After returning to Sunshine Gym, Aiden spent several days resting.
June was approaching. Once July arrived and Naranja Academy's summer break began, the Victory Road would officially open. Thus, far fewer students came to challenge him lately.
Though Sunshine Gym had long been infamous for its brutal difficulty—"impossible to beat on the first try"—most students had already passed its trial by this stage.
And after achieving their "Enlightenment" under Aiden, they spent noticeably less time conquering the other seven Gyms. Some even pulled off wildly creative moves against Gym Leaders.
Leaving their opponents utterly speechless.
Thanks to this unmistakably inherited playstyle, Paldea's student pass rate had genuinely risen this year.
Naturally, the top students spent this month intensively preparing for the Victory Road—including Nemona.
The girl who once frequented Sunshine Gym had seemingly vanished to battle facilities across other regions, aiming to claim the Champion title in one decisive strike.
With free time on his hands, Aiden decided to complete the task left unfinished before his Sinnoh trip: unseal the four shrines imprisoning the Calamity Pokemon, defeat and purify the four Calamity Pokémon within.
He'd already resolved Wo-Chien at the Grasswither Shrine east of Cabo Poco—so the process felt familiar.
Today's target: the Icerend Shrine, nestled in Paldea's far western reaches.
Here dwelled a Pokémon Aiden found deeply intriguing—
Chien-Pao, the Calamity Pokémon born from the ancient Sword of Ruin.
"Should be around here."
Riding Miraidon, Aiden scanned his map while glancing around.
Why Miraidon instead of Salamence? Simple—if he didn't let Miraidon exercise soon, its steel frame would visibly round out——
Besides, fairness mattered. Owning two ride Pokémon brought its own delightful dilemma~
Following the map's marked path, Aiden systematically removed the anchors surrounding the shrine. Soon, he located the shrine itself halfway up a mountainside.
Thank goodness Miraidon could climb slopes. Hiking up would've been exhausting.
Having cleared the anchors beforehand, the shrine's icy-blue circular seal now lay fully exposed. The chains that should have bound it were gone—and from within came furious, guttural roars.
"Figures. Sword-based entities are naturally more volatile."
Aiden recalled the process. He recalled the process. Pocketing Miraidon's Poké Ball, he retrieved another—gripping it tightly.
If it's Chien-Pao… it might ambush me immediately. Must guard against Ice Shard——
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and touched the shrine's seal.
Having walked this path once before, his mind remained utterly calm—almost amused.
As a cold-hearted warrior… is there anyone purer of heart than me?
Just as before—
A powerful suction yanked him inward. Blinking open his eyes, he stood inside the shrine.
Snow swirled violently within the dim space—a stark contrast to the approaching summer heat outside. Aiden shivered instinctively.
Though——the cause likely ran deeper.
Hearing a heavy breath behind him, Aiden spun around without hesitation—hurling the Poké Ball in his hand.
"Lucario!!!"
Ice Shards shot from the distance. Lucario—already poised within the Ball—crossed its arms, blocking every shard with its sturdy frame.
Shaking off residual ice, it fixed wary eyes on its opponent.
"Lucario——"
That attack felt wrong.
Though Ice-type moves barely harmed it, the impact left its arms instantly numb.
I shouldn't be this fragile.
And the assault was far from over.
As a master of Aura, Lucario clearly sensed it——
Amid the blizzard, a phantom-like figure darted swiftly—poised to pounce at any moment.
Ah. A speed-type opponent—my least favorable matchup.
Attack or defend?
"Lucario—lock onto it with Aura Sphere! We'll seize initiative!"
As Lucario hesitated, Aiden's voice cut through from behind—guiding its decision.
"Lucario!"
No longer wavering, Lucario swept its hands upward—crafting a sphere of pure Aura energy.
Its target: the massive white silhouette now emerging from the snow!
Aiden and Lucario's gazes locked onto the figure. The Aura Sphere launched—hurtling toward it at full speed.
BOOM——!
Chien-Pao, making no effort to evade, took the full blast. It tumbled backward with a pained cry.
But——
Aiden's eyes narrowed. Something felt off.
Chien-Pao quickly rose from the snow—its eyes burning crimson from the impact.
Yet halting its charge finally revealed its true form:
Chien-Pao, the Calamity Pokémon. Dark/Ice typing.
Logically weak to Lucario. One Aura Sphere should've knocked it out.
But Pokémon physiologies defied simple categorization.
Aiden detected zero signs of injury or fear in Chien-Pao.
Just like Wo-Chien—these Calamity incarnations endure blows and instantly recover.
"Keep firing Aura Spheres! Don't give it an opening!"
Aiden commanded sharply.
All Calamity Pokémon shared a trait: an invisible field lowering a specific stat of nearby Pokémon.
Wo-Chien's "Tablets of Ruin" reduced Attack. Chien-Pao's "Sword of Ruin" slashed Defense.
Even with Lucario's strong resistances to Ice and Dark, minimizing HP loss during this potentially grueling war of attrition was critical.
"Lucario!"
Lucario's next Aura Sphere formed instantly—launched decisively toward Chien-Pao.
"ROAR——!"
