Chapter 243: Squeeze Out… Maximize the Remaining Value!
With two consecutive wins under his belt, Gary was feeling confident — but not overly so.
It wasn't that his personality had suddenly matured… it was because Asahi was watching from the sidelines!
Arcanine paced the battlefield. Though its stamina was nearly depleted, AJ didn't dare underestimate it — not after seeing how Arcanine had taken down Onix with Reversal.
With only four Pokémon left, he knew he had to take Arcanine down without a scratch.
He couldn't afford to lose another Pokémon — not even an injury!
So…
AJ's expression hardened. "It's your turn, Hypno!"
A flash of white light revealed a yellow Pokémon with a long nose and a creepy grin, holding a pendulum in its hand — Hypno.
The moment it appeared, Hypno shivered slightly — affected by Arcanine's Intimidate ability. However, since Intimidate only lowered attack stats, it didn't have much impact on Hypno's strategy.
"The third Pokémon AJ has chosen is Hypno!" the commentator announced. "With its Psychic abilities, Hypno poses a serious threat to Gary's exhausted Arcanine!"
Given Arcanine's current state, a single Psychic would be enough to knock it out.
Gary knew this too — which was why he didn't hesitate.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"
As Asahi had taught him, fast attacks were the key.
If one Psychic could take down Arcanine… then the solution was simple — strike before the opponent could attack!
Arcanine vanished from its spot, dashing at Hypno like a blur.
But AJ was prepared. "Hypno, Protect!"
Shing!
A shimmering barrier instantly enveloped Hypno.
Arcanine reappeared behind Hypno, slamming its paw against the shield — but the attack was completely blocked.
Seeing Arcanine's strike fail, Hypno smirked behind the protective barrier.
AJ also allowed himself a confident grin. "Your sneak attack failed — it's over!"
Without its speed advantage, Arcanine — already running on fumes — was no match for Hypno.
At least, that's what AJ thought…
Until Gary's voice rang out again:
"Arcanine, Roar!"
AJ's smile froze. "What…?"
Arcanine opened its mouth wide and let out a deafening roar.
The sound waves rippled across the field, causing Hypno's smug expression to twist into fear.
In a flash of red light, Hypno was forcibly sucked back into its Poké Ball.
"That was Roar! Gary's Arcanine used Roar to force Hypno back into its Poké Ball!"
AJ's mind went blank.
He looked at the Poké Ball in his hand — Hypno refused to come out again.
With the referee watching closely, AJ had no choice but to pick another Pokémon from the remaining three.
"…Go, Machamp!"
If he had any other choice, he wouldn't have sent out Machamp against Arcanine.
But his remaining two Pokémon were even more vulnerable to Fire-types.
A four-armed, muscle-bound Machamp emerged onto the field, locking eyes with Arcanine.
It flexed its muscles and struggled to shake off the lingering effect of Intimidate.
Meanwhile, Arcanine stood there panting, its legs shaking — it was clear its stamina was almost gone.
Its growls were still fierce, but they no longer intimidated Machamp.
Seeing Arcanine's weakened state, Machamp's eyes gleamed as it sprang forward — legs pushing off the ground, all four arms ready to strike.
AJ's strategy was simple: close the distance and don't give Arcanine a chance to kite with its speed.
However, Gary didn't back down.
He knew that if Arcanine tried to retreat, it might dodge this round of attacks — but it would also lose its last opportunity.
Once again, Asahi's words echoed in his mind:
"Pokémon battles are a coward's game — when there's no way out, the braver one wins."
And more importantly —
"Even if a Pokémon is about to faint, never give up — squeeze out every last drop of its value."
Gary's eyes sharpened. "Arcanine, we're going all in!"
Understanding its trainer's intention, Arcanine didn't hesitate.
With flames bursting across its body, it sprinted straight toward Machamp — igniting itself like a living fireball.
Under the glaring sunlight, the flames danced around Arcanine's body as if alive.
"Gary isn't backing down! He's having his worn-out Arcanine use Flare Blitz! This is a last-ditch effort!" the commentator shouted.
Like a blazing comet, Arcanine collided head-on with Machamp.
BAM!
Machamp crossed two arms in front of its chest, using another arm to chop at Arcanine's side, while its last fist slammed into Arcanine's stomach.
At the same time, Arcanine — completely engulfed in flames — crashed into Machamp's torso with full force.
Brick Break vs. Flare Blitz.
There was no doubt about the outcome — Arcanine's remaining stamina hit zero. The combined recoil from Flare Blitz and Machamp's counterattack brought it crashing to the ground.
But Machamp didn't come out unscathed — burns scorched its arms and chest.
However…
Machamp didn't flinch. Instead, its expression grew even fiercer.
The burns had activated its Guts ability.
"Oh no — this is bad! Not only did Flare Blitz fail to weaken Machamp, but the burn triggered Machamp's Guts ability — boosting its attack power!"
Gary: "…"
Of course it burns Machamp.
Why didn't it burn Onix when I used Flamethrower earlier?!
In the stands, Asahi couldn't help but chuckle.
Gary's luck was something else — it was hard to tell if he was blessed or cursed.
What was supposed to be a strategic trade ended up buffing Machamp instead.
Now, all Gary could do was grit his teeth and deal with the consequences.
Recalling Arcanine, he reached for another Poké Ball at his waist.
"…It's your turn, Ninetales!"
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