So, three things to discuss before we begin. First. I'm starting my next semester at University, so sadly, this update every five days thing is probably going to stop. I'll still try to get these our regularly, helps keep me sane and all, but I doubt I'll be able to maintain this pace.
Second, I've made a few changes to Chapter 33—the one with Chatot, Soothe, and Wigglytuff's stuff. I've added two more scenes to the montage part and made the Treeshroud Forest bit a little… well. You'll need to check it out to see what I mean!
Thirdly, people may be curious about why talk of this Legendary Lucario has popped out of nowhere. While she IS the same one spoken of in Rescue Team, I'll admit I only recently had an idea that utilises her. I DID go back and edit in some mentions of her earlier on, but it's just the price I pay for ideas I didn't plan on. Apologies about that, hope it's not too jarring.
With that. Let's begin!
"Thank you for having us," Guardian said, as the door closed behind him. He was hunched over a fair bit; the house really wasn't sized for him.
"Make yourself comfortable in whatever way you can," Azumarill asked, settling down on her bed. "And we can start when you're ready."
Guardian phased himself through the floor until it was just his arms and head above. "This is fine," he said.
Azumarill nodded. "I'll quickly go over what you can expect here," she explained the same things she told Sean to the quiet pokémon, getting nods rather than words to show he's following.
"Do you have any questions?" Azumarill asked.
"I have none."
She nodded. "If you ever do have questions, don't hesitate to ask. These sessions are supposed to be tailored to each person."
And then they were into it. Azumarill started gently as always. "Can you describe why you think you're here?" And that was apparently all that was needed for Guardian to begin unloading his thoughts on her.
"I'm a failure as a father and protector. I lost my child so many times and had so many chances to get him back that I wasted."
Azumarill didn't get a word in edgewise.
"I have nightmares of cowering underneath that monster every night. How could I have wanted to put Scout through such a life?"
But that was okay. Sometimes pokémon just needed someone to listen.
"I just don't… I just… Striker and Saniya don't like it when I say it, but I don't deserve forgiveness. I deserve punishment. But if my punishment is Scout? I just… I don't know what to even think about such a thing."
Guardian did compose himself in time. "My… my greatest of apologies. I did not plan on saying so much. What you must think of me…"
Feeling like Guardian was ready to converse now, Azumarill took a breath, reorganised her thoughts, and spoke. "There's a lot to unpack there, Dusknoir."
Guardian gave a weak laugh. "Yes. You don't realise how much is bothering you until you start talking about it." He rubbed his eye; it was dulled out from his misery. "I would give anything to have Scout back. Even my own life."
Sean had told her of something similar, although Azumarill would not share that.
"Losing a child is something all parents fear," Azumarill said, thinking about her boys for a moment. "Would you like to discuss Meowth?"
"I… no." Guardian shook his head. "I don't want to, but I know I should."
"Are you angry?" Azumarill asked.
"Yes," Guardian barked, eye-burning red for a moment before it dulled, and he sagged. "Yes, of course, I am angry, Azumarill. I don't even know what to BE angry at. Myself? Dialga? Arceus? Who do I blame for this? In the end, I did turn on Dialga to try and absolve what I had done. I disappeared knowing that I had done the right thing, even if it meant losing myself and everything I've loved."
Guardian shook his head roughly. "But now, I am back. I, the one who manipulated, the traitor, the bad guy. Why did I come back, and Scout did not? There is no sense or reason for that. Surely something as powerful as Arceus could have restored Scout's health as well as his body. It does not make sense."
Azumarill nodded. Guardian simply did not know why. And the question of why haunted many pokémon across the world. A million questions of why, with not a single answer to those cries.
"So, you question why it you who is alive and well?" Azumarill asked. Guardian nodded. "You feel as if you don't deserve this?"
"No," Guardian said, softly. "Not me. I want to live, of course, I do, it was why I did everything I did. The fear to die again was too much, and to lose Scout as well? But I am selfish. It was for myself just as much as it was for him. But… but now… is this why? Because I was so selfish that this is my punishment for it? I would give my life for Scout in a blink. I always would. But…"
He groaned and grabbed his head, pulling at the sensor. "I just don't understand. Arceus revived us, Sean was brought back by Dialga. Why did Arceus not revive us all itself? Dialga told us little about it, but surely. Surely… if three of us was such a risk to Arceus, how would two more be any more of a threat?"
"A threat?" Azumarill asked, curious.
Guardian stilled but nodded in time. "Dialga said little, of course. But… it did state to us that Arceus rarely acts in the world, as… direct actions from Arceus have always, always, had severe consequences. But that simply begs the question further, why did it see so much in us to revive us? Striker and Saniya, yes I could understand. But for me?"
Azumarill had no answer to that, she simply wrote down what she could, and they moved on.
By the end of it, Guardian understood why Sean looked so exhausted. Vigoroth may have been a physical workout, but Azumarill's sessions wrung the emotions straight out of them.
Everyone was tired as they returned to the guild and they took a very early night.
They were not ready for tomorrow.
"We have a special surprise for you all today," Teacher Banette said to the assembled young pokémon. "Not one but two legendary teams to spend the day here!"
