"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Begin!"
The moment Iris's countdown ended, Zhang Tian and Bea threw their Poké Balls. A red light flashed, and a four-armed, humanoid Pokémon appeared before Bea. It was her Machamp. If her Urshifu was the friend she grew up with, then this Machamp was her true starter Pokémon.
Across from her, a blood-red Odogaron appeared. It was much smaller than the Seregios, but its appearance was far more terrifying, like a monster from a horror movie. Its skin was the color of flayed muscle, like the zombie crawlers from a film, and its double-layered claws looked like a terrifying killing machine.
Machamp
Level: 51 (Quasi-Elite Four)Ability: SteadfastItem: Focus Sash
Odogaron
Level: 59 (Quasi-Elite Four)Ability: Cornice WalkerItem: Float Stone (Custom effect: also doubles speed)
"What a terrifying Pokémon!"
"So hideous! I've never seen such a hideous Pokémon!"
The moment the Odogaron appeared, it scared many viewers.
"Champ!" A roaring, translucent flame erupted from Machamp's body, burning no less fiercely than Pidgeot's had the day before.
Her little universe has exploded, too? Zhang thought. It seems I'm destined to play the villain.First Valerie, now Bea. His pressure was awakening the power of their bonds.
"Machamp! Let's put an end to yesterday!" Bea roared. "Go! Bullet Punch! For our dreams!"
"Rock Tomb! Change the terrain!" Zhang countered.
"Champ!" Machamp vanished, moving with an unscientific, incredible speed. At the same time, the Odogaron roared, and huge stones hundreds of meters high began to fall from the sky.
BOOM! BOOM!
The massive stones crashed onto the battlefield, but Machamp was too fast. It easily dodged them.
This Machamp's speed isn't right, Zhang thought, his brow furrowed. Even with the priority of Bullet Punch, it shouldn't be this fast. Machamp's base speed was only 55.
The fire of emotion! His eyes lit up. It seems the power of bonds doesn't just increase skill power, but also speed. Bea couldn't do this before. The spark of miracles brings the hope of miracles. How spiritual. But victory is still mine.
The terrain was now changed. The Odogaron's "Cornice Walker" ability activated, boosting its speed by 200%. It was now faster than the Machamp. The fire of bonds would not last forever.
"Roar!" The Odogaron used Quick Attack, and like a red shadow, it began to leap between the newly formed boulders, its speed now far surpassing Machamp's. It appeared before the four-armed Pokémon and swung its claws in a Dragon Claw.
"Champ!" The flames on Machamp's body surged, and all four of its arms shot out in a Cross Chop.
SWISH!
The Odogaron suddenly paused and retreated, dodging the attack. Machamp was empowered by its bond; a head-on collision would not be in Odogaron's favor. It was not a pure powerhouse like the Seregios or Tigrex.
As Zhang had told her, Bea and her Pokémon were too inexperienced. If this were one of Bella's Pokémon, the Odogaron would never have been able to get away with such a simple feint. A true master would have seen the difference between a real attack and a fake one, the subtle shift in muscle and intent.
The moment Machamp's Cross Chop missed, the Odogaron leaped up and pounced, slamming its claws down on Machamp's head. The Focus Sash activated, saving it from a one-hit knockout. The Odogaron immediately pressed its advantage, its eyes cold and merciless.
A sense of powerlessness washed over Bea. My Machamp is so strong now, burning with the fire of our emotions. Why can't we win? For the first time in her life, she felt despair.
My heart... my martial will... she thought, gritting her teeth. She couldn't give commands fast enough. It was all up to Machamp now. I believe in you! she roared in her mind.
"Champ!" As if hearing her heart's cry, the last of the emotional flames on its body began to burn wildly. "Ice Punch!" it roared, throwing a fist that turned into a massive, hundred-meter-wide fist of ice-blue energy. It was so fast and so large that even the Odogaron would have difficulty dodging.
But why should it dodge?
"Protect!" A translucent barrier appeared around the Odogaron, blocking the frozen fist. The flames on Machamp's body were now basically burned out. As the fist shattered into a shower of broken ice, and the moment the barrier vanished, Machamp suddenly appeared in front of the Odogaron. It had used the massive ice fist as cover, riding in its slipstream to close the distance instantly. All four of its fists, crackling with cold energy, shot towards the Odogaron.
