I Am Lucario
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon
Once again, thanks for reading and/or reviewing!
Magnificent Quietude is split into two parts; as such, this chapter is not as long as previous complete chapters. In fact, this chapter is roughly equivalent in size to part one of Existence. I personally think Magnificent Quietude is my worst yet, but… hopefully you'll enjoy it. Incidentally, chapter eight will be the first non-human-watching chapter since Existence.
In response to Ri2; yep, Eevee is indeed strange. As for Greg, he will appear again in a future chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lucario spent his day off roaming around the forest, collecting berries and fruits to replenish the cave's food stock. There were still plenty at home, but it never hurt to have a decent supply ready. He even discovered a new tree situated a short distance away from the lake, which grew Sitrus Berries. It was extremely flavourful, but there weren't many to pick. Still, it would probably grow again a few days later.
He made a stop at Xatu's sanctuary, kneeling by the rock and telling Xatu what he had been up to the past few days. Before entering the grove, he had thought of many things that he wanted to convey, but they all seemed to fade away as he stood in front of his father's grave.
For Julie, all Lucario could say was, "I saw a girl the other day. She hadn't been to the city for a long time; and now that she had returned to pay a visit, she found out that things were no longer what they once were."
Regarding Greg and Eevee: "I also met a Pokémon who was neglected by her trainer. She managed to regain her old life, which is good. She's really strange. I'm supposed to meet her tomorrow."
And finally, "I also met a whole bunch of people and their Pokémon living together. They get along well. It was at that time I got into another battle," he said, glancing down at his injured paw. "But I'm perfectly fine.
"Father… I hope that you're resting peacefully. You don't need to worry about me; Absol's been keeping me company lately. I'm still keeping an eye out for the tragedy you saw coming, and Absol says he'll help too."
Lucario let himself fall backwards to the grass, looking up at the sky. The rustling of the leaves in this clearing had a special calming effect on him that no other area in the forest seemed able to provide. He closed his eyes, letting the gentle breeze toy with his fur as his consciousness faded slowly away.
As Lucario slept, he dreamt that he was being chased through a barren wasteland by a whole pack of Houndoom. Suddenly finding himself trapped against a huge wall of rock that popped out of nowhere, he turned around with the intention of fighting. Before he could do anything, however, he was shrinking… becoming smaller and smaller… he was now a Riolu again. All of his courage had dissipated, and he cowered as several of the Houndoom shot flames at him… but instead of being scorched, he felt his face becoming wet.
Lucario opened his eyes. Several droplets of rain fell into his mouth, which was hanging open in surprise. He quickly got up and brushed some of the grass off his fur. After bowing towards the rock, he picked up the basket of berries on the ground besides him and ran, hoping to get home before the drizzle gets heavier.
Back in the cave, Absol was lying idly on his bed, staring at the rain outside. He stood up when Lucario entered, greeting the blue-furred Pokémon with a small smile. "Hey, welcome back. How's your paw?"
"It's fine, thanks."
Earlier that morning, Absol had been horrified when he found out that Lucario had gotten into a fight the day before. Like an overprotective parent, he insisted that Lucario lie down and rest for the remainder of the day, but the zealous Aura Pokémon refused to let a whole day go to waste.
"It's only a small wound, Absol-sir," Lucario had said. "You worry too much."
Lucario had then announced that he was going berry-picking, much to Absol's chagrin. He quickly took the basket and left before Absol could protest.
"I brought back some berries," Lucario announced happily, indicating the full basket. "And there are some new types too. That should add some variety." He walked over to the big basket where berries were kept and emptied his harvest there.
"That's nice," Absol said, walking over to Lucario, "but you know, about –"
"I'm not canceling my bet with Eevee," Lucario interjected firmly. He turned to face Absol. "That's what you were about to mention, isn't it?"
"Yes, but –"
"Besides, it's only my right paw that's injured; I can still go human-watching."
Absol shook his head defiantly. "That's not the point. That Eevee's trouble. Remember how she tried to strangle you?"
"Oh yes," Lucario said. "Pleasant memories; how could I forget?"
"Exactly!" Absol exclaimed. He seemed to have gained some confidence, and continued speaking in a louder voice, "Who knows what she would do to you if you continue to hang out around her?"
"You worry too much. Eevee should be fine now – or at least, better than she was that day," Lucario said, trying to hide the doubt in his own voice. "She was bitter the day we met her due to pent up frustration. Now that she's free again, however…"
"You saw what she was like yesterday! She's still the same."
"Yeah, well… it's only been a few days. Give her more time. Besides… I don't think their story is finished yet."
"Their story?" Absol said sharply. "Who's this 'their' you're talking about?"
Lucario sat down on his bed and stared straight into Absol's eyes. "Well, Greg, really, but since Eevee was involved, I'm counting her in." And guess what, Absol. Your story isn't finished either.
