The Pokémon:Isekai

Just one more turn…

I kept repeating it to myself, forcing my legs to move faster. My heart pounded against my ribs, fear clawing at my chest with every step.

She's there. She has to be there.

But no matter how much I tried to convince myself, a dark, gnawing thought crept in. What if she's like the others?

The image of the caged Pokémon—their broken bodies, their empty, suffering eyes—flashed through my mind. My stomach twisted. No. No, she'll be fine. She has to be.

And then, I turned the corner.

"Aria!"

The name tore from my throat, but the moment my eyes landed on the scene before me, my breath caught.

Sweat trickling down my face, my entire body frozen.

Because there, in the dim, sterile light of that cold, white room—

Was Aria.

And she wasn't alone.

Aria was on her small knees, trembling. Behind her stood a strange-looking Oddish and an equally odd Abra, their small bodies pressed together as if trying to shield each other.

But what made my blood run cold was the sight in front of her.

A Houndour lay motionless on the floor, its fur scorched and body twitching weakly. Beside it, a Sneasel with a torn ear groaned in pain, its claws digging into the cold ground. Standing over them, a Mightyena loomed, its dark fur bristling, eyes locked onto Aria with predatory intent.

Behind the dark beast, a man stood, gripping a Pokéball tightly in his gloved hand. His face twisted in anger as he cursed under his breath, glaring down at his defeated Pokémon.

Did Aria… did she do this to sneasel and houndoor?

Before I could even process it, she shifted ever so slightly, sensing my presence. Her bright purple eyes flickered toward me, just for a second—

And that second was all it took.

With a low growl, Mightyena lunged.

"ARIA—!"

I barely had time to scream as the dark beast's fangs crashed into her, sending her tiny body flying backward. She hit the ground hard—right in front of me.

And she didn't move.

My hands trembled as I held Aria close, her small body limp in my arms. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat fueling the rage boiling inside me.

"Why didn't you tell me when you were leaving the camp?"

The words tore from my throat, raw with anger and desperation. I fumbled through my invemtory, hands barely steady enough to pull out a Potion. The Oddish and Abra—both of them with that strange, unnatural coloring—pressed against my side, trembling as they hid behind me.

I could feel their fear.

And then I looked up at the bastard responsible.

The man stood tall, clad in full-body armor, his outfit resembling that of a biker—except instead of black leather, it was deep purple, accented with dark gray. His helmet obscured most of his face, but the mocking smirk in his voice was crystal clear.

"Oh? Was that your Ralts?" His tone was flat, emotionless, as if the scene before him was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. "I'm so sorry, little one, but she came in here attacking like a wild Pokémon. Naturally, I had to put her down."

He gestured lazily toward the fallen Houndour and Sneasel, his grip tightening on the Pokéball in his hand. "Now, do yourself a favor—get that thing out of here, and leave. While ı still let you go."

His words barely reached me.

I could only hear my own thoughts.

He hurt her.

He hurt Aria.

Then after some seconds Sammy arrived next to me but ı barely registered Sammy's voice at first. My mind was a haze of white-hot rage, my grip on Aria tightening as I tried to focus on her shallow breaths, willing her to be okay.

"Alex! Are you okay? Did you find Ar—" Sammy's words cut off the moment he saw her in my arms.

I didn't need to look up to know what he was feeling. The way his fists clenched, the way his grip tightened around Tusk's Pokéball—I could feel his anger radiating off him, just like mine.

Even the Rotoms, always buzzing with energy, had gone eerily silent. They hovered there, watching, processing.

The bastard in purple armor didn't seem fazed in the slightest. In fact, he sounded bored.

"Great. More brats to get rid of." He sighed dramatically before snapping his fingers. "Hey, you useless dog—use Crunch."

The Mightyena snarled, baring its fangs as it lunged forward.

"Not happening!" Sammy barked as he threw out Tusk's Pokéball. The moment the Axew hit the ground, he was already moving, standing his ground between us and the attacking Pokémon.

"Tusk! You know what to do—cover us while I handle this!"

Sammy kneeled in front of me, grabbing my shoulders as I sat there frozen.

"Alex, come to your senses!" His voice was urgent, his hands shaking me slightly before he resorted to giving me quick, sharp slaps across the face.

"Snap out of it, man!"

I blinked, my vision refocusing. My breath was ragged, and my entire body felt hot, pulsing with the unfamiliar intensity of my emotions.

I looked down at Aria.

I looked up at the man who did this.

And I knew exactly what I needed to do.

"Hey, Rotom, what moves do you know?" I asked, my voice steady but laced with barely restrained fury as I carefully applied the potion to Aria.

Rotom floated beside me, crackling with energy. [I know Thunder Wave, Thunder, Shadow Ball, and Will-O-Wisp,] it responded, its usual playful tone absent.

