There was so much that I didn't understand. How could I not remember how to be me? Could I find something to maybe remind me of who I was or how I acted?
"Come on. Let's go to the library. Maybe that will jog your memory." Katrina said, leading me to the hole. So much for not going too far.
We emerged from the corridors into a large room filled with bookcase after book case. I felt comfortable here, like there was something familiar here. Why? I looked over at a receptionist desk, a small pachirisu sat on a stool drawing something.
I walked up to the desk and the Pachirisu didn't really pay attention to me.
"What are you drawing?" I asked, leaning on the desk.
"That's already been done." The Pachirisu said, not even lifting her head from her drawing which now I could see was a Pachirisu.
"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding.
"That cheesy move has already been used so, please just save us both the trouble and just go away." She said, this time looking at me with annoyance.
"No, I need your help to learn more about what lucarios do or what it means." I said.
The Pachirisu looked at me in confusion.
"Alright then, um, right this way." She said as she jumped off of her stool.
She led us through the bookcases and grabbed books along the way.
"We don't have many books about lucarios and their tribes as they are secretive about certain aspects of their lives. What we have are written accounts of other pokemon. Come on." She was reaching for a book that was just out of her reach. I raised my arm to grab the book for her, but then a red claw snatched the book from the bookcase. The Pachirisu was gone. What stood in front of me was a dark figure. A mane of black fur with blood red tips. A Zoroark.
"Looks can be deceiving right?" The pokemon smirked.
I was more surprised than anything, but Katrina never changed emotions through the whole ordeal.
"Aren't Zoroarks supposed to have red hair?" I asked.
"Like I said they can be deceiving. " The Zoroark said as her hair shimmered a little and changed from red to bald and then back to red.
I knew Zoroarks were able to cause illusions, but how did she control this power so well? Was I really that useless?
She handed me all of the books that were grabbed and I walked over to a table to set all the books down. Dust rose from every book as I set them down. I opened the books and began to read about Lucarios.
Hours flew by as I learned more about Lucarios and their behaviors or at least what I could. Like the Zoroark said, there wasn't much known about them. What was known was that they are a reclusive species that hangs around cliffs or groves. Most wild lucarios are very territorial. Some have seen even the wild ones protect the weaker pokemon in their areas or dungeons, whatever that means. From what is learned about the few civilized lucarios in the world, they are ones that hide their emotions. They don't tend to make friends, but the few that claim are friends with them tell of how loyal they can be. That they defend to the bitter end. Kind of heroic. I could feel the pressure of living up to that reputation.
"Do you remember anything?" Katrina said, giving me a startle.
"I-uh no. Do you know why specific areas are called dungeons?" I asked closing one of the books on the table.
"They are fun places full of mystery and danger that our rescue teams enter to help other Pokémon." The Zoroark chimed in. I almost forgot that she was there.
"There have been many that have died in them. They change too much for us to fully map them out." Katrina said as if she was remembering something terrible.
"Wait, the landscape changes too much?" I asked in astonishment.
"Yes, that is the biggest mystery. There are theories that they change because of the powers of the legendaries and those that dwell in the dungeons. Others say that the islands protect all, even the wild ones." The Zoroark said with a longing in her voice.
"Even so, they are dangerous and teams are needed to make sure no one gets hurt, but the best can go on missions on their own." Katrina said with a determination in her eyes.
"You seem like you like going into those dungeons, uh-"
"Carmina." The Zoroark
"Oh, Carmina. Why aren't you out there now?" I asked.
"I was suspended due to an injury. My team was cocky and wethought we were stronger than what we were."
She stared at the door to the corridors, but I could feel the longing emitting from her, but there was more. A sorrowful regret for something. She hated being stuck in here.
"Don't look at me like I am an innocent little Pokémon. " Her body shimmered and I saw a little buneary sitting at the desk.
"S-sorry."
She shifted back to a Zoroark and stared at me. "You are nothing like what those books say. What are you?" She asked.
"Lost." I said looking back at the books.
A rumble from the hallway broke the tension that was already building in the room and we all stared at the door. I tried to see what was beyond the door and saw only a blur of aura moving too fast to really catch, but it was moving fast towards us.
