A/N: Hello all! It seems like last chapter had a pretty good reception and I'm happy about that. Also, the story recently hit about 35,000 views. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Seriously. I never expected this story to garner this much attention. I also want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a belated Christmas for those who celebrates it.

Anyhoo, welcome to the forth day of Ash's trials! What will happen? The answer may surprise you. We'll find out.

Disclaimer: Yeah... yeah. I don't Pokemon or something along those lines. I do own this story, so that's kewl ^_^

Day 4

At dawn, Ashton woke up with a start. Ash and Ashton had both slept in a tree. Ashton was once again surprised that Mew didn't try to attack them while they were sleeping. It made him wonder which Pokémon she transformed into. Ashton looked back at his balance with an indescribably expression. He couldn't unsee how bruised Mew was once he woke up. To be perfectly honest, it made it slightly afraid of what him or Ash could do when either of them let their emotions get the better of them.

Ashton jumped off the tree and landed on his feet. He was still feeling terrible from yesterday, but he grew to be a bit more accepting of a few things. Ashton subconsciously held his neck. Then, he clenched his fists tightly and looked up at the sky. The sky was still pinkish-red and there was a gentle breeze. Ashton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air felt refreshing… much more than normal.

Ashton decided to take a small walk since he knew that Ash tended to sleep late. Besides, it was good to take a walk. That always helped to clear his mind.

Ashton strolled along the forest with his hands behind his head. He never thought he would be back in or dreaming about the Tree of Beginning. This place felt safe despite there being some bad memories about Mew kidnapping Pikachu. Thinking about his patron, he didn't quite know how to feel about her. Normally, if someone harmed him, he would despise their guts. However, he couldn't bring himself to hate Mew. If anything, he was intrigued and confused by the psychic type.

"Why is she so determined to put us through a trial? I… I have no idea what's in her head. Even though she attacked us yesterday, I know she didn't want to actually hurt us. Still, like she said, she definitely wasn't holding back as much. That's terrifying what she may do as Pikachu or another one of our other partners." Ashton thought while looking down at the forest floor. He knew that Ash was a powerful guardian, but it made him wonder why Mew decided to became their patron. He hoped to find out when they saw her later today.

Ashton noticed the sun slowly beginning to move through the sky. The sky slowly shifted from pinkish red to it regular sky blue. There were barely any clouds in the sky. It would be a great day to travel a great distance.

Ashton curled his fingers tightly. He started to emit electrical sparks as he formed a plan in his mind. He decided to try to seek out Mew while Ash was sleeping. He knew he couldn't sense his well as his counterpart, but he had to try. Ashton thought about how Ash was able to sense Mew yesterday and decided to emulate him. Ashton closed his eyes and placed his hand on the ground.

He started to hum as his body became immersed in a dark blue aura. Everything around felt a bit hazy, but he could still sense the trees around him. However, he wasn't looking for some trees. He was looking for Mew. Ashton concentrated more deeply. The environment started to ripple in his mind, but he still couldn't sense anything but trees clearly. Ashton started to surround himself in red aura.

"What can't I sense her? Ash gets it almost immediately and yet I can't seem to do it!" Ashton growled and punched a hole in the ground. Several bird Pokémon started to fly off into the distance from the expected sound. The red eyed boy clinched his teeth in slight rage.

Suddenly, Ashton got punched right in his gut. Confused and hurt, he was sent flying into a tree. Then, he stayed attached to the tree. Ashton tried his hardest to move, but found that he couldn't. The raven haired boy narrowed his eyes and immediately knew what trapped him.

"Show yourself, pixie." Ashton spat with a sneer.

"You know, if you opened yourself to your emotions, sensing me would have been a breeze. I was observing you this entire time." The pixie in question appeared right in front of his eyes. Although he was surprised, he did not show it. Mew has striking red eyes and pointed blue ears. She had a blue and black color scheme with her fur with a spike on her torso. She was only slight shorter than Ashton, but she showed no signs of any emotion on her face.

"What do you know about feeling emotions, pixie? You don't seem to ever show how you actually feel about anything." Ashton pointed out. Mew snorted and made a lopsided smile.

"I've done a good job being unpredictable then. I was young once, my boy. I've had my fill of emotions. However, I've learned to suppress my emotions when I need to. Even still, I do have sentiments… otherwise I would not have shown myself to you just now…." Mew admitted.

"What?" Ashton growled. Mew sighed and shook her head.

"I felt pity for you, my boy. You want to feel wanted and protect Ash, but is too afraid to let your balance know that you think you are weak. You wish to properly train with your mother, but is too afraid to let Ash know the truth about that day nine years ago. Fear is rampant in your mind no matter how much you want to hide it. Fear holds you back." Mew stated simply.

"…" Ashton didn't have a proper response to her. He hated how she was easily able to dissect his feelings without breaking a sweat. He never liked to feel vulnerable around anything and it was clear Mew knew that.

"I'm going to let you in on a somewhat obvious secret. This Lucario will be your Aspect of Emotion. Ash connected with Lucario as a Riolu while he was in Sinnoh and that bond stayed. That Riolu connected with him through his emotions. However, you never fully connected with anyone other than Aurora at a young age. This hinders you." Mew said with a frown.

"I've connected with Ash, especially through this stupid trial." Ashton claimed. Mew snorted again and shook her head. Her eyes began to glow red as Ashton began to feel a little intimidated.

"You aren't deluding anyone but yourself. Part of you resents him and his newfound abilities from the last two days. You want him to stay weaker than you so you can feel needed." Mew stated with certainty.

"I don't feel that-" Ashton immediately tried to deny her, but Mew rose her paw up and shook her head once again. She then preceded to interrupt him, but her eyes stopped glowing and became a bit softer.

