I was up before dawn, staring at the ceiling of the Pokémon Center's trainer room. Sleep had been... difficult. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing that trap snapping shut, hearing Mightyena's pained whimpers. The whole situation felt surreal. Yesterday morning I'd been heading home, and now I was lying in a bed that cost nothing, in a world that shouldn't exist, with a Pokémon that most people seemed to think made me some kind of criminal or person of suspicion. That last part was bullshit.

  The Pokéball sat on the nightstand next to my phone, which had no signal. It was odd though, it didn't seem to be losing power. It's been on this whole time and yet not a single percent of power is gone. I had attempted to use the Internet and managed to connect to the Pokémon Center's Wi-Fi. I found out some interesting things. Elite Four Sidney? He never became an Elite. When I searched him, I found a mug shot. He's in prison. The only information I dug up on who the current Elite Four are were names. Three I recognized, the fourth... I didn't know who Sebastian was or his type specialization. Steven Stone was still the champion.

  By the time the sun started shining through the window, I gave up on trying to sleep entirely. I got dressed and made my way downstairs to the main lobby. Nurse Joy was already at her station, looking as fresh and professional as she had yesterday morning. How did she manage that? Years of practice? Some secret? I have to know at some point.

  "Good morning. You're up early. How are you feeling?" She had a soft smile on her face.

  "Fine, just didn't sleep much. Had a lot of stuff keeping me up." I tapped a finger against my forehead.

  Joy nodded seeming to understand.

  I shook my head. "Anyway... I think it would be best if I feed her. Is there any help I can get on that front?"

  "Yes." Joy disappeared for a moment and returned with a small bag. "High-quality Pokémon food. Dark-types can be particular about their diet, and she'll need good nutrition to fully recover." She paused. "Take her somewhere quiet, away from all the stares. Let her eat in peace and just... be patient." I accepted the bag and nodded turning to head for the door.

  Before I could, the automatic doors whooshed open and Officer Jenny walked in. She looked like she'd been up early too, or didn't sleep like me and was better at hiding it.

  "Ready to get this paperwork sorted?" she asked, holding up a manila folder. I sighed, but nodded. Better get this over with.

  We found a quiet corner of the lobby, and Jenny spread several forms across one of the low tables. Standard trainer registration, emergency contact information, Pokémon registration forms. The kind of bureaucracy that existed everywhere, apparently.

  "Full name?" Jenny asked, pen poised over the first form.

  "Lazarus Hunter."

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "Age?"

  "Seventeen."

  Jenny paused. "Previous address?"

  I just shrugged. "Somewhere in Unova would technically count."

  "Right." Jenny made a note in the margin. "We'll list you as a transient for now. You can update it once you settle somewhere." She continued down the list of questions, most of which I could answer normally enough. When we got to the Pokémon registration, she looked up. "I'll need to see your partner to confirm species and any distinguishing marks."

  My hand went to the Pokéball in my pocket. "She's been through a lot. I don't think a place full of people would be good for that."

  "Alright, let's head outside." Jenny and I both stood and went outside.

  I enlarged the Pokéball and pressed the button. The flash of light revealed Mightyena, who materialized sitting on her haunches. Her head swiveled immediately, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings behind the Pokémon Center, before her eyes settled on me. They held intensity and yet they were expecting. Like she knew things I didn't.

  "Hello there," Jenny said softly, keeping her distance.

  Mightyena's ears flicked in her direction, but she didn't take her eyes off me. Jenny made quick notes about her size and coloring, then nodded. "All set. You can recall her if you'd like."

  I was about to reach for the ball when Mightyena shifted slightly, moving closer to where I was standing. Her nose was twitching and I had an idea what it was she was sniffing for. It was the bag of food I had in my hand.

  "I think she wants to stay out for a bit," I said.

  "That's a good sign." Jenny handed me a piece of paper and a pen with a smile. "Sign on the dotted line." I signed the paper against the wall handing it back. "And here's your starter pack."

  Said pack was just a typical shoulder pack no space distorting nonsense. It contained a Pokédex, five additional Pokéballs, a small first aid kit, and a few other basic supplies including more food. Standard gear, apparently, for new trainers.

  "One more thing," Jenny said, lowering her voice. "We found evidence of at least three more trap sites yesterday afternoon. This is bigger than just one cruel individual. Be careful out there, especially on the less traveled routes."

  After Jenny left, Mightyena and I had a soft of staring contest. We just stood there some sort of silent conversation happening where I had no idea what was being said. She looked at the food in my hand and I smiled, yep she was hungry.

  About ten minutes later, we were walking back along Route 103. I'd chosen a spot off the main path, near a small stream where the grass was soft and looked like a great picnic spot. Mightyena had followed without needing to be recalled, staying about five feet to my left the entire walk. Close enough to bolt if needed, far enough to maintain some independence. Her eyes never left the food bag. Not that I'd be any different in her place.

  I settled cross-legged in the grass and opened the bag of Pokémon food. It looked like some kind of specialized kibble, but it smelled better than I'd expected. Mightyena's nose twitched immediately.

  "Hungry girl?" I asked, pouring some into a small bowl I'd borrowed from the Pokémon Center.

  She approached cautiously, sniffing the food before taking a tentative bite. Then another. Within moments she was eating faster, that suggested she hadn't had a proper meal in days. One of those days was my fault. I would be better from now on. So long as she was mine she wasn't going to go hungry.

  While she ate, I leaned back on my hands and looked out over the grassland. The same view from yesterday, but somehow it felt different now. A few Pokémon moved through the distant grass, and I could hear the gentle sound of the stream beside us. I looked up at the sky.

  "I don't really know what I'm doing," I said quietly. Mightyena's ears flicked in my direction, though she didn't stop eating. "I mean, I know about Pokémon, but not like this. Not real ones."

  She finished the food and moved to the stream for a drink. When she returned, she lay down maybe three feet from me. Just watching me and listening.

  We sat like that for a while, neither of us moving much. The sun climbed higher, warming the air, and I found myself relaxing. Mightyena seemed to be doing the same, considering she's lowered her head to rest on her front paws.

  "You know everyone thinks you're supposed to be evil, right?" I said. "I don't think that though. You are just like any other Pokémon. With thoughts and feelings.

  Her head lifted slightly.

  Slowly, carefully, I extended my hand in her direction. Not reaching for her, just making it available. Mightyena just stared for a minute. A slight tilt to her head but she moved a bit closer her nose sniffing at my outstretched hand. She lifted her head staring into my eyes again for a moment as if looking for something. Don't know if she found it, but she huffed.

  Mightyena settled herself a bit closer and within reach. She still kept an eye on me, but was content just laying there.

  We stayed like that for about an hour, just existing in the same space. I watched the sky and she watched me.

  The peaceful time was nice, but it didn't last. I'd come to find that a peaceful existence, was something you had to fight over.