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“Hello??? Are you alive, child?”
Those were the first words I heard as I started to regain consciousness.
“Oh! Thank Sinnoh, you’re alive. I was really worried to find you here unconscious” the man said. He was wearing a white coat and a hideous purple head cover. “How did you land here?”
By now, I had gained the strength to stand up and face this person. “How did you land here” he said, well – how can I explain this to him? I pinched myself yet again. No – this is definitely real…..
“Come on boy, speak up, there’s no need to be scared.” The man said goofily.
“Uum…. Where am I?” I finally managed to ask him
“Oh! Well this is the Hisui region.” The man replied instantly.
Hisui……I’ve heard it somewhere…..
“Oh…..” That’s all I could say. My eyes started to wander around the scenery. It was lush, green bushes all around, it was as if I had just ventured off the fields out of Vielstone City – with the sea in the backdrop.
“This area is called prelude beach, son” the man began, now posing his hand over his chin in an interrogative way – “but you didn’t answer my question, how did you end up here? There aren’t any boats at the docks – so what brings you here?”
I sighed. I hope this guy doesn’t dismiss as a joke. I began –
“So I was relaxing in my home and suddenly I found myself surrounded by a void. I was only able to see a light source telling me that I had some duty…. And the next thing I remember was you waking me up…”
The man closed his eyes, scratching his chin with his index and thumb…. After a few moments he suddenly remarked, “Hmm…. Is it possible that you’ve been sucked into a space time distortion???”
I was taken aback. Space-time distortion, oh boy, the last time I’d heard about them were in the Canalave Library.
“Osha-Osha”
I heard the sound. Both me and the man looked down where it came from – that is when I noticed.
There were three Pokémon – Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott.
“Hohoho”, The man remarked, “Well, I almost forgot, these little puffballs were almost running away. They’re adorable, aren’t they?” he looked up at me. “Oh wait, you do know what a Pokémon is, right?”
I nodded in the affirmative.
“Ah good, so you do know a thing or two about the Pokémon – but the thing is, you don’t have any contacts with anyone in the village, do you?”
Oh shit. “No”
“Hmm” he went into a deep thought, “Then what can we do about you? If I tell everything to our team and villagers, then I don’t think that they’ll welcome you with open arms, especially Cyllene”
“Who’s Cyllene?” I asked.
“Oh well, she’s the leader of the Survey Corps…. Oh that reminds me, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself properly. My name’s Laventon….. well, others call me Professor Laventon. As it implies, I’m a professor working for the Galaxy Expedition Team, I was out in the fields researching about how the Pokemon behave. As you can see- ” he looked down at his Pokemons but he suddenly stopped.
I looked down as well and to my surprise – three of them had fled!!
“Where did they go!!!!” the man, well, prof. Laventon panicked.
I could see the Oshawott running into the small pool of water not a few yards far.
“Oh dear….” Laventon sighed, “Where’s Akari? She would’ve been of so much help right now? Ahh why did I sent her out in the Fieldlands again” He was circling all around when his eyes finally met mines.
“Ah, kind boy. Would you please help me catch the three pokemons?”
What else can I say. “Alright!”
“Oh, thank Sinnoh, here, have these. These are what we call pokeballs. We use the ability of Pokemons to shrink themselves and incorporate it into catching them. All you have to do is throw at them.”
‘Thank Sinnoh’, that’s the second time I’ve heard him say it. He’s in Hisui but he’s calling Sinnoh. What’s Sinnoh – A God now?? Is he from Sinnoh too? Does he know I’m from Sinnoh too? I don’t remember me telling him where I’m from…..anyways
He handed me a ball of Pokeballs. I touched them, and it felt a little different from what I used. “How is it made of?” I asked.
“Oh, some apricots and tumblestones.” He replied. “Now then, let’s get them!”
And so I started to help Professor Laventon in getting his “research specimen” back.
I first spotted Cyndaquil as it hadn’t moved much far from where we were talking. I quickly sprinted in front of it and threw my Pokeball towards it. The ball hit it, and it shrinked inside the pokeball. The ball wriggled in the air before a smoke erupted from it. Did it malfunction? Did the cyndaquil’s fire destroy the ball?
But Professor Laventon cheered, “Great! You caught your Pokemon in your first try… that’s awesome”.
Ahh, so that’s how we get to know when a Pokemon is caught. Hisui has a really different vibe to it.
Next up, I saw the Rowlett under the shade of an Oran tree. Before I was about to throw the ball, Laventon had told me to hit the pokemon in the back so that it startles. For someone who doesn’t catch pokemon himself, he really had a great stratergy to pull off. The steam let out of the pokeball, indicating that the pokemon was caught.
At last was the Oshawott. I had aimed for the back yet again. The ball leaped into the air – but then to my dismay, the little shell-belly escaped.
“Ah, I forgot to say, but that may happen…” Laventon remarked.
Oh yeah, as if this was really my first time catching pokemons…..
But another toss to Oshawott and it was captured.
“YOU DID IT!!!” exclaimed Laventon, his eyes lighting up in joy. “You really seem to be a prodigy at this. I think you are ready for the work.”
“What work?”
“um, you see, I have this dream to create a record for every single pokemon in this region. I’ll call this the Pokedex.”
Should’ve kept it simple, babblemouth.
Anyways, he continued, “I’ll get to have a word with our leader – maybe she’ll have a liking for you.”
I kept following him till we reached the main gate to the village. He was blabbing non-stop while I was looking around the scenery and the people busy with their daily lives. “This road is known as the Canala Avenue. It’s name after Canala of the Construction Corps, and this bridge is known as Canala Bridge.” This place, this area it feels very familiar…..
I asked him, “What’s the village’s name?”
“Oh, good riddance, it’s Jubilife dear……”
My feet froze. What the actual fuck? “Uum… I know this may sound stupid, but which year is this?”
“Oh, 1891 dear….”
My brain finally started to connect the dots – Hisui, Jubilife Village, Canala Avenue. This is where Canalave City is……. I’m in the past, during Sinnoh’s foundation years, back when people from Galar came to make the Galaxy Expedition team. Holy shit……..
“Hey kiddo.”
I was finally brought to my sense. “ye…yeah. I was just, a little distracted.” I tried to chuckle and shrug it off – but this was really bugging me. Laventon continued, pointed his finger to the 3 story huge building constructed with red bricks from Galar-
“That’s the Galaxy Hall, this is the Office of the Galaxy Expedition Team.”
We both were surprised by a new voice – “Heh Professor, What ya wanna have for dinner, the usual?”
“Yeah, make it for two today, you see we have a new face here.” He said as he entered inside what looked like a canteen.
I finally had a good look at this man, well, he was certainly above 55. This was covering his head with a thin fabric and his body id draped with a kitchen apron – it’s obvious he’s a cook here.
But this mister didn’t take a good liking for me at all. His face showed the disgust when you’re welcomed with uninvited guests. He scanned my clothes up and down before beginning in his husky tone –
“Aren’t you a little too suspicious with that outfit?”, still looking at me with disgust.
“The Wallflower is only for people of Jubilife, outsiders will not be allowed. Now off you go!” he shouted, bringing some attention from the neighbouring vendors and craftsmen.
I was devastated. I was hungry, like mad hungry and then I am treated horribly as soon as I stepped inside this village.
“Who are you? I’ve never seen anyone dress like that?” I could here another voice from my back. And this one felt like a feminine voice. I turned my head to face her and my body stopped in shock.
Those eyes, that gait, that soft smile on her face. No…. it can’t be……
Dawn?