"The path to growing is accepting your own shortcomings and learning from them. You refuse to listen to your heart. You hide from your fear rather than accept it. You wanted to seek me out to help clear your turbulent emotions from yesterday's encounter, yes?" Mew asked, though she already knew the answer. Ashton was getting frightened by her accuracy.

"Ho-how are you-" Ashton stammered for the first time since meeting her.

"Reading me so well?" Mew finished with a laugh. Ashton blinked his eyes, but nodded. She continued, "Today is the only day where I have access to most of my sensing abilities because I am a Lucario. However, all I have said were accurate predictions based on what I sense in your current mind. I haven't even begun to read your aura because I've seen counterbalances with your state of mind too many times."

"Really?" Ashton said with a hint of surprise. Mew nodded.

"Yes. Counterbalances tend to develop a bit of an inferiority complex to their balance at some point in their lives. However, I want you to accept that you might not always be the best at everything, but you do have your own strengths. You just have to find them." Mew stated with a wink.

"My… strengths…" Ashton looked down at the forest floor, deep in thought. Ashton felt so vulnerable that he figured he didn't have too much left to lose emotionally, "How can I differentiate myself then?"

"You already have, but not in the way you'd expect. It is up to you to realize what it is. Sometimes, power isn't something you should use to differentiate yourself from someone else. It's all about qualities of the person and how they react differently in the same situations." Mew tried to convey, but Ashton didn't seem to get it. She sighed and figured she should give him to digest what she said. Mew snapped her paws. Ashton was released from her aura grip. Ashton grunted when he fell on his knees. Ashton looked straight down on the forest floor for several moments.

Then, he saw a paw reaching down.

Ashton looked up and saw Mew's paw. Mew's reassuring smile and an offer to get up. He took the offer somewhat hesitantly. Mew instantly tightened her grip and helped her student up. Ashton was surprised to see her act this nice to him. Most people snort in disgust when they see him and not Ash so it was a bit refreshing.

"Did… Arceus feel this way about you at a certain point?" Ashton asked in a small voice. Mew widened her eyes slightly before considering the question. It was the first time she'd been surprised by the counterbalance.

"Interesting question. To be honest, I'm not sure. Arceus hides his emotions better than I do, but is less unpredictable. Even for me, it's hard to tell where his head is at, especially since we have a bit of a complicated relationship at the moment." Mew responded with a disappointed sigh. Ashton arched his eyebrow up in intrigue. He never expected to hear that.

"Why?" Ashton asked.

"Arceus thinks I'm meddling in humans' lives too much and has warned me time and time again not to invade in any Ketchum's life. He told me before I started this trial that if I did this, he would punish me once this was over." Mew said somewhat indifferently. Ashton immediately got concerned.

"What?! Aren't you worried?" He said in a slightly panicked voice. Mew shook her head.

"Not in the slightest. Even if it isn't an empty threat, he can't really do too much to me. Remember, we are of equal standing. However, I am not afraid to put him in his place if need be. You are my Ketchums and I have the right to help you. After all, I am your patron and I constantly protect you and send my blessing. That hasn't changed since the beginning of time and that won't change even at the end of time." Mew continued with a clenched fist. Ashton can hear the passion in her words as she continued to speak. She didn't speak with such passion before about them. Ashton made an inward smile.

Mew placed her paw against Ashton's stomach. It began to glow as Ashton felt any lingering pain from Mew's earlier punch diminish. Mew placed a paw on his shoulder and smiled. Ashton still seemed to be in a bit of thought.

"Young one… was I able to help you?" Mew asked earnestly. Ashton got a bit of a chill from how she said it.

"Please… don't call me young one. Only Mom can call me that." Ashton said immediately. Mew widened her eyes in curiosity and slightly chuckled. He added in a quiet voice, "You did help a little bit. Thank you…"

"Heh. Fair enough, Ashton." Mew closed her eyes and hid a devious smile. She cackled softly. Ashton was confused by the change. Mew acknowledged this, "You've given me a wonderful idea for your last day and I think you'll appreciate it."

"What are you talking about?" Ashton asked with a suspicious voice.

"You'll find out in two days, Ashton." Mew said with a wink. Ashton didn't like the way she said that, but knew that she probably wouldn't say anything else. Mew clapped her paws together and gasped, "I completely forgot! I'm supposed to spar with both of you, aren't I?"

"That's what you said yesterday."

"Although I can sense Ash's location, do you want to spar with me with him here or not? It's still relatively early in the morning, so Ash is still asleep." Mew offered with a smile. Ashton placed a finger on his chin, but he already knew what he wanted.

"I want him here with me." Ashton said with a firm voice. Mew's smile grew larger.

"Nice. Even though you might not have fully connected with him, at least you two are close." Mew chuckled. Mew jumped up on a tree branch and gestured the red eyed boy to follow her. She then began to jump from branch to branch at a breakneck pace. Ashton hastened to catch up as the duo traveled through the forest.

Ash was indeed still sleeping in the tree, but he looked slightly troubled. Despite moving swiftly, Mew also moved silently. Ashton found himself impressed with her movement and wondered how fast and quietly she moved when she was observing him. Ashton stood at the base of Ash's tree while Mew was sitting on the branch above Ash's. Mew hugged her legs on her branch and swung her body forward. Mew was now upside down and in the perfect position.

Mew's red eyes stared into Ash's closed ones. Ashton wondered what Mew was going to do. Then, she did something he didn't expect. She transformed from her Lucario shape to Aurora's shape. Then, she tapped him on the forehead. Ash grumbled slightly in his sleep. Mew chuckled slightly and shook her head. Then, she murmured in Aurora's voice, "Wake up, sleepyhead."

Ash mumbled almost incoherently, "Ruru… stop. Need… more… sleep."

