On the arena, Aaron looked at Orion, who stood frozen in place, and a cold edge flashed through his eyes.
"Orion, those three Pokémon you were so proud of all lost to my Beedrill."
His voice stayed calm.
"Is that what you call being born strong?"
Orion's face had gone pale.
Aaron continued, each word landing exactly where it hurt.
"You were born with resources most Trainers can only dream of. Pseudo-legendaries, rare materials, top-tier training, a family name people are afraid to offend... all of it was handed to you."
His gaze sharpened.
"But to you, Pokémon are just another way to show everyone where you stand."
He looked at Orion with open contempt.
"That's not strength. It's just sad."
Orion's entire body trembled.
"No..."
"This can't be..."
"I don't believe it."
He muttered to himself, eyes full of disbelief, as if the world had stopped making sense.
Aaron gave him one last look.
"You built your pride on things you never earned."
His voice dropped.
"And today, one Beedrill was enough to tear it apart."
With that, he turned and left the battle stage with Beedrill.
As he walked away, his voice drifted faintly through the air.
"This world shouldn't be like this."
...
"Aaron, you're ridiculous!"
The moment he returned to the table, Blaze punched him lightly in the chest, excitement written all over his face.
"That Beedrill of yours is insane. What did you do, feed it performance enhancers?"
Then he circled around Beedrill, praising it nonstop while trying to get a closer look at its stingers.
"Bzzzz..."
Beedrill gave him a low warning buzz.
Touch me and you get stung.
Blaze immediately backed up two steps.
"Okay. Message received."
Clearly, even he was a little afraid of this Shinigami-like Beedrill.
Liora looked at Aaron with bright eyes, admiration written plainly across her face.
"Aaron, that was amazing. You actually beat Orion."
She smiled.
"You're going to be famous in the capital after this."
"Just a fluke," Aaron said modestly.
The three of them immediately rolled their eyes.
One sting, one knockout, three times in a row.
And he called that a fluke?
"All right," Braveon said, rare amusement in his voice. "Let's eat first. The food's still hot."
Liora understood the joke at once and burst out laughing.
Braveon meant Orion had lost so quickly that the food had not even had time to cool.
Aaron smiled as well, then sat back down and joined the others as they ate and talked.
In the entire dining hall, only their table was still lively.
Everyone else looked as if they had swallowed something bitter.
The guests who had been running their mouths earlier finished their meals with sour expressions and left in a hurry. At first, they had all been so confident, so certain that Beedrill would be crushed.
A few minutes later, they had been slapped in the face so hard they could barely look at the stage.
It was humiliating.
...
After dinner, Blaze took the group around the capital.
They spent most of the day touring the old district, wandering through its busy streets, old courtyards, shops, and food stalls. By evening, once everyone was tired, Blaze dragged them off for foot baths and massages.
Aaron had to admit, it felt incredible.
It was close to midnight by the time Blaze finally sent him back to the hotel.
Before leaving, Blaze, Liora, and Braveon agreed to meet him the next day so they could go to the Dragon Tower together.
Aaron smiled, waved goodbye to the three of them, then returned to his room alone.
Looking around at the luxurious hotel suite, he could not help sighing.
The lives of rich people really were simple in the most extravagant way possible.
After a comfortable shower, Aaron lay down on the soft bed.
Though, honestly, it still was not as comfortable as Snorlax's belly.
"System," Aaron said in his mind, eyes closed, "are you still playing mahjong, or can I get my reward now?"
Oh?
The system's voice sounded amused.
You finally learned some manners?
Since your attitude is so sincere, I suppose I won't delay it any longer.
"Ding~ Congratulations on completing the Show-Off Shutdown Mission."
"Mission Rewards received: Haki Skill Upgrade Card ×1, which can upgrade Haki to Conqueror's Haki, and Pokémon Candy (Gym) ×1."
...
Aaron's eyes lit up, and he immediately checked the Haki Skill (Upgrade Card).
[Name: Haki Skill (Upgrade Card)]
[Effect: Upgrades an ordinary Haki skill into Conqueror's Haki (Modified Version).]
An ordinary Haki skill could be upgraded into Conqueror's Haki.
Aaron fell into thought.
Among his current Pokémon, only Snorlax and Gyarados had Haki skills.
Which one should he give it to?
After thinking it over, he decided on Snorlax.
Gyarados had already undergone Mega Evolution, and its strength had risen dramatically. If Aaron kept stacking upgrades onto it, that guy's confidence might swell completely out of control.
Snorlax, on the other hand, was honest, hardworking, and a better fit for this upgrade. It would also give its combat power another major boost.
Aaron immediately used the Haki Skill Upgrade Card on Snorlax.
"Ding~ Your Snorlax's Armament Haki has been upgraded to Conqueror's Haki."
He opened the upgraded skill information.
[Name: Conqueror's Haki (Modified Version)]
[Category: Special]
[Type: None]
[Effects: Conqueror's Aura: Carries the presence of a conqueror, allowing the user to intimidate enemies and lower their Attack by 2 stages. Weaker opponents may be knocked unconscious outright.
Conqueror's Coating: Can be applied to close-combat moves, increasing move power by 150%.]