[Armarouge, Fire + Psychic type. A "Final Dance" Pokémon. Its signature move is the Fire-type melee special attack Armor Cannon. Among the Pokémon who "made mistakes," it's not as bad as its good bro Ceruledge.]
So… what do you mean by a Pokémon who 'made mistakes'?
[Pokémon who made mistakes: Number one—Meowscarada. Number two—"Liligant." … Number five—Gardevoir…]
Stop. I get it!
Before Furiko could finish, Satoshi cut her off. This kind of topic—could not be elaborated.
If you went into detail, you really couldn't.
He knew it. Furiko really didn't have a shred of proper thought in her head. Shouldn't have expected anything.
Satoshi exhaled slightly, focusing on Armarouge. Then his gaze shifted to Aijo Karen.
Karen, in that moment, was brimming with enthusiasm, speaking passionately to her partner.
"Do your best, Little Guren~ Today's opponent is Satoshi, who you haven't battled in forever."
"Gu-ren!"
At her voice, flames roared across Armarouge's body. The girl's words ignited its spirit. It felt like a completely different Armarouge than the one from just a moment ago.
And just like Armarouge's look—blazing, hot-blooded—Karen herself was the bright, outgoing type. Too similar to Anon. Which made Anon's jealousy go bang-bang, swelling uncontrollably.
"Satoshi, do your best! You absolutely have to win! Don't lose~~"
Anon's loud cheer rang out.
For some reason, to the spectators it felt exactly like: current girlfriend rooting for her boyfriend to beat up the ex.
Anyone who'd just seen the bizarre triangle between the three of them couldn't help but think that.
"To be honest, if it were me, I'd pick Class A's Satoshi. Even though I'm a guy, he'd definitely awaken the girl inside me."
"Nantong, shut your mouth."
"So that's Aijo Karen from the Performance Department… Are all of them that strong? She actually has something as rare as an Armarouge. That boyfriend-classmate is in trouble."
"But I heard that Satoshi already has a 20-win streak. Lately they've been calling him 'Class 1-A's Invincible Little Red Riding Hood.'"
The crowd whispered, pulling more and more eyes onto the field.
What kind of abstract title is that… At least give me 'Super Rookie,' come on.
Satoshi sweatdropped, but didn't pay it too much mind. The battle had already begun.
"Raichu, [Electroweb]!"
"Rai——!"
Lightning sparked bright across Raichu's body. At Satoshi's command, its whole frame flooded with electric power.
Golden currents cascaded like a waterfall, weaving into a vast net suspended in midair—ready to ensnare Armarouge.
"Dodge it, Little Guren!"
"Gu-ren!"
Armarouge leapt, trying to avoid. But [Electroweb] was too fast. Before it could move clear, the net caught it.
"Gu…"
In an instant, golden sparks crackled and bit into Armarouge, electricity racing across its armored frame.
This was the fruit of training. Raichu had sparred countless times with Satoshi. Its throwing speed and timing with [Electroweb] were already perfected.
"[Electroweb], huh? Then let's blast it off with [Armor Cannon]!"
Not a trace of panic. Karen's voice rang out cheerfully.
Armarouge grit through the shocks, electricity crackling around its body. Painful, yes, but not truly crippling.
"Gu-ren——!"
Its arms reshaped—armor opening into twin cannon-barrels.
Flames surged and gathered, compressing into a blazing orb.
With a roar, the fireball shot forward at Raichu.
"[Thunderbolt]!"
Electricity surged through Raichu's body. Its fur bristled, sparks splitting the air with a sharp buzz.
The fireball tore through the lingering [Electroweb]—and then flame and lightning met in the air.
Golden bolts of [Thunderbolt] clashed against the crimson of [Armor Cannon]. The collision exploded with a thunderous roar.
From the sheer force, Satoshi could already tell: not enough.
Special Attack 125 on Armarouge. Raichu's only 90. And [Armor Cannon]'s base power is 120, Fire-type. [Thunderbolt] alone can't match it.
The fireball pushed through, but weakened by Raichu's electricity. When it finally struck, the damage wasn't severe—Raichu staggered, body trembling, but stayed standing.
"Rai…"
About the same as the earlier [Electroweb] had hurt Armarouge.
But staying at range like this—no good.
Satoshi realized [Electroweb] and [Thunderbolt] couldn't hold back [Armor Cannon]. He needed to close the gap.
"[Quick Attack] to approach—but don't land it. Get in close, then strike with [Thunderbolt]!"
[Weak Armor]: When hit by physical moves, Defense drops, Speed rises sharply.
If that Ability activated, things would spiral fast. Raichu's [Iron Tail] and [Quick Attack] weren't high-damage anyway. If Armarouge got a Speed boost, that would be the real problem.
Raichu would lose its chance to act.
"Rai——!"
Like a flash of orange light, Raichu vanished, dashing in.
"No no (nonnon da yo)~ Satoshi, I won't let you get that close! Little Guren, [Smokescreen]!"
Just as Raichu prepared to attack, Armarouge released a billow of dark smoke, flames flickering inside. The battlefield was swallowed whole.
"Jump with your tail—[Electroweb]!"
"Rai-rai-rai!"
With a whip of its strong tail, Raichu vaulted upward, casting another web. Golden lightning crisscrossed the air, spreading wide. Smoke, fire, and Armarouge alike were enclosed.
"Break through with [Flame Charge]!"
At her command, Armarouge burst into searing fire. With brute force, it tore out of the web's binds.
But as the haze cleared, right in front of it—was a very friendly Raichu.
"[Nuzzle]… then full-power [Thunderbolt]!"
Static crackled on Raichu's cheeks as it darted forward, rubbing in close with [Nuzzle].
A jolt of paralysis snapped through Armarouge. Its body stiffened, movements locking up.
"Rai——!"
At that instant, Raichu gathered everything for [Thunderbolt].
"Little Guren! Point-blank [Armor Cannon]!"
But the paralysis struck deep. Armarouge's body lagged, couldn't muster the motion in time.
"Gu-ren——!"
The golden surge tore through it, stronger than before.
Armarouge's flames sputtered and died, its whole body wracked in pain and sparks.
It shuddered violently—then collapsed, losing the will to fight.