Ashton was surprised that he called her 'Ruru' and not Aurora. Mew was intrigued by this as well. She didn't expect this, but figured his subconscious would lean toward his subconscious memories. She didn't know what he was dreaming about, but she knew that there would be a very good chance that he wouldn't remember it if it involved him and Aurora before the separation.

"Come on, Ashton. Wake up." Mew continued in Aurora's voice.

"Hggh… Ruru…" Ash started to shift about in his sleep, but seemed a bit reluctant to wake up. Mew playfully rolled her eyes. Ashton was getting a bit of a chill watching this. He remembered this exact same scenario happening, even though it was a bit hazy.

"Young one… we have to start traveling. Wake up so I can teach you something new. I know you'd like that." Mew chuckled in a persuasive voice. Upon hearing that, Ash started to shift around a lot more. He slowly opened his eyes. Dark amber eyes met light amber ones.

"Woah! Aurora?!" Ash immediately was surprised and confused. He shifted so much that he fell on the tree. He would have landed on his stomach if it wasn't for Ashton raising his hand in time and slowing his decent with his aura grip. Although he was bemused, he thanked his counterbalance for the assist. Mew was laughing so much that she fell off the tree, too. However, as she was falling, she changed shape once again. By the time she landed on her feet, she had changed into a Riolu.

Ashton released Ash from his aura grip. Ash's guard was on an all-time high while Ashton looked relatively neutral. Mew expected this sort of response and rose her paws up as a pacifying gesture. "Don't worry. I will not try to harm you in any way. Do you recognize this Riolu, my boy?"

Ash looked a little bit more closely at the Pokémon. He slowly walked up to the Riolu and picked her up. Mew was slightly confused, but decided to let Ash do whatever he wanted to do. Then, his hands started to glow blue and he put his forehead against hers. They both began to feel a sense of euphoria. Then, Ash put Mew down with a smile. Mew felt oddly relaxed.

"Clever boy. That's one way of letting me know." Mew giggled.

"Do you know how Riolu's doing in the real world? I was sad when I said goodbye, but I'm happy that she's one of my guardian partners. I know I'll get to reconnect with her soon." Ash said somewhat excitedly.

"You have no idea, my boy. There's something I want to show you, but I'll give you the choice. Do you want me to spar with you now or after I show you something important?" Mew asked earnestly.

Ash and Ashton conversed a bit before reaching a decision. They said simultaneously, "We want to spar with you later. What do you want to show us?"

"Follow me. It'll involve following a very specific path." Mew said as she gestured the two Ashes to follow her. Both of them complied and the three of them traveled together for the first time since the trial's beginning. However, as they walked, Ash kept stealing glances at Ashton and Mew. He had so many questions running through his mind.

"Ashton seems to be feeling better at least, but what did Mew do to make him feel better? Why were they together when I woke up? How come Mew transformed into Aurora to wake me up? I still don't feel too good after what I did yesterday, but neither of them seem to be acknowledging it." Ash said while deep in thought. Ashton looked back at Ash for a split second before looking forward again. This was not caught unnoticed by the balance. He suddenly had a determined gaze. "I'll have to ask Ashton once Mew leaves. When she spars with us, I really do hope I won't go out of control. I really don't want to turn into a monster by the end of this…"

Mew led them into the crystal covered caves. Ash and Ashton had no idea where she was leading them, but didn't think they had too much of a choice. They would rather not right Mew as a Riolu or possibly Lucario. Mew continued to lead them through the caves. Ash and Ashton felt like they were going around in circles. Then again, they did not know the tree as well as she did.

Eventually, the trio reached what seemed to be a dead end. Both Ashes were confused by their patron. She turned around and had an incredibly serious face. She said with a heavy voice, "Listen to me, you two. What I am about to tell you is ultra-important and secret. If you tell anyone I don't deem a Ketchum or trustworthy enough, I will wipe your memory of this without any hesitation. This place is sacred and I prefer other humans never knowing how to get here through this way."

"Got it." Ash said easily. Ashton nodded to supplement him. Mew seemed a bit uneasy with how simply they replied.

"I'm serious, boys. I'm placing my trust in you two. If you manage to betray that trust…" Mew began with a deadly voice. Both Ashes gulped and imagined Mew fully angry. They rather not see Mew fighting in her true form again.

"We'll never say anything. What are you showing us?" Ash asked.

"You'll find out." Mew replied. She said with a stern voice, "Watch me closely, boys. You will be able to do this as well. This dead end isn't really a dead end when I do this…"

Mew shifted to be in a Lucario's shape. She curled her paw slightly and pressed it against the wall. She then became surrounded herself in a dark blue aura. The wall began to glow dark blue. Then, the wall vanished and revealed a long dark path. Mew began to walk along it. The two Ashes quickly followed suit.

The trio left from what seemed to be a cave. Ash and Ashton widened their eyes to find that they were in some place familiar. They saw several small houses and felt an air that was both disturbingly familiar and refreshing. The grass was lush and they noticed several Lucario and Riolu roaming around. Mew's ears wiggled slightly in excitement. Then, she proceeded to change into her regular cat-like form. She turned around to see Ash's and Ashton's faces. They were both amazed and confused.

"This is the Lucario Kingdom. How in Arceus's name…?" Ash gasped.

"The Tree of Beginning and the Lucario Kingdom are accessible to each other through the auric realm. If you are calm and your aura matches your feelings, you can visit this place from the tree. This is where most Ketchums meet the Lucario that will help train them as they grow up, guardian partner or not." Mew explained while hovering through the kingdom.

"How can this be? Isn't the Lucario Kingdom in Sinnoh and the Tree of Beginning in Kanto?" Ash questioned.

"This is correct. However, the Tree of Beginning is connected to all places sacred to guardians. As a result, it provides several ways to cross through the auric realm to these places. To you, it feels like you walked through a long dark path, but to any non-guardian, they would become trapped in the auric realm should they try crossing through it." Mew continued.

