Chapter 50 was fun. Hahahaha. I bet people were expecting something terrible to happen!
Funny.
I think I have too much fun writing Lucario. She's just got humour to her that no one else really has. I look forward to putting her, Saniya, and Mane in a room with a hapless soul.
And fair warning, this chapter has a lot of 'saucy' and 'vulgar' humour to it, for my beta, my wonderful-wonderful beta.
Also, I find it just… hilarious how anxious you all are getting. Hahahaha. It's funny. We're laughing. Let's all laugh together.
Lucario gave a second yawn as she loitered at the guilds morning assembly like a sleepy poltergeist. She had chosen to sleep in the Swap Cauldron, and it had distressed Croagunk in so many different ways.
"It was tingly. Eight of ten," she said, drawing the numbers. Croagunk stared at the scribbles in confusion, it was no set of numbers he was familiar with.
He decided it was mysterious Lucario moon runes and left it at that.
Lucario briefly visited Scizor, but it didn't go well.
"Where do you think you're going?" a voice snapped at Lucario from behind and she glanced behind her to see Chimecho approaching with a most perturbed look on her face.
"To see Cara?" Lucario replied.
Chimecho reached the door and telekinetically pulled her paw down from the handle. "My apologies, but he is on strict bed rest today. And likely tomorrow as well. Scizor has experienced a heavily traumatic incident on his body, and he is NOT healthy enough to go gallivanting about fighting Garchomp and legendary lucario. Do you understand?"
Lucario raised an eye, and Chimecho only quivered in the air once. "Fair enough," she said, stepping back. Nodding to Chimecho, Lucario mentally raised the healer to a higher position of respect in her head, Lucario wandered out to listen to Armaldo tell everyone what to do.
She personally thought he was micromanaging a bit, but with rowdy pokémon sometimes it was the only way.
With Scizor trapped in the guild and unable to entertain her for the day, Lucario set her eyes on the first and foremost reason she had decided to come to Treasure Town.
She looked at the four, so quiet and unaware of things. Sean yawned cutely, Saniya did as well. The grovyle stifled his yawn, while the dusknoir didn't so much as a sigh.
She'd get their names in time.
Armaldo finished growling at the apprentices and dismissed them. Team Sunrise loitered a bit, they normally got direction personally from Armaldo even if it was always the same thing nowadays. Do jobs.
She sauntered over as he was talking to them. "I'll be taking them today," she said. Armaldo paused, and the five pokémon glanced at her.
"Morning, Lucario," Sean greeted. She gave him a point in return.
"You're taking them for today?" Armaldo asked. "Why? And what makes you think they can skirt off work? They've had their break."
She rolled her eyes. "I'll go with them on the job," she said. "There's a human there, they can fit five pokémon."
"You know about that?" Sean asked, surprised. Lucario gave him another finger point and a ke-chow.
"I suppose there's nothing we should doubt your knowledge of," Armaldo gruffed, crossing his arms.
"Nah, that's the meowth, I think."
"Whatever. They'll be safe with you. We do expect work to be done in a timely fashion, so do try to avoid your clambering fans." He glanced up at the roof. "I can hear them already."
Lucario's good mood vanished, and she groaned. "Right." She looked to a window and began walking towards it. "Well… I'll see you four outside." She opened the window and climbed out into the open air, dropping down immediately.
"Uh…" Sean said, raising his paw. "Lucario can't swim…?"
"I imagine she'll be fine," Armaldo said, before turning around. "Find whatever job you want." And with that, he walked off.
There was an unusual number of pokémon on the middle level when Team Sunrise came up, and few of them seemed to be explorers. Thankfully they were mostly ignored, and they decided to go towards the outlaw notice board.
Saniya picked a mission quickly, not enjoying the sheer number of pokémon crowding the middle level. There was a great deal of pushing and bumping and an endless cacophony of buzzing talk and tension.
Even though it was a tension waiting for Lucario, as it was clearly about, the tension still made her nervous.
"I'm gonna start blasting if we don't get out of here soon," she warned and picked a job at random. Guardian, always the kindly one, performed some crowd control and Team Sunrise got out of the guild.
There was a line outside the grate, and Diglett's voice was panicked from below.
"This is ridiculous," Striker said as they made their way down the stairs. Pokémon were still approaching up. The guild had only been open for half an hour at most.
"This is what she deals with?" Sean winced. Sure, these pokémon weren't an angry crowd but still a clambering crowd.
It made all four of them nervous for reasons they visited Azumarill about.
Lucario wasn't at the crossroads when they arrived, so they moved right into town.
"At least the early morning rush is going to be somewhere else," Saniya said, trying to lighten the mood. The town wasn't much less populated, but there was a greater level of ease in walking around.
"Where do you think she's going to be?" Sean asked. Going out of the window was an interesting choice.
"Oh, I'm sure I'll turn up somewhere," Lucario said, startling the four of them.
"Hoo jeez!" Sean jumped, right into Guardian's arms when he reflexively grabbed Sean to pull him away from the sudden threat.
Lucario raised an eye at them, it was a constant thing she seemed to be doing but let them calm down before speaking. "You four are jumpy."
"Can you blame us?" Sean asked, blushing a bit from jumping so hard.
"No, just an observation."
Pokémon were looking at them now. That was a normal thing, but it was especially grating with all the whispers going about.
"This is what you deal with?" Striker asked. "Pokémon staring?"
"Staring? Not as bad. I normally have pokémon cheering and screaming and crowding me." She glanced up to where the guild lurked, a line of pokémon could be seen. "Like that."
"I guess the most fanatic would have already gone to the guild," Guardian guessed.
He may have been right, but it certainly didn't mean the rest of the pokémon weren't excited.
"Tell me. Where do you get the alcohol in this place?" Lucario asked when a couple pokémon started a cheer that swept through a few dozen pokémon.
"Just at Spinda's Café," Guardian answered.
"Urgh. Fine." She pulled out the One Look again and opened it up. Immediately the crowd took a step back, and all four of Team Sunrise flinched.
"That smells horrific," Saniya coughed. She liked sweets. Not… that.
"Tastes even worse," Lucario said, taking a hefty swig. "But it serves the dual purpose of giving me some space as well as intoxicating me slightly so I can deal with it."
"You're not always drinking it, are you?" Sean asked.
A few moments later the town started a cheer stampede for Lucario. Her claws, which like all lucario were always retracted, came out slightly around the carton and the scratches the metal flask had were explained.
She took another swig.
For Lucario's sake, they did their shopping quickly. The Kecleon Brothers were professional as always but gave them a small discount and Lucario a free apple.
For them, it was a pretty big deal.
"You know, I didn't think pokémon would fall to greed," Lucario commented as they left, quickly walking back to the crossroads. "Introducing money seemed like a good idea. Something 'worthless' except everyone would respect it. Put some order to things without pokémon having to give up food or themselves to pay for help."
