Chapter Text
As Raze flew over what Looker identified as the Melemele Island coastline, Haruki took a deep breath and glanced straight down at the scenery below.
Curiosity and wonder overcame his fear as Haruki saw the cityscape from up close. Hau'oli City didn’t disappoint.
The city was densely built, populated by compact short buildings close to each other. What few skyscrapers he saw weren’t the square gray behemoths from when he visited Hawaii long ago, but appeared as quirky art projects. How often did you see octagonal buildings?
There was a sense of restraint throughout the city. They used every foot of space efficiently and hardly expanded into the green fields just a few miles away, judging by the sparse houses and trails in that direction. Perhaps this was all accomplished by a rather unique characteristic Anabel and Looker brought up a while ago.
There were hardly any roads. No, there were roads, just not the ill maintained gray concrete ones Haruki was accustomed to. Rather, stone narrow veins were what coursed throughout this city, and perhaps around the rest of the world as well. Without any of the wide roads, highways, or parking lots meant for automobiles, it was no wonder the city had more space for proper urban development.
He saw crowds of people walking and biking their way around the city, far more than any city he’d ever seen in life. Some even rode or flew on their Pokemon; a rather startled Doduo and its Trainer paused to look at the majestic dragon flying above. What few automobiles he could see moving about on the roads were slow driving transport trucks.
Without car traffic, the constant rumbling of engines, honking of horns, and the grinding of tires on roads was nowhere to be heard. In its place were the indistinguishable chatter from the people and the cries of Pokemon all over the city.
It was too quiet here. Or was his home too loud? Did automobiles create that much noise pollution?
Looker tapped Haruki’s shoulder, snapping him out of his examination. That was when he finally heard Anabel’s grunts and groans from up front. As he finally released yet another tight hug, Anabel took the chance to rapidly wave her arms and perform hand signals at the neighboring Pidgeot. Its Trainer signed back, motioned for the group to land, and dived towards a clearing in front of the airport.
“We’re landing. Might want to hold tight for a little,” Looker said.
“Please don’t!” Anabel pleaded as Raze snickered and–thankfully for Anabel–slowly glided down.
As the dragon touched down, Looker immediately leaped off his back and reached a hand out towards Haruki. He grabbed it and slid down Raze’s side, only to stumble into Looker’s arms as he landed.
“You alright with the flight?” Looker asked. Haruki could only stammer some reassurances, then turned towards the Pokemon that brought him here.
“Thank you. It was beautiful. I’d love to do that again,” Haruki admitted. Raze had enough time to return a bow before Anabel slid off his back and returned him back into his Pokeball.
And without the initial shock of staring at a dragon right at his face, Haruki now clearly saw how a Pokeball functioned. Much to Looker’s amusement, Haruki sputtered as the dragon large enough to carry three adults just floated and shrank right into the contraption, which Anabel nonchalantly placed onto her belt.
“So, they’re literally just Pocket Monsters?! Well, the manga did do that, but– I– forget it.”
“Is something-” Looker started to ask, but Haruki waved his hands.
“Just forget it,” he stressed. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
If he did, they’ll be here all day talking about the humane treatment of shrunken animals trapped in your pocket, and they had a plane to catch tonight.
Looker gave Haruki a side eye, but nodded as Anabel staggered forward.
“Next time, you’re sitting at the front.” Anabel winced as she rubbed her torso.
“Sorry. I’ve never flown like that before. Well, not so openly in the air. I’ve only ever flown in airplanes,” Haruki elaborated as he glanced around the entrance of the airport.
Now that he was on the ground, he realized just how narrow the road traveling before the entrance was. Yes, there was enough room for a truck to unload its cargo before him, but it wasn’t even multi-laned. Instead, what space they allocated for the road was just enough for a nearby Trainer to unbuckle their luggage off their Stoutland’s back.
As everyone made their way inside, Haruki finally found a familiar sight; airport check-in terminals. A bit smaller than he was used to, but there weren’t any drastic differences in layout compared to the ones back home. The only detail he took note of and chuckled at were the unfamiliar airline companies named across each terminal.
It wasn’t until they stepped in front of a counter for Dragon Airlines that Haruki patted his pockets.
“Excuse me, what am I supposed to use for a passport?”
“Already taken care of.” Looker grinned as he pulled out a rather large folder from somewhere under his coat.
After a few minutes of verifying information sent before Raze’s flight, Haruki found himself holding a temporary identification for travel. It was simply a document verified by various federal travel departments and Interpol. Obviously, any information regarding his birthplace, citizenship, and residency were left blank, but according to many stamps on the document, all the missing categories were exempt for this trip.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye- Why are those here?!” Haruki pointed at the sets of Pokeballs Anabel and Looker placed onto the countertop. Looker placed three and Anabel placed five, with Haruki’s attention fixated solely on the yawning Snorlax underneath behind its Pokeball’s transparent red cover.
