Boom, boom, boom!
At the same time, Hitmonchan's attack arrived once again.
With exquisite punching techniques combined with footwork, Hitmonchan's figure kept shifting positions all over the field. Accompanied by an unceasing barrage of strikes, phantom fists filled the air around Cacturne, attacking from every angle.
However, Cacturne remained completely motionless, allowing Hitmonchan's fists to strike its body.
"Is it... deliberately taking the hits?"
"Don't tell me that this so-called 'inheritance' he was talking about is just enduring punches?"
Seeing this scene, the spectators were stunned.
"Hey, hey, are you sure this isn't the inheritance of the Hariyama Dojo?"
"This Ethan is a student of the Multitype Martial Dojo, but... could it be that he actually inherited the techniques of the Hariyama Dojo?"
A student from another dojo, who clearly couldn't stand Ethan, showed a mocking smile. But before he could finish speaking, Hitmonchan's attack abruptly stopped.
The Fighting-type energy surrounding its fists shattered.
Faintly, it could be seen that Hitmonchan's fists were covered in wounds, as if they had suffered enormous damage.
"Wait! What just happened?"
A spectator spoke in confusion.
It was clearly Cacturne who had been taking the blows!
So why was Hitmonchan the one who was injured?
"Look at Cacturne!"
Suddenly, someone shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
At that moment, everyone saw that Cacturne's entire body was covered in spines.
"Hey, hey! What is that?"
"Wait! I get it now... could it be its signature move, Spiky Shield?"
"Exactly, Spiky Shield is a move that combines defense and offense. That explains why it could block Hitmonchan's rapid flurry of punches and even reflect the damage back!"
A spectator wearing glasses shone with excitement; thanks to his extensive knowledge, he figured everything out instantly.
"But... Spiky Shield should be a Grass-type move, right?"
Suddenly, he frowned again.
If it really were the move Spiky Shield, it would be forbidden in the Martial Arts Tournament.
"It shouldn't be the move Spiky Shield. I didn't see Cacturne use any Grass-type energy at all."
Another spectator voiced his doubt. Throughout the entire battle, Cacturne seemed to have used only Fighting-type energy.
"Cacturne, counterattack!"
While everyone was pondering, Cacturne raised its spine-covered arms and charged toward Hitmonchan.
Hitmonchan's gaze sharpened. Its vast combat experience told it that this was not the moment to dodge, but to confront the attack head-on.
It took a deep breath, clenched its fists, and concentrated all of its Fighting-type energy into them. At the same time, it activated the move Focus Energy, gathering all its power into a single strike.
"It's the combination of the Boxing Dojo's moves Focus Energy and Focus Punch!"
"Hitmonchan is going all out!"
The spectators no longer had time to think about Cacturne's changes and burst into shouts.
"What terrifying pressure! Cacturne, dodge!"
"Dodge? This time, Cacturne was the one who initiated the attack! It's already too late!"
Another spectator replied nervously.
Under normal circumstances, Cacturne could have dodged while Hitmonchan was charging power. But now, stopping its own attack and dodging was already impossible.
Moreover, if Cacturne retreated at that moment, Hitmonchan would catch up and it would take Focus Punch head-on. In that case, it was better to confront it directly—even if it lost—to reduce part of the impact and withdraw alive.
Under the tense gazes of the entire stadium, the fists of Cacturne and Hitmonchan collided violently.
Boom!
A terrifying energy exploded in all directions. The wind generated swept across the entire field, forcing the spectators to close their eyes and cover their faces.
"Can Cacturne withstand it...?"
That thought crossed everyone's mind.
As soon as the wind dissipated, they immediately looked toward the field.
Suddenly, all expressions froze.
The Pokémon that was sent flying after the collision was Hitmonchan!
Boom!
Another loud crash rang out as Hitmonchan's body slammed into the protective wall, completely losing its ability to fight.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"That was the famous move Focus Punch, considered the strongest strike! Its power should exceed 400 points!"
"Even Cacturne's Power-Up Punch pushed to the limit only reached 325 points!"
"Then why was Cacturne able to send Hitmonchan flying with a single blow?!"
At that instant, the entire stadium fell into chaos. The scene before their eyes had completely shattered their common sense.
In the guest stands, everyone wore expressions of astonishment.
The guests present in the quarterfinals were all important figures of Battle City.
The mayor of Battle City pondered for a moment, then seemed to realize something.
"That move... could it be Revenge?"
"Exactly."
"The effect of Revenge, a Fighting-type move, is to return double the damage if the user is hit first."
"Revenge... Spiky Shield..."
"Wait a moment! Could it be that Ethan was inspired by the move Spiky Shield and replaced Grass-type energy with Fighting-type energy, allowing the move Revenge to reproduce part of its effect?"
"And that final blow... Cacturne used the move Revenge to release all the accumulated energy at once, unleashing a terrifying force!"
The mayor of Battle City, worthy of being a master of Fighting-type Pokémon, instantly grasped the essence of the attack Cacturne had used.
Using the move Revenge as a substitute for the move Spiky Shield... that was the true core of the technique.
Of course, this version of Spiky Shield based on the move Revenge did not have the total invincibility effect of the original move. Cacturne directly took all the attacks with its body.
However, thanks to the move Revenge, it managed to cover its entire body with Fighting-type energy, strengthening its defense to a certain extent.
Moreover, Cacturne's spines, infused with Fighting-type energy, caused Hitmonchan to suffer damage every time it attacked, partially reproducing the effect of the move Spiky Shield.
At the same time, while taking hits, Cacturne continuously accumulated power through the move Revenge. Instead of releasing it immediately, it compressed it within its body and unleashed it all in a single instant, securing victory.
In this battle, Cacturne brought defensive counterattacking to its peak, using the move Revenge—learned upon evolution—to imitate the move Spiky Shield and completely neutralize Hitmonchan, which relied on technique and skill to win.
(End of chapter)