Fanfiction PMD: Relics From A Distant World

Prologue​

“Sometimes, the world doesn’t need saving at all...but the fact you were there made it that much more special.”

This is a story that finally answers the ever-burning question of “what is a human?” to many Pokémon who are puzzled when they hear of such a thing. A lone Mienfoo, who not only retains his human memories but bears a vital piece of his identity, will reveal the existence of his kind and what it has created to these creatures. Piece by piece, Pokémon will gain insight into the life of a human and many former members of the species will relate to many things unfamiliar to most of the world.

But first...this Mienfoo must somehow find a way to bridge the two realities in order to bring back relics from the human world. It is on the outskirts of a forest that our hero begins his journey…

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“Hey...are you okay?! Wake up!” an unfamiliar voice called.

The Mienfoo slowly opened his eyes, unsure of where he is or who he is hearing. It took him a full minute but finally, he regained his senses. He gave an approaching animal-like figure an unfocused, dazed stare, as if suddenly coming out of a drunken stupor.

“I heard a loud noise and came over to check it out. Then I saw you on the ground. Are you all right?” asked the creature. As the Mienfoo’s eyesight and focus began to restore, he saw that the figure had orange fur, a mustelid body, and two tails. It was a Buizel and its voice sounded male.

“....you’re a Pokémon,” the Mienfoo answered, sounding tired at first.

“Yeah...and so are you. I hope you’re okay,” the Buizel inquired.

“...I have so many questions right now...but I can’t think clearly enough to ask any,” the Mienfoo replied.

“Let’s get you to a safe place!” the Buizel said, offering a paw to help the Mienfoo up.

“Who are you...and how do you know English?” the Mienfoo asked.

“Do I know what now?” the Buizel answered in turn, puzzled at the name.

“Oh god no...just…get me to a safe place. I’ll explain later when the world isn’t spinning on me,” the Mienfoo spoke, getting his first glimpse of the challenges ahead of him.

It wasn’t just a change in lifestyle, the Mienfoo had to adapt to a world that didn’t yet know of the English language, and yet this Buizel spoke it fluently. But for now, the only thing on his mind was the Pokémon talking to him, some kind of forest, and a headache. All of these questions would be answered in due time.

 

Chapter 1: Familiar yet Different​

The Mienfoo, still unsure of his footing after coming out of a groggy, confused state, made his way towards what looked like a hut that was modeled after the Buizel. The house wasn’t the only one of its kind, either. Nearly every home he could see was built to resemble the apparent occupants. His musings were cut short when the Buizel asked him for his name.

“...Paul,” the Mienfoo replied. “My name is Paul Nasserie.”

“That’s a bit of a long name,” the Buizel commented.

“Actually, it’s two names,” said Paul. “Where I’m from, we have a first name and a last name, sometimes called a surname. Last names are usually passed down from our ancestors and given to us when we’re born. Basically, it’s our family name. Is that your house, by the way? It kinda looks like you.”

“Yeah!” the Buizel chimed. “That’s something you find all the time here. I’ve never heard of someone with a ‘last’ name before. That’s new to me. You’re not from around here, are you?”

There was a brief pause while Paul tried to think of an answer.

“No…” he finally spoke, shaking his head.

“What’s wrong?” the Buizel asked, puzzled. “That took you quite a while to answer.”

“Nothing, let’s go to wherever you’re taking me,” Paul answered.

The truth was he didn’t know how to explain his situation to the Buizel in a way that made sense to him. He was a stranger in a strange world and decided that getting to know the place as well as how his new neighbors lived was a smarter idea than knowledge bombing a talking animal he only just met.

The inside of the Buizel’s house reminded Paul of some of the medieval fantasy games he played on his computer back home on Earth. While Paul had heard of Pokémon being a popular phenomenon, he never thought one day he would become part of the actual world. It perplexed him to no end, thinking of how a virtual world could actually exist in some dimension he could live, breathe, and experience...and what was even more boggling was how he got here in the first place.

“What do you think of my place?” the Buizel asked.

“...oh! It’s pretty nice” Paul answered, his train of thought derailed by the question.

“Are you okay?” the Buizel asked again. “There’s a lot going on in your head, I can tell.”

“I’m not ready to tell you what it is yet,” Paul replied, giving the Buizel a serious look as if to warn him. “You’ll know soon enough. Until then, would you mind helping me get used to life here? One thing I will say is that this is will be the biggest culture shock I’ve ever experienced. I’m having to adapt to what looks like an entirely different way of life to what I’m used to.”

