1: Lost and Confused

Another long day. Every Monday is a pain in the neck. You relax for the weekend, when suddenly, all your responsibilities pounce on you. Where’d all the free time go? Oh yeah… Social networking. Still, as much time as social media eats up, I doubt I would give it up without a fight. So many amazing friends are there. I couldn’t imagine myself without them anymore. But… Now, it’s late. I’ve got a paper to start tomorrow and I need rest. I send out my “goodnight everyone” message on Discord, plug my phone in so it’s ready for tomorrow, and get under the covers. It’s not long before I find myself drifting off… My tired eyes closing, my body relaxing, my mind conjuring up dreams…

…Where am I? Last thing I remember, I was going to sleep. Now… What is this place? Whatever it is, I can only describe it as psychedelic. Colorful. Is this a dream? But… It feels real… And yet…

A voice calls out. “H–hello? Can anyone hear me?” I try to respond, but I find myself unable to speak. “If anyone is out there and you’re listening to this, please, we need you. This world is in danger. We need–” 

Need what? Why did you suddenly cut out? What’s going on?

The entire landscape shudders. The voice is back. Louder and more urgent than ever.  “HELP!”  For a moment, everything goes black. Then, I see something. A vision of sorts. A floating, pink, four-legged creature is “running” from something. A large, navy blue, three headed dragon. The dragon roars as it chases down its prey. The pink one is desperate to escape, not wanting the monster to devour it. It reaches the edge of a cliff. It’s trapped. There’s nowhere left to run. Terrified, it turns to look at its assailant. The dragon lunges forward, jaws open. Then… Black again. 

I’m back in the psychedelic world again. The voice speaks once more. “Please… Save our world… We will die without you… Please…” How am I supposed to do anything? I’m just a college student for pete’s sake! How the frick would I be able to save an entire world? I notice something in front of me, a pond. Why is there a pond here? What the heck?

For some odd reason, I feel compelled to stare at my reflection in the pond. I decide that I might as well. But what I see makes me jump. It’s not the face of a young adult with glasses and brown hair staring at me… It’s… I… I don’t know what it is. Some sort of green serpent like thing with arms, legs, a leaf and the end of the tail and a neck that  really  shouldn’t be able to support a head that size. Wait… Is… Is that me? I look at my hands. Green. Three fingers. No separation of the hand and arm. Just like the pond snake. That’s me! I’ve been turned into this… Thing! What’s happening to me?!

A flash of light. And… Where am I now? I’m… Falling! Somehow, I appeared high up in the sky and am now falling at terminal velocity to my death! No… no it’s just a dream… It’s all a dream. I try the “pinch myself” Technique to wake myself up. …nothing… It’s not a dream… It’s real. I’m going to die. There’s no way to save myself. I’m going to die! With nothing left to do, I wait as the ground grows closer and closer, counting down the seconds until impact. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… I feel the pain of the impact, then nothing.

“Hey? Snivy? What happened? Are you ok?”

A groan escapes my lips. Did… Did I live?

“That was a nasty looking fall. You’re lucky all you got was a bruise.”

I did! I lived! I open my eyes and am greeted to the sight of a yellow mouse-like creature with red cheeks. I jump, a bit from fright.

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

I take a second to regain my composure. Whoever this was, they’re sentient. And concerned for my well-being. I might as well be polite. “Uh… It’s–it’s fine.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Yeah. Alex. Alex Russet.”

“Alex? That’s a strange name.”

“Strange? How so? Where I come from, it’s perfectly normal.”

“And where do you come from?”

“Wisconsin. United States.”

“United… States? Where is that? Kalos Minor or something?”

“Kalos Minor? What’s–” I notice something. My arms… Still like that pond snake. That wasn’t a dream. “Agh! What happened to me?!”

“Alex? Are you ok?”

“I think I’m losing my mind! Am I even on Earth anymore?!”

“Earth? What are you talking about? Did you eat a rotten Berry or something?” Well… That answers that question. I’m not on earth anymore. I’m on an entirely different planet. Then… That makes this guy… Have I just made first contact with an alien race?! “Look, try and calm down. Tell me what happened.”

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“…you’re sure.” He nods. “Well… Ok then. I’m a human from a planet known as Earth. I was getting some sleep after a long day and… I woke up in this really weird place. This voice said that I need to save this world from… Something. They ported me in the sky, I fell and… Now I’m here.”

“…”

“See? I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”

“No. I believe you.”

“Wait… Really?”

“Yeah. There have been rumors of it happening before. Though most Pokemon think humans are the things of myth and fairy tales,” Pokemon? Is that what they call themselves? “But I think that there’s truth behind it. So yeah. I believe you.”

“I… Thanks…”

“Pikachu.”

“Thanks, Pikachu. So, what are you doing out here?”

“Oh, I was on my way to… Oh! No! I’m going to be late! Come on!” Pikachu grabs my hand and starts running.

“Woah! What a minute! What’s going on! Slow down!”