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After staying up late, falling into a deep sleep comes easily.
Roy opened his eyes and glanced at his phone in a daze, only to realize he had slept for fourteen hours straight.
There was a fluffy, ticklish sensation in his stomach. Roy wasn't surprised at all. With a smile, he lifted the quilt and, as expected, found Vulpix who had already awakened but was still reluctant to leave his side.
As soon as the little Pokémon saw Roy wake up, he immediately wagged his tails excitedly. His two front paws rested on Roy's neck as he affectionately licked his Trainer's face.
Roy played with the little fox for a while before finally getting out of bed.
Looking around the empty room, Roy couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Where did the others go?"
"Vul!" Vulpix briefly explained the situation.
"They went to Capital University for training by themselves?" Roy looked perplexed.
It wasn't uncommon for Pokémon to travel alone. Many people's household Pokémon helped with chores and grocery shopping. But it was extremely rare for Pokémon to go to a university for training together without their Trainer. If someone recorded and uploaded a video of such an occurrence, it would definitely make the news.
After Roy became famous in the future, perhaps he could publish a book titled "My Overachieving Pokémon."
'Lucario is with them, so nothing bad should happen, right?' Roy thought just as his cell phone rang.
It was Axel calling.
As soon as the call connected, Axel's anxious voice came through. "Roy, your Pokémon is battling someone else! Come quickly, or something serious might happen!"
Hearing that his Pokémon might be in trouble, Roy didn't waste time asking questions. He rushed to Capital University in such a hurry that he even forgot to wash his face.
When he arrived at the scene, Roy was slightly taken aback, and his anxiety instantly disappeared.
This was a proper battlefield.
The auditorium surrounding the battle arena was packed with spectators, all watching the match intensely.
On one side of the battlefield was someone Roy knew well—Chloe, the former recommended student and disciple of the Fighting Spirit Gym. Her Mankey had now evolved into a Primeape.
On the other side was an Elekid.
Trainer - 11 - None.
If one had to identify a Trainer, both Lucario and Wartortle standing in the command box would qualify.
The students had never witnessed such a rare sight before. They took photos and videos while discussing the scene in amazement.
"A Pokémon battling on its own? That's something you don't see every day."
"That Lucario and Wartortle must belong to Trainer Roy!"
"Is that Elekid new? I'm looking forward to seeing what it can do!"
"Wait, that Elekid looks familiar. Let me check... Whoa! Isn't this the experimental Pokémon exposed in that Illuminati incident?"
"You're right—one of its ears is missing a prong."
"...the Elekid that can't use Discharge?"
The onlookers exchanged strange looks.
Setting aside their sympathy, they found Roy's choice peculiar. Why would he choose a Pokémon with seemingly no potential?
It seemed unwise.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the battlefield, and no one noticed that Roy had arrived.
Roy looked around, spotted Axel standing in the corner, walked over, glared at him, and said angrily, "Is this what you meant by 'getting into a fight'? They're having an official battle!"
Axel wore an innocent expression. "I wasn't wrong."
Roy knew this guy meant no harm. From Axel's reaction after being kidnapped previously, Roy could tell that he was straightforward but not skilled with words—which once created an internet meme about how "Protect couldn't hold on."
"By the way, you didn't tame this Elekid just out of sympathy, did you?" Axel asked curiously.
Roy ignored him and focused on the battlefield.
The battle had begun.
For Elekid, this was its first battle without a Trainer's commands...
For Roy, this was a chance to observe Elekid in action...
Chloe called out, "Primeape, use Quick Attack!"
After two months and another evolution, the Primeape's strength was vastly different from before.
Following its Trainer's instructions, Primeape charged forward.
Approach, then attack—the most basic combo for Fighting-type Pokémon.
But at the moment Primeape attacked, Elekid, having heard Chloe's command, immediately formulated its own response.
—Brick Break.
Elekid threw a punch that connected with the charging Primeape, knocking it backward.
