I Am Lucario

by lupyne

Along with an Absol and Eevee, a wild Lucario pursues his hobby of human-watching, studying the behaviours of people and Pokémon in the city while trying to prevent a predicted disaster from destroying his home. Ch 18: High-Speed Passacaglia

14. Swan Song's Diminuendo

I Am Lucario

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Last update was in September, 2010. It is now May, 2011. The story is now two years old, but we're only fourteen chapters in. I cannot apologise enough for the slow writing speed – it does seem as though I'm getting worse. I can't believe there was a time I thought I could get this chapter done in January.

However, a big thank you to everyone for the support you have shown for this story. Seriously, each review, favourite, alert, and read is deeply appreciated.

In response to Anonymous1; there is actually a twist with Spike which I think no one would expect – it will be revealed quite early on in this chapter. I'm hoping he will be a good addition to the story. I hope you have been well the past few months! And thank you very much for reading and reviewing!

In response to megaxl; unfortunately, it took me eight months to update this time, which I think is a new record (not one I'm proud of, however). I'm starting to wonder what year it will be when this story is finally complete. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!

In response to Waypoint; thank you very much! Wow, I never thought of this story as a combination of those two before. The story will probably get a little darker soon, but I'll try and maintain that mix. Thanks again!

Well, this is a triple-length chapter, though it just feels odd somehow. Nonetheless, I hope it will be a good read.

Dec 2011 Edit – I've revised the description of aura; special thanks to dbzespio!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Come on, walk faster!" the Riolu said exuberantly as he rushed up the mountain path ahead of Lucario, turning backwards to face the Aura Pokémon with mild exasperation. "You're so slow! I imagine it must take a really long time for you to get up and down the mountain each day!"

"I would hurry, Spike, but my leg is injured, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Spike said sheepishly as he stared at the bandage on Lucario's leg. "Well, do you want me to carry you?" he said eagerly, hopping slightly on the spot as he swung his arms around. "I bet it'd be good exercise for me!"

"Er… no, thank you. I'm fine. We're almost there, anyway."

"All right then. It's your loss."

The Riolu ran forward once more, leaving Lucario by himself. The Aura Pokémon smiled – if there was ever a time he was as enthusiastic as Spike, he did not remember it. The Emanation Pokémon was just brimming with youthful energy; it actually made Lucario feel old just watching him.

"Whoaaaa!"

Curious as to what the cause for the cry of wonder was, Lucario hastened his pace only to find Spike running laps around the wide area at the mountain summit.

"This is awesome!" The Riolu exclaimed, almost bumping into Lucario as he skidded to a halt just inches away from the Aura Pokémon. "This would make an excellent training ground – it's big, the air is refreshing, and the view –" Spike dashed to the edge and let out a jubilant yell before placing a paw onto his ear, as though expecting an echo.

"Be careful!" Lucario called out, about to make his way to Spike when the Riolu turned around and bounded towards him once more.

"Relax, I won't fall off! So, this is where you live?"

"Yeah. The cave is just nearby."

"Cave?" Spike said, looking around. "I don't see any cave…"

"Ah," Lucario said mysteriously with a grin. He turned towards the rock wall at the far end of the summit – the time had come once again to baffle yet another individual with the secret of the cave's entrance. Even as he thought that, however, it occurred to him that the entrance was sealed, despite him leaving it open before he went to the city.

It would seem that neither Absol nor Eevee were inside – he was unable to detect their presence. They were probably off searching for him somewhere.

Distracted by this fact, Lucario forgot what he was going to say. The Riolu cocked his head to the side slightly as he nudged Lucario's arm. "Yes?" Spike said curiously.

"Sorry. Come with me; I'll show you."

Lucario beckoned the Riolu to follow as he padded towards the rock wall at the end. "You see, the cave is –"

Before the Aura Pokémon could explain further, Spike let out a loud "Oh!" as he scampered forward once more, leaving Lucario behind as he felt about the wall. "I see!"

Bewildered, Lucario stopped in his tracks. "But… I haven't said anything yet…"

Spike ignored him, walking about with his paws inches from the rocky surface, his aura receptors rising slightly. Twice, he came close to where the entrance was concealed, and on the third time, he nodded to himself before taking a step backwards.

To Lucario's immense astonishment, Spike began to raise both his paws, which were emitting a faint, blue aura. The rocks slid smoothly apart, exposing the cave which they hid so well.

The Riolu turned around, looking extremely pleased with himself. "I never would have expected a Secret Base at the very top of this mountain! What a surprise!" After a few seconds in which Lucario could only stare open-mouthed, Spike folded his arms. "So, are you gonna invite me in?"

"But – but… how? You know Secret Power?"

"Yeah!" Spike said brightly. "I'm a Riolu of multiple talents, remember?"

"Well, this is such a coincidence." Lucario hobbled over to the Riolu, still finding it difficult to believe what he had just witnessed. In truth, he had pondered during the bus ride whether Spike would be the third and final Pokémon to receive the Secret Power TM that Xatu had left behind – assuming that Eevee would be the second. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? Next, you'll be telling me that you can converse in English."

When Spike did not reply, but merely shifted his feet in a somewhat sheepish manner, Lucario stared at him in wonder. "No way – you can speak English?"

"Actually, no," Spike said hurriedly. "But I'm trying to learn how. It took me quite a lot of effort learning how to read, so I might as well go all the way, right?" Excitement filled his eyes once more. "Hey, but I can speak a couple of words. Wanna listen?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Spike cleared his throat, placed his paws on his hips, and then said, "Hi."

Lucario chuckled. "I see… well, that's certainly something. That'll come in handy when greeting someone."

"And that's not all either. I can speak a single Japanese word. Shall I?"

"Yeah, okay, go for it."

The Riolu cleared his throat once more. "Hai."

Lucario paused. "That… sounds more or less the same as the previous word you said."

"It's not the same!" Spike said indignantly. "There's a subtle difference between the two. Anyway, it isn't easy, trying to speak in a human's language."

"Yeah, I know," Lucario said, nodding. "I'm having difficulties with articulation myself. Well, shall we enter, then?"

The duo headed deeper into the cave, Spike following by Lucario's side this time instead of running ahead. Upon catching sight of an opening in the wall, the Riolu walked towards it and peered outwards – Lucario recalled doing the same thing when he first entered the cave.

"This is truly one of the most spectacular Secret Bases I have ever seen," Spike said softly, perhaps to himself.

"And how many have you seen exactly?"

"Not many," Spike said, turning back to Lucario. "I don't think there are a lot of them in Sinnoh – aboveground, anyway." He shrugged. "Or maybe I just haven't discovered them yet. Anyway, they are usually very small and not ideal for inhabitation. I think trainers merely seek them out in order to use them as a – well – secret base. A mini clubhouse of sorts. Yours, however, is incredibly large and beautiful." The Riolu gazed out at the vista once more. "Certainly beats the average human's Secret Base, and then some."

"You have been in a human's Secret Base then?" Lucario asked in surprise.

"Well, no…" Spike said slowly. "But come on – how could anyone top this? I must say though, the only downside is that you'll have to hike all the way up and down the mountain every time you want to go somewhere. Then again, I guess it's only a small price to pay – especially for us Pokémon; we certainly have more stamina than humans."

"While we're on the topic of Secret Bases, I have a question: how did you learn Secret Power anyway? You would need a TM, and you're a wild Pokémon…"

"I don't see why it is so surprising. You're a wild Pokémon too – and you know the move as well, right?"

"My father gave the TM to me. In fact, I still have two more stored away."

"Oh." Spike paused for a second. "And where did your father get the TMs from?"

"I never asked."

"I got mine from a trash can," Spike said. "Apparently some human tossed it away, brand new and all. Maybe it's the same with your father."

"I highly doubt that, unless someone had an excess of Secret Power TMs and decided to just toss them all out. Anyway, it seems such a waste to discard a TM – even if the human had no need for it, he or she could have sold it to someone else."

Spike shrugged, walking back towards Lucario. "I dunno. Maybe they just couldn't be bothered. You'd be surprised at what you can find in the trash sometimes."

After a short walk, the path widened, and Spike gave a small gasp as he stared at all the items in the room. With his eyes still searching about the place, he asked Lucario in a tiny whisper, "Are you sure you're a wild Pokémon?"

"I assure you, I am," Lucario replied, grinning.

"But… wow. You have lots of stuff." Spike ran up to a bonsai plant and stared at it.

"That one isn't real – it's just a replica."

"I know, I can tell," the Riolu replied, feeling the plastic leaves on the miniature plant. "And what's this? A crate full of food?" Spike pulled out a pack of biscuits and shook it lightly. "These are all fresh?"

"Er…" Lucario scratched his head sheepishly. Some of the food in the crate had been around before Xatu had even passed away. "You might want to check the expiry date before eating them. Then again, we Pokémon probably have stronger stomachs than humans, so I guess it's still edible if it's just a little past the date."

Spike made a face. "That may be well and so, but some food spoil very quickly, and I don't fancy eating food covered in mould. It's disgusting."

"I understand. I'll sort through the stuff. Before that though, please feel free to help yourself to anything there if you're hungry." Lucario walked towards the water barrel. "And you can get a drink here if you're thirsty."

"Oh, cool! Water barrels!" His eyes then fell on the beds of hay. "What's that?"

"That's where I sleep every night. I only have two stacks, but –"

"No, I meant that," Spike said, pointing.

It took Lucario a moment to realise that Spike was referring to his aura-imbued box, which Eevee had placed neatly on top of Lucario's hay-bed. Lucario strode over and picked it up. "This… this is my personal treasure. It's a special box from my father – only I can open it."

Spike's eyes widened. "What do you mean, 'only you'? Can I see?"

"Okay, but please be careful."

Lucario handed the box over, and Spike studied it for a moment before tugging at the lid. As the Aura Pokémon had expected, it did not budge. Refusing to give up, Spike peered closely all around the box, apparently searching for a latch. "I don't believe it. There isn't a lock or anything… I don't see any dial either…"

"It's locked with my aura," Lucario explained. Spike took his eyes off the box and peered at the Aura Pokémon quizzically. "I'm not sure how exactly it works, but I poured some of my aura into the box when my father gave it to me. It only responds to me now – here."

Lucario took the box from Spike and nudged the lid gently. Faithfully, the box opened its jaws and allowed its master access to its inside. "See? I store all my other treasures within. This box is the ultimate security system… unless someone steals the box itself, but I hope that would never ever happen."

"I've never seen something like this before," Spike said in wonder. "Now I kinda want one."

"Well," Lucario began as he removed his scarf and placed it inside the box, "if I ever come across another one, I'll give it to you."

Spike flashed a smile. "Thanks." He turned to the beds once more. "So… there are two beds here… Is it all right if I take the spare one then?"

"Um… actually, there is no spare – the other one's used by Absol."

"Ab— oh! Right, right, I'm sorry," the Emanation Pokémon said sheepishly. "I totally forgot that you're already sharing the cave with someone else. It's all right; I can sleep on the floor, no problem."

Lucario shook his head. "Actually, I was going to suggest that you take my bed instead. I don't mind sleeping on the ground."

"No way; you're already doing me a big favour by letting me stay here. I can't take your bed too."

"But I –"

"I insist," Spike said firmly. When Lucario began to protest again, the Riolu interrupted, "Look – how about this instead? We share the same hay." He scooped up a small handful from Lucario's stack and placed it on the ground. "See, this is all I need. Now you have three beds."

Lucario stared at the tiny pile of hay doubtfully. "That's hardly enough to keep comfortable."

"It is. Just watch." With his paws, Spike fluffed up the hay. He then lay down and curled himself tightly into a small ball. "Ta-dah!"

Lucario laughed. "All right, if you're sure then."

Spike unfolded himself and stood upright again. "So… where's Absol?"

"I'm not sure, actually. He's probably out looking for me. I was supposed to have only gone for a quick trip done to the Pokémon Centre, after all – I didn't expect a detour to the harbour."

"Oh… Do you want me to go look for him?"

"Thanks, but it's all right. Besides, if he came back after you left, how am I going to notify you?"

"True," Spike said thoughtfully, placing a paw on his chin. "If only there was a way to communicate with one another. Perhaps like a mobile phone, or –"

"A mobile phone?"

"Yeah. But it's gotta be troublesome, having to bring a gadget with you everywhere you go – unless you can attach it to yourself. Maybe you can stick it on your scarf, heh." As he said that, Spike began to fiddle absently with his Muscle Band.

"Why don't you take your band off? You can place it on the crate; or wherever you want, really."

Spike seemed a little hesitant as he looked down at the yellow band. "Take my band… off?"

"Yeah, we're home now. There's no need to wear it here." Seeing the doubt etched on Spike's face, he added, "Don't worry. It'll be safe here. No one is going to steal it."

"Okay."

The Riolu stretched both of his paws to the back of his neck, where the knot had been tied. He tugged and struggled, but it did not loosen. After another minute of futile attempts, Spike turned to Lucario shamefacedly. "I… think I need a little help."

"All right." Lucario walked over and examined the band's knot. It wasn't exactly a tight one, and he was surprised that Spike was having so much trouble with it. The Aura Pokémon managed to loosen it in a few seconds. He handed the band over to Spike, who took it gratefully. "If you don't mind me asking, Spike, do you usually have trouble with removing your Muscle Band?"

The Emanation Pokémon looked down at his feet and gave a small chuckle. "Guilty. I don't know how to wear it as well. Someone else always helps me."

Lucario pondered this for a moment. "But you're a wild Pokémon. I doubt it would be easy to find others who could help you wear and remove the band. Unless you seek help from humans…?"

"No, not humans." Spike laughed. "I never said I removed the Muscle Band often."

The statement caught Lucario by surprise. How long had Spike been keeping that thing on? Another piece of conversation was slowly coming back to him – the Riolu had said that his parents passed away only recently… In his mind's eye, the Aura Pokémon could see another Lucario – one of Spike's parents – helping out with the knot the very last time Spike put the accessory on.

"Spike…" Lucario began, startling himself when his voice quivered a little. "Do you want me to teach you how to wear – and remove – your band?"

Spike glanced up at Lucario, apparently surprised at the offer. A smile broke over his face, and he nodded. He looked somewhat wistful, the boyishness suddenly vanishing from his expression. "Thank you."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chapter Fourteen: Swan Song's Diminuendo

"Stars of the bright sky / Assembled now in my hand / It is night once more."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Having finished writing down the entry about Smeargle, Lucario placed his journal inside the aura-box and sighed as he stared out through one of the openings in the wall. Where had Absol gone to? He hoped his white-furred friend did not do something foolish – seek out Machoke's gang, for instance.

Wondering if he should head out to find his friend, Lucario scooped up more hay from his own pile and added them to Spike's makeshift bed. Despite the Riolu's claims, Lucario did not believe a small pile of hay would make for a comfortable sleep. Though he was certain that Spike would protest, the Riolu was currently outside of the cave, enjoying the scenery from the summit.

As Lucario pondered if he should take some hay from Absol's stack as well, he picked up a faint presence – it was none other than the Disaster Pokémon, on his way back to the cave with Eevee by his side. Relief flooded over him; both Absol and Eevee seemed quite stressed, though perfectly fine otherwise.

Walking as fast as he could, Lucario reached the cave's entrance just in time to see Absol arriving at the summit. At the sight of Spike, who was standing close to the edge, the dark-type dashed forward, followed by a very confused Eevee.

"Lucario!" Absol yelled as he accidentally collided with the Riolu, though thankfully not knocking him off the mountain. "What happened to you? You… you've de-volved!"

"Absol!" Lucario called out, walking over.

All heads turned to the Aura Pokémon, and the same relief that Lucario had felt earlier were replicated in Absol. "Lucario," he said weakly, padding over to the fighting-type. "Where on earth have you run off to? We've been searching everywhere!" he added, indicating Eevee.

"I went to the Pokémon Centre to get my bandage changed."

"Yes, ages ago!" Absol replied exasperatedly. "We went to check, and the Chansey there said you had already left for a few hours!"

"Yes, and I was about to head back after that – honest!" Lucario added quickly when Absol gave a disbelieving snort so alike one the Eevee of old would make. "I took the bus, figuring it would make the journey quicker and easier. Unfortunately, I fell asleep, missed my stop, and had to take another bus back."

