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Magic’s Humble Lesson
High in the jagged mountains, where the wind howls through stone and the air is thin enough to sharpen the mind, Lucario trains his students in the way of aura. Here, discipline is law, focus is breath, and inner peace is the only true strength. But for weeks, a Braixen has been coming to the mountain’s edge.
She does not climb the final path. She lingers below, purple fur catching the thin sunlight. When students descend the trail, she is waiting. They return shaken, pride bruised, questions in their eyes. No more. The wind carries his challenge downward. Somewhere below, purple ears twitch. The night is approaching. And so is she.
The dojo is silent now. The last student left at dusk, bowing low before disappearing down the mountain path. The wind outside is reduced to a low moan against the stone. Only the torches remain, mounted high on the cave walls, their flames flickering in slow, steady rhythm. Shadows dance across the smooth floor, stretching long toward the center where the training circle is etched deep.
I stand alone in the center, paws loose at my sides, breathing slow. The air is cold up here, thin enough that every inhale feels sharp, and deliberate. It clears the mind and sharpens focus. That is why we train in this place, the mountain does not forgive weakness. Aura flows strongest when the body has no choice but to listen.
For weeks she has come to the edge of our sanctuary. A sorcerer. Purple-furred, red-tufted ears, and carrying her stick like a wand. She never climbs the final steps. She waits below, where the trail widens into flat stone, and when my students descend, she is there.
Illusions of fire. Sudden gusts of wind. Purple chains that appear from nowhere and vanish just as quickly. Cheap tricks, all of them. But they work. My students return shaken. Pride bruised. They question their path.
“Is aura really enough?” A Croagunk asked last week.
I had no choice. I challenged her myself. My voice carried, calm and steady. Louder than any shout. She laughed, the sound rose up the slope like smoke. Bright. Mocking. She accepted.
A log pops, sending sparks upward. I close my eyes for a moment, letting aura flow through me. She will come. She will walk through those doors thinking this is another game. She will learn it is not.
After an hour of waiting. The torches burn low, their flames steady in the thin mountain air. My paws are loose, aura flowing slowly and even through my core. The dojo is colder now, the wind outside a distant howl.
She steps through the mouth of the cave. Her purple fur catching the torchlight, red ear tufts and tail tip vivid against the dark stone. Her wand is already in her paw, twirling lazily between her fingers like a toy. She moves with exaggerated swagger, hips swaying, a smirk curling her lips as she looks around the empty dojo.
“Well, well.” she calls, voice bright and mocking. “The big bad aura master all alone. No students to hide behind tonight?”
I do not rise to the bait. I simply gesture toward the training circle. Far from the racks of weighted stones and the padded training logs along the walls.
“Step into the circle,” I say, voice calm, carrying easily across the chamber. “You may use your magic as you like. I will not hold back. All I ask is the same of you.”
A sharp, delighted laugh escapes her jaws as she saunters forward, wand spinning faster. “Oh, I like that. No holding back? You’re sure gonna regret saying that, monk.”
She stops just outside the circle, one paw on her cocked hip, the other twirling the wand like a baton. Her eyes gleam with confidence.
“You really think your ‘inner peace’ shtick can beat real power? I’ve already embarrassed your little puppies. Now let’s see how you do when it’s just you and me.”
I step into the circle, and she follows. The moment her foot crosses the etched line, I feel the shift. Her aura flaring bright and chaotic, purple sparks already dancing at her fingertips.
“Ready?” she asks, grin widening.
I nod once. She doesn’t wait. Her wand flicks upward. Purple sparks erupt from the tip. A shimmering cascade of glowing chains come hurtling straight toward me.
I side-step. One fluid motion. Aura guides me. the chains miss by inches, slamming into the far wall with a crackle of magic.
Incredibly, they rebound. Wild, uncontrolled, and arcing back toward her. She doesn’t react in time. The chains strike her, throwing her several feet. Her wand flies from her paw, clattering across the floor. She lands bent over a smooth training stone, used for balance drills.
