Chapter 6: A Cursed Name
After their frigid reunion downstairs, Eli and Viggo had been led up near the top of the temple and were both standing within the musty, dust-choked domain of the Sage. The door had been shut behind them, locking out any fresh air that could circulate inside to potentially alleviate the suffocating atmosphere of the Sage's chambers. A combination of light from numerous candles, oil lamps and moonlight streaming through the large, open window opposite the door illuminated the room, which was crammed to capacity with buckling bookshelves and towering stacks of tomes, scrolls, and loose paper scattered all over several tables as well as the floor. On top of one of the bookshelves there stood a small perch with a stout Pidove sitting on it, snoozing away even as the Sage his two visitors entered the room. The Riolu and Lucario stood side-by-side before a large, circular cushion in the center of what was perhaps the only plot of free space they could find amongst the clutter.
The Sage had just sat down on the cushion, groaning as his old bones creaked and he did his best to get comfortable. He grasped the top of his staff and stroked the frayed white fur on his muzzle as he closed his eyes and propped up his chin with his paw. An awkward silence fell for a few moments as Eli and Viggo both stared at the old Lucario, before glancing briefly at each other, and then back to him again. The tension in the air was high, but despite this Viggo seemed to be the first one willing to break the silence.
"So… What did you need to talk to us about, Sage?" he asked, but the older Lucario didn't open his eyes and remained still. "Um… Sage Linus?" he asked again, but still no answer. Both Eli and Viggo began to sweat as they didn't see any movement from the Sage at all, and they were starting to assume the worst.
"Hey, don't tell me he…" Eli gulped, just before a loud snore rumbled out of the near-motionless Lucario.
"Ah, so he just fell asleep. Makes sense, I never really talk to him this late at night and he'd probably already be fast asleep by now otherwise," Viggo murmured while rubbing his neck. "A good thing, too! I was about to check if his Aura was still there..."
"Welp, this is dumb. I'm out," Eli sighed as he shrugged and began to turn towards the door, but Viggo sternly held him back.
"Oh no you're not!" Viggo growled as he kept the Riolu in place. "He wanted to speak with you and you're going to honor that. He's the Sage, so learn some respect!" he added sternly.
"Hah! Well if you're in such a hurry to talk to him then why don't you wake that liar up, huh?" Eli grumbled back to him.
"Listen you— Hmm?" Viggo began but stopped once he heard Eli refer to the Sage as a liar. He sounded somewhat confused as he looked at him and tilted his head. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked apprehensively.
The Riolu's expression softened a bit and he averted his eyes away from Viggo's, groaning as he brought a paw to his own forehead. "It's… Never mind, I shouldn't have said anything," he sighed, squirming under his gaze as he crossed his arms. He flashed a quick glare at Viggo before looking back to the sleeping Sage. "Its none of your beeswax anyway…" he muttered under his breath.
Viggo briefly bared his teeth and stifled a growl, quickly regaining his composure in the face of Eli's attitude. "Fine, I won't pry," he replied bitterly, causing Eli to stiffen up slightly. It wasn't everyday that Viggo relented and allowed him to dodge questions like that.
"R-right," Eli replied as he shifted uncomfortably.
"Anyway…" the Lucario huffed as he walked up to the Sage. He leaned in and wound his left arm back, clenched his paw into a fist and held it there for a moment, taking aim right at the old Lucario's face. Eli watched in surprise as Viggo swung directly for the Sage's exposed muzzle, only for his snoring to instantly cease as his eyes flew open. The Guardian Captain's punch was immediately blocked by the Sage's own paw, which sprung into action so fast that Eli thought he had missed it. Viggo's strike was powerful enough to displace the air around his paw and send a small shockwave through the air, blowing papers in every direction and even waking up the Pidove that had been sleeping atop the bookshelf. Even so, the old Lucario effortlessly caught his strike and didn't flinch a bit.
"Dwuh?! Huh?! H-hey, what's going on?! S-Sage, are you okay?!" the Pidove frantically squawked as he was dazed and had no idea what had just happened.
While the Riolu stared in stunned silence, Viggo chuckled and smirked at the older Lucario who was still holding his paw at bay. "Heh! Still got it eh, Linus?" he remarked as the Sage cracked a small smile of his own.
"You're funny, Captain," the Sage chuckled flatly. "You've never landed a single blow on me, and probably never will. Not even when I'm sleeping," he added smugly. "I suppose you could pull it off while I'm on my deathbed, but that'd just be rude."
"And punching you while you're sleeping isn't?" Eli thought.
"Perish the thought!" Viggo laughed as he withdrew his arm and moved it back to his side.
"Are you ignoring me, Sage?! What's going on?! What're they doing here?!" the Pidove cried indignantly.
"Ah, pipe down ya turkey! Everything's fine, we were just exchanging pleasantries. I invited Captain Blockhead and his pain-in-the-ass ward here myself, so you don't have to worry," the Sage scoffed, causing Viggo to roll his eyes while Eli stuck his tongue out him.
"Mmmmrrrraww… Fine, fine. Wake me if you need anything else," the Pidove warbled before quickly falling back asleep.
"And uh… My apologies for dozing off just now. Its way past my bedtime, you know," the Sage said, causing Eli to stifle a chuckle.
"Of course, and we both apologize for keeping you up so late," Viggo replied as he bowed his head slightly. "Now, what exactly did you want to speak with us about? The quicker we discuss it the quicker we can all get some sleep," he inquired, earning a tired nod from the elderly Lucario.
