Only a handful of people are aboard the bus this evening.

Near the front, there's an older guy dressed in an elegant suit with a tie, sitting tightly in his seat and with a case on his lap while his weary face looks outside the window by his side. Probably an office worker who longs for something other than a soul-draining desk job.

That I can get behind.

Less so if he vents his frustration on his family or something like that.

Closer to the center, there's a teen in loose clothing sprawling over two seats. His head is bobbing back and forth while he wears a set of headphones. No backpack that I can see, so I assume he's going to meet some friends to hang out with and have fun. Hopefully not the kind of 'fun' that involves getting drunk and/or high while causing chaos.

Not far behind him, there are two others, a guy and a gal in casual outfits. A couple, judging by how they are currently smooching each other. Possibly planning to do more than that considering where their hands are wandering. If only they had the decency to keep it to themselves…

Last but not least, at the very end of the bus, there's me, at the best spot to observe it all. Sadly, the older man and teen aren't that interesting past the conjectures I can make about them. And the less I watch the couple, the better.

Thankfully, a notification from my phone gives me something else to focus on. Unfortunately, it's a message from my mother.

Mother: Hi honey. How did the interview go?

I rub the bridge of my nose. Just the thing I didn't want to think about right now.

Me: I suppose it went as well as it could

Me: Couldn't really tell what the interviewer thought of my responses

Me: I just answered as honestly as I could

Mother: That's good to hear

Mother: I'm sure this will be the one

I have to let out a sigh before responding.

Me: Wish I could share the sentiment

Me: But you know how it went with all the others

Mother: Cheer up, honey. I'm sure you will get the job this time. It's only a matter of time

Right. Waiting for a lot of things to happen.

Mother: And hey, if you're having second thoughts, it's never too late to return to your studies

Oh no, you don't, you sly fox.

Me: Mom, we've been over this. I wasn't accomplishing anything there

Mother: That's not true. You passed several exams

Me: Yes, during the first year

Me: It was all going downhill after that

The number of times I've had this conversation with her, I swear.

Mother: Sorry, sorry, honey.

Mother: I just worry about you, you know?

Appreciated, but unnecessary. At least this time she got the hint to back off quickly.

Thankfully that conversation went on long enough for the bus to have arrived almost at my stop, as I can see it approaching in the distance. Looks like it's time to cut the conversation short.

Me: I know

Me: I have to go now

Me: Call you when I'm home, alright?

Before her response can arrive, I pocket my phone and head for the closest door. Shortly after, the bus stops and opens up, the dimly lit sidewalk in front of me and within reach. I take my step forth and off the bus, expecting my foot to land on the familiar pavement.

That doesn't happen. To my shock, just as I'm about to make contact, a hole opens up in the walkway, white light emitting from within it as a texture akin to a spiderweb appears around its edges.

I get to witness said hole for about two seconds before some kind of force drags me into that hole.

"HEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY!" is all I manage to shout out before I fall inside.

The moments immediately after falling into the hole are–for lack of a better term–a literal blur. I don't know if it's because of the shock or whatever else, but all I manage to see as I keep falling is the darkest void I've ever seen in my entire life, only lightened by the occasional passing light. I would think of space, but if that were the case, I would be dead from one out of half a dozen ways.

I certainly wouldn't be able to shout at the top of my lungs.

I don't know how long it is that I keep falling, but it feels like there's no end to it. That only changes when I notice a light that doesn't just pass me by. It keeps growing more and more intense, so I try to properly look at it.

It ends up being not… whatever those other lights were, but the twin of that other hole I fell into earlier. And I'm heading straight for it.

Please, please, please, make it a soft landing.

I approach the second white hole with a mixture of eagerness to get out of whatever acid trip this place is, and also dread of what may wait for me on the other end. When I am but a few centimeters away from it, I have to close my eyes from the bright light it emits.

