Walking the streets and alleys of Viridian with Kirby, who had thankfully settled into a comfortable silence as we traveled, I learned about this new world of mine. There weren't many vehicles around, and those that were seemed to be mostly work-related: a police jeep here, a construction pickup there. I idly wondered if I could sell the copper in the bed of one. The town, or rather, the city – for it was more of a city than a town, small but bustling – had a lot more going on than in the games. It wasn’t just a few houses, a gym, a center, and a mart. The world, in scale, seemed closer to the anime, which made sense.

I mean, think about it: if Viridian were as small as it is in the game, there would be maybe 15 people living here, with housing for only 10. Why even have a shop in that scenario? Everyone might as well farm together. How would a thief make a dishonest living when the sheriff could literally line everyone up in 10 minutes? No, people multiply too fast for that. People need to eat, so restaurants appear; they wear clothes, buy Poké-kibble, and so on. In time, boom – a city.

It would have felt rather normal, if not for the Normal-types, Fighting-types, and all manner of Pokémon roaming around with their humans. From the Machop guarding my precious copper to the Tangela serving plates of sushi through a restaurant curtain to the customers seated in an alley beside the eatery. Even Geodudes up on scaffolding, pointing down at pedestrians and running their fingers across non-existent necks. Okay, maybe that last one was specific to me, but they were high up and no one can say for sure, so let’s just hustle on.

I noticed there weren't many Poison or Dark types around in comparison to others. It could just be that there weren’t too many species of these two types inhabiting the nearby wilds. Ah yes, the wilds, hard to miss. Viridian seemed to have been built on something of a hill. Think San Francisco, but fortunately not as steep. Some of the main streets offered a pretty good view of giant trees above, signalling the start of Viridian Forest and the point where the city ends, giving way to fields with a small town far in the distance beyond them. I really could barely see it; likely, I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t looking for it.

Pallet Town, the place I wanted to get as far away from as humanly possible. Not that the town is dangerous or anything, but I don’t think even my rather adaptable personality is ready to be confronted by evidence that Ash Ketchum is real. Or worse, get roped up in any of the dangers destined for that chaos magnet. Danger Doolittle will do just fine without my intervention, if he does exist. Oak's lab, on the other hand, could be interesting – there must be some valuable equipment in there or rare Pokémon on his ranch. Hmm, nah, not worth the risk. Locking the bad grunt thoughts up in their mental cage, I came out of my silent contemplation as Kirby gestured to our destination.

The Pokémon Centre was larger than in the games as well. For a start, it was multiple storeys, looking to be about five from the outside. I found out later that they double as a hotel for travelling trainers during the league. I bet a lot of parents are happy about that; if little Jimmy or Jessica makes it to town, they will have a roof over their head. They just have to survive the lovely scenic hikes through the homes of psychically warping monsters. Bet that never ends badly. Wait, I'm little Jimmy now…

“Fuck!”

Whoops, that got the entire reception room's attention as we passed through the front doors. Might as well roll with it.

“Oh, my nose, I think it's running again. It hurts so bad,” I hammed it up, enjoying the panic in Kirby’s face.

“Will you shut it?” he seethed through grinding teeth.

“What’s all this about, Sam? Does your friend need help?” Nurse Joy, in all her glory, gave me a once-over with a critical eye. Not hostile, just an assessing gaze to check for injuries. Where Giovanni exuded a palpable slime of an aura, Nurse Joy radiated warmth, care, and compassion. It sickened me, twisting around in my gut. Give me Giovanni’s slime over this obviously false image any day. At least you can tell he's masking his own ambitions with honeyed words. Nurse Joy clearly expects you to assume she's some kind of saint. As if they could exist even in this world.

“Oh dear, let me have a look at that nose, sweetie.”

I could feel the strain of the smile as it stretched at my cheeks, my teeth clenching together against my will.

“No, it's fine. I'm just fine, thanks. All dried up now,” I managed to get out.

“It must hurt if you’re yelling out. Please, I don’t mind.”

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Back off, lady. I took an involuntary step away. What is wrong with me?

“Here.” I thrust both Ekans and Happiny's balls between us like a shield.

“Hey, when did you get that!” Kirby blurted out, patting his belt in a panic.

“We just came to get them checked, thanks.” My cheeks hurt from the strain of holding my smile, which was turning into a sneer. “I’ll wait outside.” I deposited the balls into her hands and backed out the door with all haste, away from that worry crossing her brow before she could offer any more help.

The sounds of ice cracking filled my ears, drowning in it, I couldn’t catch my breath. Where did all the bloody air go? I could feel my feet slapping the pavement, picking up pace as I got further from the centre. Just one breath, my lungs felt like they wanted to explode as a grey fog crept across my vision. Was this a Pokémon move? The grey turned to a black void as it covered my sight.

***

“Simon. Siiiimon, wake up, sweetie.” Simon pawed the sleep away from his eyes to look upon the face of the orphanage director.

“There you are. I want you to meet some people.”

She took his hand in hers, dwarfing it as he scaled down from the mountain that was his bed. Together, with a short, assisted break to use the potty, he was brought into a colourful room that had seen better days. Toys worn with age and wallpaper ripped and peeling still tried their best to comfort its occupants.

