Author's Notes :

In line with my revised schedule, I have had more time to focus on my story, and as a result, I've churned out my longest chapter yet at around 8k words! Let's get finished with the replies to reviews first:

SnowLabrador - Wow, what dedication for you to post a review at 6 AM! Again, thanks for the compliments. As for the battle scenes, I'll share my method : I tend to picturize the fights as a comic in my head, and each line represents a panel or two. In fact, I originally intended this fic to be a webcomic, but I later realized that my mediocre art style will never do justice to an ambitious and action-driven project like this. In the end, I had no choice but to express everything in prose. Hope you had a free slice of inspiration!

Be aware that this chapter is quite meaty, and is more serious than previous chapters (Don't worry, this fic won't go grimdark like Pokemon Master)

I've also made sure to focus more on my proofreading since the previous chapters were marred by occasional grammatical errors here and there.

P.S- Can anybody please explain why this fic's cover image disappears sometimes? It vanishes on active hours, then reappears, and then vanishes again. How does this happen?

WARNING : This chapter contains scenes of graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Hours passed, and the evening had already set in. Inside the kitchen, Luke was polishing one of the plates with a handkerchief as the crackles of frying food popped in his ears. It says something that I've achieved a state of constant stamina during worktime for the first time ever, he smiled as the plate twinkled, Though this is my first day as a waiter...He overheard Snowball behind him.

"Cannon, stop it! You're adding too much oil!"

The next he heard was an incoherent string of growls from Cannon, presumably blocked by something in his mouth.

"AAAAAHHHH! YOU EMPTIED THE BOTTLE, YOU WASTREL!"

"Wait, what? The bottle's empty?"

Luke heard the sound of broken glass.

"LOOK DOWN AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! HOW COULD YOU BE SO INCONSIDERATE?! ALL THIS FLUBBING WILL DRIVE CUSTOMERS AWAY!"

As well as your yelling, Snowball, Luke empathized with a small frown. He placed the plate on the small table beside him.

After a few minutes, Snowball asked Luke for the plate, which was swiftly given. Upon reception, Luke saw a pile of thick fried segmented strings on the plate. An...interesting smell diffused in his snout. "Uh, what is this?" Luke asked.

"Fried worms," Snowball replied without any emotion.

Luke crumpled his lips, his feelers jumped and turned his cheek away from the plate with shut eyes. Ewwwww! he lamented as his paws fidgeted with the plate, I know insects are increasingly being recognized as a sustainable food source, but...

"What is this all of a sudden?" Snowball's stern voice pierced Luke's mind, "This dish was not made for you, it was made for an avian customer!" She gave a glare at the Lucario, "Give this to him and don't make funny faces ever again! What will Pokemon think of such behavior?"

Luke nodded and went to the bakery's atrium, keeping his eyes as away from the dish as possible. He approached a Dodrio sitting at one of the tables, whose three beaks watered upon the scent of the dish.

"Um, here's your dish, monster Kiwi," Luke mumbled as he slowly kept the plate on the table without looking.

"Where in Darkrai's name are your eyes going to?" sneered Kiwi's left head.

"Oh, thanks, waiter!" chirped the central head as he licked his beak, "Come on, heads, let's eat before it cools!"

The right head gave an aloof nod.

Luke heard the pricks of the porcelain as Kiwi's three heads pecked the plate and scooped the fried worms into their beaks. He turned around and covered his mouth with his ascot, waiting for Kiwi to finish the snack with nary a morsel of food.

Around four minutes passed, "Hey, mongrel!" the left head squawked with slanted eyes, "Where are you looking? Don't you know that we've finished our food?!"

The right head lightly pecked him.

Luke turned around to see Kiwi's empty plate. Indeed, there was nary a morsel of food. He brought a piece of paper and a quill pen and arrived at Kiwi's table.

"Those fried worms were excellent!" complimented the central head, "For such a small bakery, you do pack a peck!"

"So what's going on with that shouting Glaceon inside?" the left head said bitterly.

"Hey, don't be so rude, lefty!" chastised the central head as Luke jotted down the bill on the paper.

"Monster, Kiwi, please receive the bill," Luke said as he showed the paper, "We wish to see you again," He made a bow.

Kiwi's right head plucked the bill from his paw and the central head lent Luke a bag of coins. "Thank you, waiter!" the Dodrio said as he got up and strode out of the bakery.

Luke brought the empty plate and the bag of coins to the kitchen. He saw splinters of a glass bottle on the floor.

"Luke, how was the customer?" Snowball asked in a polite tone.

"Well, to put it in words," he replied as he kept the plate in the washbasin, "each of monster Kiwi's head has his own personality. One's friendly, one's arrogant, and the other's silent."

"Oh," she replied, "Did he like the food?"

"Of course."

"Good," she smiled, "Now, I have a task for you."

"What is it?" Luke looked at the broken bottle.

"You see, we ran out of olive oil right now. I entrust you to purchase a bottle of it along with flour, sugar, and more."

"Can you please give me a shopping list?"

"Okay."

Snowball went to one of the cupboards while Luke saw Cannon, sitting and observing the conversation with a waving tail. "Hey, don't forget 'bout me!" he woofed, "I want lotsa spaghetti!"

