After hanging up with Geeta, Lucas stood up from the sofa.
Their call could be summed up in just one sentence:
Lucas had taken the initiative to ask Geeta to reinstate his Champion-level Trainer status. That was all.
Now restored, he was free to roam the Paldea League HQ, even watch the ongoing Champion Test up close.
He wasn't worried about being used by the League HQ like Larry—once the Champion Test ended, Geeta's attention would be all on Nemona.
Oranguru seemed to have already predicted this, and smiled via telepathy: "Don't be long, Young Master."
When it saw Lucas up early, dressed up in a rare formal suit and combed his chicken-nest hair, Oranguru sensed something was up.
Saying he'd "consider" it was just talk—he'd already made his decision.
"I'll be back soon," Lucas nodded, smoothing his clothes. He glanced at Dragonite, face covered in cream from eating snacks, and smiled helplessly.
"I'll trouble you for a lift, Dragonite."
"Bwoo~"
Dragonite blinked its large, shiny eyes and licked its claws clean to get ready.
Lucas told the other Pokémon in the living room, who were all itching for action: "You all just watch the livestream from home, there shouldn't be any battle today."
The Luxray and friends made scattered replies, but one Pokémon—specifically, one not owned by Lucas, but just staying here—insisted on contradicting him.
"Lucas, let me come too. I'm curious about the peak of human battles."
The Zygarde Core hopped onto the coffee table, a playful glint in its eye.
After coming from Alola to Paldea, Zygarde Core spent its days eating, dozing in the sun, splitting cells, repeating.
As a secret guardian, it was long used to life in hiding, but decided to take this chance to learn about humans and see something new.
Not that it was hoping to join any fighting itself—its cells in Paldea were nowhere near enough to reach even its 10% form.
Lucas glanced at Zygarde Core, surprised to see it ask for something on its own.
Given that, plus the fact it could turn invisible, there was no danger of exposure—not unless Team Star suddenly got black-market tech from out of nowhere. Lucas let it join.
Just as he turned a blind eye to Zygarde's legendary appetite, or using its cells as makeshift security cameras on the farm.
Before leaving, Lucas peeked at the still-quiet Terapagos. He wondered—maybe it was time to do some Terastallization to get Terapagos' attention?
…
While Lucas set out— Nemona, having beaten Dragalge, quickly recalled Pawmot, trying to give it as much rest as possible after burning up all its energy.
Even with its mighty reserves, Pawmot was no legendary bird—it couldn't push through three more rounds without rest.
So Nemona would rely on her other Pokémon to take on Hassel's last two dragons.
Maybe because Lucas had taught her about Dragonite, but Hassel's Trump Card wasn't Dragonite: instead, it was his long-trained Salamence.
Both had a Flying type and posed a threat to Ribombee—no real difference.
Except for Goodra, most members of Nemona's team could be countered by Flying moves. That's because she recruited Pokémon by "feel," not for ideal team balance.
When fighting Larry, she used Pawmot against the Flying-type, using its Electric advantage to counteract its own Fighting weakness.
Hassel saw through this and counter-planned.
Clearly, this guy still hasn't learned the duty of a "mentor"—all he wants is to win against Lucas's apprentice, Nemona. Really, a terrible adult.
But Salamence's body structure gave Nemona a glimmer of hope. After a break, she sent out Aqua Breed Paldean Tauros, who had fully recovered from post-"Rage" fatigue thanks to healing pollen from Ribombee.
Unlike Dragonite, Salamence walks on four limbs—no dexterous hands—meaning it can't block Tauros' horns or neutralize charges, nor counterattack like Dragonite could.
The Champion Test streamed live; many students at Naranja Academy watched, and Hassel's pride would never let him just "stall" in the air to run Tauros out of energy.
All that put things in Nemona's favor—she found the least costly way to win.
In a fierce exchange, Aqua Breed Paldean Tauros' "Raging Bull" overpowered Salamence, battering it despite the type disadvantage.
After repeated blows and tanking Meteor Dives, Tauros triggered "Rage" again, allowing Nemona to push through to victory, though at the cost of numerous new wounds.
Now...the "Battlefield Nurse" had her cue!
"Ribombee!"
The Pokéball burst open with a faint starlike shimmer.
Wearing a red scarf like Mikasa, and sporting an unusual pink coloration, the elegant fairy staged into battle.
Besides healing teammates, Ribombee kept her full fighting strength. Nemona had set this up with great pain, sacrificing a temporarily exhausted Pawmot and resting Tauros for a one-on-one against Hassel's ace.
"Ribom!"
Ribombee fluttered boldly, determination shining in her eyes—she would not squander the opportunity that her partners had made for her!
"Even if I try to stop you, you always find a way. You really are that person's student," Hassel sighed, ending all tricks and preparing to go all out.
"Baxcalibur!"
With a chilling drop in temperature, the dragon Pokémon with a spiny back—like a theropod or Godzilla—came onto the field.
Frosty breath billowed across the room as the dragon's swordlike fins sparking under the lights.
This late-bloomer is Paldea's own special dragon—of the same typing as a certain legend of frozen worlds: Dragon/Ice, Baxcalibur!
Nicknamed "The Little Kyurem"!
This was Hassel's ace. The moment it appeared, its pressure filled the field.
"Place the Terastal Orb on the crown!"
"Great dragon—descend!"
Hassel immediately Terastallized Baxcalibur—giving it a grand crown of Dragon crystals for a Tera Dragon type.
Nemona, with only one Terastal charge allowed in the Champion Gauntlet and no way to recharge, could only have Ribombee desperately boost itself with Quiver Dance before the onslaught hit.
Moments later, a fierce, regal Terastallized Baxcalibur stood, Dragon crown ablaze.
Against Fairy-type Ribombee, Tera Dragon looked like a joke, but it actually gave Baxcalibur no disadvantage, thanks to its native weaknesses and resistances.
Although Fairy moves are immune to Dragon attacks, the Terastal itself still grants a physical boost.
Right as Terastallization finished, Hassel ordered: "You won't complete your Baton Pass! Icicle Crash!"
Baxcalibur breathed frost, forming sharp ice spears that shot at Ribombee.
Hassel had watched Nemona's whole fight with Drayton. He knew what would happen if she managed a Baton Pass strategy. It was her mistake to reveal it earlier.
"Didn't think it'd be that simple," Nemona was fired up instead of discouraged. Pressure only drove her to improve—endless possibilities is what made Pokémon battles so immersive!
"Moonblast!"
"Ribom!" Ribombee spun elegantly to evade the incoming spear, drawing power and forming a radiant moon illusion overhead. A pink energy ball took shape, shattering the charged icicles as Ribombee danced on.
Seeing Icicle Crash unable to keep up with Ribombee's speed after Quiver Dance, Hassel switched to a wide Blizzard to cut off all escape.
It worked—though Ribombee wasn't weak to Ice, as a tropical Pokémon, its wings frosted over immediately.
But Ribombee shook them free, thanks to its Powder skill, ignoring Blizzard's freezing effect.
"Powder ability—immune to added effects, including Blizzard's freeze," Rika observed, wrapping her scarf tighter.
By now, even as the last member of the team, Ribombee was holding strong. The battle with Tera Baxcalibur was dazzling—even Iono was struggling to keep up with commentary.
When Hassel and Baxcalibur gambled everything on a final "Glaive Rush," Nemona played a stroke of genius.
Facing the reckless full-power Glaive Rush—opening itself to all vulnerability—she had Ribombee use Baton Pass, dodging catastrophe. Ursaluna appeared again, tanking the blow and striking back with Takedown.
With a booming crash, the third match of the Champion Test reached its end.