Years had passed since that event, but Ash always remembered his encounters with Pokémon vividly. He had never forgotten.
During this time, he had met many Lucario and even several Riolu, but none gave him the same feeling as Sir Aaron's Lucario. It was as if those other Lucario and Riolu simply didn't belong to him.
But this Riolu was different. The moment he saw it, Ash could feel a singular power connecting them. Is this... my Lucario? My Riolu?
The small Riolu opened its eyes, its large, watery gaze filled with confusion toward the world. But when it saw Ash, it didn't show joy; instead, it looked wary! It thrust a palm forward, and an invisible spiral of air erupted!
The unexpected blast sent Ash flying several meters back, landing hard on his bed. "Pika-pi!!"
Pikachu hadn't expected this seemingly harmless newborn to attack Ash. He rushed to Ash's side, looking at him with concern. Ash waved him off, clutching his stomach and gasping for air.
"Cough... don't worry... I'm okay... just... cough... a bit winded. I'll be fine once I catch my breath. I didn't expect you to know Vacuum Wave right out of the shell, Riolu!"
After recovering, Ash didn't scold Riolu; instead, he praised it. He had a premonition: this Riolu was indeed the one destined for him! It had been waiting for him. Being born into a new world, it was only natural for it to be on high alert.
"Riolu, my name is Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu. Calm down, okay?" "Rio!" Riolu didn't answer. It leaped straight out the window! With a crisp sound of shattering glass, it jumped from the second floor and bolted toward the nearby forest.
Ash scrambled to change his clothes and give chase, only to run into Chloe, who had been startled awake. "The egg hatched! It's a Riolu! I think my sudden movement scared it, and it broke the window and ran off. I have to find it!"
Ash blurted the explanation and sprinted out. Chloe, seeing the urgency, didn't even stop to change out of her pajamas—she ran after him. Even though the information was a lot to process, helping her friend came first!
[Catlin: Huh? This isn't right. If this is Ash's fated Lucario, why did it attack him and run away?]
[Lance: It is strange. Back when it was an egg, we saw it emit an Aura calling out to Ash. Logically, it should have recognized him.]
[Bea: This Riolu seems extremely guarded. Is it possible it didn't recognize Ash's Aura immediately and thought he was a threat?]
[Cynthia: It's likely just newborn instinct. It probably isn't consciously using Aura yet. If it were, it would realize... Ash is the fated one!]
[Professor Kukui: No worries! I'm sure Ash will win its trust in no time. After all... he's Ash!]
The audience agreed. Even if this wasn't a reincarnation, no Pokémon could resist "The Ash Ketchum Charm" for long.
[Professor Cerise: By the way... did no one notice my Chloe running out in her pajamas to help Ash? That's devotion!!]
[Chloe: Dad! If you keep talking like that, I'm throwing away all your research materials when I get back!!]
[Professor Cerise: No, no, no! I'll be quiet! Zipping my lip right now!]
In the Footage—
Ash and Chloe searched the forest. They decided to split up, but Chloe didn't even have a Pokémon with her.
If she ran into a swarm of Beedrill, Ash would be looking for a person instead of a Riolu. Because of his haste, Ash hadn't brought his other Pokémon either, so he gave Pikachu to Chloe to protect her while he searched alone.
Was Ash in danger? You're talking about the "Super Pallet Town Human" who can manifest Aura Spheres and punch through Mewtwo's barriers.
Because their meeting was so brief, Ash hadn't memorized Riolu's specific Aura signature. He could only extend his senses to scan the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Riolu was challenging a group of Poliwag, only to be soundly defeated. Then it challenged a Butterfree, only to be paralyzed by Stun Spore. Then it went after a group of Rattata, then Diglett...
It challenged one after another, and it never won. Its body was covered in scrapes and bruises. The audience was baffled. What was it doing? It was picking fights it clearly couldn't win, over and over again.
[Bea: Persistence is good, but challenging opponents you obviously can't beat is foolish. The best way is to train first!] Bea saw a bit of herself in Riolu, though Riolu was far more reckless. If she lost, she'd go train; this little guy just kept throwing himself into the next fight. Who did it take after? Was Sir Aaron's Lucario like this, too?
[Professor Oak: I suspect Riolu is mentally confused. Staying in the egg for so long might have affected it. This constant fighting seems like a way to vent built-up frustration.]
[Professor Oak: If someone doesn't stop it, it's in trouble. A newborn pushing itself this hard could suffer permanent physical damage.]
