Markus Fletcher POV
‘Today is going to be perfect,’ I mused as I let my legs swing over the edge of the railing. The sky was clear, and the cool breeze of the morning helped to mitigate the mugginess of the summer day. I drew my attention back towards the flaming remains of what was my car, with almost all of my possessions trapped within it. Between my lack of PTO and my dwindling funds, I'd decided to risk driving on the highway, but the clicking sound my car had been making had clearly reached a breaking point. My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden vibration from my pocket. Excitedly, I pulled out my phone.
“Markus Fletcher, this is a final warning concerning your outstanding debt. If you wish-“ I didn’t bother reading the rest of it.
Wonderful.
‘They’re not gonna contact you,’ I thought. ‘Besides, you don’t want them to ruin your perfect day.’
I glanced down at what meager possessions I had been able to save. Most of what remained were old clothes too small to fit anymore, and some lesser memorabilia, but nestled between it all was my Nintendo Switch.
Figuring I had nothing better to do, I grabbed my console, and booted up my copy of Pokèmon Scarlet. Like thousands of hours before, the game helped to keep my mind at ease, letting me wander the world of Paldea. Today I decided to just look through everything I had accomplished by dedicating myself to this game. I never truly 100%-ed the games, but I had gotten pretty darn close, finishing off the Pokèdex and the DLCs, and clearing most of the side quests. I never placed high in any official tournaments, but I wasn’t just some casual player. I had box after box filled with competitive ready mons, all hand crafted to fit a playstyle I enjoyed or thought would be viable. Looking through it all filled me with a sense of pride at what I had completed.
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‘Well, no time like the present to get on with things,’ I thought while I pocketed my switch. I brushed myself off and stood, looking up at the beautiful clear sky. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting the world fade around me.
With my mind at peace, I threw myself off the bridge, into the ravine below.
A perfect end to such a perfect day.
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Either I had been falling for several minutes longer than I should have, or the air feels like the ground while plummeting. Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to be left confused by the unoccupied sky above, and the vast meadow around me. It took me several more minutes to accept this situation before sitting up to get a better look at my surroundings. I was alive, and there was no sign of the area I was in previously. In the distance, I could see a white and blue colored squirrel playing with an odd looking pig, and beyond them I could see a lake occupied by some round blue shaped rabbits. A rustling sound startled me, and I quickly turned only to see a yellow and blue snake with what looked like a drill tail scampering in the opposite direction of me. It took me several more moments to register just what I was seeing.
“Pokemon,” I muttered. “I’m either delusional, or I’m seeing real fucking Pokemon.”
I brought my hand to my face before violently slapping myself. I winced, not expecting it to hurt as much as it did.
Wait.
The slap hurt.
The pain was real.
This is all real.
The fleeing Dunsparce is real.
The Marill playing in the lake are real.
The goddamn Lechonk and Pachirisu are real.
I’m alive, and there’s Pokemon.
I nodded, taking in that information, before promptly passing out.
Welcome to the World of Pokemon.
Thank you for reading!