This is my first ever fiction story written in my free time. Please use constructive criticism so I can improve. I will write more whenever I have free time. The first chapter has been rewritten so if you have already read it before 9:00 PM Monday, June 11, 2016 (CDT), Please read it again. The second chapter will be completely rewritten, as I was greatly unhappy with it.

A little help for readers:
This is a thought and this is emphasis in a thought.
"This is spoken"
This is background information. (Ex. What is seen, heard, what happens etc.)
••• is a change of scene, which may include POV and/or setting.
I believe this is a common format, but I added this help just to be sure.

Enjoy!

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Where We Came From

Chapter 1

There is a bang, like a small explosion. I see red until it fades away to a black void. The black actually seems to have substance and is all around me, and the red was more of a hindrance of my vision. Ow. What's going on? My chest hurts like hell. The pain fades until both the sound and the pain are nothing but a memory. I seem to be in an endless void. How did I get here? My memories seem detached from me, almost like they aren't mine. At the same time, I feel strongly that they are mine. Let me think back. Yesterday, I received a letter from Professor Oak in Kanto. I conjure an image in my mind of me holding the letter. The letter states that on March 27th—the next day—I was to have an interview on my idea for the PokéDex. Wait. Was that yesterday? Yes. I definitely went to bed. So what happened today? There was a sound and then the pain! I'm glad that's over. Why can't I remember anything else of today? It's all black, like the expanse around me. Am I dead? Then why can't I remember the last day of my life? I take a deep breath. I need to calm down. I should start with what I do know. I am a human and my name is… is… Jordan! That's it! I don't feel like a human right now. I seem to be a floating mass in an empty void. There's a light coming from somewhere. Was it there before? Should I go towards it? There's always those cheesy movies that say 'Don't go towards the light' heh… Did I just move forward? Is something moving me closer to it? Or is it getting closer? Whatever the case, I now see it's not a light at all; it looks like an upright circle of rippling water. My face, at least whatever constitutes for my face in this form, submerses in the liquid. I suddenly see a large town brightly light up in the night. The buildings are shaped different than I'm used to, but flickers from the window indicate a technology I am used to: Television. The silence is broken when a voice says, "Hello. Did your journey go well?"

Searching for the speaker, I say, "Who are you?"

"I cannot fully answer that other than saying that I will decide your fate," the voice replies. The voice seems to reverberate throughout the liquid. The way it echoes makes me unable to determine the gender but it does calm me in an odd way.

"Why can't you tell me your identity?" I plead. The calming of its voice didn't reassure me enough to feel safe alone with a disembodied voice.

"After our meeting is over you will lose your memory."

Shocked, I ask, "All of it!?"

"Most of it. And if I tell you something too important, your memory could be triggered to return. If it returns at the wrong time there could be severe consequences. That's all I can tell you. Please ask a different question. I cannot speak more of this topic."

"Can you tell me where I am?"

"You are in between dimensions—the one you came from and the place you are viewing—the latter being the chosen destination for you. This dimension is inhabited only by Pokémon."

Two thoughts formed in my mind, but dismissing one since it wasn't a question, I asked, "'The chosen destination'? What does that mean?"

"I can't tell you that either. Something is still on your mind, maybe I can answer that."

"It's not a question, but I remember Pokémon from my life… But they live with humans. Without humans they wouldn't have television." I say skeptically.

Obviously perturbed, the voice says, "Pokémon have the thought capability of humans! Why couldn't w… they… create similar if not equal technology?"

Analyzing its response, I reply, "You're a Pokémon aren't you?"

Ignoring my reply, it says, "That is enough questions. I am able to judge your character based on your memories. I must be silent while I read you as an individual. Please be quiet for a few minutes."

Absorbing what it said, I suddenly become embarrassed, "You can see all of my memories?"

"I only can view those memories that are beneficial to learning your character."

Silence falls in the liquid, leaving me to worry about the things it will see: The girl I had a crush on but never had the courage to talk to and my love of computers (I had always been teased about that) and… I need to calm down; that stuff doesn't determine character. Does it?

