After grabbing a quick bite, everyone headed back to the training room.
This time, Auron didn't open a private battle room; instead, he booked a slot on the public battlefield.
The public field was a lot like the Baby Cup matches—there were always spectators. The difference was that most viewers here were students, since there wasn't any ticket fee. Before Auron ever had his own Pokémon, he used to come watch matches on this public field all the time. Naturally, most of the trainers who battled here were students too.
Back in the training room, Auron looked around at the group.
"Take five. Our slot is at two o'clock—three matches total. Let's lock in the matchups."
He'd barely finished when Jace, eyes blazing with fighting spirit, fixed on Auron.
"Then I pick you. Arcanine versus Golbat."
Auron's mouth quirked.
"Works for me."
Off to the side, Tim groaned.
"Ugh! I wanted to challenge Auron. You beat me to it."
Jace shot him a dismissive look.
"Hesitation leads to defeat."
Tim bristled at being called out.
"And rushing in gets you KO'd for free."
He clapped his hands over his ears and refused to listen.
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening."
With nothing else to say, Jace could only mutter back, disgruntled, "Childish."
Watching the exchange, You Yuyou couldn't help a faint smile. Mustering his nerve, he stepped up to Tim.
"Then I'll be your opponent."
"Deal. Dragonair versus Haunter."
"Mm."
Tim agreed without hesitation—if he had to face Serena, that would be a nightmare matchup. He had zero interest in being hammered into the floor by a girl in front of a crowd.
Seeing the others had paired off, Yin Hanling smiled at Serena.
"Looks like it's just us. How about Misdreavus versus Milotic?"
"Sounds great."
Serena answered readily, then tilted her head in curiosity.
"Hey, why hasn't your Misdreavus evolved into Mismagius?"
Yin Hanling gently patted the little ghost's head.
"Little Mengmeng isn't ready yet. No rush."
Serena laughed and ran her fingers over Cloyster's shell.
"This one's the opposite. The moment she heard evolution meant getting stronger, she wouldn't stop pestering me about it."
Cloyster's shell didn't have much in the way of nerves, but it still squinted, looking thoroughly pleased.
They formed a loose circle and chatted for a bit. Before long, their scheduled time was almost up.
Auron gathered everyone.
"Let's head over and get staged. We'll go in the order we just said: I'm up first with Jace, Tim and You Yuyou are second, Serena and Yin Hanling third. Good?"
"OK."
"OK."
Tim and Yin Hanling answered in unison. Still talking, they made their way to the stands by the edge of the field.
The two trainers on the field hadn't finished yet. From the look of it, Yungoos wouldn't last much longer. Its opponent was a Fighting-type Crabrawler, and after a few Rock Smash hits, Yungoos just couldn't hold out.
Sure enough, a moment later Crabrawler's fist flared with a brownish light, and another Rock Smash crashed down on Yungoos's head.
Yungoos couldn't take any more. Its eyes spiraled as it flopped onto the ground, losing the ability to battle.
Auron glanced at Jace.
"Let's go. Our turn."
"Let's."
Before they stepped up, a staffer asked,
"Do you want to change the terrain?"
Auron waved it off. "No need. Standard field's fine."
"Got it."
At the battle center's public fields, you could swap terrain types—water pool, rocky terrain, desert, and so on.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
At the referee's call, Auron and Jace pitched their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Go, Golbat!"
"Go, Arcanine!"
[Pokémon: Arcanine]
Sex: Female
Type: Fire
Ability: Flash Fire (When hit by a Fire-type move, it absorbs the flames; the power of its own Fire-type moves increases.)
Aptitude: Purple
[Move List — Basics]
Extreme Speed, Take Down, Crunch, Burn Up, Ember, Howl, Reversal, Play Rough, Flame Wheel, Retaliate, Agility, Fire Fang, Flare Blitz, Roar, Flamethrower, Hyper Voice, Heat Wave, Close Combat, Sunny Day, Gyro Ball
[Egg Moves]
Flame Wheel, Flame Charge, Facade
Auron looked at Jace, a little surprised. He hadn't expected Jace's Growlithe to evolve and already learn this many moves. He wasn't sure about the proficiency, though.
Auron's smile turned sly. He thought to himself,
Didn't see this coming, did you? I've got a little surprise for you.
The flag dropped with a swish.
"Arcanine—Sunny Day!"
"Golbat—Sludge Bomb!"
Just as Auron expected—Jace led with Sunny Day.
Arcanine spat a tiny sun up into the air, and the weather shifted to harsh sunlight.
[Weather: Harsh Sunlight]
• Fire-type move power ×1.5
• Water-type move power ×0.5
• Pokémon cannot become frozen
To get Sunny Day off, Arcanine tanked a Sludge Bomb head-on.
Unfortunately for Auron, it didn't inflict poison.
Jace's mouth tugged up. The sun was out, and there was no poison—perfect. His plan accounted for getting poisoned if that's what it took, as long as the sun went up.
With Harsh Sunlight, Arcanine could push for a fast knockout.
"Arcanine—Flamethrower!"
Arcanine drew a deep breath, and a red-hot lance of flame shot from its jaws straight at Golbat.
"Golbat—Double Team, then Rain Dance."
Shadows fanned out from Golbat; it split into multiple afterimages, letting Flamethrower rake harmlessly through the air.
Then it spat a blue orb of energy upward, hitting the tiny sun Arcanine had conjured.
The little sun snuffed out. Rain began to pour from the sky.
In the sudden downpour, both Jace and Arcanine fell silent, letting the drops drum over them.
Auron didn't order an immediate attack either. Fair was fair—give Jace a beat to respond.
Jace clenched his teeth, eyes on Auron's amused smile across the field.
"Arcanine—Sunny Day!"
He had no choice but to counter the rain with another weather move—otherwise Arcanine couldn't play at all. Most of her offense was Fire-type; in rain, Fire was halved. How was he supposed to fight like that?
"Golbat—Taunt."
Golbat's execution speed edged out Arcanine's. Before she could spit out the new sun, Taunt snapped across and cut off Sunny Day.
"Been waiting on that, kid. Surprise?"
As the field settled into another taut calm, Auron murmured,
"End it. Nasty Plot into Sludge Bomb."
High above, Golbat's expression turned almost human in its wickedness. Nasty Plot triggered—Golbat's Sp. Atk rose sharply.
A heartbeat later, it whipped a violet Sludge Bomb from the tip of its wing.
"Extreme Speed! Evade, then Crunch when you're in close!"
Jace bit down hard. If it was going to be a brawl, then brawl. With the weather against him, he didn't have many options.
Arcanine blurred forward, not only dodging the Sludge Bomb but streaking straight to Golbat's flank.
"Golbat—Shadow Ball!"
Unfazed by the approach, Golbat timed its counter, ramming a Shadow Ball right into Arcanine's open jaws.
Arcanine choked, momentum hitching; her speed dipped for a fraction.
Golbat's eyes lit. It swept its wings twice more, hurling two additional Shadow Balls.
…
(End of Chapter)
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