Latest update: March 20, 2025
Summary:A man falls through a portal that he shouldn't have, and he ends up in a completely different world. But even with his memories scattered and lost, remnants of his past still leaks through – and his former instincts are retained. Now in a new world, he sets off for another adventure so that he might just find himself once again. Or perhaps, what he had lost.
An OC-Insert into Pokémon. Updates every Wednesday (until TNN is finished, then Mon/Fri).
Link spacebattles.com/threads/a-new-world-pok%C3%A9mon- oc-insert.1278710/reader/
Word count:87k
Chapters:20
A New World – 1-1 – The Faller
(Lusamine POV)
As soon as she had received the alert that a portal had opened up above the Aether Paradise, she rushed out of her office, sprinting as fast as her legs would take her, as she made her way to where their machine had detected the portal had appeared.
Was he finally coming back? Did her years of patience finally bear fruit? Was she about to see her husband again?
Eventually, now out of breath, she arrived at the west wing of their artificial island, and with her heart pounding out of chest – both from the exhaustion and the anticipation – she turned the corner, hoping to see the familiar mop of untidy blonde hair that she had once fallen deeply in love with.
Only, instead of the blonde hair that she was expecting, she was met with a strange looking man with bleached white hair.
He was tall, taller than Mohn was, and he was of much slimmer build too. His face too was sharper and more angled – completely different to Mohn's.
Her heart sank to the ground as she realised that her hopes had once again been dashed.
This man was not her husband.
She raged silently in despair and disappointment – how many more years would she have to wait for his return? She was tired of spending all those sleepless nights alone.
And she was tired of failing.
Again and again.
Unable to rescue her husband like the terrible wife she was.
But she managed to swallow that familiar feeling of disappointment and bitter regret as she finally looked at the unknown man in front of her.
Now that she had a proper look, she realised that he was middle-aged, with a severe and slightly intense expression on his face. Though that intensity was muted by the look of sheer confusion that lined his face. The man was looking around slowly, as if trying to come to terms with his new surroundings.
He didn't even acknowledge her presence.
She decided to change that with a deliberate cough, catching his attention.
"Sir. Please, don't be afraid. You're in safe hands here." She said gently, trying to sound as sincere and as helpful as she could while holding down the resentment and bitterness at the fact that this man was not her husband.
"…Where am I?" The man asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Lusamine. I'm the president of the Aether Foundation. We're currently in the region of Alola, and we're here on the Aether Paradise." She explained slowly, "Is any of that familiar to you?"
The man's face scrunched up in thought, before eventually shaking his head, "…No. That's not familiar at all. In fact, I… I can't remember anything. I…" A look of horrified realisation came across his face, "...I don't even remember my name." As he said that, he fell to his knees as he clutched onto his head.
She quickly spoke up before he could spiral into a full-on panic attack, "Please, sir, I know the situation is difficult, but please try to stay calm. You're a Faller. Losing memories is common. I know it's tough, but please don't panic."
Hearing her words, the man took a deep and steadying breath. After a few of those, he seemed to steady himself, and his eyes regained a sense of calm as he looked back at her.
"…Can you explain further?"
She nodded, "A Faller is someone who has, for reasons that we still do not understand, fallen through an interdimensional portal. We don't really understand the science behind it, as we suspect that this has to do with the power of a Legendary, but nevertheless, Fallers all exhibit amnesia. Without fail, all observed Fallers have forgotten their past identities and memories, outside of a few snippets of their previous life."
"In other words, my situation is nothing extraordinary." He finished for her, "And you have procedures for this."
"Yes, that's right." She confirmed, "So, don't you worry, we will make sure that you are properly accommodated—"
"And yet, why are you staring at me with such mixed emotions?" The man suddenly asked, his eyes now much more piercing than they were previously, "The way you're looking at me… it's like I have done something to trigger an emotional reaction in you. And it's not relief, but something more… bitter."
She startled for a moment, not expecting to see him to see through her.
She forced her lips into a frown as she hid her surprise, "That's not true. I was just expressing my concern for your situation – empathising with you. That's all."
The man didn't seem like he believed her words, though he did not try to push further.
Instead, he switched topics entirely, "So what happens now? What are my options as a man who doesn't even remember who they are."
"The International Police would have already gotten an alert for your arrival." She explained, "They'll probably ask you a few routine questions. Otherwise, you'll likely be released back into society."
"With nothing to my name – a name which I don't even remember." He remarked bitterly, "Fine then. I suppose I can only play with the cards I'm dealt."
"…Or, there is another option." She added after a moment, "You can join me. Under the Aether Foundation. As an employee of mine."
"…That's quite generous." He noted slowly, "Do you always offer such generous terms to someone you've just met? Or is it just me that's 'special'?"
