What do you get when you cross two Pokémorph teenagers, fanfiction, and a terminally ill man with nothing to lose? You get ZOROARK'S PENDANT!

I didn't find any time for writing this on Friday, so now I'm working on this over the weekend. I am hoping that you enjoy this chapter, and make sure to review it, just to tell me how I am doing at this.

One quick thing: In my headcanon, Arceus is different from the Judeo-Christian conception of God. I view it like Samirah al-Abbas, the Muslim girl from Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard, views the Norse gods, in that Arceus may or may not have been created by the one God.

Also, if you have not yet joined my Discord, it would be awesome if you did so. I'll PM you an invite link if you are interested. You just PM me first, telling me that you want to join.

Answer: Curse Of The Lucario and its sequel, for sure. They got me into this and forever changed my life. I also enjoy Evergreen by Jirulius a lot, assuming that I can't say this one.

Question: Do you have a Discord, and do you intend to get one if you do not?

KIERAN'S POV

I should probably explain how I got to the top of that hill, when I haven't even explained what had happened the previous night. Without knowing that, there is simply no way you can understand what was going on.

Once Crobat and I had finally found the habitat in a rural part of southern Quebec, we flew down towards the Zoroark village. By now, it was almost midnight, having been completely dark for quite a while, and the stars were magnificent. I was pretty exhausted; I just wanted to find a place to sleep, because there would be plenty of havoc to wreck in the morning.

After touching down just outside the village, I bade goodbye to the Crobat and decided to walk along the avenue until I found a place to sleep. I didn't know how easy it would be to find a family that would be willing to take me in for the night. After all, I didn't look the best-dressed, not by a long shot. In fact, with my huge mask, I probably looked too mysterious for someone to trust. Which I suppose is something to be expected, and you can't really blame them for that.

I decided to look for a hotel. Sure enough, I found one that looked somewhat shabby, but it would fit my needs. After all, I wasn't too worried; I had little to lose at this point. If there was a gunfight that broke out, like in an old Western movie, I had only lost a few months of my life.

The hotel was called the Lucario Lounge, and it appeared to be four stories tall. I had no baggage to carry with me; I hadn't even brought any extra clothes other than my usual overcoat, and I had few luxury possessions. Even then, it wasn't like I was coming here just to relax. I had a mission to carry out.

"Hello. I would like to spend the night" I said to the Lucario at the front desk. Yes, the village was not completely Zoroark and Zorua; there were other evolutionary lines present.

The Lucario looked back at me. "That'll be $44.80 for a one-bed room. Is that what you want?"

I nodded. "I've got the money" I said, pulling out a wad of bills from the pocket of my jacket.

The Lucario behind the desk counted the money before letting me in. "Your room is number 448. That's the fourth floor. You got that?"

Honestly. Did he think I was a toddler? I was an adult, so of course I knew how to get to the fourth floor.

I walked over to the elevator once I had been given the room key. However, the elevator appeared not to be working. No surprise, really. It wasn't like I shouldn't have expected this, but it still pissed me off regardless. You never wanted to stay at a hotel with a broken elevator.

Instead of taking the lift, I took the stairs. I rarely fully appreciated my lack of stamina, but this was one of those moments. It might have only been three flights of stairs to get to the fourth floor, but I was short of breath long before then. I had to hold on to the railing the entire time.

Once I got to the correct floor, I was huffing and puffing like an asthmatic. Searching for the correct door, I found room 448 and tried the key. The door swung open with a creaking noise, and I was able to appraise the room the way it really was.

It was nothing spectacular, just one bed with one bathroom adjacent to it. Aside from those two features, there was what appeared to be an alarm clock of some sort.

I was absolutely bushed, but I had to get up fairly early in order to do what I had come to do. So I set the alarm for 7:00 and hit the hay, crashing almost immediately.

The alarm clock woke me up at the appointed time, playing one of my favorite songs: "Diamond On A Landmine" by Billy Talent. I supposed it was fitting, given that I was now in Canada, that a Canadian band was playing on the alarm clock.

