EPISODE 189: Into the Depths of Conscience!

Barren and desolate the mind of a human is. One intellect, limitless thoughts, yet something hurdles us from this ability. If only humanity could use one hundred percent of his brain, who knows? The power to adapt, the power to gain, and the power to bolster and enhance lies deep behind our minds.

Through the limitless compatibility of our brain, we humans can grow into something far beyond what we imagine. If it wasn't for our conscience, the dragon of the mind.

Black, hollow, twilight. What would life be inside one's mind? Slaying the dragon which we hearken to, is no easy task. For he who controls the mind, controls the body.

"Where am I? Where... am I?" My eyes opened to a world I wasn't familiar with. My voice echoes, my voice trembles. I look to my left, I see twilight. I look to my right, I see darkness.

"Kalem! Kalem!" Lucario's voice, I heard it echoed through this desolate place. I know he's here, but where could he be?

"Lucario... Lucario!" I yelled loudly. I walked around this desolate and barren place, and that's where I saw a blue blob figure walking around. This blob looked frightened, scared, and distressed.

"Lucario, is that you?" I shouted towards the blue blob.

"Kalem, it's you!" Lucario beamed with relief. As he ran towards me, his face became clearer and vibrant. Being relieved to see my buddy, I rushed to him as well.

We were about to cross paths. Our hands almost touched each other, only an inch remains between us when the unexpected happened.

I heard the sound of the clock ticking. It was fast at first, then suddenly? The sound gradually weakened, while our actions became slower. Time works differently at one's mind, it has its own rules that everyone must abide.

Just before our hands met, time pulled us further from each other. The whole placed warped and shook. I and Lucario were pulled away from each other, and that's when things began to change.

The pull was immense, it was like traveling as fast as light, or maybe even faster. Anything is possible in our mind, and this possibility is called imagination.

Once the pull and warp stopped, Lucario was nowhere to be found. The place shook, and twilight became bright and luminous.

"Happy Birthday Kalem!"

"Your father has a present for you!"

"An egg... what's inside mother?"

"It's ok, you'll be fine, your leg will recover in no time."

"I don't have time Kalem! Me and your dad are busy right now, go back to your room!"

"Haha, look who peed in his pants!?"

"Stop acting tough, stop trying to impress the world."

Different memories, different timelines. All of them echoed unto this place. I've heard good ones, and some of them are bad and embarrassing. It's like my whole life was being told, from the day I was born, to the present events.

Every single memory uttered and echoed. Some of them started to irritate me. Some of them started to frustrate me to the point I could no longer stand all of them.

I started to drown. Drown into my own fear, embarrassments, and remorses. It felt like I was being sunken down and the further I reach the depths of my mind, the louder the voice echoed, the more frustrated I become.

Everything stopped all of a sudden. That's when I heard familiar music. A tune sang to me when I was young, a melody, a hymn of peace.

"The power of one begins with believing

It starts in the heart then flows through the soul and changes the world. Imagine how life will be when we stand in unity each of us holds the key To the power of one" Mother's lullaby played. I remembered Lucario and started to worry about his whereabouts.

The song continued to play for about three more times. After the last line, everything became silent. The mind withered and turned into a black world just like before turning into pure white. It felt like my brain turned on, showed me my memories, then turned back off.

"Lucario! Lucario! Where are you?" I questioned. My feet became murky and moist. The ground I was standing on started to become soft and sluggish. I looked down and saw silhouettes of hands trying to pull me down. Something like a quicksand, except it is the hands that pull you down.

"I am scared... I am not good enough... I have no worth..." Negativity shrouded my ears. It got louder as my body sank deeper.

I tried to remove my grip from all those silhouettes of murky hands. I tried to run, but it continued to drag me down. This is fear and negativity, it drags one's soul to the core of the mind, a place filled with depression, and sadness.

"You're scared... stop resisting, we can lead you to a better place." Fear tried its best to cling on my feet. I tried my best to run. With all my might, I lifted myself from those murky hand silhouettes.

At one point, the hands gave up and left me alone. Fear corrupted itself. I tried to call Lucario's name once more, my feet felt tired though, due to all those efforts to escape fear itself.

