Sky's the limit

Chapter 7

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The stranger wrapped its arms around Soren. "I never thought I would see you again! I was so worried for you!"

Gina took a closer look at the Pokemon, and she realized it was the same Lucario she had seen in her vision the night before. "Are you...you're Soren's mother, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," Lucario responded. She pulled back for a moment to get a better look at her son. "Look at you. You've grown so much since I saw you last! But you certainly look thinner... Have you been eating properly?"

"Yes, mom, I'm fine," Soren responded calmly. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came to look for you, of course!" Lucario exclaimed. "I was worried that you were in danger ever since you left, and I never stopped looking, I'll have you know!"

"Well, I'm fine now," he assured her. "I've joined Wigglytuff's Guild. You know, the place that you went to when you were just an apprentice?"

Lucario let out a nostalgic sigh and leaned back. "Yes, I know. Those were the good days..." she reminisced.

"I met a new friend, too," Soren added. He gestured for Gina to come closer. "This is Gina. I met her on Treasure Beach."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Gina said.

Lucario smiled. "It's very nice to meet you as well, Gina. Thank you for keeping my son out of trouble," Turning to Soren, she added, "and I hope you've been treating your girlfriend right!"

"Wh-what?" Soren stuttered. His face glowed bright pink. "Are you crazy? She's not my-We're not-Umm..."

"I'm only kidding!" she laughed. "Don't take it so seriously!"

Soren took a few deep breaths before he spoke again. "Have you maybe seen a Dunsparce around here? We're on a mission, and we're supposed to be looking for him."

"I don't believe I have," Lucario said with a sly grin.

Soren rested his face in his hands. "You wrote that rescue request, didn't you?" he muttered, already knowing the answer.

Lucario nodded. "I wanted to see you again, so I wrote the request and sent it to be delivered to the guild."

"Wait, I don't understand," Gina interrupted. "You said you were looking all over for him, so how did you know he would be at the guild?"

"I sensed his aura," she explained. "Lucario and Riolu alike are able to see the auras of others, as well as track them. I tracked Soren's aura to the guild, so I waited out here so I could see him again."

Gina looked at her partner. "You can sense aura?"

Soren shrugged. "Barely. I can only sense it in ripples. Lucario are able to sense it in waves, like my mom did." However, he still appeared confused. "But don't you need something from whoever it is you're tracking to be able to see their aura successfully?"

Lucario nodded. She reached into the bag slung over her shoulder, pulling out a large piece of white fabric. "You've had this blanket since you were born," she said. "When you ran off, I became worried that I wouldn't be able to track you because I didn't have much to go by. When I found this, I could sense your aura on it, and I was able to track you all the way out here."

He still looked unsure. "So...why did you keep looking for me? I know you wanted to make sure that I was safe, but..."

"I wanted to bring you home," Lucario admitted.

The Riolu backed away, his ruby eyes glittering. "What if I don't want to come home?" he challenged. "What if I want to stay here with Gina and the rest of the guild?"