Chapter 1: Cursed Once More
The beginning. It was so long ago, yet Akari could remember it like it was yesterday. The coarse sand that greeted her as she opened her eyes, the overwhelming fear she felt as she was led into Jubilife Village… but all of that was in the past now. Akari had spent about a year in Hisui and ever since she had subdued Giratina and saved the Hisui region from the anomaly in the sky, she had spent the remainder of her days filling out the pokedex. It was several months of grueling, hard work and dozens of near-death experiences, she had almost filled the pokedex to completion.
Alright, we're almost there… I just need to finish this entry on Electrode behavior patterns, Akari thought to herself. She looked at her Arc Phone and sighed. In order to unlock the entry, she had to catch it.
"Alright, this should be it," Akari said and the pokemon she was mounted on skidded to a halt. Akari got off and rubbed the majestic white fur of the noble pokemon. "Thanks, Lord Wyrdeer. I'll call you again when I need to get outta here."
With a huff of approval, Wydreer vanished into thin air. Akari then zeroed in on her target. An electrode rolling about. There was a patch of tall grass in between Akari and her goal, so she crept up to it and hid herself in its long blades.
Almost there, Akari softly grunted as she grabbed a gigaton ball from her satchel. She never carried many of these on her due to their obscene density and weight, but she felt like this was the best course of action, especially since the Electrode was so close. She took one step… then another…
Please get in! Akari threw the ball with all her might. The ball barely flew, but it should be enough. Just as the ball was going to make contact with the wooden ball, the Electrode rolled a few centimeters to adjust its position. The ball fell on the ground, making a large thud. The Electrode, naturally curious, turned to the source of the noise and made eye contact with Akari, who was silently staring back while at the edge of the grass.
"Ah!" Akari's instincts screamed at her to move. She dove back into the grass, just in time to dodge a thunderbolt that would have surely burnt her into a crisp.
"So you want to play it that way, huh?" Akari's smile widened as the adrenaline kicked in. She grabbed a pokeball and threw it. "Lucas! Have at 'em!"
As the Typhlosion burst from the ball, she remembered when she named the Pokemon. When thinking of the name, it just… struck. An image flashed in her mind. He was an older boy, around eighteen years old. She couldn't make out what he looked like, but he remembered a single sentence that he spoke.
"Big brother… I like it!"
Akari shook her head. Her past life wasn't important anymore. Whoever she was before she fell through that hole in the sky didn't matter. What mattered was the family she had made here in Hisui. To her, they were her real family.
"Lucas, you know what to do!" Akari shouted. The Typhlosion responded by turning to Akari with a lazy smirk before rushing at the Electrode, executing a Take Down. As they started to battle it out, Akari dove back into the bushes. She examined the battle, waiting for the perfect opportunity. While the Electrode stuck with special attacks, Lucas had rushed in and gotten up close, to keep the Electrode's attention away from his trainer. As the Electrode inched closer and closer to the grass, Akari took an ultra ball out and shot up.
"Now!" Akari shouted and made eye contact with Lucas. Lucas smirked and winded up, executing an extra Strong rock slide just as Akari threw the ultra ball. The Electrode flew backwards, straight into the projectile that Akari threw. The force that Electrode was flying back even made the ultra ball fly almost a meter back before shaking once. Akari waited in anticipation for a second. Then another… then another…
The light on the ball went from red to green and Akari jumped up and cheered.
"We did it!" She ran up to Lucas and tackled him into a hug, which admittedly didn't cause him to move much, but Lucaus responded with a smile as he hugged her back. Akari held the hug for about a minute before breaking away and grabbing the ball on the ground. She opened her Arc Phone and opened her pokedex app. She flipped over to the electrode section where a new entry had made itself known. Akari opened her physical pokedex and copied the entry down. Was it cheating? Yes. Did she care? No. She put in work to get these entries from the Arc Phone and she felt perfectly justified in using them.
"Alright, let's get outta here," Akari said as she returned Lucas to her pokeball. It was time to go home.
"Professor!" The scientist looked up from his notes to see Akari running over to him, waving wildly. The scientist could only sigh as she ran up to him.
"For the last time, Akari, it's just Laventon. We've known each other long enough to drop the formalities," Laventon said. It was true as well. The day he found Akari, confused and alone on that beach, changed his life. In Akari, he found a valuable research partner, a wealth of knowledge, and eventually a daughter.
"You'll always be the professor to me," Akari stifled a giggle. Laventon smiled in response. He knew it was endearing to Akari, so he let it slide.
