At that critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared beside Gaki, completely out of nowhere, without any warning. Gaki could only watch helplessly as the attack struck. Like a meteor crashing down, a fist surrounded by brilliant aura smashed into Gaki's side.
It was the Steel Skill, Comet Fist! The impact sent Gaki flying backward as if hit by a speeding truck, crashing into the nearby wall and leaving a huge hole.
Lucario pulled back his fist and stood proudly in the ring. Under the spotlight, his handsome and heroic figure shone even brighter.
The entire arena fell into stunned silence. Whether it was the spectators present or viewers from the six continents watching the live broadcast, everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Even the original host was caught off guard by the unexpected arrival. From the commentator's remarks, it seemed this strong man had come looking for trouble. No one anticipated that the dominant fighter who had relentlessly beaten Zushi would be knocked out with a single blow.
"That's… that's Invisible Larry's pet!" After a brief moment of stunned silence, someone in the crowd finally recognized Lucario.
Unlike other Pokémon, Lucario is the only one that Larry has ever appeared with in the Sky Arena, so everyone instantly knew what it was. Since explaining the Nen beasts was complicated, the Sky Arena officials simply introduced Lucario as Larry's pet.
"Invisible Larry has arrived! Invisible Larry is here to save us!" The crowd erupted in surprised cheers, fully aware of who Lucario belonged to.
Yes! Isn't that Invisible Larry's companion? He's come to save us! The cheers and shouts rippled through the audience, even those watching on the screens outside joined in.
"Huh~ Larry has decided to step in. Well, that's none of my concern," Biscuit said with a sigh of relief, settling back into his seat. If he could avoid revealing himself, all the better. With Larry here, the situation was definitely under control.
Meanwhile, Gardevoir, who had been standing behind Lucario, and Zushi, who was on the field, suddenly vanished. Moments later, they reappeared right in front of Biscuit and the others.
"Gardevoir-chan," Menchi greeted the Pokémon warmly.
Gardevoir smiled and turned her attention to Zushi, who was now breathing shallowly and weakly. If he didn't get treatment soon, his life could be in danger.
Pink circles of aura radiated from Gardevoir's hands. Under the soothing waves of light, Zushi's wounds began to heal visibly before everyone's eyes. This was Gardevoir's psychic skill, the healing wave.
Just moments earlier, Lucario had instantly appeared beside Gaki thanks to Gardevoir's teleportation ability.
"Damn it! I'll tear you apart!" A fierce roar echoed from the broken wall.
Gaki slowly emerged from the hole, his rough face twisted with rage. His left arm was broken and hanging uselessly after Lucario's Comet Punch had struck it, blood dripping from the wound. The rest of his body, battered against the wall, looked almost unharmed.
Seeing that Gaki was still able to move, the crowd cheered loudly for Lucario. "Come on!Take him down, handsome dog!"
Fueled by the crowd's support, a powerful wave of aura swirled around Lucario's body. The four receivers on his head floated up instinctively as his true aura began to radiate from him!
As people witnessed the scene, a single word flashed through countless hearts all at once: brave!
A steady wave of energy radiated from Lucario's body, his breath tinged with a hint of darkness, a sign of his sinister skill. His already imposing aura suddenly intensified, surging powerfully.
Clasping his hands together, Lucario released a dazzling wave of light, brilliant and overwhelming. Gaki's pupils contracted, his throat moving as if trying to speak, but no complete words came out.
At that moment, Lucario's aura was far stronger than his own, something he couldn't resist. This was only the second time Gaki felt this way, the first being against Jed. "Damn it!" he growled.
Instead of trying to destroy Lucario as before, now he just wanted to dodge the incoming attack. A sharp ball of light shot straight at him. Gaki gathered all his On into his feet and dashed to the side, thinking he could escape. But he was wrong, the ball of light seemed almost alive, tracking his every move no matter which way he ran.
"Damn it! What is this thing?"
If Gaki ever met Maha, they'd surely have a lot in common. Meanwhile, in a dark room somewhere within the Zoldyck family estate, Maha stared at the screen showing the ball of light chasing Gaki, his cloudy eyes wide with interest.
He couldn't help but recall the time he sparred with Larry. The strange star-shaped attack had the same effect as this glowing orb, both had tracking abilities! It was like a skillful wave missile, guaranteed to hit its target.
When the powerful wave bomb struck Gaki, a loud explosion shook the area. Gaki's body was instantly engulfed in a blinding light, and the force of the blast threw him back violently.
Dust and gravel shot into the air, swirling around the explosion's center. The gusts of wind from the blast made the spectators shield their faces, squinting through the dust to see what happened.
As the smoke cleared, Gaki stood before everyone, battered and bruised worse than Zushi had ever been. He had multiple fractures, blood pouring like a fountain, and only a few parts of his body remained intact.
His breathing stopped, he was dead. Thanks to Lucario's trick combined with the full-power wave missile, the already injured Hungry Gaki was finished off by a comet punch.
"Win!" "Invicible Larry wins!" This time, the crowd reacted faster, realizing Lucario had knocked the enemy down. Cheers erupted, praising Lucario and Larry. It was Larry who saved them all!
After this battle, Larry's reputation would be etched even deeper in everyone's minds, and Lucario's power was undeniable too. Larry's nen beast had taken down the enemy with just two moves! Compared to Zushi, Lucario's strength shone even brighter.
Just as the crowd was celebrating, the robots surrounding them suddenly collapsed, motionless on the ground. Biscuit looked at the fallen robots with surprise, a realization dawning on her, this had to be Larry's doing as well.
Although no one fully understood what happened, seeing that the robots were no longer a threat, many began planning to leave. Some even felt confident that with Larry in the Sky Arena, there was no real danger left.
Some spectators wanted a closer look at Larry, so they decided not to leave just yet. While a few people chose to exit early, many stayed behind, unaware that the situation was far more serious than they thought. The troublemaker wasn't just Gaki anymore.
A good number of people still believed the game would go on, hoping to catch a glimpse of Larry. But little did they know, besides Larry, no other floor master was in a position to compete. Zushi was injured and, although treated by Gardevoir, remained unconscious.
Meanwhile, other floor owners were incapacitated after being affected by on serum, turning them into puppets under someone else's control.