The moment Rillaboom took the stage, vivid green waves swept out like a rising tide. Accompanied by the shimmering illusion of grass and trees, Grassy Terrain unfurled instantly.
Rillaboom's ability, "Grassy Surge", was the same as Tapu Bulu's—although in Lucas's view, Tapu Bulu's was far superior in terms of both range and effectiveness.
Just as Aliquis expected.
From the very start, as the elder brother, Elios never saw this as a battle between equals.
Even in this crucial opening, the moment both sides vie for control and start establishing an advantage...
He still chose to send out Rillaboom, the comparatively weaker member of his main team.
That's because Elios would often send home videos of his glorious victories at Blueberry Academy.
So, Aliquis knew every Pokémon in his brother's roster, whether they'd been sent back and were living it up at Grandpa's farm, or were still in the main team.
"U-turn!"
Aliquis's pupils constricted; he seized initiative without hesitation.
Meowscarada leapt nimbly into the air, morphing into a streak of green light and hurtling towards Rillaboom at high speed.
"Grab it."
Elios didn't even instruct Rillaboom to use a move—he simply felt that would be enough to block Meowscarada.
Faithfully executing his command, Rillaboom's eyes flashed cold. Its massive hands, radiating unstoppable will, reached straight out toward the oncoming Meowscarada.
But Meowscarada perfectly embodied "supple elegance."
Its body bent at an unbelievable arc—dodging Rillaboom's grasp with a piercing shriek as it cut through the air—vanished in a flicker and struck Rillaboom before instantly turning into a flash of red light, returning to the Poké Ball in Aliquis's hand.
Lucas felt a touch of regret.
If only Meowscarada's ability were Protean, this U-turn would've packed even more power.
Having soaked some damage without cost, Aliquis didn't hesitate and threw out his second Poké Ball.
"Flamigo!"
Appearing on stage again was Flamigo—like a vibrant flamingo with a round, pink body and wings, a long neck with a knot at the base, a black-tipped beak, and a face, legs, and feet of white.
A Flying/Fighting-type Pokémon. The "true regional bird" of Paldea—Flamigo!
Upon emerging, Flamigo balanced on one long, matchstick-like leg. The other foot raised, its big yellow eyes stared unblinking at Rillaboom, sending chills down Rillaboom's spine.
"Type advantage alone won't be enough to defeat me."
Elios chuckled softly, issuing a command.
"Grassy Glide!"
Elios quickly organized his offense with Rillaboom's classic move combo.
On "Grassy Terrain" (enhanced by "Grassy Surge"), not only are Grass-type moves powered up—Grassy Glide also enjoys priority +1.
In reality, this translates to a ludicrously rapid dash for a Pokémon as physically large as Rillaboom.
With a sharp "whoosh!", Rillaboom blurred into green brilliance and slid in a low tackle towards Flamigo's seemingly fragile legs.
Previously, Aliquis would've panicked—making instinctive errors that could leave Flamigo in grave danger.
But now, he was a different person!
His determined gaze clear, he called out the counter-move—one Flamigo had learned on Lucas's suggestion from Nemona's Pawmot, specifically for this situation.
"Upper Hand!"
In the split second before impact, Flamigo exploited a flaw in Rillaboom's offensive stance. Like a whip, one leg lashed out and struck Rillaboom right at the back of its neck.
This blow contained a mysterious energy—causing Rillaboom to stumble and face-plant into the dirt.
Just as it tried to get up, Rillaboom's body suddenly stiffened—
At Blueberry Academy's side, Amarys adjusted her glasses and explained, "By exploiting Grassy Glide's opening with Upper Hand, Rillaboom was forced into a 'Flinch' condition. This could be trouble."
"This little brother… may not be as harmless as Senior Elios said."
As if to confirm Amarys's words, Aliquis seized the rare opportunity, choosing to attack with Flamigo's strongest move.
"Brave Bird!"
Flamigo loosened the knot around its neck, as though breaking a seal. Sky-blue flames burst from within, igniting its entire body in an instant.
With overwhelming energy, wings thrown wide, Flamigo charged from low altitude straight at Rillaboom!
Boom!
Flames exploded, gusts swept outward.
The gale roared, but Aliquis kept his eyes locked to the center of the field.
Only after seeing Rillaboom collapse, unconscious, did joy light up his face.
Yes! I finally did it!
Elios, by contrast, stood frozen for several seconds.
Did Rillaboom just get KO'd so easily?
He shot Aliquis a penetrating glance, almost as if meeting his little brother for the first time.
Underestimating Aliquis had led to disaster—the gloves were off. From this moment, he'd go all out against his brother.
"Ceruledge!"
Unexpectedly, Elios' second Pokémon was also Ceruledge.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Aliquis, unfazed, kept Flamigo on the field to confront Ceruledge.
With Flamigo's ability, Scrappy, even though Ceruledge is part-Ghost, Flamigo can land Normal- or Fighting-type moves.
But Elios' Ceruledge was clearly far stronger than Rillaboom. Despite Aliquis's best efforts and Flamigo's total commitment, Ceruledge's swordplay ultimately brought Flamigo down.
Watching Flamigo fall, Elios' lips curled in a faint smile.
Yes, this was the feeling he knew.
Even if Aliquis had grown a lot in areas he hadn't seen, there was still an insurmountable gap in raw strength between them.
That notion lasted until Aliquis sent out his third Pokémon.
"Garganacl!"
With a heavy stomp, Paldea's region's signature Pokémon—Garganacl—took the field.
"This Pokémon…"
Over on Blueberry Academy's side, Crispin recalled hearing about Garganacl from Elios.
