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After Axel's departure, the mid-level class students turned their attention to Kalia with disdainful expressions.
The previous Trainer couldn't withstand the scrutiny from his peers, coupled with the humiliating defeat at Haley's hands, and fled under immense psychological pressure.
Most of the academy's students looked down upon Trainers from outside, feeling inherently superior, and naturally held the same attitude towards Kalia.
Unfazed by their gazes, Kalia confidently spoke up, "Who's next?" She was determined to prove herself through her strength, just as Axel had mentioned - the Pokemon Academy valued power above all else.
To secure her place and participate in the competition, she needed to demonstrate her capabilities. If defeated, even without anyone saying so, she would voluntarily leave.
"I'll take on the challenge."
At that moment, a youth with burgundy hair stepped forward and addressed the others, "No objections, right?"
Naturally, there were no objections. The burgundy-haired youth ranked twelfth among the mid-level class, while the eleventh-ranked student hailed from the Ellie Region. Since Axel prohibited the top ten from challenging Kalia, it was acceptable for those ranked lower to face her. In fact, this presented an opportunity for a thrilling spectacle, prompting everyone to speculate how long Kalia could hold out.
Instead, it promised to be an exciting spectacle as everyone eagerly speculated how long Kalia could hold out.
"I'm Cassia. Do you need any preparation time?" Cassia asked.
"No, let's start right away." Kalia shook her head, confident that her Pokemon were already in optimal condition and required no further readiness.
"If your strongest Pokemon is only at Charmeleon's level, you might as well forfeit now," Cassia remarked, glancing at Kalia's Charmeleon nearby.
His comment wasn't born from arrogance; typically, Pokemon like Charmeleon would only appear in beginner classes, while many mid-level students already owned Charizards.
Kalia remained silent as she stepped onto the central battlefield of the training area. This standard outdoor arena allowed for clear views of the azure sky, facilitating some Pokemon's weather-based moves.
Unfamiliar with her opponent's Pokemon, Kalia approached the battle with utmost caution. This encounter would give her insight into the strength of Trainers at the Pokemon Academy.
It was both a testament to her abilities and a personal challenge. If she lost, there would be little reason for Kalia to continue staying here.
Lian entered the battlefield, determined to decisively defeat Cassia for underestimating him.
"Charmeleon, hold back for now," Kalia suddenly instructed. Although Charmeleon was her strongest Pokemon, relying solely on it to win wouldn't allow her other Pokemon, like Grovyle and Ninetales, opportunities to showcase their abilities.
If Charmeleon always led every battle, the other Pokemon would not progress, leading to a significant gap in strength and hindering effective teamwork. Moreover, Grovyle and Ninetales needed to alleviate some pressure for Charmeleon by at least tiring out the opponent's Pokemon, making Charmeleon's entry easier.
In previous 2v2 battles, this strategy didn't matter much. However, with the current 3v3 format, saving one's trump card for later is crucial. Starting with weaker Pokemon serves two purposes: first, to gauge the opponent's Pokemon capabilities, and second, to instill overconfidence in the opponent. This setup ensures that when Charmeleon enters the field, its impact will be maximized.
"Go, Grovyle!" Kalia sent out Grovyle. While not as strong as Charmeleon, Grovyle's speed advantage could help establish early dominance.
"Crawdaunt!" In response, Cassia tossed a Poké Ball, revealing a Water and Dark-type Crawdaunt.
As both Pokemon landed on the battlefield, Cassia raised an eyebrow, surprised to see Grovyle instead of Charmeleon, given that Charmeleon had eagerly stepped forward earlier.
"How underhanded, swapping Pokemon at the last minute."
"This foreign aid is even weaker than before! A Grovyle hasn't evolved into Sceptile yet. Despite Grass-type having an advantage over Water-type, it's unlikely to stand against Crawdaunt."
"Too weak! Both Charmeleon and Grovyle haven't reached their final evolution forms, yet they're considered as foreign aid? What was Teacher Axel thinking?"
The students murmured among themselves. Although they anticipated that an outsider Trainer wouldn't be exceptionally strong, this seemed excessively feeble, more suitable for assisting the beginner class.
Kalia paid no heed to the students' discussions as the battle promptly began.
Lian remained seated, watching from the sidelines. His Grovyle currently stood at level 27, with average abilities across the board. However, after extensive training, its Special Attack ability value had indeed improved somewhat.
Unfortunately, the improvement was minimal. Based on game data, it equated to gaining just a few dozen effort points, still far from reaching the maximum Special Attack potential.
"Grovyle, utilize your speed to create distance and use Double Team," Kalia commanded. Grovyle had recently learned Double Team from a Move Disk.
Upon hearing the order, Grovyle swiftly moved across the battlefield with agility, generating multiple shadow clones around it. In total, there were four clones; clearly, still not fully proficient, as more could have been created otherwise.
"Crawdaunt, counter with Swift to dispel the Double Team, then use Taunt," Cassia responded confidently, drawing upon her extensive battle experience by commanding Crawdaunt's Swift move.
Crawdaunt wasn't known for its speed, which Cassia was well aware of. By using Taunt, she aimed to force Grovyle into initiating attacks, creating opportunities for counterattacks.
Being a Water-type Pokémon, Crawdaunt excels in offensive moves like Knock Off (dark type), Night Slash (dark type), and Razor Shell (water type), all primarily used in close combat.
If Grovyle relied on its speed for guerrilla tactics, Crawdaunt would struggle, potentially unable to even touch Grovyle.
"Grovyle, use Giga Drain," Kalia continued issuing commands. Unlike Charmeleon's rapid fire moves, Grovyle needed to rely on status-changing moves, quickly transitioning into Grass-type Giga Drain.
Whish, whish!
The five-pointed star on Crawdaunt's head continuously emitted star-shaped beams of light, rapidly firing them off.
Swift has relatively low power but serves as an excellent counter to Double Team in this situation.
Simultaneously, after releasing its shadow clones, Grovyle immediately used Giga Drain, directing a strong pull towards Crawdaunt.
Crawdaunt, inherently slow-moving, was easily hit by the attack, yet Cassia showed no change in expression.
As Giga Drain struck Crawdaunt, Kalia clenched her fists. Her goal was simply to wear it down; defeating Crawdaunt wasn't necessary, although it would be ideal if possible.
By now, all of Grovyle's shadow clones had been dismantled by Swift, and even Grovyle itself sustained some damage from the attacks, albeit minimal.
Despite being hit by Giga Drain and losing significant energy, Crawdaunt did not halt its Taunt move.
Crawdaunt continued emitting peculiar sounds, interpreted by Grovyle as taunts, effectively enraging the Grass-type Pokémon.
This wasn't just any ordinary provocation; it contained dark-type energy. Unless a Pokémon possesses exceptionally strong willpower, resisting such taunts is challenging, inevitably leading to a state of fury.