Taking a deep breath, Leo calmed himself and smiled.
"I came over to get to know you. Just passing the time while waiting for the match to start—figured we could chat for a bit."
"Sure," Nathan nodded and moved aside to make space for Leo to sit. The two of them began to talk.
Since neither of them had left campus life yet, there wasn't much scheming or hidden agendas between them. While there were some people like that, they were rare. At least for now, the conversation between the two was quite pleasant.
But right at that moment—
"Contestants Nathan Vesper and Mark Yan, please proceed to Arena 2 through the competitor tunnel. Your match is about to begin!"
"Contestants Nathan Vesper and Mark Yan, please proceed to Arena 2 through the competitor tunnel. Your match is about to begin!"
"Contestants Nathan Vesper and Mark Yan, please proceed to Arena 2 through the competitor tunnel. Your match is about to begin!"
The broadcast echoed gently through the stadium.
…
Some Trainers, just by their appearance alone, made it obvious what type of Pokémon they specialized in.
Mark Yan was one of those.
With messy hair and a well-built physique, it was easy to tell he was a Trainer who specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon.
Trainers who focused on a single type were often influenced by the nature of the Pokémon they raised—over time, they themselves started to embody that type. Mark was a perfect example, full of that same raw energy and determination typical of Fighting-types. Of course, this influence was more in terms of personal style or hobbies.
"I've been wanting to go up against your Pangoro for a while now, Nathan," Mark said with a wide grin.
Nathan shrugged slightly and replied, "Honestly, I was hoping to finish this quickly."
Mark twitched at that. "Don't tell me you're planning to use your Volcarona—because if that's the case, I might as well just forfeit now."
"Relax, I'm kidding," Nathan chuckled at Mark's helpless expression. "I actually just finished a training session with Pangoro recently. Figured this is a good chance to see the results."
"Haha, now I'm looking forward to it even more," Mark said, pumped.
As the referee gave the signal, the match began.
Mark was the first to act, throwing out his Poké Ball. With a flash of red light, a Fighting-type Pokémon appeared on the battlefield—Machamp.
Machamp was a solid choice for a Fighting-type. They were rare in the wild because few could find their training grounds. Most Machamp were bred and raised in professional facilities.
Nathan didn't waste words and sent out Pangoro.
"Roooaaar!"
As soon as it hit the field, Pangoro let out a fierce roar, instantly locking eyes with Machamp.
With both Pokémon on the battlefield, the match was officially underway.
"Machamp, Bulk Up!" Mark ordered without hesitation.
Machamp followed his command immediately, flexing its muscles in a show of strength. Its body tensed, boosting both its attack and defense stats for a short time.
"Get in close, Pangoro," Nathan said calmly.
A battle between two Fighting-types, especially against a strong opponent like Machamp, was bound to turn into a close-quarters brawl.
"Roooaaar!"
Without hesitation, Pangoro launched forward, its bulky frame surprisingly fast as it closed in on Machamp.
Mark stayed calm. As Pangoro reached striking distance, he shouted, "Machamp, show him your power—Cross Chop!"
While Pangoro was also a Fighting-type, it was part Dark-type as well. That meant it took more damage from Fighting-type moves. If it got hit clean, the damage would be serious.
But Nathan wasn't worried.
Just then, a smile crept onto his face.
"Paper Arts," he said softly.
"Roooaaar!"
At that moment, Pangoro let out a roar. Instead of tensing up, it suddenly relaxed completely—its massive body flowing like paper in the wind.
It sensed the air movement from Machamp's attack.
With a quick sidestep—feet shifting and twisting—Pangoro easily dodged the powerful blow and ended up right beside Machamp's right side.
"Take the chance—Hammer Arm!"
At Nathan's command, Pangoro clenched its right fist and swung it fiercely.
Machamp's body reacted instinctively—its reflexes were famously faster than its thought process—but it wasn't fast enough. Pangoro's punch connected, sending Machamp flying and crashing hard into the ground.
"Was that… a new move?" Mark asked, looking at Nathan with surprise.
"Kind of," Nathan nodded. "It's a technique specifically designed to dodge Fighting-type attacks."
Paper Arts wasn't effective against special attacks, but it was incredibly effective against physical ones. That was because physical moves often stirred the air due to the body's movement, and since their range wasn't wide, it gave the user a clear signal to dodge—making Pangoro's maneuver easy and elegant.
Hearing Nathan's explanation, Mark's expression darkened slightly. His brows furrowed with focus.
"Machamp, get up and use Focus Energy!"
