One-shot
On the outskirts of Shalour City, a trio, consisted of two teens and one adult, were walking down a long dirt road.
The youngest of the group was a black-haired boy wearing a cobalt cap with a golden half-Pokéball on it. He was dressed in a cobalt, yellow and white outfit. This young boy was known as Ash Ketchum or Ash Dubois, an aura guardian in training.
Next to the young boy was an older blonde-haired teen; a year older than Ash. With red sunglasses on top of her head, she was dressed in a red and white outfit. This teen girl was Ash's surrogate older sister, Korrina Dubois.
Finally, the adult of the group was a tall black-haired male wearing a cobalt hat. The male wore a cobalt suit with a necklace holding an azure orb. This man was known as Riley Gen, an aura guardian and Ash's mentor.
These three were on a journey towards the Sinnoh region. Why? For Ash's training to become an aura guardian. After finding out about his origin from Riley, Ash was driven to become an aura guardian in order to find his parents. Even though he dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Master, he wanted to find his parents even more. The young teen was determined to find his parents, but that doesn't mean he will abandon his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. However, he was unaware of the real struggle of becoming an aura guardian along with the responsibilities given.
"So, why are we going to the Sinnoh Region?" Ash asked, tipping his hat down to keep the sun from blinding his eyes.
"To train you," Riley simply answered.
"Why there though?" Korrina questioned while leaning forward a bit while looking at Riley with curiosity.
"I owed a place called 'Iron Island' there. Not a very safe place, but it's the perfect place to train Ash in private in comparison to the training ground our group had," Riley answered casually like it was no big deal. For Ash and Korrina though, it was a big deal as they stop walking with their eyes widen.
"Wait?! You own an island?!" The young teens shouted in both shock and excitement.
Riley nodded while still walking. Seeing the distance between them, the two caught up to him to hear his explanation on how he got it.
"That island used to belong to my mentor before he passed away. It might seem worthless to some, but it's irreplaceable to me. I won't sell it for all the money in the world for it. Not even for a legendary Pokémon," Riley stated while grasping onto his necklace.
The siblings were quite amazed on Riley's dedication and loyalty to his former mentor. Korrina wondered what kind of teacher he was, but it was unfortunate that he passed away before she and Ash could have a chance to even meet him. She felt excited about tagging along into this journey. The blonde teen was glad that her grandfather allowed her to go with them. However, she does felt a bit of guilt leaving him responsible for the gym considering she was supposed to run it now.
Unbeknownst to her, she gave a sad look on her face, which gotten both Ash and Riley's attention.
"Sis… Is something wrong?" Ash asked with concern. Seeing the worried expressions from both of them, Korrina quickly gave a smile.
"Don't worry, brother. It's nothing," Korrina smiled while waving her hand in order dismissing their worries.
While Ash assumed nothing was wrong, Riley was not fooled by Korrina's little lie. However, he decided to not push it and continued walking. He felt Ash should be the one to do it since he was her adoptive brother. Another reason was to respect her privacy; something his mother taught him.
As the trio were heading towards the river, they saw a group of men in uniform in front of the river; preventing people anywhere close to the river. This was quite strange for the non-blood related siblings since this never happened before. When they take a few steps forward, they saw a boat left on beach. This seemed strange as the boat belonged to a ferry, which closes during the holidays or on Saturday. Today was not a holiday nor Saturday, so something was wrong.
"I'll go check on ahead to see what's going on," Ash said as he skated towards the river.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Korrina shouted as she chased after her adoptive brother with Riley running from behind.
"Attention everyone! The river is closed off until the issue is resolved! There is a rampant Pokémon attacking people if they enter the river. For the time being, please stay from the coast for the time being!" One of the men in uniform announced to the small group of people.
The group talk among themselves about the situation right now. They had many questions about the situation regarding the wild rampant Pokémon as a few civilians were concern about the safety of people and Pokémon having it nearby. For the trainers, some discussed about helping the officers on stopping it while other thought if catching the Pokémon themselves.
While the group were having their own discussions, Ash arrived near the group and spotted a familiar person talking to one of the officer. The man was bald, but had a scruffy brown beard while dressed in a casual outfit with the exception of his floral shirt. The person he saw was a friend of his grandfather and owner of the ferry of the river. After seeing him done talking with the officer, Ash ran towards the ferry owner with question regarding the situation.
"Mr. Charron!" Ash called out to the almost-balding old man. Hearing Ash's voice, the ferry owner turned around with a smile on his face.
"Ah. Ash. It's good to see you again," Mr. Charron chirped, waving at him as the young apprentice walked up to him.
"It's good to see you too," Ash replied in a friendly matter.
Before Ash could ask him about the situation, he heard running from behind him and saw Korrina slide next to him in her skates.
"Hello Mr. Charron!" Korrina said in a cheerful tone.
"Hello Korrina! I see you're still lively as ever," Mr. Charron said in a happy tone.
Few seconds later, Riley arrived.
"Is that man with you two? Usually, it was you two doing errands for your grandfather," Mr. Charron stated with a raised eyebrow.
He wondered if this cobalt-dressed man was another trainer working at his friend's gym. Though it was strange to wear a suit in a fighting gym. Maybe he was a new trainer.
"We're not actually doing any errands today, Mr. Charron. Instead, we're going to the Sinnoh region for some training. The man you see is Riley Gen, who will help me become a better a trainer," Ash explained.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Riley smiled with an extended hand. He did not want to cause any suspicion between them and kept a friendly smile. Seeing the hand, the ferry owner gave a smile of his own and shook Riley's hand.
