Joe heard Giselle's words, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a Poké Ball.
He was stunned at first, then his whole face turned red, his eyes instantly filled with the word "envy."
Not just envy.
But also full of doubt.
*Yuuto — who on earth was he?*
Why… why did the Young Lady Giselle know him the moment he arrived at the academy?
Not only did she know him, but she was now taking the initiative to challenge him to a battle?
Who was the Young Lady Giselle?
She was the top student of her grade at Nanshan Academy for two consecutive years!
She was an existence that even those noble children from prestigious families had to look up to!
When had she ever proactively invited someone to battle?
It was always others begging on their knees for her guidance, and even then, it depended on her mood!
Could it be… this Yuuto was actually a hidden super figure among the new generation of independent Trainers?
Was he the descendant of some Elite member? Or the heir to some secluded clan?
Or maybe one of those "Long Aotian" types with cheat codes from the novels he usually read?
Joe's mind was a mess; his CPU was practically burning out.
He looked at Yuuto's calm profile, then at Giselle's indisputably proud expression, feeling his worldview being shaken.
However, although he was drooling with envy, the bit of kindness in his heart still won out.
Joe secretly moved forward, leaning in close to Yuuto and covering his mouth with his hand, urgently whispering in a volume only the two of them could hear:
"Yuuto… Yuuto…"
"You… you'd better not battle the Young Lady Giselle!"
His voice was trembling, clearly afraid of being overheard by Giselle:
"Giselle is the Junior Top Student; her strength is already rated at three Badges!"
"You only have two Badges; you can't win!"
"And… and when she wins in a bit, she'll definitely say things that make you feel uncomfortable…"
"She… she's best at using data to compare people, then pointing out where they're lacking, and then ruthlessly humiliating you…"
Yuuto just smiled after hearing this.
He reached out and lightly patted Joe's shoulder.
"It's fine."
Yuuto's voice was very calm, even carrying a hint of laziness:
"Then I'll just win against her."
Joe: "Ah… what?"
*Win against… Giselle?*
Before Joe could recover from his petrified state, Yuuto had already turned to her, his tone casual yet carrying a certain conviction:
"Joe, I'll temporarily represent the independent Trainers and have a match with this rising star of your Academy Faction."
He pre-defined the educational battle for Joe to complete the mission later.
"Alright, Young Lady, I'll play a match with you."
"Pikachu, go!"
Pikachu, who had been holding back his energy, kicked off with his hind legs and turned into a bolt of yellow lightning, leaping into the center of the field with a *shua* sound.
Clearly, the little guy had heard every word of Giselle's earlier mockery about being "hard to train and having low potential."
Now, he had to let this red-haired human woman see what was what.
"You…"
Giselle's slender eyebrows twitched.
She looked at the lively Pikachu in the center of the field, then at Yuuto's casual, almost nonchalant posture, a clear hint of surprise appearing in her eyes.
"You're actually letting a Pikachu battle my Marowak?"
Ground-type suppresses Electric Type.
This was basic common sense that even a beginner Trainer would understand.
In Giselle's set of precise data theories, this was almost equivalent to giving away half the win rate from the start.
She shook her head slightly, her long burgundy hair swaying, a faint look of "as expected" disappointment appearing on her face.
"It seems that the 200-win streak and defeating the Study Tour Group indeed had an element of luck."
Giselle raised her hand, elegantly brushing the hair by her ear, and began her analysis in a cold voice:
"Looking at the fur color and body shape of this Pikachu, its energy level is about the Common Level."
"Even if you are at the peak of the Common Level, Level 29."
"My Level 28 Marowak almost perfectly suppresses you in terms of type advantage and move pool depth."
"For you to win against me…"
A very faint curve formed at the corner of Giselle's mouth — a confident smile belonging to a top student who mastered all logic:
"Unless your Pikachu can produce double the electrical output of an Electric Type Pokémon of the same level."
"Otherwise, this one-level difference, combined with the type advantage, means you can't possibly break through my defense."
She spoke eloquently, every word seemingly carefully calculated, echoing in the quiet battle room and striking the hearts of every student around.
Several Nanshan Academy students couldn't help but nod, whispering to each other.
"As expected of Giselle, her analysis is so thorough."
"Data crushing, there's no way to fight."
"This Yuuto is going to be in trouble…"
Bob stood behind the crowd with a complex expression. He both hoped Giselle would teach Yuuto a lesson to restore the academy's reputation and vaguely felt… that things might not be so simple.
Misty stomped her foot in anger: "What's with all this data! Battles are won by fighting, not by calculating!"
In the field.
After finishing her analysis, Giselle crossed her arms leisurely, tilted her chin up slightly, and said to Yuuto in a condescending tone:
"Seeing as you have commendable courage and are somewhat… handsome."
When she said "handsome," her gaze lingered on Yuuto's face for half a second, her tone still arrogant:
"When you lose in a bit, praise me loudly three times — make it sound good."
"I might consider making an exception and giving you a 'whip of love' special training session to help you improve."
"This is an opportunity many people can't even get if they beg for it."
"Whip of love" special training!
As soon as these words were spoken, an uncontrollable wave of gasps and sharp inhalations sounded around them.
"Heavens! Giselle is going to personally conduct the 'whip of love' training?"
"Did I hear that right? Doesn't she never conduct personal training?"
"What kind of dumb luck did this guy from the independent Trainers get? Just because he's handsome?"
"Why him! I didn't even get this treatment when I got an A+ on my assessment!"
Gazes of envy, jealousy, and disbelief all shot toward Yuuto.
