Ash's Lucario had directly demonstrated an innovation that might have changed the worldview of Korrina and even Gurkinn. He'd shown them that Pokémon levels weren't everything. For Misty and the others, a whole new world opened up as well.
Previously, Ash's methods for fighting above his level had really been three: Mega Evolution, Aura fusion, and Legendary items. The last method was only possessed by a few Pokémon on the team, such as Venusaur and Charizard.
Besides those three conventional methods for challenging above-tier opponents, Ash also had Pikachu's partner form, which had some similarities to Mega Evolution, though the overall power increase was much stronger than a standard Mega.
Now, Ash had added another method of challenging opponents beyond his level, though this one could only be used by Lucario. Unleashing 100% of one's potential. It sounded plausible, but how many Pokémon could actually do it in reality?
None. At least, none of the Pokémon in ordinary Trainers' possession had achieved it. Those Legendary Pokémon, especially those reaching god level, were a different story. It was no wonder Korrina was tempted. This method was simply too alluring. It wasn't just about bursts of power in battle.
It also meant achieving great results with minimal effort in daily training. If she could possess this kind of power, her Pokémon's growth rate would undoubtedly experience a qualitative leap.
But Korrina herself knew that this idea was merely a fleeting, unrealistic hope. Ash was not only competing in the Silver Conference himself, even if he had plenty of time, what right did a complete stranger have to ask him to train her Pokémon?
"Training Pokémon? Korrina, that was just a joke, right?" Ash paused, then looked at her seriously. "Speaking of specifically training a Pokémon for you, I really am too busy and don't have the time. I can barely take care of my own Pokémon. However, if you'd like it, I can teach you the Aura control method."
Ash was never a stingy person. The Aura control method wasn't a secret to him. Besides, he'd gained a lot from Korrina. This battle had allowed him to successfully help Lucario convert that special power into his own use. Otherwise, he didn't know how much longer it would have taken. He felt grateful to Korrina and to Gurkinn.
Along this path, he'd never lacked selfless assistance and gifts from various Gym Leaders. Now it was his turn to reciprocate.
Korrina, hearing this, showed a slight shock and immediately waved her hands dismissively. "No, no! I was just joking, how could I possibly ask you to reveal your training method? This is your unique training method!"
She knew, of course, that this training method was even more precious to Trainers who possessed Lucario than to those with quasi-Legendary or even Legendary Pokémon. How could she possibly accept such a gift for no reason? That would be too generous, even though she genuinely desired it.
"It's alright," Ash said, waving his hand. "Keeping things hidden won't increase their value. Better to share them so more Lucario Trainers can benefit. Besides, this isn't something you can learn just by looking at it. Even with the method, results still depend on talent and effort. So, Korrina, prepare yourself mentally."
"But."
"Korrina, put it away." Gurkinn suddenly spoke.
That one sentence left Korrina stunned. Why would Grandpa say that? Accepting such a heavy gift for no reason, no matter how she thought about it, it was a bit.
"Don't worry. I'm not letting you take it for free. This is for you, Ash." Gurkinn took a pouch from his side and handed it over.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances, and he accepted the pouch. "Mr. Gurkinn, what is this?" He weighed it. It wasn't light. What could be in such a small pouch?
"Open it and you'll see." Gurkinn raised his chin, gesturing for him to open it.
Ash untied the pouch. A smooth gemstone came into view, with a distinctive pattern carved into the center.
"A Mega Stone?" Ash looked up in astonishment. He couldn't have imagined that Gurkinn would actually offer a Mega Stone as a trade.
He had originally intended to give the training method to Korrina for free, without any conditions. But clearly, neither Gurkinn nor Korrina could comfortably accept this gift. So Gurkinn had chosen to offer a Mega Stone as a trade. Although Mega Stones were becoming more numerous over time, their quantity was still insufficient across the world. Many Trainers said it was still just a grain of sand in the desert.
A Mega Stone on the market could even be exchanged for a standard Legendary Pokémon egg, which showed how precious a Mega Stone was.
For Gurkinn to offer a Mega Stone as an exchange, it was like putting everything he had on the line. Although it was impossible to say whether the Aura control training method was more valuable than the Mega Stone, the difference between the two wasn't too great.
After all, Ash was only offering a training method. He didn't guarantee that Korrina's Lucario could achieve the same level of power as his own Lucario, or use Aura control to maximize its energy. So the value of the two was roughly equal.
But the problem was, Ash basically hadn't thought about wanting anything in return. Just as Ash was about to refuse, Gurkinn interrupted him. "Take it, Ash. If you don't take it, neither Korrina nor I can accept your training method."
"That's right. Such a precious training secret, we can't feel at ease taking it without giving something back." Korrina nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Well, okay. Thank you, then. Korrina, could you tell Mr. Gurkinn about the training method after I write it down and give it to you?" Ash hesitated for a moment, then finally tightened his grip on the bag in his hand and nodded toward them.
From this Mega Stone, he sensed a familiar power. The power of Lucario. But the color of the lines on this Mega Stone was completely different from Lucario's usual Mega Stone. In theory, this Mega Stone could unlock another Mega form of Lucario.
Lucario actually had two Mega Evolution forms. This was something the senior Pokémon in the Chat Group hadn't told him.
"Um, I want to ask, which Pokémon does this Mega Stone belong to?" Ash could sense the power within the Mega Stone, but Misty and the others didn't know.
Misty, holding Togepi, curiously asked Korrina and Gurkinn, but they just looked bewildered.
Korrina looked at her grandfather. She didn't know which Pokémon this Mega Stone belonged to, or even when her family had acquired it.
Gurkinn paused and said, "About that, I don't know either. This Mega Stone has been passed down through generations along with the Lucario Mega Stone. Our family has three Mega Stones in total. Two are Lucario Mega Stones, and this one, we don't know.
