Chapter 13

Audacious Aura Action

Liam's cardinal eyes gently fluttered open, the Pokemon smacking his lips as his vivid dreams faded into reality. His tired eyes wandered around their quiet quarters, noting the absence of a squawking Staravia in it. He chuckled, silently thanking the Guildmaster for letting him sleep in. With his brain also now aware of his surroundings, Liam recounted the events of his strange dream.

He was on this lightless planet infested with blight and other infectious materials. Crazy mind controlled Parasect were trying to tear him to pieces, but he always escaped, either through intense battles or sheer luck sometimes. It was such a crazy dream that he needed to tell Gloria all about it.

Liam smiled, pivoting his head over. "Hey, Gloria! You're never gonna bel- Oh... right."

The beanbag right next to his was empty, lacking the usual sleeping Vulpix. She was most likely still resting in the nurse's office. He sighed, now recalling the events of the 'fight' that went horrible for the both of them. But he also remembered that today was the start of his aura training with the Guildmaster.

'And I can't show weakness like before, time to get ready.'

Liam quickly got off his beanbag, stretching his unused muscles and psyching himself for the important day head. He tore open the doorknob to their quarters and bounded into the hallways, dodging any fellow guild members still rubbing away the remnants of sleep in their eyes.

Jackson had told Liam to head straight to his office after he woke up. The Riolu did just that, making his way over to the room across the mess hall with the symbol of a Lucario head etched into it. He gave the door a few brief knocks, awaiting a response. A few moments later, it came, a muffled gruff voice from inside reaching his ears.

'Come on in.'

Liam opened the door to Jackson's neatly decorated office, his gaze drifting towards the golden Lucario sitting near his desk and scribbling onto some documents.

"I'm ready for my training, Guildmaster."

Jackson looked up, "Good, go to the training grounds near the left side of the building. I will meet you there soon." He waved a paw to shoo the Riolu away, returning back to his writing.

Liam hastily nodded, shutting the door and tearing through the halls again. Once reaching the foyer, he opened the double wooden doors to the outside world and took the path to the left of the building. This area was a new sight to him, as he had no reason to enter before.

Lines of scuffed white paint were splattered onto the cratered dirt in a rectangular pattern. Training dummies' made out of thatch and cloth were designed as different Pokémon and spread out across the battered field. Targets,and even stone pillars were erected in rows for practicing ranged attacks.

Liam took in a deep breath, hopping up and down on the soles of his paws to prepare himself both mentally and physically. He wasn't sure what aura training entailed, but if the Guildmaster was behind it, then it was going to be rough. Sure enough, after around five minutes of standing idly around, a golden furred figure emerged from the purple building and began to make its way towards Liam.

Jackson looked around the field. "You didn't bring your saddlebag?"

'Shoot, was I supposed to bring it?' Liam gulped. "No, it's still in the nurse's office."

"Good."

"Huh?"

"Today you will be working without the assistance of items in battle. If you become too reliant on them, you will easily be overwhelmed when caught off guard."

Liam sighed. "Just like yesterday…"

Jackson stepped past the Riolu and into the white rectangle. "Before we begin our actual training, you must understand what aura actually is."

Liam tilted his head, following Jackson. "And just what is it? Like a move, or power within Pokémon?"

The Lucario shook his head. "No, aura is something that only two types of Pokémon inherit. The Lucario line, us, and certain Legendaries."

"But what does it do exactly?"

Jackson closed his eyes. "I want you to remove whatever bullshit about aura you might've heard from other Pokémon." He clenched a paw. "Aura is not an attacking force, or an omniscient tracking power. It's more of an instinct, or a sixth sense."

The Riolu absorbed this information. It made sense, and he thought back to all those times in the past where he felt his body move almost on instinct and scream at him.

"This hidden sense is the one that alerts you of imminent threats, such as a punch to the face, or even a point blank Hyper Beam."

Liam gasped. 'So that's why my body was acting so strange at the Eden Theater, and when that Golisopod charged at me. It was my aura acting up to get me out of danger.'

"Guildmaster, you said before that I could utilize my aura in battle?"

"Correct, knowing how to use your aura in battle can make the difference between life and death. However, it can only be used to protect your own life, and there is only one instance of aura being translated into an attacking move."

"Which is?" Liam asked with bated breath.

Jackson cracked his neck. "Observe."

The Lucario hunched over, holding his two paws together as his four tassels started to float upward in an invisible wind. A sphere of solid light blue energy began to form between his paws, expanding and expanding until Jackson released it, the sphere being hurled at a stone pillar a few meters away.

BOOM.

The tower was reduced to nothing more than bits and pieces after the collision, leaving a gaping Liam in the process.

"Aura Sphere," Jackson said calmly. "Once a Riolu is ready to evolve into a Lucario, they will harness their aura into a move - this move." He faced a still shocked Liam. "Now, are you ready to begin training?"

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'Why… does my head hurt so much?'

