Korrina's pupils contracted; she was deeply shocked. It was the same move—Mach Punch—yet her Lucario's execution speed had been completely overwhelmed. This was a first!
However, this was Ash's Lucario, after all. While she couldn't perceive the opponent's Aura like her grandfather could, she possessed the keen eye of a Gym Leader; Ash's Lucario was at a higher level, so losing the clash was all but inevitable.
Korrina shook her head to clear away distracting thoughts, her azure eyes burning with intensified fighting spirit.
"The stronger, the better! Lucario, use Force Palm!"
Korrina's Lucario steadied its stance and thrust its right palm forward; an invisible wave of force blasted through the air toward Ash's Lucario.
"Dodge it, then use Bullet Punch!" Ash reacted instantly.
Ash's Lucario sidestepped; the Force Palm grazed its fur, blasting a shallow crater into the ground. Pushing off the earth, it drove its right fist—gleaming with a metallic luster—straight at the opponent's midsection like a bullet!
At that moment, Korrina's Lucario left itself wide open, seemingly vulnerable. Just as the Bullet Punch was about to land—
"Now! Counter!!" Korrina shouted sharply.
Korrina's Lucario glowed with a strange light. It took the Bullet Punch head-on, but the instant it absorbed the impact, it concentrated that doubled energy into its arms and unleashed a fierce counter-strike against its opponent!
"Oh no!" Misty cried out from the sidelines.
Ash, however, remained unfazed. "Lucario, Detect!"
At the critical moment, a blue light flashed in the eyes of Ash's Lucario. Channeling its Aura to the limit, it clearly perceived every twitch of the opponent's muscles and every shift in energy flow.
Its body twisted at an incredible angle; the force of the Counter attack grazed past it and blasted into empty air—missing by a mere hair's breadth! "What?!" Korrina's eyes widened in astonishment.
This combo was a move she and her Lucario had perfected over a long period of coordination; they would deliberately expose a weakness to bait the opponent into attacking, then deliver a devastating blow using Counter.
Normally, an opponent would experience a brief moment of immobility after using a skill. Combined with the fact that her Lucario was fully prepared, the probability of landing the hit was effectively one hundred percent.
Yet, Ash's Lucario had managed to use Detect in that exact situation—it was simply monstrous!
Detect is an absolute defensive move, much like Protect; the difference is that while Protect blocks any attack of a similar level, Detect allows the user to dodge the opponent's attack with one hundred percent certainty.
Though the mechanisms differ, the outcome is largely the same: neutralizing the opponent's attack.
However, Detect is different from Protect. While it guarantees priority, it places much stricter demands on the user's physical movements. Given the posture Ash's Lucario was in, even if it had anticipated her Lucario's attack, it shouldn't have been able to dodge it!
Ash's Lucario clearly possessed something special beyond just raw power. But no matter how unique Ash's Lucario might be, she wouldn't lose; when it came to the bond shared with their Pokémon, she and her Lucario were second to none in the world!
She would bridge the gap in strength through the bond and synergy she shared with her partner!
"Lucario, Bone Rush!"
Korrina's Lucario clapped its palms together, condensing Aura into two glowing white bone staffs, and unleashed a relentless, storm-like barrage of attacks!
A sharp glint appeared in Ash's eyes as he shouted, "Lucario, Close Combat!"
Ash's Lucario surged forward, unleashing a continuous stream of punches, elbows, knees, and kicks, each strike packed with astonishing power.
Even with the aid of the bone staffs, Korrina's Lucario was forced into a steady retreat! Yet, a move like Close Combat failed to take down Korrina's Lucario right away; it merely secured a slight advantage.
This turn of events brought a look of delight to Korrina's face, while causing Gurkinn's thick white eyebrows to furrow.
Korrina was pleased that her Lucario could withstand the onslaught from Ash's Lucario, attributing it to her own Lucario's superior battle experience—though that was merely her own assumption.
Korrina's Lucario was at the "Gym Leader-Intermediate" level; while possessing a Pokémon of this caliber was impressive for someone her age, it paled in comparison to Ash's Lucario.
Ash's Lucario had reached the "Elite Four" level. There is a world of difference between an Elite Four-level Pokémon and those below that tier; while battle experience can certainly bridge some gaps in level, it cannot overcome a disparity of that magnitude.
