Back in Action!

by Goldmineempire5

After being away for a decade, all he did was extensively train his Pokémon. He refrained from making any contact with anyone. Now, Ash has decided to make a comeback to the civilization. Now he wants to put his training to test. All he has is one goal on his mind: The World Championship! Advanceshipping! Minor Amourshipping!

66. Chapter 66:Secrets of Aura! A new Power!

Back with another installment to the League franchise. To have a small recap: Misty and Brock were dropped off in their hometowns as they will be celebrating Christmas with their family. Seems more logical compared to the canon. Ash and May return to Pallet Town to find a familiar face awaiting their presence, none other than May's little brother, Max. Ash fulfilled the antsy teen's wish by finally giving him his battle, easily clapping Max's three best Pokemon. It is now time to write for Christmas. This will be a holiday challenge for me. Where even Christmas is far away, I am not getting the holiday feeling but it has to be written. So it will be just a short story that will center around the theme.

But more importantly, the chapter is focused on Lucario. A special request from my good friend - Blazin'Bolt435. Buddy, this is for you!

---

A soft pink morning sunrise made the blanket of snow on the ground shimmer. The crooked house down the lane lay quiet and still in the early morning light. Snow covered the window ledges and an icicle or two hung from the eaves. Inside the fires were burning low in the hearths while the weather outside was cold and white. The house was decorated from top to bottom for the holidays. Baubles and tinsel and garlands were strung everywhere. Wreaths hung on all the doors, including each of the bedrooms. Stockings hung by the fire and a tree blinked in the corner of the front sitting room. The traditional gold painted gnome in a tutu stood on top of the tree. No matter how many times Delia complained, Ash always managed to sneak it up there.

A sliver of light slipped through a gap in the curtain in the sitting room and highlighted a little piece of greenery hanging from the ceiling in the hall just a step or two from the bottom of the stairs. It was festively adorned with a red ribbon and white berries. For such a simple plant, it could be very mischievous. After all it hung up high and caught people unaware. It sometimes caused embarrassment but mostly happiness and smiles. What a tricky little plant it could be, that mistletoe.

The mistletoe hung silently as the house slowing began to creak and moan. The ghoul in the attic began clanking as the occupants slowly began to wake from their long winter's rest. Soon the house would be full of joyful noise, spicy smells and good cheer as the Ketchum's annual holiday party was today.

May's eyes bolted open. Christmas Day was here. Even before her eyes had let in the light of day, she could hear the church bells from the stone spire. Ahead was a day of quiet contemplation, a day of thinking of the year ahead and how to bring more of Christ's love to humanity than she did the year before in isolation. The window was open, letting the cold breeze in. Outside it was chilly, the temperature under freezing. Inside the dimmed fireplaces still kept the temperature comfortably warm. The house was still quiet but there were sounds coming from the downstairs as people were waking to presents. She sat up, eyes a it groggy and her long brown hair braided in a plait down her back.

She made out of her duvet and slipped on her cotton slippers. Max wasn't on the bed above, meaning he was already downstairs. The childish side of May kicked in, as she beamed with happiness, exiting the room in a jiffy. She was wearing a pair of pink striped pajamas and a fuzzy purple lilac robe. She carefully closed the door to her room with an almost silent click. As she stepped forward toward the stairs, the floor gave a squeak upstairs. She smiled. She stopped at the bottom and stood directly under the mistletoe that hung in a bunch in the arch way to the front sitting room. She blushed and made her way downstairs through the hall of decorations. The buttery potatoes went down well as the Christmas presents were a-shine in the corner. The tea tannins felt wholesome as the Christmas ornaments were a-dazzle all around her. Ash, Pikachu, Glaceon, Max, Jigglypuff and Cubone had already surrounded that tree. Their faces were lit up as if they were such happy angels, yet the real one was the patient mother baking in the kitchen of course, absorbing their chaotic mess as if they were the Vivaldi's of the culinary world.

"And this one is for Jigglypuff…'' Ash picked up the red wrapped present, holding it out in front of the antsy Balloon Pokemon.

"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!''

"Ok, ok, I'll open it….'' Ash sighed at the temptations of the silly fairy type, but it's Christmas. He can let that slide off. Gently pulling off the ribbon, Ash unwrapped the gift, and pulled out a brand new microphone from inside.

"Looks like you have been a really good Pokemon this year, Jigglypuff..'' Ash chuckled, handing the stout fairy type the device who had instantaneously replaced it with the old one.

"Puff…."

Sensing the Balloon type wanted to test it out, Ash hid his panic, convincing the Pokemon to try her vocal skills in some other corner of the house. The next recipient stepped forward, curiously.

"Ah Cubone…" Ash grinned warmly. ''Let's see what Santa got you this Christmas.''

"bbone….'' The Lonely Pokemon, who wasn't lonely anymore tilted his head, as Ash picked up a blue wrapped present intended for him. His gift seemed a little more sizeable in area than Jigglypuff's. Ash poked out his tongue, before revealing a miniature drum set, that made the cute little ground type chivalrous and glee with ecstasy.

"Bone!'' Cubone showed his sticks out to everyone, who encouraged him to strike the drums.

"Yep! Now you can rival Jigglypuff in music…" Ash chuckled.

"Bone!''

Ash giggled at the petite ground type before his eyes fell on the beauty standing by the doorframe, with a hand on her heart.

"Seems like you wanna be the family man today,'' May smiled.

"Not just today,'' Ash lifted himself up, allowing Pikachu and other Pokemon to dig out their presents from the vast ocean of hampers. He was similarly dress in his pajamas, a navy blue t-shirt and plain flannel blue pajama pants. He picked up a small package in his hands.

"Merry Christmas, babe,'' Ash and May embraced themselves into one another, starting their day with a long kiss that was in dues. Pulling apart,, Ash handed her the present, the one he had picked out for her, the one only he could give her. Meticulously, May pulled up the tape on the wrapping paper. She dropped the paper and pried the box open. Inside, set against a creamy background, was a certain item she had vowed to buy when they were at Saffron City, but couldn't because it was out of her budget. She pulled out a cashmere, the color which matched her hair, the luxurious wrap on her body was versatile and exceptionally glamorous. She would never want to leave home without it.

May's gaze flipped up to look at Ash.

"Ash, how did you-?''

"You think I don't understand what your heart wants," Ash grinned and kissed her forehead. ''Here, let me put it on you.''

"But this is…"

"I love you May." Ash murmured quietly as he reached up to brush a strand of glistening brown hair away from her deep azure eyes. He slowly leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. May's heart soared in her chest at the touch of his lips and his words. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately back.

Their kiss lasted but a couple of moments as they heard some coughs coming behind them.

"You know this would be disturbing for my mental condition, but could you two just find a room?'' Max interjected, obviously not used to his sister kissing other men with him being in the same room.

"Thank you Ash." She said, her arms slipping from his neck. She held the cashmere up to look at it again. "It's really beautiful."

"It would be awkward if you didn't get me anything?'' Ash joked.

"I think not,'' Max butted in again, bringing a huge wrapped rectangular board in the center to distance the couple.

"Who do you think got you this?'' May poked Ash's nose.

"Clue one was Santa…'' Ash growled lustfully, ''but could also have been one of his…naughty elves…''

"How did you find out about naughty?'' May playfully grabbed his collar.

"From the stuff she does with me…'' Ash quirked a brow.

Max huffed. "My idol and my sister talking dirty stuff…well, my Christmas is ruined," Max slumped his shoulder. ''I'll be out in the garden.''

The couple laughed.

"I got you those new airpods kids have these days…'' Ash called out to his dejected friends. ''Go nuts…''

May chuckled as she wanted to kiss him one more time.

"Oh wait!'' Ash pulled his face away from her. "Go wireless!''

May raised her brows, questioning his actions.

"Sorry,'' Ash flustered and rubbed his neck. ''For those in tech business, wireless is like a motto. So what did you get me?''

Her cheeks grew a little rosy. She saw so much in those eyes. There was a hint of worry, a hint of uncertainty, but also a hint of affection. May blushed redder. "You okay, May?" Ash asked reaching up to touch her cheek. She was beautiful. Her hair was shining; her eyes were sparkling. She might have been in her pajamas, but she was beautiful to him. Just being here with her, to open gifts together was a magical moment. One he hadn't had before. They hadn't exchanged gifts before as a couple. It was a new milestone for them.

May nodded, her cheek rubbing softly against Ash's hand. "I'm fine. Just feeling a little nervous. I don't know if you will like your gift." She said.

Ash chuckled kindly. "Why do you think so?"

"It's kinda lame." She responded making a face.

Ash refuted. ''Come on, whatever it is, I'll promise to cherish it Ok? Babe, this is from you.''

"I guess if you want." Her voice was a little unsure.

Ash smiled at her, brushing his knuckles across her cheek as he pulled his hand away. He carefully pulled off the ribbon and then ripped into the paper like a Haxorus ripping into the flesh. Discarding the paper on the floor, he revealed a black large frame. He furrowed his brows as he turned it over. It was unique and handcrafted. It monumentalized their greatest relationship milestones, and their past together. There was a documented date and time they met, and the time they separated, and the pictures of their journeys together.

On the right hand corner he found a picture of them by the lake May. Next to it, he found a picture of then sitting together on one of the maroon couches in the Pokemon Center Brock and Max. There was a picture of him and Misty in Kimono at the Summer Festival Ash scrolled his eyes down. A picture of him and Dawn posing at the Wallace Cup. The adjacent picture held a photo of him, Iris and Cilan from the Christmas they had shared at Striaton City. As he flipped through the pictures, Ash found more pictures of him with Misty and Brock, some with the Pokemon team throughout the years, some from the days he spent in Kanto and various regions but the entire pictures were dedicated to him and May. Their every moment from the day they set out from Petalburg together to the last selfie she had taken with him in Fuschia City.

Ash smiled, rest the large picture frame by the couch, and turned over to May. ''And that made you think I wouldn't appreciate it. May, this is the best thing I could ever get for Christmas.'' He leaned in then, and placed a tender and sweet kiss upon her check. May flushed redder.

"You really like it?" She asked, still feeling somewhat unsure. It was kind of a girly gift.

"I love it May." He touched her chin and guided it up so that she could look him in the eyes. "Now when I am not with you, I can look at the pictures of you and me. It's not the same as having you with me, but it will help me get through till I'm with you again." May looked into his eyes and saw the truth.

"You don't need this pictures to think of me Ash,'' May smiled.

"That's right…'' Ash smiled back, placing her hand on his chest right where she could feel his heart beating. ''Cause you reside here.''

