The battleground at Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House quickly filled with onlookers.
Staff members, visiting Trainers, and even a few apprentices gathered at the edge of the field.
Dai Yui stepped forward first and raised his arm.
"I choose you, Zenith!"
Then he caught himself, flustered, and corrected loudly, "Go, Incineroar!"
Austin stood across from him calmly. This pairing had been arranged by Blue himself.
It was, on paper, a disadvantage for Austin.
Incineroar was a Fire and Dark type. Zenith was Steel and Psychic type. Several of Incineroar's attacks would hit hard. Blue clearly wanted to test Austin's command under pressure.
Mizuki had not been chosen for a simple reason. Her breeding knowledge surpassed Dai Yui's, but her Glameow was a companion Pokémon with little combat training.
Incineroar, on the other hand, was powerful. Dai Yui had once been a Pokémon World Martial Arts Tournament Champion. His sense of tempo and pressure in battle was sharp.
Incineroar let out a low Snarl as it entered the field, activating Intimidate.
The ability washed across the arena.
It had no effect.
Zenith's Clear Body prevented any reduction in its stats.
Dai Yui knew that. The Snarl was not about lowering power. It was more of a warm-up.
"Darkest Lariat!"
Flames flared as Incineroar spun forward, arms extended, carving through the air like a blazing cyclone.
Austin's voice was steady.
"Agility."
Zenith's metallic body blurred, transforming into streaks of silver light across the field. The spinning flames struck empty space.
With Agility boosting its speed, Zenith's movement became difficult to track.
Dai Yui narrowed his eyes. "Bulk Up!"
He mirrored the pose from behind, tightening his stance as Incineroar flexed and gathered strength.
"Bullet Punch."
Zenith flashed forward.
A metallic fist struck Incineroar squarely in the face before Bulk Up could complete. The damage was modest, but the interruption was decisive.
"Cross Chop!"
"Dodge."
Zenith's supercomputer-like mind calculated the trajectory instantly. The massive arms of Incineroar cut through the air where Zenith had stood a fraction of a second earlier.
The Steel type slipped past with minimal clearance.
"That was close," Shion exclaimed from the sidelines, her twin ponytails bouncing.
She was clearly rooting for Zenith. The silver sheen made it impossible not to.
Dai Yui pressed on. "Flame Charge!"
Blue gave a small nod from the side. That was a sound choice.
Flame Charge increased speed while applying pressure. It was fast and difficult to counter.
Zenith's processors evaluated the scenario in under a tenth of a second.
Two options surfaced.
"Teleport + Hone Claws."
"Gross!"
Zenith vanished in a flash and reappeared at a safe distance. As it rematerialized, its claws gleamed, sharpening its focus and attack power.
Incineroar's charge tore through the space Zenith had occupied moments before.
"Flame Charge!"
"Protect + Then Scary Face."
This time, Zenith did not evade.
A translucent barrier flared up, absorbing the impact. As the flames dissipated, Zenith's eyes glowed ominously. A distorted, menacing visage projected forward, imprinting itself onto Incineroar.
Ao adjusted his glasses. "That cancels out the speed advantage."
Shion turned to him. "How?"
"Scary Face reduces the opponent's speed. If Dai Yui had reacted instantly, he could have used it first to maintain control."
On the field, Incineroar's movements slowed slightly, offsetting the boost from Flame Charge.
Austin did not grow greedy.
With speed and attack enhanced, Zenith retreated to optimal range again, maintaining control of tempo.
Blue watched without speaking. This was precisely what he wanted to see. Command discipline under type pressure.
Austin's next order came without hesitation.
"Hammer Arm on legs."
Hammer Arm landed cleanly. The Fighting-type move was brutally effective against Incineroar.
Zenith circled behind before driving another Hammer Arm into Incineroar's right leg. The impact echoed across the field.
Incineroar let out a strained growl and dropped to one knee, claws digging into the ground.
"Hold on," Dai Yui called out, his voice firm despite the strain.
Austin watched, unable to stop a quiet thought from surfacing. Dai Yui really is relentless.
Dai Yui had once been a professional boxer. Endurance and grit were part of who he was.
Austin's eyes sharpened. Incineroar's jumping ability is gone. If Zenith uses Earthquake now, this could end it.
Almost on cue, Austin's command cut through the field.
"Earthquake."
Dai Yui did not hesitate. "All out. Throat Chop."
Blue reacted instantly. He swung his arm down. "Everyone, duck."
Mizuki pulled Shion close, shielding her head as they crouched low.
The ground split with a violent tremor. Dust surged upward as Earthquake tore through the arena. Through the rising debris, Incineroar forced itself forward and slashed down with Throat Chop, sending Zenith skidding back.
The hit connected solidly. Even so, Zenith's stamina was exceptional. Two Throat Chops would not be enough.
When the shaking stopped and the dust began to settle, Incineroar wavered. Its eyes spiraled before it collapsed fully.
Blue remained standing, composed as ever. He raised his left hand.
"Incineroar is unable to battle. The winner is Zenith."
"Metagross."
Shion jumped up before Austin could even react. "Yes!"
Austin stepped forward and offered a small nod. "Thank you for the match, Dai Yui."
Dai Yui rubbed his fists together, still smiling despite the loss. "I lost this one. We should spar for real sometime."
Austin glanced at him. Dai Yui had at least half a head on him and the build of a trained fighter.
"I'll pass," Austin replied calmly.
Even with his enhanced physique, the weight difference alone made that a bad idea. He also had no formal combat training.
Blue folded his arms. "Your approach was too direct," he said evenly. "Zenith had a slight edge in strength, but the gap wasn't significant."
Dai Yui scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "I'm still not used to battling in this kind of venue."
It was not an excuse. The Pokémon World Martial Arts Tournament was fought in a ring. Status moves were prohibited. There were no tricks there, only clean exchanges and full commitment.
Blue nodded once. "Alright. That's enough for today. You can disperse."
He now had a clear sense of both trainers. Dai Yui had height and power, but in breeding and command, he still trailed behind Austin. Considering he started late and poured himself into training with complete focus, that was acceptable.
Blue looked away, frowning slightly.
Why am I starting to sound like him?
He used to approach everything like an academic. After spending time around Red, he found himself paying closer attention to Pokémon's emotions and the bond they shared with their trainers.
Later that evening, Blue changed his plans. He had originally booked a hotel in the city center, but after learning that Dai Yui owned a small villa and lived alone, he chose to stay there instead.
After washing up, Blue took out his Pokégear.
On the screen was the address and PokéStream account Red had sent him: Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House.
Blue stared at it for a long moment.
"This name. And this address."
. . .
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