Absol rolled his eyes. "Oh, another bus back, sure. Where did you wind up – Kanto?"

"No – I wound up near a harbour. I'm sorry – I explored the place, and got a little distracted."

"Lucario…" Absol shook his head heavily. "You're impossible. Exploration can wait for until your leg gets better… I thought…" He trailed off and shook his head again.

"Hm?" Lucario stared at Absol intently. "What did you think?"

"Nothing."

"He was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle the loss of your scarf," Eevee spoke up from behind Absol. "He thought you went and killed yourself."

Lucario turned back to Absol, amused. "Really, Absol? Come on…" He ruffled the fur on Absol's head, eliciting an annoyed grunt. "I won't do something like that. I have to live – I have to help the city, remember?"

Absol was defiant. "So you're saying you would commit suicide if not for that."

Lucario laughed – he could not help it. He had to admit that Absol's overwhelming concern for him was touching, but it was quite comical, the way Absol was being adamant. "Absol, I promise I will never kill myself. Is that good enough for you?"

With a sigh, the Disaster Pokémon reluctantly nodded.

"Great. Now, I've got someone to introduce to you – Spike, come here."

The Riolu jolted at being addressed suddenly. Lucario was astonished to see him sporting a terrified expression as he glanced at Absol before walking over to the Aura Pokémon with tremendous apprehension. Meanwhile, both Absol and Eevee seemed a little surprised to see the little fighting-type. Apparently, they had forgotten all about Spike being there when they finally found Lucario again.

"Absol and Eevee, this is Spike. I met him at the harbour."

"Hello," Spike said meekly, not really meeting their eyes. "It – it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, hello," Absol said, while Eevee muttered a brief 'hi'. "Er… sorry about earlier."

"It's quite all right."

They then lapsed into an awkward silence, none of them seemingly wanting to revive the conversation. Lucario decided to step in. "Spike came from Canalave City by ship, and he'll be staying in the cave for a while."

Both Absol and Eevee seemed surprised at this news, though neither of them said anything. It was Spike who broke the silence. "I hope I won't be a bother. I will only be staying temporarily; I will head back to Canalave after…"

Spike paused, and Lucario stared at him. Come to think of it, he still did not know the reason why the Riolu was so hesitant to return to his hometown. After a few seconds, Spike continued, "I'll head back to Canalave after a short while."

"I see. I really don't mind – you can stay as long as you like. Oh, but of course," Absol cast a side glance at the Aura Pokémon, "the cave is Lucario's after all, so he has the final say."

"Of course I don't mind either," Lucario said quickly. "Please make yourself at home, Spike."

The Riolu beamed. "Thank you."

"Right then… let's go in, shall we?" Lucario turned to the Evolution Pokémon. "Eevee, why don't you join us? I think now is about the right time for dinner."

She shook her head. "No thanks. I think I should get back home."

"Oh… Well… Absol, why don't you bring Spike in first? I'd like to have a quick word with Eevee."

The white-furred Pokémon stared from Lucario to Eevee for a moment before nodding. "Bye. Thanks for helping me," he mumbled to Eevee.

Eevee appeared to be surprised at the display of gratitude. "It's not a problem."

After Absol and Spike disappeared into the cave – the Riolu seemingly nervous to be with the dark-type – Lucario turned to Eevee, who was gazing at him expectantly. "Yes?" she asked. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to apologise. You had to spend the whole day searching for me."

"It's not a problem at all, Lucario." She would not meet his eyes; instead, she began to take great interest in examining the ground. Lucario was unable to detect any emotion from her at all.

Eevee began to trace an invisible pattern in the dirt with a paw, her tail giving an occasional flick. "Like I said yesterday, I don't have anything better to do anyway."

"But it must have been tiring. And really… you came early in the morning only to be roped into all this. I owe your parents an apology as well. They must be worried."

"They won't mind." Eevee was now sweeping grains of sand to one side, accumulating a small pile. "I've said it before, they'd prefer it if I wander about more. They're Leafeon. They want me to get fresh air. Besides, I told them I was going to visit you."

"Oh."

Seconds passed, and Lucario watched absentmindedly as she continued to build onto the pile of sand. At last, Eevee brushed it all off with one swipe of her paw, causing Lucario to startle. She looked up at him. "That Riolu… You mentioned that he came from Canalave by ship. So, why is he staying here with you then? Didn't he come with a human?"

"No, he's wild. There seems to be something he isn't telling me – he really wants to return home, and yet is hesitant to do so."

"That's strange."

"It is," Lucario agreed. "But he's a good kid."

"Seems really shy though."

"I assure you, he was anything but shy when I met him. I guess he found you and Absol intimidating."

The cold evening wind blew past them, ruffling the mane of fur around Eevee's neck as she pondered over Lucario's last statement. She gazed past the Aura Pokémon and into the cave. "Absol was really worried, you know. He was practically panicking earlier."

"I can guess." Lucario scratched his head guiltily. "He does worry too much. I'll need to make it up to him somehow. I hope he didn't give you a hard time for letting me leave the mountain alone?"

"Not at all. I think he was too worried about you to berate me, truth be told." She sighed wistfully, brushing off the dirt in her paws. "You two are really close, aren't you? Just like siblings… I'm jealous."

"Eevee…"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… You're lucky to have someone who worries about you, and you should appreciate him."

"I know. I really do appreciate Absol. He has added a lot of colour to my life." He paused for a while, and then grinned. "What about you, Eevee? Were you worried about me?"

"No," she said with a straight face. "I knew you were easily distracted."

Lucario laughed. He had not expected her to remember what he had said just before he left for the Pokémon Centre. "True. Nonetheless, I do appreciate you too, Eevee."

The wind blew about again. Both of them had run out of things to say. "Well then… I'll come again tomorrow," Eevee said.

"You don't have to if it's any trouble, you know."

She studied his expression for a moment, her tail pointing stiffly straight up. "Am I… not welcome here?"

"No, that's not what I meant! It's just – I – the mountain – I mean…"

"I know, you don't have to explain." A smile was forming on her face. "Then again, now that you have Spike… I guess he can take over my role as your second babysitter."

"That – hey!" Lucario cried out indignantly, but he soon began to laugh again. It felt good to hear a jibe from Eevee once more. And yet, something was different this time – it was more of a friendly tease between friends.

As Eevee stood there chuckling at her own joke, Lucario couldn't help but feel glad. It really seemed to him as though the barrier between them was beginning to dissolve, and that he had taken a huge step towards knowing the true Eevee.

"So…" Eevee said awkwardly. "I'll come again tomorrow."

Lucario nodded. "I'll be waiting."

:::::::::::::::::::

"Your leg's healing up well," the nurse said, giving Lucario a gentle pat on the head. "Pretty soon you won't be needing the bandage anymore." She stood up. "That's it for today – you can go home now. Be sure to come back tomorrow!"

He nodded and watched as she made her way towards the door. The nurse placed a hand on the knob and then turned around, apparently remembering something. "Do you still have those headaches you told me about?"

Lucario shook his head. The pains seemed to have left, which he thought was strange considering the intensity of the psychic attack he had received from Medicham two days ago. Not that he was complaining though.

She smiled. "That's good. Remember not to overexert yourself then."

Lucario waved goodbye as she left the treatment room, and he soon followed suit, making his way back to the main lobby where everyone was waiting for him.

Absol was pacing around, occasionally throwing glares at a man nearby who was eyeing him with dislike. The Disaster Pokémon had slept later than Lucario the night before, and yet had woken first. Lucario had tried assuring the dark-type that he would not sneak out anymore, but he wasn't so sure that Absol was convinced.

Spike had chosen a comfortable chair by a potted plant to sit on as he read a brochure he had picked up from somewhere. Lucario had a feeling that the Riolu was only occupying himself with the brochure so that he need not engage in a conversation with the others. Though Lucario had pegged him as the sociable type, Spike seemed oddly silent with both Absol and Eevee.

Unbeknownst to the Emanation Pokémon, Eevee was eyeing Spike out of the corner of her eyes as she lay close to the potted plant. Lucario quite thought that she was appraising Spike the same way she did to the Aura Pokémon when they first met. He hoped that the Riolu fell into her good books – Spike wasn't one to back away from a quarrel, and Lucario figured it could get ugly if they ever get into a clash.

"Lucario!" Absol exclaimed, spotting the Aura Pokémon and rushing up to him. "How was it?"

"Absol, I only came to get my bandage changed," he replied, trying to hold back his laughter. "It's not like they were performing surgery on me or anything. Seriously, if you're so worried, perhaps next time you should follow me into the treatment room."

The Disaster Pokémon paused. "That's a great idea! You should have suggested it earlier. I'll do that next time."

"Fine, suit yourself. Well then," he said, addressing Spike and Eevee as well, "the day's still young. Is there anything you would like to do in Ferrous? It's your first time here, after all – we could give you a tour."

Spike placed the brochure back and hopped off the chair. "I was wondering if there's a gym in this city?"

"A gym?" Lucario was slightly surprised that Spike would suggest that, of all places. Perhaps the Riolu's love for combat was deeper than Lucario initially thought. "If you're talking about the one where trainers go to obtain a badge, then no. Ordinary gyms, however, probably exist somewhere in the city. I've never been to one though."

"I was referring to the former, but since there isn't one, never mind then. I'll let you decide where to go – I'm happy just seeing the sights, really."

"Well, if you want to, we could go to the park," Lucario suggested. "There's even a beach near it, within walking distance. If there's time, we could drop by as well."

"Ahem." Absol raised a paw at Lucario's bandaged leg. "Are you sure you should be walking so much with your leg in that condition?"

"It's fine. I walked a ton yesterday, and if anything, my leg feels better. In fact, I'm not even sure if the bandage is still necessary. The nurse did say I can have it removed for good soon though."

Spike spoke up before Absol could argue back. "I honestly wouldn't mind if we don't go anywhere, Lucario. Please don't push yourself for my sake. Walking around the forest is great too; I spend too much time in Canalave anyway, and most cities are more or less the same."

"I'm not pushing myself," Lucario assured. "I need fresh air after all – it is as Eevee said, it isn't healthy to stay cooped up in the cave for too long."

Eevee's tail twitched at the sudden mention of her name. "Wait a minute!" she protested, sounding a little panicked as she cast a quick glance at Absol. "I didn't – that wasn't what I –"

"Lucario," Absol interjected. "The air in the mountain is fresher than in the city."

The Aura Pokémon raised both his paws. "Firstly, relax, Eevee – I know that wasn't what you meant." He turned to Absol. "I'm just saying that I need a change of landscape, that's all."

The Disaster Pokémon sighed, despite the amused expression he was wearing. "Fine, I admit defeat. A more stubborn Pokémon I have never met. We'll walk around just a little – I suppose it won't be so bad if I'm there to look after you."

"And you won't be the only one either." Lucario gestured to the Riolu and the Evolution Pokémon. "With Eevee and Spike to keep an eye out for me as well… Why, I feel like I'm a Very Important Pokémon." He nodded towards the door, beaming. "Let's go!"

With the others in tow, Lucario made to exit the Centre when the doors slid open. A familiar-looking man walked in, a sickly Staravia in his arms. The Starling Pokémon was emanating an incredibly dismal aura. The man walked past them without even throwing the group a glance and went straight to the counter. Lucario stopped in his tracks, trying to recall where he had seen the man before.

"Lucario, what's wrong?" Absol asked, following Lucario's gaze.

"He looks familiar… do you recognise him, Absol?"

They continued to watch as the man began to speak quickly to the nurse in charge before handing the Staravia over. The nurse took the Staravia in her arms and carried the avian into one of the rooms further down the hall. The man stared after them for a moment before walking towards the chairs at the side.

He sank down on the chair which Spike had sat on earlier and wiped some sweat off his forehead, looking a little flustered.

"I've seen him before," Absol said, concentrating hard. "Let's see… where was it again?"

"Don't you two recognise him?" Eevee asked, pushing her way between Absol and Lucario.

The Aura Pokémon stared at her, bewildered. "You know who he is, Eevee?"

"Sure I do. He's the guard from that school you took me to the other day. You know, during our bet."

Lucario turned back to the man, realisation washing over him at Eevee's words. "You're right! I can't believe I've forgotten…" A few seconds later, however, it dawned on him that the guard was not in his usual uniform. Instead, the man was donning a plain blue shirt and ironed long pants. He did not have his cap on either – his short, black hair had been combed neatly. Perhaps the change of attire was what threw Lucario off.

The man turned his head in Lucario's direction, and his expression stiffened. He had no trouble in recognising the blue-furred Pokémon, apparently. "Oh no – it's you again!"

Lucario walked closer to him and waved.

"And I see your number has again increased by one," he said, looking at Spike. "Seriously, I hope you aren't building an army of Pokémon to invade the school. Then again, I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been? What mischief have you been up to?"

Lucario shrugged, grunting in reply.

"I guess I haven't seen you around either," the guard said to Absol, reaching out to pat the dark-type on the head. Lucario gave an indignant cry at this unfair treatment, and the guard scratched the Aura Pokémon lightly between the ears. "Guess you just got bored of the school? I'm telling you – it isn't a place for Pokémon."

The man peered over Lucario's shoulders as the nurse called out to him. She had a rather stern expression on her face, and he stood up a little nervously. "Goodbye, then," he mumbled to the group before hurrying over, disappearing into the room with the nurse.

Absol chuckled. "I'm actually surprised that he remembers us."

"I'm more surprised that I didn't remember him." Lucario glanced at Eevee in amazement. "And who would have thought that it was you who would recognise him…"

"What are you insinuating?" Eevee said, eyeing Lucario suspiciously. "Hey, it's not my fault that my memory's better than yours! Couldn't you identify him through his aura or something though?"

"I don't go around reading people's aura all the time – and I certainly don't memorise all of them, either."

"Shall we go then?" Absol asked.

"Well…" Lucario hesitated. He had to admit that he was a little curious about the Staravia he had seen the guard bring in. He could still detect the morose waves that were emanating from the Starling Pokémon. "Do you mind if we wait a little? I kind of want to see what's wrong with his Pokémon."

"Oh, I see where this is going," Absol said, eyeing Lucario with slight exasperation. "You're thinking of human-watching again, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just curious. For all I know, his Staravia could just be suffering from the common cold. What I am concerned about, however, is the feelings that she is sending out… But if there's a story to be found, then why not? After all, if the opportunity presents itself, why decline?" Lucario folded his arms and said wisely, "As the saying goes, I have to hit them with a hot iron."

Lucario could tell that Absol did not understand a single thing he was saying, but he was spared the task of elaborating when Spike spoke up. "What's 'human-watching'?"

It was Eevee who answered. "It's just Lucario's weird hobby." She was unable to keep out a note of scorn from her voice. "Basically, he just stalks someone and pokes his nose into their life."

"Oh…" Spike said bewilderedly. "Stalking humans? That doesn't sound very fun."

"It isn't," Eevee said firmly.

"Ah, but Spike, don't you think humans are fascinating? As wild Pokémon, our lifestyles are very different from them, and it is only natural for us to feel curious about what it's like away from our natural habitat." The Aura Pokémon indicated Absol and Eevee. "These two have lived with humans before, so perhaps they aren't so keen on the activity. But surely you, Spike, share the interest?"

The Riolu shook his head, still looking bemused. "Can't say I do, no."

Eevee stifled a giggle, while Absol openly grinned. Lucario sighed. "I thought you might have, seeing as you seem to know a lot about humans and their technology. I actually wondered if your knowledge was the result of human-watching sessions back at Canalave. Guess I was wrong."

"I usually head out to the city, sure," Spike said slowly, "but I never really cared much about the humans. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, it isn't always humans that I watch – some Pokémon have interesting stories to tell as well."

A short moment later, the guard returned to the hallway with the Staravia. He strode over and placed her on the chair which he sat on earlier before walking off to the counter to talk with the nurse. He didn't seem to register the fact that the group was still there.

Lucario studied the Staravia. Her eyes were forlorn, and she remained stiff and unmoving. The intense waves of sadness were still radiating from her being, and he could tell that Spike – based on his uncomfortable expression – was aware of this as well. He was instantly reminded of the time he first met Eevee at Greg's house.

