Oh no, that writing urge came back to me, and now my fingers won't stop.
I encourage all holiday lovers to read on, enjoy, and review.
Chapter 16: A Few Memorable Holidays
Time had passed since the tribulation that was being there for Chris during his time of need in his own day and things went back to normal, besides the fact Chris housed a dangerously powerful creature in his house away from public eyes. Lucario let the days go by as he subjected himself to more time to spend with the kind human. His inner Riolu was so used to the routine that he didn't think about ever leaving it behind, only making it all the harder for Lucario to consider ditching his new life.
But right now, he couldn't think about that. He was all too distracted by the increase in auras outside the house during the evening.
From what he learned from Chris, today was a special day for humans to celebrate, just like previous holidays that required specific arrangements (Lucario could only remember 4th of July, as he considered the fireworks to be entertaining). Though unlike the other holidays when the neighborhood was mostly deserted, this time, it was different, and it somewhat made the Aura Pokémon wary. Too many people walking in groups moved about, talking loudly and swinging those strange vegetable-shaped purses he saw through using his aura vision to borrow their sight behind their backs. But the most curious thing of all was how everyone was…not dressed normally. They all were wearing costumes that even Lucario judged as either confusing, the real deal (that to which his disappointment were always fake), or tacky.
If Lucario didn't know any better, he would think humans go nuts during "Heeeeyoween." Lucario couldn't remember the name well, because for all his focus during a meal days ago when Chris explained, he was too much into his breaded chicken to care about anything else. In fact, Lucario was up for some breaded chicken about right now. And that mix with the mashed potatoes and gravy. Oh goodness, it was so foolish to just worry about people when he could just go over to the fridge and get the goods. Nothing else mattered, after all. The world could burn for all he cared if he would eat some fresh chicken. Actually, if the world did burn, could Lucario use the fire to roast the chicken? It could probably increase the flavor six-fold.
"…"
Lucario growled to himself as a scolding. Once again, he let his stomach think on behalf of his brain. What Chris had commented about him liking meat was the biggest understatement of the century…and he didn't want to admit how much of a fan he was to all things meat.
Chris came back from the second floor, and Lucario was more or less disturbed when he saw the human dressed so… "I don't hand over candy during Halloween or even like to go trick-or-treating, but for this year, I had a...reason to dress up for the occasion this one time."
"…" Lucario was disturbed. Yes, very disturbed.
"…Okay, fine. You were the reason just to see your reaction," Chris chuckled, and then he got a little worried his otherworldly guest didn't say anything. Of course it wasn't because Lucario was scared. Disturbance was the other likely answer Chris found out. "…It's off-putting, isn't it."
From head to toe, Chris had dressed up in the same thematic color of a Lucario's body, though it wasn't a costume but a choice in clothing: a blue hat with pointy ears, a yellow vest with a spike symbol underneath a long-sleeved blue jacket, black gloves with fake wrist spikes, blue pants, and black shoes. Chris even painted his face across and up his forehead with removable black paint…
"…Please, Chris," Lucario began, staring down at Chris, "tell me once and for all my kin live in this world and humans have secretly skinned them alive. I can at least find some solace I was not the first Lucario in the world."
Chris grimaced at that strange wish. "N-no, sorry, no. This is just an outfit. No Lucario were harmed in the making of this," the teen said. The uneasy look on Lucario's face told him something. "…And I'm not planning in skinning you alive. You'll throw me if I tried that."
"Oh, thank Arceus," Lucario sighed. The inner Riolu was glad to know his days weren't numbered, or Chris's.
"(What th-?! He HONESTLY thought I was going to do that?!)" Chris thought alarmed. "Anyway, you worry too much! On second thought, maybe I should've thought about not dressing up. I was seriously thinking you'd probably threaten me."
Lucario shook his head. "No, I wouldn't do that to you. It would be…not even close to rude," he said.
"Agreed," Chris said, taking off the hat and tossing it to the couch. Lucario was relieved to know no brain was showing through underneath the hat. "…But I kind of like the outfit now. I'll take off the paint mask so you don't feel so weird around me. Can't you think of me as your biggest fan or something?"
