"Pika?" You're alive?
Pikachu's voice rang in Ash's ears. It was still the familiar sound of a Pokémon speaking, yet somehow Ash could clearly understand the meaning behind it.
"So this is the power of Aura too?" Ash muttered to himself, his belief in what the people in the chat group had said growing stronger.
To be honest, even up until just now, Ash had been skeptical about the existence of alternate versions of himself from parallel worlds. The whole idea was simply too far-fetched.
But now, after obtaining Aura Power and personally experiencing its wonders, Ash could almost fully believe in the existence of those people in the group—and in everything they had told him.
He hadn't even started actively using Aura yet. Just the passive effects alone had already given him tremendous benefits.
One of the biggest challenges between Trainers and Pokémon was the barrier of language. Pokémon could understand human speech, but for a human to understand Pokémon speech required years of companionship, building up enough trust and bonds until only a rare few could manage it.
But now, he could understand Pokémon speech effortlessly and instantly. For a Trainer, that ability alone was practically a divine gift!
"Heh! Let me tell you, Pikachu, I've gotten really strong now! Taking you to the top of the world is just a matter of time! If you start treating me nicely right now, it's still not too late!"
Ash folded his arms, lifted his chin, and declared with full confidence.
Hearing this, Pikachu gave him the kind of look one might give an idiot. "Pika pika?" Your brain's broken?
"Hey! What did you just say?! I can understand you now, you know! You just called me brain-damaged, didn't you?!"
"Pika… Pika-chu??" H-how is that even possible??
Ash's precise translation startled Pikachu. The contemptuous look quickly shifted to one of shock and suspicion.
"Haha, surprised you, huh? This is my real strength! Admit it, I'm awesome!" Seeing Pikachu's expression, Ash grew even more smug.
He looked just like a kid who had gotten a brand-new toy and couldn't wait to show it off to his best friend.
"Pika pika?!" What kind of witchcraft is this?!
"It's not witchcraft! This is Aura Power! A special ability!" Ash snapped back indignantly.
Then he opened up the "instruction manual" in his mind and began skimming through how to use Aura.
The light within his mind scattered, flooding him with knowledge. For a moment, Ash felt overwhelmed. There were countless ways to wield Aura, just like Aura Guardian Ash had said. This power was on par with that of a Legendary Pokémon—and its versatility was unmatched!
Combat, sensing, communication, soothing, telepathy—endless possibilities.
Aura existed within everyone, but only a handful could actually use it. And because Aura was tied to life energy, overusing it could even result in death.
So unless one's Aura was strong enough, even those who could wield it had to use it sparingly, or the side effects would be unbearable.
The Aura Ash now held came from the chat group—it was the power he had drawn.
His own Aura, however, was almost completely undeveloped.
Which meant… the ceiling for this world's Ash's Aura might actually be higher than that of Aura Guardian Ash!
As for development and techniques, everything was written in the "manual." But the knowledge was so vast that Ash only grasped the basics. To truly master it would take quite some time.
But for now, it was more than enough.
At the very least, taming Pikachu would be no problem!
"Heh! Pikachu, I'm stronger than you now! You don't accept me as your Trainer, right? Then let's settle this with a battle! Whoever wins calls the shots!" Ash jabbed a finger at Pikachu, challenging him to a duel.
In the Pokémon world, capturing a Pokémon usually required a battle. Defeat them head-on, and you earned the right to capture them—and their initial recognition.
But no one had ever applied that rule to battles between humans and Pokémon. After all, humans commanded Pokémon, but how could a human possibly fight a Pokémon directly?
So when Ash actually said this, Pikachu's face showed pure disbelief.
He'd been around humans long enough, but a human challenging a Pokémon to a fight? This was a first.
"Pika pi?" Ash, are you serious?
"Hm? You just called me by name, Pikachu! If you're willing to acknowledge me as your Trainer right now, we don't have to fight." Hearing Pikachu say his name lit up Ash's face. Could it be Pikachu had already accepted him thanks to his dazzling charm?
"Pi-pi-pi~" No no no, I was just giving you an out~
Pikachu wagged his little finger, indicating he was merely giving Ash a way to back down. If Ash refused to take the chance, then Pikachu would fight for real!
"Then let's see who's the one backing down!"
On a grassy path just outside Pallet Town, boy and mouse squared off. Golden sparks crackled around Pikachu's body, while a deep blue glow began radiating from Ash!
"Pika pika?" The light rising off Ash made Pikachu freeze, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
How could a human glow? Humans didn't use moves—that was supposed to be Pokémon-exclusive! Could it be Ash really did possess Aura Power?
"Pika—CHUUU!!" When in doubt, zap first! Pikachu gathered his power and blasted a golden bolt of electricity straight at Ash!
Ash crossed his arms, condensing Aura into a barrier before him.
Crackle! Pikachu's Thunder Shock slammed into the barrier but was completely neutralized.
Pikachu used Thunder Shock!
But Pikachu's Thunder Shock was blocked by Aura Power!
Ash launches a counterattack!
Ash used Aura Sphere!
Pikachu—knocked out cold!!
"Wha—?! Pikachu! Are you okay?!" Ash froze, stunned that Aura Sphere had taken Pikachu down in one hit. He rushed forward and scooped him up.
Holding Pikachu, Ash channeled Aura into his body. As a source of life energy, Aura couldn't heal wounds directly, but it could bolster vitality, easing pain and stabilizing the injured. It was a form of indirect healing.
Moments later, the fainted Pikachu slowly stirred awake.