Nix felt a slight tug on his back. Still tired, he ignored it and lay sleeping. His stomach growled. Birds chirped and trees rustled in the distance. Cold winds blew. He no longer felt alive.

Then he remembered Starly.

He suddenly jumped awake. His feet were tingling. Sitting upright, he looked around in awe. He was on bamboo flooring, with a fifty-meter drop next to him. The view was phenomenal. Trees stretched out as far as he could see, with bamboo shacks resting on the branches. The air smelled of berries.

"Rikie?" a voice came from Nix’s left. Startled, Nix backed off. A small Grookey stared at Nix, slowly approaching him. It pulled a stick from its hair.

"Rikie!" it said, leaping onto Nix’s head and hitting his face with the stick, enjoying itself. Nix tried to get it down, but it kept dodging his hands.

“Well, that’s rare. It seems to like you,” said an old voice. From a room inside the tree’s trunk, an old man walked out. He looked like he was in his mid-eighties. The Grookey jumped off Nix’s head and climbed onto the old man’s shoulder.

“This little one hates us humans, you see. A lot of his precious treasure was stolen by us,” the old man explained, gently patting Grookey’s head. It looked happy.

“Anyway, why were you sleeping in the middle of such a dangerous forest?” he asked, his voice filled with worry. “They…,” Nix began. He was trying to form a sentence in his mind before speaking. He had a lot he wanted to ask, it all started jumbling in his head. The old man waited patiently.

“My P-Pokémon was s-stolen,” Nix said in a low voice.

“Stolen Pokémon, eh? That would be troublesome,” the old man spoke calmly. Nix’s stomach growled again. “You should go downstairs and have a good meal. I might be able to track your Pokémon down.”

“Y-You mean i-it?” Nix asked, his eyes shining with hope.

“It’s just a ‘might’ for now. Hey, little one. Can you guide our guest downstairs?” The old man asked Grookey.

“Rikie!” Grookey said. It jumped off the old man’s shoulder and pointed its stick at Nix, signaling him to follow.

“C-Could I get y-your name?” Nix asked the old man hesitantly. “Of course! It’s Dean!” he said enthusiastically. “And you are?” “Nix!” Nix said as he ran off behind Grookey.

“Nix, huh? That’s a nice name…” Dean said, lost in thought. Nix descended a set of spiraling stairs. He could hardly see the bottom. The entire staircase was inside the trunk of a massive tree. There were multiple openings along the sides where Nix saw many Pokémon he didn’t recognize.

“Rikie!” said the Grookey, pointing its stick at a doorway. Nix opened the door and entered. Inside was a massive cave with wooden walls. Handcrafted furniture filled the room along with various Pokémon that roamed about. Some turned to look at the

newcomer, then quickly lost interest.

“Rikie!” exclaimed the Grookey as it climbed onto what looked like a bartender’s counter.

“Guruorang,” said the Pokémon on the other side, pointing at a wooden board with symbols carved on it.

The Grookey walked to the board, staring at it curiously. Nix followed. He could make out a coconut with a straw sticking out of it, a bowl with something in it and a circular object. The rest of the board was indecipherable squiggles.

After some time, the Grookey pointed its stick toward the squiggles. “Rikie!” it said, jumping with enthusiasm. “Orang,” nodded the Pokémon behind the counter.

“Rikie!” The Grookey signaled Nix to follow. They walked to an empty table. Nix sat on a chair while Grookey perched on the table. The room buzzed with the chatter of Pokémon. Nix felt uneasy and out of place.

A few minutes later, an Ambipom came to their table, carrying plates with its hands and tails. It laid a plate before each of them. Grookey started eating immediately.

Nix poked the "food" with a twig he was given. It moved and squirmed around.

Terrified, Nix backed away. The Grookey looked at him, puzzled.

“Rikie?” it asked.

Nix shook his head, quite sure that what he was given were steamed worms with various sauces. He didn't want to eat anything like that.

“Rikie,” the Grookey said, crossing its arms thoughtfully.

It jumped off the table and headed back to the counter. Nix followed. On his way, he bumped into a Simisear. “Sigurr?” It demanded in a deep voice.

