"Whoa..."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

In the middle of Route 1, the dirt road had been blasted apart, leaving behind a charred black crater at least ten feet wide. Smoke curled from the scorched earth, filling the air with the acrid stench of burnt feathers and something oddly metallic.

Lying motionless across the crater's floor were dozens of the small bird-like creatures that had attacked him earlier. Without the storm and confusion of thinking he'd just died; Harry could see them more clearly now. They weren't like any bird he'd ever seen in his own world. Their round bodies weren't as plump as Hedwig, but they were definitely different from regular birds. They all had the same red and brown plumage, hooked beaks, and rigid feathers that gave them a mean, aggressive look.

Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out the Pokédex. If it could tell him about Hewdig, maybe it could explain what these things were too.

Flipping it open, he aimed it at the nearest unconscious bird. The screen lit up, and the device let out a small beep.

"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon." The mechanical voice crackled to life. "Unlike Pidgey, Spearow has a short temper and a mean disposition. It flaps its short wings at high speed to stay airborne and is highly territorial. If it senses danger, it will call its flock to attack without hesitation."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, lowering the Pokédex as he glanced at the crater once more. "I definitely noticed that last part."

So that's what they were. Spearow. And judging by what the Pokédex had just said he must have been attacked because he'd wandered into their territory. That explained why they had gone after the kid on the bike so fiercely before too. Fantastic. At least that meant they weren't randomly hunting him down—small relief that was. What it didn't explain was what had knocked them all out at once.

Something powerful had done this.

The air still smelled of smoke and burnt feathers, and the edges of the crater were still warm, as if whatever happened had been recent. Harry didn't like that one bit. He wasn't keen on meeting something that could do this.

He glanced around. The road ahead was clear, but the crater was deep and messy, making it difficult to cross. Even worse, there was no telling if any of those creatures were about to wake up angry.

Not eager for another fight, Harry tucked the Pokédex back into his pocket and walked off the road into the tall grass to go around the crater. He'd had enough run-ins with aggressive Pokémon for one day.

The grass reached up to his knees, thick and rustling in the light breeze. It reminded him of the overgrown fields near the Burrow. He moved carefully, trying to avoid making too much noise. Every step through the wild grass made the soft whoosh of shifting blades, masking the distant sounds of chirping insects and unseen creatures.

And then—

Rustle. Snap.

A blur of purple fur shot out from the grass.

"Bloody hell!" Harry yelped, stumbling back as something leapt straight at his face.

The creature was small, no larger than a Quaffle, but its sharp front teeth gleamed in the sunlight as it chattered furiously. Its long tail curled behind it, and its beady black eyes locked onto him with an almost feral intensity.

Harry barely had time to react.

"Protego!"

A shimmering blue shield flared up between him and the charging Pokémon, causing it to bounce off harmlessly. The creature tumbled backward, landing on all fours with a high-pitched screech. It bared its teeth and hissed angrily.

Harry, heart pounding, raised his wand defensively. "What in Merlin's name are you?" he muttered, using the Pokédex to scan the small creature.

"Rattata," the mechanical voice said, "A forest Pokémon it likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries. Rattata constantly gnaw on objects to keep its fangs sharp. It can live anywhere and multiplies quickly."

The Rattata snarled and dug its claws into the dirt, preparing to lunge again. Before Harry could do anything else, Hedwig launched herself from his shoulder. She struck just as Rattata leapt, slamming into it mid-air and sending them both crashing into the tall grass in a flurry of feathers and fur. The two creatures wrestled, twisting and tumbling through the overgrown blades, each trying to get the upper hand. Hedwig flapped furiously, her sharp talons swiping at the small rodent, while the Rattata snapped its powerful teeth at anything it could reach.

Then, with a sudden, vicious twist—

The Rattata bit down on Hedwig's wing.

She let out a piercing shriek, flapping wildly as she struggled to break free. The Rattata's fangs dug in deep, its small body thrashing as it refused to let go.

"Hey! Get off her!"

His wand was already raised before he could think.

"Stupefy!"

A red bolt of light streaked through the air, slamming into Rattata's side. The small creature let out a startled squeak before it collapsed into the grass, completely unconscious.

