Erin

  —

  I had never really been able to remember the vast majority of my dreams, and that had been a bit of a blessing, considering it applied to nightmares, too. I'd had less than a dozen dreams I could 'remember' in my old life, and most of them were vague. The one lucid dream that felt realer than reality had been fascinating, but terrifying at the same time, especially since I'd had no control over the experience like I'd heard I would. Trying to fly and failing had been embarrassing even in a dream…

  Here, in this new life?

  I still didn't remember the vast majority of my dreams, but my first nightmare was clear enough. The screams of Pokemon and humans, the taste of someone else's blood in my mouth. The snick of a terrifyingly sharp blade cutting through flesh and bone. The fear as my big happy guy collapsed. The pounding headache, limbs shaking as adrenaline coursed through my veins.

  The sight of that bitches face, the one who shot me, frying from too much electricity.

  Then everything started to compress-

  Luckily I woke myself up relatively quietly, and didn't wake anyone else up as I gasped my way awake in the middle of the night. Even mom was still asleep, and I collapsed back against Cerberus, trying to let my heart know that I wasn't there, that it was over, had been over…

  I didn't feel a single ounce of regret for my actions in those tunnels. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and if I found more Team Rocket? I would enjoy it. That didn't stop it from being a traumatic event, though… Honestly, I was kind of surprised this was my first nightmare. Or really, it may not have been, and I just didn't remember it. I'd always been envious of people who dreamed every night and remembered it, honestly…

  I could do without the nightmares, though. Especially that ending… I thought about that cavern more than enough already while awake, thank you very much… I knew Leaf had them sometimes, too, but she never wanted to share, and I certainly wasn't going to push her…

  I knew Looker was kind of busy, and hamstrung by traitors in Interpol, but at this point just find a random psychiatrist in Kanto that could be trusted and let us tell them!

  I rolled back over into Cerberus' stomach, desperate for more sleep. Hopefully my usual dreamless abyss this time…

  —

  —

  When I woke up the next morning, the first thing that came to mind was the Contest being held soon. The second thing to come to mind was panic, because shit. Artemis and I had worked out a performance, but… I had no idea how well it would be judged. Honestly? I wasn't looking forward to it, but Artemis was, and mom was looking forward to it even more… A whole Contest for her to judge…

  I didn't even like Contests! I mean, they were cool, and I enjoyed watching them a little… I had zero desire to be in one, though! I hadn't told my Pokemon though, because… well, I didn't want to stop them from doing something they enjoyed. Hecate knew, it was kind of hard to hide it from someone who liked to hang out in my mind… She also knew that I would endure it for her, wouldn't want her to not participate for my sake, and that I wouldn't want her telling Artemis or Kallen… Not that I think Kallen was all that interested these days. Especially now that he was huge… Oh crap, could he still backflip? I hope so, it was so cute…

  I had kind of been banking on mom demanding to perform first, and being continuously denied! It had kind of slipped my mind after being denied in Cerulean, honestly. I mean, who would want the giant, literal man-eating Alpha Tyrantrum in an enclosed space surrounded by humans?

  Of course, these days mom had a good reputation in Kanto. Maxx's story had finally been leaked by the Rangers, not that he cared, so there was evidence of Leto saving a human's life… pictures of him in her mouth included. The video of her culling a herd of Tauros was surprisingly well received, honestly… Combine those with the dozens of short clips of her running past someone on the Route Seventeen bridge, or at the beach where we met Heather and them? It wasn't actually that surprising that she had a good reputation now…

  More than anything, I didn't want to make myself a… spectacle? No shade thrown at performers of any sort, honestly! I was just… I guess I'm shy or something? I mean, sure, if it was a 'dragon moment' I could endure it, but… something like becoming a singer or dancer? Absolutely impossible, I would spontaneously combust. It was hard enough singing for my family! The performance was just barely within my tolerable range, mainly because I would be doing very little…

  I did my best to push those thoughts to the back of my mind as we walked through Celadon, heading for the east gate. Two days to tighten up our performance… Less, actually.

  Route Seven was so short we were just going to bike. It was re-treading the same path, sure, but with bikes? It would take a couple hours at the very most, and it was a nice day for… I guess the end of summer? It was the first of September, so this may be one of the last chances we got to have a casual bit of travel in our summer clothes.

