Cherry Blossoms
I opened my eyes and it felt like someone shined the world's biggest flashlight in my eyes. Not the best way to wake up from a nap… I quickly pulled my blue hat over my eyes, but I couldn't quite fall back asleep. I sighed, set my hat on my head correctly and looked over at my sleeping friend.
Lucario had his blue paws over his eyes, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun, and was curled up in the shade of the cherry blossom tree I was sitting up against. I smiled and looked around.
It was dark when Lucario and I came here for Aura training so I didn't get a good look at the place.
It was a grove of cherry blossom trees with soft pink and white petals scattered on the ground. The bright green grass shimmered and a brook of crystal clear water shimmered no more than twenty feet away. On the other side was a thick lush forest of, what do you know, more cherry blossoms.
Lucario started to wake. He rubbed his red eyes and got to his feet.
"Aaron, what time is it?" he thought wearily, and yes, he is telepathic.
I was not offended by the name switch. Lucario says that I look like and have the same Aura as the great Sir Aaron. He sometimes gets our names confused when he is fatigued or when his brain and eyes seem to be against one another, but this hardly happens.
"I think it is a little after twelve, my friend." I smiled and helped him up. He dusted his fur off, and then decided to dust off my blue and black suit. What a neat freak. I ruffled the fur on his head between his pointed blue ears and started to walk towards a clearing. Lucario followed suit.
"Riley, are you sure that you are not related to Sir Aaron?" Lucario thought, looking at me inquisitively.
To tell the truth, the name switch was beginning to bug me now. Lucario always talked about Sir Aaron and I was beginning to feel jealous. Lucario must have sensed it because he did something he never does unless he is very frightened or feeling guilty. He clung to my arm like a little lost child.
"I'm sorry," he thought "I didn't mean to upset you. You are the best friend that I have in this world and you always will be, but… I miss Aaron too." Tears were starting to form in his eyes and I felt ashamed.
Aaron was his partner before I was and it was hard for him to swallow the fact that he was gone forever, crystallized in his own Aura to save his kingdom. Usually he is fine thinking about Aaron, but there are those times when he will just sit and silently cry for his lost master.
I knelt down as Lucario wiped his eyes.
"It's ok." I said while drying his furry cheeks. What else could I say?
Lucario wrapped his arms around me and thought with all his heart, "Riley, no matter how much I miss Aaron, I don't think I could go on without you!"
Nothing could have warmed my heart more as all my jealousy for Sir Aaron melted in this Pokemon's hug. I wrapped my arms around him, on the brink of tears myself. We let go and I blinked back my tears.
"Enough with this mushy-love crap. Let's get back home." We stood up and Lucario took my hand.
We walked through the shower of petals, hand in paw, through the clearing and toward home.