I took a deep breath, making sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Slowly pulling, tugging, poking and pinching myself to make sure the boy in the mirror was really me. Every move I made was mirrored by the reflection.

"How on earth..." I muttered to myself.

Almost as if in response, a strange box materialised in front of me like a window in a video game, filled with text.

[Your second chance has been granted.]

I blinked in disbelief, staring for a few moments at the text displayed in front of me. I reached out to touch it, but my hand passed right through, as if it were just empty air. A few moments later, it suddenly disappeared, only to rematerialise with new text.

[The tutorial will begin shortly.]

"Are you talking to me...?" I asked quietly, but the box did not respond, only vanishing a few moments later.

Groggily, I walked back out of the Bathroom, and almost collided head first with a woman waiting outside.

"There you are Cyan! I've been calling all morning, why weren't you responding?"

I stared up at the figure in front of me, and tears began to well up in my eyes.

My mother...

"W-wah!? Cyan, are you alright? Did something happen?!"

My mother began to panic at sight of my tears, but I hardly cared. Without another thought, I reached out and hugged her. She was still for a moment, before gently returning my embrace.

"I don't know what happened, but it's okay now. Momma's here..."

My mother had always been a kind woman. She was like that all the way up to her death. I hadn't seen her face in well over ten years, and yet the sight of her alive and well was instantly recognisable.

"Weren't you looking forward to today? It's your first day of Pokemon Training, remember?"

I froze in her arms. Today was the first day? That meant it was around February, when I was 11 years old. It would only be a few years before Pallet town was destroyed in a stampede of wild Pokemon. Only a small handful survived by fighting their way out, led by Red the Hero.

I happened to be away when it happened, which is why I was safe. My mother hadn't been so lucky.

I'd always wanted to ask Red about what happened, but I never got the chance to get close to him before he died. In the end, all I knew about that day was the media reports that reached Johto.

Just as I was thinking about all of this, my gaze drifted to my side, where another window had opened.

[Move to Oak's Lab to begin the Tutorial Quest]

...Right, I remember what happens today.

I slowly pulled myself away from my mother, who was still looking at me with concern. I smiled sweetly at her, trying not to stoke her fears any further. "I'm okay now."

She nodded gently, and we separated.

Today is the day I made the first of many mis-steps that led to my death. This time, I won't make the same mistake.

Every few years in early February Professor Oak would take every kid of age and teach them how to catch their partner. It's possible to catch Pokemon later, but the first Pokemon you catch will be an inseparable partner for the rest of your life.

One of the most famous superstitions among the barracks was that your partner Pokemon was a sign of how successful you'd be later in life.

Lance's Dratini. Cynthia's Gible. Diantha's Ralts. Even Red's Charmander, they all caught exceptionally rare Pokemon as their partners, and grew to be exceptional trainers.

As for me?

A three-legged Rattata.

If that superstition is correct, then perhaps I was always destined to die, and I just delayed the inevitable. Which is why this time, I intend to catch something rare and powerful! I won't be satisfied with a Rattata this time!

...

The grassy front yard was abuzz with the noises of children chattering away excitedly while their parents eye them watchfully. A group of around 8 children and their parents stood in front of a breathtaking white building, contrasting the rural buildings nearby.

This was the famous laboratory of Professor Oak, said to be one of the most influential Professors in Kanto history. No-one knew why he moved out to Pallet town, but with the benefit of the future I know of, I suspect it had something to do with Red. I wonder if the adults were already scouting out potential soldiers even this early on...

I shook off those thoughts, returning my attention to the children playing together while they waited for Professor Oak to arrive. A part of me longed to join them, but I was a child in body only. The thought of simply playing games like Tag or 'Chasey' when I know what will happen to our country in the future made my stomach turn.

Truth be told, I had tried to hang out with them earlier, but I acted too much like an adult and they quickly pushed me away, saying I was weird. So I'm going to pretend that it's purely my sense of duty.

Instead I found myself slouching against the wall of the Laboratory, taking some weight off my legs as I waited for Oak myself.

And as I relaxed, I heard a tiny squeak from beside me. When I turned to look, I was met with an unfamiliar looking young girl. She had shoulder length black hair, and grey eyes that shone past her bangs. She quickly hid her face behind the yellow mouse-like plushie that she was carrying, hugging it tight as if she were terrified to be in my gaze.

For a minute she sat there shaking, head buried in the Pikachu plush, but after some time passed in silence she stopped, and cautiously gazed back up at me. Her eyes seemed less scared now and more... Curious. Almost like she was asking me a question.

"...Are you wondering why I'm not hanging out with the other kids?" I guessed.

She seemed to jolt in response to my question, retreating a few steps from me. Despite this, a few moments later she nodded.

"...I don't fit in with them." I answered, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. "I'd rather just relax until the Prof gets here. Goodness knows what's taking so long."

The silence returned as I finished my answer, and I laid back for a while. Then when I opened my eyes, I found myself face-to-face with the mysterious girl.

The fear was gone, and her eyes were shining seriously, as if she were asking me Why don't you fit in?

"...I..." I swallowed, thinking how to respond. "I just have trouble with people my age, I guess...?" I responded half-heartedly, glancing away.

But she pressed her face even closer, her eyes shimmering brighter than ever, as if asking Are you like me?

I couldn't help but laugh, and the girl seemed to realise how close she'd gotten and pulled back, hiding her face behind the plushie again.

"Well, I think we're both outcasts now. We're the same in that way at least."

She cautiously slid her head back into view. Does that mean we can be friends?

"Sure."

Really?!

"I don't see why not."

A friend... A real friend... Ah! What's your name?

I frowned slightly. My ability to read this girl was almost uncanny. I had no memory of meeting her in my past life, yet it seemed as though I could understand what she was saying just by meeting her gaze.

