Brock and Primeape watched as the two pokémon rushed toward each other at the ringing of the bell.
The canvas of the ring shook as the Kicking Pokémon's spring-like legs devoured the distance. Every time his feet hit the ground the springs coiled tighter, only to unfurl and propel him just a bit further when he lifted the leg. The more strength he put into his gait, the more powerful the spring in his step, giving him an undeniable advantage in terms of speed and reach against his opponent.
Thanks to that he managed to get within engagement distance and transitioned from a charge into a somersault that carried him into the air. Then he brought his leg around with a whip-like motion, the appendage stretched in an arch more than three meters. It was a guillotine kick aimed toward his opponent's head—a powerful strike right out of the gate meant to knock the opponent out in a single blow.
However, the Punching Pokémon was no slouch. He didn't cover nearly as much ground with his gait, but his footwork was nothing short of spectacular and his reflexes were much the same. Swiftly and deftly, he not only avoided the axe kick meant to strike his skull with a shift and pivot of the foot but then immediately ducked under the second kick that followed as Hitmonlee whipped the other leg around in a Double Kick roundhouse from the floor, meant to strike his head from the side this time.
Then came the counterattack. Before the Kicking Pokémon could recover into a standing position, the Punching Pokémon slid forward in the briefest of moments to exploit the opening. One of his chambered fists dropped low to his stomach before coming up from below with an uppercut straight into his opponent's stomach. Then the other fist fired forward like lightning, delivering a straight punch right between the eyes at full force.
The world flashed for Hitmonlee as the blows registered. His rear leg staggered back from the impact, seeming to buckle. But in that same moment, he sprang into a backflip that brought the same leg up in a rising crescent kick. It was a recovery and escape all at once, meant to place the Kicking Pokémon back into proper spacing while punishing his opponent with a blow from below to the chin.
However, the kick sliced through empty air instead. The Punching Pokémon hadn't pressed the attack after his second punch landed, even though it would have been advantageous to do so. He had instead backslid to create space, a risky maneuver considering it gave his opponent exactly what he wanted—more range for kicking. Such an act naturally left Primeape scratching his head in confusion.
The Pig Monkey Pokémon let out an inquiring noise towards his trainer for answers. "Ape?"
"Hitmonchan can't put down Hitmonlee in a single punch," Brock explained. "He lacks the raw power in his arms compared to Hitmonlee's legs, meaning he has to make up for it with numbers to wear his opponent down. His opponent knows that as well, so he was counting on him to try to get greedy. However, because he played it safe and backed off instead, he managed to escape without getting hit."
Not that playing safe was without drawbacks. Not only did the Punching Pokémon lose his spacing advantage, but the longer the fight dragged on the bigger the chance he would slip up. That meant he had to balance things out perfectly or else he'd be taken out. But if his opponent ended up frustrated and made a mistake first…
"Keep moving, Hitmonchan!" Anthony ordered as the kicks kept coming in. "Stay light on your feet!"
The Punching Pokémon wove beneath a flurry of front kicks. He constantly adjusted his posture until the moment that the leg was withdrawn, at which point he lunged forward. Hitmonlee's other leg snapped out for a kick towards the skull in response, but he ducked under it and then brought his perpetually chambered fist up from below to take advantage of the opening that showed itself.
Like a punching bag, the body of the Kicking Pokémon buckled from the weight of the punch. It only provided more of an opening that Hitmonchan prepared to take advantage of to deliver a haymaker to add to the damage…only for his arm to go slack and his aim to be off as he staggered forward.
Hitmonlee immediately bounced back to get within optimal kicking range. Then he twisted his hips while bringing its spring-like leg around. The vicious spinning roundhouse kick sailed like a sledgehammer towards Hitmonchan's head.
"GET YOUR GUARD UP!" Anthony shouted at the top of his lungs.
The Punching Pokémon's body reacted almost instinctively to the order, an indication of how well-trained he was. The glove-like hand braced his head right before the shin connected. It was probably all that stopped the hit from being critical as the sheer force of the impact launched him to the other side of the canvas. He bounced once off the surface and then came to a stop.