"Lucario! Please! Tell me where you are." I begged. My voice echoed loudly while my body felt barren, cold, and harsh. I looked down and saw something mesmerizing. The floor, every step I make, a portion turns into light. I tried to run while looking down, as I run, I formed a path of light, a light which continued to run with me.

While running, I saw the blue blob once more. Our eyes met each other, as happiness and exuberance filled our hearts.

"Lucario!" I beamed with relief while rushing towards him.

"Kalem!" Lucario beamed with relief while rushing towards me.

If a white pigment followed me wherever I run, a blue pigment follows Lucario wherever he runs.

The floor started to become a gradient fill of blue and white. Our pendants began to twinkle. The pendants floated and pointed each other just like two magnets attracting each other.

"Lucario! I see you." I beamed with joy while running to him. My side continued to turn white, while he turned blue.

This time, nothing could stop us. Not even the pull of time itself. Me and Lucario, our bonds will always be inseparable. We met at a point and hugged each other tightly like never before. Tears drenched down our face while hugging, our pendants began to shake and react at one another.

"What's happening!?" I questioned while observing our pendants. Me and Lucario I began to float up. We swiveled around each other while our pendants attracted to one another. The Tsunagu twinkled, and that's when the pendants burst.

It scattered an array of glitters upon this mind. Blue and white, forged together. Our mega stones reacted, it lit up the space between us. Me and Lucario were mesmerized by the glitters and sparkles floating. Our eyes locked as our hands squeezed pushed against each other, forming light in between.

"The power of one..." Me and Lucario uttered slowly. Our bodies continued to swivel around each other, forming the symbol of the mega stone. Our bodies warped and forged into one. One mind, one soul, and one heart. The power of one makes me and Lucario limitless...

"Ah!? Where's Lucario?" I woke up in my tent, with Camellia, Glade, and Arc looking at me with relief. The past events seemed like a mere dream to me, but the first thing which I thought of was my dearest Lucario.

"Kalem, Lucario is doing alright. His sleeping humbly so I suggest not to disturb him." Arc reassured.

"Kalem, when are you going to learn that what you're doing with Lucario could hurt you. According to science, only when the human brain uses 100% of its compatibility, that's the only time it could fully adapt easily." Camellia uttered softly while taking my temperature. I recently had a fever after my consciousness snapped out of me.

"A small price to pay for salvation," I uttered with a hoarse throat.

"Kalem. Your body cannot adapt to what you've recently experienced. If you continue to do this every battle you experience, then you will faint more often. Once you faint more often, there is a possibility that your consciousness shall never return." Camellia warned.

"In simple words, she means death. Your so-called salvation means death. I've heard about that transformation between Greninjas and trainers. A transformation happening between a trainer and another Pokemon aside from Greninja is a jaw-dropping discovery, but may also be a dangerous one.

Lucario is different from Greninja. Their compatibilities are different, that's why you lose more energy than those who transform and combine with their greninjas." Glade explained.

"Our battle isn't finished. Arc, let me battle you again. A one on one, Gallade against Lucario." I bargained.

"Were you even listening to me!? I won't allow you to hurt yourself again." Camellia angered while blocking the exit of my tent.

"How can I know how limitless we could be if I don't do it. There is no try, only do or do not, and I choose to do. Camellia, I'll be fine."

"Be fine? You think I'll believe that?" Glade interrupted with worry.

"I will prove it. If I faint, then I'll rise and do it again. So Arc, let me battle you again. Let me, show you how strong I and Lucario have become." I begged.

"Ok. If you hurt yourself, it is not my fault. Let's get this battle started, I'll be waiting for you outside." Arc concurred with a slight hesitation. He walked out of the tent and prepared for the continuation of our match.

I was able to force Camellia and Glade to let me battle against Arc. Their hearts were filled with worry and concern for me and Lucario.

I saw Lucario resting upon a tree. He woke up after sensing my aura coming close, he gave me a good hug and told me about the dream he had. Could it be, that me and Lucario were in one dream?

"This battle will be a one on one Pokemon battle. The match ends when either side no longer has a Pokemon to battle with. Trainers, please send out your Pokemons!" Glade announced and instructed.

"Gallade, let's show them what we got!"

