Chapter 2 - Fish Out Of Water

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What a weird decision. Shiron, following two strangers. Not just that, but Pokémon. No, that wasn't the weirdest part of this scenario. They talked like him, laughed like him. It would be just fine if not for the fact they were all Pokémon. Including him.

I'm not sure if I should feel shocked, happy or confused that I got to be reborn. Though, knowing myself… I probably don't deserve this. Shiron stopped in his tracks, frowning as he looked at the two Pokémon with him. Why are they even helping me…?

"I sense some second thoughts!" The Riolu said, turning back and tilting his head. "We're here to help you. At least I am."

Magnus huffed and pouted, ignoring part of what Nick said. "I'm not a hero-wannabe like you. I'm fine with my job… and you too, considering how much time you spend there buying our stuff."

"Hey, it's not my fault you and your dad are great bakers!" Nick protested, touching his chest. "Shiron, once we get to Thornwell I'll show you Magnum's shop! You're gonna love it! Well, if you have a sweet tooth…"

The Marshtomp seemed to be in trance, not listening to the conversation around him. His gills were picking up… something. Seems like it was the breeze, though for the others, it wasn't strong. But there was something else. A wave of vibrations reverberated around him. What's… goin' on?

"Uh, Shiron? You okay in there?" Nick snapped his fingers, trying to get the water-type's attention.

No use. Shiron was too enveloped in what his senses were telling him. Not just the vibrations, but the scent. It was incredibly faint, and were he not the species he was now, he doubted he'd sense it. An earthly scent was filling his nostrils, like dirt after… after rain.

"Rain!" Shiron said, snapping back to reality. "I-I can sense rain! It's gonna rain soon!"

""Well, that's natural?" Magnus asked, a little confused. All Marshtomp had this ability, so why was Shiron so surprised? Was it his amnesia?

From Nick's blank expression, Magnus thought his friend had a similar idea. However, the Riolu had something else in mind, but decided not to speak about it. For now.

"R-Right. Natural," the former human smiled sheepishly. "It's neat, I'll have to admit."

In a way, they were right. Shiron wanted the rain to arrive soon, but even now he found it very soothing. Guess being a Pokémon is better than I thought. I'm loving this!

"I'm just glad you're alright," Nick smiled as well. "Though you seem to be… shocked? Next you're gonna say you didn't know 'tomps have incredible brute strength."

We have what? Shiron's eyes sparkled like those of an impressed child. Things just got better! To think that I got here… I can't believe it. It's so… surreal.

"We're almost there!" Magnus said, looking at the other two. "I'm sure you guys are tired, so I guess I'll bake a cake for us~"

Hearing the word "cake" made Shiron's stomach grumble, to which he covered his belly and felt heat rise up on his face, silently glad he couldn't blush.

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At the sight of the village, Shiron's opinion of the world changed a little. He expected something big, grandiose, with large buildings, cars, city halls and all the things he was familiar with back in Hoenn.

Instead, what he got was a fancy, yet small town. Most of the buildings had plain colors, varying from black to grey, and while the houses looked like modern, human ones, they were still smaller than he thought.

"It's small, but it's home!" Nick stated, puffing out his chest with pride. "We don't even have policemon, ya know?"

"Police...mon?" Shiron blinked.

Only now did it dawn that this place, this world had nothing like his own. No humans. No trainers. Nothing. No wonder they had different expressions, although he internally cringed at what he heard Nick say.

I hope they don't say "everymon" or something stupid like that, Shiron internally cringed.

Well, if he was to live there for the rest of his life, might as well learn the ropes. Shiron looked around again, inspecting the houses. "Where are we? Like, what's this street called? And, uh… Nick? Where am I gonna live?"

"Right, I'll tell you this in a bit. As for where we are… this is Falink Street!" Said Nick, pointing around.

After introducing the street, the trio wandered beyond it, stopping at a large plaza. There, Shiron noticed that there were three other paths, with a water fountain right at the center.

