Chapter 769: Lucario's Great Crisis

"To be able to take that move and only suffer minor injuries despite the absolute gap in levels..."

In the crowd lined up in front of the television, Luo Ji, at the very front, had an expression of amazement.

That Annihilape is extremely skilled in power; for this Lucario not to be heavily injured by a single blow is enough for it to brag about for a lifetime.

Luo Ji gained a bit more confidence in his own grandson's victory.

With its Bone Rush so easily shattered and the slight pain in its waist no longer an issue, Lucario had a deeper understanding of Annihilape's strength.

The power of that last blow was already approaching its Comet Punch while in the Perpetual Swords Dance state.

I fear that in this state, I am not qualified to wrestle with Annihilape.

"Lucario!"

Lucario turned its head to look at Su Hao. With their Aura frequencies perfectly in sync, Su Hao knew what Lucario wanted to do without needing a translation. He nodded slightly and said, "Lucario, release your power!"

Upon hearing this, the Perpetual Swords Dance revealed its edge once more. Under the sweep of golden air currents, Lucario's power surged!

A curve appeared at the corner of Luo Xia's mouth; he was not surprised that Su Hao had Lucario activate its enhancement.

After all, only in this way could Lucario compete with Annihilape in power.

I wonder, is Su Hao satisfied with this show of force?

"Extreme Speed—Bullet Punch!"

"Fire Punch!"

Under their commands, Annihilape and Lucario shifted their forms and instantly engaged in battle.

Blazing flames ignited from Annihilape's fists, burning as fiercely as its own rage, striking at the gaps in Lucario's defenses with every punch.

Lucario was not inferior in the slightest; under the blessing of Extreme Speed, its speed had reached an unimaginable realm.

With the support of Aura, Lucario's figure swayed like a willow in the wind, narrowly dodging Annihilape's attacks, and then landed several heavy Bullet Punches, reinforced with steel spikes, onto Annihilape's body!

Amidst a chorus of gasps, Lucario had faintly gained the upper hand for this moment.

But Su Hao's brow did not relax for even a second. Although he held numerous trump cards and could even flip the table if necessary,

those were all reserved for the Fighting-type Elite Four member Chen Qing in the exhibition match. If he had to reveal his trump cards in just a regional semi-final, he might as well go home and farm.

Fighting until now, Annihilape was still relying on its base attributes to battle.

No enhancements, and it hadn't used the move Su Hao feared most.

Lucario's specialty, Aura Sphere, and even its Fighting-type moves were completely sealed; at most, it could only rely on the shockwaves of explosions to attack Annihilape, but for an Annihilape with such a sturdy constitution, that was like a drop in the bucket.

It was not as effective as using Steel-type and Ground-type moves to deal damage.

After battling fiercely for several more minutes, both Lucario and Annihilape were carrying injuries. Overall, Lucario had fewer due to timely dodging, while Annihilape could fully endure it thanks to its powerful constitution.

Unless there is a crushing difference in strength, it is not easy to determine a winner in high-level battles.

Suddenly, Luo Xia spoke with an expression that was one part arrogance, two parts excitement, three parts regret, and four parts indifference: "The Perpetual Swords Dance is very useful, isn't it?"

"?"

Before the question mark could even appear above Su Hao's head, Luo Xia ordered: "Annihilape, unseal Swords Dance!"

In an instant, a thick, blood-red aura surged out from within Annihilape. A powerful pressure enveloped the entire arena, and its momentum skyrocketed, instantly surpassing Lucario in its Perpetual Swords Dance state!

"Damn..."

Su Hao's mouth twitched. He had truly never heard that Luo Xia also possessed the Perpetual secret technique, but thinking of his grandfather, the former Ghost-type Elite Four, everything seemed so reasonable.

Luo Xia laughed heartily, shouting because of his high spirits: "Finish it, Close Combat!!"

Under Luo Xia's command, Annihilape shattered the specially-made material of the arena with every step, gaining immense power; naturally, its speed became even faster.

Driven by this force, Annihilape's speed surged, turning into a gray-red afterimage as it charged at Lucario!

Lucario

Cold sweat slid down its forehead; it felt as if it had been locked onto by a prehistoric beast!

It quickly used Extreme Speed to increase its velocity, wanting to escape Annihilape's lock-on, but if Lucario's base value was 100 and 300 after Swords Dance, then Annihilape's base value was 290, and after the Perpetual Swords Dance enhancement, it was 870!!

But... fast! It was simply too fast!

Lucario only now realized how ridiculous the big sister Diancie had been when she fought against Professional-level opponents while at the Elite level!

In just a blur, Annihilape caught up to Lucario's pace in the blink of an eye. Its fists turned into a dozen shadows, sealing all of Lucario's retreat paths, and then the super-effective Close Combat exploded on Lucario's body!

Bang bang bang bang———!!!

Lucario, which had been able to match Annihilape during the burst period by relying on the Perpetual Swords Dance, saw the situation take a sharp turn for the worse once the opponent also revealed their trump card, falling into a great crisis!

"Awooooo—!"

Annihilape, as if venting an anger that would never retreat, frantically struck Lucario with its fists, while constantly shouting high-pitched lines that sounded like "Ora Ora."

Lucario felt the intense pain coming from all over its body, and its consciousness gradually became blurred. It realized it had fallen into the greatest crisis since its birth... but!

A crisis is also an opportunity!

The words Su Hao had specifically told it before participating in the competition, and the methods of using Aura he had once taught it, leaped into Lucario's mind at this moment!

【Aura is like water; it nourishes things silently. Shape it according to your thoughts, and Aura will respond to you.】

Under Su Hao's silent gaze, in this moment of crisis, Lucario felt as if it had been enlightened, finally understanding how Su Hao had obtained power surpassing Pokémon with a mere human body.

Its blood was boiling, and its Aura was surging—

The opportunity for a breakthrough had arrived quietly at this very moment.

In an instant, a dazzling azure light erupted from the center of Lucario, sweeping across the entire arena with a forceful posture. A strong wind was whipped up, and even Annihilape, who was enjoying the fight, was directly blown away several meters by this suddenly erupted power!

Even the three pairs of combinations battling in the other three sectors stopped their actions, looking toward Sector B with shock.

What... exactly happened there?

Qin Gang, who was in a fierce battle with his opponent, also panted and raised his head, his pupils trembling slightly as he muttered: "This is... Aura?"

At the same time, under the astonished gazes of Annihilape and Luo Xia, a pair of eyes, clearer and brighter than the sky, and more brilliant and azure than the ocean, slowly opened.

Pressure descended upon their heads.

————————————

Mega Lucario, Fighting + Steel type, Ability: Adaptability.

After Mega Lucario Mega Evolves, energy and Aura surge wildly within its body, carving black marks all over its entire body.

The expansion of Aura brought about by Mega Evolution bathes it in explosive energy, triggering the awakening of its fighting instinct.

Driven by this fighting instinct, it uses various means to attack the enemy without mercy. Moving forward ruthlessly, it concentrates all its spirit to challenge the enemy before it. In battle, it displays a ruthless style, driving its opponent into a desperate situation.