It was going so well up until he arrived in a foggy forest where it shouldn’t be. A strange Pokemon floated in front of him and gave a giggle while his Chikorita’s body withered. Everything was all wrong, and his Pokemon would die because of it.
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The day started like it should have. Cimmeris got his first partner Pokemon–a Chikorita–and they instantly clicked. The creature practically jumped into his arms when he chose her, giving a happy and excited trill. The world was their Cloyster–Johto region, specifically, but he could imagine traveling to all kinds of lands if they grew skilled enough. With a partner Pokemon like Chikorita by his side, he knew they would go far, and she happily agreed. Sure, he was older than usual starter trainers, but he finally managed to pass the exam and should have had a normal start to his Pokemon adventure. Collecting gym badges, filling out the Pokedex…he was ready to fulfill that dream at last. It was while they climbed up Route 46 that their journey came to a halt.
His Chikorita made the sound of falling leaves when she murmured, something he hadn’t expected, but it gave him quite a calm feeling as they hiked up the grassy mountain. Unlike TV shows–which were intended to teach children all about Pokemon–real Pokemon didn’t say their names. They were meaner, and harsher, and altogether dangerous creatures to encounter in the wild. It was important to keep their numbers steady so that they could continue living in peace alongside the wild monsters. That was their new job, and Cimmeris couldn’t be prouder to finally be working at it.
Dark Cave was ahead of them, and while he knew it was a bit more difficult than usual, he wanted to train Chikorita as fast as possible. If they were strong enough to hike up the trail, then they were strong enough to train there. Chikorita used her leaf blade like a master of battle, slashing through the toughest Geodude in their path. Spearow were frightening, but a bit of poison powder kept them away. The pair felt unbeatable and the adrenaline powered their momentum up. As they learned more and more about the world around them, they thought nothing of the fog closing in around them. It wasn’t in the weather reports or common weather patterns for the region, but it blended in with all the unknowns they faced. It was as normal as everything else.
Cimmeris saw Chikorita panting and called out to her, “We need a break. Let’s stop for a bit.” He knew the dangers of being overconfident. Chikorita nodded and fell out of her battle stance. “Get together some dry wood and we’ll set up camp until we’re rested. I’ll start up dinner.” Chikorita nodded and squealed happily, running off to sniff out logs they could use. She wouldn’t go far, so Cimmeris still felt safe. He pulled out a potion from his bag, some rice, and a few berries to add flavor to the meal. He didn’t know if Chikorita would enjoy the medicine without a meal to go alongside it. He had splurged a little on supplies; Along with the potions, he had six Pokeballs and a Great Ball to help find new companions. He doubted he would find a tame Pokemon any time soon, but it was good to be prepared.
Chikorita returned with a smug look on her face, carrying a huge bundle of dry logs in her vines. Even during their break, she was training up. She set down the logs and looked to Cimmeris for acknowledgement and he pet her more than happily. Cimerris lit the fire with a match, the embers illuminating his pale skin, blue eyes, and short brown hair. As their food cooked, he spoke softly to her. “I’m lucky I got a Pokemon that wanted to get stronger as much as you do. We can’t train too fast or you’ll burn out, but…” He gave Chikorita a few more pets on her long leaf blade. “The faster we go, the stronger we get, the greater we’ll be. We’ll be masters in no time.” Chikorita nodded. The rice took a while to cook, but when it was ready, the smell filled the air and made both of their mouths water. He served up the rice in the same style of bowls and made sure to put a bit of the potion inside hers.
Chikorita hummed with happiness and scarfed down the meal he prepared her. She was excited to have a trainer that kept saying we and together and our. She knew of trainers that just treated their Pokemon as tools, but she felt like a true companion next to Cimmeris. She was just as excited as he was to face the world, even if it meant eating some bitter meals as her trainer learned how to cook Pokemon food properly. She would learn to hunt Pokemon better, too–she knew trainers liked meat in their meals, and all they had to show from their adventures that day were piles of gravel and some bird feathers Spearow dropped as they fled. Nothing tasty for him, she thought.
As she finished her meal and licked up the last of the crumbs, she heard a snap from the stones around them. Cimmeris was completely unaware, but she squinted through the fog and looked for a wild Pokemon. Another snap sounded from behind her, and this time her trainer noticed. He stood at the ready and looked out into the darkness, eyes honing in on a shadow forming from the fog. He fumbled with his Pokedex–the thing that made trainers so essential for Pokemon like her–and flipped it open, trying to point it at the new thing and get a reading. It simply displayed a static screen and made a shrill screech. He snapped it closed again to stop the noise while the strange shadow giggled from the fog. It grew closer and Chikorita jumped in front of her trainer, leaf blade ready to strike at the foreign silhouette. Cimmeris grabbed his bag, in case they needed to run.
