Chapter 676 - 673

"THE WINNER HAS EMERGED! THE CHAMPION OF UNOVA, THE SAGE OF GALAR, AN ELITE FOUR MEMBER OF PALDEA, A SCHOLAR OF SINNOH, AND THE KING OF JOHTO'S ALL-EVENTS COMPETITION...!"

Green could not resist commenting when she heard the announcement.

"I understand that he's the first Champion to compete and they want to excite the crowd, but this sounds like a military roll call! Anyone who didn't know better would think his opponent had to fight an entire group!"

"Oh, but the battle's already over!"

A gentle voice came from behind them.

"Personally, I think they should add 'Aura Guardian' to that list. What do you think?"

Riley appeared wearing his hat and familiar blue clothing. He greeted Candice, Maylene, and Hikaru, who had just returned from the battlefield.

Riley had recently gone to meet Queen Ilene.

When she saw him, the queen had been utterly astonished. She had even stared blankly for several seconds.

His face was practically identical to that of the legendary Sir Aaron.

Although he had already heard the story, Riley listened once again as Queen Ilene recounted the legend of the Guardian of Aura. He had also attempted to touch the staff.

"Mr. Riley, you finally arrived," Hikaru said. "Did you see the hero's staff?"

"I tested it with my Aura."

Riley lifted one side of his hat.

"There is an enormous reaction inside the staff, but I cannot undo its seal. My Aura's frequency is wrong."

"Sir Aaron left behind no clearly documented descendants. Therefore, even if my bloodline is connected to his, there must be considerable differences between us."

"Every person is different, and their Aura varies accordingly. The seal within that staff is extraordinarily advanced."

"I'm ashamed to admit that although I'm an Aura Guardian, my knowledge of sealing techniques extends only to creating barriers that protect others."

"I cannot use Aura to seal life and souls as you do, Mr. Hikaru."

"Although Guardian sounds like a higher rank, my command of Aura is inferior to that of an apprentice. I hardly deserve the title."

"This truly demonstrates how far the art has declined in the modern age...!"

"And I'm also curious about the boy who fought in the first match."

Riley turned toward Hikaru.

"His Aura was identical to the Aura I sensed within the hero's staff. It is almost impossible to believe."

"No two people in the world should possess completely identical Auras. Unless..."

"You're suggesting that he is the same person?" Hikaru asked.

"Of course, we're unlikely to see Ash raise the staff during a battle of this intensity. But if all he needs to do is touch it and release the Pokémon that may be sealed inside, there shouldn't be a problem."

After talking briefly with Hikaru, Riley announced his decision.

"Yes. I want to take the staff to him and allow him to touch it."

"Whatever else happens, we should first release the Pokémon trapped inside."

"I only hope nothing terrible happens afterward..."

Hikaru waved a hand dismissively.

"There has never been only one hero. Any Aura Guardian who accomplishes something worthy can be called a hero."

Riley froze for a moment before sinking into thought.

"You wish to teach Aura to everyone... and allow everyone to become a hero?"

"Everything possesses a distinct Aura, and everyone is theoretically capable of learning. However, the necessary talent and difficulty differ between individuals."

"I do not possess your systematic method of explaining it. In the modern world, you may be the only person capable of doing so..."

"You met the Prince in Blue and the Originator of Aura. You can also use the sealing techniques of the primordial Aura."

"Come to think of it, the legendary Guardian of Aura was the same."

"Our ancestor Sir Aaron drew no distinction between humans and Pokémon. He regarded every life as equal, even sacrificing his own life for their sake."

"Spread Aura throughout the world. Restore a lost power to the modern age. Bring hearts closer together, erase anger and hatred, and put an end to grief and suffering..."

Riley murmured the words to himself.

It was already difficult enough for him to train his own Aura, much less teach it to others.

Just as he had said, despite supposedly being a high-ranking Guardian, he could not even use a proper sealing technique.

How far had the art fallen in this degenerate age?!

If the people of antiquity knew about this...

Even the Guardian of Aura and the Prince in Blue would surely close their eyes in despair!

Wait. Had they fallen asleep?!

Riley immediately decided to release the Lucario that had been sealed for a thousand years.

