Pokemon: Skybound

From an outward perspective, Brawly was undeniably eye-catching.

His fashion sense was sharp, his appearance handsome, and his personality bright and outgoing. It wasn't surprising that so many girls gathered around his Gym, accompanying him day after day.

Had his attention been directed at anyone else, he likely would have succeeded long ago.

Unfortunately for him—

He had chosen the wrong target.

After a long stretch of awkward silence, Brawly finally rubbed his nose, pretending nothing had happened. With a composed expression, he reached into his jacket and took out a Poké Ball.

As for what he was feeling inside whether embarrassment or frustration no one could tell.

With a flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball opened in a flash of light.

A round, heavyset Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Its stance resembled a sumo wrestler, its body sturdy and imposing.

Seeing a Pokémon she had never encountered before, Misty immediately raised her Pokédex.

Pokédex:

"Beep! Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon. Fighting-type. Makuhita loves intense training. By eating a lot, sleeping soundly, and exercising daily, it stores energy and grows stronger through repeated harsh training. It strikes thick tree trunks to toughen its body and spirit, relentlessly practices palm techniques, and possesses an unyielding will—it never gives up, no matter how many times it's knocked down."

From the description alone, it was clear—

This was a Pokémon born for battle.

Though its pure Fighting typing could put it at a disadvantage against certain matchups, that same purity allowed it to specialize completely in close combat.

On the opposite side, Bea calmly took out her Poké Ball and released the Pokémon she had used against Shinobu two days earlier.

Pangoro.

Its previous performance had been outstanding, so Bea's choice came as no surprise to Kai. He also knew that Pangoro wasn't even her true ace.

Her real trump card was a terrifying Machamp capable of Gigantamaxing.

Seeing a Pokémon uncommon in Hoenn, Brawly stroked his chin, clearly eager to show off his knowledge.

"So it's Pangoro," he said with a grin. "You don't see those much around Hoenn—especially not in Dewford. Trainers carry only a pass through every few years or so. But I'm familiar with it. I've traveled to other regions before, and I've battled against Pangoro plenty of times. It's a strong Pokémon."

At this point, a normal person might've responded politely.

Something like:

It's not as strong as you think.

Or: I just happened to catch it by chance.

Or even: Oh? Where did you travel to train?

But Bea remained completely silent.

She showed no interest in conversation whatsoever.

In that regard, she was remarkably similar to Sabrina both distant, reserved, and surrounded by an unapproachable aura.

That said, being quiet didn't mean being rude.

After Brawly sent out his Pokémon, Bea bowed slightly, her posture precise and respectful.

Startled, Brawly froze for a moment before hurriedly returning the bow, awkward but sincere.

After being ignored several times in a row, he finally realized—

This beautiful girl simply wasn't the talkative type.

And although she had arrived alongside the man next to her, their lack of interaction suggested they weren't close—certainly not a couple.

With that realization, Brawly calmed himself.

More importantly, he also understood that his earlier behavior had been far too impatient—and had clearly annoyed the girls surrounding him.

Easy… take it slow…

If words wouldn't impress her, then he'd let the battle speak instead.

Once both Pokémon were ready, the referee raised the flag.

"Let the match begin!"

The moment the flag dropped, both Trainers moved at once.

"Feel the power of the waves!" Brawly shouted, striking an exaggerated surfing pose. "Makuhita—charge!"

Makuhita rushed straight toward Pangoro.

Pangoro didn't lower its head. Its gaze merely dipped slightly, cold and sharp, bamboo stalk clenched between its teeth.

At the same time, Bea assumed a karate stance in the Trainer's box.

Almost instantly, Pangoro was still facing away from her—

mirrored the exact same posture.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

Here it comes…

The one thing he could never stand in Pokémon battles was Trainer-and-Pokémon synchronized combat poses.

As Bea thrust her fist forward, Pangoro did the same.

Its massive punch landed squarely on Makuhita's chest.

This was a fighting style Bea hadn't shown during her match against Shinobu.

Or rather—

Shinobu simply hadn't been strong enough to force her to fight seriously.