"Same to you, young man" Mr. Charron exclaimed. It felt nice for him to see some good mannerism from new people these days. Yesterday, he had issues with a tourist complaining about his precious boat's appearance. Saying that it should be thrown away for those modern looking one. Just because it looks old, does not mean it had its own charm. Seeing the two acquainted, Korrina decided to asked him about the situation.
"Mr. Charron, do you know what's going on here? I heard that a wild Pokémon was attacking people. Is it true?" Korrina questioned, concerned about the troubles regarding the announcement of a rampaging Pokémon attacking people.
She was not the only one concern. Ash also felt worried as a friend of theirs was living in this river. He hoped she was okay considering the wild rampant Pokémon might attack her in his presumed territory.
"It is true," The senior sadly spoke as he looked at the river filled with officers talking among themselves before turning to face the group. "While doing my usual routine, we were attacked midway before arriving here. We were fortunate to get here in one peace," He added; staring at his small boat with the broken flag post and few holes on the side.
The siblings felt sad on how damaged the boat was. They had fond memories about it when they were younger and understood his sadness. When riding the ferry for their grandfather's errands, they met many types of different Pokémon from trainers and tourist along with seeing some friendly wild Pokémon floating near the boat. They hoped he was able to fix it as it seemed irreplaceable to them as well. However, there thoughts from a loud laugh.
"Hahaha! No need to feel down you two. The boat is still repairable, but it may take a couple of days before it comes running again. For now, it best for you three to stay clear from the coast until the issue is resolved," Mr. Charron sternly stated while eyeing them, specifically the siblings.
The elderly male knew how rambunctious these two in regards to heroics. He wondered if these two would listen this time. Hopefully, they do as he does not want to see them hurt. They might not be his grandchildren, but he treated them like his own. He got his answer as the siblings nodded. He gave a relieved sigh from their response.
"Thank you," The elderly man smiled before stretching his arms, "Well now, I should get to town to buy the supplies for the boat."
"Do you need any help?" Ash asked. The ferry owner shook his head while holding out a small red and white sphere.
"It is not needed. I have Machocke here to assist me. Just stay safe you three," Mr. Charron said as he walked down the dirt path leading to Shalour City.
Seeing the old man as a small black speck from the distance, the sibling decided it be best to head back to Shalour City until the problem is dealt with. Riley did not move though as he was in deep thought regarding the situation surrounding the wild rampant Pokémon. While in his thought, one of his Pokéball open up revealing a golden and black canine-like bipedal Pokémon.
"Master, do you think it's?" The bipedal Pokémon asked in telepathy, feeling suspicious about the wild rampant Pokémon. He knew it might be one of those Pokémon that they were tasked on stopping if sighted. However, he wants to self-assure himself by asking his trainer to confirm it.
"Indeed, Lucario. It might be one of them," Riley nodded in confirmation of his partner's suspicion.
"Should I go and investigate?" The Lucario asked, awaiting orders.
Riley nodded, accepting his partner's request to investigate the matter. Seeing the nod, Lucario ran into the nearby woods to the coast from afar. There might be a chance of this being just a territorial Pokémon, but they could not risk the chance of letting it go.
"Hey! Riley!" A loud voice called out to him.
Riley looked up to see Ash on the hill calling him and Korrina next to him waving her hand. Feeling a bit guilty for holding them up, Riley started running up the hill towards the duo. He hoped his partner be safe out there.
The trio were walking up the dirt path towards Shalour City. Among the group, the siblings were having a fond discussion about the past. Well, mostly Korrina bringing back memories she enjoyed about Ash's mishaps during the errand.
"That was not funny, Korrina," Ash pouted, arms crossed. Korrina, though, did not think so while skating backwards in front of Ash with a laugh.
"Come on. You know it has to be funny since that Lapras enjoys blasting you with water," Korrina chuckled, hands behind her back. That did not lighten the young boy's mood.
"It's funny when I'm not the target," Ash quickly countered with a scowl. Even though the Lapras no longer did that, it was not funny being targeted constantly from her attack. However, he did become more agile from it and enjoyed the fun memories made when Korrina became the next target for a certain period of time. His scowl then became a concern look.
"You're worried about her?" Korrina asked with the same look.
"Yeah. I hope she's safe out there," Ash answered, wondering if their friend was safe.
"Don't worry little brother. I'm sure she's safe. Otherwise, she couldn't have handle our ultra-water blast," Korrina assured in an enthusiastic tone. The combination she referred to the time where they had a water fight against Lapras with the assistance of their Pokémon. Despite being it an almost one sided advantage for Lapras, they beat her in her own game. It was a victory for both of them and a memorable for all of them.
"Okay," Ash chirped while giving a nod.
While Ash and Korrina were having their discussion regarding the memories made at the ferry, Riley was still feeling unease about leaving Lucario out there. He trusted his partner to be safe, but that did not lower his doubts. To keep his doubts away, he thought about Ash's aura. As his mentor, he should think of a training regime when they arrive at Iron Island. Riley saw this as an opportunity to assess Ash on his aura. He decided to stop momentarily and look around for an area that would be fitting for training.
Seeing the adult of the group stood still and looking around, Ash wondered what made his mentor stop.
"Is something wrong, Riley?" Ash questioned, eyebrows raised.
Ignoring his apprentice for a few seconds, Riley spotted a clear field within the forest. It was the perfect spot for them to train. It was also nearby the coast where Lucario was searching for the wild Pokémon. He felt calm knowing he can evaluate Ash while sensing his partner's aura nearby if danger happens.
