Perched atop Aegislash's back, commentator Kondō Satoshi let out a long sigh of relief.
This job really is too stressful.
He honestly didn't know how to explain what had just happened.
All he could do was start highlighting the advantages of riding Pokémon and try to salvage things with over-the-top commentary.
Otherwise, how was he supposed to praise the trainer?
Compliment him for eating potato chips on the battlefield?
Yeah, right...
If Kondō Satoshi hadn't been short on money recently, he definitely wouldn't want to be doing this gig.
"Now that this round is over, I haven't seen many promising new trainers."
He floated across the nine arenas, waiting for the fourth match to begin.
"Hmm? There's a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur at Arena 8."
He glided over to commentate: "Let's check out Arena 8. It's rare to see both trainers using Starter Pokémon. This is a duel between Squirtle and Bulbasaur!"
Down below,
Tanaka Satoshi's face froze the moment he saw the somewhat unusual Squirtle his opponent had released.
But he couldn't pinpoint what was different.
Thinking about how he'd just been scolded by the referees in the contestant seats, his expression darkened.
It was all because of that guy who showed up beside Takagi Megumi—the one she called "Brother Kaede."
If it weren't for him...
Why would Takagi Megumi reject him?
He spat, "I told you, your Squirtle can't beat my Bulbasaur!"
"Hmph."
Takagi Megumi ignored him. A faint smile formed on her delicate face, and her lips curled upward.
Sure enough, Brother Kaede was right.
There's no need to pay attention to people like this.
As for whether she would win or not...
As soon as the signal for the match sounded, she gave a command: "Squirtle, show them the results of your special training—Water Gun!"
Tanaka Satoshi scoffed, "There's no way that Water Gun from your Squirtle is going to hit me—"
"What the—?!"
Before he could finish laughing,
A precise, high-pressure Water Gun had already struck Bulbasaur head-on.
The speed and accuracy of the blast made Bulbasaur cry out in pain, "Bulba, bulba?!"
At the same time,
It turned to look at Squirtle with a shocked expression.
Just days ago, Squirtle's Water Gun hadn't felt like anything...
Why did it hurt so much now?
"Nice! Squirtle, fire again!"
Takagi Megumi was thrilled by the results.
"Quick—dodge it...!"
Tanaka Satoshi quickly tried to respond,
But for Bulbasaur, who had already taken a hit, dodging a Water Gun trained through countless repetitions with Snivy was now out of the question.
Watching from above, Kondō Satoshi couldn't help but admire the performance:
"Whoa, this Squirtle is impressive. The way it controls Water Gun is almost perfect!"
One thing puzzled him, though—
"But... it doesn't look like that girl trained it to this level herself...?"
Her surprise seemed genuine—like she had no idea Squirtle could even fight like this...
Forget it. Let's check out the other arenas.
He shook his head, dropped the thought, and had Aegislash fly toward Group 9...
...
"Damn it, Sandshrew, use Combo!"
The crew-cut trainer eyed the Snivy in front of him with visible frustration and disbelief.
So far, he had made Sandshrew use three moves:
Rollout, Poison Sting, and Combo Slash.
But none of them had any effect on the opponent's Snivy.
Rollout and Poison Sting had been effortlessly dodged.
Combo Slash had been parried cleanly with the Leaf Blade.
It was like the Snivy wasn't even treating Sandshrew as a real threat—just a whetstone to sharpen its skills.
"Is this really okay?"
Seeing Snivy start to show signs of comprehension, Hayashi Kaede transferred the energy of Everlasting to it.
"Snivy~."
Snivy nodded.
Casually, Hayashi Kaede said, "Then use Vine Whip."
Even as Sandshrew's body was still mid-roll, it suddenly extended and launched into the air, momentum carrying it upward, claws glowing with a cold white light.
But in the next instant,
Two green vines cracked through the air like whips, striking Sandshrew midair and hurling it back.
The force was so great it sent Sandshrew flying over ten meters.
That was Snivy's Vine Whip!
Its Speed stat was already [Maxed Out].
And paired with the skill proficiency gained through "Weed Pulling,"
It could unleash a powerful, lightning-fast Vine Whip in the blink of an eye!
The crew-cut trainer had been grinning when he saw that Snivy hadn't dodged Sandshrew's combo attack.
But now, watching his high-hope combo completely shut down, his eyes widened. "What the hell? That's impossible!"
Sandshrew, after taking just one hit, was already struggling to get back up.
The trainer's eyes widened even more.
He knew his Sandshrew best. It might not hit hard, but its defense and stamina were top-tier.
And yet...
He asked in disbelief, "How is your Snivy this strong?"
Hayashi Kaede paused for a moment. "If you want answers, go to Aogiri Town. There's a breeding House nearby. That's where you'll find the secret behind Snivy's strength."
"Snivy~?"
Snivy turned and looked at Hayashi Kaede with its bright amber eyes, confused.
What does this have to do with me again?...
"Be good and do some advertising," Hayashi Kaede murmured through the power of Aura.
"Snivy..."
Clearly, Snivy had no idea it had just been roped into a marketing plan by its trainer.
"Got it. Thanks for the advice!"
The crew-cut trainer gave a sincere nod and left with Sandshrew.
He felt he'd learned a lot from the battle.
Especially after seeing Hayashi Kaede's calm and composed expression from start to finish.
He now understood something:
As a trainer, you need to keep your cool—even when facing overwhelming odds.
...
"This Snivy..."
Kondō Satoshi looked down at Hayashi Kaede with surprise.
As a gym-level trainer,
His insight was far sharper than that of the average spectator.
The power behind Snivy's Vine Whip just now wasn't something an ordinary Grass-type Pokémon could unleash.
Moreover,
Judging by Snivy and its trainer's behavior,
Their trust in each other was unmistakable.
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
With that thought, he couldn't help but glance toward the player area at Arena 1, where the Lapras trainer sat.
He thought to himself, "With all this hype, I wonder if the match will actually be stolen in the end?"
A strange feeling stirred in Kondō Satoshi's heart.
No one else knew—
Aside from him and the owner of HappyMart—
This tournament had been rigged.
This so-called behind-the-scenes manipulation...
It meant he could control who faced whom after the group stages.
He had to figure out a way to make sure Hayashi Kaede got a clean match against that Lapras trainer.