Three days later.
Ethan walked while holding Charmander in his arms, heading toward the university gym.
Today was the evaluation day for the reserve team members, and although it had been a long time since he'd taken part in any examination, Ethan had gotten up early for the first time in a while.
"Ethan."
Patrick Mills watched him slowly enter the gym, his expression turning somewhat serious.
Especially when he saw the little Charmander in Ethan's arms—his eyes flickered for a moment.
He knew perfectly well that this Charmander was the prize from the tournament for the starter Pokémon—one that Ethan had won.
Even though Patrick himself had improved a lot recently, facing the year's top rookie still gave him an inexplicable sense of pressure.
"I'm the current number one in the rankings."
"Even if he's the 'Rookie King,' he's still just a rookie."
"I'm a veteran; I have my own advantages. Our training foundation is something they can't compare to."
Patrick took a deep breath; his eyes sharpened as he began to psych himself up mentally.
At that moment, Lucas Silver, Marcus Foster, Kyle Miller, and Jasper Reid also entered. Both teams lined up opposite each other on the battlefield, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"I see everyone's here."
Professor Leonard Langford calmly entered through the doors, glancing at both sides with a composed expression.
Upon seeing him, all the students greeted respectfully.
Although Professor Langford's training methods were quite strict, no one could deny their effectiveness.
Under his guidance, members from both teams had grown rapidly. Competition meant progress—and in this case, that was absolutely true.
"This will be the final match before the exchange tournament."
"In past battles, both sides have taken turns winning and losing, but that no longer matters."
"In this match, whoever wins will represent the university in the exchange."
With just a few words, Professor Langford managed to ignite everyone's fighting spirit. The pressure transformed into an intense drive to win.
After all, the victor would earn the right to participate in the official exchange tournament!
"Chaaarr!"
Charmander sensed the competitive energy filling the stadium and let out a cheerful roar. His body glowed with a faint fiery red, raising the temperature in the air and making both teams start to sweat.
"If both teams are ready, begin the battle."
Professor Langford ignored the rising tension and calmly gave the signal to start.
Both sides threw out their Poké Balls; white flashes lit up the arena, and ten Pokémon appeared at once.
Ethan's team consisted of Slowking, Metagross, Salamence, Scizor, and Aggron, while Patrick's team lined up with Arcanine, Charizard, Poliwrath, Quagsire, and Aggron.
The difference was immediately noticeable: Ethan's team formation had changed greatly, while Patrick's remained exactly the same as before.
That was precisely the difference between rookies and veterans: rookies were still in their growth phase, their Pokémon improving rapidly; veterans, on the other hand, had experience and stability, but their teams were already fully developed—with little room to grow.
"The same lineup again, huh?"
Marcus smiled faintly upon seeing Patrick's formation.
"Let's finish this quickly."
Lucas also smiled. Though victory would decide who went to the tournament, winning decisively would be even better—a way to stand out in front of the professor and increase their chances of joining the school's main team.
As soon as the battle began, Scizor and Aggron from Ethan's team charged forward at high speed, completely ignoring the fact that the opponent had two Fire-types—Arcanine and Charizard.
"Flamethrower!"
Although Patrick didn't fully understand his opponent's strategy, he wasn't about to miss a chance to attack two Steel-types that had rushed in recklessly.
But just as Arcanine and Charizard were about to unleash their flames, Slowking and Metagross's bodies were enveloped in a blue glow.
The two of them—or rather, the three, counting Shellder—unleashed their psychic power simultaneously, completely surrounding all five of the opponent's Pokémon.
In an instant, Arcanine and Charizard were paralyzed, unable to release their flames!
"Salamence, use Dragon Rage!"
"Scizor, use Superpower!"
"Aggron, use Heavy Slam!"
Taking advantage of the enemy's immobilization, the three Pokémon attacked Arcanine together. The powerful moves struck with devastating force, launching the canine into the air before slamming it into the protective wall of the field—knocking it out instantly.
"Nice! On to the next one!"
Marcus shouted excitedly, directing the three Pokémon to pounce on their next target.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The entire gym fell silent.
No one expected Patrick's team to be completely overwhelmed without even being able to fight back.
"This is... brutal."
Kyle gaped in shock.
He knew they'd win—but this easily?
"That's Slowking?"
"What overwhelming psychic power... The Pokémon on the other side couldn't even react."
Lucas also stared at Ethan's Slowking in astonishment.
He knew the mental strength of his own Metagross very well, and while it was strong, it could never reach that level.
Even Metagross itself, wearing a stunned expression, seemed to acknowledge that Slowking's psychic power far surpassed its own—and by a huge margin.
"We lost... that fast?"
Patrick and his teammates stood frozen, barely able to believe the battle had ended before it even began.
As they mentally replayed the fight, a chill ran down their spines.
Two Psychic-type Pokémon had restrained all five of the opponents, while the other three crushed them through sheer force. It was such a violent, overwhelming tactic that few teams could ever withstand it.
Even Professor Langford, watching from the sidelines, couldn't hide his surprise.
Clearly, not even he had anticipated such a dominant outcome.
It was a total victory—without the need for any elaborate strategy. As long as the opponents couldn't break free from Slowking and Metagross's psychic pressure, the battle was lost from the very first second.
(End of chapter)