I'd trained my ability to read body language like hell in the army, but was it really this proficient?

Worst case scenario, maybe this girl was terrified of me, and I was rambling a one-sided conversation at a girl who would rather be left alone...

But when I looked in her eyes again, I could tell just how excited she was. Whether I was reading her correctly or not, she was super happy to be talking to someone.

"I'm Cyan. What's your name?"

She pouted ever so slightly. Mmm. How can I tell you without speaking?

"Right, well what should I call you then?"

She stared off in thought for a moment, before lifting up the Pikachu plushie and turning it to me. She pointed towards the electric pouch on it's cheek.

"Cheek?"

Oop, that prompted a full on pout from the young girl. Looks like that wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"Well, what if I just call you Chee for now?"

She stares blankly at me for a few seconds before her eyes start shining brightly again. Like a nickname?

"Sure. It's better than just calling you 'girl' right?"

She nodded fervently.

The next few minutes passed quickly with Chee asking me question after question by pointing at things and looking at me, and me doing my best to figure out what she was asking and answer. Just when I was starting to think Oak was never going to show up, the sliding doors to the laboratory opened, and the Professor himself stepped out.

"Ah! There you are!" He exclaimed, dashing over to me. I was startled for a moment, before I realised who he was talking to.

"I'm sorry. I lost sight of you, were you scared?" He asked, kneeling in front of Chee and gently placing a hand on her cheek.

Chee shook her head slightly and Oak breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for being brave."

Oak took the girl's hand and began to lead her away. Chee turned back to look at me shyly one last time as she left. Thanks for talking to me. I had fun!

I smiled slightly. It was now clear why Oak had taken so long to come out and see us, he was looking for Chee. That also explains why I never saw her before. In my last life, she probably went back inside without talking to anyone, and if she lives at the lab I would never have had a reason to go there again.

"I enjoyed talking to you too. Take care Chee!" I waved with a smile.

The professor gave me an odd look as Chee nodded happily, and the sliding doors of the laboratory slid closed cutting us off. I stretched my arms. I'd gotten so stiff while talking to Chee without even realising it.

As I was stretching, a sight that was beginning to become too familiar appeared in front of me. A game-like window with text.

[The Tutorial is starting...]

[Tutorial 1: Catching

- Learn how to Catch a Pokemon.
- Discover a Pokemon suitable to be your partner and capture it.

Rewards: Gain Type Proficiency
Penalty for Failure: Death]

I winced at the description in front of me. So you're telling me if I pick a bad starter again, I'm guaranteed to die huh...

I suppose the 'window' buys in to that superstition as well.

...

A few minutes after bidding farewell to Chee, the group of children all sat impatiently yet obediently lined up in front of the Pokemon Professor.

Oak was an older gentleman, probably in his mid fifties. His hair still had an edge of brown to it, but was clearly going grey. You couldn't tell just by looking, but I knew from my past life that he was far stronger and fitter than he appeared.

The man coughed, and all conversation ceased. Gripping a ball at his belt, Oak presented it to all of us. The ball was a metallic contraption, red metal comprising the top half, white the bottom, both separated by a black strip with a shiny silver button.

"As I'm sure many of you are well aware, this world is inhabited by creatures we call Pokemon."

With a deft hand he tosses the mechanical ball into the air, and in a burst of blue energy a small marsupial appeared in front of our crowd. A purple-skinned quadruped with pointy ears and a horn, known as Nidorino.

"For some people Pokemon are Pets. Others use them for battling, as for me..."

And then the man paused, as if considering what to say. The speech seemed so rehearsed and practiced, yet he froze when explaining what he did.

That oddity only strengthened my belief that he was actually here to grow the next generation of soldiers. Perhaps it's immoral, but having lived through the future I saw...

I can't bring myself to resent him for it.

"...I study Pokemon as a profession."

He answered after the brief hesitation.

"But the world beyond the town walls is a dangerous place to go alone, if you had a Pokemon by your side they can help you fend off wild Pokemon!"

He gestured to the Nidorino standing regally in front of us, who pointed it's horn upwards proudly.

"Once upon a time you would have had to brave the wilds and risk your life to catch a Pokemon, but that's very dangerous, so instead..."

Oak walked us past the side of the laboratory until we reached a gate to his back yard, a large Pokemon enclosure filled with areas replicating Forests, Deserts, Lakes and more.

"We'll be using my own Lab's Pokemon field! The pokemon here are used to people and far less likely to be violent than the Pokemon in the wild, and if something happens, just call and we'll be there to help!"

Oak went on to explain proper ball throwing technique, how to engage with wild Pokemon safely, and other information about capturing wild Pokemon. I started to tune it out, as I had already had catching technique beaten into me daily when I was in military boot camp.

Instead my eyes drifted back to the Laboratory, where my eyes met a face I was already growing familiar with.

Chee stood in one of the higher floors of the Laboratory, watching the kids be taught with a forlorn expression.

In the time we'd talked before I came to realise that despite her shyness, she really did just want friends. It's a shame she wasn't more sociable.

I waved to the girl with a smile, and she immediately jolted and hid away again. Poor girl, I wish I could do something for her.

I was reminded again of the fateful end of pallet town. Was Chee one of the survivors in my past life? I had a sinking feeling that she was probably still holed up in the lab when the stampede occurred. Only those close to Red had survived, so she probably...

I strengthened my resolve. This time around I would make sure nothing like that disaster could happen again. For Pallet town, for Chee, and for my Mother, I would make sure to save them all.

"And so with all that said," Oak started to reach his conclusion. "I wish all of you the best in finding your new lifelong partners!"

And he swung open the gates.