Chapter 63: My Moment of Being Unrivaled
"(Human Language) Quick, get the Professor and the others out! We need to leave this place before Golduck unleashes its move!" Officer Jenny made a swift decision and then took out a Poké Ball from her waist. "(Human Language) Arcanine, I'm counting on you."
"Awooo—" A white light flashed, and the handsome large dog appeared once again.
Arcanine gave a toss of its head, flinging the small-statured Takuma onto its back, and at the same time, charged out fiercely, rushing towards the Pokémon Professor and the other humans.
The remaining police officers also hurried over to help.
"(Human Language) We can move!"
One of the previously bound researchers suddenly shouted in pleasant surprise.
"(Human Language) Even the psychic power controlling us has been retracted. The power of this next attack is simply unimaginable," Dr. Kamiya, being helped up by Mr. and Mrs. Watanabe beside him, muttered to himself.
Originally, the Golduck Leader's ability to control so many people with its psychic power was already extremely strong. Now, the move it was preparing even required retracting that powerful psychic force...
Dr. Kamiya looked at the Pokémon in mid-air, which was beginning to radiate an intertwining red and pink energy light, a worried expression on his face.
"(Pokémon Language) Professor!"
Machop excitedly ran to Dr. Kamiya's side.
Dr. Kamiya smiled gently and said to Machop in faltering Pokémon language.
"(Pokémon Language) Ma-Machop, thank, you, for your, hard, work. We, must, hurry, and, leave."
Machop pursed his lips, as if he had much to say, but he held it back.
The group quickly moved towards the passage leading to the lower floor.
Suddenly, a sense of danger, like an electric current, shot up from the base of Machop's spine to his head. His steps couldn't help but slow down, and he looked back.
The Golduck Leader had already opened its eyes, its icy gaze fixed on the departing group.
Half a meter in front of it, a massive sphere of condensed, tangible reddish-pink energy was rotating. The occasional overflow of energy was even tearing small cracks in the walls and floor of the experimental base.
"!"
Machop was horrified.
At the speed the Professor and the others were moving, they would not be able to evade this powerful blow from the Golduck Leader in time.
His fists clenched and unclenched, and finally, clenched tightly once more.
Taking a deep look at that white-haired figure, Machop gritted his teeth and resolutely turned back.
Let me block this move!
Machop roared in his heart. His feet never stopped as he walked towards the Golduck Leader, his body radiating a dazzling brownish-red light.
[Focus Energy], by gathering the qi within the body, one concentrates all of one's spirit and essence.
Dr. Kamiya, who was being supported as he walked, suddenly sensed something. He hurriedly looked back and called out anxiously, "(Pokémon Language) Machop..."
Before he could finish, his vision was filled with an overwhelming reddish-pink light.
"(Pokémon Language) [Psychic]!"
A shockwave of extremely compressed psychic energy roared forth.
Originally, Psychic was just a move where a Psychic-type Pokémon used its telekinesis to attack an opponent. Although powerful, it was never as absurdly strong as the one the Golduck Leader was unleashing this time. After the Golduck Leader had enhanced its psychic power through [Calm Mind], the [Psychic] it unleashed was so powerful that it even materialized the formless, shadowless psychic power.
And before this shockwave stood a small figure, facing it directly.
The brownish-red light emanating from its body suddenly converged. Machop stopped his steps, spread his legs into a ready stance, and took a deep breath.
"(Pokémon Language) I don't care if it's psychic power or whatever else, watch me split it all in two!"
"(Pokémon Language) [Brick Break]!"
Hand held vertically like a blade, from top to bottom, like a great saber falling—a single chop!
However, in the face of an illusory psychic wave, how could a mortal, physical body possibly contend?
Machop gave his own answer.
The already converged energy light instantly burst forth, erupting like a bursting dam, surging towards Machop's vertical right palm, covering it and continuously expanding outwards, forming a giant phantom hand-blade.
The giant palm formed by Fighting energy violently collided with the shockwave formed by psychic power.
The humans and Pokémon behind Machop were too nervous to speak.
"Boom—"
"(Pokémon Language) Split it!!!"
Machop, withstanding the immense impact and the mental agony of being assailed by psychic power, shouted angrily.
The shockwave was torn in two, and Machop cleaved a wide, safe path through it.