The kids cheered and stamped their feet and other appendages.
Just out of the modest schoolyard, Team Sunrise waited awkwardly.
Armaldo had woken them up earlier today to inform them of this job. Going to the Treasure Town school, a place none of them realised even existed and doing whatever the teachers wanted them to do for the day.
Guardian was most reluctant, but Sean was curious. "I didn't even know pokémon HAD schools," he said, looking up at Armaldo.
"It's been a thing for a while," Armaldo replied. "But they tend to be out of the way. What did you think the kids do all day?"
"All day at school?" Sean screwed his face up at that. He pictured being in class from dawn to dusk. Horrifying.
"No."
Armaldo was kind enough to show them the way since no one else was up. The school was in the direction of the residential district, but somewhat farther out.
"Is it okay for me to go out this far?" Guardian murmured.
"Sure. Team Go-Getters is also going to be there." That was that.
The school was quite small, and Sean quickly noticed it was not much like the school he could distantly remember. There was no actual building to it to start. It was a set of flat straw seats where the students would sit in lessons. There were quite a few sizes to the seats, as could be expected.
A stone desk for the teacher to sit behind was all that was more to the classroom. Further out, they could hear the squeals and screeches of playing pokémon.
"Stay here while I get the teacher," Armaldo ordered and walked in further, towards the children. Distantly they heard.
"Stop beating each other." He returned quickly with a splitting banette, who positively looked them up and down.
"Team Sunrise," she said, voice firm. She nodded to them. "You better hope you can survive them. You, fire-lizard, you might die," she called, lifting her head.
The four pokémon turned to see three more approaching. Chikorita waved excitedly with a Vine Whip and Saniya returned it with her boring, pink, hand.
"Team Go-Getters, good timing," Armaldo said, nodding. "I'll take my leave. Good luck." He glanced to Banette and then back to them. "You're going to need it."
With no further preamble, Armaldo left them.
"Class will adjourn soon," Banette warned. "If they smell your fear, they'll devour you. Understand?"
"Pardon?"
She waited until everyone gave her a response, regardless of what it was, and then walked off.
"Okay you little brats, get in your seats!"
"This is the teacher?" Guardian asked, concerned.
Making quiet conversation with Team Go-Getters was the best way to pass the time before they heard Banette call out. "I've got a little surprise for you if you'd stop picking your noses for one second. Team Sunrise and Team Go-Getters."
Guessing that was the cue, they walked, floated, and flew their way in.
Guardian remained at the back of the group, very nervous, and he found himself bumping elbows with Charizard. Charizard's expression mirrored his own worried eye-flickering.
"You're nervous," Guardian said.
"So are you!" Charizard retorted, before shaking his head. "Sorry. I'm not the best with crowds."
"I'm not the best with anyone."
It was small, but there was some solidarity there between them. Saniya and Chikorita zoomed forward, falling into the midst of the children and causing shouts of excitement. Sean, Striker, and Wartortle walked to Banette, as they were supposed to.
"Celebi, Chikorita, if you pass notes you'll get detention," Banette called. They detangled themselves from the mob and made their way to the front as Guardian and Charizard stood awkwardly behind them, being easily the largest of their teams and catching many eyes.
Sean kept a comforting, and restraining, paw on Saniya's shoulder as Chikorita climbed Charizard so she could stand on his head and wave to everyone.
"If I can remember the lesson," Banette began, looking out at all the kids. Azurill was in the mob and beaming up at Guardian with all the innocent happiness that he couldn't bear to be beamed at him. "I'll start in a minute."
Is she always like this? Was the question on the two teams' minds.
"We'll be learning about famous and legendary explorers and what crap they've been up to. Most are dead and buried like my last four mates." Banette sighed and pulled a flask out of her desk. "I drink to forget, but I always remember."
After taking a healthy chug, and alarming everyone, even Saniya, Banette zipped up her zipper and continued. "We've got two teams today. Sunrise and Go-Getters."
An elekid raised his hand. "What about Team Ion?"
"I dunno."
"They are out on an important expedition," Sean said, speaking up.
That was met with some disappointment, but overall acceptance. After all, Team Sunrise AND Team Go-Getters were still here.
"My mother has been helping Team Sunrise," Azurill whispered to his neighbour, a chirpy pidove.
"That's cool," she replied.
"Because most of them have been notorious criminals at some point," Banette said, waving a worn hand. Part of the stuffing could be seen. "They'll be sitting with you today."
The two teams shared glances. "Pardon?"
"You'll be sitting with the children." She gave a firm look at both teams. "If they climb on you, tough break."
"I feel like this may be distracting on principle," Guardian said.
Banette gave him a hard look. "Shut up. I'm the principal. Now sit."
She waited until they had all found a spot. Charizard and Striker stuck with Guardian. The kids weren't nervous to see Guardian, but Banette's eyes were trained on him anyway. Guardian settled near Azurill, floating very uncomfortably.
"We'll be talking about four today, because that's all I can stand," Banette called, once everyone was settled. More than a few kids wanted to climb on the larger pokémon or talk to them, but everyone knew you listened when Banette was talking. "If this hangover would clear, maybe I can remember the lesson plan." She looked down, finding it in front of her. "Aha! Lucario, Scizor, Weedle, and Team Go-Getters."
