Volkner narrowed his eyes, staring at the Arcanine on the battlefield, murmuring: "Starting with Arcanine, huh..." For a moment, his vision
Volkner narrowed his eyes, staring at the Arcanine on the battlefield, murmuring:
"Starting with Arcanine, huh..."
For a moment, his vision blurred—two young boys appeared before him. One with messy red hair, the other with short blond locks.
The two trained together, grew stronger side by side.
The red-haired boy marched toward the Victory Road, while the blond turned toward the Gym, endlessly facing weak challengers.
'Can't muster any excitement.'
Until a boy from Pallet Town reignited Volkner's buried fighting spirit—through his unshakable bond with Pikachu.
Challenging powerful trainers, fighting with everything he had—
Volkner suddenly lifted his head, locking eyes with Natsume-sensei across the field, shouting:
"Come at me with everything you've got, Natsume-sensei!"
Natsume raised an eyebrow, commanding cautiously: "Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
At that moment, flames reflected in Volkner's pupils.
"Arcanine!!"
The massive black-and-red Arcanine threw back its head with a roar, orange-yellow fire gathering in its maw.
WHOOSH! The Flamethrower erupted, scorching heatwaves rolling across the battlefield!
The blue vest flapped violently as Volkner's eyes sharpened, a smirk tugging at his lips:
"Electivire, Thunder Punch!"
The intimidating Electivire stood ready, yellow-and-black warning-patterned fur bristling, two crackling electric conduits protruding from its back.
"Electivire!!"
With Electivire's battle cry, the conduits flashed blinding white.
Electric currents surged into Electivire's corded arms as twin fists wreathed in blue lightning SMASHED forward—meeting the inferno head-on!
BOOM!!
The audience gasped, pupils contracting.
Electivire had physically dispersed the flames, roaring as it charged through the firestorm with thunderous fists aimed at Arcanine!
Outside the arena, Ash turned to Flint, who stood with crossed arms:
"Senior... Thunder Punch can be used like that?"
Flint grinned, explaining with the authority of a Fire-type Elite Four:
"Thunder Punch—that guy's exploiting Electivire's high Attack stat and Motor Drive ability to brute-force through."
As he spoke, Electivire's conduits flickered white. With another roar, it closed the distance to Arcanine in an instant!
"After all..."
Flint's eyes glinted as he smirked:
"No one understands Fire-types better than him!"
"Go, Electivire!" Volkner commanded sharply. "Thunder Punch!"
Instantly, Motor Drive activated at maximum—sapphire lightning ERUPTED around its fists!
BOOOOM.
"Who said my Arcanine can't handle close combat?"
Volkner narrowed his eyes at the low-crouching, snarling Arcanine—his instincts screaming danger.
Yet a fierce grin split Volkner's face as he swung his arm forward: "Meet it head-on, Electivire!"
CRACK!!
Arcanine's paws exploded against the ground as Extreme Speed's instantaneous force collided with Electivire.
The entire arena shook as both Pokémon strained against each other at the epicenter—cobweb cracks spreading across the battlefield!
"RAAAGH!!" Electivire clasped its fists together, azure lightning surging as it aimed a hammer blow at Arcanine's spine!
Simultaneously, Arcanine bared fangs—its usually wise eyes now blazing with ferocity.
"Close Combat!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A rapid exchange of blows—Arcanine SLAMMED Electivire backward before pouncing, powerful forelegs pinning it down.
THUD!!
Arcanine's skull crashed downward—only for Electivire to twist aside and uppercut it away, rising with crackling conduits!
"Thunder!!" Volkner commanded.
KABOOOOOM!
Black stormclouds gathered overhead, drawing shocked gasps from the crowd.
Tobias adjusted his red cloak, gray hair shadowing a faint frown.
Sinnoh's strongest Gym Leader... truly lives up to his reputation.
Flint stared at Volkner in surprise.
"This guy's going all out."
