Korrina stood there, bewildered, as if all her strength had been drained away, her body gone completely stiff. Her gaze fell on the crumpled figure at the edge of the field.
Lucario lay in the rubble, eyes closed, chest rising and falling slightly. He was still conscious, but powerless to stand. The Mega Evolution's light faded, leaving lingering specks that drifted slowly through the air. Cracks in the boundary wall of the arena, shattered by the impact, still rustled with settling dust. The entire Gym was silent except for the soft sound of rolling debris and Korrina's own ragged breathing.
"How, is this possible?" Korrina murmured, her voice barely audible.
Even with Mega Evolution, her Lucario had been finished by a single punch. Before Mega Evolution, her Lucario had been able to trade blows, could even engage in close combat. She'd briefly held a slight upper hand. How could the gap grow this much larger after Mega Evolution? That didn't make sense.
No. That wasn't right. Korrina forced herself to think calmly. It had to be that, after Mega Evolution, Ash and his Lucario hadn't suppressed their real strength. They'd chosen to attack at full power, which was why her Lucario had been dropped in one move. That was it. The gap between them was that huge.
So huge that only now was she really seeing it. If Ash hadn't originally wanted her Lucario to teach his own Lucario more fighting techniques and battle experience, this match would have ended the moment they engaged. Maybe in the very first clash, before either Lucario Mega-Evolved, the outcome had already been decided.
Thinking this, Korrina took a deep breath, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
That really was quite the hit. They were clearly the same age, and her grandfather had always praised her as a genius, but she had never imagined there could be such a huge gap. Compared to Ash, her talent was like a firefly next to a bright moon. No, perhaps not even a firefly. Just a weak candle flame that could be extinguished at any moment in the night wind.
Korrina took another deep breath, forcing her face back into stiff composure, and turned to look at Ash, who was recalling Lucario across the arena. She summoned a smile that was almost natural.
"You're amazing." She tried to keep her voice steady, but a slight tremor could still be heard. Her fingers clenched and released, a small motion that betrayed the turmoil beneath. She wasn't as calm as she looked on the surface. "Actually, your Lucario is really strong too, especially in combat skills."
"My Lucario is much stronger than me. It's just that my Lucario has a small tier advantage." Ash waved his hand modestly.
His words weren't just modesty. They were genuine. If it were purely about fighting skills and battle experience, his Lucario really wouldn't be a match for hers. But if the two were at the same level, his Lucario would still win. Because although his Lucario lacked battle experience, his control of Aura Power was on a different order entirely.
Which meant Ash had to be a lot stronger than the opponent to bridge the gap.
Or rather, Korrina's Lucario basically had no experience controlling Aura Power. Even though Lucario was a Pokémon born with the ability to use Aura, without a teacher, learning to control Aura on instinct alone would take an extraordinarily long and tedious time.
Ash's Lucario's Aura control surpassed that of most Champion-level Lucarios. This was the difference between having a teacher and not having one.
Battle experience could be accumulated through years of combat. But Aura Power control, without extraordinary talent and a good teacher, would still be underdeveloped even at Champion level. So in same-tier battles, even if Ash's Lucario lacked battle experience, he could compensate through Aura.
For example, facing the lightning-fast attack from Korrina's Lucario just now, Ash's Lucario had relied on Aura. Even without using Detect, he'd predicted the opponent's attack trajectory and dodged the swift attack, and had countered with a close-combat punch at the same time. Of course, if he could also fill in the combat experience gap, that would be even better.
"Level is also a measure of strength. Besides, you haven't been training as long as we have. We've been training together since we were young, and this is the first time we've lost this cleanly. It's a complete defeat." Korrina crouched down in front of Lucario, a helpless smile on her face.
She looked up at Ash, her eyes filled with disappointment, but also a hint of relief. "The gap in strength is genuinely insurmountable. But, next time we meet, we'll definitely be stronger."
"Yeah, I'll be waiting for the day we battle again, Korrina." Ash nodded and extended his hand toward her.
