Ikeoka Testsuya finally called out a move other than Water Gun.
In truth, he had never wanted to be a trainer. No interest in traveling or challenging Gyms.
Way too exhausting.
He much preferred the quiet life of staying home and watching over the family supermarket.
Because of this, Ikeoka Testsuya had little real knowledge of Pokémon battles.
But seeing that Water Gun wasn't working, he instinctively shouted:
"Ice Beam!"
An icy blue beam shot from Lapras's mouth. It didn't even seem to be aimed—just fired toward the place where Snivy had last appeared.
The part of the Grassy Terrain damaged by Water Gun had already started regenerating, thanks to Snivy's energy.
But this time—
As the damp ground met the freezing beam, it crackled and froze instantly. The green grass turned to brittle ice.
And the ice didn't stop there—it spread outward, cutting a cold divide through the terrain.
Lapras was trying to break Snivy's field advantage and limit her movement range.
"Wooo~!"
But the blast of cold energy also affected the Leech Seed still growing in Lapras's body. With a pained cry, it bit one of the sprouted seeds and tore it out.
"Vine Whip!"
Two vines lashed out from the surviving patches of grass.
Lapras suddenly spun around. Without waiting for any command, it summoned a group of massive ice boulders and hurled them toward the vines.
It couldn't locate Snivy precisely within the grass.
So it prepared to strike the moment she made her move—whether it was a whip or Leaf Tornado.
"Oh?" Hayashi Kaede's eyes sparkled.
"It didn't even wait for a command. This Lapras is really sharp!"
He made a quick decision.
"Retract the vines. We'll face it head-on! Snivy, double Leaf Tornado! Break those boulders!"
There was no middle ground. Either Snivy traded hits, or she pulled back and unleashed her strongest move.
Kaede chose the latter.
The vines retracted like a whip recoiling. A green blur darted from the grass, her tail flashing as she spun in midair and flew toward the oncoming boulders.
And just then—
The moment she faced the icy threat, something inside her snapped awake.
A white light erupted from her tail and spread through her entire body.
The light of evolution.
Snivy had already been on the verge—and now, the energy boiled over.
Unlike Lapras's chaotic transformation, this evolution was natural and fluid. The power she gained allowed her to slash through the boulders with ease.
Her body elongated. From a compact 80 centimeters, she grew taller, sleeker, and more graceful.
As the light faded—
The young, slightly prideful Snivy was gone.
In her place stood a confident, elegant Servine—smiling slightly, with calm, determined eyes.
[Pokémon: Servine]
Gender: Female
Ability: Contrary
Aptitude: Red
Individual Values: HP (25), Attack (21), Special Attack (26), Defense (25), Special Defense (24), Speed (31)
Level: [21–25]
Moves: Leaf Blade, Leaf Tornado, Glare, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Magical Leaf
Seeing this, Hayashi Kaede finally let out a breath.
"Double Leaf Tornado! Now!"
Servine's eyes sharpened. As she descended through the air, green light trailed from her tail, swirling upward into a cyclone two to three meters tall.
The windstorm crashed toward Lapras.
The ice boulders shattered at the touch.
The sudden gust brought Ikeoka Sho back to his senses.
"Ice Beam!"
Lapras, just regaining composure after witnessing the evolution, fired another beam of freezing energy.
But in the very next moment—
The entire crowd gasped.
The Ice Beam was shredded, blown away like dead twigs by the swirling leaves.
Boom!
The whirlwind struck Lapras head-on. A dull roar echoed through the stadium.
When the wind settled, Lapras stumbled. Several red marks lined its body.
Even after its breakthrough—it was knocked out in a single blow.
Servine landed gently, turned, and gave her trainer a confident smile.
She had won.
[Congratulations! Servine's happiness increased from 80% → 95%.
Reward: 3 bags of Intermediate Fertilizer, 1 Intermediate Rare Candy, and 1 Characteristic Development Energy Cube.]
"A reversal! What an unbelievable reversal!"
"I thought for sure Lapras, after evolving, would dominate this match—but someone even stronger was waiting!"
"Lapras was pressing in—tracking her position, giving everything it had… but that still wasn't enough!"
"Snivy evolved under that pressure, and ended the battle in a single move! What kind of Baby Cup match is this?!"
"That Leaf Tornado was ridiculous!"
Standing atop his Aegislash, Kondō Satoshi's voice rang with passion.
There had been too many reversals to count.
At first, Lapras had been injured, and it looked like the match was over…
But Hayashi Kaede helped it stabilize and even pushed it to evolve.
Then—just when it seemed Ikeoka Testsuya would take the win…
Snivy evolved and delivered a crushing counterattack.
And through it all, Kaede had remained composed.
He showed slight emotion here and there, but even when Lapras was being treated, and again during Snivy's evolution—he stayed calm.
He knew both things would succeed.
What impressed Satoshi even more…
Kaede had treated Lapras without getting close. He'd managed it from dozens of meters away.
What kind of breeder does that?
That takes training—real training.
Satoshi finally addressed the crowd:
"As you saw—when Lapras was injured earlier, it was Hayashi Kaede who stabilized it. That proves he's not just a top-notch trainer, but also a breeder. So—who wants to know where he's from?"
The audience, still buzzing from the twists in the battle, responded without hesitation.
"We do!!"
"He's a breeder too? That young? There are breeders like him in Aogiri Town?!"
"Hurry—someone find out which family he's from!"