A few Pokémon around them noticed Nix. None looked pleased. “Gurr Si Sigurr,” it said, suddenly angry. Nix backed off, but the Simisear followed, growling. Nix knew nothing good would come of this. The room, which had been silent for a while, now cheered the Simisear on. The entire room started chanting in a united roar. “Rikie!” The Grookey yelled, hitting the Simisear’s foot with its stick. The Simisear glanced at it for a moment before kicking it. The Grookey went flying and crashed into the wooden wall.

Nix felt the whole room was against him. He knew he had no chance of winning a fight against a Pokémon.

“W-Why?” Nix asked. He had never seen Pokémon attack people on TV. This experience was new and frightening.

“Sigurr!” the Simisear screeched, thumping its tail on the ground. The sound echoed around the room. The cheering and roaring grew even wilder, with more Pokémon flooding into the room to see what was happening.

Nix’s heart raced. He tried to calm down but couldn't. His eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but the Pokémon had formed a tight circle around him.

The Simisear lunged forward. Nix closed his eyes and braced for impact. Just then, a booming voice cut through the chaos. “Enough!”

The room fell silent. Nix opened his eyes to see Dean, standing at the entrance. His presence commanded respect. The Simisear halted, looking unsure.

“He isn’t one of them,” Dean said, glaring at the Simisear, who looked at the ground, embarrassed.

Dean walked to Nix, who was still a bit terrified by what might have happened if Dean hadn’t intervened.

“Are you hurt?” Dean asked gently. Nix shook his head. He rushed towards the Grookey, lying on the floor with ragged breathing.

Nix gently picked it up. “Rik...ie,” it said weakly. Nix showed the Grookey to Dean. His eyes were filled with fear. He was on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry, he will be fine,” Dean assured, patting Nix’s head and taking the Grookey from him. “Guru! Get two servings of the usual ready. I’ll be back in a bit.” he told the Pokémon behind the counter.

“Oranguru!” replied the Pokémon, saluting Dean.

Dean walked out of the room with Grookey in his arms. Nix followed closely behind.

“W-Why?” Nix asked.

“Oh. All of them hate humans. They once thrived all over, but many of their kind were captured and their treasures were stolen. This is a hidden city, you know. Not many know about this place. It was made by Julang specifically for Pokémon who don’t want to coexist with humans.” Dean explained as they walked through a wooden-walled cave system. They approached a door. Dean pushed it open.

"Let me go-roto! I need to get back to Nix-roto!” said a familiar voice.

Inside the room was a flying red tablet with a Pikachu hanging

onto it. The tablet tried to shake it off, but it was no use. “Pikachuuu!” Pikachu cried, enjoying its ride on RotomDex. “Dex!” Nix exclaimed, surprised. RotomDex turned around to look at him.

“Nix-roto! I was so worried-roto!” RotomDex said, flying towards Nix while still trying to shake off the Pikachu.

“Here’s your bag,” Dean said as he laid the Grookey down on a nursing bed and picked up the bag that was kept on it. He handed it to Nix.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Bliss! You have a patient!” Dean yelled. From the other side of the room, a door opened and in walked a pink-colored Pokémon. “Blissey! Happiness Pokémon! Normal type! A kindhearted Pokémon that will care for any sick person or Pokémon until their health improves. The eggs it lays are delicious and bring good fortune to those who eat them.” dictated RotomDex.

“Sey!” said Blissey in a happy tone as it waddled to the Grookey. “Here,” Dean said, passing a pair of headphones to Nix. He wore one himself. Nix didn’t know what was happening, so he just imitated Dean.

A few moments later, the Blissey started to sing in a melodious voice. The Grookey, Pikachu, and RotomDex all fell asleep.

The Blissey pulled out its medical kit and started treating the now asleep Grookey. Nix picked up RotomDex off the ground. The Pikachu fell off, still asleep.

“Let’s go; you have someone to meet.” Dean said. As they walked out of the room, Nix’s stomach growled again.

“Oh yeah! Let’s get you some food before heading out,” Dean said. They walked back to the large room. The Pokémon made way for the two. They went to an empty table. Moments later, another Ambipom came and set down a plate for each. They were served very suspicious-looking dumplings.

“Try them, they are the best!” Dean said, munching on one. Nix followed suit. It was true; these dumplings really were the best he had ever eaten. They finished the food silently. The Pokémon kept glaring at Nix but didn’t say anything when he was with Dean.

