Morning arrived slowly, almost reluctantly, as though the forest itself mourned the violence that had unfolded beneath its ancient canopy only hours before.
The first rays of sunlight slipped cautiously through the cracks in the cave ceiling, casting long golden beams across the rough stone floor. They illuminated a scene that the warmth of dawn could not soften.
Dark blood stained the rock in uneven streaks, some already drying into brittle crimson patches while others still glistened in the light. Near the cave entrance lay the motionless body of the Mightyena.
The predator looked smaller now.
Its muscles, once tense with hunger, had gone rigid in death. One empty eye socket stared toward the ceiling where a jagged stone had ended its life, while dried blood matted the coarse black fur around its face. Flies had already begun gathering around the carcass, their quiet buzzing blending with the distant sounds of birds welcoming the new day.
The metallic scent of blood lingered heavily in the air.
No matter how deeply Alex breathed, he couldn't escape it.
It clung to the cave.
To his clothes.
To his skin.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
For a brief moment he forgot where he was.
Then the smell reached him.
Reality returned all at once.
Alex pushed himself upright with a groan, every muscle in his body protesting the movement. His shoulders ached from the struggle, and his hands were raw where the jagged stone had torn into his palms during the fight. Dried blood had stiffened the sleeves of his shirt until the fabric scratched against his skin whenever he moved.
He looked toward the cave entrance.
The Mightyena hadn't moved.
It never would again.
His gaze drifted to his trembling hands.
There were still faint traces of dried blood beneath his fingernails.
His stomach tightened.
He had killed before.
Not here.
Not in this world.
But death...
Death always looked the same.
He closed his fingers into a fist.
There was no satisfaction.
Only necessity.
"...We survived."
The words barely escaped his lips.
It wasn't a celebration.
It was a reminder.
His attention immediately shifted toward the small blue figure resting beside him.
Riolu hadn't moved.
The little Fighting-type lay curled against the cave wall, breathing in slow, uneven rhythms. Fresh bruises covered almost every visible part of his body, while the bite wound on his arm had swollen noticeably during the night. Even asleep, his ears twitched every few moments, as though expecting another attack.
Alex immediately crawled closer.
The movement sent sharp pain through his ribs, but he ignored it.
Carefully, he rested the back of his hand against Riolu's forehead.
Still warm.
No fever.
Relief quietly washed over him.
"You stubborn little idiot..."
A tired smile appeared on Alex's face.
"You really threw yourself in front of that thing."
His voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"You saved us."
Riolu didn't stir.
His breathing remained slow but steady.
Alex leaned back against the cave wall, letting out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Outside, life continued as though nothing had happened.
A pair of Pidgey chirped somewhere high above the trees.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine into the cave, momentarily overpowering the smell of blood.
Leaves rustled.
A nearby stream continued flowing exactly as it had yesterday.
Nature didn't stop because something had died.
The forest accepted life.
It accepted death.
Then it simply moved forward.
Alex stared silently toward the cave entrance.
"...I guess I'll have to do the same."
After making sure Riolu was still resting peacefully, Alex stepped outside.
Morning sunlight warmed his face almost immediately.
For the first time since waking in this strange world, he allowed himself to properly observe the forest around him.
Towering trees stretched endlessly toward the sky, their branches gently swaying beneath the morning breeze. Dew clung to every blade of grass, sparkling like tiny crystals whenever sunlight reached the forest floor. Somewhere nearby, a family of Bunnelby darted through the undergrowth before disappearing into their burrow the moment they noticed him.
The forest was beautiful.
It was also trying to kill him.
Alex looked down at his reflection in a rain-filled puddle.
The boy staring back no longer resembled the person he remembered.
His face was younger.
His eyes...
His eyes had changed the most.
There was something inside them that hadn't existed yesterday.
Not confidence.
Not strength.
Resolve.
Yesterday he had been a victim of circumstances.
Today he had survived them.
His reflection rippled as a drop of water fell from the leaves above.
Alex looked away.
"I can't stay weak."
