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Lucario fanfic – Quest for Power (Team Ruki Origins)
【 Chapter 9: Battle Maison 】
With Filio the Absol joining them, Ruki and Alina continued on their way. Filio promised to lead them all the way to Mega Island, so Ruki expected the rest of the journey to be smooth sailing since they had a guide now. The three travelled through plains and over mountains across the region. Eventually, they reached the border, standing on a hill overlooking the first Kalosian city.
“We’re here,” Filio declared, “Welcome to Kalos!”
“……” Ruki looked on quietly. He walked past Filio, studying the landscape that stretched before him. After months of travelling, he was finally here. His home Sinnoh was so far away now, and his goal, the Lucarionite, so close. He could barely believe it. Would this finally solve his problems? Could he finally become the strong Lucario he wanted to be? He shook his head. He should worry about them only after actually getting the Lucarionite. This journey wasn’t over yet, so he focused and asked Filio.
“So, the Lucarionite’s on the Mega Island, right? Is it still far away?”
“Well, quite,” Filio answered, walking next to Ruki to look at the landscape with him.
“We’re currently in the south. We’ll need to go across the entire region, all the way to the northern coast,” he explained.
“You seem to know it well. Been there before?”
“Yeah,” Filio said. “An Absol can Mega Evolve using an Absolite too, you know. Kalos is just right there, so I went with Filia as a kid to see if we could find one.”
“And? Did you succeed?”
“Nah, we were puny little brats back then, unfortunately. There were lots of other Pokémon gathering on Mega Island to look for their own Mega Stones, so it was a tough competition. Better ready yourself for battles once you get there. As for me, I’m stronger now, so I might just try to look for an Absolite again, too!”
“Sounds like a good challenge,” Ruki said. He played with the Mega Badge on his cloak a little. “One more question. Can a Pokémon activate a Key Stone?”
“Huh?! Well, that’s unheard of,” Filio said, “Dunno. Test it yourself and see if it works.”
“I see. Well enough,” Ruki said, a little disappointed that he couldn’t confirm his hypothesis. He took a step forward and looked down the hill.
“I’d like to make a stop at that human city ahead of us for awhile,” the Lucario said.
“Oh? Not going straight to Mega Island?” Alina asked curiously.
“Yeah. This is Kalos, where human Trainers fight with Mega Evolved Pokémon,” Ruki replied, remembering Auguste’s explanations. “I’d like to see how much stronger they are compared to normal Pokémon.”
Alina nodded. “Then it’s an important thing. I’d love to see them, too.”
“Battles, huh?” Filio chuckled, “Then you came to the right city!”
“Hm?” Ruki looked at him curiously.
“That city down there’s called Kiloude City, home to the Battle Maison.”
“Battle Maison?”
Filio stepped forward, directing everyone’s attention towards a large building in the human settlement.
“That mansion over there. Heard that it’s made specifically for battles and tournaments. I’m sure you’ll see something interesting.”
“Sounds good to me,” Ruki said, not able to hide the excitement in his voice, “Let’s go.”
It was sunset by the time they arrived in Kiloude City, but although the sun had set, the city was alive with bright lights and laughter. Music and joy filled the air wherever the trio walked. A huge tree adorned with many decorations stood in the middle of the city square, its colourful fairy lights sparkling beautifully. A large shining star sat on top of it, its golden glow illuminating the night. Alina seemed to be captivated by it, the sparkles reflecting in her eyes.
“You like it?” Ruki asked.
“Yes, it’s a beautiful tree!” Alina commented, looking around. “This city’s really festive, isn’t it?
“It’s that time of the year. Something humans call Christmas,” Ruki explained, “I don’t know the details, but from my observations, they seem to celebrate it once a year. Cities tend to be lit up and decorated like this for an entire month.”
“I see. Everything looks quite wonderful,” Alina said. She stared at the giant star atop the Christmas tree.
“That star looks so bright and amazing. I’d love to take it home to Roza and hang it on top of my throne.” She swayed lightly as she daydreamed. Ruki chuckled a little.
“You’re always thinking about rebuilding Roza, aren’t you? The humans won’t let you take that, though.”
