The trip from Kanto to Sinnoh by ferry seemed to last longer than an ordinary day, with excitement building in Ash's beating heart. Nonetheless, he'd arrived in the northernmost region by nightfall, watching the sun sink into the horizon in exchange for Sinnoh's shores. Cool mist surrounded Canalave City, springing from the port's chilly waters. He and Pikachu departed once more for Iron Island, leaving as soon as the connecting ferry allowed.

A second, shorter trip followed, most of which was missed by Ash and Pikachu, as they slept the night away. As soon as they'd woke, the duo rushed to have their fill of the buffet made available to travelers. Not a moment too soon, it seemed, as a voice rang over the intercom just as they were finishing their meal.

"Attention passengers: The ferry has arrived at Iron Island! Please collect your belongings and step onto the pier in an orderly fashion! The bridge to the dock will be lowered shortly."

Quickly wiping his face of syrup, Ash stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Alright, buddy! You ready to go meet up with Riley?" He grinned, watching Pikachu down the last of the ketchup he'd poured onto his trainer's plate.

"Pika, Pikachu!" The mouse cheered, savoring the taste. Hopping atop Ash's shoulder, he followed the trainer through the crowd. Thankfully, this ferry was less crowded than the one to Sinnoh had been. It wasn't all that difficult for the two to navigate down to the concrete pier that bordered a small cluster of buildings against the rockier portion of the isle.

Slipping past the railing, Ash rushed down the small bridge between boat and land before sliding onto the pier. "Well, here we are! Now where's…" Darting black hues skimmed the populace before coming across a very familiar figure, accompanied by another familiar pokemon.

"...Riley! And Lucario!" Beaming, Ash rushed over to the young man.

"Ah, Ash! It's nice to see you again." The youth bore a smile, his demeanor a bit more reserved than Ash's. "I've come to the pier every day for weeks now, but I'd say it was worth the wait. I'm happy to see that you've accepted my request." Blue hues turned away from the sea, looking toward the island itself. "Now, it'd probably be best if we discussed our endeavor in private. Shall we head to my home on the island?"

"Yeah, sure!" Ash chimed, following the steel-type trainer along as they navigated through tourists, and others visiting the island. It didn't take long to break free of the commotion and fanfare, their path leading them out of civilization's way and into the puzzling maze of coal and stone.

"It took you some time to answer my call. I assume you've been busy?" Riley made conversation, while Pikachu and Lucario stayed ahead, innately more agile than their human counterparts. "If I recall, you were challenging the pokemon league in this region, no? I'd hope that went over well."

"Kinda," was Ash's answer, the boy reaching to rub the back of his head. "I made it to the semifinals at the Lily of the Valley Conference. We came close, but there was a really powerful trainer who took the whole thing. So, Pikachu and I have been really busy training the past few months! This time, we're hoping to come out on top! Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pika, Pika!" The electric mouse turned his head to the two trainers, flashing a peace sign with his paw. He'd been currently telling Lucario of their endeavors, in which the Aura pokemon seemed to show interest. They seemed every bit as remarkable as they were reckless.

"Well, you've certainly grown," Riley added. Ash stood about a head taller than he had when they'd last met, and there was a certain glow in his hues that hinted at maturity. Or, what passed for maturity for Ash Ketchum, anyway. "I assume in mind, as well as in body? And Pikachu looks remarkably healthy, as well. Continue on your path, and you'll surely prevail."

"We'll do our best! I'm sure whatever we do here'll help out, too." It may be for aura, but training was training, right? "Hey, nothing crazy's gone down since we left right? Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened with Team Galactic, and all."

"Oh, no. It's been remarkably quiet here. Perfect for our own training, but things have gotten a tad dull. Which led to my pondering that brought you here." As if on cue, a small home came into view, catching Riley's attention. "I'll tell you more, once we've got some privacy."

Ash blinked, the home both appropriate and inappropriate for Riley. It was beautifully cleaned, though very simple. Flowerless but leafy briars coiled around the cottage. As they approached the door, Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the overly ornate mat. It must have been a present from long ago judging by how worn it was.

