Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Good mornin' Mr. Julian."

With a grunt, Julian drops the remaining items from his pocket, his phone and his keys, into the worn plastic basket by the xray scanner and steps through the man-sized metal detector. As it does every morning, the stupid thing wails when it picks up his belt-buckle. "Morning indeed..." he grumbles, looking over at the only adornment on the checkpoint wall; a clock.

It's 6:44 am.

The guard manning the checkpoint, an elderly gentleman that Julian never remembers the name of chuckles. "Just morning?" He asks, slowly rising from his seat behind his computer with a handheld metal detector in hand. The old guard presses a key on his computer before shuffling over, making the conveyor belt under the basket of Julian's things pull the basket through the xray scanner.

"I promise I'm not this grumpy all the time, just the mornings," Julian mutters, suppressing a yawn. "Once I have some state-provided caffeinated swill, that'll fix everything."

The handheld metal detector warbles a grand total of once as it passes Julian's belt, satisfying the security guard who returns to his seat with a sigh. He glances at his monitor, and although Julian can't see what's on it, it's probably the xray readout.

"You're good, Mr. Julian." The guard smiles and waves him forward. "Have a good day!"

Julian just gives the guard a halfhearted wave and collects his things from the basket. Everything but his ID card, which hangs from a lanyard, is thrust into his pockets without much care. He looks down at his ID card with a measure of disdain.

The photo, one from several years ago, shows a blonde, green-eyed man of roughly twenty-five years of age with a wide, eager smile. His face is clean shaven, his hair is short and professional, and what little of his suit that can be seen in the photo is clean and pressed.

Ha! Julian smirks and rubs his stubble-coated chin, looking down at his plain polo shirt and ruffled slacks as he does so. He doesn't bother with taking rebellious pleasure in his messy mane of blonde, which is almost to his shoulders.

Below the photo is a name, his name. Julian Angelo, followed by his title, Network Admin. Just under his name in obnoxious lettering is another name that makes Julian's eye twitch.

DARPA.

One might think working for the mysterious government department of supposed mad scientists would be filled with exciting thrills and discoveries, but really..?

Julian scans his badge at the keypad leading into the facility proper and waits. When the heavy, bullet and blastproof door doesn't budge, he scans his badge again, then again. Finally, he sighs and punches in an obnoxiously long manual PIN number into the keypad. With a click, the thick door swings open with the whine of a motor on its way to being burnt out.

Inside is the most uninspired lobby of any government office ever. Disgusting yellow walls and a ripped up carpet from the 90s draw the eye, and looking up, Julian sees yet another light is out, making a dark spot in the middle of the room. The air vents, clogged with an unspeakable amount of dust, fill the room with a humid, musty odor.

...Really, for all its funding, DARPA is run like any other government agency.

Lazily.

Julian sighs and ignores the young intern manning the lobby front desk, who in turn is too absorbed in web surfing on her computer to look at him. Looking back as he waits for an elevator, he sees what website she's fooling around on and makes a mental note to add a network filter rule to block that site in particular.

The elevator dings and opens, letting Julian in. When he scans his badge and selects a floor inside the elevator, it surprisingly works the first time. The doors shut with a creak, then the elevator descends one floor, two, then stops.

Julian just scans his badge again, and the elevator groans and drops one more floor. It dings, but the LED panel displaying the floor number is blank.

The doors open, letting the blonde man walk out and shiver as the oppressive AC of the 'blacksite' floor hits him fullforce. This early, there is no-one on the floor other than the guard patrol, so that means no shitty interns calling him cousin and making bowling jokes.

'Blacksite. Now that's a real joke.' Julian shakes his head as he walks down the sterile white hallway, passing a single stoic guard who glances at his badge. 'I know there are at least three more floors below this one. Whoever set-up the data center on B3 before I took over as its babysitter did a lazy job. Why would I ignore all the unlabeled, caged racks in the back when the director handed me the keys to them without a second thought? None of that goes to anything in the rest of the building.'

He makes the same turns he does every morning. Left, right, then second set of double doors on the left. He scans his badge once more and slips inside the building's data center.

All around, racks of servers, switches, and other sorts of network equipment hum and whirr as their little LEDs flash merrily. The noise of the cooling fans and HVAC system makes a dull, monotone drone that makes Julian sleepy again just listening. For now, he ignores everything and ventures to his office in the farthest corner of the room. Opening the door and flipping on the light, he looks at the 'office' with a frown.

The office is more of a large closet with just enough room for a desk, a comfortable chair Julian shelled good money out for, and an old laptop.

Closing the door and seating himself, Julian glances over the various alerts and emails sent his way on his laptop. After dismissing all the false positive network equipment alerts and replying to the only important email in the several hundred he gets per day, he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, feeling himself relax.

'Another hard day at work...' The man snorts. 'I can't believe I went to school for this.'

After just a few minutes, he slips into dreamland.

Hours pass without any incident, and just before midday, Julian awakens groggily. He yawns and sits up, jiggling his mouse to wake up his equally sluggish computer. Looking at the screen, he scans through his two-dozen new emails and promptly files them all away when nothing seems urgent. Popping over to the network alerts, he feels his brows rise.

"Overheating alerts?" He blinks and counts the number of emails with a trickle of annoyance. "What in the world is this? Nothing should be-" He pauses when one alert is different, instantly telling him why he's getting the other alerts. "A hundred percent RAM and CPU utilization on all ten of the blacksite servers?" He murmurs, looking at the flashing alarm almost begging him to do something. "That's not right. They've never jumped over twenty-something each."

Suddenly fearing that he slept through something that's sure to lose him his job, the blonde curses a colorful tapestry of obscenities and leaps to his feet, running out of his office and to the unmarked racks of servers. To his silent alarm, the data center is warm. A room filled to the brim with sensitive machines and cooling devices is warm.

"Shit..." He curses once more and hurries to the lonely corner.

As he gets closer, the air gets hotter and drier, almost uncomfortably so, and it all comes from the screaming cluster of unmarked servers. Their fans shriek as they desperately try to cool the monolith of circuitry, but it's in vain.

Julian fumbles with his keys and unlocks the cage around the servers, then steps in and looks at the terminal sticking out of the side. The screen asks for a username and password that he doesn't have.

Looking around the terminal, Julian groans when government incompetence doesn't save him like it has in the past. No one left a sticky note with the credentials laying around, and he knows his standard admin log-in isn't going to work. Hoping beyond hope, he gropes behind the monitor and when he feels loose paper, he rips it away and breathes a sigh of relief when a sticky note rich with info comes back.

"Never thought a protocol breach like this would make me so happy..." He grins as he types in the info on the terminal, and after it hesitates for a moment, the machine presents a command line. A few commands later, and both the CPU and RAM are throttled to a much more manageable 50%.

Near instantly, the air begins to cool again and the terminal becomes much more responsive.

As he walks back to his office, Julian stops for a moment and glances back at the unmarked servers nervously. "They'd email me if they didn't want me messing with those, right?" Then he shakes his head. "Duh. Of course they would. Besides, what is a little throttling going to do to them?"

Seven floors below the false blacksite floor, chaos is unfolding.

On this floor lies DARPA's latest and greatest project: A true Einstein-Rosen bridge prototype, capable of warping space to teleport loads great distances.

The monolithic machine shares zero resemblance with its science fiction counterparts, instead looking like a sphere of inward-facing needles and twisted lengths of cables. One might look at the device and think it a convoluted means of tourture, or even something built on another planet. Even the incredible minds who birthed the impossible machine gaze upon it with awe and caution, each one treading on eggshells when even in the same room with the device.

None of that matters anymore, however.

Something went wrong during the initial power-up. The bridge was in the middle of calculating a destination for the test subject inside -a common and inert marble- when suddenly the processing power of the bridge took a nosedive.

The bridge tried to restore its stolen processing power as per its programming, and tried again and again. When millions of attempts passed in the span of a minute, the system promptly froze, crashed, and restarted with a violent power surge. Unresponsive of the master terminal's input, the Bridge began to power on.

In the panic, no one noticed an intern's laptop off to the side of the room. On its screen, an unsent email addressed to one J. Angelo sits, its warning to ignore any alerts today going unread by the one who needed to see it the most.

Now...

The Bridge groans, stilling the alarm of the researchers trying to escape the electronically controlled blast doors. Above, a shrill klaxon screams as the central point of all the Bridge's needles glow a blinding white over the marble. Then like a balloon, the ball of white expands and swallows everything around.

Julian suddenly jumps when alarm klaxons ring over the PA systems. There's no announcement signaling what it's for, so it's probably a false alarm, but the blonde man still jumps up from his desk and quickly walks to the doors. He swipes his badge to open the door... and they don't budge.

"C'mon." He swipes his badge over and over, and the light on the sensor beeps and blinks red in denial each time. "Whose bright idea was it to put these on the inside of secure areas! Fuckin-!" He grows and kicks the door, doing little more than scuffing it with his shoe.

With a sigh, he presses his back to the door and slides down to the floor. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he sends a text message to the site director and the janitor saying his door is stuck again before putting the little device away. As he sits there, he looks around at all the networking equipment with a frown.

He doesn't even like the IT field.

That in mind, he mulls over his life thus far.

An underwhelming childhood in the old country. Rural life as the youngest child meant his brothers and father did everything for him, because the family baby was not expected to pull his own weight. Of course he took the out. What child wouldn't?

Forgettable teen years wasted on video games and TV. He could have spent that time and money learning something valuable. He could have asked his father to teach him something. Anything! Anything more than throwing his time down the drain. It was only after the last saccharine years of true childhood did he realize his mistake, and did his desire to be more begin to catalyze.

Moving to the states amid the unrest of their old home, and a highschool life that amounted to nothing. Oh, it seemed like everything at the time. The sudden burst of popularity at being foreign and having an accent felt incredible, because he stood out and made a difference! He was more! Julian's first girlfriend swooned over him, then broke his heart a month later. He loved too easily, too intensely, and it ended with him in pain more often than not. Few were as confused and desperate to find themselves as Julian was. His wish to be more grew without check.

Then mom passed away.

Oh, mom... Her constitution was ever so weak. Bearing four sons in the poor, rural old country and the sudden upheaval of moving to a new home was harsh on a petite waif of a woman like her. The flaxen hair she shared with Julian dulled rapidly over the years and weight would slide off her bones. One late night, she settled gingerly in bed with a book before falling asleep. She didn't rise the next day.

The dizzying, tear-filled weeks that followed were the worst of Julian's young life. Mom's death sucked the life from dad, and it was all Julian and his brothers could do to not kill each other in frustration. Nerves stayed raw for years afterward, but the part that truely stayed with Julian? Just how few people attended mom's funeral.

She was a woman worthy of the entire town showing up to mourn. She struck out, making connections and meeting people despite her health. She volunteered for the community, greeted all with a smile, and was fair no matter what. How many besides dad, Julian's brothers, and Julian himself showed up?

Three. Just three. The local minister, the lonely old man from down the lane, and one of Julian's teachers.

In just a year, mom was forgotten, reduced to a framed picture on the mantle. Dad rarely spoke of her, his brothers rarely spoke of her, and no one else spoke of her at all. One night, Julian slinked from his bed and to the mantle, looking at mom's smiling photo for what felt like hours.

The woman in the photo looked different from his memories. Not much, but enough to notice. Julian had started to forget her.

Something broke. Something inside him shattered. The raging fire flowing through his veins no longer urged him to be more, but something. Something everyone knows, something unforgettable. Mom may have been Something to him, but to everyone else? Nothing.

His college years and internships were spent with his nose to the grindstone. Vices like women and drinking and partying and socialising were left at the door as he worked his damnedest to be Something. His dreams of a medical doctorate were quickly crushed when he flunked out. He tried and tried again, but something just didn't click, forcing him to shoot lower and settle with technical courses.

Bouncing from job to job, looking for something that didn't crush his soul, that didn't extinguish his want to be Something. Then finally getting an offer from DARPA. A twenty-five year old Julian was over the moon. This is where he would find his excitement and make a place in the world!

Nope. It's just like every other government job. Lethargic and unfulfilling.

Maybe that's all Julian Angelo was to amount to in the grander scheme. Being an unfulfilled cog. To be Something was beyond him.

He scoffs and banishes the dour thoughts. "No. There's more to life than that. I know it." Then he glances at the door against his back. "Whatever they're doing out there, it better not-"

His words are cut off as brilliant white light swallows his vision and the sound of a waterfall overwhelms all else.

To anyone outside the building, it would look like an enormous section of it simply vanished, instantly evaporating out of existence, leaving the highest floors to fall and crumble. The panic set in instantly afterward, and first responders swarmed the scene, shocked by the huge crater where the government building was.

Federal agents slinked their way in, and when nothing could be recovered, they wove a narrative to cover everything up.

A disgruntled, extremist employee with an unknown motive smuggled explosives in the building and blew the entire place to kingdom come. The yield was so high, that much of the building and many of the bodies were destroyed beyond recognition. Anyone who pointed out the holes in the story went ignored.

Some people mourned while others were angry, the President addressed the tragedy with practiced sympathy, the news ran the story for a week, then life went on as normal.

Or life went on as normal for most...

Birdsong. Birdsong is the first thing to greet Julian's ears when he feels the snaring fingers of sleep release their hold on him. 'Great. Did someone catch me sleeping at my desk again? Pranks like this got old after the first time.'

Slowly, the man blinks his green eyes only to shut them again when a beam of sunlight catches him through the canopy of green leaves above. 'Hold on. What?'

Suddenly aware of soft grass tickling his scalp through his hair, Julian groans and raises himself up into a seated position, crossing his legs as he does so. He blinks his eyes open again and looks around as he combs loose grass from his hair.

In every direction is woodland for as far as the eye can see. Grass, bushes, and trees untouched by human hands dominate the landscape. The verdant green color and cool breeze rustling the trees wakes Julian up near instantly. He stands unsteadily and blinks, but after rubbing his eyes, the landscape stays unchanged.

"The hell?" He mutters to himself. "This is a little far for a prank. Pick on the poor network guy, eh? We'll see how you like having your everything throttled..." He pulls his phone from his strangely loose pants and looks at it only to pause.

NO SERVICE

"Huh..." Julian takes a moment to reboot his phone, but gets the same result. "Fine then." He looks up, but the sun is difficult to see through the trees, which makes orienting himself a pain. He scratches his face with a sigh then freezes.

His stubble is missing. Not just missing, gone entirely. Julian rubs his face, only to find it smoother than it has been in years. No hair, no little acne scars, nothing.

Taking out his phone again, the confused man turns on the forward-facing camera and gapes at what he sees.

A much younger Julian, one who barely looks fourteen years old, gapes back at him. His face is youthful and angular, lacking the lines carved by adult stress. Looking down, he sees the thin and reedy form of his teen-years, not the slightly overweight adult built by years of white-collar work. His clothes, now several sizes too large, hang off his frame as if he were a child who raided his father's wardrobe.

"What the hell were they working on downstairs?" Julian touches his face in wonder. He looks even better than he did when he was actually fourteen. "They weren't making a time-machine or something... were they? Jesus, was there even a forest here years ago? That building was built in the 80s I thought..." Again he looks at this phone, and still, it reads NO SERVICE, making annoyance flare in the man-turned-teen. "Swell."

He turns to pick a direction and begins walking, but stumbles when he steps on something round that nearly makes him trip.

Lifting his shoe and looking down, he blinks in confusion.

Partially embedded into the dirt after he stepped on it, a beautiful rainbow-colored marble stares back at him. In its center sits a curious design, almost like a cutout from a double-helix. It glitters when a thin shaft of sunlight waves past its surface, and if Julian was more superstitious, he'd even say the marble is glowing. Regardless, he leans down, picking up the captivating bauble and rolling it in his hand.

"The design always faces me?" He turns the rainbow-colored orb around and around, yet the design in the center dutifully remains facing him. "Trippy. Did one of DARPA's toys end up here too? No? Where have I seen this design before..?"

Julian isn't sure how long he walks for, as he's too busy entertaining himself by rolling the marble around in his fingers. He inspects it every which way, yet the little glass bauble refuses to show him how it does its party trick. After his too-large shoes almost slip free for the tenth time, he stops and frowns. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouts; "Hey! Anyone there!?"

His voice rolls through the trees, and no answer is heard back.

Undaunted, Julian slips the marble into his pocket and keeps walking. He glances at the sky again, and judging from how the sun has moved, he must be heading south.

As the day drags on, the man-turned-teen feels his ire grow when he encounters nothing but more forest. In his mis-sized shoes, his feet begin to hurt, and his unfed stomach begins to growl and chew on itself in hunger.

"Pin?"

Julian pauses when a curious noise comes from above him in a tree. Expecting a bird of some type, he looks up into the tree branches and freezes in place.

Sitting in a glistening spider web large enough to capture an eagle, a bulbous, green spider of horrifying size stares down at him with beady black eyes and blood-red fangs bared. Its yellow legs are banded with black, and a black pattern on its green abdomen resembles a simple smiley face that looks grossly out of place.

Slowly, the spider lowers itself down at him in a strand of thin silk, its tiny eyes trained on the human below it.

Julian turns and runs like hell is on his heels.

"What the fuck was that thing!?" He cries to himself. In the back of his mind, the spider somehow seems familiar, much like the marble he found underfoot, but his panicked mind can't seem to place where exactly he's seen such a monstrous arachnid before.

'In a nightmare, maybe. Jesus fuckin' Christ. I didn't get sent to a jungle where everything and its venomous grandma are out to get me, did I?'

He continues running, crashing through several bushes. After a minute of solid sprinting, Julian dares to look back and sees no spider in pursuit. "Thank you, God!" He praises aloud, dropping out of his sprint to a shaky walk. Turning and leaning against a tree, he puts his hands on his knees and takes deep, lung filling breaths of cool air. Slowly, the adrenaline drains out of his limbs and leaves the man-turned-teen simply frustrated and tired. "I've about had it with this shit," he growls to himself. He looks up at the sky with his arms spread wide. "Okay! I don't know what kind of demented joke this is, but I'm not laughing! Something please start making sense!"

Several birds fly out of the trees, startled by the yelling human below them, but other than that the sound of the wind is Julian's only answer.

The blonde teen crosses his arms with a huff, glancing down at them as he does so. Across his arms are several little cuts and scrapes from where he ran into the bushes earlier. He pokes one and winces at the sting. 'Probably not a dream, then.'

Then without warning, something drops out of the tree above him and lands with a quiet thud.

Julian yelps and jumps away, whirling his arms when his too-large shoes nearly make him trip again. "Who the hell are-" he stops, his jaw dropping.

Slowly rising from its crouched position, a…a something resembling a bipedal jackal regards him with wary crimson eyes. The thing stands on two very canine paws coated in black fur up until its knees, where the fur suddenly transitions to a dull blue color. The muscular legs lead up to a narrow waist with another sharp change in fur color, this time back to black before just as suddenly changing to a cream color for its torso. Right in the middle of its chest, a short, symmetrical spike of… Bone? Metal? A spike of something protrudes from its sternum, and connected that sternum are a pair of arms with the same blue and black fur as the legs. The arms each end in a paw with three digits, and on the back of each paw is another conical spike. Finally, the head of the creature looks like a heavily anthropomorphized jackal, with a thin muzzle set in a frown, tall ears, and what seemed to be dreadlocks hanging from the back of its head.

This thing, Julian remembers this thing. It was nearly 20 years ago that he played that old videogame, but how could anyone forget such an iconic creature? This is a…

"…Lucario?" He breathes.

The Lucario blinks. The action looks so strange on a three-dimensional being rather than a two-dimensional animation on a computer monitor. The pokémon looks so real. Julian can see the wind rustling its fur, the subtle tensing and relaxing of the muscles despite said fur, and the slow rise and fall of its chest.

So real.

For a second, the teen in ill-fitting clothes and the animation-made-flesh remained still, both unwilling to break the uneasy peace. Then something rustles in the leaves above.

With a gulp, Julian slowly turns his eyes skyward and immediately wishes he hadn't.

Standing crouched in the tree branches high above like expert gymnasts… or assassins, an entire trope of Lucario, numbering at least 10, stare down at him.

"Well shit…"

One of the jackals high above leaps down from its perch, landing between Julian and the first Lucario, totally unfazed from the 20-foot fall. This one rises with confidence and stands half a head higher than the first Lucario, and Julian can see why.

Those old games clearly got the heights of these pokémon wrong, because this one stands tall enough to look him in the eye. The newcomer's fur is a duller color all around and its lean body is a sculpted, envy inducing collection of muscle. Crisscrossing over its body is a number of scars, each one faded with age. On its muzzle, which holds wisps of graying fur, an imperious expression sits. The large Lucario raises its nose to Julian and crosses its arms. From its skin rolls crackling bands of light the same color as the sky. The grass around its feet ripples.

Julian sucks in a tense breath as his body breaks out to goosebumps. A tangible sort of pressure presses down upon him, and in the back of his mind, a primal instinct long forgotten to modern humanity awakens. With that awakening, Julian is struck with the preternatural feeling-no, preternatural knowledge of just how small he is before this Lucario. One single strike from the pokemon in front of Julian would cave in his chest, powder his skeleton, rupture his skin and organs. The eyes, the eyes, the eyes! The red eyes of the Lucario shine with violence! It wants to KILL him!

The instinct grows from a whisper to a scream, it urges the frightened teen to do one thing and one thing only.

Run.

The blonde tries to turn and flee as fast as his limbs will carry him, only to tremble in place. Julian gurgles, his eyes bugging out as he realizes that he can't even breathe, the pressure around him is so great. The edges of his vision bleed red, and then black.

How long has he been stuck like this?

Then suddenly, the terrible pressure vanishes.

Julian sucks in a breath and coughs, almost falling to his hands and knees when his legs nearly give out. The spots dancing in his vision slowly fade as someone takes a firm hold of his shoulder to keep him steady.

'The fuck was that? It felt like gravity doubled and tried to pull me to the ground! And that… that…' He tries to find words for the feeling of utter dread and the surefire knowledge of his impending demise that pierced him down to the soul, but nothing he thinks of seems to carry enough weight. 'That felt like… like… Maybe that killing intent shit you see in bad anime?'

A snarling bark makes him jump, and when he looks back up, he blinks in surprise.

The smaller Lucario is now at his side, one of its large forepaws on his shoulder and the other wrapped securely around his arm. Its face is screwed up in anger as it lifts a paw and points accusingly at the larger, more grizzled Lucario. Did this one… Jump to his defense?

The smaller one says something in a growl, then pulls at Julian's too-large clothes as if to make a point. It glances at him with its red eyes, which take a gentle, apologetic look. The apology is replaced with fury again when it looks back at the senior pokémon.

A short, quiet rumbling of the throat is the elder's reply. It doesn't seem phased in the slightest bit by its junior's anger. It uncrossed its arms and finally takes its piercing eyes off of Julian to stare at the smaller pokémon. "Grarrio… Ruruirioo?" It says with a voice like stones grinding together.

Julian's defender scowls and steps forward, firmly planting itself between the human and the aggressor.

"H-Hey, uh…"

Both turn to look at him, one set of eyes uncertain and the other set with displeasure, making Julian flinch. "Look, I'm not here to make trouble. I'm just super lost, honest. If you could, uh, point me to the nearest human town I'll skedaddle. No need to be upset…"

'Man, I hope they can understand me. These guys can do that emotion-sensing thing, can't they? They can tell I'm being honest, right?'

The younger Lucario turns to its senior with an eyebrow raised, an astonishingly human gesture, as if saying 'Well?' or 'I told you so.'

For a moment, everyone holds their breath as the scarred pokemon narrows its eyes in thought. Even the Lucario up in the trees watch nervously. After the longest moment in Julian's life, the large Lucario finally deflates under the younger's stern, disapproving gaze. It - no, he. Something about him seems distinctly masculine to Julian - murmurs something under his breath and waves a dismissive paw.

His junior smiles and breathes a sigh of relief, putting its paws on its hips in yet another human gesture. It freezes, however, when the elder male turns away and murmurs something else in its rough voice, something too quiet for Julian to fully hear.

Julian breathes out a silent sigh and shifts on his feet, nervousness still bubbling in his gut. "So is that a yes? Can you show me to a town or something? I'm lost and alone out here, and if you show me I can get out of your forest and leave you alone."

Without any warning, the seemingly alpha male Lucario effortlessly hops back up into a high tree branch, landing upon the limb without so much as a sound or a disturbed leaf. He glances back down at both Julian and the junior pokémon.

The smaller Lucario regards Julian and raises its paw to its chin, seemingly indecisive. Then with a deep breath and a resolute nod, it turns away, making Julian's heart sink. They're just going to leave him here alone in this for-

The Lucario bends slightly and holds its arms out backward before looking over its shoulder. It looks as if the jackal pokémon wants to…

"…Carry me?" Julian blinks. "Well, erm. That's really kind and all, but you don't need to go that far. You can just point me to a town and I'll get going. Also, not looking to slight you so don't take it that way, but I think I'm probably a little too heavy for you."

And indeed the pokémon looks a little too overconfident. While the Lucario is definitely taller than the 3 foot average described in those old video games, this one is still a head shorter than him if the ears aren't counted.

The Lucario's brows furrow in annoyance. It waves its arms as if asking him to hurry up.

'Then again, I'm not that tall anymore either and my spare tire is gone now. Whatever, I'll humor…'

With it's back bent and tail slightly raised, Julian can clearly see that it is a she.

'…Her.'

"Okay, if you really insist…" The formerly grown man sighs, fully expecting the Lucario to crumple under his weight. He steps closer and drapes himself slowly over the back of the jackal, finding himself surprised when she doesn't even budge. He grips her shoulders and yelps when she easily scoops his legs up under her forepaws and stands up straight as if he isn't even there. "H-Hold on…"

Her legs tense, then she leaps.

Julian has to bite his lip to keep from yelling into his ride's ears as the ground rushes away under them, almost as if gravity simply ceased caring. The Lucario carrying him lands softly in a tree branch that groans under their combined weight, but it holds steady.

Ahead, the alpha male Lucario turns and jumps onto a distant tree branch. He flies with practically no arc and once again makes no sound.

As one, the entire Lucario trope, Julian and his savior included, rush to keep up. They all cut through the air with only a faint whistle from their sharp spikes marking their travel.

Julian grimaces and hugs the back of the pokemon carrying him, keeping his head pressed to the back of hers as to not be smacked by an errant branch. Despite his stomach rolling and churning he still manages to groan. "Definitely not my idea of an ideal day…"

Through the wind whistling in his ears and through his chest mashed to her back, the blonde both hears and feels his savior let out a distinctly canine chortle.

Julian huffs. "You don't need a laugh about it. How would you feel if you ended up in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar body likely due to some fuckery that your government workplace got up to?"

She spares a second between jumps to look back at him, confusion plain on her face.

"Oh, right. Pokémon. You don't have to worry about things like workplace incompetence. Whatever the hell happened, I'm just fine blaming them…" The teen grumbles. "Do you have a name?"

She looks back at him again, this time with an inquiring "Rrrr?"

"I can't just keep calling you 'that Lucario that saved me from getting pulped' now can I?" Julian muses, making an effort to think of anything other than the speeding forest floor below them. "I'll go first. Julian is my name, Julian Angelo. Yours is?"

She doesn't respond for a moment. "Rrrurrru," she says, sounding as if she's struggling to not roll her Rs.

"Ruru?" Julian murmurs, trying and failing to pronounce it as she did. "Eh, I'm sorry for butchering your name. How about a nickname so I don't look completely incompetent? Does Lulu sound all right? Kinda sounds like what you're trying to get across. Probably not the most original nickname for a Lucario, but…"

She tilts her head, then nods uncaringly.

"Glad we've got that out of the way." Julian takes a deep breath and ignores the smell of sweat and dog coming from the newly dubbed Lulu. Slowly but surely, his stomach begins to settle. "So, the guy who very obviously wanted me dead. He seems like a protective one. Is he your…" The teen pauses and thinks for a moment. "Husband? Mate?"

Lulu turns her head just enough to let him see her muzzle scrunched in distaste. Following that, she quickly shakes her head, accidentally batting him with her dreadlocks.

"Brother?"

Again, Lulu shakes her head.

"Father?"

This time, she nods and sighs in exasperation.

"Yeah, I can kinda relate to that." Julian muses aloud. "I was the youngest of my siblings and after my mom passed, my own dad sometimes went a little overboard because I was the 'baby' of the family. I'm not super thrilled over how he threatened my life and all that, but I can kinda get where your old man is coming from. I'd be a bit pissed if someone ran through my home making a racket."

Again, Lulu looks back at Julian, but this time he can't seem to place the expression on her face. Contemplation, maybe?

The one-sided conversation lapses into silence, broken only by the sound of Lulu's spikes dragging through the air and the whipping of Julian's too-large clothes.

'Man, just what the hell did I get into this time?' Julian holds back a groan. 'In the middle of God knows where, back to being a teenager, with nothing but the clothes on my back, a phone with no service, and a fancy marble. I know that DARPA had something to do with this. What were they working on? Some kind of virtual-reality thing? No, why would they bother loading it with pokémon? And why include me for that matter? This has to be a mistake. They did something and this is all the result of a colossal fuck-up, I know it.' He sighs and looks at the back of Lulu's head. 'I hope all that jazz about pokémon naturally being nice is true. I've already hitched a ride on Air-Cario and I can't exactly go back now.'

For almost an hour Lulu carries him as she and the rest of her group jump tree branch to tree branch like ninja. Not once do any of them trip or lose their balance, instead flowing with supernatural grace from one movement to the next. Their travel frightens away the other pokemon that Julian can catch a glimpse of. Starlys, ground-bound Bidoofs, a Shinx, and even a Carnivine all make themselves scarce when the group of Lucario bound by.

Eventually, the trees begin to thin out, and the alpha male who Julian mentally dubs 'Pops' jumps down to the ground with everyone swiftly following his lead. Once all of the Lucario are on the ground, Pops takes off with breakneck speed along the ground. His stance is low and his arms drag out behind him from the sheer velocity. Everyone quickly follows along, adopting the same stance before they run as blue and black blurs, dodging trees and bushes as they go.

Lulu, unable to mimic their stance with Julian on her back, simply has to push off the ground harder to keep up. The sprint only carries on for about 15 minutes before the group begins to slow, but by then Julian can hear Lulu beginning to pant. No doubt she's tired from traveling through the trees with him and the sprint only makes things worse.

Finally, it seems as if the trip is at an end. Pops comes to a stop near a thicket of trees and shrubs so dense that nothing can be seen beyond them. Forming into a single file line, each Lucario slips through a very narrow gap between two of the shrubs. Pops stands by the 'entrance' with his arms crossed, waiting for everyone else to cross before he does.

Julian starts when Lulu releases his legs. It isn't until his feet hit the ground that the pins-and-needles sensation of his legs being asleep hits him. He hisses and shakes his legs, trying to will feeling back into them.

The last Lucario that isn't Lulu or Pops crosses the threshold that Pops is guarding, leaving just the three of them outside the thicket.

Julian stiffens when Pops levels him with yet another glare. The same unplaceable feeling that makes a primordial piece of Julian awaken and suddenly become wary washes over him again like a wave. The feeling stops when Lulu protectively steps in front of him and returns her father's glare with one of her own, shielding the teen from the oppressive feeling.

Pops scoffs and holds his nose up, not deigning to give Julian any more attention than necessary. Again, the sudden weight disappears.

Lulu growls at her father one final time then takes one of Julian's hands in her paws, dragging the blonde human with her without a struggle. She leads him past Pops and into the narrow opening of the shrubs, ducking a little as she does so.

Julian follows, ducking his head as well to clear the branches. Once he feels no more leaves or twigs tugging at his arms and back, he raises his head and feels his eyes widen.

Past the narrow gap is a grove of trees arranged in a tight circle with tall bushes filling in the cracks, making an unbroken wall of green leaves and brown bark. Along the barrier of green and brown are simple open-faced huts and wicki-ups, each built with woven sticks and covered in a layer of mossy dirt. Many have circles of stones filled with ash nearby, but no fires currently lit. Under the simple shelters, a number of startled Lucario and wide-eyed Riolu stare at Julian. Out in the distance, a babbling river cuts through the natural camp, filling the clearing with the sound of running water. In the very middle of the camp where several more Lucario pause spars between them, the grass has been worn down to bare dirt by the countless paws that have no doubt tread over the spot.

It's... peaceful. Beautiful, even.

Before either side can get a word in, Pops comes striding in from behind. He stops several steps ahead of Lulu and Julian, then waves a paw uncaringly toward the only human in the little camp. "Grario. Lugrrr..." the rest of his speech dips into a growl punctuated by an annoyed bark.

Whatever he said, it makes a wave of quiet murmurs break out amongst the pokemon. One Lucario in particular stands from under the largest hut and makes her way over, and as she walks, anyone in her way steps aside and inclines their head, signifying her importance to the teen interloper.

As she walks closer, Julian can make out the gray hairs on her muzzle much like Pops, and although no less fit in body, her eyes are much more gentle. Rather than look like blood similar to the male Lucario, her eyes sparkle like rubies. She comes to a halt just arms length away from Pops, her expression shifting into something unimpressed as she lays a forepaw on her hip. The growl that comes from her lips is quiet and followed by a raised eyebrow.

Pops, who didn't so much as flinch when his daughter laid into him, wilts under the stare of the lady Lucario before him. He looks away first and mutters something too quiet for Julian to hear in reply.

'Oof. Tough luck pal. Sucks being whipped, don't it?'

Lady Lucario pokes Pops in the chest, just under his spike, in a clear warning to behave. Then she turns to Lulu with a smile and opens her arms.

Lulu returns the smile with one of her own and steps into the offered hug. Both pokemon turn their chests just a bit so neither are poked by the other's chest spike. Lady Lucario nuzzles Lulu tenderly before releasing her and turning to face Julian.

'If Pops is Lulu's father, does that mean Lady Luca here is her mom?' He wonders as the elegant Fighting-type steps closer.

Lady Luca stops just short of him, almost uncomfortably close, her nose twitching as she sniffs the air around him. Julian doesn't stop her when she pulls at his clothes with a frown, then she gently lifts his scratched arms up to inspect them. "Graroo?" She asks something of him, looking up at him with an expression that isn't quite a frown, but not pleased either.

"Eh?" Julian looks down at the small cuts littering his arms. "It's no big deal. I just need to clean them and I'll be fine. No need to worry about me."

Lady Luca clicks her tongue and shakes her head just like a disappointed mother might. She places one large, flat forepaw over the largest cut and closes her eyes.

The teen winces when her rough paw pad pulls as the laceration. "What are yo...!"

Under the Lucario's paw, a pink glow shines between the gaps where his arm and her paw meet, stopping Julian's protests dead in his mouth. The pink light is so warm and inviting that he can't pull away even if he tried, and that warmth slowly travels through his arm to diffuse through his body. It flows like warmed molasses, down his arm, to his core, then to the rest of his limbs. Under Julian's awe-struck eyes, all the cuts on his arms knit themselves together and fizzle like water in a hot pan, vanishing as if they never existed.

Struck dumb, Julian doesn't fight at all when Lady Luca pulls him along to the large hut shared by her, Pops, and Lulu. He doesn't fight when she gently coaxes him into a bed of soft leaves and runs a soothing paw through his hair. He barely notices Lady Luca shoo away a horde of curious Riolu crowding the entrance. Slowly outside, the day turns to night. Several times Lady Luca and sometimes Lulu come to check on him, but he's too caught in his own thoughts to care.

It was one thing to find himself stranded and his body changed by unknown means.

It was another thing to be carried around by a bipedal jackal who should not have the muscle needed to even lift him.

One could even rationalize the phenomena around Pops and his hostile intro as a hallucination.

But his wounds just closing on their own, and the sensation of that pink light filling him with warmth, chasing away his soreness...

Witnessing, or better yet, feeling what any sane person would call "magic" first hand really hammers everything home.

Julian Angelo is lost.

Chapter Text

"Luro?"

Julian groggily awakens as he feels a large paw settle on his shoulder and gently shake him. With a hiss, he cracks open his eyes and looks up at the owner of the paw with bleary eyes.

Kneeling at his side and hovering over him is Lulu, who stares down at him. She blinks, her red eyes almost shining in the dark early dawn of the alpha family's hut. Behind her and through the entrance of the hut, Julian can see the dark morning just barely begin to lighten.

As tempted as he is to lay back down and sleep, the man-turned-teen can see his steamy breath in the chilled morning air. Without Lulu lying at his side sharing her willingly-given body heat, he'll just suffer if he tries to get more shut-eye. There's not much choice but to rise.

...Not that Lulu or Lady Luca will let him sleep in anyway. God, how he wishes for some coffee. Even the fake imitation stuff with carcinogens would be a blessing. At least the cold doesn't make his joints ache like it used to. Oh, the horror of realizing that thirty is officially old territory.

"I'm up…" Julian grunts, rising to his feet. "Lemme get some water and I'll be along…"

Lulu nods and smiles, already wide awake despite the ungodly hour. The terrible things Julian would do for such a power.

After checking to make sure his dirty, too-long pants are still tied off at his ankles with the ripped-up ribbons he made from the collar of his shirt, the teen reluctantly steps out of the bed of leaves and starts the walk to the river. The cold ground and wet dew in the grass sends a shock up his bare feet. His oversized shoes proved to just be a hindrance, and his socks were swiftly shredded by the fifth day. But now after a week to become somewhat accustomed to the chill, he just shivers and walks faster.

For ten days now he's lived with the Lucario pack, and the sudden lifestyle change is still something he's getting used to. Devoid of modern conveniences, Julian has been forced to live as the pokemon do.

The first day, they forgave his exhaustion and let him rest. Lady Luca took it upon herself to care for him, bringing him food in the form of a number of large berries, wild root-looking vegetables, and a few small cuts of flaky, fire-cooked white meat. It wasn't his first choice as a meal, but his growling stomach and conscience telling him to not spit on Lady Luca's doting forced him to eat. He didn't bother asking where the fish-like meat came from, fearing the answer just a bit.

The second day, Lulu and Lady Luca tried to rouse him, but he was so lost in thought that he waved them away. Both of the Lucarios tried again several times as the day went on. Lulu became increasingly annoyed each time, but Lady Luca remained patient.

On day three, Pops had enough.

The alpha male was content to pretend Julian didn't exist for the first few days, but by the third morning, Julian had only left the hut several times to quench his thirst and relieve himself, so rather than Lulu or Lady Luca waking him, Julian woke up to a furious Pops.

When Pops grabbed his shoulders with bruising strength, Julian saw his life flash before his eyes. A second later, he was ass-over-teakettle outside. He jumped to his feet and quickly made himself scarce at the sound of the Lucario's snarl.

Lulu found him quickly afterward. He didn't need to understand her speech to understand that his lazing around was some sort of taboo to the Lucario pack, and that if he wanted to remain in everyone's good graces, he should do as the Romans do.

Or as the Lucario do in this case.

Now at the edge of the river that cuts through the Lucario camp, Julian kneels and dunks his head into the brisk waters. With his face underwater, he gasps, letting a bubble of breath out as the icy liquid bites at his skin. The remaining haziness of sleep vanishes, but before he rises, he gulps down several mouthfuls, filling his mouth with the taste of minerals and wetting his dry throat.

"Gah!" Julian jumps to his feet and shakes the freezing water from his face and hair. He shivers and rubs his arms, wishing the sun would hurry the hell up and rise already. When a rough, canid laugh comes from his left, he doesn't bother rising to the bait. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up Mister warm fur coat." Julian mutters.

On Julian's left, a young male Lucario he nicknamed "Scout" chuckles at Julian's suffering. The Lucario has a thin, wiry build, and Julian almost mistook him for a female until he began to learn the differences between males and females, like the shoulder-to-hip ratio and slightly smaller spikes the females sport.

Scout, named for being Pops' first pick on expeditions, was one of the first to approach him after Lady Luca. The young male is a natural social butterfly, having easily broken the ice when he curiously approached Julian on day three. Thankfully, the teen seemed to make a good impression, because the rest of the pack was quick to warm up after Scout made what sounded like a public endorsement of him around the nightly bonfire. Or Julian thinks it was an endorsement. It's hard to tell with the language barrier.

Scout dips his cupped paws into the river and takes a deep drink ending with a satisfied sigh. If not for the Lucario all drinking from the river without worry, Julian might have feared contracting some sort of illness.

"Rrrrio?" Scout asks, glancing back into the camp. Already, several of the Lucario and a smaller number of sleepy Riolu are awake and beginning their morning exercises, each one moving with grace and purpose. Julian stares at them, watching each one move through poses and forms that tax their phenomenal flexibility. He stops and turns back to Scout when he realizes he'd been staring for almost thirty seconds.

"Yeah, I need to quit stalling and get started," Julian sighs. "I don't think I'm going to ever get used to this. Being out here, I mean. No slight intended to you all, but..."

Scout shakes the water droplets off of one of his paws and plants it on Julian's shoulder, offering some silent comfort. A short, canine-like whine escapes his throat.

"Thanks," the blonde smiles wanely. "Do you know why Pops won't let anyone escort me to a human town? You figure with how he hates my guts, he'd be eager to be rid of me."

Scout hesitates, his ears folding back. "Cari. Lucrrrrio." He shrugs, badly hiding how he does know something.

Julian sighs. "I guess I can't realistically ask you to tell me your boss's secrets. Maybe put the idea in his head, though?"

The Lucario smiles and nods, patting Julian's shoulder once more.

Julian and Scout part ways after a short goodbye, and Julian hurries back into the camp. The sun won't be completely up for another half an hour, and then it'll take a bit longer for it to clear the treeline and actually warm the camp. If the teen wants to be warm in the meantime, it means joining the Lucario in their morning ritual of exercises. 'The religion-like dedication to their health is pretty fitting for Fighting-type ninja dogs, honestly.'

Feet now numb from the cold ground, the teen pads up to Lulu, who is standing and watching the sunrise with her back turned. One of her ears twitch, then she turns and smiles at him.

"Let's get this show on the road." Julian grumbles, rubbing his arms with his hands again. "I'd rather be sweating than shivering."

Lulu nods. With casual ease, she splits her legs out one-hundred and eighty degrees and lowers herself to the ground, then she almost lays her torso flat across her left leg, reaching for her toes in a mighty stretch.

Julian grimaces and tries to copy her. Keyword: tries. He stretches his legs as far apart as he can before falling to his rear, knowing if he doesn't give it his all, Lulu will stop her own warm-up to "help" him. His legs tremble, and he can't quite reach his toes like the Lucario can, but he pushes himself until can go no further.

Lulu glances over at him, approval in her eyes. Then she turns and reaches down her other leg.

The blonde teen grits his teeth and emulates her as best he can.

Over the next ten minutes, Julian follows Lulu's lead. Leg stretches, arm stretches, hip rotations, lunges, and a few Julian doesn't have names for. She stops a few times to correct him, but by the time she settles into a cross-legged meditation pose and gestures for him to rest, Julian can already feel his limbs beginning to burn. As he sits and takes deep breaths, Lulu shuts her eyes and meditates quietly, wisps of bright blue aura swirling around her body.

She isn't still for long, only ten minutes or so, but when she sharply inhales, Julian knows she's done and it's time for the next exercise.

Julian climbs to his feet as Lulu seamlessly rises. She takes a deep, chest-filling breath that makes the tuft of breast fur around her spike swell, then lets it out just as slowly. She moves to his right and falls into a faux fighting stance, her knees bent and arms held out palms first. Alrighty resigned to embarrassment, Julian copies her. Then as one, they start moving through different stances like a dance.

The young female Lucario starts slow, giving Julian ample time to follow and learn.

Palm out, twirl and block with palm, forward step and punch, back step and high kick, hold.

Julian struggles to hold his leg up, his supporting leg shaking and almost over-correcting his balance. He holds it for one, two, three…!

Lulu quickly drops from her stance and slides close, taking her human dance partner's high ankle in one paw and his shoulder in the other, holding him steady.

...Four, five seconds.

She lets go, and Julian tries to bring his leg down smoothly like Lulu, but the movement is jerky and too fast.

Lulu just smiles encouragingly and takes the starting stance again. "Crarr." She says, tone lacking any accusation.

"Tch…" Julian growls.

Palm out, twirl and block with palm, forward step and punch, back step and high kick, hold.

Leg sweep, elbow strike, high block, hop forward, deflect with palm and side kick, hold.

Duck and weave, right hook, left straight, crossblock, spin and deflect from behind, scissor block, lunge and dual palm strike, hold.

The slow pace gives the teen time to watch the Riolu partners a little bit away doing the same dance, all going much faster than he and Lulu. The grown Lucarios are flowing from one stance to the next like liquid, their grace utterly supernatural. Their dances are so quick and advanced that Julian can barely discern what they're doing. Some have already begun openly sparring, and the displaced teen gets to see the spectacle that is Pops fighting off Scout and two other young males with ease. The old alpha doesn't flow like the others, he simply changes position so fast it looks as if he teleported. He dodges everything his frustrated opponents throw with a dispassionate glower.

Scout rushes in with a daring feint, legs tensed to spring away if he fails, but Pops blurs forward to meet him, making Scout's eyes bug out. Pops' fist plows into Scout's stomach with a deep thud that Julian feels in his chest, and Scout falls to his knees with a strangled cry, looking like he's a second away from vomiting.

"Ririon!"

'Oops…' Julian turns, seeing Lulu frowning at him as she stops several dance steps ahead of him. "Sorry…" He mutters.

After what feels like a hundred mistakes that Lulu corrects, Julian is panting by the end of the dance. He tries not to see her pleased expression as condescending, but it's difficult.

Next is a run followed by a cool down, then the rest of the day begins.

Julian clicks his tongue, already knowing the little Riolus are going to lap him, but he tries to steady the shaking of his arms and legs so he can say he tried his best. He and Lulu walk side by side around the edge of the camp, the pace increasing to a jog, then to a run, then to a sprint.

Arms pumping and lungs heaving, the blonde teen runs as fast as he can. By his side, Lulu keeps pace easily, almost not needing to focus on her run. Then as a team, a bunch of giggling Riolu pass by, doing the same low stanced, arm-dragging ninja run as the adults.

Julian just groans and pushes himself harder. He knows the younglings aren't laughing at him exactly, but still…

Halfway into the second of five laps around the campsite, it takes Julian everything he has to keep his sprint going. He's so focused that he doesn't see Lulu's eyes slowly narrow in annoyance until she holds an arm in front of him and urges him to slow down.

"Huh…?" The boy pants, but doesn't bother resisting when Lulu takes his hand and leads him off of the beaten path of dirt that the pack uses to run on. "W-What…" He sucks down a lungful of sweet, life-giving oxygen before continuing. "What's wrong?"

Lulu looks at the running path then back to Julian, shaking her head. Without verbally elaborating, she steps forward and presses a paw to Julian's back, urging him to bend at the waist. After that, she steps behind him and takes both of his wrists, pulling his arms behind him until they're parallel to the ground. At the same time, she gently unballs his fists until his fingers are free and straight. This stance is almost like…!

"Oh no!" Julian straightens up and feels his face burn with secondhand embarrassment, mind instantly going back to the poor nerdy kids who ran in such a stance back in high school gym class. Few people were kind to them. "That might work for you since you're fast enough that air resistance is actually a problem, but not for humans. I'm not running like that."

The high-speed, low-drag run of the Lucario is cool to watch, of that there is no doubt. It thrills a boyish part of Julian to see ninja dogs do ninja dog things, and he doubts the stunts will ever get old. It simply appeals to him on a level that cares little for practicality.

But a normal human replicating such a thing? Ha!

Lulu's frown deepens into a scowl. She steps closer once again, pushing his back to bend and pulling his arms back out before pointing back at the track. "Ririon, lua!" She says with a short, irritated growl.

"And I'm telling you," Julian straightens up again. "It doesn't work like that. Do you want me to prove it to you?" Honestly, what is she thinking?

Lulu nods resolutely, crossing her arms as she does so.

"Fine." Julian sighs and runs a hand through his sweaty hair, inwardly cringing at how gritty and rough it feels. "Let's do this."

He and Lulu walk away from the stomped-dirt track over to a shrub-flanked tree that makes up one of the natural walls around the encampment. 'Let's see, I just need something I can… aha!'

Roughly thirty or so meters away is a large boulder that the Riolu of the pack love to clamber and play on. It'll work just fine.

"Okay, here's how this is going to go," he points to the boulder in the distance. "I'm going to run as fast as I can from this tree to the rock using both my way and your way. When the way I do it inevitably gets a faster time, you'll quit bothering me about it, okay?"

Lulu nods easily, appearing completely unbothered.

"Right…" The blonde blinks at how easy her agreement is. "Here I go…"

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Julian pushes off the ground as hard as he can with his lead foot and focuses everything on his run. One foot in front of the other, and arms pumping to keep him balanced in the wet grass. 'One, two, three, four, five, s- '

Just before he can begin to count the sixth second, the man-turned-teen passes the rock and slows to a stop, standing for a moment to catch his breath. 'It feels like I've been doing that a lot this morning…' He turns and slowly walks back to Lulu and the tree, placing a palm over his chest and feeling his heart beginning to settle once more.

"Just a little over five seconds," Julian comments as he reaches Lulu and leans back against the tree. A second later he decides against leaning his back into the bark as it makes his shirt stick to his sweaty back uncomfortably. "Once my heart settles, I'm going to try again with your… ninja run." He hesitates to name it. "Trust me on this, Lulu. You're going to feel a little bit silly wasting your time like this."

The Lucario just raises an eyebrow and even has the gall to smirk. She says nothing else.

After a moment of rest, the blonde teen sighs and takes the low-drag stance that Lulu insists on, trying and failing to distance himself from the embarrassment burning his cheeks. Like last time, he pushes off as hard as he can with his forward-most foot and sprints forward with all his might, arms splayed out behind him. 'One, two, three, four, fi-'

He zips past rock before he can complete five.

'-ve, six. Wait-!'

He tries to stop, but overestimates his momentum and instead tumbles to the ground in a heap when his heels slip in the grass. Julian grunts when the fall knocks the wind from his lungs.

"Ririon!"

Lulu is by his side in a flash and quickly hoists him to his feet as if he weighs nothing.

Julian, however, is too lost in thought to ward off her fretting. 'How did I do that? I used everything I had for my first run, but the second one was faster?'

Coming to terms with the supernatural powers wielded by the pokemon around him took time, but was doable. How did he do that?

That was another day that Julian spent mostly in thought. From there on out, he ran as the Lucario did without any protest.

'What was the world record for the 30 meter sprint again? Was that even an official record?'

Regardless, Julian found his time dropping a little more each day.

On his seventeenth day, the next clue of what might be going on revealed itself.

Julian sighs, taking deep controlled breaths as he finishes his morning stretches with Lulu. As per usual, his Lucario partner settles beside him with her legs folded in her forepaws in her lap. She glows a faint blue as wisps of aura dance around her. What exactly she's doing, Julian isn't 100% sure. Aura training? Some kind of cooldown? He's got some doubt that it's the first one as he looks around.

By now the human is more or less accepted by the entirety of the pack. Scout's endorsement, Lulu's companionship, and Lady Luca's open doting seems to have overcome the awkward public opinion caused by Pops' open dislike of Julian. Until about the two-week mark, none of the Lucario would openly train with their aura, but now the new step seems to have been added to everyone's morning exercises.

Some of the jackal pokémon meditate similar to Lulu, some with more or less aura flaring around them. Some meditate but focus a small sphere of bright, glowing blue in their paws as they sit. Fewer flow through their morning dance with aura trailing their limbs, and some take on even more esoteric exercises. Julian spies one mousy female standing far away, visibly straining as three spheres of aura slowly rotate around her form.

Julian hears Lulu take a deep breath through her muzzle and then smoothly stand once more. Julian follows, already settling into the familiar stance of the first dance.

Lulu shakes her head, confusing him. "Ririon, car ri luro," she says. She slides into a form far more aggressive than that of the morning dances, one paw drawn back and ready to punch while her other is held out spike-first towards him. It looks exactly like the beginning stance of the fighting style that all the Lucario share.

"Wait, hold on…" Julian balks. "You want me, a normal human, to spar with you, a pokemon?"

Lulu smiles and nods, not moving an inch out of her form.

'Well shit…' The blonde boy grimaces. "Here goes nothing…" He raises his fists, spreads his legs, and plants his feet. He's keenly aware of the sheer number of eyes on him

The Lucario across from him tenses, but doesn't make the first move.

Julian gulps.

Ten seconds pass, then twenty. At thirty, Julian cracks and attacks first. He rushes forward, throwing caution to the wind and winding up an uppercut aimed squarely at Lulu's chin. His fist flies, and it seems as if the blow is going to connect for just a second.

Lulu bats away his punch with her open palm. There is enough force behind the parry to throw Julian's poor guard wide open, so the Lucario steps into his arms as if invited before planting her knee squarely in his gut. A fierce cry erupts from her lips.

Julian coughs out an explosive exhale, feeling his eyes bulge behind the force of the blow. He practically bends around her knee and when she steps back, he falls hands and knees to the ground. For half a second, he thinks she's going to press the advantage like the other Lucario do for their own sparring partners and scrambles back to his feet.

Lulu, however, does no such thing and merely retakes her stance.

With a growl, Julian raises his shaking fists again. This time, he moves in slower, now realizing no amount of speed is going to help. He tenses his arms as if to punch, but instead shoots out a low kick intended to trip.

Without even needing to look, Lulu hops over the kick and snaps out her leg in her own kick, one aimed for the side of his head. Again, she let out a snarl as she attacks.

Eyes wide, Julian brings up his arms to guard his face, but Lulu's leg smashes into his guard like a truck. The bones in his arms creak dangerously and instantly ache. Before she can retreat, the blonde teen pushes away his pain and wraps one arm around his partner's leg to keep her in place. His other hand lashes out in a wild punch filled with hope that she would be unable to block while imbalanced.

Lulu's free leg lands and plants itself firmly. At the same time, she raises a single paw and stops Julian's punch dead in her palm with a thwack!

A cold feeling creeps into Julian's gut. "Uh…"

She easily rips her leg from his hold and mirroring his attack earlier, uses that same leg to launch a low kick that he can't dodge in time. The limb is little more than a blur of black fur that barrels into his legs and drops him painfully to the grass.

"Oof!" The human grunts when his clumsy recovery just lands him on his aching stomach. He dares not take any longer than a handful of seconds to rise to his feet again, raising his fists and getting ready for more.

The spar continues on heavily in Lulu's favor. The Lucario doesn't need anything more than the bare minimum amount of force or technique to keep her sparring partner occupied. As they continue on though, Julian begins to notice the corners of her eyes crinkling.

After what feels like an hour, Lulu raises a large paw up with a sigh, signaling the stop.

Panting and nursing several bruises, Julian glances behind him at the sun and notes with dismay that it's probably only been about 15 minutes. He scans around from the corner of his eyes, resentment bubbling within him as he sees that none of the other Lucario are really surprised.

"Ririon…" Lulu addresses him with her paws on her hips. "Grarrio?" She says, her tone disapproving.

"Yeah yeah, I know I suck." Julian kneads a bruise on his arm sullenly as he looks down at his feet. The sides of them have grown yellow with calluses. "No need to rub it in."

Lulu shakes her head and steps closer, raising his chin up with a paw. "Raro," she says. Watch, as he's puzzled out over the last few weeks. She shifts into her fighting stance with her right fist held back. Wordlessly, she thrusts her fist forward in an impressive punch. There's an audible sound and Julian's shirt ruffles slightly from the wind wash. Such a strike would probably spiderweb a slab of concrete like a sledgehammer by Julian's estimate.

"Raro," the jackal pokémon repeats. She pulls her fist back and takes her calming breath. Then her eyes narrow and a snarl tears from her lips as she lets loose another punch, this time with drastically different results.

This time, the spike on the back of her paw sharply whistles through the air and Julian can see the rings of force rippling across her knuckles. This time, the wind wash has enough force to almost push him back as her fist stops with a dull boom that he can feel in the center of his chest.

'What was that?' Julian blinks in astonishment. 'Her fist wasn't glowing so that wasn't a move or anything. All she did was add a yell to her punch. No, it can't be that simple. She must've done something. But what?'

Having seen more than one martial arts B-movie in his time, the blonde is well aware of what a kiai is. A short, verbal exclamation to intimidate opponents or pump the attacking martial artist up. A proper kung fu fighter or any variation of a kung fu fighter always adds a shout to their moves and techniques. The only real exceptions to the rule seem to be overwhelmingly powerful fighters flexing their might on lesser opponents, or a protagonist remaining calm and silent for an exceptionally 'badass' scene.

'That can't be it… Can it?' The boy hesitates, already recalling how he was proven wrong a week ago for doubting Lulu. "Okay…" He begins. "I think I understand what you're getting at, but I want to be a hundred percent sure. Can you, uh, gauge how hard I'm hitting?"

Lulu's smile returns. She holds out a broad paw like a boxing coach might with training pads and urges him to attack.

"Alright…" Julian draws his fist back. He flexes every muscle in his arm, silently testing them, then punches with all his might. He twists his hips, rotates his arm, and steps in slightly just as the dances taught him.

His fist hits Lulu's paw with a muted smack. She barely budges and a shock runs up his arm from the sudden stop.

Lulu nods and raises her other paw, making a 'come on' gesture with her fingers.

Withdrawing his hand and shaking his fingers to regain some of the feeling, Julian balls his fist up and draws his arm back again. 'Right. Kiai and all that. Fighting spirit up! Don't stop even if it looks silly! Prove yourself to Lulu!' He feels his face screw itself up in determination.

"Raaaah!" Julian shouts, a sudden burst of strength appearing from seemingly nowhere. A tingle like electricity jolts through his core and into his arm, and he can see the veins in the back of his hand stand up. The punch flies noticeably faster than before, and this time when it impacts Lulu's paw, it creates a much meatier thwack! Her arm even recoils a little!

'There is… absolutely no fucking way that worked.' Julian pulls back his hand and stares down at it, disbelief welling up within him.

Lulu's smile grows, as if to say do you understand now?

He does.

First the low-drag run, and now this? What in the world is going on?

In the back of his mind, dots begin to connect. There's too few to paint a picture, but a childish part of him makes a leap of logic to a place completely absurd. So absurd, that he scoffs.

…But what if?

On day twenty-six, Julian sighs and smiles contentedly as he and Lulu, both seated at the riverbank, simply relax together.

Today he finished his morning exercises with Lulu only a bit winded. His chest still slowly heaved when he sat down for his cooldown stretches, but it's nothing like the gasping breaths he was left with during the first few days. He stretched, danced, sparred, ran, and stretched once more all without interruption. Well… Lulu still needed to stop and correct him several times as they danced and even more as they sparred, but they never stopped because Julian tired out.

After the morning obligations were done, Julian started on the rest of his duties.

Lacking the agility and strength of the Lucario, he's not much good for foraging, wood gathering, or patrolling, but he did find a place under the instruction of Lady Luca performing light duties near the camp. The Lucario pack is rather egalitarian, with males and females flexing between roles as needed. Lulu in particular seems fond of the tasks that males take and does an admirable job hiding her disdain for more domestic ones. Scout and a few of the other males certainly had a laugh seeing Julian stuck with only 'feminine' duties.

Well, they had a laugh until Lady Luca found out.

Anyway, during a typical day, Julian would assist Lady Luca in cleaning the alpha hut, see to another Lucario named Mama Spot on Lady Luca's request, ask around camp and see if anyone else in the pack needs assistance with anything, and if nothing comes up then the rest of the day will be his to do with as he pleases. Much like any other day where he has free time and Lulu isn't taken out for foraging or patrol, he's spending the day with her.

Ha! He smirks sardonically and looks down at his feet through the clear river water they're dipped in. Beside them, Lulu's hind paws kick gently, making ripples in the river. He's known Lulu for less than a month, yet she, a bipedal jackal that doesn't even speak the same language as him, is probably the closest friend he's ever had. It feels a little pathetic, honestly. 'I guess you really do start to lose your ability to make normal friends as you get older.'

A few of the Riolu, the younger form of Lucario, frolic in the shallow end of the river. The pups giggle and splash in a water fight turned battle royale. One of the older pups proves himself to be a mighty challenge to the others with his impressive aura control.

The older pup dips his blue-glowing forepaws into the water and brings out a big lump of misshapen water held in a shell of blue aura. He draws back his arms and tosses the impromptu water balloon with a victorious bark.

Two other Riolu in the path of the water ball look on with wide eyes, both freezing in place. The giant balloon of aura smacks into the river water in front of them, throwing water everywhere when the thin shell of aura breaks. Both poor little pups get a face full of cold water when they don't scramble out of the way in time.

Beside him, Lulu snorts as she watches the antics.

"Aura must be fun." Julian idly muses. "The superpowers, empathy, and extrasensory stuff sounds useful."

Lulu turns and gives him a surprised look.

"I'm not blind." He defends. "Besides the obvious stuff, everyone is really coordinated, too coordinated for words. Your old man in particular is a great example. He takes down his sparring partners all the time with his eyes closed and without so much as a single ear twitch. Mama Spot always seems to know when her baby is hungry or upset before he cries, too."

Mama Spot, nicknamed for the blotch of black on her yellow torso fur, gave birth several days ago with the entire pack, Julian included, gathered around for the miracle. As the new and proud mother rested, the newest addition to the pack was passed around so that everyone might meet him. When the baby was passed to Pops, Julian was sure that was the first time he'd seen the alpha smile.

When Julian's turn came, he held the tiny pokemon with no small amount of awe, marveling at everything he'd just witnessed. Just as the infant left his hands into Scout's, the unnamed Riolu began to squirm and whine.

Spot, even after the rigors of labor and birth, rose to her hindpaws before her son's fuss started. Her Riolu pup is a needy little thing, but Spot is always in motion before the first whine could escape her son's lips. It went well beyond the already impressive power of a mother's intuition.

So the most likely culprit? Aura.

"I kinda wish I could learn how to use it," Julian watches the Riolu in the river struggle to recreate their older friend's feat, instead making aura-powered splashes greater than just their paws could make. "It would make fitting in a bit easier."

Lulu's ears fall, her expression faltering for a moment. "Ririon?" She asks.

"Hmm?" He looks over to her.

Lulu hesitates, then her large paws take one of his hands. The Lucario takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. On the back of her head, the dreadlocks all Lucario sport begin to float as she glows blue.

"Lulu?" Julian asks, looking down as the hand between her paws begins to grow warm. "What are you…"

She pulls her paws apart and away from his hand, which is held out as if to accept something. Then between her palms and above Julian's hand, a small pin-prick of shining blue begins to form. It's… mystifying to the boy. Beautiful is too plain a word.

With a huff, she presses a sweating paw against the back of his hand which immediately begins to tingle-no, not tingle. The sensation goes deeper than his skin. A sensation like the pink healing glow Lady Luca used on him lances up his arm, this time more violent, more primal. Then from his core and to his hand, something begins to flow.

Lulu pulls her paws away, but the tiny ball of aura hovering just an inch over his hand doesn't fade.

"Wha…?" Julian's eyes widen, but before he can comment further, the aura ball blips out of existence just as a horrid wave of exhaustion batters into the blonde teen. He gasps and sways, struggling to not fall forward into the drink until Lulu clasps his shoulder to keep him steady.

For a moment, it's all he can do to not fall asleep right there on the river bank. Lulu's worried questions go ignored.

'What did she do?' A crazier thought hits him. 'What did I do? I felt something there. It was like that healing thing Lady Luca did, but it flowed from me to the outside, not the other way around.' He looks down at this hand, the sensation now little more than a phantom-like memory. He flexes his fingers, yet nothing happens.

A growl from behind makes both Julian and Lulu stiffen. As one, they turn.

Standing mere feet away with his arms crossed, Pops glares down at both Julian and Lulu with anger simmering in his eyes. Aura crackles through his fur, and like the first day he and Julian met, an almost tangible weight settles on the teen's shoulders.

Neither he nor Lulu resist when Pops seizes them by their arms and roughly drags them to their feet. Lulu growls and tries to pull away, but her father's furious snarl cows her near instantly. She still glares at Pops, but her shiver is plain to Julian.

The alpha forces them to march along into the encampment, but with the eyes of everyone on them, it feels more akin to a walk of shame. Whatever rule was broken, the blonde human can't fathom what it was.

As they near the alpha hut, Lady Luca pokes her head out and quickly begins to walk their way, her face set in a harsh frown aimed squarely at Pops.

A low growl from him stops her dead, and a handful of words that Pops almost chews on makes her eyes widen.

Lady Luca's fury near-instantly shifts to Lulu, but it's a cold, disappointed fury that makes Lulu wince in shame.

Once everyone is inside the hut, Pops releases Julian and Lulu just long enough for he and Lady Luca to round on their daughter.

The 2-on-1 argument devolves into snarls, barks, whines, and growls that the exhausted Julian can barely keep up with. His already limited understanding of their language means nothing when all the voices are overlapping. It's difficult to not shrink away, as he's distinctly reminded of a childhood sleepover he had with a friend… only to find out said friend had a rather 'troubled' home life when an argument broke out.

Lady Luca and Lulu do most of the yelling, both almost at each other's throats, nothing like the loving mother and daughter they usually are. Standing at Luca's side, Pops is as stoic as they come. If not for the slight breeze in the hut ruffling his fur, one might mistake him for a statue of unparalleled realism. He doesn't add much to the conversation, but his few growls have so much bite to them that they always silence Luca and Lulu for a moment.

Never has Julian seen Lulu, his best friend, so close to tears. Her paws are balled up in frustration and her voice is slowly cracking. She glances at him, fear in her eyes.

Fear for him.

"Hold on!" Julian steps between the pair of alpha Lucario and Lulu. "Just what is this all about anyway? What did she do to warrant all of this?"

Lady Luca seems taken aback and Pops' eyes glow a bloody crimson in barely restrained anger.

"Was it…" The aura thing. That has to be it. "Her showing me that aura trick? Is that it?"

Lady Luca sighs, her expression easing into her usual regal, matronly look. "Ririon," she steps closer and gently sweeps his bangs aside, placing one paw on his forehead and another on his neck, feeling his pulse. "Crar, ratio re luio." She mutters, not that Julian can understand what she means, but the tender, motherly tone almost makes him fold. She takes his shoulders and tries to ease him into one of the leafy beds, but he stands firm.

"Don't…" He murmurs, taking Lady Luca's paws off his shoulders and softly squeezes them. "Please. Just please don't be upset with Lulu. I'm the one who put the idea in her head. She's been kind enough to use her time on me for a month, and with that sort of kindness I shouldn't have tempted her like that."

Pops' glare redoubles, and the air suddenly becomes almost too thick to breathe. Unnatural terror drags an icy claw down Julian's back, making him shiver, but he grits his teeth and soldiers on.

"I said I wished I knew how to use aura so I could fit in better around here," he grunts out, sweat dotting his brow. "Lulu's generosity is something else, because she broke this obvious taboo to make it happen. If you're going to punish anyone, punish me. Just know that no matter what you do…"

He raises a shaky arm, palm facing up and praying this gambit works.

'Push. Push! Push!'

'Remember the feeling. Remember what Lulu risked to show you.'

'Core, to arm, to hand, bring it out!'

Warmth flows through his arm and pools in his palm, and before the shocked eyes around him, a flicker of aura no greater than an ember hovers over his hand.

"...The damage is already done."

Pops' glare fades, replaced with bewilderment. Lady Luca raises her paws to her mouth to hide a gasp. And Lulu…

On her face is a look of undisguised awe. Her eyes rise to meet his, silently asking why?

Julian smiles. "Don't give me that look. What are friends for?"

The quivering smile that stretches across her lips is small, but so filled with emotion that she needn't say anything.

Then the ember of aura in Julian's hand extinguishes itself and he stumbles forward as his legs suddenly give out. "Oh shit…"

Both Lulu and Luca move, but someone beats them to Julian.

Rather than fall into the arms of the mother or daughter, Pops vanishes from his place and reappears at Julian's side. He's just in time to stretch a muscular arm across the boy's chest, stopping him from face planting.

Tiredly, the blonde looks up at the Lucario who caught him, seeing the impassive face of Pops staring down at him.

"Thanks…" Julian has the gall to smile. "I knew you'd come around eventually."

The alpha simply pushes the boy roughly into his bed.

After a hearty meal and some time to rest, Julian was allowed to leave the hut several hours later with Lulu practically glued to his hip. A number of the Lucario in the pack approached him, some with excitement and others with suspicion. Lulu was quick to jump to his defense and shoo away anyone who got too nosy. Now, night is beginning to fall, but the lack of clouds and the bright full moon overhead means there will be much light yet tonight.

Oh, how he longs to try out his newfound aura again, but Lady Luca's angry, shaking fist warned him better than any words ever could. Lulu had narrowly gotten away without a punishment, as a game of twenty questions led him to find out just what her offense was.

If his line of questioning was right, then what she did was an exercise to teach young Riolu how to begin drawing on their aura, and teaching such a thing to anyone outside of the pack means severe punishment up to and including expulsion… Even if you are the child of the alphas.

Lulu nearly gave up her home just to ease his discomfort. If that isn't friendship, Julian isn't sure what is.

The man-turned-boy is drawn from his thoughts when Lulu tugs on his arm, leading him to a small patch of fluffy clover near the edge of the tree line.

Together, they lay down on their backs and stare up at the heavens.

High above, the cosmos are so different from what he remembers. None of the constellations are the same, and the complete absence of light pollution lets every star glitter like a precious diamond sewn into a beautiful tapestry of whirling blue and purple broken by yawning voids of black. Only majestic luna breaks the pattern, but the pale light of the moon adds yet another layer of complex beauty to the night sky.

'I really am far from home…' Julian's fascination with the sky fades as he sobers up. 'I hope dad is taking it well. We never saw eye-to-eye much after mom passed, but I never even got to say goodbye… Nicholas is probably too busy with his family to have time to worry and Carson…' Julian frowns. 'Carson probably didn't care one way or the other. He's probably already forgotten…'

Probably already forgotten…

The thought of being forgotten strikes a still wounded part of Julian that refuses to heal. 'If they held a funeral for me… Who would've showed up? It's been almost a month now, and even the most determined search party would have given up this point. To them, I died a nobody.'

"Ririon?"

Julian sucks in a sharp breath through his nose and shakes his head, turning to Lulu, who eyes him with worry. "Gur, luca orio Ririon?" She asks, laying one of her broad paws across his hand.

The blonde teen smiles. "Ah, no need to worry about me. Just thinking of some things," he replies, giving her paw a squeeze before letting go. He folds his hands behind his head like a pillow in the soft clover and returns his attention to the sky. "Just… Wondering if my family was okay. By now, they've probably stopped looking for me and started to move on."

The Lucario at his side says nothing, but her warm, supportive eyes tell him to keep going. The ruby-like orbs blink in the moonlight.

Julian sits up and Lulu mirrors him. "My mom passed some years ago," he continues quietly, holding one of his legs and resting his chin on his knee. "She was never the most healthy, but she had the spirit of a woman three times her size. She lived by the rule 'do unto others' and did so much community and charity work that I personally think they should have made her a saint. She certainly had the right attitude for it. Then her health got the best of her and she… Well, died."

Lulu shuffles closer, pulling Julian into a warm, one-armed hug. The whine that comes from her throat is almost too quiet to hear.

Julian smiles, but it falls again. "When she was put to rest, almost no one showed up. It was just my father, myself, my brothers, the minister of the service, one of our lonely old neighbors, and one of my teachers who happened to have the day off. I was…" He pauses, trying to find the right word. Outraged? Furious? "Shocked to see how few people came. It was about a year after that that I looked at a picture of her, and I was disgusted with myself when the woman I looked at was different from my memories. I know the picture was correct, so that means I started to forget her. Soon… No one at all would remember, and when your name is said for the last time, then you're truly dead and gone."

The blonde shivers despite the warm, furry body pressed to his. "It scared me, Lulu. It still scares me. The realization that you can actually be gone forever. I tried my hardest to be someone worth remembering back home, but nothing really seemed to work." He stops to take a breath and turns to the shiny red eyes just a few inches away from his greens. "Something tells me that you know a little bit about wanting to stand out."

Lulu tilts her head. "Gra?"

"I've seen the way you fight Pops as hard as you can." Julian recalls the dozens of spars he's seen between the father and daughter. Every single time Lulu gives nothing less than a hundred and ten percent. "I don't know who it's for, yourself or someone else, but I do know how frustrating it is to seemingly be running in place when you've got bigger dreams you want to be chasing."

The Lucario's face creases into a scowl and a low growl rumbles in her throat. "Carro…" She says, the single word dripping with years worth of frustration.

Julian looks back up at the moon. "I've been talking with a couple of the Lucario in the pack here and there. I know I'm not supposed to be here permanently, and Pops intends to kick me out once he feels like I can survive alone."

Lulu's one-armed hug grows the slightest bit stronger.

"But I don't really want to go…" Julian begins, making Lulu look up at him with surprise. He huffs. "What's with that look? I already told you that you're my best friend, right? I don't want to leave you behind. So, I've been thinking…" He grins at her. "What if we leave together?"

"Ririon?" Lulu blinks.

"The best road to being a legend in this world is being a Pokémon Master, I think," Julian explains. He brushes some of his golden hair out of his eyes. "And while you're here, you're stagnating. You've only got the same handful of opponents to fight time after time. You'll only ever be good at fighting other Lucario, but if we go out into the world together, we'll find challenges that you can only dream of. We'll find new ways to grow. Then you can come back and awe your old man with all of your new skills and might. He'll have no choice but to take you seriously. I want to see your dreams come true as much as I do mine."

The Lucario pulls out of the one-armed hug and instead stares down at her paws, deep in reflection. Julian looks down at her paws as well. Even in the low light, he can see the little scars on her paw pads and the bumps under her fur from other scars hidden from view. She licks her lips and looks back to the blonde expectantly.

"You don't have to answer right now, and I'm not gonna be upset if you decide not to," he says, falling back into the clover. "I'd never force anything on you."

Lulu's eyes narrow, literally glowing red in determination as he says that. She then thrusts one her paws out, holding it for him to grab.

The teen sits back up and stares at the offered limb dumbly, not quite comprehending what she means for a moment. "Huh. Are you sure?" He asks, stopping his hand from reaching out and clasping the rough-padded paw. "Maybe you should think it through a little more?"

The Fighting-type growls and reaches a little closer, telling him exactly what she thinks of the offer.

Awkward smile on his face, Julian tries to hide just how pleased he is. "If you say so. It would've felt wrong without you anyway, partner."

Hand meets paw with a muffled clap and both grip tightly, sealing their fates.

A feeling unlike any other Julian has ever felt rushes from Lulu's paw into his body, filling him with a reassurance that the days of uncertainty are coming to an end.

'Wait, what? How do I know that?' He blinks and limply lets go of Lulu's paw, falling back to the clover patch in sync with her as he suddenly finds himself embroiled with yet more confusing thoughts. 'Reassurance that there's not much more uncertainty left, because I have my friend with me. I know for a fact that's exactly what I felt yet there isn't a name for such a feeling. Julian pauses and thinks of Lulu, her smiling visage filling his mind. Once again, the strange nameless emotion fills him, making him feel light and reassured.

'That's what raw friendship feels like.' He blinks. 'That shouldn't be its own standalone emotion, though. Just what the hell is going on. This is just as weird as..!'

The low-stance run.

The kiai.

His aura.

The run didn't have any strange feelings associated with it. He simply dipped his stance low, let his arms drag, and his ability to run increased noticeably.

The kiai, however, has something more observable. Whenever he lets out a yell or a grunt during his spars with Lulu or another Lucario, his limbs would jolt with a sudden burst of strength that comes seemingly from nowhere. He tested the strange phenomena one day a week ago, and found that ten regular punches and ten punches empowered by a scream tire him an equal amount despite the power difference between them

Then the aura, the one he discovered just today. It feels wholly different from the kiai, instead being a feeling of warm water running through his veins. He knows for a fact that humans do not have superpowers. Yet, when he recalled Lulu's desperation, the tiny flicker of aura was all his own and called upon just as Lulu showed him.

As he looks up at the sky, Julian ponders these strange findings. There seems to be almost no rhyme or reason to these outlandish abilities, but they vaguely resemble things from comic books or…

His eyes bug out as everything suddenly connects.

The sky above him is not the sky of earth, it's the sky of a different planet. The sky of a different planetin a different universe. The things he's seen would never, ever get away working under the harsh constraints of the physical universe he knows. Things like running faster with your arms dragging up behind you, screaming making you stronger, magical life force powers, and the sudden capacity to feel something as complex as friendship as a single emotion.

It seems so absurd, yet the more he thinks the more terrible sense it makes.

The world of Pokémon as he knows it is a video game and anime, and he sees no asinine stat boxes floating around, so with that possibility eliminated…

"This world is an anime…" He breathes. A moment later, he grins.

He's living in a world running off of anime physics, and he's cognizant of said physics.

Julian Angelo will be more than something. He'll be a name too great to ever forget.

Chapter Text

It's day 91.

I've started writing down my thoughts to keep everything organized. I'll need someplace to put notes as I figure out the wacky shit I'm no doubt going to encounter, or I'll just be discombobulated by everything. Lady Luca apparently keeps a little store of human things that foraging parties recover. Stuff like a broken pokeball, a rusty hatchet, some tent stakes, worn books. Not much rhyme or reason, just seems like stuff trainers might lose when passing by. Lady Luca was happy to part with a half-filled notebook and a pen when I asked. The rest of the notebook is smudged in a lot of places, but it looks like it belonged to some young trainer, one who seemed indecisive on his Type specialty.

Yeah, I'm not falling for that pratfall. Fighting-type is what I'm already best equipped for, so Fighting-type I will focus. You have plenty of avenues to cover the weaknesses of the type when you plan on making the whole team into Shonen fighters.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. It seems like no time at all has passed since I realized where I was. ( Training Montage ?) With the awakening of my Aura, the last barrier between myself and the Lucario was broken thanks to Lulu. They've fully accepted me into all the pack tasks given to full members, like foraging, wood-gathering, child-minding, and patrolling. Granted, I'm sure I'm forever going to be the Krillin to Lulu's Goku, but that doesn't seem to matter to the pack. To them, my shape ceased to matter once it was proven I could do everything they could, even if I'm likely to always be weaker.

Thank god Lady Luca can heal. I'm not ever letting Scout talk me into trying to split a boulder with a punch again. Asshole.

Not much has happened since I felt that spark created by The Power of Friendship between Lulu and I. I've run tests on the Ninja Run, Kiai, and The Power of Friendship with both my pure physical abilities and aura. I figure the better I understand these forces myself, the better I can implement them for Lulu and her future teammates.

Kiai is straightforward. It's just focusing Fighting Spirit with a shout for a burst of extra strength. The volume of the cry doesn't seem to matter, it just needs to be genuine and filled with Fighting Spirit (of which I'm practicing so I can consciously use it and quantify it). So Kiai + base strength = output. Easy.

Aura adds another layer. Channeling aura through the limbs… God damn, I felt ten feet tall when I tried this for the first time. The sheer feeling of liberation that much power brings. According to Lady Luca, my aura won't ever be as strong as a Lucario's or even most Pokémon, but the low strength usually means decent control. I've found that internal things like sensing are easier for me to do with it than anything external. Even after weeks of practice, I've got maybe one mediocre Aura Sphere in me and that's it. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Aura is funny. It's a pretty significant linear increase, but the density of the aura means added potency, and thus a greater increase. My ability to sense aura is still admittedly crappy, but watching Pops spar makes me think the potency take is accurate. All his sparring partners shine with aura when boosting themselves, but Pops can clown on them easily and I can barely sense him. When he does flare up, his aura is so thick that it's almost like oil on my skin. Now, it's entirely possible that Pops just has natural Super Strength, or some variation of Uninhibited Muscle Power , but I think superior aura is a valid conclusion.

When using aura and a Kiai , the resulting strength is compounding. So Fighting Spirit + aura + base = output. Let's round down and assume each boost is 25% of your base power, so simplified thats .25 + .25 + 1 = 1.5 total. That's an extra 50%, a pretty big jump from base.

Then you get The Power of Friendship, which is a multiplier and efficiency booster for EVERYTHING. (Or those are the effects I've found so far) This is where things have the potential to get nutty.

The Power of Friendship is wild, and I fully understand why gutsy heroes can beat unreal odds with it. The multiplication effect scales with strong emotion associated with friends and I can't seem to modulate it with any accuracy. With Lulu in mind, my aura flowing, and Fighting Spirit roused, I can pull off feats that are squarely in superhuman territory. Leaping ten feet up, running a mile in just a minute or two, taking hits that would break bones with only a bruise, all that.

During a spar with Scout two weeks back, he was obviously toying with me and Lulu was watching. God, it was embarrassing, and I didn't want to disappoint her, so I gave it my all.

Friendship kicked in.

Where I was exhausted and getting my ass kicked before, a sudden Second Wind hit me, and then I got inside Scout's guard so fast I could barely see what I did. I belted him across the mouth so hard he was sent reeling.

I still lost. After I nailed him, I felt I had proved myself to Lulu, and the boost was gone. I don't have a hard number for the Friendship boost, but let's lowball and assume it was x1.3, and the situation for some reason didn't increase Fighting Spirit 's boost.

(Fighting Spirit + aura + base) x Friendship = output

(.25 + .25 + 1) x 1.3 = 1.95 total. That's nearly DOUBLE. Sheer insanity. The more compounding boosts one can use at once, and the more you can increase your base power for those boosts to draw from, the more effective Power of Friendship becomes.

This alone is huge, and when I figure out the ins and outs of Rule of Cool, that will only add more. I imagine the Rule of Cool works better the more spectators there are. Or maybe it runs off of popular consensus regardless of viewers? How heavily does the opinion of the user factor in?

Questions for later. If I can suddenly Ninja Run faster when Lulu and I leave and find a city of people to watch me, that'll begin to answer it. Maybe then I can get the Ninja Cling and Ninja Waterwalk to work.

Then there's The Power of Love, which if you follow conventional logic (conventional for anime at least), has the potential to be the most potent force in the universe. Thus far, it's escaped all my attempts to understand it. Lady Luca seems to be able to wield it to great effect, and I swear that I felt it during-

"Julian?"

Julian, laying back on his leafbed with his notebook in his hands, looks up to see Lulu standing in the doorway of the alpha hut. Smiling, he flips the notebook shut and slots his pen into the metal spiral binding the paper together. "Yes?"

She smiles right back. "Come. Time for aura training together."

Her lips don't quite match up to her words, and he can still hear the growly, canine sounds under the coherent if simple words his mind insists are being spoken. All it takes for the pseudo-translation to revert back to pokemon nonsense is clamping down on his aura, as he found out.

It was surprising to find that the Lucario pack were all using this ability on him the whole time. When he consciously stilled the aura he, like all creatures, passively emits, they suddenly had no idea what he was saying with no aura to read. None of them other than Pops understand English, as when Julian asked "What's wrong?" the Alpha quickly pulled him aside and demanded he not suppress his aura anymore. Do all pokemon read aura to understand humans? He wonders how they understood him before Lulu unlocked his aura, but quickly realized that his aura was always there, Lulu simply made him aware of it.

The 'aura-speak' tends to fail when more complex concepts come up in conversation. Lulu didn't seem to grasp his explanation of anime metaphysics or how they were going to abuse them. He'll have to find a way to get the idea across soonish. Regardless, he's not about to complain about a boon like this, even if it's proven more boring than expected. The few passing pokemon like Kricketot, Caterpie, Starly, and the like rarely have anything interesting to say.

"Sure thing," he tosses the notebook on the bed and rises in one motion, making his way to her side and quickly falling into step with her as she turns and walks.

The days have been lengthening as the weeks passed, the last chilly but thankfully snow-free weeks of winter making way for a warm spring. The mid-day sun hangs high above, warming the camp as everyone mills about, going about their day without a care in the world. Many stop to greet him and Lulu with smiles, and Julian happily returns the greeting each time. In his chest, Friendshipflickers with every Lucario they stop to talk to, building into a warm, pleasant glow that plants a wide smile firmly on his face.

Julian and Lulu reach a small training ground near the north corner of the camp, the grass worn down to dirt. A few Lucario are already training there either in pairs or small teams, none of them pausing. Julian can feel Lulu pulse her aura invisibly next to him, and the Lucario teams already using the area each have a member pulse back, acknowledging them.

"So, what's on today's menu?" Julian asks, stopping past Lulu and settling into a resting stance.

She blinks, her head tilting. After a second, she smiles when she deciphers the figure of speech. "Read, then catch."

Julian nods, then mirrors Lulu as she splits her legs out for a warm-up stretch. Unlike the first few weeks where he strained to match her, he follows along easily, contorting himself into shapes the old-him would have balked at. Once done, he rises, squaring up into the unnamed, open-palm style the Lucario all use. He bends his knees and keeps his legs tense, one palm held loosely forward with another held drawn back, ready to strike.

Lulu takes the same stance without flaw.

Taking a deep breath, Julian lets his aura flow from his core to his limbs, circulating everything slowly and evenly. 'Right. Get ready. Prove yourself not just to Lulu, but the rest of the pack, too.' He psyches himself up as the tingle of Fighting Spirit joins the warm-water sensation of his aura.

Lulu's aura flickers, announcing her intentions like an open book as she makes the first move. Her palm comes out in one smooth motion, set to strike Julian's stomach, and he knows its path before she even moves.

Julian's own palm moves and slaps away the attack, then he steps forward and shoots a punch toward a small hole in her guard. As he moves, he broadcasts his intentions with his aura, skin buzzing like a high-powered antenna. A black paw turns his punch aside with ease, and his brain tingles before Lulu's leg begins to move in what he knows will be a high kick.

He ducks the kick that Lulu warned him about and backs off half a step when Lulu's aura flickers again, telling him that she's going to use the momentum of the missed kick to launch another one.

The 'spar' is more of a dance, one where the point isn't to beat the other, but to learn to read them. Julian easily sets into a rhythm with Lulu, moving from one move to the next and barely giving it any thought. He even lets his mind wander a bit as the spar picks up the pace.

'It's hard to think it's been three months already. Julian muses. A life without any sort of modern conveniences and luxuries was a jarring change at first. No internet, no TV, no air-conditioned home, no running water, no car. 'My poor Lexus. I know one of my shithead brothers probably laid claim to it.'

Blocked kick from Lulu, narrow backstep to dodge a backhand, missed right hook, step forward for elbow strike that's redirected.

But on the flip side, where there are no modern conveniences, there are no modern trappings. No job he hates, no faking politeness to people he despises, no social media that's nothing but noise, no news cycle with nothing nice to report, no-

Julian brings his focus to bear for a moment when Lulu seizes his arm and flips him over her shoulder, her aura pulsing in warning a moment prior. He focuses and speeds up the flow of his own aura, bringing his senses to supernatural clarity. The hard ground is only a split-second away.

He throws his legs and twists his hips, landing on his feet and facing his partner with only a minor stumble. A second later, he charges back into the fray.

Dodge left, redirect punch, redirect leaping axe-kick, retaliate with a roundhouse.

Where was he? Ah, no news cycle with nothing nice to report, no shallow friends, no pressure to marry and have a family. For everything he's lost, there's another handful of things he doesn't miss. Things he's happy are gone. The feeling is incredible, wonderful, liberating. Back on earth, many spoke about quitting society but so few could bring themselves to divorce their lives from the pleasures afforded to them.

Only after having it forced upon him does Julian understand the few with the resolve to give it all up.

He eats fresh food harvested that very day, drinks pure water from a stream, sleeps upon the humble ground and under the stars, works his body to its limit, gives to the community he loves, who in turn love and give to him. He belongs, is wanted, and is…

He turns his eyes away from Lulu, trusting his aura to guide his body. He takes in the camp, the pack, and all who live there. The Lucario training alongside him, the Lucario watching by the sidelines with encouraging smiles, Mama Spot in the distance, minding a group of playing Riolu as her youngest pup shyly hides behind her leg, Lady Luca and Pops, who serenely sit by the alpha hut, cuddled together as they watch over everyone.

This life is blissfully simple. Julian belongs, is wanted, and is happy.

For the first time in his 30 years of life, Julian Angelo is content.

He doesn't want to return to the world of people- no, the world of humans, for these pokemon are people in his eyes. This is his home. He doesn't want to leave.

The teen falters at the revelation, only barely dodging Lulu's punch. It's so close, he feels soft fur graze his cheek and hears the quiet whistle of her paw-spike.

Lulu seems to realize that something is amiss and backs off, dropping her paws. "Julian? Are you feeling well?" She asks, walking closer.

Julian, feeling his already wilting Fighting Spirit fading, takes a deep breath and tries to steady the warble in his aura, something Lulu no doubt feels. "I'm fine, I just lost focus is all. My bad."

The Lucario doesn't seem to buy the excuse, as the edges of her lips pull down into a frown and her ear flicks. "You're certain?"

Julian smiles but is painfully conscious of how the feel of his aura isn't matching the expression. "Certain."

Lulu thankfully lets the issue drop, but she keeps her eyes on him. She takes her fighting stance again and Julian copies her. Like before, her aura flares in a telegraphed warning, then she strikes.

Unable to muster his Fighting Spirit with his thoughts occupied Julian is forced to push his aura harder through his body to keep up with her, making sweat begin to dot his body as the life energy depletes itself rapidly. After another half-hour of practice, he and Lulu stop as one.

Julian takes slow, chest-filling breaths as what remains of his aura slowly washes the aches from his body. Lulu, meanwhile, doesn't even look winded, much to Julian's silent envy. 'I'll catch up one day.'

Once he catches his breath, he and Lulu step away from each other, both walking ten paces away before turning to face each other again.

Lulu holds her paw out, and above it a brilliant blue light takes form, growing into a perfect sphere roughly the size of a basketball. Inside of the thickened shell of the Aura Sphere, free aura churns violently, as if eager to break free of the shell around it and cause chaos. Even from thirty feet away, the sphere makes Julian's aura sense buzz.

'Aura Sphere, the signature attack of Lucario, is a glorified and very destructive egg.' Julian smiles at the off-the-wall thought. "Ready? We haven't done this one in a while."

Lulu rolls her eyes playfully. "Yes. Throw, stabilize, throwback." Drawing her paw back, Lulu gets ready to throw the attack. "It's a good exercise, Julian. Impressed even Father, I think."

Shortly after he had enough aura to form a marble-sized Aura Sphere, Julian dissected the attack with all the Hyper-Aware fervor of a boy given superpowers and the desire to change the world with them. The shell and payload construction of the sphere took watching a few examples from Lulu to deduce, and a few days of frustrating, hand-burning practice for him. During the practice, he had to sharpen his control to keep the sphere uniform and shell thick enough to keep the aura inside from escaping, lacking the instinctual knowledge of the move that Lucario have. He spent many a day meditating with a tiny ball of aura held in his hands, focusing on not letting it pop like a firecracker.

Then he noticed that the shell of his spheres decay naturally when the attack is thrown, and on a whim, asked Lulu about it. Turns out that yes, without input from a wielder, the Aura Sphere of a Lucario decays in-flight.

Then he stupidly asked Lulu to toss an Aura Sphere his way so he could observe it, forgetting to ask her to make it small. Like she did with unlocking his aura, she impulsively did as he asked.

In his panic to not be blown up, he stabilized the Aura Sphere with his own aura and threw it back to a shocked Lulu, who deflected it up and away. Thus, a new exercise was born.

Lulu's arm whips forward, drawing Julian out of his memories. Her attack flies at him at a pace not quite fast, but neither slow. It flies in a perfect line in flagrant defiance to gravity.

Julian grunts and pushes aura to his hands, making them light up with wisps of blue.

The sphere rapidly gets closer and closer, and just before it smashes into Julian, he reaches out and catches the sphere in his hands. He whirls around on his heel, gritting his teeth as the supernatural inertia of the blue orb tries to drag him along and resists his efforts to turn it. At the same time, the shell of aura begins to waver in his hands and the surging blue in the sphere tries to burst free.

His hands pulse, and his own aura reinforces the bulges and cracks of the Aura Sphere's outer shell before it can blow up in his face. The ball, being made of Lulu's dense life-force, requires enough stabilizing aura from Julian that he can feel his already low reserves noticeably dip.

With a cry of effort, Julian finishes his 360-degree spin and redirects the Aura Sphere back at Lulu.

It flies a bit faster, but Lulu reaches out with glowing blue paws just as he did and catches it, letting the ball drag her in a circle as she twirls on one hindpaw. Just as he did, she pushes it back like a shot put.

Sitting back-to-back with Lulu in the shade of a large tree just off the small northern training ground, Julian finishes his last bite of the juicy, deliciously sweet Oran berry in his hand. His tongue tingles pleasantly at the unique flavor and he already feels his strength returning. The few aura burns that managed their way through the calluses on his hands heal up rapidly, their stinging just a memory now.

He feels Lulu shift against his bare back. "Julian? Wash down lunch with a drink and patrol with me?" she asks, then she lowers her voice. "We should find somewhere quiet to talk about… our plans."

Again, the sudden doubt from earlier rears its ugly head and Julian grimaces. 'Do I… really want to leave now?' He pushes the thought away and stands. 'Later.'

With Lulu in tow, the two venture over to the river, currently devoid of any other Lucario and stop for a drink.

Julian simply dunks his sweaty head in the water and swallows several mouthfuls before rising again. He combs his fingers through his hair to get the excess water out and looks down at his reflection

Being deprived of unhealthy food and mandatory exercise has done wonders for his body. Even as a young teen, he's in better shape than he's ever been before. The awkward, gangly form he sported in his original teen years is gone, replaced with the lean yet defined physique of a fighter with all but the most stubborn bits of baby fat burned away. Since he discarded his ratty, barely held together shirt while training with Lulu, he's given a full view of himself in the water.

'Not bad, If I do say so myself.' He grins, enjoying the handsome, sun-tanned visage grinning back. He lifts his arms and does a theatrical flex. "Would you fuck me, Lulu? I'd fuck me."

Lulu, in the middle of a drink of water, coughs and sputters in laughter, sending the water in her cupped paws everywhere. "J-Julian!" she tries to giggle and cough at once, holding her chest right below the spike. "Ack! I inhaled water! Don't do that when someone is drinking!" She complains without any real heat.

A sudden aura-powered niggling tickles the back of Julian's brain, one so subtle that he almost dismisses it, but listening to the instinct, he ducks just in time for a wide-eyed Riolu to sail over his head from behind. His hand darts out and catches the youngster's ankle, leaving the Riolu dangling limply in the teen's grip and saving the pup from an embarrassing dip in the stream.

"Afternoon, Tyke. Must you try and attack me?" Julian smiles dryly. "You can just say 'Hi Julian' like everyone else."

Tyke, Mama Spot's first and oldest pup, blinks his red eyes before suddenly twisting and grabbing at the hand holding him with his little forepaws. "Lemme go!" He demands.

Julian has to shunt aura to his hand to keep Tyke from easily ripping out of his grip, and even then his fingers almost give. 'Gah. Just a kid and he's already stronger than I am. Pokemon are wack.'

"Are you going to tackle me again?" The human asks, already knowing the answer.

Tyke stops struggling, going limp again with a huff. He turns his irritated visage to Lulu. "Why did you teach him aura? I can't win now!"

The Lucario crosses her arms and lets out an amused, canine chuff. "The same reason you play with him. Julian is my friend."

Lulu's actions over the last several weeks made her opinion of him clear, but hearing her say it still makes his chest warm. Julian smiles and sets Tyke down at his side, letting the pup climb to his hindpaws.

The little Riolu looks up at the human, a sudden air of melancholy hanging around him. The pup does a decent enough job hiding his expression, but his rolling, worried aura gives him away. "Julian…" He begins, voice quiet. "You… You're going away soon?"

The teen freezes. "Huh? Where did you hear that?" Inwardly, he thinks to himself. 'Is Pops moving his plans up?' He wonders. 'Or have I already overstayed my welcome?' Both thoughts make a cold feeling settle in his gut.

Tyke takes a moment to gather his thoughts, looking at the ground and kicking at a rock, making it tumble into the stream with a quiet plop. "Stayed up late one night and walked around because Mama was busy with the littlest pup. I walked by the Alpha den, heard stuff…" He looks away, seemingly ashamed if the sullen feel of his aura is anything to go by. "Alpha said Julian is strong now, needs to go home to other humans. I ran back to Mama after. Didn't tell no one…"

'So, the time has come…' Julian gulps. "Well, uh. Don't you worry about that, Tyke." He says, trying to keep his emotions in check so his aura flux doesn't tip-off the Riolu. "Lulu and I will talk to the Alpha and get things sorted out, okay?"

"You won't go?" Tyke asks, looking up at him with hope.

The teen smiles awkwardly and pats Tyke on the head, not answering. "Run along, kiddo. Lulu and I have boring adult things to do."

The pup smiles and nods, bounding away to find his friends.

Julian and Lulu share a look, then turn away from the river and begin the longest walk they've ever had.

'Do I want to leave?'

"C'mon, Lulu! Let me try this!"

It's been barely a week after Lulu unlocked Julian's aura, and every waking moment has been spent training it so far… Well, as many waking moments as the ever-doting Lady Luca would allow. Julian's burgeoning aura left him exhausted after just a few minutes of use, but his ability grew steadily.

Standing across from him under the shade of an old tree by the river, Lulu levels him with a flat look. Her arms are crossed and her face is even, but Julian can feel something from her, something that pushes on the new, alien sense that awakened alongside his aura. It feels like worry. Worry not his own.

It's Lulu's.

"Ririan…" She hesitates. "Gra...Luro caro." She says, and despite it simply being pokemon nonsense, he can somehow piece it together in the back of his aura-aware brain. Something just clicks. She's trying to warn him against what he's doing.

"Look, the river is nice and shallow, so if it works, that's great!" He smiles. "If not, oh well. I guess I'm taking a bath."

After a moment, Lulu gives in with a sigh and waves him off.

He turns to the river, and from the corner of his eye, he can see Tyke and his Riolu friends scrambling up and down a droopy tree rooted to the riverbank, playing a game of some sort. A few of them stop to watch him with interest, probably hearing his talk with Lulu.

Taking a deep breath and screwing his eyes shut, Julian focuses hard and pulls the warm-water feeling from his core, piping it down to his legs, then to his feet. The grass around him waves gently.

The aura build-up attracts the attention of all the Riolu on the droopy tree, who all sense it. They stop to watch, many sets of red eyes aimed at Julian in anticipation.

