Shalor City turned out to be a beautiful place. Green forests surrounded the modern city, with soft sea shores at the seams. Lucario could smell the salt in the air from where he watched in the stadium. The crowd around him was filled with chatter and cheers that should've driven his sensitive ears mad, but the jackal Pokémon's attention was on the competitors in the arena below.

Pokémon battles were apparently a form of friendly competition. Duels with Pokémon actually fighting with their trainers calling the attacks like a military captain. The sport was entertaining if anything. Lucario could tell that none of the Pokémon used in the fights didn't want to compete, the excitement and passion that radiated through their auras was enough to tell him that.

Speaking of passionate competitors, Ash came alive whenever he stepped into the arena. Less than a minute into Ash's first battle, Lucario and Sir Aaron shared a startled glance. The lad aura grew and strengthened beyond expectations once he and pikachu were in the thick of a battle. Raw untapped potential that neither of them were expecting. Lucario always saw Ash with passion and endless amounts of energy…well that was still very, very true. How had the Aura Guild not found this lad yet?

Lucario could easily see Ash growing up to be a military strategist if Aura Guardian wasn't an option to him. Some of the attack plans the lad was pulling seemed to come right out his pocket. Seeming random and confusing at first, but then it would click and look like a stroke of genius. As impulsive as Ash could be, the lad seemed to have a quick and prepared mind. Even outside of the arena the boy would have meeting with the rest of his Pokémon going over battle plans.

This was where, Lucario and Sir Aaron found Ash after the latest match. Sitting outside of the arena with his team. The pup, the mouse, along with a troublesome Gengar and overly affectionate Dragonite. The Latter of two Lucario hadn't really interacted with as they only really left their Pokeballs at meal times or when they were in the lab's gardens. Frankly Lucario didn't understand how they could stand to stay inside such horrid devices for so long.

Ash looked up at them as they approached with a smile, "What do you think?"

"The sport certainly seems popular," Sir Aaron said.

"Yeah, it's kind of is, almost everyone turns up when a major league happens. Did you guys have anything like that? Wasn't there something call jousting?"

"Yes, but I can't say those tournaments were ever this crowded," Sir Aaron said, "But then again I rarely went to them."

The Battles are more entertaining than the jousts. Though some of the opponents you faced Ash…I am not impressed.

"You think you would do better?" Ash asked.

I have been in war zones without having to worry about a human giving me orders. It seems limiting to not allow the fighters to have more say in decisions on the field. Lucario tried to ignore the starry look the pup had in his eyes.

"I guess," Ash said, looking rather puzzled, "I think it's more about teamwork and working with your friends, but to each his own."

"Speaking of friends," Sir Aaron said, "Has anyone seen Goh, recently?"

The second lad, along with Raboot had run off to the surrounding forests and coast as soon as they had left the airport. Most likely to imprison wild Pokémon in capture balls and collect data on the nearby wild life like Professor Cerise requested.

He's close by. I've kept track of him.

"He'll meet us for lunch soon anyway," Ash said, "I know a really good restaurant around here."

"Still, we probably shouldn't be separated for so long, who knows when team Rocket will try and capture us," Sir Aaron said, "I'll go look for him."

The Knight gave the jackal Pokémon a look that said, watch the others. Lucario nodded and Sir Aaron walked off, blending into the crowd.

It was kind of bizarre to see his master in modern clothes, but people stopped staring at him in public so they appeared to be working. Miss Chrysa had been in charge of finding clothes for Sir Aaron because, Ren did not dress in a very dignified manner, Professor Cerise's wardrobe was composed by his wife, and neither Goh or Ash knew anything about fashion. In shorter terms, none of the male humans in the laboratory could be trusted, so the only maiden took on the task herself.

The blue haired assistant ended up dressing the knight in a Prussian blue long sleeve-shirt, with a black leather button up vest that had a deep v neck line worn over it. A pair of black dress pants, and matching dress shoes. Capes had fallen out of fashion, but Miss Chrysa allowed him to keep his hat. She had managed to find a part of the fingerless gloves that Ash was so fond of ("So, you'll match!"). Lucario knew that once Sir Aaron got his hands on the proper tools, he would transfer the gemstones from his old pair to the modern one.

Lucario turned back to the younger Aura User, finding that Ash was once again entrapped in his battle planning. It was pleasing to see what Ash enjoyed doing rather than being concerned over one of his kidnapped friends.

Working on the next strategy?

Ash looked back at the Jackal Pokémon, "Kind of. I'm more thinking of ways to battle outside of the box and writing down the ones I come up with mid battle. I don't really have the best memory and they can come in handy for other things too, not just in battles."

"Pika! (Yep!)"