"I mean, it seems to work pretty well," Sean said. "It definitely makes sense to me."
"Dimitri and Jessica said the same thing," Lucario said, shrugging. "Kenji's a fucking contrarian though."
"I…" Sean blinked. "Only know one of those."
"Wartortle, Dewott, and Gengar," Lucario explained. "The other three humans before you."
She frowned. "Kenji barely counts though."
"His name is… Kenji?"
"That's what I said."
"Oh."
Lucario rolled her eyes again. "That fucking name thing too. I did NOT start that. The only thing I changed was shortening the damn things, so they were actual names, but everyone kept the stupid secrecy thing about it too."
Lucario began to mutter obscenities under her breath and that combined with the One Look held most of the pokémon at bay.
There was a trio of pokémon who began to follow them out of town, however, and with Lucario's muttering, Sean wasn't able to ask the question he wanted to.
She stopped before they moved past the watering hole and turned back to the approaching through.
"I require three items upon my return," Lucario said grandly. "Magenta twine three smoots in length. A ruby pendant in which the sea can be witnessed. And a single plum, floating in honey, served with an edible scarf. Go."
They ran for it.
Lucario rubbed her temples and stepped back into line with Team Sunrise. "That should keep them entertained for a while."
"What did you even ask for?" Striker asked.
"And why did it sound so funny?" Saniya giggled.
"I don't fucking know. Whatever came out of my mouth at the time."
"You swear a lot," Guardian said. She gave him the finger guns.
"So, what job did you pick and how far is it going to take us into the wilds?"
"Uh…." Sean finally looked at the job in question. "Wanted: Krokorok for indecency and that's a… oh boy that's a list." He went red, and Lucario snatched it from him.
"You are a child baby thing; you shouldn't be reading." She looked at it herself. "Let's see… ah yes, this guy. Hm. Not surprised. Alright, this says we got to go to Sicilly. Oh boy, another town."
"Sicilly is the closest town to Treasure Town, right?"
"Indeed." Guardian nodded. "Hardly qualifies as a town, however."
"Well that's something at least," Lucario said, folding the wanted poster. "Beat him up, toss him to Officer Magnezone, he'll work off his debt to society in the iron mines."
"Is it that serious?" Saniya gasped, grabbing the poster. "Oh my." She blushed upon reading it.
"What?" Striker took it as well. He coughed and handed it back to Lucario.
"Good lord, you are all so innocent," she laughed, shaking her head. "I am going to have too much fun with this."
"So, uh…," Sean began, wanting to move the conversation away from that. "Do you have to send pokémon out on errands often?"
Lucario considered the question. Or she was staring at a leaf. Hard to tell. "I don't stick around in towns very often," she said, eventually answered. "It's always the same, no matter where I go."
"There-there," Saniya said, patting the Legendary Lucario on the head.
"Careful," she said. "I bite."
Saniya poked her on the nose and teleported to avoid the bite that came for her.
"Tee-hee-hee," Saniya giggled, protected behind Guardian. Lucario smirked at her for her daring.
"May I ask why you wanted to join us, today?" Guardian asked, after making sure Saniya wouldn't try that again.
"You may." Lucario nodded.
She didn't answer.
"Uh… why did you want to join us today?" Guardian repeated.
She chuffed a brief laugh at him. "You're a fun one, big guy. I used to know a dusknoir, he had a certain level of 'quiet guilty regret' about him too." Guardian blinked at something so random, but before anyone could ask about the point, she answered him.
"When Team Ion told me about you four, I knew I'd need to swing around to Treasure Town eventually. Hearing about Cara showing up made me come by a lot sooner than I intended, surprisingly that worked out. Unlike the last twenty-three times."
For a moment she looked very angry, but it was past before a blink could even be made, leaving them wondering if they saw anything at all.
"Why did you want to meet us?" Striker asked.
"Besides the obvious," Saniya added, giving a haughty swoon. "We are just so amazing, after all."
"Well besides getting you autographs and asking you to carry my children," Lucario said, drier than the Sand Continent. "I thought it was important to meet the new saviours and check out that one." With a sudden Bone Rush in her paw, she poked Sean in the neck gently.
"Me?" Sean asked. "Why?"
"I make it a point to visit all the humans that turn up," Lucario said. "Admittedly it's only really been happening for the last twenty years, and you're only the fourth one I know about… hmm, Kenji still doesn't count. He was technically here before even I was."
Lucario wore an expression like she was doing mental maths before shaking her head. "Eh, he's still only been doing shit and causing trouble for thirty years, ancient history be damned."
"You're saying a lot of things that I don't really understand," Sean said. "Am I supposed to?"
"No." Lucario shook her head. "I just talk out loud a lot. I haven't had anyone to really talk to since Cara disappeared, so I returned to the habit of doing it to keep myself at least a little bit sane."
That was a very sad thing to say, but she wasn't looking for sympathy. Lucario clapped her paws before they could even try. "So. You know about me because… who doesn't? I, however, don't know much about you four."
She raised the folding wanted poster. "While we're walking, tell me about yourselves."
It would take at least several hours to get there and back, so Lucario grilled all four of them.
She started with Sean.
"Well, uh, I ended up here just a couple days into leaving for my pokémon journey. A pokémon journey is-"
"I know what it is."
"…Right. So, Giratina snatched me up, and I ended up in the Dark Future with no idea…"
"I'm asking about you, not your life story."
Saniya was next.
"Besides playing with fire, what are you into, pinkie?"
"I'll hit you a pie!"
"Delicious. Now spill the beans. Who are you?"
"I am Saniya the celebi of beauty, grace, and throwing a mace."
Lucario laughed. "You'd hardly find a mace around here. Still, go on. Hit me with some rambling thoughts, you seem like the kind."
Saniya's eyes widened. No one ever asked her to just talk for talking's sake.
Guardian put his hand up, trying to stop her. "Lucario, be warned she can talk for-"
He was too late.
"Six days ago I woke up with a crick in my neck because I slept on my side all night. I wanted to sleep on Striker's belly, but he was on his back and sitting on his back is mean, and I was also really wanting to see Giratina but no amount of yelling at mirrors works. They're just not there, and it makes me really sad because Giratina raised me and before we disappeared in the future we talked, and we agreed we were parent and child, but Giratina wouldn't remember me here, and that's really just not fair because we were together my whole life. I never told anyone how old I am, but I know, because I could keep time in the timeless time, but it was hard, and I could never really be sure I was entirely right about it all, but I think I was."
