Chapter 1 – High in the sky and trouble on the horizon

XxxxxX

It all happened so quick so terrifyingly quick, as quick as a strike of lightning.

Let me go back to the start, I had just gotten back from my summer job, met my mom in the porch cleaning, if anyone asked about my mom they would tell you about the kind sweet lady that would help at the drop of a hat, Ha... but if you actually knew her, you would say the exact opposite, she was cruel and calculating, if you didn't provide some benefit to her you were useless, which obviously meant I was never good enough in her eyes, an embarrassment, I was a nerd not for books or science but games and she hated that I could find "useless Shit" fun or informative.

The good thing though was that if I helped my old man on our farm out whenever he needed it, she let my love of video games slide. That is, as long as it didn't interfere with her image, she would turn a blind eye. Which I was more than glad about seeing as the farm wasn't all that bad unless you had to deal with any feisty cows or bulls, yeesh never try and hold a gate to keep a cow in a coral, it doesn't end well for your ribs…

Anyway, I had spent most of my summer doing odd jobs around our street for our neighbors saving up cash for the new Gen 4 Pokémon remakes.

It Took me about a weeks' worth of effort to convince people to pay me for yard work and another few days to finally have enough saved up to buy the games on release when they came out.

I spent the rest of my summer working with my dad on the farm as "fun" as that was, to many close calls with the cattle at least they were more open with you than my old man, he was nice enough if not eerily quiet and damn near impossible to read, he could've won millions and not have given more than a slight shrug, hell I've had longer talks with a duck than him, at least with him you didn't have to worry about anything other than some daily farm work to keep in his good graces which, depending on the year net you some good gifts like the Quad he bought me for my birthday when I was twelve (technically for farm work but still!).

I was barely containing my excitement at the impending release of my favorite remake coming into fruition, I would be able to go re-experience the game that made me love Pokémon. I was at the store an hour before it opened to get my pre-order, barely able to contain my glee with my friend Arlo, with me.

Arlo is a lot like me in that regard, we've spent so much of our school life playing Pokémon games with each other to the point we're able to read the other like books, no strategy to difficult to counter or shut down. We were friends since we met each other in our mixed grade one and two class during our gym class when we played tag and he tripped and broke my nose… we were damn near inseparable since.

Ever since diamond and pearl released, we've been battling each other to the point we had both gotten into competitive tournaments and crushed almost everyone. So, it was no surprise that we had both been damn near hyperventilation when the Pokémon company announced the remakes.

Getting back on topic the games had just been released and we rushed to the store the moment we woke up, which is to say way too early to even get into the store, Eight forty-five in the morning.

The moment the doors were unlocked we were in and out only stopping to get coffee from Tim Hortons and back to my house to play our games, he got pearl and I got diamond. We were excited to battle each other once we had our starters, Arlo had always favored the fire types, while I on the other hand usually picked grass…other than Chikorita, Cyndaquil was badass okay.

Sorry back on topic again, we got back to my place, we opened the games booted them up and just when we were just about to get to our starters, Arlo had to go help his dad out, he and his dad owned a shop in town where we went to school. His dad had phoned him and had Arlo come watch the store because his dad woke up to a nasty stomach flu. So, I told him I would wait to play so that I couldn't get a head start and we could play together.

After about an hour of pathetic self-control I broke, I walked up to the Professors briefcase and picked my starter.

Instantly my head felt like it had been run over by a ten-ton truck, my senses were dulled, my vision blurred, time felt like it had come to a standstill, oxygen being ripped from my lungs causing me to double over in pain.

Then Nothing but an inky abyss, a freezing chill as my body felt like it was thrown into a woodchipper, an industrial sized Costco freezer, and a burning volcano all at once. Thousands of images; animals that sparked some sort of familiarity before passing by too fast, landscapes of places I had never seen, and visions of ancient wars flooded my mind, all too fast for my brain to understand, accompanied by hushed whispering of ancient voices all trying to speak at once, all sounding desperate but none in a way could understand, and then back to nothing only an abyss of light.

XxxxxX

I don't know how long it had been since I passed out, but once I woke up, I damn near shit myself.

I was God knows how high in the sky, nothing around me, all I could feel were the extreme winds whipping at me, dark clouds and rain pelting my face.

I looked down from to where I was falling and saw rapidly approaching water.

Clearly, I must be dreaming, how else could I go from my home in the middle of the prairie to hundreds of meters in the air.

Chuckling to myself and pinching my arm to wake myself up…. Nothing but a sharp pain on my forearm.

I pinched myself repeatedly until my arm was covered in red welts and turning purple, I wasn't dreaming, I was falling to my death.