That's when he felt it. The buzz of an Aura wave in washing over him. It wasn't Sir Aaron. That was an easy thing to identify. It wasn't even a call from another human user. No. This hadn't been a kind of wave Lucario had felt in a long time. This was from one of his own kind to see if there were any packs in the area. Though the jackal Pokémon had a feeling that this wasn't exactly the reason as to why this other lucario was calling out.

The pup felt it as well, because Riolu suddenly dashed away from Ash's side and towards the source of the signal.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted running after the young Pokémon.

Lucario and the other Pokémon in Ash's party chase after the lad. The Pokémon following Ash, but Lucario following his senses, it was definitely one of his own kind that was sending the signals, what their intentions were however he couldn't be sure. Distress signals and searching signals were different from each other, but for all Lucario knew meaning might have been swapped around during the past few centuries. Ash and the pup could be running into an ambush, and Ash hadn't even realized what was happening yet.

When they finally came to a halt, Lucario was practically face to face with his reflection. Though there were a few differences between them. The fellow aura Pokémon was clearly younger than him, not pup young, but if they were in the same pack Lucario would've been the one in higher ranking. While his aura spoke one of a warrior, he lacked the scars of true war that Lucario wore, and wasn't trained to work with a guardian. He must have been a wild.

Subtly Lucario send the pup a quiet signal. While the other aura Pokémon didn't seem to notice, it seemed as if Riolu's instincts weren't as dulled as the stranger's. The pup slowly backed away from them, and towards Lucario. Maybe it was long dormant instincts telling Lucario to not let the pup get to close or just his sense of duty to protect Ash's auratic match, but he wasn't risking a young pup with an adult he wasn't familiar with.

Ash tilted his head, "I think I know you," He spoke to the other aura Pokémon.

"Pika pikachu! (Hey! Been a while since we've seen you!)"

Well, maybe Ash and Pikachu knew, but where and when did he…

"Yoo-Hoo!" A feminine voice called.

Lucario looked towards the voice, and the very jumpy, energic aura that was rapidly approaching them. His ear flicked once he caught the sight of a young maidan, around Ash's age, maybe a little older. Her complexion pale, long blond hair that stuck out of her oddly shaped hat, and bizarrely she had wheels attached to the bottom of her shoes. Lucario didn't even understand why humans wore shoes in the first place, and now they were attaching wheels to them. What next?

Out of the corner of his eyes, Lucario saw the other of his kind perk up. A slight wag of his tail, and a flare of fondness in his aura. He must have known the maidan. Lucario couldn't tell where any human fell into the social hierarchy these days, all the clothing seemed to follow the same trend and remain on the same level of quality. So, it was impossible to tell if she held power or not. This led to Lucario concluding that she must have been his fellow aura Pokémon's trainer. Not her protector as his mind originally assumed.

It wasn't uncommon for un-matched lucario to be rented out high ranking noble or sometimes royal families in times of emergency for safety. At least until a compatible guardian was found for them. Lucario could tell that the aura Pokémon in front of him was un-matched, and the maidan was certainly no user. Trainer seemed to be the only option left.

"Hi Ash!" the maidan said, rolling up to them in her baffling shoes.

"Korrina! I knew it!" Ash said.

"It's been forever!" The maidan, Korrina, said.

"It's only been a year," Ash said.

"Yeah, well a year is a long time! How have ya been?"

"Oh, you know the usual."

"On another gym run?"

"Nah, I hung out in Alola for a while, did the Island challenge."

"Oh, tropical region. Didn't take you for a vacation kind of guy."

"I just said I did the Island challenge; the kahunas are just as tough as gym-leaders you know."

"Yeah, yeah I know you're not a slacker," She shared a glance with the other aura Pokémon, "We haven't really had much of a chance for a vacation. There was a lot of damage around Shalor city after…you know."

Ash nodded.

Lucario kept his face unreadable as the maidan Korrina turned her attention to him and the pup who was currently clinging to his leg (when Lucario told the pup to stay close he didn't mean clinging to his leg, but if the little one must…).

"These two yours?" Korrina asked, Ash.

Ash rubbed the back of his neck and smiled nervously, "Well, Riolu is with me, but Lucario…"

I am not one of Ash's partners. I work with one of Ash's elder blood relatives.

Lucario didn't bother waiting for Ash to explain. The lad while a genius in the arena sadly wasn't always as exceptional in any other division. Memory especially, according to Goh it took a month to get Ash to remember his own phone number (whatever that was). So, while he meant no offense to Ash, Lucario wasn't really trusting him to remember the cover story that they had decided upon on at the laboratory. Sir Aaron would pose as Lucario trainer, and Ash would be Sir Aaron young relative. Not too far from the truth, so it would be easy to believe.

