Chapter Text
“Wake up! Ohhh… do wake up, won’t you?”
Red was the first to open his eyes, feeling an unfamiliar sandy ground beneath him. Blinking awake, the first things he saw were three strange creatures: a shrew-like critter with its back on fire, an owl with a green bowtie, and an otter with a scallop shell on its torso. He sat up in alarm, and only now did he notice that his two housemates were still passed out.
“Ah, you’re alive,” said the voice that had awoken Red. He looked up to see a man wearing a lab coat and a large purple winter hat. The stranger gestured to Duck and Yellow, asking, “But what about those other two?”
Red shook his companions awake. Yellow sat up with a “The world looks… different.”
Duck immediately took notice of the stranger. “You, in the ridiculous hat! Where are we? And what are those freaky animals right beside you?”
The man was taken aback by Duck’s rudeness but kept his composure. “My name is Laventon, and this is Prelude Beach. These three creatures are called Pokémon. They’d run all the way here when you three came tumbling out of the sky.”
“The sky?!” Yellow just now noticed a mountain off in the distance, above which a dark lightning cloud swirled, with what appeared to be a bright star in its center.
“That’s impossible!” Duck snapped. “We were just in our house moments ago! Weren’t we?”
“This is probably another lesson.” Red guessed. “Bet one of these creatures is gonna burst into song.”
Laventon chuckled. “I’m afraid the only sound these three can make is the sound of their own names. And I’m not here for a lesson. In fact, I’d like to learn what you are and where you came from.” He stepped a bit closer to take a better look at the trio. “Are you made of… felt? How unusual.”
“Speak for yourself, all fleshy like that!” Duck was saying all the wrong things, so Red had to step in before this first meeting went south.
“Um… what exactly is a Pokémon?” he asked, seeing that the three creatures identified as such looked wildly different from each other.
“They’re the mysterious and terrifying creatures that inhabit this world,” Laventon explained.
“So, what, they’re animals?” Red guessed.
“More than that,” Laventon replied. “They can look like animals, or plants, or even objects!”
All three housemates had a jolt of dread upon hearing that last part. “Objects…?” Red said hesitantly. “As in, objects that are alive?”
“I suppose you could say that,” answered Laventon, having no idea of the trio’s previous experiences with living objects.
“Do they sing?” asked Yellow.
“What?” Laventon blinked in confusion. “No, as I said, they can usually only say their own names.”
“And none of them try to, uh, teach you anything?” asked Red.
Now Laventon was really confused. “Not at all, most of them avoid humans.”
“Oh, thank god,” whispered Red, glad that Pokémon weren’t another brand of teacher. “So why are they so terrifying?”
“Pokémon have powers such as those of fire, water, and plants,” Laventon explained, glancing down at the three elemental critters. “I am something of a Pokémon Professor, and even I can’t explain some of what they do.”
Red turned a wary gaze to the three Pokémon in front of him. Mysterious and terrifying powers were exactly what the teachers had, and he wasn’t willing to risk these things hurting him and his friends, even if they weren’t out to teach them anything.
“I’m a scholar seeking to deepen our understanding of Pokémon,” Laventon continued. Such as these three here, whi-” He didn’t get to finish before the three Pokémon abruptly ran off in different directions. “Oh, blast and bother! My darling Pokémon! Why must you run from me again?!” He turned to the odd trio. “I’m terribly sorry, but do you think you three could round them up? I beg you!”
Duck huffed indignantly. “We just met and you’re already making us catch your runaway pets? They probably don’t respect you enough to stick around.”
“PLEASE STOP TALKING,” Red begged the arrogant bird. “I’m sure getting them back won’t be too hard, they couldn’t have run off very far.”
“Then let’s catch up with them!” Laventon took off in a sprint. “Wait, you three! Waiiit!”
Duck grumbled under his breath and trudged along as Yellow ran after Laventon, eager to explore this new world. Red walked at a normal pace, glad to be out of the nightmarish loop of singing objects, but wondering if these Pokémon were really any better than the teachers.
Yellow caught up to the professor first. “Alas… yet another miss!” sighed Laventon, with his Pokémon nowhere in sight. He turned to see the puppets approaching. “Aha! I’m glad you’ve come to my rescue, my new friends from the sky!”
“How do we get them back?” Red asked, looking around for any sign of movement.
“I tried catching my little runaways by tossing some Poké Balls their way-”
“What’s a Poké Ball?” asked Duck.
