Suguru waited for less than two minutes before the battle instructor arrived.
She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with fair skin and features that were pleasant, if not particularly striking.
She wore the official uniform of the battle club, and somewhat unexpectedly, she was a woman.
Pokémon Training was a profession largely dominated by men.
Compared to the enormous number of male Trainers, female Trainers were relatively uncommon.
It was not because anyone looked down on women.
Rather, due to natural differences in physical constitution, men generally found it easier to adapt to the harsh living conditions of the wilderness.
Of course, once a Trainer reached a sufficiently high level, such differences became far less important.
“Sir, is there any particular type of Pokémon you would like me to use?” the battle instructor asked politely.
She had already been informed that Suguru was a Steel-type Trainer.
Judging from his age, he had most likely only registered as a Trainer this year.
“Just use whichever type you’re best at,” Suguru replied casually.
Whichever type I’m best at?
The woman’s eyebrow rose slightly.
Her name was Nozomi Mizuno.
From Suguru’s bearing alone, she could tell that he was most likely the descendant of some influential family.
Still—
Nozomi was a Gym-tier Trainer herself.
She had also once been recognized as one of the most talented students in the Water-Type Faculty of Shirogane University.
Was this young man perhaps underestimating her?
“Understood.”
Although she thought Suguru was acting a little too confidently, he was still a paying customer.
“In that case, I’ll use Water-type Pokémon.”
Suguru showed no reaction.
Seeing that, Nozomi gestured toward one of the nearby staff members, who soon brought over several Poké Balls prepared by the club.
Pop!
The first Poké Ball opened.
A Level Eight Poliwag appeared on the battlefield.
The staff had already informed Nozomi that Suguru’s highest-level Pokémon was Level Nine.
Since he was a newly registered Trainer, he probably possessed only two or three Pokémon at most.
Planning to fight ten consecutive battles with only two or three Pokémon…
Was he not looking down on her a little too much?
Unless she deliberately went easy on him, his Pokémon would probably be exhausted after five or six matches.
Had Nozomi voiced those thoughts aloud, Suguru would have corrected her.
You’re overestimating me.
I only have one Pokémon.
Water was an exceptionally well-balanced type.
It dealt super-effective damage against three extremely common types—Ground, Fire, and Rock.
At the same time, Water-type Pokémon resisted four different types and possessed only two natural weaknesses.
Rain-based strategies also synergized with several useful abilities, including Rain Dish, Dry Skin, Hydration, and Swift Swim.
The famous Rain Team strategy was built around Rain Dance and those abilities.
Suguru glanced at the Poliwag.
It was perfectly ordinary.
That was hardly surprising.
The Pokémon had been uniformly bred and raised by the battle club.
Naturally, the club would not invest too many valuable resources into low-level Pokémon with average aptitude.
Pop!
Suguru released his own Pokémon.
A silver-white figure materialized in the air and floated silently above the battlefield.
At the same time, its status panel appeared before his eyes.
…
Pokémon Status
Name: Beldum
Type: Steel/Psychic
Level: 9
Aptitude: Quasi-Champion
Ability: Clear Body
Held Item: None
Gender: Genderless
Natural Moves: Tackle
TM Moves: Zen Headbutt
Inherited Moves: None
Special Note:
Shiny Trait — Damage dealt is increased by 100%.
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When Beldum had reached Level Eight, Suguru had used a Technical Machine to teach it Zen Headbutt.
Otherwise, if it ever encountered a Ghost-type Pokémon, relying solely on Tackle would leave it completely unable to fight back.
The silver-white Beldum floated calmly over the battlefield.
A pseudo-legendary hatchling.
And a Shiny one at that.
The moment it appeared, Nozomi, the club employees, and even several customers passing nearby stopped in their tracks.
Everyone stared at Beldum in astonishment.
A pseudo-legendary was already a symbol of status.
Even an unevolved hatchling was something ordinary Trainers could only dream of possessing.
Beldum were not exactly nonexistent throughout the world.
However, there was only one family known to possess silver Beldum.
Japan’s Natsume family.
More precisely, only the direct bloodline of Gendō Natsume possessed them.
Even other direct-line members of the Natsume family could normally obtain only standard-colored Beldum.
Gendō’s Shiny Metagross was a partner he had acquired only after narrowly escaping death countless times.
From that point onward, the silver Metagross became the symbol of Gendō Natsume himself.
Later, through division, that Metagross produced a silver Beldum for Gendō’s son, Senri Natsume.
And now—
Its lineage had been passed down once more to Suguru.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Several spectators immediately took out their phones and began taking pictures.
A person might live their entire life without ever seeing a Shiny Beldum in person.
How could they possibly resist taking a photograph and showing it off online?
Gendō Natsume was Japan’s reigning Steel-type Elite and the number-one-ranked Trainer on the national Elite Rankings.
His fame extended far beyond Japan.