Charizard blushed redder than his tail flame and shrunk down, while Chikorita preened. Wartortle didn't hide in his shell, but he didn't jump out of it to get more attention either.
"Let us begin with Lucario." Banette raised a piece of paper that was set on her desk. On it was a stylised image of Lucario.
"She is possibly the most well-accomplished pokémon alive," she began, reading off something written down, "revered as the guider of civilisation, Lucario's touch is felt wherever many pokémon gather in communities to carve their way into the world. Working together in harmony to achieve goals that none could do on their own yada-yada-yada. Sounds fake, but alright."
She paused, allowing questions. Deerling raised his head. "Even Treasure Town?"
"There are the meat-eating pokémon working alongside plant-eating ones here," Banette answered, still reading off something, "only feeding on feral pokémon from dungeons. This kind of unity is what Lucario started."
"Has Lucario been here?"
"I don't know."
"How could she be responsible for Treasure Town?"
"No one is sure why she began teaching this, nor exactly when," Banette said, instead, continuing to read. "There are many, many theories and legends regarding her. But today we deal in facts. There have been many circulating answers claiming of Lucario's origins and motivations, but what is known is this. She set herself on the path to unify pokémon across the world."
Banette took a breath. "Rather than living barely higher than ferals, she introduced the concept of currency. The Poké was a coin made by Lucario, but it is known bartering with goods and services is how trade began. Oh, so she's the one I have to blame for my third mate running off for money."
Mankey raised his hand. "What about the cool stuff? I heard Lucario is the strongest pokémon EVER?"
That caused the rest of the children to begin talking and chattering, trading rumours and ideas they had heard about Lucario.
"I heard she can wrestle twenty machamp."
"I heard that she caught a landslide and pushed it back."
"My parents told me a story where she stopped Entei from blowing a volcano by stomping them both!"
"Silence you little shits," Banette ordered, and the kids began to fall silent. Took a little longer than she liked, but they all fell quiet in time. "Why do you think she's called 'Legendary Lucario' it's as plain as day."
"We actually met Lucario," Chikorita began, hesitantly. Banette waved her on, and so she stood up straight. "She was… not quite what we expected."
"Stupidly strong," Wartortle said. "She let us train with her, but… it didn't feel so much like a training exercise and more of a beatdown. On us."
"She was a bit scary," Charizard admitted. "And made a lot of jokes that I'm not sure were jokes. I think we managed to score two hits on her throughout the whole thing."
"Both were me!" Wartortle grinned.
"And then she hurt my feelings and guessed Wartortle was human."
With that, Banette finished up on Lucario. Lingering so long on one pokémon was not her style, but Lucario had some detail she had to go over. Moving onto Scizor, known as one of Lucario's students, she described several of his exploits.
The attention of rowdy young pokémon could not be held with mere stories for long, and Banette decided to move onto Team Go-Getters before Weedle.
"Weedle… who cares? I've got a headache in my stuffing. Team Whatever's can talk or something?" She started drinking again and so they carefully got up.
Charizard knocked a snivy over and apologised profusely, Chikorita didn't really gain much height upon standing, and Wartortle was careful.
They all came to the front of the class, where Banette was ignoring everyone.
"Some twenty or so rotations around the sun, or years if you prefer, we were able to save the world!" Chikorita explained.
"We really didn't do all that much," Charizard insisted. "It was Rayquaza who destroyed the meteor, as he was supposed to anyway."
"We DID have to battle Rayquaza, and a couple of other legendary pokémon, to do that though," Chikorita pointed out. "All as first stage pokémon, like most of you!"
"It was an exciting year, that's for sure," Wartortle said, shaking his head.
"Sounds as hard as my second mate," Banette commented, slamming her hands on the desk. "Okay, listen up you little freaks, Team Go-Get-Who-Cares and Team Hurts-My-Eyes-In-The-Morning are going to take things from here. I'm going to take a nap."
Without any argument, she got up and left.
"Are… all teachers like this?" Guardian asked Sean, horrified.
"No," Sean replied, grinning, "but I wish mine were like her!"
None of the students seemed surprised by her behaviour and cheered as she left. The fragile control that was earned with Banette's presence was gone now. "Playtime!" they chorused, many eyes turning to Guardian and equally as many to Charizard.
A little psyduck opened her beak. "I heard that Dusknoir and Charizard have candy in them!"
"I did too!"
"Miss Sunflora told me."
"My big sister knows Sunflora, she said so."
"Candy!"
And then things devolved into chaos.
Twenty minutes later Wartortle was hiding in his shell, Saniya was knocked out, Chikorita had her vines pulled long and tied around her as well as around Charizard, holding them both stuck on a tree as the kids tried to beat the candy out of Charizard using Grookey's stick.
Sean was dancing around Guardian as a magby and darumaka fanned the flames beneath him as several children chanted. "Blood for the blood god. Skulls for the skull throne." Striker was trying to hold them off.
"Sean, get me down!" Guardian cried. "Stop encouraging them!"
"Have you kids ever flossed?" Sean asked, loving all this harmless fun. The rest of Team Sunrise didn't often consider it, but Sean was still a teenager in mind.
