Lucario Chapter 2 Part 2

Seeing them enter, the Chatot rushes up to Lucario and does a quick bow before saying, "Wigglytuff has been speaking with Houndour and Charizard about what happened." He tilts his head in Charizard's direction. "Despite appearances, we determined that the attack on Charizard was not entirely without reason. In fact, this Pokemon saved the town from much damage through his actions."

"What do you mean?" Electivire asks, uncrossing his arms. In spite of his own skepticism, the contents of Chatot's claims seem to have intrigued him.

Chatot clears his throat, gesturing towards the dragon-like Pokemon with his right wing. "We cannot figure out how he knew of it, but Ashen here admits to having intentions of attacking Houndour, which would justify this Pokemon's intervention. Ashen even expresses his thanks for stopping him, for he was not himself at the time. Therefore, this Pokemon is exonerated of the crime of unprovoked assault, a pardon given by Wigglytuff himself."

Lucario relaxes at this, but Electivire only seems more skeptical. Lucario is relieved that his attack on the Charizard was not without cause and is now free to leave, no longer in police custody thanks to the pardon. He turns to leave, but Chatot stops him. "However," Chatot continues, "many of us, myself included, are curious as to how he was able to predict Ashen's intentions. Therefore, Elder Wigglytuff wishes to speak with him in person... it is a request, of course, but we are eager to speak with you."

Lucario nods and approaches the assembled Pokemon. They fall silent at his approach.

"So you're the Pokemon that saved Houndour," Raichu suddenly says, breaking the silence. His eyes flit over Lucario's form, examining him, and lock on the quarterstaff across his back. A small smile appears on his face. "What is your name?"

Lucario hesitates for a moment, wondering if he should tell them. I don't really have a reason not to... he muses to himself. But they all think I'm dead. "Silver," he answers. "My name is Silver." Silver... it is a name he rarely uses and few people know him by it. He began using the name after the search-and-rescue teams started forming; something for them to know him by and would be easily recognized. It is unlikely anyone in Bedrock Ridge will recognize it; only the teams and a few other people would attach the name to him.

Raichu nods. "How did you know Ashen would attack Houndour, Silver?"

He shrugs, looking down to avoid all of the stares. "It was his eyes," he explains, still avoiding eye contact. "When he turned towards Houndour, I saw something in his eyes that I see in all crazed Pokemon: murderous intent. I couldn't just stand by and watch when I could do something to help, so I stepped in before Ashen could hurt Houndour."

Raichu nods very slowly, his smile broadening. "Just like the Legendary Lucario, if I am not much mistaken," he declares, drawing gasps from all those assembled. "You are Lucario aren't you?" In the silence that follows, Lucario is too shocked by the identification to confirm or deny it. "I thought I recognized you when you entered," he continues. "You look exactly the way the legends describe you."

Lucario begins to feel uneasy. It is no surprise Raichu was the first to figure it out; he is well-versed in many different legends and myths. It would be very hard to lie to him about anything; he can see through lies and deception as easily as through glass or water. "No, I am not the legendary Lucario," he responds. "Well, not the legendary part, anyway. I'm just a guy that tries to help people in need. Too few people in the world willing to do that, and I am determined not to be one of them."

Raichu nods again, the smile on his face deepening. Lucario knows Raichu knows who he really is; the expression on his face says it all. He knows Lucario is really Riolu... then why is he going along with the con? Why hide Lucario's identity from the others? Lucario is not hiding his identity, he is only waiting for someone to ask him if he is Riolu.

"What is a Lucario like you doing in Bedrock Ridge, anyway?" Houndour suddenly interecedes. "You being in the town when I got attacked is one helluva coincidence. Though, to be fair, there were a lot of other Pokemon in the plaza."

"I have been wondering the same thing," Electibire adds, crossing his arms again. "From what I heard from witnesses, people saw you running towards the plaza, like you were going to battle... like you knew</b> what was going to happen, that he would be attacked!"

Dead silence follows the accusation, and Lucario himself is at a loss as to how to answer; he doesn't really know how he knew, just that he did. This meeting is starting to go down a path he would very much rather avoid. Antagonizing himself, however unintentionally, to the police officer would carry an insurmountable number of consequences; he needed allies, not enemies, and he had no quarrel with Electivire. The Electric-type is being paranoid, though his accusations are not entirely without merit, and he is only looking for an excuse to throw Lucario in jail. He won't get it, not by a long shot; the accusation was too theoretically based and ultimately a load of bull. No one would buy it.

