causing me to hiss as another wave of fire spreads across my face.

Doing my best to blink away the tears in my eyes, I finally manage to see a few people standing nearby, watching what was happening to me. I'm also able to see the person holding the tissue to my nose, a girl with what looked like green hair. Standing close behind her was a boy with similarly coloured hair.

But what caught my attention was what was behind him.

"I think I might be concussed" I tell the girl as another wave of nausea washes over me. She looks slightly alarmed at what I say, and I feel her grip tighten momentarily.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Pokémon aren't real."

I can't see how she responds, my head starting to slump as my vision begins to darken. All I hear is the girl saying something to someone before I slip into unconsciousness.

(x)

I slowly wake up, the throbbing across the bridge of my nose rousing me from my sleep. Opening my eyes, I realise I'm lying on a bed in what looks like a hospital room.

I probably slipped on my way out of the office. Banged my head and hallucinated so badly that I was sent to the hospital, to make sure I was ok and there wasn't any lasting damage.

I'm just glad that the doctors didn't change me into a medical gown.

Taking a look around the room, I find a pitcher of water and some glasses. Not realising just how dry my mouth had been until that point, I quickly fill one of the glasses before quickly drinking it.

"Ahh, you're awake" a voice behind me says cheerfully. I choke at the sudden sound, turning to see who had snuck up on me. Standing nearby was a pink haired woman in a nurse's uniform.

And I must still be hallucinating, because standing next to her was a Chansey.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asks me. Glaring at her, I realise that this woman was supposed to be Nurse Joy. Or at least, she was pretending to be her.

"Is this meant to be a joke?"

To her credit she doesn't react to the harshness in my tone. Instead she slowly walks over to me before gently taking my hand, guiding me towards the Chansey lookalike.

"Mr and Miss Grayson told us what you said before you lost consciousness. I assume you don't have any Pokémon where you're from?"

Wow. This woman was really trying to sell the 'Pokémon are real' shtick.

I shake my head at her question as she continues leading me, before gently bringing my palm down onto the creature's head.

I immediately feel the soft and fluffy fur as it pressed against my hand, it's warmth strangely comforting and all too real to be a fake. As my hand sunk slightly further into the short fur, the creature let out a happy cry as I softly petted them.

Oh god, this is real! This Chansey is real!

Which would mean that the woman beside me really was Nurse Joy.

Which would mean that I'm no longer on Earth.

Which means… Fuck…

Will I be able to see my family again?

"Easy there," I hear Nurse Joy's voice, her hand squeezing my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. "You're going to be ok. We're here for you. Panicking won't do you any good."

How could I not panic. My mother was waiting for me to come home. And I just literally dropped off the face of the earth. With no way of letting her know I was ok. No way to see her again.

No way to say goodbye.

For a few minutes I sit on one of the chairs, curling into myself as I do my best not to fall apart. During that time Nurse Joy gently rubbed my shoulder in an attempt to ground me, the Chansey standing nearby whilst holding my hand, doing its best to offer comfort.

Eventually, I take a deep breath and slowly take my hand away from the Pokémon as I try to calm my nerves. Joy was… kind of right. Panicking would do me no good at this point.

The situation wasn't good, but I might be able to figure something out. I mean, this world was meant to be more technologically advanced than mine. And there were a number of people who've done research into dimensions and alternate worlds, so there was a chance I might be able to find my way back.

Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact I don't know how I'm going to survive here.

I feel the hand on my shoulder disappear before Nurse Joy appears in front of me, kneeling slightly to look me in the eyes.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Joy says to me, "But Officer Jenny needs to speak with you. She wanted to confirm that you're a faller before filing the paperwork."

I nod at her before frowning at what she just said. Faller's were the designation given to people who fell through Ultra Wormholes. So how did they know I was one?

"Excuse me, but how did you know I was a faller?"

"Mrs Clarkson owns the florist shop you appeared in front of. She saw the wormhole appear, and when it disappeared you were on the floor. You ended up going face first into Austin's Onix's tail."