"I still think it's a bad idea," Absol said lamely.
"Speaking of Eevee, that reminds me. I have something to ask you. When are you going to visit Umbreon again?"
"Huh?" Absol was completely taken aback. He shifted his feet and averted his eyes from the Aura Pokémon's. "I told her I would visit one day, didn't I?"
"That's very vague. You know, Absol…" Lucario began slowly, unsure if he should prod the subject further. The waves of uneasiness were radiating from Absol, which was the norm every time Lucario tried to probe into his personal matters. Using the waves as a guide to know when to stop, Lucario pressed on, "Something happened that made you leave your old roommate, am I right? You didn't just choose to up and leave one day?"
"What makes you say that?"
Absol's voice was calm as ever, but the fact that there was a sudden upsurge in the waves, and that Absol was looking at Lucario now, told him that he was treading in dangerous waters.
"Umbreon's reaction when she saw you was kind of a giveaway, Absol-sir."
There was a long silence, at which Lucario turned away from Absol to look at the drizzle outside. A few droplets of rain fell into the cave through the holes, but Lucario paid no heed to them. He was afraid he had gone too far. Absol was clearly not ready to talk about it yet.
"Due to circumstances beyond my – and my ex-roommate's – control…" Absol said slowly, as though choosing his words very carefully.
Lucario quickly took his gaze off the vista outside and gazed expectantly at the Disaster Pokémon. Absol was staring fixedly at the ground again, determined to avoid Lucario's crimson eyes.
"… We can no longer live together." Absol raised his head slowly and looked directly at Lucario. "You are right; I did not choose for it to happen. Umbreon… was merely curious about the details." He gave a big, long sigh. "She believes that I know all the facts – alas, I remain quite in the dark, despite knowing a tad more than most."
This confused Lucario; the way that Absol phrased it, it was as if the white-furred Pokémon himself was unsure of the events which forced him to leave his old home.
Absol leapt to his bed and peered lazily at Lucario. "You curious?"
Lucario scratched his head, looking sheepish. "I am."
"So am I."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chapter Six: Magnificent Quietude (Part One)
"…"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"You're early!" Lucario exclaimed in surprise, putting down the empty barrel he was carrying. Seeing as the light rain dragged on relentlessly the day before, Lucario turned in before his usual bedtime. Consequently, he awoke much earlier than usual, and decided to refill the water barrel before meeting Eevee.
The problem? Eevee was already at the foot of the mountain, looking extremely impatient – which was not that unusual, Lucario thought.
"And you're late!" she snapped back at him. Her eyes darted to the barrel besides him, and a sudden glint flashed in her eyes. "Is that for you to use after you've lost the bet? I suppose it would be funny to watch you roll down the mountain."
"Don't be silly," Lucario chuckled, resting his elbow on the top of the barrel. "I'm storing water from the lake in this barrel. As if I would go rolling down in it! Though… I guess it could be fun…" he added thoughtfully. "But I think you'd fit inside better."
"Quit your yapping. Can we start? I'm hoping to get this done by afternoon."
"Are you kidding?" Lucario said incredulously. "By the afternoon? Human-watching isn't going to take a few mere hours! At least, not the way I do it." He folded his arms and stared intently at the little Evolution Pokémon. "It could even drag on for days. Come to think of it, the shortest session I had was with you and Greg – and that pretty much took one whole day."
"You're kidding…"
"I'm not," Lucario insisted. "Human-watching was only a small, short activity when I was a Riolu, but where was the fun in that? Was that why you were so sure you would win the bet, Eevee? Because you thought it was only for a short while?"
Eevee remained silent, which Lucario took as a yes.
"It doesn't matter," she huffed defiantly after a while. "Long or short – it'll end the same way. Shall we start now?"
Lucario snorted. "How do you think I would look, carrying the barrel all around town? And I don't even have my scarf with me," he added, indicating his neck. "Furthermore, Absol-sir is still in the cave."
"He's coming along too?"
"Of course! The more, the merrier."
Eevee twitched her tail impatiently. "Then… what do you expect me to do? Sit and wait here?"
Lucario tapped the top of the wooden barrel, creating a hollow sound. "If you want, you can help me with this. We could roll it up the mountain."
Eevee shook her head indignantly. "Why should I be doing your chores?"
"Fine then." Lucario raised a paw, pointing towards the mountain's summit. "Perhaps you might want to head up to the cave? You haven't even seen it yet."
Eevee hesitated. She then gave a short nod. "Oh, all right then."
"You're curious!" Lucario remarked, smirking.
"No, I'm not!" she snapped, taking a few steps towards Lucario while glaring at him. Had he not known Eevee well enough, Lucario might have felt intimidated. He was used to it now, however.
"I'm just wondering what sort of sty you're living in," she continued.