"I liked it better when you're dressed normally," Lucario said. He cursed in his head how affectionate that comment was.
"O-oh… That's nice of you to say," Chris said, looking away embarrassed. "Fine, then. I'll remove the whole outfit just because you said so. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable thinking I skinned a Lucario behind your back…" He shrugged and walked back upstairs to change out from his Lucario-themed outfit.
"(It's nice of him to do it for my sake,)" Lucario caught himself thinking, much to his dismay. Halloween night had been quite a ride of reactions and wild changes for him. He just wanted the holiday to get over with to go back to normal days of no strange occurrences and random bonding times with the teenager.
And the day was over the next day, though Chris had left early in the morning to go to the shops. Something about big sales on Halloween candy or some such. On that subject of candy, Lucario liked some of the candy Chris occasionally gave him to taste (chocolate became an unwanted candy, finding the amount of calories and chances of contracting pimples off-putting before Lucario could try it…that and Chris didn't want to risk finding out Lucario's digestive system was that of a dog that could result is deathly food poisoning for eating chocolate), though of course it wouldn't compare to the majestic taste of meat.
Speaking of meat, was there any in the fridg-?
"(FOCUS!)" Lucario mentally scolded loudly to himself, staring at his reflection in the bathroom's mirror after taking a bath. Good Arceus, he was falling to temptation easier with each passing day. His anger was so bad he swore he was glaring at himself.
His ears heard the door opening, and the distinctive sound of bags crumpling as they swung. "I'm home, and we're LOADED with sweets for months!" Chris enthusiastically called out.
Getting down to the living room, Lucario saw on the dinner table rather large bags containing all sorts of sweets packaged in colorful bags, most of which showed prominent dark colors and caricatures of pumpkins and ghouls. Really, there was a holiday centered on candy, but not on mea-?
"I went crazy buying so many half-off Halloween candy that this stuff will last us a very long while," Chris interrupted Lucario's awful tempting thoughts. "Help yourself to anything you want. You can avoid chocolate. I made sure to buy a lot of candy that's not chocolate. But you won't find any mint chocolate because…" Chris shrugged. "Eww. Who in their right mind likes that stuff? It's pure punishment."
*The opinions regarding the horrid taste of mint chocolate do not reflect the author's stance on it.*
Lucario was not sure why he heard that opinion regarding mint chocolate out of the blue. "…"
"S-so, yes, help yourself to anything after I pour them all down on several big bowls." Chris merrily giggled and went to the kitchen to fetch the bowls.
After bowls were filled to the brim with a wide assortment of candy that were neatly wrapped in spooky-looking designs, both Chris and Lucario sat down on the couch, staring at the bowls neatly arranged on the table. "So many colors…" muttered Lucario.
"I like almost every single type of candy, unless it's mint chocolate," Chris said. "Why don't you try some? Maybe you'll find something you'll like to eat from time to time." He showed him a strawberry lollipop. "Start with this."
Lucario picked the candy and stared at its hard red surface. Having some doubts, he put the candy in his mouth. His tongue immediately salivated when his taste buds were triggered by the sweet strawberry flavor coating his tongue. His inner Riolu began humming happily as his mouth blew up with the sweet flavor…
Though Lucario got a bit too excited that he chewed and shattered the feeble hard candy in a few bites to the point he accidentally ate part of the lollipop's stick and swallowed it whole. Despite the somewhat indifferent look on Chris's face, Lucario looked pleased. "Huh, that did taste good," Lucario said.
"Y-yes, but I-I probably should've told you to lick the core inside your mouth rather than chewing it through. It's better to suck off all its flavor," Chris said.
"Really? I thought for sure I had to chew it whole."
"That's just your biting strength talking… Here, try it again." Lucario was handed another strawberry lollipop.
Once more, Lucario tried the piece of candy and refrained to chew it whole again, this time opting to suck it. Though not as exciting as it was biting it, his mouth began tasting the strawberry flavor much better than cracking it apart with his fangs. The sweet flavor seeped into his tongue, sending a refreshing wave of strawberry sweetness that caused the Riolu in him to wag his tail. So it wasn't meat-flavored, but it still proved to be a worthwhile distraction.
So much his mouth was drooling a bit.
