บท 341: Small Heaven by Chifle (Pokémon)
Latest Update: May 16, 2022
Summary: Life is what you make of it. Evan took these words to heart, yet no matter how hard he tried, he was never able to move forward. It wasn't until an unfortunate event sent him to a world he hadn't seen since his childhood. Without much going on for him, he knows exactly what to do. He'll become a baker. Wait, what? (OC-centric slice of life fic)
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13861294/1/Small-Heaven
Word count:47k
Chapters:4
Chapter 1: A Long Prologue
I always thought that with sheer effort one could achieve almost everything. That was a belief ingrained in me since very little and I can honestly say I've tried to live by it every day of my life.
But the results? Questionable at best.
Years of hard work to achieve my goals only to be met with crude, utter disappointment.
When it first happened I didn't give much thought, sure it hurt that all effort meant nothing, but that didn't mean I couldn't win on another occasion.
Wrong.
I failed time after time, I couldn't achieve my goals no matter how many times I tried or how much effort was put into it. It seems that fate itself was against me getting anything I wanted.
Sometimes I thought that I deserved it. I've never been the kindest or friendliest of people to be around. I had sacrificed too much to be at the top, which includes many social aspects of my life.
If I was lucky, I could get third or second place, but a first-place on anything was always so far from my grasp. It was almost funny. How the guy that tried so hard, neglecting crucial aspects of his life, failed every time.
I bet many laughed at me. I wouldn't be surprised.
I got frustrated many times over it but I always kept trying because I knew that there was always another chance. I told myself that every time I felt lost, but deep within I was very aware of the truth. It was all bullshit.
That is simply human nature. We can lie to ourselves to keep a fake degree of dignity and a shaky inner peace, but if you analyze those little lies you tell yourself and strip it from its shallow layers, you obtain the cold, hard, truth.
And what was my truth? I was just not made to be at the top. No amount of fake positivism would change it.
But alas, I was a stubborn one, I always kept trying. Pushing everything else aways to obtain the much-desired victory.
My life was a roller coaster of failures and emotions, it was a ride I refused to leave but it gave me little to no satisfaction in the short or long term.
But was I supposed to do, quit? That wasn't an option I ever considered.
So life— fed up with all the low-quality soap opera that was my every day —decided for me. Ending my ambitions and what was left of my hopes and dreams.
That was a nice way of saying I died.
It was all so sudden.
I ordered a cab to take me home from college, just like many other times. The ride in itself was no longer than ten minutes, and I normally walk it when the weather is good and light on weight but that day, we had an unusual pouring.
I paid it no mind, what is the rain going to do aside from making the landscape muddy and gray? Where I lived wasn't known for heavy rains so I expected it to disappear before I got home.
It was on my way home when it occurred.
To be honest, I'm still not sure what exactly happened, it was all so brisk that trying to piece everything together is...complicated, even when the memories are still fresh. The sensation of your body turning cold is something I don't think I'll ever be able to forget.
The trip back home was a quiet one, more or less. The driver was silent for almost the entirety of it all, and I was checking my messages from the previous day, or maybe getting up to date with any college assignments I might've missed.
I remember we were passing a busy highway with very low traffic when I heard the high-pitched sound of brakes against the asphalt.
I didn't even have the time to raise my eyes from the phone, that's how fast it all happened. The shatter of windows and the raw sound of metal clashing against metal were the only sounds I could distinguish.
There were 3 collisions, I'm sure the first was another car but the other two elude me. My body was sent flying to the opposite side of the car with the first one, crashing one the windows and causing an unbearable amount of pain in my neck and left shoulder. The following two I could not see, everything became blurry and my body was nothing short of a rag doll being shaken in the backside of the car.
It all ended as fast as it began.
I still vividly remember the cold and wetness of the roof; the car had turned upside down with rain pouring in from somewhere. Glass was everywhere with bits of blood too. Was it mine or the driver's? I didn't know.
I couldn't see what happened to the driver. Everything turned silent after the accident with the exception of my own feeble and shaky breathing. If he survived, I wasn't able to tell.
I tried moving but it was futile, my body wouldn't answer. The best thing that I could do was keep my eyes open and even that was proving difficult by the second.
'So this is it?' I thought. My time on Earth was coming to an abrupt end and it would be without achieving absolutely anything worth a damn.
I tried to fight it. I tried moving, again and again, my arms or legs, anything. But my body wouldn't obey. Each time it became harder to put the mental strength to do anything.
My mind refused to give up and I could feel my eyesight slowly fading into nothingness, and my heartbeat weakening with each second.
The deafening aftereffect of the crash was dimming, I could hear the rain, the passing of nearby cars, and the voices of people approaching.
I wished so very hard that they would help me, save me from a grim fate, yet help didn't come fast enough. I don't want to die yet, please, there are things I still want to do.
Unable to keep my eyes open anymore, I succumbed to the tiredness, letting my eyelids fall. The darkness of the unknown embraced me, and with it I lost every sense of self.
My time in the world of the living had come to an end.
I saw no light, but the pure blackness didn't feel natural either nor unnerving in any sense.
I waited and waited, but nothing came. Surrounded by this 'darkness' while floating within it. At least it felt like floating, or like swimming without feeling the temperature of water or its movement.
And so here I am, back to my current situation. Stranded in the vacuum of an unknown reality, or what others would call the limbo between life and death. I don't know how long I've been here, a few minutes, days, years? Does time even work here? I know nothing.
With time I figured it was not all pure darkness, but occasional shades of purple and variants would also appear. They felt far away, but I could see them from here, or maybe they were close and seemed to be far away. This place is anything but natural.
I've gone over my death a few times now, my initial emotions have long been dissipated yet I can't help but feel empty.
I didn't live the best of lives, I know. I have no lists of accomplishments to show up for my brief time on Earth. Is that why I feel so empty?
"I wish I could've done things differently," I told myself. Apparently, you can voice your thoughts without a mouth in this reality.
Yes, my body is gone. That's a thing.
You start regretting plenty of things with enough time to reflect, It came naturally. I thought a lot about my life and the choices I had made during it, all while floating in the nothingness of space; I came to a conclusion.
I wasted my life.
I had always been so hard on myself when it came to goals and achievements. I wanted to prove myself above others, to get some respect, attention, or maybe even love. Yet all I got was disappointment and neglect.
I had it all wrong from the beginning, I should've focused on enjoying life instead, instead of punishing myself to be recognized by others.
It's funny how I just came to realize this after my death.
Better late than never I guess.
But if I were allowed to be a little selfish. I'd like another go at it, in life. I want to do things right this time; enjoy life to the fullest and without regrets.
"Yes, I would very much prefer that," I thought out loud, again.
And then, as if those were the magic words, the scenery around me began to violently change. What was once pure darkness, turned into the brightest of lights. In a matter of seconds, I saw myself engulfed by it accompanied by what I could describe as a warm, cozy feeling. For a moment I felt right, like nothing in the world could bother me.
Whatever was happening, I didn't fear it. I felt safe, and that whatever what's going on was only for the better. A peculiar sensation, impossible to describe accurately.
But I didn't mind.
It will be okay, I'm sure.
I puffed out of existence. Leaving that world of darkness behind.
To where exactly? I'm about to find out.
I managed to open my eyes.
Then the memories came, swarming my mind like a thousand bees on honey. I propelled myself up in an instant to a sitting position; heavy breathing ensued, I tried to stop it with mild thumps to the chest, but my aching and dried throat was only making it harder to do so. It wasn't till almost a full minute that I got the coughing to stop, yet my breathing remained out of pace as if I had just finished running a marathon.