When it settles down, I tentatively open up my eyes again, worried about what I may see. They shoot wide open when I see an approaching body of water.

"What the–?"

The splash I make upon landing cuts off what I was about to say, and I have to shut my mouth before it fills to the brim with water. Swimming back up to the surface is thankfully not too difficult, even if I'm fully clothed, and there isn't a strong enough current to cause problems.

The sight I'm greeted by, though…

I'm in a river. That much I can tell by the two banks on each side. At the same time, this place can't possibly be anywhere where I live. Too much vegetation on either bank to be an urban area.

So where am I?

I look up, hoping to find any sign, even a tiny glimpse, of that hole I've come out of. Unfortunately, all I see is the darkening sky and the occasional cloud, about as regular as it can get.

Just…what the hell happened?

I've never been more glad to have learned how to swim than when I manage to reach shore and get out of the river. Emerging drenched from top to bottom is annoying, but there isn't much that can be done about that. I just need to find any sign of civilization and pray for spare clothing.

Right, finding civilization. How do I do that when I don't even know where I am?

My first instinct is to reach into my pocket, grab my phone and call for help. Unfortunately, my phone is about as responsive as one would expect after an unplanned dive into a river.

That is to say, it doesn't even turn on.

"Merda," I growl as I shove it back inside.

Well, what now? I can't see any point of interest nearby, so I could be anywhere. Heck, the nearest town could be weeks away on foot for all I know!

Okay, settle down Aldo. You aren't getting anywhere if you panic. Organize a plan.

So… you don't know where you are. That is a fact.

The first thing to do is finding someone who does, which means people. People who can also help with shelter, water and food, since you have none of those.

So, where to find said people?

A good vantage point to assess your surroundings properly instead of this ravine is in order. So, turn your back away from the river, move in-land and–

Just as I'm following my own advice, I notice something at the very edge of my vision. A pair of shapes stepping toward the water, not too far away from me. I turn to properly look at them, and see two small quadrupedal creatures leaning their heads over the river's surface, their tongues dipping into the water.

The larger of the two animals is covered by brown fur, with a crest of blonde going over its back and onto its tail. It's odd to see such contrasting types of fur, but not nearly as much as its tinier companion. At first, it seems to merely be hairless, but a more thorough look reveals its skin is even weirder. In fact, it almost looks like…dough?

The logical thing to do would be to leave the two animals to drink and move on with my plans. However, the furless animal has my undivided attention at this point, and I carefully step closer, trying to get a better glimpse.

As I approach, the animal notices me and turns its head in my direction, turning out to be some kind of dog. Some breed of dachshund, maybe. And as it turns out, its skin is not similar to dough. It is dough.

A hairless dachshund made of dough.

…what?

Angry barks interrupt my reverie, suddenly reminding me this dog wasn't alone.

Its barking companion is another dog. A mastiff puppy with weird pitch black eyes save for the white pupils. As our eyes meet, its barking stops and it tilts its head while its lips retract to show off its fangs.

Under normal circumstances, a mastiff snarling at me would be a very frightening situation. But between the fact it's a puppy, how much it clenches its exposed fangs and how hard it tries to furrow its brow…

"Are you constipated or something?"

Almost immediately, the mastiff drops the snarling expression and lowers its head as it starts whimpering. Damn, that one has to be a sore spot for it.

Another bark draws my attention back to the dachshund, who has stepped closer to my foot and is looking at me with wide blinking eyes. Eyes that I realize only now are identical to the mastiff. Can the two breeds of dogs mate or is this just a coincidence?

It is only as it stands on its hind legs and tries to reach my knee that I realize just how tiny it is. Is it a puppy too?

Wait no, if this were a regular dog, it wouldn't be made of dough.

"What are you?" I mutter as I crouch down to get a better look at it. The would-be dachshund doesn't react to my gesture beyond a slight tilt of its head.