"This is the heart of our village, Spirit Plaza!" Nick said, and Shiron soon realized why it was named that way; there were four main paths. One of them was where they came from, and ended on the beach.

To top it off, he saw multiple buildings around that place, all themed after different things. His eye wandered to a black one that included a small line on the entrance to it.

"That's our bank! We might need to visit it soon if you're gonna live here." Nick stated.

Shiron nodded and his focus went to another building. Noticing this, Magnus giggled.

"My dad's place is around here…" Magnus complemented, taking a look around before pointing to a large bakery.

"Ooooooh!" Shiron's eyes sparkled again, while his stomach rumbled once more. The building he looked at was so pretty!

With an infrastructure that looked like it was made of chocolate and a large sign that said "Hansen's Bakery", the only thing that crossed Shiron's mind was how much he wanted to go inside and have a feast, to the point drool was dripping from his mouth.

"Shiron, you alright?" Magnus asked, looking straight at him with a frown. "O-Oh dear. You must be really hungry! We should get you something!"

"Make that two," Nick patted his belly and chuckled. "I'm starving. Why don't we go to your bakery and you can make us a cake?"

"W-Wait," the Marshtomp protested. "Yeah, I could use a snack. But we should also figure out what I'm gonna do from now on!"

Nick smiled, rubbing the fur on his head. This Marshtomp sure was curious. Of course, he didn't blame Shiron for it. He was amnesiac (and maybe something else, but he'd ask it when they were alone) after all.

"Aight. I know a place you can live, it's on another street. Just follow—"

"I'll have a cake ready for you guys when you solve Shiron's housing problem!" Magnus cooed, nodding at the two.

Part of Shiron wondered why they were so keen on helping him settle down in that town. But really, they were just kind. That's what he thought as Nick pulled him away and onto another street.

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"Which street's this one?" Shiron asked. His curiosity had only grown since he entered the village.

Now they were on what appeared to be a hill, and only climbing up through a rocky path. He could see a single house on the top of the hill. It was big enough for… he assumed an Aggron was able to fit inside.

"Coalossal Hill!" Nick answered, snickering. "This is where I live, but there's another hill. That one's prettier."

"Does that mean there's… uh, a volcano here?" Shiron gulped, looking at the ground, and then remembered he wasn't an expert on geology, so checking for volcanic rocks was pointless.

"Nope. I don't know why we named it like this. Don't worry about falling off. With that tummy you have, I bet you'll just bounce."

Shiron didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or not, so instead, he sighed. "And I'm supposed to stay at your place? If that's where we're going."

Before Nick could reply, the two heard thunder coming from the distance. Shiron stopped to look at where he heard the noise, and sure enough, there were clouds over the horizon. His prediction had come to fruition.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Nick said, yawning. "Our world. I bet that's what you're thinking."

"Your… world?"

Nick raised a brow and for a moment, he smirked. "No? Our world. Y'know, mine and yours. And Magnus'. And everyone else, too."

"O-Oh, right!"

Shiron was able to see the clouds forming, the wind blowing on his scales and Nick's fur. The chirping of birds, and how the sun was setting. Things that he never took the time to experience, and they were right in front of him.

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"It's… really beautiful."

Yet, an aching pain in his chest stopped him from pursuing that thrill again. Shiron was taken back to when he had met Xerneas. She chose to make him reborn. And surely he wasn't the first one, considering what Nick said before. Not that it mattered to him.

What did matter, however, was that others weren't given this choice. Was he even the right one to be resurrected? There must have been others that would be doing amazing things in this world, but Shiron? Shiron was just a nobody.

...This guy's trying to become my friend. He's really nice, I'll give him that. But… I'm worthless. Who'd want to be friends with me anyway? A Riolu? Nah. A Litwick or a Chikorita? No.

Truly worthless.