"I still say you're curious." Eevee opened her mouth to retort, but Lucario cut in, "Head on up, then. I'll catch up with you later, once I've filled this barrel here."
Eevee nodded again and walked slowly up the slope, her tail swishing haughtily. As though struck by a sudden thought, she spun around and glared at Lucario. "This'd better not be a trick."
Lucario put on a fake expression of hurt, which was promptly ignored by the little brown Pokémon as she turned away. Grinning, he lifted the barrel off the ground, shifting it around so that most of the weight was supported by his left arm. As he strode towards the lake, he couldn't help but imagine Absol's reaction when he sees who had come for a visit.
Carrying the barrel up the mountain, especially when it's brimming with water, was always a tough chore. Contrary to what he had suggested to Eevee earlier, Lucario did not dare to roll it up. The mountain path was filled with plenty of rocks and pebbles that could damage the container, and Lucario had always taken extra care when handling the items left behind by Xatu.
To his surprise, he did not meet Eevee halfway up the mountain as he had expected to, given her slow paces. Indeed, she was already waiting at the summit when he finally reached the top. Panting slightly, he placed the barrel down and stretched his fatigued muscles.
Eevee waited for as long as her patience would let her, and then said, in a matter-of-fact tone, "No cave."
"Just watch."
After making sure his barrel was secure, he walked towards the rock wall and performed the move that he was now so familiar with. And to think that he used to be afraid he would mess it up! The rocks parted smoothly, exposing the secret it guarded so well. Lucario turned around. Eevee's face remained passive, but her indifference was betrayed by the waves of surprise and wonder she was emitting.
Lucario gave a bow. "My humble abode."
When Eevee didn't react, he walked up to her and gave a slight push. "Go on," he urged, "go and give Absol a big shock. I'll join you later –" he pointed at the barrel "– I need to bring this in."
Lucario went back and retrieved the barrel. He could see Eevee looking around at the little holes on the wall, as though they were displays in a museum. She soon disappeared round a turning. Lucario followed a good distance away, carrying the barrel in his arms. A short while later, he heard Absol's voice call out, "Welcome home!"
Eevee replied sardonically, "I don't live here."
There was a brief pause, and Lucario knew Absol must have stopped whatever he was doing – frozen in fear perhaps – to take a look at the newcomer. Sure enough, his cry of surprise was soon echoing through the cave.
"What are you doing here?" Absol demanded. His voice was high and shaky; probably having not gotten over the shock of seeing Eevee.
"I'm here at the request of your friend," Eevee said haughtily.
Absol seemed to have nothing to say to that. Pulses of apprehension from the white Pokémon were intertwining with Eevee's reluctant curiosity; Lucario was pleased that even an uptight Pokémon like Eevee would appear to appreciate his home.
When he finally made it to the room, Absol was sitting in a corner, keeping a watchful eye on Eevee. The little normal-type was staring at the fake bonsai plant, still with the air of a visitor at the museum. When he saw Lucario come in, Absol shot the blue Pokémon a questioning look. Lucario merely replied with an apologetic nod as he returned the barrel to its usual spot.
"So, Eevee, what do you think?"
"It's okay, I suppose," she admitted grudgingly. "Are all these items stolen from humans?"
"No…" Lucario began, but the question startled him. A small shadow of doubt was creeping over his mind: Xatu mentioned that most of his trinkets were either discarded or gifts, but he did not say anything about the rest. And there was all that money… could Xatu have stolen it?
A split second later, he felt terribly ashamed of himself. How could he have allowed himself to doubt Xatu? "No," he said again, more confidently this time. "Of course not."
"Well, not that it matters – if it really was stolen from humans, I mean. Creeps have it coming to them."
"Yeah," Lucario said absentmindedly, walking over to the food crate. He was still flustered for having thought Xatu a thief. "Do you want anything to eat? Dinner? Lunch? Breakfast?"
Eevee might have said something, he wasn't sure; he was not listening. Lucario was awash with guilt. How could I… Why did I even let that thought enter my head?
It was Absol who brought Lucario back to his senses. "Lucario, did you hear me?"
"Hmm?" Lucario turned around, clutching a few tiny packets of biscuits. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat what you have said?"
"I was just wondering if you had a specific target in mind for your next human-watching jaunt."
"Ah." He tossed a packet over to Absol, who masterfully caught it with his teeth. He tossed the other to Eevee, and it bounced off the top of her head. She spun around, snarling, but Lucario hurriedly turned to Absol. "I have no specific target. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Don't ask me." Absol raised a paw, indicating the furious Eevee. "You're supposed to entertain her." He then proceeded to rip the plastic packaging open and busied himself with the biscuit.
"Well, Eevee?" he asked politely, finally looking at her. "Where do you want to go?"
Eevee bit back a retort as she threw Lucario a look of deep disgust. "I'll let you decide."