"So… we changed into aura to come here? I didn't feel different moving as aura." Ash commented.

"That is normal. That only means you'll have an easier time mastering transforming into aura. The Tree of Beginning is the main line of defense for us and if psychics found out about its secret passageways throughout the world… they can create technology to bypass the auric realm's defenses. Then, we'd be in danger." Mew sighed.

"Why are psychics so bad?" Ash wondered. Mew glanced slightly back and shook her head.

"Not all psychics are bad. When you recover your memories, Aurora will likely tell you the full history between aura guardians' and psychics' animosity. For now, let's keep going." Mew said.

"Where else are you taking us?" Ashton asked.

"I told someone to be expecting a couple of special visitors today. Keep following me until we reach the main castle in the middle of the kingdom." Mew floated along the grassland with her two students trailing behind her. They had no idea what to expect at this point, but truth be told, they found themselves excited.

Ash, Ashton and Mew eventually reached Lucario Castle. It looked large and impressive, despite appearing slightly withered. The castle itself was a bluish-black, with several statues of Lucario watching over the land. Mew pressed her paw against the door. She nodded to herself and forced Ash's and Ashton's hands against the door. Their hands began to glow blue involuntarily. The door began to glow a dark blue with an odd looking symbol.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, the door slowly crept open. Upon opening the door, they all were met with gasps and open mouths. Several Lucarios began to bow in respect. Neither Ash nor Ashton expected this sort of reaction. Meanwhile, Mew was giggling in the background. The Lucarios immediately began to scramble a bit. Then, one Lucario, clearly older than the rest cleared his voice and calmed everyone down.

The Lucario looked somewhat withered, but one look in his eyes showed how fierce he was. His blue fur was slightly greyish and his fur was overall shaggier and more unkempt than the other Lucario. The Lucario and the rest of the Pokémon bowed in respect, "(Welcome back, my lady.)"

"Heh. I haven't seen that sort of response from you guys in millennia. Ash and Ashton are that special, huh?" Mew chuckled while gently hovering around the two confused boys.

"(I felt an explosion of power, but I had to see for myself what it was. I should have expected to see a Ketchum if you visited us last minute. Please, make yourselves comfortable)." The eldest Lucario's eyes began to glow blue. Both Ash and Ashton gasped as they lost all feeling in their bodies and slowly moved forward. The Lucario and Mew cackled as he forced the duo inside.

The Lucario walked them to what appeared to be a dojo-like area. There was a wide open space, clear made for sparing. In fact, there were two Lucario going at it in an intense sparring match. One Lucario had a striped green headband wrapped around his head while the other one had nothing on. The Lucario with the headband was slightly larger than the other one and forcing more pressure.

The smaller one used her swift speed to dodge the onslaught of jabs. She had a look about her that seemed to be familiar to both Ashes. Then, it hit them. Ash called out, "Lucario… is that you?"

The small Lucario was so focused in her match that she did not hear him. However, Ash did not have to call her again as she managed to twist her opponent's paw and flip him over his side. She kept him in that position until he yielded. Once the fight was over, she grinned and made a thumbs-up. The eldest Lucario looked impressed.

"Excellent job, my student. I noticed you using your sensing abilities, anticipating where your opponent will strike. Wonderful improvement. You will make a fine guardian one day." The elder Lucario praised. The female Lucario seemed relieved and bowed in respect. However, she was confused about one thing.

"(Thank you, Sensei… but why are you speaking human? Are there humans nearby?)" She asked in a cautious voice.

"Heh. Humans? We aren't in the presence of just any humans. Meet your future trainer. You might recognize him…." Sensei moved out of the way so she could see the trainer in question. At first, she was confused. Then, her eyes turned cold.

Lucario approached the two Ashes untrustingly. Her eyes were narrowed and her paws were curled up. One of her fangs were poked out and she regarded Ash with a sneer, "(This boy will be my trainer? Sensei, I've told you time and time again that I despise humans. There's only been a few good humans I've met. There was one specific boy that I connected with, but after that incident two years ago… I've learned not to trust any other humans.)"

"What was that human's name? Heh." Sensei chuckled and started to speak with telepathy. Lucario looked at him incredulously.

"(Why, his name was Ash. Heck, he was the reason I was able to evolve after the huge ordeal. I told you that. I'll never forget how he saved me from that treacherous hunter person.)" Lucario clasped her paws together in admiration.

"Well, my name is Ash. Lucario… you don't recognize me?" Ash said with a hint of disappointment.

Lucario tilted her head in curiosity and took a closer look at the boy. She began to sniff him a little. Ash laughed at the contact. Then, she stood right in front of him and pressed her head against his. Almost instinctively, Ash closed his eyes and leaned slightly forward. A bright blue aura enveloped both of them. Then, a 'z' shaped mark appeared right above their heads.

Both trainer and Pokémon felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in their hearts. Ash and Lucario opened their eyes slowly. Then, they gave each other a hug, though Ash had to resist screaming from being impaled slightly by Lucario's spike. When they broke apart, Lucario noticed Ash's chest being stained with blood and sweatdropped. Ash told her not to worry about it and promptly healed the small wound. Then, they laughed together.

Sensei and Mew looked at their respective students proudly and nodded their heads. Ashton looked at the sight in wonder and thought, "I hope I can reach that level of bonding one day. I still want to figure out another way to differentiate myself from Ash."

"(I'm so sorry for not recognizing you, Master.)" Lucario apologized with a blush on her face.

"Lucario, I'm not your Master. I will care for you. Just call me Ash." Ash said with an easy smile.

"(Whatever you say, Master Ash.)" Lucario bowed in respect to her partner.

"Ugh…" Ash groaned. Meanwhile, Ashton chuckled slightly at his counterpart's expense.

