I'm happy to know some old and new people like this story so far. This chapter was previously released and corrected in the original one as it is right now, but there are some changes to fit with the previous chapter's flow.
I encourage aura specialists to read on, enjoy, and review. :D
Chapter 2: A Fateful Encounter
The teen gulped once more, seeing the aura wielder's concerned look fixed on his face. Even if it was simple enough, the Lucario's worried look helped Chris to feel a bit secure. "…" Chris looked away, eyeing the Lucario by looking at him from the side. The teen's right eye twitched as he asked, "W-what do you want from me?"
The Lucario shook his head. "I don't want anything from you," he said.
"W-why were you standing right behind me all this time without saying anything?"
"Before you woke up, I got off from your bed earlier," the Lucario said. "When I looked around, I was confused of my whereabouts. And when I walked behind you, you suddenly woke up. I was about to say something until you started talking to yourself."
"…T-true enough," Chris muttered.
"…You were the one who looked after me, right?" the Lucario asked.
"Y-yes, sadly," Chris said.
"Why sadly?"
"B-because I'm really scared of you, that's why," Chris admitted, shaking in fear. "D-do you really think that it's so common to see a REAL Pokémon around these parts? Y-you're wrong if you think that."
The Lucario looked confused. "This…isn't Route 224?" he asked.
Chris kept staring at the Lucario.
The Lucario looked around the room. He found several magazines pilled up over one another on a corner, and there was a big, flat TV behind him and in front of the bed. He looked to his left where the window showed a street outside where other houses were extending to each side, and then he looked to his right where a closet was. "…Where am I now?" he asked. "Last time I recall…I was training in Route 224…"
"(Route 224?)" Chris thought. "(S-so then…does he know that he was there with the character I chose to play in that game?)"
"Do you know?" the Lucario asked.
Chris snapped out from his thoughts. "O-oh, um, well, this is not Route 224…" he trailed off in thought. "Y-you're standing inside my room of my house, in Los Angeles, California…"
"...Los Angeles?" the Lucario repeated. "What's Los Angeles?"
"L-Los Angeles is a big city where many people live, including me," Chris said.
"Does this place have Pokémon besides me?" the Lucario asked.
Chris looked away, worried about the Lucario's reaction. "Well…no… There aren't any Pokémon living in here…or any other part of the world…" He looked at the Lucario. "I-I told you that it wasn't common to see real Pokémon here."
"What?" the Lucario asked with some shock. "H-how is that possible? Did all Pokémon disappear completely from here?"
"N-no!" Chris said, looking back at the seemingly tall Lucario. "You don't understand anything. There hasn't been any Pokémon living in this world until you came here somehow…"
Chris stared at the Lucario's face. It looked as if his red eyes were completely still in place, not moving an inch. He looked down at the floor. "…That…sounds unbelievable to me…"
The teen gulped. "S-so what are you going to do now?" he asked, oblivious of the fact he was being serious. "I-I already told you that you're the only real Pokémon in this world."
The Lucario stared back at Chris. "Then…how did I end up in this world?"
The dreaded question made Chris's stomach hurl so much that he would puke at any moment. He was scared of telling the Lucario the truth about his fateful arrival. "…I'm sorry, but…" Chris muttered, trailing off at a loss of words.
"Yes?" the Lucario asked.
"(I can see what he'll do with me,)" Chris thought in panic. "(Once I tell him that he came out of a video game, he'll deny it and shoot me with a glare that'll possibly be even more terrifying than his current look! B-but I need to tell him otherwise!)"
"…" The Lucario looked worried at Chris. "…Can you…tell me?"
Chris swallowed his breath as his lips trembled. "I-in truth…you're just a creature from a video game…"
"…A what from a what?" the Lucario asked.
"(…Oh no, what did I just do?)" Chris asked. "(Now I'll have to explain what I meant by that, and he looks kind of about to breakdown with all these revelations…but…I hate to lie to people…and…what could he do to me if he were to get angry?)"
The Lucario looked a bit serious, but he was still a bit careful. "What do you mean I came from a video game? That sounds very…unbelievable…"
"…I-it's true…" Chris said before he walked reached out for his DS sitting on the charred drawer. He grabbed it and showed it to the Lucario. "You…came out from a video game inserted into this DS…"
The Lucario examined the small console. "…That looks like some sort of Pokédex to me."
"A…what?"
"It's not a Pokédex?" the Lucario asked. "I remember my trainer used this to examine every new Pokémon we encountered together…"
"(His trainer? He means the character I use,)" Chris thought. "(He seems to be very loyal to his trainer…even though it's just a computer-controlled character…) N-no, this isn't one of those. This one is just a mere console where you can play video games…and you're part of one of them…"
"…" the Lucario looked away. "…I…see…"
The teen couldn't believe an important factor. The Aura Pokémon didn't seem to react violently towards the truth about the real world and the video game fact. Chris thought that the Lucario was one of those Pokémon who didn't like to get fooled around, even thought Chris wasn't fooling around at all. "…What is it with you?" Chris asked confused.