I guess I'll try it anyway, just to prove me wrong. Not like I have any other choice.

"What're you thinking about?" Nick interrupted. When Shiron noticed his… friend staring, the Marshtomp gasped. Nick's eyes had that same orange glow again, but this time it was more powerful.

"H-Huh? Are you trying to scan me?!" Shiron blinked, heat rising up again as he stuttered.

"Just wanted to get a hold on what you're feeling…" Nick frowned, rubbing his arm. "S-Sorry. You were distracted, so I tried checking your aura. I couldn't sense much, but still…"

Empaths. Never thought I'd meet one, Shiron sighed. "It's fine. We're close to the top anyway, can we go? Turns out nearly drowning took a lot out of me, and I'm still hungry."

Nick smiled sheepishly and continued his stroll, having Shiron behind him. The canine was, at the very least, glad he seemed to have found a friend, from the little he had sensed.

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The Riolu's house stood on top of a rocky hill. Shiron was visibly impressed, gasping out loud and staring at the place. The rock-solid building even had plants growing around it, the crops moving in sync with the wind. It looked sturdy enough to resist erosion.

So this world had some impressive things! Not like the technological marvel of human society, but good enough. Shiron then looked at Nick, smiling.

"Okay, are we going inside now?"

Nick nodded in reply. "I think my grandpa's busy with one of his friends, but yeah. We're going in."

"Fair enough."

They walked inside the house, and Nick stayed behind to close the door. Shiron then took a while to see what the house looked like, compared to what he was used to.

Sure enough, it was vastly different. No television to be seen, just a well-cleaned, dark green couch with a table in front of it. Though he assumed there were no electronics, Shiron managed to see a… lamp on the ceiling, but it looked odd. It was just a large sphere.

Other than that, Shiron saw a hall that ended in what he thought was the kitchen.

"See anything unusual? Anything that jogged your memory? Because not remembering stuff kinda sucks."

"Kinda," what was with all those questions? Shiron ignored it for now. "I just never saw any house like this one before. It's weird, y'know? I remember not seeing a house like yours, but I don't remember what my house was like."

"So you had a house?"

"I think so?"

Nick playfully tapped his friend on the back. "C'mon, let's go to the kitchen! I bet grandpa's having beer, but you'll probably be better off having water."

"If you say so…" Shiron touched his belly. I can't believe I'm saying this—actually, I'm technically thinking and not saying, but whatever. I just hope this place has pizza. No point in getting transported to another world if I can't have pizza.

The two walked towards the kitchen, but on the way, Shiron looked at the walls, seeing various pictures. They were black and white, making him think that Nick's grandfather was either old-fashioned or this world didn't have colored photos.

"This is your family?" Shiron stopped to point at a particular picture that had Nick being held in the arms of a Lucario, with a Mawile on their side.

"...Yeah. They're my parents." The Riolu answered bluntly, hastening his steps.

"Oh," he looked at the photo again. Nick was much younger and smaller, like a child, or a baby. Maybe a puppy, in his case. "What happened to them?"

Nick stopped, staring at Shiron with a blank expression, before moving on without replying.

...Great, you blew it, Shiron sighed. I'm an idiot.

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Nick thought about being the first one to arrive at the kitchen, but he decided against it at the last second. Instead, the two got there at the same time.

Shiron then eyed the place, still taking mental notes to compare. There was a metallic fridge, a table fit for six Pokémon, and two of the chairs were occupied by a large, hefty Pangoro that wore a beret, and a Houndoom that wore a fedora. The first of them chugged down an entire can of beer and soon looked at the duo.

"Hi, Nick," the Pangoro said, now focusing on Shiron. "Hm? And who's that? A new friend?"

"S-Sir! I'm Shiron. N-Nice meeting you," the Marshtomp clicked his fingers, stuttering. "I'm new in town. Don't really know my way arou—"

"Okay, hold up. First, introductions! My grandpa's the Pangoro. His name is Rowan," Nick interrupted. "And the Houndoom is Ivan. He's a friend of the family."

