Lucario Fanfic – Quest for Power Chapter 1: Departure

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Lucario fanfic – Quest for Power (Team Ruki Origins)

【 Chapter 1: Departure 】

“Weakness is a sin. I don’t have any business with the weak.”
Spitting out those words, I left my family behind, the pitiful cries of my little brother helplessly calling my name echoing behind me.

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Strong winds howled across Sinnoh, the vast and ancient region of the east known for its abundance of myths and legends. Sinnoh, the land where the Mythical Pokémon Arceus was said to have created the legendary Dialga, Palkia and Giratina, the lords of time and space. The grand Temple of Sinnoh, dedicated to these Pokémon, stood tall atop Mount Coronet in the heart of the region as a testament of these legends.

However, despite being a prosperous temple with many worshippers in the past, it had now been reduced to mere ruins known simply as the Spear Pillar. The quiet halls of the temple was the flip side of the bustling cities around Mount Coronet, as both people and Pokémon moved on from ages long gone to the modern age of technology. Even so, the darkness and emptiness of the temple grounds brought a calming comfort to a certain Lucario, who hadn’t moved on from his past.

Ruki wandered aimlessly through the broken building, ears drooped, shoulders hunched. The Aura Pokémon stared at the ground as he walked on with heavy steps, a deep frown etched into his jackal-like face. Thinking that he’d travel far and wide after leaving his pack, Ruki had brought his tattered black cloak with him, but it did little to shield him from Mount Coronet’s cold. His left ear, a small cut torn into it, twitched to listen to the shuffling noises behind him.

Several curious Zubat and Golbat, inhabitants of the abandoned temple, peered at him from the shadows and the corners, drooling and licking their lips hungrily. Ruki glared at them sharply, his threatening aura sending them scurrying away back into the darkness like helpless little cockroaches.

“Tch, damn small fries.” Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Ruki walked on. He knocked away any other wild Pokémon who dared to try and attack him on his way. At one point, a large Crobat appeared, literally hungry for blood.
“So you’re the boss, huh?” Ruki guessed. Crobat swooped down to attack, but despite their size difference, the Lucario made quick work of him. He moved on with no trouble, leaving Crobat’s unconscious body behind.

People and Pokémon were generally warned to stay away from the dangerous temple ruins. Aside from the bitter cold of Mount Coronet’s snowy peak and the treacherous terrain, the temple had been reclaimed by nature, now a nest to many aggressive wild Pokémon. Even so, after a huge life-changing event that had happened to him, Ruki felt drawn to the temple, thinking that its quietness and its ties to Arceus made it the perfect place to reflect on things.

Soon arriving on the highest level of the temple, Ruki exited the corridors into the open grounds. The strong rays of the afternoon sun blinded him and he cursed, shielding his face. Once his eyes adjusted themselves to the light, he straightened his posture, observing his surroundings.

It was snowing lightly. The temple grounds had many pillars, with a set of steps leading to a platform with a long-unused altar. Beyond the altar was a cliff overlooking the wide expanse of Sinnoh. The frosty winds blew some snow into Ruki’s face and he winced.

“……”

Deciding that the edge of the cliff behind the altar was a nice spot, Ruki approached it and sat down. Letting his legs hang off the edge, he wrapped his black cloak tighter around himself and hunched over as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sighing, he looked across the landscape, listening to the howling winds. Great cities, mountains, fields and valleys sprawled before him, stretching beyond the horizon under the wide expanse of the sky. From up here, Sinnoh looked so huge and grand.

He felt so small and worthless.

Ruki looked down to see one area at the base of Mount Coronet, what the humans labelled as Route 216. His eyes scanned the forest for a tree that marked the entrance to the den of his Lucario pack–his home that he had just abandoned this morning.

But then the tree was too small and he couldn’t find it in the sea of trees from up here.

Sighing, Ruki gave up the search, looking elsewhere. He wondered for a moment if his little brother Ruka had stopped crying. When he left, Ruki could still hear the little Riolu’s desperate howls in the air long after he was well out of sight.

“Tch!” Ruki shook his head. He was the one who decided to leave, it was too late to feel bad about it now.

“Weakness is a sin. I don’t have any business with the weak.”

His own words replayed themselves in his head. His pacifist pack despised disputes and would stay away from fights. Although he was the pack leader’s eldest son, he knew that he wouldn’t become stronger if he stayed, so he left. But although Ruki might’ve hated others’ weaknesses, he hated his own just as much, if not more. Being weak had cost him too much.