“Thank you!” exclaimed Dean.

“Orang!” said the Pokémon behind the counter, waving goodbye. “T-Thanks,” Nix said in a low voice, bowing as he reached the counter.

“Guru!” said the Pokémon, kindly patting Nix’s head.

They both walked out. This time, they took a different door, leading into the dense forest Nix had been in.

“The Pansages carried you here,” Dean told Nix. “If they weren’t so shy, they would be all over you already.” he added.

They walked through the forest. Many Pokémon came to greet Dean. It was like a holiday home for Pokémon. They soon reached a massive boulder with a wooden door on it. Dean pushed the door open with a creak. Inside was a staircase that led underground, lit by torches. The air inside was humid and hot. They walked down the long set of stairs. RotomDex had woken up and was now flying beside Nix. At the end of the stairs, they were met with another door.

Dean knocked on the door. "It’s me," he said. The sound of thumping and claws scraping on the ground came from inside. The door flung open.

Inside stood a massive bird, even taller than Dean, with scars all over its body and missing a wing.

“Decidueye! Arrow Quill Pokémon! Grass/Ghost type! It knocks its arrow quills and shoots them at opponents. When it simply can’t afford to miss, it tugs the vine on its head to improve its focus!” RotomDex narrated.

The Decidueye growled at the sight of Nix.

“Easy there,” Dean said, trying to calm it down.

“That’s weird-roto, this one’s a lot larger than my data suggests-roto!” RotomDex said, examining the Decidueye.

“He is a bit special, you see,” Dean said, pushing the Decidueye back into the room and keeping it away from Nix. For an old man, he had quite the strength left in him.

Dean made the Decidueye sit on the only bed in the room and sat next to it.

“Nix, this is Dueye. He has an ability no other Pokémon in the world has,” Dean said as the Decidueye growled.

“Tell him what you want, would you?” Dean asked Nix kindly. Nix stood there, thinking for a while. Then he bowed to the Decidueye.

“M-My first Pokémon w-was stolen f-from me,” he began, speaking in a low voice.

“I-I will do w-whatever to g-get it back.” He paused for a moment. “Will y-you please help m-me?”

The Decidueye sat there, judging Nix. It looked at Dean, who was determined to help Nix. After a while, it sighed and lifted its wing, which started to glow. A potted plant in the room also began to glow, followed by every single blade of grass within a radius of five kilometers. The glow persisted for some time as RotomDex took notes and recorded the phenomenon.

After a while, the Decidueye lowered its wing, and the glow dissipated.

“Grawk,” it said. Dean nodded.

“He found them!” Dean exclaimed, his excitement evident. “Incredible-roto! We can get Starly back-roto!” RotomDex buzzed around Nix, who looked extremely happy.

“T-Thank you!” Nix said, bowing to the Decidueye. It looked at Nix for a moment before giving him one of its feathers.

“What’s this-roto?” RotomDex asked.

“It’s like a compass. It will always point to the location Decidueye has marked,” Dean explained.

Nix safely secured the feather in his shirt’s pocket.

“Gruk!” the Decidueye said suddenly, as it stood up, going for the door. Dean ran out too, Nix followed.

“What’s happening-roto?!” The RotomDex questioned as they all sprinted up the stairs.

Outside, there was a big fight between all the Pansages and rest of the Pokémon residing in that giant tree. They were throwing the Pansages out of their homes.

“Stop this right now!” Dean demanded. The Pokémon hesitated. Just then, another Pokémon walked into the scene. It was an absolutely massive steel snake. It let out a bloodcurdling roar. The other Pokémon obeyed its command.

“GOWRAAK!” The Decidueye screamed, stomping the ground.

The massive steel snake made its way to the Decidueye. “Trying to play the king?” Dean laughed at the Steel snake. “What-” Nix began

“Leave it to me-roto!” The RotomDex announced.

“Steelix! Iron Snake Pokémon! Steel/Ground type! This Pokémon is known to dig toward the earth’s core. There are records of this Pokémon reaching a depth of over six-tenths of a mile underground. Its body is coated with steel powder and notably hard—not even diamond can leave so much as a scratch.” RotomDex said.

“Not even diamond, huh? Let’s see how true that is.” Dean said, getting into his battling form. Looking at him, no one would dare call him an old man.

