Greetings, Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to Ash's Unova Journey My Version. This is a little to say, as there is only one chapter left before the PWT will happen. Let's get this requested chapter that might be shorter than the previous chapters.
Chapter 79: Decendents of Aura
"For Human Speech"
"Pokespeech"
The PWT is only a few days away, and Ash is preparing his team for the upcoming battle. Most of his team is prepared, and even the youngest Eevee is starting to get the hang of battling.
"Okay, Eevee uses Shadow Ball, Pikachu Iron Tail," Ash commanded his two Pokemon. During the battle between the two Pokemon, Eevee could keep up with Pikachu's speed despite being almost six months old. Eevee will have reached a year old by the time the league arrives.
During the battle, Pikachu took into consideration Eevee's age and didn't go all out. Some of the team's newer members, such as Cottenee and Deerling, were experienced enough to hold their own in battle, while others, like Skrelp, were not yet ready to be used. Despite this, Eevee was able to land a good Quick Attack on Pikachu.
During the incident, Ash unknowingly released a significant amount of Aura waves, which he hadn't done in years. This drew the attention of one of Cynthia's Pokemon at her Villa. Ash walked over to Eevee, who was panting. "Okay, girl, you can rest, but you did a pretty good job out there you think you are ready to battle soon, or do you need more time?" Ash asked Eevee, who wags her tail.
"I think I'm ready, Ash. I want to get as strong as my parents one day, and I have been training well at the lab during my time there. I think I'm ready," Eevee said to Ash, who chuckled and scratched her right ear as she purred and kicked her leg.
"I understand your point, Eevee. However, it's important to remember that not everyone in the tournament or league may take it easy on you. It would be wise to prepare for any situation that may arise," Pikachu said to Eevee, who nodded and nuzzled Ash's leg. "She is Virgil's Umbreon's daughter, alright, even taking after what he does around Ash," Pikachu said to Ash, who nodded.
Eevee didn't see Ash as her parent figure but as her friend as the sun shined on her coat. She started to evolve into Espeon, which caught everyone in the area's attention as she noticed that she grew a bit taller and was an Espeon as her tail wagged even faster.
"Given that your father evolves through friendship during the night, it makes sense that his daughter would either become either her parents or in the same evolutionary method as your father," Ash said to Espeon, who nodded as if she was okay with any of her evolutions she has seen at the ranch as Ash noticed someone was watching him. "Okay, I know that you are watching me. Come on out," Ash asked as Lucario walked towards Ash, and Ash was surprisedEspeon took a defensive stance in front of Ash.
"Espeon, please step aside. I am here to speak with your master," Lucario said to Espeon, who looked to Ash, who nodded as she backed down as she and Pikachu went to play.
"I apologize for my Espeon's behavior. She has been protective of me since she hatched almost six months ago. It's been a while since I've had a Lucario approach me. Is there a particular reason you seek to speak with me?" Ash asked Lucario, who nodded.
"I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but I'd like to introduce myself. I am Cynthia's Lucario, and while meditating, I sensed that your aura wave is much stronger than that of an average human, especially for someone your age, Ash," Cynthia's Lucario said as Ash sighed and nodded. "And before you ask, I know that you can understand Pokemon. I recognize that translator on your ear and from what my mistress told me."
"I taken that you know the person known as Sir Arron, Lucario?" Ash said to Lucario, who nodded and smiled.
"Sir Arron is a famous aura user that many Lucario of all ages is familiar with. His Lucario is part of my family bloodline, although I am not directly descended from it. Is there a particular reason you're asking about him, Ash?" Cynthia's Lucario asked Ash, who was taken aback by the fact that Lucario was in the family tree of Sir Arron's Lucario, and nodded.
"I am a descendant of Sir Arron and had the pleasure of meeting his Lucario during a visit to his home on my Journey," Ash said to Lucario, who was taken aback. He realized why that Aura looked familiar. As Ash explained what had happened, Cynthia's Lucario stopped him.
"Ash, can we continue this discussion later? I want to show you someone who might be a valuable addition to your team. I know you can manipulate Aura but choose not to use it, and I respect that. Follow me," Lucario said to Ash, who was curious about what he meant. Ash nodded and followed. Ash was going to get Pikachu, but Lucario stopped him.
"I'm sorry, but only those who possess aura abilities, like you, can accompany us on our trip. We are headed to a location significant for Lucario and Riolu. Please don't feel offended, as this restriction is more about a personal matter related to my home. It's also why we can't bring our teams with us," Cynthia's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded.
"Can I at least let everyone know where I am going just in case something happens?" Ash asked Lucario, who nodded as Ash did just that, which took only a few minutes as Ash returned to Lucario. "Sorry for the wait; if you say this is important, then I will go with you," Ash said to Cynthia's Lucario, who nodded as the two left for the woods area past where his mistress's Villa was.
The two were in the middle of the woods area, and Ash could feel a strong Aura presence as they got closer. Though Ash hadn't used any aura, he didn't need them to sense aura protection nearby. "Man, you weren't kidding about this area being protected heavily by members of your evolutionary line," Ash said to Lucario, who nodded as they saw two Lucarios standing before the entrance.