But despite this, he has to settle this now. He can't start a grudge with the officer, and the Electivire would grow suspicious if he tried to change the subject, not to mention everyone else assembled. They will see it as an attempt to divert the discussion and Electivire will only press him further because of that. Well, I can give him an answer without lying, but it would sound less believable than his accusation... then again, the truth is rarely otherwise; people are more prone to believe lies than truths.

Lucario takes pause at this, inadvertently drawing out the rising tension between him and Electivire. These thoughts... he never delved so deeply into something before; he prefers to deal with things as they happen. His way of thinking has changed... subtly, but noticeably. He is still his old self in personality, but his mind is more calculating, more analytical than it was as a Riolu.

Pushing aside the unimportant matters, Lucario decides to come out fully.He looks down, considering how to put it. "Yes, I knew you were going to be attacked." He looks up. "I won't deny that. But despite what Electivire here might think, I had nothing to do with Ashen's behavior. I can't explain what happened, just that I somehow knew what was going to happen. I saw a vision of Houndour being attacked. It looked real, but at the same time it was foggy and blurred... almost like a mirage. I recognized him and I couldn't let the premonition come to pass."

Raichu and Chatot exchange a glance. Chatot mutters something into Raichu's left ear and the electric mouse nods. "Have you had these visions before?" Raichu asks, the smile fading.

Lucario notices just now that Wigglytuff has remained strangely quiet during this whole discussion. His eyes are open, but his breathing is slow and gradual, almost like.... Is he sleeping? Lucario suddenly realizes. ...with his eyes open? He pushes the thought aside; it's probably just his imagination. "Never," he responds, shaking his head. "That was the first time."

Silence falls for a moment. Now that the interrogation is over, there is nothing left holding Lucario here. He can leave whenever he wants, but he doesn't want to appear rude so he waits. "When you said you recognized me earlier, what did you mean by that?" Houndour suddenly asks, breaking the silence. "I've never met you before."

Lucario grins, finally hearing the question he has been waiting the entire conversation to hear, from the person he knew would ask it. Why Houndour waited, he knows not, but he figures it's time to let the Skitty out of the bag. "Actually, we have met before," he replies. "In fact, we knew each other quite well... Wolfy." Houndour absolutely hates that nickname Lucario gave him a long time ago, but if that doesn't tip him off, nothing will....

Houndour's eyes narrow. "There's only one person in the world who calls me that...." His eyes dart to the staff on Lucario's back and his eyes widen in disbelief. "No, you couldn't be him! He's dead!" Houndour exclaims, jumping to his feet.

Lucario's grin broadens. "Do I really look all that different?" he inquires, spreading his arms out to either side. "Surely you'd recognize your old friend...."

Houndour gulps but slowly approaches Lucario. "But I don't understand, how could you be... Riolu?" He whispers the last part, tears suddenly coming to his eyes. "Is that really you, Riolu?"

Lucario nods. "The one and only," he replies, winking. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easy?"

Houndour's eyes widen even further, this time in joy. "Riolu, it is you!" He tackles Lucario, embracing him in a hug that crushes all air out of him. "I can't believe you're here; we thought you were dead!"

"Wolfy... air..." he gasps, trying to draw breath. Houndour might only be at the Basic Stage of evolution, but he has a bear hug that would put an Ursirang to shame. The muscles in his forelegs are surprisingly well-developed for a quadruped Pokemon.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Houndour releases his friend and backs away.

"Riolu," Chatot says, tapping his the tip of wing against his beak thoughtfully. "Wasn't there a family of Riolu in Cate Town? I believe they had a son, but didn't he die some time ago?"

Lucario shakes his head, rising back to his feet. "Nah, it'll take more than a few wild Pokemon to do me in. It's... a long story; a lot has happened since that day."

"Might as well start from the beginning," Raichu says, a smug smile on his face. He knew all along that it was Riolu. "That's usually the best place to start a story."

Lucario nods and takes a deep breath. "It all started a long time ago, before I disappeared," he begins. "The disasters were getting worse and I knew that we would need more than just a few people if we were to make a difference. We needed help, but I didn't have the heart to ask others to risk their lives to help people they have never met. What we do is dangerous, and death is a very real possibility. Ask the search-and-rescue teams up north in the Metal Mountains and they'll tell you the same thing, they just have more experience with this kind of thing."

"So that's why you wanted to go to Dark Hollow," Houndour intercedes. "Dark Hollow is in constant contact with those teams because of its proximity to the mountain range. It would have been the ideal place to recruit Pokemon. But why didn't you tell us? Abra and I would have helped you without a second thought."

