The Alpha's Proxy

Huh? Wait…what is this? I’m floating in some weird, endless black void. There’s no feeling in my body at all. I can’t control anything. What the hell is happening to me? One thing I have control over is my thoughts. I recalled walking back to my dorm room from class and sitting down to relax. I booted up my Switch to play a little bit of Pokemon Violet to do a bit of online play. But when I got into the game, something strange began to happen. My controller was rumbling in my hands so much to the point where I had to let go of it. It slammed down onto my desk and that’s when it happened. The environment in the game started to become like a distortion. My character and everything stretched and spiraled all over the screen. Then a bright light exploded in my room. When I opened my eyes from wincing at the brightness, I found myself here. What could be going on exactly? Did I fall asleep while playing and this is all some sort of freaky dream? That’s got to be it. But just when I was about to resign myself into believing that, another bright light appeared in front of me, but this time it was a beautiful, radiant gold. My eyes immediately drew to it and was entranced at the brilliant luster shining there in the midst of black nothingness. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Child… Wait, what? Was that a voice? Thy name, child… “...Uh, David García,” I answered and was surprised yet relieved that I could open my mouth to talk. How could this be anything else but a dream? I have this deep and terrifying voice speaking to me out of nowhere. It was coming from the gold light that was dancing more fervently than before, almost like it was to jump out at me any minute now. But it didn’t. It just stayed there, pulsating as if it were alive. David García, I have a question I would like to ask of you. A question? What could something like this disembodied voice possibly ask of me, an ordinary college student from Dallas? But I nodded in fear of somehow angering this thing. Dost thou love Pokemon? Now it’s asking me if I like Pokemon? Pokemon, a game meant for kids that 90% of adults play instead? What is this situation? Am I supposed to just play along with this and humor this thing? That’s probably my only option here. “Y-yes, I do. I like Pokemon,” I said while cringing ever so slightly. The gold light then began to beat like a heart and grew a little. It startled me to where I instinctively moved back but found that I still couldn’t move a muscle. It moved and adjusted itself just slightly above me as it shifted closer to me. That is…satisfactory. Thy words please me so, David. Please answer another question. “Don’t really have much of a choice it seems like,” I breathed silently before facing the light, “Okay.” Dost thou mind to partake in the endeavor of a lifetime? Dost thou heart hold the merit and grit befitting the one that has been chosen by me? Okay, wait. I did not just get zapped here against my own will and be expected to accept some random request from an equally random person that all could just be some glorified fantasy due to me just falling asleep at my desk. Would thy hesitance be quelled if I present thee with something that will surely get you to believe? Well an explanation definitely would’ve been appreciated at the beginning of all this, “Please, could you just tell me what exactly is going on? Why am I here? Who are you? How and why are you speaking to me? Can I please wake up?” Soon as I finished speaking, the light waned for a split second before shooting out a bright pillar of light. I shouted in fright as its massive size stood tall over me. A great spectacle it was, sure, but now this is getting a little out of hand. My stress and anxiety levels were at an all-time high. There, in the middle of the great pillar, was a silhouette that appeared resembling a qilin or centaur. It was gigantic, standing at a height of what I guessed to be 10’ 6” and had a glowing white body with a long mane jutting away from its head. Through its gleaming shape I could make out an outline of a golden cross-like wheel around its abdomen. By this, I knew what I was dealing with now and I could not be more shocked. It was “The Original One”, Arceus. The legendary Pokemon that created the fictional monster-catching universe that is the childhood of many, including myself. What is it doing in my dream? If thou art still truly under the illusion of this being a dream, then I advise you to face me fully. Obeying its command, I looked and widened my eyes in pure shock. No way… This wasn’t a dream? How is this even possible? What happened to make this a reality? I’m really standing face-to-face with the Alpha Pokemon… “W-what do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?!” I cried out in fear. Be not afraid. I merely ask for thine attention. Only then thou shall know the truth. I grew silent. I was going to say something else, but I just couldn’t for some reason. My lips felt as though they were sealed shut. Not so long ago, this realm was under siege. Everything belonging to this place was more or less taken. My archnemesis, Giratina, with the help of a select few, including the