Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or Kung Fu Panda. Any OCs however, are mine unless stated otherwise.

Chapter 7: Explanations

There was a slight ringing in Riley's ears as he could feel himself waking up. His eyelids felt heavy as he struggled for a moment to try and open them.

The ringing died down as he began to hear muffled conversation happening around him. His attempts to open his eyes became stronger and he was able to see blurred images of the world around him.

"...shouldn't be long..."

"...like he's waking..."

"...crowding him..."

He could barely make out some of the words being said as he continued to blink, his foggy vision clearing as he was met with the sight of a wooden roof above him.

Riley groaned as he lifted his head in confusion, trying to figure out where he was.

"Take it easy there, honey."

Riley turned his head to the source to see an Audino tending to his arm next to him with another infirmary bed behind her.

"What...what happened?" Riley said as he sat up. He immediately regretted the action as he was hit with what felt like his whole body had a headache.

"Calm down and let me patch you up. I need to finish wrapping your bandages." She said before wrapping his arm.

"I feel sore." Riley pointed out.

The Audino snorted. "I would've expected as much. I'll get you an Oran Berry here in a second, just let..." She proceeded to tie off the gauze she'd just applied. "Aaaand there! I'll get you those Orans for you guys now." She said before moving from his side and leaving the room.

Riley's gaze followed her as she exited the room. The previous events finally caught up to him as he remembered the fight. He groaned as he fell back onto his bed and held his face.

"Don't blame yourself kiddo."

Riley's eyes shot open and looked to the bed next to him, seeing his father sitting with his legs crossed in a meditative position and his eyes closed.

"D-dad?!" Riley sputtered.

Rye snorted at him with a sense of self-loathing. "I haven't exactly done that best at that with you."

Riley remembered his father's words during the fight and frowned. He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment, mulling over what he wanted to say.

"I was...blinded too. I'm not talking about becoming a Shadow Pokémon, I'm talking about when it came to Grandpa." Riley said softly.

Both Lucario looked down in sadness at the memory.

"And when you tried to help...I pushed you away." Riley said with a bitterness directed to himself.

The two sat in silence for a moment.

"I've...always thought that I had left you alone because you needed space." Rye began, prompting Riley to turn to his father and see him looking down at his hands. Looking closer, Riley could see his father was fiddling with his Key Stone as he had taken off his Mega Glove.

"But now? Now...I think it was because...I didn't want you to see me at my weakest." Rye said somberly as a tear rolled down from his left eye.

Riley looked on in surprise as Rye continued. "Lyla and your friend Tigress, they both told me about when you blew up on Lyla. They told me how you didn't want to be seen as weak, and I guess I was the same when it came to my father's passing."

Both Lucario's eyes flared blue as the world around them disappeared. Riley looked around to see his father's office.

"This is..."

The door slammed open as a tall figure with a mix of white, gray, black, and a dash of yellow appeared at the door. In his arms was a younger Riley who was barely conscious.

"What? What's going on? Why do you have Riley?" Memory Rye questioned.

"Rye, your father-"

"My father what?!" Memory Rye demanded impatiently.

The figure seemed to give a downcast look as he didn't respond. After a few moments, Rye's eyes widened as he put it together.

"No..." Rye said softly in disbelief.

"I didn't stick around to see it happen, I had to help the pandas escape." The figure said.

"Pandas?" Memory Rye asked confused.

"Rye. Your father gave his life to protect them. A madman was committing a genocide, and the only reason we were even able to save who we could was because of your father's sacrifice. Your son and I attempted to get him to come with us, but he stayed behind. He stayed so that we could get away. The last I saw of him, he was Mega Evolving to fend them off. I'm...I'm sorry I couldn't do more." The figure said with heavy regret.

Memory Rye was silent as he stood in shock at the news. He didn't say anything for a while as the three Pokémon were all silent, Riley having passed out in the middle of the conversation.

