And here's Chapter 3! Sorry it took a few months, haha, I needed to update Rude Awakening first. But anyway, here's a chapter where our protagonists discover they've got a long hill to climb:

Chapter 3: Freaks

As Aaron entered the barracks, he looked around to find the other kids bunched together, being directed by an Aura guardian with scruffy blonde hair and dark skin.

"Alright kids, single file line while I sort you into your dorms, and no funny business! I've got enough bullshit to deal with."

Aaron quickly complied, disappearing within the crowd.

The mass grew smaller and smaller as more and more kids were sorted. Finally it was Aaron's turn. The Aura Guardian - who Aaron assumed was Vince - looked him over oddly before thumbing to a nearby room.

"M8."

Aaron's eyes drifted over to a room labeled M8. Silently wondering why he didn't get one of the higher-up rooms, he quickly headed towards it.

Inside he found a pale. black-haired boy staring off into space and grumbling, a Scyther observing him.

"Hello?" said Aaron.

The boy looked over. "What do YOU want?" he said. The Scyther took notice and chittered, pacing the flat a scythe on his knee. The boy noticed and sighed. "Sorry..."

"It's... All right?" said Aaron. "Are we gonna live together now?"

"Yeah duh. We aren't the only ones though."

"Not the only ones...?"

"Boo!"

Aaron yelped and whipped around. Behind him was a girl with maroon hair and decently dark skin, in particularly ragged clothing. Her teeth seemed unusually sharp, and she was giving him a manic look.

"Ha! Got you good!"

She also had the strangest accent Aaron had ever heard. What could ever-

"In case you're wondering," said the boy. "Callie was raised by Necrozma cultists."

"For Necrozma!" Callie said in response. A small, gray and black salamander-like Pokemon skittered up her body to her shoulder and gave a hissy chuckle.

"Anyway," said the other boy, "I'm Louis. "The Scyther's Rook, the Salandit is Munchkin."

"I'm Aaron!" said Aaron. Nice to meet you all!"

"Just be glad you haven't met the other two residents of this dorm yet," said Louis.

"Other two?"

At that point there was a roar, and a girl with wild hair and broken glasses leaped at Aaron. Aaron yelped and leaped out of the way, and was faced with the girl and a Pawniard that was waving its blades wildly in no particular direction.

"You're in my territory," said the girl.

"Atta! Stabby! He's just the new kid!" said Louis.

Atta looked Aaron over and snarled. "You live."

Stabby moved his blades in an "I'm watching you" motion.

Aaron gulped.

"Anyway!" said Callie to Aaron. "Do you have a Pokemon?"

"Me?" said Aaron. "I don't... Always wanted one but could never make friends with one..."

"Mabye they just don't like your personality," said Louis.

"You're one to talk," said Atta.

"H-Hey!" said Louis. "I have Rook, don't I?"

The Scyther gave a buzzy sigh.

"Okay!" said Callie, pointing. "Your bunk is over there."

Aaron looked over to a ragged old bed, and lay down in it to get some rest, which translated to staring upward as his roommates bickered.

So much for making friends.

It was mealtime in what Aaron assumed to be a mess hall. Bored-looking Aura Guardians served food of varying quality to the hungry children and Pokemon, who quickly moved to their seats. Aaron moved to sit with his bunkmates and their Pokemon, only to see they were a ways off from the others.

"What's going on?" said Aaron, blinking.

"People don't like sitting next to us," said Louis, Rook chittering in confirmation.

"Except her!" said Callie.

"Her...?" said Aaron, looking over.

A black-haired girl approached the table, looking around nervously, before sitting down with the group. A Gligar followed shortly after.

"Hey guys..."

"Hi!" said Aaron.

The girl blinked. "You're new."

The Gligar snickered.

"I'm Aaron, and yep I'm new!"

"...I'm Eve. Guess I'm not the new kid at the freak table anymore."

"Huh? Why are we freaks?"

"It's a long story, but seems you've already been marked as one by association," said Louis. "Also what happened with you and Polly."

"Huh? I can't be a freak! I was always a freak at home! I came here to not be a freak!"

"Tough luck," said Atta.

"Kids are cruel," said Callie, shrugging as Munchkin snuck bits of food.

Aaron groaned, and the Gligar chuckled at him further."Cut it out, Iuroidea," said Eve to the Gligar. Iuroidea reluctantly stopped.

"Now what do I do?" said Aaron.

"Do what we do. Survive." said Louis.

"Or join Necrozma!" said Callie.

"You don't really need to convert every new person, Callie," said Eve.

Callie tilted her head. "I... Don't?"

"This is the tenth time I've told you this."

Callie just stared. Her eyes glazed over. A whip from Munchkin's tail snapped her back to reality. "Isn't this food great?" she said.

Aaron looked at his plate and then Callie's. His had decent-looking vegetables and potatoes, but hers... What even was that?

~Don't question it,~ said a voice in Aaron's head.

Aaron blinked, then looked over to Eve. She winked.

Right, Aaron thought. Everyone has powers here. I'm at least not alone in that sense. Though...

"Uh..." said Aaron. "Weird question, what powers do you guys have?"

In response, Louis held up a ball of orange Aura. Callie wove wisps of Spectral Obscura through her fingers. Atta snarled and conjured Dark Obscuric claws. Eve sent a telepathic message of ~You already know.~

"Right," said Aaron. My powers are more like Louis', here, watch..."

He started charging a ball of Aura between his palms. He focused on it, containing it.

Then the power suddenly swelled. The sphere swelled. Aaron couldn't contain it any longer.

BAM!

Aaron was knocked to the ground. His food was sent flying. Everyone stared.

Everyone then laughed.

"Well, if you weren't with us in the freak club before you certainly are now," said Louis.

Aaron just lay there panting.

That night, Aaron lay in his bed, listening to the others in his bunk. Lewis muttered obscenities in his sleep. Callie muttered incantations to Necrozma. Atta simply snarled. Their Pokemon seemed to be the only ones who slept normally.

Aaron thought to himself. His first day here... Hadn't gone so well. Polly had humiliated him, her Metagross had refused to help, he was immediately lumped with the "freak" kids, and he humiliated himself again trying to bond with them. Was the entire time going to be like this?

