Chapter I:

A World Unknown

It was late in the evening. That's all I could tell as my limp, unmoving body lay still as I moaned in slight pain. I could barely open my eyes to view the world, but the vision only consisting of a feint blur. I could hear only muffled voices from seemingly nearby, but the voices could not be distinguished with my lacking sense of hearing.

It seemed as though all of my senses were failing me at the time. But not only my senses. My memory. I couldn't for the death of me figure out what placed me into this trance of complete body and mind failure.

Slowly, I felt myself gaining the strength to utter short, simple words. My ears somewhat capable to assure what I say, I asked, "Ohh... W-where... I mean... What... Happened...?"

There was an instant reply, and I was now able to hear my speaker clearly as my senses faded back.

"This is a slight side effect of transferring dimensions. It won't last too long, you'll be fine."

My eyes fluttered open and I could have shrieked at my first sight.

A four foot tall creature with blue fur on most of its body, cream colored fur on its torso, and black fur surrounding its eyes and paws stared down at me. It's eyes were a bright red, pointy ears resting on top of its head, a long snout. It was clear to me, this wasn't a human. What wasn't clear to me, however... What is it?

"What are you?" I asked in awe as I stood up feebly.

It's neutral expression was unchanging as it spoke, "My name is Lucario. I am one of a race known as Pokemon, the people you will see here."

"I'm sorry, what happened exactly? I can't remember crap," I winced.

"Memory lost hmm? Maybe I can refresh you. Hold still..." he ordered.

Lucario placed a paw on my forehead as he knelt down. I felt a rush of energy, which quickly turned into intense fatigue. I shook my head vigorously, feeling a sudden headache take over.

"Hmm... Remember now?" asked Lucario.

"Yeah... Wait a minute. I remember everything! You fought those guys in the alley! And I saw you and... I passed out and- WAAAHHH!" I shrieked.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared down at my... Paws.

"My hands...? What happened to my hands!?" I panicked.

"Relax. In order for you to live with me in my world, you need to look like one of the people."

I couldn't stop turning my paws, staring at the front and back. I had an urge to look at my feet. Two more black paws replaced my feet. I stood quickly as I rushed to the nearby lake. I couldn't utter a word as I glared at my reflection. I was blue and black all over. My ears sat atop my head, similar to that of a fox, the black fur covered my eyes and nose like a mask, two teardrop shaped things dangled from my face, my mouth was now a short snout, and to top it all off, I have a tail.

"Ohhhhhh man... This is freaky..." I croaked.

"You asked me to do this, Damian. I know this seems... Weird. But you need to understand this is your new life now. That is, after all, what you've wanted right?"

My gaze didn't leave my reflection until I decided to reply.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's just really strange y'know?" I chuckled lightly.

Lucario simply grinned at me in understanding.

"I completely get it. After all, you've never seen my kind before."

I could feel him rest a paw on my shoulder.

"I'm short..." I remarked.

Lucario couldn't help but laugh, "You'll get used to it."

He straightened his posture and looked to his right.

"We should get going. You can meet with my wife and son," said Lucario, "I'll explain everything on the way there."

I nodded and followed his slow pace. As we walked, I noticed a lot of strange creatures along the way. Each a different color, size or shape. However, I did see some that looked the same, if not twins.

"So... What to tell you first...? I know! First off, our race. You are now known as a Pokemon. We Pokemon are kind and peaceful people who live together in harmony. I can't speak for every Pokemon though. Just like on Earth, we have our criminals and not so good people. You are known as the Pokemon, Riolu. My first evolution or evolved form, in simpler terms. You're probably wondering what an evolved form is. Well, we Pokemon, despite our peaceful living, enjoy battling or fighting. As you grow and become a better fighter, you will eventually evolve into something much stronger than your previous form."

"But not only will evolve through battling, you can even evolve as you grow older. You will not evolve though, due to the Everstone in your arms. I had this made specifically because I don't want you to evolve too soon. Neither does my wife."

"Does your wife know about me? And your son?" I asked.