"It seems like you both struggle to notice the obvious at times. This will be a fine pair, Lu." Mew acknowledged.

"Agreed. I haven't seen a level of bonding this high since Aaron and Lucario the Great." Sensei pointed out. Everyone widened their eyes expect for Mew. Mew thought a little bit before responding.

"Then again, do you expect anything less? This boy has an incredibly similar aura to Aaron." Mew reminded to the old Lucario. Sensei nodded in acknowledgment. Mew turned to the newly realized duo, "I expect to see great things from both of you."

"Lady Mew is giving her blessing to you. Don't let her down." Sensei said in a stern voice to both of them. Ash and Lucario nodded.

Lucario shifted her attention from Ash to Ashton and looked at him with a bit of interest. Then, she walked in front of him and pressed her forehead against his. Ashton, caught off guard by the sudden contact, froze in place. Lucario felt his body stiffen and wondered what she did wrong. Ash explained, "Ashton isn't fond of contact. Sorry, Lucario."

"(Terribly sorry, Master. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.)" Lucario said with a lot of regret.

"(Lucario, I'm not your Master, either. My name is Ashton and I'm-)" Ashton began.

"(Your own person.)" Lucario finished almost immediately.

"What?" Ashton was caught off guard by the Aura Pokémon.

"(I said you are your own person, Ashton. I can imagine you are surprised by my response because you were trapped in Ash's mind when I met him, but I did sense a bit of distinct aura in him beforehand. You feel a lot of conflicting emotions right now. This much I can tell in our exchange.)" Lucario explained her suspicions.

"You know that I'm Ash's-?" Ashton tried speaking again, but Lucario shook her head.

"(Yes. Instead of saying 'Ash's counterbalance', say something like 'I'm another half and my own person'. It might raise your confidence more.)" Lucario said with an easy smile.

Ash looked at the Lucario in awe and then made an indescribable look to Ashton. Ashton looked away immediately. Ashton knew what that look meant. It was one of those faces where he knew Ash would stop at nothing to find out what's up.

"…" Ashton made no response to Lucario's statement.

"(Master Ashton…)" Lucario said in an encouraging voice.

"Don't call me 'Master'." Ashton hissed harshly. Lucario stiffened at the rough tone and lowered her ears slightly. Ashton immediately felt bad and apologized under his breath.

"(Sorry. I have to get used to this. Lucario were taught to regard our trainers with the utmost respect and to treat them like our masters and mistresses. I despised the idea at first, but now that I know you and Ash are my trainers, I can see why they taught me that. I have no problems regarding you both as my masters.)" Lucario explained. Ash and Ashton widened their eyes in understanding. However, Ashton seemed confused.

Ashton commented, "There's one thing I just don't get."

"What is it, boy?" Sensei humored him.

"How is all this possible? The Lucario Kingdom exists in the real world, but I can tell that none of these Lucario are illusions. How are we visiting you through a dream." Ashton wondered.

"Ah, I see. Perhaps I should explain to you in this form…" The old Lucario punched his paws together and began to glow blue. Then, his form changed. He became taller and he lost his blue fur. He became balder and developed a long grey beard. His piercing red eyes turned brown and he developed a hunch and a sunnier disposition. Both Ashes gasped in shock.

"You're the same old guy we thought was Lucario's trainer?" Ashton said in surprise.

Sensei nodded, "The Lucario Kingdom is a mirage like kingdom. It exists both in dreams and in real life. What is allowing me and all the other Lucarios to see and interact with you right now is us using aura vision."

"Really?" Ash and Ashton said.

"When a Ketchum visits this place in their dreams, they are invisible and protected in a mysterious shroud of aura, made by Lady Mew. Because this place is neither a dream nor real, I can sense this energy and talk to you normally. However, any regular person who comes here cannot do this." Sensei continued.

"I didn't know Lucario had the ability to transform into humans." Ashton crossed his arms in observation. Mew shook her head.

"They don't, dear. I had this one have this ability to so he can keep this place safe from other humans if they drop by. This 'human' is the first Lucario I've ever made and all Lucarios are his descendants. He trains all Riolus that will be designated to a guardian." Mew continued explaining.

"So any person who has a Lucario or Riolu got one from here?" Ash asked.

"No. Mostly Ketchums and guardians that know of this place will be paired with a Riolu or Lucario from here. There are many Riolu and Lucario who have broken away from the kingdom and into the wild all over the world. There is about ninety-five percent chance that previous Riolus and Lucarios you've met did not come from here. Those that do tend to have a bit of an edge because they are more attuned to their aura." Sensei said while stroking his beard.

Mew clasped her paws together and started to change form. Everyone was surprised to see that Mew changed back into Lucario's shape. Lucario herself looked puzzled at what was a mirror image of herself. She was intrigued at the same time.

"Well, I'd say that's enough chit-chat. It's about high time for our sparring matches, boys." Mew got herself into a fighting position.

"(Sparring match? With Lady Mew in my shape? Why is this?)" Lucario seemed hopelessly confused. Ash and Ashton quickly explained that they were in a trial put together by Mew to find out who their guardian partners are and become more attuned to their aura. Lucario nodded in understanding.

"Wait… Lady Mew, may I propose that we have Lucario participate in this herself? She can spar with both sides of her trainer and they all can improve." Sensei offered.

"What?!" Ash, Ashton and Lucario exclaimed in surprise. Mew considered the idea and nodded with a large grin. She transformed back into her pixie shape and floated to be beside Sensei. Then, using his aura grip, Sensei placed Lucario on the left side of the training space. Mew did the same to Ash, except he was in the left side. Ashton was placed to be right beside Sensei.

"Sure. I think that's even better. It'd be easier on them, too." Mew giggled.

"Wait, I don't like how we don't have a choice-" Ash and Lucario began, but they were cut off by Sensei.

