"You really do love challenging the limits, don't you?" Red said helplessly, shaking his head.
The reason Primeape was able to trigger its Anger Point Ability was also intentionally caused by Hitmonchan.
In order to challenge the limits of fighting, Hitmonchan directly threw a punch toward Primeape's waist, precisely striking Primeape's vital point.
"Ash, the next few rounds will be the key to deciding the winner," Red reminded.
"Got it, brother," Ash nodded in reply.
Through the effect of Drain Punch, Hitmonchan's stamina was much more abundant than Primeape's. Ash also noticed something unusual about Hitmonchan and decided to end the battle quickly together with Primeape.
"Primeape, use Cross Chop!"
"Detect, then Power-Up Punch!"
Hitmonchan used Detect to analyze Primeape's attack trajectory, sidestepped to avoid Primeape's strike, and followed up with a Power-Up Punch that hit Primeape's body.
Through the effect of Power-Up Punch, Hitmonchan's attack increased, and its fists gradually grew harder.
"Press the advantage—use Comet Punch!"
Hitmonchan's fists turned into afterimages as they continuously struck the Primeape in front of it.
Seeing this, Primeape could only abandon its attack and turn around to endure Hitmonchan's assault.
"Primeape, find the right moment to attack!" Ash shouted anxiously, stomping his feet as he saw his Primeape unable to break free from Hitmonchan's offensive.
"Remember to hold back. Primeape's attacks after triggering its Ability aren't easy to withstand," Red reminded.
After hearing this, Hitmonchan nodded. Noticing that Primeape was showing faint signs of breaking free, it deliberately stepped back to widen the distance.
Seeing Hitmonchan retreat on its own, the furious Primeape stomped its feet just like Ash. After taking so many hits, it had finally gotten a chance to counterattack—yet Hitmonchan had stopped attacking instead.
"Do you dare face me head-on?!" Primeape provoked.
"Looks like you've got quite a fiery temper," Hitmonchan said with a shake of its head and a smile, glancing at its rock-hard fists with confident eyes.
During the earlier barrage of Comet Punches, Hitmonchan had also secretly used Power-Up Punch twice, further boosting its attack.
"Hitmonchan, use Bulk Up!"
Upon hearing the command, Hitmonchan quickly assumed a stance and flexed its muscles, boosting its attack power once again.
Seeing that its attack had now roughly matched Primeape's, Hitmonchan's fighting spirit began to surge, eager to face Primeape head-on.
This little thought naturally couldn't escape Red's eyes, but he didn't stop it. After all, the true protagonist of this match was Hitmonchan. As long as Hitmonchan could enjoy the fight, Red wouldn't ruin its fun.
"Primeape, use Mega Punch!"
Seeing that Red's side still hadn't made a move, the impatient Ash could only order an attack first.
"Hitmonchan, we'll use Mega Punch too!" Red commanded.
This time, Hitmonchan fulfilled Primeape's wish and faced it head-on. The two right fists collided violently, generating a powerful gust of air. Their fists continued to test each other's strength, yet neither could suppress the other.
"How is that possible? Primeape's strength should be greater!" Ash said in confusion.
"Power-Up Punch and Bulk Up both increase attack power. On top of that, Hitmonchan has the Iron Fist Ability, which further strengthens punching moves," Red explained.
"I see—but the fighting spirit between Primeape and me won't fade!" Ash declared passionately, cheering for Primeape on the arena.
After several exchanges, Hitmonchan had already figured out Primeape's weakness—once it got carried away, it would find it difficult to maintain a defensive stance.
"Let's end this. Hitmonchan, use the final Close Combat!"
Hitmonchan deliberately abandoned its defense and forcibly endured one of Primeape's Mega Punches. Immediately afterward, it delivered a heavy punch straight to Primeape's face. Before Primeape could react, countless punches struck its body once again. The force of each blow landing solidly on flesh made even the spectators outside the arena feel the pain.
"Primeape!" Ash cried out anxiously.
When Hitmonchan's attack finally ended, Primeape was still standing on the arena, refusing to fall. However, Hitmonchan didn't continue attacking, because it knew that the opponent before it had already lost—it was only stubbornly refusing to collapse.
"The winner has been decided! The champion of this year's P1 Grand Prix is contestant Red and Hitmonchan! Let's give them the warmest applause!"
As the announcer finished speaking, the applause from the audience surged like a tidal wave and lasted for a long time. It was not only admiration for Hitmonchan's strength, but also recognition of Primeape's persistence.
"This is one of the most heart-stirring moments in the history of the P1 Grand Prix! Let us forever remember the two brothers, Red and Ash, as well as the outstanding performances of Hitmonchan and Primeape on the arena!"
The victorious Red received the champion belt from the organizers and fastened it around Hitmonchan's waist. Hitmonchan happily stroked the belt at its waist—this was proof of its strength.
Hitmonchan couldn't wait to show off the champion belt to its companions, especially in front of that kid Abra. Just imagining Abra's jealous expression already made Hitmonchan reveal a simple and honest smile.
After a brief rest and reorganization, Red decided to continue his journey. Before leaving, he unexpectedly witnessed a scene between Ash and Anthony.
Just as Red had expected, in order to fulfill his ambition, Anthony set his sights on Primeape. His words to Ash were also the usual cliché—nothing more than promises that after training, Primeape would be able to defeat Hitmonchan and the like.
"Ash, don't you want Primeape to become stronger?" Anthony questioned, sounding even more concerned about Primeape than Ash himself.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Anthony, but I'm confident that I can make Primeape stronger too, so I won't trouble you with it!"
Ash rejected Anthony's request. Ever since his brief farewell with Butterfree, Ash had grown a lot. Unless it was their own wish, Ash would never abandon any Pokémon.
"You can let Primeape make the choice itself!" Anthony said anxiously, unwilling to give up.
Seeing that Anthony refused to let the matter drop, Ash released Primeape and allowed it to make its own decision. If Primeape chose to stay with Anthony, Ash would understand its thoughts—this was Ash's kindness toward Pokémon.
Just as Red had expected, Primeape didn't even glance at Anthony. Instead, it stood affectionately beside Ash. Right now, Primeape didn't want to be separated from Ash. Even though it hadn't obtained the champion belt, it didn't feel discouraged or depressed at all.
Primeape's action instantly made the previously confident Anthony look extremely awkward. Anthony still tried to tempt Primeape with words, but he almost got caught and beaten up by Primeape. Fortunately, the kind-hearted Ash stopped Primeape in time.
Seeing this, Anthony could only leave with "regret," planning to continue training his own Hitmonchan—or perhaps...
After witnessing Ash's choice, Red also turned and left.
In Red's view, if Anthony remained obsessed with the champion belt, he would never succeed. His vision was simply too narrow. Abandoning one's life just for the championship of an ordinary tournament was, in Red's eyes, nothing but a foolish act.
(A/N: To be honest, this episode feels a bit forced by the plot. Primeape had only been caught for a few episodes before being given away.)