Arven, who had just been called out by Lucas, shuddered, looked left and right, and couldn't figure out how he'd been discovered. But Lucas's gaze was fixed precisely on the place where Arven was hiding.
After hesitating for a moment, Arven, looking very conflicted, shuffled over to Lucas and Nemona.
Seeing Arven like this, Lucas knew he was still hung up on the previous matter, and couldn't help but internally complain, "What a stubborn little brat."
Nemona, on the other hand, was a stark contrast to Arven. She observed him for a moment, immediately remembered who he was, and cheerfully waved at him as he approached. "Hey! You are Arven from Class G, right?"
"You're…" Having been called by name, Arven looked up and, after staring at Nemona for a while, hesitantly asked, "Nemona from Class A?"
Nemona put her hands on her hips. "Didn't we have a few classes together before? How could you not recognize me so quickly?"
Arven retorted, "Well, you've changed so much, it's weird if I recognize you at a glance!"
Arven remembered that before the holidays, Nemona had just been the cute twin-tailed girl from the neighboring class. The current Nemona, apart from her skin being as fair as ever, was radiating energy and sparkle all over—a different vibe.
It was as if she'd suddenly matured from a childish kid to something more grown-up.
Nemona pouted and muttered under her breath, "But Big Brother Lucas recognized me at first sight…"
"What did you just say?" Arven pricked up his ears, pretending not to have heard Nemona's faint whisper.
At that moment, two hands landed on their shoulders. Lucas looked towards the empty battle arena beside the playground: "Weren't we going to battle? There's just the right spot over there."
Lucas stood on the left side of the field and called out to Nemona on the other side: "Standard one-on-one battle, stop at the point of contact. That sounds good?"
Nemona nodded firmly. "No problem!"
Arven, standing in the middle, looked a bit dispirited.
It wasn't just Lucas's unchanged attitude toward him, which made his long-lasting worries look foolish, but also the job he had now...
Arven complained, "It's just a friendly match—what's the point of having a referee?"
"A sense of ceremony matters too," Lucas called to Arven, then looked at Nemona: "Is it alright to battle my Growlithe?"
Bored and lying on the ground, Growlithe perked up immediately when called, and bounded onto the field.
"This is… Growlithe?" Nemona blinked. This Growlithe seemed quite different from her impression, but that didn't dampen her excitement. She sent out Pawmi to face off against Growlithe.
Lucas spread his hands: "You go first."
Nemona nodded, her heart beating faster. Strangely, she didn't feel nervous at all, just a surge of excitement.
Her gaze sharpened, and she waved her hand: "Thunder Shock!"
Pawmi squeezed its eyes shut and tensed its body. The electric sacs on its cheeks flickered with weak sparks, and after a few seconds, a thin bolt of golden electricity shot out.
With nearly three or four seconds of windup and its eyes tightly closed, it was clear Nemona and Pawmi were still utter novices.
Lucas said calmly, "Dodge."
Growlithe moved aside, easily avoiding the poorly aimed Thunder Shock. If not for the inherent speed of electricity, the attack would have seemed in slow motion to Growlithe.
Missing the attack didn't discourage Nemona. She immediately commanded Pawmi to use Quick Attack, streaking towards Growlithe in a blur of white light.
"Take it and use Howl," Lucas said.
As a Rock-type Pokémon, Growlithe could easily tank Pawmi's hit.
Pawmi collided with Growlithe's volcanic rock-like mane, pushing Growlithe back half a meter.
Growlithe ignored the attack, its eyes flashing beneath its fur. It lifted its head and howled.
In the next instant, a faint red glow of boosted power enveloped Growlithe. As Pawmi charged again, Growlithe braced itself and rammed straight into it!
"Paw!"
Pawmi felt a dull pain from the clash, then was sent flying by Growlithe, tumbling out of control.
Pawmi landed with a thud, its previously shiny orange fur now covered in dust, looking a bit bedraggled.
"Pawmi!" Nemona covered her mouth and cried out in worry. Pawmi struggled to get up, called out a few times as if to reassure Nemona not to worry, and showed it still had the strength to fight.
Nemona seemed to be a natural at battling. She nodded seriously, face full of determination, and called out, "Let's show Teacher Lucas our strength! Use Mach Punch on Growlithe!"
Nemona recalled her father had specifically told her about Pawmi's special traits.
Its ability is "Iron Fist," boosting punching moves' power. Plus, Pawmi had known Mach Punch since hatching from its egg, making this their strongest move.
Pawmi struggled up on its hind legs, its dopey eyes turning sharp, its little fists clenching as white light gathered around them.
With a few quick dashes, Pawmi appeared in front of Growlithe, fists whistling through the air as it unleashed a flurry of punches!
Growlithe withstood the rapid blows. Even with its tough body, it felt the sting of those super-effective punches.
Lucas's eyes lit up. In this match, he'd been responding move for move, keen to see how much power Nemona and Pawmi could show.
The result was delightful: though their tactics and awareness were still raw, Lucas could already see their talent.
With his conclusion drawn, there was no need to hold back anymore.
Growlithe had two moves that could counter Pawmi: the egg move "Double-Edge" and the natural move "Flame Wheel."
Considering Growlithe was only three days old, Double-Edge would be too taxing and might badly injure Pawmi. Lucas quickly decided: "Growlithe, counter with Flame Wheel!"
Withstanding Pawmi's blows, Growlithe curled into a wheel shape, flames covering its body.
Pawmi was forced to stop its attack by the heat, and at that moment, Growlithe's Flame Wheel finished charging and sent Pawmi flying at high speed!