𝒳
"...Do I have to do this?"
The door to the computer room opened with a click, filling the dark empty space with a stream of light. After a quick flick of the switch, Ash lit up the rest of the room and waltzed straight in.
"Course you do! Can't have the literal first person you ever meet be Paul. Even I'm not that brave." Ash's voice dropped into an annoyed mutter at the mention of his rival, before he shook his head and took a spot at one of the computers. "Besides, you're gonna be meeting them eventually. Might as well get it out of the way!"
After booting up the PC with one hand, Ash turned in his seat to face his companion— Or really, the empty space his companion was occupying. It was still in the middle of the day, so Latias had her invisibility on tight.
After a moment, she let the cover slip.
"Okay but like, what if I didn't have to meet anyone else?" There was a slight hint of desperation to that plea, one Ash was happy to let her clarify. He smirked and crossed his arms. "I could be Inviso, the world's first totally invisible Pokémon! Honestly I think you're missing out on a great opportunity to— This, isn't convincing you, is it?"
"Nope." With a laugh, Ash turned back to the PC and started a video call. Two names popped onto the screen at once— Serena and Clemont —with a window depicting Ash and Latias appearing below them.
Latias stared at the shot of herself, with thin lips and a pit in her stomach. The call was just ringing, and she was already too nervous to continue.
The moment Ash's first companion came onto the screen, Latias vanished once again.
"Latias, what're you—?" Ash bit his tongue, letting out a sigh that made Latias's heart sink.
She didn't want to disappoint him but… She wasn't ready for this yet.
"Ash? Ash, it's good to see you! It's been a few days hasn't it?" First to speak up in the call was Clemont, standing up to the camera as his connection finally stabilized. He was quickly followed by Serena, who was plopping down at a Pokémon Center couch as she was taking the call.
"Good timing though! I've got something amazing to show you two!"
Putting on a smile, Ash scooted closer to the computer, leaving Latias to just watch.
"Yeah, training for Paul has been brutal. I've been really busy the last few days!" he explained, scratching his cheek alongside his explanation. "Or nights, really."
"I'll say. You look like you haven't had a good night's sleep in a week!"
At Serena's claim, Latias wheeled around to look at Ash. Though the boy hadn't lost any of his youthful vigor, subtle bags were forming under his eyes. Staying up late to train every night was having its effects.
"Heh, just how it is! Enough about me though, you said you got something to show?" Dismissing his friend's concern, Ash pivoted back to Serena, putting a bright smile on the girl's face.
"Yes, I do!" With a flourish of her hands, Serena presented a small object to the camera, the sight of which made Ash sit forward in his seat. "Ta-dah! I won the Cliff Badge!"
"Congratulations!"
"That's amazing, Serena! I knew you could do it!" All at once, Ash's eyes lit up with warmth and pride, something Latias noticed in an instant. Her gaze flipped between Ash and the screen in quick succession. "You gotta tell us how it went down! You must've really rocked Grant, huh!"
"Pfffft! Well I can say this— Copycat worked great! Hidden Power too! I led with…"
Just like that, the conversation shifted to Serena and her gym battle, leaving Latias partially on the outside. She knew a few things from what Ash had explained to her, but she was mostly lost now. There was too much context she was missing, too many conversations she'd not been around for. All she could do was watch.
Latias felt her gaze linger on Serena for a time before she turned back to Ash. The usually loud and rambunctious trainer had fallen quiet, an excited grin on his lips and undeniable pride in his eyes.
Pride. Pride in his companion. Pride for his friend.
Latias wanted him to look at her like that.
With a deep breath, she steeled herself.
"Oh hey Ash, didn't you call us first? Did you have something you wanted to talk about?" Pausing from her story, Serena put the ball back in Ash's court, catching him off guard.
"Ah, well, I wanted to introduce you guys to someone, but she sorta… flew off." With an awkward laugh and a scratch behind his head, Ash tried to pass off Latias's impromptu exit.
Go time.
"Oh? Well I'm sure we'll get another opportunity!" Clemont was amicable as ever, while Serena remained far more curious.
"She? Who's—" Before Serena could complete the thought, she froze, a look of shock taking her in an instant. "Who is that!?"
"Eh!?"
Right behind Ash, in full view of the camera, Latias had dropped her invisibility. With a reserved smile, she waved at the screen.
"Who—? Ah, Latias!" Ash beamed and his smile was like magic to Latias. "Guys, this is Latias! She's an old friend of mine from Johto!"
"Pleased to meet ya!" Latias chirped out a greeting of her own. After shaking off their momentary shock, Serena and Clemont jumped to respond.
"Hello!"
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Clemont, the curious mind as always, was already at work tapping away at his computer. "I must say, I've never heard of a Pokémon named Latias before!"
"Heh, we're actually pretty uncomm—"
"Yeah, I'm not getting anything from my Pokédex." In a surprisingly out-of-character moment, Serena interrupted Latias offhandedly, sparking a raised brow from Ash.
"Yeah, they're pretty rare," he explained, finishing Latias's point.