Gloria's eyes opened, closing slightly as a wave of aching pain crashed in her mind. She tried lifting her head, only being able to bring it up enough to where she could take a look at her surroundings.

'... Where am I?'

An unfamiliar sterile, white room met her blurry vision. Clean wooden cabinets were positioned above a white countertop, with various beakers and vials of strange liquids neatly assorted on the counter. But what caught her eye the most was the tall, pink hairy figure shuffling across the floor.

She recognized this as Hatterene, the head nurse of the guild. The Fairy-type didn't seem to notice Gloria's state as she scribbled into her notebook.

"Um, Miss… Hatterene?" Gloria weakly managed to get out.

Hatterene slowly turned around, her emotionless gaze falling upon the Vulpix lying on a padded counter. The claw on her hat soon grew a mind of its own, grabbing a hold of a glass filled with a strange blue and purple liquid and thrusting it near Gloria's face.

"Why… am I-"

"Do not talk. Drink."

"B-but-"

"Now."

Gloria flinched, hesitantly taking the bottle with both paws and deciding to just go through with it. She gulped down the glass's contents, raising an eyebrow at the sweet but chalky taste of it.

The Vulpix peeled the glass from her lips. "What is this stuff?"

Hatterene bored into the white fox. "Crushed Oran Berries mixed in with headache medicine. I prepared it in case you woke up."

Gloria observed her environment again, now knowing where exactly she was. "Why am I in the nurse's office? Did… something happen to me?"

Hatterene nodded, "Yesterday you suffered a concussion in the field which rendered you unconscious and unfit for duty; that is why you are here in my office."

The Vulpix's eyes slowly widened. "I was- but, I don't even remem-"

"Upon waking up, you will not remember the events of being put into a state of concussion," Hatterene said flatly.

Gloria squinted, trying to think of the last thing she did. 'We exited that ruin's Mystery Dungeon, went out into the field, and …' She sighed, struggling to recall anything beyond that point, but already knowing what most likely happened.

'I just hope Liam's alright...'

"Charizard and that Riolu boy brought you here - so I assume that they will give you the full details."

"Liam's okay!?" Gloria half shouted and questioned. "Where is he right now?"

"The boy's whereabouts are none of my current concerns. His injuries were briefly healed by me and he was sent on his way." Her hat claw pointed at the glass still clutched in Gloria's paws. "Finish that and you will be free to leave."

Gloria nodded, quickly swallowing the rest of the concoction and rising gently out of her cushioned confinement. She spotted her saddlebag resting by the doorframe of the room, picking it up with her teeth and swinging it around her side.

"Thank you so much, Miss Hatterene!" Gloria gratefully exclaimed, heading towards the room's exit.

"Leave."

And leave the Vulpix did, now strolling through the halls and feeling a lot better with her headache now a distant memory. While she continued to contemplate the events of yesterday, her ears picked up large amounts of chatter from the main foyer of the guild.

'Huh? What is that?'

She originally thought it was just the many teams creating a fuss over the job requests, but she could hear the familiar voices of her fellow guildmates beyond the halls. She put off finding Liam for now, deciding to investigate what was happening in the lobby. Once Gloria entered the lobby, she caught a glance of each member of the guild crowding around a trio of Pokémon - the trio in question causing her eyes to widen. It was a Garchomp, an Aggron, and a Tyranitar, all soaking up the attention being given to them.

'Team Drarosteel… they're here?'

Gloria knew full well that the Guildmaster told everyone of their arrival tomorrow, but tomorrow was already here it seemed. She began to panic internally, not knowing what her next action should be - to greet them if possible, or pretend to be invisible in the crowd. Sadly for her, Monferno would choose her fate, as he broke off from the crowd upon noticing her presence, and shouted.

"Hey, Gloria! C'mere! Team freaking Drarosteel is here!" The Fire-type was then hastily corralled back into the gathering by Braixen.

'Shoot - I guess I have no choice…'

Gloria knew all too well of Team Drarosteel, seeing that they are currently the most famous exploration team in Celestic by far - only mildly eclipsing the now defunct Team Moonlight. She read about their exploits all the time in each Celestic Cognizance that came in the mail. But reading about them was far different than seeing and talking to them in the flesh. And while she wouldn't tell anyone, she preferred exploration teams within the novels she read.

She inhaled then exhaled, moving forward to join the group, her paws feeling like jelly the more she got closer. Soon, she joined the jabbering as a starstruck Rockruff shot question after question to the illustrious trio.

"Ooh, ooh! What was your guys' most exciting adventure?"

Garchomp raised her shark-like head in thought, letting out a velvety hum. "There was that treacherous march through Crabominable territory. Still got one of the scars to prove it."

The Aggron behind her butted in. "Aye, but what about those double crossing mercenaries at the top of Mount Volcarona?"

The hulking Tyranitar beside him chuckled, also chiming in, his accent just as strong as Aggron's. "Ya call that exciting? What about that siege off the Shore Region's coasts from those Ice Continent pirates?"

