The Bug Jungle was hard going, but the group come out stronger from the experience. Now, the Fighting Dojo lies before them. Darien feels a strong pull towards the place… it must be here and now that the time for Lucario to show himself arrives.
The small army found themselves outside the Fighting Dojo. The sound of fist on leather sounded out quite loudly, as did the language of Fighting Pokémon.
"Ah, hajimemashite! Welcome to the Fighting Dojo!" a Mienshao said at the entrance, upon seeing them arrive.
"We're here about the Fighting Belt?" Justyn asked.
"Justyn-san! O-genki desu ka?" the Miensho asked.
"Ii tenki desu ne… Kagura, this is important," Justyn said.
"Important? …What for?" Kagura asked.
"My acquaintance here, Darien, has need to visit the location in which the Fighting Belt is stored. This is to help him take down he who wishes harm upon our lands," Justyn said.
"Ah, saving the world, is it? My, you're asking all of that of a Riolu? You do know they are ko, hai?" Kagura asked.
"Hai," Justyn said.
"Wait, I have it! A Soothe Bell!" Kagura exclaimed. He disappeared into the Fighting Dojo, and returned with a silver bell on a ribbon. A Soothe Bell… they were quite good at facilitating happiness-based evolutions.
"Now, is there any otoko or onna who is close enough?" Kagura asked, looking at the party.
"Onna, hai," Justyn said, turning to Serena. She jumped, and approached Kagura nervously.
"Don't be so scared, bijin. Take the Soothe Bell in your hands…" Kagura said, holding out the bell. Serena took it, and turned to Darien. She was shivering like mad.
"Recite these words: 'I,' then your name, 'have complete and total trust in you.'" Kagura said, pointing to Darien.
"I, Darien, have complete and total trust in you," Darien said.
"Now, Gardevoir, you say, 'I,' then your name, 'am happy to have earned that trust.'" Kagura said.
"I, Serena, am happy to have earned that trust," Serena said.
"Konochoushide ganbare! Now, Serena, you lean forward, and express that trust, that friendship, you share," Kagura said.
"Express?" Darien asked.
"Any form, really. It doesn't matter," Kagura said. Serena took that as license to kiss Darien on the cheek. Darien started blushing nervously.
"Now, Serena, take Darien's hand, and close your eyes. Allow your feelings to flow from your heart to his," Kagura said. Serena did so, and Darien felt a mystical energy coat his being.
Darien started to glow. There was no one significant change, at first. Arms, legs, ears growing longer, everything occurred relatively plainly. And then came spikes. On the backs of his hands, on his chest. He grew yellow fur on his chest. Half a metre up, Serena was still a head up. But with a new-found Steel type and almost double his stats, this evolution was truly momentous.
"Lucario… one of the most skilled Pokémon, recognised as a magnificent Pokémon, and certainly a proficient Fighting and Steel type," Kagura said.
"And he's finally no longer a Baby!" Serena cried out. True enough, Darien was now looking at Serena as he had no longer looked before. Every curl of her hair, every millimetre of her dress, every bit of her eyes. It was as if Serena had been replaced with an entirely new woman.
"Whoa… this is… whoa…" Darien said, looking around, a tad disoriented.
"…That's unusual…" Amy said, watching Darien stagger slightly.
"Jissai niwa, Braixen, Baby evolutions are significantly more confronting than the regular kind," Kagura said.
"He's got a point. I remember evolving from Togepi," Sierra said.
"And Happiny," Melody said.
"…Once the totter has settled, I would be very interested in training Darien. Say, fighting four foes in sequence here at the Dojo?" Kagura asked.
"…If you think it will help him fight," Serena said.
"Subarashii! I will see you when you are ready," Kagura said.
"Are you sure you feel OK?" Serena asked.
"I… I think so… but I'd better stay rested…" Darien said.
"All right… and… what do you think of me now?" Serena asked.
"I… I like you, Serena. I really, really do care about you," Darien said.
"…Good. Now, do you want to lie down?" Serena asked. Darien nodded, and Serena used her psychic power to clear out a space to lay Darien down in. She thought about it briefly, before lying down beside him.
"It's so good to finally see you evolve," Serena said. Lita looked between the two.
"…Now I see why Darien was so uncertain before," Lita remarked, before continuing past. Her sisterly urge to protect Serena was somewhat undermined by it being Serena who was the aggressor in the relationship.
"What was it like, being with Malachus?" Jadit asked Okemos, practicing his precision strikes. His targets were the splinters of other Pokémon's targets, and he frequently reduced them to even tinier splinters.
"Oh, it was nasty. He kept going on and on about how he's going to make all Pokémon Dark type. I'm glad he didn't convert me before I left," Okemos said.
"Uh huh… so, why does he want all these Dark-types, anyway? What's the difference between a Bug-type Scizor and a Dark-type one?" Jadit asked.
"Malachus has this thing… it's like… I don't know how to describe it. But I've never seen a Dark-type disobey him, or even do something that mildly inconvenienced him… apart from get their asses kicked by Darien and company," Okemos said.
"Yeah, we're awesome like that. So wait… he can control Dark-type Pokémon?" Jadit asked.
"Looked it. Why?" Okemos asked.
"Because that explains so much of his motive. Plus, there are two Dark-types in this party," Jadit said.
"Oh. Hopefully, what separates you from them also separates you from them," Okemos said.
"…Stop, rewind, and say that again," Jadit said. Okemos slammed her pincer to her face.
"Hopefully, what makes you Typeless also makes you immune to Malachus. He'll try to kill you instead, and that can be blocked," Okemos said.