The Lucario looked at Chris. "W-what do you mean?"
"I-I mean, what is it with your attitude?" Chris asked. "You're not getting angry at anything I'm telling you. I-I mean, you're not even looking mad because of something I thought you'd thought it was offensive to you…"
The Lucario shook a bit with fright. "I-it's just that…I…I…I don't know what to do here alone…"
"…What?"
"It's true…" the Lucario muttered. "I mean, what am I supposed to do? I'm not like the kind of Pokémon who fight before asking. I like to think carefully before fighting, but I don't fight unless I see someone dear to me in danger like…my trainer…"
"…I…see…" Chris muttered. "(I think I hurt his feelings…)"
"…And when I came into this place, you started to explain really weird facts," the Lucario said. "However, since you nursed me back to health, I thought you weren't hostile. Your aura was very pacific and warm, enough to convince me you were a good person."
"You…sensed my aura?"
"Yes. I sense auras beforehand so I can determine who's a harmless person and who's a dangerous person," the Lucario explained. "And…I can read minds thanks to my aura, and I read yours, and everything didn't seem like a lie at all. You really knew those were truths…and they scared me…a lot…" he muttered the last part.
Chris looked worried. The Lucario, surprisingly, looked very afraid. "W-well…I'm not kidding here or trying to fool you… To be honest, I'm frightened a bit at this whole thing of a real Pokémon jumping out my mere DS…"
The Lucario stared at Chris. "You are?"
"You don't get to see a six feet tall Lucario coming out from a small screen through a Poké Ball commonly around these parts…" Chris said skeptically. "T-that's really impossible, but you still did it…"
"…"
"And you expect me to react scared?" Chris asked. "I-I'm honestly scared, or really frightened about this whole thing! It's just that I remain calm to be careful… How does this explain that you came in here, breaking apart some reality?"
"I'm as confused as you are," the Lucario said, shrugging at the thought.
Chris sighed. "Oh goodness, this is all so… Just…I-I don't know what to believe anymore…"
"…" the Lucario looked down. "…Maybe I should just leave this place and find my way back home… You don't look like you want me here, and I think the same as well…"
"…Wait…you going OUT here?" Chris asked. "O-oh NO, you're not leaving this place!"
The Aura Pokémon took this as some kind of suggestion that he was captured against his will. He glared a bit at Chris. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say you kidnapped me?"
"(…H-holy crap, his glare looks really threatening to me. It looks even worse when he's taller than me…)" Chris gulped. "I-I'm not kidnapping you! H-haven't you thought that I'm the only person of the whole planet who's not going to freak out and call the police to restrain you?"
"You're going to do that to me?" It seemed that the Lucario's glare looked more and more menacing, but the fact that his hands flared up with aura made it clear that he was about to leap at Chris and beat the hell out of him at any second.
However, Chris was a nice thinker. His forehead sweated a lot, but his mind avoided getting into a state of panic. "P-please, don't hit me or do something to me!" he said as he backed away to the wall. "Y-you told me you thought before making an action, you remember that? A-also, you told me I had a nice aura, and I'm really a nice person! W-why would I kidnap someone who would surely kill me off, anyway?"
The Lucario glared at Chris. A silence took place in the room before the Lucario's aura vanished completely. He sighed in shame and looked down. "…Sorry for sounding threatening… I-I…was getting very stressed about all this…"
"(Translation: h-he'll kill me off very soon if I don't do this right,)" Chris thought with worry at the sight of the ashamed Lucario. "W-what I was trying to say before you were about to hurt me i-is that, if you go out there, people will scream and label you as a monster!"
"But I'm not a monster…" the Lucario muttered.
"I-I know you're not a monster," Chris said. "I-I think I can live with seeing you around now that you seem docile…as long as you behave yourself…"
"…I will," he muttered.
"…" Chris looked preoccupied and moved closer to the edge of his bed. "R-really, everything is just fine for now. As long as you listen to me, you won't get in any trouble while you're here with me."
The Lucario looked ashamed at Chris. "…I don't think I'll handle this very well, not without my trainer…" He looked to the drawer where his Poké Ball. "…My Poké Ball…"
Chris glanced at the spherical object. "Oh, that… That's how you came into this place."
The Lucario shrugged. "How unbelievable…"
"…" Chris looked away. "…Let me guess something…you really want to go back to your world as soon as possible, right?"
"Yes…"
"…But…I-I don't know how, though…" Chris muttered. "If I knew, I could've helped you right after you were healed…"
The Lucario looked concerned. "So…am I…stuck in here?"
"…" Chris silently nodded, making the Lucario's fear grow. "…I'm sorry for telling you this… It must be hard to believe for you, a-and for me as well, but… "
"…It's okay…" the Lucario said, "it's not your fault, anyway…"
The teen forced a worried smile. He tried to cheer the creature up. "…But at least you're here, though," he said. "You're not somewhere where your life is in danger or something, right?"
