One Step at a Time

[Frost41]

Well, I decided to give it a shot and see how it is recieved.

 

[Frost41]

One Step at a Time
Word Count: 1,359
Chapter One: Advent

Kael's eyes snap open.

The first thing he registers is light—blinding, pale gold, cutting through the leaves above like needles. Then the pressure: dirt in his palms, the uneven throb in his skull, the stiffness in his back. He groans and rolls onto his side.

He's in a forest. A real one. Not virtual, not imagined.

His breath fogs in the cool morning air.

"Okay. Oh…kay. Where am I? Think."

The words leave his mouth in a voice that's not quite his own. Higher. Smoother. He freezes. Brings a hand to his throat. Then to his face.

Too sharp. Too slim.

Not his face. Not his body.

Panic claws at his gut. He sits up quickly, heart hammering. And that's when it hits him—not just the forest—the weight of his mind.

There are two sets of memories swirling in his head.

One: his world. The digital age, anime episodes watched too many times, exams, grocery lists, usernames, death.

Two: battle drills, chakra diagrams, tactical breakdowns, a lazy drawl in his voice—Shikamaru.

And they're fused, overlapping like broken glass—too many edges to make sense of, too painful to sort.

"No. No way. This is a dream."

His hand moves on instinct, pressing two fingers together in a familiar way. He exhales—slow and practiced—and a flicker of shadow jumps under a nearby leaf.

Kael stares at it in horror.

"This isn't a dream."

Then he hears a rustle. His head turns, slowly—and locks eyes with a low, cautious form in the brush: an Eevee? Scar on one ear. Light brown fur puffed in warning. But it doesn't run.

"...So this is the Pokémon world?"

He tries to stand. His balance is off—center of gravity changed. Shorter, leaner. He staggers, and steadies himself against a tree.

The Eevee doesn't flee. It watches him, judging.

Kael squints at it.

"You're going at it alone too, huh?"

The Eevee tilts its head.

He takes a slow step forward. It doesn't bolt.

Okay. Deep breath. Tactical breakdown. Prioritize.

Step One: Figure out which rules this world follows—game rules, anime rules, manga rules, or worse—some sick combination.

Hopefully this world isn't auditioning for the grimdark genre.

Step Two: Blend in. Sinnoh orphan. Keep the powers hidden.

Step Three: Survive. Learn. Win.

His hand lowers slightly, open-palmed.

"I won't hurt you," he says slowly. "I don't know what's going on either. But I think we could both use a friend."

The Eevee's ears twitch. It hesitates… then takes one careful step forward.

Kael Wren exhales.

One step at a time.


---

Kael wipes his hands on the legs of his too-loose pants and trudges forward through the undergrowth. The light is rising now—sharpening shadows and painting the world in muted golds. The forest smells alive, damp soil and sun-warmed leaves mingling into something real and comforting.

Behind him, faint padding sounds follow. Not close, not far.

The Eevee's still tailing him.

Kael doesn't turn around. He just talks, voice low and flat.

"Alright. Let's figure out the first priority: water. If I can find a stream or a pond, I can orient by the sun, maybe track where people are."

The Eevee says nothing, naturally.

Kael sighs.

"Not much of a talker, huh? Guess that's fine. I'm used to monologuing to myself anyway. Kind of a coping mechanism."

A light crack of twigs makes him pause—Eevee again. Still cautious, still not running.

He steps over a gnarled root, scanning ahead. The forest slopes slightly downward. A good sign.

"Okay, next: population centers. If this is Kanto, there are several cities and towns set in a decent gridlike pattern. Which means civilization should be that way."

He gestures vaguely eastward, muttering more to himself than anyone.

"Of course, if this is one of those timelines, the forests are full of crazed criminals, wild Pokémon with traumatic backstories, and Professor Oak is secretly a time-traveling warlock. So... y'know. Caution."

A rustle. He looks around, taking in the stillness of the forest. The Eevee trots up beside him this time, ears alert.

Kael glances down.

"Oh, now you want to be social?"

The Eevee doesn't respond, but it doesn't leave either.

"Look, I get it. I'm sketchy. You're sketchy. We're all sketchy. But you've got scars and I've got baggage, so I think that makes us compatible."

A faint twitch of its ear almost seems like a response.

He keeps walking, hands tucked into his jacket sleeves. The words keep spilling out—not frantic, just controlled. Deliberate. Out loud so they stay manageable.

"So let's assume I keep my chakra hidden. I focus on learning the rules of this place first. How people train, what counts as legal, how battles are judged. I play dumb, but not too dumb—people hate prodigies, but they also hate dead weight. I've gotta ride that middle line."

"And if I need to test the physics of this world… you'll help me, right? Maybe tackle a log or something? See if type advantage even means anything here?"

"And we're not catching a Caterpie. Not even once. That's a red flag. That's how Nuzlockes start."

Behind a nearby tree, the faint sound of leaves crunching.

Kael freezes. Eevee's ears flick.

A voice—rough, confused, amused—calls out:

"That's quite the conversation you're having, young man."

Kael turns slowly.

From behind the trees steps an older man in a lab coat, pants dusty from travel, a thick field bag slung over one shoulder. Sharp eyes beneath thick brows. A walking stick in one hand. A half-smile on his face.

Professor Samuel Oak.

"Chakra and warlocks, huh? Either you've read too many comics... or you're a very interesting young man."

Kael's mouth opens. Closes.

"I'm guessing this is Kanto… but yeah. I might be a little lost."

Oak chuckles. "So I gathered."

He steps forward, then glances at Eevee—who had placed himself between Kael and the professor—then back to Kael. There's something sharper in his eyes now—evaluation, maybe even recognition.

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat and drink, and you can tell me where you're really from."

Kael hesitates, looking at Eevee, then nods once.

Eevee follows without hesitation this time.