She gasps, eyes wide, as the purple links snap around her. Her wrists lock to the base on one side, ankles on the other, hips bent high over the stone, rear raised. She thrashes hard, cursing under her breath.
“Dammit!” She exclaims.
I walk forward slowly, paws silent on the stone. The torches flicker behind me, casting long shadows across her struggling form. I stop just behind her. A low chuckle rumbles in my chest.
“Interesting,” I say. “Your magic is powerful… but undisciplined. It turns on its master as easily as it turns on others.”
She twists her head, cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, red ear tufts bristling.
“You think this is funny?” she snaps, voice shaking. “When I get out of this you’ll see who’s laughing!”
I tilt my head, calm. “You wanted to prove magic is superior. Now we will see.”
Her purple fur gleams under the firelight, her tail lashing uselessly against the glowing chains. She curses again, sharp and breathless. Her hips still bent high over the smooth training stone, flank raised.
I step forward and bend to retrieve her wand. It lies on the cave floor, the stick’s tip still faintly glowing from the restraint spell. I pick it up carefully between two claws and walk behind her.
She twists her head as far as the chains allow, eyes wide with indignation. “What the hell are you doing? Put that down!”
I place the wand back where it belongs, gently sliding it into the fluffy tuft at the base of her tail. The motion is deliberate, almost respectful. Then I lift her tail high with one paw, holding it out of the way.
She jerks hard against the chains, voice rising in outrage. “Hey! You perv! Get your paws off me!”
I tilt my head, calm. “This is not about desire,” I say, voice low and even. “This is about respect. You came to my dojo. You mocked my students. You challenged my way. Now you will learn what happens when your chaos meets my discipline.”
I raise my free paw.
SMACK!
The first smack lands with slow precision, open-palm across both cheeks.
SMACK!
The sound echoes off the stone walls, crisp and clean. She jolts forward, a surprised yelp escaping before she bites it back. I pause, letting the sting settle.
“You think magic is superior.” I begin, tone measured, like a teacher explaining a lesson. “You think flash and illusion outweigh focus and control. You are wrong. Aura is truth. It reveals. It endures. You will learn this.”
SMACK!
Another blow with the same force and precision as before. The blush begins to form beneath her black fur, a faint flush showing through the white fur on her face.
She laughs. Short, and forced. Trying to reclaim control.
“A spanking? Really? That’s your big lesson? Come on, mutt. This isn’t even gonna bother me. My fire would’ve scorched you by now.”
SMACK!
I increase the force slightly. The impact is sharper, the sound ringing louder in the cave.
“Force Palm,” I call out, as my paw connects again.
SMACK!
She hisses, body tensing against the chains. “I’ve seen Lillipup with better aim.” She jokes.
“All Out Pummeling,” I say, delivering two quick, firm strikes in succession.
The flush deepens, a soft pink now visible beneath her fur, spreading across both cheeks.
SMACK!
SMACK!
She tries to twist, chains rattling, but the position holds her fast.
“This is ridiculous,” she mutters, though the laugh is gone. “You’re just… just embarrassing yourself!”
SMACK!
SMACK!
The pink darkens to red, the warmth radiating. Her breathing is faster now, shallower. I lower my paw for a moment, studying her.
“You came here to prove something,” I say quietly. “You will leave having learned something instead.”
She swallows, voice thinner. “WOW, so you’re really doing this, aren’t you?”
I raise my paw again. “Yes.”
SMACK!
A firm, deliberate strike across her rear. The sound rings clear in the empty dojo. She jerks against the chains, a sharp noise escaping her teeth.
“Stop it!” she yells, voice cracking with anger. “This is insane! When I get out of this, I’ll burn this whole stupid dojo to the ground!”
I pause, paw looming. “Threats will not free you,” I say, calm and even. “They only prove you still do not understand.”
SMACK!
SMACK!
Two more quick, heavy strikes. The flush on her rear-end deepens beneath the black fur of her lower half.
She thrashes again, chains rattling. “I’ll turn your precious stones to ash! You’ll regret ever touching me!” She shouts, voice rising in pitch.