"You're quite right about that. Why don't I start with you, Captain?" he replied as he leaned forward on the cushion. "Let's talk about what happened tonight and what we can do to get out of this rotten pickle, shall we?"
Viggo sighed and gazed past the Sage before replying. "I trust that Sonia already told you her account of the events. At any rate, I don't believe my experiences tonight would bring any important revelations. We were blindsided by the Voids, fought hard, and managed to drive them back with the help of Sonia. It's as simple as that, honestly. All in all, things could've turned out a lot worse for Eli, Miron and I if Sonia and her patrol hadn't shown up. I must say, she is a very promising Guardian, and I expect great things of her in the future," the Lucario told him sincerely.
"I recognize that. And I'll have you know that I made sure to give her the proper respect she deserved for her job well done when I spoke with her earlier," the Sage stated as he rubbed at the fur under his chin. "However, we've got much bigger problems to tackle… What would you say our offensive capabilities are, Viggo?" he asked as his fluffy brows furrowed and his stare intensified. "I already have a pretty good idea of what they are, but I want your input seeing as you're the current Captain and all."
"Well… In terms of being able to fend off attacking Pokémon, we've never been better," Viggo stated somewhat apprehensively.
"But unfortunately, we're not talking about fighting off Pokémon, are we?" the Sage murmured. "I must be fair to your Guardians. They all did well tonight, and they were able to successfully drive the Voids away from our temple. That's definitely worthy of commendation. However, none of you were actually able to completely destroy a single Void. Not that you really could, honestly…" he explained as he bit his lower lip. "Furthermore, there's the danger that the Voids will continue to attack Auraciel until our defenses fall and we're overrun, along with the rest of Zephyr Island. Not to mention the fact that the dungeon will just keep expanding and continue spawning more and more Voids to contend with as time goes on. Because the Voids actively seek out Aura to feed on, its only a matter of time until they finish feeding on the animals of the forest and eventually come for us, as well as Zephyros. That one skirmish took a lot out of your Guardians and although they're strong, I doubt they will be able repel multiple attacks from the Voids… Especially if they're going to be attacking night after night."
"Basically… If we can't get rid of the mystery dungeon, then we're doomed. We can hold out for a while, but if the Voids keep spawning and we can't permanently defeat them, we won't be able to last long," Viggo added as he tapped his chin.
Meanwhile, Eli was listening to the Sage's grim assessment of their situation, his fur standing on end while his heart sank. The night's events had all transpired so quickly, and he was already realizing how dire their effects would be on his childhood home. A shiver danced along his spine as he thought about just how much the events were reminding him of that particular incident six years ago. His eyes narrowed as he remembered the foreboding darkness of the dungeon, the chill of its unnatural air, as well as the blood-soaked dirt where a female Lucario's drained and broken body lay only a few feet in front of him. He fought back tears and clenched his teeth, his presence shrinking until it amounted to something more comparable to a fly on the wall.
"So… What's gonna happen?" The Riolu suddenly spoke up. Viggo and the Sage both glanced at him in surprise, perhaps forgetting that he was even there because of how quiet he was being. "What are you guys gonna do about it?" he asked. Both Lucario knew exactly what was going through his head, as they too were reminded of the incident from six years ago.
"I'll handle it. Just like with everything else of this nature," Viggo replied succinctly. "Nobody needs to fret."
"That's exactly what Audrey said," Eli murmured under his breath.
"Oh for Arceus' sake, Eli… Would you give it a rest?" Viggo snapped at the Riolu. "Yes, what happened to Audrey was a tragedy! Nothing is going to change that! But that was then, and this is now. I've worked hard ever since becoming Captain, getting our Guardians ready for anything. I'm confident that things will be different this time…"
"It's not that I don't think you can do it! It's what it might cost you!" the Riolu snarled back. "Ya think I want you to die, too?!"
"That doesn't matter. It's my and every Guardian's duty to protect Auraciel, even if it costs me everything! Audrey knew what she was doing that day and decided her own fate. She wanted to protect you and everyone else. You do not get to take that away from her, Eli!" Viggo growled sternly. "If Audrey was here, she'd—," he began to say, but stopped as both he and Eli were startled by the sound of a wooden staff slamming against the stone floor.
"AUDREY ISN'T HERE!"
Eli and Viggo immediately stopped arguing and turned to the Sage, who was baring his fangs and glaring daggers at the both of them. They could practically feel the heat and anger radiating from the old jackal as he looked like he wanted to smack the both of them silly. "You foolish youngsters… Squabbling over what a long-dead loved-one would have said… Putting words in her mouth like she's some cheap puppet while she's unable to speak for herself. You should both be ashamed of yourselves."
Viggo and Eli turned away from each other, cringing in response to his words as they both appeared quite remorseful.
"Now… Are you two done bickering? We still have a lot to discuss," the Sage muttered angrily.
"Y-yes, Sage," Viggo replied somberly, seeming a bit paler than usual. "I deeply apologize for such behavior."
"I guess so…" Eli grunted bitterly as he looked away from the two Lucario again. "And um, I'm sorry too."
The Sage sighed and rubbed his forehead after they apologized. "I swear, I really should've spoken with you two separately," he growled before clearing his throat. "As I was going to say… You're right, Captain Blockhead. Things are different this time. But not necessarily in a good way, mind you. In case you've forgotten, we've long since lost the only person in Auraciel with the ability to permanently destroy Voids. You might remember her. After all, you've both invoked her name in your petty arguments plenty of times tonight…" he added, causing Eli to squirm in discomfort while Viggo gave the slightest of nods.