"No."
And when prompted, he could call upon that madness at any time.
"Let me show you."
It was to a sad sight that Banette returned to. After a good, hour-long, nap she found what was left of the two legendary teams, with children who had painted themselves with ash cavorting around them.
Charizard had flown frantically for the town, several kids hanging on, to buy all the candy from Green and then back. This had proved to be a critical error, as now they had a sugar high on top of violence.
Sean had put out the fire underneath Guardian once he came to his senses and remembered he wasn't so irresponsible anymore.
However, the children turned on him then. Azurill washed Guardian off as best as he could as Sean was strung up for his treason.
Saniya was still unconscious.
Everyone froze when Banette was spotted. Magby burped and set Grookey on fire. He meeped slightly but was too frozen at the sight of Banette to put himself out.
"Oh, there goes another one of the students," Banette said, glancing over Grookey. "I don't think he will make it this time."
Thankfully, Wartortle popped his head out and was able to spray some water, putting Grookey out. The little simian coughed.
"Well, have you learned anything today?" Banette asked, limping to her deck.
"Yes, Miss Banette."
"Not you, brats."
"I understand why you are an alcoholic," Guardian said, darkly.
"So, you're learning then. Okay, class, I've remembered the syllabus and my headache is gone. Psyduck, stop pecking Pichu. Line up into two groups, failures and ones who have a chance in life."
The two teams groaned; they were barely even part of the way into this day.
"Could you please get me down?" Chikorita asked, from where she was being used to string Sean up.
"Say, please."
"I did."
"Then, no."
"I've got it!" A pawniard yelled, running for her.
"NO! No-no-no-no-no WAIT!"
"I spy something green."
"A leaf?"
"Correct."
They were here again, Scout and Darkrai, two lost souls. Darkrai had posed a game of I Spy tonight, and Scout accepted.
"I spy something black."
"Is it me?"
"Yeah."
It was a thrilling game.
"I want to know something," Scout said. That's what he was here for. Answers. Not company.
"Ask away."
"How could you possibly bring me back?" Scout asked seriously. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but your powers are over nightmares. Not people who have been removed from reality."
"The line between a dream and reality is not as thin as one may think," Darkrai replied, "and… while I may not dabble in it any longer, I do know a thing or two about manipulating time. I did not damage Temporal Tower by blowing a hole in it, after all."
"Hmm."
"I could not revive just anyone, however," Darkrai continued. "Your unique state gives me this opportunity. Sean's revival loosened the constraints of the paradox and your friends' belief in you, most especially Rai, Mane, and Guardian's, has anchored you enough. You are somewhat close to a dream, somehow more and yet somewhat less."
"That's making my head spin," Scout sighed, disliking Darkrai using everyone's names, but not speaking against it. He was following, and he had a feeling Darkrai was talking as simply as he could. He did not claim to understand the powers of the legendary pokémon.
"May I ask you a question, in turn, Scout?" Darkrai asked.
With a ghost of a smile, Scout replied. "You just did."
Darkrai blinked before he gave a wispy laugh. "I suppose I did. Ah, well."
"You can ask."
"Thank you, Scout." Darkrai looked him up and down before glancing the direction Scout had come from. "Why do you reject my offer, yet come to speak with me every night?"
Scout recoiled. Honestly, he hadn't expected any other question, but he still didn't like to hear it.
"I… don't know," he replied, before shaking his head violently. "No! I do know. I don't trust you. The Darkrai I know of…" he trailed off. He was getting confused. It was somewhat unsettling how easy it was to slide into an almost friendly back-and-forth with Darkrai.
Darkrai.
He knew what Darkrai did and was going to do. Go after Palkia or something like that. But… that was the game. The story that he thought he knew but has changed.
It was changed from the beginning; he understood now. But not how, or why. Was it a flip of the coin, or was it something deeper?
Questions he could never get the answer to unless he were alive to ask them again.
Darkrai was here. Offering. But… Scout knew. Darkrai had even admitted he was the one who had tried to tear time apart to cover the world in horror and darkness. Scout delved into his limited memory, thinking of the Dark Future.
In this state of dreamlike non-existence, he still didn't have all his memories back. But he could reach some. He was resting on Sean's lap. Riding on Guardian's shoulder. Playing with Saniya. Training with Striker.
They were hazy, detached, but he remembered them in part.
But with them came the memories of the Dark Future. That, spliced with his second go through that haunted place, filled him with anxious dread.
Darkrai had caused that. He had ended the world and undoubtedly revelled in the ruin he brought about.
This was the same one. He could not trust him.
And yet.
"What happened to make you… change your mind?" Scout asked. He hadn't broached this subject yet; he didn't want to hear Darkrai's seductive, sensible, lies.
The best lies were wrapped in truths; after all, he had to remember that.
And yet.
He still asked.
Darkrai considered the question in absolute silence. It wasn't the easiest question to ask, and he knew that much of Scout's perception of him rode on what he said next.
"Through dreams, I have seen what I would do in the timeline I had caused," Darkrai began, slowly and methodically. "I even delved further into them, wishing to feel a glimpse of that glorious victory. But… as I fell further into memory, I noticed something."
