The Return Of Lucario
By: Spencer Williams
Dedicated to Lucario Fans, PearlShippers, and Lagomorph shippers.
A direct sequel to "A Snowy Adventure"
Notes: Thoughts are in Italics. Flashbacks are separated by a double underline and are in Italics. Time lapses are separated by a dashed underline. Translations are in parenthesis( ).
Author's note: This is the same deal as the prequel, A Snowy Adventure. Not that great, but I feel obliged to post it. If you are just reading this, don't think this is the average for my work, it gets better, I promise.
Prologue:
Back in a time when humans and Pokémon were just beginning to ally with each other, there was a Pokémon who kept others from uprising. He was Lucario. He stopped all the major uprisings. The Groudon and Kyroge fight, the dark Mew scandal, even the little known Ho-oh and Lugia uprising. However, he wasn't getting any younger, and he could barely stop himself from getting feebler with age. One day, a Pokémon named Darkrai had started to gather an army. So of course, Lucario and his two newest allies, Dialga and Palkia, went to stop him. Little did he know, it would be his last mission for several millennia.
"Okay Darkrai. Give up."
"Lucario... You fool. I give you this one chance to join me."
"Nope. Aura Sphere." This was always Lucario's first attack. So many uprisers were so weak that this was enough to stop them. Darkrai, however, was not like those Pokémon. He caught it and threw it behind him where it hit a cliff.
"I'm too strong for that Lucario. I've been training far too long to fall to that. You'll need to try harder than that to beat me."
"Dragon Breath." Always his second attack. It worked most of the time on the few Pokémon that survived his first assault. But Darkrai simply dodged it with the most ease Lucario had ever seen.
"Fool. I am not your average upriser. I am the most powerful Pokémon in existence."
"(He may be right. To heck with protocol.) Mega Punch!" He had realized Darkrai's strength and skipped over about seven attacks to get straight to his second most powerful move. But this is what Darkrai wanted. He pointed one of his cannon like arms at Lucario and said:
"Dark Aura Cannon!"
"Dark Aura Cannon!?" Lucario was surprised. He had never heard of Dark Aura. "There's no such thing!" But when Lucario was a few feet from Darkrai, he fired, and Lucario was shot back towards the cliff wall, the Dark Aura binding him to it, like. Lucario was getting tired, and he thought the Dark Aura had something to do with it.
"You're right." Darkrai said. Lucario couldn't believe it, Darkrai had read his mind! "The Dark Aura is sapping your strength and giving it to me. And. Yes, I read your mind." He pointed his cannon-like arm at Lucario's head. "Face it, you're doomed."
"Where are Dialga and Palkia?"
"Dark Au-" Darkrai began.
"We're right here Lucario!" Said an ancient voice.
"NO!" In the confusion, when he turned to look at the new enemies, he shot Lucario with the Dark Aura not in the face, but in the stomach. It left a gaping hole in his stomach. But he had been through this before. Until he died of old age, he would just dissolve and reform when he died.
"We're here to stop you Darkrai."
"Hmph. Double Dark Aura Ray Cannon!" He pointed one arm at each and fired. But instead of a ball of Dark Aura, it was a solid ray, feet wide.
"ROAR OF TIME!" Palkia and Dialga both roared. A field of energy was emitting from them both, closing in on Darkrai, and pushing his attack back.
"NO! FULL POWER!" Darkrai's beams of Dark Aura widened by about four feet, but it had no effect other than stalling the roar for several seconds. Meanwhile, Lucario had just dissolved.
"DON'T YOU GET IT?" Dialga asked, still roaring so he could keep up the Roar. "OUR ATTACK GETS STRONGER AND STRONGER AS TIME PASSES!" Finally, the fields of energy reached Darkrai, and he dissolved like Lucario. "Now. Time, freeze!" When Dialga, being of time, uttered these words, time froze. Palkia and Dialga said together:
"We, Palkia and Dialga, beings of space and time,
Seal you away until the love of a Pikachu and a Buneary,
respectively allied with the Remnants of Fire and the Beginning of Day,
realize their love,
and said love results in a child,
and the realization of their allies' love for each other."
Time unfroze and the particles of Darkrai and Lucario began to shake. Darkrai screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOO! I SHALL BE RELEASED! AND I WILL THEN HAVE MY REVENGE!" At that moment, Darkrai's particles rose in the air, separated, and solidified.
"I, Dialga, being of time, declare that these stones shall be called Dusk Stones, and help only the most evil of creatures evolve!" When Dialga finished, Darkrai's particles, now called Dusk Stones, scattered over the world. When they fell from the sky, several Pokémon species got hit, but only the vilest evolved, namely, Misdrevous, Murkrow, and Dusclops.
"Where is Lucario?"
"Over here! You fools sealed me with that curse also!"
"Can we not simply undo the curse and free him brother?"
"No, I am afraid not. But we can do to you, Lucario, what we did to Darkrai. Don't worry; it doesn't hurt unless we want it to."
"Well, I guess I got nothing better to do. And besides, I won't be freed unless I do that, so..."
"I, Palkia, being of space, declare that these stones shall be called Dawn Stones, and shall help only the purest of creatures evolve!" The Dawn Stones scattered, and evolved only the purest of Pokemon, namely Roselia, Snowrunt, and Kirlia. "Good-bye Lucario! We shall keep balance until you awaken!" And they did, until they were locked away in Mt. Coronet...
Chapter One: Awake
"You know guys," Dawn said, on her way to Sunnyshore City with Ash and Brock, Pikachu and Buneary holding and watching over their new egg, "I had a strange dream last night..."
"Really? What about?" Ash asked. He had seemed much more concerned about Dawn after they found Pikachu and Buneary.
"Well, there was this Pokémon, a Lucario, fighting an evil Pokémon called Darkrai... and-" Dawn started.
"You don't have to say anymore. Ash and I both had that dream too..." Brock interrupted.
"This is unusual. Three people don't just have the same dream, no matter close they are." Ash worried.
"Pika. Pikachu...(Translation: I had that dream too.)." Pikachu added.
"Niiiiiiiiiiii...(Translation: But how could we all have had it?)"
"Anyone wanna' bet that they had the dream too?" Ash asked with a light laugh.
"Chu... (Yup.)" Pikachu said somberly, as he nodded.
"Then there's no other explanation necessary. It really happened, many, many years ago." Brock said.
