He didn't know how long he was at the Pokémon Center in Midna Town. His battle against Nora was an eye-opener to say the very least. With just a single Pokémon she managed to devastate his team without much effort. Even more impressive than that was the fact that she hadn't used her other two teammates yet. If her Vibrava was that strong, Zander could only imagine what the rest of her team was like. He tried not to think about it as he trekked down the path leading out of the city. Damian opted to remain behind in order to train a bit longer. 

Zander decided to take a break as he'd been walking for several miles and hadn't the faintest idea where he was currently. Taking a seat under one of the trees along the path, he reached into his bag and pulled out his navigational device to pull up the map to get his location. Materializing into view, Mew hovered over his shoulder quietly while Zander figured out the map. 

"Okay... so right now I'm here, and the next town is about a day's walk from here. I guess it's a good thing I picked up some camping gear in Midna Town. I mean... it's just a cheap one person tent but it's better than nothing. Dammit it sucks being poor," Zander muttered, earning a giggle from Mew. 

"What are you laughing at?" Zander replied as he looked over his shoulder, arching a brow at the floating feline.

Mew hovered around in front of him and turned itself upside down while tilting its head. A faint smile curved onto Zander's face as he looked into the face of the mischievous cat. Sighing, he glanced down at the map again in order to plan out the rest of his day. Scanning the length of the path he'd taken he saw that it split to the north and stopped at what appeared to be a secluded clearing. 

"I guess I could make camp there for the night. It's only a two miles away and though it's out of the way, I might be able to find more Pokémon to add to my team," Zander said aloud, stroking his chin in thought. 

Mew seemed to agree with his decision and nodded along as Zander explained his plans aloud. Concluding his plans, he got up and with Mew in tow, resumed along his planned route.

Several miles north of Midna Town, just outside the Ancient Ruins, a squadron of cultists stood before its entrance. They were all clad in blue and red. 

"Are you certain that it's here?" one of the group asked aloud as they began to make their way inside of the structure. 

"Audrey said it, did she not?" another member replied, giving the inquirer a stern look. 

"Well yeah but-"

"Then it's not to be questioned. So unless you want to be reported for insubordination, I suggest you refrain from that behavior and just follow orders..."

Without another word, the group ventured farther into the depths of the ruins in search of their target, all the while blissfully unaware of a pair of yellow eyes following them. 

Nora sat at the dining section of the Pokémon Center, deep in thought as she ate her Starf and Enigma berry cuisine. It was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet and sour. The Enigma berry added extra kick, something Nora absolutely loved when it came to food. Anything that had heat, she'd eat. Mulling over the battle she had with Zander in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out if he'd trained his team just a little more. She admired his Treecko's resourcefulness and the cunning tactics his Charmander used to gain the upper hand in previous battles. Although he wouldn't have been able to defeat her with basic strategies, he was fairly decent for a novice. 

Savoring another bite of her spicy dish, she took note of Zander's apparent friend, Damian, who also had a Delta Pokémon. She had to admit, she was rather envious of this considering how cute both Pokémon were. She found that Bulbasaur irresistibly cute and the Charmander was outrageously adorable to her along with the Treecko. Anything cute, she coveted. As she continued to ponder her thoughts, the door to the dining area opened to reveal Damian as he stretched his arms to the ceiling. Right beside him was his Bulbasaur. 

"That was one heck of a training session wasn't it buddy?" Damian asked his companion as he squatted down to pat the Crystal Pokémon on the head. "Too bad Zander didn't stick around. We could have sparred..." 

"Took some time to train I see," Nora spoke up, spooking Damian a little causing him to whip around and scratch the back of his head nervously. 

"Er... yeah, sorta. After the tournament we decided we needed to work on our strategy a bit more. If Zander found a loophole in it that easily, well... you get the idea," Damian laughed. 

"Ah yes, the bait and snare tactic you used. A good idea in theory, as imperfect as it was. Had you held the type advantage, that would have gone smoother," Nora added, taking another spoonful of her meal. 

"Well, I am a beginner, so I don't really know how everything works yet. But we'll get there, right Bulbasaur?" 

"Saur!" his companion replied happily. 

"At least you're confident about it. With a little work, you could very well become a decent trainer," Nora added after swallowing another bite. "It'll take time, but I'm sure you could do it." 

Sitting down across from Nora, Damian picked up a menu and began to look through it to see what he might want. "Thanks! I'm glad at least someone believes in me."

"Doesn't your friend Zander believe in you?" Nora asked, blinking as she set her spoon down. 

"Well... we kinda just met the other day. So I can't say for sure. Anyway, I was referring to my stepmom. She kinda thinks I'm irresponsible. It wasn't until now that I was able to even get a Pokémon and that was only because my dad stepped in and overruled her. I'm eighteen for Arceus sake!" Damian ranted.  

