"Battle begin!"
The announcement had barely finished echoing before the first attack came.
"Air Cutter."
Golbat's wings flashed sharply.
Compressed blades of wind tore downward from above at frightening speed, slicing through the air from multiple angles simultaneously.
"Move!"
Charmeleon reacted instantly, twisting sideways and narrowly avoiding the first attack before sprinting across the battlefield as the remaining wind blades exploded against the reinforced floor behind him, leaving visible marks across the arena surface.
The pressure started immediately.
Golbat didn't descend.
Didn't hesitate.
It simply continued circling overhead while launching repeated attacks from constantly shifting positions, forcing Charmeleon into continuous movement without giving him a chance to stabilize himself.
"Smokescreen!" I ordered quickly.
Charmeleon inhaled deeply before releasing a thick cloud of smoke upward, rapidly spreading across the upper battlefield and partially obscuring Golbat's movement.
For a brief moment, visibility disappeared.
Then—
A shrill screech echoed through the arena.
"Wing Attack!"
Golbat burst through the smoke cloud almost instantly, diving downward at terrifying speed.
"Metal Claw!"
Charmeleon crossed his glowing claws in front of himself barely in time before the impact connected, the force of the collision sending him sliding backward several meters across the battlefield as sparks scattered around him.
Even through the successful defense, the difference in momentum was obvious.
Golbat fought like a predator.
Fast.
Constant.
Relentless.
The moment its attack connected, it immediately pulled back into the air again before Charmeleon could counterattack properly.
"Don't chase it blindly," I called out while tracking its movement carefully. "Control where it can move instead."
Charmeleon nodded slightly, immediately understanding the adjustment.
Instead of aiming Flamethrower directly toward Golbat itself, he began firing streams of flame toward the spaces Golbat would likely move into next, gradually restricting sections of the airspace and forcing the flying Pokémon into narrower movement paths.
The instructor smiled faintly.
"Confuse Ray."
Golbat's eyes glowed unnaturally before a strange beam of distorted light shot downward.
"Don't look directly at it!"
Charmeleon reacted quickly, turning his head away while relying more heavily on instinct and sound to maintain positioning, though the brief exposure still disrupted him slightly as his footing faltered for a moment.
The instructor immediately capitalized.
"Poison Fang!"
Golbat descended again.
This time faster than before.
The pressure in the arena intensified immediately as several students watching from nearby training fields began gathering closer toward the battlefield, clearly drawn in by the pace of the fight.
"Wait for it," I said quietly.
Golbat closed the distance rapidly, weaving unpredictably through the air while preparing to strike.
Closer.
Closer.
At the last possible second—
"Now!"
Instead of retreating, Charmeleon suddenly stepped forward and twisted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding the incoming bite while swinging upward with Metal Claw toward Golbat's exposed wing.
The strike connected cleanly.
Golbat screeched sharply as the impact disrupted its flight balance, forcing it into an unstable spin before it barely managed to regain altitude again.
A wave of reactions spread through the nearby audience immediately.
Landing direct hits against a fast aerial Pokémon like Golbat was difficult enough already, but managing it during a high-speed dive attack was even harder.
Still—
The battle was far from over.
If anything, Golbat became even more dangerous afterward.
Its movements sharpened noticeably as it increased the pressure further, combining rapid directional changes with repeated Air Cutter attacks and sudden dive assaults that forced Charmeleon into constant defensive reactions.
Several attacks connected cleanly.
One Air Cutter sliced across Charmeleon's shoulder hard enough to draw a visible grimace from him, while another Wing Attack slammed into him from the side before he could fully stabilize his footing.
Yet despite the growing exhaustion—
Something else was becoming obvious too.
Charmeleon was adapting.
The agility training from earlier in the day was showing clear results now that he faced a genuinely fast opponent.
His reaction timing had improved.
His movement transitions had become smoother.
And most importantly, he had stopped panicking under aerial pressure.
"Track its rhythm!" I called out while watching Golbat carefully. "It slows slightly before every directional shift!"
Charmeleon's eyes sharpened immediately.
Golbat attacked again.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Descending sharply from the right before twisting left mid-flight exactly as it had done several times before.
"There!"
Charmeleon reacted instantly.
Rather than trying to follow Golbat directly with his eyes, he predicted the adjustment point ahead of time and released Flamethrower toward the space Golbat intended to move into.
For the first time during the entire battle—
Golbat failed to dodge completely.
The flames exploded across one side of its body mid-air, causing it to lose balance before recovering awkwardly several meters higher.
The instructor's expression tightened slightly for the first time.
"Air Slash!"
Golbat pushed forward aggressively despite the damage, gathering compressed air around its wings before diving downward one final time with enormous speed.
"Stand your ground," I said calmly.
Charmeleon inhaled deeply.
This time there was no hesitation in his posture.
No panic.
No rushed movement.
The moment Golbat entered proper range—
"Flamethrower!"
A concentrated torrent of fire erupted upward with explosive force.
The attacks collided head-on in the center of the battlefield, compressed air and flames crashing violently against each other before the fire overwhelmed the Air Slash entirely and engulfed Golbat directly.
