"The first match, Lucario vs. Kangaskhan, begin!" Sayuri, acting as the temporary referee, waved her delicate arm and announced the official start of the match.
She wasn't particularly familiar with the rules of the competition, but she could still say "let's begin" without any problem.
As Sayuri finished speaking, Ash and Norman simultaneously issued commands to their respective Pokémon.
"Kangaroo, unleash Megaton Punch!"
"Lucario, use Power Punch!"
The two elves' fists lit up simultaneously, and then they leaped forward together.
"Bang!!" Two fists of completely different proportions collided in mid-air. Unsurprisingly, Lucario was in a short...
After a brief standoff lasting less than a second, it flew backward, tumbling across the field before finally sliding down in front of Ash.
A clash between a top-tier gym leader and an elite Elite Four member—it's obvious who would win. While Lucario's attack stat is S-rank, it's not enough to overcome such a significant difference in rank.
As for dodging the opponent's punch and then hitting them with your own attack... do you really think the opponent is a sitting duck?
Although Kangaskhan appears to be large, it is not a clumsy Pokémon; at most, it can only be said that it is not a speed-type Pokémon.
Now, the level difference between Lucario and Kangaskhan is so great that it's enough to make up for the speed difference between them. It's not even a question of whether Lucario can dodge the opponent's attack and then hit with its own.
Even in this current situation of exchanging blows, it's already...
Lucario performed exceptionally well.
"Lucario, how's it going?"
"Ouch!" Lucario shook his slightly dizzy head, then jumped up from the ground to show that he was alright.
"That punch was enough of a test, wasn't it? Then let's go all out!"
"Ouch!"
"Go all out? Does that mean you didn't go all out just now?" Norman narrowed his eyes slightly. He wanted to see just how strong Ash's so-called "all out" really was.
If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the kind of method that can greatly increase the level of a Pokémon. It's Ash's exclusive method, and it's no secret in the outside world. Any trainer who pays even a little attention to Ash knows that Ash has this skill.
That special power can directly enhance the spirits
Lucario has advanced to a higher level. Judging from the collision just now, Lucario's level is at the peak of the Gym. If he uses that power, he will reach the peak of the Elite Four.
This actually suppressed his Kangaskhan.
However, Norman was not worried at all. He simply did not believe that the power that was forcibly increased would have no side effects, or that it could be forcibly balanced after the increase.
That power definitely has weaknesses, but what those weaknesses are can only be found in actual combat.
At least when Ash used that power before, he didn't reveal any weaknesses.
"Lucario, Mega Evolve!!" Ash raised his arm high, and the Key Stone on his wrist shone brightly!
The Mega Stone within Lucario's body emerged, resonating with the Key Stone in Ash's hand. A rainbow of light enveloped Lucario, before fading away.
Then, Mega Lucario appeared before everyone.
Ash didn't plan to use Aura Fusion, but that doesn't mean he won't use Mega Evolution.
It is indeed quite difficult for a top-tier gym leader to battle against an elite Elite Four member, but this difficulty is greatly reduced after Mega Evolution!
Mega Evolution will give Pokémon a comprehensive boost except for their stamina. Lucario is now equivalent to going from the top of the Gym to the beginner level of the Elite Four. Although there is still a huge gap between them, it is no longer as different as before.
"Wow!! That handsome dog has evolved! It's even more handsome now!"
"That's strange. Isn't evolution something that happens after a Pokémon reaches a certain level? How come that big brother made the big dog evolve just like that?"
"What is MEGA evolution? Norman-sensei never taught us about it."
"This is the first time I've ever seen a Pokémon evolve up close."
"Wow, that's so cool! I'm going to catch a Lucario every time I travel!"
Discussions arose all around. The MEGA evolution system was no secret in the world, but it was too advanced for children. They didn't know anything about it and only knew about ordinary evolution.
So when they saw Ash evolve his Pokémon with a single command, they all looked at him with admiration.
Many elementary school students have even decided that they must catch a Lucario when they travel in the future, but catching a Lucario is not an easy task.
"MEGA evolution? I've heard about it before, but I've never actually seen it."
"This is my first time. I've tried looking for Mega Evolution Stones for my Pokémon before, but unfortunately, I came up empty-handed. Although I got a Key Stone, it seems like none of my Pokémon can Mega Evolve." Norman shook her head, saying with a hint of regret.
The Mega Evolution of Kangaskhan has not yet been revealed, so it's reasonable for Norman to say that he doesn't have any Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. Ash will probably tell Norman about Kangaskhan after the battle.
As for now, let's leave it at that. If we tell Norman about this, whether he'll still be focused on the battle is another matter entirely.
"We're going to continue our attack, Mr. Norman! Lucario, use Extreme Speed!" After giving Norman a little time to reflect, Ash continued to command Lucario to launch an attack, this time having Lucario use Extreme Speed!
Lucario already has a high speed after evolving.
The speed boost, after using Extreme Speed, is so fast that even a shadow cannot be seen.
Almost the instant Ash finished speaking, Lucario was already in front of Kangaskhan, its huge fist clenched, and it punched out with a whooshing sound!
"Bang!!" The punch landed squarely on the Kangaskhan's body, the immense force sending the Kangaskhan flying several meters before crashing into the barrier at the edge of the arena.
This is a barrier that Mewtwo set up at the start of the battle. The shockwaves from the clash between the two sides just now did not affect the surrounding area because of this barrier.
The Kangaskhan was slightly unsteady on its feet after crashing into the barrier, and its body swayed, but it regained its balance in less than a second.
Lucario was taken aback. Even with the speed boost from his Power Pistol, it could only inflict this little damage?
That's way too high a level of defense!
"Such speed! Even with the Extreme Speed skill boost, Lucario's speed has already exceeded the limit of its current level. No wonder it's a Mega Evolution," Norman said with admiration.