Only now, against a Gym Leader, did she finally reveal it.

Whether this method strengthened her bond with her Pokémon or helped her refine her commands, no one could say but the result was undeniable.

Brawly and Makuhita were completely caught off guard.

Bea hadn't given a single verbal command.

They had no time to prepare.

Still, Makuhita was well-trained. Gritting through the pain, it charged again.

From that point on, the battle became brutally straightforward.

No flashy techniques.

No fancy movements.

Just raw, physical combat.

And it was during this exchange that Brawly realized something was wrong.

This Pangoro… is ridiculously strong.

Makuhita wasn't his strongest Pokémon, but it had won countless Gym battles and defeated over a dozen challengers. He had always considered it reliable.

Yet against Pangoro—

Strength.

Technique.

Endurance.

Reaction speed.

Even battle experience.

Makuhita was outclassed in every category.

After barely a dozen exchanges, Pangoro seized its opening and executed a flawless throw, slamming Makuhita into the ground.

It didn't get back up.

Gasps echoed through the Gym as the girls watching covered their mouths in shock.

They had never seen Brawly lose so decisively.

Brawly himself was surprised but not panicked.

He had traveled the world. He knew better than anyone that powerful Trainers and Pokémon existed everywhere. Losing once didn't matter.

Still—

He had sworn to defeat her Pokémon.

And yet, in such a short time, he had been utterly crushed.

The referee snapped out of his daze and raised the flag.

"Pangoro wins the first round!"

"Yes!" Misty cheered, clapping enthusiastically.

She had zero sympathy after witnessing Brawly's shameless flirting earlier.

Even under the glare of the surrounding girls, she didn't care.

"You really are strong," Brawly admitted, though his tone remained competitive. "It's been a long time since I faced someone like you. But don't get too comfortable—I'm getting serious now."

He recalled Makuhita, then drew out a second Poké Ball.

"Come on out—Hariyama!"

Blue light erupted as a massive Pokémon appeared—larger, stronger, and far more intimidating than before.

Misty immediately raised her Pokédex again.

Pokédex:

"Beep! Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon. Fighting-type. The evolved form of Makuhita. Known for its incredible strength, Hariyama loves testing its power against large Pokémon. Its palms can stop an oncoming train, and one strike can send a ten-ton truck flying. Though it enjoys strength contests, it is kind-hearted and values etiquette, always respecting its opponents."

Misty blinked.

"Wait—Hariyama evolves from Makuhita? Then why didn't he use it first?"

Kai frowned slightly.

He hadn't expected Brawly to send out an evolution line back-to-back.

Most Trainers avoided training multiple stages of the same Pokémon unless there was a special reason. Their movesets and fighting styles were usually too similar.

Unless—

You were extremely confident.

Meanwhile, the girls in the Gym reacted very differently.

They knew the truth.

Hariyama was Brawly's ace.

He's using his trump card already?!

That alone spoke volumes.

Kai and Misty exchanged a knowing smile.

Despite claiming he was "just getting serious," Brawly had already gone all in.

Hariyama stood at a towering 2.3 meters, nearly twice Pangoro's weight and noticeably taller.

A true heavyweight.

All eyes turned to Bea.

Would she switch Pokémon—or continue with Pangoro?

She answered with action.

With her silent consent, Pangoro returned to its starting position.

She wasn't switching.

With two wins required to claim victory, she still had room for error.

Seeing this, Brawly quietly exhaled in relief.

If she had switched, even winning would've felt hollow.

He needed to prove himself—here and now.

The referee raised the flag again.

"Second round—begin!"

"Hariyama—Arm Thrust!"

Hariyama charged forward, massive palms raised high.

Bea once again assumed her stance.

Pangoro mirrored her.

The two towering Pokémon collided head-on.

Hands locked.

Muscles bulged.

Bodies trembled.

It was a pure test of strength.

At first, Brawly remained confident.

Hariyama was bigger. Heavier.

But seconds later—

Pangoro let out a furious roar.

Hariyama was forced backward.

The outcome was clear.

In this contest of raw power—

Pangoro stood above all.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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