Fandom PMD - The Disappearing Law (Riolux & Runesage)

[Riolux]

Luca let out a sort of embarrassed laugh. "Lyle...crushing me." he joked, though to be honest, he was just as amazed that they'd won. While he knew better than to be overconfident about it, considering they were forced to resort to Z-Moves, he was happy and this certainly fixed his self-esteem to a degree.

"Need a berry?" Ryan offered to the Lurantis, digging out an Oran Berry from his bag. While he still was uncertain as to where he stood with Olin, he wasn't a monster.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Oh, Sorry!" Lyle said, stepping back. Instead of grabbing Luca, he grabbed Mina, and hugged her tight.

"Lyle, just because you're crushing Luca doesn't mean you can crush me." Mina gasped out.

"I'm just so happy that you're starting to be purified." Lyle said, tears clouding his eyes.

"Every 'mon has a different method of purification. There's something left that causes you to feel emotions, that lets the seal on your heart to be broken. Mine is battle." Olin said, accepting the berry from Ryan. "The more I fight, the more I feel alive. Eventually, if I battle enough, I'll be purified. It appears yours is-" Olin stopped suddenly, peering at Mina's aura. "The blue is fading. You're re-sealing."

"What does that mean?" Lyle asked nervously.

"I have no idea." Olin said. "But it's not good."

As the last traces of blue faded from Mina's aura, there was a piercing mental scream. It didn't originate from anyone, it just occurred. Mina, Lyle, and Olin clapped their hands to their ears to try to avoid it, but it didn't work. Visions flashed through the heads of all Pokemon, visions of humans torturing Pokemon, experimenting on them, beating them. The scenes lasted for quite some time, and finally it ended with a masked human bending down over a Minun with a needle in his hand. Lyle looked around the group and saw Olin looked slightly disturbed, but Mina was on the ground, hands still covering her ears, shaking fiercely.

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Luca nearly collapsed himself, wincing as the terrible images went through his head. 'This...doesn't make any sense? Not all humans are like that! I should know. I am one. Ryan is too and he's friends with Zander and Miles. He doesn't seem affected...what's going on here?!' he thought as he managed to recover.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" Ryan asked in a concerned tone, walking over to them. "I felt a strong surge of aura so I shielded myself. What'd it do to you?" he asked them to which Luca replied.

"Something sent out a vision of humans torturing Pokemon. Experimenting on them...Oh...I bet it was Rin! He is an Aura user and only he'd be this twisted!" Luca said angrily, taking the implication that all humans were that rotten very personally. He was also extremely horrified at the thought of being abandoned. Would Lyle and Mina believe the visions were true? As far as they were concerned, they'd only known him and Ryan for a short time. They might think they were being tricked. He wouldn't last long if he were stuck in the world alone except maybe for Ryan. If word got out that they were humans themselves, they'd be hunted.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

Lyle was concerned as well. Was Luca like the humans he'd seen? Would he have done something like that as a human? He didn't seem like it here, but that might be because of the memory loss...

His thoughts were interrupted by Mina sitting up, still shaking, and saying, "Those visions weren't from Rin. Those were my memories."

"What?" Olin asked, shocked, and Lyle couldn't blame him.

"I was originally from the human world, before Leanne, a Meowstic, saved me and sent me here. That Minun in the last vision was me. They turned me into a Shadow Pokemon there too." Mina said.

"But you weren't a Shadow Pokemon here." Lyle said. "What happened?"

"There was one human who helped me. He stole me from them with a machine on his arm, and helped purify me. But all other Humans..." Her eyes narrowed with anger. "They are horrible."


Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"H-hey! Th-" Luca started before Ryan shot him a look that strongly suggested that Luca pick his next words very carefully. "I mean...how do you know all Humans are bad? It's the same as Pokemon. Heck. It's the same as me. A lot of people just assume us Zorua and Zoroark are bad news! It's not fair to rope someone into a prejudice based on a group's actions. I'm sorry you were treated that way, but after what that officer said to me back in Mirror City...I refuse to blame a whole species based on the actions of some. I know personally that it feels horrible..." Luca said, hoping that falling back on the Zorua and Zoroark prejudice would help explain his frustration towards her opinion without seeming like he was taking it too personally. He couldn't help but feel a little transparent, though.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

Mina shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Luca. I'm not trying to attack you, but you don't know them like I do. That's the difference. Most 'mons who hate Zoruas are those who've either never met them, or only had experience with one of them. I've had experience with lots of humans, but I only ever met one kind one."

