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For Pokémon, the higher their level, the harder it is to improve their strength.
This principle holds true both in reality and in games.
The reason is simple: there's less and less potential left to unlock.
Under the supervision of Rock and the Clefable coaches, Lucario had been training relentlessly for the past three weeks. His physical strength, mental fortitude, and Aura control were all improving methodically. His comprehensive evaluation under normal conditions had reached the A- class.
The racial potential of the Lucario evolutionary line ranked alongside starter Pokémon.
In other words, Lucario was approaching its racial limit of A+ level, getting closer by the day.
But what about Elekid?
It was still in its first evolutionary stage...
How could its progress be so rapid without evolving?
Was its potential truly that deep?
And what would happen if it evolved?
Thinking about this made Lucario anxious. He had the pride of being Roy's first Pokémon. If he were to be surpassed by his younger teammates later, Lucario, with his strong sense of responsibility, would feel ashamed.
"Zekrom's power, although it damaged your electrical abilities, has to some extent also blessed you with extraordinarily high racial potential..." Roy analyzed.
Elekid, after reaching a certain level, could naturally evolve into Electabuzz.
People in China believed that Electabuzz was the final form of this species.
Its potential wasn't considered exceptional, with its racial limit in the middle of A-level.
However, only Roy knew that Electabuzz was actually just the second form, and this species could undergo yet another evolution.
—Electivire.
This was the true final form of the Elekid evolutionary line.
The reason people in China hadn't discovered this was purely circumstantial.
For Electabuzz to evolve into Electivire, it needed an item called an Electirizer.
Evolution stones like Fire Stones and Ice Stones could be used by many Pokémon, so there were plenty of samples for researchers to analyze.
But the Electirizer was different—it was an evolution item exclusive to Electabuzz, and no other Pokémon could use it.
With too few samples and the item being exceptionally rare, no one had discovered its existence yet.
At Elekid's current rate of progress and potential, it could possibly reach the A+ level without even evolving into Electivire—a level most believed impossible.
All this because of Zekrom's lightning.
The power from a "Legendary" was undoubtedly a double-edged sword.
"Blay!"
Elekid wasn't complacent about its successful "Lightning Armor." Instead, it looked at Roy with burning determination, expressing its commitment to continue working hard.
It was crystal clear that without meeting Roy, it would have been impossible for Elekid to harness this double-edged sword effectively.
It possessed strong willpower and remarkable vitality—so impressive that even Elite trainers were humbled.
All of this was undeniable.
But some challenges couldn't be overcome by 'hard work' alone.
"Keep up the good work," Roy encouraged, then looked at Vulpix and Wartortle with a sigh. "Look at Elekid. It joined our team later than you did, but now its strength surpasses yours. That's because it works harder than you do! There's an old saying in our country that heaven rewards those who work hard..."
Listening to Roy's motivational speech, his Pokémon reacted differently.
Vulpix: →_→
The little fox was the youngest, but her mind was sharp. She could immediately see Roy's intention to spark competition among them.
This side of Roy was something she... well, still liked very much.
Vulpix decided to show a bit more enthusiasm in training tomorrow.
Wartortle folded his arms across his chest and nodded frequently, but mentally he was planning how to achieve his own impressive transformation.
In this era, transformation meant style points.
The two Pokémon being lectured were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
The only one who truly resonated with the motivational speech was the ever-serious Lucario. He clenched his fists and made a private resolution.
Push limits?
Who wouldn't?
The next day, Lucario requested the Clefable coaches to increase Gravity tenfold!
The Clefable had never received such an outrageous request and thought this handsome Pokémon must be a bit crazy, so they excitedly agreed.
It wasn't without reason that the disciples of the Promise Gym privately called these training partners "pink demons"...
Having served as sparring partners for so long, the Clefable had developed a slight sadistic tendency.
Not only that, but Lucario became increasingly focused and determined during sparring sessions with Rock.
This ruthlessness and tenacity secretly startled his father.
But what surprised Rock even more was that at night, Lucario would raid the Clefable quarters, pull the coaches out, and begin extra training sessions.
Once or twice was acceptable—the pink demons enjoyed training students and were happy to comply.
But as the frequency increased, the Clefable couldn't endure such intense nightly training.
The chubby bodies of the pink demons visibly thinned, and all developed dark circles under their eyes. When Lucario was mentioned in conversation, their reactions mixed shyness with terror.
Thankfully, by the sixth week at the Promise Gym, Lucario's physical strength, mental power, and Aura control finally reached the required standard.
He had achieved the perfect balance of spirit, energy, and focus needed to comprehend the 'Aura Boxing.'
To master Aura Boxing, mere hard work wasn't enough—it required talent and fighting aptitude.
When the intense training finally paused, the Clefable felt both relief and a strange sense of loss.
Rock guided Lucario, using Aura daily to transmit his experience, feeling, and expertise in using "Aura Boxing" to his offspring.
Meanwhile, winter vacation was only a little over two weeks away.
Officials across major cities in China had begun promoting the National College League.
They highlighted key universities and school team members.
The competition was fierce among all four divisions.
In the East China Division, over the past decade, only six elite schools had shown the potential to win the championship.
The school teams from them received tremendous attention throughout East China.
People often referred to these six prestigious schools as the "Coastal Six Elite."
This nickname originated because all six schools were located in coastal cities, with campuses close to the sea.
Moreover, each of these universities had historically produced Elite-level trainers.
Because of these common features, they earned the title "Coastal Six Elite."
The star players of each school team gained considerable popularity, especially the powerful team captains, whose recognition approached that of professional trainers.
In contrast, most other team members typically received less attention than the captains.
This was the pattern every year.
But this year, there was an exception.
—Capital University's third active member, Roy.
This name had sparked widespread discussions throughout East China.
For an ordinary school team member, the enthusiasm surrounding him approached that of major team captains.
This was because Roy was the first freshman in the history of the Coastal Six to become a first-string member of the school team.
Throughout history, those who broke records always attracted both attention and criticism.
This winter would be the season when young trainers stepped onto the national stage to make their debut.