This is the third of four chapters today.
"So, Riolu, how are things for you?" the messenger asked, kneeling. "It has been some months since we last met."
Riolu bowed, putting her paws together. "I am well, Lucario. Casey and I have been travelling all over Honshu and the Hoenn region, and I have learned many complex skills from her."
"What might those be?" the elder Fighting-type asked.
"I have learned the art of the bunt," Riolu said. "And the slider, the knuckeball-"
Casey snorted, trying to stifle a giggle. "I think she means battle skills."
"Any skills will do," Lucario smiled. "It is important to have a well rounded set of skills, especially if those skills can obtain expression in multiple ways."
"Actually, Casey's whole team learns baseball," May volunteered. "And I think it works pretty well – right, Ash?"
"Yeah, it does," Ash agreed.
"I kind of wish I-" Casey began, then stopped. "Uh, I mean, it would have been nice if I'd been able to fight in the tournament – I keep losing chances to have a formal match with Ash."
"Ash did not fight in the tournament," Lucario supplied – this time the one standing by Queen Ilene. "He battled me, and I am proud to say I won three falls to one."
Casey blinked. "Wait, you two had a fight?"
"We did," Ash said, rubbing his elbow. "It was kind of painful."
"I hardly got off without a scratch," Lucario pointed out.
"I did notice that you both tried to avoid giving their opponent an opening for Counter," Ash's Lucario said. "Is that correct?"
"For my part, yes," the Rota Lucario confirmed. "After what happened to Lucario a few years hence, I know not to punch Ash Ketchum too hard."
He rocked back on his heels, thinking.
"I feel I should ask," the Lucario began. "Of the four of us, I am the only one who has not travelled substantially around this world that exists in place of my old one. I think that has been the right choice – Rota is my home, and it has been a comfort to be around something so familiar when I have been so unstuck in time otherwise – but I would ask your insight on what it is like to travel around."
Riolu raised a paw. "Uh… can I check that I understand? You'd like us to tell you what it's like to travel around the Home Islands?"
"That is correct," Lucario said, sitting down seiza. "As I say, it is something I have not done."
The three other Fighting-types looked amongst themselves.
"Can I start, actually?" Pikachu requested. "So – to me, the best part of travelling is who you meet, and who you travel with. It's fun."
"Yeah, I think that's pretty much what I think as well," Ash agreed. "It's how I met all my Pokémon, and just about all my friends."
"Interesting," the messenger Lucario said. "My perspective's quite different, I think – to me, it's more about the differences that are all part of the same country. I have traversed the high passes of the mountains in chill air, jumping from rock to rock with a long fall by my side… and I have run beneath the branches of forest so thick the sun is but a suggestion through the shade."
She waved a paw towards the window. "I have travelled thousands of miles – tens of thousands, some busy years – and seen all kinds of Pokémon. I've fought off an angry Gyarados, stopped to help a family of Croconaw, and been given a lift by a Staraptor. In short, I have done so many kinds of things I could not imagine any other way of life giving me such pleasure."
There was silence for a few seconds.
"You've got a way with words," Brock complimented her. "And – yes, I think that's a lot of why we all travel."
"It's interesting you say that, about how many things you've done," Aaron's friend mused. "One of the things I have come to treasure about Cameran – and Rota – is how the people here live. By staying in the same place, I have come to recognize the cycle of seasons and how they add such variety to a single place – and a snowy year is different from a dry year, while a stormy year is different from one which is not."
"Didn't you once climb the spire in a thunderstorm?" Queen Ilene asked. "How did that work out?"
"Less well than I expected," Lucario said simply.
"I think for me… well, I was only in the kingdom in Sinnoh for a few weeks," Casey's Riolu said. "So travel is what I'm used to, it's been my way of life for a year. But I do love Casey, and love travelling with her – and I think if she settled down, I'd enjoy that just as much."
She turned to address her trainer directly. "You have such a passion to you, Casey – it's what I think I appreciate most about you as a trainer. We – all your Pokémon – are a team, and that's the important thing. Not where we are or what we're doing, just that we're doing it."
