Imperial University triumphed over Shu University, while Pearl University defeated the Second Military Academy. Alongside the First Military Academy, which had a bye in the previous round, the top three schools were decided:
Imperial University, Pearl University, and the First Military Academy.
Tomorrow would be the final match to determine the champion and crown the top university in Drakoria.
Ordinarily, the finals of the Hundred Schools League would attract enormous attention. However, the appearance of Melmetal had stolen much of the spotlight.
Adding fuel to the fire, Wyvernia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement demanding that Drakoria have Julian return Melmetal and explain how he obtained it.
Currently, Meltan and Melmetal were known to exist only in Wyvernia's top-secret realm. Even there, only the nation's Steel-Type Elite owned a Meltan—and its evolution method remained a mystery.
Now, however, a neighboring Drakorian trainer had revealed a fully-evolved Melmetal, causing uproar in the nation of Wyvernia, which suspected their secrets had been stolen.
In truth, they weren't entirely wrong.
The "theft" originated with the Smith family of Wish City, though Julian had acquired the then-egg-form Meltan from them legitimately.
The Smith family was quick to connect the dots, realizing that Julian's Melmetal had hatched from the mysterious Pokémon egg they had handed over—a Pokémon egg that had remained unhatched for 30 years in their care.
Not only had Julian successfully hatched the egg, but he had also managed to evolve Meltan into Melmetal.
Did the Smith family regret it? Of course they did. This was, after all, a Mythical Pokémon.
But alongside regret, they felt relief. The egg had remained dormant in their care for decades, and it seemed unlikely they would have succeeded in hatching it themselves. Keeping it would have ultimately been a waste.
By giving the egg to Julian, the Smith family gained the support of the Walker family and built a close relationship with him.
Given Julian's remarkable potential, it was nearly certain he would become an Elite Trainer in the future, with a solid chance of becoming a Champion.
And likely with Melmetal's help too. If that happened, Julian would owe the Smith family a big favor.
In response to Wyvernia's aggressive demands, Drakoria's stance was simple. That very day, Drakoria's Steel-Type Elite, John Walker, arrived at the border with ten other Elite Trainers in tow, sending a clear message:
'If you dare cross the line, we'll show no mercy'
Melmetal's public debut had indeed brought complications for the Walker family. As a brand-new Steel-Type Mythical Pokémon, it had drawn interest from many Steel-Type clans in Drakoria and abroad.
Fortunately, the Walker family's formidable strength, combined with the unwavering support of Drakoria's government, deterred anyone from making overt moves against Julian—at least on the surface.
After dinner, Julian returned to his hotel room, where his Pokémon were already resting.
Melmetal animatedly described its battle against the Mega Aerodactyl to Metagross, Dragonite, and the others, complete with vivid gestures and details about the cheering crowd.
It was so caught up in recounting the glorious moment that it ignored the Pokéblocks placed in front of it, eager instead for more Pokémon to join and listen to its story.
Unfortunately, Growlithe and Lairon were entirely uninterested. Their focus remained firmly on their food.
When Julian returned to the room, he found Melmetal enthusiastically chattering, its "Mel, Mel!" filling the air. Meanwhile, the other Pokémon were busy with their own activities.
The only one listening attentively was Slowking, though for some reason, it had removed the "crown" from its head.
"Mel—Meta!"
Noticing Julian's return, Melmetal let out an excited cry, the eye in its head-nut forming a crescent-moon shape as it joyfully grabbed Julian in a tight hug.
"Alright, alright, I know you're happy"
Julian said with a smile, patting its arm. Deep down, he felt a little apologetic in his heart. He hadn't allowed Melmetal to appear publicly before, and that was unfair to the Mythical Pokémon.
"Mel~"
Melmetal: I want to battle again tomorrow.
It had loved the cheers from the crowd and wanted to experience them again.
"Tomorrow, Metagross will take the stage. You'll have plenty of chances in the future"
Julian replied, shaking his head.
Melmetal might be incredibly strong, but tomorrow was the final match. Only Metagross could guarantee success.
Even though Melmetal was a Mythical Pokémon, Metagross was Julian's real trump card and his greatest source of confidence.
Winning the championship for Imperial University was critical—it would maximize his mission rewards.
"Meta~"
Hearing Julian's refusal, Melmetal became visibly agitated, trying to protest. But before it could, Metagross calmly interjected.
Metagross: You want to rebel?
Melmetal instantly quieted down. Within the team, Metagross' authority was unshakable.
---
The next day, the finals began.
The format of the finals was different from the semifinals and qualifiers.
This meant that each universuty' eight-member team would be split into two groups, each group facing off against four members of another school.
Julian, Faye, Thea, and Paul were placed in one group, with their opponents being four trainers from the First Military Academy.
Meanwhile, Max, Finn, Mark, and Simon were set to face the other four from Pearl University.
Each victory would earn one point, and the champion would be determined by total points at the end.
Julian's group was up first. Stepping onto the field, Julian found himself facing none other than the First Military Academy's captain—a 4th-year and a man already holding the rank of lieutenant colonel in the military.
"Looking forward to seeing Melmetal in action!"
"The first match is already this intense—Julian versus the captain of the First Military Academy!"
"Does anyone know more about this Pierce? There's barely anything online about him except for recent records. His earlier history is impossible to find."
"Friendly advice: stop digging. You don't want an invitation for a little 'chat'."
At opposite ends of the battlefield, Julian and Pierce stood ready. Pierce, dressed in his military uniform, had a rugged and stoic expression, his face betraying no emotions.
From the sharp glint in Pierce's eyes, Julian sensed a faint killing intent. It wasn't directed at him, but rather seemed to radiate from Pierce himself—evidence of the lives he'd taken.
This man had clearly killed a lot.
To have reached the rank of lieutenant colonel at such a young age, Pierce must have earned countless military merits.
Such accomplishments often came at the cost of taking lives, something common and expected in war.
Julian couldn't help but feel respect for him.
In any world, soldiers who defend their nation and protect their people are always worthy of admiration.
"Metagross!"
Julian sent out Metagross. Against someone like Pierce, the captain of the First Military Academy, there was no telling what tricks or strategies he might have hidden. Sending out Melmetal and risking an unexpected loss was not an option.
Under Julian's watchful gaze, Pierce threw his Poké Ball into the air. A Pokémon emerged, its body formed of gray and orange rocks.
*****
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