"Korrina, you need to understand—there are prodigies in this world whose growth defies common sense."
Gurkinn cast a meaningful glance at Rex before speaking. While his granddaughter Korrina had talent, comparable to his own in youth, she was still well within the realm of the expected. But Rex—he was clearly someone who broke those boundaries.
"Rex, from what I can tell, you've been learning under a traditional martial arts lineage, haven't you?"
After answering Korrina's question, Gurkinn turned to Rex.
"Uh… I'm not too sure. My teacher taught me a couple of body-strengthening techniques, but I don't really know what you mean by traditional martial arts lineage," Rex said, scratching his head in confusion.
"Looks like your teacher kept things simple. Let me explain."
Gurkinn stroked his beard and began, "The traditional path of martial artists focuses on forging the body—pushing it to its limits through rigorous training. Once you reach the human body's peak, you begin to draw in external energy, forming 'chi.' With chi, you can begin to use Fighting-type techniques. Most martial artists follow this route."
"But here at Shalour Gym, we take a different approach. Instead of focusing on the body, we hone the mind and spirit—refining aura. Once one's aura is strong enough, we too can break into the martial artist realm."
As Gurkinn spoke, Rex and the others listened intently.
Only now did Rex truly understand—his lineage, the Heart-Forging Style, was part of the traditional martial artist path. Shalour Gym, on the other hand, followed an unconventional route.
Aura, as Gurkinn described it, was the manifestation of spiritual energy present in all living things. Everything in existence emitted aura in some form—some stronger than others.
Those with strong aura—both people and Pokémon—could sense other beings from afar. The range and clarity of that sense depended on the strength of one's aura.
The prime example of this was Lucario. From its earliest stage as Riolu, it possessed powerful aura abilities.
Lucario could detect aura emitted by all things. By reading aura, it could understand thoughts, predict actions, and even interpret human speech. It could sense emotions from a kilometer away. Ironically, this also made it prone to stress—since it often perceived more than it wanted to.
Lucario's aura manipulation extended beyond passive sensing—it could weaponize it, smashing through even massive boulders with pure aura force.
As the Gym's signature Pokémon, Lucario was a symbol of Shalour's heritage. Every generation of Korrina's family received a Riolu as their first partner.
Their training centered around harnessing the aura emitted by Lucario, drastically accelerating aura development and strengthening bonds between trainer and Pokémon.
This was how the lineage, despite its small size, had endured for so long. As long as they remained in harmony with Lucario's species, their family legacy could always be rekindled, even after periods of decline.
"Thank you for the guidance—it's been truly enlightening."
Once Gurkinn finished, Rex bowed deeply in gratitude.
With this explanation, he gained a much deeper understanding of what it meant to be a martial artist—and what aura truly was.
He also began to connect the dots with Mega Evolution. To trigger it, a trainer and their Pokémon needed to be perfectly attuned. That mental resonance sparked a powerful energy, which was channeled through the Key Stone and Mega Stone to fuel evolution.
If one's aura was strong enough, they could sense their partner's emotions and thoughts—creating a foundation for true, deep connection.
Of course, Rex's Bagon still had a long way to go before evolving into Salamence, let alone unlocking Mega Evolution. But he had plenty of time to build that bond.
With his usual "knowledge is power" mindset, Rex decided to join the other students in training, learning the basics of Shalour Gym's Aura Body Techniques.
To help Rex start from scratch, Gurkinn had everyone reset and repeat the foundational moves.
Thanks to his already exceptional body control from practicing the Heart-Forging Style, Rex picked up the techniques almost instantly. Just one demonstration was enough for him to memorize the entire routine—including the accompanying breathing patterns.
To his surprise, the moves weren't difficult. Most people could learn them with a little repetition.
But that also meant they weren't physically demanding—at best, they promoted general wellness. Rapid physical development wasn't likely with this method.
By the end of the morning session, Rex's movements were already the most fluid among the students—though still not quite at Korrina's level.
It was then that Rex began to sense the technique's true purpose.
With each repetition, his mind felt calmer. Scattered thoughts began to gather, clarity replacing mental noise. He slipped into a serene mental state—unmoved, undisturbed.
Unlike other body-training techniques, this one didn't aim to temper muscles—it tempered the spirit. And that revelation amazed him.
"All right, that's enough for today. Make sure you all continue practicing on your own," Gurkinn announced, pulling Rex out of his trance.
The other students, including Mai and Korrina, slumped down, drenched in sweat. Only Rex seemed unaffected by the strain.
"Grandpa, wasn't today's session a bit too long? I was this close to collapsing!"
Korrina panted heavily, fanning herself.
"You've got nerve complaining, young lady," Gurkinn shot back, eyeing her disapprovingly. "Rex only trained for one morning and he's nearly caught up to you."
Flustered, Korrina quickly grabbed Mai's hand. "Okay, Grandpa, you talk with Rex. We're gonna go shower!"
Before Gurkinn could say anything else, the girls darted out of the room.