Another sleepless night for Lycanroc. But that wasn't too out of the ordinary- he never could fall asleep properly, always either waking up after only a few minutes or not being to fall asleep at all.
He sighed as the moonlight dashed through the opening to his hole, illuminating Lycanroc's face and his emerald-green eyes. He yawned and put his head down on his paws, intending on getting those few minutes of sleep.
Though, looks like someone had other plans.
As soon as Lycanroc's eyes fell shut, he felt some course and wet mud splatter against his entire body, covering him whole. He looked up at whoever it was, catching a glimpse of a laughing Rockruff pup running away.
"When will they leave me alone?"
Chapter 3: "Reversal of Fortunes."
"Sometimes to win, you need to lose."
Lucario had met Lycanroc at a very strange time in his life, as it was right after losing Decidueye to some mysterious matter. He did say that it was for the greater good, so Lucario decided not to enquire on it that much. Maybe in the future he will, but now was not the time.
It was then when their eyes first met did Lucario see a twinge of sadness coming from his newfound friend's mind. When he stepped into Lycanroc's mind, his hypothesis was strengthened further by the constant images and words that just bring sadness of Lucario's own into his mind.
The Aura Pokemon never asked his friend about it, whether that be because he simply could not find the time to do so or because he felt like it wasn't the right thing to ask, he did not know.
And Lucario never actually asked Lycanroc up until recently, when they met up at their usual spot.
Ever since Lycanroc caught wind of the fighting-type's daily training regimen, he decided to join in for the run only after Lucario was done practicing his punches.
Lycanroc bounded lazily and tiredly towards Lucario, bits of dried mud clinging to the fur on his head. "Sorry I'm late, I had some trouble with getting up from bed." He said, attempting to shake some of the dirt off of himself.
Lucario halted his warmup and gazed at his dirty friend in concern. "Why do you have mud in your fur?" He pointed out.
Lycanroc stammered slightly and laughed nervously. "I fell down into some mud on the way here." He answered, not hesitating a bit.
But even with his sure answer, Lucario still detected some uneasiness coming off from Lycanroc. "No, you didn't. That's not what really happened, is it?" Lucario crossed his arms and looked down at the Wolf Pokemon.
Despite bluffing on his own, Lycanroc seemed to catch the bait and fell right into Lucario's trap. "A-Alright, I'll tell you... But you can't make fun of me for it, alright?" The orange wolf said nervously.
Lucario's eyes beamed, and he walked just a bit closer. "I promise! Just please tell me!" His curiosity was practically overflowing like the waterfall behind them, and he could not stop it.
"I..." Lycanroc hesitated and looked down at his paws. He closed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "SomeonesbeendisturbingmeforalongtimenowandIthinkiknowwhoit-"
"Woah, hey, calm down! I can't understand a word you're saying!" Lucario kneeled down in front of Lycanroc and looked him in the eyes. "Try again, but a little slower. I'm not going to judge you."
Lycanroc took another deep breath and nodded. "I think someone's messing with me, and I don't mean it in a good way." He was being serious, and Lucario could see that in his eyes.
"I see... Well, can't you just catch them off guard and scare them off, or something? You're pretty menacing by yourself, and I bet you'd be ever scarier at night." Lucario shuddered lightly as he thought about how his friend must've looked while in darkness, his emerald eyes glowing like two little suns.
"You see, that's where another problem appears..." Lycanroc laughed nervously again and sat down on his haunches. "I think I know who that person is."
"Even better then! I don't see any problem with that." Lucario exclaimed, blissfully unaware.
"You don't get it," Lycanroc shifted his paws nervously and looked up at Lucario. "That someone is... protected, per say."
"Protected? By what, a shield? Another person?" Lucario was really confused now. What could Lycanroc possibly mean? And what was protecting his friend's tormentor?
The Wolf Pokemon sighed lightly. "Do you know what 'banish' means?"
Lucario tilted his head, not bothering to hide just how intrigued he was by his friend's case and leaning in closer. "You mean like a forced leave?"
"Something among the lines of that, yeah. Well, that someone is protected by my banishment and exile from... somewhere." Lycanroc took a step backwards as Lucario got closer.
Lucario could sense sadness coming off from Lycanroc. This must've been a sensitive topic for him. Nonetheless, the Aura Pokemon was still beaming with curiosity. "Can I ask how you got banished?"
Lycanroc stood up and trotted past Lucario to the river to look down into it, watching his reflection. "To do that, I'd have to tell you a story."
Lucario walked over to his friend and sat down beside him, his feet hanging off the river's ledge and barely scraping the ice-cold water. "If that's the case, then I'm willing to listen to you for however long you need me to." He smiled at Lycanroc.
The Wolf Pokemon smiled back shyly and looked back into the water. Lucario could tell he was organising everything in his head and preparing himself for the tale, even if it wasn't that long.
"In a distant kingdom, far above other civilisations, there lived a king and a queen. The king was a merciless tyrant, a brute and a scarecrow for other Pokemon. The queen was his complete opposite- pure, innocent and just. She was the only thing that tethered the king down to the ground, so that he wouldn't unleash his wrath upon everyone that he saw.
"One day, the queen fell sick with an uncurable disease. A short time later, the queen died, but before she could depart, she left off a small gift for the whole world- a child.
"The king, however, did not care for the child, blaming his wives' early death on the poor newborn. But he knew he couldn't just abandon the child like that, he had to have respect among everyone he ruled over. So, he hatched a devious plan instead.
