5 Ch. 5 A New Medical Mystery

[Marco POV, Santalune City]

I woke up feeling absolutely starved. I had been too focused on everything else to even think about food. I went downstairs, following signs to the canteen. I entered a rather empty cafeteria, with only two or three Trainers eating. I went up to an ordering window, where a young cashier was lazily staring back into the kitchen. I stood there for a minute, waiting to see if he would notice. Before I could say anything to him, one of the chefs walked up, her strawberry blonde curls bouncing with each step.

"Hey, Nookie, we've got a customer. You could at least pretend you have a job," she told him as she walked up to the window. He quickly jumped around, apparently very surprised that I was here.

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry!" he quickly muttered, embarrassment written all over his face. 

"Don't worry," I chuckled before taking a look around. "Something tells me this place might be too exciting for the crew."

That earned me a laugh from the cashier and chef, who's rolled up sleeves revealed colorful tattoos of the Ghastly line. The cashier, apparently named Nookie, finally asked me what I wanted to order. "You know, it might be breakfast time, but Nadia's Pidgey parmesan is freakin' delicious if you're not sure about what you want."

I thought about it for a bit before nodding my head. "I guess I'll have that then!"

"One Pidgey parm coming right up!" Nadia said, walking back to the kitchen to begin preparing. I paid with the little bit of cash I had. It only ended up costing me 80$, leaving me with 820$. I sat down and tried to get myself situated once again. I had tried to do so yesterday, and just like yesterday, I still didn't know much about this world.

However, unlike yesterday, I now had access to the PokéNet, a network of sites sanctioned by the League. One of these sites, PokéDB, was a collection of forums for just about everything Pokémon. It was all monitored by the League, with certain forums being certified by the League. This only mattered for information like Pokémon nutrition and wild area information, where wrong information could lead to the harm or death of a Pokémon or person. Everything else depended on the person posting. 

The other sites were basics, like information of the world and current expeditions into the unexplored portions of the world. There was even one website that was all about explaining how the League functioned and its purpose. I created a PokéNet account to ensure I had access to the wealth of information currently available. 

I immediately went through the PokéDB forums, joining any group that seemed to be useful for Trainers. I also looked at some of the other sites, finding random videos of Trainers playing with their Pokémon or conspiracy theories of how the League was just how the Legendary Pokémon kept humanity in check.

I finally decided to look into the League itself, finding that it was just a government composed of Trainers, politicians, and business people. The business people took care of the economy, the politicians focused on laws and regulations, and the Trainers ensured the safety and defense of the regions. So far, the League was composed of several regions: Kanto, Johto, Orre, Hoenn, Fiore, Ransei, Sinnoh, Unova, Ferrum, Lental, Kalos, Alola, Galar, and Paldea. The last two, however, recently joined. This meant there were still a lot of restrictions and caution regarding travel and trade between the two regions and the rest of the League.

Looking over the names, I recognized all but Fiore, Ransei, and Ferrum. Before I could do any more research, Nadia walked over with a steaming plate of pasta, red sauce, and a crispy, cheesy breaded Pidgey cutlet.

"Breakfast is served!" she said, happily placing the plate in front of me.

"It smells delicious!" I said, practically drooling. The tomatoes and herbs in the sauce were very fragrant, giving the air of a bright and earthy dish. The aroma of the Pidgey cutlet was even more tantalizing, with the cheese and breading blending together for a heavy smell that lingered in your nose long after it was gone.

"You know, I've never seen anyone enjoy the smell of my food so much," Nadia said with a smile.

"Well, aromas can have really strong effects on dishes and the people eating them," I said, "and the aroma of this dish is saying it's going to be the best I've had!"

With that, I immediately dug in. Starting with a piece of the Pidgey, I began to savor my food. The meat was very tender and juicy, the fried meat having a bit of a crunch on the outside that contrasted nicely with the melted and somewhat gooey cheese. The richness of the cheese worked in harmony with the fried Pidgey, making the first bite full of flavor. I next had some of the pasta and red sauce, which provided a lighter bite whose bright and more acidic flavors cut through the fat of the meat and cheese.