  We were halfway to the east gate when our pleasant mood was shattered, and not by reporters this time. Not that we had seen any in Celadon so far… maybe they took my recorded warning seriously? That, or those two idiots had spread the word that while I wouldn't break any laws, Leto wasn't at all happy with their actions…

  "Stop right there! You! Yes, you with the ridiculous feathers!"

  We all turned to find an older boy standing there, finger pointing at me. He had some very nice clothes on, and seemed to know me… I didn't, though.

  I frowned at him and practically growled out my words.

  "Listen, if you're a fan, that's cool, but I'd rather just walk, if it's all the same to you…" His face grew red and furious.

  "I am Darius Freemont, and you are the cheap trainer who assaulted me in my own home! The one who got my-" I cut him off as I suddenly remembered.

  "Oh, yeah, you. The spoiled little boy who broke the Draconic Responsibility Act! Cool, horrible to see you again, goodbye!" I turned and started to walk off, but he just ran in front of us, still furious.

  "You got my trainers card suspended! Stole my Pokemon! I should have you-" I never found out what he wanted to do, as Honor popped out. He didn't come out with a clanging warcry, though. Instead he came out deadly still, lightly growling as he glared murder at the idiot. An idiot who looked like he was choking on his own tongue, now.

  Honor took a few steps closer to him, claws flexing, and I grinned at the sight. Honor was honorable, sure, but when faced with the one who had almost certainly illegally 'acquired' him? Dishonored him? Honor wouldn't hurt the boy, but he certainly looked like he was about to.

  Still, misplaced or not, Darius had a spine, and he straightened it with a condescending sneer.

  "Can't even keep your stolen Pokemon in line, I see! To show such disrespe-" This time it wasn't Honor or even me who cut him off.

  Alex looked pissed as she stomped up to him, getting right up in his face, forcing him to lean back.

  "Honor is my Pokemon, and he doesn't need to be 'kept in line', you fucking idiot! No wonder you got your card suspended! You act like a spoiled child in front of a second Evolution dragon! You're lucky Hazard hasn't taken offense to your presence yet! Or really, any of our Pokemon!" Darius went even redder in the face, and opened his mouth to respond… but I had finally connected a few dots and realized something.

  Something deliciously good.

  "How are your parents these days, Darius?" He looked at me in utter confusion and I grinned at him, letting my aura barely leak out.

  "I only heard the beginning of it, but it seems like your parents have been doing some baaad things. Things like blackmailing an unofficial town. Let me guess, they've been a little bit distant in the past few days? Stressed out? A little on edge, maybe?" His eyes got wide, and I knew he was at least somewhat aware of their misdeeds.

  "Those are baseless, unsubstantiated claims, slander of the highest degree! I'll have you take those words back, you-" I lightly slapped him with my aura, and judging from his rapidly-paling face, he finally remembered what I had done the last time we met… Also what he had done… like pissing himself in fear.

  "Nah, I heard it directly from one of the poachers I captured. Sure, they might have been lying… but based on your expression, and your fear, I'd say they were correct. How's it feel, having all that money and still wanting more? Having parents willing to do scummy shit to further enrich themselves? It's too bad you can't buy respect or happiness. Don't worry, you're still a minor, so when the League comes down on your parents, you'll obviously stay out of prison… I doubt you'll get to keep much money, though, not to mention your servants. I look forward to seeing you stocking shelves later in life, actually!" His face regained a little color, mainly from his fury, but I just kept going.

  "Or maybe you'll be a gardener? Plenty of them in a city like Celadon! Maybe a cook? Nah, those both involve pride in your work, in yourself, and since you can't buy that, I seriously doubt you'll ever have any…" Leaf lightly elbowed me, sighing.

  "Sis, just let him rant like the loser he is. Let's go, okay? I know you could do this all day, but I want to get moving, not look at this idiot." I grinned a little and elbowed her back.

  "I mean, you're not wrong, but… fine. Darius, maybe look into a career with Mister Miltank's? Nobody has pride in putting together their food, so you should fit right in!" I chuckled as the older boy just stood there, apoplectic with fury.

  I was smiling widely as we walked off, Darius sounding like a tea kettle behind us.

