FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I carry the still-weakened riolu back through the rustic overgrowth. As we walk, I begin to hum a lullaby. It was one my mom used to sing to me before bed each night. I close my eyes as the lullaby makes me remember the innocence of my childhood. I think about my cat, my snuggling up with me as my mom sings. The warmth of my cat, the soothing singing of my mom, the vibration of my cat purring on my chest. The memory of Smokey's death summons tears to my eyes. I collapse and black-out. It must have been bad, because the last thing I remember is hitting the ground hard and the sounds of yelling and something running in my direction. I am not sure how long I was out, but I woke up in a hospital.

"...he is fine, Mrs. Buchanan. The rangers that found him said he was carrying a wounded riolu."

"Oh, Lee, sweetie, you're awake at last?"

"M-mom?"

"It's okay, sweetie."

"H-h-how long was I out?"

"Mr. Buchanan, you were unconscious for 3 days."

"3 DAYS?!"

"Calm down, sweetie!"

"What about Fodiiz?"

"Who?"

"The Riolu?"

"The Riolu is in the next room. He's recovering. We've tried getting in touch with any survivors from the camp, but none have surfaced."

"There was a group I noticed running away from the rest of the pack before everything went dark."

"We have rescue teams scouting the area," says a man who just entered, "Sorry, I'm Jack with the WPO. We've been monitoring your family since Jason's brush with Team Styx."

"I know, but what brings you to me?"

"Well, the situation at hand, as I'm sure you were told, is very delicate. With Jason missing, and just about every member of your family now a Lucario, the WPO has been running this case round the clock. We need as much info as possible."

"Well, I was passing through the overgrowth when I became witness to flying Pokemon firebombing the camp. I rushed in to find Narri and whoever else I could, but the crowds of Lucario attempting to defend the camp were making maneuverability difficult."

"You say that during the attack, you noticed a stray group?"

"Yes, a group of Lucario, maybe 3 or 5. The little window of time I'd spotted them, they were heading towards the fence line in the forrest."

"Did you notice anything else? Who the attackers were?"

"No...I-I-I'm sorry, Jack. It was so chaotic..."

"It's ok, Lee. I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but it was important. Thank you for your time." He gets up and walks out while punching something in on his phone.

"Sweetie, maybe you should get some rest. The doctor says you have some minor injuries but are healing gradually."

I turn over to get in a comfortable sleeping position and try not to wince at the pain of crushing my tail. After fluffing the soft hospital pillow, I fall hard into my sleep. The sleep was mostly peaceful, aside from a nightmare or two involving the attack on the camp. A few hours later, I jolt awake from one such nightmare. I feel a set of eyes staring at me, which makes me very uncomfortable. I look over and see it's Fodiiz. He smiles.

"I see you're better, my tiny friend."

"You don't seem too bad yourself."

"Where's my mom?"

"She and that WPO man had to go do some important business, that's all they said. Something about making contact with someone named Jacob."

"They found him?!" I breathe a sigh of relief.

Just then, the doctor and Hannah walk in. "Good morning, Mr. Buchanan. See you rested well. So, you're results came back and it seems you're fully healed. I've cleared it with the hospital registrar and Hannah here will take you home."

"What about Fodiiz?" I point to the riolu.

"If it wouldn't be a bother to your guardian here, I see no harm in him leaving the hospital with you."

I look at Hannah and she smiles, "Of course, I would be glad to have Fodiiz along!"

The nurse finishes up with the patient departure paperwork and escorts the three of us to the lobby, bidding us farewell as we walked out. The drive home was rather uneventful but I did quite enjoy the otherwise tranquil scenery. After 45 minutes of driving, we were finally back at Hannah's and we decided to settle in while waiting for word from the WPO. About 5 hours later, we got a call. Hannah answered and put it on speaker phone.

"Hi guys, it's Jack. I have some good news. One of our agents has made contact with Jacob. He's with Narri, Andrea, and Luna. Not sure who else."