"…" The Lucario remained silent, looking down upon the floor.
"(Oh great, now he's going to be mopping around with that attitude…)" Chris thought. "(I can't have him look like this. He looks really sad, even though his eyes kind of give a glare… N-no, I need to do something for him. I-I can avoid making him mad, a-and it's easy for me to show some hospitality.)"
"…" The Lucario sat down on the floor and sighed. "What do I do now…" he trailed off. "I'm stuck in this place without any means to go back…"
"I-I'm sorry, really," Chris said. "I would like to know a way to get you back to your world, but I don't know one… It's really going to be impossible to accomplish a big feat like that in here..."
"…" The silence the Lucario made a few times made Chris feel uncomfortable. The teen thought it was amazing that a Lucario was there before his eyes, but it didn't look that exciting if that same Lucario didn't look better than being depressed.
Sadly giving up, Chris sighed and frowned. "…I don't know what to do to help you," Chris said. "…But maybe I should leave you alone for the time being…"
The Lucario looked at him. "Well…maybe I need time to think about what I should do now. It could concern you, but…I wish to be alone and think more about this… Please, ignore me and do whatever you do here in your home…"
Chris gave the Lucario a worried look. "Okay, if you insist…" he trailed off before he went stood up and started to fix his bed with the bed sheets, Lucario remaining still in front of it as he stared at the TV's reflection depicting him and Chris fixing his bed.
The Aura Pokémon closed his eyes and sighed while Chris ignored his presence. For Chris, it was a bit hard to ignore Lucario. He accidentally looked at the Lucario's back just to satisfy himself that he was real. He shook his head at this, trying to focus on his usual house chores. He felt a very odd guilt that couldn't cheer him up.
The Lucario's left ear seemed to be listening to some mutters Chris was making. "…It's kind of nice that there's someone here in my house, though…" Chris muttered. "At least I don't feel like I'm all alone…but still, I…don't feel different…"
It was better to ask away so the Lucario didn't feel stressed over his current problem.
"Pardon me?" the Lucario suddenly asked, turning to his left to look at Chris. "Sorry, but I happened to listen that it was good you weren't alone anymore… Why is that?"
Chris just finished with his bed and looked a bit shocked at the Lucario. "U-um, you heard me talking to myself?" he asked.
"I did," the Lucario stated. "And now that I think about it…don't people have families living in a same house like this one?"
Chris chuckled nervously. "Oh, that… W-well, I'm an exception to that fact…"
"What? You are?"
"Y-yes," Chris said, hinting some kind of depression. "I don't know if I should just tell this to you..."
"I'm kind of interested, but if you don't want to..." the Lucario trailed off.
Chris smiled a bit. He thought again to change his thoughts. "…I think it's okay if I tell you," he said. "…You see, my family is just my dad, my mom, and me. Both of them have been away ever since I graduated from kindergarten."
"Why is that?"
Chris looked down. "My parents work as business specialists. They both met in university and fell in love. Their job is a weird one to me because they help companies across the country and sometimes overseas to provide plans for further development to nourish them all with complicated ideas and plans."
"That is amazing," the Lucario remarked as he blinked a bit. "…But why leave you behind? Wouldn't it be better if you went with them?"
Chris looked outside the window. "Their work is so hard that they have to be traveling almost everywhere, and they needed to do it so they could maintain me," Chris explained. "And honestly speaking, they thought it was better for me if I remained somewhere where I didn't have to be constantly setting in. This is where we live so it'd be obvious for me to settle in a place like this city. Luckily, I have my uncles watching over me whenever I want some company."
"…" The Lucario nodded. "And if you're all alone here, how do you manage to live by yourself?"
"My uncles constantly drop by like two times a week," Chris said. "They like me. They cook for me. Thanks to them, I got used to live alone…but it's kind of…very sad for me to rest in a house where there's no one else rather than myself. They used to live here until I learned how to cook for myself. I'm not a good cook, but at least I can make food."
"It…must've been really hard for you…" the Lucario muttered in remark.
"D-don't get me wrong. I'm very used to this kind of thing," Chris said with a nervous smile. "I have a few friends who drop by every once in a while, so it's all good."
"…" The Lucario stared at Chris for some seconds. "…But you still feel very alone, right?"
"…W-well…yes…" Chris muttered. "Since you're here…I thought it'd be nice if you settled in here…but that's just wishful thinking. I don't want to force you to stay here, anyway. Even if it's amazing that you're here…I have to keep a straight face and be honest and fair."
The Lucario looked away for a moment before looking back at Chris. "And seeing that I don't have a way to go back to my world, it made you think I'd stay here with you?"
"Unless…you want to go out and become pursued for looking like some sort of monster…" Chris said. "…If you stay in here, though, you won't get in trouble."
"…I see," the Lucario said.
Chris nodded. "So don't think bad stuff about me, okay? Don't worry, either."
