As soon as Klein exposed Riley's identity, the lingering killing intent vanished, as if nothing had ever happened.
How strong was Riley, the modern-day Aura Guardian?
In the original timeline, Byron had even considered Riley as the true successor to Canalave Gym—over his own son, Roark. That fact alone proved Riley's exceptional skill.
Though Riley's Aura abilities weren't as legendary as those of Sir Aaron, he had mastered the fundamentals—heightened perception, telepathic communication, and healing techniques.
Klein hadn't expected his first opponent in the Battle Frontier challenge to be an Aura Guardian.
As he focused his gaze into the dark cavern, a figure stepped forward, bathed in faint blue light.
Dressed in the same iconic blue robes as his ancestor, Riley held a silver staff, his expression calm and unreadable.
There was no doubt—the killing intent from before had been real.
Though Klein didn't know its exact source, he instinctively kept his guard up.
Riley's Lucario materialized beside him, gripping a bone staff in its paws.
"I will be conducting the first trial," Riley announced.
"Since we both use Lucario, let's push them to their absolute limits. Lucario, Bone Rush!"
The battle erupted in an instant.
Riley's Lucario blurred into motion—its footwork far beyond ordinary comprehension.
It dashed forward using Extreme Speed, its movements razor-sharp and unpredictable, shifting positions at impossible angles.
Faster than Klein's Lucario.
More refined.
And yet—it didn't strike.
Instead, it maneuvered through the battlefield, leaving no openings, moving with surgical precision.
A trap.
Klein's Lucario expanded its Aura field, scanning for weaknesses—
Then—its right foot suddenly sank into the ground.
Crack!
An unseen fissure had formed beneath it—
Followed by a violent explosion of flame.
A trap?!
Klein's Lucario instantly activated telekinetic levitation, hovering above the erupting fire.
At the same time—
It launched three Aura Spheres, spiraling around itself in a defensive pattern.
"A Lucario that doesn't specialize in pure combat?"
Riley narrowed his eyes.
His Lucario pressed forward, disappearing in a flash.
Klein's eyes widened.
Another use of Extreme Speed?
No.
This was different.
Riley's Lucario wasn't just moving—it was layering its movements, creating deliberate missteps to set more traps.
Every step it took slightly weakened the terrain, leaving behind unstable fault lines.
By the time Klein's Lucario recovered, the entire battlefield was booby-trapped.
Not only had Riley's Lucario mastered combat footwork, but it had weaponized the terrain itself.
Klein's Lucario quickly recalculated—estimating Riley's next position based on movement patterns.
Then—
It launched a precisely aimed Aura Sphere.
For the first time, Riley's Lucario miscalculated.
Dodging was impossible.
But rather than retreat—
It charged forward.
Its muscles tensed, Aura flared, and its paws clenched into a counterstrike—
A single punch met the incoming Aura Sphere, scattering the energy apart.
It had absorbed the impact.
Then, in the same motion—
It struck again.
"Reversal."
Klein's Lucario staggered backward, momentarily dazed—its foot landing directly into another hidden trap.
Damn…
Klein gritted his teeth.
He had taught his Lucario to develop strong calculation skills—but even that wasn't enough to predict Riley's battlefield control.
A mistake.
Riley's Lucario surged forward, spinning its bone staff, aiming for a decisive strike—
But then—
The third, delayed Aura Sphere detonated beneath its feet.
A misstep.
A split-second opening.
"Now!" Klein commanded.
His Lucario retaliated—unleashing a powerful Aura Sphere at point-blank range.
When the dust settled, Riley's Lucario remained standing.
But its body trembled.
It hadn't been fully knocked out—but the battle was over.
Riley smiled.
"That's enough."
He recalled his Lucario, then approached Klein, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Your control over Aura and psychic power is impressive," Riley admitted.
"But you're separating them too much."
Klein's gaze sharpened.
"Separating them?"
Riley raised his silver staff, channeling a pulse of pure energy—
Then—
He transferred a fragment of knowledge into Klein's mind.
A technique.
One that fused Aura and psychic power into a single, seamless force.
"The Tree of Beginning incident… you did well protecting it," Riley said.
"Dream and I agreed that I should give you this gift."
Klein's breath hitched.
The Aura Guardians had always maintained a close bond with Dream.
Sir Aaron had once pledged his loyalty to it—
And in return, Dream had safeguarded their bloodline's legacy.
Now, Riley was passing down a small piece of that knowledge.
Not the entire Aura inheritance—
That could only be fully mastered by someone from Aaron's lineage.
But this was still a critical stepping stone.
A foundation.
A method to merge Aura with Klein's evolving psychic abilities.
As the knowledge settled into his mind—
Klein finally understood.
The source of Riley's earlier killing intent.