“Oh, right,” said Laventon, pulling a spherical object out of his pocket. It was half red and half yellowish, and sealed by a metal hatch. “These are for storing Pokémon in.”
“And they fit in those how?” asked a skeptical Duck.
“You see, each and every Pokémon is able to shrink itself down to miniscule size!”
“They shrink?” Red blinked a few times, then shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll go with that explanation.”
“All you need to do is throw one of these at a Pokémon, and it will shrink down and fit inside, comfy as can be,” Laventon finished explaining.
“I wouldn’t be comfortable inside a ball,” Duck pointed out. “I’d be all cramped!”
“Well, Pokémon seem to be just fine with them,” Laventon assured. “I’ll let you give a go at catching mine, but perhaps I should tell you a bit about these three first?”
He scanned the area and pointed out the owl. “Now, that one is Rowlet! Rowlet can photosynthesize like a plant, and apparently it battles using its sharp feathers.”
“I like its style,” Duck complimented. “I’d wear a bowtie like that!”
“Actually, that ‘bowtie’ is a part of its body,” Laventon corrected him.
“Lucky!” Duck muttered. “I wasn’t born with this suit attached to me.” He smoothed the aforementioned clothing out a bit, proud of his own fashion sense.
The shrew-like thing ran into view, and Laventon continued with, “That one over there is Cyndaquil! The fire burning on Cyndaquil’s back will flare up whenever it is surprised or irate.”
“Is it being on fire not concerning at all?” Red questioned.
“It’s a Fire-type,” Laventon reassured him. “They can withstand their own flames just fine.”
Finally, the otter was spotted on the far side of a pond. “The Pokémon near the pond is Oshawott. Oshawott naps while floating on the water, and it can battle using the shell-like object on its belly!”
“It looks like me!” Yellow said happily, paying attention to the Pokémon’s big nose and round head.
“Wait, ‘shell-like object’?” Red stared at the professor in confusion. “Is that not just a shell?”
“Oshawott are born with them,” said Laventon, “so we have reason to believe it’s a part of its body that only looks like a shell.” Red was still confused by this, and that was saying a lot given the kind of world he came from.
“Now that I’ve explained what kind of Pokémon they are and how to catch them, I’d be awfully grateful if you could catch my three runaways!” The trio looked at each other, then decided heck, why not? It’s not like they had anything better to do while stuck in this world.
“Now, the proper technique is to take aim-” Laventon wasn’t able to finish his sentence before the puppets let loose with their Poké Balls, throwing them wildly in the hopes of landing a hit. Red was actually trying to aim, but the Cyndaquil was too fast for him. Yellow found himself not good at throwing very far, his balls landing a pitiful few feet away from him and rolling lazily toward the Oshawott. Duck was pitching like a madman, shouting at the Rowlet to stay still for one second!
Laventon gaped at this pathetic display. “I may have a dire lack of skill in this area, but I’m pretty sure you’re doing this all wrong! You need to take things slower.”
Red paused, narrowing his eyes and really concentrating on the Cyndaquil. He let loose a Poké Ball, and to his pleasant surprise, he finally landed a hit, watching as the fiery rodent went inside. The ball gave a few shakes before going completely still, sparks shooting out of the top like miniature fireworks.
Yellow noticed this and tried to copy Red’s stance, winding up his arm and giving a pitch that went way farther than any he’d tried before, hitting the Oshawott right between the eyes and allowing it inside the ball.
Duck was far too stubborn to listen to Laventon’s advice, but seeing that his friends had succeeded prompted him to begrudgingly slow down for a second, focusing just enough to land a hit on Rowlet. Duck puffed out his chest in pride… only for the Rowlet to burst right out of the ball. “Oh, COME ON!”
“Ah yes, I’m afraid that can happen…” said Laventon. “Poké Balls are hardly 100 percent foolproof. Give it another go!”
With enough concentration and throwing strength, Duck was able to capture Rowlet in a ball, successfully this time. He held the ball up triumphantly, as if it was a trophy for a grand tournament.
“Oh, wonderful! You’ve caught them all!” praised Laventon. “Pokémon-catching is a jolly useful skill to have around here.” The professor looked curious. “Still, this is most unusual. None of you seem fearful of Pokémon in the slightest…”
“We’ve seen worse,” Red stated bluntly. “And no, I won’t elaborate on that.”