Garchomp rolled her eyes. "Boys, those were all great times, but as this team's leader, I'll have to override this one bit."

Laughter spread through the crowd, while the Dragon-type's teammates grumbled under their breath. Gloria remained still - she felt like she had something to ask, but her lips remained sealed, and paws planted on the ground.

Purrloin giggled with mirth. "~Mreow! You three have been on dazzling adventures, right?" She purred. "What kinds of treasures and trinkets have you discovered, mmm?"

Monferno scoffed. "They're not treasure hunters, Purrloin! They've got more important stuff to do than find shiny rocks."

Garchomp nodded. "It's true that we don't go out seeking treasure, but this time around…" She struggled to find the words. "Things are a little different."

"W-What do you mean?" Staravia flapped his wings, careful not to send the Joltik on his back flying. "You're saying you're out to find something in Celestial M-Mountain?"

"Sort of." Garchomp sighed. "Our purpose in joining your expedition is to provide assistance, but also hopefully uncover details pertaining to this guild's mission."

Gloria was stunned. 'Team Drarosteel also knows about the ley lines?' She was sure they had explored the mountain before, so it only made sense as to why they would return again.

Aggron slapped his metal chest with a 'clang'. "That mountain is a dangerous place - that even us Aggron wouldn't make home in. But we'll be there to keep you lads and lassies' chin up."

Unfortunately, before another question could pop from the eager crowd, Scizor emerged from the hallway and immediately locked eyes with everyone present. "Team Drarosteel, I apologize for our… excited members." He waved a pincer. "You all have jobs to do, please do not bother them any longer." He then disappeared back into the hallway, like a ghost.

A collective sigh moved through the crowd, as each quickly broke off to get back to their duties. Gloria instinctively let out a sigh of relief, content on blending in with her leaving guildmates.

"Don't worry guys!" Garchomp yelled. "We'll be sticking around Empyrean, and-" She stopped, as one Pokémon leaving in particular caught her eye. "Wait a minute, is that… hey! You, Vulpix!"

Gloria stopped dead in her tracks, her heart beating loudly as she meekly turned around. "Y-Yes, Miss Garchomp?"

"Aren't you…" The sand shark's eyes narrowed. "No way, you're that same Vulpix from the Eden Theater, right? You're the 'mon who brought down that Magmortar merc!"

Aggron caught on quickly. "Aye, the lassie does look familiar - I think you might be right."

"Uh… yes! That was me, but…" She dug a paw into the floor. "My partner kinda did most of the work."

Garchomp closed in on Gloria, towering above the Vulpix. "I got to have a little chit-chat with Empoleon on what happened. Turns out you and that Riolu saved his blubbery hide from disaster!"

Tyranitar piped up. "Here's herself, the hero who stopped an assassin! If ya weren't there, then that Magmortar would've turned that ambassador to ashes."

"H-hero? We were just… caught in a bad place at a bad time, trying to save our own lives."

Garchomp grinned her sharp teeth. "Isn't that how heroes are made? And besides, you're in a guild that produces these kinds of 'mons."

"Well, my partner and I are pretty new to the guild." She tugged on her scarf "We joined a day after the, uh… incident happened. We're Team Requiem."

Aggron made a whistling noise. "Even got a team? Sounds like you have it figured out, lassie. But everyone has their own goal for joining a guild - so what is yours if ya mind me askin'?"

"I joined because… becau-"

"Hey, sleeping beauty! You're awake!"

Before Gloria could react, a swooshing noise interrupted her as a pair of red claws hoisted her to a dark furry chest. She attempted to wiggle her way out, already knowing who the culprit is. However, she was let go as Roark chuckled up a storm.

"And you've got an audience with Team Drarosteel? We'll have to add 'superstar' to your list of achievements, eh?"

Gloria lightly pushed him away, to little effect. "Not now, Roark!"

Garchomp tilted her head. "And this is your brother… Roark? I have heard about you, mostly from your Guildmaster."

Roark raised a brow. "Good things I hope. Roark, master of illusions and guild jockey at your service." He extended a claw, which Garchomp tapped with her own massive talon.

"A pleasure, we were just discussing your sister's little… or rather big victory at the Eden Theater. I was very impressed - you don't see feats like that from the average recruit."

The Zoroark crossed his arms. "Really now?" He looked down at the rightfully embarrassed Vulpix. "Think there's room for four on Team Drarosteel?"

"Roark!"

"Aw, c'mon, Liam will understand."

Garchomp laughed tenderly. "Maybe not now, but I see potential in you, Gloria. I just don't think you realize it."

Roak laughed with her. "Tell me about it, I've been egging her on forever to join the guild. She doesn't know she has what it takes."

"I do!" Gloria suddenly blurted out. "I just-"

"Need some confidence," Garchomp finished for her, a gleam appearing in her eye. "Y'know, I do have some spare time today…"

"Ah, I know that look in 'er eye!" Aggron guffawed. "Gloria was it? You're about to be mentored by the roughest and toughest gal this side of Celestic!"

