Once Is Enough

Part 5

"Ah! What about you, Mister Zoar? Won't your pack be worried about you?" the pup asked. Zoar's eyes darted away, almost in disappointment. He let out a quiet chortle.

"Heh, don't worry about me, kit. My pack is... Robust,"  he said the best he could. "They'll do flawlessly without me: Almost like I was never there. So... They won't be worried." He shuffled from his stagnant position and began to walk away when Avian ran after him and put a paw to his shoulder.

"But Mister Zoar--!" Zoar turned around in shock at the sudden touch, causing Avian to come to a standstill. It wasn't that the older Pokemon was mad, not at all, but something had so abruptly bursted from within his numb body that it had stupefied him for a moment. The pup recoiled his paw and held it with his other in agitation. "Erm... B-but Mister Zoar, of course they'll need you!" he continued. Admiration and intimidation burned within his next words. "B-because... Y-you're so...! You're so strong!" The child's wide eyes brimmed with respect and esteem for the Luxray, which completely caught him off guard.

"W-what...?" Zoar stammered to make sure he didn't imagine what he just heard. Avian's fists tightened with the pumping adrenaline of bravery and excitement; he had been waiting so long to tell him.

"B-back there with Tyranitar, your attacks were so powerful! A-and you weren't scared at all! You didn't even get hurt or anything! It was so cool!"

The Luxray silently marveled at the pup's compliments in astonishment. Hah... What's this feeling? he wondered to himself.

"Your thunder attacks were so perfect! That Tyranitar didn't even have any time to dodge out of the way! It was so steady...! I can't even get my aura spheres that steady like your electric attacks!" Avian went rambling on like the child he was. "I mean, this is why your pack needs a Pokemon like you! How do you do it? How long did you have to train?" Zoar, who was completely flustered by all of the flattering, could only clear his throat. He replied truthfully.

"H-how I got like this? I guess... I evolved," he answered with a teacher-like stare.

Avian had heard about this so called 'evolution'. It was what his parents had to go through to become what they looked like. He had noticed that they appeared somewhat different than him, having four aura sensors instead of two, a white layer of fur surrounding his stomach, a larger form, and spikes emitting from their chest and paws. But he didn't know that made them as strong as they were! An inspired spark emerged in his eyes.

"Evolved?" the pup echoed. "Wow..." Zoar nodded, continuing in with his 'lesson'.

"Us Luxrays evolve from Luxios, and Luxios evolve from a Shinx," he explained in a intellectual tone. "I was a Shinx once, and I had to work my way up to the evolution I'm at now."

"Wow... Two evolutions?" Avian breathed. "Will I have to do that?" The larger Pokemon couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Well, you're a Riolu. Riolus evolve straight into Lucarios."

"Oh!" Avian grunted, clearly intrigued. He thought for a moment. "...But wouldn't evolving twice make you even stronger?" Zoar shrugged truthfully.

"Eh, I think once is enough," he said. This caused the Riolu to ponder for a while. The fiery feeling from before during the battle had returned, powering him through his sentence.

"I... I want to evolve too, then!" he replied. Zoar couldn't help but gawk at the boy: He was met with an Avian filled with will and passion. Something about his expression made him feel so motivated inside, like he wanted to finally do something right for once to help someone. All his life, used and pushed around by his pack mates, and finally this pup had come to see who he really strived to be. But it couldn't be true, could it? he thought to himself. I'm just a Luxray of this forest, belonging to the group of merciless predators that hunt for its livestock. His heart drooped. They all fear us... This child knows this. Yet... He trusts me enough to tell me this...? He nodded his head. If that's the case... Then...

"...I know you'll evolve one day," he replied. "It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I can see that igniting within you." He turned to face a very curious Avian. "You look like the type of Pokemon who can accomplish anything they put their heart into, and I have a good feeling that you'll evolve very soon. All you need to do Ave, is be brave, no matter what. Alright?"

Avian's eyes dilated with hope, and as soon as he knew it, a huge grin started to form along with a sense of determination: The obstinacy to not fail Zoar's words. He would learn as much as he could, try as hard as he must. All to become strong.

Stronger than before.

Stronger than ever.

"Alright! I promise!" he replied compellingly, amber eyes burning.

Zoar smiled:

Avian would never know that his road to evolution was about to begin.