Something felt wrong, very wrong, something deep inside him but it was frustratingly… Elusive when he tried to grasp it. The morning routine went by in a blur: teeth brushed, clothes on, and deliberately being late for school. Yet, unease still filled him the world felt like a muted haze.
The world just seemed like it was draped in metaphorical shades of gray, devoid of its usual vibrancy. Every familiar sight and sound appeared muted, as if the colors had been drained from existence. And the feeling of being watched, though irrational, clung to him like a shadow.
He sighed gazing up at the ceiling, hoping to shake off the unsettling thoughts. In the recesses of his mind, fragments of a dream flickered—dreams of another world, of bizarre creatures and unfamiliar landscapes. The memories slipped through his grasp like sand, leaving only a lingering sense of wonder and bewilderment.
"Being reborn in another world..." He muttered to himself, half-amused by the fantastical notion.
"Is something amusing you, Mr. Damien?" The voice broke through his trance like state, pulling him back to the present moment.
He blinked, momentarily disoriented. Had he been on autopilot all this time? He couldn't recall arriving at school, let alone entering the classroom. His mind raced to catch up, piecing together the fragmented moments of the morning.
"I... I guess I got lost in thought," he stammered, offering a weak smile to his teacher.
As the lesson began, he struggled to focus, his thoughts drifting back to the elusive dream. There was something more to it, something important that slipped just beyond his conscious grasp. The mundane reality of the classroom faded into the background, overshadowed by the persistent feeling that he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle—a piece that might explain the unsettling strangeness of the day.
He let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of frustration as he lightly banged his head against the desk.
"If you keep being disruptive, you'll have to..." The teacher's voice trailed off, but he didn't bother responding. Grabbing his bag in a huff, he made a swift exit before the lecture could drag on any further.
"Wait just a..." the teacher started, but he was already out the door, the sound of it closing behind him echoing faintly in the hallway.
Stepping into the corridor, he blinked in confusion, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly. "Huh..." His gaze swept around, realizing with a jolt that he was on the school roof—definitely not where he intended to be.
"I didn't..." He trailed off, trying to piece together how he'd ended up there. The last thing he remembered was storming out of class, his mind a jumble of frustration and an urge to break free. But how had he managed to find his way to the rooftop?
Looking out over the edge, he took in the view of the school grounds spread out below. The bustling chaos seemed distant and muted from this height, replaced by a sense of solitude and calm.
Leaning against the railing, he pondered the unexpected detour. Maybe it was fate's way of giving him a breather from the monotony of the classroom, even if it meant breaking a few rules along the way.
With a resigned sigh, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. There was still a chance to salvage the rest of the day if he hurried. But for now, he allowed himself a few moments of introspection, wondering if there was a reason he'd been drawn to this rooftop refuge amidst the school's hustle and bustle.
Suddenly, he heard familiar voices behind him. "Hey Damon!"
He turned around, relieved yet slightly startled to see his friends Adrien and Ezekiel approaching.
Damon greeted them with a half-hearted grin, unsure how to explain his current location.
“Whats this? Missing out on your education Damon? Couldn't be me”
“Right" he said driyly.
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow, scanning his expression. "Ya good? You look like you've seen a ghost, man."
“Something like that” He smiled weakly at them sitting on a bench next to them.
“Oh, look at you, finally managing to drag yourself out of that funk, Adrien? I was beginning to think you’d set up camp there permanently”, he spoke.
"I told you not to call me that anymore, it's sooooo white," he complained dramatically, throwing his hands up. "It's K@?%# now."
Adrien raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you upgraded your name to static noise," he retorted with a smirk, earning a surprised cackle from Ezekiel though he got the feeling he had no idea why he said that.
He blinked, momentarily puzzled. "K@?%#," he repeated to himself, still not quite catching the name clearly. He decided not to comment further.
Ezekiel tried to speak through his wheezing, failing several times. "Uh-uh, sure, K@?%#. You do you, king."
He rolled his eyes dramatically before pursing his lips and peering through the holes of the gate before him.
"Everything alright there, Dame? You seem out of it today." Ezekiel hummed out, concern subtly filling his features.
"I dunno, the world just feels... off today. Do you ever just... wonder what's out there?" Damon mused, his gaze fixed on the horizon beyond.
"Not really, I hate being outside," Adrien quipped, earning a playful jab in the ribs from Ezekiel.
