A New World, A New War

All I believe, and all I've known

Are being taken from me, can't get home

Yeah, do your worst, when worlds collide

Let their fear collapse, bring no surprise

Roughly three hours passed before I finally awoke, this time hopefully for an entire day.

“My friend, are you finally awake?” A voice asked, and I groaned in response. It paused, and then continued. “I am sorry I made you pass out.”

I groaned before struggling to sit up. “It’s not… your fault. I… just… it’s too much. I’m a Pokémon, and I was in prison and there’s new creatures that can’t understand me and I feel like there are holes in my memory and…”

The voice revealed itself as a blue Arcanine, that for some reason made my head throb. He had a look of concern on his face. “Holes in your memory? My friend, do you know who I am?” He asked.

“I feel like I should…” I replied, a bit woozy from the headache.

“Ah. That is my fault also. I am your friend, Inigo. I-“ Anything else he said got cut off by the deafening white noise filling up my ears. The next thing I know, I am on the ground, clutching my skull, vaguely aware of what was happening around me.

“My friend, are you alright?” Inigo shouted in concern, rushing over to my collapsed form.

A new voice interjected. “Think of it like a computer. His brain is trying to access memories that don’t exist. But just like a computer, his brain can be reverted to a different point in time where those memories do exist.”

“Who are you?” Asked Inigo, tilting his head in confusion while still maintaining that same concerned look.

The new voice, a Clefairy, replied. “Hiya! I’m a Pokémon! For real, I checked! Call me Bill!”

"I've never done this before." Bill muttered.

"What was that?" Asked Inigo, a look of panic on his face.

"Oh, nothing." Said Bill, perhaps a little too quickly. "It's just... Nevermind. Healing Wish!" Shouts Bill, and nothing happens.

Inigo looks at him curiously. "Maybe we should find somemon that has been a Pokémon for longer."

Bill shakes his head, which is actually half his body. "No no, I'll bet it didn't work because it's not night."

"I am not waiting around until-" Inigo gets cut off as Xephyr re-enters the hut.

"Who are you talking t- Oh, aren't you cute!" Xephyr dropped his sack of... whatever and focused on the Fairy Pokémon.

"I am not cute, bud. Cleffa fe clefai, ffa." Bill replied, pouting cutely and folding his arms.

If I wasn't unconscious, I would have probably laughed.

Xephyr suddenly took note of me out cold on the floor and his expression turned right around. He then looked at Inigo. He then looked at Bill. He then looked in a mirror. "Okay... so what are we going to do about..." He trailed off, looking to me once more.

Inigo piped up before Bill could. "I am sure Bill here has a good idea, but it would be easier if you were to give him a Potion."

Bill suddenly looked worried. "A Potion? I'm not hurt am I? Cleffai ry ffair? Cle farr cli fy?"

Inigo chuckled. "Not that kind of Potion. This one lets you speak... What was it, again? Ek-wish?" He looked to Xephyr for clarification.

"Equuish. And, here." He said, offering the purple vial to Bill. Bill narrows his eyes as he looks to the offending bottle. "Um, is something wrong?" Xephyr asks, uncertainly.

Bill sighs. "No, I was just trying to use Gravity. Fa, cli clry cleffa." He reached out and downed it in one gulp.

"Whoa..." Was all Bill could say as he felt his vocal chords tingling. "Testing?"

"I can understand you, now, and I have to say I'm sorry for calling you cute earlier. I thought you were, well, female." Xephyr remarks, a light smirk on his face.

Inigo butts in. "Enough lollygagging, please. I would like to revive my friend." He says, gesturing to my limp form on the floor.

Xephyr looks sheepish and Bill chuckles. "Like I said, unless you could find someone else to restore his memories, we may have to wait until night time. Or unless I could find a moon stone to evolve and possibly give myself a boost in power..."

"Focus!" Inigo snapped.

"Right, well. What time is it, anyway? I kind of just stumbled in here to get away from the Beedrills I completely didn't anger." Bill says, almost defensively.

Xephyr replies, "Oh, it's only about eleven in the morning."

"Isn't there any way we can help him?" Inigo shouts at Bill.

"We could wake him up, and as long as he doesn't try to remember anything. Or, we could find a Psychic." Bill replies, unphased.

"I already sent Sass out to try to find somemon in our team, hopefully Sofia. She is a Psychic type, and she knows Cooper better than anymon." Inigo answers, as Bill's ears twitch and his expression turns from upbeat to worried in a split second.

"I- I'm sorry? Cooper? As in, the one with the Liepard and the... Whooo boy. This is awkward." Bill chuckles anxiously as he tries to focus anywhere but the Arcanine in front of him.

Inigo's eyes narrow dangerously as he Growls. "How do you know... Oh, Bill. I remember. You tried to take me for your 'collection'. So, how is your backside, Bill? Still recovering from those Shadow Claws?"

