Sonchar and I walked out of the cave in a companionable silence. Each of us had a lot on our minds, but also had a lot to process after the last few hours. As the two of us returned to the beach, I was once again caught off guard by the brightness and warmth of the world outside. At least it appeared to be approaching evening time as the harshness of the sun's gaze was less severe than when I awoke.

I followed the Chimchar to a large, almost flat boulder, which he climbed and sat upon. Following his lead, I took a seat next to him.

"So, what's the story with that relic fragment?" I asked as I curiously gazed at the item we fought and journeyed to retrieve.

"Honestly," Sonchar began, placing the stone between us, "I couldn't really tell you. I, uh, just happened to stumble upon it one day."

"Really? But you said it was a precious treasure?" I responded, a bit surprised by his nonchalant answer.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, haha," Sonchar chuckled nervously. "It's true that it's my only real treasure. But, well…"

I waited patiently as he took some time to figure out how he was going to explain.

"I guess I've always been interested in lore and stories of legends, and things like that. Ever since I was little-" Sonchar caught my raised brow and corrected himself, "Well, OK, littler, though you're not one to talk, buddy."

He stuck his tongue out in mock annoyance, which I playfully chuckled at.

"Anyway, I've always dreamed of exploring many places in this world; uncovering hidden troves full of treasure and strange relics… uncharted territories veiled in darkness… It would be amazing to make such a historic discovery!"

This was certainly a new side to him. I could see the longing in his eyes as he spoke, ambitious yet with an innocent excitement as he pondered the possibilities of his dream.

"Hahah, I get a little excited when I think about it. But as I said, one day, I stumbled on my relic fragment as I was exploring in a cave close by here. I, um, wasn't really prepared for the Pokémon that made their home there. They weren't quite as weak as the ones we dealt with in the beach cave."

"You weren't harmed when you went in there, were you?"

"Well… let's just say I became pretty good at dodging water guns during my visit there? Heheh…"

"And here I thought you would be the smart one of the two of us," I teased.

"Hey! Says the guy that got himself trapped in a dungeon chasing down two thugs?"

"Er… at least it worked out in the end?" I answered, chuckling despite the embarrassment.

"Haha, you're right. Anyway, I was probably in there for a couple days until a Rescue Team came and helped me out of there."

"A 'Rescue Team?'"

"Yeah, they basically come and save inexperienced explorers, like me I guess, from mystery dungeons and other places like that. Just before they found me, though, I climbed onto a plateau in the cave where I could get away from all the aggressive Pokémon. I found the relic fragment sitting up there after I climbed up. I was gonna hold onto it to use as a weapon if anything got near me, until I got a look at the top of it. Here, take a look."

Sonchar handed me the stone, and I could see that there was some strange pattern that I couldn't even begin to describe. It was quite mesmerizing to look at, but I had no idea what it was supposed to be.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked.

"No…" Sonchar looked disappointed to have to answer that. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. I guess because of that, I always figured that it must be a piece of some sort of puzzle, or maybe a keystone that will unlock a mysterious door, or something like that, you know?"

I couldn't help but admire his optimism. Despite having no idea what this stone was, he was convinced that it held some significance or purpose he could never guess. The realist in me couldn't help but think it could just be a rock that some children inscribed as they were playing, or maybe some sort of decorative ornament. But I didn't have it in me to crush Sonchar's dream with my own pessimism. Jeez, was I this much of a downer before all this?

"So anyway," Sonchar said, interrupting my wandering thoughts. "What about you, Kamon?"

Hmm?

"We talked a bit about me and my goals. So, what about you?"

That was a good question. I still had no clue who I was or where I came from. What could I possibly say to answer him?

"Did you, uh, not want to talk about it?" Sonchar asked, disappointment showing on his face.

I did want to talk, but what was there to talk about?

"Well, what about when I found you? When you were lying unconscious, I mean…" he paused, clearly hesitant to continue his question, but standing firm (or sitting firm, I guess). "Do you mind if I asked what happened to you? It's not every day you see somebody out cold in the middle of a beach, or even a Riolu for that matter."