Weakness had caused him to be kidnapped by an evil organization and separated from his family. He was unable to retaliate as his kidnappers experimented on him. He couldn’t even save his best friend’s life when they tried to escape. In the end, as the sole survivor, he managed to destroy the evil organization and return to his pack. But for what? Just to wonder everyday if things could’ve been different if only he was stronger?

His entire ordeal was a recent event that haunted him from day to day. Feeling lost, he looked up to the skies, as if hoping for Arceus or something to show up and give him a direct answer about what to do. The world was silent. Of course, why would it listen to the wishes of one puny little creature? The Lucario scowled.

If only he was stronger…

Leaving his pack behind, Ruki wanted to look for a way. He needed to be a stronger Lucario at any cost. But look at him, just stuck here in the middle of nowhere, still thinking of Ruka, unable to let go. Still the same old, helpless Riolu who cried so hard when he got kidnapped.

Weak.

He untied the little black scarf on his left arm and looked at it. Ruka had a matching red scarf tied around his right arm. It was sort of their friendship symbol as brothers that they’d worn since they were little. Ruki held his scarf over the edge of the cliff, watching the icy winds try to snatch it away from his paw. Maybe if he let go of this scarf, he could forget about all his past ties and move forward.

His grip on the scarf loosened slightly, but then tightened again. He pulled the little cloth back onto his lap protectively.

Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak.

“……”

Ruki didn’t say a word, quietly tying the scarf back onto his arm instead. He looked down the cliff past his legs at the long dizzying height to the ground. He watched the light snow flutter so far down over the sharp rocks into the deep dark chasms of the mountain. He felt lightheaded. He was nothing. The Lucario wanted to just close his eyes and lean forward. Wanted to just let everything go…

“STOP!!”

The shout of a man snapped Ruki back to his senses. Surprised, he looked to the source of the voice. Nearby on the side of Mount Coronet, a young man seemed to have angered a group of three Abomasnow by walking into their territory.

“It’s okay! I’m not trying to hurt you!” The man insisted. The Abomasnow roared at him, unconvinced. These white-furred, ferocious yeti-like Pokémon were feared by the humans, often called the ‘Ice Monster’. Ruki watched with disinterest.

Foolish human. He should’ve heeded the warnings against coming to this dangerous place if he couldn’t handle it. But the man’s build, facial features and strange accent told Ruki that he wasn’t a local. Could he be a lost tourist who didn’t know about the mountain’s dangers? Did he come here without any Pokémon partners to protect him?

Ruki had no clue, but why should he care? The man seemed cornered, but it was none of his business. It was already quite a feat that a mere human could make it this far up Mount Coronet empty-handed, but his death would just be another proof of how the weak had no place in this world.

“Hmph, ‘Champion of Kalos’? What a joke to have that title. To die in a place like this…” The man muttered. “Then again, maybe I deserve it.”

His words piqued Ruki’s interest, and all of a sudden, Ruki felt a large burst of emotions flare up from the man.

“What…?!” Ruki gasped, astonished.

As a Lucario, he was able to read the man’s Aura and share his feelings. A deep feeling of anger, sadness and regret suddenly pierced his chest like a giant spear. The death of a dear friend, the despair of losing everything, the emptiness of existence… Ruki panted and gripped his chest tightly, struggling to bear the pain. A pain very similar to his own.

Below him, the man closed his eyes as one of the Abomasnow swung his large ice-coated arm down at him. The man expected for it to hurt, but when he didn’t feel the impact, he cracked open an eye to look.

“……?”

A Lucario stood tall and proud in front of him, blocking the hit with an arm. The man gasped in surprise.

“A… A Lucario…!?”

Ruki knocked the Abomasnow away, glaring at the man.

“Move it if you want to live,” he barked.
“You can talk?!”
“Telepathy. Some of my kind can do it. Now get going, human.”
“Auguste! It’s Auguste!”

Ruki shoved Auguste away to avoid him getting hit by an incoming Icy Wind attack. Auguste rolled to a safe distance and regained his balance. The three angry Abomasnow surrounded him and Ruki. They were outnumbered, but having Ruki here, Auguste seemed to have regained some confidence. He called out to Ruki.