After heading downstairs and eating a quick breakfast from the buffet (there was no need to get dressed), I bade farewell to the Lucario at the front desk. Searching for the path, I walked through the village for what felt like quite some time.

Finally, I found the road leading up the hill. It was a steep climb, but my aura could sense something at the top...something I desperately wanted. Right now, I had one goal and one goal only, so this made sense. I had to find Lucas London.

The morning sun was beautiful. Maybe, had I not been so determined to find Lucas, I could have just gone and picked some flowers. I'd tear them apart afterwards, since misery loves company, but now was not the time for that. Right now, I had to get to the top of the hill.

I began my trek uphill. It wasn't as difficult I had thought it would be, probably because I had had that night of rest. I was hoping that I would find Lucas at the top, and maybe strike some fear into his heart. I couldn't kill the boy- it was far too interesting of a story, an answer I desperately wanted to figure out before I checked out of this world for good.

No, I would just have to subdue him somehow. Or maybe not. I wanted to see how scared I could make him. Create as much chaos as possible, that was my modus operandi in my new life, the life that would soon be ending.

By the time I reached the top of the hill, I saw two Lucario, as well as a Mesprit and a thirty-something man who appeared to be a trainer.

At first, I was confused. However, I then realized what I was looking at.

As soon as one of the Lucario had spoken, it ended up on the ground, having changed into a Zoroark. That was when I knew I had found my target.

Lucas London was standing right on the hill! I had done it!

Now, I had decided, was the time to reveal myself. It had not been a second before.

The Lucario standing next to Lucas took notice of me. Looking rather irritated, he said, "What is it? You see, we were kind of just hanging out here, minding our own business, and then you have to butt in on our bliss".

"Don't worry" I said, trying to suppress a laugh. I took off my mask, trying to make myself look more intimidating. I was going to make them think me an ally, then betray them. I was going to cause as much chaos as I could.

"Who are you?" Lucas London asked me in an accusatory tone. He bared his teeth at me like a lion.

I decided to cut right to the chase. "My name is Kieran Mortimer. Misery loves company, and I am quite lonely".

LUCAS'S POV

The man didn't look threatening at first glance. Of course, this probably meant he was a proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. He might be a nice guy on paper, but there might also be a dark side to him.

"Kieran, huh?" Eric asked. He'd been so quiet that we had almost forgotten he was there to begin with. "You don't look good. Are you sure that you're okay?"

Kieran laughed. "Believe it or not, I'm only twenty-four. I'm a lot younger than I look".

So this old man was, in fact, a young man. That wasn't something I was expecting. Maybe, even though he had a Weezing in tow, he was a good guy, someone we could trust.

Of course, given so many other things, we could never be so lucky. I had never thought I would end up coming across such a weird necklace, one that would turn me into a Zoroark. Maybe it would be pushing it to expect Kieran Mortimer to be a nice guy.

"Anything else you want to ask of me?" the young man said.

Samuel stepped forwards. "I feel like you're looking straight through me. Are you an aura user?"

Kieran laughed. "I am. Something like one in every three thousand humans is able to sense aura, my being a lucky one. If you could call it lucky".

"What do you mean?" I asked. I had always felt jealous of those who could use aura. Those people were essentially superhuman, an adjective that I wished I could have used to describe myself. Instead, I couldn't even be a normal human. What kind of lot had Arceus cast for me?

The way it was going, I didn't see how Kieran couldn't have a nasty streak to him, somehow. It's been said that every rose has its thorn, and the question was: what was Kieran's thorn? There was just no way to know. Not until we spent a little more time with him.

The thing was, however, I was exhausted. I didn't fully trust my ability to avoid myself from collapsing right here and now, let alone make it all the way back down the hill. Like I said, it felt like I had burned 10,000 calories, which would mean running dozens of miles for a human. And I'd never been in the best shape.