While Ruki was saying that to Alina, Filio had gone to start his own party. The Absol shoved a nearby young man to the ground, snatching the man’s sandwich right out of his hands.
“Hey!” The man yelled. Ruki quickly snatched the sandwich back and returned it to the human, helping him up.
“Forgive my friend! He’s a little… playful,” the Lucario apologized hurriedly though telepathy. Alina came to join him, worried that something had happened.
“Hey, Ruki! I’m hungr–,” Filio tried to protest, but Ruki shouldered him to keep him quiet.
The man didn’t understand Pokémon language, but he could tell that Filio looked like he really wanted the sandwich.
“Aww, cute doggy. If you’re hungry, you can have some,” the man said, splitting his sandwich and giving half to Filio. The Absol snatched it out of his hand and began eating it.
“We appreciate the kindness,” Ruki said with a light bow.
“No worries, Lucario! Merry Christmas!” The man said, waving at him and going on his way.
Ruki sighed in relief, glad that he was a kind man. He turned to look at Filio. The Absol was innocently licking the crumbs off his lips and starting to clean his paw, not a care in the world.
“You almost got us in trouble!” The Lucario scolded him.
“Hm? What trouble?” Filio asked. “I’m stronger than that man, so I’ll do what I want. Nature’s law, right? I won’t hit girls and little kids though, so allow me that much.”
“Ugh…”
Filio was completely a wild Pokémon, so human concepts such as manners and how the human community worked were completely foreign to him. Ruki knew about them since his pack practiced them to an extent, due to their ancestry of being with humans. Alina didn’t pose any trouble because she was naturally calm and quiet. But with the aggressive and untamed Filio, he realized that he had a new headache.
“I could care less about what you do in the wild, but let’s not do that in human cities,” Ruki insisted, “I’m so close to the Lucarionite now, so I don’t want to risk these humans sending Pokémon control after us. Don’t you dare lay a finger on anyone while you’re with me, understand?”
Naturally rebellious, Filio glared at Ruki. Alina looked back and forth between the two worriedly, wondering how to diffuse the situation. The Lucario looked like he was serious about it, so the Absol rolled his eyes and gave in.
“Fiiiine! Whatever you say, boss.”
“Better.” Ruki nodded at him, calming down.
Alina was glad that it didn’t turn into a fight. They then proceeded to their destination, Kiloude City’s Battle Maison.
The three arrived in front of the Battle Maison. It was a large mansion, as majestic and luxurious outside as it was inside. Once they entered, they were in awe at all the decor, from the wine red carpeting to the grand pillars and hallways. Walking a little further in, they reached a large room with a stage in the middle, a large sparkling chandelier hanging over it. The room was full of people, everyone chattering excitedly and showing off their Pokémon to each other. Ruki’s trio had no problem blending in.
“First time I’ve walked in here,” Filio said, “All these luxury for a battle arena? The guy running this place must really love battles.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Ruki said. He was starting to get a little excited looking at all the battle-hardened Pokémon walking around the room. Unlike wild Pokémon, these were veterans trained especially to fight. He wanted to challenge them to see how he would fare against the professionals. An idea came to mind.
“Hey, instead of just watching, what about trying to battle some of these guys?” He suggested to Alina and Filio, a bright spark suddenly lighting up in his eyes.
“You serious?” Filio looked at him in disbelief. “Will they even let you join without a Trainer?”
“Worth a try to ask them.” Ruki smirked, walking past Filio towards two women who looked like the Battle Maison’s receptionists.
“Pushy. He’s really pumped up when it comes to battles, huh?” Filio commented.
“First time I saw him like that.” Alina chuckled before following Ruki.
“Excuse me, I’d like to participate in the battles here,” Ruki said, calling out to the receptionists through telepathy.
“Whoa!” The young women jumped in surprise at a Pokémon suddenly talking to them.
“It’s telepathy,” Ruki explained, “I don’t have a Trainer, but I’m hoping that you won’t refuse. This place’s built just for battles. Would be a shame if it doesn’t respect the wishes of Pokémon with a strong fighting spirit.”
He did his best to convince the humans. The two women seemed to be at a loss about what to do. After discussing among themselves, they replied.
