Using Double Aura Sphere in succession placed a tremendous strain on Riolu. Even though Ash provided support through Aura, the real strength still came from Riolu itself.
And Riolu's greatest weakness… was its stamina.
Even with its body pushed to the limit and its Aura perfectly synchronized with Ash's, it couldn't maintain that intense state for long.
Before Hitmonchan had even managed to land a single blow, Riolu was already nearing exhaustion.
If Hitmonchan had still been standing, Riolu wouldn't have had much energy left to fight back.
But Ash's combat sense and Aura observation prevented that from happening. Through Aura, he could sense his opponent's vitality, the intensity of its Aura directly reflected how much stamina it still had left.
That made it easy for Ash to tell whether an opponent was truly unable to battle.
So, even before the smoke cleared, Ash already knew Hitmonchan hadn't been completely defeated yet.
That's why he gave the command without hesitation, to have Riolu unleash one final Aura Sphere!
That finishing strike became the last straw that broke Hitmonchan's endurance.
"Hitmonchan…" Anthony called out several times before finally accepting the truth: his partner had lost.
He rushed over and checked Hitmonchan's condition. After confirming it wasn't seriously hurt, he exhaled in relief, which was quickly replaced by deep frustration.
Bang!
"Damn it! We can't even beat a kid! How are we supposed to compete in the P1 like this?!"
Anthony slammed his fist into the ground, his face twisted in disappointment.
Seeing this, Misty and the others hurried over, startled by his outburst.
"Ash, what's wrong with him?" Misty whispered.
"I… I don't know. Is it about the thousand Pokedollars?" Ash blinked in confusion. "It's just one match, right? Why's he acting like he lost everything?"
Ash didn't really care about the money, and could tell from Anthony's reaction that there was something deeper going on.
Brock scratched his head. "Wait, did he just say something about a P1?"
"I think so," Ash replied. "But what is the P1?"
He lifted Riolu into his arms, gently channeling Tokiwa Power to restore its strength before ending their Aura synchronization.
If he had released the link abruptly, Riolu might have fainted outright.
As the warm green light faded, Riolu's breathing steadied. The exhaustion lingered, but now it was only a comfortable weariness.
This battle had pushed it beyond its previous limits, it had broken through the Novice stage and reached Normal rank. The growth was tremendous, though the cost had been high.
"Mr. Anthony, are you alright?" Ash asked, walking over with concern.
"No, I'm fine. Sorry you had to see that." Anthony looked embarrassed, realizing how undignified his behavior must've seemed in public.
He recalled Hitmonchan, then pulled out a handful of crumpled bills, exactly one thousand dollars, and held them out to Ash.
Ash looked at the money awkwardly. It was all in small change, and from the man's worn expression, this was probably everything he had.
To Ash, that amount didn't matter, but battle rules were battle rules, refusing might seem disrespectful.
Before he could decide what to do, a voice called out from nearby:
"Dad! What are you doing?!"
A girl with her hair tied in a simple ponytail came running over, her face a mix of worry and confusion.
"Ai… Rebecca? It's nothing," Anthony said quickly, his tone suddenly flustered. "Just a friendly match with this young man."
"A friendly match?" Rebecca frowned. "Dad, are you still thinking about the P1 again?!"
"I'll definitely win this year!" Anthony declared, puffing up his chest. "I won't go home until I take the Champion's title!"
Then, before anyone could stop him, he shoved the handful of bills into Riolu's paws, and bolted down the road at full speed.
Ash, Misty, and Brock stood frozen, completely bewildered.
Isn't that your daughter? Why are you running away from your own daughter?!
Rebecca stared after him helplessly. She wanted to chase him, but her father's pace was far too fast.
Ash could have stopped him, but since he didn't understand what was going on, it didn't feel right to interfere.
"This beautiful young lady," Brock said smoothly, sliding up beside Rebecca, "that man just now, he's your father, isn't he? Would you tell us what's going on between you two?"
Rebecca froze, startled by his sudden closeness, and instinctively took a step back.
Misty's forehead twitched. She grabbed Brock by the ear and dragged him away. "Alright, enough! If you're going to flirt, go do it somewhere else!"
With Brock dealt with, Ash crouched slightly to meet Rebecca's gaze. He smiled gently. "Um… if it's okay, could you tell us what happened between you and your dad?"
Seeing Ash's earnest expression, Rebecca slowly relaxed.
She nodded and began to explain.
She and her father lived not far from here. Ever since the last tournament, her father Anthony had refused to return home, determined to keep training until he could win the P1.
He'd sworn that he wouldn't come back until he became the Champion, leaving Rebecca and her mother to handle everything alone, even managing their own living expenses.
"That kind of person is too much, utterly unfit to be a father!" Brock exclaimed loudly after Rebecca finished explaining the situation.