" I won't think about it during my stay in this place with you. I'll live with you so you don't feel alone, and so I can be safe. It looks like a nice place to live, and…you seem very nice."
"Of course it is," Chris said with a chuckle before he walked away from the room through the door, the Lucario staring at him in confusion.
"…I thought he was going to get happy for me because I said I wanted to stay with him," the Lucario muttered to himself.
At that moment, Chris peeked from the door at the Lucario. The Aura Pokémon turned to look at him. "W-what did you just say just now?" Chris asked in shock.
"I…said I was going to live with you," the Lucario said.
Chris shook his head in shock before he quickly walked over to the Lucario's side. Even though he looked surprised, he maintained a careful approach and mind to the Lucario. "W-what? A-are you even sure about your decision? I-I mean, I know you're stuck in here and all that, but seriously, you're planning to stay here with me?"
The Lucario nodded. "I don't have a place to go in this…world," he said. "And seeing that you're kind enough to me, why not stay here?"
"W-well, for one, it doesn't really concern you to live here," Chris said with honesty. "Really, you're just jumping over the fence…"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're making quick decisions…" Chris shook his head. "B-but anyway, I don't want you to live here if you don't want to! Really, I'm used to live alone already…"
"And I want to break that depressing thought," the Lucario said before he stood up, looking down at Chris. "I read your mind, and you were looking even worse when you were talking about you being alone. Even you were thinking about avoiding crying."
Chris blushed a bit. "I-I… Y-you're really lucky to have mind-reading powers," he admitted. "B-but yes, I was thinking about that… Wait, I'm not even your trainer!"
"But you have my Poké Ball with you," the Lucario pointed out, glancing at the mentioned object. "My other trainer left it behind, and you have it with you now, so you might be some kind of temporal replacement until I get to go back…provided there's some kind of way, that is…"
Chris looked worried, noticing the Lucario's depressed look. "Please, stop looking so depressed…" Chris said.
The Lucario looked at him. "You're the one looking depressed. You were thinking you didn't want me to go as well."
"O-okay, seriously, stop reading my mind right now," Chris said in embarrassment. "You're being a bit annoying, you…mind stalker…"
"Sorry…" the Lucario muttered, "it's just that I wanted to get my stress out of me. I wanted to do something else so I didn't feel like this…"
"And staying here will help you with that?"
"Why not? I think it'll be a nice thing if a stayed here. Why are you opting against it?"
"I-I'm not so sure about that decision because it just doesn't seem right to me to make you stay while I'm not even telling you to do so," Chris said worried. "…Is it really good for you?"
"It is."
"…I don't know if I should listen…" Chris muttered. "Having to live alone by yourself makes you a serious person; otherwise I'd been really excited and happy for you coming in here…"
"Well, I think I like your attitude," the Lucario said. "I know you're an honest person. I can try to become used to live here."
Chris shook his head. "I-I'm still skeptical, though," he said. "If you're really sure about staying here, then…I won't say no, but if you do, you'll have to listen to what I have to say because you don't know anything about this world…"
The Lucario nodded. "That's fine with me."
The way the Lucario responded sounded as if he had accepted Chris as his trainer. The teen blinked a bit, concerned about the situation. "…Okay…" Chris muttered. "So…now you're the first guest to stay in my house…"
The Lucario nodded once more. "I won't do anything bad while I'm here. If you want, I can stay somewhere in here and meditate."
Chris looked a bit worried. "…Do you just meditate all day or what? I think it sounds a bit boring to me."
"But it helps to channel and hone my aura," the Lucario said. "It's also very calm and nice."
"Well, I honestly think you can do better than that," Chris said. "W-what else do you do besides meditating all day?"
"I fight against other Pokémon…eat…meditate…and sleep…" the Lucario trailed off.
"(…What am I thinking that's something Pokémon in the games do ALL day?)" Chris thought with skepticism. "(They need to do other things like that, seriously…) O-okay, since I'm a bit concerned about what you do, I'm going to show you how to spend the time."
The Lucario looked confused. "But it is fine with me to do what I always do. My trainer made me do that."
"(If that's true…then I might be guilty because I technically control the trainer…)" Chris thought. "Well…that trainer of yours… (and if I say something insulting, he'll kill me off for sure. Lucarios are loyal Pokémon to their trainers, am I right?) …didn't teach you that many things for sure…"
"She didn't?"
"(…Oh, right, I chose the girl Dawn in the Diamond version and Lucas in the Pearl version…) T-that's what I can tell," Chris said. "You haven't done more things like watching TV or doing some kind of hobby? I think Pokémon are capable of doing other stuff…"
The Lucario looked away. "Now that you mention it…I think I can do more…"
"(And is it just me or is he way too naïve?)" Chris thought. "(I don't really like people being this naïve…) If you think you can do more, then…maybe I could help you out."
"Can you?" the Lucario asked with a bit of interest.
"S-sure, I don't mind as long as you listen to me," Chris said. "A Pokémon like you can do a lot more than all those things. I'm sure of it."