“Well, I suppose it’s alright if you can communicate with us, but there are other conditions.”
“Such as?” Ruki asked.
“Single battles here require a team of 3 Pokémon to enter,” the receptionist clarified.
“Three? Me, that Tsareena, and that Absol over there, then,” Ruki answered, pointing at Alina and Filio.
“Hey! Why am I dragged into this?!” Filio yelled. Alina giggled.
“Since we’re already here, might as well,” the Tsareena said, somewhat interested.
“O-Oh, alright. I suppose you meet the requirements in that case,” the receptionist said, “Otherwise, you came at a good timing, since a Christmas tournament’s going to start in a few minutes and we have a special prize for the winner!”
“Hm?” Ruki’s ears perked,
“Prize money and the Star of Kiloude! It’s a glowing star-shaped jewel, a miniature of our city square’s famous Christmas Tree star. You can only get one if you win our annual Christmas tournament, so it’s treasured around these parts!” The receptionist said, motioning to a pedestal behind the battle stage.
The star jewel sat there in a beautiful glass case, its golden glow striking awe into anyone who saw it. Alina’s eyes seemed to light up. The jewel was a pretty thing, and Ruki and Filio could tell immediately that she wanted it. Otherwise, the prize money could also be used to get some sort of transport to travel across Kalos to Mega Island. It would save a lot of time.
“Good rewards for me. I’ll join this tournament,” Ruki said with a nod. The receptionist nodded back, taking out a piece of paper.
“This is the registration form. I’ll help fill it out for you. Do you have a name, Lucario?”
Ruki glanced at Alina and Filio, before looking back at the receptionist.
“We’re a team, so it’ll be unfair to just write my own name there. I suppose you can write ‘Team Ruki’.”
“Oh, Team Ruki it is then! Sounds nice,” the receptionist said, filling in the form, “Now, if you can sign here.”
Ruki dabbed his paw onto the ink pad that the receptionist provided and left a nice purple paw print on the registration form.
“Thanks, Monsieur Ruki! You’ve been registered. Good luck for your battles!”
Finished with the registration, Ruki walked back to Alina and Filio. “Excuse me for dragging you both into this. I’m the one who wanted to do this, so I’ll step in first for all the matches and you can be my reserve teammates if something happens. Hope you don’t mind battling a bit.”
Alina shook her head. “I want the rewards, so I’m all in, too!”
“‘Team Ruki’, huh? Sounds fancy,” Filio grinned, “And well, I’ll get bored if you just keep me as a reserve, so give me some time to shine, too!”
“Team Ruki… Our first battle as a ‘team’,” Alina pondered, seemingly touched, “Let’s do our best!”
Ruki gave them a small smile, happy for their support. “I have good teammates, don’t I? Let’s see how far Team Ruki can go!”
The Battle Maison Christmas tournament officially began. Accompanied by music and good food, the halls were lively. The crowds around the stage cheered to the many skilful manoeuvres and close victories. The heat of battle in the mansion seemed to make people forget all about the cold of winter.
Ruki, Alina and Filio held up well, easily winning through the first rounds. They quickly gained attention as a team without a Trainer. Ruki knocked down a Kirlia effortlessly, righting his posture as the referee announced his victory. The crowds cheered. The Lucario descended the stage to wait for their team’s next turn.
“Well done!” Filio said.
“You both fought well, too,” Ruki commended, “But I’m quite disappointed that we haven’t run into a single Mega Evolved Pokémon so far.”
“Well, Mega Stones aren’t some random thing you can just pick up from the side of the road, after all. It’s really rare,” Filio explained while shaking his head, “Not all Trainers possess one. But since this is a big tournament, we’ll most likely run into someone with one sooner or later.”
“Hope you’re right.”
“Until then, let’s just enjoy our free wins from mowing down these weaklings!”
“Ugh, what a waste of time.”
Ruki sighed in boredom. He leaned back against the wall, watching the other participants battle with disinterest. He then noticed a tall Blaziken with a broken crest looking at him. The Blaziken gave him a smile, before going up the stage with his Trainer for his turn. Ruki tilted his head curiously.
