Pokémon, Inkaros, my starter Pokémon

"It's okay, Primeape..." Ash endured the pain and gave an encouraging smile, "I believe in you, we're partners in this together!"

It was this act of selflessly protecting him and these sincere words that instantly melted away the barriers and wildness in Inferno's heart. A tear flashed in Inferno's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even more fervent fighting spirit!

Primeape turned around to face Machoke, and for the first time looked at Ash, waiting for his command.

Ash was overjoyed and excitedly commanded, "Great! Primeape, listen to me! Use Slash to get close, then use Frenzy repeatedly!"

"Roar!"

The Primeape let out an unprecedented, battle-ready roar, its body shooting out like lightning. Obeying Ash's command, it used Slash to quickly close the distance, and then unleashed a barrage of punches like a storm, delivering a truly continuous combo!

This sudden change and seamless teamwork caught the opponent and his Pokémon off guard. Under the Primeape's wild and precise continuous attacks, the opponent's Pokémon were forced back step by step, and were finally blasted away by a powerful punch, losing their ability to battle!

"We won! We won! Primeape!" Ash excitedly rushed onto the stage and hugged Primeape tightly. For the first time, Primeape didn't resist; instead, it affectionately nuzzled Ash with its head.

The bond was truly forged at this moment.

Ash and Primeape then successfully advanced thanks to the bond they temporarily formed, and it was Brock's turn to enter the fray.

However, when Xiao Gang's Geo Stone clumsily rolled onto the ring, Shi Dou, standing in the contestant area, couldn't help but put his hand to his forehead, speechless.

Brother!

You're here to participate in a fighting tournament? All your opponents are Fighting-type Pokémon, and you bring up a Rock-type Geodude that's doubly weak to Fighting-types. Aren't you just giving away points?!

Where did you go with the attribute counter chart?!

As expected, reality cruelly confirmed Tokito's thoughts.

Brock's opponent wasn't even the originally scheduled player, but Team Rocket (Musashi Kojiro) who broke in midway and attempted to steal another Champion-level Sawamura.

Faced with Swarovski's lightning-fast series of kicks, Geodude's rocky body simply couldn't withstand the fierce impact of Fighting-type moves. It was almost one-sidedly beaten, and after only a few rounds, Brock reluctantly chose to forfeit.

To be honest, Xiaogang, you'd be better off using Xia's Starfish instead of your Geodude!

It's a Water/Psychic type, after all. Psychic types can resist Fighting-type damage, and maybe it can even use Psychic to hold its own...

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Shi Dou's thoughts began to wander.

Speaking of Starmie, if we look at its Mega Evolution form from the latest Pokémon ZA release... those deadly long legs, if used for a Spinning Kick, would probably be more powerful than many Fighting-type Pokémon!

This art style is actually quite appealing!

The following matches were against opponents of varying strengths, which made the games somewhat uninteresting for Salud, who had already easily won three consecutive matches.

It didn't even use any enhanced skills, easily ending the battle with just the basic [Blade Aura], [Soaring Moon Double Flash], and [Arc Moon Flash], advancing triumphantly with overwhelming force.

Soon, the tournament entered the semi-finals. The electronic screen displayed the list of players for the next match:

[Fourth Round]: Tokito (Sarudo) VS Ogito (Ahiro)

"Ladies and gentlemen! The exciting semi-finals have finally arrived!" the host announced excitedly. "On one side is Time Fighter from Saffron City, with his mysterious and powerful Mantis, and unstoppable momentum! On the other side is Fan Fighter, a regular guest of our P1 Fighting Tournament, with superb boxing skills and high fighting spirit, and his partner—Hitler!"

Fan Dou stood on the opposite side of the ring, clenching his fists, and shouted encouragement to Hitmonlee, the Pokémon boxer wearing boxing gloves beside him: "Hitmonlee, show us your spirit, let your opponent see the results of our hard training, go for it!"

"Abby!"

Abby Lang's eyes were sharp, his fists were held in front of him, and his feet moved with agile footwork, a standard boxer's stance, full of momentum.

Salud, who had seemed somewhat uninterested until now, finally narrowed his deep blue compound eyes slightly after sensing the fighting spirit and intensity emanating from Hitler that was far more refined than that of his previous weak opponents. His four scythes also unconsciously adjusted their angles, assuming a more aggressive starting stance.