Korrina stretched out her small hand and gripped his tightly.
Gurkinn clapped his hands and slowly walked over, a pleased smile on his face. "Well done, my dear."
"That's what you call 'well done,' Grandpa? I got knocked out by Ash in one move." Korrina's lips curled into a bitter smile. Even if he wanted to comfort her, that wasn't the way to do it.
"I'm not comforting you. Being able to quickly adjust your mood after a blow like this, you're already a mature Gym Trainer. Strength isn't everything. Mental maturity matters more." Gurkinn patted his chest, expression serious. "I was worried that winning so much during this stretch might make you arrogant, and then it would be a real problem to correct.
Ash's arrival did me a favor, and you didn't disappoint me either. Because, as the saying goes, failure is the mother of success. Failure isn't scary. What's scary is failing and being unable to get back up."
"Grandpa." Korrina glanced at Gurkinn, then immediately took Lucario's hand and whispered. "Did you hear that, Lucario? A loss isn't scary. What's scary is not being able to get back up. Next time, we'll win, right?"
Lucario struggled to open his eyes.
His eyes met Korrina's determined face, and Lucario slowly nodded.
Next time. I'll win.
"Here, take this. It's the Shalour Gym Badge." Gurkinn took out a badge shaped like two boxing gloves, a very creative design. "The Rumble Badge."
"So this is a Kalos region badge. The Shalour Gym Badge, I got it!"
"Pipika!" Pikachu, who hadn't played today and had just been standing on the sidelines, joined in on the celebration.
Looking at Ash's victory pose, Gurkinn cleared his throat and said, "Ash, I wonder if you'd be interested in a sparring match with these old bones of mine?"
The whole arena fell silent for a moment. Korrina was the first to react.
"Grandpa! You're bullying him! He just finished a fight!"
"Bullying?" Gurkinn chuckled. "I don't think this kid used his full strength just now. Your Lucario forced him to Mega Evolve, but that was all. Although his Lucario is injured now, his fighting spirit is still high."
To call it an injury, in reality, was a stretch. Ash's Lucario had intentionally allowed himself to be hit so Korrina's Lucario would land the strike, because he'd been sensing the trajectory of the opponent's attacks the whole time.
Given the level difference, that scale of injury was practically nothing. Of course, Ash could have chosen to swap Pokémon, but Gurkinn had probably proposed this battle primarily to test the true limits of Ash's Lucario.
When battling Korrina, Ash's Lucario hadn't been using anything close to full power, and probably not even half his strength, aside from that last stretch of Close Combat.
Logically, although there was a level difference between the two, the gap shouldn't have been that wide. Ash's Lucario was clearly not as simple as the surface indicated, which was why Gurkinn had proposed a battle with Ash.
"No problem, Mr. Gurkinn. Lucario and I still have plenty of energy!" Ash agreed readily without hesitation.
Although the previous battle had taught Lucario a lot, it hadn't been enough. The opponent had still been a bit too weak. But Gurkinn would be different.
From Gurkinn's body, Ash could sense a strong wave of power. It had to belong to Gurkinn's Lucario. Its strength was probably at Elite Four Peak, even approaching Champion level. Fighting against a Lucario of this caliber would certainly push his own Lucario's strength further.
"Good!" Gurkinn laughed loudly and turned toward the other side of the arena. "My dear, take your Lucario down to rest. Now, watch Grandpa."
Korrina skillfully recalled Lucario, then slid over to Brock and the others on her skates.
"Is Ash okay? Grandpa's Lucario is at Elite Four Peak. Although Ash's Lucario is strong and can Mega Evolve, Grandpa's Lucario can Mega Evolve too." Korrina said with a slightly worried expression.
When she finished speaking, she didn't receive any of the reactions she expected from those around her. Turning to look, she was startled to see Brock and the others all giving her strange looks. This left Korrina momentarily speechless.
"So, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Misty shook her head. "No, more accurately, your analysis is pretty on target. It's just that your grandfather is on the field, and you're not worried about your grandfather. You're worried about Ash. If your grandfather heard that, his heart would freeze."