Gloria did a double take. "Mentor? But I don't need-"

"Aww, c'mon sis. Would you rather me teach you battle tactics?"

The Vulpix sighed. 'He does make a good point.' She soon realized what she said, shaking her head. "Sorry, but I don't want to trouble you, Miss Garchomp."

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

The Dragon-type chuckled at her formality. "Just Garchomp, and I think you should reconsider. At this stage in your guild career, one miscalculation could mean life or death. At least, from my own experience of course."

Gloria instinctively remembered the events of yesterday, or rather, what she couldn't remember. A sudden weight formed in her stomach, as feelings of uselessness set in. Fortunately, a sudden nudge in her side by her brother made her eject such feelings and formulate a better response.

"Okay, I'll do it."

Roark raised an arm in victory. "Woohoo! I'm sure it'll be fine, sis." He began walking towards Aggron and Tyranitar, pointing a claw at them. "This sounds like a good excuse to celebrate. You two in?"

The two behemoths exchanged looks, Tyranitar already knew what was happening. "Haven't had a pint in a while - sound good, Aggron?"

"Aye, but what about your duties, Roark?"

Roark scanned his surroundings. "Scizor ain't around, is he?"

A brief shake of everyone's heads seemed to give him all the information he needed.

"Great! You're paying," he said to the two, patting them on their backs and walking to the guild's exit.

Gloria sighed. "... Be careful!"

"Doesn't work like that with boys, Gloria, trust me," Garchomp remarked with a smirk. "Now, are you ready to begin your training?"

The Vulpix was taken aback. "Today?"

"Of course - no time like the present. Your partner won't mind, correct?"

"I, um, don't even know where he is."

"Perfect." Garchomp pointed her long talon at the guild's exit. "Your Guildmaster told me the training grounds would be occupied today, but I know a spot around here that works just fine. Follow me."

Gloria wanted to counter the dragoness' statement, but felt her words crumble apart as Garchomp stomped over to the exit.

'I've got a tough day ahead of me…'

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"Turn around."

The Riolu blinked, wordlessly obeying his orders and turning his body. The Lucario crouched, raising a paw near one of Liam's aura tassels.

"This sensitive organ stores that instinct - your aura. When faced with immense harm, they will trigger a response in the body to move."

Liam recounted the many times he's experienced those sudden twitches in his feelers, now understanding their purpose in his arsenal.

"The first step in our training is testing your aura reflexes, how quickly you respond in time." Jackson cracked both of his paws, getting ready.

"Okay… how are we gonna-"

A feeling of electricity jolted through Liam's feelers, transferring to his body's instinctual response as he immediately jerked to his right before Jackson's paw could connect with him. He quickly spun around, with only one question on his mind.

"Hey! Why did you just-"

The Lucario chuckled at his bewilderment. "Turn back around. You're making good progress."

Liam begrudgingly did so, planting himself firmly on the ground. The feeling of electricity coursing through his body returned, narrowly escaping another jab from Jackson. The Guildmaster didn't seem to relent, throwing multiple fast punches at the Riolu, with Liam barely scraping by. But his luck eventually ran out as he failed to react in time and suffered a blinding punch to his side. He stumbled forward, his spiraling momentum causing him to faceplant into the dirt.

Jackson laughed hard at his misfortune as while Liam picked himself up, growling.

"What's…" he spat out some dirt, "... So funny?"

"Watching you eat the dirt, kid," the Lucario responded. "But don't worry, that's just part of the learning process."

Liam brushed off the dust coating his fur. "What am I supposed to even learn?"

"This is the first step in using your aura to its greatest potential. Trusting and harnessing that instinct will allow you to dance around your opponent." He grinned. "Come back. We've got a lot more to do."

Liam sighed.

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Gloria stiffly treaded along, trying not to falter in her steps while her head stirred in thought. Here she was, a regular recruit at the guild about to be trained by a world famous explorer. Garchomp guided the Vulpix towards the back of the guild, keen on discovering her favorite sparring spot from the past. But something else plagued her thoughts, and caused her to speak her mind.

"What were you going to say back there?"

"H-huh? What do you mean?" Gloria stumbled both mentally with her words and physically with her steps.

"Before your brother interrupted you… about why you joined the guild."

The Vulpix recovered. "Because… I wanted to help the Pokémon of Celestic."

A moment of silence consumed two, as both continued to walk down the grassy path.

"I… see."

They arrived at their destination, the rather spacious cliff side at the back end of the guild.

Garchomp took a few heavy steps forward, memories already flooding back into her mind. "Ah, it's been so long, maybe since I was still a Gabite." She turned to face Gloria. "Me and your Guildmaster used to spar here from time to time while this place was still under construction."

Gloria was shocked, her fascinated side revealing itself. "That was over twenty years ago! You knew Team Moonlight all that time ago?"

Garchomp chuckled. "Uhuh, and thanks for reminding me how old I am." She looked around. "But being here again gives me an idea…"

"What kind?" Gloria inquired.

