"Water Absorb... Drain Punch?"
"Damn! Can Cacturne's Drain Punch even absorb the water from inside the opponent's body?"
One of the spectators slowly exhaled and voiced what everyone was thinking.
"Exactly, Water Absorb Punch."
"Just by using Drain Punch, it can absorb the water from inside the opponent's body. And did you see the bloodstains on Poliwrath's fists?"
"Cacturne can not only absorb the water from the opponent's body, it can even draw out their blood!"
Another spectator nodded with a grave expression, adding that unsettling observation.
His words immediately caused the entire stadium to suck in a cold breath in unison.
Water and blood... what Fighting-type Pokémon doesn't have those? If Cacturne truly possessed such an attack, then it was something truly terrifying.
"Is that its trump card?"
"Water Absorb Punch... without a doubt, that's an extremely fearsome attack."
At that moment, the guests on the platform also wore serious expressions. Through the move Drain Punch, it was possible not only to absorb the opponent's stamina, but also their bodily water; that was already lethal.
Moreover, Cacturne's ability was Water Absorb, which meant that under those conditions, it could recover even more energy by absorbing the opponent's bodily water.
It was obvious that Cacturne had held back when facing Hariyama. If it had also used this Water Absorb Punch in that battle, Hariyama would never have lasted that long!
"Water Absorb Punch... it seems that in battle, one must never allow Cacturne to drag you into a war of attrition."
At that instant, this thought was the only thing left in everyone's mind. Without exception, Cacturne had replaced Hariyama and become the new king of attrition battles.
...
"So the opponent in the final really will be him?"
In the afternoon, the other semifinal was held.
The final winner was, as expected, Kevin Brooks's Machamp.
Although the Poliwrath dojo had, for the first time in history, placed two competitors among the top four, both were ultimately eliminated.
"Did this Machamp win relying solely on brute force?"
"The question is... what will its ability be?"
Ethan carefully watched the battle videos on his laptop, thinking silently as he began to plan his strategy.
And just like that, the night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Ethan got up very early.
"Ethan, there's only one step left. You must secure the final victory!"
When he opened the door, Ethan was surprised to find that everyone was already there.
"Don't worry, we'll win."
Ethan smiled faintly and headed toward the combat arena.
On the battlefield, Kevin was already waiting.
When he saw Ethan step onto the stage, Kevin could not help but swallow nervously.
At the beginning, when he learned that Ethan came from the Martial Multitype Dojo, he could still mock him without restraint. But now, he had to face him with full concentration. Only one step remained, just one more step, and he could seize the final championship!
"In the end, we're facing each other. I already said it back then: I would use reality to slap you back. And now, it seems there's only the final step left."
Ethan looked at Kevin, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
He still had not forgotten what had happened during the preliminary rounds of the Martial Arts Tournament.
"Heh, heh, heh... start, start."
Spectators began pouring in en masse. Seeing the two contenders standing on the field, they could no longer contain their excitement.
"In the end, the decisive battle will be between them. Cacturne... without a doubt, it's the biggest dark horse of this tournament."
Looking at Ethan's figure, Professor Sterling sighed softly. If not for the facts being right in front of everyone, no one would believe that Cacturne could come this far.
"That's still not its limit. The champion of this edition belongs to our Martial Multitype Dojo."
Leader Henry Harper was visibly excited. Thinking back to the training match he had with Cacturne two days ago, he could not contain his enthusiasm.
"Hm? Are you that sure Cacturne can defeat Machamp?"
"Although the Water Absorb Punch it has shown is very powerful, against Pokémon that can perfectly control their entire bodies, that kind of attack won't be so effective."
"Our Machamp dojo focuses precisely on total control of the Pokémon's body, allowing it to unleash maximum force with every strike. That Cacturne's abilities are completely useless against Machamp."
"Even if you're a real turtle, Machamp can shatter you with absolute strength!"
The leader of the Machamp dojo snorted and retorted firmly, wearing an expression full of confidence.
It was clear that the battle on the stage was no longer just a clash between two individuals, but a confrontation between two different schools and dojos.
At the same time, the battle officially began.
With the referee's order, both Pokémon appeared on the field, locking eyes filled with intense battle lust.
"Machamp, attack head-on!"
Kevin gave the order with great momentum.
"Cacturne, endure."
With the commands given, both Pokémon moved at the same time.
Machamp clenched its four hands into fists and unleashed a rapid barrage of punches toward Cacturne.
Cacturne, on the other hand, planted itself firmly in place, adopted a solid stance, and let spines sprout all over its body. Fighting-type energy completely enveloped it, instantly activating the Revenge-version Spiky Shield.
Boom, boom, boom!
At the same time, Machamp's attacks landed squarely.
Unlike Hitmonchan, which prioritized technique, Machamp relied entirely on brute strength.
Amid the thunderous impacts, it could be seen that Cacturne's figure was being pushed sideways by the power of the blows.
"What terrifying strength!"
The spectators could not help but be amazed.
"But Cacturne's defense is also impressive. Even though its body was pushed backward, its stance remained steady and its defense was not breached in the slightest."
"This battle is the clash between the sharpest weapon and the sturdiest shield! Both sides have clear advantages."
As the spectators commented animatedly, the evenly matched confrontation fully ignited the atmosphere of the stadium.
"Wait! Even though Cacturne's defense hasn't been broken, if this continues, it'll be pushed straight out of the battlefield!"
Suddenly, someone shouted from the crowd, startling everyone. Looking back at the field, they realized that Cacturne had already been displaced a considerable distance.
"This won't work. It seems we'll have to switch to offense."
Ethan, naturally, had also noticed the situation.
When he had first arrived at the Martial Multitype Dojo, Cacturne had lost for precisely this same reason!
(End of chapter)