“Fear not, my friend. These Abomasnow are a dual-type of Ice and Grass. They’re weak to both your Types, Steel and Fighting!”

Ruki glanced at Auguste. It seemed that the young man was used to battling. Maybe his talk of being the ‘Champion of Kalos’ wasn’t a lie. But if so, where were his Pokémon? There was no time to ask as the Abomasnow activated their Snow Warning ability, affecting the weather and making it snow harder, cloaking themselves in the low visibility.

“Hmph.” Ruki was unperturbed. His ability to sense Aura easily told him the position of all three Abomasnow. But while he was getting ready to attack the enemy closest to him, Auguste suddenly gave him an urgent command.

“Lucario! Use Extreme Speed and move backwards!!”
“…?!!”

Distracted, Ruki ended up following Auguste’s orders, jumping back and landing next to the man. A loud noise tore through the air and a large pile of snow and boulders crashed onto the ground where Ruki stood just moments ago. It seemed that one of the Abomasnow had destroyed a nearby wall to try and bury him instead of attacking him directly.

The Abomasnow couldn’t hide their positions from the Lucario, but they certainly hid their actions! Ruki would’ve been done for if it wasn’t for Auguste’s warning. He looked at the human in disbelief.

“Rule number one, never underestimate your opponents,” Auguste said, patting Ruki on the shoulder. “Let’s do this together, Lucario!”

Ruki glared at him, still somewhat distrustful. Who was this man to tell him what to do?! But Auguste wasted no time in shouting another command. “Aura Sphere! Directly behind me!”

Having no time to think, Ruki followed again, quickly charging a ball of energy and sending it into the mist. The Aura Sphere impacted against an incoming Blizzard attack and dispersed it, preventing it from hitting them. Ruki looked at Auguste again in surprise. The human seemed to be several steps ahead than even him. His ability to analyze both the enemies and his surroundings was on another level!

“H-How did you…?!”
“We play mind games in the tournaments.” Auguste smirked. “A battle’s not just about blindly attacking, but also learning how to receive attacks well.”

There was a strange glow in Auguste’s eyes. In the heat of battle, he seemed to have come back to life from the desperate figure Ruki saw earlier. His eyes were those of a powerful conqueror.

“I know how they fight now,” Auguste said confidently, “Let’s fight back, shall we, Lucario?”
“Ruki,” Ruki told him, assured that he was in good hands. “Name’s Ruki.”
“Heh, Ruki, then. Show me what you’ve got!”

Ready for a counterattack, Ruki fell into a battle stance. Auguste gave him his commands.
“Extreme Speed! Dash past the first two Abomasnow and attack the one behind them!”

As a Champion with a vast knowledge of Pokémon, Auguste seemed to know a Lucario’s abilities well. Ruki did as he was told. As the Trainer calculated, the furthest Abomasnow was indeed the most timid and the weakest–the easiest prey. Ruki took him down easily with a few punches and kicks, reducing the enemy’s numbers. The other two got ready to attack him with an Ice Punch, coating their arms in ice.

“Ice-type attacks won’t hurt you! Follow up with Close Combat!” Auguste shouted.

Wasting no time, Ruki charged fearlessly at the two remaining Abomasnow. Their punches hit him, but they easily slid off his powerful bones of steel. Smirking, Ruki balled his paws into fists and sent a furious flurry of punches at his foes, knocking both of them out.

The two Abomasnow fell to the ground, unable to continue battling. With all three snow Pokémon knocked out, the snowstorm stopped and the weather cleared. Auguste did a little victory dance and cheered.

“Yeah!! Ruki! You did it! You’re the man!!”

Ruki straightened his posture and looked at Auguste, letting out a sigh of relief. That battle actually felt… good? Winning felt good, and he saved Auguste, so he was somewhat content. But that happiness was short-lived. A loud, threatening bellow was heard from behind him, and Ruki looked there with dread.

A larger Abomasnow towered over him menacingly, angered that Ruki had hurt his friends. Without warning, he smashed his gigantic fists onto the frozen ground, destroying a large area of the rocks under Ruki’s feet.

“……?!!”

Ruki’s eyes widened as he felt the ground under him crumble and disappear. His life flashed before his eyes as he lost his balance, feeling gravity pull him towards the deep chasms below.

“RUKIIII!!!!”