"The tyrant would raise his son until he evolved, and then would simply just blame a crime on him. Nobody would think that the crime was committed by the king, so the child would have been banished without any concern.
"And so, he raised the child, feeding him, training with him and teaching him about the world. The king's son could have never expected of what was going to happen on the fateful day when he finally evolved.
"And that fateful day eventually came. The king watched his son evolve, expecting to see either his own form, or the form of his late wife. He was negatively surprised when his child evolved into something never seen before- a whole another form.
"In the whole ordeal, the king had forgotten about his plan and decided to simply just banish his son on his own without any witnesses, so as to blame it on going on a journey with which he did not approve.
"The plan was executed perfectly, and the child was rid of his home and banished from the kingdom. The tyrant king had told everyone that if they were to find his son anywhere, they were to oppress him as a way of indirect punishment from the king."
Lycanroc sighed and looked over to Lucario to see his friend's reaction.
The Aura Pokemon, who was now laying on his stomach while looking up at Lycanroc, was visibly enjoying the tale with his tail wagging behind him. "So, I assume you were the child in that story?"
"And you would assume correctly, Lucario. Though, all I know is that my father raised me and then just banished me. I don't know what he actually did behind my back, so I made up some of the story." Lycanroc laughed nervously and smiled.
"Still, you were exiled by your own father who blamed your mother's death on you, and that's more than enough for me to already tell that he's a terrible person." Lucario said as he stood up, shaking off the dirt.
"Is there something, anything, that I can do?" Lucario asked as he stared at Lycanroc with determination flaring in his eyes.
"Not really, I doubt he's open to talk about anything with strangers... But even if you did want to talk to him and decided to go meet him, there is no way you'd get past the guard checkpoint." The Wolf Pokemon stood up and stared back at Lucario with a more defeated look in his eyes.
"A what? It's seriously like a kingdom there, isn't it?" The Aura Pokemon bulged his eyes at Lycanroc and chuckled to himself lightly. "But if the territory is so big it needs a guard at the entrance, there's bound to be cracks in the security."
Lycanroc sighed and shook his head at Lucario as he put two and two together, beginning to realise what was coming to his friend's mind. "Lucario, please don't. I don't want you to end up beaten up, or worse!"
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me sneaking in through the back doesn't sound enticing?" The blue furred Pokemon's tail wagged again as he smiled at Lycanroc. "Besides, I still want to help you. And if that means putting myself at danger, then so be it!"
The Wolf Pokemon looked up at Lucario in awe. He has never seen a more valiant display off loyalty before, let alone towards him. Lycanroc was at a loss for words and only gazed into Lucario's eyes with his mouth slightly open.
"I think I had a map of the forest somewhere in my treehouse." Lucario said and began walking towards the path leading to his house before suddenly stopping and turning to Lycanroc. "Are you coming?"
The orange wolf sighed and hesitantly began tailing Lucario. He had a feeling that this would not be a good idea in the slightest.
::::::::::::::::::::::::
"There it is!" Lucario said, pulling out a rolled piece of paper. It was the map of the surroundings, and it was much smaller than the region map he had pinned on the wall.
The Aura Pokemon jumped down from the entrance and to the ground, landing on his fist and knee. It hurt like hell afterwards, but it looked cool, so he didn't say anything.
Lycanroc sniffed the paper curiously, having never seen a map before. Given his previous seriousness, the Wolf Pokemon acted a lot more indifferent to the whole ordeal now.
Lucario unrolled the paper, revealing its contents and pointing at a small, blue dot that was painted over the map. "We're here, and the city is here." He moved his paw from the dot to the large grey area in the middle of the map.
"If that's the case, then Lycanroc territory should be somewhere in-between those two and higher up, closer to the ocean."
Lucario moved his paw in the place he thought Lycanroc had meant and looked at him sceptically. "Right here?"
"Right there. And I believe that this barren land stretches out all the way to the other end of the city." Lucario moved his paw once more in response and tapped the piece of paper.
"Then there's no other way to go around it other than through the city." At this revelation, the blue Pokemon rubbed his head and sighed. "But how will we get through? We'll get mistaken as wild Pokemon right away."
As much as Lucario hated to say it, it appeared that he was right. There was simply no way for them to get across without being spotted by at least one trainer.
And even if they did, there's no guarantee that they don't run into any on their way back from the uncharted kingdom. It was just too risky. Unless he could think of another way, they would need to abandon the plan.
Lucario's eyes immediately lit up and he stormed up the ladder to his treehouse. Faint noises of rummaging and tossing things around could have been heard.
And when he emerged from the house at last, he was seen wearing a dark blue fedora with two holes in the sides that fit his ears perfectly. On it, was a creamy ribbon wrapped around the whole hat.
Lycanroc could barely stifle a laugh as he chuckled lightly under his breath. "What's with that hat? You look silly."
"It's our ticket through the city!" Lucario adjusted the fedora and smirked at his friend. "But to get through, I think it'd be fitting for us to have a trainer with us, don't you think?"
Lycanroc tilted his head and stared at Lucario incredulously. "You mean to tell me that you have a human trainer?"
Lucario laughed cheerfully and happily walked back onto the path they came here with, taking the map with him. "I guess you could say that. But I'll need you to wait here." He suddenly stopped and turned around, staring at Lycanroc with a smile.
"Is it really that big of a secret though? I mean, you already told me you have a human partner, so I might as well come with you." Lycanroc started walking towards Lucario but was stopped by his friend's paw, outstretched in front of him.
