FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Aw man...Can't believe I left this series untouched for more than 2 months, but hey, at least a new chapter is finally here.

A/N: From now on, in addition to the pokemon materials, I'll incorporate my original ideas to make the story more appealing, so don't find it strange if you notice some fanfic elements.

Enjoy your read!

---

_ The Strongest Lucario! _

It'd been a while since Jake last was so relaxed and content. The last few days were crazier than most of his life had ever been, literally.

Things all started in Eterna City. The discovery of mega evolution and Lucario's near-death experience were absolutely terrifying, especially when Jake had to witness them for himself. Then, there was the mess in Eterna forest when Lucario had been captured, and nearly violated. Thinking about that gave Jake an urge to go back there and tear that jerk Logan (or 'rare hunter', or whatever he called himself) apart for the pain he'd inflicted to the trainer's precious aura pokemon. As if the two mentioned messes weren't enough, his most recent trouble included a misunderstanding between his group and the regional champion Cynthia, and it almost ignited a vicious fight between Jaden and Cynthia. Jake never knew who would emerge victorious in a battle between those two, but he didn't fancy being an audience. Thankfully, things somehow worked out, and the trainer was proud that he'd played a key role in solving their problems.

Now, he no longer had to keep secrets about mega stones away from Ryan. Lucario and Typhlosion had truly accepted each other and they were both by his sides. It was a beautiful morning, and Jake felt like nothing could ruin his perfect day.

As usually, he was soon proven wrong, and the first sight was Route 210.

Towered by Mt. Coronet massive shadow, the road was completely devoid of light. It didn't help that everything was covered by a dense layer of fog with tall grass on either h side of a narrow manmade path. Jake had never been a fan of dark places. They gave him an unnerving feeling like that of characters in horror films who knew it was their upcoming turn to get slaughtered; and indeed, the last time Jake was in such a place, which was Eterna forest; it wasn't exactly his most pleasant experience.

"Ryan, anything about this route that I should've known?" Jake inquired nervously.

"Let see..." Ryan flipped through the pages of his travel guide, "Sorry Jake, I did forget to mention that Route 210 is always shrouded in thick fog. We must really watch our steps while crossing it."

Ironically, as if to prove his note, Ryan tripped on a rock and almost felt flat on his face, hadn't it been for Charizard catching him just in the nick of time.

"Great!" Jake muttered, "Hey Jay, should we use some lighting? Perhaps I can have Typhlosion make us a few torches."

"Ah...no." Jaden shook his head dismissingly, "This whole place is surrounded by grass, so we might accidentally set everything ablaze, including ourselves. I've got a better idea. Remember the flashlight I gave you when we were in Eterna city?"

"Oh...The watch?" Jake noted.

"Precisely," Jaden grinned, showing off his wrist, already with the flashlight-watch strapped around it, "I'll take the lead. You guys stay close and...err, like Ryan said, watch your steps."

Although Jaden probably didn't mean to tease Ryan, Jake could tell the latter wasn't happy with his remark. He wondered bemusedly if those two were born natural enemies, as they seemed to get at each other's throat all the time, and for the records, Jake himself had always been a peacemaker when things were about to get out of control, just like he was now, "Okay, you heard the man, let's go. Typhlosion, Lucario, give me your hands."

The unexpected order resulted in a quiet moment among the pokemon, but Lucario was the first one to comply, gleefully closing his paw around Jake's hand, with Typhlosion quickly followed suit, his face masked by a mixed expression which was impossible to analyze. Still, all of those behaviors couldn't escape the eyes of a certain weasel pokemon, and Buizel had vaguely figure out what was going on among those three, although...for someone who barely had any social interaction like him, the prospects were so weird that it sent shivers down his spine. Could something like that happen between humans and pokemon, leave alone between males?

With his paw squeezed softly by Jake's, Typhlosion began to picture a giddy daydream about his desired future with the young man. He would be a powerful blaze, always remain close to Jake and aid him on the road to his dream, as well as the gentle fire warming up the trainer's heart every time he was in pain. To him, Jake no longer appeared as an object of lust, but someone he cared deeply about; someone who was able to calm the pokemon's mind with his presence alone. The realization made the Typhlosion smile to himself. Was he really that much of a fool, completely devoting to that person but demanding nothing in return? Perhaps he really was, but Typhlosion had no regret whatsoever, because that way, at least he had a person worth being strong for - a reason to exist and fight, unlike the old plain master/servant link he'd once been bounded to by his ex-trainer Jackson. Back then, he'd been nothing but a caged beast, but now, he was free to do whatever he wanted, and he'd chosen Jake, because he knew the trainer didn't see him as a slave, but a friend, a dear companion, and possibly...someone he could trust and love?

