Chapter 13
Jamie the Human



"Hey Mudkip?" Snivy asks as we travel north.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking about our team name, and I think it needs some improvement."

"Heh, what's wrong with 'Team Barbarian'? It sounds absolutely perfect to me."

"Well, it doesn't really describe us. Sure, we like battling, but so do most explorers. Heck, most pokemon enjoy battling. We need something more personal, more specific to us."

"We don't need a team name to be partners, do we? We can just be Snivy and Jamie."

"Snivy and Mudkip."

"You sure care a lot about MY name."

"Wha- YOU'RE the one who makes a big deal out of it."

"Sure Snivy."

"Anyway, I want to make a team name that describes us. We aren't just two random explorers, we're a team!"

"Well, you're a grass-type and I'm water, so... Team Seaweed?"

"Ew, no."

"Team Swamp?"

"Nooooo."

"Team Soggy Leaf?"

"Stop suggesting gross names!"

After laughing about that awhile, we move on to other topics, speculating about the next dungeon and taking inventory of supplies. After around an hour, we come across a forest, and I remember Treecko's offer.

"Hey Snivy, remember the cottage Treecko mentioned? It should be somewhere around here. Maybe we should stop by and take a break."

"Yeah, and maybe we can ask for some lunch, too; we haven't had a proper meal since breakfast. Oh hey, do you think that's it over there?" Snivy points to something peeking out from behind the trees in the distance.

"Maybe, let's go check!"

One sprint later, and we find a cozy little cottage at the edge of the woods. It looks old, but well-maintained, with a thriving garden in the backyard. We approach and knock on the front door.

After a moment, we hear footsteps from inside, and the door opens to reveal an aged Sceptile. "Oh, hello there young travelers. What brings you out to the middle of nowhere?"

"We're searching for mystery dungeons!" Snivy says.

"Is that so? Well, would you like to come in and rest your legs a bit? I've got a pie in the oven and some homemade apple juice."

"Um, not to be rude," I say, "but an adult tempting a pair of kids into their cottage with offers of treats is super suspicious."

The Sceptile laughs. "You've got some good common sense for your age, haven't you? You're right; it's unwise to trust strangers, and especially unwise to enter their houses."

"Good thing you aren't really a stranger then!" Snivy says.

"That's right," I say, "we met a Treecko in a dungeon that told us we could rest here."

"Ah, you've met my grandchild. Please, come in, tell me how they're doing." The Sceptile steps aside and opens the door for us, and we enter the cottage.

The inside of the cottage is as pretty as the outside, with plenty of windows that let in natural light. The furniture looks as old as the cottage itself, with obvious signs of wear and repair. The Sceptile pours us some juice from a jug and invites us to sit at a table with them.

I head for a chair, but struggle with how to use it; for a moment I forgot that I have four legs.

"Oh," the Sceptile says, "we have a quadruped chair right over there."

Quadruped chair? I follow their gaze to what I had first assumed was an oddly-shaped stool, but I now realize it would indeed work well as a chair for someone with four legs. I mess around with it awhile before eventually getting comfortable in a sort of laying down position. Snivy and Sceptile are staring at me. "Uh, sorry, I've never used a chair like this."

"Oh? That's unusual."

"Well, Mudkip's an unusual person," Snivy says. "I'm Snivy, by the way."

"Sceptile. And you are Mudkip, correct?"

"Actually I, um, prefer to go by Jamie," I answer, and Snivy rolls their eyes.

"An unusual person indeed. How did you get such a name?"

Oh shoot, what do I tell them? "Well, I-"

"Mudkip thinks they're a human," Snivy says.

Sceptile's eyes go wide. "A human?"

Thanks Snivy, now they think I'm crazy. "Hey uh, Treecko's doing well!" I say. "They were exploring a mystery dungeon that was underwater."

"Ah, now that sounds interesting."

We chat about our time with Treecko, and our adventures in the Coral Garden. Snivy makes an incredible performance telling about our battle with the Tentacruel. We end up talking about the other dungeons we've explored as well. Also the apple juice is delicious!