"It's for your own good. Just trust me on this one." The Aura Pokemon protested and began making his way towards the river. He had a plan, now he just needed to kick it in motion.
Making his way to the spot, he stopped near the bank and took in all the aura around him, looking for a specific wave from a specific Pokemon. He kept still for quite some time and amassed quite some strange looks, but ultimately, he found what he was looking for.
Lucario opened his eyes and went against the river's current, to the waterfall. Once there, he stared up at the top of the waterfall. There was a neat little area there with many berry shrubs and plenty of bird nests. But among everything else, his target was there.
Nowhere to go but up, then. Lucario thought to himself and began looking around for a way to scale the rock wall. Once he figured that searching for a path is probably pointless, the Aura Pokemon grabbed onto the nearest stone sticking out of the wall and began climbing, jumping from one stone to another and holding on for dear life.
Lucario could hear his heart thumping in his chest as he made his way upwards, though he did not know whether it was from the fear of falling, or from the adrenaline boost he got from it.
Nevertheless, upon grabbing on to the ledge of the top, he pulled himself up and set his foot on the ground. Lucario looked around, finding himself in the centre of attention, as many bird Pokemon turned to stare at him, curious of how he got here and why he's here.
Though amongst everyone, he did not see the person he was looking for. A quick aura scan revealed to him that she's close, he just did not know where exactly. And he wouldn't know if it weren't for a Wingull suddenly approaching and pecking Lucario on his foot.
The Aura Pokemon winced slightly and removed his foot from the Wingull's range. He bent down and stared into its beady little eyes. "Is something the matter?" He asked in confusion.
"What are you doing here, mutt?" Wingull replied with a bit of irritation in his voice.
Strange. Only Zoroark calls him 'mutt'. Unless, that Wingull is the person Lucario's been looking for. "Zoroark?" He asked bewilderedly.
"Yes, it's me alright. Are you going to answer my question or continue to waste my time?"
"Well, I've been looking for you. You see, I need you to do me a favour." Lucario chuckled nervously as he looked at transformed Zoroark.
She sighed and began waddling towards some bushes. "Follow me."
Lucario obediently did as Zoroark asked him to do and followed her into the bushes, where she broke off her illusion and turned back to the Zoroark he knew.
"And what will I get from doing you a "favour"?" Zoroark asked and put her paw on her hip, staring unenthusiastically at Lucario.
The Aura Pokemon was left stumped. He did not expect his friend to require anything from him, so he never really thought about it until now. Lucario hummed before turning to Zoroark with a smug grin on his face. "How about I won't tell Lycanroc about our little chat we had the other day?"
Zoroark gasped and narrowed her eyes. "You're blackmailing me!" She hissed at Lucario and crossed her arms. The Illusion Fox Pokemon sighed and looked away, now staring at her feet. "I don't have any other choice, do I mutt?"
"I don't think you do." He laughed lightly to himself. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to repay you someday." After a small pause, Lucario continued. "Now, let's get to the point- I need your human form to escort me and Lycanroc to the other side of the city."
Zoroark's expression suddenly changed to that of surprise and shock. Just like he wasn't expecting her to require anything, she did not expect it to be that kind of favour. Zoroark closed her eyes and thought about it.
From what Lucario could make out thanks to her aura, Zoroark was really considering this heavily. She was thinking of everything that can go wrong and how they could avoid it, of all the possible reasons for this, and finally, of all the different things she could ask Lucario to do to repay her.
After this brief moment of negotiating with herself, Zoroark opened her eyes and reached her paw out to Lucario. "You've got yourself a deal, mutt," The Aura Pokemon reached out to shake her paw, and once he did, Zoroark wouldn't let go. "But I expect you to tell me why you want to go there."
"I think it would be best for Lycanroc to explain it to you..." He laughed nervously and could feel her grip tightening on his paw. "Can you let go of my paw? Please?"
Zoroark huffed and released her grip of Lucario's paw, crossing her arms once again and staring at the Aura Pokemon expectantly. "Then let's not waste any more time and go."
"Right, let's do that." Lucario said sheepishly and they both began their descent down the top of the waterfall, with Zoroark clearly having more expertise than him. When Lucario was halfway down, she was already on the ground, looking up at him impatiently.
The blue fighting-type jumped down on the ground once he was low enough, landing on the same fist and knee as he did earlier when he jumped out of his treehouse. Once again, it hurt like hell, only this time he let it show by shaking the paw he landed on and hissing quietly.
Zoroark didn't pay attention to that, instead focusing her eyes on the hat that Lucario was wearing. "I couldn't help but notice you're wearing a fedora. What, did you get captured mutt?" Zoroark laughed and hit Lucario in the back, causing him to yelp slightly. "Just joking around. You wouldn't be asking me for help if that was the case."
She was right. Lucario would go to his human partner for help if he had one and not to her. Though, he didn't have one and didn't intend on getting captured any time soon.
Completely forgetting to answer, Lucario finally shook his head and opened his mouth, thinking of what to say. "It was a gift from my dad." He finally spoke under his breath. He felt unsure about speaking about family when near Zoroark, considering what she went through.
"I see..." She scoffed. "Must be a cool dad then."
They both refused to speak for the remainder of the journey back home, with Lucario anxiously thinking about what Zoroark thought of him. Did he go too far with mentioning his father? He could've simply lied about it.
Nonetheless, they finally made it back to Lucario's treehouse, with Lycanroc laying just beside Decidueye's memorial with the map in his paws. As soon as he caught a whiff of the duo, his ears perked up and his eyes flew open.