As the count started, Hitmonchan took a moment to shake his head. Then he hurried back to his feet and got back into a fighting stance. The shadow of an axe kick was all the warning that he got before he was forced back into moving when Hitmonlee went back on the attack.
Back from the Locker Room, Primeape observed the fighting beyond the screen with the occasional hoot and thrust of the fist. Brock could only assume he was cheering on Hitmonchan to defeat the opponent. The two practically yearned for the chance to test each other in the ring, so he wanted the Punching Pokémon to prevail.
However, Brock's brows kitted close together as he watched Hitmonchan grow sluggish again while circling to deliver a body shot. The punch lost its momentum enough that what should have been a clean blow grazed Hitmonlee, who immediately capitalized on it. The sole of his foot came around in a snap kick that drove it straight into the Punching Pokémon's chest and sent him rocketing into one of the corners of the rings hard enough that his entire body collapsed into a heap.
Anthony came over immediately as the referee started the count, his voice soft enough that the microphone couldn't pick it up. Though Brock couldn't make out the words, he could tell the man was contemplating what to do next since it was obvious that Hitmonchan couldn't take another hit like that. His eyes eventually knitted themselves as he held up a single finger to the Punching Pokémon, who nodded before he got back onto his feet right before the ten-count ended.
"Watch closely, Primeape," Brock said for Pig Monkey Pokémon's benefit. "It'll end in the next hit."
The Punching Pokémon rushed in toward the Kicking Pokémon in a straight shot. In response, his opponent lashed out with an extending kick that would drive itself into his chest and knock the fight out of him. With a twist of his upper body and tuck of his right arm at the last moment, the kick grazed the limb as Hitmonchan's left arm and chambered fist prepared to drive themselves into Hitmonlee's unprotected chest….
At least that was what should have happened. Instead, Brock's gaze caught as Hitmonchan's posture slackened once more before the blow could be struck, as if a sudden wave of lethargy had stricken him. Recognizing the opening that presented itself, Hitmonlee leaped up and brought his rear leg around for a reverse spinning kick that met Hitmonchan's head uncontested.
The Punching Pokémon's head jerked to the side and the light in his eyes seemed to fade. Considering all of the damage he'd taken until then it wasn't surprising that a clean hit to the head would have been enough to knock him out. But then his eyes regained their luster as, mustering all the willpower he could for the sake of his final fight on the tournament circuit, the Punching Pokémon roared as he stepped forward while his right fist shone with a bright light. "CHAAAAANNNN!"
Hitmonlee's eyes went wide, and he tried to leap back right as the Mega Punch caught him square in the center of his body. The former Gym Leader watched as the Kicking Pokémon's body buckled at the sheer force of the blow before rocketing backward into the ropes. He slumped off it and landed on his knees with only his smaller arms keeping him from collapsing. The quivers running through his body made it clear that he'd taken a bad hit, with only that step back to avoid the full brunt of the impact being enough to avoid getting knocked out entirely.
"AND THE MATCH IS OVER!"
"Ook?" Primeape scratched his head at the announcer's voice declaring the end of the match. Both of them were still conscious in the end, so they should keep fighting. Or at least he thought so as he looked to Brock for confirmation. "Ape?"
"Hitmonchan can't fight anymore considering his current condition, so Anthony threw in the towel." He pointed to the white towel that touched down on the canvas of the ring. It had been thrown in by Anthony, signifying that he was forfeiting the match. The trainer then climbed over the ropes and went to the center of the ring where Hitmonchan stood—panting and on the verge of collapse—and held him aloft so that he could remain standing since there was no energy left in his body to do so. "Even if that punch had finished the match, they're in no condition to keep fighting. So, they chose to at least try to end things on their terms, going out with a final punch."
Brock had his suspicions about why Hitmonchan kept faltering and would act on them when he could, but Anthony and his partner didn't know. All they knew was the fact that they couldn't win if they dragged the match out and the hits that he was taking were bad enough that he likely could have suffered a permanent injury. So, they had instead steeled themselves to be able to deliver as much force as they could in a single hit to leave their mark before exiting the stage.