Saniya took a breath. "But so there I was, wanting to sleep but I couldn't get comfortable. I thought about sleeping in Guardian's belly mouth, but that's super weird, and I wouldn't want to do that anyway it was just a thought because how would it be like? Is it like… gross in there? I'm not supposed to ask, he might eat me by accident anyway and that'd be stupid. I bet the other celebi of this time wouldn't care if I died because we're sharing our Power, I bet you know all about Legendary Pokémon and that shared source of Power thing? Is it the same for you? They call you 'Legendary' but is it just a name or are you literally a Legendary lucario? Is that why you're still alive even though you're so old? But your fur is all faded anyway, so that's probably not it. It's just me. If I died the other celebi would get full strength but fuck him. If HE died, I wouldn't be so weak. I can't believe I'm this weak, I'm Celebi! A goddess! I used to be the strongest in the team and now… well, I'm not the weakest, I'm probably still the strongest but not as much anymore."
She took another breath. "And another thing, about my neck, it's still aching. I slept well last night, well, besides all the horrible dreams we all have. It's not everyone in the guild, just us four. Azumarill says it's something-something trauma, but I hate it. The nightmares are so constant that they barely bother me anymore except the ones about Soothe. I dream of her being choked by shadows and stabbing Darkrai. She apparently killed Darkrai, they think she's a Shadow Pokémon now, but that's impossible. We're all fine, none of us are or ever were Shadow Pokémon. No matter how bad Guardian got, he just wanted to live. Soothe wasn't a Shadow Pokémon, I'd know it. I'm sure I would."
She took yet another breath. "So, you wanted to know about me, right? Well, I got named by Sean. He named us all. We all got words starting with the ess-sound, but not Guardian. We joke that's why he turned against us, but obviously, that's not it. We saved the world! But this is about me. Uh, well, I got raised by Giratina. I like making jokes and talking a lot. People think I can be a bit much at times, so I've been working on that with Azumarill, but it's tough sometimes. She says my humour and wackiness is a kind of personality trait I developed to survive the Dark Future, but the others aren't like that. I WAS there a lot longer than them, though, so who knows? I don't like Armaldo. He arrested Guardian and is a bastard all the time. Bug-type's are okay, even though they are stupid strong against me now. That's why I have Ancient Power to smack them like the bitches they are. I really like to tease Sean and flirt with Striker. Striker's voice is HAWT, have you heard him? He doesn't talk much."
She took a breath and then sighed out. "Hoo. Okay, I'm done."
"Very informative," Lucario said, nodding. "Maybe a little much," she added, looking very pointedly at the mouth on Guardian's abdomen. "But fun all the way. We'll leave the ghosty-ghoul for last. Striker, was it?"
"There's not a lot to say, really," Striker said.
"He likes orbs!" Saniya interjected.
"You like balls, do you?" Lucario smirked. "Good lord, you are NOT going to survive today."
"I have an appreciation for the various and powerful uses orbs provide," Striker explained, tensely. "Saniya claims I have an 'orbsession' but-"
"You do." Saniya nodded.
"Yep," Sean added.
"She is not wrong," Guardian rumbled.
"I do NOT have an orbsession! That's a made-up word, and it sounds stupid."
"You wanted to name Blizzard Island's main dungeon Orb Central," Saniya pointed out. Striker opened his mouth to rebut the point but found he had no words.
He sighed and lowered his hand. "Despite what they may say," he grumbled. "I'm by far the least 'quirky' of Team Sunrise."
"You do seem to be the strong silent type," Lucario said. "Well, besides balls, what are you into?"
"Stop saying it like that!"
"Fine, besides the orbsession, what are into?"
Striker gave a weary sigh. There was no sanctity in the world. Only further depths to slip into.
"I rescued Striker when he was a treecko," Sean explained. "He's a really strong pokémon."
"Exceptionally loyal and steadfast," Guardian said. "He never faltered, unlike myself."
"Also, HAWT!" Saniya said. She got Looks from everyone besides Lucario. "What? It's true."
"You have quite the one-track mind," Lucario snorted. "I want to hear some of this from Striker himself." She turned to the grovyle. "Come on. A little pride doesn't hurt anyone."
"It's hardly a matter of embarrassment," Striker said. "The name comes from the fact that I am the strongest battler in the group."
"Oi!" Saniya and Guardian snapped at the same time.
"I was, and still am, stronger than you!" Saniya declared.
"Doesn't' mean you're the strongest battler," Striker pointed out.
"We were evenly matched even when I was a dusclops," Guardian said.
"And we continued to be evenly matched when you evolved," Striker retorted. "I think that says more about me than you."
"I think I can easily prove how much I was holding back for Scout's sake."
"I can show you the same thing!"
"Girls, girls," Saniya said, floating between them, waving her hands to placate them. "You're both pretty."
Lucario laughed. "Pfffthahaha. I like you."
"I like me, too!"
"Yes, yes, we all like Saniya," Guardian said. "My apologies, Lucario. We can get somewhat rowdy at times."
She waved him off. "Go wild as you want, it's nice to actually be treated as just another pokémon for once." She nodded to Guardian. "Well, it's just you that I haven't grilled yet. Saniya said a couple interesting things for sure, and I've heard plenty about you all, but still. I like to hear it from the pokémon in question."
She gave him a smirk, but there was a dangerous edge to it that made them nervous. "So, Guardian, tell me about yourself."
Guardian hesitated, nervous suddenly. It was surprisingly easy to forget this was the Legendary Lucario with her behaviour. He considered the fact she said she had come here just to see them. For Sean, supposedly, but he wondered if he himself was a concern.
She'd be foolish if it wasn't, and he doubted she was foolish.
"There are certain things lost to my memory due to the paradox wiping the Dark Future out, but I still remember enough. I took in Scout after finding him among his deceased parents, still alive but starving. I raised him as my son, and we took to banditry to survive, a regretful thing I assure you."
"As regretful as what comes later?" she asked, raising an eye.
Sean frowned at her as Guardian cringed. "Well, no."
"Same thing with Sean, I'm not here to listen to your life story no matter how interesting it is."
"What do you want to hear, then?"
Lucario shrugged. "I dunno. I would prefer it if you relaxed a bit. I don't think you're going to be any trouble for anyone anymore. I've already seen enough to tell that you're okay."
"Ah." He did relax a bit. "You let me think you were, however?" he accused.
She shrugged. "I just asked you to tell me about yourself. Anything you thought I intended by that was you."
"You knew what he'd think, though," Sean pointed out. "That was mean, Guardian's suffered enough."
She eyed him through the corner of her vision, he looked most stern it was adorable. Lucario nodded. "Fair enough. I apologise for that. I would much prefer things to be comfortable between us, I don't get normalcy often nowadays."
"I apologise as well," Guardian said, "for jumping to conclusions."
Lucario nodded and gave him a finger gun. "So. Now that that's out of the way. Can you tell me why the four of you relaxed so soon around me? Or at least didn't treat me as some sort of divine prophet? Not complaining, just maddeningly curious to see if I can repeat it."
The four of them shared some glances and curious looks. There wasn't really an entire answer.
"Well, Team Ion DID mention that you're… not like the stories say," Sean began.
