Chapter 7: Back to the World
The void released him without ceremony.
One moment Aarav stood in that suspended, quiet space where habitats overlapped and rules hovered in the air like written laws.
The next, his feet sank into damp soil.
He stumbled forward instinctively, catching himself on a tree trunk. Rough bark scraped his palms. The smell of wet leaves and moss filled his lungs.
Real air.
He straightened slowly, heart pounding, and looked around.
Forest.
A real forest this time—not layered habitats, not floating stone, not suspended ecosystems. Tall trees stretched upward, their canopies blocking most of the sky. Ferns crowded the ground. Somewhere nearby, water trickled faintly.
Paldea.
But he had no idea whether he'd come out closer to civilization or deeper into wilderness.
Aarav swallowed.
"Great," he muttered. "Back to guessing."
Fatigue hit him all at once. His legs felt heavy, muscles stiff from hours of walking and standing. Hunger gnawed sharply now, no longer something he could ignore.
He exhaled slowly and reached into his pocket.
The Master Ball was there.
Smooth. Heavy.
Real.
Aarav hesitated, then pressed the release.
A beam of light burst outward.
Ting-Lu emerged.
The difference was immediate.
The small, pale form from the void was gone.
Ting-Lu stood taller now, its body more solid, darker, richer in color. Its eyes were clearer, steadier. The faint golden cracks that marked its legendary nature glimmered softly along its horns and legs.
When its hooves touched the ground, the soil darkened slightly beneath them.
Not cracking.
Not shattering.
Just acknowledging its presence.
Aarav stared.
"…You look better," he said quietly.
Ting-Lu lifted its head and let out a low, content sound. It sniffed the air, ears twitching, then took a few steps forward, clearly comfortable in the environment.
A status window flickered into Aarav's vision.
He didn't even need to call for it.
---
POKÉMON STATUS
Name: Ting-Lu
Type: Dark / Ground
Level: 10
State: Stabilized (External World Exposure)
HP: High
Attack: Extremely High
Defense: High
Special Defense: High
Speed: Low
Innate Ability:
– Calamity Suppression: All incoming attacks are reduced in power.
Attack Set:
– Earthquake
– Dark Pulse
– Stomping Tantrum
– Ruination
---
Aarav's breath caught.
Level ten.
Still low—ridiculously low for a Legendary—but undeniably stronger than before. The void's suppression was gone. Not completely, perhaps, but enough that Ting-Lu felt present again.
"Yeah," Aarav murmured. "That explains the ground."
Ting-Lu shifted its weight, hooves leaving faint dark impressions that lingered longer than before.
Aarav looked around quickly.
"That's exactly the problem," he said under his breath.
Any trainer, ranger, or even civilian would notice this. A Dark/Ground aura. A Pokémon radiating something wrong by normal standards.
He looked back at Ting-Lu.
"Hey, buddy," he said softly. "You can't stay out like this. Not most of the time."
Ting-Lu turned its head slightly, watching him.
"You attract attention," Aarav continued. "A lot of it."
He crouched and met Ting-Lu's gaze.
"It's not that I don't trust you," he said. "It's that this world doesn't know what to do with you."
Ting-Lu was silent.
Then it lowered its head slightly.
Aarav exhaled.
"I'll let you out when it's safe. Promise."
He returned Ting-Lu to the Master Ball.
The forest felt… quieter without it.
Aarav slipped the ball back into his pocket and started walking again.
He chose a direction at random and stuck with it, pushing aside branches and navigating uneven ground. The forest didn't thin quickly. If anything, it felt like he might be moving deeper in.
After nearly an hour, his legs gave out.
He found a fallen log and collapsed onto it, breathing hard. Sweat soaked through his clothes. His stomach growled loudly.
"Okay," he muttered. "Break time."
He leaned back, staring up through gaps in the canopy. Sunlight filtered through, slow and indifferent.
This body was young.
But it wasn't invincible.
He closed his eyes briefly.
That was when he heard it.
Footsteps.
Human.
Aarav sat up instantly.
"Hello?" a voice called. "Anyone there?"
Relief hit him so hard his chest hurt.
"I—yeah!" Aarav shouted back. "I'm here!"
Moments later, a figure emerged from between the trees.
A Pokémon Ranger.
The uniform was unmistakable—practical clothing, insignia on the shoulder, a utility belt with Poké Balls. A Arboliva walked calmly beside him, leaves rustling softly.
The ranger stopped short when he saw Aarav.
"…Kid?" he said, surprised. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
Aarav stood slowly, wobbling.
"I—I got lost," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I don't remember how I got here."
The ranger frowned.
"You alone?"
Aarav nodded.
The ranger sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Arceus above," he muttered. "Alright. Sit back down before you fall over."
The Arboliva stepped closer, its presence calming.
"I'm Ranger Mateo," the man said. "You're lucky. We've been surveying the area for aggressive Pokémon. This isn't a safe place to wander."
Aarav swallowed.
"I don't remember much," he said again. "I think I hit my head."
Not entirely a lie.
This body's past was a blank.
Mateo studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
"Memory loss happens," he said. "Especially out here. Don't worry—we'll get you somewhere safe."
The ranger offered him water and some dried berries. Aarav accepted gratefully, eating slowly to avoid upsetting his stomach.
Within half an hour, they were moving again—this time with purpose.
Mateo led the way, Arboliva clearing undergrowth effortlessly. The forest thinned gradually, replaced by dirt paths and eventually a proper road.
Civilization.
The sight of distant buildings made Aarav's chest loosen.
A city.
Not massive—but clearly established.
As they walked, Mateo asked gentle questions.
Name. Age. Family.
Aarav answered what he could.
"My name's Aarav," he said. "I think I'm twelve."
"And your family?"
Aarav hesitated.
"…I don't remember," he said honestly.
Mateo's expression softened.
"Alright," he said. "We'll sort that out."
They reached the city outskirts by late afternoon.
As they approached the gates, Aarav felt something shift.
A faint warmth spread across his left arm.
He frowned and glanced down.
A symbol had appeared on his forearm.
A tattoo.
Clean lines. Black ink.
A Poké Ball.
Simple.
Perfect.
Aarav's heart raced.
"What the—"
Instinctively, he reached for the Master Ball.
It wasn't in his pocket anymore.
His breath caught.
Panic flared—
Then understanding settled in.
Subspace.
He pressed his fingers against the tattoo.
He felt the Master Ball there. Not physically—but connected. Stored. Hidden.
Aarav's pulse quickened.
"…That's new," he whispered.
The ranger didn't notice.
Aarav pulled his sleeve down quickly.
The void, he thought.
Or the system.
Either way, the Master Ball was now hidden inside him—concealed, unreachable unless he willed it otherwise.
Both terrifying and incredible.
As they entered the city proper, noise washed over him. People. Pokémon. Life.
Aarav exhaled slowly.
He was back.
Not safe.
Not settled.
But no longer alone in the wild.
He glanced once more at his covered arm.
"…You really don't want to be found," he murmured.
Somewhere inside the subspace, Ting-Lu rested.
And Aarav took his first real step into the Pokémon world.