Zane had already done the math. He was convinced that Ursaring's Hammer Arm could break through Snorlax's Body Slam.
"Snorlax… inhale!!"
"Expand!!"
Aaron's voice rang out once more.
In an instant, Snorlax drew in a massive breath. Its body swelled rapidly, transforming into a towering, five-meter-tall behemoth.
"This… this…"
Zane stared at the colossal Snorlax, his jaw hanging open in disbelief.
He swallowed hard, staring at the giant.
"Is this even fair anymore!?"
"How the hell are you supposed to fight something this big!?"
"Are you kidding me…"
Zane was fuming inwardly.
Snorlax's massive body was coated in Armament Haki, like a reborn titan.
In comparison, the Ursaring—barely 1.8 meters tall—looked utterly dwarfed by comparison.
Ursaring's legs nearly gave out.
Its Hammer Arm slammed into Snorlax's bloated belly, but the impact felt like striking an immovable mountain.
And then—
The giant Snorlax's Body Slam came crashing down.
Combination Move: Giant Body Slam!!
Activate!!
This was the first time Aaron had ever used a combination skill created by merging the Rubber Fruit's abilities with a Pokémon move.
The result spoke for itself—the power was overwhelming.
BOOM————————
A thunderous impact exploded across the battlefield as Ursaring was crushed beneath the colossal Snorlax.
Dust and debris erupted skyward, sending shockwaves through the surrounding arenas. Everyone watching froze in place, eyes wide, jaws dropping.
Even battles on nearby fields came to a halt as all eyes turned to Aaron and Zane's arena.
"That's a Snorlax!?"
"You've got to be kidding—I might not know much, but there's no way that thing's real!"
"That Snorlax is basically a walking building!!"
"Is this thing about to become some kind of monster!?"
"Aaron… this is completely absurd!!"
..
The students erupted into stunned chatter.
"Silence!!"
"You think this is a sightseeing tour!?"
"The assessment continues!!"
Even though the assessment instructor was clearly shaken, discipline prevailed. He barked the order sharply, forcing the others back to their matches.
...
As the thick dust gradually settled, Snorlax's massive form had already shrunk back to normal.
A gigantic crater scarred the battlefield.
At the bottom of it lay Ursaring, completely incapacitated. Its eyes spun in circles, and an unidentified liquid dribbled from the corner of its mouth.
"Come back… Ursaring."
Zane recalled it, shock still lingering in his eyes. He stared straight at Aaron and finally spoke.
"Aaron… may I ask something?"
"What exactly is going on with your Snorlax?"
This Snorlax was far beyond abnormal. It completely exceeded his understanding.
Could it be a technologically modified Pokémon?
The thought wasn't without precedent.
Years ago, during a classified overseas mission targeting an evil organization, Zane had encountered a Charizard capable of using Electric-type moves like Thunder.
After paying a heavy price to take it down, the Charizard was dissected.
The truth was horrifying—it had Electabuzz's power-generating organs transplanted into its body, forcibly granting it electrical abilities.
The success rate of such experiments was abysmally low. It took nearly fifty Charizard and Electabuzz pairs to produce one viable result.
Even then, the modified Charizard's lifespan was reduced to just a few short years.
Such inhumane experiments and violations of Pokémon law had sparked international outrage. Military forces from multiple countries had united to wipe that organization out.
After that operation, the organization vanished from the world.
Whether it had been completely eradicated—or merely gone into hiding—no one knew.
Because of that memory, Zane's expression grew heavy as he questioned Aaron.
"Instructor… you didn't know?"
"Didn't the principal tell you?"
Aaron had anticipated this question. He put on a puzzled expression.
"Huh?"
"The principal?"
"I don't know. He never mentioned anything to me."
Zane frowned, genuine confusion flashing across his face.
"I see…"
Aaron continued calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Actually, I awakened a superpower."
"My superpower allows my Pokémon to awaken special abilities."
He spoke smoothly, without hesitation, his face not even flushing—so convincing it sounded completely real.
"Superpowers!!!"
Zane's heart jolted. Then realization struck him like lightning.
So that's it!!
That Frogadier before—and now this Snorlax!!
It all made sense now. Aaron's awakened superpower was the source of these bizarre abilities.
Zane finally relaxed.
He wasn't worried about Aaron lying. He would confirm everything with the principal of Sealine Trainer Academy and thoroughly investigate Aaron's background.
If this truly was an awakened superpower…
Then Aaron's potential had just skyrocketed.
Admission into a military-focused Pokémon university was practically guaranteed.
Zane's gaze toward Aaron now carried a trace of unmistakable delight.
"Damn it… who's going to fight me for first place in this year's training camp competition now?"
Zane was more satisfied than he had been in years.
Every year, Sealine City held a training camp Pokémon competition.
Although his was officially Training Camp No. 1, its actual results were never outstanding.
Sealine City had five public high schools and two private high schools.
Year after year, the training camps serving private schools monopolized first and second place.
Private school students also had much higher acceptance rates into top-tier universities.
After all, wealthy families naturally chose private schools—even if tuition was several times higher.
For families with money and influence, what was a little extra tuition?
As a result, the two private-school camps reliably took the top spots every year, while the five public-school camps fought over third place.
Everyone else went home empty-handed.
The more Zane looked at Aaron, the more he liked him. A smile slowly crept onto his face.
On the opposite side, Aaron was completely baffled.
What's going on!?
Why is the instructor smiling like that!?
...