“Calm down, now. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m not some wild Pokemon trying to keep you out of my territory. Rather…I need your assistance with something.” Chikorita allowed it to inch closer. A talking Pokemon meant it was incredibly powerful–perhaps even a legendary. Both her and Cimmeris knew fighting wasn’t an option against it. They both prepared to run the moment it turned hostile, but for now, stayed put. It would be bad to trigger a predator instinct, if it had one. A glint of metal was the first thing to show, then bright red and black stripes alternating in a snake-like pattern, and finally a long and spined tail that trailed behind it. It seemed the shadows from before was a literal darkness that swarmed the Pokemon. It materialized into wings with three spiked fingers apiece. Cimmeris didn’t recognize it from any of the known legendaries he studied, nor the pictures in folklore and myth he scoured through. It resembled a Mew, but something was off. Between the metallic spikes, shadowy wings, and its pale gray color, it looked to be a new forme at the very least.
The creature giggled again. “It’s good of you to be wary. It just shows that I chose a clever trainer to help me out. You see, I have a need for someone strong, and you’re the best option right now.”
Strong? Them? Cimmeris eyed the creature with suspicion. “I’m confident, but we know our limits. We’re just novices.” If they weren’t of use to the Pokemon, then it might attack–but he had a feeling lying to it would be even worse.
“A novice, yes,” it replied. “But a novice with a particular skill that can’t be found anywhere else. Haven’t you had a hard time becoming a trainer? Don’t you think it’s odd it took you so long to become worthy, when you studied so hard to please those so-called professors?”
It was true he had taken a long time to learn the names and history of the world. He was good with element typings and practical skills, but matching the times and numbers and dates and Pokemon with their match was a weak point. Dysnomia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia…he was assigned all sorts of things with dys- at the start. It was easy enough to live without them, but those sorts of skills formed barriers to all sorts of things. He would be an excellent trainer–he knew it, and so did everyone else around him–but tests, applications, memorization, written essays…he had struggled through them all for years. Rules were rules. They couldn’t send out someone with poor understanding of the world into the wild, and everything they used to check that understanding was something he struggled with. However, such a batch of things could hardly be called a skill. “I think you’re mistaken. My mind is a bit jumbled sometimes, that’s all it is.”
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“Your mind plays by a different set of rules, one that doesn’t suit this world, but suits mine perfectly,” it replied. Chikorita looked back and forth between the two, unsure of her trainer’s past, but ready to back him up anyways. “And it’s my world that needs trouble. Magic is a tricky thing, but you have incredible potential. I can see your aura from worlds away, creeping out of you like a glimmering light in the dark. I don’t mean to be poetic, but there’s no better way to describe it.” It circled the two, and Chikorita moved closer to her trainer’s side, still ready to defend against even the strongest Pokemon. “So, I have a proposition. I need help, and you want power. Help me in my world, and I’ll let you take your power back to this world. You’ll be a master beyond compare. I’ve watched for a long time, and know you’re selfless. You’ll use the power well. I trust you in that regard.”
At his side, Chikorita growled. She rattled out a challenge in her leaf-like voice. Cimmeris didn’t understand the language of Pokemon, but he did know the emotion behind her challenge. “We don’t need the power of others to get what we want.”
“Oh, but that’s just a little bonus for helping. If you don’t want power, then won’t you help for the sake of helping? There’s an entire world that will perish without someone of your…wonderful talent that serves you so well in this world.” Its voice seemed a little condescending now, twisting his so-called strength back into a weakness. “Are you prepared to let thousands–tens of thousands, maybe–die just because of your pride? You have to sacrifice some time in this world, yes, but you’ll be back in no time. Maybe you’ll even grow to prefer that world.”
Cimmeris didn’t trust it, but he had plenty of reason to consider it. It was stronger, so why would it ask for permission? It could just whisk him away to this other world without regard. Even Chikorita seemed on the fence now–her stance was relaxed, even if her leaf blade was poised to slash. “What exactly do you want us to do with…that magic? If I really have it?”
The creature came close, inspecting him with bright blue eyes, as if to check that he was truly worthy. “It’s no easy task. I need you to quell a god. Or heal one, really.” It twirled and flipped upside down playfully. “There is a god with many hands, and in this realm, its hand is wounded. Sick, broken, whatever you’d like to call it. The world is ripping itself apart. In this place, the hand is called Arceus. Perhaps you recognize it?” He looked confused. He had heard the name before, but he couldn’t piece it together with any images. Was it the blue one that ruled the sea? Or maybe the red one that ruled over death? With a giggle, he felt a vision flood his mind–it was the white one with a golden circle around it, deerlike in form, but ethereal in nature. He remembered now. “The one in my world is different. The name is different, but its duty the same.”
He saw another vision, this one cloaked in shadow, as neither a name nor a picture could be summoned from his memory. Only the feeling of illness, sadness, and loss came through. It continued. “Sickness leads to weakness. Weakness of a god means the world is tearing apart at the seams. Chaos is my area of expertise, you see, but all things must be done in moderation. I can slip through the tears in the realm and find you from afar. I can take you back to that place and hope your power is enough to reach that hand of god. But what I can’t do? Approach them myself. Their power prevents me from getting close, so you are the next best thing. Hone your magic, and no boundary in that world can stop you.”