"How...?" Surprise flashed across Chloe's face.
Quick Attack was faster, but it could only travel in a straight line.
This fact was common knowledge for Trainers with some battle experience.
But how did Elekid possess such excellent battle awareness?
Little did she know that Elekid's combat instincts were honed in the wild. In its former habitat, Elekid had been a respected pack leader.
After repelling Primeape's attack, Elekid seized control and launched its own offensive.
—Low Kick!
A splash, a spin, and a Jump Kick executed in one fluid motion.
When Chloe had no time to issue a command, Primeape calmly countered with Mach Punch.
Fist and foot collided, creating a violent gust that swept across the arena.
Elekid was forced backward, losing the head-on confrontation.
Frustrated by the defeat, Elekid instantly activated its "Electric Armor"—a Contest Condition it could enter simply by letting the current in its body run wild, which was faster than Lucario's method.
If Lucario wanted to enter the Electric Armor Contest Condition, it first needed to use Thunder Punch to convert energy into electricity, then channel it properly.
For Elekid, Electric Armor was instinctive, but for Lucario it was a self-created technique.
Elekid once again used Brick Break against Primeape. This time, both combatants were evenly matched in strength and speed.
Within moments, the two engaged in high-intensity hand-to-hand combat with neither gaining the upper hand.
Chloe's heart sank.
'That strange Electric Condition again... How do all his Pokémon know this technique?'
Feeling troubled, Chloe decided to play her trump card.
"Close Combat!"
The composed Primeape suddenly became enraged, abandoning all defensive postures. It rushed toward Elekid and unleashed a flurry of punches.
At the cost of lowering its defenses, Primeape's body exploded with astonishing power delivered through its fists.
That was how Close Combat worked.
Ordinary Fighting-type Pokémon used chaotic punches to unleash the wild power of Close Combat.
But this Primeape's Close Combat was learned from the Fighting Spirit Gym. After refinement, it channeled its power through a series of superb monkey-style punches.
Overwhelmed by both strength and technique, Elekid immediately found itself in trouble.
Elekid defended with all its might, struggling to cope as wounds continued to appear across its body.
"Primeape has actually learned Close Combat—a very advanced Fighting move. This Chloe shouldn't be underestimated. She might regain her recommended student qualification next semester."
"Fighting Gym disciples should have this quality... But I'm more surprised by this Elekid. Is this really a newly-tamed Pokémon?"
"In terms of physical ability, it's only slightly behind Primeape."
"Its movepool is too limited, and it really can't use Electric-type moves. That's a severe disadvantage for an Elekid."
The knowledgeable Trainers in the audience discussed among themselves.
After more than two months of hard work, especially preparing for the midterm exam, Chloe's Primeape had reached a comprehensive evaluation of C+.
This was considered quite impressive among recommended students.
But that wasn't the point—Chloe's performance met the expectations for someone from Gym.
The real surprise was this Elekid.
It displayed rich combat experience. In close-quarters combat, Elekid, an Electric-type, was only slightly weaker than Primeape, a Fighting-type.
If Chloe hadn't used Close Combat, the outcome of this match would have been uncertain.
Unfortunately, judging from Elekid's reliance on Brick Break and Low Kick, it truly couldn't use Electric-type moves.
What a shame...
The spectators sighed with regret.
Unlike everyone else's reaction, Roy nodded with satisfaction.
Elekid's current abilities were entirely developed in the wild. The only thing Roy had actually taught it was "Electric Armor Training."
Before officially beginning its training, it could already battle Chloe's Primeape to this extent—beyond Roy's expectations.
Unable to use Electric-type moves, Elekid's raw physical strength alone reached a C-level comprehensive evaluation, which showed just how powerful it was.
With Electric Armor activated, its physical capabilities reached C level, comparable to Primeape.
Compared to the C+ rated Primeape, what Elekid lacked was move variety. It could only use three moves at present, severely limiting its attack options.
