Hikaru: "In bullfighting rules, the 'bull side' is the attacking side, and the matador side is the defending side."
"If you drop the bull in one hit so it can't fight anymore, it loses the spectacle, and it's no different from a normal Pokémon battle."
"So, there are some restrictions for combat."
"Long-range attacking moves are forbidden. Moves that cause confusion are forbidden."
"Moves that inflict badly poisoned, frozen, or sleep are forbidden."
"No Psychic-type telekinetic moves. No moves that keep a Pokémon flying in the sky for a long time. No entry hazard moves like setting spikes."
"The bull side must always move first."
"And the matador side's moveset must include a speed-up or evasion-type move."
These restrictions were meant to make it more entertaining, and also to balance the fighting power.
Especially Psychic powers and long-term aerial moves—Tauros can't do aerial combat, and it can't break through psychic control either. All three Paldean Tauros breeds have the Fighting type, and when it comes to dealing with psychic stuff, they're not exactly comfortable.
If you just use Psychic to pin the bull in place and toss it out of the arena, that's not bullfighting anymore.
"But even so, you still can't make up for a gap in strength!"
At Hikaru's command, Charcadet's eyes flared with fire.
Blazing flames—wrapped around a heavy hammer!
That "sword technique" came down like a cannon shell, blasting the entire arena with violent firelight and sending everything around it flying.
Fire Blast!
When the dust cleared, Tauros fell with a heavy thud, eyes spiraling as it lost the ability to battle.
"Kadon~" Charcadet looked at the fallen bull, hefted its hammer on its shoulder, and shook its head.
Mm. Down in one hit, huh. Way weaker than that black-clad woman's Tauros…
"Waaaaaah! Tauros!"
Across the field, Koujirou's wail went up, and Hikaru felt that familiar prick of guilt—like he'd just bullied the weak.
But this is a match, classmate!
Since you're a grown-ass student still enrolled here, you should've been ready to get knocked out in round one, yeah?
"Don't blame your sensei. This is the… the… I don't even know how many-th lesson your sensei is teaching you for when you enter society. Just treat it like an outdoor class!"
"Even though your age looks like it's higher than mine, and I'm the one acting as the sensei."
That's one of Naranja Academy's "features," after all!
As Paldea's oldest academy—and one of the oldest schools in the world—it has no enrollment age limit.
That's why, when you play Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, you're always running into all kinds of weirdly dressed "students" still attending.
A guy like Koujirou—an NPC from the original game—looking like a big, tan, stocky uncle who just likes bullfighting is already pretty normal, all things considered.
The school even has sixty-year-old grandpa students, "super aces" who've repeated twenty years, and people whose gender presentation doesn't match their in-game labeled gender animations…
Of course, most students are normal.
And as for why the Art teacher is teaching outdoor P.E.—that's also academy tradition!
Because your future P.E. teacher is still warming up right now, too!
[A crushing victory for the matador side! Koujirou's Tauros goes down in a single blow!]
[Looks like this rookie contestant might be one of the dark horses of this tournament!]
The commentator's voice was wildly exaggerated, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. In the invited guest seats, Harrington's brows furrowed slightly.
The person in front of him looked… kind of familiar.
Quietly, he pulled out a list that Geeta had handed him earlier during their conversation. It contained the names of the current key Gym Leaders and Elite Four members in Paldea.
There were no photos, so the space behind Hikaru's name was blank.
"The contestant's name is—why is it the same name as the newly appointed Elite Four member?"
"Tch… An Elite Four-level trainer would come to some local competition like this?"
How did Harrington feel about this newly appointed Elite Four member?
Hard to say. Before meeting him officially, Harrington had been… nervous.
From what he'd heard from Geeta, this wasn't just some powerful talent she'd been trying to recruit—this was a final boss-tier closer, the kind you save for the last act.
And apparently, he was also a famous artist from Unova.
Plus, the Chairwoman wanted him to serve as a special invited instructor for the academy's art program.
In theory, an artist of that level would never come teach art at a school—even if Naranja Academy had eight hundred years of history.
So if they could actually bring in a big shot like that, it would be a massive boost to the school's prestige.
However, Chairwoman Geeta had also made it clear: she'd heard about some unhealthy issues inside the academy, and she wanted them corrected immediately before the special instructor formally took office.
And that was exactly where Harrington's problem lay.
"M-me, going alone to fix it…"
Paldea's academies were originally established during the era of the Paldean Empire.
That's why there were certain… special situations inside.
Even a rich kid from a wealthy family might not necessarily live comfortably. One key reason was that Paldea's academy had commoner students, transfer students from other regions, and also students born into old noble lineages.
Those nobles were often descendants of remnants from the ancient Paldean Empire era. They tended to have nasty, prickly temperaments that made them hard to approach—and it wasn't just the students.
To be honest, some of the teachers were like that too.
For Harrington, trying to purge those self-proclaimed nobles—teachers who claimed to have "connections"—was an absolute nightmare.
As principal, he really was too outnumbered.