Faced with the sudden attack, the Odogaron showed no trace of panic. It was a cornered beast, and its ferocity was completely stimulated. It did not dodge. It did not defend. It swung its own sharp right claw to meet the attack.
Years of fighting in the wild had taught it that to defend or dodge was to put itself at a disadvantage, to invite death. Only by trading injury for injury could it find a chance to survive. This was the cruel law of nature.
BANG! BANG!
The moment Machamp's four fists slammed into the Odogaron, the Odogaron's claws tore through Machamp's body. Machamp was thrown back like a rag doll, blood spraying from its wounds. The Odogaron was also sent flying, large chunks of its skin and muscle frozen solid. But the moment it landed, it forced itself back to its feet, the movement tearing its frozen muscles and causing even more grievous injury.
It did not hesitate.
"Roar!" it bellowed, its murderous aura materializing, distorting the air around it. It stared viciously at the fallen Machamp. If not for Zhang behind it, it would have torn the Machamp to pieces.
"What ferocity!" Iris's pupils shrank. She had never seen such a fierce Pokémon. A normal Pokémon, injured as it was, would have fainted. But the Odogaron stood, ready to continue the desperate, wild charge.
Bea looked at her fallen Machamp, then at the Odogaron, and she suddenly understood. She and her Machamp didn't have that kind of persistence, the will to keep fighting even when their muscles were broken.
"Is this a civilian trainer? It's not the same as a trainer from a wealthy family. It's like a beast from the wild, fierce and abnormal."
"The willpower is terrifying. An enemy like that is shuddering to think about."
"I feel like the competition rules are limiting Zhang. A real life-and-death battle with him would be even scarier."
The audience was in awe of the Odogaron's ferocity.
"Machamp is unable to battle! The Odogaron wins!" Iris announced after a few seconds.
"Odogaron, come back. You worked hard," Zhang said, recalling his Pokémon.
"Machamp, you tried your best. Don't worry about it," Bea said, recalling hers.
"Zhang Tian, can I ask you a question?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Why? Why could the Odogaron keep going? My Machamp's Ice Punch froze most of its muscles. It tore them just by standing up. What allowed it to overcome that pain, to stand up when it was so seriously injured? I want to know the answer."
"Because we are not like you, Bea," Zhang said. "You were born into a top family. You have no worries. You have famous teachers, endless resources. We have nothing. Once we fall, it means the end. You have a way back. You can fall, and at worst, go back and rest. We are different. We can't fall. Because to fall is to die. Never mind a serious injury. As long as we are still breathing, we have to fight. Only by fighting can we find a way to survive. I am like that. The Odogaron is like that. Most of my Pokémon are like that. We have been fighting since we were weak, until now. Even if it is a god on high, we will not give in! Even if it is God, someday, it too will be trampled under our feet! I hope you can become a real trainer, not just one who can only play games."
Before he had the system, Zhang had wanted to go to the wild and fight, not succumb to life and lie flat. His monsters didn't even have that option. They could only survive by fighting.
"Last question," Bea said. "If your enemy is invincible, what will you do?"
"Use any and all means to defeat them. Even if I can't kill them, I will bite down and tear off a piece of their flesh. I can lose, but I cannot give in. Death cannot make me submit."
As he had once told his Pidgeot, they could be weak, but they would be the masters of their own souls.
"I think... I'm almost there," Bea sighed softly. Then she raised her hand. "I admit defeat!"
From Zhang Tian, from his Odogaron, she had seen something: an unyielding will. This was Zhang's heart, his martial will. What is my heart? My martial will? she wondered. Everyone's heart, everyone's persistence, was different. To find her own would not be easy.
"Coach, I'm really lucky," Bea smiled, and the way she looked at Zhang had softened.
"Bea forfeits! Congratulations to Zhang Tian for advancing to the final four!" Iris announced.
Walking off the battlefield, the first thing Zhang did was release his Escuregot to heal both the Odogaron and the Machamp.
"Zhang Tian, thank you," Bea said, her face full of gratitude. "If you hadn't woken me up, I don't know when I would have understood my problem. My master let me come out just to solve this problem, but I never found out what it was."
"Why be so polite?" Zhang smiled, gently poking her on the forehead. "We're family, after all. There's no need for two words between us."
The moment she heard those words, Bea's face instantly turned red.