_"Hey Ty, dreaming about someone," _ a voice snapped Typhlosion out from his trance. For a short moment, the fear of being caught by Jake struck him, since that would be incredibly mortifying, but Typhlosion was proven wrong when he looked up and saw no change on Jake's face. The trainer still spent all his concentration following Jaden and leading his team through the misty road. But then, who'd talked to him just now?

"Can't recognize me?" there was that voice again, and this time, Typhlosion eerily noticed that it was echoing in his head! The pokemon mentally replied, "Who the heck are you?"

_"If you're wondering who I am, look to your right." _ the voice teased.

"Lucario!" Typhlosion snarled, "You've been spying on my thoughts?"

"Relax, I don't have that ability, and I honestly haven't got that low," the aura pokemon chuckled_, "Besides, from that face of yours, it isn't hard to guess what was in your mind, and I just kindly want to help before you blow your own cover and let Jake know you were fancying him."_

"Oh really? " Typhlosion questioned sarcastically, "I never know you're that kind."

"Have some faith, Would you?" Lucario huffed, "Didn't you say you'll look after me as a brother. Well in that case, it's only fair that I do something for you once in a while. More importantly..."

"What?"

"Even though I couldn't read your mind, I still felt your love for Jake. It wasn't the intense fire of lust, but a warm glow that even reached me. I touched, really, so I just want you to know...that I trust you."

"You...trust me?" Typhlosion murmured in disbelief.

"For your information, I've never use telepathy on anyone but Jake...well, not until now. Is that enough trusting for you?" Lucario said, "The point is, I was wrong. I can't, and have no rights to forbid you from thinking about Jake. I've been acting like a jerk, always be insecure and doubtful toward you...And I'm sorry for that."

Typhlosion stared at Lucario in speechless awe. Even after having made it clear with the aura pokemon about giving up on Jake, Typhlosion still expected Lucario to bear some form of antagonism toward him but unexpectedly and thankfully, the aura user was more forgiving than he'd expected. Unconsciously, Typhlosion remembered something Luxray had once told him.

"Jake prefers a gentle mate, and I have a feeling Lucario is fulfilling that role very well."

Luxray was right. Blinded by his own prejudice and the love-hate triangle, Typhlosion had failed to see the goodness within Lucario. The aura pokemon was gentle without faking, adorable without posing. His presence alone was a small, heart-warming fire, seemingly easy to be snuffed out, yet surprisingly resilient. Even Typhlosion couldn't bring himself to hate Lucario anymore. Funny how rivals could warm up to each other so quickly, but the volcano pokemon knew anyone exposed to Lucario's true nature would be the same.

...

They walked for a good while until Jaden suddenly paused.

"What's wrong?" Ryan inquired, irritated as he almost rammed into the ex-champion.

"Shhh..." Jaden brought a finger to his lips, forming a silent gesture, "There's something ahead."

Next to Jake, Lucario gave a small shiver; his eyes closed tightly, "He's right. I sense two powerful auras in front of us, colliding against each other...seems like two pokemon are fighting, and they're both very strong."

"Should we continue moving, then?" Jake wondered.

"No, and stand here for all day?" Ryan demanded mockingly, "Why afraid of two while we've got an entire team here? Besides, this is a good chance to obtain some strong pokemon. I'll say we go ahead and find out what our catches are."

As much as he didn't like Ryan's seemingly underhanded scheme, Jake admitted Ryan had a point - good strategists never let their opportunities slip away. Besides, he was also quite curious about the battle. It'd been a few days since he'd last participated in a decent fight after all.

Cautiously the gang advanced, until a small explosion hit their ears, whose impact helped sweeping away the fog, thus allowing them a clear view of the ongoing event.

On the left side of the road stood a green, reptilian pokemon; its back decorated with six yellow orbs arranged in two rounds and its tail was literally a palm tree branch.

"A Sceptile," Jaden noted bemusedly, "And its opponent is...oh wow, I think you should see this, Jake,"

Jake tilted his head confusedly and followed Jaden's gaze, and the trainer did a double-take when Sceptile's opponent came into his vision, until a soft paw squeezed his hand. He jolted, turning to his side, where he saw Lucario, _his_Lucario, looking just as bewildered as he was, "Lucario, you're here, but that means..."

"That one over there isn't me," the aura pokemon added half-jokingly before fixing his ruby eyes on the other Lucario, "But honestly, this is the first time I get to see another one of my kin."

"Do you think they're both wild?" Ryan wondered.

"The Sceptile, sure." Jaden nodded, "But that Lucario, not quite."

"How can you tell?" Jake inquired curiously.

"Take a closer look, and you'll find out soon enough." the ex-champion said, gesturing suggestively at the two battling pokemon. Jake obliged, and the differences immediately struck him. While Sceptile stood in its full guard and an extremely aggressive expression, Lucario seemed inexplicably relaxed. This was complemented by the aura user's impeccable poker face; as if it didn't even take the savage-looking green lizard seriously.

"I see what you're trying to imply, but still, what does it have to do with distinguishing which is wild and which is trained?" Jake questioned.

"Guess I'll have to fill you in." Jaden signed, "Here's the deal: Since they're not specifically trained to fight, wild pokemon tend to avoid battles. When threatened or cornered, however, they become defensive...and very, very hostile toward their attackers."

"I see," Ryan tapped his chin understandingly, "That explains why Sceptile looks so vicious and all."

"As for the Lucario," Jaden continued, "Do me a favor: Read its face and predict what it's about to do, attacking or defending?"

Jake tried, but found it impossible due to the Lucario's lack of emotion, "I can't." he admitted.

"Me neither." Ryan added, "What about you, Jaden, any luck?"

"Nope," Jaden shook his head, "Now you understand? There's no way to tell what that Lucario is planning...But there's more. Look at its stance; have you ever seen any pokemon who'd leave itself wild-open like that during a battle?"

"Now that you mentioned it," Jake nodded as he examined Lucario's posture, and it was, indeed, weird: The pokemon's two arms hung casually on its sides while its shoulder wasn't tense the slightest bit. Apparently, that Lucario didn't even bother to defend itself, "But why?"

"Because that's an effective stance," Jaden answered, "The more you try to defend yourself, the more weakness you'll expose to your opponent. While that Lucario's stance is, at first glance, full of openings, it actually provides a great deal of flexibility. Also, by letting itself wild-open, Lucario also confuses its opponents, as they can't decide to target which of its parts."

"Is that really the case?" Ryan inquired, still feeling unsure about his friend's explanation.

"Well, either that Lucario is an overconfident fool, or it's extremely well-trained." Jaden shrugged, "I'm leaning toward the second theory, and whoever owns that Lucario must be an elite trainer."

"Excellent analysis," the compliment came out of nowhere, followed by a series of clapping. From the thick fog, a figure walked out and stood on Lucario's side. The newly appeared trainer grinned at Jaden, his face masked by bemusement, "I expected nothing less from the former Hoenn Champion."

"Who in the world is he?" Ryan inquired, looking back and forth at Jaden and the unknown trainer.

"Your old acquaintance?" Jake suggested.

"I've never seen him before." Jaden denied, "What's going on here?"

"Well, it can't be helped that you don't know me." the new trainer shrugged, "We did fight in different factions. I'd love to explain, but first, I have some unfinished business with this Sceptile, so if you excuse me." He glanced at his Lucario, which caused Jake to shiver from how quickly those friendly eyes became icy, and ordered, "Lucas, metal claw."

The Lucario - or rather, Lucas nodded and charged at its prey; the two metal spikes on the backs of its paws transformed into six glowing claws. In respond to the attack, the leaves on Sceptile's wrists also glowed, colliding with Lucas' claws. Jake and his group watched in awe as the battle accelerated; both combatants slashed away at each other, producing an endless series of metallic sound from claws hitting blades.

"For a wild pokemon, that Sceptile is a tough one." Jaden said, "But it won't be able to last much longer."

Jake quickly registered the comment, and he noticed that while both pokemon seemed even, Lucas was able to keep its strikes consistent in terms of brute power and speed, thus gaining the upper hand, whereas Sceptile was rapidly overwhelmed as its movements became ragged and unstable.

"I've got you now." Lucas' trainer muttered "Focus on the stomach! That's its weak spot."

Jake didn't know whether Lucas had already figured that out, or it simply had incredibly quick reactions, but there was almost no time lag between its trainer's command and the pokemon's flawlessly executed slash on Sceptile's midsection, which resulted in a painful screech from the grass lizard. Taking advantage of forest pokemon's distracted stage, Lucas threw another well-aimed kick at the poor creature, sending it flying backward.

Jake winced as he saw Sceptile's injured form hitting the ground with a loud thud. Even from where he was standing, Jake could feel the grass lizard's pain as he looked at its nastily deep wounds, from which a copious amount of blood was streaming out. Even for the purpose of catching a wild pokemon, did someone really need to go that far? Jake had a sick feeling Lucas and its trainer were trying to inflict pain and torment on this poor Sceptile rather than weakening it.

As if it didn't think Sceptile had had enough, Lucas, still wearing a stone-cold face, slowly approached its groaning victim; its knuckles cracking menacingly. Jake, no longer able to bear the sight, ran toward and locked himself between Lucas and Sceptile; his arms spreading defensively, "Stop it! You've won this battle, so please, don't hurt this Sceptile anymore!"

Everyone at presence was startled by Jake's reckless resolve, but soon, Lucario and Typhlosion gathered by his sides, standing protectively next to their trainer, eyes locking with Lucas' in a challenging glare.

"Good call. I have no intent to continue either." Lucas' trainer spoke up as he walked to his Lucario tapped the pokemon's shoulder, "Good job, Lucas, but that's enough." He then pulled out an empty pokeball and tossed it onto Sceptile, who was immediately converted into a red energy beam and sucked into the spherical container. The capturing device laid perfectly still, its red button flashing weakly a few times but eventually stopped. The catch was a success.

Picking up the pokeball containing his newest comrade, Lucas' trainer pressed the red button, and the red flash made its second appearance, materializing into Sceptile, who was shutting its eyes tightly and wincing constantly. Jake thought he was hallucinating, but he could have sworn there was a glimmer of remorse in Lucas' trainer's eyes when he got on his knees and examine Sceptile's bloody form. Letting his backpack fell aside, he ordered, "Lucas, towel."

The aura user quietly obliged, unzipping the backpack and, after a few seconds of rummaging, handed a fresh, white towel to its master. With unexpected gentleness, the trainer began to treat Sceptile's wounds as he cleaned the blood and applied healing spray into the gashes. Lucas' trainer's eyes were so caring Jake found it hard to believe that he, less than a minute ago, was the same guy who had mercilessly ordered his Lucario to strike Sceptile down. Did he really care for the grass-type, or was he playing a nice guy to trick his audience?

Jake's doubtful gaze didn't escape Lucas' trainer, but the latter only chuckled, "You've got that same look. Everyone does. Folks disregard the way I am, just because I never show mercy in battle."

The sudden accusation left Jake unable to say anything in respond. Luckily, Ryan was there, and his voice was brimmed with disgust, "I don't blame them. The furthest length I've ventured in my attempts to catch wild pokemon is knocking them out, but that's nothing compared to the way your Lucario slice-and-dice this Sceptile. Even an outsider like me knows Sceptile has no chance against you two, why couldn't you go a bit easier on the poor thing?"

"You don't get it, do you? Showing mercy means prolong the fight, and in a battle against weaker opponents, that'll only prolong their suffering and humiliation. Besides, it's also a waste of my time." Lucas' trainer explained patiently, although his teeth was gritting rather hard.

"Causing that much pain is_no_ different." Ryan countered, "If this is the way you catch pokemon, I can't even begin to image how you'd _train_them."

Being chastised was never an enjoyable experience, especially when it's Ryan who criticized you. Having been pushed too far, Lucas' trainer finally retaliated, "I may have my ways to catch pokemon, but once they become my comrades, they are my family, and I will beat the crap out of anyone trying to harm my family or dirty our bond, whoever that is!"

"I'd like to see you try." Ryan taunted, rolling his eyes patronizingly.

"Break it up, you two!" Jaden ordered, "Ryan, drop the attitude. Are you provoking a fight or what? As for you, new guy, I'm sure my friend here has no ill intent, so no need to get riled up, okay? Leave that aside, I'm still waiting for your explanation. Who are you, and how do you know me?"

Ryan opened his mouth, may be to protest, but immediately zipped it as he noted Jaden's gaze. The young male looked away before grudgingly walking back to his Charizard.

There's that aura of power again, just like when we first met Cynthia, Jake thought. Being a champion brought you lots of trouble, including fame-hungry challengers, overly obsessed fans and the like, but Jake guess there was, at least, one merit: People recognized your strength and kept themselves away from reckoning with you.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Kai," Lucas' trainer introduced himself, "I'm from Hoenn, but lately, things have been...off for me there, so I moved to Sinnoh for a change of pace. Oh, and this boy right there..." Kai gestured to his Lucario, "...is my ace, Lucas."

Even though Lucas remained emotionless, Jake chuckled as he noted that the tip of the pokemon's tail was wagging softly.

"And the second question," Kai continued, "I think it's pretty much self-explanatory. You're the former champion, Jaden. Every trainer from Hoenn knows you, and they're still buzzing about the way you completely disappeared a few months ago. Turn out; you've been hanging out here, huh?"

"The Elite Four know, but from the look of it, they did a good job keeping it a secret from those nosey trainers." Jaden acknowledged, "I remember you now. Just before I left for Sinnoh, there were rumors about a trainer who set a record for clearing the Battle Frontier in the shortest amount of time in history - 3 days..."

"Impossible!" Ryan exclaimed, utter disbelief masking his face, "It took my dad nearly 9 days to complete the Battle Frontier, how could this guy...?"

"Thanks for the extra information. Now, would you be so kind to let me continue," Jaden noted nonchalantly, leaving Ryan mortified in the result, "Anyway, people also said you battled with only a handful number of pokemon, one of them being a rare and unusually powerful Lucario - _this_Lucario, I believe.", He chin-pointed at Lucas.

"Media...jeez, always exaggerates stuffs. Lucarios are rare in Hoenn, I admit, but Lucas isn't that powerful." Kai blushed slightly, trying to sound as modest as he could.

"Not that powerful, eh? I guess that why he was nicknamed 'the strongest Lucario'?" Jaden retorted, arching his eyebrows.

"Eh? I...I didn't know that." Kai awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Next to him, Lucas shook his head disapprovingly, although the pokemon's tail was wagging a bit faster.

The strongest Lucario - Jaden's words didn't go unnoticed by Jake, and the trainer immediately focused his gaze at Lucas as he examined the pokemon. Compared to his Lucario, Kai's was a bit taller, slightly more muscular and had a richer cream-colored fur; but overall, there was no significant difference. So what was Lucas' true power? What made people consider him the strongest? - Jake couldn't help wondering, which unknowingly triggered his curiosity and desire for battle. Still, having caught a sight of Lucas's brutal resorts of dealing with his opponents, Jake didn't fancy adding his Lucario to the victim list. The battle was only worth so much pain Lucario would have to go through.

As if he'd read Jake's mind, Lucario slid his paw around the trainer's hand and gave a light squeeze, getting his lover's attention, "You want me to battle that Lucas guy, don't you?"

"Lucario, I...yes, but," Jake managed, his voice quivering, "You saw that Sceptile? I don't want you to suffer the same fate."

"We fight, Jake, and we get hurt. That's inevitable." Lucario replied calmly.

"But...I'm scared." the trainer admit hesitantly.

"I'm scared too, and I'd be worried if you aren't, because only idiots aren't, but Jake, we can't live in fear forever." The pokemon reasoned, "If you want to become stronger, well, here's your chance. Think about all I could learn after this match? Besides, if I get beat up, at least I'll have an excuse to have you carry me for the duration of our trip to Veilstone city." He added the last part with a wink.

Worried as he was, Jake couldn't help feeling like a knot in his chest had just been unraveled. If anything, it'd probably be Lucario's insightfulness as well as his steady combination of cuteness and mischief that miraculously, always seemed to calm the young man down. Besides, Lucario had a point: If Jake couldn't overcome this simple test of facing his fear, he'd never be able to advance to the top, and...who knew, if there was any silver lining, Lucario might even emerge from the battle victorious.

Catching Lucario off guard, Jake poked the pokemon canine snout with his finger, smiling wholeheartedly, "Alright, you naughty pup, but don't blame me for not trying to warn you."

"Who am I to complain? I brought this upon myself, after all." Lucario offered eagerly before glancing over at Kai and Jaden, "Look like those two are done talking. This is our chance."

Jake nodded and together with Lucario, made his way toward Kai. When they were face-to-face, the trainer held out his hand, offering Kai a handshake, which the latter accepted, "Jake. Pleasure to see you."

The two remained silent for a while as they studied each other, until the corner of Kai's lips curved into a smile, "You're one very interesting guy, you know that?"

"Eh?"

"Even after witnessing Lucas' battle, you're still willing to throw yourself between him and Sceptile to protect a pokemon you barely know anything about. I don't know either that was foolish or sympathetic, but you sure are brave." Kai explained with a smirk, causing Jake to blush profusely, "Anyway, something tells me this handshake means more than an attempt to say hi, so go ahead and let me know what it is."

Jake found it ironic that someone just complimented him brave, considering less than a minute ago, he hadn't even mustered enough courage to let Lucario battle Lucas. At the same time, the trainer was surprised by Kai's perception and bluntness, but at least that saved him the verbal effort, "I...I was wondering if you and Lucas can spare me some time...you know, for a match with my Lucario." He ventured.

"Sounds reasonable enough..." Kai nodded, "Alright, I accept."

"Wait. That's it?" Jake was totally flabbergasted. Kai responded with an indifferent shrug, "Well yeah, what do you expect? A challenge is a challenge, and I like to skip procedures before battles."

Jake stared at Kai, mentally adjusting the wronged impressions he'd been holding against the deviously handsome trainer. Despite showing a tendency to utilize violent battling methods, Kai was at least an honest and perceptive individual. Most importantly, he didn't have the arrogance which Jake had expected from the strong and egocentric trainer type, which was a good thing, as Jake always wished to be taken seriously by his adversaries, no matter how great the difference between their skills was.

"Hey Lucas, are you up for another match?" Kai inquired, and was replied by a nod from his Lucario, "You're ready over there, Jake. Need any prep time?"

"No, I'm good. Let's do it."

...

Both Lucarios stood facing each other; neither was moving. It almost seemed like they were afraid that one single mistake could be easily taken advantage of by their opponent. Finally, Lucas broke the silence, "What's the matter, too scared to attack? Go ahead junior, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

Not buying the taunt, Lucario calmly replied, "I don't want you to either."

Having realized that the sticky situation would go on forever unless he did something, Jake cleared his throat and gave the first order, "Lucario, bone rush!"

Like a well-oiled machine, Lucario launched himself at Lucas whilst joining his paws together and quickly parted them, conjuring a green energy staff with bone-like ends. Aiming for Lucas's shoulder, Lucario struck with a mighty swing, determined to bring his opponent down.

"Oh, not bad..." Kai commented neutrally, before shouting aloud, "Lucas, defend and counter-attack with bone rush."

Again, there was almost no time lag between order and execution, as the energy staff also appeared in Lucas' paw, and in a swift move, he held it up with both paws, effectively blocking Lucario's midair. The aura user felt his paws quivering at the impact, and he found it impossible to believe that Lucas, despite having taken his attack head-on, was barely moved from the spot he was standing.

"Is that it?" Lucas smirked, "My turn, then."

And he wasn't bluffing. With a single flick of his arm, Lucas chucked Lucario aside as if the latter had been weightless. The startled aura pokemon barely regained his balance when he saw an approaching blue-colored gale and the pressure of an upcoming attack, but he was lucky enough to sidestep and narrowly avoid the first of Lucas's fierce strikes, which allowed him to block the second and onwards, a lot of onwards.

Lucario painfully realized the difference in strength as he and Lucas continued to clash; his paws going numb just from withstanding the latter's attacks alone; each could be measured at approximately 50 lbs, and the aura pokemon knew at this rate, he was bound to get hit, sooner or later.

He was right. Taking advantage of a split second when Lucario dropped his guard, Lucas delivered a precise blow which landed right at the former's midsection, sending him backward. Lucario couldn't even whine as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Pain seared his ribs as he felt like they were cracking, but thankfully, that was an overstatement. Still, the pain was enough to make him see stars and left him struggling to get on his feet.

"H-how can you be this strong?" Lucario asked, half-panted.

"Exercises; junior; exercises. Weightlifting boosts your strength and sprinting gives you the ability to go full-speed without prep. Based on your current stage, I'm guessing that you seriously lack workout. Bear in mind that skills aren't the only thing making an excellent combatant," Lucas replied, spinning the staff in his paw; his steady breaths hadn't changed the slightest bit, "So, are you done? I'm certainly hoping you aren't, because I sense an enormous potential in you. You have power, junior, power that you don't even know exists...or perhaps you do, but yet to fully master it."

...

"Lucario!" Jake shouted; a single drop of sweat trickled down his face. Less than five minutes into the battle and already, his worst prospect had come true. Even with the 'strongest' title at his disposal, Lucas's display of strength and speed, as well as the way he effortlessly brought Lucario down had far exceeded Jake's expectation. For a short while, the trainer considered using Mega evolution to solve the problem, but the rational part of his consciousness neglected that thought, as all he could muster would be a sorry fiasco of attempting to control that power. The only new maneuver he and Lucario had learned so far was extreme speed, but it was completely useless in this concealed and narrow road.

Jake felt his arms falling. For the second time in his life since the battle with Jaden and Latios, he'd experienced hopelessness again. Jake wasn't going to be a sissy and regretted issuing the challenge, but he realized that as they were now, there was no way for him and Lucario to overcome this colossal adversary...no way.

"So that's where the strongest comes from. I admit...we lose." Jake's words were so disheartening that they shocked him.

"Oh no, you're sadly mistaken, my friend." Kai chuckled, although his voice contained a hint of seriousness, "Raw power may be one of Lucas's edges, but he's way more than that. Why don't we make a show out of it? Life is show time, after all. Lucas, multiple aura spheres!"

Without missing a beat, Lucas joined his cupped paws together and thrust them forward (Kamehameha anyone?), hurling several blue energy orbs all over the place, which hit the ground simultaneously, resulting in a scene that strongly resembled a landmine field being set off. Dust and sand got blown up, mixing with the already-presented fog to create a perfect handmade version of smokescreen separating Lucario and Lucas from the others' vision.

"What is this, a distraction?" Jake muttered, and the memory of the battle against a certain rock-type gym leader flashed through his mind. He remembered a disoriented Onix slithering helplessly in the dust, making itself Lucario's easy target. The trainer smiled confidently, "Even I can think of this, but he seems to let the early lead get into his head. Seriously, he forgot that Lucario can sense aura or what?"

Unfortunately, Jake wasn't able to see a certain trainer's smirk through the smokescreen.

Meanwhile, Lucario was going through the feeling his opponent Onix used to - a mixture of insecurity and fear as his vision was disabled. Still, the pokemon's battle experience quickly calmed him down, and he almost smacked himself in the head for his stupidity. He wasn't that helpless Onix. He could sense aura, even if his eyes were no longer in use, and he would teach this Lucas a lesson for using a cheap trick on him.

His effort, however, was all in vain

No matter how hard Lucario tried to use his aura sensory, even closing his eyes in an attempt to increase his inner focus, Lucas was nowhere to be detected. It was even more bizarre since Lucario could have sworn he still felt Lucas's immensely powerful aura before it vanished, just like Lucas himself disappeared into the dust cloud.