"Then it's agreed. Let the sparring match begin!" The old man curled his fists tightly and punched them together. In a blink of an eye, he changed back into his original shape. Then, he brought his paw out and produced a very odd aura.

Ash and Lucario instantly felt odd. Then, they oddly felt relaxed. They both looked at the old Lucario. Sensei grinned, "It's alright to be anxious at your first go around. However, if you want to grow, you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Go for it. We will heal you both at the end of your fight, so don't hold back."

"(Master… I don't want to hurt you…)" Lucario lowered her ears timidly.

"Lucario, I don't want to hurt you, either. Stop calling me Master!" Ash groaned.

"Dears, you aren't hurting each other if your only spar. Don't treat this as a fight, but rather, a learning experience. Lucario, I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind from Ash's presence. Forget that you are fighting your partner." Mew instructed softly. Lucario looked back at the New Species Pokémon and sighed. She took it as a direct order from the highest Pokémon. She couldn't disobey.

"(…Yes, my lady.)" Lucario said in a resigned voice. She looked at her guardian partner apologetically. Then, the Aura Pokémon closed her eyes and raised the four appendages behind her up. From her paws, she created a bone club of aura and got into a fighting position. Ash didn't know what to do and braced himself.

Without warning, Lucario lunged at Ash, swinging her club high. Ash narrowed his eyes as he quickly ducked under the incoming attack. Then, Lucario tried to trip him. However, Ash quickly jumped over the weapon and then jumped over Lucario. Lucario growled at her partner's evasiveness. Every time Lucario tried to attack him, Ash used his reflexes to quickly dodge.

Although Mew was impressed with Ash's reflexes, she knew that he was purposefully avoiding hitting Lucario. Mew sighed. She knew he was reluctant to fight anything, but that seemingly grew worse after yesterday. Sensei looked at the two without any emotion. He simply observed how Lucario was attacking and how Ash was dodging. He'd never seen a novice with such dodging ability before.

After several minutes of pressure from Lucario, everyone noticed that Ash's movements were beginning to get sluggish. He still hadn't hit Lucario and Lucario could not hit him. She was getting frustrated. Mew said, "Ash, this isn't a sparring match if you won't fight as well."

"I don't want to hurt anything." Ash said as he dodged an overhead swing.

"Ash, don't worry about yesterday. You won't cause that sort of damage if you keep your emotions in check. Nothing will happen!" Mew tried to tell him.

"I don't care!" Ash said as he barely dodged Lucario trying to thrust her weapon forward. He continued, "I don't want to take that chance. I don't want to hurt any Pokémon like that again. That isn't me."

"Ashton er- Ash, I can understand if you refuse to fight when an opponent means to hurt you, but Lucario is your friend. She wouldn't want to hurt you." Mew pointed out, but realized she had to catch herself from using Ash's birth name. Ash knew that as she was beginning to get annoyed if she used his birth name. Lucario bared her teeth out, then loosened her shoulders and made her weapon disappear. She slumped slightly, somewhat depressed.

Lucario opened her eyes and sighed with sadness, "(You don't think I'm worthy enough to fight, Master? Is that why you dodge like this?)"

"No, that's not it at all. I'm just-"

"(To avoid a fight in an official sparing match mandated by Lady Mew is disrespectful to both Her Grace and to the opponent you face.)"

"Lucario, do you really want me to fight you?" Ash asked in a small voice. Lucario shook her head immediately.

"(Of course not. However, I will spar if Her Grace requests it. By extension, you should do the same… at least to respect me.)" Lucario requested in a small voice.

"I will never regard Mew as 'My Lady' or 'Her Grace'. Feels too weird." Ash grunted. Mew simply shrugged her shoulders and was seemingly glad about that. Ash turned back to Lucario, "If you want me to spar, then I'll only spar for you."

"(Thank you, Master.)" Lucario bowed in respect.

"Please… just call me Ash. No 'Master' or 'Master Ash'. Remember, you are my friend, not my slave." Ash said in a tired voice.

"(Right… Ash.)" Lucario had to catch herself a little bit, but abided by her partner's wishes. Then, they both got into a fighting position.

Lucario created another bone club of aura and twirled it around in preparation. Ash raised his fists up and narrowed his eyes. Then, Lucario rushed toward him at a breakneck speed and swung her club. Ash quickly grabbed it instead of dodged it. A small shockwave of power formed from the collision of the two auras. The true sparring match had begun.

Ash grunted as he overrode Lucario easily. Lucario was surprised and impressed at the strength of her trainer and made a small grin. Ash took the weapon from her and kept it for himself. The bone club shifted to accommodate from his size. Lucario blinked her eyes and created another bone club.

For the first time in the entire fight, Ash was the aggressor between the two. Ash yelled as he swung his weapon at the Lucario. Lucario gasped and barely blocked the strike. She had a hard time keeping her footing because of the sheer power Ash had. Every time Ash swung, Lucario blocked, but with each exchange she was getting pushed back further and further. The Aura Pokémon found herself at a loss other than to keep defending.

Ash could hear this in his mind as he swung, "Ashton, if you are ever in a position of advantage when fighting, you have to keep up the pressure. Make sure the opponent can't do too much, otherwise they can find an advantage and use it against you!"

He had no idea where this came from, but he recognized the voice. It was Aurora's.

He couldn't fathom when he heard that, but he remembered it as clear as day. It both confused him and excited him. He wondered if the sparring match would spur anything else hidden in his mind. One thing he was sure of was that Aurora taught him to fight if she said something like that to him. He just couldn't remember what she taught him. It didn't seem to matter too much because he kept the Lucario in a defensive spot.