"Well... that is a bit much. You're basically an adult now so she shouldn't be sheltering you like that. I'm sure she had her reasons but still. She sounds like a helicopter parent," Nora replied with a groan. 

"Oh she is, partly why I don't really like her that much," Damian sighed, placing his order on the tablet in front of him. 

"Well, look at it this way, at least you're on a journey now, right?" 

Damian smiled at her remark. That was true. He was indeed on a journey, and with his own Pokémon too. This was something he'd waited what seemed like an eternity for, and now here he was, out on his own and making his mark on Torren. His lofty goal of becoming the best was closer with every step he took. 

Nora glanced at the time on the tablet in front of her and finished her bowl. Setting it down, she headed for the exit after saying goodbye to Damian. Her plans were similar to his, only she had no desire to become champion of the region. She wanted to become strong, yes, but not to the same end as Damian desired. She wanted to be able to protect those who were oppressed and in order to do that, she'd need to take her training a bit more seriously. 

"I suppose it's time I paid a visit to those ruins I heard about. I'm not sure if I'll find any answers as to my part in this whole prophecy thing, but it's worth a shot. Maybe I'll be able to get some training done in the process..."

With that thought in mind, Nora headed out of Midna Town, her mind set on accomplishing her goal. 

Zander stared up at the stone archways that led up to the entrance of the ruins before him. Symbols were engraved all along the sides of the stony structures, further intriguing Zander as well as Mew who silently hovered beside him out of sight. Glancing around at the clearing, he found it the ideal place to camp for the time being. What was even more interesting was the massive eroding temple behind him. While time had certainly done a number on it, there was no arguing with the fact that it was a wondrous sight to behold. On both sides of the temple were pools of water with golden statues of a familiar looking jackal-like Pokémon. Only, instead of being in its typical form, it was holding what appeared to be a scepter. 

Curiosity getting the better of him, Zander couldn't help but wonder what might be found within. As he passed through the entrance, Zander gritted his teeth as a familiar stinging sensation screamed through his hand, only this time it wasn't as agonizing as before. The momentary feeling passed as quickly as it had come. Zander breathed a sigh of relief while clenching his hand and opening it up again as the pain dulled. Anyone else would consider it foolish to enter the temple after getting a feeling like that. Zander however, was far too curious to listen to reason. 

Stepping into the temple, what he saw next was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Statues of Rhydon that were at least ten feet tall, lined the temple in two rows that led up to a single platform in the midst of the stone structure. Similar markings like the one's he'd seen outside were seen on the pillars that reached down from the ceiling. While he couldn't decipher the runes, he could tell they were of significant importance at some point and time. As much as he would have loved to have spent time deciphering the symbols, he discovered that it wasn't exactly an option for him at that moment. 

Standing all the way at the back of the temple were people in uniforms he instantly recognized. Sweat trickled down the side of his face as he stared ahead of him. How he'd found himself in such an unfortunate situation was something even he didn't know. The odds of him running into cultists were high, considering the fact that they operated all over the region. But to run into them again after narrowly escaping the first time? that was just ludicrous! Every instinct he had told him to make a break for it. However, what made him question the command his body was trying to give wasn't the cultists themselves, it was what they were cornering that rooted him in place. 

In their midst was what was undeniably a Riolu. Though it had what appeared to be an Egyptian-like head covering, as well as what appeared to be clothing covering its lower half. He had obsidian fur as well as vibrant gold eyes. Like his two Deltas, this Riolu was unlike anything Zander had seen before. Riolu growled at the intruders, a nervous sweat rolling down the side of his face as he was being backed into a corner by the cultists. 

"No use struggling little one. You're outmatched, so you might as well comply with our wishes," one of the cult leaders said as he stepped toward the Riolu. 

Zander wasn't a fool, but he wasn't stupid either. There was a reason why this cult wanted this Riolu, and it definitely wasn't because he would make a good cuddle buddy. Riolu were known to be powerful and upon evolving, nigh unstoppable when perfectly able to control the aura they possessed. Having something like that... nobody would pass that up. Not cultists, and certainly not Zander. 

"Really? it takes three of you to capture one Riolu? I don't know about you, but that's a bit much don't you think?" Zander spoke up after clearing his throat. 

The cultists whirled around upon hearing Zander's voice, more astonished that someone had found them than anything else. 

"You say that as if we give a damn about playing fair," one of the women said, placing a hand on her hip and arching a brow at the youth. "And just who are you anyway?"

"Nobody important really... however, if you don't step away from that Riolu, things will get pretty ugly for you three," Zander said darkly, narrowing his eyes at the trio while putting up a strong facade. 

The truth was that he knew he hadn't the slightest chance in hell at beating these three. They all had at least three Pokémon with the woman carrying four on her belt. It didn't matter what stage they were either because he'd eventually get worn down and probably wind up dead. Yes, what he was doing would constitute as stupid. But leaving that Riolu to its fate would be even more stupid. Riolu locked eyes with Zander and tilted his head. Never before had he come across a human who would defend him. Most of the time it was his mother... who for whatever reason wasn't there at the moment, making him all-the-more nervous. 

