"No matter what, there's no way that attack could be blocked. Lucario is doubly weak to Fighting, yet it countered my Counter with another Counter, creating a Fourfold Counter... I've never even considered fighting like that before."
The violent chain of impacts tore open the already devastated arena yet again. Cracks and fissures covered the ground. Bruno's Lucario endured the devastating retaliation, its body of iron and steel nearly battered apart.
Those six tiny soldiers before it possessed tremendous strength despite their diminutive bodies.
They soared toward the summit, advancing on the strongest king of Fighting types...
[Lucario toughed it out so Bruno wouldn't feel sad!]
Hikaru stared. "...It endured the attack. This sometimes happens when the bond between a Pokémon and its Trainer is exceptionally strong. In other words... it's an ultimate secret technique."
"When humans and Pokémon are connected heart to heart, they can understand how their Pokémon feel. They know why they're angry and what kind of pain they're enduring..."
Bruno's eyes widened. His breathless concentration gave way to deep, measured breaths.
He raised one finger as though forming some kind of secret hand seal. It was the hand sign of an ultimate secret technique.
"Open your heart to your surroundings without putting up any defenses. Place yourself in the harshest environment and use your bodies to converse with each other."
"The bond we forged back then remains deep and unbreakable."
"It's true that I once told people no such ultimate secret technique existed. But the truth is... what doesn't exist is the sort of secret manual people imagine, one that can turn someone into a master overnight."
"Even if you want to improve by leaps and bounds, you must first build a solid foundation. Through years of accumulated training, what we gained was not merely strength. We also forged an unbreakable friendship and an iron will."
"If you're a Steel-type specialist, then you should understand. A fighter's will can pierce iron armor. We trained together and rested together. Because we shared both hardship and happiness, we came to understand each other's hearts. Even when suffering a fatal wound, we endure!"
"I've already seen the power of your Fourfold Counter. Twenty-four consecutive strikes... I never imagined such small Pokémon could possess that kind of strength!"
"I have no intention of switching Pokémon. We'll continue fighting like this. The next attack will decide everything."
[There are masters in this world stronger than me.]
[And one of them is standing right before me!]
Bruno's memories gradually faded as his mind returned to the present. He thrust out his hand.
"Hraaaaaah!"
"Focus Energy! Take your stance... Close Combat!"
As expected, an all-out offensive was the style that suited him best. Once Counter could no longer catch the opponent by surprise, and a round of defense proved useless, his only option was to risk everything!
A 120-power same-type attack that abandoned every shred of defense and launched a reckless assault against the enemy!
Fighting one against six appeared hopeless. But if those six individuals together could only exert the strength of a single Pokémon...
Lucario's eyes lit up.
It was neither Mind Reader nor Detect. It was something cultivated through countless years of training.
A physical reflex!
"Fa... Falinks!"
The Falinks pressed tightly around their brass, raised their shields, and formed a Spartan phalanx. Yet the great hound's assault was too fast to answer. It had not used Extreme Speed. This was merely Close Combat, continuously sacrificing its own defenses, but Lucario's attack now carried the resolve of one willing to throw away its very life!
The Falinks' swinging shields could not touch it. The great hound's iron fist slipped directly through a gap between them and scattered the entire formation with a thunderous impact!
"Remain spread out. Now, rotate."
Hikaru calmly issued his orders.
"Encirclement Formation, Beat Up!"
The Falinks began revolving like a whirlpool. Their spinning ring of shields intercepted the great hound's attacks!
Bruno stared. "What kind of fighting method is that?!"
Hikaru pulled on his glove. The Key Stone began to shine.
"That's right."
"Falinks is a Pokémon that cannot evolve any further. It is also one of the rarer species, with six separate individuals forming a single unit that is treated as one Pokémon."
"The six soldiers share one heart and one body. The brass's orders are absolute. They train together, rest together, share hardship and happiness together, and understand sorrow and pain together."
"Beat Up allows every member of one's party to attack. The more Pokémon traveling alongside the user, the more times the move strikes. Every party Pokémon that has neither fainted nor been afflicted by a status condition joins the attack...!"
"Although Falinks is regarded as one Pokémon composed of six bodies, every body possesses an individual will. Because of that, a single Pokémon can continuously answer an enemy's storm of attacks. Of course, I'm not saying it can simply attack six times at once... The reason it can strike so many times is the influence of its battle systems."