  I had said all that just to piss him off, but it wasn't like I looked down on people working retail, or as cooks. I had basically only worked those kinds of jobs in my previous life, in fact. Sure, I had despised public-facing jobs, having to put on my 'customer service' mask and voice, but I was an… antisocial person, I guess? Direct? A bit of an asshole, probably… I'd been much happier working as a cook. Not a fast-food cook, no, but actual restaurants? I loved cooking, even if being a head chef or line cook was far removed from standard, at-home cooking… Arceus, I could still hear those damn ticket machines endlessly printing during dinner rushes… I made a mean chicken picatta, though…

  Maybe I would do some cooking that wasn't just roasting some meat and boiling noodles soon? Pidgeotto was close to lean chicken in taste and texture, and we still had a few whole plucked ones in our Storage Balls… Pokemon Centers had communal kitchens you could use…

  Actually, yeah!

  "Are you two interested in some Pidgeotto picatta tonight?" They looked at me with confusion in their eyes and I smiled.

  Italian food existed here, but pastas aside, the most 'Italian' dish I had found here in Kanto was pizza… Pizza was kind of a universal dish in both worlds, though. I wonder if they had pineapple here? Maybe with some thick-cut Swinub bacon and jalapeno peppers, I'd seen those at least… Actually, that was probably already a thing here if pineapple grew there the same as it grew in Hawaii, just called the Alolan Volcano…

  Dangit, me! Stop thinking about food you'd have to order! We had Pidgeotto! I'd have to buy some capers… Capers existed here, right? I really hope capers exist here…

  Oh damn, I doubted Wishiwashi had the same flavor profile as anchovies…

  What did they call Caesar salads here?

  —

  —

  Halfway between Celadon and Saffron we ran into a strange sight.

  Well, it may have been strange to me, but the other two didn't look very surprised… What happens to those trainers that realized they weren't going to get very far in the Circuit, but didn't want to return home immediately? That required money, but didn't want to or couldn't ask their parents for more and kind of sucked at battling?

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Some apparently held contests! Not actual Contests, no, there was a race about to start in the same open field we fought those trainers last time!

  As we biked up a boy stepped onto the Route, waving us down.

  "Hey! Want to join a race? It's only a ten-k buy-in, starting in ten minutes! There's Pokemon riding, Pokemon-only racing, and a human-only obstacle course! How about it, want-" He cut off mid-sentence as he finally got a good look at us. Probably just me and my feathers, sure, but after Pewter? We were all known, even if Alex and Leaf didn't have the same… 'intense' reputation that I did.

  Leaf just smiled at him as we rolled to a stop in front of him.

  "That sounds kind of fun! How about it?" She looked at us with an impish smile and I laughed a little bit as I nodded.

  "Sure! An obstacle course sounds fun…" I couldn't ride any of my Pokemon other than Cerberus, and while his nice head was dominating his mean head, I really didn't think it would be a good idea to run next to other Pokemon… I could stop him from attacking them, of course, but it would be so scary for most Pokemon…

  I guess I could technically ride Kallen? He was kind of slow just floating, though… not to mention pokey…

  Alex nodded too, a wide smile on her face.

  "Yeah, I bet me and Dignity could win that Pokemon riding race…" Maybe? Dignity was fast, sure, but… Alex might regret her decision, honestly. Dignity didn't exactly move like a quadruped on land… More like a snake when she wasn't leaping or flying.

  Leaf turned back to the nervous-looking boy and smiled.

  "Sure, let's go! Do we register or something?"

  He shook himself a little and nodded, throwing me a nervous glance before turning around.

  "Yeah, it's not exactly 'official', but we have a table over here…"

  We followed him, not that it was exactly hard to find the 'registration', a crowd of trainers milling around it. There were two 'tracks' marked out in the field, both kind of torn up from feet, and a pitiful looking obstacle course. I felt my excitement die down even as we reached the small table, a slightly older trainer sitting behind it. For his part his eyes widened at the sight of us, but then he got almost professional as his back straightened.

  Still a kid acting like an adult, but it was good acting, honestly. He sounded official!