"What?"
"I was not happy. The victory brought me no joy. It only reduced everyone else to the same misery I suffer. In that dark time, where there is no happiness to find, I felt… satisfied with that. Because it was either that… that or regret. And by that point, there was no option of regret."
"You attacked us," Scout accused, "when we travelled back in time. You attacked us to stop us."
Darkrai paused again, staring at him in wonder. "You mystify me greatly, Scout. I see where the name comes from; your observance is astute and impressive. Yes. I did. If you could pass apologies from me to Sean, I would be most grateful."
Scout was silent.
"But there was something else," Darkrai said, taking Scout's curiosity upon him again. "Something else that I, at first, clung to as something at least. You may not know, or… no, perhaps you would. But when a pokémon of my… stature perishes we… we do not get the same opportunity as a mortal pokémon after death. Instead, we are recycled and return. The pokémon who died lives on only in the memory of the one that comes after."
"Yes… Dialga said that as it…" Scout grimaced, that wasn't a fun memory.
"Indeed. Something you likely do not know, but I do. The previous Darkrai was murdered, you see, by a pokémon from the future."
"Wait…?" Scout said, holding a paw up. "Wait. An audino?"
"Yes." Darkrai nodded. "Did that Chatot or Wigglytuff share this with you, then?"
"Chatot did… yeah."
"My apologies about him. But. As time has been changed, the pokémon of the future disappeared. Knowing that she is gone, truly and utterly, relieves me immensely, and this happiness is what inspired a change in me. I cannot help now but think. Why try to make all others descend to my misery when I can uplift myself?"
"That's why you're offering to bring me back?"
"Yes. I do owe you, and I must repay that, but the best actions, I think, have multiple advantages to them."
Scout chewed his lip, or at least he thought he would be and so he did. "No. No. No. No, I… no."
Darkrai closed his eyes and took a breath. "What more can I say?" he asked, frustration briefly touching his voice before he composed himself. "Scout, all we are doing is putting you and your companions through the pain."
"Then leave us alone."
"I cannot."
"If you have to be absolved then LEAVING will repay us."
"It doesn't work like that, Scout."
"Leave. Now."
Darkrai paused and lifted himself to his full height. "Very well. For tonight, I shall."
"Forever."
"Tonight."
"Forever!"
"… I will be back tomorrow."
Scout scoffed and began pacing in anger as Darkrai disappeared. He wanted to kick the dirt, throw something, or form a Shadow Ball. Maybe a Night Slash and cut Darkrai's arm off or something.
But he could do none of those things, and he returned to Mane and Rai in simmering frustration. He sat in the fire and huddled for the rest of the night.
After 'teaching' for the day, the two broken teams drifted to Spinda's Café to try and rest from their ordeal.
Banette joined them.
"Spinda… alcohol."
Banette smirked at them as they all partook in the cleansing liquid, except Sean who Saniya decided wasn't allowed.
"You joined the children today, reminding us all you are underage."
"I said I was sorry."
"Suffer."
Banette finished hers first and called for more quickly.
"Does that even do anything for you?" Wartortle asked, quiet and tired.
She downed the next one in a single gulp. "Not anymore."
"Hey, uh… Chikorita?" Saniya asked, head pressed on the table. The coolness of it helped.
"Yeah?" Chikorita's vines were sore. She didn't even know that was possible. The roots, sure, but not the vines themselves. They usually didn't exist until she called them with her Power, and yet here they were. Aching in their non-existence.
"Knock-knock?" she asked, punctuating it with two soft bumps with the table with her head.
"Who's there?"
"Gacha."
"Gacha who?"
"Gacha another drink and me too."
"Fine."
There was solidarity earned between the two teams today, and Team Go-Getters silently promised to find a way to get Team Sunrise a break tomorrow.
"You don't really want to meet Lucario."
"I assure you that we do."
"She doesn't seem to like pokémon much at all."
It took a fair while, but Rai and Mane got the directions they were after. Fort Boundary, which was neither a fort nor did it border anything important, was filled with difficult pokémon.
That or their impatience mixed with exhaustion was rubbing everyone the wrong way.
Either way, they knew Lucario had been here as many townsfolk were walking with furrowed brows and bemused expressions.
It was like that in Shaymin Village, it was like that at the previous two villages, and it was the same here.
"She's not what you are expecting."
They were given advice not to pursue, but they weren't chasing after her for her pawprint. However, forgoing sleep and rest as much as they were was leading to a pair of very cranky kitties.
"Fine. She was seen going out the third crossing, towards Dreamy Woods. Good luck, you're going to need it."
And then they were off. As perhaps the most egregious example of their one-track minds was when Mane tripped over an unusually heavy sack and instead of leaving it where it was or doing the upstanding pokémon thing and looking for the owner, he just chucked it in their own Treasure Bag and went on their way.
"Finders keepers."
But they can only go so far before they crash.
"Nudge-nudge. Nudge-nudge. Hello? You alive?" Mane grumbled as something continued poking him. It was hard and round, and he didn't like it. He snarled. "Hello? Blink once if you're alive, twice if you're dead, with one eye twice if you need a doctor, or not at all if I can just go."