Of course, Hikaru had also warned him about one thing.

"Although it's a Lucario from a thousand years ago, it should still be highly capable in battle. It was a Pokémon raised during an age of war, after all."

"However, its command of Aura falls far short of Sir Aaron's."

Combat strength and Aura perception were closely related, but Aura could be developed in many different directions for countless reasons.

Riley departed.

The results of the Aura training camp gradually became apparent.

Janine, a ninja, had lost after facing a stronger, genuine Aura user. Every other participant in the camp passed through the qualifying round without exception.

"Hah! Moves that never miss are amazing!"

Candice stretched her limbs, feeling thoroughly delighted.

"Advancing through the tournament was ridiculously easy! It completely shut down the opponent's 'Dodge it!' commands!"

Her Pokémon, including Abomasnow, had only mastered the most basic application of Water Pulse.

However, by attacking repeatedly, they could keep testing the odds until their opponents became confused.

What was wrong with pulse moves?

Pulse moves were incredible!

With Medicham as her hidden trump card, defeating the martial arts experts in the first round had been effortless.

Candice swung her arms enthusiastically.

"Everyone's fired up! Maylene, Silver, and Jasmine all made it through! I suppose we avenged Janine!"

"Mr. Koga and Mr. Chuck were already powerful, so there was never any need to worry about them. They naturally won without suffering any injuries."

"Even an apprentice's ability to sense spiritual waves is incredible. Now I understand why Byron once wanted Riley to become Oreburgh City's Gym Leader."

Janine lowered her head dejectedly.

"As a ninja, I failed to confront a martial artist directly, especially one who also commanded spiritual waves."

"I exhausted my final pulse immediately after the match began, and it was weaker than my opponent's. I sincerely apologize for losing!"

Silver looked thoughtful.

"This really is a path toward becoming powerful. The difference between martial artists who can use pulse energy and those who cannot is enormous."

"I only trained for four days, plus the time I spent practicing in Union Cave. Altogether, it's barely been more than a week."

"If I continue growing stronger, neither the Elite Four nor the five Champions will be beyond my reach."

Maylene stared at him in disbelief.

"Why are there only four members of the Elite Four, but five Champions? There are more Champions than Elite Four members?"

"Is something wrong with Johto?"

She knew those Champions came from two different regions, but it still sounded incredibly strange.

Most other regions had no more than three people who could be considered Champions.

Sinnoh had only one official Champion, with a certain young woman currently regarded as the strongest contender to become the next one.

Compared with Kanto and Johto, Sinnoh suddenly sounded pathetic.

"Who's fighting now?" Green asked. "Oh! It's Korrina! Look!"

Everyone turned toward the center of the stadium.

A powerful radiance erupted, revealing the tournament's second Mega Evolution!

"It's Mega Lucario!"

Inside the arena, Mega Lucario vastly outclassed the opposing Trainer's Pokémon.

After Mega Evolution, its Ability became Adaptability. Since it did not suffer from the berserk behavior seen in the animated series, Korrina and Lucario had also made considerable progress during their four days of training.

The positive effects were stacking endlessly!

Korrina's opponent was Koichi.

Koichi was a rather tragic figure. He was the only Trainer in the entire series to possess the Karate Master Trainer class, yet whenever Fighting-type experts were ranked, he did not even qualify for a seat.

He had once served as the Gym Leader of Saffron City. However, after Sabrina defeated him in a battle for control of the Gym, Koichi lost the right to operate it.

Even after Sabrina eventually left Saffron Gym, Koichi never reclaimed his former glory.

When he departed, only one disciple remained at the Fighting Dojo.

Later, it became the designated venue for the protagonist to participate in a massive free-for-all involving all eighteen Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders.

They had practically demolished his home after he left.

By the era of Pokémon X and Y, Koichi's circumstances in Kalos had grown even worse.

According to a local Battle Girl, he could only recruit students by lying and claiming he was a dance instructor.

Trying to promote martial arts in a place as laid-back as Kalos...

Who was supposed to understand that?

Of course, Kalos several years later would instead become...

A place where battle maniacs roamed every street?

How times changed.

"Koichi is at least a rare martial arts master who has grasped Mind Reader," Hikaru explained. "But his Pokémon aren't strong enough."

