"Pika?" 'Are you alive?'
Pikachu's worried cry reached Ash's ears. And though it was still in the usual Pokémon tongue, Ash somehow understood every word.
"Wait… I understood that? Is this Aura Power at work?" Ash whispered, his eyes widening. For the first time, the "parallel world selves" in the chat group didn't feel like some crazy fever dream.
Up until now, part of him still thought this whole "multiverse Ash club" was too ridiculous to believe. But after drawing Aura Power and experiencing this miracle firsthand, his doubts melted away.
He hadn't even used Aura Power yet, its passive effect alone was already life-changing.
One of the biggest barriers between Trainers and Pokémon was language. Pokémon could understand humans well enough, but for humans to truly understand Pokémon? That usually took years of trust and training, and even then, only a rare few could achieve it.
Yet now, Ash had skipped straight to the finish line. For a Trainer, this was practically a divine skill!
Ash puffed out his chest proudly. "Heh! I'm telling you, Pikachu, I've become super strong now! Leading you to the top of the world will be a piece of cake. If you decide to get along with me, it's still not too late!"
Pikachu squinted at him with an unimpressed look, tilting his head like he was staring at a complete fool. "Pika pika?" 'Are you crazy?'
"Oi! How dare you! I heard that! You just called me crazy, didn't you?!"
Pikachu froze, his eyes going wide. "Pi… Pikachu??" 'Wha..how did you understand that?!'
Ash smirked, folding his arms with all the smugness of a kid who'd just discovered a cheat code. "Haha! Surprised, aren't you? That's my true strength! Admit defeat already!"
Pikachu's tail bristled as he took a step back, sparks jittering across his cheeks. "Pika pika?!" 'What kind of sorcery is this?!'
"What do you mean sorcery?!" Ash snapped, stomping a foot. "This is Aura Power! It's a super special ability!"
Excited, Ash shifted his focus inward, opening the "User Manual" of Aura Power within his mind.
The glowing light sphere pulsed, then burst open, knowledge pouring into him in a dizzying flood. His head spun as countless fragments of information rushed by: combat techniques, perception skills, empathy, communication, even telepathy.
Just as Aura Ash had said… this wasn't only the power to rival Legendary Pokémon in battle. It was a power versatile enough to sense, to soothe, and to connect.
Just as Aura Ash had said, this power was said to rival that of a Legendary Pokémon, and its versatility was even more astonishing.
Combat. Perception. Communication. Healing. Telepathy. The list went on.
Aura existed within everyone's body, but only a rare few could awaken and control it. What's more, Aura was tied directly to life force. Push it too far, and the user could burn themselves out, sometimes fatally.
That meant if one's inner Aura reserves weren't strong enough, even touching the power recklessly could leave scars no ordinary human could endure.
Ash's current Aura, however, was different. The chat group had gifted it to him through the lottery. His natural Aura potential remained untouched, still dormant.
In other words, this world's Ash actually had greater Aura potential than Aura Ash himself.
As for mastering it? The "User Manual" in his mind contained every technique imaginable. But the knowledge was massive, too massive. Right now, Ash only grasped the rough outlines. To fully comprehend it all would take time.
Still, for the present, it was more than enough.
At the very least, taming Pikachu was no longer a dream!
"Heh! I'm even more amazing than you now, Pikachu!" Ash puffed out his chest and pointed straight at him. "You don't recognize me as your Trainer? Then let's battle! Whoever wins, the other has to listen, deal?"
In the Pokémon world, a battle was the foundation of forming bonds. Beat a wild Pokémon, and it would acknowledge your strength, allowing you to capture it.
But no one had ever applied this rule between human and Pokémon. Humans ordered Pokémon, not the other way around. No human would actually fight one.
So when Ash challenged him like this, Pikachu's face was one of pure disbelief.
"Pikachu?" 'Ash, are you serious?'
"Huh? You just called my name, Pikachu!" Ash's eyes shone, convinced he'd already won him over. "If you're acknowledging me as your Trainer, then I'll let the fight slide!"
"Pikapi~~~" 'No, no, don't get the wrong idea. I'm just giving you a way out, that's all~'
Pikachu wagged a tiny finger with smug playfulness, his cheeks sparking brighter. Since Ash wasn't taking the hint, then fine, time to get serious.
"Then let's see who's really unappreciative!" Ash snapped back, fire in his eyes.
On the grassy path just outside Pallet Town, a boy and a Pikachu squared off. Pikachu's body blazed with golden electricity, while at the same time, a brilliant blue aura burst forth from Ash's frame.
"Pika… pika?"
The sudden glow rising from Ash's body made Pikachu freeze. He even rubbed his eyes with his tiny paws, wondering if he was seeing things.
Humans weren't supposed to glow like this. Humans weren't supposed to use moves. That kind of power belonged only to Pokémon. Could it be… what Ash said about having Aura Power was actually true?
"Pika...CHU!!"
But when in doubt, blast it first! Pikachu gathered golden sparks in his cheeks and fired a bolt of electricity straight at Ash!
Ash braced himself, thrusting his hands forward. Blue energy surged out, condensing into a shimmering barrier of Aura Power.
BZZZZT!
Pikachu's Thunder Shock slammed into the barrier, only to be completely absorbed, leaving Ash unharmed.
"Wha..." Ash's eyes lit up. "It worked!"
And then, grinning ear to ear, he clenched a fist. "Alright, Pikachu! My turn!"
Blue light swirled in his palm, shaping itself into a perfect sphere of aura.
Aura Sphere!
The glowing orb shot forward and struck Pikachu head-on.
BOOM!
In an instant, the little mouse toppled over with spirals in his eyes.
"Eh?!" Ash's jaw dropped. "Pikachu! Are you okay?!"
Panicked, he rushed over and scooped Pikachu into his arms. Closing his eyes, Ash let the gentle flow of Aura Power pulse from his hands into Pikachu's small body.
Aura wasn't a healing move, not exactly. But as the very essence of life energy, it could strengthen vitality and stabilize the body, enough to count as a form of recovery.
A few tense moments passed… until Pikachu twitched, his eyes blinking open.
"Pika…?"