“What did I do?!” Adrien said whining dramatically like he'd just been shot.
"There'd be more land? Why do you ask?"
Damon shook his head slowly, his eyes distant. "And beyond that?"
"Uhh, probably the next city," Ezekiel replied curiously.
"And beyond that?"
"Probably more land, beaches, the ocean..." Ezekiel continued, sensing Damon's growing intensity.
"And beyond that?" Damon pressed, standing up now, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and something deeper.
Ezekiel shrugged, looking up at the sky while thinking of an answer but finding none that are good enough to satisfy Damon's need for answers.
"Why'd you ask, though? What is rattling in that brain of yours?" Ezekiel finally asked, noticing the earnest search for meaning in Damon's eyes and somewhat reciprocating it.
“You know I'm still stuck on what I did I'm JUST SAYING I prefer the comfort of my gaming chair, thank you very much," he retorted with a smirk, earning another not-so-playful jab from Ezekiel.
They ignored him.
“You can never really know what's out there until you see it with your own eyes can you?”
“I suppose not” Adrien said mumbling about being hit in the ribs for no reason
He was silent for a few minutes
“Do you guys ever feel like your name isn't your name?”
“We getting philosophical today?” Adrien spoke in a joking tone.
“Look who's talking, the hypocrite.” Ezekiel retorted with an intense look at Adrien's way before turning back to Damon, “To answer your question, yeah. Why?”
“For some reason I feel like my name isn't Damon. I had a dream today. I just kinda feel like my name is… Asterion like the person in my dream you know?”
“We'll be more than happy to C?a?l?l? ?y?o?u? ?t?h?a?t?”
He looked towards Ezekiel.
His heart stopped.
Time stopped.
And he let out a scream his face he clamped his hands over his eyes.
“What's wrong?” Adrien spoke, his voice normal
“Damon? Hello?” Ezekiel said, worry seeping into his being.
He reluctantly took his hands from his eyes and opened them. Everything was… Fine… Fine. “Your face, I saw it.. Mel-... Whatever I'm fine I-
He clutched his chest, his heart beating incredibly fast.
As his heart began to virtually beat out of his chest and he opened his eyes he noticed something at the very corner of it he saw something or thought he did? It was like something was pounding at his skull trying to get out hadn't it resembled it?
Interrupting his thoughts two fingers snapped in front of his face
“You're spacing out, are you sure you're ok?” Adrien said putting his hand on his shoulder, “You know you can always talk to me right?”
“Yeah… Yeah I just thought I saw a pokemon” he said the words simply slipping out of him despite the fact he struggled to recall the words moments ago as if his subconscious mind knew.
“The hell is a pokemon?” Adrien asked.
He was still, coming to a cold realization, the world chilling as well as if realizing the conclusion he had come to as his memories, as brief as they were, began coming back to him.
This.
Wasn't.
Real.
Asterion shot up
“Who are you?”
“Dam- Aste-” Ezekiel tried to speak but Asterion cut him off.
“Don't even try it.” He growled “What are you?!”
Both their faces went blank and they let out a cackle.
“I am the sadness I am the longing I am the guilt you feel the desperate realization you'll never-”
“Shut. Up.” He growled knowing what he was going to say
But he continued ignoring me “The desperate realization you'll never see them… Again for it is only here you remember”
He was standing now mirroring my movements as I edged my way back
“Why are you doing this” Asterion said choking back his guilt
My friends visages cocked their heads at that, “Where were you when your best friend needed you?” he said his eyes lighting up as he spoke
“I- I couldn't it wasn't-”
“He was hurting so badly and when he needed you most… You abandoned him wondering what he had done thinking about you being the same as the others who had abandoned him… He was hurting and you weren't there to sage him from drowning in his own loneliness”
“Where were you when he decided-”
“Shut up!” Asterion growled
“And for what? Because you loved him? In a way that he could never love you? But would someone who loved another hurt them in such a way?”
“Leave me alone!” Asterion says clutching his hands over his ears.
Asterion bolted and the scenery changed to a road but he didn't care the screams of his past still haunt him they echoe in his head there inescapable he doesn't know where he's going but his feet carry him in one direction regardless ‘I have to keep moving forward!’ He thinks even as the world around him begins to fall apart ‘because if I dont…’ as he looks back he catches a glimpse of him behind him he saw a haunter reminiscent of the one from his last night but different bigger and more life like but it doesn't matter, none of it mattered Because he's still grinning
As his legs carried him he tripped falling forward breathing heavy breaths he looked forward realizing he had nowhere to the ‘world’ was falling apart both the back and front buildings were tearing bricks were falling the streets were falling into the void
He just stared, what else could he do? He heard the cackles of the haunter behind him so he did the only thing he could do and dove into the abyss.