"Well, welcome to our home," Riley introduced. Lucario entered his home first, gesturing to the meager living room first and then walking into the kitchen. A hall further down seemed to suggest a bathroom, storage room, a bedroom, and a spare. "The room Lucario's standing in front of will be yours. Right now there's only a cot, but if you see fit to furnish it further, just check with me before putting anything else in."

"So, what are we staying for?" Ash finally inquired, standing in the middle - well, considering the low table surrounded by sitting pillows - standing near the middle of the living room.

Riley smiled. "You, Ash Ketchum, will be my apprentice." Shutting the door behind him, the mysterious man looked very pale, very out of place in his drab, dark clothes and the dark wooden house. "As I'm sure you're aware, the number of humans who can sense aura is miniscule." He knew of people who were dedicated to fighting types, who through years of practice could produce a facsimile of the skill the two of them naturally possessed. "The number of humans who can manipulate it… well, to be honest, I thought I was the last for the longest." With no proper heirs, any hope of the skill being passed down again through a bottleneck legacy had faded from Riley. Then, he found out about Ash.

And, now Riley had Ash here.

"Do you understand? I need you to learn this. It's vital. We can never know when we'll be needed again. But, the training will be grueling. No matter how good a trainer you are, this will be different. Are you still prepared?"

A moment of consideration was given. Then, he nodded. "I'll do it. It's for the greater good, right?"

"Right. … thank you, by the way. Aside from a duty, it is also my great pride to be able to share this. I had to learn on my own… but you don't have to." Gaining a temporarily playful mood, the man turned to the kitchen. "If you act right. Now, go get settled in. I've got something to do."

With that, Ash and Pikachu headed to the room Lucario had pointed out while the fighting type joined Riley. After putting down his bag and rearranging his room just a bit (sleeping bag on the cot for extra comfort, his clothes put away in the closet, and his shoes and hat put away out of respect for being in someone's home) Ash then walked back out.

Waiting on him were Riley and Lucario, seated at the table. The Kanto duo joined the Sinnoh duo at the table, an egg on the table between them.

"Whoa… it's such a deep blue."

"She's yours."

"She?"

Riley nodded. "Inside the egg is a baby Riolu waiting to hatch. This is your first responsibility and your most important test. She will be your partner. All aura guardians have kept Lucario with them and have kept an extremely deep bond."

Here, Lucario barked, clearly agreeing with the deep bond part.

"Oh, wow," Ash gently whispered, reaching out to take the egg in his hands. As he did such, a strange sensation washed over him. He felt… connected, raw and unguarded. It was unsettling yet tender. It washed over Ash for several moments, his eyes wide the whole time before it faded. He realized then that he felt compelled, more than before, to protect and nurture the egg. Was this the bond Riley was talking about?

Grinning, said man spoke. "Well. If I've ever seen such a pleasant reaction to sensing aura, that'd be incredible."


Thus started what Ash could only describe as Hell Week.

Laying bed on the fourth morning, he waited for the sun to inch high enough for Riley to knock once on his door. (Ash knew better than to sleep in. That'd only add to the day's regime.) Quickly slipping from his sleeping clothes and into his exercise gear, he noted how roughed up his feet had become. If he didn't know how sharp some of the rocks could be, he have gone barefooted for how calloused they were already becoming. By the end of this, he'd probably be able to.

After a quick breakfast of juice, eggs, and toast, the four - Riley, Ash, Lucario, and Pikachu - headed further up on Iron Island to enter the caves. The morning started off with weight training. After Riley realized Ash could easily manage carrying two Geodude at a time, it moved onto pushing Gravelers around. Ash completed the task with ease. Well, he completed the task in under two hours without cramping up.

Next, they headed into the hills where rocks jutted and for plateaus. Following Riley's irritatingly graceful lead - Why was this man just able to leap effortlessly from rock to rock? - Ash found today he didn't bust his ass a single time on the gravelly ground. While he was on the verge of exhaustion after all that jumping after exerting his upper body to the point he had, it was better to be tired than banged up from falls.

However, Riley would push Ash to his typical breaking point… with the pull ups in the small grove near the house. Trembling arms brought Ash up and then let him down until it was lunch time.

Riley was merciful enough to include time for a nap, which was all Ash wanted after eating and checking on the egg.

