On the top floor of the Tower of Waters, one of the legendary martial arts, the Secret Art of Water, awaited. In the card game, there were as many as six Scroll item cards, and if the Scrolls of Darkness and Waters were included, the number of legendary martial arts reached eight.
But Kubfu could not evolve into new types through the other six scrolls.
The same principle still applied: creatures that could turn into different types were already covered by Silvally and Ogerpon!
Besides, Rapid Strike Urshifu was already absurdly strong. Unless the opponent had Rough Skin and a Rocky Helmet, a few punches and kicks were basically enough to kill anything that showed up. Focus Sash and Endure would not help either.
In other words, the thing Surging Strikes feared the most was the Rocky Helmet.
Mustard said, "The Scroll of Waters is like the tide: it surges in, then recedes."
"Dodge hostility while observing your opponent's movements. Probe their strength. A river may be swift at times and calm at others. In battle, you must move without pause, like flowing water. On defense, block your opponent with motions as gentle as a murmuring stream. When your fists and feet reach the highest level of offense, they become like endless waves."
"Then I suppose the time has come for evolution, hasn't it?"
Master Mustard had still recommended that this Kubfu take the Single Strike path, but after seeing the hard, forceful combat style Hikaru used, as well as the quantified power of its punches, even Mustard could not help feeling his heart stir.
This was the grand secret art that could break through the barrier of martial mastery!
"What is stronger than waves are tsunamis and raging billows."
"Hūṃ!"
A vajra guardian. A divine protector.
The cry of the closed-mouthed guardian, the Rapid Strike Style!
Although water-flow martial arts usually focused on using softness to overcome hardness, Surging Strikes was, in truth, hardness overcoming hardness. This move was even more absurd than Wicked Blow!
Borrowing force to redirect force?
No such thing!
"Teacher's best style is rapid consecutive attacks, settling the battle within a single turn. Though he also understands single-strike moves very well."
Bea watched the powerful aura rising from Kubfu's body and recalled the training it had undergone at the Training Rock.
Raising a move's power to the limit, breaking through the barriers of type and innate potential, and deciding victory in one breath.
"Those things don't conflict," Peony said from the side, shaking his head. "I told you, power is a stat too. If your strength reaches a certain level, that's a top-tier technique in its own right!"
As a Steel-type user, Peony was most skilled at pushing the power of Steel to its limit. That was because there was a certain Pokémon on his team.
It possessed an extremely, extremely rare Ability that could raise the power of Steel!
Peony said, "For example, Steel is a little lacking offensively and somewhat weak compared to Fighting, but defensively, it's top-class. For me, though, Steel is an attacking type."
"When it comes to worshiping power, this guy really is just like me. We're both Steel specialists!"
They quietly waited for the moment of evolution to arrive, while Kubfu engraved the secret art within the Scroll of Waters into its heart.
Its heart began to pound, thump, thump, thump, like drums shaking the sky.
Kubfu's pupils kept contracting. Its aura rose higher and higher, as if it had been thrown into the open sea amid a violent storm.
River water was sometimes swift and sometimes calm. The sea, however, was always unfathomable. There were times when the surface lay peaceful and windless, but in the depths of the ocean, waves and storms raged all year round.
Turn that power into your own!
That was the secret art of force.
Gather your anger, then release it!
Brilliant white light burst outward. Kubfu grasped the ultimate principle contained within the genuine Scroll of Waters.
It evolved into Urshifu, Rapid Strike Style!
"It evolved successfully! Now we can see the true power that surpasses the ultimate principle of Water—"
"Urshifu learned Surging Strikes!"
Mustard looked happily at the newly evolved Urshifu before him, but then he suddenly sensed something off. Unlike his own Urshifu, whose mind was calm and steady, this one, perhaps because of the difference in Ability, seemed to have entered a certain state after evolution.
Hikaru said, "Its Nature is still Hardy. That hasn't changed. Of course, something like that couldn't change too drastically."
Pokémon whose personalities changed outright after evolving, almost as if they had been possessed, like Mr. Charizard, were still the minority.
However, during its evolution, Urshifu had indeed grasped something extraordinary.
Water was not originally an attacking type. It was a defensive pivot type. Only a small number of Pokémon, such as the Prince of the Sea and Kyogre, could turn the power of Water into offensive force. Pokémon like Pelipper, the rain-team captain, usually used Hurricane even when attacking under rain.