"Of course, and that's what makes this situation so thorny," the Auracle Captain acknowledged.
"That's the point I was trying to bring you around to; that our best hope of combating this threat ourselves is long-gone," he told Viggo, before turning a paw over and pointing it towards him. "Which means…?" he asked while giving an expecting look.
Viggo blinked a few times and rubbed at his bandaged arm before answering. "Uh… That we're screwed?"
"Dummy. We will be only if we're reckless and don't think things through," the Sage replied as he rolled his eyes. "Because we lack the offensive capabilities required to take out the Voids for good, it may be best to have the Guardians act as a purely defensive force for now, and to cease all patrols outside the walls of Auraciel after sunset."
"Wait… Purely defensive? Are you sure about that, Sage?" the Lucario questioned. The Sage sat up in a little as he could tell that Viggo wasn't too happy about his suggestion. To be fair, that didn't surprise him one bit. "I mean, you are aware of how strong the Guardians have grown under my leadership, aren't you?" he asked, prompting the Sage to raise an eyebrow.
"Trust me; it's better to be safe than sorry, Viggo. You know how much damage the Voids did to your Guardians and yourself tonight, right? Well, that's only the beginning. They're going to be multiplying as we speak, and tomorrow night's attack may very well be even worse," he stated. "Although your principles are admirable, it's foolish to risk losing Guardians in a battle that's increasingly impossible to win."
"Come on now. There has to be some way for us to subdue the Voids ourselves!" Viggo urged him, clenching his paws as he stared directly into the old Lucario's seasoned eyes. "I'll get some of my guys to research it in the archives, and then maybe—," he began to say, but was cut off by the Sage himself as he raised a paw to silence him.
"Please, Viggo… I have the utmost respect for our Guardians, and that's why I'm suggesting this course of action. I'd rather not take any chances with this," he replied sternly. "You could rifle through our archives for days on end, but I promise that you won't be able to find anything new we can use against the Voids. They've been researched to hell and back and at the end of the day, we're not equipped to deal with them. I'm sure all of us here know exactly what must be done to defeat those demons for good, but the cinch is that we don't know of anyone here on the island who has the capabilities to do so. I fully understand that you want to solve this problem yourself, but this is something that is bigger than any of us."
Viggo went silent as Eli stood beside him, feeling somewhat bad due to how helpless he must have felt under the gaze of the Sage. "Um… Not for nothing, but… Don't we have a large supply of Luminous Water?" Eli interjected, getting the attention of both Lucario. "I mean, we're able to use it to dissolve Shadow Matter, right? Why can't we use it to kill the Voids?" he asked, earning a groan from the Sage while Viggo simply shook his head.
"Nah… That won't work either, Eli," Viggo replied. "Luminous Water might be effective in temporarily deterring them, but its not enough to destroy them completely. It'll only dissolve Shadow Matter that's already been separated from a Void, like what we had on us earlier," he explained as Eli's subtle smirk began to fade. "You'd have to completely drown a Void in Luminous Water for it to have any lethal effect on them. Besides, we don't have enough for something like that and we need to conserve what we do have for anyone unlucky enough to get Shadow Matter on them."
"Yes, unfortunately its just too watered down to be that effective… No pun intended…" the Sage added.
"Oh… Well, I tried…" Eli murmured with a shrug.
"Hmph… Its fine. No offense, but I never really expected you to be a tactician of any merit in the first place anyway," the Sage grumbled.
"Linus, I…" Viggo sighed, before shaking his head and crossing his arms. "I see. I get what you're saying, it's just…"
"Likewise, son. You have the qualities of a true Guardian; a great big heart and the desire to protect those you care about. You want to defend this place and everyone in it with your life, don't you? That's why I wanted you to be my successor. However, you must remember that this isn't about egos or records. Its about the wellbeing of those who have entrusted their safety to you…" the old Lucario reminded him. "Am I right, or am I right?"
"Well when you put it like that…" Viggo murmured as his ears lowered. "I'd say you're right."
"Heh! You're the Captain of the Auracle Guardians, Viggo. Just figured I'd give you a bit of advice since I have lots of experience being one in the past as well. At the end of the day, you're free to order them about as you like. I just hope that you make smart choices despite your general blockheadedness, that's all…"
"Ugh… Why do you always have to be so passive-aggressive with your advice?" Viggo grumbled.
"Well, regardless of what you decide to do, I'm writing to Mayor Cecil in Zephyros immediately to fill him in on the situation. This is definitely going to affect him and the rest of town as well, not to mention there's the Springtide Festival in a few days. He won't stand for endangering his citizens or the tourists that are sure to flock to our island, so the quicker we get rid of the Voids the better. Any way you look at it, we're going to need outside help." The old Lucario then reached to the side of the cushion and pulled a smooth, wooden board onto his lap along with a small wood utensil that had three loops and a grip. He took out a pen and slid it into a slot on the utensil while also putting the three digits on his right paw through the loops, holding the grip tight. He reached over and yanked a blank sheet of paper from one of the piles surrounding him before placing the tip of his pen down to start writing.
"Er, sorry for doubting your judgment yet again, but… What exactly do you think the garrison of Zephyros could do against a horde of Voids?"
"Yeah, I have to agree," Eli suddenly remarked, getting Viggo's attention. "They're not exactly the cream of the crop. Heck, I can outrun most of them without even trying! If the Guardians can't destroy the Voids then there's no way that Zephyros' guards are gonna have a better time of it," he explained brashly.