"Dith ith de-i-shus," I said through a very full mouth, earning me a laugh from Nadia.

"Slow down there, Snorlax. We don't want you to start your morning with a choking incident," she said, before bringing me a glass of water. I gulped it down and sighed contentedly.

"Man, that is an award-winning dish for sure! Have you thought about opening a restaurant?" I asked.

"Huh? My own restaurant? I've never thought about it, to be honest," Nadia said. "I don't think I'd mind it, but it's too much work for me right now. I've got lots of things to take care of."

"Understandable. If you do, let me know. I'd be more than happy to provide free advertising for you," I said as I continued to enjoy the meal. Nadia and I continued to talk for a bit as I finished my breakfast. At some point, more people popped into the canteen, signaling the end of Nadia's free time. She walked back into the kitchen with the promise of a free meal as long as I enjoyed it as much as I did the Pidgey parm.

As she walked away, I felt a pang of guilt and longing. It was strange, feeling like I was missing someone in my life. Thinking about Nadia eased the longing, but it made me feel like I was being dishonest. I wished I knew why, but I still couldn't remember anything about myself.

'Maybe I had a girlfriend? Maybe that's why I feel guilty? Ugh, why couldn't my amnesia get rid of these feelings?'

Once I was done brooding, I walked over to Nurse Joy. She was currently busy with a few Trainers that had just wandered in, so I decided to sit and wait. I looked up the current Champions and Professors of the regions, finding them to be the protagonists of the games and their respective professors.

'I guess it makes sense. From what I could remember of the games, each main character would go on to become the Champion of their region. I wonder if they have any say in the League given how young some of them might be.'

With that, I tried to find a rough timeline of events in this world. It would probably be best to know if a threat from the games hadn't happened yet. To my surprise, they all happened already. In fact, the chairman of the Galar Pokémon League, Rose had been arrested six months ago for endangering the public and almost destroying the Galar region. Four years before that, the Alola region had a huge incident with being called Ultra Beasts that went around leaving a trail of death and destruction.

The earliest major incidents happened in the Kanto and Hoenn regions, about 18 years ago. At that point in time, an eleven year-old named Satoshi took down Team Rocket in Kanto, and Trainers May and Brendan helped take down eco-terrorist groups Aqua and Magma. Satoshi and May were now the Champions of their respective regions. Though Satoshi did lose to some Trainers named Chase and Elaine, it was not during any active League tournament nor was it with his main team.

'So it seems like all the game events have already happened. I wonder if that includes Legends Arceus?'

"Marco!" a voice called over, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I looked around for a moment before spotting Officer Jenny walking towards me. "Sure," I responded. "Do you want to talk here or somewhere else?"

"We can talk out here, it won't take all that long," she said, pointing at one of the coffee tables with two chairs facing each other. We both walked over and made ourselves comfortable. "I wanted to let you know that we've finished investigating and have reviewed Joy's report. As far as you are concerned, you're good to go."

As soon as I heard those words, I slumped into the chair. I let out a sigh of relief as the tension in my shoulders dissipated. I looked at Officer Jenny and sincerely said, "Oh, thank god! I mean, Arceus."

Officer Jenny smiled, though it didn't last long. "I also wanted to let you know that, although you have been cleared of any kind of wrongdoing, you still need to be careful. We're still not sure if your amnesia was targeted or a byproduct of something else. We'll keep an eye out, but please let us know if you remember anything at all or if something happens to you in the future, ok?"

"Yes, Officer Jenny," I said. "Thank you so much for everything!"

"Not a problem," she said. "I suggest talking to Joy now. I'm sure she has something to talk to you about."

"Will do, thanks," I said before heading over to Nurse Joy's desk. She was finally free, taking a quick breather from the little rush she just dealt with.

"Oh, Marco, come here please!" she called out as I approached.

"Officer Jenny said you wanted to talk about something," I told her, standing in front of the desk as she rummaged around for some papers.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something Chansey and I noticed while we were reviewing your sheets," she said, finally grabbing a few papers and going through them until finding the one she wanted. She flipped it around to show a chart whose line elevated in bumps. "This here is a chart regarding your body's reaction to energy. Specifically, Chansey's Psychic-type energy used during your examination.

