After lunch.
At that moment, Ethan and Lucas were heading to the laboratory.
On the way there, they passed by the area where the Silver family raised their Pokémon.
Since the Silver family specialized in Steel-type Pokémon, most of the Pokémon there naturally belonged to that type. In addition, many of the Pokémon also had Steel-type evolutions.
"That is... a Riolu."
At that instant, Ethan saw three Riolu playing on the grass and couldn't help widening his eyes slightly.
Riolu had the appearance of a small dog, its body was blue, it had a blue tail and a yellow collar. It was an extremely spiritual Pokémon.
Moreover, Riolu could see a type of wave called "aura." It used this wave to communicate with its companions, to sense the feelings of humans and Pokémon, and to observe nature.
That was why Riolu was an extremely rare Pokémon. He hadn't expected to suddenly see three of them.
"Are you interested in Riolu?"
Lucas's voice sounded behind Ethan.
"Mm. Riolu is a very rare Pokémon, so naturally I'm interested."
Ethan nodded without denying it. If possible, he also wanted to capture one.
"By the way, Riolu is incredibly rare, and its evolution, Lucario, is even stronger. Lucas, haven't you raised one?"
Ethan turned his head and looked at Lucas in doubt.
"Actually, I am raising a Riolu. One of those three is mine. But evolving a Riolu is too difficult. Until now, mine hasn't managed to evolve into Lucario."
Lucas shrugged helplessly. He was also very frustrated by his Riolu's inability to evolve.
While they spoke, the three Riolu also noticed Ethan and Lucas. One of them ran over with a bit of shyness; clearly, it was the Riolu raised by Lucas.
"Still unable to evolve?"
Ethan narrowed his eyes, already suspecting the reason.
For Riolu to evolve into Lucario, it needed to reach 220 friendship points and also evolve during the day.
Although that Riolu seemed to obey Lucas very well, there was still a certain distance between them. It was evident that its friendship level was not as high as it should be.
"So, Ethan?"
"Do you have any good ideas?"
Lucas watched Ethan, who had fallen deep into thought, with his eyes slightly narrowed.
He knew Ethan had extensive knowledge about evolutions, so perhaps he could figure out a method to help Riolu evolve.
"How did the other Lucario evolve?"
After thinking for a moment, Ethan asked to better understand the Silver family's situation.
"In our family there are around ten Riolu, but until now, only my mother's has managed to evolve into Lucario. We don't know the reason." Lucas frowned slightly. "As for my father's Lucario, he captured it directly in a Secret Kingdom."
Although it was true that some rare Pokémon were difficult to evolve—such as pseudo-legendaries, which took a long time even with complete breeding methods—the case of Riolu was even more extreme. It was even harder than evolving pseudo-legendaries, which was very strange.
And it also seemed like it wasn't a problem that could be resolved simply with time.
For example, Lucas's grandfather's Riolu still hadn't evolved even now. That was already abnormal.
"Only one has evolved in so many years?" Ethan also frowned.
Was it really that hard to build friendship?
Or did Riolu's evolution in the real world require additional special conditions?
Even so, the fact that Lucas's mother's Riolu had evolved meant that the evolution was indeed possible.
"Can you think of anything?"
Lucas asked again, his tone full of expectation.
Lucario was a Pokémon of great strength and appearance, so naturally he wanted to solve the mystery of its evolution.
"This is my first time dealing directly with Riolu. How could I have an answer already?"
"But if you're willing to give me one to investigate, I may be able to find the method for its evolution."
Ethan's eyes glimmered slightly as he said this.
Naturally, he knew Riolu's evolution method, but only a fool would reveal it for free.
If the Silver family really gave him a Riolu...
Once he evolved his own, he wouldn't mind sharing the method with them.
"Give you a Riolu?"
Lucas froze, doubt showing on his face.
Riolu was extremely rare; the Silver family only had those three. Giving one to Ethan was something difficult to accept.
But if Ethan really could solve the mystery of its evolution... then trading a Riolu for that information would be a bargain.
After all, a Riolu that couldn't evolve didn't have high combat power. Despite its rarity, its breeding value was limited.
Seeing Lucas's shifting expression, Ethan didn't insist. Riolu's evolution depended on friendship, something that couldn't be achieved overnight.
Even if the Silver family were willing to give him one, Lucas wouldn't obtain the evolution method in the short term. Nobody knew how long it would take—not even Ethan.
Therefore, he wasn't going to make reckless promises. A trade had to be done willingly by both parties, without attachment to gain or loss.
"I can't make that decision. When you're about to leave, I'll give you an answer." Lucas hesitated a bit but didn't reject the idea outright, which made Ethan feel a bit of anticipation.
After saying goodbye to the three Riolu, the two continued toward the laboratory. Along the way, Ethan also saw some Drilbur and made a mental note of it. He planned to return later.
Although Lucas had promised to give him Excadrill's full breeding method and food recipe, observing them up close would be even better.
In addition, Ethan also wondered if he could let his Sandslash witness a Drilbur's evolution directly.
If it could see how a Drilbur awakened its Steel-type energy and completed its evolution, perhaps Sandslash could learn something from it.
(End of chapter)