Darren stared at Luxray, still embedded in the wall, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. He drew a sharp breath.
What kind of attack could send his Luxray flying more than twenty meters in a single hit?
Was this guy seriously a freshman?
He looked more like someone in his third or fourth year.
"Referee... you planning to make the call?"
Aaron's deliberately helpful reminder finally snapped the referee with tousled hair out of his daze.
"Ah—right!" He hurriedly raised his flag. "Luxray is unable to battle! Please send out your next Pokémon!"
Darren recalled Luxray, then studied Aaron with open suspicion.
"You're not some junior or senior pretending to be a freshman, are you?" He frowned. "No, that doesn't make sense. I don't recognize you. You don't look like one of our upper-year students."
Aaron laughed. "You already checked my acceptance letter, remember?"
"I'm a freshman. The real deal."
Darren did remember. The acceptance letter had clearly listed Aaron among this year's incoming students.
That left only one explanation.
The kid was strong.
Really strong.
Darren's playful attitude disappeared. "Damn. I almost let that harmless face fool me."
He gave Aaron a hard look. "All right. You've got something. Guess I actually have to try now."
He pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it.
"Zebstrika, let's go!"
Light flashed across the battlefield, revealing a zebra-like Pokémon roughly 1.6 meters tall. Black-and-white stripes covered its body, while the fur along its head and back formed sharp, lightning-bolt shapes.
Zebstrika.
Aaron immediately checked its status.
[Name: Zebstrika]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Hasty]
[Type: Electric]
[Ability: Motor Drive]
[Base Stats Total: 497]
[Level: Gym (Mid Stage)]
[Potential: Class Champion]
[Known Moves: Wild Charge (Perfect), Agility (Perfect), Flame Charge (Master), Thunder (Master), Ion Deluge (Master), Double-Edge (Master), Thunder Wave (Proficient), Charge (Proficient), Quick Attack (Proficient), Thunderbolt (Proficient), Tail Whip, Pursuit...]
[Description: Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokémon and the evolved form of Blitzle. It possesses explosive power and lightning-fast speed.]
...
Zebstrika had a base Speed stat of 116 and a base Attack stat of 100. Its strengths were stacked exactly where they needed to be.
It was a very solid Pokémon.
Unfortunately for Darren, Aaron had already guessed that he specialized in Electric types.
And Snorlax had a Rubber Body.
Against electricity, that was practically better than having Lightning Rod.
This matchup had been unfair before it even started. Aaron could not see any realistic way for Snorlax to lose; if he wanted, he could probably let it bulldoze through Darren's entire team by itself.
This was starting to feel a little mean.
...
Darren attacked first.
"Zebstrika, Ion Deluge!"
"Zeb... strika!"
Electricity burst from Zebstrika's body as charged particles spread across the battlefield. Under Ion Deluge's effect, its Normal-type moves would be converted into Electric-type attacks.
"Now, Quick Attack! Full speed!"
Zebstrika exploded into a sprint, becoming a streak of light as it raced toward Snorlax.
"Now! Double-Edge!"
Darren's eyes sharpened.
"Spark Charge!"
Quick Attack plus Double-Edge—another combination technique.
Quick Attack supplied the initial burst of acceleration, while Ion Deluge converted Double-Edge into an Electric-type attack. Zebstrika carried all that momentum straight into Double-Edge.
"ZEBSTRIKA!"
Lightning erupted around its body until the charging Pokémon looked like a living thunderbolt.
It came at Snorlax even faster.
Aaron barely looked concerned.
"Snorlax, Observation Haki. Dodge."
"Snor... lax!"
Snorlax narrowed its eyes.
To everyone watching, the outcome seemed obvious. There was no way something that big and heavy could evade a charge that fast.
Then, at the very last instant, Snorlax shifted half a step to the side.
It moved as though it had known Zebstrika's path before the attack even began.
Zebstrika tore past its shoulder without touching it.
"WHAT?"
The charge missed completely.
"BOOM!"
Zebstrika had built up too much speed to stop. It slammed headfirst into the wall, cracking the stone and sending debris flying across the battlefield.
For a few seconds, it stood there dazed, its head ringing from the impact.
Fast or not, Zebstrika's skull was not made of steel.
"H-how is that possible?"
Darren stared at Snorlax in disbelief. Zebstrika had accelerated twice in rapid succession, yet that enormous Pokémon had dodged it as casually as if it were stepping around a puddle.
"Holy shit..."
The stands erupted in shocked cries.
...