Chapter 2: Preparation for Tomorrow
I ran home and burst through the door.
"Oh!" Blissey cried. "Home already?"
I could hardly contain my excitement.
"Blissey!" I cried. "Lucario is going to train me! Tomorrow!"
"Really?" Vulpix cooed. I didn't see her on her bed with Turtwig.
"I knew you'd come through!" Wooper cried from behind Blissey.
Tynamo floated through the air to me.
"Really?" he mumbled.
I smiled. "It's the truth!" I declared.
"Congratulations, Riolu!" Feebas said, rolling across the floor in her ball filled with water.
Vulpix came to the orphanage because her parents were killed by Zoroark. She was really young when it happened, so she hardly remembers them. She's my best friend!
Feebas was apparently abandoned as an egg. She's the peacemaker, and made me fall asleep several times because of her lulling voice. She only uses that voice when someone might hurt someone or themselves because they're angry or scared.
Turtwig's parents got sick and died, so he had to come here. Because his parents wanted him to learn to be quiet early on, Turtwig really doesn't like fights, and he'll hide when a fight might be starting. You can guess who's the best at hide and seek.
Wooper wandered off and got lost. He claims he's as brainless as his parents. I keep telling myself that that must be the reason no one's come for him (if I say that out loud, Blissey will put me in time-out). He's really optimistic, especially during raids that almost never happen.
Tynamo came from a really rich family that got really poor really quickly. His family was having such trouble that the PokéGuardians had to literally risk their necks to bring him to the orphanage. Being a spoiled brat (don't tell Blissey or Tynamo I said that), he almost always starts the fights we have.
I walked upstairs to my room and started packing as Lucario told me to do. I didn't have very many things.
I checked the box that I kept my savings in. I'm pretty sure that Blissey keeps putting her change in our savings boxes. I know I didn't earn 30 silver nuggets and 15 copper nuggets! This gave me an idea.
I told Blissey that I was going to go shopping and left the orphanage.
Breloom was using Bullet Seed to make more furniture from rocks. He likes stitching leaves together to make the cushions.
Bellossom was dancing around, showing off her plants and giving seeds to the other villagers.
Whiscash swam around, talking to villagers about antiques. You can guess what shop he's in charge of.
I don't really like Smeargle. He brags about his works of art. If you ask me, I think he overcharges.
Ambipom is awesome! When he isn't busy, he'll juggle anything-even kids! Of course, he's always careful. His store is the Baby Needs Store.
Arcanine is usually the first to alert the PokéGuardians about a thief or a raid. She has a shop for Battle Items.
Raticate scares me all the time. She talks really quickly and suddenly appears behind you when you don't expect it. That's why I've never heard of a thief at Raticate's Grocery Store.
Since it was late morning, the marketplace was crowded. I realized that I didn't decide on what I was going to get.
"Riolu!" someone called. "Riolu!"
I turned around and saw Arcanine running towards me.
"I heard about Lucario," she told me. "I want to give this to you for free!"
She gave me a strange necklace.
"I put it together myself!" she proudly said, "It has pieces of an Amulet Coin, a Light Ball, and other useful items! It actually works!"
The necklace looked interesting, so I put it on. It was strangely comfortable!
"Thanks, Arcanine!" I told her.
Then I realized that we hadn't gotten our favorite treat, crystallized Pecha Berries, in a long time!
"Thanks, Riolu!" Vulpix cried.
She was so overjoyed that all six of her tails were wagging. Feebas couldn't thank me just yet. She was sucking on the candy like a baby sucked on its paw! Tynamo forgot he was jealous at me for a few hours (what a relief!), Turtwig crunched his candy, and Wooper sucked on his while he stared blankly at the wall.
"They're all so happy!" Blissey told me, "You do still have plenty of money, don't you?"
I stopped just before I put the candy in my mouth.
"Yep!" I said, "I only got one for each of us."
Blissey unwrapped her candy and silently popped it into her mouth.
"I adored these when I was a Happiny," she said. She's the only one of us that can talk normally with a candy in her mouth.
I didn't realize how fast the night flew. At first, we're all having candies, but the next, we had dinner and went to bed.
I woke up early the next morning. I went into the kitchen to get a cup of water, but, as soon as I walked in, Lucario was sitting at the table, talking to Blissey! I think I was standing there for several minutes before they noticed me.
"Oh! Riolu!" Blissey said. "Lucario came a few hours ago!"
Lucario chuckled. "I didn't think you would be up this early, Riolu," he said, standing up.
"I… I was coming to get some water!" I blurted out.
