Chapter 82: Fairy Wind Tornado

The result of the increased distance was that both sides had more opportunities at the start to use boosting-type moves.

Even though boosting moves no longer raised stats by percentage values, after being used multiple times the boost to a single Pokémon was still terrifyingly large, and could very well play a decisive role.

Therefore.

Baimu and the giant of a man both actually didn't dare let the other keep boosting, and once their basic boosts were done they charged at each other, both wanting to seize the first-strike advantage.

Within a few breaths, the distance between the two had already been closed by a large margin!

"Fairy Wind!"

"Mach Punch!"

The commands fell.

The long-restrained Hitmonchan struck first, and full of vigor it was certain it could throw the best punch of the entire week!

Faster than words could tell, it suddenly slid-stepped in toward Mawile, its speed so fast it was as if the ground itself had shrunk.

Whoosh!

The wind sound rose suddenly!

It was unmistakably the wind-breaking sound produced by Hitmonchan's punch, its right fist swinging and twisting like a drill bit, the blazing white halo of Mach Punch enveloping it like a shock bomb about to explode, giving one the feeling that even if one dodged it by luck, one would still be blown half out of one's senses.

The Iron Fist Ability combined with the Bulk Up move could actually push Mach Punch to this level!

But how could Mawile be a stationary sandbag for it to pummel? Long before its opponent drew near it had already swung the massive jaw on the back of its head, its whole body spinning like a top, and the hurricane laced with pale pink light particles transformed into a violent tornado to clash head-on with Mach Punch!

The clashing, restless elemental energies suddenly collapsed and then expanded and exploded!

Boom!

Blinding firelight mixed with smoke abruptly swallowed the two of them.

However.

Hitmonchan and Mawile stepped back out from two different directions the next instant, panting slightly as they waited for the smoke to clear.

At this moment, whichever side it was, both felt that charging into the smoke first would be at a disadvantage.

So both chose to hold their positions.

If this were a game player, they would absolutely never be able to imagine Mawile, a physical attacker, using the special-attack move Fairy Wind to trade against Hitmonchan's Bulk Up and Iron Fist-boosted Mach Punch.

Yet this kind of scene was clearly playing out in the Iron Arena.

"What a pity! I felt that punch could've taken down Mawile! I never expected Mawile's Fairy Wind to be so powerful!"

The commentator sighed and asked Bai Guang, "Mr. Bai Guang, what do you think?"

"I share your view. If Mach Punch had hit Mawile, taking it down would've been no problem at all."

Bai Guang said calmly, "But there's one thing you got wrong. Mawile's Fairy Wind actually isn't that powerful. The reason it could trade against Mach Punch is, on one hand, that Mach Punch's base power isn't high. On the other hand, it has to do with the twisting force that Fairy Wind brings."

"Twisting force?"

"Yes. Hitmonchan's punch is outstanding for its twisting speed, carrying with it a force like a spiral drill. And Mawile's Fairy Wind happens to spin in the opposite direction, which to a certain extent reduced Mach Punch's power."

"Wow, hearing you explain it like that, I feel Baimu's response was truly breathtaking."

"It's alright. This is nothing more than basic play. If it were me, I could do even better. Besides, the match has only just begun. Let's wait and see."

Bai Guang looked every inch the picture of a man brimming with confidence in the giant below.

——

In the arena.

The smoke slowly dispersed.

The two Pokémon looked toward the enemy not far away, confirmed the other had no extra movements, and launched their attacks once more.

"Close Combat!"

"Sucker Punch!"

The instant the trainers issued their commands, they had already moved as if their thoughts were in sync.

Hitmonchan slid forward as usual. Boasting the soul of a boxer, it kept the footwork and fighting style of boxing in mind every single moment, and the present urgent situation was no exception.

Compared to that, Mawile, which had only just come into contact with boxing through Baimu, couldn't nimbly bring all those techniques into play.

Of course, for now, merely understanding the content of boxing was already enough to give it some benefit in its battle against Hitmonchan.

What surprised it even more was that every single move Hitmonchan made was exactly as Baimu had described the day before.

It discovered that even though its own reaction speed was a notch slower than Hitmonchan's, it could still use the things Baimu had pointed out to respond.

A clever trainer, a clever me!

Mawile rejoiced. The massive jaw on the back of its head, like a living thing, swung from back to front, and while radiating a dark red glow, it nimbly bit down a step ahead of Hitmonchan's right hook!

Hitmonchan, which had already thrown its punch, couldn't dodge in time, and its entire right fist was swallowed by the giant jaw.

Boom!

A muffled sound exploded. Brown-red and dark red light flickered and clashed, making Mawile knit its brow but without relaxing in the slightest—it had no habit of letting go the instant it bit down.

On the contrary, it even increased the force of its bite.

The sharp teeth of the giant jaw sank deep into Hitmonchan's bulging muscles, the searing pain twisting the latter's face almost out of shape. Its left fist was about to follow up and strike Mawile's face when a sudden monstrous force flipped its body upside down and lifted it over Mawile's head!

What terrifying strength—to flip it completely upside down just by clamping onto one arm!

The giant of a man and Hitmonchan both knew things were bad, and immediately tried to counter, but alas, throwing a punch requires force rooted in the ground. Hitmonchan, suspended in midair, was like a rootless duckweed; even if it threw a Mach Punch, it couldn't unleash much power.

What's more, Mawile took the initiative and, using itself as the center, began spinning at high speed!

"Fairy Wind!"

The gale filled with pale pink particles surged upward from below. Hitmonchan only felt as if its body was being sliced back and forth by long blades, suffering terribly under the storm's assault.

And when Fairy Wind dissipated, it had also been hurled violently to the ground by Mawile.

"Eep-bee!"

Hitmonchan painfully scrunched up its face.

"Hold on! Get up!"

The giant roared at the top of his lungs.

But seeing Fast Fist Lad's rising motion look like a struggle, his right arm twitching in a way that seemed barely able to move, he understood the latter was only one last push away from collapsing.

"Fast Fist Lad faces a major crisis—oh! ***The player chooses to switch! Fast Fist Lad successfully leaves the field!"

The host shouted excitedly, "Let us look forward to his next Pokémon!"

On the field.

Mawile regretfully missed Fast Fist Lad, who was being sucked away by the red light — a little faster and she could have taken down her opponent, but her speed really was a bit slow.

"Kyuddo!"

She flew backward and landed in front of All Baimu.

"Is your jaw okay?"

The latter asked quietly. Using her jaw to pull off 【Sucker Punch】 into 【Close Combat】 was essentially trading injury for injury; if the opponent hadn't been truly strong, he actually didn't advocate this approach.

The danger was too high.

"Kyuddo~"

Mawile nodded then shook her head, indicating a bit of pain but still bearable.

"Better come off the field and rest."

All Baimu thought for a few seconds, then chose to switch Mawile out.

At the moment of the switch.

The opponent's second Pokémon appeared.

It was a strange creature, brown all over, with no head — a pair of black eyes growing on its chest, and spring-like joints at both its hands and feet.

Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokémon.

It was related to the earlier Fast Fist Lad, but unlike Fast Fist Lad's powerful punches, Hitmonlee's ability lay in those flexible legs that could stretch to a great extent.

"So it really is the Tyrogue family…"

All Baimu took a deep breath, and the Pokémon he had chosen landed smoothly.

"Luck~"

Chansey let out a very auspicious cry.