"Damn… too strong!"
Koji stared at Nozomi and Metagross, utterly despondent.
He knew Metagross was powerful, but his Raichu wasn't weak either. He had expected Raichu to hold out for at least a few turns. Yet, after just two moves, it had been taken down.
Metagross' strength was suffocating.
"Too weak. Where's your second Pokémon?"
Nozomi's expression remained unchanged, showing no trace of joy. To him, the previous victory had been nothing remarkable.
In fact, the battle so far hadn't even been a warm-up for him and Metagross.
Gritting his teeth, Koji called out, "Go, Charmeleon!"
A deep-red Charmeleon with razor-sharp claws appeared on the battlefield.
If Koji remembered correctly, Metagross was a Steel/Psychic-type Pokémon. As a Fire-type, Charmeleon should have a type advantage.
"With a type advantage, I should be able to last longer… at least I won't lose so quickly," Koji muttered to himself, not greedy for victory—just hoping to hold out long enough to save face in front of his peers.
Clinging to that thought, Koji chose a defensive move for his first attack:
"Charmeleon, give it everything—use Fire Spin!"
Charmeleon opened its mouth, spewing a torrent of blazing orange flames that formed a towering fire vortex, five or six meters high, sweeping toward Metagross.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"
Unfazed by the oncoming vortex, Metagross raised its iron arms. A shimmering wave of Meteor Mash shot forward like a river of stars, colliding head-on with Charmeleon's flames.
"Meteor Mash… should be able to block it," Koji thought.
Meteor Mash relied on sheer numbers rather than raw power. Charmeleon's Fire Spin had been specially trained, so Koji expected it to withstand the attack.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a tremendous explosion erupted.
Boom!
The fire vortex disintegrated as if made of paper. Meteor Mash continued its momentum, striking Charmeleon with brutal force. Charmeleon screamed in pain, its body battered and scorched.
"Charmeleon, dodge!"
Koji panicked. This outcome was entirely unexpected. Seeing Charmeleon overwhelmed by Meteor Mash, he shouted frantically.
"Metagross, don't let Charmeleon escape! Agility, then Bullet Punch!"
Whoosh—!
Metagross' fists glowed white as its hovering body suddenly surged forward. A silver-gray streak blurred across the battlefield.
Bang!
Charmeleon was sent flying through the air, tumbling with its eyes rolling back. Before hitting the ground, it had already lost consciousness.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle!"
The referee announced the result of the second match.
The Pokémon Tech students gathered around the edge of the battlefield stared in disbelief.
"Koji-senpai lost again?!"
"Not even Charmeleon could do it?"
"Charmeleon had the type advantage against Metagross!"
The crowd erupted in shock. They couldn't believe Koji had been defeated so swiftly.
"Charmeleon…"
Koji felt his thoughts in disarray.
This was nothing like he had imagined. Charmeleon had lasted even less time against Metagross than Raichu had.
Of course… Raichu is still my main Pokémon, he realized.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Koji muttered, "What am I thinking… I'm about to lose."
Despite his words, he knew the truth. Even with type advantages, his two Pokémon had failed to harm Metagross in the slightest. The match was already decided.
"Do you want to continue?"
Nozomi looked at Koji's dejected expression and asked.
He found it a bit absurd—he was supposed to be the victim here, yet these guys acted as if he were the villain.
"Go!"
Koji refused to give up.
At this stage of the match, surrendering would make all the damage he had taken meaningless.
He sent out his third Pokémon.
"Go, Nidoking!"
Roar!
A massive Nidoking, radiating an intimidating aura, stepped onto the battlefield.
This Nidoking was a recent capture, and Koji hadn't fully built trust with it yet. It wasn't fully obedient.
But aside from Nidoking, he only had Raichu and Charmeleon. Before Nozomi sent out Metagross, he had never imagined the battle would turn out this way.
So he had no choice but to send out Nidoking.
Seeing Metagross, Nidoking roared and charged straight ahead, ignoring Koji's commands.
The ground trembled slightly as Nidoking barreled across the battlefield.
Koji: "…"
Nozomi: "…"
Nozomi couldn't help rolling his eyes. He had briefly thought this match might have some challenge, but the reckless Nidoking was just a fool.
"Metagross, Comet Punch!"
Facing the charging Nidoking, Metagross swung its iron arms.
A white-glowing punch slammed directly onto Nidoking's head.
Bang!
Nidoking collapsed instantly, laid out on the ground.
"Nidoking is unable to battle. Metagross wins!"
Metagross had achieved three consecutive victories.
Immediately, the Pokémon Tech students watching were stunned and embarrassed.
They had been utterly humiliated. As members of Pokémon Tech, to be defeated so completely by a single Pokémon was a disgrace.
The crowd was in uproar.
Nozomi, arms crossed, looked down at the furious Pokémon Tech students with no particular expression.
To him, they were just spoiled brats.
The "elite-style" oppressive education had warped and radicalized them, creating students who measured worth by strength, venting their frustrations by bullying the weak.
If such things hadn't happened to him personally, he might not care. But since he had suffered under this same system in the past, Nozomi felt both the right and the obligation to change it.