"Ding~"
"Who is it?"
Zoe looked at her phone, it was a message sent by Frank, followed by a proud face emoji.
"My student had taken down nine, he is bound to defeat all ten. My students are so strong—are you envious?"
"You really feel like you've won, huh?"
On the Imperial Capital University side, Frank scoffed at the reply.
Frank: "Seriously? Acting all high and mighty even now? Say something nice, and maybe I'll have Julian take ten minutes with your top student just to save you some face."
Zoe: "Watch it, kid. You'll see soon enough."
Nearby, Luis noticed his homeroom teacher's quick typing and changing expressions and nudged Hugo beside him.
"Looks like Teacher Frank is texting his girlfriend," he whispered.
Hugo raised an eyebrow. "You sure? He looks pretty angry to me."
Luis grinned. "You don't get it. Women are creatures that men love and hate at the same time."
"Oh? you talk like you have a girlfriend?"
"Not exactly. but I am rich in theory."
Frank put his phone back in his pocket and focused on Acacia across the venue. He could sense Zoe's confidence in her from her words.
Even if Acacia managed to defeat Metagross, could she really take down the nine trainers behind him?.
The world didn't have many prodigies like Julian. Frank doubted Acacia to be one of them.
Across the field, the opponent had already taken out her Poké Ball. It wasn't any ordinary Poké Ball but a unique one—half green, half white.
The Friend Ball: when a wild Pokémon is captured with it, it immediately bonds closely with the Trainer.
At present, Friend Balls could only be found in ruins, and there were no manufacturing methods found to produce them in the real world.
Because of its ability to quickly increase the bond with a newly caught Pokémon, this Poké Ball was especially suited for high-level Pokémon that could be found in secret realms. It saves the Trainer time in building trust, reducing the risk of disobedience or desertion.
What kind of Pokémon would be worthy of this rare ball?
With the Friend Ball opening, Julian and the entire audience soon saw the Pokémon emerge.
A flying Pokémon appeared in front of everyone.
Its feathers an ice-blue so clear they looked as if they were crafted from ice. It had a crown of three dark blue, prism-shaped feathers on its head, red eyes, and a long, streamer-like tail.
As it flapped its wings, moisture in the air condensed into frost and snow, swirling around it in a mesmerizing dance.
Looking at this Pokémon, the scene felt like someone had hit pause. A deep, deathly silence settled, with everyone frozen in their previous actions.
All eyes were on the majestic creature, mouths slightly open.
They looked at the dancing figure on the field in disbelief, as if they were seeing an illusion, closing their eyes, opening them again, and the scene still remained the same.
"Articuno"
Julian whispered, looking at the Pokémon in front of him in surprise.
Pokémon: Articuno (Ice/Flying)
Level: 60
Qualification: Blue
Ability: Pressure
Item: Never-Melt Ice
Gender: No Gender
Moves: Gust, Mist, Powder Snow, Reflect, Ice Shard, Agility, Ancient Power, Tailwind, Freeze-Dry, Roost, Ice Beam, Snowscape, Hurricane, Haze, Freezing Glare, Sheer Cold
Disc Moves: Hyper Beam, Light Screen, Icy Wind, Protect, Steel Wing, Icicle Spear, Avalanche, Blizzard, Brave Bird, Air Slash, Hail
Genetic Moves: None
(T/N: There's no record or mention of Articuno"s gender anywhere, some believe they are all female or male while others say it's a ratio of 1:1 and then comes people who say it's gender less-that's what we are going with)
--
Articuno, a Pokémon both Ice and Flying type, known as one of the three Divine Birds, is a sight few Trainers ever witness in person.
Alongside Moltres and Zapdos, Articuno is a legendary Pokemon.
Though known as a legendary Pokémon and extremely rare, a few lucky individuals have managed to capture an Articuno or other legendary Pokémon.
Drakoria's Fire-type Elite has a Moltres, the Electric-type Elite from Aurantia has a Zapdos, and in a country in extreme north, an Elite Trainer holds an Articuno.
(T/N: Aurantia is Australia)
These three divine birds were among the most frequently discovered and captured of the known legendary Pokémon, though this was only relative to other legendary Pokémon.
All three birds had been captured at some point, and many had seen videos, pictures, and other materials about them—though only through the internet or books.
Yet here, before everyone's eyes, was a live Articuno, soaring gracefully, reminding everyone this was no screen image but a living, breathing Pokémon.
"Wooo!"
The crowd erupted in deafening cheers, the audience's voices filling the sky above the field. Most people stared at Articuno with a mix of awe and fanaticism.
"Incredible! We're really seeing an Articuno!"
"My mom's asking why I'm kneeling to watch this live!"
"This move from Shu University shows that it's still at the top"
"Imperial University, the pressure's on you now!"
Ian stared at Articuno, feeling a pang of hopelessness. With a Pokémon like that on Acacia's side, how could he ever hope to keep up?
"How did she manage to find and catch an Articuno?" Luis murmured.
Frank finally understood where Zoe's confidence in Acacia came from—it was clear she'd known about Acacia's Articuno all along.
Articuno had always inhabited the special advanced secret realm known as the Land of Extreme Ice in Drakoria. Many from top families had ventured there, hoping to capture it, yet most left without even a glimpse of its shadow.
The Willow family had recently made an attempt as well, and now it seemed they had succeeded.
This Articuno though, was only at peak Advanced-level, it was likely a descendant of the one in the secret realm.
"Interesting"
Julian murmured, a smile forming. A legendary Pokémon was the perfect challenge for his Metagross, giving it the final push toward the pseudo-Elite level.
After defeating nine other Pokémon, his level 59 Metagross was nearly at level 60. If not for its pseudo-legendary status, it would have already broken through.
"You can surrender now"
Although Acacia's tone was calm, her expression radiated an unmistakable air of aloofness.
With Articuno by her side, she truly had the leverage to look down on her peers—and even some of the older generation.
"Oh?, Arrogant, are we?"
Julian's voice turned icy. Although a child of an aristocratic family, he lacked the playful attitude common among his peers. Yet, deep down, a quiet pride always existed in his heart.
He wasn't one to tolerate arrogance directed at him.
Articuno or not, Metagross was about to prove its strength.
"Meta!"
Metagross positioned itself in front of Julian, and in that moment, its intense gaze seemed to merge with Julian's own.
*****
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