Rion gasped as he took his first breath in this new world. His infant eyes, still unaccustomed to the light, blinked rapidly as he tried to focus on the figure leaning over him. He could barely make out the round shape, the soft pink hue, and the gentle hands cradling him with care. The familiar face of a Chansey came into view, and for a fleeting moment, Rion's heart filled with a sense of wonder and excitement.
It’s real. It’s all real!
But the moment was brief, and the fatigue of rebirth quickly overtook him. His thoughts faded into darkness, only to be replaced by dreams of a world he once knew, a world where Pokémon battles were nothing more than games played on a screen.
The years passed quickly. As Rion grew older, the memories of his past life remained, though they often felt like a distant dream. He learned to walk, to speak, and to understand this new world he was a part of. His early life was filled with wonder as he discovered the creatures he had once admired from afar. But as he grew, so too did his understanding of the world’s dangers.
Rion was still a young child when he first heard of the Indigo Unification War. The battles between Kanto and Johto had left scars on both regions, and the casualties were not limited to Pokémon alone. Rion’s parents had been among the many who had fallen during the conflict, leaving him orphaned before he had even learned their faces. He had no memories of them, only stories told by others.
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His uncle, a man named Ryker, had taken him in. Ryker was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a weathered face and a kind, if not stern, demeanor. He wasn’t from Kanto or Johto; he hailed from a far-off region that Rion had only heard mentioned in passing. Dewford Town on Dewford Island became their home, and while it was a peaceful place, Ryker’s responsibilities were anything but.
“Granite Cave is no joke, Rion,” Ryker would often say as he prepared to head out each morning. “Keeping the safe routes clear is what lets us sleep soundly at night. The wilds are no place for anyone who isn’t ready.”
Rion learned quickly that the Pokémon he had once seen as mere battle companions were very different here. They were wild, untamed, and often dangerous. His uncle’s duty was to maintain the safe routes within Granite Cave, ensuring that trainers and travelers could move between towns without risking their lives. The cave itself was a labyrinth, with only a few paths deemed safe enough for the average person. Stray from those paths, and you were likely to encounter Pokémon far more powerful than anything you’d see on a safe route.
“Uncle, why do Pokémon attack people?” Rion asked one evening, his curiosity piqued after hearing a traveler recount a close encounter with a particularly aggressive Mawile.
“Not all Pokémon are friendly, Rion,” Ryker said, his voice gruff as he tended to his Machamp’s wounds. “They’re like us, in a way. Some are good, some are bad. Most are just trying to survive. But in the wilds, it’s survival of the fittest. If a Pokémon sees you as a threat or as prey, it’ll attack. That’s why we stick to the safe routes.”
Rion nodded, absorbing the information. His youthful mind, however, couldn’t help but draw parallels to the games he used to play. But this wasn’t a game. There were no do-overs, no resets. Death was real here, and it was permanent.