"Yep! I've only ever met one other pair—!"
"Oh, perhaps the species isn't native to our hemisphere!" Reading from his other monitor, Clemont spoke up next.
Interrupted once again, Latias frowned, her gaze falling with a look of embarrassment. This time, Ash furrowed his brows.
"Hey, why are you guys interrupting her?"
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about, Ash?" Their apparent ignorance did little to help Ash's ire. Latias blinked with a thought.
"I'm talking about how you're talking over—"
"Oh! Uh, Ash." This time it was Ash who was interrupted, as Latias shook his shoulder. "Telepathy, uh, doesn't work over the phone."
Ash blinked, before a sheepish look took his face.
"Oh."
𝒳
With another day passing by, another night fell soon after. The rematch against Paul was rapidly approaching, and so it was back to the grind for Ash and his Pokémon.
"Fletch!"
Froakie and Fletchinder kept to themselves, no longer needing Ash to organize their spars. The two rivals instead were making great strides to practice and one-up each other. Fletchinder was especially getting good experience in triggering her ability, Flame Body, much to the annoyance of Froakie.
It didn't matter to him though— Each burn he suffered brought him closer to avoiding the next.
"Froakie!"
"Chuuu—! Pi-ka!"
After Charizard's interjection the other night, he had opted to join the training session as well— In a purely mentoring capacity, of course.
Whatever he wanted to call it, Pikachu was just happy to have a training partner he could go all out on. Full Force Iron Tails expertly deflected stone-shattering Slashes, as the old teammates went head-to-head.
"Pika!"
That left the final two members of Ash's team, the two he was personally overseeing— Latias and Hawlucha.
"Move back with Flying Press, Hawlucha!" In a surprising turn, Ash wasn't commanding Latias today, instead leaving her to practice a bit of self-determination in the spar. The main focus of this exercise was actually on Hawlucha.
"Lucha!" Flipping with his wings out wide, Hawlucha caught the wind and shot back across the field. That move had him narrowly avoiding the red blur that was Latias. His reaction time was slow and his movements sluggish, but that was to be expected with the weight on his body.
"Again, behind you!"
Two life preservers, three life vests, and a length of ship's rope wrapped loosely around Hawlucha's frame. It weighed him down, forcing him to work harder for the same results.
"Haw! Lu! Cha!" With a dive and a roll, Hawlucha dodged another sweep from Latias. He landed on his knee and struck a strong pose, despite his current load.
The hope then was that when he shed said load, it'd trigger his ability, Unburden.
"Gotcha!" Appearing from behind, Latias pounced onto Hawlucha, sweeping him into her arms and flying off with him. The proud warrior attempted to pull away, but Latias's grip was iron. "Heh, sorry! Looks like I win this time!"
With a chirp, Latias began charging her newest attack— Psybeam. A plume of magenta energy formed at her curled lips, before quickly growing in size.
"Hawlucha! Drop the load!" Ash was no sitting duck, however. At his call, Hawlucha reached for the knot of rope at his chest and pulled it loose. In an instant, the weights across his body fell away, setting his muscles free. Ash smirked. "Now, push back!"
"Whoa!"
"Lucha!" Bursting with a swell of red energy, Hawlucha pressed his feet to Latias's chest, before kicking himself away. Latias was sent flying back as he skidded onto the ground, arms out wide. "Cha, cha, cha! Hawlucha!"
The moment he came to a stop, he shot after Latias in a sudden blur.
"Whoa! I think it's working, Ash!" Rolling through the air, Latias watched as Hawlucha sped across her vision, appearing in blurs from one side of her to the other. There was no doubt about it now. "He's so fast!"
"Cha, cha, cha! Lu, Hawlucha! Lucha!" Jajaja! Of course it has worked, señorita! The forest champion has become unburdened! With a new vigor and energy to his step, Hawlucha dashed towards Latias, forcing her into a backstep as she considered her options.
She zipped across the field, trading blows with Hawlucha as the two crossed paths, again and again. Each time they did, they exchanged light blows, as Hawlucha tested his newfound speed. Soon, it was time to put it to good use.
"Get on top of her, Hawlucha!" With a snap of Ash's fingers, Hawlucha leapt into action, disappearing from sight in one step and reappearing in another— Right on top of Latias's back!
"Huh!?"
"X-Scissor!"
Green energy sparked to life at the forest champion's forearms, which he raised into the air to flash the sign of a cross. Before Latias could react, he slammed his newest attack down onto her back.
"Aaaaaaah!" The Super Effective blow nearly slammed Latias right out of the air, but she endured, shooting ahead with a burst of speed. She maintained her straight line trajectory for a moment, before looking ahead and smiling. "I think you're just too fast for me now, Hawlucha!"
"Lucha?" Hawlucha paused from his second swing, unsure of what Latias meant. She'd soon show him.
"You can go up ahead!" With all her might, Latias brought herself to a dead stop, launching Hawlucha off her back at full speed! He rocketed through the air, flying well past the bounds of the practice field—
"Hawlu—!?"