Slowly, Julian steps out onto the gently burbling stream. 'Holy shit, is this actually going to-'

Then his foot sinks through the surface of the water, sending him tripping into the drink.

He flails then resurfaces with a sputter, spitting out a mouthful of water.

The gaggle of Riolu in the tree all giggle as one, a few of them pointing at him.

Julian frowns, picking up bits and pieces of what they're saying with the strange, new ability to decode their speech, and nothing they're saying is polite. "Laugh it up…" He recalls the aura water balloon the one older Riolu showed off a week prior and dips his hand in the water, calling on his sluggish aura once more. He can't quite form a waterball, but instead uses the aura-strength to send a huge splash up into the tree.

The laughing turns into startled shrieks when each one of them is drenched with cold water. One even falls from the tree into the river, only to resurface a moment later with a look of pure offense on his face.

All the Riolu share a look, then as one they all smile and turn to Julian.

The teen blinks as they climb down from their tree and wade into the water, each one glowing with aura. Many little glowing paws rise, each one with a little ball of water held in an aura bubble. "Uh, hey. Be nice to the noob?"

He lost that water fight spectacularly.

"Ririan?"

Julian blinks and looks away from the roaring bonfire, his aura sense not picking up the presence beside him until he looks over.

And it's no wonder why, as it's Lady Luca, who stares down at him with gentle, concerned eyes.

Julian silently curses. Now that he's been accepted by the pack, no one is hiding their abilities anymore, the empathic powers included.

No one hides things from a tribe full of empaths.

Julian smiles, or tries to at least. "Heya, Lady Luca. What brings you to this side of the fire?" He asks, looking over and seeing a calm-looking Pops alone on the other side of the loose circle of furry bodies. "Something I can do for you?"

The alpha female reaches a weathered paw down and gently takes his arm, silently asking him to rise.

Reluctantly, Julian does so and doesn't resist when she pulls him along for roughly thirty paces, and wisely, no one around the nightly fire even looks back at them, likely having already felt Lady Luca's aura. Luca and Julian stop just short of the large boulder that the pack Riolu love playing King of the Mountain on.

After a second of seemingly gathering her thoughts, Lady Luca sighs and tenderly rubs the arm still in her grip. "Lurio, car rr ario?" She asks, wondering why he's been so lost in thought and distant over the past few days.

For a moment, Julian debates dismissing the matronly Lucario's concerns and telling her it's nothing worth worrying about. At the same time, she will know if he's lying instantly thanks to her sharp aura sense. It'll just take one waiver in his life force for her to catch on. "It's noth…" The teen pauses and starts over. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Lady Luca. I've just been wondering about my family."

The matriarch nods once. From the soft paw still rubbing his arm, Julian can feel her aura pulse soothingly as she openly bears her emotions to him, letting him feel just how genuinely anxious she feels for his well-being. The instinctive urge to clam up quickly melts and Julian feels his mouth continue moving.

"I won't lie to you, Lady Luca," the blonde begins, unsure how to exactly explain everything. "I can't… I can't exactly go back to my family now. I know Pops intends to expel me at some point."

Luca's grip on his arm tightens just the slightest bit.

Julian tries to laugh and scoff at once, but the end result is more of a huff. "I'm more lost than you could ever imagine, because I have no idea where my home is in relation to here. It's just too far, that much I know. I know that I'll have to leave one day soon if I'm ever going to get a start on my dreams, but what can I say? Venturing out into the unknown is scary and I'm a little anxious knowing that there's a time limit."

"Gario…" Luca murmurs, somehow acknowledging his fears and saying that she knows there is more with a single word.

"Yeah…" Julian whispers back. "After mom died years ago, I never really felt that I belonged anywhere. Dad and my brothers pulled through and went on with their lives because they're tougher than me, and that same grit means they'll get over my loss soon enough, I hope. After that I was always just feeling a bit listless, that home stopped being 'home' after I decided on my path. All the sudden changes in my life, like getting lost, coming here… It makes me wonder if there's a place out there for me at all. I have dreams, ambitions, fears to conquer, all things that would've pulled me away from my home and family eventually, but I can't help but wonder," he looks up at the alien stars above. "After all is said and done, whether I succeed or fail, where will I end up?" A star above streaks across the sky, and he idly mutters; "I wish it won't be that listless place again."

Without any warning, Lady Luca pulls Julian into a tight hug, her chest angled to the side so he's not jabbed by her chest spike. The warmth of her aura seeps through his clothes and skin, easing tensions he didn't even realize he had. There's more than warmth, though. Something he has no name for lances all the way into his heart and makes his eyes misty. It's like the strange Power of Friendship he discovered with Lulu, only taken to a magnitude greater.

Startled, Julian can only blink away the wetness in his eyes. "L-Luca?"

The pack matriarch settles her chin on his shoulder. "Julian…" This time, her words are startlingly clear. "You… Are a strong young human. You walk tall even with burdens upon your shoulders. Worry not about where the end of a journey takes you, because a human such as you will find yourself surrounded by those that love you. With those people, you will find your home." She pulls her head back, letting Julian see her shining ruby eyes. "Doubt yourself no more, Julian. It offends me."

With his throat too choked up to formulate a reply, the blonde teen just nods and slowly hugs the Lucario back. "S-Sure thing." He forces out. "Sure thing."

If anyone asked Lady Luca about that night, Julian didn't shed a single tear.

There is a commotion going on outside of camp.

Inside the safety and obscurity of the wall of trees, Julian and the Lucario pack wait anxiously.

Just prior to this, Julian was selected to go with one of the foraging parties to gather food and anything useful lost in the woods. He was given a shoulder bag sewn from various scraps of cloth and tent canvas, the insides stained dark with the juices of old berries. After an order to "Keep up," they were off.

Despite the brusque orders of the party lead, a middle-aged male that Julian didn't catch the name of, the party kept their pace sedate for the human. It was a struggle from start to finish, forcing Julian to circulate his aura like a madman and focus hard on his desire to prove himself a merit to the pack to keep his Fighting Spirit high. More than once, he nearly slipped from the high branches that the Lucario are fond of jumping through. One time he misjudged a branch and landed on one that would not hold his weight, leading to an embarrassing tumble. He earned an ugly bruise across his stomach when he fell to the ground and knocked the wind out of himself. He just looked away, face burning when the rest of the party came back to pick him up and dust him off. They all succeeded in their mission, however, each one of them returning with a bag filled with the miraculous berries of the pokemon world and wild vegetables.

Julian and the foraging party had only just returned when a sentry burst through the camp entrance, blurting that a furious Gabite spoiling for a fight had been spotted nearby.

Normally, most pokemon have enough sense to keep their dealings with the Lucario pack civil or just outright avoid the camp. Who would dare take on an entire tribe of pokemon known for their fighting prowess?

Apparently, a Dragon-type. And worse yet, both Pops and Lulu, the strongest members of the pack by far, are away on an expedition.

Julian's thoughts are broken by the sound of a roar and a cry of pain.

A section of the bush wall begins to shine, green light breaking through the leaves. An instant later, a gout of intense green flame large enough to engulf three men standing shoulder-to-shoulder burns through the bush, reducing the leaves and branches to ash in less than a second.

Everyone holds their breath as a fearful air suddenly overtakes the camp.

Stepping through the smoking hole in the bush wall, a Gabite steps through, his yellow eyes burning with frustration and anger. Behind him lies a bruised, burned, and panting Lucario sentry. The poor sentry tries to rise, showing that much of the fur on his chest is burned away and that his left arm is obviously broken. He cries out, then goes limp, only the labored rise and fall of his chest tells onlookers that he is alive.

The blonde human can't help the feeling of horror that wells up within him as he stares at the Dragon.

The enraged pokémon looks like a cross between a shark and a bipedal dragon. His snarling jaws bristle with sharp teeth, his finned, spindly arms end in a single large, razor-sharp raptorial claw, and his legs are muscular with spikes jutting from his knees. On his back is a long, shark-like fin, and his body except for his blood red stomach is various shades of blue. The Dragon type is actually a few inches shorter than Julian, but the sheer Killing Intent radiating from Gabite makes him feel as if he is ten feet tall.

Several Lucario move all at once, and the resulting melee is so fast that the human boy can barely track it.

Aura Spheres meet Dragon Breath and fists meet claws, often to poor results for the defenders, as every wound that the Gabite accumulates only makes him faster and angrier.

It's surreal to watch the Lucario slowly begin to lose against the enraged Gabite. Every minute that passes, Gabite slowly gains more ground into the camp as defenders fall, too injured to continue.

"Julian!" A paw lands on his shoulder, and the blonde has to hastily suppress a curse as he whirls around to find Mama Spot looking at him with wide eyes. "Come with me, now!" She urges, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. Even weak from her recent childbirth, Spot is strong enough that Julian can't resist even if he wished to. She drags him to the back of the camp, where many of the young, frightened Riolu and the handful of shaken, gray-furred elders stand defended by a line of young females. Spot quickly pushes him into the crowd of younglings and elders and takes her place back at the defending line.

Julian numbly looks around, seeing the shivering forms of the young Riolu being comforted by the quiet words of one of the elder females. Then he looks back forward, watching the battle go from bad to worse.

Gabite sidesteps a punch from Scout, then cruelly slams his jaws shut around the lithe male's arm. The snap of bone is almost as loud as Scout's scream. Then like a dog might do with a ragdoll, Gabite whips his head around and throws Scout harshly to the ground.

Lady Luca, standing at the head of the formation with her arms crossed, watches the worsening battle between the able-bodied males and Gabite with her face neutral and aura forcefully kept under control, making her a solid rock in the storm of fear around her.

With a dry gulp, Julian stepped up behind Mama Spot. "Spot, just what the hell is going on here? Why would a Gabite just attack out of nowhere?"

The mother's reply is quiet, and she doesn't turn away from the ongoing fight. "Many reasons…" She murmurs. "The Season has come and gone for dragons, and perhaps he is frustrated by his lack of mate? Perhaps he is ill in his mind? The most worrying one would be…"

Without warning, a bright, eye-piercing light envelops Gabite, and before the horrified eyes of every onlooker, the dragon's shape begins to mutate and enlarge, going from a hair under five feet tall to nearly seven. He fills out, becoming even more large and muscular, and his head widens, taking on the shape of a hammerhead shark. When the light fades, a fully grown and sinisterly grinning Garchomp is left behind. Where he was coated in injuries and slowly losing steam before, he's now completely fresh. Even from the great distance, Julian can feel the despair in the auras of the remaining defenders.

Garchomp rears his head back and roars.

Killing Intent akin to the kind he felt from Pops on day one washes over the camp, making the very air seem heavy and distorted. Julian sucks in a breath with a distressing amount of difficulty. 'Ah. A Convenient Power-Up. That's real fucking swell.'

"… That," Spot finishes, her voice cracking in fear. Her calm aura begins to fluctuate as her ears pin themselves back. "He attacked because he knew his evolution was at hand. Many have envied our prime territory here, and others have tried this gambit. This, however, is the first time a Dragon has done so. Julian…" Spot turns and stares directly into the blonde boy's soul. "Should we fall, take the pups and run."

"Spot!" Julian can scarcely believe what he's hearing and feels his jaw drop. "Are you even listening to yourself? You're acting like we can't win this!" He looks back at the Riolu, to the shivering Tyke who holds his young and still unnamed infant brother. Even with the amazing constitution of a pokemon, the tiny Riolu can't even cry properly under the oppressive weight of Garchomp's Killing Intent, instead reduced to frightened, labored wheezing.

"I am simply being realistic," Spot retorts, her hard expression melting for one of pleading. "Julian, you must promise me! Promise me that you'll run and take them with you! I will not have my pups perish here!"

The blonde can only grimace as her words, filled with utter desperation, halt his protests. "I… fine."

Spot's chest falls in a shaking exhale as she turns away again. "You're a good boy, Julian. Lulu was right about you."

Where Gabite was forced to fight like a demon for every inch he gained, Garchomp takes it with insulting ease. He fells defenders left and right with single, lightning-fast swipes of his claws. Every Lucario he strikes is left bleeding and prone upon the ground. Some try to keep their distance with Aura Spheres, and others materialize bo-staffs of pure aura to keep out of fisticuff range with Garchomp, but the shark-dragon is simply too much. He takes the Aura Spheres with mere scuffs to his rough hide for his trouble, and the aura bo-staffs smash against his skin with barely a bruise.

Garchomp roars again, and in his open mouth a whirling vortex of blue and red energy screams to life. He throws his head from one side to the other, and out of his mouth comes a raging torrent of Dragon energy that scorches and rips up the ground all around him.

With cries of agony, many of the remaining male Lucario are thrown around like toys carelessly dropped by a child. Each one falls to the ground, coated in lacerations and burns, leaving only four injured males left standing, all of whom stare at the Dragon with grim determination.

Garchomp, however, doesn't look at them. No, he looks at the remaining able-bodied fighters at the very end of the camp.

He's looking squarely at the females and the crowd of vulnerables behind them.

"Julian."

The boy looks at Spot again, who is gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "Get ready to run."

'No no no… I'm not letting this happen!' Frustration boils inside of the boy, making his aura churn and bubble like a pot set the boil too long. Deep inside of him, he feels something surge to life, the same something he felt from Lady Luca that night weeks ago, but different. It fills him with might above what any human has any right to claim as their own. "Spot, rain check on that promise," he steps forward and pushes the young mother behind him, taking her spot as the other females silently watch. Spot attempts to dig her heels in, but to her shock, Julian's strength actually overcomes hers and forces her back. "I'm not raising your kids for you. I'd be a garbage parent, honestly. They'll do better with you."

"Pup, I won't listen to any of that juvenile bravado!" Spot scowls. "You're young, you should live on. I will not have this!"

Julian scowls right back. "And I won't have you condemn your kids to a life without their mother. If you die here, then a part of them will die with you," he grounds out.

Spot's fur bristles in rage. "Julian!"

"Enough, Spot." Lady Luca's command cuts off the younger female's argument, making her whirl around to face the alpha female, but Luca only has eyes for Julian. "You're certain?"

Julian gulps, his indignation cooling under the serious stare. "Yes."

Luca nods once. A short, crisp movement. "I'm not pleased with you. Know that."

"I'll cross that bridge when we get there…" The teen responds back as he stares forward at Garchomp. The thought of dying here for the Lucario… It's not comforting, but neither does the idea repulse him.

He takes a deep breath, focusing hard on the something. It's not aura or Fighting Spirit . Friendship is close, but not quite there. He swells with strength and sees his muscles bulge and skin flush red. "Well? What are you waiting for!?" He cries as Spot gathers the pups and elders behind him. "If you think you're winning this, then you're wrong!" he yells, words laced with his own Killing Intent.

Garchomp pauses as the tangible hostility washes over him, then roars and charges, batting aside the last few Lucario in his path.

As the dragon rushes closer, Julian raises his fists and finally lets his agitated aura begin to seep through his skin. 'The good guys aren't winning this time, it seems.'

A flash of movement above, the rustling of leaves, and a flicker of black and blue.

WHAM!

Garchomp stops dead, his momentum making him fold around the balled-up paw buried in his stomach. Julian sees it as if in slow motion, watching as the dragon's eyes bulge and spittle mixed with blood flies from his mouth, expelled in one thunderous gasp. The shockwave from the unearthly punch smacks into everyone still standing, fluttering Julian's hair as the sound shakes his bones. Numbly, Julian looks at what stopped the titanic dragon

Standing in front of Garchomp with his arm extended is Pops. The alpha male glares up at the Dragon with unrestrained hate. He then withdraws the fist planted in his foe's sternum, and before Garchomp can fall to the ground, throws another earth-shattering punch into the shark-dragon's jaw.

Bones snap like dry twigs and teeth fly through the air as the entire bulk of the invader is thrown end over end from the blow. He lands on the ground and drags a deep trench behind him, unconscious long before he stops. With the Dragon now absent from the land of the waking, the terrible, oppressive feeling of his Killing Intent fades into nothing.

The sudden cry of Spot's pup knocks Julian out of his shock. Turning, he sees the young mother quickly scoop up her infant from her oldest son, then take said son into a hug with her free arm, murmuring loving nothings too quiet for Julian to properly hear.

A second later, the rest of the expedition party that Pops took with him lands in the clearing from the trees, looking around with dismay. Lulu takes in the sight of her fallen pack mates with slumped shoulders, then looks over to the unconscious Garchomp. Her paws clench so hard that Julian can see her skin strain against her spikes.

With the danger passed and the invader down for the count, the line of female Lucario defending the oldest and youngest of the pack quickly disperse to treat their fallen mates, fathers, and brothers. Through the throng of movement, Pops strolls up to meet Lady Luca, who Julian is still standing next to.

"Beloved, you are unharmed?" Pops' voice is gravelly and rough with experience, seemingly stoic as well. It does nothing to hide the genuine concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine," Lady Luca smiles and gladly embraces her mate, touching her nose to his for a brief moment before they separate. "Today was a close call, but we will recover." Her aura invisibly pulsates and fluctuates in a short pattern.

Pops nods, then turns his paralyzing gaze to Julian. "Boy. You took up the mantle of defender. Why?"

Julian's mouth moves before he can think over his words. "Do I need a reason to fight for my home?"

The old Lucario's eyes widen a fraction of an inch, then he controls his expression and forces it to return to neutral. It's so fast, Julian wonders if he hallucinated it. Then Pops sniffs. "Well done." He turns and begins walking back to the knocked-out Garchomp. "Assist the others."

The man-turned-teen blinks, unsure if his ears were working correctly. "Uh… Yes sir."

'Deus ex machina is certainly a thing, though I don't think I want to rely on it. You can only Tempt Fate so many times…'

Pops would later carry the unconscious Garchomp away to be dumped somewhere outside of camp, and the brave Lucario who confronted him were swiftly treated. Some were scarred, and more than one pup slept fitfully for a time, but all lived through the incident. A week later, a celebration was held in honor of their victory.

As the alpha hut comes into view, Julian shakes his head to clear his thoughts. 'Here we go…'

Sitting together at the entrance of the hut, Pops and Lady Luca look up as Julian and Lulu walk closer. The matriarch smiles brightly while Pops just inclines his head ever so slightly.

Julian and Lulu seat themselves in the ground before the pair of alphas, and Lulu takes the initiative. "Mother, Father," she begins, hiding how nervous she is. "Julian and I have some things to discuss with you. May we move inside where there is less likely to be errant ears?"

Pops' eyebrow rises, but Lady Luca giggles mischievously. "Daughter, it's not yet the proper season." She smiles, her tail wagging slowly behind her. "I do not disapprove of your choice, but perhaps this conversation is too early?"

Julian isn't sure what she's referring to, but considering the pink blush that blooms across Lulu's muzzle and the worsening of Pops' ever-present scowl, he can guess. "Mother!" Lulu harshly whispers. "This is serious! I'm referring to…" She lowers her voice. "…Julian's departure, and how I will be joining him."

Luca's playful smile is replaced with shock, but Pops' simply lets out a long-suffering sigh. "So, you know? And you wish to go with him?" The old Lucario asks.

Lulu's nod is quick and to the point.

In one smooth motion, Pops rises to his hind paws and extends a forepaw to help his mate up. "We'll discuss more inside."

A moment later, the four are seated inside the hut. Julian feels his skin buzz as Pops visibly flares his aura, covering Luca, Lulu, and himself and effectively jamming the aura sense of everyone outside.

"Beloved…" Luca begins, giving Pops a sidelong look. "We discussed this matter. Julian is a pup, and he should stay until an adult." She begins. "You're not insisting that he should leave, now are you?

Pops sniffs. "The boy can defend himself. That is all I care about. I'm more concerned with our daughter wishing to abandon the pack."

Julian scowls, and right beside him, Lulu scowls as well. "I am not abandoning the pack!" She insists. "I wish to return one day."

"And why do you want to leave in the first place?" Pops questions, giving Julian a pointed, borderline hostile look. "To be a pet for the boy to train? Don't be preposterous. You'll be left disappointed." For an instant, almost too brief to perceive, Pops' face flashes with hurt.

Lulu stares daggers at her father. "I have my own reasons, reasons that Julian understands and can help me with. I can't accomplish what I want here."

"You're dancing around my question, Daughter," Pops growls. "What can a human boy provide to you that we cannot?"

"That chance to grow and become great just like you!" Lulu's voice rises and her aura crackles around her in her ire. "So long as I stay here, I'll forever live in your shadow! I want to see the world, best new opponents, and grow to become the greatest so that I don't have to wait for you to save me like a mewling newborn!" She rants with increasing spleen. "I've had enough of being helpless, enough of you shielding me and everyone else from every little thing! Julian can give me these things, and I know his promises will come to pass, because he's the greatest companion I could've asked for!"

Friendship warms Julian's chest, taking the edge off of the anxiety watching the argument is giving him.

Pops' face darkens, and intangible weight slowly begins to press down on Julian's shoulders. "You would spurn me, and spurn everything I've done for you to gallivant around in the world of humans? Listen to yourself, Daughter! You're setting yourself up for heartbreak, and I would protect you from it!"

"Perhaps I wish to take the risk, regardless of what you have to say!" Lulu's retort is just as quick. "Would you keep me chained here as a pretty pet as you claim a human would?"

That shuts Pops up instantly. The older Lucario's frustration slowly begins to peek through his stoic expression. "Daughter, you mistake my words. You-"

"Beloved…" Luca interrupts and places a paw on Pops' leg. "I told you the day would come when someone in the pack would look at the outside world with wanderlust. It's not our place to deny her." She looks over to Julian, her face framed with a bittersweet smile. "Julian, in the time you've spent here, I've come to see you as my own pup. Please, hold nothing back. What grand designs do you have that would take you away? You're free to stay if you wish."

Julian roughly swallows past the sudden lump in his throat. "Oh…" He begins weakly. "My Lady, as I told Lulu, when my mother passed years ago, people began to forget her despite all the deeds she had done for our little community. It was the first time someone in my family had ever passed away, and I don't think the implications truly sunk in at the time, and maybe the way I view death is skewed." He pauses when Lulu lays a large paw over one of his hands. He looks up and returns her smile, before returning to his explanation, expression neutral again. "Over time, I began to forget her as well, and it both disgusted and frightened me. I was told that no one is ever truly dead so long as they're remembered, and the fact that I slowly began to forget my own mother touched something in me. Something I hated. I decided that I wanted to be something too great to ever be forgotten, so I didn't suffer a true, final death like that." He looks up at both Luca and Pops.

Pops sneers. "So, you're egotistical? Is this what you're telling me?"

"Maybe I am," Julian's answer seemingly startles Pops. "Maybe I'm not. Regardless, it's been my goal for years, and right now the best way I can think of doing that is being one of the most powerful trainers of all time." He says, turning his hand around so he can squeeze the paw laying over it. "To be honest… I almost don't want to leave. This place, the pack, I've honestly never been happier anywhere else. If it weren't for the looming time limit you've put on my stay, I may have stayed forever." He breathes out a sigh. "Maybe this is a little sappy, but since Lulu's dream in life is to see the world and be strong, I don't have much of a choice but to go anymore, so I may as well take a shot at my own dream while I'm at it. Lulu is the best friend I've ever had. She's pure-hearted, just, and burns with that special drive to improve herself. She's the sort of Lucario that other Lucario aspire to be. I don't think I'm going to be that good of a trainer for her, but I'll be damned if I don't try my hardest."

Lulu smiles and squeezes his hand. He can feel just how touched she is from how her aura gaily flutters inside her. Luca likewise smiles, almost wiggling in her seat from delight. Pops-!

From the inside the pocket of Julian's tattered pants, a great rainbow light suddenly begins to shine and fill the hut with its radiance, making everyone inside cover their eyes.

"Wha…?" Julian reaches into his pocket and wraps his hand around something round and warm. Pulling it out and looking down at it he blinks at the funny little marble he found all those months ago. 'Jesus, I completely forgot about this thing. What in the world is it doing?'

A rough paw clamps down on his wrist so hard that Julian can feel his bones creak.

"Where did you get that!?" demands Pops, moving too fast for Lulu or Luca to intercept. When Julian takes too long to answer, the alpha male shakes the boy roughly. "Answer me!"

"I found it on the ground the same day that your scouting party found me!" Julian hastily answers, silently fearing the old Lucario's wrath.

Pops blinks incredulously. "You… Just found it on the ground? And you had it this whole time?"

"Yes," Julian pulls his wrist out of Pops' limp grip and rubs the forming bruise. "Honest. I don't know what it is or what it does, I just kind of slipped it into my pocket and forgot about it."

Pops sits again, his expression one of deep thought.

Julian shifts uncomfortably as Lulu and Luca wait for the alpha to say something.

"Boy," Pops begins quietly. "Tell me your opinion on my daughter once more. Hold the Keystone up."

'Keystone?' The blonde blinks, but holds the marble up and does as asked. "Lulu is the best friend I've ever had."

Once again, the little rainbow marble flares brightly, emitting a beautiful, prismatic light.

Pops stands abruptly. "All of you wait here." And an instant later, he vanishes in a flicker of speed too fast to track.

Nothing is said for a minute as everyone processes what just happened. "Mother…" Lulu licks her dry lips. "What just happened?"

Lady Luca sighs, her eyes tired but also victorious. "Your father will explain, daughter. This has been a long time coming. Today will be both a learning and healing experience for us all."

After several minutes, Pops materializes in the middle of the hut once more with only a whisper of wind and blur a blue announcing him. In his arms is a wooden box that looks to be succumbing to the first stages of rot, as the wood is discolored and its hinges are rusty. Freshly turned dirt and moisture clings to the outside of it and fills the hut with the scent of earth. Looking up past that, Julian jumps a little.

On Pops' face is sorrow.

The alpha Lucario seats himself upon the ground with his legs crossed and the box in his lap. With painstaking slowness, he opens the box, drawing squeaks from the hinges. With the open lid in the way, the contents inside are hidden from Julian and Lulu, but Pops looks down at whatever is inside with an expression of heartbreak. He sighs and schools his expression before reaching in and pulling a gold necklace from within.

The bit of jewelry in his paw is beautiful. On a thin cord of black hangs a gold pendant in the shape of a downward-facing crescent moon. On the right side of the crescent are two triangular spurs that protrude out, and in the middle of the crescent is a cracked, rainbow-colored stone.

'Wait…' Julian looks down at the 'Keystone' in his hand, realizing that it's the same stone, only the one that Pops is holding bears a crack and is lacking the inner light of the one in his hand.

Pops holds out his towards Julian expectantly. "Your Keystone, boy," he says, voice little higher than a pained whisper. "Give it here."

Without arguing, Julian leans forward and drops the rainbow marble into Pops' paw.

The alpha looks between the pendant with its dull, cracked stone and the radiant one in his other paw. Setting the unbroken stone down, he gently pries the broken stone from its gold fastenings and sets it back down in the box before picking up Julian's stone. He then slots it into the necklace and presses the fastenings back in place, leaving the pendant whole once more. "Boy, hold out your hand."

Julian does as asked, and Pops drops the necklace into his hand. The teen stares down at the jewelry, unsure what to do.

"Wear it," the alpha gruffly orders. Then he reaches back into the box again. "Daughter, hold out your arm."

Lulu's face is creased in confusion, but she does as asked and extends her left arm out. "Father?"

Pops doesn't answer, instead pulling out a shining silver vambrace from the box in his lap and quickly fitting it over Lulu's paw. "These," he begins. "Are catalysts to a level of power above that of any other pokemon, fueled by the bond between partners. If you are truly friends as close as you say, then these belong to you. Do not ask me to explain how they work, for trying to understand something powered by the heart is a foolish endeavor. The power will come to you when the time is right."

Julian inspects the silvery armor that Pops fits to Lulu. It looks to be custom made just for a Lucario as it covers just short of her elbow and comes down to a stop just behind her paw spike, leaving the greater part of her paw free. The metal is simple and free of any engravings but is no less beautiful than the necklace given to Julian. What truly grabs the eye though is the stone slotted into the middle of the vambrace.

A bit larger than the stone in the necklace given to Julian is a marble-like gem the same color as crystallized sunlight. Inside the brilliant orange crystal is a wavy band of blue, red, and a smidgen of pink not unlike a cat's eye marble. The beauty of the gem is utterly captivating.

Julian slips on the necklace given to him as Pops finishes tightening the straps on Lulu's new bit of armor. In his hand, he lifts the pendant and looks it over.

The gold has been lovingly maintained, but still bears scratches and worn spots. He rubs a thumb over one of the spurs, and then the other, finding the first to be slightly smoother, as if the previous owner frequently rubbed that spot as well. He looks over to Lulu's vambrace, finding her to be looking over the accessory with an unplaceable expression. Unlike the necklace, the armor bears pits and scratches with a sense of pride. The only thing untouched is the gemstone.

The unbridled hostility of their first meeting.

Pops' knowledge of English, clearly understanding Julian when he was experimenting with suppressing his aura.

"What can a human boy provide to you that we cannot?"

"To be a pet for the boy to train? Don't be preposterous. You'll be left disappointed." For an instant almost too brief to perceive, Pops' face flashes with hurt.

"Listen to yourself, daughter! You're setting yourself up for heartbreak, and I only wish to protect you from it!"

It suddenly clicks.

He was afraid of this from the start.

Somberly, Julian raises the pendant in his hand and gently rubs a thumb over it. "This belonged to your old trainer, didn't it?"

"Trainer?" Lulu asks, looking between her friend and her father.

For the longest time, Pops doesn't answer. Then he reaches inside the box and pulls from it a single photograph. Wordlessly, he passes it to Julian, who tilts it when Lulu leans over to see as well.

'Hello, Tragic Backstory. I knew you'd pop up sooner or later.'

In the faded photograph is a young man with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. He's wearing a set of hiking gear, the pockets in his vest and cargo pants filled to bursting, and on his lean face is a blinding, almost goofy smile that sharply contrasts with his angular, almost aristocratic features. Hanging from his neck is a familiar-looking pendant. Just to his right is a serious-but-young looking Lucario standing with his arms crossed, but if one looks closely, one can see the barest hint of a smile on his face. On his left arm is the vambrace now worn by Lulu, only devoid of any damage.

"Your ambitions are enormous, Julian." The man-turned-teen looks up with surprise as Pops says his name for the first time. The alpha's face is calm, but Julian can feel the Lucario's aura contorting with such hurt that it makes Julian's heart clench. "My partner, he too had ambitions too great for a single man to accomplish. He and I were friends of the greatest sort and I learned much under him. Do you know what happened to him, Julian?"

The human doesn't answer.

"He died," Pops says as he takes the photograph from the boy and stares down at it. Again, his aura twists and writhes agony, enough to make Lulu flinch and Luca look away. "He went and died, because he let the scale of his ambitions grow out of control. He refused to heed warnings from me and met his own ruin, selfishly dying and forcing a pain incomprehensible upon me. Know this, Julian Angelo." Pops' eyes sharpen into deadly, frozen chips of blood. "Should you force my daughter to feel the pain I once endured, nothing will save you once my time comes and I find myself in the Underworld with you." His voice does not rise, no Killing Intent leaks from him, and his aura remains steady.

...But Julian still rocks back with wide eyes as the sheer force in his words strikes something inside of him. "I… I understand." Then the second meaning of the alpha's words hit him. "Wait, so you're okay with-"

Pops suddenly stands and makes to leave the hut. "You both leave at dawn tomorrow. Head south and you will find the human town of Sandgem. Prepare to make your goodbyes, as I am going to make the announcement soon." He pauses and turns back, a single blood-red eye trained on Julian and Lulu. "When you return… You will do so as champions. I will test your mettle and I will not find you wanting, understood?"

It's all Julian and Lulu can do to nod.

Pops resumes walking out.

Julian lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he watches the alpha walk away. "Lulu, your old man doesn't do anything by halves, does he?"

The Lucario slowly shakes her head. "No. No he does not."

Chapter Text

Entry #0: Foreword

In a (maybe futile) effort to keep my meta-physical resources in order, I'm going to start writing down whatever I remember and encounter. I have no doubts that there are more than I remember or can even sus out, but it would be grossly negligent of me to just play this by ear. At the same time, the stuff in this notebook is easily Forbidden Knowledge , so this is going to be written in Non-Standard Cipher β . If you can read this, go fuck yourself because I'm changing the cipher again.

Thank you for all the conversations on the subject of cryptology, Marcus. Why DARPA let a spec-ops spook like you be just a mere security guard, I have no idea. I'm not going to think too hard about the Suspicious Convenience of your insight.

I've meditated over what I can recall of Pokemon, even using aura to try and build a Mindscape (which hasn't worked. Yet.) and what I do remember is worth pausing at. In order to escape a true and final death, Lulu and I have our work cut out for us. Legends, rivals, criminals, gods, God, and everything in between - we invite them to oppose us just by becoming strong. In a world governed by the rules and tropes of an anime, they don't even need a good reason to try and kill us.

Step right up.

In the early morning of the dawn, Julian watches his steamy breath spiral and dance through the thin rays of sunlight peeking through the leaves of the trees. It does little to distract him from the anxious excitement running up and down his body like jolts of electricity. At his side, Lulu stands and waits serenely with her paws folded behind her back, but he can feel the excited flutter of her aura just under her skin. Her paw rubs the stone in her gauntlet.

It's day 92. Today, he and Lulu leave.

Gathered around them in a semi-circle stretched around the entrance to the encampment, most of the pack waits along with them to see them off. Some are impassive, though their rolling aura gives their feelings away. Others bear their emotions openly with wide, proud smiles or something more melancholy. Regardless of the few flaring auras jubilant to see them off, the early morning meeting carries the bitter-sweet taste of parting ways.

The sound of paws shuffling through grass cuts through the quiet, and the semi-circle of furry bodies opens a gap in the middle, letting a stoic Pops and Lady Luca through.

In Pops' paws is a somewhat ratty canvas messenger bag with a leather shoulder strap. Julian vaguely recognizes it as one of the bags that the foraging parties take with them on missions. As Pops walks, the contents inside shuffle and clink.

Just behind Pops, Lady Luca holds something much more eye-catching; A whole, intact pokeball.

The red-and-white bit of miracle tech is scuffed and dirty, as expected of something scavenged from the field, but it's in one piece and if Lady Luca bothered bringing it, then it must work.

Pops and Lady Luca stop just an arms-length away, and for a moment, no words are exchanged.

"Daughter…" Pops quietly addresses Lulu, drawing all eyes to him. He doesn't waver the slightest. "I've meditated on your words throughout the night. You wish to see the world and face the challenges it has to offer so you might stand all the taller through the hardship. You wish… to be like me." The old Lucario pauses to take a deep breath and seemingly mull over his words. "Make no mistake, Daughter. The night of your birth, the first time I held you, I fell in love once more. Where I failed to protect the ones precious to myself before, I was determined to make amends with you."

Julian looks over to Lulu, watching her ruby eyes grow wider and wider as her father speaks. As much as he wants to call the speech cheesy, the very real emotions being thrown keep him quiet.

"I see now that you aren't a pup to be coddled any longer," Pops closes his eyes and crosses his arms, making the bag on his shoulder shift. "Your blood burns with the fire of a true Lucario. Already, our pack runs thin with things to offer you, and you strain against these constraints like a new Beedrill might its Kakuna shell. It's time…" His face twitches as if in pain. "It's time for you to go. The world awaits you. Do not return too soon, even if you are missed." He says. He hides the emotions on his face, but in his aura, Julian can feel his Love for Lulu.

"Father…" Lulu smiles, her eyes misty.

Pops then turns his stern gaze to Julian, making the teen stiffen. "Remember my words, Julian Angelo. For my daughter's sake, you will succeed. Understand?" Pops jabs Julian's bare chest with his paw, right above the boy's Keystone pendant. Without waiting for an answer, he takes the messenger bag from his shoulder and slings it across Julian's, making the contents rattle again.

"Understood." Julian grimaces and adjusts the twisted leather strap of the bag digging into his shoulder. The old leather creaks in his hand. 'Hardass…'

Lady Luca clicks her tongue and gently nudges her mate aside with her hip. "Enough, My Love," she scolds as she takes his place. "There is no need for that."

Pops says nothing as he steps aside, just keeping his now neutral gaze on the boy and his daughter.

With a great sigh, the Alpha Female plants a solemn smile on her face and steps forward. "Daughter, you are my beloved first pup. It pains me to see you go out into the world without myself there to watch you, both to marvel as you grow and to keep danger away, but as do Starly spread their wings and take to the sky from the nest, so must you from our pack. I've witnessed you grow from a tenacious little pup to a brave and beautiful young adult in what seems like no time at all. O' my daughter, I fear I can't go on or I might change my mind and never let you go." Luca's smile contrasts sharply with her budding tears.

Lulu quickly steps in to pull her mother into an embrace, one the older Lucario gladly returns. "I promise to come back as something that'll make you proud," Lulu murmurs.

Luca almost chokes up. "Daughter, already I'm so proud…" Her words, like Pops' carry Love. She pulls away from Lulu and turns to Julian, who tries his hardest to not fidget awkwardly under the matronly visage. "Julian…" Lady Luca begins slowly. "It's been only ninety days, less than a full season since you've entered our lives. You've taken our way of life to heart, moving forward without tears. You might be young by the reckoning of both humans and Lucario, but you have grit rarely seen. Despite the short time, I've come to see you as my own." She steps forward and tenderly takes his hand in one of her weathered paws before setting the pokeball into his palm. "Yours and Lulu's friendship is something special, and already I can tell that together you'll do amazing things." With her other paw, Luca closes Julian's fingers around the ball. "Promise me that you'll take care of one another and that you'll return one day. You're my second pup, Julian."

Julian swallows the lump in his throat. Luca's words warm his face, and in his chest, an emotion he hasn't felt since his mother's death stirs. "Sure thing…" He lets a small smile bloom on his face and steps closer, surprising Luca with a tight hug. Inside of him, he feels the tingling, almost overpowering Power of Love. "Sure thing, Ma."

The floodgates break and Luca's breath hitches. Tears run down her cheeks and stain her fur as she hugs him back, poking the boy with her spike when she holds him with too much strength. "Go!" She suddenly pries herself from his grip and points to the gap in the tree wall. "Go now and begone! If you don't, I'll change my mind and keep you two in my arms forever!" She begs.

Julian and Lulu share a look. On Lulu's lips is a smile both elated and melancholic. As one, they turn and begin walking, but not before Julian can turn back and say; "Thank you. All of you."

Pops looks away, but on his face is a ghost of a smile.

Lady Luca - no, Ma covers her mouth with a paw to keep from bawling.

In the crowd, Scout grins with pride.

A few paces away, Spot smiles and shifts the wide-eyed Riolu pup in her arms. At her side, Tyke waves at them with sad, watery eyes.

With a flare of aura, man and 'mon race away.

The burn in Julian's muscles is ignored as he and Lulu hop through the trees like ninja from an old anime he forgets the name of. They leap, hop, twirl, and duck through the branches and around startled pokemon. No words have been exchanged since they started south roughly an hour and a half ago, both of them focused on beelining for the town of Sandgem.

'Don't think I can go back to enjoying fast food and video games,' Julian spares a look down at himself, mentally comparing his lean, tanned, whipcord form to his old pale and lanky self. He isn't going to even think about his pudgy adult form. 'Hell, if urban legend is right, fast food grease makes you sick once you lose your taste for it. But you know what I miss having? A good shower.' He smiles and glances at Lulu, who can barely contain her excitement. If not for him, she mighthave blasted ahead. More than once she's almost left him behind. 'I think a hot bath is something she'll quickly grow fond of.'

Thoughts of returning to society after what feels like a lifetime bring up new concerns, however. 'Aw shit. I have no ID, no money, and no legit way to get either one. I bet you need some kind of license to be a trainer, too.' Julian frowns as the reality sets in. 'Do I just say I was raised by wild Lucario and hope for the best? I mean, it's not untrue per se, but it's going to look odd that I know perfect English and can function like a normal person. I don't trust my acting abilities to not break when things get dicey, either. Even then, they might try to put me in a home or take Lulu away.' He sighs under his breath. 'Great. Way to plan ahead, Julian.'

"Julian?" He looks to the side when Lulu calls his name. She looks concerned. "You're deep in thought. Is everything okay?"

The man-turned-teen grumbles. "Fine. I just realized some hang-ups."

"Like?" She asks, not breaking her hopping even as she ducks under a thick branch.

Julian holds off on answering her to jump and flip over the branch she ducked, feeling a thrill of excitement when the maneuver makes his stomach drop to his toes. His senses, enhanced by aura, guide him as he comes back down feet-first onto a thick limb of wood and resumes bounding along with Lulu. "Well, unless we want to keep to the woods, we'll need IDs and money. You can't exactly get one without the other, so…"

"Things will be more difficult for us," she finishes with a lopsided frown. "I am no expert in human affairs. Do we really have no recourse without eye-dees or money?"

"We could work for money in an under-the-table job. Hard cash greases a lot of wheels." Julian pauses and looks to Lulu in case he needs to explain, but from her comprehending expression, aura-speak translated the idioms without issue. "If reading aura to talk to pokemon wasn't an advantage worth keeping secret, I could just offer to translate for trainers and make fat stacks of cash. Sadly, that's attention we don't want... yet."

Lulu reflects quietly for several more tree-hops. "I'm quite strong, and you're certainly stronger than most humans. Is there not something that just requires brute force to accomplish?"

"We can see if we can battle for money." Is the first thing out of his mouth. He knows all of Lulu's moves, but he doesn't need to coach her in a fight, not when she's the better fighter. Really, he just needs to keep an eye on her blind spots and warn her if something is coming. "If not, we could see if some crooked warehouse manager or construction foreman will take a homeless kid and a Lucario and give them a job. The pay is going to be garbage, though."

Lulu nods. "It's a start."

"I'll also try to play the orphan angle to the local Nurse Joy and see if we can't get any freebies or help becoming official," Julian adds as an afterthought. "Maybe even see about getting contact with someone higher up the chain. I think there's a pokemon professor in Sandgem." He thinks hard, trying to remember the hazy playthrough of the Sinnoh games nearly fifteen years ago. "Roran or something?"

Lulu's brow creases. The waver in her aura tells Julian she isn't pleased by the idea of handouts or acquiring them dishonestly, but she keeps her protests to herself.

After just twenty more minutes, the trees begin to thin out and force Julian and Lulu to the ground, where they both run along the ground dodging between trees. Before long, the tree-line in the distance comes to an abrupt end at the crest of a hill, where Lulu and Julian slow to a stop.

"Ooohhhh…" Lulu looks down at the town below with wonder.

Down the hill and nestled in a gentle, rolling valley of verdant green, Sandgem is very much a small town seen only in storybooks. Rustic houses and buildings with generous space between them are laid out along the handful of paved roads. Many of the homes have large gardens or fields to their rear, all of them tilled and seeded for the beautiful spring upon the region. To the north, mountains with brilliant white caps frame the town, and around those white caps are halos of orange and pink from the rising sun. The town is a picturesque scene worthy of an artist's canvas.

Julian fills his lungs with the cool morning air, feeling a smile take over his face. The beautiful little town, the crisp wind cooling his sweaty body, Lulu's awed aura rolling over him, it all fills him with a magnificent energy. "So much prettier than the city," he comments, scanning over the buildings and finding the red-roofed Pokemon Center. "Let's take stock then head into town." He drops to his rear and leans back against a tree.

Lulu nods slowly, still staring down at Sandgem as she seats herself next to Julian with her legs crossed.

The blonde teen pulls the gifted bag into his lap and opens the flap to peer inside.

In the berry-stained bag are what few pack-scavenged things a traveler might find useful. Several fresh Oran berries wrapped in a cloth, a large single-edged knife in a crumbling leather sheath, a hunk of flint, a small tarp, a compass with a scratch in the glass, his notebook and pen, a metal water bottle with the logo faded off, and the pokeball for Lulu. About a third of the bag still has room for more supplies.

Julian takes the pokeball out and rubs his thumb over some dirt on the side, scrubbing it away. 'I should probably catch Lulu now so no one gets any ideas in town. I'm pretty sure Lucario are a rare breed of pokemon.' He presses the button, watching with interest as the ball flippantly defies science by seamlessly expanding out of its tiny travel form into a handful. He then turns to Lulu and holds the ball out. "Ready?"

She eyeballs the little capsule with something akin to distrust. "I don't want to be in there when I don't have to be."

"I was about to say the same thing," Julian agrees with a smile. "I just don't want anyone to get any funny ideas about catching you in town. You don't need to be in the ball for the anti-catch protection to work."

The explanation makes her expression ease somewhat. "Okay…" She reaches out slowly, almost nervously, and taps the button in the center.

The pokeball pops open on an invisible hinge, revealing the solar panel-like guts inside. At the same time, Lulu's whole body is covered in a bright red light that writhes and jumps like flame. In the light, her body fades into a mass of red energy and is promptly sucked inside the ball before it clicks shut.

A whining noise comes from the ball and it shakes in Julian's hand. Through the metal shell, he can feel his partner's aura spike in panic, but after a fitful moment, she calms herself and the ball stops shaking. A second later, the pokeball makes a quiet bing sound, signifying a successful capture.

Julian tries to hold back a smirk as an idea suddenly strikes him.

"Yeah!" He jumps to his feet and yells to the sky, starling a flock of Starly out of the tree above. He holds the pokeball high above his head and can imagine a camera dramatically panning around him as he makes a wide, shiny-toothed protagonist smile. "I caught a Lucario!"

Through the ball, Julian feels Lulu's embarrassment.

"Alright, alright. Enough fooling around," he giggles and drops the silly pose. He taps the ball's button with his middle finger and it pops open with the distinct pokeball snap-hiss. In a flash of white light, Lulu rematerializes before him and sways slightly, blinking stars from her eyes.

"Was it weird?" Julian shrinks the ball and drops it back into his messenger bag. "Being in the ball, I mean."

Lulu shifts on her paws. "A bit, yes. I was here with you, yet not all at the same time. I could see and hear, but not move." She shakes her head, throwing her ears and dreadlocks around. "Not... bad, but I didn't want to leave the pack just to spend our journey in your pocket," she says, resting her forepaws on her hips.

Julian smiles and nods. "Good. A lonely adventure is a shitty adventure. Now, let's get going."

Side by side, the teen and Lucario descend the hill into Sandgem, walking through the grass until happening by a footpath of worn dirt passing by a small farm and leading into town.

As they leisurely stroll past the simple wooden fence, Julian watches a small group of Miltank, rotund, bipedal cow pokemon, mill about the pasture. Some bend down to graze, others simply rest in the sunlight with content smiles, and a few of them are gathered in a small group near a barn on the other side of the field. Near the barn, a Rapidash watches the going-ons with careful eyes.

Julian squints and tugs on his latent aura, stretching his 6th sense out into the field to try and read the pokemon.

Unlike the powerful and refined aura of a Lucario, the auras of all the Miltank are weaker and chaotic, making them a chore to read. It's an issue Julian has run into when trying to read passer-bys with the pack. The Miltank flit from one emotion to another, and the wavy flames representing them in his mind's-eye are hazy. It's like trying to read a language you barely know when the script is blurry.

Many of the Miltank simply feel happy or content, easy emotions to identify. One young mother on the west side of the field with her young calf is simply elated as she watches her curious child toddle.

The distant Rapidash, a horse-like pokemon with a cream-colored coat and waving orange flames for a mane and tail is much more complex. She carefully surveys the pasture with emotions Julian can't figure out deep in her core, and as her eyes pass over himself and Lulu, Rapidash's aura slowly pulses in open wariness.

The dirt path into town eventually intersects with a sidewalk that dead-ends on one side with the other leading into Sandgem, so Julian and Lulu make for the distant red-roof of the Pokemon Center. A few people on the early morning streets look at them oddly as they pass. Whether it was seeing a Lucario, seeing a homeless kid, or some combo of both walking together, Julian can't rightly say.

'A job might be a bit harder to come by than I thought…' Julian grimaces as he takes in the rural haven of Sandgem. 'Everyone here looks so… Honest. I've not seen one expression of disdain for looking like I was raised by wolves, just confusion and concern.' Like he did with the farm they passed, Julian focuses on the aura of the people around them and receives a shock.

Are the auras of normal people just this weak?

If he is a candle to Lulu's bonfire, then the people of Sandgem are mere embers in comparison. There is almost nothing to sense, which makes divining the feelings of the people around him nearly impossible. What little he can glean is that there's simply nothing negative in their gazes.

"Lulu?" He whispers. "Any idea what the people around us are thinking about when they look at us?"

The Lucario shuts her eyes in concentration as she walks. "Pity, bewilderment, concern, some apathy, and several smaller things. Nothing seems hostile, however," she says as she opens her eyes again.

"That's what I thought…" Julian murmurs. "Was I this weak when we first met?"

Lulu hesitates. "Yes."

'This is the norm, then.'

The thought of being an ember so easily snuffed out...

After walking past a number of houses and small businesses, like a tiny electronics shop proudly boasting that they sell pokeballs with a colorful sign in their window, a grocery store that would have fit in a gas station back in the city, and a farmer feed-and-seed store with two overall sporting men lounging outfront in wooden chairs, Julian and Lulu finally reach the pokemon center.

The sliding doors open automatically with a squeak, almost making Lulu jump, but she quickly composes herself with an embarrassed blush when Julian snickers. "Doors scare ya?"

She huffs. "There is a difference between being startled and scared," she grumbles. "Human territory is so cluttered."

The pokemon center invokes odd feelings of nostalgia in Julian, who scans around and sees that it looks much like he recalls from hazy memories of childhood mornings watching Pokemon. There's a small lounge in the far corner, with a large L-shaped couch, a table with old magazines, and a TV mounted to the wall. A short ways away along the wall is a shuttered window saying "Cafeteria" with a few circular tables and chairs nearby. Along the opposite wall are a number of rental computers sitting on desks with dividers between them, one of which is occupied by a person with purple, neck-length hair in the middle of a quiet video call. Against the furthest back wall, between two sets of doors, the main reception desk sits along with a trio of the near-magic pokemon healing machines. The machines themselves are still the blocky, photocopier-esque shape he remembers. At the sides of the desk, the doors lead to the bathroom on left, and deeper into the center on the right.

In the early hours of the morning, only the signature Nurse Joy is manning the front desk of the pokemon center, as her Chansey is busying herself moving several boxes stacked by the reception desk into the back of the center one at a time. Just like the anime, Nurse Joy is a pretty young woman with rose-colored hair styled in a pair of loops and kind blue eyes. With her pink dress, white apron, and red-cross-marked cap, she's a spitting image of the first thing people think when they hear the word 'nurse.'

As Julian and Lulu approach, Nurse Joy looks up away from the computer she's diligently typing away on to give them a smile, then her brows furrow, and her kind smile is replaced with a scolding frown. "Young man," she begins. "Unless there is an emergency, I'm afraid we have a shoes and shirt policy. I'll have to ask you to appropriately clothe yourself."

Julian looks down at himself, silently kicking his own ass for not realizing this would be an issue. "Ah, sorry nurse." He tries not to trip over his words, having not spoken to another human being for months. "I kinda don't have anything else. I'm flat broke."

Nurse Joy plants her hands on her hips. "Young man, you shouldn't let yourself get to this state. If you're in such dire straits on your journey, then you need to call your parents!" She clears her throat and smiles. "We'll let it slide this time, but you're calling your family before I'm letting you leave. Now, you are a trainer, aren't you, young man? Your Lucario looks very healthy."

Lulu returns Nurse Joy's smile. "Thank you."

"She says 'thanks,' but that's more her own effort than mine." Julian translates. "And, uh, I guess I am a trainer." The phrase feels so strange to say. Julian Angelo is a pokemon trainer is a factual statement now. He rubs the back of his neck with a hand, unsure how to proceed. "Quick question and I know this might sound odd, but, uh, do I need a license to be a trainer?"

The nurse blinks, perplexed. "Well, in most cases, yes. No one will harass someone for keeping a pokemon as a pet or for having a casual battle, but to participate in any event sanctioned by the Pokemon League, you must be a licensed trainer," she regards Lulu critically. "And Lucario are typically seen as battle-oriented pokemon…"

Julian cringes and Lulu's ears fold back. "Ah…"

"You don't have a license, do you?" Nurse Joy asks knowingly. She must take Julian and Lulu's silence as an answer because she sighs before smiling encouragingly. "Don't worry too much, it's better late than never. Here." She opens a drawer behind her desk and takes out a packet of paper stapled in one corner along with a ball-point pen before laying them on the desk. "Fill this out, and I'll get it to the League. You'll get another form in the mail confirming your parent's permission on the matter. Head on home after this, okay? League officials aren't fond of unregistered trainers galavanting about, and I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

Julian takes the pen and clicks the point down. At the same time, he begins reading what needs to be filled out on the paperwork. 'Name is easy. The current date is… uh.' He glances at the digital clock on the wall behind Nurse Joy and writes down what he sees. 'Height is...well. Not sure on weight… Birthplace? Birthdate? Prior trainer credentials? Oh shit.' The blonde teen realizes his plans are quickly becoming unraveled by bureaucracy of all things. He has no answer for most of what the application form wants and hesitates.

"Is something wrong?" Lulu asks, peering over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I just realized I don't know most of these." He glumly answers.

"And why is that?"

The teen jumps and looks back up at Nurse Joy, who he completely forgot was there due to how he missed her aura entirely. The nurse watches them with a raised eyebrow.

'Channel your inner Tragic Backstory and Heartwarming Orphan, Julian.' The blonde feels rather vile as he prepares to manipulate the kind nurse, but… 'You can live or die by bullshit, and I'm living forever.' He glances at Lulu, silently asking her to play along and hoping she understands.

"I'm sure you can put two-and-two together, Nurse Joy…" Julian sets the pen in his fingers down and bites his lip, turning his eyes away from her as he does so. "A ratty-looking kid comes in asking dopy questions like mine… There isn't an address to get that permission form to, or parents to sign it. After mom passed, things just kinda… fell apart. I've been wandering for a long time," he pulls at his pants. With the knees worn into holes and the legs ripped short by many a spar, they're in a sorry state. "Lulu's pack took me in during the winter, and it's a good thing too, or I think that would have been it for me." He turns his face back up to meet Joy's shocked expression, hands balled up before her mouth and all. "I don't want to be some homeless orphan forever, Nurse Joy, and with my friend, Lulu at my side, being a pokemon trainer is the best shot at that."

Julian can feel Lulu's eyes boring in the back of his head, her aura shifting in discomfort with his words. He knows she can feel his dishonesty by omission. Both to make the unpleasant feeling stop and to let Nurse Joy's imagination jump to conclusions and fill gaps, he stops. 'I should tell Lulu the full story soon… if aura-speak can translate the idea of temporal and dimensional freak-outs that is.'

Nurse Joy finally comes to her senses. "O-oh, dear!" She exclaimed. "Oh, young man, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that…!" She stops, her expression of genuine mortification and the distressed rolling of her tiny aura making Julian feel even worse. "I understand completely. Let me make a few calls and we'll get this sorted out. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Uh, well if you insist-" Julian begins.

"I do," Nurse Joy says resolutely.

"-then we'll play ball." Julian smiles. "Thank you, nurse."

"You're very welcome mister…" She trails off, and the blonde realizes he never introduced himself.

"Julian Angelo, Nurse Joy. I know I've said her name already, but please allow me to introduce Lulu, my first pokemon and best friend," he gestures to the Lucario at his side.

Lulu includes her head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Joy smiles. "Manners like that will get you far in life, Mister Angelo. Anyway, sit tight!" She turns away and picks up the phone receiver from behind her desk, so Julian takes that as their cue to leave her for now.

Beckoning Lulu along, Julian makes for one of the terminals along the wall. "C'mon, let's do a bit of research while we wait." They take the one furthest away from the purple-haired person, who is still on a quiet video call, so as to not be overheard.

Julian scoots to the side on the uncomfortable desk chair so that Lulu can squeeze in and rest a bit as well, but as she sits, rest isn't what's on her mind.

"Julian? What is this thing?" Lulu blinks uncomprehendingly at the computer screen, seemingly unsure what she's looking at.

The teen hums under his breath, wondering how one explains something like a PC or the internet to a pokemon who has lived her whole life in the woods. "This is a computer. Think of it as a machine so advanced that it can essentially... think. Humans use these to communicate over long distances, store and share information, things like that."

The Lucario shifts as she thinks the explanation over. "Don't humans have jobs to carry messages on paper around? And a book seems as if it would be more durable than this glass and plastic."

"You can have mailmen carry letters and books around, yes, but watch this." The trainer of the duo looks at the password note taped to the PC case and pulls the keyboard a bit closer. "For one, this is a bit more secure than a book being physically carried around… Or a personally owned computer would be more secure. These ones for the public to use aren't what I would use if I wanted to see or send something confidential." He types in the password from the taped note, and after a few moments of listening to the old hard drive spin, the main screen loads, amazing Lulu when the image changes so suddenly. She blinks her eyes as if she wasn't sure of what she's seeing.

"See? If I was someone who didn't know the password for the computer, I would have been stuck there. Now, let's see…" The browser is just a very generic globe icon with the word BROWSER as a label. Taking the mouse, the teen double-clicks the icon and opens it up, bringing him to a search engine amusingly named 'FarFetcher', complete with a stylized background of a Farfetch'd holding up a rolled-up newspaper in place of the usual leek. "Using the keyboard here, I'm going to type out some words to make a query for the computer to search, and using its connection to countless other computers that may or may not have the info I'm looking for, this computer will try to find what I want and bring it here so I can see it."

"League Tournaments," Julian murmurs as he types in the words and taps Enter.

The old computer groans, but the page loads with the results after just a few seconds. Ignoring the PC fans spooling up in protest, he opens up the first result, a website called Battlenet.

'Man, I hope the rest of this pokenet is as unabashedly early 2000s as this site.' The former network admin grins as the messy, colorful, and unintuitive layout of 'Battlenet' makes nostalgia smack into him full force. He scans the page for the latest news and finds an article about the tournaments.

The League year is coming to an end, dear readers. As the tournaments begin to spool up, we've got some great contenders coming in this year. As always, your faithful Battlenet reporters will be there for all the battles to bring the best details just for you! Take a look at our list of trainers to watch this year!

Below is a list of names with short articles about each, and where they're competing this year. In the section for Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference, Julian spies a name that jumps out instantly.

'Ash Ketchum…' He rubs his chin with his hand. 'It's getting close to the end of the 3rd generation of the anime, and that means he's coming to Sinnoh afterward… Or is it after the Battle Frontier? Regardless, this does tell me where I am in the timeline.'

Now armed with the information he was looking for, he turns back to Lulu. "See? I wanted to learn about the various Pokemon League tournaments, and someone made this page with the info I wanted. This computer found it and brought it right to me. Granted, this is a crash course, so we can go over more later if you want." He turns to Lulu and feels his grin fade some.

The poor Lucario looks hopelessly overwhelmed as she looks at the webpage. She flicks an ear behind them. "I'm...I think I understand the idea behind this computer," she says, her aura not matching her words. She raises a paw to her chest spike and rubs the smooth bone unsurely. "But it's not very useful to me. I don't know how to read this."

Julian rolls his eyes and drapes an arm over Lulu's shoulders, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "Would you like to learn?"

She blinks. "To read human script?"

"Sure!" Julian grins. "It can't be that hard. You're smart and I bet you'll pick it up quickly. It'll make your life easier for sure. It'll be a change of pace for me to be teaching you for once, don't you think?" He asks, releasing her from the hug.

Lulu smiles back. "I'd enjoy that."

Julian researches a few other things like a basic Pokémon League rulebook that he skims, a type matchup chart to refresh his memory, notable points in history as to avoid looking like a suspicious doofus if the topic comes up, and a consumer guide to get an idea of how much it's going to cost to fund a pokemon journey.

Short answer? A lot.

When compared to USD, the price of normal commodities in the hilariously named pokedollars are all reasonable. Raw material cost like wood and steel is roughly the same as it was back on Earth. Consumer-grade electronics seem to be even cheaper. Then he looked at the price of the tools revolving around pokémon training and had a small heart attack

A regular run-of-the-mill pokeball has an MSRP of $200. For a tool with a high likelihood of breaking if the Pokémon you're trying to capture fights too hard, that's insanity. Potions? Also an MSRP of $200. Those at the very least are a bit more understandable considering they can just erase injuries like they were never there. The Silph Co goes on about some jargon regarding cellular regeneration, and Julian is certain that the rules of biology here are not the same as they were on earth. The tiny amount given in each bottle is bullshit, however.

'Yeah, definitely having Lulu teach Heal Pulse to everyone once my roster is full.'

It gets even worse from there. Things like evolution items, held items, the bottomless and seemingly non-euclidean bags trainers use, Pokegears, Poketches, Pokenavs, C-Gears? Thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. This is all before the cost of caring for your Pokémon, which in itself can be hundreds or thousands of dollars per month.

'The frugal life is the life for me…' Julian grimaces. 'Okay, I thought I was ready for a new team member right away since Lulu and I know each other so well. That's going to have to wait until we have a steady income or a backup plan.'

"Excuse me! I have something for you!"

Turning away from the computer and looking past Lulu who is sitting on his left, Julian sees the Pokémon Center Chansey waddling up with a bundle of folded clothing in her stubby arms.

Chansey looks just as he remembers them; a pink, bipedal egg-like creature with short, nubby limbs, a gentle if simple face, and a pouch on her front containing a large, white egg. On this Chansey's head is a nurse's cap to Nurse Joy's. If the 'voice' his aura-charged brain insists he hears from Lulu is like that of a spunky young woman, then Chansey's is high-pitched and cutesy, perfect for a pink blob.

"Oh, thank you," Julian accepts the bundle of clothing from Chancy and leafs through the folds like he might a book, finding a simple red T-shirt with a pokeball logo on the front, basketball shorts with a hole worn in the pocket, some underwear that he hopes is clean, and a pair of plain jogging shoes with mismatched socks. "I hope I'm not imposing too much…"

"Not at all!" Chansey smiles and shakes her head, an impressive feat considering she lacks a neck. "Consider these donations from our lost and found bin. It's better if they're put to use with you rather than wasting away and taking up space."

"In that case, thank you." Julian smiles, and Chansey seems startled that he understood her, but quickly composes herself and smiles back.

"You can change in the bathroom and enjoy a shower if you like," Chansey offers kindly. "Joy told me a bit of your story. You've been taking care of this poor baby, haven't you?" The Normal-type gives Lulu a look.

Julian stifles a laugh at the indignant offense that crosses his first pokemon's face. "Of course I have!" She insists.

'Wait. Did I just get called a 'poor little baby?''

Chansey nods contently. "Good. Every human needs a pokemon with her head on straight, or they'll be hopelessly lost before long." She then turns and beams at the still bewildered teen. "I wish you the best! I'm sorry I can't chat more, but there is work to be done and pokemon to tend to!" Her piece said, Chansey waddles back to the staff door of the center and disappears into the deeper part of the building

"… I'm going to go take a shower, get changed, and forget that I was called a baby." Julian stands and tucks the bundle of clothes under his arm. "I'm a fuckin' grown-ass man…" He grumbles under his breath. "Horseshit…"

Lulu giggles and stands with him. "Fifteen winters isn't 'grown' by the reckonings of most."

The teen just grumbles again.

As he heads into the bathroom, Lulu leans against the wall outside to wait for him. He's a little surprised that she didn't attempt to follow him in but chalks it up to 'bathroom' and 'lavatory' potentially having overlapping meanings in the aura-translation.

Back in the pack, bathtime in the river was a rare but communal experience. Answering the call of nature, however, is still something no one wants witnesses for.

'I need to find another name for the aura-translation,' Julian thinks as looks around the large bathroom before spying a separate door labeled 'showers'. Heading in, he finds a trio of empty shower stalls each surrounded by frosted glass for privacy and a large shelf stacked with folded towels. He takes one of the stalls after setting his new clothes and his Keystone down, then strips out of his pants, which promptly go in the trashcan. 'Aura-translation is too much of a mouthful and doesn't really capture its full potential. Maybe if I make it into a proper skill with a cool name, it'll work better.'

Grabbing one of the little complimentary bottles of soap and cranking the hot water to nearly the highest temperature, the blonde groans as the first hot shower he's had in months warms him to the core.

Julian, now freshly washed and in a clean set of clothes, leans back against the comfy pokemon center couch as he and Lulu wait for Nurse Joy to call them up with news on their "arrangements". To pass the time, Julian decided to introduce Lulu to another human invention.

"I'm not quite sure I understand the point of television," Lulu admits.

"Barry…" The aged talk show host on the pokemon center TV shifts his microphone to one hand and uses a thumb to peel open the envelope held in the other. The camera shifts between the host, a hopeful young woman holding a bewildered-looking baby, an older looking man with graying hair who must be the woman's father, and a pale man in an Ursaring costume of all things who looks as if his life is about to come to an end.

"The DNA results are in. You…" The host pulls the paper from inside the envelope and looks down at it. "…Are NOT the father!"

The live audience erupts into an uproar. Meanwhile, the man in the Ursaring costume stands and cheers, even going so far as to do a gloating dance in front of the shocked young woman holding her baby, which apparently the ridiculous man didn't father.

With an exclamation of rage, the older man jumps from his chair and stomps towards the dancing man, who is busy pulling the head off his costume to twirl it around in happiness.

A pair of Machoke wearing tight T-shirts printed with the word 'bouncer' jump on stage and make an exaggerated show of holding back the raging old man, obviously not using any appreciable level of strength.

"Why would people want their familial drama to be seen by so many? Who would want to watch this?" Lulu crosses her arms under her chest spike and huffs.

"TV is called brain-rot-in-a-box for a reason." Julian shrugs. "There's more than trashy drama shows. Educational things, news reports, sometimes movies. This is just some cheap entertainment."

An arm covered by a blue sleeve darts down and snatches the remote control for the TV off of the magazine-littered coffee table. Just as quick, the hand holding the remote changes the channel to the news.

"-Low 50s to high 40s in the evenings with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers throughout the night. Travelers should take care to pack heavier coverings or keep a Fire-type handy in the event of a final cold snap."

"Hey!" Julian looks up with a scowl, noticing the purple hair of the same person he saw earlier taking a video call. "You just needed to ask if you wanted to change the channel."

Scowling back at him is a face that Julian recognizes immediately and not for a good reason.

Standing over him is Paul, Ash's rival for Sinnoh and someone known for treating his Pokémon like tools.

Disposable tools.

The boy looks to be roughly Julian's physical age if not slightly younger, with his previously described neck-length purple hair and a scowl far too harsh for a child seemingly carved into his face. A blue and black windbreaker covers his darker blue shirt, and gray cargo pants lead down to his blue and black shoes.

"Hn," Paul clicks his tongue. "Don't complain when I did you a favor. If you're not learning something from it, then TVs are best left turned off."

"I'm not going to argue with you on that," Julian mutters as Paul imperiously stalks past and sits himself as far away as possible while still facing the TV. "But still, would've been nice if you asked."

Paul rolls his eyes before returning them back to the news broadcast on the screen, which is going over recent events in Sinnoh with little to actually report. "Whatever, sap. I heard you talking to your pokemon and that Chansey like you can understand them. You're one of those types who thinks that being 'nice' and tolerating every single letdown is a substitute for actual training, aren't you? That's how you ended up so broke that you couldn't even afford shoes, isn't it?" He snorts. "You must be the worst trainer this side of Sinnoh if you managed a losing streak like that."

Julian smirks even as his temper flares. In the corner of his eye, he can see Lulu level Paul with a scowl of her own. "Yeah, you wish. Reverse that, pal, I'm the one who knows your type. Wanna know what it is?" Julian doesn't give the other boy time to answer. "Asshole. An asshole who's always going to be second fiddle because he hobbles himself."

Paul's scowl transforms into something hateful, and Julian can even feel a tiny trickle of Killing Intent from him. Compared to what that rogue Garchomp, or god-forbid Pops can put out, it's almost nothing.

"I'd tell you to put your money where your mouth is, but that's a pipe dream from a broke failure like you," Paul crosses his arms and stands. "Under you, I'm sure even a pokemon like a Lucario would end up useless."

Lulu's aura violently churns just under her skin from the dig and a blue glow edges her red irises. "Julian…" She growls. "Challenge him."

'Oh man, kid. Being friends is a literal shortcut to power and you're going to deny it? Big mistake.' Part of him realizes that he's about to essentially bully a child, but… 'Maybe this can knock some sense into him. Might bork the timeline, but I think that went up in smoke the instant we stepped into Sandgem.'

The blonde nods, silently glad that he can give in to the vengeful pulse of Friendship in his gut. "Oh, so you're scared then?"

Paul snaps up the verbal bait without a second thought. "Afraid?" He questions incredulously. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he sneers. "If you're really wanting a beating, then fine. We'll settle this with a pokemon battle."

Julian and Lulu follow Paul out the front door of the Pokemon Center and around to the back, where a deserted battleground of packed dirt sits ready to be used. Wordlessly, each trainer takes a side.

Lulu takes to the field on her trainer's side and stands waiting, her arms crossed and her muzzle held high.

On the other side of the field, Paul raises the hem of his shirt to expose his belt of pokeballs. He brushes over three of them with a featherlight touch, then decides on the fourth one. He unclips it, enlarges it, and tosses it up into the arena with one smooth motion. "Chimchar, stand-by!"

The ball pops open and spits a mass of white light to the ground, which then collects and transforms into a small, monkey-like pokemon with brown fur and a short, bushy tail made of pure flames. Chimchar looks back at Paul with open adoration before standing at attention. "Ready!"

"Fire beats Steel, so you're finished here already," Paul says resolutely.

'Did he send out a first stage pokemon against a fully grown Lucario?' Julian shakes his head. 'No, I'm not going to correct his mistake. Anime logic. Don't bother.'

"Really?" Julian taps his foot against the dirt with an uncaring look that he hopes is infuriating. "Sure. If you say so."

Paul growls.

Then a terrible, vindictive idea with the potential to go horribly wrong makes the man-turned-teen smile.

"How about we spice this up?" Julian offers.

The purple-headed trainer just quirks an eyebrow.

"I bet that Lulu here is so well trained, that she can beat Chimchar without a single order from me!" Julian grins. "I won't utter a word, and she'll still win using the silent bond of kinship between us."

Deep in his brain, he feels something cool. It's both the feeling of a temperature change and the feeling of something exciting all at the same time.

Rule of Cool is activating.

'Easy, Julian. You could just as easily Tempt Fate.'

Taking a self-assured, borderline arrogant stance with his legs held straight and tight along with his arms held over his puffed chest, Julian feels the Cool begin to build. Better yet, he feels it begin to spread all the way to Lulu, who falls into a ready stance without any flaws in her defense. Just how he is aware of the Cool flowing through him and empowering his pokemon, he can't rightly say.

Chimchar shifts on his feet, and Julian can feel that his confidence is making the monkey pokemon's resolve waver.

"Talking to pokemon, persisting on a doomed journey, taking this battle and trying to handicap yourself…" Paul shakes his head. "You really are out of your mind, aren't you? I'll give you one more out. Forfeit and get lost."

Julian throws his head back and laughs before spreading his arms out in a mocking 'behold!' pose. "I'm the one who's out of his mind? Ha! I don't think so. You're about to get a very harsh reality check. I know for a fact that pokemon grow stronger the more powerful the bond between them and their trainer is. Lulu and I? Best friends. If you don't want to get crushed…" He stares at Paul and shunts aura to his eyes, making them glow a ghostly blue. The imagery makes his Cool rise even faster.

God above this feels so cheesy, but if it works, then it works.

In his head, Julian takes the rapidly building Cool and plugs it directly into his Killing Intent.

The air suddenly grows thicker, then thicker again when Lulu catches on and blasts her own Killing Intent.

Paul's eyes widen, his pupils dilating as he hunches over slightly, appearing as if invisible hands are pushing down on his shoulders. Sweat begins to dot his brow as he grits his teeth.

Chimchar's confidence has all but evaporated. He raises his shaking hands into a fighting stance and stares at Lulu with open apprehension. He glances back at Paul for reassurance, but there's none to be had.

"…Then brace yourself. We're going to show you what you're missing out on," The savage grin that splits Julian's face feels so satisfying.

Lulu tenses, her blood-colored eyes narrowing to slits.

Then she moves.

Chapter Text

Entry #1: Names.

Names are funny things. At a base level, a name is just a word assigned to something to differentiate it from other things. A pen and a pencil are both used to write, but they carry different names because they themselves are different objects. Makes sense, right? Well, names can be a lot more than that, and that's because Names have Power.

The most literal sense of this is in folklore and mythology, where giving supernatural creatures (most notably fae) your name gives them a measure of (or total) control over you. In a reverse of this, calling out the name of a supernatural entity will instantly earn you their undivided attention, even from a great distance, and normally to your own detriment. Many fictional magic settings use the idea that the name and the thing are one at a conceptual level. Know the name, and you know the thing. This is why speaking the name of some god-forsaken eldritch being is enough to fuck you up.

In anime, it's usually not that extreme, but names still have power.

Utter the name of a technique before you use it? It's going to hit harder.

Whisper the name of some powerful combatant in the waiting room before a tournament? The room goes quiet and dread rattles everyone, even if they're too far away or the room is too loud for them to feasibly hear it.

Show up when things are at their bleakest and someone perks up, shouting "X is here!" to the high heavens? Hello, hero power-up.

For the purpose of the first example, I cataloged Lulu's moves so I can announce them and try to invoke Names have Power in her place. With some luck, I can give her a boost just doing the thing trainers do. So far she's got: Aura Sphere, Power-Up Punch, Detect, Foresight, Bullet Punch, Counter, Bone Rush, Heal Pulse, and Meteor Mash. Those last few are probably from egg moves(?) from Ma and Pops.

Off-topic, where was I?

In addition to the circumstances in which the name is used, the power of a name is near-directly proportional to the reputation attached to it. When Lulu and I become champions, our names will hold that same sort of power. When someone talks about Lulu, her sheer might will be attached to her name. I tried this out a bit, finding myself strangely uncomfortable when saying the names of various League champions, with the greatest effect coming from one Cynthia Shirona, champion of Sinnoh. Lance from Kanto makes me feel just a little too hot to be comfortable, like I'm standing in front of a bonfire… or a dragon. Steven Stone makes my knuckles sting, invoking the feeling of trying to beat down a wall that won't budge. Just thinking about Cynthia's name puts a vision of staring up at a colossus in my head.

It's daunting, to say the least.

To others, hearing these names might make them feel warm and protected if they're just a regular joe, or paralyze them with fear if they're a common crook. Since Lulu and I are aspiring professional battlers, that puts us on a collision course with these figures and explains why their names invoke discomfort. Maybe it'll change as we grow stronger?

I guess it doesn't matter. By the time we clash, it'll be our names making Cynthia Shirona wary.

Expect us.

Lulu's opening move turns her into a blur of black and blue, rushing forward with her fist drawn back and ready to deliver a brick-shattering punch.

"Chimchar, dodge left!" Paul shakes off the Killing Intent bombarding him to throw out an order. "Now!"

The chimp pokemon freezes, looking like a Deerling staring into oncoming headlights. Paul's words shake him out of his fright just in time, as Chimchar rolls to the left in a tight ball, only narrowly dodging the fist that would have belted him across the mouth.

'Take it easy on Chimchar, Lulu.' Julian tries to get the idea across with a silent pulse of aura from deep within his core. 'If I remember right, he's already not treated too well.'

If Lulu got the message, she doesn't show it.

Lulu diverts her inertia the second she misses, stomping one hindpaw down and twirling on it, using the momentum of the failed punch. Her other hindpaw lashes out in a turning kick aimed at the fleeing Chimchar.

The Fire-type glances back as he uncurls, his eyes widening. He raises his arms in defense, but the strike is just too fast. It's only from being on the receiving end of that kick so many times does Julian see Lulu pull back the power at the last second.

Thwack!

"Gah!" Chimchar cries as he's thrown off his feet from the strike. He flails mid-air, coming back down painfully to the dirt with a grunt.

Lulu gives him no breathing room and moves in again, her fists glowing with gray, steel-colored energy. (Bullet Punch, Julian dimly recalls). Her speed seemingly doubles, and it's only sheer luck that a panicked Chimchar ducks out of the way of the attack.

The Lucario's fist comes to halt above her foe's head as she misses, making a dull boom sound that kicks up loose dirt around them.

"Chimchar, Flamethrower now!" Paul orders just before Lulu can strike again. "Make distance!"

The chimp needs no other encouragement as he opens his mouth wide. From his throat, an orange light surges to life, then spills out as a torrent of fire aimed point-blank at Lulu.

Lulu's eyes narrow and her legs tense. Rather than back away, she jumps forward and flips over Chimchar and his Flamethrower, landing deftly behind him.

From his place off the field, Julian can't help but smirk at the direction the fight is going. He schools his expression and eases back on his Killing Intent, stopping himself before he can tempt fate into evening the odds. 'Now that I think about it, Lulu doesn't really need instructions in a fight.' The blonde teen muses. 'She learned directly from Pops, a trained 'mon. He honestly did most of the legwork. Thanks, Pops.'

Paul, meanwhile, is still wearing his scowl and refuses to wipe the sweat glistening on his brow. With his miniscule amount of aura, Julian can't read him, but the severe look eases somewhat as the killing intent pressing down upon him lightens.

Back in the battle, Lulu ducks low and whirls a full 360 degrees with her leg kicked out, leg-sweeping Chimchar and throwing the Fire-type to the ground again. The fall makes his mouth clamp shut on his Flamethrower, forcing him to choke and sputter.

"Chimchar, Dig!" Paul's scowl slowly grows frustrated. "Get under her!"

"O-okay!" Chimchar gasps out, quickly scrambling back to his feet.

Lulu jumps up high in a telegraphed stomp with both of her hindpaws, giving Chimchar ample time to dig his hands into the ground. The chimp pokemon's arms move like lightning, displacing impossible amounts of earth in a plume of dirt as he disappears into a dark hole in the ground.

The Lucario twists mid-air and lands in a crouch by the hole, aborting her stomp. She slowly stands and scans around her, turning her head methodically. Then just as Julian expects her to, she shuts her eyes and centers her aura, sensing for Chimchar. The woven dreadlocks on her head gently float as the aura lifts them.

"You do see the writing on the wall, right?" Julian calls across the field to Paul during the lull in the fight. "If your grand plan was to brute-force your way through this battle with just a type advantage, then you may as well spare yourself and Chimchar the embarrassment and bow out now."

Paul clicks his tongue. "This battle is far from over. A few lucky shots don't decide a match."

"Lucky shots don't decide a match, yes." Julian agrees as he crosses his arms. "But if Chimchar can't land a hit, how is he to win?"

In the field, Lulu tenses. Her dreadlocks move with more vigor in the unseen wind keeping them aloft.

"Like this," Paul's face morphs into the smallest of smirks. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel!"

'Flame Wheel? But he's underground? Can a pokemon use two moves at once?' Julian wonders with some alarm as he looks back into the field.

The ground under Lulu's paws begins to smoke as an orange light bleeds through, but by that time, she's already leaping to the side and out of the way.

A whirling wheel of fire erupts from the ground where Lulu stood, throwing smoking dirt and glowing red rocks all around, forcing Lulu to weave around the unintentional projectiles.

Chimchar's Flame Wheel spins in place with no traction for a second, then it races right for Lulu, who stands her ground with her forepaws held out and ready. In her flowing aura, Julian grins where he feels the slowly dying Rule of Cool around her spike to a new height.

The Flame Wheel bears down on Lulu, easily as tall as she is and filling the air with the sound of crackling fire, but what happens next plants a giddy smile on Julian's face, while Paul's scowl falters for a dropped jaw.

Lulu's forepaws shoot out and stop Flame Wheel dead in its tracks as if it were a solid wheel. The fire licks at the fur of her paws and arms, but it barely even singes. With a growl of effort, Lulu digs her grip harder into the attack, and slowly but surely, Chimchar's assault begins to slow. As Flame Wheel's speed dies, so does its size and power. After five seconds, it's down to half, then to a quarter, then the flames begin to fade. Fast as a viper, Lulu's paws reach past the flame and grasp something within. When the final tongues of flame are gone, a panting Chimchar is left dangling by his arms in Lulu's grip.

"Well, Lulu just no-sold a super-effective attack." Julian wryly comments, hiding his own amazement at the stunt. "So, what's your next tr-"

"Flamethrower!" Paul shouts.

"-ick. Fuck me that's cheeky."

Through his exhaustion, Chimchar opens his mouth wide and takes a deep breath to torch Lulu.

"I'm sorry about this," Julian just barely hears Lulu murmur.

"Huh?" Chimchar asks, but before he can get an answer or fire off Flamethrower, Lulu releases his right arm and drives her fist into the side of his head in a brutal punch, making a dull knuckle-on-skull thwack that echoes off the pokemon center just a dozen yards off.

Chimchar's head whiplashes from the blow and his flaming tail sputters out with a hiss. He goes limp in his foe's grip, out cold.

With the battle over, Julian feels the odd chill of Rule of Cool permeating his brain start to fade away. Rather than vanish totally, a tiny hook remains in the back of his mind, resting right beside the equally small roots of Fighting Spirit and Friendship. 'We'll need to test RoC and see how it works in conjunction with other active tropes.'

As Lulu gently sets Chimchar down, Julian scratches his chin and nods, forcing down a grin as he looks at Paul's shocked visage. "There you have it. A one-on-one bout that Lulu handily won without a word of input from me."

Paul blinks, seemingly not understanding what happened before he regains his bearings and plants his scowl back on his face. He withdraws Chimchar's ball from his belt and points it at the downed chimp with a low growl of; "Return…"

The beam from the pokeball lands on Chimchar, making him break down into a mass of red light that's sucked back into the ball.

'Man, that's still wild to watch.' Julian marvels to himself. He drums the bulge Lulu's ball makes in his pocket with two fingers. 'Schizo tech at it's finest.'

Paul glowers down at the ball in his hand, squeezing it until his knuckles are white. "I can't believe you. You lost with a type advantage? Do you even try during training? Where is that power you showed me?" Paul shakes his head in open disgust as he shrinks the ball and clips it back to his belt. "Useless."

Lulu's hackles rise and her fists clench as she listens to Paul berate his unconscious Chimchar. From her mouth comes a canine growl and Julian can feel her aura jittering in agitation. "You…!"

The blonde trainer is quick to trot out to the field and put a hand on his starter's shoulder, stopping her from trying to give the other boy a piece of her mind. Julian just shakes his head as she turns her glare to him. "Well, I thought you were boneheaded for tossing a Chimchar in against a fully-evolved pokemon," He tells Paul. "But I see it goes even deeper than that. Do you treat all of your pokemon like that?" He asks, already knowing the answer.

Paul sniffs and turns to walk away. "Don't worry about it, loser."

Julian frowns and spools up his Killing Intent again. "Answer me."

When Paul freezes mid-step, Julian can't help but admonish himself once more. Here he is, a grown man bullying a kid by using supernatural powers. 'You're doing it for his pokemon. Sometimes you just have to play hardball, Julian.' He tries to justify it to himself as he once more reigns the hostile emotions in.

Paul stiffly turns around, meeting Julian's eyes without a flinch. "I do what works. I find powerful pokemon and I train them. If they're weak then I release them," he says matter of factly. "I already see the spiel you want to give me, saying 'pokemon are friends first' or some other garbage. It doesn't work, and I know that, so why bother when it has no results?"

"Why bother?" Lulu says incredulously. "I thought that was the whole idea of pokemon and trainers working together, using the bonds between them to overcome challenges? What's the point of you being a trainer then, you ingrate?!" She takes a hostile step forward with a fist raised.

Paul glances at Lulu with annoyance, so Julian steps in before Paul can open his mouth and risk Lulu retaliating. "She says she doesn't see the point of pokemon and humans working together if they aren't going to be friends, and let me tell you something; she's a-hundred-percent right for both the obvious reasons and another you might not expect."

"Really?" Paul's tone is mocking. His brows furrow as he crosses his arms and taps his foot. "Fine. I'll humor you. Why should I bother?"

"What if I told you…" The blonde hesitates. How much does he say? He doesn't want to give away the literal secrets of the universe, but he needs to say something to get Paul to change his tune. "Well, look at it like this. You know Champion Cynthia?"

The purple-headed boy gives Julian a look that screams: 'Did you really ask that?'

"Right, right," Julian clears his throat with embarrassment. "Just making sure is all. I think you'll find it's a common theme that trainers like her, the ones at the very top, share a stellar relationship with their pokemon. Do you know the best feat her ace has ever done?"

"Her Garchomp cracked a mountain down the middle and made a landslide to stop a flood heading for Celestic Town a few years ago," Paul nods along. "Afterward, her Garchomp cleaned up the mess and rebuilt the mountain. What about it?"

Lulu's eyes bug out. "A mountain?" Her aura seemingly flatlines under her skin from the thought before buzzing in agitation.

'Holy shit,' Julian smiles nervously. 'Did he just casually say that a Garchomp rearranged the landscape like it was nothing? Did Garchomp do it without help? How much earth did it move?' The former network tech tries to think of how many tons of rock, soil, and other detritus must be in half a mountain only to come up with a number that seems too large to be real. 'Then Garchomp just put it back like that? No support worth mentioning? No wonder just saying Cynthia's name makes goosebumps break out all over me.'

"Y-Yeah, that." Julian smiles like he wasn't just shocked half to death. "Now, think of the aces of other champions. Roughly as strong, right?"

Again, Paul nods, his expression steadily growing annoyed. "Yes. Where are you going with this?"

"We're getting there. Now, one thing the champs all have in common besides owning powerhouse pokemon…" Julian clasps his hands together and points his index fingers at Paul. "Is that they're nice to their pokemon, exceedingly so. Here's a theory I have." Julian leans in slightly as if his 'theory' is an incredible secret. "That pokemon actually grow in power with how kind their trainers are to them by a measurable amount. This isn't some feel-good hippie stuff, but a real phenomenon. The better the pokemon is treated by you, and the more they love you in return, the stronger they become. A symbiotic relationship with its own inbuilt checks and balances, if you will."

Paul sighs. "That's nonsense, you dolt."

"How did Lulu win so easily when you had a type advantage then?" Julian circles back around to Paul's logic. "As I said, she knew exactly what I wanted because she's my best friend." He puts an arm around Lulu's narrow shoulders and pulls her in for a short hug.

Lulu smiles, and Julian can feel the hug soothing the animosity simmering under her fur. "'Till the end." She replies, putting a smile like her own on her trainer's face.

The other teen grits his teeth. "I made an error sending Chimchar to battle against an evolved pokemon," he grounds out as if admitting it physically hurts, answering Julian circling logic with the same trick. "If I'd sent out one of my stronger pokemon, this battle would have ended differently."

'What other pokemon does he have? I remember him having a Torterra, but not much else. An Ursaring too I think?' Julian hums to himself after releasing Lulu. "Okay, then explain this. Lulu? Can we see your paws?"

She nods and raises her left paw with her palm facing the sky, letting both Julian and Paul see the damage, or lack thereof upon it. The pink paw pads are just the slightest bit red, as if sunburned. The fur around the paw pads and on her fingers is singed, but hardly burnt. With the gentle early spring breeze blowing around them, the scent of burnt hair is difficult to pick up.

"Lulu here is a strong pokemon, but no-selling a Fire attack like that? Even a wild Fire-type would've taken some damage from that Flame Wheel, don't you think?" Julian reasons as Lulu lowers her paw again. Seeing the gears in Paul's head turning, Julian continues. "I'm telling you, I'm onto something here. Lulu took negligible damage from a full power Fire-attack despite having a type weakness. Even if a growth gap exists, she should have been more hurt by that, yeah? I think you'll find much better results by being kind to your pokemon."

As he talks, Lulu looks down at her paws and flexes her fingers. "Did a bond of friendship really do that?" She murmurs to herself, now also pondering Julian's words.

Paul scoffs, but it lacks the heat of his earlier protests. "My brother preaches this same garbage, yet he went nowhere. Year after year, tournament after tournament. He fell short each time, and it's because he didn't have the will to be strict with his pokemon training. He doesn't have the will to do what's necessary, and just coddles his team. Even fully evolved, his pokemon are weak."

"So, the guy is nice to his pokemon, but didn't train them that well?" Julian questions, forgetting where Paul's brother eventually ends up. "Of course that would contribute to a losing streak. You can't do just one or the other, you have to train and love them. It looks to me like you have the opposite problem."

That throws Paul for a loop. He blinks in open confusion, and without the scowl, he looks strangely young. "What?"

"A good training regimen and a strong bond is what makes pokemon strong," Julian patiently reiterates. "Just doing one and not the other is like riding a bike with a single pedal. Sure, it can be done, but you're just making things unnecessarily hard for yourself and good luck winning a race. At the same time, it's also a disservice to the pokemon." He pauses to take a breath. "They may be healthy with strict training, but are they happy outside of a fight? Do they have much to look forward to other than the next scrap? That's a horribly cruel fate, and it'll only twist them into something miserable. Not training them properly will make them weak for sure, and all the kindness in the world won't fix their confidence once shattered. Even creatures as strong as pokemon can lose hope, and if they fall deep enough into that hole, then they may never see their fullest potential. You can't do one or the other, it has to be both."

Lulu smiles as Paul looks away, his visage one of deep thought. "Well said," she comments, turning to him and crossing her arms. "I didn't take you as the philosophical sort, Julian."

"I just call 'em how I see 'em?" He shrugs and stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Not really philosophy, just common sense."

"Not so common, now is it?" The Lucario muses aloud.

Her trainer shrugs once more. "If that's the case, then I guess it's up to us to spread the good word."

"What's your name?"

Julian and Lulu look back to Paul, who stands there with an expectant look on his face.

"Julian Angelo, homeless vagabond and pokemon trainer," Julian grins and introduces himself with a dramatic bow. "You've already met Lulu, my sole pokemon partner and best friend," he says, straightening up and gesturing to the Fighting-type at his side.

"I'd say that it's been a pleasure to meet you, but it really hasn't." Lulu dryly mutters towards Paul.

Silently glad that Paul has no idea what she's saying, Julian holds his hand out for a handshake. "And you are…?"

The other boy looks down at the offered hand and pointedly doesn't take it. "Paul Shinji. How long are you staying in Sandgem?" He introduces himself before bulldozing into a question.

"Erm…" Julian looks at Lulu, but she shakes her head as if to say: 'why look at me?'. After a second of thought, the blonde answers. "Dunno yet. Maybe until the league year starts?"

Paul says nothing else, just turning and walking away back around the Pokemon Center and out of sight.

"Charming guy," Julian mutters sarcastically. "I hope he took what I said to heart."

Lulu openly scoffs. "Probably not," she quickly rains on her trainer's parade. "He doesn't strike me as the type to have a heart." She says, making her opinion on the other boy clear.

Julian winces. "Harsh, but I see where you're coming from."

"There you two are!" Nurse Joy exclaims as Julian and Lulu enter the Pokemon Center again. She waves them over from her place behind the front desk. "Come here please! I've got news for you two!"

"We're being thrown out and told 'tough luck'?" Julian hedges as he leans his arms into the reception desk.

Nurse Joy pants her hands on her hips and frowns, nearly making the teen crack a grin from how non-threatening it comes off as. "Not funny, Mister Angelo. No, nothing of that sort. The Sinnoh Pokemon League has approved the emergency pokemon trainer application I sent in for you. We just need to have an official photo taken, and I can make your ID."

"Emergency application?" Julian parrots unsurely. "Is that a thing?"

"It is," Nurse Joy's smile returns, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "The League and Child Protective Services ran your name and likeness through their databases and returned nothing. Since you aren't a citizen of Sinnoh, you aren't eligible for any social services of much worth unless you're willing to live in an orphanage…" Her smile falls somewhat. "But being an official pokemon trainer does open a lot of doors for you. You can bypass the age requirement for employment and having a Lucario will speak very well of your abilities as a trainer. In fact, part of your swift approval was based on your friend here."

Lulu tilts her head. "But I haven't said anything?"

"That's right," Nurse Joy smiles and nods, misinterpreting Lulu before she looks back to a still-bewildered Julian. "Since Lucario are rare, powerful pokemon known for their pure hearts, the League waived many of their usual requirements to fast-track you into being an official Sinnoh pokemon trainer."

'Huh, not even a single day and we're moving right along. I didn't realize how much prestige Lulu would afford to us from the get-go.'' The new trainer grins. "I'm not going to complain about that. Lemme guess, it's less that they care about us, and more that they're gambling on us making it big and looking good for Sinnoh?"

Nurse Joy's smile takes on a brittle appearance. "Yes. As you can guess, it's not a practice I approve of."

"Eh," Julian shrugs. "I like this better than getting welfare anyway. More fulfilling. If worst comes to worst, we can just rough it in the woods."

Joy's fingers rise to briefly touch her lip, which she then chews on for a second, seemingly uncomfortable. "Mister Angelo, I apologize if this comes off as sudden, but if you can't find a place to stay for the night, I can spare a cot in the back room for you to use. Please don't do without."

Julian's eyes widen a little, then he gives the nurse a genuine smile. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. We'll keep it in mind." Another thought strikes him. "Say, you don't mind if we get that ID made now, do you? The day is young and I'd like to get it so we can go find some work. I'd be grateful if you could point me and Lulu in the direction of a job as well."

"Not at all, I was actually about to ask if you were ready. It's best if we do it now before the center receives more visitors. Come around the counter please." She gestures to her side. "And I think I know just the place looking for a bit of help."

The nurse sits Julian behind her desk and snaps a portrait of him with a camera hooked up to her computer. Then she asks Julian for Lulu's pokeball and slots it button-first into a little clawed apparatus on the side of her computer tower. The computer itself hums quietly for a moment, then flashes with a little message saying "REGISTERED - LUCARIO." Joy then shoos Julian from her chair and seats herself, filling out a few more things on a number of screens. She fills out the remainder of Julian's personal details, pausing when they need to find a scale for his weight and height, then she moves to Lulu, most notably adding the Lucario's nickname to her profile. Finally, Joy boots up an ugly monster of a printer under her desk, once that groans and shutters. After a moment, it spits out a plastic card that Joy hands to Julian.

TRAINER LICENSE

ID#: SH121885

Angelo, Julian

Sex: M | HGT: 5-06 | WGT: 145LBS | EYES: GRN

RESTRICTIONS: N/A

EXPIRES: April 11 20XX

Issued by: Sinnoh League Approval Authority

Looking at the card, the blonde silently laments his lost seven inches in height. The missing seventy pounds? Not so much. "So that's it, huh? I'm a trainer just like that?" He asks, dropping the card into his shorts pocket without a hole.

"While you're officially a trainer, I would spend the downtime between now and the beginning of the next league year studying and learning the ins and outs," Joy says, shaking a finger at him and Lulu. "That'll give you about two months to get ready. You're welcome to come here and use the public PCs, and the local library is open to everyone. Now, about a place where you can earn some money…" Joy sighs and drums her fingers on her desk in thought. "Try talking to Mister Johansson on the edge of town. He owns the Miltank farm there and is in need of a new ranch-hand after his grandson began his journey last year."

"Gotcha. Thank you for everything, nurse," Julian grins and turns to leave, but pauses when he feels Joy's tiny aura flicker so violently that he can actually perceive it. "You're not happy with how this turned out?"

Nurse Joy jumps at being called out, so Julian turns back to her. She sighs once more. "No. No I'm not, Mister Angelo." She shakes her head, making her looped hair bounce. "I'm of the firm opinion that children should be cared for regardless of trainer talents, not shoved into the trainer pipeline. Had you not decided to become a trainer, I'm almost certain the League would be hounding you to join, just short of press ganging you, really."

Julian smiles back, touched by how much the nurse cares. "Thank you, Nurse Joy, but I would have gone down this route myself either way. I haven't been a child in some time now, anyway." He turns back to the door and looks to Lulu, who nods back and takes her spot on his right. "I'm sure you'll see us enough to get sick of us, so don't worry about that one!" He throws a wave over his shoulder as he and Lulu exit back out into Sandgem.

As they walk back the way they came to reach the farm, Lulu glances at her newly official trainer. "Julian? Why was Nurse Joy so upset? I'm afraid I didn't follow her reasoning very well."

Before answering, Julian scans around to make sure no one out on the street is paying them any mind. Walking through town again, he's noticed that the population of the rural town is on the older side, with the average adult looking to be fourty or older. "In most places, humans aren't considered adults until they're eighteen years old. Trainers can kinda side-step that it seems, but not totally. It's not like in the pack where ability decides who is an adult and who isn't. Nurse Joy was upset that I, a fifteen year old, am willingly stepping into adulthood by becoming a trainer and fending for myself." After a beat, he adds; "Well, not 'myself' exactly since I have you, but you get the idea. She didn't like the idea of me making life more difficult for myself."

The edges of Lulu's muzzle twitch downward into a frown. "That doesn't make sense."

"I get the feeling that you'll be saying that a lot," Julian chuckles. "Whatever happens, this beats working in an office."

"...What's an 'office?'"

"Let's not get into that right now."

Now that Julian is properly clothed, most people don't bother to give him another look. Several gaze curiously at Lulu, but move on without incident. They pass the narrow street of shops, a handful of people, and a woman walking a chatty Growlithe and an exasperated Rockruff. Before long they're back at the edge of the Miltank farm on the outskirts of town.

Julian adjusts his shoulder bag and leans against the fence around the Miltank pasture, watching the same Rapidash from earlier make rounds around the perimeter of the fence. Like last time, she keeps a close eye on Julian and Lulu. As she approaches, Julian smiles and raises a hand. "Excuse me! A moment of your time, please?"

The horse pokemon raises an eyebrow, but she humors the request and trots closer. "I wish every passerby would quit leanin' on the fence…" Rapidash mutters under her breath. "Robert has had to replace three sections in the last two months alone."

Julian immediately steps off and raises his arms sheepishly. "Ah, sorry about that."

"That's fine, just remember if you…" Rapidash trails off with a confused nicker. "Did you..?" She focuses intently on the boy before her, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Back in the pasture, a few of the Miltank watch the exchange with curiosity.

"I did, yeah. Keep it on the downlow, please," Julian grins nervously, now acutely aware of the heat rolling off of Rapidash, who is leaning over him. In the corner of his eye, he can see Lulu tense slightly. "I was wanting to know if Mister Johansson was home?"

"Why do you ask?" Rapidash asks slowly.

"Lulu and I just blew into town," Julian throws a thumb over his shoulder to his partner. "And we heard he's in need of a new ranch-hand or two. We're broke, but have strong backs and mouths that don't bitch, so I was hoping to do business with him."