---

The tree lighting ceremony at Oak's ranch was beautiful and a night to be glorified throughout the year until next Christmas. The kids and the Pokemon in their innocent cooperation had stunned the humans with the decorations of the Oak ranch. Pity on the tall yet stout man who volunteered to dress as Santa for the night, just for the joy of the children, who were harassing him for a picture with them. Toys were heartily donated to each. The adults too weren't lagging behind, engaging in a practice of Secret Santa trading. Gary was still bizarre and frustrated, who would gift him a Fart Can for Christmas. He did have his doubts lingered on one man though.

Every year the Christmas gifts were a baking exchange, gingerbread men in glass jars and spiced cookies. If it came from a store it didn't get in the door - that was the rule. They were handcrafted. The Christmas crackers were the embodiment of the broken festival; all glitter on the outside, a short loud bang, and pointless rubbish within. Christmas dinner traditions was always on a grand scale – Delia's courtesy. It gave the chefs of the family time enough to do their thing, and it gave the kids plenty of time to play and work up a grand appetite. People of Pallet Town always had Christmas dinner together as a family at the Oak's ranch, guess that's the perk of living in a place that's warm and sunny in December. Christmas dinner was a potluck every year, sometimes there were more sweets than savoury, but it brought good humour and levity to what can otherwise be a standing-to-attention kinda occasion. The kids would put roast potatoes and chocolate cake on the same plate and sat on the porch wearing huge grins. It was a little bit traditional, a little bit rogue, but it was a whole lotta fun. Casual, informal, yet caring enough to make the food truly scrumptious.

The residents had walked for the joy of Christmas, but the night of celebration had another reason, and why wouldn't it? Their own, best of all had completed the Elite Four trials and was to face the Champion in coming days. Delia was gloating about her son's success in business world and how huge worth of a man he is. Impression on a mind would be he was off somewhere on an important call, or perhaps speaking to some huge personality. But where was he?

Back in his house, with his small pack of friends, the Pallet Town's chosen one was sprawled on a couch,, watching some TV. Not that anyone could blame him, though. Beating Karen in a battle is no easy-task, and after beating the Kanto Elite Four, everyone kind of figured Ash was deserving of a good couch break. As he flipped through channels, Pikachu was asleep next to him, lying against his side. He had his third beer in his hand, while most of the eateries on his center table had fulfilled their destiny.

In his backyard, gathered Ash's team of Blastoise, Seismitoad, Lycanroc, Heracross and Swellow with May's and Max's Pokemon chewing on their Christmas specials. However, a stoic figure had separated himself from the gang, joining his master inside the house. The sole exception would be Lucario, who joined his trainer by the couch, chewing on a rice ball he picked from the tray. What was displayed on the screen hardly got in his head, but he just wanted to join Ash. Soon enough, Max came into the living room to lightly tap Ash on his shoulder, gaining the trainer's attention.

"Hey Ash, the Pokemon are having their dinner,'' Max informed, taking a seat on the armchair. "Whatchya watching?''

"Oh nothing,'' Ash hummed. "Just a documentary on high speed Internet.''

"Huh?'' Max cocked his brows, finding the documentary interesting. "You know sometimes I wonder are you really the Ash Ketchum I travelled with. He hardly understood technology and was less intrigued.''

"Your sister wonders the same thing." Ash tiredly retorted.

"I could never buy you for a tech wiz.'' Max shook his head. ''How did this happen?''

"I was resurrected from the DNA of your dead friend. I am a super intelligent version of him.'' Ash conceded. They both laughed uncomfortably.

"I found my bliss in computers. Can make them, can fix them.''

"Great,'' Max who still didn't understand how did the events lead to this, accepted the answer. His gaze directed him to the fighting type, impassively enjoying his onigiri.

"Why you ain't eating outside, Lucario?'' Max questioned, intrigued by the Aura Pokemon. ''All your friends are outside.''

Wanting to answer for himself, Lucario turned his head towards the trainer and telepathically replied, "I just prefer to make do on my own."

"Oh okay…whatever suits you.'' Max politely waved his hand and turned his attention back on the TV. A triple of seconds past before his pupils dilated with suspense. "Wait a sec….Did you just talk?''

The jackal became his center of attention, who only scooted on his chair nervously, due to his dislike for social conventions and environments.

"Ash?'' Max began, "It seems like your Lucario just talked to me.''

Casually yawning. ''Yeah, that's one of his stuff.''

"TELEPATHY?!''

The thunderbolt scream of the teen could have turned the house upside down. May came in running as far as she could, obviously disturbed from something.

"What? What happened? I heard a scream.''

"May…" Max stuttered. "Ash's Lucario spoke to me. His Lucario has a ability of Telepathy!''

"How is that possible?'' She crossed her arms.

"Oh but it is…'' Ash respired, his interest in the documentary crushed by the commotion.

"And you are telling me this now?'' May retorted.

The night ended but the conversation didn't. Next day, everyone gathered in Ash's living room, as the subject continued.

"Well, have you ever wondered how I'm always capable of understanding Pikachu and the others? That's also telepathy, so yeah, I can do it, too."

"How amazing!" Delia chimed in.

"But… how?" asked a flabbergasted May.

"Wait a minute," Brock interrupted. "This kinda reminds me of that one Lucario we met in Rota years ago."

"Oh, yeah! I remember that place! Are you also from there?" May asked a stunned Lucario, who pleadingly glanced at Ash to move on from this conversation.

"Hold on a tic, wasn't that place called 'Rota'?" questioned Misty. "I've heard of that place! Is it just as grand as they say it is?"

"Haven't been there in a long time." said Brock. "Maybe we should all go there for a vacation sometime?"

"If you all could stop with the questions, then perhaps you all will finally get your answers to our telepathy." Lucario impatiently interjected. It was clear he was getting annoyed with how intense things were getting inside the house. Brock could only scratch the back of his head for a bit. It was understandably hard to get used to a Pokemon other than an annoying Meowth actually responding back.

"...Yeah, okay. Ash, how did you manage to teach Lucario and yourself telepathy?" Just then, Misty, May, Delia, and Tracey all started to surround Lucario with intense curiosity.

"I would totally like to know, too!" Misty chimed. "It was a shocker at first, but now it's really cool!"

"So stoic! I gotta get a good sketch of this real quick!" Tracey had already pulled out a sketchbook.

Unfortunately, Lucario wasn't always the best in social situations. Even when he trained with everyone else at Mount Silver, he generally preferred to stick by Ash, Pikachu, and Sirfetch'd, and sometimes Dragonite, Gengar, and Dracovish to an extent. To anyone else, he'd do his best to keep his distance. And now, with all these unfamiliar humans surrounding him, Lucario couldn't help but get a little bit flustered.

"Ragh!" Lucario grunted, slipping off to the side away from the humans. "Give me my space!"

Lucario was now in a foul mood, so he started to make his way to the backyard for some solitude. Pikachu, hearing what all occurred, picked himself off his feet, nodded to his trainer, and followed Lucario outside.

"Sorry," Ash apologized as he scratched the back of his head. "Lucario hates when ganged up. He loves his own solitude. Ever since he hatched as a Riolu, he's always been more independent than dependent."

"Ah, so you hatched Lucario from a Riolu egg." inquired Tracey.

"Duh?''

"But what about the whole telepathy part?" asked Misty.

"Heheh, it's a pretty long story, so I hope you all can bear with me. It all started when…" The jackal overheard every single word from outside. As his trainer explained their story, Lucario started to recall the entire memory in his head.

---

(Flashback)

Among the vast forests of Mt. Silver, Lucario stood across from a sleeping orange dragon within a large clearing. This dragon was a Charizard, most specifically Ash's, and if there was something Lucario loved, it was a challenge.

He had heard from many about the legends of Ash's Charizard, whether it be his long history with Ash, his victories against the likes such as Gary's Blastoise, or his uncanny ability to easily kick the asses of Legendaries like Noland's Articuno, but despite the impressive tales, Lucario still sought to challenge the beast. He even ignored the warnings given from his sparring partner, Sirfetch'd, as he didn't care what danger he would have to face. His goal since birth was to become as strong as possible. No matter what.

Approaching the sleeping powerhouse, Lucario let loose a short breath. He knew many would think of him crazy and outright insane for doing this, but he didn't care.

"Hey! Big Orange Dragon!"

Lucario's voice was loud and clear as Charizard opened his eyes and rose to his feet. The dragon didn't say a word back, though. Instead, he just silently glared sharp daggers towards the smaller creature. Charizard had a mental list of those who were allowed to wake him from his naps and get away with it: His beloved trainer; Ash. His brothers-in-arms; Pikachu, Venusaur, and Blastoise. His sparring partner/rivals; Sceptile and Greninja. His students; Emboar and Dragonite. His old mentor; Liza. And his mate; Charla.

Obviously, Lucario was not on that list.

"I've heard tales of your strength, so I wish for you to prove those tales to be true in the form of battle!"

Charizard just kept his glare at the jackal. He barely knew the canine and he was already pissing him off for disturbing his slumber, but if he wanted a battle, then he'll give him one.

Around the dragon and jackal, many of Ash's other Pokemon emerged from the trees to spectate the upcoming battle. Whispers and murmurs instantly flourished among them with many comrades finding Lucario downright suicidal for challenging Charizard like that considering Lucario was at a dual disadvantage. In particular, Dragonite, Gengar, Sirfetch'd, and Dracovish were very much concerned for their old teammate, well aware of his younger age and brash attitude that often got him into trouble.

"Lucario, what blasphemy is this?! Challenging Charizard must not be considered an act of valor! Get back here!" exclaimed Sirfetch'd from the trees.

But Lucario ignored the duck knight's concern as he kept a focused glance at Charizard. By detecting his aura, he was able to get the message that the dragon accepted his challenge, and due to the hint of hostility within his aura, he knew Charizard was not going to hold back.

His aura-enhanced senses soon came to good use, quickly dodging a swift Flamethrower instantly fired from the lizard's maw. Even avoiding the attack, Lucario could feel the immense intensity of Charizard's flame, definitely 1,000 times fiercer than anything Cinderace could muster. Lucario then turned his head back to Charizard's direction, only to see the dragon flying towards him in speeds too fast to comprehend and get whacked across the face with a Dragon Claw. The attack sent him skidding across the ground until he flipped back up to his feet. He already felt tired, but refused to show any signs of fatigue as he enlightened himself in a green aura and charged forward with Extreme Speed. Due to Charizard's trained reflexes, Lucario failed to land any damaging blow to the dragon, with each strike getting blocked by a well-placed wing or arm no matter what angle Lucario went for.

After narrowly avoiding a Steel Wing attack, Lucario flipped away and ceased his Extreme Speed barrage in order to summon an aura-made staff with Bone Rush to quickly block an incoming Slash. The jackal was then forced to back up as he guarded himself from a multitude of Dragon Claw attacks from Charizard. Jumping back in time from a downward claw thrust, Lucario slammed his Bone Rush staff on the ground to kick up some debris before slamming it all towards Charizard as a makeshift rock attack. Unfortunately, Charizard easily dodged the attack by taking flight and returned the favor by firing down another Flamethrower towards Lucario. The aura Pokemon could only dodge a few streams before one got him from the back, bathing him in flames until the attack died down.

