The further I got from Pallet Town, the less the world felt like something that had been prepared for me.
That was the first thing I noticed.
Not the scenery.
Not the wild Pokémon.
The lack of structure.
Back in the lab, everything had a place. Systems layered into systems, logic feeding into logic. Even chaos could be measured if you knew how to look at it.
Out here?
Things just… existed.
The dirt road stretched forward in uneven lines, its edges dissolving into tall grass that swayed lazily in the breeze. The ground shifted beneath the tires of my Rotom Bike—firm one moment, loose the next—small stones snapping outward with each subtle adjustment of speed.
The air carried weight.
Not heavy.
Not suffocating.
Just… full.
"…Yeah," I muttered, easing the throttle slightly. "That's more like it."
A faint current flickered along the bike's frame, subtle arcs dancing near the handlebars—controlled, responsive, almost too refined for the environment it moved through.
The wind shifted.
"…There it is."
I tilted my head slightly, letting the air hit my face more directly.
The sky was still perfect.
Bright. Clear.
Lying.
"Forty minutes," I said aloud. "Maybe less."
The road curved toward a river, its surface smooth enough to reflect the sky almost perfectly.
Too smooth.
"No current. No cover. Shallow depth…" I murmured. "Yeah. That explains it."
That's when I saw her.
She was wearing a pair of short jeans, orange crop top with suspenders. She sat on a rock near the riverbank, one leg tucked under her, the other kicking impatiently against the stone. Bright orange hair tied into a side ponytail bounced with every sharp, irritated movement she made.
Her fishing rod extended over the water—
But her posture?
Tense.
Frustrated.
Ready to argue with the universe if it gave her a reason.
She looked like she was losing a fight with the river.
I slowed the bike and stepped off, boots pressing into damp ground with a soft shift.
"…Catch anything?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she jerked the rod back sharply.
The hook broke the surface.
Empty.
She stared at it for a second longer than necessary, lips tightening before she exhaled through her nose.
"Yeah," she said flatly. "A whole lot of disappointment."
She reeled the line in with more force than needed, irritation clear in the movement.
"Magikarp," she added, glancing over now. "Magikarp, Magikarp, and—just to keep things interesting—more Magikarp."
I crouched slightly near the edge of the water, brushing my fingers through the surface.
Still.
Cold.
Predictable.
"…Yeah," I said, standing again. "That tracks."
She blinked slowly.
Then turned fully toward me.
"…That's it?" she asked, incredulous. "That's your big insight?"
I gave a small shrug.
"Clear water. No cover. Low current. You picked the safest, most boring section of the river."
Her eye twitched.
"…Excuse me?"
She stepped off the rock, boots landing firmly as she closed the distance slightly.
"I've been sitting here forever," she snapped, gesturing sharply at the water, "pulling up nothing but useless fish—and you show up for five seconds and tell me I'm doing it wrong?"
"Not wrong," I corrected calmly. "Just predictable."
"That's the same thing!"
"…Not really."
She stared at me, grip tightening around the rod.
"…Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?"
"I believe I may have heard a passing comment or two along those lines." I replied, a faint hint of amusement slipping through.
"…Your also quite shameless aren't you?" she continued, pointing at me. "You say things like they're obvious and expect people to just accept it."
I tilted my head slightly.
"…They usually are but whether one chooses to accept them is none of my concern."
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
Then she dragged a hand down her face.
"…Wow. Okay. Great. Love that."
She turned away—
Then immediately turned back.
"No—explain it," she said, stepping closer again. "If you're going to judge my entire morning, you're explaining it."
I paused.
Then nodded once.
"Fine."
I pointed toward the water.
"Surface is too still. No disturbance lines. No shadows. No current breaks."
I gestured slightly outward.
"No structure. Nothing for stronger Pokémon to hide around."
Then back at her.
"You're fishing in the safest part of the river."
She crossed her arms.
"…And that means?"
"Only the weakest, most adaptable Pokémon stick around."
A pause.
"…Magikarp."
Another pause.
"…Magikarp," she repeated, shoulders dropping slightly as the realization settled in. A faint grimace crossed her face.
"…That's… actually really annoying."
I let out a soft chuckle.
"It usually is."
She exhaled through her nose, brushing hair back before pointing at me again.
"But you're still annoying."
I nodded once.
"Consistent feedback."
She stared at me another moment.
Then huffed.
"…I don't like you."
"I gathered."
And yet—
She didn't leave.
Her gaze drifted downward.
Paused.
Then sharpened.
"…And what," she said slowly, pointing, "is that?"
I followed her gaze.
Wrapped loosely around my neck, tail flicking lazily, was my partner.
A soft greyish-white Minccino, her fur pristine, ears twitching as she observed everything.
"Min… Mincinno~!"
The girl froze.
"…Your scarf just made a noise."
"It's not a scarf."
She leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.
"…It moved."
"Min! Minccino!"
Her head snapped up.
"…It definitely moved."
I gave a small shrug.
"It tends to."
...
"…An explanation is what I'm hoping for."
She said with a deadpan.
I reached up, lifting Mincinno gently.
"This is Mincinno."
There was a beat.
Then—
"…Oh my—"
Everything shifted.
She stepped forward quickly—then stopped herself halfway, hands hovering uncertainly.
"She's—wait—hold on—" she leaned in, eyes wide. "She's so clean—like—actually clean—how is her fur like that?"
"Minccino~!"
"…That's illegal," she whispered.
"…What?"
"You can't just have something that cute," she said, pointing at me—but without any real bite left. "That's not fair."
"Pretty sure it is," I said, a faint smirk forming.
She didn't wait.
Mincinno hopped into her arms.
She froze.
"…Oh no."
"What?"
"She's warm."
"…That's normal."
She shook her head slightly, eyes locked on Mincinno.
"No—I mean—she's really warm," she said quietly. "And she's so soft—this isn't normal—"
"Min… Mincinno…"
Her expression softened completely.