“Use Outrage!”
Following Terrance’s command, a flash of red flickered in Arcanine’s eyes…
Outrage?
Brawly stared at Arcanine and Terrance in surprise. Were they really going to start the battle with such a risky, double-edged move?
There was no need to explain. For Arcanine, the best strategy wasn’t conserving stamina but saving time—defeating the opponent in one decisive strike. Even if it meant expending extra stamina and suffering injuries, it didn’t matter.
The longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would be for Arcanine. Against powerful opponents, Arcanine’s strongest strike was often its first. If the opponent managed to withstand the first attack, Arcanine would find itself in a disadvantageous position.
In other words, there was only one chance.
Brawly is a formidable opponent. If Terrance tries to engage him in a conventional battle, Arcanine will gradually lose the initiative. Once Brawly figures out the limits of Arcanine’s strength and explosive power, it will become troublesome.
“Use Earthquake!”
Boom!!
Hariyama stomped the ground, causing the entire arena to shake violently. Even Arcanine’s body swayed uncontrollably from the tremors.
A flash of red gleamed in Arcanine’s brown eyes, and it leaped high into the air just as a massive crack in the ground, surging with violent force, rushed toward it.
Facing the overwhelmingly powerful Earthquake, Arcanine managed to evade it successfully by leaping into the air. This was largely due to Hariyama’s lack of mastery over the move. Had the Earthquake lasted even a bit longer, Arcanine would have had nowhere to escape.
“I didn’t expect Brawly’s Hariyama to be so powerful,” Roxanne remarked with a serious expression.
However, she couldn’t quite figure out Terrance’s Arcanine either. Using Outrage… was Terrance planning to let Arcanine fall into confusion?
What was Terrance really aiming for?
“There’s only one chance!” Terrance thought to himself.
The moment Arcanine landed on all fours after dodging the Earthquake, Hariyama swung its palms, aiming to force it into “Close Combat.” But as the two Pokémon locked eyes, Hariyama seemed to hear a rumble from within Arcanine’s body. It was as though countless flames were burning fiercely inside, coursing through Arcanine’s legs and every part of its body. This sensation came from the intense heat radiating towards it!
Even though Arcanine remained in place, Hariyama felt as if it was seeing afterimages of Arcanine!
It could stay in control!
This wasn’t achieved in just four months of training—Arcanine had been focusing on adapting to Outrage for a long time. With Terrance’s perfect logistical support, Arcanine had been able to boldly practice, familiarize itself with, and master the move. Though it had consumed a huge amount of medical resources and demanded considerable time and effort, the results were far from insignificant.
Nineteen seconds—that was the last measured duration of Outrage state Terrance recorded before leaving Mt. Chimney. Within that time frame, Arcanine could maintain a clear consciousness and perfectly combine the near-berserk physical abilities and awareness of the Outrage state with other moves!
From just a fleeting moment at the start to the current nineteen seconds, the progress had been remarkable. During this period, Arcanine gains power comparable to Altaria and even greater explosive power and strength. Sensing the astonishing wild aura radiating from Arcanine, Hariyama encountered a level of aggression it had never faced before.
Yet no matter what Arcanine intended, Hariyama didn’t halt its Close Combat—it trusted its own strength implicitly, and Brawly did too.
“Arcanine definitely can’t sustain this state for long. Maybe having Hariyama retreat to avoid the brunt of the attack is a safer choice… but if Hariyama loses its momentum, Arcanine’s current explosive power could pose an even greater threat during the retreat. Instead, a direct clash might be the best option. How can I back down in my own area of expertise?”
Brawly commanded, “Hariyama, shift to a defensive stance with Close Combat! Don’t let Arcanine hit any vital points!”
Boom!!
The piercing sound of explosions echoed incessantly in everyone’s ears. The ground beneath Arcanine’s feet had already cracked from the erupting flames. As the raging flames surged around Arcanine, it charged forward like a frenzied beast, colliding head-on with Hariyama!!
Extreme Speed!! Flare Blitz!!
Even though there was still some distance between them, Arcanine arrived first, unleashing a terrifying burst of speed that surpassed even Bullet Punch, nearly overwhelming Hariyama’s defenses!
To Terrance’s astonishment, Hariyama managed to block Arcanine’s first full-power collision!
‘These Gym Leaders who inherited their positions really aren’t pushovers…’ Terrance thought grudgingly.
Terrance couldn’t identify exactly what stance Hariyama had taken, but it stood firm like a towering pillar. Its palms, positioned in an unusual manner, had absorbed the brunt of Arcanine’s assault. The impact was immense, like an ammunition detonating, scorching Hariyama’s palms black. Under the force of the blow, Hariyama’s body was pushed back to the edge of the arena, its feet scraping fiercely against the ground, its expression shifting with growing alarm!
At that moment, while Terrance was astonished, a strange feeling welled up in Brawly’s heart. Although Hariyama had managed to block the attack…
But Hariyama’s palms…
What kind of monster is this Arcanine?!
For the sake of inheriting the Dewford Gym, Hariyama had accompanied him day and night, training relentlessly in martial arts alongside him. It was undoubtedly his strongest partner. Especially with Hariyama’s adaptable Close Combat, capable of both offense and defense, they had nearly become invincible. Even Teacher Chuck of Cianwood Gym, had praised his Hariyama.
“Hariyama, Vital Throw!”
There was no time for Brawly to be astonished. Hariyama’s palms were now nearly crippled, and more than half of its moves could no longer be executed at full strength. But since the battle wasn’t over, Brawly had no intention of losing!
Vital Throw!!
Enduring the searing pain in its hands, Hariyama held Arcanine tightly, using every ounce of strength from its legs, waist, arms, and wrists to hurl Arcanine over its shoulder with maximum power!
Crack!!
Suddenly, a cracking sound came from Hariyama’s wrists, making its pupils shrink. The severe injury to its wrist meant that the Vital Throw couldn’t be executed with full effectiveness.
Understanding Hariyama’s condition, Brawly frowned deeply. Meanwhile, Terrance remained calm and composed as he instructed, “Attack its legs!”
Arcanine could stay clear-headed for nineteen seconds in its Outrage state. Only a brief moment had passed in this high-speed battle. Even though Arcanine had been thrown, its wild ferocity combined with its clear-headed consciousness allowed it to react quickly!
Bang!!
The coordination of its body exceeded Brawly’s expectations. The moment Arcanine touched the ground, it charged forward with a speed no less than its first attack, as if the attack just now had had no effect on it whatsoever!
You can read ahead upto 25 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.