Chapter Ninety-One: Battle at the Martial Arts Gym! The Iron Palm Warrior

“Hello, challenger! I’m your opponent this time, Qiansha!” The girl extended her hand confidently, smiling at Zhao Fang.

“Hello, hello, I’m Zhao Fang.” Zhao Fang shook her hand and then stepped aside, deep in thought about which Pokémon to send into battle.

While Zhao Fang was considering his options, the referee approached. Dressed in the uniform of a Fighting-type gym, he took a small flag from his pocket and waved it.

“Challenger Zhao Fang! Opponent, advanced trainer Qiansha. This match will follow Alliance battle rules: no items allowed during the match, no move restrictions, and victory goes to whoever defeats all of the opponent’s Pokémon.” The referee stated the rules directly. Zhao Fang nodded in acknowledgment—just as Professor Otamaki had said, the current Alliance no longer limited Pokémon to four moves, though banning items was perfectly reasonable.

In the game, a player might choose to stack six boosts on their main Pokémon and sweep the team, but that’s clearly impossible in reality. If you keep powering yourself up, there’s a risk of being knocked out in one blow. Still, Zhao Fang considered the possibility: reaching maximum power-up isn’t out of the question—but it demands exceptional skill from both the Pokémon and its trainer.

“Then I’m counting on you, Hariyama!” Qiansha sent out her Pokémon decisively. Hariyama took its place on the field, its eyes sharp and fixed on Zhao Fang.

Zhao Fang frowned. Starting off with Hariyama? He’d expected her to send out a Machop for a warm-up, or maybe a Makuhita, but hadn’t anticipated Hariyama right away.

Originally, Zhao Fang had planned to let Dragapult take the lead, but since his opponent chose Hariyama, he would have to adjust his order.

“Gyarados! I’m counting on you!” As Gyarados emerged onto the field, the battle began in earnest.

“Hariyama, use Bulk Up!” To Zhao Fang’s surprise, Qiansha immediately commanded Hariyama to use Bulk Up—a move that increases attack and defense. Zhao Fang couldn’t just stand by and let her pull it off.

“Gyarados, use Water Pulse to interrupt it!” Zhao Fang hurriedly gave his command, and Gyarados opened its jaws wide, launching a Water Pulse straight at Hariyama.

If Hariyama insisted on completing Bulk Up, it would have to take the hit; if it tried to dodge, Bulk Up would be interrupted.

But what astonished Zhao Fang was that Hariyama actually tanked the Water Pulse, forcing its way through and successfully completing Bulk Up. Moreover, it didn’t seem much worse for wear. Zhao Fang eyed Hariyama’s massive frame with a deepening frown—this Hariyama was truly formidable.

“It’s going to be tough without a super-effective move. Show me your resolve—Hariyama, use Take Down!” Qiansha laughed, and at her command, Hariyama charged forward. Zhao Fang quickly ordered Gyarados to use Splash to dodge the attack.

“What agile use of Splash—who knew it could be used like that? Hariyama, seize the opportunity and use Return!” Qiansha didn’t give Zhao Fang a moment to breathe, issuing commands without pause.

“Gyarados, keep your distance and use Twister!” Zhao Fang wasn’t about to risk close combat. Although Gyarados was part Flying-type and wouldn’t necessarily fear Hariyama up close, Zhao Fang was wary of Hariyama knowing any moves effective against Flying types.

For a while, the battle reached a stalemate. Under Zhao Fang’s direction, Gyarados kept using Splash to maintain distance from Hariyama, occasionally mixing in Twisters and Water Pulses to wear down its stamina. At this rate, Hariyama was bound to lose.

“Knock Off!” Qiansha suddenly called. Hariyama lunged at Gyarados with hands glowing black, but Gyarados still managed to dodge.

“Now’s our chance! Use Ice Punch!” Qiansha’s eyes lit up as Hariyama closed the gap. She gave the order, and Hariyama spun around, fists glowing ice-blue, landing an Ice Punch on Gyarados’s tail.

“Gyarados!” Zhao Fang called out in concern. While Ice Punch wasn’t especially powerful against Gyarados, a hit from a Bulked Up Hariyama still hurt.

Gyarados roared angrily at Hariyama, but heeded Zhao Fang’s command, using Splash to pull away.

Zhao Fang understood Gyarados’s feelings—it wanted to retaliate fiercely. But Qiansha had already revealed Ice Punch, one of the classic “farmer’s three punches.” Zhao Fang wasn’t sure if Hariyama also knew Thunder Punch.

He thought it unlikely, but decided to remain cautious.

“Gyarados, keep draining Hariyama’s stamina.” Zhao Fang ordered again. Gyarados resumed its barrage of Water Pulses and Twisters, sometimes sneaking in a Dragon Rage.

Qiansha gritted her teeth at the state of the battle. Though Hariyama boasted impressive stamina, constant evasion was wearing it out. If this continued, defeat was certain. Qiansha decided to reveal Hariyama’s trump card.

“Hariyama, use Heavy Slam to close in, then Thunder Punch!” Hariyama’s body became shrouded in energy as it charged at Gyarados at high speed.

“Gyarados, dodge quickly!” Zhao Fang’s heart tightened. So it did know Thunder Punch—why hadn’t it used it earlier?

Though Gyarados had been chipping away at Hariyama’s stamina, using so many moves was draining its own energy, too. This time, Gyarados’s Splash was noticeably slower. Seeing that it couldn’t evade in time, Zhao Fang gave new orders.

“Gyarados, use Iron Head to attack! Don’t let it finish its move! Then use Splash to escape!” Zhao Fang would rather take a Heavy Slam than risk a Thunder Punch’s quadruple damage.

Gyarados roared, slamming its Iron Head into the oncoming Hariyama’s forehead. The metallic clash echoed across the field. Gyarados staggered, dazed but still floating, instinctively using Splash just as he’d been drilled to do in practice.

That one Splash let Gyarados narrowly avoid Hariyama’s electrified fists. Hariyama’s Thunder Punch struck the ground, and it collapsed there, utterly spent.

“Round one! The challenger is victorious!”