February 7th, Saturday.
Aiden was deep in sleep when a soft, fuzzy sensation brushed against his cheek.
Blinking sleepily, he opened his eyes.
"Mew~"
Floating before him was the tiny pink feline, its paws pressed over its mouth as it stifled a giggle. A long, slender tail—extended from its body—dangled lazily in the air, swaying gently with each mischievous twitch, occasionally tickling Aiden's face.
"..."
Aiden reached out instinctively to grab the little troublemaker—only for it to perform a flawless midair backflip, evading his grasp with effortless grace. Then came the chorus: "Mew-mew-mew!"
Aiden stared.
Should've made you wait two more days before showing up.
He'd invited Mew to stay at the Sunshine Gym temporarily, since they were preparing to head to Kanto in a few days to coordinate with Lance's International Police force in storming the Viridian Gym. He thought the quiet days would be good for planning.
But this little ghost of a Pokémon? It had zero sense of boundaries.
It didn't just visit.
It had already declared itself co-owner of the house.
And this? This was its signature "Wake-Up Service."
"Vee~"
Mew's laughter roused the sleeping Sylveon in the corner. But the moment it spotted its best friend, its eyes lit up, and it chirped a warm, joyful greeting.
"Mew~"
Two pink, fluffy creatures instantly bonded, tumbling and rolling together in midair like living confetti.
Aiden, still sitting on the bed, watching them, could only sigh.
'This thing feels more at home here than I do…'
Am I the extra now?
He thought for a moment, then decided: fine.
He'd give his room to the two adorable little chaos agents for their reunion. He'd go freshen up and make breakfast.
No choice. Mew was chaotic, yes—but it was also undeniably cute. No human could resist that face.
—
Stepping out of the room, Aiden washed his face, combed his hair, and re-emerged as the elegant, composed "Teacher Azure" his students adored.
He walked into the living room.
"Eee~"
The moment it spotted him, Bagon bolted across the floor like a furry missile—only to be intercepted mid-charge by Aiden's expertly timed arm, scooping it up effortlessly before it could collide with his leg.
So fast, even Bagon didn't register it until half a second later—when it realized its feet were dangling in the air. It blinked up at Aiden, eyes wide with innocent bewilderment.
Nothing to it.
Just practice.
Since joining the Sunshine Gym family, his counter-gank instincts had been maxed out.
You never knew when a Bagon would spawn from behind a couch or under a table—delivering a surprise headbutt like a ninja.
But Teacher Azure? He knew.
"Gya!"
Nearby, Sableye noticed the scene, sauntered over, and—without being asked—gracefully plucked Bagon from Aiden's arms and carried it to its nest, making silly faces to distract and delight it.
On the battlefield, Sableye was every student's nightmare—a Pokémon with too many moves, too little power, yet devastatingly effective at breaking minds with "unfair" tactics.
But in daily life?
This Sableye, with its Prankster ability, rarely played tricks.
Instead, it doted on the newborn Bagon like a protective older sibling.
Aiden was perfectly fine with that.
Yes, Dark-types were notorious for mischief—especially Sableye, the shadow-dwelling prankster.
But Pokémon weren't defined by their types.
There were those who loved chaos… and those who loved care.
Sableye's behavior taught Aiden a simple truth:
Never judge a Pokémon by its stereotype.
He sighed softly, turning toward the kitchen to prepare breakfast—
When a rhythmic knock echoed at the front door.
"Coming!"
It was Saturday—the gym's day off—but Aiden didn't think twice. Probably another Naranja Academy student who'd mixed up the schedule.
He called out and opened the door.
Outside stood not a student—but a tall, silver-haired elder in a pristine black suit, moving with regal poise.
Aiden was certain: he'd never seen this man before.
Such distinctive features? Impossible to forget.
"Good morning, Mr. Aiden."
The elder bowed deeply.
"I am the butler of the Stone family, sent by the eldest son to deliver a token of gratitude."
"Stone?"
Aiden repeated the name—then snapped to attention.
"Steven?!"
Ohhhhh. *That* Steven.
Steven Stone—the heir to the Devon Corporation.
The Stone name carried weight. His father, Joseph Stone, was a fossil and mineral fanatic. Their entire family's fortune was built on mining and related industries.
Aiden had once traveled briefly with Steven—witnessing the bizarre, heartwarming love story between two Paradox Pokémon…
Before parting, Steven had mentioned he'd send Aiden a gift.
Probably a Lucarionite.
But two weeks had passed. Aiden had nearly forgotten.
"Yes."
The butler nodded.
Without further delay, he produced a velvet-lined gift box from behind his back and extended it toward Aiden.
"Since the eldest son considers you a dear friend, he insisted on taking extra time to prepare this personally. Hence the delay."
