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"Oh, you mean Aura Sphere? Mm, the move that Riolu used back then is called Aura Sphere."
When Liam heard Delia's question, he recalled Riolu's battle at that time. Thinking of how Riolu had actually unleashed Aura Sphere—a move normally only possible after evolution—he couldn't help but smile in admiration.
"Aura Sphere! That sounds really strong! I remember that Smeargle had Counter back then, right? But why didn't it reflect the attack? Instead, it got completely defeated by Riolu's Aura Sphere?"
Delia still remembered how Smeargle was sent flying into the air, its body glowing with the light of Counter. Wasn't Counter supposed to reflect move damage? Why didn't it work?
"Heh, Aura Sphere is indeed very powerful, with high damage. But Aura Sphere is actually a special-type attack, which is why it couldn't be reflected by Smeargle's Counter. On top of that, Aura Sphere is a Fighting-type move, which has a strong advantage against Smeargle. That's why a single Aura Sphere was enough to defeat it…"
By this point, their tour of the Radio Tower was nearly over, so Liam took Delia's hand, answering her questions while leading her down the tower.
"Wow! So Aura Sphere is such an amazing move! Hehe~ Riolu really is awesome!"
Delia's eyes sparkled at Liam's explanation. In her mind, she imagined Riolu's valiant figure in battle, praising her Pokémon endlessly.
"Mm, Riolu's potential is truly undeniable. You know, Aura Sphere is actually a move that its evolved form, Lucario, usually learns. While there are indeed rare cases of Riolu mastering Aura Sphere, compared to Riolu's age… it's an incredible gap. Yet your Riolu, still so young, has already learned it. That shows just how exceptional it really is."
Even Liam was shocked by Riolu's talent. He deeply understood the saying: anything produced by the system must be of supreme quality.
"Hmph~ Do you even need to say that? That's my Riolu! With my careful care and training, of course it's the very best~"
Hearing her Riolu praised made Delia feel as though she herself were being praised. She wrapped her arm around Liam's, her cute nose tilting upward slightly, pride shining on her face.
"Hey! Riolu's excellence is clearly because I was the one who picked its egg in the first place. I'm the key to its talent!"
Liam looked at Delia's smug expression and couldn't resist teasing her. Suppressing his laughter, he pretended to say it seriously.
"Ha! N-no way! I don't care! Riolu is mine! It's this good all thanks to me! No matter what you say, it's useless! How dare you steal my credit? Take this—bite!"
As soon as Liam finished, Delia furrowed her brows, seemingly convinced by his logic for a moment. But then she shook her head furiously, looked at him with equal seriousness, and before he could react, she bit down hard on his arm…
"Wahh! Are you a Dog or something?! Ow ow ow! Help!"
"Hmph! That'll teach you to try and take credit!"
...
"Hehe~ Hmph! This is all your fault! We ran down here so quickly that now I'm hungry. Is there anything good to eat around here? Let's go try something!"
After a bout of playful roughhousing, Liam and Delia ran out of the Radio Tower, laughing. At the entrance, Delia rubbed her stomach while scanning the area for food, half complaining to Liam.
"Uh… according to the map, not far ahead should be the Goldenrod Department Store. There should be plenty of places to eat inside. Let's head there to solve our food problem."
Liam pulled out a tourist guidebook he'd been given while sightseeing in Goldenrod City. It contained a full city map. According to it, just a few streets ahead lay the Goldenrod Department Store.
"Yes! The Department Store! There must be tons of things to buy there! Let's go shopping right away~ Hurry hurry~"
The moment she heard there was shopping, Delia's hunger vanished. Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed Liam's hand, pulling him forward at full speed.
"W-wait! Slow down, let me put the map away first!"
Watching the overly excited Delia, Liam could only smile helplessly. Deep down, though, he found her antics amusing, a small grin tugging at his lips as he let her drag him along.
BOOM!!
But just then—before they had run more than a few steps—an explosive sound shook the Radio Tower they had just exited.
"Huh?! What's going on?!"
The sudden change forced both Liam and Delia to halt. They looked up, puzzled, at the tower.
From the top of the tower, thick black smoke billowed upward. As it cleared, the shattered remains of the tower's peak came into view.
That part of the tower housed the real signal transmission department. The explosion had occurred in one of those rooms. The windows, once sturdy glass, had been blown into shards, a clear display of the blast's destructive power.
"Stop! Give that back! That item is sacred! You cannot take it!"
From within the broken room came a faint voice, both furious and fearful. The tower was tall, so the words were difficult to make out clearly.
"Liam… w-what on earth is happening?"
Delia still hadn't recovered from the sudden turn of events. She instinctively pressed close behind Liam, worry written on her face.
Liam, meanwhile, remained fixed on the tower's top. Upon hearing Delia's words, he quickly squeezed her hand tightly, trying to reassure her with a steady expression.
"Ah! Look—there's someone! What are they doing up there?"
By now, a crowd had gathered at the Radio Tower's base—mostly curious bystanders drawn by the commotion. While Liam was turning back to comfort Delia, gasps of alarm rose from the crowd. Looking up, they spotted two figures at the shattered window's edge, struggling violently.
Liam snapped his head up. Sure enough, two silhouettes were locked in a chaotic struggle. One was plump, wearing a tattered suit with small glasses perched on his face—giving off a scholarly air. He clung desperately to the other figure's leg, refusing to let go, as though trying to use his weight to hold him back.
The other figure stood silently at the window's edge, cloaked in a long black robe that covered the body completely. Both arms were wrapped in long gloves, while flowing white hair cascaded down his back like waves. On his face sat a twisted, icy mask, its eye slits glowing with a dangerous light.
"What! That's the Masked Man!"
The moment Liam recognized that eerie disguise, he couldn't help but exclaim in shock.