Chương 68: Interlude- Joker, Dark Knight and Daisy Oak, Explorer

Now the various ghosts and darkness bearers worked for him. Currently they were to silently guard those they thought to bully until he decided they were properly cowed and respectful. The Guardian had made Joker stronger than he could ever have imagined but ultimately his true strength relied in manipulation and fear.If needed he could ask Sunny as she helped put much of said fear in them. Her moonblasts are something not to be easily endured. Still, Joker didn't wish to take away from her time with Latias. Their giggles were a large part of the first few days here. Apparently they believed his vest and monocle that Aurora insisted he wore when not battling were amusing. Even if it is he would never discard something his family gave him.The rest of the day would be to view the first family. Teddiursa is now an ursaring. One of the oddish a gloom, the second still in its first form. Arbok from the ekans that was so calm for its kind. One pidgeot and a pidgeotto. Still, they were no match for the sneasels, haunter and houndours that were so convinced they were the baddest of the bad.Joker had much to think on, proud that his first family still stood together. Six against eight and they still kept themselves safe, if a bit downtrodden. Sunny and himself took on the eight without issue. Compared to the Valley nothing here would truly challenge him save the Oak's monsters. He was slightly disappointed his first family didn't notice the battles he took for them when he was around. This would lead to much painful training. That was okay. Pain taught a lot.Taking the form of a ninjask, Joker flits from tree to tree, his illusion turning his bounces into swift looking flittering as he goes to make sure Sunny has not gotten Latias into trouble again. He's seen all he needs to train his first family in the methods of his second.Sunshine is precious though and must be protected especially, mostly from misunderstandings. She is not weak but there ever remains an innocence that she and Latias share. Latias herself has prospered immensely here. Already her pressure reminds me of Zaela's, even if it isn't nearly as strong.The cry of a human stops Joker's buzzing and he shifts into a furret to creep along the trees, much more silent as he tosses out a few double teams without thinking. The Ranch may be safe but many pokémon here will challenge him both because of his rarity and the strength that he has gained. Some days this is welcome if only to go on a fun chase. Finding a small girl crying with an injured ankle down a small hill is not an instance where he wants distractions.Before he met the Guardian he would have helped this child by leading humans to her but she is fairly far from the Lab. Hesitation grips the zoroark but ultimately it is Truthseeker's image that resolves him. Both the Guardian and true one would set aside their hesitations to help another. While their images would not impede themselves in this instance Joker still finds exposing himself as a zoroark to anyone other than his families almost unacceptable. He remembers that he once lived across an ocean.She is bleeding though. Not bad. But she is young. Half the Guardian's size.There is no choice but as to how to approach now. His true form is scary. He knows this. He uses it to shock foes or to intimidate. Sunny's form might work but she doesn't have arms to carry.Tru is his example. The Guardian as well. He can't talk like the Guardian though. Lucario then. Not all of them can speak as Tru can. But all are trusted.Hopping down from his perch he picks a male lucario older than Tru. One he met long ago that had a Guardian partner.Approaching the girl while making noise takes a conscious effort on his part and he slowly says the name of the species he is imitating. Such tricks are hard, but is well worth it to add another layer of legitimacy to his disguise.The girl turns with a shriek and starts to sob more as broken words flow out."Stay away! Daddy! Stop! I want my dad! St-stay away!" The way she moves speaks of a broken leg, but only scrapes for blood. Brown hair is in disarray around terrified green eyes. Joker inwardly sighs as she obviously doesn't know what a lucario is. So much for an easy path forward.Joker merely calms his voice and brings his hands up, careful to tilt the spikes on the back away as he sits down well away from the child. The injuries are not good but also not life threatening. This reminds him of teddiursa. The cub lost its parents to a rock monster and Joker spent three nights staying almost completely still until the barest bit of trust was established.The human just clutches her calf a bit above the injury and cries more, looking about frantically but realizes soon that her cries aren't being answered by what she wants. "Wh-what are you? Are..ow...ow..are you friendly?"The whimpers she gives strike him hard. Before the Guardian brought him into his new life emotions were muted to him. Defending was all he cared for and nothing of what might touch his heart mattered past that. The Guardian often told him that he was born to be a defender but that if he truly wished to excel