Vernon reached both arms overhead in a slow stretch, the ranger stifling a yawn. "Well that little adventure took far too much of my night." Grumbling to himself, he tossed his notepad with the trainer details of that odd man he had brought out of the woods down onto a computer desk. Technically, he should file his incident report immediately, but... he was exhausted.

  All he wanted to do was fly back from his mission and go to bed, but that whole... incident had added an hour to his night already. Besides, it's a minor incident report. It's not a big deal. He was off to bed.

  It's not like anything would go wrong if he waited until morning.

  The next day.

  "How did everything go wrong in just one morning!?"

  Vernon sat at his computer just after a nice brunch, having just submitted the incident report of the night prior, when he immediately got a red flag notice on his computer. That usually meant that the report contained keywords that had been flagged as high-priority, but the only thing out of the ordinary in that report would be...

  "That trainer! His ID's been flagged! Of course. Of course. They're going to have my hide for the delay, shit, I hope he's still at that Pokemon center...!"

  He leapt out of his chair, nearly stumbling over it in the process, stumbling toward the door and tugging on his jacket in the same motion. He grabbed a Pokeball, bursting out the front door and tossing out a Pokeball. "Fearow, Pokemon center, now!" He all but shouted, jumping onto the bird's back.

  Once he grabbed on and was secured in place, he grabbed a radio microphone that was strapped to his chest, adjusting the frequency of the radio on his belt.

  "Officer Jenny, I need you to put out a notice, now! We've got a suspect that needs to be detained for questioning. I'm on my way to last known position, the Pokemon center, and I'm going to try and handle the situation with a conversation. Still, get eyes out A.S.A.P. to bring them in, search around for the following description in town! Suspect is male, pale-skinned, around six-foot tall, black hair. Likely wearing a lab coat, appearance should stand out. Trainer ID lists them as one Frank N. Stein, rookie trainer. No reported badges, no registered Pokemon, but I saw him using one last night, so it might be a false ID!"

  A muffled reply came over Vernon's radio, and he had to lift it to his ear and ask for a repeat.

  The female voice on the other side, sharp and assertive, was more clear now. "Copy that! We'll get eyes out! The main routes out of town will have officers stationed to watch anyone on their way out, but we can't do much if he leaves by air, unless you spot him."

  "Thanks, Jenny. I've got my eyes out. Vernon, out!"

  This was what he got for being lenient, and slacking off...

  Frank had a nice, leisurely brunch after the cafe opened, some hot, fresh coffee and a pastry. It dug into his already limited funds, but he wasn't about to starve himself. MissingNo had breakfast themselves, back in the room, getting its drain of electricity.

  Now that Frank was well fed, he turned in his room key to Nurse Joy, who flashed a smile at him and remarked, "Well, you're looking much more chipper than you were last night, that's for sure. Sleep well?

  Frank nodded, and leaned forward against the countertop. "Much better, thanks. When you've been lost in the woods, it's amazing how much better even a little taste of civilization can make you feel!" He chuckled, and then drew out MissingNo's Pokeball. "I have a new Pokemon species I need to register!" He remarked, calmly, like it was an ordinary thing to ask, holding out his ID.

  Nurse Joy swiped the ID, "Oh, a new capture registration? Of course, no problem- wait!" Her head jerked toward Frank, just as the 'red flag' notice appeared on her keyboard. She slammed both hands down on the desk in front of her, leaning forward. "I'm sorry, maybe I misheard... could you repeat that for me...?" She asked with a quirked, uncertain tinge to her professional service-worker smile.

  It was rather fortunate his absurd remark distracted her, and her outburst of hitting the desk... it dismissed the warning prompt of the red flag, after she smacked the keyboard. She was none the wiser to the fact that she was supposed to stall him and keep him busy until an authority figure arrived.

  Frank nodded his head, smiling calmly. "Of course. I have a new Pokemon species to register." His smile grew marginally wider, as if he was savoring her disbelief. That, and his smug pride seeped into his demeanor, puffing up his chest slightly without even realizing it.

  Nurse Joy just stared at him for a few moments, smile stiff and frozen. "I... I have no idea what the protocol is for this. Ah. Well. Why don't we register your new Pokemon to you as a trainer, and then... well, I'll probably have to reach out to the League on how to handle this. I think this is a bit above my pay grade...!"

  A hand waved in a magnanimous gesture, "Of course, I'm not in any hurry! Here's my Pokeball, please register it to my ID." He handed MissingNo's Pokeball over, and then Nurse Joy took it and slotted it into a semi-spherical divot in some device. "Alright. This Pokeball's ID has been registered to your trainer account. I can confirm, our current database lists doesn't have any data on this Pokemon. However, you'll likely be asked to cooperate with filling in further details later, as our data will merely list it as 'unknown' until more data is provided."

