Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 435: Johan vs. the Elite Four! One Punch!

January 26, Sunset.

Verdanturf Town, Verdanturf Ruins.

"Hmm?"

Officer Jenny, who was patrolling outside the Verdanturf Ruins on her tricycle, suddenly froze. The [Little Growlithe] in the sidecar had unexpectedly leaped off the vehicle.

As a professionally trained [Little Growlithe], it would never jump off a moving vehicle without reason—unless it had sensed something unusual.

"Woof! Woof!!"

The [Little Growlithe] crouched outside the ruins, barking furiously at the entrance, as if it had detected something dangerous.

This made Officer Jenny furrow her brows.

The Verdanturf Ruins had originally been an open site, but after a warning from Johan and Cynthia, the Sinnoh League had temporarily sealed it off and assigned regular patrols.

The [Little Growlithe]'s reaction made Officer Jenny take the situation seriously. She immediately called the Verdanturf Town police department to investigate.

However, after a team of League officers went in and searched the ruins, they found nothing unusual.

The [Little Growlithe] also stopped barking afterward, making Officer Jenny wonder—was it just overfed lately?

January 27, Eterna City.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

Brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky above Eterna City as hot air balloons floated by, and the entire town buzzed with excitement.

Ding-dong, ding-dong—

From the towering Time-Space Tower, a lively classical melody echoed throughout the city, immersing everyone in the festive atmosphere.

At a grand stadium behind the tower, a massive crowd had gathered—locals and tourists alike had come specifically to watch this exhibition match.

Among them were many of Johan's fans.

Of course, there were also supporters of Cynthia, Bruno, and other invited Trainers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Baron Albert! Now, please enjoy today's exhibition match!!"

Baron Albert, the event's primary sponsor, made his presence known, flaunting his status.

The exhibition match soon began amidst the crowd's excited cheers.

The first to enter was Cynthia.

Her opponent? A rising star from Unova's Pokémon Hollywood—who was also a huge Cynthia fan and had eagerly requested this battle.

As for the result...

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"

With one confident wave of Cynthia's hand, Garchomp brutally "educated" its opponent.

A complete and utter KO!

Roar!!

As cheers filled the stadium, Garchomp's menacing grin appeared on the big screen, claws raised in triumph.

For casual spectators, this moment was exhilarating.

For Johan, who could somewhat understand Garchomp's expression... he swallowed nervously but kept a composed facade.

Cynthia's dominating performance set the tone, immediately igniting the audience's enthusiasm.

Interestingly, Baron Albert had paid Flint one million Pokédollars to participate in the event.

That was after relentless persuasion—and with Johan and Cynthia putting in a good word for him.

Flint was so touched he nearly wiped his snot on Johan's suit.

His exact words?

"I knew sticking with Johan and Big Sis Cynthia would get me a solid meal ticket!"

Once the matches began, Baron Albert quickly realized he had made a brilliant investment.

To be fair, while Flint might not be as famous as the other competitors, he was undoubtedly strong.

Outside of facing Cynthia or an overwhelming force, even Johan wasn't certain he could decisively defeat a fully-powered Flint.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Elite Four from Kanto—Bruno!!"

The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium.

By this point, the audience was already ecstatic. Learning that a member of the Elite Four was entering the stage only amplified the excitement.

Bruno strode onto the battlefield with a broad smile, his well-defined muscles and battle scars fully on display.

A pair of nunchaku hung around his neck, with two Poké Balls attached at the ends.

In Kanto, many skilled Trainers carried weapons.

Bruno had his nunchaku, Gold had his golf club, Agatha her cane, Erika her bow and arrows, and Red his insulated gloves.

If you didn't have a signature tool, you wouldn't last long in Kanto.

Bruno crossed his arms, eyes burning with battle spirit as he locked onto his opponent.

"Now, let's welcome the champion of the Lily of the Valley Conference—Johan!!"

"Johan!!"

The crowd erupted in cheers once more, their enthusiasm shaking the stadium.

Fresh off his Lily of the Valley victory, Johan was basking in the momentum, drawing even louder cheers than Bruno.

