Under Aiden Flint's overwhelming psychic sweep, the entirety of Sunyshore Forest unfolded within his mind.
Every tree.
Every river.
Every Pokémon nest.
Every fluctuation of life.
For him, searching for a specific Pokémon was no longer a matter of luck—
It was precision hunting.
Latios and Latias had once been found this way.
As long as a Pokémon entered his psychic range—
Escape was impossible.
After all, his psychic power was comparable to Mewtwo's.
Having locked onto his target, Aiden took Cynthia's hand.
In the next instant—
Teleport.
They appeared beside a rocky cliff where a river plunged down in a roaring waterfall. The constant torrent had carried stones over decades, forming a rugged rock field below.
And there—
A small, yellow-and-black canine Pokémon with striking red eyes was training.
Punching.
Kicking.
Striking the rocks with fierce determination.
Cynthia immediately understood.
"You came here for that little one, didn't you?"
Aiden smiled.
When the Pokémon finally paused to catch its breath, Aiden stepped out from the trees without concealment.
"Hardworking little guy."
"Riolu—would you like to become my Pokémon? Travel with me… and grow into the strongest Lucario in the world?"
The small Pokémon snapped its head up.
Aura flared instinctively.
Yes.
It was a Shiny Riolu.
And more importantly—
A Riolu that sensed aura.
Yet despite maintaining its aura field—
It hadn't detected Aiden or Cynthia approaching.
Impossible.
Aiden chuckled lightly.
"I'm a psychic. I can search, suppress, and teleport. Not sensing me is perfectly normal."
Riolu bristled.
It had trained alone beneath waterfalls, honing its fighting spirit every day.
And now this human spoke as if overwhelming strength were obvious.
Riolu's pride wouldn't allow it to submit so easily.
"Rii!"
It pointed at Aiden.
A challenge.
Not against his Pokémon.
Against him.
Aiden's eyes gleamed with approval.
"That's the spirit."
Ding!
Pokémon: Shiny Riolu (Special)
Level: 28
Ability: Inner Focus
Type: Fighting
Aptitude: Gold
Moves: Force Palm, Metal Claw, Quick Attack, Rock Smash, Vacuum Wave, Swords Dance, Bullet Punch
Affinity: 0
Background: Abandoned by its parents, lives alone in Sunyshore Forest. Hostile toward outsiders. Loves challenging the strong. Desires to grow stronger. Longs for family.
Reading that, Aiden's expression softened.
"Poor little guy… you won't have to struggle alone anymore."
He extended one hand.
"Go ahead."
Riolu shouted and launched Vacuum Wave.
The compressed blast of fighting energy streaked forward—
Only to freeze midair.
Purple psychic force wrapped around it.
Then reversed its trajectory.
Riolu's eyes widened.
Was this even human?
It immediately used Quick Attack to dodge—
But Aiden shook his head.
"Good instinct. Useless, though."
The reflected Vacuum Wave struck Riolu with even greater force, sending it flying.
At the last moment, Aiden cushioned the impact with psychic power so it wouldn't be injured.
Riolu lay stunned.
Aiden walked closer.
"So?"
"Convinced?"
After a brief silence—
Riolu nodded.
"You challenged me," Aiden said calmly. "You lost. That means you become my Pokémon."
"Follow me. I promise you'll grow stronger."
Riolu closed its eyes.
Aura flared.
It sensed Aiden's thoughts.
No deception.
No falsehood.
Only sincerity—and overwhelming confidence.
When Aiden withdrew his psychic suppression, Riolu could feel his true heart.
Strength.
Ambition.
Protection.
Family.
That was enough.
Aiden took out a Luxury Ball.
With a soft flash of light—
Shiny Riolu was captured.
Click.
No struggle.
Another Shiny added to his roster.
Immediately, Aiden assigned it two mentors—
Infernape.
Blaziken.
Both had already stepped into Elite-tier strength and specialized in high-speed, close-combat fighting styles.
Lucario's future battle style would align perfectly with theirs.
Under their guidance—
Riolu would rise rapidly.
After settling the new capture within system space—
Aiden's gaze shifted again.
Ten kilometers away—
A Skorupi colony.
And among them—
Something interesting.
He smiled faintly.
The hunt wasn't over.
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