Chapter 2: Forest (Part 2)

The next morning, they ate the remaining scraps of their dinner for breakfast and then set off again through the forest.

After a few hours of walking, they found a gap between the trees. A winding dirt path, wide enough for two people to comfortably walk side by side.

Lena let out a gasp, pointing at it excitedly.

"A path! And it looks man-made! And it's not overgrown either, which means it's still being maintained! There are people here!"

Meeting other humans meant there was a possibility of communication, which would get them one step closer to figuring out their situation. They might even be able to take shelter with a nearby civilization! There was hope after all!

Conversely, this fact put the Eighty-Six more on edge. They exchanged looks with each other.

They did understand why Lena was excited. After all, they weren't going to get anywhere just wandering around in the wilderness forever. However…

"We should be careful," Shin said. "We don't know anything about the people who live here, or how they might treat us."

His words snapped Lena out of her jubilant mood. "Oh…that's true," she said abashedly.

"We don't know how they'll react if they find out we're not from this world either," Raiden added. "They might imprison us, or experiment on us. Or worse."

"But…but the Federacy treated you well, right? So I wouldn't jump to assume that all places are like the Republic…"

"We were locked up for a month after the Federacy found us too," Theo said. "Could've been longer if it weren't for Ernst."

"Oh…" She didn't know that. But she could see their point now.

Lena thought for a moment, then came up with a suggestion. "If we find any people, we can just observe them at first, before deciding whether to interact. How does that sound?"

They reluctantly nodded.

They walked a little further along the path, until they came to a spot where the path split in two. Here, they decided to stake the place out, hiding behind trees on either side and keeping an eye out for any human who might come by.

And come by they did. The first human they saw in this world was…a little boy, with a bug catching net. All by himself. He ventured deeper into the forest without a care in the world.

As the afternoon went on, more people came and went. They all appeared to be unarmed civilians. Their ages ranged from children to adults, and just from this small sample size, the society seemed multiracial. Many of them were dressed for travel, with gear such as backpacks and sleeping bags. Some had a creature following behind them or riding on their shoulders.

"Well…they look peaceful enough…"

But even Lena knew that appearances weren't enough to judge a person's character. She had grown up living among kind-looking people, who deep down harbored horrid views.

Observation alone wasn't going to get them anywhere. They had to interact. But how could she tell the Eighty-Six to just take a chance and try to trust people, given all that they had been through? Even if she was their commander, she was a Republic citizen. It wasn't her place.

And though they didn't show it on their faces, she could sense their growing anxiety. Perhaps she was just too privileged to understand the danger; she was ashamed to admit that it hadn't even occurred to her that the people here could mistreat them.

But they couldn't avoid it forever. Like it or not, they were stuck here, and there was only one path forward…

They ended the day still undecided on what to do. The Eighty-Six went about preparing their campsite in silence, a palpable tension replacing the fun mood from yesterday. Lena sighed, wondering how she should talk to them about it.

As it turned out, however, the choice would soon be taken out of their hands.

That evening, just when they were starting to prepare dinner, a stranger walked into their camp.

"Hey, do you wanna have a Pokémon ba—" the stranger froze. He was a boy about their age, with brown hair and eyes, wearing a blue cap, jacket, and jeans.

The boy's eyes widened as he took in a scene of horror.

Sentret skins hanging on a branch. A boy with a bloody knife eviscerating their skinned corpses. A girl plucking feathers from a dead Pidgey. Another girl, taking a bite out of a Cherubi.

"...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he shouted.

At his shout, all five Eighty-Six immediately drew their firearms.

Realizing he was being held at gunpoint, the boy's eyes widened even further. "Why are you packing heat?! What is wrong with you people?!"

Lena jumped to her feet, waving her hands. "Um, everyone! Please calm down!" She turned to the newcomer. "Excuse me, we're not from around here, but please believe me when I say we mean no harm!"

"I'll believe you when you put down your guns!" the boy cried.

"Fair point." She turned to the Eighty-Six. "Everyone, stand down."

But they didn't move, continuing to glare in suspicion at the stranger like dogs with their hackles raised.

"Stand. Down."

Finally, they lowered their weapons. Lena let out a sigh.

"Now then." She turned back to the stranger, doing her best to look calm and non-threatening. "Could you please explain what we did to offend you?"

"You're eating Pokemon!"

"What are…Pokemon?"

He looked at her as if she was stupid. "You know, Pocket Monsters! The monsters you've just brutally murdered!"

"Ah, so that's what they're called. I'm sorry, as I said, we're new here. Why shouldn't we be eating them?"

"Pokemon are friends, NOT FOOD!"

"I…see." Lena looked uneasily at her friends and their dinner ingredients. "It appears we have broken a taboo."

