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Lucario fanfic – Quest for Power (Team Ruki Origins)
【 Chapter 6: Companion 】
Things settled down after the battle between Ruki and Alina. The two were healed by several Eldegoss from Bellossom’s guild. Thankfully, most of Romashka Forest’s inhabitants were understanding about Alina’s actions, wishing her and Ruki well on their journey. Some found it hard to forgive her, but a sharp glare from Ruki was enough to keep them away from the Tsareena.
“Stay close to me,” Ruki told her.
“Sorry for the trouble…” Alina said, following closely behind. She then tugged at his cloak to stop him. “Hey, Ruki, there’s a shortcut out of the forest that way. If you’re heading to Kalos, we can go through the mountains to get to the next region faster.”
“Hm? Well, that’s helpful. Show me the way.”
“Of course. Let me walk in front.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I appreciate you protecting me and all, but I’ll be okay. If someone tries anything funny, I’ll give them a good kicking.”
“Heh, tough girl, huh? Counting on you, then.”
Like that, Alina led Ruki through her region. Having her there proved to be much better than expected. Not only did the Tsareena show Ruki the fastest routes, but being a good fighter, she also made his work much easier when they needed to take quests. Alina was also polite and spoke only when necessary. An independent girl, she would usually do things by herself without asking for help, so she was a good companion for Ruki and he was starting to appreciate her company.
“You seem to know a lot about your entire region. Travelled a lot?” Ruki asked curiously as they walked through the mountains. Alina shook her head.
“No, I had my responsibilities in Roza, so I couldn’t leave the forest,” she said, “But the Flying-type Pokémon and others who passed through Roza told me about their travels. I always liked listening to their stories.”
“How nice of you, setting aside some time for them,” Ruki commented.
“I… always wondered what the world was like outside Roza, so it’s nice to have a chance to travel like this.”
Alina bounced lightly across some stepping stones to cross a small stream, her childhood habits as a playful Bounsweet showing. Ruki watched her as he followed her at his own pace.
“But you chose to stay in Roza even then?” He asked. Alina stopped once she reached the other side of the stream.
“Yes, protecting Roza and watching its inhabitants grow happily are more important to me than my daydreams.”
“Heh, I see now why you have such strength when you fight.”
The Tsareena turned around, looking at Ruki curiously, “During our battle, you told me that you’ve lost everything that mattered to you. Did you lose your family?”
“No, they’re healthy and well.”
“Hm? Why are you out here, then? You don’t get along with them? What are you fighting for?”
“……” Ruki stopped in his tracks halfway across the stream, reflecting silently on Alina’s question.
For myself. I don’t want to suffer and be pushed around ever again in future.
That was the answer, but the Lucario couldn’t bring himself to say it to Alina, the Tsareena herself fighting for such a noble cause. He suddenly felt ashamed for existing.
“I… can’t say it,” he said with hesitation, “It’s not a good reason, but I know that I just had to keep going.”
He hopped across the stones until he crossed the stream entirely, walking past Alina.
“Hmm~,” Alina hummed, following Ruki. She remembered the sight of his black-tainted Aura when they fought, and his bone staff that had somehow mutated into a bone scythe. Even without asking him, she already knew that a horrible tragedy had happened to him in the past. Ruki’s dull eyes and the fact that he never smiled seemed to confirm it. The Tsareena spoke up again.
“You said that good things would happen to me as I travel. I hope that it would happen to you, too.”
Ruki glanced at her, before looking forward again. “Heh, as if that would happen. Arceus hadn’t been nice to me so far.”
Alina giggled, catching up to Ruki and bumping him playfully.
“Come, Ruki, you’re pretty nice, taking me in and escorting me through the forest and all. I’m sure you’ll find happiness.”
“I’m not nice, but whatever you say, princess,” Ruki said sarcastically. Then he felt it start to drizzle. Thunder rolled and he cursed.
“Ugh, damn Arceus and damn storm!” He turned to Alina. “Hmph, it’s getting dark, anyway. Let’s stop here and rest for today,”
The rain turned heavier once the sun set. It annoyed Ruki every time lightning struck. He and Alina had found a hole on one side of the mountain, the abandoned nest of some Linoone. Looked like a whole family of Linoone used to live there, so the hole was big enough for both of them. Ruki and Alina sat facing each other as they nibbled the berries that they’d won as quest rewards. Once they finished eating, they curled up, getting ready to sleep. Ruki noticed Alina hugging herself and shivering, little white mists escaping her as she breathed.
