Aura Guardian, huh...
Gurkinn watched the fading figure in the distance, a wave of emotion stirring in his heart.
Back when he was young, he too had dreamed of becoming a famed Aura Guardian alongside Lucario.
But dreams are just that — dreams. As the years passed, those grand ambitions faded into mist, leaving only a bittersweet, nostalgic memory.
Now, the real thing stood before him, glowing with an unmatched radiance.
Gurkinn stared at the young man, eyes filled with admiration for his valor — and an unspoken trace of regret.
"But if he really is an Aura Guardian… then he should be able to handle this," Gurkinn muttered as he looked at the rainbow-glowing stone in his hand.
On the battlefield.
Brock and Caleb were ready.
As the referee's flag fell, both trainers threw out their Poké Balls.
"Go, Croagunk!"
"Riolu," Caleb said calmly. "Close Combat!"
Brock: ???
Already?!
Two flashes of light burst from the Poké Balls.
Croagunk had barely opened its eyes when it was met with a flurry of fists from the charging Riolu.
One second out of the ball, two seconds charging the move, and by the third second, the attack landed — except Riolu had already been building power inside the ball, compressing Close Combat's charge time to just one second. Total time: four seconds.
Okay, not quite Pikachu's three-second Thunderbolt from Red, but still impressive.
A barrage of punches like a raging storm crashed toward Croagunk. The seasoned spectators already covered their eyes.
Another poor Pokémon sacrificed to Caleb's tactics...
But as Riolu closed in, Croagunk's body blurred — a shadow slipped out from behind it.
Shed Skin?
No — Substitute.
More accurately: Danger Sense.
Croagunk had foreseen the attack while still inside the Poké Ball and used Substitute to block Riolu's Close Combat.
Riolu's eyes widened in alarm. Its attack had been anticipated?!
That meant… its opponent's strength was above its own…
DANGER.
Cold sweat beaded on Riolu's forehead. A giant red kanji for "danger" practically appeared over its head.
Its brows furrowed, and it began retreating rapidly, creating a trail of Double Team clones as it moved.
Dozens of afterimages danced around the battlefield.
Riolu backed all the way to the edge of the arena and finally stopped.
It formed a perfect Substitute and positioned it behind the line of illusions — even if the clones disappeared, the substitute would remain for protection.
Only after that did Riolu relax a bit, regulate its breathing, and begin carefully stacking buffs.
Meanwhile, Brock: "..."
Wait. That's… a lot of moves in one turn. Is that Riolu even legal?
He took a deep breath. "Croagunk, Bulk Up!"
If the enemy doesn't move, neither will we.
That was Brock's chosen strategy.
...
"Caleb's Riolu is just as cautious as ever," Maylene said, watching from the stands.
"But isn't this… a bit too cautious?" Korrina muttered.
"What kind of sick person treats a Riolu like this?!"
Some spectators couldn't take it anymore and shouted from the crowd: "Is this still a fighting match?! Don't taint the sacred battleground, you monster!"
So far, aside from that single opening Close Combat, both Pokémon had just been stacking buffs.
They'd come to see punches flying, not two Pokémon just staring each other down.
The shouter was a tough guy in a karate gi with a red belt — clearly a newbie.
All the black belts around him said nothing. What gave him the right to speak?
Clearly, his mental discipline wasn't there yet.
He should've followed the example of the guy next to him — Box.
Box had moved forward in the tournament due to another contestant falling ill and was now spectating Caleb's match.
Box had once been thoroughly crushed by Caleb. He'd been angry, resentful, cursed Caleb's entire lineage like many before him...
But eventually, he came to terms with it. A true martial artist couldn't be that petty!
Box reminded himself of that every day.
He even started visiting Solaceon Gym every morning to watch challengers walk out with dead eyes, dragging their feet like the walking dead.
And watching them filled him with an indescribable pleasure.
More satisfying than foot soaks with Grandpa.
Pain doesn't disappear. It just transfers.
And so, inspired, Box convinced his grandpa to open a store.
A support center for those who'd failed Caleb's gym challenge.
Surprisingly, it flourished. Every day, waves of dejected trainers came seeking comfort.
They shared their failures, their strategies, their sorrows.
Box stood quietly by, listening. Watching them arrive with hope, lose to Caleb, fall into despair... rekindle their hope... and fall again…
The cycle never ended. But each loop only deepened the satisfaction in Box's heart.
Twisted? Maybe. But compared to his grandpa, Box had made peace with his own quirks.
Everyone had their little secrets, right?
Back on the field.
Croagunk had fully stacked six layers of Bulk Up.
Riolu?
Swords Dance +3
Nasty Plot +3
Agility +3
Double Team +6
Bulk Up +6
Riolu: Seal removed.
In an instant, Riolu vanished from sight.
Caleb smirked. "Aura Sphere."
Floating mid-air via Electromagnetic Levitation, Riolu slowly closed its eyes.
A vast aura surged from within its body.
Riolu let out a low cry, lifting its hand — a brilliant blue sphere formed instantly in its palm.
And as Riolu continuously funneled more aura into the orb, it began to expand… rapidly… and ominously.