Last Time On TMOM:
Confessions, hidden passages, dangerous crossings, a forbidden move, and a kidnapping Mew.
Quote: "Mew took him."

Chapter Ten: Duty

You and I; we share the same disease
Cover up; compromise what we grieve
I've let more than my share of revivals die
This isn't pretty but it's what I am tonight
-Icon for Hire

Ash didn't sleep that night. As if anyone could honestly expect him to.

He laid on top of the covers in a poor facsimile of sleep. Staring up at the vaulted ceiling, Ash reflected on how everything had gone to shit so quickly. How could it be possible that an ancient pokemon leaping out of an equally ancient artifact wasn't the highlight of the evening, but simply a cog in an already-spiraling mess?

Tired of waiting for the sun to end his pretended sleep, Ash rolled out of bed. He hadn't bothered to undress, still wearing the rumpled shirt and jeans combo from the previous evening. They had mostly dried from his body heat, although they dried stiff and uncomfortable. Ash didn't care much. He endured worse on his pokemon journey, where laundry rooms were hard to come by.

He could see the giant crystalline tree from his bedroom's window. It glowed pleasantly in the early morning light. Ash couldn't stand looking at it long. It just made him angry.

Pikachu was out there, hidden among one of those giant branches. Looking just reminded Ash of how powerless he was. The legendaries had taken upon themselves to butt into his life again. Except for this time, they took something that Ash had no intention of letting them keep.

He shoved what remained of his things into his pack and then took one last cursory look about the room before heading out.

Kidd's words were still swimming around in his head. He replayed her explanation over and over. Ash wasn't actually gleaning anything new from going over it all again. It was just to torture himself.

Kidd had been trying to capture Mew, not Pikachu. In a typical pokemon trainer fashion, she challenged Mew to a non-consensual pokemon battle. She did know that Pikachu had befriended the pokemon, but hadn't thought to mention it at the time. Never thought to warn Ash. Focused solely on capturing the wayward creature, Kidd hadn't considered the potential collateral damage. Pikachu thought this strange human was trying to hurt his friend.

Poor stupid, foolish little Pikachu.

Pikachu tried to defend Mew and got hurt. Kidd couldn't tell how bad, of course. Mew decided to whisk them away from the threat that Kidd posed. And if Mew had taken Pikachu, then it surely had taken him all the way to that damned tree.

Pikachu had been in danger and Ash hadn't known. Pikachu needed him and Ash was too busy playing pretend at the ball. Pikachu was kidnapped, but not by Team Rocket. Mew had stolen him. Ash's stomach burned unpleasantly. How in the world can one defend against such an unexpected assault? And yet, if anyone was going to anticipate interference from the Legendaries, it should have been Ash.

Hadn't he had enough of these meddlesome creatures?

Ash had only just hopped down the last step of a narrow stairway that emptied out into the courtyard when a voice in his head stopped him.

"This pokemon means so much to you?"

Ash paused. He looked down into one of the shining puddles that potholed the grassy yard and saw the fox-like pokemon he expected to see there, standing behind him. They were a similar height, Ash only being a handful of inches taller. The murky reflection muted the brilliant scarlet of Lucario's eyes but left them no less intimidating. Ash looked somewhere beyond them when answering.

"He's my best friend."

"Friends?" Lucario snorted out the word, walking casually around Ash. When finally within his line of sight, Ash felt comfortable enough to meet the pokemon's eye. "He's your pokemon. You are his master. You are idealizing a relationship that couldn't possibly exist. Certainly not under those circumstances."

"And Sir Aaron? Was he your master then?"

"Yes." Lucario's reply was so blunt that it gave Ash a start. He couldn't think of anything witty to say in response so he just stared. Lucario just gave a very human-like shrug. "I owed him a life debt. It was my duty to serve him until the debt was repaid."

"A life debt?" Ash made a face. "He saved your life and… and that's it? That's all he was to you. Just some kind of debt collector?"

"Take care, Ashton. You are speaking of the human who betrayed me and my kingdom."

"Don't call me that," Ash snapped.

It was Lucario's turn to blink. "It is your name. I saw it on your identification device-"

"It's my full name and I hate it. Don't call me that. My name is Ash."

Lucario blinked again and then, at last, looked away. "What a strange human. Why hate your own name?"

"I heard that."

"I intended you to."

Somehow, Lucario's words didn't start a fight. Ash might have been too tired for it. He merely sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Didn't you have someone… anyone you cared for? That you wanted to help beyond some sense of duty? Someone you worried about? Someone who worried about you?"

