"Is it over?"
"Did she do it? Did Nozomi actually win?"
As the dust and frost settled, the playground went quiet. On the field, Snover was out cold, slumped near a jagged rock that was still steaming from the impact. Carbink was hovering right where he started, looking remarkably unbothered, though a few stray snowflakes were stuck to his blue ruff.
"Snover is unable to battle! The winner is Julian!" Candice announced, her voice snapping the students out of their daze.
"Man... another loss?" one of the kids groaned.
Nozomi didn't waste a second. She sprinted to Snover's side, checking his pulse and letting out a long, shaky breath when she realized he was just exhausted. "You were amazing today, Snover. Seriously. We'll get them next time."
Julian walked over, wiping a bit of slush off Carbink's head. "For a student who hasn't even hit the road yet, you've got a hell of a tactical mind. Most people would've panicked when the Razor Leaf didn't work. You just kept pushing."
He reached into his bag and pulled out two bright Oran Berries. He popped one into Carbink's mouth and handed the other to Nozomi. "Here. Professional courtesy. Helps with the bruising."
"Thanks," Nozomi said, looking up at him with newfound respect. "Eat up, Snover. We need to stay 'ice-hot' for the next lesson, right?"
As the berry did its work, Snover let out a little "Sauce!" and shook the snow off his arms, looking much better.
"That was... wow," Nozomi said to Julian. "I thought I knew the type charts, but fighting a real traveler is a totally different game. I have so much to learn."
"You're doing fine," Julian said with a gentle smile. "Stick around and watch the next two. There's more than one way to win a fight."
Candice stepped back into the center. "Alright, no rest for the wicked! Julian, you good to keep going?"
"Carbink's just getting warmed up," Julian said, nodding toward his floating gem-friend who was currently spinning in happy circles.
"Next challenger! Step up!"
Johanna, the girl with the orange jacket and the Glameow, didn't hesitate. She marched onto the field, her cat-like partner trotting with a rhythmic, graceful gait. "Nozomi gave it her best, but we're going to bring some style to this battle! Ready, Glameow?"
"Miyav~!" Glameow's eyes narrowed, her tail curling like a spring.
"The rules are the same! One-on-one! Begin!" Candice shouted.
Johanna immediately went for a classic. "Glameow, we need to soften that defense! Use Tail Whip!"
Glameow turned around and began to wag her bow-shaped tail. The movement was fluid, rhythmic, and—honestly—borderline hypnotic. The fluffy tuft at the end jiggled back and forth with a soft swish-swish sound.
Carbink's diamonds flashed once, a natural reaction to a status move, but he didn't seem particularly bothered. His defenses were rooted in stone; a wagging tail wasn't going to crack his shell.
However... while Carbink was fine, the man standing behind him was not.
Oh god... look at the tuft, Julian thought, his eyes glazing over. It's so fluffy. I bet it feels like a cloud. I need to pet that cat. Is it softer than Growlithe? Is it different from a Skitty? I HAVE TO KNOW.
Julian, who hadn't been allowed to touch his own Pokémon for over twenty-four hours, was currently experiencing a "cuddle-deprivation" hallucination. He completely forgot he was in the middle of a live demonstration. He was just imagining how the fur would feel between his fingers.
"Glameow! He's wide open! Use Fury Swipes!" Johanna yelled, sensing an opportunity.
"Meow!" Glameow launched forward, her claws extending as she rained a barrage of scratches down on Carbink's face.
Clang! Ping! Tink!
The sounds were like metal hitting a diamond. When Glameow backed off, Carbink didn't have a single scratch. He just looked confused.
"Even after a Tail Whip, we can't leave a mark?!" Johanna gasped. "That thing is a fortress!"
"Keep going! Use Tail Whip again! Lower it until we can break through!"
Glameow went back to the rhythmic wagging. Swish, swish. "Mishi? Mishi-mishi? (Julian? Are we doing anything? Or are we just watching the cat dance?)" Carbink turned around, bobbing up and down to get Julian's attention.
Julian was currently staring into space with a tiny bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. The fluff... the power of the fluff...
Chomp!
"YEOW!" Julian jumped a foot in the air, clutching his hand. He looked down to see Growlithe standing there, looking absolutely disgusted with him.
"Growlithe! What was that for?!"
"Woof woof! (You're embarrassing us! The cat is wagging its tail, not casting a spell! Get your head in the game before I bite the other hand!)" Growlithe glared at him with pure contempt.
Julian blinked, realized fifty students were staring at him with confused expressions, and quickly straightened his jacket. Luckily, the kids seemed to think he was just being "stoic" or "testing their patience."
"Right... right. Good catch, Growlithe," Julian coughed, turning his focus back to the field. "Carbink, sorry for the wait. I was just... analyzing the Tail Whip's frequency. Yeah. Let's get serious. Use Rock Throw!"
"Mishi! (Finally!)"
The blue diamonds on Carbink's head flared with power. It was time to show the Academy that a pretty tail wasn't enough to stop an avalanche.