"So, how's your progress going?" Laventon asked. It's been a couple weeks since he asked about the Pokedex. She was almost done by then and he could trust her to keep track of everything.
"It's done!" Akari said, almost vibrating with excitement.
"Done?" It took a couple seconds for him to register her words. "It's done?!"
"Yep! Take a look for yourself," Akari replied as she handed Laventon the booklet. As he flipped through it, his eyes got wider and wider. Page after page of detailed entries. Two hundred and forty one entries. There were even entries dedicated to the legendary pokemon. More than Laventon ever knew about them, in fact.
"This… this… I can't believe it!" Laventon pulled Akari into a bone-crushing hug and lifted her up, spinning a couple times. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"
"Can't… breathe…!" Akari managed. Laventon realized his mistake and let her down. "Oh! I apologize. I just got a bit excited."
"I'm excited too, but I'd like to be alive when I report this to Cyllene," Akari took several gasps for air.
"Haha, you're right," Laventon put a large hand on Akari's shoulder. "Let's go. We'll have a feast after you're done."
"I'm looking forward to it," Akari said as the two turned and watched the sun set on the Cornet Highlands.
Cyllene wanted to smash her head on the desk. She had to admit, Kamado's retirement was a good thing for Hisui. He was too headstrong and impulsive to lead a village. Despite that, the sheer amount of work had been appalling. She thought Kamado had been slacking with paperwork, but apparently not.
"Cyllene!" The doors flew open to reveal Akari, Hisui's savior and the professor not far behind her. A pang of guilt washed through Cyllene as the girl looked at her with excitement and respect. She didn't deserve that respect. Although she supported Akari during her exile, she could have done something more. Instead, she just sat there and watched her be escorted out of the village like a common criminal.
"Yes?" Cyllene put down her pen and made eye contact with Akari. The young woman took her pokedex out and placed it on Cyllene's desk. She took it with a raised eyebrow and opened it. As she did, she felt her eyebrows furrowing. Every entry was completed with a satisfactory amount of detail. It wasn't the bare minimum by any means, but it wasn't the most detailed she had seen.
"I see," She closed the book and placed it on her desk. She saw Akari and Laventon eye each other apprehensively and sighed inwardly. Was she really that bad? "You have done well, Akari. This pokedex will be the foundation to not only the future of Jubilife City, but to humanity as a whole."
Cyllene couldn't help but return their excited looks with a proud smile of her own, as small as it was.
"With your completion of the pokedex, it seems like there isn't much for you to do," Cyllene noted. "There may be a few requests for you here and there, but the purpose of the survey corps is to go out and learn more about Pokemon. In just a year, you have progressed in your field more than anyone else has in your field. If you wish to retire, I will not stop you. Though I encourage you to pick up another form of employment, your spot here in Jubilife Village shall be ensured for the rest of your days."
"Really?!" Akari's eyes lit up. Cyllene's smile widened ever so slightly.
"Yeah, so get out of here before I change my mind," Cyllene shooed the two off, forcing her smile down.
"Thank you!" Akari said.
"C'mon Akari! Let's celebrate!" Laventon said as the two left the building. Cyllene grabbed the pokedex once more and smiled. Things were indeed looking up for humanity and pokemon's coexistence.
"A round of potato mochi, please!" Laventon shouted excitedly. "And get us two cups of sake while you're at it!"
"Coming right up," Beni said with his ever present smile as he made his way back into his building.
"Two?" Akari tilted her head.
"You're sixteen now, yes?" Laventon raised an eyebrow. "Completing the pokedex is a major feat! You should celebrate!"
"If you insist," Akari said. Consuming alcohol never crossed her mind, but if there was a time for her to drink, it would probably be now.
"Sorry I'm late!" Akari was snapped from her stupor when she heard a familiar voice.
"Rei!" She stood up and waved her friend over. The young man started to run until he reached their table.
"I can't believe you did it!" Rei pulled Akari into an enormous hug.
"Ah!" Akari had to push herself forward to prevent herself from falling off the seat. "Yeah, I know. It still feels like a dream."
"Order up," The three perked up when they heard Beni's voice. The old ninja returned with three servings of potato mochi and a bottle of sake. He placed the food down before placing a cup in front of Akari and Laventon.
"Where's mine?" Rei asked with a pout.
"You'll get yours next month, lad," Laventon slapped Rei on the back lightheartedly as he sulked.
"I didn't forget about you," Beni said as he placed a cup of sitrus juice in front of the young man.