Laventon looked at the puppets with concern for a few seconds, so they practically shoved the Poké Balls in his face to get his mind off of what was just said. “Ah, thank you very much!” he said a bit awkwardly. “Oh, what a relief to have them all back. You see, the three Pokémon you caught have only just arrived at the village to help with our research. They won’t listen to anyone.”
“You need to be more aggressive with them,” Duck told him. “Like this: Attention freaks! Stop running away so we can figure out how you things work!” Red facepalmed at this.
“Er… I would advise against saying that sort of thing to a creature that can set you on fire,” Laventon replied. “And they bolted from the village almost as if they knew you three would come falling… one can’t help but think there’s a reason you appeared here and now.”
“Maybe we are here to learn a lesson?” Yellow suggested.
“God, I hope not…” The last thing Red wanted was to go through more nightmarish lessons, especially in this strange new world.
“Come to think of it, there’s a lot to learn here,” said Laventon. “In fact, my dream is to learn enough about all the Pokémon in this region to compile the first complete record of them! We in the field call such a catalog a Pokédex.”
“What, you want us to help you fill it out?” Red guessed.
“Yes indeed!” Laventon confirmed. “See, in order to properly document Pokémon, one must, of course, catch them. And therein lies the rub, I’m afraid. Poké Balls have only just been invented, and not many have mastered the skill of using them. If you three can master your techniques, you could be a great help to my cause.”
“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” guessed Duck.
“Of course you have a choice,” said Laventon. “I know you must be confused by your new surroundings, so it’s up to the three of you how you’ll spend your time here. Come with me back to the village at least, we’ll sort out your lodgings and find you a meal - and maybe proper clothes.”
Duck was about to protest that his suit was far more elegant than Laventon’s lab coat-winter hat combo, but Red stepped in front of him and quickly thanked Laventon for his hospitality. As the trio followed Laventon, they couldn’t help but steal glances at the ominous swirling vortex in the sky. There was no doubt that this had something to do with them crossing dimensions… but why was it there, and why did it bring them of all people?
The group of four soon made it to the entrance of a small town Laventon identified as Jubilife Village. Two guards stood out front, and their eyes widened at the strange puppets. “Thank you for your tireless work keeping us safe, my good guardsmen!” Laventon complimented them. “I know these three look unusual, but they were of great assistance to me and my Pokémon, so I hope you’ll forgive my bringing them into the village for a bit!”
The guards hesitated for a few seconds, sizing the trio up, then nodded, allowing Laventon to lead the puppets through the gate. The trio looked around, taking in the village, but Red felt the strongest about this place. Here he was, in a community, the very thing he’d been longing for since they started living in that nightmare of a house. He didn’t even mind the bewildered stares and suspicious whispers among the villagers as he strolled through. If he and his friends were allowed to stay here, then they’d have a place he could finally call home.
He was barely paying attention to what Laventon was saying - something about a Galaxy Expedition Team. The trio was led to a large building overlooking the rest of the village, identified as Galaxy Hall.
Laventon suddenly halted. “Oh botheration! I’d almost forgotten!” He turned to the trio. “I need to go and report that we successfully recovered the escaped Pokémon! Might I ask you three to wait for me at the canteen?” He pointed the place, called the Wallflower, out, and the trio went to go wait for the professor while he raced into Galaxy Hall.
Once they reached the Wallflower, an elderly man with what appeared to be a green mustache glared at the three. “Well now, aren’t you awfully suspicious? The Wallflower’s for Galaxy Team folk only. We don’t have seats for outsiders. Move along!”
Red quickly grabbed onto Duck’s beak, preventing him from escalating the situation. “Come on guys, I’m sure the professor won’t take long.” He was about to lead his friends away when he spotted a young girl standing a few feet from them. She walked up to them with confusion in her eyes.
“Who are you? I’ve never met anyone dressed in such a costume before. And are those your Pokémon?” Her eyes were fixed on Red, the girl clearly dumbfounded as to why anyone would choose to wear this sort of thing in public.
“This isn’t a costume-” Red began to explain, but to his dismay Duck shoved his hand off and took over.
“We are not Pokémon, thank you very much! And I’ll have you know that my friend here is completely in the nude!” Red really wished he hadn’t phrased it like that.
The girl looked a little disgusted. “Well… what are you then? And who got the guards to let you through?”
“We’re just guys,” Red said almost dismissively, as if he himself couldn’t quite identify their species. “And we came here with Professor Laventon.”
“Laventon?” The girl looked concerned. “First his Pokémon keep getting away from him, then he lets three strange creatures into the village. It all makes me a bit worried for him…”
“We helped him get his Pokémon back!” Yellow said proudly.
