The moment Kudo Shiba accepted Sunada Kaoru's challenge, a cold, mechanical electronic voice echoed precisely in the depths of his mind, drowning out all external noise.
[Ding! Host has accepted the first official battle. Granting beginner reward!]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the passive ability—Eye of True Insight!]
[Eye of True Insight: Allows full analysis of a Pokémon's data panel, including level, ability, moves, potential, nature, and all related information.]
Another divine ability.
Kudo Shiba's breath halted for an instant, his heart striking heavily against his chest.
If the Prophecy System allowed him to seize future opportunities, then the Eye of True Insight was the supreme weapon that would clear every obstacle before him in the present.
From now on, battles would hold no secrets.
A flash of heat flickered deep within his eyes, though his expression remained perfectly calm.
His gaze fell subtly toward the red-and-white Poké Ball in his hand. With a thought—
A translucent blue light screen, visible only to him, unfolded clearly across his vision.
[Pokémon: Dratini]
[Level: LV 5]
[Type: Dragon]
[Ability: Shed Skin (30% chance to cure its own status condition at the end of each turn)]
[Potential: Champion-level]
[Nature: Adamant (Attack↑, Special Attack↓)]
[Moves: Wrap, Leer, Dragon Rage, Extreme Speed (Inherited)]
When the golden characters "Extreme Speed" appeared on the panel, the corner of Kudo Shiba's mouth curved faintly upward.
This was the signature move of the Dragonite line—the pinnacle of speed and power—already inherited by a baby Dratini.
No wonder it would one day become Lance's ace. Its talent was simply unreasonable.
Suppressing his emotions, Kudo Shiba shifted his gaze across the arena, locking precisely onto the Poké Ball in Sunada Kaoru's trembling hand.
The Eye of True Insight activated again.
[Pokémon: Rattata]
[Level: LV 5]
[Type: Normal]
[Ability: Guts (When affected by a status condition, Attack increases by 50%)]
[Potential: Ordinary-grade]
[Nature: Hasty (Speed↑, Defense↓)]
[Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Hyper Fang]
All data lay bare.
Pale.
Mediocre.
Aside from the decent ability Guts, the panel was that of an utterly common roadside Rattata.
The last trace of uncertainty in Kudo Shiba's mind vanished.
This battle was no longer about whether he could win.
It was about how he wanted the opponent to lose.
The two walked onto the battle platform beneath countless gazes. The referee instructor gave Kudo Shiba a long look, confirming he was not joking, before stepping into the center of the field to announce the rules.
"He actually showed up! Is he insane!?"
"That is a Dratini, sure, but it was just born, right? Sunada Kaoru's Rattata has been trained for a while. Hyper Fang is terrifying!"
The crowd erupted instantly. Numerous eyes fell upon Kudo Shiba—filled with confusion, pity, and even some schadenfreude.
"You do not understand. Dragon types are not resisted by Normal types, but Normal-type moves deal full damage! And Dragon-type attacks deal half damage to Normal types! It is basic typing!"
A bespectacled, studious-looking boy loudly explained.
"That is right! And Hyper Fang is a Dark-type move! It does not get Same-Type Attack Bonus, but its power is huge! Dratini is so small—it will faint in one hit!"
"He is too young. Sunada Kaoru provoked him, and he fell for it. All for Takai Yuko… not worth it."
Every word reached the battlefield clearly.
Hearing the chorus of support and analysis in his favor, Sunada Kaoru's grin twisted further with triumph. His gaze toward Kudo Shiba was full of a cat-playing-with-a-mouse delight.
He seemed to already see, in the next moment, Kudo Shiba's proud Dratini being torn apart by his Rattata's fangs, and Kudo Shiba himself losing face and becoming the school's biggest joke.
"Battle begin!"
With the referee's shout, he quickly moved aside.
"Go! Rattata! Tear it apart for me!"
Sunada Kaoru practically roared, throwing his Poké Ball in an exaggerated, arrogant flourish.
A burst of white light.
"Go, Dratini."
Kudo Shiba released his Pokémon with effortless grace, the Poké Ball tracing an elegant arc through the air.
Both Pokémon appeared on the battlefield simultaneously.
Though similar in size, the difference in aura between them was like heaven and earth.
Dratini hovered calmly in the air, its serpentine body relaxed. Its noble purple eyes radiated pure indifference. It did not even look directly at its opponent. The arrogance came from the deepest part of its bloodline, treating the creature before it as nothing more than an ant unworthy of attention.
Rattata, on the other hand, descended in a frenzy, clawing anxiously at the ground. Its two large incisors gleamed as it bared them, letting out shrill, threatening squeaks.
"Rattata! Do not be afraid!"
Sunada Kaoru sensed its fear. It only made him more enraged, his expression contorting.
"Use all your strength! Charge in! Hyper Fang!"
He wanted one move.
Just one.
To rip that high-and-mighty Dratini from the sky and grind it into the dirt.
(End of Chapter)
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