Rapidash pulls away, dialing back her hostility. She stomps a hoof, seemingly unsure if her befuddled aura is any indicator. The horse pokemon turns her red eyes to Lulu's. "You'd vouch for this one?"

"Of course." The Lucario answers instantly, not wavering a bit despite Rapidash staring her down.

The sweat-inducing heat finally vanishes as Rapidash takes a single step back, her guarded expression morphing into something more neutral. "In that case, yes, Robert is home. Follow me along the fence and I'll take you to the farmhouse." Rapidash turns and begins a slow trot to the quaint house on the east side of the property.

On the other side of the fence, Lulu and Julian follow along. "Is that sort of greeting necessary?" Lulu asks, not quite hiding her displeasure at the near-confrontation. "All we did was approach and ask a question."

"It's not everyday you meet a human who can actually hear," Rapidash replies, not looking at Lulu. "I've never actually seen one before. Many pokemon are too comfortable with the obscurity deaf humans give them if you ask me, so I wanted to play it safe." She snorts. "We've had a few ranch-hand prospects over the last few weeks too, none of them working out. Someer' whelps wanting too much for too little, and others just ain't able to keep up. I wanted to see if you had some guff to ya."

"Well, I can promise Lulu and I can deal with whatever you toss our way," Julian grins and flexes his arms, feeling no small amount of pride when his biceps strain the sleeves of his shirt. "It's okay to look. I don't mind."

Lulu sighs and drags a paw down her face.

Rapidash, meanwhile, snorts once more. Her mouth doesn't move, but her eyes dance with amusement. "You have confidence, at least."

Following along the fence leads them to the farmhouse on the eastern side of the property. The home is charming in a quaint way, being a small two-story affair maintained with obvious care and a practiced hand. The pasture fence ends just a handful of yards away from the rear porch, so Rapidash casually leaps over to lead Julian and Lulu to the rear of the house.

Their horsey guide trots up to an open window where they can hear the sound of a sink running and someone whistling within. Rapidash sticks her head through the opening, her fiery mane curiously not burning the windowsill. "Robert?" She nickers. "Can you come outside?"

"Hmm?" The voice of an older man inquires as the whistling stops. "Oh! Stella! It's you! Is something the matter, girl?" They hear the running faucet stop and heavy footsteps leaving the window and headed for the back door. Stella withdraws her head and steps back, standing off and to the side.

Julian wipes away the frown his embarrassment puts on his face. 'I didn't bother asking Rapidash-erm, Stella, her name. Maybe I should get into the habit of that.'

The rear door opens, and out steps a man that fits the stereotype of 'farmer' to a T.

Robert Johansson gazes down at them curiously from under bushy gray-and-black brows. His short hair and the beard upon his square jaw is much the same salt-and-pepper color, with more of the former rather than the latter. His long-sleeved plaid shirt has its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing a pair of weathered forearms. His blue-jeans are well worn, just as his brown boots are.

"Well, who might you be, son?" Johansson asks with a raised brow. "Normally my visitors use the front door."

Julian can't help but flush slightly in embarrassment once more. "Sorry about that, Mr. Johansson. I was told you've been looking for help here recently, and your Rapidash, Stella here led us to you," he says, gesturing a hand to the stoic Stella, then himself and Lulu.

Johansson's brow rises a little further. "Well now, isn't that something? Normally my beautiful Stella here ain't too fond of visitors, not after the last few hands we had. What's your name, son? And who is your friend?" He asks.

"Julian Angelo is the name, sir, and my partner here is named Lulu." Mentally, Julian gives the man a point for remembering to include Lulu.

The Fighting-type inclines her head gently to the rancher.

"If Stella likes you, and you've got a Lucario of all pokemon, then probably, a goodun, son." Johansson cracked a smile. "Robert Johansson, at your service. You can just call me Bob if you like. Now, do you actually know all the duties ranch life entails?"

"I don't," Julian admits after a moment of thought. "But like I said to Stella, we've got strong backs, smart minds, and mouths that don't complain. We'll work and get whatever job is given to us done right."

"That second part is some unneeded embellishing…" Stella mutters.

Lulu withholds any comments of her own.

Johansson let out an uproarious laugh. "As good an answer as any, I suppose." He quickly reigns his mirth back in and looks over Julian and Lulu with a critical eye. "You're fitter than most, son. A good sign, but how about a trial run first?"

Julian looks over to Lulu with a grin. "Ready?"

She smiles back. "Of course."

Julian returns his eyes to Johansson. "What's first?"

The man begins a leisurely walk to the barn beside his house. "This way."

As Stella returns to the pasture to resume her patrol, Johansson leads the teen and his pokemon to the smaller red barn and opens the swinging, creaky doors wide. From the barn comes a waft of old wood and the itchy scent of straw. Following after the farmer, Julian and Lulu look around what could potentially be their new workplace.

As far as barns go, it's completely run-of-the-mill. One side is occupied by several empty stalls, each filled with a bed of straw. The other side is divided into two sections, one where a number of tools and rusted tool chests sit under a single illuminating light bulb, while the other is a clear space with what looks like a massage table with a hole cut in the center, oddly enough. Under the hole is a pail, and upon looking at the large metal milk jugs arranged in neat rows just a few feet away, the purpose of the odd, padded table becomes clear.

"We're a dairy farm first and foremost," Johansson begins, gesturing with a callused hand to all the metal milk jugs in the corner. "Once the Miltank have been milked, the milk has gotta be loaded into Stella's cart around the front so we can take it to where it needs to go around town. A lot of folks buy directly from us, but the rest is taken to the airport so it can be lifted to a distributor we got a contract with. The problem? These 15-gallon jugs are efficient, but heavy as they come."

"So doing this every day becomes annoying," Julian nods. "I get it." Silently, he wonders why the man doesn't use a dolly or something to move the jugs, then realizes why when he looks back and notices the uneven ground outside the barn. 'Probably still a pain in the ass.'

"And this is just one job," Johansson raises a single finger for emphasis. "I'm no spring Torchic anymore, as much as I hate to say it, so loading these things is getting a little harder every day. Can't just ignore the rest of the daily work, either."

"Well," Julian flexes his fingers. "Let's give it a shot, yeah?"

He steps up to the closest milk jug and wraps one hand around each of the handles around the top. He gives the jug an experimental lift, raising it only a few inches off of the ground before the muscles in his arms begin to burn in protest. 'Jeez, if this old guy is doing this all on his own, I can see why he wants help.'

Silently, Julian circulates his aura, letting it flow gently from his core and out into his limbs, though not enough to create visible flares of blue around himself. As if by magic, the burden of the metal jug eases, and he finds himself able to lift it with a single arm and only moderate difficulty. With a grin, he releases one of the handles and instead grabs another jug, hefting both. It takes a second to balance himself, but when he does, Julian begins the slow and steady walk out of the barn and around to the front. He briefly looks back to see Lulu lifting two jugs as well without even a grunt of strain. However, she does have to carefully angle her wrists so as to not scratch up the jugs with her paw spikes or mar the stone of her gauntlet against the side of her load.

Julian doesn't see the incredulous face of his potential employer, too focused on carefully walking around the barn. The weight of his twin loads is manageable, but a slow pace is required so the sloshing of the milk doesn't drag him around or trip him.

Finally around the barn, Julian spots the aforementioned Rapidash-drawn cart, which is annoyingly high, the floor of it coming up to about his waist. With a grunt, he sets one jug down and lifts the other with both arms, clearing the lip of the cart and setting it down inside. He grabs the other jug and repeats the process, carefully lifting it up and setting it down within the cart. He waves his fingers to get blood flowing to them again. 'Calluses or not, part of my first payment is going into gloves.'

Hearing the sound of sloshing milk and heavy footfalls, the blonde turns and finds Lulu walking up with Johansson just behind her. Julian smirks playfully as Lulu sets one of her jugs down and hoists the other into the cart just as he did. "What took you so long? Don't tell me I'm finally starting to pull away from you."

"Your legs are longer than mine," Lulu sniffs as she raises her other jug and sets it down in the buggy. "Don't go getting a big head now, mister Zero Wins."

Julian rolls his eyes and turns his attention to Johansson. "That doesn't seem too hard. It'll be just a sec and we'll have the rest loaded."

The old rancher holds out a hand, making both teen and pokemon pause. "You can load the rest a bit later. I'd like to go over your other duties so you know how and where to begin come tomorrow."

"Eh?" Julian glances towards his Lucario, who seems just as surprised. "That was kind of a short trial run. N-Not that I'm complaining or anything!"

"What I really wanted to see is if you were going to make your pokemon do that on her lonesome," Johansson puts a fist on his hip. "If you were, I would've told you that this isn't the job for you. After watching you both haul two-hundred some pounds of milk around and call it 'not too hard'?" He shakes his head. "Hot damn, what are they feeding kids nowadays?"

The blonde teen chuckles nervously, realizing he may have accidentally tipped his hand regarding his aura. "What can I say? Lulu and I eat our greens and drink our juice."

"Is juice what they're calling it nowadays?" Johansson laughs. "Well, if you're willing to work, I've got a paycheck for ya. What's say we tour the farm and hash it out?"

Julian grins. "Glad to hear it."

"Oh!" The rancher exclaims. "And before this old noggin of mine forgets, there's a rear man-door on the barn. You don't have to walk all the way around," he says, pointing behind him.

Indeed, against the barn is a man-sized door, which is currently open. Inside are the other milk jugs within much easier reach.

"…I'm still buying gloves."

"Wise words when working out on a ranch, son."

Julian flips on the light to his and Lulu's new room, looking around and finding not much else other than a dusty bed, a nightstand with a simple lamp, a small dresser against the wall, and a writing desk against the adjacent wall. The window is cracked open, letting in a cool evening breeze that makes the drapes flutter.

"Not much, but it's the best I have for you," Johansson says from behind Julian and Lulu. The man almost appears embarrassed by the sparse accommodations in his home. "Never really needed all that much."

"No no, Sir. It's fine!" Julian insists as he steps inside a bit more. "You really are too gracious to give us so much, and we appreciate it! Right?" He gives Lulu a look asking for backup.

The Lucario smiles gently and gives the rancher a polite bow. "We're very thankful for both the employment and the place to rest, Mister Johansson. Thank you."

The rancher smiles faintly back, even if he can't understand the jackal pokemon.

The remainder of the day has gone off without a hitch. Johansson showed Julian and Lulu around the rest of the farm and listed off the different duties and chores that would be their responsibility. It all seemed like regular farm work, something Julian had missed out on back with his family in the old country. Even if he was the appropriate age, the coddling from his father and brothers meant he missed the experience until it was too late.

Various forms of manual labor, some building upkeep under Johansson's instruction, caring for the Miltank, milking the Miltank, running errands around town, keeping a lookout for wild pokemon who might try to take a stab at the Miltank, and any other duty Johansson assigned. The payment of twelve dollars an hour is a bit of a pittance for the work involved, though the lack of taxes and the covering of their room and board makes up for it somewhat. If the way their conversations earlier went are any accurate indicator, then most people hiring trainers for gigs provide food and shelter as a standard thing. Something pleasant to know since Julian is certain he and Lulu won't have any sponsors for quite some time. The man was even courteous enough to feed them lunch at midday, and then dinner just a short while ago.

"Bathroom is down the hall and to the right, and the laundry is down on the first floor by the water heater." Johansson continues on, looking between the blonde and his pokemon. "If you need anything, just holler. I'll getcha up at sunrise, so get some rest, you hear?"

"We will." Julian smiles. "Thanks again."

"Heh," the rancher chuckles. "We'll see if you're still thanking me after a day on the job. Good night, you two." He steps out and closes the door behind him. The man's heavy footfalls make the old house's floorboards creak as he treads down the hall.

With a sigh of contentment, Julian flops down on the bed, savoring the feeling of a real mattress for only a second before the dust on the covers makes his nose tingle. He grimaces, then lets out a thunderous sneeze that only serves to kick up more dust. "Ech!" He gags. "Lulu, get the window, will you?"

She giggles and opens the window a little wider, then steps aside when Julian drags the covers over and vigorously shakes them out in the wind, freeing the remainder of the dust.

After tossing the much-cleaner comforter and blankets back on the bed, Julian lays back down horizontally across the bed with his legs partially dangling off. All at once, tension he didn't even realize he was holding onto drains out of his body like a basin with the plug pulled. The uncertainty of venturing out into the unknown, playing the role of the confident protagonist, trying to keep himself from second-guessing his own decisions, it all left him with a vicious knot of self-doubt in his stomach. Now, after a successful first day?

It unravels and vanishes. It's as if things were just meant to work out.

He knows there must be some trope that he's forgetting at play, but honestly can't bring himself to care about it right now.

He's a pokemon trainer.

Lulu is here with him.

And they have a whole world to explore.

He feels a weight settle on the edge of the bed and cracks open his eyes, staring up into the ruby reds looking down at him.

"There was a lot of turmoil I felt that suddenly disappeared…" Lulu places one of her paws over the hand closest to her. "Are you well, Julian?"

He smiles back and laces his fingers with hers, giving the paw a little squeeze. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm feeling great." He lets her paw go and folds his arms behind his head. "I think today was a pretty successful first day, don't you think?"

"We did accomplish quite a bit," Lulu nods. She turns her eyes away to the window, watching as the last rays of the sun dye the sky and clouds a brilliant pink. "I don't think I quite understand everything about being a trainer's pokemon, or how humans work, but you'll teach me, won't you?" She returns her expectant gaze to her trainer.

Julian scoffs as if offended. "After everything you've done for me, you actually have to ask that? That's the bare minimum that you're getting from me. I told you that we were going to be champions, and by God I meant it."

She smiles. The pleased flutter of her aura relays her gratitude better than any words.

With a reluctant hiss, Julian stands up, prompting Lulu to stand as well. "Let's get to bed, yeah? Our first day on the job is tomorrow and we should put our best foot forward."

"Mm-hmm," Lulu stifles a yawn. "My, we've barely done anything today, but a long sleep sounds pleasant…"

"We've hardly done anything physical," Julian mutters as he strips his shirt off and tosses it into the corner with his shoulder bag. His Keystone necklace is taken off with much more care and dropped into the drawer of the nightstand. He pauses for a moment to run his thumb over the radiant stone before closing the drawer. "But being out and about in a new place is its own kind of exhausting," he says, doffing his shoes and socks, leaving him in just his shorts. "Thankfully, I think that'll fade with time."

After turning on the lamp on the nightstand, the teen flips off the overhead light, leaving just the little lamp illuminating the room. Then he pulls back the covers of the bed and eases himself in, once more savoring the feeling after sleeping on the forest floor for months. He turns, facing towards the wall, then he feels the bed shift as Lulu crawls in.

It takes her a moment of grumbling about the cloth getting caught on her spikes, but Julian feels her furry back press against his.

It's a neat bit of lore about Lucarios, his sleepy mind thinks. Lucario sleep in pairs, back to back, with the stronger of the two facing the entrance to the shelter ready to spring up and fight if disturbed. During those first few weeks, he thought Lulu was just sharing her body heat to make sure he didn't freeze to death, not knowing the purpose was twofold.

That she declared him worth defending right from the get-go.

With Lulu in place, he reaches over her and turns out the light, then pulls the covers up over the both of them.

"G'night Lulu," he mumbles, already half-asleep.

"Pleasant dreams, Julian," she murmurs back.

'What was the trope I was thinking of?' Julian wonders as the sound of the wind outside and Lulu's gentle breathing lull him the rest of the way to sleep. 'Probably not that important.'

With that, he nods off, content with the first step in a journey of a thousand miles.

Chapter Text

Entry #2: Rule of Cool.

In nearly all forms of media made for entertainment, barring those specifically aiming for realism, Rule of Cool is present. RoC is a simple trope, stating that "The more visually/audibly stimulating a cool event is, the more effective the action used to enact the event is."

It's an easy enough concept to understand when applied to combat. Usually, a fight between any number of participants is a frenzied, chaotic event that ends in seconds. Only one decisive blow, a killing stroke, needs to land for it to be over. That's not very entertaining to most people, though. What is entertaining is a drawn-out slugfest complete with slo-mo shots, flourishes, acrobatics, and banter between punches. Under Rule of Cool, trash talk and moments of badassery are a must.

You can take it a step further than that even. If an action is really cool , then the person taking the action might find themselves able to do things they couldn't before. Hit harder, run faster, tank more hits, anything.

Now, in a universe governed by Shounen rules? Rule of Cool is ALWAYS applicable.

With Rule of Cool always on standby, one has to consider not just how efficient their actions are, but how they and others would perceive the actions based on how 'cool' they are. Ninja running is one example. It makes no sense to run in such a foolish way when applying conventional logic. Logic saying 'running with your arms dragging is more aerodynamic' means nothing even if you're fast enough on your feet that drag does become a problem. It works because it's cool . Even a normal person, someone with normal human speed and bereft of the ability to benefit from lower drag when running WILL run faster that way.

Because it's cooler looking. That's it. That's all it needs. So long as people (who don't even need to see it, though that helps. (See addendum #1)) consider it more visually stimulating, then it works.

It's for this reason that I'm not ever going to disparage the masses for being morons ever again. If they aren't entertained by the idea of flashy, wildly impractical things, then RoC dies and is out of mine and Lulu's reach forever.

Well, maybe not. Mystique and complexity play their part in Rule of Cool as well. The mystery and danger of the unknown and veiled is just as cool as punching so hard that things explode. I recall one old series about using the spirits of heroes in death games. One of the heroes was from Irish folklore, Cúchulainn, armed with this iconic spear, Gáe Bulg.

Now, I'm not a historian, but I recall the only ability Gáe Bulg possessed was the ability to erupt into barbs, requiring the spear to be cut from the body of the victim. This version of Gáe Bulg has a magical attack that is 100% accurate and almost always fatal unless you have some sort of divine ability to block, heal, or dodge. How? The puzzling and mind-boggling ability of causality reversing.

Normally, the cause of "the heart being pierced" is "the thrust of the spear", so the logic behind the whole event is "The spear is thrust and pierces the heart." Not with this. With the magic ability, the effect "heart being pierced" happens first, before the spear thrust. This means that the target is hit before the spear is even in motion . It rewrites destiny to say "The heart is pierced by the spear thrust" to assure a hit, so you need something even wilder to counter it.

It's dumb, it's cheating, it's literally the magical equivalent of a child saying "No but I hit you though."

And it's Cool. Such is the nature of secret techniques. If it takes a while to explain how it works and/or can only be poorly explained, then it'll probably invoke the mystery clause of Rule of Cool. See examples like King Crimson. Brainy types will analyze it, understand it, and be amazed. Midwits and idiots will hear a lot of big words and activation conditions and think it deep, and thus cool. Shit, it took me a session browsing the wiki before I understood some of the more bullshit powers from that old anime. Some are so dumb that they run full circle and come back to being cool.

RoC is a deep subject tied to the very core of shounen anime and thus tied to the core of the world beneath my feet. I'm sure I'll come back here to add more notes sometime soon.

Addendum 1: Testing has revealed that YES, if people are actively amazed by what they are seeing and/or hearing, then RoC stacks on itself. Mister Johansson came to watch Lulu and I spar one morning, and he stood with his mouth open in surprise as we traded blows. I could feel my strength begin to swell as his faint aura flashed on the edge of my senses, and it took an effort to not let myself fight beyond peak human. Lulu had no such reservations and put a boot in my ass. Actual measured testing is required to determine just how effective the spectator boost is, and if there is a diminishing effect from repeat watchers who are used to what they see.

With a yawn, Julian seats himself down at Mister Johans - Bob's kitchen table as the rancher hums a tune at the stove, something divine-smelling cooking. "Mornin' Bob."

"Good mornin' to you, Julian," the man looks over his shoulder with a smile. "Breakfast'll be ready in a minute. Coffee is already done."

Julian nods sleepily and rises again, walking to the cupboard where the dishes lay as to set out three spots. Like he's done dozens of times before, three plates, three forks, and three knives are set out.

"Where's Lulu?" Bob asks. "Normally she's the first one up."

Julian looks up at Bob's back as he reaches back in the cupboard for a pair of mugs, one for himself and one for Bob. The teen hums as he slides past his employer to the steaming coffee pot on the edge of the small counter. "She's up," he says, pouring out two hot mugs. Julian sets one down at Bob's spot and sips the other, a coating of aura in his mouth letting him drink it fresh without a burn. "A Houndour by the fence had the Miltank in a tizzy, so Lulu went to go dissuade him of anything he might regret."

From the unfamiliar aura fleeing the edge of Julian's sixth sense, he can tell his partner found success. Her own signature of bright blue lingers for a moment, then begins bounding back to the house.

The rancher nods and turns back to the stove, scraping sizzling hashbrowns with his spatula. "Neighbor kid's Houndour?"

"I think."

"That boy needs to get a better leash," Bob harrumphs. "Stella is gonna send that little dog packing with an ugly hoofmark on his rear one of these days."

Julian grins into his mug as he sits back down, imagining the poor dog pokemon yelping and zipping away from the fence crying cartoonish tears, a horseshoe stuck to his behind.

The doorknob of the back door in the room over jiggles, then in walks Lulu, stopping just long enough to wipe her hindpaws on the floormat. "I think Houndour will have second thoughts next time," she comments, stepping into the kitchen with her nose twitching. She pulls one of the squeaky wooden chairs out from the table and takes her spot.

'When I get a house, I'm going to need a big table for all of my pokemon…' Julian's morning-brain conjures up a chaotic scene akin to the Last Supper as he idly watches Lulu rub a spot of dirt off of one of her paw spikes. Her gauntlet is absent, safely stowed upstairs. 'Shit. I'll need a big house with a big kitchen for a big team to sit in.' He grunts into another sip of his coffee.

Lulu's nose twitches again, and she levels her trainer's mug with a frown. "I still don't understand how you enjoy that," she says with clear disdain. "Something so pleasant smelling having such an awful taste is an affront to nature."

Julian smiles and sets his mug down. "It's an acquired taste."

'One I've had fifteen years to get used to.'

"Not one for coffee, eh Lulu?" Bob chuckles as he shuts the stove off.

Julian leans back slightly, letting Bob, pan in hand, scoop a heaping helping of steaming hot eggs and hashbrowns onto his place. The rancher does the same for Lulu, who smiles and nods her thanks, then he fills his own plate before dropping the pan in the kitchen sink to be washed later.

As Bob settles into his seat at the table with a content sigh, he lifts his fork and gives it a deft twirl in his fingers. "Dig in, you two. You're gonna need the energy. We've got to re-roof the garage before it rains tomorrow, milk the Miltank, then deliveries need to go out."

Neither Lulu nor Julian need any encouragement to dig into breakfast.

Pushing open the barn door, Julian sighs and pulls his leather work gloves off, stuffing them into his back pocket. He glances out into the pasture, and already the Miltank have noticed the open gate and barn. All the pokemon ready to be milked have begun the walk over to him.

'I guess that's the single nice thing about sapient cattle. No need to round all of them up, they just come in without a fuss when they're ready.' Part of him wonders what role normal animals play in the world other than food, and where are they? They definitely exist, the meat section of the supermarket proves it, as the shelves explicitly say things like 'beef' or 'pork', and the packaging usually features pictures of real animals. 'Eh. I guess I don't really care that much. It makes sense that an anime world would sidestep the whole 'eating sapient creatures' issue with a big handwave.'

Looking down at himself, Julian reflects over the last few weeks.

After months of living in a Lucario pack, ranch work proved to be easy enough. The work involved more lifting and moving with loads, but the miraculous power of aura negated the aches and pains of a hard day. Something too heavy to lift? Aura fixes that. Go overboard and sprain something? Circulate your aura and encourage the sprain to heal in mere hours. Tired after a long day? A shot of aura to the nervous system will keep you awake. Think someone is trying to rip you off? Read their aura and watch for dishonest wavers.

It took some time to refine his senses enough to read people, and even then it's not always 100% accurate. Living with a pack of the open-book aura-batteries called Lucario spoiled him in that regard.

Anyway, the ability to manipulate raw life force is utter bullshit now that almost no one else around them can pull the same think anyone could have the power so long as a Lucario is willing to unlock it for them… It makes sense why the rare breed of pokemon are so secretive. 'And it makes my fateful meeting with the pack all the more suspect…'

Julian and Lulu's mere twelve dollars an hour from Bob went a surprisingly long way without taxes or room and board to worry about. Lulu didn't need much at all, just the basics. As Julian expected, his starter found a new delight in a hot shower (he didn't realize just how vibrant a blue she would be after having proper soap take years of dirt out of her coat) so some money went into grooming supplies for her… and a drain catcher so fur doesn't clog Bob's bathtub.

Julian took the liberty of spending their first fist full of cash on some new clothes, a cheap phone, some hair ties to keep his messy, shoulder-length hair out of his face, a mundane, non-Silph backpack to replace his ratty berry-stained bag, and several books on the subject of pokemon training and traveling life. The clothes, phone, backpack, and books on pokemon were useful, but the guides on camping?

Laughably bad, as they assumed the reader had thousands of dollars to drop on gadgets.

Not exactly one for fashion, several black sleeveless shirts, a few sets of jeans, a belt, brown work boots, leather work gloves, socks, and underwear constitute Julian's new wardrobe. A jacket was debated, but just letting his aura slowly flow kept him warm during the chilled Sinnoh nights.

Bullshit. That, and a vain part of him doesn't want anything to cover his bare arms or the tight black shirt that leaves little to the imagination.

The rest of the money was squirreled away, waiting to be used on supplies and rarely brought forth for a luxury or two.

Fingering the leather cord on his keystone necklace, Julian hums to himself in thought. 'I should get something new to hang the pendant on. This leather is starting to fray.' He looks back up as the first Miltank waddles her way into the barn. "Morning, Matilda."

"Good morning, Julian," the cow pokemon smiles up at him. Her smile falls as she looks at his hands, suddenly looking disgruntled. "Oh, Julian…" She gives him an accusatory glare and crosses her short arms. "I know humans have lotions and concoctions to make their hands softer. Must you have those rough calluses?"

The man-turned-teen twitches. "Matilda, please don't make this any weirder than it has to be."

The Miltank clicks her tongue and waddles her way to the milking table in the corner of the barn, Julian reluctantly following behind her. "Honestly, Robert has the excuse of not understanding, but you don't," she says. Even as a squat, bipedal cow, Matilda is still a pokemon, and thus has more than enough leg strength to hop up onto the bastardized massage table, which wobbles as she lands on it. She takes her time settling, making sure to not pinch anything as she lays down, the udders on her belly hanging through the hole in the center of the padded table.

After grabbing a clean pail and the stool from the corner, Julian seats himself, plops the pail under Matilda, and starts the always awkward process of milking her. Focusing on the metallic rasps of milk splattering in the pail, he vainly tries to pretend he's milking a normal cow. "You know, if I let my hands soften up, I would just tear them up working and get more calluses, bringing us back to square one."

The Miltank lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Silly boy. How are you ever going to find a mate like that? Don't make sense, just say 'yes dear'."

"I'm th-fifteen, Matilda, I think I have some time before I need to worry about that…" He nearly slips and spills his real age.

For a few minutes, Julian works silently.

The cow pokemon adjusts the pillow under her head with her chin before glancing around. "Where is Lulu, hun? Normally she's here so she can silently snicker at you."

"Helping Bob reroof the garage," Julian replies, rising and taking the nearly full pail over to an empty 15-gallon jug. He pours the milk inside, hearing it fill a third of the way before capping the jug. "Some of the shingles are getting old, and he wants to replace them before water can get in and cause rot." As he turns around to return and finish getting the last bit of milk from Matilda, he pauses when she gives him a searching look. "What's with the face?"

"Nothing," she turns her eyes away. "How long until you and Lulu leave, hun?"

The blonde trainer thinks for a moment. "We've been here for about six weeks…" He sits back down and replaces the 5-gallon pail, going back to milking the Miltank. "So in about two weeks Lulu and I will be setting off. Why?"

There is no answer for a long minute, and just as Julian begins to become anxious, Matilda finally speaks. "It'll just feel a little strange without you here I reckon," she says. "I know Robert likes havin' you and Lulu around, and not just for work. When Lucas left to be a trainer for the pokemon professor in town, it had Robert down for a while."

"Lucas is Bob's grandson, I take it?" Julian recalls several photos in the house, one of which being a young boy with dark blue, almost black hair. 'Wasn't Lucas the protagonist in the 4th gen games?' It's been so long that he can't recall.

Matilda nods, looking at the wall of the barn wistfully. "He's a smart, gentle boy. Perfect for being a pokemon trainer. I ain't surprised that the professor scooped him up."

'So Rowan is already sponsoring a trainer…' Julian suppresses an annoyed sigh. 'We can find other sponsors I guess.' Outwardly, he asks; "Lucas worked the ranch with Bob before we did then?"

"Not often," the Miltank rises after Julian squeezes the last few drops from her. "His father wanted him to study, but when Lucas was here, he was a doll."

The blonde teen takes the full pail over to the jug he pulled aside and dumps the milk inside before capping it again. "Sounds like a nice kid," Julian comments. "So is this a big roundabout way of saying you'll miss me?" He teases.

"'Course I will."

Surprised, Julian turns to face the Miltank, who hops off the table and gives him a hard stare. "So will the rest of the girls, and Robert, and Stella, even if the ornery old mare won't say it." She frowns. "Why do you look so startled?"

"I… Lulu and I are just ranch hands who've been here for a few weeks is all." He fumbles, unsure how to explain. He sets the pail down and leans on the milk jug next to him. "I don't think that really constitutes knowing each other long enough to be worth missing. We're just… work associates I guess?"

'Come to think of it. I think I could call maybe two people back with DARPA friends, if barely. Who goes to work to make friends?'

The look Matilda gives him is one of offense, and from her, he can feel her aura buzz in agitation. Unbidden, embers of Friendship warm his chest.

"That don't matter none," the Miltank points a hoof at him. "Friends ain't nothing that take an age to make. Be it a day or a lifetime together, two people or pokemon can have something that lasts. You're going to be missed by everyone here." Her indignant anger slowly drains, replaced with melancholy. "I guess… you ain't going to miss us then?" She asks, eyes slowly filling with hurt tears.

"That's not what I said!" Julian quickly denies, wondering how this conversation even took this turn. "It's… Well… Look, don't put words in my mouth, okay? I'll miss you…" The blatant lie makes him hesitate as the Friendship inside of him burns him as he says the words. "I just don't see the point getting super attached to people you work with, and it's for reasons like this. I may never come back to Sandgem for all we know."

Matilda's shoulders slump. "I see…" She looks away.

The image makes Julian wince.

'Shounen anime you dummy. Of course real, instant friends are a thing here. Even if you don't like them, they might like you.' The revelation makes Julian wince again. 'Great. I'm the odd one out and look like a jerk for it. Does Bob feel the same way? Stella? Nurse Joy?' Lord knows even if she hasn't been a constant presence, Joy has been a huge help every time he and Lulu have stopped by the center.

"Matilda?" He starts unsurely, pulling the downtrodden Miltank's eyes back to him. "Things were a little different where I'm from. People just don't grow close like that so quickly. I didn't realize you all thought that way about Lulu and me. I'm sorry if I came off like I didn't care at all…" He sighs and crosses his arms. "This has certainly given me a lot to think about, at least."

The cow pokemon blinks, then smiles gently, walking up to pull a surprised Julian into a tight hug. "It's okay, hun. I forgive you. I can't say I rightly understand that kinda mindset, but 'round here in Sinnoh, folk care for one another," she says, pulling her face from his chest to look up at him.

The warm embers of Friendship pulse in Julian's chest, making his entire aura lighten and putting a smile on his face as he hugs the Miltank back.

"Now!" Matilda lets go and waggles one forehoof at him. "Every bond between you and someone else is special, remember that. No more of this pretending while pushing others away, you hear? There ain't nothing wrong with missing someone."

Julian smiles back. "Of course."

As she turns to leave and tell the next Miltank it's her turn, Matilda throws one more line over her shoulder. "I still think you could do without the calluses!"

"There we have it!" Julian grins and bends over, letting Lulu hop off of his shoulders. "Just like new, eh?"

"Perhaps not 'new', but certainly better," Lulu wryly comments as she stands up and dusts her paws off. "Better than replacing the whole thing."

Beside them on the sidewalk of Sandgem's sleepy market street, Miss Justine, the elderly pokemon daycare owner looks up at the now firmly attached sign hanging over the door of her daycare. The sign, depicting a Furret curled around a multitude of baby pokemon, squeaks slightly as the wind makes it rock.

"Julian, Lulu," Justine clasps her hands with a smile. "You two are just dears, you know that?"

Just a day prior, a Staraptor almost drunkenly smashed into the old sign then flew off without so much as a word according to Miss Justine, leaving the sign hanging from a single hinge while the rod it was hanging from was bent at an odd angle. Normally, the wrought iron sign would need to be pulled out of the masonry of the building and repaired in a shop, or just replaced. A costly and time-consuming endeavor for an old woman who raises pokemon more out of love than profit.

To Lulu, who caught on to the importance of money quickly, there was no reason to make Miss Justine go to the trouble when the strong paws of a Lucario could just bend everything back into place.

'That, and having a supportive hometown rooting for you in the finals of the pokemon league tournament has to be worth some kind of trope boost.' Julian muses. 'A little goodwill goes a long way.' He clears his throat and files the thoughts away for later. "It's not a problem at all, Miss Justine," he smiles. "We could help, so we did." He looks over his shoulder, where Stella impatiently waits with her cart hooked up behind her. Julian can feel the equine pokemon's eyes boring into him. "Let's get you your jug and we'll be on our way. I think Stella is getting a bit antsy."

Justine clicks her tongue and shakes her head, making the gray ponytail her hair is pulled back into flick side-to-side. "Sinnoh needs more hard-workin' youngsters like you two. This town of old codgers especially."

The blonde teen just smiles and trots back to the cart parked on the side of the street. Ignoring the Rapidash's impatiently tapping hoof, he sucks in a breath in a show of effort before lifting one of the jugs up and out, not at all actually strained as the aura running through his veins does the hard work for him. With careful steps to keep the Moomoo milk from sloshing too much, he carries the jug inside. "Just set it down anywhere, dear," Justine says as she follows him in. "The little ones can help push it around later."

With a shrug, Julian sets the heavy jug down by the reception desk and looks around the daycare's tiny lobby. Through the wall, he can feel auras that dwarf Miss Justine and stand head and shoulders above him, but they're like children before Lulu's bonfire of soulful blue. "Need help with anything else before we take off, ma'am?"

Miss Justine laughs, a sound like a cackle that doesn't fit her grandmotherly image at all. "Dear, don't spoil me now. I know you got a job to do, so I won't keep you." She waves a hand. "Get going."

"Don't be afraid to wave us down if we're passing by and you need something," Julian grins. "Off to the landing strip then. Let's move, Lulu."

Back outside, Stella snorts as Lulu and Julian exit the daycare, the bell on the door jingling and making the horse pokemon's ear flick. "About time, you two," she grumbles as the boy and Lucario clamber into the cart's carriage seats. Julian doesn't even need to touch the reins before Stella starts pulling them along the street in a route she's long since memorized. "Do you need to stop and play superhero for everyone we talk to?"

Lulu sniffs and crosses her arms. "We've no urgent tasks today, so there isn't any reason to not help where we can. One should give to their community."

"That's all fine and dandy, but it makes my day longer too," The Rapidash frowns. "Maybe only do extra chores if it's something urgent? It's getting old after the hundredth time…"

"It hasn't been a hundred times…" Lulu turns away.

Stella snorts and throws her fiery mane. "Hundred and first then. Keep this up and everyone will think you're brown-nosing for something."

'We are. What we want are supporters.'

"Hundred and first," Julian scoffs, watching as they pass the small electronics store of Sandgem. Standing outside washing the windows is Peter, the middle-aged owner. He turns when he hears Stella's hooves clopping down the road and waves at them with a bright smile. Julian waves back. 'The league year starts in just two weeks, then Lulu and I start off…' Again, the anxiety of leaving 'home'pokes at him, but it's so much less than when they left the pack. He leans back and wonders about Matilda's words from earlier. 'Friendships are so much easier to form here, and they're made to last. The average person is just… naturally approachable and friendly. Hell, a lot of people don't even lock their doors. I know Bob doesn't.' He frowns and wraps a hand around the keystone hanging from his neck, gently rubbing the cool gold and the smooth stone. 'Can't do that back on earth. Leave your door unlocked and someone will invite themselves in and help themselves to everything expensive you own. You can barely even ask someone the time without getting an ugly look.'

"Julian?"

The teen looks to the side, where Lulu sits with her paws folded in her lap. She gives him a sideways glance. "You look deep in thought and your aura darkened for a moment. Is everything okay?" She asks.

"Just fine," he quietly answers. "I was thinking about how different Sandgem, or hell, Sinnoh in its entirety is from my home."

"I don't think I've heard you talk about where you're from at length." Lulu fully turns her head to peer at him with her ruby eyes. "I didn't quite understand how you got lost the last time you tried to tell me."

Stella's ears don't flick back to listen, but her aura stills in obvious curiosity, so Julian carefully chooses his words. "It's… a long story. I think you were missing some context for my explanation last time. I'll have to teach you some human concepts first for it to really stick. Even then, you might find a better explanation in a book, so as soon as those beginner books I ordered come in, I can start teaching you."

Lulu nods and smiles, trusting his words. "Of course. I'll be happy to learn."

At the same time, Stella's aura darkens in disappointment but remains still as she curiously ponders Julian's words. He can practically feel the questions on her tongue. "Pardon for eavesdropping," The Rapidash begins, and for a moment Julian fears she's going to press for a better explanation. "What's so different about Sinnoh and wherever you're from?"

"Well…" Julian keeps his voice down. It's no secret in Sandgem that he can understand Lulu, but no one really knows just how deep it goes. Talking to and understanding a pokemon that isn't his word for word? Not attention they need right now. "Everyone is honest and friendly, for one. Back home, it takes serious time and effort to form worthwhile friendships. Here, it just seems like it happens on its own. Before being a pokemon trainer, I could count my friends on one hand with fingers to spare. It just wasn't worth it most of the time." He crosses one leg over the other and looks up at the cloudless blue sky, silently marveling at the brilliant color unmarred by smog. "It was hard to tell what people were thinking, too. You couldn't really trust anyone without knowing them. A lot of people in Sandgem leave windows open and doors unlocked at night. That would never fly back home, that's just asking for your house to be broken into." He turns his attention back to Stella and Lulu.

Lulu gives him a startled look, her aura frazzled. Stella likewise looks back at him, slowing her gait so she can focus her bewildered eyes on the boy.

Julian can't help but shrink slightly, feeling as if he misspoke.

"That…" The horse pokemon pulling the boy and Lucario along hesitates. "Don't be offended, but that doesn't sound like the sort of place I'd like to be. Or a place a young'un like you should be…"

"Idyllic anime world, Julian. Stuff is backward here. Big bad threatening to break shit? No prob. No friends? Legitimately horrifying.' He chastises himself. "No no, I understand. Sinnoh is my new home anyway."

A tension previously unnoticed in Stella's withers eases, and she turns her attention forward again. "Good."

From the way Lulu's aura is rolling in turmoil, Julian can tell there's a question eating at her, but she remains silent. Instead, her eyes carefully regard him.

The rest of the ten-minute trot to the airstrip to have the remaining milk boxed up and shipped out is leisurely. Lulu and Stella's respective auras settle, the conversation apparently fading from their minds the further they go, and before long, the modest airport on the edge of town comes into view.

The Sandgem airport is small, smaller than any municipal airport Julian has ever been to. With a single black tarmac runway for planes, a single-story office and small warehouse off to the side, a tiny ATC tower, and just one hangar. Only a handful of aircraft are at the airport at any given time. Not to say the airport is totally barren, because…

Julian shades his eyes with his hand, watching the shadow of a soaring Fearow against the sun swoop down towards the hangar. In its talons, a huge wooden cargo crate is carried aloft seemingly without any difficulty. With a few flaps of its broad wings, the bird pokemon kicks up a storm of dust as it lands gently with its load. A team of men in jumpsuits jog out of the hangar towards Fearow and its crate, dollies and crowbars ready.

…Planes are fine for some applications, but flying pokemon are often better.

There isn't even a fence around the field, just a single guard post along the road.

Stella slows and comes to a stop by the one-man guard post, making the brown-uniformed guard put down his newspaper and peer up at Julian. "Ah, hey kiddo. Delivery?"

"Delivery." Julian nods.

The guard presses a button on the wall of the guardhouse, making the gate arm blocking the road rise with the whine of an old electrical motor. "In you go. Have a good one."

"Same to you," Julian smiles.

They continue on, taking the cart up to the single-story office and past it to the warehouse. They ride past several teams of people and pokemon, either on break or waiting for something to do until they get to an open bay door on the side of the building. It takes only a moment for a team of Machop to walk out and begin unloading the remaining fifteen jugs from the cart, taking them inside the warehouse to be packed. Each of the three Machop easily carries around the metal jugs that would topple a man, and already a jumpsuit-clad man inside the warehouse is setting up a wooden crate as another stands by with a five-foot-tall roll of shrink wrap.

"Angelo?"

Julian, too engrossed watching the warehouse workers, doesn't notice the minuscule aura approaching until his name is called. He blinks, then peers down from the cart to his left. Both Stella and Lulu follow his gaze, the former looking confused while the latter frowns grumpily.

Standing just a few yards away with his ever-present scowl is Paul Shinji. The purple-headed teen blinks and raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you again, Paul. You're a stellar conversationalist as usual," Julian snorts, making the other boy's frown deepen. "We're here on work-related business, dropping off Miltank milk to be shipped out. What are you doing here at the airport?"

"I just flew in from Veilstone," Paul points a thumb over his shoulder to a small passenger plane on the runway getting ready for takeoff. The propeller on the nose of the plane spins up, then the aircraft slowly begins to pull down the tarmac to leave.

Julian waits, but when Paul doesn't elaborate further, he waves his hand in a "well?" gesture. "Okay, but why? A rematch or something?"

Lulu perks up, her aura flaring almost enough to be visible.

"...Later," Paul eventually says, much to Lulu's disappointment. He crosses his arms. "I'm in Sandgem to have Professor Rowan update my pokedex, then I'll be setting off for the Sinnoh gym circuit."

"Pokedex, huh?" Julian murmurs, trying to keep his stinging envy out of his voice. Oh, the awful things he would do for a real pokedex, but alas, the real deals are only given out by regional professors, and even knock-offs cost thousands.

"I also want to talk to you about something," Paul doesn't avert his eyes, but his aura twists in a decidedly uncomfortable way. "About what you said after that battle a few weeks ago."

"Oh?" Julian rubs his chin. "Sure thing. Let me finish up here then we can give you a ride back to town as we talk." Without waiting for an answer, he turns back to the Machop unloading the last jug. "Hey, can we get our shipping forms?"

"Sure thing, pal!" The Machop cheerfully replies. Like with all pokemon, Julian can hear the raw sounds that Machop's mouth makes, but Julian's aura feeds a comically thick Brooklyn accent to his brain, making the teen smirk. "Hey, knuckleheads!" Machop raises a cupped hand to his mouth, magnifying his voice. "Someone get the kid his papers so he can go!"

"Yeah, yeah, loudmouth. Cool it!" Another Machop yells, shaking the claw-hammer in his grip. He sinks the nail into the crate he's assembling with a single masterful whack. "Jimmy is on the way!"

From a small side office comes one of the warehouse workers, this time a man in a hard hat and jumpsuit with a clipboard under his arm. He walks his way up to the now empty cart holding Julian and Lulu, and holds it out. "Afternoon, son. Sign here and take your copy."

Julian signs the form, rips off his copy and folds it, then hands the clipboard back. "Thanks. Take it easy." He says, stuffing the farm's shipping copy into his pocket. As the warehouse worker waves and leaves, the blonde trainer turns back to Paul. "Okay, let's get going."

Lulu, albeit reluctantly, hops into the back of the empty cart, letting Paul unsurely climb on and sit next to Julian, placing his backpack beside him as he does so.

"Stella?" Julian begins. "Can you take us to the pokemon lab please?"

"I suppose," The Rapidash sighs and begins a brisk trot, turning away from the warehouse and back toward the road. Her fiery mane and tail flare just a little in her annoyance, hitting the boys behind her with a puff of warm air. "Didn't we just have a conversation about doin' everyone favors a little bit ago?"

The blonde smiles back awkwardly, then schools his expression as he looks to Paul. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

The younger boy's face remains impressively blank, but his aura contorts itself into an anxious shape. "Regarding what you told me, how pokemon need training and… other things. How sure are you?" He asks carefully, as if wary of stumbling into a joke.

"A hundred-and-ten percent," Julian smiles and waves to the airport gate guard as they pass, then returns his attention to Paul. "I don't think it, I know it. A pokemon grows in proportion with the love they receive from a trainer. You can drive pokemon into the ground with the most effective, most grueling training, refine them into something elite while totally divorcing them from your emotions, and still get wiped by a trainer who was half as effective as you who made an effort to see their pokemon happy and loved." He raises a finger. "As I said, it's like the powers that be made things this way as a check and balance system."

"Check and balance system, huh?" Paul shakes his head. "First, there are no higher powers, and second, why would you think that?"

'Oh, I'm not getting into that argument.' Julian rolls his eyes. "Think about it. If pokemon could grow just fine on training alone, why hasn't a psycho raised an unbeatable team and become the Overlord of the world or something?"

Paul blinks. "What?"

Behind them, Julian hears Lulu shift. "What do you mean?" She asks.

Stella says nothing, but she does twist one of her ears around to listen.

"Think about it a little," Julian taps the side of his head with a finger. "If genuine love and friendship plays no factor in the growth of a pokemon, then how has some immoral, unfeeling wackjob not raised a team of pokemon into unstoppable monsters and taken a huge chunk of the world as his own, if not the whole world?"

Paul doesn't seem impressed. "They would be stopped by the Pokemon League. No Champion would let some crazy trainer run roughshod over them."

Julian nods along. "Sure, nowadays, they would have to compete with the League, but I'm talking before the Leagues were really organized. A hundred, two hundred, five hundred, a thousand years ago? Why didn't someone rise to power in the years before the League and create a tyrannical dynasty or something? Logically, there should have been at least one in history, but there's… almost nothing. Barely anyone who could be called evil in all of recorded history has made a successful power grab long enough to cause permanent damage. Doesn't it seem weird that all the evil with a capital E figures in history who used pokemon were stopped?"

Paul hesitates, but after a moment he formulates an answer. "You're forgetting the tale of the King of Kalos. He killed countless people and pokemon with some mysterious weapon out of revenge. Why wasn't he stopped then?"

'What?' Julian blinks, frantically trying to think of the light reading he's done about pokemon history. It takes a moment, but he recalls a crucial detail of the old tale. "Remember the keyword almost when I say 'almost nothing'. The King of Kalos was motivated by grief over his slain pokemon, and grief is arguably the most destructive form of love. Plus, he wasn't using a pokemon to cause havoc, so this whole conversation barely applies to him."

Before Paul can attempt to unravel his argument, Julian continues on. "You can't honestly say that throughout the entirety of history, the best trainers all just so happened to be moral, good people out of happenstance. No, there is a very clear correlation between a capacity for genuine love and the power of pokemon raised by the people with that capacity. It's for this reason the world isn't a hellish dystopia run by one guy with a pokemon that can sink islands. If you lose the ability to form friendships and love in a natural manner, then your pokemon stagnate. Get it?"

"Well…" Paul struggles to answer, looking away. "Thats…"

"Think of the Champions. Do any of them strike you as someone cruel or out of their mind?

"No," Paul forces out. His brows furrow and Julian backs off slightly as the younger boy's stoic expression finally begins to crack. "There's still no proof of any of this. For all I know, you could be messing with me."

"What do I have to gain by doing that?"

When Paul can't answer, Julian sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Look, I get that my theory is just a theory and all, but I'm very confident in what I'm saying. Friendship and love triumph because that's the natural order. A rule." The blonde says, feeling the weight in his own words.

Paul rocks back in the cart's bench seat, his eyes wide and mouth dropped open slightly.

"And there's no point in fighting it," Julian returns his eyes forward. "I'm not trying to jerk you around or belittle your style of training, I'm trying to pass advice that I think will help both you and your pokemon."

Paul looks down at the ground passing under their feet, his aura twisting and turning in a confusing mix of rattled, warring emotions.

Stella, likewise, seems to be reevaluating what she knows, her trot slowing to a walk as she returns her ear forward.

'I hope I didn't reveal too much…' Julian takes Stella's reins in an attempt to pretend the awkward silence isn't happening. 'I just want Paul's pokemon to be happy is all.'

"Julian…" Lulu's voice is quiet, but the troubled tremor of her aura pulls her trainer's eyes off of the back of Stella's head and to her. When her red eyes lock with his, Julian can't look away. "How did you learn all of this?" She asks, searching his face for answers.

The blonde trainer licks his lips, only to find his mouth is dry too. "Those are secrets better discussed alone, Lulu."

She takes a deep breath that pushes her chest spike out. "You weren't just being philosophical after our battle with Chimchar then? Is there really some sort of force we cannot see enforcing these rules?" She asks, placing a paw over the lip of the cart.

"Yes."

Lulu finally looks away, and Julian doesn't need to feel her aura to know she's getting overwhelmed. "Are there more rules like the one you described?"

"There are," he reaches back and puts a hand over the paw resting on the lip of the cart. "Don't worry too much about it for now. I'll explain more later."

The rest of the trip to the Sandgem pokemon lab is spent in silence. Paul's aura slowly calms as they grow closer, stoic expression returning as the purple-haired teen reflects on everything he's heard.

Stella keeps looking back, a question obviously on her lips, but each time she seems to change her mind and return her gaze forward.

The one that bothers Julian most is Lulu. On the back of his head, he can feel his Lucario's stare. He can feel that she wants to know more. 'I'll tell you everything, Lulu, I'm just not sure how to explain, or even if you'll understand.'

Stella stops the cart before the closed gate at the laboratory of Professor Rowan, letting Paul disembark with a quiet; "Thanks." As the other boy steps off the seat, Julian looks up and takes in the lab for the first time.

Being the largest building in Sandgem, the lab was always visible in the distance, but seeing it up close really hits home how large it is. The cylindrical, futuristic building is 6 or so stories tall, with an exposed deck on the 3rd floor circling the whole building. On the top are a number of satellite dishes and antennas, and at the bottom are glass doors at the end of a beaten path starting at the gate. Behind the building is a square stone windmill easily as tall as the lab, with a three-bladed propeller that spins lazily in the breeze. What purpose the windmill serves to such a hi-tech location is anyone's guess.

"Hey, Angelo?"

"Hmm?" Julian returns his attention to Paul. "What's up?"

Paul sighs, seemingly mulling something over before he says; "Travel with me."

"Pardon?" The older teen tilts his head, wondering if he heard right. Did Paul just say-

"Travel with me."

He did.

"Erm…" Julian scratches his head, bewildered. "That's kind of out of left field. Any reason, or…?"

"You seem so sure of yourself that I want to see it first hand." Paul crosses his arms, his scowl deepening. "This is the first time I've ever heard any of this natural order junk, so I want to see if you're real or just full of hot air. If it's all real, I'll…" His next words seemingly pain him. "I'll admit that you're right." He closes his eyes in thought and taps his foot. "Since you're working for a farm, you're obviously broke and have no skills, so this will split the cost of traveling for you as well. You're taking the gym challenge, aren't you?"

Julian chokes out a laugh despite the flare of annoyance from the reminder of how financially insecure he is. 'Fuck. That's a good point actually…' He turns to Lulu, who is watching the whole thing with narrowed eyes. "Lulu? Any input?"

Paul goes to scoff, but stops himself just barely short.

The Lucario sighs. "Despite my own distaste for certain company and my confidence in ourselves," she begins, giving Paul a pointed look. "There is safety and security in numbers. It would be a wise idea. At least I think so."

"Well well, I guess that decides it," Julian grins and holds out a hand. "Glad you could join us, partner!"

Paul gives the outstretched hand a sour look. "I'm already regretting this, and you're the one joining me." Reluctantly, he reaches out and clasps Julian's hand. "Just be back here in a week, moron."

Chapter Text

Entry #3: The Power of Friendship

Friendship. It's a near-universal concept. If you want to get real technical with it, friendship is defined as a bond of mutual affection that exists outside of familial or sexual relationships, but that's awfully sterile. I think most people would agree that this definition is accurate, but missing something .

Real-life friendship is something much harder to put into words. There almost aren't words for it, now that I think about it. There is a spark, a selfless want to be around a real friend and help them even at cost to yourself. Some pedantic nerd might argue that it's all actually selfish, that the urge to risk yourself for a friend is some evolutionary bull so they feel the same and become a resource to be used later.

These people deserved the swirlies they got in school.

Sometimes a friendship is instant. In just a day or two you feel like you've known the other person your whole life. Other times it takes years to form, like an acquired taste. I know I didn't like Helga in HR back with DARPA at first, but years of two-minute conversations added up and I think I could have tentatively called her a friend. She did mark my compliance training as complete even after I skipped it, so maybe the feeling was mutual.

But here? Real Friendship is a force.

I was tipped off to this by my ability to feel Friendship . Not emotions as a result of friendship, but the ability to feel Friendship.

Normally, if one spends time with a friend, they feel happy, or content. Friendship is not the emotion, but the stimulus evoking the emotion. Not here, oh no. Friendship is a standalone emotion. By spending time with a friend, you feel Friendship with happiness and other emotions as secondary by-products.

How does one boil down such a nebulous and complex idea into a single emotion? I don't know. My attempts at understanding it are going nowhere in a hurry and it's driving me mad. How do I know what this feeling is, and why does it feel so different from other emotions? There aren't words in the English lexicon for the sensations I feel, and efforts to search for some fitting definition other than Friendship have been fruitless.

̶O̶n̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶l̶e̶v̶e̶l̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶p̶a̶c̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶l̶o̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶E̶a̶r̶t̶h̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶

I'll need to update this entry at a later point.

Onto the practical bit. Anyone who knows the Shounen genre knows that The Power of Friendship is usually a central theme. The plucky hero, beloved by all who are good (and sometimes people who aren't good) has a supernatural charisma. Using that charisma, they develop strong bonds with the people around them, then when it's all down to the wire, they fight beyond all limits to save their friends using supernatural willpower. The hero saves the day, the group reaffirms and strengthens their bonds, and they prepare for the next adventure that will surely test their Friendship.

The level of individual enhancement one can get from their friends depends on the media, but here in pokemon? Friendship is Power.

I can only speculate that this is because of the nature of pokemon training and pokemon themselves. Pokemon provide security and power, and humans provide comfort and industry, things the other struggle to acquire alone. Naturally, people and pokemon would come together to magnify their strengths and cover their weaknesses. The pokemon gets a luxurious life with the ability to benefit from human advancements in food, training, and medicine, making them stronger than their wild counterparts, and the trainer gets fame and wealth, neatly explaining the basics of a pokemon/trainer relationship. Since a trainer career is a long-term one, the lives of everyone involved are much easier if the pokemon and the trainer become friends, so that's usually what happens.

Now, consistent food supply, meds, and directed training will of course make a pokemon stronger, but now let's factor in The Power of Friendship. With their supernatural abilities, pokemon stand to gain the most from this arrangement.

During my testing (or what little testing I could do with as fickle as an emotionally based power is) Friendship proved itself to be a multiplying force applied after other bonuses have already been accounted for. The degrees vary, but the increase is usually profound. If two pokemon of equal skill and strength clash, but one has a loving trainer, then that pokemon will likely win.

In most anime, The Power of Friendship is usually just enough to turn the tides of a bad situation. Reminding yourself of the people you're fighting for can motivate even a mundane person, but the increase is small (barring the cases where it's a catalyst to a new transformation/level of power previously locked. (Then again pokemon does that too…))

With pokemon, the increase scales to a stupid level, and I think I know why.

It all fits a little too neatly together. The best way to the top of the world is on the shoulders of a pokemon, and pokemon are at their best when they're friends with their humans. It keeps bad eggs under heel well.

I will name no names, not even written here in a code only I know, for I dare not draw the attention of something Lulu and I aren't ready to handle, but…

I suspect the potency of Friendship is a matter of intelligent design.

"Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind!" Riding the high of his Fighting Spirit, Julian ducks a paw that would have belted him across the mouth and wiped away his dopey grin. "If you wanna test me, I'm sure you'll find - shit!"

Lulu catches Julian's retaliatory roundhouse and wraps her arms around his leg. She tilts back on her heel, and with a twist of her ankles and a throw of her hips, lifts her trainer off the ground in a circle swing that draws a yelp from him. One, two, three times she spins him around, growing faster each time. Then with a growl, she lets go and sends Julian tumbling through the air in an unforgiving arc.

Julian ignores the nauseous gurgle of his stomach as the ground, the barn, and the grass rush by his sight. He rotates his torso and digs his fingers into the grass, halting the tumbling.

..!

He feels Lulu's aura rushing him before he can put his feet on the ground and get back up, so Julian jams his finger into the dirt for grip and kicks both feet out in a mule kick without bothering to look. "The things I'll teach ya is sure to beat ya, so-!"

Rather than halt, block, or jump over the attack, Lulu instead slides under it, a hindpaw held out in a sliding kick that knocks Julian's hands away.

Before gravity takes hold of Julian, he watches Lulu slide under him, her smirking muzzle passing less than an inch away from his nose. Their eyes meet for an instant, and hers say; 'I win.' As soon as she's clear of Julian's falling body, Lulu springs back into a standing stance.

'You bitch.'

Julian flops to the ground with a grunt, the air partially driven from his lungs. Before he can get his bearings, a knee presses into his back and a furry palm lightly touches his neck.

"Damnit. Okay, you win…" The blonde grumbles into the grass, not lifting his head. He feels Lulu rise off of his back and giggle a clear note. With an exaggerated sigh and a theatrical amount of effort, Julian flops over onto his back, staring up at the clear sky.

A paw held out to him obscures his sight, so he reaches out and clasps it with his hands, letting Lulu pull him to his feet.

"That was an interesting stunt with your kick there," Lulu says, releasing his hands. "It might have worked a bit better if you weren't splitting your focus on that song of yours."

Julian grumbles once more and brushes loose grass from his hair. "What gave me away this time? Too much wind-up or my aura?" He asks, bending down to unroll the partially rolled up legs of his jeans. He notes the grass stains on his bare feet and discards the idea of going in to wash up. If his socks get dirty, so be it.

"A little of both, perhaps." The Lucario admits. She looks down at the blades of grass clinging to her. Brilliant blue wisps of light seep from her fur, and a tiny pulse of aura blows the offending grass away. "I noticed your legs tensing, but I wasn't sure what you were going to do until I read your aura. Excellent effort, however."

"The story of my life, I suppose." Julian sighs.

Lulu gives him a vaguely offended stare and plants her forepaws on her hips. "Don't be discouraged! You're still keeping me on my toes even after months of training together. There are a few pack members back home who can't claim the same thing."

Julian snorts, but he can feel the genuine Friendship in her aura reaching out and touching him, making the warmth he's becoming so used to pool in his chest.

Together, the pair wordlessly drop into cooldown stretches, giving Julian a bit of time to think to himself.

'Today is the day…' He looks over to the barn wall where his boots lay. On top of them are his folded socks, and on top of the socks is his cellphone. Paul called just an hour ago, tersely asking where Julian wanted to meet. Naturally, the blonde chose the farm. 'We're setting out into the wilds of Sinnoh together to become champions. If anyone counts the time I moved away from home back on earth, then this will be the third time I've left the nest, I guess.'

Julian's thoughts turn to the Lucario pack, and the encampment he called home for months. 'I hope Ma is doing okay. Lulu is hers and Pops' only kid. It must be strange to see her go. Pops…' The severe visage of the Alpha Male Lucario crosses Julian's mind. 'I bet he's handling it better. Ha! Maybe I'll finally get to see him smile when we come back and Lulu lays him flat.'

Once more, Julian's thoughts take a turn, this time back to earth. 'Dad is a tough guy. I hate to make him bury another family member, but he's stern stuff. We barely talked over the last few years anyway, so that'll probably make things easier.' His brothers, so estranged after years apart, don't get much of a thought. Mom though…

The beautiful slip of a woman is burned into his mind after studying her photograph day in and day out so that he would never forget her. Having been the near saint that she was, would she hold it against him for not wanting to go back to earth and be with what remained of his family?

'No, Mom isn't like that.' Julian bites his lip and clamps down on his aura so Lulu can't feel his distress. 'She'd be happy for me, right?'

"Julian?" Lulu's voice provides a blessed distraction. Julian looks up from his toe touch to see the concerned pokemon standing above him. "You've been holding that stretch for almost a minute. Are you okay?"

"Have I?" Julian blinks, letting go of his toes and standing. He gives his leg a little shake. "I'm fine, Lulu. Just thinking is all.

The small frown on Lulu's muzzle deepens. "If something were truly bothering you, you would tell me, wouldn't you?"

The lie on Julian's tongue stops a split second before it can fly. Instead, he sighs. "I was thinking of home. Not the pack, but before that."

Lulu's expression slowly morphs into a small, encouraging smile. "If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Once more, indecision strikes the man-turned-teen. 'What do I say? Can I tell her? Will she think I'm insane?' The thought of Lulu potentially leaving him makes something deep inside of him hurt. 'Can I even say anything? Whenever I try to talk about the anime metaphysics or how I got here from earth, the aura translation breaks down.'

He shakes his head. 'C'mon, Julian. Don't be like that. Lulu's aura makes her a living lie detector. She'll know the difference. But how do I surpass the hard limits on the translation?' Then, an idea strikes him. 'Duh. Anime World with a nebulous, broken power like aura.'

"...Yeah," Julian begins with a nod. "I think it's high time that I told you everything. Where I'm from, what I know, and those 'rules' I mentioned. I think I know how to explain in a way that won't require you to have to suffer through a bunch of human educational courses."

Together, they make their way over to the Miltank ranch's barn and sit down against the wall. Julian stretches his sixth sense out, feeling for anyone who might be in earshot. Thankfully, it looks like there's no one. Stella is on the other side of the pasture, seemingly mediating an argument between two of the Miltank as the rest of the herd watches. Bob is gone, running an errand in town.

Lulu sits close, practically leaning against Julian. Being so close, he doesn't need to focus at all to feel her calm aura. "Whenever you want to begin, I'm ready," she tells him.

Julian takes a deep breath. 'Please let this work.' He clears his throat, then reaches out with his aura, grasping the tiny hook in his brain that lets Rule of Cool begin to flow inside of him. Focusing intently, he shuts his eyes and lets his mouth begin to move.

"I see, I feel, I smell, I taste, I hear, and thus I understand."

Lulu looks at Julian with wide eyes, but he doesn't notice.

"This understanding. I formulate it, crystallize it, externalize it, and thus I gift it to another."

Julian's body begins to grow warm and his throat begins to tickle.

"This gift. They internalize it, break it, decompose it, and thus take it into their being."

The tickle slowly escalates into a soreness. The urge to clear his throat is strong, but Julian keeps going.

"So now, my dear friend, with this gift of language, they understand just as I do."

The blonde pauses for only the shortest of seconds to swallow. He tastes the coppery tang of blood.

"Understand me as I understand you! Omnia Verba!"

An electric shock devoid of pain runs up and down Julian's spine, and in his skull he feels the curious sensation that he can only liken to a switch being flipped. The drain on his aura is constant and immediate, as he feels several streams of energy being pulled from his core, flowing up to his throat and ears and then seemingly vanishing into nothing.

"Julian!"

The teen blinks when Lulu presses a glowing pink paw to his neck, not at all concerned by the throbbing pain or the slight dribble of blood running down his lips.

He hears Lulu's voice. Her voice.

Gone are the guttural growls and barks overlaid with the sound of a young woman speaking English. The words falling from Lulu's mouth are… No, they aren't English, but he understands them with perfect clarity nonetheless. It's as if she's speaking an entirely new language, one where he knows every single word and understands every rule without fail.

His attempt to bullshit a new superpower into existence actually worked. Holy shit.

"Julian! What did you just do?!" Lulu demands, standing over him as she presses a Heal Pulse to his neck. "Your aura! It… it…" She's at a loss for words, but the frightful peaks in her aura relay her fear better than any words can.

"I'm just bleeding a bit, Lulu," Julian grimaces at the metallic taste stuck to his tongue. Under Lulu's Heal Pulse, the bleeding in his throat slows to a stop, leaving him with just a raw voice. "I just needed a way to explain everything without all the limits of how we normally speak, so I had to make something more heavy-duty."

"Heavy duty?" Lulu pulls her paws away from her trainer's throat, Heal Pulse fading.

Julian nods and clears his throat, wincing slightly. "You remember how I tried to explain some human studies about space a few weeks back, right?"

She nods unsurely. "Yes. The meaning didn't quite carry over."

"Well, with this…" Julian taps his throat right below his Adam's apple. "I think everything should work much better."

The Lucario's eyes narrow. "What did you just do, anyway? Why did you practically start choking on blood? Explain!" She demands, her aura spiking into jagged peaks once more.

"I'll get to that," Julian raises his hands in surrender. "I just need to explain a few other things first."

Lulu works her jaw as if she wants to say something, but instead she simply sits down across from him, staring at Julian and awaiting an explanation.

"Let's get the first thing out of the way, my home." Julian shuffles his tongue and wets his mouth. "I'm not from this world."

Lulu blinks, seemingly not understanding. For a moment, Julian worries that something didn't translate correctly, but she asks; "Not from this world? How so? Do you mean region?"

"No, world." Julian corrects, taking a deep breath and readying himself for what might be a harrowing conversation. "I... don't quite understand how, but I was transported from my office job into the middle of your pack's territory. My old job dealt with a lot of experimental human technology, so I'm willing to bet that something broke or went wrong and that's what caused it."

Lulu's brows furrow. "Another world, though? Human machines are strange things indeed, but pokemon can move from one place to another instantly. Can a machine not replicate that?"

"Here, maybe. But I know this is not the world I was born in, because pokemon didn't exist back home."

The Lucario's incredulous expression is traded for one of pure disbelief. "No pokemon?" She can scarcely seem to believe it. "A world of just humans? How did you…"

"Surivive?" Julian shrugs, hiding his wince at Lulu's jumbled, flummoxed aura. It leaps around to highs and lows, and he can practically see her trying to rationalize such a concept. "Yes. No pokemon at all. It was… rather different as you can probably imagine. I know it seems crazy, but would I purposely lie to you about something this serious?"

Lulu looks to the side, her aura beginning to smooth out. "No." She shakes her head slowly. "No. I don't think you would." She looks up, watching a pair of Swablu flutter by overhead. "That's…"

"Strange?" Julian finishes, reaching forward and laying a hand over one of the paws in her lap, his fingers parting around the spike. "I know. It ties into how I know so much other stuff as well."

Julian's sole pokemon looks down at the hand on her paw, ruby eyes scanning it as if the hand will provide some sort of explanation for the madness she's listening to. "Okay. I'm listening."

"Before we begin, I have to be 100% sure that you understand just what you're getting into." Julian pulls his hand back and levels Lulu with a serious eye, making her stiffen and sit straighter. "What I'm about to reveal is going to sound even more ludicrous than crossing the border between dimensions, and it could very well put you into danger. Once you learn these rules, once you learn how the universe works, you can never go back to being ignorant. These revelations are without any kind of doubt going to change the way you look at the world. Hearing these things might even cause a full-blown paradigm shift for you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, so please Lulu…" Julian gulps and steels himself. "Are you certain that you want to hear these things?"

The Lucario looks away with a gulp of her own, obviously spooked. Her forepaws kneed the fur of her lap as she thinks.

"I won't think less of you if you decline."

Lulu looks up at Julian as he speaks, and after a long moment she lets out a breath. "That chant you did… Your words seem so much clearer now somehow, but I already understood you before." She frowns, troubled. "Did you use the things you know to do that?"

He nods.

The Lucario sighs, glancing at Julian's lips. "And it's what made you bleed out of nowhere?"

Julian swipes his thumb across his lips and looks down at the red flakes on the finger. "Yes. Like I said, this stuff is dangerous. I wasn't expecting any backlash, but it happened."

Lulu's aura firms up and her eyes take on a steely glint. "We're partners, Julian." She begins, scooting over so she is once more at his side. Her eyes don't leave his the entire time she moves. "If this knowledge is dangerous, then it must also be a burden, one I won't let you carry alone. Tell me everything.

Unbidden, a smile blooms on the blonde teen's face. "The reason I know so much and know about the 'rules' I mentioned is tied to pokemon, actually. While pokemon aren't real back home, they do exist in fiction as children's stories." Julian begins, settling in for a long conversation. At Lulu's unsure nod, he continues. "I enjoyed pokemon as a kid, mostly on electronic playthings, but pokemon also existed as a TV show. Now, the important part about that is the genre of the TV show, which was shounen anime."

"Shounen anime…" Lulu tries the phrase out. After a moment, the meaning seems to click. "Entertainment for human boys?"

'It's actually working. I bypassed that stupid arbitrary roadblock.' Julian grins. "Yes. In that particular genre, there are different sets of tropes or loose rules applied to all the media in the genre. You've experienced one already, actually."

"I have?" She tilts her head.

"With Paul's Chimchar." Julian nods. "Remember when you charged in and dug your paws into his Flame Wheel? You should have taken some kind of damage from that, more than just a few singed hairs. The rule that negated that damage was Rule of Cool."

"Rule of Cool?" She mulls over the info, comprehension in her eyes, but Omnia Verba doesn't seem to convey everything. "Can you explain more?"

Julian hums, wondering how to boil it down. "Rule of Cool is a trope that more or less states that the more 'cool' or otherwise entertaining an action is, the more it can ignore physics or common sense so that it remains 'cool' to onlookers. There's more to it than that, but that's the basic idea. Catching a Fire attack when you are a Steel-type and shrugging it off is cool, so it works. Same thing with the skill I just made."

He taps his throat again. "Mystery and mysticism are just as Cool as tanking attacks or punching things, so I recited a few vague arias open to interpretation, focused on what I wanted, gave it a name, supplied some aura, and a new technique was born." He grins. "I'm not sure why the passive aura translation refused to relay certain concepts like the science behind space and time, or these metaphysics, but with this technique, we can sidestep it."

Lulu's eyes narrow. "That… doesn't make any sense."

"Precisely why I said it would sound insane," Julian crosses his arms. "Some of the tropes make more sense than others, and some of them are already in play without you even realizing. Stuff like shouting before attacks or remaining fired up even against desperate odds invokes one called Fighting Spirit, which does exactly what you think it does, while there's stuff that can be bent much further, like Cool or Friendship."

"Even Friendship is one of these 'tropes'?" She asks, openly troubled. Her aura slowly becomes frazzled and overwhelmed.

"Mm-hmm." Julian pauses and takes a deep breath, focusing on Lulu and his relationship with her.

Lulu, the one who rescued him from her own father.

Lulu, the one who trained him and pushed him to be better.

Lulu, who agreed to leave home with him to see the world.

Lulu, his best friend.

'It's bonds like these that make a person strong.'

The Keystone on Julian's necklace shines with a brilliant rainbow corona, and his aura's potency doubles, almost leaking out of his skin.

Lulu gasps, her eyes wide and shocked. "Julian? What did you just do?" She reaches a paw out to his shoulder, pausing when her own aura tries to surface through her pink pawpad, eager to mingle with the aura barely contained within Julian.

He smiles at her as the surge of power slowly begins to fade, leaving his limbs feeling jittery. "Just thought of you, is all. One of the biggest tropes around is how the bonds of real friendship are the greatest source of power that anyone could hope for. As you can see, there's a lot of truth to it."

Lulu's ears fold back slightly as she looks away, appearing lost. "How did you discover these rules?" She quietly asks.

"I got the first hint when you were teaching me to run like the Lucario do," He throws an arm over Lulu's shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "Running with your arms dragging out behind you helps if you're fast enough that air resistance is actually an issue while moving, but for a baseline human?" He shakes his head, throwing his long hair around. "Nah, just not fast enough to take advantage of that. It really shocked me to realize that I could actually run faster that way. I was guessing that the physics of this world were a bit different from mine, but not that much. Next was putting a shout into my attacks."

He pauses to take a breath. "Back home, that was called kiai, which was a part of putting your spirit into attacks for some old human martial arts. Mostly nonsense back home, but when I saw a measurable difference, that got me thinking. Finally, there was the night we first talked about leaving."

Julian looks up at the sky, remembering the stars of that night. "When we shook on it, that was the first time I ever felt Friendship."

Lulu turns to him and stares with a measure of alarm. "What?" She asks. "That's not possible. There's no way that I was your very first friend. You said just a week ago that you had… some. Don't tell me you were making things up...?"

"I had friends before you," he retorts. "Though, you're definitely my best friend bar none. What I'm saying was I didn't have the ability to feel friendship as its own emotion before. I could feel happy about being around a friend, but friendship itself was never an emotion I had felt before that night. That was the tipping point. It told me that the entire universe ran differently, different enough to alter me on a fundamental level. That this is a world that uses the same logic as a shounen anime. I've been testing things here and there, and every test has only confirmed my suspicions…" He reaches up and rubs his throat, the soreness slowly growing worse. "I know the rules that the world operates on, and now you're in on the secret."

For a moment, Lulu doesn't say anything. She stares off into the distance, processing everything. "Julian?"

"Hmm?"

Julian starts when Lulu turns and pulls him into a tight hug, angling her chest so her spike doesn't poke him. "L-Lulu?"

"You never knew what Friendship was before we met?" She asks, her chin resting on his shoulder. Her voice alone carries the sort of grief one should reserve for the worst of events, so her darkened, weepy aura almost makes Julian choke up.

Julian swallows the lump in his throat. "I reveal the secrets of the universe to you, and that's what you focus on?"

"I'm focusing on the important part," she tightens her hold.

Carefully, Julian hugs her back. The warmth in his chest conflicts with the tiny voice in his head chastising him for worrying her. 'I can tell her more about my home life later. I don't think she needs anything else to stress over.'

Lulu begins to pull away but stops and catches Julian's eyes with her own. "Promise me something, Julian." She begins seriously. "You won't go overboard with all of this trope nonsense. I don't fully understand it, and I might never fully understand it, but it's clear that you do, so I'll trust you to do what's best. Don't you dare do anything that might permanently harm you, though!" She demands, her scowl leaving no room for argument. "Pokemon are meant to protect people, but…" She grits her teeth and looks to his chin, reaching up and wiping a few flecks of dried blood away. "I don't think this is something I can protect you from…" Her words sting with shame.

Julian pulls her back into a hug, relief flowing through him that she believes him. "I promise."

The Lucario slackens in his grip. "Thank you…"

After a moment, Julian lets go and his pokemon pulls away with a tired sigh. "I think the talk was more exhausting than our morning bout…"

Julian smiles and constricts the flow of aura to his ears and throat. The same odd sensation of a 'switch' being flipped in his brain makes a shiver run down his back as the new power turns off. "Well, how about we go do something a bit more relaxing then?" He says, standing unsteadily.

"...Whowee…" Lulu struggles to sound out the letter 'Y', which Julian's fingers rests on in the book opened across the kitchen table. Her mouth simply isn't made to make all the sounds a human can, and without speaking with intent, Julian hears only her raw voice.

Julian smiles encouragingly and slides his finger to the last letter. "Z."

"Sssss. Ss…" Lulu's brows furrow in frustration. "I can't make that sound!" She clenches her paws. "Perhaps this isn't a good idea…" She closes the book and glowers at the colorful, childish cover.

Julian leans back in the squeaky kitchen chair and looks out the window at the field of milling Miltank, then back to the book that Lulu is trying to set on fire with a glare. 'Huh. I guess the smiling Bidoof on the cover does look a bit mocking.' Julian shakes away the thought. "C'mon, Lulu. Don't give up now." He returns his eyes to the sour Lucario. "We've only been practicing for a few days. Learning to read isn't something you do in one sitting." After a moment, he adds; "I believe you can do it."

Lulu's pinched expression eases, and Julian can feel her agitated aura settle, but she still sets the book aside and sighs. "I understand. Can we take a break, though?"

The blonde smiles. "Sure thing. Let's go see if Bob needs anything."

Lulu smiles back gratefully and rises from her chair.

Together, Julian and Lulu venture through the rustic house of their employer to the second floor, the stairs squeaking as a pair of feet and a pair of paws pass over them. They turn and move down the narrow hall to the endmost door, which is closed. Julian raises his hand and raps his knuckles on the door frame twice.

"Come in!"

Opening the door, Julian and Lulu step inside Bob's study.

The study is just as modest and utilitarian as the rest of the house. The desk where Bob sits is an aged wood, the luster of its varnish faded. Atop the desk is a yellowed dinosaur of a computer (which Julian has had to fix several times), a mug where several pens sit, and a simple reading lamp. Along one wall is a bookshelf filled to the brim with books on every subject a farmer, handyman, and business owner might need, and on the other wall are filing cabinets, each filled with years of invoices, tax forms, and other important documents.

Bob takes his reading glasses off and looks up from the paper he was reading, a smile on his weathered face. "Miss Lulu, Julian. What can I do for ya?"

"We were just about to ask you the same thing," Julian smirks. "The morning chores and our workout are finished, so we're wondering what's next for today."

The rancher hums, scratching his salt-n-pepper beard. "Miltank milked and fed?"

"Yep."

"Deliveries done?"

"Right after milking."

"Barn cleaned up?"

"Spotless."

Bob shrugs. "That's all for today. The rest of the day is yours."

"Wha?" Lulu blinks. "But… there's always something that needs done..?"

Julian is just as bewildered. "Yeah, are you sure? It's not even noon."

Bob chuckles. "Surprised? Don't be. You two are some of the hardest workers I've ever seen." He leans forward and rests his arms on his desk. "Like I told ya on your first day; I'm getting old, and hired help ain't what it used to be. I've had the next year of work planned out on the ranch here, but you two burned through it in barely two months. Reroofing the house and barn, redoing the fence, repainting everything, hauling all the junk out of the barn, making that side garden I've been wanting for years, and everything else I'm forgettin' because you did it in a single day when I thought it would take a week." The old farmer smiles ruefully. "I dunno if that means I'm losing my touch faster than I thought, or if you two are miracle workers. Either way, I'm not gunna keep ya when today is your last day."

The praise feels… Julian looks away, unsure what to feel. 'Lulu pulled her weight for sure, but do I deserve that much credit when I cheated with aura?'

Lulu's left paw wanders over to the right one, idly fingering the pearly spike as she thinks of what to say. Finally, she settles on a smile and inclines her head. "Thank you, Robert. We're grateful for your praise."

Bob smiles back, but the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm gunna guess that was a 'thank you'. No thanks needed, Miss Lulu. You two earned it. You also earned something else. C'mon."

The farmer rises from his chair and slips past Julian and Lulu, making his way downstairs with the boy and pokemon on his heels. The trio pass the kitchen and enter the rustic living room.

The living room isn't much more than an easy chair, a couch covered in patches, an end table, the aged grandfather clock, and an old boxy TV in the corner. The paint on the walls is faded and blades on the ceiling fan droop a little, but the room is just as warm and inviting as the rest of the home.

Robert seats himself heavily in the easy chair with a sigh, so Lulu and Julian sit on the couch and wait for whatever it is the man wishes to say.

After a long moment where he's seemingly plagued by indecision, Robert reaches over to the end table by his chair and from it, lifts a fat envelope that Julian missed. "Today is the day you two set off, but I had money set aside for at least a few months of having a ranchhand. You two went above and beyond, and those big dreams of yours are gunna be expensive. Here, take this." He holds the envelope out so his ranchhand can take it.

Julian's breath hitches as he realizes just why the envelope is so full. "Bob," he breathes. "We can't take that." He pushes the envelope and the hand holding it back. "You've already done a ton for us. You gave Lulu and I a job, paid us, fed us, and even took the risk of letting some scraggly kid and a Fighting-type sleep under your roof. We don't need anything else."

Part of the blonde teen does want the money… But not if it means taking it from Bob. He doesn't need to look at his Lucario to feel her aura pulse in silent agreement.

The old farmer smiles again. "Son, you ain't hurtin' me or the ranch. We're so ahead of schedule and under budget that this is barely a ding in my savings." He gives the envelope filled with money a shake. "You and Miss Lulu have good heads and strong backs, but you'll need something to get by 'till you're famous. Take the money."

Unsure, Julian turns to Lulu, who looks back at him with an equal amount of uncertainty in her ruby eyes. "What do you think, Lulu?"

The Lucario's lips twitch as if she's fighting a frown. "I… I don't know." She admits. "We've worked for the money previously, but this feels…" She makes a vague gesture with a forepaw. "I won't disparage Robert's abilities, especially not in his own home, but he makes a point when he says he's getting older. Human elders begin to decline so much faster than pokemon."

"Yeah…" Julian agrees. "We can do without…"

"Oh for…" Bob cuts in, sighing and stopping short of an expletive. "Can neither of you accept a gift?" When neither Julian nor Lulu answer, he holds out the weighty envelope again. "How 'bout this, then? This is your bonus for services rendered without a single bad spot on your record. It's not often I can get help willin' to get up at the buttcrack of dawn every single day and do good work 'till sundown without complaining. This ain't charity, you earned it."

Julian doesn't resist the smile that finds its way to his face. The Friendship in his chest won't let him. "You're really insistent on this, huh, Bob?"

Without answering, Bob tosses the envelope into the teen's lap and levels him with a serious look. "Either you take it now, or I slip it into your backpack before you go. Your choice."

The Friendship bubbling inside Julian slowly grows, so the teen turns back to Lulu, who smiles. "Thank you, Bob." He returns his attention back to the rancher. "We'll use it well."

"I know you will," Bob huffs in amusement. The smile begins to slip from his face, however. "I'll admit, though, it was nice having the house be lively again. After Wilma passed and the kids moved out, things got strange for a while. My boy Lucas fixed that right up, but he's got bigger and better things to be gettin' to. Stella and the Miltank are good company, but…" By now, Bob's expression is one of forced neutrality. "Don't forget to write me sometime, you hear?"

Julian nods slowly, and from the corner of his eye, he can see Lulu's ears fold back as her aura takes on a regretful air. Looking over to the grandfather clock, Julian spies a framed picture along the top.

The photo is dusty and slightly sun-worn, but the people it depicts are clear as day. A young, beaming Robert stands next to a young, pretty woman with curly indigo locks. Standing in front of them are three children, each one looking like a mix of Robert and the woman.

Neither Julian nor Lulu questioned who the woman was, as each time all three of them would rest in the living room after a long day, Bob would glance at the photo as his aura twisted itself in fond longing. The subject seemed too painful to discuss, as they never even knew the woman's name despite all the conversations with Bob.

Until now. Now, how do they make the awkward, depressing atmosphere go away?

"Julian,"

He looks over to the Lucario, who watches Robert with melancholy in her red eyes. "Ask him how he and his mate met," she says, placing a paw on Julian's arm. "And tell him to spare no details. A reminder of more pleasant times would do Robert some good."

Julian bites his lip. "You think so?"

Lulu nods resolutely as she withdraws her paw. "I know so."

The blonde teen hums and looks back to Robert. He debates on asking the question, but relents to Lulu's suggestion. 'I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Lucario are pokemon known for their empathy.' He clears his throat. "Bob?"

"Hmm?" The rancher looks Julian's way, peeling his own eyes from the photo.

Julian leans forward a bit, making the old couch quietly groan. "How did you and Wilma meet? She must have been a unique woman. Maybe you can tell us about her?"

Robert's eyes almost literally light up. "Heh. Unique? That's a good word. I've lived in Sandgem my whole life, and Wilma blew in one day on the back of a Fearow after flying through a storm. Her hair was plastered to her head with rain and her wet, puffy flyin' clothes made her look like a drowned Furrett. Let me tell you two, another man might have laughed, but me? It was love at first sight."

As he talks, Robert's aura flutters and flares in a captivating display visible only to the boy and Lucario.

Julian relaxes back into the comfy couch, content to listen to Robert and admire Lulu's radiant smile from the corner of his eye.

Outside the ranch, Julian and Lulu sit on the fence, waiting for Paul to show up. Julian's full backpack, carrying all of his and Lulu's worldly possessions, sits slumped in the grass at the trainer's feet.

Julian rolls a sprig of wheat from Robert's side garden around his lips like a stereotypical country boy might, then spits it out, finding he doesn't care for it after another poke to his gums. "Bah. Where is that jackass pretty-boy? He said he'd be here by now."

Beside him, Lulu pauses the idle kicking of her paws to give Julian a bemused glance. "He's only a few minutes late."

"Yes, but that's a few more minutes we have to wait before we can get this adventure on the road." Julian groans. "I want to go see the rest of Sinnoh, damnit!"

Lulu hides the smile pulling across her muzzle behind a paw. On that paw is her silvery, stone-holding gauntlet. "You do know that traveling with another human is going to be rather slow, don't you? We'll be moving at a walking pace most of the time."

"…" Julian grimaces. "Shit. I didn't consider that."

"Well, I'm glad at least one of you is thinkin' ahead."

Lulu and Julian both look over their shoulders, finding Stella trotting up to them.

The horse pokemon comes to a stop just a few paces away, her faintly amused expression slowly morphing into something a bit more melancholic. "So today is the day, eh?"

Julian nods, trying to stifle the regret that springs up inside of him as he feels Stella's aura sink. "Yeah. We were just about to come and find you. We thought about waiting until our traveling partner showed up, then forcing him to wait as we say goodbye, but I guess now is as good a time as any."

Stella snorts. "Still bein' a pest at a time like this." The Rapidash steps forward and noses Julian's cheek, the soft velvety fur of her muzzle tickling him. She draws back and does the same for Lulu, who smiles and leans into the affection. "You keep an eye on this one." Stella tells the jackal pokemon. "Or he'll end up good and lost."

Julian sighs and raises his arms up in a halfhearted shrug. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Stella smirks and steps back. "Just callin' em as I see em." Her eyes turn to the road leading by the fence. "That your friend?

The blonde teen returned his attention to the path leading to Sandgem proper, and sure enough, Paul is making his way down the dirt road at a brisk pace towards them. Even from this distance, the younger boy's scowl is still easy to spot on his face.

"You two already say bye to Robert?" Stella asks quietly.

Lulu nods, glancing up at the window that peers into Bob's study. Julian follows her eyes, seeing Bob standing in the window, waiting. "We said our goodbyes."

Stella takes a deep breath. "You two have fun out there. We'll be rootin' for you." Her final piece said, the horse pokemon turns away, slowly returning to her patrol around the pasture.

Julian sighs and steps off the fence, Lulu mirroring him. Reaching down, the teen picks up his backpack and slings it around his shoulders, not at all bothered by the weight. He looks up at the dusty window of Bob's study, lifting an arm and giving the man a wave.

The rancher smiles sadly, waving back.

Together, Lulu and Julian start the trek down the dirt road to meet Paul halfway.

'This is it.' Julian can barely suppress his grin, then after a moment he gives up and lets a face-splitting smile light up his visage. 'We're going on a god-honest Pokemon Journey!' Inside of him, he feels his aura bubble and boil in glee.

As soon as Paul is in earshot, the purple-headed boy scoffs. "What's with the stupid face?" He calls.

"What's with the frown?" Julian's grin only widens as he and Lulu approach the other trainer. "You look like you're walking to the gallows… Or someone kicked you right in the ass and jammed that stick a little further up there."

Paul simply screws his eyes shut. "Less than a minute and I'm already regretting this…" Paul turns in an about-face as Julian and Lulu reach him, making the older boy and his pokemon fall into step as they venture back to Sandgem.

As they walk, Julian jams his hands into his pockets, leaving only his thumbs hanging over the edges. He eyes Paul's small backpack. "You got everything you need?"

Paul's brows furrow. "Do you take me as some kind of rookie? This is not my first journey."

"Just askin', no need to get snappish." Julian huffs. "I take it we're heading north to Jubilife first? The map says the terrain is pretty mild, but I don't trust maps unless I've seen the place on it first. It only takes one bad day to get caught in a spot open to the elements for the night, and it still gets kinda cold after dark. I don't want to have to tape handwarmers to any travel partners so they don't die of hypo like an idiot."

"Says the guy in one layer with a sleeveless shirt…" Paul mutters.

Julian clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "Hey, admission to the gun show-" he grins and flexes his bare arms, making his muscle ripple sharply under his skin. "-is free, all day every day. I'm not gunna cover these up."

Lulu giggles behind a paw at how corny her partner looks while Paul just pinches the bridge of his nose.

The pair of boys and single pokemon walk steadily through Sandgem, making their way up to Professor Rowan's lab. About halfway there, Paul speaks up again. "Angelo."

"Hmm?" Julian puts away the phone he was idly browsing on to look at Paul.

Paul's narrow eyes meet Julian's. "What are your plans regarding your pokemon?"

"My plans?" Julian blinks. "I'm gonna need you to elaborate on that one, chief."

Paul rolls his eyes. "The composition of your roster. Your Lucario is a decent fighter-"

Lulu frowns heavily at being called merely 'decent'.

"-but you can't rely on just one pokemon. I refuse to support a freeloader, so unless you have a bottomless credit card, you need to be ready to take jobs with me that demand more than one trainer." Paul grunts. "And those jobs usually take more than one pokemon too, so spill it. What kind of roster are you building?"

'Euh. I almost forgot the financial side of things…' Julian scratches his chin in thought. "Fighting-types I guess. I won't pass up an interesting new teammate if they aren't Fighting-type though. Nothing concrete in mind, I'm just gonna let fate pull me along until we come across a real character of a pokemon."

Paul shakes his head. "I guess that's par for the course from a meathead like you."

"Oi," Julian elbows Paul harshly, making him wince. "Give me some credit here. Lulu has given me some unique insight on how Fighting-types tick, hence planning on raising a team of them. As funny as it would be to dodge bills and let you pay for everything, I've got a five-foot-nothing blue-furred morality chain stuck to my hip, so I'll do my fair share. Don't worry about it, and don't bellyache about how I do things, got it?"

"Whatever," Paul grumbles, rubbing the arm that got jabbed by Julian's elbow.

"Well, since you asked me, I feel it's only fair to ask you." Julian eyeballs the pokeballs on Paul's hip. "What kind of pokemon can Lulu be expecting to work with?"

Paul reaches a hand down to the travel-sized balls. "Elekid, Chimchar, Lairon," He taps each ball as he rattles the names off. "Torterra, Ninjask, and a Starly I'm evaluating. I often keep a free spot for new acquisitions."

Julian can't help but whistle. 'Damn. That's actually a pretty impressive lineup. I remember him having Elekid, Chimchar, and Torterra, but I've got no idea where the other two ever showed up.'

"Not a bad team. Not going for a theme or specialization or anything?" The blonde asks.

"No." Paul answers curtly. "Not unless you count 'strong' as a theme."

The conversation peters out as they reach the laboratory. Paul casually opens the gate blocking the paved path up to the front door of the massive building, leaving it open for Julian and Lulu to follow.

"Should we be entering this place?" Lulu steps closer and quietly asks. Her eyes roam the building, the largest one she's seen to date, with curiosity and perhaps even apprehension.

Her trainer simply shrugs. "Hey, Paul let us in, so it's on him if we're not supposed to be here."

The automatic glass door slides open smoothly as the group walks in, finding themselves in a small, sterile-looking reception room, not unlike the waiting room of a clinic. Small chairs line the walls, and the sole decoration is a white clock that tick-tock's upon the wall above the reception desk. Behind the reception desk is a pair of solid wooden doors that likely lead further into the laboratory.

At the reception desk, a bored young man, likely an intern of some sort, perks up. "Oh! Hello there!" He greets Paul, Julian, and Lulu with a bright smile. "How can I help you today?"

"Good afternoon. My name is Paul Shinji, and I'm here to see Professor Rowan regarding my pokedex upgrade," Paul answers with surprising politeness. "Is he available?"

The intern shakes his head, smile still in place. "He's actually at the pokemon center, but he left your pokedex here ready to be picked up. Please follow me, and we'll get everything moved over from your old 'dex to your new one. Your friends are free to sit wherever they like until you return."

Paul looks over his shoulder at Lulu and Julian. "Stay put. I'll be back in a moment." Without another word, he circles around the reception desk and follows the intern through one of the large wooden doors, which closes behind them with a click.

Lulu growls. "Stay put he says…" She crosses her arms under her chest spike. "This child has some nerve…"

Julian sighs. "Just give the kid some time. I'm sure he can be pulled out of the hardass act that he seems so fond of."

The Lucario's face scrunches as if she bit into a lemon. "If you say so."

After only a few minutes, Paul exits back out of the lab with a shiny new pokedex in his hands. To someone not in the know, the pokedex in Paul's hand would look like a children's game console, one that would be right at home in the ownership of a young boy.

To anyone else, they recognize the pokedex for what it really is: a treasure trove of the latest and greatest scientific data on just about any pokemon in the world. Nearly every source of info on a pokemon that isn't a pokedex is weeks if not months behind.

Julian tries to keep his envy from seeping into his voice. "Ready to go?"

Paul shuts his pokedex with a click and slides it into his pocket. "I guess."

Julian, Lulu, and Paul turn to leave the lab, but stop when another, larger group walks through the door.

The first one to catch Julian's attention is none other than Professor Rowan himself. The aged man is easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a stern, almost harsh expression seemingly carved from stone. His stature and expression, combined with his aged white hair and pure white lab coat lend Rowan an air of well-earned experience.

'Kind of like Pops…'

Standing just in front of Rowan is a young girl of no more than 13 years old. Her face is soft, and her blue eyes practically radiate a naïve innocence as she looks between Julian and Paul. Her long indigo hair comes down halfway across her back, and the top of her head is covered with a white beanie hat with half of a pink pokeball logo upon the front. Her feet are covered by a pair of pink boots that come up to her knees, and she's clad in a pink and black dress thats… rather short.

'Jesus. If I ever have a daughter and she dares go outside in something like that, I'd ground her until she's 50.' Julian wrinkles his nose. 'I'm glad the pokemon world runs off Shounen and not Ecchi.'

At the feet of the girl is a small pokemon resembling a penguin, a Piplup if Julian remembers correctly. The little bird is covered in a layer of downy blue feathers leaving only his feet and beak uncovered. Rather than wings, his arms end in tiny flippers. He stares up at them with big, curious eyes.

Beside the girl is a teen older than Julian, seemingly only a short few years away from adulthood. He sports a deep tan and short, dark brown hair, offsetting the green and brown travel clothes he is wearing. On his back is a large backpack, and when Julian looks at the older teen's face, he almost jumps.

Staring back is a very distinct squint.

'Brock. So that must mean…' Julian's eyes slide over to the last member of the group entering the laboratory.

There, standing with a Pikachu on his shoulder is the Protagonist himself.

Ash Ketchum.

Chapter Text

Entry #4: Protagonist

In all but the most abstract of story-driven media, there exists a Protagonist . The Protagonist is the central figure of which the story revolves around, and the one whose point of view will be presented most often. Normally, they're also intended to be the Hero of the story. That's not to say that the Protagonist of a story has to be a Hero , that's simply the usual direction the story takes. Regardless of taking a Villain or Hero role, the Protagonist can also be presented in a variety of different ways ranging from bleeding heart to complete dickhead. It really doesn't matter, as they are still the central figure of which everything revolves around. Now, some stories are a bit deeper than that and have events continue on without the Protagonist being present, but that's a bit tricky to balance so the most important events will happen around the Protagonist . Shounen anime is well-known for this, and Pokemon falls into that category… Or at least I think it did. My arrival may have caused unintentional waves in the story and only time will tell.

Regarding shounen Protagonists , they often have similar temperaments and personalities. To be a shounen Protagonist is to live a progression fantasy, as they're usually always growing and struggling. They may seem childish and rather dull when it comes to academic subjects, but typically these Protagonists will have a heroic personality and a serious talent regarding their chosen expertise. Like I discussed in my last entry, these people form powerful bonds with their friends and thus benefit from the Power of Friendship in a way few others can. They often have good luck, good looks, incredible charisma, an amazing Fighting Spirit, a sympathetic and merciful personality, and determination to see through impossible situations. Traits can vary wildly, but these are the usual suspects.

But there's another edge to this sword, and it's the presence of The Narrative.

Shounen protags have a lot going for them, but the fact remains that they are always subject to the attention of The Narrative, which ensures that the story that is the protag's life moves forward. Unfortunately, to do this, The Narrative will ██████████ ███ ██████████ ██ █████ ███ ███ ██ █ ███████ █████ ██ ███ ████████ █████ ███ ███████ ███ ██████ ████ ███████ ██████ ███████ ██ ████████ █ █████████ █████ ███ ██████ ████ █████████. The protag will suffer a lot, and there is nothing they can do about it. Perhaps they could try ██ ████████ ████ ███ ███ █████████ ██ ███ ███ █████████ ███ ██████ █████ ██ ██████ █████ ███ ██ █████ █████ ████ ███ ████ ███ ███████ ███████████ ████████ ██ ████ ███ ████ ████ █████ ██████ ███████. A poor outcome if that's the case.

On second thought, let's not, even if this is encoded. Info redacted for safety.

Armed with this knowledge, I'll be doing my best to keep an eye out for metaphysical influences over myself and my team. We'll lean into the helpful ones, and do our best to dodge the not-too-helpful ones.

Emotions swirl in Julian's gut as he looks at the one and only Protagonist of Pokemon. Is it worry? Excitement? Wariness? There are so many that picking a single one is a chore. He's known exactly what he's needed to do and how to work things into his favor so far, but what kind of plan would survive first contact with Ash Ketchum?

Oh lord, just tapping into his 6th sense for aura makes things even more surreal. If Julian's aura is akin to a simple candle, one calmly burning with no smoke, then Ash's aura is a crackling fire that burns hot and messily in its loose ring of stones. Wisps of invisible aura leak out of Ash's skin, saturating the room like a mist and numbing Julian's 6th sense. Envy for Ash's sheer capacity and potential begins to mix itself into the storm of emotions inside of the man-turned-teen. 'Such is the way of the protagonist.'

Pikachu likewise is a well of power, one even deeper than Ash and much more controlled. The electric-type lacks the pinpoint control that would give his aura a mirror-smooth surface like Lulu's at rest, but the crackling aura is dense with raw destructive power. Even Lulu, after years of training under her father, might not win a bout with the fabled electric mouse.