Though, keeping cover wasn't the only reason that he wanted to say something.

Lucario had to keep himself from laughing at the expressions of maidan Korrina and the other aura Pokémon made. Shock and surprise, both of their jaws hanging loose, and the long ears on his fellow's head drooped slightly. Good to know that the reactions to his unusual form of communication is the same in this century.

"You can talk!" Korrina all but shouted.

"Well, technically it's telepathy," Ash said.

"Oh! Yeah, that's obvious!" Korrina said, rolling her eyes, "How do you do that?!"

I think.

"Seriously that's all your going say! You won't let me in on your secrets!" Korrina all but shouted trying to poke at Lucario.

Ash chuckled, "Korrina I don't think you're going to get an answer. Both him and my relative are kinda tight lipped about it."

The maidan turned a suspicious glare at Ash, "Your relative?"

"Yes?" Ash said with a confused look on his face.

"Your relative knows about this?"

"He had to, he taught Lucario."

"Hmmm…I'm going to need to talk to this mysterious man," She looked at her lucario, "We need to figure this out."

Alright, the maidan was decidedly not from an aura family.

"Okay?" Ash said, "So what are you doing here? Are you here for some special Gym leader type thing for the tournament?"

Gym leader? So, she was with higher standing compared to the rest of the competitors if she held that rank. If Lucario understood the gym system correctly.

Korrina laughed, "Oh, not today! I'm just one of the regular old competitors, sadly gym battles don't count in the World Coronation Series if you're the gym leader. It's considered an unfair training advantage since I don't have to leave my gym to battle trainers."

"You're in the World Coronation Series too! So am I! One more win and I'm in the great class," Ash said excitement starting to radiate throughout his aura.

"Of course, I'm in the World Coronation Series! In fact, that's why I came over in here in the first place! We want a re-match. You see we're in the same spot, I just need one more win to get into the great class too. You want to see who gets there first?"

"Yeah!"

And with that Lucario was chasing the two young trainers as they ran back to the arena, determined to see who would win in a match.

Goh, wasn't a hard child to find. Sure, he wasn't as loud or obvious as Ash was, but he was cautious and that meant he didn't stray far from where his group was. Sir Aaron was thankful for this fact.

"So, this lucario is your partner?" Goh said.

"Yes, your first encounter?" spoke the old man that stood in front of Goh.

"Well, not really you see…"

"He has already met my partner, who happens to be a lucario," Sir Aaron spoke making himself known.

"Aaron what are you doing here? Something wrong?" Goh asked.

"Nothing to worry about lad. We we're just wondering you wanted a say on our lunch plans," Sir Aaron said.

"Oh, It's lunch time?"

Sir Aaron nodded.

"I kinda forgot."

"Happens to the best of us, lad."

"This young man with you?" The elder man asked, his lucario standing at his side dutifully.

"He is one of my charges for the day," Sir Aaron said.

"Out of how many kids?"

"Two, a young relative of mine."

"Hah! I don't envy you! My granddaughter is just one person but she can give anyone a run for their money," He held out his hand, a greeting, "Gurkinn."

"Aaron," Sir Aaron said taking the offered hand.

Gurkinn nodded, "Say, where are you from?"

"Uhm…Rota," Sir Aaron swallowed.

"Ah a renaissance city, that explains the dialect."

Sir Aaron tried not to looked puzzled at the comment. He honestly didn't think anyone would notice the way he talked, but the knight stood corrected.

There was the voice of the announcer coming from the arena, letting the crowd outside about the imminent match. Ash was competing. Sir Aaron could tell. The electric staticky feeling from the excited aura waves that wafted off the child when he was in the heat of battle that Sir Aaron picked up on confirmed this.

"We should get back, shouldn't we?" Goh asked.

Lucario was once again in the stands, gazing down at Ash in the arena. The lad's excitement was infectious, Lucario almost outwardly smiled as he watched the match. Korrina's aura flared and flashed similarly to Ash's, but being a non-user, hers had far less of an effect, only being notice ably by users. Still, it didn't mean the maiden wasn't passionate, if she were a user, she would've been a force to be reckoned with.

Lucario's ear flicked once the doors of the moving room, the elevator as Goh called it, opened with a hiss. Speaking of Goh, the lad emerged from the elevator along with Sir Aaron, Raboot, an elder man with rather impressive eyebrows, and another fellow of the aura Pokémon's species. Lucario knew right away that this fellow was his elder, someone who would've held higher rank than him if they were in the same pack, even if the fellow lacked true scars of the wild and war.

Sir Aaron locked his blue eyes to Lucario's red, nodding. A greeting and signal to remain quiet. Not like the jackal Pokémon was planning on using telepathy in this crowd.

