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Lucario fanfic – Quest for Power (Team Ruki Origins)
【 Chapter 14: Team Ruki 】
The storm clouds gathering over one area of Mega Island had caught Alina and Filio’s attention. It looked unnatural, so they had suspected it to be the work of a Pokémon, or that a ferocious battle was taking place in the area. Worried that Ruki might have been caught in it, the Tsareena and the Absol had headed there immediately. Fortunately for them the storm calmed down by the time they arrived. To their surprise, Ruki was also there, kneeling alone on the ground in the light drizzle.
“Ruki!!” Alina called out, worried but also relieved. She hurried there with Filio, kneeling down beside him. “Thank goodness you’re alright! Filio and I were so worried. What happened?”
“……” Ruki didn’t answer, his face expressionless and his eyes empty. There was something obviously off with him. But then, Alina noticed the Mega Stone in his hand.
“I-Is that… A Lucarionite? Ruki, you found it!” Alina exclaimed.
“Yeah…” Ruki finally answered, his voice low with no energy. “But it’s meaningless, after all.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Filio asked, butting in. “You got it, right? Be happy with it! Getting a Mega Stone’s no easy feat!”
Ruki stood up, turning to face them. “Ugh… None of your business. Why are you both still here anyway? Told you that I’ll be travelling alone.”
He held up the Lucarionite, continuing in frustration. “Besides, after everything that’s happened, it’ll be a miracle if I can even activate this damn stone! Why does it need ‘trust’ to activate, anyway?”
“Ruki…” Alina said, standing up sadly. Filio snapped at the Lucario angrily.
“Hey, at least tell us what happened. We got you to this island. We deserve to know!”
Ruki sighed in exasperation. He was bubbling with anger at everything–at Skye who said horrible things to him, at Alina and Filio who followed him against his will, at himself for being used by Team Hope through and through… He ended up blurting out what happened to let off steam.
“There was a Zeraora here. I defeated him and got this Mega Stone,” he told the Tsareena and the Absol. “As I said, I wanted to Mega Evolve so I could become strong enough to never suffer again. But I guess that that’s never going to happen.” He paused for a moment, looking away before continuing.
“Sure I can win and protect myself and all, but through this journey, I realized that the true suffering comes from the inside–from the past that always haunts me. No matter what I do, I’ll always just be ‘Team Hope’s Lucario’, the product of evil. And I’ll never accept or forgive myself for it.”
“Ruki…” Alina called out, walking forward and holding his arm gently. “I don’t think that that’s what you are at all.”
“Alina…” Ruki frowned at her. Feeling her kind Aura, his expression softened a little. “I hit you… It’ll happen again. I heard that the experiments turned me unstable.”
The Lucario took a step back, spreading out his arms.
“Look carefully. This body that had so easily slain and trampled on so many. I didn’t let you or Filio come along because I was nice, but only because both of you would be useful for my journey. I’ve only ever fought for myself, so I’m not the knight you imagined me to be.”
He lowered his arms, shaking his head sadly. “Probably closer to a bandit. Wake up. Don’t hurt yourself by being with me. A queen like you deserves better.”
“……” Irritated, Filio walked forward, giving Ruki a hard headbutt. The Lucario flinched.
“Your pessimism annoys me!” The Absol barked. “So what if those evil scientists made you. You’re so much more than that now.”
“……?” Ruki looked at him with uncertainty.
“Alina and I aren’t stupid. If we feel like you’re only using us, we won’t even look for you when you left us,” Filio continued. “You bothered comforting me about Filia. And when you registered us as ‘Team Ruki’ at the Battle Maison, I feel that we’re more than just ‘underlings’ or ‘followers’ to you. You’re even so fussy about not abusing our powers. This Team Hope might’ve poisoned your body, but I don’t think that they’ve ever gotten to your heart.”
“Filio’s right.” Alina nodded. “You’re always there for me when I was cold. It’s not something a bandit does. So please, Ruki, let me be there for you too. Besides, I’m not a weak little princess. I can defend myself if you try to hit me.”
She held both of Ruki’s hands gently, looking him in the eye.
“You’re not Team Hope’s Lucario anymore–You’re Team Ruki’s Lucario now, our dear leader and friend.”