As he was left diving into the abyss the cackles of the being still letting itself be known toying with him he saw something he began to ‘swim’ towards it a blue flicker in the abyss it was like swimming in mud it was as if the abyss was choking him trying to stop him grasping it but was wholly powerless against him it felt as it was getting farther away each and every time he attempted to grab at it but finally he did.
Memories that wouldn't be there when he awakened began to flood through him and the spark within his hand became a blazing flame but he didn't let go as one word rang throughout.
Hope.
A zoroark its body made up of flames similar to the spark within his hand with a kitsune mask approached him slowly it could have been years or perhaps it was mere seconds but it clasped his hands and the abyss was no longer there as light began to fill the room there was roars of anger at that from behind him but they were soon drowned out by the bliss.
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The zoroark still clasping his hand nodded at him. He didn't know what it was trying to say but it was as if it was giving him ‘permission’ for what he did not know nor did he have time to contemplate.
As he was yanked forcefully upwards, the sensation was both jarring and oddly calming, as if the sky itself was pulling him into its embrace. He felt his body spinning uncontrollably, the world around him dissolving into a chaotic swirl. The relentless vortex seemed to envelop him completely, its swirling currents both disorienting and strangely soothing, as though he were caught in the powerful, yet gentle, grip of an otherworldly force.
And he once again awakened
Asterion's eyes burst open and he began to cough his mouth feeling dry as consciousness seeped back into him with the lethargy of a reluctant sunrise hitting his eyes. He found himself staring at the jagged, brown walls of a cave, marked with deep cracks. its cracks and imperfections, a stark contrast to the dreamscape he had just left behind. ‘I’m alive…?I must have some insane plot armor..’ he joked in his head despite everything hurting.
For a moment, the remnants of his dream clung to him like a second skin. He could still feel the cold tendrils of fear, the suffocating darkness of the abyss, and the haunting laughter of the Haunter. The memory of the Zoroark, its fiery form and gentle guidance, lingered in his mind, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
The room seemed to shift around him, shadows playing tricks on his perception as he struggled to separate dream from reality. The fragmented images of his nightmare wove themselves into the fabric of his waking thoughts, making everything feel slightly askew. He could still hear the mocking voice, feel the oppressive weight of guilt and failure pressing down on him.
Asterion’s mind raced, trying to reconcile the dream's events with his current state. He remembered the roof, his friends—Adrien and Ezekiel—and the bizarre conversation that had spiraled into madness. The sensation of time stopping, of his heart hammering in his chest, and the horrific transformation of his friends into something unrecognizable. It all felt so vivid, yet distant, like a half-forgotten memory struggling to resurface.
As his mind scrambled to piece together his dream, he felt something heavy shift on his chest. He blinked looking at the zorua and mumbled, "Glad I could break your landing," through gritted teeth. His body ached all over. Yep, definitely something broken in there—probably his dignity.
He felt everything around him still there, mostly the berries he had gathered were squashed and his phone was even more cracked but pokeballs were durable it seemed. His eyes widened at that causing him to unintentionally spring up launching the small Pokemon off his chest.
He winced at that but couldn't help but let out a small laugh looking at the zorua flail around in the air with surprise. The small Pokemon landing with a thud.
It stood up, dazed, shaking its head and tilting it slightly as it tried to get its bearings. Eventually, the baby Zorua's eyes settled on Asterion. He guessed it was a baby due to its small size, even for a Zorua. The tuft of fur on its head was more gray than black and red, with only a hint of red showing, and its golden eyes might change with maturity. Regardless, the Pokémon was evidently very young, which likely explained why it hadn’t used illusions to get away before.
The zorua growled and attempted to scamper away but it fell over whimpering.
"Ah, so it hurts too, welp sucks to be you", Asterion thought with a smirk. He tried to get up, but gasped and quickly ended up flat on his ass again the initial pain still to much. The Zorua couldn’t help but snicker at his clumsy attempt. It sounded surprisingly human. ‘right… these are sentient creatures’ he grabbed the pokeball from his pocket his possible stater.