“Cold?” Ruki asked. Alina nodded.
“Yeah, we’re quite far north by now, so the night in the mountains are pretty cold,” she explained, rubbing herself to keep warm, “I’ll be okay. Don’t mind me.”
Ruki knew that she was just pretending to be tough again, considering Grass-type Pokémon were weak to Ice-types and the cold. The Lucario sat up, untying the black cloak around his shoulders. He stood up and approached Alina with it.
“Hardly something that fits a girl, but hope it helps,” he said, wrapping the cloak around Alina. The cloak was ragged, dirty, and bore many stains that wouldn’t disappear even when washed, but it was warm. It smelt like Ruki. Alina blushed and panicked.
“Y-You don’t have to! I’ll be okay! Really!!” She insisted, her cheeks flushing even further. Ruki shook her head.
“You’ll be a burden to me if you get sick, and I’d have to leave you. Keep it,” he said, trying to reason with her logically.
“But what about you, Ruki?”
“I came from the icelands in Sinnoh. I’m used to the cold.”
“……” Alina calmed down, keeping the cloak.
“You don’t miss your home? You said you still had your family,” she asked, finding it unimaginable for herself to leave Roza Forest if it still existed.
“Had my own reasons to leave,” Ruki said, seating himself beside her. He seemed to be unwilling to elaborate further.
“……”
Having nothing else to say, Alina looked down at her cloak, and then she noticed the Mega Badge pinned onto it. She rubbed it between her hands.
“What’s this? This colourful stone looks pretty,” she commented. Ruki tensed, having forgotten that the Badge was still pinned there. But trusting that Alina wouldn’t do anything funny with it, he relaxed again.
“Told you that I was looking for a Mega Stone, right?” The Lucario replied, “That’s a Key Stone, something needed to activate Mega Stones and trigger the Mega Evolution process.”
Alina raised the Badge, taking a closer look at the Key Stone.
“Oh, then this is something important. How do you use this?” She asked, spinning the Badge around to see if she can figure out how it worked.
“…Guy who gave it to me told me to get a Trainer who share a strong trust with me to hold and activate it,” Ruki answered.
“And you have that Trainer?” Alina asked.
“…No.”
“How would you Mega Evolve, then?”
“I’ll… think about it once I get my Lucarionite,” Ruki answered hesitantly, looking away.
Alina tilted her head, thinking that Ruki must be really desperate to Mega Evolve if he’d go and look for a Lucarionite even without the most important component–a Trainer. She scratched her head.
“You need a Lucarionite, this Key Stone, a Trainer… and furthermore, you even need trust,” Alina listed, counting all the ingredients, “This Mega Evolution thing’s really complicated, isn’t it?”
She shook her head, feeling that it was too much for her.
“Why does it need trust and a Trainer?” She questioned.
“Probably because it’s dangerous,” Ruki theorized, “Heard that it’s easy for a Mega Evolved Pokémon to lose their mind because they can’t control their powers. They can only concentrate on one task–fighting. So someone with a strong bond needs to be there to keep their connection to reality. Be their lighthouse or something.”
Ruki thought for awhile before continuing, “As for why a human is needed, I think it’s because they have a much stronger willpower than most Pokémon. Seems that the human will also get exhausted as the Mega Pokémon fights, because they share a connection.”
“Does it need to be a human?” Alina challenged.
“……?” Ruki looked at her curiously, so she elaborated.
“As long as it’s someone you can trust and have a strong willpower, right? Does it need to be a human?”
Ruki looked at her like she had grown another head, but she was right. He never thought about it that way. Alina threw him another question.
“Maybe it can be another Pokémon you trust. Anyone comes to your mind? Maybe your parents?”
“…No.” Ruki shook his head. He was relatively rebellious and was kidnapped when he was young, so he never got a chance to develop a strong bond with his family. His little brother Ruka could’ve fit the bill, but he probably hated Ruki by now for leaving him. Besides, Ruka’s willpower was questionable at best. The little Riolu always cried so easily.
“Unfortunately not,” Ruki repeated, confirming his answer. Alina sighed.
“In that case, I hope you somehow make friends with a fitting Trainer or Pokémon who can use the Key Stone for you. Unlike a Mega Stone, trust isn’t something you can just go somewhere and pick up from the ground.”
“…I know,” Ruki replied, looking perplexed.
Alina scratched her shoulders, the dirt from Ruki’s cloak making her itch. Ruki studied her for awhile, somewhat concerned.
