Hello readers! I started writing this the day after the last chapter but I haven't been able to work on it much until later in the week because I had some studying to do. Unfortunately I can't procrastinate on studying for exams or quizzes but I do my very best during the free time I have.

You probably noticed my speed at writing the last chapter, well I was bored most of Saturday and I already had half my homework done so I wrote the chapter in the neighborhood of six to eight hours. To be honest, I had the plot of this chapter and the last one in my head before Chapter 8 was even finished. Also, when I have taken the time to process my ideas, I can write or type a short story or essay in a matter of hours (I type over fifty words per minute on average, FYI). Anyway, just thought I'd let you all know why I've been able to keep the story going so fast but don't expect any more chapters to come up as fast, I need a break to play some more video games. With that, enjoy Chapter 10 of my fanfic.

Pokémon Journeys: Aaron New Experience

Chapter 10: Unleashing the Aura

It was around eight in the morning. Aaron was in the shower, still contemplating what that nightmare was about. 'Why did I have a nightmare like that?' he wondered 'I remember seeing that man before, but I can't put my finger on it.' Aaron figured that it was nothing, just shrugging it off and finished showering.

After his shower Aaron walked as silently as possible into his room to grab his clothes. He felt like letting Layla wake up on her own. He didn't feel like training for a while but he could always go running with Layla today. It looked to be a very nice spring day so there was no problem there. He left the room with his clothes to dress in the bathroom but not before looking to Layla who was still asleep. The vixen looked so peaceful when she was asleep and he was glad to have been her trainer, caregiver, and friend over the past few months. Aaron wasn't sure if he really liked her in a different way but in time he'd figure it out.

Aaron dressed himself in a pair of dark blue shorts, a pair of white socks, white and black tennis shoes, and a light blue t-shirt with the logo for his favorite group of superheroes: The Avengers. Aaron was anxiously awaiting the release of the movie. He had seen all of the films that set up for the film for all four of the star superheroes: Thor, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Captain America, the latter was one of Aaron's favorite Marvel comic book characters of all time. His selflessness and dedication to justice were what Aaron respected in his character. Aaron wanted to follow Steve Rogers's example and fight for what's right to the very end.

After Aaron put his clothes on, he went back into the game room to boot up the Xbox and play some Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. He was pretty bad online (only a 25% win record), but he practiced different characters every day until he found the characters he was good with; Strider Hiryu, Taskmaster, and Vergil were among the few characters that Aaron started to get used to. He kept practicing through the morning, learning to do more combinations with the characters he enjoyed using.

-Two hours later-

Layla woke up from her sleep. She yawned and stretched, got out of Aaron's bed, and made his bed for him. The vixen walked into the game room to sit on the couch with Aaron finishing up the last battle in the arcade mode against Galactus, the devourer of worlds, using the team he has been working on. Taskmaster was becoming Aaron's best character ever, and Aaron loved using the skull-headed merc with photographic reflexes.

After the ending was revealed and the credits rolled, Aaron set his controller down and greeted Layla "Good morning, Layla."

"Morning" Layla said returning a smile "How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay" Aaron said as he looked at the screen and picked his controller back up.

Layla had a sense something happened "Aaron, is something wrong?"

"No," Aaron said "Why do you ask?"

"It just seems like you're trying to avoid talking to me" Layla said with concern.

Aaron sighed, put down his controller and said "Well, I had this…huh?" Aaron felt something weird and went into a confused state.

A gruff voice was saying something in his head "This necklace…I must find the one connected to it."

"Did you hear something just now?" Aaron asked his Zoroark.

Layla shook her head "No, should I have heard something?" Layla was thinking something was wrong with Aaron.

"Nah" Aaron said "I just think my head is playing tricks on me…" Aaron once again went into a weird state.

The voice was heard again and Aaron saw a vision of the place where he and Layla met"Too many forces are trying to get ahold of this. I must hide it!"

"Okay, now this is just getting weird" Aaron calling out on the things going on in his head.

"What's weird?" Layla said getting a little annoyed of this.

"I don't know, I keep hearing this voice in my head and I'm starting to see…oh not again!" Aaron said as he once again went into the same state.

A vision showed itself of a figure burying some sort of small sack into the Earth. From what he could tell, the figure appeared to have put a sapphire pendant with a silver chain necklace into the sack. "Arceus, watch over this and make sure it does not end up in the wrong hands" the voice said before the vision faded out.

Aaron knew where the figure had buried the pendant. After the vision faded, the trainer turned to Layla and explained to her "Layla, this might sound crazy but you have to believe me."

"Okay" Layla trusted in Aaron.

"We need to go where we first met. I believe I saw a vision of something and I need to know if it's real" Aaron said to his partner.

Layla nodded hoping that her trainer wasn't just making things up.

-Five minutes later-

Aaron and Layla arrived at the very spot that they met. Aaron looked around for a second and brought out a small spade from the trunk of his car and began digging in a spot that Aaron could tell was where the sack was buried. He didn't have to dig too deep and he found the small sack much to his relief that he wasn't just daydreaming. Layla got curious about what Aaron found "Aaron, how did you know that was here?"

