Counter.
This was Norman's final trump card in a desperate situation—
and also his true killing move.
Counter: Borrow the opponent's power and return double the physical damage taken in the previous exchange.
It was a move that bordered on being unfair.
And Vigoroth—having fought alongside Norman for years—clearly understood his intent.
During the earlier clash, it had deliberately held back just enough, allowing itself to be blown away by Miltank's power while secretly preserving the conditions needed to strike back in one decisive reversal!
Sorry… this match is mine, Norman thought, glancing at Peter with a hint of apology.
Without realizing it, he had gone all-out.
And in a battle like this, deliberately losing would be the true disrespect.
Besides—
If a teacher lost to his own prospective student, how was he supposed to teach afterward?
How was he supposed to maintain authority?
No matter what, he had to win this match.
Yes—Norman had already decided.
Once the battle ended, he would take this tactical prodigy under his wing and train him properly.
BOOM—!!
As Norman finished his thoughts, Vigoroth's arms—glowing red—slammed violently into Miltank's body.
The dust that had barely begun to settle exploded outward once more, swallowing the entire battlefield.
Seeing no movement for several seconds, Norman smiled faintly.
"It looks like I—"
"Miltank… one last Body Press!"
THUD!
A dull impact rang out.
From within the smoke, Vigoroth was hurled backward and crashed heavily onto the ground—
Already unconscious.
Norman: "Huh?!"
Caroline: "???"
Peter wore the same mischievous grin he used to show on stream whenever he read an opponent perfectly.
"Sorry, Mr. Norman," he said lightly,
"I predicted your Counter."
"The last move Miltank hadn't shown yet—was Endure."
Endure: Brace the body with all its strength, allowing the user to survive a lethal blow with a sliver of stamina instead of fainting.
"Endure?! When did you use that?!"
Norman stared in disbelief. "You used it?!"
He couldn't accept it.
He had won!
Peter stepped forward and gently rubbed Miltank's head.
"Just now," he replied calmly.
"I've been raising Miltank for three years. Having a few silent communication tricks seems pretty reasonable, right?"
He smiled, saying nothing more.
…
The truth was, Peter had considered countless tactical lines from the very start.
The Defense Curl + Rollout combo was powerful—but it was also exactly what Norman would be most wary of.
So Peter deliberately used Defense Curl to expose a fake opening.
And Norman, to his credit, took the bait perfectly—
Revealing Encore, Bulk Up, and Focus Punch in one sequence.
To be honest, when Focus Punch came roaring in, Peter really did panic for a split second.
But once Miltank tanked the hit—
The winning equation was complete.
The only remaining variable was Norman's final move.
Peter couldn't say he was 100% certain—but there was at least an 80% chance it would be either Reversal or Counter.
One of the two.
That was precisely why he didn't use Rollout to close the distance after Defense Curl.
Yes, Rollout could have interrupted Focus Punch's charge—
But Norman had stacked Bulk Up twice.
There was no guarantee Body Press would one-shot Vigoroth.
And once all four of Peter's moves were revealed, Miltank would become a sitting duck.
All Norman needed was one Counter—
And a weakened Miltank would be finished.
This battle—
For the first time in a very long while—
Made Peter feel that intoxicating sense of complete control again.
The joy of planning several steps ahead.
For Pokémon battles, he had gained an entirely new understanding.
Move selection.
Dodging.
Timing.
Clashes.
Stamina management.
All of it made his blood boil.
Choosing to remain passive with Defense Curl at the start had also served another purpose—
To observe how Norman seized timing during battle.
To imitate.
To learn.
Charging in recklessly would only expose weaknesses.
With that thought, Peter mentally stored away this precious experience and rubbed Miltank's head again.
"You did amazing, Miltank. Thank you for your hard work."
"Moo~"
Miltank grinned innocently and handed him a cup of MooMoo Milk.
A sign of its acknowledgment.
…
"The winner has been decided!" Caroline announced cheerfully.
"Victory goes to Peter of Goldenrod City and Miltank!
According to our agreement, someone is taking Peter as a disciple now~"
Norman's face instantly turned red.
"Cough—cough… That was a very impressive battle," he said stiffly.
"I didn't expect you to be this skilled tactically. Come with me."
Hands clasped behind his back, he walked toward the backyard, putting on the full 'teacher' act.
"Don't mind him," Caroline's voice rang out behind them, completely unfiltered.
"He's embarrassed to death right now—HAHA!"
Norman stumbled mid-step.
"Peter, hurry up! And you—you—you—say less! And remember to make lunch for Peter too!"
Caroline covered her mouth, laughing. "Oh? Someone's flustered~?"
"Pfft—"
Peter couldn't help laughing as well and followed Norman into the backyard.
….
[Ding! Successfully challenged a higher-level opponent.
Reward obtained: Special Attack Aptitude +1]
[Ding! Achievement completed – First Victory!
Reward obtained: Master Points ×10]
"…Huh?"
Peter blinked.
Aptitude points? You can get those too?
Based on what he'd learned earlier, Aptitude was the combined expression of individual potential and species limits.
Which meant—
Could he theoretically raise a Pokémon to max aptitude through battles like this?
"…Holy crap, that's broken," Peter muttered instinctively.
"Hm? What was that?" Norman turned around, confused.
"Ah—nothing! I was just saying, uh… Teacher, your garden design is really impressive."
"Haha, is that so? Caroline always says I have no aesthetic sense."
Norman felt inexplicably pleased.
After all—
Who could refuse a polite, smart, talented disciple?
…
A short while later, Norman led Peter beneath a massive tree.
The thick trunk was crowded with Slaking, Vigoroth, and Slakoth—
This was clearly the Slaking family's nest.
Norman sat down on the ground.
"Tell me about your background. That'll help me arrange an appropriate training plan."
Peter sat beside him and briefly explained how he'd spent years saving up, choosing to gamble everything at eighteen.
Norman sighed.
"If you'd said that earlier, I wouldn't have turned you away so quickly. I'm not heartless, you know… What a waste."
In Norman's eyes, Peter had squandered eight years.
If they'd met eight years ago—
Peter might already possess Elite Four, or even Champion-tier, strength.
"It's alright," Peter said calmly.
"At least now I'm still moving firmly toward my dream. And I still have enough opportunities."
Norman slapped his shoulder hard.
"Well said! Have you decided on your starter Pokémon? I'll arrange one for you—consider it your apprenticeship gift."
Here it comes!
Peter suppressed the excitement in his chest and looked at Norman.
"Actually… that's one of the reasons I came to see you."
"I want to choose Slakoth as my starter Pokémon."