Set in Stone: Chapter Thirteen -

Part 2 begins with Kyle's unlikely change of location...
Song that inspired this chapter is here.
Chapters 1-12 are found on my Profil3 or at link

Set in Stone

Chapter 13: Impresario Lucidus

"Hello."
There was no response.
"Hello. I'm trying to establish contact."
Nothing.
"Can you read my voice? Kyle Staunton, ambassador of northwest quadrant, planet Earth, speaking. Alec see through squalid eye, poised on edge, prepared to die."
Test failed.
"The envelope is still open, Charlie... you can still stick your donation inside..."
My eyes were sealed shut. I attempted to open them, but only managed to make out a blurry blue sky.

"It's daytime."
I tried opening them again. This time, I saw everything above me: a magnificent blue sky above, with a gem of a sun overhead, beaming down pure light on me.
"Well, hey, Saturday sun. You look so happy today... I bet I know why, too. You see, today's November 1. My half-birthday. Yep! I'm 17 and a half years old today, Mr. Sun."

I tried to move my head to the side, but I was almost fully paralyzed. I couldn't move. All I noticed when I flexed my fingers was that I couldn't feel the Mark of Palkia in my left hand anymore.
"Three strikes... I must be out."
And with that, I was out. My weakness had overcome my will, and I slipped into slumber.

"Hey."
A nudge.
"Hey. Hey!"
Another nudge.
"Hey, you! You okay?"
I opened my eyes as the water had just my body. As I looked up, there was a face staring back at me.

It was a Torchic.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you here before."
"Wha..."
"Hold on." He shouted offside: "Hey, guys! He's up! He's awake!"
"You... but..."
"You sure are lucky, kid. I never thought you'd come out of that coma. You were knocked out! I mean--"
I promptly interrupted. "Tell me where I am."
"Where you are? Why, this is Silverside Beach. Population: just us Pokémon."
"Just us-- wait. Silverside? That name doesn't sound familiar at all."
"Are you not one of us? Maybe you've lost your memory..."
"One of you? Take a look. Can't you see I'm human? I'm not even from your world... I don't have any trainer's equipment on. I'm not dressed like a trainer, or even a civilian of your world, in fact. Do you think Silverside rings a bell to an outsider like me?"
"You say... you're human?"

Wait a minute...
I knew exactly what he was going for.

"Wh... what do you mean by that?"
"Well, have you seen yourself lately?"

Oh, no. Oh, NO. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no...
Oh, yes.
Oh, hell...

I examined my reflection in the ocean. What I saw staring back at me... was not me. It wasn't even human. In place of all the things I had ever seen in any mirror in my entire life were the features of an animal. My own hands were gone, replaced by something less maneuverable, but certainly with more power per my proportion. My face was not there; appearing instead was that of...

"Riolu. I've become a Riolu."
"Were you human before?"
"Absolutely sure of it! I was..."
"Do you know who you were?"
"Well, I was a seventeen-year old boy... I lived near the beach in Southern California... with my brother and parents. I don't know what happened, but... a week ago, my world crossed over with yours, and I found myself trapped in this deadly game with a Deoxys, and--"
"Deoxys? You mean..."
"So you've heard?"
"No... but we saw a huge explosion, and a really bright light coming from way off in the distance yesterday morning."
They saw it? I must not be far from California then!
"That was me... when I shattered that Deoxys, I tried to send you guys back through the rift, and..."
"You tried to spare us from infinite doom, right?"
"...yes. You see now."
"That just proves it, kid. You were given a second chance. There's a reason you're here. There's a reason you were brought back as the kin of our hero..."

Kin of our hero?
Then I remembered... in one of the games, Lucario, which evolves from Riolu, is a hailed near-god of exploration.
"Oh, yeah... do you think I might have the kind of skill Lucario does?"
"At exploring?"
"Yes... I mean, there has to be a reason Palkia sent me here in this form--"
"Palkia? The god of all space? Sent you?"
"Well... he watched over me as I journeyed to defeat Deoxys and send you home."
"Awesome." The Torchic's eyes lit up.

I knew there must have been a method to the madness. After all, all other things I had endured up to the fight with Troy had gone unspoiled. Palkia's plan involved exploration, and I knew it...

I felt elation as I pondered this. My aura flared up a content violet color around me.

"Whoa. You think I might be able to..."
"Channel that aura? I don't know... it usually takes any Pokémon a load of practice."
Except Lucario. It learns the move Aura Sphere earlier than any other species. In fact, I recalled my fight with Troy...
"I did actually manage to shoot off an Aura Sphere as a human, when I was fighting Deoxys. I guess my rage had delimited my abilities."
"That's so amazing, I can't find the words to say."

There was a much-appreciated pause.

"It's so beautiful out here..."
"Yeah..."
"Well, who were you talking to back there?"
"The townsfolk, of course! They were worried about your safety."
"Serious?"
"Absolutely... would you like to meet them?"
"Let's start with you, man... what did you say your name was?"

"I'm Hektor. Hektor Herzog."
"Kyle Staunton. And it's a pleasure to meet you, too."