Flying had much stronger offensive coverage than Water.
Of course, Water was super effective against Ground and Fire, two popular types, and it also suppressed Rock, which was powerful offensively. That was where its value lay.
"Turn the power of water into your own anger."
A light drizzle began to fall on the top floor of the Tower of Waters. Dark clouds and streams formed inside the tower, and Urshifu pushed open a window before leaping out like lightning.
The anger and joy in its heart could not be suppressed, just like the tides of the sea.
Bea said, "It jumped straight down?!"
Peony said, "Oh dear, this Urshifu's condition looks a little strange."
Everyone gathered by the window. Since the Tower of Waters stood in the western part of the Isle of Armor, on Challenge Beach, and the beach extended into the waters and reefs of the Stepping-Stone Sea, the area around them was filled with clear blue water reflecting the sky.
At this point in time, before the Rotom Bike had been developed, freely riding across water was no easy task. One needed a single-person water scooter developed in the Hoenn region, which was supposedly very popular among Trainers.
Of course, the simpler option was to catch a Water-type Pokémon and have it use Surf.
Mustard said, "This is the Stepping-Stone Sea. As the name suggests, many reefs, deserted islands, and sandbars are scattered nearby. It is home to many marine Pokémon."
"Urshifu's power triggered rain. That must be the move Rain Dance. It learned the technique from the Scroll of Waters at the same time. For Water-type Pokémon, mastering Rain Dance means gaining even greater power."
"However, battle methods involving weather are not very popular in the Galar region yet."
Hikaru nodded as well.
"In the Galar region, Raihan is the only one skilled at weather tactics, right?"
Granted, Galar's League competition could be considered long-standing among all regional Leagues.
However, in the design drafts, even the Kanto region, which was called the pioneer of Pokémon battles, only had a battle history of around fifty to sixty years. The Unova League was roughly in that same range, while Galar's battle history was around seventy years.
Still, that seventy years came with a little padding, since the Sword and Shield era was several years after the Kanto era.
So, with the timeline deliberately compressed in later generations, the founding of its League was probably around sixty-plus years ago.
Galar had already possessed Gyms in the past, giving it a fairly long League battle history. But tactics involving weather, just like in other regions, only began to grow popular after people witnessed the terror of the Hoenn region's disaster.
In fact, Raihan's weather tactics had been perfected with help from Kabu, who was originally from Hoenn.
After discovering Torkoal on the Isle of Armor that could alter the weather, Kabu recommended it to the Dragon-type Gym Leader. That contained a hint of Hoenn's past.
All that could be said was that weather moves and weather-related Abilities had probably only been discovered in recent years.
Mustard said, "Look! That little bear is about to throw a punch. What kind of raging wave will it stir up? Speaking of which, Hikaru-chan, you should have sensed it too, right? That Urshifu has mastered some sort of special move."
"Did it master it because of its Ability and battle style, or because of something else?"
"That thing, right? Regional environment!" Peony laughed loudly and looked at Hikaru. "What this guy told me before about regional forms and the environmental influence on Pokémon was really interesting!"
"You're presenting something related to it in the academic world this year, right? Too bad I'm not a professor. Otherwise, I'd definitely go join the fun."
As an individual, Peony really had no way to attend an academic summit. Although if he wanted to, he could participate as a member of Macro Cosmos, but he would never do that.
Mustard said, "Explorers, martial artists, and academic researchers are people from different fields. Sometimes, the results discovered by professors are extremely helpful for training. Compared with experience one spends decades fumbling toward, their work is far more systematic and clear."
"Regional environment, hm? What an interesting argument."
Hikaru said, "However, although I did discuss regional environment with Mr. Peony, I don't think Urshifu's ability to master new moves after evolving came from regional-environment switching."
"Before evolution, Kubfu had an organ in its lower abdomen that could produce Fighting-type energy. Through its unique breathing method and concentration, it could enhance its own abilities. But while that's true, what improved was only its fighting spirit. As for the power of its moves, the increase wasn't exactly obvious."
"That's something that can't be quantified with stats. So when its fighting spirit, or rather its aura, is raised to the limit…"
"Just like how, long ago, Urshifu seems to have only had the Single Strike Style. The cultural environment—in other words, human activity—can also influence the improvement of Pokémon power. And martial arts are something created by humans."
