Lucario had always believed he was the best partner for Cynthia, the one who suited her most.
Then he met the frog who would haunt him for life, and the man who became his lifelong rival!
Honestly, Lucario had never imagined he could fall out of favor, or that anyone could become more important to Cynthia than he was.
But now someone had.
As much as Lucario disliked that man, he knew Xu Mu was Cynthia's lover, the person she would rely on in the future.
So Lucario had no choice but to accept him.
A while ago, unable to compete himself, Xu Mu had grown bored and started training Garchomp.
Somehow, Lucario had been dragged into it and put through over a month of grueling training.
Honestly, it might have been the most miserable month of Lucario's life.
Every day, he was either running errands for Sanshengyun, sparring with that blue-skinned frog, or doing backbreaking work...
Life had been unbearable.
But Lucario had made it through.
He was free of that ordeal!
Lucario looked at his opponent, his gaze growing sharp.
Today, he had to win!
What? What did being free have to do with winning today?
Hah!
Last night—just last night—Xu Mu's Pokémon, that blue-skinned frog, had come to tell Lucario something.
If Lucario lost today's match...
He would spend the next year with Xu Mu.
The devil had smiled at Lucario, leaving him dumbstruck.
Right then, Lucario had made up his mind: damn it, even if it killed him, he would win tomorrow!
That man, of course, was Xu Mu.
In truth, everything Xu Mu had said to Cynthia and the others yesterday had been nonsense.
Listening to him had been about as enlightening as watching a man purify the air.
He might as well have said