likes of Darkrai, have successfully stolen from me. Thou might be wondering, “just what has been stolen from you?”, correct? The truth may shock you. “Trust me, I don’t think anything is going to shock me more than I already am,” I quickly admitted with a concerned look. I probably look pretty pathetic in front of a literal god right now. Do not worry. The truth is, the plates have been taken. “The plates? Wait, you mean the items that help you transform into the type based on which plate it is?” I asked with interest. Correct. It was an ambush, and it was strategic to target me when I least expect it. There hasn’t been a fight between us for quite some time now. And now that the first punch has been thrown, there is now a cause for retaliation. That is where you come in. “Wait, what do you expect me to do about this? I don’t know anything of what’s going on between you and the other legends,” I hastily said. I am in need of thine assistance. In my current state that they forced me into, I cannot go myself and remedy the situation. Help me gather the plates and bring them back here where they belong to help keep the balance of all in place. “My help… What made you choose me out of everyone else you could’ve possibly picked?” It seemed like a pretty valid question to ask. I am omniscient and present, meaning I am all-knowing and everywhere. I have seen thine heart when you play the game that we Pokemon are subjected to. The love is beautiful and worthy enough to help me in this arduous task, and thus I chose you. …Wow. All that just for playing Pokemon? This all seems too good to be true, but I haven’t woken up yet so it probably isn’t. I can’t even try to force myself to wake up. And honestly, I kind of don’t want this to be a dream. This was all pretty cool though completely out of nowhere and a bit terrifying. “You really think that of me?” I asked slowly. I would not speak it if it were not the absolute truth. There is nothing to gain by deceiving you here, especially in regard to something such as this matter. And there’s my endorsement by the legendary Arceus itself. It filled me with this warmth that I can’t really explain. I couldn’t tell exactly where its eyes were in the blinding light, but I knew it was staring directly at me, still and unwavering. Unnerving yet awesome to say the least. “If you believe that I can help you in this, then I’ll do it. I can’t exactly turn away the creator of the Pokemon universe,” I answered resolutely. I appreciate thee, David García. Reaching a hoof out, it gently tapped my forehead and I was soon wreathed in the same light that cloaked Arceus. The feeling in my body returned but tenfold. It felt as though I was given an entirely new body. The light around me disappeared as I stepped down and could finally move around. I looked at myself and saw that I still had on my black leather jacket over a plain white t-shirt that I wore to class. I also wore a pair of navy blue ripped jeans and white Nike sneakers with the black logo. Fixing my black square glasses up on my face, I noticed that my muscles were a little bit defined by feeling them through my shirt. Well that was a surprise, “What did you just do to me?” I simply bestowed upon thee my blessing. You will need it in order to absorb and contain the powers of the plates. Once you find and secure one, thy body will react accordingly by taking in the plate and using its type to help you in this undertaking. “So…this essentially makes me a human version of you?” I asked in disbelief. Precisely. While cool as hell, this could be potentially dangerous yet necessary. If I am to go up against the likes of Giratina and Darkrai, I would definitely need some sort of crutch to even stand a chance against them. I might know Pokemon like the back of my hand, but who would ever think that they would actually have to go toe-to-toe with these monsters, and a couple of legendaries at that? And one of them is the physical embodiment of Satan himself. “What am I supposed to do now?” I ask. When a plate is in thine possession, simply call upon the name of the plate and it will take over you. Like so… From Arceus’s light came two square shapes and appeared to be white and red plates. They floated around me before being absorbed into my chest. I gasped for air and reeled back, feeling an odd chill go through my whole body. I recovered quickly and put a hand over my heart in astonishment. “Was that…?” Indeed. Despite my struggle, I managed to procure two of the plates in time before I summoned you here. One was already on me and the other I took back from Darkrai before it could escape. Now, with either plate, call forth its power. Clearing my throat, I focused and closed my eyes, ‘Blank Plate!’ A quick flash of light came and went as something amazing happened. What looked to be the same gold cross wheel that was around Arceus floated above my head like a halo and was a bit smaller in size. A reflection of myself appeared so I can see that my short, curly black hair was floating up and my once dark brown eyes changed to that of Arceus with green sclera and red irises. I really did look like a mini version of Arceus. In this state, thou now harness the power of the Normal type. Using the moves that correspond with the typing is possible. I can now use Pokemon moves? I desperately fought down the urge to smile lest I want to look like an i***t in front of Arceus. Thinking of one off the top of my head, I tried it. Quick Attack! In a blinding speed, I lunged forth and attacked a substitute doll that Arceus conjured up. It vanished in a poof as expected. But the feeling of using a Pokemon move was pretty great. The rush of moving fast like that was unlike anything back on Earth. I also have access to the Flame Plate which allows me the use of Fire moves which was a nice visual to imagine. The plate deactivated and I was back to normal. With that, we must now move on to our final piece of business. I sense that the plates have now been separated and scattered across multiple regions…but in a different world. “Huh? You mean…a world that’s not the Pokemon universe?” I asked, stunned. I am afraid that is the case. It would be easy for us to track down the plates if they were broken up in the same places again. They made it so the difficulty of locating them will be twice as high. Luckily I know which world they are in. “You do? Okay, where are they?” It is a world where powerful humans known as mages roam the land. They gather together to form these groups known as wizard guilds to fight the evil in the world and are rewarded for their efforts. But the good never comes without the bad. There are those called dark mages that are the exact opposite of wizard guilds that pride themselves on destruction. They are at odds right now and the good guys could use some help. “You’re saying that I should help these people while also looking for the plates? Never was really good at multitasking,” I muttered under my breath. Have faith in thyself. Thou haveth mine. Hearing that the Pokemon God has your back really uplifts your spirits by a huge amount. It may be a new world with entirely different rules, but I am willing to go the extra mile for the cause. Plus this is turning out to be some wild sci-fi fantasy that a lot of people would kill to experience. And honestly, if I’m helping people and saving lives in the process of restoring order to the Pokemon world, then so be it. “Say no more. I’m in,” I said sharply. I had no doubt. Thou art ready to embark on a new adventure. I shall see you soon, David. By Arceus’s command, another bright light enveloped me. It then carried me up into the air and away from my benefactor. In a flash, the light whisked me away. Fiore, Hargeon Town Groaning, I opened my eyes to see that I was seated. I looked around and saw that it was a moving train that I was on. There were several other people in the carriages along with me. The train had begun to slow down, so that must mean I’ve arrived somewhere. Looking out the windows, I saw that it was a town of some sort. I moved to get up and went over to the train doors when I heard what sounded like pained moans. I then spotted a person doubled over on a seat with their head down. I know that expression of agony anywhere thanks to my cousin back at home: motion sickness. The person was a young male, a couple of years younger than me, with a head of spiky pink hair. A bit weird but I had to remember that I was in a new world filled with people that can shoot the elements from their hands at will. He was really lean and muscular, wearing a sleeveless black waistcoat with a gold trim that was left open and untucked. There was a brown belt that held up his white knee-length pants and a black armband on his left arm, and around his neck was a white scarf that had a scale-like pattern. He also wore a large red overcoat. Such an odd getup… Accompanying the boy was a round blue cat with large eyes, a white underbelly and carried around a small green bag on its back. It was standing on its hind legs on the seat across from him. Again, new world. “Um, are you okay, bro?” I asked out loud. “Aye. He’s fine. This happens all the time…” the blue feline answered for him. Blinking my eyes at the cat, I quickly shook it off. I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised that it could talk as well. I wonder what else this world has in store for me? The cat then proceeded to lift the boy out of his seat and then off the train. I followed suit and landed on the platform outside. I helped the small tabby in laying him down gently on a bench nearby. After a few seconds, the boy sprang up and pranced around with new life. “Alright! I’m still alive!” He shouted energetically. Must be quite the sickness if he’s this happy to be recovered. Onlookers were watching the scene unfold and I instinctively shrunk into myself. Now noticing the attire that the boy and some of the locals were wearing, my clothes seem to make me stand out just a bit to where I’m uncomfortable by the many eyes that were on me. I thought that maybe I should find a clothing store around here but decided against it. I could probably deal with the staring… Probably. The boy finally noticed me and offered a toothy grin, “Thanks for helping me out there! My name’s Natsu Dragneel and this is my friend Happy!” Now that I can put names to faces, I