At his side, Lulu gives Julian a concerned stare, no doubt feeling the whirling maelstrom of emotion inside of him just as she does Ash and Pikachu's freakish amounts of aura. She gently nudges her trainer with an elbow, pulling him from his reflections.

Julian takes a breath. 'Calm down. He's a kid. A kid who's gone toe-to-toe with a lot of criminals and legendaries, but a kid nonetheless.' He gives Lulu a smile, and she returns it with a small one of her own.

"Ah!" Ash's face takes on a frown as he lays eyes on Paul. "It's you again!"

Before Paul can reply, Julian snorts, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Making enemies already, Paul?" He teases, smirking at the younger boy. "High-profile enemies at that. You don't do things by halves, do you? Where did you meet these guys?"

Paul's scowl eases into confusion as he processes Julian's words. "I met this loser and his pals out in the woods west of Sandgem. What do you mean by 'high-profile?'"

"You don't know?" Julian raises an eyebrow even if he's unsurprised. "The kid with the Pikachu is Ash Ketchum, a trainer sponsored by Professor Oak and a veteran of three League challenges," He turns his gaze to Ash and Pikachu, who both look befuddled at being recognized. "Four League challenges if you count an unofficial one, and supposedly one of the few people to encounter more than one Legendary pokemon in a lifetime if some reports I've read are correct. The tall guy with him is Brock Harrison, former Gym Leader of Kanto's Pewter City, and another person spotted interacting with Legendary pokemon on the regular."

Both Ash and Brock go from puzzled to openly shocked, eyes wide and jaws dropping. Even Brock's squinted eyes open just enough to reveal his light brown irises.

Dawn looks at her two new friends with surprise and maybe even a bit of awe.

Rowan's expression remains flat. His aura doesn't even flicker.

"How does he know that? Who is this guy?" Julian hears Pikachu's young, boyish voice quietly ask no one.

The attention doesn't bother him, but Julian clears his throat and backs off. "I guess that's kinda rude of me to start spouting stuff off without introducing myself. The name is Julian Angelo. The Lucario here is my partner, Lulu."

Lulu gives the opposite group a polite incline of her head. "A pleasure."

"And you've already met Paul," Julian claps Paul on the back, making the shorter boy stumble. "I'm sure his radiant smile lit up your lives so much you just had to come see it again."

Paul turns and levels a glare so hateful at Julian that the older teen actually feels a tiny prickle of Killing Intent.

Ash, Pikachu, and Brock don't seem to know what to make of the scene in front of them, but Dawn giggles behind her hand and dispels the remaining tension.

"We were actually traveling back to the lab with Professor Rowan to upgrade my pokedex and get a package waiting for me," Ash isn't on the backfoot for long and smiles. That smile takes on a competitive edge as he zeros in on Paul. "Hey, Paul. I caught a Starly earlier and have three pokemon. Do you still want that three-on-three battle?"

Paul smirks right back at Ash. "Did you catch the first little weakling that stumbled into your path? Don't answer, it doesn't matter. Beating you and dashing Angelo's hype in one go is too good to pass up." He takes a pokeball from his belt and enlarges it.

Ash doesn't rise to the bait, his smile not even twitching. Pikachu's cheeks throw little yellow sparks in irritation, however.

Rowan finally speaks with a click of his tongue. "Do have your battle out back, if you boys please," he grumbles. "Ash, we still have the matter of your pokedex and the package from your mother."

"Oh shoot," Ash sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "I almost forgot. I'll see you guys outside!"

Out behind the Sandgem Pokemon Lab in a rolling pasture of green, Julian and Lulu wait along with Dawn, her Piplup, and Brock for Ash and Rowan to finish up inside the laboratory. Standing a dozen yards away with a pokeball in hand, Paul waits away from everyone else.

'How did Paul and Ash's first fight end in the anime?' Julian wonders to himself, crossing his arms and staring up at a passing cloud as he tries to jog his memory. 'Either it was Paul's win or a tie. I don't remember Ash beating Paul much. If Paul trains with Lulu and me, and god forbid, actually takes my advice, I'm not sure Ash can win at all.' The blonde tries to feel bad, but… 'He's a protag, the world will throw him a bone if things look bad.'

Feeling a nudge, Julian looks to Lulu, who flicks an ear as her trainer focuses on her. "You seem like you know Ash," she begins. "I don't recall him being one of the trainers we researched before the League year started." She pauses for a beat. "Do you… know him?"

Julian leans in and whispers in her ear, keenly aware of Dawn, Piplup, and Brock's attention. "He and his Pikachu are the heroes of Pokemon. Higher Powers are watching them, and their friends, so it'll pay to remain a few steps ahead when it comes to dealing with him," he says quietly.

A ripple runs down Lulu's fur as she involuntarily shivers. Her aura twists in a decidedly disturbed manner.

"Excuse me, Julian was it?"

Both Julian and Lulu turn to Dawn, who blinks up at the taller teen. "Is your friend having a bad day? He's been awfully rude so far…" She casts a sidelong glance at Paul.

"Paul?" Julian asks, also looking at the boy in question. "Ah, he's not having a bad day, he's just… What's the phrase?"

"A jerk," Lulu sniffs.

"Not the most social sort," Julian supplies. "We're acquainted, but not exactly friends. We're just traveling together out of convenience. Raising pokemon and traveling is expensive, after all."

"Is it?" Dawn asks with a tilt of her head. When both Julian and Lulu give her odd looks, she flushes in embarrassment and looks at the ground. "Erm, my mom is paying for my journey and today is my first day away from home…"

Julian waves her off. "No worries. I don't think I caught your name miss…"

She smiles brightly, the tiny aura in her chest shining purely. "Dawn Berlitz. It's nice to meet you properly!"

The blonde smiles back. He honestly can't help it. "Same to you." He looks down at Piplup. "Didn't catch yours, either, pal."

Piplup starts, surprised at being included. "Me?" Piplup asks, his 'voice' akin to a young boy. "My name is just Piplup." After a thought, he literally puffs up with bravado, the tuft of feathers on his chest swelling. "I don't really need any other because I'm the best Piplup around," He replies, poking his chest with a flipper.

'Cute. Didn't the DP pokedex say something about the Piplup line all having egos?' Outwardly, Julian nods. "Gotcha," he says, making no indication that he understands the penguin pokemon. "I take it you two are traveling with Ash and Brock?"

Dawn begins a cheery nod, but pauses halfway and nervously looks over her shoulder to Brock.

"We'd be glad to have you, Dawn," Brock assures with a smile of his own. "Ash and I usually travel with a few other people anyway. It'd feel off to break up the formula." The former Gym Leader looks over the ecstatic Dawn to Julian and Lulu. "You guys are welcome to come as well."

'Eh?' Julian feels his brain short out at the offer, and he can feel the conflicted ripple of Lulu's aura. "Don't you need to consult your pal Ash on that?"

Brock shakes his head. "Ash's philosophy is 'the more the merrier.' We've traveled across a couple of regions together, so I already know what he would say."

Ohh. Ohh. The opportunity to use Ash and his friends as a springboard, the opportunity to suck away some of that fabled protag power and be there for fated encounters… Julian was sure that something would get in the way should he and Lulu try to join, but the chance is right here! Hell, they might even be able to become secondary protagonists! That means grand rewards with Ash doing the heavy lifting. Julian's lips twitch as he fights the grin that wants to spring up. Oh, the danger will be constant for certain, but the rewards are just too tempting…

'Sorry, Paul. It sucks to suck because I'm not passing this up!'

At his side, Lulu crosses her arms and lets out a frustrated huff. "You only needed to wait another week to find us pleasant traveling partners, Julian." The Lucario chastises, her ruby eyes unamused and her aura flat. "I can't believe we're going with the purple brat…"

'What?' Julian blinks, then grimaces. 'Oh. Dammit, Lulu. You didn't even consider going back on our word, did you?' For a long second, the blonde teen considers the options available to him to worm out of his agreement with Paul, only to realize there isn't one that spares Lulu's honesty.

Julian can handle being a liar, but he can't, or rather won't force Lulu to break that Lucario honor of hers.

"That's awful kind of you, but we've already agreed to travel with Paul," Julian forces out to Brock, mentally kicking his own ass for being a goody-goody for Paul's pokemon when he's got himself and Lulu to look after. "It wouldn't be fair to just dump him after we already said we would."

Lulu nods along, and no one needs the ability to sense aura to see how reluctant her agreement is.

Brock smiles easily enough. "I understand. Maybe we'll see each other on the road?"

"You have no idea…" Julian murmurs under his breath, watching the back of the lab as Professor Rowan emerges from the rear door. "Here comes the professor."

Rowan approaches with his arms folded behind his back, circling around the group and standing behind everyone so he might keep an eye on all the children on his land. Or so Julian reasons.

"Ash will be along shortly," Rowan rumbles. "Ah, and I have this for you, Miss Berlitz." Rowan reaches into the pocket of his labcoat and withdraws a pokedex, one he hands to a confused Dawn.

"Your mother Johanna speaks highly of you," the professor says quietly. "We'll be watching your progress."

Dawn opens the pokedex up, appearing starstruck. "Wow… My own pokedex." She whispers, scarcely able to believe it.

Julian bites back a growl and looks away from the girl and professor as envy once more gnaws at him. 'Get over yourself, Angelo. Don't be sour because a little girl got a neat gadget and you didn't.'

Dawn fiddles with the 'dex for a moment, each button press making a little beep sound as she sorts through the digital encyclopedia. "So, do I just…" She points the device at Piplup, who gazes curiously at the little blinking light on the pokedex.

"Piplup, The Penguin Pokemon," the pokedex's voice is dull and synthetic. "A poor walker, it often trips, but its pride means it will rise again no matter how often it falls. Piplup are excellent swimmers and can dive deep in frigid water for prey."

Piplup initially puffs up in indignation during the first part of the pokedex blurb, but the mention of his line's swimming skill seems to soothe his pride.

"Wow, look at all this!" Dawn happily scrolls through the info presented to her, and despite only getting a side-long look at the pokedex, Julian can see that there are whole pages on Piplup alone. Dawn then looks over to Julian. "Julian? Is it okay if I scan your pokemon? I've never seen a Lucario in person before."

The blonde shrugs. "Ask her, not me."

"Oh! Uh…" Dawn turns her unsure blue eyes to Lulu. "Is that okay with you, Lulu?"

The Lucario just smiles and nods.

Permission in hand, Dawn returns the smile and holds her pokedex up. The LED on the front blinks and the device beeps.

"Lucario, The Aura Pokemon. Lucario can freely manipulate the mysterious energy known as aura, and can sense the auras of others. They use this skill to read the thoughts and emotions of both friends and foes. Only trainers who have justice in their hearts can earn this pokemon's trust." The pokedex rattles off.

'That last line is clearly bogus,' Julian hides his sardonic smirk.

The insight from the pokedex blurb makes Dawn scroll deeper into the entry for Lucario, her eyes growing wider and wider as she delves deeper.

"Where did you find a Lucario? Or did you raise her from a Riolu?" Brock finally interjects, stepping up to form a loose square of bodies with Julian, Lulu, and Dawn. He looks between Julian and Lulu with crossed arms. "Lucario are rare and powerful pokemon, so they're tough to defeat, let alone catch."

"Catch?" Julian chortles, finding himself amused by the thought that a prideful pokemon like Lulu would ever bow her head like a Starly or Bidoof. He turns his head to his sole pokemon and gives her a light jab to the ribs with his elbow. "You hear that? Catching you?"

She bats his arms away with a paw. "It's not incorrect," Lulu says, her eyes just as mirthful as Julian's voice. "You're the owner of the pokeball tied to me, so you did catch me."

Julian waves her off. "Technicalities, anyway," He looks back to Dawn and Brock, who watch the exchange with perplexed expressions. "Lulu is my first, and for now, only pokemon. We met, became friends, found out that our ambitions in life align nicely, then set out for the Sinnoh gym circuit. Hell, I've only been a licensed trainer for a month or so."

That catches Rowan's attention, as the man turns his eyes and single raised eyebrow to Julian, then the smiling Lucario at his side. Even if his expression is only one step left of neutral, it still speaks more than Brock's open shock or Dawn's uncomprehending stare.

Rowan's gaze travels down to Lulu's gauntlet, then to the pendant around Julian's neck. It takes a moment, and Rowan's expression remains controlled, but the professor can't hide his aura suddenly jumping in surprised realization.

The blonde teen feels his eyes narrow. 'He knows something about the keystone and gauntlet.'

Before the conversation can continue, the back door of the lab opens up once more.

Ash and Pikachu exit the lab and walk over to the group, marching forward with a confident swagger. The hero's travel-worn clothes have been replaced with a fresh set ready for a new adventure, and on his shoulder, Pikachu's smirk mirrors Ash's to a T.

'I wonder if Lulu and I will begin mirroring each other like that?'

Ash takes his place across from Paul, twenty or so yards separating them. Brock steps forward to referee the upcoming battle.

Off to the side of the makeshift arena, Brock raises a fist to his mouth and clears his throat. "This will be a three-on-three match between Ash and Paul, no substitutions allowed! Pick your first pokemon!"

"Get ready, Paul!" Ash smiles and draws a pokeball from his belt, tossing it with no delay. "Starly, I choose you!"

The pokeball pops open with its iconic snap-hiss and out shoots a bolt of white light before the ball zips back down to Ash's hand as if by magic.

The bolt of light, meanwhile, hits the ground and coalesces into the shape of a foot-tall bird. As the light fades, a Starly is left behind.

The Starly is nothing special, being a common pokemon in Sinnoh. With a white face, beady eyes, pointy beak, brown feathers, and a single feather like a fringe of hair on its head, it's unremarkable by pokemon standards.

Ash's Starly trills a challenge at Paul and flares his wings, a frown on his face.

Paul picks his pokemon just as fast, taking a ball from his belt and throwing it in one smooth motion. "Starly, stand-by!"

The ball snaps open and shoots a bolt of white light down just like Ash's did. As the light takes shape and fades away, another Starly is left in the field. When Paul's Starly sees his opponent, he says nothing, but his coat of feathers ruffles up threateningly.

Julian stretches his aura out, feeling both of the pokemon. 'Even if both Starly are identical, Paul's boasts a more potent aura, and the gap isn't exactly small.' He looks over to Lulu, seeing her eyes glowing a dull blue as she scouts both pokemon as well.

"Begin!" Brock chops his arm down.

"In the air!" Both Ash and Paul order as one.

The pair of Starly spread their wings and take to the sky in a flurry of wingbeats, rising high above everyone's heads in just a few seconds.

"Okay Starly, Wing Attack!" Ash calls to his pokemon.

"Right!" Ash's Starly chirps, zipping towards the opposing bird pokemon, wreathing his wings in white energy as he flies.

"Hold steady!" Paul barks.

Paul's Starly just hovers in place, tensing up as the other Starly barrels towards him, Wing Attack beared.

Wham!

Paul's Starly takes a tumble as Wing Attack slams into him, only to flare his wings out and halt his fall as the other Starly flies past.

Down with the spectators, Dawn smiles as she watches Ash's Starly make a wide turn to return back to the battlefield airspace. "It's a hit!" She exclaims excitedly, then another thought seems to occur to her, making her smile morph into a confused frown. "Why didn't Paul make his Starly dodge?"

Rowan hums. "He's likely feeling out the capabilities of Ash's Starly. Taking an attack is risky, but…"

"Now Paul knows how wide the power gap is, and that it's in his favor." Julian continues, less watching the fight and more feeling it with his aura. "Paul's Starly is more rattled than hurt, and Ash doesn't have the synergy needed with his Starly to beat a stronger foe considering they met only today." He feels Paul's aura twist in a vindictive way. "Paul knows this and is going to end the fight."

Back with Ash and Paul, Paul smirks. "That's all?" He taunts Ash, who scowls back. "Starly!" Paul calls to his pokemon. "Aerial Ace!"

Paul's Starly pulls an impossibly high Gturn mid-air and jets towards Ash's Starly with his beak glowing a bright white. Before Ash or his Starly can do anything, Ash's Starly is stabbed right in the stomach by the beak of Paul's.

"Gah!" Ash's Starly cries, unable to stay airborne and crashing into the ground with a plume of grass and dirt. The bird grits his non-existent teeth and shakily rises. "I won't go down that easily!" He taunts the other bird, who doesn't react.

"Starly, hang in there!" Ash clenches his fist. "Get back in the air and use Wing Attack!"

As the battered bird pokemon spreads his wings and takes off, Paul is quick to shatter any hope of a win with another order. "Double Team! Then Aerial Ace!"

Paul's Starly glows briefly, then shadowy, illusionary copies of the bird flood the air, making Ash's Starly pause in surprise. With Ash's Starly frozen and unsure, Paul's zips down from behind, the white glow of Aerial Ace focused into his beak. Ash's Starly is then bowled over by Paul's as if hit by a truck. The brutalized bird falls and rolls across the ground before coming to a stop, out cold.

High above, Paul's Starly hovers on steady wingbeats as the Double Team copies vanish.

"Ash's Starly is unable to battle! The winner is Paul…" Brock raises an arm and reluctantly decares.

Both trainers point their pokeballs out and recall their pokemon with beams of red, each Starly being sucked back into their respective ball.

Ash doesn't seem upset over the loss. In fact, he smiles gently at the ball in his hand. "Don't sweat it, Starly," he says, shrinking the ball and putting it back on his belt. "You did swell, and I know you'll do even better next time."

Paul shakes his head dismissively as he returns his Starly. "I think I've figured you out," he calls out to Ash. "You cover your weaknesses just by pushing the offensive over and over. With a simple, lame-o strategy like that, I feel sorry for any pokemon that ends up stuck with you." He then gives his Starly's ball a disgruntled look. "That's all you can do?" He scowls as he clips the ball back to his hip.

Ash doesn't rise to the taunt and just readies his next pokeball.

After seeing the first battle, Julian's distant memories of the old anime filter back, and the next battle plays out as he remembered. Paul's Chimchar clashes with Ash's Aipom, a cheerful, purple monkey pokemon with a large three-fingered hand on the end of his tail. The fight ends after only a few traded blows, as Aipom lands his Focus Punch attack by unexpectedly jumping over Chimchar's Flame Wheel, piledriving the other primate pokemon into the ground and landing a win for Ash.

The final match, Ash's Pikachu vs Paul's Elekid, is… disappointing.

Paul's pokemon, an Elekid, is a squat little egg of a pokemon with a round body coated in yellow fur with black stripes. His short legs end in toeless feet, and his large, club-like arms ending in a trio of claws are raised in an open challenge. The most striking feature of the pokemon, however, is the pair of horns resembling an electrical plug on his head.

Paul plays it smart from the get-go, letting Elekid absorb a Thunderbolt attack from Pikachu and fire it back with twice the strength. Where Elekid is unharmed, Pikachu somehow suffers a bit of damage under the electrical attack. It's not much, but the fact it happens at all…

Ash then tries to end the battle early with Volt Tackle, seemingly forgetting that Elekid doesn't seem to take any damage from Electric-type moves. Paul responds by ordering Elekid to use Protect, erecting a near-unbreakable shield of green energy around Elekid. Pikachu simply bounces off Protect and suffers recoil damage for the trouble.

Then Pikachu and Elekid meet in the center of the battleground for a furious melee, Pikachu's Iron Tail technique clashing with Elekid's fighting-type move Brick Break.

The entire time, though, Pikachu seemingly can't bring his power to bear and remains toe-to-toe with Elekid despite an unearthly power difference in Pikachu's favor. Julian keeps his 6th sense focused on the most iconic pokemon of all time, but even with Pikachu genuinely struggling and putting in real effort, most of the power put behind his attacks and movements just fizzles out, wasted.

'What in the world is going on?' Julian wonders, watching as Pikachu and Elekid, both exhausted, get ready to engage once more. 'It has to be anime logic at work. Pikachu should be steamrolling Elekid.' He glances over to Lulu, finding her eyes narrowed in confusion. 'She noticed it too.'

Pikachu's Iron Tail clashes with Elekid's fist with a sound like a sword smashing into a wall. Both pokemon struggle mightily against each other with gritted teeth.

"Not… bad," Pikachu huffs out between pants, still pushing back against Elekid's fist. As his stamina flags, his tail begins to lose its metallic luster.

"Pheh," Elekid is all smiles despite the tail cutting into his hand and the sweat soaking his short coat of fur. "Is that… all you have?" He forces out.

"Pikachu!" Ash calls. The young trainer's face is picture-perfect worry, a sharp contrast to Paul's cool visage. "Push Elekid off and try one more time!"

"Brick Break!" Paul's barked order is much more to the point.

Elekid and Pikachu break off from each other, both charging one final attack, then they rush forward.

An iron-hard tail smashes into's Elekid's skull.

A wall-busting fist slugs Pikachu in the jaw.

Both pokemon are blown away from each other by the force of the other's attack, each landing on their feet and skidding back. Elekid and Pikachu stand for only a moment, too exhausted to keep going.

Pikachu falters first and drops to his stomach, Elekid following a second later.

When neither pokemon rise after a few seconds, Brock raises his arm. "Neither pokemon are able to battle. This match, and the battle, is a tie!"

Dawn and Piplup openly clap their hands and flippers for Ash and Pikachu, cheer written on their young faces.

Rowan politely applauds, as does Julian, who frowns as he watches Ash scoop up his Pikachu and Paul return Elekid to his ball. At the same time, Brock makes his way to Ash, and both converse quietly, too quietly for Julian to hear.

After putting Elekid's ball away, Paul takes his Starly's ball out and presses down the button on the ball, holding it for several seconds. Then he lets go and the ball pops open, this time with a flash of blue light signaling a permanent release rather than the standard white.

Starly takes to the sky with a flutter of brown wings and is gone a second later, never looking back.

"Hey!" Ash cradles his battered and bleary Pikachu as he stomps up to Paul. The hero points to the free and now-distant Starly with a scowl. "What was that for?!"

Paul crosses his arms with a snort. "There are a million Starly as strong as that one. If I happen across a better one, I'll catch it." He schools his expression into something less harsh and turns to Professor Rowan. "Thank you for the use of your field, professor," Paul says with a polite bow.

Rowan merely nods.

Paul then turns his attention to Julian and Lulu. "Are you two ready to go?"

"I suppose…" Julian adjusts the straps on his backpack before turning to Ash and co. Ash's frustration with Paul is finally bleeding through his pinched expression, and with Ash's constant output of aura, it's as if the hero is wearing a wailing siren telling every empath for miles what he's feeling. Behind him, Dawn has her hands worriedly clasped, and Brock stands stoically with his arms crossed.

Julian turns his head to Lulu, who sighs and nods, taking up her usual spot on his right. Then he offers a smile to Ash, Dawn, and Brock. "It's been real. Maybe we'll see each other along the way, yeah?" Julian begins to follow after Paul with Lulu falling into step with him, waving over his shoulder then he pauses.

"Hey, Professor Rowan?" Julian looks over his shoulder at the stern man. "I know I'm not one of your sponsored trainers, but do you have a card or something?" The teen purposefully reaches up and rubs a thumb over the worn gold pendant holding his keystone. With warm regards for the Lucario next to him, the brilliant rainbow stone glows faintly. "I get the feeling… that you could help me with something, something you might regard as important."

Rowan's severe stare doesn't falter at all. After a long second, Julian fears that the man might blow him off, but Rowan finally reaches inside his lab coat and rummages for a moment. He pulls out not a business card, but a small pad of paper and a pen. He jots something down, then rips the page from the pad and presents it to Julian.

Stepping forward, Julian takes the paper and looks it over, finding just a simple phone number and nothing else. '(6100)-1220-3928? Sinnoh's region code doesn't start with a 6…' He looks back up to Rowan.

"The number of a colleague of mine," Rowan answers the unspoken question, his white mustache wobbling a bit with his words. "He'll be of more use than I. Call him when you have the time for a lengthy, private conversation."

'Someone more useful than Rowan, huh?' Rather than question it, Julian folds the sheet and inclines his head. "Thank you, professor."

Before Julian can turn back to Paul and Lulu, Rowan reaches out and clasps the blonde's shoulder, halting him.

"Be wary of openly displaying that necklace and that gauntlet," the elderly professor warns, his voice lowered and eyes hard. "If the unscrupulous sort know of them, you may have a problem on your hands."

Julian considers the words, then slowly shrugs off Rowan's hand. "Let 'em come. They won't win."

The professor lets out a long-suffering sigh. "To be young and foolish…"

With a final wave over his shoulder, Julian returns to Lulu and Paul, the latter of whom is impatiently tapping his foot in the grass. "Okay, ready to go."

"About time…" Paul grumbles, turning on his heel and walking off without another word, leaving an amused Julian and irritated Lulu to follow.

As a group, Julian, Lulu, and Paul stop by the pokemon center for a brief twenty minutes for Paul's pokemon to be patched up, and for Julian and Lulu to tell a wistful Nurse Joy goodbye. Once done there, they set off north to the nearest city, Jubilife.

Along route 202, the road connecting Sandgem town to Jubilife city, the group sets a brisk pace with the only conversation being snippets of no consequence between the pair of aura users. Paul seems content to keep his words to himself and walk, limiting the few times he would talk to purely utilitarian communication.

Silently, Julian is glad his aura is as minuscule as it is now that they're on the road. With so little to work with, his control of it is near-perfect, letting him modulate his strength so that the heavy pack on his back seems half its weight. 'Huh. My aura reserves are holding up fine. Maybe I won't have to buy a crazy non-euclidean backpack after all.'

Julian takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes, stretching his senses as far as they'll go.

Lulu is the first thing he feels, naturally. Her ire from earlier has faded like dust in the wind, and it's clear that a return to the nature she was born and raised in has perked up her attitude. Even with his eyes closed, he can feel the bounce in her step and the smile on her muzzle. Using her as an orientation point, Julian keeps his legs moving alongside her. Lulu must feel Julian's aura relaxing to take in his surroundings, because she giggles and bares her bold-faced affection for him in her own aura.

The man-turned-teen smiles gently.

Paul, who is walking a few steps ahead, is next, along with the muted signatures of the pokemon on his belt. The younger boy's aura is as small as any unawakened human's, so reading it is a chore, but at the very least the purple-haired trainer isn't wearing his hostility openly. The pokeballs clipped to his belt radiate a myriad of emotions, each one too muddled by the emotions of their fellows to provide anything but white noise.

Farther out are pokemon. Countless pokemon. The Starly, Pidgey, and even a few Taillow in the trees, the Bidoofs trundling through the shrubs, the slumbering Geodude disguised as a rock just off the road, and many, many more. Even in Julian's limited range of observation, there are so many. None of them feel especially powerful, however.

Paul's aura wrinkles in bemusement. "Are you falling asleep on your feet?"

Julian cracks his eyes open, taking in his traveling partner's questioning and vaguely annoyed face. "No. Just taking everything in."

The Veilstone native gives Julian a flat stare. "Your eyes were closed."

The taller boy responds with a smirk. "You don't necessarily need eyes to see," he replies cryptically.

Paul sighs and slows his pace for a moment, now walking beside Julian so he doesn't have to look over his shoulder. "Let me guess? More hippy mumbo-jumbo?" Paul asks, rolling his eyes.

"It's not hippy mumbo-jumbo, but I forgive your insults, non-believer," Julian lets his smirk widen. "When I told you I was onto something with pokemon, let me be clear that I one-hundred percent meant it. You'll see it before long."

"Yeah, whatever…" Paul looks away, instead turning his attention to the setting sun. "We should make camp soon before the sun goes down. I want to have time to go pokemon hunting before dark."

Julian glances over to Lulu. "Ready to settle for the night?"

"If you are," she agrees.

The trio walk for only a few more minutes, passing the dozing Geodude before turning into the thicket of trees off of the well-trodden dirt road. Within several more minutes, they happen across a small clearing that obviously served as someone else's campsite once upon a time, owing to the ring of stones surrounding a pile of ash.

Julian drops his heavy bag to the forest floor with a thump, then he turns to Lulu. "Can you get some firewood? I'll get things set up here."

The Lucario gives him a small smile. "Of course. I'll be back shortly." Without any other prompting, she tenses her legs and hops up into the trees, jumping from branch to branch in a blur of blue and black.

Julian hums as she leaves the edge of his senses and raises his arms over his head in a stretch. He sighs as the motion pleasantly pops his back. "Alrightly, here we go."

Having forgone a tent to save space, Julian pulls the hammock he bought in the tent's place out of his bag and sets it up hanging almost taut between a pair of trees. His opening sleeping bag is then tossed in, ready to be slept in. Another line is stretched over the hammock, then the folding rain fly is set-up, finishing his shelter for the night. He glances over his shoulder to Paul.

Julian is just in time to watch the younger boy pull an entire folding cot out of his small backpack and begin setting it up in his cozy-looking green tent.

'Okay, maybe I do need one of those bag-of-holding gizmos,' Julian looks back at his hammock, which looks crummy in comparison. 'And a tent.' His thoughts turn to Roark, the Gym Leader in Oreburgh, the town that they'll likely go to after Jubilife. 'Sorry Roark. All my current money is for a rainy day. You're not getting any mercy because I want that prize money for kicking your ass.'

Julian sets out a pair of cans, his and Lulu's dinner for the night, as he sits by the firepit and watches Paul finish setting up his tent.

Paul stands and inspects his side of the campground, doing a thorough check of his tent, the bedding inside, and a lantern preemptively set-out. With a satisfied nod, he zips his tent closed and delves into his bottomless backpack again, this time pulling out a folding camp chair.

'Shit, that's another thing I forgot.' Julian frowns.

The younger boy unfolds the chair and sets it down, then reaches in his bag and pulls out another one that he carelessly tosses at Julian.

"Hey!" Julian snatches the chair out of the air before it can smack him in the face. He stands and levels Paul with a sour look. "What's that for?"

"If you don't want to use it, then give it here and I'll put it back," Paul holds his hand out.

Julian grumbles, but doesn't hand the seat back over. "Thanks," he says, unfolding it and sitting himself down. Even after cheating and using aura to make the last several hours of walking easier, Julian's legs and back thank him for the relaxation. With a sigh, he pulls off his hair-tie and lets his sweaty mane air out. "Mighty kind of you."

"It's a spare that I'm not using," Paul retorts, elaborating no further. He turns away, reaching into his bag and pulling out five cellophane-wrapped boxes of white cardboard, almost like wide take-out boxes. Four are roughly seven inches on each side and maybe three inches deep, while the last one is nearly half again as large.

The boxes are unwrapped and popped open, showing off the brown pokemon kibble inside, then Paul takes all of the pokeballs on his waist and tosses them into the air, where they all pop open with flashes of white.

The clearing quickly becomes more cramped as the flashes fade.

Taking up the most space is Paul's Torterra, Julian idly notes. The large pokemon resembles a tortoise to a degree, with thick legs and an underbelly covered in brown scaly skin, a large beaked mouth, and a stubby tail, but the similarity ends there. A pair of spikes are sprouting from the sides of his head, and his red eyes take in the clearing and its occupants coolly. On the mossy, rock shell on his back is a fully rooted tree with verdant green leaves, making Torterra at least eight feet tall if his tree is counted. The tree is slightly offset to the side, and on the other side of the shell is a trio of rocky spikes, almost looking like jagged peaks.

Lairon, the next unfamiliar pokemon, is also the second-largest. The Steel-type is a reptilian quadruped with a stocky build, standing low on four short legs. He-no. Her body is coated in overlapping plates of shiny steel, from her skull, down her back, and to her tail. Each plate sports a tall ridge in the center, making her roughly three feet tall. Her blue eyes blink and settle on Julian warily.

The last pokemon Julian has yet to meet is heard before he's seen. Ninjask is perhaps the most mundane of Paul's team, looking like a two-foot-long cicada with a gold and black shell. Two forelegs ending in a single hooked claw each dangle from his body, and his wings beat so fast to keep him aloft that the clearing is filled with a dull buzz. Rather than be wary of Julian like Larion, the bug pokemon radiates open curiosity and tilts his head.

The final two Julian saw earlier today, Chimchar and Elekid. Both still sport minor scrapes from their battle earlier, but seem unbothered.

"Your food is set out. Eat up." Paul tells his pokemon curtly, then he turns his back to them and seats himself in his chair.

None of the pokemon seem phased at all by the clear dismissal and instead dig into their food, each one knowing which one goes to who.

Julian feels himself blanch. "You could stand to be a little more polite to your pokemon, Paul."

Paul doesn't even reply, instead reaching into the backpack now resting by his chair and pulling out a simple sandwich that he unwraps and bites into.

A second later, Lulu speedily phases back into the campground like a ninja, making Paul's pokemon tense up.

"I couldn't find much dead hardwood," Lulu's head dips in apology as she sets the wood in her arms down with a clatter. "There were only a few worthwhile logs nearby, so I had to make up the difference with some recently felled softwood."

"Eh, that's fine," Julian waves her off, watching Paul's pokemon from the corner of his eye. He picks up one of the logs. "Spruce burns quick, but-"

"Pine," Lulu interjects.

"Pine burns quick, but hot," Julain corrects himself with a clear of his throat. "We'll just save the good stuff for last so we have a coalbase in the morning."

Behind Paul, his pokemon share quiet glances, most looking towards Torterra, who just shakes his head. "I haven't any idea who this is…" Torterra's voice is deep and gravelly.

Disappointed, Julian looks back at Paul. "You didn't even tell your pokemon of our arrangement?"

"Arrangement?" Elekid's scratchy voice asks through a bite of his dinner. The young Electric-type doesn't seem vexed by the presence of Julian or Lulu, as he carelessly pops a claw in his mouth and licks it clean. "What kinda arrangement?"

"That we'd all be traveling together, both to save money and as a learning experience," Julian replies directly to Elekid.

Now the electric pokemon looks spooked and recoils. Around him, his teammates look on with wide eyes, even Torterra. "How did you…?!" Elekid can't seem to finish his sentence through his shock.

Paul scoffs, halting the conversation. "Are you really doing that 'I can understand pokemon' bull again?" He puts his paltry dinner aside and shakes his head. "Don't try to pass off knowing some body language as being some kind of Doctor Dolittle. I'm already doubting the stuff you told me before because I've yet to see proof of it. For all I know, this is just some kind of elaborate grift."

Lulu bristles, but before she can spit vitriol over the insult leveled at Julian, her trainer raises a hand and stops her short. All the jackal pokemon can do is cross her arms under her chest spike silently and fume.

"Is that how you're rationalizing it?" Julian asks flatly. "After I explained how Lulu no-sold Flame Wheel despite her Steel-typing? After I explained how evil and pokemon don't mix? C'mon, man. Why even agree then? I'm telling you, a willingness to open up to your pokemon will widen the whole world for you. It's not something you learn in a day, though."

Paul looks away, his aura almost screaming doubt. Doubt about Julian's words, and doubt about himself.

Julian hisses to himself. 'Fucking angsty teenagers. Was I this much of a faux tough guy when I was 14?' Outwardly, he sighs. "Okay, look. Let's try this," Julian rests his arms on his knees and steeples his fingers. "Go to one of your pokemon and whisper something to them. Something I can't randomly guess, like a string of numbers, then have them repeat it out loud. I'll then tell you what I heard. Will that tell you that I'm not full of hippy bullshit?"

Paul's scowl eases only slightly as he stands stiffly. He marches over to Torterra and leans over, cupping his mouth as he whispers something to the great tortoise, who listens intently. Paul then stands and crosses his arms. "Torterra… Repeat what I said."

Torterra gives Julian a searching look before speaking. "My young master said the numbers zero, four, five, one, seven, seven, nine."

Julian smirks. "Zero, four, five, one, seven, seven, nine."

At first, Paul uncrosses his arms, a smug smile rising on his face. "Wrong. It was zero…" Then he freezes, visibly replaying what he heard in his head. The smile drops, leaving Paul openly baffled. Once more, Julian is struck by just how young Paul looks when the boy's face isn't twisted into a sneer.

Behind Paul, his pokemon trade looks of worry.

"P-Paul?" Chimchar timidly reaches out and touches his trainer's leg. "Are you okay?"

With a satisfied sigh, Julian leans back in his chair and glances up at the Lucario beside him, who looks all too pleased at Paul's shock.

"Buckle up, buckaroo," Julian stares into Paul's wide eyes. "Over the next few months, I'm going to teach you how friendship wins every time, no matter how much your boyhood aversion to all things lovey-dovey tells you otherwise."

Chapter Text

Entry #5: Killing Intent

Killing Intent , sometimes called Murderous Intent, or shortened to just KI, is an odd power present in a lot of eastern works and media.

Killing Intent can be boiled down to projecting an intent to kill or harm someone else. Some people might feel an odd chill or a vague feeling of nervousness if someone is staring at them intently, but KI ramps it up into an almost tangible force. In anime, the effects of being the target of KI can range from general unease and goosebumps to instilling genuine fear and triggering a fight or flight response, or in the most absurd cases, causing total paralysis or terror-induced cardiac arrest. Symptoms of exposure can vary, but KI is almost always used for the same purpose: letting someone know they're on your shitlist.

Obviously, a desire to do harm is needed to use KI. The potency of KI scales upward with the amount of negative emotion poured in. For example, wanting to belt someone upside the head versus the overwhelming desire to turn someone into a stain on the ground will produce drastically different amounts of KI. People with exceptional mental fortitude, impressive KI of their own, or with a notable  Fighting Spirit  can resist KI or even ignore it entirely.

With sufficient self-awareness of body and mind, one can modulate their KI and control it. A quick burst is useful for letting someone know you're annoyed, and a steadily rising release is good for unnerving others. Some psychos might have no control over their own, and people aware of what KI is will read the red flags around these people and wisely hightail it. Most people, however, have little control. It just leaks out if they find themselves wanting to hurt someone else.

It's unknown to me how KI is transmitted and received. It seems to be aura-based, but I currently don't have a way to tell if the two are actually tied together. If it's something spiritual and immaterial, then that'll take some time to study. If it's something psychic, and everyone has some level of telepathic talent, at least enough to sense KI, then that might take even longer to study with my lack of special equipment.

Or maybe it works  just because.  Hard to say.

My own studies into its use have been limited by how KI requires a living target, and most people/pokemon aren't thrilled when they can feel you silently wishing death on them. Lulu has been willing for some tests, and as expected, my own  Killing Intent  isn't anything special. She finds exposure to my KI uncomfortable, but that's it. These tests are also blunted because it's Lulu I'm working with. I can't muster any genuine hostility for her.

A halfhearted burst from me is enough to shut down conversations with other people, curb confrontations, and something more serious can dissuade weak pokemon from getting closer. I'll need to test full power on someone who can handle it, like a Gym Leader and their pokemon.

Lulu barely has a hateful bone in her body, but her much stronger aura and prowess as a fighter means her KI is potent. Potent enough to give other Lucario pause. If her ire could be roused enough in a fight, I bet she could slow down most foes with a blanket of KI.

Killing Intent  is an interesting tool, and I have no doubt I can find a way to use it in conjunction with  Rule of Cool  (Which seems to synergize well with other parts of my kit. Imagine that?). If KI and aura are tied together, it might answer some questions I have on aura itself.

Julian awakens gently in his hammock to the first rays of pink sunshine filtering through the trees. For a scant moment, he's confused as to where he is, but memories of the days prior filter back into his head.

It's day 4 of his and Lulu's journey. They, along with Paul, are a day's walk outside of Jubilife City.

With a grunt, Julian rolls out of his hammock into a standing position. The chilled, dew-soaked grass sends a shock up his bare feet, chasing away the drowsiness of an early morning. The blonde yawns and stretches his arms above his head, feeling something in his back pop pleasantly. Tapping into his 6th sense for a moment, he feels Paul's aura still dormant in slumber. From his pocket, Julian feels an impatient pulse from Lulu's pokeball.

"Yeah yeah, one sec," he yawns once more and reaches into his pocket, withdrawing Lulu's travel-sized ball. He taps the button twice, once to enlarge the ball and another to pop it open with the iconic pokeball snap-hiss sound.

Before his eyes, Lulu materializes in a flash of white, lighting up the small campground for a moment. As the light fades, Lulu blinks the spots from her eyes before settling on Julian. "About time," she huffs, crossing her arms. "I've been awake for half an hour."

"Good morning to you, too," Julian jokes, storing the pokeball away again. "Sleep well?"

"I suppose…" She sighs and bounces on her heels restlessly.

'She's awful antsy…' Julian watches his partner and starter pokemon turn and look towards the road a dozen or so yards from the campground. 'All the unburnt energy is really starting to get to her…'

On the first day of their journey, Julian tipped some of his hand to Paul with more proof that pokemon and trainers thrive on a healthy relationship, and the younger boy has been processing it slowly. His pokemon were coming to terms with it faster, but it was clear none of them were quite comfortable conversing with Julian or Lulu any longer than needed. Since then, Julian, and by proxy Lulu, have been keeping their training light so their travel partners might digest the info in peace.

Which means poor Lulu hasn't been getting the stimulation she needs.

Walking unburdened even for eight hours a day is nothing to a Lucario. Lulu, being a warrior to her core, has essentially had nothing to do but milk the toned-down training for all it's worth, converse with Julian, or continue her reading lessons for a solid three days. The Lucario was far from idle during the time, but a Fighting-type like her lives for combat.

"I think Paul and his team have had enough time to get over everything," Julian comments, making Lulu turn and look at him sharply. "How about we meditate, run through some forms, and get a morning spar in before we hit the road?"

Lulu smiles, her tail slowly wagging behind her. "I'd enjoy that." She bounds over to Julian's side, and together, the pair sit cross-legged side-by-side.

Julian sighs and lets his grip on his senses ease. Even after months of practice, part of him still hesitates to surrender his whole being to the aura inside of him. After many minutes, the sounds of the forest fade, the light bleeding through his eyelids goes dark, and the wind and grass brushing him cease to be.

For a single terrifying breath, everything is nothing.

Then from the yawning maw of nothing, there is blue.

Rolling, churning blue inside of him, a raging bonfire inside of the pokemon just inches away at his side, inside the trees, inside the grass, and inside of other pokemon miles and miles away. There is blue on the wind, in the land, in the water, flowing to and fro with a purpose lost to him. He sees everything and feels everything. The 'sight' is utterly captivating to the man-turned-boy.

Aura is life. No doubt about it.

Julian spends what only feels like a moment admiring the world around him with awe before sobering and returning to the main point of his meditation today: understanding himself and his own aura better.

Deep in the recesses of his body, a core of pulsating cobalt sits. The core of aura is darker than Lulu's light and clean azure—sans a tiny needle of the same azure deep within, the same needle of aura Lulu used to break the shell around Julian's aura. Curiously, the needle remains where it is, not expunged or absorbed, but merely static as the cobalt grows a little more each day around it. Why is that?

Julian pulls and stretches his aura like one might a ball of putty, wondering if the needle will move, but alas, it remains. Such a force like aura is not a solid, a liquid, or a gas, but the foreign needle is definitely more rigid than the aura around it. The needle does nothing to him, but curiosity drives him further.

Julian pulls his aura from all directions, shunting it to his limbs and giving him back a peripheral awareness of his own body, but Lulu's needle remains right in the middle, not at all affected by the movement of the aura around it.

How odd. Free aura behaves like a gas exposed to a vacuum. Aura will naturally move to fill a space with less aura unless bound by a will, explaining why raw aura dissipates unless contained. Aura inside of a body is a flexible, more tangible thing. It bends to the whim of the user, willing to take fantastic shapes and transform. Lulu's needle, however, retains its shape, refusing to so much as flex.

For a while, Julian attempts a handful of other things to try to make the needle move, shifting and morphing the orb of cobalt within him in ways impossible to replicate in a 3D realm. He justifies each failure to himself as a decent exercise of aura control on its own. Try as he might, however, Lulu's needle remains as it is. Eventually, he feels Lulu rise from her seated position and knows it's time to stop for the day.

Where awareness left him slowly, it returns as suddenly as a snap of the fingers. For a split second, the sudden deluge of sensation is just too much. The air is cold, the grass feels like blades, the light burns his eyes, and the breeze howls in his ears. For a moment, he wonders if this is how newborns feel; so overwhelmed that all they can do is cry. An instant later, his body adjusts and he's back in the campground.

With a deep breath of cool, invigorating air, Julian rises to his feet in one smooth motion and turns to face a smiling Lulu. As one, they step off to the side of the campground and drop into stretches lasting only a few moments.

"Seventh form, first through fourth set?" Lulu inquires, already moving to the beginning stance.

"Ready when you are," Julian grins, mirroring her.

Moving in sync, the pair surge forward with fists drawn as if to strike each other, only for both to divert their fists to the side at the last second, Lulu's paw spike passing the top of Julian's hand with less than an inch to spare. Both twirl on their feet then unleash a spin-kick that would have their shins collide if not for the trainer and pokemon suddenly raising their kicks much higher at the last second. Hindpaw and foot miss each other so narrowly that Julian swears he feels fur tickle his heel. Neither read the aura of the other as they move, simply trusting their partner to not mess up and cause a painful misstep.

To any onlookers, it would look like the pair are locked in a deadly, synchronized dance just seconds from disaster, but that's the whole point of the seventh form's katas. Trust another as you would trust oneself.

'Anyone else would have given all of these forms flowery names that reek of self-importance,' Julian allows himself to inwardly snort as he and Lulu flow from one stance to the next, oftentimes with nary an inch between them. 'The Lucario are a pragmatic bunch. Why use a funky name when numbers work fine? Though, cool names might be better. Maybe Lulu and I could make our own style…'

As the last move of the fourth set concludes, it leaves Lulu and Julian frozen in place. Lulu's right paw hovers a hair away from Julian's left palm, while his right fist does the same in her left paw. Both take several steps back and settle right away into proper fighting stances.

For a long minute, neither moves, silently sizing each other up. Julian frowns a little when he finds that Lulu's guard is near-flawless as always. He notices her eyeing his left side and tightens his own guard. Taking a deep breath, he lets his eager aura flow freely and empower his body.

Lulu smiles, then rushes forward as a jackal-shaped blur.

Julian's hand snaps up to deflect a punch twisting towards his jaw before he backsteps out of the range of a sweeping side kick. Ducking a palm strike, Julian comes in low under Lulu's guard with an explosive gut punch, one that Lulu jukes to the side to avoid. She reaches out to seize his wrist, and Julian baits her by lingering almost long enough to be caught in a grapple. At the last second, he rips his hand away so violently that the momentum makes him spin on his heel. He lifts a leg in a spinning kick at Lulu's undefended head, but the Lucario hastily raises her arms in a block.

Thwack!

A painful jolt runs down Julian's leg as his kick clashes with her steely forearms, but he ignores it and retreats half a step before Lulu can punish the risky kick with a grab.

Lulu, however, refuses to let him disengage and boldly charges as Julian backs up. She weaves around a palm strike to drive a punch into his unguarded ribs.

Already wincing, Julian starts rolling with the blow as it connects, though it still drives the air from his lungs. He grunts then raises a flying knee that would have caught Lulu in the chin if she didn't lean back.

The pair spar, with Julian giving it his all while Lulu tones herself down to his level. They trade blows, with Julian more often than not being the one hit. He does get one semi-solid kick to Lulu's side, but she isn't fazed by the blow that would have crumpled a grown man.

For all his efforts though, Julian is still a novice of five months to Lulu's many years of fighting expertise. At the twenty-minute mark, Julian curses under his breath when he feels his shaking limbs begin to grow leaden. Inside of him, the wellspring of aura begins to run dry, and with it, his ability to keep up with his partner. No matter how much he tries to keep his Fighting Spirit up to delay the inevitable, he begins to tire.

'No no no… C'mon! I need one good hit!' Julian growls. 'Gimme something here! I don't want to be behind her forever!'

Julian rallies the last dregs of his aura, enough that a blue glow begins to surround his body, making Lulu warily pause. The light show of life energy and determination to prove himself gives new life to his Fighting Spirit. Rule of Cool, which has been absent the entire fight, begins to spool up too.

'I want to prove to her that I'm truly her equal. I want her to be proud.'

Friendship clicks into place neatly behind FS and RoC, sending the teen's flagging strength through the roof. Utter euphoria floods him.

"Go big or go home!" Julian gasps out, blurring forward so quickly that his eyes just can't process everything fast enough, turning the world into a smear of color. He needs no sight, however, as his aura guides him.

Julian flips forward, curling up and somersaulting through the air so fast he begins to feel nauseous, but he pushes his nausea aside and kicks his leg out in a savage heel-drop aimed right at Lulu.

Her aura flutters in surprise, and for a moment, Julian swears he's going to get a solid strike on her! Finally, after months!

The Lucario's arms flash up above her head in a near-instant guard, and Julian's heel crashes into them like a falling thunderbolt.

Boom!

Lulu's eyes widen as she actually buckles somewhat. Under her, the ground gives out and craters with a crunch, burying her paws half an inch into the dirt. A short shockwave from the impact flattens the grass around the pair.

For a long moment, Julian stays suspended in the air, and looking down at Lulu, he can see her surprised eyes peering up at him. Then as quickly as Julian's burst of might came, it evaporates into nothing and gravity resumes its hold on him. 'Huh. I wish that dramatic hangtime lasted a bit longer.'

"I didn't think this through very well…" Julian grunts, tilting backward. His strength spent, the blond falls backward to the ground where he lands with a flop, laying spread-eagle. He pants, mouth open, as his leg throbs. What little aura he has left goes towards easing the aches in his overexerted body. "I'm tapped. You win, Lulu."

Lulu finally lowers her guard, giving her arms a little shake as she does so. She looks between her paws and her trainer, an odd mix of emotion dancing in her aura. "What was that about?" She finally asks, looking down at him. Even if her aura is jumbled, her ruby eyes are full of concern.

Julian grunts and forces himself to sit up, grimacing at the effort and the shakiness of his limbs. "I'm just trying to be a challenge for you, is all. It's a long way to the throne of the Champion, and I want to catch up to you so that I'm more than a warm-up." He then slowly rises to his feet and rests his hands in his pockets, favoring the leg that doesn't feel like it kicked a brick wall. "I guess it's for me, too. I want to be strong the way you are, even if it takes a while."

The Lucario's mouth drops open a little, but it closes soon after and morphs into a soft smile. The look on her face and the affection worn plainly in her aura makes Julian's chest warm as his keystone twinkles with a medley of colors.

'I'll never get tired of that feeling,' He smiles back and gently rubs a thumb across the pendant hanging from his neck.

"Let's run through our cooldown and eat," Lulu plants her forepaws on her hips. "You used a lot of aura in that last attack, and a good meal will get you ready for the road."

'The Lucario fighting style is nutty…' Julian thinks to himself as he nods along to Lulu's words. 'Utterly inhuman. Built from the ground up with superpowers in mind and passed from parent to child. It needs a name, a proper title to be venerated. I can only imagine the sort of things we could get away with during a dramatic reveal of the name."

"What was that?"

As one, Julian and Lulu turn and find a befuddled Paul standing before his tent. The younger boy's mouth is hanging open a little and his aura is twisting and turning as he processes what he's seen. Oops.

"Just some morning training," Julian answers as casually as he can, dropping into cooldown stretches as he does so. Lulu upturns her muzzle and pays Paul no mind, starting her own cooldown. "Meditate, stretch, forms, spar, stretch. Standard morning, really." Julian rises from a toe-touch to give Paul a pointed look. "You're not one of those guys who only use battles as training, are you?"

Paul's eyes narrow. "No. The forest isn't spacious enough to train effectively, is all. I plan to put my pokemon through their paces in Jubilife." He crosses his arms. "That's not like any training I've ever seen."

Julian shrugs, standing once more. "I'm hands-on. Just as I help Lulu grow, so does she help me. A personal touch and willingness to learn on both ends makes for sick gains all-round." He rubs his bruised ribs. "Though, I have a ways to go before I catch up."

Paul just gives the older teen a flat look, one that says yeah, right. "Whatever. If you want to let your pokemon knock you around, then you do you." He turns back to his tent, reaching for the belt of pokeballs sitting at the entrance of his tent before hesitating. He turns and looks over his shoulder unsurely. "Angelo?"

"Hrm?"

"Can you…" Paul can scarcely seem to believe what he's about to ask and has to force it out. "Can you actually talk to pokemon just because you're friends with them? You aren't pulling any tricks?"

Now it's Julian's turn to hesitate. He hums and walks over to the mostly burned-out fire in the middle of the camp, stalling as he thinks of an answer. "My situation is a bit different from the norm. I understand them, yes, and you can too if you work hard enough at it." He kicks a half-burned log back into the coal base under the ash, slowly bringing the fire back to life. 'Though that's a tricky road without aura. Why are you still asking? You've watched me have full conversations with Lulu for the last three days.'

Paul crosses his arms and snorts. "Right. Different. Like any of this is normal."

The blonde shrugs.

Much of the morning is silent after that. Julian dons his boots, packs up his and Lulu's side of camp, and cooks a modest breakfast for himself and his partner, using up the last of their fresh food. Paul, meanwhile, releases his pokemon to feed them and packs up his tent.

Before long, the campground is cleaned up, so Paul recalls his pokemon, then he, Julian, and Lulu set out on the road towards Jubilife.

As they walk, Lulu peers down at the dirt road, then lifts her snout to sniff at the air. "It's rather strange," she begins, "that we've been moving for four days now, yet we've not seen any other humans."

Julian blinks. "Huh. You're right." In turn, Julian looks over to Paul. "Hey, Paul? Is this some kinda funky route we're taking? There's been no one else for days."

"We're taking route 233 through Bewilder Forest," the younger boy explains. He slows slightly to pull out his pokedex and opens it up, showing Julian and Lulu a map on the screen. Zooming in, the map shows a faint network of roads leading through the dense woods north of Sandgem and south of Jubilife. In the middle of the wooded area is a red, pulsating dot representing the two trainers and single pokemon. To the left of the woods is the much more hospitable route 202, the route used in the old pokemon games.

'If we're here…' Julian's eyes glide to the west on the map, past route 202. 'Then the Lucario pack must be right around there…' He eyeballs a section of wooded area just east of a blue stream.

"Bewilder Forest has a population of tougher than usual pokemon owing to the Stantler that live here," Paul grunts, putting his pokedex away. "The Stantler scare off anything wimpy with their illusions, pokemon and people alike."

Julian frowns. "Huh, really? I haven't seen any Stantler around."

"Because you keep your Lucario outside of her ball," Paul explains, gazing out into the dense woods around them. "A Normal-type with any kind of sense is going to avoid a Fighting-type. I found several when I was out hunting the last few nights."

"Makes sense," Julian mulls. 'Bewilder Forest is home to stronger than usual pokemon, eh? I wonder if I can finally find Lulu a teammate here.' Then he frowns as the logistical issues of expanding the team rear their ugly head. 'Fuck. Lack of income is really screwing me here. If we take in a new member and they need some kind of special training or accommodation, that could eat into funds that we just don't have.' Julian can almost feel the weight of Bob's bonus in his backpack, but he hesitates. 'No. I don't think it's going to happen this early. We'll have to see what kind of money odd jobs in Jubilife can provide and go from there. As tempted as he is to expand the team, the last thing Julian wants is for himself, Lulu, and any new additions to suffer because he let them fall into the Perpetually Broke and Hungry Hero trope that some anime series are so fond of.

The sound of yelling and a distant explosion rumbles through the forest, making the trio stop and tense up. Lulu flicks her ears and turns her narrowed eyes to the west. "That sounded like it was coming from one of the other roads." She visibly focuses, her dreadlocks waving in the wind. "I'm also reading several powerful auras to the west."

Julian closes his eyes and expands his senses. There, on the edge of his 6th sense, is a smattering of auras all muddled together, but two signatures he's dedicated to memory stand out.

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.

'And here I thought we were setting a pretty good pace, having left before them.'

"I feel 'em too," Julian reopens his eyes to look between a bemused Paul and serious Lulu. "Lady and gent, shall we investigate?"

Paul continues to look at Julian flatly, but Julian can feel the younger boy mulling his answer over through the stilling of his aura.

Lulu, on the other hand, is decisive. "Yes," she says firmly, expression serious as she dramatically raises a clenched fist at chest level. "We should check and be sure whoever is out there isn't in trouble."

'I want to go as well, but not for that reason,' Julian smiles and nods. "Paul?"

Paul gives Lulu an unsure look but eventually answers Julian. "Whatever. Let's go see what happened."

Together, they cut through the woods with Lulu leading them. The Lucario sets a hasty pace, moving just short of a jog that forces both Paul and Julian to hurry after her. While most of the pokemon they come across wisely make way, one stout Stantler, a deer-like pokemon with impressive antlers, takes offense to the trio stomping loudly through the brush. Stantler steps up to challenge them, but quickly turns tail and flees with a panicked scamper when Lulu levels him with a red-eyed glare and a sharp spike of Killing Intent. They trundle through the brush and up a hill, heading towards one of the plateaus in the forest and following the increasing sounds of commotion ahead.

When they emerge from the woods, Lulu, Julian, and Paul are treated to the sight of Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, and Brock handling what looks like the tail-end of an argument between their pokemon. The three trainers are obviously in the middle of a picnic, owing to the folding table with several plates of food set out and the crackling cooking fire a few yards away. None of them have noticed Julian, Paul, or Lulu yet.

Ash's Aipom and Dawn's Piplup are both hanging their heads in embarrassment as a Turtwig between them shakes his head, exasperated.

The Turtwig looks like most others of his kind, being a small, green tortoise with a large head, bright yellow eyes, and a brown shell. Sprouting from the bark-like skin of his head is a single twig with a pair of green leaves.

'Piplup must have gotten into it with Aipom, resulting in that explosion earlier,' Julian looks at the ground under the tree where Ash and Co are resting, seeing small, blackened craters in the grass. 'And I'm guessing Turtwig stepped in before it got out of hand.'

"Thanks for playing peacekeeper, Turtwig," Ash's voice and smile are filled with relief as he kneels down to pat the Grass-type tortoise on his head.

Turtwig smiles back. "No prob!" He beams. "I can take a lot of things, but friends fighting isn't one of them!" Turtwig then hops and chomps down on Ash's head with his powerful, beaked mouth.

Julian almost sprints at full speed to push the stupid kid out of the way of the attack, hesitating only when Turtwig's aura glows with nothing but affection.

Ash cries out in alarm at first, but it melts into laughter soon after when Turtwig only puts enough strength in his bite for a fond nibble. 'And by god, what a nibble it could have been.'

Julian glances over to Lulu, who stands with her arms crossed, unruffled by the false alarm. 'Perhaps her more finely attuned aura clued her into Turtwig's intentions before me?' Julian muses. To his left, Julian sees Paul smirk, and even without focusing, the blonde can feel Paul's jolt of pride. It's not for himself, so who…? Julian takes another look at Turtwig, who lets Ash go, leaving both trainer and pokemon grinning.

Ah. 'Paul must be comparing his Torterra to Ash's Turtwig.' Julian been in the presence of the massive terrapin for several nights in a row and given ample time to gauge him, Julian is certain Torterra would be daunting to all but the upper echelons of the Pokemon League. Torterra would even be a substantial challenge for Lulu if the two ever clashed… Well, Torterra would be a challenge if Julian didn't invoke any reality-bending anime nonsense. 'Not exactly fair to compare a 1st stage pokemon to a 3rd stage, but I guess I understand where Paul is coming from. I can't promise I wouldn't be a bit of an asshat if someone I didn't like had a weaker Lucario.'

Paul scoffs loudly, drawing all the eyes of Ash's group towards them. "Not an ounce of control over your pokemon…" Paul shakes his head, seamlessly slipping from a grumpy teen into the classic Jerk Rival persona. "Pathetic."

Ash, and by extension Pikachu, both level Paul with a glare as Ash sets his befuddled Turtwig down. "Paul? You sure like showing up out of nowhere, don't you?"

"You idiots were making so much noise that we heard it from the other side of the forest. We came to make sure you weren't burning the place down," Paul snarks. He looks down at Turtwig. "Well well, a new pokemon?"

"That's right!" Ash smiles. "He's pretty cool, huh?"

Paul smirks. "Doesn't look like much to me, especially since you can't control him."

Not seeing a reason to intervene, Julian sighs and resigns himself to wait until the pair of kids eventually come to blows.

Dawn tries to see the good in everyone. It's not always easy. In fact, sometimes it's really hard. Her mother's Glameow wasn't always so fond of her, instead seeing Dawn as a rival for her mother's affections. For the longest time, Dawn thought the cat pokemon hated her for no reason. As she grew older, though, Dawn began to understand just what motivated her mom's pokemon to act out. Glameow wasn't being mean for no reason, she was afraid of being replaced. She was good deep down, as this all came from the love Glameow had for her mom.

Dawn forgave Glameow easily.

Dawn's childhood friend, Kenny, was often a jerk to her, teasing her and labeling her with unflattering nicknames. Again, Dawn wasn't sure what prompted it, so she withheld the upset feelings that wanted to burst forth and really dissected what Kenny was doing. She separated his actions from his words, and came to the realization that Kenny didn't intend to come off as mean, he just wasn't sure how to express what he felt. He stuck with her through thick and thin, even when their adventures would land them in trouble with adults.

She didn't even need to try to see the good in Ash and Brock. Both boys are easy to trust on a level deeper than words. The way they spoke to each other, their pokemon, to her… They're unmistakably good.

'So what is Paul Shinji's problem?'

Dawn watches Ash and Paul bicker back and forth with her hands folded over her chest, Ash's indignant fury versus Paul's mean words. Try as she might, Dawn can't find anything redeeming about Paul. Every word, every action - they're just plain cold, sometimes cruel.

Dawn takes a deep, slow breath.

The purple-haired boy stands with his arms crossed, his scowl a stalwart shield that Ash's words bounce off of. "What I mean…" Paul's words are slow and mocking, as if he's trying to explain to a particularly dull Slowpoke, "is that a trainer should be able to control their pokemon. If you let your Turtwig bite you like that, it breaks the whole chain of command. No wonder your pokemon are all so weak." Paul shakes his head. "You don't bother to catch any worthwhile ones, and you don't even train the ones you have."

Dawn takes another breath, even as she feels her temper begin to rise. Where does this guy get off saying stuff like that?

Ash's face flushes red in anger, and from the worried look from Brock, Dawn can tell this isn't normal for the pro-trainer. At her feet, Piplup and Aipom watch the goings-on with worry.

"Oh yeah?" Ash gestures to his Turtwig to come up with his hand, and the Grass-type gladly marches up to stand in front of his trainer confidently. "How about we settle this with a battle?"

Paul's smirk is almost vile. "A battle? Please, you lucked out with your draw last time. You think a weakling like this Turtwig can stand up to any of my pokemon?"

Dawn takes another breath, and stops. Argh! That's it! Something about Paul just sets her off!

"Hey!" Dawn steps forward and points an accusing finger at Paul, making both him and Ash stop and look at her. Normally, Dawn might wilt under such intense attention, but right now she's too ticked to care! "Where do you get off being so mean to everyone!?" She demands. "Just because Ash does things differently doesn't mean it's wrong! Heck, I'd argue the way you train pokemon is wrong! You should be nicer to your team!"

Something flashes across Paul's face, something both annoyed and… thoughtful? As quickly as it came, though, it's gone and the scowl returns. "Oh please, rookie, don't start with me. Out of everyone here, you know the least about proper training."

"There is nothing wrong with being nice!" Dawn asserts once again, growing irritated with the blockhead before her. "I don't need to be a pro to know that!"

Paul hesitates, glancing backward at the pair behind him.

Dawn follows his eyes.

Behind Paul is the mysterious trainer she met briefly at Professor Rowan's lab, Julian Angelo. Dawn was too caught up in the battle between Paul and Ash to get a good look at him before, but she's content to set the blockhead aside for a moment to fix that.

The blonde boy looks a few years older than her, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old, and stands taller than all of them sans Brock. His messy blonde hair is pulled back into a low Ponyta tail, and his green eyes watch Ash and Paul in a bored but still alert manner. Much like Ash, he sports a light tan, the sort one acquires from hours and hours outside every day. The rest of him, though…

Ash and Paul, much like other trainers Dawn has met, both have lean, athletic figures. Paul's baggy clothes hide it better, but he's got the same fluid, self-assured gait that Ash does. That's what the life of a trainer does to you, said her mom some months ago. Brock is a bit bulkier due to being older, but that's kind of expected.

Julian, however, is built differently. His body is nothing but solid muscle, and even at rest, Dawn can see the sharp lines that run across his arms and under the tight shirt he wears. Heck, his biceps are almost three times as large around as hers. His face, likewise, is nearly devoid of any fat, making him look sharp and angular. 'What did he do to get like that?'

He looks like some sort of perfectly sculpted storybook character or an actor from an action movie. Even if boys are still kind of icky, Dawn has to admit that the older teen would be right at home in a fantasy playing the dashing hero. His choice in pokemon, a Lucario, drives the image home perfectly.

Said Lucario stands beside Julian, posture relaxed and in control. Dawn isn't sure how to tell if Lulu the Lucario is strong or not, not having seen a Lucario in person before meeting Julian, but the silent confidence that hangs around Fighting-type is obvious. Her red eyes are focused on the back of Paul's head as if trying to stare a hole through him.

What really strikes Dawn is just how the older boy and his Lucario stand together. It's the same way her mom and Glameow would back during their pokemon coordinator days, all of which Dawn has seen videos of. She can't put a name to the feeling, but it's something she's only ever seen in partners who have worked together for years. Her mom and Glameow, Ash and Pikachu, and now Julian and Lulu.

…But Julian said he's only been a trainer for a month or so, so how did that happen? And why would a guy like him want to hang out with a grump like Paul?

The more she ponders the mysterious blonde trainer, the less things make sense…

"Don't look at us for backup," Julian sounds amused as he answers Paul's stare. Julian chuckles and rests his hands on his pockets as Paul's scowl deepens. "You already know my opinion on the matter."

'His opinion on the matter?'

"Tch," Paul growls, turning back to face Dawn. "Butt out, rookie. Don't concern yourself in affairs you can't and won't ever be able to handle."

Dawn feels her temper flare up again. 'Gosh, why does this guy infuriate me so much?' Outwardly, she says; "If you're so confident, then how about I battle alongside Ash?"

"Dawn?" Ash blinks, turning to her. "You don't need to do that. I can handle Paul fine!"

"Hmph," Paul's smirk returns. "What? A two-on-one match? I didn't realize you were that stupid. Two times zero is still zero."

At Dawn's feet, Piplup's own temper finally boils over. So red in the face it shows through his feathers, Piplup furiously flaps his flippers and trills angrily in a tantrum as he stomps up to stand beside a surprised Turtwig. It takes a moment, but Piplup calms down enough to just glare hatefully at Paul.

"I guess that decides it," Ash shares a look with Pikachu, who shrugs his little shoulders from his place on Ash's shoulder. "If you're okay with a two-on-one, that is."

"If you both want a beatdown, then have it your way." Paul unclips a pokeball from his belt and holds it up. "You'll be an appetizer before we get to Oreburgh."

"Oreburgh?" Ash asks with a blink. "You're taking the Gym Challenge?"

"I am," Paul confirms. "Both Angelo and I are. If you want to even think of making it to the tournament, then you better shape up." He lifts the pokeball in his hand and expands it with a push of the button. "Our last battle left a bad taste in my mouth, so I want to give my pokemon a chance at revenge." With a grunt, he tosses the ball high. "Chimchar, standby!"

In a flash, the pokeball splits open and spits a beam of light down to the ground. The light takes the form of Chimchar and fades into nothing, leaving the flame monkey pokemon standing ready. He gives Turtwig a hard look, but eyes Piplup warily.

"Turtwig might be weak to fire," Dawn grins. "But Piplup will put Chimchar out like a match!"

Piplup puffs up importantly, trilling with confidence.

Behind Paul, Lulu growls and turns to Julian, halting the battle before it can begin. "Ririon," she begins roughly. "Rao. Lucarao, lu."

Julian's brows furrow. "What?" He asks, incredulous. "Lulu, even if it's two-v-one, this is still a stacked match. The number difference matters less than you think it does."

The Lucario shakes her head. "Ro. Rilu ca ru rao. Lu ca rarao," she says insistently.

"Not… officially, no." Julian looks away. "But this isn't an official match. The rules can be whatever they decide."

'Can he understand her that well?' Dawn wonders. Expert trainers can learn how to communicate with their pokemon after years together, everyone knows that, but this seems way too precise for having been a trainer for just over a month.

'Was Julian lying?'

Lulu's eyes harden. "Ririan, cairo ra lurao."

"But Paul could just use another pokemon?"

The Lucario raises a paw. "Raco rura ca ri crua," she says, pointing to Ash and Dawn, then to Paul.

"Gah, fine…" Julian grunts reluctantly. He steps forward with Lulu in tow to stand next to Paul. "Ash," He addresses the surprised Kanto-borne trainer. "If you and Dawn insist on ganging up on Paul, then I'm obligated to step in and even the odds by making this a two-on-two."

Lulu steps onto the field with that worrying confidence and nods down to Chimchar, who breathes a sigh of relief.

Paul turns and gives Julian a sharp glare. "I don't need your help, Angelo."

"I know," Julian crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "I want to see you try to bend a Lucario's sense of fair play. I promise you can't do it either."

"I was under the impression that your Lucario didn't like me," Paul mutters darkly.

Julian huffs out a half-hearted laugh.

"She doesn't."

"Rio cairo!"

Julian and Lulu speak at the same moment, then share a look.

Brock moves from behind Ash and Dawn, taking up a spot at the side of the arena. He gazes at all the pokemon within, seemingly troubled. "I suppose I'll ref this match," he begins. "This'll be a standard double battle, one pokemon per trainer. The last side with a pokemon still standing will be the winner. Does everyone agree?"

Ash, Paul, and Julian all nod, with Dawn following suit a second later. 'Oh shoot this is my second battle ever and it's a two-on-two against a pair of strong pokemon oh shoot oh shoot.'

To her left, Dawn watches Ash grin eagerly. He shakes with a barely contained nervous energy.

Across from Ash, Paul remains stoic.

Finally, across from Dawn, Julian…

Julian cracks only one eye open. His arms are crossed, but he lifts his right hand up to chest level and extends his pointer and middle fingers, kind of like one of those signs that ninjas in movies use. What happens next makes Dawn's skin tingle.

Around the edge of Julian's green iris, a glowing band of blue forms. At the same time, Lulu's ruby eyes glow with the same blue bands. All of a sudden, Dawn begins to realize just how out of her depth she is.

"Take it easy on them, Lulu," Dawn barely hears Julian murmur.

Brock raises his hand and chops it down. "Begin!"

"Ember/Razor Leaf!" Ash and Paul's voices overlap.

Chimchar is faster, leaping up high and taking a deep breath. "Char!" He yowls, blasting glowing streaks of orange light from his mouth right at Turtwig.

Turtwig moves a second later, whipping his head from side to side with the leaves on his head glowing a bright green. From the leaves shoot crescents of green, leaf-like energy blades that zip up to meet Chimchar's Ember almost too late.

Cra-cra-cra-boom-oom-oom!

Razor Leaf meets Ember in a spectacular staccato of explosions uncomfortably close to Turtwig, forming a cloud of acrid black smoke.

"Turtwig, go through the smoke and use Tackle!" Ash orders without missing a beat.

Turtwig chortles and does as ordered, running through the smoke with a speed unbefitting a turtle pokemon. He charges straight for Chimchar, aiming to catch him as he lands.

"Chimchar, dodge and retaliate with Scratch," Paul's order is both unworried and unhurried.

Chimchar's feet scarcely touch the grass again before he nimbly leaps and somersaults over Turtwig, making the turtle skid through the grass in an effort to stop. Turtwig turns just in time to wince as Chimchar slices into his face with a swipe of his glowing nails.

"Oh no, Turtwig!" Ash cries out, worried but not yet losing his cool. "Force him to back off with Razor Leaf!"

That's when Dawn shakes her head and realizes she and Piplup are part of the battle too, and they've done nothing so far! "Piplup! Use Bubble on Chimchar! Help Turtwig!"

Piplup takes a deep breath and shuts his beak, letting Bubble build up.

"Intercept!" Julian barks.

In the field, Lulu tenses, a wispy blue glow surrounding her.

As Piplup thrusts his head forward to release his Bubble attack, a black, three-fingered paw closes around his beak.

"What?!" Dawn whips her head around to Julian, only to find him still standing in his imposing stance with no Lucario to be found. She looks back at Piplup, and sees Lulu in front of him, clamping his beak shut with her paw. 'How did she get there so fast?!'

Piplup struggles in place, his eyes wide in panic as shining blue Water energy peeks out between Lulu's fingers. The shine keeps building, but Lulu refuses to release him, even as Piplup slaps desperately at her paw with his flippers. With nowhere else to go, Bubble detonates still inside Piplup's mouth.

A dull boom rattles the field and Piplup's body puffs up painfully from the pressure, finally prompting Lulu to let go and leap backward out of retaliation distance. A gout of hot steam escapes Piplup's mouth and he deflates like an untied balloon, stumbling about with unfocused eyes.

Across the field, Julian sighs. "Lulu, let's not drag it out. Knock Piplup out, please."

"Piplup! Snap out of it!" Dawn calls, helplessness creeping up inside of her. "You can do it!"

Piplup blinks blearily, but before he can get his bearings, Lulu closes in with the speed of a homing missile and strikes the little penguin square in the side of his head with a brutal punch. The force of the blow spins Piplup around on his feet before he crumples to the grass like a sack of rocks, leaving Turtwig alone on the field against Lulu and Chimchar.

Dawn can hardly believe it. They lost in two hits. Dejected, she breathes out a heavy sigh and takes Piplup's ball from the pocket of her dress. "Piplup, return."

In a flash of red, the knocked-out penguin is recalled to his ball, which Dawn cradles to her chest. She looks back to the battle, watching as it goes sour for Ash.

"Turtwig, dodge the Embers!" Ash calls, a frantic frustration laced into his words.

Turtwig, rather than dodge, stands defiant as another volley of Embers rains down on him, exploding like firecrackers as they strike. As the smoke clears, it shows Turtwig wincing and barely standing.

"You can take it, huh?" Dawn barely hears Julian mockingly murmur, his focus on Turtwig.

'You can take it? Who is taking what? Turtwig?'

Paul smirks that same awful smirk. "Your pokemon won't even listen to an order to dodge?" He asks, seemingly one step away from laughing. "Tear up your license now, Ketchum."

Both Ash and Pikachu openly scowl at the taunt.

To the side, Lulu stands with her knees bent and arms held up in a loose guard, ready to jump into the fight but not interfering. Behind her, Julian drops his stance, letting his arms fall to his side and his other eye open. The glow in his eye vanishes, same as the one in Lulu's.

Dawn misses much of the match after that, too focused on replaying what just happened in her head and holding Piplup's ball close. Piplup didn't even get a chance to properly attack. Heck, the explosion from Bubble didn't even hurt Lulu! Her fur wasn't even ruffled.

'How strong is she?'

Dawn looks up just in time to see Turtwig get bowled over by Chimchar's raging Flame Wheel. Turtwig is left flat on the ground, covered in soot and burns. With a grunt and amazing effort, Turtwig rises to his feet… only to fall again, too exhausted to keep fighting.

At the side of the arena, Brock reluctantly raises his hand. "Piplup and Turtwig are unable to battle. Lucario and Chimchar are the winners."

Paul snorts and rests his hands in his jacket pockets like he expected nothing less, with a beaming Chimchar scampering over to rest at Paul's side.

In the field, Lulu rises out of her stance and returns back to Julian. The blonde pulls the Lucario close and whispers in her ear, making Lulu frown and shake her head, saying something quietly back. Julian rolls his eyes and lets her go. Idly, Dawn wonders what the conversation was about since they haven't been shy about openly talking before now.

Ash hangs his head with a sigh at the loss but bounces back with a small smile. He walks out to the field where Turtwig lays, still conscious but panting in exhaustion. Ash drops his backpack next to him and roots around in it, taking out an Oran berry that he offers to Turtwig.

The Grass-type sniffs the berry, then takes a tired bite, slowly chewing.

"There, you'll feel better in no time. You did great out there." Ash praises, stroking his pokemon and being careful to avoid touching any scrapes or burns. He then looks up at Julian and Paul with his smile still in place. "Great battle, you guys! Chimchar and Lulu are really strong!"

Paul says nothing, just raising a brow. Julian however, looks away and bites his lip, conflicted for some reason. At his side, Julian's Lucario taps his arm and says something too quiet for Dawn to make out.

Paul hangs back, but Julian and Lulu begin to walk over. As they do so, Julian looks at Dawn and gestures for her to meet him where Ash is tending to Turtwig.

Before she can turn and ask, Brock is already at her side with a reassuring smile.

Dawn gives the older boy a relieved smile, and together they walk over.

"Turtwig has got some real guts," Julian praises with a smile as Dawn and Brock come to a stop by him, Ash, Turtwig, and Lulu. "And he's quite fast, isn't he? Fastest turtle I've ever seen."

"Heheh, yeah," Ash scratches his cheek bashfully

Julian hums as he looks over Turtwig, who in turn stares back up at him through bites of Oran. "You might want to speak to him about the whole 'look how tough I am, I can take any attack' thing when it comes to dodging, though."

"Huh?" Ash asks, bewildered.

"Turtwig seemed like he was trying to prove something. At least it seemed that way to me," Julian explains, gazing down at an equally bewildered Turtwig. "Am I wrong?"

The Grass turtle looks away.

The tall blonde shrugs. "Just my two cents." Then he looks at Dawn, who breaks out into goosebumps when his eyes indescribably sharpen for a split second. "Dawn, you're a new trainer, correct? Did you bring any restoratives for Piplup?"

Dawn feels herself freeze. She didn't.

"They're something you might want to stock up on next time," Julian looks away. "I'm sorry for how banged up Piplup got. If you want, we can fix him up for you," he gives a half-lidded look to Lulu, who huffs in what looks like embarrassment and nods. "Can you let him out for a moment?"

Dawn looks down at the pokeball in her hand. "Erm. Okay?" She raises the ball and taps the button, letting it pop open and deposit Piplup at her feet.

Piplup is wobbly, but conscious again and sits on the ground, sulking over the embarrassing loss. On the side of his head is a nasty bruise in the shape of a three-fingered fist and he breathes with a quiet wheeze from Bubble's backfire.

Lulu steps forward and plants her paw on the top of Piplup's head, making the penguin tense up. Then from her paw, a luminescent, sparkling mist a brilliant pink in color trails down Piplup's body.

Dawn feels her jaw drop as Piplup's bruise fades away into nothing and his wheeze vanishes in the span of several breaths. Piplup himself blinks incredulously and stands as Lulu withdraws her paw, cutting off the pink glow. He stretches to and fro and takes a deep breath, then jumps with obvious joy as nothing aches. He looks up at Lulu with a wide smile, his loss seemingly forgotten.

The Lucario offers an apologetic smile.

"Heal Pulse," Julian answers the question on Dawn's lips, and on Ash and Brock's too if their own expressions of surprise are any indicator. "A useful move to have in the field and for training. It's not a one-to-one replacement for real medicine, but it's useful first aid."

'Only first aid? Not a replacement? Lulu undid the damage of a whole battle!'

Julian clears his throat, glancing up at the treeline behind them. Dawn glances back too, but doesn't see anything. "Thank you both for the battle, and no hard feelings, yeah? A two-on-one didn't sit well with Lulu."

"No prob!" Ash grins, standing and offering his hand. "It was fun! Maybe we'll meet again! We're winning next time, though!"

Julian smirks a 'I know something you don't' kind of smirk and takes Ash's hand, giving it a shake. "Sure thing."

"Are you two done with the chit-chat?" Paul calls over to the group grumpily. "We've still got several hours to Jubilife."

"Don't get your prissy panties in a twist," Julian calls over his shoulder, and Dawn can't help but giggle behind her hand. The blonde offers them a wave and turns back to Paul, Lulu in tow. "Nice seein' ya again, and good luck out there. Watch the skies."

"Watch the skies?" Brock asks, bemused. "Wonder what he meant by that."

Paul, Lulu, and Julian depart, melting back into the foliage and returning to the road they were using. Not even five minutes later after the gang returns to their now cold lunches…

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

Dawn's head shoots up along with Ash and Brock's, and cackling above the camp in their obnoxious Meowth balloon is none other than Team Rocket. As Jesse and James waste no time going through their motto, Dawn can't help but look down in thought.

'Watch the skies? Did Julian know? How did he know?'

Everything she learns about the trainer named Angelo leads to another mystery… It almost feels purposeful.

Chapter Text

"One pulse, a pause, then two pulses, and an upward build means we both roar in sync and ignite enough aura to make a visible shroud, okay? And you've got to put some spirit into it. The louder, the better! In fact, we could-"

"Julian…" Lulu sighs, pausing her trainer's words. "Do we really need all these signals and theatrics? I don't mean to disparage you, but these maneuvers eat precious seconds mid-battle. Does being 'cool' really mean that much?"

Julian looks away from his partner's doubtful face to the notebook in his lap. He and Lulu are resting together in a patch of tall, tickly grass off the side of the road and enjoying the Sinnoh sun. Paul wanted to go on one last hunt before the group reaches Jubilife City and marched off with his pokemon in tow, claiming he'd be back in 'a while,' leaving Julian and Lulu to sit and plan things best unheard by others.

"Well…" Julian twirls the pencil in his hand and glances down at his notebook. On the page are a few scrawled lines with different 'maneuvers,' most of them intended to be relayed to Lulu mid-battle with pulses of aura from himself. In the corner of the page is a doodle of two stick figures in synchronized poses. One has spiky anime hair and the other has a jackal head. "I guess we do have, like, three pages worth. We can try these out before adding more." He clears his throat. "To answer your question, though, yes. Rule of Cool is a potent tool that synergizes well with most aspects of a pokemon battle. I know it's not the Lucario way to be flowery and dramatic, but if we pretend there is an audience watching us and do our best to entertain that imaginary audience, then there is almost no limit to what we can get away with. Imagine!"

Lulu still seems skeptical, her arms crossed under her chest spike. Julian can almost see the images of battles yet to be fought running through her head. She does a good job of hiding it, but her warbling aura gives off the feeling of impending embarrassment.

'C'mon man. Throw her a bone,' A tiny voice whispers in the back of the blonde's brain. 'Even for a pokemon, anime nonsense is still wack.'

"But you do have a point," Julian reluctantly concedes. "We can't make every fight dramatic. It would waste a lot of time and if we make every fight a curb stomp… Circumstances might try to humble us. Forcefully."

A shiver visibly runs down Lulu's spine at the word circumstances, but she pushes past the discomfort and nods.

"Hey, Lulu…" Julian hesitates and pauses. "If you're ever bothered by the shounen anime revelation, talk to me, okay? I know I dumped a lot on you."

"I'm fine," the Lucario smiles, and the warm but firm glow of appreciation in her aura tells Julian more than her words could. How a glow can be firm, the teen isn't sure, but that's what his own aura tells him. "It was a lot to take in, I admit, and I still ponder the things you've told me, but if I'm truly feeling unwell then you'll be the first to know."

Julian smiles back brightly.

'Lulu is handling everything well, not that I expected her to have some kind of existential crisis. She's too strong, too practical a 'mon for that. Living in a world that runs off of anime rules and being cognizant of the fact is still only one step left of eldritch knowledge, though, so vetting pokemon teammates is going to be a must before they get told the secret.'

Lulu suddenly perks up and turns her head. Following her eyes, Julian sees why.

Paul is trudging down the road towards them, Elekid at his side.

"Well, well! Look who's back!" Julian stuffs his notebook into his backpack and stands, Lulu following a second later. Both step out into the road and wait.

Paul grumbles something under his breath, his hands shoved roughly into his pockets and he and Elekid step up to Julian and Lulu. The younger boy's aura simmers, and Elekid's is twinged with a twist of shame, telling him the hunt didn't exactly go as planned.

Regardless, needling Paul is still fun… "So, find any interesting pokemon?"

Paul says nothing and glowers at Julian's smirking face.

"Okay, fine, don't answer." The blonde sniffs and turns his attention down to Elekid. "How'd it go down, little man?"

Elekid blinks, apparently still not used to being addressed directly. "Uh… We found this Honchkrow who was a jerk," Elekid's voice is scratchy and boyish, and his surprised eyes narrow as he recounts the apparent battle. "He was some stupid windbag who liked the sound of his own voice. Kinda like you," Elekid smirks back.

"Oooohhh, you fuckin' got me boyo," Julian is still all smiles, and that's probably the only thing keeping the retort he practically feels on Lulu's tongue from flying. "You hurt me deep down in my heart… but it sounds that much like me, Honchkrow could walk the walk just as much as he could talk the talk since Paul is empty-handed."

Elekid's smirk vanishes and Paul's scowl deepens.

"Ah, don't be so sour you two," Julian shrugs. "Win some, lose some, that's how she goes. Any of your pokemon hurt?" He returns his eyes to Paul.

"They're fine," the boy grunts and takes Elekid's pokeball from his belt, returning the short Electric-type to his ball in a flash of red. "Let's get to Jubilife. The sooner I can train my pokemon without damaging any forestry, the better."

The walk to Jubilife City resumes. While they move, Julian pulls his cell phone from his pocket, checking for service.

The cellphone is an ugly brick of a thing, not being a true smartphone, but rather a dumbphone that happens to use a sluggish touchscreen. The technological advancement of the pokemon world is all over the place, as evidenced by teleporters, holoprojectors, pokedexes, and other fantastic marvels existing alongside CRT monitors and flip-phones.

Hell, his phone doesn't even have a native browser. Julian had to install one himself. It was a painful afternoon combing Sandgem's tiny electronic store for a cord that fit the phone, then finagling on a command-line interface to install the dubious app he found online from Robert's ancient computer over to the phone. Not that the browser is all that useful, anyway. Most non-Pokemon League establishments only use a barebones website if they even have one.

'On the plus side…' Seeing as he still has no signal, Julian hums and puts his phone away. 'Remaining on the device detox the pack forced on me is nice and easy. Seeing a pokemon-flavored 'wild west' internet is nostalgic, but man, the lack of QoL gets to you fast.' Then another thought comes to him. "Hey, Paul?"

Paul grunts, still marching with his balled-up hands in his pockets. "What?"

"How do odd jobs for traveling trainers work?" Julian asks. After a second of thought, he adds; "Is there a website or something where requests are posted? Do people just flag you down? Or is it all centralized somewhere, like at a pokemon center?"

"Bumpkin…" Paul snorts derisively. "All of the above. There isn't a standard. Some clients hang around pokemon centers and battlefields to make requests in person, some put ads in newspapers, and others have the local center put up posters or something. Just keep your eyes open."

Julian ignores the younger boy's contempt. "Really? Interesting… What are the ones you usually take?"

"Depends." Is Paul's one-word answer. For a second, it seems like he isn't going to elaborate, but before the silence can grow awkward, he continues. "Does it pay good, can it double as training, and does it involve working with morons? Those are the questions I ask."

"Truly, everyone must be leaping with joy at the thought of working alongside someone such as you, Paul…" Lulu rolls her eyes.

The Lucario's words are lost on Paul, but the sarcasm is not, as he turns to her with a frown. "Tch, whatever…"

An hour passes as they walk, the silence broken by Julian and Lulu's idle chatter with the occasional comment from Paul. No pokemon care enough to approach them, and Julian doesn't feel any with his 6th sense that are worth challenging. Before long, the treeline begins to thin and the shining metropolis of Jubilife begins to take shape on the horizon. And the closer they get, the more and more Julian feels Lulu's aura bubbling in wonder at the tall, gleaming buildings.

"What's it like, being in a city?" Lulu suddenly asks, her ruby eyes pulling Julian in with her puppy-like eagerness. "I've heard passers-by with the pack talk about big human cities, but we're not even there yet, and already it takes up so much of the horizon!"

Normally, Julian's first reaction to hearing someone ask about city living would be to laugh and dash their hopes across the ground, but he stops before the first chuckle can bubble out of him. 'Pokemon, Julian, pokemon. Cities aren't dirty and crime-infested here unless being a 'bad' city is their gimmick. Even then, they aren't anywhere near as bad as 'bad' cities on Earth.'

DARPA had Julian travel to several other government offices and contracted laboratories in the past for his job, often to oversee server migrations and whatnot. By the time he hit 30 years old, the blonde man had seen New York, L.A., Washington D.C., Chicago, and other cities often held in high regard by popular media.

He didn't find any reason to stay longer than needed.

"Well…" Julian hums to himself as he thinks of an answer to Lulu's question. "Jubilife is the biggest city in Sinnoh and one of the biggest in the world. There's always going to be something going on, and there is always something to do. I bet the nightlife is wild. There's a lot to take in, so don't worry if you get overwhelmed. It happens."

If Lulu is put off by the underwhelming answer, it doesn't show on her face. "Always something to do?" She tilts her head, and Julian resists the urge to reach out and pet her between the ears. "Like what?"

"Tons of things," Julian shrugs. "Shops for anything you can think of—and probably a ton that you can't think of. Movie theaters, tours, restaurants and street food… pokemon contests and probably pokemon battles, too." He says, his last examples are added as afterthoughts. "You know, I wouldn't mind seeing a pokemon contest."

Paul scoffs, jumping into the conversation. "Pokemon contests? Really? Why would you waste time watching a contest?"

"What's a pokemon contest?" Lulu asks, intrigued. "What sort of contest is it?"

Julian gives Paul a flat look. "There is more to pokemon than battle, Paul. Pokemon Coordinators shine in all sorts of areas that battle-oriented trainers could learn from. Watch one sometime. Shit, let's book some seats for the next one in Jubilife. I know they have a Contest Hall."

Paul harrumphs and turns away, facing the road once more.

The blonde then turns to his curious pokemon. "The contests I'm talking about are competitions between pokemon and trainers, but rather than battle, the focus is more on aesthetics and performance."

"Aesthetics and performance, huh?" Lulu crosses her arms, and Julian can see that she too is skeptical of contests.

"Yeah," Julian nods. "Most places run an appeal round, where the trainer and pokemon put on a performance for the audience. Sing, dance, make a big light show, whatever you think will wow the crowd. The best ones move on to either another appeal round, or a battle with another coordinator." He raises a finger. "The catch with these battles is that judges are watching and grading the pokemon and trainers for their style mid-battle. A pokemon can lose the battle but still be declared the winner because they went down with grace."

He can feel Lulu's aura slowly churn as she digests the info. "That seems…" she pauses, and Julian can tell then she doesn't seem to understand the point. "Interesting."

"It makes more sense once you see one."

The city grows larger and larger as they walk towards it, eventually leading the group past a colorful metal sign saying Welcome to Jubilife! Pop: 598,000. Just beyond the sign, the dirt road abruptly ends, replaced with solid asphalt.

The first thing Julian notices is the sudden mass of auras beginning to pop up on the edge of his 6th sense. So many little winking lights suddenly flare to life in his mind's eye that it's almost dizzying, and there are so many that he can't make sense of any single one. He looks over to Lulu and frowns.

The Lucario's eager smile is falling, replaced with a flat, neutral expression as aura signatures more numerous than anything she's ever felt before suddenly assail her. Where her face conveys nothing, her aura is plainly anxious.

'If it feels weird to me,' Julian clicks his tongue. 'Then it's got to be bordering on overload for Lulu, and it's only going to get worse as we get into the heart of Jubilife.'

"Lulu, you okay?"

The pokemon turns her eyes to her trainer, putting on a thin smile. "I'm fine."

Julian raises an eyebrow. "Are you just saying that, or do you actually mean it?"

Lulu doesn't answer.

Wordlessly, Julian pushes a minuscule amount of aura from his skin, making an invisible, buzzing cloud form around him. The technique, one he picked up from watching Pops, slowly sucks down his aura reserves faster than he can replenish them, but his own externalized aura blunts the uncontrolled signatures from Jubilife and casts a fuzzy cover over his 6th sense.

Lulu, being so close, is enveloped in the aura cloud as well. Her shoulders slump in relief, and despite her trying to appear disapproving of the stunt, the frown on her muzzle comes off as more of a pout.

The blonde grins and bumps his shoulder with hers.

Through the southern border of Jubilife's city limits, Julian, Lulu, and Paul pass through a bustling suburban district filled with homes and join the foot traffic on the sidewalk. All the while, Lulu's head is craning around, taking in all the sights with wide, ruby eyes.

Houses of all sorts, sometimes with children and small pokemon playing in the front yard, dominate the landscape with the skyscrapers of the city serving as a beautiful backdrop. Cars of unusual make are parked along the street and in driveways, oftentimes in the form of modest sedans and compact hatchbacks. The trucks and crossovers Julian is so used to seeing in middle America are nowhere to be seen.

Trodding along the sidewalk, the pair of obvious trainers and the rare pokemon garner more than one stare. Children pause in their games to point, often with exclamations like, "I'm gonna be a pokemon trainer too!" Adults lounging on their front porches in the cool afternoon after a day of work just smile or wave.

In the front garden of one of the houses they pass is a toddler kneeling in the dirt next to an older lady wearing a sunhat and gardening gloves. On the little boy's other side is a small, kitten-like pokemon that Julian doesn't recall the name of, one with green fur and vibrant pink eyes.

The obvious grandmother and her grandson pause in their gardening when Julian, Paul, and Lulu walk by, a bright smile crossing the elderly woman's face. "Peyton, honey," she lightly touches the toddler's shoulder. "Say hi to the trainers!"

The little boy beams and raises a dirt-stained hand to wave at them, the kitten at his side raising a pink paw to do the same. "Hi!"

Paul ignores every look sent his way, marching forward with his eyes straight ahead and his hands jammed in his pockets. Being just a few feet away, Julian can still feel Paul's aura through the cloud dulling his and Lulu's sensory abilities, and to the blonde's amusement, under Paul's annoyance is embarrassment at the little boy's open admiration.

'Hahhh. Is the poor guy secretly shy?' Julian smirks at the thought, then smiles back at the grandma and grandson pair, waving back as he does so.

At his side, Lulu follows suit with a bright, genuine smile of her own.

The sheer delight on the little boy's face makes Friendship tingle in Julian's chest.

Further in, passing through several streets and growing close enough to the heart of Jubilife that the skyscrapers begin to dominate the skyline, a curious, cheery jingle begins to carry through the street.

Lulu tilts her head and flicks her ears. "Music? It's getting closer."

With a hum, Julian focuses on the noise. A half-remembered childhood memory comes to him, but he can't seem to shake off the cobwebs and put his finger on where he's heard this exact tune before. "I swear I've heard this before…"

Then the source turns the corner ahead and slowly drives down the street, and Julian almost feels like kicking himself.

The noise is an ice cream truck. The boxy little truck is plastered with colorful stickers of frozen treats and has a speaker on the top playing the nostalgic tune.

'Arceus, I feel old. I actually forgot what an ice cream truck was for a second.'

In the window of one of the houses nearby, a small, round face peers out curiously before catching sight of the ice cream truck. The curiosity swiftly transforms into a smile and the kid in the window disappears. Hardly a minute later, the front door of the home flies open as a gaggle of eager children pour out, bills clutched in their tiny hands. A watchful Luxio follows out shortly after, keeping a careful eye on all of the kids.

With a grin, Julian turns to Lulu. "Want some ice cream?"

She blinks and tilts her head. "Iced cream?"

"Did we really never hit up an ice cream parlor in Sandgem?" Julian scratches his chin with a hum. His other hand shoots out to grasp Paul's backpack, stopping the grumpy trainer from walking off and leaving them behind. "Well, let's fix that now."

The truck pulls up to the side of the road before the driver parks and throws open the window on the side of the vehicle. Julian, Lulu, and an annoyed Paul stand off to the side, letting the eager children line up first before taking the back of the line.

One by one, each queued-up child hands over crumpled bills or a handful of coins and gets a frozen treat in return, but to Julian's silent bewilderment, the person manning the ice cream truck is no man at all.

The truck is being run by a lone Delibird, one wearing a soda jerk hat and a white apron with a pink ice cream cone pin on the chest.

The penguin-like pokemon gladly takes money handed to him in his flippers, quickly counting it, sorting it away in a register, and producing whatever goodie asked of him from the freezers lining the opposite side of the truck.

As the line of children dwindles and allows him and his friends closer, Julian leans to the side, peering into the driver's seat of the truck and finding it empty. What he does find, however, is blocks of wood taped to the gas and brake pedals so a squat form (like a Delibird) can reach them.

"Here you go, enjoy!" Delibird cheerfully hands a cone with a single scoop of vanilla to the girl just ahead of them.

"Thank you, Delibird!" The little girl is all smiles and skips off to follow her friends.

Delibird's grin only grows wider, though he reigns it into something more contained as he lays eyes on Julian, Lulu, and Paul. "Always nice to see older kids who don't shy away from 'baby things' like a visit from the ice cream bird," Delibird chortles. "What can I get for you?" He asks, gesturing down to the menu plastered under the window.

"I…" Lulu looks at all of the selections unsurely. Julian can see her eyes glide across the names of the assorted treats, and he feels her aura buzz in light frustration when she can't read most of the words. Each one has a picture, thankfully, but the Lucario still hesitates. She subtly turns her eyes to him, looking for guidance.

"A chocolate cone is always a good pick," Julian shrugs, reaching into his back pocket and withdrawing his wallet. "Hard to go wrong with a classic."

Lulu nods slowly. "A chocolate… cone for me, thank you."

"And I'll take…" the blonde trainer scans the menu once more, his eyes landing on a tantalizing pink bar on a stick covered in cake crumbles. "A Pecha shortcake pop. Paul?"

"I don't want anything." The other boy grunts, making Julian roll his eyes.

"One scoop of chocolate and a Pecha-pop comes to…" Delibird hits a few buttons on his cash register, and on a little digital display on the back of the register, $4 flashes. "Four pokedollars, please!" Delibird reaches a flipper out and taps the number.

'Pokedollars. That still gets a laugh out of me.' Julian smiles and hands four 1s to the pokemon.

As Delibird stashes the money away and turns around to prepare the ice cream, a question strikes Julian. "Say, Delibird? Did you have to get a permit or license to drive around and sell ice cream?"

"Well sure I did!" Delibird reaches up to tap a frame above the freezers and just short of the ceiling.

Julian leans in, Lulu and even a curious Paul following.

In the frame is a laminated City of Jubilife Business Permit, a health inspection report with a big green PASS stamped on it, and a photocopy of an Arceus-honest driver's license with Delibird's smiling face.

'I don't know what I was expecting.'