He was known throughout the entire world.
It did not take long for the people watching to connect Suguru’s silver Beldum with Gendō Natsume.
Naturally, Nozomi reached the same conclusion.
Shirogane City was the ancestral home of the Natsume family.
The family had operated here for more than a thousand years, leaving its mark on nearly every important corner of the city.
As a graduate of Shirogane University, how could Nozomi possibly be unfamiliar with Gendō Natsume and his famous silver Metagross?
“Haa…”
Nozomi took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
The young man standing opposite her had to be the grandson of Elite Gendō Natsume.
An opportunity to battle a silver Beldum might never appear again in her lifetime.
She had to make the most of it.
“Poliwag, use Water Gun!”
“Poli!”
Poliwag opened its mouth and fired a stream of water toward Beldum.
However, the attack was not especially fast.
Poliwag had also required a brief moment to gather water before firing, and the distance between the two Pokémon was considerable.
Beldum easily moved aside, allowing the Water Gun to pass harmlessly beside its metallic body.
Nozomi had expected that much.
The moment the attack ended, she immediately commanded Poliwag to close the distance.
Suguru calmly raised one hand.
“Tackle.”
“Bzzzt!”
Beldum instantly transformed into a streak of silver light.
BOOM!
Before anyone could properly follow its movements, Poliwag had already been struck and sent flying across the battlefield.
It hit the ground several meters away and rolled to a stop.
The Rotom Drone hovering above the arena scanned Poliwag before immediately announcing the result.
“Poliwag is unable to battle!”
The match had ended almost as soon as it began.
“That was too fast!”
“Did any of you see Beldum move?”
“Beldum isn’t supposed to be a Pokémon known for its speed!
How could it accelerate that quickly?”
“Forget the speed—look at the damage!”
“It knocked Poliwag out with a single Tackle!”
Poliwag was only one level below Beldum.
Yet it had been defeated in one hit.
Was that not a little unreasonable?
While the spectators discussed the battle in amazement, Nozomi had already recalled Poliwag and released her second Pokémon.
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A Level Eight Krabby appeared.
“Krabby, use Harden!”
After witnessing the terrifying power of Beldum’s Tackle, Nozomi’s first decision was to strengthen Krabby’s defenses.
A faint metallic sheen spread over Krabby’s shell.
“Now use Leer!”
“Cookie!”
Krabby widened its eyes and glared fiercely at Beldum.
However—
Nothing happened.
Leer was supposed to lower its target’s Defense, but Beldum’s Clear Body completely prevented its attributes from being reduced by an opponent.
Nozomi clicked her tongue softly.
“Krabby, Metal Claw!”
One of Krabby’s pincers gleamed with metallic light before swinging downward toward Beldum.
“Tackle.”
Beldum charged forward without hesitation.
The Metal Claw descended from above.
The Tackle struck from the front.
CLANG—!
The sound of metal colliding with metal echoed throughout the arena.
Krabby was launched into the air.
Its body spun several dozen times before crashing back onto the battlefield.
The Rotom Drone immediately lowered itself and completed another scan.
“Krabby is unable to battle!”
Another one-hit knockout.
After that, Nozomi continued sending out Water-type Pokémon.
At first, they were only Level Eight.
Then Level Nine.
Level Ten.
And eventually Level Eleven.
Yet the result remained the same.
One after another, they were defeated by Beldum.
Some managed to land an attack.
Others failed to touch it even once.
But not a single one could withstand Beldum’s charge.
Finally, Nozomi released her ninth Pokémon.
A Level Twelve Staryu.
The jewel at the center of Staryu’s body flashed brightly as it entered the battlefield.
Despite being three levels above Beldum, it still failed to change the outcome.
BOOM!
Staryu was blasted backward and crashed heavily onto the ground.
The light within its central gem flickered several times before dimming.
The Rotom Drone’s mechanical voice rang out once more.
“Staryu is unable to battle!”
Silence descended over the entire arena.
Nozomi said nothing.
The employees said nothing.
Even the spectators who had previously been discussing every match had fallen completely silent.
Only one thought remained in everyone’s mind.
So this is a pseudo-legendary hatchling…
So this is the power of a Shiny Beldum…
Pseudo-legendaries were often said to be nearly invincible against Pokémon of the same level.
But that did not mean one should be capable of defeating nine opponents in succession.
Yet Beldum had done exactly that.
It had won nine consecutive battles.
More importantly, it had suffered very little damage in the process.
As for how much stamina it had consumed…
Beldum’s metallic face barely displayed any emotion in the first place.
No one could tell whether it was exhausted or still in perfect condition.
Several seconds passed.
Then several more.
Nozomi repeatedly reached toward the remaining Poké Ball beside her, only to stop before picking it up.
She seemed to want to say something, but hesitated each time.
Suguru watched her uncertain expression for a moment before finally speaking.
“Is there a problem?”