“We should do a quest tomorrow. Maybe get some rewards that can get you your own cloak,” he suggested.
“You sure? It’ll slow you down,” Alina said, knowing that Ruki always seemed to be in a rush. She didn’t want to trouble him.
“Winter’s coming and it’ll be even much colder up north on the way to Kalos. Besides, take it as thanks for suggesting that my Key Stone holder doesn’t need to be a human,” Ruki replied, “I don’t like being ordered around by humans, so a Pokémon friend would be more acceptable for me. Don’t know if it’ll even work, but worth a try.”
“A prideful Lucario, huh?” Alina giggled. “I’d say the same, though. I prefer living in the wild and doing whatever I want. Let’s stay free like this if we can.”
Happy to know each other a little better, the two of them fell asleep calmly, undisturbed by the rain outside.
They headed out early the next morning. Tsareena well-known for their inviting aroma, Alina’s sweet scent stuck to Ruki’s cloak when she returned it. The Lucario found himself blushing a little when he put it back on, the scent reminding him of the softness and gentleness of a girl’s touch. He remembered his mother for a moment and missed her.
As Ruki and Alina walked along, Ruki searched for a Meowth. These cat Pokémon loved to gather shiny things that they’d found on the ground, like coins that had been dropped by humans. He found two of them in trouble, looking for their missing kitten. Ruki found the little brat easily using his Aura-sensing abilities. The kitten was stuck atop a tree, so Alina climbed up to retrieve him. She returned him to his parents and they gave Alina and Ruki a lot of their coins as a reward. Sweet!
Ready with their pocket money, the duo then went to a nearby human town to look for Alina’s cloak. The streets were bustling and busy with many shops, but they eventually found a Pokémon clothing store. They entered and looked around. Although Ruki and Alina were wild Pokémon, their polite behaviour made people easily mistake them as Pokémon with an owner. Ruki walked up to the store clerk and gave a little bow as a greeting.
“Running errands for your Trainer? What a smart Lucario!” The grandma who ran the little shop said, patting his head happily. “Take your time and hope you find something you like!”
Ruki shuddered a little at being patted, but he nodded quietly. Alina giggled at him when he returned to her.
“Funny to see you so friendly here. You’re so fierce in the wild!” She laughed.
“Makes the job easier,” Ruki told her.
“Strange that you seem to know how to behave around these humans, though.”
“My parents told me that my ancestor used to have a Trainer he was close with in the past,” Ruki explained, “But that Trainer died, so my ancestor left to form his own pack. Even so, the tradition of helping humans in trouble stayed through the generations, so my pack has a good relationship with them.”
“I see. That’s interesting,” Alina replied.
“That’s my pack’s rules, anyway. Doesn’t mean that I agree with them. Ancient, outdated traditions can burn,” Ruki said. “Not like we owe these humans or anything. They should learn to protect themselves.”
“Meanie! But I think your parents at least made sure to beat good manners into you. Lots of powerful wild Pokémon I know tend to be brutes!” Alina giggled, picking on him. “And you seem to know what to do with human coins. You must’ve observed them.”
“Yeah,” Ruki said, a little annoyed. “Can’t deny that although the humans can’t fight by themselves, they’re somehow at the top of the food chain. So I sometimes wander near cities to see how they do things.”
“Because you admire them, or because you’re scared of them?”
“……”
Nozomi came to mind and Ruki shuddered. She was probably a huge reason why he didn’t like humans and never wanted a Trainer. He walked over to look at the variety of colourful cloaks in the store, avoiding the Tsareena’s question.
“Go pick your cloak,” he ordered to change the topic.
Alina giggled, deciding to play with Ruki a little. She leaned in mischievously.
“You have the coins. Pick one that you like for me!”
Ruki certainly took his time to pick one. He never really thought about fashion. He was about to just pick the random cloak closest to him, but it was hot pink and frilly, with cute heart patterns that didn’t look like it’d suit Alina at all. Besides, something so brightly coloured would just attract attention during their quests and give away their position. After much thought and sifting through the clothing displayed in the store, he finally settled on one. He waited nervously while Alina tried it on in the changing room, hoping that she’d like it.
The dark brown curtains opened and out came the Tsareena, a pure white cloak wrapped around her shoulders. It was a simple cloak that would easily allow movements, but the laces that bordered its lower parts and the ribbon used to tie the cloak in front made it look just graceful enough. Alina spun around lightly to show it to Ruki.
“How do I look?”