—and straight into a row of wooden lounge chairs! A thunderous crashing rang out, as a half dozen chairs shattered into debris and skidded Hawlucha to a stop. When the cacophony came to an end, a pile of wood scraps was all that remained.
"Hawlucha!" Ash panicked for a second before stepping forward, Latias joining his side a moment after.
"Did I, uh, go too far?"
Ash resisted answering, as he cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Hawlucha! You okay?" He called out to his Pokémon, letting a moment pass in tense silence. Thankfully, the debris soon shook, and Hawlucha stuck a hand out from the pile. He flashed a thumbs-up. A sigh of relief turned into a snort in Ash's mouth. "Well, you didn't kill anyone, so that's a plus."
"H-hey!" An embarrassed laugh took Latias, as she bapped his shoulder. The two approached to help pull Hawlucha from the wreckage. "I'm trying my best here!"
"And you did good! A little too good." With a sarcastic tone and a jovial smile, Ash began digging his Pokémon out from the rubble, until Hawlucha was set free. The proud forest champion was a bit scuffed up, but otherwise unharmed. "Alright you two, let's clean up before we get back to work!"
"I see you haven't lost your knack for organized chaos, Ash." Just then, a voice rang out from behind the group, surprising Ash and startling Latias out of her own skin.
Before Ash could even begin to glance back, Latias disappeared from sight.
"Huh?" Ash turned to where the voice came from, as all the training around him came to a complete stop. At this late at night, no one had expected an uninvited guest. Thankfully, it wasn't an unfamiliar guest. Ash's eyes widened as a smile took his face. "No way!"
"Pika!?" Pikachu called out in surprise as he hopped onto Ash's shoulder, joining him on his way to meet said guest.
"Riley!"
𝒳
Appearing from a dark hall that led deeper into the ship proper was Riley, an old acquaintance of Ash from his Sinnoh days. The man looked like a day hadn't passed since the two parted ways, still wearing the same blue suit and wide-brimmed hat he had back then.
He wore the same smile he had back then as well, when the two met at the edge of the practice fields.
"Man, this is crazy. What're you doing here!"
"I'm taking this ship up to Snowpoint City. There's a temple there I intend to meditate at, now that the snow is melting," he explained, taking a moment to glance at the rest of Ash's team as they approached. "I think the better question is what are you doing here, Ash? As far as I recall, the Sinnoh Region isn't your usual stomping grounds."
"Meditate, huh?" Right, Riley was an Aura Guardian in training. Guess stuff like that was to be expected. Ash rubbed the back of his head and gave a chuckle. "You've got that right! I'm just visiting right now, tryna sharpen up before a battle I've got waiting for me near Snowpoint!"
"Hm, that explains all the training you've been doing the last few days." Upon hearing that from Riley, Ash felt his expression tighten with a touch of surprise. Riley chuckled. "I wouldn't be shocked if they could hear you and your team from the other end of the ship, Ash."
"Ah jeeze." Surprise turned to embarrassment, as Ash gave an awkward laugh whilst his face grew red. "Sorry if we ended up waking you! Honestly, I've only been training this late cause I wanted to keep eyes off us, actually."
Thankfully, Riley didn't seem annoyed.
"It's quite alright. I'm often awake at this hour any—" Riley did something odd then. He paused and glanced to the side, to the open air above Froakie and near Hawlucha. His gaze held a certain intensity, as he craned across his field of view until he passed over Ash. "Oh? How interesting."
"Pika?"
"Uhhh? Are you okay, Riley?" Ash glanced over his shoulder, looking to where Riley had his gaze locked. Nothing.
Unless… Could he—!?
With a smile, Riley called out to the open air.
"Hello there." He could spot Latias with Aura!
"EEP!" With her invisibility on tight, Latias booked it across the deck of the ship, throwing herself behind the pile of wooden rubble she'd made for extra cover. It would do little to truly hide her, however, when Aura was involved. "Aaaaash!? Do something!?"
"It's kinda late for me to do anything." Despite his claim, Ash still moved to put his body between Riley and Latias. He gave his old acquaintance an awkward laugh for the trouble.
Chuckling, Riley turned his gaze away and tipped the rim of his hat down.
"I'm afraid Ash is right. I've already seen you, and I can still see you, if I so wish."
"...Right, yes. You've seen me, sure." Ash turned, just in time to see a flash of light erupt from behind the wood rubble. A moment later, Latias strolled out on two legs— Her human disguise. With a nervous smile, she approached. "Hi! My name is… Bianca."
Riley snorted, before shaking his head.
"No, that's not quite right. You're still hiding it seems." His words brought Latias to a dead stop, a moment of panic flashing across her eyes. It was at that point that Ash decided it was time to intervene.
"It's okay! Riley's an old friend of mine. You can trust him, I promise." He assured her with a confident smile and raised hand, pointing to Riley with a jab of his thumb. "Just like Serena and Clemont, yeah?"
Latias's eyes furrowed, as she processed what Ash had said. It took her a moment, but she soon nodded.