Seeing as how my presence doesn't seem to bother it, I reach out with my hand. The mastiff starts growling again, but the other dog merely leans its head into my palm and–

"H-hey, now," I say, barely holding a chuckle as it starts licking me. With its companion's growls subsiding, I take it a step further and reach to pat its head. Its skin is as soft as actual dough, but surprisingly more elastic.

The dog accepts the pat eagerly, and when I retract my hand, it starts barking happily and wagging its tail.

The mastiff lets out a whimper then and there, and I turn to offer it my other hand. It's more hesitant than its companion, but it also reaches for my palm, allowing me to pat its head as well.

"Good dog," I tell it, to which it lowers its ears and lets out another whimper.

"Now, little fellas," I tell the two dogs after retracting my hand, "where are you from? Do you have an owner?"

No way these two dogs are wild when they are so comfortable around humans. Whoever their owner is, they've got to know what's up with the dachshund.

Oh, and… it would be the human contact I needed. Let's… let's not forget about that.

The dachshund takes a few steps to the side and starts walking in-land, when suddenly both of the dogs tense up and turn to the river. I follow their gazes, and am met by a… concerning sight.

Bubbles rise from a spot near us while steam bursts from them with each pop. More worrisome, though, is the pair of golden lights burning with malice beneath the surface. A pair of lights that the dogs–even the more cheerful dachshund–are growling at.

"I think we should get away, little guys," I murmur, drawing the dough puppy's attention to me while its friend keeps glaring at the lights. "I don't know what that is, but–"

I don't get to finish before the surface of the river parts and a figure jumps out of it. The leap is not long-lived and it quickly comes down. Rather than falling back inside the water, however, it lands and just… stands on the surface, as if it were solid ground.

I look at the creature properly and it's… an over three meters tall chimera is all I can call it. It stands on two clawed muscular legs that connect to a T-Rex-shaped body, light blue and white fur covering it all. Two waving tails connect to its rear and a pair of slim three-fingered arms stretch out from the top.

To contrast the dinosaur-like appearance, there's a lion-like violet mane with scarlet ends around its neck, which does nothing to hide the wolf-like snout that is the head. A head with a large hexagonal horn forming a crown with two simpler ones, as well as a fanged mouth snarling at the three of us.

I feel a shiver go down my spine as its golden slit eyes narrow down menacingly. Meanwhile, the dachshund is letting out fearful whimpers, while the mastiff is returning the snarl.

"Run" I whisper to the two, all while making sure to keep an eye on the amalgamation. It hasn't moved yet, but with the way its legs are bending, it could lunge at any moment.

The dough puppy turns to look at me with its head tilted, while the other only spares me a side-glance.

"Whatever this thing is, it's not friendly. We need to get away before–"

The chimera lets out a guttural growl as it turns its attention fully to me, widening its snarl and narrowing its eyes further. Even as the mastiff starts barking at it, its attention stays on me. I take a couple steps to the side, and still its attention stays on me.

My first thought is that it's identified me as the more filling meal. However, the look in its eyes doesn't seem to be hunger alone. There's a vivid fire in them. The mere sight of me is making it angry. But is it because of me specifically or is there something else?

No, no, fill those questions for later, Aldo. If its attention is on you, you gotta lead it away from the dogs. And pray it has the actual stamina of a T-Rex.

"That's right, big guy," I say to its face, all while I step further away from the puppies and its snorting snout follows me. "Come for me."

As if in response to my words, the chimera retracts its head and lets out a sound in-between a howl and a growl. Shortly after, it takes its first step on the bank, the ground shaking under its weight.

"Get to safety you two!" I shout, not even managing to take a glance at the dogs as I turn around and make a break for it, the stomps from the chimera's legs following me.

I was never one for physical activities. Not to say I spent most of my days on my ass and did nothing, but sports never really appealed to me. I never did that much exercise and only took walks in my free time. So I never thought I'd have the physique for a prolonged run.