No. He couldn't let that happen. He'd find a way to improve things. He just needed to figure out a way how.

~~~~

In the forest, light dappled in the trees as a Riolu approached a Lucario.

"Hey mom," said the Riolu.

"Hello, son," said the Lucario. "Today you're going to learn how to hunt."

Riolu rubbed his paws together awkwardly. "That means I have to... Kill, right?"

"Yes. It is what we must do to survive. However... Your Auric abilities will make it painful to bring harm to another without training. So getting practice in this early is essential."

Riolu nodded and looked around. "So... What do I have to do?"

"There is a Buneary denning further into these bushes. You must kill it and bring it back to me."

Riolu looked over hesitantly to the bushes in question and headed in.

It was quiet except for the rustling leaves. Riolu could sense life with the feelers on the sides of his head, and it drew him further in. Eventually, he reached a burrow nestled in the fallen foliage, and he stood and waited.

Eventually a Buneary poked their head out, sniffing the air with their small, moist nose. They slowly, cautiously crept out and looked around.

That's when Riolu lunged with a Force Palm.

The Buneary gave a yell and tried to dodge, but the Force Palm managed to connect, causing them to fall over. Riolu recoiled from the empathic feedback, but pounced on the Buneary as they screamed, attempting to bite their throat. The Buneary suddenly gave a kick with their powerful legs and flipped the grappling Pokemon over so the Buneary was on top.

Instinctively, Riolu tried to kick the Buneary's side. Suddenly, Riolu's leg erupted into flame as he kicked the Buneary's torso with a sickening crack. The Buneary was sent flying with a pained scream before crashing, and trying to crawl and limp away. Riolu recovered from the empathetic shock and wondering what it was he'd even done before dashing over and giving a Force Palm straight to the Buneary's neck. He recoiled. The Buneary fell limp.

Riolu gasped and panted, clutching his body from the amount of feedback aches he felt. It was a while before he had recovered enough to slowly drag the Buneary out of the bushes.

Eventually Riolu managed to drag the dead Buneary out to his mother. She smiled.

"Good job! Excellent you got it on your first try."

"Thanks... Now what do I do with it?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious? You eat it."

Riolu stared down at the dead Buneary. Then at his mother. Then at the dead Buneary. Then at his mother. Then at the dead Buneary. Before finally digging in.

It was... Good. Better than the dry scraps he usually got, or even his mother's milk. He had blood all over his face but he was enjoying it.

His father approached. "Oh hey, I see you got one!"

"I did," said Riolu, looking up from his meal.

Seeing them both, he was reminded of something. "Mom, Dad? When I was kicking that Buneary to kill it, my leg caught on fire! But it didn't hurt at all! What does that mean?"

His mother's eyes widened. Ginji gave a beaky bird grin. "Well then! You learned one of my moves!"

"...I... Did?"

"Pokemon can learn moves passed down from their parents," said his mother. "Even if they're of different species."

"Yes! And you got my Blaze Kick!" said Ginji.

"...Huh, wow," said Riolu. "Guess I'll do it again sometime!"

He then resumed digging into the Buneary while his parents conversed.

"Should he use that move around the pack?" said his mother.

"He'll be alright." said Ginji. "If anyone gives him trouble they'll have to deal with me."

"You can't intimidate them forever."

"...I know. But I'll do whatever it takes to protect you both."

Eventually Riolu finished his meal and joined his parents, who headed back to the pack.

Riolu sat by himself, poking at rocks. It's usually what he had to do when his parents weren't immediately available - all the other Riolu avoided him for some reason. Every time he tried interacting with them they'd just move away or mutter something about their parents not letting them. Or both.

His ears perked up. Was that his mom?

He headed over, clambering over a few rocks and pushing through a few bushes to get there. When he found his mother, however, he saw she was facing another Lucario - an old, scarred individual most of the rest of the pack knew to stay away from.

"You! You've been a burden for as long as this pack's existed! You hunt less, you keep watch less, you train less!"

Hey! That wasn't true. Riolu checked, his mom did all those more than everyone else!

"And now you're cavorting with your birdbrain mate and your freak offspring!"

His dad wasn't a birdbrain. He wasn't a freak.

...Was he?

"Your overgrown pile of feathers you call a mate can't protect you two forever! Someday judgement's gonna come down! Hell, it may very well be from me! Ha!"

That does it.

Riolu's leg erupted into flame. He rushed forward and began kicking the old, scarred Lucario in the legs as he howled in agony. His mother quickly grabbed him and started running away as the old, scarred Lucario yelled after them clutching his leg.

"Freak! Freak! Freak!"

"And you what?" said Ginji, in a forest clearing with his family a bit later.

"I... I used your move... I just didn't want him to hurt you and mom..."

"That bag of bones? He's too old and lame to do anything but make threats. If I was aware he was harassing your mom I would have busted him in short order, so you should have gotten me."

"Dear," said Riolu's mom, "You really don't have to deal with every member of the pack who-"

"Yes I do!" said Ginji. "I care about you two! You're the only family I have after what happened to my Trainer!"

He paused, panted heavily. "I... I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself..."

"...Dad? Thank you."

"Thank you for everything Ginji."

Ginji paused. Then carefully pulled the other two into a hug.

The old, scarred Lucario was limping back to the rest of the pack.

"Oh, just wait until the alphas hear about this!" he said. "That damn bird will be history!"

It was then he noticed a distinct glow in his Aura senses, but couldn't ascertain its exact location.

"Eh? Who's that?"

His Aura feelers flared as he tried to pinpoint the source.

It was then he realized the source was right on top of him.

Claws and teeth dug in, rending limbs in spurts of blood. Fire burnt into flesh, loosening it from bone.

The old Lucario screamed.

***

Gruesome.

Also! I should note here some of the fic's characters are inspired by those from the We Are All Pokemon Trainers community, and these characters have been loosely based on some of those from said community, with the gracious permission of their owners. While these characters themselves are mine they are still close enough to cameos I ought to credit the ones I based them on. In order of debut:

-Vince, based on Vierr by BittersweetNSour

-Louis and Rook, based on Lucius and Bishop by Herbert40k

-Atta, based on Jetta by Pres_Stalkeyes

-Eve and Irodea, based on Lillith and Sasorina by DarkerShining

Callie and Munchkin are also based on things but not from WAAPT. I presume people will kill me when they figure out who.

Some old art I haven't shared in this thread yet:

Our protagonists by autobottesla, ordered by Tracer (I imagine Aaron doesn't have the cape yet but everything else is 100% accurate and 200% adorable)

Polly and co. by the same artist except ordered by me

and Polly and her Dunsparce by Dragonfree!

