"Check out Field 7—Onix versus Lapras! Even though there’s a big type advantage, at least this battle is worth watching."

  "Yeah, if it weren’t free admission, who’d even come to watch the Baby Cup? Luckily, Field 7 is visible enough from here..."

  Behind the participants' seating area, the audience was abuzz with chatter as their attention shifted to Field 7.

  Even Ethan found himself watching the match, though his lips twitched with mild exasperation.

  The commentator’s bias is so blatant, isn’t it?

  The strategy was clear as day: first, lavish praise on the opponent’s Onix, making it seem like an incredible Pokémon. Then, once Lapras inevitably won, the contrast would leave a lasting impression of Lapras’s strength.

  "Snivy~!"

  In Ethan’s arms, the previously bored Snivy finally perked up, its eyes shining with interest.

  Among all the Pokémon it had seen so far—not even that Torchic had caught its attention.

  But this Lapras… this Lapras exuded a pressure that made it stand out as a formidable rival.

  Ethan noticed the change in Snivy’s demeanor and smiled. "What do you think, Snivy? Looks like you’ve found a worthy opponent."

  "Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance eventually," Ethan said with a smile, patting Snivy’s head. He was also genuinely intrigued by this Lapras.

  Activating Insight Eye, he examined the Pokémon:

  [Pokémon: Lapras]

  [Gender: Male]

  [Ability: Water Absorb]

  [Aptitude: Purple]

  [Individual Values: HP (29), Attack (20), Defense (19), Special Defense (21), Speed (18)]

  [Strength: Level 19]

  [Moves: Growl, Water Gun, Sing, Mist, Life Dew, Ice Shard, Ice Beam]

  [Description: A Lapras suppressing its energy and in visible distress. Prolonged suppression might lead to an overflow of energy when it finally breaks free.]

  [Friendship: 0 (It doesn’t know you.)]

  [Happiness: 0 (It’s struggling to contain its energy…)]

  Not only does it have purple-level aptitude, but its HP individual value is extraordinary, Ethan thought, rubbing his chin.

  But that description…

  So it’s been suppressing its breakthrough to the Elite stage all this time? Ethan mused, his expression turning serious.

  Suppressing energy like this wasn’t healthy for Pokémon.

  If the energy was held back for too long, it could lead to severe discomfort—akin to a bloated, painful sensation for the Pokémon. Over time, it could even hinder the Pokémon’s growth potential and reduce its ultimate limits.

  Ethan thought about Snivy. If it were on the cusp of evolving naturally before this competition, he wouldn’t have hesitated to withdraw from the tournament entirely.

  But the Lapras’ Trainer clearly lacked that understanding—or simply didn’t care.

  Meanwhile, the battle on Field 7 had already begun.

  It was over quickly.

  The chubby boy holding a bag of chips issued his command lazily: “Water Gun.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  What followed was a ferocious torrent of water that burst from Lapras’ mouth, as if it had finally found an outlet for its pent-up energy.

  The arena was small, with moves like Dig prohibited. For Onix, its massive size became a prison, leaving it nowhere to run.

  Its Trainer hurriedly instructed it to Coil, hoping to minimize the damage by exposing only its side to the attack.

  But Lapras, seemingly unrestrained now that it had found its release, didn’t stop. The relentless Water Gun hammered into Onix, merciless and continuous.

  Between the type advantage and Lapras’ sheer energy output, Onix had no chance. It was completely overpowered.

  Onix’s gaze began to waver, its strength visibly faltering under the relentless assault.

  Realizing that continuing this way would lead to a swift defeat, the Trainer urgently commanded, “Onix, Rock Throw!”

  Onix gritted through the pain and lifted its head, summoning its Rock-type energy. Several sharp stones materialized and hurtled toward Lapras at high speed.

  However, Lapras paid the attack no mind. It endured the incoming rocks, shrugging them off while intensifying its Water Gun. The torrent became even more ferocious, striking Onix with unrelenting force.

  In the end, Onix couldn’t withstand the overwhelming pressure of the Water Gun. It collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud, its massive body limp and defeated.

  “Unbelievable! A one-hit knockout! This Onix, raised with such care and precision, couldn’t even last a single attack against Lapras. Let’s take another look at Lapras’ Trainer—calm and composed, as if he had foreseen this outcome from the start.”

  The commentator’s words, perfectly timed, sparked waves of amazement across the crowd.

  The thousands of spectators collectively shifted their focus to Lapras, exclaiming in awe.

  “That kid—who would’ve thought? He doesn’t seem remarkable at all, but the Pokémon he’s raised is incredibly strong!”

  “If nothing unexpected happens, the championship is as good as his, right?”

  “That Lapras is amazing!”

  In the seating area for the Ninth Group participants:

  “That’s some serious strength, Snivy,” Ethan remarked thoughtfully.

  This Lapras wasn’t just on par with Snivy in terms of power—it had another advantage: its nearing breakthrough meant its body was overflowing with energy.

  For Lapras, releasing energy wasn’t just an attack—it was a form of relief.

  Snivy blinked, its eyes gleaming with even greater determination.

  It didn’t care how strong its opponent was. The stronger they were, the more excited it got.

  “Oh, by the way,” Ethan added, glancing down at Snivy, “if you feel the urge to evolve during the match, don’t hold back.”

  Snivy nodded confidently, its tail flicking lightly in anticipation.

  As the third wave of matches concluded, the fourth wave began in earnest.

  With the permission of the officials, Ethan and another boy made their way to the Ninth Field.

  “Hey, I’ve been watching you,” said the boy, breaking the silence. “You’ve been holding that Snivy the entire time. Is it because it’s never been in a battle before?”

  “Huh?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, caught off guard.

  The speaker was a boy with cropped hair, wearing a black t-shirt.

  Ethan tilted his head slightly, puzzled.

  “No, not really. Why do you ask?”

  The cropped-hair boy continued with an air of authority, “Pokémon are meant for battling. Holding it like that and spoiling it—aren’t you afraid it’ll grow arrogant and entitled?”

  He smirked, clearly pleased with his own reasoning. “Take me, for example.”

  He retrieved a Poké Ball and released a Sandslash, which appeared at his side. “This guy here has already won nine battles for me. You’ll be the witness to our tenth straight victory.”

  His tone brimmed with pride as he went on. “To make it stronger and overcome its weaknesses, I’ve trained it rigorously. We’ve run in the rain, swum in rivers… all to conquer its fear of Water-types.”

  “That’s why this battle is already in the bag for us.”

  Ethan stared at him, momentarily speechless.

  What? You’ve trained your Ground-type to overcome Water-types… and somehow you think that’ll help against my Grass-type?

  And, more importantly, Ethan wasn’t a fan of this hardship-based education philosophy.

  [Pokémon: Sandslash]

  [Gender: Male]

  [Ability: Sand Veil]

  [Aptitude: Green]

  [Individual Values: HP (18), Attack (20), Special Attack (10), Defense (19), Special Defense (11), Speed (12)]

  [Strength: Level 14-16]

  [Moves: Scratch, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Rollout, Fury Cutter]

  [Description: Its scales have become slightly loosened from prolonged exposure to water. Needs treatment soon.]

  [Friendship: 0]

  [Happiness: 25 (Still wondering how to overcome water…)]

  Ethan glanced at the data provided by his Insight Eye and sighed inwardly.

  While this Sandslash might be one of the strongest in the ninth group, it’s far from a real challenge.

  He looked at Snivy, whose expression betrayed faint boredom. Clearly, even the promise of a battle wasn’t enough to excite it.