A Journey's Link

Chapter 26 - Celebratory

"Lu-cario!"

The white glowing light died down, revealing a taller, sturdier version of Riolu. "It evolved into Lucario!" Max exclaimed, his eyes gleaming in awe. Goh quickly pulled out his phone and scanned the evolution, wanting to learn more about it.

"Lucario, the Aura Pokémon. A Fighting and Steel-type. Lucario uses a power called Aura, which allows it to sense human feelings," said the Rotom Phone, revealing a picture of Lucario alongside the Pokedex entry. Serena, hiding behind another tree, heard the entry and thought, A power that can sense human feelings?

"Way to go, Lucario!" Ash exclaimed. "You evolved! Keep on using Vacuum Wave!" As he said this, Lucario turned his head around and growled at Ash, who felt a wave of power wash over him. "Aura Sphere." Did Lucario just speak to me? Ash thought. Lucario nodded to him, so he commanded what he had communicated with him.

"Ok, Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!", extending his arm as he did so. Lucario temporarily stopped using Vacuum Wave and began charging up a ball composed of Aura, aiming it directly at the Spearow.

Lucario charged the ball to full power and sent it straight at Spearow, who developed a panicked look on its face as it tried to escape. Unfortunately for it, the Aura Sphere landed a direct hit, sending it spiraling down towards the ground and slamming into the dirt, knocking it unconscious.

"You did it Lucario!" Ash exclaimed, running up to congratulate his Pokemon for beating the hostile Spearow and for evolving. As he praised Lucario, Max looked at Goh's phone, which was still on the Lucario data page, and noticed something.

"Hm," Max muttered, looking back and forth between the picture on Goh's screen and Ash's Lucario. "What's wrong?" Goh asked, looking down at the thinking trainer in the making. "The Lucario on here has a black ring around its waist," he explained, pointing towards the spot on the Lucario where he noticed this.

"However," he continued. "Ash's Lucario has a red ring, which I'm pretty sure isn't normal." Goh looked up at Ash's Lucario, still getting praise from a beaming Ash, and saw what Max was talking about. "Is it Mega Evolution?" Goh questioned, remembering hearing something about it but not knowing enough to fully know if it was.

Max shook his head and showed Goh an image of a Mega Lucario. "A Mega Lucario has red stripes almost everywhere but its waist," he explained, looking back towards Ash and his Lucario. "I wonder why Ash's is different?"

Goh also looked in the same direction, his mind wondering with different explanations of why and how. Just then, he heard someone speaking from behind him. It was May, who had hidden behind a different tree and was just now showing herself. "Ash!" May yelled, running up to Ash and Lucario. "How did you understand what Lucario wanted to do? All it did was growl at you." She expectedly looked at Lucario, almost as if she was waiting for an answer from the Aura Pokemon itself.

"I'm not sure," Ash admitted. "He just kind of talked to me, I guess." He sheepishly put his hand behind his head, as if he was embarrassed that he didn't understand how Lucario had communicated with him. May was about to ask another question when Serena ran from behind a tree and instinctively embraced Ash in a tight hug, catching him off guard.

"Ash," Serena said, not realizing fully that she was hugging him. Ash developed a slightly shocked look as Serena kept on speaking. "I was worried for a second. I thought we were gonna-"

She suddenly stopped speaking and released her grip on Ash, frantically looking around in horror. Did I just hug Ash? she thought worriedly. Her face became beet red as she looked at Ash, who rubbed his nose and said, "Don't worry Serena. We're all fine!" He then turned back to Lucario and rubbed his head, saying, "Thanks to Lucario here, of course!" Lucario gave a happy "Luc!" in return as he received compliments from his trainer.