"Riolu..." Casey said, blinking, and hugged her. "Thank you so much!"
"Erk!" Riolu gasped. "Those are my ribs!"
"It seems that the choice of you as trainer was well made, Casey," the messenger said.
After several further minutes of less emotional conversation – small talk, mostly – Queen Ilene cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, smiling. "But I'm afraid that it's not very long until the royal ball. I'm required to attend, and I would appreciate it if you all made an appearance as well – especially Sir Ketchum, as well as the castle champion."
"Of course, your majesty," the Rota Lucario nodded.
"Did you just call Ash a sir?" Casey asked. "Wait, the guard at the gate said that too, I think – I thought it was just… what happened?"
"It was when we helped save the Togepi Kingdom," Ash told her. "It's kind of weird, I think… basically, they made me a knight, and I got a sword, but it sometimes doesn't really feel real."
"You have a quarter of the wall garden, Sir Ketchum!" Ash's Lucario said earnestly. "A noble location indeed, as I have said before – you are a knight of a truly respectable..."
He trailed off.
"What's the land grant a knight gets called? Or – wait, was it actually granted?"
"I don't think it was granted," Max said. "If it was then Brock would have had to take his rock with him."
Despite the name, the ball was a little less formal than something consisting entirely of dances. There was a central dance area, but early in the evening it was still sparsely populated and the musicians were only warming up.
Then the herald at the door cleared his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "May I announce Her Majesty, Queen Ilene of Rota!"
A ripple of discussion went around the room, hushed quickly, as Queen Ilene entered.
"We are gratified to see your attendance," she said, with a slight nod. "It is always a pleasure when Our castle is visited by so many."
"Sir Ash Ketchum, of the Wall Garden's Third Quarter!" the herald went on. "Reigning Champion of the Silver Conference, former Champion of the Indigo Conference and of the Orange Islands! And his Pikachu and Lucario."
Ash reached up to touch Pikachu, trying to hide his nerves. "It's kind of odd to hear all that..."
"You've really been racking up the titles," Pikachu whispered back. "At least they haven't given you one for the meteorite thing yet. Asteroidslayer?"
Ash's staff clicked on the steps as he descended. "Don't even joke about that."
"I think it would be nice for me to have a title," Lucario decided.
"Sir Brock Slate, of the Quite Nice Rock!" the herald went on, as Brock came in. "Gym Leader of Pewter! And his Ninetales."
"Is that your full title?" Ninetales asked lightly, tails held out in a fan as she walked beside her trainer. "I didn't realize it was literally called the Quite Nice Rock."
Brock shrugged.
"Dame May Maple of the Tool Shed, Top Coordinator of Hoenn, and her Blaziken! And her brother, Sir Max Maple of The Bit Next To The Tool Shed, and his Ralts."
"They were really running out of places to give people for their knighthoods," Max said, shaking his head. "How's the suit, Roland?"
Not bad, Roland sent. It's kind of an odd feeling to wear one, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
"Just be glad we're able to take Pokémon in," May pointed out. "It's really good of the Queen to let us."
"The Queen's Champion, Lucario of Rota!" the announcer said, back on more familiar ground for a moment. "And the Royal Messenger of the Lucario Kingdom of Sinnoh!"
"This is all very impressive," the Royal Messenger in question observed. "It's nice to be back on familiar social ground, but sometimes a different castle has a flair all its own."
"I think I'd be interested to hear what you see as the differences," the Queen's Champion replied.
Back at the door, the herald experienced some very well hidden panic, then gave up.
"Casey," he said. "And her Riolu."
Casey blinked. "Wait, you didn't even get my surname?"
"I think it's because we were such a late addition," Riolu frowned. "Maybe you should have mentioned the Little League trophy?"
"Not going to dance?" Ash's Lucario asked.
