Once Is Enough

Part 9

As the days rolled on, the two Pokemon bonded through their training lessons. Zoar would always try to improve the child in any way he could, whether it be by target practice or light sparring sessions. He desperately wanted to see him become a strong and stable Pokemon, and especially a better one than he ever was. It was almost like the pup was the son he never had, even if he hadn't ever thought of having kits. He was reconsidering it when he got back to his pack, if they accepted him after what he did. Then again, there was never a female in the pride that he took interest to, and vise versa. All of them were too immersed in the same mindset that haunted him.

And he knew Syphier would tear him to pieces if he found out what he did with Avian. Even so, the amount of time Zoar was absent would definitely get him suspicious.

Zoar tended to shake these thoughts off like a bad dream. He thought to himself, I'll deal with it when the time comes. The Luxray had promised himself to focus on the things that mattered to him for once: The pup. He taught Avian everything he could to fight for himself when he got home. He even showed him some of the native berries of the forest and what they tasted like, which for some reason the child seemed to enjoy very much. They would then converse after their training by a stack of berries that they had both picked, or shot, out of the tall trees and eat them under the starlight. Stories of their past would be shared, and they slowly opened up to one another. Before they knew it, they had revealed many things to each other about their lives.

Zoar explained about the terrible behaviors of his pack.

Avian told of the games his parents used to play...

Yet the Riolu still silenced himself about the fate of the Lucarios. He didn't want the time spent with his new friend to be casted out the window if he found out that their journey was for nothing. At this point, Avian was scared of the thought of Zoar leaving his side. The possible idea of the only Pokemon caring for him abandoning him for a single lie... It struck fear into his tiny heart. It was a familiar feeling too, though it seemed more frightening than before for some reason. He just wanted to keep things the way they were.

Happy. Peaceful. Together.

Sunhigh began to turn into sunset. The sky was dyed a marvelous pink that signaled the time for all the day dwelling Pokémon to be put to rest, and the nocturnal ones to wake up to the light of the rising moon. The two had just finished target practice with some more stones they found on the path which Zoar tossed into the air with ease as Avian shot them down one by one. Some of his aura spheres missed and struck other nearby objects, which upset him to say the least. But still, he was used to it now, even though it had only been a few days under the older Pokemon's instructions. Zoar had told him once to be brave no matter what, so brave he would be for him. Anything that would bring a smile upon his face and strike pride in his chest. Zoar believed in Avian, so why shouldn't he?

The Riolu hadn't realized that he dozed off for the last hour; he found that he was now laying on a patch of leaves instead of gently riding on Zoar's back. In fact, when he looked around, he noticed that his friend was nowhere in sight; he didn't even make another leaf bed for himself. Even though he probably wasn't gone very long, the Riolu couldn't help but feel as if he had been gone forever. He found it odd, yet satisfying to comfortably think of Zoar that way.

Avian pushed himself up from his leafy nest onto his feet and scanned the area again. As he did this though, his stomach groaned obnoxiously, sending a wave of hunger into his head. He was aware that the last time he attempted to search for food himself, he ended up being attacked by a Tyranitar and leaving the Luxray to defend the both of them. Still, he thought, that was when he was weak. Now he was stronger with Zoar's training. With that by his side, he knew he could do much more than he used to be able to. The Riolu urged himself not to succumb to the craving of food, but instead use his strength to search around for his friend. He began circling the area. "Zoar?" he called out into the distance. "Zoar!"