Chris defeated Amy in a decisive manner, and was now close to reaching the top four.
When word of this spread across the campus network, it immediately caused a stir, though some initial doubts emerged.
It's not surprising that Chris beat Amy, but only using one Pokémon? Isn't that a bit much?"
"Thanks, I just got off the plane and already feel like this is wild."
"I've seen Amy's battles on Trial Island, and his strength was questioned before. I suspect Chris's fans are just hyping him up."
However, soon after, the full video of Chris and Amy's battle was uploaded.
All doubts vanished, leaving behind only admiration.
"Boss, 666, please accept my respect."
"I'm sorry I was wrong to doubt Chris."
"From now on, he should be called Chris the Boss!"
"As a sophomore in the battle department, I have to admit I can't beat him. Sorry, sophomores, I let you down."
Chris didn't pay attention to the campus network. If he had the time, he'd rather watch dramas, hunt for Shiny Pokémon, or level up.
However, after reaching the semifinals, freshmen from both the breeding department and the battle department started showing respect to Chris, calling him "Brother Chris."
For Chris, this was a bit unnerving.
When a group of muscular guys from the battle department suddenly greeted you with "Brother Chris," it almost seemed like they wanted you to lead them into a secret society.
And this wave of attention was only beginning.
In the semifinals the next day, Chris won without even battling.
After watching the video of the previous day's match, his opponent decided not to fight, convinced that he couldn't defeat Chris's Hariyama. To avoid injuring his Pokémon, he chose to forfeit.
Chris found this quite frustrating. He had wanted to switch Pokémon for the next battle.
After the previous match, he had tasked Hariyama with focusing on mastering Aura Sphere, so he hadn't planned to use it again anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the other semifinal determined Chris's final opponent.
It was none other than Xavier, his classmate and the class monitor.
Xavier had also been using only one Pokémon throughout the competition—a Riolu, which made countless students envious.
Rumor had it that Xavier even used the power of aura during his battles, as he was said to be born with this ability.
This made him even more enviable.
In the world of Pokémon, the powers of aura and Psychic aren't unheard of, but they are extremely rare. Only about one in a million is born with these gifts.
In other words, Xavier was one of the chosen few.
With the power of aura, a Riolu by his side, and his good looks, it seemed like Xavier had the makings of a true protagonist compared to Chris.
In the final match, Chris would face Xavier.
When this news broke, the battle department collectively groaned, with even the seniors cursing their luck. It had been years since two members of the breeding department faced off in the finals of the rookie military training competition.
It was truly embarrassing for the battle department.
Soon after, someone posted about the "rivalry" between Xavier and Chris on the campus website.
While it was called a rivalry, it was really just a passive competition between the two.
The night before military training, Xavier and Chris had vied for the position of class monitor. In the end, Chris was called to Professor Theodore's office to join his research team, allowing Xavier to become the monitor.
It seemed like Xavier had won.
But did Chris really lose? Not at all—wasn't joining Professor Theodore's research team an even bigger achievement than being class monitor?
So, in that instance, there was no clear winner.
Now, in the military training competition, things were different. Last time was passive, but this time, the competition was deliberate.
And because winning the military training competition also included the ownership of a Dragon-type Pokémon, no one was willing to give up easily. Both competitors would give their all.
The last time, there had been no clear winner, and Xavier was seen as the class's only "handsome guy." But now, the stakes were higher with a rare quasi-Dragon-type Pokémon on the line.
As one senior on the campus network put it: "Isn't this the kind of competition where they'll go all out, even risking their minds?"
Most people agreed.
As the buzz of campus chatter reached a peak, the final day of the military training competition arrived, bringing with it the much-anticipated last battle.
To accommodate the growing number of spectators, the match was moved from the regular battle area to the Central Battle Hall, the only indoor stadium on the Dragon University-Flight Campus.
Every one of the thousand seats was packed.
Besides the students, several teachers also made an appearance.
"Professor Theodore, what brings you here?" the freshman dean asked, surprised to see Professor Theodore entering.
"I just finished some work, stepped out for a smoke, and noticed there was a match going on," Theodore replied casually. In truth, he had heard that Chris was one of the competitors, and his interest was piqued. Chris, a breeding student who knew Nosepass so well that he could easily raise hundreds of them, had not only impressed his peers but was now competing against combat students—and standing a chance to win the military training competition. This intrigued Theodore more and more.
In the massive stadium, the roaring crowd echoed, and the spotlight shone brightly on the battlefield.
Chris and Xavier stood on opposite sides, both focused and silent, not having exchanged a single word as they waited for the match to begin.
After a few moments, the referee began to announce the rules:
"This is the final match of the Dragon University Freshman Military Training Competition.
Trainer Chris will face Trainer Xavier.
Each Trainer is allowed to use two Pokémon, with no switching of Pokémon rights. When both of one side's Pokémon lose their ability to fight, the match is over!"
"Now, Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon at the same time!"
Both Chris and Xavier grabbed a Poké Ball from their belts and threw them into the air.
With a flash of silver light, their Pokémon materialized on the battlefield.
Xavier's choice was his trusted Riolu, a small, dog-like Pokémon that stood upright, crossing its arms with an air of confidence and indifference.
The moment Riolu appeared, the crowd went wild.
"Go, Riolu!"
"I need a Riolu!"
"Why is that Riolu not mine?"
"You're dreaming!"
As one of the few Pokémon that wasn't a Legendary or Mythical but still had an entire movie dedicated to it (aside from Pikachu), Riolu—along with its evolved form Lucario—had earned this level of admiration. Its presence in the competition only fueled the excitement.
On the other side, Chris sent out his first Pokémon: Combusken.
Compared to Riolu, Chris's choice seemed more modest, but his Combusken was ready for battle.
"Combusken~╭(^▽^)╯" Combusken chirped, eager to fight.
The crowd may have been enchanted by Xavier's Riolu, but Chris's calm confidence and his strategy with Combusken were sure to make this final showdown one to remember.