"Wait, Cannon," Snowball raised a paw, turning to Cannon, "I'll write the grocery list and then you can add your items to it."

Luke waited till Snowball and Cannon brought a piece of paper and a roomy hemp bag respectively. He received the items from the couple. "2 olive oil bottles, 1 medium bag of flour, 1 pack of sugar, 1 pack of bran seeds..." He read the grocery list.

"Hey, why you're reading the stuff out loud?" Cannon questioned with a tilted head, "You're not learning...what was that word? Participation?" He pawed his head.

"...1 box of..." Luke's recitation stopped. The handwriting suddenly turned from simple and pretty to a jumble of big, thick lines which happened to form the letters of the alphabet, "Cannon, what is this word?" He showed the paper to the Arcanine, "I couldn't understand your paw-writing."

"Huh? Spaghetti!" Cannon replied with a smile.

"Okay," Luke nodded, "Where's the nearest shop?"

"Uh...Sneak Street?"

"No no no no no!" Snowball lightly slapped him, "Sleek Street! Not the 'sneak' in Shadow Sneak, but the 'sleek' in sleek fur," She turned to Luke, "In fact, do not ever in Mew's name go to Sneak Street. It's overrun with criminals!"

"Okay. I'll be careful," Luke promised, "Do you have a map?"

"The map's on my mat in the living room. Now go and purchase everything for us quick, okay?" Snowball gave him a smile.

"Luke, that bag has a Reviver Seed inside," Cannon added, "You can use it in case anymon challenges you to a battle along the way!"

Luke gave a nod and was about to exit when Snowball stopped him, "Wait a minute!" she said with a raised paw as Luke listened, "You can use aura to communicate telepathically with us! Just press two fingers on your forehead and focus."

Wow, I have a mental cellphone? Luke wondered, "Thanks for the helpful information, Snowball!" he replied before he walked away.

He climbed down the stairs to Hotshot Cave, got the map, and set off from the burrow.

A breeze cut into his fur as Luke observed the map outside under the the calm dark blues of the starry sky. Ugh, I can't read this thing in the darkness, he thought, Even my aura vision's showing just a piece of paper. I'll stand under a lamp.

He walked to one of the oil lamps illuminating the street and read the map again. Hah, it's clear now! The warm golden glow of the lamp enveloped his fur as his feelers billowed in the wind, The nearest shop's around ten streets away from the bakery, I guess, He made a small frown.

Luke started walking again, looking at the map as he traced his destination. Through his aura sense, he avoided bumping into other Pokemon as he followed a series of rests and pulses in his feelers akin to an alternating current.

Soon, the wind became stronger and stronger. Luke fidgeted the map and the bag as he struggled to keep them in place. Unfortunately, Luke had just crossed the third street when the wind knocked the map out of his paw.

"Hey, come back, map!" Luke ran toward the swirling map as he jumped and thrust one of his arms forward. The map never relented and he could do nothing but watch it careen in the distance.

The Lucario clenched his fists and whimpered. Bah! Just when things started to go up! he lambasted, Now how do I get to the shop? He looked at the horizon in dejection, Guess I have to make do with questions again...

Suddenly, he saw a shadowy hand on one of his shoulders, "AAAAAAHHHH!" he yelped as his feelers jumped, "GHOST! GHOST!"

He turned around to see a giggling Haunter, and screamed again.

"Hey, cut it out!" the Haunter cackled as he floated a few feet above the ground, "You've never seen Ghost-type Pokemon before, huh?"

GHOST-type Pokemon?! Luke slapped his empty paw onto his mouth and his pupils shrank, Now how do I even live here?

"You think I'm scary? Never mind!" grinned the Haunter, "I dig horror movies, by the way."

"O-okay..." Luke mumbled, trembling, "D-do you know the w-w-way to S-Sleek S-S-Street?" The clarity of his voice was tainted by his stutter.

"Hm? Just go forward, take the second turn, go straight and voila!" the Haunter said as he bobbed up and down in the air. Luke felt a shiver down his spine.

"What? It's not that close!" Luke pointed out with concern, "My map showed that it's around seven streets from here!"

"Don't lie," the Haunter smirked, wagging one of his wispy claws, "I've been living in Square City for a hundred years! Never question experts like me! Anyway, why are you pestering me when you've a map?"

"I'm sorry, but my map was blown away by the wind!"

"Aww, unlucky you! Just follow my directions and you'll be alright!"

Luke nodded, slung his bag onto his shoulder, and walked forward, heeding the Haunter's directions. The Haunter turned away from him and giggled.

Argh, I should have read his mind! Luke dwelled on himself as he continued walking, That ghost didn't look trustworthy to begin with. Anyway, that creepy-eyed metal pinecone looked equally shady, but he gave me the correct directions to the police station. So, it might be that Pokemon don't judge by appearance as much as humans. Not to mention what a ghost's mind would look like...That would give me the chills.

Upon completing the directions, Luke found himself in a narrow, murky alley. Blackish buildings coated in vulgar graffiti lined the greasy, puddle-covered floor. The light was too faint to be relied on; it was his aura vision which guided him. The droning of flies hummed in his eardrums.