"Any word on my husband?"

"Sorry, ma'am, he's not showing up on our radar. We suspect he's underground. Frankly, with how long it's been since he's had the full effect of the gift, he probably has significantly less aura than before."

"Meaning?"

"Well, we have a team of Lucario that can track aura, but they have trouble tracking weak aura signatures. There's also the possibility of his aura being drained, assuming this Team Pheonix is like Team Styx. They'd be quite a while before they can store up enough of it. I reckon he's still alive at this moment, Hannah."

"Are you sure?"

"Certainly, our bomb experts assure us that a bomb of that scale would require a massive amount of aura energy just to turn on."

"Anything else, Jack?"

"I managed to get a sample of Lee's DNA courtesy of the hospital, and he has staggeringly high levels of Lucario DNA. Almost as much as Jason had long ago."

"Is that bad?"

"Health wise, no. But with DNA that strong, his aura abilities must be off the charts. If Team Pheonix found out, they would almost certainly try to round up Jacob AND Lee."

"Well, thankfully, I've yet to expose myself. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself."

"You should be fine. I'd suggest Hannah and your mom take turns acting as your trainers, and do your best to blend in as an actual Lucario. So, no clothes and no mention of who you really are."

"What about school?"

"We've already told your school that you were injured badly in an attack on a Lucario camp you were visiting. Said you would be out indefinitely. We worked out a deal where you could still learn your courses and do homework without attending."

"I don't mean to be trouble."

"No, it's part of our job. We protect people, and that sometimes involves also protecting their identity..."

There is a moment of silence where a communication device can be heard going off on his end.

"...sorry, I have to take this. I'll call you guys back with updates soon."

He hangs up.

Hannah sighs.

"At least we know nothing bad has yet to be reported."

"I'm sure Uncle Jason is fine. He's certainly a fighter."

"I know. I just can't help but worry about the family. Here we are again, a group of mad men using people as tools for destruction. When will it end?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie Hannah."

"No, it's not your fault, Lee. We have no control over such things. We just need to make the best of it."

She turns on the TV and it's already set to some silly cartoons. I breath a sigh of relief, letting myself melt into the couch as the TV show's cliched shenanigans ensue. I think back to my childhood, when I'd wake up on a Saturday morning. Mom would be in the kitchen, making pancakes or some other breakfast food. We'd crack jokes and discuss our plans for the day, usually chores or going out somewhere. She'd finish making whatever she was making, fix us a plate of it and we'd rush out to the living room. I'd flip on the tele and the latest episode of Spongebob would be on. Spongebob and, sometimes, Patrick would be up to their usual nonsense of annoying other members of the town. Don't get me wrong, it was very amusing to watch. Just, through the years, I've begun to see the show as it was, silly and nonsensical. When you're a kid, you always have the wildest imagination. Yet, as you get older, you tend to become more dull and regimented. I don't know how long I've been thinking nostalgically but once I've snapped back, the show we were just watching was over and Hannah had left the room. Suddenly, she enters again with the phone and a concerned look.

"What's wrong?"

"It was Jack. He says that his agent IS with Jacob and the rest of the group. He also says that they had an encounter with Team Pheonix. The WPO are trying to get them to safety and fast but Jack isn't sure how much longer it'll take."

"They are safe, though, aren't they?"

"That's what Jack is saying."

"So what's the matter?"

"Well, this Team Pheonix is already on their trail. Forgive me for worrying, but Jacob is in danger. It's only a mother's instinct to worry."

"I'm sorry for being ignorant."

"It's fine, dear. Here, eat this."

She hands me a plate of toast, which I happily scarf down. We laugh.

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I'd like to thank everyone for the 100+ views on chapter 1. It means alot to me that so many people have viewed my story thus far. I hope you enjoy this chapter and so sorry for taking so long. Also, feel free to request appearances of your own characters for future chapters! I'll do my best to include them!