A little uncertain, he walked up to her. "Hello."

The Staravia did not stir; instead, she remained motionless as she stared unseeingly ahead. It was as though she had not heard him at all.

Lucario tried again. "Um… hi?"

Slowly, the bird turned her head towards Lucario, a tear trickling down to her beak. Startled, the blue-furred Pokémon could only gape, until Eevee began to push him away. "Lucario, stop it – you're scaring her!"

"Scaring her?" Lucario hissed incredulously to Eevee. "I was only trying to make a friendly greeting!" He quickly turned back to the flying-type. "Staravia, I'm so sorry if I've offended you – I promise I wasn't trying to insult you or anything – I only greeted you because I know your human partner –"

At his last statement, Staravia spoke up, her voice extremely soft and weak. "You know my human partner?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I've seen your partner in school a couple of times."

"Oh." Staravia stared blankly at the floor. More tears were leaking out from her eyes, and her voice became slurred. "It's… it's a pity my partner won't be going to school any— anymore…"

She broke into sobs, and Lucario stared at her in surprise. He peered at the guard, who was still talking to the nurse with a grave expression. Had he lost his job? Was that why his Pokémon was so depressed? "If I may be so bold to ask… why is that?"

Staravia shook her head. "My partner… my partner is dying," she choked out. "I'm not sure how much time is left before… before…"

She was unable to complete her sentence. Both Lucario and Absol instantly turned to stare at the man in alarm. Never would he have thought that the guard's time in this world was coming to an end… "I… I'm so sorry… I never knew… But how? When did this happen?"

"We have already known for ages," she said. "But it was only recently that her condition got worse… Now she's weaving in and out of consciousness, and I just… I just don't know anymore…"

Absol and Lucario exchanged confused glances. It would seem that they had been mistaken – apparently, the guard was not Staravia's partner after all. "Um… Staravia… may I ask the name of your partner?"

Staravia considered Lucario for a moment. "It's Emily."

"Emily… Emily…" Lucario repeated the name a few times to himself. It was familiar, and he knew he had heard it before, but he was unable to recall further. He turned to Absol, who shrugged. He then looked at Eevee. Perhaps she would surprise him again. "Well, Eevee? Does the name ring a bell?"

The Evolution Pokémon shook her head. "Not really, no."

"I know I've definitely heard her name before…" Lucario said aloud to himself, pressing a paw to his forehead as he tried his hardest to remember.

"I thought you said you've seen her in school before," Staravia said, eyeing him with suspicion.

The sadness she had been emanating was now mingled with a tiny bit of distrust, and Lucario hastened to explain himself. "I'm so sorry, Staravia, but I made an honest mistake. I thought that man was your partner – it was him whom I've met in school several times. However, the name 'Emily' does sound familiar, and I think I may have met her – or at least, heard of her – before."

The misgivings he had detected from Staravia dissipated, and he sighed inwardly in relief. "Well, it's quite a common name…" she said. "It's probably a different Emily that you've heard about."

"Yeah…" Lucario gazed downwards, his ears pressed flat against the back of his head. He was beginning to wish he hadn't entered the conversation at all. "I'm so sorry, Staravia. If… if it's okay… I would like to pay a visit to your human partner…"

The avian gave the tiniest of nods. "All right… but I'm not even sure if she'll be awake…" She raised a wing to indicate the guard, who was now walking back towards to her. "He'll be taking me to her."

"Thank you. I'll just follow behind you two."

The man looked around at the group in surprise. "You all still here? Well, I'm leaving now, so goodbye." He scooped up the Staravia in his arms gently. "I'll take you back to Emily now," he whispered kindly. "Remember what the nurse has said, okay? I know you're going through rough times, but you still got to take care of yourself…"

He walked out of the Centre, and Lucario looked around at his friends. "Do you mind if I pay Emily a short visit? If you want, you three can stop by somewhere and eat – I'll pass the money to Absol or something."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," Absol said firmly.

"It's okay, I'll follow too," Spike said, and Eevee hesitated before nodding. She appeared to be troubled by something.

"Oh, all right. We'll all go then – perhaps we can have our lunch afterwards."

Together, they headed out of the automatic sliding doors. The guard hadn't walked too far – the Aura Pokémon dashed ahead and caught up with him, with the others close behind. The man turned and stared at Lucario. "What are you following me for? I'm not going to the school – and even if I did, I'm certainly not letting you in! It's not even open today!"

Lucario shook his head, and gestured at Staravia. The man caught on surprisingly quick. "Oh, you want to visit Emily?"

The Aura Pokémon nodded, and the guard sighed. "Fine then. I didn't even know you and Emily were acquaintances. Just make sure you behave yourself. I don't want to be held accountable should you cause trouble for Emily or her family."

Lucario nodded once more, and they continued their journey. Minutes from then, however, Eevee pawed at his leg, and he looked down in astonishment. "Is anything the matter?"

"Can you… can you carry me for a moment?"

His eyes widened at the unusual request. "I'm sorry?"

"Carry me close to your ear for a second!" she hissed, looking a little annoyed. "I want to tell you something!"

"Oh," he mumbled sheepishly. He bent down and picked the brown-furred Pokémon up, perching her on his shoulder. "What is it?"

Eevee did not answer right away. Ahead of them, the Riolu was eyeing them curiously – she stared back pointedly. Getting the hint, Spike shrugged and turned to the front. Satisfied, she leaned close to Lucario's ear and whispered, "Don't take this the wrong way, Lucario, but don't you think you're… kind of… overstepping your boundaries here?"

"What?" Lucario asked aloud, utterly confused. "What do you mean?"

"Shh!" she hissed urgently. Absol and Spike had both turned to stare at the two, and she waited for them to look away again before continuing. "Look, Lucario… I know you like to human-watch, but sometimes… there's just a line you shouldn't cross. You're going to visit a dying girl just so you can get a moment's entertainment? That's just low!"

"Eevee!" he whispered loudly, staring at her incredulously. The indignation welling up within him had rendered the Aura Pokémon momentarily speechless. Her words stung, and he couldn't believe she would even suggest that. He sent a telepathic message to her, "How can you say that?"

She nearly fell off his shoulders at the sudden voice ringing in her head, but she glared back at him defiantly. "Isn't that what you're doing now?"

"Of course not! I'm genuinely concerned! You wouldn't understand – you didn't feel the emotion coming out from Staravia earlier at the Centre – she's really depressed, Eevee! Kind of like how you were back at Greg's house! I'm not doing this just so that I can human-watch!

"Plus, human-watching isn't just an activity I do for fun, Eevee! There are times when things get serious, and I do my best to help! It's the same here – if there's anything I can do to help Emily, Staravia, or her family, I'll be more than willing to!"

Eevee considered him for a moment. He noticed her ears drooping slightly as she tore her eyes from him, and he immediately regretted his outburst. "Sorry," she muttered softly before leaping off his shoulder, walking close by Absol.

Lucario stared at Eevee as he walked, but she never turned back. He wondered for a moment if he had gone overboard. Aside from the obvious anger in his telepathic message, the sudden mention of how she had felt back at Greg's mansion seemed like an unnecessary comment; an insult, even. Though he was still indignant, feelings of guilt were beginning to surface.

He would definitely need to get Eevee alone later and clear things up with her. Exhaling deeply, he readjusted his scarf. Why is my friendship with Eevee always so volatile?

It didn't take too long for them to reach their destination – Ferrous City's general hospital. Whereas the Centre was the place to visit for treating ill and injured Pokémon, this was where humans go when they were not in the pink of health.

The hospital was a lot bigger than the Centre. It comprised of two main buildings, both of which are connected by several walkways in their upper floors. The compound in which they were built was large as well, complete with an open-air parking lot and a well-decorated garden. Several patients could be seen walking about the garden, some of whom were supported by friends or family members.

The guard walked in the compound, heading straight for the further of the two buildings. Lucario followed him, looking around at the surroundings. After a while, it occurred to him that Absol had lagged behind, gazing up at the building uncertainly. Stopping in his tracks, Lucario turned around and stared at his friend quizzically.

"What's wrong, Absol?"

"I… I shouldn't, Lucario," he said weakly, eyes still on the building. Noticing that two of their number had halted, everyone else stopped to stare at them.

"What do you mean?"

"This is a hospital. Someone like me… shouldn't be here."

Realising at once where Absol was going with this line of conversation, Lucario walked up to him and said firmly, "Come on – I thought we've been through this before. You are not a disaster harbinger. It doesn't matter."

"I know, I know," Absol said hastily, visibly flustered. "But… not everyone thinks that way, Lucario. And… even the least superstitious of people wouldn't really like seeing an Absol here at the hospital. It's… it's just the way it is. It's a bad omen to them. Our kind and hospitals don't mix."

"What about the Centre? You don't seem to mind going there."

"That's different. The Centre is for us Pokémon – at the very least, I'm not so out of place there. But this place is full of sick humans… No, Lucario, I've got to place myself in their shoes; my presence here will only cause unnecessary alarm. You guys go ahead, and I'll wait somewhere around here for you."

Lucario shook his head, though he could not think of a way to persuade Absol to change his mind. "But, Absol…"

"And," Absol said, lowering his voice so that only Lucario could hear, "especially since you're going to visit a girl who's very sick… All the more I should stay away."

"Staravia doesn't seem to mind you," Lucario said stubbornly.

Absol laughed, giving Lucario a slight nudge. "Drop it, Lucario. I'm staying out here, and that's final. You go ahead, and… uh… give her my best wishes. Just don't tell her that it's from an Absol."

"I'm so sorry, Absol…"

"What?" Absol said, laughing again. "What are you apologising for? Just go already – I really don't mind staying out here."

"All right then… I'll try not to take long."

Lucario walked back sullenly to the group. "He doesn't want to go in," he explained to them, though the guard was unable to understand a single thing he's saying. "Well… let's just go in then."

"Wait…" Eevee spoke up. She glanced at Absol for a second before turning back to the group. "I'll stay with Absol. Go ahead without me."

"What?" Lucario asked, startled. "You too, Eevee?"

"Yeah – I should keep Absol company."

Without waiting for a reply, she dashed off to join an astonished Absol. Lucario continued staring at her in surprise. He doubted she really wanted to stay behind just to keep Absol company. Perhaps she just wished to get away from the Aura Pokémon, after their conflict earlier. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel reassured slightly – Absol had mentioned before that he felt uncomfortable being in the city alone. With Eevee around, he'll be more at ease. Plus, perhaps they could get to know each other a little more.

"So, it's just the two of you then?" the guard asked Spike and Lucario.

Lucario nodded.

"Fine. Let's go."

:::::::::::::::::::

There were only three people when they entered the room on the third floor of the building. At the corner, sitting on a chair, was a woman Lucario had never seen before – she had short black hair which appeared slightly unkempt, and she seemed a little haggard – he could tell that she really needed a good night's sleep.

Standing by the window, with the sunlight shining down on his greying hair, was a familiar face. Lucario recognised him at once – it was the discipline teacher from the school he had been to before. The last time Lucario had seen the man, he had laid a trap for his plagiarising student, thereby publicly humiliating the boy. The Aura Pokémon was rather surprised to see him here again, of all places.

"Harris, you're back," he said gruffly as the guard entered the room.

"Yes, Mr. Ferguson." He turned towards the woman, who had stood up at his arrival. "Mrs. Flaherty, I've taken Staravia to the Pokémon Centre. There is nothing seriously wrong with her."

Harris, the guard, handed Staravia over to the woman, who then placed the avian gingerly on a cushion that had been seemingly prepared for the Starling Pokémon. Once she did so, she turned back to the guard gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Belford. I'm so sorry to have troubled you, especially on your off day."

"Think nothing of it, really. I am only glad to help." He walked closer to the woman, gesturing for her to follow him. Looking slightly perplexed, she did so, heading towards the room's entrance where Lucario and Spike were standing. Glancing to make sure that Staravia was not watching, he whispered, "The nurse did mention that Staravia is very weak. If her depression gets worse, and if she still refuses to eat, the nurse strongly encourages you to bring her for counselling."

At this, Lucario glanced at Staravia. He had already known the bird was upset about something, but he wasn't aware that she had been starving herself. After a brief moment, he followed Staravia's gaze to the last human in the room – a girl, lying on the hospital bed.

Whether she was asleep or unconscious, he did not know, but upon looking at her face, Lucario finally understood why the name 'Emily' had been so familiar. He had seen her before in school. In fact, the first time he saw her, she was being praised by Gordon Ferguson – the discipline teacher – for winning a story-writing competition. She then read out her story in the prize ceremony, though Lucario did not get to hear it completely as he was occupied with reading the mind of Albert.

Lucario took a moment to scan her aura. It was very dim… Compared to the auras of everyone else in the room, Emily's was extremely weak. His mouth fell open as the brutal truth dawned on him: the girl's time was almost up.

"I didn't know you have a Lucario and Riolu, Harris," the teacher said suddenly, and Lucario turned to see Gordon staring at him. "When did you get them?"

"Oh, these two?" Harris said, laughing. "No, they are not mine. I have no idea who they belong to, actually. They wanted to come along, so I let them."

"You let two unknown Pokémon follow you here?" Gordon said in amusement. "For a security guard, you sure aren't cautious. For all you know, they could belong to a criminal or something."

"W–well, I don't think so, sir. I've seen the bigger one a couple of times at school, and he seems harmless." Despite his words, Harris eyed Lucario suspiciously, as though deciding that Gordon's concerns had merit after all.

Gordon looked from Lucario to the guard in surprise. "At school? What's he been doing at school?"

Harris recoiled slightly under the stern look from Gordon. "Well… er… you see…"

No longer interested in their conversation, Lucario walked over to the bed, with Spike timidly tagging along. Emily was pale, and her breathing slow. Though he tried to read her thoughts, he came up with nothing – at the moment, her mind was like a void.

Looking around, he noticed that there was a long tube connecting her hand to a small bag of liquid hung on a metal pole. Next to it, the bedside table was covered with tons of cards from various well-wishers. He wondered for a moment if Emily had even gotten a chance to see them.

The woman walked over to Lucario's side, and he quite thought that she was a little wary of him. However, he patted her hand gently, and she smiled. Like Staravia, there was a heavy sadness emanating from the woman. He felt powerless – he wanted to help them badly, but he had no idea what he could do.

"Mrs. Flaherty," Harris said from behind them, "I am afraid I have to go now. If you need any help, however, please do not hesitate to contact me."

"Oh, you've already been a big help, Mr. Belford. I must thank you again." She gestured towards Staravia sadly. "Emily would be so depressed if anything were to happen to Staravia. I'll definitely keep in mind what you told me earlier."

"No problem. I will drop by again sometime. Goodbye." He turned to the teacher. "Goodbye, Mr. Ferguson." He then said to Lucario, "Make sure you behave now, okay?"

Before he could head towards the door, Gordon called out, "Harris, hold on a minute. I'll leave with you." The teacher walked towards the woman. "Mrs. Flaherty, do take care of yourself as well. Don't neglect your own health – I'm sure your daughter wouldn't want that. Likewise, if you need my assistance, just give me a call."

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you both. Emily is lucky to have known people like you – and all of her friends at school too," she added, motioning towards the cards on the table. "She would be really touched."

"We are really lucky to have her," Gordon said. "I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say that we hope she'll be able to return to school soon."

She nodded, glancing at her daughter with a sad smile. "I hope so too."

Silence befell the room when the two men left. Mrs. Flaherty strode towards the corner and absent-mindedly poured herself a glass of water. Meanwhile, Staravia continued to stare blankly at Emily. Lucario glanced at Spike, who in turn looked back. Being the only visitors left in the room – and having no relation with the patient, to boot – the Aura Pokémon couldn't help but feel awkward.

"Would you like a piece of fruit?"

Lucario spun around to find Mrs. Flaherty holding a bowl of assorted fruit, which she held out to him and Spike. He shook his head politely, and gave a slight bow to convey his gratitude. The Riolu declined as well, gently pushing the bowl back to her.

"Well, please help yourself if you want one," she said kindly, before placing the bowl back on the table. As she did so, her eyes fell on a small package which was placed within a plastic bag. "Oh!" she gasped, grabbing the bag and rushing out of the room.

