Evening all, managed to get another chapter up, proof read, and ready for posting! Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon, setting, ect.
Chapter Two
As the morning sun rose above Rota, slowly burning away any remaining fog from the area, the solitude of the mountains and the peaceful chirping of Flying-Type Pokémon was interrupted by a pair of young teenagers racing through the Rotan forests towards a small hill overlooking the lake that encircled Cameran Palace.
Both were about eighteen, one slightly taller than the other. The current leader in their little race was the taller of the two, a boy with spiky brown hair who was closely followed by a quick brown fox-like Pokémon at his heels.
The shorter boy trailed behind slightly, messy black hair whipping wildly in the face of his own Pokémon, a large yellow mouse-like creature clinging to his shoulder.
As the two barreled through the forest, disturbing plants and Pokémon alike, one could easily tell of the rivalry the two possessed. As they started to reach the top of the hill, however, the black haired teen put everything he had into his sprint, managing to finally outpace the brunette.
In his excitement at finally beating his longtime rival to the top of their usual hill, he failed to plan out one thing; stopping.
Auburn eyes widened in panic as he realized he was on a collision course for a tree. As he charged on, trying to slow himself down, his yellow passenger realized their course as well and hopped off, landing lightly on the grassy hill the boys had always enjoyed going to.
The Pokémon's partner, however, had somehow managed to hit the tree so hard he ended up hugging it, the imprint of the bark embedded in his face as he slowly slid down the tree, mumbling incoherently on how he 'won'.
Chuckling as he leisurely made his way to the top of the hill, the brunette knelt down beside his longtime friend and rival, offering a hand up.
"Well, Ashy-boy, ya finally beat me. How's it feel?" he asked his friend smugly.
Ash shook his head as he took the hand, attempting to dispel the small Pidgey that were dancing around his skull, before composing himself with his signature grin and answering. "Hey, I've beaten you before. Besides, with you studying all those books your grandfather has, it's a miracle you're out here at all."
Ash Arlon, younger son of the 'True Guardian of Aura' Sir Aaron Arlon, along with his best friend Gary Oak, grandson of the famous scholar Samuel Oak, were both Aura Guardian Trainees of Rota, having been since they both turned eight. And because of their diligence to their studies, along with their strong rivalry, they were two of the top trainees in Rota at the moment.
Soon they would both be put to their final trials, and should they succeed, they'd be granted the title of Aura Guardian, along with being made Knights of Rota. Of course, no one had said this feat would be easy.
Both trainees had been pushing themselves to their limits for weeks now. While a run to their favorite hill was a fairly common occurrence between the two, getting up this early to do so was nearly unheard of for them, either because of Ash's love of staying up late and sleeping in, or due to Gary's love of reading and knowledge, keeping him holed in his grandfather's library most days. And by their sides as always were their partners, Pikachu and Eevee.
Upon the start of their third year of training, they were granted a Pokémon partner of their own, just as other Aura Guardians had before them. Gary received an Eevee, a small fox-like Normal-Type with chocolate-brown fur, a creme-colored mane, large ears and fluffy tail.
Ash received a Pikachu, a short, chubby Electric-Type rodent with yellow fur, large pointed ears, red cheeks capable of storing electricity, and a tail in the rough shape of a lightning bolt. Since that day, the trainees and their respective Pokémon partners never left each others sides. Between training, lessons, eating, or even their typical competitions like this, Eevee and Pikachu were always with their partners, encouraging them to continue to be faster and stronger.
"Come on Gary, we've only got another week before the Trials, and I want to enjoy it," Ash stated. "Too much studying and practice will leave us too burnt out when the time comes!"
Seeing nothing wrong with his logic, provided it was just a day break, Gary decided to agree with Ash. They had all spent many long hours training in the past month. Of course, while Ash didn't have a grandfather watching his progress like Gary did, he had something worse; An older sibling.
At the age of twenty-one, Riley Arlon, Ash's older brother, was an imposing individual, partially due to his legacy, partially due to his training style, and partially because he had managed to finish his training at the relatively young age of sixteen. Ash had grown up mostly in his older brother's shadow, and while he loved his brother, he was happy to just be regular old average Ash.
"Alright, I supposed ONE day won't give them cause to flunk us back down to Initiates," he finally relented, inciting cheers of "Pika" and "Vee" from their partners and a fist pump from Ash.
Sitting down against the tree he so recently had run headlong into, Ash made himself comfortable, still catching his breath from their run from Cameran Palace to the hill. Pikachu made his way into the lap of his partner before lying down for a short nap.
Gary laid down on the grass nearby and began staring up at the sky with a grin on his face, his Eevee making his way onto the the brunette's stomach to also nap like his electric counterpart.
As he enjoyed the quiet with his friends, Ash's mind began to wander, thinking back on all the lessons he learned since becoming a Guardian, the stories of great battles in the past he'd heard about from their friend Aer, stories of his father that his mother told him when he was young.
It saddened him that his father died before he was born, but he knew he gave his life for the kingdom he served and the family he loved. Ash had joined the Aura Guardians upon his eighth birthday, following in the footsteps of his father and brother.