Shaking me from my thoughts, the voice says, "I have read enough," the voice has a tone of finality, "You are to become a Pokémon that I have determined based on your character."

"What is my character?"

"Character is a journey that one must travel on their own. To discover one's own character is the greatest journey of life!"

"Not more withholding," I complain.

"That is the way it must be. Even if you didn't lose your memory after our conversation, I wouldn't tell you. I have some parting words for you. The way you are entering this dimension is a special case, but not a unique case. Something tragic has happened in your past life which you do not remember. This is intended. You will find out someday, and we will meet again. I will not tell you exactly what I am, because as mentioned before, it will trigger this memory. But you will know me as a friend when you see me."

I call to it, "Wait! Tell me more! Don't make me forget this!", but there is no reply. I begin to take a form, but as soon as I start to recognize the Pokémon I am becoming, I begin to fall towards a road near the flickering town. As I fall less and less of all of my memories remain. I notice the world that was once far below me is suddenly inches away and then all is black.

•••

A lone Buizel was quickly walking a path to the east of Andesin Town. It kept looking back at the town as if afraid someone would notice it. After a while it seemed satisfied no one was following and began to slow down. It was looking at the path, muttering incoercible words to itself. The Buizel went left at a fork in the road, obviously having traveled to its destination many times. After a while it reached a hill with a breathtaking view of the dark ocean. The hill turned to sand as it sloped towards the water and the waves of the ocean were calm in the night. The Buizel sat atop the hill watching the sky get brighter and the stars begin to fade. In the area of the sky she was looking at, a star appeared to get brighter, "What the…" As the star grew larger, it started to move away from the sky towards the ground. The Buizel ducked behind a rock as she noticed its path to be towards the hill. "That's not a star," she noticed, "It seems to be a figure on fire, speeding towards the ground!" The figure was wreathed in what appeared to be blue flames that acted like a second skin, rolling around what appeared to be its arms and legs. The flames also didn't send any flares out and was unaffected by the falling. "Is it going to crash?" the Buizel wondered. Worried about the figures safety, she moved from behind the rock to get a better look at its probable landing place. "It's heading for the beach!" she deduced, "The sand might cushion its fall. I wish I could slow its speed…" She felt helpless as she watched—whatever it was becoming nearer and nearer to certain impact. The figure was inches from the sand when it suddenly stopped. It began to float slowly to the ground. When the figure hit the sand the flames went out and it began to roll down the rest of the hill until it ended up on its back at level ground. The Buizel ran down the hill to see if the figure was alright. Upon arriving, she recognized the species of the Pokémon. How strange! A Riolu. They're very rare in this area, but that's not more surprising than it falling from the sky. The Riolu began to stir. "Who are you?" asked the Buizel. It opened its eyes. "Buizel, the sea weasel Pokémon. Water-Type, Mega Evolution status of later evolutions unknown," recited the obviously male Riolu, "Wait… Where did that come from?"

Stupefied, the Buizel asked, "What's 'Mega Evolution'?"

He jumped up and screamed, "It can talk! Pokémon can't talk."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course Pokémon can talk! You're talking and you're a Riolu. And I'm a 'she' not an 'it'…"

"I can't be a Pokémon," he reassured himself, "I know I'm a human!"

Raising a brow, she said, "What are you trying to pull? Look at yourself. Why do you have a tail? Where's your five-fingered hands? You're not a human, you're a Riolu, through and through."

The Riolu grudgingly looked at his hands. "Impossible! How could this have happened?" His mind thought of a "rational" explanation. "Careful! I think there's a Zoroark around here somewhere!"

Buizel became guarded, looking around in the night for unseen dangers, "A Zoroark? I've never heard of one of that species..."

Riolu replied, "Zoroark, the illusion fox Pokémon. Dark-Type, and able to create illusions indiscernible from reality," He became confused again. "How did I know that?"

Buizel said, "I've read about an illusion Pokémon before, but it had no name. It was a book of legends, so it's likely that it doesn't exist." She looked at the Riolu. "Why are you talking to me? I could be an illusion."

Riolu thought about this. "Well… I feel your emotions. Illusions can't emulate feelings."

