Footsteps echoed down the narrow corridor, barely audible over the blaring emergency alarms. Gary sprinted, his hand clasped tightly around his sister's as red warning lights flickered on and off. The ship groaned beneath them, lurching violently to one side.
"Keep running, Gary!" Daisy shouted, trying to steady her as the floor pitched again.
A thunderous crack tore through the air. The hallway split with a sickening grind of metal. Gary's feet slid out from under him as the floor shifted—and then, with a horrible jolt, the ship broke in two.
"GARY!" Daisy screamed, her hand slipping from his as the ground between them crumbled. Gary tumbled backward, landing hard on the slanted floor of his side of the wreck.
The space between them widened, smoke and seawater already beginning to pour in. Daisy scrambled to her feet on the other side, reaching out with a trembling hand.
"Gary! Jump to me, now!"
Gary blinked, dazed by the fall, but the urgency in his sister's voice cut through the panic. His side of the ship creaked again, tilting lower. The water was rising fast.
He backed up a few steps, then sprinted toward the ledge.
He didn't know if he'd make it.
Gary ran with everything he had. As he reached the edge, he launched himself forward, arms outstretched toward Daisy. For a split second, he felt weightless. He was going to make it.
But the gap was too wide.
His fingers barely brushed hers before he fell short, slamming into the jagged edge of the broken deck. Metal scraped against his arms as he scrambled for a grip. The ocean roared beneath him, dark and hungry.
"Gary!" Daisy dropped to her knees, grabbing his wrist just in time.
"I've got you!" she cried, her voice raw with fear. She pulled with all her strength, but the ship groaned again, the section beneath Gary shifting lower into the sea.
A wave crashed against the side, soaking them both. Gary's grip slipped.
"No—Gary, hold on!"
"I'm trying!" he shouted, gritting his teeth. But his body was heavy, soaked, and the broken edge offered no hold.
Another wave slammed into him—this one stronger—and Gary's fingers slipped from Daisy's hand.
He plunged into the freezing sea.
"GARY!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary gasped as cold air stung his face. He jolted awake, coughing up seawater, his body trembling from the chill. Blinking against the harsh sunlight, he looked up into the wrinkled face of an older man kneeling beside him.
"Easy there, lad," the man said gently, giving Gary a small shake. "Are you all right?"
Gary coughed again, groaning. "I… I think so," he mumbled, voice thick and hoarse. His head was pounding. Everything felt distant—like a dream fading just out of reach. "Everything's… fuzzy."
The older man looked around, then back down at him, concern etched into his features. "What are you doing out here on the beach, son? What's your name? "
Gary sat up slowly, head swimming. He squinted at the man, trying to focus, but the world felt blurred, disjointed. A faint voice echoed in his mind.
Gary!
His eyes widened. He turned toward the man, his expression uncertain. "I… I think my name is Gary."
The man furrowed his brow. "'You think'? Are you saying you don't know?"
"I don't know!" Gary's voice cracked with panicked yell. " I can't remember anything!"
His breaths came fast and shallow. The man moved closer, placing a firm but reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Hey now, it's all right," he said calmly. "You've been through a lot. My name's Professor Cedric Juniper. My lab's just a few minutes' walk from here. Come on lad let's get you dried off, warm, and into some clean clothes. We'll sort things out, one step at a time."
Gary nodded numbly, still trembling, unsure of what had happened or who he truly was.
But one thing was certain: he was alone, and his past was missing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a short walk they finally made it back to the lab, the doors sliding open with a soft hiss as Cedric Juniper led Gary inside. The old professor motioned for Gary to sit down on the couch near the wall, then took a seat across from him with a thoughtful expression.
Cedric smiled gently. "Hold on, son. I'm going to call a few people."
He pulled out his Xtransceiver, tapping quickly through his contacts until his daughter's face appeared on the screen.
"Aurea," he said as soon as the call connected. "We've got a situation here. I need you at the lab."
Her voice came through a little distorted. "Dad, I'm in the middle of something right now. Can it wait?"
"I wouldn't be calling if it could," Cedric replied. "I think you'll want to see this."
Aurea gave a short sigh, then nodded. "Alright, I'll be there shortly. Just… don't start without me."
The call ended, and Cedric didn't waste a second. He immediately tapped his next contact: Officer Jenny.
Her professional voice answered, "Nuvema Town Police Station, Officer Jenny speaking."
"Jenny, it's Cedric Juniper. I need you to come up to the lab as soon as you can. We've got a bit of a situation."
There was a brief pause on her end. "What kind of situation?"
"I'll explain when you get here. It involves a kid—might be a missing person."
That got her attention. "I'm on my way."
