"Boom!"
Smoliv's small body was sent flying, smashing into the ground.
"It worked! Sunny Day was activated at the very last moment before Rock Slide hit—but unfortunately, Smoliv also took the blow head-on! Can it still get back up?!"
Peter's clenched fist finally relaxed. The familiar smile returned to his face.
Maybe any other Smoliv would have folded instantly under a level gap like this—but his Smoliv was built with near-max dual defenses. On that point, Peter had absolute confidence.
Sure enough, before everyone's eyes, Smoliv struggled upright. Bathed in sunlight, its small face was filled with stubborn resolve.
"Tch… still didn't get the KO?" Jon shook his head dismissively.
"Graveler—Defense Curl, then keep using Rollout!"
Defense Curl: Raises Defense by one stage and curls the body, increasing the power of Rollout.
Rollout: Rock-type physical move, base power 30. The user rolls continuously, increasing speed and doubling power with each successful hit.
"It's Jon's signature Rollout chain!" the commentator shouted.
"Rumor has it his Graveler can keep rolling for a full two and a half minutes—an all-or-nothing, relentless assault! How will Peter respond?!"
"Smoliv—Growth, then Absorb!"
Absorb: Grass-type special attack, base power 20. Restores HP equal to half the damage dealt.
Growth: Uses natural energy to raise both Attack and Special Attack by one stage—but under harsh sunlight, it raises them by two stages instead!
This was exactly why Peter had gambled everything on Sunny Day.
Smoliv's Grass-type options weren't fully refined yet.
Leafage was physical—against Graveler's massive physical defense, even two hits wouldn't be enough.
Absorb, on the other hand, was too weak—even with quadruple effectiveness, it normally wouldn't cut it.
But with +2 Special Attack, everything changed.
Whether it was powering through with Absorb or sustaining itself with massive recovery from Synthesis under sunlight, Smoliv could now completely weather Graveler's pressure.
"Mi-no!"
The little green Pokémon cried out with unexpected momentum, recalling scenes it had seen earlier—watching its rabbit companion play games.
That blood-sucking mage on the screen… what was the name again?
…Vladimir?
Smoliv's cute little eyes locked onto the towering Graveler, a hint of greedy anticipation curling at the corner of its mouth.
Hehe… let me take a sip~
In the next instant, a powerful suction erupted outward.
Dense green light streamed from Graveler's body, pouring straight into Smoliv. The wounds left by Rock Slide healed almost instantly.
"Graa—!!"
Graveler let out a pained roar, dropping to one knee as its Rollout was forcibly interrupted!
A gray-white glow flared around its body—
Sturdy had activated, preventing a one-hit knockout at full HP.
"…!"
Jon froze.
The audience froze.
Even the commentator went silent.
One move.
Just one move—and Graveler was nearly out of the fight.
"T-That was… Mega Drain?!" Peter stared in disbelief.
Smoliv had comprehended Mega Drain on the spot?!
Over the past few days, it had done nothing but watch Dragon Ball, sing songs, and bask in sunlight. Peter hadn't expanded its move pool at all.
And yet—right here, under pressure—it had forcibly grasped Mega Drain.
What kind of cheat code was this?!
So having insane talent really meant you could do whatever you wanted, huh?!
Peter screamed internally, even as the smile on his face grew wider and wider.
Another Mega Drain followed.
Graveler collapsed without suspense.
"Incredible! Smoliv has mastered Mega Drain mid-battle, completing an unbelievable comeback!
Let's congratulate Peter on this stunning victory!"
…
Peter glanced at the still-stunned Jon and shook his head slightly.
Let's break it down:
Mega Drain base power: 40Same-type attack bonus: ×1.5+2 Special Attack from Growth: ×2Quadruple type advantage: ×4
That was 12× total power—a staggering 480 effective power.
Even Golem wouldn't have survived that.
"The winner is Peter from Goldenrod City, and his Smoliv!" the referee finally announced.
"Mi-no~!"
Smoliv happily leapt into Peter's arms. Defeating such a massive opponent filled it with joy.
Peter smiled back, ignoring Jon's blank expression as he turned and left the stage.
…
[Ding! Completed an unbelievable level-gap victory.
Reward: Universal Talent Points ×10!]
The system notification rang out.
Peter grinned.
Good thing it was a quadruple matchup—otherwise, there was no way he'd have won.
Of course… Smoliv awakening two moves on the spot was pure cheat-level behavior too.
Opening the system panel in high spirits, Peter immediately maxed out Smoliv's defensive talents, pushing its aptitude to the species limit:
[Smoliv ♀ | Lv.15 (Novice)]
Ability: Early Bird (Sleep duration ×50%)
Talent: 260 (Species Maximum Reached)
HP: 40
Attack: 30
Defense: 55
Sp. Atk: 50
Sp. Def: 55
Speed: 30
…
After the victory, Smoliv leveled up immediately. Under Peter's control, its talent distribution reached an almost perfect state.
Glancing at the time, Peter hesitated, then allocated one more point into Defense.
[Ding! Smoliv's talent has reached the species maximum and has not yet reached its final evolution.
Allocated talent points will be converted into Evolution Reserve Points, allowing targeted talent distribution upon evolution.]
"…Huh?!"
Peter reread the message carefully.
His eyes narrowed.
That meant any talent points assigned now would be stored and converted into selectable stats upon evolution, instead of the usual fixed growth.
And surpassing species limits would only be possible after final evolution.
Understanding this, Peter's heart began pounding uncontrollably.
If that was the case…
A Lopunny with over 120 SpeedAn Arboliva with 130+ defensesA Slaking with 200+ Attack
"Ghh—!"
Peter sucked in a sharp breath, his face flushing.
If he could really pull this off…
His dream would be within reach.
"Please report to the arena—Competitors No. 119 and No. 120."
The broadcast called his number again.
Peter steadied himself, removed Buneary's training weights, and re-entered the competitors' tunnel.
The moment he stepped onto the stage, he froze.
Standing opposite him was a young woman with long, dark-blue hair.
And he knew her.
More accurately—he had battled her countless times in games.
A blue-and-white cropped sports bra paired with matching hot shorts, sun-kissed skin glowing under the lights, and a tall, striking figure that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
It was none other than Nessa, the Water-type Gym Leader of Galar's Hulbury Stadium.
"Looks like my luck's pretty good today…"
Peter smiled faintly.