"What?! You're crazy Brock. There's no way something like this happened!" Dawn exclaimed. When Dawn finished, they heard a small noise.
"(Reeeoo. Reeeeeeo.)"
"Well, it's getting a bit late. Maybe we should get some supper and turn in for the night." Brock said, worried for their health.
"That sound fine!" Ash answered. After supper, Dawn pulled Ash aside while Brock set up the tent. "I'll be back in a minute Brock! Yeah Dawn, what's bothering you?"
"Well... I was wondering. Do you love me Ash Ketchum?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, you know that dream we all had?"
"Yeah." Ash replied, confused.
"Well, Palkia and Dialga said that Darkrai would remain sealed away 'until the love of a Pikachu and a Buneary, respectively allied with the Remnants of Fire and the Beginning of Day, realize their love, and said love results in a child, and the realization of their allies' love for each other.' What if we are the 'Remnants of Fire' and the 'Beginning of day'?" Dawn asked.
"So, you think we're destined to be together? Huh... We could try. Down by the Sunnyshore Beach for a romantic picnic, tomorrow at seven?"
"It's a date!" Dawn replied, excited. They returned to camp, quite happier, when they heard Pikachu.
"Pika! Pika!(Yay! Woohoo!)"
"Nii! Buneary!( It's time! It's Hatching!)" Worried, because they don't speak Pokemon, everyone ran over to them, just to see that the egg was hatching. When it was done, a little blue dog-ish Pokémon was in its place.
"Huh, I wonder what it is? Let's check the Pokedex!"
"Riolu: The Little Aura Pokémon. Riolu are rare and much sought after, as are their evolution, Lucario. All Riolu are said to be the direct descendant of a Legendary Lucario who quelled fighting in the distant past."
"Huh... like that one we dreamt about." Suddenly, a stranger with long brown hair ran over.
"The prophecy has been fulfilled! I was hoping this day would never come." Said the stranger.
"Ummm... who the heck are you?" Dawn asked angrily as if the stranger had been disappointed that Riolu was born.
"Oh. I'm so sorry. My name is Spencer, Ancient Myth, Prophecy, and Oddities hunter. You probably haven't heard of some of my work. (Cursed Media). The Missingno. fiasco?"
"Missingno.?" Ash asked as if Spencer was crazy.
"Didn't think so. How about the capture of Ho-oh?"
"You captured a Ho-oh? Can I see?" Dawn asked.
"Are you crazy? That guy over there is a member of Team Rocket. So are his wife and kid. They'd rob me before I knew what hit me! Besides, I don't have him with me."
"Pikachu, use Thundershock when they start their motto."
As if on cue, the Team Rocket members began: "Hey Twerps-" But before they could even start, Pikachu attacked them, ( while Buneary covered Rioulu's eyes) and they went flying. "Oh, come on, we didn't even get to say our new and improved motto." James complained. Together they said, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again..."
"Wow, how did you know?" Ash asked.
"Well, when you've been in my lines of work as long as I have, you kind of have a sixth sense."
"How long have you been working in your fields." Ash asked him.
"For three years, since I was ten." Spencer replied.
"Wow. Three years in itself isn't much. But when you add the fact that its been since you were ten, that's really impressive! So, what prophecy were you talking about? What's been fulfilled?" Brock asked.
"Well, you already know the basis. The last line simply states that the night before it happens, all those directly involved will dream the events that happened all those milenia ago. Oddly, I had the same dream you must've, so I guess I'm involved."
Meanwhile, while this was happening, Pikachu and Buneary were fawning over their new child.
"(Aww. Isn't our son cute. I guess you were right when you said it wouldn't be our species.)"
"(I told you.)"
"(I am not cute, I am powerful.)" Riolu said.
"(Son? You can already talk? Well, I guess that you are the legendary Lucario.)" Pikachu said, startled.
"(Yes. I thank you for freeing me, even if you had no knowledge of the task.)" Riolu said.
"Anyway, we need to travel to Mt. Coronet to find and defeat Darkrai." Spencer said.
"Well Dawn, looks like our date's off." Ash disappointedly said.
Chapter Two: Hot Spring Meeting
After a good night's sleep, everyone was ready to go.
"Well guys, we gotta go. It should take us a week or so, give or take a few days. We have to get there as soon as possible. And those guys are the Team Rocket members from yesterday." Spencer said.
"Pikachu. Use Thundershock." Ash said. But before Pikachu could attack, Riolu used Thundershock.
"Hey! What was that f- Who am I kidding? Looks like blasting off again." Jessie said, disappointed that they didn't even do anything wrong.
"Wow," Brock exclaimed, "I didn't know that Riolu could use Thundershock!"
"He didn't. He used Me First, which allowed him to use Pikachu's attack before Pikachu could, at a greater power. He seems to be developing much quicker than a normal Riolu, which expells any doubt I had that he is the Lucario of legend." Spencer explained. They set off for Mt. Coronet, and had a fairly uneventful day. When night came. Spencer showed the others his Pokémon. He explained that now he could because there was nobody around.
"GO! Blaze, Angel, Sparks, Psycho, Thorn, Ace!" When Spencer released his Pokemon, the others were awed. "Meet Blaze, my Infenape. Angel, my Manaphy. Sparks, my Luxray. Psycho, my Metagross. Thorn, my Roserade. And last, but not least, Ace, my Staraptor."
"Wow. I- I- Wow." Ash couldn't get anything out.
"Great team. Served me well. Too bad I can't release them in public. They're my pride and joy. Return! Well, I guess it's... Go Blaze! Use Flame Thrower!" Blaze never left its Pokeball. He didn't have to. His attack did though.
"I give up." Meowth whined as they flew through the air.
"As I was saying, it's time to go to sleep. Got to get an early start tomorrow."
"Pikapika chuka pichu.(Come on Buneary.)"
"Niii? Bunini bu! (Okay. Follow me Riolu.)" After this quick exchange, Pikachu, Buneary, and Riolu went running off.
"No! I'll be back!" Ash ran off, chasing them.
"Aren't you going after your Buneary?" Spencer asked.
"Nope. I trust Ash." Dawn said, smiling. When Ash caught up with Pikachu, he saw what they were doing.
"Huh. Would you mind some company?"
"Pika! Chu chuka pika? (Nope. Or else we would've left after you fell asleep!)
