As a Gym Leader-level Trainer, there was no way he didn't know a Pokémon like Slakoth.
The reason for his reaction was precisely because he knew how special Slakoth actually was.
The man with slicked-back hair narrowed his eyes.
"I wonder which unlucky kid chose a starter like that. The second half of his life as a Trainer is going to be miserable."
When the man in the tracksuit heard the word Slakoth, he also turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Both immediately understood what the other was thinking.
But no matter what, the battle still had to continue.
"Let them come up."
The slick-haired man waved to the staff nearby.
Soon, Julian and David were led onto the battlefield.
David glanced at Julian with a smug smile.
"Student Julian, I honestly didn't expect you to actually dare to battle me. Your courage is admirable."
Julian didn't bother responding to the provocation.
"Cut the nonsense."
"Three moves."
David's friendly expression vanished instantly.
"Hmph. If your Slakoth actually beats me, I'll kneel and kowtow to you!"
Originally, when he heard Julian agreed to fight, David had been slightly nervous.
Julian's calm attitude made him think there might be some hidden trick.
So he asked around.
Then he learned the truth.
The Slakoth Julian received came from the school breeding garden, a Pokémon considered to have no combat ability at all.
It had been there for two years, and nobody wanted to adopt it.
Once he heard that, David completely relaxed.
This time he would absolutely regain his pride.
The Battle Begins
"The battle will be one-on-one."
"The battle ends when one Pokémon loses the ability to fight."
"The examiners will score based on your performance."
"Now, release your Pokémon."
The referee waved his flag.
David smirked and threw his Poké Ball.
"Bulbasaur! Show no mercy!"
A flash of light appeared as Bulbasaur landed on the battlefield.
Immediately, the four examiners focused their attention on it.
"Good body structure… its potential should be decent."
"Nothing extraordinary yet, but already above average."
The slick-haired man spoke quietly.
Starter Pokémon always gave Trainers a huge advantage at the beginning.
It seemed unfair.
But the Pokémon College Entrance Exam was meant to select elite Trainers.
And family background was also part of that evaluation.
Training Pokémon required enormous resources.
If someone's family couldn't afford it, it was extremely difficult to walk the path of a Trainer.
For elite universities like Modu University and Beijing University, students rarely came from poor families.
Money was one of the foundations of becoming a Trainer.
Meanwhile…
The other boy's Pokémon was Slakoth.
Even if someone gave that Pokémon away for free, few people would want it.
The boy probably had no choice but to pick it.
Poor kid.
And he even ran into such an opponent.
Maybe later they should give him a C grade, just to encourage him.
Just as the slick-haired man was thinking this—
Julian also released his Pokémon.
"Slakoth, I'm counting on you."
A flash of white light appeared.
A Pokémon with an incredibly lazy expression landed on the battlefield.
Its face looked blank and harmless.
It almost seemed like it was spacing out.
When the invigilators saw it, their expressions became strange.
Meanwhile, the students watching the battle began whispering loudly.
"Damn, it really is Slakoth!"
"I thought the rumors were fake!"
"What was Julian thinking? Not only did he choose Slakoth as his starter, he even bragged about beating Bulbasaur in three moves!"
"This is reckless… Even if he got a perfect theory score, his overall grade is doomed."
The news about Julian and David's battle had already spread throughout the grade.
Almost nobody believed Julian could win.
The First Move
David burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I have to say, this Pokémon really does look stupid."
"Just like I said before."
He was referring to what he said earlier—
"This trash Pokémon suits you perfectly."
Julian narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.
Both Pokémon were ready.
The referee raised his flag—
Then brought it down.
"The battle begins!"
David grinned confidently.
"Bulbasaur! Use Vine Whip!"
"Bulba!"
Two vines shot out from Bulbasaur's back.
They whipped through the air toward Slakoth at impressive speed.
For a beginner Pokémon, the power and speed of this Vine Whip were already excellent.
The vines sliced through the air and reached Slakoth instantly.
But Julian remained completely calm.
He gave a simple command.
"Grab it."
"Then throw it."
Everyone froze.
Before they could even process the order—
The lazy Slakoth suddenly moved.
Still wearing the same sleepy expression, it slowly raised its claws.
Then—
It grabbed the incoming Vine Whip.
Firmly.
Before Bulbasaur could react—
Slakoth pulled hard.
Then swung its arms.
BOOM!
Bulbasaur was violently flung across the battlefield.
It smashed into the edge of the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.
When the dust settled—
Bulbasaur lay on the ground.
Completely unconscious.
One-hit knockout.
Total Silence
The entire stadium fell silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
Everyone stared in shock.
Slakoth…
One-shotting Bulbasaur?
Was this a dream?
At that moment, Julian's calm voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Sorry."
"I miscalculated."
He shrugged.
"Looks like it only took one move."