To Prove Oneself!:
Many Days and Training Sessions had pasted since the learning of Lopunny's death. The young Riolu, Keiko, had accepted it just as her old friends had after their while of mourning. Each day seemed to arrive brighter and brighter to her dimmed smile at its own pace, despite her friends' attempts to make her happier faster.
One day, though, at a pause for training, Keiko had a reason to keep her head into reality.
"Alright! Line up!" commanded the green and white Fighter Pokemon, Hiro-sensei. In a flash, those that were sitting quickly stood and rushed into line-up, and those ready to go began to form the line. Once all the apprentices were in order and quiet, the Gallade, walking straight-shouldered, paraded himself up and down their plane of view.
"Today, we will practice our species' key moves." prompted the Pokemon, "However, you two," he looked directly at Roga and Keiko, "will be joining us despite yours' being of aura-origin." He paused in the middle of his marching and turned to his group, "Any objections?"
Always, no matter the teacher, such a question was asked in vain. No one would ever speak a retaliation to their assignments, however their minds often buzzed with sighs and mutters.
After a moment's wait, Hiro nodded, "Good. Let up begin." He strode over to Zangoose-kun at the end of the line, first. Keiko leaned outward to see what he was going to be doing.
"Zangoose, your species is known for their large claws and intimidating rivalry." he side-glanced to the ground, "You shall train with the move Crush Claw."
Next, was Linoone. "Linoone. Your kind are renown for their speed. You shall do Quick Attack."
After the badger Pokemon, came Roserade and Yoru. "Roserade, you shall do Magical Leaf, and Yoru Ice Beam."
At his final pause, Hiro-sensei finished by speaking to Roga and Keiko. "You both shall do Aura Sphere."
Keiko froze at these words. 'Aura Sphere'? She hadn't learned how to manipulate Aura into an attack such as that yet! A shiver went up her spine as she thought of the punishment she might receive from the Gallade before her once she failed.
Blinking, reality flashed into her face along with determination. She looked around and saw that everyone had begun and Hiro was already commenting on each apprentice. Jumping, she quickly found Roga and ran to his side so that she might get to copy his movements that may aid her in using the move.
The Lucario acknowledged her presence with a nod, then proceeded to begin the move. He brought his paws back to his side and focused on a tree's center. His ears rose slightly as the blue energy rounded into the area of his paws. The sphere grew larger every second, and nearly covered his paws with its light before he moved once again. As quick as sound, Roga swung his lower paw back even more, the aura following it. Then, he thrust the ball into the tree before him, causing a slightly flash upon the impact, but leaving an indent into the bark.
The blue Pokemon stood back to his feet and stared at his work, sighing with the apparent success. Keiko stood, silent as a statue, and her jaw against her chest. He could already perform at that kind of level? She hadn't know how to track aura for a full moon!
"Very good, Roga!" resounded the praise of Hiro-sensei. Keiko turned to the speaking Pokemon, who was surprisingly looking down at her, "You are finished, for I can see training has already prevailed for you. However, I now want to see what you can do, Keiko." he smiled, in a malicious way of sorts.
The young Riolu walked over to her own tree and took in a large gulp of air in an attempt to console herself. She hadn't noticed before, but the sun was begining to set, adding a bit more pressure to Keiko's nervousness. Though it failed her soul to drink the air in large amounts, it seemed on the outside she was ready, at least to Hiro. As she faced her enemy, the Gallade quickly called, "When you're ready!"
She took a stance, similar to Roga's from before, but slightly different for her size. She noticed an eyebrow raising on the Lucario's face from the corner of her eye as the began focusing just as he had. The Riolu waited, waited for the energy to form. It was bound to, the stance seemed to do something to muster it up.
All was still, still in waiting for the next thing to happen. Nothing but a faint Murkrow's caw rattled the leaves. No blue, not power, no nothing. The only thing that would have changed during the minutes would be Keiko's face from blue and black to a bright red.
Something else soon had, the look on Hiro-sensei's face. The stern look of expectation had shifted to a twisted smirk, emitting a suppressed laughter which hadn't stayed so for long. Keiko remained still, however, bound by embarrassment.
