In the attic—
Only the frozen Snorlax blinked its innocent eyes.
I didn't even get on the ride yet!
All that had happened just now had been seen by Max, who'd been hiding in the corner by the door.
Too young to have a Pokémon of his own, he could only watch helplessly.
At the same time—
On the windowsill outside, Kido was utterly dumbfounded.
All I told them to do was plant a tracker!
Was it really necessary to go for the kill?
Anyone watching would think we're the Rocket Gang from Kanto!
"No, no, this won't do! I'll have to give those two Weaviles some proper retraining when we get back."
We're adventurers, not some evil organization!
Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the palace—
In a daze, Ash seemed to hear a faint voice again.
The ball had already reached its final moments.
Queen Irene rose gracefully and gestured to the crowd below, announcing the end of the evening's banquet.
At that moment, the old matron beside Ash nudged his arm.
"Hero, it's your turn now."
She pointed at the painting of the Hero of Aura on the wall, signaling for Ash to pose the same way.
"Oh! Right!"
The pose on Sir Aaron's portrait was indeed quite heroic.
Ash quickly struck an identical pose, mimicking every detail.
Outside, the fireworks lit up the night sky—like a signal.
The moment Ash took his stance, the staff in his hand began to tremble violently.
"Huh? What's going on?" Ash frowned, staring down at the staff.
'Why…'
The voice was much clearer this time, furrowing Ash's brows even deeper.
Suddenly—
The crystal atop the staff flared with a dazzling white light, outshining even the colorful fireworks beyond the palace walls.
Gradually, the growing brilliance drew everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to Ash—and beheld an astonishing sight.
The boy surrounded by pure white light stood there like the true Hero of Aura reborn!
When the crystal's light reached its peak, it burst outward, flooding the entire hall.
Then, as the light began to fade, a silhouette appeared within it—
A blue-and-black figure stepped forth.
It was the very Pokémon sealed away by Sir Aaron himself—
Lucario.
After a thousand years of slumber, Lucario saw the light of day once more.
The seal had preserved him in that same instant for millennia.
Though his eyes remained closed, his body instinctively extended its Aura to perceive the world around him.
The livestream feed turned pitch black—
Yet within that darkness, countless faint outlines shimmered, each one the manifestation of an individual's Aura.
As those outlines moved, rings of ripples spread through the blackened world like waves upon water.
Every person's Aura was different—some faint, some strong.
Most shone a pale blue.
But among them, one radiated with a depth as vast as the sky itself.
No—
It wasn't the sky.
It was the sun burning above it.
It was Ash.
If others' Auras were no more than distant starlight, then in Lucario's perception, Ash's Aura blazed like a roaring sun!
[Korrina: Now I get it! That's why Ash can freely wield Aura! With that much energy, even just striking a pose would release it!]
[Professor Juniper: Others' Auras are starlight, but Ash's is the full moon—no, the blazing sun! The difference is astounding.]
[Bruno: It's over! I wanted to learn Aura mastery, but now I realize—this guy's a natural-born prodigy! How can we even compete!?]
[Lance: At least you're self-aware, Bruno. Aura's like psychic power—something you'll never learn. Stick to your muscles.]
[Mustard: Such terrifying Aura! I knew it! Ash has the physique of a martial saint. If he trained seriously, he could master every Fighting technique in existence!]
[Mustard: Ash! You must come to the Isle of Armor in Galar! My dojo's "Invisible Fist" awaits your inheritance!]
[Leon: Master! I'm your disciple too!]
[Mustard: Little Leon, you're an outer disciple~]
[Sabrina: Hehe, I knew it. Ash, you're like me—a born anomaly. We're meant to be together!]
[Serena: No way! I'm the one who's meant to be with Ash!!!]
[Sabrina: Oh? Do you have psychic powers? Or maybe an Aura as strong as his? No? Then hush~]
In Asame Town, Kalos—
Sabrina had completely silenced Serena with that one line.
And by her logic… Serena really wasn't his destined match.
[Sabrina: Just to add—my psychic power is the greatest in the world. Even a Champion-level Pokémon might not be my match~]
[Sabrina: If you want Ash, you'll have to defeat me first~]
Serena: So mad!
But… she had no rebuttal.
[Bea: Wait, if Ash's Aura is that powerful, doesn't that mean he could reach Champion-level strength himself?]
[Bruno: Champion-tier Fighting Pokémon—Ash!? My Poké Balls are trembling!!]
Viewers: ???
Bruno's logic was… unique.
But strangely—it kinda made sense.
Ash's true identity seemed to have been confirmed by accident.
A potential Champion-tier Fighting-type Pokémon!
Maybe he really should go to Galar and train under Mustard—
Unleash his full potential as a Fighting-type Aura master.
Ash, the Champion-level Fighting Pokémon—
Ability: Unseen Fist.
Signature Move: Aura Sphere.
Now that would be terrifying.
Back in the palace hall—
The guests were still in awe of Lucario's sudden appearance.
Most assumed it was just part of Queen Irene's performance.
They were just about to applaud—
Until a voice suddenly echoed within everyone's minds.
'Lord Aaron…'
Who was speaking?
The crowd looked around in confusion—no one's lips were moving.
Only Queen Irene, standing closest to Lucario, sensed something was off.
She had seen everything clearly—
This Lucario had emerged from Sir Aaron's staff.
And now this telepathic voice…
She recalled the ancient legend passed down in the royal court—
The tale of the Hero Aaron, who sacrificed himself to save Rota, sealing away his faithful companion, Lucario.
This was that Lucario—the Hero's partner was reborn.