And so much more he had been sucking in peace for half a minute, ignoring everything and everyone around him. His constant hmm-ing was proof enough for Chris he was enjoying the candy a lot, albeit it was a tad disturbing just to watch in silence that he had to interrupt Lucario's visit to candy heaven.
"W-well, that about tells me you really liked it," Chris said. Lucario snapped out from his trance by opening his eyes and blinking in realization he had been put under a spell of sweetness. He blushed in embarrassment and removed the lollipop from his drooling mouth and quickly licked his lips clean. "Anyway, does this mean you'll be open to tasting candy more often? I ask because these bowls are going to last us well beyond several months."
If the candies had the untold power of taking Lucario's mind out of meat, there was no way he was going to refuse ignoring them. Not that he would ever tell Chris something like that ever. "Yes. But first, I should try out other kinds. What about this one?" He picked one.
"Oh, that's lemon bubblegum. That one you can chew and keep chewing until you suck out all the flavor out of it."
After a little bit of unwrapping the little yellow matter, Lucario tossed it inside his mouth and started chewing it. It was a peculiar feeling to feel it spread around his mouth, getting clogged between his fangs, though he felt the flavor seeping out of it that compelled him to keep chewing.
Though he felt he had sucked too much already and swallowed the gum. Lucario smiled pleased at Chris, who looked a bit shocked. "That was good. It felt a bit funny to chew, but I can see why it's tasty," he said, and then he couldn't help noticing the distraught look in Chris's face. "…I didn't chew it fast enough, did I."
"N-no, that's not it. You shouldn't have swallowed that. You should've spat that out in a trash can because once you're done sucking all the flavor it is useless to have it in your mouth," Chris explained.
"…"
"…"
"…I never could've realized eating candy would be this complicated. What is even anything?" Lucario asked, clearly confused. Chris could only reply with an amused chuckle. Lucario didn't find that action insulting. He did chuckle as well.
After several trial-and-errors, Lucario had mastered the sacred art of eating candies right. It was an adventure of different flavors that clashed and opened his palate. Pineapple, banana, cherry, grape, orange, mandarin, etc. The world of flavors packed in hard crusts and soft fabrics had it all, and he couldn't fathom just how extensive candy was. Lucario could tell that not all same flavors tasted the same from one brand to another. In his mind, the Riolu happily gobbled up imaginary candy, praising life for making such curious things.
"Well, that's probably the last time I'll ever see a Lucario eating so much candy," Chris said after Lucario had eaten a small sample of a strawberry roll. "You really did enjoy it all?"
"Yes. It was…entertaining," Lucario said. "I think that is the word? Everything was tasty… Thank you."
Chris blushed. "O-oh, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed. And we still have like over two-hundred candies left." They looked at the bowls overstocked with candy that some were overflowing a bit. "These are going to last us maybe over a month. They're good for a side snack after eating a meal."
Meat.
Lucario grunted in his head when that word came out of nowhere. Truly, he was never going to avoid it no matter how hard he tried. Despite the candy having done a decent job at distracting him, it all seemed futile. He looked away for a brief moment and only noticed that there were two bags unaccounted for on the dining table. "What else did you buy? Do those bags have more candy?" he asked.
Chris turned to the bags. "Oh… Oh, no. Those aren't candy." He got up from the couch and walked over to the bags where he took out a few things to show to Lucario.
"(…Oh, dear Arceus, why,)" Lucario grieved mentally.
Held in the teen's hands were packed meat. Raw steaks and raw ground beef. It all seemed like some sort of joke set by some evil clown trying to humiliate Lucario's hunger for meat. His eyes couldn't decide whether to gain a feral look or just break in tears at the pictures before him, so they just settled with a hard stare that Chris defined as simple surprise. Which was the kind of look he wanted to get out of Lucario.
Then again…
When had Lucario ever seen raw meat uncooked?
The realization came to him very quickly after a little thinking. Despite the shock, he was rather confused why raw meat showed up now. He never recalled Chris ever having or using raw meat before. So why…?
"Before you ask, I'm not serving meat raw," Chris said.
