Zhou Ze's sharp eyes didn't miss a single thing. The instant Lin Shou unleashed Aura Sphere, Zhou Ze recognized the technique.
In that moment, all of Zhou Ze's lingering doubts finally fell into place.
"So, you're an Aura Guardian," he murmured, his tone almost one of relief. "No wonder you can use such skills…"
He didn't press for answers. Zhou Ze had already imagined the kind of life Lin Shou must have led to reach this point.
In the Dragon Nation's last decade of research, Aura had been formally defined as a unique form of bio-energy present in all living beings. While the public often mistook it for a supernatural power or psychic gift, it was, in truth, a vibration of life energy that only highly trained humans — and certain Pokémon — could manipulate.
Ancient records, such as the legendary text The Age of Aura, referred to those who wielded it as Aura Guardians.
And the young man standing before him fit the description perfectly.
Zhou Ze leaned casually against the battle arena's protective railing, his fingers tapping the alloy bars in a slow rhythm. "Kangaskhan — Thunder Punch."
The command was low and precise.
In an instant, Kangaskhan's fists crackled with dazzling arcs of lightning, the sparks snapping and leaping between her knuckles, flooding the arena with a cold, golden light.
Crackle.
She charged without hesitation, the muscles in her legs coiling like springs. Having gauged Lin Shou's strength earlier, she had marked him as her prime target.
The hiss and snap of electricity filled Lin Shou's ears. Every hair on his neck stood on end.
Then, at the very last second, he felt a tug on his lower back. Charcadet — who had been perched near his belt — had latched on with tiny, sparking hands, yanking him backward just as Kangaskhan's fist whistled past his nose.
The blow smashed into the alloy floor, leaving a molten dent and scattering glowing fragments against the protective netting.
Dong!
The Thunder Punch had landed inches from disaster. One second slower, and Lin Shou might have been saying goodbye to his future descendants.
He scooped Charcadet into his arms mid-roll and shouted, "Flamethrower!"
With a roar, Charcadet unleashed a spiraling column of crimson flame, twisting the air itself. Kangaskhan rolled away with practiced agility, the flames licking her pouch fur and sending heat ripples against the barrier.
The diners sitting in the flame's path gasped — then, realizing the heat never reached them, began snapping photos, treating the scorched air like a live special effect.
"Again — Thunder Punch!" Zhou Ze's voice rang out, sharp as tempered steel.
Flame Punch and Ice Punch would barely scratch a Fire-type like Charcadet, and Fake Out could only be used once. That left Thunder Punch as Kangaskhan's weapon of choice.
She lunged forward again, her huge frame moving with cheetah-like speed. Her fist, haloed in sparking arcs, drove straight for Lin Shou's throat.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Shou made his decision. He hurled Charcadet upward, taking a defensive stance to meet the attack head-on.
Dong!
The impact rattled through his chest like a sledgehammer. He was flung backward, crashing into the protective netting with bone-jarring force.
Dropping to one knee, he panted, charred fabric fluttering at his sleeves — revealing for an instant a faint, scale-like pattern beneath.
From the stands, Latina's eyes widened. "That… that's Multiscale!" she whispered. The ability was supposed to be exclusive to certain Dragon-types. How could a human possess it?
Her mind scrambled for answers. Could it be an ancient device hidden within the training ground? Or perhaps… the strange crystal Lin Shou carried?
On the arena floor, Kangaskhan shook her fist, confused. The blow had felt like striking a wall of a thousand overlapping shields — the recoil alone had numbed her knuckles.
The audience froze for a moment before erupting in thunderous cheers. Lin Shou, still kneeling, wiped the blood from his mouth in deliberate slow motion, as if he were some hero stepping out of a dragon-slaying myth.
Inside, he was mostly relieved. The hit had only taken nine points of his health. If Fake Out earlier had connected, his Multiscale would have been wasted, and this Thunder Punch would've been a devastating twenty-point hit.
He tilted his head skyward and bellowed, "Flamethrower!"
The crowd followed his gaze — just in time to see Charcadet, still airborne from his earlier throw, positioned perfectly above Kangaskhan.
"Dodge!" Zhou Ze barked.
But even his reflexes couldn't save them this time.
Flames gushed downward, engulfing Kangaskhan in a fiery blast. When the smoke cleared, her pouch fur was blackened and curled. Lin Shou's system interface flashed: her HP was down to 20%.
Zhou Ze's jaw tightened, veins bulging along his fists — but then he exhaled, unclenching. He'd seen enough.
"I concede."
A [Ding!] chimed in Lin Shou's mind as he froze his final punch just short of Kangaskhan's nose.
[Mission]: Trainer personally takes the stage – Complete[Reward]: Random Purple Trait ×1[Skill Acquired]: Close Combat – Sacrifice defense to strike at point-blank range.[Item Acquired]: Poison Point – Contact may inflict Poison.
The arena erupted in a tidal wave of cheers. Spotlights cut through the air, silver beams locking onto Lin Shou. Hidden machines hissed to life, spilling dry ice across the stage until the battleground seemed to float in a sea of clouds.
He stood there, Charcadet perched proudly on his shoulder, the crowd chanting his name.
And in that haze of light and smoke, the truth had settled among those watching — Lin Shou wasn't just another trainer. He was an Aura Guardian.