Well! Here's Chapter 4! In which we get to some worldbuilding on the Aaron end and peril on the Riolu end!

Chapter 4: All In The Type

It was time for the first day of training.

Aaron kept staring at the training dummy. It seemed to stare back. He looked around at the other kids and their Pokemon preparing. He was alone. He looked back at the training dummy and his hands glowed with Auric power. He yelled, rushed at the training dummy... and tripped, falling flat on his back.

"...Good grief," he said.

He hesitantly got back up and rushed the dummy again. This attempt was more successful, doing decent damage to the dummy. Smiling, he looked around for his companions. Louis and Rook were slicing up a dummy, Callie and Munchkin were pelting one with Obscura bolts and fire, Atta and Stabby were gnawing and stabbing at one, and Eve... Weird. She was lying on the ground clutching her head, with Iuroidea tending to her. Did she trip too? Maybe-

It was then Aaron noticed a shadow looming overhead. With dread he looked up. There was a blonde boy with spiky hair standing on the head of a massive Onix above him, crossing his arms and giving a not exactly friendly smug smile down.

"You! You're the new freak kid, right?" he said.

"Uh... No?"

"Bah! You think you can fool the mighty Gabriel? I'll show you!" He snapped his fingers. An explosion of Ghostly Obscura happened at Aaron's feet, knocking him back as he yelped. "Ha! Too easy," said Gabriel. "Let's try some more." A strange construct  that seemed to resemble a Shadow Ball but spear-shaped appeared by his shoulder and fired down at Aaron, with Aaron yelping and rolling over to avoid it. "You're a fun one. Most people just run away and I have to bother chasing them. Not that that isn't funny either."

His Onix gave a strange whimper.

"Easy, Patricia, we're almost done with this one," said Gabriel. "Lean down a little will you girl?"

Patricia slowly moved her head down to ground level so Gabriel could get off, upon which he picked up Aaron by the scruff of his neck and held up his other hand, crackling with Ghost Obscura explosions, in Aaron's face. "You're just like the rest of them. Worthless. If you think you came here to have a good time, I'm here to teach you otherwise. Not any kid on the Auric Spectrum can be an Aura Guardian, and I'm gonna weed out the ones who can't. Like you."

He dropped Aaron and stormed off, Patricia looking at Aaron oddly for a few moments before following after. Aaron was hyperventilating on the ground until he saw Callie and Munchkin peering down at him.

"You okay?" said Callie. Or at least Aaron thought she said that, her accent was still always odd and unplaceable.

"No."

"Good! The Necrozmaists say adversity builds character!"

She helped him up. "But yeah, Gabriel is mean. He makes Spectral Obscurics look bad!" Munchkin hissed in agreement.

"What's wrong with him anyway?" said Aaron.

"Apparently he was from a rich family and got protected from how people usually treat Obscurics. And his powers are really strong! So he thinks he's better than everyone else!" said Callie. "I'd like to each him the might of Necrozma!"

"Let's just try to avoid him for now..." said Aaron.

"Aww, okay," said Callie. "Come on, Ms. Carol is gonna teach us about type matchups! Maybe Munchkin can show off!"

Munchkin gave an excited hiss, and they all headed off.

The Aura Guardian trainees and their Pokemon gathered around a young adult woman Aura Guardian with a dark uniform, long wavy red hair, and green eyes. She surveyed the group until all had settled and then spoke up... telepathically.

~Alright kids! Carol here, and I'm going to teach you how to deal with type matchups! Who here has a Pokemon partner?~

Everyone but Aaron gestured to their partner or held them up. Aaron fidgeted nervously before addressing Louis.

"Why does she only talk like that?"

"She's mute," Louis said, whispering. "Can't speak with her mouth. Can't hear that well either. Something about an incident with a Pangoro. Don't know the rest, don't really care."

Aaron nodded before his gaze shifted back to Carol.

~Okay then!~ said Carol. ~Now, as you may know, Pokemon have different attributes called Types. These affect the sorts of Aura Spectrum powers Pokemon can produce - way more of them and with way more power than humans on the Auric Spectrum! This is helped by the fact that Pokemon produce an additional energy called Infinity Energy to power up their Auras, which can only be sensed in trace amounts in humans. Pokemon types are strong and weak against other types, depending on the type and type combination, and to demonstrate that...~

She paused, holding stock-still. There was a roar, and a Salamence descended from the air and approached Polly.

~Good girl,~ said Carol exclusively to the Salamence, scratching the dragon's cheek as she purred. ~Can you give these kids a scare again?~

The Salamence winked and gave a quiet "Sal!"

~Alright,~ said Carol. ~Now I need, hmmm...~ She combed her finger through the audience until she reached a boy and his Cleffa. ~You! Bring me your Pokemon.~

The boy's eyes widened in shock. He looked around. Then, very hesitantly, he passed the squealing Cleffa to Carol. Carol placed the Cleffa down across from the Salamence, ignoring his "Clefs!" of protest. She quickly backed away.

~Becky! Use Outrage!~

Becky the Salamence roared as her entire body glowed green with dragonfire and she charged the Cleffa. The Cleffa covered his eyes and braced himself for impact. The dragon pummeled the Cleffa with claws and bites and headbutts. When the dragonfire died down and the dust cleared... nothing. The Cleffa was totally unscathed. He uncovered its eyes, looked up, gave a "clef!" of surprise at Becky still being there, and ran back to his Trainer, who hugged him.

~As you can see,~ said Carol, ~Type matchups - as well as things like Trainer and Pokemon creativeness and cleverness - are what really makes a battle. Not Pokemon strength.~

The gaggle of Trainees and their Pokemon started a bit before nodding. Carol smiled.

~But!~ said Carol. ~You will learn more in subsequent lessons! For now, you've got a history lesson with Polly! Now shoo, shoo!~

She and Becky, along with a Gothitelle she summoned from her staff, herded the kids toward the mountain.

Eventually the group of children were directed to Polly, alongside her Dunsparce and Metagross. Polly looked them over, then looked at Carol and her Pokemon. "You're good to go."

~Thanks!~ said Carol, and she, Becky, and her Gothitelle Lovegood exited.

"Alright," said Polly. "Time to teach you new kids some stuff about this place. Kids who have heard it before, don't try to sum it up please."

A few hands lowered.

Polly started leading the kids up the mountain, going on some winding pathways with tall trees and various signs of wild Pokemon. Eventually, the group came across a cliff overlooking something Aaron couldn't make out at first. When he got there, however, he stared in awe.

In the distance stood a mountain unlike anything Aaron had ever seen. It was massive, and shaped like a tree, clouds swirling around it. Aaron could barely make out glittering green crystals decorating the mountain's rocks.

"Say hello to the Tree Of Beginning," said Polly.

"Why is it like that?" asked Aaron.

"Long ago, the people and Pokemon of Kanto and Johto suffered a great famine. They begged the gods for help, and their calls were heeded by a Legendary from another land, who created the Tree to ward off famine and pestilence. Its crystals absorb energy from sunlight, and its roots as a result fertilize the local area and even small bits of Kanto and Johto. The ecosystem around here depends on it."