Charizard could only keep his condescending glare down on the jackal. If the runt was smart, he would give up now, but seeing the jackal slowly get back up to his feet, Charizard could only shake his head in disapprovement.

"I am not done yet!"

With Double Team, Lucario created several clones of himself that started to pace around the spot Charizard was flying at. Charizard fired down a Fire Spin to end it, but the small army of Lucarios all dodged the attack in time by jumping towards Charizard's level and launch a large number of Aura Spheres at him. The attack created a large cloud of smoke in the air and all the Lucarios landed back down in the clearing before all except for one disappeared, with the original quickly falling down to a knee with a grunt of pain. As he panted, Lucario stared up to the cloud of smoke, waiting for it to disappear and see the results of his attack. While he was certain Charizard still had some fight in him, he at least hoped his attack did some damage to his opponent. Sadly, as the smoke dissipated, Lucario saw that Charizard barely had a single scratch on him and now he was flying right towards him. Lucario attempted to use Extreme Speed to escape Charizard's path, but the fire lizard easily grasped the young warrior and took off to the air with him like a rocket.

Charizard's grip was so tight, Lucario could barely make out a single Aura Sphere and his mindset for offense soon turned into panic as his captor started flying in circles before diving back down in speeds so intense, Lucario could see a mach cone visible around Charizard's head. As they reached back down to earth, Lucario was harshly thrown against the ground, creating a sizable crater that Charizard landed outside of, keeping his eyes on the downed canine. Said canine could only roll off his back and weakly attempt to get up, only to remain on his knees as his arms found it hard to even support his torso. From an outsider's perspective, it would've looked like Lucario was begging for mercy from Charizard.

"Kid," Lucario heard from Charizard, being the first word he's ever heard from the beast of the beasts. "This fight is over. Stay down. You are too young to take me on…"

Lucario read the fire type's aura, sensing the advice was genuine and free from any arrogance. Charizard was starting to pity him, and this wasn't tolerable.

"N-no! I… can…. still…. FIGHT!"

Lucario pushed himself back to his feet and started to charge out of the crater for a Meteor Mash, but once he got close, Charizard merely grasped his shoulder and pinned him to the ground.

"Kid, you're in over your head. Even holding back, all my attacks have bruised you to the bone while the one attack you managed to land hardly scratched me. I don't want to hurt you any further, so just please admit defeat."

"I ain't asking for advice, grandpa!''

"Charizard, let go of him!"

Both the jackal and dragon quickly turned their heads to the direction of the new voice, seeing it was their shared trainer running towards them alongside Pikachu and Meganium. Apparently, the latter left the clearing as soon the battle started in order to warn Ash and Pikachu about it. As Ash approached the two aces, Charizard released his grip on Lucario and stepped back a few inches while Lucario received support from his trainer, much to his embarrassment due to all the other Pokemon watching them. He would've struggled out of Ash's arm if he wasn't so fatigued.

"Are you okay, Lucario? Why were you two fighting?"

Charizard responded to Ash's question by glancing a look towards Lucario. Seeing where his eyes were pointing at, Ash immediately got the idea of what happened.

"So you tried to take on Charizard in a battle? Guess that explains all the burns and bruises, heheh." Ash picked the aura warrior up. "I'll have Henry patch you up in no time.''

Lucario only grunted and turned away in response to Ash's attempt to lighten up the mood between the two. Pikachu placed a comforting paw on the jackal's leg while Charizard's glare for Lucario returned, not too pleased with the young Pokemon's attitude. Ash himself just sighed before he attempted to console Lucario over his loss.

"Sorry buddy, but Charizard has been one of my most experienced veterans for as long as I can remember. He's been specifically trained to be one of the world's most strongest Charizard ever. He's even beaten Legendaries. Don't take your loss against him personally. It's his experience, not yours. But I know someday, with enough training, you will be able to reach his level. I just know it. Now let's go get you healed up, alright?"

Hearing that, Lucario only sighed to himself with closed eyes before he escaped Ash's comfort to limp away to the forest to search for some Oran or Sitrus Berries, preferring to look after himself as always. Lucario's aura easily detected all the condescending whispers from many of the other mons, but he chose to ignore them, even walking past Dragonite and Sirfetch'd when they attempted to talk with him. The knight duck only shook his head in disapproval before he went off with Dragonite to spar with Hawlucha and Noivern.

"Poor Lucario…" Ash sighed before he heard a grunt from his Charizard, causing him to turn to the lizard and see the glare he kept on the limping jackal, indicating how displeased he is with the stubborn canine.

"I'm guessing he woke you up from one of your naps, right?" Ash asked, receiving a nod in return. "Yeah, sorry that he bothered, old friend. Ever since he hatched as a Riolu, Lucario was always pretty battle-hungry. No matter how big or strong a Pokemon was, Lucario would always seek to challenge them, even if all odds were stacked against his favor. In a way, he's kinda like you, only a bit more introverted, and I'm sure with enough training, you two would find a way to get along, right?"

Charizard rolled his eyes and took off with his wings to find another place to sleep at. By now, every other Pokemon had disappeared from the clearing and Venusaur went to spar with Blastoise. Ash decided to savor the rare moment of peace by laying on the ground to stare at the blue sky and white clouds as Pikachu joined him.

"Lucario only wants to unlock his full potential. But if he keeps charging into everything recklessly, then it's gonna be extremely hard for him to get there."

"Pika Pi, pika pikachu."

"If only there was a way for us to really help him with that. He's almost never satisfied with our regular training routines."

"Pikachu pika. Chu-pika."

"You know, buddy. At times like this, I really wish I was able to… understand… you…"

"Pika?" queried Pikachu as he sat up, staring at Ash with a confused expression until he was caught by surprise when his trainer sat up himself in a flash.

"That's it! That's how we can do it! Thanks for the idea, buddy!" "Pi?"

Before Pikachu could question his trainer further, Ash jumped to his feet, quickly placed Pikachu on his shoulder, and ran off towards the direction Lucario last walked off to. The jackal in particular had managed to find some Oran Berries that he proceeded to devour until he sensed his trainer approaching him from behind. Once his aura got near, Lucario turned his head towards Ash's direction.

"Say, Lucario? You really want to unlock your full potential, right?"

Lucario answered by slightly turning his head away. It's true he wants to become the strongest he can be, but his pride was too big to admit it.

"Well, do you know anything about Aura Guardians?"

Now this instantly caught Lucario's attention and he perked his head up. In all his years, he's never even heard of the term 'Aura Guardian', but the name alone sounded intriguing and mysteriously familiar.

"Raw?"

"Heheh, guess you never heard of Aura Guardians, huh? Well, Aura Guardians are humans and Pokemon capable of using Aura to its greatest extent. Once their powers are fully realized, they use their Aura to help others across the world. I know it might not sound your thing right now, but trust me when I say that it could prove to be really beneficial for you. For both of us, actually. So what do you say?"

Lucario thought about this for a while. He knew of his own aura powers, but he never realized that he could potentially expand upon them to greater limits. Perhaps… perhaps this could be the key he's been searching for his entire life.

"Raw!" Lucario answered with a firm nod.

"Great, awesome! I know just the place! Pikachu, ready to return to the Cameran Palace?"

"Pika!" Pikachu enthusiastically responded with. Despite not being able to use Aura himself, he was still excited at the chance to see Queen Ilene again.

With their minds all set, Ash returned to his home to tell Henry and all of his Pokemon of his next adventure and that Henry and Venusaur would be in charge while they were gone. After getting ready with a good night of sleep and doing a whole morning and afternoons worth of final preparations, it was now time to make way for Rota. Aside from Pikachu and Lucario, the only other Pokemon Ash took with him was Pidgeot for air transport. (Normally, that's Charizard's job, but considering his current relationship with Lucario, uhhhh yeah) With packed bags and open hearts, Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario took off from Mount Silver for the Cameran Palace. Since the palace was located north of Mt. Silver it was fortunately not much of a long trip. Flying past Rota, Pidgeot descended onto the long bridge connecting the town and palace on its trainer command, allowing for its passengers to jump off its back. After a pat of thanks, Pidgeot was returned to its Pokeball and its passengers started to make their way towards the large royal palace.

As they walked across the bridge, Lucario looked around at his surroundings with eyes full of curious wonder, with his gaze starting at the town behind them before moving onto the palace and then the huge river below them.

"Pretty cool, huh?" his trainer asked, spotting his curiosity. "Just like Galar."

Indeed. The area's medieval-esque design reminded Lucario very much of Galar's landscapes. He was too knee-deep in his stupor of amazement that he nearly tripped on the first step of a moderate sized staircase that led to the palace, only to be saved in time by his trainer's arm.

"Looks like we're here!" "Pika!"

The three ascended the staircase until they reached the palace doors, where they were promptly stopped by two guards. The castle was bombed with security.

"Halt! What's your business here, citizen?"

Lucario instantly took a defensive pose, never the one to take kindly to strangers, but softened up a bit when Ash stepped in front of him to speak to the guards.

"My name is Ash Ketchum. While I don't exactly have an appointment, I am here to see Queen Ilene if she's here right now." Sensing the gate keeper's hesitance, Ash tried to negotiate. "She knows me and I have been here before. I was Hero of the Year. A Lucario just like this one pulled out of my staff..."

The gatekeeper glared at him with raised brows.

"Sorry that didn't come out right. Just let me meet her Okay?''

"Sorry, sir, but no one can just arrive at the Cameran Palace to request our queen's attention and- wait. Did you say your name's 'Ash Ketchum'?"

"Yes, I did."

"And he has that Pikachu with him, too. You must really be the Ash Ketchum! The one who conquered our Hero of the Year Tournament and helped save the Tree of Beginning years ago!"

"Heheh, yeah, but thanks for repeating what I just said. You know this place needs digitization."

"Oh, sir! We hope you can accept our apology! Any hero who took part in that event is always welcomed to our royal palace. I will lead you to Queen Ilene at once."

