Everyone crowded around, their earlier tension finally giving way to relief and awe as they admired the newborn Riolu.
But Ash didn't smile.
He had saved Riolu's life, but that didn't mean Riolu was out of danger.
Through his Insight Eye, Ash quietly examined the Pokémon's state. Numbers and readings appeared before his inner vision.
[Species]: Riolu
[Gender]: Male
[Type]: Fighting
[Level]: Beginner (Junior)
[Ability]: Prankster
[Moves]: Bite, Detect, Bullet Punch, Feint, Vacuum Wave, Quick Attack
[Six-Dimensional Stats]:
Physical Attack — E (E–S)
Special Attack — E (E–S)
Defense — E (E–A)
Special Defense — E (E–A)
Stamina — E (E–A)
Speed — E (E–S)
The readings didn't lie, Riolu was alive, but barely.
Normally, stat fluctuations of one or two grades were nothing unusual. Ash had seen it before, especially with Pikachu. When he'd asked the experts in his chat group about it, they'd explained that such swings could come from exhaustion, mental strain, or even mood.
But in Pikachu's case, it was different.
That was simply how Pikachu was, his power scaled with his emotions and his bond with Ash.
However, what Ash saw in Riolu wasn't a stat fluctuation. It was an aptitude fluctuation, something entirely different.
From E to S.
That kind of instability wasn't normal; it was unprecedented. It meant Riolu's very essence, his potential, was damaged and unstable. His "core," what breeders sometimes called a Pokémon's origin, had been injured.
Ash frowned slightly, eyes narrowing as he observed the faint traces of energy inside Riolu. He could sense it: the little Pokémon's inner flame was flickering, unsteady but trying to rebuild.
He sighed and, with a faint thought, he entered the Chat Group.
[Newbie Ash]: Guys, I need help!
[Champion Ash]: What happened? You get attacked by another Divine-Class Pokémon?
[Aura Hero Ash]: Haha, even if you did, it's fine. At your level now, you can probably handle one or two. But if more show up, just grab your team and run!
[Newbie Ash]: No, no, it's not that. It's about a Pokémon. I came to Professor Cerise's lab today and…
He typed out everything that had happened, from finding the damaged Egg, to reviving it with Aura, to Riolu's strange condition and his unstable aptitude readings.
He'd already guessed the cause had something to do with Riolu's injuries and weakened life force, but he didn't know how to fix it. And when you didn't know the answer, there was only one thing to do, ask the experts.
A new message popped up.
[Breeder Ash]: That Riolu's origin must have been damaged. You managed to pull him back from the brink, but his core energy, his origin life force, is still depleted.
[Breeder Ash]: From what you described, that fluctuation from E to S means something important. If Riolu had hatched normally, his aptitude wouldn't be fluctuating at all. That upper limit you saw, the "S", is his true potential.
[Breeder Ash]: In other words… that Riolu was originally a Triple-S aptitude Pokémon.
Even Breeder Ash couldn't help getting a little emotional.
Every version of Ash in this strange cross-world group was a "chosen one" in his own world, a prodigy of fate, a magnet for miracles. Well, except for the Fishing Ash.
Still, even among so many extraordinary Trainers, Pokémon with Triple-S aptitude were exceedingly rare. Most of them could count on one hand the number they'd encountered in their lifetimes.
Yet this newbie Ash, a version of himself who'd only been on the road for a single month, had already met three Pokémon with aptitude levels of Triple-S or higher.
Including this Riolu… who'd almost become a lost cause.
[Newbie Ash]: Is there any way to restore Riolu to his original state?
[Breeder Ash]: There is, but my method needs special equipment and rare items you probably can't access yet. Still… I think someone else here already knows a simpler way. Right, Aura Hero?
[Aura Hero Ash]: Heh, if it were any other Pokémon, yeah, it'd be a pain. But since it's Riolu, this one's easy. Ever heard of the Aura Guardian's partner species, Lucario?
[Newbie Ash]: Yeah, Lucario's Riolu's evolved form, right? I've read about it before. Its use of Aura felt really similar to the techniques you described. But why call it "standard partner"?
[Aura Hero Ash]: Because of two reasons. One, according to legend, Lucario is the partner species of Aura Guardians.
And two, when a true Aura Guardian fights alongside a Lucario, their Auras resonate. One plus one doesn't equal two, it's far beyond that.
[Aura Hero Ash]: Riolu is more sensitive to Aura than any other species. If you'd found a different Pokémon today, you wouldn't have been able to save it, unless you somehow had a Rainbow Wing handy. But because this was a Riolu, your Aura was enough.
[Aura Hero Ash]: And the same thing applies to healing his origin.You can use your Aura to rebuild what he's lost, bit by bit, by sharing your own life energy to replenish his.
[Newbie Ash]: So… should I just pour all my Aura into Riolu?
[Aura Hero Ash]: Are you crazy? You'd kill him, and yourself! Use that head of yours, newbie!
[Newbie Ash]: …
[Aura Hero Ash]: Just give him a small amount each day. You'll start seeing changes within a week. With your Aura's purity and strength, restoring him to his original peak isn't just possible, you might even trigger something unexpected.
