The Junior Cup had an age limit and was aimed at young Trainers. Since many entrants were beginners, few could raise a full team of Pokémon. The rules therefore had no full six-on-six battles; even the final was a Single Battle with each Trainer choosing four from six.
But no one thought that made the competition any less impressive. Even setting aside their Pokémon's strength, Mingyou and Akari had the awareness and tactical skill to put many top Trainers to shame.
At last, the final everyone had been waiting for began. Two Poké Balls collided at the center of the field and bounced apart. Red light flashed, and Akari appeared to lead with her Galarian Slowbro again.
She had used only that Slowbro throughout the tournament. According to Blueberry Academy students in the know, her Slowpoke had evolved just over a month ago, yet she had already raised it to this level!
Mingyou led with Flutter Mane, exciting some of her longtime fans. After several days, they finally got to see Overpowered Sis again.
"Momo!"
Flutter Mane looked ahead, fired up. She had long since fallen for Akari's charm, but she would show no mercy in battle.
The battle erupted at once!
Akari stuck to her usual aggressive style. She swept a hand forward and shouted, "Get close! Use Shell Side Arm!"
"Slow!"
Slowbro broke into a run on its short legs. The tip of the Shellder biting its left hand glowed purple as it released poison—Galarian Slowbro's signature means of attack.
Mingyou had not been idle. After watching Akari these past few days, including her battle with Cynthia, he had grown familiar with her tactics. She charged in, but never mindlessly. There was always another plan.
He had no intention of following her rhythm, though. Flutter Mane's offensive power