"...No," came Lucario's reply, but Ash couldn't help but notice that it took it longer to respond. Ash had a feeling that the answer wasn't all that easy to reach, and that meant there was a good chance that the pokemon was lying.

"Pikachu isn't my servant. We're partners. We both agreed we'd be champions together." Even as he said them, the words left a bitter taste in Ash's mouth as he remembered just how close he was to ending their journey without even talking to his so-called partner about it. Just what kind of friend was he, exactly? Did he even have room to judge Lucario? Ash shook the thoughts away. "I'm going to rescue him, no matter what."

"Right. Very noble." Ash could sense the sarcasm in the stream of thoughts. He narrowed his eyes at Lucario as the pokemon artfully skipped around the puddles. He made even the further jumps look effortless.

"What are you even doing here?"

"You don't have any pokemon," Lucario looked back to meet Ash's questioning eye. "How did you think you were going to get to the Tree of Beginning?"

Ash suddenly noticed that not only had Lucario maneuvered in front of him, but the pokemon was also now blocking his way forward. Ash sidestepped to the left in the hopes of getting around him. "I don't want your help," he said.

"Good. I'm not offering it. Princess Aileen asked me. I am helping her."

Lucario easily positioned himself back into Ash's way.

"I don't need a babysitter." Ash stepped back the other way, trying to push past the pokemon. Lucario easily swung himself around and back in front of the young man's path, all without touching Ash. The pokemon was annoyingly agile.

"And I don't need a whiney teenage companion but alas, such is the way of things."

"I said," Ash snapped, stomping his foot for good measure. "I don't need you, Lucario. Go back into your stupid staff and bother someone else a few hundred years from now."

Ash swung out with one hand as he spoke, trying to shoo the pokemon away. Most Pokemon would have been cowed by the sudden aggressive movement, but Lucario didn't even flinch. However, he did grab Ash's outstretched arm, effortlessly twisting it in a way it did not naturally turn.

Ash let out an airless gasp, yanked forward by the more powerful pokemon. Lucario pulled him in uncomfortably close, tossing a barb into Ash's mind for him alone.

Get past me and then I'll let you go on alone.

He tossed the human back so that the boy fell gracelessly into one of the nearby puddles. Ash let out an exasperated shout, giving his arms a few pointless shakes to dislodge the extra water. As he pulled himself out of the mud, he couldn't help but give a mean laugh.

"This is hardly fair. You're a pokemon. I can't beat you."

"Then how on earth do you think you're getting to the Tree without me?"

It was hardly a thing a dignified pokemon trainer would do, but his emotions were a tangled ball of negativity smoldering inside his chest. Pikachu missing, Sir Aaron and all the legendary pokemon coming back again were shards of awful thoughts that he was trying so desperately to swallow down, to ignore the stabbing, deep gashes that riveted his insides. He didn't need any more obstacles for his hopeless situation. Ash hadn't even begun to figure out how to get to the tree without pokemon. He didn't want to. He just wanted to start walking and hope the problems would solve themselves. Lucario wasn't letting him do that. Ash didn't think he had ever wanted to hit a pokemon before but dammit if he didn't want to try to punch this one.

Ash charged at Lucario, but unfortunately, the pokemon easily anticipated him. He smoothly moved out of the way, redirecting Ash's messy lunge and tossing the boy back into the dirt.

"You're full of anger, Ash. It makes you easy to anticipate."

Ash spat out a mouthful of soil before snapping back, "Then hold still."

"Not the point of this exercise."

"Stop toying with me!" This time Ash struck true. He swung out his arms wide, somehow managed to catch the pokemon before it could leap out of the way. Ash managed to knock the pokemon to the ground, but it was like trying to wrestle a statue. Lucario's arms couldn't be pinned. In fact, it was all Ash could do to keep from being restrained himself. The pokemon was not only powerful with his mysterious aura, but his physical prowess was a thing to reckon.

Lucario, despite being beneath the human child and thus at a temporary disadvantage, was easily holding his own. He slowly lifted Ash's arms out and away from him, bracing with his legs and preparing to flip the boy at the opportune moment. By the look on the boy's face, Ash must have realized it too: how easily he was being overpowered.

Luckily for him, it was at this point that they were interrupted.

"I should have known you two would be fighting."