"My aura abilities...came at a price" Kieran said, shrugging. "I don't know if I'll tell you what that was just yet. I'll need to get to trust you more. Are you willing to hear the story?"

I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear the story. Mesprit had already been called back into her Pokéball, and I got the feeling that she was going to be staying there for a while. Should Kieran turn out to be dangerous, however, we could really use the help the Legendary would provide.

"Let's hear it!" Samuel said, stepping out from behind me. For a Lucario who had previously been a human, he sure seemed to be confident. He was holding out his fists aggressively in front of him, as though he was itching for a fight.

"Stop that!" I said. "He might be an ally".

"I can be either your ally or your enemy" the young man said. "What you do right now can determine that".

It was as though a dam broke in my mind. I now knew, with absolute certainty, that this guy was a threat. How could he not be, when he spoke in such dangerous terms? There was no way that he was completely benign.

"That's a threat" Samuel said. "You're going to have it!"

I couldn't do anything to stop him from attacking Kieran. It seemed that, when Samuel Cranmore was dead set on something, there was no keeping him from it. You could get out of his way, or you could pull a Hail Mary, trying to stop him, but risk hurting yourself. Really, there were no good options.

Samuel went out at Kieran, throwing a Force Palm towards his side. However, the 24-year-old man was ready for it, and he dodged with ease. What he hadn't noticed was that the Weezing next to him took some damage. Its face, perpetually in that one creepy expression, began to get angry, and the Weezing started to grow bigger.

"Why did you do that, Samuel?" Eric asked the Lucario angrily. "Now he's going to kill us all!"

"Not if we can resolve this peacefully, Eric Owsley" Kieran said, a hint of venom in his voice. Gone was the frail man who had seemed benevolent. He'd been exposed for what he really was, and none of us liked it.

"How did you know my name?" the trainer asked angrily.

Kieran shrugged. "Aura abilities. I can sense just about anything about you. Your age, your blood type, your general health situation and mood...you're an open book. You're thirty-four years old, aren't you?"

Eric gritted his teeth, meaning that he could evidently not lie and say no at the same time. He was, in fact, probably 34.

I wasn't happy with Samuel. However, the war had begun, and I had to fight in it, regardless of whether or not I wanted to. I aimed a Night Slash straight at Kieran. Let him feel the pain that he was probably about to cause us.

Just then, the air began to smell like rotten eggs, like the geysers they have at Yellowstone National Park. As far as I knew, however, there were no hot springs near here. And, considering that we could see for miles from the top of this hill, I could feel reasonably certain of this.

And then, I realized something. The air was now covered in a thin purple haze, similar to smoke, but a lot more noticeable. There was only one conclusion that could be drawn: My Night Slash had set off the Weezing. It was now using Poison Gas.

The smell felt suffocating, it was that horrible. I could see Samuel holding his snout, although he wasn't in much trouble. Steel types couldn't be affected by poison, but Dark types most definitely could. I had to be careful.

Could I do another Night Slash, aiming it at Kieran this time?

It was either going to be very brave or very, very foolish, but I couldn't just stand here and do nothing. At some point, the poisonous gas would force me unconscious, possibly causing me to suffocate. It would take all of the oxygen out of my lungs, and I would just die. I couldn't let that happen.

"I'll take Kieran!" I yelled to Samuel, mustering up all of my strength to get those words out. It was tough, since I was getting short of breath. "You'll run to safety, with Eric. I can hold him off, or try to negotiate".

"You're asking for it!" Kieran shouted. "Your Lucario friend didn't have to attack me!"

Before I could say anything, the young man, with strength that did not befit someone as gaunt as he was, punched Samuel in the head, knocking him far away. I could only watch as he flew, as if thrown by an explosion, over the field, and landed somewhere in the tall grass surrounding the place.

My rage exploded. Whatever the Lucario had done, he was still my friend. He didn't deserve this, to be thrown unconscious into the field...or worse. Maybe he's dead, I thought, not exactly reassured by that idea.