Mega Punch was suitable for that. But against an opponent as skilled and experienced as Hitmonlee, whom they had been fighting for years, the only chance for it to have landed was when his opponent had dropped his guard. So he had not only endured the final hit even after he began to falter but managed to gather energy and immediately deliver the blow right afterward in the hopes of a knockout.
The fact that his opponent stepped back just enough to soften the blow had just been unfortunate, but at least with Anthony's help he was still standing at the end. The Punching Pokémon's final debut on the stage wouldn't be on the ground as someone who was defeated. But as someone who delivered the strongest punch they could before accepting he could no longer fight.
Brock had seen it many times before. Just as he had seen trainers who became so desperate that they would push their pokémon beyond their limits, he had also seen trainers who had reached their peak and felt they could go no further. Those trainers and their partners who gave it their all at the very end to leave their mark upon the world and then left with their heads held high were among those the former Gym Leader remembered fondly.
And he was sure that the audience that was cheering for them would remember it as well. That was why even after surrendering both the trainer and their pokémon wore smiles. They had given it their all with no regrets in the end and the audience had seen that as well. They would leave with their pride as fighters intact, even if it was without the belt.
And Brock would see to it that, if their opponent really had been playing foul as he suspected, they would not be walking away with the belt by the end. "Let's go, Primeape. I want to speak to Ash and the head of security for a moment while we have time before our match."
[-oOo-]
"It'll be no different than the last time at this rate," Grand growled in a rough voice, a trail of smoke following the burning tip of his lit cigar as he addressed the Kicking Pokémon. The two had returned to their Locker Room and were awaiting the beginning of the Finals now that they had secured their slot. Except a complication had occurred in their plan to secure the title of P1 Champion.
His eyes were narrowed as he looked down on the Kicking Pokémon currently leaning against a wall, applying a Potion on the spot where he'd taken a Mega Punch. At best it would just numb the pain and take the edge off, but going into the Finals with an injury like that was a handicap and they both knew it.
"I warned ya not to drop your guard around Anthony's slugger," he continued, fists tightening in frustration. "Ya should've downed him when ya had the chance. Now we gotta deal with the monkey with you in that sorry state."
Primeape was clearly an amateur in the ring. But his trainer was a former Gym Leader and it made all the difference as every other match he'd been in had shown. An amateur fighter could be made a champion with the right coach and a little luck—and it was looking like that was going to be the situation unless they did something.
Hitmonlee only turned his gaze from his injury towards his trainer and gave a cold stare of resentment that was almost tangible until knocking against the door drew their attention from one another. The knocking itself was done in a rhythm that served as code to identify the party through the door—one of the Fixers.
Grand unlocked it and opened the door to let them inside. "Ya weren't followed, were ya? Got enough on our plates at the moment."
"Of course not," she answered with a calm, confident voice. "My compatriots have also ensured that the inner cameras weren't recording when you two hobbled your way back inside, which is the only reason that the local Joy hasn't been told to examine Hitmonlee to deem if you two are still fit to compete."
The last time they had a similar injury Nurse Joy hadn't hesitated to declare them unable to fight by the time the Finals came around. It'd be history repeating itself if not for that. "We're going to need your services for the Finals as well, it seems."
"Is that right?" She crossed her arms beneath her breasts before looking over to the Kicking Pokémon. "As much as I would love to help put the older twerp in his place, the agreement we had prior only covered the previous match."
That assistance being the use of a pokémon to target Hitmonchan with a low-powered Hypnosis to disorientate him with bouts of drowsiness. It would be too obvious if he collapsed into a stupor on the ring. But it wasn't uncommon for trainers to push their pokémon a little too hard or for them to be a little exhausted by the time the semi-finals rolled around. Paired with a little tinkering on the devices used to monitor psychic waves to prevent cheating and having a couple of agents in place…
Well, the results spoke for themselves. If not for that screw-up at the end, it would have been a clean sweep. "Call your bosses and see if you can make it happen. I don't want any chances this time."
