The wind drifted through the towering canopy of the ancient forest, carrying with it the scent of damp earth, moss, and pine. Ancient trees stretched endlessly toward the evening sky, their thick branches weaving together to form a living roof that allowed only scattered rays of golden sunlight to reach the forest floor. Moss blanketed their massive trunks like forgotten memories, while vines curled lazily around roots that had remained undisturbed for centuries.
Somewhere in the distance, a flock of Starly burst into the air.
The forest was alive.
Streams whispered over smooth stones, unseen Pokémon called to one another from hidden clearings, and insects filled the silence with a quiet symphony that somehow made the wilderness feel even larger.
Amidst that endless sea of green, a boy slowly opened his eyes.
His name was Alex.
For several long seconds, he simply stared upward.
His mind was empty.
His breathing was slow.
He couldn't remember why he was lying on cold earth instead of a bed.
A cool breeze brushed against his face, carrying with it the scent of rain-soaked leaves.
"...Where am I?"
His own voice startled him.
It sounded... different.
Younger.
He slowly raised his hands into the fading sunlight.
They were smaller than he remembered.
Slimmer.
The hands of a child.
Confusion quickly gave way to panic.
His heartbeat accelerated as both hands instinctively searched his chest.
Nothing.
No wound.
No blood.
No pain.
Only the steady rhythm of his heart beating beneath unfamiliar clothes.
Then the memories returned.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
All at once.
Cold steel.
A sharp pain tearing through his body.
The metallic taste of blood filling his mouth.
A face.
Someone he had trusted.
Someone who had smiled...
before betraying him.
Darkness followed.
Absolute darkness.
Alex sucked in a sharp breath as if he had been drowning.
"I..."
He remembered dying.
There was no doubt.
Every sensation remained painfully clear inside his mind.
The betrayal.
The agony.
His final breath.
And yet...
He was alive.
Slowly, Alex pushed himself to his feet. His legs trembled beneath him as he looked around, trying desperately to make sense of his surroundings.
Towering trees surrounded him in every direction.
No roads.
No buildings.
No signs of civilization.
Only the endless wilderness.
He turned slowly, hoping to find something—anything—that looked familiar.
Instead, he found silence.
The strange thing was...
The forest itself felt familiar.
Not because he had been here before.
Because he had seen places like this countless times through a screen.
His expression slowly changed.
"...No way."
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
Pokémon.
The word echoed through his mind.
The trees.
The sounds.
Even the distant cry that resembled a Pidgey somewhere overhead.
Everything fit.
It sounded ridiculous.
Impossible.
But every instinct told him the same thing.
He had died...
and somehow awakened inside the world of Pokémon.
Alex lowered his head, letting out a slow breath that was almost a laugh.
"A second chance..."
The words felt foreign on his tongue.
His old life was gone.
The loneliness.
The isolation.
The constant feeling of never belonging anywhere.
It had all ended the moment his heart stopped beating.
Now...
He stood in a world he had once believed existed only in fiction.
Whether it was a miracle or a cruel joke, he didn't know.
But standing still wouldn't give him answers.
Taking one last glance toward the sky, Alex began walking.
Hours passed.
The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon, bathing the forest in warm shades of orange and gold.
Alex had found little besides a small stream to drink from and a handful of wild berries growing beside a fallen log. They weren't much, but they were enough to keep the hunger from becoming unbearable.
His thoughts never stopped racing.
How had this happened?
Why him?
Was he truly alone?
He had no answers.
Only questions.
The peaceful silence was suddenly broken by the faint sound of rustling leaves.
Alex froze.
Every muscle in his body tensed instinctively.
The sound had come from somewhere behind a cluster of dense bushes several meters away.
Slowly, he picked up a thick fallen branch from the ground.
It wouldn't help much if something dangerous appeared...
but it was better than facing the unknown empty-handed.
Another rustle.
The bushes shifted.
For a long moment...
Nothing happened.
Then something stepped out.
A small Riolu.
At first, relief washed over Alex.
Then he truly looked at it.
His grip on the branch loosened.
Riolu limped painfully with every step, dragging one leg across the ground as though even walking caused unbearable pain. Dried blood stained its blue fur, while fresh bruises covered its arms and shoulders. One ear had been torn, hanging unevenly against its head, and its left eye was swollen nearly shut.
Across its chest ran a long, ugly burn scar.
Not the kind left by nature.
The kind someone had inflicted.
Alex's heart sank.
He knew suffering when he saw it.
Riolu noticed him at the same moment.
The little Fighting-type immediately stopped.
Its remaining eye narrowed with suspicion.
Its breathing was uneven.
Its exhausted body trembled ever so slightly.
It wanted to run.
But it barely had the strength to stand.
Neither of them moved.
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Alex slowly lowered the branch until it rested harmlessly against the ground.
"...I'm not here to hurt you."
His voice was quiet.
Hoarse.
Gentle.
Riolu didn't respond.
