Chapter Text
Of course Urbain would manage to trip and fall straight down some glowing mysterious hole in the air.
That's just his luck.
So now he's falling and floating and being twisted around and seeing colours and shapes and patterns swirling everywhere and he's never felt so strange in his whole 16 years of life - but then after what felt like forever but was only a moment, or felt like a moment but was really forever (his head is still spinning, and, well, Urbain's never been the best with time anyway), he's spat out like a sour Persim Berry into a room.
The room - it feels too huge and shiny and strange to be called just a room, but Urbain can't find a better description - is bright and white and full of beeping machines and fancy computers.
Urbain recognises it - it's the same room he was just in, before he fell.
But surely, it can't be - something must be different, he's just tripped through the air!
He turns around to check behind him, and - has Harmony just tumbled out too?!
"Aagh!" he says, in a very normal and composed manner - wow, the rich people are rubbing off on him. What next, him in a maid dress? No, that's a weird thought, and oh shit she's staring at you Urbain act normal, "Uh, I mean, hi?"
Harmony gets up, dusts herself off, and shoots him a glare.
"...Urbain, is that all you have to say?"
"Wh-whaddaya mean?"
She sighs and crosses her arms, the fabric of her green jacket rustling.
Urbain notices her Sylveon pin (the one that has a little speech bubble with "she/her" written in pink and blue) is missing.
"Urbain? Hello?"
He jumps. "Sorry, just, uh, zoned out I guess. What is it?"
"What is it?! You just fell through the dimensional rift!"
"The what?" he says, a vague recognition of the words tugging at him.
"The hole in the air is- what did you call it? - the isekai hole! You know, the thing we were looking for in the first place?!"
Ohhhhh shit, that thing.
He can't have really fucked up that badly...right?
He quickly checks a few of the computers lying around, for, you know, information. Definitely not also so he doesn't have to see Harmony's expression(well, she did just follow him through the rift...why does he always end up getting his friends into trouble?).
It's mostly complicated sciencey stuff that Urbain doesn't really get, especially as his head is still all muddled (a lot of it says something about the... Aether Foundation?) but from what he can tell, the hole is the dimensional rift. Which is supposed to be super dangerous or something, but Harmony and Urbain aren't scattered into atoms or squiggly flesh spaghetti, so they're probably good.
But surely the rift didn't take them anywhere, right?
Everything is the same so far.
Harmony suddenly ducks behind a desk, so Urbain follows suit. After all, it's better not to risk it. Especially considering how loud they were talking...
But after a few seconds, Harmony relaxes and stands up again.
"False alarm," she says, reaching a hand down (which he stares at for a little too long before grasping), "Come on, city boy, we need to get outta here before we get caught."
They manage to get out of the building pretty easily. Maybe too easily, considering Quasartico's such a big, rich, and dodgy company, but there's no point thinking about that right now.
So far, everything looks the same.
Just a sunny day in Lumiose (was it sunny when they went in?) with people and Pokemon going about their days normally.
Urbain checks his belt - all six Poke Balls are still there. Harmony does the same.
All fine and normal.
Something catches Urbain's eye, and he turns to look.
He sees a girl, and a guy - both around his age, maybe? He's never been good with ages.
The girl's hair is blonde with pink highlights - just like his, but in Harmony's hairstyle.
As for the guy - Urbain's hairstyle, but his hair is dark brown, maybe even black.
Surely it's just a coincidence. These people probably just look similar to Harmony and Urbain.
But then he realises the guy is wearing the green jacket - the one-of-a-kind jacket Naveen gave Harmony.
Harmony gives him a look, and he can tell she saw them too. Makes sense, considering they're both facing the same way.
But why are they genderbent, of all things, in another universe? What about everyone else?
Urbain can't imagine any of the rest of Team MZ like that (how would you even genderbend a nonbinary person, anyway?).
Or Jacinthe, Corbeau, that streamer Naveen is obsessed with (Canary? Cantaloupe? Who knows) -
"Urbain? Hello?"
He blinks.
"Uh - um - what?"
Dammit. He zoned out again.
"We need to go talk to those kids. As I just said."
Urbain rubs the back of his neck, sheepishly grinning.
"Do we have to, though?"
"Yes! Of course we do!"
"But I don't want to talk to a girl who's possibly my genderbent alternate universe counterpart!"
"That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard you say, city boy, and I've heard you say a lot of weird things."
"Like what? I'm sensible!"
"I doubt that a sensible person would get in debt with the yakuza for a hotel ad -"
"I said I was sorry!"
"- Or decide it was a great idea to go snooping around a huge business, meaning we end up in this situation!"
He sighs. Harmony's right, really. It is his fault, and he doesn't blame her for being mad.
"Okay, fine - hey! Wait for me!"
Urbain jogs after Harmony - wow, she's fast - who's strolling towards the two other teens. Somehow, they still haven't spotted Urbain and Harmony, too absorbed in conversation.
Panting, Urbain catches up just as the girl turns around. He makes a mental note to eat less crossaint curry the next time he falls through a dimensional whatsamacallit.
She seems surprised, and gives the guy a look. Urbain isn't sure what kind of look.
Harmony breaks the silence.
"Bonjour."
"Bonjour to, um, you...too?"
The guy looks uncertain - even nervous? Well, Harmony is a lot taller than him, right in his face, plus she looks like his twin but is a complete stranger.
Urbain decides to hurry up the conversation.
"Hey, this is Harmony, and my name's Urbain."
The girl nods (wow, it's like some kind of filter - she's almost identical to him, just, well, a girl. And she's not wearing the jacket.).
"I'm Taunie."
"Je suis Paxton."
"Paxton... That's a cool name!"
It always surprises Urbain, how Harmony is with strangers. It seems unnatural, her being so polite - like a mask instead of the girl he knows.
"Thanks - I chose it myself. Your name's cool too." He gives Harmony a shy smile.
Urbain wonders if Paxton is the same as Harmony, hiding his rough edges.
Taunie (her name was Taunie, right?) grins.
"Since we're doing compliments, I like your shoelaces."
"Thanks," Harmony says, sounding more alive, "I stole them from the Champion."
Urbain has no clue what the girls are talking about. Probably some meme he doesn't know. Well, they seem to be getting on...so of course Urbain makes it awkward.
"Uh, so Taunie, we look really similar...don't we?"
"Yeah," Taunie laughs awkwardly, "it's weird! Actually, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Just, that jacket you're wearing... I have one just like it, and it's strange, cause you can only buy them in Galar - and, well, it's very important to me."
Taunie is choosing her words carefully, but Urbain can hear a definite what the fuck in her voice.
So he's right then. This is an alternate universe.
"Urbain! Are you okay?" Harmony is next to him all of a sudden, concern all over her face. Since when was he on the floor?
Paxton must notice his confusion, because he says: "You just turned grey all of a sudden...are you feeling alright?"
Urbain manages to pick himself up, but he's still wobbly - Harmony lets him lean on her.
Everyone - everyone being Taunie, Paxton and Harmony - is looking at him, expecting him to say something. So he does, but of course he messes it up.
"I- I think that you might be us... Sorry, that doesn't make sense. We're you from an alternate universe. Probably."
He expected them to look more surprised. Taunie just nods grimly - like she already knew, like she'd known since she saw them.
"We should talk about this back at Hotel Z - as long as you can walk, Urbain?"
He nods, and so they set off, leaving the Quasartico building behind.
The little "recording" light blinks on the hidden security camera, red as blood.