Actually, Brock was the one most entitled to complain; his own father had been even more extreme than Rebecca's. Brock's responsibilities had been huge: caring for ten younger siblings, running the Gym, handling challengers, and still finding time each day to train his Pokémon. He'd kept at it because his resolve was rock-solid, but that rock had long since been chipped away by the girls who haunted his memories.
Misty piped up beside him. "To abandon your family just for one title… that's just too much" She broke off mid-sentence as a thought struck her. Wait, hadn't Brock's father also left to chase some Champion title long ago? By that measure, Brock's father wasn't exactly a role model either. Rebecca's face soured, but she didn't argue; she'd grown used to her father's ways.
Ash found himself thinking of his own father, whom he hadn't seen in years, and a little indignation rose in him. What's wrong with fathers these days? Do they all just abandon their families after getting married? How irresponsible!
"Rebecca, what exactly is that tournament you mentioned?" Ash asked. If there was any hope of getting Anthony to come home, he needed to understand the fighting contest first.
Rebecca led them back toward her house and explained the P1 Grand Prix as they walked.
It wasn't an official event, more like a wild, unofficial tournament, but the prize was a pure-gold belt, and with enough publicity it had ballooned into a so-called prestigious competition in certain fighting circles.
People who actually had clout in the professional fighting world generally looked down on it. But Anthony had been suckered by the hype: he'd convinced himself the gold belt would secure a better life for Rebecca and her mother.
Instead, with him gone, the family had lost its primary income and been forced to work just to get by. Whether winning would truly change their future was anyone's guess; what mattered was that their present was worse than before.
The tournament had been held for three years on an open field near the road. This was its third iteration. Anthony had failed the previous two times but had been the runner-up once. But only the Champion took home the gold belt; second place earned little more than a title.
That, then, was why Anthony was so determined this year, he was sure he'd finally claim the title. He wouldn't fail again, he told himself.
"Honestly, it's all for the title, right?" Ash said bluntly. He hit the nail on the head. The "helping the family" story was just cover; what mattered was the trophy and the glory.
According to the Grand Prix's own promotions, winning would earn not only the gold belt but the title "Kanto's First Fighter." Ash almost laughed at the audacity. Did the organizers ask Elite Four Bruno's permission before claiming to crown Kanto's "First Fighter"? What gall.
And if a fighter at Anthony's level could place second here, what did that say about the competition's caliber? After all, Ash's Riolu, still only an beginner after its recent growth, had defeated him. Yes, a little trick had been used, and Aura is a powerful edge, but it still showed the opponent's trainer skills were mediocre. If such a field could crown a "First Fighter," Kanto would be in real trouble.
Rebecca poured tea for Ash and the others, then continued. "My mom and I both know the title means very little, it's just a wild tournament. But Dad believes it's official. He truly thinks winning will make him the First Fighter."
"So really, we have two choices," she said gravely. "Either Dad wins outright and comes home with the belt, or we make sure he realizes the truth by giving him a crushing defeat in front of everyone. Otherwise, he'll just keep running."
It came down to two options. Let him win and hope success tames him, or force him to face reality so he'll finally come home. Neither felt like an easy, certain fix; human desires are slippery. Even if he won now, what would prevent him from chasing the next title and vanishing again?
The other option was to completely crush Anthony's confidence, to make him realize just how small and shallow his understanding of the world truly was.
It might be a permanent solution, but it could also shatter his spirit as a Trainer.
Still, that was better than letting him continue abandoning his wife and daughter.
Ash thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "When does that fighting tournament start?"
"It begins tomorrow morning at ten o'clock," Rebecca answered.
"Ten in the morning?" Ash tilted his head. "Then it's too late to register now, isn't it?"
Rebecca shook her head. "No, registration closes at five this afternoon. There's still time."
She glanced at the clock, it was only three o'clock. If they wanted to sign up, they could still make it.
Misty frowned. "Ash… you're not seriously thinking about entering, are you?"
Ash nodded firmly. "Yeah. If I can make Mr. Anthony face reality head-on, maybe he'll finally go home."
"But… can Riolu handle it alone?" Misty asked, voicing the concern on everyone's mind.
"The P1 Grand Prix finishes in a single day, no rest between matches. You'd have to win every battle straight through to the finals!"
Riolu's power was remarkable when synchronized with Ash's Aura, but its stamina was limited.
Just facing one Hitmonchan had nearly drained it dry, even without taking a single hit.
Could Riolu possibly endure an entire day of nonstop matches?
"Who said I was going to use Riolu?" Ash replied with a grin.
He drained the last of his tea, stood up, and headed for the door."I'll be right back."
Outside, he released Pidgeot, vaulted onto its back, and with a rush of wind, the great bird took to the skies, disappearing into the clouds in a matter of seconds.
Misty and Brock stared after him, completely baffled.
"Where's Ash going?" Misty asked.
"I have no idea," Brock admitted.
They exchanged puzzled looks, watching as Pidgeot's silhouette vanished into the distant horizon.
...
Bonus @200
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