"Because," Ash clenched his fist, eyes blazing, "Natsume-sensei got him fired up too!"
Volkner didn't even realize it himself—a fierce grin had spread across his face.
This was the joy of battle… the thrill of facing a powerful opponent with everything he had.
"Battling really is the best, huh?"
Natsume shook his head, muttering, "This guy can just punch through fire blasts like it's nothing… That's not even fair."
Then, his eyes narrowed as a massive bolt of lightning came crashing down.
BOOM!!
The Thunder shattered the battlefield tiles, sending debris flying as the audience gasped.
Electivire smirked viciously, staring at Arcanine engulfed in the electric storm—only to freeze in shock.
"Arcanine!!" Arcanine surged forward, lightning still crackling around it, and slammed into Electivire with brutal force!
The crowd erupted in shock. Tobias raised an eyebrow.
Ash's jaw dropped. "It just tanked that Thunder like it was nothing?!"
"Natsume-sensei used Wild Charge to coat Arcanine in electricity, giving it some resistance to Electric-type moves," Flint explained, clicking his tongue. "Though, let's be real—that Arcanine's just built different."
"Grr…" Electivire knelt on one knee, panting heavily, its chest scorched.
But its eyes burned with a fierce red light, mirroring Volkner's sharp gaze.
"This is our specialty too." Volkner grinned. "Let's go all out—
Electivire, Wild Charge!!"
"Electivire!!"
Electivire erupted in a storm of blue lightning, its Motor Drive ability overloading with a sharp, burning scent—power surging to its absolute limit!
"If it's lightning you want…" Natsume locked eyes with Arcanine. "Then meet it with fire."
"Flare Blitz!"
In that instant, the Rainbow Wing on Arcanine's chest shone brilliantly—a torrent of life-infused flames engulfed its body.
Flint, watching from the sidelines, nearly choked.
"Holy—!"
So he wasn't seeing things last time.
Natsume-sensei really had earned the Rainbow Wing's blessing. That Arcanine… was actually using Sacred Fire?!
As a Fire-type Elite Four, what am I even supposed to say to that?!
Volkner, being Flint's close friend, immediately recognized the uniqueness of these flames.
But right now—none of that mattered.
All hesitation, all doubt—gone.
Volkner clenched his fist, his coat whipping violently as the battlefield erupted in a cataclysmic clash.
BOOOOOOM!!
The audience held their collective breath, their pupils reflecting the spectacular collision of flames and lightning.
Bathed in raging fire, Arcanine violently slammed the azure-electrified Electivire away before landing and raising its head in a triumphant howl—
"Arcanine!! (｀0′)"
The crowd's excitement instantly ignited.
"Now THIS is what I call a top-tier battle!"
"That Electivire could rival an Elite Four's main team!"
Amid the thunderous applause,
Volkner closed his eyes, replaying the duel in his mind—only to see himself battling Flint instead.
He couldn't help but smile. "Natsume-sensei, would you be interested in this year's Champion Tournament? We might be able to compete together there."
"I'm only interested in the Lily of the Valley Conference," Natsume replied.
Volkner blinked in surprise.
The Lily of the Valley Conference...? Wasn't that for trainers at beginner+ level?
With Natsume-sensei's skills, shouldn't he be aiming for the Champion Tournament or even the World Masters Cup?
"I must've been cooped up too long... I'm behind on the news."
Volkner shook his head, cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth, then fixed Natsume with an intense stare.
"Two matches left—don't get careless now, Natsume-sensei!"
Natsume chuckled as he recalled Arcanine into its Luxury Ball, then tossed out a Premier Ball.
Inside, Sirfetch'd—who had been happily watching the matches—suddenly found itself summoned to battle.
"Sirfetch'd?!"
Sirfetch'd hastily grabbed its leek and shield, materializing in a flash of white light at the arena's center before puffing out its chest with forced dignity.
"A rare Sirfetch'd..."