"Only my wife knows of where you actually came from. I can't tell Zorua. He'll only go off saying you're a human and other Pokemon will think he's crazy. Anyways, enough about evolving. Pokemon have needs like humans do, only our needs are kinda different. We need to eat, drink, and sleep to live. I've noticed a lot of technology on your Earth, so I will mention it now. We don't have an of it. We live in forests, foraging berries and food for ourselves. Some live in busy villages in houses made of wood, sometimes rock, while others live life in nature. Money is not a factor with Pokemon. We help each other out, free of charge. Hmm... What else...? Okay, I'll tell ya this. Now, you're gonna think this is pretty awesome. All Pokemon have superpowers."

"What?! No way!" I exclaimed.

"It's true. Don't believe me? Watch this..." he stated.

Lucario stopped walking, as did I, and he put his paws together at his side and they began to glow incredibly bright. A blue ball of unexplainable power formed from his paws. He then fired the blast into a nearby boulder, blowing the rock to smithereens. A cloud of dust formed and he rock was soon revealed to be destroyed.

My jaw dropped.

"I thought you'd like that. You have he same powers that I do. Close your eyes and see what I mean," Lucario ordered with a grin.

I did as he instructed and gasped.

"Holy crap... This is awesome!" I laughed.

I could see the world as I closed my eyes, only I didn't see it as I normally would. My surroundings turned into a black wasteland, with white neon strings outlining trees and shrubbery and other nature. I could see bird like figures in the trees and several other creatures of different shapes walking along he paths, each one with a different color of light surrounding them.

"This is so frigging awesome!" I exclaimed.

"Yep, and there's a lot more to learn than just aura vision. Now, I know you're loving the new vision, but we should keep going. You've still got a bit more to know about my world. Where was I...? Oh yeah! So we all have superpowers based on our specific type. With these types, we can only learn specific attacks that other Pokemon can't. I'm just gonna list off all of the types. Fire, water, grass, ice, fighting, rock, ground, steel, dark, ghost, fairy, flying, normal, dragon, poison, bug, psychic, and... I think that's it. Now, like I said, certain type have certain powers. A fire type can learn a fire blast attack, while an ice type can't. Water Ypres can only use water gun, rock types can't. See where I'm going here?"

I nodded.

"You'll learn more as you go about our powers. Anyways... Is that it? Oh wait! I'm forgetting a couple of things. Your life story is crucial for this to work out. You cannot, and I repeat, cannot, tell anyone about you being a human, living on Earth, nothing. It never happened. Now, I had an older brother who... Sadly, passed away. If anyone asks, you were his son. You can call me dad if you want and you can call my wife, Zoroark, mom. Or if you'd rather call us aunt and uncle I'm fine with whatever."

"Okay... Dad," I said with a grin.

I couldn't help but feel a warmth take over my body at the fact I had a family, something I never obtained as a human on Earth. It felt good to know I had people who cared about me.

"We're almost home. A few things I should add. My son, Zorua... he's twelve years old and, chances are, he's gonna be really glad he has a little brother."

"Little brother?" I asked.

"Yes. In order to make your life story believable, you are 9 years old," replied Lucario.

That was a bit of a shocker. As a human, I was 15 years old. Let's see... I basically just gained 6 more years of my life.

"Also," Lucario said with a rising inflection, "you'll be in school. Pokemon school is different than human school though. We don't study math or whatever courses you take. You simply learn about the history of. Pokemon, how the world was created, our types, and occasionally you'll have recess. Okay, here we are. One last thing... Training. If you're gonna be a Pokemon, you'll need to train to be one. I'll train you so you can be combat ready for anything, and Zoroark-I mean... Mom... Can show you anything you need to know."

"Okay. Sounds cool, I guess."

My gaze was set upon the home before me. Lucario lived in a cave, with shrubs colored with a plethora of different berries, the grass shining from the dew drops as the rays of sunlight beamed down on it. It looked beautiful, almost perfect.

"Wow... This is where you live?" I asked as we approached the entrance.

"I wouldn't be at the entrance if it weren't," Lucario chuckled.

He then went through the opening, turning to face me and waving his paw, gesturing to follow him. I quickly stood by his side, then slowly entering through the cave behind him.