"Princess Aileen!" Lucario's voice sounded in Ash's head. He quickly tossed the boy off him and scrambled to his feet and then to an awkward kneel. Ash observed this all from his rather ignoble position in the dirt.

Aileen had just descended a different landing into the courtyard. She didn't look anything like she had the night of the ball. Her dirty blonde pigtails were swinging by her ears again and back were the charming glasses that framed her face so nicely. She was wearing some assortment of the work clothes Ash had seen her in when they first met: some covered overalls and a buttercup yellow button-down with its top buttons purposefully undone and sleeves rolled. It was certainly not a typical princess outfit. And yet, Lucario was still quick to show reverence.

She waved off Lucario's eager fealty, her cheeks noticeably pink. It seemed she still wasn't quite used to Lucario's addresses yet. But she handled herself better, being only momentarily deterred as she made her way over.

"I had hoped you would just talk to him, Lucario."

"He didn't see your benevolent offer as ingenious as it was certainly meant. I only wished to keep himself from the danger you were so sagely attempting to shield him from."

"By brawling with him?"

"If necessary."

Aileen sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose."Lucario, pokemon and humans aren't supposed to fight each other. Not anymore. We're all partners now."

Lucario lifted his head in astonishment. But it was Ash who responded.

"It's fine, Aileen. We've finished."

Aileen sighed just as deeply at Ash's response. Ash knew he looked pretty miserable, still wearing his rumpled clothing from the night before and now covered in mud from scrapping with a pokemon he had no business trying to fight. He didn't want to take her offered hand. Not just because it was embarrassing, but because he felt a bit bad getting mud on her.

Ultimately, Ash decided to take her hand. After all, he didn't want to snub one of the only friends he still had in this godforsaken kingdom. He actually didn't know how she could still stand him, knowing what she did now. And yet she was still here. Aileen certainly looked his way with more pity than before, but there wasn't any trace of the blame that Ash felt he deserved.

At least none that Ash could see. He didn't really think he was that observant.

"I sent Lucario to help you, Ash. He has the ability to sense wave as I told you before. He's an expert tracker. He can help you find Mew and Pikachu."

Ash couldn't bear to look in the smug pokemon's direction. He also couldn't deny that he actually needed Lucario's help. There was no way he'd be able to hunt the whole giant crystal tree for one pokemon. Unless Mew's kept their captives tied up at the very tip top, like in a video game, Ash would probably spend weeks wandering about aimlessly. That might have been fine if he had his full deck of pokemon. It was downright suicidal without them.

Ash glared down at his feet but ultimately nodded. Aileen couldn't help her sigh of relief.

"Good. Okay! It's all settled then," Aileen clapped her hands and added quickly as if hoping Ash wouldn't hear. "Oh, and I am coming with you too."

"Wait—wait. Hang on a second!" Aileen tried to walk away, but Ash was quicker. He grabbed her arm before she could get too far. "Aileen, no. You can't come."

She shook off his hand with a scowl. "Like hell, I can't. I'm a princess. I can go where I damn well please."

"You aren't a pokemon trainer."

"And right now, technically you aren't either."

"Aileen…" Ash looked helplessly about him as if some patch of weeds or cluster of unkempt bushes might reveal someone who'd back him up. There was only Lucario, and the pokemon was pointedly avoiding his eye. For lack of a better way to prove his point, Ash held up two fingers against the raised thumb of his other hand, "Two wrongs don't make a right. We'd both end up being a burden to Lucario."

Aileen rolled her eyes, knocking Ash's hand away. "That's not the correct saying for this situation, Ash. And anyways, for all intent and purposes, I am Lucario's trainer."

Ash sent a bewildered look Lucario's way. The pokemon shrugged.

"I am duty-bound to serve this kingdom. I do not understand the meaning of a trainer but the Princess has requested I continue to serve her line. I am not opposed to the proposition."

It was Ash's turn to roll his eyes. "You and that duty stuff again."

Would you rather I give a speech about friendship?

Ash bristled, but realized quickly there'd be no point in snapping back. That last comment was probably just for Ash alone because Aileen didn't react. If Ash made a fuss, the pokemon would just deny saying anything. Oh, the perks of telepathy.

Resigned to the fact he had little say in his future companions, Ash straightened. He attempted to dust what he could from his muddy sleeves.

"So how are we getting to the Tree of Beginning? Are we walking?"

"Don't worry," Aileen smiled. "I've got it all worked out."

The Princess just had to toss her hair and smile and Ash implicitly trusted her. It turns out, he probably shouldn't have.

