Lee cracked his fists together with a loud pop. His face carried the same angry look he always had. The only times Lee ever smiled were during intense training sessions with his master, Guy, or when he got the chance to smash things or opponents with his powerful fists.
Right now, his red eyes burned with pure rage as he stared across at the opposing Pokemon.
Bruno crossed his arms and studied Lee carefully. While it was new for him to face a Ghost and Fighting type like Annihilape, he had battled other Ghost Pokemon before.
He had also fought Ghost type specialist trainers many times. Over the years, Bruno had trained his Fighting types to use moves that were not just Fighting type attacks which Ghost types were completely immune to.
He made sure they knew moves that Ghost types could not simply ignore or become immune to. This preparation gave him confidence even against a tricky opponent like Lee.
Bruno raised his voice first. "Hydro Pump!"
Poliwrath opened its wide mouth and released a massive stream of pressurized water. The attack shot forward like a powerful hose, tearing up the ground as it rushed toward Lee.
Gladion responded immediately. "Shadow Ball!"
Lee gathered dark, ghostly energy in his palm. The energy swirled and grew bigger until it formed a large, pulsing ball of purple-black power.
With a furious growl, Lee hurled the Shadow Ball straight toward the incoming Hydro Pump. The two attacks met in the middle of the field with incredible force.
The Shadow Ball and Hydro Pump slammed into each other and refused to give way. Energy crackled and sparked as the ghostly power pushed against the raging water
For a long moment, the attacks stayed locked together, neither side winning. Then the pressure built too high. A massive explosion erupted at the point of contact. Water droplets flew in every direction like rain.
Bruno already given his next order while the attacks collided. Poliwrath charged forward through the mist, moving closer to Lee with surprising speed for its injured state.
Lee turned his head and glared in Poliwrath's direction. His fists clenched tighter.
Bruno called out his. "Hypnosis!"
He had done his research. From what Bruno knew, Annihilape evolved from Primeape.
Primeape were known as angry, hot-headed creatures. They often fell victim to mind-affecting moves because their rage made it hard for them to focus.
If the old battle recordings of Gladion's Annihilape were accurate, this one seemed even angrier than a normal Primeape. It acted as if the whole world owed it something and refused to pay.
Bruno believed that so much anger would make Lee more vulnerable to Hypnosis. He hoped to put the Ghost type to hypnosis and end the threat quickly.
Gladion watched the move begin and smirked. 'Smart move, but you have underestimated Lee's anger. You are just going to make him more angry.'
The circles on Poliwrath's belly started to spin slowly at first, then faster. Waves of hypnotic energy pulsed outward in colorful rings. The rings floated toward Lee, trying to wrap around his mind and force him into a hypnosis.
Lee felt the strange power touch his thoughts. Instead of calming down, his rage exploded even hotter.
His red eyes widened with fury. [You dare play with my mind, you disgusting, slimy, weak-bellied frog! You think you can trick me? You think you can make me bow my head and sleep like some scared little child? I will crush your skull and make you regret ever looking at me!]
His body shook with anger as it resisted the hypnosis with it.
Gladion watched with calm satisfaction. 'He is too angry in his mind for anyone to hypnotize him.'
In a blur of surprising speed, Lee vanished from his spot and reappeared directly above Poliwrath.
The Water type looked up in shock. Lee screamed at the top of his lungs, acting completely on his own without any order from Gladion. "RAGE FISTTTT!"
A massive fist-shaped blast of ghostly energy erupted from Lee's hand. The attack grew huge in an instant, big enough to crush Poliwrath completely. It slammed down like a falling meteor.
The impact shook the entire battlefield. Poliwrath let out a pained cry as the force threw it backward. It crashed hard into the ground and did not get up again.
The referee raised his flag quickly. "Poliwrath is unable to battle!"
Bruno took his Poliwrath back to the Pokeball.
Lee who lost his target of anger kept striking the ground over and over with Rage Fist. Each punch sent shockwaves through the dirt. Craters formed where his fists landed. He seemed lost in his anger, ready to destroy anything in front of him.
Gladion stepped forward and spoke firmly. "Enough, Lee!"
Lee turned his head toward Gladion. For a moment, it looked like he might ignore the order and keep attacking. His fists stayed raised, trembling with rage. But when he met Gladion's serious gaze, something clicked. Lee lowered his arms slowly. He growled low in his throat but stayed still.
Gladion let out a quiet sigh. 'How do I get him to control his anger? Or maybe that's how his species is meant to be. Always angry, even when they are the Pokemon of a trainer.'
He looked at Lee carefully and thought more deeply. 'I don't think that he would be able to fight after one more Pokemon. The confusion had made him more angry than usual. As the battle goes on and as the battle rush comes in, he would become more angry. It would not take him long to consider it as a life and death battle. He might even kill one of Bruno's Pokemon.'
Gladion made up his mind. 'I will forfeit him after one more battle. And I better not tell him about this, or he would become more angry and just kill Bruno's next Pokemon.'
Bruno returned Poliwrath to its Poke Ball with a respectful nod. He reached for his next one without hesitation. He tossed the Poke Ball forward. "Blaziken, let's go!"
The Fire and Fighting type appeared in a burst of flames. Blaziken stood tall with its sharp claws and intense eyes. It kicked the ground once, sending sparks flying.
Gladion studied the new opponent. 'A Water and Fighting type first and now a Fire and Fighting type next. He sure has some variety with him.'
He decided on his plan. 'Let's end this with the strongest and the most broken Ghost type move. I don't think that people in the league right now even know about this move. I have not seen anyone use it, not even the Ghost type specialist Agatha.'
A small smile touched his lips. 'Once again, my knowledge of games helps me.'
Bruno pointed forward. "Flamethrower!"
Blaziken opened its beak and released an intense wave of scorching flames. The fire rushed toward Lee like a burning river.
Gladion gave his order clearly. "Phantom Force!"
Lee disappeared from where he stood. The Flamethrower washed over the empty space, scorching the ground black but hitting nothing. For a heartbeat, no one could see him.
Then Lee reappeared directly behind Blaziken. The sudden appearance made the crowd gasp.
Bruno reacted fast. "Use Protect!"
A glowing golden barrier formed around Blaziken, strong and solid.
But shock spread across Bruno's face in the next instant. Lee's attack passed straight through the Protect barrier as if it did not exist.
The blow landed perfectly on Blaziken's back. The Fire type cried out in pain and flew forward, crashing hard into the ground. Smoke rose from its body. Blaziken tried to stand but collapsed again, eyes closed.
The entire stadium fell into complete silence. An Elite Four member's Pokemon had been taken down in one move. It happened in mere seconds. No one could believe what they had just seen. The referee stared for a moment before raising his flag.
"Blaziken is unable to battle! Annihilape wins!"
-----Author Notes------
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