This was his first time battling a Mega Evolved Pokémon, and this initial encounter was enough for him to understand just how much of a boost Mega Evolution provides to a Pokémon.
As expected of the system that is currently popular worldwide and even surpasses Dynamax, it has no geographical restrictions and the strength of the boost is no weaker than Dynamax, and may even be stronger. Apart from the fact that some items are difficult to obtain and there are restrictions on the Pokémon that can evolve into Mega Evolution, everything else is an advantage.
"Mr. Norman's Kangaskhan is truly something else, its defense is really high! Lucario, use Power Punch again!" In terms of speed, Lucario can overtake Kangaskhan when using Extreme Speed, but its power is ultimately not enough.
The fact that the attack didn't cause any damage to Kangaskhan shows that Kangaskhan's defense is far superior to Lucario's attack.
Lucario's attack power increases dramatically after Mega Evolution, and with the added boost from Power Punch, it still couldn't do much damage to Kangaskhan, which shows just how tough this guy is!
Therefore, Ash must continue to increase Lucario's attack power in order to minimize the error.
"Roar!" Lucario bent slightly, then lunged forward again, a faint white light emanating from its fist, enhancing the power of its punch as it moved forward, about to strike the Kangaskhan who had not yet fully regained its footing.
But just then, a glint flashed in Norman's eyes, and he shouted sharply, "Kangaskhan, now! Use Surprise Attack!"
Before the words were even finished, the kangaroo, which had been somewhat slow, suddenly...
Unleashing astonishing explosive power, its massive body ignored Lucario's approaching fist, its limbs pushing off the ground, like a runaway heavy tank, charging straight towards Lucario with a whooshing gust of wind!
The Sudden Attack move has the characteristic of allowing you to launch an attack first when the opponent uses an attack move. If the opponent does not use an attack move, the Sudden Attack will be ineffective. At this moment, Norman accurately controlled the timing. Almost as soon as Ash ordered Lucario to attack, Norman was already ready.
With a dull thud, Kangaskhan's broad hand slammed solidly into Lucario's chest. The immense impact, like a heavy hammer blow, instantly halted Lucario's previously swift attack.
The powerful attack almost made Lucario's eyes pop out. The level difference between the two was real; Lucario couldn't inflict any effective damage on Kangaskhan, but Kangaskhan could inflict terrifying damage on Lucario!
If Dark-type moves hadn't been resisted by Fighting-type moves, Carnot would probably have been crippled by that punch.
Even so, the brilliance on Lucario's fist almost vanished after this blow!
"Lucario, don't give up! Show us our spirit!" Ash's voice instantly snapped Lucario, whose pupils were unfocused, back to attention. Ignoring the waves of pain coursing through his body, he forcefully channeled all his remaining strength into his fist!
"Awooo!" Lucario let out a roar that was both intense and painful. With all its might, its fist slammed into Kangaskhan's shoulder with a sharp sound that tore through the air.
"Boom!" The force of this punch was even greater than the previous lightning-fast attack. The Kangaskhan's massive body shuddered violently, letting out a low groan, and its body, which was already close to the edge of the barrier, crashed into the barrier once again.
While Power-Up Punch isn't particularly powerful, Fighting-type moves are effective against Kangaskhan, and since Fighting is Lucario's STAB move, this punch is naturally even more powerful.
A look of surprise appeared in Norman's eyes. He hadn't expected that Lucario would be able to unleash such a powerful punch despite the sudden attack.
This Lucario's fighting spirit and willpower are much stronger than he imagined!
Compared to things like level and combat power, willpower is something far more precious in Norman's eyes. Cultivating willpower is much more difficult than increasing level or combat power.
After Lucario suffered damage from the surprise attack, its attack was about to dissipate, but at Ash's call, it managed to regenerate the power of its Power Punch, which was even stronger than the initial attack!
This demonstrates strong willpower.
"Kangaskhan, Mega Punch!" Despite his admiration, Norman wouldn't hold back in the battle. Although Lucario managed to unleash Power Punch and successfully amplify its attack power, this punch left Lucario kneeling on the ground, unable to muster any strength for a moment.
This is the best time to attack.
The Kangaskhan roared and charged forward like a heavy truck, shaking the ground. The huge commotion made Lucario raise its head.
An overwhelming aura swept over him, making it difficult for Lucario to breathe.
"Lucario, use Extreme Speed!" Ash's voice rang out once again, giving Lucario power at this critical moment.
Lucario braced itself up, then slammed its foot into the ground, sending it flying backward and instantly widening the gap between itself and Kangaskhan.
"While Extreme Speed provides an exaggerated boost to a Pokémon's speed, it also consumes a tremendous amount of stamina. I'd like to see how many times your Lucario can use Extreme Speed," Norman said calmly as he watched Kangaskhan's attack miss.
Lucario's speed combined with Extreme Speed is indeed unmatched by Kangaskhan, but Extreme Speed is not like Quick Attack. It has a stronger burst of power and faster speed than Quick Attack, but it also faces the risk of rapid stamina depletion.
If Lucario is used like this, how many times can it be used?
Just as Norman had predicted, Lucario was already panting heavily after using Extreme Speed. The stamina he had already expended due to the surprise attack was further depleted by Extreme Speed.
Ash narrowed his eyes. He knew Lucario's condition better than anyone else, and he knew that if things continued, Lucario would inevitably be worn down and killed by the opponent.
Lucario's normal speed is still slower than Kangaskhan's, so it can only use speed-boosting moves like Quick Attack and Extreme Speed. However, using moves to force a speed boost consumes a lot of stamina. In addition, using other moves during the speed boost will consume even more stamina.
Therefore, Lucario doesn't have much time left.