Chapter 2: Reawakened

Alec woke up, this time more peaceful than the last. He was in a nested bed, one made of bits of straw and feathers. He saw around him a somewhat small room, completed with a dirt floor and a circular window that looked out to the ocean. 

There was a small well in the corner of the room. Trying not to trip, Alec tip-toed over to the well and took a look.

What he saw in his reflection was a somewhat ovular head, with tufts of the same purple-gray fur sticking out. Between the almost alien-like disc-shaped ears, a tuft of fur was pushed all the way up, slightly angled forward. Oh. So whoever did this to me decided to keep the dumbest part about my hair. Very funny. 

He felt something in between his digits of his paws. With a quick flex, comically small claws came out. Alec furrowed his brows. 

He walked away from the well to sit right back down in the makeshift bed. Wherever he is, it’s obvious that it isn’t a dream any longer. He somehow managed to be transported into an unfamiliar world, in a completely new form. 

A rush of fear began to form. Wait. Was I always like this? How do I know that this isn’t who I really am?

Alec began to run the details of his life through his head. He knew he lived in Jubilife City for all of his life. He played for the local school’s football team for the past two years for his school’s team. He lived with his parents, and had a pet Stoutland, named Ruffles. 

Going through his life bit by bit relieved himself of some of the panic. He still had absolutely no idea why he was an Espurr, however, nor did he know where exactly he was. 

What was the last thing I did? Alec tried to picture himself the day before. It was honestly a rather average day. A chilly Friday, he walked back from school, warmed up some leftovers, spent the night talking with his friends online, then went to bed. Woke up in a spiderweb as an Espurr. 

Something didn’t add up here.

He decided that if he wanted answers, he was going to need to seek them out himself. He ever so carefully stood up. This walking thing isn’t going to get any easier. He wobbled out of the room, and went through a small, dirt corridor.

Emerging from the other side, he saw a rather busy room. Various Pokemon were chatting with one another, going up and coming down from a ladder near the back. The room was floored with a soft, meadowy grass that barely met with the walls. Wherever there wasn’t grass, bright, jagged rocks stuck out. Light poured out from two large windows that overlooked the sea. 

Alec turned his attention to a separated room that laid to his immediate right. The door there creaked open as the Sandshrew from earlier, Shannah, waved to whoever occupied the room, and closed the door behind her. She locked eyes with Alec, and a surprised expression washed over her. “Oh Arceus, he’s awake!” She immediately opened the door she came out of, and yelled “He’s awake!”

Following Shannah, the Grumpig from earlier, as well as a pastel-colored Swellow and a scarred Sceptile. An eyepatch covered his right eye, with a scar running under it vertically.

The Grumpig was the first one to open his mouth. “Thank goodness you’re alive. I was worried that my tech went through some horrible malfunction.” 

The Sceptile let out a booming laugh. “Lyle, you’re always so worried about your inventions. Lighten up my man!” He patted the Grumpig on his back, knocking him off balance. The Swellow let out a small chuckle. 

Shannah gave a small glare at those behind her, then approached Alec. “Are you doing O.K? You seemed really out of it when we came to help you.”

Alec worked to shake off the bizarre aura of this situation he found himself in. “Yeah, I think I’m doing fine. I’m just not supposed to be here. I need to get home.”

The Sceptile spoke up. “That’s where we come in to help ya. What guild division are you from? We will send a team with you as soon as possible.” 

Alec gave the group a look, as if they started speaking a foreign language. “No, like, I need to be in Jubilife. Preferably within the next two days. Where do I go from here?”

It was the group’s turn to give Alec the same expression. The Swellow spoke up. “I am sorry, but we don’t know exactly where that is. Do you at least know what continent that is on?” Her voice was raspy, but carried a tone of confidence. 

Alec’s heart began to sink. “The Sinnoh region…?”

While Lyle and Shannah continued to give Alec a puzzled gaze, the Sceptile’s expression grew more serious. He whispered something to the Swellow, and her face lit up with shock. They continued to whisper as Lyle pressed on.

“Sinnoh… that just doesn’t ring a bell to me. How about you, Roy Robin?” He turned back to the Sceptile, only to just now see the whispered conversation. 

All of this made Alec way too nervous. Why was this a big deal? What was so important? 

The Sceptile, who Alec assumed to be named Roy Robin, approached from the back and stood over Alec. His looming figure was rather menacing.

“You said Sinnoh. How do you know what that place is?”

Alec began to panic. His heart beat rapidly. 

“It’s… uh… my home?”

Roy Robin’s gaze remained locked onto Alec. “Come with me. We need to discuss something in private.” He turned away and walked into the room. Alec stood in silence, eyes wider than the moon. The Swellow ushered him into the room with her wing.

The room almost seemed like an office space, but made with rudimentary materials. Grass still covered most of the floor, however two torches stood at the two ends of the room. Stepping stones formed a rough cross in the center. Roy Robin sat in a makeshift throne of sorts, his right hand rubbing his temple. The Swellow seemed concerned, as she walked next to him and sat down. 

Alec slowly walked closer to Roy Robin. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until Roy Robin spoke up. 

“I’m sorry, you need to trust me when I say this, but this is usually out of character for me to act like this. It’s just…” His voice trailed off as he looked out the window. He sat up and looked at Alec directly.

“You… aren’t really a Pokemon, are you?”

Alec sighed with relief. “Wow, thank you! I was worried that I would have to do this on my own around here. Yes, I’m really a human. Now if you can tell me how to stop looking like…” Alec gestured around his face “… This , and send me back on my way home, then I would greatly appreciate it. I got a test this Monday, and…”

“I’m afraid it isn’t that simple.” Roy Robin cut right through Alec’s words. He got up. “You aren’t the first human to find their way into our world. And being honest… I don’t know the way out. I’m sorry.”

Alec was already growing tired of the rollercoaster of emotions he was going through. He plopped right down on the ground. 

“So, what, am I stuck like this forever? Like, nobody can help me here?”

Roy Robin shook his head. “I didn’t say that. All I said was that I don’t know myself. And unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who would know. I’m sorry.” 

Silence once again took over the conversation. The small crackles of flame from the torches were all that could be heard in the tension-filled room. 

Roy Robin broke the silence once again. “I’m sorry that this of all manners is the way I introduce myself to you. My name is Roy Robin, and I am the guildmaster of the Southeastern Guild Society. My second in command here’s name is Eva.” The Swellow nodded and raised a wing. Roy Robin got up and continued. “The best I can do for you is to give you a home here while we figure things out for you. To my understanding, your combat abilities are rather limited, and you still can’t walk super well. Once you get yourself situated better, we can talk about your future. But for now, I would recommend you continue to rest up. You still seem exhausted.”

It’s true, Alec did still feel burnt out. He nodded rather solemnly, and carefully began to walk out of the chamber.

As the door shut behind him, Roy Robin turned to Eva. “This cannot be a good sign.”

Eva turned to him in concern. “Do you think he knows what happened to…?”

Roy Robin shook his head. “If he doesn’t know why he’s here, probably not. But I do know one thing. Every time a human comes along, something catastrophic happens shortly after. We need to keep a close eye on everything around here to make sure we prevent anything terrible from happening.”

Eva nodded. “Makes sense to me. I will notify the scouting troops to be extra aware.”

Roy Robin gave a single nod, and Eva walked out of the chamber. 

“Another human, huh? I wonder what Hell awaits for me this time…” Roy Robin muttered, as he looked out to the sea.