You're not allowed to play Pokémon!

Chapter 230 Is your Invisible Fist Lucario legal? (7k words, 10,000 words updated, please vote!)
The final trial at the Isle of Armor Dojo has been going on for five minutes.

"Is Teacher Yu's Riolu going to lose? The size difference seems too big, it can't fight back at all..."

"It's hard to say. After all, our opponent is a legend of Galar. Even if Senior Brother Dan Di came, Master's Martial Arts Bear Master wouldn't get any advantage."

"Riolus and Yu-sensei are already quite impressive for holding on this long, aren't they?"

The apprentices watching were buzzing with discussion, and even Leon, who stood on the outside of the arena with his arms crossed, couldn't help but feel a little worried for Riolu.

The final trial at the Isle of Armor Dojo was originally an assessment that could only be conducted by trainers who had captured Kuma.

In this battle, even the Ursaring disciple, who maintains absolute focus on martial arts, struggled to withstand the immense pressure exerted by Master Ma's martial arts Ursaring, let alone a Riolu that hadn't yet evolved...

But the master's judgment is never wrong.

Since Master has approved of this Riolu and believes that it and Qingyu are qualified to challenge the final trial, then it must possess the corresponding potential.

and so……

Keep it up, Teacher Yu!

Dan Di glanced at the young man on the other side, his brows furrowed and focused on the battle, and silently cheered Qing Yu on.

Dan Di didn't receive his master's approval back then, but he was well aware of it.

Master always hoped that someone could inherit the martial arts style he had honed over the decades, which is why he founded the Armor Island Martial Arts School.

If it were Qingyu, she might actually be able to do it!

Meanwhile, the two Pokémon on the field were also engaged in a fierce battle.

In the five-minute battle just now, Urshifu had launched multiple attacks, but Riolu managed to dodge them all thanks to its enhanced speed from High Speed ​​Movement.

The huge difference in size is a double-edged sword. While it gives Urshifu overwhelming power when facing Riolu, it also makes it difficult for Urshifu to hit Riolu.

"So you've truly mastered the power of waveguides?"

A smile appeared on Master Ma's face.

Although Pokémon like Urshifu also have the aptitude to use Aura, they are clearly not on the same level as Riolu and Lucario, who are born Aura users, in terms of their ability to sense Aura. They can only use Aura Sphere as a way to locate and attack enemies.

This Riolu can already predict the opponent's attack route by observing the direction of the opponent's waveguide at any time, making it quite difficult to hit it in actual battle.

Even though Urshifu has discovered Riolu's weakness, if it cannot hit Riolu with its moves, even its signature move, Dark Strike, cannot kill Riolu from a distance.

So, we need to change our strategy!

"Martial Arts Bear Master, use rocks to block Riolu's escape route!"

Master Ma quickly devised a countermeasure, using rocks to block Riolu's escape route.

"Riolus, Vacuum Wave!"

Qingyu reacted immediately, commanding Riolu to create several energy balls formed from pure waveguide power, which shattered the rocks in the sky one by one before they hit the ground.

"Tsk... Just as the internet says, he's a particularly troublesome guy, Little Yu Yu!"

Master Ma clicked his tongue in amazement, then quickly smiled again.

"Since you keep dodging, I'll have to use other methods to defeat you."

"Martial Arts Bear Master, Wave Missile!"

"Kuma!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Martial Arts Bear Master imitated the move that Riolu had just used. He quickly formed a ball shape with both hands, storing all the wave energy in his palms, and then a ball of energy rapidly condensed into a form.

A rare ranged beam attack move for Fighting-type characters: Aura Sphere!

Qingyu immediately understood Master Ma's thoughts.

By injecting waveguide energy, this pure energy ball can lock onto the opponent's waveguide, thus achieving a powerful effect that guarantees a hit.

In other words, Riolu can no longer dodge.

Although the technique of the Invisible Fist is ineffective against the Aura Sphere, given the significant difference in strength, Aoba couldn't say for sure whether Riolu could use Protect to block the attack...

Therefore, he made a bold decision—

"Riolu, dig a hole!"

"road!"

Riolu reacted quickly, swinging its arms with all its might before the wave missiles hit, and soon hid itself in the ground.