Lucario retreated to his bed with his own packet of biscuits. As usual, Absol had thrown out all the biscuits to the floor, and was now eating noisily, leaving crumbs everywhere. Eevee, on the other hand, had supposedly created a small hole in the plastic wrapping, and was eating slowly and neatly with the biscuits still inside the packaging.
Using his paw-spike, Lucario ripped open his packet and withdrew a small, cream-coloured biscuit. He took a long look at it. The biscuit was the first manmade food that Xatu introduced to him. With remorse wallowing within him once more, he took a small nibble.
The biscuit was stale, but the taste was still there. He had always thought the biscuit as one of mankind's greatest inventions; but come to think of it, there were many other things he loved as well. Chocolate, for instance, was a delectable snack. In this case, it was a two-in-one deal, for the little biscuit he held in his paws had some chocolate cream in it. Cream always added to the taste: he sometimes ate the cream off biscuits instead of eating them together.
As he sat and ate, he thought about where he should bring Eevee to human-watch. Where indeed would he find a human that Eevee might find interesting? He thought back to what she said: "Do they get thrashed, humiliated, buried in sorrow, or all of the above?"
His best bet would be to find a place where many humans gather, and choose one of them. And then an idea came to him.
:::::::::::::::::::
"Here we are!" Lucario exclaimed happily, pointing at the school.
Eevee looked sceptically from Lucario to the building. Unlike Lucario and Absol, Eevee had not bothered to don human apparel. According to her, she was less likely to be captured since she was in the company of them both (who looked like fools, she had remarked). "Are we even allowed in?"
"Sure," he replied, walking towards the gate. "Absol and I have been inside before."
Before he could set foot into the compound, a distressed voice rang out from the guard post. "Oh no, not you again!"
Lucario stared as the same security guard he had seen before ran out, looking disconcerted.
"You… Just because I let you in once – it doesn't mean that you can keep coming every time! And you've brought along another friend!" he exclaimed in dismay, staring at Eevee. "Pretty soon you'll be bringing the entire Pokémon population with you!"
Lucario patted the man's shoulder sympathetically as though consoling an emotionally-wounded child, and proceeded inside with Absol and Eevee in his wake.
The guard groaned exasperatedly. "Just… just stay away from the main building!"
The Aura Pokémon waved a paw to show that he understood.
"I don't think you were very welcome," Eevee commented.
"Oh, he's fine. Don't worry about it."
Unlike the other time he had been to the school, there weren't as many people roaming about. A group of students were at the field, but they weren't performing morning aerobics – instead, they all seemed to be chasing a poor, defenseless ball, all the while yelling their heads off. Lucario was briefly tempted to join them. A short distance away where the main building was, Lucario could hear teachers' voices coming from several classes, all resounding together like an unharmonious chorus.
Absol strolled away from the group, watching the game the students were playing in the field. Eevee walked closer towards a class, trying to peek inside through the window. Lucario followed the Evolution Pokémon, feeling a little curious as well. A tall lady with her hair in a bun was teaching science – another subject which Lucario quite enjoyed.
"So, Eevee," he said, craning his neck to see what was written on the blackboard. "There are plenty of humans in this school. Which one do you want to watch?"
"How am I supposed to know? You're the one who has done this kind of thing before! You choose for me."
Unsure as he was as to who would be able to provide the entertainment necessary for him to win the bet, Lucario was certain he would not find his target in this class. The waves reverberating from the room were mild; the Aura Pokémon was sure that Eevee preferred something a little more intense.
"Let's go somewhere else." Lucario turned to Absol. "Absol-sir!"
"Oh, right!" He padded over to them. "Found your target?"
Lucario shook his head. "Not yet. I think we should move further ahead. Give me a minute."
Lucario led them towards a tree. As he leaned his back against its bark, he closed his eyes and scanned the school's interior, trying to find a tensed aura. His mind's eye swept past a sea of dreary waves; over a classroom full of excitable vibes (was that Duke's classroom?); through a group of people busy cooking in the cafeteria (he wished he could go in and see…); and finally, to the teacher's room.
Thinking about it, he had never really taken in the emotions of a teacher. He had examined the students long enough to know that they were generally outgoing, enjoying being in the company of others. Towards lessons, there were mixed feelings, depending on the subject and the teacher who taught it. How about the teachers then? How did they feel about teaching?
There were only a few teachers in the staff room: a middle-aged man who was sitting alone, examining some books; and two ladies, quietly chatting among themselves. Lucario was particularly interested in the man. He was sitting with a rigid posture, his eyes sharp and his black hair combed neatly backwards. Based on a little nameplate on his desk, Lucario knew that the man was Gordon Ferguson, the discipline teacher. For some reason, he was feeling slightly agitated as he stared at the books in front of him. The Aura Pokémon dived into the man's mind…
Gordon held two books in front of him, frowning. He peered at the name written on one: Julian Green. Julian, the man knew, was a top student in one of the classes he taught. The other teachers frequently sang his praises, but he never really thought much of the boy. In fact, he never really thought much about any of his students at all.
