"Toby," the mysterious stranger said quietly and pointed at himself. Leaf just stared at him. He sure looked an awful lot like Riley… From the thick and messy dark hair to the deep blue eyes… The only major differences were that he looked a little younger and his clothes were ragged and dirty…
"Um, I'm Leaf," Leaf finally spoke up.
"Leaf?" Toby repeated, looking confused. He reached out to a nearby tree branch, tore off several leaves, and held them out.
"Uh, no," Leaf shook her head with a small smile, "I'm Leaf. That's my name…"
Toby blinked, uncertain as to what she was trying to say.
"Leaf!" Leaf said loudly and pointed to herself much like he had earlier.
"Oh! Leaf!" Toby finally understood, "Leaf is you!"
"Yeah…" Leaf scratched her head thoughtfully. Just how long had this dude been hanging out in these woods anyway…?
"Um, is this your Lucario?" Leaf asked him.
"…Yes," Toby said after careful consideration. He walked over and put his hand on his Lucario's shoulder, "Ki."
"Ki?" Leaf repeated, wondering why on earth he had said that. Then she figured it out, "Oh, is that his nickname?"
Toby nodded after careful thought. Then he looked at her Pokémon expectantly.
"Oh, yeah, this is Knuckles," Leaf indicated Lucario, "And this is my Chatot, Blathers," she finished and pointed at the bird Pokémon just as he landed on Knuckles' head for a rest.
"Leaf has… very good Pokémon…"
"Thanks! And so do you!" Leaf beamed, "I mean, Ki saved our lives and everything, and I'm grateful for that!"
Toby smiled, but then he looked thoughtful again, "Why Leaf in forest? Toby not see woman here for many years…"
"It's a long story…" Leaf sighed. She then explained her situation. She told him about Hunter J kidnapping her Pokémon and what she had had to do in order to get him back. And now, she was pretty much lost in the forest, looking for Riley.
"Riley?" Toby repeated, confused, "Riley is… Pokémon?"
"Uh, no," Leaf had to stifle a laugh, "Riley's my friend. He's human… you know… like you and me. Not a Pokémon."
"Ah," Toby seemed to understand now, "Riley is Leaf's father?"
"No. Riley's my friend."
"Hmmmm…" Toby hummed thoughtfully, "Toby help Leaf find Riley," he decided.
"Really? Thank you," Leaf said gratefully, "I've been lost all day long, and I would really appreciate any help you have to give!"
"Yes. Toby help. But first… All must rest. Pokémon tired. Leaf tired. Toby tired. Must rest. Toby know good place to rest. Toby has house. Leaf follow Toby."
"Um… sure…" Leaf agreed reluctantly. It probably wasn't such a great idea to keep looking for Riley in the dark, especially with Ghost Pokémon running rampant, ready to prank at a moment's notice…
Leaf and Knuckles followed Toby and Ki deep into the woods while Blathers slept on Knuckles' head. Surprisingly, it didn't take them long to find Toby's 'house', which would probably be more accurately described as a little den that Ursaring must have abandoned long ago. It was pretty cozy, nestled into the side of a hill like that. Leaf peered inside to see a small campfire area, now unlit, and a few small nests made of leaves.
"Wait here," Toby began, "Toby must find more leaves for Leaf and Knuckles and Blathers to sleep on nest."
"Oh no, that's okay," Leaf told him, "I have a sleeping bag, and Knuckles doesn't mind sleeping on the ground… but thank you, though."
Toby looked a little confused as he wondered what a 'sleeping bag' was.
"So, Toby…" Leaf began, wanting to start up a little conversation and to find out more about this guy, "How long have you been hanging out here in the forest?"
"Toby lives in forest. Forest is Toby's home. Toby live here for many years," Toby told her.
"But why?" Leaf blinked. Why would someone choose to live in the forest all alone save for a couple of Pokémon?
Toby sighed, "Toby hate city. All people think about moneys too much. Toby not like money. Toby not like rules… Toby live in forest with Pokémon. Pokémon true friends to Toby. Pokémon is Toby's family."
