"Mr. Ankaku, since your Machamp isn't attacking, don't blame Hitmonchan and me for not holding back!"
Red's slightly teasing voice reminded him.
Ankaku, who had been deep in thought, looked up and realized that his Machamp was already being struck repeatedly in the face by Hitmonchan's Comet Punch.
"Machamp, what are you daydreaming about?! Hurry up and use Seismic Toss!"
Seeing this, Ankaku shouted anxiously. If he didn't give orders, why wasn't Machamp on the arena counterattacking?
Actually, Machamp couldn't really be blamed. Seeing that his trainer was thinking of a strategy, Machamp had tactfully waited for Ankaku's command.
But Red and Hitmonchan clearly didn't follow common sense. They directly rushed recklessly in front of Machamp and started a "cosmetic treatment" on Machamp's face, almost beating it until it swelled.
Machamp grabbed the continuously punching Hitmonchan, endured the pain, and used the momentum to slam Hitmonchan onto the ground.
"Take the chance and use Bulk Up!"
While being lifted, Hitmonchan decisively used Bulk Up, increasing its Attack and Defense and reducing much of the damage from the throw.
"Not a bad decision," Ankaku praised.
"Hitmonchan, use Mega Punch!" Red ordered.
"Machamp, we'll use Mega Punch too!" Ankaku shouted.
Hitmonchan and Machamp's fists glowed white at the same time. Although Hitmonchan could rely on its Iron Fist Ability and the boost from Bulk Up to contend with Machamp's brute strength, Machamp still had two extra arms, which inevitably made things harder for Hitmonchan.
"Hitmonchan, when it comes to punching speed, Machamp can't compare to you," Red said leisurely.
After hearing Red's reminder, Hitmonchan suddenly realized something. Why should it blindly compete with Machamp in strength? Attack speed and movement speed were also its specialties.
"What? Scared?" Machamp provoked.
"Hmph. Come challenge me after you lose two arms!" Hitmonchan retorted, taking quick small steps to dodge Machamp's attacks.
"Mach Punch!"
The swift right fist slammed into Machamp's face, further advancing Machamp's "cosmetic project" and making it furious. Machamp wished it could beat Hitmonchan down, but it simply couldn't catch its shadow.
(Thankfully this Machamp doesn't have the No Guard Ability, otherwise Hitmonchan's battle would have been far more troublesome.)
(No Guard: Moves used by Pokémon with this Ability and moves targeting Pokémon with this Ability always hit.)
In its impatience, Machamp made another mistake and was struck by Hitmonchan's Dynamic Punch. The concussive damage threw Machamp into a state of confusion.
Seeing this, Hitmonchan prepared to attack again.
"I forfeit!"
Ankaku threw the red cloth in his hand, signaling to the referee that he was surrendering the match. After seeing Machamp fall into confusion, Ankaku knew the match was already out of his hands. There was no reason to let Machamp continue suffering.
"Lord Red, battling with you has benefited me greatly. I should probably train Machamp's speed properly. Focusing only on strength may not be a good thing."
After the match ended, Ankaku warmly shook hands with Red and once again praised how excellently Red had trained Hitmonchan.
"Next is the second semifinal match! The competitors are the first championship favorite, Anthony, and the dark horse of this tournament as well—Ash!"
"Ding—"
As the match began, Primeape and Hitmonchan immediately launched their attacks.
"Magnificent brilliance, raging storm, wind, forest, fire, and mountain!" Anthony shouted, using the training chant he usually employed to ignite Hitmonchan's fighting spirit.
"Primeape, we won't lose to them either! Use Cross Chop with full power!"
In terms of speed, Ash's Primeape was slightly superior to Hitmonchan. It accurately struck Hitmonchan's vital point, consuming quite a bit of Hitmonchan's stamina.
"I didn't expect this Primeape to have such outstanding fighting talent!" Anthony exclaimed in shock. He understood Hitmonchan's strength very well, yet it seemed to be faintly losing to Primeape.
After the previous elimination matches, the coordination between Ash and Primeape had reached its peak. Their fighting spirit in battle was also extremely intense—not something ordinary opponents could withstand.
"Don't give up! Hitmonchan, use Mega Punch!" Anthony ordered, trying to escape the unfavorable situation.
"Primeape, use consecutive Karate Chop!"
Seeing Anthony still stubbornly clinging to his approach, Ash felt a bit regretful for Emi's persistence and decided to have Primeape defeat Anthony's Hitmonchan decisively.
During the continuous clash, Primeape seized the opportunity to grab Hitmonchan's body and toss it into the air.
"Nice job, Primeape! Now use Seismic Toss!" Ash shouted excitedly.
Primeape leaped up fiercely, grabbed Hitmonchan, and smashed it hard onto the arena.
Hitmonchan struggled to stand up, unwilling to disappoint Anthony behind it.
Seeing this, Ash intended to order Primeape to continue attacking, but Emi suddenly rushed onto the arena from outside, blocking Primeape who was about to strike.
"That's enough, Ash. Please don't hurt Dad's Hitmonchan anymore," Emi said painfully, regretting her earlier decision.
Seeing this, Ash quickly commanded Primeape to stop attacking to avoid Emi getting hurt.
"Emi! A battle isn't a joke. How can you rush in like that?!" Anthony scolded sternly, though he was still concerned about whether Emi was injured.
"I just don't want Dad to keep obsessing over fighting tournaments and neglect the family!" Emi said worriedly.
"Sigh! I'll change!"
Seeing his daughter's worried expression, Anthony could only comfort her emotions and promised that he wouldn't go out so frequently anymore.
"The second match ends in Primeape's complete victory! With a superb Seismic Toss, Ash's Primeape defeats Anthony's Hitmonchan and claims the win!"
After a fifteen-minute break, the final match was about to begin.
"Alright, the final is about to start! What's worth mentioning is that both competitors are rookie dark horses. Even more interesting, Red and Ash are twin brothers! I never expected this tournament's final to turn into a duel between twin brothers—it really gets my blood pumping!"
The words "final" and "brothers" instantly ignited the emotions of the audience present, who eagerly anticipated the upcoming match.
"Ash, I didn't expect it would end up being you and me facing each other," Red said calmly.
"Primeape and I have been really looking forward to fighting you, brother!" Ash said excitedly.
"The match begins!"
Red and Ash threw their Poké Balls at the same time. Hitmonchan and Primeape appeared on the arena, their battle-ready eyes locking onto each other.
"Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!"
"Primeape, cross your arms to block the attack, then use Karate Chop!"
Hitmonchan's rapid punch was blocked by Primeape, which immediately followed with consecutive hand-blade strikes.
"Comet Punch."
Seeing Primeape's continuous attacks, Hitmonchan decisively used Comet Punch to confront it.
"Primeape, use Mega Kick!"
Using the arena as leverage, Primeape leaped into the air, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to Hitmonchan.
"Drain Punch!"
Through previous training, Hitmonchan slowly closed its eyes, unaffected by the blinding light. When it sensed Primeape approaching, it sidestepped the attack and struck Primeape's waist with a right punch, hitting a vital point.
"Primeape!" Ash called out worriedly, then immediately looked at Primeape with excitement.
After being struck in a vital spot by Hitmonchan, Primeape triggered its Anger Point Ability. Its Attack rose to an extremely terrifying level, and the muscles across its body swelled several times over, making anyone who saw it shudder.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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