The score came to 2–1.
Right now, Kieran was temporarily ahead of Paul.
Cramorant stunned the entire audience with its combination move: "Gulp Missile" + "Spit Up." Its tremendous power was enough to instantly take down a Skeledirge that still had more than half its stamina, making it faint before it could even recover.
Amidst the noisy chatter from the crowd, Paul calmly recalled Skeledirge, muttering softly, "I got careless."
Indeed, it was his carelessness and failure to recognize Cramorant's unique traits that led to Skeledirge's defeat.
But Paul never wallows in self-pity. He only reflects on his mistakes, so he won't ever make the same mistake twice.
"Torterra, get ready to battle!"
With a swift spin, the Poké Ball soared into the air. In a flash of red light, Torterra's massive body landed heavily, making the entire Sun Plaza tremble.
"Torterra, huh?"
On the Blueberry Academy side, Student President Amarys—one of the Blueberry Elite Four—thought to herself.
She remembered that her good friend's younger brother's ace Pokémon seemed to be—
At the edge of the battlefield, Kieran had no intention of recalling Cramorant. Instead, he kept commanding it to fight.
Cramorant flapped its wings, decisively swooping down toward the still-stunned Pikachu, trying to swallow it whole again.
Having already suffered this once, of course Paul wouldn't let Cramorant succeed easily again. He gave a cold command: "Rock Tomb!"
"Tora!"
Torterra let out a loud cry, slamming its forelegs onto the ground.
Boom!
The ground cracked, countless stones smashing through the air toward Pikachu.
Naturally, Paul had no intention of hurting that unlucky Pikachu.
The stones landed around Pikachu before Cramorant could reach it, and almost immediately formed a solid rock fortress around Pikachu, keeping Cramorant from taking a bite.
After accomplishing this, as if to vent his frustration, Paul issued commands like a sudden storm.
"Smack Down!"
With another stomp, several rocks howled through the air, hurtling toward Cramorant.
"Water Pulse!" Kieran wouldn't just stand there and wait either. He quickly organized Cramorant to counterattack.
But this time, Paul had clearly already worked out his strategy for battling Cramorant.
Just as Cramorant neutralized the threatening "Smack Down," Paul's setup was revealed.
After two heavy stomps, Torterra secretly infused energy underground.
Before Cramorant or Kieran could react, countless jagged, glowing blue rocks erupted from below, striking Cramorant hard.
Boom!
A violent explosion, clouds of dust everywhere.
When the dust settled again, still clutching its ears in fear, Pikachu stood alone—Cramorant had already lost its ability to battle.
A moment of silence, then the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
In this back-and-forth, no one could predict what would happen next.
That's the charm of Pokémon battles!
Among the crowd—
Many young boys and girls, holding their parents' or siblings' hands, had yearning expressions. A tiny seed had quietly been planted in their hearts.
"Such amazing trainers and Pokémon."
A little girl, around five or six, with short hair and cute dress, hugged a Copperajah plushie and whispered in her childish voice in her mother's ear:
"I want to become an amazing trainer too!"
Her mother, dressed in understated but clearly expensive clothes, just smiled indulgently. "Okay, okay, when you turn ten, you can get your first Pokémon."
Facing away from the crowd, Clavell listened to the children's conversations and vaguely understood why President Geeta had insisted on hosting the battles on Sun Plaza.
Seeds of dreams are always planted when least expected. Over time, as years pass, one day they'll blossom and bear fruit.
That respectable president was guiding the Paldea region toward a better future through the details of every decision.
Meanwhile, the battle had grown ever more intense.
Paul's Torterra was a perfect embodiment of "as immovable as a mountain."
Gone was the nimbleness of its Turtwig days. Now, with its durability and powerful attacks, Torterra could unleash devastating moves even without moving from its spot.
But their opponent was even trickier.
Seven dragon heads danced madly mid-air, breathing destructive beams like monsters from a special effects film, intercepting Torterra's fierce attacks.
