Welcome to our new Patrons: dimash d and Angel Pena Gutierrez!
------------------------------------------------------
To become a disciple at the Isle of Armor Dojo, there was only one rule—
Win Master Mustard's entry trial.
Of course, it was just an entry trial; he wouldn't use his terrifying champion lineup.
Otherwise, there might not be anyone in the world who could pass.
Even so, the success rate of this trial was still less than 1%, filtering out countless prodigies.
Now, Riolu stood on the dojo's training ground, waiting for Master Mustard to send out his Pokémon while loosening the iron weights strapped to its wrists.
Its biggest secret, which even Big Sister Lucario and its Trainer hadn't discovered, had been seen through at a glance…
The wrist weights were removed and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Then came the ankle and thigh weights.
The sound of heavy objects hitting the ground echoed throughout the area.
"Hiss—"
The dojo apprentices around them all sucked in a breath, their eyes now filled with newfound respect for Riolu.
Even Master Mustard, who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, couldn't help but pause momentarily.
Judging by its size, this little one should have only been born a year ago?
To push itself this hard from such a young age…
If it's this Riolu, perhaps it really could master the essence of the Isle of Armor Dojo!
The more Master Mustard looked at it, the more satisfied he became. He immediately pulled out a Poké Ball from his pocket.
"Your opponent is this child!"
After the Poké Ball was thrown, a figure burst out at high speed, heading straight toward Riolu.
"Predictably, it's that move—Fake Out charged inside the ball…"
"As expected of Master Mustard, showing no mercy to any challenger!"
"How many rookies have been scared off by this Mienshao's ultimate move? It looks like this time won't be an exception."
The surrounding apprentices instantly became excited.
Fake Out utilized techniques from sumo and karate, making it incredibly fast—it was almost impossible to react in time.
However…
Riolu's body flashed with white light, and the moment the Poké Ball burst open, it instinctively stepped back just two paces.
With those mere two steps, it managed to dodge the opponent's ambush!
"Ri…"
A few drops of cold sweat trickled down Riolu's forehead.
Speed-based opponents were what it struggled with the most.
This Mienshao brought significant pressure.
But compared to Big Sister's Pokémon, it was still far behind!
"Oh? It actually dodged?"
Mustard raised an eyebrow, immediately noticing something unusual about the opponent.
Riolu's dodge was clearly a result of "seeing through" the move or using the martial arts technique known as "Mind's Eye".
But Mienshao's unexpected Fake Out should have been impossible to react to.
Could it be… Prankster?
He had some knowledge of Fighting-type Pokémon, and Riolu did indeed have this hidden ability.
"Mienshao, Slam!"
Master Mustard narrowed his eyes slightly and gave the next command.
Mienshao surged forward again, its right hand shaped like a blade, slashing downward powerfully.
Riolu repeated its earlier tactic, its body glowing white once more as it prepared to sidestep.
However, at this moment, Master Mustard's lips curled into a smile.
Mienshao's hand blade suddenly lost strength, but its other hand shot forward forcefully, leaving no time for the opponent to react!
"It's a feint! Master Mustard's signature Protect-breaking technique!"
"There's no way Riolu can react to this—it's over…"
"When fighting Master Mustard, you can't trust a single word of his commands!"
The apprentices had also experienced this move before, and Master Mustard's highly deceptive command clearly left a deep psychological scar.
Indeed, that was the case.
By the time the slash landed, Riolu didn't have time to adjust its movements.
However, Mienshao's attack failed to knock Riolu back.
Its body remained completely still, and after enduring the blow, its gaze instantly sharpened.
At the same time, Riolu's right hand had already clenched into a fist, exploding forward in an instant.
A blur flashed, and Mienshao was immediately struck by Riolu's counterattack, flying backward and landing outside the arena.
"Huh?"
The surrounding apprentices were stunned, taking quite a while to process what had happened.
"Whoa, Riolu just took out Master Mustard's Mienshao in one hit???"
"Master Riolu, what do you do for a living?"
"This is insane!"
Even Mustard couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow.
This Riolu, not yet evolved, already possessed such terrifying strength?
Moreover, his martial artist's intuition told him that this Riolu's fighting style had reached an absurdly extreme level!
That punch—it was clear that it had prepared to lose consciousness from the attack, relying purely on instinct to focus all its power on a single point and unleash everything in one go.
Though extreme, it was undeniably effective.
What exactly had this little one experienced in the past to make such an extreme judgment?
Still, with such determination, it truly suited his style!
Thinking this, Mustard quickly smiled warmly.
He could tell that this Riolu already had a Trainer.
Though he didn't know why the Trainer wasn't present, it didn't affect Riolu's assessment results.
"You've passed the trial. If you wish to grow stronger, feel free to return to the Isle of Armor Dojo anytime!"
"Ri!"
Riolu politely returned the gesture with a fist salute.
This elder was undoubtedly a martial arts master. If it could receive guidance from his Pokémon, it would surely progress faster.
So that's how it is!
It suddenly felt like it somewhat understood its Trainer's intentions.
From the start, this must have been the Trainer's plan, right?
Since he wasn't a professional fighter, he found better sparring partners for it.
Thankfully, it had stumbled into the dojo by chance; otherwise, it would have let its Trainer down.
Thus, it needed to work even harder!
---
[Riolu has passed Master Mustard's entry trial!]
[Riolu has begun training at the Isle of Armor Dojo!]
[Under the guidance of Master Mienshao, Riolu has learned Fake Out!]
"???!!!"
Upon receiving the system notifications again, Aiden was utterly bewildered.
I don't remember Fake Out being in Riolu or Lucario's move sets…
And how did Riolu pass the Isle of Armor Dojo's trial without a Trainer?!
Am I just slacking off here?
Though a bit shaken, Aiden quickly regained his composure.
Opening the travel cultivation interface again, the chibi-style illustration of Riolu appeared inside the Isle of Armor Dojo.
On either side of it stood a Urshifu and a Mienshao, silently observing its training and occasionally offering pointers.
Aiden clicked on Riolu's interface.
[Riolu: Training at Isle of Armor Dojo]
[Training Goal: Unseen Fist (Current Progress: 0%)]
[Remaining Travel Time: 15 minutes 25 seconds]
"Hiss—"
Noticing Riolu's training goal, Aiden couldn't help but gasp.
So you're the one with the protagonist script!
This was the Isle of Armor Dojo's ultimate technique—Unseen Fist!
In fact, Urshifu's Unseen Fist wasn't an Ability but rather a martial arts skill mastered after years of practicing Master Mustard's teachings.
(T/N: This change is purely fanmade. In the games, Unseen Fist is Urshifu's signature Ability)
In other words…
Other Pokémon could indeed learn it too?!
Aiden even began to fantasize—
Once Riolu evolved, if he got a Mega Stone, combining Adaptability with Unseen Fist, how broken would that be?
Add time, I absolutely must add time!
Aiden decisively went all-in with his remaining growth points, extending Riolu's stay at the Isle of Armor Dojo for a few more hours.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)