Eventually, she brought her arms down and sighed deeply. She hadn't noticed before, but as she realized, her face flushed to an even more red. Everyone else had been watching her, all seemingly finished with their own training.
Hiro's irritable laughing continued for about a moment, then calming enough to hear his words. "Okay...okay....now, can you please go?" he pointed to the tree. The small Pokemon before him shook her head. "I can't." The Sensei's giggles picked up a bit, but then settled some more. "Really now, Keiko, show us your Aura Sphere. Go on." He gestured once again to the tree, receiving the same reply as before. "I can't...."
With the repetition, Hiro stood up straight, "Alright, everyone head back to camp." he glared at Keiko with a suddenly intimidating anger, his eyes speaking for himself that she was not allotted. After the others had left, all that remained were Hiro and Keiko.
"Now, I've gotten rid of everyone, just show me your Aura Sphere." he coaxed. The Riolu shook her head sadly, "I can't, Hiro-sensei, I've told you already I can't..."
The Gallade was never a Pokemon of comforting, he was a demand-er and a dictator. "Use your Aura Sphere!" he sternly spoke, his voice raising slightly.
"I can't! I don't know how to yet!"
"How can you not know how to yet?! We've been training for weeks now!"
"Mewtwo-sensei hasn't taught me the Aura Sphere yet! I don't know how."
At this point, the Gallade looked worse than a steamed plant, "I don't understand why the Ancients would have chosen such an idiotic and incapable child like you! If you can't even do what you were made to, then what's the point of even choosing you?!" With this, he stormed off, leaving a quiet and saddened Riolu to stand there.
Many thing stirred inside Keiko: Anger, sadness, offense, surprise. She was angry that he had spoken that way about her, and at the same time sad and offended by his comments. The surprise came from how fast he had boiled and the level at which he burst.
She blinked, something that seemed to last have been done a long time ago. A lump had formed in her throat from the anger and sadness conflicting, making it uncomfortable to think and be alone. She had to release some of the emotion, fast.
She turned and quickly punched into the tree that was her greatest enemy now. She punched and hit the bark until her paws were sore and begining to bleed. Tears began to stream down her face in realization. She was useless and dumb, she was supposed to be a hero but has failed thus far. She had done nothing that she was meant to, nothing.
Suddenly, her mind cleared and her eyes opened. The tears stopped and Keiko stood straighter, shaking her head. 'I can't let him tell me that kind of stuff.' she thought, 'He was just as angered when we had pranked him.' Remembering the day brought a determined smile to her face. 'I'll show him, I'll show him and Roga that I can use the Aura and that I am meant to be who I am.'
With the final words in her mind, she looked up to the tree and sighed. 'Okay.' she thought once more, 'I can do this. Focus....focus on the Aura...! A thought ran into her brain. Focus, not on the Aura, but the Aura in her paws, using the Aura to attack, not just focusing on it! She beamed, joyful with the new realization in her grasp.
Swiftly, Keiko took her stance. She motioned her hands to her side and laid aim on the obstacle before her. A new energy flowed through her, one she had felt only a few times before. The energy twisted and turned its way to her paws, where a light was begining to form. 'It's working!' her mind exclaimed, 'I'm using Aura!' The sphere's light grew strong, almost a blinding glow in Keiko's right eye.
All seemed to be illuminated in the dark forest, and with the light, something inside her told the young Riolu to release her move. She nodded, and threw her right arm to the tree, the ball of energy rushed for the object before her. The forest became white like a cloud for a moment, and then cleared. The tree before her, once a solid oak, was now beaten and had a large hole in its center.
Keiko, gazing among her work, panted and smiled. With joy, she jumped about in excitement and pride. Her self-celebration was joined with clapping. The blue Pokemon paused and looked about, finding a slight surprise. Everyone, Mewtwo-sensei, Hiro-sensei, Roga, Roserade, Yoru, all of them, they were all there and smiling upon her. Clearly, they had seen it all, each glowing with pride. She smiled wider to see Roga's happiness matching close to her own.
She fell backward and closed her eyes, laughing and sighing. The grass cooled her muscles, which she now realized were hot with tension. Exhausted from the energy that had previously gone through her body, Keiko closed her eyes, her breathing slowed, and slipped into a deserving dream.