If You Could Only Hear Me

SUMMARY: "Master…if you could only hear me, I want to tell you how much you mean to me." Losing Sir Aaron was the most painful moment of Lucario's life.

GENRE: Tragedy/Friendship
RATED: G / K
COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters

STORY TAKES PLACE IN: Movie 08 – Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. (Beware of potential spoilers!). General knowledge of the film's storyline is recommended in order to fully follow this fanfic.

POV NOTE: This story's narrative is entirely in Lucario's POV/first-person perspective

COMMENTS: This one-shot is quite different from my previous Pokemon publications. First, this is a one-shot – not my first one-shot ever, but my first Pokemon one-shot. Second, I'm writing in the more formal voice of Lucario (a completely different experience from writing my more typical Ash POVs ^_~). After previously releasing several humorous/fluffy Pokemon fanfics, I wanted to return to more serious/dramatic writing. I also wanted to write just one commemoration to Movie 8. I hope you enjoy!

If You Could Only Hear Me
Aiselne Phoenix

Centuries. That was how long I waited.

Years and years of nothing but waiting; awaiting the day when some semblance of a resolution would ease my pain – pain I blamed you for, Master.

Those centuries constantly tore my soul. Memories of you clashed in my mind, taunting me, while somehow easing my pain at the same time. I wanted to hate you, yet I could not erase the warm memories you and I made over the years. What was I to believe? You were my master, my mentor, and my friend. You were everything to me. But when you imprisoned me, I was certain that the person I revered the most had betrayed me. Should those warm memories of you and I be kept sacred, or should they be cast aside, just as you cast me aside on that horrid day?

I never forgot that day when the kingdoms' two armies clashed. Pokemon and people were covered in armor, each attacking their opponents without mercy. You and I rushed to the field, hoping to halt the battle before it reached Cameron Palace. And when we arrived, you did the unexpected…and to me, you did the unimaginable. You said you abandoned our queen, our home, and you forsook me. Before I realized my world spiraling out of control, I was locked away. I'm sure you never forgot it, either. The memory of you imprisoning me within your staff's crystal failed to fade over the centuries.

It haunted me incessantly. After being locked and alone for so long, there were days when I questioned my own sanity. All I could do was cling to one shred of hope that someday I would be freed.

Sometime, somehow, I felt a new sensation from deep within the aura wave; a tiny ripple from far, far away, which grew as the centuries passed. Oddly, the ripple reminded me of your aura's essence, which led me to believe we would meet again. Whenever that day came, I believed I would reach closure.

Instead, the day of my release only brought greater confusion. I found the source of that aura ripple, and I was so certain that it belonged to you. Alas, once I finally opened my eyes, you were nowhere to be found. A child met me, his aura so much like yours, yet also quite different. In fact, everything was nostalgic yet different.

I awoke in a world that was centuries older than ours. Much had changed. Cameron Palace still stood, but with a new queen who claimed our lady was her ancestor. Exactly how long had I been sealed inside your crystal? How could I still be alive? Was I even alive, or was this all a dream woven by a mind that disintegrated after eons of isolation?

Yet, that boy…there was something about him. He reminded me of you, and those revived memories were the only things fueling me. Maybe I was mad, but as long as I was outside of my shackles I still wanted answers for why you betrayed our kingdom and me. Yet, whenever I called you a traitor, people called you a hero!

Never before had I been so confused. You trained me to be focused and to never second-guess decisions, but how could I not have been bewildered? What was I to believe?

I hated you. For a short while, I even hated that boy. Through my eyes, the child was a substandard imitation of you. The dear relationship he had with his Pokemon disturbingly reminded me of how you and I once were. Salt was ground in my wounds whenever the boy mentioned his precious Pikachu. He was too young and naïve to realize that friendship isn't always eternal. Never before was his heart broken.

Time supposedly heals wounds, yet my wounds still stung after centuries of imprisonment. I wanted to move on. However, I also wanted the truth. Perhaps I was as ignorant as that boy. If it was no lie to call you a "hero," and if you truly did not intend to betray me, I wanted to know why. No matter how cruel and painful the truth could be, I wanted – needed – for my torment to finally end. It was imperative that I hear the truth within your own words:

"I had to trap you inside the staff, Lucario. If I didn't, I knew you would follow me and suffer the same fate."

Truth can always be painful, no matter how benevolent its intentions may be.