“You guys…” Ruki said, faltering a little, surprised that they still thought of him as such after everything. “Is this really okay?”
“Pssh, of course!” Filio confirmed, “We’re a band of homeless Pokémon anyway, right? If you feel like no one wants you, maybe you really belong here. The three of us worked well together so far, so I don’t see a problem.”
Alina giggled. “Yes. Filio and I don’t have the best past too, but while we’re here, we never judged each other and we could move forward. I hope this team can provide that comfort for you too, Ruki. It’ll be nice if you’d come back to us.”
Ruki felt a little warmth in his chest.
“I… don’t know what to say,” he said, still somewhat unsure.
“That’s alright,” Alina said, “You’re wounded and you must be exhausted. Let’s look for somewhere to rest. We can figure out what to do with that Lucarionite later.”
“Yeah,” Filio said, “Leave it to me if anyone tries to attack us.”
Alina and Filio escorting Ruki, they explored the nearby area to look for a shelter. ‘Team Ruki’s Lucario’… That had a nice ring to Ruki. He looked at the other two quietly, suddenly grateful for their presence.
After struggling alone, he never expected Alina and Filio’s friendly and familiar Aura to provide so much comfort. Filio walking in front of him while he was wounded made him feel strangely safe. Alina holding his arm calmed him down greatly and made him forget about everything Skye said for awhile.
Team Ruki felt as though it was a little island where he could rest and take shelter from his stormy life. A little spark of optimism bloomed in him, and he started to think that maybe, staying with his two companions wasn’t too bad. He wanted to keep standing and stay strong for them. As the thoughts ran through his mind, the Key Stone pinned to his cloak began to shine.
“……?!” All three of them stopped in their tracks and looked at it in surprise.
“W-Whoa! It’s reacting!” Filio exclaimed.
“……” Ruki looked at it in disbelief.
“Ruki!” Alina called out, eager to see what he’d do.
The Lucario removed the Mega Badge from his cloak and stared at it. Had the Key Stone finally acknowledged him as a worthy wielder of its powers? He held up his Lucarionite and saw it glowing as well.
“Well, what’ll you do?” Filio asked curiously, “Are you going to try to Mega Evolve?”
“…Yeah,” Ruki said, determined.
“Here? Now? With all your wounds?” Alina asked.
“I don’t know if I can get them to react again later,” the Lucario answered. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just try to Mega Evolve and turn back again once I did. Although we don’t know if Pokémon can actually activate a Key Stone, so I won’t keep my hopes high.”
Alina and Filio looked at each other for a moment, wondering if they should really go on with it. Eventually, they nodded.
“Fine,” Filio said, “You took the trouble to get all the way here, after all. I’d like to see if it works myself.”
“Yeah,” Alina added, “Filio and I will try to activate that Key Stone for you. Do your best to evolve.”
“Thanks.”
Ruki handed the Mega Badge over to Alina and Filio. The moment they held it, they could feel the Key Stone resonate with the Lucarionite in Ruki’s hand, an invisible bond connecting them. Ruki took a few steps back, removing his black cloak and preparing himself. All three of them tensed and their heartbeat quickened. This was what they had travelled all the way here for. It really felt like the final stage of their journey.
“I’m ready. Let’s do this,” Ruki said with a serious tone.
Alina and Filio nodded nervously, closing their eyes. The two concentrated on the Key Stone’s energy.
‘Give him the strength to move forward,’ Alina prayed.
‘Release his true powers,’ Filio willed.
Mega Evolution!!
Ruki heard the command in his heart. At that moment, a large amount of energy burst forth from the Lucarionite he held, surprising him. The Mega Stone’s powerful purple Aura swirled around him violently, before piercing into his flesh and filling his veins with raw power. It also mingled with his Aura, leaving no part of him untouched.
“……!!” The Lucario’s eyes widened and he gritted his teeth at the painful process. He felt an overflow of energy bursting out from his cells, twisting his body at an atomic level and changing his form. His fur grew longer as sharp bones began to pierce out from the flesh of his arms and legs. He remembered Auguste’s warning about how Mega Evolution could burn a Pokémon’s body from the inside. Now that he felt it first hand, he screamed.
