Staring at Mr. Mighty in front of them, Asher could see that the other Pokémon was packed top to bottom with solid muscle.
The gap in size alone between the two was like the difference between a heavyweight fighter and a flyweight.
BondUp immediately provided intel.
[Rotom... scanning target]
[Target: Machoke]
[Level: 25] (Since this is the real world, evolution levels can vary. No need to be surprised if they differ from the games.)
[Relationship: Punching Bag]
[Getting-Along Advice: Please communicate with your fists!]
One glance at the Pokédex info was enough to show that the gap in level and raw strength between Diamond and Mr. Mighty was beyond question.
For humanoid-group Pokémon like Machoke, the nutrients they need to grow are not that different from what humans eat, and their lifespans are also close to human ones.
As long as they got proper nutrition and kept fighting in underground matches like this, then even without professional care from a Trainer, spending twenty or thirty years to reach the mid-twenties in level was nothing unusual.
Mr. Mighty's coach looked at Asher, this green little kid, and let out a smug laugh.
"Kid, you really picked up some stray off the street and came here thinking you could make money? You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Asher smiled faintly, completely unfazed by the taunt.
But faced with such a powerful opponent, how were they supposed to win?
In a flash, the fight had already begun, and both Asher and Diamond went all out from the very start.
"Go, Diamond! Show them our conviction!"
"Baru!"
I'm going in!
Diamond's lean body lunged forward first. With a subtle driving step, it closed the distance and threw a straight punch right at its opponent's face.
Facing Diamond's punch, Mr. Mighty didn't hesitate for a second. It swung back with an arm as thick as a tree trunk.
Like a massive log whipping up a gale, the force of that punch was so overwhelming that an ordinary human would have trouble even staying on their feet.
"Duck under it, now!"
Catching Asher's order, Diamond dropped low with perfect precision, slipped under the giant fist, and countered toward the stomach.
But Mr. Mighty's abdomen, packed with what looked like sixteen iron-hard abs, didn't even twitch after taking the hit.
"Hahaha! Are those punches supposed to tickle? Mr. Mighty, switch to trading blows and crush this brat head-on!"
Boom boom boom boom!
Mr. Mighty's fists started flying. It completely ignored Diamond's attacks and smashed everything in front of it like a living demolition machine.
Although Asher and Diamond's teamwork let them dodge countless blows and land several heavy punches of their own, none of them dealt any meaningful damage.
After a stretch of fierce exchanges, Diamond was finally caught on a bad opening.
Bang!
One brutal punch sent Diamond's thin body flying into the air. It sailed for a moment like trash tossed by the wind, then crashed to the ground and even bounced a couple of times.
"Ah!"
At that instant, Asher felt it as if he had been punched too, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Diamond! Can you still keep going? Don't force yourself!"
"Baru!"
In the very next moment, Diamond sprang back to its feet at the sound of Asher's voice.
Its defining trait was an indomitable heart. It would never fear, and it would never retreat.
A trace of worry flashed through Asher, but seeing Diamond still bursting with life, he could only grit his teeth and say, "All right! Then let's keep fighting!"
Back on its feet, Diamond and Asher charged at Mr. Mighty again.
Bang!
After another fierce clash, another punch landed.
Diamond skidded across the ground and rolled away.
And just like that, the entertainment began.
"Hahahahahahaha! Look at this kid, he's pathetic!"
"Whoa there, champ, what happened? Why're you down there eating dirt like a dog?"
"Don't stop, don't stop! I wanna see how long it takes this idiot to wake up from his dream!"
"Hey kid! So when exactly are you becoming League Champion?"
The crowd laughed as they savored the sight of Diamond falling and getting back up. To them, it was nothing more than some avant-garde comedy act.
Because watching these hardworking fools make spectacles of themselves let them keep crawling through life with peace of mind, and congratulate themselves on how wise they were for having seen through the world.
In less than a few rounds, Diamond was already dizzy, battered, and covered in injuries.
An old acquaintance who had talked to Asher last time came over to the edge of the ring and called out to him.
"Red-cap, what are you doing? You looked like such a decent kid the last time I saw you. Why're you doing something like this too? That little guy's gonna get himself killed!"
"Yeah, seriously, I didn't expect you to be a man of action. Last time I was just talking, but you actually figured out the secret to making money and went straight for it. Don't let it get beaten to death. It's our source of entertainment!"
Huff... huff...
Asher was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
These people were insulting them without restraint, and though their words were ugly, there was some truth in them.
He couldn't let Diamond keep fighting like this anymore.
"Diamond, stop! Training ends here for today!"
"Ba... ru..."
Struggling up from the ground, Diamond completely ignored Asher's warning and kept charging at its opponent.
[Rotom! Your Bond with Diamond is gradually falling out of sync...]
Feeling Diamond's life flickering like a candle in the wind, Asher asked in confusion, "Wh-why...? If you keep fighting... you're going to die!!"
But Diamond didn't stop. It said nothing.
It only kept throwing punches.
Asher's heart was in chaos.
Why...
Why was it like this? They could still surrender, so why keep fighting like this? Why stake everything on it?
At that moment, their thoughts began to drift apart, and their Bond began to split with them.
Then suddenly, Asher felt something.
Something that one would rather die than lose.
In an instant, he understood.
Some people, some things... there are times when you would rather die than admit defeat!
The thing you refuse to lose, even if it kills you...
was your damn dream!
When facing people who mocked that dream, then as long as you still had one breath left, you had to defend the meaning of your existence!
Bang!
Fighting alone, Diamond was knocked down yet again. Its life was now like a guttering candle flame, as if it could no longer stand back up.
But...
At that moment...
A man behind it roared at the top of his lungs.
"Get up! Diamond, get up! It's not over yet! Our dream isn't over yet!!!"
Dream...
In a daze, the figure before Diamond seemed to overlap with another man.
Get up...
Get up!!!
Never give up on your dream!!!
"BARU!!!"
In that instant, it felt as if something inside it had burst into flame. Diamond felt its whole body fill with power!
At long last, its conviction and Asher's had produced Resonance, and a strange energy surged through its body.
This feeling...
This was it!
Just like back then, when it had been with that boxer, that same energy of throwing everything away for a dream and fighting with absolutely nothing held back came roaring back into its heart.
It was back. All of it was back!
And at that same moment, Asher's own heart surged like a rising tide.
He felt it.
He felt it!
So that was it...
This was what true Fighting felt like!
Only by entrusting your conviction to your fists could you unleash real power!
Bzzzzz—
The air trembled.
The ground shook.
There wasn't a trace of elemental power gathering between heaven and earth, yet boundless strength erupted from inside Diamond's body.
The Machoke standing before Diamond suddenly began to tremble, as if it were afraid of something.
Its coach immediately cried out in panic, "Wha... what?! W-what's going on?! Mr. Mighty, what are you doing? Knock it out already!"
He said that, but even his own body had begun to shake.
It was here.
One in mind with Asher, Diamond burst forward and threw its fist.
Bang!
One punch!
A direct, honest strike slammed into Mr. Mighty's chest.
No effect?
No!
This punch was different!
Fighting-type Pokémon were special.
By nature, they were like humans. They had no talent for Element Affinity of any kind, yet they possessed a fighting will stronger than any other Pokémon.
And when a Fighting-type Pokémon's will to fight became so intense that it was willing to cast aside its life and keep fighting no matter what, it could release the power of Vital Essence, like removing the body's natural safety limiters, and use a primal power that Pokémon who relied on elemental force could never wield...
The power born from releasing Vital Essence for a battle that transcended the meaning of life itself... was called...
[Battle Aura]!!!!!!!!!