"Not really, no," Pikachu replied, shaking his head. "I sometimes do, but usually when there's some Pichu around and everything's a bit surreal – doing it in a room with humans seems somehow odd after all the times that's happened."
"You never invited me?" Lucario said.
"It's not like I normally have any warning," Pikachu riposted. "What about you?"
"I already had one, May asked," the Fighting-type informed him. "But I can understand why you want to save yourself for Buneary."
Pikachu did a double-take. "Wha – how have you even heard of - Dawn hasn't even caught Buneary yet! And I know it didn't come up back when we met in Sinnoh."
Lucario smirked. "It's been three years now, think how much gossip I've heard from your teammates."
"Most of the ones who were around in Sinnoh haven't turned up either," Pikachu grumbled. "Anyway, you danced with May."
"You don't just dance with someone you're romantically interested in," Lucario countered smoothly. "That's why Ash is actually, you know, on the dance floor."
"Point," Pikachu conceded.
"You know, if you do keep doing the Contest circuit, you're going to have to get good at this kind of thing," Brock commented.
"I hope I already am," May said. "Have I stepped on your toes yet?"
"No, of course not," Brock replied. "But more to the point, you need to look more like you're enjoying it."
"That's… a fair point," May nodded, smiling. "It is nice to be able to do something like this where I show off, without my Pokémon being the centre of attention – I should focus more on that side of things."
"That sounds like a good idea," Brock said.
"Actually, how come you're experienced at this?" May questioned, as they both moved towards the doors – away from another pair of dancers. "It's not the kind of thing I associate with you, somehow."
"I learned it to try and impress girls," the Pewter gym leader said. "Whether or not it worked is an open question, of course."
"I wouldn't say that," May muttered.
There was a thump sound, different from the normal background of dancing and noticeable above the music, and the friends looked towards one of the more open spaces on the floor.
Ninetales and Growlie were dancing there, with the vulpine Fire-type's tails swirling around her almost like a dress, and her partner moving elegantly around them without breaking stride.
"I didn't know Jessie and James were here," May said softly.
"They're not," Brock replied. "That's an illusion."
"Oh – oh," May replied, looking again at the Fire-types.
Now she was paying attention, she could see very slight clues – like the way Growlie's tail wasn't causing any ripples in nearby dresses in the same way Ninetales' tails were.
"I'll check on her later," Brock decided, as the music came to an end. "Another?"
The opening notes of a fast Arabesque began.
"I think Blaziken might want this one," May said, spotting her Fire-type. "He likes fast dances."
"That's so unsurprising it's almost stereotypical," Brock said, chuckling. "Off you go, then."
"I don't think this is going to work," Goodra said, shrugging.
Mawile looked up at him. "Really? Awww..."
The Dragon-type reached down to wink at her. "Don't worry… it's not your fault, after all, it's just that I'm a bit too big."
Mawile nodded. "I guess… hey, maybe if I can borrow a Mawilite, we could dance in the air?"
Goodra winced. "I don't think I can fly that well… you know, I'm basically using Dragon Pulse or a move like that to blast into the air, and I'm pretty sure if I tried to dance I'd just laser half the countryside."
The Steel-type let out a surprised snort of laughter.
"Yeah," she admitted. "That would be… yeah."
Her friend tapped her with his tail. "I appreciate the thought anyway, Mawile."
"I don't know about you," Max said, shuffling back and trying to remember the steps and talk at the same time, "...but I'm pretty sure that these things are designed for people older than us."
"Most Pokémon trainers are this age, right?" Casey asked. "Okay, maybe not quite your age, but I got started at the normal time."
Max blushed. "I know, actually…one of May's rivals asked if I was a midget."
The other trainer chuckled.
"But yeah, I get your point," Casey added. "I mean, you're the youngest person here and the next youngest is… I think your sister, or me?"
She blinked. "Wait, doesn't that mean you're stupidly young for a knight?"
"Yeah, kinda," Max agreed. "I kind of wonder if I accidentally asked Jirachi for a knighthood."