"Lucario, I choose you buddy!"

*Both Pokemons of either side leaped into action. Me and Lucario were doing a leap of faith, will we be able to control the power of one?*

"May the battle commence!" Glade proclaimed.

"Gallade, mega evolve right now!" Arc wanted this to be a quick battle, there is no time for chants.

"Lucario, no need to mega evolve. Let our bonds be the key to the power of one! Quick, use Force Palm right now!"

"Mega Gallade, dodge the attack then use Night Blade."

<Lucar!>Lucario sensed the blade coming towards him. He reacted quickly and use forced palm on Gallade's blade.

"Lucario, now use Aura Sphere!"

"Gallade, push the sphere back with your blade!"

*The blade and the sphere pushed each other. Gallade tried his best to return the sphere while Lucario tried his best to push the sphere harder with the use of his mind and aura. Gallade was already starting to feel immense pressure, the sphere's power continued to strengthen as Gallade's foot slowly pushed against the fertile snow.

Lucario's eyes turned into blood moons again. I felt the connection rushing back. Our hearts started to pump harder, while our minds collided.

"Lucario! Keep pushing." I beamed with encouragement.

"It's happening again..." Camellia uttered softly while watching the battle. Both she and Glade paid attention to me and Lucario's transformation.

"With the power of one, we are limitless! Now, prove to the foe how powerful we are!" I beamed loudly. And Lucario started to copy each other's movements. Lucario, and technically me were able to push the sphere to Gallade.

Gallade's strength gave up. He gave in the attack. The sphere blazed throughout the surroundings again. It blinded our eyes once more, and a crater formed from beneath.

<Ga... Gallade>Gallade uttered with pain. He was still able to lift his body up but taking another hit from me and Lucario would severely damage him.

"Quick Gallade, use Night Blade!" Arc instructed.

<Gallade!>The blade touched Lucario but me nor him didn't feel any pain. Gallade started to worry as droplets fell off his face. He kept on using Night Blade on Lucario's body but still nothing was happening. Lucario just stood still while watching Gallade use countless attacks to form a single scratch.

"Nothing's happening to Kalem." Camellia's worry dispersed after seeing me looking safe no matter how hard Lucario is hit.

<Lucar!>Lucario grabbed Gallade and tossed him to the sky.

"Lucario, finish Gallade with Vacuum wave!"

*The skies turned into smoke while a hurricane surrounded Lucario. His body couldn't be seen due to the thick circulating winds around him but his red eyes were visible and clear. I felt the power circulating me as well, I felt what Lucario was feeling.*

<Gallade! Gallade!>The Pokemon flinched as the large circulating winds came forth. Gallade was succumbed by the strong and powerful wind. After the attack, the winds began to calm, and the thick clouds dispersed.

"Gallade is no longer able to battle! The winner is Lucario and Kalem." Glade announced.

Lucario landed back to the ground with ease. He turned back to his normal form and rushed towards me. He hugged me tightly while tears of joys fell off his eyes, both of us were able to master the power of one.

"Lucario, we did it! We didn't faint." I beamed with joy while hugging him back.

"Looks like science was wrong this time. I guess the human brain has the ability to adapt fastly, depending on its compatibility. This means, that we humans have different brainpower capacity, that's how you mastered it." Camellia walked closer and concluded. She wrote down notes about her observation.

"Kalem! I guess this means I and my Pokemons still need to train harder huh?" Arc smiled and congratulated me.

"...Seeing Lucario not being affected by Night Blade is something I fear in the upcoming Pokemon League.

I will meet you again on the Pokemon League, this may be our last meeting on routes, forests, or mountains. I am after all heading to Dracovolt city, then it is on to the mountain. I'll be waiting for you."

"Arc, best wishes! When we battle in the Pokemon League, I won't be holding back." I greeted and beamed with determination.

"Ok. I won't be holding back either." Arc giggled and walked further from us.

When we meet in the Pokemon League, I'm sure he's going to be a lot more stronger. He witnessed Lucario's power, and he'll be thinking of strategies to counter it. Although I've mastered the power with Lucario, its something which I shouldn't boast or cling to every battle. Prepare Glacevelt City, I'm about to challenge you.