"You seem to be quite sceptical for someone with no memories." She fired back, "I was just trying to offer a helping hand to someone who I saw would need it. You're free to reject it if you're not comfortable with it."
"Then what would I have to do if I was your 'employee'?" He asked, "I don't even know what your so-called 'Aether Foundation' even does."
"We're a non-profit organisation that's dedicated to the wellbeing and treatment of abused Pokémon." She explained, "Currently, our operations only cover the region of Alola, but we're looking to expand into other areas too. Of course, we're also a research company as well – with an emphasis on technologies that prioritise Pokémon well-being."
"Very noble." He remarked, and she almost felt like he meant it, "And yet you still have not answered my first question. What would my duties be as your employee?"
"The same as every other member of Aether Foundation. You'd be expected to help out with operations, help supervise and take care of the abused Pokémon, and so on. It just depends on what we think you'd be suited for." She said, "But you also might be assigned to some special duties too—"
"You mean a 'test subject'." He interrupted, "That's why you're so insistent in hiring me on, aren't you? You think that my status as a 'Faller' is important, and you want to run some tests on me."
"That's right." She didn't see any point of trying to hide it, since she wouldn't be able to hide it from him when they began running the tests anyways. So she might as well be upfront with it since he would find out anyways. And she wasn't cruel enough to force him into the tests without his consent.
Though the man in front of her was proving to be a lot more observant than she had expected.
Perhaps he was a detective of some sorts before?
But either way, it wasn't like she had any bad intentions for him. She just wanted to see if she could learn anything that could bring her closer to Mohn.
"And naturally, you'll be well compensated if you accept. More than the International Police will offer you. If nothing else, you can take that money and use it to start your life anew." She continued, "Furthermore, since the International Police will be keeping an eye on you anyways, you won't have to worry about me suddenly 'disappearing' you or anything – not that I would do such a thing – since they'll be actively looking out for your wellbeing."
He snorted, "…I suppose that's better than nothing."
There was a moment of silence between them before he spoke up again, "As much as I appreciate your offer, I won't accept it yet. I'll have to speak with the International Police first. Just in case."
"That's fine." She accepted that; it was understandable for him to be wary, "I'll just wait for your reply then."
Though she didn't show it on her face, she really did hope that he would accept her offer. Having a Faller so easily accessible to her should prove very useful for her own private research.
Maybe the man in front of her could help her rescue Mohn.
She really hoped he could.
She was broken out of her thoughts as an alert beeped out on her phone, and she took a quick glance at it.
"It seems like the International Police are already here." She said, "Like I said, they're going to want to talk to you."
"Are they going to cuff me?" He asked.
She shook her head, "No, you're not a criminal. They'll just want to ask some questions and make sure they've documented your arrival. That's all."
He chuckled bitterly, "Small mercies, then. Glad to know that my first interaction with this new world isn't to be placed in cuffs. That would make for an unfortunate first impression."
They both stood there in silence for a moment, with both of them not really knowing what to say. However, in a moment of empathy, she felt like she had to say one more thing.
"…I know this might not mean much from me, but if it's any consolation, while I cannot promise you that you'll get your memory back, I can at least be confident that you'll be able to rebuild your life. It won't be easy, and I'm sure you'll have to struggle and fight for it, but you can build back a good life for yourself. I know you must have lost a lot, but I'm sure you can gain it back in this new world."
"Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment." The man shot her a small, yet genuine smile. It was the first actual positive expression she had seen on his face ever since she had first spoken to him.
For some reason, that single, legitimate smile resonated deeply within her.
It was a reminder that for all the good that Aether Foundation was doing in general, it was equally as important that she herself was willing to extend out a helping hand to help and offer kindness when needed.
Yes, finding and reuniting with Mohn was ultimately her greatest priority. And yet, helping the man in front of her – a man with absolutely nothing to his name, a name that he didn't even have – was a brief reminder that it could not be her sole focus.
It was a small reminder that she had to continue actively upholding the Aether Foundation and its values too.
And she would start with the man in front of her.
==================
(???'s POV)
Just as Lusamine said, a man came over to pick me up, who introduced himself as a member of the International Police.
He called himself 'Looker'.
He was a man that looked unassuming; almost harmless, even. He had a friendly smile and a rather clumsy and easy-going demeanour. At first glance, I would have never known that he was a member of the police.
And yet, his eyes told a completely different story.
After looking past the false smiles and the exaggerated gestures of friendliness, I caught his eyes subtly roaming over my form, taking in my every expression – my every movement, as he observed every little detail about me. It was as if he was trying to build a profile of me in his own head.
It told me that his mind was far sharper than his appearance might suggest.
