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Anthony's judgment was correct; using Double Aura Sphere consecutively was extremely draining for Riolu. After all, Ash was only assisting; the fundamental power still came from Riolu.
Riolu's stamina was its weakest point. Even when trained to its limit and with its Aura perfectly harmonized with Ash, it couldn't maintain that state for long.
Without even being hit by a single move from the opponent, Riolu was already close to exhaustion.
Therefore, if Hitmonchan had truly still been standing, Riolu would have had virtually no power left to resist.
However, with Ash's damage calculation, he wouldn't let Riolu fall into such a dangerous situation.
Under Aura observation, the opponent's Aura strength indicated the amount of stamina they had left. This made it very easy to tell whether the opponent had lost their ability to battle.
So, when the smoke was still thick, Ash knew that Hitmonchan could still get up. Therefore, he unhesitatingly had Riolu deliver the finishing blow!
That final Aura Sphere became the last straw that broke Hitmonchan.
"Hitmonchan…" After repeated calls, Anthony finally accepted the fact that Hitmonchan had been defeated. He quickly went to Hitmonchan's side to check its condition.
After confirming that it wasn't seriously injured, he breathed a sigh of relief, but it was replaced by an expression of extreme unwillingness.
"Bang!"
"Damn it! We can't even beat a kid! How are we supposed to challenge the P1 Grand Prix with this?!"
Anthony fiercely punched the ground, his face filled with deep frustration.
Misty and the others saw that the battle was over, so they walked over. Anthony suddenly punched the ground, startling them.
"Ash, what's… what's wrong with him?"
"I… I don't know. Is he upset about the one thousand dollars?" Ash was also startled by Anthony's actions. It was just losing a battle, right? Why did he act like he'd lost all his possessions?
At most, he wouldn't take the one thousand dollars; he wasn't someone who lacked that amount anyway.
"He seemed to say 'P1 Grand Prix' just now, didn't he?" Brock said, a little unsure.
Because Anthony was punching the ground when he spoke, he hadn't heard clearly what Anthony had said.
"I think so. I heard it too, but what exactly is this 'P1 Grand Prix'?" Ash scratched his head, a puzzled expression on his face.
He first picked up Riolu, then transferred some Viridian Power to it, and then released the Aura synchronization state.
Given Riolu's current condition, if he had released it directly, it might have fainted.
However, after infusing Viridian Power, Riolu's condition recovered significantly. Now, at most, it just felt the abundant power receding.
This battle had directly pushed Riolu's level past Novice, reaching Normal. The benefits of fighting above its level were quite substantial, it was just much harder than regular battles.
"Mr. Anthony, are you alright?" Ash, holding Riolu, came before Anthony and asked with concern.
"No… I'm fine. Sorry for letting you see me like this." Anthony only reacted after Ash called out to him. This was outside, doing such a thing in public was truly embarrassing.
He quickly recalled Hitmonchan, then fumbled around, pulling out one thousand dollars in small change and handing it to Ash.
Ash looked at the loose change in front of him, unsure whether to accept it or not… This money seemed to be all of this person's possessions. For him, it was just a drop in the ocean. Taking it might not seem right, but the rules of a wild battle couldn't be broken either.
While Ash was conflicted, a voice came.
"Dad, what are you doing?!"
A young girl with a dangerous hairstyle (a housewife's ponytail) was running over, her face showing worry and confusion.
"Ai… Rebecca? I'm not doing anything, just having a friendly match with this young man." Anthony's tone revealed a hint of guilt, but it didn't seem to be because of fighting Ash, but because of something else.
"A friendly match? Dad, are you still thinking about the Grand Prix?!"
"I will definitely win the Champion title in this year's Grand Prix! I won't go back until I win the Champion title!" Saying that, Anthony shoved the money in his hand into Riolu's arms, who was in front of Ash, and then scurried away.
This scene left Ash and the other two completely bewildered. What was going on? Isn't that your daughter? Why are you running?
Rebecca watched her father scurry away, wanting to stop him, but with her leg strength, it was impossible to keep up with her father's pace, so she could only watch him leave.
Ash could have stopped him, but he didn't know the situation either. What was going on between this father and daughter? Without understanding the situation, it seemed inappropriate for him to rashly stop the other party.
"This beautiful young lady, that person just now must be your father, right? What happened between you two? Could you tell this humble one?" Before Ash could ask, Brock slid over to Rebecca, asking with sincere concern.
Rebecca seemed startled by Brock, taking a step back, her expression becoming a little timid.
Misty's forehead twitched. She grabbed Brock's ear and pulled him away: "Alright, alright, don't scare people. If you're going to be in heat, find somewhere else to do it!"
After Misty pulled Brock away, Ash put Riolu down, then offered Rebecca an awkward but polite smile: "Um, could I understand what happened between you and your father?"
Looking at Ash's slightly naive face, Rebecca's startled emotions slowly calmed down. Then she said: "Actually, it's like this…"
She and her father lived near this road, and her father, Anthony, had been unwilling to return home, training outside, to participate in a competition called the P1 Grand Prix.
Before winning the Fighting Champion title, her father declared that he would absolutely not return, leaving her and her mother to manage the household, even having to be self-sufficient for living expenses.
"Such a person is truly too much, simply unworthy of being a father!" After Rebecca finished explaining the general situation, Brock, who had appeared from who-knows-where again, loudly reprimanded.
Actually, Brock was the most qualified to say such things, as his father was even more excessive than Rebecca's father.
