Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

"Uhhhhhhh…"

I winced at the recurring head throb that returned with an ignited vengeance. A sensory overload laid siege on my body in a battle of attrition. Enduring the torment until the arrival of aid, turning the tides of war in my favor. A fierce winter baptized the battlefield in a frigid chill, rushing like a torrent of cavalry upon an unwary war camp.

The pain receded when my head pressed against the frosty surface. It was a sensation so soothing and lovely that my head greedily dug deeper for more. Piles of a soft cold fell on my forehead.

My eyelids rose like a lumbering gate to witness the aftermath. However, it only revealed a blurry image as my eyes slowly adjusted. Strands of bluish gray cascaded over my vision, spotting a nose that sported a pile of snow to form a makeshift snowcap. A fluffy sensation hugged my ears in a comforting warmth.

Taking a deep breath to exhale a smokey breath, only to be struck by a piece of memory lane. A childhood memory of me exhaling a large breath to reenact a mighty dragon of ice, breathing swaths of ice. My younger self was lost in the trance of imagination but abruptly brought back into the fold of reality. When my dad bonked my noggin to take me to school.

'Come on, kiddo, we got to head out.'

Laughing at those memories brought me a brief comfort. However, a dagger of sadness pierced me when I remembered that one image.

'Damn. I miss you, Dad, and everyone else. I sincerely hope y'all are living a better life in your new home. Hopefully, you guys can wait for your son's eventual arrival… right?'

Drip

A tear slid out, falling into the ivory landscape.

"Huff…"

I roll over to my back to reveal a blinding sight of a glorious sun surrounded by a stage of leaves. My hands moved upwards to intercept the extra weight on my head and found a pair of goggles, pulling it down to devour my sight in a tinted copy of the scene to fight off the blinding glares.

I lifted my head to examine the rest of my body to expose a war zone of an attire. A neon jacket and wool sweater were torn with no remorse. Not even the sleeves were spared. Luckily, my pants remain mostly intact besides a couple of ripped holes that people in school would call fashion.

'Sorry, Jasmine, for that roast.'

I'm just happy that I don't have to start a journey as a butt naked npc.

"Phew."

My hands traverse all over to check what I have on hand. However, one singular thought took priority as panic ensued.

"…"

'Oh shit, where is my Arc phone?!'

My hands bombard the area in search of the object of mass importance. Hitting another node of memory lane, however, one I did not cherish. Those panic sessions of not feeling my phone or keys in my pocket. Only to find them in a different but obscure pocket and heave out a sigh of relief.

However, that didn't happen.

'Shit, shit, shit…'

In a last desperate effort, I stared into the heavens above and attempted to use a clutch prayer. My hands clasped together like a Buddhist monk at the local temple.

'Come on, Origin Arceus, hook a mortal out.'

I soon regretted that decision.

Whistle—!

A glint of gold was spotted in the sky and before I could register the sight.

Bang!

"OWWWwwWw…!"

Smashing into my cranium felt like it left a crater in my skull, clenching my teeth to cope with the throbbing pain that came back. My legs instinctively dangle in the air.

I spotted a peculiar object that rolled to my chest, and upon realization, it filled me with a boiling rage that could melt the snow around me. My clenched teeth split like the Red Sea and unleashed a defense mechanism that any American obtains… cussing.

"This MuthafuckKa!

Throwing up two middle fingers to the sky to truly enhance my words. A bootleg version of Sword Dance to boost my yap session by two.

"You overgrown Spiritomb!"

I soon regretted those words.

As if I angered God, another light shone in the sky that seemed to fall even faster than the first.

'I guess I'm going to see my family again…'

BANG!

"Uck!"

An intense pain encompassed my body that originated from the center of my forehead again. I was being treated like a human bullseye in a game of darts. My vision briefly turned hazy before succumbing to a realm of black, as my eyes rolled back like a slot machine.

In the darkest depths of my imagination a picture of a certain culprit laughing in utter amusement with a hoof covering its mouth. Origin Arceus created a television on its side and pointed toward the screen. Emerge a cartoon depiction of myself with swirls for eyes and a spinning circle of Unown over my head to indicate my unconscious state.

