"Are you saying that during the match, Snivy should pretend to get one-shotted by Lapras?"

  The quarterfinals had concluded.

  Only five contestants remained in the competition.

  During the break.

  Harrison, the owner who had previously been promoting his business outside Woof Woof Supermarket, approached him. With a beaming smile, he led him to a secluded corner beneath the spectator stands.

  Ethan frowned, "What's this about?"

  Harrison, still smiling, produced a bank card. "Here’s the thing. Anyone can see how formidable that Lapras is. If it comes down to the finals, Snivy will most likely lose anyway. So why not agree to my proposal? Here's… a modest sum of 500,000. Please, just do me this small favor and let me save some face."

  Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "Not a chance."

  He strode out with large steps.

  A paltry sum of money to play rigged matches? Ridiculous.

  Harrison was left standing there, his forced smile frozen. After several moments, his expression darkened. "Well, well, such an arrogant kid. Doesn't know how to appreciate a good deal, huh?"

  Harrison paced back and forth for a moment before pulling out his phone and calling his son.

  "What’s up, Dad?"

  A chubby boy holding a soda walked into the secluded corner.

  Seeing his son, Harrison's expression softened. “For the final match, when you face that Snivy, don’t hold back. Let Lapras unleash its full power from the start.”

  “That Snivy is quite skilled.”

  “Alright, alright, got it,” the stocky young man replied impatiently, turning to leave. As he walked away, he mumbled under his breath, “Weren’t you the one saying this match only needed a simple Water Gun?”

  But the corner of his mouth noticeably curled into a smirk.

  “Snivy! Snivy!”

  Back at the contestants’ resting area, Snivy was fuming as it reported its grievances to Ethan.

  That human had the audacity to look down on it, claiming it didn’t stand a chance against that Lapras!

  Ethan smiled and patted Snivy’s head, comforting it.

  “Hey, think about it from another angle, okay? The fact that they specifically came looking for us means we’re too strong. They’re probably worried that the championship might slip out of their grasp.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Snivy tilted its head in confusion. “Snivy?” (Really?)

  Ethan nodded seriously. “Of course.”

  Inwardly, though, he found the situation even more amusing.

  This little one,

  Though clever, it still didn’t know much about the human world.

  It was only natural for it to not pick up on these nuances.

  “Snivy...”

  Snivy thought Ethan’s explanation made sense, and its anger subsided slightly. Still, a strong determination welled up within it.

  Just then, the semifinals began.

  This time, the opponent was a trainer with a Spearow.

  Curiously enough, Emma got another bye…

  This was just absurd.

  Ethan even glanced up at Bing, who was overseeing the tournament, and recalled the earlier incident of being summoned. He began to suspect some behind-the-scenes manipulation.

  Against a mere level 15 Spearow, Snivy naturally secured an easy win.

  Finally, the championship match was set to start around 4 PM that afternoon.

  Winning would mean claiming the Baby Cup championship title.

  Three minutes before the final match.

  A chubby boy holding a bag of chips approached Ethan, squinting his almost-invisible eyes at him. “Hey...”

  “Hm?” Ethan was slightly surprised. “What’s up?”

  If he wasn’t mistaken, this boy was the trainer of the Lapras.

  Why was he approaching him now?

  “I heard from my dad that you’re pretty strong?” the boy, whose name was Charlie, asked curiously.

  “Uh, whether I’m strong or not will only be clear after we battle. Do you need something?”

  Due to the earlier encounter with Harrison, Ethan didn’t feel particularly fond of this chubby boy.

  The chubby boy, Charlie, didn’t seem to notice Ethan’s dislike.

  “Then you must be really strong. Otherwise, my dad wouldn’t have instructed Lapras to suppress its energy. Honestly, I don’t even want to go along with this energy suppression thing.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh? Why not?”

  Charlie grabbed another chip. “Want some?”

  Ethan glanced at the slight bit of saliva on Charlie’s fingers and shook his head.

  “It’s simple. Suppressing Lapras’ energy like this makes it uncomfortable. But my dad has always wanted me to become a trainer. Apparently, he heard from some breeder that temporarily suppressing Lapras’ energy transformation could increase its potential. Personally, I think he’s been scammed and doesn’t even realize it. Plus...”

  A hint of helplessness crossed Charlie’s face. “Look at me. Do I look like trainer material?”

  It was clear he wasn’t fully on board with his father’s plans for his future.

  Ethan replied earnestly, “Well... not really. But you can work on it.”

  While technically anyone could become a trainer, not everyone was suited for it.

  Traveling, challenging gyms, and battling…

  These were all inherently risky activities.

  To truly become a trainer, a strong physique was a must. Trainers needed to engage in physical training to some degree to prepare for the challenges they faced.

  One thing was certain:

  In this world, human physiques could be significantly enhanced through training, just like Fighting-type Pokémon.

  The boy before him, however, clearly hadn’t undergone any such training. His current physical condition made it evident he wasn’t suited to be a trainer.

  Charlie nodded in agreement and tossed the bag of chips onto a nearby table. “Right? I think so too. Anyway, the match is about to start. Just give it your all. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter to me.”

  With that, he naturally headed toward the battlefield.

  However, his pace quickened unconsciously, as if he couldn’t wait to get to the arena.

  This was a first for Ethan, having watched Charlie’s previous matches.

  Ethan shook his head, the initial irritation fading away. He followed Charlie toward the battlefield.

  The final match.

  As Snivy and Lapras took their positions on the field, the crowd in the stands grew visibly more excited, their cheers louder than before.

  “It’s the finals! Finally, the finals! I’m actually looking forward to this one. A Lapras that’s only used Water Gun so far, and a Snivy that’s only relied on Vine Whip and Razor Leaf. Both Pokémon have been hiding their true strength!”

  “If you ask me, Lapras probably has the upper hand. Even with the type disadvantage, Snivy is still just a starter Pokémon in its initial stage…”

  “Ah, but both Pokémon are ones I love! Though, I have to admit, I like Snivy more. There’s something so elegant about the way it battles…”