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Ten minutes later, Ash returned on Pidgeot, then hurriedly had Aime take him to the registration site.
On the way, Misty and the other person finally had time to ask Ash what he had gone to do.
Ash said he had just gone to exchange a Pokémon.
Hearing this, the two of them thought for a moment and realized what Ash had gone to do.
If nothing unexpected happened, Ash should have exchanged for Primeape!
After all, among Fighting-type Pokémon, Ash only had Riolu and Primeape. Since Ash chose not to use Riolu, it should be Primeape's turn.
Aime led them to an arena built by the road not far away and submitted Ash's personal information for registration.
Even Ash himself didn't expect that his registration information would cause a huge stir among the organizers!
Because his reputation was gradually spreading throughout Kanto!
In less than two months since his debut, he had successively defeated five Gyms, one of which was the Saffron Gym, known as a hellish challenge!
And a rumor also spread from the Vermilion City Gym Leader that Ash had challenged his main Pokémon, a Professional Level Pokémon!
At that time, Ash had only been traveling for just over a month, and he could already defeat Professional Level Pokémon. Later, he used unknown methods to defeat that monstrous Trainer from the Saffron Gym...
Defeating the Celadon Gym afterwards seemed relatively uneventful, but clearing five Gyms in less than two months was also an extremely terrifying feat.
After receiving Ash's information, the official staff of the fighting arena quickly had all the staff prepare marketing strategies.
When Ash arrived at the entrance of the arena the next day, he was stunned by a banner at the entrance.
'Genius rookie Trainer Ash will participate in this fighting competition! Five Gym Badges obtained in two months, strength suspected to be Elite Four level!'
Ash: ...Even with Ash's love for showing off, this banner left him speechless.
"Hey, hey, hey, isn't this a bit exaggerated? What do you mean 'suspected Elite Four level'? I'm not that strong!! Who spread that I have Elite Four level strength?" Ash complained exaggeratedly, then looked for a staff member at the ticket registration desk and inquired.
Finally, he learned that this was entirely the fighting competition organizer's own conjecture, because he had defeated the Saffron Gym, and it was well known that the Saffron Gym would not go easy, its true strength reaching Elite Four level.
No matter what method Ash used to defeat the Saffron Gym, he won, so it was not wrong to say that Ash had Elite Four level strength.
Ash finally understood how the 'Kanto's Number One Fighter' was publicized. With such a shameless official, such publicity was only natural.
He twitched his mouth, then provided some proof and entered the venue.
It must be said that although it was a 'bush league' competition, the surrounding stands were packed. With good marketing, there was no need to worry about income.
Not to mention that the organizers also posted news of him, this 'Elite Four level' Trainer, participating.
In just over half a day, even standing tickets sold out in large numbers!
Marketing genius!
Contestants were required to have their Pokémon out beside them. Ash released the Primeape he had obtained yesterday and also saw Hitmonchan and Anthony.
Anthony saw Ash at the same time. His tall body couldn't help but shrink, and his face showed shock and confusion.
'Why is this guy here too?!'
Having just lost to Ash yesterday, and then Ash came to compete today, his confidence, which had been full, instantly dropped by half.
Don't look at how Riolu was panting yesterday; in reality, he was being suppressed the entire time and didn't even touch Riolu once. Riolu was panting entirely because he was tired himself.
If they were to have an Encore, Anthony didn't feel any hope of winning.
It seemed like only a small difference, but that small difference was a distance he could never cross.
However, this time Ash seemed to have a different Pokémon beside him. It was a Kanto Primeape. From that Primeape, Anthony felt a more powerful Aura than Riolu.
Riolu's strength wasn't in his power, but in his technique. Although this Primeape looked stronger, if his technique wasn't as good as Riolu's, then he might not be as formidable as Riolu.
Anthony silently compared the two sides' combat power in his mind, and his confidence slowly rose again.
He could win! If it wasn't Riolu, he could win!
Thinking this, Anthony showed Ash a 'friendly' smile. Ash, somewhat puzzled, returned a smile and then observed his surroundings.
It must be said that the Pokémon participating in this competition were truly diverse. Ash originally thought this was a competition only for Fighting-type Pokémon, but he actually saw a Geodude here!
No, seriously, why could Geodude participate? Just because he had fists as big as a boxer's?
Wouldn't that be a bit unreasonable?
"Alright! The annual P1 Fighting Tournament is about to begin!"
"The competition process will conclude within one day. The battles are very intense. These battles not only test the strength of the Pokémon but also their willpower. The winner will not only receive the title of the Strongest Fighter but also a P1 Fighting Gold Belt as a reward!"
"Everyone, in order to win the Champion, give it your all and defeat your opponents!"
Under the host's encouragement, the audience and contestants all began to roar, looking as if they were determined to win the championship.
Ash also cheered along with the crowd, but his gaze constantly scanned the information of the surrounding Pokémon.
Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles!
He wanted to first understand the level of the strongest opponents in this match.
As he scanned, the strongest Pokémon was Anthony's Hitmonchan. On the same level as Hitmonchan was a Hitmonlee. Although there were many advanced-level Pokémon among the rest, none had reached the peak of the advanced level.
In battle, the superiority of level does not necessarily determine the outcome of the match. Ash had fought many times above his level, so he naturally wouldn't consider level as everything.
But the ability values of those Pokémon were also average. In terms of eyesight and command skills, Ash didn't think he would lose to these people, so he was about eighty percent confident of winning this match.
However, simply winning wasn't enough. The main goal was to completely shatter Anthony's confidence and desire.
To achieve that level, he would have to use some tactics... As the competition officially began, the battles on the ring were in full swing, fiercely fought, and the audience below cheered frantically!