Garchomp pointed her talon at the Vulpix, a devious toothy grin growing on her face.

"A good ole spar - you and me."

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A spark of electricity shot through Liam's thoughts as he dodged yet another punch from Jackson. He could feel himself getting faster and faster each punch.

'Hey… maybe I got th-'

A paw smashing into his shoulder broke his train of thought, sending him crashing to the ground. He slowly got back up on his hind paws, quietly grumbling at the Lucario's laughter behind him.

"Okay… we can stop your aura training for right now and start focusing on actual combat."

'Finally,' Liam bemoaned in his mind.

Jackson stood back up, walking across the scarred field towards a cluster of painted sacks. He rose a paw for Liam to follow him, stopping at one of the tall sacks. It was a Bibarel, or rather, was crudely painted like one.

"We'll start off simple - training dummy." He looked down at the Riolu. "Show me what you've got, kid."

Liam nodded without hesitation, already knowing what to do. A purplish glow manifested in his left paw, as he slammed that same paw into the smiling Bibarels face. He then followed up with an electrifying Thunder Punch from his right paw. With the amount of force being exerted on the sack, it promptly fell over with a 'thud'. Liam immediately looked back at the Guildmaster in anticipation

Jackson, however, didn't seem impressed. "You can punch alright." He picked up the sack, placing it upright again. "Now, show me how you disorientate your opponent and knock them off balance."

Liam absently blinked in response. His main battle tactics before were recklessly pummeling his enemies either with his paws or the occasional Blast Seed.

Jackson narrowed his eyes, taking the lack of a response as the answer he needed. "Step aside." Liam obeyed his orders, backing up.

Within a split second, the Lucario smashed his head into the sack's 'face' at lightning speeds. He followed the headbutt up with a sweeping hind paw of the sack's bottom. Before it could crumple to the ground, he pulled a paw back and slammed it into the 'chest' of the sack, sending it tumbling a few yards away.

Liam's mouth gaped with awe as Jackson locked eyes with him again.

"Before we leave today, I want to see you doing shit like that."

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"W-What?!" Gloria sputtered. "Sparring?!" It was a near death sentence to her.

"Of course! You can't learn without some practice in you," Garchomp responded.

"But you would destroy me!" Gloria countered.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. But I don't expect you to do the same." She tapped her scaly chest with a talon. "Learning to fend off a big target like me is much needed out in the field, where anything can happen."

Gloria thought of yesterday, reeling in her thoughts. For the majority of her life, she avoided any fight she could, only battling the weaker Pokémon inside the Mystery Dungeons. Fighting that Magmortar was an unforgettable experience, and she could only compare that feeling of impossibility to now. But like Garchomp said, this was her prime opportunity to learn and eliminate that fear.

Gloria took a deep breath, taking up an offensive stance. "... Okay, we'll spar."

"That's what I like to hear!" The dragoness crouched down, a low amount of purple draconic energy building up around her talons. "Let's see if you handle this." She broke off into a modest sprint, straight at the Vulpix.

Gloria nearly yelped at the sight, but remembered to wrench her body out of the way before the dragon's talon impacted the earth. However, she didn't account for Garchomp's second talon slicing into the earth beside her and boxing her in. She began to panic, but Garchomp reassured her.

"Break free! This is your chance to strike back!"

Gloria recovered from her shock, opening her mouth to spew her frigid Icy Wind at Garchomp's face. She then used her spare time to dash out of her enclosed space, hearing a velvety chuckle from the dragoness.

"There's some bite in that move to a 'mon like me." She wiped off the frost sticking to her face, baring her teeth. "Let's see what else you got!"

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Liam grunted in pain as he headbutted the sack for what seemed like the tenth time.

Jackson watched closely. "Now disrupt its balance."

The Riolu followed his attack with a sweep of the sack's bottom, quickly adding in a flurry of punches into its middle region. The sack fell to the ground as Liam let loose a drawn out exhale.

"Did I do-" a shake of the Lucario's head stopped him.

Much to Liam's dismay, Jackson knelt down and picked the sack up, slamming it onto the ground.

"Again."

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Gloria decided to take up her usual ranged strategy in a battle. She stood firmly, closing her eyes in concentration as a collection of glistening ice crystals started forming above her.

CRACK!

A shower of broken ice cascaded onto the the Vulpix as she opened her eyes in horror. Garchomp stood towering above her, just previously slicing through Gloria's row of Ice Shard.

The Dragon-type grinned. "The pressure's on! No one will stop to give you the time of day in a battle!"

Gloria just barely dodged another swipe from Garchomp, feeling the talon graze her fur. She needed a new plan fast, as her old ones weren't working.

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"What?!"

"You heard me. Punch me," Jackson explained, his back turned against the Riolu.

Liam slowly closed his open mouth, tightening a paw as he moved forward. The Lucario didn't move a muscle as he threw a fast punch aimed at his back.

The punch never landed.

"Try again."

