Naranja Academy's Private Battle Arena.
Kukui stood on the left side of the battlefield, Kai on the right, while Geeta took her place in the center as the referee.
With her hands clasped behind her back, Geeta glanced at both Trainers before announcing in a clear voice, "This will be a three-on-three single battle. No objections?"
Kukui grinned, signaling his agreement. Kai sighed but nodded—fortunately, he had exactly three Pokémon on him today that were ready to battle.
"Well then—"
Geeta took a slow, deliberate step back, retreating from the battlefield. Once she was clear of the action, she formally declared,
"Battle, begin!"
"Lycanroc!"
"Swampert."
Twin flashes of red light filled the arena as Poké Balls opened, revealing Swampert and a Midday Form Lycanroc facing off against each other.
Geeta raised an eyebrow. "Kai is leading with a clear type advantage?"
Both Trainers issued their commands simultaneously:
"Stealth Rock!"
"Sand Tomb!"
Sharp-edged stones scattered from Lycanroc's fur, embedding themselves invisibly into the battlefield and lingering in midair.
At the same time, Swampert let out a powerful roar. Pure Ground-type energy materialized into swirling grains of sand, forming a vortex beneath Lycanroc's feet.
"Kukui is setting up for easier switches, while Kai is trying to trap Lycanroc in place…" Geeta mused, a glimmer of intrigue in her eyes. "This is getting interesting."
Lycanroc frowned, feeling the subtle pull of the swirling sand beneath it. Though the trap wasn't enough to severely hinder its movement, it meant retreating into its Poké Ball was no longer an option.
Without hesitation, Kukui called out his next move.
Lycanroc's body blurred into a streak of white light, dashing forward with unwavering determination—charging straight at Swampert!
Though a more strategic approach would be to stall until Sand Tomb faded, that wasn't Kukui's style—he was never one to back down from a challenge.
As soon as Lycanroc closed the distance, Kukui gave the order.
"Now—Stone Edge!"
Lycanroc slammed the ground, jagged rock pillars erupting from beneath, shooting toward Swampert from all directions like a set of piercing fangs.
"High Horsepower!"
Swampert's body flared with an intense red glow, muscles swelling with raw power. With a single mighty spin, it shattered the incoming rock formations as if they were fragile glass, reducing them to nothing but airborne debris.
What insane strength!
Kukui's mind reeled, but his battle instincts kicked in immediately.
"Bite the sharpest rock and strike!"
Lycanroc reacted instantly. Mid-air, it lunged at a nearby fragment, clamping down on its sharpest edge with its fangs. As it descended, it used the rock like a blade, slashing straight at Swampert!
What the—? Is that a sword-wielding dog?!
Kai was momentarily stunned by Kukui's creativity. No wonder this man was destined to become Ash's mentor in the future. But instead of panicking, Kai smirked and called out,
"Tank it—Body Press!"
Kukui's eyes widened. "What?!"
Swampert completely ignored defense, letting Lycanroc's attack carve a deep gash across its sturdy body. It let out a grunt of pain, but its movements remained precise.
Compared to the scorching slashes it had endured from Ceruledge's flaming greatsword, this was nothing.
In Lycanroc's rapidly shrinking pupils, Swampert's massive arms closed in, grabbing it midair in an unbreakable grip.
Then—
A terrifying force erupted from Swampert's arms, squeezing around Lycanroc's midsection. It was completely powerless to resist such overwhelming strength.
A sharp, pained yelp rang out.
---
This was a battle, not a life-or-death struggle, so Swampert instinctively knew when to hold back. Just as it felt Lycanroc reaching its absolute limit, its grip loosened like the tide receding from shore—before it hurled Lycanroc across the battlefield.
BOOM!
Lycanroc crashed hard onto the ground, its legs trembling as it struggled to rise.
"Lycanroc!"
Kukui called out in concern. Once he saw it manage to stand—albeit shakily—he clenched his jaw. "That's one ruthless fighting style… I miscalculated."
In his original plan, even if Lycanroc was weaker than Swampert, its superior speed would allow it to maneuver around the battlefield.
But Kai had completely flipped the script. By using Swampert's unparalleled physical resilience to tank an attack head-on, he forced a close-quarters confrontation—something a bulkier Pokémon like Swampert would always win against a speedster like Lycanroc.
It wasn't Lycanroc that lost to Swampert.
It was Kukui, as a Trainer, who lost to Kai's strategy.
And Kai wasn't one to let an advantage slip away.
"Surf!"
A massive wave surged forth. Lycanroc, still recovering from the last exchange, had no way to evade.
Moments later—
Geeta smiled. "Lycanroc is unable to battle. Swampert wins."
She turned toward Kukui. "Please send out your next Pokémon."
"Veno…SAUR!"
With a thunderous roar, Venusaur firmly planted itself into the battlefield, its massive flower in full bloom. Every movement carried a sense of weight and power. Thick vines whipped across the field, mingling with nearly invisible toxic spores, creating a suffocating pressure that bore down on Swampert.
A Water/Ground-type without Sap Sipper, Swampert found itself at a severe disadvantage against Venusaur. Any natural power gap between them was completely neutralized by the sheer type advantage. On top of that, the injuries Swampert sustained from its battle with Lycanroc were further dragging down its condition.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
At this rate, Swampert wouldn't even be able to touch Venusaur. It would just get worn down until it was completely spent.
His initial plan had been to stall—have Swampert endure Venusaur's onslaught long enough for the Stealth Rock energy to dissipate, ensuring that Ceruledge could enter the battlefield at full strength and secure victory.
But…
---
Plans never survive contact with reality.
Kukui's Venusaur was the worst possible matchup for a Pokémon that relied on brute strength. If Kai didn't act now, he'd lose control of the fight.
As someone who had clawed his way to the Champion level within a single year, Kai's decision-making in battle was razor-sharp.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for just a moment.
Then, as Venusaur's wild, dragon-like vines momentarily exposed a gap—
Kai's eyes snapped open, sharp as a blade.
Without hesitation, he pressed the button.
The crimson glow of the Poké Ball shot across the battlefield, threading the narrow gap between the vines with pinpoint precision, recalling Swampert just in time.
Seeing his opponent's successful switch, Kukui clenched his teeth.
As expected of a Champion.
He had intentionally commanded Venusaur's Frenzy Plant to create a barrier, attempting to cut off the recall beam's path—but Kai had still managed to spot the fleeting opening and seize the moment.
Compared to Lance, whose battle style revolved around overwhelming force with his Flying- and Dragon-type Pokémon, Kai was a completely different kind of threat—not only powerful but also highly tactical.
With Swampert safely withdrawn, Kai wasted no time. He immediately threw out a prepared Poké Ball.
With a flash of light, Ceruledge emerged onto the battlefield.
But the moment it landed—
Stealth Rock activated!
Jagged stones materialized in midair and launched toward Ceruledge, giving it no time to react.
Instinctively, the Fire Blades Pokémon swung its flaming greatsword, shattering some of the incoming rocks—but several still found their mark, exploding against its armored body.
A moment later, the dust settled.
Ceruledge stood firm, but visible marks now lined its armor, and its energy had noticeably dipped.
Round Two—Begin!
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