“I think it suits you.”
“I quite like it. Did you pick a white one because it’s a matching pair with your black one?” Alina giggled and teased him. Ruki’s face reddened and he shook his head.
“Thought that it’s a colour that suits you since I first saw you. You had a white rose crown and your Aura felt really pure. That cloak looks nice on you.”
“……” Alina blushed a little, looking away as she fidgeted shyly. “Thanks… I think you look great in your cloak, too.”
Ruki caught himself smiling a little at Alina. Noticing it, he looked away quickly.
“Hope this cloak will keep you warm,” he said, taking out his coins to pay for it.
“I’m sure it will!” Alina replied cheerfully, hugging Ruki’s arm.
“You’re amazing, Ruki! When I get Roza Forest back, you’re always welcome there anytime, okay? I’ll make you my knight!”
Alina’s sweet scent made Ruki blush again. He was awkward with close contact like this, but the Tsareena looked so happy and he didn’t want to push her away, so he just let her be.
“Well… Guess I’m thankful for that. Come on, let’s get going.”
It rained again that night and they took shelter in a hole in a tree. It was a little small, so they needed to squeeze. Unlike the previous night, Alina slept comfortably this time, warm in her new cloak. But then she was awakened when she felt Ruki turning and tossing against her.
She rubbed her eyes, trying to blink her sleep away. When she looked at Ruki, he was sweating a lot with a deep frown, seemingly having a nightmare.
“Ruki…”
The Tsareena leaned in closer to wake him up, but a loud crack of thunder from outside did it for her. Ruki woke up with a start, swinging the sharp bone on his arm at her. She gasped in shock, stopping him by grabbing his wrist.
Ruki panted, eyes wide with fear and still disoriented from his nightmare. Then he realized what he was just about to do to Alina.
“A-Alina! Are you alright?!” He asked worriedly, pulling his hand away. “Did I hurt you?”
“N-No, I’m okay,” Alina said. Ruki sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back to relax.
“Forgive me for that,” he said, looking away.
“Don’t worry about it,” Alina replied, “A nightmare?”
“…Yeah, I tend to get them on rainy nights like this. Damn rain and thunder.” Ruki grunted groggily, sitting up straight again. “Sorry for waking you up. You can go back to sleep. I’ll meditate for awhile and it’ll get better.”
With that, the Lucario crossed his legs, putting his palms on his knees and closing his eyes. He took in a deep breath, trying to regulate his breathing. Alina watched him for awhile, before sitting up too and nudging him playfully with her shoulder. Ruki opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly, a little annoyed to be suddenly pulled out of his meditative state.
“I heard that meditation’s good, so teach me,” the Tsareena said, giggling, “It’ll probably be less lonely for you if we do it together.”
“Don’t wanna. Teaching’s troublesome,” Ruki refused.
“Aww, come now. If you won’t teach me, I’ll learn by myself!” Alina insisted with a cute pout. Ruki watched her sit up and cross her legs, trying to copy his posture. She straightened her back stiffly and squeezed her eyes shut. Ruki rolled his eyes at how bad she was doing it.
“Relax your back. You don’t need to put in that much power,” the Lucario said. Alina looked happy that she finally got his attention, so she did as she was told.
“Now match your breathing and your Aura with mine.”
“Au…ra?”
Alina seemed to have no idea what it was. Ruki sighed, holding her hand.
“I’ll hold your hand until you’re used to it. Close your eyes and feel the energy flowing between us.”
“Okay.”
Alina closed her eyes, breathing slowly and concentrating on everything she felt. She could hear the storm outside and feel its cold, and then she felt the warmth coming from Ruki. She didn’t have senses as sharp as a Lucario, so the Aura felt faint, but she could sense Ruki’s distress. She squeezed his hand lightly, wanting to let him know that she was there to comfort him from his nightmares.
Ruki felt surprised at the touch, feeling Alina’s kind Aura. It seemed to engulf him like a gentle blanket, shielding him from the cold and the darkness of the storm. It was the first time that he felt safe and protected from the rain. Moved, he squeezed her hand back, thankful for her company.
Trivia
- I searched everywhere but as of now, there’s never a single mention or instance in the game, anime, or manga about whether a Pokémon can or can’t activate a Key Stone to Mega Evolve another Pokémon. So I’ll take some artistic liberties~
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AwWwW! Alina is so sweet and caring! (Headcanon confirmed)
Aww, thanks, Livi! I like them being mean to other people, but being nice to each other 😀