Blast it! he cursed himself as he facepawed, That ghost has conned me, and I've landed in Sneak Street! His eyes wrinkled as an unpleasant odor invaded his nose. Snowball's words echoed in his mind.

"Do not ever in Mew's name go to Sneak Street. It's overrun with criminals!"

That last word made Luke nervous. Well, there's no danger here, so I must retrace my path before it comes, he decided.

Just as he turned, he heard a high, raspy cry from afar.

"Let me down, please! I only asked for food!"

He perked his ears and his eyes rolled toward the source.

"Food? Food?" A guttural ursine voice was next, "You look like a very, very easy victim to pummel, don't you? Hehehehehe..."

Luke heard a snap. A loud, loud snap, followed by a shrill, ear-splitting shriek. He briefly shut his eyes, his fur stood on end and his heartbeat raised as he was reminded of shattering concrete.

He felt a pulse in his feelers, I could sense a surge of aura from that corner, he deduced, pawing one feeler, I'm afraid somemon's been hurt... He turned around, ran across the alley and stopped just next to the nearest corner. His aura vision formed an image beyond the corner.

He saw a Pangoro clasping an Absol by the neck, grinning like a maniac with a leaf in his sharp fangs. The buff panda Pokemon was surrounded by a Golbat, a Sneasel, a Sableye and a black-and-white Linoone, all sporting wicked looks on their faces. One of the Absol's hindlegs was twisted like an old corkscrew.

Luke flinched at the sight. He maintained his position behind the dirt brown wall.

"Why...did you...do this..." the Absol gagged with watery eyes.

"Hah! You don't even know how to battle?" taunted the Sableye, his sapphire eyes glinting.

"You ain't even a real Pokemon, puny," snickered the Linoone, licking his lips.

"So for what are you still alive?" the Pangoro chuckled, "Get lost from here! Your very existence taints monkind! Icicle, use Night Slash."

The Sneasel nodded as a gust of black wind surrounded one of her claws. She jumped and slashed the Absol's torso. The Absol wailed and shut her eyes as blood gushed out. Luke was treated to the sight of a large crimson gash, from where copious amounts of blood trickled down her white fur. Tears of fear and agony rolled down her face.

Luke stood still for a moment.

Then, he started to clench his fists. His tail rose and stiffened. Aura sizzled in his paws and feelers. A growl kindled in his fangs.

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!" Luke roared, jumping beyond the corner, "EXTREME SPEED!"

The Pangoro barely turned when Luke appeared in front of him and drove a fist into his cheek with so much force that a fang flew out of his mouth. The blow caused his paws to open and his stout body to collapse. The Absol stared in shock as she fell to the ground with a splotch.

The hooligans were startled and took fighting stances at the landing Luke. Icicle was first, leaping at Luke while charging another Night Slash.

Luke responded with a fierce punch to the head, screaming at the top of his voice. Icicle was sent flying across the alley like an arrow. The Linoone's jaws gaped and he scampered to the Pangoro's body.

"Air Slash!" A blade of wind from the Golbat's swish of his wing crashed into Luke's back as wisps of beige fur flew out.

Luke turned around in a flash and rushed toward the bat Pokemon, the sharp pain down his spine drowned in his yelling. The Golbat widened his jaws, perplexed.

"METEOR MASH!" Luke knocked the Golbat upward with a jumping uppercut, the silvery energy in his fist brighter than he ever noticed. He snatched his foe in midair and slammed him to the ground, knocking him out.

Meanwhile, the Pangoro got back onto his feet, growling at the berserker as the Linoone cowered behind him.

"AURA SPHERE!" Luke released the largest fireball in his two-day life as a Pokemon. It hit the Pangoro in the chest, knocking him on his back. The Linoone avoided getting crushed by his body.

"Night Shade!" The Sableye, who was behind Luke, extended one of his claws forward as his eyes gleamed.

An image of a ghastly skull suddenly appeared in Luke's vision, and pain burst through his body. Luke was briefly stunned and he quivered, shutting his eyes.

Through his aura vision, he saw the Absol in front of him, who was grimacing and twitching her eyes as blood spilled from her wound.

The Lucario snapped out of his fear with a louder roar as he turned toward the Sableye and flung an Aura Sphere at him. His foe shrugged off the attack as if it was painless.

"Shadow Claw!" The Sableye charged his claw with ghostly energy as he sprinted toward his opponent.

Growling coarsely, Luke whipped up a Bone Rush in response. The Sableye's claw and Luke's bone rod clashed like a pair of swords.

Luke and the Sableye kept making quick slashes at each other.

Just as the Sableye charged his claw for a big bad blow, Luke knocked the Sableye airborne with a swing of his bone rod. He trapped the Darkness Pokemon in a volley of blows; his bone rod swished left, right, left, right, and over and over without any inhibition, until the Sableye fainted with his arms spread out.

Right then, the Pangoro glared at Luke with clenched fists, as the Linoone cowered behind him, "So, wannabe hero?" he smirked at the snarling Lucario, "Your great big rescue's useless. That weakling's gonna die anyway."

"LEAVE! HER! ALOOOOONE!" Luke howled, his voice even louder, as he launched an Aura Sphere. The fireball made a curved trajectory as it swerved above the Pangoro's head and onto the hapless Linoone, who fainted in an instant.