"You do realize that even if I get permission, assisting further would require the collateral being paid upfront rather than waiting for the results of your next match," she warned him. The price for assisting was that his winnings would go to Team Rocket if he prevailed with his Hitmonlee being collateral. Further assistance basically meant losing both the prize and his Pokémon even if he succeeded.
For a moment, Grand hesitated at the thought of giving up the Kicking Pokémon that had been under his care for more than a decade at this point. But that moment was fleeting as the memories of the hours of training were followed by every disappointment and defeat suffered. If they lost once more then what was it all for?
He handed over Hitmonlee's ball to the woman. "See it done."
The woman's blue eyes turned over to the Kicking Pokémon to see the contempt he held for his trainer as she accepted the collateral. "Very well. Team Rocket will remain at your service for the next match."
[-oOo-]
Indoor fireworks went off within the darkened stadium with a riotous explosion. They stole the voice of the audience that had been animatedly chatting amongst themselves about the upcoming match. The profusion of prismatic colors grabbed the eyes of all until the last of them died down and the spotlights converged onto the center of the stage, where the Ring Announcer stood there with the President and Nurse Joy.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've reached the finals! Many combatants entered this year, fighting with all their might and spirit. But now we've boiled the competition down to two individuals who managed to come out on top and stand the closest to becoming the P1 Grand Champion of the year."
The combatants emerged from below ground using the elevators that served as lifts at an unseen prompt. On one side were Grand and Hitmonlee as they stood tall across from each other. And on the other was Brock and Primeape standing side-by-side.
The audience was reasonably excited given that one was a veteran combination that had no shortage of fans from their performance over the lifespan of the tournament. What better way to end things than going out on top once and for all? But the fame of a Gym Leader, retired or not, stepping into the ring outside their normal domain wasn't to be denied either as Brock received a large number of cheers.
The Ring Announcer gave the crowd some time to cheer before speaking up. "One way or another, this will be a match to remember. However, I'm proud to say that we have a special guest who will present the belt to our winner. Please give a welcoming round of applause to the first P1 Grand Champion and member of the Elite Four—Bruno!"
The energy within the stadium reached fever pitch as the spotlights directed themselves over to the entrance where there stood a rugged figure that stood tall. His dark hair was long and unkempt, only pulled back with a tie so it fell down his broad back. He wore a pair of Gi pants that looked sheered from rough movements practiced in harsh conditions to hone the body. His shirt-less torso revealed rippling muscle and abs that were chiseled to perfection. And he bore what had to be the first iteration of the championship belt around his waist as he strode towards the ring.
The Ring Announcer yielded the microphone to him when he stepped past the ropes, and he spoke in a deep voice. "Though it has been many years since I once stood in this ring, I have watched each year as fighters pit their determination against one another and prove themselves stronger for it. And now I've come here to bear witness in person to who will be standing firm in the end!"
He looked over to Brock for a moment. Similar to how Lorelei and Agatha acted as overseers of the Cerulean and Saffron Gyms, he acted as one to the Pewter City Gym. He seemed genuinely surprised to see him but continued his speech.
"Fight hard. Hold nothing back. Stand tall. Show that you've trained to the limit and prove yourselves worthy of the title of Champion today! Let the P1 Grand Prix Finals begin!"
[-oOo-]
Brock hid his surprise that Bruno was there as he and the others cleared out of the ring. His interactions with the Elite Four member weren't as intimate as Misty's with Lorelei, but he knew the man wasn't the most social individual. Regardless, he had other priorities for the match as he helped his partner into the ring. "I'll try to give you whatever advice I can, so give it your all."
"Ape." Primeape agreed, slamming one fist into the other to emphasize the point. He had been hoping for his chance to face Hitmonchan as they both wanted. But he wouldn't treat the Kicking Pokémon any gentler because he was his opponent.
As for said pokémon, Hitmonlee leaped up and over the ropes in a single bound to land in his corner. His gaze was fixed square on the Pig Monkey Pokémon with a look that silently spoke of what the pair was in their eyes: an obstacle.
Primeape was the final obstacle that needed to be overcome if he was going to finally be declared the P1 Champion before he was forced to retire. The only thing that stood between himself and being immortalized within the records as the one who bested all others. There was no doubt in Brock's mind he would attempt to bring the newcomer down as quickly as possible to that end.