So that's what happened. It would explain a lot, considering how much pain I was in. I'm not sure how hard its body is supposed to be but slamming face first into a rock was never a good idea.

"Speaking of which, are you still in any pain?"

"I'm ok" I tell her, although a phantom pain does make my nose ache a little. "My nose still feels a little sore, but apart from that I feel fine."

She nods before signalling something to the Chansey. The Pokémon steps in front of me and raises its small arms so they were pointing at me. From a point in-between the Pokémon's hands, a small pink light forms. It expands slightly before sparkling pink pulses start washing over me.

Almost immediately the soreness in my nose fades away, and a low headache that I hadn't noticed vanishes. After a few more seconds of being bathed in the pink pulses, the Chansey stops.

"Chansey" she declares happily. Smiling back at her, I reach out and pat the Pokémon on the head, resulting in the Pokémon beaming at me.

"Are you better now?" Nurse Joy askes me.

"Yep. No more pain."

"That's good" Joy says, her voice sounding relieved as she walks toward the door. She holds it open, gesturing for me to come with her. Moving quickly, Chansey and I proceed to follow her as she walks us through some corridors.

"Austin was pretty embarrassed when they brought you in. Maya kept yelling at him for leaving his Onix out in the middle of the street. Of course, Officer Jenny won't be charging him with anything as it was an accident, but the boy now knows not to leave his Pokémon in places where people could get hurt."

I tried to listen to her as we were walking, but my attention kept on wondering whenever we passed a room with a viewing window letting me look inside. Several of the rooms were filled with nothing more than medical supplies and apparatus. But in some of the rooms were Pokémon, currently being cared for by other Chansey's. I saw a Hitmonlee with its leg being held up in a cast; a small blue bear whose name I couldn't remember being bundled into a blanket; and even a Pikachu with some wires attached to its cheeks, the electric mouse looking cuter and fluffier in person.

Eventually Nurse Joy stopped at a door, opening it and once again gesturing for me to go through first.

"Thank you" I thank her as I walk into what looks like a break room, a kitchenette lining one wall and a large table in the centre. Sitting at the table was a blue haired woman in a police uniform I recognised from the anime as Officer Jenny. But my attention was quickly drawn to the Growlithe at her feet who had looked up at us the moment we came through the door.

"Oh hello there!" I coo at the Pokémon, bending down to greet them. The Growlithe was immediately up on their feet, a low growl emanating from the back of their throat causing me to flinch back slightly.

"Enough" Jenny says firmly, nudging the Growlithe with her leg. "He just wanted to say hello. Don't be such a grouch."

The Growlithe looks up at her for a moment, before turning back to look me straight in the eyes.

It was weird. I'd grown up with a dog through my teen years, so I was used to them. But this Growlithe… Its eyes were much more intelligent. Like it was trying to talk to me with just a look.

"Is it alright if I pet you?" I ask. The Pokémon stared at me for a few seconds before walking slowly towards me.

"Growl" it barks softly, sitting in front of me. Slowly moving my hand forward, I stroked the fur on its side. It was surprisingly warm, although that would probably be expected from a fire Pokémon.

"Who's a good boy?" I ask, rubbing the Pokémons side even harder. This resulted in a happy bark, with their tail wagging excitedly on the floor. I continued to ruffle the Pokémon's fur for a few seconds before Jenny interrupts me with a polite cough.

"Sorry, I really like dogs" I apologize to her, standing up and taking a seat across from her so she wouldn't have to strain herself looking down.

"Dogs?" she asks perplexed. I feel slightly puzzled at her confusion, before realising dogs might not be a species here.

"Urm… They're canines. I had one growing up."

She hums, looking thoughtful for a moment before taking a notebook from her belt.

"You're able to remember your past? No memory loss?

"I don't think so. Why?"

"According to the International Police, a lot of people who travel unaided through wormholes end up losing their memories" Joy tells me, appearing beside us with two mugs filled with what looked like juice.

"Which is good news for us, as it means we won't need to do a lot of guesswork for your documentation" Jenny tells me before taking a swig of her drink.