While Delia had been worried about both her sons becoming Guardians, she realized that they were honoring his legacy in their own way. So she was as supportive as possible, making sure they were well prepared for their tasks.
"Hey Ash, what do ya think the trials will involve?" Gary asked after a while, turning his head slightly to watch his friend. "Did Riley ever mention what they were, exactly?"
Ash thought for a moment. "He said they were really harsh, but other than that he never really mentioned them. Only told me 'you'll see'," he finished as he scratched Pikachu in one of the three places he loved, between his ears, causing the small yellow Pokémon to coo softly in his sleep.
Gary nodded slightly. "According to one of Gramps' old books, Trainees are tested by full Guardians on missions. Of course, the book was decades old, so there's no telling if the order still practices that."
Ash smiled lightly. "Well, we'll know soon enough. With any luck, by this time next week we'll be fully fledged Aura Guardians!"
Gary smiled at his friend and nodded. "Arceus willing… Come on, let's get a swim in before practice," he said as he pushed himself upright and took off down the hill, causing Eevee to suddenly fall off his lap, shooting the back of the brunette's head a death glare as he went to catch up.
Ash struggled to his feet, cradling Pikachu in his arms as to not drop his partner, knowing full well the strength of an angered Pikachu. "Wait up, Gary, I wasn't ready!"
'Left jab, block high, right uppercut, block mid, snap kick right, dodge back.'
Inside the training fields of Cameran Palace, two combatants fought against each other using only their bare hands and feet, Aura, and instinct. The taller of the two had messy dark blue hair in a similar style of his younger brother, a solid build, and wore a uniform very reminiscent of his father, minus the boots, gloves, and hat at the moment.
Riley Arlon, Aura Guardian and Knight of Rota. And while he was taller and had a good thirty pounds on his sparring partner, no one else in Rota had any intention of going toe to paw with his sparring partner.
His opponent was shorter than him by a good two heads, but what he lacked in height, he made up for it in speed and strength. Blue fur covered most of his arms, thighs, and tail, while shorter black fur covered his lower legs and front paws. Longer, creme-colored fur protected his torso. The spikes protruding from the back of his front paws and his chest, along with his red eyes and jackal-like head added to his intimidating nature.
Not many people would willingly spar with a Pokémon, led alone a Fighting/Steel Type, but Lucario and Riley had been doing so for years, ever since Lucario began Riley's formal training in an attempt to complete his own.
(Flashback, Thirteen Years Ago)
It was five years after the end of the Unovan Blitz, and Delia was still trying to come to terms with her son's request.
'I want to be an Aura Guardian, like papa!'
Riley's eighth birthday had come, and all he had wanted this year was to follow in his father's footsteps. While Delia loved her son dearly, the motherly part of her wanted to prevent her son from following the path that took her husband from her. She wanted so desperately to protect him. But his mind was made up, so she told him to give her time to think about it.
Sitting alone in her bedroom, she began thinking about her son's request, allowing her mind to wander. She knew in her heart that she shouldn't be selfish, she should encourage her son to be whatever he wanted to be. But with the wounds still fresh, she wondered if she could be okay with her son joining the same order Aaron did, putting himself in danger for others. While noble, the very thought of it also terrified her. And with the both him and Ash looking more and more like Aaron by the day, her heart just couldn't take history repeating itself.
She glanced around her room, the same one she shared with her husband before the war. After Aaron's… departure, Queen Rin had requested that Delia help take care of Ilene. Like Delia, Queen Rin also lost her husband in the war, with Able having been killed in the early fighting, so she knew Delia needed something to do to keep her mind off seeing as they had both been friends in the years before, it just seemed natural that they and their children were raised in the same place, Cameran Palace.
Her eyes began to wander the room, remembering memories from years before. Eventually her eyes fell upon the small trunk she kept in her room, she felt a faint smile begin tugging at her lips as she closed her eyes.
'Aaron's things… I haven't looked in that chest since I packed it. Maybe… Maybe looking through his things will help me decide,' she thought to herself.
Slowly she got up off her bed and walked to the chest, kneeling down and grasped the lid. She sat there for a minute or two as she gathered the strength to look into her past. And as she opened the chest, she felt all the memories come rushing back to her.
'His hat...'
She remembered him getting the wide brimmed, dark blue hat for his sixteenth birthday, and how he wore the thing everywhere. During runs, when he swam, even to bed if the stories his parents told Delia were true. She had even made a custom band that went around the top portion of the hat for him, primarily blue with a small yellow sphere and crescent design on the front, much to his delight.
'His cloak...'
She remembered him begging her to patch up his favorite dark blue cloak more times that she could count back when they were teenagers. No matter how much she tried to worm her way out of having to fix her friend's cloak, he always somehow managed to get her to fix it for him with that smile of his.
'His staff...'
Aaron's graduation ceremony was nearly eleven years ago, and she remembered massive grin the eighteen year old had on his face the whole day. She had stayed up for nights working on the crystal, finding the right piece to work with, cutting it specifically in the style she pictured, having the staff head forged with the design of the crystal in mind, the little elongated teardrops she had made for the sides at the last minute.