"...I...I need a minute to process this. I assume that the pandas will need someplace to stay?" Memory Rye asked.

"Yes. I doubt that sociopath would stop for anything to get to them. I still don't understand why he did it though." The figure answered.

Memory Rye stroked his chin in thought. "I'll need to address this. Bring some survivors in tomorrow, I'll call for an emergency meeting with the Lords of the other regions." Memory Rye looked sadly at his son in the figure's arms before meeting his eyes again. "Can you take him home? I...need to make some preparations."

The figure nodded. "As you wish. For what it's worth...your father died honorably. I pray that he is at peace in the Distortion World."

With his peace said, the figure left with Memory Riley in tow as he closed the door to Rye's office behind him.

Memory Rye walked around his desk as he held a photograph in his hand. The photograph depicted himself, his father, and his recently born son sitting together. Riley was far too fascinated with his grandfather's goofy face to have been looking at the camera, as Rye simply rolled his eyes with a chuckle at his father and son's actions. Memory Rye held the photo tenderly as his eyes watered.

All of a sudden the furniture is blasted against the walls around him and breaking, and papers scattering into the air like confetti.

Riley looked on at the scene in shock. "I knew the office looked different the next time I saw you, but I didn't know-"

"It's not over yet." Riley is interrupted by the visage of his father.

Riley looks at him in surprise as the scene shifts.

"This...was one day later," Rye informed.

When the scene solidified, Riley gasped at what he saw. The room now looked like a complete mess. The furniture that had been sent flying before had fallen to pieces, his desk had been utterly decimated as its remains could be seen splintered across the whole room, there were a few legs from the furniture jutting from the walls and ceiling, the nearby window had been broken as shards of glass could be faintly seen on the sill and a few still hanging on, and the papers were still surprisingly intact but covered almost the whole floor in a layer of documents.

But Memory Rye's appearance was somehow worse.

Memory Rye sat with his legs outstretched and his back against the wall. His outfit and fur were disheveled, and he had visible bags under his eyes. His eyes looked soulless as he stared off at the ground before him. His arms hung heavy as he was slumped, the photo from before sitting in perfect condition as it rested above his right hand, both of his hands facing upward. Overall, he looked like a broken 'mon.

A knock was heard from the door before it opened slowly.

"Fair warning, he doesn't look too good right now." A female voice said with caution.

"I'll handle it, Caitlyn." A woman's voice could be heard responding to a Gothitelle (wearing white and pink instead of black and white) on the other side of the door.

The woman was a Lucario. She gasped at the sight and immediately went to comfort Rye, his form hardly moving much aside from breathing, and he didn't even react at she wrapped him in a hug.

The two Lucario's eyes stopped glowing as the real world returned to their sight. They looked at one another for a moment in silence before Riley looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry. I was so focused on him that I didn't think about..." Riley trailed off as he rubbed his left shoulder.

Rye got off the bed and rested his right hand on Riley's left shoulder. "I am too. But I think I understand now, why you were so set on trying to evolve. It was never just about thinking you were weak, was it." Rye asked knowingly.

"Yeah, I guess so. I just...I didn't want to let that happen again." Riley said.

"I understand," Rye said before pulling his son into a hug, one that the younger Lucario mirrored. The two finally make up with each other after so many years of suffering.

"Finally!"

The moment is interrupted and the two look on to see the same Lucario from the vision standing at the doorway with a bandaged Lyla and the Chinese masters walking into the room. Shifu was the most bandaged out of all of them as he walked with increased dependence on his staff and slow movement.

Riley chuckled nervously. "Heh heh. Hey Mom. It's been a while." Riley nervously greeted his mother.

The mother's eyes turned to him with a ferocious glare. "Hello Riley. Thanks for leaving a note, I especially love the part where you forgot to do that before leaving for years without warning!" She said sarcastically.

Riley winced.

"Or for telling us you evolved." She continued.

Riley cringed at that. "You know. I knew there was something I'd been forgetting all these months."