"Sitrus? It must be a celebration," Rei muttered.
"Now, shall we make a toast?" Laventon said as he poured the sake for both Akari and himself.
"To a successful future?" Akari raised her cup. The other two smiled as they raised their cups.
"To a successful future!"
Akari noticed that Rei was shifting uncomfortably throughout the entire time they ate dinner. Akari didn't drink more than one cup so she didn't really feel anything but a slight buzz. The sake was strong, but Laventon chugged down at least three cups without any change in his demeanor.
"Come on! Let's go take a picture to celebrate the event!" Laventon said. From what Akari could surmise, he was only tipsy, but the flush on his face was evident. "We can use one of those new fangled camera thingies!"
"Alright," Rei said. Akari couldn't help but feel concerned with how detached Rei was.
"Are you alright, Rei?" Akari put a hand on his shoulder. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed his slight flinch. She pulled her hand away. "I'm so—"
"No, it's not you," Rei frantically shook his head. "I just… have a lot on my mind, ya know?"
"I get the feeling," Akari offered a weak chuckle, which Rei returned, albeit a bit nervously. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Rei shook his head. "I need some time to prepare myself."
Prepare? For what? Akari thought to herself.
"Come on guys!" Laventon ushered the two over. He was already standing beside the sole chair in front of the camera. "Akari, sit down! It's only fitting for the woman of honor to be front and center!"
"Alright!" Akari sat down as Laventon and Rei took spots on either side of her.
"You ready?" The photographer asked.
"Yep!" The three said at once.
"Alright, let's do this," The photographer focused on the device. "Say galaxy in three… two… one… Galaxy!"
"Galaxy!" The three cheered all at once, immortalizing their accomplishment for generations to come.
"See you tomorrow, Akari," Rei waved with a smile before closing the door to his room. After the photoshoot, Laventon insisted on drinking more to take the edge off and the two teenagers had to drag him back to bed. After that, Rei immediately said he was tired and they made their way here.
As Akari made her way back to her own room, she saw a familiar woman standing by the river and looking up at the stars. She had long, black hair that went down to her thighs. Although it exuded a sort of wildness to it, her hair was perfectly trimmed. She wore a lab coat similar to Laventon's, but she wore a crop top that had tears in the bottom to reveal her defined muscles. Akari decided to make her way over and join her in her stargazing.
"Good evening, Akari," The woman said. She didn't even turn to look to see who it was.
"It's getting late, Dr. Milenario," Akari replied. While Milenario called herself a doctor, no one knew if she actually was. Apparently she had joined Jubilife village when it was first founded a couple decades ago and contributed with her research on pokeballs and creating the first Ultra Ball.
"I know," Milenario said, a soft smile growing on her face. "Say, Akari… that hole in the sky that you fell out of. Do you think that it came from the future?"
"The future?" Akari had never considered it. It would definitely explain a lot of things. The weird clothes she came in, the Arc Phone, the random memories of large cities with weird buildings that would pop into her head every now and then. "Maybe. I never really thought about where I came from. To be honest, I don't think it matters all that much."
"Really," Milenaro turned to look at Akari with a perplexed look. "Thank you for humoring me. I guess I should get some rest."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Akari said as she gave the stars one more glance. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Milenario said before walking off. After a few seconds, Akari made her way to her own room. Before she went to bed, she took out her Arc Phone. She never forgot the Almighty Sinnoh's last message.
"Collect all the Pokemon."
Akari had done that. What now? As she turned on the phone, two words greeted her.
"Good job."
Akari's heart skipped a beat. The Almighty Sinnoh recognized her feats! She could only guess what was going to happen next.
I guess only time will tell, Akari turned the phone off and closed her eyes before drifting off into a gentle slumber.
"Akari," Akari's eyes snapped open when she heard the booming voice. When she did, she found herself face-to-face with the glowing light she had seen at the beginning of her journey. Only this time, she knew who it was.
"Almighty Sinnoh," Akari dipped her head. Since she was floating in the empty void, she could only do that much.
"Raise your head, my second champion," The god said. Akari did so, and it continued to speak in its deep, booming voice. "You have done well on your journey. I am very proud of what you have accomplished."
"Your words honor me," Akari said. But what did it want?
"Due to your excellent performance, I shall offer you a choice," The god answered. "I can return you to your previous life. You will live happily from whence you came and forget everything you have seen here, or you shall keep the memories of your journey and move forward with your new life."