  "Oh, that's not an Unown, I call it MissingNo!" Frank quipped right back at the drop of a hat, before chuckling to himself. He seemed to be feeling proud of his joke, while Nurse Joy just stared at him in silent disbelief for a few long moments.

  Frank's chuckle trailed off into an intolerably awkward silence, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck, anxiously. "Right. So. Uh. Can I have my Pokeball back now?"

  Nurse Joy passed it back, sighing and reaching up to rub at her temples. "I don't know how to handle this, could you come back later? I still need to handle other duties, and this seems like it's going to take... a while."

  It was only then that Frank noticed they had a small gathering surrounding him. They had likely all heard what Frank said with his bravado and confidence, how smug he had been, and even the fact Nurse Joy confirmed that it was an unknown Pokemon he had caught.

  Belatedly, Frank realized that someone had even started aiming what looks like a phone in his direction, having recorded the interaction. It was a little too late to be concerned, so instead he leaned into it, flashing a 'V' with one hand and releasing MissingNo.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The crowd leapt back, but even more phones were out now, with rapid clicks of pictures being taken, and possibly more video.

  "My name is Frank! Frank N. Stein! I AM THE GREATEST SCIENTIST OF THIS GENERATION! I have created the second digital Pokemon since Porygon! MissingNo! I did this single-handedly! I share credit with no one! This is my mark of triumph! Look upon my creation!" He threw both hands into the air wildly, cackling a delighted, manic laughter.

  MissingNo floated another short distance to the side, away from Frank. It even shrank down the size of its static-cloud, like it was trying to avoid attention, or perhaps pretend it had no association with Frank, who remained oblivious to this.

  Frank, lost in the moment, pointed at Nurse Joy's computer, while the woman in question leapt back from the intensity of the energy he was showing. She half expected him to leap the counter. "MissingNo! Show them! Let's make this faster, input the information we have created for you!"

  Never mind that this was almost certainly another crime, tampering with the League's database at a Pokemon center. MissingNo was happy to comply, it got it away from the people inching steadily closer, as if they were considering touching it.

  Zipping into the computer, the screen flipped through many rapid-fire displays, a concerning number of which contained phrases like 'alert', 'unauthorized access', and 'error'. Then it displayed the 'dex entry Frank had made for MissingNo as number 000 in the Pokedex. After all, that number wasn't taken, so it accepted the input.

  Nurse Joy was trying to hit keys on her keyboard to interrupt the alterations, but the computer disregarded the keyboard as if it had been unplugged. "You can't just do that! There are regulations and rules to follow!" She called out, distressed, but the onlookers seemed equal parts baffled and impressed.

  MissingNo emerged from the computer and levitated back toward Frank, who waved a hand toward the crowd. "Alright, that's all, disperse! I'm still adjusting to this newfound fame, please, don't pay me any more mind. Really. I won't sign autographs or anything!" His tone seemed to imply the opposite, like he mentioned the idea to see if anyone would prompt him to get one. He was really playing into the attention, feeling a rush off the reveal and what he saw as his first steps toward recognition.

  Despite everyone staring at him, he walked over to the corner of the Pokemon center, where a blue-painted counter was placed. A small Pokemart, for trainers to get essential supplies. "Hey there. Can I get ten Pokeballs, five potions, a box of those travel ration bars, and one of those Silph Co backpacks? Ooh, and a canteen. Do they make space canteens?" he inquired, conversationally, going right back to pretending to be an ordinary customer shopping.

  The mart employee seemed stunned, but his customer-service reflexes kicked in, and he nodded. "Uh, yes. They do. Uh. One second. I have to step into the back... usually we just keep the potions and Pokeballs up front..." The employee vanished in the back, likely to get the requested items.

  As soon as the employee vanished into the back room, the front doors burst open, and a gasping black-and-red uniformed figure staggered into the lobby. Fiery eyes locked directly onto the lab-coat-clad figure. "Frank N. Stein! You're coming with me!"

  Frank cocked his head aside, looking genuinely confused. "What? Is this still about last night? I thought we had that all worked out. If you need me to fill out any paperwork, I don't mind." The crowd had backed to either side of the lobby, leaving a clear path between the two, lined on the sides like spectators ready to watch knights joust.

  The calm response took the wind out of the ranger's sails, and he looked baffled. Had Frank not been playing him for a fool last night? He thought the confused, lost-guy thing was an act... did he think his cover hadn't been blown? Or was there a genuine mistake?

