The Courage to Strike at the Strong

The entire second arena fell into brief silence, with only Combusken's breathing audible.

The referee froze for a moment before hurriedly stepping forward to check Hitmonchan's condition. After confirming it, he immediately announced loudly, "Hitmonchan has lost the ability to battle!"

The referee paused and looked at Sato Ken, whose face was pale and whose eyes were vacant. He asked routinely, "Challenger Sato Ken, your Pokémon has lost the ability to battle. According to the rules, you may still choose to continue the challenge. Will you continue battling?"

It was as if Sato Ken had not heard the referee. He merely stared blankly at the unconscious Hitmonchan on the ground, then looked up at Combusken, whose Presence had grown even stronger, and at the calm Xinhai beside it.

His lips trembled a few times. In the end, all his fighting spirit and resentment turned into helplessness and defeat.

He lowered his head dejectedly, his voice hoarse and weak. "I... I concede."

Hearing this, the referee announced again, "The challenger concedes! Xinhai Bai Mu and Combusken have successfully defended the arena!"

A wave of irrepressible gasps rose from the spectators below.

Combusken's lightning-fast Triple Strike had been domineering and sharp, carrying a heart-stopping beauty that completely stunned them.

Sato Ken walked over to his partner in a daze. Looking at the fallen Hitmonchan, his face was full of heartache. In the end, he could only gloomily return his partner to its Poké Ball.

Xinhai walked over to Combusken and gently patted its back. "Well done. Your control of the rhythm was pretty good."

"Combusken!" Combusken gave a low cry, its fighting spirit rising even higher as it swept its gaze across the audience in search of its next opponent.

However, after Combusken cleanly defeated two challengers in a row, most of