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Korrina stood frozen in place, her body stiff and drained of all strength.
Her gaze fell upon the fallen figure at the edge of the arena—Lucario lay amidst the rubble, eyes closed tight. His chest rose and fell shallowly, indicating he was still conscious but too weak to stand.
Faint, lingering sparkles from the fading Mega Evolution light drifted slowly through the air, and fine dust continued to sift from the cracks in the gym wall. The entire arena fell silent, save for the faint sound of rolling debris and her own rapid breathing.
"How... is this possible..." Korrina murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Both were using Mega Evolution, yet her Lucario had been instantly defeated by a single punch from his opponent! Before the Mega Evolution, her Lucario had actually been able to trade blows with the opponent and even briefly gain the upper hand in close-quarters combat.
How could the gap have widened after the evolution? It defied logic.
No... that wasn't it. Korrina forced herself to calm down and think.
It must be that, following the evolution, Ash and Lucario were no longer holding back their true strength.
She had chosen to go all out, which was precisely why her Lucario ended up being taken down in a single hit.
That's right. The gap between them was immense—so vast that she was only just now truly grasping its scale.
Had Ash not wanted his Lucario to learn a few combat techniques and gain some battle experience early on, the match likely would have ended the moment they first clashed.
Perhaps the outcome had been sealed from that very first exchange, even before either Lucario had Mega Evolved.
At this thought, Korrina took a deep breath, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
*Sigh*... It was a real blow to her confidence. They were around the same age, and her grandfather had always praised her as a prodigy—yet here was such a staggering disparity.
Compared to Ash, her talent was like a firefly trying to outshine the full moon.
No, perhaps not even a firefly; just a faint candle flame in the night wind, ready to be snuffed out at any moment.
Korrina took another deep breath, forcing her stiff expression to relax into a reasonably composed smile, then turned to look at Ash, who was recalling his Lucario on the other side of the battlefield.
"Impressive." She tried to keep her voice steady, though a hint of a tremor remained. Her fingers clenched and unclenched slightly—a small gesture that betrayed the turmoil within; she wasn't as calm as she appeared.
"Actually, Korrina's Lucario is amazing too. Its combat technique is far superior to my Lucario's; mine simply had the advantage of a higher level," Ash said modestly, waving his hand.
He wasn't just being humble; he was stating a fact. Purely in terms of combat technique and battle experience, his Lucario was no match for hers.
Yet, if they were at the same level, his Lucario would still come out on top.
For while his Lucario might lack the other's battle experience, it was vastly superior in its control of Aura.
Or rather, Korrina's Lucario had virtually no experience controlling Aura at all.
Even though Pokémon like Lucario are born with the innate ability to use Aura, mastering it relies heavily on guidance; without a mentor, learning to control it through instinct alone takes an incredibly long time.
Ash's Lucario possesses a level of Aura mastery that surpasses even that of most Champions' Lucarios—a testament to the difference between having a master and not having one.
While battle experience can be accumulated over time through actual combat, advancing one's mastery of Aura requires exceptional aptitude or a skilled teacher; without either, a Pokémon might reach Champion-level status yet remain fundamentally weak.
That is why, in battles between opponents of the same rank, Ash's Lucario can compensate for any lack of combat experience with the power of Aura.
Take, for instance, the moment it faced the Extreme Speed attack from Korrina's Lucario: Ash's Lucario used its Aura to predict the opponent's trajectory—without even needing the Detect move—successfully dodging the attack and landing a close-range counter-punch.
Of course, it would be even better if the gap in battle experience could be closed as well.
"Level is a part of strength, too. Besides, you haven't been training as long as we have; we've been working out together since we were little. If we still couldn't win after all that, then it really was a total defeat." Korrina crouched down in front of her Lucario, a wry smile playing on her lips.
She looked up at Ash; though her eyes held a trace of disappointment, there was also a sense of acceptance.
"The gap in strength is simply too wide to bridge. But... next time we meet, we'll definitely be stronger."
"Yeah, I look forward to battling you again, Korrina!" Ash nodded and extended his hand toward her.