After more questioning, the reasoning behind this taboo became clear. Pokemon were sapient; they were capable of understanding human speech, and some species were even more intelligent than humans. Thus, eating them was equivalent to eating beloved pets like cats and dogs, or intelligent animals like dolphins and apes. So while some people did partake in eating Pokemon, and certain species were considered delicacies, it was generally looked down upon as cruel and heartless.

This was not a great start to their interactions with the local population. Lena was just thankful that they shared the same language, or else she feared this encounter would truly have ended in violence.

She was also thankful that this stranger, whose name she learned was Bobby, was willing to listen to her explanations and apologies. Strangely, he didn't seem all too surprised to hear that they came from another world, though he was still wary of the Eighty-Six.

"Well, we've gotta eat to survive, so unless he can spare enough food for six people, we're still cooking these," Raiden said with a frown. "Besides, it'd be disrespectful not to eat them at this point." He resumed gutting the creatures.

Bobby didn't object anymore, but he clapped a hand over his mouth, looking like he might hurl.

"Please don't think too badly of my companions," Lena said apologetically. "They're the kindest, most honorable people I know. But they've been treated very poorly by people in the past."

"Now that's an understatement," Theo scoffed.

"And that's why they carry guns with them?" Bobby asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, not exactly. You see, where we come from, we're all soldiers."

Bobby looked taken aback. "Soldiers? But you're all, like, my age."

An awkward silence fell.

"They recruit teenagers where you're from?" he went on. "That's messed up."

"Um," Lena started, unsure how to break the news. "I do agree that it's not ethically sound. Unfortunately, my country has a blatant disregard for ethics."

"Let's stop beating around the bush, Lena," Theo sighed. "We're child soldiers. We weren't 'recruited,' we were forced, and most of us have been fighting since we were twelve."

"Twelve?!" Bobby's eyes widened. "And you fight in like, real wars and stuff?!"

"You don't have wars here?" Raiden asked.

"We used to, a long time ago. But the world is at peace now. There are gangs that stir up trouble now and then, but that's about it."

Now Bobby's reactions made a lot more sense.

"Wow…" Lena said. A world without war. Something that they could only dream of back in their world.

The Eighty-Six looked similarly dumbfounded by this news.

Bobby gazed back at them with pity. "Things must be really bad where you're from. Twelve, huh? …When I was twelve, I left home for my Pokémon journey."

This was met with more blank looks.

"Pokemon…journey?" Shin repeated quietly.

"Yeah. We can start as early as 10, but my mom thought that was too early for me."

"What does that entail exactly?" Lena asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Well, we're given our first partner Pokemon and then set out to travel the world and catch and train more Pokémon. Once we're strong enough, then we can start challenging gyms and winning badges. And once we've won enough badges, then we can challenge the Pokémon League to try and become Champion."

Lena understood maybe a third of all that. "So…in other words, this journey is like a right of passage for children in your world?"

"Is it just me, or does this world seem to revolve around Pokémon?" Kurena said, tilting her head with a frown.

"You don't have Pokemon where you're from?" Bobby asked, looking baffled as well. "What's that even like?"

"We have Legion instead," Shin answered bluntly.

"Huh?"

"An army of autonomous killing machines that's set to destroy humanity," Raiden explained grimly. "That's what we've been fighting against."

"…Yikes…"

They all settled into a contemplative silence, reflecting on the new information.

It was too weird to think about, especially for the Eighty-Six. In an alternate universe…instead of losing their families and being sent to the battlefield, they could have…traveled the world? With monster companions? What kind of Saturday morning cartoon fantasy was this?

Meanwhile, Lena bit her lip. Something nagged at her. The way that Bobby seemed so unperturbed by the fact that they were from another world…

"Um, Bobby. Would you happen to know…how we might have come here? It happened so suddenly, like we were just suddenly…teleported…"

"Well, I could imagine a possible reason. If something weird happens, it's probably a Legendary Pokemon that did it."

Lena was taken aback by how easily he came up with an explanation. "Legendary…Pokemon?"

"Yeah. We have stories of god-like Pokemon who have power over time and space. Maybe one of those whisked you over here? That's really all I can think of."

"What the hell?" said Theo. "That's terrifying."

"W-Wait a minute." Lena clutched her head. "What are Pokémon exactly? Are they animals, or are they supernatural beings?!"

"They're lots of things. They can be animals, or plants, or bugs, or living rocks, or ghosts, or fairies. Some are even living garbage or toxic sludge."

"Uh…what the fuck…"

"And that's why you call them monsters?" Anju asked, looking shook.

"So that's it…" Shin nodded to himself, the only one in the group who seemed satisfied with this explanation.