Since leaving the area, Martial Arts Bear Master's control over the waveguide power was not as outrageous, and the wave missile indeed immediately lost its target and quickly crashed to the ground.

"So that's how it is. We're using the digging technique to regain the initiative?"

Master Ma stroked his beard again, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at Qingyu across from him.

To be able to think of this so quickly during an intense battle is an absurd fighting instinct that is completely unlike what a young trainer should have.

However, a genius should be like Qingyu, completely breaking conventional impressions, right?
"Martial Arts Master Xiong, prepare for defense and be ready to use Dark Nether Strike to counterattack at any time."

Master Ma quickly made a judgment, and Martial Arts Master Xiong also switched to the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg after hearing the command, just waiting for Riolu to appear so he could take down the opponent immediately!

Seeing this, Qingyu became even more certain of her judgment.

As expected, in the Pokémon world, moves you can't learn are just moves you can't learn.

Perhaps it was because of the existence of the system that my two Pokémon became illegal.

As the Pokémon most frequently encountered during the Sword and Shield era, Qingyu could practically recite Urshifu's move list by heart.

They are absolute masters in close combat, but their fighting ability clearly relies too much on head-on confrontations.

Without mastering the earthquake-themed move, Master Bear had no good way to deal with Riolu lurking underground and could only passively wait for Riolu to break out of the ground.

Riolu isn't exactly a Pokémon that can survive underground. With its limited breath-holding time, it will eventually pop out. So Master Ma wasn't in a hurry and patiently waited for Qingyu's next move.

Seeing this, Qingyu couldn't help but smile.

Just as I suspected, the answer is quite simple—

"Riolus, follow suit!"

Qingyu spoke again, and Riolu underground reacted quickly.

Even though its body hadn't yet emerged from the ground, it used its moves first, drawing up the energy within its body in advance, preparing to launch an attack as soon as it broke through the soil.

Due to the effect of Mischievous Heart, Riolu's energy extraction efficiency when using Imitation will be several times higher than before.

Imitation is a special move that allows a Pokémon to mimic the moves used by a previous opponent, and even temporarily use moves that it could not normally learn.

The move that Urshifu used at the end was Aura Sphere, which Riolu couldn't master before evolving!

The One-Strike Style Kuma has the Dark attribute, which makes it vulnerable to Fighting-type moves, so the power of this imitation attack will be considerable.

"Martial Arts Bear Master, withstand the attack and retaliate with close combat before your opponent breaks through the ground!"

Master Ma made a decisive decision.

Since we can't dodge the wave missiles, we might as well not dodge them at all.

With the physical abilities of the martial arts master, he could withstand Riolu's attacks without much trouble.

"Kuma!"

As the ground began to tremble slightly, revealing a small mound, the martial arts master Xiong, who was keenly observing his surroundings, immediately reacted, turned around, and decisively slammed his fist into the raised ground!

however……

The feel isn't right?

The martial arts master, Xiong Shi, was stunned. He didn't feel the real impact of his fist hitting his opponent, but only felt as if he had punched through a thin layer of ground.

At that very moment, Riolu, which had conjured a giant wave missile, burst forth from the ground behind it, and a burst of pure wave energy struck the back of the Martial Arts Bear Master squarely.

"Kuma!"

By the time the martial arts bear felt the pain and instinctively launched a counterattack, the Riolu that had thrown the dumpling had already used the recoil to dodge a distance and escaped its counterattack.

Even the force of Master Xiong's punch was enough to leave a small cut on Riolu's face.

"Hey, not bad!"

Although his martial arts bear master had suffered a minor setback, Master Ma actually praised Riolu instead.

"It's really interesting that Xiaoyu and Xiao Riolu can fight me for so long despite such a big difference in strength!"

"but……"

"Little Riolu, such weak attacks won't be able to hurt Ushio."

"If you can't demonstrate greater power, it will be impossible to pass the final trial!"

"Kuma!"

As if to verify Master Ma's words, the martial arts bear master who had swallowed the missile scratched his back and let out another earth-shattering roar.

Qingyu also realized this—

The difference between the two Pokémon is too great. Even if Urshifu stood still and let Riolu attack, it might not be able to deal any effective damage.

In real-world Pokémon battles, the skill gap is far more tangible than the strings of numbers in the game.

