Chapter Text
…
Ugh.
I opened my eyes and found myself on… something hard. The ground? All I know is that it is not welcoming to sleep on.
My lids remained heavy. I would sleep for longer, if only I had not noticed the fact that I am… outside. The skies are overcast, yet not in a way I recognized; it seemed like the type you would see when… apocalypse arrives?
What is happening? I was just sleeping yesterday—and now, this.
I looked around. This place was barren, surreal. A dream, perhaps? It does appear very much so, though I can not be certain.
I pinched myself. That is the expected test, is it not?
It had no effect; I already doubted it, and this only proved it.
Now that I consider it, everything here felt too vivid to be a dream. I have never been the type to have lucid dreams… at least, I did not believe I had.
The air made me want to shiver, though it was better than sweltering, I suppose. It is the type of coolth you feel at the ridges of mountains—you—or in this case I—can handle without shivering. Despite that, I still prefer being inside, cuddled up in a warm blanket.
I pushed my hands against the ground to stand up. Until I realized I was not. I was levitating, oddly. This is concerning.
I also noticed that my hands were pitch black with three spikes lining my brachium—and that my fingers are now a set of three claws.
I opened and closed them experimentally. Visually, it looked like my pointer and ring fingers had vanished, but functionally, the configuration mimicked the thumb, index, and middle. It was surprisingly intuitive, probably because it is the most dominant trio anyway. The grip, the movement…
My mind adapted faster to it than I expected. Howbeit, things requiring fine motor control or precision handling would still be extremely troublesome…
Looking to my side, I saw some sort of foggy tatters trailing from my shoulders. My neck had red, sharp growths on it. My body oddly reminded me of something from a nightmare. Or a witch, perchance. The vision of one of my eyes seems to be blocked by my seemingly white hair. I cleared it, only for it to fall back; I think I must wont myself to seeing with one eye only…
What had I turned into? I only know that I am not human anymore.
I still do not know where this is. Levitating was… difficult. I felt like I might fall at any moment. This place seemed safe, though you can not be so sure until you have seen everything.
I turned around.
There was a tower in the distance, ruined—its stone remnants floating while everything else was just… gone. Pieces that looked like those of clock hands, gears, and time markers were scattered around, messy. Most likely a clock tower.
The walls were riddled with a strange, gray lattice. It looked like a circuit board, except that… it laid dead, inert, rather than glowing with power like it was meant to be. What a… strange juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern.
Why did I even… spawn—for lack of a better term—here, though? What significance does it hold?
It does not matter for now, I guess. What matters now is how I came here, what is happening with the world right now, and what happened to me.
I slowly floated following the path leading to this tower, hoping to get a glimpse of what is outside. Beyond it, more ruins, or lack thereof, it seemed.
In the distance, I saw strange regions of color bleeding into the sky. It had clearly defined boundaries; therefore, it cannot be part of natural sky coloration. I wonder what that is…
I need to investigate those questions, and what better place to start than to… find the residents here? Sigh. Time for more interaction with strangers, I suppose. Unfortunately, there were no signs of settlement anywhere.
Let us just wander aimlessly. Surely, that will help.
‘When in doubt, explode.’
Pity that is not possible.
The cold only seeped deeper. The wind was unending. I crossed my arms and rubbed them with my hands repeatedly—maybe I could create some warmth.
Floating still feels weird. If I could master it, that would be fun—an escape from the mundaneness of walking, for once. I can feel myself wobbling every now and then. Why is it so hard?
In any case, it is better than falling every time you try to lift off.
I wandered for hours, trying to avoid whatever these colorful regions were. Until finally, perched on a dead tree, I found a… murder? A horde of crows? Those are Murkrow, right? How fitting.
I can ponder on the ridiculousness of the word ‘murder’ although this is more important for now.
“Hey!” I shouted, the sound coming out quieter than I intended for it to be. It did not seem to notice me.
“HEY!” I tried again. One of them shot me a quick glance, only for it to seem surprised and fly away quickly, its group following suit.
“Wait. Please.” I called out, only to be met empty. Sigh… Why are they avoiding me? Peradventure my shout startled them, which makes sense… or. I deserved this anyway. It fits me a lot, actually. I… remember this feeling. The feeling of being ignored. And having people turn their backs on you.