"With the gift delivered, I shall take my leave."
The butler arrived like a whisper—and vanished like a gust of wind.
Left standing alone on the doorstep, Aiden murmured:
"Having a butler… kinda looks cool."
But that wasn't the point.
His gaze snapped to the box.
Back in the living room, seated on the sofa, he carefully unwrapped it.
Inside, two circular gems rested quietly.
Identical in shape, yet subtly different in hue.
And beneath them, a handwritten note—clearly from Steven.
[To Teacher Azure:
Our journey together was wonderful. I hope next time, we can explore Hoenn together~]
"..."
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
If "most irresponsible Champion" was a title, Steven would win gold. Even Cynthia would bow to him.
He was rock-solid in a crisis—but how did they get into those crises? Don't ask.
Looks like he'd returned to Hoenn already?
Aiden picked up the two stones, holding them gently in his palms.
Of the four known special phenomena in the Pokémon world, he now held three:
- The Terastal Crystals, standard issue for Paldean Gym Leaders;
- The Z-Crystals, useless for Eevee's evolutions for now;
- And now… the pair required for Mega Evolution.
The only one missing? The Dynamax Band—a Galar-exclusive item, useless elsewhere.
Technically, there was also "Bond Transformation," but that was basically cheating. Aiden didn't count it.
In his hands, the one with a rainbow hue and a central stripe was the Key Stone. The other, transparent with swirling spirals of two distinct colors, heavier and more profound, was the Mega Stone.
Two ordinary-looking stones.
Together, they unlocked the miracle known as Mega Evolution.
"Only Steven, with a mountain of minerals could casually gift something this valuable…"
Aiden murmured.
Research showed the energy within Mega Stones likely originated from cosmic sources unknown to humanity—usually arriving via meteorites. They were exceedingly rare, mostly found by excavation.
Aiden knew another, less conventional route:
Rayquaza—the legendary Pokémon living among the clouds, feeding on meteorites—had a "Celestial Organ" connected to Mega Evolution energy.
The last time a black Rayquaza had casually spat out a Mega Stone… well, maybe it could synthesize them.
And so far, the only one who'd ever obtained one that way?
Aiden.
In a way… he was kinda terrifying.
When a Trainer and Pokémon each wore the Key Stone and corresponding Mega Stone, and shared a deep bond, they could awaken a hidden evolutionary potential—briefly surpassing their limits to become a new form.
Aiden didn't have just one Mega Stone.
Rayquaza had gifted one to newborn Bagon as a welcome present…
But Bagon wouldn't be ready for it for years.
This Lucario Mega Stone, though?
It could be used soon.
Lucario was already strong enough to support Mega Evolution.
The only question?
Could Aiden handle it?
Both Mega Evolution and Z-Moves required the Trainer as a conduit—triggering resonance between the stones, channeling the Trainer's own strength through their bond into the Pokémon.
Even a powerhouse like Ash, after using Mega Evolution, a Z-Move, and Dynamax in one battle, had collapsed from exhaustion.
The strain was immense.
Aiden thought for a moment.
He decided on the simplest solution—
Just try it out.
—
Five minutes later.
"Luca?"
Outside, Lucario paused its morning training, puzzled, as Aiden handed it the Mega Stone.
The moment it touched the gem, a subtle, resonant connection flared—like a thread tying its very soul to the Trainer standing before it.
Was this… a new way to grow stronger?
Seeing the confusion on Lucario's face, Aiden smiled.
"Try it once—you might become stronger than you ever imagined."
"Lucario!"
Lucario nodded once, stood still, and waited.
Its Aura told it: 'This power… it calls to me.'
Then there was no hesitation.
Aiden took a deep breath, focusing all his attention on the Key Stone.
Suddenly—something he'd never felt before surged above him.
A wind stirred, lifting strands of his hair.
Was this… Aura?
He realized it instantly, raised his arm—and felt the raw, expanding energy coalesce into the Key Stone.
"Lucario!"
"Luca!"
Lucario closed its eyes and roared—a short, sharp, powerful cry.
The two stones ignited in unison.
Torrents of Aura surged into Lucario's body.
And under that power, the creature that was supposed to have no further evolutionary potential—its body erupted in glowing white patches!
The herald of evolution.
"Mega Evolve!"
Aiden raised his hand skyward and shouted.
A pillar of light erupted—engulfing Lucario completely.
When the radiance faded…
Lucario stood transformed.
His originally somewhat slender limbs now displayed explosive muscles, and countless black marks appeared all over his body, a result of the collision between the overly powerful Aura and Mega Evolution energy within him.
Its expression hardened into cold, unyielding fury. The steel spikes on its limbs grew larger, sharper, more lethal.
"Lucario!"