That was a relief to hear. "But then how will we eat it?" Lucario asked. "I recall you always had your relatives send food with you." It was known to Lucario that Chris's extended family looked after him in the absence of his parents. They were the ones who sent food to him whenever home delivery was an overrated option. Though he would never have the chance to tell them, Lucario was grateful that the majority of dishes were meat based. He could really have a few tacos by no-
"(FOCUS!)" Lucario yelled at himself in his head. He focused on the meat before him. It was not the thing he wanted to focus on. "(DAMMIT!)" he cursed mentally.
"W-well… I'll cook it myself," Chris responded.
That response seriously took Lucario's attention. "Wait, what? You will?"
The teen looked a bit embarrassed as he put the meat back on the table. "L-look… It's…rather obvious you enjoy eating meat. A lot." Lucario could only shut his eyes and bury his eyes in the cushion of the couch. Chris did see the sheepish smile on Lucario's lips, so there was no way Lucario was complaining about that fact. "S-so…I have seen a lot of videos and consulted with my relatives how to cook it the way they do it. Needless to say, some of them got a bit excited, saying the family tradition of cooking meat will pass down to me and continue from there and all that. And…well…because I…"
Lucario lifted his eyes from the cushion, confused at Chris's stammering.
"I…I really want you to feel at home here, even if it's a bad idea for you to go out," Chris said, his little smile sincere. "T-that's why…I intend to make you happy in any way I can, if that ironically means getting to your heart through your stomach." He grunted at himself. "Oh, god. That sounded so sappy… But anyway! T-that's my way to make sure you enjoy your stay a lot more before you ever find your way back home."
"…"
That was an extremely powerful yet simple message that resonated with Lucario a huge deal. He was touched by Chris's drive to make him happy so much he was willing to cook meat for him. Despite how ironic it was that Lucario tried so fervently to pretend meat didn't exist, now it all felt so right to acknowledge it this one time. He was so surprised he didn't notice his astonished look as he stared at Chris's smile. For just a brief moment, Lucario agreed to himself that it was worth fighting the world if it meant keeping Chris safe.
So he shook that thought away, much to his inner Riolu's chagrin.
And yet…he was very happy deep down.
"You…you don't have to go through all this trouble just for me," Lucario broke the silence, feeling guilty.
"No, I…I think you're very worth the trouble," Chris replied. Lucario blinked in more surprise. "Besides, if it's not for you, then it's for me. After all, eventually I have to learn how to cook more for myself. I can't expect to let someone cook for me my whole life. Even if it's just for me, I really want you to be a part of it." He chuckled, blushing. "You're welcome to join me in this little endeavor."
"Well…if…" Lucario gave up in his head. The meat offer was too tempting, but the overwhelming affection coming from his friend won by a landslide. "If…you insist…"
"Great!" Chris piped up, relief in his face. "Why don't we get started? Ooh! I'll start doing the most basic one. A steak!" He rummaged through the bags, unaware that Lucario had gotten lost in thought through his stomach clamoring the godly food.
The Aura Pokémon couldn't quite win the battle of affection when meat was on the table, or, soon literally at the table in front of him. At the dining table, Lucario watched from afar at the human turning on the stove and frying a large piece of raw meat on the frying pan, adding a bit of salt and pepper. A few minutes later, the exquisite aroma of meat being cooked filled the kitchen's space and leaked towards the dining table into Lucario's ever so vigilant nostrils…
And that was just a milestone in their relationship that Lucario would forever cherish, both because it was meat, and because Chris was making a very honest effort to make Lucario happy at home.
A month later…
As autumn slowly began to cross into winter, the season started to show its changes outside, with the usual greenery of trees turning into several shades of red and yellow. Though with its visual changes, Lucario sensed other peculiar changes, namely the fact he sensed dozens of auras converging inside many houses, leaving some houses vacant.
Apparently, the strange occurrence of converging auras, or people, was because it was Thanksgiving Day.
From what he had gathered from Chris, Thanksgiving Day was supposedly a day celebrating bountiful harvest from long ago that involved some group called the Pilgrims who shared said harvest with Native Americans, signifying a period of peace when people expressed their gratitude and thankfulness to others. Nowadays, the holiday was a popular holiday when many American citizens get together and replicate the celebration with a plethora of different food. Of course, after having seen Chris steadily grow into his role of meat cooker, Lucario had shamelessly asked if meat was involved in the food.