"Great. I'll be back." When Ash got back to the camp, he found Dawn up, waiting for his return.
"Ash. I was won-"
"Hey, Dawn. I think I can make up for canceling our date. Grab your towel and bathing suit, and follow me." While Dawn grabbed hers, Ash got his. When Dawn got out of her tent, they ran off.
"Where are we going Ash Ketchum?"
"You'll see. We should be there in a few...more...now!" They entered a clearing from the forest they were in. And Dawn saw what Ash was so excited about.
"Wow, a hot spring! Hold on, let me go change. And don't you peek Ash!" Dawn ran off into the forest, while Ash hid behind some rocks and changed himself. When he got out, Dawn was standing at the edge of the springs in a one-piece bathing suit with a pokeball where her belly button would be.
"Wow Dawn. That suit looks so nice on you!"
"Well thanks. You don't look half bad either!" They both jumped in, holding hands, and relaxed. "You know Ash; I don't think I would've gotten up the courage to ask you if you loved me if it weren't for Pikachu and Buneary, then that dream."
"Well, I'm glad you did." They were silent for a moment, submerged themselves, and embraced underwater. When they emerged, Dawn caught her breath, and then spoke.
"Wow Ash. I didn't think you were that great of a kisser!"
Meanwhile, at camp...
"Hey! Where's Ash?" Brock wondered.
"Oh. He and Dawn ran off to a secluded hot spring about a quarter mile out. Not less than... tch. Poketch?"
"Forty-five minutes ago." Said a cool, female voice. "Do you need anything else?"
"Yeah. Call Professor Luvisco. I need to talk to him about subject 'D'"
"Huh. I didn't think that they'd be right for each other. (Why is Ash so much better with girls than me?)"
Back at the Hot Springs...
Dawn and Ash had just changed out of their bathing suits.
"Ash. I was wondering if you wanted to sleep with me tonight."
"Sure Dawn. I wouldn't mind."
"(Ah. This is so relaxing. I haven't been this calm for several millennia.)" Riolu sighed. When he finished, he started to glow.
"Dawn! Riolu's evolving'!" Ash was right. Riolu grew taller until he was a mighty Lucario. He didn't seem to notice however.
"(Um... Riolu, I mean, Lu-)" Pikachu started.
"I know. I evolved. But I'm just so calm that I don't care."
"Wow, Lucario can talk." Dawn said, obviously on the verge of fainting.
Chapter Three: Arrival
The group traveled on for several days, with a uniform schedule: Traveling, eating, and resting at night, when Ash and Dawn would sneak off into a nearby forest or cave and do something romantic. One night however, Spencer was a bit unnerved.
"Hmmm... those Rocket goons haven't been following us for several days now... And they aren't the kind of people that give up, I can tell."
"You're right Spencer, but why worry?" Brock asked.
"I don't know, it's just weird... Well, bed-time!" When everyone else was in bed, Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, Buneary, and Lucario ran off into the nearby forest, as they had mutually decided.
"Lucario, we figured that if you're gonna be fighting Darkrai, you might need a bit of training." Dawn explained on the way there.
"True, I am a bit rusty. Who will I fight first?"
"Well, I thought that my Buizel would be good first opponent. He beat three of us in a row before I finally caught him!" All through the night, Lucario fought, and defeated all of their Pokémon until he got to Pikachu and Buneary. He thought that they should team up on him, underestimating their power, and lost hands down. Afterwards, a weary team returned to camp after munching on some Oran berries.
"Well, I must admit, you two are incredibly strong."
"Pika!?(Thanks!)"
"Bunear! Ninini bu? (I try.)"
"Well, you succeed!" They all walked off to camp. Lucario laid down under some trees, facing the starry sky. Dawn and Ash crawled into a tent together, after which, nobody knows what happened exactly. Pikachu was about to go in the tent too, when Buneary pulled him away from the tent opening.
"What's wrong Buneary?"
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to have another child."
"What? Why, aren't you happy with Lucario?"
"Well, yeah. It's just that... we didn't really get the experience of raising a child from him, he's just an adult trapped in a child's body. I mean, he's nice, but he's more of friend, a peer, than our son. You know?"
"Yeah... I do... I would too... but-" Pikachu was cut off mid-sentence when Buneary kissed him passionately. Pikachu was shocked at first, but returned the kiss after getting over the initial shock. "Okay." Pikachu said after Buneary released him and he caught his breath. "Come on, behind the tent." As Pikachu and Buneary walked back behind the tent together, they could swear that they heard light laughter coming from inside the tent. Unnoticed by them however, Lucario had tears forming at his eyes...
"I may not be your son, but it still hurts." Lucario whispered. He began to cry. "I'm so lonely... I wish I had someone to love. Everyone but me has someone."
"That's not true Lucario." Brock said, surprising Lucario. "I've been trying for years to find the right girl, but it just doesn't seem to work."
"Neither do I." Spencer said, joining them under the forest. "I've had my eyes on one girl. But when you're traveling as much as I am, you don't have time for romance unless the person is willing to come with you. She knew her studies were important, and stayed behind. Here's a picture of her." Spencer reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of himself and a person his height (short for her age, in other words). His arm was over her shoulder, and they were smiling. She had beautifully blond hair and looked about ten or eleven. They both had a smile on their face. "That was taken the day before I left the academy. Her name's Marie. As it stands, we're just good friends."
"But didn't she figure it out when you asked her to come with you?" Lucario asked.
"It's not that she doesn't know my feelings for her, it's just that she's not sure if she has the same feelings for me. She just never got around to figuring it out before I left... I mean, sure, I've asked her out... but she's never accepted..."
"Don't worry Spencer. Am I to assume that she is your first love?" Brock asked.
"Yeah..." Spencer replied, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Don't worry, if it doesn't work out between you two, you can always remain friends. And if that's the case, then there's bound to be someone out there for you." Brock, in all his romantic knowledge comforted Spencer.
"Thanks Brock. Well, I guess we're the Broken-Hearted Brothers."
"Amen to that bro." Lucario said.
"Hey, are those Buneary and Pikachu?" Brock asked, noticing to shadowy figures coming from behind the tent.
"Hmph." Lucario said and turned around, away from them.
"What's wrong with him?" Brock asked.
"Put this in your ear." Spencer said, handing him an ear bud. "Poketch, playback."
"Yes sir. Playback number?"