"…Right. Just like them." With a deep breath, Latias took a step back, before pressing a hand to her chest. Light began to curl around her, until the form she took melted away. When the transformation was complete, Latias's true form remained. "…Hi."
Riley's eyes widened at the sight of Latias, only returning to normal as she slowly approached and joined her trainer's side. With a bit of encouragement from Ash, she offered her hand forward.
Riley smiled and accepted her handshake.
"It's good to meet you, Latias."
𝒳
"All the way from Kalos is quite the distance to be blown, Ash. What's pulled you out this far?"
With introductions out of the way, Ash set his team back onto training, pairing up the six and letting them manage themselves for a bit. He wanted a chance to speak with Riley while they had him, after all.
That led the two to where they stood now, at the edge of the practice fields, watching Latias and Froakie play their game of cat and mouse. After their encounter earlier, Latias's spirit was burning bright once again.
"Heh, less pulled and more pushed." Riley's observation wasn't a surprise to Ash. For him to be so far afield was bound to draw questions inevitably. Now Ash just needed to give the answers. "I haven't been doing too hot these last few years— Something I really had to reckon with back in Kalos. I've been traveling all over the place since, looking for what I was missing."
"Was? I take it then that you've found your answer?" To Riley's inquiry, Ash gave a hearty grin.
"I think so!" He gripped the rim of his cap as he said that, steeling his gaze ahead to Latias. "Coming out here, meeting so many friends, picking up old strategies I lost along the way— I've never done anything like this! It's all so new!"
Turning back to Riley, Ash pumped his fist.
"And that's what I've been missing! Something new!" With pride swelling in his chest and determination burning in his eyes, Ash proclaimed his answer to Riley. There was no doubt, no hesitation.
This was it.
"My, my." Riley was surprised by Ash's sudden upswell in energy and gusto, before he chuckled and took it in stride. He shouldn't have expected any less from Ash. "Then this must be the last leg of your journey then?"
This time, Ash let his passion cool. It didn't disappear but instead became something softer.
"Yep. I've got friends waiting for me back in Kalos. Once I'm done here, I'm heading back." His eyes fell to the ground for a moment, as his thoughts went to Clemont, Bonnie, and especially, Serena. She'd gotten her second badge and was on her way to Shalour City now. He had to meet her there.
"Well then, it sounds to me that winning this final battle you are approaching is important." With a flick of a finger, Riley raised the brim of his hat and looked eye-to-eye with Ash. "I have an offer for you— Would you like to battle?"
Ash lit up with excitement.
"That sounds perfect!"
𝒳
Latias's chest hummed with a nervous sort of energy, steadily rising and falling as she breathed. From the outside, it almost sounded like the purr of a jet engine. To her though, it was just her thrumming heart.
A battle. A real battle, against someone who wasn't a teammate— That's what she faced now, with Ash standing behind her and Riley before her. The field had been cleared once more, as the rest of Ash's team observed from the sidelines. She had gotten a few cheers of encouragement, a semi-sarcastic comment from Fletchinder, but beyond that? She was on her own.
"You're going to do great, okay? Just gotta give it your all!"
Right, not on her own. She still had Ash.
"I don't know where you get all that faith in me," she quipped, half-joking as she floated back to him.
"Ah well, I figured since you did such a number on those chairs earlier, you've gotta have it in ya to do that to Riley's Lucario." A cheesy grin was on his face in full force, alongside his tongue-in-cheek tone. "Seriously though, you've got this! You gave Charizard a decent run for his money, and with me here, you can do anything!"
Latias smiled, stealing a glance to their opponent up ahead. Riley was tipping his cap to her.
"With you here, I can really believe that." With a shake of her head and a quick slap to her cheeks, Latias braced herself. She was ready. "Let's do this!"
"That's the spirit!" From across the practice field, Riley called out to Ash and Latias, raising a Poké ball of his own forward. "Please, show me everything you two can do!"
Tossing the ball into the air, Riley summoned his partner to the field.
"I call upon you, Lucario!" Riley's partner appeared with little pomp or circumstance, instead carrying a stoic determination that burned bright in his eyes. That stoicism soon faded, as Lucario smiled and took a stance mirroring his trainer.
"Lucario!"
The players were set— And the battle was on!
"Aura Sphere!"
"Dodge it and sweep him!" Both combatants moved at once, Latias blitzing ahead as Lucario launched a wicked-fast Aura Sphere. The cerulean attack flew past Latias, narrowly missing as she juked out of the way. Her target was its source.
"Luc—?!"
"Up we go!" Rushing into her opponent, Latias snatched Lucario at the waist, before taking to the skies.
"Sweet! Now, Psybeam!"
"Allow Aura Sphere to strike true, then free yourself!" That command caught Ash off guard. 'Strike true'? What was he talking—
"Whoa!" Right on that thought, Lucario's wayward Aura Sphere suddenly turned. As if it was ricocheting off the air, it flew into the sky on a direct course for— "Latias! Watch out!"