Akari didn't even have to think. The people she met. The experiences she had. All the ups and downs… that's what made her Akari. Not something she didn't even know about. She didn't want to live her life in ignorance of the fantastical journey that had brought her to where she was. Her decision was made. Before she could even move her lips, the god spoke once more.
"A wise decision," The Almighty Sinnoh seemed satisfied with her answer. "Cheresh your treasure, my second champion. You will need the fruit it bears as you progress through your second trial."
"Trial? What are you—"
"I wish you luck, Akari. We shall meet again…" The blackness of the void started to glow. Akari's vision became brighter and brighter and brighter and brighter until—
Akari knew no more.
"GOOD MORNING PALDEA!" Nemona leaped out her front door and shot her fists skyward as she bellowed her greeting. Today was going to be a great day. Dr. Clavell was going to be providing her with a Pokemon to train as extra credit and she couldn't be more pumped. But before he arrived, Nemona had to do her daily routine.
She counted her six pokeballs and nodded to herself. She always started the morning by jogging on the beach before exercising with her Pokemon. After all, if she wasn't strong and healthy, she couldn't expect her Pokemon to be.
It was a shame that she wasn't going to have a neighbor, though. She had heard talks of a mother and child moving into the house down the street, but a family emergency came up at the last minute and they had to delay their move.
"Ah, enough about that," Nemona chided herself aloud. Every second that could be spent on thinking could also be spent on training. "To the beach!"
Nemona ran around her house and down the stairs to the shoreline that ran all across her property. The first place to go to was the battle arena that was set up there. That was always where she started and ended her workout routine. As she approached it, she saw an unfamiliar figure.
What is… Nemona jogged towards the arena and as she did, she started to realize what it was. A person!
Her jog broke out into a full sprint as Nemona went to check on the person who seemingly washed ashore. As soon as she made it to the arena, Nemona knelt down next to the person. It was a girl, maybe around her age. Her clothes were a little weird and she seemed to be a foreigner. She didn't seem to have washed ashore, because she was completely dry.
How did she… Nemona thought to herself. She was on the beach the previous night before she went to bed, so she must have been here overnight.
"Are you alright?" Nemona asked. No response. She put her palm on her forehead and gasped. This girl… whoever she was, she was burning up. It was hotter than any fever that Nemona was familiar with.
An adult… I need an adult… Nemona thought frantically. As if responding to her stress, her Rotom Phone flew out of her shirt pocket and hovered in front of her. That's it!
"Call Dr. Clavell," Nemona commanded the phone. The Rotom's screen shifted and after two rings, Dr. Clavell's face was plastered on the screen. From what she could tell, he was around Los Platos. Good, he wasn't far.
"Nemona. I did not expect you to call," The principal said with his usual, stoic, face. He could evidently see the concern on her face because his brow furrowed after a second. "What seems to be the issue?"
"I went down to the beach to train and I found this girl laying there. I don't know what happened, but she wasn't here last night. She's running a really high fever," Nemona said as she tilted her head. The Rotom Phone tilted down with her and showed Clavell the girl in question. "I'm going to take her inside."
"Good job on taking the initiative," Clavell complemented as the phone returned to face Nemona. "Fortunately there is a shop here that sells medication. I shall acquire some and take a sky taxi. Please do your best to ensure her health remains as stable as possible."
"Understood," Nemona said as the phone hung up and returned to her chest pocket. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm gonna pick you up, okay?"
Nemona positioned her hands under the unconscious girl and lifted her up.
Arceus, she's light, Nemona thought. "Don't worry, okay? We'll get you all fixed up in no time."
Nemona turned around and bolted up the stairs. This girl would be alright. Nemona would make sure of it.
Welcome to my rewrite of Displaced! I've decided to improve on a lot of things I felt like I fell short of during the writing of this fic. Ya know, like levels. I'm not gonna be including that can of worms this time around. Anyways, I'm super excited to show you what I've got, so please enjoy! With that being said, please do consider leaving a review! I would love to read and reply to your thoughts. Also please join my Discord! I would love to talk to you all and answer all your questions! I talk a lot about my thought process while writing, so if you're interested in that, do consider joining. The url is discord . gg (forego the spaces) followed by a slash and CpVs7R8KXz. Unfortunately you'll have to type the rest of the url in manually because I'm not allowed to post links. If you want to read chapters as soon as they're finished along with a slew of other benefits, check out my Patron at pat reon dot com slash kfpisnotacult. They also have access to any future chapters that will eventually find their way here. Thank you all so much for reading and I'll catch you on the flipside