Chapter 1: Confusion

A pair of liquid black eyes reluctantly opened. The immediately snapped shut again after contact with the bright light, then inched open once more. The creature moaned. He felt drained, exhausted... And confused. He lay upon thick grass, and as he lifted his head, he could see a lake in front of him.

Okay, this is wrong... he thought, watching as a breeze stirred the surface of the water and shifted the position of a lone cloud overhead. A shout from behind caused him to jump.

"Hey, Megaman!"

He looked around. A brunette boy with chocolate colored eyes and a blue bandana tied round his head stood there, smiling as he said, "I'm right here."

"Lan! Lan, thank goodness! Something weird is going on. It looks like the human world, and there's no dimensional area... And it's not some weird place on the net, cause you're here..." cried Megaman, leaping up. Lan had a confused look on his face.

"Uh... Megaman? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, sounding a little timid.

"Lan, listen to me! I'm talking to you right now! Pay attention!" said megaman, angry at the fact that Lan hadn't grasped his words. Lan stared blankly at him for a minute before speaking again.

"Did I wake you up? Sorry, I didn't know you'd be all cranky."

"I'm not cranky, just confused. Lan, I don't know what's going...hang on..." Megaman paused. "You can't understand me, can you...?" He uttered a few random words, and Lan, as expected, looked just as clueless as before.

"Feeling better now?" Lan asked gently, after a few moments of silence.

Nope. Just a whole lot worse..." Megaman thought, face falling into a look of hopelessness. Lan knelt beside him and reached out a hand to stroke Megaman's head. All at once, the netnavi realized how tall the boy seemed at the moment. And the fact that no helmet seemed to cover his head. He lifted a hand toward his head and caught sight of it out of the corner of his eye. It was a paw. A bright blue paw.

As fear gripped him, he fled from Lan's touch and scrambled over to the lake. Peering into the water, he began to hyperventilate. He was now a strange four-legged blue creature with fins on its head and a ruff around its neck. a glance behind showed a frill down his spine and a fishlike tail. This was almost enough to make him faint. The only thing that even slightly showed what he had been was a medallion hanging from a leather cord around his neck, with his own symbol on it.

"Hey, I Know what's wrong! We've been in one place for too long, right?" said Lan, following. Megaman stared at him, eye twitching. I've been turned into a finned freak and you think we should take a walk?! he thought.

"Come on, let's go home. Mom will be happy to see us," said Lan, digging in his pocket for something. Megaman immediately perked up. Perhaps Dr. Hikari would know what was going on! Lan seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled it out. It was a red and white ball that fit in the palm of his hand.

Huh? What's he planning to do with that? Megaman thought, eyeing it critically.

"All right, Megaman! Return!" said Lan, holding it out. Without warning, the ball opened. Megaman felt a wind tug at his body... A second later, there was a click as he found himself shut inside it.

"Wha... Lan! Lan, what did you do?!" he screamed. He twisted his head around in the confined space, feeling utterly helpless. This isn't a PET, and it's not related at all to the internet.... What on earth is this thing?!

"YOu want out now? Okay then..." said Lan, watching the wriggling poke-ball he held. It opened again, and Megaman appeared on the grass, panting. "That's weird. Usually you're okay with poke-balls. Maybe Dad and the professor can figure out what's wrong..." said Lan.

An image of Dr. Wily towering over a burning city while wearing a lab-coat and laughing his head off popped into Megaman's mind, making him feel apprehensive.

"Oh well, let's go. The sooner we start walking, the sooner we get to Pallet Town!" said Lan, smiling.

Pallet...what?

Lan walked away, whistling tunelessly. Megaman hesitated, then trailed behind him, unsure of what else he could do in this situation.

Several hours later found the two walking down a sidewalk in a small town. People walked on either side, and Megaman stayed close to Lan, his side brushing against the boy's leg. A quick look around showed normal people, though most were carrying strange creatures of many shapes and sizes.

"Ah, home sweet home! I can't wait to see Mom and Dad!" said Lan ,smiling widely.

Home? You've gotta be kidding me. This doesn't look at all like DenTech City. thought Megaman. A voice rang out.

"Lan! Megaman!"

"Mom! It's you!" cried Lan. He spun around and was immediately caught in his mother's embrace.

"Oh, Lan! You've been gone too long!" she said.

"We missed you too, Mom," Lan laughed, hugging her too. Megaman turned his attention away from the two to observe the street they were on.

Yep, this definitely isn't DenTech. But strangely...that's our house...

They entered that house in a matter of minutes. Mrs. Hikari made Lan some food, which he ate with gusto. A bowl filled with some odd brown stuff had been placed in front of Megaman, though he ignored it.

After a while, Lan lay on his stomach, quietly flipping through a book titled 'The Elite Four: A Look at the competition at Indigo Plateau.' Megaman was curled up next to his side, silent for the moment. In truth, he was thinking hard.

