Palm to palm.
Ash could even feel the trembling paw pads in Riolu's hand.
Was it fear?
No! It was the excitement of finally unraveling a hidden truth!
At this moment, the power of Aura was released.
Ash connected with Riolu's Aura.
Familiar, yet unfamiliar.
In that instant, Riolu finally remembered what it had forgotten—
that longing and persistence.
"Riolu!"
"You want me to catch you?"
Riolu gave a heavy nod.
So, Ash took out a Poké Ball and successfully captured Riolu.
Night fell, and the starlight shimmered.
Just like the glow shining from the Poké Ball.
[Bea: How beautiful and pure… makes me want to catch a Lucario myself.]
[Korrina: Come to Kalos! My grandfather still has an unhatched Riolu egg!]
[Riley: Maybe Riolu stayed in its egg for so long, unwilling to hatch… because it was waiting for this moment.]
[Professor Oak: Yes, even though it forgot its past, once it touched Ash's Aura, those memories resurfaced.]
[Professor Professor Kukui: Ash, is this the secret to your strength?]
In Silver Town.
Ash stared at the final scene on the screen, silent for a long time.
Ever since setting out on his journey, he hadn't been this quiet in ages.
Even though those events belonged to the future, not yet real,
every scene felt familiar—
as if he were living out his life ahead of time.
If even an unknown future could be so exciting…
how could the present him ever be content with less?
Ash still remembered the very first image from the light screen—
rows of trophies flashing past,
and in the end, only one stood: the Alola Champion's Cup.
That was his destined growth path.
But Ash was not satisfied with just that.
He was the man who would become a Pokémon Master "3-0-0"!
His future would be chosen by himself!
Other than already placing Top 16 in the Indigo Conference,
Ash set a new goal:
From now on—he would never lose again!
Until he stood atop the Pokémon World Championships!
No matter who his enemies were,
he would strike them all down.
His Pokémon were fighting so hard for him—
even Riolu, who had reincarnated just to meet him again.
So what reason did Ash have not to fight for their future?
"Pikachu, let's stand at the top of the world together."
Ash said to the Pikachu on his shoulder.
Sensing Ash's inner change, Pikachu rubbed its cheek against his face.
"Pikachu!"
Then let's win a championship first!
"Hey! Gary! I'm gonna make you cry at the Silver Conference!"
Gary, who had just finished a cup of lemonade and was about to buy another, froze.
Suddenly being called out like that by Ash…
Gary felt his pride crumble.
"Why the heck are you yelling so loud!" Gary snapped.
"You think you'll beat me at the Silver Conference? Wash your neck and wait!
"Six-zero! At most six-one! I'll show you the gap between us!"
…
In Rota.
Erin's eyes locked on her staff.
The legendary Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron, had sealed his Lucario within it.
Until now, she had treated it as nothing more than a myth.
But when the light screen began broadcasting about Riolu and Pokémon eggs…
the staff began trembling uncontrollably.
A faint blue glow seeped out, leaving Erin shocked.
The legend was real—
but wasn't Lucario already reincarnated?
Then why did it feel as though another Lucario remained within the staff?
"The legend doesn't add up…"
…
On the light screen—
The footage froze on Ash catching Riolu.
Then familiar words appeared:
[Since everyone is curious about Ash's identity as an Aura Guardian, the live broadcast will begin a special countdown]
[Special Countdown — Hero of Aura]
[Aside from Sabrina's suggested rewards, everyone will be able to participate in a unified Q&A session at the end]
[Those who answer correctly will receive exquisite gifts from the broadcast]
[Note: The rewards this time are extremely generous, so pay attention!]
Viewers: !!!
They were serious!
At first, the audience thought the "special countdown" was just a troll's fake subtitle.
But the stream actually followed Sabrina's suggestion.
A special feature had really begun!
[Lt. Surge: Sabrina! As expected of you—doing what no one else can.]