"We haven't really dealt with it ourselves due to a bit of difficulty with the town, but Shinx and Litleo have expressed their frustration with the attention," Striker added.
"And Chikirota, Charzies, and Dimitri also would ramble on when they were getting drunk with us about their fans," Saniya giggled. "Sean's not allowed to drink, though."
"Pfft, I never should have told you about human laws," Sean grumbled.
"I think," Guardian said, "it may also be affected by our time in the Dark Future. You weren't as well known there due to a breakdown in community. Besides, well…."
"Besides Luka Caro Town!" Saniya scoffed, she fluttered over to Lucario and began playing with her aura tassels. "Three guesses as to where THAT name comes from."
"Don't tell me," Lucario said, flatly. "Absol?"
"Nope."
"Dunsparce?"
"Uh-uh."
"Was it a town that was basically a cult based around me?"
"Bingo-bango, you win the thingo!"
"Oh boy," Lucario cheered, still entirely flat in voice. "What's the thingo?"
"More trauma!"
"Goodie. I'll put that next to watching my ditto mother get torn to pieces protecting me. Seeing Sirius and that blaziken, ugh." She grabbed her stomach. "And dying."
There was an awful lot to unpack there. Lucario blinked. "Ah, right, we were joking around. Uh… seeing… hmm. What's something funny to cover up my trauma and make things less awkward?"
"I think you might need Azumarill as well," Saniya said, carefully.
"Being hijacked and trying to kill Felix…," Lucario mumbled out loud. "Seeing the massacre of those mightyena. Jeez, come on what's something funny? AHA!"
She clicked her stubby fingers. "Breaking my father's spine to finally put him down!" She beamed. Team Sunrise looked at her in horror. "Right. Well, that's a fond memory for ME."
She cleared her throat. "Uh… you were going to tell me about a cult in my name? Let's forget about what I just said, kay?"
"O…kay."
"Swell."
Everyone cleared their throats. It was a little to soon to ask her about all of… that.
"Well… the town was built around you," Guardian said, being the most equipped to continue talking. "Literally. You were unfortunately frozen in time as well."
"So, that's where I was when everything went to hell," Lucario said, nodding. "Probably slept okay for once."
"I suppose… well, the town was built around you on the matters of harmony and unity. Luka Caro Town was the largest town I ever saw in the Dark Future, one of the least dangerous as well."
"Something good at least."
"Oh, and there was a legend in the town!" Saniya said, her memory was clearer than any of them. "Saying that when the end of the world came, you'd unfreeze and save the loyal pokémon there!"
Lucario stared at her, raising an eye. "Well. You could say they waited too long, and their time ran out."
Guardian coughed.
"Okay, fine, don't laugh."
"It wasn't very funny," Saniya said. "Bit in poor taste."
"I suppose so." She glanced towards Striker; he was holding a very composed expression. She poked him with a Bone Rush. "What's up?"
He gave her a frown. She poked him again. "What's up?" she insisted.
"Nothing important."
"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?" she asked. Striker frowned. "Something's up."
"And you would know?" Sean snapped. "Because you've known him so long?"
Lucario blinked at him. "Hmm. It's more like because it's really obvious."
"Erasing the Dark Future erased the pokémon as well," Striker snapped. "Many pokémon supported the Planetary Investigation Team's goals, but it was still an entire world that was erased. Only we are still alive, Scout, and apparently, Soothe. It simply doesn't seem fair."
Lucario nodded. "Fair enough. Survivors guilt is a dick in the ass, I can say that from experience." She paused. "The guilt side of things," she explained, "not the dick in the ass."
"Why did you pick on him, then?" Sean asked.
"Better question is, where is this coming from?" Lucario asked, looking straight at Sean. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"
Sean's frown faded, and he blinked. "I." He rubbed his face. "Ugh. I don't know. I've been on edge for weeks now."
"It's hard sleeping when we know there's something bad going down," Saniya sighed. "And we don't know exactly what it is when it's going to happen, or what to do when it happens."
"Darkrai, then?" Lucario asked.
"Shh," Sean hissed.
"I know I'm not supposed to go blabbering about it." Lucario rolled her eyes. "I think it's a bit tripe to be blaming it on Darkrai, but if that's the case, then that's the case."
"You don't think it's Darkrai?" Striker asked, shelving the sensitivities for now.
"Nah, I believe Wigglytuff and Armaldo well enough. Eh, it's probably not the thing to be talking about on the road."
"Right… we're only supposed to discuss it in dungeons."
"Clever enough, that," Lucario nodded.
"That reminds me," Sean said. "You knew about you being able to join us even though that brings the number to five."
Lucario smirked. "Even if it wasn't fine, I can handle whatever the dungeon tries to spit out. But yeah, I do know that you don't 'count' on the dungeon count."
"How?"
"It was the same for Dimitri. Tested it with Kenji and Jessica too. Six is too much, but five is fine. You counterbalance one pokémon, which is neat enough. Four pokémon aren't your usual team because rescues can be compromised by adding a fifth, but it works without any problems for you."
"Do you know why?" Sean asked. "If anyone would…?"
"Getting a bit overzealous there," Lucario warned. "I'm a smart pokémon for sure, but I hardly know everything."
"Damn," Sean sighed. "Just another mystery then."
"What's life without a bit of questioning?" Lucario asked, smiling with a gleam in her eyes. Saniya caught it and gave her a suspicious look, but she didn't ask.
Lucario continued to chat with them as they walked. The ice had been broken, raised again, and broken a few times again to fully relax Team Sunrise.
Saniya was entirely fine. Guardian was next to treat her about as normally as he'd treat any he respected. Sean was next, he was pretty in awe of Lucario but wouldn't say it. Striker, difficult as he was, was last to really treat her like anyone else.
Via mostly ignoring her. It was his normal state with the company that Team Sunrise didn't really know.
Sicilly was tiny.
It was a collection of about twelve homes. It didn't even take the moniker of Sicilly Town because it was hardly a town.
The minuscule nature of the place wasn't their concern, however. Plus, if word spread that the Legendary Lucario stepped foot there, pokémon would probably come around.
Entering the hamlet, they were greeted by a seedot swinging on a tree branch. "Hey. What'r y'all doing out here?"
They looked up to him. "Looking for a deviant krokorok," Saniya answered, fluttering up to him. "Have you seen him around?"
"I reckon he went thataway." Seedot gestured with a foot. "A couple of deputy magnemite come knocking around for him too. Ah pointed 'em along, but ah haven't seen 'em since."
"Thank you."
"I like your accent," Lucario said, nodding to him before they left.
"Thank ya, kindly. Ah've been practising it."
"Have fun, cowboy," she said, running after Team Sunrise before they could leave her behind.
They found several magnemite lying unconscious part way on the other side of the hamlet. It took five minutes to enter and leave and another two just to stumble across them.