Xephyr tried to interject before things got too steamy. "So, you two have a bad history I take it? Please, this is the only hut I have, so try not to break into a fight here."

Inigo lets loose one more Growl and looks away. "Fine. But I can't say the same for Arissa, if we should bump into her."

Bill, his incentive to attack already low before he came in, now completely annihilated from the onslaught of Growls, closed his eyes and focused. "Cosmic Power."

He glowed an eerie white colour, as the moonlight, coming from the transparent moon above him, seeped into him, and suddenly he returned to his normal upbeat attitude. "Wow! Eevee used to be my favorite Pokémon, but now I'm having second thoughts!"

"Well, you can use a move now, but now that I know who you are... I do not want to let you near Cooper." Inigo says, closing his eyes.

Bill ignored this, his eyes now wide open and glowing white. "Healing Wish."

Suddenly all of my memories returned. I remembered who I was, where I was, what I was  doing, who I was with, it all came back to me as quickly as though all you needed to do was turn me off and back on again.

"My friend, are you finally awake?" I didn't answer, I just shot right up out of the bed I was in and dive-tackled Inigo.

"Sorry, I kind of forgot, you know?" I replied, half chuckling and half apologising.

"Do not even worry about it." Inigo replied, half chuckling as well.

"So, how'd we get here? I don't remember much, I was unconscious for most of it, but I remember waking up in a forest, and then we were travelling, and then I was in prison," I pause and shudder slightly at the thought, before continuing, "and then I was here. What happened in between those jump-cuts?"

"Well..."

POV Inigo

"Sass." It was a simple command, and the Lucario responded immediately.

"Alright, alright, I'm up. Just don't burn me... or... anything..." Sass trailed off as he takes a quick look at the surrounding area. "We're not in Unova." He states.

"Of course not, and that is why I am confused." I explain, hoping the daft 'mon gets my meaning.

"Because an hour ago we were?" He asks, almost as though he was guessing a question in a quiz.

"Now you are catching on. We are either in a new region or..." I paused to sniff the air. "...definitely a new region. I could smell Castelia from anywhere in Unova, and I can not smell Castelia so we are not in Unova." I finished, hoping that soaked through his partial steel-type brain.

He looks at me blankly, before his eyes light up blue. "The Aura isn't there." He states, still looking at me blankly. "The Aura isn't there." He continues, as though he needed to prove to himself that he was not, in fact, dreaming.

"The Aura isn't there?" I ask, in mild confusion and in need of some clarification.

"The Aura isn't there." He answers, before going silent for a few moments. "THE AURA ISN'T THERE! WHY CAN'T I FEEL THE AURA?!"

I notice a trickle of blood running down from the back of his neck. "Could it be because your aura glands are damaged and bleeding?" I offered.

He instantly stops shouting and he looks at me with that same blank look. "Probably." He states, yawning and suddenly acting as though nothing ever happened.

"We should really get you some medical attention." I say, before I start to sniff for Oran Berries.

"Probably." He replies, before climbing in a tree and acting as though he were about to fall asleep.

"At the very least, we can at least find some civilization." I half-growl, hoping he gets my meaning.

"Probably." He mumbles, half asleep.

"Ember." I let loose a tiny flame that inches towards Sass slowly. He has every chance to duck, or move, or something. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"YEEAOW! That hurts, hothead!" Growls Sass, as his fist starts glowing with power before he stops suddenly.

"What?" I ask, concerned. Sass doesn't just stop a fight like that unless there is something wrong.

He points behind me as I notice the limp form of a Riolu with what looked like a massive concussion.

"Unh... My... Ow..." Was all it managed to get out before its eyes closed again.

I nudged him with my nose, hoping to get some response. "Come on, Sass. We are taking him with us."

"Fine." Said Sass as he hoisted the battered Riolu onto my back.

I think I heard it moan out something else.

"S... Sa... It... It's me..." It groaned, before it went limp on my back.

"I think he knows you." I remark, before setting off toward what I hoped were Oran Berries.

An hour later after walking, sniffing and scaring off things that were certainly not Pokémon, we came across a tree with some familiar blue Berries.

"Eat up." I commanded.

Sass looked at me with unease. "I've been thinking."

"Arceus damn us when that happens." I stop and think about the irony of that.

"How did that Riolu know me?" He asks, seriously, which is very out of character for him.

"Well, eat up and maybe you'll be able to read his aura. And... save one for him."

He frowns, before popping one in his mouth. The effect was instant. The bleeding stopped, the bruise faded and all that was left was a faint scar. "How did you even get cut there?"

"Probably that Aggron from earlier." Sass says, putting the Oran Berry in the Riolu's mouth.

Its concussion starts to fade, the blood lost seeps back into its body, and suddenly it woke up.

"Are you awake back there?" I asked, softly. "You have been out for quite a while. You must have taken quite a beating."

