AN: We end the tournament arc! Tell me what you think of the battle.
Dialogue Guide:
"This is normal speech"
This is a person thinking in their head
This is someone speaking telepathically or with Aura
("Pokemon Speak")
("Legendary Pokemon Speak")
Azrael knew that Nobuyuki was going to be faster than him. He was smaller and had quicker feet and would use Aura to boost his speed. It was one of the things that Azrael knew about the little Riolu since he always started his fights with a Quick Attack via a kick to the face. Having faced him in spars for a better part of a week, Azrael and Ash were prepared. They had already decided on an opening plan: to stay still and use Detect the moment the referee gave the signal to start the match.
With his eyes attuned and ready, Azrael could block Nobuyuki's attack with his horn and push him back before trying to use a Quick Attack of his own. Nobuyuki flipped back and quickly did a second flip to avoid Azrael's blow. Azrael tried again, but Riolu jumped to the right and struck him with his paw a few times in the side. Azrael winced at the blows, but he was getting used to them thanks to their past training sessions, so he jumped back with little pain.
"Azrael! Use Swift!" Ash cried out. Summoning the glowing stars, Azrael unleashed them on Nobuyuki with a roar.
"Nobuyuki! Metal Claw to defend yourself!" Yukimura ordered.
Since Swift was an attack that never missed, the best strategy was to find a way to block it or destroy the stars before they could do damage. The dull spikes on Nobuyuki's paws glowed, and three energy spikes of Aura appeared on his paws. Crying out with determination, Nobuyuki summoned his Aura to his eyes and used them to help him destroy the Swift stars one by one as fast as possible. Although two hit him in the chest, he managed to prevent most of them from hitting him.
However, Ash wasn't done with his plan yet, so he shouted, "Quick Attack, Azrael!"
Having used the Swift attack to distract Nobuyuki, Azrael charged forward as fast as possible with his horn posed to strike. Yukimura, meanwhile, smiled as if he was expecting this. "Stop him with your Metal Claw, bro!"
Keeping his Aura in use, Nobuyuki put his claws in an "X" format and blocked the horn of Azrael from impacting him. Although he did skid back from the force of the blow, Nobuyuki stood firm as his blades locked in with Azrael's horn.
("That all you got?!") Nobuyuki asked with a cocky grin.
("Far from it,") Azrael answered with a smirk.
" Swift!" Ash cried out, which made Yukimura and Nobuyuki's eyes widen.
Opening his mouth, Azrael let out a roar, and the stars came from behind him. Nobuyuki's body reacted by jumping back, but this left him open to the blow as all the stats hit him, this time at point-blank range. He was knocked back hard, gasping for air as he hugged his chest with a heavy wince. Nobuyuki then got up and shook his head to refocus himself.
"A clever move by Ash Ketchem! Using an unblockable range move at front range would give any Pokemon a painful experience," The announcer shouted as the crowd cheered.
Too bad that won't work a second time, Ash thought as he knew that his cousins wouldn't fall for that same trick again. Spotting his opponents nodding to each other, Ash figured it was time to play defense until he saw an opening. "Azrael! Double Team! "
("On it!") Azrael shrouded as he began making copies of himself that soon made more. They began to surround Nobuyuki on the field as Riolu looked around at each of them with a calm expression on his face. Ash bit his lips and hoped that Yukimura and Nobuyuki would make the same mistake as one of their previous opponents. Suddenly, Nobuyuki charged forward to his left and made for one of the copies, who looked shocked. This copy was then hit with an Aura-powered punch to the face, knocking them off their feet and onto their back.
Once hit, all the other copies were gone, much to Ash's surprise, as he just saw Nobuyuki discover where the real Azrael was. "H-How did he know?!"
"Smelled him," Yukimura answered as Ash looked at his grinning cousin. "Just as you've been learning about us? We've been learning about you. We know Double Team is a problematic move for us. So we managed to overcome it by having Nobuyuki remember Azrael's scent and use that to smell him out."