  "Registering for the races? We've got three different tablets set up, just confirm the buy-in and you're good to go." Leaf honed in on the one labeled 'Pokemon Only', while Alex went to the one labeled 'Pokemon Riding'... I frowned when I read the disclaimer on 'Obstacle Course', though. The 'We aren't responsible for any injuries' bit was expected, and probably not legally binding, but…

  "A 'service fee' of twenty five percent?" The older trainer just nodded at me.

  "We have to make money somehow, too. The top three will make their money back and more, so it's not exactly a bad deal… if you're confident." I guess that made sense…

  I felt a little bad for what I was about to do, but considering the obstacle course only had five people registered so far, and the pitiful section I had seen, I wasn't exactly about to make a ton of money…

  —

  —

  "The only rule is no touching other contestants! Is everyone ready?"

  I smiled as I looked at my 'competition'. Four of my five opponents were obviously fresh trainers, and obviously going to lose, but there was one boy who had muscles! Not huge bulging bodybuilder muscles, though. He looked lean and wiry, and I was actually looking forward to kicking his ass… His legs were much longer than mine, though, of course…

  We all nodded and the older boy clapped his hands together.

  "Go!"

  I started sprinting, and my estimate was accurate. The other four rapidly fell behind, but the wiry boy was matching my speed. If I had longer legs I would have left him in my dust…

  The first obstacle was a simple ten-foot raised plank to run across, and I put on a brief burst of speed to pull ahead… Then the boy did the same! I scowled as he got ahead of me, but as soon as we finished sprinting over the plank I laughed.

  This was like a backyard version of Ninja Warrior! I had no idea if they had names, but the sharply-angled planks that required you to leap between them didn't slow me down in the least, and I took the lead back. Then I heard a cry of pain from behind me, and frowned as I glanced back. He had come down on his foot at a bad angle. It wasn't broken, but that was for sure a sprained ankle…

  Still, I didn't let that distract me… not that there was much to be distracted by. I was very disappointed when I finished the course, actually… Still, it was kind of impressive that kids had made this, I guess? I still remember the 'bike ramp' me and the other kids had made from my previous life… Also the front tire of my bike going through it, then the entire thing collapsing…

  When I got back to the starting position I found the boy laying on the ground with a few other kids hovering over him, looking uncertain. Fuck… I looked up, but Leaf was still watching Hazard sprinting back, and I saw Alex returning on Dignity at speed.

  ""Want help?"" 'If you could, please. At least start it before Grace gets here…'

  Hecate had been learning a lot from Grace, so while she wasn't certified, she was a qualified healer these days…

  Hecate popped out, badly startling the other kids, but after a moment they calmed down. She bent over his leg for a long moment before shaking her head. I rushed to stop the obvious situation about to unfold.

  "Hecate, don't broadcast! Just tell me!" She jerked a little, because most of the time she forgot that it hurt other people to hear her.

  ""Not broke, bad sprain. After heal, need day, maybe two? Grace will know."" 'I mean, about what I figured…'

  I relayed her words to the pain-filled face of the boy on the ground as Hecate hit him with a Heal Pulse, and his face slackened a little as her Move got to work.

  "Damnit! I should have known better than to do this… I have a Gym Challenge in Saffron tomorrow! I can't afford to rent a taxi, either!"

  I saw Grace run up to him, and I sighed even as I heard my sister from behind me… It was so predictable…

  "We could take you! Hecate can carry you the whole way there, actually!"

  —

  —

  "This is embarrassing…"

  I chuckled at the poor boy floating through the air. Horizontally, with one leg propped up.

  "It may be embarrassing, but you'll get to Saffron and catch your Gym Challenge tomorrow, so… suck it up? This is actually some good practice for Hecate, too. She's really good at bursts of power, but continuously holding you is actually a slight strain. She could throw you a long way, but this is surprisingly hard for her."

  Leaf nodded from beside me, looking at the boy in amusement.

  "Yeah, we're not exactly psychic specialists, so we've been focusing a little too much on the 'strength' part and not enough on the 'endurance' part of psychic powers, I guess. Grace can take over if Hecate gets tired, though." Hecate shook her head in denial, a slightly stressed frown on her face.

  ""Good training! Not that hard!"" I didn't see the boy wince, so that must have been just to us.

  The boy, Chris, just groaned.

