Chapter 2: Story Time and Arrangements
"I…do not understand. What do you mean by a new dimension? And how would you go about this?" Lucario had to wonder. He was most certainly ready to return to the land of the living simply to stave off the loneliness, but he did not understand what this Paradox had meant when he said "a new dimension."
"I suppose that your world has never really grappled with the idea of parallel and alternate dimensions. So how shall I explain this? Imagine an orchard of apple trees. Now, each tree is an alternate universe, each with their unique history and traits. Some dimensions may specialize in advanced technology, the designs of which make the most advanced technology in your dimension look like simple stone tools. Other dimensions may be worlds where magic and sorcery prevail, creating worlds of wonder and adventure. Now each apple on a tree is a parallel universe. Very similar but will undergo different paths. You can also think of the seeds of each apple as potential for new universes, and while they may take after the parent, their path may be completely different."
"I see. But I still have to ask when you say that you can transport me, would that mean that I will have my body altered?" Lucario wondered.
"Do not fear. I can ensure that you will retain your Pokémon body, no harm done to you." Paradox assured him.
"I thank you for your offer, but I do have to ask. Why are you helping me?" Lucario had to ask.
"Well, it's quite the long story, so I will have to shorten it done for you. You see, a very, very, very, very, very long time ago, I was but an ordinary human, albeit one interested in horology,"
"What?"
"I was a scientist who studied time, and I was rather interested in the idea of travelling through time. Imagine the applications of such a thing. We would be able to travel to ancient civilizations and view them in their prime, and thus experience the events as they actually happened instead of relying on worn out tablets. Of course, such a thing is expensive, and my country was in a nasty pseudo-war of economic ideals, and the military was more interested in less-than-noble applications, such as bringing in weapons from the future or making it so that our enemies never existed,"
"I see, so was your machine ever used in such a manner?"
"No. In fact, the first test run went horribly wrong. We made some calculation errors, and my assistant Hugo caused an explosion, and I was sucked into an event horizon. Much like you, I was completely isolated from the rest of the world, and I simply existed. As you might imagine, I went mad from the experience, but eventually, the time I spent within the event horizon changed me. Biologically, I am completely immortal: I do not age, need to eat or sleep, I just simply exist. You have been alone for nearly 15 years, do you know how long I was isolated for?"
"No, but I would imagine maybe 900 years?"
"Oh, how wrong you are. I was trapped in the event horizon for one hundred thousand years, and within that time, I gained complete knowledge of the time space continuum, allowing me to travel anywhere and anywhen within certain limits. Ever since then, I have served as a sort of space-time patrol agent, working to make the universe a better place for all its inhabitants,"
"Amazing. But I still do not understand. Lucario replied.
"Ah, yes, my apologies, I forgot entirely. You will become a member of the team led by the galaxy's most revered hero: the human Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, wielder of the Omnitrix, a piece of alien technology that allows the user to alter their genetic code into any sapient life form in its database, thus, in essence, becoming that species. I have worked with him several times, and I know in time, you and him will become true allies and friends,"
Lucario snorted at this. Did Paradox honestly believe that he could accept a human essentially acting like Ditto, changing his very structure in such a drastic manner? Still, he could not say that his suspension of disbelief hadn't been tested before, and while Paradox's story was outlandish, he never detected any attempt at deception.
As if reading his thoughts, Paradox replied, "I see you do not fully believe me. Perhaps I should show a few parts of his early career to you." A blinding flash of light flooded Lucario's vision, and he was unprepared for the sight before him.
He and Paradox were in a forest area that had been cleared entirely of vehicles and most unusual of all, a giant robot, with sharp claws, tripod legs, and red bug eyes was fighting against a figure that Lucario could not believe would be a Pokémon. The robot was shooting yellow beams of energy at what appeared a mass of crystal taking a humanoid form. Blue crystals made up the head and arms, and four small crystals jutted out of his back alongside a small crystal horn on the back of his head. His main body was bisected into a white left half and a black right half. On the left shoulder, though, stood an unusual symbol, consisting of a black circle, but a grey hourglass shape stood in the center, leaving two small black triangles on the left and right sides. While the being took a few hits from the energy beams, it wasn't long before it planted its feet down, grit his teeth, and simply let one energy beam hit it.
"What goes around comes around! Let's how much you like it, you techno-freak!" the crystal being declared, and the energy beam the robot fired soon refracted wildly and, after a while trying to aim the beam, cut clean through the robot. Lucario could only look in shock. No Pokémon was like that, at least as far as he knew. Apart from the possibility of Mirror Coat, it used no moves, and appeared as intelligent as a human.