The other book belonged to Albert Fletz. Fletz… Fletz… wasn't that the kid who always sat at the back, wearing that silly, confused expression on his face? He was never really a bright kid… the teachers claimed his submitted works and projects were decent, but his examination marks were always below average.
He broke into a grin. Well, it certainly seemed clear who the real culprit was, but he'd better make sure… Yes, he must make sure…
He got up and strode out of the room. Once outside, he grabbed the first student he saw, a mousy boy who seemed positively alarmed at the sight of him. He couldn't resist leering at the student. "You, go fetch Green and Fletz from Class 3-A now. Tell the teacher there I won't take long."
As the boy scooted off in a panic, he walked slowly back and reclined on his swivel chair, twirling a pen in his fingers. The leer was still etched on his face, drawing stares from his two female colleagues, but he did not care. If his hunch was right – and it must be – there will be trouble…
"Hello!"
Lucario opened his eyes to find Eevee waving her paw in front of his face.
"Fallen asleep again?"
"Absolutely not!" he said indignantly. "I've been scouring the school for your target, and I may have found it. See, there's this teacher – he appears to be cruel and sadistic… and it seems like he'll go out of his way to pass judgement on students who did wrong... He actually reminds me of… he reminds me of…" Lucario hesitated, staring straight at Eevee.
Eevee narrowed her eyes, swishing her tail impatiently. "Yes?" Behind her, Absol caught Lucario's eye, sniggering.
"Um… never mind. Anyway, I think he's someone you can relate with, so –"
"There's just one problem, Blue-face —"
"Gl— I mean, Lucario."
"— you may be able to see through walls, but I can't! How do you expect me to human-watch then?"
Lucario paused. Eevee had a point. All along, Absol, too had been following Lucario in his escapades, but he was never able to truly appreciate the art of human-watching for he could not see what Lucario could. Lucario remembered how he was able to project what he saw to the old man back at the apartment, and wondered if he could do the same now.
"Hang on; I'm going to try something…"
Once more reading the waves in the vicinity, he tried to redirect them towards Eevee and Absol. It felt as though he was attempting to change the direction the wind was blowing; his face was screwed up in concentration, and his aura receptors were raised to their highest point. He imagined he must look quite laughable.
He could see two boys walking towards the staff room; one of them looking confused and the other, scared. The puzzled one raised a hand and knocked on the wooden door twice before opening it. Gordon beamed at the two as they entered, as though his intentions for calling them both were friendly.
Lucario looked around at Absol and Eevee. They were both sitting with their eyes closed; Absol was expressionless while Eevee was frowning. "Can you see it?"
Upon hearing his voice, their eyes snapped open. Eevee was the first to speak up: "I can see something yes, but it's extremely distorted."
Absol chimed in, "Kinda like a spoilt TV."
Eevee turned to him in surprise. "You watch television?"
Absol seemed to shrink back a little at being addressed by Eevee. "Um… yes. I used to."
"Distorted? But I can see it just fine…" Lucario mumbled to himself. "Let me try again." Instead of focusing hard like earlier, he tried to relax himself as he started picking up the faraway waves again…
The two teenagers were in front of Gordon's desk. They both greeted the discipline teacher, and he replied with a curt nod. The timid-looking boy caught sight of his book on the desk, and realisation seemed to have hit him. His mind was working incredibly fast, but his face did not show it. The other boy, however, continued staring at the teacher politely.
"Albert Fletz," Gordon said, looking at the timid boy. He then turned to the other and said, "Julian Green." He leaned forward and pointed at the two books on the table. With another pretend smile, he continued, "I liked your essays."
Julian's expression brightened immediately. "Thank you very much, sir!"
Albert hesitated, but mumbled his thanks shortly after Julian.
"Julian, I would like to hear more about your essay… For starters, why did you choose to do this question instead of the other four? Incidentally," he turned to Albert, "both of you answered the same question." He cupped his hands together and stared intently at both his pupils. "None of the other students in your class attempted this topic – and indeed, I believe it is a tough one…"
Julian immediately broke into an enthusiastic explanation about his choice, but Lucario did not get to hear it, for he was being prodded by Eevee.
"What is it?" he asked politely, despite feeling a little irritated.
"It's clearer, definitely," Eevee said, "but there's no sound."
"You're getting there though," Absol encouraged. His eyes were shining with excitement. "Who are the two kids?"
"The taller one with long, black hair is Albert Fletz. The sandy-haired guy is Julian Green." Lucario sat down cross-legged on the grass and grinned. "One of them is in trouble, I think."
Eevee's curiosity was roused, and her eyes went wide. "Why is that so?"
"I'm not sure yet. Let me try again."
