A red surge of aura flashed in an instant.
[World King Fist] activated!
"Hitmon—?!"
"Mega Punch!"
Hitmonchan was completely stunned.
It could barely keep up with Lucario's speed anymore.
The commentator watched as Lucario sent Hitmonchan flying with a single Mega Punch, momentarily frozen before his duty kicked in.
"What's happening?! Lucario's speed — no, not just speed! Its power, its energy level, everything has skyrocketed!
Is this the power of Aura?!"
"No way! Aura is that broken?!"
The audience erupted into an uproar.
If the earlier exchange had felt somewhat steady, Lucario's sudden explosion of power left everyone dumbfounded.
Even the Elite Four on the referee platform were caught off guard.
Aura…
could boost a mid-Gym-tier Lucario all the way to Lord-tier?
That was borderline ridiculous.
"Return, Hitmonchan. You did well."
Watching Lucario still surrounded by a red aura, Cheng Feng smiled bitterly and sent out his Level 36 Ampharos.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Extreme Speed into Aura Sphere!"
World King Fist didn't last long, so Lin Yu didn't waste a second.
A red blur flashed. Lucario leaped into the air, rapidly charging a blue Aura Sphere that slammed into Ampharos before it could react.
"Ice Punch!"
One follow-up Ice Punch, and Ampharos collapsed.
"One-and-done. Just my luck."
Cheng Feng recalled Ampharos and sighed helplessly.
The commentator announced the result.
"Contestant Lin Yu wins! In his first appearance, Lucario has shown us the overwhelming power of Aura!"
The audience stared at Lin Yu; Lucario's sudden burst had left a deep impression on everyone.
Lin Yu returned to the spectator seats but hadn't even sat down when he sensed something was off.
Ye Qingxue was staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
Xue Nai had already left early for her own match.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Yu's heart tightened when he saw her eyes glistening, as if she was holding back tears. He reached out to wipe them away.
The girl stayed stubbornly silent,
only letting out a small whimper, her beautiful sky-blue eyes shimmering with moisture.
"…"
"Why are you being a crybaby even after growing up?"
Lin Yu still had no idea what was wrong.
"I want to bite you!"
"Huh? Did I do something to — ow…."
Lin Yu froze and sucked in a sharp breath.
Her delicate, pale hand squeezed his arm surprisingly hard, then she bit down firmly.
"Hey, hey! What did I do to make you mad?"
Lin knew this was how Xiaoxue acted when she was upset with him.
After letting go,
Ye Qingxue huffed and turned her head away.
"It's nothing."
But her mood had already lightened considerably.
Lin Yu: "…"
He thought hard but couldn't figure out what he'd done to upset her.
The first round lasted three days and passed in a flash.
July 4th — the monthly Entry refresh.
Lin Yu would never forget this day.
It was easily the most anticipated day of every month for him.
"Next month will mark a full year…"
Lin Yu felt excited. The previous yearly Entry had given Charmander its first real chance to shine!
And next month, several more rare Entries would unlock…
Quarterly, half-yearly, monthly…
What other Entries did he still need?
The first round had gone smoothly with no surprises.
Xue Nai and Misty had both avoided strong opponents.
But the second round would be much tougher for Misty.
Lapras's level was still too low for a tournament of this caliber.
On top of that, Misty only used Water-type Pokémon, making her extremely easy to counter.
Even a flying Gyarados couldn't turn the tide.
She regretfully was eliminated in the second round.
Still, it was an amazing result for her, and she was satisfied.
She messaged Lin Yu on WeChat:
"Waaah, the prize money I just got isn't even warm yet, and I already have to pay you back."
Lin Yu chuckled. "How about you pay me back after you become a Water-type Master?"
A million was meaningless to him now.
If he needed money, he could just make antidotes and sell them to the Treasure Bureau.
"Nope. A promise is a promise. I'm gonna be a Water-type Master someday — I can't let you hold this over me!"
Her tournament run was over, but she'd still made it past the qualifiers.
Lin Yu chatted with her for a bit about her parents' opinion.
He relaxed when he learned they supported her dream of becoming a Trainer.
"So what's your plan next?"
"Me? I'm gonna travel the world and catch Suicune — the embodiment of the north wind!"
"Haha, good luck! Don't come crying to me when you run out of money again!"
"Shut up, Lin Yu!"
Lin Yu could practically feel her frustration through the screen.
She even sent a sticker:
Magikarp Angry.pjg
The conversation ended there.
The girl with big dreams left the capital soon after her final match,
and left behind the person who would stay in her memory forever…
[Purple Bound Entry (Moon Step) — Use powerful strength to step on thin air for brief aerial hovering. If stepping on an opponent, deals 80 damage.]
Aerial hovering.
Step on air to fly upward?
After thinking it over, Lin Yu gave this Entry to Lucario.
Among all his Pokémon,
Lucario fit it best.
Could you imagine Pupitar — or future Tyranitar — using Moon Step?
The image was too ridiculous for Lin Yu to even consider.
A heavy Tyranitar simply wasn't made for this kind of move.
Then again…
it seemed like Pupitar would be the only one in his team that couldn't fly.
Greninja already had [Fairy Wings].
Inside the Training Chamber.
"How does it feel?"
Lin Yu exclaimed as he watched Lucario step mid-air and hover briefly.
"Lucario!"
Lucario landed, clearly pleased.
Who would expect a Lucario capable of staying in the air?
And Moon Step even dealt damage when stepping on an opponent?
Perfect!
"Looks like you love it."
Lin Yu patted Lucario's shoulder. "Alright, let's head out. My second-round match should be today."
"Gekko!" (Let me fight! Let me fight!)
Greninja raised its hand. It had been dying to show off in front of such a huge crowd.
"Fine…"