Chapter 22: Bulk Up

"Alright, now, have your Combusken fire at Machamp!!"

Both Nero and Combusken were completely dumbfounded.

Especially Combusken, who shuddered the moment Machamp gave it a wink.

Why do these guys always want to put me in danger?

Is it because one of them is bald and the other is constantly losing hair, so they envy my glorious plumage?

Hmph ╯^╰, jealousy really does twist people's hearts…

Nero, however, was quick-witted. After thinking for a moment and recalling Hugo's intense training session with the female Machamp yesterday, he figured out what "fire at" actually meant in this context.

Still, he decided that he needed to correct Hugo's way of speaking in the future...

Shouting "fire at me" was just way too terrifying.

Nero explained the situation to Combusken.

Combusken let out a huge sigh of relief.

Now that it knew it was supposed to attack Machamp, its expression grew serious.

Looking at Machamp's muscular build, Combusken knew full well that its current strength was far from enough. Throughout the battle earlier, only its Bounce move had any effect on Machamp.

None of its other attacks even left a scratch on Machamp's skin. This realization made Combusken feel powerless, reinforcing the truth that there is always someone stronger out there.

Combusken knew that, at its current level, it had no chance of defeating this behemoth. But given the circumstances, it had no choice but to go all in!!!

There was no way it would let itself be underestimated.

"Cha—mo!!"

With sharp, determined eyes, Combusken gathered its strength and adjusted its energy. Its sharp white claws suddenly became entwined with golden electric currents.

Even as electricity crackled and surged around its fists, Combusken remained calm and focused.

As it stabilized its breathing, the electric energy condensed rapidly. The air sizzled with static, and the moment it reached critical mass, Combusken released it all in one explosive burst—

A Thunder Punch surged toward Machamp!

"Machamp!"

Machamp let out a deep grunt and placed its hands on its hips. Instantly, a faint red aura enveloped its entire body, and all its muscles tensed up. The sight of those rippling, bulging muscles made Nero's scalp tingle.

This Machamp was just…

rbqrbq...

The crackling Thunder Punch landed squarely on Machamp's chest with a forceful impact.

However, under the influence of the red aura, Machamp's chest muscles swelled even more, becoming far tougher than before.

Fueled by the red glow, its strength continued to increase. Combusken's fist sank deep into Machamp's chest, but with a slight flex, Machamp effortlessly rebounded the attack, sending Combusken's hand bouncing off.

Nero stared at Machamp in disbelief.

Hugo chuckled and said, "You should recognize this move, right?"

Nero thought for a moment.

Something about this technique seemed familiar.

"Is it Bulk Up?" Nero guessed.

"That's right! This move enhances a Pokémon's combat strength by reinforcing its muscles and boosting both Attack and Defense."

Bulk Up—by tensing every muscle in the body, it significantly increases both offensive and defensive capabilities.

"With this kind of strengthening technique, even Combusken's power can be greatly enhanced. If it stacks this buff multiple times, it could even break through a strong defense in one decisive blow."

Hugo explained.

"Chamo!!"

Combusken's eyes lit up. The idea of a move that could make it stronger was irresistible.

After all, up until now, it hadn't found any effective way to boost its power.

And besides…

If that hulking brute ever decided to turn against it, how would it even stand a chance…?

Combusken felt that it was absolutely necessary to learn this move.

As it watched Combusken follow Machamp into the training room, Nero started to feel a bit uneasy...

Would this leave some kind of permanent psychological scar…?

"By the way, Nero, you should get to training too," Hugo reminded him.

Nero nodded. He understood one crucial principle: if a Pokémon had to train, then its Trainer couldn't slack off either.

Sharing hardships with your Pokémon was the best way to build a strong bond!

Hugo's eyes glinted mischievously as he pointed to the wooden training post he had been using earlier. "Your training will involve striking that post using different techniques: Small Thoughts, Searching Bridge, and Pointing Finger Boxing."

Huh?

Nero suddenly had a strange sense of déjà vu about this training regimen!

If he really mastered these techniques, it would be something else entirely…

"Oh, and Nero, I have to step out for a bit, so if you run into trouble—"

…

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it! Stop rushing me! Give me the answers already!"

"I'm not entirely sure about this one. Don't just copy everything!"

"Relax! This isn't cheating—it's just… mimicking! Mimicking!"

It was the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

For high school seniors, winter break existed solely because of the New Year holiday. But now that it was already the seventh day of the new year, students like Nero, who were set to take their college entrance exams this year, had to return to school early.

At the end-of-term assembly, Nero had sworn to himself that he would complete a little bit of his revision worksheets every day, carefully planning out his ten-day break so that by the time school resumed, he'd be able to ease back into things effortlessly!

But thanks to his chronic procrastination…

He had put it off until the very last moment.

Looking at the mountain of untouched, crisp white worksheets stacked on his desk, Nero clutched his head in despair…

"Chamo~"

Combusken sighed, watching Nero with an exasperated expression.

At least it didn't have to do human homework.

While Nero locked himself in his room to frantically catch up on his assignments, Combusken lounged on the sofa, casually browsing through a notebook. Just as it opened the web browser, a sudden pop-up notification for a live stream appeared on the screen.

World Cup Live Broadcast.

Combusken tilted its head in curiosity. It didn't really understand much about soccer, but it had often seen Nero's father watching it.

Since they had been training every day before winter break, they hadn't paid much attention to anything else. Even after the break started, Nero hadn't introduced Combusken to it.

Now, Combusken was eager to find out exactly what this "soccer" was all about.

With curiosity, it clicked on the live stream.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Pokémon World Soccer Tournament! I'm your host, Herrick! We are now in the semifinals of the 13th Pokémon World Cup!"

"Here they come! The strongest contender for this year's championship, David Gred, is entering the field with his team of Fighting-type Pokémon!"

"And facing off against David Gred is a seasoned veteran—Ivan Lye from Nippon! Both of these competitors are top-tier trainers. Who will claim their spot in the finals? Let's find out!"

"Chamo?"

Combusken blinked in confusion. This didn't quite look like the kind of soccer Nero's father used to watch.

Well, actually… it did. The stadium looked similar, but instead of human players, it was Pokémon competing.

Combusken finally understood what was going on.

A purely human match didn't interest it much. But if Pokémon were playing?

Now that was something worth watching!

Inside the livestream, David Gred and Ivan Lye, along with their Pokémon teams, were getting into position. With the referee arriving, the match was about to officially begin!

-----

Want to read ahead of schedule? 

Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / madbot635