Darn it, that is clever, Ash thought with a nod of respect to his opponent.
"Now, to continue the assault! Go, Nobuyuki!"
The pumped-up Riolu charged forward and began unleashing a series of kicks and punches towards Azrael, who did his best to dodge. However, Nobuyuki's martial arts were not easy to deal with, and he was knocked back when each blow to his face or chest connected. Ash growled and tried to keep calm as Azrael was getting pummeled, but he didn't have a strategy at the moment to get out of this.
"And Nobuyuki is bringing the pain to Azrael. Can he get out of this one before getting a knockout blow?!" The announcer shouted.
Ash needed to stop Nobuyuki, but how? Azrael couldn't use his feet, and his horn would need time to charge up to use Knock Off. Ash then realized something. The rest of Azrel's head was still in use. Hoping this would work, Ash shouted, "Azrael! Grab Nobuyuki's arm with your teeth!"
Focusing on the more primal side of his Pokemon nature, Azrael dodged a straight punch that Nobuyuki shot out and dove his teeth into the arm. While it wasn't a full-on Bite move, it still hurt the smaller Pokemon, who screamed in pain as Azrael kept his grip on his sharp teeth.
"Throw him up in the air and then Quick Attack !" Ash shouted
"Nobuyuki! Get out of there!" Yukimura shouted, but it was too late.
Azrael tossed the younger and smaller Pokemon like a stuffed doll into the air. He then shot up with Quick Attack , powering him, and slammed his horn into Riolu's gut while in the air. Nobuyuki let out a painful cry as saliva spat out of his mouth. Not finished yet, Azrael spun around with Nobuyuki still on his horn and threw him back down, where the Riolu flipped in the air before slamming hard on contact. A small crater from the impact was made, and Nobuyuki groaned as he was bruised all over with a nasty, deep, impactful blow on his chest, and his arm was bleeding from the bite.
"Azrael! Dive down and use Knock Off !" Ash cried out with the hope that this would end the battle.
Roaring, Azrael summoned dark energy into his glowing horn and dived downright for Nobuyuki. Only a small grin appeared not just on the Riolu but also on his trainer, as Yukimura then shouted, "Now, bro! Use Counter!"
" What?! /(What?!) ! " Both Ash and Azrael shouted upon hearing this. Neither of them had expected this, as Nobuyuki had not once shown he knew the Counter move. Ash tried to get Azrael to call off the attack, but it was too late.
Nobuyuki was glowing yellow and blue all over his body just as the Knock Off move made contact. Immediately, a red burst of energy came out of Nobuyuki and exploded around Azrael, who screamed in pain from the blow. Whenever Counter was used, the attack wasn't just directed back at the user but also doubled the damage. Meaning Azrael got hit with the force of two Knock Offs , Azrael crashed into the ground multiple times before skidding on his back. Ash looked in horror as he shouted, "Azrael!"
"Amazing! A Counter by Nobuyuki has seriously hurt Azrael! Could this be the end, folks?! Do we have a winner?!"
("Ugh,") Azrael moaned as he slowly forced himself back to his stomach and struggled to get up. ("That...hurt...gah...")
A Riolu that young that can use Counter? Leonidas asked in surprise. I never managed to learn that until I was two years older than Nobuyuki is right now.
"I'm surprised that Azrael is still standing. Counter can be a devastating blow when it hits the target attacking the user. It doubles the damage," Queen Ilene stated.
Azrael is made out of stern stuff, but I think he's on his last legs, Mew whispered with worry. She really wanted Ash to win this one but it looks like this might be the end.
"I didn't know you taught him Counter," Delia said in surprise to Ranmaru.
I taught him it after my sons and Master Ash decided to compete in the tournament, Ranmaru replied with an apologetic smile. He said he wanted a hidden ace against Master Ash. While I do care about him, Nobuyuki and Yukimura are my sons. I couldn't deny them. They spent the entire week training for it in secret.
