Chapter 1: Sink or Swim (Mostly Sink)
I woke up to the sound of rushing waves and the feeling of water filling my lungs.
It took a second for my brain to register that I was drowning.
Panic set in immediately. My arms flailed, legs kicked wildly, but it was like trying to fight against the pull of a thousand hands dragging me down. I had no idea where I was, how I got here, or why I was even in the ocean, but none of that mattered—because I was sinking. Fast.
I can't swim!
The realization made my stomach drop faster than my body. My lungs burned, screaming for air as I twisted around, trying to find the surface. It was a losing battle.
Cold. That was the first thing I felt as I continued underwater. My vision blurred as the salty ocean swallowed me whole.
I don't remember falling into water! Where the hell am I?!
Please anyone help!
My thoughts were a mess, but before I could process anything, something appeared in my hand.
A small, smooth, perfectly round object.
My fingers instinctively clenched around it. The moment they did—
Click.
A flash of light exploded in front of me, momentarily blinding me in the dark depths. Through the haze, something massive took shape. A large, elegant plesiosaur with a shell-like back, gentle black eyes, and a long, curved neck.
A Lapras. A real, living, breathing Lapras.
It moved instantly. With a single powerful stroke of its fins, it surged through the water, reaching me in seconds. Before I could even react, I felt something—its dark hard shell below me.
Then, we shot upwards. The ocean's surface broke with a loud splash as I gasped, sucking in air like I'd never breathed before. My arms clung to the Lapras's smooth, cool shell as I coughed and sputtered.
"Holy—!" My words were cut off by another fit of coughing, but when I finally looked up, I nearly forgot how to breathe again.
The ocean stretched endlessly in all directions. The sky was impossibly blue. The air smelled of salt, and I had a Lapras.
Lapras POV
As I awaken from my long sleep. I noticed I was in the salty waters of an ocean. How delightful it has been so long since I felt the warm waters of the vast sea. How much time has passed? I do not know. But right now, none of that matters.
I stretch my fins, pushing through the currents with ease, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness. The waes whisper against my shell, and the salt fills my senses. Everything is calm, peaceful.
Suddenly I spot an overgrown young man sinking below me. Weird I feel like I know him. A spark of recognition flutters in my mind, but it's faint. Like the remnants of an old song, half-remembered. Do I know this human? No, that's impossible. And yet... something feels familiar.
I did not wait too long to rescue him. Silly human, does he not know the dangers of the ocean. A memory stirs within me, of another human, long ago, who always relied on me to carry him across the waves. He, too, could not swim. He would laugh about it, patting my side fondly, trusting me completely to guide him through the waters he could never conquer.
With a single stroke of my fins, I glide downward, the cool water parting around me. I reach him within moments, positioning myself beneath his body. As soon as I make contact, I push upward, breaking through the ocean's surface with a powerful surge.
His grip is tight, but not painful. He is holding on to me desperately, his body still trembling from the shock. I remain still, allowing him time to recover. He mumbles something, but I do not understand his words. What I do understand, however, is the way his eyes widen when he finally looks at me.
Awe.
Recognition.
Disbelief.
I tilt my head slightly, studying him in return. His dark, wet hair clings to his face, his round features scrunched up in confusion. There is something amusing about the way he gawks at me, as if he cannot believe I am real.
Strange it's like he's never seen a pokemon before. Oh, well.
—
"Where am I?" As I looked around, completely ignoring why Lapras, a fictional creature, saved me. The blue plesiosaur tilts its head, studying me curiously, as if trying to figure out who I am. Why do I feel a sense of familiarity from it?
"Don't suppose you know where we are?" I said, finally looking at its head.
The Lapras simply shook its head. Continuing its investigation of me. Figures. Was I Isekai'd to the pokemon world? I don't remember meeting Arceus.
I continued looking around and as far as I could see was the endless sky and ocean. There was no other pokemon insight nor land, just water.
That wasn't helpful, so I looked at what I had on me. It was the same type of black shirt, blue jeans and grey shoes I wore every day. Nothing special, just wet. The clothes sticking to my body make me struggle with the investigation of myself.
It doesn't seem like I have taken over someone else's body. I still had my fat belly. So that was plus, no body snatching experience.
I did have the red and white PokeBall in my hand. Now that I think about it. It suddenly just appeared in my hand. Do I have some kind of system in me or was this a random act of god or Arceus?
Soon the sound of heavy wind picks up. Causing the ocean waves to turn erratic. This is bad, is this a sign of a storm coming?
"Listen. Think we can move somewhere else. Someplace a bit calmer." I say to the Lapras hoping it can understand me.
The dinosaur simply tilts its head in confusion. But in a second we start moving forward. Hopefully somewhere safer. If it weren't for me not knowing where we are I would be instantly nerding out about a live pokemon in front of me. Because it's absolutely adorable and it did save my life.
Hopefully it does well. Please comment and tell me if anything sounds weird or wrong. I now have a Pat reon account. If you want to support me just get on there at pat reon orengeflame. That's if you can but don't worry most of my work will continue to be free here and at other sites.