It simply kept staring.
Alex swallowed.
"I get it."
A faint, bitter smile crossed his face.
"I've been hurt too."
For the first time, Riolu blinked.
Not because it trusted him.
Because it hadn't expected those words.
Alex slowly reached into the pocket of his jacket.
Riolu immediately tensed.
"It's okay."
Alex carefully pulled out the handful of berries he had collected earlier.
Without making any sudden movements, he crouched and gently placed them on the ground between them.
Then...
He stepped backward.
Far enough to show he wasn't a threat.
Riolu didn't move.
Several long seconds passed.
Only the wind disturbed the silence.
Finally, hunger overcame caution.
Still keeping one eye fixed on Alex, Riolu limped forward and carefully picked up one berry.
It hesitated.
Then took a bite.
Another.
Then another.
The tiny Pokémon ate as though it hadn't seen food in days.
Alex watched quietly.
Only then did he notice the burn scar across Riolu's chest more clearly.
His jaw tightened.
His hands slowly curled into fists.
Someone had done this.
Not a wild Pokémon.
Not an accident.
A person.
"...Whoever did this to you..."
His voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"...I hope they die in hell."
Riolu stopped eating.
Its single open eye met Alex's.
For one silent moment...
Neither of them looked away.
No words were needed.
Pain recognized pain.
Loneliness recognized loneliness.
Two strangers...
Both carrying wounds no one else could see.
Night fell quickly beneath the dense canopy.
Together—but still keeping a respectful distance—they found shelter inside a small cave hidden between moss-covered rocks.
It wasn't much.
Just enough space to escape the cold night air.
Riolu settled near the entrance.
Not because it was comfortable.
Because it wanted an escape route if the human turned out to be dangerous.
Alex noticed.
He didn't take it personally.
Trust wasn't something either of them could offer so easily.
He leaned against the rough stone wall and looked toward the stars that shone faintly through cracks in the cave ceiling.
"...Back in my old life..."
His voice broke the silence.
"...I didn't really have anyone."
Riolu's ears twitched.
"I wasn't good at talking to people."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"The truth is... I don't think most people even wanted to talk to me."
His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling.
"I spent a lot of time alone."
The cave fell silent again.
"I guess..."
He smiled weakly.
"...I got another chance."
His gaze drifted toward Riolu.
"In a different world."
Another quiet laugh escaped him.
"A really weird one."
Riolu looked back at him.
Alex smiled a little wider.
"You're a mess, you know."
For a brief second, Riolu looked almost offended.
Alex chuckled softly.
"But..."
He looked down at his own scraped hands.
"So am I."
"I think that makes us even."
Riolu slowly lowered its head.
It still didn't trust him.
Not completely.
But for the first time...
It didn't look away.
The peaceful silence shattered without warning.
Leaves rustled violently outside.
A low growl echoed through the cave.
Alex's eyes snapped toward the entrance.
Something was there.
Before either of them could react—
A massive Mightyena burst into the cave.
Its yellow eyes burned with hunger.
Foam dripped from its jaws as it lunged straight toward Alex.
Everything happened at once.
Riolu threw itself between them without hesitation.
Its body glowed faintly as Aura surged through its battered limbs.
Fear filled its eyes.
But so did determination.
Mightyena's jaws clamped down around Riolu's arm.
The little Fighting-type cried out in pain.
Alex's heart nearly stopped.
"No!"
Adrenaline drowned out reason.
Without thinking, Alex grabbed a jagged stone from the cave floor and threw himself at the wild predator.
With every ounce of strength he possessed...
He drove the sharp rock directly into Mightyena's eye.
The beast howled in agony.
Blood sprayed across the cave walls.
Mightyena staggered backward, blinded and furious.
Riolu seized the opportunity.
Ignoring the pain tearing through its body, it planted one foot firmly against the ground.
Aura gathered in its trembling paw.
Then—
"RIO!"
Force Palm erupted with every bit of strength the exhausted Pokémon had left.
The attack struck Mightyena squarely in the chest.
The impact sent the predator crashing backward against the stone wall with a sickening crack.
The cave fell silent.
The Mightyena twitched once.
Then stopped moving.
Alex remained frozen.
His breathing was ragged.
His hands trembled violently.
He stared at the blood covering the stone still clutched in his hand.
He had...
Killed it.
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
"...That was brutal..."
His voice was barely a whisper.
Riolu didn't answer.
The little Pokémon simply collapsed onto the cave floor, exhausted, its body trembling from pain and fatigue.
Alex rushed to its side without hesitation.
Carefully, he pulled Riolu close, supporting its injured body against his chest.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Outside, the wind continued to whisper through the ancient forest.
Alex looked down at the battered little Pokémon resting against him.
His expression softened.
"...We'll survive this."
His voice was quiet.
Steady.
No longer spoken only to Riolu...
but to himself as well.
"You and me."
He tightened his grip ever so slightly.
"I promise."