"Roar!"
With a furious cry, Charizard once again used Dragon Rush.
Seeing that Charizard dared to stop it from taking revenge, Machoke didn't even think of dodging; it chose to strike back head-on.
The muscles on its arms bulged, looking even larger.
Then it swung both fists forward, unleashing Strength.
Its mastery of the move was clear.
Facing the roaring dragon, Machoke stood firm like a brave knight about to slay an evil beast.
But unlike a knight saving a princess for marriage, Machoke only wanted to kill the trainer Charizard was protecting, Gu Yuan.
In the next instant, their attacks clashed. The dragon was shattered, and this was the first time Charizard had ever seen a Pokémon of equal rank withstand its full assault.
Especially since it had already boosted its power to the limit using Swords Dance.
While Charizard was shocked, Machoke wasn't doing well either. Both its arms were numb.
"Charizard, use Fire Blast!"
Gu Yuan's command snapped Charizard back into battle mode.
Flames gathered and formed a massive fiery kanji that blasted forward.
With a stomp of its foot, Machoke launched itself like an arrow.
Using Mega Kick, it shattered the Fire Blast apart.
Thanks to its Guts Ability, Machoke wasn't afraid of being burned.
"Charizard, fly up. Kadabra will protect me, don't worry about my safety."
Fearing that Charizard might stay to shield him, Gu Yuan gave an extra reminder.
Hearing that, Charizard took to the skies.
Kadabra used Teleport, carrying Gu Yuan far away from Machoke once more.
At the same time, Charizard's Fire Blast launched again, surging toward Machoke below.
Machoke looked at Charizard, giving up the chase for Gu Yuan. It planned to defeat Charizard first and then use it to threaten Gu Yuan into stopping his escape.
So, despite its bulky frame, Machoke's mind was sharp.
After all, some Pokémon had strong learning ability. Spending time with a trainer made them smarter.
Turning back, Machoke threw a straight punch followed by Mega Punch, once again breaking apart the Fire Blast.
Seeing this, Gu Yuan released Mankey, letting it observe how a powerful Fighting-type Pokémon battled.
Charizard took advantage of its aerial position, using Flame Charge to speed up while firing Fire Blast attacks.
Machoke countered each one calmly with Mega Punch, waiting for the moment Charizard exposed a flaw.
Watching the exchange, Mankey's eyes gleamed with admiration.
Especially Machoke's fighting style, it became the goal Mankey would pursue.
No matter how flashy the moves, he wanted to crush everything with a single punch.
That was also what Gu Yuan expected of Mankey. The only difference was that Mankey's future move would be Rage Fist, not Mega Punch.
"Charizard, use Dragon Rush, then follow with Slash!"
Seizing the last moments of Swords Dance, Gu Yuan commanded an all-out strike.
There was no point dragging things out. Machoke's greater power would eventually expose Charizard's weakness.
Instead of waiting, Gu Yuan decided to go all in with boosted strength and speed.
Even if they lost, witnessing greater power would still be worth it.
Following the command, Charizard charged forward again, transforming into a roaring dragon.
Its enhanced speed made its charge even more forceful.
Sensing the threat from Charizard, Machoke didn't dare hold back.
It unleashed Close Combat, fists flashing rapidly as it collided with the descending Charizard.
Under the relentless barrage, the power of Dragon Rush began to crumble.
Seizing the moment, Machoke threw one last heavy punch, forcing Charizard back.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower, then Dragon Claw!"
Gu Yuan's voice rang out. The flames became fiery ropes, wrapping around Machoke.
Then Charizard lunged, dragon energy swirling around its claws, striking for Machoke's vital point.
Machoke shattered the flames with raw strength and caught Charizard's claws.
In close combat, Machoke was undoubtedly superior.
Even so, Charizard managed to stay even thanks to Swords Dance and Flame Charge, holding off Machoke's furious strikes.
But Gu Yuan knew this wouldn't last. Once Machoke adjusted to Charizard's rhythm, it would find his opening.
Soon, Machoke, a master of hand-to-hand fighting, spotted Charizard's weak point and countered.
Using Strength, it shattered Charizard's attack, stepped in fast, and unleashed a flurry of punches that turned the tide.
"Charizard, use Slash, aim for its heart!"
Gu Yuan's command made Charizard strike back, glowing claws forcing Machoke to retreat and giving it a chance to breathe.
At this point, the effects of Swords Dance ended, and the boost from Flame Charge was fading.
After prolonged fighting, Charizard was nearly exhausted, and its Blaze Ability had triggered.
Unfortunately, Machoke's Guts Ability meant the fiery attacks only strengthened it further.
Even so, Gu Yuan didn't stop the fight. Instead, he urged Charizard to continue attacking.
Another Fire Blast cleared the way, and Charizard beat its wings, charging once more.
Machoke used Mega Kick to destroy the flames, then spun and struck back with Mega Punch, clashing again with Charizard.
Flames engulfed them both.
Under the burning heat, Machoke's Guts Ability activated, and it landed another devastating Mega Punch, knocking Charizard back out of the fire.
By now, Charizard was completely drained, standing only through sheer willpower.
Machoke dashed forward, launching a final Mega Punch aimed to finish it.
But before it landed, drowsiness struck. For a moment, Machoke faltered.
A flash of red light enveloped it, pulling it back into its Poké Ball.
"Alright, Charizard, that's enough for now. If you want, I'll find even stronger wild Pokémon for you next time."
After capturing Machoke, Gu Yuan approached Charizard with Medicine.
Charizard nodded slightly, not resisting.
Even though it loved to battle, it knew its limits. Pushing further would only cause serious injury.
"Okay, rest inside your Poké Ball."
After feeding it some Pokéblocks and food, Gu Yuan recalled Charizard into its Poké Ball.
Then he turned to face Kuro and Teng, ready for interrogation.