Rebecca, at most, was only responsible for her own and her mother's daily lives, but Brock not only had to be responsible for himself but also had to take care of ten younger siblings, manage the Gym, deal with Gym challengers, and still make time to train Pokémon every day.
He was able to endure for so many years entirely because his resolve was as firm as a rock!
However, after coming out, that rock-hard inner self was melted by the fiery young ladies outside.
"For the Champion title of a single competition, to even abandon his family, how could there be such an excessive fath… *cough cough*, never mind." Misty also loudly reprimanded from the side, but suddenly, she remembered something and quickly slammed on the brakes.
Because wasn't Brock's father also traveling far away to become an Elite Champion and win the Champion title of the League Conference, leaving Brock at home?
If Rebecca's father was irresponsible, then to put it unpleasantly, Brock's father was no different from being dead… Rebecca also showed a look of disappointment upon hearing this, but she didn't say anything, seeming to have gradually gotten used to her father's behavior.
Ash thought of his father, whom he hadn't seen for many years, and couldn't help but feel a little indignant. What was wrong with fathers these days? Do they just abandon their children and wives after getting married and having kids? How irresponsible!
"Rebecca, what kind of competition is that fighting tournament you mentioned?" Ash asked.
He wanted to make Anthony go back home. If so, he could only start with the fighting tournament. First, he needed to understand what kind of competition it was.
Upon hearing this, Rebecca led the group back to her home while explaining the so-called P1 Grand Prix.
This was actually a wild, unofficial event, but the Champion could win a pure gold belt, and with proper promotion, it became a so-called glorious competition in the fighting world!
In reality, anyone with a bit of status in the fighting world didn't think much of this competition.
Anthony was completely misled by the promotion, intent on winning that so-called honor, and even claimed it was for the Champion's gold belt.
He said that after getting the gold belt, he could give Rebecca and her mother a better life, but in reality, during the days he had been away from home, the family had lost their main source of income, and she and her mother were now both working.
Whether they would have a good life in the future was unknown, but their current life was much worse than before.
This competition had been held for three years, taking place in an open space near this road. This year was the third year, and Rebecca's father, Anthony, had failed in the previous two rounds, but he had reached the runner-up position.
However, compared to the Champion, the runner-up only had a title and no rewards; only the Champion could receive the gold belt.
This year, her father was full of vigor, determined to win the Champion title of the competition, because he had only just missed it before. This time, he couldn't possibly fail again, could he?
"Actually, to put it bluntly, it's just for the Champion title, right?" Ash said, hitting the nail on the head.
Helping his family with expenses was all false; only the Champion title was real to him.
According to the Grand Prix's promotion, winning the Grand Prix would not only earn a gold belt but also the title of Kanto's First Fighter.
Upon hearing this title, Ash almost wanted to laugh. Did you ask Elite Bruno before claiming to be the first?
How could such a wild, unofficial competition dare to call itself the First Fighter? They truly had no shame!
And to put it unpleasantly, if even someone of Anthony's level could get second place, how bad must the people participating in this competition be?!
You know, he was beaten badly by Ash's Novice Riolu!
Although a small trick was used, Riolu, even after leveling up, was only Advanced Beginner. An Advanced Beginner fighting and winning against a Peak-level opponent, besides the fact that Aura is indeed a bug, was also because the opponent's skill level was just that.
The Pokémon were fine, but the Trainer's command skills were truly mediocre. If such a person could be rated as the First Fighter, then the entire Kanto region would be finished.
Rebecca sighed and poured tea for Ash and the others, saying: "Mom and I both think that the title of this competition is nothing special, after all, it's just a competition held in the wild. But Dad just believes that this is an officially certified competition, and winning it gives you the title of the First Fighter."
"So we really have no choice. Either Dad wins the Champion title in the Grand Prix, or we give Dad a fatal blow in the Grand Prix to make him fully realize reality. Otherwise, Dad probably won't come back."
Now there were only two ways to get Anthony to come back. One was to let him win the Champion title and fulfill his wish, but human desires are endless. If he won the Champion title this time and failed next time, he might repeat the same mistakes.
The other was to completely crush Anthony's self-confidence, to make him understand what it means to be a frog in a well. This could be a permanent solution, but it might damage Anthony's Trainer's heart.
But it was better than letting him abandon his wife and daughter.
Ash thought for a moment, then suddenly asked: "When does that fighting tournament start?"
"It starts tomorrow morning at ten o'clock."
"Ten in the morning? Then it should be too late to sign up now, right?"
"No, you still can. Registration closes at five in the afternoon. There's still time." Rebecca looked at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon, so if they wanted to register, they still could.
"Ash, do you want to participate in that competition?" Misty sensed Ash's intention.
"Yes, as long as Uncle Anthony fully realizes reality, he will come back home." Ash nodded in acknowledgment.
"But can Riolu really do it alone? That competition is finished in one day, meaning it's not one battle per day, but you have to keep winning all the way to the Champion position!" Misty expressed her concern.
Riolu's strength was indeed good after synchronizing its Aura with Ash, but its weakness was stamina.
Just dealing with one Hitmonchan, without being hit by any of its moves, Riolu almost ran out of energy.
If it had to fight all day, could Riolu endure it?
"Who said I was going to use Riolu?" Ash retorted, then finished the tea in front of him and walked out of the house.
"I'll be right back." Saying that, Ash released Pidgeot, then jumped onto its back. Pidgeot flapped its wings, stirring up a gust of wind, and rapidly soared into the sky.
"Where is Ash going?"
"I don't know."
Misty and Brock looked at each other, completely bewildered. They didn't know where Ash was suddenly going on Pidgeot…