On the battlefield, Hitmonchan moved like a seasoned prizefighter, his legs bouncing lightly as he warmed up and adjusted his stance.
His eyes gleamed with razor-sharp focus, locked firmly onto the opposing Charmeleon, as though searching for the smallest flaw in his defense.
"Hitmonchan, use Agility!" The battle at Taige Gym seemed unusually casual—there was no referee. With just one command from Master Tyron, the match officially began.
Whoosh!
Hitmonchan blurred into motion, transforming into a brown streak that shot across the arena like lightning, rushing at Charmeleon with incredible speed.
"Use Scary Face to intimidate it!" Master Tyron's tactics mirrored Takesan's from before, so Yozora responded with the same countermeasure.
"Roar!"
Charmeleon bellowed ferociously, his face twisted into a snarl.
But Hitmonchan didn't even flinch. His body flickered and shifted rapidly as he closed the distance, Agility keeping him in constant motion.
"Haha! My Hitmonchan has fought countless battles. His will was forged in combat—mere intimidation won't faze him so easily!"
Master Tyron laughed heartily. At that moment, Hitmonchan was nearly upon Charmeleon. Tyron's eyes flashed, and his voice boomed across the arena:"Now—use Power-Up Punch!"
Bang!
Hitmonchan's fist, wrapped in a golden glow, smashed hard into Charmeleon's left cheek.
In that instant, golden light pulsed beneath his feet. Hitmonchan's aura surged as the move's effect activated—his fists hardened, and his attack power rose by thirty percent.
Bang!
Before Yozora or Charmeleon could react, another glowing fist slammed into Charmeleon's right cheek.
Flash!
Another golden light ignited beneath Hitmonchan.
The special effect of Power-Up Punch triggered again—his fists grew even heavier, his attack power soaring to sixty percent above normal.
As expected of the Punching Pokémon, Hitmonchan's speed was terrifying—two blows landed in an instant, leaving Yozora and Charmeleon with no time to respond.
By the time they realized what had happened, Charmeleon had already taken two direct hits, while Hitmonchan's strength was now amplified twice over.
"Counterattack—use Fire Punch!" Yozora shouted.
Charmeleon roared in defiance. Flames surged around his fist as he swung with all his might, aiming straight for Hitmonchan's face.
"Duck low." Tyron's calm order rang out. With a sharp whoosh, Hitmonchan crouched lightning-fast into a half-squat.
Charmeleon's fiery punch struck only air, leaving him momentarily open.
"Sky Uppercut!" Tyron's command came instantly.
Hitmonchan sprang upward, delivering a brutal Sky Uppercut that connected with Charmeleon's jaw.
The raw force of the blow sent Charmeleon flying high into the air.
Hitmonchan's punches were devastating on their own, but with two boosts from Power-Up Punch, his strength had risen dramatically. Combined with Sky Uppercut's natural power, the impact was overwhelming.
Charmeleon howled in pain.
…
Even after sending Charmeleon airborne, Hitmonchan wasn't satisfied. With a powerful leap, he pursued his opponent mid-air.
"Flamethrower!" Yozora quickly countered, forcing Charmeleon to unleash a torrent of flames to push Hitmonchan back.
Boom!
Charmeleon crashed heavily to the ground, sliding backward three steps before finally halting. He planted his feet, regaining his stance.
Despite the heavy damage, Charmeleon's breathing was steady, his presence still strong—proof of his remarkable endurance.
"Excellent! This Charmeleon has been trained well. His foundation is solid, his stamina outstanding." Tyron's eyes lit up with admiration, and he praised openly.
At his words, the four white-robed disciples standing behind him exchanged stunned glances.
As Tyron's students, they knew his character well. He was strict to the extreme, his standards merciless. Toward his own disciples, his methods were all scolding and discipline—rarely a single word of praise.
To outside challengers, he was harsher still, tossing out insults like "fool" and "weakling," never once offering a compliment.
But now, facing Yozora and his Charmeleon, he was actually praising them repeatedly? This was unprecedented. Could it be that this boy named Yozora truly possessed extraordinary talent?
Yet Yozora himself felt no joy, nor the slightest sense of complacency.
How could he?
He knew perfectly well he was at a disadvantage. Charmeleon, despite being the stronger in level, had been pressed into a corner from the start, unable to land a clean hit!
It was unbelievable.
All his life, Yozora had been the one defeating opponents above his level. But today—for the first time—he was the one being outmatched.
If not for Charmeleon's rigorous training and immense stamina, Hitmonchan's relentless assault might already have decided the battle.
"Speed. That's it—Hitmonchan's speed is the key!" Yozora quickly realized the crux of the problem.
Hitmonchan's fluid movements and sharp fighting skills all stemmed from one source—his blistering speed.
Without speed, his rapid-fire offense would collapse.
But why was Hitmonchan's speed so absurdly fast?
He was only a high-tier Commander-level Pokémon. Yet his speed surpassed even Yozora's peak Commander-level Charmeleon?
Impossible!
"Wait… Agility!" Yozora's heart skipped a beat. From the very start, Hitmonchan had used Agility. Since then, his speed had remained terrifying.
In the original games, Agility was treated as a boosting move, raising speed by stages.
But reality was different. Here, Agility was a continuous movement technique.
Use Agility, and you move fast.
Stop using it, and your speed drops back to normal.
To stay quick, you had to keep Agility active—attacking and dodging while constantly maintaining high speed.
In other words, Hitmonchan was fighting as though every move was part of a combo! The stamina cost was enormous.
Power-Up Punch + Agility!Power-Up Punch + Agility!Sky Uppercut + Agility!
Every attack so far had been a combo technique—not to mention the dodges performed at full speed.
"Tch tch tch…"
"Even with such massive energy drain, Hitmonchan isn't winded at all?" Yozora marveled inwardly as he studied the opponent.
This Hitmonchan's endurance rivaled Charmeleon's own!
…
(End of Chapter)