FSE

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A shiver ran through Lucario as he poured the contents of yet another bottle down his throat. It had not even emptied out before he got up and staggered over to the next crate, fumbling about with another beer in his pursuit to get drunk as quickly as possible. He drank until he gagged, but the alcohol did nothing to keep his inner turmoil at bay.

It wasn't working. No matter how much alcohol he consumed, the visions of Mew would not go away. Her meek voice echoed between the walls, blaming him for what had happened and trapping him in guilt like so many others before. But even compared to the penguin and Dragonair, Zubat and Rukario, Mew was completely merciless in her hauntings, as if the afterlife had assigned her with the sole purpose of torturing him. Slumping down by the crate as her figure danced in the corner of his eyes, his only consolation that at least dead girls don't cry.

"Yo, what's up?" a cheerful voice echoed in Lucario's head and roused him from his solitude. It was the kind of voice you'd hear when running into an old friend standing in line for ice cream, not inside a dank cave filled with booze and various unpleasant odors. Next to him he noticed a slender yet far from imposing figure, detecting the colors green and white. He lifted his head to see who it was, regretting his action as he identified the thin man who immediately broke into a big smile.

"You might think you look cool, sitting here and drinking..." the Gallade said before playfully slapping his well-toned abs, "... But keep it up and you'll get out of shape, and then you'll just look pathetic!"

"What the hell..." Lucario exclaimed in confusion, "You, of all people... What're you doing here?"

"I'm glad you asked!" the Gallade replied while clapping his curiously shaped hands together, "You see, I'm the only guy in the world who knows why you're depressed!"

Lucario remained still for a moment before letting his head fall on the crate again. As if it could possibly be any more obvious. He had always taken the Gallade for a bit of an airhead, but taking weeks to figure out that losing a friend might make people depressed was nothing short of sad.

"You were in love with Mew, weren't you?" the Gallade asked.

The question hit Lucario on the head like a brick. It took him completely by surprise, which was impressive considering the recent visitation of two dead people. Not able to stop himself, he lifted himself up again and stared at the Gallade like the overly cheerful psychic had just casually mentioned the meaning of life or something of equal importance. In return, the Gallade just started laughing.

"Hahaha! Your expression and your reaction..." he chuckled while pointing at Lucario's scrounged up facial features, "I recognize them! Believe it or not, but I've had my heart broken, too!"

"I-It's not like that..." Lucario tried to defend himself, still startled by the question.

"Sure it is! You loved her and now you feel like dying, don't you?" the Gallade said as he lowered his voice, very obviously feigning sorrow, "Now, that's not what she would've wanted, is it? What would she think if she could see you like this?"

Desperately wanting to come up with some kind of retort, Lucario found himself constantly bashed over the head by the Gallade's well-placed questions. He could not stop himself from imagining what Mew would think had she still been able to judge him, realizing she would never have tolerated his behavior. Whatever respect he had garnished would disappear in a moment, and she would stop caring about him, just like everyone still alive was in the process of doing.

The Gallade continued chuckling and dunked him in the back.

"Hey, don't forget that there's more to life than women... And there are more women in life!" the Gallade cheered, quietly wondering if Zerobi was ready to start a new relationship yet, "Why give up now? Maybe the best has yet to come?"

An unstoppable process of enlightenment ran through Lucario, a breeze of wisdom and understanding. In the world as he had come to know it, getting the most accurate assessment and vital life lectures from a playboy who literally did ballet in battle to record it for his blog was simply not a possibility. Then again, it was no more impossible than the death of a legendary like Mew.

It seemed life was not as complicated as he had assumed. Everyone dies eventually, and although Mew's demise happened far too early, it was a perfectly natural occurrence. Lucario suddenly began to wonder if he was overreacting, needlessly agonizing over the fact that he was not living in a perfect fantasy world where everyone is safe and happy. He had known that was not the case for a long time, so it made no sense for him to suddenly reject reality just because something he didn't care for happened. What made him go on after Ivy? Why didn't he give up as soon as the legendary dogs came after him? Millions of fresh thoughts ran through his head as he slowly stared at the Gallade with admiration.

"You're... WAY smarter than you look..." Lucario mumbled breathlessly.

"Thanks!" the Gallade hastily chimed, misinterpreting his hidden insult, "Well, cheer up! Bye!"

Lucario watched as the Gallade eagerly slipped outside, glad to see the rousing speech for his next feature presentation had worked out perfectly. Who needed test audiences when you could test it on the real thing? If Lucario's reaction was anything to go by, the real audience would be completely captivated and the critics deeply impressed... And in future interviews, he could say that the speech was inspired by "a close friend" and look even cooler. The Gallade snickered to himself - His career was about to enter its finest hour.

His mouth slightly ajar, Lucario sat up straight. A somewhat unappealing waft of alcohol made him push the half-finished bottle aside. For the first time in weeks, he knew he needed to be sober in order to figure things out. Thoughts of the people and Pokﾃｩmon he had encountered flashed through his mind, and he remembered the words of all who had come to talk to him after Mew's death. At long last, he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Can I love?