"Mom! Dad's home!"

Out a room on the left, ran a four legged fox-like Pokemon, his completely black despite a patch of red on his tail. He jumped up as he was a foot from dad, and Lucario quickly caught him.

"Whoa Zorua! One day I'm not gonna catch you and you'll be flying into the wall."

"You say that every time, dad," Zorua said with a chuckle.

He didn't seem to notice me at all. It wasn't long before a Pokemon, similar to that of Zorua appeared. She was much larger than Lucario, almost twice his size. Her claws were much sharper and extended compared to Zorua, whom had no visible claws.

"Hi Lucario. How was... Ohh..." she stopped after she noticed me.

It was at that moment when Zorua glared at me, and then the whole room.

"Hey... Riolu? I have a brother?" Zorua muttered.

"You found your brothers son. That was... Fast," said Zoroark.

I crossed my arms, a sheepish grin on my face.

"Zorua, I need to speak to your mom alone. Can you go outside and play for a bit?" dad requested.

"Umm... Sure," replied Zorua.

And with that, Zorua went outside, and me, Lucario, and Zoroark sat down at the dining table.

"I told you about Damian here right? And well... Meet the newest member of the family," said Lucario uncomfortably.

Zoroark gave me a warm smile, making perfect eye contact, assuring she was of no hostility.

"It's nice to meet you, Damian. Welcome to the family. Umm... Can I make you anything to eat? You must starving from all of that walking."

"I am kinda hungry. Thank you."

Despite the small talk we were making, the room was awkwardly quiet. All of us trying to think of what to say.

"I'm really sorry about your old life. I want you to know you're a part of our family now and there's nothing we won't do to support you. Zorua means the world to me and you do too. I'm happy to have you as our son," she said softly.

Zoroark then stood from her chair, leaned toward me, and hugged me tight.

"Welcome to your new home," she muttered.

I wrapped my arms around her in return, resting my cheek in her soft, thick fur.

"Thanks... Mom," I said gratefully.

She soon released me and said, "I'm gonna make you some poffins okay sweetheart?"

"Okay. Whatever those are..." I replied.

"You're gonna love em. I promise," mom assured.

She left the room, and dad instantly stood from his chair and said, "I'll be right back. I'm just gonna get Zorua. Feel free to look around."

I nodded, stood from my chair, and he was soon outside of the cave. I took this time to examine my new home. The floors were actually quite soft, a fabric almost like carpet brushed against the bottom of my paws as I walked. The home consisted of three openings to what seemed to be other rooms. As you enter the cave, you'll see the circular dining table with four wooden stumps around it. Each one of a different height. On the walls beside the entrance was a waterfall on both sides which led into a pool of sparkling water. There wasn't a lot to the main room, other than a sofa, if one could call it that, made of cotton, covered by a soft looking tarp.

"Okay Zorua. I'd like you to meet Damian. Your... Brother," said dad.

Zorua looked at me intensely. He wasn't sure what to think of me. His expression completely unreadable.

"Brother...? Is he older than me?" asked Zorua.

"No. He's nine years old. You'll be taking care of him kiddo," replied Lucario.

Zorua's gaze didn't leave me. "Umm... Do you... Uhh... Do you like toys at all?" he croaked sheepishly.

I grinned in a friendly manner. "Yeah. You have some?" I asked.

"Yeah! Dad just got me a new ball! It's really cool. Wanna go outside and try it out?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure! Let's go," I said enthusiastically.

His face lit up in pure joy at my response. He ran to leave the cave, and I swiftly followed behind him.

"We're gonna play outside, dad! Be back in a few!"

"Okay, just don't go too far from home okay? Your mom is making up some poffins for you two."

"Alright!" Zorua concluded.

My brother led me to a wooden box with hinges on the back to open the crate. He pushed up the lid with his head and the door was flung upward, revealing various toys.

"Hmm... If I could just find the stupid thing," muttered Zorua.

He jumped inside and began digging into the crate occasionally throwing items outside of the box.

