I don't have to understand what his title means or even know his name to recognize the authority he has here. The curiosity that came with our arrival should've worn off not long after: Instead, everyone keeps their eyes on our group, waiting to see how the leader responds. If I thought we'd get this much attention, I might've fought against coming here a bit more than I already did at the start.

However, just like how the news about our trip here largely braced Zen in advance, this Lucario seems relatively unfazed. He looks a little stunned by us at first, but recomposes himself, dipping his head in greeting. "You must be Ri and Lira then," he has a friendly, if clear-cut, way of speaking, "I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect when we learned you were coming. You seem like pretty good kids though, so welcome!"

Against my worst nerves, I manage a stiff nod back, "It's nice to finally be here…"

Meanwhile, I can feel the tension oozing from my partner. He holds his Relic Fragment tightly, unable to meet anyone's eyes even as his own shine with awe. It takes me back to the very start of our adventures, him wearing a similar expression as we walked to the Guild together for the first time. So much so, in fact, that it's as if all of our shared experience was suddenly wiped from his mind.

He mutters, almost echoing my words exactly, "It's nice to meet you!"

A hand on his hip, Zen laughs loudly and claps Ri on the back, "Come on! I know we're impressive, but your auras aren't anything to sneeze at either. Don't act so shy!"

Easier said than done. With a bit of focus, I notice it too as Alpha orders the others to resume their training—the subtle, yet strong ripples of aura that emanate from them. I haven't had the chance to meet many other aura users besides Ri and myself, so I never had much to go by for comparison besides what he told me. Even then, I can tell that they're leagues above us; masters who've spent a lifetime honing their abilities. The tension in my body only starts to leave after the last of those intimidating eyes pull away.

"Zen's right," Alpha smirks, "so you can relax. Besides, I don't think anyone hear can boast about beating a legendary."

Ri's ears tilt bashfully, "You know about that…?"

"About one two of your adventures," he shifts sideways, beckoning us to follow, "and I'd like to hear them in detail, but you two should come with me for now."

A large hand falls on my head as Zen moves directly behind me, "I'd like to come too, if you'd allow it. This one here's a lot closer to us than by strength alone…" He continues softly, "She's Iliana's kid."

The lingering disbelief in his voice ignites in the Alpha's stare. I bite my lip, feeling like a specimen on display as he tilts his head in confusion before his aura sensors tremble inquisitively. He kneels to my level and I have to reign myself from stepping back. About half a minute passes before he reaches the same, strange truth the former has been working to come to terms with.

A sad chuckle leaves him, "Well… You're at least decade or two away from home, aren't you, pup?"

My nerves flutter back, "It's a long story…"

"I'll bet," he looks down for a second, "Iliana is—was—one of the toughest fighters we had. Everyone thought that she'd join the guard here or go on to teach an even stronger generation of Aura Guardians. When she left…" He shakes his head, glancing at Zen and then forcing a smile, "Well, we weren't too off the mark. Look what kind of Aura Guardian she raised!"

I want to know more, but Alpha stands back up to take the lead of our group before I can ask anything. We start across the training field in the castle's direction. Curious glances fall over us once more as we pass by. As though we could block ourselves from view, Ri and I lean closer together, taking each other by the hand.

Zen stays near my side, "You two will probably be the center of attention for a while. Visitors are pretty rare here, much less with your abilities."

"You mentioned that earlier, but our auras can't be that intense." I won't deny that Ri and I are stronger than the average Riolu there, but that doesn't exactly erase the clear gap between us and them.

"I guess we can't expect you to read into your signatures too deeply since you haven't evolved… It's not just your auras: It's the power that's intertwined with them. Something bright and wholly unique."

"And anyone who can proficiently tap into their aura will be able to feel it," adds Alpha, "I'm afraid you're going to have too many eyes on you to relax. It's better if we let the royal family know you're here and have the word spread, or else people will be on your tails later."

It isn't long before we reach a second, smaller arena upon entering a portion of exterior walls. Here, a group of humans in plain, uniform compression-wear drill through basic exercises. As though to prove his point, I find some of them pause to stare our way just like the Lucario did before.

My partner's face goes blank, "Royal family…?" Aside from maybe the status of legendaries themselves, it's another somewhat foreign concept to most Pokemon in the isolated regions. Still, that lack of knowledge doesn't make him any less anxious.