He heard Auguste shout, but it was too late. Maybe this was meant to happen. He pondered it earlier, after all. Ruki closed his eyes as he plunged down the cliff. At least he could die after a sweet victory to wash off the bitter aftertaste of every bad thing that happened to him before it.

“RUKI!”

Auguste’s persistent voice. Ruki felt himself being grabbed mid-air into the young man’s arms as he hugged the Lucario’s smaller form tightly.

“W-WHAT?!! What are you doing, you foolish human?!!” Ruki scratched and kicked in disbelief. He felt his eyes start to water.
“Throwing your life away for this no good after I just saved you! Are you STUPID?!!”
“Hang on, there… partner.” Smiling sadly, Auguste just hugged Ruki tighter. Ruki gritted his teeth desperately, overcome by so many emotions.

They crashed together onto the snow and the rocks, rolling and tumbling further down. Ruki tasted blood splattering across his face. He didn’t dare to open his eyes.

‘No.’

He cried. He could only cry. He didn’t know how much further down they tumbled after that, but Auguste never let him go.

‘No…’

After what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped, two small forms in a vast field of ice. Ruki sobbed into Auguste’s chest. He wasn’t hurt, he wasn’t cold, but it was only because Auguste traded himself for it.

“You… okay, there, Ruki? …I’m glad.”

Ruki looked up when he heard Auguste’s voice. “Auguste! Auguste!!”

It seemed that the thick snow of Mount Coronet had softened their fall enough not to kill Auguste immediately, but he was in a really bad shape. The young man began to cough up blood and Ruki panicked.

“I-I’ve seen you humans use a small device to call for help. Where…? Where is it?!”
“A… cell phone?” Auguste struggled through his coughs.

Ruki felt around for it in Auguste’s pockets. He finally found it in one of his coat pockets, but alas, it seemed to have been crushed during their fall. Ruki felt his hope shatter.

“Forget it…,” Auguste said, “I don’t think they’ll… make it in time even if you call them. I don’t even know which part of Mount Coronet we’re in right now…. It hurts to move. Just… be here with me… Please?”
“What are you saying?!!” Ruki protested, holding the man’s hand, “You’re going to make it, Auguste! You are!!”

Ruki wanted to believe it, but even he could feel Auguste’s Aura slowly starting to fade off. His eyes began to water again as he squeezed them shut. He took off his black cloak, wrapping Auguste in it to at least keep him warm.
“In the end, it’s the same. I can’t do anything. I’m weak…” Ruki whimpered regretfully.

Then he felt Auguste’s hand gently pat his head, comforting him. Ruki looked at him sadly.
“You’re not…” Auguste smiled, his voice hoarse, “You’re a strong Lucario… I saw it. You were a good partner..,”

“……” Ruki looked away regretfully. “And you were a good Trainer. It was an honor to fight beside you. …Where’s your real partner?”

Auguste’s smile disappeared. Ruki felt his Aura shift back to the dark one he first saw when he was asked the question. After a moment of silence, Auguste sighed.

“She was the perfect Scizor,” he answered, “Always so strong and so kind, ready to do everything it takes to win battles for me.”
Auguste’s eyes looked distant. Ruki waited for him to continue. The young man took out a badge with a small rainbow-coloured stone embedded in it and held it to the sun. The sunrays made it glow with an ethereal light.

“This is called a Key Stone. It’s one of the items used to Mega Evolve a Pokémon into a more powerful Mega form temporarily,” Auguste explained.
“Mega Evolution?” Ruki asked, curious.
“Never heard? It’s… a thing in Kalos. It’s like us Kalos people think that normal evolutions are not strong enough, so we need to turn our Pokémon into something even more awesome. Hahaha…”

Auguste laughed bitterly, rather unsettling to Ruki.
“Is… becoming stronger something bad?” Ruki asked. To him, it would just be natural to aim for the better.
“Well… you see… Mega Evolution comes with a price. Pokémon in their Mega form had so much energy flowing through them that it puts a huge strain on their body. So I was against using it, but my Scizor, she insisted… It was either use it or be defeated by all the other Trainers who use it.”

“……” Ruki listened. He had a bad feeling. Auguste held his Key Stone to his heart and continued.
“It was our last battle to become the Champion… Our dreams were within reach, so my partner pushed herself too hard as a Mega Scizor. And that’s where I made my mistake.” Auguste frowned.

