"Ahaha~"
Minako sighed theatrically. "Little brother, you're really ruthless, no compassion, no tenderness at all."
She shook her head helplessly.
"Since that's the case, your big sister has no choice but to get serious."
With a flick of her wrist, she recalled Jynx into its Poké Ball and drew out another.
Derick said nothing.
He simply stared at Minako, his gaze unwavering.
He still hadn't fulfilled his promise, he hadn't yet given his mother the life she deserved.
No matter what...Nothing would stop him here.
A flash of white light erupted.
A massive Pokémon appeared opposite Lucario, its body resembling a vulture, long feathers tied back like a ponytail, a bone staff fastened in its hair, and jagged jawbones lining its wings and back.
A Dark- and Flying-type Pokémon.
Mandibuzz.
"The final battle between contestant Derick and contestant Minako..."
The referee blew the whistle sharply.
"Lucario versus Mandibuzz officially begins!"
Minako's tone was no longer playful.
"Mandibuzz, Bone Rush!"
Mandibuzz screeched as it dove from the air, bone weapons forming as it locked onto Lucario and crashed downward with savage momentum.
Derick reacted instantly.
"Lucario, dodge!"
Lucario sprinted across the battlefield. Mandibuzz's attack smashed into the ground, missing by a hair.
Minako frowned and immediately pressed the assault.
"Air Slash!"
Almost simultaneously, Derick countered.
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"
Whoosh!
A razor-sharp blade of compressed air tore forward as a glowing blue sphere of Aura rocketed to meet it.
The two attacks collided midair.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rolling across the arena. Thick smoke billowed outward, completely obscuring both Pokémon from view.
Lucario remained alert, stance low and guarded.
Derick's eyes narrowed.
If I were her… I'd use the smoke to strike.
"Lucario," he ordered calmly, "stay ready. Prepare to counter."
Suddenly, Mandibuzz burst out of the smoke, its entire body wrapped in violently spinning air currents as it hurled itself forward like a living missile.
It was, Brave Bird!
The audience gasped.
But what happened next shocked them even more.
"Oh my god, Lucario!"
A wave of stunned cries swept through the stands.
Lucario didn't retreat.
Its aura surged violently, pushing past its limits.
Blue energy exploded outward as Lucario charged forward, meeting Mandibuzz head-on.
Boom!!
The collision was deafening.
Mandibuzz was sent flying backward, slamming into a massive stone pillar at the edge of the arena before crashing to the ground and rolling several times.
Lucario staggered, breathing heavily.
The recoil from Brave Bird had clearly done serious damage.
But Derick didn't hesitate.
"Lucario, end it!"
"Mandibuzz, get up!" Minako shouted desperately.
But the massive recoil from Brave Bird had left Mandibuzz dizzy and disoriented. It struggled, wings twitching uselessly, unable to even stand, its vision spinning.
Lucario was already moving.
Its hands glowed as dense Aura gathered, forming a crushing blow.
Boom!
The attack landed squarely, smashing into Mandibuzz's body and pinning it to the ground.
Mandibuzz groaned, barely regaining consciousness, only to see Lucario standing right before it.
What awaited it was the full force of a Fighting-type Pokémon's most terrifying physical power.
"Finish it. Close Combat!"
Lucario surged forward, aura blazing.
The decisive blow landed.
After taking the full force of the exchange, combined with the terrifying recoil from its own Brave Bird, Mandibuzz's eyes finally rolled back. Its body went limp, completely unable to move again.
Lucario staggered and dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
The battle was over.
It turned its head toward its Trainer, its gaze steady, as if asking a single question.
Did I do well?
"Lucario…" Derick smiled and raised his thumb.
"You did an amazing job."
The referee stepped forward, checked Mandibuzz's condition, then raised the flag.
"Mandibuzz has lost the ability to battle."
"In the first qualifying match, Trainer Derick from Castelia City advances."
"Damn it!" Minako stomped her foot in frustration, but it was already decided.
A brief silence followed.
Then the arena erupted.
Cheers surged like a tidal wave as commoners and nobles alike celebrated the birth of a victor.
Standing amid the roaring crowd, Derick clenched his fists.
A strange, unfamiliar emotion welled up inside him.
'So this is what it feels like. To have your effort witnessed, and to win.'
Feeling a little awkward, he imitated the gentlemanly bow he had seen earlier, saluting the audience before recalling Lucario and heading backstage.
In a quiet corner high in the stands, Lucien and Anna had watched the entire battle.
"Anna," Lucien said with a faint smile, "it seems winning the championship won't be easy."
These Trainers had truly surprised him.
In just one year, they had already reached this level.
"I won't lose so easily," Anna replied confidently, her faith in Zoroark unwavering.
Lucien glanced at her.
"But do you know why that Mandibuzz lost?"
"Hm…" Anna thought carefully.
"Teacher, was it because Lucario used a move that doubled the damage?"
Lucien nodded slightly.
"So that's it!" Anna's eyes lit up.
"Brave Bird already has terrifying power, and after the recoil and counterforce stack up, the total impact becomes overwhelming. Mandibuzz simply couldn't withstand it."
"Correct," Lucien said approvingly.
"But more importantly, Brave Bird is a move that charges forward without retreat. It uses immense impact force, but at the same time rapidly drains stamina and causes serious self injury."
He looked at Anna calmly.
"If you were to face a Lucario like that later, how would you deal with it?"
"Of course I would have Zoroark use our strongest ability, Illusion," Anna replied without hesitation.
Lucien chuckled and shook his head.
"If you rely on that alone, I'm afraid it won't be very effective against a Pokémon like Lucario."
"Why?" Anna asked, puzzled.
"Because Lucario is an Aura Pokémon," Lucien explained.
"They possess extraordinarily powerful Aura perception."
"At certain levels, they do not even need their eyes. By relying solely on Aura, they can sense their surroundings, objects, and even their opponent's movements."
He paused, his tone turning serious.
"A sufficiently powerful Lucario can detect changes in the environment across several kilometers purely through Aura."