"Get up." A cruel voice snarled as Lucario simultaneously felt a sharp blow to his head.

"Don't be so mean, Blaze!" A harsh girl's voice growled. "He's probably hurt! Ree, can you do something? Mawl? Abby?"

"Whatever he did was his own fault," The first voice, Blaze replied. "It's his problem, not ours, Curl."

"What if he was attacked by bandits?" The girl questioned. "Someone do something!"

"If it was bandits, he should have been stronger. The weak die off if they can't fight. If you four hadn't found me, you'd probably be dead right now."

"That's not very nice," Lucario opened his eyes staggering to his feet. He made quick note of those around him. A powerful looking Blaziken, a Mawile, an Abra, a Riolu, and...a Kirlia. "Leave the kids alone. It's nice they can show concern for a stranger."

"There you happy?" Blaziken snarled at Kirlia. "He's alive. Can we go now? I want to find relative safety by sundown."

Lucario knelt down in front of Kirlia. "Are you the one that tried to talk Blaziken into helping me? That was very kind of you. I'm Lucario, by the way."

"H-Hi, Mister Lucario!" The Kirlia hopped up and down in front of the tall, blue pokemon. "Come with us, please! You look really strong. Blaze, he could help you! He looks strong!"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to be a burden," Lucario stated politely. "I am a stranger, afterall. For all you know, I could be a thief."

"But if you were a thief, you wouldn't have told us you could be." The small psychic type reasoned. "Please, come with us!"

Lucario stared at Blaziken. "If you don't want me to come, I won't. I have no right to intrude on your family."

"They're not my family," Blaziken growled, turning his back on the group. "Follow if you want. Just know that I can kill you at any moment."

"Yay!" Kirlia wrapped her arms around Lucario, somehow managing to climb onto his soldiers. "Let's go, Luke!"

"Luke?" Lucario looked over his shoulder at the young pokemon. "You remind me a lot like this Gardevoir I used to know. I really need to get back to her somehow. You wouldn't happen to know how to get to Viridian from here, would you?"

"Viridian?" Kirlia shook her head. "Never heard of it. But tell me about Gardevoir! Were you two married? You looked really upset when you were talking about getting back to her. Was she pretty? I can't wait to evolve!"

"M-Married?" Lucario blushed, trying desperately to hide it from the young pokemon. "N-No. I was her guard. She was a queen. And no, she wasn't pretty. She was beyond it. Beautiful could not be used to describe her. Even Lady Virizion would pale in comparison."

"And you two weren't married?" Lucario stared at Riolu, whom had finally spoken up. "You sure sound like you loved her. N-Not that I can blame you if she's anything like Kirlia."

"You're so sweet, Ree!" Kirlia laughed, wrapping her small arms around Lucario's neck.

"You're pretty dense, aren't you, Curl?" Mawile laughed, covering one of her mouths with her hand. "Nevermind. So, Lucario, how did you wind up here?"

Lucario's heart stopped for a moment, remembering the terror of the god. "I-I was protecting Lady Gardevoir. I don't know how I wound up here. I was fighting a very powerful pokemon, one I had never seen before."

"No one cares," Blaziken shouted. "Now hurry up or I'll leave you lot behind! Remember, I am strong enough to fend for myself."

"Is he always this bi-I mean angry?" Lucario asked the four children around him. "It's already getting on my nerves."

"That is probably our fault," Mawile admitted. "He's been looking after us since the...since the day the gods arrived."

"Five years is a long time to look after four kids in a ravaged world," Riolu added. "I think he's earned the right to be a little grouchy."

Lucario froze. "Wait! How long has he been looking after you? That can't be right. I just fought Darkrai the other day."

"Darkrai?" Blaziken looked over his shoulder. "You fought that demon? If you're going to lie, I would suggest you make it believable. You would be dead if you had fought him."

"I wouldn't call it much of a fight," Lucario sighed, looking up to the bright, pale blue sky. "I turned to attack him, then I woke up here."

"Don't be so mean, Blaze!" Kirlia whined, Lucario's ear twitching from the close proximity of the high pitched squeal. "You're gonna make him sad and he'll leave!"

"If he does that, he will be more of a child than any of you." Blaziken stated, gazing into the distance. "And let me know if any of you see anywhere we can take cover for the night. I'm getting tired."

"Meanie! Meanie! You're just a big meanie!" Kirlia cried, hugging onto Lucario playfully. "Luke's so much nicer!"

"Then go off with him," Blaziken spat. "Just don't expect a weakling like him to keep you safe."

"I am the chief retainer of Lord Gallade! Hold your tongue!" Lucario snapped, his aura momentarily fluctuating. "I would prefer you not bringing my strength into question."

"Oh, big talk coming from someone who evolved from a puny runt like Riolu!" Blaziken barked, a vicious sneer plastered on his face. "If you're so strong, how about we spar?"

"Very well," Lucario consented. "Get down, Kirlia. I'll show him I'm not to be messed with."

"Don't, Luke!" Kirlia cried, clinging tightly to the blue furred pokemon's neck. "I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"Kirlia, leave them alone," Riolu intervened. "There's no way unevolved pokemon like us could understand them. Let them get it out of their systems and then we can just be on our way."

"I will fight you, Big Ears," Blaziken sisghed. "But let's wait until morning. The sun will be down soon, and it's dangerous even for those like me to be outside after nightfall."

A/N: Sorry for how rushed it seems. I'm trying to add in the major characters before I get to the action. Oh, and please review.