"Wow… I'm sorry you feel that way…" Leaf said sadly. She figured he must have had a bad experience with his family and ran away from home when he was young…
"Toby like Leaf. Toby know Leaf not only like money," Toby said quickly, misunderstanding her disappointment. Apparently he thought she felt bad because he mentioned that all people are obsessed with money. He wanted to let her know that she was the exception to what he had said.
"I know," Leaf smiled slightly, "I was just wondering if you ran away from your home…"
"Yes," Toby said proudly, "Toby run away when Toby… five years old. Toby run from home with Ki. Toby come here to forest, and Toby find more Pokémon friends."
"You have more Pokémon?"
"Yes," Toby nodded, "Pokémon come home soon!" he grinned.
"Cool…" Leaf began to wonder what Pokémon he had, but she had more pressing issues to address first, "So, if you ran away when you were five, then you probably never became a registered Pokémon trainer…"
Toby blinked, uncertain as to what she was talking about.
"I guess what I'm getting at is…" Leaf decided to just get straight to the point here, "how did you get a Lucario in the first place?"
"Toby's father give Toby Ki. Toby's father tell Toby Lucario is master of ki powers. So Toby call Toby's Pokémon Ki."
"Um… I don't mean to be incredibly nosy or anything here, but…was Ki always blind?"
"Ki not blind," Toby shook his head, "Ki see Leaf stand here. Ki not see with eyes. Ki see with heart."
"You mean Aura?"
"Aura…" Toby repeated thoughtfully, as if he hadn't heard that word in a long time, "Yes. Aura. Ki see Aura. So, Ki never blind."
"But… what happened to his eyes, though? Was he always like that?" Leaf was curious to know.
Toby folded his arms across his chest and frowned, "Toby not want to tell about that now."
"I'm sorry! You don't have to!" Leaf apologized quickly.
"Mudkip!" a sweet little voice cried out suddenly. Leaf looked over and saw a muddy little Mudkip emerge from the mud of the nearby creek.
"Mudkip! Mud, mud, mud! Mudkip! Kip! Kip! Mud!" Toby walked over to the little Pokémon and began talking to him in an unnaturally high voice.
"…What…?" Leaf exchanged glances with Knuckles. Was this guy really talking to his Mudkip in its own language?
"Uh, Toby?" Leaf was blinking more than usual, "Uh, are you seriously talking to your Mudkip in Pokéspeak?"
"Yes! Toby speak many languages!" Toby beamed.
"…You're joking…"
"Nope," Toby said good-naturedly and resumed talking to his Mudkip.
"I must be dreaming…" Leaf shook her head, "So… can you speak Lucario?" she asked Toby after Mudkip had scampered inside the den and snuggled into his nest to sleep.
Toby nodded and said something to Knuckles using sharp cries and grunts. It was then that Leaf realized the Lucario she had heard calling out to Ki while they were being attacked by ghosts had been Toby all along. He must have been giving out orders for Ki's attacks.
Wow, now that she thought of it, that would certainly be an interesting twist for battling… Imagine facing against someone who called out attacks in their Pokémon's language… the opposing trainer would have no idea which attack they were going to use!
"Grovyle!" a Grovyle suddenly leapt down from the trees and landed nearby. Its claws were spread in a predatory fashion.
"Gro! Grovyle! Grov! Vyle!" Toby looked to be explaining to Grovyle who Leaf and the others were and why they were here. Grovyle's predatory stance vanished, and now Leaf couldn't help but notice the green Pokémon's cuteness.
"Aww! You have a Grovyle?" Leaf gushed, "Aw, he's so cute!"
"Cute?" Toby asked, confused, "What is 'cute'?"
"Uh, you know… adorable, sweet… uh…" Leaf couldn't think of anymore adjectives, but Toby still looked confused, "Uh, mignon? Kawaii?" she even tried other languages… but he still didn't understand.
"Rah!" Knuckles supplied. If he couldn't understand the English, maybe Lucario language would do.
"Ah…! Toby know that!" Toby finally understood it now, "Cute…" he said thoughtfully, trying out this new vocabulary word, "Leaf is cute!" Toby declared proudly, happy to use a new word properly.