Agile Style and Warlord's Power could not be ignored. They were normally difficult to notice, but both systems genuinely influenced battle. As for the remaining number of strikes, that depended on Falinks' own level of training.
"...And in its current condition, without accounting for the influence of the local environment, it has already reached its normal final form. So what does the ultimate form represent...?"
"That's right. It means taking a complete, fully realized Pokémon and pushing it one step further, breaking through its limits to reach the ultimate realm!"
"To express my respect for you, even though this will be our final attack... a hero's farewell deserves nothing less than this grandeur!"
"A Falinks nursery rhyme passed down in a certain region."
[Falinks go marching six by six.]
[Hurrah, hurrah!]
[And they all go marching down to the ground!]
[The little ones stop to shout, "THE END!"]
The Falinks marched forward, six by six.
Hurrah, hurrah!
They all advanced with their feet planted firmly upon the earth!
The little soldiers stopped and cried out at the top of their lungs:
"This is the end!"
"No Retreat!"
"Use No Retreat!"
All of its stats rose by one stage!
"Ultimate Formation, Mega Evolution!"
Intense rainbow light erupted around them. The six Falinks began their six-part combination. Falinks always acted as one and obeyed every command, ensuring that not a single soldier fell behind!
Before Lucario and Bruno's astonished eyes, they completed their colossal war-god assembly!
Hikaru raised his hand. "We'll use the same move... Close Combat!"
The gigantic combined god of war swung its enormous spear toward the Aura Pokémon!
My shield can stop the strongest attack in the world.
My spear can pierce every defense!
Now, this battle will be decided in a single move!
"It's in excellent condition. And that makes yet another Mega Evolution. What an eye-opening experience... Just how many Mega-Evolved Pokémon are there? That Aura training camp was even more impressive than the training we conducted on the Isle of Armor!"
"Then again, Hikaru didn't use any Mega Stones back then. Aside from Lucario's stone, this Falinks evolution... must come from a new stone he obtained after visiting Almia."
Mustard stood with his hands behind his back, watching the arena while speaking with Bea and Marshal in the spectator area.
"Defeating Bruno of the Johto Elite Four was only natural. That great brute may no longer qualify as human when it comes to personal combat ability, but this competition doesn't have Trainers personally entering the ring... Hmm, although now that I think about it, even if the two of them fought in person, Hikaru still wouldn't lose!"
"After all, that fellow is a swordsman from a foreign land!"
Marshal nodded solemnly. "But the people of Ferrum are as valiant as ever. It's a land where Gaia gathers, and Hikaru's next opponent will be Glenn! That man's strength is terrifying!"
Mustard considered this.
"I was just thinking about that. I really have grown old... My strength has declined terribly. After seeing what Glenn can do, I actually feel I would have no chance of defeating him. Heh. Judging purely by skill as a martial artist, he's far stronger than any of you."
"I've also heard about the strength of the Ferrum region," Bea said. "This world championship is essentially a promotional event for Ferrum, after all. Come to think of it, Master Mustard, aside from being Urshifu's Ability, was your Unseen Fist also influenced by Ferrum's counter piercing?"
"Mega Evolution may be an ancient system passed down for a thousand years, but very few people can use it proficiently. That is precisely why it has never developed into a large-scale battle system like Dynamax. Its advantage, however, is that it isn't restricted to specific Power Spots."
As Bea spoke, a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.
"Perhaps after this tournament ends, Kalos's Mega Evolution will also develop a systematic method of battle training. And the most vital part of that method will be Aura!"
"If Mega Evolution and Dynamax could both be used inside a Dynamax arena, it would undoubtedly draw even louder cheers and a stronger response from the audience!"
Bea looked regretful.
"If I'd arrived sooner instead of being delayed by all those advertisements and sponsors, I should have been the first one here."
Mustard gave her a mysterious smile.
"Oh? Young Bea has ideas of her own now. But you're right. This tournament might become an event that systematically cultivates Mega Evolution users... In fact, that may be the very outcome it was designed to produce."
"Aura is with me... Not bad! Wherever they go, the Sage will always guide the way, like a hidden character appearing during an RPG's second playthrough! Hmm, no. By now, he ought to count as a character from one of many successive playthroughs!"
There was nothing strange about Mustard saying such a thing. He genuinely owned a Nintendo Switch and often played video games. If one of his dojo students stood in front of the television while he was playing, he would immediately shoo them away.
