Too busy replaying Baldur's gate :p
| Riolu POV |
I wake up to the faint smell of coffee.
Warmth, sunlight, the low hum of a TV somewhere in the background. My body feels heavy, but not in a bad way — more like I've been wrapped in a thick blanket.
For a split second, I think I'm home.
Home, home.
Not here.
The apartment, the couch, the old blanket I always pulled around myself on lazy mornings. Maybe I just had a weird dream — some strange fever fantasy about dying and turning into a Pokémon, running through forests looking for berries, fighting overpowered Pidgeys…
Yeah. That's all it was. Just a dream.
I try to shift, expecting the familiar creak of my worn-out couch beneath me.
But instead — the sharp tug of sore muscles. A weight around my arms and legs that doesn't feel human.
I freeze.
Slowly, carefully, I open my eyes.
White ceiling. Bright light. Clean, clinical smell.
Not my apartment.
I look down — small yellow paws, short legs. A slender tail flicking nervously behind me.
The fog in my mind clears all at once, and the truth slams into me like a truck.
I'm still here.I'm still a Riolu.This is real.
Panic flares hot in my chest. I suck in a shaky breath, eyes darting around. Where am I? What happened?
I remember the forest. The pond. The Oddish. The pink powder — Sleep Powder.
Then… nothing.
A faint beeping draws my attention, and I realize I'm lying on a bed, tucked under a soft blanket, in a room that hums with gentle, mechanical noises.
I try to sit up, but my limbs tremble under me, still weak. My heart hammers against my ribs.
Voices drift closer.
"—he's waking up?"
I stare dumbly at the brunette fussing over me — a human.
Did I get caught?
Well, fuck.
"I found you passed out in the forest when I was wandering around," she says brightly. "Glad you're fine now!"
Gah! What's up with that sunny smile?! You're blinding me here, woman!
"W-well thanks, I guess? I'll just… be on my way!"
Except, of course, all that comes out of my mouth is:
"Rii! Riolu, rio!"
She tilts her head, watching me like I'm a particularly cute bug she's not sure whether to poke or protect.
Oh no.Oh no no no.
Right. Right. I'm a Pokémon now.I can't talk to her. She can't understand me.
And to make maters worse, she had to pick me up after I got done by an oddish, an oddish of all things!
There goes my epic, cool debut, dashed straight into the dirt.
I let out a long, groaning sigh and flop back onto the bed, one paw dramatically covering my face. Brooding. That's what I'm doing now. Brooding like the edgy little jackal creature I am.
The girl hesitates at the doorway, her expression flickering with worry. Probably off to fetch a nurse. Or… well, technically, a vet? Pokémon doctor? How does that work here?
Before I can spiral too hard, the door opens again.
"Everything seems to be in order," Nurse Joy says kindly, gently patting my head. "You just need to rest while you heal up over the next few days. Other than the Sleep Powder you flushed out, it looks like you had a run-in with something that left you pretty battered."
I know I just said this, but —
Holy shit.
Nurse Joy is here. With me. In the same room. Patting my head. Suck on that, Brock!
Her hand is warm and gentle, and despite myself, I feel my tail give an involuntary little wag. Damn it, body! Stop reacting on its own! I'm trying to maintain some dignity here.
Joy chuckles softly. "You're quite the adorable little Riolu. You gave your rescuer quite a scare, you know."
Rescuer? Oh, right — her.
I turn toward the doorway, blinking up at the girl standing just outside. The same brunette who found me. She's holding her Torchic carefully in her arms, watching me with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
Wait a minute… She seems familiar…
"So, he's not in any danger, right?" May asks, her voice soft but anxious.
Aw, shucks. Someone cares about me? Here I thought that Weedle back in the forest was my only friend.
"Don't worry, May," Nurse Joy reassures her kindly, "he's on the path to a full recovery."
Wait — May?
[New Achievement Unlocked: Main Character Syndrome]You've stumbled straight into the protagonist's path. Good luck, you'll need it.+1 IV point
My brain practically short-circuits.
May. That May. As in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire May. Waifu May. May From Hoenn. Torchic May. Rival-slash-partner May.
Holy crap, I've just walked headfirst into the main storyline.Also… free IV point?! I have 2 now!
Put one into Speed and the other in Attack! I command internally.
Speed_IV: 1 → 2Speed: 70 →74
Attack_IV: 1 → 2
Attack: 77 → 81
Gasp. Wait a second… 74... minus 70... 4? 4 stat points per iv point?
It's retroactive?
Hold on a minute — isn't this busted?!
I stare at the system window flickering faintly in the corner of my vision, heart pounding. If every point upgrade back-calculates through all my previous levels, then… oh man.I could min-max myself into a monster if I play this right!
Somewhere in the background, Nurse Joy and May are still chatting politely, but their voices have faded into white noise as I mentally start mapping out every possible stat spread.
Speed build Riolu incoming, baby!
| May POV |
I shift awkwardly by the doorway, arms full of Torchic, sneaking glances at the little Riolu still lying on the bed.
He's… oddly intense for such a small Pokémon. His golden eyes flick rapidly back and forth, like he's deep in thought or watching something I can't see.
Nurse Joy gently pats his head again. "He'll be fine, May. He just needs time to rest."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Thank you, Joy."
Torchic chirps softly in my arms, eyes fixed on the Riolu with a curious little tilt of her head.
"I've never seen a shiny Riolu before," I murmur. "He's so… rare, isn't he?"
Joy smiles. "Very. You were quite lucky to find him. Maybe try to convince him to join you?"
Lucky…I glance back at the Riolu, who's now staring at his own paws with a sharp glint in his eyes. He clenches one small fist experimentally, like he's testing something.
For a split second, I could've sworn there was a faint spark of blue aura dancing across his fur.
I shiver slightly, brushing it off.
"Well..." I look down at my belt, where my poke balls are strapped, "I guess I can try."
I kneel carefully beside the bed, heart fluttering just a little. "Hey there," I whisper, holding out my hand gently. "How are you feeling?"
The Riolu blinks up at me, his deep red eyes watching — not with fear, but with quiet curiosity. His ears twitch slightly, and for a moment, he glances down at his own small paws, flexing them slowly as if testing his strength.
There's something sharp in his gaze, like he's thinking carefully, weighing things.
Torchic chirps softly at my side, leaning forward, just as curious.
"I don't know if you can understand me," I murmur, "but… do you want to come with us?"
The words feel strangely heavy, more than I expected.
Riolus are rare, this one even more so — Nurse Joy said so — and not only because he's a shiny, more than that, there's something in the way he moves, the way he looks at the world, that makes me think he's… special.
I take a quiet breath and reach for an empty Poké Ball at my belt.
"No pressure," I whisper, offering it carefully. "But if you want… we could be partners."
The Riolu studies the ball for a long moment. Then, with slow, deliberate movement, he reaches out and taps it once.
Click.
The ball beeps softly and settles in my hand, still and quiet.
I stare down at it, feeling something warm blossom in my chest.
Torchic gives a small, happy chirp, pressing against my leg.
I smile faintly.
"Well," I whisper, "welcome to the team."
Word count: 1374
Are there any pokemon fics where the mc actually becomes a trainer's pokemon? I remember seeing one with a Garchomp like 7 months ago, but other than it, not much luck with that search.