//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: The Arrival 
// Story: My Little Pokemon: Rings of Darkness 
// by Napalm monster 
//------------------------------//

Everything felt dark, and my fucking hip was killing me. I force myself up and open my eyes, I instantly regret this when rays of sunlight came flooding my vision.

"Damn it" I growled, using my arm to block the excessive sunlight.

I rubbed my forehead and my gaze traveled to the ground. What happened? Last thing I remember was a bright flash of light from my new 3DS when I bought it from that merchant. Somehow I should've listened to that little voice in the back of my head when it told me buying that 3DS was a mistake. Speaking of 3DS where was it? I searched around soon I grew frantic over the location of said hand-held device. Oh god did it explode!? That merchant was probably trying to kill me with an exploding 3DS, that would explain the bright light before I blacked out. What if I'm dead?

I begin unceremoniously slapping my face to test the theory. 

SLAP!

SLAP!

Nope I'm alive, or is that what im supposed to believe? Eh, whatever, life was an overrated experience anyway. I stood up and began dusting myself, from pants to jacket. Well if I am dead at least my favorite jacket came with me. I then noticed something, everything around me seemed flat, like a....cartoon?

I looked at my hand to see it in 2 dimension. I stare at the movements of my hand for two minutes, I glanced down and saw everything I was wearing before, my pants and shoes were all there, except they were brighter and flat as my hand. I darted my eyes around looking for something to see my reflection in. I spotted a puddle in the ground and quickly crawled to it. I looked to see my reflection. My eyes widened.

I was exactly the same only a cartoon version of myself. My hair was the same, but my eyes were bigger and the color was more clear, like some sort of anime. Usually people had to squint their own eyes and look closer to see what color my eyes were. I gawked at my reflection bewildered, I began contemplating how to react. 

"This is so cool!" I said to myself, seeing my reflection smiling back at me.

But then I worried, sure this seemed great but was it permanent? I was never a fan of my old 3D world but this was getting a little freaky. I glance around and noted I was in a forest clearing.

"Hmmm." 

I paused and pondered what to do. I most definitely had to get out of this clearing before wild predators spotted me, then find the main road, follow it, and find civilization. W-where ever I was, am I even on Earth anymore?

Meh, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I began walking until something caught the corner of my eye. I walked into the direction of the shiny object. When I came up to it, my eyes widened.

"No way..." I said quietly to myself, shocked, "There is no way that is real."

It was a red event pokeball.

I stood there feeling both shocked, nervous, and excited. I picked up the red ball and felt the cool metal against my skin, it felt so real. Sort of like a small snow globe.

I needed to see if my assumption was correct. I threw the ball into the air and to my surprise a red light erupted from the ball letting it materialize in front of me.

It's form began taking shape. It was small, legless, had horns, and a ponytale. It's features began growing clearer soon, it was mixture of grey, pink, and yellow. It had yellow and green eyes, a ring-shaped marking in the center of its forehead, it had rings hanging on its horns and one around its waist. it's arms weren't attached to its body as they each floated closely to the abdomen.

"Ali-Hoopa-Ring!" It shouted as it fully materialized. 

I gasped, it was my Hoopa. The red event ball I got from McDonald's and the serial code. It glanced up at me, hovering closer.

"Hello Omega-kan!" Hoopa greeted me.

I was still shocked I was speaking face to face with my own Pokemon from the game. 

"G-g-greetings Hoopa." I inhaled deeply.

'This is so incredible!' I thought.

Hoopa continues, "Why has Omega-kan summoned Hoopa? Hoopa does not see foe?"

Omega-kan? Oh right, now I remember, he did that in the movie to Ash and Pikachu. Does Hoopa even know he's a video game character.

"Well," I replied softly and slowly, "Hoopa, what do you remember last time you were out of you pokeball."

Hoopa looks up and ponders, "Hoopa remembers playing puzzles with Omega-kan, then eating macrons."

Oh yeah I remember playing with Hoopa on Pokemon-Amie during the convention.

"Is that it?" Hoopa replies with a simple nod.

Should I tell him? I guess not, it would probably traumatize him or scar him for life. The less he knows about the real world the better.

Hoopa then looks around the area, confusion visible on his face, "Where is Hoopa and Omega-kan?"

I sighed and ruffle my own hair, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Wait a minute, if Hoopa could teleport anywhere, then Hoopa could take us to the closest civilization. Wait a minute, bad idea, people would notice if I stepped out of a giant ring with a little genie by my side. So much for that idea, I don't want Hoopa getting taken away by the government if they found out Pokemon existed, it would complicate less if I keep him hidden.

Wait if Hoopa was here, then could that mean?