I did notice this earlier, but I was more focused on calling them out. It seems that my voice has gotten deeper and rougher. Like something from a nightmare.
They say your voice sounds different to others than it does in your head; I suppose that is true.
Regardless, I do not know how this came to be, whether it is a side effect of waking up, or something else, but I will not complain about it. Previously, my voice was in this weird limbo between squeaky and low, so I have never really liked it. As a matter of fact, I am very glad; this is what I have always wanted.
But the one narrating this—my inner voice—is still using the old one. The one I used to have. The one I shuddered at. Ugh… It has not caught up yet, though it will… eventually. I think.
I continued venturing deeper into the forest—if you could even call it that for the lack of trees—only to find more… Pokémon that ran away when they noticed me. I still do not know why they seem so afraid of me, but I hope to find out soon.
It started becoming foggier. Is that normal?
It really does not help that the skies are not sunny. Not that I prefer sunny weather, though… It is just that the Sun is nowhere to be seen.
…
I… think it had been hours. Encounters were sparse, but thankfully I still am not hungry nor thirsty, oddly.
Floating had grown less volatile, even though the feeling of being legless remained unpleasant.
Wait, where are my legs anyway? I had been focused so much on trying to master floating and finding someone to answer my questions.
I could feel it. Barely. Like a phantom limb. It was not there.
And so, I tried to get it out—extend it, perhaps.
So they existed. My… puny, thin legs. So I had them after all. I could extend or retract it whenever at will. Better for walking until I could wholly rely on levitation. This reminded me of owls, and many birds, for that matter.
Walking felt unnatural, to say the least. It reminded me of walking on stilts to an extent. And not only is the feeling weird, I am positive that it also looks weird on the outside.
…The ground here still feels like the ground. Yes.
What would one expect? It is just as cool as the atmosphere. Firm, and dirtily uneven.
After so long, I reached an open field which marked the end of this slightly forest-like area. There, I saw something orange glowing in the distance. Could this be a bonfire, a campsite, people?
Maybe I should approach it. I retracted my legs because who would want to see whatever I am, running at insane speeds with these noodles?
I tried to float fast there, stumbling on air a few times, somehow, before my thoughts were confirmed.
There sat a red Pokémon on a sizable log, enjoying the warmth of the fire—lighting them in warm autumnal tones—seemingly thinking about something, staring into the heat. This time, they maintained a more composed face when it saw me and did not flee like the others. How… remarkable.
As soon as they noticed me, they looked at me with a wary gaze.
“…Hello,” I greeted.
There was no point in pretending I knew what I was doing; I do not know how to open a conversation, especially with new people.
“…Hi. What brings you… here?” they replied. The tone was careful, measured.
“Well…”
They paused, narrowing their eyes with pupils that are somehow widening simultaneously, probably trying to gather his thoughts in a panic. “Weren’t you the one who caused another version of this disaster by paralyzing the world many centuries ago, before the world was saved by a Piplup and a Grovyle? Are you an incarnation of it?!” they continued, questioning me with dripping distrust.
That escalated quickly.
“No…?” I replied honestly, although the fact that it sounded more like a question is likely to raise more suspicion.
“Then, then… how? How are you here ? I thought you were gone for good.” They stood up, the warmth fading as the firelight no longer reached him the same way. He looked more intimidating now, frankly.
“Again, I am not who you think I am. Trust me.” I defended myself, not knowing how to actually do that. How does one make something believable anyway?
“How can I trust you, then?” they retorted. Ah, there it is.
“I am simply lost. And, I cannot. So, please, just… hear me out first. I mean no harm, I promise.”
“Don’t you mean hiding ? I know your type. Quiet, mysterious, and all…” They steadied their legs further.
“I…” I am at a loss of words. How do people deal with distrust?
“You expect me to believe that?” they said coolly, folding their arms. “You’re not convincing."
“No. I know,” I said rather quickly. Well—perhaps it is time to go elsewhere.
As I thought about it, I could feel them turning their eyes from me, as if considering something.
“…Fine. What do you want?” they muttered after a beat. They had put a hand under their chin, elbow resting on the other arm. I must have missed it while I looked away.
“…Answers,” I answered, my body just as static as usual. Well, hopefully that is clear enough.
“You? Me? Questions?” They seemed disbelieved, although their stare softened. I do not know why, but I can feel them being delighted…
“Yes. Questions.”