"Every time she used it, your body adapted to it and made it just slightly more difficult for her to read you. It was so low that she didn't really notice herself, but the machine was able to pick it up and correlate it with Chansey's own scans. Now, I know correlation does not mean causation, but this is a really interesting phenomenon that has not been seen before. I was wondering if you would allow me and others to study this."

"Uh, will it change anything about my amnesia situation?" I asked, because if it meant Nurse Joy would not have time to help with that, I'd rather not. 

"No, not at all," she reassured me. "Your amnesia is something that needs careful studying and probing. It will take time, but I will definitely be focused on helping you regain your memories. Studying this other thing will be done in small sessions of around ten to fifteen minutes, after I and others have come up with the specifics of what we want to study. If you're okay with that, you can have free room and board while we do the study. Of course, there will be proper compensation depending on the results and any future changes."

Her pitch worked with me, mostly because I currently had no real way to make money and stay somewhere consistently. But it was really the promise of free food that sold me. "Who are the others that will be part of studying me?" I asked.

"I've contacted a few specialists regarding Infinity Energy and human interaction. Professor Sycamore will be sending someone, as will Junior Professor Fennel of Unova and Professor Kukui of Alola. Hopefully, we'll be able to find what's going on with you soon. And who knows? Maybe you'll help us discover something completely new," she said, her smile easing my worries. That definitely had to be part of whatever blessing the Joy clan received.

"Sounds good, thank you," I told her. Before either of us could walk away, a thought struck me. "Nurse Joy?"

"Mhm?"

"So, technically my profile says that my time as a Trainer started yesterday, right?" I asked.

"Yes, it did. But as far as you know, you aren't a Trainer, right?" she answered and asked her own question.

"As far as I know, I'm not," I said. "But, if I wanted to be one, what would I have to do?"

"Well," she said, sitting forward and propping her head up with a hand. "Since you technically already have a League profile and are in the database, all you need to do is catch a Pokémon and start signing up for Gym battles. The Kalos League Season is a year-round challenge, though you can only challenge the Elite Four for three months from Shaymin's Wake to Suicune's Blessing. Since it has already passed, you'll need to gather a team and train them in time for the next season, which is in thirteen months."

"Huh, it's that easy?" I asked her, confusion growing. Wouldn't they want to vet Trainers in some way before letting them capture creatures capable of quite literally setting cities ablaze. 

"Well, they're normally tested and questioned during Trainer School to ensure they have the proper knowledge and skills," she said as if reading my mind. "Though, anyone who didn't go to or finish Trainer School would need at least a recommendation if not classes and examinations. They're also not given a starting Pokémon. But don't worry, I'd be more than happy to provide a crash course and recommendation if needed!"

"Thank you! I really appreciate this," I said, every fiber of my being meaning those words. She'd been nothing but kind to me, reassuring me and giving me a sense that everything would be fine. But as if that wasn't enough, she brought something out from under her desk. It was a basket full of random items, from Pokéballs and rare berries to evolution stones and big pearls.

"And I'm sure you'll appreciate this even more," she said with a wide smile. She handed me a Pokéball, the red and white hemispheres gleaming under the room's lights. I grabbed the ball from her hand, the metallic ball lightly warmed from Nurse Joy's hand. "Do you know how to use one?"

I shook my head. I was a complete novice to the world. While I had some experience as a Trainer, that was from behind a screen. I was a Trainer in the same way a child playing cops and robbers was a cop.

"Tap the button in the middle once to open it and release whatever Pokémon you've caught. Do the same to return it," she explained. "Tap it twice to delay the release or capture, three times to lock the ball, and hold the button to shrink or enlarge it. Be careful to not tap the button more than three times. Four or more button presses sends an emergency message to the nearest Officer, Ranger, or Veteran Trainer. The more times you press it, the more urgent the emergency."

I nodded seriously at that last bit. "Thank you, I'll make sure to remember that."

"Good," she said. "Now go on and capture your first Pokémon. The ones around here aren't overly aggressive, as long as you stay near the town walls."

With that, I set off to capture my very own Pokémon.