that he should learn from the Angel as the fire-dragon was. The child's pain is hard to hear and he scoots closer, nodding and saying 'lucario' even more lowly and soothingly.Eventually his patience is rewarded after about ten more minutes of inching forward. The child is in too much pain now and a bit desperate as she touches his paw and flinches as he carefully shakes her hand. He saw fire dogs do such a trick for their trainers in play. The very slight giggle she gives, pain and all, has him hopeful."You're nice...Please..I hope. My daddy told me not to wander but there was such a pretty bird. I'm..I'm in such trouble. I just want to go home! Grandpa said the pokémon here were mostly nice but never to go alone!" Tears still fall and Joker very carefully wipes them away as he's seen the Guardian do on occasion when thinking of something he is never quite sure what to ask about.None in his new family truly know how much he watches over them.This calms her and she pulls at his fur, seeking comfort. This he is used to. Pidgey and pidgey often roosted in his mane when afraid of fearow or startled. Gently Joker takes her into his arms and just pats her until he taps her shoulder and points up the hill while slowly taking the child into his arms."Oh!...Lucario? That's your name? You..can get me there?" Her green eyes brim with more hope and Joker knows a bit more as to what his heart can do. Instinct to defend cannot match this sense of pride and care he feels for someone he just met. Is this what the Truthseeker means by serving to find purpose?A nod spreads a smile over the child's face even as she winces constantly as he stands. Tiny hands dig into his fur and he despairs that he cannot be more gentle. More unnaturally slow movement sends him up the hill and away from the forest section. The trek back to the Lab will be long at this pace but her injuries are not so easily cured. An idea forms but he is unsure how to fit it in with his species. Lucario are defenders. Just as he is. Perhaps he can use one of the Guardian's stories as inspiration. Children enjoy things of such a nature yes?Making sure she sees his paw come up he threads his fingers in the signs that the Guardian said were the Malestrom Hero's way of performing moves. Query liked that story the most out of all that the Guardian told. He slaps his paw forward in the heroic pose the Guardian insisted was some form of 'cool' ability and he creates a substitute covered by an illusionary double team. Wattson appears with a puff of smoke and grins back at them.The child gasps as his creation runs off to pluck oran berries he saw growing on the way here. It takes far too much of his strength but it succeeds in distracting the child from her pain."How did you do that?! That...That was amazing!" Her eyes glitter upwards as the Wattson clone comes back, only five or so berries as he starts to pick up his pace a bit. Each are placed in her lap but one that he takes for himself to get a bit of his energy back from the substitue. Wattson vanishes in another puff of smoke that is simply his illusion and he just smiles a little as the child eats one of the berries at his nudging after gasping again at the now absent electrivire."Can all lucario do that? Are you..are you a legendary? Or a hero?" All humans seem to have such odd quirks. The Guardian uses words she calls curses too often from what Aurora said. The Joy seems to love arguing with strong people and winning somehow. The lizard speaker seems to laugh endlessly at her riolu. Bruno is the one Joker most admires. Able to convey so much with little words.This child believes him a hero. The story telling works then. Most of the journey goes on with chattering as the girl starts to feel a bit better. Oran berries don't work fully on humans and certainly not on broken bones but her scrapes close enough that she is no longer bleeding and the pain lessons from how she stops flinching as much. His speed increases.Things do not stay so positive. The quickest way to the Lab goes through the plains nearest the rock warren. Joker has only been here a few days and has not yet found all the possible threats. Nothing has been scented but Zaela is fond of surprising him by hiding underground. Thus he feels the threat from the way the ground shifts.Another series of random hand signs and a Mars clone appears. The fake looks over his shoulder and winks at the child as he has seen Zaela do a few times and bounces into the air as if flying to distract anything nearby.It succeeds as a rock snake that was hiding nearby starts to toss boulders at his clone."Your dragon can beat that right?" Watery eyes make Joker know that there is more than just an injury at stake. Its his fault. He gave her hope and to dash it in such a traumatic experience would do more harm than perhaps her broken leg. Drawing on Wattson he gives her a cocky smile and divides his strength more.More symbols and Aurora explodes from the ground to rush at the rock snake as his first substitute dives to flamethrower the rock snake and expire in smoke while using a shadow claw. Aurora slams into the rock snake faster than she every truly could and hits it with a payback that