In the Footage—
The story continues. Ash and Chloe are in the bustling Wyndon Arena, having just met Cynthia and Sonia.
They were there to investigate the legends of Eternatus (the Infinite Pokémon) and the Sword and Shield heroes.
After parting ways with the scholars, a passerby asked them for directions to the Pokémon Center. The stranger mentioned that on a nearby small bridge, a Pokémon holding a massive object was blocking the path and challenging anyone who tried to cross.
Ash's interest was piqued instantly. He grabbed Chloe's hand and ran toward the bridge.
When they arrived, a blue figure was seen flying backward through the air, crashing into the pavement. It was a Marill. A trainer ran past Ash in tears, scooped up the fainted Marill, and sprinted toward the Pokémon Center.
The onlookers were whispering in awe.
"That's incredible! That was the fifth challenger in a row!"
"That Farfetch'd is way too powerful!"
"It's a shame. I don't think my Pokémon have what it takes to catch him... but we can't let him block the bridge forever. Should we call Officer Jenny?"
Ash pushed through the crowd with Chloe and finally stood before the "behemoth" the passersby were talking about.
"Is that... a Farfetch'd?" Ash asked, feeling a bit confused.
This Farfetch'd looked nothing like the ones he had seen in Kanto. The average Farfetch'd has light gray feathers and a small V-mark on its forehead, carrying a single green leek used for defense (and cooking).
But this one... its feathers were a dark, stormy gray. The V-mark on its forehead was thick and bushy, like a pair of angry eyebrows.
Its eyes weren't mild; they were sharp, fierce, and narrowed in a warrior's glare.
Most importantly, it was wielding a leek that was twice its own size! It wasn't a leek anymore; it was a giant green lance!
"Ash, check the Pokédex," Chloe reminded him.
Ash took out his Rotom Phone. Despite traveling through seven regions and knowing most Pokémon by heart, he had found a blind spot in his knowledge.
[Rotom Phone: Farfetch'd, Galar Form. A Wild Duck Pokémon. Fighting Type. The Farfetch'd of the Galar region are brave warriors that wield giant, heavy leeks in battle.]
"A Galarian Farfetch'd... it looks incredibly strong! Let's go, Pikachu! Let's challenge him!"
Ash rushed forward, while Chloe sighed and followed. This impulsive, planless behavior was classic Ash.
"Farfetch'd! You're stopping people on this bridge because you want to fight, right? If that's the case... how about a battle with me?"
"Kabu!" The Farfetch'd shifted its giant leek behind its back with one hand and beckoned Ash forward with the other. Bring it on!
"Good! I choose you, Pika—"
"Duh!"
Before Ash could send Pikachu into the fray, a Poké Ball on his belt burst open. A small, blue-and-black figure tumbled out. It was the Aura Pokémon—Riolu!
"Riolu... I see. Did watching Leon's battle earlier fire you up? Very well! I'll leave this battle to you!"
Riolu let out a sharp cry, full of fighting spirit.
"Preemptive strike! Riolu, use Vacuum Wave!"
Riolu focused its energy, planting its feet firmly, and threw a punch that released a visible, transparent blade of compressed air! Even without the direct blessing of Ash's Aura, this Vacuum Wave was significantly more powerful than before.
It was clear Riolu had been training like a demon.
"Kabu!" The Galarian Farfetch'd showed no fear. With a powerful sweep of its giant leek, it swatted the Vacuum Wave aside as if it were a common fly!
"Awesome power! In that case... Riolu, Mach Punch!"
Riolu's paws glowed with an orange-red light. It blurred across the bridge at lightning speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, Riolu landed five or six consecutive hits, dealing solid damage to the duck warrior!
[Korrina: Wait... can Riolu learn Mach Punch?]
[Gurkinn: I... I have never heard of a Riolu naturally learning that.]
[Cynthia: My Lucario has never mastered Mach Punch. Typically, the priority move for that line is Bullet Punch. Mach Punch shouldn't be possible.]
[Leon: Hehe, don't limit your thinking! Look at who Riolu has been training with lately in the footage.]
[Flint: ...Infernape?]
[Leon: Exactly! We saw a clip of Ash's Infernape using Mach Punch earlier. This means Riolu's Mach Punch was taught to it by its master—Infernape!]
[Gurkinn: To teach a move that the species cannot normally learn... Infernape's mastery of Mach Punch must have reached a divine level of perfection!]
[Lance: Infernape... I really want a chance to fight that monkey. I wonder whose Infernape is stronger—Ash's or Flint's?]
[Cynthia: Hehe, Flint, don't try to bully the kid. You're the famous 'Infernape Brother.']
Flint was known for his Champion-level Infernape. If it weren't for Cynthia constantly keeping him in second place, he might have been the Sinnoh Champion himself.
[Flint: You won't know unless you try! But honestly, I'm starting to think Ash's Pokémon are built differently.]
In the Footage—
After being struck by the Mach Punch, Farfetch'd's pupils shook from the impact, but its feet remained rooted to the ground. It seized the opening.
Its giant leek glowed with a dark, reddish-black aura.
Whack!
It slammed the heavy vegetable into Riolu's vital spot, sending the pup tumbling across the bridge.
[Rotom Phone: That was Night Slash! It has a high critical hit ratio!]
Riolu rolled twice but sprang back to its feet with a fierce grin. In terms of sheer tenacity, Riolu refused to be outdone.
"Great job, Riolu! Now, use Double Team!"
Suddenly, seven or eight Riolu appeared on the field, circling the duck. Farfetch'd's leek began to glow crimson as it started to spin. It swung the massive lance in a wild, frantic circle, creating a mini-tornado around itself.
"That's Brutal Swing!" Ash recognized the move.
The spinning attack shattered the illusions one by one. But as the last shadow popped, Farfetch'd realized the real Riolu was nowhere to be found!
"Now, the result of our special training! Feint!"
Riolu had slipped beneath the Farfetch'd's guard during the chaos. It lunged upward, throwing a punch straight at the duck's core.
"LEO!"
The punch connected with explosive force, sending the Galarian Farfetch'd flying back over ten meters.
Feint—a move even faster than Quick Attack. By strengthening it through training, they had overcome its low power. The winner was decided!
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