"Strength takes many forms in this world... Distant lands possess even more methods of battle, including the techniques recorded in those scrolls and Ferrum's martial arts. Compared with ordinary Trainer battles, those fighting techniques are even more astonishing."
"Glenn's opponent was Brycen... Hmm. Brycen is a martial artist from Unova, and his martial arts are exceptionally powerful! After all, the homeland he came from is... But although he's a martial artist, he doesn't train Fighting-type Pokémon. Instead, he favors the Ice type, and ice is such a fragile thing."
"Against an ordinary martial artist, his formidable technique and extraordinary ability would allow him to put up a fight. But defeat was inevitable once he encountered someone on Glenn's level."
As they conversed, the fierce matches continued with almost no pause, running from morning until night.
All sorts of rumors had already begun to circulate.
The Aura apprentices had begun crossing blades with one another.
The final match was certain to end in victory for the Sage Champion.
By now, nearly all the other Fighting-type masters had already...
Marshal abruptly looked up. "What's happening? That intense light and water... It's coming from that red-haired boy."
Bea's eyes widened. "Don't tell me that's another one...?!"
Mustard grinned. "Oh... Now this is interesting. A Mega Evolution I've never seen before! I suppose we should call it Mega Feraligatr?!"
At that moment, Silver was sinking into a flashback, as though he could hear both Feraligatr's thoughts and his own voice.
Amid the howling wind, Green's heart began pounding in time with the eruption of life energy.
Her heartbeat grew louder and louder, pulling her into memories of the distant past.
Every memory since she had begun her journey in pursuit of her dreams resonated with Aura. Her feelings and wishes were all contained within them!
Dust billowed and roars shook heaven and earth as the battle between Mega Feraligatr and Mega Blastoise began.
In her daze, Green heard a voice.
It was as though something was acknowledging her.
Where was that voice coming from?
A Poké Ball?
But when had she obtained this Ball?
[Azure memories, as vast as the open sky, shaped by the mighty Trainers of the Indigo Plateau.]
[That azure sky seemed to make anyone who looked upon it feel capable of anything.]
[Climb to the summit of this tournament. When you arrive, you will finally see... the back you have been chasing!]
["Green... Defeat those powerful opponents... When you hear my call, turn around... I'm right here!"]
It was like using a key to open the gate of evolution. Once a new wave was born, more stones would transform one after another.
New Mega Evolutions that should never have appeared before the events in Kalos were manifesting because of the tremendous surge in life energy. Even the other stones inside Hikaru's bag began reacting abnormally.
"Perhaps different waves will cause new Mega Stones to emerge one after another, almost as if they're being mass-produced. Hmm. Magearna's Soul-Heart might also be influencing them."
People began to remember.
Under the influence of Aura, memories buried in the deepest parts of their hearts rose to the surface, transcending time.
Maylene, Candice, Jasmine, Chuck, Bruno, Mustard, Silver, Green, Ash...
And beyond them...
Korrina, Riley, Glenn...
The memories of them all.
[Memories of an Evolution Warrior, shaped by the land of Kalos.]
[A girl who unleashes the power of life while pursuing the ultimate limit of Evolution.]
["Lucario and I have been together ever since it was still a Riolu."]
["We've always been together."]
["Calling it my friend doesn't go far enough. It's part of my family."]
[One day, we shall reach the homeland of life and Evolution!]
[Memories of an Aura Guardian, shaped by the stone of Sinnoh.]
[A descendant of heroes, guided to a land of countless battles by mysterious waves and emotions.]
["Perhaps I should call it a restless heart. By reading Aura, I can understand another person's heart. I once met a girl wearing a white hat. She possessed a pure white that had yet to be stained by anything, along with a powerful heart that shone brilliantly."]
["That was precisely the kind of strength I longed for, and it became the goal of my training."]
["I feel the hearts of many different people. Even as I am shaken by the countless intentions clashing against one another, I continue tempering my own character!"]
[With the Aura passed down from Hisui and a Lucario of steel, he has faced life and death countless times.]
[Memories of Glenn, Master of Fighting, shaped by Ferrum's Gaia and the power of Synergy.]
[A warrior born from a distant and indestructible land. It is said that Ferrum draws upon the power of the planet as a source of energy for both humans and Pokémon, and that its people command battle methods unknown to the rest of the world.]