After a decently long break, it was time to go swimming. Admittedly, this was equal parts leisure and work. It mixed meditation underwater with fighting waves to stay at sea… and a healthy dose of just enjoying the tide while floating.

The final part of the daily routine was running until sunset in the open areas of the island.

Each afternoon, Ash was given free time. He usually spent it resting and tending to the egg, himself, and Pikachu.

Such was the general routine Ash followed while under Riley's training.


"Now, your next test." Riley began, standing a decent distance from the modest home, amongst rocks, the rare flora, and the occasional wild pokemon going about its business. "I'm going to have you and Pikachu get in battles with the wild pokemon in the area…"

"That's it? No problem! Pikachu and I'll be fi-"

"Without fighting back."

This stipulation earned two tilted heads.

"If you're going to be properly trained to read and understand aura, you'll first need to read your surroundings. If your aim is to simply defend yourself, you'll be forced to focus on your opponent's movements and predict them. If you can master this art, then you'll be one step closer to honing yourself as an aura guardian." Aware of how daunting this sounded, Riley continued. "Of course, if it's a life-or-death situation, I do expect you to fight back as a last resort. Lessons are replaceable. Life is far more valuable."

Now, this was new. Ash and Pikachu slowly nodded. "Right… That does sound tough. But we can handle it!" As eager as he was, though, Ash was left with one more question. "But, how are we gonna find pokemon to fight us?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." A meager, mischievous smile played at Riley's lips.

Shrugging, Ash ventured off into the rocky maze, arms folded behind his head as he walked around. "He said we can't attack… Wonder how we'll get pokemon after us." Pikachu shrugged, and he continued. "I'll tell ya, this is gonna be weird. Fighting back's always been our strong point!"

Ash's complaints were soon interrupted by a rather loud, metallic roar. Ailing ears caught Ash's attention, turning his orbs toward the source of the screech.

A Lairon stood in the duo's path, one of its tough, armored feet brushing the gravelly rock. Much like a Tauros ready to charge its prey. "Lairrr!" It cried, clearly ready to engage the two. Riley's promise was fulfilled, metallic jaws parting to fire a brilliant silver projectile towards the two.

"That's Flash Cannon!" Ash blurted, eyes rivaling saucers as he dove left of the gleaming blast. Letting out a huff, he landed with his best foot forward. "Man, that was close… We're gonna have to be more careful, Pikachu!"

It seemed trainer and pokemon alike were aware what they were in for. With that out of the way, Lairon let out a roar, Heavy hooves brought the creature charging toward the duo, intent on running them down. Or, so it seemed, anyway.

"Okay, it looks like it attacks in a straight line… We'll just have to watch out for that!" Ash warned, crouching as the silver skinned ran at them. Waiting, Pikachu gracefully leaped over it at the last minute whilst Ash actually momentarily jumped onto its back to run across its metal plated back and land safely on the other side.

As the maze was too narrow for Lairon to turn in, though it was wide enough to allow Ash dodging room, the steel type had to settle for snarling at having been thwarted before moving on.

"Great… I guess it's gonna be like that the whole time, huh?"

"Pikachu…" The mouse nodded. Well, at least that'd been relatively easy. Riley had warned them that this would be difficult. If past exercises told them anything, that warning had not been a lie.

"At least we're good at fending for oursel-" Ash let out a yelp, interrupted by a Geodude flying right past his face. Just a few inches closer and Ash would have been out like a light. "Man, that was a close one…!" Just as he'd been regaining his bearings, a second grunt caught his ear.

"Dude!" Another floating rock shot by, attempting to throw a punch Ash's way.

"Wah!" Ash was quick to duck, wincing as he felt the wind rush by just over his head. His messy bangs were ruffled, giving a testament to just how quick and powerful the small stones were.

"Pika!" Finding himself to be the target of another Geodude's Mega Punch, Pikachu sprang out of harm's way, landing on a stone jutting from the ground.

"Pikachu, behind you!"

Warned by his trainer, beady eyes turning back. Another was already coming his way, forcing the mouse to dig his tail into the ground, springing himself above the attacking pokemon.