A bit frustrated, Liam attempted punch after punch, which Jackson swiftly ducked or sidestepped. Being caught up in his pursuit of a move landing, Liam never foresaw his hind paws being swept out beneath him. Before he could fall, Jackson turned and slammed his paw on Liam's chest, sending him to the ground in a position of submission.

He released a second later. "Now, let's see if I can get you to do that to me."

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Bright purple and yellowish flames packed with draconic energy smothered the area where Gloria once stood. Purplish flames licked Garchomp's mouth as she sent another weakened dose of Dragon Breath Gloria's time, the Vulpix knew she couldn't flee in time from the impending attack. A crazy idea that only Liam could've thought of popped in her brain. With zero time to think of any other action, she chose.

Gloria opened her mouth and released a wave of freezing cold Icy Wind at the encroaching Dragon Breath. The two opposite forces collided, exploding into a mist of multicolored dust, before fizzling into nothing.

Garchomp laughed at the sight. "Talk about fighting fire with fire!" More energy began to energy across her talons. "But I'm just getting warmed up, and I still need to see you at your greatest."

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Adrenaline flooded Liam's senses as his aura tassels pulsated in response to a threat. He ducked the punch thrown at him, along with the second and third one. This was his best run yet, and just in time for him to enact the second part of the run that he was told to do.

After dodging the final punch, Liam quickly turned around and swung his leg right into Jackson's chest before he could send another punch.

A smirk wormed its way on the Lucario's face. "... You're getting there."

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"New targets require a new strategy!"

Gloria now took Garchomp's mid battle advice to heart, ducking a swipe from the dragon. In her mind, she was cooking up a plan to turn the tides in this fight. One theory in particular cropped up, but she had to put it to the test first. They circled each other, Gloria waiting for an attack, and Garchomp looking for an opening.

Once she found it, she zoomed towards the Vulpix, her purplish hued talons ready to deliver a Dragon Claw.

'Now's my chance,' Gloria hissed in her mind, trying to squash the fear of it failing.

She opened her mouth and released the strongest Icy Wind she could muster at the talon headed her way. The mini storm of ice coated Garchomp's upper arm, encasing it in a layer of thin ice and stopping her attack in its tracks.

'It worked!'

Gloria used the Dragon-type's astonishment to her advantage, bolting under her legs to safety. Garchomp cackled at her predicament, scraping the chunks of ice off her talon.

"Impressive, let's see what else you have in store for me."

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Tiny cracks in the small tower of stone soon splintered into huge crevices as Liam continued his thrashing of the rock. With one final punch, the tower crumbled to bits of debris.

"Next one, fast," Jackson commanded.

Liam did so with haste, using his newly acquainted knowledge to perform a devastating axe kick to the other tower of stone, quickly reducing it to a pile of rubble.

"Only four more to go - keep up the pace, kid."

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'I hope this works,' Gloria recited in her mind, preparing to put her plan into action.

She waited for Garchomp to get closer and closer - only then could she begin. Once she saw her opportunity, she took it, sprinting towards one of the dragon's legs. A powerful Icy Wind was expelled out of her mouth, coating and freezing one of the dragon's leg solid.

The Vulpix nearly fell over after being swiped by Garchomp's talons, but remained on her paws and ran to the other leg with the help of the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Another wave of frigid wind encapsulated Garchomp's second leg, locking her in place momentarily. The dragon smiled, wondering what else the Vulpix planned for her.

Gloria narrowly dodged another swipe, darting to a safe distance. With Garchomp attempting to free herself from her icy constraints, Gloria attempted to use an experimental move that she had accidentally unleashed on Liam yesterday. The air around the concentrating Vulpix wavered; pink colored forceful currents of wind blew past the struggling Garchomp, colliding into her. After seeing it work, Gloria didn't relent, sending more and more Fairy Winds until she couldn't any longer.

After finally breaking through the ice, and withstanding the nonstop wall of Fairy energy, Garchomp staggered on her feet.

Gloria's eyes expanded. 'I made her stagger!' A victorious smile stretched across her face, her tails wagging.

It might not have been much to any other Pokémon, but to her, it was everything.

"Wow," Garchomp began. "Thinking outside the box really got you this far, didn't it?" She flexed her now unfrozen limbs, staring at Gloria. "But something tells me you're far from over, right?"

Gloria stared back, a passionate fire of a thousand suns burning behind her blue orbs.

Garchomp crouched low in response. "Ha, that's all I needed to see."

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"Come on, hit me!"

Spheres of solid aura energy exploded near areas where Liam once stood, the Riolu making a desperate attempt to flee from the many Aura Spheres that Jackson was throwing at him. He skidded to a halt as his aura tassels flared up, letting the stray sphere fly past his projected path.

Jackson materialized another Aura Sphere. "What're you standing around for? Come fight me!"

Liam nodded, changing his path and sprinting at the Lucario, occasionally ducking as various Aura Spheres nearly connected with him. Once he got close enough, he did as told, attempting to land a punch on the Lucario. Jackson danced around his attempts, also throwing his own blows at the Riolu. But with his new training, Liam was able to sense most of the attacks coming with his aura, dodging and weaving through all of them.