His starter…
For some reason it felt like if he released the Pokemon inside everything would change it would really solidify he was in the world of Pokemon he could never go back… though could zorua be considered his starter if it chose to join him?
The Zorua flinched Asterion blinked; he cocked his head to the side before coming to a realization and clicking his tongue “Oh, darling, relax. I assure you, I have no intention of catching you”
Zorua’s eyes widened in surprise, but it quickly shook its head, growling low in defiance.
Asterion let out a frustrated sigh, his gaze steady but intense. "Look, I don’t have time for games," he muttered, his voice taking on a more commanding tone. "We can keep at this, or…" He paused, calculating the situation. “How about we call a temporary truce? Just until we figure out what to do”
His eyes narrowed slightly, waiting for the Pokémon’s response, clearly not in the mood for further resistance but willing to negotiate.
Asterion reached for one of the smushed oran not sure how good it would be but tossed it over to the small Pokemon. “We’re stuck here for a while, and I’ve got no idea if the Pokémon in this ball is going to be a problem or not. You help me figure that out, and I’ll make sure you walk out of this in one piece. Deal?”
The zorua mulled it over before nodding, laying down and biting into the oran. Asterion attempted to move and pet the creature but alas it was in vein the zorua was still distrustful of him which- fair but he would get this creature on his team if it was the last thing he did! Starting his adventure with two Pokemon! How lucky was that! To start a pokemon adventure like he dreamed of as a small child was- a wave of familiarity washed over him and his face scrunched up he had notice that happen sometimes something would just slip out and a wave of familiarity would follow than he'd forget he knew he WAS a small child at one point but had no memory of it.
He sighed he really needed someone to talk to. He swallowed his throat was dry and he could barely move it was a miracle he wasn't screaming in pain he wondered if he was going to die here if he was he wanted someone to know he was that ‘asterion was here’
“Hey are you a girl or a boy by the way?”
The Zorua gave him a deadpan stare before turning around and pulling apparently HER tail up
Getting flashed by a pokemon huh… not something he ever expected though did bring up anatomical differences in this world…
He watched quietly as the zorua ate once again Asterion picked up one of the oran and sniffed it to make sure it was one of the good ones, and proceeded to slowly take a bit of the contents. “Do you know how long we were out?” The zorua shrugged, not really knowing the measurements of hours like humans did. With another sigh Asterion laid back down, throwing an arm over his face and breathing heavily.
"You know I wasn’t born here? " he chuckled mirthlessly, and the Zorua remained cautiously silent. “In my old world or atleast what I can remember of it…,” Asterion began to ramble on regailing the zorua of stories of his life which was relatively little but still something, something he could be remembered by most didn't want to be forgotten and deep down he was afraid he would be.
This human was strange, nothing like the ones Mama warned her about. She'd been told humans were vile, dangerous creatures, back before Mama... before she... She shook her head. Time to be a big girl now. Mama had always said to stay away from humans—they did bad stuff. But this one? This one didn't seem so bad. They were surprisingly brave when she threw her best illusions at them to scare them off. Didn't even flinch! But they did laugh at her... Maybe humans were just mean!
At least they didn't try to shove her into one of those stupid balls like they did with Mama. Mama always said they were "rare," and that made humans want them a lot. Funny, she never thought she was *that* special. Humans are so weird—acting like she was some legendary trickster fox from one of Mama's stories!
Still she wouldn't trust them them mama told her not to and she would NEVER trust a human
Mama…she missed her Mama dearly. She could still remember her ethereal white and red fur, flowing like a river of fire and ice, and her piercing gold eyes that held a wisdom beyond ages. Mama was so much bigger than her, a majestic presence that made her feel safe and cherished. She would tuck her gently into her long, silken hair, whispering that she was special, that her own gold eyes were a sign of her unique destiny. Together, they would wander far and wide, each step an adventure. Some days, she would follow Mama, counting her steps—ten, ten, ten—feeling the world open up before them.