…Silence. Please respond.
“So, are ya just gonna stand there or what?” They tilted their head and are forming what seems to be a smirk on their face. More concretely, one of their eyes is narrowing upwards. I do not know for sure, as they do not have a mouth. I flicked my gaze to the floor.
I had expected for it to ask me what questions, but alright, I will take the hint and just say them clearly. What were those again? Ah, right.
“Well, I wanted to know, what is happening here? Do you know what could possibly have happened to me, how I came here? Is this a regular phenomenon?” I looked at them again.
“For what happened to you, how am I supposed to know that?”
That answered my last question. A human being here is definitely not normal.
“But for your first one, well… it’s a long story. Sit. I’ll try to explain” Their gaze softened as they continued, sitting back down, and gestured for me to come over. That trust came too easily. Suspiciously so. I had been nothing but an unknown.
Perhaps he appreciated honesty. Or perhaps he was reckless; I do not think someone could offer warmth like that to a stranger so quickly.
Nonetheless, see? Uncertainty has some benefits.
“I’ll know when you lie, though.”
…Or not. That was unsettling.
I came over, careful not to graze the fire, then extended my legs to sit beside them. I did not understand how my form allowed sitting
Well, they are rather distant, for now. I do not think they would like someone like me sitting close, so unless they invite me, I shall just stay here. Nonetheless, the relief was immediate. Physical comfort was rare here. So was… any comfort.
I had never been fond of either of two sides, but instead the juxtaposition of both of those together. Fire in the winter, snow in the desert. The warmth stopped my need to shiver.
Beside me, on the ground, seems to be a stash of supplies for the short-term. These are probably things they have gathered before setting up… ‘camp’ here. I do not recognize most of these, only Oran Berries.
“I honestly don't know how someone like you can possibly not know, but alright.” They chuckled. Do I appear unintelligent?
“So… something… happened. We dub it ‘the Catastrophe’. We don’t know how it happened, but essentially, reality broke. The skies, the barren wasteland you see here… yeah, all because of that. I lost a lot of things…” they trail off, seemingly a bit down.
A subject better left untouched, apparently.
Their voice also sounded cozier here, unlike previously. I guess this is their regular tone.
“But anyways, well, yeah, reality broke. One of the main anomalies is the time here. It didn't halt completely, no , but while us living Pokémon are unaffected, time loops, now,” they continued. He shifted his shoulders, feigning ease. It was unconvincing.
“Time loops?” I asked.
“Ah, yeah. Not everything loops—we living beings are mostly unaffected, but most natural processes do.”
“But how does it work?”
“Well,” he looks up, “it’s different with natural processes and artificial objects. For natural processes, it just resets when it is finished. After wind passes, it will pass again. After a puddle of water evaporates, it replenishes, and the cycle repeats.
“Then?”
“For objects, it’s kinda weird. They kinda get stuck and reset every few moments? Like, if a door gets ‘reset’ while it’s closed or opened, nothing happens. But if it’s reset while being swung? It’ll keep swinging open and snapping back to that spot. Over and over. Like—” they mimicked a door vibrating open and closed with rapid flaps of their hand. “Same with buckets, bells, windows…”
“That is absurd.”
“It is. But, the worst of all is evolving, ” they said lightly, but it felt darker.
“Hm?” I replied.
“Well, when you evolve, it’s considered a natural process, so you transform into your next stage, but you’ll just instantly revert to your previous one, and evolve again. It doesn’t sound so bad if not for the fact that you’re incapacitated during evolution… so it’s just a slow, and painful death from there. Many are desperate for an everstone.” They articulated the part about death slowly.
“It…”
“…Prevents evolution, yes. Hooh. Thank Arceus I evolved before all of that, hah!” They laughed, clearly relieved.
“Have you ever seen that happening though?” I asked, my eyes slanting outwards.
“Well, I’m sure people already know to cancel evolutions whenever it starts, so nah, nothing anymore.” They tilted their head slightly, looking away from me for a bit.
“Why are you telling me this? I assumed you were cautious.”
“This? I see no harm, really. So what if I tell you? You can’t do much with that information anyway. Try to destroy the world even more? Good luck with that.”
“…Sure.” I did not know. If I were in their position, I would have overanalyzed all the implications. And now…
What now…? Right, introductions. How did I even forget to ask last time?