As the night wore on, the strong eliminated the weak. Eventually, only two participants remained. It was the final battle of the Kiloude Christmas Tournament.
“Ladies and gentlemen! It’s the final round! The most exciting battle you’ve been waiting for!” the Battle Maison commentator declared excitedly. He proceeded to introduce the two teams.
“On the left, we have Céline, Kiloude’s champion for five years straight! Will she win again this time?”
The crowds went wild as an athletic woman with long blond hair walked onto the stage. Five shining star jewels that proved her previous victories hung as a necklace around her neck. She waved at the crowds with a smile as they cheered excitedly for her. The commentator proceeded to introduce the other team.
“On the right, we have our challenger! The Pokémon team without a human Trainer that’s everyone’s talk tonight–Team Ruki!”
Ruki, Alina and Filio walked onto the stage. The crowds cheered for them, wondering if they can win against Céline. The young woman greeted Ruki’s team politely.
“Pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Ruki! I’ve been watching your battles and your team’s strong. I’m glad to be able to fight you here. May the best win!”
“Kiloude’s champion, huh? Ready to see what you can do. Come at us,” Ruki replied.
The two got into position on both sides of the stage. The referee raised his right arm. “Readyyyy? GO!”
A swing of the referee’s arm signalling the start of the match, Céline sent out her first Pokémon. “Go, Medicham!”
Released from her Poké Ball, Medicham appeared on the stage, stretching herself and getting ready for battle. Ruki was about to go and face her, but Filio stopped him.
“Heeey, you’re weak to Psychic-types, my man. But as a Dark-type, I’m immune to them. Let me handle this for you, hehehe,” Filio said, walking past him onto the stage.
“Hmph, counting on you,” Ruki said, before warning him, “Medicham’s also a Fighting-type though, something you’re weak to. Be careful.”
“Leave it to me!”
Walking up on the stage, Filio smirked at Medicham. “Hmph, I don’t like hitting girls, but guess it can’t be helped. You’re up against me, little Medicham!”
Medicham watched him carefully, wary as the Absol was a Dark-type. She knew that half of her moves wouldn’t have any effect on him.
“Don’t be afraid, Medicham! You’re a fighter and you’re strong against him, too!” Céline cheered. “Finish him with Force Palm!”
Following her Trainer’s command, Medicham attacked Filio.
“Sucker Punch!” Filio exclaimed. Evading his foe, Filio slashed her with the Dark energy in his horn. But being a seasoned fighter, Medicham was unfazed, twisting her body to hit him with the full force of Force Palm. Both Pokémon were knocked back. They panted, both attacks being super effective against each other.
“Ooh, scary~ But it’s bed time now, sweetie!” Filio laughed. Charging dark energy in his horn, he lunged at Medicham, “Night Slash!”
“Medicham! Endure!” Céline shouted hurriedly.
Medicham braced herself as Filio slashed at her with his horn, knocking her across the stage. She slammed hard against the ground and slid a few meters away. The audience gasped, holding their breath. But to everyone’s surprise, Medicham endured the powerful attack, slowly getting back up to her feet. Moved by her struggle, the crowd cheered her on to keep going.
“Hmph, tough girl, but you won’t last much longer,” Filio said, “Sucker Punch!”
Not wanting to let her Trainer down, Medicham moved with everything she’d got, evading Filio’s attack.
“What?!” Filio exclaimed in surprise. Céline immediately prepared a counterattack.
“Medicham, Force Palm!”
Gathering energy in her palm, Medicham gave Filio’s back a hard slap. Filio felt a strong wave of power course through his body from the hit, knocking him down hard against the ground. His body stiffened, feeling heavy and weak after the attack.
“What’s this?! Filio appears to be Paralyzed and can’t move!” The commentator exclaimed. “Will Medicham win this?!”
Medicham walked up to Filio, looming over him as she readied the final blow. But Filio smirked at her, speaking up calmly.
“Oh, you’ve exceeded my expectations, Medicham,” Filio said, looking at her charmingly, “Your Trainer must be really proud of you–to not give up even when you were almost defeated. Boys just can’t get enough of strong girls like you.”