“Ruki!” Alina shouted out worriedly. But she and Filio weren’t doing too well, either. It felt as though the Key Stone was draining their energy to keep the evolution process going.
Eventually, the Lucarionite’s energy settled down. As the smoke cleared, Ruki’s figure emerged–a tall and proud Mega Lucario. His long fur blew in the wind, his red paws giving him the appearance of a fearsome fighter with blood-covered fists. The multiplied power of his Aura expressed itself as large black streaks running along his entire body. He opened his eyes, red and sharp as an apex predator.
“It… It worked?” Filio asked, fighting his exhaustion.
“……” Alina looked on quietly, too awed to say anything.
“……” Ruki looked at the two Pokémon in front of him, trying to focus his vision. His head and his body hurt. But as he slowly got used to his new form, he could feel the incredible amount of power flowing in himself.
Yes, this is the type of body that he had always wanted. He felt invincible. It would be nice to see what he could do.
Gathering a black ball of Aura in his hand, he shot it forward without a second thought. Filio and Alina evaded it and watched in horror as it exploded the ground where they stood.
“Yo! What the hell?!” Filio protested.
“Ruki…!” Alina called out, noticing that something wasn’t quite right with him.
The Lucario turned to look at them.
Oh, it would certainly make more sense to attack real, living creatures if he wanted to test his powers. Strength is meant to be used for fighting, after all. That ecstatic feeling he felt when Zeraora begged for mercy–he thirsted for more of it. After Team Hope pushed him around all his life, he deserves to have his own turn, too.
Ruki smirked, baring his sharp teeth as he raised his paws. Black Aura swirled around him, forming two obsidian bone scythes in his hands. He grabbed hold of them, lunging at Alina and Filio with madness in his eyes. The two evaded immediately as he slashed at them, destroying everything in reach.
“Damn, his combative instincts took over of him!” Filio shouted.
“What do you mean?!” Alina asked in panic.
“Mega Evolution heightens your will to fight. If a Pokémon couldn’t control that will, it’ll consume them and they’ll go berserk!”
“What?!”
“Bone Rush!” Ruki charged his scythes. He slashed at Alina and Filio, sending Aura blades flying towards them. The two rolled to the side, evading the attack painstakingly.
“Extreme Speed!” The Lucario dashed towards Alina with his scythes raised. Locked on his target, he brought them down at her.
The Tsareena squeezed her eyes shut, thinking that she was finished. But then she felt blood spurt all over her. She opened her eyes, looking up in horror. Towering before her, Filio blocked the attack with his body, Ruki’s scythes lodged into his back.
“Alina, NOW!!” The Absol shouted. Before Ruki could remove his scythes, the Tsareena attacked him.
“Trop Kick!!”
She lunged at Ruki, giving him a hard kick to the stomach and knocking him back. Exhausted with all his wounds, Ruki couldn’t retaliate much, crashing onto the ground. With his fall, the Aura scythes on Filio’s back disappeared, so the Absol went to pin the Lucario down with his weight. Ruki snarled and barked, pulling at Filio’s fur and biting him with his sharp teeth, trying to throw him off.
“Ruki! Ruki!” Alina cried out frantically, kneeling next to him. “Please, wake up…”
Ruki felt like he was floating in the middle of nowhere. There was only darkness and everything hurt. He could feel the Mega Evolution energy from the Lucarionite eating away at his body and his mind, but he could care less. He just wanted to break something. Anything would do. It felt so good when he exploded things with his hands. It meant that no one can touch or hurt him.
There were some voices calling out to him, but they were so faint that he couldn’t make them out. Then he saw a path of light under him. Curious, he lowered himself, landing on it. He then started walking on it with no clear purpose. Eventually, he felt some familiar Aura on the path.
“Filio…? Alina…?”
As he walked, memories of his travels came back–Alina calming him down from his nightmares, Filio showing him the way, the three of them fighting together…
‘If you need to punch someone, just tell us and we’ll help.’
‘We’ll be your ally no matter what happens!’
What his companions told him on the train across Kalos came back to him.
‘You’re amazing, Ruki! When I get Roza Forest back, you’re always welcome there anytime, okay? I’ll make you my knight!’
‘You’re the only exception for me in this horrible world since you’ve been so nice. I’ll be your dog or whatever you want me to be.’