DING! DING!
At the bell that signaled the start of the match Primeape shot from his corner toward his opponent with all the strength that his shorter legs could muster. He kicked off the ground in a straight rush to close the distance and get within the optimal range to deliver his most effective strikes. That was to say he wanted to get right in front of the enemy so he could pummel Kicking Pokémon into submission.
But partway through rushing forward and taking advantage of its naturally longer limbs for a more powerful blow, Hitmonlee threw himself into a flying Jump Kick. It was a technique that wasn't lacking in power, but often ran the risk of recoil damage if it missed. So, it was scarcely used as an opening move when the enemy could actively avoid it.
Primeape had been caught off-guard by the sudden spear shot of its heel rushing toward his forehead. But his primal instincts moved his body. His right leg slid off at an angle that he leaned into, leaving the heel to graze past his temple and turned what would have likely been a knockout blow into a miss as the Kicking Pokémon sailed behind him. He prepared to wheel around to take advantage of the overshot—
"Primeape, roll to the side now!"
—Brock's orders came through before he could. He listened, rolling to the side by redirecting his center of gravity right as he kicked off. No sooner than he was midroll did the canvas beneath him tremble as a heavy weight slammed into where he had been.
Without eyes in the back of his head, he wouldn't have been able to see that Hitmonlee had taken advantage of the fact that the ropes would stretch and bend beneath the force of the kick. Not only did that prevent the recoil damage that would have come from crashing into the floor, but it gave him the momentum to follow it up instantly with a powerful axe kick to the skull. Dodging backward or forward would have likely ended with an injury to his arms or legs that would make winning much harder, so Brock's judgment to dodge to the side had been the best possible one.
Not that Primeape gave it much thought beyond the fact that he saw an opening now. His instantaneous response was to slam his hands on the ground to hoist himself up and swing his both legs forward, containing all the might he could muster in a reactionary thrusting kick. "APE!"
The Kicking Pokémon's eyes bulged as the blow was driven into his chest with no resistance. He had committed too far into the two-pronged attack and wasn't ready for the sudden retaliation. So, the impact sank in deep and struck right where he'd taken the Mega Punch from Hitmonchan—sending a jolt of real pain through his body as he staggered backward several steps.
Primeape went on the attack again. He instinctively knew better than to give the opponent time to get back into an optimal range to kick him. So, he rushed him down with a flurry of punches. "Apeapeapeapeapeee!"
His fists slammed into Hitmonlee's body over and over like a machine. There wasn't any technique or finesse behind the strikes, making it sloppy compared to the other combatants who had trained in formal fighting styles. But his raw power allowed him to lay on the pressure as he piled on the beatdown.
"Don't just sit there and take it!" Grand shouted. "Fight back!"
A growl of annoyance and frustration bubbled up in Hitmonlee's throat as he drove his coiled knee forward into Primeape's nose. The impact served to whiten his vision as he stumbled back, creating the opening in space that he needed. The Kicking Pokémon launched his legs around for a Double Kick with all his might—
"Guard your head and press forward, Primeape!"
—but rather than trying to avoid the incoming blow entirely, the Pig Monkey Pokémon's trainer instructed him to press into the incoming kick. Kicks needed proper spacing to get the most power, and Hitmonlee's legs acted like coils and thus weren't always rigid. So, in Brock's mind, pressing into it while it was extended to make up for the additional distance would throw off the balance and interrupt the second kick.
Primeape didn't know any of that. He didn't care. The human who he'd decided to trust had yet to fail his expectations and gave him delicious food, so he was willing to act on it. So, he did as told and felt as the blow lessened while Hitmonlee's standing leg wobbled from the sudden shift. Then he grabbed hold of the extended leg before it could snap back.
The Kicking Pokémon had only the briefest moment to realize the perilous situation he was in. Then he was bodily thrown over the shoulder and slammed into the canvas face-first hard enough that the entire stadium shook. His vision whited as the pain ran through his body before he gathered his senses, planted his hands for support, and then launched a rear kick that slammed the hardened sole of his foot straight into Primeape's skull.