For the first time, Salud's usually cold expression revealed a hint of seriousness.

Finally, a worthy opponent has arrived.

"clang--!"

The crisp sound of golden bells echoed throughout the arena, announcing the official start of the semi-finals!

"Ahiro, strike first, use continuous sonic punches!" Fan Dou launched the first fierce attack.

"Abby!"

With a low shout, Abiro's fists transformed into two blurry afterimages, accompanied by a piercing sound as they blasted towards Salud at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow!

This is precisely his signature move—the Sonic Punch!

"Salud, Double Flash of the Moon, meet the attack!" Shi Dou showed no sign of backing down.

"Sa!"

A flash of blue light appeared in Salud's eyes, and his two scythes were instantly covered in white light. His figure was as fast as lightning, and instead of retreating, he advanced, slashing out two sharp crescent-shaped light blades in a cross shape, fiercely meeting the dense sonic fist shadows!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The fist and the scythe collided violently, producing a series of rapid and crisp explosions. Sparks of energy flew everywhere. Surprisingly, Salud's seemingly small body unleashed a terrifying power comparable to Hitler, who was known for his punching speed and strength. In a head-on confrontation, he was not at a disadvantage at all.

"Wow! A close contest! An amazing head-on clash!" the host exclaimed excitedly.

The audience was thrilled, with cheers rising in waves!

Having failed to land a blow, Hitmonlee used the recoil from the collision to leap backward and create distance between himself and Salad. Sento's eyes narrowed, knowing that conventional attacks would not be enough to win, and he decided to use his trump card technique!

"Ahiro, it's time! Unleash our ultimate move that we've been practicing so hard! Use Ice Fist and Lightning Fist at the same time!"

With a wave of his arms, Shan Dou shouted loudly.

"Abby-Lang!!!"

With a roar, Hitmonlee channeled all its power into its fists. In an instant, its left fist was enveloped in a chilling aura, while its right fist crackled with golden lightning.

Ice and electricity, two completely different yet equally destructive energy attributes, converged simultaneously on Hitler's fists, creating a visually striking scene!

"It's here! The ultimate technique of Fan Fighter and Hitler—simultaneously unleashing Ice Fist and Lightning Fist. The intertwining of ice and lightning, a fatal blow from dual attributes! How will Time Fighter's Salud cope with such a terrifying offensive?!"

The host shouted at the top of his lungs.

The entire audience held their breath, watching the ring with bated breath.

However, Shi Dou dismissed it with disdain:

"Salud, show it your true power! Use... Phantom Demon Void Fang Strike!"

------

------

P.S.: Forget it, tigers, gorillas, bears, and leopards are too powerful. Let's try some weaker Pokémon instead, something more positive.

Chapter 90: The Champion Spirit of the Fighting Tournament!

"Salud, show it your true power... Use Phantom Fang Strike!"

"Sa—!!!"

Salud let out a sharp screech, and its deep blue body suddenly erupted with a chilling dark energy wave. The two main blades of its two scythes underwent an astonishing transformation. One scythe burst into an intensely hot crimson flame, while the other scythe became entangled in a deep, viscous, ominous, and highly poisonous purple energy!

Phantom Demon Kongya rushes!

This is a powerful skill containing preemptive strikes. What's even more terrifying is that the flames are not ordinary flames, and the poison is not ordinary poison either. The two completely opposite energy attributes of heat and cold are perfectly fused together on Salud's scythe. The high temperature of the flames makes the poison even more corrosive, while the coldness of the poison amplifies the burning sensation of the flames!

This attack, seemingly emanating from the realm of illusion, was enough to plunge the opponent into extreme pain and fear!

"Then...what is that?!"

"Flame and poison?! How could it..."

"Using two different Ni-attribute powers simultaneously?! How is that possible?!"

The entire arena erupted in uproar, everyone stunned by Salud's illogical move!

The next second, a scythe burning with flames and wrapped in deadly poison clashed violently with two fists carrying ice and lightning in the center of the P1 Fighting Tournament arena!

"boom!!!!!!"

A deafening explosion swept across the entire arena, with ice shards, lightning, flames, and poisonous mist flying everywhere, engulfing the entire arena in a chaotic energy storm!

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" the host shouted hoarsely, his voice carrying throughout the entire venue through the microphone. "Both sides displayed astonishing skill and superb technique; this was truly a fierce battle!"