“…What is your name, and species? I do not… recognize you.” Well, they were red and armored, resembling a knight. Their yellow plating was lined with red highlights, eyes flickering with an ever-present red fire. This flame was also present as a plume atop their head, giving off a faint warmth.
Two pauldrons of the same color as their armor lined the side of each of their upper arms, comparably smaller to their forearms. Their limbs started black before eventually transitioning into a flaming red at the end.
Perhaps he belonged to one of the newer generations. I had not played those games, for I did not have enough money. How does the release of new Pokémon in my world translate to this world exactly?
“Oh, I’m Ashen, an Armarouge. Nice… to meet ya! What about you?” they introduced themselves, eyes—more specifically, their bottom lids—curling into joyous arcs. Unlike what I have seen before, their eyes closed downward instead of upward.
His expression softened into a squint. Joy, maybe.
…They seem friendly. Wherefore the hesitation on ‘nice’ though? I guess it is related to their previous suspicion…
The bonfire crackled beside us to fill the silence, sending embers, fading as fast as they came, as I thought about what to say next. It and the air pleasantly smelled of burnt wood and petrichor, respectively.
…Right, I forgot something again. I was too focused on enjoying the scents.
“Oh, and also, your pronouns, please?”
“Why?”
I thought for a moment before. Well, who knows? Gender and pronouns are a weird thing in my world, but that will take too long to explain for such a trivial matter like this. I need something quick…
“Fine. He/him. What an odd thing to ask, but whatever. Assuming yours is the same?” He scoffed lightly.
“Yeah, no. He/they,” I responded.
He let out a confirming hum, probably too lazy to continue this pointless discussion. I imagine he still has a lot of questions about the ‘why’, though.
“Thank you… I will try to remember that from now on.
“Yeah, sure, no worries. Now back to that,” he reminded me.
“Oh, yeah. Well, I… do not know what I am; I only remember my name. It was… Cael.” My gaze shifted back and forth as I thought of answers.
Ashen seemed shocked. “You don’t know what you are?!” they asked. Well, the surprise seems to have turned into amazement, visible from the widening pupils.
“Well, I believe I am Darkrai. That is the only one that fits. But… that seems improbable. Why something so powerful?” I did not like how nervous I sounded; I am not accustomed to strangers. I attempted to act casual.
“You think? Well… yeah, you are right. You are a Darkrai, and ‘th’—?” Ashen confirmed, lifting his arm up, before I cut him off.
“Wait… are you sure? Darkrai? Me? Trul?” I spluttered out of incredulousness as my pupils subtly widened. I can not believe that I am Darkrai, the ruler of nightmares and darkness? It made too much sense. I had abilities. Potential. Control over dreams. So much I could unlock. So much I could become. I—
Then Ashen harrumphed, which broke my train of thought. How long have I even been silent for? I must have zoned out.
I blinked. “Apologies.”
“It’s fine. Now going back… what do you mean ‘turn’?”
“You might not believe me, though…”
I then proceeded to explain my actually rather simple backstory. Ashen’s scanning gaze felt like it pierced through my soul, frankly. Understandable; sometimes cautiousness is guaranteed.
“I was a human. I was just sleeping in my bed yesterday. Then, I woke up to find out that I have been transported into this dystopian world. I have no idea what brought me here or how I turned into a Darkrai anyway. I mean, I remember my life, but my dreams… they are blurry,” I explained. My expression is flat as ever.
“No, I actually believe that. We did, like I said, have a human transformed into a Pokémon in the past. They saved the world, but now they’re just… history.” Ashen’s gaze softens. Is he commemorating their efforts, or something? Well, things becoming history is always a shame, so I can not blame him for that. “But anyways, that’s cool, I guess. It’s still something.”
“Ye—” I started.
“—What was your life like? Humans? The world? Th—” Ashen asked, cutting me off rapid-fire, seemingly trying to throw me off. And… he did succeed. Too many questions, too fast.
“Slow down.” I groaned slightly in exhaustion, closing my eyes and tilting my head down before I turned to look at him. “Can we… maybe do that later? That will probably take a lot of time. Truth be told, I am exhausted after wandering for a few hours. I merely want to unwind for now. And maybe focus on the more important things, such as, what are you doing right now?”