Turns out fear mixed with adrenaline while a creature twice your size chases you are miracle workers.

"Merda, merda, merda, merda, merda!"

It turns out I underestimated the chimera. I've been running for some time now, and despite it all, its growls and stomps haven't toned down, like it is just mere meters away from me. I suppose I should consider it a win that it hasn't caught up to me yet, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep this pace for long.

And no looking back to see how it is doing, I'm not slowing down even for that.

Unfortunately, I have to abruptly stop when I come face-to-face with a cliffy wall blocking my escape. It's not too tall, but just enough that I can't just jump over it, and in the meantime, I can hear the chimera getting closer.

Screw it.

I jump up and try to grab onto whatever I can. The first attempt doesn't go that well. The second is more successful, but I immediately feel my own weight try to drag me back down. Nevertheless, I try to press on and reach up, before the chimera is on me.

Wait, why can't I hear it anymore?

My heart almost jumps in my throat as something barely misses my head. I fail to see what, only managing to glimpse some kind of purple light, and the rocky structure I was holding onto shakes and crumbles, my hands slipping. I land on my butt, with debris and dust following me soon after.

"Wha–" I have to let out a few coughs as the dust enters my lungs. "What the–?"

A growl cuts me off. A growl coming from right behind me, accompanied by hot air that brushes the back of my head.

Uh-oh.

I turn around. Sure enough, the chimera is right behind me. And it's retracting its head with an open jaw.

Oh no, no, no, no, what do I do?!

The chimera's snout lunges forward, to which the best I can do is cover my face and brace for the bite.

Said bite, though, never lands, and instead I hear the chimera yap. I can't help myself and look, finding the chimera looking behind itself. More specifically, at its tails, where–

"What are you doing?!" I shout out as I find the two dogs each dangling by a tail as they bite into them. "You were supposed to run! Get out of here!"

In hindsight, probably not the brightest thing I've said. Especially not as the chimera starts waving its tails around in an attempt to shrug the puppies off. And when that fails, it just slams them against the ground.

"No!" I turn to glare at the chimera. "Stop!"

It ignores me and stays focused on its tails. The dough dachshund has let go, but the mastiff is still hanging on.

Barely.

At that sight, the chimera prepares to slam the tail again.

"Oh no, you don't."

I jump to my feet and rush its leg, a right hook at the ready. I manage to close the distance before it can slam its tail, and punch as close to the knee as I can.

"Aww!"

Ripples run down my entire arm and it feels like I've punched a column of granite, with a splitting pain spreading to the rest of my body. When I retract my hand, it is shaking, its knuckles bloodied and I feel the urge to massage them.

To add insult to injury, another growl has me look up and find the chimera looking down at me with the smuggest grin a wolf's head can make.

I gulp as its mouth opens again.

A noise that I can only describe as an angry moo stops it before it can rip my head clean off, soon followed by the sound of stomping hooves. I take a look behind the chimera, only for my eyes to widen in horror as they land on a charging black bull.

"Shit!" is all I can say as I leap to the side. The chimera isn't as fast on the uptake, and by the time it turns around, the bull leaps and headbutts it right in the chest.

In the middle of that collision, the mastiff lets go of the tail, and I barely manage to grab it before it lands, almost knocking the wind out of my lungs with how heavy it actually is. The puppy gives me a brief glance before turning its head away and whimpering.

"No time for that," I say as I look around for the other dog. "Let's find your friend and get out of here."

It barks affirmatively and jumps out of my hands, looking around. Fortunately, a little dog made of dough is easy to spot amidst grass, so it doesn't take me long before we find it. The poor puppy is trying to stand up, with little success.

I reach its side, all while I can hear the beginning of the chimera and the bull tearing into each other. As it looks up to me, I tell it, "It's okay, I'm getting you out of here," before picking it up. "Come on, let's–"

At that very moment, another bull stops mid-run right in front of me, to which I freeze in place. Where the hell are these bulls coming from?!