his illusion covers as some sort of tail attack. His substitutes can take perhaps two hits and deal very powered down moves of his. They are never meant to truly cause damage as much to distract. Doing this severely drains him but if worse comes to worse he can speed away and drop his disguise. The child would suffer the loss of her hero but would be fine physically.More inspiration from Wattson's dramatic acting make the next summoned substitute seem as if he's truly struggling to form it. The child encourages him."You can do it! I know you can! Go!" Her arms wave about, her hope truly rising and he acts like it spurs on the last symbol he casts as the most giant puff of smoke summons what truly causes the rock snake to take notice after Aurora hits the snake with one last dark pulse disguised as a water pulse.Zaela in all her glory towers over them and roars almost as loud as she truly could. That is still a work in progress but should be easily accomplished. The King roars a lot after all. Its somewhat annoying actually.The child lets out a sound of wonder and the rock snake looks suitably intimidated as fake Zaela stops forward in slow, menacing strides. She would not normally have a dripping, open maw of dark pulsing teeth but Joker feels he can make her a bit more imposing. Draconic energy starts to leak from her claws and it takes almost all of his remaining strength to form purely fake meteors forming above her in numbers the real Zaela couldn't create without set up.The rock snake makes a sound that could be called the deepest 'eep' ever and dives into the ground. Joker lets fake Zaela roar in triumph how she really would and then she turns to stare down at her summoner. The child goes very quiet as she realizes just how massive the King Garchomp is. Joker prays to Arceus this never gets back to the Guardian's sister as he makes the clone bow to him in obvious respect and then lumber away to slowly fade away into smoke."That was amazing! You really are a hero! Oh my gosh grandpa won't believe me!"Quickly he starts up again, running a bit faster as she gushes over his actions. This is good. She's not at all focusing on the pain.It doesn't take that much longer to reach the lab and he's stopped before then as a man with a massive sea turtle rushes up. Joker's fur stands on end. The sea turtle is more powerful than Zaela. By a huge amount."DAISY!""Daddy!"Joker slows and waits patiently, stilling and eyeing the shockingly fast sea turtle following her father. The child's father eyes him for a moment in concern but also sees the stains of berries on the child's mouth and the careful care Joker has while holding her."Daddy! Lucario saved me! He's a hero. He fought off an onix with his friends! They just appeared! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off!""Its okay baby. I'm sorry that I've had to pay attention to Gary so much." Gently, and without apparent fear of Joker, the man takes his daughter back, careful not to jostle the injured leg. The sea turtle stands nearby, one massive cannon more or less pointed at him but Joker doesn't sense malice. Just concern for the child."I'm sorry. I was so scared!" The child wraps her arms tight around the man and he just sighs and pats her back and head."Its okay Daisy darling. Your brother has a fever. Its dangerous for a baby to have one and I've not been giving you any attention. But you can't wander off without blastoise again alright?" The sea turtle turns at his name to look over his trainer's child and Joker takes the moment to make his escape.One of his favorite illusions is joltik for the size of its species. Already moving in short hops of the electric bug's manner of travel Joker must admit the confused sound the sea turtle makes when it turns to find him missing are very satisfying. The high grass here completely hides his smaller form from sight. The sea turtle doesn't have a great sense of smell but Joker admits to himself that he'd easily be detected if he were in the water with the monster. Illusion or not."Wha-I...Where did he go? I wanted to thank him. Blastoise?" The sea turtle just grunts in confusion."But..He was my hero! He saved me daddy! I was alone and he came when I asked for help." Joker was pleased. No one knew who he truly was. That was how his kind protected others. Alone and without need for thanks."I know baby...But...We'll come see if we can find him some other day. Lets go get you to grandpa. He'll be able to set your leg so we can take a teleport to Viridian Hospital." Joker looks back and waits until only the child is looking over her father's shoulder. Lucario stares back at her again, waving for an instant with a finger over his lips as if to hush her. She just waves back and grins the brightest smile he's ever seen. A puff of smoke and he's back a joltik, hopping away to find Sunshine.Her bones will be fine. What he is truly proud of is making sure her heart is strong. That this Daisy will grow unburdened by the fear he so regularly uses against his foes. Perhaps this will create a story to inspire as Truthseeker's words inspire him.Joker was content.Plus he'd finally have a story to tell Query. Daisy Oak, ExplorerDaisy was