Even in my dreams, this God still haunts me.

'I always preferred Bidoof over you! I mean it…'

＊＊＊

'Wet?'

My face felt damp as a smooth object ran across the surface. My eyes open to see a wall of pink, further perplexing my already disoriented mind.

Slurp!

The second round of dampness snapped me back into the grasp of reality. A gentle and ticklish feeling came from a tongue of some kind. The blurriness was extinguished to reveal a pair of big teary eyes on a black background. The creature surrounded itself with a purple shell with two protrusions on both the top and bottom.

Slurp!

My face started to frost slightly after a new lick slapped across my face at a faster pace.

"Alright enough, with the licks, I'm awake. Hopefully, you don't eat me." I chuckled.

The tongue slowed down and fell over my collarbone as my eyes settled on a cute clam on my chest. My mind finally clicked the puzzle together.

'Ohhhhh...'

"Shellder?"

Drip Drip

Shellder's eyes welled up even more and bounced closer to my face. A volley of ticklish licks struck my face to reiterate its need to slobber my face.

"Ahhh that tickles, Shellder calm down."

"S-Snorunt… Snorunt!"

My gaze shifted to the side to see a shivering Snorunt who joyfully jumped, dangling its feet midair before landing on the powdery floor below. Behind the triangular cloaked being was my Arc phone and goggles. It rushed forth in a cute run towards my cheek with icicles falling from a pair of blue eyes on its face.

'Ice tears?'

Both Pokémon that I assumed to be the former owner's team. They both cuddled my face.

"Alright. Alright. Calm down you two, let me get some breathing room."

Luckily, the two cute mons retreated from their siege but still encircled me in preparation for another round of cuddles. I can see the obvious intent in their eyes. A toothy smile embellished my face at the absurdness of the sight.

'Definitely an adorable view.'

Crack… Pop… Crack!

I was assaulted by a lovely sequence of notes that rang out with small cracks along my back as I rose in a sitting position.

'Damn, that felt great.'

I couldn't resist the urge to pet the two. Both my hands reached for the pair of mons, causing a cascade of rhythmic purrs. Shellder briefly tucked in its tongue before it forced its way back out.

'Ack!'

To be honest, that jump scared me. The shell creature was softly licking at my fingers, unaware of scaring its new trainer. Snorunt, on the other hand, was dancing in joy at the pet and pulled on my hand with its tiny round hands.

"Awwwwww..."

I surrounded the two and pulled them in a bear hug toward my chest.

'Maybe that torment was worth the cold resistance.'

Releasing my entanglement and looking downward toward my new partners, in turn, they glanced upward to meet mine. Something festered in my chest that needed to exit my system.

I needed to tell them that their old trainer had passed, merely replaced by a ghost. I couldn't bear the thought of our journey being one of assumptions.

"Shellder. Snorunt. I have something to tell you guys. I'm not your trainer that you guys think I am…"

Before I could say another word, my mouth was frozen shut by Snorunt, who breathed a cloud of frosty winds that crystalized upon contact. My eyes slightly bulged out, and two brows rose in confusion. The culprit and partner in crime tackled my torso to deeply root themselves in a hug as if hit by a sense of desperation.

"Mmmm?!… MMM!?"

Kssshhhk—!

"Huff."

The ice shattered into a cloud of bluish dust, freeing my mouth from its frozen prison.

"Guys, even though I'm not your previous trainer… I still want to keep y'all if you allow me."

I saw Snorunt halt its mouth before blasting me in the face, probably due to my last sentence. The clam still snuggled in my torn up sweater in search of a sanctuary even though it had a built in one.

"However, it's perfectly fine to not go with someone like me. Maybe I beckon a timely response of retaliation for being an intruder. Hopefully, you two could give me a chance and have a blast of a journey… So would you guys bless me with such an opportunity?"