The Lucario thought for a moment. "If that's so…maybe I'll make me feel less stressed."
"(I can see him destroying something to its oblivion…)" Chris shrugged at the thought. "(I saw how his hands flared with aura… Come to think of it…can he use his attacks in here? I…better not ask or else he could do one and destroy something in my room…)"
"So…" the Lucario shifted his eyes around, "what are you going to do?"
"Huh? Oh, well, I-I'm going to eat breakfast," Chris said. "You can come if you want."
"Do you have Oran Berries?"
Chris stared at him. "…No, there aren't any Oran Berries in here…and other things you were fed in your world…"
"…Am I going to starve to death?"
"D-don't be so silly," Chris said in disgust. "You've never eaten hotcakes, scrambled eggs, or even a small sandwich?"
"No, because I've never eaten those before… I was usually inside my Poké Ball all the time."
"(I pity him so much…)" Chris thought. "(It must be really boring to be inside that thing for long periods of time…)" He looked serious at the Lucario. "Well, from now on, I'll make sure you get to see everything you've been missing."
The Lucario stared at him. "I've been missing many things?"
"Oh god, you don't even know how many," Chris said. "Look, I'll try my best to let you see and know everything you need to see and know. The way you currently are isn't really going to benefit you that much during your stance in my home."
The Lucario sighed. "Maybe…"
"(Okay, he seems calm and obedient enough for someone to tell him stuff,)" Chris thought. "(Thank goodness he isn't a wild Lucario…but even so, there aren't any wild Lucarios you can catch in the games…)" He nodded at the Lucario. "Do you want to eat breakfast with me? I can picture you eating hotcakes. I can cook a few things, though, but my uncles usually make leftovers and dishes for me to eat later."
The Lucario's belly suddenly growled a bit, making him blush in embarrassment. "I…suppose I want to eat…"
"…P-pfft…" Chris chuckled a bit. "Y-you know, it looks a bit funny that you have a bit of a skinny body and you're hungry… (But, then again, with how big he is, it doesn't really look that different now…)"
The Lucario looked a bit annoyed at this. "I only eat when I'm hungry, not when I want to."
"You look like the kind of serious people who eat only when needed, but it's not bad to eat something you want to eat unless you don't have control," Chris explained. "But anyway, come with me, please."
As the teen turned around, the Lucario held out his hand. "W-wait, please," the Lucario said, stopping Chris on his tracks.
Chris turned to look at the Lucario. "Is something bothering you?"
"No, I…just wanted to ask for your name," the Lucario said.
"…M-my name? Oh, right, I didn't introduce myself yet," Chris said before forcing a smile. "You can call me Chris, that's my name. I don't like to mention my full name because it's…embarrassing to me."
"Chris…" the Lucario said. "That's a nice name," he said.
"Is it? Oh, thank you…" Chris said embarrassed. "So…do you have a nickname or you're just named Lucario?"
"Just Lucario," the Lucario said. "I hate pointless nicknames."
"Me too," Chris admitted before he chuckled. "W-well then, nice to meet you, Lucario. I hope your stance here is of your liking…"
"Nice to meet you too, Chris," Lucario said. "Can you do me a favor?"
"W-what would that be?"
"Could you…stop stuttering as if I'm going to hurt you?" Lucario asked. "It's useless and annoying to stutter even if I'm not going to do something bad. You can trust me that I won't do any harm to you or your house."
Chris sighed with relief. "R-really? Oh, sorry… I think I can trust you fully now," he admitted, making a true smile. "In fact, I'm getting very used in seeing your face."
"If you're going to say something like I glare all day, you're wrong," Lucario said.
"But I might be lying, though…" Chris muttered. "…I'll pull this out somehow. Have some faith in me, okay?"
"Since you're the only one here…I'll put all the faith in you," Lucario said.
"I won't disappoint you…I guess," Chris said. "Well, let's go and eat to the living room."
The Aura Pokémon obeyed and followed the teen out from the room. As they both walked out, Lucario found himself walking in a hallway where the space was big. There were five rooms on each side, giving ten rooms in total. The walls were white, and the floor had white tiles. Lucario blinked at this before looking at Chris. "Why are here so many rooms while you're the only person living in this house?"
"Oh, well, t-that's because my parents wanted to have a big house so I could have some maids to attend me, but I said I didn't want to, but the construction was done before I could say something. This happened like five years ago. They requested the construction during that time."
"And you like how it looks now?"
"Kind of," Chris said. "If you're the only one in here, you hear echoes. At least I don't have somebody in here that accidentally snores during the night. You can listen to those sounds very well."
"Has somebody lived in here with you before?"
"My uncles and cousins, but that happens rarely," Chris explained.
Lucario also found some tables where small frames with photos of Chris and his parents were. The Aura Pokémon sometimes stopped to look at the photos, which made Chris stop as well. Lucario grabbed a portrait and looked at the photo. "These are your parents, right?"
