Want to read to chap 45 you know where.
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Sam was not in any hurry to depart on his adventure yet.
While Sam's public persona was that of a history researcher, he also had a personal Pokémon companion.
One nurtured with care, faith, and fortification right from the start.
Stretching down to his hip, Sam unfastened a Poké Ball and activated the button.
With a burst of red light, a Pokémon stood before him, its form solid, proud, and sharp.
It was approximately 1.5 meters tall.
Its body was a smooth blend of blue and black, with smooth muscle covering it as if it had been chiseled from Oreburgh City's forges themselves.
A pair of red eyes focused on Sam right away, burning with loyalty.
It was Lucario.
Nicknamed "Dog" by everyone, but to Sam, he was more than that.
[Pokémon: Lucario]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Steel / Fighting]
[Ability: Justified- When struck by a Dark-type attack, Attack rises. Successive hits add another layer to the effect.]
[Level: 40 (Low-tier Gym Level)]
[Potential: Champion Rank]
[Moveset: Aura Sphere, Detect, Feint, Rock Smash, Metal Claw, Quick Attack, Power-Up Punch, Bone Rush, Meteor Mash, Swords Dance]
[Egg Moves: Cross Chop, High Jump Kick, Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch]
[Contest Condition: Good]
[Notes: This Lucario demonstrates outstanding physical potential and explosive power. Its muscle durability and kinetic reflexes, especially with Quick Attack, are far above normal.]
Sam read the figures from his system's Eye of Detection and couldn't help but nod to himself.
"Impressive as always, Luca."
Although Lucario was presently only at early Gym Leader level, his potential for growth ran up to the Champion level.
That sort of ceiling did not come around often.
And completely typical, after all, Lucario had been personally chosen by no less than Professor Carolina herself.
Of course, she wouldn't assign him a low-grade starter.
Lucario let out a cheerful bark.
"Luka~!"
As ever, his aura was peaceful but vigilant, his posture leaning forward slightly as if ready to pounce into combat at a moment's notice.
Sam smiled and ruffled the top of his head.
"I'm going to take you out on the road for real this time," he said softly.
"Get some training, fight new challengers. Sound good?"
Lucario's eyes sparkled.
"Luka!"
There was no hesitation in his response.
For all the tranquility and comfort of Celestic Town, there was something deep within Lucario that burned brighter.
An appetite to become stronger. To hone himself through actual battle.
To try his abilities against unknown opponents.
To defend the one he had formed a bond with.
That was just the way of a warrior such as him.
Lucario's people were famous for their control of the aura that coursed through all living organisms.
It was not merely a force utilized in combat, but a bond that bound them.
A bridge of the heart between Pokémon and Trainer.
Sam could sense it now.
The expectation. The thrill.
The desire to be greater.
"I know," Sam said, grinning.
"You've been waiting for this."
Sam nodded his head as he dug into his satchel and produced something shining.
A tiny, crystalline gemstone, pale silver, streaked with radiant steel-like veins.
The Steel Gem.
"I've got something for you, Luca," Sam said.
He spread out his palm.
Lucario's eyes went wide at once.
"Luka?!"
A gentle white light began to throb from the stone, vibrating subtly in concert with Lucario's aura.
He edged forward, eyes locked on the gem as if it were beckoning something within him.
"Luca"
Sam nodded.
"It's yours."
Lucario froze in place for an instant, face wide with shock.
Then his paws formed fists, shaking just a little, not from fear, but from the rush of pressure he could sense coming from the gem.
It wasn't energy. It was evolution. Promise. Expansion.
It resonated with his soul.
"Go ahead," Sam said.
"Take it in."
Lucario set his paw on the radiating gem.
There came a sudden surge of power coursing through the room.
White light spread outward in a soft wave, not explosive, but rich, like molten metal pouring through veins of ore.
Sam covered his eyes as Lucario's body shone briefly, and then the light dwindled into his chest.
When the light dissipated, Lucario remained motionless.
Steam curled off his shoulders.
His body was subtly altered, yet significantly.
Muscles tauter.
Movements cleaner.
A renewed sharpness to his aura.
As if his potential had just been realized, not changed, but brought out.
[Lucario has taken in the Steel Gem.]
[Hidden potential boosted.]
[Physical resistance improved.]
[Steel-type abilities now level up faster with training.]
Sam's system beeped with the message.
He gazed at Lucario with pride.
"Well?"
Lucario opened his paws. Then closed them once more, quicker than before.
Power thrummed beneath his fur.
"Luka…"
His eyes shone. This wasn't a physical boost alone, it was a spark to set everything he had been restraining on fire.
He breathed deeply, then gradually amplified the aura inside his body.
But Sam's Eye of Detection kicked in automatically, examining Lucario's condition.
And what it showed made Sam stop dead in his tracks.
[Pokémon: Lucario]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Steel / Fighting]
[Ability: Justified (Triggers ATK boost when hit by Dark-type moves. Successive hits will stack effects.)]
[Level: 40 (Low-tier Gym)]
[Potential: Lower Level – Tier 3 Legendary]
[Occupations: Aura Sphere, Detect, Feint, Rock Smash, Metal Claw, Quick Attack, Power-Up Punch, Bone Rush, Meteor Mash, Swords Dance]
[Egg Occupations: Cross Chop, High Jump Kick, Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch]
[Contest Condition: Perfect]
[Notes: Lucario's physical and spiritual potential have improved considerably. Muscle fiber density, Aura resonance, and combat potential now surpass Champion norms. Outstanding understanding of high-speed abilities.]
Sam's heart pounded in his chest.
"Third-level Legendary-tier potential."
Prior to this, Lucario's potential had peaked at Champion level, a ceiling that 99.9% of Pokémon would never reach.
Most Pokémon, no matter how well they were trained and dedicated themselves to training for their entire lives, would find it impossible to reach the Champion tier, much less shatter through it.
But now,
Lucario had broken the ceiling.
He hadn't merely brushed the fringes of potential beyond the standard, he had entered myth.
Tier 3 Legendary, the tier reserved specifically for Pokémon with the potential to match Legendary.
It was many levels above Champion, and only a few creatures throughout history had achieved that realm through hard work and chance.
The path from Champion to Legendary-tier wasn't merely steep, it was practically impossible without the direct hand of fate.
But Sam, with the system, had made the miracle seem easy.
Lucario opened his eyes.
He said nothing, but his aura hummed differently now, deeper, quieter, stronger.
Sam sensed it as well.
A subtle change, as if a deeper current coursed beneath a still lake.
Lucario gazed at his own hands.
Then he slowly curled them into fists.
Steel energy sparkled faintly across his knuckles, tranquil and frigid, yet boundless in density.
Sam took a step closer.
"Well?"
Lucario turned to him with a grin.
"Luka."
Words weren't necessary.
Through their aura link, Sam could sense it,
Lucario had increased.
Not merely stronger.
But freer.
Lucario's shoulders felt lighter. The hunger to grow, to prove himself, hadn't dissipated, but now it rested on a bed of confidence.
A quiet certainty.
He had the strength to challenge the world.
"Luca", Sam breathed, pride swelling.
"From today forward… you're no longer just my starter."
"You're the first Legendary-tier Pokémon on this team."
Lucario straightened his back minutely, ears twitching.
Then he bowed transiently but significantly towards Sam.
A warrior's salute.