"Oh really?" the woman replied with a grin, her eyes darting to his belt to see two spheres separated from the other four, a sign that he only had two Pokémon to speak of. "And just how do you plan to make things ugly for us when you only have two Pokémon to our ten?" 

Damn... Zander thought, doing his best not to show him losing his nerves as he stared down the rather smug-looking woman down. 

"That's what I thought," she added with a satisfied grin, priming a sphere and giving it a toss. "Let me tell you how this is going to work," she continued as a Crawdaunt emerged from the capture device and snapped his pincers at Zander. "First... I'm going to kill you. Then we are going to waltz out of here with Riolu in tow while you decompose on the floor of this temple..." 

Zander shifted his stance and reached for his own teammate, tossing out Treecko on instinct. The little poisonous lizard hissed upon being released and bore his fangs at Crawdaunt, getting a laugh out of the cultist. 

"That's adorable! the little one things he has a chance... hahaha! kill them..." she ordered as Crawdaunt powered up his claws with a dark aura that made Treecko tremble and step backwards a little. 

Crawdaunt lunged with pincers extended and as he was about to carve Zander in two, something hit him hard, sending him crashing into the far wall. Zander looked up in surprise to see that standing just a few feet in front of him, was a tall, jackal-like Pokémon with a bone staff in her hand. Upon seeing this, the cultists all reached for their own teammates. 

"Look who finally decided to show up. We've been waiting for you, Lucario," the woman stated, licking her lips as she watched her Crawdaunt recover and return to her side. 

So that's why they wanted that Riolu! Zander realized, his eyes darting from one cultist to the next as they released their teammates. 

"Be careful team... we've all heard the rumors about this Lucario. Now hurry up before it-oh shit!" she cried as a vicious snarl erupted from Lucario's throat. 

A powerful azure aura surrounded the bipedal canine. Her shoulders were suddenly adorned with golden pauldrons and a golden breastplate materialized over her chest. Her head adornment gained a crimson jewel in the center and her loins were girded with a sturdier belt. Her claws on her feet extended along with the claws on her paws. Perhaps the most defining feature was the golden scepter that she now held. 

"Dammit... she Mega Evolved! fall back!" the cultist commanded, forgetting all about Zander as Lucario lunged at them, missing barely with her staff as it smashed into the ground where they would have been had their Pokémon not snatched them away and sped off. 

Lucario rose up and brought her staff to her side and slammed the base of it onto the ground before turning to look at Zander. To her, he was just another human and a potential grave robber. And while one or both of those things might be true, there was one thing that redeemed him from the lot that had sought to do harm to her son. He had attempted to save him even at the cost of his own life, something she rarely ever heard of humans doing. Barking, she called her son over to her side. The little canine obeyed and stood beside his mother. 

"Uh... hi..." Zander said as she made eye contact with him. 

Looking down at her son, Lucario jerked her head toward the trainer, sending him a clear message that not even Zander could misinterpret. Without question, Riolu nodded to his mother and wandered up to the brunette, his golden eyes looking into the chocolate hues of his first rescuer. Zander looked up at Lucario, uncertainty in his eyes, as if he didn't deserve such an honor from the likes of a Lucario, let alone the pup's mother. She simply nodded, confirming what she meant by her action. She wanted Zander to look after her son, and that was something she wasn't willing to negotiate as she vanished from view before he could argue. 

Looking down at the little canine, Zander picked knelt down and looked him in the eyes once more. 

"I... guess we're partners huh?" Zander asked aloud, scratching the back of his head in confusion. 

Riolu nodded, showing he understood what that meant. Treecko slipped up beside the two and looked curiously at Riolu. As he did, Riolu was suddenly snatched up into a ball after being tapped on the head. Without so much as a struggle, the ball's light dimmed in Zander's hand. Placing it on his belt, Zander returned Treecko as well before heading to the temple's entrance. 

That was bizarre... Zander thought as the events that happened just moments ago raced through his mind. If I what I saw was what I think it was... then I just saw a Lucario Mega Evolve without a trainer. And if I were a betting boy... I'd say that's why they wanted Riolu in the first place. To lure her out and capture her. I guess that explains why mamma Lucario gave her child to me...

Zander paused at the entrance and looked back inside the temple one last time, catching a glimpse of a set of golden eyes shimmering from the dark corner of the temple. A smile crossed his face as he waved in the direction of Lucario. She had entrusted her son's future into the hands of a stranger. But this stranger had endeavored to save him even if he was clearly unable to stack up against the power gap between him and his foes. With such a noble heart as his, it was clear that she'd made the right choice. 

Don't worry Lucario... I'll keep him safe. I promise...