The tough-guy charm was nothing more than that!
Roy stepped forward and patted the canine Pokémon's head.
"It doesn't matter. What's important is that you realized it."
Lucario's tail flicked slightly, and some light returned to its eyes.
Really?
"Of course it's true, but first you need to tell me what mistake you made."
At this mention, Lucario became listless again.
I was too proud. I shouldn't have underestimated my opponent just because it was a Lycanroc.
I gave it the opportunity to ambush me.
As it spoke, Lucario gritted its teeth, looking extremely unwilling.
But Roy shook his head.
"No, that's not quite right."
?
Roy didn't worry about whether his words would make Lucario feel worse, and began to explain.
"When the Lycanroc used Sand Attack from the very beginning, it was already planning ahead for its strategy."
"And you were still thinking about how to use brute force to directly knock down the Lycanroc."
At this, Lucario's face showed confusion.
So it started planning that early?
Roy nodded and continued.
"According to my observation, this Lycanroc likely has that unique Hidden Ability, and it used it to set a trap for you."
At this revelation, not only Lucario but also the other Pokémon gathered around curiously.
"That Lycanroc's Hidden Ability is 'No Guard.'"
"Essentially, it means that neither side adopts defensive tactics, and any moves used by either combatant will definitely hit each other."
As one of the protagonists in the battle, Lucario found the explanation for some of the peculiar moments during the fight under Roy's guidance.
No wonder. It could have dodged a few of my punches, but at that time, it didn't evade even a single one.
It was all part of planning for what came next!
How cunning!
Roy smiled, gently correcting Lucario's sense of justice.
"No, you can't really call battle tactics cunning."
"And Lucario, you fell into the Lycanroc's Rock Tomb not just because of its strategy..."
At this point, Lucario's face suddenly flushed, and it scratched its head in embarrassment.
I underestimated my opponent.
Roy nodded with satisfaction. Making mistakes was never the truly frightening thing—what was terrible was making mistakes without recognizing them, which would greatly hinder Lucario's progress.
This companion who had been with him since it was young had truly grown up.
Roy felt a sense of fatherly pride welling up within him.
The sharp rock passed from Lucario's paw to Roy's hand.
Roy weighed it and found it still had considerable heft. It was precisely because of this weight that the Lycanroc's attack speed had been slowed down, giving Lucario a chance to counterattack.
The wound on Lucario's chest wasn't deep and was slowly healing now, but it looked somewhat gruesome because it hadn't been treated immediately.
This weapon must have been the sharpest piece the Lycanroc had selected from the collapsed boulder.
Even so, the rock was still rather crude after all, and considering its composition, it wouldn't have been able to hurt Lucario on its own.
The Lycanroc had obviously understood this very well, which was why after using Rock Tomb to restrict Lucario's movement, it had employed Stone Edge to increase the attack's power.
This way, even after Lucario reacted, it was still injured by the Stone Edge-enhanced strike.
It had to be said that this Midnight Form Lycanroc possessed considerably higher intelligence than other Pokémon. Unfortunately, it had been confined to Alola's spirit realm with no opportunity to learn more.
The Lycanroc lay weakly at the bottom of Pawnee Valley, staring up at the sky. The presence of its pack members around it was still there, though they too were extremely weak.
In the azure sky above, a few Pelipper occasionally flew by, their beaks wide open as their eyes constantly scanned downward.
There were also some hungry Pokémon circling overhead, their gazes fixed on the interior of the valley.
More specifically, they were eyeing the dozen or so Lycanroc who were unable to stand.
The Lycanroc closed its eyes weakly, hiding the panic within them.
It understood that those Flying-types were simply afraid of Lucario and the others.
As soon as Lucario's group left, they would definitely swoop down from the sky and devour their still-breathing bodies.
However, they no longer had the strength to resist...
Just when the Lycanroc thought there was no hope left, it felt its body being lifted by a familiar scent.
The Lycanroc quickly opened its eyes and saw one of the pack members who had come to assist during the battle.
The Lycanroc's eyes filled with disbelief.
You're... still alive?
The smaller Midday Form Lycanroc scratched its head in embarrassment and, feeling the larger Lycanroc about to slip, quickly supported it on its back.
Then it offered a blue, round berry.
Leader, just eat this and you'll be fine.
The pack leader looked at this fruit it had never seen before and hesitated.
The smaller Lycanroc grew anxious when it saw the leader's reluctance.
Don't worry, Leader. The rest of the pack got better after eating these too.
Hearing this, the Lycanroc leader raised its head as if sensing something, and what it saw confirmed the words—pack members who had been lying motionless on the ground were now able to support each other and stand after eating the strange fruit.
The Lycanroc leader took the berry in one paw and swallowed it whole.
After consuming it, the pack leader clearly felt some strength returning to its body. Though not much, it was enough for them to return to camp together.
This is...
The smaller Lycanroc was delighted to see the leader recovering and explained everything that had happened in detail.
That's what happened. Oh, and these berries were distributed to everyone by the humans over there.
Humans?
The Lycanroc leader looked in the direction the smaller Lycanroc's paw indicated and saw Roy and the other Pokémon placing a strange blue berry into another pack member's mouth.
It had seen that fruit before—it was exactly what it had just eaten.
For a moment, the Lycanroc leader felt deeply conflicted.
It was this group that had gotten them into this situation, yet they were also the ones who helped them and prevented them from falling into the most dire circumstances...
For some reason, the Lycanroc leader felt a favorable impression the moment it laid eyes on Roy.
Well, I suppose I should go communicate with them.