Wartortle sprang up, the water flowing over its body twisting into a spiral. The whole turtle shot into the sky like a razor-sharp water arrow!
"Wartor!"
Its gaze swept the field, trying to lock onto Hitmonchan's position fast.
The opponent was too fast. Even from up high, Wartortle's heart pounded.
"Chan!"
Hitmonchan, wrapped in white light, flashed to Wartortle's flank. Its fist crashed toward the shell shrouded in streaming water!
The blade-bright aura pierced the watery film; a glove the size of a sandbag hammered Wartortle's shell, Fighting-type force surging like a tide and blasting it away!
"Wartor…"
Wartortle tumbled, but the spiraling flow around it hadn't dispersed and still held it aloft.
Thanks to that, it didn't crash; it could keep floating.
"Wartor!"
After righting itself, Wartortle's bare head snapped toward the just-landed Hitmonchan. Water-type energy burst out—its speed far sharper than most of its kind!
So fast that Hitmonchan almost missed the cue.
By the time it sensed danger, the gap had already closed!
"Thunder Punch!"
"Aqua Tail!"
They called the orders almost together.
Hitmonchan steadied its stance, this time sheathing both fists in a corona of crackling arcs. The snarl of heavy thunder climbed, like it meant to finish Wartortle in one blow!
"Wartor…"
A bead of sweat rolled down Wartortle's brow as the air trembled. Compared to past opponents, Hitmonchan wasn't the strongest—but the pressure right now dwarfed all of them.
Instinct pulled it to retreat—until the edge of its vision caught Daisy's worried face below. The fear in its chest flipped into a need to fight for its trainer.
"Wartor—tor!"
As thunder surged, clear water vaulted over Wartortle's tail, sheathing it—and then swelling further, making that tail look all the more brutal!
That heavy tail wasn't easy for Wartortle to wield. It grit through the weight, turned midair, and leveled the thick, rushing tail at Hitmonchan!
Then all the streaming water around its body sank into the tail, swelling it several times over!
For a moment, Aqua Tail hit the level of a finisher.
Water-type trainers across the stream spammed praise.
"Chan!"
Hitmonchan's mouth quirked up. It met that power head-on, battle spirit blazing.
Wild lightning burst out, blackening the floor in patches and filling the air with a scorched tang.
Even before the moves collided, the force made everyone in chat hold their breath.
"Here it comes…!"
Grey's chest tightened as Wartortle drew in.
Midair, Wartortle's power felt like a thousand pounds falling, the sonic boom howling on and on!
Spray flecked Grey's face and stung.
Hitmonchan, for its part, coiled both arms to the limit. The lightning wanted out, raging against his gloves!
At the edge of control, Hitmonchan unleashed. Thunder screamed.
The rampaging light crackled like a thousand birds, eager to spear through that massive water tail!
BOOM!!!
The instant they touched, each side felt the other's weight driving back through their bodies!
The explosion was terrifying—big enough to dent the dojo's stone floor into a broad crater!
Grey didn't think about the repair bill. His eyes stayed on the field.
Dust blossomed outward; white steam rolled over everything, even blinding the cameras.
Seconds trickled by like sand slipping through a glass.
Both trainers felt their hearts squeezed in an unseen fist, waiting for the result to show.
Whooo—
A cool night wind slipped through.
The haze peeled away into the air.
"Chan…"
Hitmonchan braced on one hand, the other gripping its forearm, breath rough and ragged.
The smooth floor was gone—only a huge blast-bowl remained.
"Wartor…"
Wartortle wasn't much better.
The torrent-wreathed tail sagged like it had been cut down to nothing—no more force left in it, just dead weight.
Its body, too, tottered on the edge.
If not for will alone, it would already be out cold.
"So strong…"
Daisy swallowed. She'd long heard of Hitmonchan's ferocity, but she hadn't expected Wartortle's eruption to still only carry it this far.
[Is this really the Cerulean Gym I knew?]
[From today on, if anyone flames Cerulean as weak, they answer to me!]
[I already bought my ticket—flying to Cerulean City tomorrow.]
[Kanto finally has eight Gyms worthy of the name…]
[Hold on, if you count the streamer's, that makes nine.]
Win or lose, once this fight spread, Cerulean Gym's reputation would swing hard in the other direction.
Grey could see Daisy was at her limit.
"Wartortle… want to rest?"
Daisy, pained, held up the Poké Ball. She didn't want Wartortle taking another hit.
"Wartor!"
Wartortle didn't look back. It stared straight at Hitmonchan. Water flared across its body again, a faint blue gleam rising.
Its stamina was a thread, but its spirit climbed, and climbed—right to the edge!
Ability: Torrent!
The Water-starter's signature—trigger it at the right time, and you can flip a battle!
With Torrent active, Wartortle held its stance—barely. By its state, it had one move left in it.
Drag this out, and it would be the first to fall.
"Chan!"
Hitmonchan felt Wartortle's resolve and roared. The shockwave churned dust and tugged at that candle-in-the-wind body.
Wartortle didn't budge.
A little gust wouldn't move it now.
"Water Pulse!"
Daisy knew time wasn't on their side. Her pale finger stabbed down, command carrying more force than usual.
"Wartor!"
Wartortle's hands spun, spiral current humming as it formed the cleanest water shell yet, rotation ramping, mass swelling!
In mere seconds, the high-speed sphere had ballooned several times over—and launched!
Torrent-boosted Water Pulse!
"Chan…"
Staring down the onrushing, battering orb, Hitmonchan felt no fear. It squared up, bringing both fists together.
"Doesn't want to dodge—wants to end it straight up, huh…"
Grey heard what Hitmonchan meant and chuckled. "Got it. Then…"
His eyes sharpened; his voice snapped like a whip.
"Use Close Combat!"
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