"Hey, don't sweat it! Thanks a bunch!"Ash sweatdropped. "Should have gone to Riley…''

The guard allowed access for Ash and his Pokemon into the palace and started to lead them to the palace as his partner stayed behind to keep post. Making their way for the throne room, Lucario's interest for the palace grew even more as he observed the medieval designs and artifacts littered around the entire place. There were inscriptions of a legend and his Lucario on the walls. This whole place felt… natural to him. When they made it to the throne room, the guard told them to stay as he fetched for Queen Ilene and her royal nanny, Jenny. One thing that certainly fascinated Lucario was a large picture frame depicting a human with a similar appearance to his trainer, only seemingly older, who was holding a particular-looking specter over his head. Right behind was a Lucario, just like him. The painting and pictures of a man that looked like Ash and a Lucario were considered legends in these parts. Lucario was about to ask his trainer about the picture, but everyone's attention went upon two large doors opening at the side of the room, revealing to be the guard from before with Queen Ilene, Jenny, and Jenny's Mime Jr. walking behind him. Rota's beloved queen soon approached the familiar guests, with Lucario easily sensing her kind and benevolent aura.

"Ash Ketchum. It's been a while, hasn't it?" the queen asked with a smile. She then walked forward to give Pikachu a little pat on the head. "And how have you been, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" the mouse happily responded with.

"Queen Ilene," Ash started, quickly taking a knee out of respect. "I really must thank you for your time."

Lucario also took a knee, feeling such a figure deserves that kind of gesture.

"Now, Ash, there's no need to be so formal. As a friend and honored hero of our kingdom, you are always welcomed to the Cameran Palace whenever you please."

"My apologies, Queen Ilene. I just felt such a gesture would be appropriate for what I'm about to ask you."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Well, I would like to request for my Lucario to train here to become Aura Guardian. My Lucario here aims to reach his greatest potential and as his friend and trainer, I wish to do what I can to help him reach his dreams. As for myself, since I've always loved Pokemon for as long as I can remember, I wish to unlock my own true aura capabilities so that I can always be prepared to protect Pokemon whenever the situation comes."

"That is certainly benevolent of you, Ash."

"My lady, the Aura Guardians are very scarce in this world. Most of our trusted military are on their missions" asked Jenny.

"I figured that, so I'd thought to read tales regarding past Aura Guardians in the palace's library, if that's fine with you."

"Hm. While I imagine achieving full Aura Guardian status would be possible with that tactic alone, it would also take quite a long time, would it not?"

"I thought of that, too. But if it means helping my Lucario reach his dreams, then I would do whatever it takes."

"Caring as usual, Ash." Ilene grinned "I expect nothing less of you. However, instead of using the palace library, I actually have an acquintance who would be very interested in helping you and Lucario in that task. In terms of aura, they are very much proficient themselves in the prowess of aura."

"Really? Who are they?"

After a giggle, Rota's Queen responded with, "You may know them."

As if on cue, a pink, cat-like Pokemon flew in from the side doors before it took off to the air, playfully flying around the throne room in circles before reaching down to ground level to greet the palace's guests. When the new mon approached Ash, Pikachu instantly recognized the creature and enthusiastically jumped off from his trainer's shoulder to play with it.

"Mew!" Ash happily called out, recognizing the Tree of Beginning's guardian.

While Lucario didn't personally know that Mew, he knew the species all too well, being a prime objective for one of Ash's friends that he knew a while back. Never could he ever imagine his trainer and Pikachu knowing such a legendary creature personally. As he looked on in thought, Ash kneeled down to the smaller mons' level in order to receive a joyful hug from Mew.

"It's so great to see you again! How have you and all the other Pokemon at the Tree of Beginning been doing?"

"Mew-mew!" Mew replied cheerfully.

"Wait a sec. Did you know we were gonna be here?"

Mew answered Ash's question with a nod and then used Transform to take the form of a Pidgeot before turning back to normal.

"Oh, I get it! You were flying around yourself when you saw me, Pikachu, and Lucario fly over!" "And that's when Mew came to my balcony, wanting to surprise you for when you three arrived." "Gotcha'." Ash said before he started petting Mew on the head. "Quick hide…my friend Goh's looking for you."

"Mew-mew-mew!" the legendary psychic laughed joyfully.

"So Mew," Queen Ilene alerted the psychic type as she stepped forward and bent down towards Mew, "Are you willing to assist Ash and Lucario in their goal in mastering their aura?"

Mew affirmly nodded to Ilene's question and then it flew up to Lucario's face, looking right into his eyes with an unreadable expression for a few seconds before looping back to do the same to Ash until it flew right back into the side doors that led to the queen's room, apparently leaving the palace.

"What was all of that about, Queen Ilene?" asked Ash.

"Mew loves to work in its own mysterious ways. I assume it'll be getting things ready for your first day of training tomorrow. Now Ash, with Mew as your instructor, you and Lucario must be willing to give your training your greatest effort."

"Understood."

"And while Pikachu and Pidgeot are free to watch and encourage you and Lucario throughout your training and you may use Pidgeot for aerial transport whenever the situation requires it, you are unallowed to use them to cheat in your training."

"Of course. I'm just afraid they might feel bored or left out throughout all of this."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Jenny said stepping in. "I'm sure Pikachu and your Pidgeot will feel right at home while you train. Isn't that right, Mime Jr.?"

"Mime mime!" responded the royal maiden's only-Pokemon, who started to play around with Pikachu.

"Overall, Ash," resumed Ilene, "while it is important for you and Lucario to take your training seriously, I wish for the two of you to have fun in the process. Mew is the one training you, after all."

"We wouldn't have it any other way! Right, buddy?"

Seeing that he now has his trainer's attention, Lucario stepped forward and pointed towards the portrait high above in the eastern corner of the throne room, leading everyone's eyes to it. That was when Lucario sensed a small tint of sadness from the auras of every other being in the room, which only spiked his curiosity even further.

"Lucario," Ash began, "that up there is Sir Aaron and his partner, Lucario. A long time ago, they were both Aura Guardians, with Sir Aaron being the one who taught Lucario his powers."

"Indeed." added Ilene. "During their time, a war between two fractions broke out across the kingdom. Sir Aaron sought to end it completely and bring peace by restoring life to the Tree of Beginning, unfortunately, at the cost of his own life once he sacrificed his aura. Before he made it to the Tree of Beginning, he stored Lucario in a sacred specter so that he wouldn't have to suffer to see his longtime friend sacrifice his own life. A few years back, however, we had our annual Hero of the Year tournament and when your trainer was crowned winner, he was given Sir Aaron's specter as a momentarily reward."

"And that was when Lucario escaped the specter." Ash chimed back in. "He mistook me for Sir Aaron, and at first I thought it was because of the costume I wore during the festival, but really, it was because my aura was similar to Sir Aaron's. He was pretty out of it, being put out in a time far beyond his own, but when we finally caught up to him, Queen Ilene was able to explain everything to him. During that time, I also learned Pikachu was taken by Mew to the Tree of Beginning in a freak accident and since Lucario knew his way around the kingdom, he agreed to help me and the others out. We didn't get off to a good start at first since he thought Aaron had abandoned the kingdom, but we eventually got along. Heheh, eventually…" Ash ended with a chuckle, slightly rubbing his arm in memory of the bruises he received after his longtime scuffle with Lucario when he questioned Ash and Pikachu's friendship.

Ash's Lucario could sense there was more to come to this story, which he listened to with the greatest of focus.

"Anyways," Ash continued on, "we eventually made it to the Tree of Beginning and I was able to reunite with Pikachu. However, during that time, the Tree of Beginning detected me and my friends as threats, so it sent out blood cells to get rid of us. It… it was an odd experience, to say the least, but thanks to Mew, the Tree saw we were friendly and, well, revived us."

"Revived?!" Lucario thought in his mind. Was his trainer implying that the Tree outright killed him and his friends?

"Unfortunately, what Mew did to set us free almost came to the cost of its life until Lucario and I figured to use our aura to keep it and the Tree alive, the same as what Sir Aaron did to end the war. We both put in our very best effort and Lucario soon pushed me out of the way in order to spare my life. Sadly," Ash confessed with a tear, "just as what happened to Sir Aaron, Lucario's efforts cost him his life. Before he went off, this thing called a Time Flower played a message of Sir Aaron in his final moments, and that's when Lucario learned of Sir Aaron's true reasoning of sealing him away and that he always considered him his friend. Once the message was over, so was Lucario's life."

Ash's Lucario then detected more feelings of sadness from everyone else in the room after Ash finished the story. Clearly, the sacrifices of Sir Aaron and Lucario weighed heavily on all those who knew them.

"But," Ash continued on after wiping away a few tears, "if there's anything that story proves, is that Sir Aaron and Lucario were heroes. Wouldn't you agree, Queen Ilene?"

"Indeed. And that's why our palace holds Aura Guardians and all those interested in becoming one in great regard."

Ash's Lucario took in every word he heard from the story. A Lucario like him, one destined to master aura, could have such a tale. He felt… inspired. So much so, that it took him a few seconds to realize Ash had then kneeled to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"And with the aura within us, I bet we can become Guardians ourselves and honor their legacy. Not just for the palace, not just for Rota, but for all of the world. Wouldn't you agree, buddy?"

Regaining back his focus, Lucario grasped Ash's hand with his paw and gave a firm "Rah." with a nod, showing he was now completely on board in becoming an Aura Guardian.

"Jenny," Ilene said after smiling at Ash and Lucario, "would you mine showing Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario the room they will be staying at for the time being?"

"It would be my honor." Jenny said, walking to Ash and his Pokemon to lead them to their room. "Follow me."

Pikachu jumped back on his trainer's shoulder and Ash and Lucario followed the royal nanny. As they paced, Lucario kept his head down in thought. That Lucario Ash and the queen talked about, as well as its teacher of aura…

They both seemed so… noble.

The three were soon led to a simple guest room that contained a large bed and a balcony that showcased a beautiful view of the moon reflected on Rota's river. While it didn't seem like a room that was used often, it still looked to be in tip-top shape; a grand example of how professional and efficient the caregivers of the palace were.

"This will be the room you will be staying in as you train." Jenny said while she led the three in. "Would this be alright."

"This will be perfect." Ash bowed, taking off his backpack and placing it on the floor close to the bed. Pikachu, meanwhile, quickly jumped off his trainer's shoulder and plopped himself flat on the bed, confirming its comfiness with a content sigh.

"Glad to hear. Anyway, I say it would be best to sleep as soon as you can. Your first day of training will be tomorrow, so I'd advise you to be at your best first thing in the morning."

Jenny then left the room and closed the door, allowing Ash to take out a set of nightclothes from his backpack to change in. Instead of sleeping, however, Ash sat on the bed and looked up to the night sky through the balcony as he rubbed the head of his sleeping starter. Lucario walked over to his trainer and gave him a curious look.

"Talking about Sir Aaron's student, Lucario. It really reminds me how much of a great person he was. Yep, an absolute hero. So now I'm glad the both of us can honor him, right, buddy?"

Lucario gave a silent nod. While he himself never knew that Lucario, after hearing his story, he, too, now sought to honor the fallen hero and his teacher. His trainer then let out a yawn and then started to lay down on the guest bed.