It also makes one feel even more powerless.

"road……"

Riolu touched the wound on his cheek.

In the past few minutes, the trainers' commands were clearly correct, and the reason they failed to win is quite simple.

Its own strength was far inferior to that of the martial arts master Xiong Shi at the martial arts school, so even when it created an opportunity to attack, its full-force attack did not cause any damage to Master Xiong Shi.

Given the current situation, it seems there's only one solution to achieve victory—

evolution.

But what if, after evolving, you still can't defeat the Martial Arts Bear Master...?

Noticing that they were at a critical juncture, Master Ma and Martial Arts Master Xiong exchanged a glance and temporarily halted their attack.

Seeing this, Riolu also turned around and looked at Aoba.

"Riolus, do as you wish."

Seemingly sensing Riolu's thoughts, Aoba quickly revealed a gentle smile and calmly said.

"road……"

Feeling the aura emanating from Qingyu, Riolu was momentarily dazed.

I should have disappointed him with my performance...

But why is the waveguide energy transmitted through it exactly the same as before the battle, with no emotional change whatsoever?
The trainer truly believed in himself completely...

Riolu suddenly recalled the time he spent in the research institute after he was born.

Perhaps because the Pokémon it encountered from a young age were far more powerful than it imagined, it always felt very weak.

The boss's Pokémon are all so strong they're like monsters. No matter how hard I try, the gap between me and them hasn't narrowed at all.

Just like the martial arts master I'm facing now, I know just by looking at him that he's someone I can't defeat.

Even after its growth period ended, it couldn't withstand even a single move from the boss's Garchomp.

Just as it was beginning to lose confidence, the leader noticed its confusion.

Then one day, she said to herself...

"Perhaps finding a suitable trainer can make you even stronger?"

Upon hearing about the opportunity to become stronger, Riolu agreed without hesitation.

So it went to the Sunny Gym in Padia and became Bluefeather's second Pokémon.

Riolu always maintained a respectful attitude towards Qingyu, the trainer who seemed to be very familiar with the older sister.

Because he seemed to really understand me, he gave me the greatest freedom, and under his influence, I came into contact with two incredibly powerful Master Xiong.

However, this rapid growth also caused Riolu some unease.

If he evolves but his strength isn't as great as the trainer imagined, will he be disappointed?
With this in mind, Riolu was always afraid to complete its evolution.

But now, the time has come for it to make a choice...

Seemingly sensing Riolu's hesitation, Qingyu quickly spoke again, her tone still gentle:

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you don't pass the test this time, we'll have another chance."

"If you're willing, I'll stay with you until you pass the challenge." "The road..."

Feeling Qingyu's encouraging gaze, Riolu fell into deep thought.

Before meeting its trainer, it thought it would spend its failed life in God and Town.

But after defeating himself, the trainer did not despise his weak self; instead, he gave him countless support along the way.

He helped himself develop a detailed training plan, found the Isle of Armor Dojo overseas and successfully entered it for training, and now he stands firmly behind himself.

As Riolu recalled this, a warm current suddenly arose from the bottom of his heart, allowing him to truly feel the aura power that had entered his body from his trainer through some unknown means.

This energy, is it what the boss often calls "bond"?
Riolu's lips curled up slightly, and at the same time, countless white particles formed by evolutionary radiance once again emanated from its body.

However, this time it did not immediately interrupt the evolutionary process, but instead calmed down and felt the changes taking place in its body.

Now that we've decided to bring victory to our trainers, we can no longer be timid or run away from failure!
Riolu's gaze gradually focused.

At the same time, its hands moved quickly, removing all the weights binding its body before the evolutionary glow fully bloomed.

The weights thrown to the ground soon made a series of dull thuds, leaving the surrounding apprentices dumbfounded.

"This... even fighting my master adds this much weight to my load???"

"This Riolu is insane! It's ruthless!"

"If the restrictions are lifted and it evolves, is there a chance it will become the first Pokémon to pass the final gym trial?"

While Dan Di was stunned, he subconsciously looked at Master Ma on the other side of the field.

"Evolve in battle?"

Evolution is not a process that can be completed in an instant; it takes time for a Pokémon's body to develop rapidly before it can transform into its evolved form.