Whoever was talking poked him again, and he clamped onto whatever it was with his teeth. "Woah-hohoho. Got a live one." Whatever it was pulled Mane up until it vanished from his mouth and he, like all cats, landed on his feet.
Blinking the disorientation away, he looked at who dared bother him. He saw shin. Black shin. He looked up and then a little more up.
"Hello," Lucario said. Her fur was a mixture of faded blue and black with grey streaks. Despite it, her muscles remained firm, and her eyes were completely clear. "Can you speak? Or are you just… well." She generated a Bone Rush, and Mane realised that's what had been poking him.
He yelped and jumped, landing on Rai and startling him into awareness. Rai shocked him on reflex and Mane blasted out an Ember, setting Lucario's face on fire.
She sighed and patted her face down as the two reorientated himself. "You done?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Lucario?" Mane coughed, catching Rai's attention. He also looked to see shins, before tilting his head up a bit further.
Lucario rolled her eyes. "I get you're hot stuff but keep in and bury it down like everything else." She tapped them both on the head with her Bone Rush. "You know, setting perfect strangers on fire may not be the worst way to flirt, but I've seen better. Now, tell me if you understand me or do I have to stick this thing somewhere else?"
"I understand," Rai said, stunned.
"Y-yeah."
"Okay." Lucario nodded, a charming smile lighting her face. "Progress is made. Second question I know I shouldn't ask, and probably going to regret this, but why was your first inclination to suck on my Bone Rush?" she asked, turning to Mane. "Just how happy WERE you to see me? Or is there something you're missing out on?"
"I didn't SUCK!"
"Mmm." Lucario didn't look convinced.
Rai turned to him, disbelief flooding his face that he'd suck on Lucario's Bone Rush.
"I didn't!" Mane insisted, voice going very high. Rai did not believe him.
"For the record," she said, "you did. But I'm a forgiving lass." Lucario looked between the two. Rai had fallen completely silent, going still in bashfulness. This was definitely Lucario, and Mane had already ruined their first impression. He would not ruin their second one.
"Third question, you didn't run afoul of any hypno or musharna did you? Finding two pokémon conked out in Dreamy Woods brings just one thing to mind. Even I've been getting put to sleep and drained a bit. Heh, bastards made it count."
"N-no," Rai replied, shaking his head. "At least... I don't think."
"Hmm… Shinx, Litleo. You both look depressing. I'd ask what the cat dragged in, but it's pretty obvious. When did you last sleep together?"
"Last night," Mane said, he was calm. He'd already set Lucario on fire; he couldn't get any lower than this.
"Somehow I think my question went over your head. Funny that." Lucario looked around. These two were standing still, quiet, with heads somewhat lowered. "Are you… going to continue standing that still? Or does it hurt to sit down?"
Rai gasped and laid down, feeling boneless.
Looking up, Lucario was wearing a distantly annoyed look. "Okay," she sighed, sitting down. "You two CLEARLY know just which lucario I am, and so you're doing that thing that everyone does. If you continue, I'm going to leave. Do you get it?" She gave them both another gentle wack on the head.
Mane nodded. He took a breath. "Sorry for Embering you," he said. "And for sucking on your Bone Rush. It was a little too long and hard to resist."
Lucario smirked. "Alright. You get a pass for the fire in my eyes." She glanced to Rai. "What about you, Sparky?"
"Yeah, Shinx?" Mane asked, grinning. "Talk about her bone. I think she liked it!"
Rai gave him a mortified look. "You.. we… no… never… I… she… what?"
"I think she's into it."
"I'm… sorry?"
Lucario sighed. "Well, one out of two is better than I normally get. So!?" She turned back to Mane. "I have a feeling, just a feeling, that finding two pokémon fainted from what looks like exhaustion, I won't ask what of, and running along the same path I was said to be going isn't JUST fanciful chance. So. Team Ion. What have you come to find me for?"
Rai's ears flicked as he shelved this new moment of pain he'd be thinking about when trying to sleep four years from now. "You've heard of us?"
"I do have ears, yes." Lucario nodded and then wiggled her ears. They were a bit larger than the normal size for a lucario. "And while you may not be the only shinx and litleo who are on an exploration team together, the tension between you is unmistakable if my sources are correct."
Rai sighed; Mane grinned. There were two of them now. He could feel his admiration crumbling in front of his eyes. First Dusknoir, then Grovyle, now Lucario. Was no one sacred?
"So," Mane begun as Rai was clearly dealing with some heavy stuff, "I got to ask. You ARE Lucario, right?" The name still held that weight.
"Hmm. Four aura tassels." She tapped one, and it bounced. "Blunted chest spike. Ability to kick anyone's ass. I think I am a lucario!"
"THE Lucario?"
"You wouldn't actually be asking me if you didn't think I was."
Mane gave a low whistle. "I don't say this about the gals often, but totally platonic nice."
"I have a feeling you don't give ANY 'platonic' nices to the guys either. Still, totally platonic nice back to you, strange little pokémon who is filled with unyielding lust. Anyway." She gestured to Rai. "Is he going to breathe in the next few minutes?"
"I could give him mouth to mouth!" Mane beamed. Rai exhaled hard.