"My what?"

"Since you're a faller, Officer Jenny has to fill out some paperwork to make you an official Galar citizen" Joy explains, sitting next to me. That bit of information was interesting though. Galar had only just been announced, the new region having been revealed in a trailer just last week.

"But wait, isn't there a way of sending me home?" I ask as I realise the implication of what she had just told me. Jenny just shakes her head gently.

"Afraid not. International Police probably don't know how to, otherwise I wouldn't need to be doing this. Doesn't mean we won't look into it though."

I start to feel the panic building again, but it starts to quieten when I feel Joy's hand reappear on my shoulder.

"Well, shall I begin?" Jenny asks, tapping the notebook with her pen. Taking a deep breath, I nod, slowly sitting straighter in my chair to answer her questions.

"Name?"

"Samuel Ashworth. But people just call me Sam."

"Age?"

"22?"

The questions continued in this vain for a while. From what I understood from them, it was mainly to understand who I was and how easily it might be for me to integrate into this society. There were some questions about my health, if I had any significant others, if I had any children, what skills I had, questions like that.

They even asked me if my world had creatures like Pokémon, and if I had any experience looking after them.

"Sort of. We have animals, and we've domesticated some of them as pets, but they don't have the abilities or powers Pokémon do."

Jenny scribbled something into her book before looking back up at me.

"Last question. When I spoke with Maya and Austin, they told me you said "Pokémon aren't real before losing consciousness. Additionally, you've shown some knowledge about Pokémon during questioning. Why is this?"

I quickly weigh up my options. I could tell them the truth, that this world was a game in my world. Problem is if they don't believe me I'll look like I'm crazy.

On the other hand, lying to them won't do me any favours. They've also been quite kind to me so far, so lying to them seems like a scummy thing to do.

I decide to take the risk.

"Pokémon is a franchise where I'm from. A video game and tv show. It's been around since I was a kid. It's why I thought this was a prank."

"Because to you, they were fiction" Joy finishes. I feel something tug on my work jacket, Chansey having come over in an attempt to offer me more comfort. It was quite sweet actually, so I pet the Pokémon gently on the head, letting them know that their action wasn't in vain.

"So you have pre-existing knowledge of Pokémon?" Jenny asks to confirm. I nod at the question. She adds something into the book before tucking it away.

"Well, if that's the case, you might not need to be enrolled for education. I'll ask Motostoke Technical College for a Trainer Preparedness Exam" she says as she rises from her seat. "Joy, are there any rooms available here for Mister Ashworth to stay in?"

"Of course. The contest isn't for another week, so the trainers haven't started arriving yet so he'll be on his own for a few days" Joy happily tells Jenny. There was just one problem.

"About that…" I say, my face heating slightly in embarrassment. "I kind of don't have any money."

"Oh don't worry about that," Jenny starts explaining. "The Pokécenter Inn is free only for trainers, but because of your situation we can make an exception for you."

That was… good, I guess. Explained why Ash and whoever he was traveling with always seemed to stay in hotels.

"And if you're worried about money, I could use some extra help around here if you're up for it."

I'm surprised at the offer. It had taken me a while to get my job at the shop, and now I was being offered a job out of the blue, even if it was temporary.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. We even have some spare uniforms for when we do temp hiring, so it'll be fine."

I let out a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't need to worry about shelter for a while.

As I stand to follow Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny out of the room, I feel something press against my leg. The Growlithe had come up to me and was looking up at me with an expectant look in his eyes.

Maybe it won't be so bad here after all.

(x)

What the games and anime missed about the Pokémon Centre was it had three main functions. The first was the obvious medical centre. Whilst this was mainly for Pokémon, humans were also able to receive medical treatment, although they would send the person to the local hospital if the medical staff thought they needed more specialist care.

The second was the inn, which was located above the Centre. It was essentially a hotel, with the usual bunkbeds, tables, and what looked like a decent television hanging on the wall. There was even a small bathroom.

The room was ok. Simple, but enough for me whilst I found my feet.