I was your apprentice. You chose me because you could sense the aura within me. When I first laid eyes on you, I was nothing more than an infant Riolu, naive and oblivious to my potential. I was born with a gift I could never have understood without your guidance. My rigorous training may not have started until I evolved, but even as Riolu, you helped me develop my telepathic speech and survival methods. My small, pre-evolved body was not ready for strenuous training, yet you cared for me as if I were your child. Because I never knew my biological parents, you, Master, were the only father in my life.

I was happy with you.

"Riolu...I mean, Lucario. Now that you have evolved, it is time we begin your training. I will teach you everything I know so you too can became a Guardian of Aura."

There was an incredible source of energy within me, something only I and a few other special beings possessed. You called it "aura." When I first heard that word, I did not understand what it meant, but I learned quickly. If used properly, it could be used in ways that superseded children's preconceptions of fairytale magic. Aura was my strength, my power, and my destiny. Above all, aura was my bond to you.

But there was another energy within me that grew stronger everyday. Even after you left me, that feeling welled inside of me, clashing with my anger and resentment. Only now do I understand what that emotion truly was, and perhaps it was greater than all of my aura powers.

"You were more to me than just my student, you were...my very best friend."

I feel the same, Master.

Why?

That was a word I asked myself countless times throughout my lifetime, especially after meeting you. Why did you care? Why did you choose me? Surely, there must have been other Riolu and Lucario you could have trained. And you never even "trained" me, not like most people train Pokemon. You schooled me. I was not your weapon or servant; I was your pupil. I devoted myself in your servitude, but you never treated me like a slave.

That boy, too, treats his Pokemon with the same equality. He calls them his "friends," as you did with me, Master. He does not even want his Pokemon to call him "master," and all of his Pokemon call him "friend" within their own dialects, except Pikachu. The mouse's petname is more cherished; "Pikapi," which humans do not have a precise translation or equivalent wording. But you can see it in the boy's eyes: even if he doesn't know precisely what Pikachu calls him, Ash obviously understands and appreciates the sentiment. It reminds me of how close you and I were, Master, when words lost their value amidst deeper feelings.

In retrospect, perhaps I never truly hated the boy. I was jealous. He and his Pikachu lived a life that you and I lost. Why, Master? Why did you abandon me? Why did you treat me so kindly, only to have our relationship end so bitterly? Did you intend to hurt me? Was your plan to build up my trust and heart…just so you could shatter it?

No.

Eventually, I unearthed the truth. The boy and I found your crystallized remains inside Mew's chamber within our land's holy Tree of Beginning. We watched the essence of your memories, and I reached the enlightenment I so desperately sought. On that fated day from centuries ago, you lied to me about forsaking the kingdom and I, not to be deceptive, but so you could spare all of us.

You sacrificed yourself for the sake of thousands. You gave your life for me.

Why? Why must I know the truth now? Why must I find my resolution when you are out of my grasp? Centuries after your death, centuries after you left me...why must I find my answers when I am incapable of begging for your forgiveness?

Master...if you could only hear me, I want to tell you how much you mean to me.

Will you ever know, Master?

"I have no regrets, Lucario. My journey has been good. I served a beautiful queen, and you and I shared many adventures."

We certainly did, didn't we, Master?

There were nights when you and I trained until the stars shined. Sometimes we even trained until the morning sun gleamed over the horizon. Through rain and snow, my powers strengthened, as did our friendship. Rarely a day went by that I was unhappy, though my stern, pensive demeanor probably hid what I truly felt.

"Heheh, you need to loosen up!"

Our personalities contradicted each other. My nature was serious, for I was adamant about my training. As I matured, I had no intentions of becoming distracted by foolishness. I understood my duty and I sought to master it like you. Every Aura Guardian is raised with the knowledge that a day would come when his aura powers would be put to the ultimate test. Whenever that day came, I had to be strong enough – strong enough to survive, strong enough to protect others, and strong enough to make you proud.

But now, after all those years, I dared to question my faith in you. I doubt you would be proud of my wavering trust. Is it idealistic of me to believe you expected me to behave this way, Master? You always knew what you were doing. Surely, you knew exactly what you were doing on the day when you sealed me, so I have no doubts that you knew how our story would end.

Memories are all that I have left of you, and they cut deeper than swords. I don't want you to be just a memory. Now that I understand your intentions, I want you back so we can continue as we once were; friends, like Ash and Pikachu, making memories, not being memories.