Deila nodded in understanding. Ranmaru was only doing what her children asked of her. Yet as Ash looked at a struggling Azrael with worry, she only hoped her son could pull off something before the final blow.
"Sorry, cousin, but we knew we had to bring our all for this match," Yukimura said apologetically. "But if it helps, you fought well! Nobuyuki, finish it with a Metal Claw !"
Gritting his teeth and fists, Ash tried to wrack his brain as fast as he could to turn this around. Azarel was still standing, but his backside was now turned towards Nobuyuki, who was running towards him, ready to finish him off.
"Azrael! You got to dodge and get out of there!" Ash shouted. Azrael tried shaking his head to regain his senses, but he was still stunned by the deviating blow.
I got to help him! I need to help him! We're not going to give up! Not now! Not when we're so close! We can do it! WE CAN STILL FIGHT!
Suddenly, every Aura user picked something up from Ash, making them all pause. Even Nobuyuki momentarily slowed down as he sensed a sudden spike of Aura coming from Ash. Though small and faint, the gloves on Ash's hands started to glow, including the orbs, as Ash suddenly found something coursing through his veins like cool water from a river. Azrael suddenly gasped as he felt something inside of him. A familiar presence that was coming from a single person that he instinctively knew it was from . A-A-Ash?
What the?! Leonidas gasped as he felt the aura coming from Ash. That Aura...it's...it's not Ash's?! What the Hell?!
That's... Mew felt her jaw drop and heart skip a beat upon feeling it. She knew that Aura presence. Only one person has this similar aura. S-S-Sir Aaron?!
I don't know what's happening, but we can't let it distract us! Yukimura thought as he shouted to his brother, "Metal Claw! Hurry!"
("R-Right!") Nobuyuki cried out as he refocused, summoned the claws, and jumped into the air to deliver the final blow.
While this was happening, Ash suddenly felt like he was...connected to Azrael. It was as if he was beside him, shoulder to shoulder. He could feel Azrael's thoughts in a vague sense of awareness—worry, pain, and fear. Yet when Ash touched them, he suddenly felt relaxed. Knowing Ash was beside him made him no longer afraid and ready to fight again.
He didn't know why he could do this. Was it an Aura thing? Regardless, Ash wouldn't turn down whatever this was and quickly went to work. Hoping this new connection worked as it suspected, Ash mentally told Azrael to jump to the left as if sending a vision of it right to his head.
Azarel, meanwhile, felt that Ash was telling him to dodge and head to the left, and that's what he did. He jumped back just as Nobuyuki arrived and slashed the ground with deep marks. Although shocked, Nobuyuki didn't just give up and charged again. Azrael could see the attacks coming towards him, but he could also see them from a different angle. Ash's perspective if what he suspected was true. Azrael didn't know how he could see in two directions and sense the awareness of both, but either way, he used it to his advantage and dodged the blows after him.
This surprised everyone, as earlier, it looked like Azrael was on his last legs, but now he looked like he had gained a second wind. Suspecting this was connected with Ash in some way, Azrael wasn't going to say no to this sudden boost of energy. He wondered if this connection between him and Ash worked two ways, and so Azrael tried letting Ash know in his mind that they needed a plan.
Almost as if he was being told this right before him, Ash quickly devised one to buy them some more time. "Azrael! Use Double Team and Swift! Combined!"
Azrael was confused by what Ash meant by that when he suddenly saw what Ash was envisioning in his head like a flash. Did I just read Ash's mind? Or did he send me that through his mind to mine?!
Regardless, the plan was made, and Azrael was more than happy to initiate it. He started sending copies of himself as he did so, but as he did, he started sending out Swift stars. Nobuyuki was forced to call off his attack and swipe at the stars, but the attacks were faster than before and were hitting harder whenever he missed one, and it made contact with his body. In fact, they felt more like mini-explosions that were scorching his fur.
Master Ash...how are you doing this?! Ranmaru asked in her head as she sensed Ash's Aura. His aura was, for the lack of a better word, bonding, with Azrael, who was fueled by it, almost like a gas pump to a car. This shouldn't even be possible! This is way too advanced for a beginner like Master Ash. And then there is that second Aura signature! It's different from Master Ash's! How does he have two signatures?!