a good girl, mostly. She found trouble rarely and kept to herself. There weren't many children her age as her father and mother had her young compared to their friends (plus they traveled a lot so they didn't really set down roots). And maybe just maybe rushed their marriage because of it. Growing up under Blue Oak's shadow would usually cause a lot of issues, but Blue himself had an arguably more famous father and had a lot of experience in what Daisy would face. Blue may not have been Champion for long but his work afterwards to overhaul both the Rangers and Ace into more standardized, evenly trained units made him very famous.That he never let it go to his head was a shock to most who knew him growing up. Perhaps his wife Leaf's influence or his even more infamous rival and friend Red caused him to cool his arrogance. Or maybe, just maybe it was Daisy herself who got his act together. It showed from how she grew up. Blue never missed an important day. Having an alakazam like his father who could take him instantly across almost half the world meant he never said 'no' to a single day Daisy needed him. Plus, not many would argue with him when he got angry.Though Champion no longer, he retained his skill and his team regularly came to Pallet from their home near Ace Headquarters in Indigo Plateau. His father adored his first grandchild and as pokémon were so prominently in both elder Oaks' lives it was Daisy's birthright to grow up learning of them. Yes, Daisy had wonderful, attentive parents even if both were very busy. Leaf tended to be somewhat more so than Blue in that she was one of the greatest field researchers in the entire world. Often she and her partner venusaur found themselves in unexplored regions.While not a trainer at heart, Leaf's partner often sparred with her husband's blastoise and came out on top much of the time. She often carried the balls of a few of her husband's team on his insistence including his famous pidgeot. At speeds moving past sound barriers she too was not that far from home for their precious child's early years.Thus, when Gary was born as Daisy just turned eight she was suitably confused why her parents became so distracted. Daisy was a smart kid and understood that her new brother needed attention but her parents had always been busy before and still made time for her. It was a bit hard on her but she did love her new brother. Other children may have had tantrums or acted out but ultimately Daisy matured in a few ways a little too soon. Growing up with pokémon and Professor Oak gave her a lot of knowledge of how to be careful but she was still a little girl who was feeling a tiny bit abandoned. It led to adventure. Good or not.One day while they were at her grandfather's ranch Gary became ill. It wasn't anything incredibly serious and they got him checked on right away by a retired Joy in Pallet. Still, her father panicked a bit and left to go track down Leaf who was in Celadon to give a lecture on grass types at the gym there. Daisy was bored and her grandfather was watching Gary. Her parents were gone.Surely she was trained enough to explore. Just like her mom. Stepping out of the lab as her grandfather was distracted was thrilling even if she knew she wasn't supposed to do it. Promising herself she'd check in in a few hours she was very glad that her Dad took her grandfather's alakazam. His own was back at their home to help a new psychic member of her father's team get used to talking to people mentally that weren't of their family.Really, it was like the world was telling her to go out to adventure! The next few hours were spent with such amazement that she knew right then and there that she would go on a journey in a few years. It was always up in the air what she would do. Whether join her grandfather in research or go to regular school. Maybe she'd come back after her journey to help her grandfather but seeing the packs of growlithe and the lake full of cute water types brought up new dreams.Guilt for being out alone fled her when she found two pokémon that her grandfather had only hinted at. That was a bird right? Grandfather said it was a dragon but it had such pretty sparkling feathers. And the ribbons on the eeveelution next to the chattering bird-dragon was so cute! She wasn't sure if she wanted to go say hi. Sudden shyness took her as she knew she wasn't supposed to know about the bird-dragon. She knew it was psychic/dragon but she felt like being a bit silly. Grandfather only told her about it when she sneaked up behind him to give him a scare as he was going over his research on the Latias. Daisy was a good girl so she promised not to tell about the legendary that her Grandpa had in this ranch!But now she could see it! Her! It was a her! She was all set to go and introduce herself, her courage raising but the two ran off abruptly as if they were called. Daisy wasn't about to let this go. Maybe there were other legendary pokémon here! Grandpa could be keeping more secret!Rushing forward she tried desperately to keep up but the bird-dragon picked up the sylveon with a psychic move she recognized from her dad's alakazam helping move things around the house. Still, she