"What … were those… things?" Lucario could only sputter out.
"The crystalline humanoid was Ben's Petrosapien form, or as he prefers to call it, Diamondhead. The robot, on the other hand, was one of Vilgax the Conqueror's drones. You can consider Vilgax Ben's ultimate enemy, the yin towards his yang. It was he who ultimately set forth the events that made Ben a hero." Paradox explained.
"I thought that Pokémon could have been anything, and yet I can never remember a Pokémon like that: a being of pure crystal that could walk and think like a man," Lucario confessed.
"I see I have finally caught your eye, my friend, and I agree that Pokémon are extraordinary creatures," Paradox claimed with a smirk across his face. "But let's see if this event can still keep your interest high." Lucario, still unused to the bright flash, squeezed his eyes shut to keep out the light, and prepared to move to a newer location.
When he felt it safe to open his eyes, he and Paradox were now in a small circular chamber with multiple doors. The sound of liquid being sprayed caught his ear as he watched a young boy, no older then ten, get pinned to one of the walls by a strange green slime. The boy had a pale complexion, green eyes, shaggy brown hair, a white short-sleeved shirt, olive baggy pants, and black and white sneakers. The most unusual part, though, was the device on his left wrist. It resembled a wristwatch but was much bulkier and had a bizarre faceplate: a circle with a green hourglass design surrounded on both the left and right side by white triangles. It took a moment, but Lucario soon recognized the design as the same one on Diamondhead. "To answer the question I know you will ask, yes, that it is Ben Tennyson when he was younger and was still learning to use the Omnitrix," Paradox replied instantly. Lucario was about to respond, but the sound of stomping caught his ear, and what he looked at made his eyes widen in shock.
A massive creature stepped it and it was disturbing to say the least. While he had raven black hair and black pants, those were the only human parts about him. His upper left arm resembled one made out of magma and he could recognize the upper right arm as Diamondhead's arm. Black and green coloration painted his back, along with green, butterfly-like wings, while the rest of his skin was a dark red. His chest was big and bulky, and black cracks covered it. His lower arms were orange and dog-like, complete with black claws. The tail he had was small, but black and blue, and in place of human feet, all he had were two toed feet more fitting for a Mankey than a human. However, nothing could describe his face. While his mouth appeared normal, he had a lure that greatly reminded Lucario of a Lanturn, albeit with a green light, and his eyes were very bizarre: on his right side, he had a bulbous, frog-like eye, and on the other side, there were two small yellow eyes.
"Your lap dog Technorg isn't here to help you this time," the monster arrogantly claimed in a voice sounding like multiple voices talking in almost complete sync, also revealing sharp canines in the process. Ben then tried to free himself, managing to break out his arms in the process. As he fiddled with the Omnitrix, the beast turned his Diamondhead arm into a sharp blade, and then said, "Oh. And thanks for the tip of combining my powers."
"Come on, please work, just this once." Ben said in an almost pleading voice, which the Omnitrix seemed to reply in with sounds that indicated a no, having a dark red.
"Oh. And don't think about trying to dial up another alien. I know your I know all your powers, inside and out." The monster then replied, holding his upper right arm in an almost serial killer like manner, before making a pose that indicated he was about to stab the child. However, soon, the Omnitrix soon gave affirmative beeps and turned a bright green. Ben then whacked the device against the wall, resulting in a bright green flash that forced Lucario to shield his eyes. All he could hear was the clinking of crystal against a surface, causing him to flinch, believing the boy had been killed.
When the light died down, though, he saw that in Ben's place stood a white pill bug-like creature, having oversized arms with four fingers, stumpy legs with three toes, yellow ovular spheres in multiple areas, a mouth with small, sharp teeth, a black stripe in the center of his body, and the symbol of the Omnitrix on his forehead.
"Oh yeah?" the new transformation asked, causing the beast to back up. "I don't think you've been introduced to Cannonbolt!" The newly christened Cannonbolt then curled up into a ball like a Sandslash, ripping out of the slime in the process. He then started bouncing around like a rubber ball as the giant creature attempted to attack it, first responding with a blast of fire, but the yellow sphere dodged it and started denting multiple doors. When range failed, the beast tried to punch it out of the air with minimal success.
"Hold still, creep!" The monster replied angrily, shaking his arms in frustration.
"New game! It's called dodge ball!" Cannonbolt said, as he then bounced in ways that hit the alien amalgamation with undoubtedly powerful force, and soon enough, in a few hits, the beast was defeated. Lucario had to admire the boy's resourcefulness: he used what he had and easily turned the tide against the monster.
