The match ended so quickly that many soldiers hadn't even had time to process what happened.
Miles was considered average among the troops, but his Staraptor was undeniably Peak Elite level, and yet it had been taken down that easily?
Frogadier must be a monster in Elite disguise… more like a hidden Ace level monster!
And finally, the soldiers realized… that reward was definitely not something you could just win casually.
"Nice job. The finishing blow was perfectly timed."
Watching Frogadier return to his side, Sato praised it without hesitation.
"Frog." 'Hn[1].'
Frogadier, however, remained calm; barely even reacting.
As far as it was concerned, facing opponents like Staraptor… back at the Breeding Base, it could take on ten of them at once!
Sato didn't mind. He turned his gaze toward the disheartened Miles and the rest of the low-spirited soldiers.
"…This is the proud elite force of the Sinnoh League? You can't handle a little setback or defeat?"
His words reignited the soldiers' anger, and soon one of them stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"REPORTING, COMMANDER! SECOND PLATOON, SQUAD SIX, SANGŌ REQUESTING GUIDANCE!"
"Very well. Sangō, step forward!"
Sangō marched confidently to Miles's side, gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, and then stepped into the Trainer's position.
"SECOND PLATOON, SQUAD SIX LEADER, SANGŌ. SEND OUT YOUR BATTLE POKÉMON!" temporary referee Micah announced loudly, also taking the opportunity to inform Sato that this one was a squad leader.
"Toxicroak! That opponent is strong, stay sharp!"
"Croa!"
The moment Toxicroak appeared, Frogadier immediately jumped back into the battlefield. The competitive tension between species was clearly stronger here…
This would be a rare frog-versus-frog battle!
…But as the match began, Toxicroak lasted barely three moves before being taken out in one hit by Frogadier's STAB's Hydro Pump.
Thanks to its Ability -Protean- every one of Frogadier's attacks became overwhelmingly strong.
That small body managed to unleash force most people couldn't even imagine.
"Squad Leader" Sangō had also been defeated!
And this dealt yet another heavy blow to the already low morale of the soldiers.
The gap… was just too wide!
It was only now that the soldiers truly understood: Micah's initial "only using little ones" line might have been a sugarcoated way of putting it.
The truth was… they really couldn't win.
Yet even so, when Sato asked again for challengers, there were still soldiers willing to step forward.
Maybe everyone who went up would lose… but they would never admit defeat!
The true spirit of a soldier was on full display at this moment.
"Then let the battle continue!"
"Frog." 'Hn'
Frogadier responded with "excitement" and re-entered the field for another match.
Third match: Frogadier won again!
Fourth match: still a win!
Fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth…
All the way to the twenty-first match. Even though Frogadier had avoided most attacks thanks to its excellent dodging ability, it was now clearly gasping for breath.
Frogadier was almost at its limit, but the soldiers were more fired up than ever. They could finally see the light of victory!
At last, another soldier stepped forward. He wasn't a squad leader or a platoon commander, he just happened to be next in the challenge order.
He sent out his Pokémon: an Electric-type Luxray!
As soon as the match began, the soldier shouted without hesitation: "DISCHARGE! HIT THE WHOLE FIELD!"
In the earlier battles, Frogadier had already been forced to use its life-saving Protect, so against a relentless barrage of Discharge, it couldn't hold out for long.
Finally, the Discharge broke through Frogadier's defense and drained the last of its stamina.
Sato… had lost.
The soldier… had won!
Thunderous applauses and roars erupted across the battlefield. Even if it had taken a gauntlet of matches to bring down Frogadier, the fact remained.
It had been defeated!
Of course, no one dared to look down on Sato or Frogadier for the loss.
But once the clapping subsided, everyone's eyes turned toward Luxray's Trainer; filled with nothing but envy.
Sometimes, when luck hits you, there's just no stopping it!
Sato recalled Frogadier back into its Poké Ball and quietly said, "…Good job."
The successive battles had been tough, but for Frogadier, it was undeniably the best kind of training.
Then, Sato turned toward the "lucky winner" across from him.
"Reporting, Commander… I don't deserve this reward."
"…Hmm?"
Sato blinked, thinking, 'Did I just meet a kid with a conscience?'
"ERAI! WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING? APOLOGIZE TO COMMANDER SATO IMMEDIATELY!"
One of the squad leaders who had participated earlier suddenly shouted angrily, clearly frustrated.
"Erai, don't act on emotion. Luck is part of strength too!"
"Erai, don't be foolish! Better that you win it than all of us walk away empty-handed!"
"EXACTLY! Erai, stop being stubborn!"
"Erai…"
That Potential Enhancement Serum was priceless and unattainable by normal means. How could he just say no?
But seeing Erai stubbornly shake his head, unwilling to apologize or take back his words, the other soldiers were torn between exasperation and pride…
And their already-solid team cohesion grew even stronger in that moment!
"Enough! I've already said it. I'm not taking it back. The serum belongs to you, and you will accept it. But I also respect the military spirit you've all shown… so I'll personally add another vial, awarded to the soldier who 'contributed' the most today."
The moment Sato finished speaking, Erai looked up in surprise. His trembling lips seemed to form words, but in the end, he swallowed them back…
Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers erupted in cheers. They had thought the serum was gone for good; who knew Sato would grant them another chance?
Micah, standing at the referee station, grinned from ear to ear. Sato hadn't said the reward was only for regular soldiers…
Which meant… he could compete for it too?
Even as a Second Lieutenant, a single vial of Potential Enhancement Serum was an irreplaceable treasure.
But if Sato knew what Micah was thinking, he'd definitely laugh coldly and say. '…How can someone be so shameless!?'
With the training session wrapped up and Frogadier's battle goals achieved, Sato was in a good mood; though he still mentally added Micah to his little black book…
Soon after, Sato returned to the medical zone, where the military Nurse Joy helped him treat Frogadier's injuries.
---◓---
After all the action, it was finally time for dinner.
Naturally, Sato was also invited to join Cynthia and the other commanding officers for a shared meal.
Nothing unexpected happened at the dinner table. No one was foolish enough to question Sato's sudden involvement anymore.
But after the meal, Cynthia personally came to find Sato.
"I've already heard about Second Lieutenant Micah. I've removed him from the operation entirely. Once the mission's over, I'll personally cover your losses. You came here to assist me… there's no way I'm letting you pay out of pocket!"
[1] CHILLL SASUKE