In the Footage—
Samurott was a beautiful and terrifying sight. The massive sea lion Pokémon possessed a powerful "armor-plated" appearance.
Its helmet-like shell ended in a sharp horn, and its forelimbs were fortified with shell-like blades that it could detach and use as scimitars.
It had been the cornerstone of Cameron's "unscientific" sweep in Unova, and it looked as fierce as ever.
Cameron was delighted to see Riolu. "Riolu! I miss it! My Lucario evolved from that gesture! But… using Riolu against Samurott? That is not a wise choice! Riolu is too slow, too weak! The water types will crush him before he can even launch an attack!"
Cameron, a former Riolu trainer himself, believed he knew the limits of the Pokémon. But the Pokémon standing before him was an Ash-style speedster, trained by a "God of Acting."
"That's not certain!" Ash countered. "This Riolu is different! He has the 'All-Out' state! Attack first, we win! Riolu, use Vacuum Wave!"
"LEO!"
Riolu didn't hesitate. He clenched a paw, focusing his Aura, and unleashed a visible, transparent blade of compressed air.
Samurott didn't even attempt to dodge. It relied on its massive natural defense, tilting its helmet to take the hit with its horn. The Vacuum Wave was swatted aside with minimal impact.
"See, Ash? I told you. Riolu can't do it against a powerhouse!"
"LEO!"
Riolu's eyes flashed crimson. His fighting spirit had been kindled. Blue Aura energy began to erupt around his small body like steam.
Since joining Ash's team, Riolu had been fighting lower-tier opponents, but he knew his current level was far below the standard of the "Master Eight." He wanted to help Ash.
His obsession with growth was his greatest strength.
Cameron's dismissal was the perfect trigger. Riolu—Angry!
"Pokémon don't have to evolve to gain power! Evolution is decided by the Pokémon themselves!" Ash pulled down his hat, his voice turning icy.
"If my partner hasn't evolved yet, then it's my job as a trainer to cultivate him to be the strongest version of that form! Riolu, show them our training!"
"LEO!!" Rumble!!
The Blue Aura around Riolu intensified. His comprehensive power suddenly skyrocketed. He didn't launch an attack this time.
Instead, he planted his feet, brought his paws to his waist, and began to condense a massive, dark-blue sphere of absolute energy.
This was…
"Aura Sphere!!"
Professor Kukui, watching from the beach, stared in pure disbelief. The move was clearly Aura Sphere, but it was theoretically impossible for a Riolu to use.
Riolu-tier Aura was simply too weak to sustain the high energy cost of the technique.
What was going on? How could a pup tap into that kind of raw, advanced power?
[Professor Kukui: It is truly worthy of being a 'Waveguide Messenger' that can resonate with Ash's Aura! In the Riolu form, Aura Sphere can already gush out! It defies biological classification!]
Unlike the Kukui in the footage, the real-world Kukui had seen the "Inventory of Bond" chapters and understood Ash's past lives and the absurd scale of his Aura potential.
This Riolu wasn't drawing on its Aura; it was channeling Ash's limitless, ancient Waveguide.
In the Footage—
Samurott, usually fearless, let out a nervous snort. The physical pressure radiating from the dark-blue sphere in Riolu's paws was overwhelming.
This wasn't a "Riolu attack." It was a tactical-grade explosion waiting to happen. If Cameron tried to have Samurott tank this with its armor like the Vacuum Wave, the results would be catastrophic.
"A-Aura... Aura Sphere? How can a Riolu use Aura Sphere? And what is this blue aura? Waveguide? What Kind of thing is this?!" Cameron felt his worldview shattering. His own Riolu had never done this!
Ash grinned. He knew Cameron wouldn't understand. And he wasn't going to wait for him to figure it out.
"Cameron, the battle isn't over! Samurott, use Aqua Jet!"
Harrison (the old rival) recognized that Ash was channeling massive resonance, making the move slow to prepare. Aqua Jet—the priority-move speed boost—was the only way to interrupt the channeling.
Flygon took to the air, its body enveloped in a jet of water, barreling toward Riolu at light speed! It was a critical strike designed to end the match.
Ash didn't issue a command. He didn't need to. At this moment, Ash and Riolu were in a "State of One Mind." Ash's tactical flow was resonating directly through Riolu's Aura.
Just as Samurott was about to crash into him, Riolu's small body made an impossible, flexible movement.
He leaned his back, almost parallel to the sandy beach, his feet remaining planted like anchors. It was a 180-degree backbend that defies physics.
Samurott flew over him, missing by a millimeter.
And in that moment of bypass, the afterglow of Samurott's eyes caught Riolu's crimson gaze, and the target that had already been fired—the Aura Sphere!
BOOOOOM!!!
The zero-range impact created a massive explosion. Black smoke billowed into the air, obscuring the battlefield.
The sand on the beach was sent flying, raining down on the spectators. Dr. Kukui stared into the smoke, his heart pounding.
A second later, a figure flew out of the smoke, flipping end-over-end across the sand before finally grinding to a halt dozens of meters away. It was a blue-and-beige body. Samurott!
The smoke cleared, revealing Riolu. He was standing upright, his eyes cold and emotionless as he looked at the fallen sea beast.
He turned his gaze to the stunned Cameron. The silent, stoic "pretending kung fu" (slang for 'cool look') of his posture suggested a single thought: Is that it?
He had just single-handedly redefined his species' power limit. ]
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