A New World, A New War

When everything is said and done

To looking for answers if only one

Turn my back the urge has gone

Left with no reason we come undone

“I am Lord Arceus, creator of the creatures that you have seen over the past few days. I am the one who brought the creatures you see to this world, they are known as Pokémon. I have my reasons for bringing them here, I will be holding a summit with the world's leaders so that they can help inform their citizens the best. For now I issue a warning; Even if some do not appear as such, the Pokémon are just as intelligent as any other creature that calls this world home. Since they are MY subjects I will not tolerate their mistreatment or abuse. Treat them as you would your own neighbor.”

I rolled my eyes at that, stunned though I was. ‘So, in the ‘Thestrals’ case, lock us up and torture us? Ha, no thanks.’

It was almost as if Arceus read my mind. “Pokémon who have awoken in this new world, do not seek to harm the natives of this world.”

‘Ha! Fuck that! I’m going to march over there and-’

The Alpha Pokémon continued, oblivious.“To the Pokémon that experienced certain... Changes... when you arrived; You are the ones who proved that not all of your kind deserved vengeful retribution, consider this your reward.”

‘Me? What did I do, that was good in the eyes of god? I’ve been nothing but bad.’

“To live new lives, free of the burdens of the old world, a chance to start anew. As sentient beings of varying intelligence, the laws of the respective countries you now reside in apply to you, and only those laws.” Unluckily for the ‘natives’, I don’t ‘do’ laws. If they cause me or my team harm, or trouble, I will not obey.

“That is all for now, the Pokémon are not to be harmed simply out of spite. If you have any qualms with what I have done, I reside in a temple located within the Everfree forest and welcome all who would like to speak, or a pocket dimension outside of the space time continuum, so if any of you wish to face the sheer power of a god, feel free to come by.”

‘Wow, he’s even more full of himself than I am.” I mentally remarked.

“Goodbye for now, though I doubt this will be the last you hear of me, and peace to you all.”

I casually stroll back into the, slackjawed, Chief’s tent. “Does that answer your questions? Because I doubt Arceus wants to do a repeat.”

POV Sass

I hate forests. Rainforests in particular. They’re so... hot, which is about twice as worse for a steel type. But, even worse, they are impossible to see in. So when Inigo sent me to look for our team, I don’t know what he expected.

“Oh, erm. Excuse me, sir? C-Could you help a Lady out?” Came a quiet, demure, cultured, and somewhat familiar voice from behind me. I whirled around, and sure enough, there was a Lilligant, constricted by weird black and green vine-like tentacles. I don’t know, Taintacles?

“How… What even are those things?” They didn’t look ‘mon made, that’s for sure.

"I don't know, sir. But could you- NGH! Free me, somehow?" I grab hold of the biggest vine and Force Palmed it into a tree, but that doesn't seem to work, much. So, instead, I grabbed the tree and used a Wood Hammer to slam it into the vine. Or, I would have, if that was a move I could use. Either way, the central vine snaps like so many spines, and the vines entrapping what's-her-name shriveled up and died.

"Thank you so much, sir." The Lilligant cheered, sweeping me up into a hug.

"It was... nothing." I mumbled, breaking it off. "So, how did you end up here, and like that?"

She blushed and stammered. "Well, uhm, hm, I, er... Oh, this stuttering is unbecoming of a Lady. You can do better, Ella! Well, you won't believe this, but, I used to be a human."

"So was my brother. Trainer. Friend. Whatever you want to call him, he was human. And then? I dunno. He's a Riolu now. I'm looking for my family. But yeah, I believe you. M'names Sass."

"A pleasure to meet you." She even did a little curtsey. "My name is Ella Larone."

"Wait, Ella Larone? I think my trainer has mentioned that name before. I don't really remember when or why though."

“Oh, and what was your trainer’s name?”

I stared at her for a good few seconds, trying to figure out what her game was. Eh, probably chess. That’s pretty hard. “On the off chance you two have met and have a bad history, I won’t tell you right now. As a distraction, that’s a pretty big mountain, huh?”

I swear she was glaring at me. "Right. It is. I am going to meet this trainer of yours, aren't I?"

Oh, now this was a game I could play. "Well, I don't know, do you want to climb a big wall of rock and help me look for my buddies?"

"Well maybe I do."

Heh. "Well, alright then."

She blinked, probably as she realised what she just agreed to doing. "Wait, I-"

I offered her a paw. "C'mon. It's your own fault."

Lucky for me, Lucario's have really good hearing. "I'll get you back for this, one day." She mumbled.

"Oh, what's that? Now you're saying you are going to be traveling with me?"

Her once green leaf form was turning red faster than... Hoth's opponents. "W-well, I guess..."

"Well, alright. Up we go, beetroot. Hold on tight and I'll just Agility my way up here. Shouldn't take long."

"Wait, I don't know anything like CONSTRIIIIIIIIIIIII- AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Ella shrieked as we almost flew about a kilometre up solid rock, and then I realised that she did not know Vine Whip, and for me to grab on to the cliff, I would have to let go of her.

"Oh, shit." And gravity took over.

*CLANG*

And then stopped as we collided into a Skarmory.

"That you, Sass? Only you would be dumb enough to use Agility straight up."

Oh. Vex.

"S-s-so you two know each other?" Ella shakily queried.

"Yep. He's one of my friends. And a massive idiot. He would have died a looooong ago if I wasn't here." Boasted Vex.

"Hey, I'm s'posed to be the sassy one!" I retorted, angrily.

"Oh, get over it, big guy. Hey, have you seen Nega? Hope he's alright." Vex asked, and I realised that yes, our family was, indeed, completely separated. We might not even all be on the same island.

"Nah, you're the first one I've seen, not counting Cooper and Inigo." I replied instantly.