Closing her eyes, Ranmaru focused her entire senses on Ash. Upon deeper concentration and scanning, she saw that the aura signatures were similar. Almost as if they were related in a way. Yet this was a signature she had never sensed before. This is not Mistress Delia's or Master Red's but is similar to the latter. A relative? But where is it coming from...wait...
She opened her eyes and focused her Aura on them. Focusing on Ash himself, she saw a glow coming from the gloves. Specifically, the orbs on them. It's coming from...the gloves?
The plan was working, and Nobuyuki faltered and got hurt by each star, but the stars got weaker as well. Ash could feel both his and Azrael's new boost of strength fading. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to last much longer. Got no choice! Gotta risk it all in one final attack!
"Azrael! Use everything you got!" Ash shouted as he and Azrael both agreed that this needed to end.
Azrael summoned one final attempt to do Knock Off and felt the strange energy with Ash fueling his attack. This peculiar Aura was mixing with his Dark-type energy and fueling the horn with the combined power. This, in turn, almost made the horn blow a box of both black and blue like a crescent of the moon itself. The clouds in the sky seemed to have timed themselves perfectly to cover the sun as the shade allowed the dark Aura with blue embers to glow as if it was a blade of the shadows.
"Nobuyuki! Get ready to do the same!" Yukimura shouted as his brother summoned one last Metal Claw and gritted his teeth.
Roaring, Azrael charged forward while Riolu let out a howl and did the same. The two trainers both let out cries of their own as Ash launched his fist in the air as if he was also going to attack. With their last strength, the two screaming Pokemon jumped and clashed horn to claw.
A burst of energy erupted from the blow, and everyone was forced to cover their eyes from the explosion. Ash felt his connection to Azrael suddenly end as the glowing Aura from his gloves also disappeared. Gasping, Ash felt more tired than he ever had before and nearly collapsed to his knees but kept himself standing. His hat came off, and he was sweating like crazy as he gasped for breath. However, he never stopped himself from focusing on where Azrael was and waited with halted breath, much like everyone else. Did Azrael do it? Did he lose? Was their last attack in vain?
Slowly, the smoke cleared, and Ash felt his heart leap out of his chest.
Azrael, just barely, was standing right over an unconscious Nobuyuki, who was lying face down with his eyes closed but still breathing. Everyone was staring in stunned silence. Azrael, beaten and injured, barely able to stand, turned to Ash, who gazed at him eye to eye.
He then grinned.
He won.
The referee raised his flag to Ash's side. "Nobuyuki is knocked out! The winner of this match and the tournament is Ash Ketchem and Azrael!"
In an instant, the stadium erupted with cries of excitement.
"Unbelievable! What a comeback!" The announcer screamed. "Azrael and Ash pull a win out of nowhere and win the entire tournament! Put your hands, paws, claws, wings, and whatever limbs you have for the winner of the Rookie Shot Tournament! Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and his Pokemon Team!"
"I...I won..." Ash stood there in a state of shock. He won. He won a tournament. From a kid who, months ago, was near the state of death after having been betrayed by his first Pokemon. Who trained his heart and body to rebuild himself. Who had to fight his inner demons and fears of failure. He won.
He couldn't help but shed a few tears as a big smile decorated his face. "I...won..."
No. They won.
Him. Azrael. And Skye.
They won together.
Ash couldn't help but rush over to Azrael and nearly tackle the Absol, who happily nuzzled his trainer. Cheering, Ash felt joy over his victory but soon remembered Nobuyuki and quickly checked on him. Yukimura was also there and was handed his brother's unconscious body by Ash, who looked apologetic. "Um, Yukimura...I..."
"That was a great match!" Yukimura shouted with a big smile at the surprised, bigger kid. "I thought we had you, but then you pulled off that Aura trick! How did you do that?!"