"I must say Paradox, this boy continues to surprise me." Lucario replied in approval.
"Indeed. If you are wondering about the monster by the way, that would be Kevin Ethan Levin, or, as he preferred at the time, Kevin 11. He may have been an enemy to Ben back then, but now, he is the boyfriend of his cousin and serves as an older brother figure to Ben. These traits of resourcefulness, kindness, and arrogance are still some of Ben's most prominent features, and he has proven himself to be an excellent leader when he must step up to the task. He has fought many enemies as well, ranging from common criminals to galactic conquerors to even gods at times." Paradox explained.
"Well, then. I may need some more time to think about your offer, but this does interest me greatly." Lucario stated. "However, you have yet to explain how you will do this,"
"Ah, yes, I knew I forgot something. You are aware of the Creation Trio, are you not?" Paradox inquired, teleporting them to the outside of the Tree of Beginning, where night had long since fallen.
"Yes. Palkia, Pokémon of Space. Dialga, Pokémon of Time. Giratina, Pokémon of anti-matter. They rule over these aspects, keeping it stable and safe from harm," Lucario answered
"Indeed. At the beginning of his life, however, Dialga had difficulty when it came to controlling his powers , so upon seeing him struggle during my travels, I offered to train him in using his abilities. I taught him how to manipulate time to a great extent, and to travel through it at will. The process was far from easy, but I eventually helped him get control over his powers. When Arceus saw the results of my tutoring, he told me that if I ever wanted something, I only need ask him, and he would try to complete the request," While Paradox seemed cool and calm about the incident, Lucario was gob-smacked. This man was calling the teaching of the Master of Time a simple matter, and the idea of the Creator Pokémon being in debt to a human was completely unthinkable.
"WHAT?! Are you telling me that you can convince Arceus to bring me back to life? That would be incredible!" Lucario exclaimed. As the excitement of the Alpha Pokémon returning him to life faded, he dourly replied, "However, I am still unsure about leaving my home, and I need some time to think about this matter,"
"Alright, time you shall have. I will make the arrangements with Ho-oh, Xerneas, and Arceus. Just remember, you will fight alongside him as a protector of the innocent and an upholder of justice. However, I highly doubt you would even think of doing harm to those he protects, given your species' innate sense of justice." Paradox stated. With that, he vanished and Lucario was left to think about it underneath the starry night sky.
He could not argue that living in another world was certainly preferable to the blue void of the afterlife. However, what he was shown were images of Ben when he was ten. How could he know if Ben would even accept him? He very obviously would not fit in with normal society given most of his life was spent 1015 years in the past, let alone if Pokémon didn't even exist in this new world. He would be a complete outsider in every sense of the word. However, like Paradox said, he could not see himself standing idle if the innocent were suffering under the paw or hand of another. It was not only in the morals and lessons Sir Aaron had taught him at Cameran Palace, but like Paradox said, all Lucario, including himself, naturally possessed a strong sense of justice, and wouldn't hesitate to protect those weaker than him, regardless of what happened to him.
"I can understand your point, Paradox. I may follow the rules that I set for the other Pokémon, but it does indeed seem rather cruel that Lucario must have had to have been separated from his master." Arceus replied. The closest the Pokémon dimension had to a god, Arceus exuded an air of power and respect. The Alpha Pokémon was a white equine with a gray, vertically striated underside. It had a similar pattern on its face, whose eyes had green sclera and red irises. Golden hooves supported its legs, but its most bizarre feature was the golden halo-like structure bisecting its torso. "To be separated from the one he considers a father, only to be separated, then reunited with him for a short while, and now separately permanently, that does indeed sound like a very cruel and unfortunate stroke of luck for him."
To his right side lay the Rainbow Pokémon, Ho-Oh, a bird-like creature resembling a phoenix/peacock. Red feathers glistened across its body, with the wings ending in green-tipped feathers and the tail having gold-yellow colored feathers. While Ho-Oh wielded the power of resurrection, he only did it to those he felt deserved it, especially after certain events in Johto soured his perception of humanity.
On Arceus' left side was another Pokémon associated with the force of life: Xerneas. She was a deer-like creature with most unusual antlers: they shined a bright sapphire blue, but at this point, she was in her Neutral Mode, and they would shine brightly once she became Active. The fur of her head and neck was a dark blue, while the rest of her body was black, though a thin blue line seemed to split her body in half. Her kindness and compassion were great, yet she wasn't unwilling to fight a Dynamax Wailord to protect even the smallest Sunkern.