  "I'm grateful, sure, but it's so weird just… floating down the road on my back!" Fair enough… it did look hilarious, honestly…

  "At least they returned your buy-in fee! Probably so you wouldn't sue or something, though… I have to assume that little operation back there isn't entirely on the up and up… The obstacle course was kind of fun, but pitiful at the same time…" He winced, and that made me wince.

  "Sorry, I mean… accidents happen even to professional athletes, I guess?" He nodded.

  "Yeah, I know that, but still… I've done much more challenging courses at Pokemon Tech, and I never sprained an ankle!" Wait…

  "Pokemon Tech?" He looked frustrated now.

  "It's just past Saffron off Route Eight. They advertise themselves as being an 'elite school', an alternative to collecting badges, but I only went for a month. It's no place for actual, competent trainers, it's more for rich kids who want to basically buy their admission into the Conference. I'm not planning on being a serious trainer so I figured it was a good way to train, and my parents paid for it, but… yeah. Weak trainers, incompetent teachers… Their physical education course was actually very good, which is the only reason I went or stuck around even that long…"

  Oh shit, now I remembered it from the anime! Well, kind of. It was just like Chris described, a way for trainers to bypass the Circuit by passing tests… Which was stupid as hell. The League had tests you could take to join the Conference, even if you didn't have badges! It wasn't easy, though, and it was restricted to those that needed it. Been out of the region, sick, injured, etc? Take a hard test. You couldn't pay your way through, though, so I guess a place like Pokemon Tech existing made some sense… Can't have the 'young masters and mistresses' of the 'elite' putting in actual work…

  Hell, even Gary put in the work, despite being a huge asshole and riding around in a car with cheerleaders… Wait, I hadn't heard about him… I assume he existed, though? I'd have to ask Leaf at some point…

  Alex looked intrigued, though.

  "Oooh, maybe we should go visit, challenge them all? Erin and I could use some more money, honestly. Those contests back there didn't pay out that much…" No, they didn't… More than I started with, though!

  Leaf was pouting a little, though.

  "I still think Hazard should have won… If he hadn't tripped, that Growlithe would have lost!" I laughed a little.

  I hadn't seen it, but Hazard had apparently done very well in the Pokemon-only race… until he tripped and face-planted, of course. I saw his ball rattle on her belt and grinned, stretching my aura out…

  'Still upset, buddy?' 'Faster! Ground! Enemy!' 'Dude, the ground isn't your enemy…'

  Hazard was hilarious, and a friend… Hazard was also a bit of an idiot…

  "That might not be a bad idea, honestly? More money isn't a bad thing, and I'm a bit broke after buying Metal Claw for Cerberus…"

  Chris sighed, then perked up slightly.

  "This might suck, but now I've got a bit of a story to tell! The Tiny Tyrant's Pokemon carried me to Saffron…" I scowled at him as the other two laughed.

  I honestly didn't mind the nickname that much. I was tiny, and I was more or less a tiny Tyrantrum… It was much better than 'The Tyrant Princess', though. Luckily that one hadn't stuck…

  "Careful, or the Tiny Tyrant's Pokemon might slip and fucking drop you from chest height…" Not that Hecate would, she was far too nice to do that…

  I somehow forgot that I had a Pokemon that loved to flick my ears! Damnit, Stabby!

  "Erin no curse!"" 'Hecate, sometimes it's appropriate! You cursed, too!'

  ""Not appropriate, though!"" 'Okay, you… you're right, actually… I had been doing pretty good, too…'

  I had kind of… not forgotten, just… okay, I forgot I was supposed to be not cursing. I'd talked to Hecate, and it wasn't the curse words themselves that were the issue, really… It's how my emotions flared when I said them. I could curse calmly and it wouldn't bother her, but that's not what curses were for…

  Stabby grinned at me before settling on my shoulders, and I saw Chris jerk as he glanced over.

  "Wait, I thought you were a Dragon Master, why do you have a fae?" Stabby laughed at him even as I smirked.

  "Stabby's my best friend, though? He's my Pokemon too, sure, but mainly just a friend." Chris looked very nervous now, and it didn't get any better as Leaf gleefully opened her mouth.

  "Yeah, we all have a Clefable, actually! I'm a bit of a fairy specialist, too, so I have a Tinkatink as well…" His face grew pale, but Leaf's grin was far too wide.