Screaming in terror as I fell to my impending doom, crying as I fell increasingly faster to my death.

100 meters…

I looked around to see if anything could help me…. Nothing.

60 meters…

Looking around at my surroundings this time, I could see a forest surrounding a town not too far away from the lake that I was nearing closer by the second.

30 meters…

My life started to flash as I fell, the Gameboy my dad bought me when I was little with Pokémon red, I was too little to understand how to play but I loved it. My first DS lite with a copy of Pokémon Sapphire in the Gameboy cartridge, when I first met Arlo in School, my one and only friend.

10 meters…

I held my breath.

5 meters…

I closed my eyes.

1 meter…

Then nothing, no impact, no pain, just nothing. I opened my eyes I was only a few centimeters away from my near death above the water floating.

I took a minute, let me rephrase that, it took me a few minutes to catch my breath, my body frozen from the temperature of the air on the way down.

I looked around trying to find the source of purple energy that kept me afloat and had saved my life. I heard an ethereal squeal behind me.

looking behind myself, I saw a strange small figure with pink tendrils of hair and two tails with ruby-like gems imbedded in them, and gentle, curious eyes looking into mine, I felt a tug at my mind a cold shiver ran down my spine as the being emitted a purple light from its eyes peering into my mind, content with what it had seen and reaching an understanding, it giggled making another echo across the lake.

Another flash later and I was on the shoreline of the lake, face first into the sandy shore, I stood up to fast making me see stars and tumble over into the freezing lake. I attempted to sit up in the water weakly a few times before I managed to get up, looking at my reflection as the water calmed. My hair was a deep green instead of its normal dark brown, and my eyes were now a silvery grey instead of their usual green and blue mix.

After staring at my reflection for a good while, making certain that it was indeed my reflection, I left the water back to the beach, unfortunately the moment I set a foot on solid ground my vision faded, and I passed out onto the beach.

XxxxxX

Opening my eyes, sand stuck to my eyelids, I rolled onto my back staring at the sky clouds blocking out the warm rays of sunlight that would've dried my soaked clothing and warmed me. I sat up, my body shivering, and feeling less nauseous, and I braved getting up.

My body was incredibly stiff, my joints were all protesting the sudden movement they were being forced to do. It took my weakened and tense body a few groggy moments to try and figure out what just happened.

"Urgghh… what the fuck… happened? I spoke in a tired whisper, trying to clear the fog from my mind.

I recalled the fall, the strange pink two-tailed animal that saved my life, and the second sudden teleportation that made me want to puke.

Getting up properly this time I looked over my body for any other differences, my gray sweater was now soaked along with the rest of my clothes, I wore a dark blue shirt underneath, I had the same jeans on, with my phone in my back pocket, hopefully not wrecked from the water, and even though I know I wasn't wearing my shoes before this all happened, they were here on my feet albeit the wrong way around, so clearly it wasn't me that put them on.

Looking up at the sky I saw the sun was starting to set, I realized I either had to make shelter for the night or try and find that town I saw from the air, and from how sore my body was I knew the town wasn't an option.

After making my decision I gathered some dry wood, leaves and grass not far from the shore, in a meager attempt to warm myself up and dry my clothes off.

After half an hour I finally got it going strong enough that I wouldn't have to worry for the night, I laid my clothes out next to the fire and curled up next to it for the night to try and let my body rest after my painful journey. Unfortunately, my mind had issues with this plan.

"What if I can't get home? What was that noise off into the brush? What the hell was that pink creature reminding himself of?"

My mind was flooded with questions that my body was too weak to get up and find out, but soon after, I slid into an uncomfortable and restless sleep.

I got up the next morning my body feeling considerably better, getting up to find food after my stomach announced its discontent with a lack of food. I started off in what I could only assume was the direction I saw the town from the day priors fall from the sky.

Walking through the lush green bushes I had seen some interesting types of berries, I leaned in closer trying get a better look and I picked it trying to place where I had seen them before, the berries were round and a dark blue, they looked like blue mini oranges, deciding on whether or not my stomach could hold on until town or not, I nibbled at one.

They were packed right to the brim with a dry-sour flavor, they tasted almost damn exactly like the mini oranges my grandma used to grow so sour it makes your lips pucker. Licking my lips to give them some moisture, I ate the one I had and several others only stopping to fill my pockets with the rest.

My pockets! I still had my phone. I never thought to check it after I fell.

I jammed my hand in my back pocket, desperate to find out if my phone was in working condition. I powered it on to come face to face with an update bar….? Strange maybe something about the landing or the water made it crash or something, as long as it works once it's done, I don't care I only hope it finishes soon.

