One hit, critical damage!
Liang's expression was frozen. That was... Magnet Bomb? Whose Magnet Bomb has that kind of speed, that kind of pinpoint accuracy, and that much destructive power? Could someone please explain this to him?
...
"That Magnet Bomb... what just happened?" "Was it accelerated??"
The students present weren't short on top-tier students, and many quickly deduced the principle behind the move.
Using a magnetic field to accelerate the steel, thereby increasing its lethality. However, such a technique was destined to be difficult to control. It required the Magnet Pull ability, immense mental strength, and the move Lock-On—none of which could be missing.
Even if others had a Magneton, replicating this was nearly impossible unless they spent a fortune nurturing its mental strength.
For Owen, it was only possible because his Magneton already had a natural talent for it, supplemented by high-quality Pokéblocks.
...
Sensing the gazes focused on him, Owen didn't make a big deal of it. Instead, he turned to the review panel and asked, "Is this enough to pass?"
Now that the Super Electromagnetic Railgun had been exposed, he didn't want to get stuck in a long war of attrition if a particularly powerful freshman stepped up. Better to quit while he was ahead!
"Hmm..." Shu, the varsity team member, remained silent for a moment before nodding. To have mastered a move like Gravity... and that complex, coordinated strike seemed custom-made for Magneton. Was this really just a freshman's second Pokémon? If so, how strong was Owen's starter?
"Pass," Shusaid. "As for you, Liang, go fill out an application form as well."
A club reviewer added that although Lu Liang had lost miserably, the assessment wasn't strictly about winning. It was clear that Liang and his Houndoom weren't weak—it was just that Owen was too strong. They weren't about to let a talent likeLiang slip away.
"My god..." Liang looked miserable. Although he could join the club, he didn't feel a shred of joy.
Why did he have to go and provoke Owen? Even their old captain, had a grudge against this guy. He had really set himself up for embarrassment.
...
"This is way too hard."
The previous battle had ended so quickly that the freshmen were only just starting to process it. A heavy feeling sank into their hearts.
Whether it was Magneton or Houndoom, both were incredibly strong. If this was the standard for the Battle Club, it was terrifyingly high.
In truth, many freshmen were admitted to Magic University based on their academic scores rather than their battling prowess.
As long as your grades were high enough to pull up your total score, no one cared about your battle skills—at least during your first year.
That was why the Battle Club held these assessments; they needed to ensure a certain level of quality for their daily training.
"Seniors, excuse me... who is my next opponent?"
Although the panel told Owen he could go collect his form, he stayed put. He still had a task to finish; merely joining the club wasn't his primary goal.
As Owen spoke, the surrounding students immediately erupted. Owen was going to challenge a senior!
Everyone knew about this "hidden rule," but any sane person knew how unreliable such a challenge was.
To get into Magic University, you had to be a top student; to get into the Battle Club, you had to be a genius among geniuses.
Owen was impressive, but a freshman challenging a sophomore was no different from an "underdog challenge" in a web novel.
Everyone started at the same line, but the sophomores had an entire year of university-level training ahead of him. How could he win?
"Are you sure? Challenging a senior grants extra rewards if you win, but they won't go easy on you just because you're a junior," Shu cautioned.
As expected... a freshman like Owen wouldn't pass up this chance.
"Of course. I came here specifically for this," Owen replied with a harmless, innocent smile.
...
"Incredible!!" The Research Class 1 section went wild. Several boys looked at Owen with pure admiration. The first student to successfully join the club was from their class, and now he was challenging a senior.
The girls were a bit more reserved, but they watched the arena with wide eyes. They hadn't realized such a "big shot" was hiding in their class. But... can he really beat a senior?
"It's time for that Eevee to come out, right?" those who knew Owen whispered. If it was Owen's Eevee, a victory wasn't entirely impossible.
It all depended on whether the Battle Club was willing to let him win; with the club's resources, it wouldn't be hard to find a Pokémon that countered Eevee or Magneton.
"I'm so glad I didn't go up earlier..." In the crowd, Lynn let out a long sigh of relief. If she hadn't been held back by Lan, she would have lost even more embarrassingly.
She turned to Lan, the apprentice from the Winter Dojo, wanting to ask what she thought Owen's odds were.
...
"Who's going?" the Battle Club members discussed among themselves.
"This Owen is the top student from Fairview. We don't know how much he's improved in the last few months, so we shouldn't be careless."
The Club President pondered the situation. To maintain a sense of grace, seniors usually didn't use their absolute "Ace" Pokémon against freshmen.
But Owen was clearly a tough nut to crack with all those accolades. Using just any regular member might be risky.
"I'll go," a sophomore in shorts stood up. "I'll take this one. You guys can split the rest."
"Haha, alright. Good luck, Tao." "Don't go losing to a freshman now."
Seeing Tao step forward, the seniors laughed. Since he was willing to handle the "tough nut," they were happy to sit back and watch. Tao —despite his name sounding like a "car accident scene" in Chinese—was a skilled member of the club who specialized in Grass-types.
"It's Tao," the watching seniors noted. "That freshman is finished. Tao is a core member of the club. He's one of the few with a real shot at making the varsity team before his senior year!"
In last year's recruitment, Tao had also been one of the few freshmen to successfully defeat a senior. Meeting him, Owen's luck seemed to have run out.
Whirr—
Magneton looked warily at Tao , its fighting spirit still burning. However, Owen waved it back.
"This tall guy is a bit tricky. Let Eevee handle it. I'll take you to a battle in a few days," Owen told Magneton.
"Kuo-yi..." "Good boy."
Owen pulled out a Pokéball and recalled Magneton. Simultaneously, Tao reached the center of the arena.
"You're Owen? I heard them saying your starter is an Eevee, right?" Tao said. "Maybe it's evolved by now... I hope it's not a Vaporeon, or this will be over too quickly."
Tao scratched his head and released his Pokémon.
Victreebel!
The Pokémon looked like a giant pitcher plant with dark yellow spots, standing upright with a massive, gaping mouth facing the sky. Its "head" was covered by a leaf, and sharp teeth lined its maw, looking as though it truly could swallow a person whole.
"Not quite. My Eevee hasn't evolved yet."
As Owen spoke, Eevee emerged from its Pokéball and took its place on the field.
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