"Ugh..." Spencer groaned, trying to remember the code, "24x." Brock heard the brief exchange between Buneary and Pikachu (without knowing what they said) while watching a hologram from the poketch. He then heard what Lucario said and when they came in. The hologram disappeared, and Brock took the ear bud out.
"Wow. I don't need to know what Pikachu and Buneary said... I can tell it hurt."
"I'm sure it did. And Lucario?" Spencer replied.
"What?"
"Don't stay too sad. We can't defeat Darkrai without you."
"Whatever." Spencer sighed. Lucario just didn't get it. Getting hurt is just a part of life. You can't have the good without the bad, or the good won't seem as good and the bad'll seem worse. He looked over to tell Brock something, but he found that Brock was asleep, arms behind his head, lying on the grass. Spencer shrugged his shoulders, figuring it was as good a place as any to sleep, and drifted off...
Chapter Four: A Strange Occurrence
"What? Where am I?" Lucario asked himself. He had just fallen asleep a few minutes ago, when he heard somebody shouting loudly and angrily. He woke up to find himself hovering over a disturbing scene. Below him was a trainer, savagely whipping what he assumed was her Ralts. The Ralts had an odd black collar on.
"Evolve! Why won't you evolve?" The trainer screamed as she whipped her Ralts. The Ralts was wincing, but doing nothing. "So the collar can make you bend to my will, even kill your own family, but not evolve?"
"So that's what it is… a mind control device. I wish I could help, but I can tell that I am unable to move." Lucario sighed. He was thoroughly disgusted at the trainer, and more so at the fact that he couldn't help.
The trainer completely lost her temper. She screamed at the Pokémon and picked up a particularly shiny rock. "You hate me, don't you? My other Pokémon could replace you easily, and yet I take care of you, while you won't even evolve for me! Well I don't care anymore." When she finished, she lobbed the rock at the startled, but otherwise unresponsive Pokémon. As it whizzed through the air, Ralts managed to move just slightly enough that the stone bounced off the collar as it shattered. The now free Pokémon began to glow. "So you can evolve. I knew it. That stupid collar kept you from evolving. Superior technology my butt." When the Ralts finished evolving, there was a seriously angry Kirlia in its place. "So just get back in the pokeball and I'll forget the entire thing."
"Kirlia. Llili!" The newly free and evolved Kirlia demanded. It walked over to the stone his master threw at him and picked it up. He again began to glow again, but also started growing blades out of its arm.
"What? You're a guy? Dang! The guy said you couldn't evolve into a Gallade!"
When he finished evolving, he started walking toward his ex-trainer, an angry glare in his eyes.
"Stop. Get back. No? Fine then. Go Dragonite, use Shadow Claw!" He tossed a black colored pokeball into the air, and a Dragonite with a black hue to its skin was released.
"No… a dark Pokémon."
"Erlade!" Before the pokeball returned to his trainer's hand, he used a psychic on it and pulled in towards him. As the Dragonite charged, he tossed the pokeball in the way of its claws. As soon as it made contact to the Shadow Claw, it shattered.
"Draaaaaaag. Nite aniiiiite!" The Pokémon let out a blood curling and obviously pained scream as the black hue drained gradually.
"No. You broke the dark ball!" She was so preoccupied with the ball that she didn't notice the Pokémon inching towards her until it was too late.
"No! Nooooooooo!" She said. Just before Lucario could see what had happened, he was whisked away. While time and space streamed past him, he contemplated what he just saw.
"So much hate. I don't understand how humans and Pokémon could live together like this; with so much hate." As Lucario continued to wonder, the blurring around him slowed, and he eventually found himself looking at a different scene. This one was much more comforting.
"So Roselia. It's up to you. Evolve or not?" A trainer sitting on the ground with his Roeselia asked.
"Elia… Roselia…" The Pokémon shook its head. Lucario could tell why. The Roselia knew that if she evolved… she might not be the same person… one of the many hazards of evolving.
"Okay Roselia. Any ideas on what to do with the Dawn Stone?" The Pokémon again shook its head. "Me neither. Maybe it'll come in handy. They're worth a pretty penny you know."
"Okay kid, hand over the Roselia, and nobody gets hurt!" Said a gruff voice coming from behind the tree line.
"I'll never give you my Roselia! Who do you think you are?"
"I am Cassidy of Team Rocket! This guy is Biff," Said a woman in her mid to late thirties, stepping out from behind a tree, pokeball in hand.
"AUGH! MY NAME IS BUTCH!" Said the voice the trainer heard before, also with pokeball in hand.
"So why exactly should I give over my Roselia to two people from a team Chalk-it who can't even remember their own names?"
"First of all, it's Team ROCKET! Secondly, because we have this. Go, Charizard!" She released the pokeball, and in a flash of red light, a Black Charizard appeared.
"Wow… a Black Charizard… those are rare. Well no trade!" The trainer responded jokingly. He really wasn't that stupid, he just liked to joke.
"We're no trading, we're taking. Use Flamethrower on the boy Charizard!" At Cassidy's command, the Charizard launched the most powerful Flamethrower attack the trainer had ever seen. He was about to get hit, when a figure blocked the attack. There was a minor explosion, and before the dust settled, a Leaf Storm was launched at the stupefied Team Rocket members, sending them flying.
"But this is supposed to be Jessie and James' recurring joke! They'll sue our pants off!"
"Thanks for that visual Bortch."
"It's BIFF! I mean BUTCH! I never win." Back on the ground, the smoke was beginning to clear…
"Wow. Thank you. Who are you, and why did you save me." As the last of the dust settled, the trainer was horrified at what he saw. "Roselia?" But it wasn't Roselia anymore… but Roserade. And a badly burned one at that… "Why
Roserade? Why give your life for mine?" With its dying breath, Roserade picked up its head and said:
"Roser, aderose. Roseraer. (Because these have been the best years of my life.)"
Even though the trainer shouldn't have understood, he did somehow. He had tears in his eyes. "These have been the best years of my life too buddy. Go Staraptor! Return Roserade."
Simultaneously, a Staraptor was released and Roserade withdrawn. He handed the ball to Staraptor with the instructions of taking it to the nearest Poke Center. Lucario would have loved to stay and see what happened after, but time and space was again whizzing by.
