"Froakie, use Power-Up Punch…"
This time, Aaron made the first move, issuing his command to Froakie.
"Froakie…"
Froakie let out a serious cry. Light gathered around its right fist as it charged straight toward Munchlax.
"Munchlax… use Defense Curl!!"
Munchlax's body was simply too clumsy. Faced with Froakie's speed, dodging was impossible. Defense was its only option…
A flash of light enveloped Munchlax as its body hardened.
"Thump…"
A dull, heavy sound rang out as Froakie's fist slammed into Munchlax's reinforced body.
Froakie was a Beginner Pokémon, and Power-Up Punch was a Fighting-type move that countered Normal types. Even after raising its defense by one stage, Munchlax was still sent flying by a single punch.
"Munchlax!!!"
The chubby boy cried out in shock, shouting in alarm.
He had never expected Aaron's Froakie to possess such overwhelming power—even Munchlax's nearly 200-pound body had been knocked clean off the ground.
"Froakie, another Power-Up Punch!!"
Aaron had no intention of standing around watching them play out some emotional drama. Pressing the advantage was the only sensible choice.
He immediately ordered another strike.
At this point, Froakie's attack had already been boosted by one stage. The Power-Up Punch came down like a sledgehammer, smashing straight into Munchlax.
"Boom…"
A thunderous impact echoed through the arena. Munchlax's eyes spun as it collapsed, lying motionless on the cold ground.
"Munchlax has lost the ability to battle…"
"Therefore, the winner is Contestant Number 10…"
The referee announced the result.
...
Aaron's final opponent was a girl!!
Her Pokémon was a Squirtle at Newbie (Peak Stage). Unfortunately, she had run into Aaron, a complete cheat. All she could do was tearfully cradle Squirtle's head as she headed to the Pokémon Treatment Center.
Now, only 30 undefeated contestants remained.
Aaron was naturally among them.
Next, as long as he could hold the arena, he would secure his Training Camp slot and fully complete his mission!!
"All participants in the losers' bracket, you still have one chance to challenge the winners' bracket. This will be your final opportunity."
"If you win, you take their place…"
"If you lose, then unfortunately…"
"You will be eliminated."
"The challenge matches officially begin now!!"
Standing on the podium, the old principal looked over the winners' bracket with a satisfied smile.
He had watched the entire tournament and spotted several promising talents. Perhaps this year's College Entrance Exam results would allow Sealine Trainer Academy to break its historical record!!
The old principal was extremely pleased.
What surprised him slightly was that Aaron—the only student from a regular class—had actually made it into the winners' bracket. This was something he had never expected.
A hint of curiosity rose in the old principal's heart toward Aaron.
With that, he announced the continuation of the matches.
The remaining 29 members of the winners' bracket were all from elite classes. Everyone knew one another—except for Aaron, the lone "outsider."
As expected, nearly everyone chose to challenge Aaron, assuming he had only reached the winners' bracket through sheer luck.
And so, Aaron found himself reluctantly accepting challenge after challenge.
Fortunately, there were opportunities to restore Pokémon stamina in between, otherwise Froakie really wouldn't have been able to hold out.
In the end, Aaron fought eight consecutive matches—and won every single one.
This forced those elite-class students who had looked down on him to finally take him seriously.
Even Grace's usually icy gaze showed a trace of surprise. She, too, could tell that this Froakie was strong to an almost unreasonable degree!!
Only then did the others realize that this guy was no soft target…
Some challengers turned their attention to other winners' bracket members. Most of the winners held their ground, though two or three were knocked out.
At last, the dust settled.
The 30 Training Camp slots were finalized.
Aaron was, of course, among them…
A smile spread across his face. Another task completed!!
"Students…"
At this moment, the old principal picked up the microphone again.
"The selection for the Training Camp has concluded. I hope you will represent Sealine Trainer Academy and achieve outstanding results in the Training Camp…"
"Bring honor to our academy!!"
"And strive for your own futures!!"
The old principal spoke with passion, and the students' resolve grew firmer with every word.
"There is also one more piece of good news. After discussion, the academy has decided to open the Elite Training Zone to the 30 students who obtained Training Camp slots. You will be allowed to enter the Elite Training Zone for one full day!!"
The principal abruptly changed his tone, dropping a bombshell that instantly sent the 30 students into an uproar.
"Damn… they're actually opening the Elite Training Zone!! That's our academy's rare treasures…"
"I heard there are tons of rare treasures inside that can help Pokémon rapidly increase their strength…"
"Yeah, yeah… and there are also many rare Pokémon inside. You could totally catch a high-potential one there…"
"This is incredible! Such insane luck—last time the Elite Training Zone opened was three years ago…"
"What?! It only opens that rarely!?"
"Well, obviously… after all those treasures get harvested, it takes time for them to slowly recover…"
"Yeah, yeah… that makes sense!!"
...
For a moment, excitement lit up everyone's faces as they whispered among themselves.
Aaron's expression also showed a hint of surprise.
He had heard of the Elite Training Zone before. It was said to contain countless valuable resources capable of rapidly boosting a Pokémon's strength, as well as many rare Pokémon species.
It was even possible to encounter a Pokémon with an extremely high Base Stats Total.
The thought made Aaron quietly excited. Perhaps his second Pokémon would finally come from there!!