"Haha! Gotcha!" he exclaimed, throwing the ball my direction. He removed himself from the crate, threw any toys from the ground inside, and closed the hatch.

"You know how to play keep away ball right?" he asked.

"No. I don't think I've heard of it before," I replied.

"It's simple! All you gotta do is keep the ball away from me. But you can't hold the ball. You can only kick it or hit it with your paws. So... Put it on the ground," he ordered.

"Okay..."

"When you're ready, just say go."

I planted the ball in front of my feet, prepared myself and, "Go!"

In a split second, Zorua dashed like a speeding bullet and grabbed the ball at my feet. I was awestruck.

"What was that?! You gotta do better than that if you ever wanna beat me," he taunted.

I shrugged, "Let's try it again."

"Okay. Try and take it from me now," Zorua sneered with his right forepaw resting on the ball.

Without warning, I lunged at the ball, falling into the grass as I dove for unsuccessful attempt to snag the ball from him.

"Try it again," he laughed lightly.

I growled in my throat, then made a determined expression. Zorua simply stood with the ball in front of him. He forced a mocking yawn.

"Haven't got all d-"

I lunged once again for the ball, missing my mark by only an inch as slapped the ball with his head. I quickly recovered and dove once again. His speed was incredible, and unlike anything I've ever seen. I began to wonder if I could move that fast.

As if on queue mom could be heard calling out, "Damian! Zorua! Come eat!"

Zorua groaned, "Mom! We just started playing!"

"You can play after you eat! Now come inside please!" she ordered almost sternly.

Zorua mumbled, kicked his ball aside and led the way to home. Mom was patiently waiting for us to come inside. As we made it inside, mom began to speak.

"Zorua. Damian. When you're done eating you can play for one hour, then your father wants to show Damian around the area."

Zorua and I took a seat at the table.

"Ooh! Can I go too?!"Zorua exclaimed.

"Ask your dad, sweetheart," mom replied softly.

As if on queue, dad appeared from the room on the left. Walking casually to mom.

"Ask me what, Zoroark?"

"Can I go with you and Damian on your walk!?" Zorua blurted out.

Dad smiled, "You don't have any chores do you?"

"Nope. I finished em all earlier! Can I please go?" Zorua's pitch only got higher. It was a lot of effort to only participate in a walk around the area.

"Hmm... Honestly, I think me and Damian should go alone. After all, he's never been here before. And I know how distracting you can be, Zorua."

Zorua let out a quiet 'Hmph'.

"Fine... I'll just stay home then..."

"Thank you for not giving attitude, Zorua. I'll bring Damian back later and you two can hang out inside, alright?" dad stated gently.

"Alright..." my brother sighed in discomfort.

"Eat up boys. I didn't make for these poffins for me or your dad."

I stared at the plate, glaring at the pastry-like foods resting in a pile. They looked tasty enough.

Before I could make a move, I sat motionless as I saw a black, ominous shadow appear from Zorua's back, which then lifted here of the poffins and placed hem onto his plate. When Lucario mentioned superpowers, he wasn't kidding. Zorua then munched on one of the pastries. Removing myself from my trance, I attempted to pick up one of the poffins with one paw, then chuckled as I remembered I no longer had fingers. I then used both of my paws to lift one and plant it on my plate.

I eyed the pastry carefully, wondering if I was actually willing to try food from another planet.

"What's the matter?" Zorua swallowed, "Never eat a poffin before?"

I shrugged, lifted the poffin, opened wide and...

"Wow... That tastes awesome!" I said in satisfaction of the sweet flavor overpowering my taste buds.

"That's nothin dude. You should see how mom makes her poffin cake."

I finished off my first, then moved on to my second, then third, then fourth, and within 15 minutes, the center plate was cleaned. I was full, that was certain.

"Mom! We're done eating! Can we go outside now?" Zorua called, for mom and dad were in another room.

"Yes, but remember! One hour okay? No more!" she replied.

Zorua instantly bolted outside, gesturing me to hurry up. I've only been here for two hours, and I already have a family and a home. And not just a family, but a family I can say I'm proud to have. I smiled to myself at the the thought and joined Zorua outside.