"Greetings," Ivan nodded. "It's a pleasure meeting you, child."

Shiron, on the other hand, visibly flinched. The Pangoro's name was Rowan? As in, the same name as that professor from Sinnoh? It couldn't be the same person, could it?

Rowan raised a brow, noticing how the Marshtomp acted just from hearing his name. "Hmph. Well, I never saw you before. Nick, you haven't dragged him into your so-called dream, have you?"

"It ain't "so-called"! It is my dream, and no!" Nick protested, snarling, though he shook a little. "And I found him unconscious on the beach, he's amnesiac!"

"Amnesiac?" Ivan asked, now looking at Shiron as well. "...Fascinating. We haven't had one of those since you, Rowan!"

All the eyes were on him, and he didn't know why. What was so special about an amnesiac? They didn't even know he was a human! And Rowan… the way he looked at him was like he knew more than let on.

"That is interesting," Rowan tapped the table, eyeing Shiron from top to bottom. "I'm assuming you want him to stay here, Nick?"

"Absolutely!" The canine replied, wagging his tail. "I couldn't leave him there, y'know? Didn't feel right."

"I'm not complaining about it. He can stay," Rowan said. "But… what is your name, child? Or can I call you Marshtomp?"

"W-Why would you call me by my species?" Shiron blinked, confused. "Actually, nevermind. It's Shiron."

"An unusual name," Ivan stated.

As they were chatting, Rowan scratched his furry chin. He surely needed to talk to that kid later. For the moment, it was best that he and Nick got along.

"Hm, alright. Nick will show your room. Alright?"

A huge smile spread on Nick's face, and his tail wagged faster. He just got a roommate!

"Oh, by the way, Pops! Magnus said he was getting a cake for us, so I'm gonna go with Shiron to get it!"

"As long as you don't come home late, do as you please."

"Will do!" Nick dragged Shiron out, while the Marshtomp laughed in joy.

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Nick and Shiron were back at the plaza, but now the water-type took his time to see what else was in store for him. The first part of this was noticing a Zorua sprinting towards them, but closer to Nick's general direction. The second part was checking that said Zorua wore a tattered green scarf and was holding what appeared to be goggles in her teeth.

"Audrey, how's my favorite fluffball doing?!" Nick waved at the fox, then pointed at Shiron. "This is my new friend, Shiron!"

"H-Heya." Shiron waved back.

The fox slowed to a halt, stopping in front of Nick. She put down the goggles and raised a brow. "Huh. Didn't think you'd forget our date just to get some guy with you!"

"It's not like that," he deadpanned. "I rescued Shiron from drowning. Check this out: he said he's amnesiac…"

"Wait, really?" She looked at the Marshtomp and gasped. "Wow, so they still show up? Neat! But that's not why I'm here…"

Audrey pouted and stepped back, grabbing the goggles with her teeth again. Nick then rubbed his head and grunted.

"No need for that, can I have them now? I kinda need it for, y'know. Setting up my reputation as an adventurer."

"Oh boy, should I or should I not give it to you?" She teased, giggling. "You might want to give me something in return~"

Why do I feel like I'm the third wheel here? Shiron cleared his throat.

Nick understood and smiled sheepishly, his face blushing red. What to do?

"I kinda promised to show Shiron around, since he's new here. You can understand that… right?"

Audrey pouted and looked away from Nick, huffing. "Fine, fine. I'll give you your goggles, but I'll make sure our date goes… hm, smoothly!"

He picked the goggles up and smiled. They were black and adjustable, so anyone could wear them. Nick put them on right away and smiled.

"How do I look?"

"Mighty handsome," Audrey replied, smiling and wagging her tail.

Yeah, I'm a third wheel alright. Shiron sighed. "Y'know what? Nick, go to your date. I kinda wanna explore this on my own."