Getting myself into a more comfortable sitting position, I turned my head around. Confusion and pure bewilderment reigned my thoughts as I tried to make sense of it all.
Surrounded all around by dense and lush vegetation, the kind one would normally see far away from urban centers. The fresh air carried in the cool wind enters my nostrils, filling them with an aroma of grass, old woods, and rain. It gave the impression of a serene forest.
Still speechless, I stood up to get a better look at my surroundings. I was indeed in a forest in the middle of God knows where. Trees of dark wood as tall as three-story buildings surrounded me, its leaves almost completely blocking the sun, with bushes and a great variety of other smaller plants remaining at ground level.
"What…?" I muttered as I calmed my breathing to relatively normal levels.
I gave myself a quick inspection giving recent events and noticed how torn my clothes were, fresh from the car accident I suffered; especially my jeans, with half of them being completely torn, showing exposed skin. My hoodie wasn't in such a bad state but the stains on blood on it gave a different impression.
"So it was real…" I said while trying to dust off any remaining glass on me, "if so then how am I here? Is this the afterlife?" I asked as I gave another look around. This doesn't look like Hell or even heaven for that matter, just a normal forest.
My body appeared to be in good health as if the accident had never occurred, yet the state of my clothes didn't quite agree with that. "Everything is in its place", I whispered after giving my body a quick check.
My hands went for my pockets soon after, trying to see I had anything valuable with me, mostly my phone. To my not-so-big surprise, it wasn't there but at least my wallet and keys were.
"Better than nothing, I guess." I mentally shrugged. I gave it a quick look, it had a couple of dollars, student ID, SS Card, debit card, and an expired coupon for pizza deliveries on Mondays. I'm not one to carry much on my wallet.
With that out of the way, I decided to put them away and focus on my current predicament.
"Now," I began, "where the fuck am I?" I asked as I started walking towards one of the many trees around me.
Perhaps I was thrown off the car and landed in a nearby forest? Impossible. It was an urban area and I remember being inside of the car, pummeled, bleeding out, among other things.
I shook my head, trying to put those thoughts aside for now. "The best thing I can do is try to find civilization or anything."
With zero ideas on where to go, I headed towards the direction of the sun. It looked like it was little past noon, and even though I have no clue if it'll take me anywhere, it's a better option than standing around doing nothing.
Wasn't more than a few steps before I heard the sound of fluttering wings nearby, and it was quite a noticeable one at it. Must be a big bird.
It hadn't spotted a single living being since I showed up here, it calmed me a little to know there were others in this forest with me, as long as it isn't anything dangerous of course.
However, when I turned to find the origin of the fluttering I saw no bird, but a massive animal akin to a butterfly, sitting on a tree branch looking directly at me with its head slightly tilted to one side.
That form, it looks oddly familiar.
The strange-looking butterfly made contact with me and squeaked in what seemed to be a concerned tone.
The realization hit me like a bag of bricks, so much to as taking a step back, almost stumbling out of shock alone, but one kneel and a hand on the dirt avoided it.
I must be in some sort of coma because there is no other logical explanation for what I'm seeing right now.
The creature is exactly as I remembered. Similar to a butterfly with little to no facial expression whatsoever; big, red eyes; four light-blue colored limbs; two long and black antennae; and huge white wings with black venation. But most important was the extra touch of realism it had, one the games or series were never able to portray.
And he is right in front of me. A Pokemon is right in front of me.
A Butterfree!
I'm unsure what kind of face I'm showing but the Butterfree caught wind of it and lightly squinted its red-colored eyes without breaking eye contact.
Perhaps my ragged and blood-stained clothes caught its curiosity, it's likely to be an uncommon sight for wild pokemon, a human in such condition.
"Oddish?" a sheepish, child-like voice asked with a trembling tone.
Snapping me out from my focus on Butterfree, I lowered my head towards the origin of it. Only to stumble upon two pairs of curious eyes looking at me.
Just below the tree where the Butterfree was having a staring contest with me, were two Oddish, one hiding behind the other, both slightly shivering while looking at me.
At this point, my limbs gave in out of pure shock and my butt hit the ground with a bump.
I can't fucking believe it.
My rough and unexpected butt landing only made the Butterfree narrow its eyes at me and the pair of Oddish take a step back or two.
Real or not, I better do something or this is going to look like a poorly executed Mexican stand-off. If I don't, I get the feeling things won't get better any time soon, although how bad things can get is questionable at this point.
I stood up carefully and slowly to avoid startling my current observers and potential others that could be hiding somewhere in this dense forest. Better play it safe, these are wild pokemon after all.
Okay, so how do I approach this?
While their gazes were nothing close to threatening, I felt uneasy and the sensation to act was only rising with each passing second but it is hard to know how to act in a surreal situation such as this one.
If this truly is the Pokemon world and not an acid trip, then maybe I should try looking for civilization instead of staying in the wilderness, as interesting as seeing more pokemon is, I rather not pass the night here.
"Hello," I broke the silence, with a shaky voice that I hoped I could hide better.
No reaction, they're still looking at me like I have three heads.
Off to a great start.
I cleared my throat and tried again. "You guys, wouldn't happen to know where the closest town is, right?" I asked, using a somewhat close to normal tone this time, "I'm not from around these parts you see."
This question caused some reactions, the butterfree let out a comforting squeak
and both Oddish looked at each other, as if asking themselves whether to answer my question or not, then their attention was shortly set on butterfree before coming back at me.
Hopefully, that's a yes.
I can't believe I'm talking to non-human creatures and they fully — or so I think — understand me. I mean, I knew pokemon were smart, but this still is nothing short of a shock; and they're wild pokemon to top it off.
I waited for some sort of confirmation from the other party. The two oddish remained in their place, but they didn't have the fearful expression on their faces anymore and the Butterfree flew away not long after my question.
"Free!" cried out the butterfree as he disappeared, flying through the tops of the trees.
He flew too fast and high for me to follow, even with my eyes. It's clear he didn't intend for me to follow, perhaps he went to get help?
I leaned on a nearby tree, it's rough yet relatively smooth surface worked well enough for me to use as the rest of my body stumbled into a sitting position, pondering about my current predicament.
"So… now what?" I ask myself, without minding the two curious faces staring at me.
Assuming the butterfree went for help then I'll be most likely fine, if not then I have no idea what to do. I could try just walking in any direction and hope luck is with me. Granted the number of things that can go wrong is not to be ignored, especially taking Pokemon into account and that is assuming there is nothing worse out there.
I sighed and directed my eyes to the top of the trees, its branches shielding me from the midday sun but still gently moving by the ever so gently breeze, making an almost peaceful noise, one that I would appreciate better in different circumstances.
Focusing back on my current situation, I pinched and twisted my forearm with little strength, only to wince in return without further consequences.
"Not a dream, huh?" I said out loud, hoping I could snap back to reality.
Of course it isn't, I felt too real from the start.
Oddish? I heard very close from me. The two pokemon had close up on me, inspecting me by the looks of it. Especially my recent reaction.
"Ah," I tried to come up with something, "I had to test something, pay it no mind," I forced a laugh.
With that answer, their focus shifted to my body, or to be more precise on my clothes. Some are ragged and torn, with droplets and stains of blood depending on where you look at them.
Is this what kept their attention the whole time?
It would make sense, these are wild pokemon and I suppose seeing a human who looked like he just went through a car crash to show up in the middle of a forest unharmed is anything but ordinary for them.