"I don't...I don't know," Ash said as he looked at the gloves. "I think this had something to do with it..."
"The gloves?" Yukimura asked as he looked at them curiously. "I don't sense anything strange about them still."
"Hmm," Ash looked at them and wondered if he won now. "I can't help but feel...like I didn't win. This helped me in a way I didn't see coming. I kinda feel like I cheated."
"Naw," Yukimura said with a grin to Ash. "Using Aura is perfectly legal, even if you have no control over it. Besides, think of it as a way to get back at us for hiding our Counter from you."
("I still feel like I'm about to faint from that effect,") Azrael moaned as he winced at the state of his body.
"We should get our Pokemon healed up first; we can discuss this later," Ash said, but before he left, Yukimura grabbed him by the hand, much to his confusion.
"Hey, you're the victor. You gotta give the crowd a wave," Yukimura said as he motioned to the cheering crowd of humans and Pokemon standing on their feet and giving an ovation.
Ash blushed upon seeing all these people cheer for him, but he raised his hand up nonetheless, which made them cheer louder. Azrael lowered his head and blushed in embarrassment over the cheers for him, especially when a few female Pokemon (and one or two males) called him cute and were squealing over him.
"I'm so proud of you, Ash," Delia whispered as she wiped her teary eyes with a handkerchief. "I wish Red was here to see this."
I think he is, Mistress Delia, Ranmaru said with a warm smile as she placed her paw on her shoulder. I believe he is watching right now with pride.
"Sorry about your sons' loss," Delia said with a sympathetic smile.
It's alright. They fought with honor and all their strength. That is the most I could ask of them, Ranmaru said as she chuckled. Knowing them, they'll be demanding more training tomorrow to prepare for a future rematch.
"Let's go see our boys and congratulate them," Delia said as the two got up to see their sons as the tournament ended.
("That was awesome!") Sir Puffy shouted as she bounced in Queen Ilene's lap. ("I wanna learn how to fight like that! Teach me! Teach me!")
"He did it," Nanny Jenny said with a warm smile. "That boy managed to win just at the last second. Just as you predicted, Queen Ilene."
"I admit, I believed he was finished at the time, but I am glad to have been proven wrong," Queen Ilene said with a sigh of relief. She smiled as Ash and Yukimura left the stadium with smiles on their faces. "I see he will be a great trainer indeed."
Yes, and Yukimura and Nobuyuki will also make fine Aura Knights, Leonidas said with a smirk. Both teams have great potential and will go far. This I believe.
Mew was also proud of Ash but was thinking in a quiet state. She was able to pinpoint where Sir. Aaron's Aura was coming from, and it was in the gloves. Enhancing her sight, Mew quickly recognized them as Sir Aaron's actual gloves. Back in the Golden Era of the Aura Knights, they could seal their own Aura inside orbs of unique crystals gifted from the Tree of Beginnings, where they were used to store Aura that could grow over time. It only worked for those of similar Aura signatures, but with Ash being a descendant of Sir Aaron, it must have believed it was him.
The fact that he found them and used them is beyond coincidence, Mew thought with a warm smile. If this isn't more proof of how destiny has plans for him I don't know what is.
"Well, shall we get the staff? I believe Ash has more than earned it," Queen Ilene said as she held her Mime Jr. and stood up.
"I shall get it, My Queen," Nanny Jenny said as she left to retrieve Sir Aaron's staff.
Ash gets not just Sir. Aaron's gloves, but also his staff? He's going to look exactly like him in his younger years. Mew chuckled as she wondered what Sir Aaron would think of Ash himself. Should I take Ash to the Tree of Beginnings? Why not? I could let him see his ancestor's resting place. Besides, it would be nice to pay my respects to him again.
("I can't believe I missed the entire fight!") Skye shouted in frustration as she flapped her wings in annoyance. She and everyone else were waiting for Azrael and Nobuyuki to come out of the aid station for their healing. Skye had just woken up in the middle of the fight, and upon learning it was going on, she tried to fly out to support her team. Her father had to keep her personally in bed so she didn't fly out without hurting herself more. ("I was perfectly fine! I could have at least watched!")
