Leaves rustled. The wind blew. The moon cast its pale glow overhead. Rising trees blocked most of the light, allowing only slivers to filter through, forming a shredded pattern across the ground. Despite it being the dead of night, the place felt strangely harmonious.
Closer inspection revealed nocturnal hunters watching the skies, their prey scuttling about, looking for food or shelter. Amid this quiet liveliness was an area that felt... wrong. A pocket of eternal darkness. No rustling leaves, no wind, no light—as if even moonlight dared not enter.
BANG!
A fist slammed the ground.
"I-it's real..." a voice muttered—hopeful, yet confused.
"Ha! Haha! It's real. It's real!" the voice broke into hysterical laughter.
Suddenly, the moonlight hit him like a floodlight. To the boy, it burned.
"Ugh... After seeing nothing but black after death, even moonlight feels like a flashbang," he muttered.
I still can't believe I came back. After death… what even happened? How?
His fists clenched.
"Whatever. I'll figure that out later. Right now, I need to figure out where I am. I kind of remember this place, but it's fuzzy."
He got up.
Step. Step. Step.
He walked slowly as none of it mattered. Emerging from the blackness, the moonlight struck his face—once a trickle, now blinding.
"Hisss..." he inhaled sharply.
Woosh.
His hand cut through the air, slapping across his face to block the light. He froze in place, motionless, before slowly lowering his hand.
"My vision's a bit blurry, but it'll clear up. What's weird is how smooth my skin feels. All my scars are gone." His voice was flat, detached. "Most people would be happy... but I don't know. Those scars were proof of what I went through. Feels a little hollow without them." He said with a flat tone
He paused, eyes glancing at a lock of his hair.
"And my hair's a little different. Used to be almost black, but now it's a very dark blue. Used to run down my back—now it barely reaches past my neck.
"Huh," the boy muttered, eyes scanning his hands. "Why am I getting so worked up over things like hair and scars? I've time-travelled… It doesn't make sense. Instead of standing here like an idiot, I should be making a plan. Planning for the future, figuring out what comes next. If I want to get anywhere this time, I need to act."
A small, wry smile flickered for a second. "Heh… the future's gonna be interesting."
But it disappeared just as quickly, leaving only an impassive expression behind.
His fingers traced his chin thoughtfully as his gaze wandered. "What time am I even in? This place… Willow Woods. I know it. I've been here before. More times than I care to count."
A brief grimace crossed his face. "The first time… wasn't exactly great. But even after that, I've come back. Whether as a grunt or an instructor… same place, different time."
He looked down at himself, studying his body with a detached eye. "If I had to guess, I'm somewhere between fourteen and sixteen. Maybe. If that's the case… this could be my second or third time here—or even my first, horrible as that might be."
He paused, a flicker of something like reluctant recognition crossing his face. "Although… if it is my first, I hate to admit it, but it'd give me the most opportunities. Not big ones, but enough for a decent boost."
He exhaled slowly, the weight of the thought pressing against him. It didn't matter what time it was, what happened before. What mattered now was what came next.
"If it is my first, I'll have more freedom in what Pokémon I pick. Last time, I could only pick something sub-par—and because of some dumb attachment, I couldn't let go. By the time I did, it was too late. I'd already missed too many chances… I fell into the abyss called 'ordinary'."
A long, deep sigh escaped his lips.
"Even though I eventually clawed my way out, it took years. No one wants to invest man in his 40s with barely any potential left
Rustle.
His head snapped around. Something's there.
He slipped back into the unending darkness and waited.
Suddenly, a kid tumbled out—short, brown haired, young face.
"A kid… looks young," he muttered.
Hahhhhhh. A long, exaggerated sigh.
"I guess I have to face it already. I had a suspicion—just didn't want it to be true. I'm most likely in the Trial."