It might have been rude at first impression, but Cimmeris felt himself growing more and more at ease. Perhaps it was the nature of this Pokemon to be playful. He knew Mew was a trickster, responsible for mischief, but never evil–he wouldn’t remember the name, otherwise–and this creature resembled it well enough. It set things in motion and observed. It was safe to assume that’s what it was trying now. He exchanged glances with Chikorita, waited for her to nod her head, then looked at the creature again. “If Chikorita can come with me, then I’ll help. Otherwise, I’m going to stay here. I won’t leave her behind.”
It nodded and gave a small meow. So it really was a Mew. “That’s difficult, but manageable. Your magic will keep your form stable, but a weak Pokemon like this…well, you’ll see. Are you ready?”
He looked at Chikorita. She gave an affirmative huff. She was ready, so he was ready. “Alright, let’s do this.”
“Good answer.” The fog around them closed in until all he saw was white. It filled his lungs and he tried to cough, but everything felt frozen. His fingers went numb as he felt his blood freeze, and finally, the white fog turned into darkness. Was he dying? Had it just been toying with them? He struggled against whatever it was, trying to move and breath, but accomplishing nothing. It lasted for longer than he liked, but finally, the darkness snapped back to a bright white fog. It receded to reveal a rocky forest with towering pines.
He sucked in breath and coughed and hacked, falling to the ground as his legs gave out. He wasn’t dead, but he felt like it. Cimmeris looked over at his Chikorita, panting, and felt his blood freeze again as he spotted her still and withered body. It had turned dark and bits of its body trailed away. The seeds around its neck had formed solid orbs of blood. “Chikorita!” he screamed, picking up her small body and holding her close. She was cold to the touch, but he felt her move a little bit in his arms. He looked around for the creature, furious, ready to attack on his own if he had to.
It floated well above reach and sighed, as if it anticipated this. “Not to worry,” it said in a dry tone. “I told you this would be difficult. Your Chikorita is still alive–in a sense–and will be just fine after some rest.”
“What did you do to her?” he hissed.
“Well, without magic, I could only bring it part way. To manifest, it needed a bit more of a push. Something else to hold it in, a host of sorts. So I found a Pokemon and fused them. You might recognize it as Misdreavus, though names like that won’t matter for long in this world.” It floated closer while the trainer was overwhelmed with confusion and placed a small hand on the weak Pokemon. “This is neither Chikorita nor Misdreavus, but I assure you, it’s your Pokemon. I’ll help it along a little bit, just because you’ve been so accommodating.” Its tiny paw glowed along with the Pokemon. Its withered leaves became solid again, and he could see now that the trailing parts of its body were just fur. The tips took on a violet tint as the Pokemon grew more lively, and finally, it opened its eyes. The sclera was yellow and the irises red, but they still felt familiar.
She tried to give a weak trill, but it came out as a babble of sorts, and she looked around in confusion. She felt different. There was something weird inside her, and she felt attuned to something else in the air. She could see little orbs floating around. Ghosts? she wondered. Had she died? Cimmeris hugged her tight and she calmed a bit. She had no idea what was going on, but she was still beside her trainer, and that’s what mattered.
“We also grew weaker, you know?” the creature said. “Even with a lot of magic, a journey like that takes a lot out of you. You’ll have to build up your stamina before you aim for heaven. You’ll have to settle on the family southeast of here.” It turned and started to float away.
“You’re just going to leave us?”
“What else would you like me to do? Hold your hand?” The creature twirled a bit. “You think you feel bad after one trip? How about two? Carrying both of you for the second, no less. I need to rest.” It wiggled its tail, surveying them for a bit. “I do have a bit of useful information, though. Good news for you. You can expect to see a lot of strange things like your Pokemon. With all the chaos going on, the concepts of species are mixing. The memory of god is growing unstable. Even a Pokemon like me has been affected. You won’t find my names in any books or legends. Who knows what I’ll look like next time we meet? Who knows what name I’ll take? All those names you memorized so studiously will mean nothing now.” It smiled and covered its mouth as it giggled. “All that’s left for you to use is pure cleverness and intuition. Oh, and magic, of course. The people in this world are going mad from learning all these new species, and they’re changing by the day! I hope you don’t mind forgetting a few names–or just making them up as you go.”
Names? As if he remembered them in the first place. He felt a small smile creep to the side of his mouth. Perhaps things weren’t so bad here, after all.
The creature spread its shadowy wings and formed a bubble of energy around its body. “As soon as I’m awake, I’ll find you. That’s all I can promise. Until then, do your best.” The bubble popped, and just like that, it teleported away.
Chikorita–or, well, whatever she was now–murmured to show she was alright. She was a bit confused, and very tired, but ready to recover and start their adventure–just as before.