While Ethan was hesitating, Aaron had already taken a step. Lucario still did not make any move, but Aaron's pace was getting slower and slower, as if he was being blocked by something powerful.
Although Ethan didn't understand what was happening, he knew that the Aura blocking Aaron's progress must be the Aura circle that the old man had mentioned. Aaron's movements became more labored, and it took longer and longer to take each step, but in the end, he still managed to walk behind Lucario. This showed that Aaron passed the trial and could stay here to study.
Seeing Aaron succeed, Ethan could no longer hesitate. So, he also took his first step. There was no special feeling when he took the first step, and there seemed to be no obstacles, but Ethan did not take it lightly. He knew the so-called Aura circle was still waiting for him.
So, he took the second step carefully. When he took the second step, he felt obvious resistance. But the resistance was not too strong, and Ethan could still take the third step. However, on this third step, Ethan felt he could not lift his feet at all. A huge resistance made it difficult for him to move forward. Was this the limit of his progress? Ethan tried several times but could not lift his feet. Just when he was about to give up, Riolu behind him suddenly roared.
This roar made Ethan feel the resistance suddenly decrease, and his feet, which were originally unable to lift, could now be lifted easily. Although Ethan didn't know what was going on, he recognized it as an opportunity, so he quickly walked behind Lucario.
It wasn't until Ethan walked behind Lucario that he breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally passed the so-called test. Although he didn't know how he succeeded, it must have been related to Riolu's roar.
Seeing that Ethan and Aaron had passed Lucario's trial, the old man spoke slowly.
"Congratulations on passing the trial. You can live in my house while you study in this village. Lucario will arrange your daily studies. Once you learn the basic use of Aura power, you can leave."
The old man left as soon as he finished speaking, leaving only Aaron, Ethan, Riolu, and Lucario standing there. Ethan was very confused about what the old man said about Lucario arranging their daily learning. How does a Pokémon teach people to learn? Just as Ethan was puzzled, a strange voice sounded in his mind.
"If you want to master the power of Aura, first you need to know what Aura is. Aura is a special energy that exists in all substances. Almost everything has Aura, but the strength of the Aura energy differs. Ordinary humans and Pokémon cannot detect the existence of Aura, so they cannot use the power of Aura."
This sudden explanation shocked Ethan, and Aaron as well. Although they knew that the power of Aura could transmit information, they didn't know it could communicate so freely. Both of them stared at Lucario in front of them with wide eyes, eager to learn more.
"You two are completely different types. One of you is born with extremely strong Aura energy but has not yet mastered the correct control method; the other has weak Aura energy but partners with Riolu and benefits from sharing the partner's Aura energy. Therefore, you two will learn in completely different directions. I will provide one-on-one guidance based on your respective needs."
Lucario's arrangement was very clear, which made Ethan and Aaron look forward to their future studies. After that, Ethan and Aaron began their formal learning journey.
"Since your own Aura energy is very weak, it is difficult to generate Aura power by mobilizing the surrounding Aura energy by yourself. But because of the energy shared with you by Riolu, you can also master Aura power, provided that the energy sharing between you and Riolu reaches a perfect state. It's a bit early to talk about this now, so you should start with the basics! Since your Riolu has just hatched, its control over Aura is still rough, so it should focus on learning to control Aura, and your training is to cultivate your bond with Riolu. Emotion is one of the most effective ways to harness the power of Aura. When you and Riolu are close enough, you can mobilize Riolu's Aura energy at will."
Lucario's one-on-one guidance quickly put Ethan into a learning state. Ethan also understood that the reason he was able to pass the trial was entirely due to Riolu, so when Lucario said that Riolu needed to focus on learning to control Aura, he fully understood. However, he didn't understand why his training was to cultivate feelings with Riolu and increase intimacy. Does intimacy determine the communication between him and Riolu? Ethan only remembered that Riolu's evolution was related to intimacy, but he didn't think the use of Aura power was also related to intimacy.
"You are right. The intimacy between you and Riolu not only determines Riolu's future evolution but also determines whether you can use the power of Aura. Therefore, the most important thing for you now is to improve your bond. Because Riolu was hatched by you, it has a high degree of recognition of you and is relatively close to you. Otherwise, it wouldn't have used its Aura power to help you pass through my Aura circle just now. As for how to improve your bond, it's actually very simple. Go to the fields together!"
Cultivating the land? What on earth is this? Can working the land improve the bond between oneself and Riolu? Ethan was completely baffled. What kind of method was this? It's too unusual!
"Don't question it. You and Riolu will work the land together. Riolu will use the power of Aura to detect the environment, and you will use a hoe to till the land. It's a job that requires cooperation. Don't think you're working ordinary land. The land of Lucario Kingdom is very special. Its hardness is completely different from ordinary land. You have to find the softest land through Riolu's detection before you can cultivate it. Otherwise, your hands will be sore after using the hoe, and there will be no progress on the ground."
Lucario's explanation only confused Ethan more. He really had to work the land, and it wasn't just any land—it had to be the softest land. If Riolu didn't detect the terrain well, he'd be hoeing the wrong place in no time! How could his hands endure it? However, to learn the power of Aura, Ethan had no choice but to grit his teeth, pick up the hoe handed over by Lucario, and start working!