This applies to everyone I guess.
"Don't worry about me," I reassured, "I'm fine, my clothes are the only damaged ones."
My response was answered with doubtful looks but it seemed to be believed in the end. Not like they can do much about it.
I extended my hand towards my left shin, where the biggest slit on my jean was located, just slightly below the knee. I pressed my palm against the opening and then tore it apart enough more to show the skin beneath it. There was no pain, no scars or blood coming from it.
"See?" I calmly asked, "Nothing to worry about."
The pair of pokemon inspected me curiously, eyes shaky but attentive. As so they moved their tiny eyes to all the possible places where my clothes were damaged.
I couldn't help but notice their small similarities, from afar they looked similar but when close one could tell apart a few aspects. The sizes of their leaves on the top of their heads and the shade of their skin (fur?) were different from one another.
"I guess this is the real deal then, huh?" I murmured inadvertently with a black stare.
Their gaze was back on me after it.
"Ah, sorry I didn't— I was talking to myself," I said with a forced smile.
If this is real then...
"You wouldn't happen to know where your friend went? To get some help, perhaps?" The butterfree leaving just like that was making me uneasy. What other reason would he have to leave?
"Oddish odd," replied one of the little guys while nodding his head.
I let out a short sigh of relief. "That's good to know, I thought I was in trouble for a second there," I said only to receive a confused head tilt in response.
I guess I'll just have to wait for now and may-
The flapping on wings interrupted my thoughts, I raised my head to see the same butterfree from before, standing on a different tree branch closer to the ground this time.
"Free free!" he announced with a loud cheep as he landed on the branch.
Unsure what he is trying to tell me I take a few steps in his direction only to nearly stumble upon a creature, no, pokemon; one I've no memory of ever seeing before.
In front of me stood a quadrupedal pokemon, clearly some sort of canine with exotic characteristics belonging to the pokemon world. What stood out to me the most was the bright yellow that painted the upper part of his body, from the head to its thin tail. There was also a clean white covering part of his forehead, muzzle, and chest. Then its lower body being some sort of black to dark green shade, hard to tell. And its paws had a color combination of all of the above but in different patterns.
Aside from the eye-catching color pattern, there were also two weird-looking spikes coming out of the top of its hind legs, and also the size when compared to normal dogs (if memory serves me right).
With all of that into consideration, I didn't feel any fear for the unknown pokemon in front of me. Most likely due to the warm smile it had or the fact that it looks like a dog.
"You wouldn't happen to be my guide, would you?" I asked, switching doubtful looks between the canine and the butterfree
The dog-like pokemon gave me an energetic bark in response.
That's a yes, I guess?
Without waiting for any sign or confirmation, the unknown pokemon took a few north. He turned back and looked at me expectantly.
"So you want me to follow? Not wasting time are we?" I asked, somewhat surprised.
A second nod was his only answer.
I turned towards the pair of oddishes and then the butterfree who was still standing on the same branch. "Thanks for keeping my company and for the help," I said with complete honesty.
I got a happy reply from the duo plus a smile and the same from butterfree. I'm unsure if he smiled or not, he kind of lacks facial features, after all, he seemed convinced enough, and that works for me.
I waved them and approached my canine guide who kept moving when he saw I was done with my farewells. He sank deep into the thick undergrowth and I was forced to follow with no other option.
The vegetation around us grew narrow and wide, varying so often that it was starting to stress me out. Luckily it wasn't all that bad for me to lose sight of my guide and even then, he waited for me when the distance between us increased.
We kept that up for a while till the vegetation slowly died down a few minutes into our walk. The dense forest turned into more of a woodland, with the undergrowth diminishing significantly, and I no longer made my guide stop for me.
However, the walk continued, and with it came unwanted but needed thoughts, giving my time to calmly analyze my current situation.
Forcing any possible mental breakdown to the very back of my mind, I concentrated on what to do next.
If I do end up finding civilization, what am I supposed to tell them? Do I even need to go to the authorities? My ID is worth nothing here, how am I going to survive this place?
Speaking of which, what place is this supposed to be?
This forest tells me nothing and I can't deduce which region I'm in based on what little pokemon I've seen. For a second I thought I was in Kanto but my guide made it impossible to deduce, it's useless. I could be in an unknown region and that leaves me so vulnerable.
My head goes through possible scenarios and how I should play them out.
Telling everyone I'm from a different dimension? That's a free ticket to the asylum.
Try to make it on my own? I don't have the confidence.
Somehow bullshit my way through this? I could try.
I'm going to have to rely on others just like I'm relying on this fellow.
My guide throws a look at me every minute or so, making sure I'm behind him. He seems like the protecting kind, which I'm glad but at the same time find odd coming from a wild pokemon.
Even then, he's not the only glances I've been feeling on me during our walk. From time to time I could sense someone or something watching me. The quivering of nearby bushes and the oddly waving of the top of trees only help to push that sensation.
This forest is creeping me out.
The faster I can find people the better.
We kept our little walk but ten more minutes before I saw what I first thought was a simple clearing in the forest, I had spotted one or two before but we never went through them.
It wasn't till we got a few steps closer that I realized it wasn't just a clearing, it was the 'end' of the forest and to welcome my eyes was a simple — yet somehow satisfying to see — paved high road.
It wasn't a big one, it had only two lanes plus some space on the side, just like most highways do back home. The road itself divided the forest from an enormous field of pure, unadulterated grasslands at the other side.
My canine friend led me out of the forest and close enough to the highway to the point where we were no further than a meter from it. Once we got to that point, he halted almost automatically.
His eyes darted back to me with an anticipated look glued on his eyes, tongue out and perked ears.
I didn't have much except for a very big "Thank you bud". The 'bud' coming out unintentionally. "If I follow the road I should get to a town or city I imagine?" I half-asked.
"Bolt!" A nod and bark were my answer, followed by his muzzle pointing south.
I turned back to the direction he was pointing at, "So you're saying I should go south" I asked while squinting my eyes trying to see if you could spot any sight of civilization but it proved fruitless.
"I better start walking," I whispered to myself. "Say, how fa-"
My question was stopped by the sudden gust of wind behind, making me quick turn only to find… nothing.
The place where my canine friend was previously standing a second ago was now empty, with only one or two leaves slowly falling to the ground in its place.
Raising both my eyebrows in dry amusement I shake my head. "Perhaps he was in a hurry," I tell myself.
I focus my glare back to the direction he pointed. There was not a single house, soul, or man-made edification in that direction, only the forest to the right and the empty grassland to the left, but the road extended past that into the horizon.
If it does lead somewhere, it's going to take a while.
"Well, there is only one way to find out."
I kept walking for over thirty minutes without finding a single trace of civilization.
How did I know it was thirty minutes, well the watch on my wrist still works, more or less. While the time is stuck at 3:22 am, the chronometer still works and is what I've been using to measure how much time I've been walking under the tender sun.
"Was that dog pranking me?" I wondered out loud because I'm starting to believe so.
Another thing I didn't see at all was pokemon. Not a single one of them on either side of the road. For what I can see, they stay clear from the roads just like most wild animals do back on Earth.
Speaking of which, I haven't seen a single car either, what kind of road is this? An unused one for sure.
Well, this had to lead somewhere. No one makes paved roads for the sake of it, that's the only thing keeping me hopeful.
It was then that I spotted it. Something blue and somewhat tall in the distance.
A pokemon? No.
I speed up my pace, my growing excitement and dying dread from being the only human in this world slowly pushing me towards it.