Medicham blushed at the sudden compliments, stopping in her tracks.
“Oh no, Medicham!” Céline called out, but her voice didn’t seem to reach her Pokémon.
“Oh non! Filio used Attract!” The commentator said in surprise, “Medicham’s immobilized by love!”
Seeing that Medicham had let her guard down, Filio used his remaining energy to get back up and deal the final blow.
“Night Slash!”
Unable to evade, Medicham took the full force of the slash. She landed on the ground harshly, struggling a little before fainting.
“Medicham’s unable to battle! The first battle’s winner’s Filio!” The referee announced. Céline withdrew Medicham into her Poké Ball.
“Thanks for doing your best, Medicham,” she said.
The crowds cheered and clapped at the performance. Some seemed quite surprised that Filio, a mere wild Absol, could defeat Céline’s Medicham all by himself. The others looked interested at how the next battle would go. Filio closed his eyes and raised his head proudly, bathing in all the glory. With some effort, he walked off the stage afterwards, back to Ruki and Alina.
“Too bad, but I don’t think I can handle more than this. Hope both of you can win the remaining battles,” Filio said, stumbling off the stage.
“Well fought. Didn’t know that you have that type of move up your sleeve,” Ruki said, referring to Filio’s Attract and looking at him judgingly.
“You shouldn’t play with a maiden’s feelings,” Alina added, frowning and folding her arms in disdain.
“Hey, we all do what we can to win and survive!” Filio protested.
“Participants! Are you ready for the next battle?” The referee called out.
“Of course!” Céline said energetically, taking out her second Poké Ball. “Go, Mienshao!”
The Martial Arts Pokémon appeared from the Poké Ball, ready to battle.
“I’ll handle him,” Alina volunteered.
“You sure, Alina? I can defeat him for you,” Ruki said, but the Tsareena shook her head.
“We can’t afford to mess up now. I’m guessing Céline’s last Pokémon would be her ace. Save your energy for that.”
“Tch, fine.”
Ruki wasn’t entirely happy since he was starting to itch for a fight, but Alina’s words were true, so he leaned back and watched her go up the stage. The crowds cheered and clapped in anticipation. The referee announced the start of the battle.
“Readyyyy? GO!!”
At the signal, Alina lunged at Mienshao, unleashing her attack. Mienshao being a Fighting-type, both of them had no type advantages against each other, so they’d just have to fight normally until one of them falls.
“Trop Kick!” Alina shouted, sending a spinning kick at Mienshao.
“Mienshao! Drain Punch!” Céline commanded.
Mienshao didn’t seem too bothered as Alina’s kick hit him. Following Céline’s command, he struck Alina back, draining her energy to recover from his wounds. Alina wouldn’t give him time to rest, though.
“High Jump Kick!”
“Mienshao, Bounce!”
To Alina’s surprise, Mienshao bounced high into the air, avoiding her kick completely. Her foe spun in the air and dove back down, going straight for Alina.
“…!! Trop Kick!” The Tsareena swung her leg up, trying to reduce the impact of Mienshao’s attack with an attack of her own. Her kick hit Mienshao, but her foe’s blow was much more powerful than hers.
“..!!” Alina winced as she was knocked back, landing on the ground roughly.
“Alina!” Ruki shouted.
“It’s a Flying-type move, so it must’ve hurt,” Céline said confidently, “Too bad, but Mienshao’s used to dealing with Grass-types like you.”
“……” Alina glared at Mienshao, trying to get back on her feet.
His punch was brutal. The next Bounce would take her out for sure, without her being able to even land a hit on him. She looked around, desperately thinking about how she could defeat him.
“Alina!”
The Tsareena looked at Ruki when she heard him call out to her.
“Don’t worry, Alina! He can’t hurt you,” Ruki yelled. Hearing that, Alina quickly looked at Mienshao. Her foe seemed a little tired out, his fists wounded by her kicks. Alina stood up confidently, ready to fight again.
“Mienshao! Finish her!” Céline commanded.
Mienshao roared and jumped into the air, diving down to strike Alina with another Bounce attack. Alina tried to evade him, but her foe’s well-aimed attack struck her. The audience held their breath.