"Wait… Why were you running away from guards, Eli?" Viggo asked.
"Don't worry about it," the Riolu quickly replied.
"You know, whenever you say that it just makes me worry even more," the Lucario grumbled while Eli snickered to himself.
"Ahem! For your information, I wasn't talking about Zephyros' guards," the Sage elaborated as he continued to write, getting both of their attention again. "Ol' Cecil just so happens to have some very beneficial connections in the Far Realms. He told me over coffee once."
Eli's ears suddenly perked up at the mention of the Far Realms, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked to the Sage. "Wait… The Far Realms? Are you sure?" he asked him rather eagerly. This eagerness was detected by Viggo, who looked back and forth between the Sage and the intrigued young Riolu.
The Sage leaned back on his cushion and stuck one of his digits inside his ear, digging around absentmindedly as he rolled his eyes and sighed at the younger Fighting-types. "Of course I am, kid! Just cause I'm old doesn't mean I'm hard of hearing or senile or something…" he retorted.
"Just what kind of connections does he have there? I never heard about that side of him while I was in Zephyros…" Eli stated as he scratched his cheek in thought.
"Well, let's just say that he might have access to exactly what we're looking for," the Sage explained cryptically.
"That's all fine and dandy, but… How can you be sure he'll be able to make good on those connections?" Viggo asked somewhat skeptically.
"Hmph! There you go again, doubting your wise, benevolent Sage," the old Lucario snorted as he removed the wooden utensil from his paw and placed it along with the pen to the side.
"Hey, I just want things to go as smoothly as possible! Sue me!" Viggo huffed while the Sage simply chuckled in response.
"Rest assured, Captain. I know Cecil very well and believe me when I say that we can count on him to deliver. Sure, it might require a bit of compensation on my part down the line; I can already see a grand, all-expenses-paid-for banquet in my future… But I'm certain that it'll all be worth it," he explained with a cheeky grin. "Remember, this is sure to affect him and Zephyros as well, so he's unlikely to be a bystander in this crisis anyway. Its best that we reach out to him sooner rather than later so that we can put our heads together and find a way out of this jam as quickly as possible."
"Right… I can agree with that," Viggo sighed as he nodded slowly. "So that's the plan. I'll have the Guardians bolster our defenses while you inform Mayor Cecil about the situation. Then, we'll all just have to wait and see what he can do for us," he explained as the Sage promptly rolled up his letter and held it above his head.
"Seems as good a plan as we can muster right now, Captain. I may not oversee Auraciel's defense anymore, but I'd like to think I still have a few tricks up my sleeve…" he mused while waving his letter back and forth. "Hey. Heeey, Toft… Wake up, Toft!" he yelled, waking up the Pidove in the corner yet again.
"GWAWK! Wha?! What is it, Sage?!" the disoriented Pidove squawked.
"Here," the Sage said as he held the letter aloft. "Deliver this to Mayor Cecil, pronto," he ordered Toft, who shook his head free of drowsiness and fluttered over to grab the parchment with his talons.
"R-right away, Sage! I'll see that it gets to him in one piece!" the Flying-type cooed, saluting the Sage with a wing.
"Oh, and Toft…" the old Lucario added, getting the Pidove's attention just as he was about to leave. "Keep your guard up, will you? There are sure to be foul forces at work tonight…" he warned him. Toft gulped and nodded back to the Sage before taking flight, fluttering out of the large window and into the night sky with the letter in tow.
"Well, that takes care of that," the Sage sighed as he put the wooden board and utensil to the side. "Alright then, Captain. From this point forward, I'm entrusting the defense of Auraciel to you and the Guardians. I have complete faith that you can handle it," he told him as he gave a small nod.
"Thanks, Linus. That means a lot coming from you," Viggo replied as he gave a slight bow. "I'll inform the rest of the Guardians about our plan and get things moving as soon as possible."
"Excellent. Go do that and get some shuteye. I'll be doing the same pretty soon… That is, after I have a little chat with the young one here," the Sage replied before glaring over at Eli, who visibly tensed up as the Sage's soft yet somehow intense stare was now focused on him.
"Fine, fine. I'll take my leave, then. Goodnight, Linus!" Viggo sighed, turning to leave but pausing briefly just to give the Riolu a stern glare. Eli responded by giving him the stink-eye, eliciting an annoyed groan from the tired Lucario as he walked past him and exited through the door.
The sound of the door shutting echoed throughout the Sage's chamber, highlighting the awkward silence that followed while Eli and the elderly Lucario stared each other down. A light, ocean breeze blew in through the open window, causing its wood and glass panels to shudder ever so slightly. It was the only sound that cut through the quiet atmosphere of the cluttered room as it ruffled the Riolu and Lucario's fur. After a solid minute of nothing but silence and tense glaring had passed, the Sage sighed and finally closed his eyes.
"Erherm… I suppose you have more than a few questions for me, kid," the Sage muttered as he relaxed his arm and laid his staff across his lap. Although the elderly Lucario was gently trying to deescalate the tension between him and Eli, the Riolu was still glaring at him quite intensely. He could sense the angst and distrust radiating from the young Riolu's Aura, but even then it didn't take an Auracle to tell what he was feeling. "What? Don't you want to talk to me?"