For a few moments, they were both equals at their craft, until one of them got the upper hand.

Liam saw a flaw in Jackson's stance, quickly capitalizing on that fact and performing a sweep of the Lucario's legs with his hind paw. With him off balance, Liam knew this was his opportunity to land a hit, thrusting his paw smack-dab into Jackson's chest.

Caught off guard, the Lucario stumbled backwards, landing on his rear. After a few seconds of silence, he began to laugh.

"Heh… I think you've got it, kid."

Liam wordlessly approached him, holding out a paw for him to grab onto. Jackson accepted, pulling himself back up to his hind paws. He looked out towards the position of the sun in the sky, smirking.

"But why don't we seal this fact in with some more training?"

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It seemed hours had passed as the two went at each other countless times. But once they were all tuckered out, they finally called it a draw and began to rest their weary bodies on a fallen log.

Gloria stared at the orange and purple sky, acknowledging the telltale sign of a beautiful sunset. She would've never believed that one day she would spend the day sparring with a Pokémon such as Garchomp - and even impressing her with battle tactics that she would have never used before.

But even despite her success, she still wanted to know one thing.

"Mis- Garchomp, why did you choose me out of everyone there?"

The dragoness took a while to respond, as she gazed at the shrinking sun. "Because… you reminded me of myself when I was young."

"... Oh."

Silence set in, and Gloria attempted to conjure up a reply. However, Garchomp beat her to the punch, swinging her head to face her.

"I guess if we're playing the question game… then I got a question. Why do you seem so averse to fighting? In a guild like this… you're not really given a choice to be a pacifist some times."

Gloria shuffled her front paws together. "I know that… but I just never liked to fight others, not even in my youth."

"Y'know... as a Gible growing up in the Dragon Village, I never liked exploring, nor did I want to be an explorer some day."

This information greatly shocked Gloria. "Wait, what?!" To think that one of the world's greatest explorers never dreamed to be one was an almost unthinkable statement.

"It's true. I just wanted to be like one of the normal Pokémon out there, but Arceus obviously had other plans for me..." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Point is, one day you might have a new perspective on something, and that will change your entire life."

"Maybe, but I just don't see..."

Gloria's words began to trail off as she looked down at her saddlebag, an open zipper catching her attention. She knew that exact pouch, peering inside and panicking once she realized that there was nothing in there. She immediately got off the log, her eyes frantically analyzing her surroundings.

"Wait! My necklace - it's missing! Where-"

Garchom silenced her with a talon. "Calm down, it must've fallen out while we were sparring. Let's look around the area for it."

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Liam let out a much needed exhale, stretching his sore arms and leaning against one of the undamaged pillars of stone. He stared at the sky, watching the retreating sun slowly sink in the horizon.

Right now he felt like he could take on the whole world.

The Lucario beside him, also resting on a stone pillar, peered up at the sky, gawking at the almost invisible stars of the night sky peeking their way in as the sun departed. He narrowed his eyes at it.

"I hope that today was a learning experience for you. Power can only be managed by true skill, and that will help you protect what you swore to."

"Thank you, Guildmaster… for teaching me."

Jackson grunted. "Utilizing your aura in dicey situations will save you from yesterday's ordeal, so don't thank me, thank yourself... But I want to know more about what you haven't told me."

Liam raised a brow. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Before you joined this guild. Who are you?"

"I... "

The Riolu had difficulty continuing, not knowing whether to tell the Guildmaster about his memory issues. However, seeing as the Guildmaster saw through his previous lies, it seemed foolish to hide more from the sharp eyed Lucario. This was his chance to finally get some possible answers to this mystery that befuddled him.

"I… don't know. I remember waking up on a hill beside a tree, with just the memory of a name echoing in my mind."

There was zero response from the Lucario. Jackson seemed to absently absorb this information. "I see… and you don't remember a single thing from your… previous life?"

In his mind, Liam could only point to those bizarre events that plagued this mind before. To him, they didn't make any sense, but perhaps the Guildmaster would have foresight on them.

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"Aha!" Garchomp held up a blue colored necklace, the middle piece of it glistening in the light. "I assume this is it."

Gloria nearly sprinted over. "Yes! That's it!" She grabbed it from Garchomp's outstretched talon, polishing any blemishes on the Never-Melt-Ice piece of it with a paw.

"You seem quite enamored with that necklace. Is there something special about it?"

Gloria held it to her chest. "I… yeah, it really is. I don't want to lose it." She sat back on the log, putting the necklace back into the saddlebag and zipping it up. "One day, I think I'll be worthy of wearing it."

Garchomp smiled. "Ah, so it's an heirloom of your family, then?"

"No, it's…" Gloria slowly began to smile as well. "Something more than that."

"Well, I'm sure there's a story behind that you'll tell someday. But, do you think after today, you feel a bit more worthy to wear that necklace one day?"

