"Pi~!"
With another rhythmic clap, Clefairy released a surge of energy that flowed straight into Rufflet.
In an instant, its unstable posture snapped back into perfect balance.
Then—
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, cloaked in blazing blue flas—
It shot forward.
"BOOM—!"
The Brave Bird struck Braviary square in the chest.
Caught completely off guard, Braviary lost all balance and plumted helplessly from the sky…
The comntator nearly shouted himself hoarse:
"'After You'?! I can't believe I'm seeing this move used in an actual battle! Teacher Yan truly is a genius among geniuses!!"
Ash blinked in confusion. "After You? That's a move?"
"It's a technique that accelerates the target's action timing," Paul explained calmly. "It effectively lets them execute their move instantly."
Though his expression remained indifferent, there was a faint ripple in his eyes.
…
anwhile—
Rufflet had already surged forward again.
With Clefairy's continuous support, even Gengar couldn't hold out for long.
After just two hits—
It collapsed.
Even in its final monts, it couldn't understand what had gone wrong.
Why…
It hadn't been able to use a single move.
"Victory decided—! Rufflet wins the entire battle using just one move! Congratulations to Peter and Whitney!!!"
"WOOOOOO—!!!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
The comntator, still buzzing with excitent, quickly followed up:
"But I have to ask—why was Gengar unable to use any moves? And how did Rufflet manage to match Braviary's strength head-on?"
Peter took the microphone with a relaxed smile.
"The strategy used in this match was actually very simple—one support, one attacker."
"But because of that, the opponent's setup Pokémon—Gengar—had to be neutralized first. Otherwise, once it snowballed, the battle would be out of control."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a scarf.
"This is a held item called a Choice Scarf."
"It greatly boosts a Pokémon's speed—but locks it into the first move it uses after entering battle."
Then he took out another item.
"And this is the Choice Band—it significantly increases attack power."
"With the Scarf, Clefairy can move first and use Trick to swap items with Gengar. That ans once Gengar uses Nasty Plot… it's stuck using it."
"At the sa ti, Rufflet, holding the Choice Band, gains a huge power boost."
"After Clefairy uses Skill Swap to give it Magic Guard, Brave Bird becos a high-power move with zero recoil."
"Add Helping Hand to further amplify damage… and After You to reset move delay…"
Peter smiled confidently.
"Against opponents of similar level… very few can withstand that head-on."
…
The livestream chat exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL—another day, another lesson learned!"
"Where's the note-taker?! Write this down!!"
"I got it! Step 1: Scarf Trick lock. Step 2: Skill Swap Magic Guard = no recoil Brave Bird. Step 3: After You resets cooldown!"
"Double battles are literally built for Peter… just let him 1v2 already (doge)"
"Forget this—I'm heading to the underworld shop now!"
"..."
At the sidelines—
Payton quietly dropped his usual arrogance.
"I think I understand now… why Teacher Wallace sent here…"
Nemo clenched her fists, eyes blazing. "Peter is my destined rival!"
Brock sighed. "That's… not exactly how you use that phrase…"
…
On the field—
Peter waved to the audience and took out a Poké Ball, preparing to recall Rufflet.
But as he looked up—
He froze.
Rufflet was soaring through the sky, eyes blazing with excitent. Tiny white sparks flickered along the edges of its wings, pulsing with energy that seed endless.
Peter's eyes widened slightly.
"…It's about to evolve?"
Whitney grabbed his arm excitedly. "Honey, don't you have that thing? Hurry!"
Peter nodded and tossed two items into the air.
"Catch these, Rufflet!"
A high-grade Pokéblock—
And a Rare Candy.
"Oil~!"
Rufflet perford a sharp aerial turn, slicing through the air like a white hook, and swallowed both items mid-flight.
In the next instant—
The glowing light surged, enveloping its entire body.
"Ding. Rufflet has consud Rare Candy. Friendship has reached maximum. Learned and mastered the move 'Return.' Evolution has begun…"
Within the radiant light—
Its small body began to expand.
The air currents grew violent, swirling wildly.
"SKREEEE—!!!"
With a piercing cry—
Massive dark-blue wings burst outward, shattering the light.
A majestic eagle descended upon the battlefield.
[Braviary ♂ Lv.42 (Elite - Low)]
Ability: Defiant (When its stats are lowered, its Attack sharply rises.)
Talent: 510 (Maximum species value reached)
HP: 100 | Attack: 150 | Defense: 80 | Sp. Atk: 20 | Sp. Def: 80 | Speed: 80
Friendship: 255 (Max)
New Move: Sky Attack
…
Peter looked up at the azure eagle circling above him.
A proud, satisfied smile spread across his face.
With a thought—
He added 20 points to its Speed talent.
Its wings stretched even wider, its form becoming more streamlined and elegant. A gentle wind swept across the arena.
Blessed by Suicune, its sensitivity to wind had grown even sharper.
Whitney clutched his hand, her face glowing with joy.
"This is amazing, Honey~"
"Yeah…"
…
The Remaining Matches
The following battles unfolded without much suspense.
In Group C, Nessa and Payton sent out Kingdra and Pelipper.
Under rain, with dual Life Orb Surf strategies, they completely overwheld their opponents.
Kingdra, which had previously been a Seadra, had evolved using a Dragon Scale—clearly showing Nessa's determination.
…
In Group D, Nemo finally revealed her trump card—
The Paldea Fire-type starter:
Skeledirge.
With Zemu's Torkoal setting up Sunny Day, both Fire-types erupted in power.
Flathrower.
Heat Wave.
Massive AoE attacks scorched the battlefield, easily securing their victory.
And just like that—
The Final Four were decided.
"A Group: The Discordant Duo—Ash & Paul!"
"B Group: The Divine Couple—Peter & Whitney!"
"C Group: The Stormbringers—Nessa & Payton!"
"D Group: The Blazing Sun—Nemo & Zemu!!!"
"Congratulations to all four teams! This afternoon, they will compete in the semifinals and finals!!"
Mayor Enta's passionate voice echoed across the stage.
Whitney sighed, a black line appearing on her forehead. "Those team nas are… surprisingly accurate…"
Peter glanced at Ash and Paul, nodding. "Yeah… they really are."
As his gaze swept across the remaining opponents—
Everyone's expressions grew serious.
The matches hadn't begun yet—
But the clash had already started.
In the air—
The faint scent of battle lingered.
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