"Can you even do that?" Lucario asked, curiously, looking over their mouths.
"Only one way to find out!"
"Okay. I've adjusted," Rai said, taking a slow blink. He took another breath before putting his cute face on. "We're Team Ion, and we came looking for you, Lucario!" Rai chirped.
"Yeah…" Lucario looked at him strangely. "I got that."
"I just need to feel like something's normal," Rai said, between his teeth, still holding his cute, hopeful, expression. One of his eyes twitched briefly.
"That's reaaallly weird."
"You should see the faces he makes-"
"OkAY!" Rai snapped, bumping Mane over. "Calm your raging hormones."
"Ah, let him flirt. It's funny. I don't get to see it much, and no one's ever that comfortable around me… or they are too comfortable and flirt WITH me." Rai was still frowning. "If it helps, I'm more liable to help you if you treat me like an actual pokémon and not some weird divine prophet-of-Arceus type-deal thing."
Rai gave her an odd look, reading up and down Lucario before his expression changed slightly. Some of the sparkles went out of his eyes, and he closed them to take another breath.
"I'm sorry," he said, opening his eyes again. He was looking at her differently now, and Lucario noticed it. "I only just realised that… we've had to deal with a few pokémon acting really strange with us since the Temporal Incident, and it's bothered us."
Mane nodded, bumping Rai gently.
"You must deal with that all the time, huh?"
"Yep." Lucario nodded; she stood back up and stretched. "You could say that might be part of why I'm here. Thinking you two might 'get it'. Or maybe I dropped my stuff and was on the way back and ran into you. Could be either!"
"Wait," Mane said, digging into their Treasure Bag for that small sack he had tripped over yesterday. "Is THIS yours?"
Lucario brightened. "Ehh! Nice!" She snatched it up and overturned it, letting far more items than the small sack should possess fall out. It began to pile up, forcing Rai and Mane to step back.
Lucario was nearly up to her knees in items before she spotted what she was actually after. "Mmm," she sighed, chewing contently on the gummi. "I got to say, best thing about this place." She swallowed and looked at the disaster at their feet. "Well… you'd think I'd learn." She began shovelling it all back in. "But I don't."
Once it was all back in, Lucario sat back down, cross-legged, and gave them an appraising stare. "So. Team Ion. World Saviours, one of your number down. Why have you come looking for me?"
"Two weeks ago, Riolu appeared," Rai explained, leaping right into it. "Same with Grovyle, Dusknoir, and Celebi. Only… Meowth hasn't come back."
Lucario raised a paw. "Who's Riolu? And Celebi?" She considered the question for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you're NOT talking about the one that sometimes is at Mystifying Forest?"
Rai blinked. "You don't know who they are?"
"There are so many riolu around. I was one once! Sue me for not knowing."
"You'd like Celebi," Mane said, grinning as he thought of her, "and Grovyle and Riolu are pretty 'nice' too."
"They all played a big part in saving time," Rai explained. "And disappeared when the future was changed."
"Paradoxes," Lucario said, nodding. "Nasty things."
"You know about them?"
"Eh… I know they exist." She waved a paw. "Continue."
"Right. So, they all came back. But not Meowth. So, we went to the Hidden Land with Riolu to ask Dialga why."
"The big bastard said the only reason why Meowth WASN'T being brought back," Mane growled, "was because he was too injured. Apparently, they can only revive pokémon in the same, like… state they were in before. Riolu did need a day, but… he said Meowth was already dying and he wouldn't make it."
Lucario nodded slowly. "Well… if you've come here to ask me to heal him, I have bad news for you."
Rai quickly shook his head. "No! No, not that. Dialga said no one could heal him fast enough."
"Mmm." Lucario didn't look so sure.
"But, that's not why we've come to you. Dialga only revived Riolu. The other three were brought back by Arceus."
That. That caused a reaction.
"What?" Lucario hissed, jumping to her feet. Faster than they could even react, she had them both up in the air, held in a paw each. "What did you just say?"
"He said Arceus, bitch, put us down!" Mane snapped. She narrowed her eyes and dropped them both. She stepped back.
"I find that very hard to believe."
"Dialga said it," Rai snapped, rubbing his neck. "And who else could revive them?"
"Hmm…" Lucario stared off into the distance. She considered her words for a moment. "Look. Sorry for grabbing you like that. You hear Arceus, and you just want to Brick Break some spines." She gave a chop to the air.
They edged back. She snorted. "I'm not going to snap you like twigs."
Rai swallowed and gathered his nerve again. "Arceus definitely means something to you," he said, broaching the subject.
Lucario's gaze was not easy to bare, but he didn't look away. Lucario lifted her head slightly, more impressed. "Yes. The old bastard does mean a few things to me—almost all bad. Shitty old fence," she scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm serious. Arceus looks like it got stuck going halfway through a fence. Heh." She shook her head, lost in an old memory.
"We were hoping you'd know something about finding it," Mane said, stepping forward again. "If there is ANYONE that can bring back Meowth, it'd be that one. It brought everyone else back, everyone important at least, but NOT Meowth. We want to know why, and we want him back."