"No matter how refined his techniques are, entering this tournament without a Medicham or Lucario gives him virtually no chance of victory."

As Hikaru finished explaining, Korrina decisively defeated Koichi.

There was only one way to describe it.

Effortless.

"She's deliberately imitating Green's battle strategy," Hikaru observed. "She unleashed everything she had on the first turn and raised her Aura to its peak."

"Then she defeated her opponent as quickly as possible with a relentless storm of attacks."

"Korrina's next opponent is..."

"Wait," Green said. "Doesn't the person on the other side look familiar?"

"Hm..." Maylene considered it. "Now that you mention it..."

Silver stared at the screen.

"Uh... She looks like a dark version of Korrina."

Korrina's next opponent was a martial artist from Paldea.

Surprisingly, if Korrina removed her helmet, her general appearance and hairstyle would be almost identical to those of the woman across from her!

"That's Dendra," Hikaru said. "She's the Battle Studies teacher at Naranja Academy, although she only started recently. I previously recommended her for the position."

"I never noticed it before, but Dendra and Korrina really do have the same hairstyle."

"Why would that be? Could they be related?"

Candice gave him a strange look.

"You think they might be related because of their hairstyles?"

Hikaru coughed lightly. His expression became solemn, although he was obviously joking.

"Don't you know that hairstyles in our world are like character labels assigned at birth?"

"Candice, your ancestor had the same hairstyle as you."

Candice blinked, utterly confused.

"What?! You're talking as though you've met my ancestor!"

"You're joking, right?"

"Still, if that female martial artist comes from Paldea, she must be someone Mr. Hikaru knows."

"It wouldn't reflect well on you if your region's martial artists kept losing, would it?"

This tournament's difficulty was extraordinarily high.

However, Dendra taught at an academy with an eight-hundred-year history. Although she had only recently assumed her post, someone personally recommended by a Champion was certain to be formidable.

She could reasonably be considered Gym Leader-level.

Korrina was also a Gym Leader.

"It doesn't matter," Hikaru replied. "Dendra is reasonably strong, but she truly isn't capable of placing highly in this tournament."

"When I battled her before, she said she had already prepared herself for that. Participation itself was what mattered."

"Even if she loses, she'll have the opportunity to watch many powerful Trainers fight. When she returns to teaching, she'll have plenty of experiences to discuss."

"It will also inspire her students to look forward to their futures as Pokémon Trainers."

"No matter whether she wins or loses, participating in this tournament will have a positive outcome."

Besides, plenty of well-known martial artists had already lost.

Most of them came from Unova.

Gouda, who had once won a Pokémon tournament.

Segen, who had grown empty because of his own overwhelming strength.

Enlosk, who subjected himself to training as brutal as hell.

Idar, who claimed to possess an unrivaled secret art.

Shukure, the Battle Girl who had come seeking worldwide fame...

"Champion Gouda couldn't become the Champion. Segen finally felt fulfilled after receiving a brutal beating. Enlosk's ascetic training still wasn't harsh enough."

"Idar can put away his unrivaled secret art, and if Shukure wants to become famous... she should evolve her Trainer class from Battle Girl into Fighting-type Gym Leader before trying again."

The next match would be...

Near the royal seating area where Queen Ilene watched the tournament, Riley found Ash resting and devouring food to replenish his stamina.

After a brief conversation, a bewildered Ash followed Riley to the viewing level occupied by Queen Ilene.

Riley then handed him the staff.

Ash was startled and felt that accepting it would be inappropriate.

"Mr. Riley, isn't this the Guardian's staff? I haven't won the tournament yet, so I can't accept it."

Riley coughed.

"If we're considering your chances of becoming tournament Champion, you probably won't get it at all."

"I'll be direct. The hero's Pokémon is sealed inside this staff. The staff itself is only a container and a medium for releasing Aura."

"The diamond-like object on it may be a stone similar to the Adamant Orb."

Ash stared at him blankly, so Riley patiently explained.

"In other words, it may be a legendary mineral capable of transcending time. Such minerals are said to be treasures belonging to the god of time."

"More importantly, the Lucario inside was once Sir Aaron's apprentice and disciple."