"Um, thanks," Leaf giggled, "So anyway, how did you manage to find a Grovyle and Mudkip out here in Sinnoh? Aren't they kind of rare?"
Toby grinned, "Toby love to search for rare Pokémon here in forest. Toby find Mudkip dig in mud one day. Toby find Grovyle in deep in forest in trees. Both Pokémon hurt so Toby help Pokémon. Then Toby is friends with Pokémon."
"Do you have any other Pokémon?"
"Yes! Toby have Staraptor, Slugma, Torchic, Pikachu, and Oddish."
Leaf mentally kept track in her head. Yup, he definitely had more than six with him… Maybe living in the forest for years really did have its perks…
"Wait a second! How did you find a Slugma in a forest for crying out loud?" Leaf cried.
"One day… Toby see fire in forest. Toby go to see if any Pokémon hurt and… Toby find Slugma. Toby walk up to fire and see Slugma roll out of fire. Then Toby save Slugma from fire!"
"Uh… did Slugma cause the fire?" Leaf wondered.
Toby shrugged and looked confused, "What is 'cause'?"
"Where is Slugma now?" Leaf asked, her suspicions slowly rising.
Toby pointed inside the den where a little gloppy Slugma slept on the ground without a nest.
"Are you kidding me? You SLEEP with the Slugma around! It's a blasted fire hazard!" Leaf cried.
"Hmm, what is 'fire hazard'?" Toby grabbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Ugh, never mind…" Leaf decided it wasn't worth pursuing. If it caused fires regularly, Toby probably wouldn't be standing here right now…
"So… the Torchic? How did you get that?" she asked.
Toby looked down sadly, "Toby find Torchic hurt and left behind by man…"
"You're saying it was abused and abandoned by its trainer?" Leaf asked, trying to clarify. Toby nodded solemnly. "That's terrible…" she shook her head.
"Torchic?" a voice called out quietly. Toby immediately hurried over to the bushes where his Torchic was hiding. He picked it up and began to soothe its fear by talking to it.
Leaf looked at her Lucario, "What's with Torchic? Wonder why it's hiding?"
Knuckles shook his head, but only slightly so as not to wake up Blathers (because everyone knew that'd be a big mistake). He then attempted to explain that Torchic was afraid of her specifically because she was human. Apparently, the only human Torchic trusted entirely was Toby.
"Torchic is afraid because Torchic not read Aura. If Torchic see Leaf's Aura, then Torchic might like Leaf. Torchic not sure if Leaf is good. But Toby know, so Toby tell Torchic," Toby explained as he walked back over to Leaf with Torchic in his arms. Torchic whimpered slightly and peeked out at her from the safety of Toby's arms. The Pokémon's eyes were wide in fear and her face was scarred.
"Aww… you poor thing…" Leaf clutched her hands over her heart. It was all she could do to keep herself from trying to embrace the poor frightened Pokémon. She knew the only one who could comfort it was Toby.
"PIKA! PIKACHU!" Toby suddenly shouted.
"What was that for?" Leaf covered her ears.
"Pikachu is late," Toby shrugged, "Oh, Oddish is late too! ODDIIIIISH!"
Finally, the last two Pokémon showed up and looked curiously at Leaf and her Pokémon. After Toby had explained everything, they finally got ready for sleep.
"Wait… didn't you say you had a Staraptor or something?" Leaf asked Toby as she climbed into her sleeping bag.
She was answered with a loud squawk, "STARAPTOR!"
"Whoa, that bird is huge!" Leaf cried.
"Holy guacamole!" Chatot shrieked. Leaf rolled her eyes. Just great. Blathers woke up just in time for bed…
"Yes," Toby said proudly, "Toby's Staraptor most big Staraptor in forest!"
"That's… cool… I guess…" Leaf replied as she watched the large bird scurry into the den.
"Good night!" Toby grinned.
"G'night," Leaf yawned and climbed into her sleeping bag.
"Gooood night! Have a sweet dream!" Blathers sang out with a terrible impersonation of a Japanese accent. He then proceeded to snuggle into her sleeping bag beside her.
"Whatever, Blathers," Leaf answered and closed her eyes to sleep.
"Feraligatr!" Blathers chirruped.