The last notes of a Gigue died away, and Ninetales bowed to her partner.
"A fine dance," she said, tails flicking back and forth in a one-at-a-time sequence.
The Arcanine opposite her nodded, silently, and she sighed.
"Enough," she decided, and the illusion collapsed.
During the moments of silence between songs, she padded over to the side of the hall and curled up.
"Are you okay?" Mawile asked. "You look kind of unhappy."
"Oh, I'm just melancholy," Ninetales said, with a fluid shrug. "After all, Growlie and I can't really settle down at the moment – I'd like a kit or two at some point, but he and I agree that we spend too much time apart. It's worth the wait, anyway."
"So… I guess you're unhappy because this is some time you can't spend with him, and you'd like to?" Mawile checked.
"That's it exactly," Ninetales agreed. "And, well… it makes me worry if we'll ever get long enough together to feel comfortable having children like I want."
She sniffed, then sniffed again. "What-"
"May I have this dance?" a familiar voice asked.
"And just how did you get here?" Ninetales demanded, rising fluidly to her paws and licking Growlie's muzzle.
"Your trainer called mine, and Abra was persuaded to help," the Arcanine said, chuckling. "Now, if I may – I hear a minuet starting."
"I'm not sure, but I think this is the oddest sight so far," May said.
"No kidding," Max agreed. "That just doesn't seem right."
As they watched, Ash executed a credible entrechat – boots clacking together mid-jump – before taking two steps back as the Royal Messenger took two forwards, moving with precision and not a little grace.
Lucario feet didn't have the same spikes their arms did, but there was still no foot-treading-on going on.
"It's actually pretty simple," Aaron's Lucario said, amused at their reactions. "A lot of dancing has its roots in martial arts, and Ash has been training at that for more than three years. It would be surprising if he was unable to at least be somewhat competent."
"It still doesn't look right," May reiterated, shaking her head. "She's pretty good, though."
"My assumption is that the same applies to her," the champion shrugged.
He looked around for Ash's Lucario, then spotted him talking to Casey's Riolu. "If you'll excuse me."
"I would be honoured to go," Riolu said, bowing formally. "My deepest thanks for your invitation."
"I'm glad you invited me too," Ash's Lucario agreed. "I've never actually visited the tree, but I know it is important for both you and Ash."
"It is indeed," the Queen's Champion nodded. "Riolu, would you be able to invite your trainer along? I will address Ash and our guest from the Lucario Kingdom when they are available."
"We're doing it so soon?" Riolu asked. "It seems to be still partway through the evening."
"If I know Ash Ketchum as well as I think I do," the Queen's Champion smiled, "then he will be glad for the excuse."
"Good point," Ash's Lucario conceded.
"Oh, my..." Ninetales smiled, rolling over onto her back and looking up at the stars. "This has been a wonderful evening."
"I heartily agree," Growlie rumbled. "We don't get nearly long enough together."
He lay down next to her. "But what we get, while it's never enough… it's always something to remember with a happy heart in the weeks and months after."
"That's an excellent point," Ninetales said, twisting her head to meet his eyes. "And some day, not too far in the future, we might get a chance to properly settle down – for a year or two, at least."
Growlie's tail thumped the ground. "Let's hope we do get that chance."
After a few minutes of companionable silence, Ninetales tilted her head. "I know I'm upside down," she began. "But that looks an awful lot like three Lucario, one Riolu, two humans and one Pikachu going off before the ball's finished."
"That would be because it's one Pikachu, two humans, one Riolu and three Lucario going off before the ball's finished," Growlie informed her solemnly.
"I see," Ninetales mused. "So I was seeing them in the wrong order. That makes sense."
"Allow me to extend my thanks to Sir Slate," Aaron's Lucario said. "It was very good of him to pack us some bento for the trip."
"Yeah, Brock's a good friend like that," Ash smiled. "I know he originally learned to do it for his brothers and sisters, but I think he really does enjoy doing it for anyone who's willing to eat."
