"Wooo~!"
Lapras's long, joyful cry echoed through the arena.
At the same time, a system prompt rang in Hayashi Kaede's ears:
[Congratulations! Lapras's happiness increased from 10% → 75%.
Reward: 10 bags of Fertilizer, 1 Rare Candy, and 1 C-rank Water Stone.]
From the moment Lapras was released, moisture clung to its body—almost like a fog.
No one could fully understand what it was feeling.
Imagine stuffing more and more water into an overfilled plastic bag—the pressure keeps rising, the bag keeps swelling, and eventually it becomes unbearable.
That was what Lapras had endured.
Now that it had finally been released, it almost felt grateful to the opponent standing before it.
During this time, Hayashi Kaede had remained completely calm—he hadn't given Snivy a single attack command.
He was patiently waiting for Lapras's transformation to complete.
But then—
"Woooo—!"
The joyful cry suddenly twisted into a scream of pain. Lapras's body tensed, twitching uncomfortably.
The sudden change immediately drew the attention of the crowd.
"What's going on with Lapras? Why's it crying out like that before the match even started?"
"So strange…"
The excitement turned into concern.
"Requesting a match suspension! Please suspend the match!"
Ikeoka Testsuya's face went pale as he waved frantically toward the sky.
Even though he was technically a new trainer, this Lapras had been with him for months.
From above, Kondō Satoshi also noticed the shift. His brows furrowed, and he ordered Aegislash to descend.
A heavy mist rose from Lapras's body, dampening the grass around it.
No wonder something felt off during the battle…
It never moved much. Took hits without dodging. Poured out energy like it was nothing.
Now it was clear: the breakthrough had been suppressed for far too long.
"What do we do?" Testsuya turned to Satoshi in panic, eyes glassy.
This man was a Gym-level trainer hired by his father—surely he'd know what to do.
But surprisingly, Satoshi shook his head.
"I can tell it's from long-term suppression, but I don't know how to help it. We need specialized medical support."
Testsuya froze, then frantically called the emergency number.
Kondō's voice echoed across the stadium.
"This Lapras has suffered energy suppression for too long. Its transformation is unstable."
The audience gasped.
"What?! They suppressed its breakthrough just to bring it to the Baby Cup?! That's insane!"
"It's within the rules technically… but suppressing transformation like this? It's like letting a dam burst!"
"This is dangerous. If the pressure overwhelms it, it could collapse completely!"
"Is Snivy's trainer seriously attacking during this?! That's just cruel!"
"Snivy?" (Is it in pain? Will it die?)
Snivy looked up at Lapras, who was twisting in agony. Her eyes showed a flicker of worry.
Kaede sighed. "Its energy's too much to handle all at once. If medics arrive in time, it'll survive—but there will be consequences."
"Alright, Snivy. The match has started. We have to fight."
"I'll show you how to battle using the power of Aura."
"Snivy…" (I understand.)
"Grassy Terrain!"
While everyone's eyes were fixed on Lapras, the field beneath Snivy began to change.
New green sprouts broke through the soil. Under the influence of her Grass-type energy, the vegetation rapidly grew—soon towering half a meter high, hiding Snivy completely.
The tall grass now blocked the line of sight between her and Lapras.
"Vine Whip."
Two vines shot from the grass like green lightning, lashing toward the stunned Ikeoka Testsuya beside Lapras. They wrapped around him and gently dragged him out of harm's way.
Kaede exhaled slowly.
He released his Aura for the first time.
The energy coursed through his body, down his arms, and flowed invisibly toward Lapras—carrying a single message:
"Just battle normally. Tell Lapras to use Water Gun on Snivy."
The message reached not just Lapras, but Testsuya as well.
Startled, Testsuya looked around in confusion, trying to locate the source of the voice.
But without thinking, he shouted instinctively:
"Water Gun!"
In the dense grass, Snivy darted through shadows. With each appearance, a Water Gun followed—blasting the spot she had just left.
"No way…"
Kondō Satoshi's eyes widened.
Yes, releasing energy with attacks could help Lapras purge the excess.
But doing it this way—repeatedly firing Water Gun like this—was like punching a hole in a swollen water balloon. The pressure would only increase around the wound.
The damage could be internal. It could burst from the inside out.
Without specialized guidance, it should have been dangerous.
But what happened next shocked everyone.
Lapras's anguished cries began to ease.
Its expression softened.
Though it continued firing wildly, not a single blast hit Snivy.
"Leaf Tornado!Leech Seed!"
Kaede gave new orders.
Twin whirlwinds formed in the air—blades of spinning green energy—closing in on Lapras from both sides.
Lapras instinctively fired another Water Gun.
One Leaf Tornado was scattered instantly.
But the second one struck cleanly, cutting into Lapras's side and embedding the Leech Seed inside.
Lapras suddenly froze.
Its expression shifted again. The pain was gone—replaced with a strange kind of… relief.
As if the burden had been lifted.