I lower my paw for a moment, studying her.
“Your threats mean nothing,” I reply, voice low. “You speak of power, yet you cannot even free yourself from your own spell. That is the difference between magic and aura. One only dazzles. The other endures.”
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
Three in quick succession. The rhythm quickens. They aren’t frantic, but steady, unyielding. The sting sharpens with each strike, the warmth spreading deeper. Her red ear tufts flatten against her head.
“This… this is humiliating,” she snaps, though the fire in her voice is starting to waver. “There’s no honor in this! You’re just… just beating me like some disobedient Liten!”
SMACK!
“Close Combat,” I call out, paw landing with more force.
SMACK!
“I chose to fight you here,” I say, tone measured. “In private. No students. No witnesses. I chose to spare you the shame of an audience.” I breathe deeply to steady myself. “You fought my disciples in the open. You humiliated them for sport. But you cannot handle a master.”
SMACK!
SMACK!
“Wake Up Slap.” I announce, delivering three heavier, faster strikes.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
Her flank flinches hard with each impact. The red deepens further with vivid, swollen, radiating heat. The flush creeps across the curve of her bottom and down her upper thighs. Every strike leaves a faint handprint that fades slowly into the overall glow.
She tries to twist against the humming chains, but the position holds her fast.
“Y-you think this proves anything?” she spits, voice cracking now. “You’re just a bully with fancy words!”
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
“Force Palm,” I call, each strike landing with focused precision.
SMACK!
SMACK!
After nearly twenty more, the red is unmistakable. Her protests grow thinner. Her breathing, ragged. Her tail twitches, then goes limp.
“You came to prove magic is better than aura,” I say quietly. “Now look at your rear. Bright red. Swollen. Marked. All your flash and fire could not protect it.”
She swallows hard. Her eyes are wide, glistening. I raise my paw again. This lesson is far from over. I close my eyes for one slow breath. Aura flows through me steady and unhurried.
The mountain wind fades. The torches, the chains, the cold stone. All of it recedes. There is only discipline, and my need to teach it completely.
SMACK!
Full strength. The kind I reserve for battles where one mistake means failure. My open palm connects with her rear-end driving the impact deep, the sound exploding off the cave walls. She screams. Not a yelp, not a hiss, a raw, startled scream. I do not pause.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
Each one delivered with the same terrifying power. The red on her bottom darkens instantly to vivid scarlet. Every strike leaves a perfect handprint that lingers for a moment before merging into the fiery glow.
“You think this is cruelty?” I say, voice calm, measured, like a mentor reciting truth. “It is not. Cruelty is allowing chaos to spread unchecked.”
SMACK!
“Cruelty is letting you believe your illusions are power.”
SMACK!
“ I will not allow that.”
SMACK!
SMACK!
“Collision Course” I call out, each strike landing with focused strength.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
She thrashes wildly, chains rattling, voice breaking. “Stop! Please!”
SMACK!
SMACK!
“Close Combat.” I announce.
SMACK!
The blows come faster now, a relentless rhythm. Dozens upon dozens of strikes land on her bottom. Twenty. Thirty. Forty.
The red is deep, and radiating heat that I can feel across the small space between us. Her rear-end is a blazing map of discipline. Her every mark is a testament to the lesson she refused to learn any other way.
Her protests dissolve into ragged gasps. “Y-you can’t! this isn’t right!”
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
“Brick Break” I call, voice never rising.
SMACK!
SMACK!
Tears spill freely down her muzzle now. “I’m sorry!” she cries, voice shattered. “I’m sorry! I won’t… I won’t attack your students again! I swear! Please… please stop this!”
Her body shakes against the chains, shoulders heaving, tears dripping onto the stone below.
I lower my paw slowly. “Thank you,” I say, voice quiet but firm. “Your apology is heard. But the lesson is not finished.”
Her eyes widen, glistening with fresh terror. “W-what?”
I step back half a pace. My aura flares. A bright blue light coils around my entire body.