"Lucario, there's a lot of room if you wanna sleep with me and Pikachu."

Lucario only rolled his eyes and walked towards the balcony, intending to sleep under the moonlit sky. Sleeping with his trainer like a pup? His trainer should be well-aware how far he is from his Riolu days. He can take care of himself.

"Lucario? Hey, I can leave the bed for just you and Pikachu if you'd prefer that. C'mon, man. It's really comfy."

But the jackal remained outside and he sat himself on the ground with closed eyes. Deciding his stubbornness would not be worth the trouble, Ash fell asleep himself.

The Next Day

At the crack of dawn, Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario woke up and, along with Pidgeot, were served a royal breakfast by the royal chefs. Once everyone was done eating, Queen Ilene gave Ash his own Aura Guardian outfit for training and it was quite reminiscent of the one he wore at the Hero of the Year tournament years ago. After changing, Pikachu and Pidgeot happily applauded their trainer's new look while Lucario just gave silent, yet subtle admiration. His trainer fitted the Aura Guardian attire well in his eyes.

After a few minutes of waiting, Mew had arrived at the palace, ready to commence Ash and Lucario's training. It gave a simple beckoning motion before it started leaving the palace. While Pikachu stayed behind to play with Mime Jr. (and nab some free pancakes), Ash, Lucario, and Pidgeot followed Mew out of the palace, with the former two getting on the latter to remain in their line of pursuit to the legendary psychic-type when it started soaring high in the air towards the forest.

"Looks like it's time." Jenny commented as she and Ilene watched the two soaring figures disappear to the distance.

"Do you think they can do this?"

"Of course I do." Ilene confirmed. "The aura is with them."

Mew soon led Ash and his Pokemon to a small clearing in the forest. Upon seeing Mew descend downwards towards the spot, Ash ordered Pidgeot to follow and the large bird quickly roosted in the clearing for his passengers to disembark.

"Great flying as always, buddy." Ash said as he rubbed Pidgeot's neck, causing the Kantonian Bird to coo happily in response. That is, until Ash felt Lucario tugging on his cape, making him turn to see the jackal looking at him with a stern expression as he pointed towards the floating psychic-type before them. It was evidently clear Lucario wanted to begin their training as soon as possible. Lucario's intervention, as well as his own lack of gratitude, however, only made Pidgeot give him a silent glare. Before making their trip to Rota, Charizard had told Pidgeot that Lucario was nothing but a huge pain in the ass and now Pidgeot was beginning to see his point.

"You're the boss…" Ash lightheartedly quipped to his Lucario as they approached the legendary psychic-type. "So, Mew, what do you have planned for our first day of training?"

Instead of a straight answer, Mew simply flew down towards a mystical looking plant a few feet away from them at the side and gave it a small tap before Ash came to recognize it.

"That's a Time Flower!" Ash blurted out loud, causing Lucario to turn to him with a curious face. "Lucario, Time Flowers are able to record past events and replay them in the future if they are activated by the right aura."

And since Time Flowers were a byproduct of the Tree of Beginning and Mew was its guardian, the flower reacted to Mew's Aura by opening up its crystalline petals to reveal a bright glow that caused a holographic essence around its surrounding area. Seeing the area around them become different in a rapid fashion, Lucario and Pidgeot quickly went into defensive positions before they both saw a blue-clad man and another Lucario nearby.

Approaching the man, Lucario soon saw that it was just an illusion as his paw phased through his body before recognizing him as Sir Aaron from the palace's painting. The aura teacher, who was wearing a blindfold, then suddenly raised his arm up, causing Ash's Lucario to leap back in surprise to his trainer's side.

Aaron's hand emitted a dark blue aura before he swung it down, causing a bunch of small logs attached to rope to swing down from the trees above towards his direction. The sight made Ash, Lucario, and Pidgeot anxious at first until they saw Aaron perfectly dodge every single log in a rapid succession, using his Aura to detect their presence and react accordingly. After a few seconds of dodging, Aaron moved off to the side to face his own Lucario.

"It's your turn, Lucario." Aaron said as he removed the blindfold from his face. "You can do it. I know."

All attention turned towards Aaron's student, who only gave a silent response as he took the blindfold himself and awaited for the logs to re-assume their positions with Aaron's aura. Once things were all set, the logs started to swing down again only for Lucario to also efficiently dodge every single one until he heard his teacher say, "Good! That's enough." Lucario jumped away from the logs' path, took off the blindfold, and turned towards his teacher, who gave the jackal a proud smile. That was when the Time Flower ceased its recording and closed its petals, turning the area back to normal.

"Mew " Ash started, "Is that what you would like for us to work on first?"

"Mew-mew!" the cat-esque mon cheerfully chirped before it used its powers to reveal logs attached to ropes from the trees above.

" Don't you think this would be a bit too much for our first day?"

In response to that, Mew used its psychic powers to commence the logs' swinging paths, albeit, also using his powers to slightly slow down their momentum until Mew halted them all to a stop, awaiting for either Ash or his Lucario to come forth.

"Well, why not give it a shot?" Ash said as he took a blindfold out from his pocket. "Mind if I go first, bud?"

Lucario nodded and Ash made his way to the logs' would-be path as he finished tying the white cloth around his eyes.

"Let's see if I still remember how to do this…"

Taking a deep breath, Ash held his arms in front of his body as he focused on his aura. Being a bit inexperienced, Ash could just barely detect the logs' presence. As he warmed up his power, Lucario and Pidgeot could see the small orbs from Ash's gloves glow a faint blue, indicating his aura activating. Despite the small essence of power, Pidgeot couldn't help but let his beak drop upon seeing his trainer emit such an impressive power while Lucario kept a focused glance.

Unlike Pidgeot, he knew of his trainer's aura capabilities, having to have sensed them before he even hatched years ago, but now it was the time for the two to finally reach their auras' greatest potential.

"Alright, ready!" Ash called out, causing Mew to begin swinging the logs in a controlled manner.

Despite the decreased momentum, Ash could only dodge the logs for a few seconds until he got conked in the back of the head, sending him towards the ground. On impact, Mew immediately halted the logs and rested them back on the tree branches before joining Pidgeot and Lucario in checking on the downed trainer.

"Oowww…" Ash moaned as he lifted himself off the ground, rubbing the spot where the log got him afterwards.

"Heh, at least I got a few seconds in."

Sprinkling mystical healing droplets on Ash's head, Mew used Life Dew to help soothe the pain while Pidgeot nuzzled his trainer comfortably, who also took off the blindfold as he got back on his feet.

"Wanna give it a try, Lucario?" Ash asked the jackal in question, who nodded in response before taking the blindfold and wrapping it around his eyes as he and Mew took their positions.

After receiving an audio cue, Mew lightly swung around the logs for Lucario to dodge. Unfortunately, since the young fighter was more accustomed in using his aura for combat, rather than detection, he lasted no longer than his trainer, as evident when a log got him by the forehead so hard, it caused the blindfold to fly right off his head. Mew stopped the logs once again and Ash quickly ran to Lucario's side to help him up. Mew flew back down to perform Life Dew, and while a bit concerned himself, Pidgeot couldn't help but sneak a silent snicker from Lucario's failure.

"You alright, pal?"

The only response Lucario could give was a weak growl until Life Few finished its healing effects, granting Lucario his conscious back and allowing him to break free of his trainer's grip, not wanting to be seen as weak in front of a legendary Pokemon. (which made Pidgeot roll his eyes in the background)

"Guess we're both coming off to a rough start, huh?" Ash asked Lucario, who only turned away with crossed eyes and a stubborn grunt. The two were then met with the innocent eyes that were Mew's.

"Meeew?"

"Oh, no need to worry about us, Mew. We're just getting started, and if there's one thing I tell all of my Pokemon for training is that to never give up until it's over!" (that was certainly something Lucario could agree upon, remembering the time they first fought Sirfetch'd as a wild Farfetch'd in Wyndon when Ash cheered for the both of them to keep going)

With that said, Ash and Lucario spent the rest of the day taking turns, non-stop, in dodging logs. By the time the two needed a lunch-berry break, they both were able to reach about 15 seconds of dodging the slowed down logs before getting knocked down by one. After lunch was over, Ash insisted to Mew to stop slowing down the logs in order to make things more challenging for him and Lucario. While hesitant at first, not wanting to hurt its friends, Mew complied. At first, Ash and Lucario could only go about 4 to 6 seconds without Mew's handicap, but after hours of determination, the two were able to go on for half a minute before switching. This was because as time passed, Ash and Lucario learned that, in order to enable perfect detection, one must focus on their senses rather than the thought of, well, getting whacked on the head by a log, no matter how painful it could be.

As the sun started to set, Ash and Lucario decided to have one more trial before heading back to the palace. After refreshing themselves with some water from a nearby lake, Ash went up first as Lucario and Pidgeot watched. When Mew had the logs going, Ash was able to detect every single proficiently with his aura as he dodged and dodged for at least 3 minutes until he grew tired. After passing over the blindfold to Lucario, Ash sat and leaned his head back on Pidgeot's soft, feathery body, who comfortably nuzzled his fatigued trainer as his canine comrade started his final trial. Much like Ash, Lucario utilized his exercised aura to dodge every swing for 3 minutes when he got exhausted, evident by his constant panting after jumping away from the logs' path.

"Wanna call it a day, pal?" Ash asked the jackal, who, in response, gathered his breath to look up towards his trainer and give a nod. "Awesome, then. Hmmm, but how are we gonna show the results of our training?"

Hearing that, Mew plucked a nearby Time Flower, one different from one that showcased Aaron's training. As proof, Mew used its aura to activate it, showing a brief holographic projection of Ash and Lucario's final trial of log dodging. Once enough footage was shown, Mew placed the plant in Ash's hands for the queen.

"Yeah, this could work. Thanks, Mew! And thank you very much for training us! It seriously means a lot."

Mew happily nuzzled Ash's cheek in response to his gratitude before it suddenly teleported away, presumably to get things ready for tomorrow. Ash and Lucario, on the other hand, saddled themselves onto Pidgeot's back before the large avian took off back to the palace. When they made it back to the royal establishment, Ash was immediately greeted by his beloved Pikachu running up to him for a hug before they all went into the throne room to show off their progress to Rota's benevolent ruler. When they got to the throne room, however, they found it slightly crowded with many other palace workers, apparently interested to see what the upcoming Aura Guardians could do.

"Should've told Ilene that Lucario hates being in crowds." Ash thought to himself as he made his way to the queen while also glancing a bit towards the canine, who predictably looked a bit flustered.

Upon greeting Queen Ilene, Ash took out the plucked Time Flower to show her and the palace subjects the recorded evidence of his training and Lucario's. While the two didn't really think much of it themselves, once the flower finished its work, a round of applause occurred from the audience.

