"Liora, you should call Drake over. He can't let Frost get away with beating you like that."
Blaze walked over from the referee's position, looking almost more offended by the result than she was.
Aaron gave him a flat look.
This guy clearly thought the situation was not chaotic enough already.
"Hmph. You're no better," Liora snapped.
Blaze pointed at himself.
"Me? What did I do?"
"I may not have helped you win, but I still worked hard out there. I refereed the entire match!"
"That's exactly the problem," Braveon said from the side. "You were the referee, and you still declared Liora the loser."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Braveon continued with a perfectly straight face.
"If you really wanted her to win, you could have ruled against Frost instead. Clearly, you were never on her side."
For a moment, even Aaron stared at him in surprise.
He had never expected Braveon to have such a mischievous streak.
"What kind of logic is that?" Blaze protested. "Frost won the battle! Declaring otherwise would go against the sacred duty of a referee!"
Braveon raised an eyebrow.
"But are you even an official referee?"
"You were only filling in. You never took the sacred referee's oath beneath the League's referee statue."
"Uh..."
Blaze opened his mouth, but no answer came out.
Braveon had delivered the absurd claim with such a calm expression that he had actually managed to leave him speechless.
Liora's eyes narrowed.
"So it was your fault!"
She bared her little fangs and immediately pulled out her phone.
"I'm messaging Drake right now. I'll tell him you bullied me too!"
"Liora, wait! You can't seriously believe him!"
Blaze hurriedly caught her wrist before she could type anything.
Aaron patted Braveon on the shoulder, grinning.
"I didn't know you had it in you. I completely misjudged you."
Braveon merely smiled.
"You can't be serious all the time."
The amusement in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a growing fighting spirit.
"Still, Aaron... I'm looking forward to facing you."
Aaron met his gaze.
"We can battle now."
For a moment, Braveon was clearly tempted.
But after considering it, he forced down the excitement rising inside him.
"Not yet."
His expression turned serious.
"As I am now, I don't think I can beat you."
"I'll be returning to my master soon for more training. Wait until I come back."
"Once the new school year begins, Hualis's three top Pokémon universities will hold their joint Intercollegiate Freshman Tournament."
A fierce light burned in Braveon's eyes.
"That will be the right stage for us."
"And I intend to leave with the title of Strongest Freshman."
Aaron nodded.
He had heard about the Intercollegiate Freshman Tournament .
Hualis had three top-tier Pokémon universities: Pokémon Crown University, the Pokémon Elite Defense Academy, and Imperial Pokémon University .
Imperial Pokémon University was different from the other two.
It was a private institution jointly established by many of Hualis's major families, corporations, and wealthy business magnates. Its students were almost entirely heirs and children from influential families.
Applicants from ordinary backgrounds were not accepted, regardless of how high they scored on the entrance exam.
The students there were wealthy, well-connected, and often openly dismissive of anyone from a humble family.
As information about the university surfaced in Aaron's mind, a cold gleam passed through his eyes.
He had no respect for a school that judged people by their family background before they had even set foot on campus.
"The Freshman Grand Tournament, huh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'm looking forward to it."
He held out a hand to Braveon.
"Get stronger. I'll be waiting."
Braveon smiled and clasped it.
He wanted nothing more than to battle Aaron immediately, but he understood the gap between them.
Before challenging the strongest freshman in Hualis, he still had a great deal of ground to cover.
"I'm back."
Frost's voice came from behind them.
His Pokémon had finished receiving treatment, and he had returned to the arena.
He looked directly at Aaron.
"Ready?"
Aaron rose from his seat with a relaxed smile.
"I've been waiting."
The two walked toward opposite ends of the battlefield.
"Aaron, good luck!"
Liora waved both fists in the air.
"Don't go easy on him! Make him regret bullying me!"
Aaron glanced back at her, amused.
"No pressure, then."
Despite everything that had just happened, Blaze returned to his position and resumed his role as referee.
The moment the surrounding spectators realized Aaron was entering the arena, the crowd erupted.
"Aaron's up!"
"No way! I finally get to see him battle in person!"
"This is going to be incredible!"
"First place against fourth place on the tower!"
"Call everyone over! They're going to miss it!"
...
Many of the spectators were Aaron's fans. The excitement spread so quickly that even more people began rushing toward the arena.
On the battlefield, Aaron and Frost stood facing one another.
Blaze raised both flags.
"This will be a three-on-three battle!"
"The match ends when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to continue."
He looked from Frost to Aaron.
"Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
Both reached for a Poké Ball.
Frost's earlier playfulness was gone. His eyes remained fixed on Aaron with intense concentration.
"Show me, Aaron."
His grip tightened around the ball.
"Show me what it takes to conquer the ninth floor of the Hidden Dragon Tower."
He hurled it onto the battlefield.
"Let's go, Ninetales!"
A brilliant flash of light burst across the arena.