["Always remember: where sincerity reaches, even metal and stone will yield."]
[A Synergy Stone appears to combine a Mega Stone with a Key Stone, possessing the qualities of both.]
[It was created by the planet itself to oppose a gemstone that came from the distant stars.]
[Thousands of years ago, that rampaging stone stole the sky from the people, blazed with light, and tore the earth apart. The planet has feared it ever since.]
Victors continued emerging one after another.
Before long, Hikaru finished his preparations, and the time arrived for his battle against Master Glenn.
The entire style of the turn-based battle abruptly changed, switching directly into the world of a fighting game.
The Pokémon Hikaru chose this time was...
Rapid Strike Style Urshifu!
"Fighting-type Pokémon tend to have poor Special Defense. Ferrum's Pokémon also possess piercing techniques, so using Protect would be largely meaningless. After years and years of constant battle, Pokémon from that region have all developed fighting techniques resembling Unseen Fist."
"At the same time, they can block an opponent's fierce assault. Using Protect twice or even three times in succession is perfectly normal for them. It is a region governed by the rules of a fighting game, after all..."
In that case, Hikaru would abandon defense and focus entirely on offense.
No matter which Pokémon he sent out, none could withstand a single Aura Blast. In the end, the fight would either become a beam struggle between two large hounds or a close-quarters fistfight where one side tried to knock out the other in a single rush.
If it truly became a Kamehameha beam struggle, Hikaru would have to check his position carefully.
Whatever happened, he could not stand on the left!
"Of course, left and right are determined from the audience's point of view..."
Master Glenn looked as though he had stepped straight out of a fighting game, his entire artistic style completely different from everyone around him.
He resembled Akuma from Street Fighter. Both had reached the pinnacle of the fist, and Akuma's master was named Goutetsu. Didn't everything line up perfectly?
Aura Blast...
Did Glenn also use the Satsui no Hado?
Or, aside from serving as Champion back home, was his other profession selling fruit?
"Haaah..."
Urshifu calmed its heart and studied the unusual Lucario opposite it. Aura continuously surged around its body, gradually tinting its blue fur red.
This was an application of Aura Hikaru had never seen before, combined with all manner of rare martial techniques. If they were used in an ordinary battle against an opponent of the same size, this Lucario would probably be invincible.
"Is that one of Master Mustard's Pokémon...? It's an Urshifu, but its stance is different from Master Mustard's!"
Glenn himself adopted an attacking stance, looking as though he might personally leap into the arena and begin fighting at any moment.
"I see. You chose Unseen Fist to break through shields! No wonder so many people consider it unbeatable. What other trump cards are you holding...? Use every ounce of your experience!"
"Still, I thought you would answer this battle with Mega Evolution. I was hoping to witness a clash of Extreme Speed."
"I've already fought a battle of Extreme Speed against another... another Pokémon," Hikaru replied. "It was a ferocious assault invisible to the naked eye. But that was only possible because both sides desired to attack and neither used specialized martial arts for defense."
That battle had felt as though they had suddenly entered the world of Dragon Ball. Yet for true martial arts masters, attack and defense were one. Reinforcing the body with Aura was no different from strengthening the flesh with ki.
Urshifu focused its mind.
The Lucario opposite it assumed its stance as well.
At that moment, the fighters seemed to stand within a desolate forest of towering stone pillars. Wind and turbulent air swept across the shattered arena.
Then...
An aura erupted like a crimson meteor.
The blue fur covering Master Glenn's Lucario began turning red under the influence of its unusual Aura. Its previously calm and tranquil presence transformed into something fiercely aggressive!
"Synergy Burst!"
Master Glenn opened with his ultimate technique!
Synergy Burst could produce the same final result as Mega Evolution, but the transformation process was different.
Mega Evolution enveloped the user in energy, transforming it within an intense beam of light. The enormous energy released during the transformation repelled other forms of energy and created an exceptionally imposing spectacle.
Synergy Burst, however, required only a single instant after the Aura roared to life!
There was no transformation stance or elaborate movement, so it appeared less spectacular. But one moment the Pokémon remained in its normal state, and the next it had suddenly assumed its Mega-Evolved form. The instantaneous eruption of power left its opponent no time to react!
Furthermore, Synergy Burst granted the same brief invincibility that occurred at the instant of Mega Evolution!