Therefore, evolving in battle is a risky move. If attacked by the opponent, not only is the evolution likely to be interrupted, but it may also cause the body's energy to be depleted instantly...

But it seems that the master had guessed from the beginning that this Riolu would evolve in battle?
The moment the evolutionary glow appeared, Qingyu's heart tightened.

Sylveon's evolution was unexpected for him, so strictly speaking, he has never witnessed a Pokémon's evolution firsthand.

During this process, he didn't know what he could do, so...

Just trust Riolu.

No, it should be called Lucario now.

After the evolutionary glow appeared, a pillar of light quickly shot up from the ground, soaring into the sky and completely engulfing Riolu.

Amidst the dazzling light, a sudden burst of energy emerged.

The strong wind gradually dispersed the light, revealing the resolute figure standing on the field.

(Lucario)
Lucario appeared, its body several times larger than before and its appearance imposing, the hair on the back of its head swaying in the strong wind.

Gazing at its reliable silhouette, Qingyu felt a surge of emotion.

Lucario, the Aura Pokémon, is superior in physical strength and the ability to sense auras, and can freely control powerful aura forces.

Because after evolution, hard bone spurs as hard as steel grow on the body and the back of the hands, and the strength of the bones also makes a qualitative leap, the attribute also changes to a composite attribute of steel and fighting.

In terms of characteristics, Riolu, having shed its mischievousness from childhood and become more composed, has also transformed from a mischievous spirit into...

???

Wait a minute? Shouldn't it be a sense of justice?

The few lines of small text that suddenly appeared in front of him left Qingyu somewhat bewildered.

Lucario (Male)

[Attribute: Steel + Fighting]

【Special Feature: Invisible Fist (Upgradeable)】

[Moves: Close Combat, Wave Missile, Feint, Swiftness, Double Strike, Insight, Bullet Punch, Imitation...]

A very cautious personality.

No, you've really mastered the Invisible Fist?

Is your Invisible Fist Lucario legal?
Qingyu was dumbfounded.

And it only just evolved, how come it has already learned the Fighting-type's ultimate move, Close Combat?
It was already illegal, and now it feels even more outrageous!

That's not all; the system also adds a "can grow" note after Lucario's characteristics...

What do you mean? How else can the Invisible Fist grow?
Qingyu subconsciously took a deep breath.

At the same time, Lucario lowered his head and carefully observed the changes in his body.

Not only did his physique become taller, but the power he could unleash also far exceeded that before, and his control over waveguides also made a qualitative leap.

Even cultivation practices that had reached a bottleneck seemed to have broken through their shackles...

Such a powerful force!
Lucario turned around, looked at the shocked Qingyu, and slowly revealed a smile.

"Luca!"

If it were me now, I should be able to bring victory to the trainer!
"That's so nice! That look reminds me of myself when I was young!"

Noticing Lucario's intense gaze, Master Ma quickly laughed, drawing the attention of both Lucario and Qingyu.

"However, you probably won't have much stamina after evolving, right?"

"In that case, let's settle this with the final punch!"

After Master Ma finished speaking, without waiting for Qingyu's reply, he quickly gave instructions on his own:
"Martial Arts Bear Master, charge forward and use close combat!"

"Kuma!"

Faced with his suddenly stronger "dog apprentice," Martial Arts Master Xiong gave a thumbs-up and forced a smile.

At the same time, its feet quickly took action, firmly taking its first step on the ground!
"Lucario, here we come!"

Qingyu looked at the newly evolved Lucario, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"We also use close combat!"

"Luca!"

Facing the Martial Arts Bear Master charging towards him like a heavily armored tank, Lucario had no intention of avoiding its attack and quickly stepped forward to meet it.

Let's bring victory to the trainer with this punch that concentrates all our power!

Two punches, each brimming with power, were thrown out simultaneously, their powerful aura even creating a visible white spiral in the air!
"Kuma?!"

Sensing Lucario's suddenly rising aura, the martial arts master, while surprised, quickly realized something—

If he had held back after that punch, he would have definitely lost!

boom!
As their fists clashed, a deafening roar suddenly erupted throughout the entire Isle of Armor, causing the surrounding apprentices to instinctively cover their ears.