I suddenly looked around and if one of my pokeballs was here, then the other five must be close. 

After some time searching for my pokeballs I finally found them, along with a yellow backpack, but instead finding five like I predicted, there was now seven? Let's see who I had on my team before? Sceptile, Metagross, Latios. Who's in the rest of the balls. I quickly gathered each ball in a heap in my arms before I threw all my Pokemon in the air, as I predicted my whole team was here. My very first Pokemon Sceptile, My shiny white Metagross, but what I didn't expect to find was a ten feet tall Reshiram, Darkrai, and finally the big guy himself: Groudon. Reshiram and Groudon both let out a defeaning roar that nearly blew my eardrums.

"SHHH! SHHH! Shut up!" I yelled, waving my hands at both of them.

The two giant Pokemon stopped and closed their mouths, looking at me. Then all my Pokemon gazed at me for a while, almost like they were awaiting for instructions. As incredible as this all was, I couldn't let anyone see them, Groudon and Reshirams heads were basically poking above the tree line. I quickly grabbed their pokeballs and returned them. I looked over to Darkrai who began staring at me blankly, he wasn't moving except for the fog plumes on his head billowing in the air, and the shadowy tatters on his shoulder. He was so silent and still, it began creeping me out. I felt his cold eyes digging into my body, I was very unnerved but then a voice suddenly spoke to me.

'I say,' I heard a voice in my head, 'Where are we good fellows'

I looked to see my shiny Metagross facing towards me directly. My eyes widened in surprise, "Did you just speak?"

'Speak?' Metagross said in a posh fancy accent, 'Why heavens no, I'm using telepathy my dear Omega.'

Of course, telepathy.

I could only stare, perplexed, "Did you always sound like that?"

'Yes, quite.' He replied politely, 'Anyway where are we?'

"I'm not sure," I replied, "Some forest."

'Well that is quite evident, but to the question is why?' Metagross asked.

"That's what I wanna know." 

I decided to go through what I know at the moment. 

'Okay, I’m 2D, I look like a cartoon or drawing, I'm in an strange forest, and now my Pokemon have all come to life. Last thing I remember was that golden 3DS and a brightlight?'

'That's quite right.' Metagross said telepathically, which surprised me.

"Wait how did you know what I was thinking?" I said out loud.

'I'm a psychic Pokemon, it's not that hard reading your mind ol' boy ." Metagross explained.

Hoopa decided to speak up, looking quite apprehensively around, "Hoopa doesn't like spooky forest Omega-kan, Hoopa wants to leave and not die here, thank you."

"Relax, no ones dying." I replied calmly as possible, "You'll see."

"Hoopa does not wanna see death."

I sighed and kept a calm disposition, I turned to my Latios. "Hey can you go up and see if there's a road or town close by."

Latios growled and acknowledged my request, he traveled up into the air, I saw him look around darting around in the air a little bit before he spotted something, he growled pointing west.

"Ok, good job!" I shouted, before pulling out his pokeball, "I'll call you if I need you." I then returned him.

I turned to Sceptile and returned him too, followed by everyone else (thankfully Darkrai included), might as well keep Metagross and Hoopa around as company. I then noticed the yellow backpack, must be from the game too, I looked inside, but the bottom was pitch black. I could hardly see anything. I reached in and felt nothing, but the bag itself felt deep. Very deep. Still nothing.

"It's empty." I said, pulling my arm out.

'Well what were you looking for ol' boy?' Metagross asked me.

"I was just checking what was in it." I replied.

'Perhaps the bag will only acknowledge cognitive responses.'

I raised my eyebrow, "So you're saying if I'm thinking of the item inside my bag, it will somehow appear?"

'It's worth the attempt.' Metagross replied.

Well in the game it didn't really explain how you could carry a hundred items at once, not to mention a full bike, but right now I'm not gonna question nintendos idea of physics, I'm a desperate man. So I put my arm back in the bottomless bag and think of the mega bracelet in the game. A few seconds later I still couldn't feel anything, before I could pull my hand out I suddenly feel something wrap around my wrist. I jolt back and stared at my wrist in shock to see the white mega bracelet from the game on my wrist.

"Whoa! That actually worked?" I said in disbelief, "HA-HA-HA!"

"Hehehe, are you surprised?" Hoopa giggled.

"But how did you know?" I asked Metagross.

'I surmised the logic behind the interior of your backpack had to have some mythical properties to the abrupt appearances of equipment imperative for travel, thus my hypothesis concluded the need for this speculated evaluation of use of focused pensive mental responses. Metagross explained.

Me and Hoopa gawked at Metagross for a full moment, our eyes widened, looking perplexed, slowly trying to piece together his explanation, "So......you guessed."

'Verily.' Metagross nodded.

