19. Chi and Aura

…

Chi was the metaphysical energy that flowed throughout all living things. It was the lifeblood that served as the root of bending and many other skills. Aura, on the other hand, was the gift of Arceus to all its children. It was the soul essence of every living creature created by the One Above All, The Creator with Thousand Hands.

Despite originating from two different universes, Chi and Aura shared many similarities in how they could be used. Having watched both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Lee was quite familiar with many chi manipulation techniques.

The first of these was Chi Sensing, an ability that allowed one to locate living beings beyond sight and detect their thoughts and emotions by tapping into their chi. In the series, both Aang and Guru Pathik were shown to have mastered it through their strong spiritual connections.

Aura wielders could achieve the same result through a technique known as Spiritual Sensory. It allowed them to perceive the thoughts and emotions of others, anticipate their actions, and locate those who were lost or hiding.

Next was Healing, an ability that used water to redirect the chi within a person’s body, revitalising healthy energy and accelerating recovery. Aura wielders could likewise heal themselves and others.

Chi also functioned as a living energy field within the body, which normally made any elements contained inside difficult to bend directly. Frequency Resistance, an ability tied to Aura, allowed the wielder to defend themselves from external influences so long as their own aura force was greater than that of their opponent.

The similarities did not end there. Even their weaknesses were alike. Both Chi users and Aura wielders could have their energies drained, willingly or otherwise, which would weaken them and could even lead to death.

Both Chi users and Aura wielders could also be corrupted by negative forces, causing them to fall under the influence of whatever source tainted them.

Chi was essential for bending the elements. Likewise, Pokémon could not use their moves without Aura, as type energies were simply different forms of Aura.

Lee exhaled slowly, feeling the flow of both energies within his body. Despite how compatible they were, the methods of mastering them were not the same. Meditation and enlightenment were necessary to master chi and expand the reservoir contained within one’s body.

When he was unfamiliar with the second energy inside him, he had tried to cultivate it through the same methods he used for chi. That had been a mistake. While chi flourished through spiritual balance and mental clarity, Aura demanded a different kind of discipline. It was the communion of the soul with the self, with others, with existence itself, and even with Arceus.

Some would call it the power of friendship, and in the world shaped by Arceus, that was no exaggeration. Bond phenomena stood as living proof.

Lee understood that to master Aura, he would need to walk a path far different from the one he was using to master chi. Aura was fundamentally tied to emotion. Resolve, Compassion, and Trust were methods to strengthen it, to refine it, and to utilise it.

He inhaled and listened to his heartbeat. Inside him, chi moved like a calm river through his chakra pathways, while Aura burned throughout his body like a living flame.

For months, he had been trying to find his spirit so he could begin learning the art of spiritbending. Despite his best efforts, he had made no progress, yet now he was able to sink effortlessly into the sea of his spiritual consciousness.

His chi and aura parted like mist before his mind’s eye, then suddenly there was only darkness all around him. Lee waited patiently, unaffected by the vast void he found himself floating within.

Slowly, the void beneath him lit up by streams of flowing chi moving endlessly from front to back. Above and around him, motes of blue Aura shimmered into existence like endless burning stars in the sky.

Lee stopped glancing around and looked ahead at the colossal figure sitting in a meditative posture. It was him, or rather his soul image.

He started walking toward it, stepping on one of the chi streams originating from the figure. Each step sent ripples of light across the current beneath his feet. The towering image remained motionless with its eyes closed.

As Lee drew closer, he felt a familiar warmth radiate from it. The streams of chi began to glow brighter with each step he took toward the figure, while the motes of Aura floating around him slowly merged, growing bigger and brighter.

At some point, his entire vision was swallowed by light.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the real world, sitting cross-legged inside his room. Beside him, Manaphy played with a woollen doll.

Lee grinned. He had finally succeeded. After months of failure, he had at last connected with his spirit. It was clear now that his inability to understand the true nature of Aura had been the only thing holding him back.

He rose slowly, still feeling the lingering warmth within his chest. His movements attracted the attention of the little water sprite, who paused his play with the doll and glanced at him.

“Mana?” he uttered, tilting his head slightly before rushing toward him with a happy smile, doll in hand.

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Lee laughed and leaned down, arms outstretched. Once Manaphy had arrived close enough, he picked him up and straightened his posture.

His little friend looked up and raised his free arm to tap his nose. Accompanied by the playful gesture, a series of half-formed thoughts about hunger and food entered his mind.

“Fine,” Lee said, smiling at his friend. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

…

Lee woke feeling refreshed. Glancing down, he saw Manaphy asleep on his chest, looking perfectly content. Moving carefully so as not to wake him, Lee gently lifted the tiny creature and laid him on the pillow before rising from his futon.

Before his new friend could wake, Lee hurried to the washroom to finish his morning routine. Being a baby in every sense of the word, Manaphy was incredibly clingy. If Lee wasn’t somewhere within sight, he would quickly burst into tears.

Lee moved through his routine as fast as he could, brushing his teeth, dunking his body in water, and changing his clothes in record time. Once finished, he hurried back to his room and knelt beside the futon.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered.

Manaphy stirred at the sound of his voice. The tiny water sprite stretched both of his stubby arms overhead, gave a soft yawn, and blinked sleepily up at him. The moment he recognised Lee, his face brightened into a cheerful smile. With a happy chirp, he outstretched his arms, begging to be lifted up into his embrace.