"This is getting dangerous!" Ash watched the horde of rock-types circle in on him and Pikachu. "We better make a run for it if we wanna catch a break!" With that, Ash sprinted down yet another pathway, bordered by greater, onyx heights. The Geodude they'd fled from quickly fell behind, unable to compare to the duo's remarkable speed. However, they weren't out of the woods yet, so to speak.

"Geo! Dude! Dude!"

More grunts of the same name gave Ash a sweat, his eyes turning upward towards the rocky plateaus. The same species of pokemon lined the edges, every pair of eyes centered on the trainer and his pokemon. "Oh, great… Now there's more of 'em! Keep your eyes peeled, buddy!"

Rather than catapulting themselves, however, this gravelly bunch opted to lift up boulders roughly their size, tossing them at the duo. "Geo! Dude! Dude!" They tossed in a slow succession.

Two pairs of eyes grew giant, a shared yelp of panic leaving them as they sprung to safety. Following each pair of arms, Ash and Pikachu dodged left and right, managing to avoid harm. Soon, the trainer and his pokemon alike were able to judge by the Geodude's eyes, making cleaner escapes from their Rock Throw attacks. Panting, Ash couldn't help but take a moment to rest his back against the rock wall, panting heavily. "Man… This must be what battles are like, huh?" He huffed, looking to the mouse, who was darting to and fro, covering for them both.

"Pika, Pika," his companion nodded. Though, unlike Ash, he was quite used to the constant pressure. He'd even begun to jump from rock to rock, to make an exhilarating game out of what was causing Ash so much trouble,

"Dude!"

Another cry caught Ash's attention, forcing him to leap forward, barely scrambling to his feet. The call had come from above him, where another rock had fallen. "Okay, gotta remember from now on… I've gotta use my ears, too!" Pokemon typically made noise when they put effort into an attack. Another similar cry caught his attention, forcing him to jump backwards.

Quickly losing breath, he turned to Pikachu. "I think…" He panted. "I think we're gettin' the hang of this… But unless I wanna end up squashed flat, we'd better move!" With that, he sprinted through the rest of the passageway, ignoring the pain in his legs until he was sure they were clear of Geodude. Collapsing onto a standalone breath, he huffed.

"Oh, man…. That was close!" He could have sworn his heart was racing faster than a Rapidash. "But hey… We really… Held out there, didn't we, Pikachu?" He smiled down upon his companion, proud of himself. He was really starting to get the hang of it! If only he wasn't so tired.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, using his signature phrase that came with a victory. For him, this had been a simple speed and endurance session. For his trainer, though, that had been a true test of his perception. With hearing less impressive than a pokemon's, Ash had to put in much more effort.

Luckily enough for the duo, a minute or two of peace passed. Breath returned to Ash's lungs, his heart rate eased, and his vigor had returned. "Man, wait 'till we tell Riley about that! He's gonna-"

Once again, Ash had spoken to soon. A loud, earth-rumbling roar assaulted the duo's eardrums, making each cringe as they turned to face yet another terrifying foe. Towering over the duo like a small skyscraper, adorned with steel plates, the bipedal juggernaut set its icy blue sights on Ash and Pikachu.

Ash swallowed, standing up to face the pokemon, as if it would make him look any taller in comparison. Alas, he was still well within Aggron's shadow. "Guess I shoulda kept my mouth shut…" He exchanged glances with Pikachu, each of them nodding. As always, they would take on whatever overwhelming challenge that was thrown at them together.

"Alright, Aggron! Give us your best shot!" Ash cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting.

He would soon eat those words. One of its arms was raised, its long claws taking on a brilliant silver shine. Metal Claw was thrown towards the ground, threatening to turn them into shreds.

"That Metal Claw's heading right for us! Look out, Pikachu!" Ash yelped, diving off to the side. Dust and debris were thrown his way, clouding him in the grey shroud before Ash scrambled to his feet. The attack had missed its mark, and Pikachu'd landed on the other side. "That was close…! But hey, it looks like we're fast enough to dodge it! We've just gotta keep our eyes peeled!"

His arrogance was, once again, challenged. The giant pokemon turned its hips, its entire tail taking on a similar metallic hue. Once it'd built momentum, Aggron swung its body around, attempting to hit a home-run with Iron Tail.

