"Father, you said this was about guiding Pokémon training, not battling!" James's voice cracked with desperation.
He couldn't stand watching the rules twist again. He admired Ethan, wanted to be his friend—maybe even his disciple in courage—but with only two badges, how could Ethan compete against veterans holding five or six?
"Silence, James." His father shoved him aside with the authority of a man who believed his word was law. "An excellent instructor must also be a capable battler. If he cannot fight, he is unworthy. That is final."
He wheeled forward in his chair, glaring at Ethan. "Do you dare to face them in a Pokémon battle? If you win, I'll concede. One million credits will be yours."
Ethan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why is it never enough? Beat them once, humiliate them twice, and still they beg for another slap. Do people really need both cheeks bruised to feel complete?
"Are you scared?" James's father sneered suddenly, slapping his thigh. "See? Look at his face! He's scared!"
The servants averted their eyes. James looked stricken. Even Mr. Takuma frowned, clearly unimpressed by such theatrics.
Ethan raised his head slowly, smirk curling at his lips. "Me? Scared? Only a coward demands a rematch after being flattened the first time."
His father's eyes bulged. "I am not a coward!"
"Then stop announcing it. The more you protest, the clearer it becomes."
"Y-you—"
"Dad!" James hissed, mortified.
"Master!" the butler tried.
"Dalang!" Takuma sighed, rubbing his temple.
But the challenge was set.
Half an hour later, the manor's private battlefield was filled. James's father sat slumped in a wheelchair, sedative still dulling his nerves, but pride alone had dragged him here.
Across the field, Ethan stood calm and loose, hands tucked in his coat pockets.
"Send out your Pokémon," James's father ordered, voice sharp despite his condition.
His chosen champion, a trainer named Dafeng, stepped forward. "Go, Gyarados!"
A whirl of light erupted into a massive blue Gyarados, scales glittering like steel under the sun. Its roar split the courtyard, echoing off stone walls.
The servants gasped in awe.
James's father lifted his chin. "My strongest asset. Level forty. Elite tier. Let's see your beast match this."
Ethan tilted his head, unimpressed. "Level forty? Cute." He raised a Poké Ball, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Come out, Red Gyarados."
The air turned molten as his shiny Red Gyarados burst forth, a serpent of scarlet fury. Its roar was deeper, darker, a sound that made the courtyard tremble. The servants stumbled back, some clutching their ears.
The blue Gyarados faltered, eyes flicking nervously at the crimson juggernaut before it.
"No… it's a Red Gyarados…" one servant whispered.
James's father's face twisted. "What are you gawking at? It's just a color variation! Power decides battles, not hue!"
Still, his voice shook.
The duel began with Dafeng barking, "Gyarados! Hyper Beam—show them your strength!"
"Hyper Beam," Ethan echoed lazily.
Twin roars split the sky as both titans gathered blinding orbs of destructive energy. For an instant, the air burned white. Then—
The red Gyarados unleashed first. Its beam screamed forward, a torrent of annihilation that swallowed its opponent's attack whole. The collision erupted mid-air, but the crimson light chewed through the blue's energy like fire through paper.
With a thunderous crack, the beam slammed into the blue Gyarados, blasting it backward in a spray of water and dust.
"Impossible!" Dafeng cried.
"Beautiful," Ethan murmured.
James leapt up, cheering before catching his father's death-glare and wilting instantly.
The servants buzzed with disbelief. Mr. Takuma only stroked his chin, eyes glinting with quiet fascination.
The blue Gyarados staggered upright, scorched but alive. Its trainer clenched his fist. "Fight back! Again—Hyper Beam!"
Ethan's smirk sharpened. "You heard him. Hyper Beam."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. "He's crazy!" one of the trainers hissed. "You can't fire Hyper Beam twice in a row—recharge lag will freeze you!"
But Ethan knew his beast. The Red Gyarados didn't pause. Power surged instantly in its throat, brighter than before, flames licking the edges of the beam.
The courtyard shook as it fired again, a second blazing lance tearing across the battlefield. The blue Gyarados was still locked in recharge, its mouth flickering weakly, unable to muster defense.
The red beam engulfed it whole.
Explosion. Water and dust burst skyward. When the haze cleared, the blue Gyarados lay crumpled, eyes spiraled.
Silence blanketed the field.
Then James couldn't hold it anymore. "Yes! That's my instructor!" He whooped, bouncing like a child.
Ethan folded his arms, expression flat. "Red Gyarados is temperamental, but when it listens, it makes a point."
James's father stared, face pale, veins standing out in his neck. His hands trembled on the armrests of his wheelchair.
"You… You cheated."
Ethan's eyes flicked toward him, cold amusement dancing there. "Sure. Blame me because my Gyarados actually obeys. Funny thing about power—it doesn't bow to your money."
The servants whispered louder. Some laughed under their breath. Takuma, at last, let out a booming laugh.
"Excellent! Truly excellent!" the old president clapped. "To command such fury and turn it into discipline—that is strength worth watching."
James's father slumped deeper in his chair, lips tight, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.
Ethan, meanwhile, reached up to recall his Red Gyarados. The beast dissolved into red light, leaving silence in its wake.
He smirked. "Satisfied? Or do you want the left cheek struck again too?"
The servants stifled laughs. James covered his mouth to keep from grinning outright.
Takuma only shook his head, still smiling. "This boy… I like him more with every word."