He leaned back. “Well, I’m on a mission to save the world. Trying to figure things out and restore everything back to normal,” Ashen explained, like it was the most mundane thing in the world. For something so delusional, he sounds oddly hopeful about it. Too casual for something that appears quite… impossible. Did he practice this?
“I… see. May I stay here? If you would rather I leave, I will after.” I clasped my other arm.
“One weird move and I’ll blast you. Like your nightmares…” Ashen threatened. How connotative. It could either be that my nightmares blast others, or that my nightmare-inducing ability is a ‘weird move’. However, him resting his hands on his temple does suggest that it is the latter, something that just came to mind. Right, that is true… By the way, do Darkrai even suffer from their own nightmares?
“I apologize. Even if I could theoretically control it, I still do not know how. What do you expect from a human who just came from his own world?”
I do regret it, but I just had to look into the logical side as always. When someone accuses me of something, I instinctively turn to logic instead of analyzing the emotional implications. Sadly, that causes me to look defensive most of the time. Still, it is legitimately not my fault.
While I could do so right now, I am in the middle of a conversation, after all. Emotions have never been my specialty.
“I’ve been traveling alone for quite some time now; it gets quiet sometimes. Regardless, it does sound like a nightmare in itself. Anyways, you don’t sound completely useless. So…” Ashen stood up, brushing off his armor.
Acknowledgement of my worth. Not that I am sure I even have that. What a strange feeling.
“Whaddaya say? I show you the ropes, and you, well, don’t try to stab me in the back. Or you might just regret it.” Ashen continued, his eyes arcing with sinister glee again; I can almost feel stars coming out of it every time he does that…
But the condition does seem awful, and journeying alone in this hellscape sounds dangerous, especially as someone inexperienced, even when I am a Darkrai. Yes it is, then.
“…Sure. I could use some company,” I agreed. Who knows what is happening beyond what Ashen said…?
“It’s set then. Make sure you hold on to your promises. Let’s—” Ashen declared and turned the other way around, but I cut him off again.
“Hold on.” I pointed towards myself, and more specifically my head, trying to remind him of what I said before. “What were you doing here again anyway? Was it not resting?” I questioned.
“Ah, right. Yeah, it was just some good ol’ rest. Just do that, I guess.” Ashen sat back down.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Phew. I have a lot of questions right now, still, the most important being what he sees in me, and why he does not seem to be afraid of an actual Darkrai. And also, back to his initial reaction—another Darkrai? Destroying the world? This world must have a lot of history…
“I’ll keep an eye out.” He said casually, like it was not a big deal. I nodded, really hoping it was not.
“I suppose… Alright, then. I shall just… take a nap, now.” I turned around to find where I should sleep.
And so, I stood up and sat against a nearby tree, emitting an earthy, amiable odor. The bark is quite humid, rough, hard, not especially comfortable, though adequate. When you are drowsy, the place does not matter.
I do not know how I caught sight of this small detail—when he blinks normally, their lid curves downwards like usual… So it can change depending on their mood. Interesting.
I closed my eyes, starting to drift, thinking about everything that just happened—and what is currently happening in the real— human, world right now.
…I forgot that this world was just as real. Maybe I got too used to calling it that.
“Wait, spell your name,” he commanded out of the blue.
“…C-A-E-L. Contrary to people’s expectations, it is not ‘kale’. The ‘k’ never fit me.”
I followed, not asking why like I oft would.
“Hm, I see. What a unique name. It should be easier to remember now… Sleep well, Cael.”
“…Thank you.” I had nothing else to say. I wanted to say something about him keeping watch, maybe hoping it goes well, maybe asserting that I believe he would do a good job, but those never left my mind.
“…De rien,” répondit Ashen.“…Thank you,” Ashen responded. Ashen responded, I mean. I definitely internally read that incorrectly.
That… was French. Yet, he does not have an accent. I never would have guessed.
Should I use guillemets whenever he does that?
It would… make sense. However, what if he says it in the middle of an English sentence?
That would not be consistent. I do not like that. Regular quotes it is, then.
I can feel Ashen staring at my vulnerable form closely. Is he trying to study me more? Well, he could either be someone who can read bodily expressions very well, or just… a try-hard, for lack of a better term. I hope nothing happens while I sleep, such as Ashen attacking me, or someone else. Let us just see what will happen next when I wake up.