"Because Eslith needed help," he responds. "If we waited until after the problems were resolved, the search-and-rescue teams would dissipate and we'd blow our chance to recruit some of them. We'd have to wait until the next disaster occurred there. If I told you what I had planned, you'd insist on coming with me without going to Eslith first. We're already losing peoples' support; failing to assist both towns would only make our standing worse. I had an excuse to be there when the teams assembled in Dark Hollow so I took the opportunity. Despite the aid of the teams, that town was suffering greatly from the disasters; I knew they would jump at the opportunity to help, if only to help themselves. Not exactly the same as going out of your way to help people, but we had to start somewhere. With the help of Charizard and Team Blaze, a search-and-rescue team stationed in Iron Peak, I was able to rally together a number of teams of Pokemon, including a team that had already been established in the area: Team Aqua, led by a Blastoise called Jet. Unlike most teams, Team Aqua is comprised of veterans, Pokemon who are familiar with this line of work. Jet is a former member of Team Mithril, an Exploration Team in the northwest region near Jaron's eastern border. Also unlike most teams, Jet and his team are adept at combat; wild Pokemon have inhabited those areas of the Metal Mountains long before the disasters started, which was how they started their line of work."

"The Jaron border?" Electivire suddenly exclaims, stepping forward. "Are they mad? That area is cold rush country! No one in their right mind would make a business there!"

"Team Mithril is unique in many ways," Lucario responds. "Most of them grew up in that area; they know how to live there and survive the cold rushes. The towns on the borderlands are all underground, with the exception of a few, built deep within the mountains. Jet and his team made a business out of transporting supplies and protecting travelers. They did it for free, too, which is more than you can say, Electivire." Electivire gives no response to this and Lucario continues after a moment. "Anyway, I knew that Team Blaze and Team Aqua would be invaluable to our efforts, and both were more than willing to assist. Once the town was secured we set up a plan to get more volunteers, both from the Eslith Region and the Metal Mountains. It was a start, but I hoped to be able to use it to leverage more aid in other areas as well, use the Eslith Region as an example. I don't know whether or not it worked, but they agreed to spread the word and assemble every eager Pokemon they could in Iron Peak. That's when things went south... a large group of Pokemon attacked the town, Pokemon I have never seen before nor heard of. Jet called them Steelors, a race native to and only found in the Metal Mountains. He said that they were savage and extremely dangerous; he and his team were forced to fight them more than once. But the odd thing is, Steelors are never seen that far south; they're sometimes found roving the mid-range peaks around Mt. Freeze, and on the rare occasion one stumbles into Iron Peak, but never has one been seen outside of the Metal Mountains. If it wasn't for Jet we would never have known what was attacking us. We knew something was very wrong; it could not have been a coincidence that such a rare species was attacking en-masse when so many teams were in one place. The attack was planned, coordinated... someone wanted that town leveled, and possessed a charisma to die for."

"I hate to admit it," Electivire says grudgingly, "but I've heard of these creatures before, these 'Steelors'. Nasty bastards; they're like living tanks. There's a veteran Explorer in this town called Mace, a Rhydon. No one believes half the stories he tells, but he's made multiple mentions of creatures called Steelors, one of the few enemies he and his team would not dare challenge. What exactly did the creatures that attacked you look like?"

"Very big dragons," Lucario replies. "Covered head to tail in silver metal plates. Most of them had yellow eyes, but I saw a few with green eyes. Wings like a Salamence, as well as the head. Membranes were very, very dark red, almost black. The tail is covered down its entire length in short spikes. On the end is a club with foot-long spikes all over it."

"Described it just like Mace did," Electivire confirms. "Alright, despite the incredibility of this story, I think I'm actually starting to believe you Riolu; only someone who has seen them could have described them that well. Most people think Steelors have red eyes, that's how you know whether someone is lying or not about seeing one. But, then again, according to Mace you're too busy staring at their claws to care about their eye color."

"I saw Jet fighting one of them," Lucario answers. "It's hard to get that image out of your head... especially when one's bearing down on you; you'll have nightmares for months. I know I went many nights without sleep after that."

"We found the village destroyed and your scarf torn to shreds," Houndour interrupts. "And we couldn't find your body anywhere. We searched for days."