Okay, think, Megaman. What the last thing you remember...I...was with Trill...we were about to be attacked...right? And if this happened to me, did it happen to the others too? Trill...Protoman...Roll...and the other NetOps? I don't understand what's going on, but I do know something's not right... He stood and leaped to the open window. He poked his head out and screamed, "TRILL! PROTOMAN! ROLL! CHAUD! MAYLU! SOMEBODY!" Lan looked up from his book, evidently surprised.

"Megaman, what's wrong with you today?" he asked. Megaman couldn't think of anything to say (not that it would've made a difference). "Okay, now I'm really worried about you. Come on, let's go see Dad now," said Lan, setting down the book and standing up.

D-Dr. Hikari and the..."PROFESSOR!!!" Megaman immediately lost his head, tearing around the room and letting out a long, loud wail. Lan managed to catch him around the abdomen and dragged him downstairs. His mother looked up, surprised at this.

"Bye Mom. I've gotta take Megaman to see Dad. He's been acting really weird," said Lan, struggling to keep a hold on the thrashing vaporeon he held. He managed to get Megaman out the door and down the road. They stopped at a large building outside of town, and lan shifted Megaman so he could knock at the door. It opened immediately, revealing a grey haired man wearing a lab-coat.

"Ah, hello there, Lan. Your father's out in the back with Tracy," he said.

Tracy? Good lord, that must be the crazy professor's name!

"Okay. But could you have a look at Megaman?" said Lan.

"Sure thing. What's wrong with him?" said the man, stepping aside so Lan could come in. The boy did, saying, "HE's all cranky, he won't stay in his poke-ball. It's almost like he's a completely different pokemon..."

Poke...what?

"Hmm...Maylu's Espeon had the same problem.. I'm not too sure what this is, Lan," said the man, leaning close and carefully examining Megaman.

"Maylu...?" said Lan. Megaman looked up, overjoyed.

Yes! He remembers her! That must mean he remembers Roll too!

"Maylu? You mean that ugly snobby girl who lives a few blocks down from us?" said lan. Megaman felt like the world had shattered around him.

"Lan! Why would you say that about such a sweet little girl?" said the man, obviously shocked.

"She insults megaman and me all the time, and she treats us like dirt!" said Lan, looking upset.

What? the real Maylu would never do that! thought Megaman, staring wide-eyed at his NetOp.

"Who're you two talking about?" said another boy, walking in.

"Oh, hi, Tracy," said Lan, brightening up.

"Never mind us, Tracy. How is Venasaur doing?" said the man.

"It's recovering nicely, Professor Oak. It'll be in top shape when its trainer gets back," said 'Tracy.'

"Lan! You're back!" said Dr. Hikari, following Tracy into the room.

"Hi, Dad!" said Lan.

"We weren't expecting you until next week, at least!"

"Yeah, well, Megaman and I missed you."

"Yuuichiro. Megaman is acting just like Maylu's Espeon," said professor Oak.

"That's not good. Son, are you sure this is the right Vaporeon?" said Dr. Hikari.

"Dad! I'd know Megaman anywhere! Of course it's him!" said Lan.

Vaporeon? Is that what I am now? Megaman thought dimly, watching the conversation in silence.

"I'm just saying. That one time you went to that school party, you came back with the wrong Eevee," said the doctor.

"But this is Megaman! See? He's got the charm I gave him!" Lan protested, pointing at the object hanging from Megaman's neck.

"Hmmm... Did he bump his head during training or something?" said Dr. Hikari.

"No," said Lan.

"There goes my 'amnesia' theory..." said Professor Oak.

"Amnesia would fit. I was wondering why I wasn't hit with a Hydro Pump this time," said Tracy, a smile tugging at his lips.

"But he still seems to know who I am," said Lan. The others were thinking up excuses.

If only I could speak normally...Well, at least I can try... He formed a word in his mouth.

"N-N...N-Netto-kun!" THe humans fell into stunned quiet.

"Netto...kun?" Lan repeated.

"Netto-kun," Megaman replied, feeling a little more confident.

"Amazing... Megaman can talk!" said Professor Oak.

"Wow! Megaman, can you say something else?" said Lan, looking excited. Megaman opened his mouth again...

"Va."

"I guess that's all you can manage... But that's okay," said Lan, petting Megaman's head. The former NetNavi stared up at him sorrowfully. Please understand, Lan. I want to talk... I want to figure this all out...

The moment was interrupted by a large CRACK! They all looked up at the door in alarm. It sounded like there was a scuffle outside.

"Calm down!"

"FLARE! FLARE FLARE FLAREON!!!"

"Who's there?" called Professor Oak. THe people outside went quiet, then there was a knock at the door. Tracy ran over and opened it. Megaman gasped. CHAUD BLAZE?!