CHAPTER 44

Eventually, Zorian was able to lift his upper body off of the ground. He turned to look at Starmie.

"Thank you again for helping me," he said. He found Starmie a little intimidating due to the fact that she had no visible face, but he trusted her.

"If you can stand, follow me," said Starmie.

Zorian carefully stood up, holding his sore midsection. He slowly followed Starmie, who led him to a cave near the viciously churning maelstrom. He entered and sat down.

"I'm the guardian of this lake," said Starmie. "My family has been keeping it safe for generations. I saw you swimming out of it, but by the time I made it to you, that barbaric Shiftry… I'm sorry about your friend."

"He wasn't just a friend," said Zorian. He started to cry again. "He was my brother."

"Brother?" Starmie asked. "How is that possible?"

"Do you know what humans are?" Zorian asked.

"Yes, dear," Starmie replied, "though in all my years, I've never seen one before."

"My name is Zorian," said Zorian. "The Riolu you saw was my brother, Rylan. We are humans who came here from another world, and we turned into Pokémon in the process."

"Goodness me!" said Starmie. "That is most fascinating!"

"We found ourselves in that stone chamber in the lake. Rylan touched this key, and…well, it knocked him out cold."

"Oh, dear…" said Starmie. "Well, I suppose it's both a bad thing and a good thing that he touched it."

"Bad and good?" Zorian asked.

"The key is called the Key of Renewal," explained Starmie. "It corrects the irregularities of all worlds when both halves are joined and a melody is played into it. If I recall, the teeth of the key serve as the mouthpiece… Oh, dear me, I'm going off-topic. See, the chamber is typically entered from the outside. Touching the key opens the panels and floods the ruins. It's part of a defense mechanism for intruders, but in your case, it was the only way out. That's the good part."

"And the bad part?" asked Zorian.

"Your brother's memories have been buried at the farthest reaches of his mind," said Starmie. "That's the other part of the defense mechanism; the key locks away the memories of intruders so that they forget what they came to steal."

"Great," Zorian sighed.

"I will say this," said Starmie. "In all likeliness, your brother may still be alive. Fighting-type Pokémon have the most stamina and strength out of any Pokémon. There is a chance he survived the fall. However, if he did, he will wake with no recollection of where he came from, what his life was like, or even you."

"As long as he survives," said Zorian, "nothing else matters. If he's alive, I'll find him and help him remember."

"There is one way to help unlock his memories," said Starmie. "Whole, the Key of Renewal buries one's memories. Divided, the Key no longer possesses such power. The Key is able to be split into two pieces. By playing the bottom half in the presence of the afflicted Pokémon, you can call back their memories."

"What happens if the key pieces are reunited?" asked Zorian. "Will they start removing memories again?"

"Only when the key has been touched atop its marble pedestal," said Starmie. "If you have the key with you, and lock the two halves together, you can use its full potential."

"To correct the irregularities of all worlds," said Zorian.

"Correct," said Starmie. "You say you and your brother used to be human and came from another world? I daresay the key might be useful in helping you return home."

"Really?" Zorian asked. "How so?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," said Starmie, "but you, dear, are an irregularity. You are not of this world. Should you play a melody with the completed Key of Renewal, you and your brother will be sent back to where you came from."

"Well, that is definitely useful to know," said Zorian. He looked down at his paw. He was still holding the top half of the key.

"Is that…?" Starmie asked. Zorian showed her the key piece that had snapped off in his grasp earlier.

"Oh, so you have a piece," said Starmie.

Zorian nodded his head. "It was all I could reach before Rylan…" He sighed softly.

"I realize you want to leave to search for him," said Starmie. "I understand."

"I just hope he's still alive," said Zorian. "I will find him, no matter what."

Zorian got to his feet, feeling much better compared to earlier. His body wasn't as sore as it was after Shiftry attacked.

"Where did you get this Shell Bell anyway?" he asked.

"I made it at Shell Island," Starmie replied. "Such a beautiful place to relax. It has quite the scenic view."

"Thanks again for everything," Zorian said. "I really need to go now." He walked toward the cave entrance.

"One thing, dear," said Starmie. Zorian looked back at her.

"When your business is settled with the key, please make sure it is returned," she said. "That's my only request. It's my family's duty to keep it safe."

Zorian nodded. "Will do. I'll make sure you get it back."

He left the cave and looked around. He soon spotted the rocky ledge where Rylan had fallen off. He approached the ledge and carefully started to climb down the side. There weren't any hostile Pokémon on such a steep part of the mountain, so he was safe for the moment.

He reached the bottom after a few hours of climbing. Instinctively reaching to his side to feel for his supply bag, he gave a frustrated sigh when he realized that everything he was wearing prior to becoming a Pokémon was gone. He had no food on his person. His stomach started to growl.

He tried to ignore his stomach as he looked around for any sign of Rylan. He tried calling out his brother's name, but there was no response. He hoped that not finding Rylan at the bottom of the mountain meant that Rylan was alive.

"Woooooaaaah!" yelped a voice. Moments later, Zorian found himself faceplanted on the ground.

"Oh, sorry! Almost didn't see you there!" said the voice.

Zorian spat dirt and looked up. A rushed-looking Houndour was standing there, running in place. He was carrying some berries in his mouth.

"Don't worry about it," said Zorian. His stomach growled again.

"You sound hungry!" said Houndour. "I think I can spare a bite." He dropped two Sitrus Berries at Zorian's feet. Zorian eagerly picked them up and ate them. He had remembered trying Sitrus Berries as a human, but they tasted entirely different to him as a Pokémon. They had much more flavor to them.

"Th-thank you!" Zorian said as he munched on the berries.

"Snatched these berries right out from under Kecleon's nose! He's such a loser!" chuckled Houndour.

Zorian gulped nervously. "You stole them?" he asked.

"THIEVES!" yelled an enraged voice. "Get back here!"

The ground started trembling as though an earthquake was occurring. Zorian and Houndour looked behind and saw countless angry Kecleon storming towards the two.

"We'd…better run," said Zorian.

"My thoughts exactly," said Houndour.