"Oh! How learned of you. You even know that?" Mustard stroked his beard, clearly delighted. "Long ago, Single Strike Style Urshifu lived in mountainous regions far away. By running along sheer cliffs, they trained their hips and legs, tempered their moves, and drove their well-honed fists into their foes with a single blow. One-hit knockout was their creed."
"Thus, the divine messenger said since ancient times to purge evil spirits through anger was the Single Strike Style Urshifu."
"Later, as martial arts changed, Water-style Urshifu appeared. When facing it, some people feel shaken, as if the depths of their hearts have been seen through. Others feel as though the evil within them has been purified. It is said that evil-hearted people will die on the spot merely from being glared at by its anger-hidden eyes."
"And so, the second divine messenger was born."
Hikaru said, "Which means this is the moment to answer that legend."
Urshifu, Rapid Strike Style, learned Iron Defense!
Urshifu, Rapid Strike Style, learned Rage!
Iron Defense was a move Urshifu could learn through a Technical Machine. As a martial artist, knowing hard qigong was not surprising at all. Iron Defense was the representative of that kind of qigong, and Bulk Up carried part of that implication as well.
The new move, however, was unexpected.
"It didn't learn Mat Block. Instead, it learned Rage first…"
After Lucario's Ultra Instinct, had an Ultra Ego that grew stronger by taking hits appeared?
So this was the fist style Kubfu had been seeking, the martial art that released all of its power!
"Although it isn't Belly Drum, it should be quite useful in Fighting-type competitions and battles."
"However, Urshifu's offensive typing is so strong that people tend to overlook the fact that both its HP and Defense base stats reach 100."
The reason it gave people the impression of being frail, and the reason Focus Sash Rapid Strike Urshifu appeared all the time, was probably because Urshifu's Special Defense was weak, and because the battle environment was crawling with Shadow Rider Calyrex.
Battle culture had worsened by the day. Not a single Generation VIII Pokémon was easy to deal with!
What a sinful king!
"Rage. If the user is hit after using the move, its Attack rises through the power of anger. When it is hit by a multi-strike move…"
"Rage can trigger every single time!"
The classic Rage tactic was probably Rage plus Weak Armor Onix.
That was also the most famous source of the legendary 13,000 Attack stat.
Rage and Weak Armor worked together to max out Attack and Speed. After that, with a teammate's help, the only thing left was Helping Hand Earthquake, no allies spared.
"I've never heard of that move. It gets stronger when it takes hits?!"
"But even with such an incredible ability, letting it charge out here is still very dangerous."
Bea's expression turned serious. "Although Urshifu is called the Secret Armor, a spear that can destroy any offense, there are many frightening and troublesome things in the nearby sea…"
Mustard said, "Heh-heh. You mean Sharpedo, don't you?"
"Indeed. The reason the Tower of Waters was built here is because Urshifu possesses powerful fist techniques and strength. Once it masters Unseen Fist, no matter what kind of enemy it faces, or what protecting move they use, it can punch through them. However, when it faces an opponent with Rough Skin, things can become rather unpleasant. That too is part of training."
"Look. They're already here!"
Following the direction Mustard pointed, everyone saw it.
A violent wave appeared like a mad dog. It was still far away, but it was already rushing toward them.
Peony said, "Oh! Here they come! The Isle of Armor's famous jet-propelled Sharpedo!"
Bea said, "No, that is not some scenic feature or local specialty. It's an extremely dangerous thing!"
"They're bullies of the sea. And for some reason, Galar's Sharpedo are especially ferocious. When training in the waters around Galar, you have to be especially, especially careful!"
Hikaru said, "They're not only ferocious. They can also swim an extremely long distance. That too is an influence of the regional environment."
"Sharpedo can shoot seawater from the holes in its rear and swim at 120 kilometers per hour. But in regions like Hoenn, Sharpedo can't maintain that speed over long distances. In the Galar region, however, they seem to have had their limiters removed!"
"Then we'll start showing our true power as well!"
Hikaru turned and left the tower. The others exchanged glances, then followed him down.
When they arrived outside the tower, Urshifu was fighting the wild Pokémon nearby.
Rain poured in sheets. Amid the violent wind and rain, the water bear's fists carried sharp waves of air, like a storm capable of overturning the sea.