"Yes," Chris said. "This photo was taken a year ago when they came to have some days with me."
"You three look happy."
"You'd be happy to see them if you had a situation like I do," Chris said with a sigh.
Lucario looked at Chris's depressed expression. "S-sorry if I brought up this all of a sudden…" he apologized.
"It's okay," Chris said. "Like I said before, I'm used to this," he said before walking away.
Lucario stared at Chris for a while, thinking about being careful not to bring depressing matters that haunted the teen's childhood. The Aura Pokémon put the frame on the table and followed Chris.
Once the two walked out from the hallway, they found themselves standing in a wide living room. The exit was just located to the far right corner of the room, and there was a red sofa in front of a flat screen TV on the front wall. Several other portraits were hanging around the walls; some of them being other kinds of portraits other than photos. To the left was the kitchen, which looked as big as the living room. A long table with plates, forks, spoons, and butter knifes were positioned just in front of the kitchen. There were some stairs going up to a new floor right beside the left side of the hallway, but Lucario wasn't interested in going up.
"There's a lot of space in here," Lucario said, his voice echoing a bit.
"And this is only the first floor," Chris said as he walked towards the kitchen. "This house has three floors. The second floor has some more rooms, and there are three bathrooms in there as well. There is also a terrace with a nice view of the neighborhood. The third floor is a big attic where we store decorations and other stuff. Outside, we have a wide backyard for parties, but I don't like to hold parties that much. Too bad I don't have a pool in there because that would be nice to have."
Lucario looked at the windows with cream-colored curtains.
"Oh, and I think it's okay for you to look outside as long as nobody is outside," he said as he entered the kitchen.
Lucario instead took a seat on the sofa to look at his surroundings. The Aura Pokémon relaxed for a bit before he looked up to the fan hanging on the ceiling of the room. "…I think everything seems fine for now," he muttered before looking to the kitchen where Chris was already preparing the breakfast. "Somehow, I think that I'm a bit intrigued to see more of this world…but it's all so confusing…"
Lucario saw that Chris smiled for a moment.
"…" Lucario made a small smile. "Maybe I should just wait and see what happens here. He looks nice and trustworthy to me... (I'm going to be careful around him, though… I'm still scared...)"
While Chris poured some flour in a bowl, he was deep in thought about Lucario. "(It's still so weird for me to have a Lucario sitting in my living room,)" Chris thought as he went to the fridge to get some eggs. "(I'm going to be careful around him, though… I'm still scared… I hope he doesn't read my thoughts all the time…)"
The Aura Pokémon just sat back and looked up to the ceiling, thinking about the situation he was facing. Many thoughts raced inside his mind; some about what he would do in the world he was in, and some about the hospitality he was offered to get. It was confusing for him, but he thought that he could manage to do anything as long as the teen would be his guide.
Lucario didn't consider Chris as his trainer. Chris was just some sort of replacement for his previous trainer. The Aura Pokémon couldn't change teams. It looked as if he had an emergency person for him to stay. On the other hand, Lucario thought there were some differences between Chris and the trainer.
For a brief moment, Lucario thought Chris seemed to be more interesting. Lucario shook the thought away, not wanting to think about somebody else being better than his trainer was.
Some time of thinking passed, and Lucario could smell the scent of warm bread floating about. "Breakfast's ready," Chris called over, walking out from the kitchen with two plates with hotcakes on them. "Get over here to the table to eat, Lucario."
Lucario stood up and looked at Chris. "You want me to take a seat?"
"Yes," Chris said. "You're not really going to eat on the floor, right? You should eat on a table."
"I'm used to eat on the floor."
Such twisted fact made Chris look a bit in disgust at Lucario.
"…Oh no, you're going to be a little bit more sophisticated than that," Chris said while he shook his head. "You're going to eat while sitting on a chair. It's too ridiculous to put a plate down on the floor for you."
Lucario stared at Chris. "Fine…whatever you say…" he muttered as he went over to the table.
Chris sat down on a chair while Lucario stared at one besides the teen before he slowly sat on it. His tail was stuck from moving anywhere from the right side. Lucario looked at Chris. "I think it's a bit better…" he commented.
"It's much better," Chris said. "I don't know you, but I think you have potential from turning into a sophisticated Pokémon."
"I have?" Lucario asked.
The fact that Lucario asked too many questions at once made Chris think Lucario was careful. He expected Lucario to just ignore him completely and lean to wall, but he was actually listening.
"…Seriously now," Chris began, "why is it that you are so…calm and collective?"
"Why are you asking me that?" Lucario asked. "I'm not like those Lucarios who tend to be lone wolves or something. I admit I only listen to my trainer, but since you're the only one I can rely on for now…"
"…You want to put all your loyalty on me instead of any other person out in this world," Chris said.
"…" Lucario looked away. "Yes… I said before that you were honest."
"But then, you're like the Lucarios who tend to be lone wolves," Chris said. "You're just shifting your loyalty to me because you don't have your trainer with you. I'm just a replacement for you, right?"