Pikachu had little trouble escaping, leaping over to land on a rock adorning the darker heights.

Ash, however, wasn't so agile. Staring into the metallic limb that could easily spell doom for him, Ash scrambled for the familiar nearby boulder, climbing upon it to wait for the pokemon's strike. He hardly had to wait, though, the large limb coming right towards him.

"Alright! Here it goes!" Heart pounding against his ribcage, Ash crouched before leaping into the air, springing off the elevation in an effort that just barely brought him out of Iron Tail's range.

Stumbling a good deal before managing to right himself, Ash was sure he'd gone blue in the face. "That was a close one… Hey, Pikachu! Look out! He's coming after ya again!"

Metal Claw struck at the ground once more, though, it was hardly a match for Pikachu's speed. Several more metallic strikes chased the yellow blur, only leaving scrapes along whatever rocky surfaces Pikachu had previously perched upon and a frustrated Aggron in the attack's wake. This continued three more times before Pikachu was finally too high for Aggron to continue pursuing with physical attacks. Snorting, the steel type turned its attention to Ash, who had been recovering until then.

Horns glimmering something sinister, Aggron turned and charged at Ash. This particular portion of the labyrinth was much wider, perfectly suited to such a mammoth monster… rather unfortunately for Ash.

Letting out a yelp, the boy dived out of the way of Aggron, watching with terrified curiosity as its horns stuck into the stone sides of their trail, his eyes wide in horror. "P-Pikachu, we're ditching!" Ash barked, scrambling to his feet. Seeing a potential escape route, Ash darted for it…

Only to have the silver skinned beast skid in front of him, teeth clacking together. Ash looked back. The way they'd come into this particularly large portion of the maze was blocked by the beast's tail.

"Pikapi!" the electric type cried, jumping down onto Ash's shoulder. The mouse's claws dug into Ash's shoulder as the trainer stepped back at their opponent's approach. Heavy stomps shook the earth and the creature's maw opened.

"... Are you seriously going to use a Hyper Beam?!" Ash squeaked, fear palatable. "Forget this! Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

Quicker than the blast of all-powerful energy could be spent by Aggron, Pikachu had produced and launched his own speedy attack. Between the massive speed difference of the two and - unknown to Ash and Pikachu - Aggron's relative youth and inexperience, the attack was plenty of deterrent.

Backing off while rubbing its face, an escape was finally presented to the duo. Needless to say, they took it, hearing only the rattling echo of Aggron's roar upon realizing they'd escaped. Soon, the trail seemed to come to another wide spot… and just when Ash was beginning to worry, Riley stepped out. A tiny Zubat rested on his shoulder.

"Well, given what my little informant told me," Riley began as Ash realized the tiny poison type had probably heard everything Ash did given its sonar hearing, "you did very well. However, you shouldn't gamble with reaction time like that. What if Pikachu's Electro Ball hadn't fired before Aggron's… hm, we couldn't figure out if it was a Hyper Beam or Dragon Pulse." Shaking his head, the master crossed his arms. "Either way, you're going to learn to read the situation faster. Or, you'll pay for it."

When Riley said he would be a tough teacher, he wasn't kidding. Shoulders slumping, Ash nodded along. "Yeah, I know… We'll definitely do better, next time!" At least it was progress.


Roughly five days had gone by… and Ash had burned through his food supplies. Miserably realizing all he had left was some rice and bread, the teen meekly turned to the living room, where Riley and Lucario were already eating their moderately portioned meals. Pikachu sat on the counter top, waiting to see what would happen.

"Hey… Riley. Do you think I could maybe borrow some chow…? I'll take a ferry to go pick up some more tomorrow…?"

"No." The man continued eating, seemingly unphased.

"B-But, Riley! If we don't get some meat, it's gonna suck tomorrow!" Ash whined. He only knew vaguely how bodies worked from his short time in school, but he knew that working muscles broke them down and you needed meat to make your body better.

"You should have managed your food better," the master continued, lifting his cup for a drink.

Panicking, Ash looked towards the egg. What if he still didn't have food when she was born?! "Are you gonna starve us?! Riley!"