The Lucario and the Pangoro charged at each other and exchanged a flurry of flying fists, roaring in the heat of battle. The Absol watched their arms blur as she struggled to contain her profuse wound.

"Bullet Punch!" the Pangoro snarled, launching a high-speed silver-coated fist at Luke.

Luke surprised him with the back of his left paw. The Pangoro's paw was pricked by its metal spike.

Luke never hesitated and crouched, punching the Pangoro's belly repeatedly without a single pause. His fangs bared and he growled harder than a block of steel.

Just when he was about to land the final blows, a force pulled him into the air. The Pangoro lifted him to chin level and opened his jaws between Luke's right feelers. Luke yowled in agony as his serrated fangs came crashing down.

As his vision was dissolving into blackness, Luke snuck his convulsing left arm into his bag. Just as the Reviver Seed slipped between two of his fingers, his vision turned completely black and he fainted, his grimy, worn body falling to the dirty ground in a heap. The Absol shuddered as she feared of a final beatdown from her harasser.

Luke's flailing arm let go of the Reviver Seed. The morsel of energy dropped onto his snout.

A surge of aura spread through Luke's body, causing his brain to snap awake. His eyes opened with a murderous, bloodshot glare and sprang onto his feet. The Pangoro, who was preparing to finish the Absol off, stared at him in shock.

The growling canine jumped and kicked the Pangoro in the face. As he landed, he crouched and stuck his foot out, delivering another kick to his opponent's paws. Finally, he blasted a huge, incandescent Aura Sphere into the Pangoro's rotund belly, causing him to faint and be knocked back.

Panting heavily, Luke's rage melted into worry and anxiety as he scurried to the Absol, who was quivering in pain as she clung to her miniscule chances of survival. He lifted her stained body up in such a way that the blood loss was minimized. Luke turned around and ran as fast as he can, tracing his path from home.

Puddles of water splashed behind Luke's feet and the wind squalled past his velocity as he sprinted past streets and stunned Pokemon with the Absol in his arms. His feelers could sense aura leaking out of her body, and his torso was colored red from the contact with her wound. The Absol's large red eyes were fixated on Luke's stressed face; she was awestruck by his act of retribution against her attackers.

Luke's head was twisting back and forth in search of a hospital as he continued to run, his tongue hanging out, as he had to deal with a living time bomb. Eventually, he caught sight of a white building, its signpost bearing the magic word of 'HOSPITAL'. He accelerated to the hospital's premises and headed straight for the emergency department.

Luke darted into the emergency room and collided with the horde of Chansey nurses inside, startling them. "SISTERS, PLEASE HELP!" he yelled in anguish, showing the writhing Absol, "THIS POKEMON IS CRITICALLY INJURED!"

The Chansey huddled around the duo in a chorus of pity and concern.

"What happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"Aah!"

"So much blood!"

"Please calm down, monster. We will take your Absol friend to the emergency room."

One Chansey arrived with a stretcher. The Absol, grunting and shutting her eyes in pain, was transferred to the stretcher and was wheeled to the emergency ward,

Luke hunched with a hanging tongue and a rapidly puffing chest, getting to grips with what he had just done. His mind was not even in the capacity to form coherent sentences; the images of the victim and the battle weaved inflexible webs inside his consciousness.

"Excuse me, monster Lucario?" the Chansey next to him asked with a worried face, clinging to her egg, "Your fur is stained with the patient's blood. Would you like a wash?"

The exhausted Lucario barely listened to her and bent his head down, flinching at the splotches of the Absol's blood all over his torso. He gave a little nod at the Chansey and accompanied her.

Meanwhile, at Hotshot Bakery, Cannon was monning the counter while Snowball pushed a trolley of pineapple cake to a Lanturn.

Mew, Luke can't be outside for so long, the Glaceon thought as she placed a plate of cake onto the Lanturn's table, He couldn't be the kind of Pokemon who would lounge in the streets. I hope he hasn't wandered into Sneak Street. Because if he does...

The Lanturn noticed the stress in Snowball's eyes. "What's wrong, monstress?" she asked as her antennae lights dimmed.

"Ahem, nothing, thank you," Snowball replied with a partially masked expression, "Please eat to your heart's content." She slinked away from the table and approached Cannon.

"Cannon, I told Luke to go to Sleek Street, remember?" she whispered to him, "Then why hasn't he responded? Did you really tell the directions correctly?"

"You were the one who corrected him, right?" Cannon replied in the same volume and tone, "Don't think too much, Snowball," he consoled, pawing one of her side bangs, "He could just be spending too much time at the store."

"Cannon, I..." Snowball interrupted, her voice becoming coarser, "I warned you!" One of her forelegs stomped the floor in frustration.

Cannon's ears drooped and he hung his head down. Please, Luke...his inner voice whimpered, Please make it out of Sneak Street...alive...

"Hello? Snowball?" A familiar voice echoed in Snowball's head, snapping her attentive, "It's me, Luke."

"Yes, Luke?" Snowball answered as her eyes brightened, "Are you using telepathy?"

"Of course," Luke replied. The usual fruitiness of his voice was absent, and a more serious register took its place, "Snowball, I have something important to say."

