Around 1 p.m., the challenger arrived at the gym entrance. He was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Although it was only early spring with the temperature hovering around 10 degrees Celsius, he was dressed in thin clothing. His sleeves were rolled up halfway, revealing tanned, muscular arms.
Julian had reviewed his profile beforehand.
The challenger’s name was Bruce, a Fighting-type trainer. Judging by his muscular build, it was easy to tell what kind of trainer he was.
Many Fighting-type trainers were either fitness fanatics or martial artists. It was rare to see a Fighting-type trainer who was weak looking.
The staff had already led Bruce into the battle arena.
“After applying three times, Elite Walker finally agreed.”
In the past, "Elite Walker" referred to John, but now that John had become a Champion, Jake had taken over as the Steel-type Elite, earning the title "Elite Walker."
“Sorry, but you’ll be battling me instead. However, if you manage to defeat me, you’ll still earn the badge,” Julian said as he walked in from the opposite side.
“I’m not here for the badge.”
If he was after a badge, he wouldn’t have challenged the Steel-type gym—it was known for its brutal difficulty. He would have gone for a less demanding one instead.
“I don’t mind battling you, but if I win, can you arrange for Elite Walker to have a battle with me next time?” Bruce asked.
Seeing that his opponent wasn’t Jake, Bruce was a bit disappointed. However, he knew Julian's reputation well, Julian had defeated trainers at the peak of Elite before, despite only being at early-stage of Elite himself.
So from this point of view, he did not underestimate Julian.
Bruce was no fool, his well-built physique didn’t mean he lacked brains. He knew that a man with Julian’s reputation wasn’t someone to be underestimated.
Besides, if he couldn’t even beat Julian, he would have no right to request a match with Jake.
Julian nodded, agreeing to Bruce’s request.
“3-on-3 or 6-on-6?” Julian asked.
“Of course, 6-on-6,” Bruce said without hesitation.
The arena’s protective barrier activated. As the gym trainer, Julian was required to send out his first Pokémon.
With a toss of the Poké Ball, Melmetal appeared in the arena. It swung its massive arms, emanating an intimidating aura.
Pokémon: Melmetal (Steel)
Held Item: Black Belt
Moves: Harden, Thunder Shock, Headbutt, Tail whip, Charge Beam, Thunder Punch, Acid Armor, Flash Cannon, Thunder Wave, Dynamic Punch, Mega Punch, Double Iron Bash, Protect, Discharge, Superpower
TMs: Ice Punch, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, Electric Terrain, Hammer Arm, Brutal Swing, Thrash, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Darkest Lariat, Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Mega Kick, Steel Beam, High Horsepower
Melmetal stared at Bruce full of fighting spirit. It hadn’t fought in a while, although it trained every day, but training was just practice—it lacked the thrill and meaning of a real battle.
“A Mythical Steel-type—now that’s a worthy opponent.”
Bruce’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Facing a Mythical Pokémon right from the start was a rare opportunity. Such Pokémon were even scarcer than pseudo-legendaries, making this a truly qualified opponent.
Pokémon: Primeape (Fighting)
Ability: Vital Spirit
Held Item: Choice Scarf
Moves: Fling, Scratch, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes, Leer, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Cross Chop, Thrash, Swagger, Close Combat, Rage Fist, Screech, Stomping Tantrum, Outrage, Final Gambit
TMs: Take Down, Scary Face, Protect, Hyper Beam, Bulldoze, Endure, Low Sweep, Brick Break, Bulk Up, Body Slam
Egg Moves: Focus Blast, Reversal, Counter
Primeape, known for its explosive temper, certainly lived up to its name. Fortunately, while it was short-tempered, it wasn’t cruel.
Unlike Hydreigon, whose aggression often turned into mindless violence, sometimes even attacking its own trainer when enraged, Primeape remained rational despite its fiery temperament.
Even so, a late-stage Elite Primeape wasn’t enough to put much pressure on Julian.
Melmetal viewed Primeape as a worthy opponent. However, Primeape, seeing that its opponent wasn’t even an Elite, immediately looked down on Melmetal.
Primeape: "Let’s see if you can withstand even a single punch from me."
Melmetal’s response to that was a devastating Double Iron Bash.
Its left arm extended like a spring, the heavy fist tearing through the air with a sonic boom. In the blink of an eye, the iron-clad punch had crossed nearly a hundred meters.
Primeape crossed its arms, confident it could easily block the attack. However, the moment Melmetal’s fist made contact, Primeape’s smug expression twisted into shock.
The sheer force behind the punch was far beyond what it expected from a pseudo-Elite Pokémon. The impact was so powerful that Primeape momentarily thought it was facing a Pokémon of equal or even higher level.
Its feet scraped across the ground as it was sent skidding back nearly a hundred meters, almost losing its footing entirely.
Melmetal retracted its fist: “Not bad, you managed to withstand one of my punches.”
Primeape’s face stiffened, and at the same time, its contempt for Melmetal also disappeared.
At this moment, Bruce’s voice rang out.
“Primeape, Focus Energy!”
Bruce hadn’t interfered when Primeape initially took the hit—he wanted to gauge Melmetal’s strength. And the result did not disappoint him.
With Focus Energy, Primeape’s attacks would have a higher chance of landing critical hits.
“Close Combat!” Bruce commanded.
Primeape slammed its feet into the ground with force, creating two shallow craters beneath it. With the burst of power, its speed surged to the limit.
Right from the start, Bruce ordered Close Combat, a powerful Fighting-type move, clearly aiming to overwhelm Melmetal in one decisive strike.
Facing the oncoming Primeape, Melmetal let out a thunderous roar and charged forward instead of retreating.
'Going head-to-head? I’m not afraid of you.'
Its massive arms waved through the air like whips, each swing creating a crackling sound as it used Brutal Swing.
The relentless flurry of strikes was so rapid and forceful that Primeape couldn’t get close. The Fighting-type had no choice but to block each blow with its own flurry of counterattacks, turning the battle into a brutal clash of strength.
Despite being repeatedly parried, Primeape stubbornly pressed forward, step by step, gradually closing the distance between them.
“Primeape, Low Sweep!”
Just as one of Melmetal’s Brutal Swings slammed into Primeape’s back, the Fighting-type dropped into a sliding maneuver. With a quick sweep of its left leg, it struck Melmetal’s ankle with a swift Low Sweep.
Melmetal’s massive body toppled backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
And Primeape was already airborne, leaping over its fallen opponent.
“Rage Fist!” Bruce called out.
[Rage Fist: A move that channels the user’s anger into power—the more damage it has taken, the stronger the attack becomes.]
Although Melmetal had only landed a single clean hit earlier, all the previous blocked strikes counted toward Rage Fist’s accumulated power.
So the power of this Rage Fist was absolutely frightening.
As Primeape’s fist came crashing down, a fiery aura surged around it—not actual flames, but the manifestation of its inner fury. The entire fist was enveloped in a searing, ember-like glow, radiating raw rage.
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