Hearing this, Korrina, whose heart had been in her throat a moment ago, giggled and replied. "Oh, that? It's nothing! Grandpa is really strong! In the Kalos region, even the Elite Four Trainers can't defeat Grandpa's Lucario in a one-on-one fight!"
When talking about her grandfather, Korrina's words were full of confidence. She had a hundred percent faith in her grandfather's strength, which was why she'd been worried that Ash might be too devastated by Gurkinn's outcome to recover.
Ash had just finished a match where he'd completely overwhelmed his opponent. If he were the one overwhelmed in this next match, it wouldn't only be embarrassing, it would be a devastating blow to his confidence.
"Really? If that's the case, then rest easy about Ash. Ash has never been at the same level as anyone he's faced. Even if he loses a match, no matter what level Grandpa's Lucario is, as long as he's Champion or below, Ash won't lose." Misty watched Ash's back on the field with unshakable conviction.
"Come on, old friend."
A flash of light appeared in the middle of the arena, and a sturdy figure landed on the ground. Fur of alternating blue and black, long, powerful limbs, sharp crimson eyes. Lucario. But this Lucario gave off a completely different feeling from Korrina's.
He stood there calmly, without even a movement, yet an invisible pressure radiated from him. That pressure wasn't deliberately released. It was the aura of battle accumulated in his bones over years of fighting. Without exaggeration, one could feel his immense power.
Elite Four Peak. A level not to be underestimated. And since even Korrina could use Mega Evolution, Ash didn't think this Lucario couldn't. Once he Mega Evolved, he'd have Champion-level combat power.
"All right. Time to unleash your full strength. Mega Evolution!"
Contrary to Ash's expectations, just as Lucario stood up, Gurkinn raised his arm, and a glowing stone appeared on his wrist. He was just like Ash, using a wrist guard to hold the Key Stone. As the Key Stone flickered, Lucario's form began to change. A few seconds later, a Mega Lucario, indistinguishable from Ash's Lucario, appeared on the battlefield.
After the Mega Evolution, the pressure radiating from the opponent made Ash's Lucario momentarily feel his breath catch. His own level was only Elite Four Beginner, and he had only recently reached that tier.
Even with Mega Evolution, he'd only climbed to Mid Elite Four, a gap that was practically insurmountable when facing a Champion-level Pokémon. This battle looked like it was going to be another fierce one.
"Don't back down, Lucario! Even if our level is lower than his, we have our own strengths." Ash encouraged Lucario from behind. They also had their own advantages. For one, Lucario's stat spread was higher than most of his peers.
Ash's Lucario belonged to the top of the top in stat spread. On top of that, his control over Aura was stronger than his opponent's.
"Not bad. Facing a strong enemy and still not fearing or retreating. I feel like I've already seen you standing on the stage at the peak of the world one day. But that's a matter of the future. If the future belongs to you, then prove it to me now. Lucario, Aura Sphere!"
The instant Gurkinn's words fell, his Lucario had already condensed an Aura Sphere the size of half a man in front of him, then suddenly blasted it forward. The Aura Sphere streaked through the air in a brilliant arc, the air itself vibrating along its trajectory, and it crushed practically anything in its path as it homed in on Ash's Lucario.
Come on, Ash. Let me see what method you'll use to counter this guaranteed-hit Aura Sphere.
Aura Sphere locked onto the opponent's Aura signature. As long as there were no other obstacles, it was guaranteed to hit. And at the power level Gurkinn's Lucario was operating at, Ash's Lucario simply couldn't neutralize it by clashing with a move of his own. That was the natural read.
No surprise, then, that Gurkinn's very first attack was aimed straight for the finish. If a Steel-type Lucario got hit by this Aura Sphere, under the double blow of level suppression and the type advantage, he'd definitely be severely wounded. How was Ash going to respond?
"Lucario, dodge!"
Gurkinn's expression flickered. What?