Pokémon: My Name is Lucario

Chapter 13: The Temptation of the Budew

Since settling in the Sunrise Valley, Riolu had begun a new chapter of his life.

Ever since mastering the use of moves and discovering that exercising could grant experience points for leveling up, Riolu had stayed in the valley, focused on his own training to grow stronger.

"What is the strength of Fighting-type Pokémon? It's definitely physical attack and speed. The greatest martial arts are unstoppable when they're fast," Riolu lectured as he stood in front of the various training equipment he had set up.

"Defense? That doesn't exist. If we're fast enough, no enemy can land a hit. And if they can't hit us, why bother with defense?"

"And as long as we're fast enough, our punches get stronger. If one punch can't solve it, then just throw a hundred more punches!"

As Riolu spoke passionately, the Pokémon around him, including Caterpie and Diglett that he had dragged over from under the tree, shot him irritated glares. Only after he handed them some fresh leaves did they calm down and happily start munching on them.

Squirtles and Tadpoles curiously gathered around to listen, but after a while, they got bored and started spraying water at each other instead.

A few young Machops sat half-asleep, their eyes barely staying open.

Only the few Budews, using the leaves on their heads to applaud, seemed to be paying attention.

The youngest female Budew eagerly raised her leaf and asked, "What if you don't have fists?"

Finally, someone responded! Riolu coughed, straightened up, and walked slowly toward the little Budew, his hands behind his back, looking like an experienced scholar. "Young one…"

"Hey, I'm not a human, I'm a Pokémon!" the Budew interrupted.

"...Don't interrupt. Ahem, young Budew, you don't have fists, but you can use the leaves on your head to slap other Pokémon, just like this."

Riolu got down on the ground and mimicked the Budew's form, performing a special Budew version of slap.

The little Budew clapped excitedly, "You're so knowledgeable, and your voice sounds so nice, I really like you!"

While Riolu and the little Budew were joking around, the older Budew in the corner started thinking. She turned to her older brother and whispered, "Brother, it's so boring staying in the valley for so long. How about we go to that place again?"

The older Budew perked up immediately. "Great idea! That place under the moonlight is definitely a sight to see. But… what if the birds find out?"

The younger Budew pointed with her leaf towards Riolu. "We've got a strong helper now, don't we?"

The two Budews whispered to each other, making plans.

The older Budew then bounced over to Riolu, tugging at his leg with its leaf.

"What's up?" Riolu asked.

"Remember those Pidgeys?" the older Budew asked with a sly smile.

Riolu grimaced, remembering the last time when he was chased by a flock of birds, an experience he'd never forget.

The older Budew, in a coaxing tone, continued, "Look, you're so strong now. Why not go teach those Pidgeys a lesson? You've been talking here all day, but no one is really listening, right? Don't worry about getting lost; we know the way."

Riolu gave the older Budew a slap on the forehead. "Nonsense, look, they're paying attention," he said, pointing to the Caterpies, who rolled their eyes in response.

The Budews gave Riolu a disdainful look, making him feel awkward.

However, their suggestion was starting to stir something in Riolu's mind. He had been training hard in the valley for weeks, improving his battle steps using the wooden posts, working on his speed with weighted running, and strengthening his muscles and core with the equipment he'd built. All this training had helped him improve a lot: his control over Riolu's body was becoming more skilled, and he was gaining experience after each workout.

But there were two problems:

First, as his body grew stronger, the experience points he gained from training were beginning to decrease. This meant that his leveling speed had started to slow down. When he started out, it was easy to level up quickly, but now, after reaching level 12, the experience required to level up had grown substantially. At this rate, reaching level 20 wouldn't be as quick as it used to be.

Second, despite all the training, combat skills were best honed through real battles. While there were some Pokémon in the valley he could spar with, these were just light sparring matches. Riolu needed a real fight, an opportunity to fully unleash his strength.

"The Pidgeys and Pidgeot I met last time had a level 18 Pidgeot at the highest. If this were a game, the level difference between level 12 and level 18 wouldn't be too huge. I should be able to win."

"And now I've learned two new moves…"

Riolu glanced at his move list, where two new moves had appeared after his recent training. He pondered for a moment.

"It seems like these moves were instinctively etched into my blood. When I leveled up, the names and usage of these moves just came to me."

"Maybe this is why Pokémon can learn moves automatically?"

With a thoughtful look, the older Budew slapped Riolu's leg again, "So, are we going or not?"

"Fine, your suggestion has convinced me," Riolu finally nodded. "But should we inform Squirtle or Vileplume?"

"No, no, no." The Budews panickedly shook their leaves. "They're too busy. One's responsible for patrolling the area for danger, and the other's managing the valley. We can handle this ourselves."

Riolu, sensing something off, didn't dwell on it. After moving the Caterpies back to the left side of the valley, he and the Budews agreed to meet at the valley entrance later and went back to his shelter.

"Phew," Riolu exhaled, the wind brushing his face.

Only the Machops were still asleep in the distance.