And finally, the Pokémon Centre acted as a community centre, running events, providing a place for people to hang out, and acting as a hub for the people and Pokémon in the area it was located. There was even a shop and cafe that people were able to get things from.

But despite the curiosity I had about the world I found myself in I spent my first two days inside the Pokémon Centre working at the reception. Nurse Joy had put me there alongside another Chansey to help me acclimatise to this situation.

And despite the constant stream of people coming into the centre, I really enjoyed it.

The people would come to where I was in order to tell me what was wrong with their Pokémon, before handing me the Pokémon in question. I would then input the data into the computer and hand the Pokémon to one of the medical staff so they could treat them. It was an incredible experience, as I managed to see a large variety of Pokémon within a few hours, some of which I'd never seen before.

It also meant that I didn't have to focus on the fact I was alone here.

When I wasn't working or sleeping, I was doing my best to investigate potential ways home. I'd been using one of the computers in the communal area to research Ultra Wormholes, Professor Burnet, the Aether Foundation, and any other potential leads I remembered from the games. What I found out was not hopeful.

Whilst Ultra Wormholes were a publicly recognised phenomenon, there wasn't much information publicly available. The International Police were keeping any information they had on the subject classified, and whilst Gladion was the Acting President of the Aether Foundation, they weren't making any of their research public. The Dimensional Research Lab was also keeping the majority of their findings secret.

Although that might be because of Rainbow Rocket's recent attack on the foundation.

So unless I physically went to Alola, I doubt I'll get any answers.

Great.

"Hey. Hey! You listening?" I blink in confusion, looking up from the clipboard I was examining at to identify who was calling to me. Standing on the opposite side of the desk was a guy with messy green hair.

The guy whose Onix I face-planted into.

Before he can say anything, his body arches backwards as the green haired girl appears next to him and pulls on his hood.

"Don't be rude" she admonishes him, before letting him go. The way he looks at her as soon as he's let go is almost comedic, his eyes doing their best to look sad and hurt at her actions. She however ignores him, her focus on me.

"Sorry about my brother. He tends to act before he speaks" she says, before holding out her hand. "I'm Maya. And my unfortunate brother over there is Austin."

"Hey!" I hear Austin wail from behind his sister.

"Sam" I reply, shaking her hand. She seems a bit intense, but content with the introduction, folding her arms across her chest after we let go.

"So, you ready to go?"

I look at her perplexed. What was she talking about?

"Didn't Nurse Joy tell you?" she asks, starting to look as confused as I was feeling.

"Tell me what?"

"Oh Maya! You're here!" Joy's voice appears behind me. She was just coming through the doors that led to the medical wing, a Chansey plodding alongside her.

"I'm sorry, I was in the middle of a call, so I wasn't able to tell Sam the plan."

Before I can ask what was going on an arm drapes over the back of my neck, pulling me uncomfortably close to Austin. I can literally smell the deodorant he's wearing with how close he is, his beaming face almost cheek to cheek with mine.

"We're here to take you shopping!" he happily declares. Seconds later he is once more dragged away by his sister.

"What my brother means to say is Nurse Joy asked us to show you around town and help you get some new clothes. As a way of apologising for hurting you."

"It's understandable that you're being cautious with this situation. But eventually you'll need to see the rest of the world" Joy tells me, placing an envelope in my hand. "So get some new clothes and some essentials and see what the town is like. Meet some new people."

I want to argue that point. Whilst I liked the idea of living in a world of Pokémon, I had a life of my own. People I wanted to see back home. The idea of just forgetting them, moving on, it made me hesitate.

In the end, I'm not given a choice. The Chansey that I had been working with and the Chansey that had been with Nurse Joy proceed to walk me out of the building. Austin openly grins at the way I'm maneuvered by the Pokémon, and whilst she tries to keep a neutral expression I can see the beginning of a smirk on Maya's face.

The tour of the town goes pretty well. The city I'm in, Motostoke, looks a lot like Bolton, the town my grandparents live. The major differences however was the number of Pokémon that were around and the second elevation of the city. The architecture was similar as well, although there were a lot of cogs and gears built into this city.

