A Walk in the Woods

Prologue

Max was walking through the woods making his way to a spot he knew well. It was a cave about two miles south of his hometown; it was located in a small valley behind several layers of thickets and briar bushes. Most wouldn't make the trek two miles through the woods just to sit down in a cold dark cave and feel sorry for themselves, but max liked the walk, it helped him clear his mind and reflect on what he may have been able to do to stop it. Usually max always came to the same conclusion, that he either had done something to deserve it, even though he never knew what he did, or that it was an unavoidable occurrence that would have happened no matter what.

The first time max had found the cave was when his parents informed him they were separating. Feeling as if his home was no longer a home max ran, he ran and didn't stop until he found the cave. He didn't stop there just because it was quiet and solitary he stopped there because of what he found. All over the walls were these paintings that were left behind by a lucario tribe. Max felt less alone in this place and wanted to keep it to himself.

Max eventually returned home where he found his mother alone, crying with an empty bottle of scotch in her hand. Max knew what was coming; his mom was a recovering alcoholic, a violent one. Immediately his mother went into a frenzy, she blamed him for his father leaving them and proceeded to abuse him. Max awoke the next day in his room, bruised all over, and his found hi door to be blocked from the outside. He was only 9 years old.

Now max was on his way to his special place because he had been betrayed by the last two people he trusted in the world. It was his girlfriend Cassandra's birthday today and Max had decided to surprise her by going over to her house early so he could be alone with her before the party. When he approached the door to her house Max looked through the large bay window that was located at the front of the house. What he saw horrified him, Cassandra and Max's best friend, Tyler, were both sitting on the front couch, KISSING! Max hadn't felt this betrayed since his father left and again Max ran through the woods, after ten minutes of running he slowed to a walk.

Max neared the cave but stopped as he neared the entrance, he heard something. He couldn't quite make it out, but he was almost certain it was the sound of a Pokémon whimpering. Max thought about leaving to avoid confrontation but max was just about as angry as he was upset. He thought to himself that if that Pokémon had a problem with him being there then that Pokémon could make max leave, or at least it could try.

Max made his way into the cave barely trying to be silent, after all, what did he care if he got killed by a wild Pokémon, he didn't have any real reason to live anymore. He rounded the corner into the main cavern of the cave. It was dark but max could barely make out a figure in the corner. Then something strange happened.

"Why are you here?" he suddenly heard in his head. He was caught off guard and was unable to respond in time. "Why are you here!" the voice said again, angered. Max felt something grip his collar, lift him into the air and thrust him against the wall. He suddenly saw a blue sphere materialize inches from his face. "One last chance…" The voice said "why are you here?"

Max pressed his luck and replied curtly "I could ask you the same thing." The Pokémon slammed the blue sphere into his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

"This is the place where I was born and raised. I need no reason!" the Pokémon screamed at him this time with its actual voice. The Pokémon now had two more spheres ready and Max could now see its face more clearly. It was a lucario, rather short with wet fur under its eyes, based on the tone of the voice max guessed it was a female.

"Fair enough," Max said "I guess I owe you an answer now. My guess is that I'm here for the same reason you are, because I wanted to be alone and I feel safe here."

The lucario looked him up and down and concluding that the human before her was being honest extinguished one sphere and allowed the other to diminish until it served to be no more than a light. She sat down adjacent to max.

After a few seconds of silence the lucario spoke again "How did you know I came here to be alone?"

Max simply replied "Well first, you were alone and second, you seemed pretty upset. I just put two and two together." Another few moments of silence passed before Max broke it "May I ask why you were so upset?"

"I thought you would be able to figure that out yourself." She answered "Do you see my family with me?" she didn't have to say anymore, Max got the picture.

"I'm sorry." Max said.

"You have no reason to be sorry." She replied "And I don't require your pity."

"Sympathy." Max corrected "I said it out of sympathy not pity."

"May I ask why you are so upset?" the lucario asked Max.

"It's a long story." Max said.

"I've got time." The lucario replied.

Max followed with "Alright, I guess I'll start with how I found this place…"and max told that lucario his life's story starting from the day his father left.

"I am also sorry for you." The lucario said after max had finished his story.

"You have no reason to be sorry." Max replied, a smirk crawling across his face. The lucario also grinned. "Do you have a name I can call you by?" max asked.

She said something unrecognizable to Max but quickly after seeing his confusion continued "…which translates to Grace in the human tongue. And your name is?

"My name is Max, nice to meet you grace." Max answered extending his hand for a handshake. To Max's surprise Grace knew what to do grasping his hand and shaking with such force that he thought his hand might fall off. "So with your family gone what are you gonna do now?" Max asked her

"Probably travel the region, try to make the most of my life." She Replied. Suddenly Max had an idea.

"Would i…" Max hesitated "Would it be alright if I came with you?" Max knew he wanted to leave town but didn't know why he wanted to leave with this lucario all of a sudden.

"I don't see why not." Grace offered "But doesn't that mean you would be leaving your mom and friends behind?"

"You heard my story. My mom hasn't been my mom for years and I don't have friends anymore."

"Well then I guess we'll start off in the morning." Grace said. "Better get some sleep."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Max exclaimed. "I'm so tired."