nodded and gave a small smile back, “Sure thing, man. My name’s David García.” “What? That’s a bit strange,” Happy said while staring at me. Looking confused, Natsu sniffed the air as his nose twitched, “Yeah, you don’t smell like you’re from around here either. Did you come from a long way?” Have I been found out already? No, there’s no way these two could possibly know about Arceus and Pokemon. Although it was weird as hell that Natsu seemed to have almost figured it out from my scent alone. Was he part dog or something? That would explain the dynamic between him and Happy. Regardless, I had to come up with some kind of cover story, “Right. I’ve been traveling for quite a while now across the region. I’ve come here in hopes that I can find one of these wizard guilds to join.” “Ah, I see. You’re a mage, so you might end up in the same guild as me! That’s awesome! I didn’t expect to meet a future guildmate on the train today!” Natsu laughed. Wait, who said I was going to join your guild? But maybe this was a good thing. It would definitely save me the trouble of finding a guild myself. But what if his guild wasn’t all that? Although I can’t afford to be too picky about what I want considering the main mission of finding the plates. “Which guild are you from?” I asked them. “Fairy Tail. Happy is also a member there,” Natsu smiled as Happy moved his bag to the side to reveal a green mark resembling that of a fairy-like figure with a pointed tail. Fairy Tail, huh? Could joining their guild lead me to finding the Pixie Plate? Worth a shot. Jokes aside, joining up with them could prove to be a good idea. It was a gamble, I know, but there is something about Natsu and Happy that is not making me hesitate here at all. “If you two don’t mind showing me the way, I would like to know more about this Fairy Tail,” I said to them while smiling. Giving their own set of smiles, Natsu nodded while Happy cheered from behind him, “Alright, new member! You won’t regret it for a single second. Trust me!” I sure hope so. The two then began to tell me about their guild. From what I understood, Fairy Tail was supposedly the strongest guild in Fiore, the country that we were currently in. Taking note that I should probably get my hands on a map, I continued to listen. At this point of our conversation, we were already on the move. We trekked through the town and stopped occasionally by shops and vendors that sold various items that were understandably unknown to me. It was all very interesting to see but felt like this was only the tip of the iceberg. “Oh yeah, Natsu. Weren’t we supposed to be looking for someone in Hargeon?” Happy asked his friend. Natsu stopped and perked up in realization, “Right, Igneel! I nearly forgot that that’s what we’re supposed to be doing!” How could you almost forget that you’re searching for someone? I ended up following them around town as they were looking and calling out for this “Salamander” character. They were apparently very important to the two for whatever reason. Since it was none of my business, I didn’t ask about them. We ended up walking through an alleyway that opened up to another section of the town. Happy looked to be a little worn out while Natsu kept on shouting out for their missing friend. “It’s been nearly an hour, and still no Salamander in sight,” Happy moaned tiredly. “Come on, little buddy. We can keep trying! This guy’s gotta be Igneel, right?” Natsu questioned. Happy nodded, “Yeah! I doubt a fire dragon would be anyone but Igneel.” I paused in my step and turned my head towards the blue feline, “Wait, did you just say a fire-?” “Kyaaaa! Salamander!” A group of what sounded like women yelled in the distance, interrupting me. The three of us looked at each other before running ahead and found a mob of women surrounding an unknown male with a cape. He had short blue hair and a strange tattoo above his right eye. He wore a purple long coat, wine red trousers and black shoes. On his wrists were several gold bracelets and a pair of rings on two fingers on his right hand. I narrowed my eyes, noticing that amongst the crowd of screaming fangirls was a blonde who did nothing but stare at the man with a blush on her face. It was weird to me that she was the only one who stood out from the rest of them. “Can it be? Igneel! Hey, Igneel!” Natsu suddenly shouted as he and Happy approached the scene. “I guess we’re getting involved,” I muttered, following the two closely behind. While doing so, I kept my eyes on the blonde and saw that whatever stupor she was stuck in she snapped out of it thanks to Natsu's shouting and looked shocked. There was definitely something going on right here. I then looked toward the blue-haired guy as I grew suspicious of him. He already appeared sketchy as hell just based on his looks alone, but now there’s more to it. Natsu pushed past the crowd of people and once he got a good look at the man, his smile turned into a dull and disappointed look, “Who the heck are you?” That shocked the guy who appeared offended, “Who am I?! I’m Salamander! Surely that rings a bell or two.” During the middle of his sentence, Natsu opted to just walk away. I then watched as the