Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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Liam stepped out of the tent with a hint of confusion, only to see a tense standoff taking place on the road ahead.

One side was occupied by Bruno, who had just stormed out of the tent, while the other was a Machop—not particularly tall, but with well-defined muscles bulging across its body.

Liam quickly noticed that this Machop was wearing a mischievous grin as it stared at Bruno, holding a travel bag in one hand.

Judging by Bruno's gritted teeth and furious expression, Liam immediately put the pieces together—this was the Machop that had stolen Bruno's luggage and played him like a fool.

"You little—! You actually dare to show up in front of me again?! Give me back my bag right now, or I swear I won't go easy on you!"

Bruno's eyes widened in rage as he bellowed.

"Machop! Machop!"

But the Machop was completely unfazed. Instead, it raised its free hand and curled its fingers, taunting Bruno to come at it.

Bruno's veins nearly popped out of his forehead. His fury was about to boil over as he roared,

"Enough! This ends today—either you go down, or I win!"

Liam: "…"

What's the difference?

"Machop!"

Hearing Bruno's declaration, the Machop seemed delighted. It casually tossed the bag aside and clenched both fists, adopting a battle-ready stance.

"Hahahaha! You actually have the guts to face me head-on? Foolish! I'll show you just how out of your league you are! Go, Hitmonlee! Teach that thing a lesson!"

Bruno, in his blind rage, smirked as he grabbed a PokeBall and threw it.

"Lee! Hitmonlee…"

A flash of light revealed a Hitmonlee standing across from the Machop. It raised both fists and cheered—only for its arms to suddenly go limp at its sides.

Its thin legs wobbled as if they could barely hold its own weight.

"The hell, Bruno?! Have you not eaten for three days? Don't tell me your Pokémon haven't eaten either?!"

Liam's shocked voice rang out upon seeing Hitmonlee's sorry state.

Bruno blinked, finally realizing the issue, and smacked his own forehead.

"Damn! I totally forgot! My Pokémon must be starving too!"

Liam facepalmed.

"Machop!"

The Machop sneered at Hitmonlee's condition, then suddenly dashed forward. It grabbed Hitmonlee by the arm and, before anyone could react, threw it high into the air. With a heavy THUD, Hitmonlee crashed into the ground, unmoving.

"Hi…Hitmonlee…"

Already exhausted from hunger, Hitmonlee couldn't even struggle. Its eyes swirled, and its head lolled to the side, completely knocked out.

"Machop!"

The Machop raised its fists triumphantly, flaunting its victory in front of Bruno.

"Hitmonlee! …I'm sorry, that was my mistake. Take a good rest."

"Hitmon…"

With a weak groan, Hitmonlee was recalled into its PokeBall.

Then, to Liam's shock, Bruno stood up, casually tossed his jacket aside, and assumed a fighting stance—his gaze locked onto the Machop with a burning determination.

Liam's jaw dropped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—Bruno, you're not seriously planning to fight it yourself, are you? That's way too dangerous!"

Even the Machop seemed momentarily confused, hesitating as it studied Bruno.

"My favorite Pokémon are Fighting-types. And I love martial arts. My philosophy is that in combat, there is no distinction between humans and Pokémon. So, Machop, I will defeat you with my own strength—to prove that I, Bruno, am not someone you can take lightly! Come at me with everything you've got!"

Bruno flashed Liam a confident grin, then, mimicking Machop's earlier taunt, beckoned with his fingers.

"Machop!"

Hearing those words, Machop's face lit up with excitement. With a battle cry, it charged straight at Bruno, throwing a powerful punch.

"Ha!!"

Bruno didn't flinch. He smoothly raised his right hand, catching Machop's punch in his palm. Then, with a sudden twist, he grabbed its wrist and—before Machop could react—threw it over his shoulder.

BAM!

The Machop crashed into a nearby puddle and stopped moving.

"That was awesome! That was incredible!"

Liam clapped and cheered, eyes filled with admiration.

Bruno chuckled at the praise before turning his attention back to the motionless Machop.

"Come on, quit pretending. I know you're fine. Get up and show some Fighting-type spirit!"

"Machop!"

Right on cue, Machop's eyes snapped open. With a sudden kip-up, it sprang back to its feet, battle spirit burning in its eyes. With another growl, it charged at Bruno again.

"Hahahaha! That's more like it! Now this is a real Fighting-type battle! Come on, let's go all out!"

Bruno's blood was boiling. He stepped forward, meeting Machop's charge head-on. The two engaged in a heated brawl, fists and kicks flying in rapid exchanges.

Bruno relied on his combat experience and martial arts techniques to counter Machop's brute-force attacks.

Each time Machop struck, Bruno evaded or countered with his own move. Likewise, Machop fought back using pure instinct and raw strength, refusing to back down.

The intense battle raged on, both sides unwilling to yield.

Liam stood there watching, thoroughly impressed.

Man… being young and reckless is amazing. This is way too intense…

"Ha!!"

"Machop!!"

At that moment, both fighters roared and threw their strongest punches simultaneously. Neither dodged.

Bruno's fist smashed into Machop's face.

Machop's punch landed squarely on Bruno's stomach.

Their expressions froze. The battlefield fell silent.

Liam stared at the scene, eager to see who would come out on top.

"Machop…"

After a long pause, Machop finally broke the silence. Even though its face was slightly deformed from the impact, it still grinned.

Bruno, despite clutching his stomach, smirked back at Machop—a look of mutual respect flashing between them.

"You're strong. That was an amazing fight. I'm satisfied—it was a battle worth having."

The moment he finished speaking, Machop's legs gave out, and it collapsed onto the ground, eyes swirling. It had lost.

Bruno, wincing from the pain in his stomach, dropped to one knee and let out a hearty laugh.

"Machop…"

After the battle, Bruno retrieved his bag, released his Pokémon, and shared what little food he had left with them.

Meanwhile, Liam packed up his tent, preparing to set off again.

Then, he heard Bruno's voice yelling.

"Hey! What do you want now?! Are you asking for another beating?!"

Liam turned around to see the Machop standing in front of Bruno, looking pitiful. Bruno, still clutching his bag, eyed it warily.

"Machop…"

The Machop kept calling out, but Bruno obviously couldn't understand. Liam, however, chuckled and patted Bruno's shoulder.

"You musclehead, can't you see? This little guy wants to go with you. Sure, it caused some trouble, but I don't think it meant any harm."

Hearing this, Machop eagerly nodded, its eyes filled with anticipation.

"Wait… seriously?" Bruno finally processed the situation. "You want to train and travel with me?"

"Machop!"

It nodded enthusiastically.

"Hahaha! You should've said so earlier! I starved for three days because of you, but fine—I get it. Alright then, Machop! From now on, let's train hard together!"

Bruno grinned, clenching his fist and holding it out.

"Machop!"

The Machop paused, then firmly clenched its own fist and bumped it against Bruno's.

…May all destined partners find each other.