"So…if we wanted to go back home, we'd have to find one of those god-like Pokemon?" Lena asked, in disbelief. "If they even exist?"

"Yeah, and catch it. Then you could order it to do whatever you want."

A stunned silence fell over the group.

"Can't we just ask nicely…?" Lena said quietly.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it. With Pokémon that powerful, you need to earn their respect first. And that usually means defeating it in battle."

"…So it's like when we Eighty-Six fight it out to decide who's captain of a squadron, huh."

"But how are we supposed to fight gods? We don't even have Juggernauts!"

"By using your own Pokémon, of course!" Bobby said. "The best way to get to your goal is to become Pokemon Trainers. You'd have to train a powerful team of Pokémon to even stand a chance at catching a legendary Pokémon."

The Eighty-Six exchanged wary glances.

Kurena wrinkled her nose. "…We have to make Pokemon fight for us? I don't like the sound of that."

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm misunderstanding," Lena said hesitantly. "We have to recruit a team of Pokemon? How would we go about doing that?"

"We catch them." Bobby took a ball-like object out of his pocket. "We have these things called Pokeballs that we throw at Pokemon after we weaken them in battle. That allows us to catch them and carry them around in our pocket. Hence the name Pocket Monsters."

"Now I'm starting to understand…" Anju said quietly.

"Guess this world isn't so rosy after all," Theo muttered.

"So…you enslave them?" Lena began to turn pale.

"Nonono, the Pokemon fight willingly! See, catching a Pokémon in a Pokeball helps tame them, so they become willing to fight for you."

"It brainwashes them?!"

"Pokemon are too intelligent to eat, but not intelligent enough not to force into battle, huh?" Raiden said. "Sounds familiar."

"Hold on, hold on!" Bobby raised his hands. "You're all taking this the wrong way!"

"Are we? Because it sure sounds like you've just replaced war with glorified cockfights."

"Yeah, you basically kidnap them and make them fight for sport? How's that any better than eating them?"

Bobby groaned.

"First of all, they like to fight. It's how they gain experience, become stronger, and evolve. Partnering with a Trainer helps them with that; it's a mutually beneficial relationship. And just because you've caught a Pokémon doesn't mean they're automatically going to listen to you. It's still up to the skill and character of the Trainer to earn the Pokémon's respect. So yeah, Pokemon aren't slaves! They're more like…partners?"

"Partners…" Shin spoke up contemplatively. "I wonder if that's something like what I have with Fido."

They all looked at him.

"Fido?" Bobby asked.

"Our Scavenger," Kurena explained. "It's a robot that's basically Shin's pet? Servant? And our comrade-in-arms."

"Comrade-in-arms!" Bobby snapped his fingers. "That's it! That's what I'm talking about!"

"But you said you're not at war?"

"We're not. We fight for our own personal glory. We bond with our Pokemon during that journey and grow together. We become like family."

They mulled the idea over in their heads, still not quite convinced.

"In any case, if you want to get around in this world, you'll need to catch at least one Pokemon. It's dangerous to wander the wilderness without one. And you'll need money to buy food, clothes, and supplies. And to earn money, you have to win battles against other Pokémon Trainers. You guys are lucky I just won a gym battle and got flush with cash; I restocked enough in the previous town that I can spare you some Pokeballs."

"This world really does revolve around Pokémon…" Lena sighed. "I suppose we have no choice. We can always release our Pokemon back to the wild when we go back to our world, right?"

"Sure, you can do that. But…why do you want to go back, anyway?" Bobby frowned. "It sounds like you come from some crapsack hellworld."

An uncomfortable pause.

"Because…we're soldiers. The battlefield is all we know," Shin said.

"Weren't you forced to become that though? Maybe the reason you were brought here is so you can have a second chance? So you can start over with a new life? Why'd you want to go back to a world where you have to fight killing machines and probably die?"

"We didn't ask to be saved!" Kurena snapped.

"We've been through this once before," Anju sighed. "We were saved, and given a chance to live away from the battlefield. But we chose to go back."

"Why? To end the war? Is that what you're fighting for?"

The mood grew increasingly tense. By now Bobby began to suspect that he'd overstepped. He waved his hands. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrogate you guys. I just…don't get it."

"That's what I'm fighting for," Lena spoke up, her voice clear as a silver bell. "To finally end this war, and all the atrocities that came with it. And we have comrades left behind in our world who are still fighting. I can't abandon them. I have to see it through with them, because that's my duty as their commander."

Everyone's eyes were on her now.

"So yes, even if it means I have to track down an all-powerful god and bend it to my will, I will go back."

"And we'll go with you," Shin said, quietly but resolutely.

They all nodded, fond smiles on their faces.

"That's the scary thing about her. When Lena says she'll do something, she might just do it," Raiden chuckled.