was all set to yell and try to attract their attention when she crested the next hill but it wasn't to be. A cry of eager curiosity turned to a gasp of pain as she tumbled, her ankle twisting hard with a crack she couldn't hear over her own growing scream.Over and over she rolled down the hill to skid to a halt, crying hard and clutching at her calf. Anything lower and it hurt too much. Never had she felt such pain. Scrapes and bruises come with dealing with even the most docile of pokémon but Daisy had always been lucky to have minders who would keep her safe. Suddenly guilt came back in droves as she realized maybe her dad's orders to stay close to Grandpa or blastoise were for a very good reason.The pain made every minute last what felt like forever and the normally very observant girl didn't see the blue and black furred pokémon approach. That and the root she tripped over made two bad misses today. Panic filled her as she didn't recognize the pokémon. It had spikes! And red eyes! It was humanoid so it was probably either a fighting type or psychic type. Both could be dangerous in the wild but in most cases were somewhat friendly. This didn't matter in her head as all she could think of was her Daddy."Stay away! Daddy! Stop! I want my dad! St-stay away!" Normally she'd be very calm around a new pokémon but she couldn't think past her pain until minutes more passed. The strange pokémon just sat down and made low noises with was obviously his species' name. Lucario. Despite her injury she felt like she'd heard something about this pokémon but she certainly hasn't seen it. Eventually she became desperate. Maybe...Maybe it was nice."Wh-what are you? Are..ow...ow..are you friendly?" She observes him carefully even if she can't stop sobbing. It hurt so much! The lucario inches forward in what feels like ages and she can't help but want to skitter back but its calm demeanor and the way it freezes every time she does makes her trust it just a little bit. Eventually the pokémon is within touching distance so she reaches for his paw. It has to be friendly! She almost eeps when the lucario shakes her hand and a watery giggle escapes her mouth."You're nice...Please..I hope. My daddy told me not to wander but there was such a pretty bird. I'm..I'm in such trouble. I just want to go home! Grandpa said the pokémon here were mostly nice but never to go alone!" Tears fall anew as she thinks of how mad her Dad will be. Of how worried her Grandpa will be. She tugs on the warm fur of the lucario as he picks her up. There is a steady comfort there she can't help but feel. As he indicates up the hill she nods slowly."Oh!...Lucario? That's your name? You..can get me there?" The nod he gives solidifies that he's not wild. Or not very wild. He can understand her speaking. She can't help but snuggle in and try to be brave. The ache is harsh but she does her best to stop crying and just concentrate on seeing her Daddy. Lucario takes her up slowly and she can't help but put her face against his chest, the fur so soft and comfortable.Eventually after a bit of time and more cries of pain she can't keep in, he slows further. She gazes in open curiosity as his paws make impossibly quick movements and there is a puff of smoke and an electrivire appears out of nowhere! Its so shocking she can't feel her ankle's throbbing for a moment. What's even more amazing is that the electrivire takes off at amazing speeds and returns in moments with oran berries. They are dumped in her lap and she looks up just in time to see the electrivire vanish in a puff of smoke after giving her a thumbs up. What?!"How did you do that?! That...That was amazing!" She eats a few of the berries as the lucario insists but she can't help but ask more questions! "Can all lucario do that? Are you..are you a legendary? Or a hero?"Was this one of Grandpa's legendary friends?! She's certain there are more now! More berries dull her pain and she can't help but ask all that she can as the lucario nods or shakes his head to her curiosity."Can all lucario do that? I really want to know!" A 'no' shake to that one and she is sure he's special."Are you a hero?" A bit of a pause there but then he nods as if confirming something. A bit odd but he is. Its amazing! Like stories she's heard before of true legendaries. Maybe that's where she knows his name?"Do you have a trainer? Or do you know my Grandfather? He's the professor here." Two nods there and she can't help but be a bit disappointed. Maybe if she became his friend he would have liked to travel the world with her. Stupid, she knows, but her dreams are soaring.Question after question is answered patiently and she doesn't even remember her injury until her Hero stops, looking over at some rough boulders nearby. Her Hero must have incredible senses as he does more of the strange movements to summon a black dragon! Its a charizard but she feels like its a dragon. Something about it screams that. The dragon winks and goes to fly out over the area. Immediately an onix appears and they start to battle. Daisy knows for an onix to be this close to the surface that it was probably driven out by another ground type. The onix would be very angry