Stunned, Lucario turned to Spike, only to see that he was equally confused. "What was that all about?"

The Riolu shrugged indifferently. "Dunno. Maybe one of those guys forgot their stuff or something?" He placed his paws on the side of Emily's bed and looked at the girl. "A little careless of her, really – running out of the room like that and leaving her daughter in the company of two unknown Pokémon who could potentially turn out to be crooks."

"Shh – Spike, what are you saying?" Lucario quickly glanced up at Staravia, but she remained idle as ever. He suspected that she was not even aware of Mrs. Flaherty running out of the room. "We're not going to do anything criminal!"

"I know. Just saying."

"Well, anyway, let's just stay here and wait until she gets back. Then we'll take our leave. Perhaps I'll drop by again another day, but I really don't see what I can do to help."

Spike rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his aura receptors twitching. "How's her aura?" he whispered, making sure that only Lucario could hear him.

"It… doesn't look good, to be honest."

"Definitely no hope, then?"

Lucario shook his head, though he closed his eyes and examined Emily's life force once more. Like before, it was weak and wavering, like a candle flame in a strong wind. It showed signs of damage that had accumulated over a long period of time, and Lucario wondered for a moment what ailment it was that plagued her.

Whatever it was, however, he knew that her condition was beyond repair.

"If that's the case," Spike said gravely, "then there really isn't much you can do. Perhaps you could help her family, or fulfil any last wishes she might have – something of the sort."

When Lucario made no reply, the Riolu continued, surveying the Aura Pokémon with piercing eyes. "So… is this what human-watching is about? Going around, doing random acts of kindness?"

"No…" As appalled at Eevee's words as he had been earlier, doubt had taken root in his mind. Was he really here just for a show of concern? "Partially," he repeated without conviction. "I usually just study them… But I try to help when I can."

He was grateful when Spike did not continue. Instead, the Emanation Pokémon drew a little closer to Lucario, looking hesitant. At last, drawing a huge breath, the Riolu seemingly forced himself to speak up. "Actually, Lucario, I was wondering… Are you really sure it's all right for me to stay at your cave?"

"Hmm?" Lucario looked down at Spike, slightly surprised at the question. "Of course it's all right. Why do you ask? Is there something troubling you?"

"It's just that… yesterday…" Spike paused, scratching his ear. "You know, when we got back… I don't think Absol was very happy to see me."

Lucario's eyes widened, his astonishment growing by the second. "Absol? Wait – what makes you think he wasn't happy? He's a really friendly guy – really shy, though, but he'll get along with anybody. Believe me, you thought wrong. He's probably surprised that I've brought a Riolu home. Maybe you mistook that for anger or something."

"I'm a Riolu, I know emotions," Spike countered obstinately. "He certainly wasn't in a good mood last night. You even got into a quarrel and everything."

"A quarrel?" Lucario quickly replayed the events yesterday in his mind, and suddenly, everything became clear. "Oh – that wasn't a quarrel, Spike!" he said, chuckling. "Absol was just annoyed at me for coming home late. Any contempt you might have detected was directed at me."

"But it was because of me that you two fought…" Spike continued glumly.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" It was Lucario's turn to study Spike intently – he had never expected the Riolu to have an insecure side to him. "I went to the city by myself, and fell asleep in the bus. Thus, I'm the only one to blame. But Absol is a nice guy – trust me, Spike, he really wasn't angry. Not even in the slightest. I'm a Lucario. I know emotions too."

Spike took his words into consideration for a moment, and then managed a small smile.

At that point, the door opened, and Mrs. Flaherty walked in with a nurse. Lucario noticed that she was still holding on to the red plastic bag – she placed the package back on the table and stood next to the nurse anxiously.

The nurse examined the bag of liquid on the pole before checking the clipboard hanging on Emily's bed. After perusing it for a moment, she nodded. "Yes, like I have mentioned, Dr. Spencer will not be around this week." She glanced up at Mrs. Flaherty's worried face. "Please do not worry though. Dr. Brown will be taking over in the meantime. She will be coming to check on Emily later."

"All right. Thank you."

The nurse left, and Mrs. Flaherty sank on the chair with a sigh, appearing to be deep in thought. She looked worried for something, and Lucario could not help but feel a little concerned. Figuring that a little peek into her mind wouldn't hurt, he closed his eyes…

"The new doctor is coming in soon, and I should wait here… But… I really should take this lunch back to Ryan… If only I remembered before those two left – and yet, they've already done so much… It wouldn't be nice to trouble them further… If only Staravia isn't so weak at the moment…"

Lucario turned to stare at the package, and understood. Mrs. Flaherty needed someone to deliver the lunch she had bought to some Ryan, apparently. Though he had no idea who he was, here was an opportunity for him to step in and lend a helping paw, even though it was but a small chore.

He walked up to the woman; she had her eyes closed, and did not see the blue-furred Pokémon approaching. He patted her on the wrist gently to draw her attention, and she gave a start. When she saw that it was only Lucario, she smiled wearily. "Yes?"

Lucario raised a paw, volunteering his service. Mrs. Flaherty blinked, clearly not comprehending. "Is there something you want?"

The Aura Pokémon patiently pointed at the package on the table, before pointing back at himself.

"Oh." Mrs. Flaherty paused, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry… That package is for my son – I can't give it to you. You can have some fruit though, if you're hungry; or if you want, you can wait a little and I'll buy you something afterwards."

Lucario shook his head, blushing heavily. He pointed at the food again, then at himself, and finally, he mimicked walking. She stared bewilderedly, and he could tell from her expression that it was not working. Sighing, he took a moment to gather his thoughts.

Communicating with a human through telepathy was something he had only done once – not counting the time he had manipulated minds to help Absol with his investigation. And even in that single instance, all he did was transmit an image to the other party. Still, there was a first time for everything. He may not be able to articulate in English, but perhaps it would be easier through telepathy…

Focusing on how the three words in his message were pronounced, he closed his eyes and transmitted them to the woman…

"I… can… help."

Mrs. Flaherty jumped, looking at Lucario in disbelief. Once the shock had passed, she took a deep breath, though she was unable to say anything. He knew that she was still confused – it would seem that the telepathic message had startled her to the point where she did not register what he had actually said.

For the third time, Lucario pointed at the plastic bag.

Finally, she understood. "You… want to help me?" she asked tentatively, as though hardly daring to believe what Lucario was proposing. "Bring the food to my son?"

Lucario nodded, smiling.

Her expression changed to one of suspicion. "How did you know I was looking for someone to help me with that?"

The question stunned Lucario. He doubted Mrs. Flaherty would be too pleased if she found out that he had been probing about in her thoughts… Not knowing what to do, the fighting-type hung his head silently.

"Well… I guess that's not important." She scrutinised Lucario, looking uncertain. "It's nice of you to offer, but… Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't even know who you are…"

"I am… Lucario, a passer-by. That…"he gestured at the Riolu, "is Spike, a… a friend." Turning to the confused Riolu, he said, "Say hello, Spike."

Though still bemused, Spike smiled broadly and waved a paw. "Hi!"

Trying to suppress a grin, Lucario continued his message. "I understand your concerns… but… rest assured…" He placed a paw on his chest and bowed his head slightly, hoping to convey his sincerity. "You can trust us."

"Oh… Well, it's nice to meet you, Lucario and Spike," she said to the both of them. "I must admit I was rather shocked when I heard your voice… But I don't know…" Mrs. Flaherty surveyed them, looking torn. After a pregnant pause, she nodded. "All right… I accept your offer. If you bring Staravia, she will show you the way to our home. I'm afraid you'll have to carry her though," she turned to the avian, who stared back, "since she's too weak to move at the moment."

The Aura Pokémon nodded.

Mrs. Flaherty fumbled about in her bag before pulling out a small chain of keys. She removed a single key and held it out to Lucario. "You'll have to use this to get in… Ryan will be home, but…"

Her voice trailed off, and Lucario stared at her, puzzled. Why would he need the key if her son was at home?

"Here. You know how to use it, don't you?"

He nodded once more, taking the key and examining it. It had been a long time since he last used one, but he figured it would be easy enough to figure out again.

"Please be careful not to leave it lying around though. I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands. I have a spare with me, so once you've left the food at home, just place the key on the table. Then, lock the door behind you as you leave. You can do so by pushing the little button on the knob from the inside. Did you get all that?"

Lucario hesitated, struggling to remember everything that she had said. "I'm sorry… can you… repeat that, please?"

She gave out her instructions once more, with Lucario hanging on to every word. When she finished, she took the bag and passed it to the Aura Pokémon. Though he was still unclear on her directions, he figured he would worry about that later. Mrs. Flaherty was now leaning close to Staravia, whispering something to the Pokémon. The bird gave the tiniest of nods, and the woman picked her up.

Realising that Mrs. Flaherty was about to pass Staravia to him, Lucario quickly handed the key and package to Spike, who had come to the blue-furred Pokémon's side. "You Pokémon can communicate between one another, right?" she asked, to which the fighting-type nodded. "Well, you can just drop Staravia off once you've reached our home."

A look of shock flickered through Staravia's face, and she gave a cry of protest. Mrs. Flaherty shook her head, looking down at the Pokémon in her arms with a warm smile. "It's all right. I'll be here to keep an eye on Emily. You should stay home and rest – you can come again tomorrow."

Staravia did not seem too happy about that, but she remained silent. Mrs. Flaherty placed the avian into Lucario's arms. "I'll leave it all to you then. Thank you very much for helping."

Lucario nodded, though his mind was more focused on the Pokémon he was carrying. No matter how he tried to adjust Staravia's position, he was unable to find a comfortable stance. She was warm and her feathers were soft, but it was incredibly awkward to be holding on to a stranger.

Giving up, he gave a bow to Mrs. Flaherty before heading out of the room with Spike. The Riolu was sniggering openly; apparently, he was able to detect the embarrassment emitting from Lucario. The Aura Pokémon had half a mind to suggest that Spike carry the flying-type instead, while he carried the key and food.

"Don't swing the plastic bag so much," he grumbled to Spike. "There's food inside after all."

Upon exiting the hospital, the group found Absol and Eevee at the distance, sitting in the shade of a large car at the parking lot. Eevee was staring downwards, her ears and tail sagging. Absol, looking incredibly awkward, seemed to be uttering a few words to her, though they were too far for Lucario to hear what their conversation was about.

Eevee seemed really depressed though… His outburst must have caused some serious damage, Lucario thought to himself miserably.

As they walked closer, Absol glanced up mid-speech and spotted them. A look of immense relief crossed his features, and he gave Eevee a light nudge while gesturing at the group. The two of them got to their feet, with Absol staring at Staravia curiously.

"We're back," Lucario announced. "Are you two all right?"

Eevee gave a half-hearted nod, while Absol said, "Of course we are – why wouldn't we be? Er…" The Disaster Pokémon stepped out into the sun, his white fur glistening in the light. He stared at Staravia for an instant before shooting Lucario a quizzical look.

"We'll be making a short detour to Staravia's home. After dropping off the lunch for a boy who's staying there, we'll head towards any food centre nearby and have a meal of our own. I'm so sorry for the long wait – I hope none of you are too hungry at the moment?"

Though he was looking at Eevee, she did not reply. Instead, it was Absol who spoke up again. "Seriously, we're fine." He added with a grin, "And you keep saying that I'm the worrywart."

"Now why do I get the feeling you've said something like that before?" He glanced down at Staravia – she had neither moved nor spoke since they left Emily's room. "All right, let's get going. Staravia, how do we get to your house?"

Staravia gave a start, breaking out of her trance-like state. She glanced around for a moment as if to determine where she was before pointing to the west with the tip of her wing. "We live somewhere in that direction."

"Got it. Er… are you comfortable, Staravia? Is my spike bothering you?"

At the mention of his name, the Riolu glanced up, but Lucario was focused on the Starling Pokémon. He was carrying her below the spike on his chest, but he had the constant fear that it would injure her as they walked.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"Oh… okay. Let's go then."

Before they set off, Lucario turned to the Evolution Pokémon, still sitting in the shade. She seemed to be in some sort of internal conflict, but before he could do anything, her expression darkened and she stood up. Whereas she was filled with apparent melancholy earlier, her emotions were now stained with blotches of anger. With her tail erect, she nodded. "Let's go."

Wondering if her fury was directed at him, Lucario could only nod back.

Staravia was pretty much silent throughout the whole journey, only uttering brief instructions when they had to make a turn. The sadness and worry were still plaguing her mind, and occasionally he caught a memory or two emanating from her. All of these reminiscences were of the happier times she had spent with her human. Clearly the bond between them was very strong…

"We live on the third floor…" Staravia said at last, pointing upwards.

Lucario stared at the building, his mouth agape. "You live here?"

They had reached a place that Lucario was very familiar with. It was the same building where he once observed a ragtag bunch – including a teacher, a bank-teller, and a mischievous Infernape – living together on the seventh floor. The walls had been given a fresh coat of paint, but otherwise, it looked the same as Lucario had remembered it.

"Isn't this…" Absol began, examining the building.

"Yeah, it is!" Lucario exclaimed, still surprised that Mrs. Flaherty and her family were living here. "We've been here before – this is where Flaze lives! They were in the seventh floor before, but after what happened, I wonder if they're still staying there…"

"We live on the third floor," Staravia repeated, apparently not registering their conversation.

"Yes, okay," Lucario said distractedly, his focus on the apartment. "Let's go in."

The damaged furniture in the lobby had already been replaced with newer ones, though it seemed the manager had maintained the old layout. A different set of magazines were placed on top of the table, and Lucario made a mental note to read them if he had the time.

From behind the counter, the manager himself lowered the newspaper he was reading, peering at the group through his thick glasses. Lucario met his gaze, and the Aura Pokémon saw a flicker of recognition in the old man's eyes. It wasn't surprising that he would recognise the fighting-type; the fire incident, though old, was probably one he would remember for a long time. Lucario gave a small bow, to which the man returned with a nod and a small smile before returning to his newspaper.

Deciding that they should use the elevator, Lucario pushed the button to summon it. When the doors opened, he walked in and pushed the button so that the doors would not close on his friends. Everyone poured in quickly, with the exception of Absol, who took a step back instead.

Lucario stared at him sternly. "Let me guess. You want to wait down here."

"Ha, it's as if you can read my mind," Absol said sheepishly. "Which you can, come to think of it."

"Absol, you've been in this building before – and Staravia doesn't mind – do you, Staravia?" he added, looking down at the Starling Pokémon.

It took a moment for her to realise that she was being spoken to. "I beg your pardon?"

"Is it all right if Absol follows us as well?"

"Sure…"

Lucario turned back to his friend. "See? Will you come in now?"

Absol hesitated, looking flustered. "I dunno…"

A loud buzz rang through the elevator, causing Lucario to startle and let go of the button he was pressing. The doors swiftly began to close, but he jammed his foot in the middle, causing them to open once more. He glanced around wildly, looking for the source of the sound. "What was that?"

"Don't worry," Spike said, holding back laughter. "It just means that you've been holding the doors open for too long. Or the weigh limit has been exceeded, but I doubt that."

"Oh." Lucario looked at the Disaster Pokémon again. "See, Absol, even the elevator is mad at you. Hurry up already!"

The white-furred Pokémon remained rooted on his spot, and Lucario placed Staravia on Spike's head, ignoring the Riolu's indignant protests. He then got out and shoved Absol from behind, barely making it back inside before the doors shut. With a triumphant air, he pushed the button for the third floor and waited as the tiny compartment brought them to their destination.

When the doors opened again, Lucario quickly ushered everyone out into the hallway. Unlike the one in the seventh floor, there were more doors around, and a few of the residents had placed several of their effects outside their homes – most of which consisted of miniature potted plants. The Aura Pokémon briefly wondered if he should decorate the entrance to his cave as well, before figuring he might as well install a huge signboard to alert intruders to the existence of his home.

"Three doors to the right… that's my home…" Staravia said, still perched on the Riolu's head.

Lucario turned towards the right. Unlike most of the other residents, Emily's family had not decorated their entrance. Lucario walked up to the door and took the key from Spike before inserting it clumsily into the hole. Try as he might, the door would not unlock, and he began to exert a little more force before Spike stopped him.

