Pokémon: My Name is Lucario

Chapter 16: The Beginning of the Abnormality

After defeating the Pidgeot, Riolu gained a much deeper understanding of combat.

On this day, the weather was clear and the temperature was just right.

At the training grounds in the valley, Riolu and Geodude were engaged in a fierce battle.

"Bang!"

Riolu slid sideways, dodging the stone thrown by Geodude, then swung his left paw into a hammering motion, slamming into Geodude's round, rock-hard body.

"Ugh," Riolu winced as the impact, without the use of any energy, hit Geodude's tough rocky exterior, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his body.

Geodude staggered, then seized the opportunity to pick up some sand and fling it toward Riolu.

Pokémon battles didn't concern themselves with the codes of conduct that humans might observe. Anything, from grass to rocks, could become a weapon in their arsenal.

Riolu rolled to the ground and swept his leg out in a wide arc.

"Wait a minute, I forgot Geodude doesn't have legs!"

Just as Riolu extended his leg, he realized that Geodude's body was round, with only two strong arms and no legs, meaning it moved by rolling.

Geodude quickly put its hands on the ground, avoiding Riolu's sweep, then brought both hands together and slammed down toward Riolu.

Seeing the hard rock fists about to hit, Riolu's energy surged, and his paws extended, cloaked in a metallic sheen.

"Metal Claw!"

But instead of directly attacking, Riolu crossed his paws in front of his head, using the strength of the steel energy to block Geodude's rock fists.

"Screech!"

The sound of metal scraping against rock sent sparks flying as Geodude was temporarily stopped. Without the ability to gain leverage in the air, it lost its balance and fell sideways.

Knowing that combat favored those who kept the momentum, Riolu swiftly moved forward, his brown-red energy flowing out of him.

"Take this! Quick Attack!"

Like a streak of lightning across the sky, Riolu surged forward, brimming with fighting energy.

Geodude braced itself, pulling its hands together in front of its body. It curled into a ball and released a burst of brown energy, wrapping itself in a solid defensive shell.

Move: Rock Polish – Curling up to increase its defense.

On one side, there was the aggressive, lightning-fast Quick Attack, and on the other, the rock-solid defensive shell.

"Boom!"

Riolu and Geodude collided with a powerful impact, dust flying as the shockwave sent rocks flying in all directions. The recoil sent both Pokémon stumbling backward.

"Cough, cough," Riolu stood up from the ground, looking over at Geodude, who was wobbling with circular eyes, and grinned. "Looks like I won this round, Geodude."

Battles, sparring, and moments spent playing with Budews and Politoeds – Riolu's life in the valley was peaceful yet full of little joys.

The only downside was that, after defeating Pidgeot and gaining a large amount of experience to level up, Riolu's leveling speed had slowed down again. He could only continue to hone his battle techniques through friendly sparring in Sunrise Valley, attempting to combine his previous combat knowledge with the Pokémon moves he had learned. This helped him better understand how to use every bit of his energy, and even without looking at the screen, he could sense his growing strength.

By the way: Pokémon can also sense their energy strength, which is what determines their quantified level. However, the level doesn't necessarily reflect battle strength. There are plenty of examples where low-level Pokémon defeat higher-level ones, as the outcome of a fight depends on various factors.

Geodude, propping itself up on its arms, said helplessly to Riolu, "You've improved so fast, I can't win anymore."

This Geodude was one of the stronger ones in the Geodude group in Sunrise Valley. At first, it could suppress Riolu, thanks to its superior mastery of moves and rich battle experience. But with Riolu's combat expertise from his previous life and his increasing familiarity with his Pokémon form, he had seamlessly incorporated his martial arts into battle. With his level increasing, Geodude could no longer keep up.

Riolu shook off the sweat from his fur and grinned. "Are we done here? Want to take a dip in the pond?"

Geodude gave Riolu an annoyed look, raising a middle finger with one hand. "Go away. You want me to die by drowning?"

Geodude, being a Ground/Rock type, was four times weak to water, so a bath wasn't on its agenda.

"Then you go have your bath. Just don't be surprised if the little ones start picking on you," Riolu said with a chuckle, as Geodude rolled away, clearly enjoying the idea of Riolu having to deal with some other annoying Pokémon.

Riolu didn't mind much. He scratched his head, hummed a tune, and made his way to the central pond of the valley. "Bath time, bath time, the baby's water is essential…"

"Hey, sorry about taking your leaves," Riolu said, ignoring the furious stares from the Metapods nearby, as he casually grabbed a few large leaves and tossed them aside near the pond to wipe off after his swim.

The pond's shimmering surface invited him, and he couldn't resist.

"Splash!"

Riolu leapt into the clear pond with a dog-like jump.

"Ah, this feels great!"

At high noon, after a tough battle and sweating it out, jumping into the cool, refreshing water was pure bliss. And with a Pokémon's resilient body, there was no risk of catching a cold.

Of course, if you ignore the Politoeds and Horned Fish nearby, spitting water angrily at him.

"Puh, puh, puh! You sweaty little dog, jumping into the pond again!" Politoed growled, glaring with its round eyes as bubbles erupted from its mouth.

Nearby, Horned Fish poked Riolu with its horn.

Riolu, as a Fighting-type Pokémon, was tough enough to handle this light irritation. Plus, they were all just playfully arguing.

Seeing the round body of Politoed, Riolu's playful side emerged. He grabbed Politoed, using it as a floating buoy and happily swam around the pond.

"Ahhhhhh!" Politoed yelled in frustration, its spiral-patterned belly and head growing more swirly as it tried to get free.

They had fun in the pond while the rest of the valley's Pokémon went about their business.

The valley was peaceful.

Suddenly.

"Boom boom boom—"

The ground trembled violently, as if something heavy was being dragged across it.

"Boom—"

Another strong tremor hit, and the pond's waters began to ripple violently. Seeing the water surge, Riolu hurriedly dashed to the shore.

"Stay here. I'll go see what's going on."

Seeing the younger Politoeds and other Pokémon frightened, Riolu felt that as an older Pokémon (at least in spirit), he should keep a calm demeanor to reassure them.

Once the younger Pokémon settled down, Riolu dashed toward the valley's entrance, with more experienced and powerful Pokémon heading that way as well.

"What's going on?"

Riolu asked as he ran, but no Pokémon could provide an answer.

"Boom boom—"

"Ugh, it's coming again!"

The powerful tremor caused Riolu to stagger, but he regained his balance and kept running toward the valley's entrance.

"Grrr," some of the weaker Pokémon around him lost their balance, tumbling over each other. Some even bumped into the Gloom, their faces full of distaste.

Just then, a Machoke jumped out of the crowd, a strong and agile figure. It was the same Machoke who had taught Riolu the theory of energy.

He frowned and said, "Calm down, everyone."

"Any Pokémon below level 15, stay behind. Older Pokémon, form the front lines and take the younger ones to shelter."

"Any Pokémon above level 15, come with me. Get into formation."

The chaotic crowd of Pokémon quickly calmed down upon hearing Machoke's orders. Machoke and the Monfernos began carrying the slower Geodudes, leading the way. The Squirtles stayed in the middle, and at the rear, Vileplume led the Budews, Glooms, and Paras. Above, Butterfree and Beedrills flew overhead.

Riolu glanced at his own screen, noting his level of 13. Seeing that Machoke didn't kick him out, and his curiosity getting the better of him, he snuck into the group with the Squirtles and ran toward the valley entrance.

After a bit of adjusting, the Pokémon finally reached the entrance of the valley.

What lay before them sent a chill through the group.