“I can do that!” the Buizel chirped, enthusiastically.

A table sat in the middle of the room with four chairs. On it sat a bowl full of strawberries.

“Are these strawberries?” asked Paul.

“They sure are!” the Buizel replied, offering to share some of them.

“We have these where I’m from,” Paul commented with a warm smile, glad at the fact that this world wasn’t entirely foreign to his own and that the two shared things in common.

“We grow strawberries and other fruit around here,” the Buizel added.

“I am genuinely happy to see these here,” Paul continued. “We actually do share something in common. My mom used to make a really good strawberry crumble back when I lived with her.”

“Crumble?” the Buizel inquired, curious as to what this item was.”

“Crumble, at least how my mom makes it, is a dessert where you chop a bunch of fruit up, lay it in a baking tray and cover it with something put together by mixing flour, oats, butter, and sugar and sprinkling it so completely over the fruit that it forms a layer on top. You put it in the oven until the crumble becomes crisp. Really good.”

Paul looked at the Buizel for a moment.

“Say, do you cook at all?” he asked.

“Nah, not really. Though I know someone who does it really well,” The Buizel answered. “Follow me! I’ll take you to meet my friend next door.”

“Sounds good,” said Paul. “By the way, I don’t think I ever asked you but what’s your name?”

“Thomas, though you can call me Tom,” the Buizel answered.

As Paul and Tom walked towards the house to the right, the smell of fresh baking filled the air. Paul immediately showed a satisfied smile.

“Hey Drew!” Tom called, waving at the owner of the house next door. A door opened and a Monferno emerged.

“Yeah, Tom?” the Monferno replied.

“Meet my new friend, Paul!” Tom greeted with a smile. “He’s a new arrival and he’s staying at my place for a while.”

“Nice to meet ya, Paul,” Drew replied.

“We were just talking about baking and I come here smelling something good,” Paul commented. “So Tom tells me you’re quite a baker. What are you making?”

“Nut loaf!” Drew beamed. “Wanna try some?”

“Sure, I’m actually rather curious as to what you use to bake things with.” Paul inquired.

As Drew whipped out a loaf and sliced a piece to hand out to the two Pokémon, Paul noticed something about the nuts. They were walnuts, another familiar food item. The slice felt warm in his hand, obviously fresh out of the oven. It was sweetened walnut bread with the best crust he ever tasted. It tasted like there was a coating of cinnamon and sugar crumbs held together with something, and he had trouble guessing what the flavor was.

“There’s something holding these sugar bits together and it’s really nice,” Paul spoke. “What’s in it?”

“I used apple butter so I could hold all the crumbs in place as I was baking it,” Drew explained. “I use a stone furnace.”

“I remember the old pizza place back home using an oven like that, except it was much larger,” Paul recalled.

“Pizza? What’s that?” Tom asked.

“I’ll explain later but it uses an oven like that,” Paul answered. “Say, have you ever tried making strawberry crumble?”

“A what now?” Drew asked, unfamiliar with this item.

“We have strawberries growing around here from what I’ve been told and my mom has a really good recipe for what we call strawberry crumble,” Paul continued.

“If you show me what to do, I’ll make it,” Drew offered. “Got any strawberries?”

“You can use mine,” Tom spoke. “I’ll go get them!”

“Right, do you have any oats because that’s a key ingredient?” Paul asked Drew.

“Indeed I do,” Drew replied.

And about an hour later, a delicious strawberry crumble was made. The gorgeous smell just so happened to attract the attention of a passerby.

“What is that beautiful smell?” A bird’s beak poked through the entrance of the bakery. It was a Honchkrow and the first thing he saw was the strawberry crumble.

“Ahhh, you haven’t met the mayor of this town yet!” Drew told Paul. “Edison, this is Paul, a brand new visitor who’s just come into town.”

“A pleasure to speak with you, Paul,” the Honchkrow beamed. “What is this lovely thing I see?”

“That is called a strawberry crumble,” Paul answered. “And it’s a recipe my mom had when I lived with her. Try a piece.”

Drew cut the mayor a slice of the crumble and handed him a small plate. Edison’s eyes lit up when he tasted it.

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” the mayor spoke. “This is amazing! Your mother knows something we haven’t tried yet.”

“Well, seeing as I’m new and I’m currently staying with Tom for a while until I can find a place of my own to call home, this is quite the culture shock for me, but at the same time, a lot of this stuff I see and experience is in many ways like home,” Paul explained. “Let’s say that I’m a foreigner from a distant land and there are a lot of things I need to adjust to in this community.”