The Vulpix absorbed her words, looking up at the sky. "I've still got a lot to prove to them and myself."

Garchomp followed her gaze. "Sounds about right, but our little trip up Celestial Mountain might fix that, right?"

"... Yeah."

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"I remember these flashes… One was of some sort of kid with the same name as me on a boat with his father. And this other time, I felt myself chained to a wall and… the rest is pretty fuzzy."

"That's… strange."

"That's not even the strangest part." Liam took in a deep breath, preparing to explain his other vision he was getting. "There's this… voice that speaks to me sometimes. And I cannot tell if she is very real, or I'm simply going crazy." Liam wanted to press a little. "It's a stretch, but... do you think it's related in any way to my past?" Being so unsure of it himself, he needed some guidance for this conundrum.

"Perhaps, or simply put…" A scowl formed on Jackson's face. "Someone out there is laying a path before you. And you have a choice to follow that path, or not."

Liam sighed. "You think? I haven't even told Gloria about these… happenings. I don't know how she'll react."

"There's lots of things we don't tell to the Pokémon around us - for better, or for worse. That choice is in your control." He pointed a paw at the guild's building. "You're dismissed for today. I'm sure Gloria is awake, and awaiting your return."

Liam nodded, removing his back from the stone tower. "Again, thank you Guildmaster. I won't mess up like yesterday again."

Jackson said nothing in response, watching the Riolu slowly withdraw back into the guild. He returned his sights to the sky above, searching for those invisible stars again.

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After a while of searching and asking his fellow guild members, Liam was finally able to track down the whereabouts of Gloria. Just like yesterday, he stuck to the sides of the guild and wandered to its backside. When he arrived at the cliffside, he saw both Gloria and Roark already engaged in a conversation from the looks of it, both admiring the blazing orange, red, and purple sky. He stared at it for a while, before deciding to make his presence known.

"Hey!"

Gloria immediately swiveled around once hearing Liam's voice, a warm smile stretching across her face. They both met each at a close distance, exchanging a brief friendly hug. Gloria broke away first. "Roark told me everything that happened yesterday." She tilted her head in curiosity. "He said you did flips and tricks around that Golisopod?"

'... Thanks, Roark,' Liam grumbled in his mind.

"Er, no, that didn't happen. I… didn't bring my A game to that fight." He lightly batted an aura tassel, wincing at the feeling. "But the Guildmaster trained me today, and I feel like a new 'mon with new strength!"

Gloria's smile widened, her tails fanning behind her. "Me too! I feel... like I still have something to prove!"

Roark cracked a grin, raising an arm in celebration. "Oh yeah! Looks like the gang is back in fighting form, eh?" The two of them nodded as he pointed a claw at the large mountain formation in the distance. Celestial Mountain. "Now, let's save that zest for when we conquer that overgrown hill over there!"

Liam's heart began to swell in response, his mind beginning to think of the future again. Right now, he felt on top of the world, but he could only imagine what the view on top of Celestial Mountain looked like. His eyes instinctively wandered over to Gloria, his thoughts of the future mixing with her.

'I'll have to tell her… sooner or later.'

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[https://i.imgur.com/qFdCZil.png]

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Nightfall had already settled in hours ago, and Golisopod was late for the rendezvous.

The Bug-type spent the entire day trekking across the breadth of the Meadow Region. It wasn't bad enough that he was late, but the fact that he, an honorable warrior, was beaten by some members of a guild. Golisopod would've chittered in rage if it weren't for the fact that he had just arrived at home base.

It was an innocuous building that used to be a guild long, long ago. Now, it was the 'Razor Claw Guild'. The door to the building swung open as a Weavile and Bisharp came out, a smirk appearing on the former's face.

"Golisopod! I assume your scouting efforts were fruitful? What did ya see?"

A fidgeting noise came out of the Bug-type's mouth, only serving to confuse Weavile more.

She sighed. "Bisharp, do some translation magic."

The Steel-type nodded, walking over and letting Golispod's vocabulary spill into his ears. After a few seconds, he stepped away and went back to Weavile, a conceited smirk on his face.

"Well, what did he say? Spill it out, Bishy!" Weavile yelled, her impatience growing.

"Weav's, it's what I predicted. That place is important, and the guild near Empyrean is interested enough to send its members there to investigate."

Weavile was appalled. "Wait, no - they're… sending Pokémon back there again?!"

He shrugged. "That's what the big guy over there told me. He even fought a few of them looking for stuff they might've taken from the inside."

"... Go back in, Golisopod. Your efforts will be rewarded later."

Golisopod inclined his head, chittering in happiness as he stepped past the pair and lumbered into the building.

Weavile sighed. "I can't believe it."

Bisharp placed a gauntlet on her shoulder. "You know… we'll have to go there again on our own time. There's something there that everyone wants a piece of."

She brushed his gauntlet off her. "I know, Bishy. For now, we'll have to bide our time, and maybe see what our anonymous client has in store for us..."

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Both paths to the truth are now on a collision course, but when will they eventually collide?

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