It was a sign. A blue sign with thick white letters on it. Standing between 2 to 3 meters above ground and held by two rusty metal bars, also painted white.
'Hulbury. Five Miles," it read.
I'm relieved, there is a city nearby and shouldn't be more than an hour away if I keep my current pace.
Although I must admit Hulbury doesn't ring a bell, was there a city named like that in pokemon? It must be from one of the generations I didn't play, whatever generation five onwards games were about is a mystery to me.
And so my little trip into the 'God knows where Region' continued but it wasn't long till I started noticing obvious changes to my surroundings. Some of them are rather obvious.
The first change I noticed was not the scenery itself but the smell. The breeze brought with it the scent of saltwater glued to the wind, indicating that wherever I was heading had to be close to the ocean.
The second thing I noticed was the connection of another road to the one I had been walking all this time, and this one had cars going on it. An appreciate change for me.
Soon after, other signs of my proximity to the town showed up. The appearance of lamp posts and a sidewalk were the earliest signs, followed up by somewhat rural houses with huge backyards.
The forest to my right had lost some of its thickness after the first couple of houses began to show up, dwindling to a point of almost disappearing as it got devoured by the town.
A hard-to-ignore 'Welcome to Hulbury' sign stood to my right, this time with a green background and goldish colored letters, and to make it even fancier it had a wall with fancy rocks making it up, as a background to the sign.
Hulbury looks like a nice place.
With the countryside disappearing with each step, people began showing up casually walking in the streets like any other city. It was then that a thought came to my mind.
My clothes are shit. I'm going to drag way too much-unwanted attention.
A few holes here and there are not a big deal, but stains of blood on my shirt and jeans that's a different story and will attract more than a pair of curious eyes.
What was my plan again? That's right, I have no plan.
One idea was to go to the police station for help but I'm unsure if that's gonna help, then again, what other option do I have. I've had all this time to think about one but I didn't come up with anything good. It's going to be risky no matter what I do.
So far no one has asked me anything, but I'm receiving a fair share of strange looks. A girl and her shinx gave me the weirdest one so far; mouth agape and glued eyes till I was one block away. Unnerving.
Not only was it people who I saw, but I also managed to spot many pokemon along the way. Some I could recognize, others don't. I try to not stare much at them but in some cases, I just couldn't help it. I mean, look where I am, how can I not stare.
A good example would be a lady I saw with a pokemon in the form of a key ring. They didn't give much of an odd look but I couldn't avoid staring at the little guy. It was so bizarre yet somewhat adorable.
I've been in this world for less than a few hours and I've already seen plenty of what I thought was only fiction.
Am I really not dreaming? Maybe I should double-check.
"Excuse me, sir," a voice called me.
Shaken away from my thoughts, I turned back to the source of the voice.
The origin of it was an older guy, appearing to be in his late 50s. Had a tall and thin complexion, well-combed, and fully white hair. In his hands in what looked like a shopping bag.
"Huh?" Was the only thing I managed to return out of surprise.
"Are you okay?" the aged man asked again.
"Yes," I was fast to answer, "I'm doing fine." It wasn't exactly a lie, but I was still lost in a different world with no idea what to do. I am far from fine.
He took a few steps towards me, without breaking vision on me. He examined me from top to bottom at least two times by the looks of it.
"You don't look fine at all," he deadpanned, "Have you seen yourself in the mirror? What happened to you?" He inquired, almost demanded yet still kept a somewhat modulated tone.
I have no plans on what to do, perhaps I should stick to the truth. I get nothing from lying at this point.
"Well," I started, "the truth is I'm not from around here. I woke up in a forest a little more than an hour away from here, and I was pointed to the nearest town by some friendly pokemon. As for my appearance…" I mumbled the last part, trying to come up with a way to explain it.
He squinted his eyes at my half-assed answer. It probably wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"An accident I imagine," he interjected. "Come with me, I'll take you to the police station, they'll be able to help you out." He reached for his pocket, taking his car keys out. A beep was heard not so far from where we stood.
So what now? I have no good reason to reject this man's generosity. If my memory serves me right, almost everyone in the pokemon world was a 'good person with a few exceptions here and there. I'll trust him.
"You coming?" he asked, seeing how I wasn't moving from my current spot.
I thawed my body. "Yes, I will. Thanks for the help." I replied.
I followed him to a small, turquoise-colored car with a white-painted roof. The model looks familiar but I can't say I remember the name.
He settled his bag with groceries in the back seat, then moved to the pilot seat and began starting the engine up.
A small shiver ran down my spine and clouded my head the moment I touched the handle. Faint fragments of the moments of my death invaded my mind but I pushed them back. The mental breakdown will have to wait.
I took the copilot seat, although I was tempted to use one of the back seats. It's always kind of awkward seating next to a stranger. Especially when he is the one driving.
After a few shakes, coughs and light hops the car began to move, getting itself on the road and on its way towards the police station. Wherever that was.
The road was spacy enough, and so the old man kept a steady pace in the road, aside from the casual red light here and there. However, the silent ride was turning awkward and fast.
I wasn't going to dare try any amount of small talk. I sucked at it when I was alive back on Earth and I'm pretty sure I'm still awful at it here. I'll just stick to watching through the window.
The man, whose name I had yet to ask, seemed to realize it and kept silent with his eyes on the road. Although I could tell he was giving me glances in between each stop he made. I can't blame him. I'd do the same if I had a stranger in the copilot seat, covered in dried blood. But I have this lingering feeling that he will start asking more questions eventually.
Garnering my attention towards the picturesque little town I found myself in was probably the best choice. The architecture is peculiar and reminiscent of most western cities' old towns. Most residences or edifications shared similar traits, between colors and the somewhat rustic design. It was pleasant to the eyes.
If I ignored the pokemon walking or flying around I could almost fool myself into believing this was a visit to a random town with a stranger at the wheel.
For a second I accomplished said illusion, providing a needed mental respite, but it was quickly shattered as soon as the beach came into view. It wasn't the beach itself that broke it, but the monumental structure next to it.
A Pokemon Gym.
Its size had nothing to envy from the big stadiums used for major events back home. Even if its size is hard to pinpoint from where I am, I can tell it is big enough to be considered a main stadium back home. Why do they even call it Gym? Colosseum seems more appropriate. Were gyms always this big? I can't for the life of me remember if that was the case in the games, maybe in the anime.
"Impressive isn't it?" The old man added. He probably saw me dropping my jaw while looking at it.
"Yes, it is," I replied, without removing my eyes from the gym.
He hummed, keeping his eyes on the road. "It's well-maintained, especially given its position in the League, none of the nearby towns' Gym can compare to it," he said calmly. I assume he meant the Pokemon League.
He continued. "Galar puts a lot of care into their Gyms, maintaining a good appearance keeps the investors interested or so the chairman says."
Now, I've never heard of Hulbury before, so it is either an unmentioned city from a known region or it's from an entirely new region I do not know of. Based on the many unfamiliar pokemon I've seen so far, I'm leaning more towards the latter.
The thing is, how do I ask without making myself suspicious?
There is no way around it. That's the problem.
Fuck it. I'll drop the bombs.
"Sir," I began as collected as possible, "I've never heard of Hulbury before or even Galar for that matter, do you mind telling where exactly I am? As I told you before I'm not from around here, I don't even know how I got here. I showed up in the middle of a forest not so long ago."