To his surprise, it wasn't.
Instead, it was some mysterious meat called "turkey."
From what he next gathered when Chris had seen the strange grimace on Lucario's face, turkey was a type of meat like chicken, but its taste was different, and it usually never gets as much attention outside of Thanksgiving Day. Ironically, Chris had never brought turkey meat before, which would mean the day was the first chance Lucario would get to eat it.
Speaking of eating it, it was almost evening, and Lucario had been left alone at the house while Chris had gone to celebrate with a dozen of relatives on the southern side of the city. Despite being a few miles away, it wasn't outside Lucario's range to pick up using his aura senses. Just like other places, the atmosphere in that family gathering was positive, auras constantly flaring up with positivity among Chris's own. Lucario employed his aura sight skill to see the reunion through Chris's eyes, spotting many people that looked Hispanic in nature and appearance, though some were louder than others, making it rather amusing that Chris himself could easily blend with them if it wasn't for the fact he wasn't that excitable or loud.
Seeing such a family hanging out together and having a good time made Lucario wonder if he even had a family back in his universe… Were they worried about him? In fact, he pondered for so long what kind his family was. In his head, he imagined his father to be a warrior; possible even a real master of aura. His mother would surely be the sweetest female Lucario who doted on him. And if possible, he may have had siblings too. He liked more the role of being the big brother, assuming his apparent towering size was a clue to how important he was, but what if he was the younger brother? What if he had an older brother much stronger…and bigger than him? What if his father didn't like him? He worried he was a family outcast.
Thinking about his imaginary family and his expectations of them worried him. Without anyone physically close right now, Lucario felt lonely. He slumped a bit on the couch, sighing, looking around in a futile attempt to see if anyone was there, even if visual and aura senses said otherwise. He thought on Chris himself, who, despite having many relatives, did not have the benefit of living with his parents either, even if they were certainly real. The Aura Pokémon recalled that birthday when Chris was driven to despair when his parents had cancelled a visit back home due to work, and now, Lucario visualized him in that scenario…
If he ever had a freak out like that…
The Riolu in his head cowered.
Lucario shook his head to shake off the negative thoughts. Family was truly precious, no doubt. All he had in the world right now was Chris, who looked like all he had was Lucario in turn. The human was proof that he could have so much and yet yearn for what was missing in his life. If only there was a real way back home…
The Aura Pokémon didn't have his aura senses up, but his hearing was more attentive to noisy changes, and so he turned to look towards the door when he overheard the sound of a car stopping in front of the residence. He then heard laughter before a door closed shut and the car took off down the street, with Chris's aura coming closer as the sound of noisy plastic bags rustled. The door eventually opened, and Chris walked inside. Lucario, on instinct but unaware, flashed a relieved smile. "I'm back!" Chris said, his happy expression and positive aura relaxing Lucario.
"That you are," Lucario said. "How was it?"
As Chris closed the door and placed the bags at the dining table, he said, "As always, these family reunions get pretty lively during Thanksgiving. Yet another one my parents miss. I hope they at least had a good one at New Mexico with some relatives I have living there."
"(I wish I knew where my own parents are at least…)" Lucario thought.
"But anyway," Chris continued, "I didn't eat as much over there because I wanted to eat with you tonight."
Lucario's ears perked up. "Um, eat with me?"
"Well, yes. I'm so excited to see you eating turkey." The teen revealed several white boxes for food takeout inside the bags. There were about six boxes with contents Lucario wouldn't see with his aura senses, though some alluring scents were leaking out. "Get ready for what's coming."
A few minutes flew by as Chris prepared whatever he had brought, Lucario sat on his chair at the dinner table. A plate was being heated up in the microwave, and that smell…or smells were getting progressively stronger in nature. For a brief moment, Lucario felt like he was only alive through his nose, the smell turning intoxicating at the drop of a hat. When the microwave dinged and Chris took out quite a large plate, Lucario was more than curious what it had on top. In fact, it looked like Chris wasn't even done with the plate arrangements, because he was adding a bunch of macaroni. Whatever else was on the plate, it was a bit of a mystery, but Lucario could detect the scent of mashed potatoes.