“Did they attack you?” the girl asked.
“Nope!”
The girl blinked in surprise. “How lucky you are! I myself was hit with a Pokémon move called Thunder Shock not long ago and had to take to my bed.”
“I’ve been fried by an electric chair,” Yellow Guy recalled.
The girl stared for a few seconds, trying to process how a chair of all things could possibly be electric. Then a voice interrupted with, “Ah, Akari! I see you’ve met the newcomers?” Laventon walked up to the girl, evidently named Akari.
“They might be able to help us with our Pokédex!” Laventon explained excitedly, then caught himself. “That is, if they’ll agree to it.”
Akari did not look happy with this idea. “Excuse me? You plan to appoint them to the Survey Corps? You can’t just slap a badge on whoever you like without Captain Cyllene’s permission, especially when we don’t even know what species they are!”
“I’ll allow it,” came a strict female voice. A stern-looking woman with blue hair approached the group.
“Captain Cyllene?!” shouted Akari, clearly surprised to hear this from her.
“Assuming the…” Cyllene paused, looking for the right word before settling on “...individuals can contribute to the Survey Corps, that is. I am captain of the Galaxy Team’s Survey Corps. You may call me Cyllene.”
The trio all felt intimidated by Cyllene’s cold stare and aura. This was not a woman to be trifled with, and they knew that getting in her good graces would be difficult.
Cyllene continued. “Professor Laventon has told me how you helped secure his Pokémon when they slipped his control. And now it seems he would like us to feed and house you in exchange for ongoing labor.”
“I never agreed to that!” shouted Duck in protest.
“Do you want to stay in the village?” Cyllene countered. “We can’t just let strangers like you live here without you contributing anything.”
Duck slumped in defeat. “Okay fine, you’re right.”
“Tomorrow we shall see if you can prove yourselves worthy.” Cyllene didn’t elaborate on this, leaving the trio wondering just how they’d have to prove themselves.
During dinner that evening at the Wallflower, where they were served something called potato mochi, Akari had quite a few questions. “Professor Laventon, where exactly did you meet our… visitors here?”
“Ah, well, you know of that great hole in the sky?” Laventon answered. “The one people call the space-time rift?”
“Time?” Duck shouted in alarm.
Akari ignored this outburst and shook her head. “This can’t be real.”
“I’m having trouble believing this is happening, too,” said Red.
Laventon decided he should explain what the trio was meant to do. “There are many Pokémon here in the Hisui region…”
Akari chimed in. “That there are - in the grass, in the forest, by water, or wherever they like. Our job as the Survey Corps is to research them and find out what kind of creatures they are!”
Laventon looked nervous as he continued with, “Well, we know this much… Pokémon are terrifying creatures! It’s all but impossible to know what kinds of powers they might possess or what sorts of wondrous things they can do!”
Red stared emptily at his plate as he replied. “We’ve met a lot of strange and terrifying creatures already. But I wouldn’t call anything they did ‘wondrous.’”
“Oh dear, I can’t imagine the sort of things you’ve gone through…” Laventon muttered, then brightened up. “You were a bit rusty, but all three of you successfully caught my runaway Pokémon! With three more capable pairs of hands in the Galaxy Team, we can finally begin our Pokémon research in earnest!”
Pretty sure I’m the only competent one here, Red and Duck both thought at the same time.
After dinner, Cyllene approached the trio again, reminding them of their impending trial. “For tonight, at least, we will provide you with a place to sleep. You may use our quarters here. But if you fail to pass the trial we put to you tomorrow, you must move on.”
“To where?” Yellow asked.
“The wilds. All three of you will be expelled from the village to meet your fate - and perhaps your deaths.”
Yellow was scared, and even Red was unnerved by the idea of being cast out to die. Duck, however, scoffed. “I’ve been dead before, and it was quite boring! I’d rather not do that again.”
Cyllene raised an eyebrow at this statement but decided it best not to question the odd bird. “We’ll see what becomes of you tomorrow.” She walked off, leaving the trio to prepare for the day ahead.
“You know, she’s actually nicer than most of our teachers,” Yellow commented.
That night, as the trio did their best to sleep, something was happening in the skies above Hisui. Sparks of light drifted through the air, converging at a rift in the sky. From this a huge bolt of lightning struck the ground, causing the Pokémon resting there to undergo a strange and terrifying reaction…