Boom!
That punch suddenly erupted with the full, unreserved power of Diamond's life force!
Wrapped around its fist, the mighty Battle Aura instantly produced a megaton-class impact effect and blasted the mountain-like Machoke into the air!
That's right!
Just as elemental power is what fuels moves of the other types, Battle Aura is the true energy source that drives Fighting-type moves!
Only by pouring Battle Aura into every punch and kick can one unleash true Fighting-type techniques, the kind that can smash through anything and break past any evil!
The word fight defined everything about Fighting-type Pokémon.
After a heart-pounding count, the referee finally shouted in excitement,
"KO!!! The winner is Tyrogue, Diamond!!!"
After a grueling twelve-round battle, Diamond had overcome an enormous level gap and won!!
The Battle Aura it had buried within itself all these years had erupted at last under the ignition of the fighting spirit it shared with Asher!
The entire arena was stunned!!!
"Holy crap! He actually... that kid actually won!"
"Th-th-th-th-this... I've only seen a move like that on TV! That's a Secret Art only a Trainer's Pokémon can use!!!"
"Damn it! I must've been blind to bet against you, you blue little pig!"
"Champion! We adore you!!!"
"That was awesome! That was so intense I'm getting fired up over here!!!"
Unlike ordinary Pokémon, every technique a Fighting-type Pokémon uses through Battle Aura is a Secret Art!
Because the moment they release Battle Aura, they transcend the instinct to survive, elevating the innate skills born from raw instinct and giving every single move a brand-new meaning!
Against fake Fighting-type Pokémon with no Battle Aura at all, overcoming a mere seven-level gap in battle was as natural as eating and drinking.
Asher helped Diamond up from the ground, and the two of them vanished together into the crowd's wild cheering and celebration...
After using Battle Aura and drawing out the true power of a Fighting-type, Diamond looked utterly exhausted.
Unlike borrowing elemental force from heaven and earth, using Battle Aura was extremely dangerous!
Because the moment Battle Aura was activated, it meant dancing with death!
Without the protection of Vital Essence, a Pokémon would lose its near-fainting state. Once it suffered damage past a certain point, it would die on the spot!
And even if it wasn't injured, using that power would still leave it overwhelmingly fatigued, to the point that it needed careful recovery before returning to form.
Even though it was badly hurt and exhausted to the limit, Diamond was happier than ever before.
Because it had proven the meaning of its existence and had not betrayed their shared dream!
Feeling the joy welling up from Diamond's heart, Asher still had a trace of worry in his own eyes.
Because he wasn't really sure whether he could become the kind of person who could give everything for a dream.
More precisely, was becoming League Champion really a dream that could make him chase it with everything he had, the way Diamond would?
After all, his original intention had just been to find a Pokémon that could counter Rock-types and help him out. Becoming League Champion had only been a thought that sprang up after being moved by Diamond's determination.
Because the reason he had wanted to become a Trainer in the first place was entirely for the sake of freedom!
But as he kept feeling the fighting spirit pouring off Diamond, Asher gradually found himself influenced by it too.
He couldn't help thinking,
That's right. If a person has no dream, then what's the difference between them and a dead-end drifter?
Trainers are the freest people in the world!
So why not throw everything you have into your dream and fight for it with everything you've got?
Without even realizing it, Asher clenched his fist and said to Diamond,
"Don't worry, Diamond! Just look at how fast we're improving now. We can definitely make our dream come true! The stage of the League Conference is waiting for us in the not-so-distant future!"
"Baru!!"
[Rotom! Your hearts are completely in tune, your inner thoughts resonate! Relationship upgraded to True Partner!]
[Ability unlocked: Aura Power II]
[Aura Power II: You can sense each other's feelings pretty well!]
After affirming their dream with such conviction, the bond score between them shot upward like dry timber thrown into a blazing fire, reaching the point where they could truly understand each other's hearts!
A bond this strong was enough for them to open themselves to one another and develop a solid level of telepathy!
"Gah!!"
Seeing Asher suddenly burst with such passionate ambition and look completely swept away by it, Flare hurriedly wrapped itself around his leg in alarm.
Wasn't the deal that after finishing the Great Pilgrimage, they'd go back home and settle down?
(Asher: Is that really one of those guaranteed death flags?)
Sensing the anxiety in Flare's heart, Asher rubbed the little tuft on its head and said casually with a grin,
"Don't lose confidence in yourself, Flare. I believe you'll get stronger too! Being League Champion is our shared dream! And no matter what happens, we'll always be together!"
A-a-a-a-always be together?!!
In that instant, that promise with no time limit completely swept away, crushed, and obliterated every single one of Flare's worries!
Man, how are you this good with words?!
Feeling the sweet response from Flare's heart, Asher was overjoyed.
This was amazing! Looks like Flare was really happy with this dream too!
He secretly made up his mind that for the sake of the dream shared by all three of them, he absolutely had to give it everything he had!
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed!
Outside the Rustboro Gym, a young man in a red cap, with a half-human-height Pokémon standing on each side of him, strode into the Gym full of confidence!
The conspicuous way he walked around with Pokémon at his side drew plenty of attention.
And for some reason, that purple-skinned Pokémon, barely more than half a person tall, gave off an extraordinary impression just from the resolute look on its face.
The moment he entered the Gym, the spectators' fervent enthusiasm was as wild as ever!
And standing before Asher once again was that same woman!
Appearing before Roxanne again, she still carried herself with that superior, high-and-mighty air of a polished, top-tier woman.
Now, though, she seemed to have regained her reason and looked mentally normal again.
"Well now, red-cap, why aren't you using that Pokémon from last time? Don't tell me it died. What a shame."
[Rotom... scanning information]
[Target: Principal Roxanne]
[Relationship: Underperforming student requiring extra attention]
[Getting-Along Advice: Please properly accept the principal's instruction, and do not entertain thoughts of skipping class!]
Just as I thought...
Skipping class really was wrong. You had to follow the lesson plan and take the test properly!
Asher tilted the brim of his cap and declared with supreme confidence,
"Roxanne! This time, I brought the perfect answer sheet! Let me show you our specialty!"
"Baru!"
Diamond let out a sharp battle cry, Battle Aura surging from its body!
As soon as the fight began, Roxanne instantly turned unhinged again, grabbed her twin tails, and shrieked,
"Heehee hahahaahahaha, good! Let me see just how many points your answer is worth!"
A terrifying pressure burst out from Roxanne's body!
Asher jumped in shock.
This woman was even crazier than last time!
Cold sweat poured down his back...
Why did the very first Gym have to come with a lunatic like this?
Could it be that people in Hoenn just weren't all that normal?
No, that wasn't right. Kagari was perfectly normal...
But soon, Diamond's Steadfast Ability, transmitted through their bond, blew away Asher's fear and filled him with fighting spirit instead.
"Come on, Roxanne! Today I'm going to let you have a taste of what it feels like to be on the wrong end of type advantage!"