Hiroshi snapped his fingers.
Snap!
In an instant, the projection of the "Ten Thousand Person Arena" flickered into existence. The seats, previously empty, were now packed with roaring virtual spectators. The fanatical shouts reaching into the sky made every member of the Knights of Favonius feel infected by the energy and get goosebumps.
Rosaria, who was used to walking alone in secret and hiding in the shadows, twisted her body unaccustomedly, feeling exposed under the bright lights.
As for Noelle, who had always wanted to be recognized by many people, her breathing became heavy, and her face gradually turned red with a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Courtside.
Jean, Kaeya, and others also felt their mouths go dry and their hearts beat violently.
"I regret it a little bit." Lisa's pink tongue licked the corner of her mouth playfully. "In such a realistic situation, if you go up to fight... even if you lose, it will be an experience worth remembering."
Jean said in a deep voice, "...The environment and atmosphere here are incredible!"
Even she, a descendant of the Gunnhildr clan and a seasoned knight, had the urge to give everything in the arena.
"So!"
"The battle begins!"
Hiroshi announced from the referee's seat, his voice amplified by the arena's system.
"Each side uses one Pokémon."
"When either player's Pokémon loses the ability to fight, it is deemed a defeat!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Noelle was so imposing that she threw the Poké Ball first, her maid training kicking in.
"Senior, I will not show mercy!"
Roar!
After the Onix came out of the Poké Ball—having just drunk a bottle of Moomoo Milk and eaten some Energy Cubes—it seemed to be bigger again. The pressure it exuded was palpable.
Rosaria had a calm, almost predatory smile on her face.
"In the same way, I have to return the sentiment. As a senior, I need to educate you well."
"Let you know what real fighting is!"
Another Poké Ball was thrown.
The newborn Sneasel appeared, crouching low like a black cat ready to pounce.
Facing the huge Rock Snake, it was not timid at all.
"Snea~!"
This beast was filled with fighting spirit.
Off the court, Jean, Kaeya, Lisa, and Amber all raised their Pokédexes to check the Pokémon information of both players.
They were all Lv. 1 newborns, and their characteristics, attribute restraints, and skills would affect the battle situation heavily.
"Hey, Rosaria's beast actually has a hereditary (Egg Move) skill? 3 skills in total!"
"The Onix is not bad either!"
"Rock Throw, Tackle, Wide Guard (Egg Move)..."
While the spectators discussed winning and losing factors off the court.
On the field.
Rosaria commanded Sneasel, preparing to strike first.
Based on the information in the Pokédex, she had determined that Sneasel was a Pokémon whose main attributes were Speed + Attack.
Especially the Speed value; it was impressive. They are a race that is good at surprise attacks. If they don't grab the rhythm first, it would be negligence on the part of the Trainer!
"Sneasel, use Scratch!"
The small black cat-like Pokémon unsheathed the sharp claws on its forelimbs.
Shing!
A burst of sparks flew.
At this time, the sudden attack of Sneasel appeared beside the Onix, striking its rocky hide.
Noelle was anxious and shouted, "So fast! Onix, hide..."
Before the word "dodge" was fully shouted out, Sneasel's attack had already hit the Onix's body.
Scrape...
But what surprised Noelle was that the Onix barely reacted. It blinked its large eyes slowly.
There was only a very shallow white scratch on the body surface of the Onix. Compared with the beast's huge body, the damage was negligible.
Rosaria: "..."
She vaguely felt a black line of frustration forming on her forehead.
"Forehead..."
"I forgot that Onix has a Rock attribute and extremely high Defense. A Normal attribute physical attack skill like Scratch doesn't work very well!"
Not only does it not work well; if it were in the game, the screen would probably have a "Not Very Effective" prompt.
It was like giving it a scraping massage!
But looking at Sneasel's remaining two skills:
Quick Attack.
Double Hit (Egg Move).
Good guy!
All physical attacks with Normal attributes!
Rosaria wanted to hold her forehead and shout "surrender" on the spot.
It wouldn't be so embarrassing if Sneasel knew a Dark or Ice-type skill!
Rosaria's mood was complicated.
Although Noelle didn't have much combat experience, she had such a big stat advantage that she couldn't let the Rock Snake just sit there.
"Onix, use Tackle!"
Rumble.
Suddenly, the huge Rock Snake charged forward, turning into a rumbling rock chariot.
Rosaria reacted quickly, her eyes flashing.
"Sneasel, use your speed to dodge! Pull back!"
The Onix was still in its infancy, and its size was not fully grown yet. The coverage of this charge was not wide enough, and Sneasel dodged it successfully with a nimble leap.
However, due to the continuous movement of the massive snake, the arena was filled with large amounts of dust, and visibility began to blur.
When Sneasel once again avoided being crushed by the rock chariot and stopped panting...
Noelle's firm voice sounded through the dust.
"Rock Throw!"
Boom!
A huge rock materialized and was hurled by the Onix's tail, accurately hitting the black cat-like Sneasel who was momentarily blinded by the dust.
Impact craters were formed on the ground.
The dust dispersed.
Hiroshi glanced at the disgraced Sneasel, who lay at the bottom of the pit, unable to get up.
"Sneasel is unable to battle!"
"Onix wins!"
All eyes on the field turned to the defeated Rosaria.
It seemed that all the virtual spectators in the auditorium were looking at her, judging.
Rosaria rarely felt the burning of embarrassment on her face. She hummed softly and pressed the button of her Poké Ball to recall Sneasel.
"An unexpected defeat..."
She walked towards Noelle with a calm expression, hiding her frustration.
"Manager Hiroshi is right. Onix is indeed... very broken (overpowered) at this stage."
"As for the Tackle skill just now... when the Onix grows to adulthood, it will be eight or nine meters tall and more than ten meters long."
"Oh, that skill scene will be comparable to cannonballs washing the ground."
Rosaria's eyelids jumped as she analyzed the battle.
"You used the dust to hide a fatal blow. Your command is not bad either."
"However, the 'Rock Throw' skill just now... was a bit too powerful! It shouldn't have been a one-hit KO."
Noelle smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"Because, Senior... your Sneasel has the Ice attribute. It takes super-effective damage from Rock-attribute skills."
It's true!
Rosaria was stunned for a moment. She had forgotten the type chart in the heat of the moment.
Hiroshi was beside them and added with a smile:
"And oh... the bond and resonance of the Two Rocks are so terrifyingly powerful!"
Noelle, Rosaria: ???
Manager Hiroshi.
What are you talking about?
The bond and resonance of the two rocks...?