“Our Pokemon.” Anabel tilted her head. “Is something the matter?”
“Why are you taking them out?” Haruki asked again. “Wait, are you coming with me? Why?”
“Heavier Pokemon can’t be brought on-board as carry-ons, so we check them in here. And yes, we are going with you. As for why, well…” Looker trailed off and allowed his superior to continue.
“To be completely honest with you, we’ve been rather free recently.” Anabel picked her words carefully. “You’re our first major case in quite a while, so we’re available to personally check in on you and help where we can as long as we’re able. Let’s hope that’ll last a long time.”
“And what about that?” Haruki pointed at her Snorlax, who perked up at the attention. “You’re just bringing them all onto the plane? All one-thousand plus pounds of them?”
“Of course. How else will we bring them over with us?”
“Don’t you guys have a transfer system?” Haruki asked incredulously. To his surprise, everyone–even the clerk behind the counter–chuckled at that.
“And where do you suppose their Pokemon should go for seven hours while their Trainers are in transit?” The clerk asked.
“Anywhere except the pressurized metal cabin ten-thousand feet in the air? What happens if the Pokeball opens or-” Looker placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Haruki, we have locks on Pokeballs,” he reassured. “There hasn’t been an accidental Pokemon release on a plane in years and I’m quite sure it’ll stay that way.”
Locks on Pokeballs? Well, that explained why they were so comfortable with this. Haruki slowly nodded, accepting that he’d take a flight with a dragon as cargo.
After Looker’s and Anabel’s Pokeballs were sent away, the counter clerk pointed them towards the screening checkpoint a short walk away. Despite the distance, everywhere Haruki turned led to a completely new revelation.
He was completely surrounded by brands he didn’t recognize. Sawsbucks Coffee, Relax-like-Snorlax, Jetsetter, and various other stores sold the coffee and clothes commonly found in airports back at home, with some stranger things added for good measure. He took a second to stare at the Snorlax-themed sleeping capsules that Relax-like-Snorlax rented out for a night at the airport.
Even in airports, the influence and presence of Pokemon couldn’t be avoided. Haruki had to do a double take as a Gallade gently pushed his elderly Trainer’s wheelchair into an elevator. A little girl giggled as her Driftloon gently lifted her up and down.
His head started to spin. There was a sense of unfamiliarity that permeated throughout his body; the same one from back in the hospital. Even in a restricted space like this, he knew nothing of where to go and what to keep track of. There was just too much to see and learn.
Was he going to feel like this every time he went out? He instinctively reached out and grasped Looker’s hand tightly.
“Haruki.”
He immediately let go and jammed his hands into his pockets.
“No, it’s not that. We’re here.”
Haruki blinked and realized that they had already made their way to the checkpoint. He sighed and looked over the line of passengers–much shorter than most he’d seen at an airport–right onto a Luxray wearing a security hat.
They stared at each other for a moment before the Luxray’s eyes resumed its supervision of the small crowd.
Of course the Pokemon with X-Ray vision would be employed here.
As he finally handed his temporary identification to a security guard, he heard a gasp from behind him.
“Mom! Mom! Look! That’s Anabel! From the Battle Frontier!”
He turned to see the same little girl from before tugging at her mother’s sleeve and her Driftloon’s string. She was pointing at the Frontier Brain to his side.
“Andrea! Don’t point like that,” Her mother scolded. Anabel turned towards the commotion, put on a warm smile, and waved. The little girl squealed and was about to leap forward to talk with the celebrity, only for her mother and her Pokemon to hold her back.
Haruki clicked his tongue as he made his way past the screening. Right, this Anabel was the same one from the Battle Frontier in Emerald. This wasn’t some “Mega-verse”, since he could find Red and Ruby online and the events of the manga were all connected and chronological.
He recalled his first conversation with the Interpol agent. He’d have to ask her to elaborate on her past later.
They made their way past the security checkpoint–with a slight delay as Anabel took a picture with her enthusiastic fan–and walked down a rather short row of boarding terminals. As they approached their flight and a small line, Haruki tore his gaze away from his surroundings and glanced at his boarding ticket.
His eyes widened at his seat position, listed next to a window in the business class.
“You didn’t have to.” He waved his ticket in front of Anabel, who shrugged.
“No, but we wanted to.” She smiled as they made their way onboard.
