Chapter 35: The Astonishing Kick
"Tempest Kick!!"
At Nero's command, Combusken's sharp eyes flashed. Suspended mid-air, its legs became enveloped in a radiant blue aura. In the next instant, it unleashed a rapid kick toward Vibrava!
Two crescent-shaped blue slashes shot out!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The blue slashes tore through the air with terrifying speed, as if they could rip apart the very fabric of space itself!
The slashes cut through the wind, striking Vibrava just as it activated Outrage. The attack hit directly, causing the Pokémon to let out a pained cry.
The sharp blue slashes left two deep scars across Vibrava's body!
Vibrava was forced to land on the ground, and Combusken seized the opportunity to pursue, vanishing in a burst of Shave-speed before launching a Double Kick that sent Vibrava flying!
It all happened in the blink of an eye!
"What... What move is that!?"
As everyone finally processed what had just happened, many students and even several teachers shot to their feet, their expressions serious as they gazed at Combusken, whose fighting spirit was burning brightly on the battlefield.
That scene had left a deep impression on them!
[Shave] was simply an explosive burst of speed using leg power, but Tempest Kick had just unleashed two blindingly sharp blue slashes!
The entire crowd fell silent.
"Unbelievable!! Combusken just used a move we've never seen before, and it seriously injured Vibrava! Combusken has now gained the upper hand!"
The announcer, witnessing the spectacle, grew increasingly excited.
"That was a move? Why don't I remember ever hearing about it?"
Among the school team members, Glenn looked at Nero and Combusken in shock.
Even after mentally reviewing all the techniques he had studied in middle and high school, he still couldn't recall any move resembling what Combusken had just executed.
Thunder Punch was already impressive enough, showcasing its full potential—but this? Releasing blue slashes from its legs? He genuinely had no idea.
Meanwhile, several high-ranking school officials were deep in discussion.
That piercing blue slash...
They had never seen anything like it before.
"Wait! Something's off—could this be external energy projection!?"
A bald school administrator's eyes widened in disbelief.
"External energy projection? No way! That requires a Pokémon to have an incredibly precise level of energy control. Not only does it take extensive training, but it also demands an exceptionally high level of natural talent!!"
"This student is skilled, sure, but achieving energy projection? That's impossible. Even with talent, you'd need at least Gym Leader-level strength to pull that off!!!"
"If it's not energy projection, then what is it? I remember a recent national tournament where a Sceptile trainer used Leaf Blade to create a whirlwind of slashes, effortlessly defeating a top-seeded contender. That Sceptile was even nicknamed the [Gale Sword Lizard]!"
"Regardless of what it is, this student has immense potential. No matter what, we have to recruit him!"
A middle-aged administrator with a receding hairline spoke with excitement.
"That move was incredible! Did anyone record it? I want to see a replay."
Not just the school team and the administrators, but even students watching the battle in their classrooms or live on-site were awestruck by Combusken's stunning azure slashes.
Especially the younger students from middle school and the first and second years of high school—many of them eagerly bombarded their teachers with questions.
But for once, the teachers were at a loss.
Normally, they encouraged students to ask questions when they didn't understand something. But now, faced with something even they couldn't explain, the students wouldn't stop pestering them.
They didn't know what move that was either!
On the battlefield, Vibrava crawled out from the rubble, flapping its wings as it returned to the air.
The pain from the two deep wounds throbbed intensely, making it hard to endure.
Vibrava was furious—it had never been in such a humiliating position in a battle before…
Its blood-red eyes glared fiercely at Combusken, overflowing with rage.
Meanwhile, Dennis was already drenched in sweat.
Damn it! What is up with this guy!?
Tempest Kick was a new technique Nero had acquired a few days ago through a Monthly Sign-In reward.
This move didn't just damage opponents through direct kicks—it harnessed "vacuum" energy, unleashing razor-sharp slashes.
[Shave] was all about mastering Quick Attack to perfection, and once a Pokémon trained Quick Attack to an elite level, it would naturally learn it.
The same principle applied to Tempest Kick for Combusken—the requirement was…
Mastery of kicking techniques!
Through relentless leg training, rapid kicking motions, and extensive stretching, this move demanded immense lower-body strength.
However…
Not long ago, Combusken had become obsessed with soccer. Constantly practicing its kicks and improving its leg strength through the sport, it had refined both technique and power simultaneously—especially during its training to master the bicycle kick.
By the time Nero obtained the Tempest Kick technique manual, Combusken had already reached the necessary skill level to use it proficiently!
Though Tempest Kick had many variations, time constraints meant Combusken had only learned its most basic form so far.
Even so, at this moment, defeating Vibrava was a simple task for Combusken!
"Vibrava, use Earth Power!"
Dennis had stopped worrying about the timer. At this point, all he wanted was to win. Nero was just too unpredictable—both he and his Pokémon!
Everyone knew that when a Pokémon activated Outrage, it would lose control of its senses. While incredibly strong Pokémon could still maintain their reasoning, Vibrava wasn't quite at that level yet.
Ignoring Dennis's command, Vibrava instead unleashed Dragon Pulse.
A column of bluish-purple energy shot down toward Combusken.
Combusken's eyes gleamed with sharp focus. Raising its head high, it let its feet glow with a dazzling blue light once more.
Lifting its right leg, Combusken swung it forward with force—another blue slash was released!
The bluish-purple Dragon-type energy attack was powerful, but when it clashed with the razor-sharp slash, it was split cleanly in half!
Dragon Pulse exploded, but Tempest Kick's attack continued onward, striking Vibrava's deep green wings mid-air.
The overwhelming pain left Vibrava unable to battle any further, causing it to crash heavily onto the ground…
"Vibrava is unable to battle! Combusken wins!!"
The referee announced the final result, and Nero exhaled, glancing toward the classmate in charge of timing.
The student hesitated briefly before pressing the button.
The final time was…
9 minutes and 57 seconds.
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