Her ears grew longer and more pointed, her limbs became stronger, and spikes sprouted from her chest and hands.
"Luca?"
Riolu wasn't used to her changed form and suddenly lost her balance, but she swiftly adjusted, bracing herself against a nearby tree to steady herself.
Riolu-no, she should be called Lucario now.
Pokémon that evolved through friendship actually had an easier time evolving in real life. Often, they could complete the process while playing around.
Pikachu before evolving was one such example.
Back when Pikachu was still a Pichu, living with Kangaskhan had been enough to trigger the evolution.
The same held true for Lucario. She had completed her evolution while happily playing.
"Luca!"
After moving her body a little, the first thing Lucario did was form an Aura Sphere in her hands. With her evolution,
Lucario's control over Aura had undergone a qualitative leap.
The Aura Sphere that had once demanded her full concentration now came naturally, and she could form one at will.
Her earlier training had been very effective. Lucario soon formed another Aura staff and spun it overhead, but failed to lift herself off the ground.
Evolution was beneficial overall, but it could also leave some Pokémon temporarily unaccustomed to their new bodies.
Although every aspect of Lucario's physique surpassed Riolu's, becoming a Steel-type had also made her much heavier.
As a Riolu, her light body had made it easier to take off from a standstill. After evolving, she would have to start over with Hand-Waving Takeoff.
"Meow. (All right, wait until we get home to practice. This isn't a suitable place.)"
Even though the weather had started cooling down, this was still a city, not the barren, deserted Gobi.
A person or Pokémon suddenly performing "acrobatics" by the roadside was bound to attract some attention.