It was like two fighters with similar physical strength, but one knowing over a dozen more techniques than the other. Losing was only natural.
After preparation, Roy planned to teach Elekid moves like Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Seismic Toss to compensate for its weaknesses.
Back on the battlefield, with victory in sight, Chloe smiled and said:
"Encore! Close Combat to finish it!"
Primeape took several deep breaths before roaring again, sending its strength into overdrive.
Compared to before, Elekid's resistance was weaker due to injuries. It only blocked three punches before completely collapsing, taking the full brunt of Close Combat.
After absorbing the damage, Elekid was thrown against the wall, causing dust and debris to scatter.
As the dust cleared, Elekid lay motionless on the ground.
After silently counting to three, the referee raised his flag: "Elekid is unable to battle... huh?!"
The referee stopped mid-sentence for a simple reason.
Elekid moved.
It dragged its battered body and slowly rose from the ground. Though staggering, its eyes remained fiercely determined as it stared at its opponent.
"The battle continues," the referee announced quietly.
"Such tenacity," Chloe clicked her tongue. "But at the end of its strength, what can it do?"
"Use Karate Chop!"
Primeape followed the command and sent Elekid flying again.
Panting heavily, Primeape thought, surely it must be over now?
Yet moments later, Elekid once again dragged itself up from the ground.
"This..." Chloe was stunned.
Could Elekid's Ability be Guts or Sturdy, making it so durable?
Without waiting for instructions, the angry Primeape used Close Combat again!
Surely after another powerful move, it wouldn't be able to stand, right?
But just as Primeape rushed in front of Elekid, about to unleash a barrage of punches, something strange happened.
Primeape's body suddenly froze as several electric arcs jumped across its form.
—Paralysis.
"Static Ability!" Chloe frowned.
Regarding the Static Ability, the Pokédex states: "The Pokémon's body is charged with static electricity that may paralyze those who make physical contact."
In the games, Static was probability-based, triggering with good RNG.
But in reality, whether Static could affect an opponent depended on the strength gap between both Pokémon, as well as the target's resistance to electricity.
Pokémon with low electric resistance, like Water-types, were more susceptible to paralysis.
These factors determined whether static electricity could flow into an enemy's body and paralyze them.
Most Elekid possessed the Static Ability—this was common knowledge.
But Chloe had never worried about this, since her Primeape was stronger than Elekid and had no particular weakness to electricity. Paralysis seemed unlikely.
"The negative effects of three Close Combats..." Chloe realized the reason.
Elekid's static had been flowing into Primeape during their frequent contact, but Primeape's strong physical condition had initially made it immune.
However, Close Combat was an all-out attack that sacrificed defense.
Three Close Combats had greatly reduced Primeape's defense and resistance.
Static finally took effect.
Elekid's eyes looked unfocused and its body was covered in wounds, but a smug smile formed on its face.
Without using any move, it gritted its teeth and slammed a full-power Headbutt into Primeape.
Primeape cried out and fell to the ground.
With another point of contact, more static electricity flowed, intensifying the paralysis.
Primeape lost all its rage and couldn't move. It looked at the trembling Elekid with horror.
Not because of Elekid's strength.
But because of its amazing vitality and willpower.
Any other Pokémon of the same level would have fainted long ago after taking such damage.
Chloe and Primeape's decision to use Close Combat had been absolutely correct.
What they hadn't accounted for was this Elekid.
Off the battlefield, Roy sighed quietly, then smiled.
Suddenly, he called out loudly:
"Elekid!"
Everyone looked at Roy in surprise.
Hearing the familiar voice, Elekid's unfocused eyes lit up, and it responded excitedly!
"Bi-bi! (qwq)!"
A full-strength Brick Break blasted toward the paralyzed Primeape.
The referee's voice rang out.
"Primeape is unable to battle. The winner is Elekid!"
The moment those words were spoken, Elekid's eyes suddenly lost their final focus, and its body fell backward, collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion.