The ketchum conference

Movie 8

Lance: "If you'd let us know, then, Bruno."
Bruno: "This all took place at the town of Rota, which is kind of a semi-independent little kingdom in itself in the north of the Kanto region."
Cynthia: "How'd it stay independent?"
Bruno: "A very large tree. No, that's not an exaggeration or anything, it's the literal truth."
Cynthia: "Right..."
Bruno: "Many hundreds of years ago Cameran Palace was the place two large armies battled - it wasn't aligned with either, it just happened to be in the middle. It was defended by only a few people or Pokemon, but one of those was Sir Aaron - possibly the greatest of the Aura Guardians."
Aaron: "Cool name!"
*slide change*

Alder: "Now he looks cool. Did he have the Pidgeot too?"
Bruno: "Yes. His two main Pokemon companions - remember, this was before Pokeballs, so they were companions rather than anything else - were that Pidgeot and a powerful Lucario."
Cynthia: "I like him already. He has good taste."
Bruno: "He left the palace during the battle, and used his staff - an artefact of considerable age even then - to absorb his friend Lucario."
Lucian: "Why?"
Bruno: "Details are sketchy - this all happened hundreds of years ago - but as far as we can tell it was to keep his friend safe, in stasis, while he gave all his energy to the Tree of Beginning nearby to ensure it would not be destroyed."
Sidney: *whistles* "Impressive."
Bruno: "The spectacle actually halted the battle, and brought a period of peace to the region. Anyway, Ash comes into the picture much closer to the modern day."
Phoebe: "After learning he met Celebi I was ready for anything."
Flint: "Oh, you're not. With what I've been researching-"
Lance: "Leave it for later."
Bruno: "Ash Ketchum was in Rota for a competition - a tournament, held there yearly or so, and won. In period costume. And part of his prize was that he got the scepter, at least for a short time - you know, like a trophy."
Cynthia: "This still had a Lucario in, right?"
Bruno: "That's correct. The staff reacted to Ash's presence, and Lucario emerged in the middle of the celebratory ball."
Siebold: "Ouch."
Bruno: "There's a far stranger bit - Lucario mistook Ash for Sir Aaron, due to their similar Aura."
Cynthia: *comes to her feet* "What!? That's... my Lucario can tell if I've had lunch by my Aura! How similar were they?"
Bruno: "Similar enough."
Cynthia: "They must be... well, practically clones or something." *glances up at the slide* "Is that what Ash is going to look like in a few years?"

Bruno: "While Lucario was being informed of the time difference, the Mew who is associated with the Tree of Beginning was playing around with some Pokemon - including Ash's Pikachu. It got a little over-enthusiastic, and took Pikachu with it back to the tree to play further."
Karen: "Irresponsible little..."
Will: "Mew are always somewhat playful."
Karen: "It's still bad manners."
Bruno: "Ash decided to head up and get Pikachu back, and Lucario accompanied the group. From what we were told, there was some friction between Ash and Lucario - probably because of Lucario's bad feelings about Sir Aaron."
Shauntal: "Of course, he'd have only seen Sir Aaron imprison him, and not known why."
Bruno: "Correct."

Alder: "This tree place, how come it's never been attacked or anything?"
Bruno: "It has. It's defended by three Regis - Regirock, Regice and Registeel - as well as a strange red substance. The group had to battle its way to the top of the tree, and in the process there was collateral damage."
Malva: "That sounds like bad news."
Lance: "Very bad news. The tree's immune-system went into shock, and - just as Sir Aaron did - the Aura wielders had to give their energy to save it."
Cynthia: "Did you say wielders, plural?"
Bruno: "Yes. Ash's Aura is strong enough that, untrained as he was, he was able to help to revive the tree."
Cynthia: *jaw slack for a moment*
Steven: "That's... very strong."
Cynthia: "That's not the half of it! Riley of Iron Island is the only known Aura Guardian in Sinnoh-"
Lance: "There aren't any in Johto or Kanto, either, at least not now-"
Cynthia: "-right - and I don't think he could do anything at all past making pretty lights for at least six months!"
Wikstrom: "This does explain how he survives a life like this, though..."
Steven: "Fair point."
Caitlin: "But with both of them there, no-one had to die, right?"
Bruno: *sighs* "Ash is still young, Lucario was still weak. Lucario stopped Ash just before the boy would have died, giving the last of his energy instead - so the effort killed him."
Cynthia: "..."

Lance: "Something wrong, Cynthia?"
Cynthia: *blinking fast* "Damnit, damnit, damnit! I wanted there to be a happy ending! I... I love my own Lucario, and the thought of losing him... and then the idea of him having spent a thousand years in a crystal, discovering your whole world has gone, and then - and then meeting someone who was so like the partner he lost... and then dying before he had a chance to reconnect with the world..."
Aaron: "You okay, boss?"
Cynthia: *quietly* "No." *louder* "Just give me a moment."

Lorelei: "Did you see Ash doing anything with Aura when you met him?"
Cynthia: "No, I don't think he was. He may not have had the time to learn - or may simply have had no-one able to train him."
Wikstrom: "Perhaps this Riley you speak of could help him?"
Cynthia: "Worth a try."

Lorelei: "I did the next one. Fortunately it's a little less of a downer."

(I think that I'll just do Temple of the Sea next.)