Chapter 253: Breaking the Rules

The Geodude and Graveler, minions of the Golem, had all been defeated by Lucario. As the leader, Golem completely abandoned any thoughts of escape.

Its eyes glinting with menace, it transformed into a massive boulder. As the boulder rolled forward, it carved deep grooves into the solid ground beneath it.

The move Rollout becomes more powerful the longer it continues, but even if it rolled for five or six minutes, it wouldn't be able to harm Lucario.

Golem: 'I will take you down'

Lucario was currently at level 64, a mid-tier pseudo-Elite, but had strength far beyond its level.

As Golem rolled toward it, Lucario stepped forward. Its body flashed, and in the next second, it appeared directly in Golem's path.

Lucario calmly placed its palm against the rolling Golem.

The team captain, watching this bold move, felt his heart leap into his throat. Sneaking a glance at Julian, he saw no change in Julian's expression.

The captain felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment—'the king stays calm while the minister panics.'

Despite Golem's Rollout being powerful enough to level a building, Lucario's palm brought it to an abrupt halt.

A burst of white light emanated from Lucario's hand, and in the next moment, Golem's massive body was sent hurtling through the air. Its trajectory pointed it directly toward the mountainside of the left tunnel.

If it crashed into the mountain, the tunnel would almost certainly collapse.

Before Julian could issue any commands, Lucario vanished with Extreme Speed. It reappeared in front of the airborne Golem just as it was about to collide with the mountainside.

Lucario lightly leaped, its toes brushing against Golem's body. With a loud thud, Golem was slammed into the ground below, creating a deep crater.

Lucario landed on top of Golem, which now lay unconscious, its eyes swirling. It was clear that Golem was incapacitated.

But Julian had no interest in capturing a Green-tier Golem.

"You've contacted the officials, right?" Julian asked the captain beside him.

The Golem's group needed to be handled properly. Leaving them here would only lead to similar incidents in the future.

The entire group would either have to be relocated or captured.

"Yes, I've already informed them"

The captain replied quickly, nodding.

Looking at Julian's face, which was far too young—about the same age as his own son—the captain couldn't help but feel both awe and a tinge of disappointment.

He thought about his own son, who wasted his days doing nothing and hadn't even managed to get into college.

Captain: 'Damn it. When I get home, I'm going to whip that kid within an inch of his life'

Julian, completely unaware of the thoughts he'd inspired, carried on, oblivious that his actions would result in someone being thoroughly disciplined that evening.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the area.

The team members froze as they caught sight of a colossal Aggron approaching. Their faces turned pale, and one Vileplume even fainted outright in terror.

The captain stared nervously at the massive creature; 'Is this... the final boss?'

"I told you to guard the train"

Julian said, his brows furrowing slightly.

Aggron roared slightly aggrieved, as if to say, 'The train is fine, so I came over.'

Given Aggron's enormous size, trying to show an aggrieved expression wasn't exactly an easy feat.

"No need to worry. It's my Pokémon"

Julian explained when he noticed the growing alarm among those around him.

"Julian!"

"King Julian!"

At that moment, Chase and Taylor arrived, followed by three other men. They had been walking behind Aggron the entire way.

"Luca~"

Lucario returned to Julian's side.

"Lucario! Long time no see!"

Chase said happily.

Lucario nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing Julian's high school classmates.

"Lucario is so cool! It's literally my dream Pokémon!"

Taylor gushed, her eyes sparkling as she admired the handsome dog.

Indeed, Lucario's appearance alone made it a favorite among many fans, especially those who appreciated good looks.

"Is that Golem over there their leader?"

Taylor asked, spotting the partially buried Golem not far away.

"Yeah, thanks to Julian, we're safe. That Golem was a peak pseudo-Elite Pokémon. Without Julian, we'd all be in serious danger."

The captain chimed in, his tone filled with gratitude.

"A peak pseudo-Elite Golem? King Julian, you're not planning to capture it?" Taylor asked, surprised..

Her surprise wasn't that Julian had defeated a peak pseudo-Elite Pokémon—she knew he'd even beaten Elite-level trainers before. What shocked her was that he didn't intend to catch it.

After all, a peak pseudo-Elite wasn't just a symbol of power; it was also a significant status symbol, representing wealth and influence.

"Julian specializes in Steel-types"

Chase explained on the side.

Though she wasn't entirely correct, Julian didn't bother to elaborate.

Meanwhile, another person, Baker, stared at the unconscious Golem with undisguised longing in his eyes.

As a Rock-type trainer, his strongest Pokémon was only at the entry-level Advanced stage.

If he could capture this peak pseudo-Elite Golem—

His gaze shifted to Chase, who stood close to Julian. Jealousy flickered across his face, and the desire in his eyes as he looked at Golem grew even more intense.

Lucario noticed the ill intent in Baker's aura toward Julian. It glanced at him briefly, but Baker's attention was entirely focused on Golem and not on Lucario.

'If Julian doesn't want it, then I'll take it. Once I capture it, I'll become a peak pseudo-Elite trainer. No one in the entire school will be able to match me. Even Chase will have to look at me differently.'

Driven by greed and ambition, Baker threw a Pokéball toward the unconscious Golem.

His sudden action immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Baker, you—!"

Taylor shouted, her voice filled with anger.

But in Baker's eyes, nothing existed except the Pokéball flying in an arc toward Golem.

Closer. Closer. The Pokéball was just about to make contact—

Smack!

A shadow appeared beside the Pokéball and struck it, shattering it into pieces.

"Luca!~"

It was Lucario who had intervened.

Seeing this, Baker's eyes reddened with fury. He was so close—just one step away from capturing the Golem.

But before he could explode in anger, Taylor shoved him hard, nearly knocking him off balance.

"What do you think you're doing, Baker? Don't you know this is Julian's Pokémon?!" Taylor shouted furiously.

"You broke the rules, kid. Do you understand that?" the captain said coldly.

Golem was defeated by Julian, which meant its fate was his to decide. Whether he chose to capture it, give it away, or release it, the decision was Julian's alone.

Baker's attempt to capture it without Julian's consent was no different from theft.