Their base was a massive apple, coated in syrup and exuding a sweet aroma.
Though also unmoving, this Pokémon held overwhelming prowess when it came to firepower.
Watching, Lucas's mind quickly supplied the name: Hydrapple, the third and only two-stage evolution for Applin.
It was Grass + Dragon type—a combination with plenty of weak points. Funnily enough, though, it was a hard counter for Torterra.
Torterra's moves would only deal limited damage due to Hydrapple's typing.
Even without Ice-type moves, Hydrapple was skilled in some bug-type techniques, putting Torterra at a disadvantage that only grew as the battle went on.
About the only consolation for Torterra was his signature "Earthquake," which Hydrapple was almost never able to dodge.
Hydrapple's performance could be inconsistent, mostly because the seven "Serpent Bugs" living in the apple all had different thoughts, making teamwork rare.
But once they were united—
Kieran gave the command: "Fickle Beam!"
This time, as if their hearts were one, the seven Serpent Bugs emerged from the apple, gathering dazzling golden light.
The Dragon-type move, "Fickle Beam," was only an average "Dragon Pulse" when they weren't working together.
But if they combined forces, it became a finishing move—even more powerful than Draco Meteor, but without its drawbacks.
The ultimate finisher!
Paul's expression immediately grew grave.
Not caring about possible move backlash, he gave his order.
"Leaf Storm!"
Instead of using Earthquake, which was difficult, Paul opted for Leaf Storm—the only long-range move he could use to resist these attacks.
Whoosh—
A howling gale mixed with countless sharp, emerald leaves surged toward Hydrapple like a raging tornado.
Hydrapple now finished charging up.
Seven brilliant beams shot forth, merging mid-flight into one, slicing the Leaf Storm apart and crashing straight down onto Torterra's back!
Boom—!
The terrifying explosion deafened everyone. People saw a flash of blinding light, then—an imposing shockwave hit alongside the roar.
Many in the crowd almost lost their footing.
But still, they quickly steadied themselves—and gazed with eager eyes at the ring.
Could Torterra hang on?
Or had Hydrapple sealed the result with that single strike?
As the dust slowly cleared, the outcome became crystal clear.
Clavell, with his ever-calm tone, announced the result.
"Torterra is unable to battle. Hydrapple wins!"
"The morning's matches are now over. Please leave in an orderly fashion to avoid stampede incidents. After a short break, the rest of the exhibition matches will resume at 2:00 PM sharp!"
…
Paul had just finished lunch with Nemona and the others. Feeling a bit tired, he planned to head back to his dorm for a nap.
But on the way, he was stopped by Lucas.
No, "stopped" wasn't really accurate—Lucas was simply waiting there, and Paul stopped on his own.
For once, Paul couldn't bear to look Lucas in the eye. He gave a deep bow, full of shame and self-blame: "I'm sorry, I lost."
Thanks to his defeat, Naranja Academy was in the awkward position of trailing by two points. He imagined how much more pressure the teachers must be feeling compared to himself.
"Still hung up on that? That's not like you."
Putting his arm around Paul's shoulders, Lucas found a bench by the roadside and sat down with him, smirking.
"Everyone loses sometimes. There's no point dwelling on it. Learn from the experience and win it back next time."
Paul couldn't help but ask, "So… teacher, have you ever lost?"
"Nope."
Lucas smiled, looking rather pleased with himself.
He didn't give Paul time to respond, jumping in to clarify:
"Of course, I mean official matches. I'm the type who never enters unless I'm 100% sure I'll win."
"In private training or friendly sparring, losing, being beaten, or even chased around by wild Pokémon—those things happen all the time."
Very few can be undefeated forever. Even Galar's "Unbeatable Champion" Leon only has an official record of never being defeated.
Paul paused for a few seconds, then asked, "What about Kieran?"