My sight no longer glued on the stadium but the floor, my legs, or anywhere else far from possible eye contact but from the corner of my eye I could still notice his reactions to my words. He furrowed his eyebrows with his eyes still on the road, and his lips remained shut tight.
Seconds passed before he talked again.
"What are you playing at, kid? Crazy claims like that won't be easily accepted," he said with a not-so-friendly tone and furrowed brows, "If you're running away from something or someone, you better tell the truth or things won't get better, you know?"
I mentally sighed.
Why am I even telling this guy this in the first place? I should've just waited to reach the authorities.
The car came to a red light, the old man took advantage of it and turned to me, looking directly into my eyes, which I couldn't manage to dodge.
"Were you attacked? That would explain your appearance."
I let out a single, tired and dry laugh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
He kept his expression unflinching. "Try me."
"I think," I said almost mumbling, "I think I died." I expected a reply but got none so I continued. "It was a car accident. I don't know how it happened, I only remember bits and pieces of it; it was all too sudden and-" I felt something in my throat, a reminder of the experience perhaps. "-and painful."
I looked up at him, he remained serious with slightly raised eyebrows. He gave me a slight nod to keep going, knowing there was more.
"Everything after that is fuzzy and distorted at best. I remember darkness, silence but the memory of it is faint that I could almost call it an illusion." I shook my head, attempting to get back on track. "Whatever that was, I woke up in an unknown forest which I managed to leave and find a way here thanks to the help of its inhabitants. Now here I am, not sure what to do anymore. This all feels very surreal and I have no idea what to do next."
My voice trembled on that last sentence. That was my sanity slipping, most likely.
At this point I wasn't avoiding eye contact, I could see the old man's expressions were steady for the entirety of my short explanation. Should I be worried?
His caring demeanor from twenty minutes ago was gone and in its place was a cold, almost scary, over-analyzing stare.
It was a loud bonk that broke the eye contact, making me realize we were holding a few cars in green light. When did it change? I lost the motion of time during that unnerving exchange of words.
Calmly, the old man turned his body back into position, getting the car back into motion.
"I don't think you're lying," he said with a tranquil voice and eyes on the road, "I'll help you."
"So you'll take me to the police department?"
He tilted his head to the side, "No, they won't do much for you. I've got a better plan."
What?
"Don't worry, it's a good plan."
That only makes me worry even more. He is going to take me to a mental ward. Should I jump off the car?
"I'll trust you," I replied. Even with my inner turmoil, there is something about this man that makes it hard to doubt him.
I already died once, I've nothing to lose.
After another five minutes of silent driving, we arrived at a residential area. The car stopped in front of a quaint, two-floor house, its style share within the ones in our surroundings but sported a now
"We're here," he said as he parked the car in front of the garage.
"What is this place?"
"My house. Come in, I'll explain everything."
What? He brought me to his house instead of the police department or a mental hospital. This is far from what I expected.
The man kept waking with his groceries in one hand and the other in his pocket. "I'm aware this situation is worth being careful over, but there is nothing to fear," he said without looking back at me as he grabbed his keys and approached the porch, "I said I will help you."
I followed the small dark blue-pebbled trail that led from the outside of the garage into the small porch. Halfway there I heard there, a click sound followed by the screech coming from the old-looking door of the house, opening. The old man, whose I should've asked by now, entered soon after.
I couldn't see much of the inside from where I was but it's not like it would make me change my mind, not at this point.
I sped up my step and crossed the door threshold. The house didn't look like anything out of the ordinary at first glance. I was greeted by the sight of a spacious living room to the right, the stairs leading to the second floor in front and a door leading to God knows where on the left.
"Ame, you better behave. We have company today." I heard him say it to someone.
Ame?
When I reached what looked like the living room — and a very old-fashioned one at that — I found the answer to my question.
Keeping his eyes on me from one of the couches was an enormous feline, one I recognize all too well from the anime. A persian was staring at me with his sharp eyes; his stiff body and his poise screamed danger. Certainly not the thing one wants to see when entering a stranger's house.
"Ame! I told you to behave," a voice came from another room.
The feline eyes moved back and forth quickly between the source of the voice and me. He later dropped from the sofa he was comfortably staring at me and moved to another room, but not before letting out a somewhat wary persian on his way out.
"Sorry about that," the old man said as he stepped out from what looked like the kitchen. "Ame has never been too kind to strangers but she warms up quickly, I promise," he said with a faint but reassuring smile. The first one I've seen coming from him after a while.
Ah, so it is a she, I wouldn't have known. "It's fine, not the first time that has happened to me," I remember my neighbor's dogs when I was a kid, those dogs were never the friendly type, especially to a 6-year-old me.
He gave me a light nod and disappeared back into the kitchen. "I'll be with you in a minute, take a seat if you want." he echoed from behind the kitchen walls.
Without much care of it, I took a seat on the closest couch to me. It was a 2 seater with a charcoal grey color and relatively worn leather covering it. The other sofas surrounding it shared the same characteristics with size being the only difference.
The living room was mostly composed of said couches, three of them to be precise, and a small brownish table in the middle. On it, there was only some sort of wooden statue of a creature I could recognize. A pokemon most likely.
I turned my eyes away from the little wooden artwork towards the steps I heard coming from my left. The house showed up again with one mug in his hand. "Here, you must be thirsty," he said before laying a decently-sized cup in front of me, with a small drink coaster he quickly managed to place it on the bottom.
I instantly raised an eyebrow at the light-greenish beverage.
"It's just berry juice," he replied after looking at my dubious facade, "I prepared some this morning; it's sweet but not much to feel overbearing."
He has given me no reason to distrust him so far and so I drank it all one go. Its taste was somewhat familiar, I could almost swear I tried something similar but couldn't pinpoint what it exactly was. The dryness, I wasn't aware I had, in my throat vanished almost instantly, leaving behind a sensation of relief. I suppose that my mind had many other important things in mind that kept me distracted from the thirst.
Without me noticing, the old man seated on the one-seater couch in front of me and had one of his elbows resting on the armrests. "I imagine you must be confused as to why I brought you here, but I promise you that it will all make sense by the end of the conversation. The best way I can think of is to answer your questions rather than me lecturing you, so go ahead, ask away."
An unexpected turn but I like it because I do have questions for him.
"Why bring me here, why your house?" I asked right away.
And he was swift to reply. "The police weren't going to help you, not in the way you would expect it. An extraordinary story like yours would be ignored and taken as insanity or close to it."
I can see the logic there, I did consider that could happen after all. "And you know how to help me? How is that?"
The man seemed to ponder that question for a second, his gaze momentarily drifted before answering. "I have- I have met someone in your position before, many years ago. Almost in the same situation as you. Lost and confused in an unrecognizable world. It can be overwhelming."
His gaze drifted again, with slightly furrowed brows and squinted eyes as if he was trying to find a small object on the clean wooden floor. His wrinkles around his lips tightened, as if was trying to hold his breath.
His answer didn't satisfy me, but before I could ask he kept going. "I had a 'nostalgic feeling' when I saw you, a young man with tattered clothes and dry blood, trudging in the streets with a perplexed expression. It was familiar, somehow," he said, with his gaze now focused back on me. "It wasn't till I you told me how you got here that I placed everything together."
By this point I had, without thinking, brought both my hands to my face, covering both my chin and mouth. The classic thinking position, I like to call it.
"I saw it in me to help you through this. For a person like you to show up," he said pointing at me with his eyes, "And for me to encounter you, I don't think that is a mere coincidence. Whatever or whoever brought you here, I think, knew what they were doing. It sounds outlandish, and I wouldn't be surprised if you don't believe it, but that is what I think."