She huffed. "You're lucky you have an alibi young man! You can thank Stripes for that by the way. I will try the let that by, given the role you made for yourself and the repairs you were helping with. But I'm not happy that the first time I see or hear from you in years is when I have to fix you up!"

Tigress tried her best not to show her exasperation at the matriarch's nickname, especially when Lyla was snickering beside her.

"I mean...I was hoping to surprise you. At least Eri got to have a good one."

The mother looked exasperated as she went to pinch the bridge of her snout. "I swear to Arceus- You know what? Fine. I'll give you that." She looked between the two men in her life. "As for the both of you, you two had better count your lucky Staryu! If you had taken any longer to makeup, I would've sent your asses to the Distortion World myself!" she scolded.

The two chuckled nervously as the others minus Lyla watched in amusement at their predicament.

Suddenly a child-like giggling can be heard, and the guests turn to see Eri with Cortex sitting atop her head as she laughs.

"What are you laughing about?" Crane asked.

"It's funny. You guys think she's joking." Eri said through giggles.

The realization hit the China masters as they turned to Lyla. Lyla has a look of horror on her face as she shakes her head mouthing the words 'She really wasn't' to them. The group's faces promptly mirrored Lyla's after that.

Riley's mother tossed an Oran Berry to each of the two (both fumbling to catch it after it bounced off their heads). "You two are too hard-headed for your own good, you know that?" she asked rhetorically.

"In fairness Sheena, you did choose to marry Rye in the end." Cortex pointed out.

The now-named Sheena gave a shrug admitting defeat. "Can't argue that, it's what lured me in in the first place. You two should be good to go after those Orans finish digesting, you've already been treated for your bruises and whatnot. Those Orans are mostly just to re-energize you."

"Thank you, dear. You're the best." Rye thanked with a sigh.

"You bet your ass I am. Now then, I believe a certain Legendary Pokémon has something they'd like to say." Sheena said, as everyone turned to Cortex.

Cortex proceeded to jump off Eri's head, much to her disappointment, and land on the nearby table.

"Allow me to re-introduce myself again. I have gone by many names over the centuries, but as it stands, I am one of the cores of Zygarde, the Guardian of Wisdom and the one who watches Life and Death itself. I act as the Council of Dragons' Chief of Information Gathering, as my Cells lie hidden across the world, to which they send me information if something of extreme interest occurs." Cortex said with a bow.

A lime-green light shimmered above as one of said Cells revealed itself attached to the ceiling for a few seconds, before immediately disappearing as the same light coats its body causing it to vanish.

"Admittedly though, Z2 and I tend to stick around the Kalos Region in particular, seeing as the Sage and Shinigami tend to reside there. I, however, have taken it upon myself to watch over China ever since The Collector showed up." Cortex continued.

"The what?" Lyla asked.

Cortex shook his head. "Not important at the moment." He turned to Riley. "I have been keeping quite a close eye on you in particular though, especially after the Dragon Warrior ceremony."

Riley looked at him in surprise and pointed to himself. "Me? Why me?"

"Centuries ago, Lord Dialga came to the Council with a prophecy." The Pokémon present had their eyes widen in surprise. "The Lord of Time informed us that 'When the warrior of dragon's spirit shows, the Jewel of Death will reveal itself. A madman will follow the creator's shoes, and the warrior will fight to save the people of Ransei from servitude.'"

"'Warrior of dragon's spirit,' could they be referring to the Dragon Warrior?" Tigress asked.

Cortex nodded. "I believe so, given that someone has managed to find the Jewel of Death."

Riley's eyes widened. "'Follow the creator's shoes,' He was controlling Lord Lugia! Does this person plan to take over the other Legendary Pokémon as well?"

"I can only assume that to be the case. Marcus sought to control Yveltal herself for his plans, but clearly whoever is behind this is going at a different angle." Cortex stated.