"Which is all of us," the messenger agreed. "I can hardly complain about my normal meal – I prepare berries myself, usually – but this is lovely."
"It is pretty nice, I guess," Casey admitted, yawning. "But I didn't realize we'd be out here for so long… heck, I didn't know we'd need to bring a meal, let alone sleep the night."
"The Tree of Beginning is a numinous location," Aaron's Lucario told her. He put his chopsticks down, and rose fluidly to his feet – gesturing around. "While it is not very far in pure distance, the terrain to get there is amazing – and, unfortunately, amazing also means broken and rocky."
He spread his hands. "I am taking us on the best path for a novice."
"That's fine, I guess," Casey nodded. She looked over at Riolu, sitting cross-legged and eating her own bento, and smiled – then examined the tree, still some way off. "But – is there a reason we can't just fly there with Pidgeot?"
"Master, I'd rather not," Riolu requested – looking up from her meal. "It's… well, I rarely get a chance to talk to any Lucario, and this is a time with three of them at once."
"That's fine, then," Casey said. "This is for you, really, so I don't mind the walk. I'm just not sure if I can manage it without slowing you all down."
"Don't worry if you do," the Rota Lucario advised her. "Part of the reason behind this journey, in my mind – when I thought of it – was to allow us to talk. About Sir Aaron, about the Lucario Kingdom… about things which should be talked about, things I rarely get a chance to discuss."
"That would be appreciated," Ash's Lucario spoke up. "Last time we only got a short time to talk about Sir Aaron, and since then – well, since then I've had a lot more experience."
"I'd be glad to discuss him." The Lucario in question finished the last of his lunchbox, then nodded towards the distant Tree of Beginning. "There should be enough time to do it in."
For the next hour or two, the group – three Lucario, one Riolu, two humans and an unusually strong Pikachu – climbed steadily into the hills over Rota.
As Lucario had said, the path was easier, but that didn't necessarily mean easy – more than once they had to help Casey up, and for one particularly hard stretch the Royal Messenger simply hoisted Casey up on her back… then jumped right up the wall in three huge bounds, a flash of blue Aura heralding each jump.
"Thanks," Casey said, getting back down, and sighed. "Sorry, I really do feel like I'm slowing you down."
"On the contrary, I'm quite glad you're here," Aaron's friend said. "I've thought about this a lot, and I think one of the most important things an Aura guardian can learn – and remember, and relearn, and remind himself or herself of at every opportunity – is what normal people are capable of."
He gestured down the slope. "It would be all too easy for someone like myself, or Ash, or another Lucario, to simply forget that this would cause you a problem."
Casey watched as her Riolu came clambering up the slope – relying on powerful bounds of her own, though not quite as strong as those the Lucario were making. "Okay, I think I get it..."
"But there's another side of it, as well," Lucario went on. "Just as it would be easy for me to assume you could do this, it would also be easy for me to assume you could not climb up the lower escarpment. But you did, and that's also a reminder."
The baseball enthusiast looked down reflexively at her shoes. "But that's because of my cleats, right?"
"How you do it does not matter so much as the achievement."
Riolu reached the top, and exhaled slowly to release the tension of her climb. "There..."
"Was it like this a thousand years ago?" Ash asked. "With Sir Aaron, I mean – was it easier to get to the tree, or was it harder?"
"Harder, for the average person," Aaron's Lucario judged. "Not least because the wilds have been tamed, compared to how they were.. but Sir Aaron felt it would take too long to come the usual way, so he took a flight on his Pidgeot – a fine specimen, one I feel your own Pidgeot may be related to."
"Why's that?" Ash's Lucario asked. "Is it a relatives thing?"
"Well, he had at least twenty chicks, and it was a thousand years ago," Aaron's old friend said with a chuckle. "I assume every Pidgey in the country has some of his blood, and probably a lot of other Pokémon as well."
He raised a paw. "And before you ask – no, I did not have any children. So you are not my descendant."
"But you did have siblings, correct?" Ash's Lucario asked.