The Riolu seemed to soften up just a bit as he let out a beleaguered sigh and crossed his arms. "Well if I'm being honest, I didn't exactly come back just to be dragged to your lair for a lecture," the Riolu scoffed.
"No lectures here. Just a real, man-to-man talk, Elias…" the Sage told him, the Riolu's eyes opening a bit more as his arms fell to his sides. Upon seeing this reaction, the old Lucario smirked and gave the youngster an encouraging nod. "Now… I bet you'd like to continue our conversation that was cut short a month ago, wouldn't you?"
At this point, it seemed as if Eli's defensive walls were slowly but surely crumbling under the seasoned scrutiny of the Sage. He balled his paws into fists and clenched hard, his ears flattening as his bitter expression softened into something more melancholy and vulnerable. He could feel his ears heating up as his earlier resolve he showed in the face of both Viggo and the Sage was starting to wane. However, he knew he couldn't break down so easily in front of the Sage. He had to buck up and have the conversation with him that he had been avoiding for the past month. Things had changed since then, and his time living on his own in Zephyros had certainly changed him as well.
Eli raised his head and swallowed, looking the Sage directly in the eye once again. At first, he nodded slowly without saying anything, unable to form any words that would move the conversation forward. He relaxed his fists and tried to regain his composure, taking a deep breath as another gust of salty sea air entered the room, reminding him of the future that lay ahead of him and why he had to have this conversation in the first place. It was time to stop running, and he was hoping that the Sage could provide the answers he was looking for.
"Why did you lie to me for all these years?" he finally asked. "You knew who my father was all along."
The Sage kept silent for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "Eli… When you get older, you'll realize that you have to make tough decisions on what to tell, and what not to tell those you care about," he explained delicately.
"Oh, please. That's your answer? You lied to me because you cared about me?" the Riolu growled, trembling slightly.
"Yes. Although you'll probably doubt it, I made that decision in order to help you."
"How the hell does that help me, Sage?! You know how confused I was for all those years! I never knew my parents and had no idea what happened to them, or why they left me on this island in the first place. You knew the truth all along and never told me!"
"Calm down, Eli! Don't get ahead of yourself, you hear me?" the Sage snapped back. "You don't know the details of what happened when Audrey and I met your father."
"So then why don't you tell me? Right now…" Eli murmured angrily.
"Hmph. You know, I was going to get to that when we started this conversation before, but you stormed off before I could tell you…" the old Lucario groaned.
"Whatever… I'm ready to listen now, so you can go ahead and tell me," the Riolu huffed.
"Very well, then. Sit down," he ordered, shutting his eyes as Eli took a seat on the floor and crossed his legs. "I'll warn you that some of the things I'm going to tell you may be difficult for you to hear, so I'll be sure to give you time to process everything as I go along," the Lucario added softly with his eyes still closed.
Eli nodded and looked at his elder with a focused and serious expression, letting him know that he was ready to listen. The Sage cleared his throat and opened one eye to make sure that the young Riolu was actually sitting on the floor before he spoke again. "Sixteen years ago, a Lucario washed up on a beach outside of Zephyros. Audrey found him lying unconscious there during one of her walks and saw that he was clutching an egg in his arms. Your egg, to be precise. She helped him regain consciousness and brought him back to our temple where he rested up for a few days," he explained thoroughly. "Strangely, he didn't want to divulge even the most basic information to us. Not his age, his profession, or even his name… That stood out as very suspicious to me, so I was against letting him come here. However, the Sage at that time was much more trusting, so he allowed him to stay here despite that. After a few days of prodding, Audrey managed to get at least those few things out of him. He revealed that he was a thirty-year-old Ranger from the Far Realms, and that his name was Ezekiel Amnael."
"Ezekiel… Amnael?" Eli repeated slowly.
"Yeah, that was it. Now apparently that name carried a lot of clout, because Audrey told me that she was in disbelief when he uttered it. I talked privately with her about it, and from what she told me, he was once an infamous Ranger that operated in the Far Realms," the elderly Lucario explained.
"So he was a Ranger, huh? Audrey was once a Ranger too, wasn't she?"
"That's true, so its really no surprise that she knew of him before ever meeting him. However, she had never seen him in person, so it was understandably still a bit of a shock for her to find out that he was the Ezekiel Amnael."
"Well c'mon then! Tell me why he was so famous! I've heard a little about Rangers, and apparently there's thousands of 'em. Why did he stand out so much?" the Riolu inquired ardently.
"Eh… Audrey started rattling off a bunch of things that he supposedly did, but I wasn't too interested to be honest. I could never stand those larger-than-life types and most of their so-called feats tend to be bogus anyway," the Sage grumbled.
"Hmm. You were probably just jealous…" Eli mumbled as he pursed his lips.
"Ha, in your dreams! Don't start acting smug just because your old man's apparently a big shot, okay?" the Lucario scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah whatever…" Eli sighed with a yawn. "Besides, I'm just messing with you, Sage. I'm not about to start looking up to the guy just because I know his name. After all, he abandoned me here without leaving even a single Poké to cover my expenses," he huffed.
"So what, you're saying that if he had left you some money you would've been more forgiving towards him?" the Sage asked as he rolled his eyes.
"Wouldn't have hurt…"
"Hmph. Let's see if that smugness holds by the time I finish my story," the Sage murmured. "On that note, I should also mention that you and your father weren't the only ones who arrived on the island that day…"
"Huh? You mean someone else came here, too?"