"Three minutes, huh?" Ilene started. "For your first day, that is incredibly remarkable."

"But most highly-trained guardians are able to last up to ten minutes." Jenny added in. Not like she was intentionally trying to bring down Ash and Lucario, just passively telling them that there are feats possible to achieve if they just keep trying.

After getting served dinner and hitting the showers, Ash instantly dove down on his guest bed once nighttime had struck, with Pikachu following in pursuit and Lucario heading to his preferred spot on the balcony.

The Next Week

Ash and Lucario spent the rest of the week dodging logs until they came at least to mastering the technique. In the morning of the following morning, Ash and his mons were served delectable crepes for breakfast. While Ash and Pikachu had their fill and Lucario fed on simple biscuits (not being a fan of sweets), Pidgeot stuffed himself in a manner that could make even Snorlax proud. Because of that, however, he was unable to ferry Ash and Lucario across the skies for today, so Pikachu volunteered to go with his trainer instead.

After Jenny and Ilene promised to watch over Pidgeot while Ash was gone, Mew arrived in time and, after seeing the decommissioned bird, teleported Ash and his Pokemon to their training spot for the day. And where would that spot be exactly? The Tree of Beginning.

"Whoa! Mew, is this what I think it is?"

Mew affirmly nodded before it started to fly around the general area, revealing several kinds of Pokemon enjoying the peaceful life the tree's lakes, rivers, and valleys had to offer. As Ash and Pikachu reminisced on the family locale, Lucario took his time to absorb the wondrous aura with awe. The place was… beautiful, to say the least. Even fossil Pokemon managed to make a sustainable living in the tree's environment. Remembering their training, Lucario broke out of his stupor in order to lightly tap Ash on the arm, gaining his attention.

"Oh, right, our training. So, Mew?" The psychic-type floated back to Ash's level. "What would be our tasks for today?"

The Tree of Beginning's guardian made a beckoning motion and flew straight ahead of the group. Getting the idea, Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario followed Mew into a miniature woods where they found a pack of Sableye, led by a shiny Sableye, terrorizing a group of Nidoran and stealing their fruit. Upon noticing Ash and his Pokemon, the pack quickly went into defensive positions as one of the members hid in a tree with all of the Nidorans' stolen food.

"Mew, have these Sableye been scaring everyone?"

Instead of allowing Mew to answer for itself, the pack leader suddenly used Shadow Claw on some nearby trees, tearing down the bark to trap the already-frightened Nidoran.

"Hey!" Ash called out. "Leave them alone! And don't you dare harm anything in the Tree of Beginning!"

Taking Ash's defiance as a gesture for war, the entire pack of Sableye suddenly dispersed all around the area, almost like a pack of ninjas. Pikachu defensively jumped off his trainer's shoulder to take care of the threat himself before he was halted by Lucario.

"Sorry, buddy, but Lucario's right. I know you want to defend the tree as much as I do, but Lucario and I must complete our training."

While a little miffed, Pikachu understood their reasoning and stood back as Ash and Lucario ran forward to confront the Sableye. Taking cautious poses, Ash and Lucario kept their eyes glued on the surrounding ghost-dark types.

"Let's put last week's training to the test." "Rah!"

Ash and Lucario closed their eyes, allowing their senses to detect the Sableyes' essences alone without any outside distraction. In a bullet time motion, Ash detected a Sableye lashing out for them from behind.

"Bone Rush!"

Without needing his trainer to direct him, Lucario used his aura to create a bone-shaped staff to strike down the Sableye behind them in time. Seeing one of their comrades taken out made the pack more aggressive, but Ash and Lucario remained vigilant as they dodged their attacks and countered back with Lucario's Bone Rush. Both Pikachu and Mew watched in awe as the two guardians in-training took care of the pack, eventually leaving the shiny leader as the last one standing.

"Please," Ash started, "we don't want to hurt your pack even more. Just give the Nidoran back their food and stop harming the tree."

Ash slowly edged towards the Sableye with his hands up in a harmless manner as Lucario made the Bone Rush staff disappear. The shiny prankster snarled at the raven-haired human as he emitted a dark aura from his claws with Shadow Claw, but Ash wasn't scared. Instead, when he got close enough, Ash kneeled down and subtly beckoned the aggressive midget to come closer. The Sableye took a single step back, so Ash extended his arms out in a comforting manner, lightly feeling his hands on the prankster's head and left arm.

"If you just need a home, little buddy, don't be afraid to tell us. I'm sure Mew will be more than happy to welcome you and your friends here. As of now, please know that we're not gonna hurt your friends anymore and we just want to help you guys in whatever we can."

Taking in the human's words, the Sableye ceased its growling with a surprised widen in its

gem-built eyes. Turning its head towards Lucario, it saw the jackal give a silent, but stern nod in agreement to what his trainer just said, before turning back to Ash to see his calm and understanding smile.

"Feel all better?"

The shiny leader nodded before leaping backwards to give Mew a thumbs-up. On cue, Mew flew around the area to sprinkle Life Dew on the downed pack members, who all then proceeded to help repair the damages done to the nearby trees while the Nidoran jumped out of their caged area. The one Sableye who took all the food hopped down from its hiding place to give back what they supposedly stole and the Nidoran happily conversed with the Sableye afterward, as if there was never any ill intention between the two factions in the first place.

Putting the pieces together, Ash and Lucario learned what this all meant. "Hold on a second…this was all a test?''

Hearing Ash's query, Mew floated down in front of his face to give a nod.

"So the Sableye were never a real threat to the Tree of Beginning, you just had them test out our aura detection… and our ability to de-escalate a situation whenever possible, right?"

Mew nodded again and it flew down to pluck a nearby Time Flower for Ash to show Queen Ilene when they got back. Ash pocketed away the magical plant as he found Pikachu and Lucario back on his side.

"And not even a scratch on us. Guess we're really getting the hand of this, huh, Lucario?"

But Lucario didn't respond. He was too focused on the tree's aura. There was a certain spot somewhere in the whole landscape that was calling out to him.

"Lucario?"

Now hearing his trainer, Lucario broke out of his little trance to nod towards his trainer. Pikachu, meanwhile, gave a happy "Pika!" to his trainer and teammate, congratulating them for doing such an awesome thing.

"Thanks, buddy!" Ash said as he lightly stroked Pikachu's chin with his finger.

Wanting to explore more of the tree, Lucario was about to get his trainer's attention, but then Mew teleported them all back to the palace before he even got the chance. Still, Lucario looked back at the tree from the horizons. Someday, he will find the spot that was calling out to him.

While the castle's residents were a bit surprised to see Ash and Lucario arrive so soon, they were utmost impressed to see the Time Flower show the two flawlessly dodge attacks from a bunch of speedy Sableye before Lucario managed to pin down all the members for Ash to talk and comfort the leader. Ash revealed that it was actually a setup by Mew, which came to no surprise to Queen Ilene, who reminded him that Mew prefers to work in mysterious ways.

As weeks passed, Ash and Lucario continued to hone their aura powers under Mew's guidance and Pikachu and Pidgeot's support. Detection, limited clairvoyance, energy harnessing, all the basics. There were a few visits to the Tree of Beginning here and there, but every time Lucario tried to beckon his trainer to help him find the area that was calling out to him, Mew teleported them back to the palace before he could even get the chance. He knew the psychic-type wasn't doing this on purpose, but Arceus, was it driving him insane. Later down the month, Mew had led Ash, Lucario, Pikachu, and Pidgeot to the bottom of a waterfall and a Time Flower featuring another previous training session of Sir Aaron indicated that today's lesson would be telepathy. Needless to say, Ash was beyond stoked for this one. To finally be able to understand Pokemon? Who would say no to that? Lucario was also looking forward to this lesson. While being able to communicate with humans would be beneficial for his pride, mastering this technique would allow him to finally tell his trainer that there is an area in the Tree of Beginning that they need to check out.

Following what Aaron and his student did, Ash and Lucario sat on top of two rocks below the waterfall, faced each other, and joined hands, intending to focus only on each other rather than the raging water falling on their heads. As their focus grew tighter and tighter, the orbs from Ash's gloves started glowing again and Lucario's feelers began to rise. To Pikachu and Pidgeot, the entire process took minutes, but Ash and Lucario hardly thought about time. Soon enough, Ash suddenly heard a voice in his head… "Ash…"

It was a deep, husky voice. One shared with his Lucario, but Ash kept his focus. This only meant that their telepathy was getting stronger, so they had to keep this up. Few minutes later,

Lucario heard Ash's voice, but not through his ears…

"Lucario, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Ash. It seems our telepathy is finally unlocking itself."

"Seems awesome, eh? Let's freak out people now!''

"Ash, focus."

"Oh, right. Let's keep this up for a few more minutes and see where we end up afterwards."

So the human and canine kept their hands locked as they continued to focus their aura in a mental capacity. After what seemed like an hour, both Ash and Lucario suddenly let go of each other as they plopped down in the water. Thankfully, the river didn't have enough intensity to sweep the two away, but Mew, Pikachu, and Pidgeot still hurried over to them to make sure they were okay.

"Pikapi! Pikachu?" Pikachu questioned as he and Pidgeot helped Ash back on land as Mew did the same for Lucario.

"Yeah, buddy. We're alright. Thanks for the hand."

And that's when Ash realized he just understood his little buddy perfectly.

"...Wait a minute. Say, Pikachu, random question, but do you have any cravings right now?"

"Pika-pikachu?"

"...So you would like some ketchup next time we return to the palace?"

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed with a nod.

Ash couldn't believe it. He was actually communicating with his Pokemon. Wanting more confirmation, Ash turned to Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot, what is one of your proudest battles?" "Pidgeo-pidgeoo."

"You just thought of that one Fearow, right?"

Pidgeot nodded to Ash's question, fully confirming to him that he had mastered telepathy. "Aw man, his is awesome! Lucario, can you believe this?"

"Yes, I can." the jackal spoke out through telepathy. Pikachu and Pidgeot nearly fell to the ground upon hearing Lucario emit perfect english through his mind.

"Though, if I had to be honest, if you told me as a Riolu that I would be able to perfectly communicate with humans when I evolved, I never would've believed you."

Ash could sense a bit of awkwardness from Lucario's aura as he said that. He was trying to keep his pride in-stake, but deep down, even he was surprised that he can now achieve telepathy and was trying to find the right words to say to his trainer, whom he could now speak directly to.

"Mew," Ash said, turning to the psychic-type. "Thank you so much for helping us accomplish this."

"Mew-mew!" the adorable critter responded, with Ash easily translated as a "my pleasure", thanks to his newfound ability. The others at home are not gonna believe this.

