When I was little, I used to play in the fields more than any other kid on my street. I used to run around and play with any Pokémon I could find. Even when I wasn’t allowed out because of the weather my father let me play with his. They were big and scary when I was tiny, but I got to know them just like any other.

There was always this one kid I’d play with though, a weird one who never talked about parents, his home, or any friends either. So I asked him if I could be his friend, and all of these Pokémon I’d never seen showed up, it was crazy. The kid explained that they were his oldest friends, he’d been asked to not talk about them, and if I wanted to be his friend, I had to be friends with them too. Of course I said yes. What little boy would say no to seeing more of what he hasn’t seen? We all got along so well, spending the whole night in the forest.

That’s all I can remember from childhood. It’s a weird one, I know, but the next memories I have are when I was a teenager. Going to school, getting my grades, the usual for someone who wanted to be a little more academic. Mum stopped talking about Dad, but I never asked why. She looked too sad whenever she looked at the Poké Balls he left behind. I didn’t trust myself to look after them either because I was so busy with school.

I moved to Unova when I was 20. I’d earned enough money from working part time at the Hammerlocke bistro while getting my research qualifications. My co-workers always teased me about how much I’d talk about Unova but truth be told I could never be honest with why I wanted to go: I didn’t know why, it just felt like the right place.

I settled into a flat in Nuvema Town, there’s a world-renowned researcher here but I want to study on my own schedule, so I’m purely independent. By that I mean I’m working in Hannah’s café. Yes, another café in another region.

Until I came across a legend that seemed like the answer to all my deep-down questions.

My name is Alec, and this is my report on everything that has transpired over the past two months. I’ve met so many people, so many Pokémon, and explored the region I felt I was destined to understand.