As far as Lucario concerned, all living creatures had aura; regardless they were humans, pokemon, or whatever the heck they were. Lucario might not be able to sense them all at once but if he wanted to, nothing could escape his sensory. However, Lucas was a different story, and Lucario, for the first time in his life, got to experience the term 'fear the unknown'. Yes, he was literally trembling whilst rapidly losing his composure and even worse, his will to battle.

"Surprise!" Lucas's voice behind him sent with a chill down Lucario's spine, and he felt a paw pressing firmly against his back. Accepting his fate, Lucatio let the green energy beam blast him out of the smokescreen, clearing all the dust in the process.

There was an eerie silence when everyone observed the aftermath. Lucario lay on the ground, paralyzed, not only because of the force palm, but also his utter hopelessness against such a strong enemy, and shame for dropping the fight before it even ended. Only when he was in the familiar warmth of Jake's arms did Lucario find his voice again, "I'm sorry, I wasn't able to hit him...not even once."

"What happened?" Jake didn't want to ask, but his (not so well-timed) curiosity made it impossible not to.

"His aura...disappeared. I can't sense him anywhere." Lucario replied, his voice quivering.

Jake scooped his lover in his arms; his ears still buzzing from what Lucario had just said. What did he mean 'disappeared'? Jake might not know as much about aura as Lucario, but they had at least done some research, and he learned from Lucario that concealing aura was impossible, even for a skilled user. What kind of technique had Lucas used to hoodwink Lucario? Jake kept asking himself that question...until Kai offered him the answer, "Why the long face? I bet you're wondering what Lucas has done, aren't you?"

"He hid his aura...but how?" Jake inquired; confusion and irritation masked his face.

"Oh, you noticed?" Kai asked, looking a bit off-guarded, "But 'hid' isn't the correct term. You should try something easier to understand. I'd say 'retract his aura'...yeah, that sounds good!"

Jake stared at Kai. Part of him wanted to punch that guy in his jovial face; but an even bigger part longed for an explanation. Just like Lucario had said, the battle was a life-time opportunity to learn, and Jake couldn't resist the temptation of a skill that Lucario, even in his Mega evolved stage, was unable to perform.

"Fine...'retract'...so, would you mind explaining how that works?" Jake uttered through gritted teeth. It was hard, but he managed not to throw up.

"Since you asked so nicely..." Kai nodded gleefully, "There's a café cabin not so far from here that sells fresh Moomoo milk and excellent refreshments. Why don't we go there, order something to drink, and talk this out. My treat."

What choice did Jake really have? Grudgingly accepted the offer, the trainer (with Lucario in his arms) and the rest of his gang followed Kai, who led them a bit further down the road until he spotted a right turn and took it. The gang followed suit, and they found a small clearing, in which stood a single, white-painted, lonely-looking log cabin.

"Is this the place?" Jake asked.

"Yep. C'mon in." Kai nodded and walked in first. When Jake got inside, he was amazed to find the cabin's inner part much better-looking than its outsides. In addition to the modern furniture that could easily be found in any of those standard city café, the place also had warm, white-orange painted walls and sufficient but not-so-bright lightings, giving it a cozy atmosphere in contrast to that of the chilly, ambient Route 210.

The café was practically empty, but Jake's gang was more than enough to cramp all the seats. Unsurprisingly, all orders were Moomoo milk, and while Ryan, Jaden and the pokemon were served, Kai brought Jake and Lucario to a separate table to join him and Lucas.

"Go ahead," Kai offered, handing Jake his milk portion, "Take a sip. Then we can start."

Jake complied, although he barely tasted anything. After a ceremonial sip, he quickly set his drink aside and got straight to the point, "Now tell me. How can your Lucario...I mean Lucas, 'retract' his aura? What's the secret?"

"The secret is...controlling your aura, and by 'control', I don't mean suppressing and turn it into power. Those skills are only for newbie and average users. What I want you to do, is feel your aura, and become one with it, but you must first know aura's nature." Kai noted, his manner remained Jake of his old philosophy teacher, and the trainer absolutely loathed that subject.

"I'm listening." Jake said; fingers drumming the table impatiently.

"Lucas, if you please." Kai suggested.

The pokemon nodded curtly, "Aura is an energy existing within all of us. It's not some random power to tap into, but more like a wild card; potential wise depends on the user. The more you try to force your will onto it, the more it'll reject you. Tell me junior, what feats can you perform with his aura other than sensory and aura sphere?" Lucas demanded, turning to face Lucario, who shook quietly; ears were reddening rapidly.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Lucas acknowledged, "But don't worry, everyone has a rocky start with new stuff. Once you get a hold of this skill, it'll gain you many advantages on the battlefield.".s

"Advantages...such as?" Lucario inquired, finally found his voice again.

