Deep in the forest, with the rustling of bushes under the shadow of the midday sun, a small river flows quietly. On a rock just large enough for a person to lie on rests a young man with messy brown hair and a scruffy three-day beard. His eyebrows are tightly furrowed, as if he were trapped in a nightmare or suffering from deep pain.
But as time passes, his expression slowly begins to relax. His eyelids tremble, and against the bright sunlight his eyes open—green, shining like the finest emeralds.
"Shit… what a fever dream."
"I should really keep my hands off alcohol."
"Where am I, anyway?"
He groans and rubs his forehead.
"Strange… is that a river? It feels like I'm getting old. No matter how much I used to drink, I always somehow made it home. And now I wake up in the middle of a forest?"
"No, get it together, André. First figure out where you are."
With trembling legs and arms, he slowly pushes himself up until he is standing.
"Huh… that was harder than I expected."
"So… where am I?"
With a questioning look, André scans his surroundings. But all he can see are trees, bushes, the river, stones, and large rocks.
"I must have ended up in the middle of nowhere. Great."
"How am I supposed to find my way back to civilization now? I think I once heard something about following rivers… though I'm not completely sure anymore. I wish I had paid more attention in class."
"Well, whatever. I'll just follow the river."
So André begins walking along the river with still somewhat unsteady steps, not noticing that a red-and-white shadow is watching him from a distance and quietly following him along the riverbank.
"I've been walking forever and there's still no end in sight. I don't even understand how I managed to wander this far off while drunk. I also don't remember there being such a huge forest anywhere near where I live."
"I've been walking for at least twenty minutes and haven't seen anyone. It's almost creepy how quiet this forest is."
"And of course I don't have any signal either…"
He sighs, looking down at the water.
"But I have to admit, the river water is incredibly clear. You can see all the way to the bottom, like it has never been touched by humans. And the trees here are unusually tall…"
"What kind of mess did I get myself into?"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he hears a rustling behind him.
The sound makes him flinch.
"What the—?"
Startled, he spins around.
And what he sees scares him even more.
Not even eight meters away from him sits a red dog with white fur around its head. The fur is so thick that its eyes are almost completely hidden.
"What the actual hell…?"
His eyes widen in disbelief.
"I'm… in the Pokémon world.
"Deep in the forest the river kept flowing, its quiet murmuring the only sound around André.
He was still staring at the red dog in disbelief.
The creature tilted its head slightly. Thick fur framed its face, and behind it André could barely make out curious eyes.
"...Growlithe," André whispered.
For a moment neither of them moved.
Growlithe watched him carefully, but it didn't growl or bare its teeth. Instead its fluffy tail swayed slowly from side to side.
André rubbed his face.
"Okay… okay… either I'm still dreaming… or I'm actually in the Pokémon world."
Growlithe let out a small bark.
"Grow!"
André laughed nervously.
"Yeah, great. Even the Pokémon agrees."
For a few seconds he considered running. But where would he run? He had already walked along the river for what felt like forever and hadn't seen a single sign of civilization.
Growlithe suddenly stood up.
The Pokémon looked at him for a moment… then slowly turned and began walking along the riverbank.
After a few steps it stopped and looked back at him.
As if waiting.
André blinked.
"...Are you telling me to follow you?"
Growlithe wagged its tail.
André sighed.
"Well… it's not like I have a better plan."
So he followed.
They walked for quite a while. Growlithe always stayed a few meters ahead of him, occasionally looking back to make sure André was still there.
The forest slowly began to feel less quiet.
Bird Pokémon chirped somewhere high in the trees, and once André thought he saw something small jump between the branches.
Eventually Growlithe stopped near a clearing.
There were berry bushes growing near the edge of the river.
Growlithe walked over to them and carefully picked some berries with its mouth before dropping them onto the grass.
Then it nudged one toward André.
André stared.
"You… brought me food?"
Growlithe barked happily.
"Grow!"
André chuckled softly.
"Well… thanks."
He sat down on the grass and picked up one of the berries.
It tasted sweet and slightly sour, but honestly it was the best thing he had eaten all day.
Growlithe lay down beside him, chewing happily on its own berries.
For a while they just sat there in comfortable silence, eating.
André looked over at the Pokémon.
"You know… if I really am stuck in this world…"
Growlithe looked up at him.
"…then I guess I could use a friend."
Growlithe's tail wagged faster.
André smiled.
"Yeah. I think I'd like that."
He held out his hand carefully.
Growlithe sniffed it.
Then it licked his hand.
André laughed.
"Alright. I'll take that as a yes."
Night slowly fell over the forest.
The sky above the trees filled with stars.
André had gathered some dry sticks, and with Growlithe's help—mostly a careful little ember from its mouth—they managed to start a small fire.
The flames crackled softly.
Growlithe curled up next to him, its fur warm against his side.
André leaned back against a rock and looked up at the sky.
"You know… back home you could barely see the stars."
Growlithe followed his gaze.
The night sky above them was unbelievably clear. Thousands of stars shimmered like tiny lights across the darkness.
André gently wrapped an arm around Growlithe's fluffy neck.
The Pokémon didn't mind at all. Instead it snuggled closer, resting its head against his shoulder.
"Guess it's not the worst place to end up," André murmured.
Growlithe made a quiet, content sound.
For a long time they just watched the stars.
Eventually André's eyes grew heavy.
The fire burned low.
Growlithe shifted slightly, curling closer against him.
Arm in arm—with André's arm around the warm Pokémon and Growlithe pressed comfortably against his side—they slowly drifted off to sleep under the endless sky full of stars.
And for the first time since waking up in that strange forest…
André didn't feel lost anymore.