008 Bullet Punch Skill Card
The familiar curtain of card-shaped light appeared once again, exactly the same as it had in the previous chapters when Xu Jing obtained moves such as Quick Attack and Metal Claw.
This time, however, the atmosphere was subtly different.
The reward Xu Jing drew from the primary card drawing pool
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have drawn the Bullet Punch skill card]
[Bullet Punch Skill Card: By using this secondary card, the designated Pokémon will gain a deep impression, systematic understanding, and practical mastery of the move Bullet Punch.]
A skill card?
And it was Bullet Punch, a priority move known for its extreme speed!
Ness!
Xu Jing's eyes lit up immediately.
"Use it directly," he said without hesitation. "Target: Riolu!"
If Xu Jing remembered correctly and this point had already been hinted at in the earlier manga chapters Riolu's evolutionary line possessed an innate compatibility with Steel-type techniques. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, both Riley's Lucario and several Elite Trainers' Lucario had demonstrated Bullet Punch as one of their signature opening moves.
It was just that Xu Jing's own Riolu had not inherited Bullet Punch naturally upon capture. He never expected that the gap would be filled in this way, through a skill card.
In the next instant, a faint flash of light merged into Riolu's body.
For a moment, the Riolu who had just won its previous battle froze slightly, as a special memory surged into its mind. The sensation was very similar to what had happened when Riolu first awakened its aura perception in the earlier chapters. Countless fragments of understanding stance, timing, muscle coordination, and the explosive release of Steel-type energy were rapidly engraved into its consciousness.
Almost instinctively, Riolu stretched out its forepaws and threw two short punches forward.
Whoosh!
A faint but clearly visible steel-colored energy glow wrapped around its fists, matching the descriptions recorded in the Sinnoh League battle archives.
Seeing this, Xu Jing smiled with satisfaction and said, "How about it, Riolu? You really made the right choice picking me as your Trainer~"
Riolu's evolution into Lucario required reaching a certain level of intimacy, a fact that had already been foreshadowed in the earlier chapters and was well established in both the manga and official research literature.
On the official Pokémon forum of the Dragon Kingdom, several researchers had once published detailed studies on Pokémon intimacy values. Among all methods listed, the simplest and fastest way to improve intimacy was clear: allow the Pokémon to genuinely admire, trust, and acknowledge its Trainer.
Therefore, after Xu Jing observed Riolu's reaction,
His heart stirred slightly.
He spoke those words deliberately, knowing that Riolu, with its strong aura sensitivity, would be able to understand his intent.
Sure enough, Riolu looked up at Xu Jing again, its gaze clearly different from before, carrying a faint but unmistakable trace of admiration and trust.
Amazing! Choosing him really was the correct decision!
Riolu clenched its paws subconsciously.
It was extremely intelligent and possessed the potential of a future Champion's partner. This kind of emotional resonance had never occurred before, not even when it trained alone in the wilderness.
It had only appeared after Xu Jing became its Trainer.
That meant this change had to be connected to Xu Jing himself!
Carefully sensing the newly acquired understanding of Bullet Punch circulating within its body, Riolu could barely suppress its excitement. Its fighting spirit surged, and it eagerly scanned its surroundings, already itching to find another Pokémon to practice this new move with and fully test the power of its steel-fast fists.
"Haha, let's find a few Pokémon to try our hands on, and try to let you master new skills as soon as possible!"
"Jiu!"
This time, Riolu's response to Xu Jing was obviously louder than before. Unlike its earlier restrained reactions, the sharp cry carried a distinct fluctuation of aura, clearly revealing that Riolu's emotions were no longer calm. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Riolu are known to react instinctively to battle intent and emotional resonance, and this response perfectly matched that description.
[Ding! Side Mission 3 Released: Win three official battles.
Mission Reward: Junior Card Draw ×1]
[Ding! Side Mission 4 Released: Win ten official battles.
Mission Reward: Junior Card Draw ×1]
Once Xu Jing had a clear tactical direction in mind, the system's response was, as always, swift and precise. Two new side missions appeared almost immediately after his decision, mirroring the structured progression mechanics established in previous chapters.
After completing these missions, Xu Jing would gain two new primary card-drawing opportunities, which were critical resources according to earlier system data. The temptation was obvious.
Thus, Xu Jing happily left the area with Riolu.
Battle Pokémon.
Accumulate victories.
Collect rewards.
That was the most straightforward and efficient growth path.
The performance of Xu Jing and Riolu was simultaneously transmitted in real time to the communication room.
Every movement on the battlefield, every command, and every fluctuation of aura was clearly visible on the large electronic screen.
"There was clearly a faint glow on Riolu's fist just now. That wasn't ordinary physical force was that the precursor to Force Palm or a basic Aura manipulation?"
"In the Pokémon manga, Riolu can awaken moves mid-battle when guided correctly. This student deliberately waited until the vine-type Pokémon's stamina dropped before letting Riolu strike decisively."
"This guy really deserves his ranking third in the city for overall combat command performance isn't exaggerated. He accurately analyzed the Grass-type Pokémon's regeneration rhythm and deliberately timed the finishing blow."
"Well, although the battle itself was simple, the command logic behind it is quite remarkable."
Ever since it became known that both the academy president and Chairman Jiang had expressed personal interest in Riolu's growth, the atmosphere among the teachers in the communication room had subtly changed.
Regarding Xu Jing and Riolu's performance displayed earlier on the screen, praise followed one after another.
As the head teacher, Lu Feng also believed Xu Jing had performed well.
"It's not as exaggerated as you're making it sound," Lu Feng said helplessly. "In such a basic encounter, Xu Jing's true command ceiling hasn't even been fully demonstrated."
However, when teachers from other Pokémon colleges openly affirmed Xu Jing, wasn't that indirectly affirming Lu Feng's judgment as well?
Thinking of this, Lu Feng couldn't help but feel a trace of satisfaction.
"President Jiang," said the person in charge of the military trainers stationed in Earl Dervish Forest, speaking carefully, "I believe Xu Jing and Riolu would also be very suitable for training under our military headquarters. Should we consider inviting them over for a period of structured military training?"
Jiang Nian did not answer immediately.
After pondering for a moment, he looked at the military representative and replied calmly, "I'll meet Xu Jing personally and convey your intentions. Whether he accepts will depend on his own decision."
"Haha, of course. Thank you, President Jiang."
The head of the military department understood clearly that this was already the maximum concession Jiang Nian could offer.
If they could recruit a trainer partnered with Riolu—a Pokémon whose evolutionary line leads to Lucario, a symbol of elite combat strength in the Pokémon manga—the higher-ups in the military would be extremely pleased.
This was practically a gift delivered to their doorstep.
As long as Xu Jing nodded in agreement, he would be admitted into the military's exclusive Pokémon University almost immediately.
After graduation, he would step directly into a position of authority.
No matter where you go in this world, strength speaks for itself.
If Xu Jing had performed poorly, or if Riolu had not chosen him of its own will, such an invitation would never have been extended.
But Xu Jing possessed strong overall capabilities.
And more importantly Riolu chose him.
That alone determined that Xu Jing's lower limit would be extraordinarily high.
Achievements may not define a person's upper limit, but they absolutely determine the starting line.
And that, without question, is an immutable truth.
.....