"EEK!" With a shriek, the Pig Monkey Pokémon's head snapped back. The bone beneath the fur held strong but his hands came loose in shock. That freed Hitmonlee's other leg and allowed him to swing it around like a pendulum for momentum, knocking Primeape off to the side as he leaped back onto his feet.
"What are ya doin'!" Grand's voice came out hard and harsh towards his pokémon. "You wanna end up losing to a monkey that's never stepped foot in the ring before today? Stop holdin' back and take this seriously or everything will have been for nothin'!"
"LLLLLLEEEEEEE!" Hitmonlee roared. It was raw and primal, born from the pain in his ribs and his mounting frustration at having his ambitions being threatened once more.
He'd tolerated having a trainer that lacked the skill to carry him forward and give him guidance. He'd thrown away the pride he had as a fighter, sabotaging a rival whom he'd once seen as worthy before respect soured into hatred. There was nothing left to hold him back.
One kick became two. Then four. Then six. Ignoring the pain and throwing himself into an all-out offense, Hitmonlee launched a flurry of kicks that could turn stone to gravel.
The Pig Monkey Pokémon put his arms up in defense. But the kicks battered through his guard like they were breaking through bricks, leaving the blows to slam into his body below. The onslaught was enough that for a moment he considered backing away, even if it meant that would give his opponent more room to kick with.
"Primeape, guarding won't work!" Brock called out. "Go on the offense and strike down those kicks with your fists!"
His response was to drop his guard entirely and go all-out. The kicks that came towards him like battering rams met with boulder-busting blows. Knuckles and heels beneath flesh crashed into one another hard enough to be rebuked before their opposite came in to do it all over.
The violent exchange continued for almost a minute before Brock called out for Primeape to pull back, leaving him to jump backward. The Pig Monkey Pokémon then stood there with his arms hanging by his side, nostrils widening and narrowing as he fought for breath. His fists were bruised and the tremors that threaded them made it clear that he'd probably damaged them to the point where he wouldn't be able to use them to keep fighting.
Yet, his opponent was no better. The Kicking Pokémon was down on one knee and his other foot planted on the ground was shaking. His heels might have been hardened for kicking through solid stone but that didn't mean the rest of it was as durable.
From an outside standpoint, it had the appearance of mutual destruction. One whose hands were too injured to keep punching safely and the other whose feet were too sore to continue kicking. With their primary methods of dealing damage unfit for battle, it seemed as though the match would at best come down to a tie or a judge's vote…
Or at least that would be the case if not for the fact that there was a crucial difference between them. Primeape didn't need his arms to keep attacking. "Primeape, use Focus Energy and then Mega Kick!"
A visible jolt ran through the Kicking Pokémon as he watched his opponent get psyched up by howling at the top of his lungs and then stomping the ground until his body grew red to the point where steam seemed to pour out of it. He tried to rise to his feet and deliver the strongest kick he could before the process finished. But his entire body flinched as agony shot through his feet from the flurry of blows they had received.
If his legs were too injured to kick then they were too injured to move easily. That had been the aim the entire time. Because unlike him, the simian had only worn out his hands and thus could use his feet. So, there was nothing he could do as bright light swelled within Primeape's foot before it delivered a brutal kick that ripped his consciousness from his body before he hit the canvas.
Ten seconds later the P1 Grand Prix was officially over when he didn't get back up. It was then Ring Announcer's voice bellowed over the speakers: "AND WE HAVE A WINNER!"
Bursts of smoke and indoor fireworks went off around the outskirts of the ring. The lights faded out before the spotlights all shone down onto Primeape. The Pig Monkey Pokémon's eyes shot around as his attention shifted from his fallen foe to the gentle hand on his head.
It was Brock. He was smiling gently. "You did it."
"Ape?" As the battle-high slowly bled from him he realized what Brock meant as the Elite Four member approached them with the championship belt in his hands. The glimmer of the gold caught his eyes, and they shimmered as he realized that it was now his. "Prii…"
"His technique is a bit rough, but he has the potential to go much further with training," Bruno said before handing over the belt to Brock, given that Primeape's hands were still injured. "If you're his trainer that won't be a problem. You'd always had good judgment… so I take it you noticed that last match as well?"