The doors blasted open with a raging ball of fire flying through. I tried to get out of the path of the ball, but my injuries slowed me down and I felt the fireball hit me straight on.
"That was awesome and so close too." I heard as I opened my eyes.
There was a tall bunny-like creature standing on top of me. It looked confused as it analyzed it's surroundings.
"Uh, why did the training grounds move into the library?" The bunny man said.
"Carter! You're going to set fire to the library again!" Carmina yelled from her desk.
"Carmina, wait, this wasn't my fault!" Carter said sheepishly. He cowered away from the angry Zoroark as she prepared her claws to attack him.
"I almost got through the barrier this time."
"You idiot cinderace! No normal attack can the barrier move, you just bounce off of it." She calmed down.
I got up off the floor and rubbed the dust off my fur. I looked back at the books on the desk and Carter was standing in front of the table with a paw extended.
"The name's Carter. I'm-"
"The idiot of the guild." Carmina chimed in.
"Hey!"
I looked at Katrina for approval and she just looked away.
"I-uh. Koro. I am Koro." I said and took Carter's paw.
We shook and it felt different to have someone sort of accept me.
"Koro, it's time to go back to training." Katrina said heading towards the exit.
"Training!! Can I train with you guys? I heard a lucarios' training can be intense! I wanna get intense!"
Flames pumped out of his ears and small fires were starting under his feet.
"Carter, get out before I give you a beating!" Carmina yelled from behind her desk. She was swinging a stick or was it a crutch, like an old women.
"That would be-" I started, but I felt something and looked over to Katrina. She shook her head in disapproval and I knew what she meant.
"Maybe another time." I said to Carter.
The fires under Carter's feet began to die as his excitement went down. I turned and followed Katrina out of the library and followed her back to the clearing.
I sat down and pondered the things I read and what happened in the library. I was confused. The monster didn't want to attack Carter or maybe I didn't notice it? I don't know.
"Just breathe. Let the aura flow through you." I heard Katrina say to me from across the clearing. She came closer and sat across from me like Sir Lance had done.
"Do as I do." She said and closed her eyes. She began to breathe in deep breathes and exhaled very slowly.
I closed my eyes and just breathed. I focused on my breathing and nothing else. My mind began to clear and my heart felt calm. I felt the power flow through me the more I began to relax. I reached out and saw the aura more clearly. The aura of. Everything was more polished and refined. All the aura around me was happy and good. It felt warm.
Then there was me. I felt warmth and darkness again. It was swirling and fighting each other. I felt the pain in my heart again. The monster was excited again. I felt more pain in my head as something flowed in it. More memories of what happened in Grandon village.
A tear ran down my cheek and I felt a finger touch my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Katrina looking at me. This was new. I looked into her violet eyes. She turned away and took her paw back.
"I-I remember. I remember almost all of it." I said.
She stood and began to walk back to her spot near the trees.
"How did you take me down?" I asked her, making her stop dead in her tracks.
She stood there for a second and then turned to look at me.
"Zeina and I were sent to investigate the fallen comet and I went alone. It was meant to be a simple mission. I only got to the site for mere minutes before the screams happened."
I quickly ran to the village and that was when I saw you or the monster. Many of the stronger pokemon of the town had already been killed by you when I arrived. I saw you feeding on one of the pokemon."
I gulped at the mention of what I had done.
I began to fight you and I almost lost to you. You were fast and strong, but your large size was what kept you from killing me. Though you did leave a few marks."
She lowered the violet scarf she wore and on her neck were three large patches of skin bare. Scars from our fight.
I had to use a force plan directly on your head to try and knock you out. You took multiple blasts that even a highly trained pokemon wouldn't endure. I actually never did a final blow. You charged at me to attack, but you collapsed before you reached me. The villagers wanted you dead on the spot, but I felt that warmth in your aura. It was what kept you alive."
I looked down and remembered the fight. She was furious in the fight. She had a hard time controlling her own darkness inside as she fought. She had been fighting back tears through the entire fight. It was like seeing a different person as we fought.