"You are an Alakazam," Suzin said simply. Giac looked up, to see her approach.
"Very observant of you," Giac said.
"Have you harnessed the immense power of Psychic Pokémon?" Suzin asked.
"Um…" Giac asked, stumped.
"That settles it. I am going to teach you all of the secrets of Psychic Pokémon I know. I won't rest until you are well-endowed with the teachings of Psychic Pokémon!" Suzin said.
"OK… thanks, I guess?" Giac asked.
"You don't thank me now. You thank me later," Suzin said.
"Ah, hello there. What's your name?" Indira asked, floating next to Smith.
"Smith," Smith said, focusing on his training.
"Smith? Cool name… kind of like a blacksmith? I didn't know that Fighting Pokémon were good with forgery," Indira said.
"Forgery?" Smith asked.
"…You know what I mean. Are you good at forging?" Indira asked.
"Not really," Smith said.
"…Oh, come on, you can talk to me!" Indira said.
"So far, you've assumed I'm a blacksmith because my name is Smith," Smith said.
"…Oh, right. So what do you do?" Indira asked.
"Fight," Smith said.
"…Wow, you're not talkative," Indira said.
"Um… Amy?" Mina asked. Amy looked up from the books she was reading, and turned to her.
"Yes, Mina?" Amy asked.
"Um… I got you some more Poffins… there's Apicot in this one… I made them myself," Mina said.
"Thanks again. It's nice to be reminded to eat," Amy said, taking a bite out of the indicated Apicot Poffin.
"Listen… Amy… I was wondering…" Mina started.
"What is it, Mina? I am kind of busy right now," Amy said.
"Well… Amy… could we go… and… I don't know… have fun together?" Mina asked.
"…Mina, I said I'm a little busy at the moment. Maybe later. I'm about to hit a breakthrough here!" Amy said.
"Oh, all right. Sure. No prob…" Mina said, walking away dejectedly.
"Junbi dekiteru?" Kagura asked Darien. Darien turned to Justyn, confused.
"Hai," Justyn said.
"Um… hi?" Darien asked. Kagura looked between him and Justyn.
"A Fighting type that doesn't know the language of martial art? No wonder you thought this one was Typeless. You shall fight four opponents, in sequence. Junbi shite!" Kagura said. Darien bowed, and felt the spells in his hands.
First opponent forward was a Hitmonlee. He shot his foot high into the air, and went to bring it down. Darien turned on his heel, and caught the kick with one of his own. Fiery energy burned within him, and Hitmonlee was thrust back. Darien focused, and sent an Air Slash right at the Hitmonlee. The Hitmonlee staggered off his feet, and onto the ground.
"Shou sa!" Kagura exclaimed. The next opponent, a Hitmonchan, approached. Darien watched his punches, one, two, three, and dodged each and every one. He lunged forward with a clumsy Force Palm, noting he no longer had oomph behind it. He pulled his hands in front of him, focused, and launched a blast of Psychic energy. The Psychic attack knocked the Hitmonchan off his knees.
"Inshouteki. Shou sa! Next!" Kagura said. A Hitmontop was sent spinning into the ring. One, two, three strikes, a Triple Kick. Darien staggered backwards, watching the precise movements of Hitmontop. He tried an Air Slash, only for Hitmontop to Rolling Kick at his ankles, avoiding the slash. Darien looked at the dodge thoughtfully. He performed another Air Slash, and while Hitmontop was dodging, used a Psychic attack. The Hitmontop was dazed, and sent onto his feet. Lucario's Force Palm was enough to clinch the finish.
"Kashikoi. Shou sa! Next!" Kagura said. The final opponent also began with an 'H': it was Hariyama. He wore a mawashi, and looked like he meant business. He scattered sand about the ring, and Darien suddenly noticed a ring of stones around the arena. Without needing to be told, the blood of Fighting Pokémon told him what was required of him. Darien used his Force Palm, sending Hariyama staggering. Hariyama approached, and struck Darien in the chest. Darien staggered back, flailing his arms. He focused, and jumped to regain his balance. Ignoring Hariyama's shocked look, Darien used an Air Slash to send Hariyama reeling, a second to thrust him off his feet, and a third to finally knock him over.
"Shou sa! Kimarite Air Slash! Omedetou, Lucario Mamoru!" Kagura said, bowing. Serena jumped up on stage, and gave him a crushing hug.
"Well, it's good to see a powerful Lucario, as it always is. As promised, the Fighting Belt," Kagura said. Darien bowed, as he felt it expected of him, and followed Kagura to the room in which the Fighting Belt was stored.
Predictably, the Fighting Belt had been stolen. Judging by the fact that Kagura was fading into dark red particles, fairly recently, too. Serena was staring at the ruins of the Lucario statue the Belt was kept, while Darien looked at Kagura.
"Don't worry about me, Mamoru. You must take on all eighteen of the types to face Malachus. I'm sure you and Usagi can do it. You must," Kagura said, before fading away completely.
"…I will," Darien said, nodding.
"Darien, what did he say?" Serena asked. Darien turned to her, before realising that she was genuinely confused: Kagura must have said that entirely using the language of Fighting types. Darien turned to the Fighting Belt's place of rest, and held out his arms. The dark red colour seeped in, and his soul enlarged itself.
"We mustn't worry about Kagura. We need to take on the power of all eighteen types if we are to face Malachus. Kagura is confident we have what it takes… we need to have what it takes…" Darien said. He summoned his Aura Sphere.
"And I'm going to show him that he's not wrong!" Darien finished.