"Huh? Oof!" Still charging her Psybeam, Latias was left completely helpless as Lucario's attack slammed into her back. All at once, her grip on her opponent slipped.
"Lu— Ca— rio!" Lucario wrenched free of Latias's grip, before kicking himself away.
"After him, Latias!"
"Make distance with another Aura Sphere!" Still plummeting, Lucario flipped and fired a quick shot Aura Sphere, throwing Latias off course as she shot down in pursuit. "The moment you touch down— Extreme Speed!"
Ash's eyes widened.
"Oh man!"
"Cario! Lu—" With a nod, Lucario went into a roll, aiming his feet to the field below. The very second he reached solid ground, he vanished from sight.
"Aaaaand , got—! Huh!?" Latias took a hard turn, as her target evaded her grasp in a flicker of movement. "Where did he—?"
"Latias, above you!"
"He's above—? Ack!" Missing the forest for the trees, Latias was once again slammed by an Aura Sphere. The tracking ability of Lucario's signature move was quickly becoming an issue.
"Follow him, Latias! Don't give Lucario an inch!"
"Evade with Extreme Speed!" The moment Lucario appeared at Riley's side, he was gone once more. He flashed across the field in a haze of movement.
"Oh, that's tricky!" For all his speed, however, Lucario was still dealing with a speedster all her own. Latias burst ahead, quickly making up the distance as she followed in hot pursuit.
"Evade!"
"Follow!"
So returned the game of cat and mouse— Lucario flickering in and out of view, as Latias zipped after him with blistering displays of speed. Each time she seemed to get her hands on him, he'd slip away once more.
"Behind you, Latias!"
"Jump and attack from above, Lucario!"
Lucario appeared, arms crossed and eyes closed, a moment after evading a snatch from Latias. When she whipped around to get another shot at him, he backflipped straight into the air.
"Huh!?" Latias was blindsided, as Lucario slammed his heel onto her head. Pain flashed through her skull. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Before she could retaliate, Lucario flickered away.
"Whoa! You feeling okay, Latias?!"
"No? That hurt!?" Latias grit her teeth and furrowed her brows, as she saw Lucario appear again meters away. "Not this time!"
"Extreme—!"
Riley was too slow on the draw, as Latias shot ahead at lightning speeds. With a shockwave trailing in her wake, she slammed into Lucario and sent him flying into the air!
"That's what I like to see! Grab 'em Latias!" At Ash's praise, Latias turned on a dime and jetted up to meet her flying opponent.
"Aura Sphere, now!" Lucario was far from helpless, however. Righting himself, he fired another quick Aura Sphere, which skidded off Latias's back and flew down to the deck below. That wouldn't be the last of it, however.
The moment Latias latched onto Lucario, his attack ricocheted off the field.
"Damn it— Toss—!" Ash's eyes widened, as an idea struck him all at once. "Toss him into his attack!"
"Got it!" Still ascending, Latias began to twirl, before she chucked Lucario as hard as she could. In an instant, Riley's partner crashed into his own attack as it detonated.
"Psybeam!"
"Dodge with Bullet Punch, Lucario!" With gritted teeth, Lucario swung his steel-coated fist, shooting through the air in a sudden burst of speed. Latias's attack went wide as he plummeted to the ground below. "Extreme Speed!"
"After him!" Ash and Latias could only hold the momentum of the match for so long. As Latias went in for another grab, Lucario disappeared into a flicker of movement. "Where did—?"
Riley spoke up, as Lucario appeared at his side.
"I must commend you two! For your speed to match Lucario, tit-for-tat— You're more than I could've ever predicted." With Riley's praise came a similar call from Lucario, who grinned and locked eyes with Latias. "I think it's time then, for us to show you how far we can go!"
Ash's eyes lit up, sparks of excitement quickly becoming a roaring flame. As Latias floated to his side, he called out his response.
"You're on! We're gonna give you guys 110%!" With that same passion that burned in everything he did, Ash turned to Latias. "You ready!"
Whatever hesitation she may have had, it was long gone by now. Bearing a grin that matched her trainer, Latias nodded.
"Let's do this!"
"Lucario!" Riley pressed a fist to his chest and closed his eyes, matching his partner's stance point-for-point. Giving a call of affirmation, Lucario did the same, mirroring his trainer perfectly.
With their bodies aligned, their hearts soon followed.
"Allow our Auras to synchronize!"
"Lucario!" All at once, a tide of energy rocketed out from the pair, pushing Ash back and nearly blowing his hat off his head.
As he stood his ground and felt the sheer force coming off his opponents, Ash couldn't help but grin. He recognized this pressure, this power.
He knew what the Aura of a full power Lucario felt like.
"Let's do this, Latias!" Ash readied for round two with a cry that was as much for himself as it was for his Pokemon. Latias's nod was the only starting signal he needed. "Sweep them and use Psybeam!"
"Extreme Speed!"
Once more, both combatants blitzed into action— Latias racing ahead as Lucario disappeared to evade. He flashed across the field, once, twice, three times, before crashing into Latias's side.