"Urshifu is known as a divine messenger," Glenn declared. "But a Dark and Fighting type is weak to Fighting attacks. In other words, it shares the same problem as Lucario! Despite being a mighty Fighting-type Pokémon, it fears Fighting-type moves!"
The crimson hound began circling Urshifu. Every step kicked up a violent cloud of dust, gradually forming a Smokescreen!
"Bulldoze!"
Ferrum's Lucario normally possessed only four Fighting-related moves: Aura Sphere, Bone Rush, Force Palm, and Extreme Speed.
But that was merely a limitation imposed by its role as a fighting-game character.
In Pokkén Tournament, it could hardly steal another fighter's ultimate move and use it as its own.
By comparison, Machamp possessed as many as eight minor attacks and combo techniques, while Gardevoir could unleash ten moves in quick succession.
Including its ultimate attack, that made eleven moves. In a turn-based battle, calling that illegal would be an understatement.
Within the swirling dust, it was as though Lucario had manually activated Smokescreen and lowered Urshifu's accuracy.
Crimson Lucario darted through the storm. Using Extreme Speed, it closed the distance to Urshifu in an instant.
Now!
Master Glenn thrust out his fist.
"Adaptability, Close Combat!"
A storm of relentless punches erupted.
A continuous offensive of Fighting-type close combat empowered by double same-type effectiveness. Once it landed...
Guard breaks.
Chip damage.
Combos.
Counter piercing!
"It pierces the opponent's counter state and inflicts damage!" Glenn declared. "In other words, it breaks through Protect!"
"A Dark-type Urshifu surely cannot withstand this attack...!"
"No," Hikaru answered. "The stance of my Urshifu is clearly not Dark. In fact, this is Rapid Strike Style. In other words... it's a Water type!"
Glenn froze at that answer.
"But its appearance didn't change."
"That's right. You can't determine Urshifu's type from appearance alone... That's what makes this species so fascinating. And besides... it didn't block your attack just now. It used its fists to meet it head-on!"
Urshifu sniffed the air.
Within a storm of dust, earth, and murderous intent, it detected...
The opponent's true body!
"Odor Sleuth."
Odor Sleuth would always hit unless the target was temporarily absent from the battlefield while charging a move.
It exposed the target.
Once a Pokémon was exposed, increases to its evasiveness became ineffective!
Boom!
A fist slammed heavily into Urshifu's body.
At that same instant, Urshifu retaliated in kind. After exchanging three punches, both Pokémon sprang backward.
Synergy Burst Mega Lucario sensed the tremendous energy now emanating from the opponent before it!
Urshifu's body shone red.
The force of the attacks it had suffered was being converted into energy!
Its Attack rose by one stage.
Its Attack rose by two stages.
Its Attack rose by three stages...?!
And that last punch...
It had pierced Lucario's guard and disrupted its Aura!
"Its Ability is Unseen Fist. Against a Ferrum Pokémon that can both pierce defenses and block an opponent's attacks, we naturally answer with the same unblockable fist."
"The increase in energy comes from Rage."
Hikaru explained further.
"The more attacks my Urshifu suffers, the greater its fury becomes. Its Attack rises accordingly, and the same kind of fighting aura erupts around its body!"
Gathering one's energy was the essence of Focus Energy.
"The embodiment of rage uses its terrifying appearance and roar to drive the wicked spirits from the world. Merely being glared at by its eyes, which conceal a simmering fury, can cost someone their life."
"Now, it is truly angry."
Urshifu opened its mouth and released a bellowing roar!
It engaged Mega Lucario in close combat, doing everything possible to prevent its opponent from releasing its Aura. The suppressive power of Unseen Fist now became fully apparent.
As their savage fists collided, storm clouds gathered and blotted out the sunlight. Over the arena at dusk, a torrential downpour began.
"Rain Dance!"
Under the rain, the presence and energy of water became exceptionally active.
Pull your clothing tight and feel nature's roar and gentleness. Listen as the wind whispers without end.
Yellow earth became mud. The rain washed the body clean, and the troubles within the heart faded with it.
All that remained was a tranquil mind and an unpredictable future.
Urshifu became even more active beneath the rain, its presence rising tremendously.
It was also one of the few Pokémon capable of learning Aura Sphere.