"It's time to start your training, Ash," Riley sternly said as he walked towards the training spot; leaving a surprised Ash and Korrina behind.
As the distance started to increase, the siblings chased after Riley into the woods. Korrina wondered why Riley decided to train Ash now. She though it was strange as Riley wanted to until they reach Iron Island. Was there a change of plans? Either way, she was excited to see what kind of training Ash will receive. Although, she was a tad bit of jealous of Ash for becoming one. At the same time, she also felt sad for him considering he wanted to become Pokémon Master before following this path.
Standing in the center, the group drop their bags near the medium rock Korrina was sitting on. Sitting cross-legged on top of the stone with her hands on her chin, she watched intently on the training beginning between her brother and his mentor.
Ash stretched himself in preparation for his training. He wondered what kind of training Riley would give if they were starting early. The young teen pondered about the exercise as he remembered the rough exercise Korrina's grandfather gave them. He hoped it was not too intense like his. Ash then gave a small smirk.
'If It's somewhat similar to grandfather's training, then maybe I can handle it,' Ash enthusiastically thought. He then gave one more stretch before approaching his mentor. As he walked, his Pokéball suddenly opened up revealing a small black and blue bipedal Pokémon with a small scar across its snout. Despite its child-like stature, this Pokémon hold a scowl on his face as it was trying to be intimidating. However, this canine-pokemon, known as a riolu, was not in a good mood and Ash could sense it.
"Beginning your training now, human? If you're starting, at least let me out to see your progress… or pitiful failures," The small canine Pokémon spoke telepathically with spite. For Ash and Riley, they were both able to understand what he thought. Korrina, on the other hand, could not understand him as her aura was not in the level of either Ash's or Riley's. However, she could feel the tension sparking between him and Ash.
Ash gave an annoyed expression on the Pokémon's comment. Even though they were partners, the canine Pokémon would always have something to say. Most often they were insults, but Ash has gotten used to it considering they were together for a long time. He was happy long ago that he decided to stay to become his first Pokémon, but for some time now, he may be starting to regret it. Either way, he was his partner and he would have no other Pokémon to be by his side.
"You know you could stay out here if you don't enjoy being inside the Pokéball," Ash stated with slight irritation in his voice. Hearing the remark, the riolu just turn his head away.
"Maybe. However, being out here is not as quiet and peaceful than inside those spheres," The riolu sternly countered; still facing away from his trainer. Ash just gave a sigh as he does not want to have an argument with him again.
"Just stay next to Korrina, Lucas," Ash requested.
Ignoring his trainer, Lucas headed towards Korrina. He did not to be asked for such a simple task.
"Oh. I should let my riolu come out too. Come on out, Ria!" Korrina exclaimed as she took her Pokéball out and out came a similar bipedal with the exception of a red and white scarf and no scar.
Ria landed gracefully with a smile plastered across her face. Taking note of her surrounding, she noticed her brother out with a scowl across his face and eyeing her before eyeing his trainer again. Running towards her own trainer, she sat on her lap and watched in anticipation of Ash and Riley's training. Before it started, she looked at her brother from the corner of her crimson eyes.
"Still fighting with your trainer, Lucas? You should at least respect him for trying you know," Ria stated towards her brother, who had not softened his scowl.
"If he wants it, he must prove it. For now, the human must learn to become better than he already is. I already consider him worth my time. Now he must earn my respect," Lucas coldly stated as he watched the duo. Knowing she cannot get through her brother's stubbornness, she decided to let it go and focus on the training.
"Alright. We will start by evaluating your control of aura. If you cannot do that, then the training would be put to hold for the time being," Riley stated; arms cross with a stoic demeanor.
Ash gave a nod. He though it may be easy if this was the basic. Feeling pumped, he looked at Riley with enthusiasm and excitement.
"This exercise will be an important one. It is meditation," Riley stated.
"Meditation?" Ash asked with confusion. He never meditated before so this was the first for him. Maybe it might be simple to him.
"Let me demonstrate," Riley said before he took the position and started mediating. Slowly, aura started to shroud around Riley like a coat. Its blue color brightened around his body brighter than his cobalt suit. After a few seconds, the aura faded away into nothingness.
Ash, Korrina, and the riolus were all in awe from the speculation. Ash was amazed that he wonders if could do something like that. Korrina was a bit speechless from Riley's performance. She felt a bit jealous of her adoptive brother being able to do something like that. For Lucas, he was impressed, but was not willing to admit it. For Ria, she was quite shock to see someone control aura so naturally other than her own species. If she was a scientist, she would describe this feeling like discovering a cure for a disease.
"Just like that Ash. Clear your mind and concentrate. Focus your aura to the center of your body," Riley said as he stood back up and dusted off his clothing.
"Alright," Ash nodded before taking a similar position to what Riley did few seconds ago.
Clearing his mind, Ash began focusing his aura to the center of his body. He felt the spirit energy spreading throughout his body slowly flowing to his chest. It was very slow, but there were no issues for the time being. While mediating, the young trainer had an image flash across his face all of sudden. This disrupted his concentration as he tried to push himself to focus.
As he continued his meditation, Riley notice Ash's aura started to rupture a bit. That was not a good sign. If it was starting to rupture, then Ash's mind was wandering from the exercise. Riley could sense the upcoming danger if this continues, but he still wanted to see Ash's level of controlling of his aura.
"Ash! Throw away your thoughts and focus solely on your aura!" Riley sternly commanded with a concern look. He hoped Ash could recover before he put himself in more risk.