"Wow..." said Aaron. Some of the other kids oohed and aahed as well.

"But don't dare venture inward; there are monsters inside the tree, and you know what they do to any human that visits?"

"...What?"

Polly suddenly got in Aaron's face with a wicked grin. "They eat them!"

Aaron screamed. And screamed, and screamed, and screamed for an unusually long time until Polly said "Kid, relax, relax, they're not going to get you."

"...Okay," said Aaron. The other kids giggled.

~Told you you shouldn't have done that~ said Metagross. ~Even if it was funny.~

Dunsparce snickered.

Polly sighed. "Anyway, the other hazard of the Tree is the Mew that lives there. The Tree can't sustain itself, so the Legendary created a lesser Legendary, a Mew, to keep it in balance. But the Mew is... Mischievous. It's known to cause a ruckus and spirit objects and even Pokemon away to the Tree."

~Legendaries in general aren't to be trusted.~

Dunsparce gave a hissy, irritated "sparce".

~For your information I do not mention that every time Legendaries come up, thank you very much.~

Polly sighed again and gestured with her staff to the region beyond the Tree. "Beyond the tree is the kingdom of Rota. It was founded by refugees from the great war in another land about 2000 years ago, when an Ultimate Weapon caused the Skybreak. Since then they've grown to thrive, and are a valuable ally to us Genesis Mountain Aura Guardians. Any questions?'

The children were silent. Aaron tried to think of something to say, but couldn't just yet.

"Alright, back to the monastery, so you kids all can have lunch."

She and her Pokemon headed down the mountain, the children and their Pokemon heading after. Aaron followed along quietly for a while, then noticed another kid didn't have a Pokemon partner either. Aaron moved closer to him and noticed he not only had pink hair but pink clothes as well.

"Excuse me-"

The other child turned his head toward Aaron, holding a finger to his lips and winking. Aaron blinked. A Pokemon made a noise in the forest, causing Aaron's attention to turn to it briefly; when he turned back the other child was gone.

"How long has it been stalking us?"

"Days, now. Ever since it first killed one of our own, possibly further."

"It seems to have acquired a taste for our kind's flesh..."

"What do we do, Grandfather Alpha?"

"Give me a moment to think..."

Riolu was listening in to all of this from behind a nearby boulder. There was a predator stalking the Lucario pack and he wanted to know more about it. He also wanted to do something about it but he also knew he wasn't strong enough... Maybe if he could-

"I sense an aura!"

"Behind that boulder!"

Oh no. Quickly he tried to get out of there, only to be grabbed by a Lucario and held aloft.

"Okay, whose pup is this?"

"...That would be ours."

Riolu awkwardly gestured to his parents. His mother sighed while Ginji shook his head.

"How much do you know, kid?"

"There's a predator killing pack members... we need to stop it..."

"Let him go," said Grandfather Alpha. "There is no harm in him knowing the truth; we were going to tell the other pups eventually."

The Lucario placed Riolu down, and he shook himself off. Grandfather Alpha sighed. "Now where were we?"

"The predator?" said a Lucario.

"Right. By the time anyone sees or Aura Senses it it's too late, but scorch marks on the remains it leaves behind indicate it's a Fire type. Therefore..."

He pointed toward Ginji. "You're probably our best bet for taking it down."

Ginji pointed to himself. "Me? And I thought you all didn't want me doing anything important."

"Those are the ignorant words of my children and their mates. This pack is family. No matter what."

Rilou's mother beamed.The other Lucario mumbled amongst themselves.

"You shall lead a team to take this predator down for the sake of our pack," said Grandfather Alpha. "I wish you luck."

"Don't worry, that predator's as good as gone."

Riolu looked between his father, mother, and Grandfather Alpha and then the other packmates, the latter of which were still grumbling among themselves, with concern.

That night, in a small cavern, Riolu was nestled up with his mother while Ginji was keeping watch. Riolu slowly got up and approached his father.

"Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Are you gonna be OK?"

"Well, I never know for sure. What exactly do you mean?"

"With this predator. Do you really think you can take it on?"

"Oh, that thing? Sure I can! It's just another Pokemon, and we Pokemon have strengths, weaknesses, all that that can be advantages and disadvantages. If you know how to use those, you're golden." He paused. "At least, that's what my old Trainer always taught me."

"Did you trust your old Trainer?"

"...Yes. While he was alive, more than anyone in the world."

"That's a lot."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"I trust you, Dad."

Ginji gave a bird smile. "Thanks, so-"

A yell echoed. Ginji stood at attention. Riolu's mother bolted upright.

"Riolu! Stay here!" said his mother.

"We'll take care of this!" said Ginji.

They bolted off.

Riolu, naturally, waited a bit before following.

He came across his parents in a battle for their lives. Nearby was a cowering Lucario. Before them was a large reptilian Pokemon, orange scales, large wings, and flaming tail illuminated by the moonlight. The Pokemon breathed jets of flame at Riolu's parents, Ginji zipping out of the way keeping him distracted with Speed Boosts, and his mother lobbing Aura Spheres at his head.

The predator roared and rushed the two. Riolu's mother lept aside while Ginji vaulted and delivered a kick to the predator's face. The predator roared in pain, and deciding his quarry wasn't worth the pursuit anymore, flew off into the night. The young Lucario the couple had saved ran back off into the night.

"Do you know what that is?" said Riolu's mother.

"S[FONT=Trebuchet MS]h[/FONT]it. It's a Charizard." said Ginji. "Powerful critters. Think they're apex predators of wherever they claim territory of. Suspect he's as much showing the pack who's boss as he is claiming meals."

"Do we tell the Alpha?" said Riolu's mother.

"Certainly." said Ginji.

They ran off into the night as well. Riolu quickly headed back to the cave, where the rest of the pack would be nearby.

This "Charizard..." could his dad really handle it?

***

And here's Chapter 6! Sorry this got delayed so much - by life, finishing up Rude Awakening, and starting up a special secret project.

Anyway, this chapter is an experiment in multiple things, particularly in dealing with two bits of feedback I've gotten: showing off and expanding on the side cast and making Aaron a more active and intresting character. There are also some characters and scenes I've been really been looking forward to introduce for a while, so here we go:

Chapter 6: Strength

Aaron was staring down the dummy. It seemed to stare back. Desperate, he sized it up, looking for a weak point. The dummy did not yield.

Finally Aaron's fist charged with Aura, and he yelled, barreled toward the dummy. The dummy broke... But the recoil sent Aaron flat on his back.

"Really trying to show off, huh?" said a voice.

Aaron looked up to see Lewis and Rook approaching.

"You don't get it!" said Aaron, sitting up. "I have to do this!"

"Why?"

"Dangerous stuff is happening! If I don't get stronger people will get hurt!"

