Thousands of spectators surrounded the final stage, the atmosphere blazing with excitement.
And yet, the two trainers battling in the arena remained calm, entirely unaffected by the roaring crowd.
"For someone so young to have cultivated such composure—impressive indeed." The middle-aged man commanding Machamp glanced at Yozora, secretly admiring him.
He had spent years fighting on countless stages, long since accustomed to big crowds, and naturally immune to the pressure.
But what surprised him was that this boy—so young—remained equally unshaken. Such mental fortitude was rare.
Any ordinary kid would've already gone weak in the knees, trembling all over by now.
Clang!
The referee struck the gong, announcing the start of the match.
The man's eyes sharpened as he barked the first order:"Machamp—charge in and grab it!"
With heavy stomps, Machamp lunged forward, its four arms raised high, radiating overwhelming force.
But its speed was… mediocre.
Machamp, by nature, wasn't built for swiftness. Even though this one had reached high Commander-tier, among Pokémon of that level its speed was near the bottom.
Charmeleon, on the other hand, was fast.
Compared to Machamp, Charmeleon's speed was downright blistering.
"Circle behind it and attack!" Yozora shouted.
Whoosh—
Charmeleon darted off like a streak of red lightning, vanishing from Machamp's sight in an instant.
"So fast!" gasped the audience in unison.
The next second, Charmeleon reappeared behind Machamp, hammering its fists into the Pokémon's skull and back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The blows landed with heavy thuds, but Machamp didn't so much as flinch—its defense was monstrous.
Since this was a Fighting Tournament, Charmeleon was limited to basic attacks. Even a flurry of punches couldn't inflict major damage.
Machamp finally reacted, spinning around in a flash, four arms lashing out like lightning to seize Charmeleon.
This time it moved with startling speed.
But Charmeleon was still faster. It slipped out of reach in a blur, leaving Machamp grasping at empty air.
At the same time, three crisp punches smashed into Machamp's face. Red welts bloomed instantly where each blow had landed.
"Agile like a monkey!" The middle-aged man's frustration mounted as Machamp failed again and again.
Time and again, Machamp lunged for an opening, yet never managed to catch its opponent.
Instead, Charmeleon's fists rained down, one after another.
Soon, Machamp's body was covered in bruises and wounds. At last, it collapsed with a heavy thud.
"Machamp is unable to battle! Charmeleon wins!"
The referee's declaration sent the crowd into an uproar, thunderous applause and cheers shaking the arena.
The Fighting Tournament had concluded—Yozora was crowned champion, and awarded a golden Championship Belt.
The belt bore a massive gold plate, palm-sized, pure gold, embossed with a raised boxing glove. It gleamed with grandeur and prestige.
But more than its appearance, Yozora could clearly sense the powerful aura it carried—an aura that seemed to strengthen the potency of Fighting-type moves.
Yozora knelt and fastened the belt around Charmeleon's waist, then posed for a commemorative photo.
"Yozora, congratulations! That Championship Belt is amazing!" Momiji walked over with her Poliwrath, both gazing enviously at Charmeleon's new prize.
"Thanks—but all credit goes to Charmeleon." Yozora smiled, patting his partner's shoulder.
"Will you sell it to me? I'll give you a flat price—eight million!" Momiji asked eagerly.
In truth, the belt had limited use for Charmeleon.
Its effect was simple: when the holder used a Fighting-type move, its power increased by 50%!
But right now, Charmeleon only knew one Fighting-type move—Brick Break. Nothing else.
So for Charmeleon, the boost was minor.
Momiji's Poliwrath, however, was a Water/Fighting dual-type. It had mastered a wide arsenal of Fighting moves.
With the Championship Belt, the boost would be tremendous.
"No. This belt is proof of Charmeleon's hard work—it has commemorative value. I won't sell it. Even if Charmeleon can't make full use of it, I still have Machop." Yozora refused without hesitation.
"I see…" Momiji's face fell, heavy with disappointment. She had come to Taige Town early, dreaming of this belt.
Yet in the end, she failed.
…
After parting with Momiji, Yozora returned to the Taige Gym to continue his training.
Half a month passed in a blink.
In that time, his growth was remarkable. With Pidgeot, Machop, and Graveler, he had already reached the level of Heart Connection.
Of course, that wasn't enough.
Heart Connection was only the foundation—true mastery lay in Heart Unity.
So far, Yozora had achieved Heart Unity with only Beedrill.
Still, there was another major breakthrough. During training, Machop awakened its latent power and finally evolved into Machoke—muscular, towering, and brimming with raw strength.
[Pokémon]: Machoke
[Type]: Fighting
[Abilities]: No Guard + Huge Power + Adaptability
[Tier]: Commander (Low)
[Potential]: Elite Four
[Moves]: Brick Break, Bulk Up, Foresight, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Cross Chop, Focus Energy
[Description]: A Machoke of extraordinary potential, possessing strength that surpasses its level.
——
With No Guard, Machoke was very reliant on level.
Higher level meant sharper physical stats—endurance, strength, and defense.
After evolution and a month of intense training, Machoke's might had soared. With Huge Power bolstering its already formidable strength, and newfound endurance from its growth, it would no longer fall so easily.
Now, Machoke had no glaring weaknesses.
Its defense, while not exceptional, had improved. And with its massive stamina, it could compensate for shortcomings in durability.
High defense with thick endurance was ideal, of course. But even with modest defense and immense stamina, it could still tank hits and dish out punishment.
Of course, if it could gain one more defensive Ability—true staying power—that would be perfection.
[Stamina]: Each time it takes a hit, its Defense increases by 30%.
Click, click. What an exceptional defensive Ability—paired with No Guard Machoke, it would be a flawless match, a heaven-sent combination.
Currently, Yozora and Machoke had reached Heart Connection. Their bond had unlocked an additional Ability slot.
Which meant Machoke now had four Ability slots in total—the fourth still empty, waiting for Stamina!
"Stamina is only possessed by Mudbray and Mudsdale in Alola… looks like I'll need to find a chance to travel there someday."
(End of Chapter)