NOVEL WEB Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Speculating on Riolu's Evolution to Lucario!
Chapter 74: Speculating on Riolu's Evolution to Lucario!
Pokémon: Gardevoir
Ability: Telepathy
Gender: Female
Talent: Heavenly King
Level: 36
Moves: Howl, Confusion, Double Team, Protect, Psychic, Teleport, Hypnosis, Mystical Fire, Draining Kiss, Heal Pulse...
Equipped Traits: Psychic Surge, Battle Drain, Mental Focus (Fixed), Whisper of the Last, Healing Expert, Illusion (Fixed), Psychic Storm (Fixed).
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Due to its base stats, Kirlia had always been somewhat awkward as a Pokémon.
Its base stat total was only 278, with its highest stat, special attack, maxing out at a mere 65.
Compared to Frogadier, which had a base stat total of 405 at its second stage, Kirlia seemed underwhelming.
Even with the augmentation of Latias' Dragon Scale, Frogadier's speed, bolstered by its traits, made the gap even wider.
However, now that Kirlia had evolved into Gardevoir, that issue was completely resolved.
With 125 special attack, Gardevoir's power had surged. If it used Psychic Storm now, Hikaru could only imagine the sheer magnitude of the tempest it could create.
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As Hikaru reluctantly let go of Gardevoir's soft embrace, the other Pokémon around them stared in awe.
"Char!"
"Frogadier!"
It was like someone had injected the team with a burst of motivation.
Charmeleon, already inspired by the sight of Dragonite, now felt an even greater sense of urgency watching Gardevoir evolve.
And Frogadier, despite its earlier arrogance from dominating in the championship, felt humbled and renewed its focus after seeing Gardevoir's transformation.
These subtle shifts in their mindsets didn't escape Hikaru, who had his Aura ability activated.
He gently patted Frogadier's head in encouragement.
"Frogadier!"
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The sound of Hikaru's phone ringing interrupted the moment.
When he glanced at the screen, he saw it was a call from his teacher in Kyoto.
"Beautifully done!"
The moment the call connected, Hikaru was greeted with enthusiastic praise. It was clear that his teacher, Ayame, had been closely following his performance in the provincial championship.
Of course, it wasn't just Ayame who had reached out to Hikaru after the event. His Aunt Yu, Coach Luo Hoshino, his homeroom teacher, and even some classmates from Shuimu City had all sent their congratulations.
Hikaru had responded to each message politely.
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Ayame, always a no-nonsense figure, appeared on the video call with her signature ponytail and an uncharacteristically excited expression. Hikaru suspected that her call wasn't just to celebrate his victory—she likely had news about the research on Eevee's evolution.
"It's all thanks to them," Hikaru replied modestly, stepping aside to reveal his Pokémon.
"Hmm..." Ayame's eyes widened in amazement.
"I originally wanted to share the breakthrough we've made on Eevee's evolution," she began. "Your hypothesis was correct—Sylveon and Umbreon's evolution isn't reliant on elemental stones!"
Her gaze lingered on Gardevoir.
"Kirlia evolved so quickly? And your Riolu, Frogadier, Charmeleon..."
Her expression shifted as her interest in Hikaru's Pokémon deepened.
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The successful confirmation of Sylveon and Umbreon's evolutionary methods had been a major revelation for Ayame.
For years, research on Pokémon evolution had primarily focused on growth-based evolution since it was the most common method.
However, Hikaru's hypothesis had unveiled an entirely new avenue of exploration, which led Ayame to consider other Pokémon with unique evolution triggers.
Could Riolu's evolution be tied to emotional bonds?
What about Gyarados or Milotic? Could their transformations be linked to specific conditions or environmental factors?
As one of the youngest and most talented breeders in the nation, Ayame quickly pieced these ideas together.
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"I've already credited you in the research paper," she said. "When are you planning to visit Kyoto? And about your Frogadier using electric moves—I can understand that—but Charmeleon? What's the story with its white flame that can burn underwater?"
Her gaze locked onto Charmeleon, who puffed its chest out proudly.
"Cough, thank you, teacher!" Hikaru replied, brushing past the topic.
Ayame sighed.
"It's clear you have incredible talent as a trainer. Even as a breeder, I'm not sure what else I can teach you. And now you've made groundbreaking contributions to evolution research..."
She trailed off, clearly impressed yet slightly overwhelmed by Hikaru's multifaceted talents.
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"I want to give you a new challenge," she continued. "You've already played a pivotal role in our paper on Eevee's evolution, but since you didn't participate in the experiments, I could only list you as a mid-level researcher in the field."
She leaned forward, her expression serious.
"To advance further, I suggest you lead your own research. Use Riolu's evolution as the subject. Create your own paper on it."
Hikaru blinked. "You think Riolu's evolution might follow the same principles as Eevee's?"
"It's highly likely," Ayame affirmed.
"I'll delay the release of the Eevee paper to give you time to publish your findings. This way, you'll have a significant accomplishment under your name in the evolution research community."
"Thank you, teacher. I won't let you down!" Hikaru replied, deeply moved by her gesture.
Delaying the publication was a selfless act that gave Hikaru a chance to carve his own path.
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After the call ended, Hikaru immediately logged into the Evolution Research Network and confirmed his credentials as a mid-level researcher.
Without hesitation, he created a new paper: "Speculating on Riolu's Evolution to Lucario!"
As he sat down at the hotel desk to begin drafting his research, Hikaru couldn't help but smile.
While evolution research might be a daunting task for others, for him, it was merely a matter of documenting his and Riolu's day-to-day experiences in technical terms.
To Be Continued...
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