Volkner frowned slightly as he observed the sharp-eyed Sirfetch'd. "We'll need to be careful with this one."
"Sirfetch'd! (′︿‵)" Sirfetch'd stiffened.
Wait, let me explain! This isn't what it looks like—I'm actually super weak!
My greatest dream is just to breed some reliable juniors and retire to a slacker's life...
Why are you sending out your main team against me?!
Volkner sent out an orange-furred Raichu—his own starter Pokémon, possessing incredible movement speed and terrifying electric power.
On the live broadcast, Lt. Surge puffed on his cigar before bursting into laughter in the chat group:
"Look at that Raichu of his—skinny as a monkey!"
"Rai! Rai!" Lt. Surge's own muscular Raichu flexed proudly beside him.
Sabrina adjusted her black hair, typing in the group: "At least his Raichu wouldn't lose to a Pikachu."
Lt. Surge: "..."
Too soon, man. Too soon.
"That Sirfetch'd of Natsume-sensei's... surely it's not part of his main team, right? We've barely seen it before," Candice from Snowpoint City chimed in.
"Hard to say," Whitney scratched her pink braid. "Could be main team, could just be getting some battle experience?"
Blue Oak studied the Sirfetch'd, sensing something oddly familiar yet inexplicable.
"Seems it's mastered the Hard Style," Bruno answered Blue's unspoken question. "A single strike to crush the opponent!"
Amid the roaring crowd, Flint rubbed his chin in confusion.
"This doesn't add up... With Raichu's mobility, a slowpoke like Sirfetch'd shouldn't even get a chance to attack!"
"With enough bond, anything's possible!" Ash declared.
"Uh..." Flint suddenly noticed something. "Is that Sirfetch'd... holding a leek?"
Leek boosted Sirfetch'd's critical-hit ratio—but it still needed an opening to strike.
Volkner recognized this too and immediately went for a blitz strategy:
"Raichu, Agility into Electro Ball!!"
In an instant, Raichu became a streak of white light, afterimages trailing behind it.
The audience chuckled, already picturing Raichu toying with its sluggish opponent.
Yet Volkner remained tense, his guard up.
This is Natsume-sensei we're dealing with... He's got something planned.
But if we can survive his first move, we'll find a way to counter—
Then—
Volkner's eyes widened in disbelief.
The entire stadium erupted in gasps, voices overlapping in shock:
"How?!"
"Did Sirfetch'd just match Raichu's speed?!"
"No... It's like it predicted everything! Some kind of fighting technique?!"
Silence fell over the arena. Ash blinked, bewildered.
"What... just happened?"
Flint frowned. As one, the crowd turned to the big screen's replay.
The footage showed Raichu darting forward at blinding speed, tail crackling with electricity—
But Sirfetch'd had simply closed its eyes... and swung its leek blade at empty air.
A crimson glow erupted around the leek—the telltale sign of a critical hit.
Yet how had it landed? Did Natsume-sensei just get impossibly lucky?
The audience gulped as Natsume's calm voice played over the replay:
"First Impression."
A move that never misses when used at the start of battle—with even greater priority than Quick Attack.
No luck involved. Just a blade swung exactly where Raichu would be.
The Hard Style: unwavering conviction, reckless resolve, and absolute confidence.
Sirfetch'd's leek came down in a single, decisive slash—sending a shockwave of dust rippling across the field!
Steel Cuts Flesh, Will Cuts Spirit!
The replay ended.
After a stunned pause, the crowd exploded into cheers.
"One-hit KO! A true instant knockout!"
"Did you really think my Sirfetch'd had no priority moves?"
"That's what you get for trying blitz tactics! Know your place!"
In the chat group, Blue Oak couldn't help sending Bruno a private message:
"That 'Hard Style' you mentioned - does it include the 'Mind's Eye' technique taught by the Master?"
Bruno replied: "That Sirfetch'd has the ability 'Scrappy'. When combined with Hard Style's one-strike decisive cut and opponent-reading, it's a perfect match."