The words weren't spoken with determination.
They were spoken like a simple fact.
If he wanted to survive this world...
He would have to change.
His eyes drifted back toward the cave.
The Mightyena remained where it had fallen.
For several moments, Alex simply stood there.
Eventually, he walked over to the corpse and crouched beside it.
Its fur was already beginning to lose its warmth.
He rested one hand against the ground.
"...You tried to kill us."
Silence answered him.
"You were starving."
Another silence.
Alex sighed.
"So were we."
For a long moment, he simply looked at the fallen predator.
Hatred slowly faded from his expression.
The Mightyena hadn't attacked because it was evil.
It had attacked because it wanted to live.
Just like them.
Alex stood once more.
He couldn't simply leave the corpse to rot beside the cave.
Scavengers would come.
The smell would attract other predators.
And somehow...
Leaving it there felt wrong.
Survival had forced him to take a life.
The least he could do was show it respect.
The task wasn't pleasant.
Using a sturdy branch and every ounce of determination he possessed, Alex slowly dragged the heavy body toward a nearby clearing. Sweat soaked through his clothes despite the cool morning air, and more than once he nearly gave up from exhaustion.
But eventually...
He reached an open patch of earth where sunlight broke through the canopy.
Gathering fallen branches, dry bark, and brittle moss, he carefully built a crude funeral pyre.
It took far longer than he expected.
His hands bled again before he finally struck flint against stone.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
A tiny spark caught.
Thin wisps of smoke curled into the morning sky before orange flames slowly spread across the wood.
Alex stepped back.
The fire crackled quietly as it consumed the branches beneath the Mightyena.
He watched in silence.
"I couldn't save myself."
His voice was almost lost beneath the crackling flames.
"I couldn't stop what happened."
Images of his previous life flashed briefly through his mind.
The betrayal.
The fear.
The helplessness.
Then his eyes drifted toward the cave where Riolu still rested.
"But..."
His expression hardened.
"I'm not making that mistake again."
The flames continued climbing higher.
"You won't face this world alone."
The words weren't dramatic.
They were a promise.
A promise to Riolu.
A promise to himself.
By the time Alex returned to the cave, the sun had climbed high into the sky.
Several hours had passed.
He spent most of them cleaning Riolu's wounds with fresh water from the nearby stream, carefully replacing crushed Oran Berries over the deeper injuries before wrapping them with strips torn from his own shirt.
The little Pokémon slept through most of it.
Occasionally flinching.
Occasionally mumbling something beneath his breath.
But sleeping.
Near midday...
Riolu's ears twitched.
His eyelids fluttered.
Slowly...
They opened.
Confused crimson eyes searched the cave before finally settling on Alex.
For a brief second, neither of them spoke.
Then Alex smiled.
A real smile.
"Welcome back."
"...Rio..."
The weak cry was little more than a whisper.
Alex laughed softly, relief washing over him so suddenly that he hadn't realized how terrified he'd been until that very moment.
"You almost scared me to death."
He picked up one of the remaining Oran Berries and gently held it toward Riolu.
The little Fighting-type hesitated only briefly before accepting it.
His paws trembled from exhaustion as he slowly ate.
Alex watched quietly.
Somewhere deep inside his chest...
Something painful loosened.
For the first time in either of his lives...
Someone he cared about had survived.
The realization almost brought tears to his eyes.
Instead...
He simply smiled.
The two remained there for several peaceful minutes, enjoying the quiet warmth filtering into the cave.
Then, without warning...
Riolu slowly shuffled forward.
Alex frowned in confusion.
The little Pokémon leaned gently against his side before closing his eyes once more.
Alex froze.
Every thought inside his head disappeared.
He had spent his previous life believing he would always be alone.
No one had trusted him enough to lean on him.
No one had ever sought comfort in his presence.
Yet here...
In another world...
A wounded little Riolu had chosen him.
"...Thanks."
His voice cracked.
He carefully rested one hand against Riolu's shoulder.
"I'll do everything I can..."
"...to make sure we both survive."