"They made poor little me jump through so many hoops just so I could sell treats to the boys and girls of Jubilife!" Delibird puffs up indignantly and he whirls around, shortcake bar and chocolate cone held out for Julian and Lulu to take. "Take it from me, miss," Delibird addresses Lulu as he hands the frozen desserts and a wad of napkins off. "Being independent is all fun and games until you have to fill out tax forms…" The Ice-type groans and slumps over dramatically.

Lulu's smile is somewhere between awkward and diplomatic. "I'm certain having a profession is rewarding, though, correct?"

"I'm yanking your tailfeathers," Delibird stands up and brushes off his apron. "I love what I do, even if there is sometimes a morning or two where I really wish I stayed up on Mt Coronet or found a trainer. It's just a coincidence that those days are the same days I need to go to Town Hall to get all my permits renewed, yes indeed."

Lulu clicks her tongue. "I think I'll stick to having a human deal with all of that for me…"

Julian chuckles as he raises his ice cream to his mouth, taking a bite. 'I didn't know pokemon could hold jobs or own property. I guess there's no reason they can't, but it's so much of a hassle that few bother if Delibird here is any example. This universe is definitely much bigger than the canon anime and holy hell this Pecha bar is tasty…' He slows down, savoring the sweet, unique flavor that coats his mouth without being overbearing. 'I think I found a new favorite… and it looks like I'm not alone.' He looks over to Lulu with a smile.

The Lucario holds the cone awkwardly between both her paws, seemingly unsure how to properly grasp it, and gives the chocolate ice cream a tentative lick. Her chocolate-covered tongue darts back into her mouth and she smacks her lips. Once the taste fully hits, she looks down at the ice cream with wide, ruby eyes filled with undisguised delight, and behind her, her tail slowly wags. She immediately goes in for another lick, smudging her nose in her haste.

Julian can't contain his smile and almost, almost succumbs to the urge to grip his heart for just how cute the scene is. Then he stops. 'Julian, you live in an anime. Let it happen.'

"Hhhnnnnnnngg!" Julian claws at his chest with this free hand, his smile messing up his theatrical grimace. "Arg, Lulu!"

She's by his side in an instant, alarmed. "Julian?! Julian, are you okay?!" Her serious visage is utterly ruined by the smudge of chocolate on her nose.

"You…!" He struggles out between snorted giggles. "Are so… adorable that it hurts sometimes." He can't stop the cavalcade of laughter that breaks out of his lips. "I knew the ice cream was a good idea!"

An embarrassed red blush blooms across Lulu's muzzle. "Adorable?!" She nearly squeaks. Her next words come out with a growl. "You jerk! I was worried about you!" She slaps her trainer's shoulder with a broad paw and scowls, but the red across her face remains.

Julian lets his laughter taper off and hands her one of the wadded napkins, tapping his own nose. "You got a little somethin' there."

The Lucario's blush darkens as she wipes away the sugary stain.

The trio moves off to the side as several straggler kids come out to the ice cream truck, attracted by the siren call of the truck's tune. As Lulu begins munching down on her cone with gusto, too focused on getting the last bit of chocolate inside to notice much else, a sudden stirring of negativity off to the side draws Julian's attention.

On the porch of the house behind them, a number of the neighborhood kids are gathered, sitting and chattering about this and that as they enjoy their ice cream.

All but one sullen, empty-handed boy that is. The boy, maybe nine or ten years old, sits on the porch steps and watches his friends enjoy their snacks with open jealousy. Both of the pockets of his shorts are turned out.

'Ah, man. Broke when the ice cream truck rolls around? That's rough,' Julian pulls the last bite of his Pecha bar off the stick and lets it melt in his mouth. 'I'd be pissed too. Sympathies, kiddo.'

"Hey, kid."

Several pairs of eyes, Julian and Lulu's included, lock onto Paul, who stares down the depressed boy on the porch.

The kid jumps, eyes wide. Hesitantly, he points to himself. "M-Me?"

Paul says nothing in reply. He jerks his head back in a 'come here' gesture.

All of the kids are now watching as their empty-handed friend slowly and meekly walks over. As the boy walks, his friends all 'whisper' to each other.

"What did Doug do?"

"Why is that big kid mad?"

"Are those guys pokemon trainers?"

The chatter is quick, and the more it continues, the grimmer the speculation becomes. The grimmer the speculation becomes, the more Doug begins to tremble.

The boy, Doug, stops several steps short of Paul, who sneers and thrusts his hand out.

Doug flinches, raising his hands in defense, then he stops and blinks at what he sees.

In Paul's hand is a five-dollar bill.

"Quit moping and get something from the bird," Paul demands, shoving the money into the boy's hand. "I overheard you and your pals earlier. You want to be a trainer?"

The boy nods absently, seemingly stunned by the act of kindness. "Y-Yeah. Who are you?"

"Paul Shinji, and if you want to be a trainer who is worth anything, then start by cutting the moping." Paul gruffly says. "If you don't take being a trainer seriously and pull the 'woe is me' act when things don't go your way, then you'll drag the whole sport down. You may as well quit then." Paul turns towards Jubilife and starts walking. "Enjoy the handout. You won't get any as a trainer," he says over his shoulder in the most backhanded way he can. "Angelo, Lucario, let's go. We haven't got all night."

Julian almost can't believe his eyes, a disbelieving chuckle bubbling out of his throat. "Well, well, is that some character growth I'm spotting?" he mutters to himself. He shares a look with Lulu, who looks just as lost as him, then looks back to the awestruck children whose eyes are glued to Paul's back. 'Seems like Lulu and I aren't the only ones who can cultivate Rule of Cool. Paul played the nonchalant cool guy role perfectly, and I'm willing to bet those kids are going to be looking for him on any televised matches now.' Shaking the thoughts away, he and Lulu jog to catch up.

"That was mighty friendly of you, Paul," Julian grins and claps Paul on the shoulder, almost making the shorter boy stumble. "Actually taking my advice to heart?"

"I did it because I knew you were thinking of it and would have nagged me afterward if I didn't," Paul grunts. "It still seems like a load of bull to me, but all the weird stuff you can do has convinced me to try…" he pauses and takes a breath, as if steeling himself. "To try and be a little… friendlier." He grounds out as if it pains him.

Julian laughs, but inwardly he growls as his own failure suddenly reveals itself. 'Fuck. I didn't even think of helping that kid out.' He stills his aura so Lulu won't question the sudden surge of irritation. 'Lulu and I need to start building a follower base to exploit RoC and market ourselves later. We've got Sandgem, but the town is barely four thousand people and we have to split their affection with Lucas Johansson. Paul started a grassroots following right in Sinnoh's largest city without even meaning to. Those kids are going to talk to their friends about the 'cool trainer' who bought their pal ice cream and then did the Walk Into The Sunset thing. Then those friends will talk to their friends, their siblings, their schoolmates, then before long, Paul could have hundreds of uncontested fans rooting for him and empowering his pokemon. If I had played my cards right, it would have been me and Lulu soaking up that attention.'

'I'll have to keep this in mind for later…'

With the sun descending, the trio finds a middle-of-the-pack hotel on the edge of the city proper. They check in, and then drop their things off in their room. Afterward, Paul promptly ditches Julian and Lulu, saying he'll be back "sometime later," leaving the pair to their own devices.

For a time, they sit and rest, and Julian, now bereft of roughly half his aura, slowly begins to release the sensory jamming technique he's been sustaining for nearly two hours. Julian finds himself quickly able to ignore the countless thousands of aura signatures in Jubilife as the cloud of his own aura dissipates, but Lulu spends the entire time meditating until she tiredly declares she's put the bombardment of auras out of her mind. The way she tenderly rubs her temples suggests otherwise, though.

"Now what?" Julian lays back on his and Lulu's bed. The featureless white ceiling stares back at him. "Want to order take-out and call it an early night? Or we could head into the city if you're up to it." He looks up as his partner and only pokemon.

Lulu sits on the edge of the bed, idly fingering one of her paw spikes. "I'd like to see what Jubilife is like at night," she says after a second.

"Is your head feeling better?"

Lulu scoffs and looks down at him. "A little headache is hardly worth crying like a whelp over."

"If you're certain, then let's hop to it." Julian sits up and walks over to his discarded boots, fitting them on and lacing them up. "You know, in the Pokemon media, there was a Pokedex entry about Lucarios getting stressed out around people. I forget the full entry, but maybe it was about being around so many people at once?" He hums. "Food for thought."

"That's still so strange, I heard you put a capital letter on 'pokemon' somehow…" Lulu murmurs before shaking her head. "Perhaps there is some truth to that," she answers. "I know none of my kin have ever been around more than about a hundred or so individuals before. Enough about that, though." She smiles. "I want to see this 'nightlife' you were talking about."

Julian smiles back and checks his pockets one last time. Phone, room key, wallet, Lulu's pokeball. Perfect.

Time for a night on the town.

Over the next few hours, the pokemon and trainer tour the huge city, wandering on whims and with no destination in mind. The entire time, Lulu's head is swiveling around to take in the utterly alien surroundings with a Riolu-like awe. More than once, an amused Julian has to take her paw and pull her along, lest she be stuck gaping at something.

They first stop by the Pokemon Center to grab a map of Jubilife, then circle around to the city park where a small crowd watches a band play in a gazebo. A human band consisting of a guitarist, bass player, and drummer is led by a Chatot singer of all things. The small parrot pokemon looks ridiculous standing on a barstool with an equally tiny microphone held in his talons, but the voice that comes from his beak sings in perfect, emotion-filled english. Each and every song is met with a standing ovation, Lulu and Julian eagerly joining in.

Next, they wander up what has to be the pokemon's equivalent to Times Square, as the road splits off in several directions, each one flanked by high rise buildings coated in bright, holographic signs. Many street performers make their home here, and each one is more eye-catching than the last.

On one corner is a man and a Hitmonlee breakdancing in-sync as onlookers cheer: "Go! Go! Go!" The retro boombox at the performer's feet is the only thing that can be heard over the cheers.

On another is a street magician wowing anyone who would walk up with seemingly impossible card tricks. He would rip up, burn or even have the Lunatone at his side crush the cards in dark orbs of energy, but a frowning Lulu points out the little flares of aura around the Lunatone when the pokemon seemingly isn't assisting. After watching it a few times, the pair realize Lunatone is teleporting cards into the magician's pockets.

The best performer, however, is an aged woman and an equally aged Typhlosion making glass sculptures with nothing but a basket of glass rods and a pair of tongs. The elderly pair, working as a team, create beautiful works of art that they hand out to the delighted crowd. With Typhlosion heating the glass using tiny jets of flame from his mouth, more precise than any furnace, the wizened trainer can fashion incredible, almost lifelike works right before the eyes of everyone. Julian and Lulu only leave because the artists run out of glass to use and retire for the night.

Finally, the pair descend into an underground mall after aimlessly walking around a simply enormous department store serving as an entrance.

And by Arceus, what a sprawl it is.

Even though the time is pushing 9 PM and the sun has long since gone down, the mall is packed with people and pokemon, and the variety of stores is simply staggering. There is everything Julian expects and more, like a music store, a book store, a jeweler, a mammoth electronic store proudly proclaiming they sell the latest and greatest pokemon smartwatch, the Poketch, and a food court that they stop and eat at, sampling a little of everything.

'Maybe we'll skip on the greasier choices next time.'

The deeper they go, the more things seem to depart from normal, and into pokemon territory. A regular, licensed pokemart right next to a miniature Pokemon Center, a place selling only exotic pokeballs, a store selling specialty pokemon food (and the lunatic owner standing out front trying to "sell" how good it is to disgusted onlookers by opening a can and eating some himself).

Lulu, ever so pragmatic, declined to buy anything for herself through the entire trip, sans her food court meal.

Julian, however, indulged himself a little, buying four things. One was a sturdy chain to replace the frayed leather cord of his Keystone. The woman at The Sable's Eye, the jeweler, tried to upsell the teen on a solid gold chain, but reluctantly settled on selling a much cheaper (and more robust) chain of gold-plated steel.

The other three things were regular pokeballs. One to replace Lulu's old and battered ball, and two spares for teammates. All three hang from his belt, two of them only fashion statements at the moment.

Finally, they reach the furthest end of the mall, and stop at the most curious spot of all.

"The Dungeon?" Julian reads the name of the location aloud as he looks at the entrance.

The glass door is blacked out, the only marking being the name and "24/7" marked on the door in paint marker. The windows appear to be covered with gym mats of all things. There is no other hint of what might be inside.

Looking around, Julian sees it's just himself and Lulu down this far. The shop across the way is vacant with a "For Sale" sign in the window, and the nearest open store, a leatherwork shop, is two spots down.

"Place is deserted…" Julian grunts. "Did they do what most malls do and push the sex shop down to the end?"

"S-Sex shop?" Lulu's expression twists into something appalled with a hint of a blush across her muzzle. "There are shops for that?! There are younglings running unattended in the mall! There should at least be a warning!" She gives the blacked-out door an indignant glare.

Julian shrugs. "I dunno what the lack of signage is about, but now I'm curious. Let's go look," he grins.

Before the Lucario can protest, Julian grabs her paw and throws the door open, pulling her inside with him. He looks around, only to feel his grin fall.

Inside is… a regular-looking gym. Not a Pokemon Gym, but an actual, normal exercise gym. There are weights in one corner, machines in another, miscellaneous bits of equipment in another, a small lounge, and a door labeled "Bags / Ring / Sparring" leading further inside. At the front desk, a bored girl is doing a perfect Disinterested Teenage Employee schtick, complete with an open magazine and bubblegum in her mouth. Other than Julian, Lulu, and the girl manning the desk, the place is empty

"Lemme guess…" The girl at the front desk puts her magazine down and gives Julian and Lulu a stare that could not be more bored. "You thought the place was a porno store or a strip club," she states, not asks.

"Get that often?" Julian returns.

"Every day…" she rolls her eyes and blows an impressive bubble with her gum. It pops with a snap that echoes off the far wall. "Disappointed?"

The blonde shrugs. "A gym is fine, too. The food court alone justifies a gym visit," he says, looking back to Lulu. "You game?"

The Fighting-type nods and takes another look around, confirming to herself that she isn't in some kind of den of vice with a relieved expression. "Yes, I wouldn't mind working off dinner… What's a 'strip club'?"

Julian ignores the question, pretending he heard absolutely nothing. "How much for a few hours?" He asks the girl running the counter.

"Fighting-Types and their trainers get in free." The girl lifts her magazine back up and flips a page. "Per Dungeon rules, by working out here, you agree that you're here at will and are responsible for your own safety and all that jazz." She makes a flippant gesture with a hand before resting her chin on it. "You know the drill."

Julian rolls his eyes, withholding his snarky comment. Turning, he eyes the equipment in the room with a frown. It's been six, maybe seven years since he's visited an actual gym, and proper usage of anything more complicated than the weights or a treadmill escape him.

He turns his gaze to the doorway on the far wall leading further into the gym. "C'mon, Lulu."

With Julian's valuables and boots along with Lulu's gauntlet stored away in the small locker room, the pair walk over and hop into one of the two rings. As they stretch and warm up, Julian scans the room.

The space is set up like a boxing or an MMA gym. There are two raised rings for gym-goers to use, a number of weighted punching bags along the wall, several rows of cubbies with beat-up padded gear stored away in them, and a few rolls of wrist wrap resting on top of the cubbies. In the back corner is a closed wooden door labeled "Office." All in all, it's a spartan setup.

"Alrighty," Julian grunts and squares up as Lulu does the same. "Fight 'til surrender or a pin?"

Lulu smiles. "Ready!"

Julian breathes out, focusing his aura and-

"What the hell are you two doing?!"

-flinches when a loud voice booms off of the walls. "Hey, who the fuck-!" He turns to the voice and stops.

Clearly, the Pokedex was wrong again about the sizes of pokemon, as standing in the doorway is a glaring, duffel bag toting Machoke who must be at least 6'4". Even with Julian standing in the raised ring, the muscular, humanoid pokemon can almost look him directly in the eye.

The pure Fighting-type is ripped. With limbs like tree trunks, fists the size of bowling balls, and a chest that looks more like steel armor than muscle, he cuts an intimidating figure.

Frowning, Julian stretches his senses out and almost recoils in surprise.

Inside the Machoke is a powerful, tightly wound aura, one that stands head and shoulders above most of the pokemon they've encountered tonight. Not only does he look tough, he actually is tough.

"What do you mean?" Lulu takes point in the conversation, narrowing her eyes at Machoke. "We were getting ready for a workout?"

"A workout…" Machoke questions, glaring at Lulu as if she were an idiot. "Like that?" He asks, gesturing with a broad hand to both her and Julian. "Where are your wrist and ankle wraps? Your gloves? Why are you in jeans?!" He points at Julian for the last question. "And there's no mixed pokemon sparring for kids! You'll get hurt!"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Julian walks over and leans on the edge of the ring. "This is how we always spar. What's the problem?"

"The problem," Machoke steps closer, dropping his duffel bag to the floor, defiantly staring Julian in the eye. "Is that you aren't following the rules."

Julian glares right back. "And who the hell are you to start cracking down on us about rules?"

Machoke's aura jumps in surprise at being understood, but his face remains firm. "I'm the boss of this gym."

'Why does that line sound familiar?'

Then Machoke sighs and lets his expression soften. "Look, come down here and put some gear on. If you wanna spar, I'll take ya. I know how to pull my punches, okay?"

Lulu gives Machoke a look of affront, crossing her arms. "You're saying you, a stranger, are a better sparring partner for Julian than his own pokemon? Or are you implying there's something wrong with how we conduct ourselves?"

The humanoid pokemon clicks his tongue. "I'm not saying you're wrong or being malicious, I'm saying we use a method here, a safe method. I'll spar with you too. I'm not gonna steal a workout from you."

'I hope he realizes what he's getting into by saying that…' Julian reaches his aura out to Lulu and blankets her, silently trying to soothe her ire. "Whatever you say, brother. We're not out to make trouble," he says, glancing back to Lulu.

Thankfully, she sighs and nods, following his lead.

Machoke's face lights up into a warm smile. "Right. C'mon down, little man. I'll show you how to wrap up and I know we've got some spare shorts in the back."

Julian hops out of the ring and follows.

True to his word, Machoke pokes his head into the Office in the corner of the room, talking quietly with someone there before he's handed a pair of light shorts covered in sponsor decals. He hands them to Julian. "Here," Machoke says. "Get out of that jabroni outfit, would you? If I hear anyone say 'I ripped my fuckin' pants' one more time…" He lets the comment hang.

'Jabroni?' Julian scowls 'Where have I heard these lines?' He wonders once more. Regardless, he heads to the locker room, storing away his shirt and jeans and re-emerging in the borrowed shorts.

Machoke beckons both Julian and Lulu over to a bench off to the side of the room, a roll of athletic tape in his huge hands.

"Alright, little man. Take a seat and gimme your hand," Machoke straddles the bench and unrolls the tape. He gives Lulu a look as well. "Both of you watch closely. You mess up a wrist wrap and you'll be sorry when you bust something."

As Machoke expertly wraps up his wrist in the stiff tape, Julian glances back at the office door. "So, do you actually run the place or did you mean something else by the 'boss of this gym' line?"

A frown crosses Machoke's muzzle. "Nah, the place isn't mine. My father's trainer owns the Dungeon. I'm the only one who comes by and uses it lately, though. I keep coming so the old man's dream can keep living, if only a little." His aura dips into a deep, melancholic valley. "The old man… got messed up on his pokemon journey as a kid. He was the kinda guy who would train with his pokemon, like you, but father got too excited one day and…"

Machoke pauses, and although his face remains neutral, his aura twists on itself painfully, so painfully that Julian's own aura pangs with sympathy. "The old man's had a bum leg ever since. He had to return home, lost a lot of weight, had to do therapy, the whole nine yards. He's a tough old bastard, though. He and my father opened this place and they dedicated three decades of their time to teaching Fighting-types the most important lesson of all: control. My father went to join Arceus a few years ago, so it's just me and the old man now. I'll keep the lessons goin' as long as I can." Machoke finishes wrapping Julian's first wrist and starts on the next one, his own hands moving with a gentle sort of dexterity. "The gym used to be up in the city, but bills were piling and we had to move down here to the mall. Foot traffic isn't all that good, though…"

'That explains why he was so anal about the rules. I'd be pissy too in his shoes…' Julian's annoyance with the Fighting-type evaporates. At his side, he sees Lulu's ears fold back and feels her aura darken.

Machoke finishes wrapping Julian's hands, then in short order wraps his ankles as well. With a satisfied nod, he walks over to the cubbies in the wall and tosses Julian a pair of padded gloves and a helmet. "Alrighty, little man. Let's get to it," he says, donning his own giant set of gloves.

Both teen and pokemon hop the perimeter of the ring and settle into stances. Julian eases into the starting form for the still nameless Lucario style, while Machoke raises his fists into a more traditional boxing stance.

"What are we fighting to?" Machoke questions.

"Pin, surrender, first blood, whatever is fine." Julian shrugs.

Machoke's lips pull themselves down into a frown, his hands lowering some. "Pin or surrender is fine, but I'm not going to be slugging you hard enough to draw blood."

"Now see," Julian shakes his head. "There's a difference between being fair and being patronizing in a fight. You're discounting me unfairly."

Now it's Machoke's turn to shake his head. "No, I'm not. I know the limits of a kid, and I'm not about to seriously injure you like that. That goes against everything I was taught."

Lulu scoffs from her place at the side of the ring. "Saying you know your foe before you even clash comes off as rather arrogant."

Machoke gives her a glower, then focuses on Julian again.

"Look, can we start this or no?" Julian grumbles, tapping his foot without falling out of his stance.

"Yeah yeah, let's begin," Machoke raises his fists into a half-hearted guard. "Get ready…"

'His fists might be raised,' Julian narrows his eyes and focuses on Machoke's easy-going aura. 'But his guard is still down.'

"I'm only going to warn you one more time…" Julian sniffs and lowers himself slightly. "Take this seriously."

Machoke nods, but his stance changes none.

Inside of the aura-empowered teen, his Fighting Spirit roars at being looked down upon.

'Go!'

Faster than any human should be able to, Julian blurs forward and ducks right under Machoke's guard. Fist clenched, Julian rises to his full height and sends a screaming-fast uppercut into Machoke's chin.

Almost in slow motion, the blonde watches Machoke's eyes widen as his face ripples from the skull-rattling blow. His teeth click shut painfully, and his head shoots back. Despite Machoke being so large that he should weigh three hundred pounds, his feet almost lift off the ring floor.

The slow motion ends and Machoke stumbles back several steps, a hand shooting to his chin. His aura jumps and snaps with surprise, disbelief, and pain. He pulls his hand away, looking down blankly at the smudge of blood from his split lip.

No focus is needed to feel the smug delight in Lulu's own aura signature.

"So…" Julian smirks and settles back into a neutral stance. "Going to take this seriously? If you agreed to first blood, round one would have already been mine."

Machoke stares at the red on his hand and rubs his fingers together as if he can't believe his eyes. Reaching back up, he touches his lip. The split is already healing, but his fingers still come back a little more bloody than before. "...How did you do that?" He whispers.

"I told Lulu here that we and anyone else who wants to come would make it to the top of the world together," Julian lets the corny non-answer out with ease. The thought of his promise to her makes speaking the lines so easy. "And I mean together. We'll be the very best…" He grins. If his next line was any cheesier, he might start tasting it. "Like no one ever was. We're not doing this as master and servant, or owner and pet, but partners, and partners pull all their weight. In play, in training, in everything. I teach her, she teaches me, and everyone is better off for it."

Lulu beams. Julian can almost see the room growing brighter, and her aura flares and dances gaily, putting on a show only he can see.

Clap clap clap!

"Now that's the cut of a jib I can get behind!" A cheery voice laughs.

Everyone turns to the voice.

Standing in the doorway of the office is an older man, maybe in his fifties, of vaguely asian (kanto?) decent with short gray hair and a wide smile. In the crook of his arm is a wooden cane. He stands leaning on the door as he claps, then he takes his cane in his hand and stands straight with its support. "It's not often I get to see a kid with a good head on his shoulders."

The old man hobbles over to the ring and looks at the line of blood running down Machoke's chin with an appraising eye. "You took one awful hard to the mouth, didn't you?"

"It's only a bloody lip," Machoke dismisses, crossing his arms as he replies.

"There you go acting all tough," the old man huffs out a laugh. He then turns to Julian and Lulu. "I'm Darkholme. Nice to meet you kids. Sorry for interrupting your bout, but I didn't expect Machoke to take a hit that nasty."

"Julian is the name," the blonde grins. "You probably heard her name, but my partner here is named Lulu."

"The pleasure is all ours," Lulu inclines her head politely.

Darkholme smiles back. "I haven't seen either of you on TV. Are you just starting out?"

"Yeah, we're heading to Oreburgh in a few days," Julian lets himself rise out of his stance into something more casual.

"Hhmm…" Darkholme perks an eyebrow. "Is Miss Lulu here your only pokemon?"

"She is."

The gym owner smiles. "Well then," he looks up at Machoke. "Why don't you go with these kids, Machoke? You've been cooped up in this gym for too long."

"I can't!" Machoke whirls around to face Darkholme. "The Dungeon is your dream and I want to keep it alive! I want to keep teaching your lessons!"

Darkholme watches Machoke calmly as more and more objections spill out of the pokemon's mouth. Although Julian can't be sure how well the old man understands Machoke, he evidently understands enough to reply succinctly. "Machoke," he cuts off any further protests with one word. "Power is nothing without proper control. This is the lesson I've imparted to everyone willing to learn under me, you most of all, but I think you've learned that lesson too well…" Darkholme raises his cane and taps the handle against Machoke's arm, producing a sound more like tapping a stone. "You hold back so much, so often, that now you're hobbling yourself. You don't know your real abilities because you keep pushing them away in the name of control."

Machoke watches, dumbfounded.

Julian and Lulu both remain silent. Or at least Julian remains outwardly silent.

'Now this is some shounen drama.'

The old man's eyes sharpen. "You're crippling yourself, Machoke. You work so hard, growing and growing, but never using that strength. Your father wasn't anywhere near your level at your age, and he could throw fists with the best of them. There is nothing here to push you, nothing to use that might for. Can you even call on that strength anymore?"

"I can!" Machoke insists.

"Show me," Darkholme challenges.

Machoke stiffens.

The old man turns his dark-colored eyes to the boy and Lucario watching the unfolding drama. "Here is a little biology lesson for you children," Darkholme begins. "Machoke are well-known for their incredible physical strength, strength so ludicrous, that they have pre-stretched folds of skin so their muscles don't rupture their skin when they flex their might. Maybe you've seen it before, the red lines running up and down a Machoke's arms?"

'Hey, yeah…' Julian recalls the features on the one Machoke who worked at the Sandgem airport. Along his arms were thick lines of red skin. He looks at Darkholme's Machoke, feeling an odd, sinking sensation when he notices the red lines running down his muscular arms are paper-thin.

"The more tightly closed those folds are," Darkholme smiles gently. "The more the Machoke is compressing their muscles and holding back."

'…' Julian feels sweat drip down his face. 'Machoke here is as big as his cousin back in Sandgem, if not bigger, and he's holding back that much?'

Julian recites a silent thanks to the higher powers that Machoke wasn't jumpy enough to turn him into pulp.

All the while, Machoke is silently struggling to do as Darkholme ordered. He grits his teeth, clenches his fists, and growls, hunched over slightly as he tries to force his muscles to flex. The slits in his arms grow only a millimeter, but the bulk of his arms grows a noticeable amount.

Julian tries to imagine what Machoke would look like at his full potential, and the image conjured is… frightening. 'Broly was his name.' He remembers the fictional villain from the most well-known shounen of all time, Dragonball Z. 'Broly was that ultra super saiyan that was a living mountain of muscle and hate. I did not just stumble on the pokemon world's Broly, did I?'

After another silent minute, Machoke growls one final time and grows.

His muscles balloon and his already tight skin is stretched taut. His skin flushes with a red hue, and veins rise all over him, pulsing rapidly as his heart works overtime to keep up with the sudden demand. Bones shift and groan as Machoke gains another several inches of height, easily standing seven feet tall. The growl that comes out of his mouth is too deep, too guttural to have come from a humanoid, and the sound alone rattles the walls.

But for all the changes, the most dramatic is the one to his aura.

A horrible, spiritual weight settles over the room and Julian sucks in a breath as a primal, unnatural fear grips him. The fear of an end that cannot be escaped, just like with Pops, and just like with the rogue Garchomp. With a gulp, the teen pushes his own aura out, barely making enough of a buffer to let him breathe laboriously.

Faster than the eye can see, Lulu is in front of him, in a stance and ready to defend him with her shining red eyes narrowed. Her own furious aura washes over him, easing his nerves and taking pressure off of his chest.

'Lulu, please never stop being the best.'

Then as sudden as the transformation came, it's gone. Machoke shrinks back into himself with a cough and a gasp, leaning over the ropes of the ring as he sucks in deep, heaving breaths.

With the pressure gone, Julian takes a relieved breath and tries to calm his racing heart.

Lulu stays in her ready stance for a moment, then straightens up. She remains between Julian and Machoke, however.

Darkholme, unruffled and unbothered, frowns. It's a decidedly disappointed expression. "You can't even call upon it all for five seconds, let alone use everything you have."

"Old man…" Machoke gasps and stands up wobbily. "I can! I can control it! I can-"

"Stop." Darkholme halts any protests. His frown melts into something apologetic. "I suppose… this is my fault, as well. I knew your father lamented his mistake over and over to you, no matter how much I told him I forgave him." The man sighs. The shadowed wrinkles on his face draw themselves deeper, and he seems to age another ten years in a heartbeat. "He passed his fear of losing control to you, and I didn't see the signs until it was too late. Has it truly become so bad that you can barely defend yourself against a teenager?"

Machoke seems to be at a loss for words. His mouth moves, but no sounds can be heard.

Julian is struck by the urge to defend Machoke, to say it's not his fault, because normal people can't use aura and Machoke had no way of knowing, but he withholds his words.

"To die without knowing your full potential is a sin," Darkholme's voice rings out, touching something within everyone listening. "I won't let you sin like that, Machoke. I won't." he turns his eyes to Julian and Lulu. "Mister Julian, Miss Lulu, would you oppose Machoke following you on your journey?"

Lulu and Julian share a glance. Several emotions flit across Lulu's aura, like a touch of wariness, a pulse of sympathy, and finally a calm, flat stream of acceptance.

Julian licks his lips, only to find his mouth dry. "No. If he wants to come, then he's free to."

Darkholme smiles and reaches into his pocket, withdrawing a pokeball. He taps the button once to enlarge the ball, then again to open it.

Then he grips each half and twists it.

The metal ball squeaks in protest, then snaps in half, sparking as it's dropped to the floor.

Machoke's jaw drops. He looks down at his own body as a glow overtakes it for a moment, then the shell of energy explodes in a shower of blue sparks. He's free.

"Old man…" Machoke's voice is watery. Steps over the ropes around the ring and drops to the floor, reaching to gingerly lift the lid of his old pokeball.

"You can go with your new friends," Darkholme begins, turning and hobbling to his office. "Or you can go on your own. You just can't stay here."

"But what about the gym? The lessons I've been running?" Machoke asks hollowly. His aura dips to a low Julian has never before felt.

Darkholme laughs and turns around, suddenly filled with mirth. "Machoke, I've taught hundreds of trainers and pokemon the gift of restraint over the last thirty years, but none of them have absorbed my teachings quite like you. The student has surpassed the master here, and it's up to you to go out and grow." He grows somber once more. "Power is nothing without proper control, but never should that control be fueled by fear. With fear, all you'll do is strangle yourself."

Machoke's hand clenches around the bit of broken pokeball, and after a long minute, he nods, eyes trained to the ground. "I… understand."

Julian gulps and finally finds his voice. "Hey, Mister Darkholme…"

"Hmm?" The old man looks at him.

"Are you… going to be okay without Machoke here to help run the place?"

Darkholme grins. "Son, the gym has served her purpose. I've spread my teachings far and wide and taught everything to a fine disciple," he shakes his cane at Machoke, who smiles thinly. "So I can close shop with a clear conscience and open up something new and sustainable, something regular folk are interested in."

"Like?" Julian can't help but ask.

Darkholme's eyes twinkle. "Well, we're already called the Dungeon, so why don't I lean into the dirty old man stereotype and sell some deep, dark fantasies?"

After Julian changes back into his clothes and their valuables are pulled from the gym lockers, Julian, Lulu, and Machoke find themselves outside moments later, leaning against a building and looking up at the stars above Jubilife. The time is now nearly 11 PM, and the streets have thinned out considerably, leaving few people to eavesdrop upon them. Unlike the dense urban cities of his former world, the city of Jubilife slowly begins to lull itself to sleep.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Julian breaks the quiet and turns his head to Machoke.

The Fighting-type is rolling the pokeball lid in his hand, deep in thought. After a second, he seems to realize he was asked a question and looks down at Julian with confusion. "I thought I was going with you?"

"If you wish to," Lulu corrects him, her ruby eyes meeting Machoke's dull crimson. "We've yet to hear an agreement."

Machoke looks up at the sky again, and Julian follows suit.

'Jubilife doesn't even have enough light pollution to dull the stars…' Thoughts of his potentially new pokemon are forgotten for a second. 'I fall in love with this world a little more every day.'

"When you say you're going to be the best…" Machoke murmurs. "What do you really mean?"

"I mean myself, Lulu, and anyone who walks beside us is going to go down history as the best," Julian raises his hand, reaching up and letting his fingers close, as if grasping the brightest star in the sky for himself. "Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Frontier Brains, Champions, all of them eclipsed. To me, being a Pokemon Master means we're the team, the ones who go down in the books as the best and brightest, unsurpassable… a once-in-a-civilization event."

A shiver runs down Machoke's spine. "That's big…" He quietly comments.

"We'll need help getting there, though," Julian lowers his hand. "We need to take every aspect of pokemon battling and perfect it, including keeping a leash on powers that defy understanding." He turns to Machoke. "If you want in, then we'll be happy to have you. It'll be a long, long road, but we'll get there." Julian smirks. "Together."

Machoke looks down at him, and inside the tall fighter, his aura grows and grows, reaching a singing crescendo of raw determination tinged with awe. A smile grows on Machoke's muzzle. "I'm in."

Julian's smirk grows into a full smile and he reaches a hand out for the pokemon to shake. As Machoke reaches for it, a realization hits Julian full force and he quickly pulls his hand away with a gasp. "Wait!"

Machoke blinks, openly bewildered.

"If you're going to join," Julian smiles. "You need a name. Names have power, you know. You don't want to be "Julian's Machoke" in the history books, now do you?"

"Huh…" Machoke scratches his chin. "I've never really thought of a name before. I've never needed one." After a moment, he sighs. "I can't think of any. You pick one, Jules."

Julian hums and thinks. 'Shit, I can't think of a good one either. Any good fighter's name will work and probably play to his advantage. Bruce could invoke either the Hulk, Batman, or Bruce Lee. It would fit his savage fighter tempered by spirit thing. Broly would lean into the berserker side. I could just be lazy and give him the name of some obscure god. Or…'

Julian suddenly remembers where he heard all those odd lines in the gym.

What the hell are you two doing?!

I'm the boss of this gym.

Get out of that Jabroni outfit.

I ripped my fucking pants!

'And Darkholme… in a dungeon… as a dungeon master. No… it's too perfect.' Julian can't help but grin. "I got it!" He turns to Machoke who is watching him with interest. "You've got the nurturing, inspiring spirit of an older brother, so how about Aniki?"

"Aniki?" Machoke tests the name out, holding his chin and slowly nodding. "I kinda like it. What does it mean?"

"It quite literally means "Big Brother" in a language sometimes used in my homeland, and it was the nickname of a beloved man who passed away too soon," Julian's smile falters a little at the memory. "A guy who brought smiles and confidence to thousands, and I have no doubt you can do the same."

Machoke mulls the name over, and after a moment, he smiles. "Let's do this right," he says, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Julian. My name's Aniki. Looking for a new pokemon?"

Julian's smile is so wide it almost hurts. He grasps Mach - Aniki's hand and shakes it.

"Brother, we're glad to have you along for the ride."

Chapter Text

Entry #7: Big Brother Instinct.

In many forms of entertainment media, the interpersonal relationships that fall between  Friendship  and romantic  Love  occasionally get sidelined, but they are no less important. Case in point, sibling relationships.

The protective big brother is a classic trope, one seen all over the place. From family matters to tales of powerful platonic bonds, it just seems to be an instinct in good-hearted souls to protect those smaller and weaker than them with their  Big Brother Instinct.  (Though this isn't limited to just males, as  Big Sister Instinct  is just as valid. I'll stick to using Brother for this entry just for simplicity's sake.)

In a character sense,  Big Brother Instinct  is often used to show that gruff or unfriendly people do have a softer side and the capacity for affection, though it's a trait perfectly personable people can have too. In a trope sense,  Big Brother Instinct  can manifest as a sizable  Power-Up  when the person or people the instinct holder cares for are in danger. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but there is indeed a similar fury to that around children, and siblings with a sense of duty can muster up that kind of  All-Consuming Rage  or  Desperate Strength  if pushed hard enough. These feats can range from something just barely enough to win the day to something so absurd even  Rule of Cool  takes a metaphorical step back and says "Holy shit."

Big Brother Instinct  doesn't just manifest with blood relatives. The holders of the instinct can regard half-blooded or even adoptive siblings with that same fond regard ,  triggering the inherent boost and  Narrative  shift when roused. I'll be working closely with Aniki on dissecting this one.

"Are you sure about this, Jules?"

Julian looks up from the pair of orange fight shorts he's inspecting to Aniki, who is leaning against the changing room door of the Jubilife sporting goods store they're perusing.

The morning found the new team of Julian, Lulu, and Aniki out and about in Jubilife city, roaming about with little purpose other than to have a good time. As they walked and took in the sights with Aniki playing guide, Julian's mind began to wander. His wish to make a legendary team is going to take a bit more than letting fate string them along, he realized. He also knows full well that fate enjoys throwing curveballs at aspiring heroes. The sun glinting off of Lulu's gauntlet into his eyes gave him a fantastic idea.

Protagonists stand out nine times out of ten, usually with some sort of style that sets them apart from others. That can be tricky with pokemon unless they're shiny or otherwise differently patterned. Lulu is in superb health and is much more cut than a domestic Lucario. The abs visible through the yellow fur of her belly are proof enough, but that might not be apparent to the layman. Her gauntlet, though? That's eye-catching. Some might consider it tacky, but it circles back around to being cool when skill and unique looks are combined. It gives her a gravitas that other Lucario lack.

Aniki is in the same boat. The Fighting-type is built like a brick house and ripped up like Rambo, but without a normal Machoke by his side for comparison, that can be overlooked. The easiest way to fix that is with some sort of cosmetic accessory, but it can't be something too goofy or outlandish. A balance is required.

Then Julian wanted to slap his forehead.

Machoke are some of the few pokemon that always wear clothes. Just changing his shorts and belt would set him apart from his peers.

So the team's random wanderings turned into a search for a sporting supply store, and here they are.

"Trust me, bro," Julian grins and taps a knowing finger on the rack filled with different colored fight shorts. Luckily there are few people in this part of the store, so no one will look at him funny for talking to his pokemon if he keeps his voice down. "The way to the top is a long one, and we're going to need to play the media game along the way. Everyone on the team is going to need a kind of…" He raises his hands and spreads his fingers. "Pizzazz to 'em. We have to stand out and make a bold statement with looks, and that'll make our performances all the more memorable, right? With popularity comes opportunity."

The Machoke doesn't quite frown, but his lips aren't smiling either. He crosses his arms and stares down at Julian. "I know you said you weren't planning on taking a new pokemon this early in your journey, and you've already spent so much on me. Too much, I think! I can do without 'till the money situation is figured out, okay?"

Julian's grin lessens. "The money we spent was just on some food and training supplies, Aniki. You know? Stuff we need?"

Aniki's stern face doesn't so much as twitch, and the blonde teen can't quite push down his annoyance.

Earlier that morning, Julian learned that a name literally meaning Big Brother is all too accurate for the Machoke. After only one night together, Aniki took it on himself to let himself out of his pokeball early in the morning, spiff up their hotel room quietly enough that not even Lulu woke up, lay out fresh clothes and a shower towel for Julian, and then to top it all off, cooked a mean breakfast just as everyone was waking up. He even did it on the tiny crummy kitchenette that trainer hotel rooms often have (or so says Paul, who claims hotels aimed at trainers generally have more amenities).

Despite being a little overwhelmed, Julian still had to giggle at seeing Paul's face as Aniki served both teens meals fit for powerlifters.

Now if only Aniki would get over this weird self-sacrifice complex.

"Look man, we gotta spend money to make money," Julian reasons. "I'm A-OK with spending a bit here because I know we're going to make it back big time later." When Aniki still doesn't budge, Julian sighs. "Lulu? Help me out here?"

Lulu, who is over inspecting some wearable ankle weights on a rack with a pondering paw on her chin, looks over to Julian and Aniki. She visibly thinks her words over for a moment. "Aniki, I understand your concerns and I agree for the most part…"

The Machoke smiles, turning to an even more annoyed Julian with a 'see?' hand gesture.

"...But Julian often has a method to his madness," Lulu continues with a sure nod.

Julian smirks when it's Aniki's turn to look irritated, then the teen frowns as he digests Lulu's words. "...Often? You mean 'always,' right?"

"As such," Lulu continues, ignoring Julian's question, "I think you'd be better off letting him have this one. You've already done your due diligence as a good pokemon by questioning a decision you have doubts about."

Aniki takes a deep breath and releases a long-suffering sigh, letting his crossed arms fall. "Fine…" He finally agrees. "What do you have in mind, Jules?" He addresses the blonde teen unhappily.

"All we need to do," Julian turns back to the rack of clothes and rifles through them, "is get you a little something to set you apart from other Machoke. It doesn't need to be anything extravagant, so something as simple as…"

Then he sees them and feels his jaw drop.

Hidden near the back under several other pairs of loose shorts is one with a supremely familiar yet unexpected pattern. Near the back in size XL, perfect for Aniki, are several pairs of fight shorts with an American flag pattern printed on them.

"No way…" Julian breathes, taking the tag of one and peering at it.

Pattern: Stars and Bars.

'These have to have been put here just for us…' Julian realizes. 'There is no other explanation. It's too much of a coincidence.'

"Jules?"

The blonde blinks at Aniki's voice and files his thoughts of divine meddling away for later. "Well, have a look here!" Julian grins once more, taking a pair of the freedom-themed bottoms and tossing them to Aniki, who catches them with an unsure blink. "That looks good, don't you think?"

Aniki holds the shorts up and inspects them. "Well, it could be worse…" Another sigh escapes his muzzle as he turns and shuts himself in the fitting room behind him. After a minute, he re-emerges in his new attire and crosses his arms.

Julian's grin becomes almost painful. "Aniki, it's fucking perfect!"

Such a small change has made a world of difference in Julian's eyes. Aniki seems to take on an entirely new presence just by swapping a few colors around. He both looks and feels more imposing, Julian can sense the change deep in his aura.

The Machoke lifts a leg and raises it high in a display of balance, testing his range of movement with a hum. "Now that I have 'em on, I guess it's not so bad," he murmurs. He sets his leg down and inspects his new attire closely. "Sized right, easy to move in, and they stop right above the knee like they should, too. Good eye, Jules. One pair should be good."

"Glad to hear it," Julian takes the other gloriously patriotic XL-sized pairs from the rack, feeling Aniki's disapproving stare on his back as he does so. "Look," Julian rolls his eyes. "I know money is tight, blah blah blah… If it's that big of a concern to you, then we'll go look for an odd job or a battle with an ante after we're done here, okay?" He turns and meets Aniki's stern red eyes without a flinch. "All we need to do today is to stop by the Pokemon Center to get tickets for the contest tomorrow, so we'll scan the bulletin board for whatever jobs are floating around, okay?"

Aniki sends a still unsure look to Lulu.

"Between you and I, I believe we can win most battles we find," Lulu offers her teammate a small smile. "And most labor jobs won't be much of an issue with all three of us working together."

The tall Fighting-type shakes his head and raises his palms in surrender. "Fine…"

After making their purchases and leaving bereft of another hundred dollars, the trio begins the leisurely trek to the Pokemon Center.

'Ech. Maybe Aniki had a point…' Julian's wallet feels thinner and thinner in his back pocket as the day wears on. 'Now that we've got the essentials, we should probably hold off on any more nonessential spending until we get some work and a few battles won. I think those tickets to the contest are going to be the last splurge. Hopefully, we can make some decent cash.'

"Say, Aniki…" Julian lowers his voice so as to not draw stares on the street. "If we find a battle later, do you mind going first? I already know Lulu is a professional ass-kicker and I'm eager to see what you can do."

The Machoke smiles. "You're the trainer, Jules. I think you get to decide who fights first."

Julian smirks back. "Maybe, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Teamwork makes the dream work and all that jazz, you know?"

Aniki's face breaks out into a grin as he claps Julian's shoulder with a dinner plate-sized hand. "You're alright, you know that?"

"I try," Julian makes a playful show of shrugging the large hand off of him. "So what moves do you know?"

"Hmm…" Aniki thinks for a moment, twisting around a pedestrian on the sidewalk as he does so. "Low Kick, Revenge, Scary Face, Foresight, Karate Chop, Seismic Toss, Vital Throw, Focus Energy, Mega Punch, Fire Punch, and Thunder Punch. I could never really figure out Ice Punch…"

"No ranged moves?" Julian gives the taller pokemon a sidelong glance.

Aniki looks away, seemingly embarrassed. "Not really. Sorry."

"Hey, it's no prob. I'm sure Lulu and I could teach you Aura Sphere to cover that hole up," the teen trainer assures. A second later, he looks over to Lulu. "Right?"

The Lucario smiles brightly. "If you could learn Aura Sphere, Julian, then I don't see why Aniki cannot."

The humanoid pokemon lets out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, you guys. The last thing I want to be is a burden, and…" He pauses, brows furrowing as he processes Lulu's words. "Wait. Jules? You know how to use a pokemon move? Not just teach it?" He locks his eyes, which shine with doubt, onto Julian.

Julian grimaces and stretches his aura out.

The Kricketune street performer playing the violin with his trainer across the road is unbothered.

There's no reaction from the sash-wearing Staravia flying close overhead with a parcel in his talons. He zips by with only inches of clearance overhead to spare.

"Please, Kay?! When was the last time you did something nice for me?" The pouting Braixen they pass is too focused on guilt-tripping her lanky trainer into taking her into a confection shop to care. When her trainer averts his eyes, the Braixen stomps one of her dainty pawed feet.

To Julian's relief, none of the pokemon on the street around them have surprised jumps in their auras, so Aniki's words must have been lost to the din of the busy city. Lulu seems to realize that she fouled up too because she covers her mouth with a paw, aura colored in embarrassment.

"I never went into detail on how Lulu and I met, did I?" Julian lowers his voice, making it so quiet only the sharp ears of a pokemon standing less than a foot away could possibly hear him. "Lulu and her pack found me lost in the woods after I was… left adrift following my home life taking a sour turn. They took me in, taught me, and cared for me. Lulu even put her ass on the line and broke a taboo by unlocking my aura just so I would fit in better." He lets his aura brighten, and from the corner of his eye, he sees Lulu smile.

"So if you were wondering why I can understand pokemon or how I managed to nail you in the jaw, that's how," Julian continues. "After months with the pack, Lulu and I decided to take on the world, sending us to Jubilife. After that, we met you."

Aniki blinks, his aura rising with finger-like spikes of amazement. "Geez Jules… Were things really not that great at home?" He asks softly, the amazement petering off for something more melancholic.

Julian huffs and crosses his arms, but the genuine concern warms his chest. "After mom passed, no one was really the same, but why are you fixating on that part?"

"Because that's the important part," the Machoke insists, giving Julian a stern look.

Any doubts about Lulu and Aniki not getting along fly out the window at the larger Fighting-type's words, as Lulu's aura bubbles in agreement. Outwardly, she gives Aniki a smile that very much approves of his words. That smile proves infectious, as Julian's face breaks out into a smile as well.

"Don't worry so much about it, bro," Julian elbows Aniki's arm with a grin. "I've got Lulu, and now you too, so everything will work out."

Aniki's eyes widen, then he returns Julian's expression with a lopsided smile. "You're a good kid, Jules." A large, affectionate hand comes to a rest on Julian's head. "I had some doubts about this 'being a trainer's pokemon' business, but I think I can say those are gone," he says, his tightly wound aura glowing with Friendship.

The rest of the trip to the Jubilife Pokemon Center is spent in comfortable silence. Inwardly, Julian finds himself a little amazed that Aniki has clicked so well with himself and Lulu after only a day. 'Anime, Julian. Quit forgetting that. Lifelong friendships can totally start instantly… We're still going to wait before showing Aniki how the world works behind the curtain, though. He'll understand.'

As they walk, the trio weaves through the people along the sidewalk and eventually come to a stop with several other people and pokemon at a crosswalk with a red light. Several people are chattering and laughing amongst themselves, but one voice is accompanied by a somewhat distressed flicker of the owner's aura, drawing Julian's attention.

"Did I get a bogus map…?" A young woman murmurs close by. "The Pokemon Center isn't even marked on here…"

Turning slightly, Julian takes in the visage of the woman in question. Just a few feet away is a teen girl perhaps a year younger than him, but no older than fifteen. The first thing he notices is her shortly cropped, bright auburn hair and the pair of thin-frame sunglasses atop her head. She's clad in a burgundy shirt with long sleeves, and overtop her shirt is an open, midriff-length, orange colored vest. Her pants are simple yet clean jeans rolled up enough to expose her brown hiking boots. She stands several inches shorter than the blonde teen, letting him see her displeased frown as she scans her eyes over the paper map held in her hands.

'Where have I seen this chick before?' Julian wonders. 'Oh, wait! This is Dawn's rival! What's her name again? It starts wit think.' Remembering clearly what he missed out on the last time he didn't offer help to someone in need, Julian clears his throat and asks; "Hey, you lost?"

The girl looks up from her map, her wine-colored eyes meeting Julian's own greens. "Uh, maybe a little…" She laughs unsurely and lowers the map in her hands. "I'm trying to get to the Pokemon Center as quickly as I can. Can I bug you for some directions?" She asks hopefully.

"The Pokemon Center, eh?" Julian rubs his chin in thought. "My team and I were actually heading that way to snag some tickets for the upcoming Jubilife Contest. Since we're going to the same place, we'd be glad to show you."

Lulu nods along cooly with Julian's words while Aniki grins and offers a cheesy thumbs-up.

The girl's face lights up with a smile. "That would be great! Thank you! My name is Zoey, by the way!" She stuffs her map in her pocket and offers one of her petite hands for a shake.

'Zoey, that's right. I remember now.' Julian engulfs Zoey's hand with his own and gives it a shake. "Julian Angelo. With me are Lulu-" he releases Zoey's hand and gestures to the Lucario on his right, "-and Aniki," the taller pokemon is next.

The street traffic abates as the crosswalk light turns green, letting the new group of four start off. Aniki abdicates his prior spot beside Julian to Zoey, instead taking a watchful place behind everyone.

"You said you're getting tickets to the Jubilife Pokemon Contest, right?" Zoey isn't shy at all about resuming the conversation. "I'm actually on the way to register for the Contest as a competitor."

"Is that so?" Julian hums. "You've done this before, I take it?"

Zoey nods happily. "Yep! It took a few tries, but I won my last contest and I intend to keep the ball rolling!" she preens. "My Misdreavus and I have quite a performance planned, so we expect to pass the appeal round no problem."

"That's some spirit you've got," Julian grins.

"A Pokemon Coordinator is nothing without spirit to spare," Zoey says with a resolute nod. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why the interest in pokemon contests? No offense, but you and your pokemon don't look like the contest type," she sends a glance to Lulu and Aniki.

'Odd question.' Julian thinks to himself, reaching his aura out and feeling Zoey's. His eyebrow rises when he finds uncertainty tinged with a minor undertone of agitation. 'Ah, right. She has some kind of weird hang-up with people who do both the gym and contest circuits at once in the anime. Always seemed like forced drama to me.'

Zoey averts her eyes, her uncertainty replaced with embarrassment and a bit of discomfort. It's then Julian realizes he was giving the girl a harsh stare as he was reading her.

"Well," Julian begins calmly as he returns his eyes forward, hoping to gloss over the awkward moment. "I have every intention of being a Pokemon Master, and to me, that means understanding and mastering each and every facet of pokemon. Coordinators and dedicated battlers approach situations differently, so it would be remiss of me to not learn from the other side of the coin, yeah? We're watching the contest to learn more than to be entertained."

That doesn't seem to be the answer Zoey was expecting. She blinks twice rapidly and returns her eyes to Julian. "Really?" She sounds incredulous.

"Really," Julian nods. "Does that seem strange?"

"I mean, maybe a little?" Zoey verbally flounders for a moment before recovering. "Your pokemon are definitely battlers, I can tell just by looking, and it seems like battlers everywhere look down on coordinators. I guess your answer just kind of surprised me, is all."

Julian smiles thinly. "Then I don't think the dedicated battlers you've spoken to know what they're talking about. I understand what you mean, though, as my traveling partner seemed skeptical of learning from coordinators. I'm sure his eyes will be opened tomorrow."

His words put a bright smile on the red-headed girl's face, and her aura flares up into a joyful little fire that tickles Julian's 6th sense.

The rest of the trip to the Pokemon Center is spent with idle chatter, most of which comes from Zoey. She tells Julian about herself, her hometown in the far-north town of Snowpoint, and her pokemon. Julian, in turn, tells the teen girl a bit about himself and his team.

"A Fighting-Type specialist, huh?" Zoey questions as she, Julian, Lulu, and Aniki cross the threshold of the Center's sliding doors. "You definitely break the meat-head stereotype," she jokes.

"I've worked with Lulu one-on-one long enough that it's left me uniquely equipped to train Fighters. I won't turn down an interesting pokemon if they aren't Fighting-type, but I'm not looking to spread myself too thin in the early stages of our career here," The blonde explains. 'Was saying "coordinators are worth as much as battlers" all that was needed to get into Zoey's good graces?' Julian idly wonders.

The Pokemon Center isn't busy at the moment, so the group of four is free to approach the front desk where the local Nurse Joy sits, humming a tune as she fills out some paperwork.

Without meaning to, Julian reaches out with his aura and scans the nurse. 'I can't tell any physical difference between Jubilife's Joy and Sandgem's Joy, but their aura signatures are certainly not the same. I guess that fan theory about clones is no good.'

Nurse Joy perks up as the teens and the pair of pokemon stop in front of her desk. "Good morning!" She greets cheerfully. "What can I do for you kids?"

'I'm a grown-ass man, damn it…'

"Good morning Nurse Joy," Zoey greets back with a smile. "I was hoping to have my Contest Pass renewed, and my friend Julian was wanting to buy tickets for the Contest tomorrow." As Zoey speaks Julian's name, he can feel the embers of Friendship starting to ignite inside of the girl.

'We've known each other for like twenty minutes and she's already calling me a friend?' Julian can't quite hide the disquiet in his aura, and he feels Lulu's eyes regard him for it. 'Again with the fast-friends thing. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.' He turns his head just a bit and mouths don't worry about it to Lulu, who crosses her arms but doesn't question him.

"Easily done on both accounts," Nurse Joy nods and holds out her hand. "May I see your Trainer ID and your old pass, miss?"

Zoey fishes both cards from her pocket and hands them over to Joy, who hums to herself as she runs both through an aging, yellowed card scanner on her desk. The scanner groans, several windows flash past the computer monitor behind the desk, then the computer itself produces an annoyingly upbeat jingle.

"There we have it, Miss Zoey," Nurse Joy takes both plastic cards from her scanner and drops them into Zoey's waiting hand. "Your Pass is good for another year. Good luck in your Contest endeavors!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Zoey puts her ID and pass away, inclining her head to the nurse as she does so. Then steps to the side, making room for Julian to take her place.

"Good morning, Nurse Joy," Julian offers the nurse a cordial smile. "I understand I can buy tickets for the Jubilife contest here, right?"

Joy nods and returns his smile with one of her own. "Indeed you can, young man. How many would you like?"

As he opens his mouth to answer, the blonde stops short. "Is there any extra cost for pokemon seating?"

"The Contest Hall will allow free admission for smaller pokemon who can be held in their trainer's lap," Nurse Joy explains, taking in both Lulu and Aniki behind Julian. "If an actual seat is occupied, then another ticket must be purchased. Each ticket in general seating is fifteen pokedollars."

"I see…" Julian clicks his tongue and reaches into his back pocket, fingers closing around his wallet. "I guess I should have seen that coming. Four tickets, please."

A large hand closes firmly on Julian's shoulder. Following the blue hand up a muscular blue arm, Julian looks up at Aniki's frowning face. "Three, Jules. You, Lulu, and Paul can have seats. I'll watch from my ball and you can save that fifteen bucks for something else."

"What? Are you not wanting to watch or something?" Julian narrows his eyes and carefully phrases his question, aware of the eyes watching him and Aniki. "This isn't about money, is it? An extra ticket isn't that much."

The Machoke narrows his eyes in return. "Watching from my ball will be fine," he insists. He takes a firm, totally uncompromising stance with his arms crossed. While he's already tall, Aniki seems to grow further into something gargantuan and unbreakable to Julian's 6th sense, filling the whole Pokemon Center lobby with an ironclad sort of aura that isn't aura. No one but Julian seems to notice it, however.

Julian's protest dies in his throat, and for the first time in years, he feels small. It's an experience long forgotten, one last inflicted on him by his eldest brother before his mother's passing sent the family adrift. "Fine…" Julian grounds out with reluctance, as no other words come to him. "Whatever your reason is, I won't push the issue," he pretends to not understand Aniki and turns back to Nurse Joy. "Three tickets, please," Julian takes his debit card from his wallet and forks it over to the nurse.

The oppressive aura flees the room at the sight of Aniki's smile.

After a swipe through a card reader, Julian receives his debit card back along with three tickets for Jubilife's Contest Hall, all of them dated for tomorrow.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, young man?" Joy asks kindly.

"That's all for now. Thanks, nurse," Julian mutters, stepping away with his pokemon in tow, making way for the small line that's formed behind them. 'We should probably say goodbye to Zoey before she goes.'

As they approach the red-headed girl, Zoey actually speaks first. "Are you having money issues, Julian?" She asks with a concerned frown. "It can be a tough pill to swallow, I know because I had to do it when I was starting out, but you might want to call your parents if you're not making enough to get by."

'A nice thought, but there are no phone lines in the woods back home,' he smirks sardonically, already visualizing Pops smashing a telephone if the thing had the gall to ring. "My folks aren't really in the picture anymore, Zoey. It's just us three. We'll find some work, though. Don't worry about it."

The pokemon coordinator blinks, then Julian's words hit home and her hand flies up to cover her mouth, which is dropped open in shock. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"You couldn't have known, so no worries," Julian waves away the platitude. "As I said, we're going to find a battleground and separate some other trainers from their money, or find a one-day job around the town. No prob."

Zoey lets her hand fall, placing it on her hip instead. "Well, I'm a little short on cash as well," her aura wavers in dishonesty even if her face gives nothing away, though the lie is free of any negative emotions. "Do you want to go to a battleground together and find a double battle? I've seen dummies agree to some big bets just because they feel confident having their friend with them."

"Hmm…" Julian looks back at his pokemon, silently asking their opinions.

Aniki smiles and offers another cheesy thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan to me, Jules."

"I think…" Lulu gives her answer some thought, no doubt having felt Zoey's lie just like Julian. She smiles along with Aniki after only a second. "...It's a good idea." Her smile turns into a smirk. "Why couldn't you find someone like this to travel with over Paul?" She clicks her tongue and plants her forepaws on her hips.

"Still bellyaching over that, huh?" Julian scoffs and turns back to Zoey, who is waiting expectantly. "Three votes for yes, so let's get going, yeah?"

Zoey grins.

The trip to the nearest set of battlefields doesn't take long, as Jubilife central park plays host to basic, packed dirt fields where trainers can fight and train with their teams. Along the way, Julian returns both Aniki and Lulu to their pokeballs so none of the trainers loitering for a match know what to prepare for.

Aniki went without any fuss, but Lulu huffed and practically demanded to remain out of her ball after being revealed for the first time. Wisely, Julian agreed.

"Your Lucario has some spunk to her," Zoey comments as they stand off to the side of one of the unoccupied battlefields. "And you seem so in sync with her." Zoey pulls a pokeball from her belt and rolls it in her fingers.

Julian mirrors Zoey, readying Aniki's ball and silently announcing to the people in the park that he's awaiting a challenge. "She's both my first pokemon and my best friend. I practically understand her word for word at this point," he smiles, remembering that night he felt Friendship for Lulufor the first time. "Can't imagine life without her now. What about you, Zoey? Who was your first pokemon?"

The red-headed girl lifts the pokeball in her hand and stares down at it fondly. "That would be Glameow, here. I was so inspired by Top Coordinator Johanna Berlitz and her Glameow that I begged my parents for one, but they turned me down every time," she raises her nose with a 'Hmph!' Her face softens."Then I found Glameow here on the streets as a kid, and my trainer school let me keep her there until we were ready to set out…" As she speaks, Zoey's aura ignites into a beautiful, loving glow that takes Julian aback.

That Love is a deep, wonderful color that he can't look away from no matter how hard he tries. It's painted with shared hardship and struggle just as much as it is triumph and glory, creating a mosaic that tells a wordless story. It's entirely different from the Love that ties Ma and Pops together, and perhaps if he squints with his 3rd eye, he could maybe call it akin to the motherly Love Ma gifted freely to him and Lulu, but even then it's not right. Zoey's Love for Glameow brushes against Julian's aura, and he shies away.

It's deep. Deeper than what he and Lulu share.

"She's never ever let me down…" Zoey smiles and hugs the pokeball to her chest.

The pokeball wiggles gently in Zoey's hand. Through the shell of the ball, Glameow's Love for her trainer shines.

Stunned, Julian schools his face before his companion can see and loses himself in his thoughts.

As they wait, both trainers watch the ongoing battles currently taking place.

In the furthest field, a pair of girls seem to be practicing a pokemon contest routine with a Sunkern and Tangela. Both pokemon appear to be young, however, as their clumsy Razor Leaf attacks can't quite hit the clay target disks the girls are tossing into the air by hand. The bladed leaves either miss entirely or don't shatter the clay disks.

Another field has a few spectators gathered around. The gathered people clap and cheer for the nervous, tween boy underdog and his surly Bidoof, who bravely stares down the opposing Furret and the Furret's adult trainer. The man and his Furret are going easy on the boy and his Bidoof; almost throwing the fight, even. Julian shunts a bit of aura to his ears and sharpens his hearing, taking in the cheers with more understanding. Only then does he realize it's a friendly training match between a father and son.

The rest are battles that aren't much to write home about, like a Starly versus a Mankey, but Starly's trainer doesn't seem to remember that Flying-type attacks would make quick work of a Fighting-type pokemon like Mankey.

It doesn't take too long, maybe fifteen minutes, for a pair of rather average-looking trainers - a tall teen with glasses and a shorter, younger boy in a beanie hat - to approach Julian and Zoey as a pair.

'Does standing together signal that we're looking for doubles?' Julian wonders to himself, looking around and seeing most of the other loitering trainers are waiting alone.

"Hey there!" The taller boy greets with a wave. "Are you two waiting for a double battle?"

Zoey smiles back. "That we are!" She raises Glameow's ball and expertly twirls it on the tip of her finger. "Are you boys looking for an ante battle? Because a hundred bucks says my friend and I will win easy!"

The older trainer rubs his chin in thought, but the younger boy scowls, seeming to take affront with Zoey's confidence. "Oh yeah?" He challenges. "Two hundred says we thrash you!"

"Jacob!" The glasses sporting trainer hisses. "Don't go making bets for the both of us!"

"Oh?" Julian dons his most infuriating smirk and his smoothest 'asshole' voice. "You're not frightened, are you? If you are, that's fine, you can go," He waves his hand in a dismissive shoo motion.

From the balls on his belt, Lulu's aura remains flat and neutral. She likely sees no issue so long as their opponents are given a fair chance to back out.

Aniki's aura flickers, though. It's a touch annoyed and a bit disapproving, as the people-savvy Fighter probably sees Julian's goading for what it really is.

Inwardly, Julian feels somewhat bad for playing children like this, but on the other hand, there is money to be made. 'And this is what a fifteen-year-old with powerful pokemon would do anyway.'

The taller trainer scoffs while Jacob, his companion, goes red in anger.

"Right, sure," the taller of the two pinches the bridge of his nose behind his glasses. "Two hundred dollar ante, double battle, one pokemon for each trainer, and no subs. Sound fair?" He asks, offering his hand.

Julian glances over to Zoey, who nods with a satisfied smile, so the blonde smirks once more and takes the boy's hand, giving it a shake. "Julian is the name. Nice to meet ya."

"Arthur, and my brother here is named Jacob," the now named boy introduces himself and his sibling.

When Julian releases Arthur's hand and offers it to Jacob, the younger boy just gives Julian a flat look.

"Tough crowd," Julian clicks his tongue, turning and falling into step with Zoey as the two teams walk to their chosen sides of the field.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Julian closes his eyes, clears his head, and focuses intently, reaching out with his 6th sense. He reaches not for Zoey, or Jacob and Arthur, but for the pokeballs in the pockets of the brothers.

'Let's see here…' In Jacob's left pocket are three pokeballs with auras. Like with Paul's balled team, the auras of the pokemon inside overlap and form a sort of 'white noise', but Julian does his best to separate and read the three. His brow twitches as he tries to capture every detail emanating from what little aura he can feel from the pokemon inside.

'That one… Is probably a Normal type. I don't see hints of anything else. The second one is… Normal? Flying? Maybe both. The last and strongest one is… Water, I'm sure of it.'

His focus swaps to the two pokeballs in the breast pocket of Arthur's button-up shirt. 'That one is awfully weak… I think. Fucking pokeballs make this such a chore. Feels like… I don't really know…' His brow furrows further. 'Second one is way stronger. Maybe… a Rock and Ground type. Definitely a dual type that isn't a pushover.' He opens his eyes and pulls himself out of the near-meditative state, a plan forming in his head. 'Water and Rock. Both trainers are pretty tweaked even if Arthur is hiding it better. I'm willing to bet both bust out their aces.'

"Zoey," Julian whispers. "Do you have a pokemon that can deal with Water and Rock-types? Grass, maybe?"

The redhead blinks at the unexpected question. "Yes. My Leafeon is a Grass-type. Why do you ask?" She has the sense to lean in slightly and whisper back.

"Use Leafeon for this battle," Julian replies quietly.

Her eyebrow rises and she crosses her arms. "Any reason why?"

"You'll see," Julian smirks and gives Zoey a wink.

The pokemon coordinator seems skeptical, but she replaces Glameow's ball and selects another one from the six on her belt.

As everyone takes their places on each side of the field, Arthur takes charge once more. "Everyone ready?!" He calls, taking a pokeball from his pocket and expanding it.

Julian, Zoey, and Jacob all raise their own pokeballs. Then all at once, the four trainers toss the balls into the arena.

"Leafeon, I need your help!

"Shellos, go!"

"Rhydon, get ready!"

"Aniki, show them what you can do!"

Zoey's Leafeon pops into the field first. The Grass-type eeveelution materializes and stands with a cool grace, patiently awaiting instructions. She shares a strong resemblance to her prior form just as all eeveelutions do, with a short beige coat, shiny black eyes, and a body like a fox's. Her ears and tail are where her more outlandish features reside, as both have the shape and coloration of green tree leaves.

Jacob's Shellos is next. From the thrown pokeball comes a little sea slug pokemon only a foot tall, colored pink, yellow and white with two beady black eyes.

Rhydon instantly steals the show from the other two, though.

From Arthur's pokeball emerges a huge shape, six and a half feet tall and so broad it would have no hope of fitting through a human-sized door without a struggle. As the light of the pokeball fades, everyone is greeted by the sight of a bipedal rhino covered head to toe in thick, rocky armor. On his broad head, a drill-like horn sits just above his nose, and behind him, a thick tail smashes into the ground with a deep crunch, breaking the packed dirt like dried mud. Rhydon's eyes, small, bloodshot things, take in the field with hostility.

Aniki is the very last to materialize in the field. Julian threw his ball a little higher than the rest, so as the Machoke appears, he drops two feet into a crouch, then slowly rises back to his full 6'4" with a stoic expression, arms crossed.

'A Rhydon? Jeeze, that's a lot of firepower to be carrying around. No wonder Arthur didn't back out after his kid brother stupidly doubled the bet.' Julian focuses, reading the aura of the large Rock pokemon and disregarding Shellos. 'He's strong aura-wise, too. Maybe only a notch below Lulu. If she and this guy clashed, it would be a struggle if not for Fighting-type beating Rock-type.' He eyes Aniki's back. 'Your control obsession won't do you any favors here.'

Across the field, Jacob's smile begins to wane as he takes in Aniki and Leafeon, and Arthur's mouth twitches downward into a frown. It must seem like bad luck to them, being counter-picked like this.

Beside Julian, Zoey looks over the pokemon in the field as well, blinking as she realizes that she and Julian hold a definite advantage in type matchups. Her Leafeon's Grass typing will make her super-effective against both Shellos and Rhydon. The pokemon coordinator stares at her blonde partner, but the silent question burning in her eyes goes unanswered.

Rhydon and Aniki's eyes meet, and the hostility on the battlefield flares up. From both pokemon, a trickle of Killing Intent rolls across the ground, making Shellos quiver and Leafeon stiffen.

"Before we begin," Julian clears his throat. "Aniki, can you come here for a moment?"

The Machoke breaks his staring contest with Rhydon, turning and slowly walking to Julian's side. Julian beckons him to lean down, and when Aniki does, the teen raises his mouth to the pokemon's ear and begins to whisper.

"I'm not going to instruct you much during this fight," Julian begins. "I'll keep an eye on your back and make callouts as needed. You know how you fight better than I do, and I don't feel like I can coach you well until we train one-on-one and I get a feel for how you like to approach battles, okay? All I can do here is offer advice, but it's up to you how to use it."

Aniki mulls the info over, then nods. "I understand," he whispers back.

"Good," Julian grins. "Obviously, focus down Rhydon first. He's going to be slower than you, and his sides are going to be his least-defended points. Flanking also keeps you away from the horn and tail, his least pleasant bits to deal with. If you decide to get in his face and he tries to use a breath attack to get you to back off, grasp his mouth and hold it shut. No one ever seems to expect that, and the backfire will hurt. Lulu and I have used that tactic before. If an opening presents itself, attack the base of his horn. If you disable it or even break it, then he'll be much less of a pain in a straightforward fight."

The Machoke's aura rolls with confidence and maybe even a bit of excitement. "Gotcha, Jules. I won't let you down."

"Hey!" Jacob calls from across the field. "Are you done with your pow-wow yet?" He asks, impatient.

Julian rolls his eyes and gives his pokemon a pat on the shoulder. "Knock 'em dead."

Aniki stands straight and returns to the field beside Leafeon, falling into a loose stance with his hands raised and half balled, ready to swap between grappling and striking instantly.

People are beginning to gather around the edge of the field to watch, some of them with cellphones and camcorders raised to capture the fight. Seeing three evolved pokemon in a double battle has roused the curiosity of everyone in the park, and Julian smirks.

An audience only makes things easier.

"Ready?" Arthur calls. A bead of sweat runs down his forehead. "Begin!"

"Leafeon, Baby-Doll Eyes on Rhydon!" Zoey's command is by far the fastest, and she even throws in a dramatic point of her finger.

"Rhydon, Horn Drill on Machoke!" Arthur orders.

"Water Gun on Machoke!" Jacob calls, his fists balled up.

"Block Watergun with Leaf Blade next!" Zoey gets a second order out in the time it would have taken another trainer to issue one.

Aniki explodes into action without an order, rushing down Rhydon with his fists raised and a scowl on his face.

Rhydon roars, a bone-rattling sound that echoes off the distant buildings of Jubilife, then he lumbers forward towards Aniki like a train, slowly gaining speed until his footsteps are tearing at the ground. At the same time, his drill horn begins spinning, picking up speed so fast that the air distorts and screams. The distance between him and Aniki shrinks rapidly. A hundred feet, fifty, twenty…!

Then Leafeon's eyes glow a sinister, cloying pink, aimed right at Rhydon. A moment later, she twirls on her paws, her flat, leaf-shaped tail cleaving down in a green arc that splits the incoming fire-hose of water from Shellos's mouth down the middle. The pair of streams deflect off to the sides, little more than harmless sprays of water with their power halved.

With Rhydon, the rhino pokemon stumbles as the invisible rays of Baby-Doll Eyes seep past his armor and sap at his muscles. One of his steps falters and he slows, trying to correct himself before he tumbles. For a second, Horn Drill slows to a stop.

Aniki steps right into Rhydon's wide-open guard, chopping a savage knife-hand coated in off-red Fighting energy right into the point where Rhydon's signature drill horn and his skull meet.

Crack!

A crack runs up the horn, several chips falling free, and Rhydon bellows in pain. He tries to spin up Horn Drill once more to gore Aniki, but the horn makes a terrible grinding noise that transforms Rhydon's bellows into a scream of abject agony.

"Rhydon, no!" Arthur's eyes bug out, his aura suddenly spiking in fright. "Back off! Make some room and use Rock Blast! We still have this!"

Rhydon bellows again, this time in anger, and swipes widely at Aniki with his three-clawed hands.

Three bleeding lines are scored into the Machoke's chest, and Aniki steps back before he can get any more.

The instant Aniki is out of his face, Rhydon hops backward a step and raises his three-fingered hands. From seemingly nowhere, pebbles take form and coalesce into solid stones sized for a catapult. "Eat this!" Rhydon growls, throwing one then the other as if they were softballs.

"Karate Chop through them!" Julian orders for the first time in the match.

The order to attack rather than dodge makes a wave of murmurs break out amongst the onlookers, and from that, Julian feels Rule of Cool stirring.

Aniki doesn't hesitate, raising his hands and taking a breath as the boulders scream toward him. With a grunt, he chops a hand down with the speed of a lightning bolt.

Cra-CRASH!

The first boulder is split in two like a melon, the two pieces passing by Aniki's sides harmlessly. The ruined boulder halves smash into the dirt and crumble with plumes of dirt, rumbling the ground and kicking dirt up into Julian and Zoey's faces.

Zoey raises an arm to cover her eyes, but Julian remains still with his arms crossed even if the dust makes his eyes itch something fierce.

Rule of Cool surges again.

Aniki's other charged chop smashes into the second Rock Blast boulder, and rather than split it, the entire rock explodes into chips of stone with a bang like rolling thunder. Several sharp shards hit Aniki's chest, but all of them bounce off or even shatter, leaving the Fighting-type utterly unharmed.

Rhydon steps back, just as stunned as his trainer behind him.

In the lull, Julian hazards a look toward Zoey's half of the battle, silently berating himself for hyper-focusing on Aniki and Rhydon.

Leafeon is still fresh and fighting fit, her only injury being a scrape on her shoulder. She dodges around Shellos' panicked Watergun attacks without needing to be told, weaving and bobbing with the grace of a dancer.

Shellos, on the other hand, is looking much rougher. The little slug is covered in painful-looking cuts that ooze blood, and on his right side is an ugly bruise. He pants between every Watergun, looking more and more dehydrated the longer the battle goes on. The Water-type's flagging aura tells Julian that Shellos is on his last leg.

"Leafeon, finish Shellos with Razor Leaf!" Zoey calls for the end of their part of the match.

"Shellos, shoot the leaves down!" Jacob frantically orders, his voice cracking.

Leafeon twirls once more, and from her tail shoots a wave of scythe-like leaves that whirl as if they were throwing stars. The wave of leaves curves in towards Shellos' injured side at a harsh angle, and Shellos winces as he tries to turn to meet them.

Schick-schick-schick-schick-schick!

It's for naught, as Shellos is just too slow. The Razor Leaves rip and cut at the slug's soft flesh, opening up new injuries. With a groan, Shellos' consciousness slips, leaving him to go limp.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, but such is the nature of battles…" Leafeon murmurs, leaping back and standing ready for a new order.

'Not bad at all,' Julian rubs his chin appreciatively. 'Leafeon knew to strike on Shellos' wounded side without instruction. I wonder if all of Zoey's pokemon fight with that kind of brains.'

"Arceus, damn it, Jacob!" Arthur glares at his brother from over his glasses. "If we lose this, you're explaining to mom how you lost all of our money in one battle!"

The beanie-wearing kid chokes and goes white as he recalls Shellos into his pokeball.

"Aniki, move in and keep the fight going!" Julian's words snap both Rhydon and Arthur out of their reverie.

"Hammer Arm!" Arthur hastily throws the move out without any further instruction.

Aniki runs forward, ducking under the savage swing of Rhydon's club-like arm, then mirroring what Julian did to him on the night they met, the Machoke grunts and throws a blazing fast uppercut into Rhydon's chin.

Unlike Julian, though, Aniki's punch lifts the nearly half-ton Rock pokemon right off the ground and fifteen feet into the air. Rhydon's aura falters, telling Julian the brain-rattling blow nearly knocked Rhydon out.

"Seismic Toss! One more blow to end the fight!" Julian orders with a wide grin.

Aniki mirrors the grin and hops behind Rhydon before bending his legs and leaping up after his foe. He shoots up, then decelerates into a stop behind the Rock-type, hands outstretched. The Machoke grips Rhydon's tail so hard the armor on the limb cracks, then grunts and torques his whole body mid-air, bending backward until he's parallel with the ground.

Julian's brain is washed with the chilled sensation he's come to associate with Rule of Cool, and he can't help but watch what follows like an eager child.

"Here!" Aniki growls and pulls.

They turn in a full circle, Rhydon getting a glimpse at the ground and then the sky a moment later.

"We!"

They spin again, even faster. Rhydon cries out as the world turns into a blur of color.

"Go!"

Aniki releases Rhydon's tail.

Rhydon shoots into the ground like a cannonball with the wind whistling past him, kicking up a plume of dust, dirt, and rock that covers the whole arena. The entire park is rocked by a miniature earthquake, and several people scream.

Aniki falls down and lands in a crouch, barely visible in the dust.

Slowly, the wind carries the floating dust and debris away, and gasps break out.

In a deep, circular crater of blasted away dirt lies Rhydon, his natural armor spider-webbed with cracks, some of which slowly weep blood. The Rock pokemon lays limp, out cold.

Numbly, Arthur withdraws Rhydon's ball from his pocket and recalls his pokemon in a wordless flash of red. He mouths the words what the fuck was that to himself.

Slowly, Aniki rises back to his full height, grin still in place and aura singing from the victory. Standing there tall and proud in the noon sun, wearing those stars and stripes, he's picturesque in Julian's eyes.

Aniki points a finger at the crater. "That's power, son!" He laughs. "That's power!"

Although none but Julian could understand him, the Fighter's words seem to break the spell keeping the onlookers silent.

One person claps.

Then another.

The whole field breaks out in cheers and applause.

With a grin so wide it hurts a little, Julian walks out onto the field with Aniki meeting him halfway. The Machoke seems to read his mind, as both pokemon and trainer reach out and clasp each other's arms with a clap!

"You killed it out there, brother, just killed it," a laugh bubbles out of Julian's throat. "Hot damn, I knew you were going to be good, but you rocked! To think you could go even harder if you felt like it is mind-boggling to me!"

'...Oh Arceus, Aniki could have gone way harder. When he showed off his full power, he was the closest match to Pops I've ever seen in person. We need to break him out of his control-freak shell.'

Aniki looks away bashfully, face a bit pink. "You're embarrassing me, Jules. I just did the best I could for you, is all."

Julian snickers. "C'mon, everyone can do with some flattery every now and then. Do you feel up for any more battles?"

On Julian's belt, Lulu's ball shakes impatiently.

"...After Lulu gets a turn?"

Aniki touches the cuts on his chest, finding they've already scabbed over. "I'm down."

As the cheers quiet down to an excited buzz, the pair of brothers Julian and Zoey just defeated sullenly walk over, meeting Julian out in the field.

"Good match…" Arthur sighs, face not matching his words. He hands Julian two hundred dollars in twenty dollar bills. "Here's our ante, and you," He turns and glares at his brother. "You better think of a good story to tell mom, because I'm not covering for you."

Jacob, pale and lifeless at the thought of motherly fury, is dragged off by his brother.

With Aniki in tow, Julian walks back to Zoey and counts out five of the twenties with a grin. Five go into his pocket, and the other five are presented to his partner.

"A hundred brouzouf for five minutes of work. Not bad, eh?" Julian's grin begins to fall when Zoey and her Leafeon just stare at him. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong…" She looks between Julian and Aniki, seemingly searching for something. "I guess I didn't expect a double battle with someone I met today to be that easy," she takes her wallet from her pocket before taking the offered cash, neatly storing it all away.

Julian snorts. "Give yourself some credit, there. You made a nice call at the start of the match with Leafeon's Baby-Doll Eyes. Giving Aniki an opening to disable Rhydon's main weapon made him much easier to deal with." He raises his arms over his head in a stretch, trying to bleed off some of his giddy energy. "Stick around. I know Lulu is itching for a fight, and there are still more punching bags who want to be separated from their money."

While Aniki's performance cowed some of the surrounding trainers, more than a few have auras alight with a cocky competitive spirit and the teen needs no focus to feel those. In fact, now that Arthur and Jacob have vacated the field, Julian can feel two more approaching.

Zoey smiles and puts a hand on her hip. "You know what? I think I might," she says. "Thank you for the help, Leafeon!" Zoey thanks her pokemon before returning the Grass-type to her ball.

"It's my pleasure, Zoey," is Leafeon's cool reply before she's sucked into the pokeball in Zoey's hand.

"So…" Zoey begins as their next challengers, an older teen girl and a slightly younger boy approach. "Got any insight on who to use for this fight? I've got Glameow, Leafeon, my own Shellos, and Misdreavus."

Julian closes his eyes, focusing once more. 'Is that Ice? An Ice-type and a… Psychic-type. They're trying to counter Leafeon and Aniki. Too bad for them.' Opening his eyes again, Julian answers. "Misdreavus will be a good pick, I bet."

They didn't lose a single match that day.

Chapter Text

Entry #8: Misc Notes #1

The longer I'm here, the more I realize that the world around me isn't exactly the one I remember in the pokemon anime. I am trying to create a mindscape with aura so I can recall older memories better… it still has a ways to go. Lulu has been a huge help in my efforts, but she's working from scratch, too. Mindscapes apparently aren't in the instinctual power set that all Lucario have.

Anyway, about the world and the things that differ. I know not everything is going to be as I remember it, but man there is a lot that's changed. One, is there are  many  pokemon and regions I don't recognize. I didn't follow the anime or the games very closely after high school, but the amount of pokemon I'm finding is absurd, and more are being discovered day by day. It seems like a lot of regions are beginning to ease off of xenophobic and isolationist policies in recent years to get a cut of the international pokemon battling pie. The dawning of globalization is here with all the benefits and drawbacks that presents.

Second, is the pokemon themselves. In the games and anime, pokemon were always treated like animals… until the story called for them to be people. It was a weird flip-flop that just happened sometimes. Here, the answer to that is surprisingly elegant. To pokemon, being a person (as in the legally recognized sense) is strictly opt-in.

The Lucario pack back home is proof that if they wish, pokemon can form complex societies independent of humans that thrive well enough that members have ample time for non-survival activities and self-enrichment. I know the pack as a whole is smart enough to rise past the tribal stage of development, but they slowed down there simply because that's their preferred way of life. Now, this gets harder to see with less intelligent pokemon, but I've seen more than one Spinarak colony spin a super web with art, which stands out over anything else coming to mind.

Early in our travels, Lulu and I met a Delibird who decided he wanted in on industrialized human society, and after jumping through a bunch of legal hoops, became a successful business owner and full Sinnoh citizen. Either something in the background is getting handwaved or Sinnoh's government is very forward-thinking to have policies that make such a thing possible. No one seems to abuse the glaring legal loopholes or sidestep fair labor laws with these policies, and I'm going to chalk that up to  Anime World, Anime People.

Many  pokemon decide to remain wild, live the life of pets, or be trainer 'mons. I managed to ask a few why, and the answer I got always followed the same general line of thinking.

"It's easier to let humans take care of things like society."

Lulu has openly stated that she doesn't want to deal with human bullshit and is content letting me be the "manager" of the team. Aniki hasn't voiced the same sentiment, but considering he has all the life skills needed to function alone (reading, writing, math, money sense, respect for laws, etc) and is still okay with being my pokemon, I'm going to guess he's in the same boat.

Honestly, I get it. The whole "keeping sapient beings as pets/gladiators/free labor" thing seems a little fucked up, but pokemon have guaranteed upward mobility in human society, reap a lot of rewards just for being around, and get even more for being useful. It makes sense to let humans do all the tedious parts of keeping modern life going when there are almost no downsides for pokemon in doing so.

I have to wonder who the smarter species is sometimes.

Sitting off to the side in one of Jubilife's more secluded training grounds, Julian grumbles and watches Lulu and Aniki trade furious blows in a spar, rubbing his sore stomach as he does so. He turns his eyes to Paul and Elekid, the only other occupants of the training ground. The younger trainer has already done his morning training with the other members of his team, and Elekid is the last one.

Before Paul and Elekid are a number of steel rods Paul fished from his backpack and planted in the ground. Each rod is marked with a plastic, clip-on sign with a number, ranging from one to five.

"Five!" Paul barks. "Thunderbolt!"

Elekid responds quickly with a raspy cry, lightning leaping from his horns and striking the numbered rod just as ordered. The plastic sign melts a little and the rod vibrates, making a dull buzzing sound.

"One! Four!" Paul orders again.

Elekid's eyes narrow as he whirls his arms like an electric generator, throwing two more crackling bolts to strike the rods, filling the training ground with a buzz.

"Six!" Paul calls.

Elekid pauses, a Thunderbolt ready. He doesn't fall for the trick and attack one of the wrong rods.

With a snort, Paul crosses his arms. "Acceptable. Pass."

Elekid smirks, crossing his club-like arms in a mirror of his trainer. The electricity in his horns dissipates with a shower of sparks.

'I've got to hand it to Paul. Despite being a dickhead, he's actually pretty good at the whole training aspect of being a pokemon trainer.' Julian admits to himself. 'Every test Paul presents to his pokemon obviously has some kind of point, and though his criticism of any failure is too harsh in my opinion, he at least bothers to offer corrections.' Julian frowns and looks back to Aniki and Lulu. 'There is definitely more structure than 'meditate and fight'.'

Lulu ducks a punch that would have rattled her skull and lashes out with a lightning-fast kick aiming to drive the wind out of her Machoke sparring partner.

Aniki's reply is just to bat away her leg and advance forward, raising his fists back to a guarded, ready position like a heavyweight boxer.

Growling, Lulu is forced to remain on the back step as her reach just isn't sufficient to strike her larger foe without risk of retaliation. For the entire fight, her inferior reach has left her on the worse end of each exchange, for her superior speed and technical skill have been matched over and over by Aniki's sheer strength and patience.

Finally, though, Lulu breaks the stalemate.

Holding her paw out, brilliant blue aura flows out of Lulu's pink paw pad and takes on a cylindrical shape beside her that's as long as she is tall. The aura then solidifies into a rigid, glowing blue staff. The ethereal weapon's ends are capped with two nubby protrusions each, giving the staff the appearance of a long, cartoonish bone.

Taking the staff in both paws and giving it an expert twirl, Lulu narrows her eyes and seamlessly shifts out of the nameless Lucario hand-to-hand style into a totally new stance. She stands with her legs bent, both paws on her weapon, and one end pointed at Aniki.

'Damn. Aniki got Lulu to use a named move first…' Julian blinks, noting that Paul and Elekid pause their training for a moment to watch.

Lulu's move, Bone Rush, might officially be a Ground-type move, but to Julian's 6th sense, it's filled with just as much aura as it is Ground energy. A true master of aura projection like Pops can form a Bone Rush that's nothing but aura.

Julian looks down at his own hand and molds his aura like Lulu just did hers.

In his hand, a glowing blue bone no bigger than a chicken leg slowly begins to take shape… then it destabilizes and vanishes with a pathetic whimper. The displaced man clicks his tongue and flexes his now-weakened fingers.

A projection even a Riolu can manage is beyond him. All the control in the world means nothing if it sucks down more aura than he can safely supply. He looks back to Aniki and Lulu.

With a blink, Aniki hums aloud. "Didn't see that coming…" He nods toward the Bone Rush Lulu holds. "Kicking it up a notch?"

Lulu bounces on her heels. "Normally I can work around having a shorter reach, but your skills are quite impressive, Aniki. I apologize if using a weapon comes off as distasteful, but at the same time I don't wish to disrespect you by holding back."

"Nah, I understand." Aniki smiles. "Alright boss lady, I guess I can bust out a trick or two as well to even things up." He smashes his fists together, knuckles to knuckles, and both ignite into rolling orange flames. The Machoke raises his fists back into a boxing stance, jabbing twice at the air. "Ladies first."

Lulu smiles thinly in return, then blitzes forward.

The Rule of Cool that Julian can feel tipping the scales into Lulu's favor slows when Aniki pulls out Fire Punch, but doesn't turn back. Already knowing how things are going to turn out, Julian closes his eyes, slowly circulates his aura to take the edge off of his bruised torso, and meditates on the day before.

Yesterday, they met Zoey, the anime rival to Dawn Berlitz. For a dedicated pokemon coordinator, the girl is a stellar partner in battle, and together, she and Julian's combined teams wiped up a number of other trainers before they had to call it quits. Aniki and Lulu might be superb pokemon, but even their stamina isn't without limits, and after ten or so fights each, both were beginning to tire. The minor injuries the pair of pokemon accumulated over the afternoon were fixed with a night of rest.

'And what a day it was…' Julian smirks, thinking of the five hundred extra pokedollars now in his wallet. Taking on a new team member in Aniki had him worried about finances, but several hundred dollars for an afternoon of battling isn't bad at all.

Zoey and Julian parted ways with a wave, and after a night's rest, the team is here bright and early and back to the grindstone… Or Lulu and Aniki are back to the grindstone. Julian's morning was cut short courtesy of Aniki's fist.

'In hindsight, trying to goad PokeBroly into hitting me harder was not the best idea…' The teen grimaces. It was Julian and Aniki's first time really sparring this morning, and Aniki silently protested by remaining on the defensive the entire time. Now aware of what an aura-enhanced human can do, the Machoke wasn't caught off guard like their first meeting.

"Aniki, come the fuck on!" Julian complains, backing off after Aniki lets another risky kick from him go unpunished. "You can't just sit there and softball me the entire time! I'm not the best fighter but put some effort into it, please!"

Aniki doesn't drop out of his ready stance, but his eyes flash with concern. "Jules… You're a human. I don't want to hurt you is all…" He murmurs, voice so genuine that Julian falters. "You're my trainer, bud. I don't want to be a bad pokemon and hurt you…"

Taking a deep breath and counting to ten, Julian exhales. "Aniki," he begins, feeling tired already despite the sun having only been up for an hour. "I get that, but this is a team effort here. I want to practice what I preach, and that means helping you, Lulu, and whoever else joins the team reach their full potential. To do that, I need practice as well. This is good practice for you, too. Try to use just a little above your usual level of strength, alright? I'm made of much sterner stuff than other humans, so you can knock me around some without worrying too much. You want to get a handle on your strength without going full berserker? Pushing just a little beyond what you're comfortable with and trusting yourself is where we start." Julian nods, hoping that was a sufficiently  Inspiring Speech.  "Let's go!"

Aniki takes a deep breath before a small smile rises to his muzzle. "Alrighty, Jules. I'll play by your rules."

The spar wouldn't last too long. Julian, long since used to fighting foes who physically outclass him, pulled out many of the tricks he uses on Lulu, just barely managing to remain on even footing with the Machoke. One slip, though, led to a bowling ball-sized fist in Julian's solar plexus that knocked all of the air out of him. Lulu called for the end of the bout and took the edge off of Julian's bruised… everything with a round of Heal Pulse.

To Aniki's credit, he withheld saying "I told you so, Jules" even if Julian knew he badly wished to say it.

Returning his attention outward, Julian watches as Lulu and Aniki's spar comes to a close.

With the reach advantage afforded to him by his longer arms gone, Aniki struggles to keep pace with Lulu, who uses her bone staff like an expert. She bashes his wrists, deflects punches with deft twirls, and remains unfazed by the crackling flames surrounding Aniki's hands.

Finally, Aniki makes a mistake.

The Machoke raises his hands over his head in a crossblock to stop a grossly projected overhead swing from Lulu, but the strike turns out to be a feint the entire time. Lulu lets the staff in her paws slide down to the ground, then pole vaults over Aniki, landing gracefully behind the Machoke. Before he can turn and face her, Lulu sweeps his feet out from under him with a low kick, sending him tumbling to the ground back first. With a final flourish of her staff, Lulu presses the nubby end right against Aniki's throat.

"Damn…" Aniki breathes, his chest rising and falling deeply. "Alright, I know when I'm beat…" He lays his head back with a groan. "This one goes to you, boss lady."

Lulu steadies her own breathing and dismisses her Bone Rush in a shower of blue sparks. She offers Aniki a paw that he accepts and pulls him to his feet. "Well fought, Aniki," she smiles, giving her teammate a respectful bow at the waist.

Looking up at the sun, Julian rises to his feet with a groan, pulling Lulu and Aniki's attention to him. "Decent enough for a morning warm-up, yeah?" He asks, not rubbing his still aching stomach so the ugly guilt remains out of Aniki's aura. "You two ready to head to the contest hall?" He asks, giving Aniki a pointed look.

"Don't worry about another ticket, Jules." Aniki waves him off once more. "Just keep my pokeball in your lap or something. I can see fine through it."

'Why do I get the feeling this is only the beginning of the 'self-sacrifice' business?' Julian doesn't voice his complaint and just nods. "If you insist…" He takes Aniki's ball from his belt and points the sphere forward. "Return."

The Machoke offers Lulu and Julian a wide smile and a thumbs up as he's recalled to his ball for a rest.

Shrinking the ball back to its travel form and replacing it on his belt, Julian looks over to Paul and Elekid, who are pulling their target rods from the ground and dropping them into the younger boy's backpack. "Hey, Paul! Ready to hit up the contest hall?"

The purple-haired boy ignores Julian entirely, waiting until Elekid drops the last rod in his backpack with a clatter. Then with no fanfare, Paul holds up Elekid's ball. "Your performance today was adequate. Return."

Although Elekid's face stays in a resting smirk, his aura jumps in obvious happiness at Paul's words. A flash of red later, and he's back in his ball.

Finally, Paul looks over to Julian, his usual scowling face somehow falling into something more dour. "Why did you get me a ticket without asking?" He asks grouchily.

"Because there is plenty to learn, duh," Julian sniffs and begins walking across the field back to Jubilife. "You want to be a great pokemon trainer? Then studying how other trainers do their thing is a great step towards that."

"I already do that," Paul snips, but he still falls into step with Julian and Lulu. "I research notable trainers and dissect their style, adding whatever is useful to my own," he says, adjusting a strap on his backpack. "I study something useful each night before bed, unlike you, you pushy moron."

Julian smiles even if he wants to bristle at the insults. He can feel Lulu's aura prickle in offense on his behalf. "Yet you had no idea who Ash Ketchum was."

Paul says nothing, but his eyes narrow.

Like it often does between the pair of boys, the conversation falls into silence for a while, all the way back to Jubilife proper.

'Am I pushy?' Julian wonders to himself. 'I don't think I am.' Part of him wants to ask Lulu what she thinks… But another part doesn't want to hear the answer.

"The way I do things, does it annoy you?" Julian eventually asks Paul, giving the younger trainer a sidelong glance.

Paul just grunts.

"Look, Paul…" Julian sighs. "I'm trying to offer an olive branch here. Meet me halfway."

Paul says nothing for a moment, then; "You talk big game about being a trainer, Angelo, but you don't act like one." Paul turns his head to glare at Julian. "You fight with your pokemon, meditate, and preach your magic friendship stuff, but that's it. Maybe you make some points here and there, but you're not acting like a real trainer. I've never seen you crack open a book on any kind of relevant subject, pay attention to the news, hunt for pokemon, or anything like that. Hell, sometimes you just stare at the wall thinking so hard I can hear your brain cooking." Paul shakes his head. "Now you're dragging us both to a contest. The only reason I'm going is so your money isn't a waste."

Julian opens his mouth to reply, but stops short. 'I… I didn't really expect such a nuanced complaint.' Aware of both Lulu and Paul waiting for a reply, Julian clears his throat. "So…" he begins with faux leisure, stalling to think of something to say. "Does any of that matter when we can produce results? I told you how we swept like five teams back-to-back yesterday, right?"

That just sours Paul to the point that his aura dips into an angry simmer. He turns away with sneer, not replying.

"What?" Julian blinks. "What? Don't go all melodrama on me now. What did I say?"

Despite Julian trying to badger a response out of Paul for the entire walk to the Jubilife Contest Hall, Paul keeps his eyes locked forward. All the while, his aura remains in that upset boil and Julian is dying to know why.

Once, Julian looks to Lulu for support, but she seems torn for some reason that he can't place. She obviously wants to say something, but can't quite formulate it. Or maybe she's holding what she wants to say back?

The contest hall comes into view before long, as the dome-like arena dominates the end of one of Jubilife's main streets. The road leading up to the hall is lined with different stalls and stands, each one with a smiling, hollering shopkeep trying to hawk wares of all sorts to the people filtering into the contest hall. Lost in his thoughts, Julian pays none of them any mind.

'What did I say?' Julian asks himself for what feels like the millionth time, and to his frustration, he is no closer to an answer. 'And why would Lulu not have any input? I wasn't offensive or something, was I?'

As they pass the sliding glass door, a floor sign directs them off to the side towards the arena seating, where a young woman wearing a shirt labeled 'Staff' is checking the tickets of passersby.

Walking up to the woman, Julian pushes away the discomfort brought on by Paul and Lulu's silence to smile and withdraw their tickets from his back pocket. "Three going in," he says, presenting the slips of paper.

