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Chapter 153 Riolu's Evolution and Awakening

The power of the gene wedge has taken effect!

It cannot generate waveguide energy out of thin air, but it stabilizes the life source of the forest road to the maximum extent, reduces the direct harm to life caused by waveguide overdraft, and subtly harmonizes the "quality" of the waveguide output of the forest road, making it easier for it to be absorbed by the seraphim.

However, the absolute energy deficit still exists.

The overdraft on the forest road continues.

His hair, starting from the roots, gradually lost its black luster and turned gray and dry.

Smooth skin begins to lose elasticity, and fine wrinkles appear.

His once upright posture had visibly become hunched over—as if time was passing faster on him, and the vitality of his youth was being rapidly drained away.

"Pikachu!"

Pikachu's cry was tinged with tears, and large tears welled up in its eyes.

"Rio! Riolu!!"

Riolu let out a mournful cry that bordered on despair. It watched helplessly as its most beloved and trusted trainer aged rapidly and died in an attempt to save a legendary being it had never met.

And all I could do was watch helplessly!

Past memories flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

When it was still an egg, the cold malice and loneliness it felt in the endless darkness filled it with fear, making it resist being born—then, a warm, steadfast wave of light appeared, it was Lin Dao. It was he who showed its unborn self the beauty of the world, the preciousness of life, and the power of bonds, dispelling the gloom in its heart and giving it the courage to come into this world.

After being born, I followed him, learning to fight, feeling nature, making friends, and growing stronger little by little—those warm, bright, and hopeful scenes formed the cruelest contrast with the terrifying sight of the forest road rapidly aging and on the verge of extinction.

No! This can't be done! Absolutely not!

An unprecedented, intense emotion, like a volcanic eruption, mixed with an extreme desire to protect, a deep bond with his trainer, and an endless yearning to become stronger, exploded in Riolu's heart!

"Leo!!!!"

It let out a heart-wrenching howl! The howl no longer contained the immature "Leo", but rather the nascent form of a more mature power about to hatch!

With this shout that contained all emotions, Riolu's entire body erupted with a dazzling light of evolution!

The light was so intense that it even temporarily overshadowed the gradually dimming waveguide beam in Lin Dao's hand and the green light on Celebi's body.

Light!

In the light, Riolu's body rapidly lengthened and grew larger, its limbs became longer and more powerful, and black, bony protrusions appeared on its head, chest, wrists, and ankles.

When the light faded, what appeared in the spot was no longer that small blue dog-type Pokémon, but a Lucario with a tall and straight posture, sharp eyes, and a calm and powerful aura!

Lucario, having completed its evolution, did not pause for a moment.

It didn't even have time to feel the surging waveguide power within its body, far exceeding anything it had ever experienced before.

Its eyes were fixed only on that aging figure. Evolution brought not only a transformation in form and power, but also a qualitative and quantitative leap in the power of aura!

Lucario rushed up behind Lin Dao and, without hesitation, gently placed his palms on Lin Dao's thin, hunched back, which had become thin due to old age.

This time, it's no longer a trickle.

The warm Aura, surging like a river, solid as steel, yet carrying the deep bond between Lucario and Lindao, flowed continuously into Lindao's parched body like the strongest support!

Lin Dao, who was about to be completely drained and whose consciousness was beginning to blur, suddenly felt a powerful and familiar force surging in from behind.

This power not only replenished his rapidly depleting aura, but also brought a strong sense of spiritual support and resonance. It was Lucario! It had evolved! And at this most crucial moment, it had transferred all the power of its evolution to him without reservation!

"This is—Luca—" Lin Dao, who was about to fall into a daze, suddenly felt a familiar yet even stronger waveguide support coming from behind him, and his spirits lifted.

A smile of immense relief appeared on his aged face. He then gathered all his remaining will and guided the fusion of old and new, the powerful force of bonds, to flow more smoothly and efficiently toward the core of the shrine!

Wake up—guardians of the forest—this world needs you—we—need you—

It was as if I heard this sincere call that transcended energy depletion and the crisis of aging, as if I had drawn the last crucial energy to fill the gap in the laws.

Shirabi's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

Then, it slowly opened its pale blue eyes, which were framed by dark circles.

"Compared to...?"

A soft murmur, heavy with sleepiness and a hint of confusion, came from the ghusbah.

It blinked its big eyes, seemingly not quite understanding the situation yet.

But when it saw Lin, whose hands were pressed against its body, looking like a centenarian but whose eyes were still bright, it realized that...

When it saw the Lucario behind Lin Dao, which was transmitting waveguide at full power and looking anxious, it instantly woke up!

It sensed it! It sensed that pure waveguide power, imbued with a spirit of sacrifice and protection!

I sensed the gene wedge protruding from the chest of the human before me, radiating the aura of the "Dragon of the Dao"!

I could feel the pain, chaos, and cries coming from the forest outside this small space where I was staying!

"Compare! Compare, compare, compare!!" (It's you—the agent of the Dao Dragon—it's you who awakened me? You—how did you become like this?!)

The shaman's telepathic message rang out directly, his voice clear and melodious, yet filled with shock and remorse.

It immediately understood what had happened—this human, in order to awaken itself from a deep slumber caused by the lack of laws and to instinctively activate its strongest defense, had spared no effort in exhausting its life-giving aura power!

As Celebi's consciousness fully awakened, the enormous plant monster that enveloped it, born from its instinctive defense system, began to crumble from the inside, like a sandcastle that had lost its support.

The vines, roots, moss, and mushrooms that make up its trunk lose their vitality, turn yellow and break apart, turning into specks of green light that begin to drift away.

This collapse did not only occur inside the space, but also spread rapidly towards the outside world's Landes Forest like dominoes along all the extending vines!

Outside, Salamence, Arcanine, and Absol, who were battling endless, raging vines, suddenly noticed something before them...

The offensive stalled.

The wildly dancing, purple-glowing vines seemed to be paused. Then, the purple light quickly dimmed and faded, and the vines themselves turned yellow and became fragile at a visible speed. Finally, they broke off and fell off, turning into ordinary withered branches and leaves, scattered all over the ground.

In just a few breaths, the once overwhelming and aggressive sea of ​​vines vanished without a trace.