and would have likely attacked them if they entered even close to its territory.Did lucario sense that?"Your dragon can beat that right?" Lucario just smiles at her and awe crosses over her face as the summoned dragon breathed fire and dove down. Her eye snapped as a massive pokémon that she's never even heard of appears in a new bout of smoke and lets out a beautiful but intimidating croon to speed off to aid in the battle. The dragon vanishes in smoke and she almost gasps but the long necked creature takes up the slack, standing just over the height of the onix. Idly she realizes its a fairly young onix but again her attention is directed to her Hero.He struggles with the next summon! It must be something big as she can see him panting a bit in effort."You can do it! I know you can! Go!" Daisy waves her arms about, cheering madly as a second dragon appears. Her eyes go wide and she can't help but stare. She misses the other tall creature vanish as the roar of the new dragon shakes her so hard she feels her ankle again for a split second. A gasp of wonder escapes despite the new pain and the next moments resound in her life. Never will she forget this.Giant orange rocks appear in the sky in such numbers she can't even speak or cheer any longer. The dragon just stares down the onix and she almost giggles at how it retreats immediately. Silence reigns as the massive dragon turns to look at her and she can't help but scrunch up into her Hero's arms a bit more. Then the dragon BOWS to the lucario. BOWS. It vanishes too in a much bigger puff of smoke along with the big rocks and finally she can speak again."That was amazing! You really are a hero! Oh my gosh grandpa won't believe me!" Her heart sours as fast as lucario starts running. Nothing about her ankle distracts her from the incredible nature of what just happened.She almost misses seeing her Dad coming over the ridge. She certainly does hear him though."DAISY!""Daddy!"Her father runs over quickly and she doesn't notice how tense lucario gets for a moment. All she wants is her father. Even if this ended up incredible there was a lot of fear that she's never experienced before. Still, she had to say something!"Daddy! Lucario saved me! He's a hero. He fought off an onix with his friends! They just appeared! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off!" Crying happens again now but she also stresses as much as she can about her Hero."Its okay baby. I'm sorry that I've had to pay attention to Gary so much." Once she's in her father's arms Daisy can't help but grip him tighter than she has ever done before. She doesn't blame him. Gary is sick. And she was at fault."I'm sorry. I was so scared!" Really she was, but lucario made it better."Its okay Daisy darling. Your brother has a fever. Its dangerous for a baby to have one and I've not been giving you any attention. But you can't wander off without blastoise again alright?" She turns to her Daddy's starter and she starts to reassure him that it was her fault. She made sure he was deep in his usual pool before sneaking away. She wanted to do it herself. Blastoise tends to take her safety too seriously or so she thought. Now she is going to be a better listener. She freezes at her Daddy's next words."Wha-I...Where did he go? I wanted to thank him. Blastoise?" Frantically she looks around. The Hero was gone!"But..He was my hero! He saved me daddy! I was alone and he came when I asked for help." She didn't say it out loud but her heart screamed for help. And her Hero answered."I know baby...But...We'll come see if we can find him some other day. Lets go get you to grandpa. He'll be able to set your leg so we can take a teleport to Viridian Hospital." Her father turned to leave, blastoise moving ahead to make sure nothing in front of them would impede their progress. Something amazing happens. Lucario was there, as if from nowhere. She waved back to him and didn't say a word as he put his finger to his lips. That is exactly how she would think a legendary would behave! Daisy's eyes widen yet again as he vanishes just like his friends did.The walk back is surprisingly quiet as she commits everything to memory. She feels so guilty for vanishing but something burns bright because of it. Not only will she explore the world but legendary stories are going to be what she wants to find out about. This might not have been something she's heard before but its exactly the type of story that would be told about a legendary.Hours pass and she's back in her Grandpa's lab with a bright blue cast on her leg. She's a bit too young for rapid medical healing and her parents decide having it heal naturally will be a good lesson regardless. There have been several scoldings, more tears and a bit of grounding after making sure she was truly okay but she begged to stay near her grandfather while his parents took Gary to bed. Her Grandpa could keep a secret! He must know her Hero! So she tells him everything. Leaving out nothing. Her Grandpa listens patiently in that way she loves. He always takes her seriously. Never does he disregard what she says because of her age."This is a lucario my sweet. Is this what he was?" Daisy can tell she