In a single instant, it mastered the move.
Power unleashed!
Strong Style: Surging Strikes!
"Golduck, Kingler, Crawdaunt…"
The Pokémon living on the sandbar were scattered by Urshifu's fists. But from the look of it, even though quite a few Pokémon here could possess an Ability that protected them from critical hits…
Hikaru said, "Under rain, that's a 1.5-times boost. Then there's same-type attack bonus, the Strong Style boost, and guaranteed critical hits."
Mustard said, "Ha-ha, what would the power be? This old man has never thought of quantifying the power of fists before. Still, now that it's a move, of course it must have power."
Hikaru said, "Under rain, its power is around 600!"
Peony's face filled with shock. "Six hundred? Hey, hey, isn't that number way too high?! Did someone make a mistake somewhere? Can the data those professors write really be trusted?!"
Terrifying!
"Good thing this isn't a Fighting-type move. Otherwise, that would be ugly."
If this were a Fighting-type move and that punch landed on a Steel-type Pokémon, even a body of reinforced steel would have its bones broken.
But even without a super-effective relationship, this punch was still terrifying.
Bea bit her finger.
"So that means just relying on weather, Urshifu's own abilities, and the punching power of Strong Style is enough to reach this level. It hasn't even used the corresponding boosting item, and it hasn't had any stat increases."
"This is just… its normal state?!"
"It's simply a monster!"
Urshifu's fists were shattering the massive rocks on the sandbar with unmatched force.
Then, a large-bodied Pokémon appeared.
Mustard said, "Oh-ho, isn't that the big Kingler living nearby? That fellow's claws have ten thousand horsepower and are as hard as steel!"
"But wild Pokémon that take pride in their giant pincers and train their strength don't have the Shell Armor Ability!"
The Ability Hyper Cutter was still too weak. Although it prevented Attack from being lowered during battle, that basically only guarded against Intimidate.
Intimidate was a very important battle Ability, while Hyper Cutter, which defended against Intimidate, was not very impressive. A large part of the reason was that superior Abilities overshadowed it. On top of that, the Pokémon with it did not have strong enough stats. Either they lacked Speed, or they lacked stamina.
This was like saying "destroying something by battle is the most effective form of removal, but resistance to battle destruction is the most useless resistance." In short, the battle-destruction paradox.
Kingler waved its enormous pincer and used Crabhammer!
Bea said, "A ten-thousand-horsepower Crabhammer…"
Peony said, "Oh, come on! Horsepower is way too vague. Besides, what does ten thousand horsepower count for? There's a move called High Horsepower! Multiply it by ten first, then come back to me!"
Just as the steel old-timer said, Kingler's fist slammed hard into Urshifu's body, but it did not shake Urshifu in the slightest.
The light of Iron Defense spread across its body. Coupled with Rage's aura, its Attack rose by one stage.
Defense plus two. Attack plus one.
The more it was hit, the stronger it became. Its aura and strength would continue rising.
"King?!"
Kingler's expression filled with shock. Its already huge eyes widened even further.
A pincer with ten thousand horsepower. This was a pincer with ten thousand horsepower!
You're a monster!
"King" was Kingler's cry, and also the origin of the name Kingler. It meant the king of crabs.
But now, the king of the crab-and-lobster rabble, Kingler, with its base 130 Attack, had met defeat against a land animal.
What followed was an unimaginably powerful punch.
A series of attacks like raging waves nearly smashed its pincers apart, blasting the huge crab into the rocks on the shore. The massive boulders shattered along with it in one breath.
Come back after one stage of Dynamaxing!
"The big Sharpedo is here!"
In the sea, fierce water jets split the ocean in two. The Sharpedo, which had smashed through rocks one after another, also saw the defeat of Kingler, the king of the shore. It roared, and its biological instinct to attack drove it toward Urshifu.
It would not allow something stronger than itself to exist in this sea.
"Sharpedo having a strong territorial instinct is understandable."
"Then here it comes."
Hikaru made a throwing motion and gripped the enhanced Tera Orb in his hand.
"Terastallization!" Bea had seen this battle system before. The training from that time had left her with unforgettable memories and experiences, so under Mustard and Peony's probing gazes, Bea began to explain.