"Yes, and you might've heard about him before… You see, the one I'm talking about was a Darkrai, and it seemed as if he and your father knew each other. He attacked the temple, but Ezekiel helped us subdue him. After their scuffle, he disappeared and hasn't been seen since," the Sage explained.
"Wait, wait, wait… Don't tell me you're talking about the same Darkrai that everyone here knows about? The one I've been hearing about for years?"
"Indeed, the exact same one."
"No kidding… So it was after my father? That can't be good," Eli remarked quietly as he crossed his arms and shivered. "I wonder what sort of business that Darkrai could've had with my old man."
"Actually, we believe that it might have been after you," the Sage replied casually.
"HUH?!" Eli exclaimed, startling the old Lucario. "Stop joking around! Why would he be after me of all Pokémon?!" he asked, sounding quite flustered and shaken.
"Ah, there's the reaction I was expecting. I was thinking you were taking this all a little too well…" the Sage sighed as he shook his head. "Heck if I know! Sorry, but even after all these years, I still don't have an inkling of what the Darkrai's motivations were with you. It would've helped if your father was a bit more forthcoming about his past, but he instead chose to keep us all in the dark. All I care about at this point is that they ended up taking whatever was going on between them off our island. We didn't need any more trouble to deal with anyway."
"This story just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?" the Riolu whimpered.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted me to tell you all of this! I warned you that some of this would be hard to hear! If its too much for you to handle, I could always just stop."
"No, no! D-don't mind me, I was just thinking out loud. You can keep going..."
"Very well then. We've looked into it over the years and thankfully the Darkrai seems to have left quite a while ago— most likely along with Ezekiel. Ergo, we don't believe that he still poses any sort of threat to us or you," the Lucario said with a shrug. "Aaaaand that's pretty much it. After that bit of excitement your father just left the island abruptly. Conveniently just before you hatched," he muttered in distaste.
"Well at least there isn't a Darkrai hunting me now. Did he say anything else before he left?" Eli asked, having seemingly calmed down.
"Hmm? Oh, right! He did say one last thing to us," the Sage remarked as Eli perked up his ears. "Before he left for good, he mentioned that he wanted to name you Elias. And so… we did."
"Oh… Okay then," the Riolu murmured in disappointment. "Really? Nothing else?" he groaned.
"Gee, what did you want, kid?" the Sage scoffed as he started to dig inside his ear again. "A map to his location? A prophecy? The key to your inheritance?"
"W-well not exactly, but… Like… I wanted something at the very least," Eli sighed glumly. "I kinda feel like I have more questions than answers now…"
"Hmph. Such is life," the Sage sighed. "Although, now that I'm thinking about all of this again… There was one thing Audrey told me that made me take things more seriously," the Lucario admitted. "And it's what prompted Audrey and I to keep your family name hidden from you for so long. You see, Eli… Audrey informed me that the Amnael name is considered cursed in the Far Realms."
"Huh?! Ya know that definitely counts as something, right?!"
"Oh I'm sorry, my mistake! It must have slipped my mind. But don't mind me, I'm just a tad exhausted from staying up way past my bedtime so I can deal with an imminent invasion of Voids on our home while taking the time to talk to your troublesome self about your real name and father, that's all…" the old Sage groaned.
Eli was about to levy a retort back at the annoyed Lucario, but instead held his tongue after processing his words. "Point taken."
"Darn straight. But back to what I was saying. Apparently the Amnael family name holds some sort of significance that I'm unfortunately not privy to. And that's aside from the fact that your father was a famous Ranger," the Sage clarified.
"So, the Amnael name on its own is infamous for some reason, huh? You really don't have any leads?" the Riolu grunted as he cocked and scratched his head.
"How should I know?" the Sage grumbled grumpily. "For what its worth, I did try to press Audrey on the subject a bit more, but she said it was best I didn't know. I also consulted our archives for any information on them, but I couldn't find anything there either," he added.
"Wow. I never thought that there could be that much of a fuss over a name," Eli remarked.
"And that's what really got to me. Listen, kid… Audrey and I withheld that name from you for good reason—, so that you wouldn't bring trouble to us, and that you wouldn't go looking for it," the Sage sternly told him. "We wanted to wait until you were old enough to handle the truth, but judging from your behavior I still might've told you everything too early," he elaborated, blinking slowly as Eli stared back at him with a mischievous smirk. "And I'm just now realizing that I might've made a grave mistake."
"Nonsense, Sage! I can handle it. You can definitely count on me to keep this all on the down-low," Eli replied.
"Well now that I've just told you everything, it can't really be helped," the Lucario grumbled. "But seriously, kid. I'm not quite sure what the full implications of the Amnael name are myself, but from the way Audrey acted when it was uttered, I can deduce that its probably not good. I just hope that you'll act responsibly with the knowledge I've given you," he explained as he sharply jabbed a digit towards the Riolu. "For starters, I wouldn't go blabbing about your last name in public. Something tells me that'll only bring more unwanted attention and trouble to you that no one needs."
"No surprise there. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep it a secret," the Riolu remarked with a yawn.
"I mean it, Eli," the Sage reiterated firmly. "Also, you should try to focus more on your studies and training to become a Guardian. I understand it may not be your preferred lifestyle, but we can at least keep you safe on this island. Then, if you become an Auracle Guardian you can play a crucial role in our society, which in turn will help you become more respected and accepted by your peers— something I know you've had trouble with in the past," he continued, leaning forward while looking into the young jackal's tired eyes. "Now that'd be something you'd want, correct?"