"Remember when I said I thought I had a vision earlier?" Aaron then explained "I saw someone bury this here. I had to make sure it was real. Okay, now to see if what I thought I saw is actually in this sack."

Aaron untied the string that kept the sack enclosed and emptied the contents into his hands. The pendant he saw in his vision was in the sack. Another thing was in there, a note with many mysterious symbols. Aaron recognized the symbols. They were Unown. Unown were mysterious Pokémon that represented various letters and symbols. Aaron could translate the note.

To whoever finds this note,

Find the one whose aura is connected to this pendant.

Then their true power will be awakened.

"…'their true 'power'…" Aaron said out loud "What's that supposed to mean?"

Suddenly, the sapphire began to glow. Aaron and Layla stared in awe at the glow. Aaron didn't know what to do but he put the necklace around his neck to see if anything changed, the sapphire glowed brighter nearly blinding himself and Layla and the light slowly faded away. A silence found its way as Aaron and Layla looked to each other a little confused.

A voice was heard behind Aaron and Layla "Who are you?" it asked.

Aaron recognized the voice; it was the voice in his vision. He and Layla turned around and saw a Pokémon. It was a Lucario. Lucario was a jackal-like Pokémon that stood at around four feet tall, an object resembling a mask surrounded its crimson eyes, its body was primarily black and blue with a cream colored torso.

Aaron noticed something strange about this Lucario; the spikes on its wrists and chest are supposed to be white but this one's spikes were a shade of blue. Aaron remembered that a Lucario was missing on the news. 'This must be him' he thought.

"I'll repeat again who are—" the Lucario stopped repeating its question as he noticed the Zoroark standing by the human who had the necklace around his neck. He instinctively thought that the human and Zoroark had evil intentions due to the dark nature of many Zoroark. "What are you doing with that necklace?" the Lucario asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, I was just-" Aaron started to speak until the Lucario interrupted him.

"Stealing that necklace!" the Lucario shouted "I bet you that you had your Zoroark follow me around to grab it! You humans are the same, using the most cunning of Pokémon to scout for anything to further your personal gain!"

"Listen we don't want trouble" Layla spoke aloud attempting to calm the jackal.

"Silence you dark demon!" the Lucario barked out "You will unhand that necklace!" The Lucario began charging a blue ball in his paws. It was the attack Aura Sphere; a very powerful attack used primarily by Lucario. The Lucario quickly launched the attack right at Layla. Aaron saw this and without hesitation pushed Layla away and onto the ground and took the blow to his stomach, grunting as it hit him with such strong force. Aaron knelt to the ground from the pain.

The Zoroark got up from the ground and saw her trainer in pain. She ran to him and asked "Aaron, are you okay?"

Aaron looked to Layla while he was still hurting from the pain "Yeah, I'm fine." Aaron got back up and then looked to the Lucario with a determined look in his eyes "You threatened my companion, the last one who made that mistake ended up with a beatdown from me." He then pointed his finger at the jackal "You want this necklace, then fight me for it! Not her!"

"Aaron, please" Layla pleaded to her trainer "Let me do this!"

"No Layla, I'm sorry" Aaron said to his Zoroark companion "You have a huge type disadvantage. You wouldn't last five minutes against him."

Aaron turned his attention back to the Lucario who said "Fine, I will fight you but you will still lose."

Aaron then offered a bet "Okay how about this: you win, you get the necklace and we'll leave. But if I win, I keep it."

"Hmph" the Lucario grunted out and then said "Very well. Let's get this over with. NOW FIGHT!" shouting out the last part.

Aaron prepared itself for an attack. The Lucario swiftly ran at Aaron with a fist ready to punch the human, Aaron saw this attack as a Bullet Punch, he narrowly blocked the attack with his left arm and made a quick and powerful punch to the Lucario's chest with his right, narrowly missing the blue spike and knocking him back slightly. The Lucario recovered and awaited the human's next move.

Aaron didn't want to make stupid move in this kind of situation. He began circling the Lucario, looking for an opening. Aaron approached his opponent and he feint an attack, prompting the Lucario to block an attack that wouldn't come. After that, the human did a quick jab to the Lucario's stomach and then did a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, knocking him down to the ground.

The Lucario started getting furious as he got up from Aaron's attack. He charged another Aura Sphere and quickly launched it right at his opponent. Aaron tried to dodge it but the blue sphere made contact with his right arm. In reality, it merely scraped part of his shirt's sleeve but Aaron still felt a stinging pain on the skin of his arm from the attack. The Lucario followed up with a Bullet Punch, landing the attack directly into Aaron's stomach. This caused the human to bend over slightly as he felt his ribs take a beating and then the Lucario took one more quick and powerful punch that knocked Aaron down onto his back.

Aaron slowly got back up, rubbing his stomach after the assault that left his ribs bruised. Lucarios were renowned for their skill as fighters and Aaron didn't think he was going to win this fight. He wouldn't give up though. He got into attacking position waiting for the Lucario to make his move. "Hmph" the Lucario grunted "You don't know when to give in. I'm going to end this once and for all!"