Saniya fluttered down to them, worried. She waggled her fingers and sprinkled some glittering water on them, calling upon a Life Dew to revitalise them.
"BZZT! We are conscious. BZZT!" one of the magnemite said, floating up.
"Not well, though," Saniya warned.
"BZZT! You are correct. BZZT!"
"We're here for Krokorok," Striker said, picking the other one up who was having more trouble rising up. "Did he do this?"
"BZZT! Correct. BZZT!"
"What way did he go?" Sean asked, frowning.
"BZZT! Follow the path. He shouldn't be too far away. BZZT!"
Saniya sprinkled some more healing water on the magnemite Striker picked up, and it floated woozily with the other one. Team Sunrise shared a nod and ran off, Lucario kept up a sedate pace, sauntering after them.
The magnemite were not kidding when they said Krokorok wouldn't be far away.
He was, in fact, right through the trees. Where the town met the forest and then gave way to a rocky outcropping of dirt and hills, Krokorok waited.
Striker, eager to prove himself the best battler from their earlier debate, ran in first. He was Striker, he struck first and struck hard to wipe their enemies out in one fell blow.
That was the plan, at least. Hopping rapidly on the ground to close in on the krokorok wasn't conducive to stealth, and he ended up tripping.
"Gah, what?" Striker gasped, being thrown onto his face and losing his sack of orbs.
They rolled out of his reach, and he looked back as vines entangled his legs and going further.
"You good, there?" Krokorok asked. "Mind if I grab your balls?" he asked, picking up one of the orbs.
"Get away from them!" Striker snapped, and his arms flashed. He slashed out a ranged Leaf Blade, leaving a glancing blow on Krokorok's belly. He stumbled back from the blow, more surprised than hurt.
Striker tried to start slashing at the vines holding him, annoying evidence of a Grass Knot ensnaring him.
Krokorok didn't press the advantage, he had, simply backing up and eyes flashing green as he maintained the Grass Knot on Striker. The rest of Team Sunrise came barrelling over loudly, yelling at Striker for getting caught.
"Why did you run so far ahead?" Sean demanded, scrabbling down the side of an incline. Krokorok had busied himself in a crevice of sorts. It was too large to really be seen as one, but it was a large, dug-out, area with nothing but rocks and dirt.
Saniya flew down and as the next most fast, she attacked Krokorok next. "Your reign of terror is done, Krokorok!" Saniya boomed, flying at him like a pink missile.
Sean reached Striker as Saniya impacted on Krokorok. She tackled him first, as he was a Dark-type and thus immune to being thrown with Psychic. He stumbled back from the blow to his neck and coughed, swiping out. She weaved around the clumsy blow, channelling her Power to form a devastating Magical Leaf.
"Hey," he called, coughing. "I'm not so bad. They're making things up about me! How do you even know I committed any lewd acts?"
"I said NOTHING about lewdness, you pervert!" Saniya yelled, sending hundreds of glowing leaves at him. "You give pokémon like Scout a bad name!"
"Ow! Hey! Quit it! Ouchies!" He jumped and hopped back. "Aww come on, I was only advertising my services!"
He flicked his claw, and more vines exploded around Striker. "See? He's fine."
Saniya gave him a dangerous look as Guardian caught up to her. "Scout is NOT a night-mate," he growled at her.
"Sure. Take him together?" she asked.
"Woah. Hang on there," Krokorok gasped, raising his hands. "Both of you at once? That costs a lot extra."
"Cease," Guardian demanded. "Come quietly, and we won't have to hurt you."
"Now you're definitely doing it on purpose. Come quietly?" he scoffed. Guardian blasted him with a Shadow Ball.
It didn't do a whole lot, but it was the principle of the matter.
Saniya and Guardian began to double-team him while Sean worked on tearing the Grass Knot off Striker. "Can't you get out of this yourself?" Sean snapped, snapping several vines that tried to grab him.
"If I COULD I WOULD," Striker retorted, slashing at them with Leaf Blades. They only cut so far; the Grass Knot was surprisingly powerful.
Lucario finally arrived at the battlefield, and she stared down at the divot they were tussling in. She found a nice rock and sat down on it, content to watch this from afar.
It wasn't going well. Saniya was peppering Krokorok with a lot of leaves, but he continued to joke back at her. She glanced at the bag Krokorok wore, he had one hand suspiciously buried in it while he continued trying to reason with Saniya.
"Half off," he said.
"NO!"
"I think the grovyle is interested. Trialling is free, but tips are always nice."
"Cease!" Guardian demanded, opening his belly mouth to charge up a much more powerful Shadow Ball. That was what Krokorok was waiting for, however, his hand flew out of his bag and swiftly tossed a seed. Guardian spluttered before his eye rolled and he fell to the ground.
"Guardian!" Saniya shrieked, flying to his side. "What did the nasty thing do to you?"
"Sleep Seed," Krokorok answered. "Handy for escaping from pesky adventurers like you."
"I am going to adventure your FACE!" Saniya yelled.
"That's going to cost triple since you're a gal."
Saniya began hitting him in the head with a rock she levitated.
"Ow. Ow. Ow. Kinky costs double. Ow." He caught the rock in a hand and crushed it. "Okay. So, trialling IS free, but I'm getting the feeling you're not interested."
"Finally!" Saniya said, raising her fists. "Put em up, and I'll take you mon-a-mon."
"…Getting mixed signals here?"
"EeeeeEEE!" Saniya attacked. Krokorok evaded her strikes, sharp and savage as they were. He got her foot with a Grass Knot, but she exploded it and rained grassy pulp on the krokorok.
"Not that I'm not used to this, but."
"Cease," Saniya demanded. She flew at him, aiming to choke him a little for aggravating her. Lucario was watching from afar and shook her head at Saniya's foolhardiness.
Krokorok's eyes betrayed a glint of a smirk as he jumped back. Saniya, who had already begun to brake to properly break him, was caught flat-footed in the air. Still moving, she was grabbed by Krokorok as his hands flashed with Dark Energy.
Spinning to get a little extra momentum, Krokorok threw Saniya with all the force she had gathered right back at Striker and Sean. Sean, who had given up on helping Striker, had moved to help Saniya and barely ducked underneath her being thrown as she screamed. "SOMEONE GET IN MY WAAAY!"
She collided with Striker, and they both were knocked sprawling.
"I think she'll thank me later," Krokorok said, eying how they had collapsed together. He glanced down as Sean came running. "Ooh, another customer to please!"
"I'm a kid," Sean snapped, and Krokorok froze.
"I… shit."
Sean punched him in the stomach with a flat palm, sending a blast of energy through it. The Force Palm knocked Krokorok off his feet, and he rolled a few times as Sean shook his paw. The knockback from Force Palm always stung.
He glanced to Guardian snoozing peacefully on the ground and began searching for an item.