The entire stadium echoed with one name—Johan!

Wearing a sleek black fitted suit and a monocle, Johan stepped onto the battlefield with a bright smile, savoring the audience's energy.

"Damn, Johan looks even better in person than on TV!"

"Why aren't they making Johan and Bruno fight hand-to-hand?!"

Despite his outward grin, Johan was cursing internally.

Why did he have to fight Bruno at the end?!

But he had no say in the event schedule.

And honestly, the organizers knew what they were doing.

Johan had won the Lily of the Valley Conference, meaning he was qualified to challenge Sinnoh's Elite Four and Champion.

He hadn't done so yet, which had left many people disappointed.

But now...

While he wasn't facing Sinnoh's Elite Four, he was about to battle Kanto's Bruno—which was just as hype-worthy!

Johan vs. an Elite Four member!

There was no way this wouldn't attract attention.

And while Baron Albert sponsored the event, the match-up itself clearly wasn't his idea—he wasn't that smart.

Bruno's battle spirit burned even hotter.

"Finally, we meet again, Johan!"

Johan's smile twitched.

Can't I just earn some prize money in peace?!

Fortunately, Bruno hadn't brought his Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan—his strongest Pokémon.

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The Pokémon with him had only been in his team for about a year.

Unfortunately, those Pokémon were still Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop—Bruno's specialty.

And for a top-tier Trainer like him, one year was more than enough to refine a Pokémon's strength.

But it was an exhibition match—winning didn't matter, momentum did!

Johan unbuttoned his suit, letting the fabric flutter, and smirked.

"Bring it on!"

The "battle energy" instantly soared.

Bruno grinned, removed his nunchaku, and grabbed a Poké Ball.

"Then, it's decided!"

He tossed the ball.

BOOM!

Amidst swirling dust, an enormous figure emerged. The sheer weight of its presence shook the ground.

When the dust cleared, its imposing steel body came into view.

"Garruu!!"

Bruno had sent out—Steelix!

Johan blinked.

A Fighting-type Elite Four member... using a Steel/Ground-type Pokémon?

At the same time, Johan threw his own Poké Ball.

Emerging from the red light was another powerhouse—Urshifu!

Its fur rippled in the wind, its eyes sharp and determined. It spread its arms and let out a mighty roar, standing toe-to-toe with Steelix.

"Garruu!!"

Urshifu grinned.

Not only was it not afraid, but it was itching for a fight.

"Urshifu, Bulk Up!" Johan commanded.

Against an Elite Four member, there was no time for back-and-forth reactions—Bruno could unleash a devastating burst attack at any moment.

"Garruu!!"

Urshifu let out a roar, crossing its arms as its muscles tensed. A dark red aura swirled around its body, its strength rapidly increasing.

Bruno didn't hesitate. His fists clenched tightly as he took a firm stance, shouting:

"Steelix, Bind!"

Rumble—

The metallic grinding of Steelix's body echoed through the stadium as it lunged forward. Its massive form coiled around Urshifu, locking it in an iron grip.

Creak—

The overwhelming force of Steelix's constriction caused a piercing screech, its steel body tightening like an unbreakable vice.

Trapped within the coils, Urshifu found itself pressed from all sides, struggling to breathe.

For a martial artist, this was a grappling technique—a submission hold meant to crush its target.

Even Johan, a non-fighter, could tell that this was a form of strangulation lock.

For most opponents, once they were bound, the match was as good as over.

But Urshifu was no ordinary opponent.

It had a Water-type move—not many, but enough.

"Urshifu, Aqua Jet! Break free!"

"Garruu!"

Urshifu exhaled sharply.

As a master of Soft Style, it didn't try to overpower Steelix but instead focused on using the enemy's force against it.

It took a deep breath, then suddenly compressed its own body, shrinking just enough to create a gap in Steelix's bind.

At that precise moment, a burst of water energy surged around it.

With an elegant, flowing motion, Urshifu slipped out of Steelix's grip, escaping the bind completely.

Bruno's eyes widened.

"Soft Style?"

For the casual spectators, the scene was just an intense struggle.