"Hey look over there!" Goh exclaimed, "It's Ash!"

"I must say I'm amazed," spoke the eyebrow man, "he's up against my granddaughter?!"

"Well, if that isn't coincidence," Sir Aaron mumbled.

And with that the match began. Korrina was a decent trainer in her own right, her use of U-turn was well planned, even taking out Gengar. Her Pokémon, Lucario noticed, were all kinds bred for war and combat. Pokémon similar to the ones that all if the non-guardian knights paired with.

Still once again Ash's ingenuity was his greatest strength. Dragon dance served its unexpected purpose well, but by that point Ash was down a competitor and Dragonite was wounded. However, Ash always seemed to do his best when put under pressure.

"This is where it begins…" The old man spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Sir Aaron quired.

It was then something Lucario couldn't explain. The battle field lit up with a powerful glow, that despite the unusual coloring he knew what this power at its core was. Aura. Powerful, but mixed with something he didn't recognize. Red eyes stared on in shock as he watched his fellow's body shift and change, like that of when a pup grows into their adult form, and when the glow faded, shock became awe. Standing on a battle field was a truly magnificent form of his race. The sensers on the side of his head were long, flowing. Tail forgotten for fan of golden fur. Blues, reds and blacks all bled together forming the being of an Alpha.

But the display wasn't over. The aura waves that the fellow sent out were strong and warm like a summer's wind. Even detectable by non-users, and small physical items if the number of leaves and small papers zipping around in the air suggested anything. Lucario and Sir Aaron shared another shocked glance. Not even the Grandmaster had such power like this transformation gave.

Lucario heard the sound of the elder behind him chuckling. A noise that honestly sounded more like a cross between a growl and a stuttering cough, but it held the same meaning as a human chuckle.

"Lu lu cari (I take you haven't seen mega evolution before?)" The elder asked.

"Ca (No)," Lucario responded, somewhat surprised. It had been a long time since he had spoken with one of his own in their native speak.

"Car, Cari Lu (You are not of kalos then?)"

"Ca, lu cari lu (No, I was born in…Sinnoh…then joined my…trainer in…kanto)," Lucario knew his slow answer probably tipped the elder off to his lying, but they didn't say anything. In his defense, everything had different names now.

"Cari lu, rio (It's still surprising your trainer hasn't tried to claim a key or mega stone for the both of you)."

"Lu lu rio cari (Our training focuses on other things rather than battle competition)."

"Lu Rio lu, (Yes, I assumed that, he is an aura user. I was surprised when I met him. It was believed they were all long dead)."

"Rio cari (We've been hearing that a lot lately)."

"Lu cari lu Rio (Didn't realize that Ash was born of an Aura line)."

"Rio (You didn't? How?)"

"Lu lu Rio ca cari lu (Not everyone is constantly around a user these days, and it's hard to identify something you've never seen. I knew he was different just not a user. Though with a family member nearby and the pup it's easier to tell. Is he yours?)"

"Lu car (who? The pup?)"

The Elder nodded.

Lucario shook his head, "Ca Ca lu car (No, no, he is not mine. I don't know where he came from)."

"Cari lu (Probably a daycare pup, that's where most of them come from)."

Lucario's ear flicked at the foreign description. Whether being a daycare pup was a good thing or not he wasn't sure. He would have to learn what that was. It could help him learn about the pup's mother or pack, who were no doubt concerned for an egg that was lost.

"Lu lu cari rio, (and what of the competitor? Is he yours?)" Lucario asked.

The elder nodded, "Rio car Rio (He is my daughter's only offspring)."

"Car lu Rio (she must take pride in him)."

The elder shook his head, "Rio lu lu cari (I can only hope. She is in Arceus's hold now. Car accident. Left her, her trainer, and their mates dead)."

"Rio Lu (my condolences)."

"Lu Rio lu car Rio (It was long ago, and I have moved on. The rest of my family is still here and I treasure them. Small Fang and Korrina will protect shalor and guide young trainers long after me and Gurkinn are gone. The future is safe with them)."

And with that said the announcer called the match over. Ash the standing victor.

A/N:

Here's another episode adaption!

Yes, Ash is a foodie, but he can't cook, so he knows where all the restaurants are.

I really don't think that Lucario would have very happy opinions regarding pokeballs. There's bound to be some form of trauma from being forced into a staff for all that time.

Regarding Korrina, I didn't see her as an Aura User, maybe a descendant of the kalos branch of the Guild, considering their history with the Lucario species, but her family has long gone dark and married with many many non-users.

I hope everyone seems in character for this one. I was having trouble with the interactions.