"When that orb is thrown, it absorbs plasma energy in the atmosphere and activates it. What is born afterward is…"
"Another battle system that is the complete opposite of Dynamax! Not only can it change the user's type, but it can also let the user keep using the power of its original-type moves as normal!"
"At the same time, when the new type matches the original type… the power of same-type attack bonus rises to two times!"
Peony was horrified. "Hey, hey, that means according to the previous calculation…"
"Its combat power is over 800!"
"No! Because of Rage, its physical Attack has risen by one stage, so in reality, the total power of the three punches is… 1,200?!"
"Oh dear, those professors must have filled in random numbers. How could there be such ridiculous boosts? Speaking of that Terastallization, that bear has started shining, and there's a blue gem like a fountain on its head!"
In terms of appearance, Water Tera was very beautiful. However, a Dynamaxed Urshifu would become a divine guardian, so when it came to sheer coolness, Dynamax definitely had the advantage.
However, Dynamax required a Power Spot.
Terastallization, once it no longer required charging, could be used at any time!
Mustard said, "Hm. The thing that truly made Urshifu's fist techniques so powerful is not only this battle system called Terastallization."
"I can sense the power of Water bursting from Urshifu's body. It is truly beyond any Water-style martial art this old man has ever seen!"
"And the most important part is that battle technique called Strong Style!"
Bea said, "The battle method I saw Teacher use before was called Agile Style. So these two really are like hard and soft martial arts. They are parts of the same school that coexist!"
Hikaru said, "Exactly. They are battle styles from the distant past. Strong Style and Agile Style are opposites. Strong Style raises the power of your own moves while lowering your mobility."
"Of course, in battle, I can make mistakes many times, but the opponent can only make one!"
Unfortunately, although Surging Strikes was not a standard multi-strike move, it was still a consecutive move. After all, it was the fixed three-punch farmer combo.
If not for that restriction, under Water Tera, its power could have been raised even further. After all, one of Terastallization's little-known effects was that it raised moves with power below 60 up to 60.
Unfortunately, on the physical side of Water-type attacks, the only single-hit move below 60 power was the priority move Aqua Jet, so it could not benefit from Terastallization's hidden boost.
Otherwise, even without Surging Strikes, Rapid Strike Urshifu could rely on a rain-boosted Water Tera Aqua Jet to kill plenty of random opponents. Boosts became more frightening the higher the base value was.
The large Sharpedo roared and charged in, while Urshifu clenched its fists and entered a rapid-strike stance.
Raise the anger of water to the maximum!
When Sharpedo crashed toward it, Urshifu neither dodged nor retreated.
Mustard said, "One strike, two strikes… oh! It's constantly using Rage to raise its own power."
Peony said, "That's about enough. Its power has already grown too high to calculate!"
Bea said, "It has risen to… the sixth stage!"
Urshifu's eyes seemed to vanish in that instant. Its muscles swelled, and its furious roar stirred wind and clouds over the sea. The attacking Sharpedo kept biting and striking until now…
Hiss! This wasn't right! Hey, is this thing using me as a target dummy?!
Why does it keep getting stronger the more I hit it?!
Hikaru laughed softly.
"Although Galar's Sharpedo have become faster, and the distance they can swim has grown longer, allowing them to endlessly attack people and boats on the sea, they also lost something under the influence of the regional environment."
"When you gain an ecosystem, you lose a move. Have you forgotten about Rage?"
If it went to another region, it could still learn it.
But here, no.
Because in the Galar region, there was no Rage move! The entire concept of Dynamax was supposed to make Pokémon go berserk, yet there was no Rage TM?!
The big Sharpedo said, "A-a monster!"
Even Sharpedo, which committed every evil imaginable on the sea, had its face twist in terror. The shark stared blankly at the Urshifu before it, then suddenly turned and tried to flee.
But did it really think it could offend a martial artist and run?
"Hūṃ!"
How could Water- and Dark-type attacks possibly work on a Water/Fighting type? What was that just now?
So you're the one who's been attacking passing ships and swimming enthusiasts out at sea?
Punishing evil and bringing criminals to justice would happen today. Just like Palafin's creed, all evil would eventually be brought before the law!
"You say I'm… a monster?"
"No! I am… a messenger of the gods!"
Dun☆dun!
The legendary Super Urshifu!
Un! Seen! Fist!
One punch split the sea!
And once again… the bedrock!
(End of Chapter)
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