Ordinarily, Urshifu had no need for Aura-based moves. Its Special Attack was not particularly powerful, and no one would abandon its strengths to rely on its weaknesses. But as a ranged option for additional coverage and tracking an opponent...
No matter what, ripples and Aura were both techniques that could not be avoided!
The heavy rain formed a curtain of water, concealing Urshifu's body and turning it hazy and indistinct.
Tiny ripples spread across the cascade.
Raindrops struck the ground.
They fell into puddles, producing ripples!
Urshifu murmured.
This rain was born from heaven and earth!
Synergy power erupted from Master Glenn as well. It transformed into Aura and connected him to his crimson hound.
"Thunder Punch."
If the opponent possessed the Water type, Grass and Electric moves were the most effective.
Lucario naturally possessed an extremely broad move pool.
Thunder Punch...
For a region inspired by a branch of Greece, rain and lightning were always inseparable!
And Glenn's unique martial arts would amplify it even further!
"Come!" Master Glenn shouted. "We'll use the Attack Triangle!"
The Attack Triangle described the restraining relationship among three categories of attack, much like Grass overcoming Water, Water overcoming Fire, and Fire overcoming Grass in an endless cycle.
Under Ferrum's martial system, whenever one's move possessed an advantage over the opponent's...
It produced a critical hit.
"Critical hit" was once an older translation of "hitting a vital point." In Ferrum, however, a critical hit represented both a martial interaction and the result it produced. Its impact properties changed, and the inflicted damage rose to 1.2 times the normal amount.
In other words, even without a same-type attack bonus, Mega Lucario's Thunder Punch possessed a 1.2-times lightning boost, almost as though it were carrying a Plate!
By switching between moves and using attacks that countered different categories, anyone who mastered the Attack Triangle could inflict an additional 1.2-times critical-hit bonus against any Pokémon!
Counter Pierce!
Forced Guard Break!
Hikaru quietly recited the principles.
"The Scroll of Waters: the soaring dragon, the whirlpool... The Scroll of Darkness: penetration, fury..."
"Three flowing strikes in perfect succession. No, six strikes even faster than that!"
If the opponent possessed unique martial arts, then Hikaru would use his own to decide the victor.
Water Tera Type.
Strong Style.
Warlord's Power!
A brilliant Tera Jewel erupted above Urshifu's head. Its blue body, crowned by a fountain, transformed into a crystallized fortress.
Amid the violent storm, ripples gathered around it. Flowing water and raindrops coiled around both fists like whirlpools!
Its fury pierced the heavens!
Filled with Courage, Water Tera Type, Strong Style, Surging Strikes!
Fists of immeasurable weight became wind and rain, tearing open the heavens!
"Burst Attack!" Glenn shouted. "Pierce the opponent, then unleash Aura Blast!"
When Mega Lucario used Aura Blast, it first swept the opponent into the sky with an Aura Tornado.
Six small Aura Spheres then formed around it.
They could not be launched in the manner of an Aura Sweep. Instead, Lucario assumed the posture of Focus Punch and delivered unavoidable strikes against the enemy caught in the Aura wind.
After the sixfold bombardment, Lucario gathered all of its Aura before its chest.
It formed a ki sphere radiating seven-colored light, much like a Soul Punisher, then fired it like a Kamehameha.
When the blast struck its opponent, it produced a tremendous explosion that tore through the earth and pierced the heavens!
["The heart of Aura..."]
Ka...
Me...
Ha...
Me...
The six miniature Aura Spheres shone blue as they gathered around the crimson Lucario.
Bloodred Aura winds cleared the rain before it.
Then an enormous stream of interwoven red and blue light...
Blasted straight ahead in a single eruption!
Close-quarters combat against ranged ki.
Which was truly superior?
How could a Pokémon incapable of Mega Evolution or Synergy break through such an overwhelming eruption of power?
Hikaru swept his hand forward.
Urshifu's fist slashed through the air in the same motion.
The ultimate six-strike assault combined the experience it had gained from training with the shadow of the Martial God and the supreme techniques it had cultivated alongside Hikaru, a master of martial arts.
"Bullet Breakthrough!"
The pillar-like Aura Blast was pierced straight through in a single charge!
It resembled the parting of the sea, or a horizon dividing the sky from the waters below.
Urshifu's fist arrived directly before crimson Lucario's eyes.
Without using any additional items to amplify it, and without even accounting for its three Attack boosts, the final power of those six strikes had already reached...
