The conditions for Aura Fusion are actually quite demanding; both sides need to have a deep emotional bond or recognition.
For Ash, there is absolutely no problem with this. Forget about the Pokémon he's already caught; even if it's a Pokémon he's meeting for the first time, if it's in danger, he'd risk his life to protect it. That's just Ash's nature.
The only issue lies with the Pokémon itself.
If its affinity and level of recognition are average, Aura Fusion cannot be achieved; Pidgeotto and Butterfree are prime examples.
However, these two have since managed to achieve it.
The thousand-year-old Gastly was newly caught and hadn't even spent a full day by his side. In this battle, Ash hadn't even thought about using Aura Fusion.
After all, both Pidgeotto and Butterfree initially failed, so how could Gastly succeed?
Yet the result was unexpected; despite the low level of fusion, it was still successful, and because of Gengar's powerful endurance, he was able to adopt a significant amount of Aura even with the low fusion.
Now, Gengar's level has reached the Elite Peak, standing on the same starting line as Alakazam. The rest depends on the skills of each Trainer.
"Indeed, only by physically engaging can Pokémon truly recognize you!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Gengar asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, just talking to myself. Here it comes, Gengar!"
Ash said, focusing his mind as he re-engaged in the battle. Gengar suppressed his curiosity and started to get familiar with this newly emerged power.
On Sabrina's side, Alakazam disappeared without warning from its spot, reappearing instantly behind Gengar, unleashing a Psyshock!
The blue superpower energy materialized and was about to hit Gengar!
In response, Gengar directly formed a Shadow Ball with one hand, tossing it backward as if he had foreseen the attack!
"Boom!!"
The Shadow Ball collided with the Psyshock, causing a violent explosion, with fierce winds blowing in all directions!
The arena was engulfed in smoke, but the sounds of battle continued to erupt violently, one after another!
Although no commands were given, the Pokémon on both sides engaged in a more intense battle than before!
The shockwaves from the battle rippled against the Aura barrier, causing ripples, but not breaking through it.
However, the ground became uneven due to their battle, and if Ash hadn't used Aura to shield the entire area, the Saffron Gym would likely have been torn apart!
"Why are Gengar and Alakazam fighting so fiercely when neither Ash nor Sabrina has given any commands?!"
Misty was puzzled. Was this still a Pokémon battle? Or was it something else entirely?
The Trainers remained silent, yet the Pokémon fiercely sought opportunities to attack each other. However, both Trainers appeared intensely focused. Is this the duel of Special Ability Users?
"It must be telepathy. Telepathy is an application of superpower. Some Pokémon using telepathy can even communicate directly with humans. Ash and Sabrina must both be using telepathy to communicate directly with Gengar and Alakazam," Brock explained thoughtfully.
"The speed of this kind of command far exceeds that of verbal instructions. If Sabrina's opponent weren't Ash, or vice versa, the battle might already have tipped in one direction," Brock added with a sense of wonder.
Indeed, only Special Ability Users can contend with other Special Ability Users!
Unless one's application of Pokémon techniques significantly surpasses the other's, one side hears commands while the other is guessing the opponent's attack method based on the Pokémon's moves. Who has the upper hand is obvious!
What surprised Brock most was Ash. It's one thing for others to use superpower telepathy, but how does Ash's Aura Power manage to do the same?
Barrier, attack, recovery, detection, enhancing Pokémon strength, and now telepathy. Written as Aura Power, read as Universal Power, right? Don't be so outrageous!
The battle intensified on the field, and now it was not just a contest of Pokémon strength but also of the Trainers' skills!
Aura Power vs. Superpower!
Sadly, this wasn't truly a Trainer vs. Trainer match. If the Trainers could join the fray, Sabrina, given her power, might not even withstand Ash's one hand...
The rules saved Sabrina. jpg!
'Gengar, use Thunder Wave!'
On the smoke-filled arena, both were hard to spot with the naked eye, but for them, this level of obstruction meant nothing. Both could clearly sense the other's position.
Moreover, they communicated using telepathy, allowing for quicker response from the Pokémon on the field.
However, this was somewhat disadvantageous for Sabrina.
She had always been able to employ this almost cheating-like command technique. Others couldn't hear her voice, but she could hear theirs and thus determine their movements.
Now, she couldn't hear Ash's commands, and due to the smoke, she could only pinpoint Gengar's location without knowing what move it would use.