Vulpix narrowly dodged Ekans's Bind, causing the serpent's Bite to miss as well. The fox Pokémon countered instantly, spitting a burst of fiery Ember straight at Ekans.
Ekans didn't have time to evade. The flames struck it head-on, leaving burn marks across its scales.
Before long, Harry and Malfoy's battle reached its conclusion. The winner was Harry. Though Malfoy put up a respectable fight, Harry's Vulpix had outmaneuvered Ekans completely, maintaining distance and wearing it down with long-range tactics until it lost the will to fight.
Malfoy's performance wasn't bad at all. Under his command, Ekans hadn't been completely overwhelmed. Even while suffering from its burn, it had managed to hold out against Harry for quite some time.
"Ekans has lost the ability to battle. The winner is Harry… Pott—er," Snape announced grudgingly, his face twisting in disdain. "It seems Mr. Potter is overjoyed to have commanded one animal to defeat another."
If this had been his classroom, Snape thought, such nonsense would never have been allowed.
"Just wait, Potter," Malfoy muttered through clenched teeth as he stepped down from the platform. "You won't be so lucky next time." He didn't leave the classroom, though. Despite losing, he couldn't bring himself to miss the spectacle of live Pokémon battles.
Compared to this, Quidditch suddenly felt… rather dull.
What a shame the Slytherin team didn't come today, Malfoy thought as he returned to the spectator seats. This time, however, he didn't sit among his own year group—he moved over to the seventh-years. Their matches were far more exciting.
Harry, meanwhile, returned to his seat beaming. Beating Malfoy made his entire body feel light, his mood soaring so high that even Snape's sarcasm couldn't bother him.
"Hey, Harry! That was bloody brilliant!" Ron rushed over to congratulate him, grinning ear to ear. Watching Malfoy get thrashed had been immensely satisfying. After all, Malfoy's sneers and mockery were a daily occurrence.
But Ron didn't have time to celebrate—he was up next.
"To be honest, I'm kind of nervous," he admitted.
"You've got this, Ron," Harry encouraged him.
"Yeah," Hermione added, smiling. "You've battled Pokémon before, remember? Back at the Reserve."
Ron took a deep breath, steeling himself. "You're right. Still… there weren't this many people watching back then."
There was no backing down now. Fortunately, his opponent was none other than his dormmate Seamus Finnigan—the legendary Explosion Expert.
Charles watched the two young wizards step onto the field with an amused smile. He had no intention of letting Seamus's explosive potential go to waste, so he'd specially chosen a perfect partner for him—
—Electrode.
Electrode, also known as the Ball Pokémon, was a mysterious species that had appeared out of nowhere. Coincidentally, it was discovered on the same day Poké Balls were first released to the public. To this day, no one knew which had come first—the Poké Ball, or Electrode.
The real problem, though, was its temper—or perhaps its unstable nature. Whatever the cause, Electrode had a nasty habit of blowing up.
Even those that hadn't learned Self-Destruct could still spontaneously explode with enough electrical energy to level a classroom. In other words, it was a match made in heaven for Hogwarts's own demolition prodigy.
Ron's Pokémon, on the other hand, was an Oddish. Frankly speaking, he hadn't been very lucky—Oddish wasn't known for its battle prowess. Yet his performance surprised Charles. While most students focused purely on raw power, Ron had started using status moves.
Seamus barely had time to react before Oddish's attack hit.
"Oddish, use Sleep Powder!"
"Now, Mega Drain!"
"Again, Sleep Powder!"
The chain of Sleep Powder and Mega Drain left Seamus reeling. For most of the match, he was the one on the defensive, struggling to keep up. When he looked at Ron, his expression was complicated—equal parts disbelief and irritation.
Bloody hell, he thought. This git actually knows strategy!
From the audience, Harry—ever perceptive—began to grow uneasy.
"When Ron's match ends, I think I'd better take him out of here for a bit," he murmured.
"Why?" Hermione asked, frowning. "Aren't you going to stay for my match?"
"It's not that," Harry whispered back. "I'm just worried Seamus might… uh… hit him afterward."
At that, Hermione's frown softened into reluctant agreement. "Good point. The look in Seamus's eyes right now is… murderous."
She sighed. "Fine. But make sure Ron doesn't close his eyes when he sleeps tonight."
In the end, the match concluded in mutual destruction.
Ron's expression darkened—he'd been so close to winning. But at the last moment, Seamus's Electrode had suddenly exploded, ending everything.
Seamus, on the other hand, looked utterly exhilarated. For the first time in his life, he realized how wonderful explosions could feel!
Up until now, he'd despised his tendency to blow things up every time he tried a spell. He'd lost count of how many times his eyebrows—or his hair—had been singed off, earning him endless ridicule.
But now? Now he understood.
Magic was explosions!
Glorious explosions!
Who cared about Sleep Powder or Poison Powder? One good blast and everything was equal before the boom!
"Both Pokémon have lost the ability to battle. You're both disqualified," Snape declared, visibly pleased.
Disqualifying two Gryffindors at once carried no emotional burden for him whatsoever.
"Hold on, Professor Snape," Charles interjected. "Normally, when both Pokémon faint due to Self-Destruct or Explosion, the user of that move is declared the loser. I'm fairly certain I mentioned that rule to you."
But Snape, of course, refused to admit any mistake. "I'm not particularly interested in your rules, Gold. Since both Pokémon are down, why not let their trainers settle it themselves?"
He shot Ron and Seamus a pointed, almost taunting look, as if daring them to throw punches.
Seamus's fists clenched—he was so ready.
"Absolutely not," Charles said firmly before things could escalate. "First- through fourth-years aren't permitted to participate in physical combat."
At least not until they'd mastered the Iron Armor Charm. After all, if a student were accidentally hit by a Pokémon's attack, the results would be catastrophic. Not everyone was a "Super Rookie" who could tank a Thunderbolt from the world's strongest Pikachu.
"The winner of this match is Ron Weasley," Charles announced decisively. "Next pair, take the stage."
(End of Chapter)