"It was also his comrade-in-arms."

"Your Aura is identical to that of the legendary Sir Aaron. I mean completely identical."

"No two people can possess the same Aura. Even descendants of the same bloodline have different Auras because every object and soul is unique."

"If two people born in different eras possess perfectly matching Auras, there is only one possible explanation..."

"Tamashii?" Ash asked. "Or mana?"

Riley froze.

"You mean the soul. So you understand."

Ash nodded.

"Yes. In Hoenn, I once met the soul of someone who had passed away. Her name was Miss Higan."

"Before coming here, I also visited the Sea Temple called Samiya."

"Ranger Jack Walker told me about mana. Mana is another word for the soul."

"The spirit within all things... Mana is an important part of what forms a soul and represents the transmission of thoughts."

"That might be what Aura really is."

"The word was also used to name a certain Pokémon... I think it's known as the Prince of the Sea."

"But are you saying my soul is the same as Sir Aaron's?"

"Or is this happening because I'm wearing the same kind of clothing?"

"When something like this involves me personally, it feels almost impossible to understand."

Riley's expression became serious.

"Ash, I heard you possess the Rainbow Wing."

"That is proof that Ho-Oh is guiding you. Only someone whose Aura radiates happiness can possess it."

"I don't fully understand the phenomenon either, but before you arrived here, Ho-Oh apparently returned to Johto."

"It returned alongside Lord Hikaru. It flew in from the sea, tracing a path of light through the sky before heading north of the Indigo Plateau."

"That direction leads directly toward Rota."

"In other words, Lord Hikaru and Ranger Jack may both have sent you here because of Ho-Oh's guidance."

"Somewhere in Rota, Sir Aaron's gloves were lost."

"Afterward, would you be willing to investigate them with me?"

"I only hope nothing unexpected happens."

The mention of Ho-Oh made Ash pause.

Then he understood.

He did not know why, but Ho-Oh had left him that feather.

The Rainbow Wing, Mount Tensei, and their battle...

"What a strange feeling."

The boy who possessed Aura raised the staff and imitated the legendary hero's pose.

The instant he completed the motion, tremendous energy erupted from the staff, shaking it violently as dazzling light roared outward!

A white figure flashed from the staff like lightning.

Responding to Ash's Aura, it emerged beneath the overwhelming radiance and was freed from a thousand-year seal!

The Lucario kept its eyes tightly closed as it frantically extended its Aura!

"Powerful Auras are everywhere! Has the war not ended? Has it grown even more violent?"

"Why, Sir Aaron?! Why did you abandon the castle and betray our country?!"

"That's telepathy!" Ash exclaimed.

"But..."

Normally, this was the moment when he should have responded with, "What did you say?" and entered his usual state of selective deafness.

However, Riley had already explained everything.

Even Ash could not forget that quickly and pretend he did not understand.

"'From this day forward, this castle will be where you and I live together'..."

Ash scratched his cheek.

"Uh, that's what I'd like to say, but unfortunately, I'm not Sir Aaron."

"This isn't Cameran Palace either. We're in the Johto region, and a thousand years have passed."

"Try opening your eyes and taking a look... Can you not see?"

Ash handed Lucario a handkerchief.

Lucario's eyes were closed because sand and dust had entered them during the war a thousand years ago.

Since Lucario had crossed through time while sealed, it remained in exactly the same condition as when it was imprisoned.

Fortunately, this was not a serious problem.

"That's right," Riley said. "To you, these events and memories must feel as though they happened yesterday."

"But for the rest of us, an incredibly long time has passed."

That was especially true for Cameran Palace.

The room where Sir Aaron and Lucario once lived had become an exhibition hall.

In simpler terms, Lucario had gone to sleep and awakened to discover that its home had suddenly become a ticketed tourist attraction.

Fortunately, they were not currently in the northern kingdom, so Lucario did not have to immediately endure the jarring agony of witnessing a thousand years of historical change.

Lucario slowly opened its eyes.

The first person it saw was Ash, dressed exactly like Sir Aaron.

Lucario froze.

Then it saw Riley standing beside him, wearing blue clothing and possessing the same face as Sir Aaron.

Lucario froze again!

The hero had split into two people!

