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."