"You talking the weird stuff you saw the other day? The stuff the senior Aura Guardians were all worried about?"

"...Y-yeah."

Rook clicked his scythes together awkwardly.

"I hate to say it but you don't stand a chance," said Lewis. "Whatever killed that guy's not to be messed with by kids like us. So don't be stupid and leave it to the adults."

"But I'm the one who found the dead guy! It's on me! And I'm tired of being weak!"

"Listen. You're just gonna get yourself killed. Give up like I did."

"...Like you did?"

"...You heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. Stop making things up."

"But you just said-"

"Yadayada I can't hear you! I'm out of here."

Lewis stormed off. Rook turned to Aaron and uttered a "Scyther scythe..." in an attempt to tell Aaron something, then chittered sadly and loped off after his human companion.

"I gotta find someone else to help..." said Aaron.

Aaron was looking around the monastery, trying to find someone who could help him in his quest. Those he did find, however, either did not acknowledge him or said "sorry"or the like before moving on. Finally, however, he found Callie and Munchkin.

"You guys! I need your help!"

"What with?" said Callie, her perpetually slurred voice distinct as ever. Munchkin gave a curious hiss.

"I need to find a way to get stronger!"

"Stronger huh?" said Callie, scratching her chin. "Stronger how?"

"Uh, I don't know, however."

"I have just the thing!" said Callie.

She grabbed Aaron's arm and started pulling him along, Aaron looked on worriedly as Munchkin snickered. They eventually reached a dark, musty room of the monastery that smelled like... wait, what was that smell?

"Now where is it..." said Callie, rummaging around.

"Where's what?"

Callie eventually pulled out a bottle of swirling black liquid.

"It's my special Necrozma tonic! Made it myself."

"...This will help me get stronger?"

"Yep! Improves the cons... cons... Constitution!"

"Okay..."

Aaron opened the bottle, tasted it... and immediately gagged.

"What's in this thing?"

"Oh, ground up Beedrill thorax, Goodra slime, essence of Oddish leaf, eye of Sobble... you know, the works!" said Callie, grinning and displaying her unusually pointy teeth.

"...Why?"

"For Necrozma!"

"I uh, think I might need to find some other way," Aaron said, heading off.

"Okay, take care!" said Callie!

Munchkin simply snickered again.

Aaron looked further around the monastery, trying to find someone who at least looked helpful. In the process he did not notice two shapes sneaking behind him, until  it was too late.

A roar echoed out as the two shapes lunged toward Aaron, one tackling him as he screamed.

After a second, realizing he wasn't dead, he looked up to see Atta snarling and breathing in his face, as Stabby waved his arms around nearby.

"Uh, hi?" said Aaron.

Atta just snarled more. Stabby continued waving his arms about.

"Is there a... reason for this?"

"Practice."

"For what?"

"Hunting. Getting... stronger."

Stabby gave some clicks and an "ard!" of affirmation. Aaron's eyes lit up.

"Really? Maybe you could help me!"

"With what?"

"Getting stronger!"

"No. You're too weak."

"I can change that!"

Atta raised an eyebrow. Stabby chuckled.

"The laws of the wild are cruel little one."

It was Aaron's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You... know those kinds of words?"

"Sometimes."

"...What happened to you anyway?"

"Not your business. Don't ask."

"Okay. But will you teach me the whole getting stronger thing?"

"No."

"...Okay."

Aaron got up and left, glancing worriedly at Atta and Stabby the whole while.

Aaron was glancing around one of the courtyards of the monastery when he noticed Eve and Iuroidea. Perking up, he approached them, and tapped Eve on the shoulder.

"Eve? Do you know any advice for getting stronger?"

~...How so?~

"Like... Just... Stronger."

Iuroidea faceclawed.

~That's awfully vague..." said Eve. "You need a more coherent goal than that. Like how I don't want my powers to-~

She stopped.

"To what?"

"Never mind."

Aaron blinked. Why wasn't she using telepathy anymore?

"Anyway..." said Eve. "You could probably start by standing up for yourself?"

"Standing up for myself?"

"Yeah. Like... Showing people who's boss."

"Ryan's the boss though."

"Not literally. Just... Be more assertive."

"Insertive?"

"No. Like... If someone gives you a hard time, don't just take it. Give them a hard time back and make them back off."

"I can do that?" said Aaron, his eyes lighting up.

"Well yeah but it takes some practice..."

"Practice... I can do that! I know just the thing!"

He rushed off.

"...He's doomed," said Eve.

Iuroidea nodded sternly.

Gabriel was content. He was resting on a mat he'd stolen from the monastery, Patricia curled up beside him.

And then the pebble hit him.

He wasn't even hurt. He almost didn't react. But the words that came immediately after made his eyes snap open.

"Hey loser!"

Gabriel stood up, glowering, then turned to the source of the voice. There, standing proudly, was Aaron. With a pile of pebbles.

"You... You smell! You're the smelliest! Yeah!"

Gabriel gave a mirthless chuckle. "Pathetic."

He snapped his fingers twice. The first caused a blast that sent the pebble pile flying, some striking Aaron and leaving gashes. The second sent Aaron himself sprawling.

Aaron groaned, before Gabriel stomped on his chest.

"Let's face it. I know why I'm top of the food chain. I know why you're not. Know your place."

"Why... though?" said Aaron.

Gabriel gave an uncharacteristic frown. "That's my buisness. Not yours."

"You're not... Like the bullies that used to bug me." said Aaron. "You don't... do it out of fear. You seem to do it... for some other reason... Why?"

"Shut up before I Psyshock you again."

By now Patricia was looking over them with concern.

"Come on Pat. The weakling's learned his lesson. We're done here."

He headed off. Patricia, on the other hand, seemed to slither off in a completely diffrent direction. Aaron just lay where he was, trying to ignore the pain of the gashes.

Then Patricia returned, and this time she was accompanied by the mysterious child Aaron saw before.

"Thanks Pat!" said the child. "I'll take it from here."

Patricia nodded, and slithered off after Gabriel. The child started looking Aaron over, and from there Aaron could get a better look at his appearance.

He looked about fourteen, with very fine clothing, all in various shades of pink. Long pink hair framed blue eyes and a yourhful face. And... was that a tail? It looked illusory, like it wasn't even there.

"Hey! Need help there?"

"Well... duh," said Aaron.

"Okay, gimmie a second..."

Before his eyes Aaron watched the boy transform into a large, blue shrimp-like Pokemon that blasted a pulse of pink energy at his wounds. Within an instant, they healed, and the boy reverted to normal.

"Wow! That was incredible!" said Aaron, sitting up. "You gotta teach me how to do that!"

"Uh, I'm not sure Transform is a move you Auric humans can cover."

"Aw really? Thanks though."

"No problem! In return... You got any toys?"

"Uh... Not really no. Never had any of my own."

"What? Ah geez. You Aura Guardian kids usually have some good stuff."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah! Though not as good as the Rotan kids. Those guys are loaded! Like my Rotan noble getup by the way? They're suckers for it." The boy started for a second. "Oh, by the way? Name's Mithos."

"Why do you collect toys, Mithos?"