She remembered finally managing to talk Lucario into leaving Aaron's side for a while so she could present it to her longtime friend and crush the night of his graduation, the night they formally began dating.
Her smile continued to grow as she continued her trip down memory lane, and she began to feel a strange peace overtake her. She had fallen in love with Aaron because of his determination and desire to help people. With that in mind, denying Riley the same would be a dishonor to Aaron's memory.
'This staff was made to help people. Not be locked in a trunk,' she thought to herself as she picked it up, keeping it behind her back as she headed back to her bedroom door.
Little Riley looked up after what seemed like hours as his mother's door opened, revealing a stern-looking woman with auburn hair and eyes.
She had her hands behind her back and Riley's first thought was 'Oh boy, now I'm going to get yelled at...'
But when she brought around from her back a large staff that he vaguely remember his father having around before he died, his face turned to a cautious smile.
Kneeling down to look him in the eye, she gave Riley a sad smile and nod, handing him the staff of his father. She was about to give him a large speech on how he would do his father proud, how she was proud of him, how this was a massive undertaking. But as soon as Riley grasped the staff, the small living room they stood in began glowing bright blue.
(End Flashback)
Riley's training had begun that day. Lucario was freed from his prison thirteen years ago.
He remembered trying to follow his master and how he thought Aaron deserted the kingdom when he trapped Lucario in his staff to prevent his friend from following him to his doom. It was only after Lady Delia explained what happened during the war did Lucario calm down.
While he was saddened to hear of his master's actions, he understood them, and decided the best way to honor his master was to help his son, Riley, achieve his dream.
And being that Lucario was also an Aura Guardian Trainee, the Order decided to pair the two during their training. Thirteen years later, the two were something of a legend among the Order since graduating to full Guardians five years back, both representing the legacy of Sir Aaron Arlon.
'Block low, jump above leg sweep, counter with right hook, block left, right kick.'
The two continued their dance of attack, block, counter attack for a good twenty minutes before they both began to tire, and decided to break for the moment. Leaning over to catch his breath, he grinned as Lucario walked up to him with a towel.
"You're getting faster, Master. I'm having to rely more on Aura to anticipate you," he spoke telepathically, clearly pleased with Riley's progress.
Taking the towel, he wiped his head down from the sweat. "I guess the years of us sparring are finally paying off, huh?"
Lucario smirked and nodded. "You're a dangerous opponent, to be sure."
He was about to continue when he heard clapping, turning his attention to the young blonde woman in a pink dress walking across the training field. "An excellent showing as always, Riley, Lucario."
With a pleasant smile, Princess Ilene came to stand in front of the duo. "I apologize for watching your training. My mother asked me to find you, and… Well, whenever I see you two sparring, it's just such beautifully choreographed show. Like a dance, so I, uh… didn't want to interrupt," she finished, turning slightly pink, smiling sheepishly.
Lucario smirked and Riley chuckled lightly. "Except in dancing, if you miss a step someone steps on your toe. In sparring, if you miss a step you get a broken nose. So, what does Queen Rin require of us?"
Having grown up alongside the Princess, he was one of the few people who could easily speak to her as an equal. Most other people in the Kingdom just knew of the regal Princess Ilene and her Aura Guardian Sir Riley. Very few ever saw them arguing about toys, or who won their latest bet growing up, or laughing over what one of their friends did. They both lost their fathers during during the war, and growing up together meant that titles weren't really considered much, being their mothers had been such good friends for years.
Still smiling, although her face had returned to it's normal color, Ilene continued.
"She'd like to speak with you both later today. Representatives from the Western Kingdom of Sinnoh arrived earlier, so I can only assume it has something to do with them."
Riley and Lucario both nodded. "Alright, we'll be up to the Throne room after I grab a bath. Can't exactly greet dignitaries when I smell like a Grimer, can I?" Riley asked with a smirk, inciting a light giggle from Ilene and an eyeroll and smirk from Lucario.
"I'll see to it that Master Riley arrives within the appointed hour, Mistress Ilene," Lucario explained. Nodding and giving a final smile, Princess Ilene turned to head back into the palace. "I'll inform her highness."
Lucario had to poke Riley to pull him back from whatever dream world he had placed himself in after speaking with Ilene. While Lucario didn't completely understand the human concept of 'love', he recognized the fact that Riley was acting the exact same way as Sir Aaron used to when he realized he enjoyed being with Lady Delia.
Smirking at his partner sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, Lucario realized he'd have to inform Lady Delia of this development, sure she'd be happy with the news. Briefly though, both he and Riley wondered curiously at their guests from Sinnoh. And wondered why the Northern Kingdoms wanted to meet with Rota.
Alright, second chapter up, hopefully you all enjoyed it and my use of a flashback didn't cause any issues with understanding it all. Feedback is encourage, as are suggestions. I greatly appreciate all the encouragement you guys have given this Fic N00b. Next chapter should be up in the next few days. Until then, have a great evening.