Korrina reached out and clasped his hand firmly.
*Clap, clap, clap!* Gurkinn walked forward slowly, applauding with a look of satisfaction.
"Well done, Korrina."
"You call that 'well done,' Grandpa? Ash took me out in a single hit," Korrina said with a wry smile. That wasn't exactly the kind of consolation she was hoping for!
"I'm not just saying this to comfort you; the fact that you could quickly adjust your mindset after such a blow shows you've become a mature Gym Leader. A Trainer's worth isn't defined solely by their strength—growth of the heart is far more important." Gurkinn patted his chest, his expression serious.
"I was actually worried that your string of victories might make you overconfident—which would have been a real headache to fix later on. Ash's arrival actually did me a favor, and you didn't let me down, either."
"As the saying goes, failure is the mother of success. Failure itself isn't scary; what's truly frightening is failing and being unable to get back up."
"Grandpa..." Korrina glanced at Gurkinn, then grasped Lucario's hand and whispered, "Did you hear that, Lucario? A single defeat isn't scary; the real danger is not being able to stand up again. Next time, we'll win—right?"
Lucario struggled to open its eyes; gazing at Korrina's determined, lovely face, it slowly lowered its head.
We'll win—next time!
"Here, take this. It's the badge of the Tower of Mastery Gym." Gurkinn produced a badge; it was shaped like a pair of boxing gloves—a rather creative design.
"So this is a Kalos region badge? The Tower of Mastery Gym badge—I got it!"
"Pika-pika-chu!" Pikachu, who hadn't battled today but had cheered from the sidelines, joined in the celebration.
Watching Ash strike a victory pose, Gurkinn gave a small cough and said, "Ash, I wonder if you'd be interested in a match against an old man like me?"
A hush fell over the entire arena. Korrina was the first to react: "Grandpa! That's not fair! He just finished a battle!"
"Not fair?" Gurkinn laughed heartily. "I'd say this kid didn't even use his full strength just now. Your Lucario forced him to Mega Evolve, but that was about it. His Lucario might be carrying some injuries, but its fighting spirit is still burning bright—am I right?"
As for the injuries—in reality, he had intentionally allowed Korrina's Lucario to land those hits so he could personally experience the trajectory of its attacks; given the level gap, that degree of injury was nothing to worry about.
Of course, Ash could have chosen to switch Pokémon, but Gurkinn had proposed this match primarily to test the full extent of Ash's Lucario's power.
During the battle with Korrina, Ash's Lucario hadn't just refrained from using full power—it likely hadn't even used half of it, save for that final Close Combat move.
Logically speaking, while there was a level difference between the two, it shouldn't have been *that* vast; Ash's Lucario was clearly more than met the eye, which was exactly why Gurkinn had proposed battling Ash.
"No problem, Grandpa Gurkinn! Lucario and I still have plenty of energy left!" Ash agreed without hesitation.
Although Lucario had learned a lot from the previous match, it wasn't enough—the opponent had ultimately been a bit too weak. Gurkinn, however, was a different story.
Ash could sense a potent Aura emanating from Gurkinn—specifically, the Aura of Gurkinn's own Lucario. Its strength was likely at the peak of the Elite Four level, or perhaps even infinitely close to Champion class.
Battling a Lucario of that caliber would undoubtedly help his own Lucario reach the next level!
"Good!" Gurkinn laughed loudly and turned to walk toward the other side of the arena. "Korrina, take your Lucario aside and let it rest. Now, watch your grandpa in action!"
Korrina obediently recalled her Lucario and skated over to join Brock and the others.
"Will Ash be okay? Grandpa's Lucario is at the peak of the Elite Four level. While Ash's Lucario is strong and capable of Mega Evolution, Grandpa's Lucario can Mega Evolve too!" Korrina said, looking a bit worried.
However, her words met with no agreement from those around her. When she turned around, she was startled to find Brock and the others looking at her with strange expressions, leaving her momentarily flustered.
"W-what? Did I say something wrong?"
Misty shook her head.
