Pokémon: A Trainer Who Masters the Six Powers from the Start

"Now, Raichu, use Thunder!"

Lyle's voice rang out sharply, and Raichu responded instantly.

Orange-yellow electricity surged into the sky, transforming into a massive lightning bolt that descended toward Machamp with devastating force.

There was no need to have Machamp rely on stones for defense; after all, under the power of Thunder, the stones would be completely ineffective.

"Machamp, use quadruple Strength and charge forward!"

The muscles on all four of Machamp's arms bulged as it unleashed a simultaneous quadruple strike, forcibly neutralizing Raichu's Thunder.

Lyle was surprised at this display but still confident that the match would remain under his control.

"You might be able to withstand one Thunder attack, but what about the second? Or the third?"

"Raichu, prepare Thunder again and launch a continuous assault!"

Normally, Thunder was difficult to land against fast-moving Pokémon. However, since the opponent was a Machamp—whose speed wasn't particularly remarkable—Lyle was ready to take full advantage of the situation.

"Machamp, Quick Attack and prepare to use double Close Combat!"

Seeing Lyle underestimate Machamp's speed, Ron didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.

Abandoning the idea of having Machamp use Shave (Soru, a high-speed movement technique), Ron instead ordered Machamp to accelerate further, intending to use this opportunity to defeat Raichu in one swift charge.

This way, even if the battle ended quickly, people would simply think Lyle had made a critical mistake, allowing Ron to seize victory.

Raichu's Thunder came crashing down again, but it failed to keep up with the unleashed speed of Machamp.

The bolt struck the ground instead, shattering it and leaving faint electric currents crackling across the surface.

The second Thunder attack similarly missed Machamp, brushing past it as Lyle began to panic.

By the third Thunder, Lyle had Raichu try to predict Machamp's movements, but he still underestimated Machamp's charging speed.

Three consecutive failed Thunder strikes gave Machamp the perfect opportunity to close the gap with Raichu.

By the time Raichu had charged enough electricity to unleash a Thunderbolt, Machamp was already upon it, activating its Glare move.

Boom!

A dull, heavy sound echoed through the arena. Raichu, whose body appeared fragile in comparison to Machamp's, was sent flying and collapsed unconscious.

Unless Lyle could pull a move like Ash's infamous "Pikachu, hang in there!" this match was already over.

"Match over! The winner is Ron!"

The referee's announcement sounded to Ron like the delightful clinking of coins dropping into a bag.

Instead of heading straight to the betting booth to claim his winnings, Ron returned to his room.

The reason for avoiding the betting area wasn't a sudden lack of interest in money but rather the possibility of running into those who had bet against him.

Although it might seem like Lyle was to blame for the loss, Lyle had already left the building, leaving Ron as the sole target for anyone wanting to vent their frustration.

Even though Silph Co. could guarantee his safety, Ron wasn't keen on the idea of being beaten up. Worse still, if a fight escalated into a Pokémon brawl and got him disqualified, it would be disastrous.

Paranoid that someone might plot against him, Ron decided on a safer option: he instructed Silph Co. to reinvest all his winnings on himself for the next match.

The next afternoon, all 32 matches had concluded, and Ron's opponent for the next round was announced—a trainer named Kimbon with a Nidoking, also at level 39, matching Machamp's level.

After Ron's victory against Lyle, his betting odds had dropped to 3:1, while Kimbon's stood at even odds (1:1).

Unlike Ron, Kimbon's Nidoking was a powerhouse, having bulldozed its way through every opponent so far. Even in the round of 64, Kimbon easily led Nidoking to victory, making him a favorite to win the tournament.

Given Machamp's weaknesses, no one believed that Ron, who had only narrowly defeated Lyle, could prevail against Kimbon.

Even so, the odds couldn't climb back to their initial highs and would only drop further as the tournament progressed.

Ron estimated that if he managed to defeat Nidoking, his odds would drop even more.

This was unavoidable. No matter how lucky Ron seemed to be, beating a tournament favorite like Kimbon meant that Silph Co. couldn't afford to boost his odds, lest they be accused of foul play.

"Machamp, starting from the next match, you can fight at full power," Ron said wearily after notifying Silph Co. to reinvest his winnings.

Seeing Ron's fatigued demeanor, Machamp felt a sudden surge of annoyance.

You're letting me fight at full power, and yet you look like you're about to die? I'm not the one facing certain doom!

After some thought, Machamp decided to hold its frustration in, planning to give its next opponent a proper thrashing.

Perhaps sensing Machamp's fighting spirit, the first match of the next morning featured Machamp against Kimbon's Nidoking.

As the referee's voice signaled the start of the match, Kimbon and Ron released their Pokémon simultaneously.

Facing Machamp, Nidoking's gaze was filled with disdain.

According to its trainer, Machamp was just a brainless brute that could be defeated with overwhelming firepower before it even got close.

"Machamp, use Shave and close in!"

Ron's command rang out, and Machamp vanished from its spot with a swift Shave technique.

Finally able to unleash its full strength, Machamp was eager to vent its pent-up frustration on the imposing Nidoking.

"Nidoking, quickly use Flamethrower to sweep the area and stop it from advancing!"

Seeing Machamp's speed, which bordered on teleportation, Kimbon immediately realized Ron had been holding back in earlier matches. However, he was quick to order Nidoking to defend itself.

A ring of flames spread out, but before Kimbon could identify a gap in the flames, Nidoking let out a pained roar.

Machamp had charged through the fire and appeared right in front of Nidoking.

Although Machamp wasn't yet capable of landing a thousand punches in two seconds, it could still deliver dozens of strikes in a single second.

Even without using any specific moves, Machamp's sheer physical strength was enough to make Nidoking suffer.

"Calm down, Nidoking! Use Megahorn to counterattack!"

Kimbon's command came, but Nidoking, overwhelmed by pain, could only think: If that's what you call a slow brute, what does that make me? A turtle or a snail?

"Machamp, unleash your strength without holding back!"

Fueled by Ron's encouragement, Machamp seemed to take a dose of adrenaline, delivering rapid punches while utilizing its Karate Chop move.

Even though Machamp was holding back to conserve some energy, the relentless blows were enough to render Nidoking unconscious almost instantly.

The match lasted barely two minutes, leaving the audience stunned.

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