Chapter 234: The Aura is With Me
After a moment's thought, Will decided he had to release this Lucario and tell him the truth.
"Give me that."
Will jumped out of Lorelei's arms. He ran up to Queen Fulin and tugged on her dress.
"Piplup, that's rude!" Lorelei was shocked and ran over. She might be a bit of a tomboy, but she knew you couldn't just tug on a queen's dress.
"It's alright. Do you want this?" Queen Fulin kindly handed the Aura Staff to Will.
"Mhm."
Will took it and closed his eyes. He hadn't been training his Aura Power for the past two years for nothing. He had done some research on sealing and unsealing with Aura.
Besides, the seal in the Aura Staff was already weak.
Now that it had come into contact with Will's Aura—or rather, Sir Aaron's Aura—the seal instantly dissolved into Will's own Aura, as if returning home.
The next moment, the crystal on the staff pulsed with light.
A Pokémon materialized from the light.
It was a Lucario.
"Lord Aaron, why did you abandon us?!" Lucario immediately demanded of Will the moment he appeared.
He didn't speak with his mouth. His voice spread out via Aura, so everyone in the room could hear it.
He had mistaken Will for Sir Aaron because his (Lucario's) eyes were closed. He usually did this to amplify his Aura senses, but it meant he could only identify targets by their unique Aura. Therefore, Will, who possessed Sir Aaron's Aura, was seen as Sir Aaron by Lucario.
"I'm not Sir Aaron. Open your eyes and look," Will said, reaching up to pat Lucario's leg.
"...Rargh?!"
Lucario's eyes shot open. When he saw the tiny Piplup, he stumbled back two steps, in disbelief.
'Lord Aaron... turned into a penguin?!' Lucario wondered in a panic.
"Hey, hey, is it possible I just have the same Aura as him?" Will sensed Lucario's inner turmoil and guessed his thoughts.
"...Rargh."
"I know you're confused and in turmoil right now. Just calm down and listen to what we have to say."
Will held up a flipper, signaling for Lucario to calm down.
He understood. Lucario's memory was still stuck at the moment he was sealed—betrayed by the master he trusted, who had just said he was abandoning the kingdom to flee.
For a canine Pokémon that valued "loyalty" above all else, this must have been agonizing.
Lucario looked around. Other than Queen Fulin, who looked a bit like the Queen Rin he knew, there were no familiar faces. When his gaze fell on the portrait of Sir Aaron on the wall, his pupils contracted.
But when he sensed Will's Aura, he managed to calm himself and nodded.
"Some things aren't convenient for them to hear. Let's speak with Aura."
'Alright.'
Lucario nodded.
'First, it has been one thousand years since your time. And Sir Aaron is dead.'
"Rargh..."
Will's first sentence sent Lucario reeling. His breathing became ragged, but he forced himself to keep listening.
'I know what you want to know most. You want to know why Sir Aaron abandoned Cameran Palace, right?'
'Yes!'
'He did not abandon it.'
'I saw him run!'
'How far can your Aura see?'
Lucario suddenly fell silent.
That was right. He had only "seen" Sir Aaron turn and leave. He had not seen what happened next. And his master's words about abandoning the palace...
'If he hadn't said that, you would have followed him to the end, wouldn't you?'
"...Where did he go?"
'To the Tree of Beginning. He went to beg the Tree and Mew for help. He used his own Aura Power to calm the rage of the warring armies, making them return to their homes. The price was that his Aura was depleted, and he sacrificed his life.'
Will finished and looked at Mew (who was still an Eevee).
Smack!
Will went over, tugged her ear, and bopped her on the head.
The next moment, Mew changed back to its original form, looking at Will with a wronged expression. Will was the one who told her not to change, and now he was the one forcing her to! Mew felt so wronged.
"Mew?!"
Lucario, of course, knew Mew. He had seen Mew several times while living in the palace with Sir Aaron.
'You tell him. Is what I said true?'
"Mew."
Mew nodded. In reality, it had no idea what Will and Lucario were saying. It couldn't use Aura Power. How was it supposed to know what their encrypted conversation was about?