"I'm here to visit my father, and I have brought an aura user with me. Kindly allow me to pass, and my companion will wait here until I receive permission from my father. Thank you," Cynthia's Lucario said to the two as they nodded and let him pass. "I'll be back. Any visitors have to be approved before entering. Please understand, Ash."
"I understand that I am not familiar with this area, and I have no intention of causing any harm. However, since you brought me here, I consider myself your guest." Ash said to Lucario, who nodded as he ran into the Village.
A short time passed as Ash waited patiently as Cynthia's Lucario walked back alongside what looked to be an adult Lucario who looked important and taller than Cynthia's Lucario by a few feet.
"I take that this is the human you are talking about, son? I can sense that he had a strong Aura before you came here?" Lucario said to Cynthia's Lucario, who nodded.
"Yes, that is Ash. He lives near the same Villa as my mistress does. Before you get a translator from the Village, Ash can understand us via a translator from the group my mistress is in," Cynthia's Lucario said to the leader, who nodded as he motioned the two guards to let Ash pass by waving his paw as they moved as Ash walked towards the two Lucarios.
"Welcome to the aura village, Ash. Sorry about all that. We can't be too certain as humans have rarely come by this place as Aura users are few and far between humans-wise," the leader said. "I am the leader of this place and father to the Lucario that brought you here; as of right now, I can tell your aura is indeed very unique compared to most we've seen," the leader said to Ash, who nodded, waiting for him to finish and allowed to speak. "You don't need my permission to speak human as long as the message gets around to you."
"Sorry, just trying not to be rude, and yes, my Aura is unique. I took that your son here told you why it is?" Ash asked the leader, who shook his head.
"He's not here to train under us, Father if that is where you are getting at; we can talk about it out of earshot from the other Lucarios, as what you are about to hear might surprise you, Father," Cynthia Lucario said to his father who nodded.
As Ash walked with the group, several Riolus and Lucarios noticed his unique Aura. Among them was a dedicated male Riolu who already knew Aura Sphere. He became curious about Ash and was drawn to his Aura as Ash arrived at what looked to be where the leader was staying. The Riolu was walking towards the group watching from afar and listening as they entered as Ash sat on the ground.
"As you can see, Ash, many villages noticed your aura mind explaining why? I mean, no ill will here, just wanted to know cause the last time in history that a human came to this Village was centuries ago when my great great grandfather was the original leader," the leader said to Ash, who took a deep breath and sighed.
"You mean Sir Arron and you are referring to his Lucario, aren't you?" Ash asked, and the leader was taken aback and nodded and was about to ask why as he realized Ash's Aura looked familiar, which Ash noticed. "Yeah, I am the descendant of Sir Arron himself; before you ask, I found out about it when I met your ancestor, who was in Sir Arron's staff centuries before we met him," Ash said as the two Lucarios believed Ash his Aura was enough to prove it as the leader bows to Ash.
"Uh, no need for that. While I respect my family's heritage and all that, there is still more Aura-wise that is new to me, and a lot happened during that time when we met your ancestor," Ash said as the two Lucarios looked at each other and nodded. Ash explained the events when he met their ancestor and the Tree of Life, which the two were surprised but understood.
"Ash, thank you for telling us what happened. A word about my grandfather's disappearance wasn't clear through our generations, and while I am glad to hear that, I don't blame his master for doing that either," The leader said as his son nodded.
"If it was the other way around, we might have done the same we harbor no ill will towards Sir Arron nor your family," Cynthia's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded as Ash opened his backpack to reveal the gloves Sir Arron had left behind years ago which made the two Lucarios wide-eyed as they reacted to the Aura in the Village.
"Don't worry about what is happening to your gloves, Ash. It's reacting to the Village and will normally fade away in a bit until further notice. I suggest you leave them on," the leader said to Ash, who nodded.
"Now, for the reason why I brought you here, I mentioned to you that his Lucario runs in my family, but I'm not a direct descendent of his," Cynthia's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded as he sensed the Riolu from before watching the whole thing. "You can come out, little brother; we know that you are watching the whole thing," Cynthia's Lucario said to his brother, who walked over to the group.
"Your the Riolu I saw earlier who had used Aura Sphere, which I thought was a move that Lucario can only know?" Ash said to the Riolu, who nodded, as did his brother and father.
"You can speak, son. You don't need to be shy, and we were about to talk about you," their father said as the Riolu knew what his father was about to say and turned to Ash.
"Pleasure to meet you, Sir Ash," Riolu said to Ash, who was taken aback by this.
"Now, brother, no need to be formal with our guest; Ash, this is my younger brother, and he is the reason why I brought you here in the first place," Cynthia's Lucario said, petting his brother's head, who pouted but allowed it as he ran off knowing what was going to happen next. "Don't worry about him, Ash. He's been looking for a trainer/master/mistress to call his own, and I know you could be that one for him."
"Hold on, Lucario. You said earlier that Sir Arron's Lucario runs in your family, but you are not a descendant. Are you saying that Riolu is?" Ash said after realizing what Cynthia's Lucario meant as he nodded.