Lucario edged closer towards his two companions, hoping that it might help them to better receive the waves he was emitting. He was at his wits' end; he did not know what else he could do to enable them to see the full picture. He was not even sure if it was possible. He could only try again…
Gordon Ferguson had apparently directed the same question to Albert, for it was now Albert who had launched into an explanation as to why he chose that particular question. "I do know a bit about the subject, and I did discuss it a little with Julian; you know, share some ideas…"
Gordon raised his eyebrows, a few wrinkles appearing on his forehead. "Really? You both discussed the essay?" He cast Julian a questioning – almost accusatory – look. "Is that true, Julian?"
The boy nodded. "Yes, we did discuss briefly. I have already completed the essay, of course – finished it the day you assigned it to us, sir – but Albert came to me, wanting to discuss it, and I agreed. I thought I could pick his brain, and he could pick mine, and if we get anything worthwhile from our discussion, I might add it in to my essay, because I think there is still a lot of room for impro—"
Gordon held out a hand, and Julian fell silent. "You have already completed the essay on the day I gave you the list of questions, you say? And did you make any major changes to it? Did anything worthwhile come out from your… ah… discussion?"
Julian shot Albert a dark look. "No, sir, nothing that I felt I should add to my essay. And I didn't change much at all; I reread it a few times, checking for mistakes, and there were a few, so I –"
Gordon silenced Julian again with another raise of his hand. He then turned sharply to Albert. "What about you? Have you already completed it prior to your discussion with Julian?"
Albert shifted his feet uncomfortably. "N–no, sir. Not yet."
For a split second, Lucario caught a glimpse of a smile in the discipline teacher's face. Albert was showing signs of weakness, and that seemed to please Gordon. The man stood up, and it occurred to the Aura Pokémon just how tall he really was – Gordon towered over the two boys.
"Did you bring your essay to the discussion, Julian?"
"Yes, I did, sir."
"Did you read it, Albert?"
The boy cast his gaze downwards. "Yes, sir."
"Well, that's interesting," Gordon said triumphantly, rubbing his hands, "because I find your essay to be very similar with Julian's."
Julian stared at the teacher with his mouth wide open, dumbfounded. Gordon, however, was gazing intently at Albert. "This school does not condone plagiarism, Albert… and neither do I," he said in a dangerous tone that was at odds with the smile on his face.
"B–but sir!" Albert protested hurriedly. "We discussed together – of course there would be some points in my essay that's the same as his – I didn't copy –"
Gordon picked up Albert's book and flipped to the page with the composition. "Sure… you both had the same main points in your essays, and that may indeed be because of your little discussion…" He ran his fingers down the page, eyes narrowed. "But to have them worded almost the same way? And to have written the points in the exact same order as Julian?" He looked up at Albert, no longer bothering to wear a fake smile. "Coincidence? I don't think so. If you're going to plagiarise, Albert, at least make an attempt to conceal it."
"But sir…"
"Enough," the teacher said, sitting down once again. "Both of you, leave. Make sure I don't catch you plagiarising again, or trust me, it'll be much worse than this. Dear, dear, this exercise was merely for practice… to train you up for the upcoming competition… To think a student would even think of plagiarising… What an embarrassment." He glared at Albert. "Never again, you hear me?"
"Yes… sir…" Albert mumbled. He quickly turned around and walked out, followed by Julian, who was now looking furious.
Gordon called out from behind his desk. "And Julian!"
Julian wheeled around. "Yes sir?"
"You should know better than to be fooled like that!" he barked. "Don't let it happen again!"
Julian turned a deep shade of red. "Y–yes sir!"
As Julian closed the door behind him, Gordon gave a contented sigh. It was very satisfying, confronting students who had done a misdeed… He thought back to the look on Albert's face. Once a plagiarist, always a plagiarist… He had advised the boy to better conceal his crimes… but if Albert was to copy off someone's work again, as he was sure Albert would, he would be there to catch him…
When Lucario opened his eyes, Eevee and Absol were still sitting quietly with their eyes shut. They looked as though they were asleep; he took the lack of interruption as a good sign.
"So, did I succeed this time?" he enquired brightly.
"You're a lousy substitute for a television, Lucario," Eevee said, glaring at the blue Pokémon. "There's sound now, but no colour."
Lucario cast a beseeching look at Absol, but he merely nodded in agreement to Eevee's words. The Aura Pokémon hung his head sadly. "But… but you got the whole picture, right? You understand what is going on?"
"Oh, don't worry, Luc," Absol said cheerfully. "I understand it perfectly fine."
"I hope that guy gets caught plagiarising again!" Eevee said, wearing a smile that was not unlike the discipline teacher's. "I told you humans are scum. If you ask me, the teacher let him off too lightly."
Lucario sighed with relief. At least his efforts were not in vain. "Well, I'm sorry for the lack of colour, but I'm glad you got the picture."