Though injured, Machamp wasn't out of the fight. It climbed to its feet, took a deep breath, and its eyes sharpened.
"Don't rush it. Wait for your opponent to strike, and remember what that last hit felt like," Mark said in a calm, confident tone. His composure reassured Machamp, who didn't lose its fighting spirit.
Nathan's gaze remained cool.
"Pangoro, use Work Up, then charge."
Pangoro began to mutter softly to itself. Its eyes gleamed with excitement before it charged forward once again.
"Machamp, use Karate Chop!" Mark called.
Machamp raised a hand like a blade and slashed toward Pangoro.
"Use Iron Defense," Nathan ordered.
Pangoro's body suddenly hardened like steel. Thanks to that sea salt scrubbing session earlier, Pangoro's defense was top-notch now. Even so, it still showed signs of pain upon impact—mostly due to its type disadvantage.
But for Pangoro, it wasn't a big deal.
"Now! Use Seismic Toss!" Nathan commanded.
Pangoro suddenly grabbed Machamp's attacking arm—just as it was pulling back—and threw it hard to the ground behind it.
Machamp grunted in pain from the impact.
Mark's eyes lit up.
"Machamp, use Seismic Toss too, and then immediately follow with Cross Chop!"
"Ma-chaaaamp!"
Despite the pain, Machamp roared. With its four arms, it still had enough strength to grab Pangoro and fling it away, hoping to use the momentum to spring back up and land a quick Cross Chop.
But that all depended on whether it could complete the Seismic Toss.
Nathan wasn't about to give it the chance.
"Finish it—use Seismic Toss!" Nathan ordered.
Pangoro roared loudly. Even though Machamp had grabbed its arm, Pangoro didn't care. It suddenly leapt high into the air, carrying Machamp with it.
Then—
BOOM!
Pangoro slammed down with all its weight, crashing onto Machamp and pinning it hard beneath him.
…
"Machamp is unable to battle!"
The referee raised his hand to declare the outcome after Machamp lay unconscious on the ground.
Mark recalled Machamp and pulled out another Poké Ball.
"This one probably won't be a match for your Pangoro, but I want to give it a try. After all, surrendering isn't really my style."
As he finished speaking, the red light flashed from the Poké Ball, and a new Pokémon appeared.
It was a humanoid with red skin, dressed like a martial artist—Throh.
Another Fighting-type.
Throh was smaller than Pangoro, looking rather petite in comparison. But despite its size, Throh's strength couldn't be underestimated. As its name suggested, it specialized in throwing techniques.
That said, this Throh clearly hadn't been trained as thoroughly—Mark had clearly focused most of his effort on Machamp.
Nathan didn't plan to switch Pokémon. He kept using Pangoro.
"Begin!" the referee shouted.
Throh charged straight at Pangoro, and halfway through the sprint, Mark called out, "Throh, use Superpower!"
Throh nodded and didn't slow down, striking out with a palm as soon as it reached Pangoro.
Superpower was a powerful Fighting-type move that unleashed a Pokémon's full strength in a short burst, but afterward, it left the user fatigued, with lowered attack and defense.
Nathan smiled.
"Pangoro— Kami-e."
(TN: I'll be using Kami-e instead of Paper Arts because it sounds too mouthful to shout Paper Arts to dodge.)
"Roar!"
Pangoro let out a powerful cry. Despite its massive frame, it moved with surprising grace—dodging every blow with smooth, flowing motion.
Fists.
Palm strikes.
Flying kicks.
Throh's every attack cut through the air with fierce force.
But none landed.
The commentators were stunned.
"This Pangoro is incredible! I'm not sure if this is a new technique developed by Nathan or the result of targeted training, but clearly, it's something special. Like a sheet of paper—it's slipping past every one of Throh's attacks!"
"It's amazing. Throh is attacking at lightning speed. From what I've counted, it's made over twenty strikes, probably more, and not a single one landed on Pangoro!"
"Nathan's training is simply too effective. His Pangoro has become a powerhouse."
Both are Fighting-types, and generally, that means fast attacks.
Pangoro's size should make it an easy target.
But even after dozens of attempts, not one hit landed. If you didn't witness it firsthand, you might think a low-tier Pokémon was going up against an Elite Four-level Pangoro.
Kami-e was a hard counter to physical Fighting-type attacks.
"Now, Pangoro—counterattack! Use Hammer Arm!"
"Roar!"
With Nathan's command, Pangoro dodged one last strike and then tensed its previously relaxed body. With full force, it threw a punch.
Throh was launched backward.
"Pangoro, finish the fight—Tackle!"