Irene opened her mouth to speak, but Lucario's voice resounded again—this time filled with anguish.
'Why? Why, Lord Aaron?! Why did you abandon everyone? Why did you seal me away?!'
The emotion in that mental cry was overwhelming—
Even Ash was caught completely off guard.
No one's mouth was moving, yet the voice was clear in everyone's mind.
Ash glanced around; everyone wore the same bewildered expression.
Which could only mean one thing—
The voice came from the Pokémon before him.
A talking Pokémon—shocking to others, but not to Ash.
After all, he'd spent years traveling with a talking Meowth.
But this was different.
Lucario wasn't even moving its mouth.
Ash thought for a moment—
Telepathy?
He remembered Sabrina's psychic powers at the Saffron Gym.
Some Psychic-type Pokémon could communicate through thoughts alone.
What was that term again…?
Right—Mind Link!
Still, Ash looked utterly lost.
"Huh? Are you talking to me? I'm not Sir Aaron!"
Though being mistaken for the Hero of Legend did stroke his ego a bit—his cosplay had worked perfectly!
But no, he definitely wasn't the real thing.
Especially since Lucario's eyes were still tightly shut.
Clearly, it was mistaking him for someone else.
'That… That can't be!'
Ignoring the pain in his sealed eyes, Lucario forced them open, desperate to see the source of that familiar Aura.
Light poured in, shapes forming before him—
The hall, the people, and the boy in Aaron's garb.
He looked so similar… even his face bore traces of Aaron's likeness.
But no—Lucario would never mistake his master.
Years of companionship could not deceive him.
'Who… who are you?! Why does your Aura feel identical to Lord Aaron's?!'
[Ash: I'm just a passing Pokémon Trainer! Definitely not Aaron!]
[Bea: Wait, why did Lucario mistake Ash for Aaron? Did I miss something?]
[Korrina: It's the Aura! Lucario used his Aura to sense the world, and Ash's Aura feels just like Aaron's!]
[Cynthia: Not quite. Lucario didn't mistake him—it recognized him.]
[Professor Professor Kukui: Every person's Aura is unique, like a fingerprint. Not even twins share the same one.]
[Professor Professor Kukui: So you're saying Ash's Aura is exactly identical to Aaron's? That's impossible!]
[Riley: I knew it! That's why everything felt so familiar—Ash is Sir Aaron's reincarnation!]
[Sabrina: Impossible! Ash is Ash—he's not some reincarnation!]
[Irene: Yet the proof stands before us. Without Ash's Aura, Lucario's seal could never have been broken.]
The entire livestream fell silent.
If Ash truly was Aaron's reincarnation,
then everything the world knew about science and life would be rewritten.
Reincarnation… even in the Pokémon world, that was hard to swallow.
Was Ash really Sir Aaron reborn?
The answer would have to wait for the livestream to reveal.
Back in Rota Castle—
The hall buzzed with whispered speculation about Ash, Aaron, and Lucario.
Most still thought it was part of the show.
Only Queen Irene looked truly shaken.
A thousand-year-old legend come to life—how could anyone stay calm?
Especially when that Lucario was the one from legend.
Ash gave the same answer he had in the stream's comments:
"I'm just a passing Trainer—not Sir Aaron."
He only caught bits of Lucario's mental speech—something about "Aaron" and "Aura."
The rest went right over his head.
Lucario, realizing this wasn't his master, turned abruptly and dashed out of the hall.
The guests, thinking the "performance" was over, burst into applause.
What an incredible show!
Irene approached Ash gently.
"That Lucario… it once served the Hero of Aura, Sir Aaron."
Ash looked down at the staff in his hands, his thoughts drifting.
"So it was inside this thing…?"
Meanwhile—
Lucario roamed through the streets of Rota,
its eyes wide at the familiar yet alien surroundings.
Everything looked different, yet it was still Rota.
Fireworks blossomed overhead, lighting up the night.
Lucario felt lost.
The last thing he remembered, Rota had been engulfed in war.
But now—peace.
Has… the war ended?
He wandered aimlessly,
his paws carrying him toward the places filled with memories of Aaron.
With every step, flashes of the past flickered in gray tones before the viewers' eyes—
scenes of camaraderie, of battles, of laughter.
At last, he stood before what had once been Aaron's home.
Now it was a museum, his life preserved in cold glass cases.
Lucario stared at it all, unable to accept it.
What had happened?
Why had the war ended?
Why was he still here… alone?
Then—
"Lucario."
A gentle voice came from behind.
Lucario spun around, tense.
In the faint light from the window, he saw a familiar silhouette.
Princess Linne?!
Lucario's eyes widened in disbelief.
If Linne still lived, then perhaps Lord Aaron too…
But—
Click.
The room's lights came on.
The bright glow revealed everything clearly.
Lucario froze.
This woman wasn't Princess Linne—
though she looked exactly like her.
"My ancestor was Linne. I am Queen Irene, the current ruler of Rota."
Irene stepped forward and gently embraced the stunned Lucario.
"You've been asleep for a very long time."
'Asleep…?'
"Yes. Time has passed. A thousand years."
'That's impossible!'
Lucario's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
He broke free from her arms, stumbling backward.
The truth was undeniable—
and suddenly, everything around him made sense.
But he couldn't accept it.
'Up until yesterday, this was our room!'
"For you, it may have been yesterday.
But for us… it was a millennium ago."
Lucario turned away, eyes empty.
The revelation crushed him.
He leaned weakly against a display case.
Everything familiar was gone.
Lord Aaron…
We were just together yesterday…
A thousand years… a thousand years have passed!
Everything he knew had vanished.
Why… Why did you leave me behind?
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