I could hear Eric screaming at me to hold off, that he'd run away with me, and to leave Samuel. However, I didn't know if I was capable of that. My vision was already starting to darken, and my lungs were starving for air. The gas was already starting to take effect.

I charged again, a Scratch this time. It was all that I felt like I was capable of in my weakened state. I didn't expect it to work, but I was determined to try to hold Kieran off for long enough to escape. Perhaps we could get Samuel along the way, although we had no way of knowing just how far out into the grass he had been thrown.

Just then, I fell to my knees, feeling dizzy. It was as if I had just stood up very abruptly after lying down next to a furnace. I could barely see or hear any more, and the nausea was also pretty bad.

Leaning over, I retched the nonexistent contents of my stomach onto the grass. I had literally been going nil per os the whole day, so it had no effect other than to cause me more pain and speed up my loss of consciousness.

SAMUEL'S POV

Pain...so much pain. Really, it was more of an ache, but it was still terrible.

I tried to open my eyes, but my head hurt too much. It was enough to rival someone with meningitis, that bad. I felt like I had been cast in a mold of cement. My limbs were almost impossible to move.

My aura could sense that there was a doctor near me, or someone in the medical profession...someone who had washed their hands and been sure to take precautions. If so...

I opened my eyes at last. I was in what looked like a hospital room. Unlike the one I had woken up in after being stabbed, this one was completely different. It didn't look quite so white; instead, there was a wooden floor, which I wondered if it was even sanitary. I saw that there was one corner of the room with curtains pulled up around it. Other than that, my bed was the only one in the room.

Using aura, since it hurt a lot to talk, I said, "I'm awake. What happened?"

Eric, the man from earlier, was still in the room. "Kieran hit you, making you fly in the air all the way over the field. You got a nasty concussion. Don't you remember?"

I supposed that I'd been unconscious as soon as Kieran had hit me, and I didn't remember flying through the air. That didn't answer one other question...what of Lucas? What had happened to him?

Aura was a skill I was very happy to have in that moment. Even though my concussion might make it a little more difficult to sense, I tried to see beyond the curtain. After all, wasn't that where Lucas was likely to be?

I tried to pick up on his physical state, but it wasn't working. Clearly, something inside me had been muddled from my fall. That was the only possible explanation.

"Where's Lucas?" I decided to ask Eric. There was also a doctor in the room with me, a Lucario wearing a white lab coat, spectacles, and with a stethoscope around his neck like a pair of headphones. The Lucario doctor walked over to the curtains.

"He's behind here" the doctor said. "Are you sure you want to know? He's not dead, if that's what you're wondering".

"Sure" I said. I wanted to know how my master was doing, because I still saw him, somewhat, as that, despite the fact that we were both kind of in this together.

The doctor pulled back the curtain. Lying on the bed was an unconscious Zoroark, with an oxygen mask over his face. He didn't look good.

"Is that Lucas London?" I asked.

"Indeed" said the doctor. "I'm afraid he got hit with the Weezing's poison, so we'll keep him here until he wakes up. For a physical Poison attack, the antidote can be administered either intramuscularly or by spraying it on the skin. With a poison gas attack, there's really no way to speed up the recovery other than through supportive measures. But he's going to wake up soon".

"Did you tell his parents?" Eric said.

The Lucario doctor frowned. "I've not been able to establish contact with them, because I don't even know their phone numbers. I did not even know that Lucas had living parents".

I shrugged. "It's not like they'd care, anyway".

I supposed that, were Lucas to die, the Londons would care, but I didn't see that that mattered right now. I just hoped that Lucas would wake up.

After a few more minutes, the Zoroark in the bed next to me opened his eyes. He was trying to talk, I could tell, but the oxygen mask was muffling his voice.

"Don't panic, Lucas" the Lucario doctor said. "It's just there to help you breathe. Just a precaution".

I could tell that Lucas was wishing he had the ability to speak using aura. Really, wouldn't all of us?

"You were attacked by a Weezing, don't you remember?" the doctor asked him. "Poison Gas".

