The elf tilted its head, its bat-like ears twitg. "Elvih do that. It's on the sed floor. Sir should follow Elvih."

  The elf began to head toward the door, but Magnus called out to stop.

  "Elvih... I... I am already te. I was thinking maybe you could take me on a side-along Apparition?"

  Magnus could not uand how it ossible, but the elf's already bulging eyes now looked like they would explode any mihey appeared twice their usual size.

  He felt a disappoi begin to crawl inside him. He had been on a good streak so far, but maybe his clear, pleading tone had been overkill. Maybe the elf had seen his desperation and figured he to no good.

  The sed, however, the elf's expression morphed into one of pure thrill.

  "Sir wants Elvih to help him Apparate? Sir needs help from elf magic?"

  Magnus suddenly found himself taken by surprise by the sudden turn of events.

  I mean, he had expected something like a reprimand or even for the elf to call someone. He had certainly not expected the creature to sound fttered, as if he had given it the highest of pliments.

  But then, slowly, uanding dawned on him.

  Humans usually had all the bes when it came to magic. I mean, they were free to own wands, while elves weren't. It was therefore not on for humans to ask fical assistance from elves.

  "Yes... yes... so will... will you help me?" Magnus asked, making sure to put emphasis on the word help.

  It worked. The elf looked even more thrilled.

  It even bowed quite low, as if Magnus was its master.

  "Certainly, sir! Elvih will help."

  Elvih stretched out its cwed hand towards him. "Sir must hold my hand firmly and not let go."

  Magnus did not need further encement.

  He shut his eyes and braced himself as he grabbed the elf's wiry arm.

  He tried not to dwell on what was ing.

  With a loud crack, the room spun out of focus, and he felt as if he were being shoved through a rubber tube. When they reappeared, his stomach lurched, aumbled forward, nearly losing his bance.

  The Floo work room was rger than he had imagined, with a wide row of ornate firepces lining the walls.

  Eae was bustling with green fmes, and witches and wizards of all ages queued up with clear impatience, chatting softly as they waited their turn.

  Magnus felt a surge of relief. He was oep closer to freedom.

  "Elvih has done as sir asked," the elf said, bowing low before popping away. Magnus barely had time to thank him.

  However, he had a good idea where the elf had run off to... He was certainly off to narrate how a wizard had begged him to help with actual magic. But knowing elves, he would have a tough time selling that tale.

  Magnus joined one of the queues that looked shorter.

  He was doing his best to look inspicuous in his patched-up clothes but soon realized that no one here gave a damn... I mean, no one had even looked at him after what must have been a weird entrance.

  Despite the fact that the line was moving quite fast, it still felt like a lifetime before he reached the front. He kept looking over his shoulder, cheg whether someone had e after him.

  Finally, it was his turn.

  Stepping into the firepce, Magnus grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the urn nearby.

  "Diagon Alley," he said clearly, tossing the powder into the fmes.

  The familiar spinniiourned, and moments ter, Magnus stumbled out of the other end into a chaotic se.

  He brushed soot off his tattered clothes before blending into the steady flow of witches and wizards bustling through Diagon Alley.

  The familiar cobblestoretched before him, and he paused for a while to take in his surroundings.

  He was in Diagon Alley, for freak's sake. He was in Harry Potter.

  And he had ingly escaped frin’ St. Mungo's.

  Seriously, up until now, he had not had nearly enough time to process the sudden shift in his life or even figure out how he had blown himself from the modern world into a Harry-Pokémon mix.

  Every sed he had spent in the hospital had been occupied with one i or another, and no one had seemed able to answer his questions.

  Now that he had mao escape and the pressure of questioning had lifted from him, reality came down heavily on him.

  "Sorry, d. Thought you might want to stand aside. You're blog the path," a voice said as he was shoved aside.

  The speaker was a fairly old witch who clearly looked to be in quite a rush.

  "Ohh, sorry," Magnus said as he hastily stepped out of the way.

  He could hardly cim to know all the Pokémon iehere were probably millions of them. But also, he had been quite little when he had the luxury to watch TV.

  Back then, Pokémon anime had been an all-time favorite for most kids, but he had only watched for leisure—albeit a little dreamily.

  He had not been aiming to it things to memory.

  Still, he could identify some when he saw them, and right now, his mouth gawked as he beheld the se before him.

  A Ralts was trailing behind the witch, holding a stack of what looked like grocery bags.

  His eyes flew between the Ralts and the people moving around him, trying to see if anyone was notig this.

  They did, alright. People even stepped politely out of the way for the creature to pass, but no one really paid it much thought. It was like, to them, there was nothing iing about a Pokémon in Diagon Alley.

  It was then that the words of the guy in the portrait rang in his head.

  "Everyone knows Pokémon."

  Isn't that what the guy had said?

  Magnus felt aed thrill rush through him.

  How had two such different worlds e together? And... and how did Pokémon even fit here?

  Was it like in the Pokémon anime and Pokémon Go game, where they were used for battling? Or were they just like any ical creatures?

  He was still staring at the Ralts in awe as it got swallowed in the crowd ahead whe another otion broke out somewhere around him.

  Magnus turned just in time to spot what he could swear was a Meowth streaking past him, leaving behind a trail of s.

  "Give that back, you thieving little menace!"

  A man came rushing past him and, on seeing the scattered s, stood momentarily, unsure of his move.

  Magnus could see the man's dilemma. He robably w whether he should collect the scattered s or follow the pouch that was still in the Meowth's possession.

  "It's alright. I'll help you here," Magnus said as he bent and began to collect the scattered s.

  For a while, the wizard scrutinized him doubtfully, but then he seemed to decide that whatever was in the Meowth's possession was more valuable.

  Drawing out his wand, he rushed towards where the Pokémon had disappeared, yelling a string of curses.

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