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Hitmontop collapsed.
However, while it had been defeated, Combusken was clearly in no condition to continue fighting either.
Seen this way, although Kai had secured the first win, it was a near double knockout both sides had paid a heavy price.
For both Trainers, especially for Brawly, this outcome was still acceptable.
But…
Brawly's brow twitched repeatedly. Deep down, he had the sinking feeling that today, he might not be able to live up to Kinomi's expectations after all.
Just then, Kai let out a quiet sigh and spoke apologetically.
"Sorry. I'd really like to continue with a Fighting-type battle, but my Combusken can't keep going and it's the only Fighting-type Pokémon I have, If you don't mind, I'll be switching to a Pokémon of a different type."
A different type?
Brawly's heart stirred. Hope reignited.
He had to admit Combusken had been slightly stronger than his Hitmontop. Losing to it was frustrating, but understandable.
But if the next battle wasn't Fighting-type…
As long as Kai didn't send out something that directly countered Fighting-types, Brawly felt he still had a very real chance of winning!
With that thought, he nodded quickly.
"That's no problem at all," Brawly said. "This may be a Fighting-type Gym, but challengers aren't required to use Fighting Pokémon, Switch freely."
Kai smiled.
After battling so many Gyms, he was well aware of that rule. He'd only mentioned it beforehand to avoid complaints later—some people tended to make excuses once they lost.
Brawly recalled Hitmontop and took out another Poké Ball.
This was already the fourth Pokémon he had used today.
If he lost again… he'd probably be depressed for a long time.
But that was the life of a Gym Leader.
Winning or losing was part of the job—no one could blame anyone else for it.
As Brawly threw the Poké Ball, everyone saw his fourth choice.
A Machamp.
The moment Kai saw it, he immediately realized something.
The Machamp statue carved into the sign outside the Gym—
This was the real one.
So he was facing the original.
On the sidelines, the Gym Trainers burst into chatter.
"Wait—he sent that one out?"
"Yeah! Ever since Hariyama became his ace, it hasn't battled in ages!"
"With Machamp out, there's no way he'll lose!"
Hearing their discussion, Kai quickly understood.
Before Hariyama rose to prominence, this Machamp must have been Brawly's strongest Pokémon. It had only been pushed aside over time.
So now, to defeat him, Brawly had pulled out his trump card.
But did he really think that would be enough?
Kai recalled Combusken and calmly slid his fingers across the Poké Balls on his belt.
Facing a Pokémon with four massive arms and overwhelming physical strength, he considered his options carefully.
If he used a Pokémon with a clear type advantage, the Gym Trainers would surely complain that he'd won through matchup alone.
So not only did he need to win—
He needed to win convincingly.
In the end, he selected one Poké Ball.
Tyranitar.
A Pokémon four times weak to Fighting-type moves.
If he won with this, no one would have anything left to say.
"Go—Tyranitar!"
Light flashed, and Tyranitar's towering form appeared on the field, letting out a thunderous roar.
ROAAAR!
Brawly narrowed his eyes.
There was no denying it—this Tyranitar had an incredible presence. Powerful. Dominant. Fierce.
But…
Why would Kai send this out?
Did he not know Tyranitar was severely weak to Fighting-types?
Was Kai underestimating him?
Or did he truly have no other options left?
Either way—his odds had just skyrocketed.
The Gym Trainers were visibly thrilled.
Four-times weakness?
Machamp had this in the bag.
Even Bea, watching from the stands, frowned slightly.
As someone whose strongest partner was also Machamp, she understood Fighting-types better than most.
This choice didn't make sense.
Yet Kai's expression remained calm—far too calm for a reckless gamble.
Perhaps… he had a plan.
Among everyone present, only Misty fully understood what was about to happen.
She straightened up eagerly.
Kai's doing this on purpose.
He was about to silence every doubt in the room.
As for Kai losing?
Please.
The referee signaled, and the second battle officially began.
The moment it started, Kai gave his command.
"Tyranitar—Stone Edge!"
Jagged pillars of rock erupted from the ground, thrusting toward Machamp.
Dodging at that range wasn't easy—but Machamp responded in its own way.
The instant the stone spiked beneath it, Machamp thrust all four arms forward and stopped the attack by force, catching the rock head-on.
Incredible strength.
Kai nodded slightly.
This Machamp had been trained exceptionally well.
But how many times could it do that?
"Again," Kai said calmly.
As long as Machamp couldn't close the distance, its strength meant nothing.
Tyranitar summoned another Stone Edge—
But this time, Machamp grabbed the first spike, lifted it overhead, and hurled it back.
The rock arced through the air.
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
So that's why it stayed calm.
Machamp hadn't even aimed properly—yet the throw was dead on.
Clearly, it had practiced this countless times.
But against Tyranitar?
The rock shattered instantly as Tyranitar lowered its head, smashing it apart with its armored crest.
Not a scratch.
At the same time, the second Stone Edge reached Machamp.
Having just thrown the rock, Machamp's balance was off—it barely managed to leap aside.
Both Trainers now had a rough sense of each other's strength.
Simple tactics wouldn't be enough.
At Brawly's command, Machamp charged forward.
Kai responded immediately.
"Tyranitar—Sandstorm!"
Golden sand exploded across the battlefield, filling the Gym despite being indoors.
Visibility dropped sharply.
Without hesitation, Brawly shouted, "Machamp—go straight in!"
In low visibility, sudden close-range attacks were the most dangerous—
And close combat was Machamp's specialty.
Machamp disappeared into the sand.
Moments later, roars echoed from within.
But something was wrong.
Tyranitar's roar stayed fierce and steady.
Machamp's grew strained—pained.
Brawly's heart skipped.
What was happening?
This shouldn't be possible.
Machamp had the advantage—type, strength, everything.
Unless…
Only one explanation existed.
The power gap was so large that type advantage no longer mattered.
But that made no sense.
Kai's Combusken had barely won its match.
How could Tyranitar be this overwhelming?
As the Sandstorm faded, the battlefield came into view.
Machamp was trapped inside a ring of shattered stone, its movement restricted.
Broken rocks littered the ground.
Both Pokémon were injured—but Machamp was clearly worse off.
The Gym Trainers stared in disbelief.
It lost?
Even Bea was stunned.
As someone deeply familiar with Machamp, she knew how absurd this was.
Kai stood with his hands in his pockets, calm as ever.
Machamp looked unstoppable—but it had weaknesses.
Its legs were far less sturdy than its upper body.
Inside the Sandstorm, Tyranitar had used Rock Slide to create obstacles, limiting Machamp's mobility.
With poor visibility, Machamp was forced into a disadvantage.
But more than that—
This outcome was the result of raw strength.
Kai had never intended to outfight Machamp with Fighting moves.
Tyranitar wasn't humanoid—it fought like a beast.
Claws. Fangs. Body slams.
The Sandstorm gave it cover to unleash that brutality freely.
Against that kind of overwhelming force…
Even Machamp had no answer.
Kai had never planned to defeat Machamp with Dark- or Rock-type moves.
His true weapon—
Was Tyranitar's sheer physical power, expressed through devastating Normal-type attacks.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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