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Pokémon Unite fanart. Happy Aura Day (Lucario Day)!! (#波動の日 Twitter tag)
Eric wrote a short story with our Lucarios Elpis and Ruka. Enjoy~
(The green-eyed Lucario Elpis belongs to Eric.)
Gift of Aura
Story by GenEric. Art by me.
Ruka and Elpis are doing some Aura training with each other. They sit meditating on one of the nearby beaches on Aeos Island, their auras just barely visible.
Elpis: He stretches and yawns. “Mmm…”
Ruka: “Hm? You okay, Elpis?”
Elpis: “Yeah, I’m fine… just a bit tired.”
Ruka: “Haha, I get that. Sitting here on the beach, surrounded by the sounds of the waves, holding the same position for hours… You can’t help but get tired, huh?”
Elpis: “Mhm… Um… Are you sure this helps train our aura? Cuz I don’t feel anything.”
Ruka: “The effects aren’t something you’d feel immediately. You’d only really notice them in battle, since that’s where you’re actually using Aura.”
Elpis: “Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense.”
Ruka: “Yep. So let’s get back to it, shall we?”
Elpis: “Yeah, let’s do that.”
The two continue to sit there on the beach for a while, until the sun starts going down.
Elpis: “…”
Ruka: “Hah… Right.”
Elpis: “Hm?”
Ruka: “It’s starting to get dark. We should get back before Eric and Rhyme start getting worried about us.” He gets up.
Elpis: “Ah, alright… Um…”
Ruka: “Hm? Everything okay, Elpis?”
Elpis: “Yeah, yeah… I just…”
Ruka: “Just what?”
Elpis: “…I dunno how to really describe it, but… I just kinda feel… weak.”
Ruka: “Weak? What makes you think that?”
Elpis: “Well… It’s been a thing that I’ve never been very good at using my Aura. I’ve always kinda fumbled with using it in any sort of scenario, especially battles. It’s why you rarely see me use my Aura Sphere. And even when I do, it’s for the power boost after.”
Ruka: “I see…”
Elpis: “A-And it’s not a thing that I’m gonna blame Eric for. He raised me the very best that he could when I was just a little Riolu pup, and I personally think he did an amazing job. I’ve just never fully been able to get a grasp on using Aura as a whole.”
Ruka: “Do you think there’s any reason as to why?”
Elpis: “I… I dunno…”
???: “It’s because you’ve clearly never been educated on how it works.”
Ruka+Elpis: “Huh?”
The two Lucarios look up towards the hill that leads down to the beach. They both spot another Lucario up there, who then jumps down, landing in front of them.
Ruka+Elpis: “Ruki!”
Ruka: (Oh no… What’s Ruki doing here?! Did I do something bad?!)
Ruki: “It’s why you haven’t been able to grasp how to use it.”
Elpis: “Huh?”
Ruki: “Because you don’t know how it works.”
Elpis: “I… don’t think Eric’s ever explained it, no.”
Ruki: “Well, humans don’t know how to use Aura like we do. Only other Lucarios would be qualified to explain it. And since I’m here, that’s what I’ll do.”
Elpis stands in front of Ruki, listening to him. Ruka stands behind Elpis and watches Ruki nervously.
Ruki: “Aura is a type of natural life energy that all living beings possess, but only usable by Fighting-Type Pokémon. It’s why Aura Sphere is a Fighting-Type move—a measurement of our strength and fighting spirit. Most Fighting-Type Pokémon can use Aura to an extent, but only us Lucarios specialise in using it.”
Elpis: “How come we’re able to use it so well?”
Ruki: “…A mystery, but who knows? It could be a gift from Arceus himself, or something that cropped up in our evolution.”
Elpis: “Right… Well, how do we get better at using Aura?”
Ruki: “One way to strengthen our Aura is what you two were doing, meditating. Connecting oneself with nature is effective, but it takes up a lot of time. Another way is by combating opponents, which is what I’ve done. As Lucarios, we gain more strength with every fight.”
Elpis: “I see… Is there any other way of strengthening it?”
Ruki pauses for a moment before continuing.
Ruki: “Hm…Well, I’ve heard of a certain Lucario under the trainer Ash descovering a new method recently.”
Elpis: “Ash? That Ash? What’s this new method?”
Ruki: “Yes. People called it the Bond Phenomenon.”
Ruka+Elpis: “Bond Phenomenon?”
Ruki: “Again, it’s something recent, so I’m a little sceptical.”
Elpis: “Tell us about it, though!”
Ruki: “The Bond Phenomenon is the result of a Lucario being able to bond its Aura and fighting spirit with someone else, namely their trainer. Should the trainer and the Lucario have a strong enough bond, they can connect themselves. It allows for a staggering boost in power.”
Ruki shifts his attention to Elpis and Ruka.
Ruki: “The two of you seem close to your trainers, so you might as well try.”
Elpis: “I see… though there’s only one problem with that.”
Ruki: “Hm?”
Elpis: “Well, Eric doesn’t have much of a fighting spirit, so I don’t think we can use it.”
Ruki: “Heh, but you’d know how to fix that, don’t you?”
Elpis: “Huh?”
Ruki: “A true trainer would overcome even his greatest fears and weaknesses for his Pokémon. Tell him about the Bond Phenomenon. If that kid loves you as much as he says he does, then I’m sure he’d gladly do his best to make you both stronger.”
Elpis: “Huh… well, I’ll try that then.”
Ruki: “Good.” He turns to leave.
Ruka: “W-Wait though, Ruki!”
Ruki: “What?”
Ruka: “H-How come y-you’re helping us?”
Ruki: “…Huh. Dunno. Guess I just don’t want you two making an embarrassment of Lucarios by not understanding how we work. Or maybe it’s just curiosity about this Bond Phenomenon thing.”
Ruki then shrugs and speeds away from the two, leaving them there on the beach.
Elpis: “Bond Phenomenon… heh… heheheh.”
Ruka: “Elpis?”
Elpis: “Welp… Guess we both have a new goal to work towards, huh, Ruka?”
Ruka: “Yeah… Guess we do. Now, let’s get back. I’m sure the others are getting worried about us. It’s proper dark now.”
Elpis: “Yeah, let’s.”
Ruka looks in the direction Ruki left in, smiling to himself.
Ruka: “(I guess… Maybe he does care about us… in his own sort of way… Thanks, big brother…)”
The two begin to make their way back to their house.