"How long are we leaving the mask on, Doc?" Eric asked. Like on the hill earlier, we had almost forgotten that he was there. The man could really blend in when he wanted to. Clearly, this had been one of those times.

"In a few minutes, we'll see if he's breathing normally without it. Then, you guys can leave. We'll give you guys some tips as to what he can do in order to recover better, but he can return to the Greenlakes once he is discharged".

"Greenlakes?" I asked.

"The Zoroark family that is hosting you and him. Carla, Jason, and Malcolm...their last name is Greenlake. They know about what happened, and we'll make sure you find your way back. They live only about a quarter of a mile from the hospital".

That was good to know, I guessed.

Two minutes later, they decided to test it, to see if Lucas could breathe normally without the mask. The conclusion was that he could, although he might feel a little short of breath for a day or two. He should avoid doing anything too strenuous, although he should also be exposed to plenty of fresh air. The doctor advised that he go outside after lunch, maybe go on a short walk. This would help to get the poison out of his system.

"Sounds good" Lucas said, although I could tell he was short of breath even here. He didn't sound like he was up to even a short walk yet, but he would have to do that in order to get back to the Greenlake household.

He climbed out of the bed, stumbling a little. Then, he started walking in the direction of the exit.

"Hold on!" the doctor said. "I didn't discharge you yet".

"What about the medical bills?" Eric asked.

The doctor looked at him with a funny look. "Have you never lived here? For things like this, health care is pretty much free. There's nothing to really worry about. No paperwork. It's just as simple as that. We help whoever needs to be helped".

"So...socialism, basically?" I asked.

The doctor shrugged. "I suppose. Anyway, yes, you may leave, although make sure that he eats a good lunch and gets plenty of fresh air this afternoon. It's already about 1 PM, so it's getting a bit late for lunch".

As if on cue, Lucas's stomach growled audibly. "I could eat a Rapidash" he said. "Let's go".

After the Lucario doctor handed us a sheet with some instructions on it, we started walking back. I was not nearly as steady on my feet as I had thought I would be, and Lucas had just almost died, so both of us were being supported by Eric. We probably looked like two petulant children being marched back home, not two 17-year-olds.

Eventually, we reached the Greenlake house, where we were greeted at the door by Malcolm the Zorua. The young child sure seemed energetic, practically the opposite of how I felt. I was told by Eric that it would be okay for me to drive back home to Hanover tomorrow, since Fighting types recovered quickly from injuries.

"How was your trip with that man, Eric?" the young Zorua asked. "It sounds like it was really scary".

"It was, but all's well that ends well" I replied.

Just then, Carla Greenlake came in. "Lunch is served. Lucas, it's important that you eat. Let's do this".

We walked into the dining room, where a meal of steak, bread served with olive oil, and Oran berry salad had been set up. After we quickly thanked Arceus for the meal, we started eating. It was some of the best food I had ever tasted, especially considering everything we had just been through.

Once the meal was over, there was a little more conversation around the table, but Lucas was just patting his stomach. For someone who had just been through something like he had, he sure seemed to have been hungry.

"I'm going to go outside" he said, gesturing to the door. "I feel like a million bucks now".

"That's good" I said. Turning to Carla and Jason, I asked, "Can I join him?"

They nodded. And so, I got up from the table and was fixing to get out of the door when Carla said, from behind me, "Wait up!"

I turned back towards the female Zoroark. "What is it?"

"Make sure that Lucas stays safe and doesn't go too far away. He still doesn't have too much energy, I'm sure".

I nodded. "I'll make sure to".

I walked out the door, not making any more eye contact with the Greenlakes.

Here it is: another chapter. It wasn't as long as I was expecting it to be, but hopefully a respectable length. This gets me over 100 pages, though, so that's a milestone. (One page is 275 words or so).

Also, we're at 45 reviews. It'd be great if we could reach 100 before this story is over. I think we can do it, guys! (I'm thinking this will be 15-20 chapters).

So, rate and review!

SnowLucario out.