Togawa Sakiko hadn't forgotten that Nagasaki Soyo had previously attempted to revive their former team, using her childhood friend Wakaba Mutsumi as leverage to pry into Sakiko's affairs—and most importantly, to dig up information about Satoshi.
At this moment, Sakiko finally felt a powerful urge to retaliate.
Hearing Sakiko's taunting words, Soyo's tightly clenched fists trembled slightly.
"Hydreigon, [Tailwind]! Boost your speed and take down that Noivern with [Dark Pulse]!"
Playing mind games during a battle was admittedly underhanded, but Soyo's strong resolve kept her mostly unaffected. Still, she couldn't help but wish she could just fight Sakiko herself instead.
Moreover, she wanted to humiliate Noivern by defeating it using a move that didn't even have a type advantage.
Noivern: "Onda…? (Why punish me when it's my trainer who's stealing your man?!)"
"SAZAA!"
Hydreigon unleashed a fierce [Tailwind], powerful gusts swirling around it and doubling its speed. Effortlessly evading Noivern's relentless [Hurricane] attacks, it quickly closed the distance, preparing its next strike.
An ominous black beam wrapped in violet energy surged toward Noivern, brimming with destructive intent.
"Keep your distance and use [Dragon Dance]!"
Noivern responded swiftly, its movements becoming graceful and rhythmic, almost dance-like.
Yet Hydreigon closed the gap even faster. With its speed doubled by Tailwind, Hydreigon still managed to outpace Noivern's [Dragon Dance].
Soyo didn't miss this opportunity.
"[Dragon Pulse]!"
"We'll counter with [Dragon Pulse] as well!"
"SAZAA!!"
All three of Hydreigon's mouths opened simultaneously, unleashing a devastating Dragon Pulse. Its destructive force surged fiercely toward Noivern, who fired its own [Dragon Pulse] in return. The two powerful attacks clashed violently in mid-air.
An intense shockwave exploded outward, knocking Hydreigon backward and sending it spinning through the sky. It sustained some minor injuries, but its [Dragon Pulse] was clearly stronger.
Noivern, overwhelmed by Hydreigon's sheer power, staggered heavily in the air, visibly wounded.
"I win, Sakiko. Now, please stay away from him from now on."
"Hydreigon, close in and finish this with one last [Dragon Pulse]!"
Confident in her victory, Soyo issued her final order. Hydreigon swiftly approached the barely airborne Noivern. This close-range attack would be impossible to dodge.
"SAZAAA~~!"
Hydreigon lunged at Noivern, unleashing a point-blank [Dragon Pulse], determined to deliver the decisive blow.
"[Outrage]," Sakiko said quietly, utterly calm in the face of danger.
"ONDAA——!!!"
Suddenly, Noivern's body erupted in a fiery crimson aura, eyes glowing blood-red, burning with vengeance. Recklessly charging straight through Hydreigon's [Dragon Pulse], it launched a furious counterattack.
This moment was precisely what the earlier [Dragon Dance] was for.
Empowered by [Outrage], Noivern charged fearlessly through Hydreigon's attack, slamming violently into its opponent. The resulting impact scattered like a storm, ultimately smashing Hydreigon down onto the rooftop.
"Hydreigon is unable to battle... Noivern wins. Victory goes to Sakiko," Mutsumi announced calmly.
"Nagasaki Soyo, you've lost." Sakiko coldly withdrew Noivern, glaring icily at Soyo.
"Useless," Soyo whispered darkly, recalling Hydreigon. She moved forward without hesitation, facing Sakiko directly.
No further hesitation was necessary. Nagasaki Soyo had long since resolved herself.
Kneeling meant nothing—if Sakiko agreed to leave her boyfriend alone, Soyo would even swear loyalty and call her "father."
And later betray her, just like Lü Bu did to his own sworn father.
Without any delay, Soyo dropped immediately to her knees. The icy rooftop painfully dug into her skin, yet she firmly grasped Sakiko's hand, gently pressing her forehead against it.
"Sakiko, please let him go… I'm begging you! I'll do anything!" She repeatedly pressed her forehead to Sakiko's hand, but this gesture only served to further enrage Sakiko.
"What right do you have to say something like that? You're just a student—can you really shoulder someone else's life?"
"Don't lightly promise things you can't fulfill!"
Sakiko spat the words out in disgust, causing Soyo's desperate grip to gradually weaken.
"You're always only thinking about yourself," Sakiko said coldly, wrenching her hand away and leaving without another glance.
As Mutsumi followed Sakiko away, only Raana remained, quietly savoring another matcha-flavored candy.
After swallowing, she popped another into her mouth.
"Delicious."
Soyo remained kneeling alone, eyes shimmering with an indescribable excitement. A subtle, twisted smile curved at her lips.
"So she rejected me after all? …Next time, I'll just have to use a more dangerous approach."
"Coincidentally, I've found Team Rocket's local hideout. Perhaps I'll test things out with them first…"
---
Lunch break.
Satoshi's eyes were glued to his phone. Beside him sat Anon, while across the table were Hitori and Nijika.
It was just a casual lunch, coupled with casually browsing through Pokémon information.
In this world, Dragon-types ruled supreme, while Bug-types were definitely at the bottom.
Bug-types? Not even a Growlithe would use them!
Aside from Scizor, as Paul put it, "They're all worthless!"
In fact, the only people likely using Bug-types here were probably Giovanni-sama (with his Beedrill) and the hardcore fans of Kricketune.
It was simply an awkward typing—weak offensively, weak defensively.
Clearly, Bug-types weren't an option. Their team definitely needed a strong flyer instead.
Satoshi was seriously pondering the issue. Dealing with airborne Pokémon was always troublesome. Every time, he'd have to rely on Raichu's [Electroweb] to ground them.
Fortunately, Raichu's accuracy was impeccable due to rigorous training, successfully trapping targets almost every single time.
A flying-type Pokémon…
Several choices flashed through his mind:
Corviknight! Salamence! Metagross! Garchomp! Zapdos! Dragapult!
Hmm… Those options aren't very realistic…
"Satoshi-kun! Let's take a photo first—as a memento!"
Just as Satoshi was deep in thought, Anon abruptly spoke up, gripping his shoulder and leaning in close. Their bodies pressed tightly together without hesitation.
With a dense blockhead like him, their physical interactions had unintentionally become frequent. Anon had gradually grown accustomed to it, treating such closeness as natural—though she still burned with embarrassment afterward.
"Alright. Raichu, everyone else, come join us too!"
"Rai rai~ (Haha! Nope!)"
"Kero kero~ (Not going~!)"
"Pachi pachi~ (You two are clearly a couple. If I go over there, Anon-san will definitely beat me up. Pass.)"
Satoshi looked hopefully at his Pokémon, but all three immediately shook their heads. Anon smiled sweetly at them—yet an invisible wave of gravity seemed to emanate from her, instantly suppressing the trio's courage.
In the end, the photo was taken with just Satoshi and Anon, both smiling happily at the camera and making V-signs.
"Ehehe~ I'll upload this to the group album!"
With bubbly enthusiasm, Anon quickly uploaded the photo.
The instant she saw the picture pop up on her phone, Nagasaki Soyo's screen shattered violently.
"Chihaya Anon, I'll absolutely destroy you!"