Rye's brow furrowed. "If he took over Lord Lugia, then he must also have the Legendary Avians as well."

Viper tilted her head. "Legendary Avains?"

Eri gasped. "Ooh, ooh! I know this one! Lord Lugia and Lady Ho-oh watch over the Legendary Avians and Beasts. The Avians are the Mistress of Ice Articuno, Master of Lightning Zapdos, and Mistress of Flame Moltres!"

Lyla smiled as she ruffled the Riolu's head. "Correct Eri." She said as she cast a small illusion in the air to show what the three looked like. "And it's said that if something were to happen to Lord Lugia, something would happen to the Avains as well."

Cortex nodded. "You are well informed. With Lugia under their control, the Avians will fall in to obey their master and are likely to become Shadow Pokémon as well, if they aren't already."

"Whoever found the Jewel is smarter than we thought. They must've taken advantage of Lugia's hibernation in the Shamounti Islands. They knew he would be vulnerable and that they could control 4 legends by controlling one." Rye thought aloud.

"Did they go after Riley because of the prophecy?" Shifu asked.

Cortex shook his head. "They couldn't have. Only the Council knew of this prophecy, only a select few outside of it were ever informed, Oogway and Damos were two of them."

Something occurred to Tigress. "Wait, you said the Jewel Of Death was created from a group of relics right? And didn't you say that it included the Mind as well?"

Cortex looked at Tigress quizzically before his eye widened and he stood in horror. "Oh no..." Cortex said worried. "If the Jewel truly has been found, then with the power of the plates from Lord Arceus himself..." Cortex trailed off.

"Then he does know about the prophecy! That must be why he targeted you, Riley! If he had you under his control, the one foretold to by Lord Dialga himself..." Lyla trailed off.

"Then there would be no one to get in his way." Riley finished the realization, as everyone's eyes widened in horror. "But I don't get it. When could they have-"

Suddenly a memory comes to Riley. Seeing flashes of the Hisuian Zoroark that he helped back up after bumping into him earlier, and picking up the strange orb and handing it back to them, before the Zoroark swiftly took it back and left.

Riley dawned a look of horror on his face. "I had it," he said softly.

Rye turned to his son confused. "What?"

Riley's expression didn't change. "I had it. In my hand. Yesterday when we bumped into that Hisuian Zoroark!"

"Wait, didn't that happen just before that Paul guy showed up?" Crane asked.

Lyla's eyes widened. "It did. That had to have been the guy who found it then! He must have known you'd be in town thanks to the Jewel..."

"And bumped into you intentionally in order to turn you." Shifu finished.

"Damn it!" Riley banged his fist against the rail of the bed. "I knew there was something off about that guy!"

"You can't blame yourself. You were distracted by those three." Viper reassured.

"Viper is correct. What's passed is past. We cannot change that now." Shifu stated.

Cortex nodded. "Your sensei is correct Riley. We must focus on stopping the one responsible for this. Lugia and Mephiles were seen flying off towards the peak of Victory Mountain. I would assume that our culprit made do to flee to the mountain as soon as he believed he got as he wanted, control over you."

"Then how about we head up there and kick their butts!" Mantis said, punching one of his arms into the other.

Lyla shook her head. "Not sure that's the best idea at the moment. We struggled to fend off Mephiles alone, not to mention what happened to the square after Lugia's Aeroblast. And remember, Lugia and Mephiles likely aren't the only ones he has control of. If the Shamounti Avians have been compromised, then we need a plan and the forces to counter them."

Sheena nodded. "She's right. You all may be almost fully healed, but a lot of destruction was caused." In the background, Riley could be seen frowning at his mother's words. "Not to mention how bad of a beating Paul took. Sadly, I'm the best doctor we've got on hand and Paul's damage needs me and Nurse Joy's attention. His body is taking the treatment well, last I checked. We've been using Life Dew and Heal Pulses when we can."

