The Aura is With Us

Chapter 6: Kalos

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."