Amidst the surging waves of cheers and under the gaze of numerous cameras, Johan and his opponent for this round stepped onto the battlefield.
According to Roxanne, Johan's opponent this time was a trainer named Tapeya.
He was adept at using Electric-type Pokémon and was particularly skilled at battle strategies centered around Thunder Wave. His strength wasn't to be underestimated, having previously earned eight badges and participated in Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference, where he made it to the Top 32. Now, he served as a first-year combat class instructor.
The chosen battle mode for today was 6-vs-3 rotation battles.
Frankly, Johan had some doubts about whether this was "rigged."
Facing him was a man with long, golden hair, dressed in a green coat.
"Top 32... even a rookie like the infamous Red got into the Top 16 on his first try at the Indigo League," Johan mused.
He didn't mean to belittle the accomplishment of being in the Top 32—managing to collect eight badges and qualify for a league tournament was already impressive.
Many students at Kanazumi Pokémon Academy, outside of outliers like Steven or other exceptional talents such as Roxanne or Flannery, would struggle to earn even half the badges needed to participate in a league tournament.
After all, the regional tournaments only allowed a few hundred participants each year.
But…
Since Johan often found himself around people like Steven and Cynthia, his standards had shifted.
Without much small talk or preamble, the referee signaled for the battle to begin.
While the format was "6-vs-3," Johan didn't have the luxury of selecting his Pokémon—his team only had three members.
Tapeya, on the other hand, carefully deliberated before choosing a Poké Ball.
Judging by his serious expression, he seemed to take this battle very seriously, showing proper respect for Johan as an opponent.
Johan, however, remained relaxed.
He had already exceeded his initial goals, so the outcome of this match wasn't a big concern for him.
Facing Tapeya's focused demeanor, Johan couldn't help but think:
It's fine; seasoned teachers don't usually engage in pre-battle smack talk. That'd be childish.
"Johan-sensei, I'll admit your tactics are strong, but your limited Pokémon pool is your Achilles' heel. Too easy to counter! I'm afraid your assessment ends here!" Tapeya shouted, full of confidence.
Johan: "..."
He had just convinced himself that Tapeya wouldn't stoop to trash-talking, only to be immediately proven wrong.
Still, the comment successfully hyped up the crowd, who loved a good rivalry with plenty of sparks.
Turns out, Tapeya's reputation as a skilled strategist didn't exempt him from the Academy's elective course on "trash-talking during battles"—a class designed to prepare students for less formal but emotionally charged encounters in the field.
As Johan smirked slightly, his response left Tapeya momentarily stunned.
"Tapeya-sensei, have you eaten yet?" Johan asked calmly.
"Huh?" Tapeya blinked in confusion.
"My grandma's voice is louder than yours," Johan replied, shaking his head.
Tapeya's face darkened.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Ah, Johan thought. There's definitely a reason Red isn't allowed in these competitions.
"Battle, start!"
The referee's flag came down, and both trainers released their Pokémon simultaneously.
"Magneton, Electric Terrain!" Tapeya shouted immediately.
Crackle!
Golden arcs of electricity surged from the freshly summoned Magneton, weaving together into a shimmering electrical field that blanketed the entire arena.
[Electric Terrain]: Prevents all Pokémon on the field from falling asleep and boosts the power of Electric-type moves.
It was clear from this opening move that Tapeya had done his homework on Johan and his team. Knowing that both Haunter and Vulpix had strong sleep-inducing moves like Hypnosis, he preemptively neutralized their effectiveness.
Unfortunately for him, Johan's first Pokémon wasn't Vulpix or Haunter.
It was Tinkatuffk.
And the moment the shimmering terrain began to form, the gleeful Tinkatuffk had already reflexively swung its hammer.
BAM!!
The hammer landed squarely on Magneton mid-move, slamming it straight into the ground with a resounding thud.
"Chu!"
As Tinkatuffk finally registered what it was looking at, its eyes sparkled with delight.
Metal!
It darted forward, hammer in tow.
While the Magneton lay embedded in the dirt, Tapeya yelled, "Magneton, Thunder Wave!"
Sizzle!
The downed Magneton quickly discharged a glowing, yellow electric wave, crackling towards Tinkatuffk.
"Tinkatuffk, Rock Smash!" Johan called out.
"Chu!"
Tinkatuffk's eyes gleamed with determination as it adjusted its grip on the hammer, swinging it back in a wide arc before striking Magneton with bone-crushing force.
BOOM!
Magneton, hit dead-on, was sent hurtling backward. A thin crack appeared on its metal casing as it landed.
Did that just crack its shell?!
Magneton was a Steel-type Pokémon; even with Rock Smash's armor-breaking properties, it was practically unheard of for such a powerful move to leave physical damage like this.
The audience gasped.
On the sidelines, Steven's Skarmory, watching from the stands, instinctively tucked its wings closer to its body and swallowed hard.
That hammer looks dangerous.
Still, Magneton's Thunder Wave had done its job. Golden sparks danced across Tinkatuffk's body, leaving it paralyzed.
Tapeya breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it was paralyzed now.
But when Tinkatuffk casually plucked one of Magneton's magnets off the ground and affixed it to its hammer with glee, Tapeya's expression darkened again.
"Magneton, Thunderbolt!"
"Tinkatuffk, drop the hammer—dodge it!" Johan ordered.
"Dodge? How?!"
Tinkatuffk smirked mischievously as it planted the hammer upright into the ground, the metal absorbing the brunt of the Thunderbolt.
Crackle!
The attack dissipated harmlessly as though striking a lightning rod.
"Chu?"
Tinkatuffk glanced at its hammer, seemingly impressed.
Then, gripping the handle with both hands, it leaped into the air and brought the hammer crashing down on Magneton with terrifying precision.
SMASH!
Electric sparks scattered in all directions, and Magneton slumped to the ground.
"Magneton is unable to battle!" the referee announced.
The crowd roared in approval.
"Forget clever tricks—Johan-sensei just brute-forced his way through!"
"Wait, wasn't that still technically a tactic?"
"Yeah, luring the Thunderbolt to the hammer first? Brilliant!"
Tapeya recalled Magneton, his brows furrowed.
As he prepared his second Pokémon, Johan raised a hand.
"Tinkatuffk, return," he said calmly.
"Return?!" Tapeya exclaimed.
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Powerstones?
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