Lucario looked back at him and shook his head. "No, that sounds offensive to say," he said. "You're more like…a friend I can trust."
"…" Chris sighed and briefly smiled at the friendly "F" word. "Okay, I get the picture now. You're like a clueless Pokémon who doesn't know what to do but still uses his mind to think about a nice solution."
"Yes."
"…That works enough for me," Chris said with a small smile before looking at the hotcakes. "We better start eating before they get cold."
"Right…" Lucario said skeptically.
Lucario merely kept staring down at his hotcakes while Chris himself began to eat them with maple syrup he had brought to the table earlier. Looking to his right, Chris looked at Lucario. "What is it now? Why aren't you eating?" Chris asked.
"I don't know if I should eat this with my hands or the forks you're using," Lucario said.
Chris sighed and set down his fork. "Well, I know I've never seen a Pokémon using a fork (except in the anime), but I'll teach you how…" He stared at Lucario's three fingers on each hand. "…Oh my god…"
Surprisingly enough, Chris looked shocked once Lucario moved his fingers individually. Chris always thought the fingers never moved alone, but his thoughts were proved wrong. "Is it bad that I only have three fingers instead of five like humans do?" Lucario asked.
"W-well, no…" Chris trailed off. "You're…moving your fingers individually and not together… Hmm…let's see… If you want to grab a fork, then you should grab it with two fingers while using the last one to hold it firmly, and that shouldn't be much of a problem with holding a butter knife… Yes… It does sound like it could work…"
A few seconds later…
Lucario was now grabbing a fork in his right hand and a butter knife on his left hand.
"There," Chris said. "Wow, I never thought you could pull it out, but you did…"
"Thank you?" Lucario thanked, confused as he held his utensils.
"U-um, you're welcome…" Chris said. "Now, let's start eating…"
Lucario looked back at his plate before he started to cut some pieces of the hotcakes. He pinched a pile with his fork and slowly bit them with his fangs. Once he started munching them inside his mouth, Lucario made a small smile.
Chris chuckled. "How does it taste?"
Lucario looked at him and nodded before swallowing his food. "It tastes good," Lucario said. "I can't believe I didn't eat this before."
"Heheheh, I know," Chris chuckled heartily. "I knew it was going to be good for you. Now you should finish eating it by yourself. Oh, add some syrup to it so it tastes better," he said, spilling some maple syrup over a side of Lucario's plate. "There, try to dip a piece into it. If you end up liking it, which I know you will, you can add more."
Lucario had some more confidence in the instruction before he did as he was told. Soon, Lucario found himself eating hotcakes with maple syrup while Chris did the same. The Aura Pokémon tasted the breakfast as if he had never eaten something different before. Every bite he took made him feel very relaxed. He would occasionally glance towards Chris, finding him minding his own plate. Lucario could see a small smile forming on the teen as he ate. For a brief moment, Lucario sensed that there was some kind of a nice feeling to see the teen smiling, just as if Lucario did a nice action to make Chris happy.
Lucario suddenly shook his head and returned to eat in silence. He wanted to finish eating before Chris could see he was looking at him.
After finishing eating, Chris set his plate aside and looked at Lucario, who had been finished with his breakfast as well. "Was it good?" Chris asked.
"Yes, it was," Lucario said, making a happy expression. "It was very tasty."
Chris couldn't help but think it looked a bit curious to see a Lucario giving a happy expression like that. The teen smiled a bit, and he even though it looked a bit cute.
"I'm glad you liked it," Chris said. "Satisfied?"
"Very much," Lucario said nodding.
"Well…that's good," Chris said. "Now, let's watch TV together."
Lucario looked confused. "Watch TV?"
"I'm certain you didn't watch TV before, right?"
"…No…"
"Then you're missing a whole part of everything because there's much more to see in TV."
"Really? How much?"
"Well…not that much because many things can be boring…" Chris said. "But that depends of what you'd like to see."
"I didn't watch TV because I was constantly traveling around with my trainer," Lucario said.
"More of a reason to make you watch TV," Chris said before he pushed his chair away and stood up. "Come with me. We're going to watch TV for a long time. There's a good program schedule today."
Lucario was still confused, but he listened to Chris and decided to follow him to the living room where Chris began to show Lucario some TV programs.
The day passed, and night came in fast. Chris and Lucario were now returning to Chris's room where Chris sat down on his bed and looked up at Lucario. "So, how was everything so far?"
Lucario nodded. "It was very nice," he said. "I think I liked to see those 'anime' programs you showed me. I liked the ones with those hard battles."
"You did?" Chris asked. "I think that could suggest you want to have a battle like that…"
Lucario looked away. "I like to fight against other Pokémon… It allows me to get skilled…but it's too bad that there aren't any Pokémon in here besides m-"
This was a clear sign Lucario was going to get homesick.
"O-oh no, don't you dare get sad now!" Chris interrupted, shocking Lucario a bit. "Look, before you start getting depressed, you have to stay optimistic."