Krokorok gasped out as he pulled himself back onto his feet. "It's always the children," he growled. "Coming to beat me up. You're not supposed to fight the children, they say. Well fuck that, you hit me first."
Sean dropped a Heal Seed in Guardian's belly mouth and returned to Krokorok, who had chomped down an Oran Berry for the blow and was right in the middle of retaliating.
Sand blasted out from below Sean and trapped him in a spinning vortex of a million tiny rocks. Sean gasped and choked as sand went up his nose and into his mouth and batted out in every direction to try and push the Sand Tomb away.
Krokorok stepped forth to deliver the finishing blow, but he was caught by shadows. "Uh… tendrils are my thing. I'll sue," he complained before Guardian rose out from his shadow and socked him in the jaw with a fist covered in ice. "Oooh, can I have some ice for that hit?"
Guardian obliged.
"I was kidding! Stop fisting me!"
That did make him stop, flustering Guardian just enough to trap him with a Sand Tomb as well.
Saniya, who had enjoyed laying on Striker's chest for a bit, rose back up to attack but was trapped when an orb of Dark Energy appeared around her. "Hey! What gives?"
Krokorok's eyes glowed dark red as he caught Sean and Guardian with it as well. "Mean Look," he sighed, relieved it was working. "Well, that won't hold you for long, so I'm off. See ya. Tell your friends about my services, okay?"
Saniya was already beginning to overwhelm the lock the Mean Look placed on her, but he was running quite fast.
"Not yet!" Striker yelled, pulling up a trail of dust as he ran between Krokorok and the exit. "We're not finished!"
"Well, I never leave a customer unsatisfied," Krokorok smirked.
"Cease," Striker growled.
"Whatever you want." He winked, hiding the flash of green in his eye. Striker jumped before the Grass Knot could snare him again, which was a surprise.
He had also jumped FOR Krokorok, arms glowing green with a devastating Leaf Blade on both arms.
Krokorok was nothing if not adaptable to his clients and spun around, swiping with his tail and catching Striker in mid-air with it.
The blow was hard, but he also latched onto his tail and planted his feet firmly on the ground.
"So, tails are your thing?" Krokorok teased, but the tease didn't succeed in getting Striker to let go. "Okay handsome, I'm flattered, but I've got to go now. We can talk about tails later."
Striker grit his teeth and pulled, knocking the balance out and raising his arm to slash again. Krokorok caught his arm with both claws, and they struggled for a moment.
Panting for breath, Krokorok grinned and gave a lecherous wink, a pink love heart coming from it and smacking Striker in the face. His grip slackened for just a moment, enough for Krokorok to free a hand.
Then Krokorok dropped an orb. The same one Striker had lost. It broke on the ground and activated, blasting Striker in the chest and causing several more orbs to drop.
"Hot damn. A Mug Orb!" Krokorok cheered. "Not gonna ask where those came from, though." He shattered another one under his foot, recognising it, and covered his head as the three pokémon behind him broke through the Mean Look.
The Luminous Orb blinded everyone besides Krokorok, and Lucario who had also looked away, and Striker felt himself get grabbed.
He yelled out but was released quickly, and he felt the wind. Or, rather, moving through wind.
Krokorok doubled down on that finishing move, grappling Striker and using his strength against him with Foul Play to score the grovyle like a bowling ball. "Strike!" he called, dashing up the cliffside. He saluted to Team Sunrise, who were trying to recover from the blinding. "You almost got me; I'm impressed. Grovyle, feel free to contact me. Liepard in Towny Town probably will know where you can find me. Ask for Killer!"
Sean positively recoiled. "No," he muttered, shaking his head.
Killer paused. "Uh... not named for the reason you're thinking of. It's for the little death." He winked and clicked his tongue. "See ya! I'll be waiting."
"Lucario!" Saniya yelled, feeling around blindly. "Stop him!"
Krokorok, who was standing right by her as he taunted Team Sunrise, glanced at the pokémon who had moved from sitting to lying down. "See ya, sis," he said, giving a point.
"Catcha bro," Lucario saluted and did nothing as he escaped.
She watched Team Sunrise stagger about with amusement until their eyes recovered.
"Where is he?" Saniya yelled, rising up like an enraged goddess. "I will feed his blood to the honeysuckles and grow dicksuckles!"
"Not that that wouldn't be a million Poké idea," Lucario said, before giving a disgusted expression. "Ugh, sometimes I sicken even myself. But anyway, I dunno."
"You LET him go!" Sean yelled.
Lucario shrugged. Striker and Guardian could not quite make words.
Sean breathed, trying to keep calm. "Why did you let him go?"
"It was your job," Lucario laughed. "I was only here to watch. If I did everything for you, what would you learn?"
"We learned that you're a bastard," Saniya growled.
"Well, I can assure you my parents were not together, so you're not wrong in that regard."
"I don't know what you mean, and I hate you for it!"
"Calm down. He was hardly an actual outlaw. Pokémon can be a little too sensitive." She waved Krokorok's wanted poster. "This is less of a problem and more of a grievance. It's also a private takedown request, and not one sanctioned by Officer Magnezone." She tossed the wanted poster over to prove it.
Sean was still not allowed to read it, and Saniya took it from him. There it was. Sudowoodo had put this up, the poster had simply been worded to make it seem like he needed to be taken to Officer Magnezone.
"But… the magnemite?"
"Not all magnemite are members of Team Magnezone, now are they?" Lucario asked, getting to her feet. "And, I mean, he still was 'breaking the law' so no one would have told you off if you had taken him down. Still, that was fucking hilarious to watch."
"Well I still have one more question," Saniya said. "Are you related to him?"
Lucario blinked.
"He called you sis, and you called bro."
She blinked again. "You know, I just can't really take blaziken as a species seriously anymore."
"What does this have to do with what I asked?" Saniya demanded. Took her two more seconds to crack. "Why?"
"When you've seen what I've see-ugh." Lucario actually gave a full-body shiver. "It just... ugh. No, I don't want to talk about it."
Sean raised a paw. "I... kinda want to ask."
"Ask, and you perish."
"...What happened?"
Lucario sighed and created a Bone Rush. This one was different from the normal glowing bone. It had a second one crossed over it like the hilt of a sword. Lucario thrummed with Power, her tassels shivering, and an ethereal glowing blade formed from the tip of the long side crossing down like a triangle to the sides of the hilt.
"You asked," she said, pointing her Aura Blade at Sean. "Time to perish."
Team Sunrise had discussed going after Krokorok. While he had embarrassed them a bit, he had run rather than continue the fight and Sean was confident they could catch him if they took chase.
"No, we are not going all the way to Towny Town for an outlaw!" Striker growled through his teeth.
"Why not!?" Sean demanded, stomping his foot on the ground. "Just have Liepard give us the info, you get in touch with Krokorok, we capture him, and we can go back home without our tails between our legs."
