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!"

There was no answer.

Avian got chills up his spine. He's just out hunting for food, he reassured himself. It was as if an irritated sensation was poking in the back of his head, almost like an alarm that something wasn't right. Shutting his eyes, he perked up his aura sensors and focused on his surroundings. Thanks to practicing his aura attacks, Avian got used to using that energy to his advantage, such as awareness for any motion too fast for his eyes to catch, even sensing aura tracks left behind by other Pokemon. His father had always mentioned this technique, once telling him that every being had a unique aura emitting from their soul. Avian, who was not as experienced yet, spotted a distinct trail of aura leading away from the camp, only suspecting that it was his mentor's. He steadily paced himself along the prints and out of the camp. "Zoar?!" he called out once more.

It was about three minutes later that he noticed the trail become slightly disorientated. Avian had reached an earthy area with boulders and rocks scattered everywhere on the path and a crag-like structure looming in front of him. What seemed to be Zoar's tracks were dispersed across the ground, some even buried under the massive amounts of rubble. Something happened, he knew, and he had to find Zoar quickly before his fears became out of hand. The pup reopened his eyes and darted them around even corner as he sprinted in different directions. "Zoar! Are you here?!" he shouted frantically. "Where are you?!" As he ran, he noticed that many of the rocks had distinct claw markings scratched along the surface. It gave him uncertain and eerie vibes, forcing him to look away and focus on his main task.

Soon enough, he noticed a pile of unstable-looking stones clinging on to the side of the crag, and a familiar shape amongst it. It growled in desperation, and Avian bolted over.
____________________________
"Good, that's taken care of. Now we can--"

"Wait! Look! It's that meat scrap he stole away!"

"..."

"Gah... Dammit. The lug's been feeding him up, that's for sure."

"On what? Rawst berries?"

"Oh, shut your trap! That little guy looks even better to eat than before...! Almost a week we've been following them! How long until we can--"

"Quiet."

"But--"

"We wait until they're least vulnerable. And after what that traitor has taught the pup..."

"What are you implying?!"

"I'm saying that for now we need to immobilize them both. He's not capable of doing much anymore. Not with the lack of meat in his body. He's been surviving on vegetation for far too long than a Pokemon his type should, and those rocks will keep him down...

...But the child, that's a different story."

"Alright, so what do we do..?"

"That little one isn't mentally stable for anything too life-threatening. Yet."

"..So?"

"We continue; that pup will meet the same fate as him... And that is when we make our attack."

"And if that fails?"

"...I know they will drop their guard one day. And on that day, I'll make sure that traitor pays for his disobedience."
____________________________
"Zoar! Wh-what happened to you?!" Avian cried as he saw the Luxray. He was wedged between a few boulders that prevented him from moving. Panting in exhaustion, he stared at the little pup.

"I... I'm sorry, Ave, for worrying you..." he gasped. "I was searching for food when suddenly, there was an avalanche of rocks...! I had to dodge them and climb up here for safety, but a couple of the big ones trapped me here..." He attempted to push the chunks off with his massive paws. "They're... They're too heavy for me to move...! Some of the blows weakened me... And..."

"D-don't worry! I'll help you!" Avian assured as he placed his paws on the gigantic boulders. He shoved with all of his might, but they refused to budge, not even the slightest bit. When he tried again, he caught a group of rocks in the corner of his eye tumbling down the slope onto the ground below. They hit it the bottom with a heavy thud.

"Ave! It's dangerous! The avalanche may still happen again!" Zoar warned with frantic caution. Avian gave him a determined look.

"I'm not leaving you here!" he exclaimed.

A stone came hurling towards the pup's face.

"WATCH OUT!"

With instinct, Avian shot an aura attack directly at the projectile, crumbling it into little pieces of sediment. He watched in astonishment as the dust fluttered by him like petals of a cherry blossom. Zoar sighed.

"Great job, kit." He grinned tiredly.

That was when an idea popped into his head.

He knew it was time.

"Ave, look at me." The pup obeyed. "I think I can get out... You just need to buy me more time." His amber eyes widened.

"Wh-what?!" he stuttered.

"Listen, I know you can do it! Just trust in yourself! Trust in me! You need to keep these rocks from falling on us no matter what!" Zoar explained. The child palpably seemed daunted by the task, but Zoar persisted. "Think about it like when we were training! Back in the forest with the berries and the stones, remember? Just think about that, and I'll be out before you know it! I promise!"

It was a brief, but powerful moment when the two friends locked their gazes onto one another. They were filled with worry, but trust flickered within their pupils. It was like time had slowed down instantaneously to let them have such a moment like this. Avian bit his lip and nodded at the older Pokemon.

"G... Good! Don't give up, Ave! Now go!"

The Riolu directly faced the plummeting rocks, dropping at fatal speeds. He knew he only had a few seconds to react to each one. Each falling rock hurling towards the both of them. The thoughts and possibilities were swirling around in Avian's mind like a hurricane, pumping adrenaline through his veins.

But it was up to him now. Zoar was in trouble, and now after all this time, it was his turn to protect him.

He closed his eyes... And he thought.

...A memory came flooding back.

"Avian... Just because you drop the ball a few times doesn't mean you have to give up. It's all a part of the process of becoming better at what you're doing. That goes for anything."

He felt the aura charge up in his grasp.

It became even more intense than before.

"Don't give up! Keep trying, and eventually, one day, you will accomplish your goals. I know you're the type of Pokemon that can do anything they put their mind into. If anyone can do it, it's you!"

He could be strong.

"...I know you'll evolve one day. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I can see that igniting within you."

No... He would be strong.

"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."

"You just...

"All you need to do..."

"...need to be..."

"...is be..."

"BRAVE."

"AURA STORM!"

A meteor shower of blue light came crashing down from the sky through Avian's paws. Each sphere automatically targeted at a single rock or boulder, even those that weren't falling at all, and completely obliterated them. They exploded into a burnt crisp dust that flew in all directions. Huge amounts of aura radiated from the pup's figure, turning him a gleaming neon blue that blasted through the area as if he were fully evolved.

Zoar had to shield his eyes to prevent himself from being temporarily blinded. With the last bit of his strength from the sheer sight of Avian's power, he kicked the boulders off of his body, sending them into the aura storm of destruction.

They were disintegrated in an instant.

Avian let the immense power die down. It was almost overwhelming for him as he collapsed to the side. Zoar swiftly caught him with his mouth on the scruff of his neck, bounding off the ledge and onto the flat ground where the last of the pieces of demolished earth was just settling.

"Ave!" he cried, putting him down. Avian groaned, not having the strength to look up at the Pokemon. An enormous amount of his energy was completely drained from his existence. He could only mutter a few sounds before losing balance. Zoar caught him and put him on his back. "Alright, kit, I got you. I got you," he reassured. "Let's go." The child slouched onto Zoar's back and clung with his remaining strength onto his neck. He nodded in his black fur in agreement and they set off. Silence treaded the two until Zoar beamed proudly.

"That was amazing," he whispered to him.

Avian smiled softly to himself.

I am strong.

I am brave.

I will evolve, I know I will.