Paul was still aware that he was more than just a foreigner but he decided to play it cool until he knew the community better. But until then, he was happy to know there were at least some things he felt right at home with, and the Pokémon were friendly and welcoming. Maybe this new way of living wasn’t so strange after all.

 

Chapter 2: Word Spreads Fast​

Paul had spent a lovely afternoon in the good company of fellow Pokémon. They seemed genuinely happy to have a newcomer show up in town, especially the mayor who loved the strawberry crumble, not only for its novelty but for its sweet and tart taste as well. Edison began to wonder what other gifts Paul could bring to the town.

But that would come in due time. For now, afternoon turned to evening and evening turned to night. Back in Tom’s house, Paul and Tom were at the table. Tom was busy questioning Paul about this mysterious lockbox he found when the two first met.

“I found this near you when you were asleep on the grass. Is it yours?” Tom asked.

“That is mine, yes,” Paul answered.

“May I ask what’s inside it?” Tom asked again.

“Something very important to me,” Paul replied.

“That’s fine, I don’t mean to invade your privacy,” Tom spoke.

Again, Paul wanted to be discreet about showing his identity to the locals. He wanted to be sure they would accept who he was before disclosing his true self to the world. How would they react to the existence of humans, a creature of myth that only a handful knew anything about? Would it be safer and smarter to clue the locals in one small piece at a time?

That is what Paul ultimately decided to do. Besides, he always enjoyed being a man of mystery. With this approach, he could take his time, get used to his new life, and with time, everyone would begin to realize that he is not quite what he seems, but rather so much more than he lets on.

“I’m a smart guy, so there’s a reason behind everything I do,” Paul explained. “You’ll understand why soon enough.”

Tom felt a little uneasy for a moment. Why was Paul being so cryptic all of a sudden? And what could be in that box that he was so reluctant to share? Tom decided it wasn’t his business and it wasn’t worth worrying over. Paul seemed like a cool guy, anyway.

“Can you do me a favor, Tom?” Paul asked. “Put this in a discreet location so no one gets curious. Can I trust you with that? You won’t be able to open it yourself because the key to it is missing.”

“I can do that,” Tom replied. He tucked the lockbox in one of the ceramic pots near the back of his home and put the lid back on it.

“Thank you,” said Paul. “Say, where do you guys sleep at night?”

“Right here,” Tom answered, pointing to what looked like two bedrolls tucked into rectangular boxes made of wooden planks. Inside each were what appeared to be a cross between a blanket and a magic carpet, supported by thick fluff for the bedding. The bedrolls seemed to be used as pillows.

“Oh, I see how it’s used…” Paul commented, finally making sense of the beds. “Let’s get some sleep. Maybe you can take me around town tomorrow and introduce me to some people.”

“Good night, Paul,” Tom muttered before turning in for the night.

The last thing that crossed his mind before sleep was Paul’s curious term, “people.” In the Pokémon world, they always go by Pokémon, which gave Tom some food for thought. Is Paul’s old home so different that they use a different name for Pokémon?

Paul’s first night of sleep in this new world was good. No bad dreams, no interruptions, just a pleasant, peaceful slumber. Usually, if he had dreams, they would involve sneaking around someplace, avoiding someone, or exploring a cave, ruin, or castle.

The next morning, Paul woke up after being nudged by Tom to get up. Tom seemed more cheerful and a lot more excited this time than before.

“Wake up, Paul! I’ve got some amazing news!” Tom chirped.

“Wuh? What happened?” Paul mumbled, still only half-awake.

“People are talking about your recipe,” Tom answered. “Even the mayor’s commenting on it!”

“It was that big of a hit, huh?” Paul replied. “That wasn’t even my recipe, my mom came up with that, and there’s more than one way to make a crumble.”

An idea suddenly hit Paul like a ton of bricks. An all-knowing smile began to emerge.

“Tom...is there a banking system in this town by any chance?” Paul asked.

“Yes, why?” Tom answered, a curious look on his face.

“I have an idea,” Paul began. “Where I come from, some people sell their recipes if there happens to be a lot of interest in it. I can lease the recipe for the strawberry crumble to Drew, the baker next door. I assume he makes money from his baking?”

“Yes, he does,” Tom replied, even more curious.

“I can lease the recipe to his bakery, and given that it’s such a huge hit already, it can seriously help his business. In return for the recipe, he sends me 20 percent of any profits made from selling the strawberry crumble, and because I’m currently living with you, I can split what I get with you fifty-fifty. That can be my way of paying rent if you’ll allow me to stay here until I get my own place somewhere.”

