When Krissa woke up, she wished she hadn't. Her head ached, and so did her whole body. She felt like she had fallen down a mountain...Oh yeah. She had. But somehow...she was mostly uninjured. She slowly sat up. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and everything was soaking wet. It was dark out as well, and so she could see each occasional flash of lightning. She looked around. She was in a small cave, right up next to the mountain, with a ring of trees encircling it, thickening into the woods further out. In other words, a meadow. As she sat up, she felt something dripping down her neck, and she raised her hand to feel it. Hopefully it wasn't blood...no, it wasn't. it was water. She shivered. She was soaking wet and a little cold. Nearby was a small stream that stemmed from the waterfall running off the mountain. "This...is very pretty." In one corner of the cave she was in was hung a small hammock, leading her to the question of who had rescued her. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out, not really expecting an answer. A flash of lightning revealed a dark silhouette of...of something standing behind a nearby tree. It looked human at least. "I am here. Who are you?" A rough, gravely boys' voice spoke, startling Krissa. "Um...My names Krissa. Who are you?" She peered at the shadow, trying to discern if it was a person. "Someone of no importance. But what is important is why you lying were out in the middle of a storm. I find it quite hard to believe you were napping." The voice held a slightly humorous tone. "Someone...of no importance? Don't you have a name, at least?" The voice was silent, and then..."It does not matter. Answer the question." Behind the tree, Lucario stood, one leg folded over another, and arms crossed. His eyes closed, he wondered why this girl asked so many questions. "I'll take that as a no. Well...Everybody has a name...shouldn't you? Or don't you have something you call yourself?"

Lucario was silent. "Names are of no importance to me. They are trivial, petty."

"Don't say that! A name gives you identity, reason."

"Reason for what?" Lucario opened his red eyes. Now he was not merely annoyed with this girl, He was a little...curious. No one had ever bothered to give him a name, much less talk about them. He heard footsteps and leapt up into the tree branches, watching as the girl suddenly appeared around the tree. "Boo!" Lucario sighed and silently stepped along the branch to another tree.

"I said...Reason for what?"

Krissa looked at the space he had been occupying. "Reason...to live. I read a book once" She peered up the tree at him, but he wasn't seen because of the cloud cover. "About a group of children...who were raised without names, only numbers. And about 70 percent of them all killed themselves. And..." She walked back over to the cave and sat in it, studying the meadow for any trace of him. "Since you speak English, it stands to reason that you would be human. Therefore, you had to have a mom, and a dad, and they would have named you." She pouted at being unable to see him.

"Hmm. Your logic would be sound. If that were true. So why have you not left yet?" Lucario said, changing the subject. "Well...why would I? It would be rude. I mean, obviously you helped me out...right?" Krissa put on a confused look. Why was this stranger being so...vague? What if he hadn't helped her at all? Might she be talking to a serial killer or something? But her fears eased when she heard the answer. "Yes. It would have been...rude...to not do so."

"Ahh, a gentlemen you are then...hmm...So...where do you come from?" Krissa got up again and walked over to another tree, peering around it.

"Far away. And you?" Lucario sat on the tree branch, eyes narrowed.

"Celestic town, though I was born in Snowpoint city." Krissa peered around yet another tree. Where was this stranger?

"Not so far. Where were you headed?" Lucario shifted his weight on the branch, closing his eyes. Why didn't this girl leave already? She had been here far too long.

"Oh, nowhere in particular. I sketch Pokémon, so I was just hiking. My mom had warned me of a storm, and I was hoping to be back before it hit, but...Oh! Guess what?"

"Hmm?" Lucario opened his eyes and looked at the girl...who was now sitting directly below him.

"I got to sketch a Zapdos! Look!" She held up a sketchbook and slowly moved it in a circle. "Oh, won't you at least tell me where you are?"

"No." He craned his neck to look at it. It was a good drawing. Surprising, considering the girl appeared to be young.

"Awww, why?"

"Because then you would see me."

"And...That's a bad thing?"

"Yes." Lucario closed his eyes again. Yes...it was a bad thing. If she saw him she would be shocked...a talking Pokémon? Preposterous. Absurd. Yet here he was. And so the news crews would come, Vash would see he was still alive...And that would be the end of his peaceful lifestyle.

Krissa sighed. "Alright then...I won't pry, but...but...Oh no! What time is it?"

Lucario looked at the sky. "Early morning. Why?"

"Oh no! My moms gonna kill me! I am soo grounded..." Krissa got up and looked around frantically.

"Kill you?" Lucario said; his tone skeptical.

"Well, not really but...I have to go, can you show me the way?"

"No. I can tell you." Lucario stood up. Finally. She was leaving. Good riddance. Before he had wondered why the people he met didn't stay and had theorized on what it would be like. He know knew he hated it. "Follow the stream; basically, it should take you straight to the gates. And don't come back." 'Ever. Because you ask far too many questions.' he thought. "Why not?"

"Because I will be long gone." He lied. No, he wouldn't be gone, this is where he lived. He had wandered around Sinnoh for a while after...and had finally found this place. It was serene, peaceful. And it offered location. A stream was nearby; when it stormed he could seek shelter in the cave...away from the lightning. His thoughts were directed to the girl as she got up. "Well...I'll be going now. Maybe I will see you later?" she asked, hope tingeing her tone.

"Doubtful."

She got up and started to follow the river, as he had instructed. Lucario turned and watched her leave. His expression hardened, and he leapt down onto the grass. She was gone. He noticed a sheet of paper on his hammock. "Hmm?" Walking over, he picked it up, discerning shapes and shadows. It was a sketch of a silhouette, leaning against a tree. He recognized some of his features, noted the quick smooth strokes, and the boldness of some lines, the startling clarity of the leaves. "Hm..." He dropped it onto a ledge on the rock wall of the cave and climbed into his hammock, closing his red eyes.

3 short chapter, but... Hmm. Well, the next one will be longer. Vote in the poll so I know which to update next.