But those days were gone, vanished like a dream at dawn. The warmth of Mama's fur, the comfort of her embrace, were now just distant memories that flickered like fading embers in her mind. The world felt so much colder, so much emptier without her. She wandered alone, the silence of the forest pressing in on her, the shadows lengthening as if to swallow her whole. Every corner she turned, every rustle in the leaves, she hoped against hope it would be Mama coming back to her. But each time, it was just the wind, just the cruel reminder that Mama was gone, leaving an ache in her heart that no illusion could ever mask. She was truly alone, a solitary ghost drifting through a world that had lost its magic. After she had been taken by it that's why she had been training she had to be strong so she could avenge her mama granted she didn't know what the creature was but mama called it the moon curse she would often tell her story of the time before she had met Papa who looked more like her and not mama. But humans had gotten Papa… and mama had been taken by the moon curse protecting her after she had whined for a story she had begun to breathe wrong wobble unlike Mama she was always graceful and it would get worse without getting better. Then Mama cuddled her one last time and told her one day she’d find someone who would care for her and her breaths stopped.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Red so much red.
The entire world shifted then she had tried to put the red back red was needed to survive right?
She didn't want someone else to care for her she wanted Mama! The coldness of the air felt freezing in her lungs as she began to breathe trying to focus she couldn't stand her ribs hurt
And then words the words of the human she focused on them and it made her calm like it did with Mama.
Now this human was doing the same thing Mama did tell her stories it didn't feel… bad she would run when she had the chance but they had a “truce” now and it wouldn't be so bad to listen for a little longer the human seemed to knowledgeable he was from another world mama had told her about the multiple worlds of the hundred handed one so maybe just five more minutes wouldn't be so bad… just get knowledge than… than she would run yeah! She would run. Even if it felt nice, nice to be around someone again someone who reminded her of mama.
She had drifted off she didn't know how long when she heard it again—a roar that sent a shiver down her bones and made her fur stand on end. It was the Moon's Curse, the beast that haunted her nightmares. The roar echoed through the trees, low and menacing, like the growl of the forest itself. Her heart raced, pounding like a drum in her chest. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to hide, to become invisible.
She glanced at the human beside her. They had heard it too. Their eyes widened with fear, the color draining from their face. The human's bravery, the same bravery that had laughed at her illusions, seemed to melt away in the presence of that monstrous sound. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, as if even the trees and the wind were afraid to make a noise.
The Moon's Curse was closer now. She could hear its heavy footsteps, the crunch of leaves and twigs under its massive weight. Each step was a death knell, bringing the beast ever nearer. The night was alive with shadows that seemed to pulse and shift, hiding the terrible creature that lurked just beyond her sight.
Her mind raced back to that fateful night when she lost Mama. She remembered the terror in Mama's eyes, the desperate fight to protect her. The Moon's Curse had come from nowhere, a dark specter under the pale moonlight, tearing apart everything she loved. And now, it was here again she held her breath that's all she could do be silent like the forest
Hours earlier
Asterion forced himself to stop speaking noticing the sleeping zorua it felt… nice to talk to someone again even if it was a pokemon who'd more than likely bite his head off if she could.
He tried to push himself up despite his body's reluctance. If he were attacked now, especially by a superpowered creature known as a Pokémon, he’d be in serious trouble. On top of that, his throat was parched, and he was starving. He couldn’t just wait for food to magically appear; he needed meat and he needed it soon. His injuries made every step painful; his skin felt raw with each movement, and his limp suggested something was definitely broken.
he needed food water and learn how to start a fire frustratingly he had no memories on how do that. Why couldn’t he have found a Charmander instead? He clutched the Pokemon in his hand, “Who knows maybe you are a Charmander…” He didn't know why he was so anxious about releasing whatever was inside it could be a Caterpie for all he knew and speaking of couldn't pokemon see out there pokeball why hadn't this one released itself?
“Gah focus you idiot!” He shouted whispered, “You had been so lucky to find the stream you could have followed it to civilization but nooooo you had to be a fool and antagonize a pokemon what is WRONG with you, you have no hunting skill whatsoever and you’re alone in the woods… just great” truthfully he was rather scared before he had not been because of the thrill of being in a new world but it had been a slow realization that despite his luck he was still in a forest with dangerous creatures who he didn't know if we're aggressive or not AND he had gotten lucky but nooooo now there wasn't an oran to be seen not a single river if he starved to death it'd be all on him… “Fuck!” he cursed it was like whatever had been before took everything it could than scampered off.
That was bad really bad it more than likely meant something dangerous was in this forest he had noticed the lack of Pokemon earlier but he didn't think it was a lack of it perhaps they were hiding but but from what? He gulped “A tyranitar? A hydreigon? A steelix?” He didn't need to find out…
He stopped in his tracks because he didn't want to get too far from the cave. He should've just stayed from where he had been he should've done that to begin with for all he knew, maybe he had a family looking for him?