It spoke of his experience and veterancy, and I quickly understood why he was a member of such a prestigious-sounding organisation if he had skills like that.
This was a man I could not underestimate.
Though I didn't allow any of that to show on my face. I kept on a mostly blank expression as he brought me into a waiting room in the International Police's office building, where he sat me down and explain to me a lot of the things that Lusamine had already explained, such as what I was as a 'Faller'.
After that, he handed me some food and drinks before passing over a long, multi-paged, questionnaire which he asked me to fill out.
It wasn't anything difficult – it was just something that was meant to test my memory. It ranged from questions about basic demographic information, such as what I remembered about myself and my interests, to questions about the world, to questions about Pokémon and being a trainer.
Unsurprisingly, I wasn't able to fill out anything related to the demographic and geographical information. For the former, I simply didn't know anything about myself. For the latter, none of the regions' names were all that familiar to me. Or if they were, I couldn't tell if they were actually familiar to me or if I was deluding myself into thinking that they were.
However, I was surprised at the fact that I actually recalled many things about being a trainer. Not the Pokémon themselves, but I still remembered all of the type matchups. The answers came to me instinctively – as if I had already known this for a very long time.
Did that suggest that I was a veteran trainer in the past?
…I felt like it did. I didn't know how successful I was, but I felt like I was at least more than experienced.
I had to be at least a decent trainer to know this much.
That was, at least, somewhat reassuring.
Once that was done, I was taken into another room where they did a lot of physical examinations of me, and that was where I saw my own appearance for the very first time.
With hair as white as snow, and a body and face that I didn't recognise – I felt… uncomfortable, staring at my own reflection.
Was that really me?
It really didn't look like me. Not that I remembered what I looked like, but for some reason, I didn't think the person in the mirror was me.
Why?
Who was I?
Eventually, the scientists came back and told me that, amnesia aside, I was in perfect health. Furthermore, they aged me to be around my late twenties or early thirties – which matched my own thoughts when I saw myself in the reflection.
Once those tests were all done, I found myself seated in front of Looker once again, who was browsing through my file with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Sorry that you had to go through all that. But we just had to tick all of the boxes – make sure we didn't miss anything." He said, "You never know if there were any concerns that need to be addressed right away!"
I nodded, "So what happens now?"
"Well, now we finalize who you are." He said with a comforting smile, "I know you're probably feeling really disoriented right now, but coming up with an identity and a name is sadly not something we can just delay. We're going to have to ask you to decide that now."
I nodded again, this time slower, as I began to think up a name.
But despite what felt like minutes ticking by, I never managed to come up with a name for myself. Not only because I was distracted by other thoughts, but also because I couldn't think of a name that suited me.
Furthermore, deciding on a name now… it felt like I was overriding whatever life I once had. Because the name I chose now would very likely not be the same as the name that I had before.
So I felt that getting a new name would be an admission of sorts that my past life was now gone.
And a part of me did not want to admit that.
"…I know it's tough." Looker must have seen my hesitation, "You aren't the first Faller I've spoken with – none of them had an easy time choosing a new name for themselves. I know you must be thinking something along the lines of not wanting to give up your past life, right?"
"I am." I replied.
He smiled ruefully, "Well I can't really make things easier for you in that sense, but if it's any help, we've come up with a list of names that might be suitable for you." He handed over a sheet of paper to me, "If you really can't think of one yourself, maybe you can choose one from this list."
I accepted the paper and read through it, going over all of the name suggestions.
Most of them did not catch my eye, and I was probably being especially picky since I was still hung up with not wanting to choose a new name for myself.
…But I was eventually able to get over myself. There was no point in wallowing in self-pity and allowing that to hold myself back.
I wouldn't get anywhere if all I did was mope around and be sad for myself.
So I swallowed and suppressed my own emotions. It was not the time for that.
And, eventually, I came across a name. It was a name that, for some reason, resonated with a part of me – causing it to stand out from the rest.
It was a name that I felt suited me more than all the others. One that I felt comfortable with adopting.
"Elio." I stated firmly, as if making sure that the world itself heard and heeded my new name, "My name shall be Elio."
Looker nodded and noted that down, "And surname?"
"Fall." I stated, equally as firmly.
Looker looked up, "Are you sure about that?" He asked uncertainly, "Most Fallers wouldn't want to have the fact that they are one advertised to the public. You can pick a… more obscure surname if you wanted."
I shook my head, "The public will find out anyways, so I might as well own up to it. It'd be better this way."
And it would be a name that they would remember.
He shrugged, "If that's what you want, then go for it. Don't let me stop you."
He took a quick moment to note down my new name.
