"He's already defeated three trainers..."
"He even beat the strongest of them all, Tyler Grant. Don't tell me Ethan plans to face all ten by himself?"
Seeing that vigorous Cacnea on the field, surrounded by a vast domain of roots, the Electric-type member of the Pokémon Nightstar Club swallowed hard.
"Now that you mention it... it really does seem possible!"
"The Ingrain move that combines attack, defense, and recovery... isn't it way too terrifying?"
"Under these conditions, with just that Cacnea alone, it's enough to replace an entire team of Pokémon!"
"I wish I could capture one like that!"
The Ground-type member nodded firmly, starting to wish he had a Cacnea of his own.
"Better stop dreaming," Rachel Blake cut in, clearly in a good mood. "It's obvious that this Cacnea was captured in a real desert."
"With your skills, you wouldn't even find one before turning to dust in the sand yourselves..."
Even Rachel Blake, who was usually serious, allowed herself to joke with the other members of the Pokémon Nightstar Club.
"One against ten? Isn't this guy way too strong?"
Hearing the others' comments, Hailey Blake opened her mouth in shock.
"With the current situation, it's completely possible," Rachel Blake affirmed. "Cacnea's Ingrain allows it to fight while healing, constantly recovering energy and using the surplus to keep growing roots. Up until now it's barely lost any strength!"
Hearing this explanation, the members of the Pokémon Nightstar Club around her couldn't help but flinch. It was simply absurd!
"Brother, I lost..." said Tyler Grant, returning with difficulty to the competitors' area, Pokéball of Grovyle in hand.
It had all ended too quickly, so much so that he still hadn't shaken off his daze.
"Alright. Step down," Ryan Grant replied with a serious face. Then he fixed his gaze on Rachel Blake and clenched his fists.
"Bug-type trainer, it's your turn!"
Taking a deep breath, Ryan Grant addressed the Bug-type member standing behind him.
The latter frowned slightly. Many members were already unhappy with the young master of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club.
However, since this was an official competition, the Bug-type member obeyed and stepped onto the field with his Pokéball.
With his throw, a Bug/Fighting-type Heracross appeared on the stage.
"A Heracross?"
"Cacnea, use Ingrain!"
Since the challenger had already sent out his Pokémon, Ethan Black, as the defender, was the first to give an order.
Immediately, thick roots began swirling through the air and lunged toward Heracross.
"Heracross, use Brick Break!" shouted the Bug-type member.
But Cacnea's roots, strengthened after absorbing all of Grovyle's energy earlier, were now thicker and more numerous—nearly a hundred!
Heracross barely managed to cut through a few before being completely trapped in a cocoon of roots.
Although it struggled fiercely inside the cocoon, the more roots wrapped around it, the weaker it became. In the end, it collapsed to the ground after being drained by the Absorb move.
"He won again!"
The audience was already somewhat numb to the spectacle. Even though Cacnea kept winning, only a few scattered claps could be heard. For most, it was already expected.
Meanwhile, after absorbing Heracross's energy, the roots on the field grew even more frenziedly. It looked like a jungle invasion, with roots covering the entire stage.
The Pokémon Island Adventure Club sent out more members, but all ended up as nourishment for the growth of the root domain. With each victory, the roots became more terrifying.
"This..."
"Is he really about to defeat the entire team all by himself?"
When the last member of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club stepped onto the stage, everyone shuddered at the thought. Their eyes went wide, filled with disbelief.
"Damn it! How could our club fall to a single person?"
The last member clenched his fists and shouted defiantly at Ethan Black.
Ethan Black only shook his head slightly, observing the field.
Cacnea's root domain was already completely formed. Roots covered everything, even around the Pokémon's own body, forming inner and outer layers like a living fortress.
It was the perfect realization of Ethan Black's vision of the "Root Domain": giving Cacnea enough time to generate a true fortress of roots.
And if you added Shellder's defense, they could construct a double defensive core with terrifying power.
"Battle, Ursaring!"
The trainer threw his Pokéball, and a large Ursaring appeared.
"That Ursaring!" Ethan Black muttered, his expression changing instantly.
It was identical to the one he remembered seeing alongside Ryan Grant.
"Ryan, what does this mean?"
Rachel Blake also noticed something strange and questioned Ryan Grant.
"What does it mean?"
"That Ursaring originally belongs to Brent. I just helped train it. Besides, it's properly registered with the Trainer Guild."
"What's the problem?"
Ryan Grant smiled faintly as he answered, then turned his gaze back to the field.
Rachel Blake, furious that he had given his Pokémon to someone else, glared daggers at him, but Ryan Grant completely ignored her.
The truth was, if the situation hadn't come to this point, he never would have let Brent Holloway use that Ursaring.
He knew that win or lose, he would be criticized by everyone if that Pokémon entered the fight.
But with the situation out of control and his team being crushed by a single opponent, he had no other choice.
After all, whether they won or lost, the Pokémon Island Adventure Club was going to be harshly criticized. So it was better to gamble on a possible comeback thanks to Ursaring's power.
(End of chapter)