"Yes. Indeed a rather cruel fate, but I struggle to see why it would not be better to simply send him to a far away region within our world to live his life in peace. True, it may be rather odd for a Pokémon to simply return from the dead, but I feel that it is better than putting him in danger for some humans that aren't even from our world. Anyway, I do not trust him in the command of a human, not one so powerful yet immature," Ho-Oh questioned. Because it was humanity's war that had disrupted the delicate balance between them and Pokémon, Ho-Oh had become very distrusting to them, seeing them as greedy, power-hungry, and violent. Not even the journey of Ash Ketchum did much to help improve the image of humanity in his eyes; if anything, the criminal acts of humans, such as Team Flare, Team Rocket, and Team Galactic, could be downright devastating to the world, as when Cyrus tried to remark the world in his image using the Creation Trio, or when Team Magma and Team Aqua tried to impose their ideas on what the world should be through Groudon and Kygore.
"Brother, think about what it would be like to return home to our world," Xerneas gently chided. "Several new Pokémon have been discovered, and I highly doubt he would even know where his friends ended up. A new world gives him new opportunities. This will give him the chance for him to grow into a real hero, and who better than the defender of the universe? Besides, do you honestly believe that any Lucario would choose peace over protecting the ones who need help?" Ho-Oh had no response.
"How about a compromise? If Lucario willingly decides to return to your realm at anytime, he will return to your dimension, but otherwise, he will become a resident of my world." Paradox offered. Arceus, Ho-Oh, and Xerneas pondered the offer for a few moments. Arceus knew and trusted the immortal greatly: it was he who helped Dialga in his infancy, giving the Temporal Pokémon the knowledge and wisdom needed for someone given such responsibility as monitoring the flow of time. However, such a thing could set a negative precedent for others: he knew well how fickle dimensional barriers could be, as he remembered that several times there had been Pokémon that stumbled into new worlds completely by accident. Now, he was being asked to break those barriers deliberately. One thing he was considerably worried about was what would happen after Lucario entered the new dimension and his new home. Would he be the only one, or would there be more Pokémon to follow, and what if the reverse was true? This uncertainty weighed quite a bit on the Alpha Pokémon, as he was fully aware that evils beyond imagination could exist within other dimensions, such as the one Lucario would be sent. Still, Lucario had more than suffered enough, and it was time that he was given his much-deserved dues.
Ho-Oh was still not sure about the wisdom of letting a human with such power control Lucario. What was to stop him from exploiting Lucario's power as humans tried to do with his own? The idea of Arceus stooping so low as to accept a human's demands was just unacceptable! However, he remembered how Paradox was an immortal, not a human, and it was thanks to his lessons that Dialga changed from an uncontrollable infant to a wise master of time. Bowing to his father's wishes, Ho-Oh nodded to accept the offer of Paradox.
Xerneas, compassionate and emotionally intelligent as always, was ready to give her opinion for Lucario's resurrection. It was affirmative: why should Lucario suffer needlessly for nearly 15 years when he can live the life of a protector? Yes, Lucario were hunters by nature (the spikes on their wrist were not decorative), but more often than not, they would protect smaller Pokémon if bigger ones were bullying them and then let them go free, willing to go hungry. She was certain that any Lucario would jump at the opportunity to be a hero instead of laying idle in the afterlife. Her affirmation was pretty much a guarantee. Seeing his son and daughter in agreement, Arceus gave his answer.
"Very well. I agree to these terms. But promise me you will first get Lucario's permission and that he will not have a different body," Arceus requested.
"Do not worry yourself. I would do no less for him," Paradox assured.
Cast List:
Lucario - Sean Schemmel
Professor Paradox - David McCallum
Diamondhead (Flashback) - Jim Ward
Cannonbolt (Flashback) - Fred Tatasciore
Ben Tennyson (Flashback) - Tara Strong
Mutant Kevin (11-years-old) - Charlie Schlatter
Arceus - Tom Wayland
Ho-Oh - Bruce Davison
Xerneas - Nicole Oliver
Author's Note: I know, I know. There's barely been any action yet! Believe me, I'm very aware. I felt that having Lucario be aware of his new world, and at least some of what Ben can do was necessary, since I wanted it to be more voluntary than forced upon him, which also happens a lot in Ben 10 crossovers (How many times has Ben willingly ended up in another dimension?). However, I can promise that the next chapter will show the Aura Pokémon meeting Ben 10 for the first time. Just be patient, and I promise that the action will truly begin.
