Chapter 27 Su Yi: Without Fighting, There Is No Survival!

“What a beautiful sword technique—still immature, but already wielded with remarkable agility,” Mustard praised.

“That flurry of attacks—it was clearly frantic, yet it resembled a practiced sequence. What exactly was it…” Bea’s expression grew puzzled. In that instant, the aura around Sui and Dewleaf shifted, growing sharp and intense.

“Huff, huff, huff!” Dewleaf panted. The rapid succession of moves had been performed in haste; though instinct had carried him through, he was left utterly exhausted.

“Aibo! Well done! Perhaps you’ll become a Longblade Hunter Cat one day!” Sui exclaimed with a triumphant fist.

“Hunter Cat? Hunter Cat! Meow!” Dewleaf’s eyes lit with excitement.

A Hunter Cat was a Felyne who, without relying on a human hunter, could hunt independently—a rare feat among Felynes. Yet, with the power of a Pokémon, Dewleaf’s growth toward that status was becoming possible.

Sui, for his part, had already discerned Dewleaf’s talent for the longblade.

He had long agonized over Dewleaf’s path, knowing this companion would never be content as a mere follower. Now, witnessing Dewleaf’s display of skill, Sui’s determination to nurture him into a Hunter Cat was affirmed.

“The battle’s not over yet! Machop, use Karate Chop!” Bea commanded.

“Aibo! Foresight Counter!” Sui shouted.

Dewleaf twisted away from Machop’s strike, his short blade poised to retaliate.

“Low Kick!” Bea attempted to repeat her earlier tactic.

“Insight Slash!”

Dewleaf’s blade sliced diagonally, intercepting Machop’s incoming leg and halting the Low Kick.

“Great Spin!” Sui called urgently.

The move, once unfamiliar, now came more naturally; Dewleaf whirled and slashed with even greater speed than before.

“Block with Karate Chop!” Bea, tension rising, found herself swept up in the contest.

Crack! Machop tried to respond, but there was no time; the white-glinting slash struck home, inflicting heavy damage.

“Aibo! Press the attack!” Sui clenched his fists, voice ringing with fervor.

“Vertical Chop! Thrust! Uplift!” He poured all his gaming experience into his commands.

“Meow!” Drawing on every ounce of strength, Dewleaf swung his bone blade in a relentless storm of blows.

For a moment, even with Bea directing Machop, the Pokémon was drawn into Dewleaf’s rhythm, unable to catch its breath beneath the onslaught.

Just as Sui had intended: to defeat Machop, Dewleaf needed to attack relentlessly, leaving no room for recovery.

Bea’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t expected to be pressed so hard by a rookie trainer and his fledgling Pokémon.

“Machop! Use Reversal!” Bea resolved to make a final stand, seeing her battered partner.

“Raaah!” Machop’s eyes blazed, a faint light emanating from his body as he charged Dewleaf.

“Foresight Counter!” Sui ordered.

Dewleaf twisted aside.

“Grab him!” Bea cried.

With a lightning-fast pivot, Machop seized Dewleaf in a crushing embrace.

“Damn!” Sui gasped. He hadn’t anticipated Machop’s sudden burst of speed in desperation.

“Meow!” Dewleaf cried in pain, arms pinned. But then, craning his head, Dewleaf smashed his forehead into Machop’s, point-blank.

Thud!

With a dull thump, Machop released his grip. Both Pokémon staggered back, then collapsed to the ground.

“Both sides are unable to continue. Please send out your second Pokémon,” Mustard declared.

“Whew! Great job, Aibo!” Sui exhaled, striding onto the field to gather Dewleaf into his arms. He released Blissey to tend to Dewleaf, then returned to his place.

“A brilliant offense. But from here on, my partners won’t be so easy to handle. Go, Machoke!” Bea threw her Poké Ball.

A belt-wearing, humanoid Pokémon appeared with an angry roar—Machop’s evolved form, Machoke.

“Machoke, is it? Then it’s your turn—predator of the deep green wild!” Sui sent out his Dire Jaw Wyvern.

“Rooaaar!” The Dire Jaw Wyvern emerged with a thunderous roar, immediately entering battle mode.

“Another Pokémon I’ve never seen…” Bea marveled. “That’s three now from Sui that I’ve never encountered—and this one is enormous!”

The green lizard glared at its opponent, claws and fangs itching for action.

“Uh…?” Machoke froze at the sight of the savage, predatory stare. Why was this Pokémon so vicious?

“Size isn’t everything! Machoke, Mega Punch!” Bea commanded, swinging her fist.

“Roar!” Machoke charged, muscular body barreling toward the Dire Jaw Wyvern, fist cocked for a devastating blow.

“Dire Jaw Wyvern! Dragon Claw!” Sui made a fist of his own.

With a fierce roar, the Dire Jaw Wyvern’s claws shone with draconic energy as it met the punch head-on.

Bang!

Machoke’s strength was formidable; the Dragon Claw was forced back, sliding slightly.

“Use your other claw! Dragon Claw! Rear back and put your weight into it!” Sui ordered.

The Dire Jaw Wyvern grabbed Machoke’s fist with one claw, rearing back, then brought the other claw crashing down.

“Other hand, Ice Punch!” Bea commanded, fists clenched.

With a guttural cry, Machoke’s other fist gleamed with icy energy, rising to meet the descending claw.

Thud!

Leveraging its size and mass, the Dire Jaw Wyvern bore down from above, forcing even the mighty Machoke’s arms to ache, struggling to withstand the pressure.

“Ah, that’s the Sui I know—he’s adept at exploiting his Pokémon’s physical strengths,” Mustard observed with an approving smile.

“How?” Bea gritted her teeth. She’d thought Machoke’s power would turn the tide, but she’d landed in a disadvantage once again.

She looked up to see the Dire Jaw Wyvern’s ferocious gaze locked on Machoke, while Sui’s face was alight with the passion and hunger for victory.

For a moment, in her mind’s eye, the Dire Jaw Wyvern became an invincible Charizard, and Sui transformed into the confident Leon.

Bea shook her head quickly. Leon’s pressure was overwhelming.

“Raooor…” Machoke turned his head with difficulty, seeking Bea’s guidance.

“If you don’t act, the hunt will begin! Dire Jaw Wyvern, Roar!” Sui shouted.

The Dire Jaw Wyvern unleashed a deafening roar, dark energy swirling around Machoke, leaving him wracked with pain.

“Machoke! Ice Punch!” Bea snapped back to attention.

Machoke’s fists radiated frost, the cold seeping into the Dire Jaw Wyvern’s claws.

“Raooor!” The super-effective energy made the Dire Jaw Wyvern howl in agony.

Crackling ice began to spread up its forelimbs, threatening to encase them completely.

Yet even so, the Dire Jaw Wyvern refused to release its grip, instead continuing to press down, its savage dominance forcing the exhausted Machoke to the brink.

“Why?” Bea was stunned. Was he really willing to risk everything? Such wild, feral combat—Dire Jaw Wyvern fought like a desperate beast.

Sui grinned. “Where I come from, if you don’t fight, you don’t survive.”

“Dire Jaw Wyvern! Mountain Crusher!”

The Dire Jaw Wyvern’s abdomen glowed with white light as it reared up and, with a furious roar, crashed down on Machoke.