"Self-sacrifice and love, and hate? How can such opposites exist with each other?" Lucario was again puzzled by what he saw, but began to understand as he saw more scenes. A trainer abandoning her Charmander, a fellow Lucario giving his aura to save Mew and the Tree of Life, two trainers releasing their pride and joy Pokémon to let them protect their friends, an oddly familiar trainer being turned to stone trying to stop a fight between Mew and Mewtwo. The loving scenes outweighed the brutal, barbaric scenes in number, but it was the latter that were much stronger, roughly evening them.
"Two opposites living together to make harmony… like dark and light… maybe I have to use the powers of darkness to defeat Darkrai… Is that why I'm here?" He screamed the last part in his mind so loud, that it actually became louder than he could have vocalized. Almost instantly after, he heard an odd and powerful voice.
"Yes Lucario. That is why you are here. If you don't defeat Darkrai, the brutality will begin to outweigh the love, creating chaos and destroying order. But you cannot defeat him without brutality. Nor can you defeat him without a sacrifice."
"Who are you?" Lucario was surprised he could talk again and no longer had to think.
"You can't tell? I'm-"Just then, the whirring vortex began to rock unsteadily. "Time is up. I must leave you. Remember what you learned here Lucario."
"No! I want answers! Who are you?"
"If you can't figure it out, you will learn who we are when you reach Mt. Coronet…"
"Augh!" Lucario bolted upright. He had an odd sensation, like he had just taken an adventure, but was no different.
"Are you okay Lucario?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah, I think so. It must have just been a bad dream. But I can't remember a wink of what happened in it."
"Well we all get that every now and' then." Ash said. Lucario suddenly remembered one blaring thing:
"Ash, have you ever stopped a fight between Mew and Mewtwo?"
"Yeah, why?" Ash answered, utterly surprised that Lucario knew what he had nearly forgotten.
"Well, I think that was what my dream was about."
"Oh well, it's time to be heading out now."
Chapter Five: Memories
The gang was traveling along, either talking or reminiscing. Spencer was deep in thought, barely keeping his eyes on the road ahead. He sighed and began remembering the day he left the academy…
It was a warm autumn's day, and Spencer was standing outside the gate of a building, about three years younger, talking with the girl from the picture he had shown Brock and Lucario.
"But I can't stay here! This school just doesn't satisfy. It's the same thing over and over, never differing, for as long as I can remember! I just have to leave, got to break free, examine our world, find the mysteries, and learn all I can. So much to learn, and so little of it is taught here." He said to the girl slightly aggravated.
"But can't that wait until you graduate? You're my only friend here!" The girl replied.
"But Marie! You're too smart! Time doesn't wait for anyone or anything. You can't let education get in the way of learning!" He paused for a moment, thinking… "Maybe you'd come with me? I can tell that you would benefit just as much from it as I would. You'll have great adventures, see rare Pokémon, travel the world, you just need a month of training to get the license, and you can explore in the name of science. Please?"
She thought for a moment. "But, my education is too important to leave behind. I need to stay… and you should too! You're being idiotic! There's no reason to leave now!" When she finished, she was breathing heavily. She looked up at Spencer, and regretted what she said instantly. "No. I didn't mean it like that! I simply meant that-"
"I know exactly what you meant. If you think I'm an idiot, then I'll leave right now! Go Ace!" In a flash of bright light, a Staravia appeared, and Spencer jumped on. "To home Ace, then who knows where!" Spencer yelled as Staravia rose in the air.
"Staaaaar!" The Pokémon shrieked.
"No. Spencer I can explain!" Marie yelled to the sky.
"There's nothing left to explain Marie. Tell Mr. Luvisco I'm leaving earlier and won't be in tomorrow!" At these words, he left, never to return.
"Spencer, are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, just thinking 'bout stuff."
"Okay, you looked kind of out of it."
"Yeah, thanks for caring Lucario."
"No problem bro." Lucario could sense what he was thinking about. It made him think back too…
Lucario was hiding in a village, watching the people go by. He was a hungry, sick Pokémon nobody cared about. He was incredibly depressed, considering ending his life, just to escape the pain of loneliness. He dreamed of a day when he was loved, healthy, and overall, happy. He knew that these dreams were just that, a dream, and that they'd never come true. He coughed and writhed in pain. A woman passing by stopped, and looked down the alley Lucario was hiding in. He inched backwards, knowing that people caused pain. And he had enough pain in his life.
"Hello?" She asked. "Is anyone there?" Lucario inched back even further. The lady began to walk down the alley. "Oh come on, I know you're there. There's no use in hiding from me." Lucario coughed again. The woman looked in his direction. Lucario cursed himself quietly. "Come on, I've got food." She said pulling a piece of bread from a bag. He couldn't resist. He crawled forward. The woman saw him and suppressed a scream. Lucario flinched.
"Don't hurt me!" Lucario said feebly.
"Hurt you? Why would I hurt you? You look like you've had enough pain!" She gave Lucario the bread. He ate it swiftly. "Come with me, I can help…" Lucario smiled, then passed out…
"…Ugh… Where am I?" Lucario was lying on his back and sat up.
"I see you're feeling better. You had a nasty case of Pokérus. It seemed odd, different somehow."
"Yeah… I first got it when I was a kid. It was pretty common where I lived. The odd thing was; it kept coming back every few months, getting worse each time. Last month, it became so severe that I was actually wishing to die, considering suicide… I grew up alone and had to fight for my food, but when I got the last case of Pokérus, I was too weak to fight, and was starving. If it weren't for you, I would have died. Thanks." He smiled.
"Think nothing of it, I couldn't let you die."
"Yes. The odd thing is that each time I got Pokérus, I got stronger. I fell almost god-like now."
"Well praise be to Arcerus. Maybe you are meant to serve him. Or maybe even keep peace." They smiled. Lucario felt an odd feeling boiling up inside him. Could it be… no, what was he thinking? Even if it was…it would be wrong. A Pokémon and a human? Impossible.
Lucario sighed. "Was it really love? Could it have been? If so, how would we live, what would our children be like? Could we have even had children? I wish I had told her how I feel. I wonder what she did when I disappeared…"
"Hey, look! It's Mt. Coronet!"
"Huh?" Lucario was suddenly jolted out of his memories. He was confused on if he was happy that it was over or sad it was over. "It doesn't matter anyway. She's dead, and there's nothing that can change that." He paused for a moment, examining the mountain in the distance. It looked as wonderful as it did the last time he saw it…
The group was at the entrance to Mt. Coronet, gazing up to the top.
