After recalling her defeated Excadrill, Lacey bit her lip, feeling the pressure.
She had expected a tactical battle against Teacher Johan, a clash of strategies and counterplays—her sending in Excadrill, him sending something to counter it.
But instead, there were no tactics, no countering—just one thing: brute force.
As an academy-trained tactician, this didn't sit right with her.
But... he won.
Winning is reason enough.
Still, after a brief daze, Lacey refocused. It wasn't over yet. After a moment's contemplation, she drew her third Pokéball.
"Go, Primarina!"
"Sea~!"
Primarina appeared—graceful and majestic, with sea-colored curls, a flowing mermaid-like tail, and decorative shells and coral. She was like an ocean diva, elegant and poised.
"Primarina, the Soloist Pokémon, a Water and Fairy-type known as the 'Ocean Songstress,' Rotom says!"
Water and Fairy—once again avoiding Steel's advantage over Fairy.
Johan wasn't unfamiliar with Primarina—she's a common sight in competitive matches.
Though her typing wasn't disadvantaged, her physical defense was... lacking.
Right now, Primarina and Lacey's only edge was the lingering Tailwind.
The battle continued—Johan still didn't switch Pokémon.
"Primarina, use Scald!" Lacey shouted seriously.
"Sea~!"
Primarina inhaled deeply and unleashed a cone of steaming water toward Tinkaton.
[Scald: A Water-type move that may cause a burn.]
Clearly, Lacey wanted to weaken Tinkaton's massive physical power by burning it.
She even widened the spray's area for better odds.
"Block it," Johan commanded calmly.
Block it? How? Against all-covering water flow? Aside from Protect, how could she block that?
And why not just use Protect? the audience wondered.
That question was soon answered.
"Cha!!"
Tinkaton smashed her hammer into the ground.
Boom!
A spire of rock erupted, shielding her.
Stone Edge—used defensively.
Lacey frowned but didn't hesitate—she couldn't let Tinkaton close in. She had to stay aggressive.
Long defense only leads to loss; as long as she held the tempo, she had a chance.
"Primarina, Hyper Voice!"
Sound gets through where water can't.
"Sea~!"
Primarina's haunting melody pierced the air. It wasn't just sound—it shimmered with watery power.
Liquid Voice—a Hidden Ability that turns all sound-based moves into Water-type. Like Pixelate or Aerilate, but for sound.
"Protect, and charge!" Johan finally called for Protect.
A green shield blocked the attack, and Tinkaton surged forward under its cover.
"Primarina, again—Scald!"
Just as Tinkaton's shield broke, the boiling spray erupted again.
Both were waiting for this—Johan to burn his Protect, and Lacey to punish him right after.
At this range, surely Tinkaton would get burned.
"Time's up," Johan murmured.
Lacey and the crowd blinked in confusion—then realization hit.
Tailwind had expired.
Johan had timed it perfectly—during a live match!
This wasn't turn-based; Tailwind's duration could vary. That kind of tracking was elite.
"A tactician's precision," someone whispered.
Lacey gritted her teeth. "Even without Tailwind—my move stands!"
Primarina launched the boiling water once more.
But slower now.
Johan's smile sharpened.
"Smash it, Tinkaton!"
Smash what?
The Scald?
Confused, but trusting him, Tinkaton charged with a grin.
BAM!!
Splash!
The hammer ripped through the water like an axe through paper—Tinkaton barreled through, face-to-face with Primarina.
No more Tailwind. No more distance. The fight was now hers.
"Gigaton Hammer!"
The glinting steel hammer gleamed under the lights, immense and weighty.
BOOM!!
Primarina gasped in pain, water flaring around her. But—
In a flash, she vanished back into her Pokéball, narrowly escaping full damage.
Johan raised an eyebrow.
Flip Turn?
Lacey had reacted instantly—saving Primarina mid-hit.
Still, Primarina had taken some of that hammer.
Red light flashed—Whimsicott was back on the field.
And many in the audience still hadn't processed what just happened.
"How did it even cut through Scald?"
"I'm lost…"
"Good. It's the Master League. We're not here to understand. We're here to see…"
"...if Johan-sensei can turn this into a Kiddie Cup!"
The memes were flowing.
Among those who did get it: Flint, Aaron—and surprisingly—Poppy.
She stared at Johan's Tinkaton with wide eyes.
"Cha? Cha-Cha?" her own Tinkaton murmured.
It could tell she was thinking something.
"You can fight like that with a Tinkaton?" she whispered.
Tinkaton's expression dropped.
"Cha?! CHAA?!"
No. Just because that Tinkaton can doesn't mean I can! That's not how physics works!!
Beside her, Rika chuckled. "It was an Ice Hammer. Cold meeting hot—split the Scald's force."
Back on the field…
Lacey was feeling the heat.
Johan might look like a brawler, but his strategy was meticulous.
He'd predicted Tailwind's end, knew when to Protect, and even broke through Scald.
He wasn't just a brute.
He was a brute with knowledge.
"Whimsicott, set Tailwind again!"
If she could refresh Tailwind, maybe she'd still have a shot.
But this time—Whimsicott had no initiative.
CLANG!
A stone launched, slamming into Whimsicott before it could move.
"Cha~" Tinkaton casually wiped her nose, smug.
Airborne opponents? Please.
Lacey could no longer safely switch back to Primarina either—too risky.
Johan didn't let up.
"Gigaton Hammer!"
Still reeling, Whimsicott was caught off-guard—and despite its Leech Seed vines, Tinkaton ignored them entirely.
One shot.
"Whimsicott is unable to battle!"
She'd tried to reset Tailwind and paid dearly.
Primarina was her last hope. Theoretically, she could kite Tinkaton and win.
But that was theory.
Because Johan and Tinkaton… had a final trick.
"Throw the hammer."
"Cha!"
The shout didn't come from Johan's Tinkaton—but from Poppy's.
Translation: "This is insanity!"
They weren't even in the same weight class!
In the end—
All three of Lacey's Pokémon fell.
Match over.
"The winner," the muddy ref declared, "Johan!"
"CHA!!" Tinkaton raised her hammer high.
First victory secured.
"I signed up to watch Johan win, not this murder!" someone shouted.
"He's turning the Master League into a baby tournament?!"
"Lacey's a student, he's a teacher—it was a lesson!"
"Poor, sweet Lacey…"
Johan just smiled, listening to the chaos.
Were his fans genuine? Trolls? Both?
Probably both.
After the match, Lacey looked downcast—but not broken. Losing to Johan was no disgrace.
She hadn't forgotten her mission, either: inviting Johan to Blueberry Academy for a public lesson.
Johan replied he'd consider it—he was curious about Terastallization anyway.
If used right, Terastallizing could shift the entire battle—changing types to flip weaknesses.
He also wondered—
Can a Terastallized Pokémon Mega Evolve?
Or vice versa?
That was a question.
Lacey hadn't Terastallized during the match—not because she couldn't. Her Tera Orb was ready.
But all her Tera types were Fairy—and against Tinkaton, that was suicide.
After the match, the community was buzzing—especially about how illegal Tinkaton looked.
Eventually, they all agreed:
Johan wasn't too unreasonable—most of the madness came from Tinkaton's weight and strength.
Good news: Johan-sensei isn't totally broken.
Bad news: He's probably holding back.
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Powerstones?
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