Pokemon: The Untamed Journey

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Hearing Kai call his name, Arven flinched, looking left and right as if trying to figure out how he'd been spotted.

But Kai's gaze was locked onto his hiding spot without a shred of doubt.

After hesitating for a moment, Arven reluctantly trudged over, his expression filled with inner turmoil.

Seeing this, Kai sighed internally, 'What a stubborn kid'

Nemona, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The moment she recognized Arven, she waved energetically. "Oh! You're Arven from Class 5-G, right?"

"Huh?" Arven looked up at her, squinting as if trying to place her face. "You're… Nemona? From Class 1-A?"

Nemona put her hands on her hips. "We had a few classes together before the break! How could you not recognize me so fast?"

Arven groaned. "It's not my fault… You look completely different now!"

Before the break, Arven had known Nemona as the cute girl from the next class sporting twin pigtails and an innocent misdemeanour.

But now, standing before him was a confident, radiant girl bursting with boundless energy.

It wasn't just a simple change in hairstyle; it was as if she had grown overnight into someone completely new.

Nemona pouted and muttered under her breath, " But-t...Teacher recognized me instantly…"

"Huh? What did you say?" Arven perked up, pretending not to have heard her quiet grumble.

Just then, Kai placed a firm hand on both their shoulders, cutting their conversation short. "Aren't we here for a battle? That open training field over there looks good."

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...

Standing on one side of the battlefield, Kai looked across to Nemona. "The battle will be a one-on-one, first to incapacitate the opponent. Sound good?"

Nemona nodded firmly. "No problem!"

Arven, now positioned between them as the referee, sighed. "It's just a friendly match. Do we even need a referee?"

"Illustrating proper battle etiquette is important," Kai replied with a smirk before turning to Nemona. "Would you be fine battling against my Growlithe?"

At the sound of its name, Growlithe, who had been lying lazily on the ground, perked up immediately. It sprang to its feet and trotted confidently onto the battlefield.

Nemona blinked. "Wait… That's a Growlithe?"

It looked different from the Growlithe she was familiar with, but that only fueled her excitement. Without hesitation, she sent out Pawmi, which landed gracefully on the field, locking eyes with Growlithe.

Kai spread his hands. "You get the first move."

Nemona took a deep breath. Oddly enough, she didn't feel nervous only a bubbling excitement rising inside her.

Her expression hardened with focus. "Pawmi, use Thunder Shock!"

Pawmi tensed, its tiny body shaking as it built up electricity. Embers flickered weakly across its cheeks before a small golden bolt shot out, zigzagging toward Growlithe.

The buildup was slow, with three to four seconds of preparation, and Pawmi even had its eyes squeezed shut the whole time. It was clear that both Nemona and Pawmi were still complete beginners.

Kai, unfazed, gave a simple command: "Dodge."

Growlithe sidestepped effortlessly, avoiding the attack with ease. If not for the naturally high speed of electricity, Pawmi's attack might as well have been in slow motion.

Undeterred, Nemona quickly followed up. "Pawmi, use Quick Attack!"

White light trailed behind Pawmi as it dashed forward, aiming to slam into Growlithe.

"Brace for impact and use Howl in return," Kai ordered.

As a Rock-type, Growlithe could easily tank the hit.

Pawmi's small body crashed into Growlithe's volcanic fur, pushing the Fire/Rock-type back half a meter.

But Growlithe didn't even flinch, its hidden eyes gleaming with determination as it lifted its head and let out a powerful Howl.

A faint red glow surrounded Growlithe as its attack power increased. Then, as Pawmi dashed in for another attack, Growlithe dug its paws into the ground and countered with a fierce charge of its own.

"Pawmi!"

Pawmi barely had time to react before Growlithe's head collided with its small body, sending it flying backwards.

It tumbled across the dirt, its once-shiny orange fur now covered in dust.

"Pawmi!" Nemona gasped, covering her mouth.

Pawmi struggled to its feet, shaking its fur. Though battered, its spirit remained unbroken. It turned to Nemona and let out a determined squeak, signalling that it was still ready to fight.

Seeing her partner's resolve, Nemona clenched her fists and nodded. Her face was filled with determination. "We can still do this! Pawmi, use Mach Punch!"

Nemona recalled what her father had told her when he gave her Pawmi its special ability was Iron Fist, which boosted the power of punching moves. On top of that, Pawmi had hatched already knowing Mach Punch, making it their strongest attack.

Pawmi stood up on its hind legs, its tiny paws balling into fists. White energy surged around them as it dashed forward with blinding speed.

It first struck Growlithe, sending a shockwave through the battlefield.

Growlithe winced slightly. Even with its Rock typing, Pawmi's attack was no joke.

Kai's eyes gleamed with interest. Throughout the battle, he had mostly been observing, letting Nemona take the initiative. He wanted to see how much potential she and Pawmi had.

And the results were promising. Though her strategy was still amateurish, and her execution a little rough, Nemona's natural battle instincts were evident.

Now that he had seen enough, it was time to finish the match.

Growlithe had two moves that could counter Pawmi: Double-Edge, an Egg Move, and Flame Wheel, which it had learned naturally.

Double-Edge would put too much strain on Growlithe, especially given its young age, and might even severely injure Pawmi. That left only one option.

Kai made his decision. "Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!"

Still taking hits from Pawmi's rapid punches, Growlithe suddenly curled its body, flames bursting from its fur.

The intense heat forced Pawmi to recoil in surprise, stopping its attack.

At that moment, Growlithe completed its charge. Enveloped in fire, it spun forward like a flaming wheel and crashed into Pawmi with full force.

The small Electric-type let out a surprised squeak as it was thrown backwards once again.

The match was nearly over.

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