Lacey, a first-year student of Blueberry Academy.
Like Kanaz City's Pokémon Academy, Blueberry Academy is a higher education institution, unlike Paldea's Naranja Academy, which combines primary, secondary, and tertiary education.
Blueberry Academy is jointly funded and supported by both the Unova and Paldea regions, making it robust in both teaching staff and student resources.
Within the academy, students are ranked with the titles of Champion and Elite Four, modeled after the League structure. While these aren't the same as official League Champions and Elite Fours, it speaks to the prestige of the institution—what other school dares grant such titles?
Lacey is currently one of the academy's Elite Four.
She is also the daughter of Clay, the Gym Leader of Driftveil City in Unova.
Who is Clay?
A bigshot in Unova's underground—literally. Not in the way Giovanni is a "boss," but in the literal sense of running operations underground.
He owns Mount Ross, Unova's largest mining site, rich in coal, metal, and mineral resources. A veritable mining tycoon.
He even collaborates with major companies like Devon and Silph Co.
Lacey is the quintessential "diamond bachelorette" and only child. Marrying into her family would basically save you a hundred years of struggle.
With such resources, Blueberry Academy's instruction, and Lacey's solid talent, her strength is formidable.
Johan vividly remembers encountering Lacey during his first time at Blueberry Academy while playing the Scarlet/Violet DLC. She left a "deep impression."
So yes, this "Youth Masters World Championship" is steep. It's only the first round and the opponents are already tough—Johan knows not to be careless.
"She's here! Teacher Johan is here!"
"Teacher Johan! Is this a battle lesson?"
"Teacher Johan's not doing Baby Cup this time~~"
As Johan walked out of the tunnel, a wave of cheers erupted.
Lacey, too, came out cheerfully and politely greeted him.
"Teacher Johan, let's have a good match~"
"She's so cute!"
"Go, Lacey! Beat Teacher Johan!"
"Lacey!!"
Clearly, Lacey is quite popular in Unova—cute, rich, and rich. What's not to love?
"Yoji Yoji Yoji—"
The stubborn Larvitar refused to stay in its Poké Ball and trotted along with Johan to the battlefield, fists clenched like it was channeling Totodile energy.
"So cute~"
Seeing it, Lacey couldn't help but blush a little.
Lacey loves all things cute and is a neat freak—she bathes her Pokémon three times a day.
"Yo-Yoji..."
Larvitar blushed and rubbed its fists shyly.
Even if you call me cute, I won't go easy on you!
Johan side-eyed it.
You say that like you're actually going to be fielded.
"I get it! Johan's using psychological tactics!"
"Right! Using cuteness to shake Lacey's will—shameless!"
"Dirty tricks!"
Johan: "???"
Do you hear yourselves?
"Both trainers, please prepare!"
Thankfully, the referee brought the attention back to the match.
Lacey's expression turned serious.
Her opponent was Teacher Johan, suspected to be at least Elite Four level. She needed to give it her all.
"Go, Whimsicott!" she called, throwing out her Poké Ball.
A small, fluffy Pokémon floated onto the field, like a puff of cotton.
Lacey's father specialized in Ground-types, but she preferred Fairy-types—specifically cute ones.
"Wim-wim-wim~~"
The Whimsicott twirled its tiny fists, excited.
"Whimsicott, the Windveiled Pokémon, Grass and Fairy-type. Mischievous and flutters with the breeze—Rotom says!"
Johan was no stranger to this Pokémon, notoriously known in battle as the "annoying fluff."
He also had studied Lacey's preferred tactics.
So at the moment she summoned Whimsicott, Johan released his own Pokémon:
"You're up, Tinkaton!"
"Cha!!"
With a shimmer of red light, the pink and fierce Tinkaton appeared, wielding her massive hammer.
"It's Tinkaton!" Poppy's eyes sparkled from the stands.
Her main Pokémon was also Tinkaton.
Rika gently patted her head, smiling, "See why Teacher Johan is perfect for teaching you? Watch closely."
"Mhm!" Poppy nodded furiously.
She summoned her own Tinkaton too.
"Tinkaton, let's watch Teacher Johan's Tinkaton together~~"
The two pink Pokémon looked like sisters standing together.
"Cha! Cha!"
Poppy's Tinkaton nodded seriously.
"So cute!" Lacey said again, cheeks flushed, eyes twinkling.
Her fans reacted immediately.
"Ughh—Lacey is too cute!"
"Teacher Johan's at it again—attacking with cuteness!"
"Psych majors are so dirty!"
Johan: …I give up.
Fairy/Steel type versus Grass/Fairy—we've got the type advantage.
"Cha~~"
Tinkaton smiled innocently, spinning her hammer casually.
"Wim-wim~~" Whimsicott winked mischievously.
Both Pokémon clearly had a plan.
Battle Start!
"Tailwind!" Lacey called immediately.
With its Prankster ability, Whimsicott began generating a backwind, boosting speed.
"Tinkaton, Fake Out!" Johan countered.
Though priority-wise Fake Out loses to Prankster-boosted Tailwind, this wasn't a game—you couldn't just go by base priority.
Distance matters.
Whimsicott launched Tailwind swiftly, but Tinkaton was already charging in.
Smack!!
Buzz—
Just as she was about to swing, a red light beamed Whimsicott back into its Poké Ball!
Lacey didn't want to lose her core Pokémon to a first-turn trade.
In her place, she sent out:
"Go, Excadrill!"
A Ground/Steel-type mole Pokémon burst forth with huge steel drills on its arms.
This was her counterpick—meant to challenge Steel-types and Poison-types who threaten Fairy-types.
Excadrill couldn't Terastallize here, but it was still a formidable choice.
Especially one trained by a Ground-type master like Clay.
"Excadrill, huh? That's tough," Poppy muttered.
Even her Tinkaton nodded seriously.
Johan should switch, right?
But he didn't.
He charged forward.
Excadrill had just landed. He had the initiative.
"Tinkaton, Rock Smash!"
Boom!
The hammer came down, and Excadrill crossed arms to block—Crack!
Its metal drills split slightly. It was shaken.
"Dig!" Lacey commanded.
Excadrill vanished into the earth.
"Cha?" Tinkaton glanced around.
"Dig gives her back the momentum," some audience members murmured.
Johan still didn't switch.
Why bother?
Dig underground?
Then I'll just break the ground.
"Do what you do best, Tinkaton."
"Cha!"
With gleaming eyes, she wound up her hammer.
"Wait, is she...?" Rika blinked.
"Eh?" Poppy and her Tinkaton were stunned.
But Daigo and Aaron knew what was coming.
"Strategy is important," Daigo said.
"But sometimes you don't need strategy," Aaron finished.
"Tinkaton—Gigaton Hammer! Smash the ground!"
BOOM!!
The entire swamp field shook violently—crack!
From beneath, Excadrill was blasted upward, dazed.
What happened!?
The audience gasped.
"Wasn't this a reinforced battlefield?"
"I just remembered! Teacher Johan's Tinkaton is..."
"A field killer!"
And it wasn't over.
Excadrill hadn't recovered when—
SMASH!!
"Cha!!"
With one clean hit, it was knocked out cold.
Total silence.
Then—uproar.
"I'm an idiot—I forgot Johan could be so brutal!"
"Why did one hammer swing cause so much destruction?!"
On-screen, Tinkaton gently placed her hammer down—thud.
The ground dented.
That was light.
Was the hammer hiding a star?
And she wielded it like it was nothing!?
"Excadrill is unable to battle! Lacey, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The judge looked at the ruined field, covered in sludge, and felt like crying.
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Powerstones?
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