As he remembered his memories of them from further back, his eyes started watering. Alina and Filio had always accepted him since the first time they met. How could he not have realized? It was probably why travelling with them always felt enjoyable for him. He had been so caught up with hating himself and wanting to escape his past, that he became blind to all the blessings that were around him.
But the Tsareena and the Absol weren’t here anymore now. He pushed them away by himself. So many times… He stopped in his tracks, balling his paws into fists and looking to the ground, crying quietly with regret. He felt so lost…
‘If you look up and follow the brightest star, you’ll find your way.’
Filio’s words during their ride to Mega Island suddenly rang in his mind.
“Filio…?” Surprised, Ruki opened his eyes and looked ahead of him. There, he saw a figure in a white cloak. He tensed, fearing that it was Skye, here to drag him back to hell again. But once he rubbed the tears out of his eyes to see more clearly, he realized that it wasn’t the Inteleon.
It was Alina, the beautiful lacy white cloak that he had chosen for her billowing gently around her. The star jewel on her crown shone brightly in the darkness. She gave Ruki a kind look, before turning around and running down the path.
“Alina…! Wait!”
Ruki ran after her. The darkness around him soon disappeared, dispelled by a blinding light.
“……!!” Ruki gasped, suddenly waking up. He had returned to his normal form–a normal Lucario. The rain had stopped and the sun was just starting to rise. His black cloak had been thrown over him as a blanket. He tried to sit up. His whole body hurt, so he groaned weakly.
“Oh, he’s awake,” Filio said, enduring his own wounds. “His eyes look like they have some intelligence in them. I think he’s back.”
“Ruki!! Thank goodness!!” Alina exclaimed in tears, hugging him.
“Filio… Alina…”
“Looks like asking a Pokémon to Mega Evolve another Pokémon is too much after all, huh?” Filio said.
“……” Ruki stayed quiet for awhile. He glanced at the Lucarionite sitting next to him.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I felt it again–the need to destroy things, the fear of my past… So I lost control. It’s definitely my own fault, too…”
Then he noticed the wounds on Filio’s back, his eyes widening in surprise. “D-Did I–…?!”
“Hey, hey! Stop. It’s nothing. Got some Berries to heal it anyway,” Filio said. “Alina didn’t get hurt, so that’s good. And we’re in this together.”
“Yeah,” Alina agreed, “We chose to try evolving you by ourselves. It’s not your responsibility alone.”
“…I really don’t deserve you.” Ruki shook his head. He stood up, walking a few steps ahead. He took a deep breath to calm himself, looking out at the rocky scenery of Mega Island. The skies were pink from the gentle light of the rising sun, giving the otherwise bleak and barbaric island a touch of kindness. Ruki continued.
“I was able to come to my senses thanks to my bond with you, but to tell the truth, I don’t think I can control the power of Mega Evolution,” the Lucario admitted. “As long as I can’t make peace with my past, perhaps its better that I don’t try to Mega Evolve again.”
“Ruki…” Alina said sadly.
“Aww, sucks,” Filio followed, “You took the trouble to come all the way here and find the stone, too! What a waste.”
“No, I don’t think it’s a waste,” Ruki said.
“Through this journey, I think I found a place I belong. Thanks for accepting me although I couldn’t accept myself… And for sticking around although I tried to push you away… I found that perhaps, the key to letting go of my past isn’t the Lucarionite, but my bond with you,” he said, looking at his empty paw wistfully.
“If I work on it, maybe I’ll be able to accept myself and Mega Evolve properly one day. I’ll keep ‘Team Ruki’ around for that purpose, and I’ll do my best to be a good leader if you’d come with me.” He turned around, smiling warmly at Alina and Filio.
“I hope you won’t get sick of hanging around this troublesome Lucario for a little longer.”
Alina and Filio returned the joyful expression.
“Of course!” Alina said, “I’m sure you’ll be able to do it one day, Ruki! It’ll be nice if I can be there with you to see it happen.”
“Yeah, you got it, boss!” Filio added. “You’re already crazy strong even now, so it’ll be interesting to see what you can do in future!”
Ruki smiled at them, content. He then went to sit with Alina and Filio. The three of them watched the sunrise together, ready to face whatever may come.
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