But, Will told it to nod, so it nodded.
The three humans finally realized the Pokémon were having a private, encrypted conversation. No wonder they had just been staring at each other.
"Ugh..."
Lucario was dazed for a moment, then lowered his head. He wouldn't believe what others said. He only trusted what he saw. But he trusted Mew.
'Think about it,' Will continued. 'If Sir Aaron had let you know what he was planning, what would you have done?'
'I... I would never have let Lord Aaron go to his death alone!' Lucario clenched his fists. Even setting aside his training as an Aura Guardian, as a canine Pokémon, he would have insisted on dying with his master.
'Exactly. He had to say that to save your life.'
Lucario finally understood. His ears drooped, and he looked like he was about to cry.
'There's one more thing to tell you.'
'What?'
'About the Aura in my body...'
Will then explained the story of the great war over a hundred years ago, and how Sir Aaron's lingering Aura had been transferred from the Tree into his (Will's) body to save his life.
This was why he needed the encrypted conversation. He didn't want humans to know this. Especially not the Ranger from the Indigo League. The Indigo League... if it wasn't the anime version, it was hopelessly corrupt. Even in the anime version, it was full of Team Rocket spies. The fact that Giovanni was the Viridian City Gym Leader said it all.
'It's alright,' Lucario replied, shaking his head. 'I think Lord Aaron would not have minded. Perhaps... he would be glad that his power could still be of use after his death.'
He wasn't upset that the Tree and Mew had given his master's Aura to Will. Especially not after learning what Sir Aaron had done. He knew what choice his master would have made. Besides, the Tree and Mew had helped his master stop the war. Sir Aaron had not yet had a chance to repay them.
'What are your plans now?' Will asked. 'You should go to the Tree of Beginning. I remember there's a Time Flower there that recorded his final words to you.'
'Is that so? I will go at once. Thank you for telling me all this, Will.'
'You're welcome.'
Lucario then turned to the Queen. "Your Majesty...?"
"I am Fulin, the current Queen of Cameran Palace. You must be Sir Aaron's apprentice?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lucario knelt on one knee. He was still a subject of the palace.
"It seems you understand the situation now."
"Yes... Mew has told me." Lucario glanced at Will, who was looking at Mew, and quickly corrected himself.
"Good. What do you plan to do now?"
"I wish to go to the Tree of Beginning first, and then..." Lucario was lost. He didn't know what to do. The world seemed to be at peace. Was there any need for him to stay and guard the palace?
"It's alright. Go. And think about it carefully," Fulin said, stepping forward and gently stroking Lucario's head. "Perhaps you should go out and see the world. It is a beautiful place now."
"Rargh." Lucario nodded. He stood, bowed, and turned to leave. But he paused and looked at Will.
"When are you leaving?"
"I don't know. In two or three days."
"Then I will wait a few days to go to the Tree. For these next few days, how about I teach you how to use Aura Power?"
"Yes! Please!" Will's brow twitched. He nodded eagerly.
He'd never expected to be taught Aura by Lucario himself!
Being sealed by Sir Aaron might seem weak, but Sir Aaron was no ordinary person. He had used his Aura to stop a war, and his leftover Aura was enough to save Will's life in his last world. Sir Aaron was incredibly strong. As his apprentice, this Lucario couldn't be weak either.
It was perfect. Will's own Aura training had just hit a bottleneck. With Lucario to guide him, he might be able to find a breakthrough.
That afternoon, in the garden of Cameran Palace.
Lucario and Will stood facing each other. Lorelei was being given a tour of the palace by Queen Fulin.
"The Aura is with me."
Lucario placed a fist over his chest and looked at Will.
"What? I have to say it too?"
"Yes."
"...Why?"
"I don't know. But as Aura Guardians, we must say it. You are the 'Eternal Aura Guardian,' so you must set an example."
Will's beak hung open.
After all these years, I'm being forced to be cringey and say a catchphrase?
"Quickly!"
"...The Aura... is with me."
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