The explosion of heat and smoke spread across the arena immediately.
For several moments, visibility disappeared completely.
Then slowly—
Golbat emerged from the smoke cloud, struggling heavily to remain airborne before finally collapsing onto the battlefield floor with a heavy thud.
Silence lingered briefly across the arena.
Then the referee raised his hand.
"Golbat is unable to battle. Victory goes to Charmeleon!"
The nearby crowd broke into loud discussion and applause almost immediately, but Charmeleon himself barely reacted outwardly. He remained standing in the center of the battlefield breathing heavily, small injuries and scorch marks visible across his body while sweat dripped steadily onto the arena floor.
After the battle concluded and the crowd around the arena gradually began dispersing toward their own activities, I walked over toward Charmeleon, who was still breathing heavily from exhaustion while staring toward the battlefield with a focused expression that had not completely faded even after the fight ended.
The battle against Golbat had pushed him harder than the earlier matches, especially after the draining fight against Corphish, and several scratches and bruises were clearly visible across his body despite his stubborn refusal to show weakness openly.
Still—
There was something different about him now.
Not dramatic enough to call a breakthrough.
But noticeable.
His movements felt sharper.
More controlled.
The hesitation that had occasionally appeared during faster exchanges earlier in the day had reduced significantly after these consecutive battles.
Real combat always refined training faster than repetition alone.
"You did well," I said while crouching beside him briefly.
Charmeleon let out a low satisfied growl, though the moment the adrenaline faded slightly, the exhaustion underneath became far more obvious as his shoulders relaxed.
"Come on," I said while taking out his Poké Ball. "Let's get you healed first."
This time, Charmeleon didn't resist returning at all.
The red light pulled him back into the Poké Ball smoothly before I left the arena and headed toward the academy Pokémon Center.
Even at this hour, the place remained busy.
Students continuously entered and left carrying tired or injured Pokémon after training sessions, practical exercises, and battle matches, while academy medical staff moved efficiently between stations alongside healing Pokémon assisting with recovery work.
The entire center carried a strangely calming atmosphere despite the constant activity, perhaps because everyone entering the building shared the same goal.
Recovery.
Growth.
Preparation for tomorrow.
After handing Charmeleon's Poké Ball over for treatment, I sat quietly near one of the waiting areas while watching the activity around me.
A student nearby nervously apologized to a badly bruised Machop after apparently pushing training too far.
Another trainer excitedly discussed move combinations with friends while their exhausted Pidgey slept across their lap.
Toward the far side of the center, several medical staff members worked together to stabilize an injured Sandshrew brought in after what looked like an overly intense battle session.
The academy truly never slowed down.
Not fully.
After some time, Charmeleon's Poké Ball was finally returned to me alongside confirmation that his injuries had been fully treated.
"Nothing serious," one of the staff members explained. "Mostly accumulated strain and moderate impact injuries. Just let him rest properly tonight."
I nodded in thanks before releasing Charmeleon briefly outside the center.
The difference after healing was immediate.
His posture straightened again, and although fatigue still remained, the lingering stiffness from battle injuries had disappeared almost entirely.
"Feeling better?" I asked.
Charmeleon nodded immediately, his tail flame flickering brighter again now that the pain had faded.
After that, the two of us headed toward the cafeteria for dinner.
Unlike the crowded atmosphere during lunch hours, the evening cafeteria was calmer, filled mostly with students winding down after training rather than rushing between activities. Conversations were quieter, movements slower, and many Pokémon looked half-asleep beside their trainers while eating.
Neither of us had much energy left for anything complicated.
We ate a simple dinner quietly near one of the side tables while occasionally watching students discussing battles from the day or making plans for tomorrow's training sessions.
At one point, Charmeleon nearly fell asleep sitting upright after finishing his food, causing me to shake my head slightly in amusement before returning him to his Poké Ball again.
By the time I finally left the cafeteria, the academy grounds had already grown considerably quieter compared to earlier.
The pathways remained illuminated by soft lights stretching across the campus while the cooler night air drifted through the trees surrounding the academy buildings. A few students still trained in distant arenas despite the late hour, but most had already returned toward their dormitories for the night.
As I walked back toward the dormitory building, the exhaustion from the day finally began settling into my own body properly.
Morning agility training.
Library study.
Three consecutive instructor battles.
Honestly, it had been one of the most productive days since entering the academy.
The dormitory itself was silent when I finally returned.
The other students still hadn't come back yet, leaving the shared living room empty aside from the faint sound of nighttime wind drifting through the slightly open windows.
I released Meowth briefly after entering the room, and the lazy Pokémon barely managed half a stretch before immediately climbing onto his bed and collapsing face-first into the blanket without even pretending otherwise.
I stared at him for a second.
"…Amazing dedication."
Meowth lifted one paw lazily in response without even opening his eyes.
After changing clothes and preparing everything for tomorrow morning, I finally lay down on my own bed, letting out a slow breath as the events of the day replayed briefly through my mind.
Tomorrow morning—
There was still that meeting with Aakash.
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