"Over twelve hundred!"
The violent collision of their waves once again awakened ancient Aura and memories.
They transcended time, crossed space, and reached distant lands.
They seeped into the local environment, stirred the intermingling of lightning and water, then silently faded into the earth.
"I truly never thought... I would lose."
Glenn's pupils contracted.
The red fighting aura around his Lucario had already vanished. It returned to its normal state and collapsed upon the ground.
The effect of Synergy Burst disappeared, and the rain before them gradually stopped.
The black bear released a roar that pierced the clouds!
["The battle is decided!"]
The spectators erupted in wild cheers.
The battle had been fierce, but its final answer was singular and absolute.
Even a supreme master like Glenn, a Fighting expert from the Ferrum region, had fallen before an even greater power!
Once the Top Sixteen concluded, the competitors would be shuffled and paired again the following day.
"Will Lucario... win?"
Dressed in the attire of a hero, Ash posed the question to his temporary partner.
Then he seemed to realize it was a question that could not be answered.
"If we're matched against each other... we can't surrender easily."
"Aura is with me."
Ash was not the only one thinking that way.
There was still time left tonight.
They would use it to deepen their Aura training!
The Lucario from a thousand years ago eagerly studied the fighting style of Ferrum's crimson meteor.
That Lucario may have lost, but the techniques it had just displayed were completely different from the fighting style of the Lucario belonging to the human known as the Sage!
"Remember the days when I trained alongside Sir Aaron in my homeland."
[Memories of Lucario of Steel, friend to the Hero of Aura, shaped by the Tree of Beginning in the land of Rota.]
[An apprentice of Aura from one thousand years ago who served as a scout during the war. Because the hero refused to let Lucario become embroiled in danger and lose its life, it was sealed away.]
[After a thousand years, the castle still stands. But what did the hero say before his death?]
["This must be a meeting ordained by fate."]
Two distant regions.
At that very moment, two great trees reacted simultaneously.
Within the mountains of southern Kalos, a pale and withered tree suddenly released a faint ripple of rainbow light.
Farther away in the Lental region, a tree that still retained its vitality erupted with brilliant rainbow radiance!
Within the Ruins of Remembrance, a pathway of light leading toward the surface was revealed.
The ancient people called this path the Stairway to Light!
A tremendous X-shaped symbol of light appeared.
Accompanied by five streams of radiance, the great tree awakened for a brief moment!
The Legendary Pokémon, Illumina Xerneas!
But in that ancient region untouched by human feet, no one could witness it.
No one knew what had occurred.
Two thousand years had passed.
Like the rapidly ticking hand of a clock, the time of Lental's Legendary Pokémon's revival was quickly approaching!
The brown tree released a voice.
It seemed to be issuing some kind of warning to another being in a distant region!
[Memories of the Tree of Life, Xerneas of Lental, shaped by Lental's earth and the lives of all things.]
[When the Tellur Meteorite fell two thousand years ago, Xerneas protected the region's living creatures by sharing its power with five Pokémon and creating a vast barrier that covered the entire region.]
[Because of Xerneas's intervention, the Pokémon living here transcended time and survived into the present. Its power even led to the birth of Mythical Pokémon.]
[Volcarona, Milotic, Steelix, Meganium, and the "monster of the sea."]
[The five Pokémon that received its life energy also gained something approaching eternal life.]
Xerneas's horns began radiating seven-colored light.
It had transitioned from Neutral Mode to Active Mode.
With a nostalgic expression, it gazed at the murals left by the ancient people within the ruins.
"Life energy from distant Johto, the land of Lugia and Ho-Oh, crossed the sea and sky to reach this place. Lugia and Ho-Oh also appear in Lental's mysterious legends."
"Shaymin... Jirachi, Mew... Diancie... Celebi. They have all appeared... in the Lental region."
"Two thousand years ago, an equally tremendous reaction of life energy appeared in another region. It was not merely a machine or a ruin. Another me also existed somewhere in this world..."
"And now, its life response has become so faint... This is the fate of one that embraces death... If life dies, it loses all possibility of further evolution."
It was precisely because the possibility of evolution existed that this place had become the homeland of a certain Pokémon.
Voluca Island, Barren Badlands.
No one had ever known the location of its homeland.
The golden lightning born from two thousand years of thunderbolts, racing across the wilderness, the Pokémon known as Zeraora...