How could such a thing happen?!

"Sir Aaron... Which one of you is real?!"

Panic seized Lucario.

It instinctively retreated two steps, then suddenly leaped onto the railing!

Below, it saw the tournament battlefield.

It also sensed that there was more than one Lucario nearby.

Wait.

Lucario had followed Sir Aaron from a distant land to Rota.

But now...

What was happening?

There were as many Lucario here as stray dogs on the street!

It crouched on the upper-level wall.

Then, as the next match began, it saw the Lucario entering the battlefield below.

The tremendous Aura and life energy radiating from that Lucario made every strand of fur across its body stand upright.

An intense, primal fear overcame it, as though it had encountered a natural predator!

"That Pokémon is also a Lucario... What is it?!"

"That power... That Aura...!"

An outsider would have noticed nothing.

Only a true expert could understand what stood before them.

"Its power is hidden within its heart like a volcano that could erupt at any moment."

"Once that power moves, it will be like the sky collapsing. It could raise a world-shaking tidal wave that nothing can stop!"

Lucario stared at the battlefield.

It had only just been released from its seal, yet it was already witnessing another member of its species at this level.

This was truly a festival of kings!

"What happened to this world?"

Hikaru returned to the battlefield.

His opponent was Karen of the Johto Elite Four!

"Sage Champion, I have long heard of your reputation."

By now, every Elite Four member across the regions knew Hikaru's name.

Karen understood that a battle against a Champion-level Trainer began the moment the first Pokémon appeared. No one who reached that level was a simple opponent.

Even if she knew she was unlikely to win, she would continue fighting.

Battling a stronger opponent was one of the most important ways to grow.

"If Fighting-type Pokémon represent the essence of hardness, then Dark-type Pokémon, which specialize in disrupting their opponents with status moves, can be considered another manifestation of softness."

"Please be extremely careful."

"A battle from which you cannot escape. Moves you can no longer use. A desperate cry as Struggle becomes your only option..."

"My specialty is a revolving war of attrition."

"This may sound like boasting, but under ordinary circumstances, three moves are enough to determine the direction of the entire battle!"

"Status moves aren't exclusive to Dark-type Pokémon," Hikaru replied. "Most of them should actually be considered Normal-type moves."

"If anything, simplicity is the strongest force of all."

"A Pokémon's types, moves, and Abilities can produce countless different battle styles."

"'Do not become fixated upon a single type.' Those were your own words, weren't they?"

"Yet now you're placing such excessive emphasis on Dark-type Pokémon."

"Are you speaking this way because you desperately want to use the Dark type to defeat Fighting?"

Karen's gaze sharpened slightly.

As an Elite Four member, Karen had spoken many memorable words over the years.

Hearing one of her past statements repeated by her opponent filled her with a certain delight.

No matter what happened, her name would be preserved forever in the history of Pokémon battling.

Now, she felt certain of it.

"I've heard that you have quoted my words many times. That is a tremendous honor."

"However, this time, I intend to prove exactly what I just said."

"Dark-type Pokémon can defeat more than Fighting types."

"They can even defeat steel forged and tempered a thousand times!"

Of course, Steel stopped resisting Dark after Generation V. Still, saying this during the Generation IV era carried considerable significance.

According to information from Pokémon Masters EX, Karen had once faced a Trainer who completely ignored type matchups and challenged her twice despite the disadvantage.

That Trainer defeated her during their second battle.

The Pokémon he used had been his very first partner.

Karen experienced an epiphany on the spot and realized that type matchups were not truly important.

She also concluded that the Trainer might be stubborn, willful, and poor at communication, but possessed the potential to accomplish something extraordinary.

Very few people could climb the rankings with a team of beloved favorites, sweep all six opposing Pokémon, and send the Elite Four flying.

There was little need to guess the Trainer's identity.

It had to be either Ethan or Lyra!

"Then I'll face you with Lucario, the Pokémon of steel."

Karen drew a deep breath when the Aura Pokémon entered the battlefield.

Then she sent out her first Pokémon!

"It becomes active during the middle of the night, when moonlight spills across the earth."

"Its enormous eyes can accurately track its prey even in complete darkness."

"Umbreon!"

