"Dolliv, Grass Knot!"
"Drednaw, Protect!"
Nessa's reaction speed was impeccable. Even before issuing the charge, she had already planned her counter—if Peter's final move slot turned out to be an attack, she would activate Protect instantly and block it.
But—
BOOM!
A tough, tightly woven knot of grass suddenly erupted beneath Drednaw's feet!
Caught completely off guard, the massive turtle Pokémon stumbled forward, crashing face-first into the ground as dust exploded into the air.
Its fierce eyes spun into spirals.
[Ding! Over-level battle victory. Universal Talent Points ×5 obtained!]
"Drednaw has lost the ability to battle! Dolliv wins!"
Only then did the commentator's voice catch up, excitement spilling over:
"It's Grass Knot again! Peter's choice remains razor-sharp as ever! By leveraging Grassy Terrain, the attack formed directly under Drednaw's feet. Even with Protect prepared, the timing made it impossible to react—an instant defeat!"
The audience froze for half a second—
Then the arena erupted.
"How… how is that possible…"
Nessa stood there in a daze.
She had expected a drawn-out clash—another brutal exchange of blows. Instead, the match ended in a blink.
Peter shook his head lightly.
Against a Pokémon as heavy as Drednaw—well over 100 kilograms—Grass Knot carried a base power of 100.
Four-times effectiveness.
STAB bonus.
A +1 Special Attack boost from Growth.
All stacked together, the effective power exceeded 900.
Drednaw, already weak in Special Defense, never stood a chance.
Truthfully, Nessa's command decisions hadn't been wrong. The problem was simply that Dolliv's defenses were too overwhelming. Once Dolliv tanked Body Press head-on and safely set up Growth, the outcome had already been sealed.
"Drednaw's bite force is impressive," Peter said calmly as he recalled Dolliv.
"If you'd started with Bite or Body Slam to drag the fight into a clinch, there might've been a chance."
"Next time… get stronger."
"…Okay," Nessa replied softly, staring at his retreating back.
-----
"Mr. Peter, today's profit share from your two matches totals 172,156 Poké Dollars. The amount has already been transferred to your account."
"Ah… thank you."
Peter suppressed a grin.
His growing online popularity was clearly paying off. With higher viewership came higher arena revenue—and after selling Fire Stones to Flint, he now had over 1.5 million Poké Dollars on hand.
"So this is what it feels like to be rich…"
He chuckled as he stepped out of the arena—
"Peter, wait!"
He turned. Nessa was running toward him.
"Yes?" he asked, raising a brow.
Her dark-blue hair traced a graceful arc through the air, bronze skin shimmering faintly under the lights.
Then—unexpectedly—she bowed deeply.
"I want to apologize," she said earnestly.
"For my earlier rudeness… and for the attacks my fans directed at you online."
Straightening up, the famous model-trainer met his gaze with sincerity.
"Today's battle made me realize—you're an excellent Trainer. Someone who truly understands how to fight by maximizing a Pokémon's strengths."
She handed him a photo.
In it, a Braviary and a Mandibuzz guarded a nest filled with Pokémon Eggs.
"Oh?" Peter blinked. "This is…?"
"I took it by chance while searching for Wingull. I thought you might need it—consider it an apology for calling you that earlier."
"Hmm… Braviary…"
Braviary were native to Unova, but a few did appear in Sinnoh.
Peter's team was missing a dedicated physical attacker. A Flying-type like Braviary offered excellent coverage, solid power, and strong utility.
Tailwind support.
Whirlwind-style forced switches.
And outside of battle—long-distance flight.
A perfect all-rounder.
"Thank you," Peter said, accepting the photo with a slight bow.
"I do need this. In return, let me give you some advice."
"If I'm not mistaken, your Wingull has Hydration. Once it evolves, it'll gain Drizzle."
"Rain boosts Water-type moves by 50%. You could build a full rain-based offense."
He shared a rain team composition he knew well:
Kingdra.
Swampert.
Gastrodon.
Quagsire.
Golisopod.
Toxapex.
If Nessa weren't destined to become a Water-type Gym Leader, he would've even suggested Ferrothorn or Scizor—perfect answers to Electric- and Grass-type threats, with rain covering Fire weaknesses.
"That's all," Peter finished. "Good luck."
He waved and turned to leave.
"W-wait…" Nessa called out.
He glanced back, revealing a calm, gentle profile.
Her dark-blue eyes shimmered with complicated emotion as she spoke softly:
"…I was just wondering. Would you… like to travel together?"
Peter froze.
"…Huh?"
"Ah—n-nothing!" she blurted. "Forget it! I—I should go!"
She fled, steps hurried and flustered.
Peter watched her retreating figure, smiling faintly.
He'd heard her clearly.
But in his heart, there was already a certain pink-haired girl who raised Miltank—
and that was reason enough to keep his boundaries intact.
-----
Meanwhile — Lily of the Valley Island, Sinnoh Pokémon League
Flint lounged back, phone in hand, eyes shining.
"Lucian, come take a look. This kid's pretty interesting."
The Psychic-type Elite Four member stepped over. On the screen played footage of Peter's Dolliv sweeping Roark's team.
"Hah… clever," Lucian remarked.
"Still, Roark should've kept at least one backup move."
"No, no," Flint grinned. "I think this kid's smart."
"Hey, what're you guys watching?" a voice chimed in.
A pair of slender, pale hands snatched the phone away.
A blonde woman in a black coat stood before them—
Cynthia.
"Hey—Cynthia! How're we supposed to watch now?" Flint complained.
"Then don't," she smiled serenely. "You two together still couldn't beat me anyway."
Her gaze fell on the screen.
Moments later, interest sparked in her ash-gray eyes.
"Who taught this boy?" she murmured.
"I never imagined Gym battles could be… exploited like this."
"He sold me four Fire Stones today," Flint replied.
"I checked his profile out of curiosity. Rookie Trainer, just starting out. Ten-win streak into Bronze."
"…I see."
Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.
"Then notify the League—effective immediately, remove the rule preventing Gym Leaders from switching Pokémon."
She dropped a stack of documents—half a person tall—onto the desk.
"Oh, and finish all of these today. Okay?"
"…Huh?"
Flint and Lucian stared.
Changing League rules… because one rookie exploited a loophole?
And that much paperwork—today?
Champion, are you trying to kill us?!
"Any objections?" Cynthia smiled sweetly—dangerously.
"If this delays my ice cream after work… you know what happens."
"NOPE! None at all!"
"We'll get right on it!"
…
And somewhere far away, a certain rookie Trainer continued walking forward—
unaware that the entire League had already begun to shift around him.
--------------
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