The staff woman blinks, seemingly confused, but she takes the tickets and punches a hole in the corner of each one with a hole punch held in her other hand. "I could have sworn you were a contestant with the accessory on your Lucario," she comments, handing the tickets back as she looks at Lulu's gauntlet. "It might work better if her stone matched your necklace, though. Enjoy the contest!"

'Shit,' Julian withholds a grimace. 'I still need to call the number Rowan gave me and talk to whoever that is about the keystone and the gauntlet. I totally forgot in the excitement of… Well, just being in Jubilife. I'll do that either tonight or first thing tomorrow.' Outwardly, he just nods and puts the punched tickets away.

The general seats are first come, first serve, so Julian, Paul, and Lulu find spots roughly in the middle. Julian takes the middle seat with Lulu on his right and Paul on his left.

There are still a few minutes before the contest actually starts, so the arena is filled with the dull roar of low conversation. Hazarding a glance to his left, Julian looks at Paul.

The younger teen is slouched in his seat, his Pokedex out and one thumb depressing the 'down' button. From his angle, Julian can't see what Paul is looking at, but at least his aura has settled into something slightly less angry.

'Fuck it…' Julian leans ever so slightly towards Lulu and begins whispering, knowing her sharp ears will be able to pick his voice out of the din of the arena. "Lulu? I need your help here. Did I… say something wrong earlier? If I did, then I missed it. I was just trying to say that it doesn't really matter what the means are as long as-" He stops. "Am I pushy?"

While this is Paul of all people, and Julian is sure he shouldn't be worrying too hard about it, the younger boy's flare of anger earlier had a bite more unpleasant than any other that has come before it.

Lulu's ear twitches. She works her muzzle as if testing each word before it leaves her mouth, then finally she speaks. "You can be pushy sometimes," she begins, voice even and measured.

Hearing it from Lulu hurts, and she definitely feels his aura recoil, as her red eyes lock Julian's greens in place with a silent plea to keep listening. "You're confident and eager, Julian, and that can sometimes come out as you wanting to do things your way and only your way. There is no shame in being decisive." She leans in a bit further until their shoulders are touching. From the little bit of contact, some of her aura flows into him. The flow smoothes over the needle-like peaks of his own aura, and the tightness in his chest eases. "On that note, however, being decisive on behalf of others might be offensive to some. While Paul's interpersonal skills with his pokemon need work…" Lulu frowns. "A lot of work, his way of doing things minus that bit are just as valid as our own. Rebuffing his complaints without actually addressing them implies a lack of respect for his methods, and for someone so serious about pokemon battling, it's a slap in the face." Lulu sighs. "He's likely frustrated with how we're obviously withholding information from him as well, as if he's not worth it or can't handle it. That one we can't do much about, but acting as if it makes us better invites conflict. After the contest, you may want to apologize."

For a long minute, Julian is silent as he digests his starter's words. There are so many advantages to be had by being the Mysterious Stranger, the passive Rule of Cool chief among them. As loathe as he is to part with such a role, and thus an advantage over Paul, it feels as if he's going to have to ease up on being cryptic and insistent that friendship trumps all. Slowly exhaling, Julian nods slowly. "I understand…" he whispers back. "You're good at this whole cooperation and conflict resolution thing, aren't you?"

Lulu smiles mischievously. "It comes with the territory of being your partner."

With a snort, Julian straightens up, pulling his shoulder from Lulu's. "Gee, thanks," he snarks without any real heat. After another silent moment, he continues. "...Lulu, if I didn't ask, would you have called me out?"

"I would," she confirms with a nod. "I wouldn't be a good friend if I allowed you to make mistakes like this. I said nothing at first because I wanted to see if you actually needed me to step in." She smiles a gentle, pretty smile, and the open pride worn on her aura melts Julian's worries. "I'm glad you asked for help. It really shows my faith in you is worth it and then some."

Julian clears his throat into his fist and looks away, feeling his face grow warm at the heartfelt praise. He places a hand over his keystone necklace so the sudden Friendship-powered glow isn't noticed by anyone.

As the conversation peters off, the arena lights begin to dim, quickly shutting down all conversation in the arena until everything is silent.

"Here we go…" Julian grins, eager to see a live pokemon contest.

Down on the contest stage, a brunette woman in a long yellow coat, a pink skirt, and pink top steps out from behind the curtain, a microphone held in her hands and an overhead spotlight following her. She raises her head and gives the crowd a winning smile, raising her microphone as she does so. "Greetings, and a warm welcome to coordinators and contest fans of all ages! We've all come here to find out who will take home the coveted and fabulous Jubilife Contest Ribbon!" She says, voice echoing through the speakers overhead. "You've all been waiting patiently, folks, and now it's time for you to be rewarded!" She raises her mic high and does a twirl on her feet. A pyrotechnics display of sparks bursts from the edge of the stage, and the crowd bursts into eager cheers.

Overhead, light begins to stream in. Looking up, Julian watches the glass ceiling of the stadium depolarize, going from opaque black to perfectly clear.

"We're coming to you live on-stage here in Jubilife, and our first contestant is nearly ready. While we wait, allow me to introduce our judges," the hostess smiles and waves an arm behind her, where a secondary curtain on stage is drawn back.

Julian taps his foot as Marian, the contest hostess, introduces the trio of judges. One is a suit-clad man named Contesta of all things, the apparent head of the Pokemon Contest Judging Committee. The next is a shorter man with a buzzed head and a very Brock-like squint named Suziko, the head of the Official Pokemon Fanclub, and the final judge is Jubilife's Nurse Joy. Silently, Julian files the names away and wishes they'd just start already. 'Gah. Being a kid again has made me impatient…'

Finally, things get moving.

"Okay, everyone!" The contest hostess smiles. "Give it up for our first contestant! From all the way up in Snowpoint City, please welcome Zoey!" She points dramatically to the stage curtain behind her and steps off to the side as it begins to rise.

Behind the rising curtain is Zoey, the same pokemon coordinator Julian met yesterday. Her day clothes have been replaced with a show outfit, one with a long white coat overlaid with gold-stitched vines, slim turquoise pants, and white dress shoes. Despite knowing nothing about fashion, the ensemble works in Julian's eyes. It just presents Zoey's confident, tomboyish charm well. 'Maybe that's what she's going for, and that's why she picked it.'

Stepping forward and waving to the crowd, the orange-haired girl scans the stands, and upon seeing Julian and Lulu, she smiles a little wider.

Julian grins back, mouthing 'knock 'em dead.'

Zoey draws back her arm, pokeball in hand. "Misdreavus, curtain!"

The pokeball flies up and then bursts open with a large plume of purple smoke. Inside the smoke, Misdreavus' ghostly, sinister silhouette smirks down at all the people in the stadium. Then the silhouette splits into four more ghostly forms with one floating in the center.

"Confuse Ray!" Zoey's confidence glows through her high, giddily vibrating aura.

A pink glow overtakes the smoke, casting a beautiful light just the right brightness to peer directly at without pain, then from the smoke, four separate Misdreavus spread out with ghostly giggles, flying over the crowd and trailing smoke in their wake. Halfway, the spectral clones vanish, leaving a thin, purple mist floating over everyone. Back on the stage, the real Misdreavus floats over Zoey's head.

"Shock Wave!" Zoey calls next, her aura reaching a peak filled with anticipation.

With another giggle, Misdreavus' entire body lights up a golden yellow, then electricity erupts indiscriminately around her. No wait…

Julian blinks as he watches Misdreavus' Shock Wave travel through the smoke hanging over the crowd like a conductor. Almost perfect circles of sparkling lightning fly from Misdreavus, jumping from smoke particle to smoke particle before safely stopping at the edge of the smoke. All the while, whatever solid sooty bits are floating in the smoke pop and explode into shining, golden sparks like a fireworks display.

Once the last of the smoke is vaporized, Misdreavus powers down her Shock Wave and floats down to rest in Zoey's dramatically raised hand, signaling the end of the show.

The crowd goes wild, with many people giving a standing ovation. So swept up by the tide of everyone's amazement, Julian stands and applauds almost without meaning to. Looking to his right, he sees Lulu standing as well, bringing her paws together with a mystified expression on her face.

Looking the other way…

Paul isn't clapping like the rest, but he is looking at the leftover wisps of smoke in the air with a thoughtful expression.

"It's like Misdreavus and Zoey are joined at the hip!" Marian the hostess says into her microphone, eagerly keeping the hype going. "Electrifying!"

Julian stops short when he feels it from Zoey and Misdreavus, down there on the stage basking in the applause.

Just like yesterday with Zoey and her Glameow, there is a pulse of Love between the orange-haired coordinator and Misdreavus, one much deeper than what exists between himself and Lulu.

Sobered, Julian slowly sits back down.

Zoey sets the bar for the entire contest, and everyone else struggles to match her. A Scyther demonstrates his speed by cutting down tatami mat targets, a Bidoof quickly chews a rough sculpture of himself from a log, and a Buizel acts like an adorable attack helicopter, spinning his tails like propeller blades to hover as he shoots Water Gun attacks down at targets below. All good shows, but Misdreavus and Zoey are still the obvious crowd favorites.

'Is that Jessie from Team Rocket?' Julian frowns as one of the contestants, one Jessalina seems far too familiar. With distinctive red hair pulled into two pigtails, a rather conservative orange dress, and large faux glasses, the disguise isn't very effective. 'Yeah, that's her. I recall that she uses James' Carnivine for this one.'

Jessie shows off her borrowed Carnivine's Bullet Seed attack by tossing targets shaped like lollipops high, and letting Carnivine's botanical barrage shoot them down. The whole routine ends with Carnivine… biting down on a shrieking Jessie's neck and engulfing her whole head in his mouth. Despite how her head should have been instantly removed from her shoulders, the Rocket is unharmed and plays off the blunder like it's supposed to be comedic, drawing equal parts laughter and applause from onlookers.

Memory jogged, Julian sits back and watches the contest play out virtually the same as it did in the anime, noting the interesting tricks displayed along the way. Ash (who Julian forgot was competing until he felt the boy's monstrous aura behind the curtain) puts on an interesting show with his Aipom, and Dawn wraps up the appeal rounds. Zoey, Ash, Dawn, Jessie, and four nobodies move on to the next round.

Into the battle rounds, Ash goes on to lose to Zoey, who plays it smart and has her Glameow focus on countering Ash's Aipom in a cool, calculated fashion. A few nobodies battle, then it comes to Dawn versus Zoey. Although Dawn tries to be creative with her Buneary's Ice Beam and has Zoey on the backfoot here and there, Dawn's Buneary loses to Glameow as the skill gap between the two coordinators is just too great. The finals boil down to Jessie and Zoey. With so much Cool momentum built from her wins, Zoey and Glameow win out even if Jessie and Carnivine put up a surprisingly good fight.

"We have a winner!" Marian calls out as Jesse reluctantly recalls her knocked-out Carnivine and is ushered off the stage. All the contestants are directed to the stage for a final bow as Marian leads Zoey to the center of the stage. "Everyone give a big round of applause for Zoey, your Jubilife Contest winner!"

Marian turns and presents the Jubilife Ribbon to Zoey, and Julian has to sharpen his eyes with a pulse of aura to see it.

The ribbon is a pretty thing, a golden diamond shape with a three-pointed crown jutting from the top, and two actual ribbons colored blue and white hanging from the sides.

Smiling wide, Zoey raises her prize over her head, and the crowd once more rises to their feet to applaud.

'Oh yeah.' Julian props his elbow on his seat's armrest and rests his chin on his fist. 'This was worth it for the entertainment alone. I said it once and I'll say it again. I love this world.'

In the lobby of the contest hall just as he, Lulu, and Paul are preparing to leave, Julian sighs and prepares himself for an awkward talk. "Hey, Paul? I've got something I want to discuss. Real talk."

The younger boy raises an eyebrow, but follows along when Julian leads the group to a less busy section of the lobby, away from the throngs of departing people still chattering excitedly about the contest.

Leaning against the wall, Julian mulls over what to say. "Look, I know I really pissed you off earlier, and I want to say I'm… sorry." He forces the word out. "I get that I haven't been the most cooperative and I've kind of been dragging you along for stuff, and maybe I shouldn't be doing that." He stops, looking to his right at Lulu.

The Lucario smiles and nods, encouraging him to keep going.

"And it probably feels disrespectful to you, like I'm saying your methods of being a trainer are wrong. That wasn't my intention. You've definitely got things you're better at than I am…" The last part is reluctant, and more for Lulu's approval than anything else. "So I wanted to ask, no hard feelings?"

Paul's scowl slowly drops off of his face, traded for open surprise. "Where did that come from?" He asks, seemingly lost.

"I got a second opinion from Lulu, and decided I should practice what I preach a bit harder," Julian crosses his arms. "The friendship and teamwork thing isn't just for trainers and pokemon. The whole mutual benefit and discovery thing we're going for won't work if we can't at least tolerate each other. In fact, this whole trip across Sinnoh will be shit if we can't work out issues like adults."

"Not the most eloquent way to put things, but it works I suppose," Lulu hides an amused smirk behind a paw as she listens to the exchange.

Paul's face remains surprised, but his aura tells another story. At first, it's pleased, then it dives into spite, like the serious boy is about to reject the peace offering. When nothing comes from Paul's mouth, his aura lightens back up into something pleased once more. "Hmph…" Paul crosses his arms. "Whatever. Apology accepted I guess."

Julian rolls his eyes. "Glad you're so enthusiastic about it," he mocks. "For real, though. You do have some solid ideas when it comes to training pokemon, so how about some cross-training?"

"Cross-training?"

"Yeah," Julian grins. "Compare notes, mock battles, train each other's pokemon here and there, things like that. I think it could be a good time. What do you think?"

Paul looks off to the side, tapping his foot as he thinks. His expression settles into something neutral. "Fine, so long as we actually use a plan here. You're not allowed to fly by the seat of your pants and fill my pokemon's heads with nonsense."

With a grin, Julian offers a hand for Paul to shake, and although the purple-headed trainer eyes the hand distrustfully, he still reaches out and clasps it.

"Feels like I just shook hands with Giratina…" Paul mutters, putting his hands in his pockets. "Let's get going. We're burning daylight and need to plot our route for tomorrow."

"Hey! Just who I was looking for!"

Before the two boys and Lucario can leave, someone calls out to them from the direction of the contest changing rooms. Turning, Julian smiles a bit.

Zoey, back in her street clothes and with her Glameow at her side, walks up to the trio with a megawatt smile in place. She stops between Paul and Julian and opposite of Lulu, forming a loose square of bodies with them.

"Hey, Zoey. Congrats on the well-deserved win," Julian says, making Zoey's aura do a pleased jump. "You said you were looking for us?"

She nods, making the sunglasses resting on her head bob. "Yeah. You said you were traveling around Sinnoh taking the Gym challenge, right?"

"That we are," Julian nods to himself, then to Paul. "Zoey, meet Paul Shinji. We're going through the circuit together to split costs, broaden horizons, and all that good stuff."

"Nice to meet you, Paul," Zoey greets the other teen with a smile. "Zoey Nozomi, Top Coordinator in the making," she boldly introduces herself.

Paul just nods, his face not shifting. "A pleasure," he replies, voice filled with a sterile sort of politeness.

"I guess this involves you too since you're traveling with Julian," Zoey says, looking between Paul and Julian. "Would you mind if I go with you?"

Julian's eyebrows rise. He turns his eyes to Paul, who looks back skeptically. "Huh…" Julian begins. "What brought this on?"

Zoey masks the tiny bit of nervousness within her well. "Yesterday, after we won all those battles, I was thinking to myself when I got back to my hotel. Traveling alone is fine and gives me a ton of freedom, but yesterday was a ton of fun, and I've never really met a dedicated battler like you. You really seem like you know the full merit in how pokemon coordinators conduct themselves and train their teams." The bit of nervousness in Zoey's aura vanishes as her dark red eyes take on a confident gleam. "It shows with your pokemon, too. Your Lucario and Machoke were just as stylish as they were effective, and that's something you just don't see often." She raises a clenched fist to chest level and nods resolutely. "So if it's okay, I'd like to come along. Many of the contests I want to hit follow the recommended gym path, and you can bet I'll pull my weight."

'Well then…' Julian smiles inwardly. 'I guess I'll get to see that bond between Zoey and her pokemon more this way… and maybe figure out what I'm doing wrong with Lulu. More pooled money is also good, and Zoey is honestly good company. I don't see why not.' Julian scratches his chin with a theatrical hum. "Well, Paul and I were just discussing the merits of cross-training, and a winning coordinator seems like a perfect addition to that plan…" He turns to Paul. "What say you, ol' buddy ol' pal?"

"I'm not your buddy," Paul snips. Nevertheless, he gives Zoey a hard look that she doesn't back down from. "Do your part and we won't have any problems."

Zoey's smile lights up the room.

"Nyaaa, it's about time you found some eye candy to travel with, Zoey," Glameow finally speaks up, sending looks that are a little too appreciative to Paul and Julian. "Now, bad boy or hunk, which to pick?" The cat pokemon openly purrs.

Julian twitches. 'No. No, we don't like that one bit.'

After a short lunch, the new group of three returns to Julian and Paul's hotel room to plan for the trip to Oreburgh City, a city several days east of Jubilife and home of the Oreburgh Gym. Considering the trip requires either a detour north or south to avoid the mountains or a trek in a cave through said mountains, planning of a more meticulous sort definitely has its place here. All seated cross legged on Paul's bed, Julian, Paul, and Zoey pore over a map Paul has laid out. Lulu sits on the floor in front of the bed, trying to meditate. Aniki, meanwhile, busies himself reading a weightlifter magazine in the corner chair.

"Taking the cave route is faster…" Zoey muses aloud. "But it's also risky. Oreburgh hasn't been maintaining the cave all too well since they expanded their mining operations around their borders."

Paul clicks his tongue. "Angelo's fighters and Torterra will be sufficient for clearing out any debris in the way."

"I was more concerned about the cave-in danger," Zoey sighs.

"C'mon, Leafy! It's Paul the bad boy, isn't it? You like the broody dark ones, nyaa?"

"No, Glameow…" 'Leafy' lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Should you be saying such things openly? Angelo's team is out here with us."

Julian twitches again.

Perhaps it's more appropriate to say Zoey and Paul are planning the route, as Julian is forced to sit through the chatter of Zoey's pokemon, destroying any kind of focus he might have.

On Julian's bed, Zoey's Glameow, Leafeon, and Shellos all sit together. Above them, Misdreavus hovers like the specter that she is. Glameow has done the lion's share of talking, with Leafeon unenthusiastically trying to keep her teammate on appropriate topics and Misdreavus giggling along. Shellos, the only male on the team, wisely keeps quiet in the midst of the girl talk.

"C'mon Leafy," the cat pokemon meows. "None of them catch your eye? Our dear Zoey is growing up and noticing boys, finally bringing some much-needed testosterone to this clam-slam of a team, and you've nothing to say?" Glameow pauses and looks at Shellos. "No offense to you, honey."

"None taken," Shellos burbles.

"I'm certain Lulu can hear us and is just politely ignoring what we say," Leafeon lays down and rests her head on her front paws as the afternoon sun beats down on her through the window. "Maybe we should be courteous and not indirectly hit on her trainer and her teammate?"

Glameow rolls her eyes and raises a paw to her mouth, giving it a grooming with her tongue. "Leafy, I think she would have said something by now," she lowers her paw. "And what is this indirectly, business?" Glameow smirks and looks over her shoulder at Aniki… who is genuinely too engrossed with his reading to notice. "The dense ones are so cute. I noticed you didn't include Paul in that last complaint, there. Trying to say something~?"

Leafeon sighs once more, and damn Julian can relate to the sheer exasperation in such a simple gesture.

"C'mon, Leafy, we're just having some fun here." Glameow touches a paw to Leafeon's shoulder. "If you had to have one of the three, who would it be?" When Leafeon refuses to engage with her shenanigans any further, Zoey's starter looks up to Misdreavus. "Missy? What do you think?"

The ghost smirks, and Julian does not like it. "I think you should look under your other paw," she says mysteriously, her raspy voice little higher than a whisper.

With a confused blink, Glameow lifts her other paw and looks down… right at a few blue hairs in the bed comforter. The cat pokemon gasps. "Lucario fur in Julian's bed? Scandalous!"

Lulu, still trying to meditate, screws her face up in an embarrassed scowl. A red blush crosses her muzzle and a growl bubbles out of her throat.

Inwardly, Julian cries to himself 'This was such a fucking mistake.'

Chapter Text

Entry #9: Team Notes #1

After some back and forth with Paul and a bit with Zoey, I've come to the conclusion that flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to training and team comp… maybe isn't the best idea. While I'm sure I can just  force  things to work, an outline to work off of makes things easier in the long run.

While I knew that this world wasn't going to be a 1:1 to the pokemon animeverse, Paul and Zoey are proving to me that there's more that can go into training pokemon than battling and struggling for dramatic effect, and I'd be stupid to not take advantage of it.

Naturally, the way me and my pokemon do things are going to be a bit different for  obvious reasons , but incorporating more structure into our plans can't hurt. The first one I want to look at is our team composition and what roles need to be filled in both a practical and  narrative  sense. Now, I'm still willing to break my plans for a pokemon with real  Main Character  vibes, but no plan survives first contact and all that, right?

Lulu  - Lulu is my faithful best friend and my co-hero. She's a jackal of all trades, master of none. In the sense of being a fighter, she has it all. Striking, defending, grappling, weapon-use, projectile attacks, and is both tough and evasive. She's got that special drive to be the best and the heart to soldier through tough times. Unless we happen across a Legendary pokemon or something, I see her keeping the spot of strongest and remaining in the role of  The Leader . Damn, I really lucked out meeting her. She's irreplaceable.

Aniki  - Aniki is well and truly a  Gentle Giant . He excels at taking a fight slow and steady using a style reminiscent of typical boxing, but he's certainly not afraid to grapple when the situation calls for it. He's the friendly kind of guy who is the heart and soul of any team. Once we get him more comfortable with the idea of cutting his real power loose, he'll be an absolute terror in the field.

A few others I'm considering are:

Hitmonlee  - A kicking counterpart to Aniki for the sake of a possible  Rivalry.  Also they're agile as all hell and learn a load of nice attacks.

Mienshao  - A female Mienshao might fit the kung-fu  Femme Fatale  role. I considered Lulu here, but she's too proud to flaunt her feminine charms mid-fight. Mienshao are near-universally considered attractive, so one will fit the role easy. They're skill-based fighters first and foremost owing to their slight frames, and some people say they can even naturally manipulate Aura. If they can, then Mienshao is a priority.

Hawlucha  - A dedicated grappler and luchador bird is just too  Cool  to pass up.

Sirfetch'd  - How is this goofy fucker a Fighting-type? I love him. I'll  make  a place for him if we happen by one.

Poliwrath  - I mostly want a Poliwrath for type coverage, but these guys are noted to have insane stamina and hit like a truck for their size. Easy pick.

Blaziken  - The kickin' chicken is powerful, iconic, and has type coverage. Blaziken is a gimme of a pick.

Infernape  - See above.

Toxicroak  - Poison is a useful tool. A Toxicroak with the right personality would fit the  Team Asshole  role well. Is poison honorable? No. Will a Toxicroak likely clash with Lulu personality-wise? Yes. We'll make do somehow.

Gallade  - Another gimmie. These guys are too good to pass up if the opportunity happens by. The Dawn stone cost… We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Chesnaught  - I didn't consider Chesnaught at first, but a bulky, defense-based fighter started to sound nicer and nicer the more I thought about it. Also, type coverage.

Kommo-o  - THERE BE DRAGONS. Kommo-o has five weaknesses, but seven resistances and is a pseudo. That's a lot of power. If I get one, I'll have to keep Lulu or a Toxicroak on standby to body any Fairies, though…

Like I said before, I'm not going to rule out any non-Fighting Pokémon if they happen by and are an absolutely perfect fit. Future Julian, take note.

Sighing and keeping a rude comment to himself, Julian starts again. "Okay, bud. Let's give it another go. After me. Knees bent…"

Julian bends his knees, lowering his center of gravity.

"Feet set…"

Both bare feet are shifted in the grass for a nice, hardy grounding.

"Back straight…"

His torso is straightened and turned just a bit, closing up glaring holes in his guard.

"Hands up…"

Finally, the teen's arms rise, his hands formed into loose 'half-palms' as he likes to call them, ready to strike or grapple. The remaining holes in his guard close. "See? Now you try."

Just a few yards away, Paul's Chimchar gulps and tries to emulate Julian as best he can. "O-Okay…" He bends his knees. "Knees bent…feet set…" He pauses, looking away as he bites his lip.

The little monkey is so nervous that his aura is a wavy mess. So nervous, in fact, that he forgot the next step again…

'Jeez, man. I'm not Paul. I'm not going to snap at you for needing help…' Julian keeps his irritation off of his face. "Back straight," he guides.

Chimchar follows through, albeit slowly.

Blowing a sigh through the side of his lips, Julian ruminates on the last few days as he goes through the motions with Chimchar.

Zoey slid into the group without much difficulty. Being naturally cool-headed and a conversationalist, she's been a much-welcome addition in Julian's opinion. She's even managed to get Paul to speak more than a few words in a row several times, which Julian had more than a little fun poking at. Zoey's also been a fount of information when it comes to pokemon care, and she's been more than happy to speak of her favorite subject, that being pokemon coordination and beautifying, to Julian.

Naturally, Lulu thought a lot of it was nonsense, but after Zoey offered to teach Julian how to massage muscle cramps out of pokemon, the Lucario didn't roll her eyes anymore.

Together, Julian, Lulu, Zoey, and Paul left Jubilife city towards Oreburgh city to the east. The group cut through a cave system leading through the mountains between the two cities. Letting Lulu take point, they quickly made tracks and crossed the cave system in only a day. Several times in the caves, pokemon approached them, mostly Zubat and Geodudes too weak to be of interest, but they were swiftly turned away by a burst of Killing Intent from either Julian or Lulu.

The repeated surges of Killing Intent obviously unnerved Zoey and Paul, as the entire trek through the caves was spent in silence, but things lightened back up once they all came back into the sunlight.

That was yesterday, and today they're just outside Oreburgh getting some morning training as Paul hunts for a Water-type in preparation for the Oreburgh Gym. Lulu, Aniki, and Julian, joined by Paul's Chimchar, went through some morning meditation and sparring while Zoey and her team went through some light training of their own.

Julian glances over his shoulder toward Zoey, Lulu, and Glameow. The rest of Zoey's pokemon are resting in their balls after their morning workout.

"Geez, sis…" Zoey clicks her tongue, running her hands down Lulu's back. "You've got less knots than I expected, but the ones that are here are pretty gnarly."

Sitting cross-legged in front of Zoey, Lulu shifts away from Zoey's probing fingers just a bit. "I've never noticed anything," she says. "They don't hurt, at least."

Off to the side, Glameow flicks her curly tail and smirks. "Don't be like that, Lulu. Zoey's an expert at what she does. She's the cat's meow." The cat pokemon titters at her own feline joke. "You'll feel great after a massage. Just relax." After a second, Glameow's smirk deepens. "I bet Zoey can teach Julian how to give a good massage, then you can get one from him!"

Lulu's muzzle wrinkles, a dusting of pink across her cheeks. "Must you?"

"Well, if you don't want tall, blonde, and handsome to give you a rubdown, then maybe I can take your place~?" Glameow purrs.

Lulu's blush deepens and her ears pin back. She bares her teeth at Glameow, a growl in her throat.

"Glameow, stop being a pest!" Zoey steps in with a frown. From the embarrassed frazzle in her aura, Julian can tell the girl has at least some idea of what Glameow is saying. "Cool it with the flirtiness, please."

Glameow lets out a long-suffering sigh, but obeys and lays down in the cool grass. "You never let me have any fun, Zoey…" she mewls dramatically as she rests her head on her paws.

"Mister Julian?"

Julian turns back to Chimchar, who is still frozen in his stance. "Is this okay?" he asks, looking down at his stance.

With a grunt, Julian eases out of his own stance. "That's a good starting point, kiddo. We'll call it for today, okay? You're not expected to get it down in one go."

Chimchar smiles unsurely at the praise, relaxing.

"C'mon, let's go see what the girls are doing and wait for Paul to show back up," Julian turns and starts off toward Zoey's little party, knowing Chimchar is following, feeling the cheerfully bobbing aura behind him.

Sitting under the tree Zoey set up shop under with Chimchar following suit quickly after, Julian smiles as he's treated to the sight of Lulu, now laid out on her front, melt into a blissful puddle.

At Lulu's side, Zoey is putting most of her weight into the ball of her left hand as she rubs a kink out of the Lucario's back. "You're tense here in the lower back, right above your hips, and in the shoulders, it looks like…" Zoey's careful eye scans Lulu's back, then lifts her palm and puts it right in the middle of Lulu's back, bracing one hand with the other. "This might tingle…" The coordinator sets her brow and pushes down with all her might.

POP!

Lulu's spine makes a cringe-inducing pop, one that actually makes Chimchar cringe. The little monkey's fingers curl into grossed-out claws.

Lulu herself stiffens, then lets out a low, appreciative moan as her whole body slackens. "Zoey, I apologize for belittling your methods…"

Zoey smiles. How much she understood Lulu, Julian isn't sure, but it was surely more than none. "No problem, sis. For how insightful Julian is, I'm surprised he didn't catch this." Zoey turns her eyes to Julian as she finds a new spot to massage. In those vermillion eyes is a playful sparkle. "An insightful meathead is still a meathead it seems."

Julian clicks his tongue and crosses his arms, only noticing Glameow crawling into his lap enough to pet her across her head. "No comment."

"No comment, he says. Boys and their fragile egos…" Zoey shakes her head, playful smile still in place as she rubs Lulu's back. "Have you really only been a trainer for a few weeks, Julian? You seem like you've been in sync with every pokemon around you since we met." She looks down at Glameow.

Almost unconsciously, Julian has been reading the cat pokemon's aura to try and gauge where to pet her, and quickly narrowed it down to an itchy spot behind her ear, earning him a rolling purr and a closed-eyed, content smile. Glameow then rolls onto her back, and he finds a spot on her sternum to scratch.

"Normally Glameow is so picky with who she likes, and she's warmed up to you in only a few days," Zoey continues, looking into Julian's eyes searchingly. Clearly, the opinion of her pokemon matters a lot to the girl. "So, what's the deal?"

Julian hesitates. 'I gave the necessary facts to Paul and let him in on the secret. Zoey can't be less trustworthy, right? She was always the understanding hero type in the anime.' He flickers his aura in a silent message, drawing Lulu's drowsy eyes to him.

Should I tell her? The teen's aura makes an uncertain twist, one he knows Lulu will understand.

Lulu's eyes sharpen. Subtly, she nods.

'Can't find a better endorsement for Zoey than that.'

"Well…" Julian hums. "Would you believe me if I said I managed to pull the curtain back on reality a little, and that I found out that Friendship is a real, tangible force in the universe?"

Zoey blinks, slowing Lulu's massage a bit. "That…" she pauses. "That's an interesting viewpoint. How did you find that out?" She asks, an eyebrow raised.

"A few ways…" Julian mulls over his words, keenly aware that both Chimchar and Glameow are paying attention as well. "First, by taking a look back into history I wondered why there has never been a corrupt dynasty or dictator in power long enough to cause worldwide damage. Surely, some psycho can go full evil genius and raise a team of ruthless, killing-machine pokemon for a rampage of the ages, right? But…it's never happened." Julian raises an upturned hand, as if silently saying 'what the hell?'. "Doesn't that seem statistically improbable that every time someone like that happens along in history, they're stopped by someone with virtues and respect for their pokemon?"

Zoey's frown deepens. "Isn't that just common sense that good beats evil?"

Julian opens his mouth to reply, but stops short, unsure how to come back from that one. On earth, evil is the norm. Here? In this near-utopian should-be-a-deathworld-but-isn't? Zoey's statement really is common sense.

"Y-Yes, I guess that is common sense…" Julian clears his throat, hoping Zoey doesn't realize how tripped up he was. "But from a logical, numbers standpoint is what I'm getting at here. Strictly statistically, the whole evil never winning thing seems off, right?"

Looking down at Lulu's back, then up to her head, Zoey's eyes meet Lulu's serious reds when Lulu turns her head to regard the teen girl. "I guess if you're looking only at numbers, that does seem a little strange," Zoey shifts uncomfortably.

Julian nods. "Right, so what exactly gave the heroes of those stories the guff needed to win the day against the most bloodthirsty sons-of-bitches ever seen? It is common sense that good wins, but what is the actual catalyst of that win? I'll tell you; it's Friendship. After observing the effect myself, I've come to the conclusion that the key to greater heights for both the trainer and pokemon is Friendship, and that it's a real, tangible force observable in the world. When you lose the capacity for Friendship, for example, becoming a psycho, you lose out on one of the greatest powers in the universe. I know it sounds like nonsense, but it's real."

Zoey's face remains impassive as she listens, and when Julian's explanation comes to an end, she slowly nods to herself as she digests what she's heard. "That's… interesting, Julian," she says, audibly trying to keep her skepticism from sounding rude.

"Maybe a practical demonstration will help things along?" Julian offers. "I did this one with Paul. As a side effect of my Friendship with Lulu, I'm able to understand pokemon one-to-one. That's why I seem so in-tune with them."

Lulu turns and gives Julian a disapproving stare for twisting the truth, but Zoey doesn't seem to notice. The girl takes her hands off of Lulu's back and sits back on her heels, an eyebrow raised.

"Have Glameow say something, something I can't randomly guess, and I'll repeat it," Julian nods and looks down at the curious cat in his lap.

Zoey thinks to herself, reaching to fix the drooping sunglasses on the top of her head as she does so. "Glameow…" The teen girl begins. "What day was it when we left Snowpoint to be coordinators?"

"The day?" Glameow blinks. "It was April 18th, early in the morning after the roads were cleared following a snowstorm."

"April 18th, in the morning, after the roads were cleaned of snow," Julian parrots with a smirk.

Both Zoey and Glameow stiffen. "Did you just…?" Zoey can't seem to believe what she just heard, blinking incredulously "How did you do that?!"

"Like I said, Friendship is a hell of a performance booster," Julian's smirk deepens as he looks down at Glameow.

"A-Ah… So you've understood me the whole time?" The cat asks in a small voice, a nervous smile in place.

"Yes," Julian scratches her sternum, looking down at her imperiously. "Yes, I have."

Glameow licks her lips, seemingly searching for something to say. "In that case…" Her smile returns, and she presses her paws to the hand rubbing her breast fur. "Lower."

'Are you for real?'

The cat pokemon cackles and lands squarely on her feet after a red-faced Julian throws her off of his lap.

Zoey buries her face in her hands, embarrassment turning her whole face pink. "Oh Arceus, Glameow… Why do you have to be like this? He was listening the whole time…"

Glameow says nothing, but her smug smirk says I'm not sorry.

"I don't get it," Chimchar complains, speaking up for the first time.

Glameow's smirk becomes brittle. "Don't worry about it, hun. It's grown-up talk."

The conversation comes to a lull as things sink in.

"Okay, so maybe you're onto something here," Zoey composes herself and banishes her mortified blush after a moment. She takes a deep breath. "Is that how you always knew what pokemon to pick before a battle in Jubilife?"

"It's tangentially related," Julian waves a hand in a 'so-so' gesture. He quickly thinks of an explanation that doesn't give away his ability to use aura, but stops short. He looks over to Lulu.

With Zoey's massage over, Julian's best friend has risen and is now sitting cross-legged with her forepaws folded in her lap. She stares back at Julian expectantly.

Julian knows she won't speak up if he lies, but he's already earned her disapproval once today, and once hurts enough. With that in mind, he revises his words and looks back to an expectant Zoey. "Lulu and I are close enough that she's been able to teach me some tricks, like how to think and observe like a Lucario," he says, tapping the side of his head with a finger.

Zoey's eyes widen as the meaning clicks. "So you can…?"

"In the interest of retaining some professional secrets, I won't confirm or deny anything," Julian stands up and brushes a few of Glameow's hairs off of his jeans as he feels Paul and Elekid's satisfied auras approaching. "Also, Paul is coming and should be here in a minute or so. We should get packed up and ready to move. Oreburgh is only two or so hours out."

Zoey doesn't push any further, but Julian can feel her eyes on his back as everyone stands up and gets ready to move. Julian puts his boots back on and dons his backpack, Lulu wipes the dirt from her chest spike, and Zoey recalls Glameow into her pokeball (but not before the cat can wink at Julian).

Just as Julian predicted, Paul emerges from the brush to the north with Elekid at his side. In Paul's left hand, a pokeball is clutched. In his right, his open pokedex. As he approaches, the dour teen shrinks the pokeball, clipping it to his belt as he shuts his 'dex and drops it into his pocket.

"Successful hunt, I presume?" Julian asks, already knowing the answer.

"Azumarill. Captured with minimal injury. Should be a decent addition against Roark." Paul's answer is short, but not outright hostile. He glares down at Chimchar, who is standing at Julian's side nervously. "How did Chimchar's crosstraining fare?"

"The little guy is a natural," Julian smiles and plays up the little Fire-type's hesitant foray into the world of a proper fighting style. "He's got the stance down, and now it's just a matter of making it into muscle memory. Then we can move into the starter forms. It'll be a huge help once he evolves and has more muscle and reach to work with."

Paul stares down at Chimchar for the entire explanation, and Chimchar shyly peers back up at Paul. Finally, Paul sniffs and takes both Chimchar and Elekid's pokeballs from his belt. "Acceptable. Keep it up," he mumbles. "Return."

Chimchar beams as he and Elekid are sucked back into their pokeballs.

"Well, ladies and gent," Julian turns to the beaten dirt road to Oreburgh. "Onward. Oreburgh awaits."

"Thank goodness," Zoey mutters, lifting her sunglasses and running her fingers through her short hair. She grimaces when a few flecks of dirt come loose "Euh… Let's take the long way next time. The cave route was filthy."

"It's a cave," Paul harrumphs. "Of course it's going to be dirty."

Zoey crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. "Act tough all you want, Paul. I know you don't get hair as shiny as yours without taking care of it."

Lulu snickers behind a paw.

Paul says nothing, but from his grunt and how aggressively he starts his march on the road, Zoey has to have been close to the mark.

The walk to Oreburgh is spent quietly. Zoey is obviously still getting used to what she just learned from Julian and sends him more than one glance as they walk. Paul, as per his standard, doesn't speak unless spoken to. Julian and Lulu talk quietly about several things, like what the pack might be doing, or what sounds pleasant for dinner, but eventually the topic shifts to the upcoming Gym battle.

"How do Gym battles work, exactly?" Lulu asks, tilting her head. "Are there rules that don't apply to other battles?

"It's more or less the same as a regular battle, just higher stakes, I guess," Julian shrugs. "I'd like to keep our usual modus operandi going. I'll give you and Aniki some pointers at the start, let you go at it, and if need be, I'll make a call mid-battle. Roark, the Gym Leader of Oreburgh uses Rock-types, so this should be-" Julian stops himself short and sucks in a breath. 'Don't say it'll be easy and Tempt Fate, stupid.' He clears his throat. "This should be a good match."

Lulu smiles and nods. "I won't let you down!" she says, lifting her gauntlet-clad paw and clenching her fist.

Julian grins. Both her enthusiasm and the beautiful confidence in her aura warms him from the inside out. "I know you won't." Looking at her gauntlet, Julian suddenly feels as if he forgot something. He looks down at his keystone necklace, seeing it safe and sound in its usual place. 'Damn. Was I supposed to do something?' Then it hits him. 'Fuck! I still haven't called that number that Rowan gave me! I'll do that as soon as we get to Ore-'

"Hrm…" Paul suddenly speaks up, breaking Julian's train of thought. He sends a sidelong glare at Julian and Lulu. "Save the tough talk for the Gym. Also, I get first dibs."

"Says who?" Julian glares right back. "Don't you want to do the tactical thing and watch us first? Gather all that juicy intel on Roark in person?"

Paul scoffs. "Nice try, but this Gym is going to be a cakewalk. I'm going first."

"As if," Julian crosses his arms. "Do your pals Julian and Lulu a solid here and let us go first."

"No."

"C'mon!"

"No. I'm getting the first match."

"Someone cool would let their friend go first."

"We aren't friends."

"Wow. Asshole. Okay, someone cool would let their traveling partner go first. Is that better?"

"Aren't you the oldest of us all? Why are you such a whiner?"

Zoey sighs. "Boys… I should have known this is what I was signing up for," she shakes her head. "Maybe draw straws? Rock-paper-scissors? Something other than bickering like five-year-olds?" She suggests.

Julian grumbles and looks forward, seeing the city of Oreburgh growing larger and larger in the distance as they crest a large hill in the road. The city looks closer to a small town by his standards, and is nestled up by a mountain where the town runs a huge coal mine. To the south of the town, a large, red bridge extends over a deep valley where Julian spies mining equipment and construction equipment moving to and fro. From a distance, they look like toys.

For a city that prides itself on industry and mining, Oreburgh looks so… quaint, and the air is rich despite the smokestacks rising from a number of buildings in the city. The surrounding hills and trees are all a vibrant green free of pollution. 'Should I be surprised at this point? Everything here in this world is just better.'

An idea strikes Julian, and he smiles. He turns and winks mischievously at Lulu, then turns to Paul. "You want the first match at the Gym?" He asks. "Okay, fine. Beat me there!"

Julian's boots pound the dirt as he and Lulu take off at a speed most people would call a dead sprint. To someone with aura? It's a moderate jog.

At Julian's side, Lulu keeps pace with ease, not even breathing deeply. "Such a start is hardly fair, Julian," Lulu chides, though she makes no attempt to hide the amusement in her aura, or even the little smile on her muzzle.

"How is that fair, moron!?" Paul yells, unintentionally mirroring Lulu. He sprints after Julian, leaving an exasperated Zoey behind. "It's not a race without a start signal!"

"Oh please!" Julian laughs, loving the feeling of the wind through his hair. "C'mon, step it up!"

Paul, huffing and slowly growing red in the face from exertion, growls and forces himself to keep running. He pumps his arms and legs so fast that he catches up to Julian and Lulu, racing neck and neck.

With such a breakneck pace, Oreburgh quickly approaches, and within a minute, they pass a sign on the road declaring the city limits. The humble, outer residential district is little more than a blur that is passed in just another minute, and before long, downtown comes into view, forcing the trio to dodge around startled pedestrians on the road.

As surprisingly fit as he is, Paul is just a teenager and begins to fall behind, gasping for breath. Mustering enough air to growl, Paul paws at his belt. "To hell with this…" he huffs, taking a pokeball and throwing it high. "Lairon! Standby!"

In a flash of light, Paul's Lairon appears on the street, already running. The heavy steps of the Steel-type shake the ground, and without any prompting needed, she crouches and lets Paul hop into her back. "Lairon! To the Gym!"

"I'm on it, Paul," Lairon's voice, normally gentle and matronly, has a hard edge. She narrows her blue eyes and shoots forward in a run faster than any human can hope to match, barreling down the street like a locomotive.

"Wha?" Julian blinks and Lairon and Paul shoot past himself and Lulu, who are still sprinting.

Face still red and chest heaving, Paul finds enough energy to turn his head and smirk at the pair of aura users. Lairon turns the corner down another street, one leading to a high wall of gray rock sitting on the edge of the city. 'The Gym?' Julian wonders. 'The rock looks too smooth to be natural, and I wouldn't be surprised if they built the place underground.'

"Julian!" He turns and looks at Lulu, who stares back with a competitive fire in her eyes. "Give me your bag!"

"What?" He blinks.

"Just do it!"

Still running, Julian slips off his backpack as best he can and tosses it to Lulu, who quickly puts it on her own back. "Okay?"

"Now hang on!"

"Hang on to whAAHAHAT!?" The blonde teen can't help but yelp when Lulu scoops him up into her arms in a bridal carry before redoubling her speed. He's so shocked he can't help but wrap his arms around the Lucario's neck.

Lulu flies across the asphalt-covered street like a phantom, her hind paws making contact for a bare instant before she rushes forward in an impossibly fast bound. She comes to the turn that Lairon and Paul made, flinging herself and her panicking load towards the brick wall of a small shop feet-first. She lands on the wall paws-first like a ninja, crouching to bleed off enough Gs to make Julian's head swim. Before gravity can drag her and Julian down, she bounds down to the street and resumes her pursuit, heedless of the amazed and startled bystanders on the road.

Even with Julian's bag and Julian himself weighing her down, Lulu barely seems to notice. No, her red eyes are locked onto Lairon and Paul's backs. She leans forward, cutting through the air as best she can. At such speeds, the world is little more than a smear to Julian's eyes, but as Lulu catches up to Lairon, he turns his head just in time to see Paul's disbelieving face as time seems to slow to a crawl.

Julian gives the younger boy a smirk, then time snaps back to full speed and Lulu overtakes Lairon.

Down at the end of the road is a high wall of stone with a set of red, metallic doors set into them. The brutalist building is unmarked, but it's unmistakably the Gym.

Lulu digs her heels into the ground as the road transitions into dirt, sliding and dragging trenches behind her until she comes to a stop just feet away from the Gym door.

A few seconds later, a despondent Lairon and still incredulous Paul skid to a stop beside Julian and Lulu.

Gently, Julian pulls himself from Lulu's grasp, standing on shaky legs as Lulu takes deep breaths that push her chest spike out. "Snrk…" Julian grins when he looks at the shock on Paul's face, then he throws his head back and laughs. "Wooo! Holy shit, that was cool!" He pulls a surprised Lulu into an enthusiastic hug from behind, then twirls her around by her shoulders. "Hot damn, Lulu! You smoked 'em!"

"It was nothing, really…" With the race over and her adrenaline fading, Lulu pins an ear back and looks away with an embarrassed smile.

Releasing his blushing pokemon, Julian turns to Paul, whose expression is dropped into something even more sour than usual. "I think I'll be taking my spot first, thanks," Julian smugly declares.

"No, you won't."

Paul, Julian, Lulu, and Lairon look up as the Gym doors slide open, and out walks… Zoey? It certainly looks like her, but…

"Zoey?" Julian's brows furrow. "How did you get here so fast? And what do you mean no you won't?"

The coordinator smiles and raises a travel-sized pokeball in her hand, expertly rolling it between her fingers "Misdreavus teleported me here."

"Since when can Misdreavus learn Teleport?" Paul grumbles.

"You'd be surprised by how much overlap Ghost and Psychic have," Zoey stows away Misdreavus' ball and plants her fists on her hips. "Anyway, I went inside and checked, and the Gym is booked all day today and tomorrow. They're not accepting reservations right now, either. Something about Roark's mine foreman schedule conflicting with his Gym Leader schedule." Zoey shrugs without a care. "Oh darn, looks like we get to relax at the hotel room I kindly went ahead and rented on the way here," she says, not at all sounding upset.

Julian and Paul share a look.

This isn't over.

No. No, it is not.

"Fine…" Julian sighs. "Lead the way…"

With a smile, Zoey gladly marches past the boys and their pokemon, taking point back into town.

Paul recalls Lairon into her ball in a flash of light, thankfully without a disparaging remark on her performance. With Lairon's ball secured, Paul shoves his hands into his pockets and stiffly walks after Zoey.

'Whatever, that's fine…' Julian frowns and follows along a few steps behind Paul and Zoey, a still embarrassed Lulu trailing him. 'I needed to… What did I need to do again?' The blonde scratches his head and hums, wondering where his sudden brain fog came from. 'I needed to… Needed to…' He looks at Lulu, remembering that doing so jogged his memory last time. His eyes land on her gauntlet and its gemstone. 'Ah, right. Call the number Rowan gave me for the keystone and the gauntlet, that's what I keep forgetting…' Julian's hand reaches into his pocket for his phone. 'No time like the pres-'

A loud whistle cuts through the air, and the trio of teens stop as Lulu stiffens and raises her fists.

Down the road and turning the corner is a huge orange and black striped dog pokemon; an Arcanine, Julian realizes. On the dog's back, angrily blowing her shiny chrome whistle is none other than Officer Jenny… or the Officer Jenny who lives in Oreburgh, rather.

Officer Jenny looks like many of the other women from the extensive clan of law enforcers, with a trim form, a neat blue police uniform, and deep blue hair. She's unmistakable in a crowd.

Despite Jenny's furious expression and the shrill scream of her whistle, her Arcanine mount pads towards the group leisurely, not at all bothered by the noise or Jenny's heels spurring him to go faster. Taking a look at Arcanine's dopy, tongue-lolling face, Julian wonders if the overgrown mutt is actually fit for police work.

Once Officer Jenny is close enough that the noise of her whistle begins to hurt, she finally relents and drops it, letting it hang from her lanyard. "Do you kids know how fast you were going?!" She shouts, glaring down at Julian and Paul.

"Uh…Fast?" Julian snarks on reflex.

Jenny's scowl deepens. "Watch the lip, buster. Not only did you two break the posted speed limit several times over, mounted pokemon racing at all is illegal in city limits! Especially when you're hopping around and off of buildings!" She directs that last part at Julian and Lulu. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"I… apologize, officer," Paul grounds out between clenched teeth as if in physical pain. He turns and levels Julian with a glare so potent that the blonde feels the uncomfortable prickle of Killing Intent. "It won't happen again…"

Julian, ready to spit an insult about nosey cops and inbred police dogs, stops when he looks at his friends.

Paul is giving him the stinkeye. 'You're the one who escalated, dipshit. Don't get mad at me. Take your loss like a man next time.'

Zoey is silently pleading with him to not say something stupid. 'Zoey, you're about to learn some new words and terms, some that this world might have never heard before.'

And Lulu…

Julian's vitriol fizzles out in his mouth.

Lulu looks like she just had the life sucked out of her learning that she just broke the law, standing there with her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. Her aura is dipped low into a valley of self-disappointment. "I can't believe I let myself go like that…" she growls quietly to herself.

Looking at her like that hurts.

Julian bites his tongue. "I'm sorry, Officer Jenny," he says as politely as he can. "We were eager to get to the Gym is all. We won't do it again." He crosses his arms and looks away.

Jenny holds her stare for one, five, ten seconds, then nods and lets her scowl fall. "I'm sorry if I come off as mean, kids, but the laws are there for a reason. You could have hurt someone or yourselves. I'll let you go with just a warning, okay? Stay safe." With that, Jenny taps Arcanine's sides with her heels. "Okay, boy. Back to our usual route."

Zoey breathes out a sigh of relief and Lulu raises her head as Jenny and her Arcanine trot away. "No more scrapes with the law, please?" The orange-haired coordinator begs as she starts walking again.

Paul clicks his tongue and remains silent, following her.

Julian trails a bit behind with Lulu, hating how her aura is still in that valley of disappointment. "Hey, Lu…" Julian wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her into a one-armed hug. "You okay?" he asks quietly.

She sighs. "I'm fine, Julian. I'm not a pup who needs to be consoled after being scolded." Despite her words, she doesn't pull out of the hug. If anything, she leans into him. The Lucario's red eyes meet his greens. "I'm sorry for letting myself get carried away. I didn't mean to cause trouble, especially trouble with law enforcement."

Julian holds her a little tighter. "Hey, no harm, no foul. We didn't know about that little law, and now we do. Don't be upset on my account, either. It takes more than a pissy cop to upset me." He releases the hug and gives Lulu a bit of space, giving her a radiant smile and putting his Friendship and affection for her forefront in his aura. "Friends forever, yeah?"

Lulu smiles thinly, her own aura rising and returning to its beautiful azure. "Friends forever."

Taking a deep breath, Julian tries to recall what he was doing before Jenny crashed the party. 'Huh. It probably wasn't important if I can't remember.' He shrugs to himself. 'Or was it? Hmmm…'

Chapter Text

Entry #10: Power of Love

██████s███ ███ ███ ██ ███ ██ ██h████ ██ ██████ t██ ███e█ ██ ██ █ ███ █████████ ███ ███████ ████████ ███ ██████i██████ ████ █████████ ████ ███ █████ █████ █████ ███ █████ ███ a ████ ██ ██h█ ██ ██ ███ ████ co█████████ ███ ████ ██w██ ████ █s ██ ██████ ██ ████ █ ███r█████ ███ ████m████ ██████ ████ ███ █████ ██t████ ██ █████ ██ █████ wa█ █ ███e███ ████ ████ █o██ █████████ ██████ ███ ██ ████ ████████ █████ ███████ █h█ ███ █████ ██████

████ █ ████ ██ ██ █u██████ ████ ██y███ ███ ██ ████s███ █████ █ ██████ ██ ███ ███████ █n████ ██ █████ ██ ███ █████ ██ █████ █ ██h█████ ███ ███ ██ ████ ████m████ ██████████ ███h█████ █████w█████ ██████████ ████████ ███ ██ ████ █████ ███ ███t████ █████ Lulu ████ ████u██ █████ ██ ██ ███ ████ ███ ███ █████ to ███████ N██████ █████ ██████ ██████ ██ ██████ █n████ █ █████████ █x█████ ██ ██████████ a ███ ███ ███████ ███ ████ ██ ███i█████ ███ ███e█████ ██ ███ ████ ██ ███ ███████ █████ I ██████ ██████ ███ ███████ ████ █████ u█████████████

W̵██ ̵c̵a̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵I̵ ̵f̵i̵██r̵e̵ ̵██i̵s̵ ̵o̵u█t̵?̵ ̵L̵u̵l̵u̵ ̵s̵e̵e█m̵s̵ ̵t̵o̵ ██ ̵a̵b̵l̵e̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵e̵f̵f̵o̵r̵t̵l̵e̵s̵s̵l̵y̵ ████ ██ ████ ██. ██ ███ ██ ██ L███!

In hindsight the above is inconclusive. Redacted just in case. Also note to self; get a new pen. Scratching out that much used a lot of ink.

The feeling of someone shifting in his bed is the first thing Julian's bleary mind comprehends. The second thing is the early morning sunlight streaming in through the cracked curtains, and the third is the absence of a furry back against his.

Oh. It's morning. Lulu woke up at the crack of dawn like she usually does. Face still buried in the soft hotel pillow, Julian leisurely replays the last day in his head.

The group made it to Oreburgh yesterday, only to find that Gym Leader Roark is too busy to take any challengers for several days. With that in mind, the group checked in at their hotel, visited the Pokemon Center to see about odd-jobs in the meantime, then retired for the night after a trip to the store. The minifridge in the hotel room was stocked with their spoils, enough to feed three teens and then some for a few days.

Julian and his pokemon managed to find a decent job on the local bulletin board. A regular gymnasium chain that opened a new location in Oreburgh wants a few 'models' to come in and work out to attract new business. The gym manager only needed to see Julian, Lulu, and Aniki before he gave them the job and told them to return bright and early tomorrow.

…Though the entire day yesterday, Julian swears he was forgetting to do something.

Blinking, Julian slowly sits up and brushes the bedcovers off of himself, careful not to bump his head into the low-hanging bunk above his bed. Scanning his eyes around, he sluggishly takes in the hotel room.

Zoey proved herself a boon once more by picking out this hotel, as she found one that caters to trainers with a decent amount of luxury that didn't break the bank. The room is fairly large, with modern decor, bunk beds that sleep four, a kitchenette, a TV, a large bathroom, and a table with four chairs.

At the kitchenette, Aniki once more is working his magic. Clad in a frilly pink apron and his gloriously patriotic shorts, the Machoke minds a number of sizzling pans with a sharp eye and a spatula in hand.

Julian glances down at the end of his bed and smiles.

Aniki has laid out a bath towel and clothes for him again.

'You're spoiling me, big guy,' Julian thinks to himself, turning his head to see the rest of the room. When he lands on Lulu, he pauses to admire her for a moment.

Lulu is just standing up, raising her arms in a yawning, full-body stretch. The stretch makes her lithe muscles stand out, highlighting her cut form. She then smooths over a few spots of mussed fur with her forepaws and blinks herself awake with a smile.

Beyond Lulu, Zoey is still asleep in one of the other bunk beds with the covers up to her nose. Julian spies a leaf-like ear poking out of the blankets, telling him it was Leafeon's turn to be Zoey's night guard-slash-cuddle pillow.

From the slight sag in the bunk bed above him, Julian figures Paul is asleep as well. A quick probe of the other boy's aura confirms it.

With a grumble, Julian slides his legs out from under the covers and stands with a jaw-cracking yawn. Like Lulu, he stretches the kinks out of his body with a satisfied groan. "Mornin,' everyone," Julian mumbles. "Time to live the scream once more."

"Good morning, Julian, Aniki." Lulu greets both males on her team with her usual morning cheer.

"Boss Lady, Jules," Aniki greets back with his own smile. Something in one of his pans pops, so Aniki quickly flips it with his spatula. "You guys are just in time. Breakfast is about ready."

The smell of whatever Aniki is cooking hits Julian's nose. Still in the process of waking up, his brain can't quite parse what he's smelling, but a rumble in his stomach demands the food, whatever it is. 'As is natural. Aniki could make a killing as a chef if being a battler doesn't work out for him,' Julian muses.

The simple food of the Lucario pack was filling and nutritious, but the species-wide pragmatism of Lucario meant the food was often plain unless a foraging party happened upon herbs or spices along a regular route. Bob's farmhouse fare was good, but the rancher was no pro chef.

Aniki, on the other hand? Aniki once more lived up to his nurturing name when it came to cooking. Another growl digs at Julian's stomach.

Aniki grins at the sound. "Hungry, Jules?" He takes the handle of one of the pans in a meaty hand and flips the contents, briefly showing Julian some sort of toasted sandwich inside. "You've got enough time for a shower if you want it."

"I'll take you up on that, both the shower and breakfast." Julian grins, stepping around the bed.

Taking the clothes and towel at the foot of the bed, Julian heads to the bathroom for a shower. Stripping out of his sweatpants and underwear, turning on the shower, and stepping into the stream before the water can heat up, he's shocked into wakefulness by the feeling of icy needles in his skin.

"Ach!" Julian shivers and shakes his head. As the water begins to grow hot, the teen wipes his long hair out of his face and grabs the bar of soap hanging from a shower rack. Now lucid, his mind returns to the niggling feeling in the back of his head, like he's forgetting something. Mid-way through scrubbing himself down, it hits him.

'The Keystone and the gauntlet!' His eyes narrow, staring a hole into the frosted glass of the shower door. 'Every time I try to call that number, something keeps popping up. It totally slipped my mind twice back in Jubilife, then once as we were getting into Oreburgh, then again when Officer Jenny busted us for racing…' Despite the warm water cascading down his body, something cold slips its way into Julian's veins. 'My memory isn't that bad. I know it isn't. What the fuck is going on? It's not just hormones or something fucking with me, is it?'

Suddenly regaining fifteen years of his life has already been a wild—but far from unmanageable—ride for Julian so far. Teenage urges, frustrations, and a hot temper have been kept in line from day one by an adult mind.

After Lulu awakened his aura, he had to relearn that control some, as suddenly gaining a new sense for aura and the emotions therein meant he was keenly aware of intimacy afoot within the Lucario pack. One of the pack's many unspoken rules is to politely ignore such things, being not shameful, merely private. With that in mind, Julian stamped down his reactions, both physical and mental, in order to fit in. Tuning out something like that is quite impossible, but he learned how to keep his mind from wandering. Before long he was back in control.

Yesterday, though, he nearly slipped.

Julian had some truly vile words on his tongue ready to rip Officer Jenny's self-esteem to pieces. Disdain for authority might yet live within him, but remembering what he had lined up for Jenny makes the teen blanch.

"I didn't see any speed limit signs, you fucking cunt. Ticket me, I don't care."

"That shitty blue dye job must be soaking into your brain if you think I'm going to stand here and let you yell at me."

"Arceus, what's wrong with your Arcanine? Poor thing looks in-bred to hell. Guess I shouldn't be surprised since he's owned by a chick from a family of in-bred cops."

"You ever hear of the phrase 'suicide by cop'? Fuck off, or I'll show you the opposite: 'suicide by perp'."

Some of the things Julian was ready to spew were cartoonishly mean, and some were open threats. He might think half-hearted, poisonous thoughts at times, but those were insults he had cooked up with the intention of hurting.

That's not  Heroic.

If he hadn't noticed how put-out Lulu was over being busted, he might have actually used one of those lines, and it's only now he has realized it.

"Fuck…" Julian gulps. "Is something wrong with me? Why am I suddenly so pissy? Why is my memory shot?" For the first time since he left the pack, fright begins to take root in the displaced teen. He feels out his own aura, trying to find something out of place.

As far as he can tell, he's whole.

Through the wall, he can feel Lulu's aura suddenly jumping in response to his panic, so Julian grits his teeth and clamps down on his own aura, centering himself with a slow exhale. 'Don't flip out. That helps no one. Just follow your plans, Julian. When you're done showering, talk to Lulu, then call that num-'

There is a sudden knock on the bathroom door. "Angelo!" Paul's irate voice is muffled by the wooden door. "Hurry up, and don't use all the hot water again!"

Julian bites his lip so hard that it draws blood. 'Don't get distracted! Call the fucking number, Julian! Do it as soon as you get out!' Outwardly, he growls. "Yeah, yeah, gimme a sec!"

Cleaning the suds off of his body and hair, Julian shuts the shower off and steps out, taking his towel and drying off. All the while, he repeats the mantra of 'Call the number. Call the number. Call the number' in his head. Three times he almost gets distracted and loses his mantra to a sudden brain fog, once as he's putting on his clothes, a second time when tying his hair back into its usual low ponytail, and the third when he hastily brushes his teeth.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, Julian steps around bed-clothes-clad Paul, past a worried-looking Lulu, and beelines for the nightstand where his phone is sitting.

"Jules, perfect timing!" Aniki grins, distracting Julian once more. "I made us something light since we're hitting the gym," the Machoke says, holding a paper plate out for Julian to take. "I left a bit for Paul and Miss Sleepyhead over there." He points to Zoey, who has the covers over her head. "Whatever is left when we get back, I'll whip into lunch!" he exclaims with a nod.

On the plate is an absolutely delicious-looking toasted sandwich. In two slices of toast glistening with butter is a small circular hole. In the hole is a sunny-side-up egg dusted with salt, pepper, and scraps of bacon. If it tastes half as good as it looks, then it must be delectable.

Julian's stomach growls again, but he shakes his head. 'Don't forget. Don't forget. Call now.' Julian clears his throat. "Looks good, broseph. Just one sec, though. Urgent call I gotta make." He slips past a confused Aniki to the nightstand. Taking his phone, unplugging the charging cable, and tapping the unlock button… nothing happens.

The blonde's eyes are instantly drawn to the wall charger, which is partially unplugged.

'What the fuck? I know I plugged this thing in last night!' Spooked, Julian instead swipes Paul's phone, finding it to be fully charged. "Paul, I'm using your phone for a sec! Emergency call!" he hollers through the bathroom door.

"It's locked, doofus!" Paul's voice is barely audible through the door and the sound of the running shower.

Ignoring the exclamation, Julian quickly shuffles over to his backpack and opens the pocket where he stashed the paper Rowan gave to him. Ripping open the zipper so violently that it pops out of its track, the teen's unease only jumps up when the paper isn't there.

"Julian?" Lulu asks, padding up to him and putting a concerned paw on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Oh, Arceus. It's so tempting to slow down and explain just so Lulu won't worry, but Julian blows out a breath and ignores her for a second, tearing through his backpack's pockets all the while.

There, in the last pocket, is the note. Opening it up, Julian scans the number, finding it perfectly legible and free of funny business. Standing, he jogs past Lulu, who frowns and follows him. Together, they step outside the hotel room.

The hotel is an external sort, with the doors leading outside rather than into an internal hallway. In the early morning, no one but the teen and Lucario are present.

Looking down, Julian hits the power button on the pilfered phone in his hand.

Enter Password to unlock.

'...I have no idea what Paul would use as a password.'

He enters 'power', and gets a Wrong Password! for his troubles.

"What's going on, Julian?" Lulu asks again, this time much more firm. Her ruby eyes narrow and her forepaws are braced on her hips, just like Ma's would when she's scolding a Riolu too mischievous for his own good. "I felt your fright from the bathroom. What happened? And don't pretend like it's nothing."

'Call the number. Call the number. Call the number.' Julian grimaces, splitting his thoughts into three ways to focus on the constant reminders, talk to Lulu, and guess Paul's password at once. "I… I don't know, Lu. I've forgotten to call that phone number Rowan gave us like five times now, and… I know my memory isn't that bad," he says, tapping away at Paul's phone.

'Elekid' 'Torterra' and 'AngeloIsALoser' all return Wrong Password!

"That, and…" Julian grunts in frustration. "I feel like… my temper has been way too short here recently. I'm making dumb mistakes. Shit, I was about ready to tear Officer Jenny a new one yesterday."

"The temper is easily explained by you being in your formative years," Lulu says confidently. "I might tease you on occasion for being young, but I too was an adolescent just a few short years ago."

'Veilstone' 'Pokemon' and 'AngeloIsCool' give Julian a fat Wrong Password! error, leaving him with just one more attempt before the phone in his hands locks up.

Julian sighs. "Lulu, if you knew what I was planning on saying to Jenny, you would have slapped me right across the mouth. It went beyond just losing my temper. It also doesn't explain the memory thing." He pauses entering passwords into Paul's phone to think. "I'm…" He gulps, multiple terrible possibilities playing out before him. "I'm worried there is something wrong with me. Something bad."

His partner's eyes soften, and she steps closer to wrap him in a loose hug. The soft fur tickling Julian's body is almost enough to break his concentration and give in to the brain fog.

"Don't," Lulu murmurs, her muzzle on his shoulder. "If something isn't right with you, then we'll fix it. The human world has a lot of wonders, more than I ever imagined in the short time we've lived here…" She looks up, staring into Julian's green eyes with a fiery determination. "There must be a way to help, and if not, we'll go back to the pack. I'd carry you on my back if need be so Mother can tend to you, even if it's against Father's wishes for us to return early."

Despite all his fears and doubts, a smile blooms on Julian's face. With his free arm, he returns Lulu's hug, relishing the feeling of both her body against his and the fantastically beautiful aura beneath her skin. The chest spike poking him goes ignored as he rests his chin on her head. "What did I do to deserve a friend like you, Lu?" he murmurs into her ear.

Friendship radiates through Lulu's aura, spilling out and warming Julian to the core… and below that Friendship is…

Julian blinks, but whatever extra thing he felt is already gone. It was something familiar but paradoxically unlike anything he's ever felt before. The touch of whatever it was outshined Lulu's Friendship for an instant so brief, he wonders if it was real. The phantasmal thing left a curious craving for more and the sensation of butterflies in his stomach. 'What was that?'

"The drive to make dreams into reality? The inspiring power to move past hardship?" Lulu answers his question, and the answers make Julian's face flush red from the unexpected praise. Lulu lifts her head and smirks mischievously. "Or did you want something more ego-stroking?"

"Haha, I get it," Julian grumbles, still wondering what he felt under Lulu's Friendship. The pair separate, and Julian looks back down at the phone in his hand. "For real, though. I think something weird is afoot. Several times I've forgotten to call this number—" He waves the little note in his hand, making it rustle in the wind, "—And now things seem to be conspiring against this one event for some reason. Paul knocked on the bathroom door just as I remembered that I forgot. The note was literally in the last pocket I checked. My phone was dead when I know I charged it last night. Something fucky is happening."

Lulu is silent for a moment and crosses her arms as she thinks. After a quiet minute, her eyes widen, and her aura drops into a troubled flatline. "Julian…" she begins, looking at him with nervous eyes. "Is this… a trope?"

"A trope?" Julian furrows his brows. "No. I haven't invoked any recently."

"No no, not from you. I mean…" Lulu sighs and shuts her eyes. In his sixth sense, Julian can feel her center her aura and calm herself. "Using tropes, these rules of the universe as you said, to push your will on the world… what's stopping the world from pushing back?"

Julian opens his mouth to reply, then stops dead as he replays Lulu's words in his head. The implications of such a profound, but simple question are suddenly forcing him to reevaluate what he knows. "...There isn't."

Slowly, Julian looks up into the sky, peering up at the blue expanse above. With a gulp and gut feeling, he reaches his aura out and up.

Above the buildings of Oreburgh, his aura thins and begins to grow weaker. His body begins to lose sensation.

Above the mountains, his aura is as thin as twine. It's like he's staring down a narrow tube with his third eye.

Above the clouds, his aura is just a whisper, barely perceiving anything. It takes all his focus to keep reaching, but he still feels a paw clasp his hand.

Lulu's radiant azure aura mixes with his dark cobalt, and, together, they push a little further.

Higher and higher, they reach out, blindly groping within a realm eyes can't see… Until they touch something.

Something that peers  back down at them with a thousand eyes.

The teen and Lucario retreat back into their own bodies as if struck by lightning, both clamping down on their respective auras with wide eyes, white faces, and thundering hearts. Together, they wait, but nothing happens. The primal terror gripping them both lingers, however.

'What was that?' Julian sucks in a breath. He stops any further thoughts short, unwilling to put a Name to the Something even in his own mind.

Lulu finally breaks the silence. "At last, I understand why the talk of universal truths and rules unnerved me so." Lulu rubs her arms as if to ward away a chill. "I don't think either of us understands what we're meddling with. If there is an order to the world, then by playing with these tropes, it's making an imbalance. It's only natural for imbalances to be corrected, no?"

"So…" Julian gulps. All the doubts come rushing back and slam into him, leaving the teen unsteady. He leans back against the hotel room door, staring up at the sky. "You're saying that-"

Lulu holds a paw up to stop Julian from speaking further. "I can say nothing for certain," she says seriously. "Day in and day out, you've been building our plans for greatness around manipulating rules that we obviously don't understand as well as we thought." The Lucario begins carefully. "I know you've been using these tropes over and over, Julian, in every battle we've been in. I feel as if they've been overused, that… we're attracting attention that we don't want." She takes one of his hands, the one holding the note, in her paws. The warmth of both her calloused paw pads and her smile eases the doubts clawing at Julian. "Let's save such drastic powers for emergencies, okay? For now, let's simply do what's natural."

Unbidden, Julian nods along. "Y-Yeah…" He licks his lips. "Yeah, I can understand that…"

'I feel like a fucking idiot. Of course The Narrative isn't going to hyper-focus on the Protagonist. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down, after all…' Julian scowls, his fear making way for indignation. 'A Mindscape just became priority one. The universe can play its little tricks, but I am not letting it play with my head.'

Looking down at Paul's phone, Julians sniffs. 'What was the name of Paul's brother again? Reggie?' Julian enters the name as a password, and it actually unlocks the phone! 'Ha! Hardass Paul still loves his brother. Adorable.'

Julian clears his throat. "Gee!" he says aloud, startling Lulu. "I would have serious suspicions of universal fuckery if this call somehow fails! Good thing that's not real and won't happen, huh?!" he says just short of a shout, dialing the number as fast as he can. "That's right, fucker. I'm calling you out. How far are you willing to bend things?" he grumbles under his breath.

"Julian!" Lulu barks, her frustration plain as day. "That's not what I meant!"

Against all odds, the phone rings once, twice, then someone picks up!

"Kalos Regional Pokemon Laboratory, this is Professor Sycamore speaking." The french-accented voice of a man filters through the phone speakers. In the background of the call, there is the sound of shuffling papers and a few voices too unclear to understand.

'Kalos. That was the generation with the bird and the deer as the box art, right?' Julian pushes his idle musing away to clear his throat. "Good morning, Professor. My name is Julian Angelo, and I was provided your phone number by Professor Rowan regarding a matter he said you would be an expert in."

"Oh?" Sycamore asks. He sounds curious, but with no aura to read, Julian can only guess. How annoying. "It's not every day Professor Rowan does such a thing. Why, he was my mentor for a number of years in my youth! There is little I surpass him in, so why send you my way, I wonder?"

Julian goes to rub his necklace, but stops short when he realizes he left it in his backpack. "Before me and Lulu, my Lucario partner, set out on our journey, we were gifted a few things without much of an explanation as to what they do. I was given a necklace with a 'Keystone' set in it, and Lulu a gauntlet with a similar stone set in it. Whenever I think of Lulu, the Keystone glows. Any idea what these things are?"

Sycamore says nothing for nearly fifteen seconds, and once again Julian hates not having an aura in front of him to read. "A Keystone?" the professor asks quietly, his voice a harsh whisper. "No, no, actually, don't answer! Let me send this call to my cellphone so I can move somewhere private."

The phone cuts over to hold music for a moment before Julian can get a word in edgewise. A moment later, the music cuts to ringing, then picks up. "Right, right… A Keystone, you said?" Sycamore asks over the sound of shoes quickly stepping over a tiled floor. There is also the sound of a door being thrown open, then a bit of wind noise. "You're sure it's a Keystone, and it has a visible reaction when you experience emotions related to your Lucario?"

"Certain." Julian glances back at the door behind him. Inside the hotel room, he can feel Paul's aura moving around in the bathroom, Zoey beginning to stir, and Aniki still near the kitchen, a bit befuddled.

"Can you describe the gemstone in your Lucario's gauntlet?"

"Yellow and spherical, with swirls of red, blue, and a touch of pink in the center." Julian watches a man with a Spearow on his shoulder exit their room across the way and head towards town.

"Arceus above and Giratina below…" Sycamore breathes reverently. "A Lucarionite…"

"Lucarionite?" Julian parrots, an eyebrow raised. He gives Lulu an inquisitive look, silently asking her if such a name rings any bells.

Lulu shakes her head, her ears and dreadlocks bouncing with the movement.

"The name of the Megastone in your Lucario's gauntlet, it's a Lucarionite." Sycamore collects himself with a deep, audible breath. "Goodness, I understand why Professor Rowan gave you my number. How exciting!" The man's voice alone is enough to convey his smile. "Mega-Evolution is such a rare phenomenon and Lucario is one of the best pokemon suited for it! Where did you get your stones? What's your Compatibility Factor? Who gave them to you? You say you haven't used them yet? What is-"

"Whoa whoa, Professor, hold on!" Julian grimaces and throws the brakes on the conversation. "You're losing me here. I don't know what half of these terms even are."

"Ah, my apologies. I forgot that you are a novice. I don't think I've ever met a new trainer with a Keystone and compatible Megastone before." The Kalos Professor slows himself. "This is… quite something. Where are you located, Mister Angelo? I'm assuming Sinnoh, since you met Professor Rowan."

"That's right," Julian confirms.

"Hmm…I'd like to schedule a video-call sometime soon so we can get better acquainted and discuss how I can assist. For now, let me give you a summary of Mega-Evolution, the phenomenon that makes use of Keystones and Megastones."

'Mega-Evolution, that's the gimmick of the sixth generation of pokemon games, right?' Julian frowns, unsure if his lacking memory is because he never played those games… or because of outside influence.

"Mega-Evolution can be described as a sort of temporary evolution pokemon can undergo, vastly increasing their powers for a short time," Sycamore begins, his voice taking on the smooth tone of a professional lecturer. "In order to do so, the pokemon in question must be holding a Megastone, one attuned to their species. Most pokemon cannot mega-evolve on their own, as their Megastone requires a Keystone to be activated. Once the Megastone is activated, it reacts with… well, this is where things get fuzzy. As far as we can tell, the Megastone resonates with the pokemon's very lifeforce, drawing out a pokemon's energy all at once and triggering a new evolution. Once the pokemon's energy is spent, they revert back."

Julian bites his tongue and silences the thoughts that immediately jump to the surface, ones asking, 'How do I abuse this obvious trope?'

'I promised Lulu we would save reality-bending for later.' The blonde is keenly aware of Lulu's eyes on him. 'Plus, there has to be a catch. Just shut up and listen for a moment.'

Sycamore pauses to take a breath. "Things get even fuzzier from here. The Keystone? It reacts to human emotions, which is why yours glows when your Lucario is on your mind. If the bond between a pokemon and human is strong enough, the Keystone can trigger Mega-Evolution. If the bond isn't strong enough and Mega-Evolution is attempted anyway…" The Professor trails off, voice uncomfortable. "Evidence suggests it's an unpleasant experience for the pokemon."

'And there it is.'

All at once, thoughts of running off to the woods to attempt this Mega-Evo thing wither on the vine within Julian's skull, replaced with doubt.

He and Lulu are close… But are they close enough? Close like Zoey is with her pokemon? Julian knows the likely answer, and it stings too much to admit.

"It's for that reason that I'd like to ask you not to attempt Mega-Evolution until we've discussed things further." Sycamore clears his throat. "There is a lot to consider, such as the condition of the stones themselves, the relations between you and your Lucario, your Lucario's current stamina reserves… Many things, really. What's a good number I can reach you at, young man? The one you're calling from? It's mid-day in Kalos, so we'll need to plan with timezones in mind."

"I'm on my friend's phone, so not this one." Julian rattles off his phone number. "My phone is junk, so I'll have to use a video-phone from the local Pokemon Center if a video feed is necessary."

"I would like to see you and your Lucario, as well as the stones," Sycamore says. "Most Centers have a private booth for rent, so if you inquire, you can reserve one."

"Angelo! Do you have my phone?!"

Julian jumps a bit when he hears Paul's voice from within the hotel room call for him. "Fuck…" he curses. "Sorry, Professor. My friend wants his phone back. I'll have to cut this short."

"Not a problem at all, Mister Angelo. I need to return to work anyway." Sycamore doesn't seem to mind the interruption. "I'll reach out to you later. Have a nice day!"

"Same to you, Professor." Julian smiles and ends the call. Before Paul can storm out, Julian turns and opens the door, finding a scowling Paul standing in the threshold.

With a grin, Julian offers Paul his smartphone back. "Thanks for the short loan, pal. Mine was dead and that was an important call."

The younger boy swipes the phone out of Julian's hand with a grunt and steps aside, letting Julian and Lulu step back inside. As they walk past, Paul's brows furrow. "Wait. How did you unlock my phone?"

"Lucky guess," Julian tosses over his shoulder. He doesn't wait to see what Paul's reaction is and heads over to the table, where a drowsy Zoey sits with a paper cup of coffee in her hand. The girl barely stirs when Julian sits down next to her, with Lulu taking Julian's opposite side.

"Not a morning person, eh?" Julian jokes.

Zoey just blinks and takes a slow sip of her coffee.

"All done with the phone?" Aniki asks, slipping his apron off and lifting a pair of paper plates on the stove. He sets them both before Julian and Lulu. "Here you are. I already ate mine, so hurry up before it gets cold!"

Julian gives his second pokemon a grin, then lifts the toasted sandwich up and bites into it, leaning over his plate when a dribble of egg yolk runs down his chin.

The simple breakfast is made with Love, and by Arceus, it tastes like it.

Left forepaw firmly digging into a new handhold, Lulu ignores the unpleasant, exertion-made heat under her fur and looks up, weighing her options.

The next closest handhold is going to force her to twist her wrist at an odd angle and will only provide one viable place for her hindpaws. Doable, but not ideal.

A bit further is another handhold with a superb angle, and another decent gripping point nearby, but nowhere for her hindpaws. The route beyond that spot is sparse as well.

Finally, the furthest option is going to require a leap, but there is ample space for all of her limbs to find purchase on the wall. The route to the bell at the tip-top of the wall is clear as well. High risk, high reward.

She looks down.

Perhaps thirty feet down at the bottom of the gym's 'rock climbing' wall are a few people and pokemon. Some are gathered around to watch her with admiration, like a trim young woman with a star-struck Mienfoo at her side, while others are waiting their turn at the obstacle.

A forty-foot wall isn't much to a Lucario. If she really wants to, Lulu can jump straight up well beyond forty feet, but in the spirit of the job requested of her team, she puts on a show for the other gym-goers.

Honestly, the wall is a bit of a challenge using only raw muscle and no aura.

Looking back up, Lulu mulls her options over.

Then she leaps up for option three, and gasps erupt from below.

Lulu's arm snaps out, and her three fingers dig into the plastic handhold just as she begins to fall. A maneuver like this might have wrenched a human's shoulder from its socket, but for Lulu, the strain is minimal.

With so many handholds within reach, the Lucario scrambles the rest of the way up the wall like a Mankey might a tree, then she slaps the bell at the very top, producing a resounding ring through the whole gym.

The route back down is an easy one. She simply lets go and allows herself to fall, drawing another round of gasps below.

Lulu lands upon the floor in a soundless crouch, her body absorbing the shock of the fall with only a minor jolt. Standing, she smiles at the people around her.

"Holy hell, that had to be a record!" One buff gym rat of a man grins and slaps Lulu on the shoulder.

"You okay miss? That was a long fall." A nearby gym employee can't help but grimace.

"I bet I can do that too!" the young Meinfoo insists, turning to her trainer. "Beth, lemme try the wall!"

Lulu just smiles and steps out of the way, over to the wall and under a vent, closing her eyes and sighing as the cool air blows through her fur. After a minute of rest, she opens her eyes, locking onto two forms near the weight-lifting equipment.

"C'mon, Jules!" Aniki's face is picture-perfect encouragement as he spots Julian in the middle of a bench press. "One more rep! You got it in you, champ! Let's go!"

Around the pair are a number of powerlifters, both human and pokemon, watching the teen with interest, and it's plain to see why.

Face pink and hair soaked in sweat, Lulu's shirtless partner is lifting three-hundred pounds of weight. Were Julian using his aura, three-hundred pounds would be a mere inconvenience, but without it, the blonde is at his limits.

Lulu only needed the afternoon watching gym-goers to get an idea of the limits of regular humans. Most didn't even try anything above three-hundred pounds. For an adult in excellent shape, three-hundred pounds is a struggle, but not impossible. For a teenager, even one as well built as Julian? Three-hundred is so ambitious that it borders foolhardy.

Let it never be said that Julian Angelo isn't ambitious.

Lulu watches as Julian grunts. He adjusts the set of his feet and the arch of his back, then slowly lifts the barbell up and up, with Aniki's hovering hands ready to catch the weight the entire time. A growl pours from Julian's throat, and with a final, explosive effort, he lifts the bar as far as he can and racks it in one motion. With a deep breath, he sits up with a grin and is greeted by exclamations and congratulations from his onlookers. Aniki even lets out a joyful laugh and slaps Julian across the back.

Julian soaks in the attention and praise, his grin only growing wider.

Lulu smiles thinly.

After the… harrowing revelations earlier this morning, Lulu was content to put things out of her mind and return to normality for a while. After Aniki's breakfast, the team of three made their way to the chain gymnasium that hired them for the day, but not before stopping at the Oreburgh Gym. Whatever scheduling conflicts that Gym Leader Roark had had apparently been resolved, as Julian signed them up for the next available match, which is tomorrow afternoon.

Upon arriving at the chain gymnasium, Julian met the general manager once more, and the older, rotund man was easily charmed by Julian's confidence and declarations of Fighting-type expertise. He ended up offering the team free use of the gym for as long as they were in Oreburgh.

For all of Julian's cloying charisma, though, the man hesitated at some of Julian's subtle hints, ones suggesting a corporate sponsorship for the team would be a grand idea for everyone involved. Julian's face didn't reflect anything other than boundless confidence, but Lulu felt the souring of his aura at the roadblock.

Rarely does the mask around his face crack, and when it does, another one is ready in hardly a second. Julian, so confident and self-assured, doesn't realize he's not hiding himself quite as well as he thinks. No mask can cover his aura.

Lulu steps out from under the vent, still watching Julian and Aniki. On Julian's face is a smile as he talks and laughs with the gym-goers they were hired to attract and entertain.

From the early days of their friendship, Julian has proven his mastery of conventional deceit over and over. Lies flow easier than truths, schemes upon schemes upon schemes brew, and a deep thirst for power and recognition move it all forward. Although not devoid of basic decency, the blonde teen looks at the people around him like a predator, wondering how best to use them. If most knew about the conniving and selfish being below Julian's angular, inviting face, they would be disgusted.

Most people cannot use aura, however. If they did, they wouldn't even bother with what lies just below the surface. No, they would see the poorly hidden heart of glass below.

They would learn that the power to smile and say, "I'm fine," when anything but is a skill most tragic.

Julian may stomp upon his emotions and strangle his aura as much as he wishes, but doing so doesn't make the emotional perils go away.

Lulu sighs and stares up at the ceiling.

She remembers those months ago, back with the pack, when she unlocked Julian's aura. Back then, she had thought the poor human was morose and bitter all the time, though she had been mollified by him being grateful for her sponsorship within the pack. When they had been relaxing at the river, watching the Riolu play with their aura in the water, Julian had sighed and remarked upon aura, saying, "I kinda wish I could learn how to use it. It would make fitting in a bit easier." As he had spoken, there had been a pang of listless, despair-woven acceptance in his words, as if any hope for being one of the pack was stillborn.

It had hurt to listen to, driving a spike into her chest, and on pure impulse, Lulu had committed a grave taboo and unlocked his aura. Hiding such an act had been impossible, and her parents, the Alphas, had been beside themselves for countless reasons.

For giving an outsider their gift.

For forcing his third eye open without consent.

For being so damn stupid.

Then Julian, exhausted and frightened, had forced himself between Lulu and her parents, defending her when he could have remained quiet and free of their wrath. Using nothing but the raw desire to save her, he had mustered his tiny aura, saying, "Lulu's generosity is something else, because she broke this obvious taboo to make it happen. If you're going to punish anyone, punish me. Just know that no matter what you do…" He had lifted his arm, straining to such a degree that his face twisted into a rictus of bulging veins.

An ember of aura had bloomed in his hand.

"...The damage is already done."

That night, they had declared their friendship together, and Lulu had struggled not to be floored by what she felt. When hand had met paw, out of Julian had flowed a king's bounty of affection and gratitude, one that had nearly overwhelmed Lulu, as if… as if he'd never had anyone to give such emotions to before. The only thing that had spoiled it was a desperate twinge, one begging not to be hurt for daring to open up.

Lulu remembers those weeks ago, back with the pack. One sunny day, Julian awakened, stepped outside, and took in all the smiling Lucario who greeted him. On the outside, he smiled back and returned their greetings, but inside? He was content, at peace, for the first time since he had fallen into their lives. He had walked with light steps, smiled like the morning sun, and been happy.

A gut instinct whispered a terrible truth in Lulu's ear, that on that day, that was the first time Julian had ever belonged somewhere.

It was the first time in a long time that he had been happy.

He could have argued a case for staying with the pack, and Mother would have taken Julian's side in a heartbeat, pressuring Father into letting Julian stay. Father would never admit that Julian had grown on him, and the conversation simply would have never arisen again.

Julian wishes for fame, fortune, and a legacy that persists until the end of time… but when the fateful conversation came up, she had felt his aura reach out to her. Why?

Because his promise to accompany her on her own sojourn had weighed more heavily to him than his own dreams.

"Lulu is the best friend I've ever had. She's pure-hearted, just, and burns with that special drive to improve herself. She's the sort of Lucario that other Lucario aspire to be. I don't think I'm going to be that good of a trainer for her, but I'll be damned if I don't try my hardest."

Lulu's heart had fluttered, both at his words and at the raw, breathtaking power with which his aura flared up with the declaration.

Under the selfish scoundrel, the fool willing to meddle in the realm of the unknowable, there is a brave, but hurting man. A man who wishes to be good. A man who wishes to be better and reach out to others, but is unsure how. A man who needs love.

One of Lulu's forepaws rises to her chest, to the left of her spike. Under her paw, her heart is hammering, and her aura reflexively twists.

Midway to a water fountain with Aniki at his side, Julian perks up and looks her way. He gives her a smile, and under the sterile mask, she sees the genuine article that makes her stomach grow warm.

Julian Angelo is a man who needs saving.

"And I'll be the one to do it," Lulu whispers to herself. "I promise."

Chapter Text

Entry #11: Change  of  Plans 1

While being self-aware of the inherent anime-like nature of the universe is certainly a huge booster to …  pretty much everything, some recent revelations have forced me to try and cut back on the conscious involvement of tropes. Lulu, as usual, is the best grounding force around. She asked me, " I f you can manipulate the world with tropes, what's stopping the world from manipulating  you  with tropes?"

Short answer?  Nothing .

I feel kind of stupid for not realizing earlier, but Arceus, man. There's an old proverb that (fittingly) came from Japan saying ,  " T he nail that sticks out gets hammered down." I think trying to push reality to do what I want with all the subtlety of a Tauros in a china shop is definitely "sticking out".

That in mind, I'm… Well, I'm not going to outright stop, but maybe save invocations and other bullshit for emergencies. It's not like we're hurting for power right now. My pokemon are both incredible. Aniki is a living force of nature and has a heart made of gold. Lulu, meanwhile, is… She's Lulu. She's the best.

We've also got Paul and his team, none of whom are slouches, and Zoey, who is a career coordinator and Dawn's equivalent to Paul, if that makes any sense. For now, we'll just let things happen naturally. Being hammy just for fun would make for a change of pace.

I'm still going to make a mindscape, though. Not only do I want to try and recall all of the old pokemon media I've forgotten, I don't want anything to have the ability to influence my thoughts, not even ██████. With any luck, I can construct some mental defenses and failsafes so that I remain Me, no matter what.

"A Keystone and Lucarionite." Professor Sycamore's face is alight with awe on the other side of the videophone feed. "Incredible, absolutely phenomenal!"

Sitting in one of the small, private videophone booths in Oreburgh's Pokémon center with Lulu hovering over his shoulder, Julian levels the camera of the videophone with a grin. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"I hate to sound rude, but I did find myself a little skeptical after our call yesterday," Sycamore says, smiling sheepishly… Or, at least, Julian thinks Sycamore comes off as sheepish. With the man so far away, there is no aura to read. "No offense intended, of course, but what are the odds of a young trainer and his Lucario reaching out to me with all the tools necessary for Mega Evolution?"

'Considering you're like, 'the guy' when it comes to Mega pokemon, is it really that big a surprise?' Julian wonders. Outwardly, he shakes his head. "No offense taken. I would be kind of leery if someone called me out of the blue and wanted to know some kind of pseudo-secret knowledge that I was privy to," he says, leaning back into the uncomfortable plastic chair underneath him. During the lull in the conversation, Julian takes the time to inspect the regional professor on the screen.

Prior to the meeting, Julian took a page out of Paul's book and decided to read up on Professor Augustine Sycamore, leading the blonde to the Wiki / forum / chatroom / imageboard / literally-everything-pokémon-battling website of BattleNet. Since the man is an important academic figure over in the Kalos region, it didn't take long to find a biography filled with his achievements. If everything that Julian read is accurate, then Sycamore is, at minimum, an Elite trainer with a collection of powerful pokemon, his most notable being a set of fully evolved Kanto starters. Rather than stick to the gym circuit or any one thing, Sycamore dabbled in a little bit of everything in his youth, much to the exasperation of all the different Pokémon-oriented organizations that wanted to lay claim to him.

Looks-wise, the first thing that jumps out to Julian about Sycamore is how difficult it is to place his age. The professor has a delicate, aristocratic face, kind eyes the color of blued gunmetal, and wavy brown hair devoid of any gray. If not for the slight wrinkles beneath his eyes, Julian would swear that the man couldn't be any older than his late twenties. It's hard to believe that the professor celebrated his fortieth birthday just a few weeks ago, according to his online biography. All in all, the guy looks like a million bucks.

'It's no wonder the guy has his own fan group on BattleNet made of nothing but girls. Sycamore must slay mad amounts of pussy.' Julian smirks before remembering what kind of world he's in. '…Or maybe he awkwardly turns down girls with Heart-Eyes and no concept of the word "rejection". One or the other.'

"Mega Evolution isn't necessarily 'secret', per se, but it's simply not caught the public eye yet, mostly due to the rarity of the stones and the steep requirements to utilize it," Sycamore says, once more training his gaze on Julian's necklace. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you and Miss Lulu get your Keystone and Lucarionite?"

Julian's first instinct is to deflect the question, wanting to keep the secret to himself, but he stops and looks over his shoulder, meeting Lulu's eyes. "Should we tell him?"

The Lucario taps one of her hindpaws on the floor, visibly mulling her answer over. "I don't see the harm in doing so," she finally replies. "If we're wishing for the professor's time and help, I think it's only fair to be honest."

Expecting nothing less, Julian nods and turns back to Sycamore, who looks quite intrigued with the exchange he just witnessed. "They were gifts from Lulu's father."

"Her father?" the professor asks, crossing his arms and tilting his head.

"A pack of Lucario found me during a…" Julian pauses, double checking his words to ensure he's honest without giving away too much. "…Rough patch in my life some time ago. Since my family isn't in the picture anymore, they took me in and cared for me. Lulu and I grew into best friends—"

Lulu's aura grows warm next to him, and Julian's keystone shines, something Sycamore does not miss.

"—during that time. When we decided to set off and see the world, Pops—erm, Lulu's father, I mean—" the teen stutters, hastily correcting himself, "—gave us this necklace and Lulu's gauntlet." He leaves out how Pops and his late trainer were the last users of the stones, as it's not his story to tell.

Sycamore's interest near instantly turns to pity, and Julian can't help but scowl in response. "Oh… I apologize if I dredged up any unpleasant memories, Mister Angelo," he says, radiating remorse.

Schooling his expression, Julian waves the man off. "Don't worry about it."

Nodding, the professor clears his throat. "Well, seeing is believing, as they say, and I'm a pretty firm believer now." He smiles a smile fit for a movie star.

"It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to work with a team with the potential for Mega Evolution," Sycamore continues, his excitement almost palpable. "What a fascinating thing it is, how the bonds and relationships between man and pokemon can influence a pokemon's growth. Countless academic institutions over the years have tried and tried again to understand the minutiae of this beautiful phenomenon only to fall short. My young friends, it's no exaggeration to say that Mega Evolution may be the key to finally putting the mystery to rest!" Sycamore is practically vibrating in place now. "With so few data points, however, all of the ones we do find are critical!"

'Man, how fucked up would it be if I told Sycamore the truth? 'It works because God said so' would be a punch to the gut to a scientist like him.' Julian tries not to shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"So I would be delighted to assist you two on your journey and whatever way I can," Sycamore continues, smiling once more. "I'll forward you my email address and connect with you on BattleNet, assuming you have an account...?" When Julian confirms that he does with a nod, the professor continues. "Excellent! Miss Lulu, Mister Angelo, this sounds like the beginning of a wonderful partnership!"

Lulu taps Julian on the shoulder. "Ask him what he will need from us, and how we can best provide it," she says.

"Professor, what do you need from us in exchange?" Julian relays, crossing his arms. "I'm going to assume reports and stuff, and that's fine, it doesn't bother me writing them, but what do you want in those reports?"

"Hmm…" Sycamore raises a hand to his chin and taps a finger in thought. "Ideally, I would like written reports that touch on a number of data points, such as the ongoing relationships between you and your pokemon, training and physical performance data, emotional response observations, interaction observations between team members, and any anecdotal experiences that don't fit neatly into any criteria. I don't expect everything to be perfectly neat and professional, this is a study largely based on emotion, after all. Give me what you think is most important, and if need be, I will ask for additional information."

Julian nods, but, inwardly, he grimaces slightly. 'That's a bit more than I was expecting.' He shakes the thought and returns his attention to Sycamore. "That's doable. Is there anything else?"

The professor shakes his head. "If I think of any additional data I might require, then I'll relay my request to you promptly."

Nodding, Julian tries to steer the conversation into what he's truly interested in. "Sounds good, Professor. May I ask what resources I'll have at my disposal for this ongoing study? I've been attempting to secure private sponsorship, but my efforts on that front are slow going…" He lets the statement hang.

Sycamore nods. "Of course. I'll be happy to provide funds and materials required for requests of mine, and if you require special equipment, I will do my best to source it for you. Anything left over is yours to keep."

A beat passes, and when it's clear Sycamore is done speaking, Julian hides his frown and pushes a little harder. "I see. I'm sorry if this comes off as rude or ungrateful, but seeing as how I am a lone trainer attempting the gym circuit, I was expecting… You know? A little more?"

Smile becoming brittle, Sycamore takes a moment to reply. "I understand that what I'm offering is… a little underwhelming, but there're some unfortunate politics at play here. As you may or may not know, I am the regional professor for the Kalos region, and many of my contemporaries would be less than supportive if I sponsored a foreign, unproven trainer out of the blue, no matter how much promise he and his pokemon show." Sycamore sinks in on himself slightly. "I do not mean to disparage you or Miss Lulu, Mister Angelo, but the first thing the Kalos League is going to ask is 'how do you know they can use Mega Evolution' if I offered you sponsorship. Without a concrete answer, it would strike a blow to myself and my laboratory."

As annoyed as Julian wants to be, he can't so much as muster a scowl as he watches Sycamore's face fall and his shoulders slump. The other man seems genuinely bummed out that he can't do more.

'Sycamore is upset that he is potentially losing a test subject, not that he can't pay you,' a cynical voice in the back of Julian's head whispers. 'You've seen this before. Remember the electronic store you worked at in college? Remember how they tried to guilt trip you? They said working there was a privilege all its own, that they couldn't afford to pay you more, just so they could screw you out of your rightfully earned money.'

Now a scowl comes to Julian's face, but before he can say anything, Lulu's paw falls in his shoulder, radiating a soothing warmth. He looks up.

Gentle ruby eyes stare back down, and the beautiful aura beneath blue and black fur douses his temper.

'People… aren't like that around here,' he reminds himself, letting out a sigh. 'Still, we could really use the money and the lifeline a connection to Sycamore offers. More income means less worrying about my team potentially going hungry or having to do without supplies. We've got no weekly paycheck or the security that comes with employment, so if worst comes to worst…' He doesn't want to even think about it, but the thought still plays out. 'If worst comes to worst, Aniki and Lulu would starve themselves before they let me skip a single meal.'

Such a thought hurts.

Head in a cooler place, Julian sighs once more. "Okay, I get where you're coming from, Professor. You don't want to put so many eggs in one basket, and that's perfectly reasonable. What if I sweeten the deal on my end? Do something to prove to you that we are worth the risk?"

The man on the videophone blinks curiously. He looks at Lulu, then back to Julian. "I'm all ears, Mister Angelo."

Looking back up to Lulu, Julian rouses his own aura, silently asking her opinion on what he is about to do.

The Lucario squeezes his shoulder and smiles. Everything from her stance, to her eyes, to her aura, is naught but unwavering support.

Smiling, Julian returns his attention to the videophone only to stop himself short. Maybe a demonstration is better?