What I would give to have stopped you from leaving. But would that choice have been wise? If you and I turned our backs from the war, the kingdom would have been decimated. If we fled, we may have survived together, but it would never have brought you satisfaction. We trained so hard for such a day when our powers would be the battle's deciding factor. If we fled, countless souls would have been lost on our account. We would have lived in shame for the rest of our lives.

But what if I was beside you when you ventured into Mew's chamber to make that ultimate sacrifice? What if you did not trap me in the staff, but instead brought me along with you? We would have died together, and I think I would have preferred that fate, Master. To die by your side would have been the greatest honor, and I never would have had a reason to resent you.

But that was not how it happened. You imprisoned me to save me. You did not want me to die that day. Only now do I understand why. There would come another day where another Guardian of Aura would rise, and I, your successor, would be called forth. Without me, no other Guardian would follow in our footsteps. There would always be descendants, but without our guidance, those descendants would remain just as naive as I was when I first met you. True Guardians of Aura must be educated, else their full potential may never be achieved. Then destruction could return.

You always considered the future, and it was that foresight that drove you to trap me so I could live for this very moment.

"Lucario...forgive me."

I do, Master.

I am the one who needs forgiveness.

Where are you now, Master? Are you still watching over me? Do you even remember me? I know I could never forget you, even during my centuries of loneliness and imprisonment. Despite my resentment and anxieties, you were always first on my mind, one way or another. I wanted to see you again, to demand an explanation for your actions, and also to see you one last time.

The very last time I saw you alive...it was not the most picturesque memory. Chaos, madness, confusion...if only my last memory of you could have reflected the way we used to be together; laughing, smiling…

"One day, you will be released, in a peaceful and more pleasant time. What will it be like, I wonder?"

This time period was not peaceful and pleasant for me; centuries of questions with no answers, torturing fears, and haunting memories. But that was my fault, Master. I should have trusted you from the very beginning. I knew you, and there is no excuse for my distrust.

You were right, Master...truly, this world is peaceful and pleasant, less warring than our generation. Much has changed since you died, and I have patiently watched this world evolve. You would be fascinated by how dramatically things have changed.

But perhaps, somewhere, you have been patiently watching, too – watching over this world, and over me, as you always have.

You say you have no regrets, but I certainly do; too many regrets to count. Our dreams were the same, our destines intertwined. Your predictions were correct; I was released, and I have unearthed the truth at long last. I know the whole story, and I feel foolish for failing to realize it sooner.

In the end, your thorough training proved fruitful. Your martyrdom saved our kingdom from that great war. You're a legend, my friend, forever engraved in this land's history as the true Guardian of Aura. As time has passed, you've become the figure of countless children's fables, the center of celebrations, and so many people strive to match your nobility. I have only met one other person who mirrors your virtue.

Nobody will ever outshine to you, though, at least not in my eyes. You were much more than just a hero; you were my closest friend. You helped me become what I am today, and I will forever be indebted to you. I only hope that someday, in some way, you can forgive my past resentment. You did something greater than just sacrificing yourself for this world; you opened your heart to me, which in turn unlocked my cold heart.

I wish I could have been more like you, Master. I was so adamant about my training and perfection that I rarely stopped to appreciate life. You did appreciate life. Your enthusiasm was remarkable. You took on the world with confidence. Ash's youthfulness triggers many amusing memories. I tried to be more like you; I really did. Alas, there was something about you that I – or anyone – could never fully mimic: your heart. That boy is certainly a worthy contender, though. After your faux deception, I had closed my heart and Ash miraculously reopened it. I am in his debt.

Master, whether or not we ever meet again, whether or not you can even hear me, I am happy for our time together. Here before your grave, my eyes are not clouded by anger and betrayal anymore; they are only clouded by my repentant tears. I do not want you to be a memory, Master. I want you to be here to hear my atonement. But you are not here.

Or, perhaps you are here. I had always felt the strong, familiar aura wave in that boy…your aura. Perhaps you never really left me in the first place. We are together.

How I wish you could hear me.

"It could be...one day...we will see each other again. I hope so, my friend."

Or, you can hear me. I can feel your presence near, and know you are waiting. You never left me. You never forgot me. You have been waiting for centuries, as have I.

My time has come at long last. I know what I must do to follow in your footsteps, to truly make you proud. Watch and wait, Aaron, for we will be together again soon.

The End

A/N: Not a songfic, but this story was loosely inspired by the song, "Please Remember," by LeAnn Rimes.

(Strangely short on words for this fic's ending A/N, so I'll spare you from the babbles). Thanks for reading! ^_^ Reviews appreciated, if you're so inclined.