Lucario gave them both a hard look. "Look. I think the best you two could possibly get is an explanation. But, more than that, I don't know where it is or what it's doing. Ever since I've been here, it's been asleep. This is the first I'VE heard of it being awake in centuries. If Arceus really did revive those other ones…" She trailed off, face setting into an almost haunted look.
Rai gave a very soft curse under his breath. Before looking up sharply. "Look. We are going to get answers for why Scout didn't get to come back! I don't care how long it takes."
"We only really get another two weeks," Mane said, softly.
"Screw Armaldo."
"Rai…"
Lucario stuck a finger in one of her ears. "Please don't start drama in front of me," she sighed. She flicked the finger and clunked them both on the head with a Bone Rush again.
"What was that for?" Mane grouched.
"Because I can." Lucario shrugged. "You know what? Why not? Why don't I? Should I? Screw the fence-ridden bastard. You two may actually die if you don't get all this tension out of you, and I have a feeling it's not going to go away until you have the meowth back. I'll give you some help."
"You will!?" Rai brightened. All other comments she made went in one ear and out the other. Mane caught them and giggled lecherously.
"Yep."
"What do you want?" Rai asked, going straight into suspicious mode. "Everyone else has demanded a leg and a half."
"I'd offer you prosthetics, but I think you'll be fine. Just don't go back to the whole hero worship and 'oh Legendary Lucario we beseech you and please have my babies' despite the fact we are both of the hole, not the rod,' cause that's really lame. Sorry, getting a lot of offers for playing with the same team as of late."
"I… think we'll be fine."
"Swell."
Lucario had caused something in Scout that he hadn't experienced since he had first become aware he was stuck like this.
Laugh.
He wasn't sure what it was, but there was a lot of build-up to their meeting. Or, well, Rai and Mane's meeting with her.
Experiencing how she actually acted in comparison to what he, and clearly they, were expecting, had pulled some laughter out of him.
Unfortunately, Lucario hadn't so much as twitched when he tried to see if she could sense him. And then her later comments evaporated all amusement out of him.
Only answers at best, they could get.
She had promised to help, however, and so she walked with Rai and Mane until it was time to sleep. He wondered as Darkrai had proposed the idea. Would she have a nightmare?
Rai and Mane began to whimper and squirm against the ground at the usual time. Even so many times into seeing it, it still hurt as much as it did the first time.
His sight fell to Lucario. She wasn't squirming, but there was a very deep frown on her face. Her paws clenched down, digging into the dirt and cleaving through it like water. But besides that, she made no reaction.
Whatever she was experiencing was affecting her, at least.
And Scout hated that.
He got up and moved through the trees. He wasn't sure why he always knew what direction Darkrai was at. He simply picked a path and walked it until the shadow demon turned up.
As always, Darkrai beamed at him when he turned up. "Scout."
"Get out," Scout snapped. "Leave. NOW!"
Darkrai blinked. "I… pardon?"
"I want you gone. Now."
"But we've only just connected for the night."
"I don't care. Leave." He glared at Darkrai and was vindicated when Darkrai nodded.
"May I… at least ask why? Have I upset you?"
"I just… I cannot. I cannot. I cannot tonight." He buried his face in his paws, or at least he felt like he should be, so that's what Darkrai saw.
Darkrai bowed his head, one of his hands flexed. "Very well," he whispered.
Darkrai disappeared, and Scout paced in place, trying to remember how to breathe, only to then remember that he couldn't breathe at all. He gave a weak laugh at himself before making his way back. He felt like he'd wasted enough time tonight.
It was a bit of a walk back, but Scout couldn't be slowed down by any physical obstacle. Only his own thoughts. He arrived back and froze.
Rai and Mane weren't relaxed, and Lucario was twitching in place.
That by itself would be alarming after telling Darkrai to leave, but for once it wasn't Darkrai's fault. A drowzee stood over Mane, chuckling under its breath as it waved its hands over him.
Singing a soft lullaby as purplish energy crackled around the three unconscious pokémon. A Nightmare. And from Mane, Drowzee breathed in, drawing his energy away in a cruel Dream Eater attack.
Scout launched himself at the interloper, hissing and extending his claws. "GET AWAY!" he screamed and slashed right through Drowzee.
It didn't even know he was there. In a sense, he wasn't. Scout gasped and his claws disappeared, it was moving onto Rai now and he felt something. Very distant, almost imperceptible, but feeling anything in his state was noticeable.
Rai groaned out as energy began to rise from him, sucking into the long nose of the drowzee. Scout fell back as he realised he could do nothing. No one was waking up, and this drowzee would keep on going.
There was nothing he could do.
Oh and ONE more thing to mention, but I didn't want to clog up the top authors note. This story has officially passed 400 reviews (when combining it with A03's ACTUAL number of reviews, which is a little over 210). That and 400,000+ words. Hmm. I think… when we reach 40,000 views, I just might release that Deleted Scenes and Other Stuff stories I have in the works!
Hmm. Better start getting some stuff ready for that soon, we're not THAT far away after all (Just passed 35,000 combined views).
A few people have asked about Discord. I can't really imagine making a whole server for my story, that feels... boastful. But I do have an account, if you want to chat?