After some agonizing seconds of wild mass guessing, the plate was being taken towards him and was finally placed in front of him.
Lucario's nose got the full deluxe treatment.
His plate was wide, carrying several slices of white-looking ham bathed with some light brown substance that had also invaded the small mountain of mashed potatoes, making said mountain look like a volcano. On the side was the bunch of macaroni mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, and bits of green onion Chris had placed earlier, making the picture look more appetizing, though Lucario's attention was zeroing on the white-looking ham that kept making his inner Riolu salivate. Was that perhaps the turkey Chris mentioned?
Not only that, but Chris had brought a hamburger bun-looking bread that wasn't cut in half, alongside a see-through gelatinous slice on a smaller plate.
"Here it is! I hope you enjoy," Chris said, placing a glass with soda next to Lucario's plate. "By the way, make sure you eat the turkey with the mashed potatoes and gravy. Same goes for the macaroni. You'll love it." He went to go get his plate ready at the kitchen, leaving Lucario to stare at the appetizing presentation.
Hesitating at first, Lucario took his fork and speared one of the slices of turkey, cutting it with a butter knife for easier handling. Then, at Chris's recommendation, smeared it with the mashed potatoes and gravy. With the process seemingly done, he brought the food to the reach of his mouth, the smell utterly dominating his sense of smell, but he eventually took a rather reckless big bite and chewed his food.
Lucario's eyes went wide.
His taste buds were dancing with glee, the skin in his mouth salivating almost immediately. The turkey flavor mixed with the gravy-sated mashed potatoes was a powerful untold combination of food he had never experienced before, right up there with the usual mixture of steak and mashed potatoes. His fangs rendered the turkey asunder, his tongue lashing out in an attempt to get all the flavor collected. Meanwhile, his inner Riolu cheered, intoxicated with the overwhelming and incredible food that got into his real self's mouth. It was rather shameful that the food had to be swallowed, but such was life.
Said life had more turkey to spare, though.
After dwelling in pleased growls in his mouth, Lucario looked back down at his plate and resumed eating, trying to hold himself back from devouring everything too quickly lest he wanted hiccups. Every bite, every time the fork was licked clean between bites, every bulge going down his throat, it was all marvelous. He quickly got into his usual meat-eating routine, except with the legendary turkey. Although the turkey was clearly the main attraction, he also indulged himself with the macaroni, the smooth bread with the dark top, and the sliced beet. Though not as potent as the turkey itself, each of those side dishes only added to the overall experience.
As Chris quietly slipped into his seat, he stared at Lucario living his own fantasies, seeing as the Aura Pokémon wasn't focused on anything else. The teen was very glad that Lucario was so enthralled that Chris decided not to interrupt, fearing it would probably sour the mood. He focused on his own plate, which was rather more vacant than Lucario's plate due to already pretending he had gotten full at his family gathering.
The minutes flew by as Lucario eagerly asked for seconds, never noticing his long tail wagged in happiness and anticipation. Like the first plate, the second plate suffered the same fate; to be sacrificed to Lucario's mouth, tongue, fangs, throat, and stomach. Chris tried to eat his one and only plate slower just to keep Lucario some company and to avoid raising the suspicion watching the large man eating so passionately was entertaining. He succeeded.
Once Lucario's second plate was figuratively licked clean, he set down his fork, his empty drink, and slumped back on his chair, his thick padded hands resting on his full stomach. He even hung his head back over the top edge of his chair, relaxed, a sight Chris had honestly not see Lucario do before.
Clearly a big win.
Finishing his own plate at last, Chris looked happy. "So how was it?" he asked.
"Amazing…" Lucario said, head still resting. "The flavor…the taste…the texture…everything was just right…and some more…"
"Um. Wow… You really liked it?"
Lucario pulled back his head, nodding. "Yes. It was…how should I say…fantastic? It's right up there with cooked meat. Maybe. Perhaps even better? I can't decide." He chuckled. "Thank you. This was truly delicious…" He blushed, smiling. "N-not that…that you haven't introduced me to worse food before or anything. All the food I've tasted all this time has been a real delight."