But to a martial artist like Bruno, it was a display of true mastery.

Yet, despite his admiration, Bruno didn't slow down.

"Steelix, Thunder Fang!"

Crackle—

Steelix's massive form twisted like a coiled spring, using the tension in its own body to lunge forward at blinding speed.

It was like watching a viper strike—only this "viper" was made of solid steel.

Johan instantly responded.

"Urshifu, Surging Strikes!"

No hesitation.

This was an exhibition match—it had to be spectacular.

Nothing was more thrilling than a full-force, blow-for-blow showdown.

"Garruu!"

Urshifu spun on its heel, channeling the momentum of its movement into a devastating punch.

Splash!

A wave of water crashed forward, meeting Steelix's electrified fangs in midair.

BOOM!!

Water and lightning clashed, creating a massive shockwave that shook the entire battlefield.

The force sent Urshifu skidding backward, its feet carving trenches into the dirt.

The audience gasped.

That kind of raw power—and Urshifu blocked it?!

But for Urshifu, this was just the beginning.

"Garruu—"

It grinned, then immediately followed up with a spinning kick.

WHAM!!

The impact was like a whip crack—pure, concentrated power.

But Urshifu didn't stop there.

With a fluid movement, it shifted its stance and delivered another powerful strike.

CRASH!!

The second impact hit even harder, sending a shockwave rippling across the field.

And then—

The final blow.

Urshifu leaned forward, using the full weight of its body, and threw a monstrous right hook.

BOOM!!

Steelix—a Pokémon known for its near-unbreakable defense—was sent reeling.

Even as it dug its tail into the ground, trying to hold its position, the sheer force of the attack left deep grooves in the battlefield.

Pain surged through its body.

Steelix clenched its jaw, eyes bloodshot from the effort of staying upright.

And Bruno...

Bruno smiled.

A deep, satisfied smile.

He crossed his arms, eyes gleaming with a warrior's spirit.

Johan's heart tensed.

A gut feeling told him—something dangerous was coming.

"Urshifu, Detect!" Johan commanded instinctively.

But Bruno's voice boomed over his own.

"Steelix—FURY-POWERED DOUBLE-EDGE!!"

FURY.

An ability that increases a Pokémon's Attack power when hit by consecutive blows.

For every strike in a multi-hit combo, Steelix's Attack had risen.

Urshifu had just landed three hits.

Steelix's Attack had jumped three levels.

And now—

"GARRUUUUUUU!!"

Steelix roared.

Its massive form lifted straight up, its entire body radiating a blinding white aura.

It didn't move like a Steel-type Pokémon anymore.

It moved like a brawler.

Like a warhammer descending from the heavens, Steelix's entire form came crashing down—

Directly toward Urshifu.

The arena trembled.

The crowd held their breath.

Everyone had the same thought—

Even with Detect... Can Urshifu block that?!

The answer came in the next moment.

"Garruu!!"

Urshifu's aura flared violently.

Not just Water energy—but also pure, unyielding fighting spirit.

BOOOOM!!!!

The battlefield EXPLODED.

The entire stadium shook from the impact.

Spectators were rocked in their seats, even with protective barriers in place.

It was as if the earth itself had shattered.

A cloud of thick dust consumed the battlefield, blocking everything from view.

Silence.

Then, as the dust slowly settled...

Everyone saw it.

The battlefield—completely destroyed.

Not a single intact patch of ground remained.

But in the center of the devastation—

Urshifu stood.

It was panting heavily, body covered in wounds—but still standing.

And Steelix?

Steelix was no longer moving.

The stadium went dead silent.

And then—

A thunderous ROAR of cheers erupted.

"HOLY SHIT—"

"URSHIFU BLOCKED IT?!"

"IT WON! IT WON!!!"

Urshifu exhaled sharply.

It had won.

But even as the audience celebrated, Johan's expression was thoughtful.

For just a moment...

When Urshifu threw that last punch...

Had it unintentionally tapped into a different combat style?

Something beyond its usual techniques?

A single-strike, precision-based martial art...?

The style of "One-Hit Assassins"...?

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Powerstones?

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