“I- Fine. Thank you…” he trailed off as he sat down. More and more passengers made their way across the aisle, with some carrying one or sometimes two Pokeballs. How many Pokemon did people bring onboard? Was everyone comfortable with the plane becoming a zoo like this?
A few minutes later, the intercom clicked and a young man began to speak.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and all Pokemon onboard. Welcome to Dragon Airlines Flight one-hundred and forty-eight. We would like you to now fasten your seatbelts, return your seats and trays to their upright and original positions, and return all Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Please store all personal carry ons under your seat or in the compartment overhead and set all personal electronic devices–including Xtransceivers and C-Gears–to airplane mode. Our destination is Mauville City, Nihoku with an estimated flight time of eight hours. Dinner will be served as soon as we’re level. Thank you.”
As the plane started down the runway, Haruki instinctively gripped his seat rests. Yet the engine never roared nor did the fuselage rattle horrendously as the plane picked up speed.
Somehow, this world managed to silence aircraft engines and stabilize fuselages. Aside from the G-forces, there were no other signs inside that the plane was rising in altitude and speed. If he had closed his eyes, it almost felt as if he was still on the ground.
Eventually, the plane leveled out and a Pokeball sign next to the seatbelt light clicked on overhead. Multiple pops immediately emanated from around the cabin, followed by many overlaid chitters, cries, and growls. The passenger seated in front of Haruki even released a Minccino that briefly looked over its seat at him before slipping back.
To his left, Anabel ran a thumb over her last remaining Pokeball, whispered something to the purple ghost inside, then placed it on a holder next to her, out of his sight. Haruki didn’t notice, as he was busy reading the business class meal menu.
He ran his finger over various pastas, rice bowls, and sandwiches before he sighed and decided on a three cheese pasta with cream, corn, green beans, and a side of cheesecake. He had enough of salad for lunch and dinner for the past few days. If he was really going to live alone and eat as a vegetarian, he had to diversify what he could eat.
Thankfully, he could tell it was scrumptious just from the smell. Haruki had never smelled such fragrance in an aircraft cabin before, but now it was practically a restaurant with all the food being served.
The taste didn’t disappoint either. The cream and cheese combined with the perfectly soft texture of the pasta noodles practically made him melt into his seat on his first bite. He couldn’t believe that the best thing he’d eaten since coming to this world was airplane food of all things. How did they cook something this wonderful on an airplane of all places?
What kind of black magic did the chefs and engineers use to do all this on a plane? Was airplane food that mundane back at home?
As he enjoyed his dinner, he absentmindedly turned on the screen in front of him and was greeted by a flashbang of entertainment and culture he failed to recognize. The sense of unfamiliarity crept in yet again that day and he quickly turned towards Anabel.
“Excuse me, guys?” He leaned over the aisle. Both agents perked up from their dinners as Haruki pointed at his screen.
“What would you recommend? I- I don’t know anything here.”
“Full Metal Cop.”
“No.” Anabel glared at her partner. “No, you are not recommending that-”
“It’s a fantastic mystery film!” Looker argued. “It’s got twists and turns, well-written themes–oh, that second ending–and literally every sequel is just as good as the first!”
“You always want to watch that movie! Don’t you dare drag him into your addiction.” Anabel turned back towards Haruki. “Don’t listen to him. Love and Battles. Excellent writing that uses battles as a thematic vehicle for all kinds of relationships. If you want to know peak of film writing, watch that.”
“You just like it because its battle cinematography is really good,” Looker pouted. Anabel spun around with a small blush on her face.
“I do not!”
“Do too.”
“Why not Maushold Under Moonlight?” The passenger seated in front of Haruki interjected as she turned towards the commotion. “Wonderful romance film, perfect for someone his age.”
As the three continued to bicker over their tastes and what film Haruki should watch, he just rolled his eyes and mindlessly scrolled through the film catalog until he found a familiar face on a poster littered with “Best Picture” awards.
It was titled My Sweet, Sweet Lady, starring Diantha. He shrugged, took out the free earphones from his seat compartment, and tapped play. Time to see what the fuss was about over the former “worst Champion.”
“You should’ve slept.” Looker waggled a finger as he collected his three Pokeballs off a conveyor belt.
“I know, I-” Haruki yawned. “-know. I blame whoever made those movies.”
“You watched three of them back-to-back!” Anabel huffed. “Did you like Diantha that much?”
“Now I do.” If anyone told him that he’d openly weep over Diantha, of all characters, he’d laugh right at their face. As if he’d ever care for the Champion that did nothing in Kalos and was completely steamrolled when he last played Pokemon X.
And yet, he did. When her character finally confessed to her crush in just her debut film, Haruki immediately took back every piece of slander he thought of Diantha.