“I want you to truly understand,” I tell her. “Not just with words. Not just with pain. But with true discipline. So you never forget.”
I center myself one final time. Then I move.
“Extreme Speed!” I announce. my paw blurs, too fast for the eye to follow.
SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!SMACK!
Twenty full-strength strikes! Delivered in the span of seconds. Each one carries the same devastating power I use against my strongest opponents. Her bottom turns an impossible shade of red. Covered in a criss-cross of raised welts that stand out against her black-furred rear.
The heat is palpable, radiating upward in waves. She screams. A long, broken wail that dissolves into heaving sobs.
When the final strike lands, I stop. The dojo falls silent except for her crying.
I step back, aura settling, breathing even.
She trembles, tears streaming down her face. Her rear-end is a blazing testament to the cost of arrogance. Her red ear tufts are flattened tight against her head. Her tail hangs limp, the wand still tucked in it.
I lower my paw. The silence that follows is heavy.
She speaks first. Her voice cracked, small, barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… please. Please let me go.”
I step closer, close enough to see the tears pooling on the stone below her.
“Why?” I ask, voice quiet but firm. “Why did you come here? Why did you challenge my students again and again?”
She swallows hard. Her shoulders hitch with another sob.
“I-I needed to feel powerful,” she whispers. “Everyone looks at me funny… because I’m different. Purple. They stare. They whisper. They judge. M-magic makes them stop. It makes them afraid. It makes them respect me. I thought… if I could beat your students, if I could prove magic was better. Then maybe they’d finally stop looking at me like I’m wrong.”
Her words hang between us. I hear her fragile honesty, stripped of all pride. I breathe in slowly. Aura flows steady through me, calm and clear.
“I understand,” I say, though I'm not sure it’s true. “To be judged for what you are, not who you are… that is a heavy burden.”
She lifts her head just enough to meet my eyes. They’re wide, glistening, and red from crying.
“But you cannot continue to attack others unprovoked,” I continue. “Power without discipline is chaos. Respect earned through fear will fade. Respect earned through strength and understanding. That endures.”
She nods. “I… I think I understand that now.”
I step around to her side.
“How do I release the chains?” I ask.
She swallows again, voice hoarse. “Fl-flick the wand. Three times. It’ll… it’ll dispel them.”
I reach up and gently slide the wand from her tail tuft. It feels warm in my paw, and hums faintly with residual magic. I flick it once, then twice, and finally three times.
The purple chains dissolve like smoke, as they vanish into nothing. She slumps forward over the stone, legs buckling, as her paws catch hers just in time.
She stays bent for a moment, breathing hard, tears still falling. Then she reaches back slowly. One paw pressing against her rear. She winces sharply, a small hiss escaping her teeth. The bright scarlet is vivid, and swollen, marked with raised welts from my Extreme Speed. The heat radiates.
She rubs gently, or tries to, but even the lightest touch makes her flinch.
I step back, giving her space.
“You are free,” I say. “You may leave. No more chains. No more lessons.”
She straightens slowly and painfully. Ears still down, tail covering her bottom. Tears streak her muzzle, but she wipes them away with the back of one arm.
I speak again, voice softer. “You are welcome to return. Anytime.” I smile at her. “If you wish to train here, to learn. You are welcome.” I put one paw on her shoulder. “Aura and magic need not be enemies. They can strengthen one another. The dojo is open to those who seek balance.”
She looks at me. Her eyes wide, uncertain, and still slightly wet. For a long moment, she says nothing.
Then, quietly. “…Thank you.”
She turns. Her steps are slow, unsteady, rear still throbbing with every movement. She walks to the dojo entrance, ears low, tail dragging.
At the threshold, she pauses. She glances back, just once. A small, shaky smile flickers across her face, not mocking this time. She’s Grateful. Almost hopeful. Then she steps into the night. The wind swallows her footsteps.
I stand alone in the circle once more. The torches burn lower. The lesson is complete. And perhaps a new student will come. Someday.
The End