We once suspected that this Mega Stone might be a second Lucario Mega Stone, because research has shown that a Pokémon can possess multiple Mega Evolution forms. But experiments found that Lucario doesn't react to it. Furthermore, in the Mega Stone catalogs released so far, there isn't a match for this one. On the surface, it's still a mystery which Pokémon this Mega Stone ultimately belongs to."
There were still many undiscovered Mega Evolution Pokémon in the world, so the appearance of unknown Mega Stones was fairly normal. Even so, it didn't affect the value of this Mega Stone.
After a moment of silence, Ash spoke. "Actually, this Mega Stone is a Lucario Mega Stone."
"Lucario? Impossible! My Lucario doesn't react to it at all!"
Although there was no strong trace of emotion in Gurkinn's expression, he was clearly showing disbelief. He had experimented with this Mega Stone on his own Lucario, and the result had been that it had no effect whatsoever.
The other two ancestral Mega Stones, however, took effect immediately, whether on his Lucario or on Korrina's. For a Pokémon to Mega Evolve, besides the Mega Stone and Key Stone, there also had to be a bond between the Trainer and the Pokémon.
Regardless of whether it was Gurkinn or Korrina, the bond with their respective Pokémon was undeniable. One was an old partner, the other was a childhood companion. Their bond was unbreakable. So the idea that the Mega Evolution failed because the bond wasn't strong enough was impossible. That meant this Mega Stone couldn't be a Lucario Mega Stone.
"What I'm saying is true. Using Aura perception, I can detect that this Mega Stone resonates with Lucario's genes. However, the power of this Mega Stone seems to be locked, which is why Lucario has absolutely no reaction to it."
Ash's explanation couldn't be independently verified. Aside from Ash himself, only Gurkinn and Korrina's Lucarios were on the field who could use Aura. And previously, neither had reacted to this Mega Stone at all. Since they hadn't detected anything, it could only mean that Ash's Aura was a bit more special.
Neither Gurkinn nor his granddaughter doubted the truthfulness of Ash's words. It would be pointless to lie about something like this, and Ash wasn't the kind of person who would deceive.
So was this Mega Stone really a Lucario Mega Stone?
"Whether it's a Lucario Mega Stone or not doesn't matter. Of course, if I said I'd give it to you, then I'll give it to you. Just keep it. If it can help Lucario evolve into a new form, then let this old man take a look."
Gurkinn wasn't that worried. He'd already given away the Mega Stone. How to use it and what kind of Pokémon it would trigger was up to Ash. If it really was another Mega form of Lucario, then he'd be equally happy for the discovery. Because it would be unlocking a new form for their family's Pokémon.
Whether or not their own Pokémon could use the new form wasn't really the issue. They already had Lucario's standard Mega Stone, so even if there was another form, it wouldn't be able to raise their Pokémon's ceiling.
Unless that new form was a level higher than the normal Lucario Mega, like an evolution beyond Mega Evolution, its practical effect for them wouldn't be significant. Which was also the reason Gurkinn could hand it over so calmly.
"Since that's the case, I'll take this Mega Stone. Thank you. Mr. Gurkinn, you're a Gym Leader too, aren't you?"
"Just call me Gurkinn. Mr. Gurkinn sounds a bit weird." Gurkinn patted Ash's shoulder, a bright smile on his face. He'd been a Gym Leader for some time, but he'd never insisted on being addressed formally, let alone by someone Ash's age.
Furthermore, he didn't want to feel distant from Ash. He treated him as a friend. If Ash kept calling him "Mr. Gurkinn," their positions would feel unequal.
"Okay, then. Korrina, I'll write down the Aura control training method for you now." Ash nodded, dropping the formal address.
Korrina took out paper and a pen from inside the Gym and handed them to Ash. Ash confidently picked up the pen.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds passed. Everyone noticed that Ash's pen was slow to touch the page.
"Uh, haha, I don't seem to know how to write it." Ash looked up, smiling awkwardly.
Pikachu fell over onto the ground, at a loss. Misty rubbed her forehead, shaking her head helplessly. Brock and Serena also showed embarrassed expressions.
"I told you, Ash, you confidently said you wanted to write down the method for Aura training, but in reality, you rely on your instincts to teach the Pokémon. How could you possibly know the theory?" Misty grumbled, half-laughing, half-crying.
Ash had a knack for the practical side of Aura Power, no question. But teaching others was a different matter entirely. Ash could only teach hands-on, through direct guidance. When it came to theoretical knowledge, it was completely useless. He could only say, "like this, like that, like this, and all kinds of things happen," which was already shocking enough, like encountering a divine being, let alone explaining it in detail.
"Cough, cough. What are you saying? Who said I couldn't teach her? Just watch." Ash was embarrassed by Misty's teasing. He shot back defiantly, then walked up to Korrina.
Ash extended two fingers and touched Korrina's fair forehead. Korrina, watching Ash so close, felt no discomfort at having her forehead touched by a male outside her family for the first time. She was only curious about what he was doing.
"Wait a moment, Korrina. I'll use Aura transmission to transfer the Aura techniques I remember to you. This is much faster than learning from theoretical knowledge."
The Aura Power within Ash's body began to flow into Korrina's. This method of teaching was actually very similar to what happened in the Chat Group, except that the Chat Group also instilled the training methodology directly.
On top of that, the seniors had directly channeled a young Ash's Aura, letting him take the first step toward that realm. What Ash was doing now was simply transmitting the knowledge to Korrina. Although it didn't possess the same extraordinary power and knowledge transmission capabilities as the Chat Group, for an ordinary person, this was already a godlike technique.
Korrina could deeply feel that a new piece of memory and knowledge had suddenly appeared in her mind, all related to Aura channeling.