Lucario reaches back and unties a piece of green cloth tied around the end of his quarterstaff. He unfurls it and holds it up for Houndour and others to see. About a third of the fabric had been torn off. It is a dyed-green Pecha Scarf with a silver crescent shape emblazoned in one of the corners. "During the fighting," he responds, "I was attacked by a large Fearow, easily twice the size of a normal one.. Don't ask me what it was doing there, because I haven't the faintest idea. At that point in the conflict it was clear we were going to lose. We lost two of our teams, including a member of Team Aqua. Even if we escaped, there would be nowhere for us to go, so we were forced to stand and fight. We lost a lot of good Pokemon in the first hour alone, some of them I had come to know very well. When I was attacked by the Fearow I was able to fight it back with my staff, but then a Steelor attacked me from behind, shredding my scarf and nearly laying open my back. The Fearow grabbed me and carried me off before I could escape. It took me six miles before I was able to struggle free from its grip. By then it was tired of carrying me around so it let me go. Luckily the trees broke my fall, though they made for a painful landing." He pauses, drawing breath. "No Fearow is determined enough to go six miles in search of food. I think it was taking me to somewhere... or, more accurately, to someone."

Raichu seems deep in thought after this, looking down at the floor. Not once did he seem surprised by anything Lucario said; it is like he expected it to happen... or knew it would happen. Raichu is starting to make Lucario feel uneasy. The Elder suddenly looks up. "Continue," he states simply, furthering Lucario's unsettlement.

He complies nonetheless. "After returning to the town and finding it destroyed," he continues, "I finally realized I couldn't continue on like this. That gathering was my last chance, my one opportunity to establish the teams. I don't know how many of them are alive, if any; I knew there wouldn't be enough and I wasn't strong enough to do it myself, but I had come to far to back down. Then I remembered an old legend you used to tell me, Raichu, about a crystal that could give a Pokemon power beyond their wildest dreams: the Scrí of Solice. I set out in search of it...."

Houndour snorts. "It doesn't exist."

Lucario grins. "...and I found it." Dead silence accompanies Lucario's words and he now has the undivided attention of every Pokemon in the room. "After weeks of searching I finally found it exactly where the legend said it would be: in the darkest depths of the Sea Foam Caves labyrinth. I found a massive cavern with a blue crystal on a white stone pedestal at the center of it, casting an aura of unimaginable power. In my excitement at having found the Scrí of Solice, however, I had forgotten about the Pokemon the legend says guards it: Regiqua, greatest and most powerful of the Regi Legendary Pokemon."

Raichu shifts his sitting position. "I would find that very hard to believe, you singlehandedly defeating the legendary Regiqua..." he says. Lucario's heart falls but Raichu adds, "...if a living, breathing Lucario, a race of Pokemon thought to be extinct for centuries, was not standing before me. Under the circumstances, almost anything is possible. How did you defeat it?"

Lucario rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "The thing is... I never stood a chance against it. It easily defeated me and nearly killed me in the process. But then I did something that hurt it badly, something that enraged it to such a degree that it used its two most powerful attacks against me." He suddenly stops, for the first time noticing the blank in his memories: he can't remember what he did to anger Regiqua. Why did it try to kill him? What could he possibly have done to entice the rage of a Legendary Pokemon, when he was on the verge of death...? "After it hit me with Hydro Cannon I was out of the fight for good, but Regiqua was on the verge of an uncontrolled rage," he quickly continues. "It charged a Hyper Beam to fire at me, to finish me off permanently. I knew it was going to kill me and there was nothing I could do to stop it, but before Regiqua could fire a Pokemon ran between us, blocking Regiqua's path to me. The Pokemon was the Being of Knowledge, Uxie the Legendary Pokemon, one of the three Mirage Pokemon."

"Ho-ho, yes! A sight it must have been!" Chatot laughs. "Two Legendary Pokemon, Uxie and Regiqua, facing off. A grand battle it was, I daresay!"

Raichu rolls his eyes at Chatot's remark, but ignores it and says to Lucario, "Your tale was more or less believable up until this point, Lucario." Lucario notices his use of his new name instead of his old name. "But now you are starting to exaggerate. Please stick to the facts."

Lucario crosses his arms in response. "Uxie saved me from Regiqua and healed my wounds from the battle," he continues, unfazed by Raichu's statements. "She explained to me that she was the keeper of the Scrí of Solice and she, with Regiqua's help, guarded it against those who would use it for evil. While Regiqua fought them, she would scour their minds for their reasons for going there. Their real reasons. Regiqua took it too far, that is why she intervened. She told me that the Scrí of Solice can increase a Pokemon's power greatly, even making them evolve, as the legend says. She allowed me to use it, but not without warning me that there would be no turning back if I did. She almost convinced me not to do it, but in the end I was adamant... and I became what you now see before you. I have no regrets. I am stronger than I ever was before, stronger than any Riolu... I am Lucario now, a Riolu no longer. Believe me or don't believe me, everything I told you is true."

Raichu is the first to respond. "Now that I see one before me, I can see the similarities between a Lucario and a Riolu: taller stature and different coloring, but in essence very much the same in appearance. But you must understand just how fantastical your story sounds. No Riolu has ever evolved before that we know of, but that does not mean it has never happened. I am not saying I do not believe you, only that I would need more proof than just your word...."

