At the top-floor battlefield of the Battle Tower, lines of matchup information rolled rapidly down the massive electronic screen like a waterfall.
Finally, the cursor stopped.
Group 4: Takai Yuko VS Sunada Kaoru.
"How… how could I face him in the very first round…"
Yuko stared at the two names displayed side by side. Her fingertips instantly turned cold, and she subconsciously gripped the hem of her jacket. The roaring noise of the venue seemed to fade away—her world was swallowed by the blinding white glow of the screen.
She despised Kaoru's disgusting personality, but she couldn't ignore one cold reality:
As a young master of a Magic City elite family, the resources Kaoru could access far exceeded those of ordinary Trainers.
Raised within top-tier cultivation systems since childhood, the Pokémon he possessed were unquestionably among the upper ranks of his generation.
Invisible pressure tightened around Yuko's lungs.
"Don't be nervous."
A warm, steady voice sounded beside her.
A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. The strength behind it was light, but it instantly swept away the haze clouding her heart.
"Believe in yourself. And believe in me."
Shiba looked at her pale profile, his eyes calm and unwavering.
"Your Machoke is not something his Slowpoke can even compare to."
The confidence contained in that simple sentence flowed through the warmth of his hand—strong, absolute, undeniable.
Yuko's eyelashes trembled slightly.
She remembered the weeks of grueling training she had undergone with Shiba's guidance.
She remembered how he used his family resources to craft top-tier nutritional plans—so extraordinary that even Gym Leaders would envy them.
The Machop she had chosen from the Breeding Base—a Gym-grade potential Pokémon—had already transformed completely.
It had evolved into a Machoke.
A true fighter born for battle.
Yuko's chest rose and fell. She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Her tense shoulders relaxed, and her clenched fists loosened.
When she lifted her head again, the nervousness and fear in her eyes had been replaced by a burning flame called battle intent.
She nodded firmly.
"Mm!"
Soon, the announcement echoed through the arena.
Group 4—contestants to the stage.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands, Yuko and Kaoru stepped onto the brightly lit battle platform from opposite ends of the contestant tunnel.
Under the dazzling spotlight, Kaoru wore a smug, self-satisfied expression that made people uncomfortable at a glance.
His eyes roamed over Yuko without restraint, as if he were looking at a prize already in his possession.
"Yuko, I'll give you one last chance."
He lowered his voice into what he believed was a magnetic tone capable of captivating any woman.
"If you forfeit now and become my girlfriend, I'll give you that King's Rock as your betrothal gift."
He even tilted his chin slightly—his posture dripping with condescension.
Thanks to the mic clipped to his collar, his disgusting offer spread clearly across the entire venue.
A ripple of disgust swept through the audience.
A layer of frost instantly formed in Yuko's beautiful eyes.
She did not get angry. She didn't even waste an expression on him. She simply cast a cold, trash-disposing glance in his direction.
"Keep dreaming."
The crisp retort landed like two sharp slaps across Kaoru's face.
Before he could react, Yuko had already drawn the Poké Ball from her belt with swift precision.
Kaoru's smile froze inch by inch, then vanished completely.
In its place—twisted humiliation and rage.
He could feel the surrounding stares—mocking, amused, disdainful. His lungs felt ready to explode.
"Fine! Very fine!"
He forced out the words between gritted teeth, his eyes dark with fury.
"If you refuse a toast only to drink poison, then don't blame me for humiliating you in front of everyone!"
He flung his Poké Ball forward with a snarl.
"Come out, Slowpoke!"
A flash of red light, and a pink, dopey-looking Pokémon appeared. It yawned lazily and wagged its tail, still half-asleep.
"Go, Machoke!"
Yuko released her partner at the same time.
Boom!
With a heavy thud and a tremor that rippled through the platform, Machoke landed!
In stark contrast to Slowpoke's sluggish demeanor, Machoke erupted with overwhelming force the moment it appeared.
Its gray-blue skin bulged with dense, rock-hard muscle—each fiber radiating explosive power. It stood like a living statue sculpted for battle, its blazing eyes locking onto its opponent with killing intent.
The referee raised his flags and swung one downward.
"Battle—start!"
"Slowpoke, use Water Gun!"
Kaoru couldn't wait to give the first command.
He had already decided—he would dismantle Yuko's confidence bit by bit in the cruelest way possible.
Slowpoke slowly opened its mouth.
Pff.
A pitifully thin stream of water arced lazily through the air, weakly falling toward Machoke.
Snickers came from the audience.
At that moment, Yuko looked toward the front row—meeting Shiba's eyes.
Shiba made a tiny forward gesture with his hand.
Her signal!
Yuko instantly understood and shouted her command—fast and resolute.
"Machoke—dodge, then Close Combat!"
But Machoke's reaction was even faster—far more domineering.
Confronted with the feeble Water Gun, it didn't even bother dodging.
It simply raised its thick, powerful arm—muscles tightening.
Szzzt—
The water droplet hit the steaming-hot muscle and evaporated instantly—without leaving a trace.
The next second—
Machoke bent its legs.
The high-strength flooring beneath its feet cracked with two spreading webs of fractures.
BOOM!!
A burst of force crushed the air!
Its whole body blurred into a gray-blue afterimage—vanishing from the spot.
Kaoru's twisted grin froze completely.
His pupils constricted violently.
The surging, terrifying pressure of that incoming blur made every hair on his body stand on end.
"Hurry—use Psychic to block it!"
He screamed, voice shrill with panic.
But it was far too late.
Machoke's speed had broken the limits of what a normal Elite-tier Pokémon could respond to.
Slowpoke's eyes only began to glow with the faintest blue light—its Psychic energy barely forming—
When a massive fist filled its vision.
BANG!
The first punch—direct to the face!
And then the unstoppable barrage began.
The Fighting-type finisher—Close Combat!
Knee strikes.
Elbows.
Hand chops.
Whip kicks.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Like a violent storm, each strike landed with rock-shattering force—each blow pinpointed on Slowpoke's weak points.
The poor Pokémon never even launched a real attack.
It couldn't scream.
It couldn't react.
In a whirlwind of brutal strikes, it was completely overwhelmed—its consciousness shattered.
A final, devastating punch sent Slowpoke flying through the air like a rag doll.
It crashed hard onto the ground, eyes spinning—utterly defeated.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The entire arena was stunned speechless.
One second.
Two seconds.
Until the referee finally raised his flag and shouted with full strength:
"Slowpoke is unable to battle! The winner is—Takai Yuko!"
Boom!!!
Thunderous applause and cheers exploded across the Battle Tower!
Yuko stood frozen for a moment, staring at Machoke's magnificent form—her heart pounding wildly.
A rush of indescribable exhilaration and joy surged through her, filling her chest and scorching up to her cheeks.
She won.
For the first time in a major official tournament—she won with absolute strength, utterly crushing a supposedly superior opponent.
A bright, confident, radiant smile spread across her face.
On the other side—
Kaoru stood pale as ash, rooted to the spot.
The roaring applause echoed around him.
He felt dozens—hundreds—thousands of eyes on him.
Pity.
Mockery.
Contempt.
The world spun.
He scrambled to retrieve Slowpoke with a flash of red light—like hiding something shameful.
Then, without daring to stay a second longer, he hunched his shoulders and fled the arena in humiliation.
(End of Chapter)
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