"You're going to break it. Here, let me try."

Stepping aside, he handed the key to Spike and watched as the Riolu pushed it gently into the keyhole. With just one twist of his paw, a click sounded, and he pulled the key back out with a grin.

"Riolu of multiple talents indeed," Lucario said bewilderedly. "How did you get so good – did you make a habit of picking locks or something?"

The smile did not leave Spike's face. "If I did, I wouldn't tell you, would I? And anyway, you don't use a key to pick locks – where's the point in that?"

Lucario ignored the comment and turned the knob, making his way into Mrs. Flaherty's home. The room was roughly the same size as Zack and his housemates', though it lacked the lively atmosphere that was ever-present with the occupants on the seventh floor.

He took a few steps in, looking around and admiring the place. Though he had been to quite a number of human residences now, there was something about exploring a new home that intrigued Lucario to no end. It was always great to see how humans add their personal touches to the place they live in.

The first thing Lucario noticed was a piano placed by the window at the far end of the room. The light shining through the window illuminated its dusty surface, but even that did not detract from its grandeur. For a moment, he nearly forgot himself, almost running to the gigantic musical instrument to try it out.

There was no one in the living room, though he could detect the presence of a boy cooped up within a bedroom. The person gave no indication of being aware that someone had entered the house, which Lucario found strange. Surely he had heard Lucario trying to open the door?

"All right, Staravia, we're here." Lucario took the bag from Spike's paws and walked over to what seemed to be the dining table. There were a few unwashed plates on it – Lucario stared at them for a moment before placing the bag on the corner. "Should I call Mrs. Flaherty's son out to have his lunch?"

Staravia shook her head. "He'll come out when he's hungry…"

"He'll – wait, what? Are you sure?" Lucario turned to the wooden door which led to where Ryan was. He had thought it strange when Mrs. Flaherty handed over the key for the house when there was someone at home who could have opened the door for him. Now, however, he believed he knew the reason why… Judging by what Staravia had said, as well as her apparent discontent with the boy, Lucario guessed that he had cooped himself up in the room for some time now, only coming out when it was necessary.

Staravia stretched her wings and hopped off Spike's head, landing softly on the floor. She hopped towards a purple cushion by the corner and settled on it, closing her eyes. "He always does."

"But…" Concerned, Lucario scanned the boy's aura once more. Though he was alive and well, there was something odd about him – there were no emotions or thoughts emanating from the human at all.

Ryan was lying on his bed, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the cover of some book at his side. Staring straight at the ceiling fan above him, he was counting the number of rotations it made. Occasionally, his mind would blank out for a few seconds, and then he would begin counting from zero once more.

Just how long had he been doing this?

Not wanting to leave him in this zombie-like state, Lucario walked up and rapped his paw on the door, calling out to Ryan. This didn't go unnoticed – by probing into his mind, Lucario found that he had successfully gained the attention of the boy.

Ryan had stopped his fingers in midair, pondering the voice he had just heard. It was undoubtedly the cry of a Pokémon, though not one he was familiar with. He tilted his head slightly to the right, glancing at the wall clock. It was about lunch time – his mother had probably asked someone to deliver food to him again. He would have it later… he wasn't hungry now…

Lucario was about to knock again when he heard the front door creak as someone pushed it open a little wider. Startled, he turned around to see a familiar face – Zack, the university student whom he had human-watched the last time he had been in this building. The trainer was equally surprised to see Lucario and the group inside. He scrutinised Lucario for a moment, rubbing his chin.

"Say, aren't you that Lucario I've seen back when –"

Without warning, Zack gave a slight groan as he stumbled forward into the room. He wheeled around angrily to face the other newcomer – his very own Pokémon partner, an Infernape, grinning broadly at the boy.

"Flaze, what's the big idea, shoving me like that!" he yelled, but the fire-type was now pushing his way into the room, paying no heed to his trainer. A look of surprise shot across his features for a second when he spotted Lucario, but his smile quickly returned.

"Long time no see!" he said cheerfully, giving a little wave to both Absol and Lucario. "What brings you here to this dump of a building today?"

Lucario beamed, walking over to the fire-type. "Flaze, it's been a while! How have you been?"

"More or less the same," he replied with a shrug. "Nothing ever happens in this city. It's quite boring."

"I'd be satisfied with nothing happening though," Lucario said, thinking about Xatu's prediction. "How's everyone on the seventh floor? Or have you been given a new place after what happened last time?"

"No, we're all still there. And the answer's the same: nothing much has changed. How about you though? I see your group has doubled since the last time we met. Hello," he said to Spike and Eevee. He turned back to the Aura Pokémon and gestured towards the Riolu. "The little one your child?"

"No, he's just –"

"What are all of you doing here, anyway?" Zack interrupted, looking round at the gang again. "Surely you all don't live here… I mean, I know there's a Staravia," he said, looking at the bird. She was staring back at him blankly – Lucario wasn't sure if she had truly registered Zack's presence. "But I didn't think Ryan's family had this many Pokémon."

Lucario shook his head and pointed at the bag of food he had placed on the table. Then he gestured towards Ryan's room.

Zack stared at the blue-furred Pokémon perplexedly. "I have no idea what you're trying to say."

Patiently, Lucario repeated his gestures again before miming the act of eating. Though he could have tried communicating with telepathy again, he was hesitant to do so with Zack – the boy had dreams of conquering the League. A Pokémon capable of telepathy would probably be invaluable to his team. As much as he liked and trusted the boy, some doubts still remained.

Besides, the less who knew about his abilities, the better.

"Food?" Zack said at last, to which Lucario quickly nodded. "For… Ryan? Is he in there?"

Lucario nodded again, but Zack still looked stumped. "So… you're bringing food for Ryan? Weird. I still don't know how you're related to the family, but I suppose it doesn't matter. I'll call Ryan out."

Lucario made way for Zack as the boy strode towards the door and began knocking on it. He looked at Flaze again. "So, why are you here?"

"The boy living here is apparently an acquaintance of Zack's from university," Flaze said indifferently, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. "Zack decided to drop by for a visit, and when we arrived, the door was open."

"Yeah… I guess I forgot to shut the door. We're only here for a short while though. We came from the hospital," Lucario added, staring at Flaze in the hopes that the fire-type could shed some light on the family's background.

"Hospital?" Flaze paused for a moment, looking confused. "Ah… Right, I heard from Zack that a relative of the boy here is seriously ill. Not sure who it is, or what the ailment is, but apparently it's affecting this friend of Zack's."

"It's the boy's sister," Lucario said. "And it is bad; I think there isn't much time left for her."

"Hmm… that's too bad," Flaze replied, somewhat indifferently. "Well, I don't really know much about the family – all I know is that the boy staying here goes to the same university as Zack, though he's been absent for a long time now. Hence the reason why we're popping in."

"I see…" Lucario turned around in time to see the door to Ryan's room swing open. Though the Aura Pokémon somewhat expected the boy to appear dishevelled, Ryan was surprisingly neat and alert. His black hair was slightly long though; it seemed as though he had gone without a haircut for a while.

"Hello, Zack." Ryan's voice was clear, though slightly monotonous. He glanced around at all the Pokémon in the room without emotion, though his eyes did pause on Absol a little longer compared to the others. "I guess you've made decent progress with your dream of being a Champion… you've got quite the team going on already."

"Huh?" Zack followed Ryan's gaze. "Oh, you're wrong – those aren't mine. The only one in my team is that grinning idiot over there. I have absolutely no idea where the others came from, but apparently, they brought your lunch."

Ryan eyed the packet that Lucario had placed on the table. "I see. Well, thanks," he said, glancing round at the Aura Pokémon and his entourage, "and sorry to have bothered you all."

Lucario shook his head before pointing at Staravia.

"Oh, so you've brought back Staravia as well." He stared at the Starling Pokémon for a moment; the flying-type had her eyes closed again.

"So, Ryan, why haven't you been in classes lately? Your group project members were pretty mad – you pretty much up and left without warning."

Ryan raised his eyebrows, brushing off his black hair as it fell over his eyes. "I sent the teacher an e-mail to say that I'm dropping the class. Didn't she inform my group mates?"

Zack regarded him in surprise. "What? You're dropping the class?"

"As that was quite some time ago, it'd be more accurate to say that I have dropped the class. I've dropped them all – I'm not going back."

There was a brief pause as Zack stared at Ryan in disbelief. "You're in your final year. You've come this far. Are you going to let all those years go down the drain like that?"

"So what?" Ryan folded his arms obstinately, his calm demeanour changing in a flash. "All I'll get at the end of it is a piece of paper anyway. I don't need it. Anyway, I've already notified the university a few weeks back. It's too late to change my mind, not that I want to anyway."

"Your name's still in the system though. I've checked the register for the two classes that we share, and your name is still listed there."

Ryan dismissed the comment with a small wave of his hand. "They just haven't updated it, that's all."

"Ryan, the online register is updated daily," Zack said exasperatedly. "You know as well as I do that it's pretty much automatic. I'm telling you, you're still a student of our university. I have another friend who dropped the same class just last week for a legitimate reason, and his name has already been removed from the list."

"What do you mean by 'legitimate reason'?" Ryan retorted, his voice rising as he took a step closer to Zack. "Are you saying that my reason for quitting is not legitimate at all?"

Right besides him, Lucario could feel Flaze tensing himself, as though ready to jump in and defend his partner. Zack stared straight into Ryan's eyes and said unfalteringly, "I know why you're dropping out. I understand how you must be feeling right now, but your sister wouldn't want this, and you know that."

At the mention of Emily, Ryan's face darkened. "Don't talk to me about her!"

Seemingly startled by the outburst, Spike hastily took a few steps backwards, almost tripping on Lucario's feet. The Aura Pokémon held the Riolu by his shoulders to help Spike regain his balance as he observed Ryan. Lucario could feel the rage emanating from him, though it was coupled with confusion.

Ryan himself had no idea why the mere mention of his sister would make his blood boil. He had been trying to avoid thinking about her inevitable fate for the past few days, and to have it suddenly thrown at him from an outsider… It ticked him off somehow. Zack claimed to understand, but who was he trying to kid? Zack didn't even know Emily – he wouldn't give two hoots about what happened to her…

"All right, I'm sorry," Ryan said finally, breaking the awkward silence that befell them. "Look, I don't want to talk about it now. You came to check on me; I appreciate that. I'm fine. I just need some rest, so… I'll see you some other time."

Zack studied Ryan for a while before nodding. "Okay. I hope the next time I see you, it'll be in class." He walked over and beckoned Flaze to follow him as he made his way to the door.

The Flame Pokémon patted Lucario on the back. "I'll make a move first. See you around – Zack's been pretty boring lately what with exams coming, so drop by if you have the time."

"I will. See you, Flaze."

The duo strode out into the hallway, but Zack turned around before disappearing from sight. "You know," he said to Ryan, "I think the reason why your name is still in the system is because the teachers are aware of what you're going through. I'm sure they're hoping you would reconsider, and I strongly advise you to do so. Please give it some thought."

With that, he left.

Almost simultaneously, the group of Pokémon – minus Staravia – turned to look at Ryan. The boy sighed, shaking his head as he made to walk inside his room again. Upon catching sight of the Pokémon, he faltered. "Well… thanks again for helping. I'll see you out."

He strode over and ushered the group towards the front door. Before heading out, Spike pressed the house key into Ryan's palm, eliciting a small "Thanks," from the boy. "See you then," he added, before closing the door on them.

Lucario heard a little click from within. Though somewhat taken aback by the sudden forced departure, he was glad that it was Ryan who locked the door, and not him – he hadn't really understood Mrs. Flaherty's instructions. How was he supposed to lock the door behind him as he left? Perhaps Spike would know; he made a mental note to ask the Riolu later.

"Oh," Lucario said suddenly. "I forgot to say goodbye to Staravia!"

"Don't worry about it; she probably didn't even notice," Absol said. "Did you see the look on that guy's face when he saw me though? I told you I shouldn't have come!"

"Don't worry about it; he probably didn't even notice." Upon seeing the look on Absol's face, he quickly added, "No, seriously, there wasn't any anger or anything coming from Ryan when he spotted you. Just ask Spike if you don't believe me." He nudged the Riolu. "Right, Spike?"

"Huh?" Spike, who had been looking distraught, snapped out of his reverie and stared at them both. "What?"

"Ryan wasn't angry at all, was he?"

"Are you kidding me? He was as mad as anything – didn't you see him yell at the other kid earlier?"

"No, I was talking about Absol!" Lucario explained hurriedly. "Did you sense any anger from Ryan when he saw Absol?"

"Oh, I dunno… I wasn't really paying attention."

"He certainly observed me for quite some time though," Absol interrupted. "All right, enough talk. Let's get out of here."

The others nodded, but Lucario hesitated, glancing at the door. "Hmm…"

Spike stared at him questioningly. "Is anything the matter?"

"Oh, I know that look," Absol said teasingly. "Am I right, Lucario? Is it human-watching time again?"

"No, no, it's not!" Lucario said hastily, casting a quick glance at Eevee. There was something accusatory in the way she was staring at him – he shook his head, trying to plead with her silently, but he was interrupted by Absol.

"It's not? Did you give your hobby a new name, then?"

"No, and to prove that I'm not going to human-watch," Lucario shoved Absol forward, "let's get out of here and have our lunch."

The grin faded from Absol's face and he regarded the Aura Pokémon seriously. "Hey, if you really want to do it though, go ahead – don't worry about us. We'll hang around at the lobby or something; just make sure you don't progress to human-watching all the residents in this building."

"No," Lucario repeated firmly. "I'm not going to human-watch. Come on, let's go already." He began pushing Absol all the way towards the elevator, ignoring protests from the white-furred Pokémon.

"There's a café over there," Lucario said once they got out of the building, pointing to a shop situated opposite of the apartment. It was new – he didn't remember seeing it the last time he was here. Whether or not its food was good, Lucario did not know, but he would have a chance to slip into Ryan's mind if they ate there.

Not for human-watching, though, he reminded himself. He was just… slightly curious.

A suspicious look flitted across Absol's face for a moment, but Lucario feigned innocence as he ushered all of them towards the shop. He pushed the door opened and felt a rush of cold air on his face.

The shop's interior was air-conditioned, creating a perfect refuge for people and Pokémon seeking shelter from the sweltering sun outside. The café was packed, with only a few empty tables left. The patrons were chatting together quite loudly, draining out the smooth jazz music that was playing. Lucario hurried over to an empty spot and sat down, beckoning the rest to follow.

Absol and Eevee took their seats, but Spike had detached himself from the group to obtain four sets of the menu, which he handed over to each one of them when he got back. "Let's order!" he proclaimed joyously before flipping straight into the ice-cream page.

Lucario browsed through the menu, which was filled with beautiful photographs of the café's food. He was startled at the price of most of them – they were certainly more expensive than anything he'd ever eaten before. Still, it was rare that everyone got together for a meal. Perhaps a little expenditure every now and then wouldn't hurt.

The Aura Pokémon peeked at Absol and Eevee, who were sitting on the opposite side of the table. The two were having a small discussion about what to order. Whereas the blue-furred fighting-type seemed to be drifting further apart from Eevee (again), the Evolution Pokémon seemed to have grown closer to Absol. When did that happen, Lucario wondered. She had appeared to be afraid of him before.

Spike closed his menu with a fwump, placing it on the table with a disappointed expression.

"What's wrong?" Lucario asked.

"This café is ripping its customers off," he said bitterly. "Someone should complain. The price of an ice-cream here equals to two elsewhere. I'm not having anything."

"Maybe the food here is better. Look," he pointed at several pictures of ice-creams on his own menu, "it's decorated very beautifully, don't you think? See all those sprinkles and nuts and whatnot. Very good presentation, I must say."

"I buy an ice-cream for eating, not for looking."

"Come on, give it a try anyway. Unless you want to go for something else – surely you can't just have ice-cream for lunch…"

The Riolu shrugged, reluctantly dragging his menu back to himself. "It's not like I haven't done so before."

"Well, there was a time when I only had ice-cream for lunch before. I suppose once in a while, it's okay, but wouldn't you get a stomach-ache or something if you do that frequently?"