For the rest of the day, Ash and Lucario used their telepathy to communicate with random wild Pokemon and helped them out in any issue they could be having before it was time to head back to the palace. With a plucked Time Flower, Ash showed Queen Ilene and her subjects the results of Mew's training, and to add in further proof, Lucario stepped forward and kneeled before the queen as he activated his telepathy.

"My queen, since I am now able to communicate with humans, I must thank you for allowing my trainer and I the opportunity to train under your palace. We are forever in your debt."

Hearing Ash's Lucario speak slightly made Ilene a bit nostalgic, being reminded of the Lucario who trained under the palace before him.

"Lucario, I appreciate your gratitude, but there is no need to be so formal. I just wish to continue to support you and your trainer for as long time can tell."

"Thank you, my queen."

Later that night, Ash and Pikachu were about to go to sleep, but Lucario stopped them in time to finally ask Ash about the Tree of Beginning.

"Ash," Lucario started, still feeling a little awkward being able to communicate with his trainer like this. "Tomorrow for our training, do you think you can convince Mew to take us back to the TreeofBeginning?Everytimewe'rethere,Ifeellikethere'saroominthattreethat'sjustcalling out to me. I don't know why, but I just got toknow."

"Hey, sure thing, pal. I'm sure Mew won't mind a bit."

"Alright. Thanks, Ash."

Lucario then started to make his way to his usual spot on the balcony. Now with the ability to understand Pokemon, Ash took the time to question Lucario.

"Hey, Lucario. Why don't you want to sleep with me and Pikachu? Not saying you have to, but the bed is probably much more comfortable than some stoney balcony. Don't you want to at least sleep someplace new for a change?"

With a sigh, Lucario answered with, "Ash, you should know by now that I am far beyond my days as a Riolu. I've grown to be wiser, more mature, as well as more independent. So as my trainer, I request for you to please respect that."

"Of course I respect that, buddy. I always have. Ever since you hatched and, well, tried to take down a giant Onix by yourself, I knew you were a Pokemon with a strong heart and ambition. One that would never give up and, even when alone, would face even the strongest of challengers without even a hint of fear. As I told Sir Aaron's Lucario, I would never think of myself as a master to my Pokemon. You guys are all my friends and I just want what's best for you. That's why I'm offering you to sleep with me and Pikachu. Because we're all friends, and that's also why I'm always okay with your choice. I would never try to demean any of you."

"Then let's just get some sleep, okay?"

And with that said, Lucario walked out to the balcony to fall asleep. Following the jackal's orders, Ash fell asleep as well. Pikachu, on the other hand, stared at Lucario with a concerned look for a bit. It was times like this where he missed the young, friendly Riolu Lucario once was. Incredibly social and always looking for a time to play around. But now, due to Lucario's obsession for becoming the greatest he can possibly be, he was starting to lose sight of what really mattered between a trainer and Pokemon. As he gave in to his drowsiness, Pikachu hoped in his mind for Lucario to someday remember what a true trainer-Pokemon bond is.

The Next Day

After breakfast was served, Mew arrived in time, but before it could teleport Ash and his mons away, Ash requested if they could go to the Tree of Beginning, telling them there was a spot Lucario felt intrigued to find.

Ever the easygoing-spirit, Mew did just that, teleporting Ash, Lucario, Pikachu, and Pidgeot to its personal play area, where they were instantly greeted by a Bonsly, the same one who accompanied Ash and his friends in their first trip to the tree years ago.

Before any introductions could be made, Lucario felt the aura of the area he needed to look for resonate, so he swiftly followed the trail with his friends behind him. Soon enough, Lucario soon found himself leading them all in the very core of the tree; a room containing a giant crystal with a large pillar of light on top of it.

"What… is this place?" Lucario questioned as everyone else caught up to him. Strangely, he felt a hint of sadness from Ash, Pikachu, and Mew as they arrived.

"Lucario…" Ash slowly began, "this room is the very core of the Tree of Beginning. Essentially, this is where the tree's heart is. One thing I think is fair for you to know is that…" Ash slightly trailed, a tear sliding down from his eye. "This is where Sir Aaron passed away, as well as Lucario afterwards."

Near the giant crystal, Ash saw a Time Flower, so he decided the best way to give Lucario the full story was for him to see it for himself. Walking ahead, Ash placed his hand on Lucario's back in a comforting manner as he led him to the Time Flower. Crouching down, Ash activated the plant with his aura, causing the petals to open and the events of Sir Aaron's death to replay right in front of their eyes.

Inside the dying tree, Sir Aaron lurked around the core, in search of the tree's guardian. "Where are you? Mew?"

As if on cue, caws of Ho-oh were heard from above, causing the guardian to look up to see the legendary Johto bird descend down from a hole on the ceiling, only to then transform back to its original form of Mew, who then floated down to the visitor's level.

"Mew, I've realized that you and this tree are one. Please, take the power of my aura to save the people!"

"Mew?"

"Now!" Aaron yelled as a sphere of aura emerged from his palm. "Accept the aura! The power of aura will prevail!"

With that one final shout of defiance against fate, Sir Aaron's had his aura sphere completely engulf Mew, rejuvenating their energy and restoring the tree, at the cost of his own life, which is when the Time Flower ended its footage. However, Lucario, wanting to see more, quickly tapped the flower with his own aura when the petals closed. This time, it replayed Lucario's death, the whole thing…

And the whole reenactment astonished Lucario. From seeing Mew in a much weaker state than it was in the previous flashback, to seeing Ash put on Sir Aaron's gloves to help Lucario rejuvenate Mew with their aura, to seeing the effects of aura transfer taking its toll on Ash and Lucario before the latter pushed the former out of the way in time to spare his life, albeit at the cost of his own. While both Mew and the tree were restored to full health, Lucario soon succumbed to his sacrificed aura as he fell down against the giant crystal, right next to where Sir Aaron had died before him, and that was when a Time Flower showed Lucario his teacher in his final moments, learning of why he was sealed in the staff and how much of a friend he meant to him.

And it was honestly like something Ash would say….

With the truth of Sir Aaron's death revealed, Lucario was in tears, but Ash came in to comfort the dying jackal, assuring him that he was a true guardian of aura like Aaron. With his final words, Lucario departed with a smile and his paw in Ash's hands, dying right in front of him as his and Aaron's spirits took off for the afterlife.

The second recording ended after that. Needless to say, Lucario was speechless, but he still managed to look around to see Ash, Pikachu, and Mew sad as well, distraught to have

re-witnessed the passing of someone who was such a dear friend to them. Even Pidgeot,

someone who wasn't present with Ash during his first time at the Tree of Beginning, had some tears streaming from his eyes after witnessing Sir Aaron and Lucario's noble and heartfelt sacrifices. Lucario then turned his head back to the giant crystal and then the pillar of light above it. He now knew why his aura was telling him to go to this place. As he stared agape, Lucario felt Ash's comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Like I said at the palace, Lucario and Sir Aaron are heroes. We owe it as much to them to do our best to fill their legacy as protectors of Pokemon."

"Right… Let's…. Resume our training."

For the rest of the day, Lucario couldn't take his mind off of what he witnessed from the Time Flower. Sir Aaron and Lucario… they were more than just teacher and student. They were friends. Additionally, seeing Lucario witness Aaron's last words before dying next to Ash's side, it really struck a nerve in Lucario, especially considering how similar Aaron's way of speaking was to Ash and that the voice of his student Lucario sounded a lot like his own. While he still performed his usual best during his and Ash's training routines, the whole thing still couldn't leave Lucario's mind.

XXX

Later that evening, on the balcony of the guest room, Lucario stayed awake as he stared off towards the moon above. He wanted to sleep, but even still, the memory of Sir Aaron and Lucario's deaths couldn't escape his brain. After letting out a frustrated sigh, Lucario decided to fight against his thoughts in order to finally get some sleep.

"I can't keep my mind on this. I need to sleep."

Laying on his side and using his arms as a pillow, Lucario closed his eyes so that he could sleep. After some mental battles, Lucario finally dozed off…

That was until he found himself back at the Tree of Beginning, surrounded by fog. Realizing his changed location, Lucario jumped to his feet to investigate.

"What in the… Why am I here?!"

Using his aura, Lucario closed his eyes to traverse through the fog, easily jumping over large gaps until he found his way into a corridor. Before he could enter, he suddenly found Pidgeot at his side, looking away.

"Pidgeot, you're here too? Where is everyone else?"

But Pidgeot did not answer. Instead, he just turned his head a little to face Lucario in the eyes, revealing a heavily distraught look on the bird's face before he took off. Reading his aura, Lucario could tell something was wrong, but he didn't feel like telling.

"Pidgeot, wait! What's wrong?"

But the bird disappeared from sight. Deciding to move forward, Lucario ran through the corridor, hoping to find some answers on why he was back at the tree. In a process that almost seemed like forever, Lucario soon incidentally found himself at the tree's core. As he entered, Mew suddenly flew right past him, paws right over its ears.

"Mew! What's wrong? Did something happen to the tree?"

The legendary psychic paused in its path before it turned to Lucario. The only thing Mew telepathically said to Lucario was "I'm sorry…" before it flew away again.

"Sorry? For what?"

Now wanting answers, Lucario continued forward to find a grieving Pikachu next to the giant crystal. Lucario gasped at the sight of his weeping friend, so he quickly rushed to his side.

"Pikachu! What's wrong? What's going on here?"

But Pikachu didn't need to answer, as when Lucario looked at what was in front of Pikachu, he saw the reason why everyone was weeping: Ash Ketchum, dead, in a crystallized state.

"A-Ash?!"

The jackal fell to his knees at the sight of his deceased trainer. The one who hatched him as a Riolu, the one who he established a connection of aura with, the one who trained him to fight strong opponents, the one he evolved for to defend from Chairman Rose, was dead.

"N-n-no!Th-thiscan'tbehappening!HOWDIDTHISHAPPEN?!Ashis…gone..."

And then all of a sudden, a Time Flower appeared right next to Ash's body and Lucario frantically tapped it to get some answers. What he saw, though, absolutely crushed him.

Ash was seen engulfing Mew in a giant sphere of aura. The tree was dying, and so was Mew, so a sacrifice had to be made. Unfortunately, with the lifeforce of his aura gone, Ash had no choice but to fall back, incredibly weakened. Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Mew cried out in despair, but Ash, after some struggling, managed to keep a smile on his face, pleased to have been able to save the lives of Rota.

"Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Mew, please don't cry. I'm just glad… that… the lives of all the humans and Pokemon of Rota could be saved…"

"Pikapi…" "Pidgeo…"

"Pikachu, you will always be my best friend… Please don't forget that… And Pidgeot…. For one final request, could you go back home to Mt. Silver and tell everyone that I love each and every one of them and I will never forget them…"

That was when Ash noticed a Time Flower right next to him. After mustering the strength, Ash gave one last message.