Lucario knows exactly what kind of proof Raichu wants... and Raichu will get it over his dead body. It all falls into place: Raichu's smugness, Lucario's uneasiness towards Raichu's casual intake of the information... Raichu is after the Scrí of Solice. Uxie warned him about this, it is why she only allows those with good intentions to use the pedestal.

Lucario turns toward the door without answering, shoves Electivire aside, and leaves.

~/~

Lucario is wandering aimlessly through Blackend Forest, his mind in a million places at once. Raichu is after the Scrí of Solice... but why? Is it greed? No. He knows Raichu better than that. Raichu has an affinity for treasure, but it is not greed.

When he was young, still a Pichu, Raichu had a habit of collecting 'treasures', most of it junk. When he evolved into Pikachu he went exploring to find real treasures, particularly pertaining to old legends and myths. Alongside his close friend Chatot they solved they solved many mysteries and hoarded an impressive sum of treasures ranging from gemstones to ancient tablets; they developed close friendships with numerous Pokemon from around the world and the stories he tells are incredible.

These stories were partly what inspired Lucario's childhood dream to see the world, to place his own milestone in history like Raichu did. Raichu's real dream, though, was to solve the greatest mystery of all: the Scrí of Solice. He never did... or so he claimed. Pikachu and Chatot's journey through Sea Foam Caves, where they had finally traced the crystal's location to after years of searching, ended in failure... but Pikachu came out of the labyrinth as Raichu, claiming he found and accidentally used a Thunderstone.

Uxie claimed everyone who found the cavern and passed the test didn't use the Scrí of Solice, but is it possible Pikachu did? Uxie erased Lucario's memories of the route to the cavern, so she might have erased Raichu's memories of it altogether... but why would she lie to him about it?

"Hey, Riolu!" a voice suddenly calls out above him. He looks up to see Mankey perched on a tree branch just ahead, arms crossed. "I heard about what you did to that Charizard...."

"You probably heard wrong, Mankey," Lucario replies, continuing on his way. "I stopped him from attacking Houndour."

"Then why are you running away?" a new voice asks. A moment later a black Abra drops down onto the path in front of him. Abra's coloring is very unique for his race: instead of the standard brown, most of his body is black and varying shades of gray. This makes him nigh impossible to see at night and he uses his black hide to surprising effect as camouflage in forests. "I heard a Lucario was seen picking fights with big lizards," he says evenly. "So I found out where you were and eavesdropped."

Another thing Abra has an annoying habit of doing and is very adept at: eavesdropping. He tends to know more than he should about... well, practically everything, and he never gets caught doing it despite the fact that he boasts about it all the time. "I'm not running away, I just need some time to think," Lucario responds, walking around his old friend.

"Well, don't take too long," Abra replies, turning to face him. "Houndour and I are heading back to the Eslith Region tomorrow morning. It seems people have finally taken the hint that we can't just ride out this storm and hope for the best; Pokemon from all over are amassing in Iron Peak. Someone besides you survived Dark Hollow; word is spreading like wildfire that Rescue Teams are forming in Iron Peak. Unfortunately, they also all think you're dead, so don't expect a fanfare."

Lucario gives pause to this. "Rescue Teams?" he inquires, turning toward Abra.

He nods. "Yep. They've been popping up all over the place lately. After what happened in Dark Hollow, Pokemon have been banding together to defend the towns from the rising threat posed by wild Pokemon. They shortened search-and-rescue to just rescue. I don't know who first came up with it, but the name stuck. While you've been AWOL, that crazy dream of yours became a reality: Pokemon all over the world are working together to make the world a better place. The problem is that it's not very organized; there's no system. The areas are forced to rely on the teams that are on hand, and most of the time it's not enough. That's why they're assembling in Iron Peak; that's where we're establishing a central base, a center of communication. Nothing's set in stone yet, but from what I've heard there are a lot Pokemon going there."

Lucario is taken aback by this. He wanted to help Pokemon in trouble, but he never thought it would come to fruition so quickly. Maybe I didn't have to become stronger after all... he thinks to himself. Uxie was right; I had the power to make change already, I just didn't realize it... did she know about the Rescue Teams? Did she know that the after-effects of the destruction of Dark Hollow were already coming into play? And if so, why didn't she tell me? Either way, there has to be a reason why I became Lucario. It was no coincidence I became what I now am... I was meant to be this, I just can't figure out why.... "Then I'll be joining you," Lucario declares, nodding. "When do we leave tomorrow?"