Ash tried to clear away the distorted images clogging his mind. However, they never faded away and he started to lose grasp of his aura. He could feel his spirit energy flowing incoherently as it rushed in all directions. The aura apprentice felt his aura causing slight pain throughout his body, especially at the center of his chest. As he tried to recover from the situation, the pain quickly gotten worse as every second past. Unbeknownst to him, he slowly drifted into a trance and was now focusing solely on his aura. However, that did not help the situation. Ria noticed the shift in Ash's aura and sense the disarray within his emotions.
"ASH?!" Korrina cried out, seeing Ash in pain. She stood up with concern and panic across her face.
She might not know much about the training than the demonstration presented earlier, but she knew something was wrong. The blonde teen was not going to just stand there and watch. Korrina started running to Ash's side.
"His aura is getting out of control! He has to stop!" Ria shouted mentally. Before she could approach Ash with her trainer, Lucas grabbed Ria's and Korrina's arm. Seeing the scarred riolu, Korrina tried to pull away, but he not did let go.
"Hey?! Lucas, what are you doing? Let go!" Korrina commanded sternly. He did not listen as Lucas strengthen his grip to ensure they will not break free.
"What are you doing brother?! Are you just gonna let your trainer die?!" Ria yelled at her brother, who still kept his stoic demeanor.
Lucas understood their worries, but what could they do. If they try to interfere with a person deep in their meditation, the results would be catastrophic. He himself did meditation under the guidance of Riley's Lucario yesterday before the trip. The male riolu performed a bit better than his trainer did, but the results were similar. The only people that can interfere were those that master their aura themselves. Lucario saved him during the process, despite his protest that he could handle it, but if he did not, his aura would burst along with his soul being damage beyond repair or be dead. Lucas was thankful for it, but felt weak due to not being able to harness his aura. He looked at Riley, who was approaching Ash in a calm demeanor, in an analytic way. He wondered how strong this 'aura guardian' was. At least he had a chance now to see it for himself.
Riley slowly approached Ash carefully; taking each step carefully. With every step he took, he could see Ash's aura slowly running rampant as the flow started to spaz out of control. If this continues, Ash's aura will burst; leaving him with a damaged soul and lesser spirit energy. There was even a chance that Ash could die, but Riley was not going allow it. Placing his hand forward, Riley focused onto Ash's aura and tried to manipulate it to the best of his abilities. Manipulating another person's aura was not easy at the slightest, but he had no choice. With every strength in his mind, the aura guardian was able to slowly spread the aura back throughout his body. Seeing this chance, Riley sent a small shockwave of aura to help Ash regain his conscious.
"Huh?!" Ash said in shock and confusion while still in his mediation.
"Ash! Stop!" Riley shouted, still manipulating his aura.
Hearing his mentor, Ash stopped his meditation. He felt his aura slowing down and the pain in his body stopping. Once his aura started to return to its usual routine, Ash fell onto his back on the dirt ground. Despite it being a basic exercise to control his aura, the black-haired teen felt exhausted as he breathed heavily; taking one deep breath after another. Opening his eyes, he noticed Korrina, along with Ria, standing over him with worried looks on their face.
"Ash, are you alright?" Korrina asked with concern. Ash just gave a simple nod and smiled weakly.
"Yeah… I'm alright. Just… tired," Ash answered before he sat back up while gasping for air. Seeing he was somewhat alright, Korrina sighted before giving a kind smile.
"That's good," Korrina said with relief in her voice.
Ria and Lucas watched the two interact. Ria was smiling that nothing worse happen. If something were to happen to Ash, Korrina would be hurt. That was something the female riolu did not want. The happiness or her trainer was very important to her.
Lucas, though, kept his stoic demeanor. He did not worry for his trainer at the slightest, because he knew Ash would be fine from this whole ordeal. However, he was not proud of him as he performed less than what he expected. In reality, he was disappointed as believed he would do far better after seeing what happen in the Shalour Gym. Look like it may have been a one-time thing. Lucas continued watching the trio interacting before Riley approached Ash.
"You were not focusing Ash. You were distracted after the first few minutes of the meditation. What happened?" Riley sternly asked. Ash looked up at his mentor to see a serious expression. Feeling a bit intimidated by him, the young boy looked back down.
"Sorry, Riley… I was trying my best to clear away those thoughts, but the images never went away…" Ash muttered. This peaked everyone's curiosity.
"Images?" Korrina repeated. Ash nodded to her presume question.
"What kind of images?" Riley questioned.
"I… I don't know. The images were distorted. It was hard to tell what they were…" Ash answered with confusion. He did not what those images were. All he saw were silhouettes, but that was it. Ash wanted to know what they were, but his mind seemed to hurt when thinking about it. Seeing the pained expression on Ash's face, Riley placed his hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Don't force yourself to remember Ash. They will come back eventually. For now, just rest. Your training will be post-pone until we reach Iron Island," Riley stated. Ash was a tad bit shocked to hear that. Despite what had happen, he knew he can do it. "Riley, wait! I can do this! Just let me rest for a bit and we can start again," Ash pleaded to Riley, but the aura guardian shook his head.
"It's not safe to continue your training if you're in that state, Ash. Just wait for now," Riley requested, though it sounded more like an order. Ash felt crestfallen as he looked down in disappointment. Before Riley could say anything else, he sensed a disturbance from afar. He saw Lucario's aura acting erratically and knew something was happening. His partner had found the target and was now engaging in an intense battle with it. Not to worry his apprentice and his older sister, Riley slowly walked away toward the direction where they are fighting. Korrina noticed this and wondered where Riley was heading.