Lucario looked unsure. "How can I stay optimistic at a time like this? I don't know how to go back to my world."
Chris sighed. "Okay, I don't know either…" he admitted. "…But…just try not to look sad, you got that? It makes me feel guilty that you're going through all this, and I'm trying my best to make you feel comfortable…unless I'm doing a bad job at it…"
Lucario quickly shook his head. "N-no, it's not your fault. To the contrary, I'm very grateful for your hospitality to this point. Thanks to you, I'm experiencing many new things," he said. "I couldn't be fortunate if it wasn't…because of you, Chris."
The teen stared at the Aura Pokémon before he smiled a bit. "Well…thank you, Lucario… It makes me happy to hear that from a person like you. You're not that bad at all."
Lucario looked away in embarrassment. "I-I'm just being nice and careful, that's all…"
"Those traits will help you a lot as you stay in here," Chris said before he yawned. "But for now…I want to sleep…"
Lucario nodded and sat down on the floor's mattress. "Fine," he said.
Chris gasped a bit. "Wait, are you seriously going to sleep on the floor?"
Lucario nodded again. "I sleep by meditating in peace. Besides, I don't think your bed has enough space for both of us to fit in."
Chris looked to his bed. "…Well…that's true…" he muttered.
"Please, don't insist," Lucario said. "I'll sleep by sitting down against the bed like this," he said before he moved his back and leaned it against the bed. He looked over his left shoulder to Chris. "See? It's fine by me. It's not that cold, but honestly speaking, I can handle a little cold very well."
Chris looked worried at this. "Okay…if you say so…" he trailed off before he slowly lied down on his bed and covered himself with his bed sheets. He looked to the right where Lucario looked over his right shoulder at him. "Before I go to sleep…how can you talk? I've never seen a Lucario talking by using the mouth…"
"You haven't?" Lucario asked. "I thought all Lucarios were like I am. I didn't speak much before because I was always distracted by all the battles I've been taking part of."
"(I can't believe he doesn't know much about his own kind…)" Chris thought. "(But I'm too tired to keep asking or doing something else… I'd better ask tomorrow and see what else I can find out…) It doesn't matter," Chris said. "It's nice to see you can talk that way. I'd be a bit spooky to me if you talked through telepathy."
"I can do that," Lucario said. "It's very easy for me."
"O-okay, don't do it, please," Chris shrugged before he yawned and closed his eyes. "Oh well, good night, Lucario…"
"…Good night, Chris…" Lucario muttered before he faced the TV in front of the bed and closed his eyes.
Lucario heard Chris yawning once more before he turned to the wall to the right of the bed and fell asleep. The Aura Pokémon then glanced out to the window where he saw the moon in the sky. He stared at it for a moment before he silently sighed to himself. "(The moon here doesn't look that different… It looks a bit better, maybe…)" he thought. "(…I'm scared about all this…)" he thought with worry. "(What if I'm stuck forever in this world? I can't think of anything right now, and I'm also scared about what lies in here…)"
Suddenly, Lucario overheard a small chuckle coming from Chris. The Aura Pokémon looked over his right shoulder where Chris kept chuckling to himself. Curious about what Chris was chuckling, Lucario decided to use his telepathy to listen to the teen.
Lucario found out Chris wasn't fully asleep yet.
"(I can't believe there's a Lucario right besides me…)" Chris thought. "(And…I can hardly believe he's staying in here with me… That makes me feel not that alone anymore, and I have a very special person to keep me some company… I…I could never ask for something more than having him here… I'm…really going to miss him if he were to go back to his world…so…I'll have to make him feel comfortable here until that happens… Please, Lucario…stay here with me a little longer so I don't be alone… This is just a whim…but…I want you to keep living with me…if you want to…)" Chris yawned a bit more before he fell asleep completely.
Lucario blinked at this before he looked back outside to the sky. Staring at the moon, the Aura Pokémon suddenly smiled a bit to himself before chuckling mentally. "(…But now that I think about it myself…I'm not alone in this, and I'm doing something good for him…)"
He closed his eyes and leaned back to the bed.
"(…Maybe…this isn't going to be as bad as I thought it would be… Honestly, this…is going to be a completely new experience for me…and I hope Chris can take care of me…and…I'll do the same in exchange for him…)"
Lucario looked back to Chris, who now slowly turned to face him with closed eyes.
"(…I'm sure of this,)" Lucario thought before he closed his eyes and fell asleep while the moonlight illuminated the room with the two sleeping in peace.
The moon kept shining throughout the nighttime, giving a calm atmosphere inside the room, perfect for having a night to sleep nicely for the Aura Pokémon.
Phew, this chapter turned out much better than the first version. I swear the first version looked like everything was so fast paced. I hope this one looked more realistic to you.
Also, the title is a bit of a reference to those special Pokémon you get through special events. Figure out why it was used here since it shouldn't be that hard.
I encourage aura apprentices to review. ;)