However—
Kangaskhan was fast, but in front of Arcanine, it couldn't seize the slightest advantage.
Ryūnan was confident Arcanine could dodge with ease. Calmly, he ordered,"Evade it, then use Fire Spin!"
Kangaskhan spread its arms wide, crashing down from above.
At the critical moment, Arcanine's figure blurred aside, slipping past the strike. At the same time, it unleashed a torrent of flames that struck Kangaskhan directly.
Arcanine opened its jaws wide, spewing fire without pause. Flames gathered around Kangaskhan, surging higher and higher until a blazing vortex surrounded it completely.
"Break free by force!" Yozora shouted.
Boom!
Kangaskhan suddenly burst with raw power. With a single violent heave of its arms, it unleashed such overwhelming strength that the fiery vortex shattered apart in an instant.
"Hiss…!" From the stands, gasps rippled through the crowd.
After all, Fire Spin was a high-level Fire-type move.
Once formed, it trapped the enemy in a bind, burning them relentlessly with multi-stage damage. Each tick of damage was fearsome, and its continuous assault could overwhelm most Pokémon of the same rank.
Yet who could have imagined Kangaskhan could sweep it away with just a shake of its arms?
Where was the binding effect?
But on second thought—that Kangaskhan's power was simply terrifying…
"What frightening brute strength!" Even Ryūnan was shocked, quickly scrambling to come up with a countermeasure.
"Kangaskhan, Dynamic Punch!"
Seizing the opening, Yozora struck first.
Kangaskhan's fist gathered energy, glowing with blinding white light as it swung downward with crushing force at Arcanine.
"Quick, dodge it!" Ryūnan shouted in alarm.
Arcanine leapt back, but Kangaskhan's punch slammed into the ground with earth-shattering might.
Boom!
The arena floor cracked apart, rubble scattering as a shockwave erupted outward. The wave of force, along with flying stones, struck Arcanine mercilessly.
"Awooo!" Arcanine howled in pain, flung backward uncontrollably. Its paws scraped across the ground, plowing a white streak through the dust before it skidded to a halt.
When Arcanine finally regained its footing, fresh wounds marred its body, blood trickling from gashes. Its breathing grew ragged, and fear mixed with exhaustion in its eyes.
Ryūnan's face paled.
That was Dynamic Punch's power? But Arcanine hadn't even been struck directly!
It was only brushed by the shockwave—yet it was seriously injured?If that had been a direct hit… wouldn't it have been an instant knockout?
He stared at Kangaskhan in disbelief.
Closer inspection revealed Yozora's Kangaskhan was unusually robust, its muscles sharply defined.
Its arms, in particular, were far thicker than those of an ordinary Kangaskhan.
"Damn it. I should have realized sooner… that Kangaskhan is gifted, possessing strength far beyond its level!" Ryūnan cursed inwardly.
He had underestimated it—and paid the price.
Still…
Arcanine was a Senior-level Pokémon with incredible stamina. Though badly hurt, it wasn't down yet. It still had fight left!
"Don't back down, Arcanine! Use Flamethrower again!" Ryūnan commanded.
Flames roared forth. Yozora's eyes lit up.
He noticed Arcanine didn't run this time, choosing instead to attack from where it stood. That alone revealed its exhaustion.
And when weary, a move's power inevitably weakened.
That meant there was no need to dodge—just take it head-on.
"Kangaskhan, charge through and use Take Down!"
With a deafening roar, Kangaskhan plunged straight into the fire, barreling toward Arcanine with reckless abandon.
Gasps erupted among Ryūnan and the audience alike.
What kind of mad tactic was this?!
Yet Kangaskhan tore through the flames without slowing, as though fire posed no obstacle. With unstoppable momentum, it slammed into Arcanine, hurling it through the air.
Crash!
Arcanine hit the ground hard, crying out in pain. It twitched a few times, then lay still, unable to rise again.
"Woooahhhh!" The crowd exploded into cheers.
"What a powerful Kangaskhan!"
"Arcanine fought bravely, but that Kangaskhan's strength is overwhelming. Enough to one-shot most Seniors!"
"Amazing… That young man's talent rivals Ryūnan's!"
"Not so fast—Ryūnan's Dratini is about to evolve. Once it becomes Dragonair, his strength will soar!"
"Tch, did you miss that Charmander by his side? That's no ordinary Pokémon… In terms of potential, Dratini doesn't necessarily have the edge!"
The audience buzzed with heated discussion.
But in the arena, Ryūnan's expression was dark.
He had just debuted, yet was already defeated so swiftly!
"Hey—you. What's your name?" Ryūnan asked, his tone heavy.
Clearly, he now regarded Yozora as a rival.
"Yozora."
"Good. I'll remember you. Next time we meet, I'll defeat you with my own hands!"
With that, Ryūnan turned on his heel. Ignoring the crowd and the encroaching dusk, he marched alone down the mountain toward Cerulean City.
The sun had already set, yet he chose to travel now—proof of his pride and stubborn resolve.
Yozora only smiled, unconcerned.
To him, Ryūnan was a decent opponent, nothing more.
Among his peers, Yozora acknowledged just one true rival—Red.
After all, that man was the strongest protagonist the Pokémon world had ever seen.
Yozora had no choice but to take him seriously.
Still, Red came from a humble background. For the time being, he shouldn't be able to stir up any great storm.
"How are you feeling, Kangaskhan? Any injuries?"
As night deepened and trainers dispersed back to their camps, Yozora remained on the field, checking his Pokémon carefully.
Kangaskhan possessed the Huge Power ability, granting it strength that surpassed its level.
But it was only raw strength.
Defensively, it was upper-tier among Senior-level Pokémon, but it couldn't transcend levels.
Moments ago, Kangaskhan had charged headlong into Arcanine's Flamethrower. Yozora couldn't help but worry.
"Graaah~"
Kangaskhan shook its head with a smile, signaling it was unhurt.
Then, as usual, it stuck out its tongue to lick Yozora's face.
With no one around, the baby Kangaskhan leapt from its mother's pouch, bounding into Yozora's arms and nuzzling affectionately against him.
…
…
(End of Chapter)