"Second place now, huh? Whatever... It doesn't matter. We'll reclaim first soon enough."
Seeing the rankings on the giant screen, Nagasaki Soyo wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Instead, she felt oddly pleased. She turned her head, shooting a malicious glance at the girl standing nearby.
"Right, Sakiko?"
At this moment, the urge for revenge burned brighter than ever in her heart.
Before her stood Togawa Sakiko, the very person who had shattered their former team. What puzzled Soyo was that Sakiko was wearing a mask—one that exaggerated the size of her nose.
But that didn't matter. According to Soyo's research, Sakiko already had over twenty consecutive victories. If she could defeat Sakiko now, she'd surely earn a large sum of battle points.
Holding a Poké Ball firmly in her hand, Soyo's eyes gleamed coldly.
"If I win, would you mind leaving Satoshi alone?"
Without waiting for a reply, she tossed the Poké Ball. A dazzling light tore through the sky, fading away to reveal a powerful figure cloaked in shades of black and blue, radiating an overwhelming presence.
This was Hydreigon, the pseudo-legendary Pokémon (notorious for its late blooming) from the Unova region.
"Roooar!"
Hydreigon's fierce aura made the air itself shiver, an oppressive pressure filling the rooftop.
Seeing this, Sakiko barely reacted. However, she hadn't expected Soyo to say something like that.
Honestly, Sakiko felt deeply annoyed. The brief interactions she'd had with Soyo made her feel like she'd rather be back home, dealing with her drunkard father's empty sake bottles.
Why should I be the one to leave my own childhood friend's side?
Just because of your silly crush?
"You really only think about yourself, don't you?"
Her expression hardened into a glare as she stared down Nagasaki Soyo. With a swift, decisive movement, Sakiko tossed her own Poké Ball forward, releasing a dragon-like bat Pokémon into the air.
"If I win, you'll kneel before me."
Their chosen battlefield was the school's rooftop, an ideal spot for their flying Pokémon to fully showcase their abilities beneath the expansive blue sky.
Initially, Sakiko had considered making Soyo promise to "leave Satoshi alone if I win," but after some thought, she worried it might seem like a petty battle over a boy, and instead settled on having Soyo kneel.
However, she was already starting to regret this decision. Imagining future encounters with Satoshi becoming awkward because of Soyo made her head hurt. Maybe explicitly fighting over Satoshi wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all.
In Sakiko's mind, the stakes felt imbalanced. She assumed that Soyo wouldn't even care much about kneeling.
Their gazes locked fiercely, mirrored by their Pokémon. Hydreigon and Noivern were both Dragon-types known for their fierce temperaments. Noivern, however, thrived in darkness, practically unbeatable under the cover of night.
If the battle had been at night, even Hydreigon might've hesitated.
But now, at high noon, the conditions favored Soyo. Moreover, Hydreigon's pseudo-legendary status made it far stronger in reputation and raw power compared to Noivern.
Honestly, Nagasaki Soyo didn't believe for even a moment she could lose.
I will win!
After defeating Sakiko, she'd challenge Satoshi, force him to accept hypnosis, and finally, have him sign his name on their marriage registration form.
I'll surpass him!
Wait, that's not right. To be with the boy I love, I first need to get rid of Sakiko.
The light in Soyo's eyes dimmed, turning her usually vibrant blue pupils an unsettling shade of dark. Her lips curled into a deceptively gentle smile.
If Sakiko chose to wear a mask, she'd simply don her own—a mask of gentle deceit.
Their battle intent burned fiercely, yet the two girls who accompanied them onto the rooftop couldn't help but feel confused by their strangely intense fighting spirit.
"Want some candy?"
"..."
Kaname Raana pulled out a matcha-flavored candy from her pocket, offering it to Wakaba Mutsumi. Mutsumi just shook her head in polite refusal, attention completely fixed on this inexplicably intense battle over a boy.
"The match between Nagasaki Soyo and Togawa Sakiko begins now," Mutsumi announced quietly.
At her signal, both girls tensed, their focus razor-sharp.
"Noivern, take flight and use [Dragon Pulse] on Hydreigon!"
"Then we'll fly too—Hydreigon, counter with [Dragon Pulse]!"
Both issued rapid commands.
"Onbaa!"
Under the radiant midday sun, Sakiko's Noivern soared gracefully like a comet streaking across the sky. It quickly took the higher position, kicking up gusts of wind as it prepared its attack.
A fierce [Dragon Pulse] erupted from Noivern's mouth, the violet-red energy rippling ominously as it sped toward Hydreigon, who was spiraling upward to meet it.
Hydreigon reacted instantly, its three mouths simultaneously releasing their own [Dragon Pulse] attacks.
The two [Dragon Pulses] clashed spectacularly, weaving together a breathtaking, violent spectacle in the sky.
"Saza!!"
Gradually, Hydreigon's attack gained the upper hand. Its [Dragon Pulse] felt denser, more concentrated, crackling through the air with tiny bursts of lightning and a sinister pressure.
In sheer power, Noivern clearly lagged behind Hydreigon, though its speed remained superior.
Both trainers quickly recognized this imbalance.
"Noivern, dodge quickly—then use [Hurricane] from a safe distance!"
Taking advantage of the stalemate, Sakiko immediately had Noivern retreat.
But Soyo wasn't planning to let her escape.
Satoshi… Marriage registration… Eliminate Sakiko.
Her thoughts were consumed by obsessive desires, lost in her own twisted fantasies. Battle points? She couldn't care less.
This battle's about claiming my man, right?
Soyo's smile widened confidently, not entertaining the slightest possibility of defeat. Since Sakiko dared to covet her boyfriend, it wouldn't hurt to be a little cruel, would it~?
"Hydreigon, [Tri Attack]! Don't let it escape."
[Tri Attack (Normal-type)]: Fires three simultaneous beams with a chance to inflict paralysis, burn, or freeze.
Though [Tri Attack] lacked type advantage, releasing three beams simultaneously gave it triple the range, making it ideal against a slippery Pokémon like Noivern.
"Roooar—!!"
In the vast, open battlefield, Hydreigon's three heads unleashed blasts of fire, ice, and electricity. These rays intertwined spectacularly, forming a combined strike hurtling straight toward Noivern.
"Onba!"
Noivern swiftly responded by releasing a massive [Hurricane], twisting the incoming beams off course. The powerful Flying-type attack broke through the beams, rushing directly toward [Hydreigon].
The violent gale struck like an invisible blade, knocking Hydreigon off balance, sending it tumbling through the air.
Though it didn't suffer severe injury, the attack successfully disrupted Hydreigon's rhythm, momentarily disorienting it before it recovered, regaining its balance midair.
"Is that all you've got, Nagasaki Soyo?"
With no better conditions set for their battle, Sakiko resorted to a cold taunt, eyes narrowed dismissively.