After my own run-in with nobles in Rota, suddenly having to meet a few more doesn't faze me as much. It's just history's bad habit of repeating itself. What does worry me is how much of an interest they might take in us if the Inheritor's words are anything to go by.

Sensing our combined doubts, he tries to put us at ease, "I already prepared some things after we heard you were coming, and I can do the talking. They just need to see you. It's unusual for Riolu to be at your level without a careful upbringing, so we don't want anyone to misunderstand why you're here."

Given what little we already know about this place, my mind draws to one possible, big misunderstanding. Some people, be they human or Pokemon, might think we're here to stay. Breeders, trainers, another person like Zen who thinks we'll be "right at home" in this place… It might be a paradise, but I wouldn't give up Treasure Town for anywhere else in the world. And I definitely would rather avoid arguing—or possibly fighting—to defend my reasons why.

The layout of the castle prioritizes defense over decoration. Its main features seem to be left over from a distant, harder age. Many of its windows and passages are narrow, remodeled from their original purpose of shielding archers and cornering potential invaders. Nevertheless, there's been enough work done to give it a more comfortable feel and modernize it a bit. The floor is made of a simple, wooden, geometric pattern and lantern pendant lights give the halls a warm glow. Annual and historical photos line the walls.

The castle seems to be strictly divided by each of its conjoined buildings. The first we pass through consists of an armory, weight room, and small barracks. I glance into another that looks like a museum, where some the oldest remnants of the original structure remain intact. There's likely a separate living quarters for the royal family somewhere, but we instead turn down a wing with multiple offices. Since it's a little late in the day, they're pretty empty.

"One more thing," Alpha's expression slightly hardens, as if to stare down an unknown force, "Did you spot any shady characters on the way here?"

He doesn't have to explain further. "You mean from Upsilon?" Ri asks, "They're all over the place…"

"And we take it they're not friends of yours?" I fold my arms across my chest.

"Far from it," he practically growls as his voice gets low, "They've been spying on our kingdom for a long while. The only reason we haven't chased them off yet is because they typically move before we can. A few of them have even managed to hide their auras somehow."

Zen also turns grim, "They've been targeting our cubs for a handful of years…" He seems reluctant to continue, "Alpha here was the first one they nabbed. He was much younger than either of you when he managed to control his aura, and there were a few groups who hunted him down. Team Upsilon was the first. We didn't think we'd hear from them again after he escaped, but they keep getting more persistent."

My partner and I share a look and not long after both Zen and Alpha stop in their tracks. Horrified faces turn our way as our awkward nerves shift into a firm tread. With our strongest emotions practically on full display, there's little we can hide from them even if we wanted to. They don't even have to ask. We both summon each of our favored attacks: My Aura Sphere and his Bone Rush.

The overall collected composures they each held for this long falter. Alpha's tone sharpens, "Did they see you?"

"They attacked us about a week ago…" I confess.

"But I don't think they saw us enter the kingdom," Ri adds, "We made sure to stay away from them."

Zen muses aloud, "If they did see you arrive, they would've tried to stop you. Those grunts wouldn't dare pick a fight close to town if they can help it."

For what little relief this gives us, the leader insists, "It's all the more reason to alert the royal family." He points to Ri, then me. "I'm not so worried about you because I don't think your appearance will stand out to them much, but if word's gotten around, Lira, they'll recognize that mane."

My hair? Although what he says throws me for a second, I immediately know he's right. Of course, there are long-haired Riolu and Lucario, but there shouldn't be many others with a mane like I have. It may as well be a mutation thanks to my original, human genetics. I know it's different, but I never would've thought of it being an actual problem…

"Until the rest of your team gets here or unless someone as strong as Zen or myself is with you, you both should stay inside the borders. Don't take any unnecessary risks." He makes himself calm down enough to offer a grin, "We'll protect you. As long as you're with us, you're as good as our own."

The rest of our trek is relatively quiet after that. We don't have far to go before we reach the last door of the wing, to what I can only describe as a war room. I call it that anyway since its long, singular table reminds me so much of where the Resistance leaders gathered. Instead of being dirty and cluttered with documents though, with a crowd of bickering Pokemon around it, it's starkly clean with only four humans sitting at the far end.