In the Footage—
Riolu climbed a rocky cliff and accidentally disturbed a sleeping Onix. The Onix didn't want to bother with such a tiny creature, but Riolu hit it directly with a Vacuum Wave!
Even though it was a 4x effective Fighting move, Riolu was exhausted and a newborn. The attack was a mere tickle to the Onix.
However, it was enough to enrage the giant! It tried to let it go, but being attacked was the final straw. With a roar, several massive boulders floated into the air—Rock Tomb!
Riolu shattered one rock with its fist, but the subsequent ones sent it flying. The enraged Onix didn't stop. More boulders formed as Riolu struggled to stand. The attack was coming!
BOOM! Suddenly, a deep blue Aura Sphere tore through the air, obliterating all the rocks aimed at Riolu. A dirt-covered boy appeared in front of the pup.
"Riolu, are you okay?" It was Ash. And that Aura Sphere was indeed his own. He was becoming more proficient with it; handling a wild Onix was well within his capabilities.
"Rio..." The violent madness in Riolu's eyes faded. That familiar power... that feeling... what was it?
"Don't worry, Riolu. I won't let it hurt you! I'll take you to the Pokémon Center soon!" Ash turned his back to Riolu and faced the Onix. His Aura flared up like a storm, blowing away the surrounding dust.
Aura, fully unleashed! The Super Pallet Town Human was prepared to fight an Onix bare-handed!
"RIOLU!!!" Ash's Aura radiated outward, washing over Riolu. In 그 moment, Riolu felt its own power resonate with the boy's. The frustration and irritability accumulated over the years in the egg were swept away.
Riolu had recovered! It realized that this boy's Aura was the exact power it had been waiting for! In the egg, it had called out endlessly... and only this morning had that call been answered.
In its initial confusion, it hadn't realized that the boy looking at it was the fated partner! How foolish! But thankfully, it wasn't too late.
"Rio!" Riolu pushed itself up and stood beside Ash, raising a small fist. "Huh? Riolu, you want to fight too? Are you sure you're okay?" "RIOLU!!" "Alright! Then... I choose you, Riolu!"
Riolu stared down the Onix with a burning fighting spirit. Ash's heart and Riolu's heart beat as one, their Auras beginning to merge!
"ROAAR!!" The Onix, seeing the little pup still daring to provoke it, unleashed another massive Rock Tomb.
"Riolu, Vacuum Wave!" Riolu focused its energy, pulling a hand to its hip as powerful Aura condensed. This Riolu was on an entirely different level than it was seconds ago.
As the rocks approached, Riolu punched forward. A massive gale spiraled from its fist! The previous small gust had become a literal tornado, sweeping the Rock Tomb aside.
The Onix instantly sobered up. What is this? How did this pup suddenly get ten times stronger?
"Now, Riolu! Force Palm!" Riolu shot forward like an arrow. In seconds, it crossed the distance and slammed its glowing white palm into the Onix's massive head! An internal shockwave rippled through the Onix's body.
"ROAAAR!!!" The Onix let out a deafening cry of pain and then... it bolted! It didn't want any more of this; that pup's power was terrifying!
[Lance: Holy cow! A newborn can hit a Vacuum Wave with that much power??]
[Cynthia: That's the combined power of Ash and Riolu. Their Auras merged, boosting Riolu's natural strength.]
[Cynthia: But this proves it's the reincarnation. I don't believe any other Riolu could resonate so perfectly with Ash's Aura!]
[Bruno: This little one is going to be a star! Leon, you'd better watch out!]
In the Footage—
After driving off the Onix, Ash happily pulled Riolu into a hug. "Great job, Riolu! You were amazing!" "Rio~" Riolu leaned into the praise.
After the hug, Ash pulled out a Poké Ball. "Is this okay?" "RIOLU!" Riolu nodded vigorously. This was the trainer it had been waiting for.
"Haha! Let's fight side-by-side from now on!" Ash tapped the ball against Riolu's head. It didn't even shake—it clicked instantly.
"I caught a Riolu!" "Pika-Pikachu!!" "Eh? Pikachu? When did you get here?" Ash looked back to see Pikachu already standing behind him.
"We arrived while you were commanding Riolu against the Onix," Chloe said, stepping out from behind a rock.
They had found him shortly after he started fighting, but Chloe had held Pikachu back to give Ash and Riolu this moment to bond.
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