"What is it?" Snowball said. Cannon perked his ears, attending to the conversation.

"I actually...entered Sneak Street," Luke was frank.

Snowball's eyes widened in shock as her pulse surged.

"W-what happened?" Snowball gasped, "Are you alright?"

"I am completely fine," said Luke, "But somemon else...isn't."

"W-who is it?"

"When I entered Sneak Street, I saw an Absol get brutalized by some criminals. I beat up the criminals right away and took the Absol to the hospital. Now, I am waiting for the doctor to make an announcement."

Snowball fell completely silent as her eyes stood motionless, blinking aimlessly. Two decisions tugged against each other in her mind. Should she scold Luke for entering a dangerous place, or reward him for his act of gallantry? Hearing such words, let alone that tone, from who appeared to be a lost country bumpkin with no memories, definitely came out of left field for her.

"Snowball, why are you quiet?" Cannon murmured.

"Cannon, I have this to say..." Snowball hushed, her head slightly bent downward, "Luke entered Sneak Street and rescued a Pokemon from some thugs," She inched closer to the Arcanine, "He's now at a hospital waiting for that Pokemon to recover."

"Why, that was a kind act!" Cannon woofed as he was moved, "Could you think of a Pokemon taking down more than one foe at once? Just to save another? That workout at the gym must have jacked him up! I hope whoever he saved gets well soon..."

"Luke, listen to me," Snowball told, "Is that Absol an old friend of yours?"

"No," Luke replied, "She's just a random nobody on the street. It was my duty to save her, regardless."

Snowball fell silent again.

Luke took his fingers off his forehead and stared at the marble floor, seated on a chair behind the operating theater. Doctors, nurses, surgeons...he wished, running his fingers through the fur on his head, Please...save her...Or else...everything will be for naught...He felt the Absol's weak aura pulse in his feelers; he hoped that aura would last till the Dark-type patient is brought out of the theater.

Hypothetical circumstances circled in his muddled mind. What would have happened if he did not lose the map? What would have happened if he read the Haunter's mind? What would have happened if the bakery already had a stock of oil?

Just then, the door opened and an Audino emerged from it. "Monster Luke?" he asked, looking at the slouching Lucario.

"What is it, doctor Stetho?" Luke whispered as he slowly raised his head.

"The operation is over and your friend has recovered from her injury," explained the Audino, maintaining his monotone voice.

Luke raised his back, his pupils dilated and a smile formed under his snout, "How wonderful," he cooed, "A million thanks to you and the staff for saving her life," He shook paws with the Audino.

"Unfortunately, she is having a physical condition," Dr. Stetho continued. His words wiped the smile off Luke's face, "She is very weak. During surgery, we noticed that her organs are fragile and underdeveloped. Usually, Pokemon do not bleed in battle. Who caused the wound and how?"

"Um, some small dark blue mon with a feather on her head..."

"You mean a Sneasel?"

"Yes."

"What move did the Sneasel use?"

"Night Slash."

"How strong was that Sneasel?"

"I knocked her out with a single punch, so she didn't seem too strong for me."

"If an ordinary unevolved Pokemon was able to draw blood from her with an attack she should have resisted, then it means your friend is powerless."

"Powerless? What do you mean by that?"

"She is unable to use any moves, even the most basic ones. In fact, she is not even able to predict disasters like her own kin."

Luke's heart became as heavy as an anvil. The poor mon, he empathized, Being the only weak individual in a world of warriors would certainly be a hard life...

"Your friend may need a week of rest here before she can be discharged," said Dr. Stetho, putting his stubby paws together.

"When can I see her?" Luke asked.

"After around fifteen minutes or so. We will transfer her to a ward before you can meet her."

More than fifteen minutes passed and Luke arrived at one of the wooden doors of the ward hall. He quietly knocked it so as not to disturb the patient he had saved. A Vileplume opened the door and let him inside.

He found himself inside a small room with an attached bathroom, not unlike the modest premises of Hotshot Cave. The walls were a soft hue of ochre. In the middle of the room was the Absol, who lay on a puffy white bed. She was surrounded by two small desks; one had a radio on top of it while the other had a fat candle which illuminated the whole room. A light breeze of wind from the open window to his left ruffled his fur. Next to the bed was a stool which he assumed was the Vileplume's position. The fine attention to geometry and complex equipment Luke was familiar with were nowhere to be seen.

Luke walked toward the Absol with a worried look at her emaciated body, blunt claws, stunted horn, and unhealthy fur. "Hi," he said softly, attempting to cheer her up, "I'm Luke. What is your name?"

"...Shade," the Absol replied in a feeble, barely audible voice, her body half-buried in the mattress.

"Where's your home?" Luke said as he bent down to within Shade's eye level.

"I don't have a home..." mumbled Shade, avoiding eye contact, "...I live on the streets,"

"Where's your family?"

"I don't have a family."

No family? Luke thought as he felt something tough in his heart, That alone says something about her life. I couldn't resist this strong urgency to take her to our warm bakery...Memories of his own family flickered in his mind.

"Shade, are you fine?" he muttered.

"No," the Absol said.

"What's wrong with you?" Luke's heart sank deeper.