After a quick change of clothes, Ash was less than pleased to be led out to meet the remaining members of their makeshift crew. Aileen warned him not to complain, but Ash hadn't completely forgiven Team Rocket for the part they played in Pikachu's disappearance. He knew it was rather unfair of him, seeing how they actually had been telling the truth. They hadn't kidnapped Pikachu. But they were still Team Rocket, and Jessie had spilled his secret. He felt justified in glaring at them.

Kidd was coming too. Yet another member of their crew that Ash wasn't thrilled about. But even Ash had to admit that having an adventurer on their side could only bolster their odds. She carried enough equipment in her side bags to be considered a small arsenal, and it was thanks to her that they had any transportation at all.

Ash and Charizard had seen to the end of Team Rocket's hot air balloon. It would take a few days to repair, and none of them had the patience to wait. And while royalty, Aileen and her father were only actors at heart. They had no real substantial wealth for which to provide actual transportation. Aileen herself still didn't have a driver's license, there being little need within the walls of her childhood castle.

That left Kidd to provide. Ash suspected guilt as a strong motivator in her assistance. She still wouldn't meet Ash's eye for long, busying herself with setting up. And though he tried, Ash couldn't see the flicker of wave that Lucario had mentioned. All the remorse Ash saw was painted clearly in her body language.

Not for the first time, Ash wondered why Lucario thought he could see it too.

Kidd had three motorbikes that she'd gotten from who knows where. She may have been a multiple world-record holder, but it didn't explain away the cash she had to burn. Kidd Summers clearly had a wealthy sponsor of some kind who she was careful not to divulge.

It was agreed that Kidd would pilot one. Jessie and James were the only other two who knew how to ride. So that left Ash and Aileen as reluctant passengers. Although Aileen had offered to ride with Team Rocket, ultimately Ash took the bullet. He'd rather not be held responsible if anything happened to the Princess of Cameron on his watch.

Lucario would not ride on a bike. He was confident in his ability to not only lead the way but keep well ahead of the machines. Having seen the pokemon's speed himself, Ash was inclined to trust it. At least trust its speed, that said nothing of the pokemon's endurance.

The King had come out to see them off. Ash witnessed the obvious anxiety stitched tight into the older man's face. Roman clearly hadn't wanted Aileen to go. But still, after a long hug, he eventually let her go. The sight brought Ash back a memory of his own mother, her tender looks and the soft whisper of "later" in his ear.

Ash shook the memory away before it could bring any tears to his eyes. He was only too aware of Lucario's curious stare on him.

My aura must have been flickering in some amusing way, Ash thought bitterly. Creepy little bastard.

Aileen wanted to learn more about wave from Lucario. Not only did Ash feel like the pokemon would have absolutely no interest in teaching them, Ash didn't want to learn. The thought that he might actually possess the ability made his insides squirm. He couldn't shake the image of the glowing spheres of Shamouti island out of his head. Ash really hoped he didn't possess anything more than just an interestingly shaded aura. He didn't think he could take another 'chosen' thing.

And quite before Ash had expected it, the time to depart had arrived. He had hoped to set out far earlier, but the sun hadn't risen that much further in the bright morning skies before the call to leave was given.

Ash swung himself up on the back of James' cycle. He still wasn't quite ready to forgive Jessie and James seemed the quieter of the Rocket members, if that was possible. Any way that Ash could avoid awkward small talk, he'd take it.

Lucario took point. The motorbikes roared to life behind him. Ash underestimated the power of the bike and nearly fell off the back as soon as James set off behind the others. He reluctantly tightened his grip around James, hoping once their speed leveled off he'd feel safe enough to let go.

"Hold on," James shouted back unhelpfully.

Ash only grunted in reply.

As they went deeper into the canyon, a thick, pervasive fog began to roll down over their path. It was all the motorcyclists could do to keep up behind Lucario. The pokemon was unfazed by the change of weather. He charged ahead with the same speed and agile maneuverability as before. He could easily dodge any wayward boulder or tree root that dared drop in his path. The motorcyclists were not as lucky. They had to stay back, careful to keep Lucario in their sights and also avoid the obstacles that the pokemon saw long before they could.

There wasn't much that Ash could do, sitting on the back of the bike. It wasn't even possible to admire his surroundings now that the fog had rolled in. Conversation that Ash hadn't wanted before was clearly impossible over the motors and wind, so he resorted to just leaning forward into James' shoulder and trying to rest his eyes.

