The battlefield was engulfed in rain.

  And it wasn’t just Field #2 where August and Blue were battling—several other nearby battlefields were also caught in the downpour.

  One of those fields had been hosting a heated match between a Charmeleon and a Magmar.

  But the moment the rain began, their fmes sputtered out.

  With both Fire-types suddenly weakened, the battle was cut short.

  Still, instead of driving people away, the rain drew even more spectators to August and Blue’s match.

  “Dragonair’s so strong!”

  “They say Dragonair can control the weather… looks like it’s true!”

  Even as the rain soaked their clothes, the students watching became more excited.

  Some of them even pulled out their notebooks and started scribbling down observations, using their own bodies to shield the pages from getting wet.

  But August and Blue were entirely focused on their battle.

  Clefable, now completely drenched, looked utterly miserable.

  Yet, despite its soaked fur, its expression remained determined.

  Blue was now fully aware—August’s Dragonair was far stronger than she had expected.

  Even with a type advantage, she wouldn’t be able to win just by brute force.

  Since a direct confrontation wouldn’t work—

  She had to get creative.

  “Clefable, [Minimize]!”

  Blue adjusted the umbrel she had borrowed from a Ditto while giving her command.

  Clefable’s eyes sparkled as a strange energy surrounded its body.

  In an instant, it shrank to two-thirds of its original size.

  Then, before anyone could react—

  It shrank again—now only half its previous size!

  The once-easy-to-spot Clefable was now a tiny figure, blending into the rain.

  At this size, hitting it would be a challenge.

  August raised an eyebrow.

  “[Minimize], huh? Clever.”

  Shrinking Clefable’s size made it harder to target.

  The rain provided natural cover.

  But August simply smirked.

  “That won’t be enough to stop my Dragonair.”

  He lifted his hand.

  “[Twister].”

  The students watching from the sidelines immediately started whispering.

  “[Twister]?”

  “But Dragon-type moves don’t affect Fairy-types…?”

  “Did he mess up?”

  Blue was just as confused.

  Unlike those students, she knew August wouldn’t make careless mistakes.

  If he gave that command—

  Then there had to be a reason.

  Dragonair, however, had absolute trust in its trainer.

  Without hesitation, it twisted its sleek body and summoned powerful air currents.

  A violent [Twister] erupted onto the battlefield—

  Not just one, but several.

  The tornados howled through the arena, tearing through the rain—

  And transforming into spiraling water cyclones.

  Under Dragonair’s control, these water-filled [Twisters] surged straight toward Clefable’s position.

  August smirked.

  “[Minimize] is a good move."

  But if you’re so small—how do you pn to keep your bance in a tornado?”

  If Clefable had been its normal size, it might have been able to hold its ground.

  But now—?

  The tiny Clefable barely took two steps before—

  WHOOSH.

  The suction force lifted it clean off the ground.

  “Cleeee—blub blub—!”

  The helpless Clefable was instantly swept into the vortex—

  And flung around like a ragdoll in a washing machine.

  Dragon-type [Twister] might not have harmed Clefable directly—

  But the water inside the storm was another story.

  Blue grimaced.

  Clefable was completely trapped.

  How do I counter this…?

  If it had been Wartortle on the field, she could have withdrawn into its shell or used a Water-type move to break free.

  But Clefable…?

  She wracked her brain for a solution.

  And then—

  An idea came to her.

  Not a pn, exactly.

  More of a… gamble.

  “Clefable—[Metronome]!”

  [Metronome].

  The ultimate gambling move.

  The move it chose was completely random.

  Lucky trainers swore by it.

  Unlucky trainers cursed its existence.

  With no other options, Blue put all her hopes into this single move.

  Inside the [Twister], Clefable barely heard its trainer’s voice.

  Dazed, battered, and half-drowning, it weakly lifted its tiny hand—

  And wiggled its fingers.

  A light flickered at Clefable’s fingertips.

  Mysterious energy swirled around it.

  Then—

  A green aura enveloped its body.

  Lifting it into the air.

  August’s stomach dropped.

  He had a very bad feeling.

  The moment he saw the energy shift, his instincts screamed at him.

  His expression darkened.

  “…No way.”

  Then, without hesitation—

  “[Protect]! Now!”

  Dragonair didn’t understand why its trainer was so suddenly serious, but its body reacted instinctively.

  Curling itself up, it summoned a shimmering blue barrier around itself.

  And at that exact moment—

  The energy surrounding Clefable solidified into a massive, glowing dragon shape.

  From the sidelines, a student suddenly gasped.

  “[Dragon Rush!]”

  The entire crowd froze.

  “She randomly rolled [Dragon Rush]?!”

  “That’s insane luck!”

  Before anyone could say another word—

  Clefable, now wreathed in draconic energy, plummeted from the sky—

  Shooting straight toward Dragonair’s [Protect].

  A thunderous impact rocked the battlefield.

  BOOM!

  A shockwave rippled outward, nearly knocking some spectators off their feet.

  The sheer force of the collision made everyone’s hearts skip a beat.

  Then—

  A faint crack echoed across the field.

  All eyes snapped toward Dragonair.

  Tiny fractures began to form on [Protect]’s.

  First one.

  Then two.

  Then three—

  Until the entire shield was covered in cracks.

  And finally—

  CRACK!

  With a final shatter, the barrier colpsed.

  “…That was still too strong?””

  August sighed.

  In real battles, Protect wasn’t an absolute defense.

  If an attack’s power exceeded the barrier’s limit—

  It would still break.

  And [Dragon Rush]—especially one boosted by luck—was too much to handle.

  The shimmering pieces of [Protect] scattered in the air before fading away.

  And with nothing left to stop it—

  Clefable smmed directly into Dragonair.

  BOOM!

  A cloud of smoke and dust erupted upon impact.

  The battlefield was silent.

  The students held their breath.

  Even Blue was too stunned to speak.

  She had already been prepared to lose.

  But then Clefable’s [Metronome] had nded [Dragon Rush] of all things.

  Did… did it actually win?!

  She stared into the lingering smoke.

  One second.

  Ten seconds.

  Twenty seconds.

  A full thirty seconds passed.

  Then, just as the dust began to settle—

  A pink figure was unched out of the smoke.

  A student gasped.

  “Clefable?! Does that mean…?”

  Had Dragonair lost?

  Had luck really decided the match?

  But before anyone could jump to conclusions—

  Another student pointed at the battlefield.

  “Wait—look!”

  Blue’s eyes followed their gaze—

  And her heart sank.

  Clefable wasn’t standing.

  It was lying on the ground.

  Then, with a gust of wind, the remaining smoke fully cleared.

  And standing in the middle of the field—

  Bruised, battered, and utterly exhausted—

  Dragonair still stood.

  ---

  "......"

  - Gardevoir

  (End of Chapter—Support the transtor at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)