[Newbie Ash]: Got it. Thanks for the advice. I'll get started right away.
[Aura Hero Ash]: Good. And remember, train him well! You're the one who inherited my title. Don't come see me again until that Riolu evolves into a Lucario strong enough to reach Divine-Class.
[Newbie Ash]: Divine-Class… huh.
Ash's virtual avatar twitched at the corner of his mouth before quietly logging out of the group chat.
'Divine-Class, huh? Aura Hero Ash had said it like he was talking about ordering lunch.'
That kind of power was a joke to even dream about… but still, if Riolu truly regained his original potential, maybe that wasn't entirely impossible.
When Ash opened his eyes in reality, he found Misty and Brock staring at him, eyes wide. He blinked, startled.
'Had they somehow noticed his link to the group chat? No, there was no way they could read his thoughts.' They were probably just confused by his sudden stillness.
"Ash, is something wrong with Riolu?" Misty asked first. "Were you using your Aura again to check his condition?"
Relief washed over him.
'Good old Misty,' he thought with a wry smile. 'Best teammate ever.'
"Yeah," Ash said, nodding. "I was just checking on Riolu. Even though he hatched, his body's still weak. Let's put him in a Poké Ball for now and take him to the Pokémon Center for a full check-up."
The experts in the chat group had already told him how to restore Riolu's Aura core, but even so, taking him to the Pokémon Center came first. And honestly, Professor Cerise would've insisted anyway, no one rested easy until Nurse Joy gave her verdict.
Professor Cerise nodded in agreement. He reached into his coat for an empty Poké Ball, then hesitated halfway and lowered it again.
"Ash," he said quietly, "you should be the one to catch Riolu. You're the reason he's alive. When he wakes up and realizes what you did for him, I doubt he'll want to follow anyone else."
Ash hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. He'd been planning to suggest that himself, but hearing Cerise say it made it feel… right.
Besides, Riolu had to stay with him. Unless the Pokémon Center discovered a miracle treatment, Riolu couldn't survive on his own.
A Pokémon with all-E aptitude was practically crippled in combat terms, like the Raichu Lt. Surge once trained, who couldn't even keep up with opponents of the same/low level. A Pokémon's potential defined its growth rate; if its aptitude stayed low, so would its future.
If Riolu couldn't be healed, then his only chance at recovery was by staying near Ash's Aura. Which meant, one way or another, Riolu was already his.
Ash drew a Poké Ball from his belt and gently tapped it against Riolu's body. The small form turned into red light and slipped inside.
The Poké Ball didn't shake once, it clicked instantly with a soft chime.
Ash pulled out his Pokédex and quickly disabled the automatic transfer function. By default, when a Trainer carried more than six Pokémon, any additional ones were automatically sent to the regional storage system. But Trainers could manually override it for short periods, allowing them to carry extra Pokémon for up to a day.
To exceed that limit permanently required a League authorization to expand one's carry slots, or, riskily, by removing the Trainer authentication on the Poké Ball itself, which was hardly ever done.
Ash made a mental note. He'd talk to Professor Oak later about expanding his limit to seven. If he was going to carry and heal Riolu himself, he'd need the extra slot.
For now, though, there was only one priority, getting Riolu checked out.
Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the Pokémon Center. The sky outside had already turned a dusky orange as Ash handed the Poké Ball to Nurse Joy at the counter.
It was already nearing evening, and the examination and recovery results would not be available until tomorrow at the earliest.
By the time they returned to Professor Cerise's Laboratory, the sun had already dipped low on the horizon, painting Vermilion City in a warm, amber glow.
After the day's chaos, none of them felt like continuing their journey. Professor Cerise had offered them rooms for the night, and everyone gladly accepted.
As they walked up the familiar steps to the lab's entrance, Ash was just about to ask the professor more about Riolu's condition when a figure standing by the door caught his attention.
A girl, about his age, was waiting quietly, her posture neat but relaxed, as if she belonged there.
Her hair, a soft reddish-brown like polished yew wood, was braided loosely down one shoulder and tied with a tiny flower-shaped clip. The late sunlight glinted off it, giving her an almost ethereal outline. Her eyes, clear and bright as emeralds, widened slightly when she noticed the group approaching. She wore a sailor-style school uniform and carried a small, pale-blue backpack, clearly just back from classes.
When she turned and saw Ash, surprise flashed across her face."Ash? What are you doing here?!"
Ash blinked, momentarily stunned, then grinned as recognition hit him. "Chloe? It's really you! Wow, long time no see!"
Now that he saw her up close, there was no mistake. Chloe Cerise, Professor Cerise's daughter.
"I didn't expect to run into you here," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head. "Wait, are you traveling now too? You're about the right age for it, huh?"
Chloe laughed lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Despite the years apart, her tone toward Ash hadn't changed, it carried that same teasing warmth she'd always had, as if no time had passed at all.
"I'm not traveling," she said. "I just came to pick up my dad. He promised to come home for dinner, but knowing him, he probably got lost in his research again." Her gaze shifted curiously to Ash's companions.