"I'm having pain. A lot of pain."

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

Luke slowly brought his arm out, intending to give Shade a comforting caress to the head.

"Don't touch me!" Shade snapped before she stuffed her face into her pillow.

"Shade, why are you afraid?" Luke slightly gasped, retracting his paw, "I won't hurt you! I'm not a criminal like those mons!"

Shade ignored him, shutting her eyes with her head immersed in the pillow.

"Luke, please leave the patient alone," the Vileplume intervened, "Shade is very shy and avoids contact with others. In fact, she even refused to have more than half of a bowl of gruel. I had to resort to force-feeding to keep her alive."

"How pathetic," Luke replied, glancing at the quadruped, "I hope she becomes alright soon. What conditions does she have right now?"

"She complains of pain in every part of her body, especially the abdomen. In addition, she is having trouble sleeping. These could be side-effects of the surgery."

"Okay. You take good care of her, sister. I have to go back to my bakery now."

Before leaving, Luke took one last glance at the Absol, "Get well soon, Shade," he said, waving a paw, "I'll come back tomorrow morning. Goodbye."

Shade never batted an eyelash at her savior, who gave the Vileplume another goodbye before leaving the ward.

How did I do it? Luke dwelled as he walked away from the hospital, the stars of the night sky twinkling above him, Why was I able to take down five Pokemon at once? Does my anger know no boundaries? He ambled past the masses of townsfolk, which had gotten less dense over the night, A good deed, wherever there is a chance...

His mind began to turn back the pages of his life.

An eight-year-old Luke, dressed in a black t-shirt and aqua-blue shorts, was zipping to and fro in his blue-painted bedroom like a hyperactive bee, a big grin plastered on his face just like anyone else his age. He was being chased by Landon, a spiky-haired brother in a white T-shirt and red overalls, who was younger by three years and had the same complexion.

"Catch me if you can, Landy!" Luke squealed, blowing a raspberry at him, "I'm the fastest thing alive!"

"No, you ain't!" Landon quipped, hot off the dark-skinned human boy, "Racecars are the fastest things alive!"

"Hahahahaha!" Luke taunted as he jumped across the bed, a soccer ball, and a bunch of toy cars in that order, "Racecars ain't living things, silly! You have to wait till second graaaade!" He made a funny face at his brother.

"You brat!" Landon bared his teeth like any five-year-old would, his hair spikes sticking upward, "I'm gonna-whoa!" His right foot slipped on one of the toy cars and he tripped, crashing onto the floor.

"Waaaahhh!" the younger sibling wailed, getting up and rubbing his teary eyes.

Luke snickered at him as he put his hands on his hips, attempting to come off as a superhero, "That's why you should never make fun of the greeat Luuuke Aaaanderson!" he boasted, lowering his voice to imitate an older man, "You had better-"

Just then, the bedroom door, which was dressed in posters, opened. Laura, a preteen in a ponytail, a yellow T-shirt and baggy green pants, walked in with Lucy, a toddler in a lavender dress with pigtails and a chocolate bar in her delicate hand.

"Luke, Landon!" Laura called to her brothers, "Lucy says she wants to play with you. Aren't you-" She was disturbed by Landon's screechy lament, "Landon, are you okay?" she gasped, scuttling to the younger boy, "Did Luke hit you?"

"No!" whined Landon, clutching his foot, "I tripped over a toy car!" I should have lied! he thought, Luke would have gotten a nice punishment!

"How sorry!" Laura said, rubbing Landon's foot, "This is why Mom always tells you to keep your room tidy. There won't be any stuff which you may trip over and fall!"

Meanwhile, Lucy tramped to Luke as her rubber slippers squished on the floor, "Hey, bro," she greeted, waving her empty hand at him, "I want your balls," She pointed to the box of basketballs in one corner of the bedroom.

"Hey, that's my favorite chocolate," Luke beat around the bush as his gleaming brown eyes fell on the treat in Lucy's hand, "Can I have that?"

"No, it's for me. Only me," Lucy refused, gesturing her hand to her chest and pouting.

"Come on, why don't you give me my favorite choc?" her older brother goaded, lightly elbowing her, "Sharing is caring!"

"IT'S MINE!" Lucy shouted, clutching her chocolate bar. Luke grabbed it and the two siblings engaged in a brief one-handed tug of war. Lucy was easily outmatched and Luke plucked the bar out of her hand before he unwrapped it and took a bite.

"WAAAAAAAHHHH!" Lucy shrieked in the sonic bane of all the kids around her.

"Gosh, your crying sounds horrible!" Luke said with chocolate in his mouth as he covered his ears. Laura and Landon gave glares at him.

"Luke, that's the last straw!" Laura snapped, stomping her foot, "We can't bear your bullying anymore! I'll tell Mom, Dad and Granny!" She went and slammed the door in a huff.

Laura returned with their parents, a tall and dark man in a royal blue suit and white pants, and his short, curvaceous wife, who sported a rose sweater and form-fitting beige pants. The man's curly-haired mother, who was dressed in a violet robe and a black apron, accompanied them.

"Luke, are you up to no good again?" the mother yelled, "Give that chocolate to me!"