“Oh my god, dear, isn’t he so cute?” A woman Simon didn’t know crouched down in front of him, a flattering yellow summer dress complementing her rolling blonde locks. Her voice was warm like a summer’s day.

Simon’s cheeks began to blush.

“A strapping lad, aye love,” stated a block of muscle masquerading as a human, his dark hair cut short.

“And who are these?” the gentle lady asked, pointing at the creatures dotting the boy's hand-me-down onesie. The voice was clearly coming from her, but how? Her mouth, nose, eyes – all missing, just a blank white canvas. The sounds of cracking rose from somewhere.

“Leave him alone.”

Simon stuttered, “This is Koffing...” he managed to squeak out, pointing to a purplish orb on his chest.

Can't they hear that? It’s so loud!

“Get away from him!”

“And this is...” Simon spoke, his voice drowned out to a whisper beneath the crashing of an avalanche.

“Pick someone else, anyone else!”

“Ekans,” Simon's voice was clearer this time.

“Ekans!” Louder again.

***

“EKANS!!!”

A frost washed over me, my eyes snapping open.

“Ekans ek ek Ekans!?!”

Ekans was swinging his head back and forth wildly in front of me, looking left and right, worry in his eyes every time they passed over me, and anger at the exits as he tried to watch both sides of the cramped back alley simultaneously.

A breath entered my lungs as I inhaled deeply. Struggling, I wobbled to my feet, using one hand behind me to steady my balance against the side of a building. I stumbled but felt Ekans push up under my armpit, preventing the fall.

“Thanks, Ekans. Where are we?”

“Ekans sss anss.”

“That so, buddy?” I had no idea what he said, but he seemed confident.

The ice settled, and I lifted my arm to see the shakes had passed. A surgeon's stillness returned to my hand. Good, it takes grace to pick a pocket. I am, after all, a gentleman thug. I laughed to myself, a soft chuckle. Ekans seemed to take it as a sign the danger had passed, relaxing a fraction.

“So, how did you find me then?” I asked Ekans as we began to shuffle down the alley towards the phosphorescent lights of a main street. I could see twinkling stars above the edges of the roofs on either side of us. There were so many...

He simply stuck out his tongue and gave a long hiss. Right, snakes can taste the air for scents. He must have tracked me. Didn’t want to take the opportunity to get out of dodge. Stupid murder spaghetti. I let my hand rub the top of his head for a brief pat, removing it quickly before he could become uncomfortable as we stepped out into the bustling market street.

Noises of pans clanking as food vendors cooked up their offerings to the river of customers darting between stalls looking for a bargain. The smells and sounds collided in a classic orchestra known to anyone who has ever lived in a city. I received more than a few looks, as adding the dirt from the cobbles and bricks of the alley hadn’t helped with my attire. Ekans tapped me with his tail and pointed to a rack of clothes. I gave him a grin, and we headed over to the stall.

“Been at a costume party?” the old man at the table asked as he puffed out a cloud of smoke from his pipe, covering me and Ekans both.

“Something like that. Got anything in my size?” I coughed out through the smoke.

He harrumphed at me as I was eyed from head to toe. “Poison trainer?”

“Yeah, guess I am.” I pulled my hand from the top of Ekans's head again. When did that even get there?

“Hang on, got just the thing.” He proceeded to search through the racks of clothes and pulled out a pair of black jeans, a light lavender shirt, and a black waistcoat with thin threads of royal purple woven into it. “In here.” He opened a flap in the tent behind him where he had made a makeshift changing room.

I took the invitation and changed into the new clothes, feeling like I was shedding away the last few days. When I came out, I was presented with a blood-red tie to match my eyes and a pair of dress shoes.

“What do I owe you?” I asked as I got out my Trainer ID to pay. Jenny said it acts like a passport, ID, and bank card all rolled into one. Yeah, I know, makes me want to don the conspiracy kitchen foil headdress too.

A short bartering session earned me a decent discount, keeping the new outfit within my means. I got the feeling he was going easy on me, but who knows. I dropped my scrubs in a trash can and thanked the old-timer, who waved me off. Ekans and I took it as our cue and slipped into the river of patrons, letting ourselves be swept away, comfortable just being in each other’s company. I eventually saw signs for the Centre and headed in that direction. When I got there, I found a much emptier reception, as most trainers were probably in bed or out for a night on the town.

“Did you get checked over before coming to find me?” I asked Ekans. He nodded, and I made my way to the desk, avoiding making eye contact with Nurse Joy. I was saved from interacting with her by Kirby's presence behind the desk.

“Hey, where did you run off to?” Kirby asked. “You oka…”

“Can I get Ekans's ball and a room for the night?” I interrupted him.

“Yeah, sure.” I handed over my ID and received Ekans's ball in return. After keying a few things into a computer and swiping my ID, he handed it back.

“That’ll open up your room, 406. Café is through those doors if you get hungry.”

“Thanks,” I replied and headed to the elevators, avoiding looking to the other end of the counter.

“Nice duds, you almost look respectable. Almost,” Kirby's voice called out as I passed into the hallway. I gave him a tired wave and smirk before disappearing. As soon as I reached my room and laid my head down on the bed, the world went black as I heard Ekans coiling up beside the door.