The Wolf Pokemon stared at Lucario in shock and surprise- looks like everyone is getting surprised by the things they did not expect at all. He got up and grabbed the piece of paper with his teeth, making sure not to pierce and ruin it.
Lycanroc laid it down in front of Lucario before nudging him in the leg and motioning his head to the side, wanting to talk to him in four eyes.
Once they were separated from Zoroark, Lycanroc began. "What is she doing here? I thought you'd bring us that ticket of yours!" He hissed out under his breath.
"Relax! She is the ticket!" Lucario pat Lycanroc on his back reassuringly and smiled. "You'll see for yourself, just trust me."
Lycanroc sighed, and before he could say anything else, Lucario was off and heading towards Zoroark with a big smile on his face. The orange wolf caught up with his friends and the trio began discussing their plan.
"So," Lucario started, pointing at the closest entrance to the Lycanroc territory. "As Lycanroc has told me, this is the closest entry, though heavily guarded. We're not going through there."
Lucario guided his finger across the map, ending at what he assumed was the other side of the kingdom. "This is the only other option we have, and the only one we can take." He looked over at Zoroark to see if she's understanding everything so far. To his amusement, she was holding her chin with her paw and nodding her head. Lucario continued.
"The issue is, we can't get there without having to go through the city. And with that, comes a multitude of other problems: firstly, the humans might catch on that we're wild and will try to capture us. Secondly, even if we do make it past them the first time, there's no guarantee we'll make it back with the same route.
"But that's where you come in, Zoroark." Lucario pointed at her and smiled. "Thanks to your illusions, humans will perceive you as a fellow human and will let us through no problem!" He laughed quietly under his breath, proud of his plan. Now he just needed confirmation from Zoroark that she's willing to do this, and...
"I will join, under one condition." She smiled deviously and pointed at Lycanroc. "You! Lucario told me you'd explain to me why you want to go there in the first place!"
Lycanroc looked from Zoroark to Lucario in confusion, widening his eyes at this piece of information. "He- He did?" He asked, hoping to hear that the Illusion Fox Pokemon was simply joking.
"Damn right he did, pooch! Now come on, spit it up." Zoroark got closer to Lycanroc, putting her muzzle right against his. One single push from Lucario would be all it took for them to connect...
But he stopped himself. He didn't want anyone to be mad at him. Besides, Lycanroc still had to explain Zoroark what he meant.
And so, after a long story, Zoroark muttered something under her breath and nodded. "Sounds like one hell of a dad, huh? It has to suck, having to live with the thought that your own father hates you." She rubbed her paws together and smiled. "Then let's go!" Zoroark said enthusiastically and began walking in the direction of the city.
Lucario was about to follow them, but an unhappy rumbling stomach stopped him in his tracks. He smiled nervously at the two in front of him. "Excuse me for a moment." Lucario said and began scaling the ladder to his treehouse.
Once there, he grabbed a small pouch and put all kinds of berries inside- spicy, sweet, sour, you name it and Lucario probably had it. Once that was done, he tied the pouch with a piece of string and snatched a pearly white scarf off the shelf.
Lucario was about to jump down to the ground, when he suddenly thought that it would probably be a good idea to just get down safely without hurting his paw. And so, he descended down the ladder and rejoined his friends.
"Alright. Ahem." Lucario cleared his throat, got in front of everyone and pointed ahead, at the large city just down the hill. "Onward!" And with that, they were off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lucario has never been that close to the city, if not counting that night when Decidueye gave him his hat. Although, one could argue that he was technically on a cliff, so he was still far away from Gube.
Once they were close enough to see the outskirts of the small city, the Aura Pokemon grabbed Zoroark by her shoulder and took her to the side of the path.
"I think now's the time to "change", Zoroark. Wouldn't you agree?" He turned and smiled at her, still holding her shoulder.
The Illusion Fox Pokemon took a quick glance around and shoved Lucario's paw off of her. "Don't have to be so touchy, mutt. Now turn around." Zoroark commanded and Lucario obeyed.
A brief moment later, a bright pink flash emanated from behind the Aura Pokemon. And when he turned around, he found himself staring at a young lady that looked to be about twenty years old wearing grey cargo pants and a black shirt with a skull on it.
Her hair was black and incredibly long, reaching the ground and gently brushing it with the end. The girl took her hair and tied it up with a teal band, now having a big bun of messy hair on top of her head.
She sighed and crossed her pale and slender arms, looking down at Lucario. "I know this is an illusion, but I still feel uncomfortable in it." She shuddered. "Many bad memories associated with it. Too many."
"No need to worry though! You've got us!" Lucario reassured her and put his thumb against his chest, puffing it out in the process and smiling proudly.
"Whatever, mutt." She rolled her eyes and continued walking, only now, she was in front of the canine duo who were looking at each other in awe of her.
"So that's what you meant when you said that she's our ticket through the city." Lycanroc nodded and smiled. "I have to say, not a bad plan. Now we only have to worry about getting into the kingdom."
"We'll worry about that later. For now..." Lucario smiled and sprinted forward, looking out into the city that outstretched in front of him. "...we have a city to explore!"
Zoroark slowed down for Lycanroc and walked beside him while still keeping a close eye on Lucario, who was now looking around at the houses. "You know, sometimes I think that his careless behaviour is going to get him hurt." She addressed to the orange wolf by her feet.
"Yeah, you're not the only one that thinks that." He said, looking out at the curious Lucario who was now rummaging through a bin. "But let's just hope that nothing bad happens to him, right?"
