"Okay, Ash, I have to ask," Goh began. "Why are we in Sinnoh? And, especially, why this bit of Sinnoh?"

"It's sort of like research, if you squint, so I'm sure it's fine," Ash replied, shrugging. "I thought you'd want to see, that's why I invited you! Though, uh, I guess we'll have to see if it's actually okay to visit…"

"Now I'm even more confused," his friend admitted. "What's the mystery?"

"Pika!" Pikachu giggled. "Pikachu!"

"Yeah, it's a surprise," Ash confirmed. "Let's see, it should be around here, I think? Kellyn was a bit vague on exactly where, but…"

There was a sort of rustle in the trees ahead, then a thump, and Goh jumped.

"Is that a Lucario?" he asked.

Ash looked contemplative for a moment, as the Lucario rose to her feet, then grinned. "Hey, you evolved! That's great, I'm glad to see you're happy now!"

"And I'm glad to see you, Ash, Pikachu," Lucario agreed, inclining her head. "This trainer is a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, this is Goh," Ash agreed. "He wants to catch all the Pokémon he can find, and I guess he decided that I was a great way to help with finding more Pokémon!"

"I could believe it," she said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not wrong, really, but… I kind of needed help with something, and you were the first one I thought of," Ash admitted.

"That Pokémon can talk?" Goh asked.

"Really?" Lucario said, dryly, prompting a snigger from Pikachu. "Ash, is it to do with aura?"

"Yeah, it's to do with aura," Ash agreed.

He sent out Riolu, who took a combat stance, then noticed the Lucario standing in front of them.

"Rio…" he breathed. "Lu?"

"Greetings, little one," Lucario replied, going down on one knee and holding out her paw. "I'm glad to see Ash has you. There's something right about it."

"Yeah, he hatched only a couple of days ago," Ash said. "And, I guess it was something to do with aura? And…"

He shook his head. "I can't ignore it now. It's something I have to pay attention to, to do right by Riolu."

"Of course," Lucario agreed. "Come, I'll help out."

"Aura…" Goh repeated to himself. "Well, I guess that's supposed to be the thing Lucario use, so it makes sense… I didn't know Ash knew a Lucario, though."

"Boot," Raboot snorted.

"Chuu," Pikachu retorted. "Pikachu, Pikapi pika!"

Raboot looked sort of embarrassed, and Goh wished he knew what they were saying.

"From what I remember, your aura is strong, but only slightly trained."

Lucario was sitting cross-legged in a clearing, and Ash was in front of her.

"Yeah, Lucario taught me a bit back at Rota, but…" he shook his head. "We… didn't have time to get far."

"I heard about that," Lucario replied. "I'm sorry, Ash."

Goh hadn't heard about that, and he wanted to ask, but… not right now.

"I sometimes wonder, you know?" Ash added. "What it would have been like if…"

He shook his head. "But, that's not what matters now, right?"

"It's relevant, but I'll leave the topic," Lucario agreed. "Now, I don't know how much you learned, so I'll start at the beginning. Close your eyes."

Ash closed his eyes, and next to him Riolu did the same.

"Feel for the energy in your heart, and in your soul," Lucario went on. "Aura is many things. Serenity. Passion. Determination. The burn of aching muscles. The calm of a clear night. It is perils overcome, experiences had, it is any and all of those things compounded together. It is you. Whatever it is, tease it out and bring it to the surface."

"It feels weird to even be here," Goh admitted, looking down at Pikachu. "You… must have known about this, right? You two are never apart, it seems like."

"Pika," Pikachu murmured.

Goh looked back, and blinked.

Blue fire was seething off his friend's skin. Visible azure light, boiling off like steam from a pan of hot water, and Riolu had completely abandoned his own meditation to just stare.

"Oh, Ash," Lucario said, a hitch in her voice. "How much more have you been through since last we met?"

"There was… a lot," Ash replied, eyes opening again, and the blue fire vanished. "Lucario, are you all right?"

"I was young, when we met before," Lucario told him. "I did not understand what the strength of your aura had to mean, then. Ash – if I knew then what I know now, I would have returned to the Kingdom only for long enough to ask to join you. It's not right that you had to go through that without me."

"Hey, it's okay," Ash said, shrugging. "Like you said, you didn't know. It'd have been great to have another friend, but you had friends here already, right?"

Lucario swallowed.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu said softly. "Pikapi, pikk-achu."

"You are quite right," Lucario agreed. "Ash is Ash, and there's nothing more that needs to be said."

She closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them. "All right. Now, I'm going to focus on how you can feel Riolu's aura. I don't think it's going to be a problem for him to feel yours…"

AN:

A more contemplative piece set during Journeys.