"AAAAAH!" Hoopa screamed, holding the side of his head, "Hoopa's head hurt."

I grabbed the backpack which really felt light. I began my walk and beckoned my two Pokemon to follow me. Since they were the only two Pokemon who could talk, I might as well let them hang with me. I couldn't get over the fact that my Pokemon were alive. I mean not many people can say they have a shiny Metagross, but how many people can have a real life shiny Metagross walking alongside them? and with a fancy accent. ooh la la la.

Oh man, this will be one heck of a tale to tell if I make it out of this forest.





As we walked I couldn't help notice it was close to noon already, my dad is gonna kill me dead when he can't find me at the convention. Well if there's any good to have come from all this, it's that my Pokemon are alive. Everything about this is incredible. I then looked to my newly acquired mega bracelet still gawking at it. Metagross seemed to catch on to this.

'Pardon me lad, but you act as if this your first time seeing the mega bracelet.' Metagross said calmly.

"It's is, well I mean this close," I replied sheepishly, "I'm getting used to...well, ALL of this!"

"What Omega-kan talk about?" Hoopa said, floating right next to me.

"Oh, forget it." I quickly replied and turned my head back to the path. I'll have to remember to put these two back in their pokeball before I enter town.

Unfortunately my musing was cut short when I lost my footing and fell over something, I tumbled to the ground. I shifted on the ground and looked over my shoulder to see something big, orange, and furry? 

It began stirring from its slumber, Metagross and Hoopa quickly joined my side as the beast rose up and growled angrily. It had leathery bat wings, a scorpion tail, and it was a lion. And it was clearly mad from me accidentally tripping over it. It charged at me before raising its tail over its head ready to strike my face. Memories of 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids' flashed in my mind as the tail grew alarmingly closer.

"Not the eyes-Not the eyes-I beg you-Not the eyes!" I screamed before closing my eyes and waiting for the tail to strike.

But instead of feeling immense pain in my face, I heard a loud metal cling. I quickly opened my eyes to see Metagross infront of me blocking the Manticores tail with its body. I soon noticed how Metagross entire body was shining brightly.

Iron defense.

The Manticores tail was stuck on the surface of the large X between Metagross eyes, looking angrily at the Manticore.

'The only way you shall hurt him, is through me! savage brute!' Metagross scowled angrily. 

The Manticores form was suddenly highlighted pink before it was propelled backwards against a tree as Metagross used psychic against my attacker. As the Manticore began shifting in its position, out of nowhere a bucket of ice landed on top of its head making it roar in surprise. It quickly removed the bucket and gazed up to see the source, a giggling Hoopa next to a ring above its head

"Are you surprised?" Hoopa asked before taking the ring and shrinking it back to fit in one of the horns on the side of its head.

The Manticore then tried to swipe Hoopa, but Hoopa quickly materialized a ring and passed through it before the rings disappeared. Metagross's arms suddenly began to glow whiter than usual and it raised its whole body and began rapidly spinning, performing  Bullet Punch, hitting the Manticore repeatedly with its arms.

I was so amazed by the spectacle, I gawked at my Pokemon with awe, "So...cool."

Metagross and Hoopa were working together against the Manticore using a variety of their powers. Hoopa used his telelportation to summon a bunch a weird stuff, like a cream pie which he threw at the Manticore, before summoning a giant pike fish and slapping the spit out of the Manticore while it was blinded by the cream of the cream pie. Finally Hoopa summons a last ring the size of the Manticore before Metagross sent the beast packing by using its psychic powers to throw the angry Manticore threw the ring, it let out one last roar before passing the ring. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the Manticore, that was a brutal beatdown.

Once the Manticore went through it the ring dissipated into nonexistent so the Manticore wouldn't return. Hoopa began clapping the dust off his hands and Metagross dusted himself from any dirt he contracted during the unsavory battle.

"Whoa..." I simply said, "Where did that last ring go."

Hoopa put his hands over his mouth and giggled, "Hoopa ring him to the ocean, cats don't like water."

A small chuckled suddenly escaped my lips, "That's devious, you're mean Hoopa, you're really mean." I continued snickering like a child, "You're one mean dude."

'Quite, though perhaps that brute deserved the thrashing we delivered him. Are you alright lad?' Metagross asked concernly.

"I'm more than alright you whooped his ass! And Hoopa, that was hilarious what you did with the fish!" I praised them both like an overexcited fanboy, I began clapping, "Oh man, that was-oh man, round of applause for you two, you deserve it."

'Well, we're just glad to see you safe.' Metagross replied humbly, he began walking forward 'Come along now, who knows how many ghastly creatures lurk here.'

And with that we continued our walk towards civilization.