"Say now," Sceptile says, "why are you out here exploring mystery dungeons? Looking to become famous explorers?"

"Nope," Snivy says. "We're searching for the Guardians' Gate!"

"Ah, that reminds me. Jamie, what was Snivy saying about you being a human?"

"Um, well... It's just like Snivy said; all my memories are of being a human. One day I just woke up here as a Mudkip, and it's like I'm on a completely different planet."

"They mean that literally by the way," Snivy interjects, "they think they're from another planet!"

Sceptile stares at me in silence for a while, likely trying to find a way to call me an idiot without being rude. Then suddenly, they smile. "... Fascinating! I've heard legends of people coming from the Guardians' world, but this is truly incredible!"

"Wait what?" Snivy and I say in unison.

"Let me explain. I'm quite the enthusiast when it comes to legends about the Guardians. It can be difficult sorting history from fiction, but I've picked up a lot of knowledge. For example, the earliest stories about humans told of them coming from the world of the Guardians. Jamie, are there pokemon far stronger than others, like Arceus, or-"

"Dialga?"

"And Groudon and Kyogre?"

"And Lugia and Ho-oh!"

"Yes! And the pokemon of your world, are they different from us?"

"Yes, they can't talk and don't use tools like you."

"That's exactly right! Oh, this is wonderful! You truly are a human from the world of the Guardians!"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Snivy says, "how can you be so sure? Those are all just stories, right? Maybe Mudkip just read all the same stories as you."

"True, true. But perhaps... Jamie, do mystery dungeons ever seem different to you than to Snivy? Maybe you have some power over them, or you can perceive things that are hidden?"

"Yes! Whenever I'm in a dungeon, I can, like, feel the energy of the place! And I get weird intuition about things sometimes, and I can see weird glowing spheres at the hearts!"

"Well I've no doubt now. The stories say that the Guardians created the dungeons, and had power over them. Since you were born in the Guardians' world, the dungeons share their secrets with you."

VINDICATION AT LAST!! Finally I know for certain I'm not crazy! Snivy can't call me Mudkip anymore! Yes yes YES!

I talk with Sceptile for what must be an hour. Sceptile wants to know as much as possible about Earth, Humans, and most of all the Guardians, and I'm happy to share. When it's my turn, there's only three questions on my mind.

"Do you have any idea how I got here? I don't remember anything special happening before I woke up here..."

"Ah. This might be disappointing, but... well, it was probably a complete accident. There's all sorts of stories about the Guardians' Gate acting strangely and bringing objects from... Earth, you called it? It's not hard to believe you just got sucked up randomly. You probably got sent flying through the connections between dungeons until you reached Circuit Cavern."

"So it was just... random? No plan, no purpose, just... a freak accident?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, why was I turned into a Mudkip?"

"That's a tough one. If I had to guess, it's because humans can't exist here, so the world had to resolve the paradox somehow. It's also possible that, unlike the Guardians, you body couldn't survive travel between worlds, so the Gate created a new body for you as a fail-safe."

"Huh. Well I guess it worked out okay, I have cool Mudkip powers now. Oh right, the Gate! Do you know if it can take me back to Earth?"

"I'm not certain. On the one hand, most stories say that only the Guardians can travel through the Gate. On the other, you're here right now, with power over mystery dungeons inherited from the Guardians. You said you may be able to sense the Gate using your powers, but no one has seen the Gate in centuries. It may be harder to find than you think."

"Well that's... disheartening."

"Oh, cheer up. You won't have to find it alone, after all."

I glance over at Snivy, who seems more interested in their pie. Fair enough; it's good pie. "Yeah. I would never have gotten this far without them. Anyway, it's been wonderful to talk with you, but I think it's time for us to get moving."

"I see. Jamie, Snivy, you've been wonderful guests."

"You've been a wonderful host! That pie was great!"

Snivy perks up. "Huh? Are we leaving now?"

"If you're ready," I say.

"Cool. Thanks for the pie and juice Sceptile!"

"You're welcome. Good luck on your journey!"