"No, actually, your analysis was quite spot-on... It's just that the person on the field is your grandfather. You're worrying about Ash instead of him—if your grandfather knew that, his feelings would be hurt."
Hearing this, Korrina's anxiety vanished, and she replied with a grin, "Oh, that? Don't worry about it—my grandfather is incredibly strong! Back in the Kalos region, even Elite Four trainers couldn't beat his Lucario in a one-on-one match!"
Korrina spoke of her grandfather with absolute confidence; she trusted his strength implicitly. That was precisely why she worried that Ash might suffer a crushing defeat—one so devastating it could shatter his confidence completely.
After all, Ash had just dominated his previous match. If he were to be on the receiving end of such a crushing defeat now, it would not only be embarrassing but could deal a fatal blow to his self-belief.
"Is that so? Then I think you can rest easy regarding Ash. You see... Ash has never lost a match against an opponent of the same tier. No matter what level of Elite Four strength your grandfather's Lucario possesses—as long as it's Elite Four level—Ash won't lose." Misty stated firmly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ash's back.
...
"Come on out, old partner."
Amidst a flash of light, a figure landed steadily on the ground.
Blue and black fur, long and powerful limbs, and sharp, vertical crimson eyes—it was a Lucario, too.
Yet, the aura this Lucario exuded was completely different from Korrina's. He stood there quietly, making no move at all, yet an intangible sense of pressure radiated from him.
This pressure was not deliberately unleashed; rather, it was an aura forged deep within his very bones through years of relentless battle—an imposing strength that made itself felt without the need for ostentation.
Peak Elite Four level.
It was a formidable rank. Moreover, since Korrina was capable of Mega Evolution, Ash saw no reason why Gurkinn couldn't do the same; once Gurkinn's Lucario Mega Evolved, it would possess the combat power of a Champion-level Pokémon!
"Show me the full extent of your power—Mega Evolve!" Just as Ash had anticipated, the moment Lucario took its place on the field, Gurkinn raised his arm, causing the Key Stone on his wrist to glow.
Like Ash, he wore the Key Stone mounted on a wristband.
As the Key Stone shone, Lucario's form began to shift; seconds later, a Mega Lucario—identical in appearance to Ash's own—stood upon the battlefield.
The pressure radiating from the opponent after the Mega Evolution was so intense that, for a moment, Ash's Lucario struggled to catch its breath.
His Lucario was only at the entry-level of the Elite Four—a rank achieved quite recently. Even with the boost from Mega Evolution, it would only reach the mid-level of the Elite Four; there was an almost insurmountable gap between that and a Champion-level Pokémon.
It looked like this battle was going to be a grueling one.
"Don't back down, Lucario! Even if our rank doesn't match theirs, we have our own strengths!" Ash called out encouragingly from behind his Pokémon.
They did indeed have their own advantages: for one, Lucario's base stats were the absolute best among Pokémon of the same rank; for another, his control over the Aura was superior to his opponent's!
"Excellent. You show no fear or hesitation even when facing a formidable opponent; I can almost picture the future you standing at the pinnacle of the world stage... But that is a matter for the future. If the future belongs to you, then prove it to me right now—Lucario, use Aura Sphere!!"
The moment Korrina's grandfather finished speaking, the Lucario before him had already conjured an Aura Sphere the size of half its own body and unleashed it with a powerful thrust!
The Aura Sphere traced a brilliant arc through the air, causing the atmosphere itself to vibrate in its wake; this energy projectile, seemingly capable of crushing anything in its path, bore down on Ash's Lucario.
*Come on, Ash. Let me see how you handle an Aura Sphere that is guaranteed to hit.*
Aura Sphere is a move that locks onto the opponent's Aura; unless something intervenes to block it, it is impossible to miss.
Given the power levels involved, there was no way Ash's Lucario could neutralize it head-on with another move.
This seemingly ordinary opening move was, in reality, a checkmate maneuver against Ash!
If the Steel-type Lucario were struck by this Aura Sphere, the combined impact of a level disadvantage and a type weakness would deal devastating damage!
How would Ash respond?
"Lucario, dodge it!!"
Korrina's grandfather: ???