Jasmine Li wrung her fingers anxiously, looking at Yuuto with eyes that screamed "hurry up and agree."
However.
Yuuto's reaction stunned everyone again.
He not only did not show the slightest expression of being flattered, but he instead looked like he had heard a funny joke.
A playful curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Young Lady."
"As for the whip game…"
He paused, his gaze scanning Giselle's exquisite yet proud face, and chuckled suggestively:
"I prefer the whip to be in my hands."
The hint and provocation in these words were like a thunderclap in the battle room.
Misty was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant. Her face turned bright red, and she spat, "Stupid Yuuto! What are you saying!"
But the inexplicable anger in her heart strangely dissipated quite a bit.
Delia covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling.
The Nanshan Academy students were dumbfounded, unable to believe their ears.
He… he dared to flirt with the Young Lady Giselle?
At the moment Giselle heard Yuuto's words, an almost invisible blush also flew onto her fair cheeks.
But it was immediately covered by deeper coldness and anger.
For the first time, a clear fire ignited in those eyes that always looked down on everyone.
"Sharp-tongued."
She squeezed out the words through her teeth.
"Then let me see if your strength is as impressive as your mouth!"
"Marowak, Bone Club ready!"
"Pikachu."
Yuuto's voice rang out almost simultaneously, calm and steady:
"Agility."
As soon as he spoke?
The yellow figure blurred instantly, pulling out afterimages across the field. Its speed was far beyond what a Common Level Pikachu should have!
Giselle's pupils constricted.
*This speed… that's not right!*
In her data model, the top speed of a Common Level Pikachu was not like this!
"Marowak, Bonemerang, area attack!"
She quickly changed her move; her reaction was impressively fast.
Marowak gave a low growl, and the thick Bone Club flew out with a whistling sound, drawing a large arc in the air to sweep through the area where Pikachu might move.
"Pikachu, Double Team."
Yuuto's voice remained steady.
*Shua, shua, shua!*
In an instant, seven or eight identical Pikachus appeared across the field, each lifelike and performing different actions.
The Bonemerang shattered two clones, but the real body was already gone from that position.
"Where is it?"
Giselle's gaze swept urgently.
She found that her precise data calculations were actually struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing pace of this actual battle.
At some point, Pikachu's real body had used the cover of the clones and speed to circle around to Marowak's side-rear in mid-air.
Its high-raised tail glinted with a metallic chill under the lights.
"Iron Tail."
A simple command.
Pikachu's small body twisted in mid-air to generate power, its steel-like tail cutting through the air with a heart-stopping whistling sound.
It struck with pinpoint accuracy against the side of Marowak's head, which was covered by its bone helmet!
A dull thud.
Marowak didn't even have time to mount an effective defense or dodge; its entire body was tilted by a massive force, and it crashed to the ground head-first.
The Bone Club in its hand also fell to the ground with a "clatter."
The whole room went silent.
Only the faint sound of Pikachu landing lightly could be heard.
Joe's wide-open mouth could no longer close.
The Nanshan Academy students, including Bob, were all dumbfounded.
Three moves? From approaching with Agility to confusing with Double Team, then finishing with Iron Tail.
It was all done in one go, smooth as flowing water.
Giselle's perfect set of type advantages and data theories seemed like a clumsy joke in the face of this lightning-fast actual battle.
"You…"
Giselle stared blankly at the Marowak struggling on the ground, then suddenly looked up at Yuuto.
For the first time, cracks appeared in her always calm and proud eyes, filled with shock and disbelief.
"You're an Electric Type Pokémon… why have you practiced non-STAB moves like Iron Tail and Agility to such a high degree of proficiency?"
Her voice was even slightly out of tune:
"You didn't practice Electric Type moves?"
This completely contradicted all the basic Trainer theories she had learned!
Yuuto didn't answer her question.
He just smiled and nodded to the Pikachu in the field.
"Don't worry. The electricity you want is coming right now."
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt."
*Thunder… bolt?*
Giselle's slender body trembled violently, her beautiful eyes widening instantly as she stared fixedly at Yuuto.
"Your Common Level Pikachu… knows Thunderbolt?"
Her voice rose due to extreme shock, even becoming somewhat shrill:
"That's impossible! That's a move that can only be stably mastered at a higher level! Mastering it early?"
Only then did Giselle realize that this was no ordinary Pikachu.
"Marowak, use…"
Giselle's final command wasn't even finished.
That Thunderbolt — thick far beyond her knowledge and with a terrifying power that completely collapsed her data model — had already flooded over Marowak like a golden waterfall!
**Boom—!!!**
A deafening thunderclap exploded in the battle room, accompanied by Marowak's short, pained cry.
When the blinding electric light finally faded slowly.
On the field, only a scorched shallow pit remained.
And in the center of the pit, Marowak lay with its eyes turned into swirls, completely losing its ability to battle.
Its hard Bone Club had even become somewhat scorched, emitting wisps of blue smoke.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Everyone was rendered speechless by this terrifying strike that far exceeded the scope of the "Common Level."
Giselle herself was frozen in place like an exquisite statue.
Those eyes of hers, usually filled with pride and reason, now stared hollowly at the defeated Marowak in the field.
Her rosy lips were slightly parted, but she couldn't make a sound.
All her confidence, all her theories, all the data analysis she took pride in… were shattered by this unreasonable Thunderbolt.
"No… impossible…"
Giselle murmured unconsciously, her legs giving way, and she slid down onto the cold floor in an extremely ungraceful, even somewhat pathetic pigeon-toed posture…