And with that, we leave the cottage behind and continue north. It's evening now, and the red sky is filled with dark clouds. We should set up camp soon.

"Well darn," Snivy says. "We ran into an expert on Guardians, and even they didn't know anything helpful."

"Oh yeah, I guess we didn't really get any useful info. Sorry you had to sit through us talking for an hour."

"Yeah, that was pretty boring."

"The food was good though."

"The food wasn't just good Mudkip, it was GREAT."

"That's not my name, thanks. I'm a human, and my name is Jamie. You have proof that I'm a human now."

"Oh come on, you actually believe that old geezer's stories?"

"W-what? How can you NOT believe it?! Everything lines up perfectly; my memories of Earth, my weird mystery dungeon senses, it all fits!"

Snivy rolls their eyes. "Come on, what's more likely? That humans exist, live in the Guardians' world, and you just so happened to get sucked into this world, AND got turned into a pokemon? Or that you heard some stories, lost your memory, and have weird powers?"

"Are you serious right now? You STILL don't believe me?"

Snivy turns to me with a caring smile and puts a hand on my shoulder. "It's not like that; of course I don't think you're lying. I believe you THINK you're a human, Mudkip. But you need to know that humans are just a fairy tale. I know it's scary to have your memories act up like this, but I'm here to help, okay?" With that, Snivy turns away and resumes walking.

WHAT is going on all of a sudden?! This level of stupidity is impressive, even for Snivy! And then there's- I don't- What the heck!? Stunned, I stare at Snivy in disbelief.

Snivy stops and looks back with that same smile. "You coming, Mudkip?"

I search for a good response, a question, a complaint, but all the thoughts just crash together and leave me with nothing. "Um, yeah..."

We walk silently until sunset, when we stop to set up camp while we can still see. We eat dinner in an awkward silence, Snivy still looking as pleased as ever. I've had some time to think, and I get my chance when Snivy speaks.

"Hey Mudkip, could you pass me that orange slice?"

"Snivy, please stop calling me Mudkip," I demand.

Snivy scoffs. "You're still going on about that? Sheesh, I only asked you to pass me an orange."

"I'm serious Snivy. I don't care whether you think I'm a human or a pokemon, I want to be called Jamie."

Snivy rolls their eyes with a sigh. "Honestly Mudkip, just give it up. I get it, you want to be a human, with a cool human name, but that's just not how things work. I don't understand why you can't just accept things the way they are; you're a Mudkip."

"What's gotten into you?! Ever since we left Sceptile's house, you've been acting so... rude!"

"What do you mean 'what's gotten into me'? YOU'RE the one suddenly freaking out over a name," Snivy replies with a smirk.

"That's because it's MY name! I'm not Mudkip, I'm Jamie! You wouldn't like it that much if I called you Red, would you?"

Snivy's composure breaks. "Don't you DARE call me that!"

"Oh calm down, Red, it's just a simple nickname!" I shout. "Nothing to freak out over, right?!"

"Shut UP, runt!"

"No, I- Wait... Runt? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should know your place!" Snivy grabs their plate and stomps into the tent, leaving me to sit alone in silence.

That immature jerk! Why can't they do something as simple as call me by name!? They got so worked up over something so small! AND WHY WERE THEY SHOUTING!?! I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG HERE!!

After my heart rate finally lowers, I realize how awkward it would be to just go in the tent with Snivy. I'll have to wait until they fall asleep. I look up at the cloudy sky, and right on cue, a raindrop hits me square in the face. I pack up our stuff before it gets soaked, but there's nowhere for me to take shelter.

Surprisingly, the rain doesn't feel too bad. More Mudkip perks, I guess. But while I can stand being wet, the soggy Joy Scarf around my neck is less comfortable. I manage to take it off, but then I realize I'll need Snivy's help putting it back on. Whatever, I don't need it anyway.

I sigh and lay down on the wet grass. This is going to be a long night.




Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, and critiques are encouraged and appreciated!

NOTE: These next few chapters are going to be less lighthearted in tone. Don't worry, it gets better.