Not fifteen minutes had passed before the sound of a motorbike engine grew louder outside the lab. Moments later, the front doors slid open, and Officer Jenny stepped inside, her uniform crisp and her expression alert.
Cedric met her at the entrance. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
"You said something about a missing kid?" she asked, already pulling a small notepad from her pocket.
He nodded and gestured for her to follow. "Yeah, I found him near the outskirts of Route 1. I had heard reports of a pod of Lapras was migrating through the Unova. The boy was just laying motionless in the sand. He gave me the scare of a lifetime."
They walked over to the couch where Gary sat, looking around the lab with quiet curiosity. He glanced up as they approached.
"Gary," Cedric said gently, "this is Officer Jenny. She just wants to ask you a few questions, okay?"
Gary nodded slowly, his posture guarded but cooperative.
Jenny knelt slightly to meet his eye level, her voice softening. "Hey there, Gary. Can you tell me your full name?"
He hesitated. "…Gary. That's all I remember."
Jenny frowned slightly but kept her tone calm. "Okay, that's alright. Do you know where you're from?"
He shook his head. "No..."
Cedric folded his arms, watching with a troubled expression.
Jenny continued, flipping to a fresh page in her notepad. "Do you remember what you were doing before you woke up? Traveling, maybe? Were you with anyone?"
Gary's brow furrowed, frustration flickering across his face. "I don't know. I feel like I was… running…someone was calling my name. But it's all blurry."
Jenny glanced at Cedric. "We'll run his name through the system, see if anyone's reported him missing."
Cedric nodded. "I appreciate your help."
Jenny gave Gary a reassuring smile. "We're going to help you figure this out, okay? Just hang in there."
Gary didn't reply, but the look in his eyes said enough—he wanted answers just as much as they did.
Officer Jenny spoke calmly into her radio as she walked Gary through the station doors, her free hand steady on his back.
"I've got a young male, possibly injured, very disoriented. Looks about grade school age probably 7 or 8. Get someone from the clinic down here to the professors lab."
Gary sat stiffly on the bench, eyes scanning the unfamiliar laboratory. His muscles ached, and there was a dull throb at the base of his skull. He didn't remember falling, but something must've happened.
Minutes later, the door opened and a middle-aged woman in a white coat stepped in, stethoscope swinging from her neck.
"I'm Dr. Tanimoto," she said gently, kneeling in front of him. "Can you tell me your name?"
Gary hesitated. "Gary," he said. It came out hoarse.
She smiled. "Good. And do you know where you are?"
His mouth opened, but no words came. The silence stretched. Jenny and the doctor exchanged a glance.
Gary frowned, brows furrowing as he tried to reach for something—anything. His mind was a blur of waves, firelight, voices too distant to hold onto.
"I… don't know."
The doctor placed a hand on his arm. "It's okay. It seems like you've been through a lot. We'll take it slow."
Gary stared at the floor, heart pounding. Why couldn't he remember?
Jenny's voice was quieter now. "We'll help you figure it out. You're safe here"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The laboratory was quieter than usual. A boy with no memory, no family nearby, and no clear place to go.
Officer Jenny stood by the door, arms crossed. "We've started the process. Until we can identify him or find relatives, he'll be under care of the state."
Cedric Juniper shared a glance with his daughter.
"Why not let him stay here?" Aurea asked. "He's quiet, respectful, and he's clearly interested in what we do. He even asked about the starter Pokémon."
"No need to bring in strangers," Aurea said, stepping forward. "We have room. He's better off somewhere familiar or at least somewhere with people who understand his world."
Cedric nodded. "We'll take him in."
Jenny gave a faint smile. "I thought you might say that. I'll make a note in the file."
—
Later that evening, the boy sat across from the professors at the dinner table. He held a spoon awkwardly, eyes flicking between them.
"We've got a spare room," Cedric said casually. "It's not much, but it's yours if you want it."
Gary hesitated, then nodded. "I'd… like to stay. Thank you."
—
[A few months later]
The lab was quieter in the evenings, except for the sound of the TV. Cedric and Gary sat on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between them as bright lights flashed across the screen.
"and that's Cameron's Riolu making an incredible comeback in the semifinals of the Vertress Conference!"
Gary leaned forward, eyes wide. "Whoa! Did you see that counterattack?"
Cedric chuckled. "I did. He's got talent, but not a lot of strategy."
Gary's eyes sparkled. "I want to do that. I want to be a trainer."
Cedric glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Really?"
Gary nodded firmly. "I don't know why… but it just feels right."
Cedric smiled. "Then we'll make it happen. You've got four years before you are old enough to start your journey."