Buizel sighed. "So how can you sense feelings if you are not a Riolu?"

She's right. How could I do that if I was a human? He sank to his knees as his view of reality crashed around him. "What happened to me?"

Feeling the Riolu's anguish radiating off him, Buizel softened her voice, "Calm down. I'm sorry I didn't trust you before. There has been a rise in outlaws, and I thought the way you were acting was a clever ruse to draw me in. Can you tell me what you remember?"

"That's the problem: I remember nothing! Except my name and the feeling that I'm a human."

She helped him to his feet. His hands were shaking. "How about you tell me your name? Then you won't seem so foreign to me."

"Its… Jordan."

The Buizel smiled. "And my name is Brooke. There, doesn't that feel better?"

"I… I guess…" Brooke noticed his hands weren't shaking so much.

"What about that strange information you said about my species? With Mega Evolution?"

"I don't know… Try telling me a Pokémon's species."

"Hmm… There's a lot. How about a rare one around these parts: Pikachu—"

"—the mouse Pokémon. Status of Mega Evolution of its later evolution: Possible."

"What does that mean?"

"I can tell you more. Its weaknesses, strengths, the moves it can learn, pretty much anything. But only after you say its species name. It starts to fade after a while, too."

"It must be something to do with your past life as a human. Maybe you were an explorer? Or maybe a—"

A voice in the darkness said, "Enough chitchat. Now darling, hand over the Exploration Bag. I'm sure it's full of valuable items."

Brooke shouted, "Who are you? Show yourself! I am a member of Team Stalwart and I will bring down an outlaw like you!"

A Crawdaunt stepped out of the shadows. "Ooh very scary. A water type Buizel and an amnesiac Riolu. Normally I would stay away from a Fighting-Type, but this one doesn't remember a thing, let alone how to fight. This will be easy."

Jordan whispered to himself, "Crawdaunt, the Rouge Pokémon." He glared at it. "How fitting of a classification. And you're a Water/Dark type. It seems counter would be super effective. Let's see how much I can't fight." He grinned as his body glowed orange. The Crawdaunt scowled at Brooke, having dismissed the "helpless" Riolu. Brooke's tails began to glow as she jumped in the air and spun her body, causing ripples of air to come out of her tails towards the Crawdaunt. Crawdaunt dodged the attack, quickly running at her with a glowing purple claw. The Buizel, not expecting the speed of the Crawdaunt, braced herself for the attack. Jordan jumped in front of Brooke, taking the damage of the attack in full force, but rebounding it back at the Crawdaunt. After taking an attack that increased the power of the original manyfold due to it being super-effective and counter doubling the power when rebounding, the Crawdaunt landed in the grass halfway up the hill no longer moving. Jordan, seeing his attack succeed, whispered, "I did it," and promptly collapsed. The Buizel rushed over to the Riolu's side to check his condition. His eyes were slowly closing. "Stay awake, you idiot! Why did you do that?!"

"I got him, didn't I?" he said, smiling, but it turned into a grimace as another wave of pain hit him.

"Being heroic gets you killed!" She dragged him over to a rock and leaned him against it. She gave him an oran berry. "Eat this, it'll have to do for now."

He took a bite. After swallowing, he countered, "Not being heroic would have killed you," he said seriously, "I didn't do it to be a hero; I did it because it needed to be done." His eyes shut briefly then opened again.

Noticing his conscious fading, she said anxiously, "I have to get you to Audrey! She'll help you!" She pulled a small badge and pushed a button on the top of it. "This is Brooke of Exploration Team Stalwart. A Riolu and I have taken down an outlaw of the species Crawdaunt. The Riolu is injured and needs medical transport." She let go of the button and looked at Jordan. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing. The reality of his actions hit her. He saved me. She felt overcome with emotion and hugged him. "Thank you, Jordan." It was the last thing he heard as his consciousness slipped away.

Thank you to St Elmo's Fire and Ralmon for their criticism. Thank you also to Bulbapedia for all the awesome information on Pokémon. I hope the dialogue improved enough to where its mildly interesting. I purposely left the black void part alone, as the unknown character of both of them is purposeful.