Anju nodded. "And after all, we've left Frederica, Fido, and the others behind. We need to go back for them too."

"Agreed," Theo said with a smirk.

"Yup!" Kurena chirped.

Bobby let out a long sigh. "Well, if that's what you want. I can help you guys get started at least. There's a town close by, so I'll accompany you there, and teach you how to catch Pokemon on the way."

"About that," Shin said. "I think there's a Pokemon we can catch right now."

They all looked at him.

Shin glanced up at the air above them. "You can come out now."

And suddenly, it appeared. They all gasped.

"Oh shit!" Bobby said. "It's a Duskull!"

"Is this one of those ghost Pokemon you mentioned?" Shin asked.

"Uh, yeah. That's a Ghost type Pokemon, all right."

"Shin, what the fuck?! It's been here this whole time?!"

"Actually, it's been following us around since yesterday," Shin said coolly.

"Shin…you really need to tell us about these things, man…"

He shrugged. "It doesn't seem to mean any harm though."

"You sure about that? Because I've heard stories that it likes to spirit away children or feed on their life force or something," Bobby said nervously.

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!" Lena squeaked.

"That sounds plenty harmful to me!"

"Is that really true, or are those just stories?" Shin asked with a frown.

"Well…honestly, Ghost type Pokemon are kind of a mystery…so who knows…"

Everyone turned to look at the Duskull. It just stared back at them, levitating in the air.

Raiden let out a sigh, turning to Shin. "So let me guess. That thing you heard when we first got here. It was this?"

"Yeah."

"Is it going to bother you?"

Shin tilted his head in thought. "I don't mind it, honestly. I'm not used to silence, so it helps to have some background noise."

"Well, that's good enough for me. Shin is the most qualified out of all of us to determine whether it's a threat."

"Oh, so he's a Medium?" Bobby asked.

"Uh…something like that."

"That makes sense then. Mediums have an affinity for Ghost types, and I think Ghost types tend to be drawn to them too."

"Then…I suppose we'll have to trust Shin's instincts," Lena said, gulping. "He's never let us down before."

"In that case…" Bobby handed his Pokeball to Shin. "Here. Usually you'd have to weaken the Pokemon first and then throw this at them, but let's see if this one comes willingly."

Shin stood, facing the Duskull. "I don't know why you keep following us, but…" He raised the Pokeball in his hand awkwardly. "If you're going to do that anyway…want to join me?"

The Duskull floated over. It seemed to regard the Pokeball with curiosity, before giving it a poke with one of its arms. At once, the Pokeball opened and sucked the Duskull inside.

They all gasped again. The Pokeball snapped shut and wriggled a couple of times in Shin's hand before going still.

"Brilliant!" Bobby grinned. "See, that means it wants to go with you, otherwise it would break out easily. Congratulations, dude! You've just caught your first Pokemon!"

Shin gazed at the Pokeball housing the Duskull, not knowing quite how to feel. Should he be honored that the Pokemon wanted to come with him? He didn't even really understand why. But then…he didn't understand why Fido chose to tag along with him either, but he appreciated it all the same. So he supposed it didn't really matter.

Lena and the other Eighty-Six gathered around him, peering at the Pokeball curiously.

"Wow. It's really in there, huh?"

"I wonder how that works…"

"Hey, so are you going to give it a nickname?" Bobby asked.

"Nickname?"

"Yeah, some people like to do that. Give their Pokémon a name."

Shin thought about it for five seconds. "Undertaker."

Raiden groaned.

Theo shook his head. "Zero points for originality, man."

"I think it fits, though!" Kurena said.

"Yes, it does bear some resemblance to a Juggernaut," Lena agreed.

Bobby sat back, watching them chatter excitedly about their first Pokémon like a group of children. His first impression of them had been awful, and he was admittedly worried when he heard that they were child soldiers. But seeing them like this, he thought maybe they weren't so different after all.

He smiled, feeling nostalgia and a strange sense of pride. Was this how Pokémon Professors felt, seeing off newbie trainers on their journeys?

Then Anju turned to check on the food cooking on the campfire. "Oh, looks like dinner is ready!"

Bobby looked away with haunted eyes. "I've really gotta show you guys how to find proper food…"

Author's Note:

Please note that I am aware of the Great Pokemon War Theory, but I do not subscribe to it. Whatever war that Lt. Surge fought in, we hardly get any details about it, such as where it was even fought. For that matter, where is 'America' in the Pokemon world, anyway? Unova? Then why are the only wars we ever hear about in the distant past? Why don't we ever meet soldiers other than those in Lt. Surge's gym? Because of all these inconsistent details, for the sake of this story, let's just go with the idea that the Pokemon world is mostly at peace.