"Riley, where are you going?" Korrina asked. Riley turned around and gave a soft smile.
"Oh. Just for a short walk," Riley said before heading off into the woods. Korrina though it was a bit suspicious, but ignored it for the time being.
As Riley headed off into the woods, Ash tried to stand up, but his legs felt weak from the pressure and exhaution. However, he felt two arms holding him up from his right arm and something pushing behind his back. Turning his head, he saw Korrina and Ria assisting him. He gave a thankful nod to both of them in which they return. On his feet, Ash headed towards the rock and sat down while taking a huge deep breath. He then breathed out, but the sad expression never left him.
Korrina felt sad seeing her brother in this state. This happened only a few times in the past, but this was quite different as Ash would recover few minutes later with a big smile on his face. She wished she could say something to cheer him up, but nothing came to thought.
Lucas felt irritated seeing his master in this state. If he was going to be master he should be proud of, he should suck it up and move on. This was no time to start a self-pity party and seeing it right now was just annoying. Without hesistation, Lucas jumped up in the air and socked his partner at the back of his head. This left both Korrina and Ria in shock while Ash held the back of his head from the pain.
"What was that for?!" Ash shouted, rubbing the back of his skull.
"That is for acting pathetic, human. Feeling down after just one session. Pitiful," Lucas stated while glaring at Ash in the eye.
"Why you," Ash said with anger and frustration in his tone; returning the glare.
Ria wanted to step in stop the fight, but Korrina stopped her and shook her head. Korrina might not understand them, but she felt Lucas was try to cheer up Ash in own way… or was just angry. Hopefully it was the first choice.
"Hmph. If you're going to feel sad all day just from this, then give up being an aura guardian and release me," Lucas stated not holding back the venom in his words. Ash was about to say something back, but his Pokémon was not yet finished.
"But if you want to prove me wrong, stopping wallowing in your sorrow and show me that you're the trainer I can follow like you promised," Lucas added, before turning his back from him.
Ash was in shock hearing those words from his stubborn partner. He remembered back then when Lucas would constantly rebel against him by often going off on his own and disobeying his orders. However, he was able to prove his worth by saving him and ending his spar with him in a draw. Once he done it, Ash made a promise to Lucas about proving that he was worth having as a trainer, but more specifically, a friend. However, he must find the answer about the images in his head. Recomposing himself, Ash slapped his cheeks and gave a big grin.
"Huh. I never thought you would remember it. However, I'm not giving up on my promise. I'm going to show you that I'm the best trainer you ever follow and become not only an aura guardian, but also a Pokémon master," Ash announced with confidence, his hand in a fist right in front of him.
"Hmph. We'll see," Lucas muttered, before giving a small smirk.
The girls gave a sigh of relief before looking at each other with a chuckle and smile. Ria felt proud of her brother, despite his aggressive way of handling things. She knew that her brother had a kind heart behind that rough exterior. Although, she wished he would stop being hard on him.
The peace was short lived though as they heard an explosion at the direction where Riley went.
"What was that?!" Ash cried out with surprise and confusions.
"It's coming from the direction Riley went," Korrina informed. She knew something was wrong, but she was too worried about Ash to feel concern about it. Ash was able to stand up on his feet, but shifted slightly during the process. Korrina was about to help Ash, but he shook his head; telling her it was not needed.
"Let's go you guys," Ash announced. Everyone nodded back and the headed towards the explosion.
At the beach, two Pokémon were engaging in an intense battle with neither one having the advantage over the other. Lucario jumped in the air as it dodged a cyan beam turning the sand into ice from the plesiosaur Pokémon. The canine Pokémon land next to his partner perfectly and put himself in a defense stance. The target Pokémon was preparing for another attack, but it was different as she covered herself with a shadowy aura. Sensing the danger, Riley quickly gave his command.
"Lucario used Quick Attack to get close to Lapras, then use Close Combat!" Riley ordered.
Lucario quickly ran towards the Lapras leaving a white trail behind. Once he gotten close, he gave the water-ice Pokémon quick punches and kicks, which stunned it for a bit. Shockingly, the target Pokémon quickly recovered and summoned a shadowy storm which hit the shiny Pokémon. Lucario was shot back from the blow, but quickly to his feet. He suffered some damage from the attack, but still stood up with confidence. However, the same could not be said for the Lapras as she was out of breath. However, she quickly recomposed herself with anger in its eyes. Riley felt concern about the situation. He did not want to critically hurt the Pokémon any worse or he might kill her. The black-haired adult needed to knock out the plesiosaur Pokémon quickly before it was too late.
"Riley!" A voice called out to him.
Turning around, he saw Ash, Korrina, and the two riolus running towards him. Once they arrive at the beach, the siblings were in shock when they saw Lapras. They were wondering what was going on and why Lapras was fighting Lucario. Unfortunately, it took notice of their presence and face them at their direction. Seeing the opportunity, the water-ice Pokémon starting creating a cyan orb, an ice beam, aimed directly at the group. Knowing what was about to happen, Riley called out to them.
"Get out of there!" Riley shouted to them, but they did not hear his warning. Instead, their feet were stuck on the ground in shock from this revelation. Their Pokémon were even trying to pull them out of the way, but they both were not budging.
"Korrina! Quickly move!" Ria called out.
"Move you idiot!" Lucas shouted. However, they were both ignored.
'Why was Lapras was doing this?' They both thought.