"Wait, really?" Nick's ears twitched.

"Don't worry, I think I can handle myself now. Don't wanna blow your chances with her, so… feel free."

"Thanks, Shiron! You're the best!"

Sure, sure I am…

Alone. He hadn't been like that in a while. Shiron watched them walk away and sighed, heading to the bakery.

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Sure enough, the inside of the pastry shop was really pretty. The chairs were colorful, and the table looked like a biscuit, only not edible. As for the Pokémon inside, they were having fun, eating in silence, a few of them even giggled from the taste of the food.

Man, I wanna have some. I don't… have any money. Of course I forgot about this. I'll just use my charm instead!

As Shiron made his way inside, he saw that the counter was adorned with a glass that showed some of the desserts, like cupcakes and brownies. Of course, the best part was Magnus putting down a cake on the counter, and soon, the Quilladin locked eyes with him, smiling.

"Heya, Shiron! You're here already. Where's Nick? Oh, and don't worry about paying. It's on the house!"

"On a date." Shiron walked to the counter and checked the cake out. Chocolate with a white frosting, and the smell was already sweet enough for his tummy to groan.

"Oh," Magnus said. He forgot about it as well. "Hm, this cake is supposed to be for two, but you're the only one here…"

"I can eat it by myself!"

"B-By yourself?!" Magnus gasped. How hungry was this Marshtomp?

"Yeah, why not?"

"...Nothing," Magnus' heart skipped a beat, and he shook his head. "I was a little shocked, but sure. Just sit down. Can I get you a drink while we're at it? We have pinap, leppa, oran, rawst, lum…"

"I'll let the chef decide!" Shiron smiled. "I'm sure you know more than me. Amnesiac, after all."

"P-Pinap it is!"

So that was settled already, cool. Shiron sat on one of the chairs and waited. He could handle this. For the moment, he allowed himself to ignore the brain gremlins that told him he wasn't good enough. That, and his hunger was bigger.

Soon, Magnus put the cake on Shiron's table, along with a fork and a knife. The former human mused about them having utensils as well, but found it neat.

"Thanks, Magnus! I'll be sure to pay you back when I get some money."

"I-I said it's on the house, I'll just… uh, do my thing. Hope you have a good meal!"

Agreeing with that, Shiron took a single bite of cake and felt his brain practically explode from how good it was.

...My time has come. I'm eating this thing and nobody can stop me!

His stomach groaned again, and Shiron showed off a creepy smile, licking his lips.

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Thunder echoed. Wind howled. A small boat navigated through a never ending storm, somehow. The boat was resisting the ocean's advances, but it was only a matter of time until its crew perished.

Or, that was what one of them thought. A Tyrunt ran in circles, the red, regal cape he wore flowing in the wind, alongside a necklace that moved as frantically as him.

"Sir," said a Roselia, bowing to the fossil Pokémon. She wore a cape like the other Pokémon, but hers was purple and accompanied by a black hood. "I believe we are near a beach. We might be able to make it through."

The rock-type panted, stopping what he was doing. "Liz, I told you a million times, don't call me sir! Terrence or Terry is fine!"

"B-But sir—Terry."

"What were you talking about? We're near a beach?"

"I can try navigating to it, but it will be tough. The storm is relentless today."

"Tell me about it," Terry sighed, holding on to his cape. "Do it. I certainly will not die here! And neither will you!"

"Yes, sir!" Liz steered the wheel towards a direction, and while Terry tried looking at where they were going, he only saw the waves splashing the boat.

Using her vines to grasp the wheel, Liz tried steering them in the right direction, but the storm was stronger. A huge wave swept through them, forcing Liz to let go of the wheel and grab Terry with her vines.

"Gah!" Terry gasped as the water struck him, coughing and panting. Just as it hit him, it stopped. While he was a little relieved, the storm showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Another wave struck the two, forcing them both unconscious.