I don't know why I'm feeling a pain pulsing in my chest. Logically, I barely knew these two… or even the world, for that matter. But my heart said otherwise.

Dun Dun—

A desire to form a friendship. A brotherhood. A family. Possibly one that rivals the scale of my former family's reunion parties. Good memories of my cousins and I staying in one room to play Smash Bros or Mario Kart like a can of sardines.

My mum and aunts cooked up food of wonders that made me drool at such thoughts. However, the more I dwelled on the topic. I realized that I wanted something different, just ever so slightly.

'Maybe let's leave those drunk uncles and assortment of green bottles out of the equation.'

The pair looked up at me with sad gazes, one filled with tears. Luckily, two heads nodded in unison, and in the usual fashion, I got attacked by the same response.

I lost count of how many times these two hugged me. Instead of disliking the absurd frequency of such occurrences, I damn well enjoyed it. I mean, who wouldn't falter under this bomb of cuteness?

"Thank you. I truly can't express my gratitude, but something of urgency must be done."

Snorunt and Shellder looked curiously at me.

"Before we start on our journey, we have to mourn the dead. Your trainer and my… p-previous family, who are hopefully in a better place, no, I know they are."

Drip

I couldn't bear to show them my state and fell back onto the snow, causing a burst of powder to fly up. My head tilted upward to obscure the sight of tears trickling down my cheek. I moved my hands to get rid of the by-product of my past, but before I was given the chance.

I was interrupted by a long tongue that wiped the tear off my face. Leaving a path of frost on my lower cheek to my brow. Reversing my previous action, I lifted my head to see a Shellder who hopped closer to my collarbone to get within tongue range.

"Hahaha."

From the sight, I couldn't fight off the laugh that slipped from my mouth. My hands grabbed the shell to relocate Shellder to the ground. Rising to my feet and rolled my shoulders to incite a satisfying pop. At my sudden movements, a waterfall of snow appeared from my shredded clothes, which accidentally covered the two beings below me.

"Oops."

Thud

"S-Snorunt."

Snorunt bumped into my shin and the tip of the yellow cloak reached past my kneecap. Its tiny hands held my goggles by the strap and stood on its tippy toes that wiggled.

"Oh, thank you."

Reaching down to grab the eyewear, snapping the strap to my head. Adjusting the fluffy beanie on my head and sweeping strands of hair that I deemed an annoyance.

Thud

Snorunt held out an item, and it was the elusive Arc phone. A large grin split my face at the thought of finally starting my own… Pokémon journey.

The activation of the device resulted in a pop up that showed a trainer card attached to a portrait. Learning that this body had a pair of blue eyes and was around the same age as my previous self.

'So my name is Zich Hiver.'

Looking further down the prompt, it disclosed that I had two registered pokeballs to my name, zero gym badges, and no sponsors. Trainer rank was F tier in the Mountain District of Kalos, featherweight branch.

Looking toward Snorunt, I clicked the camera app.

[Would you like to scan?]

[Yes / No]

Click!

Yes

[Kalosian Entries]

Snorunt. The Snow Hat Pokémon. Male. District X—It is said that several Snorunt gather under giant leaves and live together in harmony. District Y—In the snow country, certain folklore says… blah blah blah.

For other entries, click more…

'Nah, I'm good, let's move on to the fun stuff.'

[Move/Ability (Locked) ]

Requirements: Scan pokeball id

"Huh!? When was this ever a thing!?"

I woke up in this new body with neither pokeballs nor supplies on hand. I know the previous owner had 2, but where exactly?

Snorunt and Shellder regarded me with a puzzled expression.

"It's fine, you two… Actually, do you guys know where your pokeballs are?"

To my dismay, they simultaneously shook their heads.

"Awwww."

'Now that I think about it, am I placed in the anime or game world? Maybe a mixture. Wait, wasn't there a manga… shit.'

If it was the anime, I might be screwed because the last time I watched the anime was Black and White on cable. The show was so mediocre that it discouraged me from watching another season. Additionally, I was already in the phase from cable to YouTube, and the only show I continued was Regular Show.