Brock's brows furrowed at the whispered inquiry as he gave a slight nod. "So that's the actual reason you're here then?"
The former Gym Leader may not have interacted with Bruno to the same degree as Misty with her own overseer. But he knew the man wasn't a fan of public appearances like this. The reason then much be because something was off.
The answer came when a rumble shook the arena. Their eyes shot towards the ceiling where smoke was starting to come from a portion of it to the confusion of the audience. It was dark colored, not born from a flame burning something but instead the hue that tended to come from certain types of Pokémon attacks.
Red light then speared from a distance and turned Hitmonlee into an energy state before pulling him away. Bruno's expression grew tighter as he stared at Grand, who looked defeated. He then looked over toward the Ring Announcer and grabbed the microphone.
"It would appear that a mishap with the fireworks has caused some smoke to pool under the ceiling. Please remain calm and let the staff escort you out while we settle the matter."
That said he looked over to Brock. The message carried. The former Gym Leader and Primeape followed him as he and Officer Jenny went through the backrooms until they came across the scene of the crime. It was just outside of a security room, where Brock found Ash, Misty, and Haunter standing with a woman holding her head.
"Ash, what happened?" Brock asked.
"It was Team Rocket," he said, explaining the situation. "Haunter felt hypnotic waves during your match like you said might happen, so we came here to figure out why."
Brock had suspected that a Psychic Pokémon was responsible for what happened in the Semi-Finals. However, he also knew that there would be measures in place for that sort of situation since this was a professional event, so he'd inquired into the matter. They had machinery that would detect hypnotic waves and alert security if that was in use, which was a relatively solid system. But he still felt that to be safe he should ask for Haunter's help in determining if that was the case.
The woman next to them was dressed in a uniform frequented by the staff and had a security badge. She rubbed her head before Officer Jenny came over and inquired what happened. "There was a knock on the door and when I answered it, everything kind of melted away and… my apologies, ma'am. My head is still foggy after that."
"Hypnotism," Officer Jenny recognized. "You were made to be suggestive of everything they wanted. Can you remember what that was?"
She strained her head for a moment. "It was… to delete entries in the banks of the files. So that they wouldn't be able to tell that they were using Hypnosis during the Semi-Final and Final matches. I think they were getting frustrated that it wasn't working when…"
"Haw!" The Ghost Pokémon waved his hands as she trailed off, grabbing their attention before he phased through the wall and then made a scary face before laughing. "Haw-Haw!"
Ash translated for them. "That was when Haunter probably went through the wall. I think he scared them before unlocking the door. I saw Meowth, so I can only assume that it was Jessie and James with him in disguise. They used Koffing to escape."
Officer Jenny left the woman in Misty's care before going over to the computers and typing on them. "It looks like the major instances were no doubt the Semi-Final and Final matches. We'd need proof but, the fact that it was these two matches…"
"Grand cheated Anthony out of his chance at the championship," Brock summarized for her, causing the Pig Monkey Pokémon next to him to inquire with a slight noise for an explanation. "It could have been Hitmonchan facing us in that final match, but Hitmonlee won since he kept being made too drowsy to fight properly. It didn't work on you since you're immune to being forced asleep."
Brock then looked over toward Bruno. "You expected this, sir?"
"…There had been suspicions that Team Rocket might have had an influence on the event in the past," he admitted. "As a former champion, I couldn't overlook the accusations. Nor the implications for what it might have meant. How others who fought so hard to get to this point had their dreams crushed by others who couldn't believe in the strength of their bonds. They made a mockery of it."
Primeape's eyes narrowed as the full scope of what happened sank in. He had won fair and square. But his opponent had cheated and robbed him of the chance to meet the Punching Pokémon in the ring. The notion alone made him clench his fists to the point they were on the verge of shaking. "APE!"
"I know," Brock told him while gently rubbing him on the head. "There's nothing we can do about it either now, except make Team Rocket pay the next time we see them."