I gently placed Aria beside the frightened Abra and Oddish. They trembled slightly but didn't run, their large eyes fixed on me with trust—or maybe desperation.

"Please, take care of her," I whispered, brushing a strand of Aria's hair out of her face before I stood up.

"Sammy," I called, my voice sharper now, more focused. "Can you call Tusk back?"

Sammy looked at me like I was crazy. "What? Why—?"

"Just do it," I cut him off, my eyes locked on the man in purple armor and his snarling Mightyena.

Sammy hesitated for only a second before nodding, pulling out Tusk's Pokéball. "Tusk, return!"

As the red beam pulled Tusk back, the armored man chuckled, rolling the Pokéball in his palm. "Finally realized it's hopeless, huh? Good. Now, be a smart kid and—"

"Rotom," I interrupted, my jaw clenched. "Use Thunder Wave."

The air crackled as Rotom's electric energy flared to life.

The moment I gave the command, Rotom surged forward, its body crackling with blue electricity. Sparks arced through the air as it unleashed Thunder Wave, the tendrils of energy shooting toward Mightyena.

But the man in armor barely reacted. "Dodge it."

With a low growl, Mightyena leapt to the side, effortlessly evading the attack before baring its sharp fangs, saliva dripping from its maw.

"Tch," I clicked my tongue. "Rotom, keep your distance!"

Rotom floated backward just as Mightyena lunged forward with terrifying speed, its fangs glowing an icy blue. Ice Fang.

"Cover yourself with Will-O-Wisp!"

The second before impact, eerie blue flames erupted around Rotom, as Mightyena tried to attack rotom. The flames licked at its dark fur, forcing it to twist mid-air, landing roughly on its feet as the ghostly fire clung to its body.

A successful burn. That would weaken its physical attacks.

Mightyena let out a furious snarl, its breath coming out in ragged huffs as the burn began to take its toll. But it wasn't stopping. Instead, its fangs sparked violently with golden electricity. Snarl.

"Thunder!"

Rotom crackled as it gathered an immense charge, the static energy humming through the air. But Mightyena was already in front of it, its jaws clamping down hard. A pained screech escaped Rotom as the dark energy surged through its body.

"Hang in there!" I shouted.

Then, with a deafening boom, Rotom retaliated. A blinding bolt of lightning shot down from above, striking Mightyena point-blank. The impact sent both Pokémon flying—Rotom spinning erratically in the air while Mightyena crashed into the floor, smoke rising from its charred fur.

I clenched my fists. This was my chance.

"Shadow Ball!"

Rotom, despite its injuries, steadied itself, its red screen flickering. A dark orb of pulsing ghost energy formed in front of it, swirling violently before being launched at the downed Mightyena.

But the man in armor was already smirking.

"Fire Fang."

Mightyena's body tensed, and before the Shadow Ball could connect, it rolled to the side and launched itself forward, its fangs now burning with searing flames.

It was too fast for the current Rotom.

A split second later, it clamped down on Rotom once again, the fire scorching its already damaged body.

"Rotom!" I gritted my teeth as I watched my Pokémon struggle, sparks flying wildly from its body.

I had to think. Fast.

The burn from Will-O-Wisp was still chipping away at Mightyena's strength, but it wouldn't be enough if I couldn't land another big hit. And Rotom was already struggling to stay in the fight.

My mind raced.

Then I saw it.

The sparks from Thunder were still dancing around Mightyena's fur. That meant—

"Thunder Wave! Direct contact!"

Rotom twitched, its body barely holding itself up—but it obeyed. Gathering its last reserves of energy, it surged forward, pressing its electrified body against Mightyena.

A burst of static energy exploded outward.

Mightyena stumbled back, its muscles locking up as paralysis finally took hold.

Now was the moment.

"Thunder! Full power!"

Rotom's screen glowed brightly one last time before the sky above us roared. A colossal bolt of lightning struck down,destroying the roof above us and hitting Mightyena in a massive explosion of sparks and light.

The moment the light faded, I saw the result.

Mightyena stood for only a second before its legs buckled, and it collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Silence.

Then a single curse from the armored man.

I exhaled sharply, my legs trembling from the adrenaline.

"Now," I said, stepping forward. "You're going to tell me exactly what the hell you're doing to these Pokémon."

"And why the hell should I talk to a brat?" the man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. Without waiting for a response, he reached into his belt and pulled out a Great Ball, tossing it forward with a sharp flick of his wrist.

A burst of red light materialized into a Weezing, its twin heads exhaling thick, noxious fumes that filled the air with an overwhelming stench.

"Asthma, Poison Gas!" he commanded.