horde of women jumped and beat him for disrespecting “Salamander” like that. I wanted to help him out, but the sight of Natsu getting pummeled like that was so ridiculous that it probably wasn’t worth using the plates. “What’s wrong with you people?!” Natsu shouted, but more in annoyance than fright. Salamander quelled the girls’ anger and offered Natsu an autograph, but after he rejected it, he received another beating from the crazy fans. “I guess we got the wrong person,” Happy finally said. “You think?” I asked rhetorically. I went to help Natsu up as this “Salamander” guy prepared to leave. “I’m having a party on my ship this evening. Everyone, please attend! Red Carpet!" A red magic seal appeared from underneath him and he was carried away by a ring of purple fire. I watched as he began heading towards the direction of the docks. Me and Natsu met back up with Happy as everything seemed to have died down. What a weird turn of events, and all within a couple of minutes. “Who the heck was that guy?” Natsu asked in a huff. I shook my head, “It’s one of those things where it’s best not to ask too many questions. You’ll get no answers." "Aye…" “Geez, what a scumbag.” We turned to see the blonde girl from earlier approach us. She wore a sleeveless white and blue shirt along with a short blue skirt held by a belt with a ring that had several gold and silver keys. There was also a black whip on her hip. She smiled at us in a friendly manner, “Thanks for helping me out there, even though you probably didn’t mean to. My name’s Lucy! I know I may not look like it, but I’m a wizard, too. Now how can I make it up to you guys?” The four of us wound up at a restaurant somewhere in town. Lucy apparently wanted to treat us to a meal as thanks for earlier. Some of the items I wasn’t too familiar with, but I did order what looked to be a steak dinner with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Lucy ordered a simple dish like mine, but the same couldn’t be said for the other two. It was literally a mountain of food. Natsu and Happy were scarfing it down like the fate of the world depended on them. It was quite a grotesque sight, seeing food flying everywhere as their eating sounded like beasts in the night. “You know how you said I wouldn’t regret it for a single second… I’m beginning to doubt those words,” I spoke, getting Natsu’s attention for a split second before he went right back in. Lucy, who was sitting beside me, was also staring at them with a bit of disgust as I glanced at her and cleared my throat before addressing her, “So, you mentioned that you’re a wizard? Does that mean you’re searching for a guild to join or are you already a part of one?” “I’m currently looking for a guild,” she replied with a smile. “Really? Then you’re just like David over here, then. He’s also a traveling wizard,” Natsu said while munching on a piece of meat. “That reminds me, you never mentioned what magic you use. What is your magic, David?” Happy inquired. Natsu and Lucy looked at me in curiosity. I was at a loss on what to say exactly. It's not like I can just explain everything to them right here. Looks like I have to come up with another cover story on the spot. "My magic is…pretty complicated. By that I mean it's something with a lot of potential. I really can't explain it in full detail, but I'd like to think that it's very powerful at least," I answered finally. Seeing their somewhat satisfied looks, I quickly diverted the conversation from me, "Alright, so what's the deal with that Salamander guy? He clearly was using some kind of magic." "He was using Charm magic to trick those girls into falling for him, but that was outlawed several years ago by the Magic Council so he must've pulled a few strings in order to get his hands on it. As for the guild, I'm going to join the most popular one in all of Fiore and they're always featured in Sorcerer Weekly!" Lucy began to gush after her explanation. The most popular guild in Fiore? Was she talking about Fairy Tail by any chance? "You talk a lot," Happy noted in a dull tone. I looked at Natsu and made up my mind, "I've been holding back since I didn't want to pry, but I have to ask: who is Igneel exactly? Was Happy telling the truth about some fire dragon?" "Wait, what?!" Lucy yelled suddenly at my mentioning of a dragon. Natsu nodded as if it was no big deal, "Yup! Igneel isn't some random wizard—he's a dragon. We came to Hargeon after hearing a rumor about a sighting somewhere in town." Lucy jumped up in her seat from shock, "Seriously? But dragons haven't been seen for over 400 years! Why would a fire dragon be in the middle of town?" The two were about to say something but then realized that she may have had a point, "It's totally ridiculous!" She finished. Speaking of dragons, I wonder how the people of this world would react to some of the Dragon type Pokemon in the game. Dragonite, Salamence and Garchomp all came to mind. That seemed like an interesting visual. Everyone finished their meals and Lucy got up to leave, "Well my wallet is dead, but hopefully this was enough to pay you back. I guess I'll see you around." I waved goodbye, thinking we would never meet again.