Eli exhaled and looked away from the Sage, squirming in place a bit as he was still processing everything that he'd been told so far. "Maybe…" he ended up responding, albeit in a somewhat passive-aggressive manner. "I might have to think about that a little more," he added as he placed his paws on his knees.
"Eli…" the Sage sighed, almost as if he was expecting such an answer.
"Sage, I…" Eli began, but quieted down for a few moments before continuing. "I'll be straight with you. What you've told me tonight changes things. I really have a lot to think about now. I don't wanna make any promises, but I'll be sure to take your words into account," he finally replied reluctantly.
"Well, that's better than nothing I suppose," the old Lucario snorted. "I know it's a lot to take in, especially after such a tumultuous series of events. I may be stubborn as a mule, but I recognize that you are as well. I get that I can try to influence you as much as I can, but in the end, I know that you're going to do what you want. However, I fully expect you to return here relatively soon to continue your Auracle training. Perhaps you can finally awaken your true potential with a little more time under Viggo's tutelage," he said as he stroked his beard once again. "But enough about that; was there anything else you wanted to talk about before we call it a night?" he asked as he closed his eyes. The room fell silent for a few moments, prompting the elderly jackal to open his eyes again. He saw Eli sitting in front of him as expected, but he harbored a distant look in his eyes, one that the Sage hadn't seen often. "What are you thinking, kid? You look like you wanna say something…"
"Huh? Oh, it's just…" Eli began, his voice wavering a bit as his confident exterior faltered briefly. "For years I've been hearing rumors from the adults and elders about what happened when I was left here by my father, but I never wanted to believe them. But from what you've told me, it seems like they were true all along."
"If you knew, then why are you still surprised?"
"Oh no, it's not that I'm surprised. I'm just kinda disappointed, that's all," the young Riolu sighed. "I was hoping that things had gone differently than what I was hearing— just slightly even. I expected my father to care at least a little about leaving me here, but… That wasn't the case, was it?"
"I see what you're saying. If it's any consolation, we were all quite shocked by his sudden departure as well. He didn't tell any of us at the temple that he was planning on leaving so soon, and we all thought that he would stay a bit longer at least just to take care of you for a while after you hatched," the Sage explained. "And although he kind of just dumped you on us without warning, what were our other options? We briefly discussed giving you to the orphanage in Zephyros, but… In hindsight I realize that you might've turned out to be an even bigger public menace than you are already without our guidance," he added with a slight chuckle. "But no, we weren't about to do the same to you, so we took you into our fold and raised you as one of us… Admittedly with mixed results."
"Heh… I mean… Thanks for that, I guess," Eli murmured coyly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well you don't have to lay it on so thick, kid."
"Hey, I'm trying to get better at this kind of stuff, okay?"
"I mean I didn't ask for it, so don't overexert yourself on my behalf," the Lucario mumbled. "But if you insist, I'll humbly accept your gratitude— however stingy you might be with it…"
"Sure, but… Can I ask you one last thing, Sage?" the Riolu asked. "I can't help but notice that you haven't brought up my Mom at all. What happened to her?" the Riolu asked with a solemn twinge in his voice. "Do you know anything about her? Did my father tell you anything at all?"
"Hmm… No, unfortunately. Like I said, your father arrived alone with your egg on Zephyr Island. I did inquire about your mother, but Ezekiel wouldn't spill no matter how much we asked…"
"Oh…" Eli sighed. "I see. That's alright, I just wanted to know what she's like…"
"Hrm?"
"I've always wondered if she would want me more than he did, but I guess I'm not likely to find out anytime soon, huh?"
"Sadly that looks to be the case. Sorry, kid," the Lucario replied softly.
"Don't worry about it, Sage. Thanks for telling me what you could," Eli murmured quietly as he started to stand up again. "I'll admit I'm still a little sore that you kept that stuff from me for all these years, but I can forgive you since you were nice enough to fill me in on everything you knew."
"Well I had to tell you all of that eventually. And you know, I hate to say it but you sort of made me think of Ezekiel when you took off all of a sudden last month," the Sage chuckled. "That definitely made me worry, but I guess I should've expected something like that from his son," he sighed.
"Oh yeah, at first I wanted to say sorry for that but now that I think about it, being on my own for a while actually did some good for me. And what's more, now that I know my father's name, I have a pretty good idea for what I should do next," the Riolu explained with a scheming grin.
"That's fine and all but… Er, wait a second. What you should do next? What do you mean by that?"
"Uh… No reason! Don't worry about it…"
"Um, no. No no no. No no NO, Eli! You're not thinking of looking for trouble, are you? What did I just get done telling you?!" the old Lucario grunted as he jumped to his feet.
"Geez, relax! Of course I'm not!" Eli groaned while emphatically shrugging.
"You're not being very convincing, you know."
"Seriously, Sage! You really don't have to worry about what I'm doing all the time…"
"Experience has told me otherwise but suuuuuure, I'll just take your word for it…" the Sage remarked in a patronizing tone before getting right in Eli's face. "NOT! Listen carefully to me, Eli. I swear upon the ever-enduring spirit of Arceus that if you do anything, and I mean anything stupid or selfish that endangers our temple or even this island, I'll make sure that you regret it!"
"I get it! I get it! Would you please just give it a rest already?!" Eli growled as he reeled back from the Lucario and began to turn around to walk towards the door.
"Alright, fine… But before I dismiss you, I have just one more thing I want to talk to you about," the Sage told him as he leaned back up and tapped the bottom of his staff against the floor. "It shouldn't take long."
