The announcer's sigh echoed through the arena, a sentiment shared by many in the audience.
Earlier, when the Golden Magikarp had leapt high into the air with Bounce, its entire body shimmered with dazzling golden light, like a carp soaring through the Dragon Gate…
For a moment, many thought it would finally evolve into a mighty Gyarados!
After all…
With such strength, surely this Magikarp was ready to evolve?
Unfortunately, until the very end, it never evolved. And so, it lost the battle.
"You did well, Magikarp. Get some rest now," Yozora recalled the Golden Magikarp, his voice tinged with regret.
With the immense foundation this Magikarp had built, if it evolved, its level would surely skyrocket.
Defeating Starmie would have been no trouble at all.
But alas, Magikarp still hadn't evolved. They would need to wait patiently for the right moment.
Unlike the games…
Where once the level requirement is met, evolution is guaranteed.
In this world, level is only the most basic condition for evolution. More importantly, a Pokémon needs the right opportunity.
Sometimes, when that opportunity arrives, a Pokémon can evolve even if its level isn't sufficient—though in such cases, it often suffers from stunted growth for a long while afterward.
"Your turn, Golduck!" Without hesitation, Yozora sent out his next partner.
"Golduck!"
In an instant, Golduck appeared on the floating platform opposite Starmie—wearing a plaid shirt, surf shorts, and even a pair of stylish sunglasses.
"And here comes Yozora's second Pokémon—Golduck! I must say, Yozora's Golduck has quite the personality! Very fashionable too!" the announcer laughed.
This Golduck loved showing off.
And now, having stepped onto such a grand stage, it wasted no time flaunting itself—balancing on one hand, flexing its muscles, and striking pose after pose like a bodybuilder.
It presented its physique to the crowd and cameras with pride.
The audience roared with laughter, and gasps of "Shiny!" quickly followed.
The announcer froze, then leaned forward to take a closer look. Suddenly, he shouted in excitement:
"Incredible! Yozora's Golduck is actually a Shiny Pokémon!"
As he spoke, the live broadcast camera zoomed in on Golduck's skin tone, giving everyone a close-up.
"It may not be the most obvious coloration, but yes—it's definitely Shiny! Good heavens, is Yozora secretly a Shiny collector?! Magikarp, Graveler, and now Golduck… he actually owns three Shiny Pokémon at once! That's outrageously lucky!" The announcer's voice dripped with envy.
The crowd erupted in chaos.
Countless spectators screamed with jealousy and curses.
This was too much.
Ordinary people would consider themselves blessed beyond measure to own just one Shiny. But three?
It was downright unfair!
"Wow, Golduck looks even cooler than before!" From outside the field, Misty's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Golduck, her lovestruck expression leaving Ash and Brock speechless.
Of course.
She had always been Golduck's number-one fangirl…
"A Shiny Golduck…" On the battlefield, Natsume (Summer Rain) was equally shocked, her expression laced with envy.
Like Misty, she was a devoted Water-type enthusiast. Seeing Yozora casually field two Shinies in a row made her heart ache with jealousy.
"Flashy or not, that Golduck is way too frivolous," she muttered.
The duck strutted around, ignoring Starmie, ignoring the battle—showing off as if the match didn't matter. To Natsume, Yozora's leniency with it felt careless, and she let out a soft snort.
The referee's whistle blew—the match had begun!
"Starmie, put him in his place! Use Psychic and toss it away!" Natsume commanded sharply.
"Chaa!"
Unlike Golduck's flamboyant antics, Starmie was calm and composed.
It answered her order and released a wave of psychic power—an invisible force taking the shape of massive unseen hands, rushing toward Golduck.
At once, Golduck grew alert. It took off its sunglasses and revealed eyes filled with steely determination.
Though the psychic force was invisible, it was still a construct of psychic energy.
And while Golduck wasn't a Psychic-type, it still possessed powerful psychic abilities—stronger even than Starmie's!
"Golduck!"
With a mere thought, Golduck stirred the air—like a gust of wind slicing through the arena.
Starmie's Psychic shattered instantly. Water splashed violently around the battlefield.
Starmie froze. A moment later, its body was hurled backward—
Flying dozens of meters before slamming into the wall outside the arena with a resounding crash.
Its body went limp, collapsing in a heap.
The red core at its center flashed wildly, like an Ultraman running out of energy.
"Starmie!" Natsume gasped, eyes wide.
"What just happened?! Starmie's Psychic had no effect—and yet Starmie itself was blasted away?!" The announcer's shocked voice rang out.
The referee quickly signaled the outcome—Starmie was unable to battle.
Though it had no eyes or mouth, the glowing red core was its lifeforce.
When that core flickered erratically, it meant the Pokémon had run out of energy and could no longer fight.
"Golduck looks amazing when it gets serious!" Misty swooned from the stands.
Many other girls in the audience suddenly became just like her, staring at Golduck with lovestruck eyes.
Leaving their boyfriends beside them quietly questioning life…
Wait…
Were they really losing to a duck?
"That must've been Psychic! Golduck used an even stronger Psychic to overwhelm Starmie in one blow!" the announcer analyzed excitedly.
Natsume froze.
"Psychic…?"
Psychic against Psychic.
And Starmie, being a true Psychic-type, had natural resistance to such moves—it should've taken only half the damage.
Even so, it had been knocked out instantly…
Just how strong was this Golduck?
For a moment, the pressure felt crushing—like a mountain bearing down on her. Looking at Yozora and Golduck now, their presence loomed impossibly tall and overwhelming.
"No. Even if that Golduck is powerful, I still have an even stronger partner…" Natsume clenched her fists, steeling herself as she sent out her second Pokémon.
A Dewgong emerged gracefully from the water.
But—
No sooner had Dewgong surfaced than Golduck's Psychic flung it across the field, straight into the same wall as Starmie.
It too collapsed, unable to battle.
"Dewgong is unable to fight—Golduck wins!" the referee declared flatly, his voice devoid of emotion, almost mechanical.
…
…
(End of Chapter)