Nub stands in the knee-deep water of Luminous spring, breathing in the damp and cool air of the forest. They carefully wade towards the pillar of light in the center of the lake, surrounded by the trees forming a natural vaulted ceiling with its green and gold-dappled canopy. Each step closer, they push the water aside, their paws planting on the smooth pebbled surface below. In one of their hands, held high to prevent it from getting wet, they hold a draping, thin ribbon, made of orange threads that the light pierces through.
They make their way towards the middle. They stand in front of the beam of light and tilt up their head. Through the canopy, a single hole opens up to the sky, illuminating the lake. The hole is so bright that Nub cannot tell if it's the sun or a source more ethereal that produces the beam. It shoots down into the water like a spear, casting white glimmers on the rippling surface. They reach forward, almost as if to touch it, like it were a solid object. The air around them feels electrified and heavy, and they force themselves to take a deep breath before stepping forward, their blue and black fur shining in the light.
A voice emanates from somewhere, Nub turns, the voice does not come from the trees, it does not come from the hole in the canopy, it seems to come directly from the lake itself. It speaks slowly, "Seeker of awakening. This is luminous spring. Have you come to seek evolution?"
Nub grips around their ribbon a little tighter. It is the missing puzzle piece to their evolution, allowing the Riolu to become a fully-fledged Lucario, master of the aura. "Yes," the small pokémon whispers.
"Riolu... you shall evolve into Lucario. Will you evolve?" the voice asks.
"Yes. Yes, I will." Nub answers.
The voice becomes stronger, and Nub's ears perk. The forest thrills them, the trees quietly looming over the Riolu. The very essence of the lake starts to concentrate on the emanation pokémon, energy drawing nearer to them.
"The process is irreversible, is this okay with you?" the voice asks one more time.
"...Yes. Alright." Nub responds.
"Then let us begin." the lake says. The energy draws even closer, and now the lake itself starts to glow, blue rings glow around the bottom of the lake, passing from one pebble to the other, closing in on the Riolu. They can feel it coursing through them, jumping from the stone to their feet.
Nub looks down and in the glowing water they can see all the way through to the bottom almost clearly. Something catches their attention. They tilt their head, having to refocus their eyes to see it. What they are seeing is not in the water, but on the water. The light from above and their own silhouette cast a reflection on the cool, blue surface.
They see their own face, their fiery eyes surrounded by the black fur pattern that sits on their face like a mask. Their aura sensors dangle on the sides of their head. As more of the energy comes closer, they can feel the urgency of the change coming closer. They can already feel the pull bringing them towards the back of their head, but they feel a resistance coming up from within their own body. They are frozen, unsure about what to do, and they keep watch over their own reflection, expecting to see the changes happening soon, and for their heart to eventually resolve itself as soon as this transformation finished.
But it doesn't. The longer Nub stares, the more they find how much they love this form. Its petite frame, their snout, their mask, their sensitivity to aura being just the way it is. Their reflection...no...they are a Riolu. They notice the ribbon has started to glow a faint aura, feeling warm in their paw. Their evolution is drawing near.
"Wait! Wait hold on, please!" Nub shouts. The spring thankfully listens. The coursing energy freezes in its tracks. The circles of energy halt. The leaves of the trees quiver with anticipation. "I don't want to evolve. I'm so sorry for the bother. I really, really look up to Lucario, and I thought this is what I wanted, to unlock my potential but I don't want to stop being a Riolu. Again, I am so sorry for wasting your time!"
The waves of energy fade, soaking back into the lake and its surroundings. The voice speaks again warmly. "You have had a change of heart. This too is fine. If it is evolution that you seek, you will return."
The presence fades. The light still shines on Nub. They look up, and see the clouds through the hole in the canopy. Without the voice around, they feel completely alone in this spring. They pause for a moment, breathing in deeply, their aura sensors not picking up anything anymore.
Nub jolts their head and look down at their reflection and to their relief, they are still a Riolu. Their pulse finally finds a moment to return to restfulness. The Riolu wades back out. The lake doesn't pull. It doesn't judge. It is, after all, just a lake, and it does not need to understand Nub. The Riolu feels a peaceful certainty of their decision. They shake their fur dry on the bank of Luminous Spring. It is getting late, and they still have to make their way back home.
In the middle of Luminous Spring, a ribbon drifts on the water.