The seasoned Gurkinn could see that Ash's Lucario was formidable for more than just its high level. In terms of raw stats, it might well be unrivaled among Pokémon at the "Elite Four-Beginner" stage; even many "Elite Four-Intermediate" Pokémon might not match Ash's Lucario in sheer numerical power.
Under these circumstances, how could Korrina's Lucario possibly hold its own against Ash's Lucario?
"That Lucario..." Gurkinn stood at the edge of the arena, a glint of surprise flashing in his aged eyes. "...is learning!"
Experience counts for a lot; Gurkinn had finally discerned the true objective behind the actions of Ash and his Lucario.
Although Ash's Lucario was attacking fiercely, the power behind its blows clearly didn't reflect the full force of an Elite Four-level Pokémon. Instead, its initially somewhat unpolished combos were becoming increasingly fluid during the fight; unnecessary wind-up motions were being discarded, and its attack trajectories were becoming increasingly cunning and unpredictable.
It was absorbing its opponent's experience during the battle, transforming the combat insights of Korrina's Lucario into its own. Combat experience is something that usually improves steadily only through the accumulation of constant battles and training; however, there are actually shortcuts one can take.
By battling a more experienced Pokémon of the same species, one can learn far more from the opponent's every move than in a standard battle.
However, achieving this requires two things: first, the ability to withstand the onslaught of a more experienced opponent; and second, engaging in close-quarters combat to physically internalize the opponent's attack patterns.
To pull this off, one's own strength must surpass that of the opponent. Otherwise, battling a more experienced Pokémon of the same species risks leaving you trapped in a disadvantageous position; furthermore, if you rely on your body to tank hits, you might well be defeated before you ever manage to learn the opponent's techniques.
Generally speaking, however, a Pokémon with superior strength rarely lags far behind in combat experience; Pokémon as extreme outliers as Ash's Lucario are exceedingly rare.
Ash's Lucario possesses immense natural talent—a gift that allowed it to reach the Elite Four level without needing to go through countless battles. In contrast, while Korrina's Lucario is certainly talented, its potential pales in comparison to Ash's.
This disparity is precisely what created the scene currently unfolding on the battlefield.
A weaker Pokémon with more practical combat experience was facing a stronger Pokémon that had deliberately suppressed its own power to gain more battle experience.
Korrina remained completely oblivious to this dynamic; instead, she beamed with delight as her Lucario managed to hold its ground against the onslaught from Ash's Lucario.
"Great! Keep the pressure on! Lucario, Brick Break!"
The bone staff in Korrina's Lucario's hand instantly dissipated; its right palm transformed into a blade-like strike, slashing diagonally downward with fierce momentum.
A gleam flashed in Ash's eyes: "Thunder Punch!"
Ash's Lucario met the attack head-on, its right fist wreathed in crackling electricity—refusing to dodge or retreat.
*Bam!*
Fist and palm collided, sending sparks of electricity flying in all directions. Korrina's Lucario was knocked back half a step by the impact but quickly steadied itself, launching a counterattack with an elbow strike.
Ash's Lucario sidestepped the blow and drove a knee hard into its opponent's midsection, only for Korrina's Lucario to precisely block the strike with its other arm!
The two locked horns once more, trading punches and kicks in a fierce, close-quarters exchange where every blow landed with impact.
Time ticked away.
The battle between the two Lucarios grew increasingly intense. Fists whistled through the air and kicks blurred in rapid succession; every collision made the very air hum with vibration.
*Bam!*
Another clash—Thunder Punch against Brick Break.
At the moment the lightning energy exploded, the ground beneath them finally gave way, cracking apart as debris and gravel flew in all directions.
Korrina finally began to sense that something was amiss. In a contest of complex techniques, her Lucario might have managed to hold its own through sheer experience; yet here, even when matching move for move, the battle remained deadlocked—a scenario that defied logic.
"You... you actually had your Lucario learn our moves right in the middle of the fight!" Korrina exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
Ash grinned in response. "Thanks for the lesson, Korrina. That's the main goal of a Gym challenge, after all. Thanks to you, my Lucario has gained a wealth of combat experience."
"Lucario is actually among the youngest Pokémon on my team—only Togepi is younger. Gardevoir is around the same age, but she has her own mentor. Lucario, on the other hand... has to learn from me. I'd always wanted him to battle an experienced member of his own species, but Lucarios are incredibly rare. That is, until I heard about the Shalour Gym."