The next moment, a cyan beam was shot straight towards them. The siblings did not move. They stood there like they were waiting for the attack. Seeing the attack, Korrina shield Ash as they both closed their eyes for the impact. However, it did not happen. They did not feel cold or ice on them, but felt a faint mist touching them. Opening their eyes, they were in shock as they saw Lucario, arms open, in front of them. It took a few seconds for them to piece it together. Lucario protected them. The shiny bipedal Pokémon turn his head to face the duo, before giving a weak smile. Next, he fell to his knees as the attack hurt him severely that could no longer stand.
"Ash! Korrina! Are you two alright?!" Riley cried out as he ran towards them. Hearing his voice, the sibling broke free from their shock.
"W-We're fine, but Lucario-" Korrina chocked out.
Not giving a chance for them to regroup, Lapras prepared to use another Ice Beam at the group. It did not happen as the water-ice Pokemon was punched across her face by two small blue Pokémon.
"Like hell we're going to let that happen!" Lucas roared. They both landed nearby, side-by-side, before glaring at the plesiosaur Pokémon.
"You're not hurting one hair on them!" Ria yelled, holding one paw forward.
Lapras did not like that cheap shot and had her full undivided attention towards them. Not giving them a second to run away, the plesiosaur Pokémon blasted a sphere of water at them. However, the duo emanation Pokémon dodged the attack swiftly with little issue.
As the riolus were distracting the raging Lapras, Riley was checking the condition of his partner. He noticed how badly hurt Lucario was and knew one more hit would finish him. He was unsure if he should let him battle or not as he does not want him to suffer any more. The aura Pokémon sensed his master's worries and tried to stand himself up.
"Do not worry, Master. I can still fight," Lucario said, before giving a small yelp from his wounds. This did not relieve Riley of his worries as he forced his partner back down.
"Don't push yourself, Lucario. Just rest," Riley softly spoke as his partner eventually complied to his request.
They were now in a tight situation. Lucario was the only Pokémon Riley brought with him during the time. He did not have any other as they were all back in Iron Island and the potions were back at the campsite. The aura guardian wondered if they should run as the riolus might not have a chance of beating that plesiosaur Pokémon.
"Let us deal with her, Riley," Ash announced as he and Korrina stepped forward towards the battle between their Pokémon and Lapras.
Riley was shocked to hear that. They were not strong enough to handle that type of Pokémon. He knew it and he also believed they knew it as well. This was insane.
"Don't! You can't beat that Pokémon with the strength you have now. We have to return to Shalour City for now. Once Lucario recovers, then we can deal with her," Riley pleaded. He hoped they listen to his reasoning, but they did not. Instead, they shook their head with serious looks on their face.
"We can't Riley. That's our friend there. If she's like this, then we have to stop her," Korrina said.
"She's right. We can't leave Lapras like this and Lucario was hurt because of us. Will stop her, so trust us," Ash assured with a smile.
Riley just gave a sigh as he knew they were not going to back down. He then gave a light chuckle, which surprised the Dubois siblings.
"Alright. I trust you," Riley softly smiled, before changing it to a stern expression, "However, this won't be easy as your friend isn't normal."
"What do you mean?" Korrina asked with confusion in her tone.
"Ash, do you notice anything odd about the Lapras?" Riley asked, seriousness in his voice. Ash then turned back to look at the transport Pokémon, but did not see anything other than her behavior.
"I don't," Ash answered honestly.
"Close your eyes, Ash. You will sense it," Riley said.
Ash nodded to Riley's order. Once he closed his eyes, he saw the aura of his friends that brighten with the darkness. He was amazed by what he saw, but then his amazement turned into horror once he looked at Lapras. He noticed the plesiosaur Pokémon shrouded in dark aura as it wrapped around her body. Ash was unsure on how to feel about it.
"What's wrong with Lapras?" Ash questioned.
"Lapras had her heart closed. Because of that, she can no longer feel emotion and will fight those that come in close contact with her. These type are referred as Shadow Pokemon," Riley explained.
"Shadow Pokémon?" Both Ash and Korrina repeated slowly as they try to process the information. Despite not being able to see it like Ash and Riley, she felt something was wrong. Riley gave a nod to their response.
"They are created by an evil organization. Their purpose for doing this unknown, but we can save her," Riley said. Hearing the chance to save their friend, the sibling looked at Riley with desperation.
"How?!" They both shouted, urgency in their voice. Riley was not fazed by their outburst as he continued.
"If you two can knock out, or at least weaken Lapras, I might be able to purify her," Riley stated.
'Purify?' They both thought. Before they could ask, another explosion was set off.
The trio looked towards the direction where the two riolus were fighting Lapras. They were doing well so far, but not for long as they noticed them slowing down while evading Lapras' Ice Beam.
"No more time for questions. Ash, Korrina, stop your friend," Riley ordered. They both quickly nodded and started sprinting towards the battlefield. After they left, Lucario lifted his head slowly and watched the trainers ran off.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Lucario asked with worry.
"I hope so," Riley spoke with unsureness.
Ash and Korrina arrived at the area where the Pokémon were fighting. They were relieved to see their Pokémon still at one peace, but their relief was cut short. Lapras fired another Ice Beam at the siblings when they arrived. Seeing the beam, the two of them instinctively jumped out of the way before it hit the giant rock behind them.
"That was too close," Korrina said in a panic. She was quite scarred as this never happen to them before during any battle they faced. Not only does she have to battle Lapras, but she must be evasive and quick considering she was another target for the Shadow Pokémon. Despite her fears, her determination to save the water-ice Pokémon toss them aside. As she stood back up, Ria came to her side while Lucas continued fighting Lapras. The scarf-wearing riolu looked up at her trainer, awaiting orders.
