Riolu Evolves: The Aura Hero!

"Chi Hong wins. Yun Luo Team, please send up your next competitor as soon as possible," the referee announced.

The Yun Luo Team members were still reeling in confusion and shock.

They couldn't believe their captain, a Soul Ancestor, had failed to block even one move. It was absurd.

They were at a loss. Chi Hong wasn't.

"Riolu, keep stacking Swords Dance!"

"Riolu!"

Riolu's blood was boiling. Its spirits soared, and it spun even faster, like a helicopter rotor.

That Drain Punch had felt incredible.

Who wouldn't love the thrill of facing certain defeat, then dropping their opponent with a single blow?

"No, get up there, quick! That little dog must be running on empty. Don't let it catch its breath. Wear it down if you have to."

A female team member gritted her teeth and stepped onto the stage.

Unfortunately for her, Riolu had stacked another Swords Dance.

"Begin!"

"Shrek, don't underestimate us!"

"Riolu, Drain Punch."

Bam—smack!

[Riolu used Drain Punch. Critical hit! The opponent can no longer battle.]

[Riolu used Swords Dance. Its Attack rose sharply!]

[Riolu used Aura Sphere. Critical hit! The opponent...]

[Riolu used Swords Dance...]

One after another, Yun Luo Team's members went down like dumplings into a pot. Each one stepped up, only to be knocked offstage with a single punch.

By the end, even the spectators had gone numb.

It was a one-sided slaughter. Every match ended in one hit.

"Whew—now that felt good!"

Chi Hong let out a long breath. The battle had finally reminded him of the fun he'd had playing games in his previous life.

Stack a few Swords Dances at the start, then knock out one Pokémon per punch and breeze through.

That was the beauty of stats.

Pure and brutal.

Riolu felt the same. Delight was written all over its face. As satisfying as a hard-fought battle could be, crushing weaker opponents in one hit felt wonderful too.

So this is what it feels like to be invincible?

[Riolu's friendship +8, reaching 82 (Close).]

[Ding! Riolu's friendship has exceeded 80. Riolu is evolving!]

The next moment, brilliant white light engulfed Riolu.

Within it, its silhouette stretched and grew. Its limbs lengthened and became more powerful.

As it evolved, a powerful, invisible energy erupted, sending wave after wave of shock outward.

Chi Hong was unaffected. He knew exactly what it was: Riolu's innate gift awakening. Aura!

The light gradually faded.

Riolu was gone. In its place stood a majestic Lucario, upright on two legs in the center of the Soul Arena.

Blue and black fur covered most of Lucario's body. Its muzzle was longer, and its ears had grown tall and erect.

Its red eyes were sharp and full of fighting spirit.

Most striking were the short spikes on the backs of its hands and the center of its chest. They made it look formidable.

[Lucario's age has increased to eight thousand years.]

[Lucario learned new moves: Aura Sphere, Detect, Hone Claws, Power-Up Punch, Calm Mind, Metal Sound, Bone Rush, Heal Pulse, Meteor Mash, Dragon Pulse, Extreme Speed, Close Combat...]

"Riolu, you finally evolved... No, I should call you the Aura Hero now—Lucario!"

Chi Hong spoke with delight.

The dazzling list of moves on the panel told him his three Pokémon would work together far better now.

In team battles, Lucario could hold the front line while Charizard attacked with fire from behind and Greninja harassed their enemies with sneak attacks. What team could stop them from taking the championship?

And if that wasn't enough, he could take the front line himself and let Lucario stack Swords Dances behind him.

He could use the Ice Empress's Martial Soul and abilities too. In fact, when it came to defense, his own body was the strongest of them all!

While Chi Hong was lost in thought, the spectators who had witnessed the evolution erupted.

"Wait! Why did that Soul Beast suddenly get bigger?"

"No idea. It looks like it evolved somehow."

"Evolved? Don't Soul Beasts only grow naturally or speed things up by eating treasures? How did it get stronger in the middle of a fight?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some were already growing uneasy, even frightened.

At the Sun Moon Imperial Team, Xiao Hongchen frowned.

"What a strange Soul Beast. I've never seen one like it, and it can evolve through battle. From the looks of it, its strength is already close to a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's."

Ma Rulong smiled confidently.

"What's there to fear? Our Soul Tools counter Soul Beasts better than anything! You said so yourself, Xiao Hongchen."

Xiao Hongchen rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"It's not that simple. If he can only make Soul Beasts evolve temporarily, even from a thousand years to ten thousand, there's nothing to fear. But what if there's no limit to how far he can raise them?"

Meng Hongchen's pretty eyes widened.

"Brother, are you saying he might be able to raise Soul Beasts to a hundred thousand years?"

Xiao Hongchen nodded gravely.

"Yes. And he gets one Soul Beast for every Soul Ring. If a Soul Elder has three Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, would a Soul King have five Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts? Would a Titled Douluo have ten Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts? And above level ninety-five..."

Ma Rulong froze, then shuddered violently.

"You mean... nine... Ferocious Beasts?!"

His voice trembled. How terrifying would a human who controlled nine Ferocious Beasts be?

Xiao Hongchen said nothing. He had another suspicion he hadn't voiced.

What if Chi Hong could evolve not only his own Soul Beasts, but other Ferocious Beasts too...

Meng Hongchen hugged her arms.

"Brother, when you put it that way, he really does sound scary. But showing this off at the Soul Master tournament isn't a very good idea, is it?"

Xiao Hongchen sighed.

"He has Shrek behind him. Of course he feels untouchable."

Ma Rulong clenched his teeth.

"No. We have to report everything about him to the hall master and His Majesty so they can come up with a plan."

Xiao Hongchen's expression settled.

"Perhaps we aren't the only ones who've thought of this. Others must have ideas of their own."

After the battle, Chi Hong hurried to buy the Soul-Devouring Engraving Knife. He sent it straight to Professor Oak to remove its curse.

Before long, a notification arrived.

[Ding! Professor Oak has sent you a gift.]

[You received 100 Life Candies (each contains an extraordinarily concentrated and powerful source of life and can help a Pokémon's age break through to ten thousand years).]

[Professor Oak was very pleased with the source of life you sent him and has sent you another gift.]

[You received a Key Stone and Charizardite X.]

Chi Hong looked at the 100 Life Candies and the Mega Stone in his bag.

A thought struck him. If he fed all hundred candies to Charizard, could he raise it straight to a hundred thousand years?

Then he could Mega Evolve it.

Could I just skip straight to the point where I say, "I don't eat beef"...?