"…Right then, it's nice to meet you, Elio." He smiled at me once he was done, "I do apologise for the loss you must have suffered through, but for whatever it's worth, I do hope you come to enjoy your new life in our world."
"Thank you." I could tell he was being sincere, "I will… do my best. I won't waste my second chance, even if I don't know why I have been granted one."
"That's the spirit." He nodded approvingly, "Now, there's just a few things I have to go through with you before I can send you on your way. First, for all Fallers, the International Police does offer some basic employment positions to help get you started. What this means is that you'll be working in a basic role, but it'll be enough to give you a basic salary and a place to live while you get yourself settled in this new world. And if you do well, you might even find yourself promoted up the ranks."
"However, I know that you've already got another offer from Ms. Lusamine. So, you're of course free to take that instead if you're more comfortable with that." He said.
I leaned forwards, "Actually, could you tell me more about the Aether Foundation? What is it that they do? And are they trustworthy?"
"…I can't say I'm the most familiar with them – though that's only because it was only recently that I was transferred to Alola. I used to work elsewhere." He explained, "However, if you want my opinion… I would say that they are exactly as they advertise themselves to be. For the moment, I don't see them being anything other than the charitable institution they say they are. Though of course, make sure you keep your eyes open and trust in your own instincts. Just because something looks shiny and pretty on the surface doesn't mean it actually is."
He must have been speaking from experience, but obviously, I had no idea what he was referring to.
Nevertheless, his assessment of Aether Foundation was enough for me. I couldn't fully explain it, but I felt that choosing to work under the Aether Foundation, to take up Lusamine's offer, was the better choice.
I just felt that it would give me more opportunities instead of working for the International Police.
"Then I'll choose to work with the Aether Foundation." I stated.
He nodded, "Okay. I'll make a note of that." He wrote that down too, "But – there's one final thing, since your situation is a little different from normal."
I tilted my head, "Can you explain further?"
"I should have explained this earlier. Basically, all Fallers, for reasons that we still don't know, are tainted by this unknown energy that we suspect is probably from when they fell through the interdimensional portal." He explained, "However, as a consequence of that, Fallers are also beacons for Ultra Beasts – which are interdimensional creatures that breach into our world every so often – and are attacked by them."
"…Are these 'Ultra Beasts' dangerous?" I asked.
"Only in very big numbers. In a small group, they can be taken down quite handily by a dozen veteran trainers or so. Fortunately, their appearances are very rare, and they've never shown up in big numbers before." He said, "But that's why we always keep Fallers under observation – just in case they provoke this kind of invasion. We suspect that this tainted energy that Fallers emit is what attracts these Ultra Beasts."
"However, your situation is different." He continued, "Unlike every other Faller we've come across so far – which admittedly, isn't a lot – you don't give off this energy at all. So you don't serve as a beacon for Ultra Beasts. Instead, our scans show that you actually emit a different energy – one that we don't recognise either."
I frowned, "Should I be concerned?"
"…Not really. It could very well be that you got lucky and weren't tainted with the same energies that the others were. And we've tripled check that whatever energy you emit is harmless to both humans and Pokémon, so you don't have to worry about that." He said, "Though for safety's sake, we will still have to keep tabs on your whereabouts just in case. Don't worry, it won't be anything overly intrusive, so we won't be putting a tracker on you or anything like that. Instead, you'll just be expected to inform us of the region you're in, and if you ever go to a new region, you'll be expected to report that too to your handler – who will be me."
"Okay." I accepted that requirement easily. It wasn't bad at all.
"Good. In that case, we're done here. I won't waste any more of your time." He stood up and extended out a hand for me to shake, "Once again, welcome to our world, Elio. On behalf of the Leagues, and on a personal basis, I wish you all the best."
I shook his hand, "Thank you. I hope so too."
He then escorted me out of the building, where I found a person from the Aether Foundation already waiting for me. Someone must have already informed them of my decision to accept Lusamine's offer.
The employee gestured for me to follow after them as we boarded onto a ship that was departing to Aether Paradise.
As we did, I took a moment to glance up to the afternoon sky above, and I basked in the shining and golden rays of sunlight that bathed over us.
I admired the shimmering blue waves crashing softly against the glimmering beach.
I listened to the melodic ambience of Pokémon sounds that echoed all over the place.
And in that moment, I finally accepted that I was in a whole new world. With all that entailed.
My past, and whatever I had achieved in it, was now lost to me. And would likely be lost for the foreseeable future. If it was ever going to be recoverable at all.
However, despite this, I made a vow to myself.
I would find out about my past.
I would find out why I had suddenly come into this world.
And for the sake of the man that I was, I would make something out of myself in this world – to make sure that I did not waste this second chance.
This I promised on my new name as Elio.