“I listened to her and I let her.”
Auguste’s grip around his Key Stone tightened, staining it with his blood, his voice quivered as his eyes watered.
“You know… when a Scizor stayed too long in its Mega form, its body starts melting from the inside from the excess energy…”
Ruki winced from the overflow of sorrow he felt in the man’s Aura. He held Auguste’s hand comfortingly as he spoke with a broken voice.

“I… held my Champion trophy in one arm and my partner’s body in the other…! I left Kalos to get away from it all and stopped becoming a Trainer after that. I don’t have the right to be one…!!”

Ruki held Auguste and let him sob for awhile. The Lucario eventually replied.

“But your Scizor, she chose power and died achieving her goals. You let her fulfil her dreams and her life’s purpose. She must be satisfied and proud of you.”

Auguste looked at Ruki in shock and disbelief, replying angrily. “I-Is winning worth more than living?! How could you even–?!”
“To some, it might be,” Ruki said, looking away before continuing firmly.
“I… want to Mega Evolve. How do I do it?”

Auguste was taken aback by Ruki’s question. “Ruki… You can’t be serious…!”
“Why did you come to Mount Coronet?” Ruki asked, surprising Auguste. “Is it… To reflect on the life of the partner you’ve lost? Because this place is the closest to Arceus? Then we’re here for the same reason. I lost a friend, too. That’s why I stepped in when you were attacked.”
“Ruki…”
They looked into each other’s eyes, sharing the same sadness and despair. Ruki spoke.

“You lost someone dear to you because you had too much power. I lost someone dear to me because I had none. But I’m not you. I won’t repeat your mistakes. So tell me…” Ruki insisted, “How do I Mega Evolve?”

“……”
Auguste can feel the desperation in Ruki’s voice, but he can also feel his willpower and heart of steel. He shook his head.

“Heh… Looks like I can’t stop you. Guess I’ll just let you have your own adventure and find out for yourself,” the young man finally said.
“Take this Key Stone. I won’t need it anymore. Get a Trainer who share a strong trust with you to hold and activate it,” Auguste explained, giving Ruki his Mega Badge.
“You’ll also need a Mega Stone… I have one called a Scizorite, but it’s only for Scizors. You’ll need a Lucarionite… Heard that there might be one in Hoenn, but since Lucario aren’t common there, I can’t guarantee that you’ll find it. Not in the wild, at least. You’re more likely to find one on Mega Island off the coast of Shalour City in Kalos… It’s a place rumoured to have many Mega Stones.”

Ruki held the Mega Badge given to him carefully, not expecting Auguste to just pass it on to him so easily.
“Thank you… I’ll take good care of it,” The Lucario said solemnly.
“You reminded me a little of her… My Scizor… So stubborn once you’ve decided something.”
“……”
“Power’s a dangerous thing, Ruki… We humans have a saying that if you fly too close to the sun, you’ll burn. Don’t let it consume you…”

Auguste closed his eyes. “Thanks for fighting with me on my last battle, Ruki… I’m tired now, so let me sleep.”
“……” Ruki held on to Auguste’s hand, feeling his Aura shift to a serene one, having finished doing everything he had set out to do.

“I hope you meet your partner on the other side,” Ruki told him.
“Heh… That would be nice… Good luck, Ruki.”
“…Good night, Auguste.”

The sun began to set as Ruki felt the young man’s life energy slowly fade away. Also feeling another presence nearby, the Lucario closed his eyes. His senses picked up some faint, invisible energy gathering into the form of a Scizor, leaning by Auguste’s side.

“……”

Ruki stayed with them for awhile, keeping them company till the end.

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Trivia

• The Sky Pillar in Diamond/Pearl’s known as the Temple of Sinnoh in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
• Route 216, Route 217 and Snowpoint City in Diamond/Pearl were an area called Alabaster Icelands in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In PLA, you can find Alpha Lucario in the Alabaster Icelands (Ruki and Ruka’s ancestors), so I set Ruki’s home to be in Route 216.
• Ruki and Ruka being able to use telepathy is based on Sir Aaron’s Lucario from the Lucario movie being able to do it.
• Auguste’s name means ‘great and magnificent’.
• Mega Island and its location come from the Pokémon XY anime.
• Lucario isn’t available in ORAS (Hoenn) and only a single a Lucarionite can be obtained as a prize for winning the Pokémon Contest.

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