Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

"As expected of a Champion… I've still got a long way to go."

Watching Cynthia's Spiritomb fully recover after using Dream Eater, Rex couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.

"Your turn—go, Machamp!"

Knowing this wasn't the time to admire his opponent, Rex immediately sent out his second Pokémon.

Machamp, who had been fired up on the sidelines, charged into the arena, all four muscular arms pumping with energy.

To Rex's surprise, Cynthia withdrew her victorious Spiritomb and sent out her second Pokémon—Lucario.

He glanced at her, puzzled, but she just smiled back wordlessly.

Lucario resembled a wolf, tall and noble in bearing, with spikes on its hands and chest. Its sleek upper body contrasted its strong, well-built legs.

Lucario could sense auras emitted by all things. It could detect the emotions and intentions of others from great distances—even a full kilometer away—and even understand human speech.

That same sensitivity often brought it stress. But by mastering aura, Lucario could not only read it—it could weaponize it. A single concentrated burst could shatter boulders into dust.

Both Pokémon shared a Fighting type, and the moment they locked eyes, instincts flared. Without any command, the two charged into close combat.

Lucario conjured a glowing bone staff to counter Machamp's flurry of fists. It moved like a seasoned warrior—fluid, precise, defending against Machamp's relentless assault while slipping in strikes of its own.

But Machamp wasn't outmatched—its four arms gave it the edge in parrying Lucario's bone strikes, deflecting each with brute force and tactical defense.

On the sidelines, neither Cynthia nor Rex gave orders. The speed of this melee was so intense that any interruption could disrupt their Pokémon's rhythm and cause a fatal mistake.

Even Victini was flying loops around the battlefield in excitement, clearly thrilled by the exchange of blows.

Meanwhile, Yui, Yuri, and Karen didn't even dare to breathe loudly. They'd only seen battles like this on TV—and seeing it up close was a whole different level of intensity.

If they didn't know Cynthia personally, they'd probably be shouting for Machamp—after all, he was raised right here on Chiba Farm.

While they were caught in the action, Cynthia calmly analyzed Machamp's performance. Unlike Politoed earlier, Machamp had few weaknesses. Every move it made was precise and disciplined.

For the first time, Cynthia acknowledged Rex as a true rival—someone with the potential to one day stand as her equal.

Finally, Machamp landed a solid blow, sending Lucario flying back with a crushing Dynamic Punch.

But before Rex could celebrate, Lucario landed cleanly, and with a smooth motion, it formed an Aura Sphere and hurled it straight at Machamp.

"Machamp, dodge it!"

Rex shouted hastily. Something about that Aura Sphere sent chills down his spine. It looked ordinary—but something told him it wasn't.

Machamp hesitated for just a moment. He had been ready to take the hit head-on. But Rex's tone left no room for argument, and at the last second, he dove aside.

Lucario's expression flickered—was that disappointment? As if it had hoped Machamp would take the hit?

The Aura Sphere slammed into the ground near where Machamp had stood, and—

BOOM.

The explosion was massive, sending a shockwave through the field. Rex had to take a few steps back as dirt and grass flew into the air.

When the dust settled, a crater had been carved into the earth.

Even Machamp looked stunned. If he had taken that hit directly, he might not be standing now.

"Cynthia… was that a compressed Aura Sphere?" Rex asked, still catching his breath.

"You're absolutely right," she said, smiling. "Lucario has trained hard to master that technique. I'm impressed you noticed it—your instincts are sharp, Rex."

Rex laughed nervously. In truth, he hadn't "noticed" anything—he'd just followed a gut feeling. Still, it saved him.

After the near-miss, Lucario switched tactics, falling back to long-range fighting. Aura Spheres, Vacuum Waves, and Dragon Pulses rained down in rapid succession.

Each move had been compressed for maximum output. Though Machamp dodged many, even the glancing blows hurt—badly.

But compressing energy took its toll. Lucario's breathing grew heavy, its movements slower.

With both Pokémon tiring, the battle shifted to sheer willpower—and Rex knew Machamp's determination was unmatched.

Lucario stopped using its overpowered techniques, switching to more standard moves.

And Machamp? He stopped caring about dodging. If it wasn't a devastating hit, he just tanked it—returning each strike with interest.

The match became a brawl. No special moves. No fancy techniques.

Just fists. Elbows. Knees.

A slugfest of grit and heart.

(End of Chapter)