"I think Luca's just trying to say that they exist then." Lyle said. "Just like there are good Zoruas, there are good humans too." Lyle looked directly at Luca as he said this, trying to convey the fact that he still trusted Luca. "Anyway, we'd better be more careful on the way home. Those visions are sure to have set the locals on edge." He turned to Ryan. "Could you maybe work with Olin on teaching Mina how to control her aura. I don't think it'd be good for those bursts to happen again."

Olin shrugged. "I'd be fine with that. I don't know what I could teach a Riolu though."

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"Anything you can teach me will help. Specifically the differences between Shadow Pokemon's Aura and a normal Pokemon's Aura. Not appearance wise, but how it affects the owner and those around them. It seems like you don't have to be particularly perceptive with Aura to spot it, which will make it very difficult to suppress it from those who are Aura Sensitive. To be honest, I almost attacked Mina myself before Luca spoke up." Ryan explained to Olin, figuring a Shadow Pokemon working under a Shadow Lucario would probably have some good insight to share concerning this.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Well, the whole 'Shadow' business doesn't actually change your aura. It kind of just, covers it up. Buries it, so to speak." Olin began. "It severs the aura from one's emotions by removing the emotions..." He went on to discuss how there were five "seals," as they were called, that one had to unlock by doing things that would bring emotions back. Having discussed what the Shadow was, and how to remove it, he began to go much more in depth. "The Shadow process actually puts normal Pokemon in touch with their aura. It allows them to manipulate it slightly, as demonstrated by moves such as Shadow Rush. For a Lucario with an already good grasp of their aura, it would make them extremely powerful. It's so close to the Pokemon, that those around them can see the aura." Olin continued with his explanation.

"Do you think we should tell her?" Lyle asked Luca, making sure that Mina couldn't hear. She was too engrossed in the discussion between Olin and Ryan anyway. "About you being human? It doesn't matter to me, you being human, I mean, but she'll find out eventually. You aren't the bad sort." A slight smile crossed his face. "You wouldn't even get arrested with me."

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"We might as well. She'll learn eventually. It's just...what if she doesn't trust me afterwards?" he asked, obviously concerned with causing any friction in the group. "I mean Ryan already doesn't seem to want to and I'm scared of what might happen." he admitted. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mina, but he didn't want to be distrusted.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Well... Maybe I could tell her alone. That would give her some time to mull it over before she has to travel with you. We're going to stop for the night here anyway. No point in moving on after today's events." Lyle offered. "If it's coming from me, I'd also have a chance to defend you as well." A thought made him frown. "You said Ryan doesn't want to, right? Is Ryan human too?"

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"Well...yeah. He used to be human too." Luca confessed, though he felt he'd be getting an earful for it later as it wasn't really his secret to tell. Still, he couldn't help but regret his decision. "Lyle...to be honest, maybe I should tell her myself. If I do so personally, it would help show that I'm not ashamed of being a human and that I'm not hiding behind you."

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Listen. If you want to tell her, then do it. If you don't, then don't. It's your decision, but you need to stop second guessing yourself about this." Lyle said. "Just make a decision and stick with it. I'll tell her if you want, I'll let you tell her if you want, I'll keep quiet if you want. I trust your decision, but you have to make one."

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Alright, alright." Luca said, a bit taken aback by Lyle's words. With a hesitant look on his face, he walked up to Mina. "Mina, I gotta confess something...its that I used to be Human. That's why I was so defensive when you said that all Humans were horrible. Because I know they're not. I know from the vision that you bad a terrible experience with them, but...I feel like it just can't be possible." He told her, a bit fearful of what she might say. He figured her calling him crazy would be a plus.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Wait... you...?" Mina said. She turned to Lyle. "Is he serious?"

"Yeah." Lyle responded. "It was a shock for me when I found out. I can only imagine how it must feel for you."

"I... I don't..." Mina said as she paled. Rapid flashes of emotion crossed her face, ranging from fear, disgust, to something that appeared to be hope, but was slightly distorted in some way. "I just..."

