Eight years past and Gallia was finally nineteen. She spent much more time with her friends Milly and Nini than ever before. They tend to be much more talkative too, but that's a teenager for you. Kira was a Kirlia and had a habit of bossing her little brother, who was only seven, soon to be eight, years old, around. He didn't' seem to mind, but he still wanted to get her good for being so… something or another. Milly and Nini adored him though. Lucion and Miss Fi didn't spend as much time with them anymore. Gallia shared a glance with him, but they almost didn't talk anymore. Miss Fi got to talk to her more often being they loved to spend time at her shop. Lucion almost seemed distant to Gallia again. She didn't like the feeling, but it was the best she could to not make him commit… whatever it was. She had to protect him from that. Now that she was the age she was, she couldn't be the huggy ten or eleven year old anymore. Especially if she wanted to mate with him.
"So, Gallia, you heard about my mom right?" Milly asked.
Mama was mom. That's maturity, but Gallia never changed like that.
"I heard but, I can't believe it. Couldn't they have done that sooner so that you would have your own brother to cuddle with?"
"No way, even if it is a boy, he will never be as cute and Rainy," She replied.
"Milly, Gallia asked us not to call him that," Nini giggled, "His name is Rain-er not Rain-y."
"Yea, yea, but in my heart he will always be Rainy," She sighed.
"Well, keep that in your heart and don't go babying him," Gallia smiled, "He'll never grow up if you do."
"He should get out more though. Maybe if you introduce him to Lucion."
"Yea, and then he'll start teasing me about mating with him," Gallia repelled.
"He's got to be taught how to be a real man. Come on, Gallia, besides, your father even wants you to. He's getting double hours on his carpenter work. Rainer needs the experience."
Nini added quickly, "And on top of that, your mother is tired all the time."
Gallia sighed. There was no defeating those odds.
"Okay, you got me. But I doubt Lucion will talk to him," Gallia sighed.
"No sense in not trying," Nini shrugged.
Gallia sighed again, "Okay, I'll talk to him."
Lucion was now eighty-one but being a Lucario, he was still as young as twenty.
"Hello, Lucion," She smiled.
He turned and smiled back with a bow. She tried not to make eye contact with him.
"I was wondering if you could see my brother some time. It's been brought to my attention that the two of you haven't met."
He shook his head.
"Well, since you've been taking care of children ever since…"
She took a minute to remember the days she and her friends played with him.
"Well, ever since we were younger. So could you take care of him like you did me?"
Why did she add that last part? It didn't matter.
He smiled and nodded.
"Thank you," She smiled.
She looked up and her eyes locked with his. Something she tried so desperately to avoid. She couldn't pull away. Fortunately, he did it for her. She turned towards her friends and took a breath.
"Are you okay? You do this every time you talk to him," Milly sighed.
"I know, but… I grew up knowing him and connecting with him. Now, I feel like I don't know him. Ever since I evolved I've felt like I needed to stay away from him. I wish I didn't, but I have to. I don't know why."
Nini put a hand on her shoulder, "I think you do but you don't want to say it. You can tell us, we've never broken our promises to each other. We won't do it now."
Gallia sighed and looked down. She turned towards Lucion as he scratched his head. Something was a little remise to his organizing. He was young but his brain sure tended to not act like it. Gallia had to giggle. Nini and Milly looked at her source of comic relief.
"Oh-ho, I think I know what it is," Milly grinned sinisterly.
"Huh? What?"
Nini snickered, "I could have sworn, eight years ago, you said you put that behind you."
"If I can recall, you did, Gallia. What happened? Did it run faster than you?"
Gallia straightened her back and replied with a sternness, "He can hear you when your that loud. He's a bloody Lucario."
Milly and Nini put their hands over their mouths.
"Ooh, developing a bit of language are we?" Milly asked.
"Can we go and talk about this somewhere else?"
The two girls giggled and nodded. The three left the store only to run into Rixon.
"Hi, Rix," Milly smiled.
"Hey, you three are done shopping already? It's a miracle."
"Oh, hush," Nini pushed.
Now that Rixon was older he tended to be quite honest and a much more admirable Pokémon. He was even trusted in a job with Miss Fi's shop. He was mostly just supposed to maintain the cleanliness of it.
"Well, have fun. I'll clean up your guys's mess," He jested.
"You'd better get to it before we whack you," Gallia glared comically.
"Yea, I'm on it; see you guys later," He laughed in the store.
"So, anyway, about you and Lucion…"
"Leave it alone, you'll make it worse," Gallia halted.
"Alright," Milly reclined, "if you don't want to talk about it; you don't have to."
"Thank you."
"But, if you feel like talking we are always willing," Nini added.
Gallia first rolled her eyes, but letting it sink in she realized what good friends she really had. Maybe she would take them up on the offer. The finished itself only to make an interesting one come up. A strange frog Pokémon has sadly approached the village. She had never seen him before. He was a little battered but they were minor. He was exhausted from what looked like running. His tong sort of stuck out around his neck like a scarf.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
He was silent. Was he crying?
"Uh uh, sorry, I'm a little hurt from the trip and it's hard to ignore. I'm looking for a convenience store with herbs. Got any?"
"Yes, it's over there with a left and your third right. Is there anything else I can help you with?" She asked.
He shook his head and replied, "Not unless you can reverse mistakes and take back time."
"No, sorry," She chuckled, "by the way, what's your name?"
He turned and replied, "I'm sorry, I don't feel up to small talk right now."
"Huh?"
He turned and limped on. That was a bit strange.