"Ria, sneak behind Lapras while Lucas distracts her," Korrina ordered. Ria nodded and quickly sprint off into the woods.
While Ria was in the woods, Lucas dodged another Water Pulse aimed at him. He was getting really annoyed with the long rage attack from the water Pokémon. Even though he knew the Shadow Pokémon, he will not hesitate to use full force to knock her back into her senses. He did wonder about the dark aura, but staying alive was more of his concern. Noticing Ash nearby trying to stand back up, he used telepathy to contact him.
"If you're done relaxing, give me an order! I can't keep her occupied forever," Lucas demanded in frustration. He hoped his trainer had a plan as Ria was not by his to assist. The scarred Pokémon was worried that she might have gotten hurt, but his worries quickly evaporated as he nearly dodged the strange shadow tornado blasted at him. Lucas knew that getting hit by that attack would quickly end the fight.
Ash was able to get back up, but was confused on why Ria was there assisting Lucas. He looked at Korrina for answers, in which she responded by tilting her head to the trees behind them. Understanding the strategy, Ash nodded and began calling out to his partner.
"Lucas, lure Lapras near the trees!" Ash ordered.
Lucas heard the command, but was confused on why doing that would. After a few seconds, he remembered a strategy like this in the pass and gave a nod. The scarred Pokémon gave a taunt, which anger the water-ice Pokémon, into following him. Once he lured her near the woods, he circled around Lapras, pointing her towards the ocean while her back was faced towards the wood.
"Okay! Ria attack now and used High Jump Kick!" Korrina ordered.
Ria jumped out of the woods and one of her legs started to glow white. She then aimed down with her glowing leg and, in high speed, charged at Lapras' back. The plesiosaur Pokémon was surprised by this revelation and tried to use her shadow move.
"No you don't! Lucas use Sky Upper Cut!" Ash quickly ordered.
Lucas used all his stamina to get close to Lapras while his fist was glowing white. The water Pokémon had no way of dodging as she stuck between the two. At an instant, both attacks struck Lapras critically in precise precession; leading to the transport Pokémon severely hurt, but not enough to kill it. Lapras tried to move, but she was too hurt to even move.
The two riolus return to side of their trainers with Korrina and Ria doing a high-five while Ash and Lucas gave a nod to one another. There celebration was short-lived though. They were happy that they were able stop their friend, but the feeling of sadness for hurting their friend was shown. They hoped Riley was able to save their friend.
Riley approached them with Lucario almost limping beside him. The siblings and riolus were worried about the aura Pokémon's condition, but he shook his head as he assured that he was feeling a bit better. Riley then placed his partner nearby the frozen rock and approached the group.
"You did well you four. I'm proud of your teamwork and skill in this fight," Riley smiled before patting the sibling's shoulders. They felt proud from his praise, but they were more worried about Lapras. Sensing their concerns, the aura guardian approached the hurt water Pokémon. Noticing Riley approaching her, Lapras tried to use an attack but she was too tired to do it. Riley then carefully and catiously placed his hand on Lapras' head.
"Don't worry. Just relax," Riley softly spoke as he closed his eyes.
The next few seconds, Riley was covered in aura and the aura itself cover Lapras. Within Riley's perspective, the dark aura within Lapras was slowly being pulled out of her body and hovering onto the surface. As he focused, the dark aura started pulling toward Riley's palm and gathered into a small shadowy ball. Lapras' mind started to relax as the light blue aura started to shine again within her heart. Sensing all of the dark spirit energy out her body, the cobalt-dressed man removed his palm away from Lapras holding the ball of dark aura, then quickly tighten it into a fist; dispersing it. While Ash and the riolus saw the whole thing, Korrina was confused about on what happen. She was not sure what Riley did, but the aggressive feeling from Lapras was gone.
'Does that mean Lapras is okay?' Korrina pondered. She got her answer as Lapras closed her eyes and went to a deep slumber.
Riley then faced the sibling and gave a soft smile.
"Lapras is okay now. Although, it may be best to take her to the Pokémon Center," Riley smiled a bit weakly. This worried the siblings.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked in cocern. Riley just gave a nod, but still smiled.
"I'm fine. Purification can be an exhausting process. Depending on how strong the dark aura is" Riley answered.
"How does it work?" Korrina asked.
"I'll answer your questions later, but for now, we should probably bring Lapras and our pokemon to Nurse Joy," Riley stated as he approached his partner and return him to his Pokéball.
The siblings nodded as they also returned their Pokémon. They then looked at Lapras and wondered who should put her in a Pokéball. Ash thought Korrina should do it, but before he could say, Korrina place the empty sphere on her belt.
"You should do it brother. Lapras was the first Pokémon you made friends with when we first met her. You deserve to do it," Korrina said. Ash did not want to do it as Korrina deserved it as well. But if Korrina believed he should do it, then he'll do it.
"Alright," Ash nodded. Pressing the once small sphere, he tossed the ball at Lapras and after a few red lights, the water Pokémon was caught. Ash approach the red and white sphere and picked it up.
"Don't worry. I'm sure Lapras want to join us on our journey," Korrina assured. Ash just nodded while looking at it.
At the Pokémon Center, the trio waited patiently for Nurse Joy. The siblings were quite worried about the condition of Lapras and Lucario as they were the most hurt. However, Riley gave a smile of reassurance to help them believe they will be fine. While waiting, Riley began explain the process of aura purification.