"Where I live? I get bored. Real bored. Human toys are my go-to for fixing that."

"Oh, neat!" said Aaron.

He looked over at where Gabriel went. "Why is he like that?"

"Some people... are just... Jerks? Damn kid keeps getting away with being the way he is, even with more powerful Psychics around he's good at playing innocent and getting people not to talk."

"No it's not that! I saw his Aura when I was sneaking up on him! It was different from my old bullies but not like that!"

"...Huh. Kid, you're smarter than you look."

"Than- Hey!"

Mithos snickered.

~You.~ said a voice.

Aaron and Mithos turned to see Metagross leering at the latter.

"Well well well!" said Mithos. "If it isn't Mr. No Fun Allowed!"

~Get away from the kid.~

"I was helping him! This bully roughed him up, see, and I healed him! Simple as that."

~I shouldn't have to ask twice.~

"I shouldn't have to ask twice!" Mithos repeated mockingly. "Fine, fine." He turned to Aaron. "You owe me one toy." And with that, he turned back to Metagross, stuck out his tounge at him, and teleported away.

"Why'd you yell at him like that?" said Aaron.

~He is not to be trusted, Aaron.~ said Metagross. ~Stay away from him.~

"But-"

Too late. Metagross was trudging off. Aaron hmphed, sighed, and headed back to his room.

The quest to get stronger would have to wait another day.

Polly was looking around the monastery carefully when a pink-haired Aura Guardian with a Musharna companion approached her.

"Oh! Hello Nightjar, LazyBones," said Polly. "Have you seen Metagross?"

"We have not," said Nightjar, "but that's not what we're here for."

~It's a message from Ryan,~ said LazyBones, floating idly as mist drifted from his head.

"...What kind of message?"

"Regarding the murders and disappearances. In addition to our efforts we will also be seeking... outside help."

"What? We're doing perfectly fine on our own."

"And you have how much new evidence of the culprit?"

"Ha ha.We'll get there."

"This is a serious matter, Polly."

"Well you and Ryan aren't taking me seriously! We can handle this."

"Don't be so stubborn. This will be beneficial to all of us."

~You're getting awfully defensive,~ said LazyBones.

"...Fine. But we'll get it done, without this outside help or not."

She stormed off, only then running into Metagross.

"There you are! Where were you?"

~Dealing with... a nuisance,~ said Metagross.

Polly sighed. "Same."

Riolu wandered through the forest, lost, seeking a place to stay. The trees and rocks seemed to stretch on forever, but he knew he had to keep going.

It was then he heard a noise.

His head turned to see a very familiar Charizard stomping through the bush. he didn't notice Riolu at first, but Riolu was frozen in fear, and soon their eyes locked. There was a long moment of silence before the Charizard spoke.

"...You'll do."

The Charizard lunged. Riolu bolted and ran.

He zigzagged through the underbrush, the Charizard charging behind him all the way. He ran past trees and boulders and then straight into a pair of Furret.

"Hey! What's the rush?" said one Furret.

The other Furret pointed and screamed, and the two and Riolu darted out of the way as the Charizard charged.

Riolu kept going, not caring how sore his legs got, fear of his impending demise keeping him going. Then he came across a ravine.

He paused, quickly judging if he could make it over the gap. Then, knowing he'd be doomed anyway  if he didn't, he leapt, sailing far and far and - just barely grabbing the ledge and hoisting himself up.

He almost paused to congratulate himself but heard stomping behind him and remembered Charizard could fly.

So he kept running, running that intensified as he heard wingbeats behind him, until he came across a cave barely visible in the undergrowth and darted inside.

Riolu darted along the corridors and stalactites, eventually hiding behind one of the former to catch his breath. He heard the Charizard enter behind him.

"Heh, you've been giving me good exercise kid. But you're going down."

More stomps.

"You see, I'm not just doing this for a meal. Mons like you are competition. And I want to be absolute alpha of my territory."

The stomps grew closer. Riolu could see the light of the Charizard's tail, hear his breathing.

"And if it means killing every last one of you here than so be i-"

A massive shape lunged out of the depths of the cavern, past Riolu and right at the Charizard. Riolu could just make out the form of the Charizard being clutched in the massive jaws of a huge creature, before the Charizard was dragged screaming into the darkness, its tail light winking out.

Riolu stood completely still as the mincing of flesh and the crunching of bone grew quieter and quieter until it faded to silence. He stayed completely still even after that until a booming, feminine voice echoed throughout the cavern.

"Relax, child... I do not wish to harm you. That Charizard was intruding on my domain for a while now... You are not."

A metallic, serpentine creature slithered out from within the depths of the cave. Riolu stood still for just a bit longer before speaking.

"Your... Domain?"

"Call me the Mountain Keeper. I have been hearing about this Charizard that has been intruding on my lands and being a bully to the populace via the Zubat that roost in this cave. About time I did him in."

"Th-thank you?"

"Doesn't seem the sort of thing I should say "you're welcome" to but I appreciate the sentiment," said the Mountain Keeper. "Now... What's a Riolu like you doing away from your pack? You'd be safer with them."

Riolu paused, then hung his head.

"I don't belong in my pack," he said. "Especially... Not anymore."

"Hmm, I see... Are you looking for a new pack then?"

"...Yes. Yes I am."

"There is a human settlement down the mountain to the east filled with many different humans and Pokemon. Perhaps you can find a new pack there."

"...You can do that?"

"Of course. I sense you are strong, young Riolu. Your strength will find you friends in time."

Riolu nodded, then moved to go.

"Oh, though," said the Mountain Keeper. "I do have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"I have a daughter that lives with the humans... Do try to find her for me."

"I will. I promise."

Riolu then headed out.

Riolu headed through the trees and rocks, following the sun to try and stick to the Mountain Keeper's directions. Eventually, the trees thinned, and Riolu was met by a sight unlike any he'd ever seen before.

Strange nests stretched out before him, made of stone, clay, and plants. Moving between these nests were Pokemon the likes of which Riolu had never seen before and -

...What were those? They were so strange, were so lanky - save the few that were chunkier or bulkier - had so little hair, had such flat faces. Were these really the humans his father held in such reverence? The creatures that held such a special bond with Pokemon?

Only one way to find out, he thought.

And he headed in.

***

Before I go, a few  commissions:

Ryan by CidFox: https://i.imgur.com/KNN9Lg2.png

Carol by edlinklover: https://i.imgur.com/PoZx3yD.png

Vince by prayforelves: https://i.imgur.com/zsHhc6F.png

Nightjar by Goldieclaws: https://i.imgur.com/W0d6N5e.png

Mithos by CidFox: https://i.imgur.com/NTxnFaS.png

Nightjar and Lazybones based off of Maggie and SleepyHead by CorvusAtrox

Oof, five months. Worldbuilding June and Artfight ambushed me and made me lose track of fic stuff. But I've got a chapter here anyway! Hope you enjoy:

Chapter 7: Encounters