"...well, yes, two."
"I see where this is going," the messenger chuckled. "So, extremely great uncle, where are we going next?"
Casey chuckled.
"It's something I wish, in retrospect, had gotten into the history books," Aaron's Lucario sighed. "Sir Aaron would not want to be raised up on a pedestal, at least not for long – he was a complex person and would rather be thought of in that light."
"The decision with yourself in particular?" Ash's one checked.
"That's right," the elder Lucario confirmed. "He wanted me to leave, but he didn't do it by telling me what he wanted – he did it by tricking me. It may have been dramatic, but… it did not do what he wanted it to."
"I see..." Riolu said, nodding to herself.
"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash checked. "You seem a bit quiet."
"It doesn't really seem like it's my topic to get involved with, Ash," Pikachu said, flirting his tail. "It's all about Lucario and Sir Aaron, and… well, it's about things which I don't really feel I can contribute to. I can listen – I am listening – and it's interesting, but… well, like I say."
"That almost sounds weird by now," Casey commented. "I mean, your Pikachu's the only Pokémon here I can't understand!"
Ash's reply was interrupted by a sound from the other side of a rocky ridge. Then there was a crash as a Regirock came right through the wall some way ahead of them.
"I will handle this," Aaron's Lucario announced, stepping forwards. "We are authorized to be here."
Regirock's eyes flashed. "Processing. Analyzing. Runtime error."
"Runtime error?" Lucario repeated.
"Intruder alert. Engage countermeasures."
"We're not intruders!" Lucario said, letting his Aura flare up.
"Shut up and get behind cover!" Pikachu advised, tugging Ash's cheek.
"Someone want to explain what's going on?" Casey asked plaintively.
There was a thwack as Regirock fired a high speed Rock Throw at their cover, spalling off a spray of fragments.
"There are three golems – Regirock, Regice and Registeel – who protect the tree," Lucario told them. "But I don't understand why they're attacking us."
"They did last time," Ash pointed out. "With Kidd Summers, remember?"
"I've been up there since you revived me from the staff this time," Aaron's Lucario answered. "They shouldn't be doing this."
"You know Kidd Summers?" Casey asked, blinking. "Did you meet her during that asteroid thing?"
"Maybe we can talk about this later?" the messenger suggested. "Regirock is getting closer."
Ash risked a peek over the edge of their rock to see, and winced when he saw how close the Legendary Golem was getting. As he did, however, the H-shaped pattern of Regirock's eyes went through a complex sequence of light codes.
"Continental divide error," Regirock declared, after a moment's contemplation. "Please reinstall watershed and reboot."
The flickering eyes all went dark, apart from the central one – which glowed very brightly all of a sudden. "Engaging intruder."
"Should I understand this?" Ash asked, ducking back down.
"I think I have a solution," the local Lucario said, as a Power Gem hammered into their shield. "We just need to reboot Regirock."
He tensed, then sprinted to the other end of the rocky barricade and hurdled it. Paws flashing a faint blue as he ran, he came at the Rock-type from the side and hammered a Low Kick into it a little below the knee.
"Do you require assistance?" the Royal Messenger inquired, over the chik-chik sounds of the other Lucario switching between fast kicks and knife-hand chops.
"I'm just trying to hack Regirock so we can sort this out," Aaron's Lucario replied. "Be my guest."
Needing no further introduction, she jumped the barricade herself – dodging to one side away from a Hyper Beam Regirock fired – then blurred forwards into a Bullet Punch.
"You need to enter God Mode," Pikachu suggested, cheeks sparking, and light began to build up around him.
"What's that?" the messenger asked. "What's God Mode?"
"Never mind..."
"Honestly, I think the problem is this silicon based technology," Aaron's Lucario grumbled, ducking a swipe by Regirock's huge fist and springing backwards. His feet lashed out, and he knocked Regirock up onto one foot – then had to get clear as it engaged with a Hyper Beam before slamming back to both feet.