The dachshund whimpers within my hands. The mastiff growls threateningly. The bull, however, seems relaxed as it looks at me. Just looks me in the eyes with its… concerningly familiar snout.

I take a better look at it, only now noticing the dark mane around its neck. As well as the short horns pointing upward and the three tails protruding from its behind. A description that matches a creature I know. From my childhood.

But… no, it can't be. Not only it doesn't actually exist, the colors are all wrong.

And yet…

"Tauros?"

The bull closes its eyes and bows its head at me. The bull. The Pokémon bull. The Pokémon. Tauros.

D-don't faint Aldo, you're holding an injured puppy in your hands. A puppy made of dough, which isn't the most absurd thing in a land where living magnets, animals made of rock and sentient piles of waste are the norm.

You know, all very normal stuff.

I think the only reason I don't lose it here and now is because a snarl draws me back to the chimera and the other… Tauros. All I manage to see is the black bovine looking up the wall I'd tried to climb earlier, where I can also spot the retreating tails of the other… Pokémon.

An amalgamate of a wolf, lion and dinosaur‒possibly a dragon‒that tried to eat me. Just to drive home that this is real and it's likely not the utopic fairy tale world I'm familiar with.

I think we can consider that message received loud and clear.

The other Tauros turns back to us when the other Pokémon is gone and starts trotting toward us. As it does so, my eye is caught by a few very noticeable differences from the first one. The lower part of the mane is thicker and with blue lines running through it, the horns are a more wave-like shape and the tails are wrapped around one another up to the halfway point.

I… I suppose it makes sense for actual Pokémon not to be identical to each other, but… this?

As if the universe wants to spite me, another set of trotting hooves soon approaches. The Tauros that arrives from behind the first one is different as well, with a thicker upper part of the mane with red lines, horns pointing forward instead of up, and the tails wrapped up to their ends.

The only comfort is that this third one has a saddle on its back. With an actual human being I can talk to this time. A puggy mid-life tanned guy with a thick beard and a wide smile on his face. Something about the red jacket over black clothing he wears feels familiar, though I'm not sure why.

Ugh, who am I kidding? I probably saw some Pokémon character or another dress like that and that's why.

"There you are, Marino," he tells the Tauros with the thick underside, chuckling as he adds, "I see you found our Faller and the friends he's already made."

…what's a 'Faller'?

"Good evening, my good sir," the guy jovially says as he jumps off of his Tauros' saddle. He places his fists by his sides before smiling and continuing, "My name is Carlos. What's yours?"

"Uh…" I mutter as I take another glance at his uniform. I don't remember any 'Carlos' from the games, but his uniform still feels familiar.

Again, what's a Faller?

Okay no, better stow those for later, Aldo. You've got one chance for a good first impression, better not waste it by making him think you're a weirdo. Just answer, don't let your curiosity get the better of you.

"What are you and what's a 'Faller'?"

Fuck. Go back, go back!

"I suppose that's fair," the man chuckles, taking my questions with apparent stride. "I'm a Pokémon Ranger."

Pokémon Ranger? That… actually sounds kind of right.

I think?

"As for Fallers, well… did you fall out of a hole in the sky and land nearby?"

"...yes?"

In what version of the Pokémon world did I end up in for that to happen so often that this guy can ask that so casually?

Welcome readers to Dragon Chasers, a Pokémon self-insert fanfiction set in Paldea. A project I've decided to take on as both a means to give both the self-insert genre and the Pokémon setting another shot.

Now, some may remember I've tried this in the past. Let me just say here, that this story will have nothing to do with Underdogs. That fic spiralled out of control, so I decided to go for a blank slate here. Different main character, different region and also different kind of story (as you will see soon).

Leave your thoughts in the comments and a huge thank you to Krosrodes for beta-reading this. If you wish to see more of us, you can find us at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at u89gs745fn

See you guys next time!