Aaron had taken some time to himself to explore the monastery. Partially because he was bored, and partially because the monastery was just that huge - there were various facilities and nooks and crannies, spiraling towers and sprawling courtyards, that he was certain he hadn't uncovered all of yet.

It wasn't long, however, before he got a bit lost.

In his hapless wandering he turned a corner and bumped straight into a Scyther. The Scyther let out a startled buzz and brandished its scythes as Aaron yelped. A pale, dark-haired boy quickly approached.

"Easy Rook it's just the dweeb."

Rook blinked and then shrunk back from Aaron sheepishly, clacking his scythes together.

"Er, sorry about that," said Aaron.

"It's not you, for once," said Louis. "Rook's startled pretty easily."

"Don't worry," said Aaron. "I... I wasn't scared."

Louis raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Positive!"

A mischievous smirk appeared on Louis' face. "Is that so? Well then, why don't you take a gander at... Him?"

Lewis pointed dramatically over to a patch of grass by the greenhouse. Upon that patch of grass sat a snoring Rhyperior.

"See him? That's Andalas. Legendarily grouchy Rhyperior. If you're not afraid of a Scyther surely giving him a poke isn't too scary."

Aaron gulped. "That's... That's diff-"

He shook his head. "I can do that! Just you watch!"

"Good luck," said Louis, snickering. "You're gonna need it."

Rook just nervously looked between Aaron and the sleeping Andalas.

Aaron looked at Louis again, then to Andalas, then started slowly creeping toward the latter.

He eventually got close enough that he could see the fine details of the massive creature. He was still sound asleep, his rocky body subtly heaving with each breath.

Aaron reached out a finger. It would be OK, he thought. The Rhyperior's rocky hide probably wouldn't even feel it.

He touched it. It felt like rock yet somehow... warm, and alive. He quickly drew the finger back. Andalas was still asleep. He looked backward. Louis and Rook were gone. He looked back to Andalas. Still asleep. Aaron almost sighed in relief, but held his breath to avoid waking the Rhyperior up.

Then Andalas' eyes snapped open anyway.

A rocky paw lunged itself in Aaron's direction. Aaron instinctively yelped and raised up his hands, an Aura barrier forming. The paw bounced off the barrier harmlessly, but Andalas' other paw swung around and grabbed him from behind. Aaron screamed as Andalas yanked him upward and brought him close to his face, dangerously close to his two horns. Aaron whimpered.

"I'm so sorry mister Andalas! Please forgive me!"

Andalas opened his mouth.  For a second Aaron thought he was going to swallow him whole.

Then Andalas started making Pokemon noises at him - a careful mix of "rhy"s, "perior"s, and strange high-pitched whinnying bleats. Aaron almost felt as if the massive Pokemon was scolding him.

~Put him down.~

Andalas turned, pulling Aaron around with him, letting Aaron see that Polly's Metagross was standing next to the both of them. Andalas gave a bleat and a "rhy" at Metagross.

~He's my responsibility.~

Andalas grunted in annoyance, tossed Aaron in front of Metagross, then stomped off. Aaron lay on the ground in shock for a few seconds before picking himself up.

"T-Thanks..."

~Don't mention it. Andalas wouldn't have hurt you but he probably would have kept lecturing you for several hours.~

"...Really?"

~He's like that.~

"...Huh."

~Anyway, I'm not just here to save your ass from Andalas. Class with Polly is soon.~

"Oh! I forgot! Thank you for reminding me!"

He made to move off, then stopped and turned back to Metagross.

"Which way?"

There was a long, drawn-out mental sigh.

~...Follow me.~

And Metagross led Aaron off.

Aaron was sitting at the back of the class. As usual. People were less likely to notice and pick on him back there.

Polly arrived at the front of the class and looked around at the assembled students. "Alright. Today's lesson... well, let me get something out real quick.

She dug within a desk drawer and pulled out a strange, crystaline flower. Aaron leaned over his desk, curious.

"This... Is a Time Flower," said Polly. "It actually gives the monastery its name."

Aaron raised his hand. "This place has a name?"

Polly gave him a look. "Yes. This place is called the Time Flower Abbey. You didn't pick that up?"

Aaron did not reply, just lowered his hand sheepishly as the other kids giggled.

"Anyway," said Polly. "Ought to show you how these things work..."

She waved her other hand over the Time Flower as her palm glowed with Aura. The Time Flower immediately responded, projecting an illusion of Polly giving a similar lecture to a different class. The class oohed and aahed.

"Time Flowers are crystalline life forms that bud from a bigger crystalline life form, the Tree of Beginning. They grow through this whole area and are a major export - precisely because they can generate Obscuric illusions that record sound and images. At least, if you have a human on the Auric spectrum or Pokemon to activate them."

Callie raised her hand. "Are the illusions like a Zoroark's?"

"Yes, precisely. Why they react this way to Aura is still unknown. But they take root anywhere there's rock and their illusion abilities are useful for messages, so they're worth a lot of money."

Polly chuckled.

"In the old days me and Metagross used to go on Time Flower runs."

"How did you meet Metagross anyway?" asked Eve. "He seems so strong..."

Polly thought a bit.

"Metagross has been with Time Flower Abbey as long as I can remember. His species lives a very long time. I... I didn't actually choose him as my partner Pokemon. He chose me. After-"

She shook her head. "We're getting off-topic. Right, we were on the Tree... It's not just a resource. People make pilgrimages to see it in the name of Xerneas and Mew, though they never go inside for... reasons I mentioned before."

Aaron gulped.

"You see, the people of Kalos and Galar and nearby nations had their own Tree, not too far away. They made pilgrimages to that instead. Then the Demon King AZ came into power and fired his Ultimate Weapon. The weapon devastated that tree to the point most thought it was dead, and so refugees headed off across land and sea to this Tree, as I mentioned before eventually forming Rota. Eventually a band of heroes found the old Tree still clung to life and saved it, but the Rotans remained, and the Genesis Mountain Aura Guardians made this monastery to aid them, as well as..."

Polly looked around and sighed. "Alright kids, time for the awkward part. Which of you are Obscurics?"

Dead silence. Then slowly kids started raising their hands. Aaron did not - he was a Fighting Auric apparently.

"Right," said Polly, "I'm not gonna ask you all to share your stories just yet. But you all know about discrimination. Aurics, Psychics, it depends on the place but most of us can at least survive. Obscuirics... They're hunted. Executed. Slaughtered. And that's why we're here. To protect all people on the spectrum."

Aaron was taken aback. He had dealt with enough being an Auric, but apparently the Obscuric kids had it even worse? As Polly changed the subject to the abbey's architecture Aaron resolved to ask his Obscuric bunkmates about it.

After class, Aaron looked around for two people in particular. Eventually he found them - Callie and Atta, talking with each other about lunch. Munchkin and Stabby were arguing about... something.

"Hey? You two?" he asked.