The audience was completely captivated, erupting in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Fan Dou, on the other hand, was utterly incredulous. His prized combination of ice and lightning fists, honed through years of rigorous training, had been met head-on by his opponent in such a bizarre and powerful manner!

“How is this possible…” Shan Dou muttered to himself.

However, the differences are revealed in the subtle details.

Although Hitmonlee's Freeze Punch and Lightning Punch are used simultaneously, they are essentially two independent skills, lacking true synergy and coordination, while Salud's Phantom Fang Rush is completely different!

The scythe, wreathed in a deep purple poison, struck Abiron's parrying arm first, the poisonous energy instantly seeping into him!

"Abby?!"

Abiro's body stiffened, and a painful purple aura appeared on his face; the poisoning status had taken effect!

Immediately afterwards, the other scythe, burning with scorching flames, with a terrifying effect that doubled its power against the poisoned target, struck the same spot like a red-hot iron!

"Bang!!!"

Double the impact, unleashing burst damage!

Abhiron was unable to withstand the sudden pain and energy surge. He screamed and his body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. He crashed into the railing at the edge of the arena, bounced back to the ground, and his eyes spun out. He was completely unable to fight.

"Ahiro is unable to fight, Salud wins, so the one who advances to the finals is... Tokito!" the referee announced loudly.

"Ooooooooooo!!!"

The stadium erupted once again, cheering for Salud's clean, decisive, and visually stunning victory.

Salud slowly retracted its scythe, its energy subsided, and its deep blue compound eyes remained cold, as if the earth-shattering attack just now was merely a casual and effortless act.

"Damn it..."

Fan Dou knelt down beside Abiro, his face full of resentment and disappointment. Years of hard work had once again stopped at the semi-finals.

Ash, watching from the audience, was filled with excitement. He clenched his fist and exclaimed, "That's amazing! Both Mr. Toki and Salud are incredibly strong. Let's do our best, Primeape!"

"Roar!"

Hot Monkey also felt the pressure, but even more so, his fighting spirit was ignited.

Next up is another semi-final match, where Ash's Primeape will face Hitmonlee, who is disguised as a Team Rocket player.

Both Pokémon are top-tier Fighting-types, but their styles are completely different. Infernape is powerful and unrestrained, launching a barrage of attacks, while Hitmonchan is known for its sharp legwork and agile movements. The two fought fiercely in the arena, exchanging blows and kicks evenly, drawing gasps from the audience.

However, the Rockets ultimately did not change their despicable nature.

Meowth sneaked under the arena and prepared an electric trap, intending to activate it the moment Sawamura jumped into the air, stunning Infernape, who would also leap up to chase after it.

"Pikachu!"

But their plot had already been detected by the perceptive Pikachu. Pikachu's cheeks flashed with electricity as it darted under the ring and delivered a tiny electric shock that precisely struck Meowth, interrupting its actions.

Meanwhile, on the arena, Hitmonlee leaped high as expected and unleashed its signature flying kick. However, because Meowth's trap failed to activate, Primeape, under Ash's command, "Now! Use the uppercut!", fearlessly pushed off the ground and leaped up, delivering a powerful uppercut that slammed into Hitmonlee's body, which was airborne and had nowhere to brace itself.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, Savarang's movements came to an abrupt halt, his eyes bulging as he was knocked unconscious by the heavy punch and fell from the sky.

"Hibari is unable to battle, Primeape wins! Advancing to the finals is... Ash!"

The finalists have finally been decided:

[P1 Fighting Tournament Finals]: Toki vs. Ash!

[Battle Pokémon]: Salud vs. Infernape!

"clang--!"

As the final bell rang, the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense! On the stage, the deep blue Salud and the orange-haired Infernape faced each other, their fighting spirit colliding and exploding in the air as if it were a tangible force!

"Salud, Phantom Demon Sky Fang Strike!" Tokito showed no mercy, launching a deadly attack right from the start!

Salud's scythe reignited with flames and poison, transforming into a streak of interwoven red and purple as it hurtled toward Infernape!

"Primalinos, we're not afraid either! Let's wreak havoc!" Ash shouted excitedly.

"Roar!!!"

With its eyes bloodshot and violent energy emanating from its body, Inferno Monkey neither dodged nor evaded, but instead swung its fists, which were wrapped in fighting energy, and charged at Salud's Phantom Blades like a madman!

"Boom! Bang! Clang!"