“Dueye! Use Leaf Storm!” Dean commanded. Decidueye obeyed, flapping its wing and sending a whirlwind of leaves swirling around. The air was filled with a massive storm of leaves.

The storm slammed into the Steelix, dealing heavy damage.

Steelix opened its mouth, ready to use Crunch.

“Another one!” Dean yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

With another powerful flap, Decidueye created a second Leaf Storm. The Steelix was blasted away, unable to complete its Crunch attack.

Steelix tried to retaliate with Iron Tail. Its lower half began to glow, and it swung its tail toward Decidueye with all its might. But it was too slow.

“And another one!” Dean shouted. Decidueye unleashed yet another Leaf Storm, completely stopping the Iron Tail and hitting Steelix with a powerful blow. The Steelix looked overwhelmed and scared. It tried to escape, but the other Pokémon quickly surrounded it, blocking its path.

“Thanks, everyone! Now, one more for good measure!” Dean commanded. The final Leaf Storm hit Steelix hard. The massive Pokémon crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud, sending dust clouds rising up, almost as tall as the tree.

“And there you have it!” Dean said, patting Nix’s shoulder. “That’s how real trainers fight!”

“THAT WAS AMAZING-ROTO! DECIDUEYE NEVER GOT HIT-ROTO!” RotomDex exclaimed, buzzing with excitement. It was the first time it had witnessed a battle like this.

“I’m glad you liked it!” Dean laughed. The dust clouds settled, revealing the Steelix still on the ground. It hadn’t fainted yet and was trying to get up but failing miserably.

“What do you say? Want to try catching it?” Dean asked.

Nix was shocked, both by Dean’s battle and his suggestion to catch the Steelix.

“C-C-Can I?” Nix asked.

“Of course! I am not a trainer anymore, so I wouldn’t need it anyways. It would be better off with you.” Dean chuckled. RotomDex tried to speak up, but Decidueye covered the RotomDex’s mouth with its wing.

Nix went close to the Steelix. With a Pokéball in hand, he spun his arms around as fast as he could, then threw the ball. The ball went flying. It landed on the Steelix.

And nothing happened.

“You fell for it!” Dean said, laughing like a maniac. The Decidueye was also laughing at Nix.

“What…” Nix began.

“Of course it didn’t work-roto. Pokéballs work based on the trainer’s ‘Soul level’-roto. Your soul level is far, far, far below what is required to catch a Steelix-roto,” RotomDex explained, looking disappointed.

“Well, anyway, you still need to get back YOUR Pokémon, right?” Dean said, tossing a Pokéball at the Steelix, which was caught instantly.

“Take him with you. He will be a good help.” Dean summoned the Steelix again.

“Help him, got it?” Dean asked Steelix. The Steelix, though reluctant, agreed to help.

“Then let’s go-roto! The faster, the better-roto,” RotomDex urged Nix. Nix nodded.

“Hey, once Dueye’s feather marks something, it never lets go. You should prepare well before setting off,” Dean advised.

“That’s true-roto! We still need to fight them to get Starly back-roto,” RotomDex added thoughtfully.

“Well, let’s go back in. This old man needs some sleep,” Dean said, yawning. The Decidueye had already gone back into its cave, shutting the door behind it. The other Pokémon started returning to the giant tree, celebrating. Nix and RotomDex followed.

Inside, they were given plenty to eat. Oranguru had prepared a special lunchbox for Nix. Dean had also given him a lot of potions and Pokéballs.

“Use them well,” he had said before going off somewhere.

Nix went to check on Grookey, who was still asleep.

Heading outside, Dean was already waiting for Nix. The Steelix was out of its Pokéball and eating from a massive bowl. Seeing Nix, Steelix lowered itself to the ground. Hesitant but determined, Nix climbed onto it. Once Steelix straightened, Nix realized just how tall it was.

“Remember to bring him back, got it?” Dean chuckled, waving goodbye. Nix nodded.

“T-Thank you!” he yelled from the top of Steelix’s head. He pulled out Decidueye’s feather from his pocket and waited. The feather rotated itself, pointing in a specific direction. Nix pointed that way, and Steelix followed.

And just like that, Nix was off to get back his stolen Pokémon.