It is a little past 8 PM in National City. I trudge down a somewhat empty street, my thumb doing the doom scroll through superhero news on my phone. Each article just adds another pound to the weight crushing my mood.
Two weeks ago, I was sitting in my childhood bedroom, all hyped for the Kamen Rider Gavv's Cake King debut. Now? One blink later, I'm waking up in some bougie living room I've never seen before.
And the TV? Don't even get me started.
[At 8 AM this morning, a flight with flight number 3XXXXX encountered an emergency during flight, and the situation was critical. Fortunately, Superman appeared in time and successfully saved all passengers on the plane.]
I remember thinking, "What the actual hell is this news? Superman? Since when do I understand English? Is this transmigration thing usually this clunky?"
I'm a pretty normal dude, I guess. I spent enough time reading web novels to know what's up when I suddenly end up in some random place with Superman plastered all over the news. I've been transmigrated. And not just anywhere, but smack-dab in the middle of the DC Universe. Super dangerous.
I took a real deep breath and tried to chill out. I may not love the fact that I'm not going home, but let's be real, that's probably not happening.
I start sifting through the memories of this body. My name is Isaac Kondo, which sounds like a cool wizard or something. My dad was Japanese, my mom was British, and my family has a decent chunk of change stashed away here in National City.
Currently, Isaac attends a private high school, a senior nearing graduation. He performs well, his grades placing him among the top students. He is also a valuable player for the school basketball team.
He is still on the street because he stayed too long at the library today and only left when it closed.
As if to vent his frustration, Isaac kicks an empty can on the ground toward the alley with force. But before it can land, a grayish-white barrier, shimmering with ripples, appears and swallows it.
"This is… Aurora Curtain?"
He looks at the grayish-white barrier, and it matches a certain ability in his memory.
But before Isaac could react, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded, and a figure in a magnificent purple robe rushed out of the grayish-white temporal wall.
X Wizard stumbles, falling heavily to the ground. The robe is a deep, regal purple, adorned with what looks like constellations stitched in silver thread. A massive, ornate book is clutched in her arms, its cover etched with arcane symbols that shimmer faintly in the dim light. X Wizard's face is framed by long, flowing dark hair, and her eyes, though filled with panic, hold a spark of ancient knowledge.
Isaac, a qualified tokusatsu fan, recognizes her instantly. X Wizard, the Level 10 Job Chemy from Kamen Rider Gotchard. Kamen Rider Gotchard, a series he has seen, is about a young alchemist tasked with collecting and mastering Chemies to become a Kamen Rider, a motorcycle-riding superhero.
The Kamen Rider franchise, a decades-spanning saga, features armored heroes who transform using various gimmicks, battling monsters and protecting humanity. The shows always have sick action, and even though the plot is simple, they're pretty fun to watch.
Before Isaac can reach her, the Aurora Curtain shimmers. The grayish-white temporal wall recedes, replaced by a figure he instantly recognizes.
It is a Kasshine.
As the longest-lived foot soldiers, the Kasshine series of AI robots have been active on several Kamen Rider sets. Sleek metallic armor covers its humanoid frame, segmented and accented with glowing lines. Its mask is featureless, a blank slate that hides any semblance of personality. Kasshines are like the ultimate grunts—strong, obedient, and totally silent. Since there is no difference in appearance, Isaac finds it difficult to determine which villain organization they originated from.
"X Wizard, you okay? What's with this dude?"
Isaac hustles over, lending a hand to X Wizard as he wonders what's got her in the crosshairs. He also has to know who the hell this robot is.
"...Thanks. That thing's from a group called Hundred. It's an autonomous robot, Kasshine. He's coming, careful."
X Wizard's voice is stilted, like she hasn't used it much lately. She thanks Isaac, then wastes no time ID'ing their metallic guest. She doesn't ask how he knows her, they are in a rush.
Before she can continue, the Kasshine closes the distance. It lunges, trident aimed right at Isaac.
Reacting fast, X Wizard shoves Isaac out of the way. The move saves him, but leaves her exposed. The Kasshine pivots, the trident connecting with her side. She is sent flying.
Oh crap!
The thud of her landing echoes, followed by the distinct sound of something shattering. He winces, hoping it's not as bad as it sounds.
"That is…"
Looking that way, Isaac wants to see if she is alright, but the two boxes that fell beside her catch his attention.
The large box, interwoven with orange-yellow and black, looks a bit like a lunchbox. If Isaac isn't mistaken, this thing seems to be a Gotchard Driver. As for the other black and silver rectangular box, it somewhat resembles Decade's card case.
"It seems I have to take a gamble. I hope the situation turns out as I expected."
Noticing the other one, who is slowly walking towards him with its trident raised, Isaac, knowing he can't run away, can only pin his hopes on the lunchbox that is suspected to be a Gotchard Driver.
After taking a few deep breaths and forcing himself to calm down, Isaac fixes his gaze on the metallic knight, quickly gets up and steps forward, rushing towards the Gotchard Driver at the fastest speed.
At the cost of being hit by the shaft of the trident, Isaac finally manages to reach the Gotchard Driver.
Without hesitation, he picks up the Driver and buckles it to his waist. The automatically extending belt firmly secures the Gotchard Driver to Isaac's waist.
But before Isaac can make his next move, the robot, who has already reacted, extends the Claw Arm from its back unit and unleashes two scorching light attacks towards him.
Just as Isaac feels that the goddess of luck has not favored him and he is truly doomed this time, the card case on the ground suddenly opens automatically, and two cards fly out of it, blocking the scorching light attacks.
"Hopper 1!"
"Steamliner!"
Isaac is stunned. Hopper1 and Steamliner, Chemies he knows from a TV show, just saved his bacon. Hopper1, a green grasshopper Chemy, and Steamliner, a black and silver steam train Chemy, are real.
He can practically feel their eagerness, a silent cheer urging him to fight.
"You'll lend me your strength? Alright! Let's do this! Hopper1, Steamliner!"
"Hopper!"
"Steam!"
The cards zip straight into the slots of the Gotchard Driver.
[Hopper1]
[Steamliner]
Holographic projections of Hopper1 and Steamliner materialize behind Isaac, a visual spectacle of vibrant energy.
Isaac grips the push rods on either side of the Driver, yanking them down with a surge of newfound resolve, shouting the word that seals his fate.
"Henshin!"
[Gotchanko!]
[Steamhopper!]
A surge of power floods Isaac's body, transforming him. Armor plates snap into place, a fusion of insect and machine. The helmet, a sleek, metallic green, features large, compound eyes covered by goggles, the Punk Rider Goggles. A pair of antennae, the Hopper Rod, jut out from the forehead, twitching slightly as they sample the air. The chest piece sports a furnace-like design, a nod to the steam train motif, with pipes and vents integrated into the armor. The rest of the body follows suit, a mix of black and silver plating with green accents, creating a balanced, agile form. This is Kamen Rider Gotchard, Steamhopper.