Austin frowned as he registered Lucario's words.

What did that mean?

Lucario narrowed his eyes. "I admit, I was disorientated and attacked without provocation. You looked exactly like Sir Aaron." Lucario looked at him now, sizing up the young man in front of him. His gaze lingered on the faded Indigo League logo emblazoned across his chest and then at the sneakers tied to his feet. "You don't know."

Austin self-consciously folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, well, this," He gestured in front of himself with a sarcastic flourish. "Is what I look like normally."

"Absurd. You're dressed like a pauper." Lucario raised an eyebrow the boy's way. "Are you a pauper?"

Austin didn't want to admit that he had no idea what a pauper even was.

Note to self; Get a dictionary.

With that thought, he carried on as if it were. "Yeah, well, fashion's kind of moved on since your period, grandpa."

Lucario flinched. But he didn't let the stinging remark linger in his thoughts

" Look," Austin began once he felt he had arrested the aura pokemon's attention.

" I wanted to ask for some help."

" For what descendant of Aaron."

" You can call me Austin."

" Very well, I'll do just that Descendant of Aaron."

" Are you bad with names ?"

" I am not, Austem."

" It's Austin."

" As you can guess, this isn't your era."

" How many years could have gone ?"

" The War of Rota was 500 years ago."

" ..... "

"500...y...years?"

In a moment of horror, Austin went to fetch the fallen staff. He snatched it back up from where it had clattered down the floor and jogged back over to the two. He held the staff out to Lucario, and the pokemon lurched back in alarm.

"You were inside this," Austin said. "It must have been keeping you alive all these years."

Lucario looked up and down the hated staff before resting his eyes on the young man in front of him.

" So my era is gone, my friends are dead, my family is dead. The Kingdom is fought for is dead."

Tears flowed down Lucario's eyes as went to his knees.

The shock of knowing that everyone that he cared for was gone, had overwhelmed the aura Pokémon.

Austin patted Lucario's back as he whispered," I know how it feels, just let it all out."

As if offended by Austin's words, Lucario lashed out by slapping away Austin's hand.

" How would you know what I feel !"

Lucario's words of anger were heard by everyone yet they looked on as Lucario's eyes turned from one of fury to one of sympathy.

" Who did you lose ?"

Lucario asked as his voice broke halfway.

" I lost a friend who was just like a family to me and ...." Austin took a deep breath.

He had lost his perfectly fine life. He didn't know what was happening to his body in his world. He didn't know why this happened but his life and the Ash of this world's life had been ruined by whatever caused this.

" How did you get over it ?"

" .... "

" .... "

Lucario gazed upon Austin as he took a deep breath while saying with a smile that was so forced that most of the Pokémon all around them cringed in discomfort.

" I didn't. Even to this day, I feel like it was just a nightmare and I will wake up soon but as soon as I wake up I find myself back in this hell of a reality."

Austin said as he took out a cigarette before using Charmeleon's tail flame as a lighter.

( ~ Woooo ~ )

( ~ Foooo ~ )

Pikachu plunged his nose with his paws as he saw his trainer puff a cigarette before passing it onto Lucario who tried to do the same.

( ~ Cough ~ )

( ~ Cough ~ )

But Lucario was reduced to a fit of coughs as he said," Just what in Mew's name did you give me ?"

" It's an acquired taste," Austin replied as he lit up another cigarette using Charmeleon's tail flame who was glaring at him while protecting his tail.

" Come on Charmeleon, your flame makes it taste better. "

Charmeleon meanwhile scratched his head as he wondered if he should proud of it or not.

" So Lucario, I wanted to ask you something."

" What is it, Auster ?"

" It's Austin."

" My apologies, Austin."

" Will you teach me, the art of aura ?"

" I can but I don't know if you can wield the power of aura."

Hearing Lucario's words, Austin nodded as his shadow parted revealing an apple pie thrown at him.