Spike grinned. "I have an iron stomach. I can handle anything."

"If you're sure then, feel free to order anything you want."

"No, no." Spike quickly pushed the menu away once more. "I'll be happy with something else – berries from the forest, for instance. Please don't waste your money on me; a ferry ticket is more than I could ever ask for."

"Nonsense. If you don't want to choose something then I'll order for you myself." Lucario took the menu and placed it in Spike's paws. "Take your pick."

Spike smiled gratefully before burying his nose into the menu again. Lucario followed suit, looking at the section on beverages. The store offered a nice variety on various drinks. He was quite amazed at how many different kinds of tea and coffee there were – they all looked mostly identical to him.

After a while, Lucario decided to settle on something simple – toast with jam – though it was still priced on the high side. Spike went for a single-scoop chocolate ice-cream, while Absol and Eevee decided to have a single fruit tart each. Surprised that they were all ordering so little, he persuaded them to pick more items from the menu, but everyone declined. Sighing in defeat, he called for a waitress whom he noticed had been eyeing them for a while now.

She took their order quietly, looking nervous as she jotted down on her notepad whilst Lucario pointed out the food they wanted. Once Lucario was done, she began to collect the menus – Lucario held on to his firmly, shaking his head and trying to convey without words that he still wanted to read it.

She understood, but before she left the table, she cleared her throat and said nervously, "Pardon me, patrons usually pay up after their meal, but… we have a policy, you see… if the group consists of only Pokémon…"

The waitress seemed hesitant to continue, but Lucario could guess where she was going with that line of conversation. Giving a reassuring smile, he unravelled the scarf on his neck to reveal a few crumpled notes hidden between the folds. He took them out and did a quick calculation before handing her the required amount. As though relieved that he was not going to attack, she broke into a smile and accepted the money with thanks.

When she left, Spike looked at Lucario incredulously. "You keep your money in your scarf?"

"Only sometimes," Lucario said as he wore the scarf around his neck once more. "It's convenient. When there are coins involved, however, I usually ask for a paper bag."

"That's no good. It could drop at any time. Why don't you get a proper bag or something? You can carry all sorts of other stuff in it too."

"Hmm… I never really thought about it. I suppose a bag could be useful." He patted the scarf lightly. "In the meantime though, I'll just use my scarf. I wrapped it quite tightly, so the money is quite secure. Besides, I'm very careful – I would notice if it dropped."

The waitress came back with some coins as change, which Lucario placed on the table for the time being. Absol and Eevee were chatting again, while Spike had taken one of the coins to play with, trying to see how long he could keep it spinning. Lucario watched the Riolu with mild interest for a minute before placing his menu vertically on the table, hiding his face from view of the others. Pretending to read, he closed his eyes and directed his senses towards the third floor of the opposite building.

Having just finished his lunch, Ryan stood up, pushing the empty packet of food away. He was about to walk back to his room when he spotted the dirty dishes that had accumulated over the past few days. Sighing, he debated with himself for a moment before taking them towards the sink.

With a sponge soaked in dishwashing liquid, he began to scrub the dishes. Finally, a new activity to help break the ennui of his daily routine – or, to be more precise, his lack of one. How long had he been like this anyway? The days had passed by so quickly that it was hard to keep track sometimes. Or was it the opposite? Perhaps time had crawled by instead.

He wouldn't know. He had already lost all sense of time.

Ryan turned on the tap and began to wash the dishes one by one. He had pretty much cut off contact with the outside world. Zack had been the first person he had spoken to in days, he realised.

He hadn't even been talking to his mother. She was mostly out at the hospital, but she did drop by from time to time, during which Ryan would lock himself up in his room and pretend to sleep. Occasionally, when asked a question by his mother, he would just grunt from his room to reassure her that he was still alive.

There wasn't anything to say anyway. His sister's illness was hurting his mother as much as it hurt him. Perhaps more. She was her mother, after all. Then again, he was her brother.

If his father was still alive, perhaps things would be different. He would have been an additional source of comfort in this trying times – he would certainly provide solace to his mother, and she back to him. He would fill the emptiness that Ryan was unable to fill.

But no. He had gone, and Emily would soon follow. The same disease, the same death. Emily was just unlucky – her age of onset for the disease was much, much earlier.

Ryan began to rub the dishes with much more force as he thought back to the times when the sickness started to manifest itself in Emily. She would occasionally lose control of her own body. Once, she fell down a flight of stairs – she had to walk with crutches for some time after that, but she still insisted on going to school. She even read out her prize-winning story while her leg was injured.

Emily had accepted her fate.

However, despite her constant optimism, despite the happy façade everyone wore around her, a constant gloom had settled in. Emily never showed anyone else how afraid she was of her fate, but he knew how miserable she was inside.

Ryan may have had lost his sense of time, but he knew that it continued ticking, that persistent enemy.

Finally done with the dishes, Ryan walked back to the table to retrieve the packet of food he had eaten earlier. There were still little bits of rice in it. He turned to Staravia. "Hey, you hungry?"

The bird had her eyes closed, and did not respond.

"Staravia?"

Silence. He did not know if the bird was genuinely asleep or merely ignoring him, but he could not be bothered to find out. He chucked the package into the bin and walked over to the television, turning it on before sinking into the sofa. There wasn't a program in particular that he wanted to watch; he just wanted to distract his mind a little.

As Lucario slowly came back to himself, he opened his eyes and was startled to find that his paws were grasping thin air – his menu had disappeared. His three friends were looking at him oddly; he turned to his side to find that it was Spike who had taken the menu away.

"Uh…" He laughed nervously. "I was… um… meditating?"

"Meditating?" Spike and Absol echoed at the same time. None of them, Eevee included, appeared to have bought the story.

"Oh, look!" Lucario exclaimed, spotting the dishes that had been placed on the table. "I didn't know our food have arrived," he said truthfully. "All right, let's eat then."

Ignoring their stares, Lucario pulled his plate of toast over to himself. It was just a few pieces of toast, but they were placed neatly atop one another, each of them a beautiful golden brown. There was a pleasant aroma wafting from it, which Lucario took in happily before munching on the piece of bread.

It was hard and hot, and very crispy. Tiny bits of crumbs fell onto the plate as he bit on it. The toast had been buttered, giving it a rich taste. After swallowing the first bite, he noticed two small packets of jam that had been placed on the plate as well. Their labels indicated that they were apple and Oran flavour.

After much difficulty trying to peel the tiny cover of the packets, Lucario succeeded, and he placed both of them back on the plate. With a knife, he spread the apple jam on his half-eaten toast and sampled it. The jam added a slightly sour taste to the toast, but he quite liked it.

The Oran jam was next – Lucario spread it over a second piece of toast and savoured the sweetness it provided. Half of the toast had been eaten before he decided to mix both jams: the combination was, for lack of a better word, amazing. Perhaps this was why the toast was priced higher than expected – the quality was just superb.

Looking around at his friends, he saw Absol and Eevee having some difficulties with their tarts – pieces of fruit kept falling off. In the end, Absol gave up trying to keep all the pieces together and instead, settled on just gobbling everything up. Eevee, on the other hand, was taking it slow with small nibbles.

On his side, Spike was eating his dessert – placed on a cup – with a spoon, though that did not stop the Riolu from making a mess of himself. Chopped nuts and sprinkles had stuck to the sides of his mouth, reminding Lucario of the time when Absol sampled some vanilla ice-cream.

Continuing with his toast, Lucario reflected on the events that day. "Oh yeah, Spike, there was something I wanted to ask you."

Spike turned to the Aura Pokémon, sporting what appeared to be a beard of chocolate ice-cream. "Hmm?"

"You know the expression 'I don't give two hoots'? Is it the same if I say 'I don't give a Hoothoot' instead? I mean… well, it's still two hoots, right?"

"That… well… I never heard it being used that way before… I think you should just stick with the original. Why the sudden question anyway?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It was just a phrase I came across earlier, and it got me thinking."

"Earlier?" Spike cocked his head to the side. "When? I don't remember the phrase ever popping up."

"Let me guess," Absol said. "You came across it when you were mind-reading?"

"Sort of," Lucario replied defiantly. "It was back when Zack was talking with Ryan. I was merely observing; not human-watching, I assure you."

Absol eyed the Aura Pokémon in amusement. "What's with you today? You're usually enthusiastic about human-watching, but today, you get very nervous and defensive when the topic comes up."

Lucario automatically glanced at Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon stiffened, but then shook her head. "You know…" she began slowly, looking down at her fruit tart. "It really isn't a problem if you want to human-watch. Just go and do it – you don't have to get nervous."

"No, Eevee… I wasn't trying to human-watch…"

"Stop making excuses, please. I understand – really, I do. It's your hobby. You don't have to feel guilty about it."

"Eevee…"

The Evolution Pokémon paid no attention to the fighting-type as she busied herself with her tart. Miserable, Lucario continued with his toast – suddenly, it wasn't so delicious anymore. Meanwhile, Absol was looking between the two, seemingly puzzled. The dark-type's confusion struck Lucario odd. Didn't Eevee tell Absol that she had gotten into a small argument with the fighting-type? Weren't they discussing it in the hospital's parking lot?

Whatever the case may be, Lucario was glad Absol did not pursue the matter.

"Lucario," Eevee said suddenly, causing Lucario to stop mid-bite. "Please, forget about all that I've said earlier. I spoke out against my better judgement."

Spike lowered his spoon as he, along with Absol, turned to stare at the Evolution Pokémon.

"No, Eevee, I understood what you were getting at. After all, from someone else's point of view, what I'm doing can be seen as –"

Eevee held out a paw, casting a nervous glance at Spike and Absol before turning to the Aura Pokémon. "Please, stop. You don't have to justify anything."

Lucario eyed her for a moment, figuring that she was not really comfortable with discussing the subject in the presence of others. He could wait until there was an opportunity to get Eevee alone, but he really didn't want to prolong this longer.

Closing his eyes and pretending to be occupied with his toast, he sent out another telepathic message, "I have to justify."

At the sudden voice in her head, Eevee coughed and sputtered, sending out bits of fruit onto the table. A nearby customer stopped talking to her companion and eyed the Evolution Pokémon in disgust. Eevee stared at the human shamefacedly before glaring at Lucario.

"Eevee… I have to apologise for what happened earlier. I know you meant well… I was just shocked at what you said, that's all." When she opened her mouth, he quickly added, "You don't have to answer me now – I can more or less understand what you want to say anyway. Look, I promise you that I'm not human-watching just for entertainment – but I don't blame you for having thought so. After all, I didn't give you a favourable first impression; you probably thought I would just do anything for fun, didn't you?"

At his last statement, images of their first encounter in Greg's mansion flashed through Eevee's mind. He saw himself bumping into the glass door; he heard himself greet Eevee enthusiastically despite him being an intruder… "Hello!" he had said cheerfully at that time, "It is a wonderful place you're living in." Had he really been that boisterous back then?

The scene imploded, and Lucario stared at Eevee bewilderedly. He was surprised that she could still recall so vividly the time they first met. Perhaps there was something significant in that memory which he was still unable to figure out…

Sighing inwardly, he sent out a final message to her. "Eevee, I think we need to have a talk. There is just so much for us to discuss, and it's time to clear certain things up once and for all. I will not force you though… but if you want to… I'm always here, okay?"

He watched her silently as she remained still for a few seconds before giving the littlest of nods. Slightly reassured, Lucario returned to his toast. He had known Eevee for a few months now, and though she was a complete mystery at first, he felt that he was starting to understand her a little better… Soon, perhaps, he would be able to break through the final barrier that divided them both.

If she would let him.

When their meal was complete, the group walked out of the café and back into the sweltering heat. Shielding his eyes from the sun, Lucario glanced at the others. They were already beginning to walk away from the area – he followed them a few steps before looking back hesitantly. This did not go unnoticed by Absol, who grinned as he shook his head.

He lowered his voice into a whisper so that the others could not hear. "You want to stay and human-watch, don't you?"

Lucario faltered, turning to Eevee. She seemed to have got the gist of what Absol was saying, even if she could not hear him. She nodded reassuringly, and he stared back at Absol. "Well… I would prefer if you use the word 'observe'."

"Same difference. Anyway, if you really want to… observe… then I'll observe with you." He turned to Spike and Eevee, "Lucario has some unfinished business in the city, so you two can head back into the forest and rest if you want. No point staying out in this heat." Almost immediately after he said that, Absol groaned. "Oh, I forgot – you would need Secret Power to open the cave entrance…"

"That's not a problem." Lucario pointed at the Riolu. "Spike here knows Secret Power. He can unseal the entrance."

It took a moment for Absol to register what Lucario had said. "What?" He turned to Spike quickly for a second before looking back at the Aura Pokémon. "You gave him your TM?"

"No – he already knew the move when I met him. Believe me, I was as surprised as you were."

"Oh, really?" The dark-type surveyed Spike once more. "How did you come to learn the move?"

"I found it in the trash," Spike said in a small voice.

"Hmm… that's incredibly lucky," Absol replied, looking thoughtful. "In any case, I suppose that solves our problem. Eevee can lead Spike back to the cave, and Spike can open the entrance."

"Actually," Lucario began. "I don't want to impose on any of you… Absol, I'll be fine on my own. You can head back too."

Absol, it seemed, had already anticipated this – he was shaking his head before Lucario had finished talking. "You know, what with all the times you ask me to leave you be…" he said, in a good attempt at sounding dejected. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you don't like my company anymore."

Lucario sputtered as he hurried to response. "I assure you that's not the case! I'm most certainly not trying to get rid of you! I just don't want to waste your time," he whispered, "seeing as I seem to be the only one who enjoys human-watching."

"Relax, I know," Absol reassured as he laughed. "I was just teasing you."

"I know you were just teasing, but it needs to be said. If you don't mind being in the sweltering heat, I would love to have you with me." He turned towards the apartment complex. "Though… actually, come to think of it, there may not be much to observe after all. If Ryan retreats back into his room, he'll probably just count the fan's rotations again."

Though he was aware Absol did not understand his last statement, Lucario pressed on without explaining. "I wonder if I should go to the hospital and see if I can help out instead…" Seeing Absol squirm slightly, Lucario quickly said, "Oh, right – perhaps I'll just save that for another day. Well," he said to Spike and Eevee, "you two can head on back to the forest then."

Eevee gave a curt nod, while the Riolu cast a quick glance at the Disaster Pokémon before doing the same. Both of them seemed pleased at the opportunity to leave. Lucario could understand Eevee feeling that way, what with the slight tension between them. Spike, however, was a different matter. Surely the Riolu was not still afraid of Absol?

"Once you have led Spike back to the mountain, feel free to head back home, Eevee," Lucario said. "But please do come and visit again."

"All right…"

Lucario gave Spike the coins he received as change from the café. The Eevee and Riolu then sauntered off into the distance, both of them seemingly uncomfortable and trying their best to avoid looking at each other. Absol shifted his gaze to the blue-furred Pokémon and gave a slight nudge.

"Right – now that we're alone, Luc, I've got a few questions for you."

"Hmm?" Lucario stared at Absol quizzically. Was this the reason why the Disaster Pokémon was so insistent that he stuck with Lucario?

"It's about Spike."

"What about him?" Lucario asked after a brief pause. It occurred to him that this was the first time he was left alone with Absol since Spike had arrived. Eevee had already asked some questions about the Riolu yesterday, but Lucario had yet to give Absol a proper explanation.

"I was just wondering what his story is. I mean, he said he would be heading back to Canalave after some time – so why did he come to Ferrous? Is he here on a vacation?"

Lucario shook his head. "I highly doubt that. Truth be told, I don't really know myself why he is here."

Absol's eyes went wide. "You don't? He… never told you?"

"I think it's something he doesn't really want to talk about." Lucario pondered for a second if he should divulge the information about Spike's parents, but figured he should keep it to himself for now. Besides, the Emanation Pokémon never said that his coming here was due to his parents' death.

"Okay…" Absol said slowly. "I actually asked him a few questions yesterday, when you were outside the cave talking to Eevee. Apparently, he's wild – and yet he came here by ship."

