Never Lost

Five: Trouble At The Ever Grande Floral Festival

"How did you guys sleep?" Luca asked as she poured them all a cup of tea while Brock cooked breakfast.

"We slept really well, thanks again." Ash stretched before he headed to the tall serving counter between the living room and kitchen and sat in one of the chairs there. He watched as Brock plated the eggs, pancakes, and sausage.

There was fresh fruit that he had already cut up sitting there. He placed the three plates down. "Bon appetit." He said with a smile. He and Luca joined Ash at the seats.

"Thank you so much for cooking Brock. I haven't had anybody else cook for me since Miss Kari." Luca picked up a fork and took a bite. A sad look briefly crossing her face.

"Who's that?" Ash asked between bites.

"She was our housekeeper on our Pokémon Preserve.  It sat on a private island in the Oblivia Region. She became my guardian after Team Rocket attacked our island when I was just a child." She said with a sigh.

"What happened?" Brock asked, concerned. "We deal with them all the time. They're not the brightest villains out there."

"These two women were. They called themselves the Crystal Sisters. They had come to steal my best friend Luke. He's also an aura user. My father had tried to stop them. Then they shot a rocket into my house. Somehow, according to Miss Kari, I had shielded us with my aura. But I never saw my father or Luke again. I had no home. It had been destroyed. Miss Kari had family in Azalea Town over in Johto. So we went to live there. When I was old enough to start my Ranger training I left. I went back to visit her as much as I could between my travels with my teacher. After about three years I had received a letter saying that she had gotten sick. I made it back to see her one last time before she passed away. Now it's just me and my job. I decided to come here because they needed a Ranger. There has been some weird activity in the area. Pokémon that have dark auras, doing some pretty bad things. The police here fear that the ones responsible for it will make an appearance during the festival. I'm going to stop them."

"Do you think it's Team Rocket?" Ash was very curious. Of course with all of the run in's they've had with them, he would be.

"We don't know, but I wouldn't put it past them." She said. "We should eat up before this wonderful breakfast gets cold. Thanks again Brock." She then stuffed her mouth with a huge bite of pancake.

"It's my pleasure." Brock smiled, glad that he could be of service.

Once they had finished, Luca went and changed out of her pajamas, and back into her self appointed uniform of black and blue. She then grabbed her keys. "Okay guys." She said as she handed Ash an extra key. "Make sure you lock it up tight before you head out. I might see you while I'm on patrol. This is my Pokégear information so you can get in contact with me should you need to, or if you see anything weird going on. I'm off then."

"Sure thing!" Brock stated as they watched her walk out the door.

"That was pretty sad wasn't it...? What she said about her family and her best friend." Ash let out a sigh.

"Yeah it was. We should do something nice for her since she's letting us stay here." Brock started to clear the plates from breakfast away. "I think I'll clean up in here and maybe tidy the rest of the place up for her so she won't have to do anything after she gets back from work."

"That's a great idea Brock. I'll help as soon as I get Pikachu to wake up." He walked over to the still sleeping companion. "Come on buddy, You're sleeping in worse than I do."

After straightening up and getting ready, the guys locked up the apartment and headed down the stairs and towards the festival. There were vendors selling all kinds of wares. Everything from clothes to food to trinkets. It was a feast for the eyes as much as it was for the stomach.

"Look at all of this Brock! This festival is huge!" Ash laughed as he looked around with wide eyes. "What do you think Pikachu? Isn't this amazing?"

"Pika pika." Pikachu replied.

Just then Ash was bumped into, hard. His hat flew off and landed on the ground. Pikachu had luckily held on to his shoulder without falling off.

"Please forgive me. I didn't see you there."

Ash and Brock looked over to the one that had knocked the hat off as he was picking it up from the ground.

"It's a Lucario." Brock said as he watched the Pokémon hand the ball cap back to Ash. Not only could he understand the Pokémon, but this one was wearing arm bracers that went up the backs of his paws, going around his spikes, and leg bracers that went down covering the tops of his feet. All made out of black material and laced in place. He also had a belt on with a pouch hanging to the side.

"It's okay. It is really crowded here." He said as he took his hat and put it back on his head. "We've met quite a few Lucario, but only one other that could use telepathy like you do. Are you an aura user?"

"Why yes, yes I am. If you'll excuse me though, there is something urgent that I must get to. I apologize again for bumping into you like that." He said as he looked around, heading off in the  direction he had been traveling.

"No problem." Ash called to him as he departed. "That's strange. I wonder where he needed to go."

"Beats me." Brock scratched his head. "I don't think that's weird enough though to have to call Ranger Hart about it. He didn't seem like he was in or causing any trouble."

"Yeah... I guess you're right." He replied as they went back to the festival.

Meanwhile on the other side of the festival, Luca was walking around on duty, watching for anything out of the ordinary. There was something that didn't feel right. It felt a lot like the dark aura that she had felt coming from the Houndoom the night before. Which, by the way, she had already ran into the lady and the Pokémon from last night. She had taken the advice she had given her and was walking around with her new companion by her side. It had brought a smile to Luca's face. Even though it sent her sad feelings down to the bottom of her heart. As she walked around it brought memories of home, of her father and Miss Kari, and of Luke.

Luca and Luke had been sitting at the dining room table eating lunch.

"Can I be a Ranger when I grow up too?" Luke had asked.

"Of course you can!" Luca said excitedly. "We can be partners!"

"That's right! Partners! I can't wait! That's going to be amazing!"

"Amazing..." Luca said with a heavy hearted sigh.

"Hey! That Toxicroak just attacked my Espeon and ran off with it!" Shouted a young boy.

Luca ran to the forming crowd circle. She pushed her way through the massing people and came up to the kid. "Which way did it go?"

"It went that way!" He pointed towards the opposite direction it had come from.

"Don't worry, I'll get it back. I need you to wait here and call for an officer." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll do everything I can." She then took off in the direction he gave.

Brock, Ash, and Pikachu had just finished eating lunch and were walking around some more when they heard somebody cry out.

"That Drifblim just took off with my both mine and my wife's Meowstics!"

Ash and Brock looked up and sure enough, there was the Drifblim floating high above the crowd carrying a male and female Meowstick.

"Now that's something to call Ranger Hart about." Brock pulled out his Pokégear and went to contact Luca.

"We should run after it too. If it is Team Rocket, we can help." Ash headed off in the same direction as the floating Pokémon.

"Right." Brock followed suit.