I looked down, wondering just what I should say. Would he believe anything I had to say? He did seem to be pretty naïve, but he certainly wasn't just going to believe anything I told him, would he? How would I even explain how I knew what I knew? If my memory was all but gone, how would I know what my name was and the fact that I shouldn't look like I do? How did I understand everything he and those two from before were saying, even though I was apparently speaking a different language than them? And how the hell did all that fighting I did back in that cave feel so natural to me? Even with all I had forgotten, everything still seemed so outlandish to myself, let alone whatever Sonchar would think.

"Sorry, I was only asking because I was concerned for you," Sonchar sighed. I hated how hurt he would look whenever he thought I was trying to hold something back. "I won't pry anymore if you don't want me-"

"Wait, please," I interrupted. "It's not that I don't want to tell you anything. It's just… I don't know if you would believe what I had to say."

"What do you mean?" Sonchar asked, interest clearly piqued.

"You asked me why you found me lying unconscious here. The answer is, I don't know. No matter how much I try, I can't remember a thing."

"Really?" Sonchar's concern was once again showing. He really did wear his emotions on his sleeves. "How far back do you recall?"

"Since… since you woke me up."

"What? You mean, you don't remember a thing since I found you this afternoon?"

I nodded.

"Wow…"

Yeah.

"So, is there anything you do remember? I mean, other than your name and how to speak. Well, sort of- you know what I mean. Wait, I remember when I mentioned that you're a Riolu, you sort of freaked out. Do you know why that was?"

Deep breath. "Yeah."

"… and?"

"It's because I'm not a Riolu. I'm actually a human, or at least I was."

"What…" Sonchar could only say as he tried to process what I said. "You're a human? But… I know I haven't seen a lot of them, but you look like a completely normal Riolu to me!"

"Now you know why I was panicking. I didn't notice I was different at first, but that was probably because I was still trying to figure out who I was and how I got there. Once I started to see all the different parts of me, I knew something had happened to me."

"B-but I don't get it! If you lost all your memories, then how… how would you even know that you were a human?!"

He raised a good point, but... "I honestly don't know how I do, but I know it's the truth. I can't really picture exactly what I looked like, but I know that my arms shouldn't have this much fur, my wrists shouldn't have these metallic bumps, and I shouldn't have whatever the hell these droopy things are hanging down from my face. Seriously, are they supposed to be ears or what?"

"I think they have something to do with their aura sensing- but we're getting off topic here."

I chuckled dryly.

"This is really a lot to process…"

"Tell me about it."

"I guess this also explains how you speak differently than me and other Pokémon, huh?"

I nodded, not really sure, but it at least made sense. I imagined Pokémon and human languages were far different from each other.

"And before you ask, I don't know how I understand you. I guessed it had to do with me turning into a Riolu as you called me, but for all I know, it could have been some ability I had before all this happened. I really couldn't tell you. Same with the telepathy. I have no idea."

"OK…" Sonchar said, taking a breath.

Huh, I wonder if that's how he knew to tell me to breathe before, because it was how he handled anxiety or feeling overwhelmed.

"So, you're a human who was turned into a Pokémon, but with no memories of who you are or where you came from."

"That about sums up the last five minutes of conversation, yes," I confirmed a bit more rudely than I should have.

"I guess it's safe to say you don't have any place to go after this, huh?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't know where to go," I shrugged.

"Alright then, you're coming with me."

"What?"

"I can't leave you here on your own. You'd be lost and wouldn't know what to do. And, the whole human thing would be a problem, too."

"Why is that?"

"Basically, humans and Pokémon are not allowed to intermingle. The rest of your kind are all literally living on the other side of the world. If it was found out what you are, I don't know what would happen to you. But I know I'd never hear from you again."

I gulped. Somehow, as he spoke, I knew what he said to be true, though it didn't register in my mind until he said it.

"Actually, I think I can help you!" Sonchar claimed excitedly. This certainly piqued my curiosity.

