Chapter 29: Vaporeon - That Was Sudden... What Just Happened?
"Combusken, Thunder Collapse Fist!!"
Thunder Collapse Punch??
The audience froze upon hearing the command. They mentally ran through their knowledge of Electric-type moves but couldn't recall anything with that name.
Leiv had also heard Nero's command, but he was bewildered. He knew Thunder Punch, but Thunder Collapse Punch? That was new to him.
Leiv's pupils contracted as he locked his gaze onto Nero.
Was this just a bluff? Was he deliberately making the move sound more intimidating to throw him off?
After all, back when Vaporeon was still an Eevee, Nero used to call out "Hyper Beam" just to confuse opponents…
Then, as his opponent stood there dumbfounded, he'd have Eevee unleash a barrage of Shadow Balls.
A true trickster must always play dirty!
"Vaporeon, ignore it! Stay calm; you're incredibly tanky. A mere Electric-type attack won't take you down! Charge in and use Aqua Tail on Combusken!"
"Vaa~!"
Vaporeon hesitated slightly. It still held some fear toward Combusken.
But hearing Leiv's confidence gave it reassurance. Just as he said—there was no way it would be taken down so easily!
Vaporeon merged into the pools of water scattered across the battlefield, swiftly surging forward.
It moved so fast that it shattered the common perception of bulky, slow Pokémon!
Combusken, however, remained unfazed by the approaching Vaporeon. It continued following Nero's command with absolute precision.
"Chaamo!!"
Combusken raised its arm high above its head. Instantly, golden sparks of electricity crackled around it.
The static crackling in its claws shone brightly within the arena.
Electric arcs danced wildly over its arm, forming what looked like a suit of lightning armor!
Thunder Kirin Arm!!
Combusken let out a fierce battle cry before slamming its charged arm down onto the ground.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted from the battlefield, and bolts of electricity spread outward from Combusken's impact point in all directions!
Golden light illuminated the entire stadium as streaks of wild, crackling electricity surged across the battlefield.
In areas untouched by water, the bolts fizzled out quickly. But where there was water—
The electric current went wild, spreading with unstoppable force!
"Vaaa!!!"
Vaporeon, submerged in the water, screamed in agony as it was forcibly ejected from its dissolved form. Golden sparks flickered across its body.
Even the healing effects of Aqua Ring were no longer enough to sustain it.
Wish was not an infinite resource. Each activation drained a significant amount of Vaporeon's energy. But now, it had no choice but to activate Wish once more.
Golden stars appeared above the battlefield, promising a divine healing when they descended.
But this time, Combusken wouldn't allow it the chance to recover!
The electric energy within Combusken's claws hadn't dissipated. Its muscles tensed.
BOOM—
The ground beneath Combusken shattered, but its figure had already vanished.
After multiple rounds of Speed Boost activation, Combusken was now moving like a hurricane!
The audience could barely register the streak of orange and red before—
Combusken had already appeared right in front of Vaporeon.
Everything happened in a flash.
Combusken's claw pressed against Vaporeon's forehead.
Instantly, another surge of electricity exploded outward, completely engulfing Vaporeon.
The Electric-type energy continued to ravage Vaporeon's body, causing it unbearable pain.
But that was only the elemental damage!
Combusken's gaze remained ice-cold as it prepared its next move.
A devastating shockwave erupted from its palm—
Collapse Punch! A martial arts technique focused on raw, explosive force!
Its power came from a hidden buildup of energy, released in a sudden, violent burst!
Short, fast, and incredibly forceful—delivering impact straight into the core!
Enhanced by Bulk Up, Combusken's forearm muscles and wrist strength had reached terrifying levels.
The sheer penetration power of the Collapse Punch was monstrous, and Vaporeon took the full brunt of it.
Electric arcs danced wildly across its body as the impact shockwave tore through its core. Vaporeon felt as if it were about to explode from the inside out!
The force of the punch sent a powerful gust of wind through the stadium, forming a miniature cyclone around the two Pokémon.
Then—
BANG!
Vaporeon was sent flying straight into the stadium's concrete walls, embedding deep within the surface with a resounding crash.
It had completely lost consciousness. The golden electric arcs flickered and faded, but its once pristine, blue body was now charred with burn marks.
The entire stadium fell into stunned silence.
"D-Did it just get one-shotted?!"
"No way! Vaporeon had just used Wish and Aqua Ring! Its stamina should've been almost fully restored! How—why did it go down in a single hit?!"
This wasn't logical!
The sudden turn of events left even the students struggling to comprehend what had just transpired.
Could it really be like what the teachers always said? That Pokémon battles could change in an instant? One moment, you had an overwhelming advantage, and the next, your opponent flipped the script with a hidden trump card?
"No way! This is impossible!!"
Just moments ago, Leiv had been brimming with confidence. Now, as he looked at his unconscious Vaporeon, he could only scream internally in disbelief.
It didn't make sense. His Vaporeon hated pain, so all of its training had been focused on endurance and defense…
His strategy revolved around Vaporeon's powerful healing abilities, paired with its durability, using status moves to slowly wear down opponents.
But…
Combusken's so-called "Thunder Collapse Punch" had just…
Instantly taken down his Vaporeon!!
Not even giving it a chance to heal!
Leiv shook his head. He didn't want to believe it, but the referee's declaration echoed in his ears—
"Vaporeon is unable to battle! Combusken wins the match!"
Believe it or not, it had happened.
As Leiv looked at Nero's cold, composed expression, he suddenly felt an enormous distance between them.
If they were to battle again…
He might never be able to defeat him.
From the School Team Bench—
"Glenn… your little brother just got annihilated."
"Uh…" Glenn watched as Leiv walked off, completely shattered.
Before the match, Leiv had claimed that his Vaporeon was one of the tankiest Pokémon around, capable of stalling out opponents unless they had a high-powered move strong enough to instantly take it down.
And yet, Combusken had done exactly that—with a single punch.
Glenn glanced at Nero's figure and sighed.
If he had to guess, Nero's strength was more than enough to qualify for the school team.
If that was the case…
Then he'd just have to challenge him himself.
For the sake of avenging his foolish little brother.
Yes, that was the plan!
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