"Aura purification is an intense process needing extreme concentration and great mastery of aura control. Even though I'm an aura guardian, I had some difficulty doing this. Many others would agree as it involves manipulating another's aura instead of their own," Riley explained. The siblings were quite intrigued about the process, but were quite surprise that aura guardians can manipulate another's aura. This popped a question for Ash.
"If it was difficult for an aura guardian, why can only they do it? Isn't there another way?" Ash asked with curiosity.
"There is another way. However, the machine created for it is still in its beta stage. For the time being, some of us are tasked with purifying them once found," Riley said.
"Well-what would happen if a with less control perform the purification?" Korrina asked. Riley did not respond, but instead remained silent. This made the siblings nervous as they may have touch on a personal subject. Before Korrina could apologized, Riley gave a sigh and started explaining.
"If an inexperience aura user attempts to purify a Shadow Pokémon, they are putting the Pokémon at risk," Riley stated in a sad tone while looking down, "Meaning the Pokémon will most likely die as the purifier will destroy both the soul and aura in their attempt."
The atmosphere had gotten heavy as everything went silent. Riley did not want to talk about it, but he felt compelled to tell them as they need to know. With this information, he was assured that Ash will not attempt to do it if ever faced with this situation. The room became silent for quite a while before they heard the jingle made and Nurse Joy entering the room with their Pokémon. The trio approached the counter with concern looks on their face, but their nervous look softened once they saw her smile.
"Your Pokemon are all okay and rested. Although, Lapras and Lucario will be resting here, but will make a sure recovery by tomorrow," Nurse Joy smiled. Hearing that lifted the stress and worries on their shoulders.
"Thanks Nurse Joy," The siblings said in unison.
"Thank you for healing them, Nurse Joy," Riley thanked, before bowing.
"It's my pleasure. Just make sure you take care of them properly," Nurse Joy replied.
Noticing how dark it was outside, the group decided to rest at the Dubois home.
The next morning, the trio arrived at the river and were informed by Mr. Charron that there was no report of the rampant for quite a while. However, the river was still closed off until tomorrow just for safety sake. The trio then headed to the beach coast where Ash sent out Lapras. Lapras landed in the river in a joyful mood as she splashed around in the water. Korrina gave a concern look towards Ash, but gave a smile to assure he know what he was doing. Ash approached the transport Pokemon.
"Lapras!" Ash called out to the water-ice Pokémon. Hearing her name, Lapras turn around to the young boy and noticed a stern look. She looked crestfallen as she remembered the terrible during her state. She hoped they forgive her as her mind was not at the right state during that time. Seeing the depressed look, Ash held his hand in which Lapras place her head. Ash comforted the transport Pokémon by patting her Pokémon as she gave small tears.
"It's okay. You were being possessed by that dark aura. It's not your fault," Ash softly spoke while still petting the water-ice Pokémon. After a few minutes, Lapras recovered and looked at Ash. She wondered if Ash would bring along her journey or release her. She though he might bring her as she might his first Pokémon caught by her presumption, but was shocked to hear what he was about to say.
"Lapras, do you want to stay here with the other water pokemon here, or do you want to join me on my journey?" Ash asked. The aura apprentice believed Lapras would stay as she had many friends. He also believed Lapras might try to atone for her misdeeds during her possession. Instead, he heard a childish-like feminine voice he presumed it was Lapras. This was telepathy.
"I'm joining you on your journey, Ash," Lapras chirped. Ash was shocked to hear that.
"And besides, I want to see the world other than here," Lapras added with enthusiasm. Ash felt happy having Lapras on his journey. He gave a huge grin and held Lapras' Pokéball up in the air.
"Alright! I caught a Lapras!" Ash shouted outloud with Lapras cheering in the background.
Korrina, Riley, Lucario, and Ria gave a kind smile on what happened. Korrina and Ria cheered as they have a long-time friend joining them on their journey. While Riley and Lucario watched on as they enjoy the happiness shared among them. For Lucas, he just watched with his stoic demeanor despite
"Child," Lucas bluntly muttered as he looked away from Ash and Lapras.
Lapras heard the comment and shot a water pulse at Lucas' head. The scarred Pokémon felled forward from the sneak attack and gave an evil glare at her who laughed at his dismay. This caused a water war erupting between the two as Lucas ran into the water and send a blast of water at her. Lapra splashed back at Lucas, but he dodged quickly as they continued their fight. Eventually Ash, then Korrina, became involved as Lapras blasted water at them. As they had their fun, Riley and Lucario watched on with smiles on their faces.
"Don't you want to join them Master?" Lucario asked. Riley responded by shooking his head.
"It's fine. I might spoil their fun if I join-" Riley spoke before he was cut off by a splash of water into his face by the laughing siblings and Lapras, "Okay. Maybe just a little bit."
As Riley ran into the water to participate in the war, Lucario just watch on before running after him to assist him. It had been a long time since he saw his master this happy. He hoped there are more chance like this in the future.
Author's Note:
I hope you enjoy this little one-shot or trailer. This is just an idea I had thought for a while although it may be have done already by others. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy it and I apologize if they seem ooc. However, I like to hear your opinions on this story as I might start it once I reached a certain point in FE: Fates Intertwining Destiny. This is just an idea until I have define plot for it.
Also, I will be quite busy as I have little time to continue the story. I hoped you all can be patient until I have some free time, which may take a long time. Which is why I uploaded this simple story late.
As always, please review if you want, though appreciative, and inform me if they seem ooc. Have a nice day or night.