The Lucario began charging an Aura Sphere. Aaron saw this and he wanted to be prepared to dodge it. As he was anticipating the attack a bright blue glow emanated from the amulet, causing Aaron slight confusion at this. His body was taking over at this point; he held his hands back towards his right side in a position similar to the Lucario who was charging an Aura Sphere. Suddenly a bright blue orb showed itself in Aaron's hands.

Aaron was incredibly dumbfounded by what was happening, but he decided to roll with it and concentrate on charging the attack as he regained control of his actions. The Lucario was surprised at what was happening as well but was still determined to defeat him as he released his Aura Sphere towards Aaron. Aaron unleashed his newfound power; he mimicked the Street Fighter character Ryu by shouting out "HADOUKEN!" as he unleashed an Aura Sphere of his own.

The two blue orbs collided with Aaron's Aura Sphere piercing through the Lucario's. It appeared it would fail because the human's Aura Sphere was smaller but for some reason, his attack was more concentrated in power. The blue orb struck Lucario in the chest with great force knocking him back and causing him to slide a foot or so onto the ground.

Aaron was amazed at what just happened. Not only did he win the fight against the Lucario, he apparently had the ability to use aura. Layla looked to Aaron to see how much more powerful he had become. The Zoroark was just as surprised as her trainer was. She ran over to her trainer and gave him a hug from behind. "Aaron," Layla shouted out loud "That was amazing!"

Aaron was surprised by the sudden hug and he turned around to look at his Pokémon "I know" he said "but how did that happen?"

Aaron suddenly remembered he had knocked the Lucario down to the ground. He walked over to the Pokémon and knelt by his side. Aaron looked to the Lucario who looked back at him "Are you okay?" Aaron asked with concern.

The Lucario nodded and the human stretched his hand out, offering to pull the Lucario back up. The Lucario placed his paw in Aaron's hand gripping it tightly as Aaron pulled the fighting-steel type back up. The Lucario looked up towards Aaron and said "You…You truly have the power and you bested me with it." The Lucario bowed lightly and stated "The pendant is yours to keep."

Aaron was a little confused by what he meant and said "Look, I don't know what you're talking about." He took the pendant off his neck and offered it to the male Lucario "but this should really belong to you."

The fighting-steel type denied the human's offer "No, that pendant is meant to be with the one whose aura is connected to it. The pendant responded to you and you gained the ability to use the Aura Sphere. You are the true keeper of it." Aaron was still confused so the Lucario explained its power further "That pendant is a divine object that I have kept since the day that Pokémon came to this world. The one who is connected to it has the ability to learn the attacks of any Pokémon that possesses a special connection to them."

"Wait" Aaron thought of something "I had a vision that a figure hid this pendant in the ground. Was that you?"

The Lucario nodded in confirmation. "That happened around a month ago before my 'master' captured me. That will only react to the one who is connected to it so I kept it here, hoping to find that person who turned out to be you."

"I don't understand" Aaron stated "How is it that I know how to use Aura Sphere?"

"I believe that is because of me" the Lucario confessed "At first when I saw your Zoroark, I thought that you were a treasure hunter with evil intentions. I didn't know why you had the pendant in your possession at the time but when you defeated me, I read your aura and it appears that my aura is connected to yours."

"So, this connection" Aaron began asking "Caused me to see that vision?"

"Yes" the Lucario validated Aaron's claim "I sent that vision to you. I did not know who it would go to. It only goes to the human that shares the bond with me." Aaron understood the connection Lucarios can have with their trainers through the power of aura. It was a special force in the universe that could do many things that even Aaron didn't know about. Sometimes the connection occurs with neither the Lucario nor the human knowing it.

Aaron then remembered the Lucario saying something earlier "You mentioned your former master, his name wouldn't happen to be Hugh Richards would it?"

The Lucario stared at Aaron "How do you know him?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"Call it a lucky guess" Aaron shared how he knew the name "There was a report that a Lucario went missing and the description matches you."

The Lucario looked down in frustration "Great, he abandoned me, and now he's trying to find me again."

"Wait a second" Aaron got even more confused "The report said you went missing!"

The Lucario shouted angrily "Leave it to my former master to make up a lie like that! He left me in the forest near here after all the horrible things that he put me through!" Aaron was surprised to see the fighting-steel type like this. The once calm and collected Pokémon was surging with strong and erratic emotions. Aaron also was curious of what happened between Richards and this Lucario. The Lucario calmed down and asked Aaron "Do you want to know the truth?"

Aaron was thinking something weird was going to happen. "Okay…" he said nervously.

The Lucario closed his eyes and placed his right paw on his own chest. Suddenly the weird feeling that Aaron experienced this morning had returned. 'Oh great now I'm going to see some serious shit' he thought to himself.

End of Chapter 10

So…I have ten chapters in this fic…I get the job of writing the live-action Pokémon movie for this right Nintendo? Right? Yeah, and maybe a Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 arcade stick will fall from the sky and come into my possession…please let that last one happen. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Believe it or not, it took me a couple days to write and I took an extra day to proofread it and make sure I liked the way it was. Remember to keep providing feedback, it really helps and as always, have a nice day.