The more he attacked, the more all of this felt… familiar. All his movements… they felt natural. Ash couldn't really explain it. He felt like he was beginning to reawaken something. Ash soon became a little less aggressive in his attacks, allowing Lucario to attack back more. They soon got into a rhythm of strikes and counterstrikes. Ash didn't know exactly how to fight, but this match reminded him of the many times he saw Aurora spar with Rio. She was just as aggressive with him. Ash gasped and widened his eyes, "Wait… how? How do I remember that? This is getting a bit weird."

While the match was going on, Mew watched them closely. She noticed as time went on, Ash's movements became crisper and he seemed more component in using his bone club. Mew had a feeling Ash was beginning to remember bits of how he used to fight before the separation. The mythical Pokémon smirked, but hid it from Sensei and Ashton. Then, she called out, "I think that's enough, you two. You both did great!"

Both immediately stopped attacking each other and looked relieved. Lucario said with a smile, "(Ash, you hit like a truck. I felt overwhelmed!)"

"Really? Sorry." Ash said.

"(Don't be sorry about that. You gave me a challenge. I definitely look forward to learning with you.)" Lucario said happily. Ash rubbed behind his head bashfully.

Mew floated to the two of them and smiled. Then, she transformed into Lucario's shape once again. She motioned Ash and Lucario to sit at the sidelines and for Ashton to come forward. The three of them abided by her wishes. Ashton stood across from Mew and frowned.

"I will spar with you myself, Ashton. The reason is because you remember what you've learned completely, so I should provide more of a challenge." Mew said. Her red eyes suddenly darted toward Lucario, "Watch closely, little pup. You will be able to do some of these things as you grow."

Lucario nodded eagerly. Ash seemed slightly uneasy. He knew that Ashton might have been more inclined to fight than he is, but he also knew that Ashton was arguably more affected by yesterday than he was. After all, Mew did almost take his life.

"Are you ready, boy?" Mew asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be, pixie." Ashton snorted. Sensei seemed affronted.

"Young guardian, you have to speak to Lady Mew with respect." Sensei berated the boy. Ashton merely rolled his eyes.

"No." Ashton said flatly. Sensei didn't seem to be used to hearing sass or disobedience and growled at the boy. Ashton's eyes glowed slightly when he turned back to Mew and sneered, "She has to earn it."

"Part of me is glad that you weren't raised to regard me formally. I like the change of pace." Mew giggled slightly. Sensei seemed surprised by her reaction. "Good luck, Ashton."

Ashton made no response and instead rushed forward. Mew grinned. She suddenly disappeared from Ashton's path. Lucario blinked her eyes in slight confusion. She couldn't do that herself. Ashton was also bemused, but then realized what happened.

"Though this is a sparring match, keep in mind that I am always testing you, both in and out of battle. Every interaction…. every word you speak…. I take it into consideration when putting you under a situation. Let's see how tuned you really are with your emotions, boy." Mew echoed in his head. He felt as if Mew was circling him. Ashton broke off a sweat and looked around himself anxiously. He seemed to be trembling slightly. Ash noticed the change and knew he was starting to get afraid.

Ash called out, "Ashton, snap out of it!"

Ashton gasped and turned toward Ash. His brown-eyed counterpart continued, "She's psyching you out. Don't give in to it!"

"Ash…" Ashton murmured.

"Stand strong and fight. I know I don't like to fight, but at least give your best foot forward. Try not to let yesterday get into your head like I did." Ash said.

"Ash, if you only saw how she easily disarmed me this morning. Still, he has a point…" Ashton sighed in his thoughts. He gained a determined in his eyes, "You're right, dude. I haven't been acting like myself. Time to do this."

"Did I sap you of your confidence or did Ash's pep talk enable you to sense me?" Mew asked in Ashton's head.

"Shut it, pixie." Ashton growled aloud.

His eyes began to glow blue as he blocked everything around him. Ashton only focused on the battlefield around him. At first, he couldn't see anything, but then, he looked a bit closer. The red eyed boy quickly realized that Mew was circling him, but she looked like a moving ripple. He knew exactly how to stop her in her tracks.

Ashton smirked as he charged electricity in his arms. Then, he punched into the ground. Everyone felt a bit of a paralyzing jolt. Mew gasped as she revealed herself to be right behind him, about to strike, but she was stuck in her spot. Small static appeared all over her body. Sensei raised his bushy eyebrows in interest. Then, with a devious grin, Ashton struck her twice in her chest and knocked her against the wall.

Mew was disoriented for a few moments, but soon recovered. She jumped off the wall and swiftly approached Ashton. Ashton narrowed eyes and braced himself. Mew threw an overhead punch to which Ashton ducked to dodge. Then, Mew surrounded herself with several aura spheres. Lucario widened her eyes in admiration. She wanted to learn how to do that one day. What made it even more impressive was that Mew had sixteen aura spheres around her.

Mew was frowned and her entire expression grew serious for the first time in the fight. Ashton sweat dropped slightly, but kept up his stance.

"Stand straight, chin up and look them in the eye. Don't ever let your opponent know you're nervous or afraid. Be tough and brave, young one!" Ashton heard Aurora's encouraging voice in his mind as he remembered a situation where he felt nervous fighting. He was thankful and made a small smile. His fighting stance became more refined and he glared at his opponent.

Without warning, Mew became aggressive. Ashton quickly grew serious as he blocked her strike. Ashton made sure the transformed Pokémon could not land a single hit on her, using his hands to block all her direct strikes. Mew soon increased the pressure, attacking him with her originally defensive aura spheres. Ashton got pelted by most of them. Ashton grunted and soon put his arms in a cross shape to take the hits. Mew, seizing an opportunity, jumped up and hit Ashton on top of his head with her steely tail.

Ashton hissed and held his head. Mew saw a drop in his defenses and decided to keep up the offence. Mew then began to attack him with a flurry of strikes. Ashton grunted as he took most of it. He was surprised that he wasn't tired from taking all those hits. In fact, he wasn't phased in the slightest. Mew seemed puzzled by this as well.