At the head sits a stately man who's short, dark hair has almost turned completely grey. To his right are a man and woman that look more like coworkers than family. Finally, at his left is a small boy enjoying a light snack with a few, scattered toys while the trio of adults talk. As we step through the door, all of them turn our way with wide eyes.

I get the same feeling under their combined stares that I had under those that humans and Lucario gave us outside. To top that off, I recognize all too well the eager look on the child's beaming face as he shifts in his seat toward us. It's the one almost every little kid makes when they see a new Pokemon. Thankfully, Zen shifts in front of my partner and me as if to shield us, giving us a quick wink.

Raising a hand to his chest, Alpha bows to the group. His mouth doesn't move, but his voice emits from him nonetheless, "Pardon the intrusion. The matter is urgent."

I shouldn't have expected anything less, but his sudden use of telepathy stuns me and outright stupefies Ri. It's a rare, hard-to-learn skill that neither of us can even attempt pre-evolution. The humans act as if it's the most natural thing in the world though. The elder cranes his neck to get a better look at us where we stand behind the pair of Aura Pokemon, "Alpha… who are these Riolu?"

"Two older cubs from outside of the kingdom," he answers, reaching into the pouch at his hip. He fishes through it and withdraws a blue crystal that's oddly familiar to me. Not just in appearance, but feel. It's like I know it more as a person than as a gem. "The Bringer of Willpower has ordered their safety."

A tiny spark blooms as the stone reacts to his aura, and then the sense of a strong, new presence fills the room. A vision flashes through my mind of Azelf herself and as I grab the treasured gem tied around my neck, I recognize that the other is from the same place: The Crystal Caves. It's an extra measure she took to ensure our credibility.

The feeling of her presence goes as swiftly as it came, the stone's color slightly faded. It likely has a limit to how often it can activate before the last of the aura she poured into it spills back into the environment. That short moment alone though is convincing enough for Alpha to have the group's full conviction. As if dazed, the elder holds out his hand and the former chucks the crystal his way with a light, underhanded toss. He holds it between aged, callused fingers in awe, his shellshocked companions looking back and forth between it, him, and us.

When he recomposes himself, he leans back in his seat with his forearms on the table and his fists drawn tight. The stern control he regains over his own person, carrying an air of authority with it similar to the one Alpha has, makes me think he must be at least one of the heads of the Lucario Kingdom's royal family. Either seeing or sensing our nervousness, he puts on a smile, "You Riolu… will you come here?"

A knot twists in my gut and I'm frozen to the spot. I flex my fingers, telling myself not to grab my own tail as it lowers toward the ground. It's the two Lucarios' bidding expressions that push me forward, Ri following right behind me.

I make a point to loop around the adults so I can worry less about an unwanted tug to my ears or aura sensors from behind. The elder is toned for his age, so even sitting down, it feels like he's looming over us.

"They seem tame."

The younger man next to him blinks, "Outsiders? From this feeling, they could match the Riolu hatched by our top breeders…"

He hums in agreement, looking us over thoughtfully. What exactly he's thinking, I have no idea, but the pressure of his gaze is daunting. I pin my arms to my sides.

"If it's the Lake Trio's will, we can't deny it," the woman voices, "Why though? Their auras are striking, but it doesn't explain why Azelf would be interested in them."

Whether he was ordered to or not, I'm grateful that Alpha keeps his answer vague, "Apparently, the Lake Guardians owe them a debt. The pair had to separate from their party and need somewhere to stay until they can regroup." He pauses to let them absorb that much before continuing, "Moreover, Team Upsilon may be after them. They've already been attacked once: It's dangerous for them to be alone."

Because of their personal experience with the criminal organization, that last detail sinks in faster than the rest of the news. Shocked faces turn serious in an instant, like practiced warriors recovering from an abrupt hit. Alpha dragged us in here with such faith that it never occurred to me that they might turn us away. If they so much as planned to consider it, that idea died at the mention of Upsilon. As hard as it still can be for me to read auras, the disdain for that name is so palpable, I could reach out and grab it.

"That'd be a guarantee," the young man huffs as he reclines, "When those monsters pick a target, they hardly draw their sights away from it."

