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Taking in a sharp breath causes me to gag. Water surges down my throat! My eyes snap open with the realization that I'm slowly sinking in murky, darkness.

I'm drowning!

Thrusting one arm above the other and kicking my legs with all my might seems to do little against the current, but without giving up I slowly ascend. I sense the corners of my vision darkening even as my hand breaks the surface.

Floating onto my back I cough up what seems an absurd amount of salty water. The way my body lifts with the waves means I must be in the sea.

Simple white clouds drift above me in a pretty evening sky. The sound of waves breaking, I must be close to a shore.

After catching my breath I turn towards the sound and begin swimming to land. The beach looks narrow, I can see a rocky hillside close to the water with a forest going beyond that.

I take it easy, the swim gives me a little time to think.

Where am I? How did I get here? Nothing comes to mind past a moment ago. At Least the water is warm...

Looking ahead I'm nearly to the shore, luckily the tide is coming in so this isn't too difficult.

Reaching shallow water, I choose to float the rest of the way in. Just a few kicks against the sand below the surface before I finally wash up on the beach.

My clothes are going to be drenched for the rest of the night, the sun is already close to the horizon over the water. The sound of the wind blowing through the woods makes me look towards the forest.

Pinetrees? That doesn't make any sense with how warm the water was. I must not be anywhere in America, I don't know anywhere like this. Maybe Japan, or the mediterranean? It's not chilly or overly hot either, does this place have seasons?

"Heeeeeey!" I hear the voice of a woman.

A brunette gal in a denim outfit is hopping down the rocky hillside.

I stand up, stretching my sore muscles. As she gets closer I notice she's pretty cute maybe in her late 20s.

She runs over to me, "Are you alright? I saw you swimming in and then you just collapsed here. This isn't exactly safe water for swimming either."

Don't tell me I could have been eaten by sharks, "Oh you know such a beautiful day, how could you not go for a dangerous swim. I feel fine enough, a bit water logged but otherwise okay. I don't suppose you can tell me where I am?"

Her face tilts to the side, "You look a bit too old to be getting lost so close to town? Not that I'm saying you look old, I'm sure you look quite the handsome guy when you don't look like you've been lost at sea for years."

Do I? I scratch my chin feeling the bit of unshaven scruff that itches from the salt water.

She embarrassedly gets back on track, "uh, anyway what's your name?"

Feeling confident from who knows where, "Ah I'm….uh...huh."

Nothing.

Why the fuck don't I know my name!?

She laughs, "What don't know your own name?"

I can only nod in a slight panic.

Worry creeps back into her expression, "I'm sorry, um, my name is Janice. I'll get you to the center in Rustboro. It's just a bit past this tree line. Maybe they can look up your information and get you set with some dry clothes."

Looking at myself I can see what she means. My grey t-shirt is shredded and my jeans are torn down the sides, I don't have any shoes. I check my pockets in search of ID but find nothing.

The pretty Janice leads me up the rocks and we head into the woods. I can hear the chirping of insects similar to cicadas. She speaks english and the town's name certainly didn't sound asian.

The walking isn't too bad, not worse than anything you'd find elsewhere at the edge of a town near mountains… except this is the coast?

She suddenly crouches down and signals me to do the same. She gets down on her knees in front of me and peers over a bush. I follow suit and try to listen to my surroundings. Wind rustles the trees stirring a few cicada or other loud bug.

She turns around, her face serious, we wait in the following silence for another moment before she stands back up. I never heard anything over the noisy pests.

I whisper, "So uh, what was that about?"

"The bug types around here can have a nasty temper. It's best we avoid them if possible."

Types? Before I can question What that even means I hear the sound of a car.

Just a minute further of walking and we exit the trees on the edge of a small yet busy town, the buildings all seem built in the same style of older brick masonry.

Janice breathes a sigh of relief, "Welcome to Rustboro City. You're lucky I passed by, wouldn't want you wandering around lost and finding yourself in a Nincada nest. Anyway, the Pokemon Center is just down this road."

"Did you just say…" No she couldn't have.

"Nincada? Oh yes, these woods may be narrow but they're definitely not the place for a picnic. The Mightyena pack is extremely protective of their new pups this time of year as well."

She starts off down the road. I follow in disbelieving silence.

No way in hell am I in the pokemon world. This chick is crazy! This town seems no different from any modern city in the world.

The thought no sooner crossed my mind before we pass an open air cafe. At one of the front tables, an elderly lady is sipping coffee with her little red fox creature. It looks exactly like that thing that evolved to Ninetails...ah Vulpix!

Shit that had to be a doll. A little boy runs past with his pink, pet cat chasing him, a Skitty I think.

Maybe this is a movie set? Why can I remember a childhood game but not my own damn name?!

The nail in the coffin presents itself as we round a corner.

Before me stands what would normally be just a large clinic if not for the giant, red and white pokeball sign on the front. The level of detail in the building is clearly beyond a movie set.

You know, I bet the younger me, whoever I am, would be thrilled right now.

"Hey Janice, would you slap me please? This must be a dream."

She looks at me with a bit of confusion, "Um, I don't think that's really necessary…"

"Shut up and give me what ya got!"

Alright, maybe I'm freaking out a little, and apparently, Janice knows how to box, because my face takes a perfect right hook.

Once more in a daze, "Ya know, the sidewalk also feels extra sturdy this time of year. Pretty sure I said slap, but the last couple seconds seem blurry. I mean if I didn't have amnesia before..."

As I get back up Janice huffs, "Well you asked for it... this is too weird, did Jose put you up to this?"

"No clue who that is."

She rolls her eyes and starts to walk away, "Just head in weirdo, if you're story is bullshit then they can still check out the lump I just gave you."

I look over at the giant pokeball sign over this alternate world's animal hospital, "Alright, this shit is real enough to punch me in the face. If I'm here, I need a pokemon, no question. Which means, I need a ball. Which means I need cash. They battle for cash, which means I need a pokemon..."

A guy with shaggy hair runs out the door, "Oh man! Bro, I saw everything! Ya got dropped like a sack."

Who expects a random girl off the street to be a hidden fighting champ, "Gee, thanks for pointing that out. Well, I may have asked for it.”

His excitement chills a bit, “My bad cuz,” he rubs his neck looking where she stormed off, “She be like that these days man. Used to be real cool, beating down bullies in school and shit.”

Taking another look at this dude in autoshop coveralls, this her ex or something? Wait! “Are you Jose?”

”Uh, Ya?”

That’s a wild coincidence… or just small town living, "She totally asked if you set that up as a prank!”

Jose's eyebrows raise in panic, "Shit cuz, my bad.” He then scowls towards a larger building down the block, “That Winston fool pulls that shit. Look I don't want any hard feelings. Folks are cranky enough in town these days.”

He fishes out a small, dark blue ball out of his pocket, and tosses it to me, “Here, have a net ball and call it good, what ya say?"

Well damn, but I’m not about to pass this up. Feeling the raised back net pattern, “You sure?”

“No worries cuz, just don’t hold it against her alright?”

Man, “You totally dig her don’t you?”

His eyes widen a bit and he starts speed walking away, “That ball means you can’t tell her this happened bye!”

”Yup, definitely a small town.”

Looking at the Real PokeBall, its heavier than I expected. Also, it's made of aluminum? Not sure why I thought it'd be plastic.

Facing the actual damn Pokémon Center again, "Right... I got this."