"Whoa!?" Before Ash could respond, Lucario was gone and Latias was sent rolling through the air. "Where did—!?"
"Cario!" He appeared above Latias! With a kick, Lucario slammed her into the ground, before launching her back with a follow-up.
"Latias!" At Ash's cry, Latias forced herself to a stop, wings flaring as she whipped her head back. By the time her eyes opened, Lucario was gone once again.
"Where did—!"
"Extreme Speed!" Riley answered Latias's question with another command. Lucario appeared behind her, slamming into her with a breakneck tackle.
"Ahhh!"
"Into the air, Latias! Quick!" Realizing the predicament, Ash ordered Latias to retreat— Narrowly dodging another nasty slam from Lucario in the meantime. "He's too fast for us to track! How the hell are we gonna—?"
As Lucario flickered from view, an idea dawned on Ash all at once. He felt it just then, a shift in the air when Lucario disappeared. It was his Aura moving.
Ash could track Lucario's Aura!
"Aura Sphere, Lucario!" At Riley's command, Lucario appeared in the center of the field, a powerful Aura Sphere already primed. He instantly fired the attack, aiming to knock Latias right out of the sky.
"Dodge it, Latias! Then destroy it with Dragon Breath!" Snapping back to the battle, Ash sent Latias into evasive maneuvers. She sped away, before flipping around and firing a blast against the pursuing sphere. When the clashing attacks exploded, Ash called out to her again. "Latias, follow my lead! When I tell you to move somewhere, just do it!"
"Okay!"
"On my word!" Ash closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling Lucario's Aura flash across the field. Each time he flickered into view, Ash could feel the Aura stall for just a second. It was at that moment that they needed to strike.
Riley furrowed his brows as he looked at the scene.
"On my right, at the corner of the field!" Latias blitzed down, racing for a section of the field where Lucario seemed absent. The moment she arrived though, he flickered into view! "Psybeam!"
"Dodge it! Then Extreme Speed" Lucario ducked and rolled out of the way, before flickering out of sight.
But he wasn't getting away that easily!
"Across the field, at Riley's left!" With a sharp turn, Latias jetted to that location, meeting Lucario the moment he appeared. "Toss him into the air!"
"How are—!?" Riley was shocked to see Latias grab Lucario, before twirling and punting him into the sky. She hadn't gotten faster, so how could—?
Riley paused, as he saw Ash battling with his eyes closed.
"Get out of the air— Bullet Punch straight down!"
"Hit 'em with Psybeam!"
"Caaaario!" Flipping in mid-air, Lucario launched himself down with the momentum of his swing, carving through Latias's attack on his descent. Her beam was split in two as Lucario crashed into her.
"Throw her, then Extreme Speed!" In one move, Lucario tossed Latias over his shoulder, before disappearing in the next.
"Recover, then turn and fire!" Latias kept up the pace, forcing herself to a stop and then whipping around. When Lucario flashed into view behind her, she unleashed a primed Psybeam at point blank! "Now grab him!"
"Extreme Speed, and charge an Aura Sphere!" Lucario was sent reeling for just a moment before he flickered away, right out of Latias's grasp. Reappearing at Riley's side, he summoned another plume of Aura in his palms.
"Follow him, Latias!"
"Fire it, then Extreme Speed away!" Shooting into action, Latias dodged Lucario's charged blow as she went for the source. This time, when Lucario zipped away, she immediately turned to his new location on Ash's command— Only to find an obstacle in her way. "Strike true!"
"Aah!" Lucario's Aura Sphere bounced off the field and slammed into Latias's back, sending her rolling through the air. When she recovered, she found Riley's partner standing with two more Aura Spheres, one in each hand. "Ash, please tell me you've got a plan!"
Lucario's attacks rocketed across the field, one after the other as he flickered away.
"Sure I do! We gotta finish this with a decisive blow!" Pounding a fist into his palm, Ash grinned. "Charge a Psybeam, Latias, and hold it!"
"O-okay!" Latias dipped and dived through the air, dodging Lucario's Aura Spheres as they followed in hot pursuit. With a shrill cry, she began to charge her counterattack— a plume of magenta energy, growing at her lips.
"Now, freeze!" At Ash's command, Latias came to a sudden stop, letting her wings flare out and Lucario's Aura Spheres shoot ahead. Before they could rebound to follow her, the twin attacks crashed into each other, and exploded! "Perfect! Now, let's get Lucario!"
"Aura Sphere, then Extreme Speed!" In quick succession, Lucario spiked an Aura Sphere off the ground and then disappeared. His Aura shifted—
"—To your left, Latias!" Latias juked to the side, dodging the Aura Sphere and redirecting all at once. There, Lucario appeared once more. "Fly straight up!"
"Lucario!?" Taking a sharp turn, Latias shocked Lucario with her retreat, before Ash's intent became clear. His Aura Sphere was right behind her!
"Underhand it, Lucario!" Lucario dug deep and swung with a powerful uppercut, sending the Aura Sphere after its original target once more. "Extreme Speed!"
As Lucario disappeared, his attack crashed into Latias's back.
