Chapter 137: Hitmonlee vs. Hitmonchan!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
"Ai!"
"Sha!"
The two, having entered a state of Detect, began their assault. Hitmonchan's fists were like steel and Hitmonlee's legs were like cannons, constantly blasting at each other.
Then, both evaded with the barest of movements.
They attacked again, falling into a cycle. On the Arena, one could only see fleeting phantoms and hear the howling wind whistling past their ears.
"So strong," Ash murmured, his eyes wide.
Both sides were attacking with all their might, yet they could dodge by a hair's breadth. This Detect technique was just too powerful. He quickly sent out his Primeape as well.
One man, one monkey, four eyes. Copy x2.
However, the situation on the Arena quickly changed.
After all, neither of them could maintain the state of Detect for too long. After a round of exchanges, a fist and a foot accidentally grazed their targets for the first time, and soon, hits were landing frequently.
Eventually, the two seemed to have abandoned the Detect technique entirely. Their fighting spirit ignited, they neither defended nor dodged, choosing to endure a punch just to land a kick on their opponent.
This, it could be said, was the true face of the P1 Grand Prix.
The Detect battle style was something only an advanced master could pull off; it wouldn't appear in a town-level tournament.
And the skill level of these two was only a little stronger than that of ordinary people.
The two continued to throw punches and kicks. When one of them had a front tooth knocked out, their moves began to resemble a grade-school brawl, becoming completely undisciplined.
If there had been a brick on the ground, one might have picked it up and smashed it over the other's head.
Even Shandou and Neku at the edge of the Arena wished they could recall their Pokémon and go up to fight themselves.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!!*
In a few breaths, both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee were covered in wounds. One had a black eye, the other had a front tooth knocked out. Both were trembling, looking like a pair of school kids after a scuffle.
"Hah... hah..." "Hah... hah..."
Right now, both were in a critical condition; a single Tackle could decide the battle.
"Now, Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!!" Shandou suddenly ordered a surprise attack.
At a time like this, a priority move was undoubtedly a godlike technique!
Hitmonchan struck like lightning, its fist landing squarely on its opponent's forehead, leaving a bloody gash.
"The outcome is decided!"
Hearing the sound of fist meeting flesh, Shandou's heart was set at ease.
However, the image he expected of Hitmonlee collapsing didn't happen. The latter still stood firm, its body enveloped in a red glow.
"There it is! It's Hitmonlee's signature ace, the move Endure!!" the announcer recognized the move and roared at the sky.
The louder he shouted, the higher his pay for the day.
And the move Endure was like a Focus Sash; no matter how low its health, it would always leave it with that last little bit of HP.
"Damn it! Then finish it with Ice Punch!!" Shandou quickly roared.
Hitmonchan's fist, which it had used for Mach Punch, was still in a state of follow-through, so he could only choose to attack with his other hand using one of the three elemental punches.
At this super close range, the opponent couldn't dodge!
*I, Shandou, have secured victory again!*
Icy energy instantly gathered on Hitmonchan's sandbag-sized fist, radiating a bone-deep chill. It was about to smash into its target.
Endure, like Protect, only works for one hit. There was no way it could block this next attack!
"Sha!!"
But Hitmonlee let out a sudden sharp cry. Its spring-like leg swept out like a long whip, kicking straight toward the fist that radiated an icy chill.
This was a turn-based game; how could it always be Hitmonchan's turn to attack?
"Hmph, trying to fight me to the death? You're courting death..."
Before the words even left his mouth, Shandou's eyes shrank. He suddenly saw a flame inexplicably erupt from Hitmonlee's foot with a *boom*.
"What is...?"
A scorching, fierce aura blasted Shandou in the face.
A corner of Martial Artist Neku's mouth tilted up, and he then roared:
"Finish it! Use Blaze Kick!!"
If Hitmonchan had used Thunder Punch, it might have been a 50-50 situation. But of all things, you just had to use Ice Punch?
What a coincidence. My Hitmonlee doesn't know any "Three Elemental Kicks," but it knows one move that has a type advantage over Ice-type: Blaze Kick!
The fierce fist and foot collided once more. This time, it wasn't just a contest of strength, but a clash of types as well.
"Fwoosh!!"
The flames from the Blaze Kick spread out, instantly melting away all the chill from the Ice Punch.
Hitmonchan's strength immediately faltered, and its fist, along with its entire body, was sent flying by the kick. It shot backward off the Arena like a cannonball, landing miserably in the audience stands.
"Hitmonchan!!"
Before Shandou could run forward to check on its wounds, a gentle-looking woman had already rushed past him, kneeling on the ground, looking at Hitmonchan with worry and heartache.
"Aimi, you..."
Shandou's voice caught in his throat.
This woman was his daughter.
She had always opposed him participating in this P1 Grand Prix, so why was she now so worried about his Pokémon?
What followed was a touching scene of a loving father and filial daughter. The surrounding audience was moved to tears and applauded, their minds instantly spinning a ten-thousand-word tear-jerking story about a father fighting on the Arena with his old bones for the sake of his daughter.
Suddenly, the crowd's gazes toward Hitmonlee and Martial Artist Neku, who were still standing on the Arena, turned malicious, as if they were the villains.
Neku: "?"
"The villainous Martial Artist Neku and his Hitmonlee advance to the finals!"
The announcer seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, giving him a prefix. As a temp, his job was just to follow the audience's emotions and stir the pot. After all, he'd be gone after collecting his pay tonight; any fallout was the problem of the organizers.
Hearing this, Neku's brow furrowed. With nowhere to vent his frustration, he could only unleash his malice on Ash, who was enjoying the show like a spectator nearby.
"You, the Trainer with the electric mouse! You're the one who toyed with my younger brother in the first round. In the finals, I will end you!" he said sternly, truly taking on the air of a villain.
Ash: "?"
*The way you phrased that is a little weird.*
But he was never one to back down from a challenge. Unfazed, he retorted, "So you like playing with legs, huh? Just wait. In the finals, I'll rip off all three of your Hitmonlee's legs!"
Primeape even gave Neku the middle finger.
The finals hadn't even begun, but the atmosphere was already explosive.
However, since Hitmonlee was severely injured, if the finals were held immediately, Primeape would probably make it kneel with a single stomp of its foot. Thus, The Officials made a temporary adjustment to the rules, moving the finals from the evening to late at night.
And so, Ash managed to snag another free boxed meal.
Night fell. Around 10 o'clock, the dark streets were illuminated by rows of incandescent lights, bathing the Arena in a bright glow.
In stark contrast, a dense, dark crowd of spectators surrounded the Arena, cheering and shouting.
"Now *this* is the right atmosphere," Ash said with a smile. For an arena battle, you had to have this kind of vibe.
"Get ready to cause a ruckus, Primeape!"
"PRIME!!"
He and Primeape bumped fists, their soul bond in perfect sync. Then, with a deep squat, Primeape leaped over the ropes from several meters away onto the Arena. Without a moment's hesitation, it raised its arms to the audience and roared, as if this were already the awards ceremony.
"A natural-born champion..."
For some reason, watching the boisterous monkey on the Arena, the spectator Shandou uttered these words.
"If it's that one, maybe it really can reach the realm of its ancestors..." Shandou then shook his head. He needed to see Primeape's performance in the finals.
"Go, Hitmonlee!"
At Martial Artist Neku's low command, Hitmonlee extended its spring-like leg and vaulted onto the Arena, facing off against Primeape.
"P1 Grand Prix, Town-Level Finals! Hitmonlee versus Primeape!"
*DONG!!*
As the announcer struck the bronze gong by the Arena, the finals officially began!
(end of chapter)