"How can you do that?"

"Erm, not me exactly, but… Remember how I told you I dreamed of being an explorer?" I nodded. "Well, there's actually an explorer's guild nearby that I wanted to join. In fact, I was just on my way back from there before I found you."

"And this can help me how?"

"The thing is, the Guildmasters are really smart and knowledgeable, and have access to all sorts of sources of information! I mean, we can't exactly just walk in and say 'hi, I'm a human! Can you help me figure out what happened to me?' But if we were to try out for apprenticeship, we can check out all sorts of places around the region for clues about what could have caused this."

I couldn't help but feel a little skeptical. Clearly, it was a longshot. However, in my current situation, was there anything else I could do? I had no leads on where I should be going or what I should be doing. But why would Sonchar want to go through all of this with me? It was obvious he was a kindhearted Pokémon, but I wondered if he had some ulterior motives.

"Why would you want to do all this with me?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Sonchar responded a little too quickly.

"I mean, why would you want to accompany me on this journey? Why would you want to be stuck with me, knowing there was no way I would even know if I was making any progress? It's possible I could never remember anything at all."

"Well…" Sonchar sighed. "The truth is, I'm a big coward. I tried going to the guild a few times, but I always back out just before I walk in. Every time I think I'm about to do it, I just think I'm going to fail. I even brought my treasure with me this time hoping it would motivate me to continue, but…"

I guess that would explain why he was carrying his fragment with him. Thinking about it, it certainly wouldn't make sense why he would be carrying around something so valuable in the middle of nowhere.

"Sorry, Kamon. I guess I thought if we were working together, that we could succeed. After seeing what we did when we chased down those two thieves, I thought the two of us could make a good team. The guild even provides its students with food and a place to live, and I can't think of anywhere else that could help you that wouldn't put you in more danger."

I took a few moments to consider what he said. It was true, I had nowhere else to go and it wouldn't take long before I ran into somebody like Cross or Fang. Not to mention, I just started to realize how hungry I felt. And if I was honest, I wouldn't mind having Sonchar around as I worked to regain my lost memories.

"OK, I'll do it."

"Y-you will?" Sonchar asked, probably not meaning to show his enthusiasm.

"Yeah. There's honestly nothing else I can think of that I could do. And maybe at the end of all this, both of us will find what we're looking for."

"Th-thank you, Kamon," Sonchar looked to be holding back tears of excitement. "We'll be in this together!"

The two of us grinned in solidarity. We were two lost souls trying to find our place in this world, but at least we wouldn't have to do it alone.

"Wow, it's starting to get dark. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to sign up at the guild."

"Oh…" that brought down the enthusiasm a bit.

"It'll be fine. I have a place where we can stay for the night, and a little food stashed away that we can eat. We'll have to cut through the local town, so stay close to me and, uh, try not to speak out loud, alright? We'll head to the guild first thing in the morning after getting some sleep."

* * *

With our plan made, Sonchar and I set out for the place he was currently staying. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but based on how he described it, all I could gather was that it was not his actual home. Hopefully, it wouldn't turn out to be a friend's home, because I really did not feel up to having to explain my situation again or having to try to figure out some cover story, since it would only be for a single night if the Guild worked out.

I would find out soon, as Sonchar led me to a nearby city, which he told me was known as Treasure Town. To get there, we had to head up a small hill that look us to a cliff overlooking the beach where I awoke.

"Stay close to me, and try not to draw much attention," Sonchar whispered once we reached the town border. He must have noticed my nervousness, because he immediately added, "Don't worry, there won't be any trouble! I just think we both need some rest, and then I'll give you a proper tour tomorrow on the way to the guild." While appreciated, his clarification didn't do much to ease my nerves, but I nodded and continued on with him.

