"Keep it down! If you've got questions, save 'em for the post-game analysis," Candice barked, clapping her hands to silence the rising murmurs. "Eyes on the field!"
Back in the thick of it, Zoey wasn't letting a little creative masonry throw her off. She'd seen her Powder Snow get bricked, but she was already pivoting.
"If he's a Rock-type, then we're going for the weakness! Snover, use Razor Leaf!"
"Commander!" Snover swung his icy green arms, launching a flurry of serrated, emerald leaves. They whistled through the air, aimed straight at the jagged rock wall Julian had just built.
Julian didn't even blink. He leaned back, looking completely relaxed. "Ignore the leaves, Carbink. Let's stay on the offensive. Use Rock Throw again, but this time, aim high. Target the space right above Snover."
Honestly, Zoey's got the spirit, but she's still thinking in straight lines, Julian thought. But hey, that's what school's for.
"Wait, you're just gonna let him take the hit?" Zoey cried out, confused. She wanted to pull Snover back, but the Razor Leaf was already mid-flight.
The razor-sharp leaves slammed into the frost-covered rock wall, but they didn't shatter the barrier like Zoey expected. They just embedded themselves deep into the stone with a dull thud. Meanwhile, the blue diamonds on Carbink's head flashed.
CRASH!
A heavy stone materialized out of thin air, dropping like a lead weight directly onto Snover's head.
"Snover!" Zoey yelled as her partner stumbled, clearly dazed by the sudden overhead strike. "Where did that even come from?! And why didn't the Razor Leaf break that wall? Grass is super-effective against Rock! That wall should have crumbled!"
The sidelines were in an absolute state.
"Is he cheating? There's no way a basic Rock Throw stands up to a STAB Razor Leaf!" "Maybe the Carbink is just way higher level?" "No, Julian said it was a newbie! Maybe that 'Rock' isn't just Rock?"
"Quiet down," Candice shouted over the din. "Julian isn't cheating. You're looking at a pro who knows how to utilize his environment and his Pokémon's unique traits. If you can't figure out why that move didn't break, maybe you need to hit the library. Or, you know, just keep watching and pay attention!"
Julian looked over at the struggling Snover. "You still in this, Zoey? Or is the 'Ice-Hot' spirit starting to freeze over?"
"Not even close!" Zoey shouted, her face flushed with determination. "We're just getting started! If Razor Leaf won't cut it, we'll use volume! Snover, Bullet Seed! Give it everything you've got!"
"Command!" Snover's eyes blazed. He opened his mouth and unleashed a rapid-fire stream of glowing green seeds.
An Egg Move? Not bad for an academy student, Julian noted. Bullet Seed was a multi-strike move—even if one seed was weaker than a leaf, a dozen of them hitting the same spot could do some serious work.
"Creative choice! But we're not standing still. Carbink, Sharpen up and go for the Spin!"
Carbink's body began to glow, its crystalline edges becoming impossibly sharp and defined. Then, the little guy started rotating at high speed, turning into a shimmering, diamond-edged top.
The Bullet Seeds peppered the arena. Thwack! Ping! Most of them hit the spinning Carbink, but instead of exploding on impact, they were sliced clean in half by the sharpened edges or deflected off the rotating surface. Only a couple of seeds actually managed to clip Carbink's main body, and he barely even wobbled.
"How is he so tanky?!" Zoey groaned, her frustration finally bubbling over. "Nothing is landing! It's like hitting a brick wall that hits back!"
She looked at her Snover, then back at Julian, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"What's the matter? Giving up already?" Julian's voice went from casual to sharp, echoing across the playground. "The road to being a Top Trainer is paved with battles you think you can't win. If you fold the moment your favorite move fails, are you really worthy of the effort Snover is putting in right now?"
Snover turned back to look at Zoey, his eyes filled with a fierce, stubborn light. "Sauce! Sauce-sauce!"
Zoey felt a surge of guilt, then a fresh spark of fire. "You're right. Sorry, Snover. We're not done yet! If we can't break the defense, we'll freeze the field! Use Powder Snow with every bit of power you have left!"
Julian smiled. There she is. The future Diamond Starfall. "That's the spirit! Since you're going all out, we'll match you! Carbink, let's end this with a flurry! Continuous Rock Throw!"
"MISHI!"
The battlefield turned into a chaotic blur of white frost and flying grey stones. The collision sent a massive cloud of snow and dust into the air, completely obscuring the two combatants from the cheering students. For a few long seconds, all anyone could hear was the whistling of the wind and the heavy thoom of rocks hitting the earth...