"Oh! Meowscarada's Aura Sphere hit dead center! This isn't a good start for Aggron. Fighting-type moves are super effective against it!"
"Yes, that caught Aggron by surprise. We can see that Meowscarada has a deep move pool. It looks like contestant Ding Wanning didn't expect his opponent to know this move!"
With one of the competitors having won the Academy Cup's individual championship for the past two years, the match between Ding Wanning and Xin Mu drew the commentators' attention from the outset.
The broadcast director temporarily turned the screens on both sides of the arena over to their match, with detailed Pokémon profiles displayed alongside it.
Pokémon battles were different from other competitions. Rather than merely offering a spectacle, the organizers hoped ordinary Trainers could learn more from these matches.
As such, the commentators they hired were reasonably competent. They might not speak in poetry, but at least they wouldn't misuse idioms or historical allusions.
As a Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon, Aggron counted Fighting-type attacks among its greatest weaknesses. Aggron generally placed more emphasis on physical defense, with special defense being its weak point.
Even after targeted training, its special defense still fell short of its physical defense.
"Graaar!!"
On the battlefield, Aggron let out an angry roar after being struck by Aura Sphere. But the hit also allowed it to pinpoint its opponent's location. With no new instructions from its Trainer, Aggron continued carrying out its previous orders.
As Aggron stomped forward, several enormous rocks fell from the sky, landing around Meownei to restrict her movement.
Boom!
Once the rocks were in place on all four sides, they began closing in toward the center. Flames ignited around Aggron's fists at the same moment, and its bulky body charged forward.
There was nothing particularly wrong with the tactic itself. Aggron was essentially a heavy tank, boasting impressive attack power and durability but lacking agility.
Against a nimble opponent, its follow-up attacks would struggle to land unless it first used moves that restricted their movement.
"There it is! This contestant's Aggron's signature move! Last year, he used it to pin down his opponent's Scizor and win the championship.
With Aggron unleashing consecutive Fire Punches, can Meowscarada... it missed! Rock Tomb missed! What it trapped was an illusion left behind by Double Team!!
Contestant Xin Mu must have given Meowscarada a new command without us noticing!!"
When Meowscarada dissolved into mist after being struck by Fire Punch, the commentator immediately realized what had happened.
Watching from so far away, he assumed Xin Mu had used some sort of prearranged signal to command Meowscarada. It never occurred to him that Meowscarada had acted entirely on her own initiative.
"Don't panic! Use Protect! Meowscarada's behind you!"
Down in the arena, Ding Wanning had a clearer idea of what had happened than the commentator. It appeared that his opponent had used the dust raised by Aura Sphere's impact to reposition, leaving Aggron wide open once again.
Seeing Meownei standing atop a nearby stone pillar with an Aura Sphere in each hand, Ding Wanning knew perfectly well that Aggron couldn't dodge those homing attacks. He immediately ordered it to raise a transparent barrier.
"Meow... (I can't attack the Trainer. How annoying...)"
Meownei glanced from the stone pillar at the opposing Trainer calling out her position. With her old fighting style, she could have silenced him when she repositioned using Double Team.
"Keep it pinned down with Aura Sphere, then finish it quickly with Low Kick! Don't give them a chance to Mega Evolve!"
"Meow~ meow~ (We're on the same wavelength. That's exactly what I was thinking~)"
Whoosh-whoosh!
Meownei hurled several Aura Spheres from her hands. While they were still in flight, she leaped down from the stone pillar and rushed toward Aggron.
"This is bad... use Endure first, then get ready for Mega Evolution!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Aura Spheres bombarded Aggron one after another. Although the barrier allowed it to withstand the first wave of attacks, it also restricted its movement.
The moment the barrier dissipated, Aggron's gaze turned grave.
Aggron was preparing to take its opponent's attack head-on, but an immense force struck from below, sending its body flying uncontrollably backward. It smashed through several stone pillars before finally being buried beneath the rubble.
"This is bad! If I remember correctly, this contestant's Aggron has the rare Ability Heavy Metal..."
"That's right! Contestant Ding Wanning's Aggron has denser metal armor than an ordinary Aggron, but the heavier the target hit by Low Kick, the more damage it takes!
Can Aggron withstand this blow...?
It's over! The winner is Meowscarada! The biggest dark horse of this year's Academy Cup has emerged!!
The two-time defending individual champion didn't even get to play his trump card, Mega Evolution! Unbelievable!!"
On the battle screen, Aggron's portrait had already turned black and white. The meaning was self-evident.
Endure had failed. The ever-present same-type attack bonus granted by Protean, combined with Heavy Metal's detrimental effect, meant that Aggron-already worn down by Aura Sphere-simply couldn't withstand that blow.
Ding Wanning's academy was even more bewildered. Their strategy had been to have five support one, only for their centerpiece to be taken out right at the start. How they were supposed to fight from here became a very serious question.
"Meow~ (Praise me~)"
The 1v1 event wasn't a king-of-the-hill format. After a match ended, the Pokémon simply weren't allowed to recover at a Pokémon Center; the next pair of competitors would still take the field.
Now off the battlefield, Meownei held both hands behind her back and leaned her head toward Xin Mu as she made her request.
"That was only the first match. I'll give you a massage once today's 1v1 matches are over."
"Meow~ (Trust me. I've got this~)"
With her eyes closed as she enjoyed having her head rubbed, Meownei paid little attention to her opponent for the next round. Xin Mu was the same; he didn't even know who had advanced to face him next.
Across from them, Ding Wanning seemed somewhat dazed. As the defending champion, he had never imagined he would become the first competitor eliminated from the 1v1 event.
After delaying his graduation, he had lost the competition too. His resolve seemed to have taken a hit.
Meanwhile, outside the arena, Xin Mu had been the only one scheduled for the first match. Everyone else's matches came later.
After watching Xin Mu win the first round, they sat leisurely in a row.
"Our biggest opponent was eliminated in the first round. In five years of coaching, I've never had such a wonderful start."
"Same here. The other academies must be getting headaches now, though. I bet their analysts are staring blankly at Xin Mu's empty battle record~"
Before you continue