("Not until you were fully healed, young lady,") Sorrin chided her as she puffed her cheeks and turned away. Sighing, he looked at Delia and Ranmaru with amusement. ("Kids these days, huh?")
Skye's response was to peck him on the head, much to his annoyance.
"I still kinda feel like I didn't win," Ash said as he looked at the gloves of his costume. He had explained what happened to everyone. Ranmaru had also filled in what she saw from Ash during the battle and confirmed the gloves caused the sudden increase and secondary signature for Aura.
"Hey, like I said. It's perfectly fair to use Aura in a Pokemon Battle," Yukimura said with a grin. "Besides, I wanted to fight you at your best, and I couldn't have asked for a better match. Just watch out next time, cousin. We'll beat you then."
"...Heh, well, we're going to get stronger too so that we won't need a miracle next time," Ash said as he held out his fist, and Yukimura bumped it with his own.
"Ash, I'm so proud of you for training so hard and winning," Delia said as she walked over and hugged her son. "And your father would be too."
"Thanks, Mom. I can't wait to tell Gary, Professor Oak, and all the others back home," Ash said before turning to Ranmaru and bowing to her. "But you deserve the credit for this too, Ranmaru. Your training did help me in the end. I'm a lot stronger now, thanks to you."
Master Ash, you are the son of my trainer, who was the greatest human I have ever known. I am honored to have helped you, Ranmaru said as she bowed to him back. Should you need me or my family, we will come to you, even if we must cross all of Kanto to do so.
A few minutes later, Azrael and Nobuyuki had arrived, all fully healed. The latter was disappointed he lost but was already vowing to beat Azrael the next time. ("By the time we face each other again, I'll learn Vacuum Wave!")
("Then I guess it's only fair if by that time I learn Night Slash ,") Azrael teased as the two chuckled at their answers.
"Ash Ketchem?" Nurse Joy said as she got his attention. "I got a call saying that they were ready to present the trophy and reward to you. Queen Ilene is giving it personally. So you should be on your best manners."
"The queen?! Oh man, how do I look?! Do I smell?! Should I use the bathroom before I talk to her?! What do I even say?!" Ash panicked as he patted himself while the others just laughed.
I'm sure you'll be fine, Master Ash, Ranmaru said as she put a hand on her shoulder. Just relax and be polite. I'm sure all will be fine.
"Y-Yeah!" Ash took a few deep breaths and nodded. "Okay, I'm ready. Come on, guys."
Fireworks were going off as a band of humans and various Pokemon played instruments while Bellosum danced to the music while throwing petals of flowers around. The crowd was cheering as Ash entered the stadium again, where a large podium had been placed in the middle for the award ceremony. Azrael was by his side while Skye was on her trainer's shoulder. Unlike the other two, who were focused on the stage, Skye waved her wings around and soaked all the praise and cheers.
("Wow! This is fun! We gotta win more tournaments to get cheered like this,") Skye said.
("Even though you only won one match?") Azrael teased with a slight smirk.
("Hey! I won two matches! Sure, I was barely conscious because of that Self-Destruct Tauroshit, but that still counted! It showed I got moxie in my gizzard!") Skye yelled.
"Come on, you two. Settle down. We're meeting the Queen," Ash said, which got the two to refocus their attention forward.
On the large wooden platform, Queen Ilene stood in the middle holding a large golden trophy designed with a cylinder style with stars around it and a Pokeball on top. Beside her with her Royal Guard, a Mime Jr. and what appeared to be a nursemaid holding something long and thin under a bed sheet. Ash stood before the Queen, walked up the stairs, and knelt before her out of respect while Azrael bowed as low as he could, and Skye lowered her head and extended her wings.