"Error," Regirock announced, eyes flashing. "Error. Your copy of Yamato-Daishii threat recognizer is on day 368529 of the 30 day trial period. Please purchase."
"I think I have a plan," the female Lucario said. "Can you do that again?"
"Just give me a moment to get back in position," Aaron's Lucario requested.
"Right!"
The messenger dodged underneath the legs of the lumbering Rock-type, sliding around in a half-circle to stay close once she was through, and gripped Regirock's leg. "Ready to lift!" she called, bracing herself against the ground.
"Yah!" Aaron's Lucario shouted, winding up. "Low Kick!"
"Volt Crash!" Pikachu called.
Both the Lucario had just enough time to realize what he'd said before a massive blast of electricity covered the area.
"This unit has unexpectedly quit," Regirock mumbled, face down on the ground.
"Please do not do that next time, Pikachu," Aaron's Lucario requested, discharging little sparks of electricity from the cream fur on his chest. "Lucario barely had time to let go of the leg."
"It solved the problem, didn't it?" Pikachu asked.
"Pikachu, they're right – it was kind of rude," Ash admonished. "I mean, they were making a plan – you could have said something."
Pikachu flipped an ear, sighed, then nodded. "Okay, you're right. Sorry. I… yeah, sorry about that."
"Will Regirock be okay?" Riolu asked.
"The Golems are extremely durable," Aaron's Lucario told her. "Regirock will be fine once it has restarted – in fact, we should get going before that happens, as I do not know if the problem will still be present."
"Can Mew sort it out?" Ash said, concerned.
"Probably. The Golems of the Tree are part of the security systems – normally they would simply try to eject intruders, not attack them unprovoked – and that means Mew can alter their directives."
"It sounds like she's really not been bothering to keep them up to date," Pikachu said, shaking his head, then jumped from the ground to a nearby rock face to Ash's shoulder.
"Okay, so – how do you know Kid Summers, Ash?" Casey asked, as they got moving again.
"It's…" Ash paused, then sighed. "Okay, it's going to become pretty obvious at some point."
There was a wham as Ash's Lucario jumped down next to them. "No sign of nearby Golems," he reported. "I was going to High Jump Kick Regirock, but that wasn't needed."
He observed Pikachu, and smiled a little wistfully. "I remember when I was able to do that."
"That sounds nice, actually," Riolu said. "Can we give it a go, Casey?"
Her trainer smiled, reaching down to pick her up. The actual lifting turned out to be a bit harder than she'd expected, though.
"...I'll just get on, shall I?" Riolu asked.
"Sure, I – okay, ouch!" Casey protested. "I think this just isn't going to work, Riolu – you're a bit too heavy for me."
"Ash is kind of strong," Lucario stated.
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Casey said, straightening up. "I wanted to ask about Kidd Summers?"
"Trouble!" the messenger Lucario called.
"Scanning – scanning – intruders located," Regice announced. "Identifying. Running match algorithms."
"Didn't Lucario say he'd looked for any Golems?" Aaron's Lucario asked.
"That one was cheating," Lucario protested. "It definitely wasn't there two minutes ago."
"They do have underground tunnels," Aaron's Lucario said. "Perhaps it was that."
"Welcome Back, Sir Aaron," Regice declared. "It Has Been…. 99999… error… Days Since Your Last Visit."
Regice's eyes flashed – left, right, up, down – then all lit up at once. "Human lifespan exceeded. Probability of illegal access attempt 99.99786 percent. Account locked. Deleting."
The Ice-type raised an arm. "Ice Beam."
Ash's Lucario jumped forwards, raising his palms – both flashing into flame as he did so. They caught the ice, matching it for several long seconds, and when the ice blast faded Lucario threw the flame forwards.
"That should delay it," Lucario declared, turning away from the conflagration. "I set up a firewall."
"You know, I think I'm missing something I'd really like to see," Glalie mused.
AN:
I'm not sorry for doing that with the Regis.
Also, Casey and her Riolu, and some Lucarioverload. And a dance.