"Is he okay?" She asked aloud to herself.
Her friends found her a few minutes after. She was just back home doing chores and talking to Rainer about Lucion. They were going to the shop again. While they were having their own hysterical conversation they heard the door open. Rixon stood up from the porch. What was he even sitting there for. Lucion was walking out of the door with his head down and monotone. He walked down the stairs.
"What happened?" Rixon asked.
Lucion completely ignored him. Gallia then tried.
"Lucion, are you okay?" She asked.
He ignored her too. After passing her he stopped and looked back at her then shook his head. He walked away faster. What was wrong? Gallia only saw him like this when… his village was destroyed. She widened her eyes.
"Oh no."
"Gallia?"
Gallia ran up the stairs. The frog Pokémon was at the door.
"Oh, sorry," He said dimly.
"Denim…," Miss Fi said with tears in her eyes, "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
"But he entrusted everything to me! I was trained for that crap! There should have been no reason for them to pass me up!"
"Denim!"
He turned silent.
"You did your best. Zuros got there too late, Glen couldn't get to you either, and Burns had to help with Unova. It's okay."
Denim let out a choppy breath and shook his head. He stormed out trying to stay together. Miss Fi sniffed in and tried to do the same.
"Miss Fi, is everything alright?" Asked Gallia.
She shook her head and replied, "No, but it'll have to be. What can I do for you, honey."
Miss Fi looked away and went behind her desk.
"Uhm."
Miss Fi looked Gallia in the eyes.
"Miss Fi," She addressed.
"Hmm? What is it dear?" She asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me what has gotten into Lucion? Why is he so depressed?"
Mis Fi frowned, "Penelope was murdered. Johto got a little out of hand in Sinnoh, trying to take it back."
Gallia was shocked, she couldn't belive it. Her best friend from so long ago had been killed by her own region! Home was starting to become the worst place to her. But… in a way she found herself happy. She felt so guilty. Now lucion was hers and hers alone. But how could she think like that? She could only sob for herself and her friend. What kind of Pokémon was she becoming?
"I…"
Milly, Nini, And Rixon entered into the shop and found the two in tears.
"Gallia? Miss Fi? What's wrong?" Rixon asked.
"Penelope's dead," Gallia sobbed, "I can't believe it. Our own region murdered innocent Pokémon!"
Milly and Nini put their hands in front of their mouths. They began to cry as well. Rixon looked shocked. He was frozen into place not believing a thing said. Not wanting to, really.
Many tears were shed talking about what had happened. She told Gallia about Denim. He was a Kalos native that she made friends with a while ago, he was called a Greninja, and he was Lucion's brother-like friends like Zuros was. As a matter of fact, Lucion had four sworn brothers. Miss Fi had gone and told her off the bat so she knew who to expect. Zuros, a Zoroark, Denim, a Greninja, Burns, a Blazkin, and Glen, a Gallade. Together they did everything that brothers of four could do. Miss Fi told funny stories to try and get rid of the sorrow in the room. Eventually, everything settled down. Gallia wanted to go and see to Lucion.
"Lucion!" She called when knocking on his door.
There was no answer. She took a deep breath and pushed the door. It opened without a problem. It wasn't even latched. She looked in. The wood was heavy with a black soggy look. The furniture was pretty much the same thing. Some of his stuff was put around as decoration. There were some photos of him and his oath brothers and some of him and Penelope. One made Penelope look a bit…risqué for young eyes. Of course, children weren't going to be coming in here anyway. She passed a crooked and soggy dining table with chairs to match. The wood was just as bad as the house's. She saw a blue furred figure in a half closed door. She approached slowly as not to alarm him.
"Lucion?"
He turned towards her. He never cried in front of people. Ironically, she always found him after he found a good hiding place. He didn't speak to her. That must have meant they lost their bond a while ago. Hopefully, this was going to fix it.
"Lucion, I heard what happened, I'm so sorry," She started.
He looked away and sniffed. Gallia moved the door and closed it behind her. He looked up at her.
"Lucion, remember when you first came here?" She smiled.
A small smile cracked a bit to the left side of his maw. He looked away again.
"Rixon made the biggest lies about you and I was trying to figure you out. You were so mysterious, so…serious," She chuckled.
He did too.
"I remember when you saved my life. It was a dark Christmas Eve and Cypher was going to kill us. He would have if it weren't for you. You had saved me just in time. I felt so invisible those days. You were with me on the bench on our porch. I admired you so much. I still can't forget those first words you said to me…"
"'I see you, Beloved'," He smiled.
Gallia was intoxicated. She never felt this way hearing his voice before. It triggered something in her. A feeling to be specific. She never felt it before. His smile did something to her. She walked closer to him and sat on the bed.
"Those are the most important words ever said to me."
Her breath became a bit short. He only chuckled.
"It's what my mother said to me when I felt the same way. She was the most important thing in my life that I had at that time too."
Gallia watched him move. His fur, his smile, his voice, they were all doing something to her.
"…you understand my meaning, right?"
Gallia looked away from him and chuckled, "Of course."
"Are you alright?" He asked.
He touched her head. The action was overwhelming. She grabbed the paw and tackled him. She didn't do anything else, just tackled him. So this was how Penelope felt when he proposed. He was shocked, and frankly, she was too. Their eyes were glued to each other, never braking. She didn't know what to do after this. She swallowed hard and slowly inched towards him. When they met he made no move to stop her. Even on realizing what she was doing she found herself ignorant to the conviction. The night was only a dream, but it felt so real. It was, by far, her favorite dream yet.