believes him but he's always said to verify something multiple times. Pictures appear on his lab's biggest screen and she nods rapidly."That's him! Is he a legendary? He summoned a giant dragon. Two!"Her Grandpa strokes his chin and she lets him think. Everyone in the family knows if he starts thinking like that he almost can never be disturbed. Instead she just peers happily at pictures of his Hero's species. She reads entries that pop up and she's a little sad that he is not classified as a legendary but lucario are basically knights! So he is a hero!"I don't have any lucario in the ranch sweetie. The one trainer who sends their partners here has one, but Truthseeker never leaves her side. Strange. And no lucario I know of can summon other pokémon. There are a few species that have sort of similar abilities but an electivire? Charizard?" More chin stroking and Daisy's eyes gleam. Maybe her lucario is special! Already she can't wait to try and find him again. She's sad she can't go searching for likely a month from her grounding but still! She'll read everything she can about the species so she can show him how much she appreciates how he saved her!Her Grandpa makes an 'oh' sound and concentrates. Alakazam pops up a moment later and his mind touches hers with the kind thoughts he always has for her. She giggles a bit at the sensation and waves at him happily."Alakazam. This is the place on the map where Blue found Daisy. Did you detect any other mind besides theirs and blastoise when you directed Blue to Daisy once she came into your range?" Alakazam hums a bit and closes his eyes, both his spoons lifting as he searches through his memory. Some sort of conversation goes on and her Grandpa smiles faintly before nodding for his friend to go back to his meditation. Alakazam gives her another pulse of affection and vanishes."Now Daisy. Listen close. Your kind friend was not a lucario. It was a species of pokémon that are experts at illusions and trickery. Not in a bad way. Despite their dark nature, which read to Alakazam as a bit of a hole in his memory, they are very much creatures who go out of their way to help those they consider pack and often even those not. I know this one and I'm certain he would have done quite a lot to make sure you were safe. Beyond even what he did do. You must understand that his instincts to hide and obscure are a part of his nature. It wasn't meant to trick you but make it easier to have you trust him. Frankly I can only guess the abilities he used but they're amazing and very difficult if my guess is correct. I'm going to have to study the species a bit more I think."Her Grandpa pauses as he types away to bring up another pokémon. This one is red and black furred. Long, dangerous claws and big teeth from a long snout strike her first as well as a huge shaggy mane that makes his already wild appearance pop that much more."As you can see his species is fairly dangerous looking. He probably hoped that you would know what a lucario was. Any lucario you meet will always be quite friendly and helpful. They sense emotions and dislike negative ones immensely. So they seek from birth to help others who are in pain."She finally speaks, a bit overwhelmed or not. "So...He hid so I would feel safer?" Her eyes are wide as she looks to her Grandpa, emotions all over the place."Yes. I know his trainer quite well. She's also the trainer of that sylveon I told you of and why Latias comes here so often. Heh. And the lucario that never leaves her side. The zoroark, which is his species, is named Joker and he has a pack of his own here that he'll be visiting more often, or at least that's what his trainer told me. If you like I could ask her if you could meet Joker as he really is….Assuming his real form doesn't frighten you."Daisy knows that her Grandpa doesn't believe she is frightened. He always likes to give her time to think things out though. Still, she's been around his charizard and nothing is scarier than that big meanface. What really goes through her mind is what Joker did to help her. His claws mean he probably attacks up close. The build of the zoroark means speedy movement. Joker stayed still and did elemental attacks away from her. He looked tired now that she recalls. How far did he push himself to make sure she wasn't afraid? Daisy is still a child but growing up around champions and professors make her very analytical when she wants to be. The wonder of the adventure stole away her observant mind but now she can see it.It doesn't matter if Joker is just a regular pokémon and not a legendary. He's still her Hero. The dream isn't at all gone either. Could other legendary stories lead to just a good, honest pokémon at its heart? Were legendaries themselves like regular pokémon in their demeanor? Even more she resolves to go out and see things for what they really are. Joker's illusions are his truth. That's amazing. Her eyes shine brighter and brighter as she looks up at her Grandpa."Of course I'd love to meet him. So very much. But...while I'm grounded Grandpa? Could I see more about legendary pokémon? I think I know what I want to study for my journey."Daisy Oak knew her dream and it was legendary.