Lucario woke with a start; his eyes flashing open. Realizing it was now closer to evening, he sighed. Time to start a new day. Outside of the cave, it was still dark, and he recognized the cry of many Pokémon, out frolicking in the puddles the storm had left. He turned to one side and stood his feet off the side of the hammock. He thought back to why he had it in the first place...He had once been in a warm bed...and now that he lived in the woods he could not forget the luxury of sleeping off the ground. He slowly got up, his tail twitching and shaking itself loose of water that had dripped on him while he slept. He glanced over to the drawing and then outside, where he could see an occasional ray of sunshine peek through the cloud cover. His stomach rumbling, he thought; 'Time for dinner.' So he got up and started walking, eyes darting left and right, taking in the world after the storm, what parts of the landscape had changed, which parts had become impassable, which had grown clear. He spotted several downed trees and a large rock pile, presumably from an avalanche. The storm...had been particularly bad. He raised a steel studded paw to the back of his head, feeling the nub of what had used to be an aura sensor. It didn't bother him, really, but his head felt strangely lopsided right after he had lost it...but he had learned to cope. Lightning flashed in the distance, shortly followed by a peal of thunder which shook the ground. However, he kept walking, noting several distress areas. Here and there were Electrike, passed out from overload of electricity, with mothering Manectric sitting or sleeping next to them. Oh. Here was something new. He walked over to the flock of Spearow. They looked up as he passed by. He watched them as they crowded around what was presumably their parent, a large Fearow lying passed out on the ground. Electricity sparked around it, and it spasmed in pain. He started to walk past, but remembered how much pain he had been as he had been shocked with lightning. Turning he knelt next to it. The Spearow looked at him curiously, and then moved aside. He looked over the Fearow's wounds carefully. "Hmm..." There was an entrance wound here, where the lightning had hit it. Putting a paw over it, he felt the amount of electricity still rushing around. The Fearow was still convulsing and Lucario quickly got up. Walking over to a Manectric, he mentally braced himself. He hated electric Pokémon. Hated them. Telling the Manectric that lightning had shocked a Fearow, he walked away. He knew that the Manectric could control the electricity in the air, and so knew that it would help take it out of the Fearow before it became too much for its heart, and died. He continued walking. Eventually he found what he was looking for. Dinner. He gathered up the berries in his paws and walked away, munching on them. They tasted sweet, and the juices dripped down his chin. Finishing his meal, he wiped his chin and continued his walk. Usually after eating he would go up to the mountain and sit on a ledge he had carved, watching the clouds and maybe taking a nap if he was tired enough. After that, he would go around, just walking and watching. Then he would climb a tree maybe, standing on the tip of it and still watching. He rarely talked during the day, or the night. Usually this was how his day went, every day. Occasionally he would find someone; a hiker usually stuck on a ledge or collapsed of thirst. If they were simply stuck he would tell an Onix or a golem to go help, but if he came upon someone who was unconscious he would walk away, then shortly come back, again changing his mind and help out the person. He would never take them to his place though...for some reason today had been different. Maybe it had been because of the storm...maybe it had been because it was a young girl.

The girl...She had asked too many questions. But one question had taken him by surprise. "Pft. Name, indeed. I do not need a name." He muttered to himself. Reaching the mountain he lightly leapt onto the side and started running up it, dodging boulders and stumps of old trees. But suddenly...He heard a voice. Instantly dropping down to a crouch and hiding behind a boulder, he activated his Aura sensors and used aura sight to see who was up there, and whether or not they were a threat. This was where the missing sensor came into play. He had only the time to use Aura sight once before it had been ripped off, but he could tell the difference. It was more...blurry, less defined. As his vision extended up to the ledge he had carved he was startled to see that there was a girl there. His eyes widened as he recognized her. It was THE girl, the one he had rescued. What was she doing here?! He had told her to go back. But of course, he thought bitterly. It was evening, which would have given her enough time to go back, even sleep for a while, then go back into the woods. Hopefully she would leave. He sighed and slid down the side of the rock, landing in a sitting position on the rocky ground. He would wait. He had nothing better to do anyway. He let his Aura sensors fall and closed his eyes. When would this girl leave him alone? It...Well, it was probably not on purpose. But still. He sighed again, and put on a scowl he used when around humans. Humans...It wasn't that he didn't trust them, it was that he didn't trust himself around them. Not since he had been a Riolu. That...had been a fun time. A peaceful time. But he had to go and trust a human. Many humans had come and gone from his life, and he had been mostly the cause of them leaving. He was just bad luck around them. Bad luck. Bad...luck...

"Hello?" The voice startled him, he must have fallen asleep. Lucario snapped his eyes open, instantly alert. Had the girl spotted him? Pure reflex at her voice had made him raise his sensors and look around. No...She wasn't near him, but she was looking in his direction. What had made her question if she was alone? He noticed he was no longer sitting, but lying on the ground. Maybe him falling over had made a sound?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The girl called again. What was her name? Krissa, was it? Yes, Krissa.

"Look, I know your there, I can see your shadow."

Lucario was startled, for the third time in 2 days. He looked around. Indeed, his shadow, a dark blob with no decipherable traits was spread out in the ground before him. "Yes...indeed you can." He watched with satisfaction as her eyes widened. "S-Stranger. I didn't expect you. Well...I was hoping...but..."

"Hoping?" Lucario watched as Krissa stood up. To his dismay she started walking over to him. He had to act quickly. "No! Do not come over here." Krissa stopped stock still. "What? But why...?"

"Because" He said quickly "You would not like what you see. I forbid it. If you knew what was good for you, you would respect my privacy, and my wishes. At least as long as we continue to coincidentally meet." Lucario said, anger tingeing his voice and making it sound menacing. Why?! Why did she continue to talk to him, to...to annoy him? He was coming to the end of his politeness. Krissa turned and walked back up to the ledge. Her voice warm and inviting, she said; "Ok then. I will respect your privacy. But why are you following me, then?"