Zoroark nodded and sighed. "Guess you're right, pooch. Now come on, let's pick up the pace. We don't want to lose him in the city." She pointed at Lucario, who was now holding a piece of trash in his paw and inspecting it very thoroughly.
"Come on guys! Humans leave a lot of good stuff in these things!" The Aura Pokemon said through his laughter, pointing at the bin he was next to.
"This is trash, Lucario. Humans leave it there because they have no use for it." Zoroark grabbed his arm and stopped him from further examination of trash. "Leave it be, you'll stink later."
Lucario, with a defeated look on his face, reluctantly let go of his trash and followed the human illusion alongside Lycanroc. He looked up and gasped in awe of the giant skyscrapers, splitting the clouds in two.
The Aura Pokemon tugged at Zoroark's shirt and pointed at the buildings. "I don't actually know their purpose. I only know that humans come in and out of them all the time." She answered with a blank expression.
They continued on, eventually stopping in front of the road, where the loud "transporting robots" (as Lucario liked to call them) whizzed past, not stopping. That was until he heard a beeping sound, and all the cars that were coming their way suddenly halted, as if waiting for them to cross.
Lucario looked up and saw a bright green flashing light just above them, hung on a post. Not long after noticing the sign, Zoroark grabbed his paw and pulled him towards the road.
He suspected that as soon as they would leave the safety of the sidewalk, the vehicles would start up again and run them flat over. That wasn't the case however, and they made it to the other side safely. As soon as they did though, the cars powered up again and began speeding forward.
"I know you've never been here before, but you'll need to save the exploring bit for later, mutt." Zoroark let go of Lucario's paw, and he was surprised that she was still as strong as out of her illusion, considering that she looked pretty weak.
Just a couple of steps later, Lucario caught scent of something... sweet. Something that he didn't recognise, like a Watmel berry ten times sweeter. He looked forward at his friends who were walking ahead of him before deciding to follow the scent.
It led Lucario to a small building with open doors and humans flowing in and out of it along with their Pokemon. The Aura Pokemon looked through one of the large glass panes into the shop, seeing a display of different sweets and breads on a shelf, with price tags and the names of the goods right under them.
Lucario could feel a bit of drool sliding down his muzzle. Wiping it off, he looked back, expecting to see his friends. To his surprise, he found that they weren't there.
"Guys?" He called out, listening for their responses. "Guys!" He echoed, louder this time. Panic was beginning to set in.
Lucario frantically shoved his way past an oncoming wave of humans, breathing heavily and trying to discern Zoroark and Lycanroc in the crowd. He did not find them though.
He retraced his steps, walking back to the spot where he originally split up with them. He turned right, in the direction that they were heading. They were not there.
Lucario ran forward, making an aura scan after an aura scan, hoping to catch a whiff of their presence. Until finally, he noticed a familiar pattern in all of the aura waves.
The Aura Pokemon followed that aura, finnaly succeeding on finding his friends, who were still walking forward and did not even realise that he was gone. Maybe that was for the better? What would he tell them if they asked him where he has been?
Lucario calmed his breath and peacefully followed Zoroark, not intending on mentioning the bakery he had found. His panic was slowly beginning to fade, and everything was under control, once again.
It was until they passed a crossroads when a man jumped out from one of the alleyways and began walking towards the trio with wobbly legs. It took all his willpower for Lucario not to laugh at the wobbling man.
Zoroark sighed and stared at the shifty man. "Hey there, beautiful! Where are ya going? HIC!" The man called out to the illusion.
"Sir, I'd appreciate it if you walked away from me." She said firmly and sounding like she was not joking.
"Oh, come on! Tell me, young lady." He insisted, getting even closer to the three Pokemon.
"I could help you with that, you know." Lucario sent a telepathic message to Zoroark who shook her head.
In an instant, Zoroark lifted her leg and a swift kick to the gut was enough to send the man wobbling backwards, scowling in pain. He looked up at her, his eyes full of fear.
"Now imagine what my Pokemon could do to you if I told them." She said while crouching down next to the man who was holding his stomach. "So, when someone tells you to back off..." She grabbed his ear and pulled it towards her. "...you back off. Understood?"
The man nodded and Zoroark let go of him, letting him run away back into the alley. She got up off the ground and dusted her pants off, sighing. "Humans. Disgusting creatures. Come on boys, let's go. It's going to get dark soon."
And Zoroark was right, the sky was getting darker and darker, until multiple lampposts lit up and illuminated the dark streets they were traversing.
Not long after, they finally made it to the other side of the city. A vast and lush forest was stretching out in front of them, much like the one where Lucario lived, only this one had a dangerous feeling about it, like something was about to leap out at them.
Lucario stopped his friends and beckoned them under a lamp. He took out his map of the island and unrolled it under the light. "Alright, so I'm guessing we're here," He pointed at where the city ended, and the forest began. "and we need to get here." He moved his paw to another point where he believed Lycanroc's old kingdom was.
"Should be easy then, right mutt?" Zoroark said and slapped Lucario on the back lightly. "Putting the darkness aside, our trip there shouldn't be too hard."
"Or too long. It's a couple of minutes of walking and we're there." Lycanroc added, sounding more confident of himself and his friends than usual. Taking the opportunity, Zoroark uncloaked herself from the illusion as returned to her normal looks.
"Alright, then it's settled! We're not stopping to rest and we're putting an end to your torment once and for all today!" Lucario rolled up the map and put it back in the pouch with his berries, taking one out for everyone.
Lycanroc made a sour expression as he devoured the berry, Zoroark looked pleasantly surprised, and Lucario was relishing on the slightly spicy berry he picked.