"He is indeed the direct descendent of Sir Arron's Lucario, hence why his Aura capabilities are stronger than he knows Aura Sphere though not enough to evolve not without a trainer of his own, Ash. I'm sure he heard the whole thing as he is the youngest of four siblings, and while we are strong, he's stronger aura-wise compared to my two sisters who are here in Unova with their trainers or me," Cynthia's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded.
"I take that your siblings are gym leaders Pokemon. I've faced one in Sinnoh?" Ash questioned him, who nodded and shook his head. "I taken one is with a normal trainer, huh?" Ash said.
"Yes, Ash, but you'll see them here through their trainers at the tournament, knowing by this point that training my brother isn't going to get strong enough to catch up for the tournament or league, but he can be useful for other things as well," Cynthia's Lucario said to Ash.
"Normally, I don't allow humans to catch Pokemon in the Village, only in the wild, but for you, I'll make an exception Ash. Show my son that you are interested in him and you are free to take him in on your team; his Aura can be used in many ways, and from the looks of it, it might be needed for the situation here in Unova," The leader said to Ash, who nodded. Ash always wanted a Lucario one day, but they either had a trainer or rarely ran into a Riolu or a Lucario in the wild.
The group went outside to see Riolu with two female Lucarios, his sisters. They noticed Ash as Ash ran over to him, wagging his tail. "I have taken that you don't need me to ask, boy," Ash asked Riolu, who nodded. "Need anything in return for joining, as I want to ensure your needs are met?"
Riolu put some thought and looked to Ash. "I know that by this point, I'm not going to be strong enough for the two competitions coming up, and I'm fine with that for now," Riolu said to Ash, who nodded in understanding.
"However, when I am needed to be used in something like that, I only want to make you happy as my master. You command I listen, good battles, and my Aura is at your use if needed, just like my ancestor did for yours; I am bound to loyalty to you. No need to call me pet stuff like that unless it's a question and you see an Aura Sphere from me, and making friends with your Pokemon is fine with me," Riolu said to Ash, who nodded as he turned to see the other Lucarios were curious about Ash.
"Nice to meet you two, and I thought I probably faced one of you beforehand?" Ash said to the two, who shook their heads as Ash sighed. "I have taken one of you is Korrina's Lucario then, right?" Ash asked as the oldest of the two nodded.
"That would be me. Riolu filled me in on what was going on away from prying ears. Nice to meet you, Ash. Hoping to see you in battle," Korrina's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded as the other sister walked over to Ash.
"So you're Ash? I heard about you from my trainer. I'm Cameron's Lucario. I joined his team after you two parted ways as a Riolu, and we became friends afterward. Given my trainer trust you as a friend, then I trust you with our little brother," Cameron's Lucario said to Ash, who nodded.
"So Cameron will be at the PWT as well. I'm hoping to face both of you in the tournament and will be happy to give you both a challenge," Ash said to the two, who nodded as Ash kneeled to Riolu. "Welcome to the team, and we'll get along well with each other as my Pokemon are my family to me," Ash said to Riolu, who nodded and gave a bark. Ash pulled out his Pokeball Riolu jumped, tapped it, and was caught without issue.
Ash and everyone were at the entrance of the Village as Riolu and Cythia's Lucario were beside Ash as both the leader and Riolu's sisters were with him seeing him off.
"Take good care of him, Ash, and if you need training with your Aura, don't hesitate to come and ask, and we'll help you even. I'll help train you if you want," the leader said to Ash, who nodded.
"I'll take that to heart and appreciate it, and I will. I always wanted a Riolu in the past. Still, I rather they wanted to join than ask, and I do appreciate this opportunity to own one now," Ash said to the leader, who nodded as the group said their goodbyes and headed back to the Villa as Ash turned to Riolu. "You'll enjoy making friends with my Pokemon. Don't let some of them get to you. They're friendly," Ash said to Riolu, who nodded.
"He's already evolved a few Pokemon through friendship on his team, so he's used to how we evolve, brother, and he isn't wrong about that from what I've seen; maybe one day you'll be as strong as me," Cynthia's Lucario said to Riolu who nodded.
"That's the plan, brother, but I'm fine with no matter what happens in terms of battle as long as I have fun," Riolu said to his brother, who chuckled as did Ash as he knows that things would be interesting as long as Riolu is on the team.
Ash has a new teammate and is now focused on the upcoming PWT. What other adventures await him on his journey?
Stay Tuned.
Done and done. This chapter was fun to write, especially given that Riolu was requested long ago, back when the Anime was in XY or near XYZ. And yes, I am aware that Ash owns a Lucario in the Anime now, which, by the way, I'm going to miss Ash even though it's been nine episodes into the new series. As for Riolu, I originally had the idea on the rumor that Ash's had where Lucario is either the decedent or reincarnated Sir Arron's Lucario, and that will be the case when Ash gets Riolu in the trilogy of Johto for the latter part of the two options. My initial plan was to have the leader be Emolga's last target for Team Rocket and him be a part of their central plain, but that was dropped. That said, it's the start of the PWT. next time, I have a lot of plans for this tournament, and please review them as it's hard to write these without them please and thank you. See you next time.