Manga was out of the question because I haven't read it…

'Origin really is stingy with my universe.'

Ding!

I scowl at the newly popped up notification accompanied by the name Origin Arceus. Briefly spotting the message triggers a vein to bulge on my forehead.

[From Origin Arceus]

~Skill issue

'What you mean skill issue!? You literally dropped me in the middle of nowhere with nothing on hand.'

Ding!

[Quest | Survive (Imminent Threat) ]

~I'm feeling generous today, so your hint is to follow the trail of blood. Good luck, you're going to need it. Bye Zich.

~image (A selfie of Origin doing the peace sign)

"HUH!?"

I instantly started to scan my vicinity of the locale, a war-torn landscape. My eyes follow a descending crimson across the slope toward the thicker portion of the forest. The sun was gradually sinking into the horizon, leaving me with a limited supply of light.

'Ahh shit!'

"Snorunt! Shellder! Get ready, we got trou…" My command was interrupted by an overbearing heat.

Cr-Crackle!

From the corner of my eye was a blazing ball of orange embellished with a deep indigo coat of flickering flames. My arms instinctively cross to block my face from the roaring light.

BOOM!

A lump of scorching fire slammed mere inches from me. Blaring light from the detonation consumed my vision.

"Ugghhh!"'

Engulfed by a small explosion, I rolled over the floor several times to disperse the impact. Coming to a complete halt as my back smashed into an obstruction of some kind.

"Cough… Cough…!"

Unlike me, my companions were fairly intact, especially Shellder, who hunkered down within its impervious armor. My slightly burnt arms were suspended in the air while my shoulders leaned against a trunk.

I turn my head to see the slope's peak settling behind us.

Shift my gaze toward the three trails of snowy ravines, a by-product of our unplanned launch. A wall of steam was left standing from the point of contact.

"Are you guys o…"

Once more, my words were stunned by the announcement of an ominous sensation. Something was approaching. I unknowingly lowered my body, forearms sizzling against the contrasting cushion of snow.

"Ack!"

Whizz—

The same ball of flame flew past my beanie, decapitating the tree behind me. The wreckage cast a shadow over me as the towering tree plunged into the snow.

I rolled to the side, and a cascade of snow rained loose from the leaves. My eyes shimmered from the fireworks of sparks that showered overhead. The once pristine tree caught ablaze into a bonfire of orange and purple.

A cloud of snow burst from the impact of the fallen tree. The lance of fire pierced through the daunting veil of steam, dispersing the curtain. But only to replace it with a bulwark of brackish smoke.

"…"

Rumble!

The snow shivered as if it felt the frigid chill. Debris shook across the sea of white like a bunch of ships.

"C-click! C-Click!"

"SKKEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA… rongk!"

A screech roared so fierce that it could shatter my ear drums. It was a hellish concoction of rhythmic rumbles, clicks, and bellows.

Shivers ran down my spine, fueling my flight or fight response. My heart was palpitating wildly, conquered by a sense of terror.

Dun Dun—

Beating faster and faster. Blatant signs were on full display with the constant pulsing of my chest and accumulation of sweat.

The scorching wreck detonated in a blast of splinters and sparks that littered my body. The causation was another slice upon the wooden hull.

'Oh no.'

My eyes finally laid upon the culprit of arson. From the rift of the tree rose a bluish gray dorsal fin of some kind. Forcibly tore the blockade of smoke and wood.

The ground shook even more to announce its champion.

A blade of scales rose higher until two round protrusions pushed against the white surface. Similar to two blimps piercing the clouds. Tiny claws clasp onto the snow, ripping itself out of the ground. A belly of crimson blood with a jaw filled to the brim with teeth. Two large pupils narrow into vertical slits of obsidian.

An imposing figure with a mouth the size of half my body amidst the forefront of a wall of fire and smoke. A massive Gible that dwarfed my mons.

"SKKEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA… rongk!"

Unbeknownst to me, Origin Arceus watched the scene unfold from its heavenly throne.

Flight or Fight

Freeze and perish