Soon, Ashton's eyes glowed blue again. As Mew went in with another jab, her body suddenly became blue and sharped turned to the left. Then, Ashton retaliated with a strike of his own. Mew hissed at the attack. She kept trying to hit him. However, Ashton's eyes glowed blue every time she was about to strike to redirect her hits to miss. Ashton struck back every time. Sensei seemed surprised and more interested in the fight after seeing that. Lucario and Ash noticed the change.

"Interesting. His tongue may be sharp, but his technique is astounding. I don't see guardians use the aura grip so quickly to retaliate back too often. The last time I saw this was with young mistress Aurora." Sensei said, pumped about the fight.

"Aurora did what Ashton did?" Ash said in surprise.

"Not exactly. When she was twelve, Aurora met a Riolu and he named himself Rio. When she sparred, she showed remarkable technique, just like this one here." Sensei said, pointing to Ashton.

When he heard that, Ashton gasped and realized what Mew was talking about before. "That's it! Ash has more power, but… we balance each other out with how technical I am!"

Mew snorted and loosened herself up. "Well, I'd say this sparring match is over. Lessons were learnt today and that's all I wanted."

Ashton looked at the transformed Pokémon with a bit of suspicion when she stopped suddenly. Mew made a subtle smile that went unnoticed by everyone but Ashton. That's Ashton knew she knew about his realization. Ashton didn't know how to feel about the pixie.

"Really? I don't think I really learned too much today." Ash said.

"You sure about that, boy?" Mew responded by suddenly lunging at the boy. Although surprised, Ash quickly blocked her attack with his hand. Ash widened his eyes in surprise. Mew chuckled, "I noticed that your movement got more refined as time went on. You're regaining the reflexes that were lost to the sands of time and improving them even further."

"Point taken." Ash receded. Although he commented, "I did begin to hear Aurora telling me advice as I fought. It helped a bit."

"Yeah… me too. How strange." Ashton pointed out as well. Mew had a huge grin on her face.

"Your mind will often reach out to someone close to you if the situation demands it. The fact you are beginning to recover your memories means I'm doing my job well." Mew chirped with excitement.

"(Ashton, I noticed you were a lot more confident in your movements. That's awesome to see.)" Lucario said with a proud smile. Ashton immediately grew bashful and rubbed behind his head.

"Thank you Lucario." Ashton said.

Mew changed back to her normal mythical shape. She then hovered to Lucario and said, "Young pup, although you've met your trainer, may I ask that you stay here until he formally gets you in a Poke Ball in the real world? It will be hard to explain to the other humans that Ash has a Lucario now."

"(Other humans?)" Lucario echoed in confusion. Mew nodded.

"Yes. Ash and Ashton is currently put into a coma by me so they can improve as guardians, but their physical body is in Kalos right now. Things will get even more complicated if they suddenly have a new Pokémon. Besides, I prefer if they have no outside help while going through his six-day trial to make the learning more effective." Mew explained. Although she was saddened, Lucario seemed to understand.

"(Understood, my lady.)" Lucario bowed in respect to Mew. Ash and Ashton both sighed while Mew seemed grateful.

"Boys, I'd say it is time to head back. It's already sunset." Mew said. Both Ashes widened their eyes.

"Seriously? All we've been doing is sparring." Both human boys said. Mew chuckled.

"Ah… that's what most Ketchums say after a good day of training. You've been sparring all day. It doesn't feel that way since your endurance is also improving. You should rest up. Tomorrow will likely be even more… harsher… than yesterday. Do not expect any mercy from me." Mew face became serious as she warned them both. Ash and Ashton gulped and had to wonder had she had planned for tomorrow.

Lucario stood in front of both of them and gave them each a hug. Ash happily accepted it while Ashton awkwardly patted her on the back. Lucario giggled as she said, "(I hope the rest of your trial bodes well. I'll be training hard until the day we stay together. Don't let up on your training!)"

"We won't! I can't wait to properly get you in the real world, Lucario!" Ash said in his usual enthusiasm. Ashton sighed. Ash then elbowed him slightly and said, "Come on Ashton, I know you feel the same way."

"I do, but there's no need for all of that." Ashton said with a frown. Ashton turned to the jackal, "Later, Lucario."

"(Goodbye Ash and Ashton.)" Lucario said happily. Sensei and the rest of the Lucario also said their goodbyes and felt blessed that Mew of all Pokémon visited them. Lucario waved them off.

With that, Mew, Ash and Ashton exited the Lucario Castle and left Lucario Kingdom. The trio walked through the same cave back to the Tree. Then, Mew flew up high into the air and into another area of the Tree of Beginning, leaving the boys wondering who their last guardian partner was. They already knew that Pikachu was one of them since Aurora pointed it out, but they didn't know who the other one was.

They saw the stars in the now navy blue sky and figured it would be a good idea to rest up. They both climbed up a tree and laid down on a separate branch. Ash seemed like he fell asleep within minutes while Ashton kept looking at the sky. He then looked back at Ash and said, "You may be annoying at times, but… you really are like a brother. Thank you for the pep talk during the sparring match. I'm glad you're recovering your memories, dude. I'm just glad you aren't awake to hear this."

Unbeknownst to the red-eyed guardian, his counterpart made a small smile. However, he thought, "Ashton... I'll ask you what's up in your mind tomorrow. Thank for your kind words... brother. Heh. I like the sound of that..."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter everyone! It took me a while to write, but now I have more time because it is winter break. I'll try to have another chapter out before my birthday. Next chapter will prove to be a lot more intense than this one. I think most people will figure out who Ash's fifth partner is.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful day and once again, Happy Holidays!

Until next time...

Next chapter: Tree of Remembrance: Day 5

~SPG123~