As the examiner, Scott had already fought five consecutive battles and lost all five. His mental state had collapsed, then recovered, only to collapse again.
One could only say… he had a remarkably strong heart.
Now, it was finally time for the sixth and final battle. In the previous five battles, Julian had sent out his Pokémon first, as he was the one being assessed.
But this time, before Julian could send out his Pokémon, Scott had already released his sixth Pokémon—a fiery monkey with flames atop its head appeared on the field.
Pokémon: Infernape (Fire/Fighting)
Held Item: Focus Sash
Moves: Close Combat, Mach Punch, Flare Blitz, Taunt, Nasty Plot, Facade, Flamethrower, Power-Up Punch, Flame Wheel, Torment, Calm Mind, Acrobatics, Fire Spin
TMs: Protect, Focus Punch, Bulk Up, Work Up, Hyper Beam, Iron Tail, Dig, Fire Blast, Rock Tomb, Brick Break, Overheat, Focus Blast
Egg Moves: Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Double Kick, Blaze Kick
It turned out to be an Infernape, and judging by its level, it was likely Scott’s ace.
It made sense—this was the sixth and final battle, there was no reason not to bring out his strongest Pokémon.
A level 80 Infernape—peak Elite-tier.
'Meh, passable.' Julian wasn’t particularly disappointed.
Since his opponent had already revealed his ace, Julian naturally responded with his own: Metagross.
Pokémon: Metagross (Steel/Psychic)
Held Item: Metal Coat
Moves: Tackle, Steel Beam, Confusion, Metal Claw, Bullet Punch, Flash Cannon, Magnet Rise, Psychic, Scary Face, Hammer Arm, Meteor Mash, Take Down, Agility, Hyper Beam
TMs: Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Iron Defense, Reflect, Protect, Light Screen, Psycho Cut, Shadow Ball, Gyro Ball, Psyshock, Trailblaze, Bulldoze, Mud-Slap, Aerial Ace, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Brick Break, Thunder Punch, Rest, Teleport, Psychic Fangs, Hard Press, Giga Impact, Future Sight, Focus Punch, Earthquake, Heavy Slam, Body Slam, Ice Beam Rock Slide, Grass Knot, Recover
Note: Enhanced by the Heart of Arceus—all stats boosted, potential increased.
Note: After absorbing the Blacklight Core, the Pokémon continuously absorbs sunlight to restore its stamina (limited to Steel- and Rock-types)
Including Metagross, Julian had already sent out six of his Steel-type Pokémon. Of course, his main team wasn’t limited to just these six—the others simply weren’t Steel-types or were considered his second team.
In this world, Metagross wasn’t exclusive to the Walker family—several other families in Drakoria also owned them.
But a silver-white Metagross? That was a Walker family trademark, with no imitations worldwide.
Ever since the Walker family’s founding ancestor obtained a silver-white Metagross, the family gradually rose to prominence in Drakoria. Through generations of effort, the Walker family had secured their current status and prestige in the nation.
One could say that the silver-white Metagross shaped the Walker family—John, Jake, Julian, and their ancestors—just as much as the Walker family shaped the silver-white Metagross.
The bond between them was a true two-way journey.
Mention one, and the other inevitably comes to mind.
Metagross hovered silently three meters above the ground.
At this moment, it stood just one step away from the peak of Elite-level.
Even though Metagross hadn't moved, the Infernape across from it suddenly tensed up, every muscle on edge—and even took a subconscious step back.
Realizing what it had just done, Infernape glared at Metagross furiously, its fur bristling with anger.
It had actually been intimidated.
Metagross observed the monkey-like creature—no, literally a monkey—before proceeding to demonstrate what a perfect all-round warrior looked like.
Speed, power, defense, HP, special attack, special defense—every aspect was flawless.
Rather than calling it a "hexagonal warrior," it was more accurate to describe it as a perfect circle of combat prowess.
Metagross didn’t crush Infernape with overwhelming power. Instead, it slowly wore it down and exhausted it, until Infernape finally collapsed.
The match lasted a full half hour.
In that time, Infernape had unleashed over a hundred moves.
The outcome—defeating Infernape—was the same, but the manner in which Metagross achieved it spoke volumes about its true strength.
Watching his Infernape faint from exhaustion, Scott retrieved it with a bitter smile.
With that, his assessment task was over.
And as expected, Julian had claimed a complete victory.
Before long, the battle footage would be uploaded to the Trainer Association’s official website… and his humiliation would be broadcasted to the entire nation.
"Ah, you brat," Jake sighed theatrically as the protective barrier dissolved, walking over with a mock scowl.
"Couldn’t you have given your Uncle Scott at least one win? Spare his dignity a little?"
His words were playful, but the pride in his eyes was unmistakable.
Julian didn’t reply, but the meaning was clear: Throwing a match out of pity would’ve been unfair to his Pokémon.
Of course, he understood that Jake was just teasing Scott on purpose.
A true trainer would never throw a winnable battle without good reason—because every fight involved more than just themselves. They owed their Pokémon their very best.
"My reputation’s ruined," Scott grumbled. "His Metagross is already way stronger than yours was at his age."
Jake’s expression shifted—he straightened up and replied seriously, “You’re not even that old—how’s your memory so bad? When I was his age, my Metagross was just as strong as his!”
Julian: 'Dad, even you don’t believe that, do you? Unless you were also cheating with a system—and if you had hacks at your age, our Walker family would’ve already conquered the world by now.'
Scott said flatly, “You really have no shame.”
Though he scorned Jake’s shameless boasting, deep down, he couldn’t help but envy him for having such a monstrously talented son.
For a great clan to thrive and continue for generations, every new generation must produce outstanding successors. Only then could a family maintain its strength and legacy.
If there came a time when no new talents emerged, it would only be a matter of time before the family declined.
Scott’s family wasn’t as powerful as the Walkers, but they were among the closest in standing.
Though he wasn’t the family head—his elder brother held that position—he was one of the key figures within it.
They did have their fair share of promising heirs—however, their "promising" was merely enough to maintain their status, not elevate it.
To truly push the family to greater heights, they’d need descendants on the level of Pierce or Asher.
And if they had someone like Julian? Then that person would basically become the founding ancestor of a new lineage.
"Let’s grab drinks tonight—don’t sulk over it."
Jake threw an arm around his old classmate’s shoulders. After all, wasn’t friendship just mutual mockery that somehow brought people closer?
Scott snorted like it was the biggest joke he'd heard in years.
Jake immediately looked offended. "For your information, my alcohol tolerance has improved over the years. I can drink three of you under the table—easy!"
Upto 30 chapters ahead on :-