"Sneasel is unable to battle, Pawniard wins!"
The Rotom drone referee announced.
Pawniard panted heavily, covered in various large and small wounds. Watching Sneasel being recalled into its Poké Ball, it turned to the Rotom referee and said, "Next."
This was a battle club in Lake City, where trainers could come for training. The club could arrange opponents of suitable levels, and of course, you could also battle with your friends.
The battle club had professional coaches and sparring partners.
Even if someone was not a registered trainer, they could still use the rental Pokémon provided by the battle club.
Because of this, many parents brought their children to the club for battles, laying a foundation for their future as official trainers.
For each battle, the cost was determined by considering factors such as the trainer's level, the Pokémon's strength, and the energy consumption of the arena's protective shield. Even the lowest-level ordinary battle would cost around two to three hundred thousand.
Without a decent amount of money at home, such expenses were simply unaffordable.
As a result, many ordinary trainers had to wait until they were seventeen and became registered trainers before they could truly interact with Pokémon.
But if your family was wealthy, you could definitely train at a battle club in advance.
The earlier a trainer started, the more benefits it would bring for their future. Of course, whether one could become a strong trainer was not determined solely by this but by many combined factors.
"This Pawniard has already defeated six Pokémon of the same level in the Advanced Arena consecutively, and it hasn't collapsed yet. It's unbelievably strong."
"Why haven't we seen its trainer? Why is it alone on the field?"
"No idea. It has been coming to the battle club for several days now, battling about ten matches almost every day. It only leaves after being defeated, ending the day's battles. And I haven't seen its trainer too."
"Such an outstanding Pokémon, and its trainer isn't even watching. They are too irresponsible, aren't they?"
"Who knows? One thing I'm sure of is that its trainer must be wealthy and influential. Pawniard isn't something just anyone can get their hands on."
There were only a few places where Pawniard could be found, and currently, there were no known Pawniard habitats in the Secret Realms of Drakoria. At the same time, the breeding facilities capable of handling Pawniard were extremely rare.
Moreover, the evolved form of Pawniard, Bisharp, was exceptionally strong.
This had kept the price of Pawniard consistently high. Most Pawniard in Drakoria were absorbed internally by powerful trainers, with very few making their way to the public market.
Julian had already informed his aunt, Quinn, about the fact that Bisharp could further evolve into Kingambit. After conducting experiments, Quinn confirmed that it was indeed possible.
She was now writing a thesis. Once this thesis was published, the price of Pawniard was likely to rise even higher.
Pokémon capable of a second-stage evolution were generally stronger than those with only one evolutionary stage.
So in terms of pricing, among Pokémon of the same typing, those with two evolutions were usually more expensive than those with only one.
And Pokémon with Mega Evolution forms were valued higher than those without.
Pawniard's first evolution, Bisharp, was already quite powerful.
If it gained a second-stage evolution, then Dark- and Steel-type trainers would gain another powerful main battler in the future.
"Judging by its current condition, it probably can only handle two or three more battles."
"It really is unbelievable."
"To defeat several Pokémon of the same level in a row—if I didn't know better, I'd think it was Champion Walker's Pokémon."
Everyone in Drakoria knew Julian's entire team—and he did not have a Pawniard.
In the end, Pawniard was defeated by the eleventh Pokémon.
Compared to yesterday's ten battles, it had improved by one today.
Now, it lay on the ground covered in wounds, utterly exhausted, without even the strength to move. Yet, its eyes still held an unyielding will.
A large crowd had already gathered around.
Since its first day at the battle club, after defeating six Pokémon, Pawniard had drawn considerable attention. Over the following days, it kept returning, and the number of people captivated by it grew.
Most were awed by its fighting spirit and strength, and many wanted to know who its trainer was. But up until now, Pawniard's trainer had never appeared.
Once it regained a little strength, Pawniard slowly stood up from the ground and tightened the red headband on its forehead, which had come loose.
Step by step, it made its way toward the exit.
However, before it could reach the door, a man blocked its path.
"Pawniard, I see great potential in you. Take me to your trainer. I'll make him release you. A trainer like him doesn't deserve a Pokémon like you."
The man's face was full of anger. In his view, Pawniard being here alone meant it was driven and eager to grow stronger. And its trainer's absence could only mean that the trainer lacked ambition—a mediocre, salted fish.
Julian: 'Salted fish? You got that part right.'
Mediocre trainers possessing outstanding Pokémon—it was a common sight. For Pokémon that were driven and eager to grow stronger, having such a trainer often meant their dreams of advancement were doomed from the start.
Now the man believed he was saving a Pokémon prodigy—perhaps even a once-in-a-generation talent. As a Dark-type trainer himself, Pawniard's typing aligned perfectly with his own. Pretending he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
Pawniard: 'Where did this lunatic come from?'
It shot the man a sidelong glance, pushed him aside, and walked past—perhaps with a bit too much force, sending him stumbling to the ground.
The man hurriedly scrambled back to his feet and rushed outside.
"Pawniard, you—"
When he reached the entrance, Pawniard was still there, but there was also a chubby Celebi and Jirachi beside it now.
"Want a chicken leg?"
Celebi held out a fried chicken leg toward Pawniard.
Seeing the drumstick that already had a bite taken out of it, Pawniard shook its head. In its mind it recalled Julian's warning.
Julian: 'Eat junk food, and you'll end up malnourished, stunted in growth, and unable to improve your strength.'
"Oh, alright then."
Celebi went back to munching on the chicken leg—it had only been pretending to offer it out of politeness. If Pawniard had actually accepted, Celebi probably wouldn't have given it up anyway.
"Let's go. Julian is waiting for us to eat."
Jirachi placed its hands on Celebi and Pawniard, then used Teleport to vanish from the spot.
Watching the three Pokémon disappear, the man murmured to himself, "So it was Champion Walker's Pokémon… no wonder."
No wonder it was so ridiculously strong. After all, aside from Champion Walker's Pokémon in Lake City, what other trainer's Pokémon could defeat so many opponents of the same level?
Then thinking about what he had just tried to do—trying to poach Champion Walker's Pokémon—he felt fortunate that the Champion wasn't here.
Cold sweat instantly drenched the back of his shirt.
*****
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