"Lucario… If you're seeing this, then I want to let you know that I love you and, well, heheh, that's why I didn't tell you about the tree. During the night, Mew fell dreadfully ill which made both them and tree close to death, so that's why I stepped up and didn't tell you. I couldn't bear the thought of you and any one of my Pokemon dying…. You guys are my friends, I want you all to live your lives however you please…. Lucario, even though I never figured if you considered me a friend back or not, just know that I will always love you and I hope you can achieve your goals, even without me… Goodbye, my friend. Hope to… see you again someday…"

And with that said, the Time Flower closed its petals, leaving Lucario a distraught mess.

"N-n-no! This can't be happening!"

Lucario then threw himself at Ash's body, hugging it tightly.

"Ash! Don't leave me! I love you, too! I'm sorry I was too stupid enough to never show it! You're more than my trainer or teacher, you're my friend! My parent! Just, please, come back…"

Lucario then suddenly popped his eyes back open, seeing himself back on the balcony.

"It was… just a nightmare…"

A dream, yes. Albeit, one that left tears streaming from his eyes. Lucario then frantically turned around to see Ash, still alive and well, sound asleep on his bed with Pikachu. Eternally grateful to see him alive again, Lucario ran inside to pounce on the bed and hug Ash tightly, waking both him and Pikachu up.

"Whoa! Lucario, are you okay?"

"Ash, Ash!" Lucario wept as he kept his arms around his beloved trainer. "I'm sorry for always being such a jerk to you and the others! I'm sorry for never accepting your friendship after evolving! Please, please, please know that you will always be my best friend! No, my father! Just please, never leave me!"

"Lucario…"

Ash then sat both himself and Lucario up as he kept a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I… I had a nightmare. And in it… I saw you die."

"What?"

"Yes. But worst of all, you died not knowing how much I reciprocate your friendship. Ash, I'm sorry. Ever since I evolved years ago, I've always been obsessed with becoming stronger and that always blinded me to what's truly important. You are my friend, Ash. And not just that, you're my parent, too."

With almost an endless river of tears, Lucario hugged Ash's torso, sniveling as the thought of Ash leaving him still lingered in his mind. That was when Ash and Pikachu hugged him back.

"Don't worry, buddy. I always knew you felt that way. And know that, no matter, I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks, Ash."

"Heheh, alright, pal."

In each other's warm embrace, Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario slept peacefully for the rest of the night, with Lucario's bond with Ash now fully reestablished.

For the next month, Ash and Lucario continued their aura training until it was time for their final test. Before then, the two worked perfectly together, with Lucario enjoying his time with Ash more. He even happily took part in fun breaks, like splashing Ash at a hot spring or playing tag with Pikachu, Mew, and Bonsly at the Tree of Beginning.

When it was time for their final test, Ash and Lucario stood at the Cameran Palace courtyard with almost all of Rota watching them. Hand-to-hand, Ash and Lucario formed a giant Aura Sphere over their heads before launching it into the air, causing it to explode in a fireworks-like display. The entire kingdom applauded the two and Queen Ilene then recognized them as

fully-realized Aura Guardians. Excited for finally achieving this dream, Ash and Lucario quickly went into a hug before being joined by Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Mew, who was secretly watching the whole thing.

After one final feast, Ash and his mons said their goodbyes to the Kingdom of Rota before returning home to Mt. Silver. Upon arriving back, Ash was instantly crushed by the weight of all his Pokemon while being casually greeted by Henry, amid the broken bones. Ash kept his Aura Guardian outfit, albeit, keeping it safe in his closet and only wearing it when the situation required it. And Lucario, despite his experiences, still felt a bit shy interacting with any Pokemon of Ash who he did not travel with during Ash's time working with Professor Cerise. While he did manage to become closer to Pidgeot, who usually tries to convince other mons that Lucario's not that bad anymore, he didn't couldn't muster up the courage to become directly more social, even with Ash and Pikachu's support.'

---

Flashback Ends

As he heard Ash wrap up the story from inside the house, Lucario looked down with a saddened glance. Even after all these years, even becoming an Aura Guardian, Lucario still didn't feel whole. And that's when he realized the reason why: he needs to get over his social shyness. As Pidgeot has told him, he must learn to spread his wings and get out there more. Talk to people. Be more interactive. Feel like a Riolu again.

Lucario then broke out of his thoughts when he heard Ash step outside. "Hey, sorry for getting you all riled up in there. But they were just fascinated. You can't blame them can you?"

"Yes, I do. Sorry about that. It's just that, well, you know…"

"No problem, man. I totally understand. Leave May and my mom, kill the rest." Ash joked. "But now let's get back inside. They are waiting for you."

Pikachu jumped back up on his trainer's shoulder and Lucario got up and followed Ash back inside the house, seeing his mom and friends still there. At this point, Lucario had finished up what he could eat on his apple, so with the utmost courtesy, he tossed it away in the closet trash can.

"Oh, Lucario!" said Delia. "We're dreadfully sorry for getting in your space, earlier!"

"Yeah, it's just not everyday we see a talking Pokemon. Well, not anymore." May added in, remembering Team Rocket's Meowth.

"N-no. I'm the one who should be sorry." Lucario admitted, stepping forward before turning to Delia and then everyone else as he spoke. "Your Ash's mother and the rest of you are some of his closest friends. As his Pokemon, I should be friendlier around you guys. I am truthfully sorry."

"Hey, no sweat, Lucario!" supported Tracey. "Do you think I could still get a sketch of you sometime?"

Lucario blinked, surprised. Switching a glance with Ash, Lucario smiled after Ash's nod of approval., Lucario replied "Of course."

"Could you sketch me and him in Jedi costumes?''

"hh…Sure" Tracey sweatdropped.

Ash then heard a call outside, so he went back out to see his Pokemon assembled, now ready for some training. Dragonite and Dracovish usually the merry ones, today put a face of fierce determination. Pidgeot cawed spreading his wings, and Tyranitar grunted. Rallied by his Pokemons' spirit, Ash, with Pikachu and Lucario at his side, stood among them with pride.

"Alright, guys. In a few days, we will be facing off against Lance, the dragon master of Kanto. It's gonna be one of our hardest battles yet, but I know with our teamwork and training combined, we will win! So who's ready to train?!"

At the end of his speech, Ash raised a fist to the air and was instantly joined by cries from Pikachu and the others, also raising their fists, beyond excited for what's to come. Just then, Lucario tapped Ash on the side, gaining his attention.

"Got something to add, Lucario?"

"Kind of. I just wanted to request one thing if it's alright with you."

"Always, bud! Shoot!"

"Well, um, I was thinking after we fight Lance, could I, ummm, well…" Lucario was initially unsure how to get his words out, but when he turned to Pikachu, he saw the mouse give him a nod, his aura basically telling him he knows what he's trying to say. "After our battle against Lance, could I travel with you, May, and Pikachu from here on out on-foot?"

Ash placed a supporting hand on Lucario's shoulder and said, "You want it, you got it, bud!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu added in, happy that Lucario has finally made that decision.

"Thank you, you two. Now, let's get ready to kick Lance's ass!" rallied Lucario as he threw a fist to the air, just as his trainer did.

Shock registered on Ash's and Pikachu's faces alike… "Lucario, what did you just do?''

A shadow loomed over Ash, Pikachu and Lucario who instantly felt chills down their spine. The auburn haired matriarch stood vastly behind the three trembling males.

"Well, Lucario…you are new, but we got some ground rules…you don't speak of that word again, will you?''

"raw…Sorry"

"But the question is…" Delia directed her deadly gaze at her son, and whispered in his ears. ''Who do you think taught Lucario that word, Ash?''

Afraid, the mouse already pointed his finger at Ash before scurrying off, leaving his trainer flabbergasted on his betrayal.

"It was Serena….'' Ash lied.

"Oh yeah?'' The matriarch poked her son's cheek with a fingernail, sliding it down to his throat.

"Well your socializing wasn't a welcome wagon, Lucario…" Brock chuckled, raising both his arms.

"Looks like telepathy may have its own disadvantages…" Max chuckled.

"So who's gonna put the dollar in the swear jar?'' Misty added.

The gang and the Pokemon ended up Laughing at Lucario and Ash's mishap At first, Ash's other Pokemon were unsure of what just happened. Not only was Lucario being extraverted for once, but he was actually being… fun! But after receiving an instant supportive cry from Pikachu, all the other Pokemon joined in as well. And Ash couldn't be any more prouder.

---

Well Blaze, I hope this was bullseye and you are satisfied with it. Thank you for such a great idea that was added to my story. Please let me know if you have more in your arsenal, so that this partnership continues.

Anyway, you all know the next chapter is going to about a titanic clash between Lance and Ash. And I already leaked out four contenders from Ash's side. Lucario already had his battle so he won't be faring against Lance's dragons. He already got his light, and now I am wanting to debut Dracovish in the story. Originally I had planned him for Roark, but after seeing his abilities I want him to be a part of the final match. Original gang and new faces will be introduced in the next chapter. And I am gonna make it explosive like the best battle ever. Dragons and dragons…It's gonna be chaos, believe that!

Speaking of dragons, Episode 65 was mind blowing, seriously I was blown over, like this is once in a series kind of episode. Huge respect to Dragonite and Dracovish alike. Who would have thought that Iris would spread anticipation like craze. She's the Unova Champion, and she's deserving, although…Alder did seem weak. Funny how it turned out. Iris doesn't enter the league. Trainers under two dragon experts, and dethrones Alder. Kinda backstabbing move but she deserves it. Ash ends up in Quarter finals in Unova League and years later, defeats the strongest trainer in Unova.

But aside from Misty and May, only she can give a tough competition to Ash. And our hero is so modest, he doesn't even disclose he's the Alola Region's Champion, like that no longer exists just like Sage of Six Paths Senjutsu. Other wise, Unova doesn't use Megas or Z Crystals. Dragonite and Dracovish are equal brawlers. Had Dracovish had arms, He would have been faster, but the strength in his jaws and legs make up for the missing limbs. To knock out a Champion's Pokemon after being resurrected is a feat of heroes. And for Dragonite, respect! Draco Meteor in the last minute and Haxorus was toast! Although I really wished he hadn't forgotten Hyper Beam. It's an awesome move.

And for Dracovish, he may get his spotlight someday. The first thing that should be replaced is that pathetic Water Gun with Dragon Pulse. With a dragon STAB like Dragon Pulse, Fishious Rend, Ice Fang and a stat move…Dracovish will be a tank.

And seems we have long time before that. We still have to watch Goh adding up his roster, Stripping the freedom of common Pokemon, chase his dumb dream. When he catches Pokemon for absolute no reason, it makes me think that Ghetsis really had a point. And if this guy ends up catching Moltres, I would hate the series….

Anyway, see you next week.

Thank You.