And after Geeta had delivered her pointed, backhanded "encouragement," Harrington had to admit it: as a principal, he had serious flaws, and he simply lacked the strength to bear a position this important.
Because he'd failed to cultivate outstanding talent, and the school atmosphere had gradually worsened, Chairwoman Geeta had grown more and more dissatisfied.
Harrington drifted deeper into anxious thoughts, agonizing over how to clean up the academy's internal issues.
Meanwhile, over on Hikaru's side, he was enjoying this relaxing "local competition" to the fullest.
"These matches are pretty fast, huh? They say each side brings three Pokémon, but really, that's just for rotating to keep stamina up."
"As soon as the active Pokémon loses the ability to battle, it's an immediate loss."
Of course, the main reason was that a huge portion of the contestants were ranch folks from nearby. Their herding Pokémon weren't exactly built for insane combat performance. Either you got two rookies pecking at each other, or you got someone running into a professional and getting deleted in one move.
But most of them were here for fun. Even if they lost, they'd only feel down for a moment, then head back to the stands, excitedly watching the remaining matches.
And Dendra's three bulls were tearing through the bracket like a hot knife through butter! She was a professional fighter, after all, and the Tauros she trained were naturally absurdly strong.
On Hikaru's side, his second match arrived almost immediately.
"Eeta! Eeta! Waaaaaagh!"
Falinks rushed onto the field in a single wave!
For Rome—We are Rome's sons!
"A quick and cheerful defeat? You think I'm that kind of opponent?"
"Look at these muscles!"
The courier Liming stepped up to challenge!
"A courier from South Province (Area Six), a guy who doesn't deliver packages and instead beats people up on the roadside, and his Pokémon is Revavroom. In Scarlet/Violet, it's level 39, with the Ability Overcoat."
Hikaru was speechless.
"How did a bullfighting match end up with a car showing up?!"
Revavroom—the Multi-Cylinder Pokémon. It detonates a mixture of toxins and rocky components in up to eight cylinders to generate energy. It threatens opponents with its loud exhaust, and it can stick out its tongue from its tube-shaped mouth to spray poison.
This thing looks like a one-eyed, stone-bodied RC car!
But it's also a rare Steel/Poison typing!
Since when is a car a bull?!
And what "muscles" does Revavroom have? Are you talking about your own biceps?!
"Liming, you've gotta avenge me!"
"Leave it to me, Cade! To defend the glory of couriers—I will not refuse!"
The courier in front of him was actually greeting another courier. That guy had already been taken out by Dendra—also an NPC from the original game.
A bloodthirsty courier near Alfornada Cavern, also someone who didn't deliver packages and instead beat people up on the roadside. His catchphrase was "So hard," and his Pokémon was Mudsdale, with the Ability Own Tempo, level 39.
"Since this is supposed to be a fun fight, let's keep it light and end it fast." Hikaru rubbed his forehead.
"Roman Legion, Charging Formation! Use High Horsepower!"
Falinks surged forward with sky-high morale.
"Eeta! Eeta! Waaaaaagh!"
Liming's Revavroom roared to life, charging straight at Falinks in one burst.
Big fortune has arrived!
So what, exactly, is the definition of a bullfight?
If it has horns, it counts as a bull!
So goats, elephants—even rhinoceros beetles are bulls!
If it can run and it's strong, it's a bull!
So Revavroom is also a bull!
"Revavroom, use Spin Out!"
Courier Liming bulged his arms and roared at the top of his lungs. Hikaru heard that and was genuinely shaken.
Your level 39 Revavroom can use a level 52 move—how is that legal?!
Falinks' Roman Legion charge collided head-on with Revavroom's "big fortune engine," and as everyone knows—
Steel can't beat a body tempered through endless training!
That's the real root of why Steel is weak to Fighting!
Even though this wasn't a Fighting-type move, anyway!
"Waaaaaagh!" Falinks moved as one—six as a unit—forming a charging formation, and in the violent horsepower impact, they flipped Revavroom over in a single smash!
"Brululu!" Revavroom got launched straight into the air!
"Steel/Poison is four-times weak to Ground, you know. And Tauros usually know Ground-type moves too. Even if Revavroom didn't get shattered by Falinks' charge, it was never making it to the finals."
Hikaru looked at the courier on the other side, who was already crying out in misery, and helplessly nodded.
And Falinks had just sent that "big fortune truck" flying.
The Roman Legion yeeting a big fortune truck—how would anyone dream something like that?!
Anyway, it was a clean win in one go.
Falinks, trained out in the Asado Desert, probably started around level 26.
But the other contestants' Pokémon weren't particularly strong either.
Liming made a long, miserable face and yelled at the referee nearby.
"Ref! He's using six Pokémon—how is that not a violation?!"
Referee: "That's Falinks. It's six-in-one. It doesn't count as a violation."
Liming: "Six Pokémon slamming into my one Pokémon—how is that even fair?!"
"Damn it! I'm gonna stack six Revavroom together and come back to compete!"
Six Revavroom stacked together…
Hikaru couldn't help but go silent.
So you're a Team Star mechanic, huh?!