"Well," Lucario said, "I can only guess that Darkrai is stationed at the top." He looked around for a moment and noticed two statues. "Before we enter… can I pay my respects to the mighty Palkia and Dialga?"
"Sure, I see no problem with that." Ash said. While Lucario sat at the feet of the statues, chanting quietly, the others waited. The eyes of the statues began to glow, then the base, and it spread to the ground the group was standing on.
"What is this?" Brock asked.
"A teleportation mechanism." Lucario said.
"Pikachu! (How cool is that?)"
"Swellow!" A screeching voice from above said.
"You're not getting away from me! Dive Swellow!" Said another voice from above. Just as the light engulfed the group, a young lady dropped down, and in a flash of light, her Pokémon was recalled…
Chapter 6: The Final Battle
Swirling… swirling…eternally swirling in a vortex of nauseating darkness.
"Is… this what d-death is like?" Said the young lady who joined them moments before the teleportation.
"Who are you?" Spencer asked, trying not to wince in pain.
"Oh, come on! It's only been… three years!" She answered between winces. Spencer suddenly realized she was right next to him. He thought for a moment. The voice was familiar; he could tell it was…
"M-Marie?" He whispered, hoping he was right.
"Yes." She whispered back. Before Spencer could respond, his lips were locked with Marie's. She held on until Spencer nearly suffocated. When she released, he gasped.
"Wow. That felt like you'd been waiting for years to do that."
"I have" She smiled. Spencer could see that Marie was blushing.
"Wait, how can I see her face?" Spencer wondered.
"Hey, a light!" Brock exclaimed. There was a light away from the gang. It grew until the vortex was completely illuminated.
"Brock, how long has that light been there?" Ash asked nervously.
"Long enough to see that you and Dawn, Pikachu and Buneary, and Spencer and that mystery girl were all kissing." Lucario said. He sighed.
"Well, the Skitty's out of the bag…" Dawn said.
"Well, you didn't exactly keep the secret very well," Spencer said.
"Yeah, well what about you? Kissing a girl you don't even know?" Ash responded.
"Don't know? This is Marie, my friend from back at the Pokémon academy!" Spencer yelled back.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Dawn," Dawn said over the argument between Spencer and Ash which Brock was trying to break up.
"Nice to meet you too." She sighed. "Boys, they're all meatheads. Can't live with 'em"
"And can't send your Pokémon to kill them…" Dawn said. The both laughed.
"Well, I was thinking live without them… but yours is good too." Marie replied. They laughed again. Brock finished breaking up the fight between the boys by making them forget what they were fighting about, ironically, by wishing out loud that he wants to find the right girl soon.
"So, Marie… how did you find me? How long have you been looking?" Spence questioned.
"Well… after you left the academy, I pondered what you said and realized you were right. So the next day I dropped out of the normal academy, and applied to the Pokémon Mystery Explorer's Academy. It took a month, but they accepted it. But when I got there, you already had graduated. So I followed all your mysteries, hoping to find you, but when I got to the scene, the trail was cold… It was just good luck that I caught you here. I was just coming to examine the rumors of the spirits of Palkia and Dialga being trapped in their respective statues."
"But none of the media ever report on my discoveries… how'd you follow me?" Spencer asked.
"Well, you have to know where to look." She smiled. Before anyone could say anything, the light began to grow brighter and brighter.
"Chu! (It's blinding!)" When the light dispersed, they found themselves looking at Darkrai.
"Ha! You are the ones destined to defeat me? You're pitiful!" Darkrai spat at them. Lucario blasted it with an Aura Sphere.
"You may have defeated me last time, but I was withered with age. Now I'm as fresh as a spring Starly!" Lucario replied.
"Fresh as a spring Starly?" Ash asked.
"It's an old expression." Brock replied.
"Yeah, that really proves he's as fresh as a spring Starly." Ash replied.
"Mega Punch!" Lucario's fist began to glow. He ran towards Darkrai with revenge in his mind. He was about to make contact, when Darkrai reacted.
"Shadow Punch!" Darkrai's fist became enveloped in a black veil and he struck Lucario in the gut, sending him flying back to the edge of the mountain top.
"He's strong, I may need help." Lucario admitted.
"Gotcha! Pikachu?" Ash said.
"Chu!" Pikachu stood by Lucario's side, cheeks ablaze with electricity.
"Buneary?"
"Okay Buneary. Go Buizel!" Buneary joined Pikachu by Lucario's side, as did Buizel after being released.
"Go Crogunk!" Brock released Crogunk who also joined Lucario's side.
"Go Blaze!"
"Flare! Go!" In simultaneous beams of light, Spencer released his Infernape, and Marie released a Blaziken.
"Hmph. You're still a pitiful thrown together team of misfits."
"Oh yeah? Buizel, use Water Gun, Buneary, Ice Beam!" Dawn commanded. Buizel launched a Water Gun at Darkrai's feet(if you can call them that), which Buneary froze, making Darkrai stationary. "Now Buizel, Aqua Jet!" Buizel launched at Darkrai. When he got close to Darkrai, Dawn issued a new command, "Use Ice Beam." When Buizel used Ice Beam, the Aqua Jet froze and shot towards Darkrai with a tail trailing after it. Just before it reached Darkrai, he grabbed it, broke the trail, and threw it back at Buizel like a spear. It missed Buizel narrowly, but was still so strong that he was knocked out and back to Dawn. She gasped. "Buizel… return." She was obviously distressed. Ash could tell and was distressed because of it, which in turn distressed Pikachu.
"Chu!" Pikachu launched at Darkrai with a Volt Tackle, but he was simply swatted back to Ash. Darkrai had fortunately underestimated Pikachu, and he was barely hurt. Buneary was too enraged to care.
"BUNEARY! (HOW DARE YOU?)" She launched herself at Darkrai, but passed straight through, turned around, and passed through again.
"You pest!" He launched a Dark Aura Cannon at Buneary which knocked it off the cliff. Pikachu was shocked to death and back. Twice.
"PIKACHU! (NO! BUNEARY!)" He jumped off the cliff after her.
"NO! Pikachu…"
"GO ACE!" Spencer and Marie both said, releasing a Staraptor and a Swellow respectively. "Go get Pikachu and Buneary!"
