Although he was very envious of Aaron for being born with the power of Aura, Ethan wasn't surprised at all. After all, Aaron was destined to be a future Aura Guardian. Isn't it normal for him to be gifted from a young age?
Without dwelling on Aaron's ability, Ethan followed him to the village to inquire about the situation. At the entrance of the village, they encountered an old man leaning on a cane, moving slowly. Seeing this, Aaron quickly caught up and asked.
"Grandpa, is this Lucario's Kingdom? Are there Pokémon that can use the power of Aura?"
The old man was startled by the sudden question, causing his unsteady steps to come to a halt.
"Little friend! Lucario's Kingdom is just a legend. This is not the place you are looking for. There are no Pokémon that can use the power of Aura. Look elsewhere!"
The old man explained kindly to Aaron. However, Aaron didn't heed the old man's words and continued to press on.
"Why would you lie, old man? This must be Lucario's Kingdom!"
Aaron's confident tone puzzled Ethan. The old man clearly said it wasn't the place, so why was Aaron insisting that the old man was lying?
"Aaron, Grandpa said no, why are you so sure?"
"Because I feel that the old man is lying! My feeling can't be wrong!"
Although Aaron still insisted, Ethan felt it was impolite, so he apologized to the old man on Aaron's behalf.
"Grandpa, I'm sorry! My friend has been searching for Lucario's Kingdom. He finally arrived at this village between Mount Coronet and Veilstone City. He's convinced this is Lucario's Kingdom."
After he finished speaking, Ethan winked at Aaron, as if to say, "I apologized for you, so you should also express your gratitude." However, Aaron didn't appreciate it at all and continued to insist that the old man was lying.
"Little friend! You said you felt that I was lying? Then what do you feel now?"
The old man was not angered by Aaron's questioning. Instead, he asked with great interest. Listening to the old man's words, Aaron gently closed his eyes, and suddenly a little blue light appeared in front of his originally pitch-black vision. So, Aaron expressed his feelings.
"I saw a little blue light. It wasn't strong, nor was it blinding, but it made me feel very safe!"
"Good! You can already feel the power of Aura. Although you cannot use it now, with training, you'll be able to use the power of Aura freely in no time."
The old man's words indirectly confirmed Aaron's suspicions. He had indeed lied earlier, and it also proved that this was indeed Lucario's Kingdom. But Ethan was confused. Could the power of Aura really expose lies? Wouldn't that mean there would be no secrets from someone who could use the power of Aura?
"Grandpa, I want to learn how to use the power of Aura. Can I learn here?"
Aaron wasn't boastful about the old man's praise but immediately expressed his desire, hoping the old man would agree. The old man seemed to have anticipated Aaron's request, nodding silently before slowly taking his steps.
Just after the old man took the first step, he turned to Ethan and said, "That Riolu is yours! Since you're here, take Riolu with you and follow me!"
Ethan was a bit stunned, unsure of what to do. Ever since he chose the Pokémon egg offered during the limited celebration, everything seemed surreal. Not only were the three starter Pokémon and the original plot completely gone, but even the operating system couldn't be accessed. He encountered Celebi, who could travel through time and space, and was brought here by Celebi. Was he still playing the game now?
While Ethan was daydreaming, the old man said to him again, "Since you have Riolu, you can naturally study in Lucario's Kingdom. If one day your Riolu can fully master the power of Aura, you could become an heir of the kingdom here. So, why don't you catch up?"
The old man had said so much, making Ethan feel it would be foolish not to catch up. Although his Riolu had just hatched, as long as it learned to use the power of Aura, it would undoubtedly become stronger. Now he didn't care about the game's storyline; he'd just deal with whatever came his way!
Self-consolation can often quickly build up people's confidence. Ethan abandoned his complicated thoughts and hurriedly followed the old man and Aaron.
"The power of Aura is actually a special power. It can be used to sense emotional changes, transmit information, and even allow you to clearly grasp everything around you. This is why so many people desire to have the power of Aura, but not everyone can possess it. Among Pokémon, only Riolu, Lucario, and a very few others can have this power. As for humans, except for a very few who are born with this power, others who want to learn it must have a Pokémon that can use the power of Aura to have a chance. The two of you correspond to these two situations: one is born with the power of Aura, and the other has Riolu. As long as you wish to learn the power of Aura, the people in this village will teach you. But there is a prerequisite: you both need to pass a trial."
The old man led Ethan and Aaron to the village while explaining the knowledge about the power of Aura. Ethan realized that it was because of Riolu that he had the opportunity to learn the power of Aura. His initial envy of Aaron turned into a keen interest in studying.
"Grandpa, I can pass any trial!"
Ethan's sudden firm words made Aaron beside him feel his enthusiasm for learning. Aaron also said, "I will definitely pass it too!"
Looking at the two energetic children, the old man couldn't help but smile.
"It's called a trial, but it's actually quite simple. As long as you can pass Lucario's Aura circle, you will pass the trial."
As soon as the old man finished speaking, a Lucario jumped down from a roof not far away and quickly came to his side.
"You know that if you walk from your current position to the back of Lucario, you will pass the trial. During this period, Lucario will continue to release Aura circles. Whether you can pass or not depends on you."
Ethan was unsure what the Aura circle the old man mentioned was, and he didn't see Lucario do anything special, so he had no idea what would happen next. How could he get through?