"For starter, your sensory will be enhanced. You'll gain the ability to sense evil intent, see through objects, read minds and strengthen the mental connection between you and your trainer." Lucas replied, tapping his muzzle, "What else, hmm...ah yes, you can also increase your aura reverse and control your aura input at will. For instance, I can use a bunch of aura spheres at once, but it'll barely affect my stats."

Lucario nodded. He was still impressed by the number of aura spheres Lucas had produced during their battle, which was even more than all he could managed when fighting Roark's Onix, not to mention he was completely exhausted and had to be replaced by Luxray afterward.

"Last but not least, you can protract and retract your aura at will, which can come in handy, not just against other aura users like me, but also when you're in a tight spot and have to hide your presence. All you need to do is retracting your aura, and you'll be safe. No one can track you down in that stage."

"Wow...that sounds amazing." Lucario marveled.

"Amazing, yes. Easy to do, no." Lucas concluded and glanced cryptically at Kai, before turning his attention back to Lucario, "As of you now, I doubt you can acquire this skill, junior."

"Bummer...Man, I hate it when burst bubbles, Lucas. Look at the poor little guy" Kai groaned as he noted Lucario's bewildered, sulky expression and his dropped ears.

"What do you mean he can't?" Jake inquired furiously, but quickly settled as he met Lucas's icy glare.

"Because of you," Lucas revealed, looking at a shocked Jake in the eyes, "It's pointless if he becomes stronger but you don't!"

"What he's trying to say is..." Kai quickly interjected, "Since you two are deeply bonded, you should work alongside Lucario in order to reach perfect synchronization. If you can, Lucario's training process will accelerate, and the result will be even greater."

"Oh...okay." Jake noted. All at once, a strong sense of shame and guilt washed over him, as the trainer realized that he'd always left Lucario to do all the hard work, while he stood outside and enjoy the fruit of his lover's training. Lucas was right...How could Jake call himself a trainer, if he couldn't understand Lucario's pain and effort - everything the pokemon had been through, just to meet his expectation?

"Look like this fella has finally understood what he needs to do." Lucas smirked, motioning at Jake. His manner became a bit more subtle as he asked Kai for permission, "Please excuse me a few minutes. I'd like to have a private chat with Lucario."

Kai smiled and nodded softly. With his master's approval, Lucas stood up and offered, "Let's go for a walk, and we shall discuss your training method, junior."

The aura pokemon obliged. When the two Lucarios were finally gone, Kai returned to Jake, "Say, have you ever thought of...naming your pokemon?"

"Naming?"

"Yep...I'm not saying it's a must, but you definitely should, just to avoid confusion in case your opponents have the same pokemon as you do. Besides, names identify people. A Lucario is any Lucario, but Lucas is my only and one of a kind Lucario. If we humans all have name, why shouldn't pokemon?" Kai offered enthusiastically.

Jake nodded in agreement, "Honestly, I've never thought of that before, but you've got a point there. Still, if I'm gonna give my companions names, I've gotta think of some fitting ones."

"Go ahead and take your time." Kai grinned sheepishly.

Jake grinned in return before moving his glace to the table where his team were relaxing and enjoying their snack. The young man smiled to himself as he tried to recall each pokemon's personalities and characteristics, so he could come up with names that either he or they would ever forget.

It took Jake a while, and by the time he'd finished, Lucario and Lucas had also returned from their walk.

"Typhlosion, Luxray, Starly," Jake called, "Come over here. I have something important to tell you."

No one, except Kai, knew what Jake was plotting. Nonetheless, the trainer quickly found himself face-to-face with all four of his companions, including Lucario, who, just like his fellow pokemon teammates, had no ideas what was going on.

"Listen carefully: I'm going to give each of you a name. From now on, I'll call you by your names, so don't forget it, 'kay?" Jake announced, winking at his bewildered team, all of whom were too shocked to say anything.

"First is you, Starly. You're stubborn, prideful and unrestrainable like the wind. One day, you'll become a storm, soaring in the sky. Your name will be Gale."

The avian flapped his wings, seemingly satisfied.

"Next, we have Luxray, the big brother of the team. You're strong as thunder and fast as lightning. You're someone I can always count on. Your name will be Flash."

The lion respectfully bowed.

"Then there's you, Typhlosion. Like the fire, you can be fierce and bright, but also warm and cozy. With you, I'm not afraid of any coldness. Your name will be Nova."

The volcano pokemon nodded softly, his eyes flickering with a hearty, silent flame.

"Finally, Lucario...The aura user; the fighter with a steel heart...Your name will be Aurum - Gold.", Jake smiled, running his fingers through the soft fur on Lucario's head.

...

Of all the names, Lucario's was given with the least details, but the aura pokemon himself understood Jake's hidden feelings in that name. No matter how many kinds of metal there were in this world, gold would always remain the most precious and brilliant, and Aurum knew, he would always hold that position in the heart of a certain young man.

(To be continued)