Ash didn't want to admit it even to himself, but his adrenaline from the previous evening was starting to fail him. He couldn't let himself fall asleep, lest risk falling off the bike. And yet, somehow, the roar of the engine had become a lulling ebb and flow. No more offensive than the sound of distant thunder. Ash turned his dulling eyesight forward, trying to focus on Lucario's darting form to keep from sleep. It didn't help much. Lucario bouncing in and out of the fog had the same hypnotic effect as the obscured background whirling by.

In more sober hours, Ash wouldn't quite be able to pin down how it happened. It was like going from one set of eyes into another in the space of a single blink. In fact, Ash wasn't entirely sure his eyes were open. And yet, in his sleepy stupor, the whole fog wrapped world unraveled around him.

He could see everything. Every twig and stone, every distant tree that whisked past. He could even count the leaves on the branches. It wasn't like he saw them. He felt them, as certainly as he felt his own fingers and toes. So yes, he could instantaneously know how many leaves the tree had and what pokemon were burrowed within its hollows. Caterpie. He could feel them crawling as if they were inching up his own skin. And pidgey, but they weren't there now. Their tidy nest, tucked in the tree's upper branches, was empty as the birds hunted for food.

Ash could have stayed all day within this strange second sight. But something drew him back to himself. He realized very quickly that that something was 'danger'. A thick, gnarled tree root appeared in their direct path and James careened towards it at breakneck speed. Ash's eyes flew open. He lunged around James, pulling hard at the handlebars. They turned just in time, only clipping the side of the roots with the back tire. But James still lost control of the bike. The two of them messily somersaulted off and onto the dirt road.

The others, hearing the crash, quickly pulled over. Lucario was faster than them all. Ash could see the pokemon rushing over in his swimming vision. A small part of him expected it. After all, Ash felt he must have just sensed what Lucario could sense all the time.

"Are you alright?"

Ash didn't hear concern in the telepathic voice. Just a cold, obligatory question, although he really didn't have time to be angry about it.

Aside from some superficial scrapes and bruises, Ash was fine. He might have banged his head a little, but not enough for immediate alarm. James too had miraculously tumbled himself free from injury. He was the first back to his feet, dusting himself off while simultaneously waving off the others' concern.

"That was a close call," James called over to Ash with a breathless smile. "How did you see it? I didn't see the thing until you had us turning. I thought we were goners there for a minute."

Ash didn't answer. Just as he hadn't answered Lucario. His arms were starting to shake, so he hugged them tightly across his chest. His jaw felt tight and painful, though he knew he hadn't injured it in his fall. When Ash closed his eyes, he saw nothing but black, just as he was supposed to. But it did nothing to comfort him. His heart was like a jackhammer in his throat.

Ash, are you alright?

Lucario asked again with thoughts only Ash could hear.

Although he knew Lucario didn't say them; the question mixed with his own thoughts. They sounded like, Are you scared? How could he not feel scared? He felt like he was dying. Ash clawed at his own arms, trying to press down the rapid flutter of his own heart.

His jaw was hurting more. Was he going to throw up? Maybe he was going to throw up.

The others were closing in, pressing around like a faceless crowd. They walled off the exits somehow, despite being so few. Ash didn't like their sightless faces on him. He pulled himself in closer, tucking in over his knees.

"I don't want this. I don't want it," Ash whispered. "Take it back."

Take back what?

"You did this," Ash's hissed accusation came out a little louder. But his voice was still trembling with emotion, choking up on the words. "Take it back. Make it stop. I don't want it."

Lucario stared down at him. The stare was empty. It was painful sitting in its emotionless glow. Ash wanted to throw something at the pokemon. Anything to stop the staring. But he couldn't. He couldn't let go of his own arms without breaking.

"I don't want wave. Please, Lucario. I don't want it."

Ash's tearful voice broke over the words, like waves on a rocky shore. And Lucario did nothing but watch.

To Be Continued…
Please Read and Review!

Sorry about the delay in this chapter, guys. I had to go in for surgery and that put a kink in my updating schedule.

Special thanks as always to my lovely beta, HarunaRei. She not only makes sure these chapters are readable but also helps me with filling up plotholes! Yay! Fun!

Special thanks to those who reviewed last time: AshKetchumForever, Andreina Cummings, and YumeTakato. I really appreciate it.

Next time on MoM, Ash and Lucario discuss wave.

My schedule is all messed up now. So expect the next chapter sometime in the September/October time period. Love you all! Until next time!