Its roar shook the ground. Even the Ogerpon watering plants and the Kingdra nearby turned to stare.
"Poni?!"
Although she could tell it was Lucario, the powerful Aura still made Ogerpon's eyes widen, and she instinctively curled into a ball.
S-So scary!
"Gaaow?"
The sound startled Miraidon, lying at the door.
It lifted its head.
Then, upon seeing the transformed Lucario and Aiden, it rolled its eyes.
'Whatever. Not my problem.'
And went back to sleep.
"Wow…"
He stared at Lucario's imposing silhouette.
The sheer power had even triggered the dormant system panel:
[Lucario (Male) (Mega Evolved)]
[Type: Fighting/Steel]
]Ability: Adaptability (Unseen Fist)]
[Moves: Wicked Blow, Surging Strikes, Close Combat, Aura Sphere, Feint, Extreme Speed, Counter, Detect, Bullet Punch, Copycat…]
[Nature: Very Cautious]
Yes.
Mega Evolution had changed Lucario's Ability to Adaptability.
A terrifyingly potent ability.
When Lucario used a move matching its own type, the move's power doubled.
In-game stats? It meant a 2x multiplier on STAB-boosted moves.
Insanely terrifying.
And the "Unseen Fist" tag? Aiden had suspected it.
Technically, Unseen Fist wasn't an innate power of the two Urshifus.
It was a refined martial art mastered from Mustard's teachings.
Mustard was the first to wield it.
The Urshifus learned it only after years under him.
So… Lucario had already mastered Unseen Fist.
It had learned the Urshifus' signature techniques via the scroll.
Even with Mega Evolution temporarily boosting its limits, it wouldn't forget.
Unseen Fist… permanently active.
Plus Mega Evolution's power boost.
Aiden blinked.
That's… kinda broken.
But honestly?
His gym's Pokémon were all illegal. Compared to the forbidden "Quadruple Sketch", Lucario was practically almost normal.
"Lucario!"
Lucario, too, felt the raw, almost liquid power surging through its limbs. It clenched its fists instinctively.
'This… this is the strongest I've ever been!'
Too bad—there was no opponent to test it on.
No battle to feel the true scale of this power.
"..."
Somewhere, deep within the connection between Key Stone and Mega Stone, Aiden sensed Lucario's thoughts.
He glanced toward the distant Poco Path.
And smiled.
In a way… I'm half an Aura Guardian now.
"Wanna go test this on that Houndoom?"
After being struck by a meteor shower, that Houndoom hadn't calmed down.
Still scared new Trainers with random ambushes.
Perfect.
New grudge? Old grudge? Let's settle both.
Aiden opened his mouth—
Then shook his head.
"No. Wait. Lucario—can you sense its Aura from kilometers away?"
"Lucario!"
Lucario nodded firmly.
In its palm, a sphere of pure blue energy began to form.
The power thickened, spiraled—and grew until it was half its own body in size.
"...Is that… a bit too much?"
Aiden squinted, then added:
"Just half the power. Don't blow up the whole Poco Path."
If you break the road, I'll have to fix it myself.
"Lucario!"
Lucario nodded.
The massive energy sphere shrank—rapidly compressing into the size of a basketball.
It closed its eyes.
Through the flow of all Aura, it expanded its senses like a radar.
The moment it locked onto the target—
It opened its eyes.
And hurled the sphere.
BOOM!
Aiden felt the ground tremble beneath his feet.
The recoil sent Lucario skidding backward two full meters, leaving deep grooves in the soil.
Ten seconds later—
A distant, muffled explosion.
Then the cries of Houndoom and his Houndour minions.
Dust erupted from the center of the Poco Path.
Aiden wiped sweat from his brow.
That wasn't an Aura Sphere…
That was a precision-guided, two-kilometer-range nuclear missile.
"Aura… is just too useful…"
He sighed.
Thankfully, Lucario had held back.
Otherwise, they'd have turned the road into a crater.
Lucario, too, exhaled.
But its thoughts were… slightly different.
"Lucario…"
…I wish I could've used full power…
That was its only regret.
In the corner, Ogerpon had somehow crawled behind Miraidon's back, trembling violently.
"Poni..."
"Gaaow?"
Miraidon rolled its eyes again.
What are you even scared of?
It had watched Ogerpon solo the Loyal Three + Pecharunt.
He even felt a bit like laughing.
You really don't know how terrifying the power of your own moss stick is, do you!
One hit from that stick shattered Pecharunt's peach shell, and now you're acting like a poor little thing here???
Miraidon shook his head helplessly.
Only Kingdra, still staring at the distant dust cloud, had one thought:
If Lucario were the Gym Examiner…
No one would ever pass the challenge.
Ever.
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