For a moment, the entire Fighting Arena fell into stunned silence.
A full five seconds passed.
Then the stands erupted with deafening cheers.
"Infernape!"
"Infernape!"
"Infernape!"
...
Tens of thousands of people shouted Infernape's name in unison.
The crowd was on fire, their voices ringing through the arena.
Everyone's faces were filled with excitement and fanaticism.
This was the Fighting Tournament.
As long as you had strength, people would cheer for you.
In the Fighting Tournament, strength was everything.
The defeated were forgotten.
Only the strongest could earn the crowd's recognition.
"Holy crap... this Infernape is way too cool! Way too strong! I almost want to have monkey babies with it."
"Dude... please never say that again."
"One move nearly punched through the ring. You know that thing is reinforced with Rock-type stone, right? It's ridiculously hard."
"I never thought Infernape could be this powerful. Today really opened my eyes!"
"Infernape is so cool... I'm going to catch one too!"
"Heh... keep dreaming. Can't you tell this guy's Infernape is different from an ordinary one? It's definitely one in a million."
"I have a female Infernape. I wonder if this Infernape is looking for a partner. Even one breeding session would be fine. I want my Infernape to carry its child."
"Holy crap... why didn't I think of that? You're something else, man."
...
In the stands, everyone was discussing Infernape.
There were even perverts saying they wanted monkey babies with Infernape, drawing everyone's attention as people tried to see what kind of lunatic would say that.
And it turned out to be a man.
Infernape's fame was firmly established at that moment.
One-Punch Infernape.
With one punch, it could shatter anything in its path.
...
At Haven Children's Home, the little kids jumped up happily when they saw Aaron win the match, chattering nonstop.
"Eden, look, look! Aaron's Infernape is amazing! Mr. Aaron won!"
"Aaron is awesome! Infernape is awesome too!"
"When I grow up, I want to catch an Infernape too."
"Me too, me too!"
...
Eden sat obediently on a small wooden stool.
A happy smile appeared on her adorable face. She raised her tiny little fist and shouted,
"Mr. Aaron is so amazing!"
"I knew he was the best!"
...
On the ring, Parker climbed up from the ground, his panda hood covered in dust and dirt.
Looking at the huge crater in front of him, deep shock flashed through his eyes.
With a complicated expression, he looked at the young man in the black trench coat standing proudly before him and said,
"You truly are impressive."
"At your age, with your strength, you'll definitely have a place in Hualis's future."
"Young man... you're the strongest Trainer of your generation I've ever seen."
"We'll meet again someday."
After saying this with emotion, Parker took out his Poké Ball and recalled Pangoro, who had lost the ability to battle.
Then he turned and left.
Aaron froze slightly when he heard that.
They would meet again someday?
Who exactly was this man?
He wanted to ask more, but Parker had already walked too far away, so he could only let it go.
After recalling Infernape, Aaron turned and left the ring, returning to the rest area.
The match was delayed for ten minutes.
A dozen Machamp quickly carried sturdy floor panels onto the ring to repair the damaged arena.
Fortunately, there was no repair fee.
Otherwise, Aaron would have gone bankrupt.
...
After a series of fierce clashes, only the final four contestants remained.
"Ladies and gentlemen... we've finally reached the semifinals!"
"Let's give our contestants the loudest applause of the day!"
"Our first contestant is our young prodigy: Aaron!"
"Our second contestant is Grit City's famous fighter: Fane!"
"Our third contestant is a fighter from Arcanis City: Rocco!"
"And our final contestant... a mysterious competitor of unknown background, whose Pokémon remains unknown: the Mystery Contestant!"
On the host platform, Kenny held the microphone, visibly excited as he shouted to the crowd.
In an instant, deafening applause and cheers erupted from the stands.
"Aaron! Aaron! Aaron!"
"Fane for the win! Fane for the win!"
"Rocco is unstoppable! Rocco is unstoppable!"
"Let's go, Mystery Contestant! You're the best!"
...
The fans of the four contestants were flushed with excitement, loudly cheering for their favorites.
As the host's words fell, four figures slowly walked onto the ring.
One was a handsome young man, 178 centimeters tall, wearing a black trench coat.
It was none other than Aaron, that shameless show-off.
Another was a man only 160 centimeters tall, but packed with muscle, with a scar across his face.
He was Grit City's famous fighter, Fane.
Another was a monk wearing robes and a string of prayer beads around his neck.
His body was unusually strong, bringing to mind the fierce warrior monks of old legends.
He was the ascetic fighter from Arcanis City, Rocco.
And the last one was dressed in a black hooded robe.
He stood about 170 centimeters tall, and his oversized hood covered his entire face, making it impossible to see what he looked like.
He was the most mysterious contestant in the tournament.
He also used a Pokémon no one had ever seen before, crushing his way through the competition and reaching the final four.
His strength was terrifying, making him one of the top favorites to win the entire tournament.