Riolu froze in place, beads of cold sweat gradually forming on its forehead.
It had put no less than ten percent of its strength into that punch. By all rights, Eevee shouldn't have been able to dodge it given its current abilities.
Yet, the opponent's reaction speed was so fast that even Riolu's eyes couldn't keep up.
The Aura couldn't deceive it.
This Eevee clearly had little combat ability; even its earlier punches were weak and unimpressive.
But why did it have such terrifying reaction speed?
And…
That incessant heartbeat since the start—it carried an indescribable pressure that even affected Riolu unconsciously.
This Eevee was definitely not as simple as it seemed!
Standing behind Riolu, Cynthia noticed its momentary pause and her lips curved into a faint smile.
That child must be overthinking things again, huh?
She had taken care of it for a while, so she understood its thought process fairly well.
Though it had only been born less than a year ago, it was clear that this Riolu possessed extraordinary talent, even being a natural Aura wielder.
However, perhaps due to growing up alongside her main team, environmental factors led it to misjudge its own strength, always feeling it wasn't strong enough.
Its overly cautious nature made it especially difficult to deal with.
Even some highly skilled trainers from Sinnoh couldn't handle it.
But it seemed Aiden and Eevee had already left a deep impression on it—the capture was close at hand.
Speaking of which, Eevee and Riolu…
They somewhat resembled her lineup.
Cynthia smiled faintly and continued observing the battlefield.
After narrowly dodging Riolu's attack with a desperate slide, Eevee felt its heart leap to its throat.
So scary!
If that punch had landed, it would've hurt so much!
This opponent was on a completely different level from Pawmi—how could it possibly win?
Eevee raised its head, gazing at Riolu, now frozen in place, its entire being focused on guarding against its movements.
The more it thought about it, the more nervous it became.
Its heartbeat, pounding like a military drumroll, intensified.
Thump, thump-thump!
Feeling the immense pressure emanating from Eevee's body, Riolu also tensed up defensively.
Its mind, however, was filled with confusion.
Why hadn't the opponent launched a full-on attack despite its inability to match Eevee's reaction speed?
There must be something it hadn't realized yet…
Every tick of the clock on the Gym wall increased the pressure on Riolu.
But at the same time, it brought it one step closer to the truth.
Seeing Eevee and Riolu enter a stalemate, Aiden clicked his tongue in frustration.
It seemed he had no good offensive options left.
His only attacking move couldn't hit the opponent, and attempting to use Confuse Ray might be completely read.
How could he win?!
Could he rely on Snarl, a move Eevee hadn't mastered yet?
But if it failed, wouldn't that be awkward…
Aiden sighed instinctively.
Deep in thought, Riolu immediately noticed the change in the opposing Trainer's expression.
Its brow furrowed even deeper.
It had dodged my counterattack, so why does the Trainer look somewhat disappointed?
Did he think I'm too weak and intentionally held back?
Riolu increasingly believed this to be true.
Eevee's reaction and attack speed were on a completely different level—it had clearly held back during its attacks.
So that's it… He was afraid I couldn't handle his full strength?
Just like Lucario, the one belonging to Big Sister Cynthia…
Riolu felt it had grasped the truth but found the reality overwhelming, dealing a heavy blow to its confidence.
Because the trainers who previously attempted to capture it were far too weak, it had almost deluded itself into thinking, "Am I actually strong?"
Thankfully, it hadn't grown blindly arrogant.
Now it seemed clear—its talent was still lacking.
Even at full strength, it could only force Garchomp, Big Sister's Pokémon, to take one step back.
This human, recognized by Big Sister, must indeed be a truly powerful Trainer. It was only natural for him to feel disappointed in me.
So…
Was the real test not for the opponent, but for myself?
Riolu gradually understood everything, its gaze becoming clear.
Big Sister was right—this Trainer really suited me. Even though he had become disappointed, he hadn't stopped the battle.
He was a patient and excellent Trainer.
Since that was the case, it should seize this rare opportunity.
"Ri!"
Riolu extended its arms, shifting from a defensive stance to an offensive starting position.
Then, it threw a punch.
In an instant, its figure blurred into a streak, charging fiercely toward Eevee.
"Eevee, use Snarl!"
Seeing Riolu suddenly attack, Aiden didn't have time to think and instinctively issued a command.
Eevee, in a state of heightened alertness, instantly reacted.
It hadn't fully mastered how to use Snarl correctly, but now it had to trust its Trainer.
I can do it!
"Bui!!!"
Under intense pressure, Eevee finally let go of its hesitation, opening its mouth wide and letting out a loud Snarl.
The sharp sound waves instantly reverberated throughout the battlefield, causing Riolu, mid-Bullet Punch, to momentarily falter.
Snarl?
Judging by the fear-inducing aura, it was indeed this move…
But why hadn't it suffered any damage? It only felt pure fear.
Riolu slowly halted its advance, stopping its attack.
Its suspicions were confirmed—this battle had been unequal from the start.
Eevee showed no desire to attack, instead fighting with the attitude of a superior guiding an inferior.
Just like Lucario, who usually trained with it.
Had it unleashed its full power, the unguarded Riolu would likely have been injured by a fluctuating attack of another type, right?
Having understood the truth, continuing its assault would be impolite.
"Ri…"
Thank you for the lesson.
After a mental storm, Riolu looked at Aiden and calmly nodded.
A Trainer who commanded decisively yet gently—Big Sister's judgment was indeed excellent.
But…
Would he accept me?
Riolu inwardly sighed. If only it had tried a bit harder during training…
"It seems this child has already accepted you."
Cynthia, who had observed both sides' movements, spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Compared to Nemona, who looked utterly confused, perhaps only she could guess the emotional journey of both sides.
Though she initially believed Aiden would earn this Riolu's recognition, she hadn't expected the capture process to be so…
Interesting?
This is what they call "birds of a feather flock together", right?
It seemed Aiden and Riolu's compatibility was indeed excellent.
"Huh?"
Prompted by Cynthia, Aiden finally realized.
Relieved, he was somewhat puzzled but didn't dwell on it too much.
Whatever he did, the result was good, right?
It must have been his personal charm at work!
"Well then, please take care of me in the future, Riolu~"
Aiden crouched down, suppressing his widening grin as he extended his hand.
Does this mean I've now got a 'cat and dog'?
"Ri…"
Up close, feeling the sincere emotions emanating from Aiden, Riolu knew he genuinely hoped for it to join his team.
Though it didn't know why, strange black spots appeared deep within his Aura.
Perhaps these condensed Auras formed when someone reached a certain level of strength?
If it was him, maybe it could go even further.
Riolu decisively extended its hand.
It felt as though it had grasped its future.
To live up to its Trainer's expectations, it would work even harder from now on!
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