“That, actually is an amazing idea!” Tom remarked, his two tails wagging with enthusiasm. “I would never have thought of doing that. Let’s see if Drew is up for the idea!”

The Buizel practically burst out the door of his home, rushing to see Drew.

“And that’s the guy who showed me how to make it!” Drew announced, pointing at Paul as he was catching up with the Buizel.

There was an entire crowd of about ten or so Pokémon gathered outside the bakery, each happily munching on a slice of strawberry crumble.

“This is really good!” An Eevee shouted amongst the group.

“Paul, this recipe you showed me has probably gotten more attention than anything I’ve ever made and this is the first time the mayor has become a customer,” Drew spoke. “Is there any way I can repay you?”

“Actually, there is,” Paul answered with a smile. He thought for a moment as he began to give an impromptu speech.

“So my dad, back where I’m from, was friends with a chef one time. My dad, although he never did cooking as a profession, would often come up with all kinds of interesting recipes, many of them turning out delicious. The strawberry crumble was actually something my mom came up with. So what dad did with his friend was write the recipes down on a piece of paper, and I imagine you guys write things down on something, too.

We call this a ‘royalty’ agreement back home and I think something like that would be wonderful for not only adding value to your bakery but it would be adequate compensation for what I gave you. I offer you the full rights to use this and other recipes I give you, and all I ask in return is 20% of any profits made from specifically the recipes I give you. Royalties are essentially a Pokémon giving another Pokémon the full freedom to sell an idea, product, or service that the owner of the thing came up with, in return for a small percentage of any profits made from said thing. I’ll explain it in more detail later but I think it’s a great exchange. Both my parents were excellent with food and I’d love to introduce their cooking and baking to this lovely town. The strawberry crumble is just one of many things I can share.”

“Sounds like a really good idea!” Drew exclaimed. “I’ll have to keep track of which recipes belong to who but other than that, I’d be up for it. You’ve certainly helped my bakery.”

“And you’ve introduced something that could really benefit our town,” a familiar voice added.

It was Edison, the Honchkrow and mayor of the town.

“Would you care to join me tomorrow for a meeting?” he asked. “That idea you shared sounds like it could be highly useful. I’ve never heard of such a thing, a ‘royalty’ agreement.”

“I’d be glad to,” Paul responded. “Tom, you in on this?”

“Absolutely!” Tom replied, enthusiastically. “By the way, everyone, this is Paul, and he’s a newcomer here. He’s currently staying with me for a while.”

“Where are you from?” asked one of the Pokémon, this time, a Riolu near the front.

“I am from a place called Idaho,” Paul replied. “Lots of mountains with trees but pretty dry there. It gets hot during the summer but I enjoy the snow in the winter.”

“Idaho?” asked another voice. “I’ve never heard of that place before.”

“You’d be hard pressed to find anyone from there living here. Idaho is REALLY far away,” Paul responded.

“How was life over there?” asked the Riolu. “And how does it compare to here.”

“Over there? Very different to here. Technology is a lot more advanced and a lot of it requires specialized knowledge to use. Over here? Life is a lot simpler as far as I know, yet we share a lot of the basic things and ideas that are part of living in a town,” Paul explained. “As an Idaho native, I would probably say that if compared to here, technology is about 700-1000 years ahead, if not more. A lot of that technology happened in the last 100 years and is advancing very quickly. The funny thing is, Idaho is less than 150 years old.”

Everyone was so enraptured by Paul’s story that they failed to notice the incoming cloud cover. The first drops of rain began to fall from the sky.

“Looks like it’s starting to rain,” Tom spoke. “Thanks for sharing your story with us, Paul!”

He turned to the crowd.

“And thanks for stopping by, everyone! I’m going to show our new friend around town, that is, if the rain isn’t going to be a problem.”

“I can handle it,” Paul said. “Before I go however, I want to take care of something real quick. Drew, can I come in with you and get the royalty agreement written?”

“Sure can!” Drew replied.

“I’ll be no more than 15 minutes,” Paul told Tom.

“That’s fine!” Tom answered. “I’m going to stand out here and enjoy the rain while you get that sorted out.”

And while the two Pokémon indoors drafted their first royalty agreement, Tom began to reflect on what had just happened in the past hour. Idaho? Certainly an interesting name, even if it’s from a faraway land. What were the Pokémon there like? What did potentially more than a thousand years of technological advancement there look like? It certainly sounded like an interesting way of life. If only there was a way for Paul to show other inventions, such as a fridge, a watch, the internet, or how electricity powers homes. Maybe someday.