"Yeah, Striker?" Lucario leaned down a bit with her hands on her hips. The teasing smirk on her face said it all. "I thought you had a pretty fun time back there with Krokorok. You don't want to go for seconds? Perfect opportunity right there. Sean is even giving you permission."
Ultimately, however, it was decided to drop the matter.
Disappointed, and tired of the day, they made their way back to Treasure Town. Lucario got them talking pretty quickly, her endless persistence overwhelming even their grumpy attitude at her behaviour.
Or their failing, as she liked to remind them.
"Hey, remember when the prostitute fucked you all up?" Lucario teased.
"I will commit murder," Guardian threatened.
There were pokémon waiting for them when they got back because of course there were. It was the three pokémon Lucario had given nonsensical demands of and the three lit up like a moth on fire when she came into sight.
"Oh, Legendary Lucario," the first of the three, Pancham said. "I present to you magenta twine, three smoots in length." He presented a purple rope about five meters long. Lucario picked it up, genuinely surprised he knew the length.
"Oh, Legendary Lucario, I present to thee a ruby pendant in which the sea can be witnessed." The second of the three, Noibat, bowed deeply, setting the pendant on the ground. She picked it up, bemused.
"The sea can be seen?" she asked, dubiously.
"Oh yes, just…" Noibat nervously fluttered into the air. "J-just look at it… this way." He pointed her to the left, and she raised it.
"Well… I'll be." She could, in fact, see the sea from where they were. She could see it without the pendant, of course, but the thought amused her.
"Oh great and powerful Legendary Lucario," the third and final, Minccino, said. "To thus, I present my task. A single plum, floating in honey, served with an edible scarf."
The scarf had dirt, sticks, fur, and bugs on it. But it sure was edible.
"Thanks…." Lucario took it hesitantly, fighting to not just drop it and shatter the creatures entire dreams. She's done it before, and the results were messy, so she wasn't eager to deal with that again. "You three have done a good. Uh… thank you. Now shoo."
They vanished quickly, floating off, chests heaving with excitement. Lucario looked to the items she now had. "Well… I'm going to keep these two." She stuffed the first two items into her tiny little knapsack. "This… can… go."
She rid herself of the stickiness and relaxed, knowing it was away from her now.
"It's time for alcohol now, right?" she asked, pulling the flask out and tipping it over to reveal just a sad drop was left.
The grass died where that drop fell.
"Armaldo isn't going to be happy with failure," Guardian sighed, glancing up at the guild.
"Have you failed before?" Lucario asked, looking at the entrance to Spinda's Café.
"Well, no. We haven't."
"How do you know he won't be happy? He might give you tea instead."
"Armaldo doesn't seem like the kind."
"Ehh, probably right. Well." She gestured. "You can go off to get shouted at, I'm going to go drink."
"You are just an asshole, aren't you?"
She winked and gave them finger guns. "Now you're catching on."
She descended into the café. There was a brief uproar of noise, but it quietened quickly.
None of them were eager to go to the guild.
"Do you want to follow her?" Sean asked.
"You're not allowed to drink."
"It's a café, I think I can have something else."
Really not eager to deal with Armaldo, they ended up following.
Inside the café, Lucario had been welcomed very warmly. Too warmly. There were three different pokémon that tried to hug her, and one of them succeeded by jumping onto her shoulders from behind.
It was Grookey and only the fact that he was a child stopped her from dunking him.
Rillaboom extracted her child, utterly mortified, and Lucario brushed it off. She could deal with children since they didn't know any better.
A crowd of pokémon parted before her, no one eager to get in Lucario's way as she made her way to Spinda's counter.
"Hello, hello, hellllooooo," he swooned, doing a lazy twirl. "Welcome to Spinda's! Spinda's… café."
"Dramatic," Lucario said, taking the pause as a build-up moment. "What drinks do you have?"
"What drinks do you want…? Legendary Lucario?"
"Just Lucario," she said, very firmly. "Goes for ALL of you," she raised her voice. "I'm just another patron tonight."
"So modest."
"Wow, it's Lucario."
"She's fine."
She gave a sigh, turning back to Spinda. "Alcohol," she said.
"What… kind… do you… want?"
"The kind that gets me as dizzy as you are," she said.
Spinda gave her a loopy smile. "One Spinda Special coming up!"
"A Spinda Special!?" Across the room, Wynaut jumped up excitedly. They raced over as fast as their little legs would take them. "How exciting! No one asks for that!"
"Why not?" Lucario asked, the barest edge of a smile curling at her lips.
Wynaut paused for a brief moment, and Lucario's lips twitched again. "Heh. Uh, well Spinda's Special is pretty strong! An explosion of flavours too intense for anyone besides him to handle more than once!"
"It takes a goooooood… shake," Spinda slurred, swaying around as he mixed the drink and splashing it a little. "Some salt and some line and some Dragon's Breath Wine made from the finest spelon berries."
"I do like a kick to my drink," she said approvingly.
"Extra for you, then! Oooohh."
"So, Lucario?" Wynaut asked. She turned back to them, already pleased they didn't add legendary to the address. "Wobbuffet and I run an exploration group known as Project P."
"Oh, so you're the brains behind Team Frontier?" Lucario asked, genuinely stunning Wynaut.
"You… remember them?"
Lucario shrugged. "I stayed in the Shaymin Village longer than I normally stick around, Mawile had a looooooot of questions. Hard to forget her."
"Mawile will be delighted, I'm sure!" Wynaut nodded. "You're somewhat in luck, Machoke and Breloom are here!" They waved over to a table where the two pokémon sat with drinks and a plate of food each.
Neither was so bold to approach, and Wynaut shook their head at them. "You're a rather big deal here, I think a lot of the pokémon are nervous about approaching."
"Hm." She wasn't averse to not being crawled upon by clamouring fans. But some simple company and being treated normally wouldn't irk her in the least. Lucario considered just taking a drink and sharing it with Team Sunrise, but she had got the feeling she was wearing them down, and she didn't need them uncomfortable around her for a whole different reason.
Not this soon at least.
"Mawile isn't here, though?" she asked.
Wynaut shook their head. "Mawile has elected to leave Team Frontier, actually." They sighed a little, sadly. "We at Project P support all new horizons, but it is a little sad to lose a member. She stayed in Shaymin Village to research the place, and I hear she met a kindred spirit in an ampharos."
"She definitely was the inquisitive kind," Lucario said, she glanced back to Spinda wondering how long this drink would take. She saw him adding several fancy colours to it and decided she wouldn't bother him.
"So, I was wondering if you would sponsor Project P!" Wynaut said, cheerfully smiling at her.
Lucario considered it. It was a bit presumptuous to ask the famous pokémon to sponsor their thing so soon. "What do you have in mind?" she asked.
"Only your word of approval!" Wynaut beamed. They glanced around and leaned in. "I don't know if you know this, but even just your word of approval would definitely broaden our horizons. Word tends to spread quickly around here."