"I don't doubt you," I firmly replied, "I was transported from one world to another, there is hardly anything I don't believe anymore." Unless this guy has ulterior motives, I have zero reasons not to trust him. Also, he hasn't given me any look of utter disbelief after listening to my crappy origin story, that is reason enough. "If anything, I should be thankful. God knows what would've happened to me if I stayed on my own."
"I'm glad you think about it that way," he said with a faint smile. In his lap rested the persian who at some point during our conversation had climbed back to the couch as asked to be petted. She is a sneaky one.
Seeing as I wasn't replying, he kept going. "I understand that accepting the current situation is complicated but I'm willing to help you adapt if you let me."
"No, no, it's fine. I'll accept any help," I replied sheepishly, "What is there to do next, or is there any more information I should be made aware of?"
"Yes, there are still a couple of things I should go over with you I believe, but first," he stood up from the leather sofa he was sitting on, the persian moving to the side but not leaving the sofa. "We didn't get to properly introduce ourselves. My name is Monty Graham," he said, extending his hand.
Coping his gesture, I extended my right hand and gave his a shake. "Evan," I said plainly.
"It's good to meet you, Evan, you can call me Monty as well if you want." He retracted his hand and so did I. "I know this might sound sudden, but have you checked your pockets?"
"Huh? Yes, I have. I did it not long after 'showing up here." I pulled out my wallet from my right pocket and placed it on the table. "I only had my wallet with me, with a few documents and money from my world."
He didn't pay much attention to the wallet. "Are you sure there is nothing more? Have you checked thoroughly?"
"No…?" I'm not one to place much in my pockets, aside from wallet, phone, or keys. And I know the was in my backpack and the other in my hands during the crash.
I gave him an inquiring look. Unsure where he was going with it, but I complied. I hastily rubbed both my hands through both my left and right pockets, nothing. Then the ones on the rear with the same result.
Is there something specific I should be looking for?
Then my eyes jumped to my hoodie placed on the right side of the couch I was sitting on. I had taken it off during my one-hour walk to town and kept carrying it in my hands from then onwards.
Pulling the dark-blue hoodie towards me, my hands quickly found their way to the only pocket— although to me it was always some sort of hand-warmer— in the lower middle half of it.
As soon as my fingers began tracing the insides of the large pocket, they ran into something spherical, with a metallic feeling and cool to the touch. Not remembering placing anything there, I slowly pulled the ball-shaped object out. In my hands was a pokeball, shrunken to the size of a ping pong ball.
"You have to be kidding me."
I gently held the ball in my hands, examining every little detail of it. It sported the classic bright red on the upper side, with on the lower and a small button in the middle.
I looked back at Monty with a jaw-dropped expression, he was grinning. "Did you put this here?" I asked, still trying to figure things out. If he did it would make much more sense but the guy doesn't look like the pranking type.
He calmly shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"How and why is this here?"
He shrugged. "That I do not know, but what I know is that the person I knew before also had one when she got here. I figured you might have one as well. Why don't you go ahead and press it, do you know how it works?"
I gave him a numb nod, my attention still on the small metal ball on my hand. I pressed the little button in the middle and with a puzzled expression I watched as the ball changed to a bigger form, barely bigger than a baseball. I couldn't recall the precise method to open a pokeball, if memory serves me right, I have to toss it up in the air. Spotting an open space in the living room next to an old fireplace I didn't notice before, I threw the pokeball.
The ball didn't open right in the air as I expected but instead fell to the ground and bounced before the classic 'pop' sound was heard followed by a flash blaze of energy with a hue of bright blue. The energy accumulated into one spot, taking a bipedal and ovoid figure before fading away as quickly as it appeared.
I was greeted by a chubby pink figure, with its dark eyes looking directly at me, and a smile accompanying them.
"Chansey!"
I'm nothing short of flabbergasted.
A Chansey. In front of me was a Chansey that came out of a pokeball I didn't know I had. Another question for whoever sent me here.
"Chansey?"
The pokemon curious tone made me give her another look. What am I supposed to say? This too much for one day. "Hello." And off to a great start.
Whatever doubt Chansey had within her seemed to vanish after hearing me lame greetings. She leaped at me, aiming for a hug that completely caught me off guard. Its body was soft, not too soft, but soft enough, the harsh feeling coming from the egg on her belly.
"I'm happy to meet you too," I mumbled.
The pokemon was genuinely happy, and it baffled me on why. Did she know me from before? I don't even remember having a chansey on any of my pokemon teams in the games.
"A chansey, what a surprise," said Monty, watching the whole scenario play before his eyes, "and she seems to like you quite a bit, same as the last case."
"You mean the previous… 'otherworldler' that you met?" I asked as I petted Chansey's head. Her pink fur was quite pleasant to the touch.
"Yes, she had a pokeball with a friendly pokemon in it just like you. I thought the pattern could repeat and so I asked. Seems I was right about it."
"Chansey Chan." said a happy chansey which was no longer hugging me but remained at my side.
"She appears to agree with me," he said with a smile. "Don't you think so, Ame?" The persian, who was now keeping her eyes on Chansey, only gave a prolonged and relaxed purr in response. Monty only nodded at the feline "I suppose that should be all for tonight, I've addressed the important information, the rest can wait."
"Isn't there more you can tell me, I'd like to know where I am."
"I don't see it as important but if you must now, you're in the Galar region, in the city of Hulbury. I have more to tell you but it can wait for tomorrow. Come with me, I have a spare room you can use," he said as he walked towards the stairs. The persian stood up as well but didn't follow him and went in another direction, the kitchen probably.
Mentally shrugging I stood up, ready to follow. My eyes fell on Chansey once again, who was giving Monty an innocent but curious look with one of her small hands beneath her mouth. "I guess you're going to be tagging with me for a while, I hope we get along," I said to the pink pokemon.
Chansey turned to me and responded with a smile and an energetic "Chansey." Which I took as a sign that she was on board with whatever was gonna happen from now on.
"We are both together in this then," I said as I picked up the pokeball, "let's go."
We both follow Monty up the stairs into the second floor. In the way, I gave a glance at various photos in the many frames on the wall. Groups of people filled those photos, with a few pokemon here and there. There was a particular group that showed up in most of them, and I could recognize a younger Monty in them.
His family most likely. Do they live here with him?
From what little I was able to see, he is married with three kids; two boys and one girl, the latter being the youngest one. Regarding the pokemon, I didn't recognize a single one of them.
Once on the second floor, Monty spoke up. "The second room to the left down the hallway should do it," he said as he walked towards it, "it belonged to my son, but he left the house a long time ago. The room should still be in good condition and I doubt he would mind."
Guess they don't live with him anymore.
He opened the door and turned the light switch on. Almost instantly one could sense the mild smell of dust in the air, given the impression of a room that hadn't been used for long.
It was the perfect example of an ordinary room. The regular-size bed was neatly made, the only bookshelf was half empty and what little it had on it was accommodated in the bottom half to the right and a closed wardrobe in the corner of the room. There was also an unusually broad desk with drawers to both sides and a grey wheelchair close to it. The only window remained close, covered by cream-colored shutters.
"There is also a bathroom down at the end of the hallway, it has both a shower and bathtub which you are in dire need of if you don't mind me mentioning it," he added.
"I guess the blood is not appealing to the ladies," I tried to joke.
Chansey gave me a very confused look, probably not understanding it was meant as a joke.