Lucario laughed; a short, sarcastic laugh. "Me? Follow you? I thought it was the other way around. I told you to leave. I see you are no longer muddy, so I assume you got home. But why come back?"

"Well..." Krissa shifted, obviously nervous. "I wanted to see you again. To say thank you. I brought you a sandwich as well."

"Why? I am not hungry." No, he wasn't. His stomach was full of berries. Why would she think he was?

"Because you obviously live here in the woods...food must be hard to come by."

Did she pity him? Oh, no...If she pitied him she would be seeking him out everyday, bringing him food. Which he did not want! He began to get angry. Wait, began? No, he was already mildly annoyed.

"I am fine living here! Or at least I was...until you came and started pestering me! Why wont you just leave?"

"Because." Krissa fixed his shadow with a stare. "You must be lonely; I figured you might need someone to talk to. And I'm a little curious too."

"Lonely? I… I'm not lonely. I'm perfectly fine." Lucario thought a minute. Was he? Bored, maybe. He did the same thing nearly every day, but that was all right. Lonely? No.

"Curious about what." Lucario deadpanned.

"About...about what, you say." Krissa's tone was sarcastic, and held a hint of humor. "About the fact you won't show me your face, you live alone, and you seem to posses an uncanny sneaking ability. Not only that, but i have heard about you, if you are the person that repeatedly rescues people from avalanches, floods, and otherwise perilous situations, then yes, i am curious about you. Not to mention, you don't seem to have a name, nor do you want one." Krissa said her voice ringing in his ears.

"And the fact that i will refuse to answer any of those questions." Lucario closed his eyes, sighing. This girl. She was so nosy! It was to be expected...after all he had rescued her, and she had come seeking out answers. That she was not going to get.

"If all you are going to do is ask questions, then you will get no information." Overhead, a flock of Pidgey flew around, eventually sitting on a tree far off.

Krissa pouted. "Aww...Alright then. I can respect that. But i have one last question, before I shut up and leave you alone."

Lucario groaned. "What?"

"Would it be pleasing to you if I referred to you as Ren?" The question took him by surprise. How completely...Random.

"What? Why?" Lucario opened his red eyes again, thinking of a reason to say no. But none found their way to his brain.

"Well, if we meet it would be nice to have a name to call you by. I mean, i cant keep calling you stranger, right?"

"Why 'Ren'?" So here they were, discussing a name for him. A name! Of all the things he had witnessed, this had to be the strangest. He felt...almost honored. It was a weird feeling, he couldn't describe it. Was honored even the right word for it? More like...He didn't know. But there was one feeling he could identify, maybe two. He felt more then a little confused, but then again he had been feeling that way for the whole day. And...He felt pleased. Now he had been...named. None of the other humans he had met had even thought about naming him, and he had known them far longer then this girl. Much longer. Of course, that wasn't hard, as he hadn't even knew of her until yesterday morning. But...did he want to have a name? Did he want to feel any sort of attachment to this human girl? He closed his eyes, remembering previous attachments and bonds he had formed, then the pain as they were ripped away from him. The question arose in his mind. But before he could speak it, Krissa answered his question.

"It seemed...pleasing to me. Its short, rolls off the tongue, and isn't a common name."

"Why do you insist on talking to me? On trying to befriend me? It doesn't...doesn't make sense. I am a complete stranger to you!"

"Does it have to? You're a nice enough person, and everyone deserves a friend. You seem very...sad inside."

Lucario narrowed his eyes. Sad inside? Who was she to judge his character just by hearing him speak? If she saw his scars, his wounds, then she would know. Know what, exactly? Know him? Know that he had gone through pain unlike any she had ever experienced? This happy go lucky girl had just waltzed into his life and messed everything up. His simple lifestyle, down the drain. He knew that they would keep meeting, even if he tried to avoid her. And...Eventually she would see him. What would happen then? Would she scream, run? That appeared to be the best case scenario. Worst case, she would run over to him, throw her arms around him and give him a hug. Then the pitying would start. And it would never end. He sighed. It always seemed that every time he settled down somewhere a human would appear and ruin it. Was that to be the case? Was cruel fate trying to set him up to be responsible for the deaths of as many humans as possible? Lucario scowled. This girl should leave. he had had enough of talking for one day, for a month. For a while, at least.

"Shouldn't you be getting home, it is getting dark." Lucario watched Krissa carefully. She looked up in surprise. "Dark? I suppose...Will...will I see you later?" Obviously she could tell when he wanted her to leave, for she got up fairly quickly. Lucario realized his tone had been rather angry and venomous. Well, it was her fault. She had touched upon the wrong subject. Sad inside, indeed.

"Doubtful."

Krissa smiled. "Yeah, but you said that the last time we separated."

Lucario's mouth twitched in what could be assumed as a very small, very faint smile.

He heard the gravel crunch under Krissa's boots as she left.

"Goodbye...Ren."

Lucario waited until he was sure she was gone, then he stood up. There, on the ledge was a small parcel. He walked over to it, checking to make sure Krissa was gone, then unwrapped it. He stared incredously at the sandwich. It appeared to be some sort of vegetable with chopped berries on the top of it. "i...don't believe it." He picked it up and inspected it. It looked okay. He carefully took a bite out of it. "Hmm..." He took another...and another...and another, until it was almost gone. He inspected the last bite for a second, and then popped it into his mouth. Unbelievable. Why was this girl so intrigued with him? For that matter, why was he so intrigued with her?

As he walked back down the mountain, behind him a flock of Spearow rose up. They were led by a Fearow.