Umbreon possessed an impressive base HP of 95, Defense of 110, and Special Defense of 130.

Karen's Umbreon could also use Curse. Even if an attack was twice as effective against it, there was little cause for concern.

Among the Eevee family, Umbreon was the only truly formidable Pokémon built to survive anything.

As for Sylveon...

Sylveon was powerful on offense, while Umbreon was built to take punishment.

Besides, as increasingly powerful Fairy-type Pokémon appeared, the contrast between Sylveon's exceptional Special Defense and pitiful physical Defense became increasingly obvious.

"Feint Attack!"

Umbreon approached its opponent silently, then attacked the instant the target lowered its guard.

The move never missed!

Karen issued her command before Hikaru could speak.

"Will it merely be not very effective... or will it be almost completely ineffective?"

Would a fourfold resistance to Dark appear?

Researchers had once discovered that certain Steel-type Pokémon resisted Dark-type attacks.

Could that resistance have emerged because they had learned to manipulate some form of pulse energy?

This was only Karen's personal theory, and countless variables could influence the actual result.

Umbreon sprinted forward with graceful speed.

Riding upon a dark wind, it prepared to tear through the steel before it.

Its claws slashed through the air!

But in the next instant, the Guardian of Aura shifted like a fading afterimage.

Time and space seemed to pause around it.

The fist of afterimages.

Read the spiritual waves and use claws and blades to evade a close-range attack.

Aura.

Foresight.

Perception...

Bladecraft!

"Bullet Punch."

Dozens of afterimages appeared to attack simultaneously.

Aura wrapped around Lucario's body and transformed into pure impact force.

It struck with fists as fast and unyielding as bullets.

Bullet Punch was guaranteed to act first!

Silver fists resembling glittering diamond dust became a rain of light.

With the same-type attack bonus, Bullet Punch's effective power reached 60!

Karen lowered her gaze.

"Even with fists of steel, that move isn't powerful enough to defeat my Pokémon in one strike."

"My Umbreon is exceptionally resilient!"

"However, is that Lucario's incredible power caused by its Ability?"

"Why don't you lend it to me?"

"Skill Swap!"

"Unexpectedly, Umbreon can only learn Skill Swap in Paldea because of the region's unique environment," Hikaru said. "Espeon, on the other hand, can learn it without difficulty."

"This is the result of my training at the Battle Frontier," Karen replied. "I forced Umbreon to master a skill that should have been exceptionally difficult for it."

"So visiting a region with a distinctive environment can reduce the difficulty of certain training methods?"

"That is useful information."

"Now, we shall transform the opponent's Ability into our own."

"When I want to exploit a status condition, I use Umbreon's original Ability, Synchronize."

"When I have no need for status conditions, I steal the opponent's Ability instead."

"Does that not perfectly represent the nature of a Dark-type Pokémon?"

"Dirty, wicked, and underhanded moves are only described that way from a human perspective."

"In truth, the Dark type is a symbol of the strong!"

"Ominousness and darkness are merely forms of light concealed beneath human fear!"

"Now the Ability that allows you to evade attacks belongs to us."

Umbreon's pupils contracted.

Among the Eevee family, Umbreon looked the most aggressive, yet it was actually a defensive wall.

Now it bared its teeth in a vicious grin. It no longer resembled a small animal and radiated an aura filled with malice.

Oh, what a fascinating new Ability...

Bladecraft!

With this Ability, Umbreon could freely evade the opponent's attacks.

And to ensure the opponent could not escape...

"Mean Look!"

Umbreon fixed Lucario with a dark, captivating stare, preventing it from fleeing the battlefield!

"Admit it," Karen declared. "The battle is now in my favor!"

One move.

Two moves.

Three moves.

She had completed all three!

The law of victory had been established.

Even Champion-level Trainers could not sweep six opponents unless they were monsters like Red or Leaf.

In a tournament with rules this restrictive, a few malicious tricks could allow even an Elite Four member to overthrow a Champion!

"Is the advantage truly yours?" Hikaru asked. "Do you know the weakness of Bladecraft?"

"As a lesser Ability, it can only evade or block close-range attacks."

"It is completely useless against a ranged attack."

"The time of opening has come."