"No you DON'T!" Darkrai fired another two Dark Aura Cannons at the bird Pokémon who fell short of falling off the cliff themselves.
"Ace!" Spencer and Marie shouted together again, for their respective Pokémon.
"GO STARAVIA!" Ash was screaming. He didn't send Staravia after Pikachu, but at Darkrai. "Use ARIAL ACE!" Staravia went streaming after Darkrai who grabbed it and broke its wings.
"You MONSTER!" Dawn screamed, barely able to fathom the loss of Buneary and Pikachu, but now the injury, probably fatal, of Staravia?
Chapter 7: The Battle Continues…
"You MONSTER!" Dawn could barely contain her anger. "How can you mindlessly take the lives of so many Pokémon? You are A MONSTER!" As Dawn finished, she couldn't stand to look at Darkrai, and turned to the cliff, and saw it… Buneary was on the edge of the cliff! Dawn ran over to the Pokémon lying injured, but conscious, by the cliff. "Buneary! How did you get back up here?"
"Neary…" Buneary answered.
"Lucario, could you translate?"
"Only if someone else can distract Darkrai."
"I've got it! Go, Crogunk, use Poison Jab!" Crogunk charged at Darkrai, jabbing at him, unsuccessfully while Lucario translated.
"She said that Pikachu used the speed of a Quick Attack to catch up to where she was. She begged him to let her die, not sacrifice himself, but he simply said that it was too late to save himself, as he had already jumped. He used an iron Tail on Buneary, which sent her flying back up, but sped up Pikachu. When Buneary asked him why, he said that it was better to give his one life for two…"
"Two? Buneary, you aren't pregnant again, are you? Dawn asked.
"Neary…(Yes)"
"You don't need a translation, do you?"
"No…"
"Okay, I'm going to go back." Just as Lucario turned, Crogunk flew into him, knocking him down, and making him lose his breath. While Lucario recovered, Blaze and Flare were attacking Darkrai, more successfully than the others.
"Blaze, use Shadow Claw!"
"Flare, use a combined Flamethrower and Fire-Spin!" Blaze charged in at Darkrai and slashed with Shadow Claw. When he was parried, he fell back to recuperate, when Flare used her Flamethrower/Fire-Spin combo to block Darkrai from getting at Blaze. It worked, for awhile… but Flare was eventually tired out and struck down, which left Blaze defenseless, which Darkrai exploited.
"Return!" They shouted simultaneously, again.
"Go, Thorn!"
"Go, Rose!" In two beams of light, two Roserade were released, one a male, one a female.
"Okay Thorn. We got through that burning incident with Team Rocket's Charizard, we can get through this. Use Shadow Ball!"
"Use Solar Beam!" While the two Pokémon charged their attacks, Darkrai was recovering from the fire Pokémon. To make matters worse for him, Lucario resumed his assault. Darkrai was recovering faster than Lucario could take him down. He again knocked Lucario back towards the edge. But by then, it was too late. Thorn fired the Shadow Ball, which Rose followed up with its Solar Beam, creating the perfect fusion of Dark and Light, when it collided with Darkrai, he was nearly knocked out, but he wasn't. He recovered too quickly for them to charge another one of those attacks. They were down in a minute.
"Grrr… Go Infernape!" Ash yelled.
"You too Prinplup!" Infernape and Prinplup were angry. They could sense the hostility.
"Use Flame Thrower!"
"Use Bubble Beam, then Ice Beam!" Ash's Infernape used a powerful Flame Thrower while Prinplup shot frozen bubbles at Darkrai. But in the end, they fared no better than the others. They sent out all of their Pokémon with the ending being the same: defeat.
"If only Pikachu was here… He'd be the one to take down Darkrai." Lucario charged in as often as he could, but it was no use, and eventually, he was the only one left able bodied Pokémon left.
"Neary!(Let me FIGHT! I have to avenge Pikachu!)"
"No Buneary, you're in no state to fight in!"
"So Lucario… it's just you and me left. Dark and Light…"
"Dark and… Light?" The dream he had a few days ago came back to him. He realized what must be done. "Thank you Dialga," Lucario said, "for showing me the path I must take for the greater good. Guys, I have to sacrifice myself, when I do, Darkrai will be weak enough for you to defeat him. You have to kill me."
"But we're not murderers!" Spencer said.
"But it's not murder if it isn't against the killed's will and for the greater good."
"We can't… we don't have a lethal weapon." Marie said.
"That is not a problem. Turn around." She turned around and saw a sword wedged in the ground. "That is the legendary sword that the Pokémon killer used many millennia ago. It is infused with the power of Mesprit. It will kill me without pain."
"But do I have to do it?"
"Yes." He thought about telling her why, but why worry her. Nobody needed to know that she was the reincarnation of the woman he met in his first life… "It is time, for… Destiny Bond!" A black thread shot from Lucario's heart to Darkrai's, binding them. Marie would not do it. She couldn't kill Lucario.
"I-I-I can't! I am not a killer."
"You must, or you all will die!" Marie looked at Spencer, then the pregnant Buneary. She sighed, and charged. She could hardly believe what she had done when she finished. There was a blade protruding from Lucario's stomach, but what was odd was that there was one in Darkrai's stomach to. She looked up and gasped. Holding up the blade in Darkrai's stomach was a ghost image of herself. She suddenly realized that she hadn't killed one, but two beings. She dropped to her knees and began to cry.
"What- what have I done?"
"You have saved the world…" Lucario said, before disintegrating. The particles flew to Buneary's stomach. She got a bit fluffier.
"Buneary… BUNEARY! (He may not have been my real son… but he was still mine! You took the life of my lover, and my son. YOU WILL DIE!)" Buneary charged with the fury only one that has lost almost everything can know. She punched at, blasted at, and all around attacked. But she dodged them all skillfully. "NEARY! (THIS IS FOR YOU PIKACHU!)" She summoned all of her strength and used a Giga Impact on Darkrai, sending him flying backwards.
"Hey, something's wrong! Darkrai isn't much weaker."
"That's right, I'm not. Because I have fused with The King of Pokélantis!" When Darkrai said the last bit, his voice became two, his own and the King of Pokélantis'.
"No, not him."
"Who's the King of Pokélantis?" Dawn asked.
"He's an evil king who actually possessed me once!"
"That sounds bad."