"Well, he was a stowaway. He wasn't the only one anyway; there was another stowaway in that ship as well, but a sailor came to their defence and prevented them from being booted off."

Absol narrowed his eyes, considering this for a moment. "He told you all that?"

"I saw the sailor with my own eyes," Lucario said, fully aware what Absol was insinuating. "The other stowaway has continued her journey with the sailor, while Spike chose to return to Canalave. Before he does that, however, he wants to stay here for the moment."

At this, Absol relaxed a little. "I see…"

Lucario smiled. "Spike's a good kid."

"I know he's a good kid," Absol said sheepishly. "Very nice and polite and all. I just thought there was something strange about him. I was wondering how he came by ship if he was wild, but you cleared that up. However, I'm not sure I buy his story of finding a TM in the trash."

"Well, even if he was wild, it wouldn't be so illogical if he did buy his own ticket; and it's certainly plausible that he found a treasure in the rubbish." Lucario pointed at himself. "I'm wild too, and I have some money and two boxes of Secret Power back in the cave."

"I guess I can't argue with that," the Disaster Pokémon said, though he still looked a little sceptical.

"I know you have your suspicions about Spike," Lucario continued, "and you are right – there is definitely something he is not telling us. Nonetheless, I'm confident his secret is not a malicious one. He's a good Pokémon – you should have seen him jump to his friend's aid yesterday when someone attempted to attack and kidnap his friend."

Lucario knew at once that he had said the wrong thing; Absol's eyes went wide as he quickly moved closer to examine the Aura Pokémon in full detail. "You see! I keep telling you, the world outside is a dangerous place – just one little excursion and you meet a thug – were you hurt?"

"No, Absol, I'm fine. The whole thing was rather silly, to be honest. The police nabbed the perpetrator in no time."

Absol stared at Lucario seriously. "Luc, Ferrous City is known for having a high crime rate. I know I may seem rather overprotective at times, but it is not without reason – Ellie alone is proof. I mean, if you can't trust the police – if you can't trust your own kin…"

"I know, Absol." He ruffled the fur on the dark-type's head. "But there are lots of good people and Pokémon in Ferrous too. It's not so bad."

"You're too friendly for your own good," Absol grumbled.

"I like to think that I'm a good judge of character." Lucario tugged at his scarf; the heat was getting uncomfortable. "After all, I can sense aura."

"It's not a foolproof way though, is it?" Absol asked. His tone was not cynical, but curious.

"Well, no," Lucario admitted. "How do I put this? It's like… well, let's just say that there are many 'layers', and a quick aura scan is not enough to get a clear picture of an individual's personality. I mean, sure, you get a brief idea, but human beings – and Pokémon – are much, much more complicated than that. Which is why I find human-watching to be so interesting – because I get to see how their minds work."

Absol chuckled. "Well, that's too bad. I suppose if your abilities were perfect, you could have joined the police force or something. You would be able to bust crime like no other."

"I imagine it would be really useful in many fields," said Lucario, nodding in agreement. "If only, right?"

As the Aura Pokémon fumbled with his scarf once more, Absol piped up. "Actually, if you want to observe that boy from earlier, why don't we head inside the apartment and sit in the lobby like last time? Or if you like, we could enter the café again; the air-conditioning is great."

"Good idea. Let's go with the latter; you could order something else while you wait."

Absol turned back to look at the café. "That's not necessary. I'll just look at the photos in the menu."

"Okay, but please don't hesitate to order if you see something you like."

As the two made their way to the café, Absol continued. "I find them very interesting. The menu photos, I mean," he added at Lucario's confused look. "Most of them are really impressive. They sure do take a lot of care when taking them."

"True; they are nice, aren't they?" Lucario pushed the door open and relished in the rush of cold air cooling him down. Nodding at the waitress from earlier, he led Absol towards an empty table in the far corner. "But what you see isn't always what you get. Chances are they don't put as much effort into making your food."

"That's to be expected, I suppose." Absol flipped open the menu that the waitress brought over. "Did you know that Celia once thought of opening a café of her own?"

Lucario peered from the top of his menu in interest. "Really? Why didn't she do it, then?"

"Several reasons, I think. For one, she would need a little capital. She also requires a location – she has converted her home to a bakery, since it's just a small business, but she would need someplace bigger for a café. Finally, she will need some extra help if she were to start a café."

"If it's help she needs… I wouldn't mind working for free," Lucario said, musing aloud. He stared around at the bustling staff and tried to imagine himself in their shoes. "Actually, that would be a rather good experience."

Absol shook his head. "That's nice of you, but she'll need more than one helper. There'll be plenty of work to be done."

"Well, she'll have Umbreon and you too, won't she? Will that be enough?"

"M–me?" Absol said in surprise. He paused for a moment, and Lucario had a sudden image of Absol with a bow-tie, carrying a tray in his mouth. The Disaster Pokémon laughed. "Somehow, I doubt that will work out. A–anyway, her bakery is doing all right at the moment, so I think she'll just focus on that…"

Lucario placed his menu down. "That's a pity… I think setting up a café is really a good idea." He could already imagine it; not only would it be a good place to work at, but it would also be an ideal place to hang out. "A café… hmm… I would like that…"

Before the fighting-type's imagination could go into overdrive, Absol broke into his thoughts. "I only brought it up as an idle topic… I didn't think you'd be this interested."

"Well… I was just thinking…" Lucario sighed, leaning forward on the table and staring intently at his friend. "I mean… we are wild Pokémon, but there's no denying the fact that we've been exposed to city life as well. We have a whole future ahead of us, but what are we going to spend it on?"

Absol blinked. "You're scaring me, Luc. I have no idea what you're trying to say."

"I remember you asking me once about settling down with a partner… Love-life aside, what will we do with ourselves in the future? Surely I can't just human-watch for the rest of my life without doing anything else…"

"Hmm…" Absol paused, looking thoughtful. "There's still the disaster that your father predicted though…"

"Yeah; I meant after that," Lucario said quickly. The disaster had crossed his mind. Though he was not sure if he would even survive, here he was, trying to carve a future with the assumption that he would make it after all… It was somehow more comforting that way. "Is there anything you always wanted to do, Absol? Any childhood dreams… ambitions… anything like that?"

"No, not really. And frankly speaking, I have never thought about the future much. I try not to think excessively on things like that." Absol hesitated, looking thoroughly confused. "Er… is this related to our topic about cafés?"

"Kind of. I was just wondering if I should find a job someday." Lucario laughed when Absol's jaw dropped at this statement. "It'll be a good way to pass the time – and to get some money as well.

"All right, I'm sorry, Absol," Lucario said quickly. "Let's stop talking about the future. I don't know what came over me – I was feeling a little unusual." He leaned back on the chair and paused. "I guess seeing Emily like that got me wondering about what I want to do with my life. It's quite depressing when you think about the fact that we're all going to die someday." He picked up his menu again. "Here, let's order something; I don't think they'd be too happy if we sat here without buying anything."

When Absol did not respond, Lucario looked up to see the dark-type staring at him, smiling. "Is anything the matter?" Lucario asked, slightly puzzled.

"Nothing… I was just pondering to myself…" Absol said slowly. "Perhaps human-watching has influenced your way of thinking after all. Wild Pokémon usually don't think too much of the future – certainly nothing career-wise, anyway. Most of them would be glad just to stick with their family… have enough food to get through the day…"

Lucario considered Absol's words for a moment. It was true… He had faced hardships in the past, but he had found a home quickly enough… Since then, life had been quite easy. With food, books, money, and all sorts of stuff that were made available to him, it could be said that he was quite spoiled, even. Could he even be considered a true wild Pokémon anymore?

Absol grinned. "You're turning into a human, Lucario."

"Well, I hope not," Lucario said, laughing. "Humans are nice, but I like being a Lucario."

The same waitress came to their table again, though she looked more at ease now. Lucario indicated that he wanted another set of toast before pressing the money in her palm. "I'm sure I'm not the only Pokémon who has ever thought about a career though. Take Umbreon, for instance – she is helping Celia out at the bakery, isn't she? And all those Chansey and Blissey at the Centre too…"

"Umbreon is only there because she is Celia's Pokémon. As for the ones in the Centre…" Absol paused, looking thoughtful. "I always thought they belonged to the nurses, but I'm not sure. But they're practically made for the job anyway… it's something they love to do. The thing is, it's nothing strange for a Pokémon to help out humans with their work, but if you're a wild…"

Lucario pointed at his scarf. "They needn't know that I'm wild."

"A prospective employer might want to see your human before they hire you though. After all, they wouldn't want to get into any legal trouble by employing a Pokémon without the approval of his trainer."

"Really now? That's kind of silly. Why must Pokémon obtain approval from their human before they can work?"

"I cannot say with absolute certainty that a law like this exists," Absol said. "But… imagine if you get that one person who threatens to sue because you 'forced' his or her Pokémon to work without prior approval. Nah, I think employers could do without all the hassle that would arise."

Lucario folded his arms and thought hard. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps I could just come clean to the boss and state outright that I'm a wild Pokémon."

Absol opened his mouth, but merely stared at Lucario without saying anything. "Wow…" he said at last, "you really are keen on getting a job, aren't you? If you really want one that bad, why not help Celia out at her bakery? I'm sure she would be glad to employ you."

Lucario rubbed his chin as he envisioned himself working at the bakery. "I wouldn't mind. For Celia though, I would gladly work for free. You know, that reminds me… when are you going to pay Umbreon a visit? Seriously – some friend you are – you haven't been to see her for months. I don't know why you refuse to accompany me when I drop by for the occasional bun or two."

"Wait a minute," Absol began indignantly. "Who said I haven't visited her? Just because you weren't with me…"

"Oh, I see." Lucario nodded knowingly, unable to stop himself from grinning. "You've been paying her visits by yourself. I guess you don't need me to be wheel number three…"

"Wait a minute," Absol repeated, looking flustered now. "Those were just short visits to ensure everything is fine over there – I didn't want to trouble you by having you come along –"

Lucario laughed, pushing the plate of toast towards the Disaster Pokémon. "You don't have to explain yourself." He took his menu and peered at his white-furred friend. "I'm just glad you still keep in touch with them. You should invite Umbreon over sometime to the cave – I could head out for a long stroll while you two chat, if you don't want me hanging around."

The Aura Pokémon grinned as he held the menu upright, drowning out Absol's sputters of protest as he closed his eyes and shifted his concentration back to Ryan. It had been an interesting tête-à-tête – it got him thinking about matters that he had not pondered before – but right now, he should not forget the reason he came back to this café in the first place.

That idiot, Ryan mentally chided as he watched a contestant, having outperformed the other competitors to reach the final stage, bomb on the last question. What a waste – it was practically a giveaway question too. The boy watched dully as the host, with that never-fading smile of his, thanked the live audience as well as the people at home for watching. Always the same routine. When the credits came up, Ryan turned the television off.

Staravia, as it would seem, was still sleeping. He called out to her once more, but she made no response. Ryan had the feeling that the bird was angry at him for some reason, though he was not too sure why. It was not as though he had done anything to offend her. In fact, when Emily brought the Pokémon – back then a Starly – home for the first time, the flying-type got along well with everyone in the family. Of course, everything was all right then.

But Staravia had changed.

He had changed.

See, this was why he preferred to lie in bed. Only then would he be able to keep these depressing thoughts from entering his mind. Ryan had to admit the game show had distracted him for a while, but everything was back to how it was before. It was all Zack's fault for breaking the monotony that he had been trying so hard to keep.

After one last look at Staravia, Ryan headed back to his room and slid onto his bed. In the process, he bumped into something, knocking it onto the ground with a light thud. He stretched out his hand to retrieve it, pulling the object back up. The boy stared at the hardcover diary; for a brief moment, he wondered how it got there. Then he remembered that he had placed it on his bed earlier.

He had actually found the diary a few days ago, when he was mindlessly wandering around the apartment. It belonged to Emily; he had seen her write in it a couple of times, though she was always extremely secretive about it. Realising this, he had made mock attempts at swiping it whenever she carried it with her, though it was all for fun. Ryan respected her privacy, even if he would never admit it. Still, he sometimes wondered what she had written in it…

After all, in this day and age, who still keeps a diary?

Lucario tightened his grip on the menu as his concentration wavered slightly due to the indignation that arose at Ryan's last thought. In the short period when his senses were back at the café, he saw Absol munching slowly on a piece of toast, looking thoughtful. Though curious as to what the Disaster Pokémon was pondering over, Lucario dived into Ryan's mind once more.

As Ryan stared blankly at the cover, he wondered how Emily could even come up with enough things to fill the diary with. He had kept a diary before, but it was very short-lived. There was simply nothing to write about – the first few entries he made were extremely short and repetitive. After a while, he couldn't be bothered about it anymore. Emily, it transpired, did not have this problem. How odd…

It would seem that Emily had attached additional sheets of paper to some of the pages, making the diary bulkier than it should be. Ryan squeezed the book, attempting to make it flat and even, but to no avail. His fingers lay on the edge of the cover as he vacillated. Should he read it or not?

Figuring that no harm could come out of it, Ryan turned the cover over and flipped through the first few pages which contained a pre-printed calendar as well as a map of Sinnoh, among other things. He noticed that Emily had scribbled a little on the map, though the words were miniscule and barely legible.

When he at last reached the first page which was filled with her writing, he noticed that she had not written anything about her daily activities. Instead, she had listed down all the major places located in Sinnoh, and for each location, she wrote what she would like to do when she travelled there.

Ryan took his time reading the activities Emily had planned for herself and her family. It surprised him. Though she had always expressed interest in visiting new places, he never thought her fascination was deep enough that she would construct a complete itinerary. Visiting the flower fields at Floraroma… exploring Amity Square… sightseeing at the Lakes of Sinnoh…

Well, she had covered most of the tourist attractions in Sinnoh, Ryan noted in amusement. Perhaps she found a pamphlet or something that piqued her interest. Flipping over a few pages, he discovered that she had written about places in other regions as well… The sudden realisation that she would never get to see these locations hit him like a ton of bricks.

Skipping over to the next section, he found that it was about her hobby of writing. He had heard about it before – Emily had expressed her desire of someday getting her writing published. He had told her to "dream on".

Ryan had never read anything Emily had written, though that was in part due to the fact that she never showed them to him in the first place. Despite his taunts, however, he supposed she had to be good. After all, she won that contest with her composition entitled 'Staravia and I'. By then, however, she had already been diagnosed with her disease. He could no longer bear to tease her, nor could he try to be supportive – he took the news very badly.

When he heard that 'Staravia and I' was based on herself – and that it had a bad ending – he refused to read it. He was not present the day when she read out her story to the school. He had explained his reasons to her, and she understood right away. Ryan was, then and now, unable to face reality. It quite broke his heart when she replied, with a sad smile on her face, "Me too."

In the diary, Emily had jotted down ideas she had had for future stories, some of them very brief while others completely fleshed out. Reading some of the ideas she had listed down, Ryan was suddenly reminded of the conversations he used to have with her about literature.

Ryan himself might not like writing much, but he had read his fair share of books. He often took what Emily called the "cynical approach" when it came to reading works of fiction – he would gladly point out flaws in the story, criticising clichés and scoffing at overly-happy endings, simply because life did not work that way. Emily was easier to please; she had criticised him for always overanalysing stories instead of "enjoying the ride", and claimed that she would enjoy any story as long as it had a good plot.

Reading some of the ideas she had written down in the diary, however, it was clear that she had actually paid attention to his mindless rambles… Emily had actually jotted down some notes on how not to write, listing down things to avoid – things which came up in the conversations they had.

Ryan stopped reading for a moment, reflecting on their relationship as siblings. Yes, they had plenty of arguments in the past, often teasing one another when the opportunity arose. But this was a clear sign that they were very close, was it not? So close was their bond that they no longer needed to say "please" or "thank you", or apologise over trivialities, since these are automatically conveyed without the need to put them into words.

They spent less time together ever since Ryan entered his final year in high school. Then, his workload increased, with the teachers giving homework and whatnot which just about ate up all his time. The situation only worsened when he started university; this could very well be a part of the reason why he had decided to drop out. If he had not been so focused on his education, perhaps he could have spent more time with his family.

