Riolu and Lucario

The pale light of the crescent moon tried to pierce the valley, but the murky fog was too much. It filled the valley like an airy river, tumbling slowly towards the south. It turned the light of a campfire into an orange glow. It made it impossible to see where the path ended and where the cliff began. It kept most hunkered down in a safe spot until morning.

Most. The Lucario knew the landscape by memory, so he could hunt on foggy nights. He preferred to hunt on foggy nights, as it worked with his stealthy tactics. On his turf and terms, he was perfectly safe.

However, the campfire was a worrisome sign. It meant that humans were here. He had chosen long ago not to go with them; he had an excellent territory, with a fresh spring, good plant cover, good prey, beautiful views, distant rivals, so why give it all up? Not that the humans had much of a chance of finding him, but the Lucario would play it safe and observe. Just in case.

His kind had a sense that few others had, the ability to feel aura and emotions from others. It was a sort of smell, but not, coming through the black flap of skin that went around his eyes into a 'knot' at the back of his head, then trailed down. This skin sent sensory signals to the part of his mind that also translated smell, which was how he 'smelled' another's emotions. He would consider that knowledge fairly useless, though. He only needed to know how to use it, not why it worked.

This sense informed him that there were two humans here, two young females. Since the fog obscured their limited senses, they had set up camp for the night. They were fast asleep, no threat to him now. Most of their Pokemon were asleep in their Pokeballs, save for one that had stayed awake to stand guard.

She was a Riolu, as he had once been. Definitely a strong one, she kept her senses as alert as she could keep them. It was a loyal gesture, to stay awake and watch for danger. But she had a trace of fear as she watched the murky fog. She was on unfamiliar ground, so she wasn't sure what awaited her.

Although she really need not worry, the Lucario thought. He was the only one around who dared to move through the fog. And even if he were desperately hungry, he wouldn't seek a Trainer's Pokemon for prey. They were indeed strong, and if he managed to get one weakened, it would be gone before he could make the kill. That didn't mean he wouldn't challenge them for practice during the day; he just had to make sure to run away before the human tried capturing him.

He might as well not worry about them. And yet, while they lived solitary lives, Lucarios weren't entirely loners. He ought to look out for the Riolu's well-being, at least for this night. He knew that she couldn't evolve as she was now. That trace of fear and uncertainty was enough to hold her back. There was something he could do about that.

Quietly, he approached the camp. She may have been trying to be alert, but there was a scent of fatigue to her and his senses were sharper. He chose a spot just before he could see her and stepped on a loose twig.

The Riolu's small ears twitched. She turned towards his direction, giving a good impression that she was doing it without regard to him. But her aura said otherwise, that she was ready to protect the two humans when need be. Good.

The Lucario leapt to the side, rebounded off a sturdy rock, then passed behind her and feigned a punch to her left shoulder. He had no intention of hitting her; it was possible that he could knock her out in one blow. However, that would be counterproductive. He simply made sure that she felt it.

She did, and quickly snapped her arm back to counter him, but he had disappeared into the fog already. That gave her aura a sharp tang of fear. Thankfully, it was brief as she controlled her mind to focus in battle. He scattered some pebbles as he landed, letting her know where he was.

She noticed and darted after. Once she saw the dark haze that indicated his position, she jumped and made to kick him in the head, even though he was twice as tall as her. The move would put her dangerously close to the cliff's edge, so he grabbed her arm before she jumped. "Don't move, little sister."

She stared at him for a moment. "I don't have any family, I think."

"It's just a saying. There's a cliff right behind you." He pulled her back to her campsite. "Then you hatched with these humans."

"Yes. The other Pokemon have helped raise me... why are you here? Do you mean to hurt my friends?" She was poised to strike once he let her go.

"No. I was simply testing you." He released her, but she believed him enough to not strike. "I live here. I noticed you keeping guard."

"It's my turn. I can do this."

"I noticed your fear."

"Oh, um..." She rubbed her ears with her arms. "I don't mind keeping watch, but it's so hard to see."

"Then don't rely on your sight. Rely on your nose. You will notice that first."

"I would, yes." That ease her worries some, but not enough.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You must move past your fears. You must stand steadfast in battle and, as you are with a Trainer, you must keep your loyalty. When the dawn's light finds you content of heart and mind, then you will mature in body."

She mulled over that, then asked, "Why dawn?"

He shook his head. "We're not certain, but that is the lore we pass down through generations."

"Oh. I wouldn't have any way to know that."

The Lucario nodded. "It is the duty of elders to guide the youth. I will teach you tonight, but once the sun rises, I must be gone. Riolu, you have much strength, but this will help focus that power."

"Okay, thank you."

…

Riolu Diamond entry: The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad.

Lucario Pearl entry: By catching the aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements.

At this point, I still didn't own a fourth-gen game and I never watched the anime. So I didn't realize this was a regular portrayal of them. All well.