Rye decided to pick up on the explanation. "The Shamounti Avians -while not on the same level of power as Cortex or any of the Council- are still forces to be reckoned with. The Jewel Of Death clearly empowers those under its control as well, given all the effort it took to stop Yveltal when she was under its control. That's four legends we have to deal with, and Lugia is powerful enough to take on all three of the others at once."

Cortex nodded. "You would be correct. However, the natural strength of people has risen greatly over the centuries. Riley is an anomaly amongst you all and is likely capable of standing his ground alone, but enough of you working together should be able to stop the Avians if they are empowered by the Jewel. The only problem is Lugia and Mephiles, as well as the one who uncovered the Jewel."

"We have to hurry; we can't let them plan for too long," Riley stated gaining everyone's attention.

"We need time to pla-"

"No!" Riley cut Monkey off. "You don't understand. Whatever that thing is, it thinks like me. Mephiles isn't some mindless beast obeying his master's will, he's a reflection of me. If we let them fester for too long, he'll find some way to make things exponentially worse!"

Riley slammed his fists against the bed, startling some of them. "The Zoroark isn't what we need to worry about, it's Mephiles! I know he will make this worse!"

Rye sighed. "Believe me, son, we know. We know how big of a threat a villain with that much power, and a mind like yours poses, but we need rest. We won't be able to stop them until we've all recovered, and we need a plan on top of that."

Cortex hopped off the table and went to the exit before turning around. "Regrettably, I must take my leave. I must go to the Council and inform them of what has occurred. If I am not back before they strike, I wish you all the best of luck." Cortex said with a bow, before exiting.

After Cortex left, Rye turned to his son. "Look, I know you don't like being told what to do, but I am ordering you to rest. Fighting while not at full health is a dangerous gamble. If we are to stop them, we must plan first. I don't care what it is you do until tomorrow, but all I am asking is that you rest."

Sheena went up to her son and rested her hand on his shoulder. "We just got you back. Please. Promise me."

Riley sighed. "Okay. I promise."

Sheena's gaze narrowed. "You promise you'll what?"

Riley groaned dramatically. "I promise I'll rest."

Sheena stared at him for a while before sighing. "What am I going to do with you? That's as specific of a promise I'll get from you, isn't it?"

Riley winced. "Sorry."

"I know. Just remember you have people who will help, and people to come back to. Don't be too rash." Sheena instructed him, bringing back her arm as Rye got up from his bed.

"I'm going to hold a meeting and get in contact with some people who might be able to help. We'll discuss it at 10 o'clock sharp tomorrow at the gym. I'll see you then." Rye stated.

Sheena nodded. "And I need to help more patients." Sheena leaned down to Eri. "Keep your brother out of trouble, will you?"

Eri made a salute. "You can count on me!"

Riley narrowed his eyes. "That's a dirty move."

"But not unfounded!" Sheena replied out the door of the room, leaving with her husband.

Lyla chuckled. "She's not wrong you know."

Riley huffed. "Don't remind me."

Monkey stepped forward. "Your parents are right Riley. We must be patient. Rushing into battle now wouldn't be a such good idea."

Mantis spoke up. "Why don't we head out and get something to eat? You've been out for a while, I bet you're super hungry."

Shifu nodded. "I agree. Perhaps we can try some more traditional Ransei dishes?"

Riley sighed with a small smile. "Yeah, okay. Let's go. I've been craving a nice Salty Plenty-o-Potato Curry anyway." The Lucario relented as he got onto his feet.

"I think I remember seeing that Cilan's shop was still intact," Lyla mentioned.

Riley sounded surprised. "Oh, he and his brothers actually went off on their own?"

Eri nodded. "Yep! And Cilan came to Opelucid!"

The group could be seen exiting the Health Center and following Lyla and Eri to their destination. Riley could be seen falling behind a bit as he turned his gaze toward Victory Mountain.

Riley stared at it for a bit, his brow furrowing. He then turned back to the group and rejoined them.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed and feel free to comment!