He saw a side of her he never thought he would see. She wasn't just a Champion, but a flexible and expressive actress in multiple films that most definitely deserved all the awards he saw in their description.
Now, in his sleep-deprived exhaustion and jet lag, the sights and details in the Mauville Airport all passed by in a blur. Looker and Anabel led him past customs, baggage claim, and upstairs to a ticket booth, where they purchased three seats for a train to Rustboro.
Despite his grogginess, Haruki noticed the pricing sign above the booth, which listed out the ticket prices with yen.
“Excuse me, Looker?” he asked over the train’s horn that signaled the boarding process. “You guys use yen for currency here? So, does the country that Unova and Alola reside in use dollars as well? What’s the conversion rate?”
“One dollar is about one-hundred yen,” Looker answered as they entered and took their seats. “You used dollars back home?”
Haruki nodded as he leaned against the train window. A Loudred wearing a conductor’s hat shouted out a last call for travelers, examined the platform, then waved to the operator at the front of the train.
With one last sounding of the horn, the train set off. Just like the plane, Haruki could hardly hear or feel the rumblings of its engine. This was further compounded by just how smooth the ride was. Haruki stared out the window for a few minutes, yet he didn’t feel as much as a bump on the tracks the entire time. Was this a magnet train? He’d have to find out once they arrived. He turned his attention back to the darkness past the window.
Given their late arrival time, his first glimpses of the Hoenn region were swathes of darkness, forestry, and the occasional sparkles of city lights off in the distance. Even then, what little he could see of the scenery continued to surprise him.
For the first time in what he could only guess as years, the night sky was clear to him. It was more than just the brightest stars or planets in the sky, but a twinkling spectacle of numerous stars overhead, far more than any he could see back home.
With the dimmed train interior lights, he could squint past his reflection in the window and discern why. For almost his entire life, the horizon was always illuminated by the yellow glow emanating from cities. Here, what glows he could see were much fainter, to the point where he couldn’t tell if they originated from a small town or a developed city.
Light pollution was one of the lesser mentioned effects of humanity on the environment, and now that Haruki saw firsthand what its removal looked like, he wished he could share this view for everyone to see.
Haruki continued to look outside, until the monotony of the trip and his own exhaustion from the plane ride lulled him to sleep.
“Haruki. Haruki! We’re here.” Looker gently nudged Haruki awake. He yawned, sat up, and glanced outside. Judging by how the sky was still pitch dark, the ride must've been shorter than he thought.
“How-” Haruki paused to rub his eyes. “-long was I out?”
“Only about an hour,” Anabel answered as she pocketed her phone. “Let’s go, your apartment is just a few minutes away.”
Haruki didn’t have it in him to complain. As they made their way down the train, the platform, then finally onto the empty public street, he dragged his feet on the tiled stone road. His little nap just made him feel worse and with each step, he regretted not sleeping on the plane. The Rustboro infrastructure faded in and out of his vision as they made their way to an apartment building. As they made their way up a flight of stairs, a young woman leaned on the door of suite twenty four.
“You’re late,” she chirped as she spun a key on her index finger. Her free hand hugged her coat around her black long dress as she handed the key over to its new owner. She then glanced up and down at Haruki and raised an eyebrow.
“This is your Faller? Looks like he’s about to fall over any second now,” she joked. Haruki just groaned and weakly waved at her. Something about her cheerful face and brown hair felt familiar, but he failed to draw any connections.
“Ok, so!” The woman clapped her hands and pointed at Looker and Anabel. “I’ve found a hotel room nearby for the both of you. Only a few minutes walk from here. And as for you, Mr. Eika, I’ve already kitted out your room, so you don’t have to worry about that! If you need anything, I’ve already saved all of our numbers onto your phone. Should be right on the table.”
Haruki mumbled a quick word of appreciation and nodded, which just ended with his head hanging limply.
“See you, I guess,” he whispered to the two agents.
“Good night. We’ll come by tomorrow. Go get some rest, you really need it.” Looker put a hand on Haruki’s shoulder. The stranger smiled warmly, then followed the two agents downstairs with a skip in her step, cheerfully asking how their trip was.
Haruki waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps, then fumbled with the key for a moment, and opened the door with a small creak.
The stranger was right; his new apartment was rather large and well decorated. Unfortunately for her, the only piece of furniture he cared about or noticed was a laid out tatami on the floor. For a brief moment, he wondered how he should thank the stranger for such accommodations, and what he should call her, but the allure of a good night’s rest quickly pushed those questions away.
Haruki threw off his jacket, dived under the blanket, and fell asleep instantly.