Thankfully, with nightfall approaching, the town was rather quiet, making it easy to pass by all the merchant stands closing up their shops for the night. A small amount of Pokémon, some of whose species I recognized and more that I didn't, would give friendly smiles and casual greetings as we crossed paths. Most, however, were more focused on finishing up their last minute shopping stops or chatting with their companions. A few gave glanced and pointed in our direction from afar, making me a little nervous and on edge. Sonchar tried to assure me that it was simply due to Riolu and their evolution being an uncommon sight in the region, but that didn't make me any more uncomfortable with the attention.

Fortunately, the trip was quick as the town was rather small and nobody tried to hold us up. Our destination was the edge of the cliff past all the merchant stands. As soon as we reached there, Sonchar looked around, and then pulled me to a pile of shrubs. Once he was sure nobody was around and could see, he moved some of the branches, revealing a narrow tunnel.

"Alright, go on through," Sonchar signaled.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Looks pretty narrow."

"You'll be fine, I've gone through it many times."

Though skeptical, I nodded and crawled down the tunnel until I reached a flat floor. Sonchar followed shortly, sliding down with a practiced grace.

"Don't worry," Sonchar assured, "I covered the entrance up. I've been staying here the last couple weeks, and nobody seems to have noticed this place yet. I've got some food stashed over here that should last us for the night."

As Sonchar went to fetch our meal, I took a look around me. We appeared to be in a very small cave on the edge of the cliff. There was an opening at the end with teeth shaped rocks barely forming a barricade. Through the opening, there was a beautiful view of the sun setting behind the vast, blue ocean.

"This place is called Sharpedo Bluff," Sonchar explained as he handed me an apple. "It was carved into the shape of a Sharpedo's head. It looks a lot cooler on the outside, though."

Listening, I sat myself on the ground and took a bite of the fruit.

"Sorry, it's not very comfortable here. I don't really have a lot to eat or anything to sleep on other than the ground…"

"Don't worry about it," I reassured. "We have food and shelter to get us by for the night." For some reason, the lack of food didn't bother me too much. Sure, I was hungry, but I guessed that I had to get by on less before. I was honestly more concerned about somebody intruding on our hideout. "But you're sure nobody ever comes here?"

"Yeah, I guess the idea of being inside the mouth of a shark is a little scary for most Pokémon," Sonchar nervously chuckled. "But at least you don't have to deal with the harsh sunlight in the morning, and we get an amazing view of the sunset."

Thinking about it, I don't think I would have minded waking up to the sunrise. It didn't seem like something I ever had an opportunity to do before the memory loss. I imagined the same was true for the sunset, but it seemed I was granted that opportunity this night as my companion and I watched in a comfortable silence as we ate our small meal.

"I never get tired of that sight," Sonchar said once the sky was completely dark.

I nodded in agreement. Though I was sure it was my first time witnessing it, I didn't think I would ever get tired of that scene. I still really wanted to see a sunrise, but I was content to wait until another time. All I knew was that once I was able to relax, I realized just how tired I was. Apparently, a day of spelunking through a strange cave and fighting for my life turned out to be quite the workout. But mostly, I felt like I was mentally drained. Having woken up to realize I knew almost nothing about who or where I was, and then learning many things about myself and forming many more speculations about my situation that only worried me… well, all I could say was that I was exhausted in all aspects.

"Anyway," Sonchar said with a yawn. "We should probably get some rest. We can head to the guild early in the morning tomorrow. I have a little bit of Poké stashed, so we might be able to grab a small bite before heading there."

Nodding, I found a spot away from the edge to lay for the night.

"Goodnight, Kamon," Sonchar said as he did the same.

"Goodnight, Sonchar."

Author's Notes

This is the first of four or so chapters of world building, and is also the most dialogue intensive chapter of anything I've ever written. I realize that's nothing compared to what a lot of people here have done, but I'm pretty pleased when considering my skill level. I ended up waiting an extra week to post, because I admittedly got a little lazy the last few weeks and am getting a little close to my buffer. I actually managed to get the first four chapters (basically, up to this one) all written in about two weeks, but I guess I burned myself out a little quick, because the following chapters would take 2 weeks to a month each. Here's hoping a little break will help me get back into things at a reasonable pace!