"There are too many red school uniforms; how should I know which school is which?" Lown shook his head.
Despite his words, both Lown and Owen were standing quite firmly by the convenience store entrance. It didn't matter if they didn't recognize the school—they were patiently waiting for the targets to emerge.
April and Maya were both substitutes for the Danning High School team. After arriving at the Athletes' Village, they had decided to stock up on supplies before exploring the area.
However, they soon realized they had stumbled upon something far more interesting.
As soon as they stepped out of the store, they saw two boys from another school standing by the door, whispering loudly.
"Owen, look at the girls from other schools. They're so pretty! Just randomly bumping into two, and they're both so good-looking."
"I'm starting to regret going to Fairview No. 1 now."
Lown's "muttering" was loud enough to ensure the girls heard every word.
What? Who's pretty? Are they talking about us?
The two girls looked toward Owen and Lown with blooming smiles. Owen and Lown looked back "subconsciously," and for a moment, all four wore expressions of polite embarrassment.
Owen cleared his throat, seizing the moment. "Hey there! Are you guys here for the tournament too?"
Since she had just been complimented, April was in a good mood. "Yeah."
"Which school are you from?"
"Danning High. You guys are from Fairview No. 1?" Maya asked, trying to recall if she had ever heard of the school. She hadn't.
"That's us!" Lown nodded enthusiastically.
After that, the conversation stalled. The atmosphere began to freeze. Just as April and Maya were about to leave, Owen spoke up again.
"It's still early, classmates. How about a quick warm-up battle before the official matches start?"
"Huh?" The girls were clearly caught off guard by the sudden challenge.
Owen smiled warmly. "We've all just arrived and haven't found our rhythm yet. A battle would help us adapt to the environment.
There's a Pokémon Hospital right here in the village; we'll keep it professional and stop before anyone gets hurt. It won't affect the main event. What do you say?"
"Well..." April was tempted. She was bored, and Owen's logic made sense. Training with teammates was one thing, but facing a stranger in a new environment was the perfect way to shake off the nerves.
"We need to ask our coach first," Maya interjected. The two girls used the excuse of dropping off their bags to make their exit.
Watching them walk away, Lown scratched his head. "See? I told you. No contestant is going to accept a random challenge from a stranger."
"Asking a teacher for permission just to battle... kids these days have no initiative," Owen lamented. "Any true Pokémon Trainer should know that when eyes meet, it's the secret signal for a battle."
"Who said that?" Lown asked.
"Oh, some trainer with a Water-Absorb Charizard. I thought it was a pretty solid quote."
However, Owen didn't give up. He and Lown began scouting for other opponents. Ideally, they were looking for someone with a "Red" or "Ash Ketchum" type personality—hot-headed trainers who can't say no to a challenge.
They hadn't found a "hot-head" yet, but the two girls soon reappeared—this time with two boys in tow. Owen grinned. Protection detail? This counts as an acceptance.
"Are you the two looking for a match?" one of the boys asked.
"No, no... just him," Lown said, pointing at Owen. Lown's Munchlax was a handful; if it battled, it would demand a massive meal afterward, and Lown couldn't be bothered with the logistics.
"Just one of you?" The boys looked disappointed. They thought they'd found some pre-game entertainment, but a 1v1 felt like it would be over in seconds.
Owen didn't mind. Even though he was fielding Magnemite, its strength wasn't something a typical rookie could handle.
A Psychic-attuned Magnemite raised on high-grade Energy Roots was a force to be reckoned with. Once those "mysterious" and "unpredictable" Psychic-type moves came out, anyone who underestimated it would pay the price.
The six of them moved to a nearby battlefield. April was the first to step up for Danning High. Owen tossed his Poké Ball, releasing his partner.
"Ku-ee-ee..."
The sight of the floating magnet made the Danning students pause.
"A Magnemite? It hasn't evolved yet?"
By this stage of the competition, most starters had reached their middle evolution.
Sarah's Ivysaur and Caleb's Murkrow were standard; even Marcus had used a Water Stone to evolve his Shellder into Cloyster to secure his spot on the team.
Magnemite's evolution wasn't difficult, so seeing Owen still using its base form made the Danning group immediately look down on him.
"Go, Masquerain!" April shouted. She felt relieved. Despite the type disadvantage, if it wasn't a Magneton, she felt she had a real chance.
Masquerain, a Bug/Flying type with ties to the Water element, was a versatile opponent. As the match began, Masquerain utilized Agility, its flight speed becoming a blur that left Magnemite spinning its magnets to keep up.
In terms of pure speed, Magnemite was losing—but speed doesn't win battles on its own.
"Now, Bubble Beam!" April commanded.
Magnemite tried to use Thunder Wave to disrupt the movement, but Masquerain dodged with ease. April grew confident. Once Masquerain reached a blind spot behind the magnet, she gave the order to strike.
"Light Screen."
Owen didn't bother having Magnemite dodge. A circular, shimmering barrier materialized around Magnemite.
The bubbles slammed into the shield, creating a misty spray. Without even turning around, Magnemite channeled a Thunderbolt through the stream of bubbles.
The Bubble Beam was completely neutralized by the Light Screen, but it served as a perfect conductor for the electricity. A jagged bolt of lightning surged back up the stream, blasting Masquerain backward.
With Magnemite's enhanced mental strength, its barriers like Light Screen and Reflect were far sturdier than average.
Owen smiled at the stunned April. "That was a good hit. Can it still stand up after that shock?"
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