"We did it, a critical hit on the weak point, one single blow."
Seeing the result, the corner of Ethan's lips curved slightly into a smile.
Speed, perception, and weak point detection—one could say he had pushed Absol's innate abilities to their limit. It was the combat style most suited for him.
"Abbssss!"
After executing an entire chain of attacks, Absol was completely exhausted, breathing heavily; however, the satisfaction on his face was impossible to hide.
"Good job, Absol."
Ethan approached and, smiling, stroked his silky white fur.
As for the ever-flattering Shuckle, he was, unsurprisingly, the first to offer a cold, nutritious Berry juice.
"Alright, my Pokémon have had enough for today. Let's end it here," Ethan said with a relaxed smile.
From the comments of the surrounding students, he could deduce that this Laura Anderson was the strongest among them.
Now that even their most powerful had been defeated, there was no reason to continue, right?
However, although Ethan wanted to leave, the students—who had lost face—weren't willing to let him go so easily.
"I already told you the one who provoked you was Arthur, this has nothing to do with me!"
Ethan's face darkened. Judging by the situation, there was no escaping the misunderstanding: he was being forced to take the blame.
"It's not time for you to leave so casually."
"You won a bunch of money from us, and now you think you can just walk off?"
As soon as Ethan showed signs of ending the battles, a new student immediately stepped onto the field to challenge him.
No, we can't let him leave. Not until the students from the intermediate campus arrive!
That was clearly the general thought of the crowd.
"Alright then. Absol, rest for a bit. Now it's your turn, Vibrava."
Hearing the new challenger, Ethan didn't rush. In the end, none of this was his fault: from beginning to end, he had been forced into this.
Yes... forced to wipe the floor with all of them.
"Let's begin."
After accepting the battle, Ethan untied the rope attached to Vibrava and sent him onto the field.
"Did he just send out a pet Pokémon?"
"Looks like he's out of strong ones."
The students on-site smiled confidently.
Nowadays, Pokémon were fully integrated into daily life.
But not every trainer captured them for battle; some kept them simply as companions, like Ethan's parents with their Machop and Lotad.
So, seeing him send out a Vibrava tied with a rope, everyone assumed it was just a companion Pokémon.
"Against a Ground- and Dragon-type... it's better if I pick you."
The opposing student, though thinking Vibrava wasn't strong, didn't want to risk it. He threw his Poké Ball, releasing a Cloyster, an Ice-type Pokémon.
"Ice-type, huh?"
"Well, it would first have to be able to hit him."
Ethan smiled.
Vibrava had a quadruple weakness to Ice-type attacks, but as long as it wasn't hit, type disadvantage meant nothing.
"Cloyster, don't give it any chance! Use Ice Beam!"
As soon as the battle began, the student ordered the attack. A freezing ray of icy energy shot toward Vibrava, who floated in the air.
"Dodge it!"
Ethan remained calm.
Fwooosh—
The moment Ice Beam cut through the air, Vibrava gently flapped its wings. Its body swayed like a balloon pushed by the breeze, and with its Levitate ability, drifting along with the air currents, it dodged the attack with elegance.
"Dancing with the wind..."
"Very well done."
Ethan nodded with satisfaction. It seemed the tough daily free-flight training had paid off.
During that time, Vibrava had learned to feel the pulse of the wind in nature—that was its training method.
"What?! It dodged?!"
"Cloyster, keep attacking! Use Icicle Crash!"
The student's expression changed immediately.
It was clear that this "pet Pokémon" was anything but—this was a true, formidable combatant.
While the icicles fired one after another, Vibrava could no longer rely on floating gently with the wind.
With a stronger flap of its wings, it generated a powerful gust, lifting itself into the sky and avoiding the attack.
"Was that Tailwind?! But... isn't Vibrava a Ground- and Dragon-type?"
"Why does it look like a Flying-type?! Its wind control is insane!"
The students stared open-mouthed.
In fact, whether it was Charmander, Absol, or this Vibrava, all of Ethan's Pokémon were extraordinary.
They couldn't help but reevaluate him completely.
Beyond his arrogance, the way he trained and developed his Pokémon was terrifyingly efficient. No wonder he dared to provoke the entire Duskwell City Pokémon University.
"Damn it! Cloyster, use Icy Wind!"
Judging by its command of moves, that Cloyster wasn't weak.
But using wind-based attacks against Vibrava was a mistake.
Cloyster opened its shell and released a freezing gust toward the sky.
However, the moment the cold wind collided with Vibrava's favorable currents, it was halted... and with another flap, Vibrava sent the icy gust right back at its opponent.
Crack... crack...
Ice began to spread across the ground, quickly reaching Cloyster.
Seeing this, Cloyster withdrew into its shell, forming a ring of water around itself in defense.
But the water froze instantly, trapping it inside a thick layer of ice.
"Now it's our turn."
"Vibrava, use Triple Gust!"
Ethan's eyes gleamed—time to end the game.
Vibrava nodded, flapping its wings with power. A roaring gale filled the stadium.
In an instant, three tornadoes rose from the ground, spinning and advancing toward Cloyster.
"Cloyster, use Iron Defense!"
Cloyster's greatest strength was its defense.
After failing on offense, its trainer chose the safest strategy: hide and endure.
The plan was clear: stall for time. All he had to do was hold out until the intermediate campus students arrived, and this "farce" would end.
(End of chapter)