"Of course, the Trainer's own observational skills play an equally important role."
Meanwhile...
Volkner stood in quiet contemplation.
To suppress and instantly defeat a speed-specialist Raichu with a single critical hit...
So this was the battle style of Natsume-sensei's Sirfetch'd...
Amid the roaring crowd, Natsume recalled his composed Sirfetch'd back into its Premier Ball.
The proud, valiant white knight had earned everyone's applause.
"Not bad back there," Natsume patted the Premier Ball with a grin. "Even learned to show off by closing your eyes."
Sirfetch'd seemed to want to protest, but ultimately stayed in its Poké Ball.
"Sirfetch'd! (′︿‵)"
You've all got it wrong!
I only closed my eyes because I was scared!
The battle continued.
Sirfetch'd's "blindfolded instant KO" had left a deep impression on the audience.
This Fighting-type Farfetch'd from Galar...
Might just be the legendary swordmaster (or should we say, leekmaster) in Natsume-sensei's team!
"You thought I was a Sylveon fan? Joke's on you - I stan Duck King!"
"Go Duck King!!"
Volkner, having learned his lesson about blitz tactics, took a deep breath.
Placing a hand over his pounding heart, his gaze sharpened.
The last time he'd felt this intense fighting spirit was during his battle with that boy from Pallet Town.
And now... this pressure came from facing Natsume-sensei...
Cheers rose from both sides of the spectator stands.
Volkner threw his final Poké Ball, revealing his trump card in this 3v3: "Jolteon!"
Another lightning-fast attacker, Jolteon's speed was remarkable.
Volkner had prepared countermeasures too - planning to use "Protect" to stall the first turn against Sirfetch'd's "First Impression."
But when he saw Natsume-sensei's final Pokémon, he froze.
"Activating battle mode, Rotom!"
Rotom flew out from the Pokédex like an orange-red sprite, its body extending plasma-formed arms.
Many in the audience were seeing Rotom for the first time and gasped in amazement.
"Using Electric-type against Electric-type?"
"I think Natsume-sensei just wants to charge his Rotom."
"Hey! Keep talking like that and you'll get the knife. Don't expose the truth!"
"Let the battle begin!" The referee's whistle blew.
Rotom levitated mid-air as space around it warped strangely.
At the same time...
The almost imperceptibly small "Choice Scarf" around Rotom's neck... mysteriously disappeared.
"Jolteon, Protect!" Volkner decided to learn from last round's mistake.
"Rotom, Trick!" Natsume grinned.
Trick swapped the held items between both Pokémon.
Rotom blinked at the newly acquired, crystal-clear Life Orb now in its possession.
"Big... big harvest, Rotom!"
"After the battle, return the Life Orb to Volkner."
Natsume sighed lightly before commanding: "Use Nasty Plot!"
Instantly, a lightbulb appeared above Rotom's head as its blue eyes glowed yellow.
Nasty Plot sharply boosted Rotom's Special Attack, making the electrical ions around its body grow more active.
Meanwhile, Jolteon struggled with the Choice Scarf now wrapped around its neck - as if the item had drawn its ire - angrily trying to bite it off.
Nearly a minute passed before even amateur viewers noticed something odd.
Natsume-sensei kept setting up while Volkner just... watched?
"Holy crap, Trick-scarfing? This is so dirty!"
"Can't stall for long IRL... but enough for two boosts?"
"Yikes... Stop! Battles like this bring no joy!"
Volkner had hoped for another thrilling duel.
Too bad Natsume-sensei came for the buffet instead.
Fully boosted, Rotom crackled with violent electricity, its form seemingly enlarged.
"I am invincible now, Rotom!" Rotom declared its destined-to-fail line.
Natsume facepalmed:
"Little Rotom, mute mode."
At the same moment, Jolteon finally tore off the Choice Scarf, its spines bristling with rage.
Volkner let out a slight sigh and commanded sharply:
"Use Thunder!"
