Do you remember this line?
"The power of Aura is within me."
On July 16, 2005, the Pokémon movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was officially released.
With Ash's help, Lucario regained his freedom.
From that moment on—
Ash gained a brand-new power.
The power of Aura.
Justice.
Bravery.
Perseverance.
Never giving up.
All of these qualities proved that Ash was worthy of being called an Aura hero.
And yet—
Those scriptwriters stubbornly refused to give him a Lucario.
During the Diamond & Pearl era, Lucario appeared twice in previews.
One belonged to Maylene, the Gym Leader.
The other was some top-tier trainer on Iron Island.
Then came Black & White, XY, even Sun & Moon—
Ash, the so-called Aura hero, still never obtained a Lucario as his partner.
It took fifteen full years.
Only in the Journeys series did Ash finally receive his first Riolu.
At last, he became a true Aura hero.
Compared to that—
Chen Ran was much luckier.
He obtained Riolu first, and then awakened Aura.
"Though the order's reversed… maybe it's fate."
Or maybe—
It was simply the system's arrangement.
…
The moment the power of Aura was implanted—
The entire Sequoia Forest Secret Realm seemed to fall silent.
Everything before Chen Ran's eyes—
Slowed down.
Riolu was fiddling with the Exp. Share around its waist.
Charmeleon was chewing on an Energy Cube without the slightest bit of elegance, storing energy for the afternoon's battles.
Jirachi sat nearby, leisurely enjoying a lollipop.
They all moved—
In slow motion.
Everything slowed.
Slower.
Slower.
Until it nearly stopped.
Then—
The world snapped back into rhythm.
Chen Ran could hear Charmeleon crunching the Energy Cube.
He could hear Riolu's soft, milky little voice.
Jirachi didn't speak—just focused on savoring the sweetness of its candy.
Farther away—
He heard the wind brushing through the redwood leaves.
The faint cries of Pidgey and Spearow.
Clear.
Subtle.
Even farther—
The soft murmur of flowing water from a distant stream.
"Is this… the power of Aura?"
Chen Ran realized something.
Instead of excitement—
His heart felt calm.
Deeply calm.
After the system integrated the Aura ability—
Riolu immediately sensed a familiar resonance.
A special energy connected to its bloodline.
It looked up—
Meeting Chen Ran's gaze.
Its young eyes were filled with confusion.
"Olu?"
Master… I feel something special inside you.
Riolu stared wide-eyed.
It had never believed Chen Ran could understand it before.
But now—
Chen Ran responded.
That realization shook Riolu to its core.
"This is Aura," Chen Ran said gently. "A powerful force hidden deep within your kind."
He reached out and took Riolu's tiny paw.
Encouragement filled his eyes.
"You need to work hard and awaken it too."
Riolu was still stunned.
What is going on?
Master can hear me clearly?!
And what is this power?!
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Don't panic."
Riolu's expression made Chen Ran laugh.
"I just happened to awaken it."
He smiled and patted Riolu's head.
This technique was known as—
Laughing while petting the dog.
"Olu…"
Okay…
(╯▽╰)
Riolu had only just been born.
It needed time to process something this shocking.
After awakening Aura—
Chen Ran could clearly sense the surrounding ecosystem.
Wild Pokémon.
Even subtle fluctuations of special energy.
"Let's move."
Charmeleon and Riolu had rested long enough.
Chen Ran checked the time.
They set off immediately.
The first direction he chose—
Was toward a faint but unusual energy fluctuation he had sensed earlier.
They crossed a small stream.
Chen Ran followed the water upstream.
The water was crystal clear.
He could see aquatic plants swaying at the bottom.
Tiny fish darted back and forth.
No Water-type Pokémon in sight.
He continued upstream—
Until he found the source of the strange energy.
Looking closer—
A small flickering light shimmered beneath the sunlight.
"A Secret Treasure?"
Chen Ran stepped forward.
At the edge of the stream, he finally saw it clearly.
"It should be one…"
Beneath the sunlight—
A patch of moss glowed faintly.
It emitted a subtle fluorescence.
---
Luminous Moss
Effect: If the holder is hit by a Water-type move, its Special Defense will increase.
---
Luminous Moss.
One of the lesser-known Water-type held items.
Compared to items like Mystic Water or Waterium Z, its value wasn't particularly high.
Its effect was limited.
It was also a one-time consumable.
Only certain Trainers used it in critical matches.
"Still…"
Chen Ran was more amazed by something else.
"The power of Aura can detect Secret Treasures?"
That was far more valuable than the moss itself.
Secret Treasures were rare.
They required time and environmental conditions to form.
Most were discovered quickly by professional explorers.
Finding one this fresh—
Meant Chen Ran had struck lucky.
Inside the monitoring room—
Several staff members' eyes lit up.
"This kid really is lucky."
"First he tames a Riolu. Now he finds a Secret Treasure."
"Chen Ran's luck is insane."
Even though Luminous Moss wasn't extremely valuable—
This piece was worth over 30,000.
Money was money.
The director spoke calmly.
"Contact Chen Ran. Tell him I want to purchase that Luminous Moss."
That statement instantly shut down others who had similar thoughts.
Meanwhile—
Chen Ran continued searching for wild Pokémon.
Using Aura.
Looking for energy fluctuations.
Battling whenever he found strong opponents.
Time passed quickly.
Two days flew by.
The freshman training camp had less than two hours remaining.
…