Compared to the first student, Asher Stride, Miyamoto Fū's mindset was clearly in a much better place; though that might've also been because she had genuinely taken Sato's words to heart.
Even facing the Champion of the Ace Tournament, Fū's desire to win hadn't diminished one bit.
They were both using Elite level Pokémon, why should she be the one who couldn't win?
"Infernape has lost the ability to battle. Zweilous wins!"
The referee's voice sounded cold and merciless. Fū looked at her Infernape, who was too weak to stand back up, and finally just bit her lip lightly and recalled it.
"…I lost. No complaints!"
By the end of the match, Infernape had been completely thrown off by Righty's Hyper Voice and couldn't focus enough to attack, leaving it wide open for Lefty's Earth Power to land cleanly.
With a 2x weakness to Ground-type moves, Infernape took massive damage.
Sato had worried that Infernape might trigger its Blaze ability and make a powerful comeback, so he kept Righty's Hyper Voice going and immediately ordered Lefty to hit again with Dragon Breath.
Scary Face's effect was still in place, and Infernape had long lost the Speed advantage, so it failed to dodge the Dragon Breath in time.
"Infernape's training isn't bad, and your battle commands weren't bad either. But what needs the most improvement is its willpower. Both Scary Face and Hyper Voice had a significant impact during the battle. If its willpower had been stronger, there might've been a chance for a counterattack."
Sato didn't waste time and gave his advice directly.
Fū blinked as if enlightened, then followed up, "Teacher Sato, are there any methods to improve willpower?"
Sato smiled and replied, "I'm sure the teachers at Celadon University are better equipped to explain the specifics. I'll avoid showing off where I shouldn't."
Fū blinked thoughtfully, then bowed seriously to Sato in gratitude.
"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Sato!"
Some people just get it, and some don't even bother to pretend. For a moment, Miyamoto Fū found herself liking this young teacher who was actually younger than she was…
Spectating Drapion: 'That girl's dreaming too big!'
"Alright, Ms. Erika, please draw the next student."
["Next up: from the Finance Academy, Business Administration major, Class 2 of Year 3, Seren Stone! Please come to the stage!"]
"Whoa!"
As soon as the third student was announced, a wave of murmuring broke out below the stage, but the applause was noticeably sparse.
The buzz was naturally due to the surname "Stone". In the Hoenn Region, the massive corporation Devon Co. was under the control of the Stone family. And not long ago, the Stone family had produced a super genius.
Steven Stone.
During Hoenn's Elite Four Challenge, Steven had defeated the lowest-ranked Elite Four member. However, he ultimately declined the position. The exact reason was unknown, but it sparked even more heated discussions.
With all that attention, the previously low-profile student Seren could no longer hide the fact that he was a total rich kid.
Steven's cousin, and a top finance student at Celadon University; these two identities immediately triggered a flood of speculation among the students.
And now, Seren had actually signed up for the battle guidance match… and even got selected.
In that instant, everyone looked toward Seren, eager to see how his real battle strength compared to Steven's.
"Teacher Sato, I'm Seren Stone. Please go easy on me!"
Seren, composed and steady, stepped forward and spoke softly with complete seriousness.
"Nice to meet you, Seren."
Sato replied and was about to send out Pikachu for the battle, but was quickly stopped by the other side.
"Teacher Sato, my talent as a Trainer may not match my cousin's, but I've at least reached Ace level strength. If possible, let's have a higher-level battle!"
"Whoaaa!"
Forget the explosion of discussion among the students in the arena, Sato himself was visibly surprised.
A 21 year-old Ace Trainer studying at Celadon University, with a cousin already at Elite Four level...
Everyone instantly started imagining all sorts of scenarios, and it didn't take much to mentally script an 80-episode family inheritance drama full of luxury and betrayal!
"Seren, today is just a simple guidance match. The destructive power of Ace level Pokémon is too much. This venue might not be able to handle it."
Sato held Pikachu's Poké Ball, speaking seriously.
"I'll cover any damage to the venue, and I trust that you, Teacher Sato, as the Ace Tournament Champion, can control the battlefield enough to avoid accidentally injuring surrounding students."
Now that his rich kid identity was exposed, Seren didn't bother hiding it anymore. Not only did he show off a bit, but he also deliberately provoked Sato.
Sato twitched the corner of his mouth, not even bothering to reply to this kid who was so desperate to prove himself without considering the consequences.
'This kind of brat just needs to get smacked around a bit…'
As he tossed out the Poké Ball, Sato thought to himself.
"Let's end this quickly, Zoroark."
Seren smiled. His previously "mature and steady" demeanor was now completely replaced by excitement and thrill as he immediately threw out a Poké Ball of his own.
"Aggron, give it your all!"
"AGGGR!"
A flash of red light revealed a massive steel-gray beast on the battlefield.
As soon as Aggron landed, Sato could feel the ground tremble slightly.
"Due to the fragile flooring of this indoor arena, the use of moves like Earthquake, Water Spout, and Bulldoze, which cause serious ground damage, is strictly forbidden. Do both sides understand?"
The experienced referee quickly added a rule on the spot and addressed the two Trainers solemnly.
"Understood." "No problem!"
"Then… battle begin!"
"Aggron, use Metal Sound!"
"Zoroark, Taunt."
The moment the battle started, Seren wasted no time ordering Aggron to use Metal Sound, clearly intending to neutralize Zoroark's Illusion tactics.
He had studied Sato's matches carefully… more than once!
Zzz~ Zzz~~ Zzzz~
The screeching sound of nails on a chalkboard filled the arena, making even Sato's back prickle with goosebumps.
Zoroark covered its ears, but didn't hold back its mouth. After a rapid string of mocking gibberish, Aggron flew into a rage and charged forward furiously.
"Get close, Flamethrower."
"Aggron, ignore it! Use Heavy Slam!"
Heavy Slam: its power increases the heavier the user is compared to the target!
…And Aggron was roughly 4.5 times Zoroark's weight.
There was no way Zoroark could take that hit head-on!
Flames roared as Zoroark opened its mouth and fired a powerful Flamethrower straight ahead.
But Aggron transformed into a massive silver meteor, barreling toward Zoroark without hesitation.
BOOOM!