“Family…” Despite his best effort he couldn't recall anything he did have recall ‘some’ vague memories from this life but they were clouded just blurry bits and pieces he could vaguely recall the outline of a person but not actually VISUALIZE it in his head there were two figures that stood out particularly strong to him but it was like remembering something and forgetting it when he tried to remember his subconscious mind knew but his conscious mind? Nothing and any semblance of his old life? gone reduced to flashes of feeling of familiarity he sometimes got.
It was… lonely but he tried to put on a smile sure everything was shit now but who else got these experiences? And if he was lucky… the feeling of his chest got warm very warm and he blushed. maybe he could live a life that would make both versions of “him” could be proud of “Bah that's another thing I feel like the old me the soul dragged into this body but some semblance of -him- still lingers around, it's hard to figure out who I am heh it's kinda like jujutsu kaisen the body is the soul and the soul is the body.” Suddenly a HUGE amount of familiarity washed over him, “What's jujutsu kaisen?” He began to mull it over “Is that some sort of hint to this whole thing or is it a memory and if it's familiarity I'm guessing it's my memory? I need to start writing this stuff down”, he said ruffling his until his stomach started growling.
He patted his stomach and looked around, “Yeah we're not getting any food unless we travel farther from the cave’ he bit his lip there was no way to climb back up he sighed unless they decided to work together they would most certainly die it was a miracle he was alive at all
He began to walk back when something raced across his prephirial vision and he stopped
He dared not move, even the sound of his heart beating seemed too loud as he tended his body had that been his imagination? It seemed awfully lucid
*Crack*
The sound pierced the quiet, sharper and more jarring than anything his mind could have conjured. No, this was not a figment of his imagination. There was something out there, something undeniably real—and it was far from friendly.
A dark shape skittered past his line of sight one once more and he whirled around missing it once again.
His heart thumped hard and fast each muscle in his body twitching in preparation for an attack. The rustling grew louder and the bushes parted.
Then he saw it—a pair of glowing, predatory eyes peering at him from the gloom. They were low to the ground and unmistakably angry. The creature that owned those eyes was massive, Its body was sleek and sinuous, covered in a dark, armored exoskeleton that glistened in the pale moonlight. The creature's pincers, sharp and deadly, moved with a sinister, deliberate precision.
"You've got to be kidding me—a goddamn Drapion?!"
The Drapion looked like it had been through hell. Three of its (tusks?) were shattered, jagged stubs barely hanging on. Its once-imposing shell was battered and cracked, with bruises that made it look like a walking disaster. It wobbled unsteadily, as if even standing was a struggle. ‘Confusion... the move… That's confusing?’
It locked eyes with Asterion.
He went wide-eyed and immediately slouched in an attempt to make himself smaller and began to slowly back away, “Hey, hey, hey is this your territory? My bad I didn't mean to disturb you.”
The drapion narrowed its eyes and clicked it's (arms?) hissing approaching slowly threateningly but he took not getting attacked as a good thing.
“Look I’ll leave immediately- I'm not a trainer or anything-” it snorted and stopped approaching he let out exhale that was good pokemon did seem sapient
And then he tripped. "Fuck!" he shouted as he stumbled over a log, arms flailing like a windmill, before crashing flat on his back. The Pokéball in his pocket shot out like it was on a mission.
"Shit, shit, shit!", he muttered, scrambling to grab it. He fumbled a few times but finally managed to clutch it tight, letting out a sigh of relief—until he remembered the Drapion still looming over him.
The Drapion's eyes zeroed in on the Pokéball, and it let out a thunderous roar that shook the trees.
"This?" he stammered, holding the ball out like it was a bomb. "This is... uh, totally not what it looks like. Okay, fine, it's exactly what it looks like, but in my defense—"
The drapion didn't seem interested in listening to him and charged him “Dammit!” He yelled and picked himself and began running. “What the hell Is it even possible to outrun a pokemon?!” Looking behind himself the drapion was quickly gaining on him “Dammit!!!” He yelled running to the left hoping it might slow it down even slightly but it only resulted in it closer
“Alright this might kill me buuut here goes nothing” he whipped around catching the drapion by what he would assume is pincers and to his surprise he was able to slow down the drapion albeit it took all his force and grit to do so
Asterion was launched nine feet into the air like a human cannonball. "WHY ME?!" he screamed as he felt gravity yank him back down. He landed with a thud right on the Drapion's back, the impact knocking the wind out of him. "Ow, ow, ow—that hurt!" he groaned, his voice strained.