It looked blankly at nothing for a few moments before it muttered, in a disturbingly familiar voice. "...Where... Are we?"

"I..." I would know that voice anywhere. And, now that the blood is gone, I would know that scent anywhere. "...do not know, my friend. Do not worry, I am sure we will find our way sooner or later. Right, Sass?"

Sass' eyes glowed blue as he read the Riolu's aura.

"Sass..." The little Riolu said, sounding happy.

"Of course it's me! Who else would it be?" He replied, quite sassily.

"How.. can I understand you?" The Riolu asked, baffled.

"You tell me, little Riolu. Cooper."

The Riolu paused, and so did I.

"Wha..." That was all Cooper managed to get out before falling unconscious again.

Suddenly there were unfamiliar smells. Leather and... iron.

"HALT!" A thundering voice boomed through the forest.

"Rangers? Here?" Asked Sass, powering up a Power Up Punch.

"I do not think they are rangers... They might just be calling for someone to stop." I reason, but still readying a Flamethrower.

Suddenly some odd looking creatures came bursting out of the bushes. One was what looked like a Rapidash mixed with a Noivern, the others looked like Ponytas mixed with Zubats and one Blitzle looking thing was tied up on a leash next to them. The Rapidash-like one looked to me and spoke. "By order of Warden Nightwing, loyal servant to Her Majesty Queen Nightmare Moon, you are under arrest, creatures. Do not try to resist arrest, we have netters hiding."

Sass moved first, his Agility weaving in and out of futile attempts to restrain him until he reached their presumed leader, and glocked him directly in the jaw. Suddenly I found myself in a net. All it took was a quick Ember and it disintegrated.

None of us bothered speaking. As much of an instinct it is to call out attacks, Cooper trained us not to. He said that it gave us a disadvantage if we were to call out our strategy like that. Like if he was going to punch you in the face, he wasn't going to tell you that. And as much as I wanted to Extreme Speed pinball off of all these Zubat Ponytas, I had my unconscious best friend on my back.

Suddenly I felt a weight removed from my back and I saw a cleverly named 'bat-pony' flying away with Cooper.

I called upon Extreme Speed only to get caught in mid air. To my surprise, the Rapidash one survived a Power Up Punch directly to the jaw and was suspending me in mid air with a surprise Psychic attack.

And then, arrows, out of nowhere, pierced the skins of all the bat-ponies that Sass didn't knock out. "I do not even know what is happening anymore, but I will try not to think about it and just go with it."

"Agreed." Muttered Sass, before trying and failing to launch an Aura Sphere at the flier that made off with Cooper. We were both dropped to the ground, and we found spears instantly pointed at us.

When their leader stepped forward and deemed us friendly, he said, "Your friend is being taken to the prison island south of here. Go forth, and when you return, I'll have my brother brew something for the three of you. And when you get back, I want an explanation as to what you creatures are." I nodded and went on my way with murderous intent.

POV Cooper

"And then everything was a blind rage." Inigo concluded.

"Hm." I frowned, and looked around. "So, where did Sass go?"

"He said he was going to look for our other teammates. I hope Mr. Dragonfly is alright. He has never been alone for this long before."

"Hey, Inigo? What is the story with him?" I ask, still curious.

"...Another time, maybe." Inigo replies, uneasily.

I look at him. He looks at me back, with a harder gaze.

Suddenly an eccentric Clefairy bursts into the room. "Hiya, bud! It looks like you're all better!"

"And who are you?" I ask, confused as to who this was.

He frowns, before perking up again. "I'm a Pokémon! Call me Bill!"

"Bill? Like, PC inventor Bill?" He nods ecstatically while I narrow my eyes. "Or collector Bill?"

"Both! But I don't have as much as a Pokémon collection as my twin Bill, who lives up in the old Cerulean Lighthouse, though I will admit to trying to take your Arcanine off you. Sorry."

"...Did you help me with my amnesia problem?"

He nods fervently. "Fine. I'll forgive you."

Xephyr pokes his head through the door. "Guys, the chief wants to see you."

The little encampment we were in was actually pretty nice. Minus the humidity, and the angry Beedrills, and the fact that I had to talk with the leader of a group of apparently non electric Blitzles. Or, zebras. Xephyr had assured me over and over that it was okay, but I... I know this isn't a politician, but I just... fears always come back to bite you in the ass.

We entered the chief's tent and he looked at us with a stoic expression, before he spoke. "Why have you come here?" That was a simple question, yet so hard to answer

"Lord Arceus sent us here." Inigo answered, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. 'Arceus? Wasn't he-'

"I thought he was sealed though?" Bill asked, puzzled, cutting off my thoughts.

"Um... Excuse me..." I said, stepping outside for a brief moment to mull over this new information. "WHY ARCEUS? WH-"

"Attention citizens of Equus, both old and new."

That shut me up.