Both girls gave Aaron puzzled looks.

"Yes?" said Callie.

"This better be good," said Atta.

"Remember what Polly mentioned in class about Obscurics having a hard time?" said Aaron. "What was that like for you guys?"

"Oh! The Necrozma cult loved Obscurics!" said Callie. "They were good vessels for the Blinding One because they canceled out the Psychic energy!"

She frowned. "But... Some mean people... They killed most of the cult... Took me... The Aura Guardians had to rescue me..."

"Same here..." said Atta. "Parents abandoned me because I was Obscuric. Bisharp took me in, raised me with his Pawniard pack. Aura Guardians found me, Bisharp sent me and Stabby with them."

Munchkin and Stabby, overhearing all this, lowered their heads sorrowfully.

"O-oh," said Aaron. "That's... not good."

"What happened to you Aaron?" said Callie.

"My dad died... I don't wanna talk about why," said Aaron. "But other than that I've mostly been bullied."

"Chump," said Atta.

"Atta you can't just say that!" said Callie.

"N-no, it's fine," said Aaron. "You both have been through a lot..." He gulped. "We should probably go get lunch now."

"Sure!" said Callie.

The three, as well as Munchkin and Stabby, headed off to lunch. Even so, Aaron thought to himself.

Guess I'm not the only one who wanted to escape... but... things haven't changed much...

Polly was winding down at the end of the day, heading to the back of the kitchen to get a snack. As she did, however, she noticed a rustling in one of the bags of apples. Sighing, thinking it was probably a Ratatta or a Bidoof, she grabbed a broom and lightly thwacked the moving lump.

What emerged from the bag, however, was decidedly not a Ratatta or a Bidoof, but a smal purple creature with a large pointy head, which buzzed and sprayed sticky goo in Polly's direction. Polly, just barely stepping out of the way of being sprayed, gaped in shock.

"Hey! You're one of those portal varmints!"

The purple creature snickered at her distress and flew off.

"Oh no you don't!"

Polly gave chase, running after the creature until she emerged in an open courtyard, the setting sun barely illuminating the scene.

"Damn it... where did the little brat go?"

She saw a flickering.

"Aha!"

She swung the broom at the flickering.

With lightning speed, Polly's broom was knocked out of her hand and she was pinned to the ground. She could make out a cloak, a mask, something almost... tasting her.

Then the being let go, faded from corporealness, and was gone. Polly lay on the ground gaping for breath.

"That... Definitely wasn't one of the portal varmints."

After a bit she got up, grabbed her hat, and booked it to Ryan's quarters. This could be a lead on the killers. But she wondered.

If that was the case why did they let her live?

Riolu walked down the streets of the busy human town, the roofs and bricks seeming to stretch far beyond what he expected. His Aura feelers flared and eyes peeled for any sign of danger. So far there were none, but the humans and Pokemon here alike sometimes gave him funny looks.

Speaking of the latter, Riolu was astounded by the variety of Pokemon on display, countless species he had never seen in the mountain forests. One Pokemon that seemed to be a chunk of solid ice with a head and limbs trudged by him, giving him a chill.

That chill gave way to a rumbling stomach. Riolu realized he needed food. Looking around, he saw some apples sitting at a bazaar. Surprised they were just laying there, he reached out to grab one.

"Hey!" said a human. "You gonna pay for that?"

Riolu paused. The food was right there. But apparently he had to do... Something for it.

"Pay? What is pay?"

"Don't yap at me!" said the human. "Pay up!"

The human couldn't understand him? Weird. Different Pokemon could understand each other, apparently humans were an exception. How could he communicate with this human?

Then he had a realization. His kind could communicate via Aura... Maybe if he tried that with a human...

~What... Is... Pay?~

The human jumped a bit. "You can talk? You don't look like a Psychic type. Anyway pay is money. You got money?"

~N-o?~

"Then you can't take the apple."

Riolu paused, looked at the human, then at the apples, then at the human, then at the apples again. Then he grabbed one and ran.

"Hey!" said the human, giving chase.

Riolu ran through the streets, dodging left and right as if that Charizard was still chasing him. That said, that human didn't look too tough. No claws, no fangs, what could it even do to him if it caught hi-

"Maurice, get him!"

There was an unholy screech of "Hey! That's my human's apple!" as a Staraptor swooped in from overhead. Riolu's eyes widened as he booked it further. The Staraptor lunged as Rolu ducked out of the way, just in time, taking cover under a shop stand. Crawling desperately while still clutching the apple, he emerged on the other side and kept running.

"Hey! Over here!" said a voice.

Riolu noticed a strange orange lizard Pokemon gesturing to him from an alleyway. Riolu ran toward him, ducking behind him. The lizard grabbed him and pulled him inside a barrel as the Staraptor flew past. Seconds passed before Riolu punched and kicked at the lizard, trying to get out of the barrel.

"Woah woah woah buddy," said the lizard. "I'm not gonna eat you, or your apple. Looks like you came straight from the woods."

"...I did," said Riolu.

"It doesn't work that way around here. No predator-prey stuff. Pokemon help each other, and humans take care of food and shelter."

"They... do?"

"Yeah! Listen, you did a good job nabbing that apple. I know some folks who'll like you."

"Oh?"

"Come on."

The two climbed out of the barrel and headed off.

Eventually, Riolu and the lizard reached an abandoned building. It was crumbled, worn, with eaves falling inward, and a door hanging ajar. The lizard slipped in, Riolu following.

Inside were an assemblage of different Pokemon; a froglike Pokemon counting Berries, a green and white biped cutting vegetables with his scythes, a monkey with a flaming head reading a book, and a smaller monkey with a flaming tail watching.

"Hey!" said the lizard. "I found someone interesting!"

The others turned to look at Riolu. The large monkey in particular scrutinized him with his green eyes.

"Aww, it's a little puppy!" said the frog.

"Meh. Do we have to clean after it?" said the biped.

"H-hi," said the smaller monkey."

"Hmm. And you are?" said the big monkey.

"I'm... I'm Riolu. What are you all?"

"I'm Grog! I'm a Toxicroak!" said the frog.

"I'm Vallant, the Gallade," said the biped.

"I'm Shifty the Scrafty!" said the lizard.

"I'm... I'm Nicolas the Chimchar, nice to meet you," said the small monkey.

"And I am Koba the Infernape, the leader of this little band. We call ourselves... The Wonderful Fighting Thieves."

"The humans provide and we take anything we want!" said Shifty.

"And we work together to do it!" said Grog.

"It's a good gig, I suppose," said Vallant.

"Dad makes sure everyone's taken care of..." said Nicolas.

"This Riolu was doing some nice work nabbing an apple from old man Victor and his Staraptor Maurice," said Shifty. "He could do some nice work for us!"

"Hmm... He probably has a lot to learn, but I'll allow it," said Koba. "Riolu, you'll get food, shelter, company for your services... If you're willing to stick with us of course."

Riolu stared at the others, feeling their Auras carefully. He took a moment to look down and think to himself, clutching the apple, before looking back up.

"...Sure."

***