"The first contestant to emerge from the non-recommended group is Roy!" The host paused dramatically, as if discovering something remarkable, then exclaimed: "This trainer's Pokémon is actually a Riolu!"
"Anyone familiar with Capital knows there's only one Riolu being raised at this school..."
"That's Elite Sebastian's signature Pokémon, descended from Lucario!"
"But that's not all!" The host waved his hand, causing Callan's player information to appear on the massive screen. "He was still competing in the qualifiers. An incredible dark horse!!"
Callan, who had just exited the stage, felt his mood sour. In his heart, he thought: This is absurd.
Roy's popularity had always been confined to Capital, with little known about him to the outside world.
Unsuspecting spectators in the arena and those watching the livestream expressed their surprise through voices and comment floods.
"The Lucario of Elite Sebastian, the strongest Fighting-type Pokémon in our region?"
"Give me a break. Capital hasn't produced a genuine dark horse in years."
"Impressive? I have to laugh. Which dark horse in recent years has ever made it to the quarterfinals?"
"Things are starting to get interesting."
Noticing the enthusiastic response from both livestream viewers and the audience, the host's smile grew more mischievous as he continued: "We've all witnessed trainer Callan's strength. He's the favored student of the local Grass-type Gym Leader in Capital. Even being defeated like this demonstrates the remarkable strength of trainer Roy..."
"As for Roy's opponent, she's also the favored student of the local Fighting-type Gym Leader in Capital. The recommended student from the Fighting Spirit Gym is contestant Chloe!"
"If Chloe wins, then it seems the Fighting Spirit Gym is better at developing rookies than the Grass Gym~"
With a tone suggesting 'but I only feel sorry for the big brother,' the host made a gesture meant to stir excitement.
"Contestant Chloe's Pokémon is—"
"Mankey!"
It came as no surprise to Roy, who had already gathered basic information on his opponent.
Mankey wasn't a rare Pokémon. Unlike Lucario and Riolu, which were foreign species and extremely rare, Mankey had many habitats worldwide and was considered a native Pokémon. National awareness of it was very high.
For many trainers, their first Fighting-type Pokémon was Mankey.
Just because it was common didn't mean it was easy to train this Pokémon.
Like Pikachu, Mankey was known for its terrible temper.
Quick to anger and irritable, it was difficult for ordinary trainers to handle.
But this definitely didn't apply to Chloe.
After all, one of the main Pokémon at the Fighting Spirit Gym was Primeape, Mankey's evolution—a hot-tempered, fiery monkey.
No wonder she's so confident she can beat me, Roy thought as he took out his Poké Ball. In this Fighting-type civil war, she probably thinks I can't understand Fighting-types better than she can.
At the referee's signal, both trainers threw their Poké Balls simultaneously.
As soon as Chloe's Mankey appeared on the battlefield, people could tell it was different.
Mankey was a primate-shaped Pokémon with light yellow fur covering its body, with the ends of its limbs turning brown. It had a pink nose resembling a pig's snout, hands and feet divided into three fingers, and a long, flexible tail.
The average height of a wild Mankey was only 0.5 meters, but this one stood at 0.7 meters and was exceptionally well-developed.
Not only that, but this Mankey kept hopping in small steps as it appeared, its hands raised above its head, assuming an unusual battle stance.
— Martial arts.
This was the traditional culture of the region since ancient times.
In Roy's previous life, martial arts had long declined with technological advancement, leaving only jokes like "five whips in lightning."
But in this world, martial arts had found another path.
They had been modified to suit Pokémon.
Fighting-types in this region practiced martial arts. This feature had made Fighting-type Pokémon very prosperous in the region and was unique worldwide.
The referee's flag fell, signaling the start of the battle, and Roy and Chloe gave orders simultaneously.
"Quick Attack!" they both shouted.
For Fighting-type Pokémon, specializing in close combat, the strategy of getting close to opponents, sticking to them, and overwhelming them was a constant tactic.
In the blink of an eye, the two Pokémon crossed over a hundred meters and collided.
They each retreated ten meters and stopped, presenting an evenly matched situation.
This power and speed are impressive...
Chloe was excited and acknowledged her opponent's strength.
"Mankey, Focus Energy!"
"Stop him, Rock Smash!"
Focus Energy was a status move that enhanced the ability to spot weaknesses and land critical hits for a certain period.
Roy naturally wouldn't let his opponent stack advantages.
Riolu stepped forward and approached, gathering energy in his right hand for 'Rock Smash,' throwing a pendulum punch.
Then something strange happened.
Mankey maintained the Focus Energy posture as its feet slipped across the ground, its body leaning backward. After Rock Smash passed over its head, it planted both feet on the ground and stood upright like a tumbler.
In the process, invisible air currents were drawn into Mankey, making its eyes glow.
Focus Energy—success!
In close combat situations, trainers on both sides had no time to give instructions, and Pokémon had to rely on their own instincts to complete attacks.