"A new shipment of supplies comes in next week. You can live a few days on bread and rice." Seeing that Ash still wasn't calmed, the man let out a sigh. "If you're really so hungry, you'll forage. Every night, the Zubat and Golbat leave the caves to go down to a beach side groove towards the southernmost point of the island. It's very fertile there. Follow them and you'll have more to eat."

Realizing what time it was, Ash gritted his teeth before grabbing one of the empty bags which previously held vegetables. Heading out the door, he only slowed down enough to allow Pikachu to keep up.

When he got outside, the first of what would become a swarm was already taking to the dull inky-purple sky. The trainer followed, stumbling on occasion over rocks until he remembered where he was and followed the trails he always ran across. Eventually, the path became more tangled and he had to feel and move quietly, listening for the squeaks of Zubat above. Thirty minutes of miserable slow walking in the dark eventually put him far away from the Zubat and Golbat, partially lost.

"Crap," Ash muttered. He slid down, resting. How would he know which way was south? He closed his eyes, concentrating. Maybe… maybe…

He lucked out. A particularly loud screech - maybe a pair of Golbat fighting over something - faintly reached him. He stood up, continuing his path until his feet hit roots and he grinned.

"We should have brought a flashlight," he muttered.

Pikachu glimmered then, realizing Ash couldn't see as well as the mouse could in the dark. Sparks danced over his cheeks and Ash looked around, realizing the bounty of the area they'd entered. He stepped deeper into the grove, grinning. He recognized some of these fruits, plucking the best looking. Soon he stumbled upon nut trees and grabbed as many of those as he could. As they walked on, he saw the Zubat and Golbat he'd followed. Some were gorging themselves on the fruits or nibbling on nuts. Some were on the ground, digging slowly. Eventually, they'd reach hearty looking roots. Some shared while other greedily ate them all on their own.

Deciding not to disturb the horde, Ash went off on his own, digging around by Pikachu's light to find his own food. After his bag was filled with the fruits, nuts, and root-vegetables, Ash decided he was satisfied.

"Well, that was a pain… But it looks like we got to the root of the problem, huh?" A cheeky smile all but nudged Pikachu, begging for some sort of amused response.

All he got was a judgmental glance. And an amused roll of the mouse's eyes.

After a long, miserable trek home, Ash realized he still needed to fix some kind of dinner.

As he entered the house, Riley looked up, not quite surprised, but as if he were mulling things over.

"You didn't wait until daylight to come back? There was nothing to guide you."

Ash paused, suddenly realizing he only came back by what he could describe as a draw along with help from Pikachu lighting their way with his little electric cheeks. His eyes darted to the table where the egg stood. "I…"

Deciding not to speak anymore, Riley only smiled. "You're progressing fine." The bond was definitely building. "Eat your dinner and then get to bed. You're not getting a break tomorrow even if you're hungry." Though, if the boy had gotten the food that grove offered, he should be fine until next week.


The genteel sanctity of Riley's small home had been abandoned once more for the more rugged isle rows, this time leading Ash and company into a notably dim cavern. Cracks of light dared to shed some visibility through ragged rock, guiding the small group into the center of the chamber.

Without warning, Riley and Lucario came to a halt, turning to face Ash and Pikachu. "Our training will proceed here. I trust that you've adjusted to the limited visibility you've been forced to navigate?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "You've made impressive gains in anticipating and tracking the movements of others. Without fighting back, you've survived well enough. Now, I think it's fair that you'd be allowed to fight back."

"Fighting back? Isn't that just like any other battle?" Ash tilted his head, puzzled.

"Not quite. Your Pikachu won't be doing the fighting. You will." A small smile appeared on the aura guardian's lips. "Now that you can hold your own, you'll fight my Lucario. He's already volunteered to act as your partner, for the time being. In due time, your own will take that place."

"I'm gonna fight Lucario!?" That suggestion deserved at least a double-take from Ash, and Pikachu, too. Tough as he was, squaring off against a fighting type… "You sure about this?"

"Oh, it won't be anything you can't handle. Just trust Lucario. He is remarkably disciplined."

The Aura pokemon nodded, its usual stoic expression traded for a small, coy smile. He turned into a more guarded stance, patiently waiting for Ash to step up to the challenge.

