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The battle had already gone far beyond what Hakuya had imagined.
He had devoted himself entirely to raising his Kangaskhan. It was the centerpiece of his team and the key to breaking through any opponent. Yet the match was dragging on in a way that baffled him.
Marill was sent flying once again by Kangaskhan's heavy strike. And once again, she scrambled back to her feet.
'How many times had this happened now?' Hakuya had stopped counting. Marill was still standing on her feet with sheer instinct.
Every time she was hit, she managed to shield her vital spots with her little arms and tail, softening what should have been fight-ending blows.
But Kangaskhan wasn't unscathed. Her breathing was ragged, and her steps were heavier. From the start, Marill charged into close combat with wild frequency, trading blows as if stamina didn't matter.
Her tiny body whirled and struck at a pace that even Kangaskhan struggled to match.
Marill wasn't just pushing; she was clever. She'd feint midway through and suddenly spit a quick Water Gun into Kangaskhan's face. As the giant beast blinked through the spray, Marill would sneak in a sharp Brick Break.
Despite Kangaskhan's raw destructive power, she couldn't match Marill's nimbleness.
Marill grinned when she saw her opponent tire. This was what she loved about Luther's way of battling. Power might not be on her side, but agility opened endless opportunities for small, stinging victories.
Still, Luther himself couldn't share her enthusiasm. The upper hand was still firmly with Hakuya. Kangaskhan's strength meant that if Marill slipped for even a moment, it would be over. She was running on fumes, attacking with grit alone. If her momentum broke, she would too.
"Ice Punch!" Luther barked.
He needed Marill to keep pushing, to force Hakuya into this relentless tempo. If Marill's adrenaline wore off, she would collapse.
Marill lunged again. This time, Kangaskhan didn't respond with Thunder Punch. Instead, she braced herself, her eyes narrowing with wariness.
She had learned from those tricks with Water Gun. When Marill struck, Kangaskhan met her with a crushing fist of her own.
The collision boomed across the field. Both Pokémon reeled back, panting and glaring at each other across the scuffed battlefield.
Hakuya's hand trembled against his harmonica as his blood surged hot and the cheers of the crowd crashed over him. Reason warned him to stay calm, but the fire inside him screamed otherwise.
Charge forward and fight!
His playing grew wild and frantic, urging Kangaskhan on. She stiffened, then shot her trainer a disbelieving glance. But she understood; his will was absolute. With a roar, she charged straight at Marill.
Hammer Arm against Brick Break.
Shadow Claw versus Brick Break.
Crunch against Brick Break.
Each time, Luther could only use the same move. Every other technique was too slow or too demanding. Only Brick Break could keep pace with Kangaskhan's storm of attacks.
It was as if Hakuya had abandoned all sense of rhythm, unleashing Kangaskhan in a wild frenzy of relentless blows.
In an instant, the momentum shifted. The Marill that had been charging forward moments ago was now staggering, struggling to hold her ground.
The Kangaskhan who had once stood firm and guarded was now tearing into the fight with raw ferocity.
"Finally awake?" Cynthia murmured, her chin resting on her hand as she watched Hakuya. His face was flushed, and every ounce of his spirit poured into the harmonica he played.
Each note rang out like a command, and Kangaskhan moved as though she were dancing to his melody. Marill, however, was dragged into that rhythm against her will, forced to stumble along, outpaced at every turn.
"Young people should have that kind of fire," Cynthia remarked quietly, a faint smile playing at her lips. "Control is necessary. But too much of it makes things dull."
Bertha chuckled at that with a warm look in her eyes. Cynthia exhaled softly, fell silent, and returned her attention to the screen.
On the battlefield, the weight of defending began to crush Luther. He clenched his jaw and forced out an order.
"Marill, attack!"
Marill obeyed, inhaling sharply as he weaved past Kangaskhan's heavy punch. He sprang upward and drove a frozen fist down toward Kangaskhan's head.
But Kangaskhan was ready. Her fist recoiled, then snapped upward to meet the blow.
This ended in another deadlock.
Cynthia leaned back with a sigh. "It's over for Luther. He had it earlier, breaking Hakuya's rhythm with his own." But why rush? Why repeat the same mistake twice?"
Hakuya seized the chance Luther gave without hesitation. Kangaskhan's free left hand lunged and clamped down on Marill's tail.
Luther's heart jolted as though he had been caught in the grip as well. On the opposite side of the field, however, Hakuya only smiled.
"Thunderbolt."
That was the breaking point.
Marill had been holding on by a thread of grit and adrenaline. The instant she became exhausted, the Thunderbolt tore through her.
With Kangaskhan holding her fast, there was no escape. The lightning crashed into her small body, searing every limb.
"Marill is unable to battle!" The referee's flag sliced the air, confirming what everyone already knew.
Kangaskhan stood there, her chest rising and falling, her breath still heavy but no longer desperate. The tide had fully turned.
It was the same trick again: Pretend fatigue. Draw Marill closer the moment her endurance cracked. Then, corner her in tight exchanges until the decisive strike was assured. Luther's gamble had been twisted and sharpened into the weapon that defeated him.
Even when Hakuya abandoned composure and engaged in reckless trading, he found a way to capture Luther's style, refine it, and use it against him.
...
Cynthia remained cool on the sidelines. "Bertha, a VIP pass might win Mai's favor. But that's not nearly enough for me. If you want balance, you'll have to pay more."
...
Luther said nothing. He simply bent down, scooped up the battered Marill, and carried her gently to the bench.
'What a trooper.' Even after being shocked so hard that she saw stars, Marill perked right up the moment someone opened a box of cookies.
She munched away cheerfully as though nothing had happened, showing not even a trace of the punishment she had just endured on the battlefield.
Luther chuckled faintly at her spirit, then took a long drink of water to soothe his parched throat. Across the field, Hakuya pressed a towel soaked in ice water against his flushed face and caught his breath.
Before Luther could say anything, Kirlia stepped forward, leaping lightly onto the battlefield.
Her voice seemed to echo in his mind, calm but edged with tension. "The opponent is strong... incredibly strong. He adapts as he fights, taking what he learns and using it instantly. Calling him the strongest among the Gym Leaders doesn't go far enough; he truly is the core Gym Leader. He's a force that the League hasn't given enough recognition to."
Luther shook his head, smiling gently. "Don't carry the weight yourself. Winning or losing isn't what matters here. Forget the badge; it's about understanding and experiencing how he seizes control of the battle rhythm. Matches like this are rare gifts."
Kirlia closed her eyes at his words. The tight, anxious look on her face softened. She exhaled slowly, her shoulders easing.
On the other side, Hakuya returned Kangaskhan to her Poké Ball and, without hesitation, sent out his final Pokémon.
A plump, golden-yellow Dunsparce wriggled onto the battlefield.
It wasn't an imposing sight by any means, but to Hakuya, Dunsparce meant everything. He had once explained to the League why this strange, overlooked Pokémon had been his first choice:
"Because it hides away from everyone else's eyes. Just like me."
That promise he'd made back then, to change together, had been kept.
Dunsparce was no longer timid or reclusive. Now, it was bright, outgoing, curious, and warm-hearted. And its trainer? No longer the boy who froze even when asked to pose for a simple photograph.
It was fitting, almost poetic, that in this match, both trainers had brought out the very first partners who had walked by their side. As if fate itself had arranged this moment.
(End of Chapter)