If only Chris could smile bigger than he did, only managing a small smile. "Oh… That's nice of you to say. Thank you," he said, nodding. Lucario showed a happy expression, completely unaware of it, much to his inner Riolu's happiness. "Well. We completely skipped on what we're thankful about."
Lucario's happiness was met with some confusion. "What?" he asked.
"It's customary for people at the table to express their gratitude for things that have happened to them up until Thanksgiving," Chris explained. "I didn't want to interrupt our dinner because I held you up waiting for a bit longer. Um, sorry for that…" Indeed, Lucario recalled Chris saying he was going to be an hour later than they usually ate. "So…why don't express our gratitude right now? To end on a good note?"
Lucario was a bit taken off-guard by the suggestion, actually being unsure how to put his gratitude into words. Didn't he just express that a moment ago? Was there more he had to say? That was when he realized just being thankful for the food was a rather pointless thing to be thankful for, seeing as he was always well-fed every day. Also…what if whatever he had to say would sound too nice to Chris himself? He worried he was going to screw up his failed efforts to distance himself from the person he thought wasn't really his trainer.
Back when Lucario was checking on Chris during his family's gathering, he did see him having a turn to express his gratitude.
"I-ah…I used my aura senses to see and hear you and your relatives from here. I heard you doing what you're suggesting we do here," Lucario pointed out. "Wouldn't it be redundant for you to repeat the same speech to me?"
Chris was more than a little embarrassed the Aura Pokémon had used his sixth sense to listen to him all the way from their home. "O-oh, yes. You're right," Chris said.
Lucario sighed in his head. His inner Riolu grunted with disappointment.
"Though, to be fair, I didn't mention you in that speech at all."
Lucario's eyes widened for a bit. His inner Riolu wagged his tail with excitement.
"Imagine me revealing to almost everyone I'm housing you in secret here. They'd think I'm crazy," Chris said, giggling a bit at the thought. "Which is why what's left of my gratitude is all about you. Do you want to hear?"
It would be really rude to turn the offer down. Moreover, Lucario was more than curious about what Chris would say about him. "Uh, sure… Go ahead," Lucario said.
"Good! Here I go then," Chris said, clearing his throat. "I'm…well…"
Lucario sensed a spike of a feeling of shyness in Chris's aura as the human fidgeted his fingers, looking away with embarrassment on his face. "You…?" Lucario trailed off.
"I…am really, really happy I got to meet you," Chris said, looking back at Lucario, though then Chris expressed some lament in his now worried expression. "But then…I know I'm being so selfish saying this because of your predicament stuck in this world away from home. My own happiness shouldn't try to shackle you to my home, because you surely miss whoever your trainer is. Sometimes, I think I'm doing so much wrong trying to give you a good home where you can enjoy yourself. It's really not my place to be so attached to a Pokémon who's not mine but from someone else… And…well…" Chris sank back on his chair, a few tears welling up in his eyes that Lucario spotted and gasped at.
How did expressing gratitude suddenly lead to Chris feeling sad?
As sadness began to overwhelm the human's aura, Lucario's instincts kicked in, his inner Riolu putting up a tough look. He just couldn't let Chris suffer. "N-no! You're not doing wrong!" Lucario said, standing up, startling Chris. "Chris, please… Don't…don't feel sad because of what's happening to me!"
"But…" Chris chocked up.
"Listen!" Lucario said, looking sad himself. "I…I'm very grateful for everything you've done for me! In no way do I think you're a bad person. All the attention you've given me…all the happy times we've had together up until now…I wouldn't forget them for the world!" His strong fists clenched. "In fact, if anything, while I'm here, I want us to enjoy each other's company for as long as we can…no…maybe forever, even! I like you that much, even if you're not my trainer!"
Chris fell speechless as Lucario's determined look stared his way from across the table.
The Aura Pokémon mustered a smile. "And…if I had the chance…I would make sure you and my trainer would be best friends. It'd mean we would be together," he said, a few tears strolling down his cheeks. "So please…say that you're grateful that I'm here with you…without feeling guilty about feeling happy."