Whilst we're making our way down some of the streets Austin points out some alleyways that can be used as shortcuts to get around the city quicker, telling me how he and Maya used to use them in their race home from school. Maya also points out a café she goes to with her friends, grabbing three lollies that were shaped like Pokémon for us as we passed.

I'm not sure what mine was supposed to be, but it looked like a sheep and tasted like sweet lemon. It was delicious.

The shops were thankfully the same as they were back home, and whilst I wasn't sure if it was because the clothes were cheap or if Nurse Joy had been generous with my pay, I was able to get a decent amount of clothing and essentials. Maya even managed to help me pick out a bag to put everything in, the item incredibly not appearing any bigger or heavier when the stuff was put into it.

Eventually I was brought back to the Pokémon Centre. But instead of going into the main building, Austin drags me away from the gathering crowd of trainers and into the connecting park. Letting go of me, he pulls a Pokéball from his pocket.

"Onix, go!"

I watch as the ball arks in the air before light erupted out of it and crashed onto the ground, rippling as it formed into the large Rock Snake Pokémon.

"Hey mate, got someone I want you to meet" Austin loudly says to the Pokémon. The Pokémon starts to lean down towards him, before looking up towards me.

And immediately hiding behind Austin.

"Hard to imagine such a scaredy skitty being the one who hurt you" Maya says as she comes up next to me, watching as her brother does his best to calm the timid Pokémon. "He was really upset when he realised he's hurt you."

I wince slightly at that remark. I know it wasn't my fault or Onix's fault, but a niggling guilt started to build in the back of my mind.

"My dad explained what happened to us. Told us that… you might be feeling a bit lonely."

The moment she tells me that I try say something back to her, but I don't know what. I don't know how.

I feel her take my hand before putting something in my palm. Looking down I see a small piece of paper, something written neatly on it.

"Our address. In case you want to come over, to talk or stuff" Maya tells me.

Ok, that was sweet of her. Willing to put herself out there to help people feel better.

I wonder if that's a common trait in people in this world.

Doing my best to collect myself, I pocket the paper just as Austin returns Onix into their ball after it becomes apparent that the Pokémon is too scared to come over to me.

After that, we end up spending a while just sitting on the ground, talking and watching other people and Pokémon in the park.

I learnt that Maya was wanting to be a teacher like her dad, who was a teacher at a local collage. She was also interested in doing the gym challenge, although her interest in the challenge was mainly to keep her brother out of trouble whilst he was competing as well.

Austin on the other hand was very tactile and excitable, running up to people he knew and being mischievous, constantly trying to make people laugh and feel better. Maya said she thought he was part Impidimp, but I had no idea what she was talking about. All I know is I started laughing when he pretended to beg a Drifloon to take him away, only for the Balloon Pokémon to start lifting him from the ground.

As I listen to the siblings' squabble, I lean back, looking up at the orange sky. It's actually quite relaxing, just sitting here. And for the first time since I got here, I'm starting to feel a bit more at ease.

Which is when I feel something rubbing against my arm.

Turning to look where the pressure was coming from I see a small, brown dog like Pokémon rubbing against the arm I was leaning on. A Rockruff. And it was rubbing against my arm.

Ok, that's adorable.

"Hello there" I coo, reaching over to it with my other hand. The moment I start speaking, Pokémons head snaps up at me. Before I'm able to do anything, it suddenly launches itself at me, causing me to fall on my back. The Pokémon wasn't too heavy, but the sudden collision resulted in me having to fall backwards to prevent any injuries.

"Ruff! Ruff!"

The Rockruff was apparently really happy to see me, rubbing its neck on my cheek whilst letting out happy yips. Austin and Maya stopped their argument at the noise, watching the two of us in curiosity.

"That's weird. I thought you didn't have a Pokémon" Maya says, slowly moving closer to get a better look at the pup. The Rockruff notices her come closer but doesn't move to greet her, instead rubbing itself even harder into me to the point I can feel the stones in its neck ruffle.