[Lance: As expected of one of Kanto's strongest. I believe you'll have a place among the Elite Four in the future!]
[Lorelei: Don't tell me you'll say you'll promote her straight to Elite Four once you're Champion?]
[Sabrina: Not interested.]
[Brock: As expected of Miss Sabrina—so cold, so charming!]
[Misty: Brock! Shut up! Do you want to be turned into a doll again!?]
[Brock: For love, I'd abandon everything!]
[Lillie: Mama, is this the "love-brain" you told me about in your stories? It's scary!]
[Lusamine: Yes, darling. If you meet such strange things in the future, stay far away.]
[Lillie: Okay, Mama~]
Amidst the joking barrage of comments,
The special countdown officially began.
…
The special countdown began.
The opening scene shocked modern audiences.
A wide shot—
capturing the entire battlefield.
Dust billowed across the land.
Something was churning within.
The camera zoomed in.
The next image made everyone tremble.
War!
A war where humans and Pokémon fought side by side.
Pokémon wore custom armor,
humans rode atop them wielding spears, swords, and shields.
An army on the march,
dark clouds pressing down on the city.
Even a single glimpse was enough to set blood boiling.
Curiosity, awe, fear, excitement!
An ancient war—humans and Pokémon as soldiers.
For the modern audience, it was both terrifying and exhilarating.
[Gardenia: Whoa… this is so suffocating! Where's that massive army headed!?]
[Steven: Don't panic. This isn't modern times. Look at their gear and weapons—this must be ancient Kanto.]
[Erin: If I'm right, this was the army that nearly destroyed Rota.]
[Sonia: This is chilling! I can't imagine what kind of suffering Pokémon endured in those days…]
[Cynthia: Don't dwell on it too much. This was a barbaric past. We've moved beyond that era. Such scenes will never happen again.]
[Diantha: Cynthia's right. Pokémon are our partners, not slaves or tools of war.]
For those living in modern peace,
it was hard to imagine such a brutal era—
when humans enslaved Pokémon and waged wars with them.
Some younger viewers at first felt fired up,
thinking fighting in such a war would be glorious.
But after hearing the Champions' explanations,
they realized they were wishing to become slave masters of Pokémon.
The thought sent shivers down their spines.
In the modern world,
such extremist ideology would never be accepted—
not by the League,
not even by evil organizations like Team Rocket.
[Archie: I told you! Humans are filthy fools! Only the sea can cleanse their sins. Lord Kyogre, lead mankind back to the ocean's embrace!]
[Maxie: No! The sea is heresy! These humans must be purged in magma! Lord Groudon, let fire consume everything!]
[Ash: That's not true! Humans and Pokémon can live in harmony—
your way of thinking is too extreme! Humans and Pokémon DO have a way to coexist!]
[Ash: And besides, those times are past! Aren't humans already living in peace with Pokémon now!?]
[Giovanni: So you believe everything humanity once did should be swept under the rug as "history"? Done is done, Ash. No matter how you hide it, it remains fact.
Perhaps you really are a so-called "legendary trainer," but you will never erase the darkness in human hearts.
To some, Pokémon will always be tools, weapons of war.
This peace is nothing but an illusion.
Once someone gathers enough power, they WILL plunge the world into another war.
And who will bear the cost? The Champions? Leon? You, Ash?]
In Viridian Gym, Kanto.
Domino (Agent 009) was stunned.
It was the first time she had seen her boss post a comment.
And such a long one at that—
criticizing humanity's oppression of Pokémon.
Was this really something the boss of the "most evil organization" would say?
Giovanni lit a cigar, visibly irritated.
What he had just seen stirred emotions he tried to bury.
As Domino suspected,
He was the leader of Team Rocket.
Words like that should never come from him.
And yet… he couldn't hold them back.
Everyone knew—
Team Rocket was the world's most powerful crime syndicate.
No matter how many times they were defeated, they always resurfaced.