The future Samaritan trembled at the imposing figures of his parents. "Y-yes, m-m-Mom.." he stammered, handing the chocolate to his mother.

"Mom and Dad, please do something to stop this big brat!" Landon complained, stomping his foot and pointing to his brother, "He broke my new action figure yet again this morning!"

"Yes, he needs more discipline," Laura added with a nod, "To say nothing of all the times he scribbled in my notebooks...You always get me in trouble with my teachers, Luke," she fumed. Meanwhile, their mother came and lifted the crying Lucy, giving her a pat of comfort.

"See? Everyone has a grudge against you!" Luke's father barked in a stern tone, glaring at the little delinquent, "You can't grow up with all of your bad habits. You will not be allowed to play sports, video games, watch TV or even accompany us to the movies for a whole week!"

"FOR A WEEK?! NOOOOOOOOO!" Luke kneeled and screamed to the ceiling.

"Luke, if you don't change right away, you'll become even worse as an adult!" his grandmother hissed, "Do you want to be a criminal when you grow up?"

"No!" Luke wept as his eyes shed profuse amounts of tears, "Criminals are bad! I don't wanna be one, Granny!" His voice broke.

"Bah, humbug. You are already a bad boy. Hmph!" his grandmother snorted as she crossed her arms and her curly silver hair bounced, "Learn to be a good boy first!"

The boy sulked as he polished a vase in the living room with a hand-sized feather duster. Specks of dust fluttered in the air around him and threw him in a sneezing fit which was only diluted by a cloth around his jaws. Golly, this is so hard and boring, Luke thought as he brushed his duster off every corner of the vase's surface as if he was painting it, Not to mention long! Even final exams are better than this. I might catch a cold anytime now!

Just then, Luke's mother approached her travailing son. "Have you finished cleaning the vase?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Luke inspected the vase's body. It shone a brilliant turquoise as bars of light coasted across its porcelain. This vase looks clean already, he smiled, I think Mom will accept this! "Yes, Mom," the eight-year-old chirped as he turned to his mother with a nod, "Check it out!" He showed the vase to her as if it was a newborn baby, "Doesn't it look lovely?"

"Hmm...give me that vase," the woman told. She received the vase from Luke and peered inside it. She immediately reared her head back in disgust and coughed. "Luke, look inside this vase!" she demanded, handing the valuable over.

Luke followed his mother's commands and was shocked to find a miniature dump of dust inside the vase, "Ack!" he said, shutting his eyes, "It's very dirty inside!"

"Your task is only half-done," said his mother, putting her hands on her voluptuous hips, "Clean the inside of the vase first."

"Right, Mom," Luke nodded, pressuring himself to begin a longer cycle of monotony, dust and sneezes, while his mother left.

"Mom!" Luke yelled as he was reduced to a fountain of sweat upon completing his task, "I finished cleaning the vase! Now please lift that grounding period off me!" He threw himself on a sofa.

Unto his statement, his mother arrived again. "Completely?" she said with a smirk of condescension.

"Completely!" he replied, wiping sweat off his forehead before untying his cloth.

His mother picked up the vase and looked inside it, content with its spotless depths. She gave a cocky wink at Luke and let go of the vase. The precious pot shattered on the floor, catching Luke off guard.

"Mom, why did you destroy the vase?!" Luke bawled as he sat upright, "I've been working on it for so long!" He teared up and his voice broke, "Now Dad will scold the heck outta me!"

"Luke, feel your pain," his mother told, "This is roughly what bullying looks like. It makes others more miserable."

"So?" Luke said, glancing at the splintered remains of the vase.

"Compare what you feel right now to how Lucy felt when you snatched her chocolate," Luke's mother began to bring up a bunch of acts he had committed, "When you spilled Landon's cereal yesterday morning. And when you downloaded a game on your father's PC that turned out to be a virus."

They felt sad and angry, right? Luke dwelled on himself, Just like how I feel right now. So, bullying does make others sad and angry. I already feel like kicking myself...He looked at the floor.

"Mom, I understand..." he muttered as he contained his tears, "I will never bully anybody again. I will always be good and obedient...forever."

"That's our Luke!" his mother said softly as she patted his head, "Now, you will make a promise. A promise to do a good deed wherever there is the chance, and tell it to us every evening. In that way, you will make up for all your bullying."

"I agree," Luke said as he raised his head and nodded. His eyes started to dry.

"Now come to the backyard and recite your promise to everyone," his mother said.

I must remember, Luke monologued as he walked with his mother to the backyard, A good deed...wherever there is a chance...

The next morning, Luke was in the school playground with his classmates when he saw Landon being surrounded by a clique of older bullies.

"Give us your pocket money!" coaxed one bully, "Or else you'll get a wedgie!"

"N-n-no!" Landon pleaded as he arched backward, "I won't have any money to buy lunch otherwise!"

Luke's promise echoed in his head. A good deed...wherever there is a chance...He barged in and shielded his brother with his arms, "Stop it, you jerks!" he protested, "My brother's been scared for his life! Leave him alone or I'll report to the teachers!" His classmates stared from afar with astonishment.

Landon fell on his posterior, shocked, What's this? Luke is...protecting me?! That punishment must have changed him a lot...