"It is." Ash was worried. If the King of Pokélantis could posses him, what could he do to a Pokémon? Buneary used the last of her strength to attack with an Ice Beam. She was lying on the ground, and Darkrai was ready for revenge.
"You foolish Pokémon, did you really believe that you could defeat me? Shadow Punch!" Darkrai pulled back his fist, ready to strike.
"ROAAAAAAAR!" Just as Darkrai launched his attack, a roar that nobody could locate the source of was uttered. Darkrai's fist was traveling towards Buneary, but time was slowed. It was traveling as if slowed by every bit of friction in the world, and then some. Buneary stood, at the same speed as normal, ready to run, but Darkrai was freed from the lack of speed at that moment. His fist connected squarely with Buneary's stomach. Golden sparks were released, much like Lucario's particles. She flew back faster than a Staraptor can fly. Dawn caught Buneary and was knocked over from the force. She opened her eyes, and couldn't believe what she saw…
"Pikachu!"
"Pikachu?" Ash looked over, and beyond belief, Pikachu was standing there just beyond Dawn and Buneary. He was glowing blue, but was otherwise okay. Ash ran over to Pikachu, eyes watering, but Pikachu stepped aside.
"Pikachu! Chu, Chu Pikachu! (Tearful reunions later Ash. I have to make him pay for what he did! I'm coming for you Darkrai!)" Pikachu launched at Darkrai with a Volt Tackle. Darkrai launched a Dark Aura Cannon at him, not taking any chances this time. But before it made contact, another roar was released, and a hole in space transported the blast to where it could do no harm, and Pikachu's blue glow disappeared. Pikachu collided with Darkrai, knocking him back, but the recoil was so large Pikachu went flying. For a ghost, even two ghosts, he was surprisingly solid and heavy.
"You are a strong little nuisance blasted Pikachu! But I will still be victorious."
"That's what you think!"
"Pikachu? You can talk?" Ash nearly fainted at the discovery that Pikachu could talk.
"Not quite. I have fused with the essence of Palkia and Dialga, beings of time and space and now have their powers."
"Well, then. I don't have to hold back. I've been charging this since I was released, a week and a half ago. It has the power of three thousand Super Novas!"
"Not for long. Time reversal!" Time began to warp around Darkrai, bulging and distorting. It still wasn't enough. Darkrai released the attack from his core, large and black, absorbing the light surrounding it. It even absorbed the time energy, making it more powerful than before.
"Bwahaha! Your futile attempts at weakening me have failed!" Darkrai boasted. "Dark Aura Cannon!" He fired the solid mass of darkness at Pikachu. Everyone expected him to pull of some cool move, but it collided with him and exploded, causing an explosion of dust. "Your last chance is gone! I win!" Darkrai was gloating when out from the dust came the very attack he thought had destroyed Pikachu. When it left the cloud, the dust dispersed, and left Pikachu standing there.
"You lose Darkrai!" Pikachu said
"That's what you think, Reflect!" Darkrai glowed a subtle yellow which expanded to create an energy shield. The blast collided with it and Darkrai strained to keep the shield up. The blast was reflected just as the shield collapsed. "Hah! There's no way you can reflect the attack twice!"
"Ha! Time Reverse!" The attack stopped short of hitting Pikachu and began to fly back to Darkrai.
"Grrr…. thrice is impossible! I release the spirit of the mighty king!" A second voice chimed in.
"What? Curse you Darkrai! You won't win without me!"
"As long as this attack gets Reflected I will!" Just then, the spirit of the King of Pokélantis left Darkrai and collided with the blast, slowing it down enough for Darkrai to charge another Reflect. Combined with a Shadow Punch, it sent the attack flying back to Pikachu.
"Hehe! You've doomed yourself Darkrai. I've been waiting for you to do that." The Dark Aura Cannon was about to collide. "Space Reversal!" After seeing the power of Time Reversal, the gang could only wonder what space reversal did. The attack froze and two warp holes opened where Darkrai and Pikachu were standing. When they disappeared, the Pokémon had switched places. The Dark Aura Cannon unfroze, and resumed towards its new target: Darkrai.
"What? No! Curse you! You –"Before Darkrai could finish, the blast hit him, and exploded. There was no dust cloud, so everyone could see when Darkrai's exploded into the particles not unlike Lucario's. Pikachu uttered a new prophecy:
I, Pikachu, Acting on behalf of Palkia and Dialga,
Beings of space and time,
Declare that you shall be locked away in nature
Until all evil is cleansed from the world!
Because of the lack of dust, everyone could also see Darkrai's particles spread throughout the world being absorbed by trees, flowers, even Pokémon, never to return, hopefully.
"Pikachu? Why'd you give him a chance to escape?"
"Because Ash, you have to or else the prophecy won't be able to-"Pikachu gagged. He glowed blue again, and the particles of Dialga and Palkia's powers were released back to their statues. Pikachu collapsed.
"Pikachu? Are you okay?" Ash asked, worried that Pikachu had overexerted himself.
"Chu? (Where am I?)"
"You're okay!"
"So you're sure you guys don't want to come with us?" Ash asked.
"Nope, the Gym Battling life isn't for us. We would much rather the exciting life of Pokémon mysteries." Marie said.
"Yeah. We plan on traveling to the Fiore region to solve the mystery of why Manaphy eggs hatch into Manaphy there, but Phione everywhere else. Then, who knows where." Spencer added. "Good luck with that egg there, don't forget to tell us what it hatches into."
"We won't if you promise to tell us if you find out anything interesting." Dawn replied.
"Well, that sounds fair. Bye!" Marie said.
"Bye." Brock said sadly, as he was now the only one who didn't have anyone. As Spencer and Marie, and Ash and crew went off in different directions, they knew that they would see each other again…
Epilogue…
Spencer and Marie went on to become very successful Pokémon mystery solvers, even though nobody ever heard of the work they did, aside from Ash, Brock, and Dawn of course. Buneary's egg hatched sometime before getting to the Sunnyshore gym, into a healthy Riolu with a heart on one hand, and a lightning bolt on the other. He proved to be a strong Pokémon, instrumental in Ash's victory at the gym and Dawn's victory in contests. It never belonged to either of them and was technically wild because it never entered a Pokeball, but instead walked with Pikachu and Buneary…
The End?
Okay, nobody point out Palkia can't use Roar of Time, and Dusclops don't evolve through Dusk Stones. As I said, original and unaltered form. No flames please.