Chapter 58: Old Friends Arriving Before the Tournament Begins
"Grapploct, Octolock!"
On the open ground beside the road, Grapploct suddenly spread its limbs like a net, slamming heavily onto Primeape's back and locking him firmly in place!
"Grappling techniques… such a headache." Ash sighed, then smiled. "If I had Primeape back then, I wouldn't have been so passive."
"Primeape, Rage!"
"Raaagh!" Veins bulged on Primeape's forehead as his entire body suddenly burst with overwhelming strength, ripping himself free from Grapploct's hold.
Then Primeape leapt upward and slammed the Grapploct on his back straight into the ground.
BOOM! Dust exploded everywhere—Grapploct's Octolock was broken!
"What a reckless style. This Primeape is extremely aggressive." Bea analyzed calmly.
"Grapploct, Superpower!"
Grapploct's four thick tentacles bulged with muscle and hammered toward Primeape with terrifying force.
The attack was so fast and heavy that in an instant it closed the distance straight to Primeape's chest!
"Primeape, guard your head!" Ash shouted.
"Hei-ha!" Primeape raised both fists, protecting the sides of his head, planting his stance firmly.
BANG! BANG!
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed nonstop. Primeape gritted his teeth and endured.
"Young man, this kind of command is no good. Sometimes giving up is a virtue…" Anthony said, trying to advise from the side.
"Uncle, no wonder you lose all the time." Ash shot him a flat look, then refocused on the battle.
He knew exactly how strong Grapploct was. If Primeape's current strength was about eight thousand, Grapploct's was at least ten thousand or more.
"You can't win a sustained fight. You can't win in technique. So there's only one way—go all-in!"
As Primeape's stamina dropped, a red fighting aura surged from his body, gradually boiling upward.
"Grapploct, Drain Punch!"
Bea's eyes widened; she wanted to switch tactics—
But Ash's strategy had already succeeded.
"Primeape, Reversal!'"
"HUGAAH!!"
Primeape exploded upward, blood-red energy gathering around his right fist as he punched straight toward Grapploct's face.
Grapploct's green-swirling fist collided with Primeape head-on.
BOOM! A ring of air blasted outward. Grapploct was nearly annihilated on impact!
CRASH! Primeape's charged blow sent Grapploct flying, and Primeape leapt after it.
"Double-Edge!'' Ash commanded.
Primeape's right fist flared with blazing white fighting energy—
a vicious, bone-crushing punch slammed down!
Because in Ash's school of fighting: no punch taken is ever wasted—every punch must be paid back double.
KABOOM!
A crater formed as Primeape smashed Grapploct straight into the ground!
"Hoo-haa!!"
The berserk Primeape wanted to continue hitting, but Ash stopped him.
"Enough. That's it."
"Huff… huff…"
To Ash's relief, despite still radiating intense aggression, Primeape obediently turned and returned to his side.
"I actually… lost."
Bea blinked, stunned for a moment, then the corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
"Interesting. Coming to this tournament was definitely the right choice…"
Ash patted Primeape's head to calm him and smiled at Bea. "Thanks for the match."
Bea shook her head. "A loss is a loss. During the P1 Grand Prix Tournament, let's fight again."
Ash nodded. "No problem."
"Well then, I'm leaving."
She recalled Grapploct, tightened the black headband on her head, and jogged off down the road.
On the other side, Anthony rubbed his eyes in disbelief, jaw dropped.
"You actually beat that girl… This Primeape has the makings of a champion."
At that thought, the uncle shamelessly hurried over to Ash:
"Young man, your Primeape has incredible fighting talent. Want to let me train it? I guarantee it'll win countless championship belts!"
Ash smirked and looked at him sideways.
"So you're saying… I should give you my Primeape?"
The uncle scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, it's for Primeape's own good. As a Trainer, you want it to be happy, right?"
"True enough." Ash nodded, then patted Primeape.
"How about this—ask him yourself. If Primeape wants to go with you, I won't object."
"Really?! Wonderful!"
Anthony rubbed his hands excitedly, immediately approaching Primeape:
"Listen! Do you want to become a fighting superstar? Come with me— I'll train you into the most buff, masculine warrior alive!"
Primeape, already full of rage, suddenly had this punching bag of a man asking him to leave his Trainer.
Clearly, the man didn't know what a fist the size of a clay pot felt like.
"Huff… HAH!"
Primeape had endured enough—no more patience.
A purplish-red power burst around his fist—Rage Fist!
BOOM!!!
A huge purple-red fist-shaped shockwave exploded out, slamming square into Anthony's face.
"AAAAAH—!!"
Anthony screamed as he shot up into the sky like a rising morning star.
"Hitmonchan!!"
Hitmonchan panicked and ran after its flying Trainer.
"Hoo-hoo!"
Having punched Anthony into orbit, Primeape hopped excitedly, feeling refreshed.
Ash nodded approvingly.
"Exactly. He was daydreaming. Nice punch, Primeape."
Ash didn't notice that after that punch, a streak of pale blue-white fur sprouted in Primeape's beige fur.
Rage Fist mastery: (1/20).
"Alright, break time's over. Let's run back to the dojo—then we can have snacks and rest a bit." Ash announced.
FWISH!
The moment "snacks" left Ash's mouth, a dark shadow flashed past—Hitmonlee was already a hundred meters ahead.
"Whoa—so fast!" Ash laughed. "This guy hears 'food' and he's even more intense than a Snorlax."
"Pika pika…" Pikachu snickered and nodded.
They jogged the rest of the way back to the resting dojo.
The moment Ash entered, he grabbed a sports drink from the table and gulped down two huge mouthfuls.
Then he picked up a rice ball and took a bite.
He froze.
Slowly, he chewed.
"This taste… why is it so familiar… so comforting?"
"Well, looks like you really remember my cooking."
A familiar voice came from the inner room.
"Yo. Long time no see."
"Brock!!" Ash exclaimed. No wonder the rice ball tasted so familiar.
"I came to enter Geodude in the fighting tournament. I met Sorrel on the way, so I came to freeload at your dojo. Think of the rice ball as my thanks." Brock smiled with his hands on his hips, white teeth flashing.
THUD!
A pink-haired girl collapsed at the doorway, trembling as she lifted a hand.
"So hungry… help…"
Sorrel came out with freshly brewed barley tea—and froze.
"Maylene!"
Chaos ensued as they hurried to bring her inside. Brock checked her condition and finally let out a breath.
"She's fine. Just passed out from hunger…"
Ash sighed speechlessly.
Maylene sure didn't have an easy life…
To be continued…