Karen froze.

She suddenly realized something and immediately issued a command to Umbreon.

But it was already too late.

"Copycat."

Lucario used Mean Look.

Umbreon's entire body stiffened as it became unable to escape!

"The battle began before your three moves," Hikaru said.

"And now it will end in an instant."

Thump!

Lucario pointed one hand forward.

At that moment, terror surged from the tip of Umbreon's tail to the top of its head.

The blue canine before it was gathering a dangerous power that only Pokémon could perceive!

Danger.

Danger.

Danger!

The creature before it did not exist on the same level!

"Breon!"

Karen's eyes widened.

"It has started tracking Umbreon with Aura!"

"But it doesn't matter. Umbreon can still evade it!"

"Umbreon, use Dig! Descend as deeply underground as possible, somewhere even Aura cannot perceive you!"

Certain moves temporarily removed the user from the battlefield.

While outside the battlefield, a Pokémon would be unaffected by the moves of other Pokémon!

This was an even higher form of evasion.

As long as Umbreon moved quickly enough...!

Cold sweat covered Umbreon's body.

The sweat contained toxins, one of Umbreon's natural ecological traits. Against an ordinary Pokémon, it could function like contact poison that required no additional movement.

However, its opponent was a Steel-type Pokémon!

Poison had no effect.

Could Dark-type attacks also be incapable of piercing this steel, forged and tempered countless times?

The opponent's presence continued rising as though it would shatter the sky itself.

How could a Pokémon like this exist?!

"I have prepared a perfect countermeasure for evading Aura!" Karen declared.

"It isn't only Aura," Hikaru replied. "This is a more powerful technique."

"Aura can freely control the vibrations of energy until an attack becomes impossible to dodge."

"However, even the Aura techniques of antiquity could fail to hit certain targets."

"A Pokémon marked by Lock-On can be struck even after leaving the battlefield."

"So what did Lucario's earlier movement represent?"

Hikaru watched Umbreon vanish underground.

"This time, it was an application of Mind Reader!"

Use the heart to perceive the opponent's movements.

The next attack would strike without fail!

Then...

Lucario raised its entire presence and released its tremendous strength.

The power of its Aura also increased.

After several days of teaching and Aura training, Lucario had restored Aura Sphere's power from 80 to its earlier value of 90.

There was no doubt that Lucario had achieved this improvement after returning from Almia.

It had fought continuously, wrapped its body in life aura, and been further affected by an even more powerful spiritual force!

It had reclaimed the ten points of power that had once been taken away.

With Adaptability doubling the same-type bonus, that created the difference between effective powers of 160 and 180.

If Strong Style were added as well...

Even without using Adaptability...

"The power of Aura is in my heart!" Lucario declared.

"Mind Reader, Strong Style, Aura Sweep!"

Power adjustment:

80 to 90 to 110.

A guaranteed-hit move with 110 power.

Against any Pokémon with a twofold weakness to Fighting, the type advantage alone raised its effective power to the same level as a standard Adaptability boost.

The final result was...

220!

Even if an ordinary Aura lock could be avoided with a move that removed the user from the battlefield...

How could anyone defend against Aura combined with Mind Reader after both had been trained to their absolute pinnacle?

Just like No Guard or Lock-On, it would strike even if the opponent attempted to evade with Fly, Dive, or Dig!

There was nowhere to hide.

In heaven or beneath the earth...

There was no escape!

Blue light tore through the tournament grounds.

Lucario launched three enormous Aura Spheres forward, ripping across the distance between sky and earth!

The ground shook uncontrollably beneath their power.

It cracked and collapsed like a fragile eggshell, as though struck by Earthquake or Earth Power.

Countless stones became a torrential rain that poured upward into the sky!

Shock waves swept across the battlefield.

Dust and violent air currents formed a chaotic vortex overhead.

The battling Pokémon advanced bravely across the shattered, dust-filled ground as the world itself descended into chaos!

"This is the gift that shatters heaven and earth."

The cheering abruptly ceased.

The fierce battle had only just begun, yet after three moves, it had already reached its conclusion!

The black Eeveelution was defeated in a single attack.

Before absolute power, every status move and technique of softness became meaningless.

Or perhaps...