"I don't" I tell her, which is why this situation is confusing. I didn't think wild Pokémon would be so comfortable with people, and there were plenty of others in the park that it could have gone to.

So why did it come to me?

"Don't be a thief!"

Maya and I freeze at the electronic voice, before turning to see Austin. In his hand was a Pokéball, the edge pressed against Rockruff's rump. Floating in front of his face was his phone, an angry face plastered on the back of the case.

"Austin. What are you doing?"

The way Maya says that makes alarm bells ring in my head. Austin seems to realise this as well, as I can visibly see him sweating.

"I, err, wanted to catch this little guy. Not for me! For Sam."

He looks between us, waiting for one of us to say or do something. Beside me, I can tell Maya is torn between chastising her brother for his action or leaving him alone due to his reasoning.

"You did do something useful though" I tell him as I stroke the pup, eliciting a happy yip from them. "We now know this little guy belongs to someone. He's probably lost."

"Which means we need to bring them to Nurse Joy" Maya responds with a sigh, looking away from her brother. "She'll know what to do."

The three of us get up and head back into the building, Rockruff cheerfully snuggling into my arms as I carry them with us. We don't manage to make it far into the Centre as a small crowd blocks the way to the reception desk.

Upon reaching the crowd it becomes apparent that it is actually a large group of women surrounding a well-dressed guy. His clothing, well-groomed hair, and haughty demeanour screaming spoiled rich kid.

"Why are you even here? After the awful performance last time, I imagined you wouldn't want to show your face around decent Coordinators" the guy announces condescendingly to a girl standing in front of him.

The moment the guy stops speaking the women around him start to laugh. The annoying, obviously fake laughter making me grind my teeth the moment it starts.

Without thinking I stride over to the group, placing myself between the guy and the girl.

"That's enough" I state as I act as a wall between the guy and the girl behind me. The guy looks down at me as I do this, a look of disdain crossing his face.

"And why should I do that? Do you even know who I am?"

"No, and I don't care. Stop bullying people."

The guy's entourage becomes silent at my remark. The guy however scoffs at me.

"Of course you wouldn't know who I am. With a mutt like that, you wouldn't know culture if it hit you in the face."

I feel my face start to flush as the women around him start to chuckle again.

"Well, that's where you're wrong" a voice declares before I feel an arm sling itself over my shoulder.

"Sam here got hit in the face with my Onix's tail, and he's got more culture in his tail than you have in your entire body."

I'm not sure what he's trying to do, but it wasn't helping. Instead of shutting down the situation, more people were starting to gather around us. I slam my heel down on Austin's foot, causing him to yelp and start hopping on the spot. People in the crowd started to laugh, and even the guy started grinning.

"I highly doubt that, you uncultured Swinub" the guy said before beginning to turn around. Which is when Austin appeared at his side, grabbing the guy by the shoulder.

"Well, that might be true, but you're definitely worse than us."

"Austin, that's enough!"

I'm able to see Maya pushing her way through the gathering crowd, but Austin doesn't appear to hear her.

"You might be a big shot Coordinator, but Miss Katie. Me. My sister. Even Sam there. We're going to enter that contest. And we're going to beat your ass!"

I groan out loud, holding my head in my hand as the crowd around me explodes into hysterical mummering. I look around for a break in the crowd, hoping I can sneak away without anyone noticing.

As I start to move towards a thinner space in the crowd, something wet drags across my cheek. Looking down, I'm greeted with the sight of Rockruff looking up at me with wide eyes, its tail wagging excitedly as if the chaos around us didn't exist.

So this is the beginning of my new fic, a Pokémon SI that focuses on Coordination rather than the Gym Challenge.

I actually had two different plans before settling on the Coordination, so that was fun. This is also my first-time doing fanfiction in first person, so if there is any inconsistencies with past or present tense, please let me know so I can edit it.

This will also be my main project now, although due to Uni work updates might take a while.

I would like to give many thanks to Cavik for betareading. We can both be found on the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at: 9XG3U7a