In this world, most people dream of doing something incredible. Some wish to become a firefighter or a soldier, while others wish to be a famous athlete or musician. On the other hand, there are also those who wish they could do something "out of this world." Some wish for superpowers, some might dream they were an animal of some kind, and some may even wish they could meet creatures from another dimension. In one such world, this dream is a reality. In this world, there exists creatures with infinite power—creatures that roam the dreams of people of all ages—and humans who are able to bond with these creatures and become lifelong friends. This is the world of Pokémon. Some people capture Pokémon for the sake of training them in the hopes that they will one day become a Pokémon master, while others study Pokémon or keep them as pets. Beyond this world co-inhabited by humans and Pokémon, there exists another. In this particular world, humans do not exist; only Pokémon.

This Pokémon-only world, though vastly different from ours, functions just as one would expect it to. Each part of the world is inhabited by specific types of Pokémon, living and working together one day at a time. Each region has its own customs, its own beliefs, its own desires, and other such things setting them apart, just as a world inhabited by humans would. In this world, however; in the place of a police force or a military, there exists a class of Pokémon respected and revered by all. These "rescuers," as they are often called, form teams of two or three for the sake of protecting others. Typically, they help those who have lost their way or defend those in some form of danger. In a time of disaster or great tragedy, however; higher-ranked rescuers band together to provide assistance to those afflicted. Many hope to reach this level of heroism, inspired by the bravery and the selflessness of those elite few.

One such Pokémon is a young Lucario named Luke. Since he was little, he has been dreaming of being among the best, just like his father, a Blaziken named Blaze, having grown up listening to stories of the legendary Rescuer's previous exploits. After eight years of training, he feels he is finally ready to become a Rescuer, ready to begin pursuing his ambition. On this particular morning, he began his usual routine of waking up early and having breakfast, but deviated from that by returning to his room instead.

Upon returning to his room, he immediately set about packing a few things he had laid out, humming to himself as he did so. Every so often, he'd pause for a moment, making a mental note of something, and then resume packing. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Having been stirred from his reverie, Luke opened the door to find his father standing there.

"Hey, Dad," Luke said with a smile. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to see what you were up to," Blaze replied. "May I come in?"

"Sure."

Luke walked back to his bed, and casually continued packing while his father entered the room.

"So…what exactly are you doing?" Blaze asked, tilting his head upon noticing the pack his son was filling.

"Oh, this?" he asked, pointing at the pack on the bed. "I'm getting some stuff together before I take off on my first mission," he declared proudly.

"Son… About that…" Blaze said softly, and sighed. His son looked back in concern. "There's actually a few things I'd like to discuss with you. You got a moment?"

"Uh…sure, Dad." Luke finishes packing and places the bag at his feet before sitting down on the bed, turning to face his father as he did so. The elder Blaziken sat down next to his teenage son, and smiled.

"You know, you've grown so much. I just can't believe how time has flown by. It seems like only yesterday, you were just an infant Riolu, and now look at you."

"Heh… Thanks, Dad."

"No problem," Blaze replied with a quick laugh followed by a brief silence. "You know…" he said softly, suddenly struggling to remain calm, "I still have vivid memories of the day I found you, as well as the day I accepted you as my own son. I remember that, when my team brought you back and we filled everyone in on what went on, they immediately began a mission of sorts to find your real family. As time passed by with no results, I just decided that…" He paused to gather himself before continuing, "I decided that we had waited long enough. You needed someone to take care of you. Adopting you just seemed like the right thing for me to do, since I was already the main one looking after you."

"Huh?" Luke looked at his father's now-solemn face, confused at the sudden change of subject. "Why are you bringing this up…?" he asked, a hint of worry now present in his voice. "Dad? Are you…crying?"

Blaze breathed a sigh and wiped his eyes. "I'm fine, son. I just… I think it's time you knew the truth about this whole thing—about how you ended up with me."

Luke smiled as he placed a comforting paw on his father's shoulder. "Dad… I already know I'm not you're real son. That was something you told me a few years back. Remember?"

Blaze nodded. "Of course I remember that. But now, I think it's time I told you why I adopted you. However," he sighed, "I only ask that you bear with me. A lot of what I'm about to tell you is still extremely painful." He breathed a great sigh, preparing himself as much as possible before he began his story.