Picking the last of the berries I started back on the 'trail' I had been walking on that would hopefully lead me towards the town.

As I walked the sounds of nature sounded vastly different than what I was used to, instead of chirps or buzzing It almost seemed like Pokémon cries but, that's not possible is it? As I continued on a shadow flew above me.

"Damn that was a big bird, I wonder where it was going?" the literal moment, after I finished speaking it landed on my shoulder making me jump and causing the bird to squawk "STARLYYYY"

Whaaat diid he say!?

I looked over sitting on my shoulder wings splayed out in surprise was a Starly… an honest to god living breathing Starly… What. The. Fuck…

The Starly calmed down after a couple of seconds and flew off

XxxxxX

Close to my second hour of walking I could hear some shouting, my horrible small-town nature showed, and I nosily got closer to the noise to see an older man, probably in his late fifties or mid-sixties, getting harassed by some weird blue haired guy probably a few years older than myself with a grey uniform on.

I walked up quickly and shouted "what the hell Is going on? Leave the old man alone!" As quick as I finished they both quickly looked over at me, one with an inquisitive glance and the other a deadly glare one I've only seen on angry cows when I've gotten between them and their calf give.

"And what the hell do you want brat? Did your mommy leave you? Screw off the adults are talking." He said snarkily, while looking back over to the older gentleman and swiftly grabbing the briefcase from his hands. Taking off from the old man towards the forest. I don't know what took over me, but I chased after that pointy blue haired bastard as fast as I could, slowly gaining on him

lunging at him, and quickly reaching out for the arm holding the briefcase and grabbing hold. The man clearly wasn't expecting for me to catch up that quickly and tumbled to the ground, briefcase flying out of his hands, I ran to grab it, the man weakly getting up probably still dazed from tumbling so hard. I deftly grabbed it from the ground taking off to smack the blue haired idiot from trying to grab it again.

With a great swing and a loud thunk the man fell to the ground unconscious. The old man slowly caught up only to see the final blow. Turning around I saw him behind me getting a closer look, I realized just who he was, Professor Rowan of Sandgem town. A bit different than I had expected from his animated form but that was expected, he had a youthful vigor in his eyes and he carried himself in a dignified manner towards me and introduced himself.

"Young man, my name is Professor Rowan, I don't know how I could possibly thank you. That briefcase he had stolen was years of hard work of my team's research." "It was nothing, really, my name is Rusk… Rusk Matton."

I quickly handed over the rather large briefcase, the professor grabbing onto it in thought looking at the boy in front of him and grunting in satisfaction once he had come to an answer. "How old are you kid?" "I turned 18 a couple of months ago why?" "Have you received your Partner Pokémon yet?"

My eyes opened wider than I thought possible, am I about to get a Pokémon! "No sir, in fact I was heading to Sandgem town in hopes I could find out if I was eligible to receive one." The older gentleman gave a hearty chuckle "The only thing I need to know is that you helped me without hesitation, If I didn't think you were good enough, I wouldn't have brought it up. Come on let's get to the lab, there should be one other beginner trainer showing up today to receive their Partner as well." He turned and motioned for me to follow, I walked next to him with no hesitation.

After about another hour and a half of idle chatter, we had reached the lab. Walking up to the gate taking in the sight of the large lab, a large almost school- like building with a large observatory on the east side facing the forest behind the lab.

My mouth dropped at the sight, dozens of Pokémon dotting the landscape from common bug type to the rarer dragon. "Wow! Its incredible Professor!" I finished speaking as I knelt down to the approaching Herd of Bidoof.

Reaching out one of the bigger ones sniffed my hands, I don't have a clue what I smelt like but it must have liked it because it was now licking my hand.

The professor chuckled to me, "Ha, you must have some Oran berry juice on your hand Rusk. Those little buggers love the stuff."

Oran berries huh… OH! He must mean those blue oranges I found must have been an Oran berry bush.

I must have been petting the Bidoof for too long as the professor put his hand on my back to get my attention, looking up at him with a sheepish grin, "Sorry about that professor I just really love Pokémon, they're all just so incredible, you know?"

Rowan actually grinned at that which surprised me, in the short time I've known him he usually keeps a gruff look on his face maybe a small smile never a full grin. The professor shook his head, "hah you just remind me of myself. Pokémon are incredible Rusk, to this very day they mystify us, no matter how much we learn about them there always seems to be more to discover. It's one of the reasons I chose to become a researcher, in different hands the same Pokémon can grow in seemingly infinite ways, they can grow to be forces of nature in the hands of a skilled trainer, they can learn just as much if not more than we can, and yet in the wild a Pokémon can only grow so strong, while humans only ever seem to advance with Pokémon at our side. Its as if people and Pokémon were made to live together."