"And everywhere," Lucario replied, having leaned in as well. Leaning back, she said. "Well, I… hmm." She glanced at Wynaut again. "I'm having trouble working out how to refer to you."
"Wynaut! Or, would like my name?"
"I always like names."
"My name is Maybe!"
Lucario's expression was entirely serene for a moment. Then she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Of course. I couldn't have guessed. I guess I'll be blunt, guy, gal, other, or they?"
"I prefer they," Wynaut replied, equally as cheerful as ever, but there was a sense of sternness to it.
Lucario nodded. "Fair enough." She raised her voice. "I'll support Project P."
Wynaut, knowing what she was doing, beamed gratefully at her and Spinda miraculously finished with the drink moments later.
She took a generous sip and considered the flavour. She swallowed and hummed. "Oh yeah, this makes sense."
"Give me some of that," a banette said, materialising next to Lucario. "Spinda never gives me the good stuff."
"You… can't handle it," Spinda accused.
"I'll be the judge of that!"
Amused, Lucario did the let the Ghost-type drink some of that multicoloured toxin. "Ooh yeah, this will definitely kill me." She reached for it again, but Lucario took it away.
"Get your own."
"Yeah, bitch!" Saniya said, materialising on Lucario's other side. She snatched the drink and took a sip and then burst into flames. "Ow."
Ludicolo burst through the wall with a Water Gun and doused her.
"I've got a veeeerrrry special dance to do!" he yelled to the cheering crowd. "To the lucario of legend! The saviour of myself. The dance was nearly done, but I dance on thanks to you hun! She got me my medicine, so I better return the favour with something sweet! Bellossom's get READY!"
The dance would not be described. Guardian took Sean out of Spinda's Café for no reason.
Lucario enjoyed it though. "I can gel with this kind of attention," she laughed, tipping Ludicolo for the dance afterwards. "You're still a few centuries too young for me, though."
"You saw it here, folks!" Ludicolo laughed, stumbling away from the full force of the dance he had done. "Hoo, I need some water."
He was quickly attended to by the bellossom.
Lucario laughed more that night than she had in years.
In respect for not killing herself with alcohol, Guardian ended up taking her out when the party wound down.
"I can walk, you know," she said, resisting his guidance. "Steel-type, immune to poison."
"That doesn't work like that," Guardian said.
"Alcohol is poison," she sang.
"And you are still intoxicated."
"Let's go to the beach!" she said, prying herself from him to wander. She was remarkably steady on her feet for someone who had challenged Banette to a drinking contest and WON.
"I… fine."
"You're the daddy-type, aren't you?" Lucario asked as they headed.
"Excuse me?"
"All fatherly and responsible and taking care of everyone around you."
"Oh…"
"Also, you totally have that-"
"Must you finish that?"
"I didn't need to finish that last drink, but I did it anyway." She randomly laughed. "Ah… you know, Felix would never let me drink. I mean, sure, he was technically 'not allowed to buy it' himself but pffft when did the 'rules' ever stop us?"
"I don't know who that is."
"No… I suppose you wouldn't." Lucario walked in some gentle silence for a moment, the sounds of the sea getting louder. "You kinda remind me a dusknoir I once knew."
"I think you said that before?"
"Probably. He had that same guiltiness that you do, for different reasons of course. Heh, stupid ones but reasons, nonetheless. I hope I didn't kill him; I don't think I did. He was tough. I don't really know if any of them survived Kyurem, though."
"Lucario," Guardian said, frustrated. "I don't understand what you are talking about."
She sighed. "No… you wouldn't. I'm sorry. For being a bitch today."
"It's alright."
"Is it though? I made Striker upset. He's guilty too, isn't he? And not just about coming back from the whole erased-from-reality thing."
"Striker is…." He trailed off. "It's not my place to divulge."
"Mmm." They reached the beach and Lucario laid down in the sand, making a sand angel for a while.
Guardian watched her, low flickerings of concern in his eye. Saniya joined them, teleporting in and joining her on the sand, but by digging a hole instead.
Striker had taken Sean to the guild hours ago. But Sean grew worried, and eventually, the two of them showed up as well, Lucario continued widening her sand angel.
"I was wondering something today," Sean said, yawning slightly. It was a terrible time to be awake. "Are you human? Or WERE you human if you're going to be pedantic about the wording?"
Lucario's expression was blank for a hard moment, and she stopped her movements. Sean feared he'd asked too much. Then she made a whistle-pitch sound that devolved into wheezing laughter. "Oh my gosh. The amount of times I've been asked that since Dimitri fucking turned out. Holy balls."
She shook her head, eyeing Sean. "No. I'm not human. Never was human. What I am is human enough in mind that I was 'fit' for this 'task'." She gave air quotations when she said that. "But I've always been a pokémon. This life and the last. And NO, I'm not a humie either."
Sean blinked. "A... humie?" Saniya looked up from her sandcastle.
"Humie!" Lucario exclaimed, giggling with intoxication she denied being under. "You know, it's like the opposite, but the same, of a furry! Pokémon that pretend to be humans. I mean, sure, you're a furry." Sean spluttered at the accusation. "But I'm a pokémon, and that's it." She sighed a little.
"Excuse you!" Sean squawked. Saniya looked intrigued at the notion of teasing. "What are you saying?"
Lucario gave him the flattest of all looks. A stunfisk would be proud of the expression if it wasn't an being of pure entropy. "Sean. Come on. Doth protest too much? You're a riolu. You're fooling no one."
"I… you… well…," Sean sighed, defeated. "You didn't have to call me out like that."
"Of course, I did!" Lucario stated as if it was a fact.
He shook his head at her, and they sat with Lucario as she rambled on a little more before finally allowing Guardian to drag her back to the guild.
She'd have a murder headache tomorrow.
So, that was fun. Lucario's a bit of a basket-case, and she's definitely the weepy kind of drunk.
Originally this chapter was going to have Team Ion on it and all that good stuff... but the chapter would be ridiculously, stupendously, unfairly long. Even I can occasionally look at my massive word count and go. "Mmmm, that's a bit much." So, it's being split into two chapters! You're welcome.
It doesn't maybe look it, but things are beginning to move again. Next chapter is going to have QUITE the amalgamation of pokémon. Team Ion, Gazer, and Charm are all showing up next chapter :D
But even so. They don't know what Darkrai is doing if he's even doing anything. It's leaving quite a few pokémon on edge.
Wigglytuff is also very sad. Let's try to change part of why with the next chapter!
Results for the previous poll! People find Mane most Inappropriately Endearing, which won. Very close second was I wasn't sure of him at first, but he's proved himself to me. With He's funny and I like it coming in third place! People like Mane! But he's not to everyone's tastes...
Next poll is up. It's about Saniya this time!
The break chapters are pretty much over ;)