Confirming that this Jolteon's Ability was Volt Absorb, Natsume called out:
"Rotom, Hex!"
Jolteon's body surged with a thick bolt of lightning, crashing violently toward Rotom in midair.
At the same time, Rotom's electrical ion arms gathered a swirling black mist. The thunderbolt pierced through the "cloud layer," and both moves struck simultaneously!
BOOOOM!!
The deafening blast shook the battlefield, the shattered ground still crackling with residual electricity. Jolteon struggled free from the black mist, coughing violently before collapsing to its knees with a thud.
Rotom, enveloped in sparks, trembled and stammered:
"R-R-R-Rotom~~~ hic!"
Volkner: "…"
So you tanked a Thunder… and now you're fully charged?!
The sheer disrespect—this wasn't the Pokémon Duel he had envisioned at all!
Sighing lightly, Volkner gained a deeper understanding of Natsume-sensei's strength and strategy.
"Doo—" On the big screen, Volkner's three Poké Balls dimmed one by one.
"Winner—Natsume!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, showering the screen displaying Natsume-sensei with thunderous applause.
"Gengar~" Gengar was giving the little ones a post-battle debrief.
"Larvitar(/ω＼)" Larvitar tugged at Sirfetch'd, its eyes filled with admiration.
Clearly, Sirfetch'd's outstanding performance had left a deep impression.
Sirfetch'd was mixed with emotions, glancing at its leek and shield before solemnly raising its leek.
"Sirfetch'd!!"
"Larvitar!" Larvitar eagerly chimed in.
Inside, Sirfetch'd was crying rivers.
This was all just a fluke… really! (′︿‵)
Natsume didn't have time to tend to Sirfetch'd's feelings right now.
After the intermission, Volkner still had battles against Tobias, Ash, and others.
Now was the perfect time to make his request.
"Of course."
Volkner agreed readily. "Feel free to use the arena. There's also an Electirizer inside—it might help you."
Natsume glanced at Rotom beside him, then at the drooling Larvitar.
"Thank you, Volkner!" he said sincerely.
"Hahaha, don't mention it."
Volkner scratched his head, grinning. "Thanks to Ash and you, I've mustered the courage to challenge the Champion Fighting Tournament!"
Flint suddenly locked Volkner in a headlock, laughing.
"Enough talk! After the Gym battle, let's settle things!"
"Anytime."
Leaving the two friends to their banter, Natsume headed toward the Gym Venue.
After a short break, the sounds of Ash and Volkner's battle resumed behind him—Volkner had already switched to a new team.
"Ash should be able to earn the Beacon Badge now."
Natsume pondered, then suddenly froze.
The Lily of the Valley Conference was still a while away… If he collected all his Badges now, would he have to travel all the way to Arceus's domain?!
"No way… At least let me release my new game and earn some food money first."
Muttering to himself, Natsume tossed a Poké Ball and flipped through Giovanni's book—"Giovanni's Techniques."
Much of the knowledge inside was useful even to Natsume.
After all, this was what propelled Blue Oak into becoming a top-tier Trainer…
Today's training focused on Larvitar's Dragon Dance.
As one of Tyranitar's signature moves, its devastating destructive power and speed could enable a sweep strategy—wiping out entire teams alone.
However…
Natsume stared at Larvitar hopping around on the ground, rubbing his chin.
…Are you trying to imitate that Dragonite from Mad and dance to "Gokuraku Jodo"?!
CRACK!
With each hop, the ground beneath Larvitar splintered.
The little ones all turned to Natsume.
"It's fine."
Natsume coughed lightly.
"Leader Volkner said we could use the arena however we want!"
...
Boom…
The arena behind them continued to rumble violently.
Volkner, currently battling Ash, couldn't help but twitch an eyelid.
After losing to Ash's Infernape with his secondary team, Volkner glanced back at the still-shaking arena and muttered:
"Just what kind of… ultimate move are they training in there?"
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