As he continued on his speech I could only stare in awe, the man in front of me truly was a researcher, thinking of everything in such detail, the games always made him seem more of the strong and gruff type but that was far from the truth, the man in front of me was a professor dedicated to his craft and loved every bit of it good or bad. Purely because of how enthralled he was by Pokémon.

The professor must have seen his more complicated research fly over my head as he coughed into his hand, "ahem. Sorry about that its not very often that the youth today care for details, most of them see Pokémon as a means to an end, never for the journey they undertake with said Pokémon. Pokémon from my understanding are partners, that's why I never refer to the first Pokémon I give to a young trainer as their starter, the way most other researchers refer to them because the term starter never sounds good to me, the term starter always makes it sound like the starter will be forgotten and left behind, but partner? Partners stay with you your entire life through the thick and thin, the good and bad."

Putting my hand on my chin tilting my head, "partners huh… I like the sound of that. So, Professor when can I meet my new 'partner'." I spoke out smiling back at the man in front of me.

"How about right now? I should say first, this Pokémon is not a native to this region which is why I believe the two of you are perfect for each other." he spoke out, digging in his briefcase and grabbing a Poke'ball and holding it out to me with a knowing twinkle in his eye. My eyes probably looked like dinner plates as I heard what he said, 'but… how? I don't know how he could now I'm not from this world!' my mind racing until a red sheen caught my eye, the Poke'ball, P-O-K-E-accent Ball! And inside this ball would be my partner for the rest of my life.

Reaching out and grabbing the ball from Rowan, I held it gently it felt so light but there was a warmth coming from inside. "Come on out!" I yelled out with excitement… but nothing happened.

"…uhm, any help Professor I've never used a Poke'ball before." The professor just smiled, "you have to enlarge the ball first Rusk hold the button on the front until it pulses then you can call out and meet your new partner."

I mumbled to myself, "of course of course, this world is not a game, therefore it must have principles and explanations similar to the anime." Holding the button down I felt a pulse, almost akin to a heartbeat followed by the ball growing from around two inches in diameter to five inches, and the lightness it held before was gone as the ball now felt like it actually contained had something inside and the warmth I felt before had increases. The ball in my hand felt alive.

Holding the ball up to my head feeling the warmth it gave off I tossed the ball, it started to open up as it went and a beam of red light started to form a shape on the ground, and then the ball came back and on the ground was a Pokémon I was very much not expecting.

"Cynda?" in front of me on the ground staring at me curiously was a Cyndaquil, small flames on its back burning slowly almost… methodically.

My hand covered my mouth as I looked at the young Pokémon in front of me, its bright red eyes gleaming with curiosity as it ran up to me and started to inspect me.

"Astonishment time over Rusk!' I reached out stopping my hand in front of it, "nice to meet you Cyndaquil, my names Rusk and I hope we can be partners." I asked and Cyndaquil responded quickly, "Cynda! Cynda-Quill" it cried out jumping into my stomach and knocking the air out of me.

"OOOMPH- nice to meet you too! Now your gonna need a name…hmmm what about… Cinder? No? how about Nova?" I was immediately headbutted and once again lost my breath. Catching my breath, "I'll take that as a yes." I smiled and my new partner responded in kind.

"I can tell he likes you; he's never been this comfortable with anyone in the lab before. You both seem to be one of the best matchups I've made in a while. Now come along rusk we have some forms to fill out enabling you to battle and enter the league if you so chose, but first I must ask. How was my guess? Spot on I take it? This isn't my first time dealing with a new arrival here in Sinnoh, although the last time was in my youth." he says as he turns towards me with a slight smile to his lip.

Sighing as I stand back up picking up Nova and setting him on my shoulder as I face the professor, "id say pretty spot on, considering its only my second day since I got here."

Chuckling to myself as he nods and rubs his chin, "then how would you like to be one of this years sponsored trainers? You would be entitled to a monthly stipend of 3000 PD, a pokedex, a starting package of all sorts of supplies beginner trainers need, and in your case Nova, but either way you would receive him as a thank you for saving me from that plasma member. Oh! And since you're a rather 'special' case, you'll need to get some identification for your sudden 'arrival' in Sinnoh."

Nodding at him, as I began to explain the differences between my home-world and the poke-world.

XxxxxX

ANNND that's a wrap! My rewrite of Rusks story isn't a truly different take but its one I feel helps guide my writing, with this as my starting point I feel I can actually think about future plot a little bit better and who knows, maybe Rowan knows more about