This time, Chien-Pao proved wiser. Instead of charging blindly, it lowered its head—embedding the twin broken-sword fangs on its upper jaw deep into the snow.
Then—it jerked upward, erupting a sharp ice pillar toward the incoming Aura Sphere.
Shards of ice exploded on impact. Chien-Pao seized the moment to close distance—then inhaled sharply.
"Lucario—Protect!"
Aiden reacted instantly.
This Chien-Pao… resorting to underhanded tactics since direct combat fails?
Even using Sheer Cold——
As it drew breath, the already biting air plummeted further. A breath of absolute zero erupted from Chien-Pao's maw.
"Lucario !"
Lucario didn't hesitate—erecting a Protect barrier. Aiden positioned himself behind it, shielded by the barrier.
Though in-game, one-hit KO moves like Sheer Cold had laughable accuracy——
But if it lands? Instant game over.
Aiden wouldn't gamble. Yet he knew prolonged attrition against Chien-Pao was futile.
Born from humanity's malice, Calamity Pokémon harbored infinite hatred—indiscriminately attacking all life until oblivion.
We must find a way to pacify it.
Just like with Wo-Chien—have Indeedee steal its core?
Aiden studied the darting Chien-Pao.
Too mobile. Its sword-fang core moves with it—nearly impossible to snatch—
Then—only one blunt solution remained.
"Lucario—Bullet Punch forward! Restrict its movement!"
As Sheer Cold dissipated, Aiden shifted tactics—embracing higher risk.
"If you get close—try shattering those sword fangs!"
"Lucario?!"
Lucario, mid-motion, froze at Aiden's words.
Trainer… that's unusually harsh.
But no other option existed.
Cruel as it seemed—only disabling this terrifyingly swift foe mattered.
From earlier clashes, Lucario deduced this opponent likely lacked physical form.
So—go all out!
"Lucario !"
Lucario unleashed a punch—Bullet Punch propelling it forward with startling speed, nearly matching Chien-Pao's velocity.
Chien-Pao initially tried evading—but seeing the distance close, it abruptly pivoted. Head shaking, it lunged.
Noticing its sword fangs glint as they swung, Aiden shouted: "Watch out—it's Sacred Sword!"
This was why he'd avoided close combat initially.
Beyond Dark/Ice moves, Chien-Pao—being a sword incarnate—could wield this Fighting-type technique.
Lucario's iron-hard body granted formidable defense… but also left it weak to Fighting.
And with "Sword of Ruin" amplifying the blow——
Even Lucario couldn't withstand it.
Thankfully—sensing danger, Lucario halted mid-step. Backflipping rapidly, it barely dodged the slash.
"Lucario—"
Cold sweat beaded on Lucario's brow despite the freezing air.
Clever opponent. Using speed to feint a retreat—nearly fell for it.
But the same trick wouldn't work twice!
"Lucario—charge again! This time—Brick Break!"
Aiden and Lucario moved as one. As Aiden reached for a Poké Ball and shouted the command, Lucario surged forward—closing the gap in an instant.
Chien-Pao's blinding speed left no time for Mega Evolution. And with Sheer Cold threatening a one-shot, adding more Pokémon might backfire.
Only one solution remained!
"ROAR!!!"
Chien-Pao refused to yield. Knowing Lucario couldn't defeat it directly, it dropped pretense—adopting a battle stance, ready to counter with Sacred Sword the moment Lucario approached.
But——
This time, Lucario showed no intent to dodge.
It had Aiden's off-field aid.
As distance vanished, Aiden hurled a Tera Orb toward Chien-Pao's feet.
"Lucario!"
Just before Chien-Pao's counterstrike landed, Lucario stomped the ground—leaping to evade the Sacred Sword.
But its strike didn't target Chien-Pao——
It aimed for the Tera Orb Aiden had thrown!
The moment the Orb shattered, crystalline Tera fragments swarmed Lucario—coalescing into a crimson Tera armor.
A crown resembling gauntlets formed on its body—temporarily nullifying its Fighting-type weakness to Steel.
Chien-Pao, unaware of this shift, saw Lucario leap yet failed to retreat. Acting on instinct, it darted forward in three agile steps—attempting to overwhelm Lucario.
Again—the Sacred Sword of devastating power. But this time, Lucario didn't flinch.
"Lucario—Brick Break again! Shatter its Sacred Sword!"
The words left Aiden's lips as Lucario's hands hardened into blades—slashing straight toward Chien-Pao's twin swords!
BOOM——!
Even in close combat, colliding moves erupted in a deafening shockwave. Aiden instinctively covered his ears—watching intently.
Lucario's hand blades locked firmly between Chien-Pao's fangs—halting its assault completely.
Trapped, Chien-Pao thrashed wildly. Yet despite the massive size disparity, raw power didn't tip the scales.
Instead—the smaller Lucario gradually gained the upper hand in this test of strength.
"Lucario!"
Your attack ends now. My turn!
Lucario's eyes sharpened. Its arms erupted with explosive force.
CRACK.
In an instant, Chien-Pao's razor-sharp sword fangs snapped—landing in Lucario's grasp.
And Chien-Pao's form—shattered by this sudden counterstrike—dissipated into swirling snow.
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