At once, Weezing expelled a dense cloud of violet smoke, thick and suffocating, rapidly consuming the entire room. Visibility dropped to nothing—I couldn't even see my own hands. The acrid burn in my throat made me gag, and my eyes stung as I instinctively covered my mouth and nose.

But I wasn't going to let this bastard get away.

"No, you don't! Rotom, hit everything you've got—use Thunder on the Poison Gas!"

I barely finished my command before the air crackled with energy. A high-pitched whine filled the room as Rotom gathered its last reserves of power, and then—

BOOM.

A deafening explosion erupted as the concentrated electricity ignited the toxic gas. The entire room was bathed in a flash of blinding yellow and orange, heat surging against my skin as a powerful shockwave sent me flying backward.

I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs as debris rained down around me. My ears rang, and for a few disoriented seconds, all I could hear was the muffled hum of destruction.

I coughed violently as the thick smoke cleared, the lingering burn of the explosion still stinging my skin. My ears rang from the blast, and my vision blurred for a moment before finally sharpening.

He was gone.

His Pokémon. His presence. Everything.

"Dammit!" I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth in frustration. He had slipped away the moment the explosion went off, using the chaos as cover.

Sammy groaned beside me, rubbing his head as he slowly stood up. "Ugh… what the hell was that?" He coughed, waving away the last traces of smoke before looking around. "Wait, where'd that guy go? Don't tell me he—"

"Escaped," I muttered, my voice laced with irritation.

I glanced down at Rotom, who was flickering weakly, its screen dim from exhaustion. It had used everything it had left in that final attack.

"Good job, buddy," I said, holding it in my hands so it coule rest.

Sammy cursed under his breath. "That guy… he was looking lika a cartoon villain but worse." His eyes drifted toward the damaged facility while talking.

I exhaled, my frustration still bubbling under the surface, but there was something more important right now.

Aria.

I turned quickly, rushing back to where I had left her. The strange Oddish and Abra were still huddled close, their eyes filled with fear as they clung to Aria's small, unconscious form.

I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I lifted her into my arms. "Aria… hey, wake up," I murmured, gently shaking her.

She didn't respond.

A tight knot formed in my chest.

"Alex…" Sammy's voice was quieter now, more serious. He was looking at the Oddish and Abra.

I followed his gaze.

They weren't normal.

The Oddish's leaves were a deep purple instead of green, and its normally blue body had dark patches, almost like shadows flickering across its skin. The Abra was even stranger—its usual golden fur was tinged with black streaks, its eyes barely visible under the dark haze surrounding its face.

This was it. The Pokémon that had adapted to the Dark type.

"…What the hell happened to them?" Sammy whispered.

I didn't have an answer but ı knew what we had to do.

"Rotom2, head straight to the city and get Miss Jessica and as many nurses as possible from the Pokémon Center oh and Officer Jenny to. They need to see this," I commanded, my voice firm despite the exhaustion settling into my bones.

[Understood] Rotom2 beeped before zipping through the air, weaving past the broken remains of the facility before disappearing through a jagged hole in the wall.

I adjusted my grip on Aria, feeling her small, fragile form in my arms. She was still unconscious, her breathing light but steady. My other hand held Rotom, its screen flickering weakly as it recovered from the intense battle.

With a deep breath, I stepped out of that damned building, the cold night air hitting my face like a wake-up call.

"Sammy," I started, my voice quieter now, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Do you have any way to contact Professor Cherry? We need to tell her what we found… The Dark-types and this cursed lab."

Sammy, still catching his breath from the chaos, nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I have my Pokégear. I'll call her now."

I exhaled, my muscles aching as I carefully knelt down, laying Aria and Rotom beside me on the soft grass. My body screamed at me to rest.

"Do it," I told Sammy, my voice rough from the smoke still lingering in my throat.

Sammy didn't waste any time. He pulled out his Pokégear, quickly navigating to Professor Cherry's contact. I could hear the faint ringing as he paced a few steps away, waiting for her to pick up.

Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the Oddish and Abra. They stood close together, eyes darting around anxiously as if expecting another attack. I didn't blame them. They had been through hell.

"Hey… it's okay now," I said softly, crouching down to their level. "That guy's gone. You're safe."

Oddish trembled slightly but took a hesitant step forward. Abra, however, didn't move. It just stared at me, its expression unreadable beneath the dark haze surrounding its face.

Before I could say anything else, Sammy's voice broke through.

"Professor! Yeah, it's us—we found the Dark-types, but… there's something way worse going on here," he said, his tone serious. He paused, listening to whatever Cherry was saying on the other end.

"No, I mean bad, bad. Some guy in armor was doing stuff on Pokémon here." Sammy said as ı lay down next to Rotom and Aria while Oddish and Abra watched me faint from exhaustion.