"Alright everyone!" Lucario rubbed his paws together. "Let's go and try to make it back home in one piece." With that, they were once again off to find Lycanroc's old home.
Like the Wolf Pokemon had said, the trip there wasn't too long, and soon they found themselves staring at large and tall spiky stones with a path in the middle, guarded by an old Midday form Lycanroc. The old man was sleeping.
As soon as the trio got closer though, with Lucario ahead, the guard suddenly woke up, having caught scent of them approaching. He frantically looked around before setting his blue eyes on the orange wolf and smiling.
"Would you look at that. I thought you were a goner, Cassian!" The old Lycanroc laughed light-heartedly and got out of his small post. He walked up to Cassian and looked him up and down. "You've grown a lot since banishment."
"And you haven't changed a bit, old man." He laughed along and sighed. "We're here searching for my father. Think you could let us through?"
The older Lycanroc's smile faded as he heard their reason for coming, his tone also taking a change and being softer and quieter. "Your father? I doubt he'll welcome you lot with open arms, especially with your new friends around."
"Then come with us. Nobody will attack us if you're escorting us." He reassured the old man and playfully tackled him on the side. "Please, I need something from him."
The Midday form Lycanroc looked around, scanning Cassian, Lucario and Zoroark carefully before looking back at the entrance to the kingdom. He sighed and nodded. "I guess it's worth a shot. Come. There's no time to waste." He motioned his head at them and began walking along the path leading inside.
Seizing the opportunity, Lucario walked up to his Lycanroc and pat him on the head to catch his attention. "Cassian? You never told me you had a name." He sounded surprised, clearly not expecting this.
"It brings me bad memories. Everyone called me that during my childhood, so it would make sense that after I was thrown away, that name would remind me of my home. And of my dad. That ruthless jerk..." Cassian scoffed and looked forward at the old man guiding them, refusing to talk.
Lucario didn't question him again, seeing as that would only bring him more pain. Instead, the three friends kept following the old Lycanroc, who was walking through the territory warily.
There were tens- no, hundreds of eyes, focused on them. Lucario couldn't see them, but he could feel their piercing gaze, stabbing against his skin and ripping his fur off. He shuddered and tried his best at ignoring the feeling.
Zoroark, on the other hand, did not seem afraid at all, curiously walking ahead and taking quick glances at the little Rockruff poking their heads out of their burrows looking back with the same curiosity.
It wasn't long before their guide suddenly stopped in front of a large circular hole in the ground, looking like some sort of colosseum. Lucario stepped closer and looked up at the walls surrounding it, curving like a sphere into the middle, where they all ended with a circular space for light to come into the arena.
"That's as far as I'm going to take you lot. I think the king will take my spot as-" Before the old Lycanroc could finish his sentence, a loud howl resonated through everyone's ears, coming somewhere from ahead. "That's my cue to leave!" He added nervously before running away in the direction of his post.
"What was that?" Zoroark asked, stepping in front of her two friends and narrowing her eyes.
"I don't know. Cassian?" Lucario redirected the question to Lycanroc, hoping he knew the answer.
"There's only one Pokemon who I know can howl like that."
"That being?" Zoroark and Lucario said in unison, looking at Cassian expectantly.
"The Crimson King."
Another howl sounded, and a figure made itself apparent by standing up on a stone pillar, high above the ground. "Fear me, strangers! As you who walk on my land, will soon beg me to put you out of your misery!"
The figure jumped down and landed the same way as Lucario did before when jumping out of his treehouse- on his fist and knee. He looked up at the trio with his blood red eyes and smiled menacingly, locking his eyes on Cassian.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the runaway." He laughed loudly with his course voice. "And I see you brought along some friends?"
Cassian growled and got lower to the ground, anticipating a fight. "Make it all stop and we'll let you walk."
"Make what stop?" The king got closer to the trio, smiling from ear to ear and slouching slightly. "Oh! You mean you want me to keep everyone from tormenting you? How amusing! And what do you think you can do to me? Please, the only thing you'd do is maybe give me a scratch or two!"
As the figure got closer and closer, Lucario could barely make out who that Pokemon was- a Midnight form Lycanroc, famous for their vicious temper and reckless behaviour, as well as their brute strength, able to topple the strongest of opponents with a couple of well-timed punches.
"While I'm sure my kid here already introduced me, I'm sure he put me under a bad light." He laughed again and puffed out his chest. "Call me Crimson."
Lucario looked at Zoroark and Lycanroc, who were both sizing their opponent up. "I'll handle this, don't worry." The Aura Pokemon stopped them through another telepathic message and stepped forward.
"Do what he says, or there will be consequences." He said with a smirk, rubbing his paws together.
"A Lucario? I have never seen any Lucario in these areas. I would like to see how well you would fare in a battle." Crimson said with a big grin. "How about a duel? Here in this arena." He said and pointed to the circular structure to their right.
"And what if I decline?" Lucario replied hastily.
The king laughed once more and stretched out his arms. "You have no option, little man! You either fight me or you die!"
Lucario scoffed and put his paws on his hips. "Let's say hypothetically that I agree to fight- what then? What do I get if I win?"
"I will let you three walk away with your lives and command everyone to stop tormenting your friend."
"And what if I lose?" Lucario asked, though he was certain he knew the answer to that one.
"Everyone dies!" Crimson laughed psychotically and stretched his paw out towards the Aura Pokemon. "What do you say?"
Seeing no other option, Lucario began walking towards the king with the intention of accepting the challenge.