  The uncertainty made Vernon relax a bit, slowly moving his hands away from a Pokeball at his waist. "Well, yeah. I got scolded by my superiors last night, so I need to have you sign off on an official reprimand. It's no big deal, just follow me back to the station and you'll be in and out in five minutes." He quickly came up with an excuse. Everything could be settled once he had Frank in custody, after all.

  Frank nodded, and then jerked his thumb toward the Pokemart counter, "Can it wait just a second? The guy's getting me some supplies, then we can handle what you need. Relax, man. It's not like there's a fire, even if your boss is ticked, don't run yourself ragged over it." He quipped with a small laugh, leaning against the counter, utterly relaxed.

  Vernon wasn't sure how to handle this. Why was he so confident and calm? The grouped people seemed to wind down, several putting away their phones and stopping recording as things calmed down. If there wasn't going to be a thrilling arrest or fight scene, then it wasn't worth recording.

  To fill the silence of the wait, Vernon asked, "So, Frank. You don't have any registered Pokemon, but I saw you using one last night. You know I have to ask about that, too, now that I know."

  Frank shrugged, "Oh, that? I just registered it not five minutes ago. Nurse Joy can vouch for me! Right?" He turned to look at her, and the pink-haired woman bobbed her head in agreement.

  "He certainly did. It was... an experience. It was an unregistered species. He even claimed... well, claimed that he had created it. A digital Pokemon like Porygon. Though, I still suggest you have firm words with him over how he had it operate the Pokemon center's computer without authorization!" She frowned Frank's direction, crossing her arms over her chest. It seems this Joy was a stickler for the rules, at the very least.

  Rolling his eyes, Frank muttered under his breath. "It was efficient and harmless. Not a big deal."

  Vernon stared blankly. He hadn't recognized that Pokemon last night, but it was dark and despite being well-travelled, he hadn't been to every region. He didn't think even the League would have no record of this. "A new Pokemon? And you MADE it!?" His mouth opened and closed silently after that outburst, trying to speak but being uncertain of the words, looking almost like a fish out of water.

  The Pokemart employee came out, and set a black shoulder-sling bag on the counter. "Here's the bag, and the supplies are already inside. That will be 16,000 pokedollars." Frank briefly realized that he didn't ask the prices beforehand, so caught up in his confidence spike after showing off.

  Before he could make a response, the front doors of the Pokemon center burst open again, this time it was an Officer Jenny, complete with a hulking beast of a dog, an Arcanine, right beside her. Her eyes flicked through the building, before locking onto Frank. He fit the description! "Frank N Stein?" She asked, uncertainly.

  When Frank nodded, she reached to her belt and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "You're being detained for questioning due to suspect connections to Team Rocket. You are not currently under arrest, but any attempts to resist the procedures and that will immediately change."

  Frank felt like his brain short-circuited, and Vernon wore a similar expression, for different reasons. Frank was baffled, wondering how on earth he had supposed connections to the Rockets... is this something to do with how he woke up in that ruined facility?

  Meanwhile Vernon was kicking himself for telling Officer Jenny to act in such a high-profile fashion. He had almost tricked- persuaded- Frank to accompany him to the ranger station, but she blew the situation wide open.

  Frank looked at Jenny, then the handcuffs, then the Arcanine. The hulking fire-dog growled at him, as if daring him to so much as twitch the wrong way. He swallowed nervously, standing there with both hands raised in a gesture of surrender, one hand dangling the bag the employee had put together for him. "Right. I don't want anything bad to happen, so I only have one thing to say."

  Jenny relaxed slightly, seeing as Frank seemed to be compliant, but Vernon felt something was off. He took a single step forward, looking as if he was going to walk up to Frank.

  "MissingNo!" Frank shouted, and the static-cloud immediately burst free of the ball on its own. "Teleport!" He called out desperately.

  "Arcanine! Extreme speed!" Jenny yelled out at the same time.

  Frank's eyes widened to the size of saucers as a red blur dashed toward him, a sharp, terrified 'AAAAAAH!' reverberating... and echoing off the metal tiles of the floor around him. He slumped back into the embrace of a lumpy, and misshapen couch, heart pounding. He was gasping, chest heaving, sweat pouring down his face almost immediately.

  "Thank G- Arceus." Frank muttered, offering his deepest thanks to the great space llama. "Amazing work, MissingNo. I need to figure out what's going on before we have any more encounters with the cops. Phew."

  He lifted his head, and looked around, and only now seemed to realize... the only place that MissingNo could have teleported him to in a panic...

  "I'M BACK IN THE FUCKING FOREST!"