"What's wrong?" Olin asked. Luckily for the group, he did not hear that tidbit of information just shared. Lyle didn't know whether Ryan heard or not, but based on Mina's reactions, it wouldn't be hard to figure out what was just said.

"I--" Mina began, before Lyle saw her control her surprise and her face cleared. "Is it all right if I stay with you and Ryan away from town for a bit? I don't want to scare the townspeople by introducing two Shadow Pokemon and a strange looking Riolu to town and just expect them to trust us. It might look bad on Lyle and Luca. Could we work on me controlling my Aura somewhere else?"

"Mina you just got back with us!" Lyle protested.

"I know, but if this happens again in a crowded town..." Mina said. The implications were obvious.

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"I think that'd be for the best, Mina." Ryan agreed, shooting Luca a rather angry side-glance as he pieced together what had caused Mina's reaction and what he suspected was her real reason for wanting to leave the group. Luca flinched at the realization that he may have driven Lyle's best friend away from them, his expression forming into a troubled one the moment he saw Ryan's gaze on him. "Any objections, Olin?" Ryan asked the Lurantis.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"I don't have any objections." Olin said. "I'd probably learn some things myself." His eyes gleamed. "Would you battle me while we're there?"

"That would only end badly for you." Lyle said. "Anyway, Mina..." He took Mina's hands in his. "I don't want you to leave..."

"I know Lyle." Mina said. "But I need some time away from normal Pokemon. No offense." She said to Olin and Ryan, "But both of you are rather odd."

Lyle chuckled slightly, but was still sad. "I guess we're normal then?" He joked.

"Of course not." Mina hugged him. "You're my best friend, and I wouldn't have you any other way." The hug lasted for a couple of seconds, and then Mina pulled away. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too." Lyle said. "Don't make me rescue you again." He warned humorously.

"Don't get arrested without me." Mina replied. She turned toward the other two waiting. "Ready to go?" She asked them.

Lyle turned away from Mina and asked with tears welling in his eyes. "Are you ready?"

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Luca frowned, seeing Lyle's tears as he let out a guilt-ridden sigh. "Lyle, I'm sorry. Its my fault. I should've just shut my mouth about this whole stupid mess. She didn't need to know, but I went ahead and said it anyway..." he said, looking away from his friend.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

"Hey." Lyle grabbed Luca and gave him a huge hug. "I asked you to make a decision. Don't second guess it now." He stepped away, and forced Luca to look him in the eyes. Tears were still there, but there was a strange strength present as well. "The decision was yours to make, and her decision was hers. You felt like it was best for her to know, and she felt it was best if she left. Don't worry, she'll come back, and when she does..." A strange twinkle came into his eyes, as if he knew something Luca didn't, "she may surprise you. I'll stick with you through it all though." And he hugged Luca again. "Let's get going. We need to tell the Captain about what happened."

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Luca nodded with a reassured smile. "Right. Hopefully after we report this, we can figure out what to do next. Lead the way, Lyle." He said, gesturing past him towards the direction of home. 'I have a bad feeling that things will get much harder from here on out. But me and Lyle can handle it.' He thought, a determined expression appearing upon his face.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

Lyle nodded and headed off in the direction of Nila town. The journey was uneventful, as far as journeys go. That isn't to say they didn't encounter anything, but nothing particularly noteworthy happened the rest of the trip. As they entered the town of Nila, Lyle breathed a sigh of relief to be back. "Disa, reporting back." Lyle said to the Captain and Chief as they entered.

"Ah, Lyle. I see you're out of jail." The Captain said. "Tell me, was the journey a success?"

"I don't see Mina with you." The Chief said worriedly.

"It was a success, she made it to the shrine. However, due to... unforeseen events, she decided to go with Ryan and learn how to control her aura better."

"Unforeseen events? What do you mean?" The captain asked.

"Well..." Lyle turned to Luca. "Care to explain?"