Slowly, he raises his hand, palm up, to face the camera. Taking a deep breath, the teen centers himself and pushes his aura down his arm and into his hand. His hand glows a faint blue, then before the eyes of everyone present, a palm-sized Aura Sphere flashes into existence in Julian's hand. The sphere crackles and dances with cobalt light, casting a glow over the room.

A gasp leaves Sycamore's mouth, his eyes almost bugging out. "Mister Angelo? What am I looking at? That's not what I think it is, is it?" he asks, standing and drawing closer to his camera with open captivation.

"Are you thinking of aura, professor? Because that's exactly what this is." Julian raises the ball a bit higher. "It's life force in its most raw, primal state."

Sycamore's jaw drops.

Julian releases his breath and grasps the sphere in his fingers, re-absorbing as much of the precious blue light as he can. A second later, and the rays of cobalt vanish from between his fingers. He drops his hand back down to his side. "I learned a lot from my new family in Lulu's pack, and I believe it's left me with an understanding of pokemon that few can surpass. Earlier, I saw that you noticed the exchange between myself and Lulu, and whatever wild theories you likely had about how much I understand her are right." He crosses his arms, projecting his confidence as best he can. "Thisis why you won't be disappointed in supporting us."

"No… No I don't think I will…" The professor sits heavily, nearly rolling his chair into a bookshelf behind him. "Well… This certainly changes things. I never thought I would meet a natural aura user, let alone one so young."

'I don't know about this 'natural' business. Lulu is the one who unlocked it for me…' The blonde doesn't voice his thoughts.

"Aura Guardians are a secretive sort, and it's almost unheard of to see an aura user outside of their order," Sycamore continues, leaning back in and resting his elbows on his desk. "Mister Angelo, I…" He pauses. "You are competing in the gym circuit, yes?"

Julian nods.

"Good. I think this all can work out quite swimmingly then!" The professor's smile is back on full blast. "I assume you would like me to keep your capabilities as an aura user on the down low, correct?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate it, at least until my team and I are good and established," Julian confirms.

"In that case, I think I have a compromise that will please all parties here," Sycamore replies with a smile. "When is your first gym match?"

"Today. I'm in Oreburgh and scheduled to face Roark." Julian raises an eyebrow. Where's the professor going with this?

Sycamore's smile is almost splitting his face. "Fantastique!" he says, clapping his hands together once. "Let's make a deal, Mister Angelo. You'll find that battle performance is a near-universal factor in the opinions of many League officials, and we can make use of that to soften any blowback. Once you have your first badge in hand, I'll be willing to offer you anything short of being one of my Laboratory Trainers. The better your showing, the less my decision to support a new, foreign trainer will be questioned, and the more I can do for you now and in the future. Perhaps I will receive a few complaints in the short term, but I believe it's worth it to work with a trainer of your skill set." He nods, smile still in place. "Does this sound agreeable?"

'Go ham and get rewarded for it? Where do I sign up?' Julian grins in response. He turns his eyes to Lulu. "What do you think, Lu? Ready to kick some ass?"

Lulu smiles back, and in her eyes is a competitive glint. "I believe you already know the answer."

"Professor?" Julian smirks and turns back to Sycamore. "By the end of the day, we're gonna show you that your faith isn't misplaced, and that's a guarantee."

Exiting the private phone booths and heading back into the Pokémon Centers lobby, Julian stretches his arms over his head and yawns. "Ech, those shitty plastic chairs in those booths are murder on the back," he grumbles. Thankfully, the Pokémon center is rather deserted at this early hour, meaning he can speak freely to Lulu.

"You could have stood if your back was hurting," Lulu chides. Nonetheless, Julian feels her paw rub his back, and a half-second cast of Heal Pulse banishes the ache.

"You're the best, Lulu."" Julian smiles at Lulu, who smiles right back. "So, we just need to show off our stuff in the Gym today, and that sponsorship is as good as ours. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to be able to land one so early in our career. This is going to open up a ton of doors for us."

The Lucario hums under her breath. "Professor Sycamore mentioned an organization of aura-sensitive humans. Do you know anything about them?"

"I… Not really," Julian admits, scratching his chin. "I know that the Aura Guardians exist, but they were kind of a throwaway idea in the Pokemon media. Sir Aaron and another guy I forget the name of were the only notable ones… Besides Ash, that is." Then a question strikes him. "Lulu? Can a Lucario awaken the aura of anyone? I can't be a natural, I know that for certain, yet you awakened mine."

Lulu shakes her head. "No. Aura is life, an expression of the soul itself, and it will resist the touch of strangers. Were we not such close friends, then any efforts to unlock your aura would have been doomed to fail."

Even if he already knows how highly Lulu holds him, hearing it spoken makes Julian's day. He doesn't hide the pleased, affectionate flutter within his aura, which puts yet another smile on Lulu's muzzle.

Lulu goes to say something else, but the sliding glass doors at the front of the Pokémon Center opens and interrupts her. Through the doors step Paul and Zoey, the latter of whom is groggily nursing a steaming, styrofoam cup.

"Took you two long enough," Julian comments snarkily, grinning. "Lulu and I are finished up here, so we're ready to hit the Gym when you two are."

"Mmm…" Zoey takes another sip from the coffee in her hand, still not totally awake. "What kind of call required you to get up so early?" She asks.

"Lulu and I were talking terms with a potential sponsor. I won't go too far in the details since nothing is finalized yet, but if we put on a good show at the gym today, then we've got a good shot at landing it." He rests his hand on his hip and drums his pokeballs with his fingers. "I'll have to tell Roark that it's nothing personal."

Paul rolls his eyes, but Zoey perks up. "Wow, a sponsor this early?" Zoey asks, seemingly impressed. "It took me forever to get one. Over a year, in fact, and I barely beat out the other coordinator they were considering."

'Zoey has a sponsor?' Julian blinks. "Really? Who sponsored you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind at all," the redhead smiles. "The cosmetic division of Lysandre Labs have been sponsoring me for a year now, after I won a contest they were watching." She swells with pride as she explains. "We won by just a hair, literally! In the finals of that last round, Glameow could barely stand up to the other coordinator's Jynx, but Jynx was letting herself get torn up like some kind of brute, and Glameow's Shadow Claw unraveled the hairstyle she used to pass the appeals round. It came down to a tense judgment call that we won." She breathes out a tense breath, as if reliving the moment. "After that, an L.L. representative emailed me, we went over some contractual stuff, and now I get their pokemon beauty products practically for free as long as I keep competing."

"That must greatly ease the financial burden of being a traveling coordinator," Lulu muses aloud, with Julian nodding along.

Silently, Julian wonders where he's heard the name Lysandre before, but when nothing arises, he dismisses it.

Paul, however, turns and looks at Zoe appraisingly.

After giving Zoey a moment to finish her coffee and trash the cup, the trio of trainers and single Lucario exit the Pokémon Center, heading back out into the streets of Oreburgh.

In the early hour, there are few people on the streets. They do pass a number of men in gray jumpsuits with reflective safety stripes sewn into their outfits. The men are often accompanied by large pokemon, mostly grizzled Aggron, who all have safety stripe magnets stuck to their armor.

'Must be miners on their way to work.' Julian watches another group pass.

It doesn't take long before the monolithic Gym comes into sight. As they turn down the street, Julian's limbs are suddenly filled with excited jitters. They're about to step into their first Gym battle! This is a moment everyone who loves Pokemon has daydreamed of at least once, and here he is, about to actually do it!

'Calm down, man.' Julian takes a deep breath, stilling himself. 'This is exciting, but you gotta keep calm and stay focused. That sponsorship will make the team's lives easier, and all we have to do is kick ass, take names, and look cool while doing it. We got this in the bag.'

"Nervous?" Zoey asks, looking at him with sympathetic eyes. "I was nervous at my first contest. It's nothing to be worried about. Just do your best and nothing else matters!" She turns to Paul. "Right, Paul?"

Paul just clicks his tongue. "It's a Rock-type team versus a Fighting-type team. There is no reason to bellyache over a foregone conclusion."

A guffaw bubbles out of Julian's mouth at Paul's dry response. "Is that Paul trying to reassure his best buddy Julian? Why, I'm touched." He levels Paul with a smirk. "I didn't think you had it in you. I'll be sure to cheer the loudest during your match."

The younger boy pinches the bridge of his nose between two fingers, not dignifying Julian with a response.

Finally, Julian looks to Lulu, only to find himself surprised by what he sees.

The Lucario is practically bouncing with each step, a fang-bearing smile on her face and her eyes literally alight with burning Fighting Spirit. If Julian's excitement is a seven or eight, then Lulu's is dialed all the way to eleven. She eventually notices him staring and freezes.

Raising a paw and clearing her throat bashfully, Lulu tries to school herself. "Ah, I hope this is a good battle," she replied with a sheepish smile, her words a bit stilted.

"You can be hyped up, no one is going to judge, least of all me." Julian wishes he had pulled his phone out and snapped a picture. Seeing his partner so amped up was a unique sight.

Lulu lowers her paw, but Julian can still feel faint threads of embarrassement in her aura. "I just feel as if I was getting ahead of myself; I was not worried about judgment." She meets Julian's with her own, and the ruby orbs are practically twinkling. "Our first real test… I can hardly wait!"

They're only a dozen yards away from the large, red doors of the Gym now, so Julian takes Lulu's ball from his belt. "Neither can I," he replies with a grin. "Let's save the best for last, okay?"

At Lulu's nod, Julian recalls her back into her ball in a flash of red.

"Must be nice to be able to talk to pokemon," Zoey idly comments as they reach the door.

"It's cool when they aren't badly flirting with you," Julian jokes back, making Zoey flush red and lay a hand on Glameow's wiggling ball.

Pushing the door open, the trio is met with a sparse, but still comfortable lobby with a wraparound desk situated in the corner. Behind the desk, a middle-aged man with long hair sits typing away at a computer. As the three teens approach, the man looks up with a polite smile. "Good morning, you three. I'm Ian, and I manage the Gym for Roark. What can I do for you?"

"Nice to meet you. Julian Angelo is the name, and I'm here to challenge Roark."" Julian steps up to the desk with Paul and Zoey on either side of him. "I should be the first one slotted to battle him today."

"Let's see…" Ian looks back down at the computer screen at his desk. After a few keystrokes, he smiles and looks back up. "Yep. One Julian for the 8 AM spot. You're in luck, Julian. Roark had to cancel every other match today to deal with some issues down in the coal mines."

Beside Julian, Paul sighs in exasperation. "Wonderful…" he grumbles. "Can you schedule me for early tomorrow?" he asks, addressing Ian. "I was scheduled to battle after Angelo today."

Ian looks down at his computer. "Paul Shinji, correct? I sure can. It's the least we can do for the inconvenience. Yours will be first thing tomorrow."

Paul nods, accepting the delay with grace. "Thank you."

Ian then leads Julian through some standard preparation before the gym match. Some paperwork, scanning Julian's ID, and a rundown of what to expect. When they reach the matter of Julian's team, however, Ian levels Julian with a remorseful look. "Sorry, Julian," Ian apologizes, "but Roark insists on three-vs-three single battles. If you don't have three pokemon, then you can't compete."

"What?" Julian blinks. Before he can get upset, he reminds himself to remain calm. Maybe he can twist this into his favor? "Well, it's Roark's Gym, and he can run it however he likes… but are you certain I can't enter and fight two-vs-three?" Julian slyly asks. "I don't have any problems with doing so."

If he and his pokemon walk into a stacked match and win, it'll keep Sycamore's hecklers at bay for supporting them. Hell, maybe Sycamore will have a reward for them! 'Delightfully devilish, Julian.'

"Are you sure that's wise?" a new voice cuts in.

As one, Julian, Zoe, Paul, and Ian turn their heads to the front door of the Gym, just in time for Roark to walk in.

Roark is dressed like every other Oreburgh mine worker, with a gray jumpsuit fitted with safety stripes. The jumpsuit is partially unzipped, letting Roark's black undershirt breathe. On his head of dark red hair is a hard hat, and square framed glasses sit up on his nose. The man can't be any older than twenty.

'Yet he's already a Gym Leader.'' Julian's eyes sharpen, and he reaches his sixth sense out, silently gauging the man and the pokeballs on his belt. There is a weight to Roark's aura, one that makes it stand head and shoulders above most everyone Julian has met thus far, with Professor Rowan and Ash being the only exceptions. The Gym Leader is clearly a man of significant talent and resolve.

The pokeballs on Roark's belt match and surpass him. Each one is powerful, yet below that power is a tempered, steady will, something that Julian has noted many Rock-types have.

"I'm confident in my pokemon," Julian replies, turning to face Roark. "Are you Roark?"

Roark nods, raising a gloved hand to adjust his glasses as he does so. "That I am. It's good to see that you have such faith in your pokemon, but maybe you should wait until you can match me numbers-wise. If you'd like, I can recommend some good places around Oreburgh to hunt for pokemon," he says rather good-naturedly.

"Thank you, but I'm pretty picky when it comes to pokemon," Julian answers, smirking. "I'd like to challenge you with the team I have now."

The Gym Leader raises a concerned eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Roark is silent for a moment, drawing his mouth into a thin line as he considers Julian's words. "If you insist, I'll allow it," Roark sighs. "It kind of makes me feel like a bully, but I don't want to bend the rules,since it would be unfair to other competitors. I'll still be using three pokemon for our match." He gives Julian a searching look. "Are you sure that you're sure?"

Julian says nothing, merely crossing his arms and leveling Roark with a resolute face.

"Alright…" Roark seems genuinely reluctant. "Ian? Can you show our other guests to the stands?"

In the Gym's battle arena, Julian waits with bated breath.

Roark and Ian lead them deeper into the Gym, and when they arrived at the arena, Julian couldn't help but feel a bit let down that there were so few spectators. Besides Paul and Zoey, there are a few gym employees, a few miners likely under Roark's employ, and a small handful of spectators from off the street in the stands. Off to one side of the arena is a camera crew, though they only have one camera. The camera crew is paying attention, but their auras voice their lack of enthusiasm loud and clear.

'I get it, we're still nobodies and we got the early bird slot, but is there no one else coming to watch?' Julian frowns. 'We'll draw a crowd next time,' he promises himself, scanning the battlefield once more.

The rectangular field in the arena is composed of hard packed dirt and a number of boulders scattered around, making it bland but certainly the home turf of Rock-types. Then a mechanical whirr and a sudden influx of light makes Julian look up.

High above, the domed ceiling splits into two pieces and pulls away on unseen tracks, filling the Gym with natural light.

As Roark situates himself on the other side of the arena, Ian steps up to the referee box at the side of the arena and clears his throat. "The Oreburgh City Gym battle between Julian the challenger and Roark the Gym Leader is about to commence!" he begins thunderously, raising a hand high. "The battle will be a three-on-two, as the challenger Julian has decided to battle with a handicap! Once all pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the challenge is over! Only the challenger may substitute pokemon!"

The revelation that Julian and his pokemon are walking into the battle with a disadvantage draws the attention of the few spectators, with some of them leaning forward. 'Watch closely, folks. You're about to see some shit.'

Julian draws Aniki's ball from his belt just as Roark takes a pokeball from his. Raising the ball to his mouth, Julian quietly whispers to the Machoke within. "We've got a sponsorship and a badge riding on this match, Brother. We'll stick to the usual; fight how you see fit and I'll make callouts as needed. I might have a few more than usual since this is a Gym battle, so sorry if I come off as pushy. Give 'em all you got."

The ball wiggles in his hand, and Aniki's aura beams in confidence. 'Hell yeah!'

"Are both trainers ready?" Ian looks between Roark and Julian, and when neither protests, Ian chops his hand down. "Begin!"

"Geodude, let's go!" Roark's ball flies high in the air with the aid of a powerful throw.

"Aniki, no mercy!" Julian mirrors Roark's throw perfectly.

Geodude's ball snaps open a second before Aniki's, and from the beam of light that strikes the ground, a common Geodude takes shape. If not for the healed-over marks and discolored knuckles of the Geodude, he would be indistinguishable from another of his species. The living rock raises his arms, ready to rumble.

Aniki's ball opens at the apex of its flight, and Aniki materializes midair before dropping like a lightning bolt. He hits the ground in a crouch, sending a shock throughout the entire arena. Standing to his full height, the Machoke theatrically cracks his neck and raises his fists, leveling Geodude with a smirk.

On the other side of the field, Geodude's fists fall slightly. "Dammit, Roark…" the rock-type grumbles, eyeballing Aniki warily.

There is a frazzled thrill that runs through Roark's aura at seeing the huge Fighting-type, but the man's face doesn't betray his emotions. "Oh? You're a bit more prepared than I expected. It's not every day you see a second-stage pokemon with a new trainer." Before Julian can banter back, Roark thrusts a hand forward. "Geodude, Rollout!"

Geodude curls up into a ball and rapidly spins up like a car tire without traction, kicking up an impressive cloud of dust behind him. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, he's racing towards Aniki with speed that no one would expect a Rock pokemon to have.

'No. He's not heading for Aniki…' Julian narrows his eyes, reading Geodude's aura as best he can. Nowhere in the Rock-type's intentions is striking Aniki, at least not now. Julian's eyes focus on a sloped, ramp-like boulder that Geodude would only need a minor turn to hit. 'He's trying to get airborne!'

"Scary Face!" Julian orders the instant he figures out Roark's game.

Aniki's face screws itself up into a terrifying, snarling visage, one that looks completely out of place on him. It's not his face that is frightening, though. No, that honor goes to the drowning wave of Killing Intent that blasts from him. With his sixth sense, Julian can practically see the hostile wave travel across the ground.

When it hits Geodude, he falters and swerves into the wrong boulder, driving himself into the rock with a painful crunch and a plume of dust.

"Focus Energy while you have time!" Julian calls out next.

"Geodude, pull back and get to cover!" Roark doesn't miss a beat, but the worry within his aura speaks a story contrary to how calm he looks.

Balling his fists and taking a deep breath, Aniki grits his teeth and flexes his muscles, crackling white arcs of energy surging up and down his body. Beneath his feet, the ground groans and cracks as an unseen wind ruffles the colorful legs of his shorts.

'…I just realized I don't know how critical hits work here. Is it just random like in the games? Either way, Focus Energy should up Aniki's ability to land a crit, and that can't be bad.' Julian resolves to research a bit better in the future.

Meanwhile, Geodude pulls himself from the stone he smashed into and hops backward with a noticeable tremor to his movements. He leaps behind a boulder, taking cover.

"Karate Chop right through his hiding place!" Julian shouts and smiles, knowing that this is going to look damn Co-

'Nope. Don't overthink it. Just let it happen naturally.'

"Here goes nothin'!" Aniki grins. His right hand enveloped in a violent cloak of Fighting energy, he runs forward like an Olympic sprinter, and before Roark or Geodude can react, he brings his knife-hand down like the blade of a guillotine.

Crash!

As if made of dried dirt rather than stone, the boulder that Geodude is hiding behind provides almost no resistance to Aniki's chop. The stone explodes and Aniki's hand continues its devastating course downward. There is a split second before impact where both Julian and Roark get to witness Geodude's disbelieving face, then Aniki's hand smashes into him, driving the Rock-type into the dirt with such force it kicks up a gale of wind filled with dust, forcing everyone to raise their arms and shield their eyes.

Julian remains standing with his arms crossed, no matter how much his eyes itch. 'If that wasn't a crit, then I don't know what is.'

When the dust clears, everyone is treated to the sight of Aniki standing above Geodude, who is out cold with a deep crack running down the middle of his body. Aniki himself is unharmed, not even so much as scratched by the fragments of stone thrown everywhere.

It takes a few seconds of stunned silence, but Ian raises an unsure hand. "Geodude is unable to battle! Round one goes to Julian and Aniki the Machoke!"

Roark blinks, then takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes before replacing them. "Jeez…" he murmurs, lifting Geodude's ball. "Geodude, return!"

As Geodude is beamed back to his ball, Aniki pumps a fist and turns around, giving Julian a cheesy wink and a thumbs up. "How was that, Jules?"

Julian can't help it. He throws his head back and laughs. "Knock-out performance as usual, bro! Do you have another one in you?"

The Machoke slams a fist into his open palm, smiling. "I could take 'em all at once."

Julian looks around, taking in the reactions of everyone around. What he sees makes him smirk.

The previously bored gym workers and miners are bored no longer. There is animated chatter between a few small groups, and more than one person has a cell phone ready to capture the next fight. Julian shunts a bit of aura to their ears to hear what they have to say.

"– Just one hit! What the hell was that match?"

"It's like he knew what Roark and Geodude were planning. How di –"

"–choke hit Geodude so hard I swear you could feel it on the other side of the gym!"

It feels good listening to the praise and bewilderment. Finally, Julian gives Paul and Zoey a sidelong glance.

Paul is as stoic as ever, but there are fading remnants of surprise in his dark aura. The younger boy sits leaning forward with his pokedex open in his lap, clearly paying attention. 'Did he not expect how fast that was?'

Zoey seems as disbelieving as the rest. She looks between Julian, Aniki, and the crater in the ground where Geodude met his elimination. 'Stick around, Zoey. It only gets wilder from here.'

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting that," Roark says after a near minute-long lull. "That was the shortest, cleanest round I think a challenger has ever gotten from me. Your faith in your pokémon is certainly not misplaced." Contrary to what Julian was expecting, the young Gym Leader's aura isn't bitter at the loss, just deeply surprised and a touch anxious.

Julian shrugs. "We're aiming to be the best, like no one ever was, and excellence is all we know."

"No joke." Roark smiles thinly. "Okay, let's get this show on the road!" He draws his hand back, another ball ready. "Onix, let go!"

The pokeball soars up high, and then snaps open to let a humongous beam of white shoot to the floor. When the light dies down, Roark's side of the field is nearly filled by a rocky snake of titanic proportions. His segmented body is made of boulders, each one the size of a man, and when the Onix rears back with the sound of stone grinding over stone, he is nearly thrice the height of Aniki.

"Oh?" Onix's voice is as deep and rough as an avalanche. He takes in Aniki without a hint of apprehension. "Maybe you'll put up a better fight than the last one."

Aniki merely crosses his arms, staring up at Onix's resolute eyes.

"Second round! Begin!" Ian calls from the ref box.

Roark wastes no time. "Onix, use Stealth Rock!"

Onix roars and rears his head back, countless motes of light manifesting around him, The lights solidify into jagged, spear-like stones that then shoot down to the ground.

Aniki tenses and raises his fists, only to find himself looking around in confusion when all of the rocks impact everywhere but him.

'Already planning ahead, huh?' Julian frowns. "Aniki, Scary Face, then Karate Chop!"

Once more, the Machoke's face is drawn back into a bowel-loosening snarl, and another debilitating wave of Killing Intent races across the ground.

Onix stiffens, a sweat seemingly breaking out across the rock snake's head. The slowdown is minute, but it gives Aniki ample time to cross the field in a dead sprint, hand alight with a crackling coating of energy.

"Screech, Onyx!" Roark quickly counters.

Roark's pokemon opens his cavernous mouth and draws in a deep breath.

'What? Are you going to scream at him?' Julian scoffs. 'Hitting him with a debuff isn't going to help when he's right on top of –"

Onix screeches, and the sound is absolutely ear shattering. The air itself is distorted around his maw, and Aniki is forced to stop, driven to his knees as he is battered by sheer sonic energy. The Fighting-type covers his ears with a howl of pain that is lost to Onix's assault.

The noise is so horrendous that everyone in the audience clasps their ears, cringing, and it's all Julian can do to not join them. 'Fuck me, my ears!' He channels aura to his vocal cords and prepares himself for the inevitable sore throat later. "Aniki!" he roars, just barely audible over Onix. "Revenge!"

Julian is sure Screech is a debuff attack, and Revenge's "deal more damage after being struck" effect should only activate after being physically hit, but Arceus damn it, Onix's Screech has to be causing real damage!

Aniki cracks one eye open and, with Herculean effort, takes one of his hands away from the ear it was covering. He draws his fist back, and a rolling sheet of red energy envelops his arm all the way up to his shoulder. With a warcry that goes unheard, Aniki pushes himself back to his feet and charges Onix.

"Abort and dodge!" Roark's voice somehow carries over the din.

Onix shuts his mouth and ends Screech. He coils his body to push himself to safety, but is just a bit too slow. Aniki's fist impacts one of Onix's middle body segments, and...

Kra-boom!

A shockwave rattles the bones of everyone present as Aniki's fist spiderwebs the segment Onix was too slow to move.

Onix's eyes bug out, and the rock snake is lifted right off of the floor, thrown back nearly 10 feet and smashing through a dozen boulders on the field. Onix sucks in a wheezy, whistling breath as he shakily rears back up.

"Not good," Roark mumbles. "Onix, we've got to turn the momentum around! Double-Edge!" he says with a pointed finger.

Rocky brows meet in anger as Onix glowers down at Aniki. "You're not winning after just one shot!" Onix growls, his entire body glowing with a light so concentrated, it's as if it's solid. With an uncharacteristic burst of speed, Onix surges forward like a tsunami.

'Shit!'

Aniki, still disoriented from Screech, can only cross his arms and brace himself as Onix hits him like a runaway train, lifting Aniki right off of his feet and throwing him all the way to Julian's side of the field. The blow is so discombobulating that Julian's pokemon can't correct himself midair, and instead lands in a breathless heap.

"Oh, my shoulder…" Aniki grasps the shoulder he landed on and rolls to his back with a grimace.

Julian's heart leaps into his throat.

On the field, Aniki painfully tries to rise back to his feet, spitting out a big glob of blood on the ground and holding his chest. Under his hands, his entire front is rapidly turning into an ugly bruise.

"Don't let up Onix!" Roark's smile finally returns. "Hit him with Slam!"

Onix bellows again, coiling around himself and lifting his tail to use as a car-sized bludgeon.

'Shit shit shit!' Julian grits his teeth. 'All or nothing, give me this last one, Aniki,' Silently saying a prayer, Julian flares his aura, once more infusing it into his throat. "Aniki! You can win this! I believe in you!"

Aniki's eyes sharpen into narrow slits.

"Catch him and use Seismic Toss!" Julian roars with such volume that the dust around his feet is scattered.

As Onix's tail rushes down to crush Aniki, the Fighting-type reaches up and catches the tail between his hands, stopping it dead.

Roark's smile falls. "I'm sorry, what?"

The ground beneath Aniki's feet is reduced to a pair of craters, and his entire body trembles, but Aniki holds Onix's tail between his two hands. Then with a rolling grunt of exertion, the Machoke pivots his body around, forcing Onix to follow.

Onix cries out in alarm as he's dragged against his will, but he goes ignored by the Fighting-type who has his tail. The snake pokemon tries to bite a boulder to stop the throw before it can begin, but the rock is pulled right up out of the ground with him.

Gasps break out among the handful of spectators.

Aniki turns faster, picking up speed, and in only half a rotation, Onix is picked completely up off the ground. All the Rock-type can do is flail and panic to no effect, for he isn't strong enough to overcome the centrifugal force on his body. One, twice, three times Aniki turns, kicking up a monstrous wind with Onix's body. On the fourth turn, the Machoke spreads his feet, lifts the tail in his grasp, and swings downward with an echoing roar of exertion. "Graaahhh!"

Onix whiplashes around, smashing headfirst into the ground, throwing up a storm of dust and rock as well as shaking the Gym all the way down to its foundation. Above, the dome ceiling groans worryingly.

As the dust begins to clear, two things are made abundantly clear.

Aniki is still conscious.

Onix is not.

Roark's Onix is lying face down in a monster-sized crater, and only the rock snake's pained groans let everyone know that he has survived the insanity subjected to him.

Panting and barely standing, Aniki rises back to his full height. After a moment, he raises both his arms in a practically instinctual flex "YEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!"

"You son of a bitch, you did it!" Julian can't help himself and jumps high, pumping a fist. He doesn't need to touch a hand to his chest to know that his heart is absolutely racing. "C'mere, you!"

Gingerly, Aniki walks back to Julian, and as if reading each other's minds, the pair clasp hands, Aniki's larger one engulfing Julian's smaller one.

"Thanks for doing the hard part, bro, you pulled through big time!" Julian exclaims, grinning. "I'd hug you, but something tells me your ribs wouldn't appreciate that."

Aniki laughs, then winces and lays a hand on his chest. "Yeah. Yeah you're right on that. Onix was not a pushover…"

"Here, get some rest, man." Julian withdraws Aniki's ball and holds it up. "Regardless of how the last match goes, we're definitely celebrating that crazy win you pulled."

A snort finds its way out of Aniki. "You're saying that like the boss lady might lose." In a flash, the Machoke is recalled to his pokeball.

"Uh…" Once more, Ian seems stunned, as does Roark, who is just now calling Onix back to his ball. "Onix is unable to battle, so round two goes to Julian and Aniki the Machoke!"

If there were murmurs before, there is an uproar now, even with so few people in the stands. It's all so mixed together that Julian can hardly pull the words apart into sentences that make sense. Cell phones are out in force, cameras poised to catch the action.

Roark takes a bit longer to find his words as he rolls his final pokeball between his fingers. "Julian…" He stops. "You… are certainly something. I could practically feel the conviction and belief in your voice when you gave your Machoke that last order. You've done amazingly well to even the odds here, but I have to warn you…" He raises the ball in his hand, palming it so Julian can see the front. "Most trainers usually reserve their strongest pokémon for last. With Machoke so banged up, you're going to have an uphill battle against my Ace. Go!" He winds up his hand and throws the ball on his grasp. "Cranidos!"

The pokeball opens, and from its customary flash comes a Cranidos. Once the light around him vanishes, Cranidos snorts and paws at the ground with a hind leg.

The pokemon roughly resembles a bipedal dinosaur, with raptorial legs, short arms, a short tail, and a large head with a steel-blue, domed skull that his species uses as their primary weapon. If Julian is remembering correctly, then Cranidos' species is extinct, and the only way to get one is by using DNA taken from a fossil and dropping it into a cloning machine.

'Are there any Fighting fossil pokemon? I forgot.' Julian banishes the idle thought and holds up Lulu's ball. He can feel her inpatient aura seeping into his fingers. "I'm going to have a tough time, huh?" he replies to Roark. "Who says Aniki was my Ace?"

His aura jumping in alarm, Roark can't quite hide the widening of his eyes.

"Lulu, let's show them what you can do!" Julian throws Lulu's pokeball into the arena, barely able to withhold his excitement. He can practically taste that badge!

The ball snaps open with a flash, and before the eyes of everyone, Lulu's crouching form materializes. Slowly, she stands, flicks one of her ears, and snaps her glowing red eyes open.

As Lulu's pokeball flies back to his hand, Julian rapidly pulses his aura in an unseen message that only Lulu will receive. Entry hazard. Be wary.

Her eyes shoot to the spear-like stones littering the ground, and her own aura pulses once in confirmation.

On the other side of the field, Roark sighs. "A Lucario, huh? I knew I was tempting fate. We're not about to give up, though!" he exclaims, his Cranidos growling along with his words.

Just as Roark says that, seven or eight of the Stealth Rocks littering Julian's side of the field wiggle themselves out the ground and levitate. They quiver in place for a split second, then shoot towards Lulu like missiles.

The first stone whistles through the air and, mere inches away from striking the side of her face, Lulu leans back, letting it pass with inches to spare. Then she twirls on her hindpaws, letting one approaching from behind fly wide. She weaves around each stone as if dancing, flowing from one movement to the next seamlessly. Her red eyes, filled with supernatural clarity, leave red trails as she moves.

'Detect works on entry hazards, does it?' Julian watches Lulu's eyes, noting Detect's distinct light trails. 'Interesting.'

As the last rock misses Lulu by less than an inch and hits the ground, Roark's aura dips, but despite being disheartened, it doesn't show on his face. "Cranidos! Let's start this off right! Zen Headbutt!" the Gym Leader orders.

Cranidos growls incomprehensibly. He lowers his head, which is overtaken by a wavy, blue glow, then he blasts forward with such speed that his shape grows blurry.

'That has to be as fast as Aniki in a full sprint! Who said Rock-types were slow?' Julian thinks, his eyes widening. Quickly, he pulses his aura again, relaying as many messages as he can in the limited time they have. Psychic move incoming. Strong point: Head. Weak point: Legs. Evasion recommended.

Acknowledged, Lulu pulses back. She brings her paws together, and between them, an orb of aura takes shape. The orb stretches out and solidifies, turning into a solid bo-staff. 'Bone Rush. Good choice, Lulu.'

Lulu gives her staff a twirl, and right as Cranidos is bearing down on her, she thrusts her staff out, catching the knobby end on one of the spikes framing Cranidos' skull. With a push, she redirects the dino right into a boulder beside her.

Kra-boom!

The rock explodes into tiny shards, throwing dust everywhere and obscuring both of the pokemon. Despite not being able to see, Julian only needs to touch Cranidos' aura to know the prehistoric pokemon isn't rattled at all by the impact. Hell, he barely even noticed it.

"While they're blind, Cranidos, use Flamethrower!" Roark calls, regaining his smile.

'Sorry, Roark. That's not going to work on a Lucario.'' Julian smirks and reaches out with his sixth sense. Sure enough, he already detects Lulu feeling out her surroundings with her aura.

Glowing blue outlines of Cranidos and Lulu become visible in the dust to Julian as he keeps his aura sense on high alert, and it lets him watch Lulu cross the distance between her and her foe in a split second. Lulu brings a flying knee up into Cranidos' chin when the dino's Flamethrower is nearly ready to be fired.

Thwack!

Cranidos' head snaps backward from the brain-rattling blow, and his jaw is forced to shut right on the building Flamethrower in his throat.

Boom!

To make matters even worse, Cranidos' Flamethrower backfires, exploding in his mouth with a dull boom. He doesn't get any time to recover, however, as Lulu is given free rein to swing her bo-staff right into his side, throwing him off of his feet and out of the dust cloud.

"Cranidos!" Roark cries, his whole body tensing.

Cranidos rolls across the ground, dragging a shallow trench behind him, but he manages to dig the claws of his hindlegs into the dirt and slow himself to a stop. He stands shakily and coughs wisps of black smoke, eyeing Lulu with simmering anger as the dust cloud fades.

Lulu meets his gaze steadily, falling into a ready stance with her staff pointed forward.

"It's been a long time since I've been driven into a corner like this, and from only one exchange as well," Roark comments during the lull in the battle. Even from so far away, Julian can see the sweat on the Gym Leader's forehead. "I've noticed that you haven't given your Lucario any orders so far, Julian. Why is that?"

'Ah. Here's the exposition portion of the fight.'

"I'm just the trainer. I take care of everything behind the scenes." Julian begins, crossing his arms. "Lulu is the fighter. She knows herself and her own capabilities. I train my pokemon to operate as independently as they can and make callouts only as necessary. Aniki and I are still working on things, but Lulu?" He shakes his head. "I don't need to say a word to her."

Roark frowns, his aura dipping even lower. He looks between Lulu and Cranidos, focusing on Cranidos' unmarked skull "I see. So that's why she hasn't struck Cranidos in his armored head yet? She already knows better?"

Julian nods before continuing. "Eliminating that split second of processing the pokemon needs when given instructions and negating the other trainer's ability to effectively counter is huge. It requires a lot of special training and twice as much trust, but the results speak for themselves. Just watch." Silently, Julian pulses his aura in sequence again. Re-engage?

Acknowledged. Lulu bounds upward and forward in a great leap, her staff leaving a glowing trail behind her.

"Not good! Cranidos, Flamethrower! Catch her mid-air!" Roark hastily barks.

Cranidos rears his head back, bright orange flames licking the edge of his mouth, but before he can blast Lulu with a gout of fire, the airborne Lucario grips her Bone Rush staff in one paw and throws it downwards like a javelin.

The staff flies true and smashes into Cranidos' throat before shattering, leaving the dino pawing at his neck with his short arms and gasping for breath. His Flamethrower sputters out, leaving him defenseless.

High above, Lulu curls her right paw into a fist, her aura surging to such heights that it bleeds from her fur in a corona of azure. Around her fist, the aura whirls and transforms into a stark silver flecked with shiny motes of gold. The silver fist shines like a second sun with Lulu so high in the air.

'Meteor Mash, Lulu's strongest move!' Julian grins, having never seen the move used on another pokemon. 'She's going in for the kill! Get 'em Lu!'

"C'mon, Cranidos! You can do this!" Roark raises a clenched fist, his expression severe. "Head Smash!"

His eyes gaining killer focus, Cranidos roars. His whole body is overtaken by a violent torrent of blue energy. He tenses his legs, and Julian picks up the sheer amount of aura Cranidos is burning.

'This is going to be a nasty one.' He taps his aura again. Strong attack incoming. Frontal. Do not clash.

Acknowledged. Lulu smiles down at him, then angles her body down, her silver-clad fist screaming like an actual meteor.

Cranidos practically explodes from the ground, flying up at Lulu like a rocket seeking to escape orbit. The distance between them shrinks in the blink of an eye.

Fifty feet.

Roark crosses his fingers.

Ten feet.

Julian bites his lip.

Five.

All the spectators lean in.

One.

At the last second, Lulu twists her body midair, letting Cranidos miss her by such a narrow margin that Head Smash's violent cloak of energy singes her fur.

As if in slow motion, Julian watches Cranidos' eyes go wide, and Lulu's narrow. The Lucario draws her fist back, then drives it into Cranidos's back like a sledgehammer.

The dinosaur pokemon's eyes bug out, then, like a streak of lightning, he shoots straight into the floor as little more than a dinosaur-shaped flicker.

KRA-BOOM!

The entire gym is shaken right down to its foundations again, and once more a burst of dust overtakes everyone's vision. Chips of stone rain down for a second, and Julian swears he saw a few pieces escape the open dome above.

Lulu lands silently on the ruined floor of the arena in a crouch, then slowly stands and brings her fists up into a ready stance.

Releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Julian reaches his sixth sense out towards Cranidos, and smiles at what he feels.

As the breeze from the open ceiling above blows away all of the dirt and dust, the crater where Cranidos lies completely unconscious is revealed. The dinosaur is embedded partially in the ground, and his eyes roll blearily behind their lids. Every part of him is covered in scuffs, cuts, and scrapes, and one of his legs looks to be especially injured with how he lies on it awkwardly.

In the referee box, Ian lowers his arms, which were shielding his face, and surveys the scarred battlefield with befuddlement. "Holy heck… What are kids feeding their pokemon these days?" He shakes his head and raises an arm. "Cranidos is unable to battle! Round three goes to Lulu the Lucario and Julian! Julian Angelo wins the challenge!"

At the announcement, the handful of spectators in the stands all rise with cheers and standing ovations. Zoey stands with a bright smile as well, cupping her hands around her mouth to whoop in celebration. Beside her, Paul sits with a loose jaw, seemingly unsure as to what he has witnessed.

As Roark, who is visibly shocked to the core, recalls his wounded Cranidos, Julian jumps down to the field and jogs over to Lulu.

Lulu lets out a surprised yelp when Julian hugs her from behind and spins her around once. "You did it! That was spectacular, Lulu!" He releases his partner so she can turn around to face him. "I knew you had this in the bag, but that was something else! Look at you, there's not even a scratch on you!" he says, dusting some dirt off her shoulders. "Just like that, we have our first badge and we did it in style! That sponsorship is as good as ours!" Julian hugs her tightly again, not caring about her chest spike poking him. "I could kiss you!"

The Lucario blushes a faint pink and looks away as Julian releases her. Lightly coughing into her paw, she takes a moment to think of something to say. "I'm glad that you found my performance so pleasing. I wasn't about to let you down… or disrespect Cranidos by holding back," she says, looking up at him with a small smile.

Breathtaking, radiant Friendship shines in Lulu's aura, enveloping Julian in its warmth. Beneath that Friendship is a twinge of the same mysterious Thing he felt from Lulu just a few days prior, the Thing that both makes him want to shy away and desperately dig for more. As quickly as it comes, though, it vanishes.

"This is the first time I've ever had a newbie trainer win a challenge in just three rounds."

Both Julian and Lulu turn, seeing Roark step over an upturned stone to walk to them. The redhead takes off his helmet and wipes his brow with the back of his hand. "Whew. Now that was a workout," Roark begins, giving the teen and his Lucario a tired smile. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. Your faith was definitely not misplaced in your pokemon, and that's a fantastic trait to have. You have more than earned this, and I look forward to following your journey." Roark extends an open hand, and Julian's excitement returns.

In the extended hand is a shiny Coal Badge, the symbol of victory over the Oreburgh gym.

Gingerly taking the trophy in his fingers, Julian smiles down at the reflection of himself in the badge, but… Something isn't quite right. He looks to the edge of the badge, where he sees an indistinct smear of blue and black in the polished metal.

Oh. Duh.

"Hey, Lu? Can I see your hand?" he asks, turning to Lulu.

With a curious blink, she wordlessly holds her palm out, only to be confused when Julian drops the badge in her grasp.

Without bothering to explain, Julian places his hand on the back of hers and gently squeezes, making her fingers wrap around the edge of the badge enough for a good grip, but not enough to obscure it. With his free hand, Julian takes Aniki's ball from his belt and hits the button, popping the ball open.

Blinking his eyes, Aniki looks down to Julian, to the badge in Lulu's paw, then to their joined hands. "Jules?" he asks, idly rubbing his bruised ribs.

The blonde smiles. "Get over here and get your share of the glory, bro."

It takes a moment, but Aniki understands Julian's words. With a smile, he steps in and places a large hand over Julian's.

"Alright, ready?" Julian turns his head to Lulu.

Lulu's eyes light up in delight as it all clicks for her, and as one, she, Aniki, and Julian thrust their joined hands high, showing the badge to everyone gathered.

Even with so few people, the cheers are as loud as a full house.

Chapter Text

Entry #12: The Competitive Scene

You know, I was really surprised to find out that regular sports exist here. Stuff like baseball, soccer, golf, and just about every Earth parallel I can think of exists here in some capacity. Not too long ago, I overheard Zoey call her parents for a check-in, and despite how bored she looked, she politely listened to her dad gab at her about a golf game his company took him on. I can’t believe it took me this long to hear about the existence of entertainment that isn’t related to pokemon. Then I realized why.

Pokemon battling, without a doubt, is the biggest spectator sport in the entire world. 

Duh, of course it is! Anyone can tell you that. The point I’m trying to get at here is that it’s such a cultural powerhouse that it drowns out everything else to a hilarious degree. You can add up the viewers of every other sport that has ever existed, and it still falls short of anything pokemon-related. Even miscellaneous pokemon sports like ‘mid-air paintball’ or whatever overtake anything strictly between humans. 

The only real exceptions are matters of regional pride, like how underdog Holon (I’m just now realizing how many Arceus-damned regions there are, too. I haven’t heard of half of these places) snatched gold medals from other regions at the last human Interregional Games. Holon is a pretty small region without a gym circuit or official Pokemon League and it surprised everyone that they performed so well. Really, their only claim to fame is accidentally causing an ecological disaster with some giant electromagnet device while trying to track legendary pokemon (Apparently that resulted in some mutated ‘delta’ pokemon from the radiation? I’ll look that up more later). It was later revealed that the Holon athletes were using banned stimulants. They covered their tracks well… Until a janitor found some odd residue at the bottom of a locker that a Holon gold medalist used.

Oops.

The residue was tested by a suspicious Games Commissioner, and they confronted the Holon team, who caved and confessed. That apparently caused a huge outcry, and Holon is still getting dragged for the offense years later.

That revealed a pattern to me I think I’ve been overlooking. The competitive scene for anything is taken seriously in this world, pokemon battling most of all. There is a pretty stark divide between the attitudes of casuals who battle for fun and professionals who make a career out of it, but cheating is a cardinal sin for both. Honor, truth, and moral integrity are held in high regard here, and I suspect that ███ █████████ prefers to keep it that way when it can. The long and short of it? Cheaters Never Prosper.

That’s fine, I guess. Being underhanded is looked upon dimly by most, but it’s not something that you’ll be ostracized over, so I guess I’ll have to limit myself to just being a dick sometimes. I’m not really sure where the line between “asshole” and “resourceful” is, but at the very least, Lulu doesn’t view the creative application of aura as cheating. If she considers it fair, it’s probably safe to say that anyone would.

Not that I’m going to cheat. It wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t pull wins on our own. I don’t want to rob Lulu, Aniki, or any of my pokemon of that feeling of success. Sweet victory is what keeps the improvement machine running.

“Good morning, kids!” Ian greets  Paul, Zoey, Julian, and Lulu as they step inside the lobby of the Oreburgh Gym. “You’re here quite early! I just unlocked the doors a couple of minutes ago.”

Paul merely nods, acknowledging Ian’s words without a direct answer. “Is Roark in?”

An apologetic smile forms on Ian’s face. “Well…”

As Ian explains to an annoyed Paul that Roark was called away to the mines for some big discovery, Julian yawns and stretches his arms over his head. After both of his shoulders pop satisfyingly, he glances over to the two girls in the group.

Zoey’s face is miserable. The poor redhead looks like the risen dead, and even forcing down some free (and frankly vile) hotel coffee after rolling out of bed has done little to rouse her. Paul had to kick her bedframe to get her up, and she rose like a robot with molasses slathered in its joints.

Lulu, meanwhile, doesn’t look all too disturbed by being up at the crack of dawn. It’s the way she’s operated since she could walk. She definitely sent Paul a cross look for having the audacity to set the alarm clock to ring before sunrise, though.

Julian himself just thought it was funny. Try as he might to be a cool hardass, Paul is still a fourteen-year-old boy on the road to being a big-shot athlete, or at least the equivalent of one. The younger boy’s aura is colored by prickling nervousness and persistent excitement, even if neither reaches his face. Being woken up so early didn’t bother Julian, as he could barely sleep in the first place.

Why was that? The answer is simple.

Professor Sycamore.

Sycamore sent Julian an email yesterday evening after the gang retired to their hotel room for the night, saying to expect a phone call in the next few days. The professor apparently needs time to draft up all of the paperwork for Julian’s sponsorship and run it by his lawyers and financial advisors. The anticipation is absolutely driving Julian up the wall. If not for Lulu’s body heat lulling him to sleep after hours of staring at the wall, Julian may not have gotten any sleep at all. Whatever sleepiness remained when Paul awakened everyone was chased away during Julian and Lulu’s morning meditation.

Somewhere in Oreburgh’s outskirts is a powerful, distinctly Fighting-flavored aura, one that wasn’t there yesterday. There are a couple of similar auras near the coal mines, probably belonging to pokemon who work there, but they don’t have the feel of dedicated fighters. It’s such a fine difference that Julian doesn’t even know how to describe it. It’s like blindly sampling two glasses of the same wine from the same maker but from different vintage years. You just know they are different, somehow.

Julian hasn’t been totally idle in searching out potential new teammates for Lulu and Aniki, he’s merely been matching his effort to the amount of funds they have available. With a sponsorship coming down the pipe, having a nice, balanced team of three to work with sounds grand, so the first order of the day after watching Paul’s Gym battle?

Track down the mysterious aura, and see if it’s a wild pokemon looking for new opportunities.

Julian is abruptly yanked from his thoughts when he senses four auras he’s dedicated to memory suddenly enter the edge of his sixth sense. Beside him, Lulu shoots him a knowing glance.

Ash and his friends have arrived. 

‘Hell, they’re walking towards the gym now.’ Julian sends a look over his shoulder towards the door. ‘They’ll be here any minute.’

“Again, I’m really sorry.” Ian smiles apologetically and steps out from behind the front desk. “Roark really gets carried away sometimes, but we promised you a battle and a battle you will get. Maybe if we all go down to the mines together, it’ll motivate him to put the pedal to the metal.”

Paul nods, sighing once more. He’s doing an admirable job hiding his annoyance in Julian’s eyes. “Perhaps,” Paul grumbles. “Let's get moving, then.”

Paul turns to lead the way, with the group parting around him and following, letting Ian bring up the rear. As they approach the door, it slides open automatically, revealing a surprised Ash, Brock, and Dawn just beyond. 

“Paul?” Ash asks, his Pikachu blinking in sync with him. He seems genuinely surprised to have run into Paul.

“Zoey?!” Dawn seems even more shocked than Ash. She takes in the red-headed coordinator with a dropped jaw. 

“Do I know you?” Paul’s reply and scowl are both ice-cold.

“Hiya, Dawn.” Zoey smiles, her sleepiness forgotten.

Julian and Brock share a look, and each can see the other wonder if they should add to the outbursts as a gag.

Let’s not, Brock's eyes say. Someone around here should be mature.

Julian smirks, and Brock’s face falls. “Jeez, Brock. If you stare at me any harder, I’m gonna blush. If you’re mirin’”—the blonde flexes his arms and strikes a pose, one that presses his abs against his too-small shirt—“then I can give you some workout tips. Babes love free admission to the gun show. Ask me how I know,” he finishes by throwing his arms over Lulu and Zoey’s shoulders. 

Lulu’s palm meets her face so hard that the sound echoes off of the rockface that the Gym is built into.

Zoey, meanwhile, sighs in exasperation and gently pries herself free. “Really, Julian? You were doing so good at beating the muscle bro stereotype…”

A cheesy grin rising to his lips, Julian lets Lulu go and crosses his arms, only for his expression to become strained when Glameow’s ball wiggles on Zoey’s belt. The sphere radiates… envy.

‘I really don’t know how I should feel about that,” he thinks, casting a narrow-eyed glance at the twitching pokeball. ‘You stop that.’

Brock, however... He looks as if he’s actually considering Julian’s words, as he rubs his chin thoughtfully.

“These friends of yours, kids?” Ian cuts in, seemingly unbothered. The man must deal with squabbling child trainers a lot.

“No way.” Paul’s denial is as instant as it is vehement. He looks up at Ian with an ‘are you serious’ expression, as if such a thought is inconceivable.

Zoey turns her nose up at Paul’s words. “Speak for yourself, Paul. Dawn and I are friends,” she says, pulling a bright smile from Dawn.

Before Paul can turn and reply, Ash steps in, his eyes glued to Paul. “You must have just fought a battle. Did you get a badge?” the boy asks, taking a step forward.

Paul clicks his tongue. “That’s none of your business.”

Likely sensing the coming clash between Ash and Paul, Ian once more steps in. “You must be here for a gym battle, right?” he asks Ash. “I can tell just from the look of you.”

“Yeah, actually,” Ash says, once again smiling. “I’m Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. This will be my first gym match in the Sinnoh region. It’s great to be here!”

“Yep!” Pikachu chimes in from Ash’s shoulder. 

Ian smiles and nods along. “That’s quite a long trip all the way from Kanto. We’re always happy to see new faces here in Sinnoh, so let me be the first to welcome you to the Oreburgh Gym, Sinnoh’s temple for Rock pokemon!”

Pokemon’s titular hero… blinks cluelessly. “This Gym is for Rock pokemon?”

Julian hears Paul choke on nothing, and he’s tempted to follow suit. Lulu and Zoey control themselves better, but their auras are both utterly befuddled.

‘…No, no. Don’t comment on it.’ Julian screws his eyes shut. ‘This is early-episode jank, and being clueless is just an exposition vehicle. Just let it go.’

Ian, to his credit, doesn’t trip a bit. “Indeed. Our Gym Leader, Roark, was called away by his other job in the coal mines. My name is Ian, and I’m the manager of the Gym,” Ian says, introducing himself. “We were actually on our way to retrieve Roark for Paul’s battle if you kids would like to come with us.”

“That sounds swell. Thank you!” Ash agrees, much to Paul’s visible chagrin.

Needing no other prompting, Ian takes point and motions for everybody to follow him leading them all into the town. Ash’s friends follow closely, while Julian and the others trail behind a few steps. A few minutes into the walk, Dawn slows herself down so she can settle next to Zoey.

“Zoey? Why are you hanging out with a jerk like Paul?” Dawn whispers quietly, making Julian shunt a bit of aura to his ears so he can eavesdrop. “He’s so rude to everyone, his pokémon included!”

“You’ve met him before?” Zoey whispers back, giving Dawn her attention.

The younger girl nods vigorously, making her blue hair bounce. “Yeah. We met him and Julian in Sandgem, and he was treating us like dirt, Ash especially!” she hisses. “He told a Starly he had for only one day to get lost after it won! I don’t get what his problem is.”

“Paul… isn’t all bad,” Zoey weakly defends. “His methods are just… What’s the word? Draconian? Besides, I was more interested in traveling with Julian. Paul is just along for the ride, in my opinion.”

That quiets Dawn down and puts a thoughtful expression on her face. “How did you meet Julian?”

Zoey lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Ah. I got a bit lost in Jubilife, so Julian and his pokemon came to the rescue and helped me find my way to the Pokemon Center. He’s got some refreshing takes on pokemon coordination, so we chatted for a bit, and then did a few double-battles together to win some spending money.” The redhead smiles. “I did my last journey solo, so I decided to change things up a bit and travel with friends this time. Julian seemed like a good choice, and Paul isn’t so bad once you get to know him.”

As she speaks, Zoey’s aura glows with nothing but truth. She really does consider Julian to be a valued friend after only a week and some change of knowing each other.  It puts an unsure smile on the blonde teen’s face. ‘I’m never going to get used to this.’

“So, Paul, are you looking forward to your Gym battle?” Ash, bless him, still tries to make small talk with Paul. The young hero slows down to fall in step with the other boy. “The first Gym in a new region is always the most exciting!”   

“Hmph.” Paul answers exactly as Julian expected him to: staring forward and with a single word.

Ash wilts slightly, and instead looks over to Julian and Lulu. “How about you, Julian? Are you excited about your battle? Even with a Fighting -type like your Lucario, it could still be really tough!”

Julian smiles back. “Actually, we already had our battle yesterday. We managed a fairly clean win in my opinion.” Having expected this question, Julian slipped his Coal Badge into his pocket this morning, and lo and behold, Ash has asked just as anticipated. Julian takes the badge from his pocket and shows Ash and Pikachu, and both gaze at the bronze trophy with childlike amazement. “It got hairy here and there, though. Roark isn’t a pushover.”

Behind him, Zoey scoffs. “What is this talk about ‘fairly clean’ and ‘getting hairy’?” she asks, drawing the group's attention to her.  “Julian’s match was a complete blowout. Roark lost without taking a single round. Lulu didn’t even get hit when she fought.”

“Really?” Brock asks the question on everyone’s mind, sending a glance toward Ian.

The Oreburgh Gym manager sighs and runs a hand through his long hair. “Yes. It was the worst loss that Roark has suffered in a while. The last time he was beaten so soundly was when Professor Rowan’s Lab Trainer—Lucas, I think his name was—blew through town. That boy battled like a machine.”

‘Lucas, as in Bob’s grandson?’ Julian blinks. ‘Yeah, so he’s a hotshot trainer, kind of like a… A videogame protagonist… Oh shit,’ he curses to himself and hopes he’s not dealing with some kind of anime / game hybrid universe. ‘If there is anything on this beautiful green earth worse than Ash’s Plot Armor, then it’s definitely the Hyper Competence of a videogame hero . I hope Ian was just being hyperbolic with the whole ‘battles like a machine’ quip …’

The comment about Lucas isn’t what everyone else focuses on, however, as Dawn, Brock, Ash, and Pikachu all look at Julian and Lulu. 

Where the exclamations and the amazement of the small crowd gathered within the gym arena yesterday sent Julian’s spirit shooting to new heights, the scrutiny of Ash and Co is distinctly less enjoyable. 

Beside him, Lulu remains unworried by the stares, so Julian focuses on how steady his partner’s aura is to ground himself. “What can I say?” he begins with a shrug. “We’ve prepared quite a bit for the gym circuit, and we were fighting with type advantage. I doubt it’ll be that easy next time.”

“Tch…” Paul scoffs and mumbles under his breath. “It was a steamroll. Why are you acting like it wasn’t?”

Despite Paul’s voice being low, Ash definitely hears him, as the Kanto-born trainer’s eyes take on a fierce, competitive light. 

‘Dammit, Paul. I was hoping for a full team before Ash turned his attention to me.’

The rest of the walk to the mine is passed with idle chatter, the majority of it coming from Dawn and Zoey, along with some one-sided conversation between Ash and a rather annoyed Paul. During part of the stroll, however, Brock pulls up next to Julian.

“So, about those workout tips, were you being serious?” Brock asks, giving Julian a hopeful look.

“Now look at what you’ve done, Julian.” Lulu shakes her head when Julian looks to her for an answer. “Don’t look at me! You’re the one who got his hopes up. Give him some starting points.”

Julian scratches his chin and turns back to Brock. “Do you have a piece of paper or something I can write this down on?”

Brock reaches into his back pocket and withdraws a small notebook. After flipping to a clean page, he hands the notebook over to Julian, along with a pen.

“Thaaank you.” Julian takes the offered notebook, and with a no-good smirk, writes down a quick, day-by-day routine for the tanned teenager next to him. “There we go!”

Taking the notebook back eagerly, Brock looks down at the page only for his smile to swiftly transform into confusion. “This just says ‘Monday through Saturday – Pick Fights With Pokemon’.”

“And that Sunday is a rest day!” Julian cuts in. “The rest day is important! What are you looking at me like that for? I’m not joking!”

Brock hangs his head, sighing in defeat. Behind them, both Dawn and Zoey erupt into giggles.

The rest of the walk to retrieve Roark is rather uneventful. Once they arrive at the mines, a hard hat-clad supervisor wielding a clipboard tries to head them off, but pauses and lets them pass without a word when he sees the myriad of pokeballs everyone is carrying around. The fact that he takes notice of the pokeballs before he does Ian is a striking reminder of just how highly trainers are regarded by regular folk.

‘Heavy equipment moving, pokemon carrying large loads, and we’re let in with no hassle.’ Julian’s eyes scan the various hazards all around, remaining wary even if he knows deep down nothing is going to happen.

After that, the group is just in time to witness Roark and a team of men emerge from the mines, pushing a mine cart carrying what is obviously a large pokemon fossil, on account of the domed shape framed by spikes. As they all approach, Roark looks up, sees Paul’s irritated face, and laughs nervously. “Oh, it seems I lost track of time again. I’m really sorry about that, Paul!” he says, patting the fossil with the same tenderness a parent might a child. “When the guys said they uncovered a pokemon fossil in a tricky spot within the mine, I had to come and help. It would have been a huge loss to both the mines and to the Oreburgh Museum if this fossil here hadn't been extracted in one piece. You understand, right?”

Paul closes his eyes, looking as if he doesn’t care one way or another. “It’s fine. If your business is concluded here, may we return to the Gym?”

Roark nods, his smile relieved if his aura is anything to judge by. “Sure thing. Let’s get going.”

Back in the Oreburgh Gym, Julian, Lulu, Zoey and Ash’s crew all settle in the arena’s spectator stands as Paul and Roark take their positions on either side of the rock-filled battleground. Above, the domed ceiling splits and begins to slide open just as it did with Julian’s Gym match. The delay in the battle has given spectators more time to claim seats, as there are more people here than there were yesterday during Julian’s bout. It’s far from a full house, but it’s still a noticeable increase that Julian forces himself not to be petty or bitter over.

“I can’t believe I have to wait ‘till tomorrow before I can battle Roark…” Ash sighs, morose, as he flips the dated appointment card Ian provided to him just a few minutes ago between his fingers. He passes the card up to Pikachu, who helpfully stuffs it into a side pocket of Ash’s backpack.

“Early bird gets the Wurmple and all that,” Brock comments, tearing his eyes away from an attractive young woman sitting a few rows down. 

“It’s just one day, Ash. It could have been worse,” Pikachu soothes, his boyish voice still so strange to Julian. The iconic mouse pokemon not saying ‘ Pika pika!’ remains a shock to the senses. “At least we get to see how Roark battles.” 

“You guys are right.” Ash bounces back quickly and regains his cheer. “It’s still fun to watch, that’s for sure!”

‘How well does Ash understand Pikachu?’ Julian can’t help but wonder. ‘It’s gotta be a substantial amount, but it’s not word for word, is it?’    

Beside Julian, Lulu hums and smiles, folding her paws in her lap. “It’s certainly quite different being up here rather than down there,” she says. “Let’s see how Paul and his team stand up to a foe who is a cut above the rest. Who do you believe he will use for this match?” Lulu asks, turning her head to her human.

“Paul caught that Azumarill a few days ago, so Azumarill is a likely bet,” Julian speculates aloud. Azumarill, being so new, hasn’t really opened up to anyone yet, which makes gauging her difficult, but she performed well enough in Paul’s training. “Torterra and Lairon would be the smart choices, but it’s hard to tell what Paul is thinking sometimes. He might think of some wack-ass strategy and come at this match from a direction no one expects.”

Lulu’s brows furrow. “Chimchar and Elekid?”

The Lucario’s words make Pikachu turn on Ash’s shoulder and stare up at her. “A Fire-type and an Electric-type against Rock-types?” he asks incredulously, making Ash turn to watch the exchange curiously. “Lots of Rock-types have Ground as a second type, and let me tell you, you need a lot of juice to hurt a ground pounder with electricity. Fire is just as bad a choice since it’s weak to both Rock and Ground!” Pikachu exclaims, waving his little arms for emphasis.

‘Arceus, I know you are listening to me, so please don’t tell me that the rat is the more analytical of the two destined heroes,’ Julian prays, putting his hands together and everything.

There is no answer, but Julian swears he hears a laugh, faint and phantasmal, echo from somewhere.

The dull roar of conversation within the arena comes to a halt as Ian approaches the edge of the arena. Once the last voice dies down, Ian raises his arms, a serious expression on his face. “The Oreburgh City Gym battle between Paul the challenger and Roark the Gym Leader is about to commence! The battle will be a three-on-three! Once all pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the challenge is over! In addition, only the challenger may substitute pokemon!”

The anticipation begins to mount, and Julian finds himself leaning forward. Paul, despite being a prick, knows his stuff when it comes to pokemon. Watching him battle trainers from off the street in one-sided slaughters yields nothing, but this? 

This is prime learning material. Any tricks Paul or his pokemon might have to offer Julian’s pokemon will be shamelessly adapted and adopted.

“Are both trainers ready?” Ian asks, getting twin nods from both Paul and Roark, who each palm a pokeball. “Begin!”

“Geodude, let’s go!” Roark opens with the same pokemon he did yesterday, throwing the ball high.

“Azumarill, standby!” Paul answers, setting his face into a focused scowl.

On Roark’s side of the field, Geodude appears from his pokeball in a flash of light, looking as if he didn’t get his lights knocked out by Aniki just yesterday. The Rock pokemon raises his fists, ready for an order.

Azumarill’s ball snaps open a second later, depositing the water mouse on Paul’s side in a flash. As the light of the pokeball fades, Azumarill blinks her eyes and stares down Geodude with a frown.

Dawn makes an excited noise and pulls out her pokedex, scanning both pokemon as Ash and Brock both comment on the Water vs Rock-type matchup, but Julian is too focused on the fight about to break out to pay their words much mind.

Paul doesn’t wait around for Roark to start and thrusts a hand out. “Azumarill, Water Gun!”

Azumarill tenses, then jumps up so the rocky terrain doesn’t foul her aim. She takes a deep breath, then from her maw shoots a spiraling column of water that speeds towards Geodude.

“Geodude! Hidden Power!” Roark counters, hardly a second later.

‘Hidden Power?’ Julian blinks. ‘Hidden Power’s type changes depending on the pokemon using it, so what is Geodude’s?’ He closes his eyes and reaches his aura out, feeling Grass energy of all things building around Geodude. ‘Damn. Azumarill wasn’t a surefire choice, then.’

Geodude crosses his arms and begins to glow a faint green. Then with an explosive exhale, he thrusts his fists forward as if punching the air, shedding his glow. The green light splits up into countless tiny orbs and rushes to meet Water Gun.

Water Gun and Hidden Power meet, and it’s no contest. The green globes tear through Water Gun and fly right toward a shocked Azumarill.

Bang bang bang bang!

Paul’s pokemon is battered by Hidden Power, each orb exploding against Azumarill’s hide, and all Azumarill can do is cry out as she’s dashed across the ground by the force.

“Rollout!” Roark orders, viciously pressing his advantage.

“Azumarill, get up and reposition!” Paul orders, his scowl deepening. “Get on top of one of the rocks!”

The Water pokemon tries to rise to her feet, but Geodude is already curled into a ball and speeding towards her like a runaway truck tire. With a wince-inducing thwack, all the air is driven from Azumarill’s lungs as Geodude crashes into her, and she’s thrown straight up into the air from the impact.

Geodude doesn’t even stop, instead turning around a large boulder, weaving between several small outcroppings of rock, and bouncing off of an angled stone, launching himself up at the airborne Azumarill like a cannonball. 

Azumarill’s eyes widen, and that’s all she’s given the chance to do before Geodude hits her like a rocket.

Thwack!

Like a spiked volleyball, Azumarill zooms towards the ground and crashes into the hard-packed dirt at a ridiculous velocity. She bounces once, then slides across the ground. When she comes to a stop, the mouse pokemon is out cold.

“What?!” Paul’s eyes bug out, his face scandalized.

Geodude lands back down on the ground, and with Rollout still spinning up faster and faster, he turns and beelines back to Roark’s side of the field, spinning in place as if he simply turned off his traction.

Ian raises a hand and counts down from three on his fingers. Once no fingers are left, and Azumarill still doesn’t stir, the match is called. “Azumarill is unable to battle! Gym Leader Roark and Geodude win round one!”

Cheers and applause greet Ian’s words, with the off-duty miners in the crowd cheering the loudest.

“Yeesh, poor Azumarill got taken down hard and fast.” Zoey shakes her head. “I really don’t see the wisdom in giving a new pokemon the trial-by-fire treatment in a Gym.”

“Sometimes, one’s truest potential is brought to the surface with dire circumstances,” Lulu quietly comments, watching the proceedings in the arena carefully. “Some are more receptive than others, however.”

“Uh, sure?” Zoey smiles awkwardly. “I don’t speak fluent Lucario like Julian, so…”

Julian throws the poor girl a bone.  “She said trial by fire is what works best for some pokemon, but not everyone is fireproof, if you get what I mean.”

Down in the arena, Paul recalls Azumarill to her ball and gives the capsule a disgusted look. Over the crowd, it’s difficult to tell what he’s saying to the unconscious pokemon, but his lips look like they are saying something – good for nothing – something .

“Ugh, that creep!” Ash voices his distaste, telling Julian that he’s not the only one who can lip read… Or that Ash has sharp ears. “Just because a pokemon lost a battle doesn’t mean they’re good for nothing!”

Paul, visibly fuming, reaches for Torterra’s ball, only to stop himself just before his fingers can wrap around the pokeball. He turns his head…

…And Looks Julian right in the eye with an unreadable expression.

The younger boy’s aura twists into something jagged and defiant, with a touch of jealousy discoloring the mess, and it’s enough to make Julian’s skin crawl. A second later, the odd mess abates, tempered by something cold and calculating, leaving Paul’s aura as still and clear as a pond on a windless day. 

Rather than grab Torterra’s ball, Paul instead takes Elekid’s and throws it without a second thought. “Elekid, standby!”

The pokeball pops open at the apex of its flight, and in a flash, Elekid is dropped onto the field. The small pokemon’s face remains confident, but his aura is painted with surprise.

“Elekid?” Zoey questions with an uncomprehending blink. “Paul’s not throwing the match because of one loss, is he?”

“No…” Julian begins, looking between Elekid and Paul. “This… I’m not quite sure what this stunt is, but Paul is up to something.”

‘I can practically feel it. Paul is getting that Underdog advantage now. What’s his game? Where is he going from here?’

Roark seems surprised by the choice, but rather than underestimate Paul, the Gym Leader instead seems wary. “Well then.” Roark rubs his chin, scrutinizing Elekid. “An interesting choice.”

“Round two! Geodude versus Elekid! Begin!” Ian chops his arm down.

Without needing a word of instruction, Geodude rushes down Elekid, moving faster than ever before after having so much time to build up Rollout’s speed.

“Elekid, Brick Break with an uppercut!” Paul orders, his eyes never leaving Geodude.

Out on the field, Elekid raises a club-like arm and clenches a fist, one that crackles with arcs of off-red Fighting energy. Just as Geodude rolls into range, Elekid throws his fist up in a wicked uppercut.

“Take this!” the little Electric–type growls out.

Elekid’s fist hits Geodude like a battering ram, stopping the living rock and throwing out a shockwave that can be felt in the chest of everyone in the audience. When Julian sees what Paul did, the blonde is silently amazed.

Elekid’s knuckles found purchase on Geodude’s ridged brow, both stopping Geodude and transferring every bit of Brick Break’s kinetic force right to the rock pokemon’s skull.

‘Arceus, that was brilliant. I was wondering why he called for such a specific punch.’

Time seems to slow down for a split second, then Geodude rockets away from the force of the punch, thrown all the way to Roark’s side of the field. Geodude comes down like a carelessly dropped bowling ball, hitting the ground without a bounce, and with his eyes rolled in the back of his head.

Gasps and pointed fingers overtake the spectators. Seemingly no one can process what just happened. "Did Geodude really just get knocked out...”

“…In one hit?” Dawn breathes, as if she can scarcely believe her eyes. Beside her, Ash, Pikachu, and Brock are similarly shocked.

‘God damn, that was Cool .’

Roark takes off his glasses, rubs them on his jumpsuit, and replaces them. When nothing before his sight changes, his shoulders slump. “Wow. What a hit…” He sighs. “Between the Machoke yesterday and Elekid today, this really isn’t Geodude’s week.”

Down at the side of the field, Ian raises a hand, counts down from three, and when Geodude fails to move, he shakes his head. “Geodude is unable to battle! Challenger Paul and Elekid win round two!”

The cheers and applause are easily twice as loud this time, with some people even standing up, Julian among their number.

“A single hit, though?” Dawn is still disbelieving. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pokemon defeated in one hit.”

Julian mulls over whether or not he wants to explain and take a turn as Mr. Exposition. After a few seconds of internal debate, he begins speaking. “Paul maximized Brick Break’s impact like a Pro,” he says, getting the attention of the rest of the group. “He had Elekid throw an uppercut using Brick Break to counteract Geodude’s rolling and even turn it against him. When Elekid’s knuckles hit Geodude’s protruding brow, Geodude’s rolling came to an abrupt stop, kind of like a car crash. The thing about crashes is that it’s not the speed that hurts you, it’s the”—Julian makes a fist and punches the palm of his other hand—“sudden stop. Combine that with the opposing force of Brick Break coming from an opposite direction, and Geodude was cooked.” His piece said, Julian quiets back down. ‘You better be grateful that I’m talking you up like this, Paul.’

“Wow…” Ash looks back to the arena, staring at Paul with an intense expression.

After such an explosive pair of matches, Julian’s memory of the anime is jogged a bit, and the rest of the battle loses some magic as it plays out much as he remembers it going. Roark sends out his Onix, and Elekid avoids harm with his superior speed and a few clever casts of Protect, but is still struck by a horrific Double Edge from Onix. 

Onix, however, suffers from touching Elekid, as the electric pokemon’s ability, Static, paralyzes the gigantic rock snake. His movements jittery and impaired, Onix casts Stealth Rock and prepares to keep fighting, only for Paul to recall Elekid for later and send out Chimchar.

Even with a warning from Paul before his ball opened, the little ape pokemon can’t totally avoid harm, and is struck by one of the Stealth Rocks, drawing a displeased growl from Paul.

With Onix slowed so drastically by his paralysis, Chimchar uses Dig at Paul’s direction and wreaks havoc on the larger pokemon, popping out of holes under the ground and throwing super effective strikes before vanishing again like a guerrilla trooper. Onix can only last so long under the assault before a lucky strike to the head knocks the colossus unconscious, netting Chimchar a win.

As Onix is recalled, Paul even crosses his arms and nods. “Not bad, Chimchar. Better than I expected.”

The chimp pokemon’s eyes literally shine at the hard-earned praise.

Alas, nothing good can last, for Chimchar is felled by Roark’s Cranidos, who is just too fast and too fearsome. Chimchar puts up a good fight, even activating his special ability, Blaze, and nailing Cranidos with a devastating Flame Wheel, but it’s simply not enough. 

To his credit, Paul withholds any snide comments about Chimchar’s loss as Chimchar is recalled to his ball. Finally, the last round commences between Elekid and Cranidos.

Cranidos is without a doubt the physical superior between the two pokemon, and that is not lost on Paul, who has Elekid get in close and land a critical Brick Break on Cranidos’ leg. Even with Cranidos’ special ability, Mold Breaker, preventing Cranidos from being immobilized by Elekid’s Static, the fractured bone in the dino’s upper thigh isn’t something that can be ignored. Crippled, Cranidos is left with only his Flamethrower to keep Elekid at bay. Flamethrower doesn’t do much good, however, as Elekid braves the flames to sock Cranidos right in the face with Brick Break, leading to now.

In the arena, Cranidos and Elekid are both panting harshly, each one so exhausted that they can barely breathe. Each pokemon sways on their feet and refuses to look away from the other, both silently demanding that the other give up, and take the loss that they are destined to have.

One falters.

With a groan, Cranidos falls over onto his side, unable to stand any longer. He tries to rise, but between his weariness and his injured leg, all he can do is flop. 

Elekid’s smirk is so overpoweringly smug that it’s like a mental flashbang to Julian’s aura-sense. If Elekid was any more satisfied with himself, it would fill the air like a fog.

With Cranidos on the ground and clearly not in fighting shape, Ian raises a hand. “It's over! Elekid and Challenger Paul are the winners!”

Paul and his pokemon get standing ovations from everybody in the bleachers. Someone in the crowd even holds up a hastily made sign with Azumarill, Chimchar, and Elekid on it, shaking it around.

Rubbing a hand down his face, Roark looks just as exhausted as the pokemon are . Lifting the pokeball in his hand, he points it at his fallen Cranidos. “You did an excellent job, Cranidos. Return!”

The fossil pokemon retreats back into Roark’s pokeball in a flash of red, before the ball is shrunken to its travel size and stowed away.

Paul, likewise, raises Elekid’s ball. “Acceptable work, Elekid. Return.”

Face locked in a content expression, Elekid returns to his ball, and retakes his place on Paul’s hip.

As Paul and Roark both walk to meet in the middle of the arena, Lulu sighs. “Distaste for his attitude aside, I must admit that Paul and his pokemon are more effective than I expected,” she says, dredging up some grudging respect for the win. “I still wish he would be kinder to his team, though.”

Julian bumps her shoulder with his. “I like to think he’s getting better. Slowly.”

Lulu just nods, not really agreeing, but not outright disagreeing either. Together, they watch Paul and Roark meet in the middle of the field, and Roark withdraws a badge from his pocket.

“Congratulations on your win, Paul.” Roark smiles, passing the badge to the younger trainer. “You’ve earned it.”

Paul cooly nods, keeping just how pleased he is off of his face. “Thank you very much, Roark. I enjoyed the battle,” he says, politely inclining his head and dropping the badge in his pocket.

With the fight over, the spectators all get up and begin to exit, talking excitedly all the while. In an unexpected act of courtesy, Paul waits for Julian, Zoey, and Lulu by the door that lets out into the lobby. As the group comes together again, with Ash and Co on their heels, Ash holds out a hand to stop everyone from walking out yet. 

“Hold on a sec,” Ash says. “How long are you guys going to be in town for? I’d really like it if you came to watch me battle tomorrow,” he says, looking between Paul and Julian as he speaks.

‘Shit. I think I’ve become a third-wheel rival. This is way earlier than I wanted,’ Julian muses, withholding a frown. Closing his eyes, he reaches out with his sixth sense, and is relieved to find that the powerful aura he sensed earlier is still near the town. ‘Hopefully, Paul can keep Ash busy for the next couple of encounters while I build my team up.’

Paul is as quick as a striking Seviper with his retort. “Why would we want to watch you lose?” he asks, raising an incredulous eyebrow.

“Ugh.” Zoey reaches out and pokes Paul in the shoulder. “You don’t need to be a sourpuss all the time, Paul. We aren’t going to leave until the day after tomorrow, so what’s the harm in coming by to watch?” She plants her fists on her hips and gives Paul a critical look. “Do you have something planned?”

“Not wasting my time was the plan for tomorrow,” Paul grouchily replies. He then looks at Julian, as if silently asking him for his opinion.

“Were we doing anything tomorrow?” Julian, in turn, asks Lulu.

“Do I look like your planner book?” Lulu dryly asks. Nevertheless, the Lucario touches a paw up to her chin in thought. “… Other than our usual training, I don’t believe so. We still have that phone call from Professor Sycamore to wait for, and I imagine that we will need to make time afterward, but the only way I see something pressing being added to our agenda is if the meeting with the owner of that aura signature isn’t accomplished today. Oh! We should probably write a letter to Robert letting him know about our Gym win. I don’t believe we’ve sent him anything yet, and I do not know the hours of the post office. It may be prudent to check.”

Oof. Shit. Guilt suddenly stabs Julian for forgetting Bob, and he resolves to put that next on his list.

Nodding, Julian turns to Ash. “I’m expecting an important phone call and have errands that might run over today into tomorrow, but I’d say Lulu and I have a fair chance at showing up. Just don’t hold your breath.”

Ash smiles, clear and bright.

‘Your battle against Paul back in Sandgem wasn’t all too impressive, Ash.’ Julian homes in on the pokeballs dangling from Ash’s belt. ‘Do you have any new tricks or strategies? That’s what I’m most curious to see.’

Chapter Text

Parking his Rapidash-drawn cart in front of his home, one Robert Johansson groans and stands before stepping off of the cart, his knees protesting the entire time. "Gonna need to find another ranch hand, soon…" he grumbles. Looking up, he finds the sun high above, telling him it's a little after noon. "We made good time on our milk run, eh, Stella?" he asks the Rapidash hooked to his cart.

The horse pokemon just snorts and throws her fiery mane, giving the tack and cart strapped to her a look that says, "I'm so done with today."

Robert can't help but laugh and start the process of freeing her. "Play ornery all you like, Stel, you can't hide that heart of gold from me."

The horse grumbles as Robert unfastens the last straps holding her in place. Once free, she begins to trot away to circle the house, but she abruptly stops, her hooves making an audible scratch on the walkway leading to the house.

"Stel?" Robert blinks and abandons organizing the cart tack for now. When he turns, he is just in time to watch a Staraptor wearing a mailbag drop a letter into his mailbox.

"Uh oh…" He frowns as the large bird takes off. "That's not city hall tryin' to get a hold of me, is it? Who in the world would send me express mail?" he wonders aloud, stepping towards the mailbox and taking the envelope out. When he finds no return address, his worry increases even further. After tearing open the envelope, he reaches inside and finds…

… A handwritten letter? It's in the same fancy cursive that the puffed-up Pidgeys at city hall like to use. As he begins to read, Robert feels heat on his back and sees Stella's muzzle peering over his shoulder.

Hey Bob,

It's Julian. I'm real sorry for not writing sooner. We've been moving pretty quickly from place to place until we got to Oreburgh, and a lot has been going on. I'll try to summarize it without making this letter go on for ages.

Relief instantly spreads throughout Robert's body, before it's just as quickly replaced by excitement. Ha! That boy did remember to write! "Julian, you little squirt! Your fancy handwriting 'bout gave me a heart attack!" He scans the letter, which takes up the whole page. "Heh. Sure likes hearing himself talk, doesn't he?" The rancher grins at his Rapidash.

The horse's sigh is as fond as it is exasperated.

Me, Lulu, and another trainer we're traveling with named Paul stopped in Jubilife after we left Sandgem. I gotta tell you, being in such a big city after living in Sandgem for months was a bit of a shock, doubly so for Lulu. You remember what I said about aura, and how Lucario can naturally sense it? Sensing so many people and pokemon at once left her with a bit of a headache the first night.

Robert shakes his head. "Poor girl. Can't imagine what kind of migraine that would be. I get one just being in Jubilife."

She's tough, though, so after she got better, we went out and explored the city a bit. There is so much to do that it's insane. At the end of the night, we stopped by some sketchy gymnasium in a mall, and we met somebody pretty special. Can you guess who?

Aniki, my second pokemon.

The rancher pauses, trying to guess what kind of pokemon Julian would pick up, and why the name is so odd. "Must be a real character if he caught that boy's eye."

Stella nickers, as if saying, "That's an understatement."

Aniki is a Machoke, and he was helping his trainer run the gym. After meeting Lulu and I, Aniki's trainer, Mr. Darkholme, wanted Aniki to go with us. Apparently, Mr. Darkholme was the kind of guy who trained  with  his pokemon, kind of like I do, and was the trainer of Aniki's late father. After sustaining a nasty, permanent injury from a botched spar with Aniki's father, Mr. Darkholme retired and opened a gym, teaching trainers and Fighting-types that control of your strength is something to be taken seriously. In recent years, though, the gym hasn't been doing too hot, and is steadily going under. Apparently, Aniki has been taking the 'control' thing so seriously that he's stunting his own growth, because I managed to tag him pretty good in a spar. That pushed Mr. Darkholme to release Aniki and tell him to go live his own dream, and not feel obligated to stick around for a gym that's in the red.

After doing a bit of soul-searching, Aniki decided that he wanted to go with us, and I'm glad he did. He's a swell guy and I think that you would like him.

Robert sighs and rubs his forehead. This boy is going to collect nothing but characters, isn't he?

We also met Zoey, a pokemon coordinator in Jubilife. She and I did a few double battles together, and after seeing her in action, we went to go see the pokemon contest at the Jubilife Contest Hall. She did fantastic, winning the whole thing. After the show let out, she approached Paul, Lulu, and I, asking if she could tag along. Apparently, she did her last journey solo, and wants to try it with friends this time. Of course, we said yes. Paul's not too talkative of a guy, so having someone actually open to conversation that isn't a pokemon is a nice change.

Well, good on them! Robert only briefly met the Paul boy, but he looked like he could do with smiling a bit more.

Then we made our way to Oreburgh. Paul and I got yelled at by a cop for mounted pokemon racing in city limits, but thankfully we got let go without a ticket. Not a whole lot happened between then and waiting for my match at the Oreburgh Gym.

Bob, if you didn't see it on TV, we  swept .

"Dammit!" the rancher curses. He missed Julian and Lulu's debut! "I hope I set the TV box up right and it recorded the fight. I might need to call Lucas and see if he can help me find it on the Internet if not..." He looks at Stella. "Stella, can you remind me to dig out that old projector from the attic? We'll make a night of it and watch all of Lucas and Julian's fights on the side of the barn."

We took the whole match without losing a round. I can't tell you how good it felt. Aniki took down both Roark's Geodude and Onix, while Lulu crushed Roark's Cranidos without so much as a scratch. Paul had his match just earlier today and won too. We are going to rest up a bit before we decide where we're going next, but it's probably going to be Eterna City. The real big question is, do we cut north through the mountains directly to Eterna or head back to Jubilife and take the scenic route through Floaroma and Eterna Forest?

Robert's reply letter is already formulating in his head. Julian and his friends need to take the path through Eterna Forest. 'It was twenty years ago I went with Wilma through that forest, and it was breathtakin'. Not only that, there are lots of pokemon that a trainer might want. Julian will be kicking himself in the pants later if he doesn't go.'

Anyway, that's about everything that we've been up to. How are things back at the ranch? Anything new happen? Have you heard from your grandson, Lucas? The manager of the Oreburgh Gym said that he came through recently and beat Roark too.

Pride swells in Robert's chest. Lucas is doing the Johansson family proud. With his sponsorship from Professor Rowan, his big wins at the gyms, and how he dominates local tournaments on the way, the young boy is swiftly making a name for himself as a top contender for this year's Lily of the Valley Conference.

Lucas could write home more often, though…

Wishing you the best,
Julian & Lulu

(PS: Tell Stella and the Miltanks we said hi.)

His day brightened, Robert folds the letter and tucks it away into the pocket of his faded jeans. "Well, how about that?" he asks Stella, turning and petting the horse pokemon across her muzzle, making her lean into his touch. "At least the more danger-prone of the boys sends letters home."

"How fast do you think those courier Staraptors are?" Julian wonders as he, Lulu, and Aniki exit the Oreburgh post office, the bell upon the door jingling as it shuts behind them.

"Oh, they're quick," Aniki replies with a smile. "The only thing faster is teleporting right to who you want to talk to."

'Oh yeah, teleportation is real and feasible here.' Julian rubs his chin, wondering if he can make use of such a thing.

Beside him, Lulu smiles. "I take it we're off to investigate the aura to the north of town?" she asks.

Julian nods back, shelving his thoughts of teleportation for now. Turning, he begins to follow his aura sense to the north, prompting Lulu and Aniki to fall in step. "Yeah. Whoever it is, I'm really hoping it's a wild pokemon. With that sponsorship coming down the pipe, I think you two plus one more member would make a nice, even team. Most everyone seems to want to fight three on three at minimum."

"I can only wonder if there is significance to the number…" The Lucario touches a paw to her chin in thought, no doubt thinking of their match with Roark yesterday, and how they were nearly denied for not having a large enough team.

"Maybe not symbolic significance, but three pokemon is a common stopping point for a lot of trainers," Aniki chimes in, raising a hand and extending three fingers. "Three rides the middle ground between utility and burden for a lot of rookie trainers, who either don't have the time or resources to dedicate to a full team of six."

"That certainly makes sense," Lulu muses. "Ah, that reminds me. Julian, have you revised your list of favored candidates for the team?" she asks, turning her head to look at her trainer.

Julian thinks to himself for a moment. "Yeah, there are a few I would really like to have both for practical and…" He pauses, trying to think of an appropriate word. "…meta reasons. Mienshao are reportedly natural aura-users, so they're at the top of the list. Grapploct or Hawlucha for dedicated grapplers, Poliwrath, Chesnaught, and Blaziken for type coverage, Toxicroak for indirect fights, and Sirfetch'd, Primeape, Kommo-o, Bewear, and Medicham as wildcard picks." He hesitates slightly as he names Medicham. "Lulu?"

"Yes?"

"Can Lucario learn how to use Psychic abilities?"

If Julian remembers correctly, then in one of the old Pokemon movies, there was a Lucario who knew how to use telepathy. That falls under "Psychic", right?

Lulu blinks in reply. "I… I suppose we can. I believe that Heal Pulse is categorized as a Psychic technique, but I cannot say for certain whether or not I possess the talent to make use of more traditional Psychic abilities. It took weeks of instruction under Mother just for me to learn Heal Pulse." She crosses her arms under her chest spike and tilts her head, thinking. "I don't believe anyone in the pack knows telepathy or telekinesis, if that is what you wish to know."

'Damn.'

Julian suppresses a frown. "That's fair. If we come across an appropriate teacher, or maybe a TM, would you have any interest in learning?"

"If it would please you, then I am willing to try," she says, giving him a smile.

Julian's hidden frown morphs into an open grin, and he bumps his shoulder against Lulu's. "You're the best."

The conversation dies down, replaced with a companionable silence as the man and his two 'mon walk through the streets of Oreburgh, slowly meandering their way to the northeast. This gives Julian some time to think over the day and make plans.

Paul's battle against Roark was just a few hours ago, and after visiting with Ash and friends for a while, the two groups broke up and went their separate ways for now. Zoey then dragged Julian, Lulu, and Paul to a nearby restaurant for lunch to celebrate Paul's win at the gym. The place was obviously built with trainers in mind, considering the enlarged interior, the pokemon section of the menu, and the wince-inducing markup on the food.

Zoey released all her pokemon to join in, and Julian got Aniki to reluctantly join after assuring the brotherly fighter that money wasn't an issue. Paul…

Paul let Elekid and Chimchar join, keeping Azumarill and the rest of his team balled. Small steps, Julian rationalized. Certainly better than Paul not letting any of his team out, or just refusing the lunch outright.

For Julian, the highlight of the meal was definitely Lulu's curiosity over human cuisine and ordering sushi. He genuinely didn't mean to laugh when Lulu's broad paws struggled with a pair of chopsticks, but watching the supernaturally dexterous jackal pokemon actually struggle with something was surreal. The blonde teen did relent and help his starter once her flustered aura began to turn genuinely upset, though.

All in all, it was a fun time. After the food was had, and the bill was paid, everyone went off on their own, leading to now.

"Do we have any idea who this mystery aura signature is going to be?" Aniki asks as the shops on the street around them begin to thin out, leading to the industrial section of the city. "I really need to join you guys on that meditation stuff. The aura sensing thing sounds useful."

Lulu's muzzle rises into a smile, and her ruby eyes regard Aniki with clear approval. "We'd be delighted if you'd join us during our morning meditation, wouldn't we, Julian?"

"Oh yeah," the blonde agrees. "Once you can sense auras, it's like a whole new part of the world opens up to you. I don't think I can go back to living without it."

Ho, what an understatement that is. Working for the government made Julian quite adept at reading other people to ferret out lies and schemes, but even years and years of experience pales in comparison to reading aura. The feeling of certainty it brings is a treasure more valuable than anything. Without even meaning to, Julian focuses and reads both Lulu and Aniki.

Lulu, his partner, first pokemon, and best friend, is the same beacon of Friendship and confidence that she always is. He doesn't need to look any lower than the surface to see that selfless, heroic drive to be all she can be for the sake of everyone close to her, with Julian being at the top of that list. She's almost too good to be true, and her mere existence gives Julian faith in the benevolence of higher powers, something he's never had before.

Aniki, meanwhile, thrums with a protective concern for both Julian and Lulu. The potential for a daunting confrontation doesn't bother him nearly as much as the possibility of one of them being harmed. His is a different sort of heroism, one more quiet and nurturing.

To be able to tangibly feel such things, to know for certain that he is cared for, is something the displaced man still struggles to process.

Before too much time can pass, Julian returns to the present with a shake of his head, remembering Aniki's initial question. "To answer your question, though… I'm not really sure who the aura to the north is going to be," Julian finishes with a sheepish shrug. "It's definitely a pokemon from how strong it is. It feels like a Fighting-type, and it's been strangely immobile."

Aniki's mouth draws itself into a thin line. "That's all? It's not emitting any emotions, or whatever?"

In response, Lulu closes her eyes and focuses. Her dreadlocks free themselves from gravity for a moment and float, lifted by her aura, before falling limp again. "There is suspiciously little to feel now that you bring it up." She reopens her eyes and frowns. "Whoever it is, they're exceedingly calm or rather competent in masking their emotions."

'Exceedingly calm or good at masking themselves, huh?' Julian scratches his chin and narrows his eyes in thought. 'A Mienshao, maybe? That would be some crazy luck if it's a wild Mienshao.'

"That's not all, though." Lulu's frown deepens, and she begins to walk a bit faster. "I sense people ahead. Distressed people."

The street the trio are walking down makes a bend to the right, and when they turn the corner, all of them are treated to a sight that stops them in their tracks.

The road, which leads to Oreburgh's northern exit, is completely closed down. Illuminated signs saying "Road Closed" block the street, and police tape is stretched between two tall traffic cones, which are pulled off to the side of the road for now. Behind the closure signs are a police cruiser and an ambulance, where a few police, paramedics, and men in hazmat gear mill about. Lulu, Aniki, and Julian are just in time to watch a paramedic ease a pale, shaken man in hazmat gear to the ground, where he leans against the ambulance.

"Oh geez…" Aniki looks at the hubbub with a wince. "What's going on?"

'Great. I should have known that this was going to be more complicated than needed.' Julian sighs inwardly. "Only one way to find out. C'mon."

As they approach, a police officer emerges from the throng of people to confront them, and in a stroke of bad luck…

"You again?!"

… It's Officer Jenny, the same one who yelled at Paul and Julian for racing a few days ago.

"Yes, me," Julian bites out, doing his best to keep his temper even. He stops a few arms lengths away from the closure sign. "I'm not flying down the street at a hundred miles an hour, so you don't have anything to yell about."

Officer Jenny places her hands on her hips and gives Julian a hard stare. "Good. Now, what brings you here? The road is closed."

"I can see that." Julian's reply is as dry as the hide of a Sandshrew. "Why is it closed, and what's with the hazmat guys? Some kind of chemical spill?" From the corner of his eye, he can see Lulu growing antsy, so he clicks his tongue and throws the poor jackal a bone. "If anyone's really banged up, my Lucario knows Heal Pulse and can help out."

Jenny's intense eyes soften somewhat at the offer of help. "Thank you for the offer, young man, but thankfully everyone's more shaken than hurt. There was indeed a chemical spill a day ago," she says, taking a little notebook from her pocket and flipping it open. She scans the notes within with a nod. "A truck carrying a lot of used-up chemical sludge from a local ore refinery crashed and spilled its load. City workers mobilized and showed up this morning to clean up the spill, but it looks like a pokemon has made its home in the contaminated ditch where the truck crashed."

"And said pokemon didn't take too kindly to their eviction," Lulu finishes, watching another officer jot down the words of a frantic hazmat worker.

"I'm going to guess this pokemon isn't wanting to move?" Julian asks rhetorically, already seeing the answer on Jenny's face. "What kind of pokemon is cool with hanging out in refinery runoff?"

Jenny sighs. "We aren't sure," she admits reluctantly. "The pokemon in question is quite fast, and beat back everyone sent to dislodge it before we could get a solid look at it. We need to get this mess cleaned today, as rain is in the forecast tomorrow, and we can't let the rainwater spread the runoff." Jenny shakes her head, looking genuinely distressed. "We've been trying to reach Gym Leader Roark for help, but we're having trouble getting a hold of him."

'Dude probably cleaned up the rest of his challengers and went down into the mines again to dig up fossils,' Julian muses. 'Oh well. This gives us a perfect excuse to go investigate. If this mysterious pokémon and the aura are one in the same…'

"What if we go chase the pokemon off for you?" Julian offers, dialing up the charm in his grin to max. He reaches into his back pocket and withdraws a flat, silvery case a little bigger than a credit card. He flips it open and shows Jenny the Coal Badge inside. "Me and my pokemon beat Roark yesterday without losing a single round, so we're not pushovers."

The doubt in Jenny's eyes vanishes when she lays eyes on the shiny badge Julian presents.

'I need to thank Zoey for insisting I keep my badge case handy.'

The officer hesitates, then, "I suppose the longer we wait, the worse things get…" she mutters weakly. "Very well. Since you're a capable trainer, we'll let you take a crack at it," she says and beckons Julian, Lulu, and Aniki along. "We need to go over a quick briefing first!"

The 'quick' briefing is anything but. Jenny leads Julian's team to her overweight sergeant, the tired hazmat supervisor, a nervous-wreck of an official from City Hall, and a few of the people who rapidly decrease in importance as they're introduced. There is a lot of bickering and arguing over protocol, a bit of leadership jockeying, and a liability waiver is shoved in Julian's face by the City Hall official, only to be ripped away just as quickly by the red-faced, blustering police sergeant.

"What nonsense is this!?" the police sergeant seeths at the official. "You Ekans! The boy doesn't need to sign anything! Be grateful he wants to help!"

To Julian, who has only ever dealt with burnt-out or corrupt city cops, it's an immensely pleasant change of pace that a police officer is actually looking out for him. Not that he can be upset with the city official, as the guy's aura doesn't feel malicious at all, just overly nervous.

Eventually, though, a plan comes together.

1. Chase out or otherwise disable the hostile pokemon.
2. Signal the police and hazmat team to move in.
3. Stand guard as the worst of the spill is taken care of.

'We didn't need a committee of ten people to figure this out.' Julian clicks his tongue as the men and women around him reach a consensus and begin to back up. 'Some things never change.'

"Okay, Mister Angelo." Jenny smiles and hands Julian both a radio and a gas mask she took from her patrol car. "We'll leave you to it. Remember that the sludge is highly toxic, so don't let any get into your eyes or mouth, and don't breathe in the fumes! In the meantime, we're going to keep reaching out to Gym Leader Roark, just in case things go south."

"You can count on us, officer," Lulu says, raising a paw and clenching it into a resolute fist.

'Man, Lulu fits the hero stereotype to a T.'

As one, Julian's team all turn and begin the walk to the spill site several hundred yards up the road.

"So…" Julian begins, clipping the radio to his belt and brushing stray locks out of his face as he dons the borrowed gas mask. "Are we thinking Steel-type or Poison-type? Those are the only kind of pokemon that can hang around toxic waste and not have an awful time," he says, voice muffled by the mask.

Aniki reaches out and tightens the back straps of Julian's mask, pulling the blonde's ponytail free when one of the straps pins it awkwardly. "Hard to say," Aniki says. "Let's just be ready for anything."

A minute of walking later, and the tipped-over tanker truck Officer Jenny described comes into view. Just as the woman said, the tire tracks on the road tell a tale of the driver suddenly swerving to avoid something in the road, then tipping the whole rig over by accident. The scene is still littered with broken glass from the truck and metal shavings from where the tanker dragged across the asphalt before splitting open next to a drainage pipe.

As they look at the ditch along the side of the road, Lulu grasps her nose with a grimace.

The drainage ditch is filled with a noxious slurry with a color reminiscent of bile. Even after only a day of exposure, the grass along the side of the road has begun to wilt. The sludge is so thick that it's actually clogging the drainpipe it should be running off into.

Beside Julian, Aniki coughs and clears his throat, eyeballing the mess with disgust. "Oh man. The fumes are making my throat tingle," he says, turning and addressing Julian. "Jules, whatever you do, don't take off that mask. One breath will wreck your lungs in a hurry."

"Wasn't planning on it, bro…" Julian says back, focusing on his sixth sense. He can practically see a huddled outline beneath the pond of chemicals. "I can feel 'em. The pokemon is down in the sludge. Hey!" he suddenly calls. "Whoever is in there, we need to talk to you!"

At first, there is no reply, and then a few bubbles rise to the surface of the sludge. Below the bubbles, something within shifts.

In a flash, both Lulu and Aniki are in front of Julian, their fists raised.

Slowly breaching the surface, a dark blue frog-like head with droopy yellow eyes rises. The yellow eyes blink once, slowly and lethargically, as they unhurriedly scan the trio before them. The soupy mess shifts further as the head rises more, revealing a mouth seemingly set in an ill-humored grin and bright cheeks of orange.

'A Croagunk,' Julian realizes with a blink. 'That explains why the aura felt like a Fighting-type.'

"Oh?" Croagunk begins, masculine voice devoid of any tone or inflection, save the barest hint of amusement. "So this one wishes to speak? My, my, how courteous," he says, each word slow and deliberate. "Save your words, trainer. I don't care to hear them," he finishes, making his dismissal clear with how he slowly begins to sink.

"Oh no you don't!" Julian shoots back. "I think you'll care to hear what I have to say, and if you don't, we're going to be far less courteous."

Croagunk stops halfway, giving Julian a sharp, half-confused glare. "…Did you just…?"