Mankey's three-fingered hand folded into a palm, gathering Fighting-type energy, and slashed toward Riolu's neck.
— Karate Chop.
Riolu didn't dodge or evade but instead delivered another Rock Smash to Mankey's waist.
Both sides took a hit each and were sent flying more than 20 meters before hitting the ground.
If a human had taken either blow, several lives wouldn't have been enough to survive.
Neither Riolu nor Mankey paused; they both straightened up and glared at each other.
But just as Roy was about to give his next command, he noticed Riolu's right shoulder trembling slightly.
The damage received was higher than expected... was it a critical hit?
Roy's well-developed reflexes allowed his brain to process information much faster than ordinary people, certainly faster than Chloe.
Focus Energy improved the ability to "see through weaknesses"... The move itself wasn't particularly threatening. If other trainers tried to use it, Riolu could easily interrupt it.
But this Mankey's weird evasive action had caused Riolu significant damage.
That dodging technique didn't belong to any known moves—it had to be a form of martial arts.
A tactic built around 'Focus Energy'...
If Roy's guess was correct, Chloe's next order would be...
"Focus Energy!"
Chloe smiled confidently.
The Capital Fighting Spirit Gym specialized in "Form-Intention Fist," a martial art adapted for various Fighting-type Pokémon.
This Mankey had only been with her for a week but showed a remarkably high level of comprehension. Under Chloe's teaching, it had learned the monkey form of the Form-Intention Fist twelve shapes.
A week was too short for a Pokémon to become proficient in all monkey techniques.
Following Chloe's guidance, Mankey had specialized in one dodging move and perfected it.
A simple tactical system built around 'Focus Energy'...
Strictly speaking, this small tactic wasn't a complete 'system,' but the rookies in the Rising Star Cup were all beginners who had just started their trainer careers a week ago. Employing such a tactic at this level of competition was simply overwhelming.
Constantly increasing Focus Energy to identify weak points and deliver a finishing blow.
Against this tactic, Pokémon skilled in long-range attacks might fare better, using large-scale area-of-effect moves to force movement.
But for Fighting-type Pokémon that excelled in close combat and lacked long-distance attack methods, it was a natural counter.
"Agility," Roy immediately changed his strategy.
You use stat changes, so will I. Let's boost our stats together.
Riolu concentrated and channeled mental energy through his body.
In the VIP seating area, Elite Carter raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Agility? Where did he learn this move? Riolu can't learn it naturally. Are we sure this Roy was really born a commoner?"
"Inherited moves?" Principal Finn guessed.
Hearing this, Elite Carter remained noncommittal and commented: "Agility isn't a move that a rookie-level Pokémon can master perfectly. The mental strain is too heavy to be used as a standard technique, but only as an 'explosive' method.
With this Riolu's mental capacity, Agility can only be used once. Any more will lead to mental exhaustion and dizziness. It depends on whether its increased speed can break through Mankey's Form-Intention Fist."
"And if it doesn't..."
Then defeat was certain.
The other person didn't finish speaking, but Professor Christian had already imagined the outcome.
Riolu took a deep breath and charged at Mankey, moving two levels faster than before.
A precise Rock Smash was launched again.
Mankey...
"Narrowly dodged it!!" came an exclamation from the audience.
Indeed, although it was a close call, Mankey had escaped by the slimmest margin.
"Agility!" Chloe broke into a cold sweat. This move wasn't something a novice trainer could typically access.
Fortunately, the opponent's increased speed hadn't exceeded Mankey's reaction capabilities.
This time, though, Mankey's Karate Chop also failed to connect, as Riolu's speed enhanced by 'Agility' was too fast.
But Chloe didn't panic at all—she felt her position was unassailable.
Once the 'Agility' effect wore off, Mankey would only need to continue using Focus Energy and dodging. The physical exertion would be much less than what Riolu was experiencing.
"Continue with Focus Energy," Chloe maintained her strategy.
Multiple Focus Energy boosts would ensure that once Mankey landed a hit, she was confident it would take out Riolu immediately.
"The outcome is decided," Professor Christian sighed.
Bad luck.
Roy and Riolu's skill level had been unexpected.
If he'd faced other recommended students, like Callan, this Riolu would have had a chance to win. But he had encountered a natural enemy who specialized in Fighting-types.
Was it impossible for a history-making dark horse to emerge?
"Riolu, Thunder Punch!" Roy commanded.
Insanity?
This was the first reaction in Professor Christian's mind, as well as among the audience members who understood battling.
What could Thunder Punch possibly accomplish at this point?
Only Callan, who had been staring at the weight-bearing bracelets on Riolu's wrists, suddenly had a flash of realization in his eyes.
Something was coming!
"Ri-o-LU!" Riolu let out a powerful cry, wrapping his fists in electricity and striking them together in front of himself.
The lightning conducted and penetrated into his limbs.
On the surface of his fur, only a few electrical arcs flickered.
"BOOM!"
A chair suddenly toppled over as Elite Carter stood up with a shocked expression.
"He created his own move?!"