Eevee pawed the ground edgily. "I wouldn't be too happy if I were you though. He wasn't all that severely humiliated. It was just mild entertainment – like those shows they air late in the night, when nobody's watching."
Absol raised a paw. "You know… I usually watch late-night TV. I think it's really something, sitting alone on the couch, covered in a blanket, and…" He quelled under the look Eevee gave him.
"But Eevee, it's not over yet!" Lucario said in surprise. "I'm sure there's more to their story than this."
"Well, I don't really have time to play silly games anymore. Why don't you be a good boy and admit defeat, and let me toss you off the mountain?"
Lucario chuckled, waving Eevee's proposition off with a paw. "You're still talking about that? Anyway, you're a wild Pokémon now – I'm sure you have lots of free time."
Eevee took in a deep breath and began to talk sternly. "Just because you loaf about all day, wasting valuable time –"
"I don't loaf about all day!" Lucario shot back indignantly. "Human-watching provides me insight into their species, and it would be a great asset if I get to know the city better so that when –" He paused. He had almost mentioned the impending doom Xatu had foreseen. "Well, it's what my father would have wanted," he added defiantly.
At the mention of Xatu, Absol seemed to have taken a sudden interest in examining the school's wall. Eevee, however, appeared to be sceptical.
"I didn't see your father in the cave."
"Of course not. He passed away some time ago."
The little brown Pokémon's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth hanging open. She regained composure quickly though, and began to study Lucario intently. "Oh."
Lucario stared back at Eevee, amused. She seemed to be in an internal struggle, with a part of her wanting to make a scathing comeback and another part wanting to express sympathy. However, she remained in the grey area by keeping silent. He turned to Absol. The Disaster Pokémon was still determined to avoid Lucario's eyes, looking everywhere except at the Aura Pokémon. This puzzled him. It was not as though he was really uncomfortable with talking about Xatu…
The silence was broken with a sudden shifting of chairs from the nearby classroom. All three of them turned to stare as the pupils in it stood up and thanked the teacher. The teacher then strode out of the class with a small stack of books in her arms. The students broke into chatter; many of them had bags over their shoulders, and were pouring out of the class into the hallways.
"Looks like the morning session has ended," Absol commented.
Lucario turned to face him. "Morning session?"
"There are two main sessions in this school: the morning session and the afternoon one," Absol explained. Eevee looked around at him, and he seemed to give a start. "Er… yeah. Morning session's for the older students… I think…"
"Why do you know so much about this school?" Lucario asked, curious.
"I've seen it in the news once. You know, on TV. There was some sort of writing contest, and a kid from the afternoon session won. It appeared to be a big deal – they made a huge fuss of it. There were so many people and Pokémon in the hall… listening to him as he read out his essay…"
Lucario's ears perked up immediately. "They let Pokémon enter the school hall?"
"Oh, no, Lucario, don't even think about it," Absol said warningly. "A big event like that doesn't happen often. I mean… the TV crew was there! How much bigger could it be?"
"Are you talking about the annual interschool story-writing competition?" Eevee asked.
Once again, Absol gave a jump. "I… I think so. I wasn't really paying attention to the news."
Lucario eyed Eevee in astonishment. "You know about the competition too, Eevee?"
"Not really. I know the brat took part in it once," she said spitefully. "Tried to win so his father would be proud of him, I guess." She gave a cruel laugh. "Needless to say, he didn't make it."
Lucario found it strange that Eevee would know so much about her ex-human's affairs, but he kept that quiet. He had a feeling she would try attacking him again if he voiced that out.
"Incidentally," she turned to Absol, "it's not that big a deal as you make it out to be. The television crew may be there, but it was just so that they could get some short clips of the award ceremony. You know, I believe the next one's just round the corner – it's been almost a year since the last contest. I think the teacher mentioned it too…"
"Wow!" Lucario exclaimed in wonder. "You even remember when the contest was?"
"And what are you trying to imply?" she snapped.
"N–nothing! It's just… we can go in the school then, can't we?" he said brightly.
Eevee shook her head. "Don't get your hopes up. The award ceremony will be held in the school where the winner is from. If the victor isn't from here…"
"That's all right!" Lucario said cheerfully. "We can go visit the winner's school; I just want to enter a school building, I don't really care which one."
"Fool. What if it is in another town?"
Lucario's face fell. "Schools from other towns are participating too?"
"Of course. From there, they pick a few good ones – those will receive some sort of consolation prize or something – and one winner. The brat, I am happy to say," she shook her head with a wide smile on her face, "did not win anything. In fact, I think he lost his confidence."
She let out a soft, delighted sigh. Lucario exchanged bewildered looks with Absol, who shook his head disbelievingly. Lucario couldn't help but wonder if Eevee knew so much about the contest just because she relished in the fact that Greg lost.