Ash slowly explained his reasons for challenging the Shalour Gym. While there were plenty of Gym Leaders with Gym-level strength, the Shalour Gym was the only one he had ever heard of that featured a Lucario. As a Gym Leader, her Lucario's experience would certainly be formidable—at the very least, superior to his own Lucario's.
The only thing he could teach his Lucario was the application of Aura; as for hand-to-hand combat experience, while he did possess the legacy of the Aura Guardian, he could only teach the basics.
To truly improve combat experience, one had to actually fight. However, his Lucario hadn't seen many battles; its level had been raised primarily through training. This was largely due to Ash's journey—he had been traveling for less than a year, after all.
Most of the Pokémon in his team had reached the Gym Leader level, having advanced step by step. Yet, because their talent was exceptional, they didn't linger at any single level for long. Consequently, they had experienced very few battles during the transitions from the Advanced level to the Elite level, and from the Elite level to the Gym Leader level.
Aside from Charizard and Pikachu, who battled frequently, the other Pokémon lacked combat experience commensurate with their current levels—with Lucario being the most extreme case.
That was why Ash believed he could learn a great deal from this battle, even if Korrina's Lucario wasn't at a particularly high level.
"Damn it, are we being used as a whetstone? In that case, let's Mega Evolve!" Korrina gritted her teeth and crossed her arms in front of her chest; the Key Stone on the back of her right hand erupted with brilliant light!
*Boom!* On the field, Korrina's Lucario exerted a burst of power, knocking its opponent back. After performing a few backflips, it puffed out its chest, and a dazzling gem emerged from within—its very own Mega Stone!
As the Key Stone connected with the Mega Stone, Korrina's Lucario began to transform. Seconds later, Mega Lucario stood upon the battlefield!
"Mega Evolution? Is that the Mega Stone passed down through your family's generations, Korrina?"
Ash wasn't overly surprised to see the Mega Evolution; Korrina had mentioned before the match that, thanks to him, they had discovered the true function of their family's heirloom Mega Stone.
Hearing about it is one thing, but seeing it in person is quite another; standing opposite a Mega Lucario now, the feeling was rather strange.
"That's right—my Lucario is invincible now. Even if there's a level gap between him and yours, the bond we share will make up for it!" Korrina declared smugly, hands on her hips and chest puffed out with pride.
Seeing this, Ash's competitive spirit was ignited.
"A bond, huh? The bond between me and my Lucario won't lose to anyone's! Let's do this too—Mega Evolution!"
Although he hadn't originally planned to use Mega Evolution in this battle, Ash raised his right hand high; the Key Stone on his wrist began to glow, and his Lucario immediately shifted into a new stance!
Seconds later, two Mega Lucarios stood on the battlefield. Misty and the others watched, wide-eyed and motionless; it was the first time they had ever seen a battle between two Pokémon of the same species that had both undergone Mega Evolution!
"You're using Mega Evolution too, then... Lucario, strike first—use Extreme Speed!" Korrina's smugness vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she rapidly issued the command.
"Close Combat!" In contrast to Korrina's urgency, Ash remained calm and unhurried; yet, that brief three-word command made Korrina's expression instantly tighten.
Her Lucario had already taken significant damage; if it were hit by the Fighting-type move Close Combat, its stamina might well be completely depleted!
However, since her Lucario was using Extreme Speed, it shouldn't be possible for the opponent to track or catch it.
Her Mega Lucario's figure vanished instantly from the spot, tearing through the air with a sharp, explosive crack!
The very next moment, its right fist was driving straight for the face of Ash's Lucario!
Just as the fist was about to make contact, Ash's Mega Lucario moved. His eyes didn't shift at all, yet his body—as if possessed by precognition—swayed slightly to the side. A punch, surging with immense power, grazed his cheek; in that same instant of evasion, his own right fist was already fully charged with power!
Ash's Lucario crouched slightly, then drove that primed fist hard into his opponent's abdomen!
*Wham!!!*
A heavy, dull thud echoed through the gym! Korrina's Mega Lucario's eyes bulged wide; his body doubled over in agony, and he was sent flying backward as if struck by a cannonball!
"Lucario—!!!" Korrina cried out, her eyes wide with shock.
Yet, nothing could alter the fact that Lucario was being slammed against the wall at the edge of the arena.
With a loud *boom*, the wall cracked, and debris rained down.
Korrina's Lucario slid down the wall and collapsed onto the ground; the power of Mega Evolution dissipated along with his consciousness.
The outcome of the battle was decided in a flash—the winner was Ash's Lucario!