And all of it was thanks to Giovanni's charisma.
With just a wave of his hand, countless recruits joined Team Rocket.
But Team Rocket wasn't as rotten as the League portrayed.
They had legitimate business ventures too.
Labs across Kanto and beyond,
funded to develop a drug that could extend a Pokémon's lifespan.
Because… Beedrill was getting old.
No one knew the true reason Giovanni had founded Team Rocket.
But who would have guessed—
it was simply to prolong his own partner's life.
Long ago, Giovanni had been a Bug Catcher kid.
Through his love of Pokémon,
he earned the blessing of Viridian Forest itself—
the so-called "Viridian Power."
But for Bug-types,
lifespan was an unavoidable wall.
Giovanni was now over forty.
Beedrill had been with him since he was only seven or eight.
Even with Viridian Power sustaining it,
he could not stop death forever.
Beedrill's time was nearly up.
And so Team Rocket gained its fearsome reputation.
They even created abominations—
like Mewtwo, and that Eevee with shifting forms.
But deep inside, Giovanni was still that boy.
He never denied his crimes—he was selfish.
So selfish he wanted to keep Beedrill by his side forever.
The world needed saving, yes—
but that was never his role.
Perhaps the boy in red, who once foiled his plans, could shoulder it.
But that boy only sought strength.
The world needed change.
But Giovanni lacked the courage to bring it.
[Ash: No! Never! As long as I'm here, I'll never let such a thing happen!]
[Giovanni: Just you? Did you stop the war of the past?]
[Ash: Then I'll stop the next one! I'll never let Pokémon be used as tools, never let war return!]
[Giovanni: On what grounds? Words mean nothing.]
[Ash: On my conviction! As long as I live, war will never happen again! If it takes an Aura Guardian to prevent war—
then I WILL become one! I'll prove it to you!]
As the comment scrolled past,
Giovanni inhaled deeply from his cigar.
Seconds later, he exhaled a thin mist.
In that moment,
the boy in red and the boy in blue overlapped in his eyes.
The same, yet different.
Compared to his own passion for Pokémon…
This Ash seemed purer.
[Giovanni: Is that so? Then I'll be watching.]
[Lance: Don't make it so serious! The Elite Four and the other Champions aren't just for show! Anyone trying to start a war in the modern world will have to get through us first!]
But Lance's comment was ignored.
[Lorelei: You sound like a needy Yamper begging for attention.]
[Lance: ???]
On a beach in the Orange Islands,
Lorelei laughed so hard her chest heaved.
But no one dared look directly.
She was the strongest Ice-type Master.
Rumor said if she set her eyes on you,
you'd be frozen into a statue and taken away.
Scarier than the Snow Woman legends.
Everyone on the beach silently agreed to treat the area around Lorelei as a forbidden zone.
None dared to approach.
…
On screen—
the marching army suddenly zoomed out.
The scene shifted to a canyon near the battlefield.
A sandstorm raged—
perfect for hiding.
A humanoid silhouette leapt between rocks.
Its body was blue and black,
spikes on its chest and forepaws,
long snout and ears, fangs in its jaws,
cream fur on its torso, shorts-like fur on its thighs.
Everyone watching knew that shape.
They had seen it in the previous special countdown,
as Professor Professor Kukui's ace.
Lucario—the Aura Pokémon.
A unique classification,
considered legendary in some regions,
like Volcarona and Zoroark.
And the moment Lucario appeared,
the two light screens shifted dramatically.
"Aura is with me."
The calm world fractured into rippling waves.
It was the Aura-sense perspective.
Lucario had reached the canyon's edge.
Through Aura,
it sensed countless chaotic pulses.
It read everything—
including the army ahead.
Being a Pokémon of that era,
Lucario understood full well.
This was war.
Sensing the enemy,
Lucario prepared to retreat.
But then—
a golden figure flashed across the sky.
And in that instant,
Lucario was discovered by the enemy.
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