“Woooo~!”

  A long, joyful cry resonated across the entire arena.

  Accompanying it was the sound of the system prompt in Ethan’s ear:

  【Congratulations to the host for increasing Lapras’ happiness level from 10% to 75%. Rewards: 10 bags of Miracle Fertilizer, 1 Rare Candy, 1 C-Rank Water Stone.】

  The moment Lapras was released, a current of water swirled around its body.

  No one could fully grasp what it was feeling at that moment.

  Having its energy suppressed for so long was like an overfilled plastic bag being continuously filled with water. The pressure inside only grew stronger, and the sensation of fullness and pain within its body became increasingly unbearable.

  Now, as it finally released that pent-up energy, Lapras even felt a hint of gratitude toward Ethan, its opponent.

  During this time,

  Ethan, showing his understanding, refrained from issuing any attack commands to Snivy.

  He simply waited patiently for Lapras to complete its transformation.

  But then…

  “Wooo~!”

  The once excited cry suddenly turned pained, and Lapras’ body began to writhe uneasily.

  This abrupt change immediately caught the audience’s attention.

  “What’s going on with Lapras? Why does it sound so miserable as soon as it comes out? The match hasn’t even started yet!”

  “This is so strange…”

  The anticipation for the match quickly turned into concern for Lapras.

  “Pause the match! Pause the match!” Charlie’s face grew panicked as he waved his arms and shouted toward the officials in the sky.

  Although he had only recently become a trainer in name, this Lapras had been with him for several months.

  Up above, Bing also noticed the abnormality. Frowning, he immediately commanded his Aegislash to descend and check Lapras’ condition.

  The swirling water vapor was a clear sign that energy was leaking from within its body. The grass around it had already become wet and muddy.

  No wonder he had always felt something was off about this Lapras.

  During battles, it never moved a step, even when hit by an opponent’s attacks. It also used its energy without the slightest hesitation.

  Now it was clear—this was the result of suppressing its energy for far too long.

  “What should I do?”

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  Charlie looked at Bing in a panic, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

  He knew Bing was a Gym-level trainer his father had specially hired, someone far more knowledgeable than him.

  But to his surprise, Bing shook his head. “I can only tell that it’s due to prolonged energy suppression, but I don’t know how to resolve it. It’s best to wait for professional medical personnel to arrive.”

  During this transformation process,

  Charlie didn’t dare to recall Lapras into its Pokéball. In a daze, he picked up his phone and called for emergency services.

  Bing’s commentary echoed throughout the arena via the microphone.

  The audience erupted into a frenzy.

  “What? Suppressing energy on purpose and then coming to the Baby Cup to stomp on weaker opponents? Isn’t that a bit too much?”

  “Well, not exactly. It’s within the rules, after all. But if you’re going to suppress energy, you should’ve used an Everstone. Just look at this Lapras—it’s been suppressed for so long, and now it’s trying to evolve all at once… Ugh, it could be life-threatening. It’s like a flood overwhelming its body—too violent, too sudden.”

  “Looks like the final winner will be Snivy…”

  “What the—? The Snivy’s trainer is taking advantage of the situation and having it release its moves right now!”

  (It looks like it’s in so much pain. Will it die?)

  Below him, Snivy, who had originally been looking forward to an intense battle, couldn’t help but ask as it watched the agonized cries of Lapras.

  Ethan sighed. “... Its energy is too overwhelming, and its body can’t handle it all at once. By the time the medical team arrives, they might save it, but it’ll probably suffer lasting aftereffects.”

  “Alright, Snivy. The match has officially started now. We still have to fight. I’ll use the power of Verdant Force to guide you through the battle.”

  “Snivy…” (Understood…)

  “Grassy Terrain!”

  While everyone else’s attention was fixed on Lapras,

  the green grass of the arena had silently sprouted new buds. Stimulated by Grass-type energy, it began growing rapidly.

  “Snivy?”

  In just a short moment, the grass had grown to over half a meter high, completely concealing Snivy’s figure.

  The grass extended across the battlefield, covering the entire area between Snivy and Lapras.

  “Vine Whip.”

  Two green vines lashed out like shadows, swiftly wrapping around the bewildered Charlie standing beside Lapras and dragging him to the side of the field.

  Ethan exhaled deeply as the Verdant Force within him was released for the first time.

  An invisible energy flowed from his body and enveloped Lapras, carrying with it a simple command: “Just battle as usual. Have Lapras use Water Gun on Snivy.”

  This command wasn’t just conveyed to Lapras—it reached Charlie as well.

  Charlie froze, unsure where the voice had come from. However, in his current state of panic, he instinctively shouted, “Water Gun!”

  In the lush green grass, Snivy’s shadow flickered in and out of sight, almost following a rhythm.

  Every time it appeared, a jet of water would land where Snivy had just been.

  “What? This won’t work!”

  Bing’s pupils contracted as he watched the scene unfold.

  While it was true that using skills like this could help alleviate the buildup of energy inside Lapras,

  at this moment, venting its energy through such forceful attacks was akin to poking a hole in an overfilled plastic bag. The immense pressure of the water would only stretch the hole wider and wider.

  This type of damage was internal and outwardly destructive.

  Without specialized equipment, no one could predict where this "hole" might appear inside Lapras.

  But in the next second, Bing froze.

  Because,

  as Lapras continued releasing Water Gun,

  its previously pained expression gradually eased, showing no signs of further discomfort.

  The jets of water sprayed wildly across the grassy field, yet not a single one managed to hit Snivy.

  “Grass Blender, Leech Seed!”

  At that moment,

  Ethan issued another command.

  With the boost from Grassy Terrain, two swirling vortexes of wind and vibrant green leaves quickly formed. They spun rapidly and closed in on Lapras from both sides.

  Lapras instinctively released another Water Gun.

  Its proficiency with the move had noticeably improved, and the energy within its body was just one step away from being completely resolved.

  That final step was to use Leech Seed to drain the remaining excess energy from within its body.

  While the Grass Blender on the left was dispersed by Lapras’ Water Gun, the one on the right crashed into its body.

  The impact tore through its skin, planting Leech Seeds within the wound.

  Lapras suddenly stopped moving.

  Its previously pained expression completely eased, and to everyone’s surprise, it even seemed to… enjoy the sensation?