"Grah!"
"Right side of the field, Latias!" With her Psybeam still growing, Latias shot towards the ground once more, ready to deliver the hurt. Yet, she was evaded again. Lucario spiked another Aura Sphere into the ground and disappeared into a flicker of movement. "Now, behind you!"
Doing a flip, Latias evaded the attack and chased down the attacker all in one.
Another steady rhythm formed— Lucario kept out of view and reach, firing Aura Spheres that picked up the slack for his aim. Meanwhile, Latias played double duty with pursuit and evasion, charging up her Psybeam the entire time. She and Ash needed to outmaneuver the barrage of Aura Spheres in any way they could. Only then could they break this impasse.
Soon though, it would break on its own.
When it seemed they had gotten Lucario pinned, chaos struck. The plume of magenta energy from Latias's Psybeam had grown too large. With a burst, it exploded right in her grasp!
"Whoa!?"
"Ow!" The attack blew Latias back, coating her in a thick cloud of magenta mist. She hacked and coughed through the haze, before dispersing it with a twirl.
As the remnants of the attack drifted past, Ash's eyes widened. He recognized that mist.
An idea brewed in his mind.
"Latias! Charge up another Psybeam, as long as you can!" The command was baffling to both Latias and Riley, bringing the latter to a complete pause. For the former, Ash offered a classic Ketchum grin. "Trust me, I've got a plan!"
"Right, okay!" That was enough to convince her. With another chirp and call, Latias began charging a second Psybeam, this one even stronger than the one before. All the while, she dipped and dived, racing across the sky with Lucario's Aura Spheres in hot pursuit.
"If you think I'll just let you get that far, then you're sorely mistaken, Ash!" Tipping up the brim of his hat, Riley smiled, right as Lucario skidded to a stop at his side. Without a word, the two struck a mirrored pose, each bringing a clenched fist forward. "Lucario, it's time to finish this!"
"Cario!" Silvery energy exploded from Lucario's wrist, bright and hot like burning metal sparks. Leaning forward, he readied for his partner's command.
"Here it comes!" Closing his eyes, Ash readied as well. Even if his hunch was right, they only had one shot to pull this off. It was all down to this! "Latias, fly—!"
"Bullet Punch and Extreme Speed!"
"—Straight down!" In an instant, both combatants raced into action, Lucario shooting into the air as Latias crashed towards the earth. The two narrowly missed one another, forcing Lucario to flicker away as his Aura Spheres followed Latias close behind. Ash grinned. "To your left!"
Taking a sharp turn at the very last moment, Latias jetted mere inches from the ground as she chased down her foe. The Aura Spheres behind her couldn't keep up and quickly shattered against the field behind her.
Now onto their source.
"There you are!" When Lucario appeared before Latias, he shot to the side, narrowly dodging her on the first pass. Turning on a dime, Latias went in for seconds. "Gotcha!"
With her Psybeam still growing, she slammed into Lucario. The blow sent him skidding across the field!
"Extreme Speed!"
"Lucario!" Gritting his teeth, Lucario forced himself to a stop before disappearing, leaving an afterimage Latias blew through. When she whipped around on Ash's command, she came face-to-face with her foe once more. "Cario! Lucario!"
"Bullet Punch!"
His fist crackled with bright, burning metal sparks. In an instant, the force of his swing sent him flying like a speeding bullet!
"Latias, take it!" Digging deep, Latias sped ahead and took the blow head-on! Lucario's fist slammed into her chest, blowing the air from her lungs and winding her in an instant. But she was far from out of the fight. She grit her teeth. "Now, throw him up!"
"Lucario, Extreme—!" It was too late. Latias latched onto Lucario's shoulders and took to the sky, before twirling and tossing him with all her might. Lucario was sent flying! "Aura Sphere!"
"Slam him!"
"Luc—!?" Lucario moved to right himself, but was too slow on the draw. Latias shot after her opponent with blazing speeds, before slamming into him like a freight train. The crash sent him plummeting back down to the ground below, as Latias continued to rise.
All the while, her Psybeam still charged.
"Meet their power with your own, Lucario! Aura Sphere!" Finally able to regain his bearings, Lucario flipped in midair and began to charge his largest Aura Sphere yet. In an instant, it dwarfed the plume of Latias's Psybeam.
"Let's finish this, Latias! After him!" Ash's breathless command filled Latias's mind. His boundless fervor pressed her forward. With her wings flared back and her Psybeam near its breaking point, Latias shot down in hot pursuit!
"Lucario—!"
"Latias—!"
"Fire!" Ash and Riley's commands rang out in unison, as their Pokémon instantly obeyed. Lucario's Aura Sphere flew up at blazing speeds while Latias's Psybeam was finally unleashed.
The beam of energy she expected was absent. Instead, the entire plume shot down!
"Huh!?" The twin attacks, Aura blue and psychic pink, skidded past each other before flying after their targets. In the pause from her confusion, Latias was slammed by Lucario's Aura Sphere.
Her attack shot towards Lucario—!
"Dodge!"