"Just how hard is this contest anyway?" Lucario asked her. "I mean… many schools are competing, right? It must be really tough to win, don't you think?"
"I don't know, I don't care; he lost, and I'm happy," she said in an almost singsong voice. She suddenly looked stern again. "Speaking of losing; you lost our bet, Lucario! Time to face the music!"
"Face what music? I don't hear anything… except you talking. Are you going to sing?" he enquired, amused. "Is that my new punishment now?"
Short, violent pulses of anger radiated from Eevee. He couldn't stop himself from smiling; annoying the brown Pokémon was a form of entertainment he particularly enjoyed. It was not hard to do either.
He wiped the grin off his face and took on a more serious stance. "I told you; it's not over yet. I think Julian and Albert were pretty shaken up. I would like to pry deeper into their minds to see what's it like inside."
Eevee snorted. "For someone who loves entering other people's minds, you sure seem to lack one of your own."
"Why, Eevee, what have I ever done to you to warrant that remark?" Lucario asked serenely.
"Look, like I said earlier, I really don't wish to waste my time. I've already went on an outing with you, and I've seen all there is to see."
"Oh, really, Eevee?" he challenged, leaning closer to her. "Sometimes, there's more than meets the eye." He picked up a nearby pebble and began to toss it between his paws. "How about a game, Eevee? If I win, we continue with our bet. If I lose, I'll admit defeat."
Her eyes followed the movement of the pebble as it flew about from one paw to another. "What game are you talking about?"
"This." He caught the pebble with his left paw and placed both paws behind his back. After a while, he stretched out both his arms with his paws closed tightly to obscure what might be hidden in them. "Left paw, right paw. Pick one, and if the stone is inside, you win. I'll give you three chances, and all you have to do to win is to guess correctly once."
Behind Eevee, Lucario saw Absol glance suspiciously at his paws, and quick-witted as his white-furred friend was, Lucario was sure that Absol had seen through the trick. He shook his head slightly, begging Absol to keep quiet. "Come on, Eevee. The probability of guessing correctly in a round is 0.5, and the probability of getting all three guesses wrong is 0.125. You have a great chance of winning."
"The one on the left," she said.
"Your left or my left?"
"My left!" she said irritably, smacking his right paw.
"Ouch, Eevee!" he yelped, redrawing his right arm before she could hit it again. "Be more gentle! My paw's injured!"
Eevee glared at him, looking as though she would hit him again in a heartbeat. Sighing, Lucario unclenched his right paw to show that it was empty.
"One more try, Eevee." He hid both paws behind his back again. "Right. Guess."
"The same one – your right paw."
He revealed his right palm again; there was no stone inside. Eevee sprang to her feet angrily. "You are reading my mind, aren't you? That's how you're doing it!"
"Nonsense; I'm doing nothing of the sort. One last chance, Eevee."
And he placed both paws behind his back again, before stretching them out at Eevee with a dramatic flourish. She gazed intently at each of them, as though she would see what was inside if she stared hard enough. At last, she tapped his left paw. He unclenched it: empty again.
He chuckled, patting her on the back. "Ah… Eevee, it looks like you lost. You're very unlucky, aren't you?"
"A trick!" she yelled, staring at his other paw, which remained clenched tightly. "You're playing a trick!" She ran around to the back of where he was sitting. "Aha! I knew it! I knew it!"
Lucario reached behind his back and grabbed the pebble, which he had placed besides his tail. He began tossing it up and down again, grinning at the irate Eevee. "You saw through my trick too late, Eevee. You have lost."
"You cheated!"
"Yes, but I got away with it. A promise is a promise; we continue with our activity."
Lucario stood up, searching around for signs of either of the two boys. He took a few steps away from Absol and Eevee and looked past the school's main entrance. Julian was standing outside the compound, apparently waiting for a bus. Albert, however, had walked a fair distance away. A quick mind scan showed that his house was nearby. Which one should he follow?
He wheeled around and beckoned the other two over to him. "So, Eevee, since you are our guest of honour today, I'll let you decide. Do you want to tail Julian, the zealous high-flier, or Albert, the blatant plagiariser?"
Eevee vacillated, weighing the two options. Lucario knew she still wished to end the game right now, but even if she decided to quit, he wanted to continue on his own.
"I guess I'll go with the idiot."
Lucario paused. "Um… which one?"
"Well, they all are, but I choose the plagiarist."
Lucario nodded, beaming. Eevee may appear conceited and malevolent, but he had a feeling that there was more to her than meets the eye. Perhaps Absol wasn't the only one with secrets to hide. But then again, he thought to himself as he watched Eevee asking Absol something, secrets or not… I guess it doesn't really matter.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Next time, on I Am Lucario…
"You know, don't you feel that the kid and the teacher are sort of… I dunno… challenging each other?"
I will submit it before the end of this month.