"It's not doing you any favors." he laughed, "but yes, dry blood tends to scare folks. Plus there is also the smell."
I instinctively sniffed my armpit. Whenever someone complained about my scent I reached for my armpit to see how bad it was. I didn't smell anything aside from sweat.
"Regarding your clothes, I'm afraid my son's wardrobe would have to do. You're nearly the same height as him, maybe slimmer, but the same for the most part," he said as he approached the wardrobe, opening it up and taking a look inside. "Hmm, he took most of the clothing, but there are few left. I'm sure those will do for now."
"I don't think I'm in a position to be picky, if anything I'm thankful for this much hospitality. You're a lifesaver."
He smiled. "Perhaps," he said as he closed the wardrobe and opened the shutters. "I forgot to clean the windows…" he muttered to himself. "After taking a shower you can come downstairs, I'll have dinner ready, I imagine you're hungry. I just hope there is enough for two," he said as he walked towards the entrance of the room.
"Are you sure this is okay? I'm thankful for the generosity but I don't want to overstep or be a burden." I said to Monty before he left the room.
"You're not," he replied calmly, "as I said, my son and his siblings left the house long ago, the rooms are only collecting dust and I'm happy to put them to use for those who need it."
I can understand his logic yet I can't help but finding his hospitality suspicious. That is what the world does to you, gives you a fair amount of trust issues. At least folks in the pokemon world seem friendly enough so far.
I nodded to him. "Very well, I guess I'll take a shower then."
"There should be a clean towel in the dresser in the bathroom, you can use it," he said before leaving the room towards the stairs.
Not long before I heard his footsteps disappear on the first floor is that the silence took hold of the room, giving some clarity to think about the situation.
I'm surprised how well I'm taking this.
I've gone from dying to an empty room in a town I've never heard before in the Pokemon world. What a day.
Somehow, somewhat, my imagination can't process what happened today, not in the normal way at least.
The reality I was so used to, my world is gone, and I know it but my head can't grasp the concept of it. There is no reaction, not the big one I expected at least. My efforts, all the people I knew, my reality, all gone, yet no reaction. The people I worked with, in a group project in college not too long ago or the lady with her baby that sat behind me in the bus three days ago, gone. The track I visit almost daily to train, I'll never run on it ever again. Everything is gone.
As if dam had broken in the very dark corners of my mind, I felt a wave of claustrophobia and panic close up upon me.
All these memories I had, are the only proof I have from the existence of it all. Yet my mind can even begin to grasp the gravity of the situation. It's like the very core of my-
"Chansey!"
Loud words snapped me out of my trance.
To my side was a distressed Chansey, looking at me with furrowed brows and trembling black eyes. Her mouth slightly opened, ready to shout again.
This creature, no, this pokemon; she shouldn't care about me but I can tell just by the way she is looking at me like now that she does and that I can't comprehend.
The dam was already broken, but I can resist the waves of desperation in my mind. I've gone through worse anyway.
I tried to force my voice out. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, "I was deep in my thoughts, not healthy thoughts. You don't need to worry about me, I'm okay."
"Chan?" The pokemon replied in a more or less calm manner. Still taken aback by whatever face I was showing a second ago.
"I'm serious, there is nothing to worry about." I reached for my pocket and grabbed the pokeball I had used earlier, this time empty. "I'll go take a shower, you can rest and I'll call you up later if you want."
Chansey gave me a nod, yet her stare remained somewhat doubtful.
Now, how do I get her back in?
Tinkering with the pokeball, I pressed the middle bottom again and a flash of light—similar to the one I saw before— appeared and engulfed Chansey, pulling her into the small object in less than two seconds.
"I guess that's how it works," I said to myself before letting out an exhausted sigh.
I went for the bathroom at the end of the hallway as instructed and took a well-deserved shower, getting rid of the dried blood and whatever else I had on me.
It was refreshing, and that's probably an understatement. It felt like I hadn't taken a shower in ages. The hot water running down from my head to my legs, and the bizarre-scented shampoo helped to ease my mind, even if only a bit.
I didn't go for dinner after it.
I laid in the bed, in my newly appointed (and likely temporary) room. falling to the deep slumber, with all of my worries taking a back seat.
I woke up late in the late morning, last night I sank into the bed and slept like a log. It looks like dying and being transported to the Pokemon world takes a toll on your body, who would've known.
I changed into clean clothes that I found in the wardrobe. They were slightly bigger than my usual size but I rather have them that way, it is more comfortable.
I took my belongings with me— not that I had many in the first place—, my watch and the mysterious pokeball, and went down the stairs towards the kitchen where I hoped to find Monty, and get me up to date on whatever I had to do next and maybe some breakfast.
The kitchen was nothing to write home about, average-sized, had a small table in the middle, U-shaped, blue-colored drawers and white walls, plus the usual kitchen equipment.
There was Monty, next to the sink, preparing some sort of juice by the looks of it. He spotted me right away.
"I can see you're finally awake," he said as I stepped into the kitchen.
"Yes, I don't know what happened, I never sleep this much. Perhaps the whole time and space traveling thing are to blame."
"After all you've been through, oversleeping is well-deserved," he took a look at the clock hanging in one of the kitchen walls, "and over 12 hours, not bad," he laughed.
"And I could've probably kept going, but I'm still uneasy when it comes to my situation, I thought we could talk about with more details this time around."
"Of course, of course, but first I imagine you'd like some breakfast first." I nodded. "I left some for you in the microwave, let me warm it up," he said before walking towards it in the right corner of the kitchen. "You can also bring Chansey, I got food for her too."
Ah, that's correct, pokemon have to eat as well don't they? I almost forgot about it. They show it in the anime after all.
I reached for my pocket and took the ball out, pressing the button with more confidence this time around. A flash appeared again, and soon enough Chansey materialized next to me.
"Chansey!" She announced with a hearty grin on her face.
Her smile felt somewhat contagious, as I could feel my lips curving.
"Hey Chansey," I greeted her. That's going to take a while to get used to. "It's time for breakfast, are you hungry?"
"Chan," she nodded, energetic as ever.
That sounds like a solid yes.
I heard the beeping noise coming from the other side of the kitchen, Monty set the microwave and grabbed a yellow, medium-sized bag from the lower compartments, it seems heavy.
"Ame doesn't appreciate good food, she is stubborn and doesn't want to change her current brand, but I'm sure Chansey can appreciate quality food," he said as he carefully opened the bag and served two portions and a shiny bowl.
"What do you have there, is it food?"
"For your Chansey, yes. I bought this new brand a couple of weeks ago to switch Ame's diet but she refused to eat it. It is meant to be better and I don't like wasting food." Monty placed the bowl on the nearby table. "I hope you like," he told Chansey.
Chansey took a seat in one of the nearby chairs, it didn't take her much effort to do so despite her size. "Chan," she said with a beaming smile before eating. She started slow but sped up the pace soon after.
Taking a seat next to her took a better look at what she was eating, it had a resemblance to dog food but its square-shaped form and mildly sweet scent make it very distinct.
Peculiar.
"And this is for yours," said Monty as he placed a dish and utensils before me, "Hope you don't mind heated food, even if it is from this morning. Eh, would you like coffee?
I rarely drink coffee, only when I had to pull an all-nighter for last-minute studying, and after repeating that a couple of times, I got used to its flavor. "Yes please, one cup would be nice."
He only gave me a small nod and returned to the kitchen.
I took that as my sign to eat. The dish he served me contained eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, and beans. Beans during breakfast are a new concept to me, but I'm in no position to be picky, and also, my s
Before I could even notice, I had eaten it all. It wasn't anything from a high restaurant but my hunger doesn't judge.