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Luca opened his mouth to speak before his jaw dropped a bit, having a moment full of realization. Realization 1: They needed Mina. Realization 2: They had no way whatsoever of bringing down the barrier. Realization 3: He truly was the biggest idiot on this side of the planet. "Uh oh..." he muttered. 'I can't believe I forgot we needed Mina to bring the barrier down! The Captain is gonna kill me.' He thought as he stood there.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

Not entirely realizing the reason that his partner was silent, Lyle explained himself. "Those visions that you probably saw came from Mina. Kind of an Aura explosion, I guess? That was how Ryan put it. She decided that she would stay with Ryan until she learned how to control her aura better."

"I bet Ryan loved having someone he just met decide to tag along..." The Captain muttered.

"You attacked Ryan when you first met him, then stuck around as an apology. You don't get to talk." The Chief scolded. "Didn't we need Mina to destroy the barrier?"

It was at that moment the realization sunk in, and Lyle came to the same conclusions as Luca. "Oh. We kind of... forgot about that?" There was a bit of silence, then the Captain shrugged.

"Nothing to be done now. Probably a good thing too, seeing as how she's probably going to be using Shadow Aura to be disabling the barrier. Best she knows what she's doing in the first place." The Captain said. "Don't worry about it. Get some well earned rest for now. Unless, there's anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

Luca thought for a bit before walking up to 'Trill', a determined expression on his face. "I don't care what you have to do. I want you to help me train so that I can become strong enough to help Mina and the others when the time comes. I won't take no for an answer. I don't care what it takes, but I want to learn how to use illusions and use them well. I want to learn how to fight like the others." he said, his tone showing no humor nor hesitation as he held his gaze at the disguised 'mon in front of him. He felt he truly needed to be prepared and that if Mina was going to do some training while away, he was damn sure he'd do some too.

Runesage

 

[Runesage]

The reaction to this was mixed from the party. Lyle looked slightly pleased at Luca's decisiveness, while the Captain almost choked on his drink. Trill sat in silence for a few seconds, a very serious expression on his face. "Zander is eager, but I have to warn you about a couple of things. Firstly, there are two types of illusions. Dazzle illusions and direct illusions. Dazzle illusions are just that, meant to dazzle the mind and distract the eye. They're still useful in lots of scenarios, flashes in combat to draw attention..."

"Fake sounds that let you break into places easier..." The Captain said with a stern glance at Trill.

"Not me. I can't access that power, but he does enjoy doing that." Trill shuddered. "Dazzle illusions are easy. You just have to know what you want to make, and have enough control to make it stand up to a basic observation. The second type of illusion is direct illusions. They're more... intense. You have to have been through some things. Direct illusions are what separate the good Zoroark from the best. These ones feel real on every level. They affect Pokemon personally. Creating an illusion of a burn, cold, an item effect, poison... All of these things are direct illusions. The problem is... you have to have been through those things before. It's not pleasant, but the rewards are great. I've convinced Pokemon that they're starving immediately after a feast, numbed an entire body with the coldest ice, and brought someone to death's door with poison. I've been through all those things, and more. I've also given Pokemon the strength to push past exhaustion, removed pain from a broken leg to allow him to be moved easier, and chained thieves with nothing but my mind. If you want that kind of power, you'd have to go through those things too. You can choose whether or not you want to be taught direct illusions." Trill's voice carried a note of extreme warning, telling Luca to consider carefully whether or not he wanted this kind of ability.

Riolux

 

[Riolux]

"I...I..." Luca said, his resolve beginning to falter as he considered the lessons he'd need to undertake to truly be at his best, but as he glanced back to his partner, he remembered all the times that he'd felt like he was just...there. Just someone who also happened to witness the problems that troubled Lyle and the others. He couldn't sense aura, so he was sent to find Ryan, a human turned into a Riolu. Who located Rin with little to no effort. Then they went to Ista, where he ran into Mina and he and Ryan waited outside the shrine so she could clear her name, but she was still a Shadow Pokemon. Then they encountered, a servant of Rin who, along with Ryan, was still a bigger help than Luca could ever hope to be. Then there was Lyle, the one who'd get arrested to help keep his closest friend safe, who always had Luca's back ever since he arrived. Luca knew he had to find a way to make it up to them all so he looked back to Trill, his gaze hardening. "Whatever. I'm ready for whatever either of you two can throw at me." he said solemnly. He wasn't going to back down anymore and he wanted to make it clear to everyone in that room. He felt he had to. He knew he had to.

Runesage