Hedwig flapped her wings and shot into the air, her flight slightly wobbly. She circled once before perching on a low-hanging branch, tucking her bleeding wing close to her body.

"You alright, girl?"

Hedwig let out a soft but indignant hoot as if irritated at herself for getting caught.

Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know. Should've hit the thing sooner."

His eyes flicked toward the Rattata, still lying still in the grass. He nudged it lightly with his shoe, but it didn't stir. It was breathing, though—just stunned. In a few minutes the little beast would probably wake up, annoyed and violent.

"Come on, Hedwig. Let's get to this Viridian City before something bigger decides to pick a fight."

X—X

Harry continued walking, glancing up at Hedwig every now and then as she circled above. She wasn't flying too high, staying within eyesight as if she was keeping watch over him. Harry smiled a little. Some things never changed.

A sudden chirping noise made him stop in his tracks.

Ahead of him, a small bird-like creature was hopping through the grass, pecking at the ground. It looked similar to the Spearow but was mostly brown with a lighter underbelly, and its tiny wings flapped lightly as it hopped from spot to spot. It looked much less aggressive than the Spearow that had attacked him earlier.

Curious, Harry raised his Pokédex again.

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Pidgey is docile and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can kick up sand to blind its enemies before making a quick escape."

"You're a much calmer one, aren't you?" Harry mused, watching as the Pidgey ruffled its feathers and let out a soft coo. It barely even noticed him before flying off, its small wings beating rapidly as it disappeared into the trees.

Hedwig let out an amused hoot from above, almost as if laughing at his interest in the tiny bird.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry muttered. "I know it's not as majestic as you, but cut me some slack. This world is insane."

He walked a little further before stopping abruptly. The bushes to his right rustled, and then, with a sudden leap, a white-furred creature landed on the dirt path in front of him.

Harry instinctively took a step back, gripping his wand. The creature was unlike anything he had seen so far—standing on two legs, its body covered in thick, shaggy fur. Its face was pink, with a short snout and dark, narrowed eyes that gave it a permanently grumpy look.

It snorted and stomped the ground aggressively, small hands curled into fists.

"Alright, alright, I get it, you're territorial," Harry muttered, pulling out the Pokédex.

"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Mankey has an extremely short temper. If it starts to thrash about, it is impossible to calm down. Even its own Trainer must be cautious."

Harry's grip on his wand tightened. "Brilliant. A walking tantrum."

The Mankey glared at him for a moment longer before huffing and bounding away into the tall grass, apparently deciding he wasn't worth the effort. Harry relaxed slightly, shaking his head.

"Definitely not looking for a fight with that one."

He continued down the road, the breeze picking up slightly as the storm clouds finally began to break apart. The sun was shining through properly now, casting the world in golden light. The fresh scent of rain mixed with earth filled the air, making the whole place feel almost peaceful—if not for the fact that he still had no idea where he was.

Then, by the edge of a small pond near the road, Harry saw another strange creature. This one stood on two stubby legs and had a round blue body with a white spiral pattern on its belly. It had tiny arms and a large, round tail that swayed slightly as it wobbled near the water's edge.

Harry raised the Pokédex again.

"Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokémon. A Water type. Poliwag's skin is so thin, that the swirl on its body is its internal organs seen through its skin. The swirl can look different, depending on where a Poliwag lives."

Harry watched as the Poliwag let out a soft croaking noise before diving into the water, disappearing beneath the surface.

Hedwig hooted from above, and Harry sighed. "Yeah, I know, it's weird. But we're going to be stuck in this place until I can find a way home for us, so I might as well learn as much as I can."

If I can find 'us' a way home, Harry thought glancing up at his owl as she flew ahead down the path. Hedwig was one of these creatures now. If she couldn't go with him back to the wizarding world, wherever that was, then he wasn't sure he wanted to leave.

Right now he was assuming both of them could go home. He'd keep doing that until proven otherwise. Once he got to this Viridian City and met a local he'd be able to make a better plan on what to do next.

Next Chapter Harry arrives in Viridian City and the plot finally gets underway!