I glanced at Chansey, she was still eating but was close to finishing; so focused on it she didn't notice me looking.
"I should've made some more," said Monty as he approached with one mug in his hand, placing it next to me. "Here you go, it's not too hot."
I grabbed it and took a quick sip, it was slightly hot but certainly drinkable. "Thanks," I told him.
"You're welcome," he said before taking a seat at the other side of the table. "Now, regarding your current situation. I hope you don't mind but-" his hand went for his pocket, taking my wallet from it, waving it, "I inspected your wallet while you were sleeping. You're a business student, correct?"
"Were," I corrected him. "But yes, that was my major, I was supposed to graduate this year."
He hummed in response to my sharp answer. "I was thinking, I might be able to help you get a job here, at least while you decide what to do next. A steady income might work."
It's true that right now I've nothing going on for me. No work, no home, no even an ID. Any work should be welcomed but I have no doubts.
"I have nowhere to stay, how will that work."
"I can provide you with a roof, for the time being, I don't mind the company."
"What about a proper ID, I'm lacking one too. I doubt my old one is worth anything here."
Monty opened my wallet, taking out my driver's license. "That's a fair concern, but you don't live as long as I do without having a few tricks under your sleeve. I can get you a proper ID, I've got contacts." He gave me a wink.
"That sounds rather suspicious, but I won't question it," I replied before taking another sip. I should've asked for more sugar.
He ignored my mild concern. "Also, is 'Oregon' the country you come from, I take it?" he asked as he inspected my ID card again.
"No, that's just the state, my country's name The United States, or the US for short," I explained.
"How curious," he said as he placed the card back in the wallet, and pushed it to me. "You can have it back, but I'll probably need the ID card later." I nodded at that, not that it serves me much here.
"Anyway," he continued, "are you interested in my proposition? If you're I might know where you can start."
"Wait what, already? It hasn't been over a day. How are you making things work so fast?" I asked genuinely surprised.
"Well yes, as I said before, I've got contacts."
I brought on my hands to my face, massaging my temples in sheer confusion. Maybe not confusion, more like trying to come with how this guy was handling things. I get the feeling he was managing my life and it hasn't even been over a day.
He kind of reminds me of dad, but in a much lesser shitty way.
"I see you have doubts." I'm pretty sure my expressions show that much, yes. "But it is only an introduction, if you don't like it you can decline, yet I think it is worth a try," he replied.
"I just didn't expect things to go so fast."
"Ah, that's my fault I suppose. I didn't consider how much one could take to-"
"No, you're right," I interrupted him, "I need to get used to things, and the faster the better. I'll come to terms with my situation with time." I said to reassure him, but mostly myself.
Monty leaned back on his seat, hands on his knees and forehead furrowed. "Is that so?" he asked openly. "In that case, you plan on accepting my suggestion?"
My vision shifted to the staring Chansey at my side. Already done with her bowl —which was left spotless— kept a silent stare at both of us during our conversation, same as yesterday yet her good humor never fainted.
"What do you say Chansey, should I go with it?"
Chansey stayed silent for the first second or so, considering the implications of her answer. Her lips remained close before letting a thorough thought replied.
She nodded along the line she can only say.
She might not be aware but I care about her opinion. I know her for less than a day yet, it feels as if she is someone I can trust. Weird, isn't it? But I'm dealing with a lot of that lately so the shock factor is missing.
I sighed. "Very well, I accept."
The seriousness vanished off Monty's face. "Excellent." He clapped his hands, "Let's get moving then." He stood up, taking the dish I had eaten breakfast on, to the sink and then giving it a quick wash.
This guy doesn't act his age, does he? What's with the hurry?
Taking one final sip of the poorly-sugared coffee, I stand up and get ready to move. Not that I've much to get ready for anyway.
"Ah, I have no toothbrush," I lamented as I licked my coffee-flavored teeth3.
Not long after Monty was done with the dishes and whatever else he had left to do, we left the house towards the so-called 'work' he had already gotten me, according to him
I thought he was going to drive me there, but according to him, it wasn't necessary. He said that it was close enough, no more than 5 blocks away.
I for one was enjoying the scenery of the residential area we found ourselves in. The place was not too fancy but was quiet, with few stores in the area. The low amount of people in the surrounding area gave it a sense of peace. I liked it, and it seems Chansey too.
I decided to keep Chansey outside of her pokeball. She seemed to enjoy the breeze and morning sun, unlike myself who tried to take refuge under every shadow we came across. I get easily burned under it.
As for Monty, I don't know. He was in the front of our little group and I couldn't see his face from behind. Although just by the way he was walking I could tell he was doing, fine. His lively steps were a good enough indicator of it.
After a few minutes of walking, we began running into bustlings stores along the way, a clear indicator that we were entering a more commercial part of town. The amount of pokemon casually walking in the streets still baffled me but I managed to hold in my surprise.
"How come you know about pokemon before coming here?" Monty asked out of literal nowhere. We had a small conversation right after leaving the house on why Ame didn't accompany us, but it died after a minute and so we had been walking silently.
I should've seen this question coming. What am I supposed to tell him, that I know them from a video game? No, I gotta lay it out differently.
"You might find it hard to believe, but the pokemon, or the Pokemon World to be specific, is a popular book series from where I come from. It's hard to find someone who hasn't heard of them."
It was silent for a minute, I expected the worst.
Then there was a short chuckle.
"What, really?" he chortled, slowing his steps because of it. "I would've never expected that answer, what an odd world we live in. And here I thought I had heard it all."
"You believe it?" I asked,
"Yes, of course," the normal tone to his voice returning, "I've already told you, even if this explanation is far from what I had in mind and borderline absurd, I'll still believe it," he said.
I was ready for more questions but I won't complain if he is willing to accept it so easily. Takes a load off my back.
I craned my head to see what Chansey was up to, she had been silent for most of the time, I found it odd. There she was, walking with a smile on her face. At this point, I'm questioning if she's smiling all the time or that's how her face looks. Either way, I prefer it that way, it puts me at ease somehow.
Also, what's with the egg? That is an egg, right?
My memory fails me.
My thoughts were interrupted by Monty, who had gone a few steps ahead. "Look," he pointed toward the end of the street, "We are almost there."
Monty increased his pace, and so did Chansey and me.
We had passed a rather busy street not too long ago, with plenty of shops and a little market in it, half of them had a rustic look to them while the other half maintained a style leaning on the modern side. I thought that the place we were heading was one of the shops we just passed but that wasn't the case.
We turned left in the next block, leaving the main shopping street behind and moving to a parallel. I lost sight of Monty for a second, before catching up. He was standing still in the corner, staring at the other side of the road.
"There it is, that's the place,"
I mimicked him and looked in the same direction. In front of us was a shop in the corner of the street, with two big windows, most likely used to display products, to both sides and a door in the middle. A wooden frame look-alike decorated both windows, door, and upper part, separating the first from the second floor.
At first glance, one could tell without a doubt that the store was close. Every piece of glass in the windows was covered by greyish paper to protect the interior from the sun. Although you could still read the word 'Bakery' imprinted on one of the windows.
A layer of dust covered every part of the outside decorations and one could even see the wood hadn't stood the passing of years very well. Its rough texture was in clear need of maintenance.
However, there was something I could see very well. The name of the establishment on top, written with letters and cursive font.
'Small Heaven.'
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13861294/1/Small-Heaven
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