On the other hand, Emily had found companionship from another source during those years in the form of Staravia. He was not too sure on how they met – apparently, Emily had befriended one of the many Starly that frequented her school. Deep down, Ryan wondered if the reason why he was not too chummy with Staravia was because of jealousy. He was envious of Staravia, for having taken over his role – and he was envious of Emily, for being able to be so carefree in handling her schoolwork whereas he tended to be consumed by stress.

Of course, that was before the disease manifested itself. Now, he was just glad that Staravia could provide his sister with the happiness she deserved. Even though it was only for a few years, it was undeniable that Staravia's presence had changed Emily's life for the better.

The stress he got from studying all the time was his fault anyway. Like many of his peers, he was only focused on achieving the best results, and the fact that there was always someone better greatly discouraged him.

Ryan broke out of his thoughts and turned to the next section in the diary, which contained some notes on playing the piano. Another of Emily's hobby. At this point, Ryan finally understood why she never ran out of things to write about.

The diary was just bursting with Emily's hopes and dreams, as well as all sorts of information about her hobbies.

When he was younger, Ryan had taken an interest in playing the piano. He would practice for a few hours each week, and Emily would occasionally sit close by and listen. He had influenced her; she would try and imitate his movements as she attempted to play some classical pieces. He could honestly say that she was terrible back then.

Emily never gave up. Her love for the piano grew, arguably rivalling his own. She would play for hours each day, finally stopping when neighbours started to complain of the noise.

It was then that she took to another hobby – composing new pieces. She would experiment with the piano once in a while, and if she came up with a pleasant melody, she would jot it down. Now and then, she would pester him to join along and create a song together. Song composition was something he had thought about before, but his patience for the piano dwindled as his priorities shifted to education instead, and he would refuse.

After her constant pleas, however, he caved in. After making her promise that she would leave him alone after that, he played a jingle he had come up by himself. He could still remember her eyes, wide with awe, at the end of his mini-performance.

"But that was amazing," she had said. "We've got to expand on that!"

Though quite pleased with her compliment, Ryan wanted no part in composing the full song. Emily then announced that she would do it herself, and when asked what he would like to name it, he had replied, "Something terrible. Absolutely repulsive." She then proceeded to tell him that he was an idiot.

Ryan turned to the next few pages, and found out why the diary was thicker than it should be. Emily had attached several pieces of sheet music between the pages. It appeared that they were compositions she had created herself… She had kept true to her promise and left him alone, but evidently, she had pursued her hobby by herself.

Perhaps someday, he could try playing these songs out.

After skimming through more sections about her many hobbies, he reached a page that gave him a sinking feeling. It was a page about her illness, and her thoughts about it.

Ryan closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. He was not sure if he wanted to read that… Just by looking at the handwriting, he could tell that she was under a lot of strain when she wrote that section.

At last, steeling himself, he picked the diary up again and began to read. Emily had written about the symptoms that had plagued her before she knew about the disease, as well as her suspicions that something was terribly wrong, all up to the point when the doctor finally delivered the dreaded news. As Ryan read on, he realised that his own suspicions were true after all – Emily had been utterly devastated, more so than she would admit to anyone.

"I am, of course, worried about the fate that awaits me. I know everyone dies in the end, but the possibility that I would go so early in my life was something I have never even contemplated before. I keep telling everyone that it is alright. I told Mum that Dad will be there to take care of me. I told Staravia that I will still be with her in spirit. I said that maybe I'll even be able to finally fly with her; something we used to wish was possible. I told everyone not to worry.

"But deep down, I really wish this wouldn't have happened to me. Life is unfair, I know, but why must it be this cruel to me? Especially when I have such high hopes for the future, it is difficult to accept that I will never even get a chance to try and achieve my dreams. Forget that; I would be happy just to have a future. It gets all the more painful when there is nobody to talk to about this. It really hurts, but I cannot let it show. No one must know about this pain, for I don't want them to be any more worried than they already are. Writing about it here is the only way I can vent, but it does not really help.

"Above all, I am worried about my family. I know they will be devastated when I'm gone, but I really hope they will pull through. There'll only be Mum and Ryan (and Staravia) left then. Ryan has become very quiet since the moment I got sick, but I think he will be fine. He has to be, for he will need to support the family in the future.

"I asked Staravia if she would like to be released back into the wild after my death, but she refused. I'm not sure if this was just because she couldn't accept the fact that I'm dying, or if she really wanted to stay, but perhaps it would be best if she continued living here. She will be able to support Ryan and Mum, and they will be able to support her back. I hope she will not be lonely after I am gone. Ryan never seemed to pay much attention to her, but I hope he'll be able to take over as Staravia's guardian. Perhaps it would be better if he got another Pokémon too, so that the house will be livelier.

"It is too much to wish for a full recovery, but as long as they are able to lead happy lives, I will be content."

Ryan exhaled deeply as he set the diary down, trying to suppress the sadness that was welling up within him. He was being silly. He had always known that, but Emily's words rang true – shutting himself away from the rest of the world would not help. He was making the situation worse by adding worry to his mother… and to Emily too, it would seem.

They were both afraid to face reality, but Emily had already done so, and it was time he did too.

He would change.

There were only a few written pages left in the diary – the rest were blank. These pages were filled with the things Emily had done most recently, although it still had been some time ago. There was a page about the story-writing competition that she had won – and she had attached the story she wrote as well, though Ryan still could not bring himself to read it. He turned to the last page that was filled with words.

"As I grow weaker, I find myself unable to do even the simplest things. Soon, I won't be able to write anymore, which is why this will be my last entry in this diary. I have written about many things that I would like to have done in this lifetime, and I am fully aware that I will not be able to accomplish them all. But that is fine.

"After all, I have done some things which I am proud of. I've gone to many places, and I've met many great people. I won the composition contest and read out 'Staravia and I', and I played 'Star' at the year-end school performance, so I have fulfilled my wish of showing both pieces to the world.

"I have enjoyed life.

"I really did. I will not conclude this diary with a 'farewell', just like how I have not uttered that word to anyone else. A part of me still clings on to the hope that I will keep on waking up to many tomorrows, even though I know it is highly unlikely. If, through some kind of miracle, I am able to recover, I promise to come back and fill in the remaining pages of this diary. If.

"If not, then so be it.

"Whatever happens, I only hope that, somehow, I will get to meet everyone again."

Ryan reread the last few paragraphs several times, wishing he could have the opportunity to talk with his sister again. Nonetheless, reading the diary, it was as though Emily had indeed been speaking to him, and she had made him come to his senses.

He got up and placed the diary on his desk. After staring blankly at the cover for a moment, Ryan snapped out of his trance as his eyes moved towards the pile of books he had placed below the table. Those were the textbooks that he had been meaning to toss out… guess he wouldn't be doing that anymore.

Ryan carried the entire stack up to his desk and brushed aside the dust covering the books. As he began to rearrange them, he accidentally knocked Emily's diary to the ground. That was the second time he had dropped it – he couldn't help but smile as he pictured Emily's reaction should she hear about how he had been mishandling her personal stuff.

Bending down to retrieve it, he saw that a couple of music scores had come loose. Ryan was about to push them back into the diary when he saw that one of them was titled 'Star'. Emily had mentioned that in one of the final paragraphs… apparently, she had played it at the year-end performance. He could understand how much 'Staravia and I' meant to her, seeing as it was a story dedicated to her Pokémon friend. Why, then, was she glad to have performed 'Star' at school? What significance could the song possi—

Oh. He saw it now. Star. Staravia. Of course.

Nonetheless, he was curious as though what the song actually sounded like. Ryan picked the sheet music up and stared at it, trying to mentally play the song, but to no avail. He would have to play it out with the piano. It had been a while, but perhaps he still had enough in him to pull it off…

The sound of someone entering the apartment broke Ryan out of his reverie. "Ryan?" came a voice from outside, and he recognised it as his mother right away. Wondering if anything was the matter, he quickly rushed out.

Mrs. Flaherty looked stunned to see him out of his room, but she looked relieved. "There you are. I asked a couple of Pokémon to deliver your lunch to you. Did you get it?"

"Yeah, I already finished it." He placed his hands into his pockets, stashing the sheet music in one of them. "How about you? Have you had your lunch?"

Mrs. Flaherty did not bother to hide her surprise at his question. "Oh… yes, I had mine at the hospital."

"How's Emily?"

She shook her head sadly. "Still the same. Well… I just came back to check if everything is all right. If there's nothing else, I think I'll head back to the hospital."

"What? You just came back – surely you can rest here for a while…"

"There's no need for that. It'll give me a better peace of mind if I stayed by her side."

"Okay…" He glanced around the room. Staravia had woken up and was staring at his mother, perhaps thinking that she had come to deliver news on Emily. "Well, everything is fine here."

"Good." She walked towards the door. "I think I'll head downstairs to buy your dinner. I'll drop it off here before heading back to Emily."

"Mum!" he called out just as she opened the door. She turned around. "There's no need for that… I'll go and buy it myself later." He nodded towards the Starling Pokémon, who was now looking at him oddly. "I'll get Staravia's too."

Mrs. Flaherty looked as though she could not believe her ears. She stared at him in concern. "Are you sure, Ryan?"

He nodded nonchalantly. "Yeah. You don't have to buy my food from now on – I can do it myself. And… well…" He shifted his feet uncomfortably. "I think I'll attend my classes tomorrow, so I won't be home then."

A smile broke on her face. "Ryan… I'm glad to hear that…"

"Yeah… I'm glad too. I'll go straight to the hospital after the lessons. It's been a while since I last visited Emily, after all."

"All right," she said, nodding. "We'll be waiting for you."

"You're spending the night there again?" Ryan asked.

She paused for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure. I'll call you later. You'll be here, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere, except to buy my dinner. That'll only be a short while though."

"All right." Mrs. Flaherty walked out of the front door, looking happier than she had been in days. "I'll be off, then."

"Okay. See you, Mum."

Despite his aloof tone, Ryan, too, felt better after the brief talk with his mother. He had turned to isolating himself in the hopes that he would forget all about the depressing condition Emily was in, but he had to admit the prolonged silence sometimes depressed him further. Perhaps now things would change for the better…

Ryan pulled out the sheet music from his pocket and walked towards the piano. Like almost everything else in the house, the piano had gathered a fair bit of dust, but Ryan did not mind. He placed the sheet on his lap and began to play.

He had a couple of false starts, but Ryan soon got into the flow. He managed to play smoothly, albeit at a slightly slow pace as he got used to the keys and positioning again. After a while, he noticed that Staravia was standing by his foot, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He picked the bird up and placed her on the seat besides him. "Bet you recognise the song, don't you, Staravia…" He began to play the song over from the start. "It's your song after all…"

Ryan wondered if he had ever heard Emily playing this particular piece. Most of the time, he never really paid attention whenever she played – he would usually tune out of the music and focus on whatever he was doing. "I'm sure Emily has played this song to you plenty of times…"

He was playing better now, and he could finally get a clear idea of what the song sounded like. It was a sweet song… of course it was sweet… She made it. Anything she made would be sweet. The song had a nice tune to it. He was positive it would get stuck in his head for days. For months. Years. He would make sure of it.

It was when he reached the middle of the song that he began to realise something. The middle bit sounded familiar… Perhaps he had heard her playing this song after all? He replayed the portion again, and again. Staravia stared at him in surprise, probably wondering what was wrong.

Then it hit him. This was the tune he had played for her back then. Slightly modified, but otherwise, there was no mistaking it. She had inserted that tune into her song… or rather, had she created the rest of the song to fit that tune?

He replayed the tune again. He had thought this was a song dedicated to Staravia… after all, it was named 'Star', was it not?

Star…

His fingers froze.

Star.

S – T – A – R.

"Something terrible. Absolutely repulsive."

It was a coincidence. It had to be. He wanted it to be, and yet he didn't. Ryan pounded on the keys as he tried to continue with the rest of the song, but tears were beginning to cloud his eyes, and he couldn't really concentrate anymore. It must be a coincidence, and nothing more. There was no way she would remember – no way would she think it meaningful enough to name the song based on that casual remark.

Coincidence, he thought furiously as he attempted to regain a hold of himself. It did not work.

As he broke into sobs, Staravia got up to her feet, confused and at a loss of what to do. Rather awkwardly, she raised a wing and began to pat the boy's back. The sheet music slid off his lap and landed in the spot of sunshine shining in through the open window.

:::::::::::::::::::

Absol and Eevee were understandably surprised at the appearance of Spike. Around them, the enthusiastic, rambunctious Riolu seems to change into an insecure Emanation Pokémon though, which kind of makes me wonder which is the real him. Absol and Eevee have their doubts, but I am certain Spike is a good Riolu, despite the fact that he is clearly hiding something.

Lucario moved through the small crowd as inconspicuously as he could. He felt that he should keep a distance. After all, he didn't really have a place here. He had no real connection to the Flaherty family.

Unfortunately, I managed to get into another disagreement with Eevee, this time about the true intentions behind my hobby of human-watching. She seemed to think that I only craved entertainment. I was quick to defend myself, but now I am beginning to think that she has a point. I really do hope that I am better than that.

From afar, he saw a group of students huddled together, talking quietly among themselves. Some of them looked awkward, but all of them were genuinely sad. He could feel it. Gordon, the discipline teacher, walked towards them and urged them to keep their voices down.

Absol mentioned in passing that Celia had wanted to set up a café of her own. I thought it was a brilliant idea. If she ended up doing so, I would love nothing more than to work there. Absol thought it strange that I would think of work, but I believe I am no longer a 'pure' wild Pokémon. For starters, since I spend so much time in the city, I am bound to be in need of money. What will I do if I exhaust all the cash that my father has left for me?

And secondly, I have been thinking about my future. Human-watching is a good way to pass the time, but I do not want it to be the only thing I do for the rest of my life. I should probably start thinking about what my ambition is.

Ryan and Mrs. Flaherty were there too, of course. Staravia was perched on Ryan's shoulder, but she looked very sick. The woman was sobbing into her hands, with the boy trying to console her despite looking as though he was on the verge of breaking down himself.

Perhaps I am getting a little sentimental after watching Emily and her family. I have seen her before – she won the story-writing contest back then, when Eevee and I were having our bet. Her condition has really deteriorated since then. I really regret not hearing fully the story she wrote as she read it out in the ceremony.

Her brother, Ryan, tried to cope with the stress by locking himself up in the room. He even wanted to drop out of university. From what I gathered, he seems to have put a lot of effort into his education; to be willing to toss it all away like this is a clear indication of how badly this ordeal is affecting him. Fortunately, he changed his mind after reading Emily's diary.

Everyone quietened down to listen as a few speecheswere given. From where he was standing, the Aura Pokémon was unable to hear them. However, given the occasion, he felt it would be rude to dive into someone's mind just to listen to the speech – even if no one would find out.

I guess it can be said that the diary is a symbol of life. Emily filled it with the many things she wanted to do, including travel, writing, and piano playing. Her illness hampered her plans, but she managed to accomplish a good deal anyway. It is quite heart-wrenching to know that, despite the disease having affected her a lot more than she letting on, she has been putting on an optimistic front so as to not worry the others. She has handled it bravely. I wish their family nothing but the best.

What about my diary? I have filled it with tales of my human-watching adventures, and a little bit of my random musings as well. If it is to be a reflection of my life and identity, perhaps it is time I do a little more with it. I ought to think about this, just like how I ought to think about what I want to do with my life.

The process of lowering the coffin into the ground may be brief, but it seemed to be leaving a big impact on everyone present. Some of the students were crying now, and some were hugging each other. Gordon and Harris – the school guard – were standing close by to Mrs. Flaherty, both of them looking unsettled. Mrs. Flaherty seemed to be too overwhelmed by grief to even cry anymore. Ryan had to hold back Staravia, who seemed to be trying her best to dive into the ground so as to be with her friend.

Lucario placed a paw on his chest and gave a deep bow. When the coffin had finally been laid in place, he stood upright and cast one last glance at the scene before running off into the distance.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Next time, on I Am Lucario…

"Do you want to know, Lucario, the reason why I have always hated you?"

Since I'm on holiday right now, and since I've been waiting to do Chapter 15 for ages, it'll probably be completed faster than this chapter. See you really soon, I hope!