"Aw, you buzzkill," said another bully, "Don't be a mouthpiece for the teachers!"

That sentence made Luke snap. He marched away with Landon, heading straight for the nearest teacher in sight.

The day after that, Luke was seated on a bench, assembling his stationery in preparation for the next class, when he overheard two girls behind him.

"How do I divide 64 by 7?"

"I don't know too. Division is certainly hard!"

"Now how do we cope with today's test?"

"Guess it's gonna stink for most of us..."

"Mina! Quartz!" Luke interrupted in a friendly tone, turning behind his desk, "You're having trouble with those questions? Leave it to me. I'll teach you how to solve them!" He got up from his chair and went to the girls' desk.

"Luke, you?" Mina gasped.

"Are you trying to cheat us again?" Quartz said dryly.

"First, find the number nearest to 64 which is divisible by 7," Luke yammered as his index finger jerked across Mina's notebook, "You can use the multiplication tables to help you. 7 into 9 equals 63, right? That's the multiple of 7 which is nearest to 64. Write 9 here..."

Luke's mind harkened back to his current situation as a transformed Pokemon.

And from that day onward, I became the kind guy I am now, Luke reminisced about all the altruistic actions as memories throughout the years flashed before him, When I offered to help Laura in one of her projects. When I comforted Lucy when she was down in the dumps. When I stood for a lesbian teen. And when I deleted those...objectionable images from Johnny's computer out of sheer disgust, He drew close to a conclusion, I remember now...just why I snapped at those thugs...

...There's nothing I hate more than seeing an innocent get hurt.

He agreed to himself. He remembered all the times he shuddered at the sight of movie villains and ran away whenever an unpleasant news broadcast blared on his TV. He even used to adjust the feed settings on his phone to avoid being reminded of the dark side of the world every time he unlocked it. But today, he had witnessed the dark side for the first time. And his adrenaline response was immediately set to 'fight'. He knew there was a chance to do a good deed right then and there.

Luke continued to walk, gazing at the now sparsely starred night sky.

Cannon and Snowball were watching the television when the former's nose twitched. "Snowball, I think Luke's back at last," he told, widening his nostrils, "I could pick up his scent!"

The married bakers scurried up the stairs to their door. Cannon swung it open to reveal a squatting Luke, who moved his clenched fist forward as if to knock on the door.

"Cannon. Snowball," Luke said in a more low-key tone than what they were used to, descending to the living room, "It's a honor to see your faces again."

The Arcanine and the Glaceon gave warm smiles. "Luke, I'm very proud of you for saving a weak Pokemon," Cannon said with pleased eyes, "This came totally out of the blue!" His tail lightly wiggled.

"Your heart is...much bigger than I expected," hushed Snowball, "How did you get to Sneak Street?"

Luke explained how he lost his map and met with a suspicious Haunter as the TV nattered in the background.

"What a coincidence," Snowball remarked, "One mon's mistake became another's lifeline."

"So, what was that Absol's name?" Cannon woofed in an attempt to lighten the conversation, "How's she right now?"

"Her name is Shade," Luke replied, "Unfortunately, she feels very uncomfortable after her treatment, and she's a recluse, to put it mildly."

"'Kay. Good for you to make a new friend!" Cannon said.

"Luke, are you ready for tonight's battles?" Snowball asked.

"No," said Luke, "I don't think I'm in the mood to battle right now. Maybe we can spar tomorrow afternoon."

"But we'll be busy in the bakery by that time."

Bedtime had approached, and Luke lay beside the fireplace in the bedroom, staring at the ceiling as Cannon and Snowball slumbered. He was lost in deep thought, looking back on his interactions with the bakery's customers, the fight with Rhyzo, the session at Smackdown Gym, and the biggest event of the day in the evening.

Yesterday, all I wanted was just to return to my own world, Luke monologued, But this is the only the next day of my life as a Pokemon, and I already have a duty to fulfill here.

To protect Shade.

But...my family and friends still need me. I couldn't bear to think of how they mourned me when I really never died. I don't want to abandon them.

Which destiny should I accept? To be the caretaker of a sick girl or to return to my world? This is a hassle...both choices are of equal importance...

He closed his eyes and fell asleep as his question continued to linger in his dreamscape. A question which left him astounded.

Author's Notes :

I've waited so long to write this chapter : the first taste of seriousness in this fic (remember the 'varying changes in tone'?), a pivot in Luke's character development, an introduction to a main character, and the revelation of our hero's backstory. It was a challenge writing the dramatic scenes; I did my best to make them as convincing as possible without feeling too tacky. The battle, however, was less challenging than thrilling (as I had already looped it in my head over and over already); I often listened to "ESAKA" of The King of Fighters fame to set up the mood (No, don't necessarily use that song as the scene's official background music! (You could make up your own or use another existing song...) I also found it interesting to write about kids during Luke's flashback, even if I admit it's a tad longer than I expected. Kind of feels nostalgic, right?

Footnotes :

-Lucy's question of "I want your balls" is supposed to be completely innocent, I swear. After all, most kids thankfully do not know the other meaning of 'balls'. I used this for realistic language; how children utter sentences which would embarrass them in the future.

Feel free to post any concrits and suggestions if you'd like!

TurboBolt99