In reality, there were only a few truly strong contestants. The advanced-level ones could be counted on one hand, and they were all favorites to win.
Overall, the competition was a 'chicken pecking at each other' situation. Ash, with his Elite Level Primeape, was out of place in the competition, dominating everyone.
His smooth progress even surprised Ash himself. He really didn't know how long it had been since he had fought in such a low-intensity competition. He didn't even need to use Aura Fusion. Those opponents, including an advanced-level Hitmonlee, were all swept aside and defeated by Primeape.
The continuous victories made Primeape incredibly excited. Although the opponents weren't strong, he had defeated them with his own fists, and winning all the way was the reason for Primeape's exhilaration.
Compared to Ash's easy progress, Anthony's progress was quite strained. Although he also won all his matches, he fought very cautiously and carefully, winning in a very conservative manner.
In terms of entertainment, it was far inferior to Primeape's battles.
However, Hitmonchan's level was relatively low, and Anthony's commanding skills were quite a bit inferior to Ash's. The former was a fighter, while the latter was a Trainer.
Not only were their ways of thinking about battles different, but Ash also had a group of renowned teachers guiding him, while Anthony, despite his age, had command skills that didn't match his years.
So, even though Anthony fought cautiously, by the time Anthony reached the finals, he had already sustained considerable damage. In contrast, Ash's Primeape had only consumed some stamina at most.
"I guessed it. In the finals, I would definitely face you again. Your name is Ash, right? You seem to be a very famous Trainer." Anthony stood below the ring, listening to the surrounding cheers, and said with emotion.
During his winning streak, he had also heard the discussions around him and roughly understood what kind of person Ash was. Other experiences aside, just one point completely overshadowed him: Ash had only traveled for two months.
Two months... Two months of time directly shattered his three years of effort!
This was the so-called talent. It had to be admitted that people with talent and those without truly lived in two different worlds.
But today, he, Anthony, would defy an Elite Student and become Kanto's number one fighter!
These three years of effort would definitely not be in vain!
"Uncle Anthony, it's never wrong to pursue a dream and give everything for it, but if your dream not only requires your own effort but also the effort of those around you, then I hope you can consider it carefully."
"In this battle, I will make you completely sober, Uncle Anthony." Ash took a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened.
"Aura... within my heart!" Ash's soft murmur made Primeape's body tremble on the field.
"Hoocha?" His strength increased? No, it wasn't just a simple increase in strength. He felt his vision become wider, and everything around him seemed to be within his grasp, as if he had entered a very mysterious state.
If he could have entered this state at the beginning of the battle, he could have even reached the finals without taking any damage!
"Come at me, Uncle Anthony," Ash said calmly.
"...Hitmonchan, Power-Up Punch!" Ash's words clearly had a significant impact on Anthony. Being distracted during a battle was absolutely taboo.
If Ash had suddenly attacked just now, Hitmonchan would definitely not have been able to react and defend.
But Ash chose not to attack proactively; instead, he reminded Hitmonchan to attack.
After regaining his composure, Hitmonchan suppressed all those thoughts in his mind and launched an attack on Primeape first.
Hitmonchan closed in, his red fists swinging with fierce power, countless fist shadows appearing before Primeape's eyes, but Primeape slowly closed his eyes!
"Hitmonchan has launched the first attack! What will Primeape do to counter? What?! Primeape actually closed its eyes! Is it planning to surrender voluntarily?" The host's excited shouts echoed through the arena, also sparking intense discussions among the surrounding audience.
Closing one's eyes in a boxing match, what was this doing? Giving up and surrendering?
However, before anyone could question and curse, Primeape, with uncanny foresight, dodged to the side, evading Hitmonchan's punch. The subsequent dozens of punches also failed to hit Primeape even once!
"Oh my god, dear audience, what am I seeing? Primeape actually dodged all of the opponent's attacks with its eyes closed! This is simply a miracle!" The host's astonished voice rang out, representing the sentiments of countless audience members.
With its eyes closed, how did it manage to dodge those attacks? Hitmonchan's fists on the field were creating countless afterimages, yet not a single punch landed on Primeape.
Upon seeing this scene, Hitmonchan immediately recalled the fear of being dominated by Riolu yesterday.
However, yesterday, Riolu used Detect, which is why not a single punch landed, but now Primeape not only didn't use any skills but also closed its eyes. How did it do that?!
Could it be that the strength gap between them was so great?
Anthony stopped his attacks, panting. At this moment, his vigilance was also at its peak, because the opponent might seize this opportunity to counterattack.
However, Primeape still made no move.
"Uncle Anthony, is that all? Hitmonchan still has energy, right? Let him continue to attack." Ash waved his hand and said calmly.
Anthony noticed that Ash's eyes were also closed. Why did he know Hitmonchan's attack had paused with his eyes closed?
Primeape on the field also made a provocative gesture, signaling Hitmonchan to continue attacking. Hitmonchan's expression darkened. Was the opponent trampling on his dignity?
"Hitmonchan, use Close Combat!" Anthony swung his fists, and a storm of attacks once again assailed Primeape. This time the attacks were faster than before, but they couldn't even graze Primeape's fur.
Subsequently, Anthony commanded Hitmonchan to attack continuously, but he never managed to hit Primeape even once, and Primeape kept its eyes closed the entire time.
Until Hitmonchan was kneeling on the ground, exhausted, Primeape still hadn't taken a single scratch. This huge disparity made Anthony feel despair from the bottom of his heart.
What was he thinking before... that Primeape was easier to deal with than that Riolu? Easier to deal with, my foot! This one was an even heavier boss!!