  "I also have a Morgrem!"

  That poor boy… I think he was really regretting accepting Leaf's offer, now…

  —

  —

  Saffron was… uncomfortable, in all honesty. It wasn't beautiful like the other cities I had seen, or even 'functionally boring' like Pewter. It was just tall, wide, and packed. It reminded me of major cities from my old world, actually, just thankfully without the exhaust fumes due to all the electric cars. Horns, though? Oh yes, plenty of car horns…

  There was a Pokemon Center close to the gate, thankfully, and we dropped Chris off quickly enough. Not that there was anything for the nurses to do after Grace got done with him, other than a foot brace to keep his ankle stationary, but he was thankful to be resting in a bed now, and not floating through the air. The Nurse Joy on duty thanked us and then we were gone again.

  Where were we going? In a huge city?

  Shopping!

  Not the kind of shopping I found irritating, though. No, Dexter found a specialty foods store that should have capers if we were lucky. I'd had him look it up earlier, and the 'picatta' style of cooking was known, of course. No easy money for me in this life with my 'otherworldly recipes', either. Now, my spice mixtures? Still kind of novel, at least for Kanto, but I wouldn't be revolutionizing anything in this world… which was good!

  I'd read a lot of fiction and fantasy, and I was technically living an isekai right now! I was also a bit 'special' with my aura and giant dragon mom, too! I didn't need my life to feature another trope! People knew the Evolutions of Pokemon here, the only real Pokemon knowledge that couldn't be found on the PokeNet was that of Legendaries, and considering they were basically all walking nukes in reality? That was a good thing! I didn't have any revolutionary knowledge of anything, and I wouldn't be establishing a fast-food empire as I introduced this world's natives to burgers or something, either…

  Now, did Italian food exist here in this world? Plenty of it, but here in Kanto it was mostly spaghetti and pizzas outside of expensive restaurants, so hopefully this store had capers… I couldn't do chicken, or Pidgeotto picatta without it, it just wouldn't be right!

  Luckily the store did sell capers… They were also expensive, but I still bought a decently-sized jar for a chunk of my recently-refreshed money. Lemons were very cheap imports, and local Miltank butter was rich, so I was really looking forward to this evening… It was almost dark, actually, so once we walked back through Saffron it should be a decent time for an early dinner…

  I frowned when we exited the store, though.

  There was a single reporter standing there, tall, dress suit and a huge purse, black hair in a very nice bob cut. She reminded me of that one lady from Pulp Fiction, actually… It was easy to tell she was a reporter, too. The camera was easy enough to see, with a large microphone underneath the lens, even if it wasn't pointed at us, just held loosely at her side… I scowled harder when I stepped to the side and her eyes followed me…

  "Diana Armage with the Saffron Gazette! Could I ask if you intend to compete in the Contest being held soon?" Damnit, she wasn't asking about Lance… I still didn't want to deal with this.

  "You can find out then, can't you? I'd prefer not to be recorded, please." There, I was nice… To my vast surprise she actually nodded and put the camera into her large purse…

  She smiled as I stood there, mildly stunned.

  "Yeah, your little warning went viral, in case you were wondering." I hadn't been, no! "I don't suppose you'd be willing to just… talk without being recorded?"

  Shit!

  This was like my kryptonite! She was being nice and reasonable! Other than ambushing me, polite, too! None of the other reporters, or just interested people in general, had been this polite, and it threw me off my 'Rawr, me Erin, me growl at you' game! I'd feel bad slapping her with aura now, too…

  Alex peered around me, eyes narrowed.

  "Why? So you can slip some questions about Lance in?"

  Diana just smiled at her.

  "No, I won't, I swear! Now, would I love some information about that whole situation? Absolutely, but I was focused more on Miss Greenwood, here. There are zero interviews, and most clips asking for one end with threats, glares, or snarls…" She was giving me such a hopeful look…

  I glanced at Leaf and she shrugged. Alex looked a little more uncertain, but she nodded at me, and I sighed. Heavily.

  "If you don't record anything unless I give you permission, then sure, we can talk…"

  I'd gotten away with not engaging with reporters so far, but it was going to happen at some point, anyways… Might as well be on my terms, I guess…

  It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a reporter owe me one, either…