Austin quickly dodged the pie thrown at him before landing on the side that had a pair of curiously ornate gloves. They were inlaid with gold and a strange opal-like crystal.

( ~ THPPTPHTPHPHHPH ~ )

Wortortle, Pikachu, Kingler, Haunter, and Ninjask chuckled as they heard the fart sound while Pidgeot, Scizor, and Charmeleon were trying their best to not laugh.

Clefable and Fearow looked at one another since it wasn't all that funny to them.

Shedninja stared on with no shift in its position as it gazed upon the world of the living from its husk-like shell of an existence.

" Very mature. " Austin said in an annoyed tone as he pulled the aura guardian gloves from the whoopie cushion.

" So you are like a jester," Lucario asked.

A little red from embarrassment, Austin cleared his throat as he wore the gloves.

" So as I was saying " The Aura is with me" "

With a chant said, Austin closed his eyes as he outstretched his hands.

His mind flashed to all the moments his aura spiked and as he remembered the feeling the oval crystal on the gloves glowed with crimson light.

Lucario's eyes widened at the spike of aura.

" Oh! "

Austin opened his eyes due to Lucario's words as he saw all his Pokemon cheering for him.

" Thanks. And now Lucario, are you going to teach me, aura?"

" It would be an honor to train a descendant of Sir Aaron, let us get to Cameron Castle and we will begin our training immediately."

" Aah, is it necessary to go to Cameron Castle for the training?"

" Of course, I am a sworn knight to the order of Rota. Is there a problem with training at Cameron Castle?"

" There is no problem but shouldn't your terms of service have ended after you were presumed dead?"

" No, A knight will always protect the castle and the kingdom."

' Fuck !'

Austin cursed in his thoughts before saying," Lucario, how about we go to Kanto and you teach me about aura since Rota has enjoyed peace for a long time and the region of Kanto is currently in grave danger."

" That is most unfortunate but I must still protect Rota."

" How about....."

" Young one, you offer terms but I ask for none. Why don't you train in Rota and I could convince the King to let me and other knights of the kingdom help you in your endeavor?"

Austin clicked his tongue at Lucario's stubbornness before resorting to a tactic that he genuinely disliked with every core of his being.

" Lucario, it has been over 500 years since you last saw the royalty of Rota. Can you guarantee that the king would be so benevolent to us that he would risk the safety of the kingdom for some other region?"

" ... "

" Lucario, remember the friend I mentioned that died."

Lucario nodded as he heard Austin's words.

" The danger that Kanto faces is from the same organization that killed my friend. This organization steals and experiments on pokemon. These people have been murdered for their profit. Anyone who comes in their way gets killed. You can ask anyone here about how we accidentally stumbled upon their operation. We defended ourselves against their attack and it resulted in us losing a family member. I came here to seek out help from someone who can give me the ability to stop these monsters from hurting others! Lucario, Look me in the eyes and say that you're certain that the Royalty of Rota would help me in this time of need! Why would they do that? Tell me; Lucario, why would they help, some unknown boy with a Lucario who claims to be the prized pupil of Sir Aaron? They would rather lock us up than help us and I am not going to stand here risking the life of my family just because of a hunch you have. Some guardian you turned out to be, Sir Aaron made a mistake when he entrusted you to carry on his will, to train the next generation."

Austin's words cut deep into Lucario's heart as he thought about the words deeply.

Lucario looked up to see Austin's back as he was walking away.

" W..Wait....."

Hearing Lucario's words, Austin stopped before smirking.

' Next time I meet Jake, I am going to thank him for teaching me how to gaslight someone.'

" What do you want now? Going to preach some other things."

" No, Rota is currently at peace but Kanto is not. An Aura Guardian must protect the weak."

" What are you trying to say?"

" I, Cynocephalus, would like to offer my teachings to the next generation, Descendant of Aaron."

Austin's eyes widened as he heard Lucario's true name.

He didn't understand why Lucario would reveal his true name to him.

" It would be my honor to be your pupil."