—And missed! Lucario twisted his body in mid-air and dodged! The plume of energy was left racing towards the ground!
Despite that, Ash grinned.
"Riley, it's been a good match!" Locking eyes with his opponent for a moment, Ash gave his condolences, before declaring his final move. "It's over! Rebound!"
"What are you—!"
"Cari—?!" The plume of magenta energy ricocheted off the ground! In an instant, it slammed into Lucario's back!
"Lucario!" With that, a cloud of thick smoke consumed the center of the field.
𝒳
Ash's chest thrummed with quiet but still uneasy energy. The battle had fallen silent in the blink of an eye, with neither side certain over the state of the match. Despite the direct hit, Latias was still in it, shaking off that last Aura Sphere and floating back to Ash's side. That just left Riley's partner, hidden in the mist.
Ash was tempted to feel for his Aura, but he resisted the urge.
He didn't want to ruin the surprise, after all.
"Ash, what are we—?" Ash paused Latias with a motion of his hand, his eyes still locked onto the fading cloud of magenta smoke. After a moment, a sound rang out from it: footsteps.
"Lu… cario." Lucario stepped out from the remnants of Latias's attack, beat up but far from being out of the game. He rolled his shoulder before taking a stance and beckoned towards Ash with his paw. "Cario."
Riley shook his head.
"Unlike you to get ahead of yourself, Ash. This battle is far from—"
"Lucario!?" All at once, Lucario's arm slumped to his side, stunning Riley to silence. A moment later, a leg followed, forcing Lucario to a knee. "Lu!?"
Ash breathed a sigh of relief, before grinning.
"Good game, Riley." On that word, Lucario fully collapsed.
Ash and Latias had won.
𝒳
"I have to ask, Ash. How exactly did you know her attack would have that effect in the end?"
With their match wrapped up and their Pokémon tended to, Ash and Riley returned to their earlier conversation without a hitch. The two now stood at the edge of the ship's deck, watching the dark waters in the distance pass into the night.
Smiling, Ash turned and leaned against the railing.
"When Psybeam blew up in Latias's face the first time around, it looked a lot like a move I had seen before." There was too much context to fully explain where exactly he'd seen said move, so he'd leave it to that for now. "I'm not sure if that was the move I saw, but I had a hunch!"
"Hm… And I take it that 'intuition' of yours was also what allowed you to track my Lucario's movements?" With a cheeky smile on his lips, Riley turned and joined Ash's side.
Ash drew a stilted grin and awkward laugh, as Riley's implication became clear in an instant.
"You're Aura sensitive, like I am. A natural at that, considering how easily you followed Lucario." Humming with thought, Riley glanced towards Ash. "How long have you known?"
Ash's awkward laugh grew into a snort.
"A good few years. Comes in useful in more ways than one." It struck Ash at that moment, that he'd had never touched upon his Aura abilities in a battle before. Guess when he said he was battling with everything he had, he'd meant it.
"You know, they could serve you even better, if you had someone to teach you." Riley's comment caused Ash to raise a brow. So Riley continued. "Aura sensitivity. It's a skill so rare as to almost be considered dead, Ash. For a time, I thought myself to be the only one left. It'd be an honor to help make that not the case."
"Are you offering to become my master?" A dozen hokey martial arts films flashed through Ash's head, before it struck him— This was the real deal.
"In a sense, if you're willing to put in the effort."
The offer brought Ash to pause. Actually, seriously training his Aura abilities? He had to admit, he was already tempted just based on how cool it'd be. That wasn't even considering its other utilities. If Korrina could get as far as she did, just from practicing by herself, who knew how far he could go?
Korrina.
Right, she was waiting for him too.
Ash shook his head.
"I think I'm gonna have to pass." His answer brought a flash of disappointment to Riley's eyes. "Don't get me wrong! I would really like to go, but, I've got friends waiting for me back in Kalos, and a dream I'm still chasing down. I've been away long enough."
Riley stood silent, contemplating Ash's explanation for a moment. Then, he nodded.
"I understand. Still, my offer remains if you ever change your mind, or find yourself in a change of circumstances."
"Of course!" Flashing a grin, Ash pumped his fist. "Hell, let me get your number! I'll give you a call if anything ever changes!"
Riley smiled.
"That sounds wonderful." With that, the two settled back into a calm quiet, watching their Pokémon socialize from a distance.
Back on the practice field, Ash's team and Riley's Lucario were mingling, reveling in a bit of camaraderie with one another. After the intense battle from before, they certainly deserved the chance to just rest.
In the center of it all, of course, was Latias. For her performance, she was receiving accolades and support from her teammates. Even Charizard seemed to loosen up a bit, giving his kudos to her for a hard battle won.
Ash couldn't help but smile at that. Latias was happy.
After a moment, Riley broached the silence.
"I hope I don't have to say that you should be careful with her, Ash." Pulling away from the railing, Riley turned to face Ash, who stood straight. "Latias is a Legendary Pokémon."
Ash's look of confusion turned to humor. He laughed.
"I know."