"Yozora, that Eevee of yours…"
Falkner's eyes widened in shock as he turned toward Yozora.
But Yozora only gave a mysterious smile. This was still the middle of a battle—there was no need for explanations.
"Interesting. Come back, Dodrio."
Falkner chuckled as he recalled his Pokémon, then pulled out his third Poké Ball."Go! The valiant warrior among bird Pokémon—Pidgeot!"
A flash of white light burst forth, and a massive Pidgeot descended onto the battlefield. Standing at nearly 1.8 meters tall, it wasn't quite as imposing as Yozora's own Pidgeot, but compared to the average Pidgeot, it was outstanding.
This one carried incredible strength as well—its level had already reached Gym Leader mid-tier.
For his third and final Pokémon, Falkner had decided to get serious. He sent out his ace.
"Yozora, let me show you the true might of my Pidgeot."
Confidence radiated from Falkner's face, his aura seeming to merge with his Pokémon's."Go, Pidgeot—use Quick Attack!"
"Whoosh—!"
The instant Falkner gave the command, Pidgeot shot forward like a thunderbolt.
"Dodge it, Eevee!" Yozora bellowed.
But standing in the arena was no ordinary Eevee—it had already transformed into Jolteon. Its speed was astonishing, and with a sudden flicker of motion, it evaded Pidgeot's assault with ease.
"What?!"
Falkner gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.
He knew the difference between an Eevee and a Jolteon.
Even if it was only a temporary transformation, Jolteon's power skyrocketed—its level had risen to Commander-tier.
When it reverted back into Eevee, its strength would fall once more to Senior level.
But while it remained Jolteon—this was Commander-tier strength!
On top of that, with Speed Boost maxed out to six stages, its speed had quadrupled!
For Eevee, whose base Speed wasn't particularly high—around 60—quadrupled meant only about 240. That had been more than enough to toy with Falkner's Dodrio earlier.
But Jolteon was an entirely different matter.
A natural speedster, now raised to Commander-tier—its base Speed had already reached at least 150. With Speed Boost quadrupling that, it now broke past 600!
That was terrifying.
Even Falkner's high-level Pidgeot couldn't compare.
At that moment, not only Falkner but even his Pidgeot looked shaken. To it, the Jolteon before it was just a small fry.
Commander-tier? So what?
Yet that overwhelming speed—it couldn't keep up.
And before Falkner or Pidgeot could recover from their shock, Yozora seized the moment.
"Now's our chance! Jolteon, use Thunderbolt!"
"BOOM!"
A golden bolt of lightning tore through the air and slammed into Pidgeot, sparks exploding across its feathers as it shrieked in pain.
In its Jolteon form, with Commander-tier power amplified further by Adaptability, its strength had risen to Lord-tier.
That was more than enough to injure Pidgeot.
And against a Flying-type, electricity struck with devastating effect—super effective, dealing double damage!
Pidgeot reeled, electricity surging across its body. It didn't collapse outright, but nearly a third of its stamina was stripped away instantly.
Commander-tier, striking down a Gym Leader mid-tier Pokémon in a single blow—that was remarkable.
For most Commanders, even damaging a Pidgeot like this would have been nearly impossible.
"Incredible. Not just its speed—even its power… What kind of monster is this Jolteon?"
Sweat trickled down Falkner's face. Still, his Pidgeot carried a clear level advantage.
"Pidgeot! Use Air Slash!"
"Pidgeot!"
With a piercing cry, Pidgeot whipped its wings furiously, sending razor-sharp blades of wind slicing down toward Jolteon.
As the wind blades fell, Yozora smiled confidently.
"Pointless. Jolteon, dodge and counter with Thunderbolt!"
A golden flash streaked across the battlefield—Jolteon darted through the gaps effortlessly, avoiding every wind blade. Then it unleashed another crackling bolt at Pidgeot.
"Spin and evade it! Now, Pidgeot—use Agility and close in!"
This time, Falkner was fully prepared.
Though Jolteon's level seemed lower, Pidgeot remained completely focused. Its Keen Eye ability flared, instantly tracking the Thunderbolt's trajectory. With a sharp twist, it slipped past the attack and surged forward.
"Whoosh!"
With Agility boosting its speed by two stages—around 100%—Pidgeot's already blistering speed of 310 soared past 600.
Even Jolteon, with its maxed Speed Boost, couldn't keep up with that.
The Air Slash had only been a feint. Falkner's true goal had been to set up this moment—using Agility to turn the tide!
"So fast! Go, Pidgeot!"
From the sidelines, Falkner's disciples erupted in cheers.
With such incredible speed, they believed Jolteon had no chance. If it couldn't dodge, one strike from Pidgeot's superior level and strength would surely end the battle.
Yet…
Even in this dire moment, Yozora remained calm, as though he had foreseen it all.
As Pidgeot shot forward like lightning, Yozora called out quickly:
"Jolteon—Double Team!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
At once, Jolteon split into six identical copies.
Pidgeot froze mid-charge, unable to tell which was real. Its momentum faltered.
"Don't panic, Pidgeot! Use Hurricane—wipe them all out!"
Falkner's hand cut through the air as he roared the command.
At this point, his focus was absolute.
Never had he thought that sending out Pidgeot—his ace—would push him to this point against what should have been a mere Commander-tier Pokémon.
"BOOM—!"
A raging storm engulfed the arena, shredding every clone. Even the real Jolteon was blasted back, skidding across the battlefield as its claws tore deep grooves into the ground.
But it still stood.
"Well done, Jolteon! You've got real grit. Now—finish this with Thunderbolt!"
Yozora's voice rang with excitement. Seeing his Jolteon endure filled him with joy as he gave the decisive order.
The air crackled with electricity once more—
(End of Chapter)