The Drapion froze for a split second, confused by the sudden weight on its back. Realizing what had happened, Asterion quickly latched onto its pincers, hoping to keep himself from being thrown off.
That only made things worse. The Drapion roared in fury, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake him off. Asterion clung on for dear life as the world around him turned into a blur of claws and chaos. "Bad idea, bad idea, BAD IDEA!!" he yelled, regretting every decision that had led to this moment.
The Drapion twisted and bucked like a raging bull, its pincers snapping dangerously close to Asterion's face. He gripped tighter, trying to avoid the sharp edges, but the Pokémon’s wild movements made it impossible to hold on steady.
The Drapion slammed its tail into the ground, sending a shockwave that nearly jolted Asterion off. He barely managed to stay on, his heart pounding in his chest. The Pokémon then charged forward, ramming into trees and rocks as it tried to dislodge him. Each collision sent jolts of pain through Asterion’s body, but he refused to let go.
The Drapion came to a screeching halt, and Asterion was launched like a slingshot straight into a tree. The impact was brutal—his body slammed into the trunk with a sickening *thud*.
"Everything hurts... oh my go- Arceus?, *everything* hurts," he thought, every inch of his body screaming in agony. It felt like his ribs had turned into a xylophone, with each breath striking a painful note. He clutched his side, wincing as even the slightest movement sent waves of pain through him.
"I'm surprised I'm even able to think right now," he marveled, half-dazed, as stars danced in his vision. Each heartbeat felt like a sledgehammer to his skull, and even blinking hurt.
The drapion approached him once again with poison bubbling in its mouth and from what he could remember drapion preferred physical combat so that meant it was extremely angry. "Well, it was... good—okay, maybe not good, but it was... mildly... fine, sort of? I mean, it probably wasn't the absolute worst thing I've ever experienced... while it lasted.”
He shut his eyes and braced for impact, expecting the worst. But instead of pain, he heard a distinct popping sound. Both he and the Drapion looked up in unison, eyes wide with disbelief. The world seemed to freeze in that moment—the chaos, the noise, everything stopped as if someone had hit the pause button on reality.
Asterion's heart skipped a beat as he saw the Luxury Ball spinning in the air above them, its sleek surface catching the light. It was slowly opening, and he realized with horror that it must have launched out of his pocket during the chaos.
Time stretched out, every second dragging on like an eternity, as the ball released a blinding red beam that shot into the sky. Asterion’s mouth went dry, his hand instinctively patting his now-empty pocket. The world felt like it was moving through syrup, every detail sharp and painfully clear as he watched the beam descend, He knew there was nothing he could do to stop it now—it was already set in motion. But what would he find inside? Would it change anything, or maybe even everything? He couldn’t shake the questions running through his mind. What if it was the key to something bigger, something he wasn’t ready for? Could he really handle it? Could he really make it in this world, with all its challenges and uncertainties? No matter how much he tried to prepare himself, doubt would linger.
He didn’t know why he was so terrified, but something deep inside told him that this was the moment everything would change. It felt like the world was on the brink of something irreversible, like reality itself was about to snap into place, and once it did, there would be no turning back. It was a feeling that struck him to his core—an instinctive, bone-deep certainty that from this moment on, nothing would ever be the same.
As the Luxury Ball hovered in the air, slowly opening, Asterion was overwhelmed by a strange sense of finality. He couldn’t remember his past life, couldn’t recall the faces of those he once loved, but he could feel it—something was being ripped away from him, something he couldn’t even name. It was like the memory of a memory, an echo of a life that was slipping through his fingers.
A single tear slid down his cheek, unbidden, a raw, primal reaction to the weight of it all. Even though his mind was blank, his heart remembered. He couldn’t recall the details, but he could feel the emotions buried deep inside—the love, the loss, the longing. And in that instant, he knew that whatever came next, he could never go back to who he once was. His old life, his old self, was gone, and all that remained were the feelings that would haunt him forever.
Perhaps whoever brought him here took this as it's confirmation as it's yes maybe Arceus would have sent him back if he had said no to this life. Regardless
it didn't matter as the pokeball opened