"I can understand every word coming out of your mouth," Julian confirms, stepping forward so that he is shoulder-to-shoulder with Lulu and Aniki. "And I'm pretty sure you know why we're here."

With a great, heaving sigh, Croagunk raises his head once more. "Indeed I do. I've made my home here, as this little pond is quite pleasing to those with a discerning palate, and do not wish to move, so I shall tell you what I told every other unwelcome visitor." His eyes grow narrow. "Begone."

"I can't do that, man," Julian replies with a shake of his head. "The cleanup crew has to get in here and clear this mess out before it poisons the ground," he says, looking at the nearby tree line.

Yet another thing Julian likes about this world; people only take as much as they need from nature. While not a hippie or even particularly outdoorsy, he found it a little sad to see how much damage man had done to the world back on Earth.

That respect for the natural world here is evident with how close the tree line is to the road. The amount of foliage cleared out was only as much as needed, and not a tree more… But that also means that there is a lot more nature to be mindful of. With the tree line so close to the runoff ditch, it's only a matter of time before the mess seeps into the root network and causes havoc. If it's not cleaned up before the next rain, and the ditch overflows…

"C'mon, you know the spillage can't be good for anything around here," Julian tries to reason. "It's going to kill trees, poison the ground, make other pokemon sick, and it's going to be a lot worse if it doesn't get cleaned up before the next rain storm! Hell, people or pokemon could end up dead!"

Croagunk raises a single uncaring eyebrow. "And that is my problem how?"

The answer is so callous that Julian can't stop himself from gaping. It's an answer he would've expected out of another human, never a pokemon.

"You scoundrel!" Lulu blows up, her aura flaring like a bonfire with gasoline thrown on it, some of it radiating out of her in blue wisps. She clenches her fists, and grits her teeth. "You don't care at all?!"

Croagunk looks Lulu dead in the eye, his aura as flat and truthful as can be. "No."

The word is like a physical blow to the Lucario, who stumbles back a step in disbelief.

"Why should I?" Croagunk challenges, standing a little taller, his shoulders peeking out of the toxic gunk. "The other pokemon aren't me, so why should I care about them? What purpose do they serve to me?"

"A-Are you listening to yourself?!" Aniki exclaims, aghast. "Don't you have any empathy? What if you were the one to get sick because of someone else's negligence?! What if it happened to someone you cared about?!"

A shrug is Croagunk's answer. "If I fall ill and perish, then I have only myself to blame for being weak."

"And if someone you cared about fell ill?" Aniki asks once more, looking as if he dreads the answer.

"Are you thick? I already answered you." Croagunk shakes his head with a sigh. "If I fall ill and perish, then I have only myself to blame for being weak."

It takes a moment, but the implication finally hits Julian, and a cold feeling settles in his stomach. 'Arceus. Is this edge lord for real? What fucked him up so badly that he's doing lone wolf in a world where friendship equals power?' Julian wonders, silently reading the frog pokemon's aura.

Croagunk's aura is still utterly Zen-like. He fully believes every word he's spoken.

Julian looks at Aniki, seeing the tall fighter's face frozen in shock. When he looks at Lulu, the burning anger he expected isn't there.

No. On Lulu's face is pity. The fire is gone from her eyes, replaced with a profound melancholy.

The pokemon still submerged in the chemical spill shakes his head. "Are we quite done?"

"No. No, we're not…" Julian mutters, signaling Aniki to step back. "You can't stay here, Croagunk. Hell, why make a home in a contaminated ditch of all things? Don't you have a better place to stay?"

Croagunk chuckles, and it's a dry, humorless sound. "Oh, I did. Once upon a time," he says, his eyes narrowing. "In the past, I lived in the marshes of Pastoria with the rest of my ilk. Ours was the largest colony within the Great Marsh. With our size came the safety of the many, and the squabbles of those who desired power."

As he speaks, Croagunk begins to rise out of the toxic soup where he is sitting, slowly walking up the incline of the ditch.

"Words have always been more important than might to my kind, but never did we allow ourselves to grow weak and soft… Until now." Croagunk sneers. "Pale-fingered fools who spent too much time around humans wurmpled their way into the inner circle of the Alpha male, using pretty words and platitudes to get their way, for they had no will to fight nor bleed."

By now, Croagunk is stepping onto the grass, bile-like chemicals sliding off of his body and pooling at his feet.

"One night, deep within the southern mangroves did I uncover a plot," Croagunk continues, sighing. "Treason, I believe the human word is, and how ugly it is upon the lips. The Alpha's second planned on that night for supporters of his to begin openly questioning the leadership of our Alpha. Should it result in a shift in power, or a schism, they did not care, for the gallant traitor would be there to restore order and condemn the Alpha for allowing such unrest in the first place."

All of the toxic slurry has dripped off of Croagunk, revealing his squat form. Upon his body are small scars here and there, not enough to notice at first glance, but enough to be proof of his nature as a fighter.

"I confronted the traitor, soft and weak as a hatchling." Croagunk slowly raises an arm, showing Julian, Lulu, and Aniki his hand. When the frog pokemon squeezes his fingers together, a thick drop of purple oozes from his dark orange middle finger before dripping to the ground.

The drop of poison hisses and smokes when it hits the ground, burning away the grass and dirt. As if death itself touched the ground, the grass all around the drop turns brown and crumbles, leaving nothing behind in a circle several inches across.

"I demanded satisfaction from him for his transgressions, and he agreed. He wore great, shameful marks for his loss." Croagunk's eyes shine cruelly before he tempers himself. "Do you know how I was repaid for preventing a coup? I was banished. Banished from the marsh, all because the traitor cried of brutality, of an unprovoked attack. Not only could he not fight, he could not accept the consequences of his own actions, either." Yellow eyes narrow down to slits. "None took my side. Not 'friends', not 'family', and even my mate looked at me with doubt before condemning me. None bothered to see past the lies or hear my pleas. You wish to know why I am here, why I do not care that I am putting others in peril, trainer?" he asks, staring Julian straight in the eye. "I am here because I am a wanderer without a home. I do not care because I opened my eyes and saw the world as it truly is. The only love that is true, the only love that matters, is the love that exists for one's own life. This, I know to be fact."

Both Lulu and Aniki are stunned silent by the tirade. Neither can form words, and Lulu stares at Croagunk as Aniki slowly shakes his head.

Julian, try as he might to think of a good retort, slips and lets the first words to come to mind slip through. "Arceus, damn you are fuckin' stupid."

Croagunk's eyes sharpen. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Julian points an accusing finger at the frog pokemon. "You heard me, and don't act like you didn't! It sounds like you just had some shitty friends. Pal, your situation sucks, but declaring that love and friendship is fake is the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time. It's real, and it affects you more than you could possibly know."

Corakgunk's face hardens. "And what would you know, oh wise trainer, about such matters? You can't be any older than sixteen springs."

'Holy hell, he actually hit me with the 'what would you know' line with a straight face.' Julian would have rubbed a hand down his face if not for his mask. "Look, how about a wager?"

"A wager?" Croagunk crosses his arms. "What could we possibly have to wager about?"

Julian points to the toxic spillage behind Croagunk. "We need to clean that up, and whether it's by hook or by crook, you need to leave, so here's what I'm proposing. If Lulu here can beat you, I capture you to prove to you that your gloom and doom 'friendship is fake' shit is wrong. If you win, we take off and tell everyone waiting for us that it's hopeless to get you out of here."

"And if I don't participate in this little wager?" The Poison pokemon raises an eyebrow.

"You still get your ass beat, but we dump you somewhere else so you can stew in your own misery," Julian replies back.

Croagunk huffs, amusement creeping back into his voice. "Very well. Challenge accepted. I look forward to seeing you broken at my feet." Then, without waiting a second longer, he springs backwards with a powerful leap, back flipping through the air towards a tree along the road. Once his feet meet a low branch, he springboards back forward as a blur of blue.

'Shit! Ever heard of a start signal?!' Julian inwardly curses. He quickly pulses his aura, relaying everything important that he can to Lulu. Poison/Fighting. Weak to Ground. Resists Fighting.

Acknowledged! she sends back, just barely dodging a flying palm thrust from Croagunk.

The frog pokemon agilely twists and lands on his feet, rushing back in to meet Lulu with a grin on his face.

In response, Lulu forms a glowing, blue Bone Rush staff between her paws and bats away a chop from Croagunk.

The frog and the jackal find themselves locked in a deadly dance. Lulu's Steel typing means she's going to resist any poisons slung at her, but that apparently bothers Croagunk none, as he practically lives within Lulu's guard, jabbing at her with lightning fast attacks. Each time Croagunk's fingers graze Lulu's fur, the poison oozing from his fingers burns away her hair, but thankfully leaves the steely skin beneath unscathed.

'I can barely help with this one…' Frustration gnaws at Julian as he watches the pair of pokemon exchange blows. Instead of despairing, he tries to analyze how Croagunk is fighting, hoping to find a weakness.

The blue frog is fast. Not only are his movements quick, but his reactions are absolutely blistering. Every time Lulu is about to land a worthwhile blow, Croagunk either twists out of the way or parries the incoming attack with a webbed hand. His eyes are always shifting between Lulu's forepaws, hindpaws, and her staff, never focusing on her body or face like a professional fighter should, yet he holds his own despite it all. To top it all off, Croagunk's punches and chops always gravitate towards a vulnerable area, like the kidneys or throat, despite him paradoxically focusing on Lulu's limbs. The sheer calm of his aura makes it damn near impossible to read, so trying to predict his attacks is just not happening.

The most puzzling thing, however, is Croagunk's completely bizarre guard. Or lack thereof.

The Poison pokemon's arms are all wrong, leaving glaring holes in his guard that any amateur should be able to exploit, yet…

Croagunk once more leaves his left side completely open, and Lulu, gritting her teeth, swings her Bone Rush in a telegraphed right-hand feint, before rapidly transitioning into a thrust at Croagunk's left side.

The frog smirks, grabbing the staff and giving it a yank so Lulu overextends. His other hand then buries itself in Lulu's stomach in a wicked knifehand.

"Ka-haaa!" Lulu's eyes bulge as all of the breath is driven from her lungs. Her Bone Rush is dropped from her limp fingers and vanishes as she's thrown onto her back, rolling across the ground.

"Lulu!" The cry bursts from Julian's mouth on total accident, and only Aniki's hand on his shoulder keeps him from trying to jump in himself.

Croagunk leaps after the Lucario. As he flies through the air, Croagunk's throat begins to swell, and after taking a gurgling breath, he fires a Mud Bomb down at his prone foe.

Lulu sucks in a harsh breath then rolls out of the way, letting the Mud Bomb crash into the ground like a cannonball. Ignoring the flecks of hardened dirt bouncing off of her, Lulu jumps back to her feet and raises her fists just in time to deflect a knifehand that would have jabbed her in the windpipe. In her haste to deflect that strike, though, she fails to do anything about the chop to her kidney, which leaves her wincing. With Croagunk now in her face, Lulu isn't given any time to form a new staff, and she instead has to fight her bizarre opponent hand-to-hand.

'He's baiting her…' Julian realizes, trying to calm his heart. 'Croagunk's guard isn't wrong by mistake, it's wrong on purpose! That son of a bitch! Lulu hasn't ever gone toe-to-toe with something like this before!' Julian bites his lip and tries to think of a way out of this mess. 'We don't have a good way to bleed him and there's no telling if he can outlast Lulu, so it looks like we're doing this the simpleton way. With any luck, actually calling out the attacks will give Lulu the Named Attack boost she desperately needs.'

"Lulu! The holes in his guard are bait! All of it is bait!" Julian hollers. "You need to outspeed him or blow completely through his guard! Use Power-up Punch!"

Lulu's clenched fists begin to crackle with off-red Fighting energy, and Julian can see the exhaust wisps seeping into her arms. With a roar, she throws a humongous punch square at Croagunk's face.

Raising his hands near instantly, Croagunk deflects the punch with a slap. "Please, you'll need to – "

"Again!" Julian calls

"–do better than tha-!"

Croagunk is almost slugged by the follow-up punch, and only a near-instantaneous deflection saves him from a broken jaw.

"Whatever you do, don't let up!" Julian orders from the sideline. "Don't even give him a chance to breathe! Force him to put everything into getting out of the way!"

Lulu grunts, drawing her fist back again and rushing Croagunk furiously.

Smack!

Smack!

SMACK!

SMACK!

With every punch deflected, Lulu only strikes harder and faster, growing stronger and stronger the longer Power-up Punch is active. What started as crackles around her fists have grown into roaring, jet-like auras. Julian can see Lulu's paws begin to steam from Power-up Punch vaporizing her sweat.

Croagunk's grin is gone, replaced with a grimace as he transitions away from deflecting to simply backpedaling.

Then in a dirty move Julian kicks himself for not anticipating, Croagunk slings a hand forward, shooting a spray of noxious purple droplets right into Lulu's eyes.

"Gaaaah!" Lulu cries, letting one of her Power-up Punches fade to reflexively paw at her face. "Damn it!"

Croagunk doesn't waste the opportunity and launches himself forward. "Steel-types, always such a pain," he sneers. "You'll find that poison as potent as mine will still hurt, even if it cannot ravage your insides. No matter, I am content breaking what is on the outside." He raises a glowing red hand. "Brick Break!"

Croagunk chops Brick Break right into Lulu's jaw, and Julian's own jaw aches when he hears a low crack! The blow has such strength that Lulu would have been thrown off her feet if she didn't instinctively brace herself.

Lulu staggers back, spitting a glob of red onto the ground, but she doesn't let herself remain idle and reignites Power-up Punch. Even with her burning eyes closed, her aura flares, and her fist rockets toward Croagunk's face, guided by her sixth sense.

Ducking the fist with less than an inch to spare, Croagunk sighs. "Ah, yes. Aura. Now I remember what your ilk are famed for… No matter," he says, slipping a glowing red hand behind his back. This time, rather than dodge completely, Croagunk allows Lulu's fist to just barely graze his cheek.

The red aura around Croagunk's hand surges.

'Revenge? Can Croagunk learn Revenge?' Julian's eyes widen as he figures out what Croagunk is aiming to do. 'Revenge increases in power every time the user gets hit, it doesn't care what the actual damage is, just that the user sustained some kind of damage! He's going to go for a one-hit knock-out once Revenge is juiced enough! We need to end this now!'

"Lulu! We need to end this now!" Julian yells at the top of his lungs. He shuts his eyes for a moment, mustering up every bit of feeling he can for her.

Lulu, his first pokémon.

Lulu, the one who believes in him the most.

Lulu, his first and truest friend.

Lulu, without whom, life wouldn't be the same.

"Take him down in one hit! I believe in you!" Julian puts everything he can into his cry.

Croagunk scoffs as he hears the words. "I don't think – "

Brilliant blue aura explodes off of Lulu in waves, and before Croagunk can even think of uttering another word, a furry, gauntlet-armored fist is buried in his solar plexus.

"Rraaaaaggghhh!" the Lucario roars, throwing all her weight into her punch and lifting Croagunk from the ground

The strike throws a shockwave that blows away the dirt around Lulu's hindpaws and knocks loose leaves from the nearby trees. When it hits Julian, he can feel the concussive blast rattle his bones.

For a moment, time seems to freeze with a shocked Croagunk suspended by Lulu's fist, then the frog is launched across the ground like a rock skipped across a lake, bouncing several times and dragging a trench behind him. He skids across the ground, tumbling to a stop on his back.

Lulu, her steaming fist still extended, pants as if she had just run a marathon with a boulder strapped to her back.

"Holy…" Aniki gapes behind Julian. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah…" A grin stretches across Julian's face. "Yeah, I did," he says, marching up to Lulu's side.

Lulu's aura fades, and she pulls her fist back before falling to her knees, wiping her eyes. "Goodness." She winces, holding her bruised side. "I wasn't expecting him to be that tough."

"Me neither," Julian replies, smiling. Trying to be mindful of Lulu's injuries, he kneels at her side and beckons Aniki over. "Aniki, can we get some water to flush her eyes?"

The Machoke is by Julian and Lulu's side in a hurry. Gently taking Lulu's head, he tilts her face towards the sky and holds a fist over her, charging an Ice Punch. Frost builds around the large fist before the technique fails, letting droplets of cool water drip into Lulu's squinting eyes. Once most of the burning purple is washed from her bloodshot eyes, Lulu stands unsteadily.

'One of those bottomless Silph Co backpacks is next on my list,' Julian swears to himself, watching as Lulu exhausts herself further by repairing her jaw with Heal Pulse. 'I need to be able to carry Potions and everything else my team needs with me all the time.'

Once Julian's starter pokemon is finished healing her fractured jaw, Julian quickly steps in and allows her to lean on him. "Hot damn, Lulu. You really went above and beyond," he says, wrapping her in a one-armed hug.

The Lucario huffs. "It was either win and fulfill our obligation to the spillage cleanup crew, or lose and return in shame. I won't allow something like a tricky opponent to turn me into a liar."

"Speaking of said opponent." Julian looks over to where Croagunk lies. "Let's go see how he's doing."

With Lulu leaning on Julian and a watchful Aniki bringing up the rear, the three cautiously make their way over to Croagunk. When they arrive, Croagunk is someway, somehow, still conscious.

Drawing shallow, painful breaths, Croagunk turns his eyes to them. "This…" He takes as deep a breath as he can, wincing. He tries to stand, but gives up with a wheeze. "This was not what I expected."

"It is what I expected," Julian says, pulling the gas mask off his face and crouching down to the injured pokemon's side. "I'm telling you, friendship is the furthest thing from fake. Now, do you want to see it firsthand?" he says, taking the empty pokeball from his belt and holding it out to Croagunk.

The poison-type's brows furrow. "What are you…" He pauses to take another wheezy breath. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I'm not a complete dick; I'm not going to force you to join my team if you really, really don't want it." Julian rolls the ball in his fingers. "You can lead a Ponyta to water, but you can't force him to drink. I know that you're wrong, and I know that for a fact, but unless you're the kind of guy who is okay with being proven wrong, then what's the point?"

"I see you listened to not a word I said, if you believe I wasn't willing to accept the consequences of my loss." Croagunk coughs and shakes his head. "What's your name, trainer?"

Julian taps his chest with a finger. "Julian Angelo, Fighting-Type Specialist now, and greatest trainer who has ever lived later."

"Julian Angelo…" Croagunk tests the name. "Listen well, Julian Angelo. You'll learn the greatest part of being a pessimist is you are only either correct, or pleasantly surprised, and it's often the former," he says, slapping a hand on the pokeball in Julian's hand.

The ball snaps open and sucks Croagunk inside in a flash of light. When the capsule snaps back shut, it doesn't even shake in the blonde's hand before making a quiet ding!

"Preaching to the choir yet again, pal," Julian snorts, pressing the button and shrinking the ball. "Start thinking of a name in there, the history books need something to know you by."

The aura inside the ball swells, then contracts, as if letting out a regret-filled sigh.

Chapter Text

Entry #13: Pokemon and People.

I'm not a sociologist or anything, but it's hard not to want to learn more about the dynamics and whatnot of a world with more than one sapient species. Pokemon change just about every aspect of life, from big to small, and often in ways I didn't expect. I know I've learned a lot of new words with all my research and stuff, but I bet I'll need to come back and touch up this entry when I know more technical terms.

Anyway, everyone knows about the most basic of basic human/pokemon partnerships, that being pokemon and trainers. The trainers get fame and fortune, and the pokemon get all of their fundamental needs fulfilled, along with strength (something all pokemon seem to instinctively crave) and new foes to test that strength on. Along the way, everyone gets to be good friends, have some  Shared Struggles , and learn about themselves. It's a grand old time. Most people and pokemon are just programmed to like each other, so the friendship that results here is seldom forced.

Then there is the more mundane stuff. A lot of pokemon can replace machines or even fulfill various industrial niches that are impossible otherwise, so businesses love having pokemon around. The many Aggron and Lairon employed in the Oreburgh mine are a good example. They don't need the maintenance of heavy machinery, can follow complex instructions, and can make critical judgment calls, which is something great to have in a dangerous environment like a mine. I got to speak with one of the mine workers briefly, and he explained how the pokemon on-site aren't subordinates. In some cases, they're actually their superiors.

One of the Aggron was actually a mine safety inspector, and he used his own body as a giant measuring tool. He'd lumber down the tunnels carefully judging everything around him, making sure the walls weren't too close or too far from his shoulders, and the ceiling wasn't raised too high or too low. If Inspector Aggron indicated that a tunnel was out of spec or wasn't safe, the miners got out like hell was on their heels. No questioning, no backtalk, they simply listened. They trusted him to know better, and their work is all the better for it.

And then there are "those" kinds of human/pokemon relationships.

I ended up using a portion of the prize money I won from Roark on a new phone, as my old one was a piece of shit that barely worked. Armed with a browser that didn't crash the device half the time, I did a bit of digging (after setting up a VPN to cover my tracks) to see how accepted "that" kind of stuff is.

Short answer? It's more common than you'd think.

I'll be honest, I was shocked. The world has operated firmly on  Shonen  so far, and the lack of accidental breast grabs and mistaken shower walk-ins reinforced that. I guess I've been so caught up in trainer life that I straight-up forgot that sex was a thing.

Okay, not really. Puberty sucked the first time, and it sucks the second time. I guess the problem there is that I'm fifteen, and the girls interested in me are  also  around fifteen. I don't mind them admiring me, because I look  good.  Who wouldn't be 'mirin? Regardless of my bodily age, I'm still actually thirty, so teen girls are a bit of a turnoff because of the creep factor.

Getting back on track, I was surprised. There are forums, image boards, and other places all dedicated to the topic of not-so-forbidden love. Everyone does their best to remain in their little containment zones and not bring up the subject anywhere unless it's explicitly allowed, which is nice of them. Considering these are the first places that I've seen such things, I say they've been successful.

I went deeper, and on the 4th page of results, there it was: a porn site featuring pokemon, the first one I've seen in this world. I opened it up, morbidly curious.

The website asked for my ID to verify my age, as it had a big billboard pop-up saying it had to verify me for legal reasons and wouldn't let me continue until I did.

Ha, I don't think so!

The website wasn't designed very well, so I was able to slip past just by blocking the element in the webpage responsible for the pop-up. After reloading the page, I was in.

For the shocking content it hosted, the website was kinda underwhelming. There were fewer videos than expected, the layout was clumsy, the QoL nonexistent, and the content was vanilla and amateurish. In retrospect, I'm not surprised. Porn in general is probably seen as naughty and deviant by most of the population here, so there is low demand, and what is available isn't the best. That's fine with me. No foot weirdos poisoning my internet is great.

My curiosity died when I saw a video thumbnail with a Lucario on it, though.

I closed the site before any funny thoughts could take root. We are  not  going there. Hell no. Lulu is my best friend and I am not about to fuck that up with any weird ideas. Not only is she a pokemon, she's too good for someone like me, anyway.

"Here you are, Mister Angelo. Your Croagunk should be in top form!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Julian grins and accepts the pokeball handed to him. "I hope he didn't give you too much trouble because he was pretty fight-y as I caught him."

"He was an angel," the nurse smiles.

Beside Julian, Lulu scoffs. "An angel? Not the word I would use," she murmurs. "My eyes still itch from his poison."

"Now, is there anything else I can do for you today?" Nurse Joy asks. When Julian shakes his head, she bids them farewell. "Have a wonderful day!"

Julian turns and waves goodbye over his shoulder, Lulu following along after him. Together, they exit the Oreburgh Pokemon Center, and Julian's feet start towards the east, where he feels no human auras in the forested expanse around town. The hand not holding Croagunk's pokeball dips into his pocket, where he withdraws his phone and sends both Paul and Zoey a text message.

Julian: New pkmn I got yesterday is out of the pc. Going to somewhere with no bystanders for meet-n-greet cuz he might be in a bad mood. Back later.

He only needs to wait a moment for the replies.

Zoey: Be safe! C U later!

Paul: ok

Lulu takes notice, and Julian sees her squint her red eyes as she looks at the phone screen. She visibly struggles to read the words he typed out.

'I really need to make time to resume Lulu's reading lessons,' Julian frowns. 'I feel like an ass for forgetting.'

After a second of sounding out words under her breath, Lulu speaks. "We're not going to go watch Ash Ketchum's gym battle?" She asks with a tilt of her head.

Julian shakes his head in reply. "Nah. I have a decent idea of how it's going to turn out, and I did say that there was no guarantee that we would show up. I think the affairs of our own team are more important," he explains, lifting Croagunk's ball for emphasis.

The Lucario nods, easily accepting his words.

Man and pokemon fall into a companionable silence as they walk. Around them, the people walking the early morning streets thin out as they approach the outskirts of town. The silence, however, leaves Julian alone with a wily foe: his own thoughts. 'I really hope that Croagunk isn't going to be a constant drama queen. He's a good fighter, and I would hate to have to let him go just because we can't find a way to mesh him into the team. We'll have to test that nutty fighting style of his. Purposely leaving your guard wide open to bait the other pokemon is suicidally risky, but it worked so good on Lulu. Shit, with some good training and archetype building, he could become a real menace.' The blonde teen then goes back to Croagunk's words the day prior. 'The whole spiel about how friendship and love are fake…' He pauses.

That sounds like something Julian himself would have said a scant six months ago, before he was seemingly gifted a do-over of his life.

'For all I know, it really was fake in my past life. If it wasn't, does that mean that there was something wrong with me? Is there something still wrong with me?' The thought is disquieting. He physically shakes his head, chasing the thought away. 'No. No, there can't be. I have Lulu, Aniki, Zoey, and even Paul despite him being a bit of a bastard. They're my friends, and I can feel it. I can feel the Friendshipbetween us. Lulu showed me what it felt like…'

Remembering the fateful night months ago when he and Lulu clasped hands, officiating the beginning of their bond, it makes Julian's stomach warm yet light.

Perhaps it doesn't matter if it was real before, because he has it now, and it feels incredible.

And he has Lulu to thank for it.

"Julian?"

The blonde teen blinks his eyes as Lulu's voice snaps him out of his thoughts, realizing that his aura has been spiking wildly, almost enough for wisps of blue to escape his skin. He takes a deep breath and calms himself, then turns his head towards Lulu. "Yeah?"

"Are you well? Your aura was all over the place," she asks, expression morphing into concern. "If something is troubling you, I would be happy to listen."

Julian smiles and waves her off, the warmth in his chest returning. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how we met, and how lucky I am to have you. If I'm being honest with you, I feel like I was barely living before we started this adventure together, and I don't think I could go back to life before this."

On his chest, his keystone visibly sparkles.

The Lucario's eyes widen a fraction, and a faint pink blush bleeds through the fur of her face. Her surprise swiftly transforms into a small, gentle smile, and then Julian's sixth sense lights up as he feels that mysterious Something inside of her once more.

The Something is impossible to miss, for it's like a pure diamond catching sunlight, captivating in its beauty and drawing notice unchallenged. The tiny, occasional flashes of the Something Julian feels from her and the giddy, lighter-than-air sensation that sweeps through him as a result is beginning to drive him mad. Oh, he wants more, but he doesn't know what it is or why an unnatural hesitation rides the coattails of his desire for more.

"I sometimes have the same thought," Lulu quietly admits, her smile growing a smidgen. "I think – Well, no. I don't think, I know I wouldn't be as strong as I am now were I still back home, nor as well learned. In these last few months, I feel as if I've grown so much as both a warrior and a person. And…" Her paw slowly, hesitantly reaches out, and takes his hand. "…I certainly wouldn't be as happy. Not without you."

A jolt runs from Lulu's paw, through Julian's hand and into the rest of his body as quick as a lightning strike. Unbidden, his face grows warm, and the Something shining in Lulu's soul grows even brighter.

How can a callused paw be so soft? Arceus above, he wants  more.

"Y-Yeah," Julian smiles, struggling to keep his composure. "Same here."

The Lucario next to him smiles a little brighter.

Lulu doesn't let go of his hand, and he can't let go of her paw, so for the last few moments of their walk, they do so hand-in-hand.

When they do eventually find a forest clearing, Julian reluctantly releases the paw in his grip, and in doing so, is hit with a sobering clarity, like ice water thrown over him. He subtly shakes his head. 'What the hell was going on there? Was the Something doing that to me?' He puts it aside for now, but silently reminds himself to look into it later.

"Alright," Julian takes Aniki and Croagunk's pokeballs in hand and tosses them both high. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Both balls snap open, each one depositing a mass of white light on the ground. When the lights fade, Aniki and Croagunk are left behind.

"Jules," Aniki greets with a smile, throwing the teenager a two-finger salute.

"It's about time…" Croagunk grumbles. The frog pokemon crosses his arms over his chest, which is devoid of any bruising or discoloration from the cannon-like punch Lulu struck him with yesterday. "The pink woman and her minions were overbearing."

Julian hums under his breath, inspecting Croagunk. "You have to admit that they do good work, though. You're looking pretty good for a guy who got slugged by a pissed-off Lucario."

Croagunk merely shrugs. "So, trainer," he begins, adding a mocking amount of emphasis to 'trainer', "what is it you have planned for me today? Am I to slay your foes? Perform a song and dance, perhaps?" He asks, rolling his eyes.

Croagunk's words draw a frown from Aniki and Lulu. "I'm not sure what kind of misconceptions you've got, but that's not how it works," Aniki says, planting his massive fists on his hips. "Especially not with us and Jules."

The frog merely raises an eyebrow. How he can make such a small gesture look insulting is a mystery.

"C'mon, man," Julian sighs. "Hear me out before you assume the worst. I gave you the friendship spiel yesterday, so at least let me put it into practice before you judge. If you end up being miserable, just tell me and I'll let you go."

"Very well…" Croagunk reluctantly agrees. "I am listening."

Julian clasps his hands together with a grin. "Firstly, I'd like to know your move pool. That'll help me help you with strategizing and planning for encounters. I prefer letting my team do their own thing in fights, with me only making callouts as necessary. After that, I'd like to have a spar between you and me, so I can get a real good idea of how you fight. Once that's done, we need to decide on a name for you."

If Croagunk's expression was any flatter, one would swear that he was smacked in the face with a frying pan. "A human and pokemon? Fighting? Don't make me – "

Julian swings his arm, launching a tennis ball sized Aura Sphere right at Croagunk's feet.

"– Laugh?" Croagunk's eyes widen as the blue ball flies toward him. He leaps backwards, making safe distance as the Aura Sphere hits the ground and explodes like a grenade, throwing grass and turned earth all around.

As the remnants of the explosion echo off the surrounding trees, Croagunk narrows his eyes, surveying the pockmark in the ground intently. He then turns his wary, yellow eyes to Julian.

"You're going to be a better fighter than me, that much is certain," Julian lowers his arm, hiding how his hand is shaking from the steep cost of that one mediocre attack. "If you think I'm not going to put up a worthwhile fight, though, then you're wrong. I train with my pokemon."

It takes a moment for Croagunk to answer, and when he does, it's slow and deliberate. "Very well," he replies. "I'll 'play ball,' as you humans say. If you wish to know my repertoire, then listen carefully: I have mastered Poison Sting, Taunt, Double Team, Feint Attack, Revenge, Brick Break, Mud Bomb, Rain Dance, and Poison Jab."

Julian nods along, doing his best to dedicate the moves to memory. "Not a bad lineup. I'll see if I can't get you something like Dark Pulse so you can deal with Psychics at range. Psychics are strong against both Fighting and Poison, right?" He asks, looking between Lulu and Aniki.

"Yep!" Aniki nods.

"Great!" Julian grins. "Now, time for the fun part."

The blonde teenager shrugs off his backpack and removes his Keystone necklace, handing both to Lulu. He ignores the tingling sensation when their hands briefly touch, and kicks off his boots and socks. Once he partially rolls up the legs of his jeans, he steps forward and falls into the starting stance of the Lucario style. "First knockdown, no projectiles or poison?"

"Agreeable," Croagunk rises to the challenge with a smirk. He settles into his own bizarre stance, one riddled with holes ripe to be exploited, about fifty feet away. "Show me what you're capable of, trainer."

'That's the same form he used on Lulu, one filled with holes to bait counterattacks,' Julian thinks to himself. He lets his aura churn under his skin, filling him with that euphoric feeling of supernatural might. 'Fine then. I'll just let him have the first move. We'll see how effective he is when I'm not jumping into it.'

At first, no one moves. Ten seconds stretch into thirty, and then thirty seconds into a minute. A breeze blows through the clearing, making the grass and loose leaves dance. The entire time, Croagunk's eyes are locked onto Julian's.

As the five-minute mark begins to near, Julian fidgets. 'How long is he going to stand there? He can't be patient enough to – '

Julian's aura-fueled instincts scream.

Throwing himself to the side, Julian avoids a webbed hand that slipped right past his guard and nearly collapsed his windpipe with a brutal knife-strike. 'Arceus! He is –'

In a flash, Croagunk is in Julian's face again, and the teen throws a palm strike that could shatter concrete.

Almost in slow motion, Julian watches Croagunk push his wrist to the side with infuriating ease, redirecting the palm strike and overbalancing Julian. Croagunk's hand blurs again, and Julian throws his entire body into a somersault, following the momentum of his botched attack. As he rolls forward, he lashes out with a kick aimed at Croagunk's face.

The frog leans back just enough, letting Julian's rising heel miss his chin by less than an inch.

'–fucking fast…' Julian finishes his aborted thought, flipping to his feet and whirling to face Croagunk, only to find his foe missing. "Where the hell?"

Once more, his aura frazzles itself in warning, and he ducks, letting a webbed hand sail through where his head occupied a split-second prior. Without looking, he lashes out behind him with a kick and hits nothing but air. He turns again, finding Croagunk only inches away and –!

WHAM!

Julian coughs out an explosive gasp as he nearly folds around the knife hand planted in his gut.

"Hrm…" Croagunk seems bored on the surface, but his eyes are calculating. "Better than the average human, I suppose."

Julian grits his teeth and clenches a fist, but before he can swing, Croagunk leaps backward out of range. He takes up his hole-filled stance once more.

With a growl, Julian pushes his aura to flow faster. Wisps of blue radiate out from his skin, and the pain from Croagunk's strike has the edge taken off of it. "Damn," he says, shaking his head. "Your senses and reactions are something else. I've never seen someone so dedicated to counterattacking, let alone someone who leaves themselves so wide open to bait attacks. You're damn fast on the offensive, too."

"I have cultivated a potent poison to debilitate my opponents, but I am not so foolish as to rely on one method of attack." Croagunk answers, shifting his stance slightly. "My kind are not afforded great reach or overwhelming power, so when my poison is not an option, I will create a new vulnerability in my foe. I've seen few who can strike and defend at the same time."

Taking a deep breath, Julian bounces on the balls of his feet, tightening his guard up. "You really were the best fighter in your colony, weren't you? That's good. Where we are going, we're going to need that skill."

"Oh?" Croagunk raises an eyebrow. "And where, trainer, are we going?"

"It's not obvious?" Julian tilts his head with a smirk. "Together, we're going to the top."

The frown that tugs at Aniki's face slowly begins to ease as he watches Julian and Croagunk launch into another furious clash. The tall fighter can't say that he cares for the frog's attitude, but Croagunk's skills are undeniable. Julian is one of the most slippery, unpredictable fighters that Aniki has ever encountered, but Croagunk keeps pace easily.

Out in the field, Croagunk ducks a kick that would have sent him sprawling, then jumps when Julian abruptly twirls and swings his other leg in a low kick. Croagunk throws his own kick in retaliation, aiming to bust Julian across the jaw. The boy ducks, then steps forward with a rising uppercut.

'That one should hit,' Aniki thinks. 'Croagunk is still midair and doesn't have the time to wind up for an evasive maneuver.

Croagunk coils his body like an accordion and leans back. Reaching a foot out, he catches Julian's fist and then pushes, springboarding himself away. He backflips through the air and lands safely on his feet.

'…Or not…' Aniki blinks.

Julian doesn't give Croagunk any time to breathe and moves in as a blonde blur, one that Croagunk is prepared for. The air is filled with the sound of melee as the teenager and pokemon launch into a blistering exchange. Fists and palms meet half a dozen times a second as both attempt to overwhelm the other without opening themselves up. Croagunk's visage remains cool, while sweat is running down Julian's forehead.

"Trainer," Croagunk speaks up, deflecting a palm strike and launching one of his own. "I have explained my abilities to you, yet you have not done the same for me. Seems unfair, no?"

"Hah, fuck!" Julian just barely manages to block a strike from Croagunk. "If you got questions – " Julian jabs at Croagunk's face, only to be parried, "– then ask. I'm listening."

Croagunk manages to sneak a Seviper-like strike past Julian's guard, grazing Julian's kidney and drawing a grunt from the blonde boy. "That was an Aura Sphere that you threw at me earlier. How did you learn such a thing?"

A grin rises to Julian's face, despite how he's slowly losing ground. "My best friend is a Lucario and you ask me how I know how to use aura? I told you, man, real friendships can open a lot of doors."

For a moment, Aniki goes back to the conversation shared between himself and Julian last night.

"…And that's about everything," Julian lets out a sigh and leans back into the outer wall of their hotel. Around them, the parking lot is vacant and there isn't another soul to be seen. "I'm sorry about keeping this from you for weeks. I know that you're the best kind of guy, bro, but I'm still new to the whole 'trust' thing. That, and it's kinda crazy to explain."

Aniki crosses his arms and looks up at the sky, which is in the final stages of dusk.

His trainer's full story…

Different worlds…

The secrets of the universe…

It sounds insane; completely deranged. Aniki's first instinct was to ask if Julian was on drugs and knock some sense into his trainer if the answer was yes, but Julian never faltered or wavered throughout the entire story. Despite that, his skepticism remained.

"Still kind of hard to believe, huh?" Julian smiles sardonically. "Here, maybe this will help."

Julian raises a hand to his throat and murmurs something beneath his breath. His next words reach out and touch the very core of Aniki's being.

"I'm not lying. I swear."

Whatever it is that Jules did, Aniki could feel the weight and undeniable  truth  in what was said. The Machoke is about to ask what happened, then he sees Julian turn and spit a glob of blood on the ground.

"Ech…" Julian grimaces and rubs his throat, letting out a little cough. "Sorry about that. I've only ever used that trick with Lulu, and it hurt like hell then, too. It's just a little something to help me get my point across. Would you believe me if I said I used all that secret knowledge I have to bullshit a lie-proof language into existence? You felt it, right?"

Slowly, Aniki shakes his head. "Using bullshit to tell the truth. Jules, be real with me, are you ever going to stop being surprising?"

The blonde teenager roughly clears his throat, grimacing once more. He spits out a wad of saliva with a worrying pink tinge. "If you think that's weird, then buckle up. It only gets worse from here."

"Weird is fine, just please don't do anything else that makes you spit up blood."

Aniki pulls back out of the memory, returning his attention to the fight.

"Friendship, hmm?" Croagunk skeptically hums, batting away a punch.

Aniki glances beside him at Lulu, who is watching the bout intently. He has to wonder, is she not cheering Julian on because she's just being professional, or is it because her support would give Julian an unfair edge? 'Can something as simple as cheering actually make someone stronger?'

Back in the field, Julian grins and sidesteps a knifehand – Croagunk seems fond of those – before answering. "I know nothing will convince you in a day, but you'll see. Hell, maybe you'll even learn how to use it yourself!"

That puts an interesting gleam in Croagunk's eye.

For as good as Julian is as a fighter, he's still only human. Croagunk ducks low and chops at the side of Julian's knee, making his leg crumple. Off balance, the teen can only screw his face up in frustration when Croagunk boldly leaps into his guard and slams a dropkick right into his chest.

Julian is thrown off of his feet and flies half a dozen feet before hitting the ground, the wind knocked from his lungs. Rather than rise right away, he lays sprawled out on the grass for a moment, catching his breath. "I guess that's my loss," he grumbles.

Across the way, Croagunk relaxes, lowering his arms.

Lulu starts walking into the makeshift battlefield, and Aniki falls into step with her.

Julian turns his head towards them, then climbs back to his feet. "Okay, that's a pretty good baseline for day one," the trainer says. He bends to brush away loose grass on his clothes, and if the steadily darkening bruises on his arms bother him, then he doesn't show it. "A lot of our daily training is kind of like this. We also usually meditate, do some move practice, and a bit of nightly brainstorming and bookwork. We also do cross-training with the other trainers and teams we're traveling with, so you won't have any shortage of new stuff to do," he says, addressing Croagunk.

The frog blinks. "I will admit, that's more comprehensive than I expected."

Julian nods with a smile, one that becomes frazzled when Lulu steps forward and gently takes one of his arms. "Lu?"

The Lucario and Ace of the team clicks her tongue, looking up and down at the marks on his bare arm. "That last exchange was too reckless, Julian," she insists. Her paws glow with the gentle, pink light of Heal Pulse. Like wiping the stains off of a countertop, she runs her paws down his arm, and the scrapes and bruises vanish. "I know you could have come up with a better strategy than 'punch faster'."

'Uh oh, someone upset the boss lady!' Aniki hides his amused smile behind his fist.

Julian looks away, an embarrassed tinge of pink on his cheeks. "I was just testing Croagunk, is all!" He says adamantly. "I need to know how he compares to me at my best, so I can gauge how he grows!"

Lulu gives him a hard stare. "I know that you're fibbing."

Wisely, the teenager says nothing else.

Croagunk comfortably sits in the customary squat of his species, watching as the team Ace removes the marks he inflicted upon his trainer.

Trainer. Trainer. He has a trainer. The last twenty-four hours have been a roller coaster, to borrow a human phrase. At the very least, the newest change to his life comes with some benefits, such as food and board. If the spar he just had with his new trainer is to be regular, then perhaps the times ahead will be somewhat interesting as well.

You'll see. Hell, maybe you'll even learn how to use it yourself!

The prospect of learning the art of the secretive Lucario is incentive enough to stay for a time.

Once the Lucario is finished tending to the human's visible injuries, Julian clears his throat and addresses him once more. "Now, for the most important part of today," he says, clasping his hands together and pointing his joined index fingers at Croagunk. "You need a name."

The wily frog rolls his eyes. "I don't particularly care for one. Call me whatever you wish, so long as it isn't stupid."

The blonde human brings his hand to his chin in a human gesture of thought. "Lancer? No, that's too on the nose… Ronin is too weeb-ish… Pepe? Nah."

As Julian thinks, Croagunk sees the Lucario turn her attention to him. "You really have no opinion on a name?" She asks, tilting her head. "Julian has big plans for all of us, and it's very likely that our names will be in history books. If you have any preference on one for yourself, now would be the time to say so."

"Hmm…" Croagunk makes a noncommittal sound. Adding one's name to the history books? Ambitious, bordering on foolhardy. "Lulu and Aniki, was it? What inspired your names?"

"Mine was just a nickname Julian called me before he could understand pokemon," Lulu smiles tenderly. Croagunk's old mate sometimes wore such an expression around him, and the frog hides his frown from the unpleasant memory. "Perhaps it's not the most original name for a Lucario, but Julian gave it to me, so I wear it with pride."

Croagunk turns his eyes to the Machoke, waiting for an answer.

"Aniki means "big brother" in one of the languages from Julian's homeland, and was the name of an entertainer who brought joy to thousands," Aniki smiles widely. "I liked it, the sound, the meaning, and the legacy."

Croagunk withholds a sigh. Fantastic. Both of his new teammates are the sappy, idealistic sort. Looks like enjoying intelligent conversation is going to be out of the question.

"I got it…" Julian suddenly says, smiling. "Yeah, that's perfect!"

"You thought of a name?" Croagunk asks, crossing his arms. "What kind of moniker am I to suffer?"

"Kane."

Croagunk blinks, incredulous. "Cane? As in, a walking aid? Are you serious?"

Julian shakes his head. "No. Kane, K A N E." He says, spelling out the letters. "It can be spelled in a few different ways, but I've never heard of someone named Kane who wasn't someone of great consequence."

Consequence. That is something Croagunk can understand. He still carries the consequences of daring to expose the coup within his colony.

"Like I said earlier, we're going up to the very top of the ladder," Julian says, his voice severe. "We're going to redefine the term Pokemon Master, so that when anyone even thinks of the phrase, what they see in their head is us. There's going to be big consequences for shaking up the world like that, and I need someone beside me who can deal with the pressure," he says, holding his hand out towards Croagunk. "What do you say?"

That's insanity.

You're a moron.

This is doomed to fail.

Don't even bother trying.

Yet, despite his doubts, Croagunk reaches up and clasps the offered hand.

The hum – Julian grins, his eyes aglow as he grips Croakgunk's webbed hand. "Good to have you along, Kane."

Kane grunts, gripping back. "Don't make me regret this."

Chapter Text

Entry #14: Numbers and Symbolism.

Before modernity and the genesis of many media tropes, there existed ideas and beliefs expressed over and over both in the life of the common man, and within fiction. Math is arguably the most important language that there is, so it's no surprise that people began to associate numbers with certain meanings.

Number three is a good place to start.

Three is a good, balanced number. A team of three can each bring something unique and necessary to the table without stepping on each other's toes - forming a unit with a stable foundation. Back home, this was reflected in many cultural and mythological references, like the Greek Fates or the Holy Trinity. A lot of fictional, memorable teams would also be formed of threes, like the ubiquitous  Three Musketeers.

Shit, you even see it  here.  Look at  Ash, Dawn, and Brock, or Jesse, James, and Meowth. Or even me, Zoey, and Paul.

I guess I kind of fell into this one without even realizing it.

Back on topic. This is why I'm so pleased to have Kane. He's a foil to both Lulu and Aniki.

Lulu is skilled, and plenty strong, but isn't completely overwhelming in either area. She's also the most just and moral member of the team.

Aniki is more brawn than finesse, and he's a swell, caring guy, but is more willing to bend morally than Lulu.

Kane hits hard, but where he shines is his raw technique. His speed and refinement are top-notch. If all things sans skill were the same, I bet that he could even force someone like Pops to put in effort for a win. Kane's morally gray and has a prickly personality when compared to Lulu or Aniki.

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

Other forms of symbolism that show up in entertainment are important as well, but I'll leave those for another day.

Is it a coincidence that a trainer and a full team of pokemon equal a group of  seven, the lucky number ? Who knows. Probably not.

Julian walks back into the sweet, sweet air conditioning of his gang's hotel room with a pleased sigh.

Following behind him are Lulu, Aniki, and the recently dubbed Kane, each one looking a bit worn, but hiding it much better than Julian.

Today, in Julian's opinion, has been a fantastic day. Kane is the perfect addition to round out the team as they take a hiatus on any growth. The toad pokemon's technical skill is superb, surpassing even that of Lulu. He is such a slippery, frustrating opponent, and Julian has never been happier to have his ass kicked.

Inside the hotel room, Zoey and her pokemon, Glameow, Shellos, Misdreavus, and Leafeon, are huddled around a small laptop on Zoey's bed.

"And what a fantastic performance from Solidad and her Butterfree!" The bombastic voice of an announcer comes from the laptop. "Let's see what our judges have to say!"

Zoey looks up at the thud of the door closing behind Julian and his team, and she pauses what she and her team were watching. "Hey guys," she says with a smile. "You all look beat."

Julian snorts. "You mean I look beat, right?" he says, gesturing towards a couple of bruises on his arm. Lulu wanted to heal them, but he waved her off, wanting her to conserve her energy. "I can safely say that Kane is a certified ass-beater like Lulu and Aniki, and he's going to be a huge help for the Eterna gym."

"Kane?" Leafeon questions with a raised eyebrow.

Stepping aside, Julian gestures toward the squat amphibian, who was standing behind him. "Meet Kane. He was giving a bunch of city workers the business yesterday, and was so strong they were going to call Roark. We stepped in, and after a battle, I offered him a spot on the team. As you can see, he accepted."

"I'm still debating the wisdom of my own choice," Kane grumbles. "Don't get used to me. Angelo foolishly gave me an exit clause in our agreement, and I may exercise it."

"This one sounds as if he would get along excellently with Paul," Misdreavus giggles.

Julian looks at Paul's bed, then around the hotel room, not finding the purple-headed boy. "Where is he, anyway?"

"The Pokemon Center, I think," Zoey says, hitting a button on her laptop and closing it. The girl shuffles through her pokemon to stand and stretch her arms over her head. "Paul doesn't think his Azumarill is cut out to be a fighter, but she's grown to like being a trainer pokemon, so he wanted to find somebody to adopt her."

"Paul actually consulted Azumarill before making such a decision?" Lulu questions, her surprise obvious.

When Julian relays the question, Zoey smiles and nods. "He definitely could have been nicer about how he worded it, but he did ask."

It's small, but Lulu does smile at the news.

'Ha, already starting to go soft,' Julian smirks, leaning against one of the bunk posts of Zoey's bed. Something pokes at the back of his brain, though, as if he's forgetting something. "So, what have you guys been up to all day?"

"Planning, mostly," Zoey plants her hands on her hips and nods towards the closed laptop sitting on the bedcovers. "There is a series of pokemon contests coming up in Floaroma town, so I've been brainstorming some new acts and doing some route planning on the map." She gives Julian a stern look. "We're taking route 203 back to Jubilife, then 204 to Floaroma, and I'm not hearing any arguments."

Chuckling, Julian raises a hand in surrender. "Fine with me. I wanted to go through Eterna forest, anyway. I got a letter from my old employer who said the Floaroma route is the best one to take, anyway."

Zoey beams in response. "Other than that, Paul and I went to go watch Ash's gym battle with Roark," she continues, her smile falling some. "Poor guy lost. Roark's Cranidos tore up Ash's Turtwig and Aipom, and Onix finished off Pikachu."

Ah, shit. Ash's match was today, and Julian wanted to watch to see if Ash had any interesting tricks that could be adopted.

'Kane's orientation was probably more important, anyway,' the blonde teen thinks to himself. 'I guess it's not a huge deal. Hopefully Ash didn't feel snubbed by me not showing up.'

"Ash doesn't seem like the kind of guy to let a loss keep him down," Aniki chimes in as he steps past everyone towards the kitchenette. He takes a peek in the mini fridge. "Zoey, Jules, we're stocking up before we leave back for Jubilife, right? We've got enough for me to make dinner and that's about it."

Zoey seems to get the gist of what Aniki said, as she nods and looks towards Julian. "We should probably head to the store before it starts getting dark. We've still got to find Paul, get our route figured out, have dinner, and be in bed at a reasonable hour." She pauses and wrinkles her nose, looking down at Julian's chest with a light frown. "You should shower first, though."

"Eh?" Julian looks down at himself, noting that his shirt is soaked in sweat. Returning his attention to Zoey, he feels a shit-eating smile rise to his face. "Gee, Zoey, you sure are a good pal. Where would Paul and I be without you to organize things and do stuff like arranging this hotel for us? I feel like I should show you my appreciation."

He takes a menacing step forward and opens his arms, making Zoey eyeball him warily.

"… Like with a big hug?"

"Julian…" Zoey begins warningly. "Don't you dare."

Julian takes another step forward, making Zoey take one backward.

"I'm serious, you meathead!"

One step forward, and another one back.

"If you get your sweat all over my clothes, I swear I'll kick your butt!"

Tensing his legs, Julian springs forward, cackling the entire time.

Zoey shrieks and dives out of the way, letting Julian land in a heap on the ground, though he doesn't stay down for long and scrambles back to his feet.

"Don't touch me, Angelo!"

"I just want a hug!"

"No!"

"C'mere!"

Still standing in the doorway, Kane and Lulu both sigh heavily, while Glameow let out a piteous mewl. "How come Julian doesn't want to get sweaty with me?" the cat whines.

An hour and one shower later finds Julian, Zoey, Lulu, and Aniki loitering outside a local Oreburgh Pokemart as they wait for Paul to arrive. All of Zoey's pokemon are in their balls, and Kane, having had enough of other people for the day, retreated into his own.

While they wait, Julian leans over one of the stone bollards outside the store and idly browses Battlenet on his phone. The website is by far the most dominant social media platform when it comes to trainers, and any and all worthwhile news goes there.

Like news pertaining to new and interesting trainers.

Welcome to Battlenet! The Pokemon Battle Authority!

You are currently logged in, J_Angelo
You are viewing:
• All Threads.
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed.
• Ten posts per page

Topic: LotV New Blood
In: Boards  Sinnoh  LotVC

OrbusGlorbus (Original Poster)
Posted On April 27th 20XX:
Sinnoh's newest Lab trainer under Professor Rowan, Lucas Johansson, just trashed the Eterna Gym with an embarrassing 3-0. Gardenia looked pissed handing him the Forest badge lol. He did the same thing in Oreburgh to Roark. If he keeps this pace he's going to have all eight badges in two months flat. Very promising performance so far.
Roark battle: (LINK)
Gardenia battle: (LINK)

H_Kalliga (Verified Trainer)
Posted On April 27th 20XX:
this kid seems good but sinnoh hates tall hoppips. If he's too good he'll catch volkner's eye and get trashed. gotta be mediocre to get past sunnyshore.

►F_Gordon (Verified Trainer)
Posted On April 27th 20XX:
Lucas looks like a beast ngl. Isn't the Battle Tower Tycoon's kid also competing this year? Has anybody heard anything out of him?

The thread goes on for a couple of pages, with everyone talking about new trainers and how they might upset or contribute to the league tournament this year. The thread isn't very long yet, but near the end, Julian grins when he finally sees what he's looking for.

►Regimeat
Posted On April 28th 20XX:
Another kid named Julian pulled a 3-0 in Oreburgh just a few days ago. Used a huge machoke and -get this- a lucario to clown on Roark. The machoke whipped onix around like a toy and the lucario styled on cranidos without getting hit once. Dude barely said anything the whole match too. Psychic? (LINK)

►C_Kohei (Verified Trainer)
Posted On April 28th 20XX:
New trainer has pokemon that strong? And one is a lucario? Very unlikely lmao. I am estimating a very high likelihood of nepobaby handouts mixed with a dash of no skill.

►ItsSoSnover
Posted On April 28th 20XX:
C_Kohei Kinda sus yeah but not everyone with a rare pokemon is nepo.

-No more replies-
Click to return to top of page

Julian scowls. 'Urge to act like an internet douchebag: rising fast.'

Before Julian can post in the thread and demand that any shit-talkers fight him (not in a pokemon battle, but with fists in a Taco Bellsprout parking lot like real men), Paul rounds the corner of the supermarket and acts as a convenient distraction.

"You two want to leave tomorrow morning?" he grunts as he stops before them.

"We all talked it over–" Julian begins, gesturing towards Lulu and Aniki, "–and yes, that's the general idea."

Paul doesn't react to the correction and stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Let's get this show on the road," he says, walking past and into the store.

Julian rolls his eyes, but he and everyone else follows after Paul. The trio of teens and pair of pokemon nab a cart for them all to use, and Julian is given the job of pushing it around.

The interior of the PokeMart is just like every other supermarket that Julian has ever seen, simply with a bit of pokemon flair.

As they walk by the produce section, they're treated to the sight of a Buizel in an employee vest misting a berry display with his Water Gun.

High up is a man in a hard hat sitting precariously on a floating Magneton, replacing a broken fluorescent light.

Walking past the group is a lady Charizard with a scowl upon her face and a money pouch around her neck. Her air of menace is ruined by the smiling little boy holding her hand.

'Never gets old, seeing stuff like this,' Julian smiles to himself. "Mkay, lady and gent," he begins, getting Lulu and Aniki's attention. "What do we need to get–"

A large, gray-blue hand presents a neatly written shopping list, cutting Julian off.

"I went ahead and made a list of everything, Jules," Aniki smiles. "I figured you'd be a little preoccupied with getting Kane tested and acquainted."

Taking the list, Julian gives it a read and finds everything in order. "Bro, you really are the best."

Aniki beams.

The trio of teens and pair of pokemon slowly make a loop around the store, gathering what they need and tossing it into the cart. Food and toiletries make up a bulk of the cart, as the mart stocks not just pokemon supplies, but everything a traveling trainer might need as well. Part way through the shopping trip, Julian's phone begins to ring in his pocket.

Taking the phone out of his pocket, Julian's eyes widened when he sees the name flashing on the screen.

Prof Sycamore
(Accept) – (Deny)

Oh man, he's been waiting days for this!

Tapping accept, the grinning teen raises the phone to his ear. "Julian speaking."

"Mister Angelo, how are you doing this fine day?" Sycamore's bright voice asks through the speaker.

"Doin' swell, all things considered. My friends and I are getting ready to make tracks towards Eterna," Julian leans over the handlebar of the cart and follows a few steps behind Zoey and Paul. "I doubt this is a social call, though."

"Indeed it isn't. I wanted to let you know that my associates and I in my laboratory have finished our sponsorship proposal. We aren't able to offer too much since you're a foreign trainer, but I think you'll be quite pleased with what we've put together. I emailed the documents to you."

"Can you give me the proposal in broad strokes?" Julian asks, bringing the cart to a halt as Aniki stops to ponder a small tub of electrolyte powder. "I'm in a store with my friends at the moment and I won't be able to get on a computer until I use one of the Pokemon Center ones tomorrow." He pauses as a thought strikes him. "Professor, what time is it there? I thought Kalos was several hours ahead of Sinnoh?"

There is the sound of shuffling paper on the other end of the line. "I'll actually be preparing for bed soon, but my administrative assistant and I finished the proposal shortly before I called you. We didn't want to keep you waiting any longer than we had to."

Julian lets out an amused huff. "That's nice of you, Professor, but don't pull overtime on my behalf. I'm used to paperwork taking forever to process," he says, thinking back to his time with DARPA.

If there's one thing the government is good at, it's wasting everyone's time with bureaucracy. Just getting a new coffee maker for the break room required a requisition form that took a week to process, only for some moron to drop the coffee pot and shatter it all over the ground after three days.

That moron was Julian, but he's not telling anyone that.

"You are? What did you do before you became a trainer, if you don't mind me asking?"

Julian would've stumbled if not for the cart he was leaning on, and curses under his breath for the slip up. "Uh… I worked on a farm, and we sent deliveries off through the local airport. You know how it is with air travel?" He fibs.

Lulu's aura prickles uncomfortably from the half-truth, but the lack of disapproval nearly makes Julian breathe a sigh of relief.

"Flying in Kalos isn't terribly complicated on the bureaucratic side, so it must be different in Sinnoh," Sycamore muses aloud. "Anyway, you wished for a summary of our proposal, yes? My laboratory is offering our sponsorship and a streamlined requisition service so you can acquire specialty supplies you need for your journey. Unfortunately, I can't offer you direct monetary compensation without making you a more official laboratory affiliate, but I think you'll find the array of things you can requisition pleasing. In return, I'm asking for you to send regular reports of your adventures, and for a section of each report to be dedicated to the relationship between you and your pokemon. Not every single one has to be a significant breakthrough, but I would like anything even peripherally relevant."

"Easily done," Julian says with a grin.

"Also… If you experience any breakthroughs with Mega Evolution, reach out to me as soon as you feasibly can. The phenomenon is still so poorly understood, and it would be beyond fantastic if I could study it in person," Sycamore says, his wide, eager smile practically audible through the phone

Julian smirks to himself. "How fantastic are we talking? Like, Lab Trainer kind of fantastic?"

A chuckle is Julian's answer. "That's not impossible, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. When you can make some time, please print off the forms I sent you, sign them, and then return them. Photocopies or mail are both acceptable."

"You should have them by tomorrow."

"Magnifique!" Sycamore says with a cheer. "I think this is the beginning of something beautiful, Mister Angelo. Now, I have duties of my own in the morning, and I know you are busy, so I'll let you return back to your journey."

"Thanks a ton, Professor. We won't let you down. Have a good one."

"The same to you, Mister Angelo."

Sycamore hangs up, and Julian puts his phone away with a face-splitting grin. He lets go of the shopping cart to wrap his arms around Aniki and Lulu, pulling the pokemon close. "We fuckin' did it! Only one gym in and we've got a sponsor!"

"After the Oreburgh gym, was there any doubt we'd get it?" Aniki says with a grin nearly as wide as Julian's.

"We still have to fill out the forms the professor sent to us, Julian. We're not quite there yet," Lulu interjects, though she still wears a smile, and her aura flares up high with pride.

"A sponsor?" Paul asks, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "The one you were being all secretive about?"

Oh, whoops. Zoey and Paul are here too. He kind of forgot about them.

"Hell yeah," Julian releases his pokemon and pushes the cart along to catch up with Zoey and Paul, his excitement ramped so far up that wisps of aura nearly seep out of his skin. "I've been reaching out here and there looking for a sponsor, and the one who got back to us was none other than Professor Sycamore over in Kalos."

Paul's other eyebrow rises with the first, and Zoey looks taken aback.

"Augustine Sycamore?" Zoey questions incredulously. "I thought that regional professors couldn't poach interregional talent?"

"They don't like doing it, but there's no rule saying they can't," Julian grin falls a little. "I'm not getting taken on as a Lab Trainer or anything, I'm just some kind of intern-like affiliate. We're not getting paid, and I don't get a pokedex, but we can ask for supplies."

"That's great, Julian! I'm so happy for you!" Zoey exclaims, bringing her hands together and smiling. "That's a huge step forward for such a new trainer. What do you think, Paul?" She says, turning towards Paul.

Paul simply clicks his tongue and turns away, looking at bottled supplements made for ape pokemon on a nearby shelf. "What? You want a pat on the back for something that happens to every serious trainer?"

"Your backhanded compliments are as heartwarming as ever," Lulu comments with a roll of her eyes.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast courtesy of Aniki, the trio of trainers are making their final checks before they turn in their hotel keys and hit the road. As per usual after breakfast, all the pokemon sans Lulu are in their balls to give the trainers space to clean the room and prepare for the day.

"You know you could have gotten a bottomless Silph backpack with the money you got from the gym, right?" Paul asks Julian as the blonde stuffs the last of his things into his hulking backpack.

"Yeah," Julian lifts the heavy bag and shoulders it easily. Gotta love aura. "But I'd rather wait until I can get a top model without it denting my finances. I don't mind lugging a plain backpack around in the meantime."

Paul shoulders his considerably smaller and lighter backpack, which no doubt holds ten times as much as Julian's. "Whatever."

"'Whatever', he says," Julian scoffs. "It's not like it's that heavy. In fact, why don't we trade until we get to Jubilife? I think some exercise would do you good, skinny."

"You've clearly never heard of 'work smarter, not harder'," Paul shoots back caustically.

"Boys, please, let's not get into it this early," Zoey grumbles, sluggishly folding the last of her clothes and putting them away into her pack. "Wait until the sun is properly up, at least."

That prompts Lulu to glance out the window, where the sun is beginning to crest the horizon. "But the sun is up?"

"Not in my book, sis," Zoey grumbles once more, setting her sunglasses atop her head and pulling on her backpack. "Not until you can see the whole thing."

With everyone prepared, they do a final sweep of the room, walk to the lobby to turn in their keys, then start the journey west to leave Oreburgh and make tracks to Jubilife City. They make a brief stop in the Pokemon Center so Julian can print, sign, and send off all the forms sent to him by Professor Sycamore, but are on the road again in short order. Upon getting to city limits where the wilds begin proper, they can't venture much further before a voice interrupts them.

"Excuse me!"

The group pauses and turns, collectively finding a glasses-sporting teen approaching from the side of the road.

'Where in the world did this guy come from?' Julian wonders. 'I didn't even feel his aura.'

The boy's most distinctive feature is his rectangular glasses, which briefly catch the light and obscure his eyes behind the reflection. His dark green hair is of similar length to Paul's, and he wears a long vest of a similar shade over a light green shirt tucked into his jeans. A breeze flutters his vest, and Julian catches a flash of the pokeballs clipped onto his belt.

'A trainer, eh? What's he doing skulking around the road?' Julian wonders.

"What do you want?" Paul asks in his usual brusque manner.

The stranger waves Paul off. "My business isn't with you, Paul Shinji," he says, making Paul's scowl deepen. "I wanted to talk to Julian Angelo," he says, pointing a finger at Julian.

"With me, huh?" Julian asks, casually hanging his thumb through his belt loops. "You've already got my name, so can we know yours?"

"Conway Kohei, at your service," Conway introduces himself with a smirk. He adjusts his glasses with a peculiar grip, holding the frames with just the tips of his thumb and forefinger. "I saw your battle against Roark, and found you to be very intriguing, Julian."

Julian cringes under the other boy's intense stare and unsettling smile. Something about this guy is just plain creepy. "Oh, really? Thanks I guess?"

"Don't thank me quite yet," Conway plants his hands on his hips, his smirk growing a smidgen. "Your performance is impressive on the surface, but my careful research has revealed the cracks in your act."

"Act?" Lulu blinks her red eyes with a confused frown. "What's he referring to, Julian?"

Julian can only shrug.

"I've reviewed your battles, your personal record, your pokemon, and your tactics, and I can only come to one conclusion," Conway chuckles with a strange cadence, each laugh coming out as a Heh heh heh with a noticeable delay between each one. "You're a faker."

Julian's discomfort is quickly replaced with indignation. "Faker? What the hell are you on about?" He asks. 'Wait a second. Conway Kohei… Where have I heard that name before? I could've swore that I… Hold on, C_Kohei from Battlenet!'

"You're the one who was talking shit about me on Battlenet!" Julian growls, his aura prickling against his skin in anger.

"Not just a faker, but a narcissist who searches his own name online as well," Conway laughs in his unusual way again, the noise infuriating to Julian. "I can't see any way that a total unknown like you could have burst into the stage so suddenly without being artificially propped up. So? Who was it? Who gifted your autonomously battling pokemon to you?"

This motherfucker…

Julian can feel Lulu bristling alongside him. He briefly considers knocking the smug look right off of this kid's face before taking a deep breath and trying to steady himself. "Are you going somewhere with this?" Julian grounds out. "My friends and I've got plans, and you're currently interrupting them."

Conway nods. "I am indeed 'going somewhere with this'. I challenge you, Julian Angelo, to a pokemon battle!" He says, dramatically flourishing his arm as his glasses glint once more. "Pokemon battling has no room for fakers, not when everyone else puts in so much effort and planning, and I'll prove to you that a good plan beats mindless power any day."

Oh. Oh. This guy is just asking for it! Julian grins widely, his anger evaporating into the wind. "Really, now? How can I say no to that? How does one versus one sound? I'd love a full-team slug out, but my friends and I are busy."

Julian's confidence seems to unbalance Conway some, but the other boy's smirk returns in short order. "Agreeable," he says, holding out a hand to shake.

Julian takes it without a second thought.

"Julian, you don't have to do this," Zoey interjects as Conway backs up to make room. She holds a fist over her chest, her face concerned. "This guy is obviously baiting you."

Julian shakes his head. "I already shook on it, so now I've gotta do it," he says, drawing a long-suffering sigh out of Zoey, who walks away to make space for the impending battle.

"Just hurry up and crush this nerd, Angelo," Paul makes a show of checking his watch. "We're burning daylight."

"Well, since you're so eager for this one, how about you ref, Paul?" Julian offers with some snark.

Paul rolls his eyes. "Whatever," he says, walking to the edge of the road to oversee the fight.

Once both Conway and Julian are a fair distance from each other, Lulu turns to her partner with a fire in her eyes, and Julian can already see what she wants.

"Not this time, Lu," the blonde murmurs, keeping his voice down so only Lulu hears. "I get the suspicion he's got some kind of shenanigans planned, and if he already knows about you and Aniki, he might have prepared accordingly."

The Lucario's face and aura dips into a depressed valley, but she doesn't fight the decision. "You're going to use Kane?"

He nods, and takes the toad pokemon's ball from his belt. "Yeah, I think Kane is the way to go."

Paul takes that moment to clear his throat. "One on one, standard rules, between Angelo and…" He glances towards Conway. "What was your name again?"

"Conway," the spectacled boy repeats himself, frowning lightly as he adjusts his glasses.

"And Conway," Paul finishes. "Pick your first pokemon. Challenger goes first."

Across the way, Conway speaks up. "Even with so few battles to analyze, the fighting styles of your pokemon were easy to break down and plan for!" He says, adjusting his glasses before taking a pokeball from his belt. "I've devised a strategy that no amount of brute force can beat, so get ready! Shuckle, go!"

The ball flies from Conway's hand and pops open midair. In a flash of light, a Shuckle appears on Conway's side of the field.

The Shuckle is a peculiar pokemon. Much of its body is covered by a round, red shell dotted with white-rimmed holes. From those holes, four yellow, tentacle-like limbs popped out, followed by a head on a long neck.

Shuckle blinks his beady black eyes and turns his head to look at Conway. "Oh? You found 'em already?" Shuckle asks, his speech a bit slow and slurred. "Are we doing the new maneuver on 'em?"

'New maneuver, huh?' Julian wonders to himself. 'I guess he wasn't full of it when he said he was preparing specifically for this fight.'

Taking Kane's ball, Julian holds it to his mouth and whispers; "This guy is expecting Lulu or Aniki, but not you. He's got some kind of curveball strategy planned, so stay focused out there. I'll watch your back and only make callouts as needed."

The aura inside the ball simply radiates resignation.

Straightening up, Julian puts a confident smile on his face and waggles a finger at Conway. "So you're prepared for both my Lucario and Machoke, right?"

"Are you intimidated?" Conway smirks once more.

"Not really," Julian answers back. He winds his arm back. "We're about to teach you that there's no accounting for bad and outdated info. Kane, show him what you can do!" Julian hurls the ball.

Kane's ball flies up, the morning sun briefly glinting off of it, before the ball snaps open and shoots down a mass of white light. The light coalesces on the ground, and in a flash, Kane appears, already in his usual squat and wearing a disinterested frown.

Slowly, the Croagunk inspects his foe, then looks over his shoulder towards Julian. "Must I dance for you against something like this?" He asks with a dramatic sigh and a waved hand towards Shuckle.

"A Croagunk?" Conway raises an eyebrow. "Unexpected, but we prepared for pokemon far more impressive than a simple Croagunk."

Kane twitches. He let out a low croak, his orange cheek sacs inflating with the sound of churning liquid. "I retract my previous statement. I am ready to fight."

In the very back of his mind, in that 6th sense his aura has honed, Julian can feel the world begin to tug on him. Strength trickles into his limbs, and confidence pours into him. In the field, he can see Kane stand a little straighter, and his aura begins to swell. 'Is this Pride before a Fall? I hope we aren't the ones being set up to fail.'

Kane takes his stance, and Shuckle's tentacles tense.

"Ready?" Conway asks.

"Ready," Julian confirms.

Paul raises a hand and chops it down. "Begin."

As expected, Conway moves first. "Shuckle, Gyro Ball!"

Shuckle briefly glows pink, then the glow transforms to white as he retracts all of his limbs into his shell and spins up into a blur. He lifts a single inch off of the ground, then shoots towards Kane.

Kane remains still until Shuckle is practically on top of him, then the toad leaps into a front flip. Halfway through his flip, his hand crackles red, and he chops a brutal Brick Break down onto the passing Shuckle.

… Only for Brick Break to be deflected so violently that it almost wrenches Kane's arm out of its socket.

"Wha?" Kane's eyes widen the slightest amount.

Shuckle angles himself down and bounces off of the ground, throwing dirt, grass, and shards of rock as he rebounds up towards the airborne Kane.

Kane twists his body midair, reducing the Gyro Ball to a mere glancing blow on his side, but even that split second of contact knocks the wind from Julian's pokemon and sends him hurtling through the air end over end.

'What the fuck?!' Julian watches the exchange with a dropped jaw. 'What was that? I thought that Shuckle was a gimmicky tank pokemon! Where in the world did that power come from?'

A short distance away, Lulu, Zoey, and Paul seemed equally disbelieving.

"A Shuckle shouldn't have the raw power needed to send another pokemon flying with one attack!" Zoe exclaims, her eyes wide. "What's going on?"

Lulu shakes her head. "Surely it isn't just Gyro Ball at work, is it?"

Paul's shock fades, replaced with a calculating expression. He pulls his pokedex from his pocket and begins to scroll through it.

Back on the battlefield, Kane rights himself midair and lands on his feet. On his side is an ugly abrasion with a bruise beneath it.

Shuckle's Gyro Ball begins to lose speed as he drops back to the ground, eventually coming to a halt. Shuckle's head pops from his shell, his eyes rolling and dizzy.

Kane wastes no time jumping on the perceived weakness, darting across the ground in a serpentine pattern, his eyes locked on his foe.

"Withdraw, Shuckle," Conway orders coolly, that damnable smirk only getting wider. "Then Rock Throw."

Shuckle wordlessly obeys, pulling himself back into his shell. He shines with a pink sheen briefly, then the sheen transforms into blue just in time for another Brick Break to bounce off of him, leaving little more than a scuff.

"Dammit all," Kane audibly curses.

Shuckle shines pink once more, and then a yellow tentacle shoots out of the shell before digging into the ground and withdrawing a sharp stone. The tentacle whips the stone at a positively ridiculous speed towards Kane.

The toad moves like lightning to get out of the way, but Shuckle's attack still opens a thin cut along one of Kane's legs.

"It seems you're already backed into a corner," Conway once more let out his creepy laugh. "Don't worry. We're not ones to drag battles out. Shuckle, use Bug Bite."

Shuckle's head shoots out of his shell on a long, snakelike neck, aimed squarely at Kane. The attack is fast, but not quite as fast as Rock Throw, so Kane makes a clean dodge, circling around to Shuckle's side.

The missed Bug Bite sends Shuckle headfirst into a thick tree, but the wood does little to impede the attack. With an impact that rumbles the ground and sends shards of wood everywhere, Shuckle's bite crashes into the trunk. The tree groans ominously before falling over, hitting the ground with a sound like thunder and scattering all the bird pokemon in the other trees.

'Arceus above. Even Aniki might need a few whacks to fell a tree that size, and Shuckle did it on accident! It's the pink glow, that has to be doing something.' Julian's mind races as he tries to figure out what Conway and Shuckle's trick is. 'He seems to glow whenever he attacks? No, Bug Bite didn't have the pink glow beforehand. But maybe…?' Julian licks his lips."Kane, Mud Bomb!"

Kane stumbles a little bit over the unexpected order, but his throat swells before he spits a cannonball of mud at Shuckle.

"Withdraw!" Conway calls. "Then Rock Slide!"

Then it happens again. Shuckle, for less than a second, shines pink before the blue of Withdraw takes over. Mud Bomb smashes into Shuckle the moment Shuckle fully withdraws his neck, barely even scratching the pokemon. The pink shimmer then comes and goes again, and Shuckle's tentacles emerge before driving themselves deep into the soil. With a grunt of exertion, the yellow tentacles go taut, and Shuckle rips them up out of the ground to throw a practical tidal wave of earth.

Kane's eyes go wide in unison with Julian's. The wave is far too high and too broad to dodge!

"Shit shit shit! Kane! Focus and Brick Break your way through the worst of it!" Julian desperately calls.

Kane's face goes completely flat along with his aura. He lowers his stance as the stones and mixed earth race towards him, his hands crackling with sparks of red.

In a blur of movement, a chop cuts clean through a boulder.

Several spears of stone are shattered.

A large tree root explodes into pulp.

Kane's arms are flickers of movement as he holds his own against the Rock Slide. Several rocks and sharp bits of debris race past him, leaving gashes in their wake, but after ten of the most nail-biting seconds of Julian's life, the unreal attack comes to an end.

As the last bit of debris falls to the ground, Kane is left breathing heavily, but standing, amidst a mass of turned earth.

Conway's eyebrows rise as he sees that Shuckle's gargantuan attack was practically no sold. "Impressive, but how many more of those does Croagunk have in him, I wonder?"

'It has to be some kind of support move that's boosting him, and he uses it right when he switches between defending and attacking. Can he not do both at once?' Julian thinks through Kane's arsenal, and when he remembers one move in particular, he smiles. 'Yeah, we can work with this.'

"Kane!" The blonde calls into the field. "I've got him figured out! Follow my lead! Surround him with Double Team and move in to attack!"

"I do hope you know what you're doing, Trainer," Kane sneers, but he does as Julian says. All around Shuckle, a dozen illusionary clones of Kane appear, each one indistinguishable from the original. Then as a team, all the clones pounce upon Shuckle.

'Conway really prides himself on being a smart guy, doesn't he? If he doesn't know which direction the attack is coming from, then the smartest and safest route is to…'

"Withdraw!"

'…Defend!'

The second that Shuckle's mysterious support move ends and Withdraw begins, Julian says a word that takes the smile right off of Conway's face, and plants an evil one on Kane's.

"Taunt!"

"Che," Kane scoffs at Shuckle. "Running to hide in your shell once more? Your cowardice makes me sick."

The words that fall from Kane's mouth have a supernatural double timbre to them. The effects of Taunt are so pronounced that Julian feels a prickle of irritation, and he's not even the target!

"Shuckle, no!" Conway calls, his face set in panic. "Don't fall for it!"

The words fall on deaf ears, as Shuckle pops back out of his shell, anger shining in his beady eyes. Kane's illusions fade as he comes within arm's reach of Shuckle, who lashes out with a Bug Bite. A pair of yellow jaws clamp down around Kane's shoulder…

… And do virtually nothing.

"What an interesting technique," Kane's expression is positively vile. "Was the next step of your plan throwing the match?"

The toad pokemon raises a hand, a noxious drop of purple dribbling from his middle finger, before he jabs it into Shuckle's neck, drawing winces from all around.

"Because I think you lose."

Conway's pokemon releases Kane with a cry and shuffles away, but the damage is already done. A sickly purple color beneath Shuckle's skin slowly begins to run down his neck and into his shell.

"Power Trick…"

Zoey pulls her eyes away from the ongoing battle when she hears Paul's voice. "Power Trick?"

"It's an advanced move that swaps the user's attack and defense," Paul looks up from his pokedex to see Kane staring down the now-ill Shuckle. "For a pokemon that is nothing but defense like Shuckle, it turns them into a powerhouse. Not many pokemon can learn it, so almost no one knows about it."

"So that's where Shuckle's might and Conway's confidence came from," Lulu murmurs to herself.

Zoey connects the dots and smiles brightly. "So Julian figured it out and stopped Power Trick dead with Taunt! He really is something when he's not being a meathead on purpose!"

"Now it's just a waiting game," Paul slips his pokedex back into his pocket and crosses his arms.

Back in the battlefield, Conway's previous bravado is all but gone as his pokemon begins to shake with weakness. Apparently, the bi-spectacled trainer didn't account for his plan potentially coming off the rails.

"Shuckle, use Rest!" Conway orders, a slight warble to his voice.

"Run, run, run back into your shell, is that all you can do?" Kane Taunts again without needing instruction. "You're pathetic."

"Shut up!" Shuckle shouts, once again blocking out Conway's words in his anger. Shuckle's tentacles sluggishly shoot out, scooping stones from the ground before they're shot one after another at Kane.

Compared to Shuckle's previous assault, the stones are practically moving through molasses. Kane steps forward, weaving around the first rock, and then smacking the second one out of the air. He catches the third one and uses it to deflect the fourth.

"Shuckle, please listen to me!"

The fog begins to clear from the eyes of Shuckle.

"Is this all that you can do?"

Yellow tentacles flail once more, and another burst of stones shoots at Kane.

'C'mon, Kane. Don't drag this out! Taunt is getting less effective each time!' Julian sees Shuckle already beginning to shake off his third dose of Taunt.

Luckily, Julian's pokemon surges forward, ducking low under the sloppy throws and swinging another Poison Jab that catches one of Shuckle's tentacles, producing a painful 'thwack!'

Hissing in pain, Shuckle pulls the tentacle back, but the limb goes limp halfway through being retracted. At the same time, Shuckle's head begins to droop as the poison running through his system saps his energy. With a final groan, Conway's pokemon finally let his head drop to the ground. He struggles to raise his head, then his eyes drift shut, and he finally submits to unconsciousness.

"And that's all she wrote!" Julian exclaims, a grin splitting his face. "Mister referee, the call?"

"Shuckle is unable to battle, Angelo is the winner," Paul announces lackadaisically.

"How did…" Conway runs a hand through his hair in disbelief. "But, I didn't foresee this! How did this happen?"

"You know what they say about plans and first contact with the enemy," Julian shrugs as he steps into the battlefield and takes off his backpack. Kneeling at Kane's side, the teen pulls a capped spray bottle of Potion from his bag. "Nice fight, Kane. You killed it out there," he praises, giving each one of Kane's wounds a quick spritz of healing solution.

Kane says nothing, but his usually calm aura ripples with self-satisfaction.

Conway, meanwhile, recalls his defeated Shuckle back into his pokeball with slumped shoulders before making his way over to Julian.

Once the last of Kane's wounds are treated, Julian puts the Potion away and stands, offering a hand for Conway to shake. "Good battle. You had me going with whatever that one move was."

Instead of a handshake, several neatly folded $20 bills are dropped into Julian's hand.

"Eh?" Julian looks between the money and Conway. "We didn't agree on an ante,"

"We didn't," Conway sighs, taking his glasses off and cleaning the lenses with the edge of his shirt. "But I'm of the opinion that you earned some compensation for the trouble I've caused you. It's standard protocol, after all. You have my apologies for the accusations I leveled at you, as well. I don't believe an artificially propped up trainer would have been able to defeat our Power Trick stratagem." Conway replaces his glasses and looks away, his aura twisting itself in shame. "Your care for your pokemon is obvious, and that alone should have been enough for me to conclude that there was an error in my analysis of you, yet I insisted on a battle anyway."

Oh. Julian frowns to himself, not expecting this turn. He thought this kid would be swearing vengeance as some kind of rival, not apologizing. Feeling Lulu retaking her usual place at his side, Julian gives her a glance.

The Lucario says nothing, waiting for him to decide on what to do without her interfering.

Looking down again at the money in his hand, Julian holds it back out to Conway. "Take this back. We'll call this one even, okay?"

Surprise flashes across Conway's face. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah," Julian smiles. "You and your pokemon are good, and it was a fun battle. Shit, if I'm being serious, that was the most tense battle I've had in my short time as a trainer. Take the money back and use it on an Antidote or something for next time. Kane's poison is some nasty stuff."

His glasses glinting in the light, ('does he do that on purpose?') Conway takes the small stack of bills back. "Very well. This has been an enlightening experience, and I'll use everything I've learned here for the next time we battle. As I understand, you are aiming for the Lily of the Valley conference?"

"That we are."

"Then we're in direct competition, you and I, for I am as well," Conway smiles. "I take it there will be no hard feelings when I knock you out of the tournament?"

Julian throws his head back and laughs. This guy's all right after all. "I was about to ask you the same thing, pal."

"Hey, guys?" Zoe calls.

Julian and Conway both turn towards Zoey, who is wearing a flat expression.

"I don't mean to rain on your bro parade, but maybe we should get moving?" She says, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.

Both Julian and Conway follow the thumb, and the color drains from Julian's face.

The partially paved outskirts road is absolutely trashed after the battle. The road is covered in dirt, rocks, other debris, and has quite a few new cracks and potholes.

'If that Officer Jenny who busted me and Paul catches us here, we're dead,' Julian winces. "Yeah, I think it's a good idea to not be here right now. Double time, everyone!"

With that, the group of teenagers flee the scene towards Jubilife.

Chapter Text

Entry #15: Slice of Life.

Not every story can be an action-packed non-stop thriller. For any kind of longform story, you can usually find at least one point where the characters stop to smell the roses. It gives 'em time to talk, show the viewers what a normal day is like for them, and to tell a lower-stakes, more personal story.

I'd prefer the action myself, but there is something to be said about slowing down a little. I think that's what we're heading into with the trip to Eterna. In his reply to my letter, Robert insisted we take the scenic route through Floaroma. That's fine with me, seeing as how Zoey has a contest there anyway.

The trip through route 203 to Jubilife was pretty laid back. No wild pokemon wanted to pick a fight, there were no arguments between us, and Conway is unintentionally hilarious with how awkward of a guy he is. I asked if he wanted to journey with us, but he declined, saying he already had his own plans. We'll be separating at Jubilife. He apparently is headed to Canalave to catch a boat to Iron Island for some pokemon hunting.

I did add him as a friend on Battlenet, though, and he was cool enough to powerlevel me to level 20 with his overleveled main account in a PMD mobile game we both play. 

I've also resumed Lulu's reading lessons during the nights we stopped. She's picking it up faster and faster now, which I'm happy about, but…

The reading lessons are kinda the only thing she and I can do that's just for us. No Paul or Zoey, or Kane or Aniki. Just her and I. 

Is it childish of me to be upset about that? Maybe I should find something else we can do. I mean, we spar and meditate and all that, but that's more business than pleasure. She's so damn graceful that I bet she would make a good dancer.

That might be something to look into. It should tickle that 'I want to exercise' bug that all Lucario have, but be different enough to be new and exciting. I don't know much about dancing, but if Lulu ends up liking it, then I'll learn.

She's taken up holding my hand when we sit together to read, though, and I'm going to miss that regardless.

Jeez, I let this one run away into a personal journal. Capping it here.

"Our trip together was a memorable one, and I wish you all luck going forward," Conway says with a smile, adjusting his glasses in such a way that the light glints off of them.

'How does he do that with the sun at his back?' Julian wonders to himself. Filing it away as Rule of Cool jank, he smiles back. "Same to you, man. Stay safe out there."

"Goodbye, Conway!" Zoey waves beside Julian.

Lulu smiles and waves goodbye as well.

Paul just grunts and turns, facing the road north of Jubilife.

With their farewells said, Conway makes his way back into town as the rest of the group start the walk to Floaroma town, heading north into the wilderness.

"Well, boys," Zoey begins with a wide smile. "We made some great time from Oreburgh back to Jubilife! I can't believe we got through the caves in one night!"

A scoff comes from Paul. "That's because you death marched us the entire way." His scoff is quickly followed by a grunt when Zoey elbows him in the side.

"Paul does have a point, Zoey," Julian says, only to hold up his palms in surrender when Zoey shakes a fist at him. "You did insist on a tight timetable; not that we mind, of course. You also seem to be in fine fettle considering it's only 8 am. Those two things connected at all?"

"As a matter of fact, they are!" The redhead is back to being all smiles. She pats her pocket, where her phone is hidden away. "A friend of mine told me several Gardevoir led by an Alpha variant were spotted roaming the outskirts of Floaroma. You know what that means?"

"Some lucky bastard is going to get caught and snu-snu'd to death?"

"No!" Zoey slaps Julian's arm with a scowl and a twinge of red on her cheeks. "It means there could be wild Kirlia or Ralts in the area! I've been wanting one for so long, and this could be my chance!"

Lulu's ears perk up. "I've heard of such pokemon, but I've never met one. What makes them so desirable?" she asks, turning to Julian.

Julian relays the question, and Zoey hums in thought, tapping her chin with a finger. "Plenty of things. Psychic is such a useful type to have, so is Fairy, and most of all, they're so pretty!" she exclaims, smiling bright and cheery. The girl then catches herself and calms down with a hint of a blush. "Erm, what I meant to say is that they're wonderful, loyal pokemon and I'd love to bring more of that energy into my team."

"Yeah, I can see it," Julian replies, smirking. "I bet lots of people would love such a pretty 'mon. Unsupervised teens on the lonely road for weeks on end, especially."

"Julian!"

That comment makes Lulu turn her head and regard him with a stare that, on the surface, seems neutral, but her aura goes sour. Under the surface, Julian picks up a hint of… Jealousy? Insecurity? 

Whatever it is, it's unpleasant. The blonde teen hates it so much that he keeps speaking without really thinking.

"...But I'm not about to try and pick up your eventual Gardevoir, Zoey," Julian promises, his face shifting into a no-good grin. He throws an arm around Lulu's shoulders and pulls her close. "I'm more into women who can kick my ass," he jokes.

Around Julian's neck, his keystone twinkles.

Lulu's face goes red, and she lets out a long groan as she pushes him away, but once more her aura tells a different story. It thrums with both embarrassment and chest-warming affection, and deeper, under all of that…

…There is that Thing that makes Julian's tongue feel as if it's tied itself in a knot, that plucks at his heart. He wants more but once again shies away.

Zoey and Paul of course miss all of that. Paul just rolls his eyes and Zoey gives Lulu a sympathetic look. "Sis, you have the patience of a saint if you can put up with Tall, Blonde, and Dumb here," Zoey comments.

"Don't I know it…" Lulu grumbles without any heat.

As the day carries on, with sun rising higher in the sky, the forested Route 204 slowly transforms. The trees and curious pokemon in them thin out, and grasslands take over the terrain. On the tops of the rolling hills, groups of Sentret stand tall upon their tails, watching the trio of teens and their Lucario escort carefully. 

In the foot of one hill, they find a Bidoof unhurriedly digging into the side, pawing out dirt as a group of Budew planted in the ground nearby watch his efforts. The Bidoof lets out a pleased sound as he finds a plump root to chow down on.

Further on, they witness a group of Starly lead by a Staravia heckling a poor Shinx, chasing the cub around a small tree. Before Lulu's heroic instincts kick in, the young Shinx cries: "Mama!"

Ka-ZAP!

The birds all panic as a lightning bolt passes them with inches to spare, and they fly away blubbering as a frowning, full-grown Luxray leaps onto the scene. The mighty mother leans down and soothes her little Shinx with a tender nuzzle.

"Not going to try and catch such a powerful pokemon, Paul?" Zoey asks as they watch the Shinx happily rub himself across his mother's legs.

"I only have the space for one capture right now," Paul says with a click of his tongue, turning and restarting the march to Floaroma.

By the time the sun reaches halfway into the sky, the grasslands begin to transform once more. The hills slowly flatten, and the grass becomes dotted with flowers. It's not much at first, but as they walk, color overtakes the land, displacing green grass with every color one could imagine. Reds, violets, blues, and most definitely pinks greet the eye.

'Great, pollen.' Julian shunts aura to his itchy nose to quell the urge to sneeze and takes a look at his friends.

Lulu doesn't hide her awe, and neither does Zoey. Both of the girls are swiveling their heads around with smiles, taking in everything with palpable joy. Literally palpable. Their auras are high and shining.

Paul doesn't seem impressed, but Julian swears the grump's scowl is just a hair lighter.

When stomachs begin to growl, they all find a relatively clear spot off the side of the road, and stop for some lunch. Paul pulls an entire god-damned folding picnic table from his Silph bag, Zoey pulls a full-size double propane burner from hers, and Julian is left looking despondently at his own backpack, all mundane and overfilled.

'As soon as we have Eterna's badge and prize money, I'm buying something better,' he thinks, setting his heavy bag to the ground with annoyance. Once his bag is put down, he takes the pair of occupied balls from his belt and tosses them high.

Both pop open before returning to Julian's hands, and in twin flashes, Kane and Aniki are free. Zoey and Paul follow suit, letting their teams out as well. Before long, everyone is getting settled and ready to eat.

"You guys really put the pedal to the metal!" Aniki says, turning in a circle to observe the flowers all around. "You've been walking this whole time?"

"Four hours at a pace humans would consider fast, by my count," Kane comments, yawning. "Did you need to release me, Angelo? I was in the middle of a pleasant dream." The toad shakes his head and crosses his arms.

Julian pulls a foil-wrapped sandwich, one prepared by Aniki before they left Jubilife, from his bag and tosses it to Kane, silencing any further complaints.

Aniki and Lulu catch their sandwiches as well, and Julian takes the last one for himself before zipping up his bag and sitting in the grass, gesturing for his team to join him.

"Something on your mind, Jules?" Aniki asks as he unwraps his sandwich and takes a bite. "And slow down!" he insists as Julian wolfs down his lunch. "Your food isn't going anywhere!"

Julian grunts past his Snorlax-sized bite and swallows. "Just wondering if you guys - " he points the index and middle fingers of one hand to Kane and Aniki " - want to get started on aura training once we make it to Floaroma. You already use it unconsciously, but I think you'd benefit big time from it. Even just learning Aura Sphere would be huge."

"It would be nice to have an attack I can use at range…" Aniki mulls it over. "Sure thing. If you think it'll help, I'll try."

"I accept," Kane says bluntly. His usually zen-like aura ripples with a touch of anticipation, and his half-eaten sandwich is ignored. "Teach, and I will learn."  

Julian smiles to himself. "That was easy."

"You're offering to teach pokemon new powers, Jules. Did you expect a no?" Aniki chuckles, finishing his lunch and balling up the foil his food was wrapped in. "What all does this entail?"

"As Julian said, all pokemon unconsciously use aura," Lulu says, taking over as the subject-matter expert. She holds up a paw, and a tiny Aura Sphere blooms to life above her palm, casting a gentle blue light. "You probably feel it as you use any one of your moves. We'll need to train you to use aura on its own rather than transforming it into the various energy types used for moves. Once you're able to grasp it without letting it transform, we can move into sensing and basic bodily enhancement."

Kane leans forward, seeming to be genuinely interested. "Truly?" he questions. "I consider my own arts sufficient to be called 'mastered' and I've never felt this transformative process. Each energy I use has naught in common with each other… Or so it seems."

"The conversion of aura into type energy is as natural as breathing to most pokemon, so they usually never notice unless taught the methods of the Lucario." Lulu lets her Aura Sphere fade and folds her paws in her lap. "My kind are naturally attuned to aura first, and type energy second. Conscious effort is required to convert it into most moves. We simply have to work our way backwards, and the path will open to you as well."

Kane stares at his three-fingered hands in thought, mimicking the way Lulu held her paw out when she formed an Aura Sphere. "Interesting…" he murmurs.

"Once you get the hang of sensing your own aura, the rest comes pretty fast." Julian smiles, pleased by how receptive Kane and Aniki are. "If I can figure it out, you guys can, too."

A scoff comes from Kane. "Of that, I have no doubt," he drawls.

"Don't be rude, Kane," Aniki chides the toad pokemon. "Jules and Lulu could have left us in the dark if they felt like it. You get nothing from belittling your teacher."

Kane rolls his eyes, but says nothing else. 

The rest of the respite on the side of the road is calm for the most part. Aniki once more scolds Julian for eating too fast as the teen eats the last of his sandwich in one bite, then offers to make more food if Julian is still hungry in the same breath. Lulu opts to lie back in the grass, shut her eyes, and bask in the noon sun, while Kane retreats into his ball for now. 

With Kane away and Lulu relaxing, Julian and Aniki wander over to where Paul and Zoey, surrounded by their pokemon, are all finishing off their own food.

"Look at the city slickers and their fancy Paldean table." Julian grins as he leans forward and plants his elbows on said table. "Too good to eat on the ground like the rest of the poor plebs?"

"No one said you couldn't sit with us," Paul dryly points out. "And this table was made in Unova."

"Well la-de-da Mr. Silph loafers." Julian's grin widens.

Paul, however, gives Julian a flat look. "Did you come here just to be stupid?"

"No sense of fun…" Julian sighs. "Just wanted to talk plans is all. We beelining for Floaroma, or are we going to slow down and smell the roses? The letter I got from my old farm job said there are berry groves and other natural treasures around here to discover, so I'd like to slow the roll a little."

Paul turns his head to Zoey, and the girl hesitates. "What do you think, everyone?" she asks, looking towards her pokemon.

"I would not mind spending more time here, but it's your call, Zoey," Leafeon replies with a smile.

Glameow makes an indecisive noise in her throat as she looks up from her bowl, which has all the food in the center eaten. "I'd give you an answer, but I'm so famished and my bowl is empty. Oh, I'm feeling faint!" The cat sways and presses a paw to her forehead like she's going to pass out from hunger.

Hovering above, Misdreavus giggles and wraps Glameow's bowl in her telekinesis, giving it a shake until the middle is covered by food once more.

Zoey's starter looks down at her food bowl in amazement. "Where did all this come from?" she wonders aloud. Then she shrugs and dives back in, happily eating once more.

"I think Glameow and I are both in the 'could take it or leave it' camp," Misdreavus replies, her quiet, airy voice almost lost in the breeze.

"Maybe we can come back later?" Shellos burbles. "We don't know when that Gardevoir group might move…"

'One for, one against, and two abstained.' Julian can almost feel the oversized sweatdrop run down his face. 'So much for that.' 

"Um…" Zoey looks around, a little frazzled by the split decision her pokemon made.

Finally, Paul sighs. "We can just split up and re-meet in Floaroma, you know? Bellyaching about plans that aren't going to work out does nothing."

Zoey pauses to consider that. "That could work."

"Some good old Paul pragmatism saves the day." Julian stands straight and stretches his arms over his head. "You guys feel free to go on ahead. We'll follow and see you in a day or-"

"Excuse me! You three! Are you trainers?!"

"-or we could get sidetracked anyway," Julian finishes, turning to see who is calling them.

Running up to the group is a lanky man clad in a short red jacket, black pants, and red/white boots that cover the ankle. On his shoulder is a Hoothoot who holds on for dear life as the man runs. Something about him is… strangely familiar.

It takes a moment for the stranger's outfit to jog Julian's memory, but when it hits, he realizes who this person is. 'A pokemon ranger? Uh oh, what did we do to piss him off?! Did I litter or something?' Julian looks around, finding no trash on the ground. 'What did we do?!"

"Excuse me!" The man slows to a stop at the picnic table, huffing and puffing as he catches his breath. "Could I ask for your assistance?"

'Oh, he's not here to fuck us over.' Julian breathes a sigh of relief, having expected a repeat of the racing incident in Oreburgh.

"Our assistance?" Paul asks for the group. "For what?"

The ranger finally catches his breath. "Hoo! Goodness. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Ned, and my friend here is Hoothoot, and we're with the Pokemon Rangers," he introduces himself, taking a police-like badge from his pocket and showing everyone.

On Ned's shoulder, Hoothoot's eyes finally stop swirling in their sockets from the breakneck pace they were running. "Hoot do you do?" he asks, sounding a little ill.

"You kids look like some capable trainers," Ned continues, his eyes going from Paul's Torterra, to the now alert and standing Lulu, to Zoey's Leafeon. "We've got a bit of a situation on our hands here on Route 204, and I was wondering if you'd all be interested in helping?"

"And you can't handle it?" Paul asks impatiently.

"I'm kind of on a timetable here…" Zoey winces.

"How much you paying?" Julian asks, getting a whap on the head from Lulu.

Ned's confidence seems to crumble at the replies. "W-Well, we've got a Combee hive that has been taking more than their fair share of the flower nectar and berries in the fields around here, and is causing some local ecosystem disturbances. The Rangers really don't want anyone to have nasty run-ins with hungry, aggressive pokemon, so I've been tasked with investigating and resolving this mess. But…"

"Here we go…" Hoothoot murmurs.