Umbreon's level simply was not high enough!

The difference in strength was now undeniable.

Every competitor was shaken.

Several martial arts masters abruptly rose from their seats, their expressions changing violently as they found themselves unable to remain still.

The power.

The accuracy.

And even the number of projectiles!

Had Hikaru deliberately demonstrated this technique for everyone to see?!

"A peerless battle technique that completely avoids the opponent's attacks, paired with a move that absolutely cannot be avoided!" Bruno exclaimed. "How can that be possible?!"

Mustard's eyes widened.

"My, my. Hikaru has become even stronger since the last time I saw him."

"That tremendous energy is simply overwhelming. It could destroy anything hard!"

"Whether it's steel or earth, that attack would smash it to pieces."

"A battle should be fought openly and honorably," Lance said. "However, that power is truly unbelievable."

"Even among Champion Trainers, the Manager may have already..."

"An even stronger, higher, and more astonishing realm..." Bea murmured. "He's more powerful than he was in the Crown Tundra!"

Marshal laughed.

"Our region's Champion... He has already surpassed the level at which the Elite Four can challenge him."

"When I remember the time I invited him..."

"Across every region, people capable of improving at impossible speed and surpassing Champion level within months have begun to emerge."

"This must be a sign that a new era is approaching."

"How can anyone defend against it?" Glenn wondered. "How is someone supposed to battle Aura like that?"

"Perhaps the legendary Guardian of Aura from a thousand years ago was only this powerful."

"Could my Synergy Burst contend with it?"

"No," Riley said.

"That battle technique comes from three thousand years ago."

"It is the primordial wave."

Korrina stared in awe.

"Silent as the sky and fierce as lightning... No."

"This is something that surpasses the sky and crosses beyond lightning!"

"Deeper than the sky."

"More violent than lightning."

Life aura covered Lucario's body.

To those capable of perceiving Aura, the immense power visible beneath their gaze was almost impossible to describe.

It had genuinely opened an entirely new world.

Ash had never formally trained his Aura. He possessed only the smallest manifestation of his natural talent.

Yet in Lucario's perception, his life energy resembled a roaring pillar of fire.

The towering blaze pierced the heavens as though it would ignite every soul nearby.

Those who had truly trained their Aura were even more terrifying!

"When you cannot see Aura, you feel nothing."

"But once you learn to see it... it's like..."

Korrina then repeated her favorite words, the same words she spoke to the player in Pokémon X and Y.

"Looking down at the sky from somewhere high above makes me feel completely refreshed..."

"At times like this, I feel as though my Pokémon and I can accomplish anything!"

Someone began applauding, as though determined to reignite the stadium's excitement.

Green stared silently for a while.

Then the smile on her face grew increasingly radiant.

"Even if he's become that strong, I still have to fight until the end!"

"It reminds me of my battles against Red and Leaf... and how completely they defeated me."

"But the person I am now will definitely give everyone an incredible battle."

"The Manager told me that whether I win or lose, my dream can still come true."

"That allows me to fight without holding anything back."

"If I preserve that pure desire to battle, a certain Pokémon will come to help me."

"I'm sure it's watching right now..."

Then...

Applause and cheering surged like mountains and seas!

Karen drew a deep breath.

At that moment, the pressure on her shoulders seemed to disappear completely.

Every strategy she had considered and every scenario she had imagined vanished without a trace.

In a gesture unusually elegant for the Dark-type member of the Elite Four, she bowed gracefully to Hikaru.

"So overthrowing someone above my station was never realistic after all?"

"Thank you very much for the lesson."

"I concede."

Hikaru returned her bow.

At the same time, he and Lucario spread their arms wide.

Perhaps occasionally imitating Leon's stadium performances was not such a bad idea.

Then Hikaru sensed an immensely powerful gaze directed at him from somewhere in the distance.

It was Mewtwo!

"As I said before..."

Hikaru spoke to Karen, the Aura apprentices, the audience, and the four-hundred-year-old Mewtwo watching from afar.

"The time of opening has come!"

"The Aura is with us!"

"Now..."

"Offer thunderous applause for the battles of heroes!"

(End of Chapter)

[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]

[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]

[Thanks for Reading!]