As the clock struck midnight, the temperature in Cameran Palace plummeted to freezing...
A chilling wind swept through the ruins, carrying with it eerie, sourceless whispers.
From atop the tallest broken spire, Caleb stood with Dragonite, Mimikyu, Lucario, and Mewtwo, gazing down at the desolate city below.
The quest had instructed him to wait until midnight to speak with Queen Ilene. But aside from the ghost-hunting streamers, he hadn't spotted a single soul in the vast ruins.
Queen Ilene had perished along with Cameran Palace.
The conversation mentioned in the quest was undoubtedly meant to be with her spirit...
Ghosts existed in the Pokémon world. The lingering regrets of the dead could bind their souls to the mortal realm, refusing to move on.
In the Anime's 'Advanced Generation' series, Ash had even been possessed by a vengeful spirit.
After some thought, Caleb and his Pokémon began searching the city...
From the remnants of side streets to the ruins of the palace itself... There wasn't a single ghost. Not even a rat.
So the question remained: If spirits couldn't be seen with the naked eye, how was he supposed to communicate with Queen Ilene?
Just then, Lucario, who was standing beside Caleb, suddenly turned its head vigilantly toward the palace's front hall.
Caleb paused, while voicing, "What is it?"
Lucario's voice reached him through aura: >..There's something over there..<
"Wuu?"
Dragonite and Mimikyu tilted their heads in confusion. They hadn't sensed anything.
Caleb glanced at Mewtwo, who also shook its head. Its psychic senses detected nothing unusual.
Lucario pressed its lips together: >..I'm not lying..<
Caleb chuckled and patted its head, saying, "No one said you were. Let's go check it out."
>..Mm..<
Lucario nodded.
The group changed course, heading toward the front hall.
The castle's reception hall was likely where guests had once been welcomed. A broken throne, thick with dust, stood at the far end.
Faded paintings hung on the crumbling walls, and a grand but grimy chandelier lay half-buried in the debris. The entire scene could be taken in at a glance.
"Is this the place?" Caleb asked Lucario while eyeing the central throne, the same one where Queen Ilene had once presented Ash with the Staff of the Hero in the Anime.
Lucario hesitated, scanning the area before lowering its head apologetically: >..Maybe I was mistaken. Sorry..<
There was nothing here.
Caleb's gaze lingered on the path they'd just taken, then asked, "What were you doing right before you sensed something? Like… using aura?"
Days earlier, he had devised a training regimen for Lucario to hone its aura abilities. The goal was to practice navigating, eating, and sensing others' emotions without relying on sight.
Aura had countless applications.
Since Caleb lacked aura abilities himself, he could only guide Lucario based on what he knew, letting it experiment and train accordingly.
Lucario had been diligent. Earlier, it had closed its eyes, attempting to survey the surroundings through aura, and that was when it had sensed movement behind them.
When Lucario nodded, Caleb understood...
"Close your eyes again. Use your aura to feel the surroundings," he instructed.
Lucario gave him a look but complied, shutting its eyes slowly.
Darkness enveloped it, but soon, as aura seeped from its body, the world reshaped itself.
First, it sensed the familiar aura of its trainer. Then, Lucario's eyes snapped open, a flicker of horror flashing across them as it yanked Caleb behind itself.
Though bewildered, Caleb allowed himself to be shielded.
"What's wrong? Did you see something?" he questioned.
Lucario opened its mouth but faltered, not knowing how to explain...
It had just seen a grotesque figure remove its own head and place it on Caleb's shoulder.
One look at Lucario's expression told Caleb it had witnessed something terrifying.
"Don't be afraid. We're all here with you," he reassured, gripping its paw.
Lucario turned to see Mimikyu and Dragonite watching it with concern, then it quietly exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Try one more time?" Caleb encouraged, not letting go of its paw. As he spoke, he channeled the Viridian Power, silently soothing Lucario's nerves.
Lucario pressed its lips together, then closed its eyes again, reactivating its aura senses.
Caleb studied its expression... then suddenly, through their Viridian link, an image flashed into his mind. Lucario was sharing its aura vision with him!
The next instant, Caleb's sight warped... His vision was tinted blue, as if looking through frosted glass, with faint green energy swirling at the edges.
The Viridian Power and aura resonated, intertwining their minds, linking him and Lucario as one.
The sensation was surreal.
In this state, Caleb could feel Lucario's thoughts and emotions as clearly as his own. It was almost as if… he were Lucario.
Then...
"Hero! You've finally arrived!"
A voice, brimming with excitement, rang out.
Caleb opened his eyes to see an elderly man in courtly attire staring at him, overjoyed. He blinked, then looked around, only to find the hall filled with people.
On the throne, Queen Ilene rose, a golden crown upon her head and a scepter in hand. Her eyes carried deep sorrow as she stepped forward, her lips parting in an ancient melody:
"Aura Guardian… The world is dying. Please… save us. Save the humans and Pokémon of this world!"
The moment she finished speaking, Caleb's quest panel updated:
[Hidden Quest: "The Tragedy of Cameran Palace" Completed!]
[Reward:
[Next Stage: "The Aura Guardian" Unlocked!]
[Quest Details: After learning the truth from Queen Ilene, Caleb Chase and his team must now journey to the Tree of Beginning…]
[Objective: Investigate the Tree of Beginning.]
[Reward: SSS-grade Item Fragment x1!]
Queen Ilene and her courtiers watched him expectantly...
Caleb: "…"
He seriously doubted their eyesight.
Could someone who couldn't even use aura truly be called an 'Aura Guardian'? At this point, he figured 'Viridian Healer' would've been more accurate...