"Lucario, no!" Cassian yelled out and ran after his friend. He jumped, attempting to catch his leg with his teeth and stop him, but it was too late.
The deed was done, and the challenge accepted.
"Yes, YES!" Crimson laughed as they shook paws. Not long after, Lucario began feeling a tingling sensation running through his body, like the voice he hasn't heard in so long finally returned and was telling him he made a bad decision.
"I'll send someone to guide you to your preparation room. You know, to say your goodbyes, Lucario." The king chuckled and two Lycanroc of the same form as him got on both of the Aura Pokemon's sides and began pushing him.
"We'll see who has the last laugh." He said sharply and went in the direction the two guards were pushing him in, with his two friends following closely behind.
Lucario was guided down a steep staircase and left inside a room, where the whole arena could be seen through some bars and the sound of hundreds, if not thousands of spectators could be heard, cheering and chanting.
Zoroark and Cassian walked into the room with Lucario before another set of bars slid down and closed the room with them inside.
The Aura Pokemon was about to speak, when a sudden and hard tackle from Lycanroc knocked him to the ground. He looked up at him. "What is your problem?"
"My problem?! What have you done, Lucario! You will be ripped to shreds! You'll be a goner- A GONER!" Lycanroc repeated himself and stared at Lucario with tears forming in his eyes.
"Lycanroc, I-"
"Don't." Cassian calmed himself down and turned away, sitting beside Zoroark down on a bench. "Just make it out alive like you promised earlier. I don't want to lose you."
Lucario smiled reassuringly and nodded. "I will. I promise you that."
The bars leading to the arena suddenly flung open, and the sounds of all the spectators grew louder. Peeking out, Lucario could see Crimson walking out of a cell on the opposite side of the colosseum.
Seeing as this was his cue to go, he hugged Zoroark and Cassian tightly. "If I don't make it out, make sure to remember me." With that, he was off into the arena, where his opponent was already waiting for him.
:::::::::::::::
"Took you long enough, weakling." The king shouted out and scoffed. "Had a tough time saying goodbye? Don't worry, I'll make sure your death is quick and painless."
The sound of a howl echoed from somewhere in the audience, and when Lucario looked up, he could see another Lycanroc sitting at the very top next to a stone megaphone. He was probably the announcer.
Not long after the howl, Crimson began slowly walking up to Lucario, keeping his distance and casting wary glances at the Aura Pokemon. He then made a howl of his own, and a blue aura enveloped him whole, causing him to glow.
"Raising your attack won't help you here, King." Lucario called out.
"I think I know what I'm doing." Crimson replied with a big grin and charged forward at Lycanroc.
Seeing this as an opportunity, Lucario also ran ahead at his opponent with his fists drawn back, intending on hitting a powerful Force Palm on him.
To his surprise, Crimson was ready for that, and countered by ducking down and punching Lucario in the jaw, knocking him a distance away. He followed up with two quick jabs at the blue fighter's torso and then backed away.
Lucario shook his head and also backed away, trying to catch his breath.
"What's wrong? The battle just started and yet you're already out of breath!" Crimson taunted the Aura Pokemon and laughed. "Pathetic!"
Enraged, Lucario ran forward with only one thing in his mind- to hurt his foe as much as he can.
He was stopped by a stone spike, suddenly flying out of the ground. Soon enough, more spikes followed, only this time they were sprouting from directly under Lucario.
He dodged and weaved through them, catching a hold of one and flying up into the air. Using the momentum, he let go just as the spike stopped rising, flinging him even higher.
He let gravity do the rest of the work, carrying him to the ground at high speed. Lucario drew his fist back again and swung, hitting Crimson right in the head and knocking his low to the ground.
Just when he thought it was over, he looked down and saw his opponent perfectly balanced on his feet, his back scraping the ground and his fist drawn back.
Before he could react, Lucario was hit with a deadly Reversal from the King, knocking him backwards and down into the ground.
"Come on, try a little harder!" The Aura Pokemon could barely hear the bellow of Crimson through his ringing ears. Another sound he heard though, was that of a rock breaking.
He looked back up, seeing a sharp spear made of rock flying towards him. He rolled out of the way and got back up with shaking legs. Cassian was right- he could not do it.
He had to think of a strategy to beat Crimson, one that was sure not to fail. One more hit, and Lucario could seriously say goodbye to his friends and his future. But what could he do?
He couldn't take the offense and attack, because he would be met with a fatal Reversal or Counter. He couldn't just stand around and wait for Crimson to approach him either- he would just use Stone Edge or Taunt Lucario.
Deep breaths. You've got this. Your friends are counting on you. The Aura Pokemon told himself over and over, taking those deep breaths and recovering from the last attack.
A sudden sting of pain shot through his entire nervous system, knocking him to the ground and causing him to yell out in pain.
"Not so easy when you can't see, huh weakling?" It was Crimson, sitting on top of Lucario with his claws outstretched.
Lucario couldn't see anything. Try as he might, he just could not open his eyes, as every time he tried, the same pain caused him to close them again.
He could feel a liquid running down his face. Not sweat- blood. His blood.
The Aura Pokemon swung around wildly, hitting Crimson and knocking him off his chest. Lucario kneeled down, clutching his eyes. After some tries, he finally opened his right eye, but not his left.
He looked down at his paw and the ground, seeing blood droplets splatter across the sand and against his paw. His vision was blurry, and he breathed heavily.
It was over. It was truly over for Lucario. It was like Cassian had said- he was a goner.