Silence. Mienshao thought that the Tsareena would faint, but then she kept standing. The attack didn’t take her out. She grabbed his wrist, locking him in place to prevent him from using another Bounce.
“…?!” Mienshao and Céline’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh là là! What’s this?!” The commentator exclaimed in disbelief, “It seems that Alina’s Trop Kick had reduced Mienshao’s Attack power and weakened him! What’ll happen now?!”
Despite her wounds, Alina looked at Mienshao victoriously. With her remaining energy, she kicked her foe up into the air.
“High Jump Kick!”
Attacking Mienshao with a flurry of kicks, she dealt the final blow, sending him crashing onto the ground with one hard final kick.
“Trainer Céline’s Mienshao’s unable to battle!” The referee announced. “The second battle’s winner’s Alina!”
“You fought well, Mienshao,” Céline said, calling her Pokémon back into his Poké Ball. She twirled her long blond hair around a finger, visibly troubled.
The crowd cheered and clapped, genuinely surprised that a newcomer could corner Céline like this. Masterless wild Pokémon, too! They chattered excitedly about how the match would turn out. Alina exited the stage, returning to Ruki.
“Alina!” Ruki called out worriedly.
“I’m okay, thanks. I’m afraid that this is it for me, though,” Alina said, “It’s the last battle now. Win it for us.”
“Heh, I’ll watch over sis for you,” Filio told Ruki, “Don’t let our victories go to waste, boss. Go show us a good fight and you’d better win!”
“Hmph, never expected it to be this hard compared to our previous battles. This Céline woman’s certainly something,” Ruki said, shaking his head, “But fine, I’ll win this, so watch me.”
With that, Ruki walked up onto the stage. The audience cheered and clapped loudly, eager to see the final battle of the Christmas Tournament. Céline stood proudly on the other side of the stage, smiling bravely at Ruki.
“Monsieur Ruki, your team far exceeded my expectations!” The Trainer praised, “It’s the first time I’m this excited after participating here for five years. It’s an honor to be able to fight you.”
She closed her eyes and took out her last Poké Ball, before looking at Ruki again while pumping her fist. “But I won’t let you win easily! This is the final battle. Let’s both give it our all!”
“Heh, as you wish,” Ruki said, falling into a battle stance, “Come at me!”
Céline nodded, sending out her ace. “Go, Blaziken!”
A tall Blaziken appeared from the Poké Ball, spreading his arms and crowing proudly.
“…..!” Ruki noticed his broken crest. It was the Blaziken that he saw earlier during the preliminary rounds of the tournament. Blaziken smiled warmly and addressed Ruki.
“Monsieur Ruki, is it? I saw that you’re quite strong when I watched your previous battles. Pleasure that we can meet in the last round like this.”
“Heh, you seem strong yourself,” Ruki commented. The Lucario looked calm, but inwardly, he was starting to find Blaziken intimidating. As a Steel-type Pokémon, he would be weak against both of Blaziken’s types, Fire and Fighting. The rooster replied.
“Why, thanks for the compliment. In passing, I’ve also heard your conversation about wanting to battle a Mega Evolved Pokémon. So how about we show you one?”
“…..?!” Ruki’s eyes widened. Blaziken raised his arm to show a bracelet around his wrist. A round, colourful stone was embedded into it.
“This is a Blazikenite. Hope I can give you a satisfying battle.”
Seeing Blaziken raise his Mega Stone, Céline could feel that her Pokémon was serious about this battle. She smiled and nodded at him in agreement, determination in her eyes. Pushing her long hair back behind an ear, she revealed her earring. It had a colourful stone matching Blaziken’s.
“That’s… a Key Stone!” Alina exclaimed.
“We’ll win this, Blaziken!” Céline shouted confidently, “Mega Evolution!!”
Trivia
- Kiloude City and Battle Maison exist in Pokémon XY. You can participate in single battles using 3 Pokémon.
- Kiloude City’s Christmas, Christmas tournament, the Star of Kiloude and Céline are all my own invention.
- Céline’s name means ‘heavenly’.
- One of the symbols of France is the Gallic Rooster, so have a Blaziken!
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