Their homeland was the Lental region.
"As living beings, all should exist within the order of this vast world and live in freedom. No act that robs another of life can ever be permitted."
"Far to the north of Johto, a distant land has begun... to tremble."
"The Tree of Life has sensed danger. Someone has invaded its body and begun investigating its existence and history. Memories of the past are emerging within the tree's awareness."
"The war waged by humans and Pokémon... has caused the Tree of Beginning to weep. The Pokémon are about to lose their homeland."
As another "tree of life," Xerneas could sense the wails of that rocky mountain.
The Tree of Beginning had already entered a period of declining vitality, though that process should have continued for an extraordinarily long time.
Now, however, it was being forced to expend its life energy purging an enormous quantity of foreign bacteria.
The resulting immune response had fallen into catastrophic disorder.
Its energy pierced the planet, causing embodiments of life in distant regions to cry out in anguish.
Then...
Its desperate thirst for life energy transcended the history of the past and passed through the planet's core.
From the distant land of Ferrum, it received an answer.
The Tree of Beginning awakened further, acquiring power similar to a Synergy Stone...!
When stone was struck and influenced by high-energy particles, or exposed to a certain form of light and energy, an abnormal transformation occurred!
The Tree of Beginning lived in symbiosis with Mew, and the two shared their life energy with each other.
If the tree suddenly launched an intense immune response, it would inflict enormous damage upon its already vast biological system.
Mew would also fall into a weakened state.
Yet if this continued and the flow of energy was severed, the Tree of Beginning would destroy itself.
Its desire to survive compelled the great stone tree to begin saving itself.
It constantly thirsted for energy from the planet's core and sensed the Aura emanating from a distant world.
Embracing its wish to survive, it resonated with the Synergy Stone on the far side of the earth.
It understood the other stone's mode of existence and attempted to break its shackles even further.
It awakened and evolved in order to survive.
And naturally...
It began advancing toward the Indigo Plateau!
[Memories of Ferrum's dark iron stone.]
[The antimatter counterpart to the Synergy Stone is known as the Shadow Synergy Stone. The more energy this raw stone absorbs, the more energy it desires. Its appetite is endless and can never be satisfied.]
[According to the memories of Ferrum's ancient people, the reason for its appearance remains unknown.]
[It drained the energy of the earth and advanced unstoppably, pushing the entire Ferrum region to the brink of collapse.]
[Synergy energy must be awakened through battle to suppress its activity... It is said that a Synergy Stone releases rainbow-colored light as it restores its energy.]
Time passed, and the following day arrived in Johto.
The people eagerly awaited the decisive matches.
The competition in the arena continued at a fever pitch, proceeding from the Top Sixteen to the quarterfinals, then onward to the semifinals.
The world's greatest master and the true hero were about to be chosen!
Yet Lance, Champion of the Indigo Plateau, wore an exceptionally grave expression.
He had received a warning from Will, the Elite Four member who had remained behind at the Indigo Plateau.
"You're saying that countless things resembling Pokémon, yet completely different from them, have appeared in the northern lands?"
"They formed from the crystals found throughout the area?"
"Even the Indigo Plateau has been affected?"
Lance remembered the story Hikaru had told him at the beginning.
The legend of the land of Rota.
The legend of the Tree of Beginning!
"I must consult Queen Ilene, and then... return to the Indigo Plateau immediately!"
"That explorer has appeared! But to think he would truly emerge at a time like this... Is it because the Kingdom of Rota temporarily suspended its official activities while everyone traveled to Johto?"
"Beginning an unauthorized investigation without permission... The incident it triggers will be extremely troublesome!"
North of the Indigo Plateau, the Tree of Beginning towered amid the clouds and mist.
The green and blue radiance it had once emitted was disappearing.
In its place came the consequences of a disordered immune system.
An ominous bloodred light spread through it, resembling an act of self-destruction.
It looked as though the entire "tree" had been set ablaze and was burning furiously.
Will, the Psychic-type member of the Elite Four who had remained at the Indigo Plateau, had never witnessed anything like it.
Countless orange-red immune cells surged from the earth and crystals.
They wriggled toward the human settlements as though preparing to wage war!
"What in the world is happening here?!"
It looked like an act of war.
But in truth...
It was the Tree of Beginning's cry for help.
(End of Chapter)
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