"Rise, Ash Ketchem of Pallet Town," Queen Ilene said as he soon did so. "You have come here to our home in Rota and shown us that you are a strong trainer despite having started so soon. You and your team have shown us your spirit and fighting force through adversity and hard work. Therefore, I am pleased to declare you the Champion of the Rookie Shot Tournament."
The crowd cheered as she handed Ash the trophy, who looked at it with a beaming smile. He blushed and nodded his head. "Thank you, your Majesty. I couldn't have gotten this far without my friends and family."
"I'm sure they are all proud of you," Queen Ilene said as she nodded to her nursemaid. "We also have a special gift besides the trophy and money. As the winner of this tournament, we present you with this."
The sheet was removed, revealing a long wooden staff with a dull blue crystal inside. Surrounding the crystal was a metal cage with two weights on each end. Ash took the staff and looked at it with curiosity. "What is it?"
"It's an Aura Staff. In the old days, these were used by Aura Knights to help control their powers and use them as weapons of justice. Most Aura Knights use different weapons these days, but this one was designed similarly to Sir Aaron's famous staff," Queen Ilene said, which shocked Ash in thinking he got a similar staff to one of the most famous heroes in the world. "In fact, I think you look just like him in his paintings."
"Really? Is it because of the outfit?" Ash asked.
"Yes, you do bring out the classic Aura Knight look," Queen Ilene giggled before presenting her hand to the crowd. "People of Rota! Cheer for your winner!"
The crowd did so as Ash faced them all and smiled. He held his staff high in a heroic pose, grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly, he felt something stirring inside him, but the staff's crystal began to glow before he could figure out what it was. "Huh?"
Everyone soon quieted down as the crystal blinked brighter and brighter. Ash stared at it in confusion and uncertainty. "Um, does this come with a light feature?"
"N-No, it shouldn't be doing that," Queen Ilene said in surprise.
Suddenly, a burst of Aura erupted from the staff. It was so intense that it nearly knocked everyone off the platform. Azrael grit his teeth and dug his claws into the wood as Skye chirped in shock before grabbing the back of Ash's shirt to hold on. Leonidas quickly stood before the Queen and held on to her to keep her stable as the nursemaid grabbed Mime Jr. "What's going on?!"
I don't know! But that staff is emitting a massive amount of Aura! I've never felt anything like it! Leonidas shouted in amazement.
("Ash?! What are you doing?!") Azrael shouted.
"I don't know!" Ash cried out as he tried to let go of the staff but couldn't. He could feel his Aura entering it, and there was something inside, something trying to come out.
Whatever it was, it did come out as a beam of light erupted from the crystal and nearly knocked Ash off its force. It landed in the stadium's center, and everyone went silent upon seeing something forming from the light. Slowly, it took shape and landed on one knee, gasping for breath as it stood there in shock, trying to come to terms with what had just happened.
It was a Lucario. One that nobody had seen before.
Silence reigned in the stadium as everyone stared at the gasping and confused Lucario, who had apparently been trapped in the staff. Some wondered if this was part of the ceremony, while others took out their phones and recorded it. Only one Pokemon in the entire stadium knew who this was, and she was so stunned she fell on her rump while behind her hiding spot.
L-L-L-Lucian?! Mew thought in disbelief as the famous partner of Sir Aaron, believed to be dead, stood alive after hundreds of years had passed.
Meanwhile, the trapped Lucario slowly got up and rubbed his head. ("Augh...my head... I'm free? I'm free!")
He looked around, confused about where he was and who these strange Pokemon and humans were. The place was alien to him, and he held himself ready just in case it was a trap. ("Where am I? Is this Rota? How long have I been trapped?")
"Um, excuse me?" The Lucario turned around and gasped at who he saw before shaking with rage.
Ash, concerned, stepped forward on the stage and held out his hand. "Are you okay? Who are you?"
("...Sir Aaron...") The Lucario muttered with disgust as he glared with hatred at Ash. In an instant, his Aura flared and everyone who could sense it felt warning signs in their heads go off. He charged at Ash with rage in his eyes as he screamed.
"(YOU TRAITOR!")