Even the ground around them began to tremble violently as the two Pokémon clashed!
Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, a figure was instantly sent flying backwards towards Master Ma, crashing heavily to the ground.

"hiss--"

"I can't believe my eyes, right? That incredibly powerful bear-like creature was actually sent flying by Yu-sensei's Lucario with just one punch???"

"Holy crap, are all of Teacher Yu's Pokémon this outrageous?"

Gollum—

As the audience member closest to the scene, Dante was immediately overwhelmed with shock.

As a fellow champion-level trainer, he could tell that his master's Urshifu had been holding back all along, maintaining absolute control even when using only about 50% of its power.

After all, this is just the final trial for learning the martial arts of the Isle of Armor, not some legendary-level assessment.

If Martial Arts Master Xiong were to use his full strength, there would probably be fewer than one finger in the world capable of passing the test.

However, during that final exchange of blows, Martial Arts Master Xiong clearly sensed something was wrong, so he subconsciously increased the power he used in his last close-quarters attack...

The power level has increased from 50% to at least 70%.

Even so, it still did not gain any advantage in this exchange of blows, and even lost to its opponent in the clash of strength.

What a terrifying little monster...

Leon couldn't help but think even more highly of this Lucario and its trainer, Qingyu.

“Kuma…”

After struggling to roll over, Martial Arts Master Xiong let out a wail and slowly got up from the ground with one hand.

This punch wasn't fatal to it.

But if I had stopped earlier, it's hard to say whether I would have lost consciousness.

Who would have thought that just one evolution would allow that diligent Riolu to fully realize its talent?
When the Martial Arts Bear Master looked at its opponent, its massive body froze in place.

Even Master Ma, who was standing in front of it, showed the same shocked expression, and even stopped stroking his beard.

"I never expected something like this to happen..."

From Master Ma's perspective, Lucario, who had unleashed that close-range attack, remained standing in place, still in the offensive stance.

However, its eyes had already lost focus, clearly indicating that it no longer had the ability to continue fighting.

That is to say...

"Was Lucario's punch just now delivered with an unwavering determination to win, concentrating all his remaining energy into his fist, which is why it was able to unleash such terrifying power?"

Leon also noticed Lucario's situation, and as he spoke subconsciously, a sense of horror suddenly arose in his heart.

Those are Urshifu, my master's two most powerful Pokémon.

Although the master's physical functions inevitably begin to decline due to old age, Pokémon's lifespan is clearly far longer than that of humans.

After his master retired, Martial Arts Master Xiong's fighting power has increased day by day, and his current strength is definitely greater than when his master was the champion.

Lucario, capable of repelling a martial arts master with a single punch, is truly astounding...

"To be able to defy biological instincts and maximize one's own strength, recklessly squeezing out every last bit of energy, even if it means losing consciousness immediately after the last move—just how strong must one's desire for victory be to do that..."

Dan Di spoke up subconsciously.

"No matter how you look at it, it seems like an impossible operation..."

However, this amazing scene actually happened right before my eyes?

"As expected, once this Riolu's talent is unleashed, it becomes incredibly terrifying!"

Master Ma quickly smiled with satisfaction, as if he had long anticipated Lucario's explosive power.

"Although Lucario was the first to lose its ability to battle, however..."

"If Martial Arts Master Xiong hadn't unleashed power far exceeding what was required for this assessment, he would probably be down by now."

“Kuma…”

The martial arts master Xiong, standing behind Master Ma, nodded helplessly.

In fact, even though it hasn't lost consciousness yet, the arm it used to punch is completely paralyzed and can't muster any strength at all.

There is no doubt that our side lost this battle.

"Since that's the case, then this old man will deliver his verdict!"

Master Ma cleared his throat and, under Qingyu's complicated gaze, quickly broke into a bright smile.

"You, pass!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

The martial arts students clapped and cheered in unison, happy for Lucario, the first to break through Master Ma's final trial.

After witnessing the battle just now, all that remained in their hearts for Teacher Yu and Lucario was admiration.

"..."

Qingyu took a deep breath and gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Although I won, I feel like my Lucario was cheating a bit too much.

At this rate, won't all the Pokémon near the Sunny Gym be forced to migrate en masse because of it?

How am I supposed to explain this to President Yeci?

(End of this chapter)