The crowd went silent, as Lucario went immobile, alarmed by the sudden loss of sight and his blood. But unlike everyone, a voice called out to him, somewhere from deep inside his mind.
It was the same voice as always, the same one that guided him through his aura vision. "Is that all you can do, Lucario? Is this truly your end?" It said with its soft and firm tone.
"Get up. Show him who he messed with."
Lucario obeyed the voice and stood up, no longer shaking or afraid. Fuelled by rage and sheer will, he hung his head low and looked at Crimson with his one eye.
"Look who finally got up!" The King readied himself for more fighting and laughed. "Come on, what's the matter? You don't look so well!"
Lucario exhaled sharply and began slowly walking towards his opponent, leaving a faint blood trail as he did. "Do you expect me to give up after you take my eye?" The Aura Pokemon began laughing, starting with a slow and quiet chuckle, transforming into a loud and maniacal laughter.
"You think taking my eye is enough to break me? I am not just a Lucario anymore; I'm a force of chaos and vengeance! This isn't a battle anymore; it's a reckoning. I will revel in your suffering, crush your spirit and leave you broken in the wake of my unleashed FURY!
"Prepare yourself, for you're about to experience the brutal symphony of your own demise!"
Even Crimson did not expect that. What he also did not expect, was for Lucario to lunge at him with newfound power and speed, leaving him unable to react. The King was forced to take the hit, which knocked him into the nearest wall.
Lucario did not stop there. He charged forward into his enemy. Seeing this, Lycanroc swiftly got up and got ready to counter. The Aura Pokemon had a different plan though. He ran past him and delivered a mighty hit with his elbow to the King's back, pushing his forward.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself. Keep him at range." The voice commanded inside Lucario's head, and the Aura Pokemon obeyed.
He felt the same tingle as before, and a surge of aura began swimming through his veins down his arm, all the way to his paw, where a small glowing ball began forming.
As soon as Crimson turned around, he was met with an Aura Sphere to the face, knocking him right back to the ground. The roles have changed, and now Lucario was on top.
Lucario slowly started walking towards Lycanroc, who was now flailing on the ground, desperately trying to get away. He began crawling, yelling incoherent words at the blue fighter.
"What's wrong?" Lucario stomped on the King's back, preventing him from escaping and bent down. "Scared?"
A single strong punch was enough to knock Crimson out, and with that, the battle came to end. Lucario came out on top, even if he lost his eye in the process.
He stood up straight, blood still dripping from the three claw marks over his eye with his fist stretched out up into the air. The crowd went wild, with everyone cheering and screaming for the victor.
Soon after, Lucario's other senses began coming back- scent, vision, hearing... and pain. Oh god, the pain. The Aura Pokemon felt like he was about to fall down to the ground and not wake up anymore.
Everything hurt. His legs, his arms, his head, and most importantly; his aura receptors. The voice went silent once again and he couldn't feel or see any aura waves from crowd or even from Crimson, who was knocked out right under him.
The same two Midnight form Lycanroc that escorted him to his room came out from behind him, one grabbing his unconscious king and the other grabbing Lucario under his shoulder and guiding him back to his friends.
He breathed heavily, clutching his stomach and barely moving. He could hear the screams of joy coming from Cassian and Zoroark, but he found himself unable to answer.
They were both saying something, and Lucario only listened. At least for a brief while, until his whole body gave out and he collapsed at their feet, finding it hard to hold on to his consciousness. Then at last, silence and darkness came.
No sounds, no scents, nothing. Only darkness.
"I learned something new during the past two days when I was helping Lycanroc (or Cassian as I found out)- and that's to appreciate something you have, because once you lose it, you'll mourn and be drenched in sorrow."
"Thankfully, I did not have that happen to me after losing my eye. Lycanroc's dad has proved to be a tough fight, and even Cassian was trying to stop me, saying that I don't have any chance. I was foolish to ignore him, but what other choice did I have?"
A sudden searing headache woke Lucario up, who now found himself laying on a bed in a burrow of sorts. He sat up, holding his head, and looked around. There was nobody here with him, except for Crimson, who was sitting just beside him, watching him sleep.
As soon as the king saw Lucario wake up, he smiled and stood up. Moments later he bowed down. "You're stronger than what I imagined, and your critical thinking skills proved to be no worse!"
Lucario didn't say anything, or rather he found himself unable to say anything. Maybe it was still his weakness that prevented him from doing so? Maybe. He only smiled back and felt the same headache as earlier, causing him to tighten his grip on his head.
"Ah, right. I think that other than the end of my son's torment, I think I should give you another reward." Crimson turned around and took something out of his thick mane, which shaped itself like a crescent moon.
Surprisingly, the reward itself was somewhat resemblant of a crescent moon itself, with a sun symbol in the middle, hanging on to the two ends of the moon. "It's a token of your victory, so you will always remember that where no one else could prevail, you did, and came out on top."
"The Sun and Moon medal- a symbol of duality. Lycanroc never let it show that something was bothering him, instead keeping either a straight face or just hiding his distress."
"Today was different. He let his emotions show and was visibly angry at me for challenging his dad. He was so worried for me! And even though I lost my eye, I think it was worth it to see my friend smile. For now, I need to rest for a couple of days. And after that... well, we'll see where the wind guides me."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
One of my longest chapters up to date, and I think that's for the better. In my opinion, this is the best chapter I wrote so far. No plans for the next one though, so expect some radio silence on my end for some time. I really hope that this one was as good as the other ones, or even better. Like always, all opinions are very welcome.