The human composed himself, sitting up straight but unsure what to do next as the tall Pokémon's gaze was on him. "…Lucario…" Chris muttered.
"Yes?"
"…This…is going to sound a bit crazy…maybe cheesy…no, definitely cheesy, but…" Chris looked down at his knees. "…Can…can I hug you?"
"…Hug me?" Lucario said, somehow not being the least weirded out at the request.
"I-I know… It's stupid… I…I shouldn't have said that," Chris said, chuckling, unable to look at Lucario after saying the crazy request. "Forget I said anything. I made things so awkward…"
Though, after a few seconds of silence, Chris heard footsteps going around the table and coming closer to him. Eyes wide, he looked to his right, seeing Lucario right by his side, kneeling down so he was closer at eye level with him. The picture looked like a big guardian kneeling down to listen closer to his liege's words, though in this case, the big guardian slipped his left arm behind his liege's back. Lucario, smiling a bit, said to Chris, "Make sure you hug me from the side. I still wonder why the hell I have a spike in the middle of my chest."
Surprised and hesitating at first, Chris almost lunged at Lucario and embraced him from the side, arms looping around Lucario's neck. Lucario had gasped a bit at how quickly it happened, but he chuckled, holding Chris tight on his left arm while his right hand made sure not to pull him closer from his back. Chris, unable to hold himself, sobbed silently, though his brimming aura was overwhelmed with happiness that Lucario sensed…and felt completely, putting his mind and body at ease.
It all felt just right to Lucario somehow. His and Chris's auras mixed together, emotions manifested in invisible flames being in harmony he couldn't quite describe well. The inner Riolu rejoiced, running around in circles, barking Chris's name over and over, representing Lucario's honest desires to continue the moment for much longer.
"Why…why are you doing this for me?" Chris asked, face resting over Lucario's shoulder.
"I guess I detest negative auras, or seeing people sad," Lucario said, patting Chris's back. "And since you're…well…the best friend I've ever met, I can't just do nothing while you break down before me. I refuse to see you sad. Even if something simple like a hug will make you happy…I'll do it. Gladly."
Chris hid a smile as he sunk his face into Lucario's neck fur. "…O-oh, Lucario… You're too nice…"
"No." Lucario leaned his head into Chris's. "This is just how I am."
The two held the hug for almost half a minute, until Chris was the first one to push out of it, with Lucario making sure he wasn't going to slip down. Chris cleaned his face from his tears as Lucario watched him. "…Um…thank you, Lucario…" Chris said, shyness in his eyes. "I…I hope that wasn't weird."
"Weird? Nonsense. I enjoyed that quite a lot," Lucario admitted, his left hand still behind Chris's back. "If you ever need a shoulder to cry on…I'm open. If I'm not nearby, I'll come dashing, even."
The teen chuckled, touched by the Pokémon's words. "…You know what? I should…I should add something to my speech," he said.
"What would that be?"
"I'm so thankful I have such a nice and strong Lucario by my side," Chris said. "…S-sorry. I just keep saying a lot of wei-"
"And I'm so thankful I have such a thoughtful and kind friend by my side," Lucario interrupted, surprising the teen. "…I guess that makes two of us now."
"…H-heh heh… Y-you're silly, you know that?"
"Not as silly as you, I suppose."
"H-hey!" Chris saw Lucario letting out a small laugh that rubbed off on him, joining with the laugh as well, Lucario's hand never letting go of his back.
Lucario was right to assume they were going to sleep well that Thanksgiving Day, honestly never feeling guilty about what had transpired in the day. He thought back on how he defined Chris as a best friend, wondering if it was appropriate to say that with so much confidence even if Chris wasn't his trainer; the default best friend in Lucario's head. His inner Riolu was sure he said the right thing, supportive of seeing the teen brighten up thanks to him. For all intents and purposes, the Aura Pokémon believed he did it all right.
…Plus, there was a week worth of turkey left. Lucario had it made, feeling like the king of the house. His inner Riolu was proud to be so damn spoiled.
I had initially considered adding Christmas to this chapter, but I ultimately decided to leave that for its own chapter (the next one) because its content would be longer, but probably not as long as these two holidays put together.
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