At that, Lucas remembered the earlier scene: Kieran running up to take credit for the win, with his sister Carmine sighing in embarrassment and dragging him away.
Lucas smiled and said, "Actually, less than two months ago, those siblings' main Pokémon hadn't even fully evolved yet."
"Siblings?" Paul was startled, his eyes filled with questions.
"Yep, you guys don't know…"
"Blueberry Academy's Carmine and Kieran—their representatives in this tournament—they are real siblings. When I went north two months ago to bring back Ogerpon and Ursaluna, that's when I met those two."
Lucas explained.
"So, what do you mean, teacher?" Paul asked bluntly, as always.
Lucas didn't mind. Lowering his voice, he said, "Objectively speaking, people have inherent differences in talent."
"And you're unlucky: Kieran's talent is stronger than yours. That's how he was able to grow to your level—and then surpass you—in just two months."
"Of course, I'm not telling you to 'give up being a trainer if you lack talent.' I just want you to know, don't get stuck on one defeat."
"Unlike those with pure talent, you're more of a 'practical fighter' type. The academy gave you a strong foundation, but maybe it also slowed your growth compared to going out into the real world."
"Your powers of analysis, your capacity for self-improvement—they'll both grow most through battling different opponents. That's how you fill in your weaknesses."
"Paul, you're undoubtedly a trainer who thrives on live experience. It's a harder path than following pure talent, with more setbacks, but you can still catch up and even surpass those geniuses."
Lucas finalized his point with that.
Paul, first confused, grew more thoughtful.
He realized that just battling classmates at the academy left him missing the kinds of skills only real-world journeys could teach.
Otherwise, he might not have lost to Kieran today.
The more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes shone.
He got it!
Seeing that his peerless eloquence had succeeded in guiding Paul, Lucas's lips curled in a subtle smile. He got up, ready to leave.
Just then, Paul suddenly asked, "Teacher, which kind of trainer are you?"
"Me?"
Lucas was caught off-guard. After a moment, he shamelessly declared with a smile: "I'm the kind with incredible talent AND relentless perseverance!"
Paul: "?"
…
2:00 PM.
The next round of battles began right on schedule.
Currently, Naranja Academy was at a clear disadvantage, trailing by two overall points. Meanwhile, Blueberry Academy was fielding its strongest member: Champion Drayton, their dragon specialist!
For a moment, many residents of Mesagoza were worried.
But within the Naranja Academy team, the mood wasn't as gloomy as outsiders might imagine.
Shizuka and Paul had regained their composure, and everyone else was absolutely confident in Nemona's strength.
On the other hand, Blueberry's side—probably tired of being asked whether they had any chance of victory—saw Drayton explode and yell at Alder: "We will win! Also, old man, you're really annoying!"
Alder, yelled at, could only scratch his head and shut up.
He was indeed anxious; he hoped to outperform Lucas in the teaching domain, which got him excited.
When the starting whistle for the third round finally sounded, Alder cast his gaze across the battlefield.
"Huh?"
Spotting Nemona, Alder couldn't help but let out a slight noise of surprise.
He felt that this girl, so dazzling at Blueberry Academy before, seemed different now.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed.
While Alder was deep in thought, Nemona and the wild, slightly cocky Drayton had each taken their places at the edge of the battlefield.
Drayton grinned: "This isn't the same as before. I'd advise you to go all out from the start, or if you cry, I won't be babysitting you!"
Far from being frightened, Nemona's eyes sparkled excitedly.
"We can really go all out?"
When training with Penny and the others, she always had to hold back, which was suffocating for her.
She never thought that Drayton had grown this far!
Nemona was honestly overwhelmed with joy.
Drayton sensed something was off, but he couldn't figure out why. He replied, a little uncertain: "Of course!"
The sharp whistle pierced the air. Both trainers simultaneously tossed out their Poké Balls.
"Flygon!"
"Ursaluna!"
…
…
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