For Lucario and Aaron, becoming One was the best thing that had ever happened to them.

All the training they'd performed over the course of their lives to become more in sync with each other now seemed, in retrospect, like a preordained path that they had been destined to walk. It felt like they had been waiting all of their lives for this, and only now could they really start to live.

Everything was so fresh and new since Mew's merger that Aaron sometimes forgot what it was even like to be two separate beings.

Still, there are times when his new condition surprises him—odd moments when a stray thought or an old instinct catches him off guard.

For instance, Echo had recently given him a new chew toy for the holidays, probably meaning it to be a joke gift of some kind, but to Aaron's bewilderment, he'd found himself utterly entranced by the Poke doll toy.

The little squeaks It would give off when his teeth would press down upon it scratched at an instinctive itch that he hadn't realized he still had.

It is with a bit of chagrin that only two days after receiving the gift, the toy lay thoroughly ruined before him—the plastic squeaking device from within having fallen out onto the floor with depressing finality.

He found himself immediately craving a new toy but he didn't have the privacy to buy one without those around him finding out about his new addiction.

What would the masses think if they saw him brought low by such base desires like this? He just had to ensure the public would not discover his new stress-relief habits.

Illene was understanding when he explained it and was kind enough to provide him with several more chew toys specifically designed for a steel-type Pokémon. His loyalty to the royal princess nearly doubled at her understanding and discreet handling of the matter.

Unfortunately, that made it doubly heartbreaking when he broke all of the new chew toys in less than a week, the strength of his own jaws cruelly betraying him.

This left him in a bit of a situation. He did not want to burden the Royal Family with even more requisitions for chew toys, and it had been monumentally demeaning having to ask the first time. He would die of shame before asking for such frivolities so soon after receiving the first set.

So, Aaron's mind did what it always did when it found a problem such as this. It turned to Aura, and a solution presented itself, as it had many times before.

The real problem with Pokémon-grade chew toys was that they were expensive and often still not durable enough for his liking.

The Lucario line, however, had a perfect solution to this problem.

An attack that could conjure bone-like club projections from solid aura, Bone Rush.

With his unparalleled aura proficiency, the attack served dual purposes: creating his own personalized chew toy whenever he desired and providing an excellent aura control exercise.

In the midst of his experimentation, Aaron stumbled upon a fascinating method to forge the Bone Rush Club in a significantly more resilient form. What began as a quest to perfect its texture for a blissfully satisfying crunch when bitten into soon evolved into an unexpected breakthrough.

This innovative modification introduced hollow air pockets within the club, which not only enhanced its tactile quality but also remarkably augmented its structural integrity. The weapon transformed into an almost indestructible tool in Aaron's hands, capable of absorbing tremendous impact and withstanding the rigors of battle, all while maintaining its distinctive crunch.

In the Solitude of his own room, Aaron idly gnawed on a bone rush club while typing away on his new computer.

Everyone had thought he'd struggle with new technologies for some reason, but he'd adapted quickly to using the nigh-magical devices.

His deep fascination with all types of modern technology drove him to learn quickly, and soon, he was using his personal computer nearly daily, if a bit slowly still.

Suddenly, Aaron received what he thought was a phone call invite from Echo, so he clicked the link without fully understanding what it actually was.

As it turns out, the link he clicked was actually a transfer request. Moments after he clicked on it, a hidden compartment unfolded from the side of his bulky desktop computer. Soon, a familiar dusk ball materialized in the port. Once the materialization was complete, the Poké Ball opened, releasing his Zoroark friend into the room.

Their eyes met, and a slowly growing grin spread across Echo's face as he noticed the bone rush club half hanging out of Aaron's mouth.

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With his eyes closing in resignation from the inevitable teasing, Aaron refused to let Echo get under his skin for the habit that he had caused. After slowly exhaling a calming breath, he opened his eyes again to meet Echo's amused expression.

"I should know better than to accept strange email links from you. Well, get it out of your system. I can tell by that look on your face that you are going to mock me," Aaron says with exasperated dryness.

"Such hostility! I only wanted to visit to check on how my friend liked that Poke doll toy I gave him, but all I see when I get here is a surly Lucario who apparently has a bone to pick with me."

Despite himself, a groan of annoyance escapes from Aaron at the pun, which he knows will only fuel Echo's nonsense.

In a flash of movement, Echo shocks him by grabbing the other end of the bone club with his teeth and almost manages to yank the bone projection away.

No longer sitting in his computer chair, Aaron growls loudly at Echo's sheer GALL for trying to take his projection away! With another playful yank and growl from Echo, instinct starts to overtake both of them. All rational thought slowly leaves as their animalistic desire to play and vie for dominance takes hold.

An unknown amount of time later, Illene stops by Aaron's room to let him know that dinner will be ready soon; however, when She opens the door, she finds the surreal sight of Aaron and Echo playing tug-of-war with a blue aura projection.

Both growled threateningly at each other with their paws and claws smooshing into each other's faces, trying to get the other to release their toothy death grip on the bone between them. Despite the ferocity of the growling, no blood had yet been drawn between the two.

Illene had thought to break them up at first, but she reconsidered when she took a second look and noticed Aaron's tail wagging.

The scene is so oddly charming that Illene, caught up in the moment, absentmindedly pulls out her phone and begins to record. The lens captures the vibrant colors and playful chaos around her. Just thirty seconds into her recording, Aaron catches a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. In an instant, he relinquishes control, allowing the bone rush club to shatter into shimmering motes of ethereal light.

Echo, caught off guard, gasps as the playful energy suddenly dissipates, leaving him momentarily suspended in confusion. As Echo slowly rises from the floor, his gaze shifts to Illene, who has her phone aimed at them. The camera perfectly frames Aaron's face, now a canvas of shock and disbelief as horror washes over him, unable to comprehend the unexpected turn of events.

"Illene…how-how much of that did you record?" Arron asks, already fearing the answer.

"Enough," She says, still recording with a huge grin on her face.

Desperately, Aaron lunges for the phone but is halted by red claws wrapping around his ankle mid-lunge.

"GO Illene! Save the file and send it to me before Aaron can delete it!" Echo calls out as Aaron desperately tries to shake off the dark-type menace.

Bolting like a frightened rabbit, Illene quickly closes the door behind her, giggling like a schoolgirl all the while.

With a final, exhilarating burst of energy, Aaron unleashes a powerful kick that sends Echo sprawling. Just as Aaron sprints toward the door, a swift, sweeping low kick comes out of nowhere, sweeping him off his feet and crashing him to the ground.

The two of them grapple fiercely on the floor, each struggling to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, a sharp digital ping emanating from Aaron's computer cuts through the tension. Both fighters freeze mid-attack, adrenaline still pulsing through their veins.

Echo releases his fierce grip on Aaron's forearm, where he had been biting down, while Aaron loosens the chokehold he had been on the verge of completing. The moment hangs in the air, charged with anticipation.

Both Echo and Aaron rise. A new message from Illene appears on the screen, containing a video file. Echo bursts into laughter like a cartoon villain, prompting Aaron to sweep his legs out from under him with a bone rush.

Now on the floor facing the dangerous club of pure aura, Echo states with no fear, "Do with me what you will, for I have already won."

With a solemn nod acknowledging evil's triumph on this day, Aaron brings down the club with a two-handed swing.

And with a final cathartic bonk, Echo was knocked out cold.