I have to battle Brock?
That immediately gave Caleb pause.
If Brock sent out any of his usual Pokémon, it wouldn't be a problem.
But no—it had to be Toxicroak.
Who was Toxicroak, exactly?
Only a god, that's who.
Ranked alongside Ash's Pikachu, Misty's Psyduck, and Team Rocket's Wobbuffet, Toxicroak was one of the four legendary "Main Cast Deities."
At that moment, as if summoned by the thought, Toxicroak emerged from Brock's Poké Ball, casting a deep, unblinking stare straight at Caleb.
Caleb's gaze drifted down to Toxicroak's small, but alarmingly powerful hands.
A chill ran down his spine. He even felt his butt clench reflexively.
See, Caleb knew the lore.
This Toxicroak had a habit of sneaking off during Gym battles to secretly train its Iron Palm technique.
And every time it used those burning, rock-hard hands to jab Brock into submission on TV...
Caleb would wince in sympathy.
Just thinking about Toxicroak made him nervous.
After parting ways with Brock and his terrifying frog, Caleb started planning his strategy.
You couldn't treat Pikachu, Psyduck, Wobbuffet, or Toxicroak like normal Pokémon.
They could defeat Arceus one minute and get destroyed by a Level 5 Snivy the next.
Their power was wildly unstable.
Rule #1: don't give the protagonist squad any chance to power up.
Actually, don't give them a single moment to build momentum.
They'll friendship-power their way into immortality if you're not careful.
No speeches, no pauses, no mercy.
Strike fast. Strike hard.
The best tactic was to land a clean one-shot KO.
Even if they miraculously survived with "the power of bonds," you'd at least keep the pressure on.
And to do that... there was only one choice.
"Gaaa~?"
Yes, that's right. It had to be you.
"No, I meant Riolu!" Caleb corrected.
...But where was Riolu, anyway? He said he was off training. Who knew what weird corner of the city he'd wandered into?
Afternoon.
Korrina vs. Maylene.
"Let's go, Lucario!" Korrina shouted as she launched her Poké Ball, her blonde ponytail whipping through the air.
On the opposite side of the field, Maylene responded in kind.
"Go, Lucario!"
Two Lucarios, facing off.
Now that's rare.
In the audience, a buff old man with a prominent mole turned to his companion. "That roller-skating girl your granddaughter?"
"Sure is," the elderly man beside him chuckled. "Thanks for the compliment, Bruno."
This wasn't just any grandpa—it was Korrina's grandfather, Gurkinn.
And sitting beside him was none other than Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite Four member of Kanto, here incognito.
"From what I can see, both Lucarios are evenly matched. This'll come down to the trainers' commands," Bruno mused.
"And the bond between Pokémon and Trainer," Gurkinn added with a knowing smile.
Suddenly, he stiffened.
"Hmm?"
"What is it?" Bruno asked.
"…Probably nothing," Gurkinn said after a moment. "Just thought I felt a strong burst of Aura."
Far above, in the stands—
Riolu sat quietly, meditating as he observed the match between the two evolved versions of himself.
He studied their every move.
They weren't bad. A bit sloppy here and there. But they had potential.
"Lucario, use Meteor Mash!"
"Lucario, Counter!"
"Lucario, Swords Dance!"
"Lucario, Substitute!"
The two girls commanded back and forth, both pushing hard for the win.
Maylene, for her part, had thrown all sentiment out the window. She wanted this victory.
"Lucario, Double Team! Then keep your distance and spam Aura Sphere!"
Aura Sphere: an unavoidable special move formed from inner Aura energy.
Korrina: Wait, WHAT?
You're using special attacks in a Fighting-type tournament?! AND kiting me from range?!
If you were this desperate to win, you could've at least warned me first!
With a barrage of unrelenting Aura Spheres, Maylene's Lucario finally overwhelmed Korrina's and knocked it out cold.
"Lucario is unable to battle! Maylene wins!"
The whistle blew.
Korrina's face fell.
Maylene... you still want to be friends after this, right...?
"Didn't expect that kind of dirty tactic in a Fighting tournament," Gurkinn grumbled.
Bruno looked confused. "What's the problem?"
Easy for you to say, Gurkinn thought.
This man's Machamp once hit the ground so hard it cracked the battlefield.
You don't get to talk about "normal" strategies.
Just then—
Riolu, still seated in the stands, opened his eyes.
His Aura exploded outward.
"AURAAHH!"
I've reached enlightenment!
Time seemed to stop.
Shadow clones of Riolu appeared all around him, each one lifelike and animated, almost as if they had minds of their own.
But just as quickly as they'd appeared, they snapped back into the original body like sparks flying into a flame.
Riolu opened his eyes. Twin blue gems of pure clarity.
He raised his paws and began to rub them together.
A glowing orb of radiant energy formed between them—
Aura Sphere.
"Aura Sphere?!" Gurkinn gasped.
He'd seen countless Lucario in his time.
But a Riolu mastering Aura Sphere?
That was unheard of.
Not just that—the sheer density of this Aura… It was almost physical.
Could it be?
Was this the legendary Aura Guardian people had been whispering about in Sinnoh lately?
Before Gurkinn could say more, Caleb appeared at the edge of the stands.
"There you are! We're up next."
"Auraah?"
Wait, wasn't it supposed to be Chansey going in?
"Plans changed. Let's go."
Caleb returned Riolu to his Poké Ball and turned to leave.
Gurkinn, still staring, slowly came to a conclusion.
"That boy… Caleb… He's the Aura Guardian."