The people watched the psychic shockwave brush past them, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
They were just about to take this opportunity to escape when they found that the passage entrance had been blocked by various debris kicked up by the psychic shockwave.
The Golduck Leader, seeing its full-power attack neutralized in such a way, was somewhat surprised.
The red gem on its forehead flashed again, and a sharp glint burst from its eyes.
Machop felt the shockwave before him become even more torrential and turbulent. His legs, firmly planted in a bow stance, began to tremble slightly, and the veins on his arms bulged, turning red.
The pressure mounted. Sweat poured down Machop's forehead like a waterfall, and his consciousness began to blur under this dual assault. Until he could hold on no longer and was slightly pushed back.
"(Human Language) Ah..." "(Human Language) Ah..." "(Pokémon Language) Oof..."
A few cries of pain jolted Machop's mind.
Machop's retreat had created a gap in the safe space he had broken open. The psychic power, finding a crevice, instantly invaded, striking several researchers and Growlithe.
"(Pokémon Language) D-damn it!"
Machop gritted his teeth and, exhausting all his strength, stood firm in his stance again.
However, this was just a struggle. Under the pressure of the Golduck Leader's seemingly endless psychic power, Machop once again reached the state of exhaustion.
"…"
A cruel smile began to form on the Golduck Leader's face.
Retreating half a step, one step, two steps...
The giant phantom palm formed by a large amount of condensed energy began to waver, and the energy at its edges even dissipated into points of light.
Machop truly couldn't muster another ounce of strength.
Just then, several figures, large and small, leaped out beside him.
"Arcanine, use [Flamethrower]!"
"Growlithe, use [Ember]!"
Takuma's voice rang out.
A thick pillar of fierce flame, accompanied by several balls of hot embers, shot out directly, blasting the shockwave and helping to relieve some of the pressure on Machop.
"Awooo—" The handsome dogs made their entrance again.
Takuma, looking spirited, rode on Arcanine's back. At this moment, Officer Jenny and the other police were busy attending to those who had collapsed in pain, so Takuma, with the help of the translator, temporarily commanded their Pokémon.
Machop gasped for a slight breath. Just then, a trembling but very warm hand rested on his shoulder, and the Professor's encouraging voice came to his ear, "(Pokémon Language) Machop, you can do it!"
Machop's heart trembled. He realized inwardly that if he retreated, then the Professor would be...
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
As if a new power had been injected into his body, Machop roared madly and, pushing against the immense pressure, strode forward.
One step, two steps...
The reddish-pink psychic shockwave was still ferocious, but in its midst, a white light pushed forward against the tide!
Three steps, four steps...
The white light grew brighter and brighter. Machop, at the forefront of the white light, gradually began to change.
His figure grew taller, his limbs longer, his youthful face matured, his short stature became imposing, and his muscles swelled as if inflated.
"(Pokémon Language) Ah! Break, for, ME!!!"
The palm-blade held high in the air finally came crashing down. The seemingly endless psychic shockwave was split in two!
The white light dissipated. Standing in the original spot was no longer the small figure of Machop, but its evolved form with a robust physique—Machoke!
Machoke was entirely gray, its whole body covered in well-defined, strong muscles. It wore a golden belt around its waist, and there was a black pattern resembling briefs on its lower body. There were six red marks on each of its arms. At this moment, the residual force had not yet dissipated, and its muscles were still trembling continuously.
Its own move having been broken, the Golduck Leader's expression darkened as it prepared to land on the ground.
"Swish!" But before it could react, an agile Pokémon had already appeared before it like lightning.
"(Pokémon Language) [Knock Off]!" A hand the size of a fan slapped forcefully towards the Golduck Leader.
"Bang!" Immense force surged. The latter couldn't react in time and was violently slapped to the ground, smashing up dust and rubble.
"(Pokémon Language) [Strength]! Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"
Countless fist shadows descended from the sky, continuously pummeling the Golduck Leader on the ground, cracking the already fissured floor even more.
The Golduck Leader struggled desperately, wanting to use its super-strong perception to dodge, but the fist shadows were not only powerful and heavy but also incredibly swift, completely suppressing the Golduck Leader for a moment.
"Crack, crack."
The fissures on the floor cracked open wider and wider.
"Crack, crack, BOOM BOOM BOOM—"
"Ahhh—"
The floor could no longer withstand this pressure and shattered directly. The group of people and Pokémon, amidst panicked cries, plunged down to the floor below.