"Alright… You want a fight, you've got one!" A snide smile formed on the trainer's lips, gloved fingers reaching to grip the brim of his cap before flipping it backwards on his head. He stepped closer to the Aura pokemon, raising both of his fists.

Riley would have raised a brow at the unusual gesture, if not for the notable flare in Ash's aura. Gaining a certain competitive spark, it could be reasoned that the cap had some significance. "Remember to focus on Lucario's movements while executing your own. With time, you should come to sense his intentions, and your innate sense through aura will begin to come naturally."

With that warning, the bipedal jackal lunged forward, throwing a punch towards Ash's face.

Watching the pokemon draw closer, Ash had ample time to turn on his feet, sidestepping the first punch, missing it by mere inches. A roar from the Aura pokemon tipped him off again, his right arm raising to block a left hook from his attacker. Despite the numbness shooting through his forearm, Ash had defended nicely enough.

Acknowledging the boy's success so far, Lucario grunted, swinging into what could qualify for a very subdued close Combat. Spiked fists flew, barraging Ash in a manageable flurry of strikes.

Sweating, Ash did his best to keep up, stepping back out of range when he could, otherwise raising his arms to block anything that just came by too fast. Dark hues followed rounder red orbs, trailing Lucario's intentions with every punch that came his way.

Though, competent as Ash was proving to be, he was still a human trading punches with a fighting type pokemon. A very close call drew an involuntary shout from the trainer, sweat dripping down his cheek. 'That's it. I'm gonna show 'em that I can throw a punch, too!'

Grinning, Ash turned on a heel to regain his balance, throwing a punch straight towards the Aura pokemon. Unable to grapple with the punch like his opponent with opposable thumbs, Lucario simply blocked the punch with his arm. A small grin formed below its snout, canines showing.

Following up on the opportunity he was given, the raven-haired boy threw another punch toward the pokemon's side. Though, the element of surprise hadn't been his, after all.

Lucario dropped to one foot, holding himself upright with the opposite arm. A roundhouse kick was thrown towards Ash, which was only barely avoided by a backwards lurch from the latter.

Ash was more than impressed. Of course, it should go without saying that a Lucario's fighting prowess would be noteworthy, let alone Riley's. Stumbling into balance, Ash struck out with one jab after the next, doing his best to catch Lucario off-guard.

The fighting type held his ground, however, exchanging blows with the boy until even his perception hit a blind spot. A swift hook knocked the trainer in the face, putting the brawl on hold.

"Man, that smarts…!" Ash stepped back, whining as he rubbed his sore cheek.

"You had a good pace, but you became reckless." Riley criticized, interrupting the match. "While putting all of your effort into attacking can be tempting, you need to remain disciplined. Stay vigilant for your surroundings, and strike only when they offer you an opening. Against an opponent stronger than you, you can't afford to lose focus and take hits."

"Right…" Rubbing his cheek, Ash nodded along. Feeling somewhat bashful over his mistakes, he turned back to the Aura pokemon. "Just gotta stay focused!" Once more, he threw a punch.

Riley clicked his tongue. Oh well; Ash would learn one thing at a time.

The two continued their brawl, with Pikachu and Riley watching intently. Lucario took the offensive once more, only allowing Ash to slip in a strike when it had left a notable opening. Growing tired, Ash did his best to stay focused. Continuing to block and dodge, he did his very best to pay attention to Lucario's movements. Slowly but surely, his moves became more fluid, Lucario's shifts and turns making its moves more apparent.

In the midst of the grueling exercise, Ash found his intuition beginning to take over. Lucario's intentions became more and more clear, passing to Ash in what came to feel like a mental link. Chocolate pooled hues grew wide, something of a rush passing through the teen. Lucario's fist swung forward, its aim passing through Ash's mind clear as day. Shifted hips allowed him to pass by a right hook, making way for a swift jab that finally hit its mark. Lucario was hit clean in the jaw, red hues growing wide.

Ash's gloved fist hadn't moved an inch, not once leaving the boy's line of sight.

A wide smile crossed Riley's lips. "Well done, Ash. I'd say it's time for the real training to begin.