The elder mumbles, "If they didn't put that determination to their hunts or mad science, I'd commend them…" He faces the Inheritor again, "You know I wouldn't dream of chasing these two off, so I'm guessing you want my permission to look after them?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

He doesn't miss a beat. "Permission granted, so long as you keep me informed." His smile pulls into a tired smirk, "I have to say, I'm curious. These are interesting times… Go ahead and find a place for them to settle in, then report back to me."

I'm not sure how to feel about these people watching over us or if we should take their hospitality as a good sign. The best I thought we could hope for was apathy, coming here as just another pair of faces that could blend in among the other, wild Pokemon. I figured Ri and I would need to make camp in a secluded place just like at every other stop on our trip thus far. Accepting their kindness means showing a lot more trust than I came prepared to give…

Something tickles me sharply. Ri and I both jolt back with a faint yip. Looking down, I find that the kid who had only moments ago been sitting across from us has climbed under the table, his hands held out from poking the sensitive pads on our feet. He giggles mischievously.

Laughter cuts through the tension and envelopes us from all sides. The elder has a soft twinkle in his eye that I didn't notice before as the full, hearty sound roars out of him. He scolds the boy mildly before picking him up, then turns to us, "You'll be in good hands until you can reunite with your team. Just be sure to avoid trouble and listen to your seniors while you're here."

Seeing this lighter side of him is what lets me break the strained silence I've held since entering the room. It reminds me less of a ruler's tough command and more of the familial guidance that Wigglytuff shows us in the Guild. I bow my head at him, "Thank you!"

Since the castle is easy to access and Alpha himself lives there, it's decided that we'll stay on its grounds. We next go to its South Annex, where he readied a small area for our team in advance. The building's on the smaller side and is mainly used for storage; however, as we climb a flight of stairs to its third level, I don't think we could've been given a better spot to wind down.

The open floor is cluttered, but cozy. Crates of various materials block off a corner of the space where an odd mix of cushions and blankets are neatly stacked. There's a water jug, some cups, and a large basket of fruit on top of a barrel. Glancing out the windows, I find that we're not at all far from the training grounds, with more forest and farmland stretching in the other direction. More importantly, we're far enough from the main parts of the castle to enjoy a little privacy.

Nothing fancy or overwhelming; plenty of light and a good view; close to an exit… It's perfect.

"I couldn't prepare much, so this will have to do for now," the Inheritor explains, "but if you need anything, just ask."

"No, this is great!" my partner replies, "We can't thank you enough."

Zen, who still tagged along, looks my way, "To be honest, I'd rather you both come with me to Iliana's parent's home, but I understand if you're more comfortable here. Your situation is complicated."

I nod, "I don't know if I'm ready to see them just yet, but I'd like to keep in touch. I appreciate the help."

"No problem!" His tail wags behind him and he flashes a toothy grin. "Iliana's family is my family too, so I'll do whatever I can, even if that means keeping quiet about this for a while."

"Even if we can't leave the Lucario Kingdom, can we still explore it?"

"As much as you'd like," Alpha leans by the stair banister, "Since you'll have plenty of free time though, I wanted to know if you'd both like to train with the other Riolu. You could join the group I'll be instructing tomorrow."

I pause at the offer. That would be a good step to adjusting to life around others in our own species. However, as Ri fidgets with his Relic Fragment, he doesn't seem to be as up for it as he was when he first mentioned the possibility.

As we hesitate, he continues, "Or, tomorrow evening, we could spar privately. That way, I can gauge what your strengths are one-on-one."

This is the better option. We agree and it isn't long after that the two Lucario leave us for the time being. I practically melt once they're gone, the pressure of the intimidating people we've met so far, concern over Upsilon, and weight of all the eyes that watched us finally lifting. With I sigh, I turn my attention to the cushions and blankets. I think I'd like to rest a bit before we face anyone else.

Ri stares out the closest window. Although he doesn't let go of his treasure, he looks a lot more relaxed too. "I never thought there would be this many practiced aura users in one place," he admits, echoing my thoughts, "These guys are on an entirely different level than anything I've seen."

"At least they seem nice," I shrug. Nice, if strict. Better than the first impression I had thanks to the Dimensional Scream's vision, anyway…

I end up making something crossed between a nest and a futon, slipping off our Treasure Bag and plopping down like a limp doll. Ri soon joins me and we sit leaning against one another. It isn't long before the stress built up inside me wears off and I'm lulled into an exhausted doze.