Eli stopped in his tracks and slowly turned back to the Sage, who was looking at him expectantly. "Ah what the hell, shoot," he sighed as he gave another shrug.
"Tell me something, Eli… And do be upfront and honest about it. What exactly are your intentions with my granddaughter?"
The Riolu suddenly tensed up. "Uhhh…" he whimpered as his eyes grew wide and his pupils shrank. "Wh-who? Lara?"
"I don't recall having any other granddaughters."
"R-right! Lara! Silly me, I just didn't know why you would bring her up all of a sudden," Eli murmured nervously as he pressed his paws together. "As for my intentions, what do you mean? I'm her good friend and we like helping each other out. That's all!"
"Do you think I'm dumb, kid? Despite your feeble attempts to hide it from me, I've heard on good authority from Viggo and other sources that you two have grown exponentially closer during the past few years," the Lucario sighed.
"S-so? What's wrong with that? Its not like I'm bugging her or anything…"
"Perhaps in your view, Eli. However, you have much to learn about personal responsibility," the Sage murmured gravely before clearing his throat. "Listen, you obviously have an eye for my granddaughter, and under normal circumstances that would be perfectly fine. Except for one little problem," he said as he leaned forward and glared into Eli's eyes. "She's still training to become an Envoy! Viggo and I have noticed her studies slipping ever since you left and she evolved. I asked her about it, and from what I could gather you've been having an inordinate effect on her even when you're not around!"
Eli had been listening carefully with bated breath to every word that the Sage had been saying to him about Lara so far, as he was utterly terrified of letting too much information slip. However, after the old Lucario confirmed that he had managed to affect Lara even when he wasn't around, the smugness that had been present earlier in their conversation quickly returned in full force, this time with a hint of impish pride. "Oh~? I have, huh~?" he snickered while trying and failing to contain what was perhaps the cheekiest smirk of his life.
"Wipe that stupid grin off your face at once, Eli!" the Sage barked even as the Riolu continued to giggle to himself. "I wasn't giving you a compliment, you know! Anyway, the fact of the matter is that you're causing her feelings to get in the way of her training. And that's unacceptable! My family has prided itself on our ability to put our duties ahead of our personal feelings! And you… You of all Pokémon…" he growled, quivering as he pointed a digit towards Eli. "You're endangering that!"
"Well, shucks! I had no idea I had it in me…" Eli cooed coyly.
"Don't congratulate yourself yet, you little wiseass. If you think I'm going to let you just waltz in and put my precious Lara's prospects to become a great Envoy in jeopardy, you can think again!"
"Now hold on a second! I'm not trying to make her slip up, I swear! Heck, I didn't even know this was happening all this time…"
"It's not that I think you're doing it on purpose, it's that you're obviously too pig-headed and self-centered to realize the damage you're doing," the Lucario grumbled.
"Damage? Oh please, all we do is talk and help each other with training! There's really nothing to worry about," Eli replied dismissively. "We're still just friends! If you insist then I'll be sure to take her goals into account, you can trust me!"
"After you've already asked her on a date to the Springtide Festival without my permission? I don't think so," the Sage murmured smarmily, glowering at the Riolu.
"Wha—," Eli gasped, jolting in surprise.
"Oh yes, I know, Eli. Viggo told me. There's no use hiding it."
"Aw Sage, that's just—," Eli tried to respond, but was sharply cut off by the Lucario.
"I forbid it."
"Huh?!"
"FORBIDDEN!"
"But Sage!"
"Absolutely out of the question!"
"Sage, please! Lara said yes and she was really excited to go with me! I went through a lot of trouble to get her a meaningful gift for her Egg Day, too!" the Riolu pleaded. "Neither of us wanna disappoint her, right? Can you imagine how sad she'll be if our date is canceled? Throw me a bone and just let us have this one date at least!"
The old Lucario rubbed his furry chin and stroked his white beard for a few moments, raising an eyebrow at the young Riolu's words. Eli looked on, hoping that his passionate plea would sway the elder's opinions on the matter at least a little bit. "Hrrrrrrmm…. Well if you've got the breath to beg and plead, then perhaps you also have the ability to explain yourself in a mature manner. Tell you what; I'll give you one chance to convince me that you're trustworthy enough to court Lara. I'll ask you just one question. What one quality draws you to a girl?"
"Uh… I um…"
"Mmhmm…"
"I uh, like girls that…"
"Okay, yes, yes. You like girls, good to know. Out with the rest, boy."
Eli's teenage, hormone-addled brain had almost instantly produced an answer for him, but there was no way he was dumb enough to spout it out. "Oh man, I can't say THAT! He'll freaking kill me on the spot!" the Riolu thought frantically while trying to think of something meaningful but not too fake to say. "What sort of answer is he expecting from me?! I could just say something cliché but that won't cut it. The Sage isn't an idiot, he'll know if I'm just making something up and he's sure to call me on it! I'm also not great at that sappy stuff either… But there's one thing I can say that's true, which is that she's super strong. So much that I've dedicated a lot of my time to beating her in battle! Yeah, that's it! He'll appreciate that! But I have to make sure not to sound too cheesy or he'll think I'm faking it. I'll just have to be as honest as I can! Here goes!" The Riolu smiled at the Sage and placed his paws on his hips, standing firm as he proudly puffed out his chest and cleared his throat, confident and ready to give his answer. "I like girls that can beat me up!"
"…GET OUT!"
End of Chapter 6…
