Awestruck....

"Now that, that was good." Max mumbled in awe as he tried to touch the white rose-petals that were scattered all around.

"It's not that good." Misty muttered darkly as she tried to swat the white rose petals that were touching her.

"I don't know what you were watching, Misty, but that was the best performance I've ever seen in a Pokémon Contest, ever and I have seen a lot of performances." Gary commented, impress and awestruck at Elena's performance, completely ignoring that hateful glare that Misty was giving him.

"How did she do that, summoning crystals with Aura?" Brock asked suddenly, amazement written all over his face.

"We don't know." Karen answered, impressed at her best friends performance."But damn, that was so cool." Karen commented and Michael and Neil nodded in agreement.

Sarah looked curious before smiling. "Those crystals that Koyuki summoned were Aura Crystals, right?" Sarah guessed as she gazed at Adan expectantly.

Natasha, who analyzed those crystals from a far, nodded slowly. "I think so but I need samples to really make sure." Natasha muttered in excitement.

"We already have samples, remember." Adan whispered to his long time colleague.

"We already know there Aura Crystals, considering the person who gave it to us is a certified Aura Prince. That, on the other hand, is intriguing. If our research is correct, there has been no Pokémon capable of creating Aura Crystals in recorded history." Natasha said with an interested tone.

"What's an Aura Crystal?" Max asked eavesdropping on their conversation.

Natasha looked at Max for a moment before smiling. "Aura Crystal is the pinnacle weapon of Aura Practitioners. According to records that we have gathered through the years, Aura Crystal is the preferred weapon of every high level Aura Practitioners, better than any weapon crafted in the olden days. The main purpose of Aura Crystal is that they are the catalyst for Aura Practitioners to summon there elemental affinity." Natasha explained carefully.

Gary and Brock suddenly had a look of realization dawning on their face. "How powerful are these Aura Elements?" Brock asked in an uneasy tone.

"According to records, the Aura Elements of Aura Knights and Aura Sages can be compared to the power output of minor legends; on the other hand, the Aura Elements of an Aura Prince is comparable to the power of Legends like Lugia, Rayquaza, Ho-oh, etc." Natasha answered and both Gary and Brock paled at that.

"How powerful is Ash then?" Gary wondered, loud enough for Adan to hear.

"I asked Elena that question, I didn't get a clear answer but according to her, Ash is capable of leveling a mountain without even trying." Adan answered quietly. "Personally, I don't believe it but, historical records don't lie and there are records stating that Aura Princes are capable of demolishing small islands at the highest output of their power." Adan exclaimed silently, remembering his thesis during his final year in college. Those were the days.

Gary and Brock glanced at each other at that. "Do you think those text are exaggerating?" Gary asked Brock as a hand suddenly patted their shoulder.

"Unfortunately, no, those texts are not exaggerating." A familiar voice stated as he appeared a sit behind them. "Apparently, last I check, I'm good enough to be Arceus' sparring partner in a daily basis." Ash told them as he took the vacant sit besides Brock.

"ASHY," Sarah shouted in enthusiasm as she tried to give him a hug but stopped when she felt something pinning her to the ground. It was not a physical or psychic force, two forces that she had experience before, but something else, something more terrifying. She may not show it, but eternally, she was slightly intrigued and terrified by the unknown force that was preventing her from showing her admiration to the only male that was actually worth a damn.

"So how did May and Dawn fair?" Ash asked in curiosity but there was a certain edge in his voice.

"They did well; May used her Glaceon while Dawn used her Buneary." Brock informed him, noticing that Ash was a bit off, which was unusually because every time he's with Elena, he is usually in a good mood.

"Cool, and looks like Elena will have her wish." Ash said with a fond smile as he glanced at the match-up. Elena, Dawn, and May were all in the final sixteen, together with several faces that he recognized. The first match is Elena against Dawn. "Now this is going to be interesting, I wonder how long Dawn will last. Any bets?" Ash commented with a small chuckle.

"WHAT?" Misty asked in near outrage. "You mean to tell me that you have more confidence in that girl's ability than your friends."

"Yes," The bluntness of Ash's reply caught her off guard. "May and Dawn, even you, I witness you guys grow to become wonderful trainers and coordinators, but I know Elena, more so than any of you here. Considering Elena's skills, she can run circles around most of the trainers I've seen in my journey and that include you, Brock, Gary, most of my rivals, and half the gym leaders I fought with throughout my careers." Ash stated firmly, an excited smile plastered on his lips.

"That pretty much defines Elena's talents." Sarah agreed with a proud smile.

Adan smiled a bit before leaning close to his nephew. "Aren't you supposed to be in Elena's corner?" Adan inquired silently.

"I wish but Elena told me to watch together with the crowd. She said I should show neutrality." Ash muttered in annoyance. "Like that is a possibility for me when it comes to her." Ash added with a small chuckle.