"Figures. Can't separate those two. Oh, sorry, what's your name, cabbage?" Vex questioned Ella.

"Ella. Ella Larone." She replied, probably not knowing what the fuck was currently happening, and, by the tone of her voice, not caring either. I like this girl.

"Familiar. Hm. Well, where do you want me to land?"

"In that clearing. S'where Cooper and Inigo are hunkering." I point to the massive clearing with a sizeable village inside.

"This dump? It looks worse than Fortree." Vex scoffs.

This time Ella butted in. "I'll have you know, I grew up in Fort- TREE!" Ella screamed, pointing to a big tree we were about to collide with.

Vex snerked. "Yes, there are trees there, you don't have to emphasise that."

"NO THERE'S A TRE-"

Oh, too late. Vex connected with the tree with an audible snap, and I suddenly felt all lightheaded, and then I heard a booming voice in my head.

“I am Lord Arceus, creator of the creatures that you have seen over the past few days…”

"Well, that explains things. And, note to self, don't ride Skarmories anymore." Ella now gets the award for stating the most obvious thing in the world. Though, we have just changed worlds, so is it a bit early to claim that?

"Sorry?" Vex offered, still a bit dizzy. "Um, why are all these Blitzles staring at us?"

"I'unno. Why are you staring at us?" I asked the... zebras, I think that’s what Inigo called them.

"Sass? Are you back? Did you find anyone?" A voice I knew very well cut through the crowd chatter.

POV Cooper

"Vex? Is that you?" A weak caw was all the confirmation I needed. "Oh, get over it, steel-brain. You'll be fine."

She craned her neck up and looked at me. "Huh? Where'd Cooper go? Who's this Riolu?"

"I am this Riolu. Didn't you just hear? Some humans got turned into Pokémon."

"Oh, uh, yeah I guess. Hey, that reminds me, do you know an Ella Larone?" She asked.

"You mean the famous Coordinator Ella Larone?" I ask in return.

"Yes, dear." The new addition to the conversation announces. "And you are?"

"Oh, I'm, uhh..." I hesitate, should I give her my name?

Oh, it's fine, Sass steps in. "My trainer."

She, presumably Ella, frowns and crosses her hands… or should it be leaves? "No, your name, dear."

Vex just sighs. "Oh, just tell her. We have her outnumbered even if she does react."

"Fine. My name is Cooper Jacobs."

Oh, her expression turned around really quickly. "You mean that little child who murdered his entire family and fled into the wilderness to avoid justice?" She asked in slack-jawed horror. "I should turn you into the police!"

"Just try it, honey." Vex warned.

My laugh was more hollow than… I don’t know, a coconut shell? It’s hard to come up with metaphors on the spot, you know. “Oh, that’s what the Rangers said, did they? You do know that that’s not true, right?”

"That's exactly what you would say if you did it." She countered.

"That's also what you would say if you didn't do it." Vex re-countered.

"Hiya, bud!" Bill shrieked, appearing out of nowhere and in my fucking ear.

"Gah! Where did you come from?" I demanded, almost pissing myself.

"Xephyr's house! Hey, you gotta see what I made!" He paused, actually paused, and noticed Ella. "Hiya! What's your name?"

"Ella Lar- wait, are you even aware who you are talking to?"

"Oh, sorry, are you famous? Whatever you do, I'm probably not a big fan. Oh, that's right, my names Bill!"

Ella, seeming to have forgotten the argument that just happened, frowned in memory. "Never heard of you."

Bill suddenly took on a serious, seductive-like tone. "Masaki Sonezaki, charmed." He replied in Kantonese.

Ella, despite herself, blushed. "Oh, that Bill. The one that invented the PC and various other appliances?"

"Oh, get a room, you two. Didn't you have something to show me, Bill?" I try to steer the conversation back on track.

"Right! I managed to reinvent a TM!" He exclaimed, back in his normal over-excited voice, showing me a little magenta tinted crystal ball.

"You've been here for like a day! How'd you manage that?"

"Well, you know how TM's work? You put it to a Pokémon's head and transfer information, yeah? Turns out, crystals in this world have the same properties! So, I chipped one off some statue and developed a one-use Psychic TM!"

"And does it work?" I ask, excited. If I can get Bill to develop more TM's, I won't have to do any work training to be a Pokémon.

"I'm about to find out!" He touched the crystal to his head, and psychic energy raced out, grabbed me and Ella, tossed us around a bit, and gently put us back down. "Haha! Oh, I can't believe that worked!"

Sass came up behind me and picked me up by my neck. "Don't think this gets you out of training."

I ignored him though. "Hey, Bill, do you think you can make more of those?"

"I'd want to develop them more, though. That kind of hurt, actually. Plus," He gestured to the now-black crystal in his hands and tossed it away. "They're not reusable."

"Huh. Well, good work anyway, Bill! Ella, we'll talk later. Everyone else, to the shack."

"Uh.. what's 'the shack'?" Asked Vex.

3RD PERSON, THESTRALCATRAZ

"Duskhorn. Have you made any progress with the investigation and capture of these 'Pokémon'?" Inquired Nightwing, rather tiredly.

"No, sir. Every creature we have tried to subdue, big or small, always overpowers the squads. It's as if they have the will to live. Not even magic will work on some of them."

"Keep trying, Duskhorn. I will not lose my island to these mutants." Nightwing took on a more sadistic smile. "And with how strong and resilient they seem to be, I'm sure they will make excellent slaves." Nightwing's face threatened to split. "If nothing else, we can always sacrifice them!"

Unbeknownst to them, two soulless, unblinking red eyes were watching from the shadows. It beeped and relayed its psychic message to its master.

"Target: Acquired. Name: Nightwing. Species: ERROR. Directive: Kill. Returning to specified rendezvous point."