They'd been leveling up repeatedly in battle, and he'd also fed Falinks Rare Candies—so their level was probably in the low 30s by now.
Round two was also a one-hit sweep, Falinks' momentum unstoppable, and then the third match was Miraidon's turn to enter.
"Matador? Isn't that… a robot?"
The opposing contestant looked confused as Miraidon wagged its tail and took the field. That strange body shape really did look like some kind of machine product.
"Also—making it to round three, kid, you're not simple!"
"Copperajah, use Heavy Slam!"
The third-round opponent was named Yohei, and his catchphrase was: "How did you even make it to a place like this?"
"A trainer near Casseroya Lake, trainer type: taxi driver, Pokémon: Copperajah. In Scarlet/Violet, it's level 54, with the Ability Sheer Force!"
A level 54 Copperajah trainer!
At that level, in Paldea, you're basically undefeated.
That's Gym 8 leader or first-playthrough Elite Four territory.
Hikaru thought—this guy might even be Brassius's—no, wait, that makes no sense. Honestly, he might be the little kindergarten Elite Four kid Poppy's dad instead!
A rare steel specialist like this—there aren't many in all of Paldea!
And across all of Paldea, there seemed to be only three or four "taxi driver" trainer types.
Galar had even fewer.
The most famous taxi driver in Galar was the one who kept showing up in the animation series Twilight Wings—and since that guy used Corviknight, his identity was basically obvious.
In Galar, there are only three taxi driver trainers. The only one carrying Corviknight is the guy blocking the Champion's Path—near Route 10—telling you the ancient legend of Galar: "Kotaro"!
"Taxi drivers in every region are hidden masters… but how do I rate your Copperajah?"
"Where's your Flying Pokémon?"
"Is your taxi service just having Copperajah fling passengers into the sky?"
As Hikaru thought that, he also knew that, at this point in time, that Copperajah definitely wasn't actually that strong.
But level 40+ was probably real.
And from the way he carried himself, he looked like a professional contestant.
Still—if the bullfighting champion ends up being an elephant, is that really reasonable?!
So as long as it has horns, it doesn't matter whether those are tusks or bull horns—either way?
Bringing a pure Steel type into a Fighting-flavored competition—this guy had something going on.
"Miraidon, use—"
"Oh, right! You don't know Dragon Dance!"
Hikaru had been about to tell Miraidon to Dragon Dance, but then he remembered it couldn't.
Fine. Dragon Dance boosts Attack anyway, and Miraidon doesn't really need that, but still—if Miraidon is a future-tech creation, shouldn't it be able to just install a program for it?
"Agility!"
Miraidon's body blurred, shifting into its Ride Form. Even with nobody riding it, an electric dragon motorcycle can absolutely drive itself.
Copperajah's Heavy Slam missed!
"No long-range moves allowed, but that's fine! Miraidon, Electro Drift!"
Even as a special attacker, Miraidon has "melee-style special moves." Its signature move is Electro Drift.
It transforms while sprinting at high speed, piercing the target with unknown electricity. If it hits a weakness, the power increases even further!
"Deals damage to the target, and one lesser-known detail is—when it's super effective, its power increases by 33%!"
Of course, against Copperajah's pure Steel typing, you're not getting super effective.
But Miraidon's Special Attack—and the sheer level advantage it has the moment it hits the field—means that once this move fires, the opponent can basically declare death in advance.
Copperajah's Special Defense is only 69. It's pure paper.
"Agaaas!"
A violent teal-blue lightning shockwave tore across the arena!
After transforming, Miraidon took the form of a radiant wheel of lightning, releasing a fierce surge of electricity as it slammed into Copperajah!
Copperajah got blasted away by the electrical impact and dropped with a thunderous explosion, unable to rise.
"Agaashee, g-g-g-gah~" Miraidon took down Copperajah and, seeing that big guy laid out, seemed to remember the ancient Paradox Pokémon in Area Zero collapsing one after another. Its mood instantly soared, nodding repeatedly as it laughed.
Miraidon's mood improved, and it built up confidence in getting stronger!
So as long as it's not out in the wild—and it's doing an official match with a human—the difficulty drops instantly?
Huh?
Why is that?
"'How did you make it here' is what I should be saying, right?!"
Against an Elite Four member, you did great.
I mean, it's the Elite Four. If you got solo'd by some random roadside hidden master, that'd be embarrassing as hell.
Hikaru waved to the opponent in salute, while Yohei—the taxi driver hidden master—stared wide-eyed at his fallen Copperajah.
Yohei: "How could this happen?! My Copperajah has won the bullfighting tournament's Champion Bull title before!"
"And now it gets taken out in round three!"
"It really won that before? Th-this—there are bulls here!" Hikaru complained helplessly.
Copperajah was out here being the champion!
Where are the bulls we were promised?!
"Other than the first-round opponent, none of them are even bulls anymore!"
"So who's in round four?"
Hikaru waited for the fourth-round match, and the opponent this time was an unexpectedly familiar figure.
"Hehe. Nice to meet you. You are the newly appointed Elite Four member, yes?"
(End of Chapter)
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