"Ah? No way?!"
Ash stared blankly at Pikachu's condition. This seemed completely different from the fighting tournaments he had seen on TV.
"Stop it, Ash. There's no way a match can continue like this." Misty advised.
"Pikachu, quickly use the ultimate punch technique I taught you!" Ash ordered, ignoring Misty's warning.
Hearing this, Pikachu suddenly burst out with a powerful aura. The sight startled Hitmonchan, who mistakenly believed Pikachu was about to unleash some kind of ultimate move.
"Now's the time, use Rocket Punch!"
(Rocket Punch?) X2
Misty and Brock looked at Ash in confusion. What kind of move was that?
Pikachu's fists suddenly launched forward. Using the momentum of the impact, Pikachu's punch struck Hitmonchan squarely in the cheek.
"Pika!"
Pikachu raised both hands high and struck a victorious pose.
However, the injured Hitmonchan merely rubbed its cheek and looked at Pikachu with displeasure while standing with its hands on its hips.
"It had no effect at all." Brock complained.
"Underestimating the enemy—even a second of carelessness can lead to a lifetime of pain. No matter what kind of opponent you face, you must never be careless. I taught you that long ago, Hitmonchan. Go all out, now!"
The middle-aged man who had finally arrived behind them scolded.
Just as Hitmonchan was about to launch an attack on Pikachu, the battle-ready Hitmonchan suddenly froze for a moment and turned its head forward in shock.
In everyone's line of sight, a Hitmonchan emitting steaming heat from its body appeared. This Hitmonchan had clearly undergone intense training; the muscles in its arms were visibly bulging.
"It's brother!" Ash shouted excitedly when he saw Red and Cubone standing behind Hitmonchan.
"Is this a new Pokémon brother caught?" Ash asked enviously as he took out his Pokédex to check Cubone's information. "Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. It wears a helmet made from bone on its head. No one has ever seen its true face."
"Well, if we go by the order of joining the team, this kid is actually Hitmonchan's senior." Red explained.
Cubone at his feet proudly puffed out its chest as if telling Ash not to underestimate it.
"What a cute child~" Misty said happily, her girlish heart instantly melted by Cubone's adorably dazed look.
"This Cubone has developed very well, and its eyes are full of fighting spirit. As expected of a Pokémon raised by Red." Brock praised.
(What an outstanding Hitmonchan! If I could send it into battle, maybe I would become the champion of this year's P1 Grand Prix!)
The middle-aged man locked his burning gaze onto Red's Hitmonchan, his eyes filled with greed. In order to obtain the championship of the P1 Grand Prix, the man had not stayed at home for a long time and had constantly trained together with his own Hitmonchan.
"Young man, come and have a match with my Hitmonchan!"
The middle-aged man issued the challenge first.
Hitmonchan glanced at Red. After receiving Red's permission, it walked alone toward its counterpart and assumed a fighting stance.
But the difference between the two Hitmonchan was obvious at a glance.
Red's Hitmonchan had developed exceptionally well, reaching a height of 1.7 meters—an entire head taller than the middle-aged man's Hitmonchan.
Not only that, the muscle lines across their bodies and the hardness of their fists were completely incomparable.
"Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!" the middle-aged man ordered.
Hitmonchan rushed quickly in front of Hitmonchan·Red, its right fist about to strike Hitmonchan·Red's face.
Seeing this, Hitmonchan·Red decisively used Detect, perfectly dodging the attack. It immediately followed up with a Megaton Punch that struck Hitmonchan heavily in the abdomen, sending it flying several meters backward.
"What incredible punching power!" the middle-aged man praised, feeling even more satisfied with Red's Hitmonchan.
(This kid raising such an outstanding Hitmonchan is really a waste. I must transfer the training rights of this Hitmonchan into my hands!)
The middle-aged man had already begun scheming. Subconsciously, he assumed Red was just a simple boy and believed a few words would be enough to trick the Hitmonchan away.
He had already prepared what he planned to say to Red:
Your Hitmonchan is a genius at fighting. How about letting me take care of it? I will definitely train it into an outstanding P1 Grand Prix Champion.
"Sir, your Hitmonchan is about to lose." Red kindly reminded him, displeased by the middle-aged man who almost seemed to be drooling. Red could already guess what he was planning—nothing more than trying to obtain his Hitmonchan.
"What?!" the middle-aged man reacted in shock.
During the time he had been daydreaming, his Hitmonchan had already been beaten until it was nearly out of stamina. It was only relying on its own willpower to stay standing.
"Hitmonchan, hold on! Let's use Megaton Punch too!"
The struggling Hitmonchan panted heavily, but upon hearing the man's command, it still forced itself to rush toward Hitmonchan·Red, preparing to unleash one final Megaton Punch!
Seeing this scene, Hitmonchan·Red calmly closed its eyes and recalled a moment from its previous training. It quietly judged the approaching sound, cleverly dodged the attack, and then delivered an Ice Punch filled with chilling cold that struck Hitmonchan directly, freezing it into a block of ice.
"So amazing!" Misty exclaimed.
"They're not even opponents on the same level!" Brock added.
"As expected of brother's Pokémon!" Ash said excitedly.
The trio continuously praised Hitmonchan, making it feel a little embarrassed.
"Ahem…"
The middle-aged man composed himself again. He recalled the frozen Hitmonchan into its Poké Ball and slowly walked toward Red, intending to use the speech he had prepared earlier to obtain the right to train Hitmonchan.
"Young man, I think your Hitmonchan has great—"
Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, a sharp gust of punching wind rushed toward his face, nearly hitting his forehead.
Hitmonchan glared at the man in displeasure.
Hitmonchan naturally understood the man's intentions. During the battle, the man's gaze had already made it feel extremely uncomfortable, and it also felt that the effort its opponent had put into fighting was being disrespected.
"You can't even defeat my Hitmonchan, yet you still want to train it?" Red said with disdain as he placed his hand on Hitmonchan's shoulder.
"I already promised this guy that I would train him into an outstanding boxing champion. I don't intend to break my promise."
"Hahaha…" The middle-aged man laughed awkwardly. He turned to leave, but before going he once again issued a challenge declaration toward Red.
"Young man, I look forward to facing your Hitmonchan again at this year's P1 Grand Prix!"
Watching the man's departing figure, Ash and the others immediately began complaining.
"What the heck? He was clearly defeated easily by brother, yet he still wanted Hitmonchan's Poké Ball. Seriously…" Ash said angrily, pointing at the man's back while cursing. "Only an idiot would hand over the Pokémon they worked so hard to raise for him to take care of!"
"Pfft!"
When Red heard Ash say this, the remark somehow hit his funny bone.
After calming himself, Red silently placed both hands on Ash's shoulders without saying anything.
"Brother, what's wrong with me?"
Ash shivered under Red's intense gaze, not understanding how he had offended him again.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly feel like you've become a lot smarter~" Red teased.
"What are you talking about? I've always been smart!" Ash retorted.