Apparently, this Pokémon could produce top-quality rock salt and was usually kept as a logistical helper at ranches.
He'd even gotten some rock salt from Elios before and made some delicious dishes with it.
Still, could such a big Pokémon really battle?
Crispin was skeptical.
At Naranja Academy's side, Hassel raised an interested eyebrow.
"At this point, sending out Garganacl? Is this kid learning from you..."
He turned a questioning look to Lucas.
Lucas just smiled.
Aliquis's family ran a farm; raising a Garganacl wasn't unusual.
As Garganacl entered, Naranja Academy students' faces went pale, like they'd recalled some unspeakable trauma.
After experiencing Garganacl at the last inter-school battle, none dared think of it as just another support Pokémon.
Many students had even spent big money to buy and train one for themselves!
Seeing Garganacl show up at such a crucial time, they felt its mere presence was reassuring.
Thank goodness, it's Garganacl! We're saved!
"Garganacl?"
Elios furrowed his brow, thinking Aliquis had lost his cool after Flamigo's defeat, and was now throwing by sending out Garganacl.
But having suffered a setback, he would not repeat his arrogance. He planned to discuss Aliquis's battle misstep later—once the match was over.
"Go! Shadow Claw!"
Ceruledge closed the gap in just a few strides. Both of its flaming swords gleamed with dark aura as they slashed at the slow Garganacl—who nearly couldn't dodge such a quick attack.
But—
It was almost entirely ineffective!
"With the ability 'Purifying Salt,' Garganacl can't be inflicted with status conditions, and takes half damage from Ghost moves."
At the rear, Paul explained this to a confused Joy Shizuka.
He returned his gaze to the field—just in time to see Garganacl hit Ceruledge with "Salt Cure." Paul knew Ceruledge's defeat was sealed.
Sword and body collided again and again.
Aliquis murmured, "No matter the power, sharpness, or variety of moves… it's nothing compared to Teacher's Ceruledge."
With that comparison, his brother's usually top-ranked Ceruledge suddenly looked childish.
Once Salt Cure landed, it was time for "Iron Defense" and "Recover," with Leftovers extending its longevity.
Having faced Paul's Garganacl himself, Aliquis made sure to teach his own the very moves that Lucas's farm's Garganacl had been lacking back then.
Gradually, Ceruledge's attacks became nothing but an itch to Garganacl—meanwhile, Salt Cure kept on as an inescapable pain.
Nearly fifteen minutes of torment later, Ceruledge could hold out no longer. Its armored body collapsed, losing consciousness.
Though many Naranja Academy students still felt a little queasy watching the fight, they couldn't deny it: watching Garganacl win like this was deeply satisfying!
Facing us, you are so dark and tricky.
But when you fight for us—you're so reliable, so cool.
Garganacl: The coolest Pokémon!
Elios admitted—he was totally stunned.
But battle waits for no one. He quickly sent out his ace—his trump card—
A Normal-type Pokémon, Zangoose: bitter rival to Seviper.
Objectively, even Zangoose would have a tough time breaking through Garganacl's defense.
On Aliquis's side, Garganacl could still heal, plus he had to watch for another Salt Cure toss, not to mention a fresh Meowscarada waiting in the wings.
Even Elios had to admit he'd finally been forced into a corner by his ever-overlooked little brother.
But what shocked him even more was Aliquis recalling the fully buffed Garganacl and switching in Meowscarada instead—locking eyes with burning determination.
He was clearly signaling a showdown of their signature Pokémon!
"...Interesting."
From this moment, Elios truly began to regard Aliquis as a true equal, changing his mindset completely. He directed his Zangoose to launch a fierce assault.
On Aliquis's side, he excitedly guided Meowscarada in countering their attacks.
At Naranja Academy, Nemona watched, eyes sparkling. "They look so happy!"
"Everyone's happy!" Eri agreed, noticing the focused gazes of the crowd.
Dendra grinned, "As expected, a heated Pokémon battle brings joy to all!"
Meowscarada and Zangoose darted across Sun Plaza, even using nearby buildings and rooftops for their chase.
Eventually, after another clash, smoke from colliding moves revealed both collapsing together—out cold.
That meant, with only Garganacl remaining, Aliquis had defeated his older brother Elios and clinched the last victory!
With Naranja Academy securing four wins, two losses, and a draw in the team match, they again claimed victory in the inter-academy exchange!
As Director Clavell announced the result, applause and cheers rained down over Sun Plaza.
Lucas gave a small, proud smile, applauding the efforts of all seven students.
All in all—a solid performance.
Though they didn't achieve a sweep, Nemona and the others tried hard. Given a little more growth, these students would become truly independent Trainers.
At that point, Lucas might just consider quitting teaching altogether.
Pop! Pop!
A volley of confetti cannons snapped Lucas out of his musings as streamers rained from the sky—reportedly launched by the owner of the nearby "Delibird Parcels."
The festive atmosphere only grew more lively.
Lucas's gaze crossed through the confetti, locking with Alder's.
He raised his brows and smiled, as if to say, "This time, I win."
Alder responded sportingly, acknowledging Lucas's victory for this round of teaching.
Whether it was Nemona—so talented that Alder suspected she might reach the Elite Four soon—or the others, he had to admit: Lucas's eye for students was razor-sharp.
Of course, Blueberry Academy had plenty of future Unova elites too—maybe even someone to inherit Alder's own Champion seat!
Unwilling to be bested, Alder resolved to work even harder as a teacher and hone his students further.
He, of course, had no idea Kieran and Carmine were already eyeing a transfer to Lucas's camp...
…