"What do you mean, when the match starts, let Snivy pretend to be knocked out immediately by Lapras?"
The quarter-finals had concluded.
Only five competitors remained in the entire tournament.
During the break, Ikeoka Sho—who had been standing outside promoting his HappyMart store—approached Hayashi Kaede with a wide grin. He waved him over to a quiet spot beneath the stands.
Kaede frowned. "What now?"
Ikeoka Sho chuckled and pulled out a bank card.
"Look, little brother. You've seen how strong that Lapras is. In the finals, your Snivy probably won't win. So why not make a deal? Just… pretend to lose quickly. This is nothing big—just 500,000 PokéDollars. Come on, give me some face..."
Kaede didn't even pause.
He waved him off. "Not interested."
Then he turned and walked away.
Throwing a match for money? Are you kidding me?
Sho was left standing there with a frozen smile. After a long pause, his face twisted with frustration.
"What a stubborn little punk. Doesn't know how to take a hint, huh?"
He paced a few steps, then took out his phone and called his son.
"Yeah, Dad?" came the lazy reply as a round boy sipping soda strolled over.
Seeing his son, Ikeoka Sho's face softened.
"In the final match, when you're up against that Snivy, don't hold back. Let Lapras use its full strength."
"That Snivy's no pushover."
"Okay, okay, I got it," the chubby boy grumbled, clearly annoyed. "You said all I needed to do was spam Water Gun…"
But his lips curled slightly in amusement as he walked away.
╰（‵□′）╯: "Snivy!"
Back in the contestant area,
Snivy hissed indignantly at Hayashi Kaede.
That human just now had totally looked down on her—saying she could never beat that Lapras!
Kaede smiled and gave her a gentle pat.
"Look at it this way. He's only trying this because we're strong—he's afraid we might win. That's why he's worried."
"Snivy?" she blinked. (Really?)
Kaede nodded solemnly. "Absolutely."
She's clever, but still doesn't know how the world works. It's no wonder she didn't catch on to their trickery right away.
"Snivy…"
Snivy huffed, still a little upset, but she accepted Kaede's explanation. The anger faded—though not completely.
Just then, the semi-finals began.
Kaede's opponent was a trainer who used a Spearow.
Strangely enough, Takagi Megumi got another bye.
Suspicious.
Kaede even looked toward Kondō Satoshi in the sky. He remembered seeing him called away earlier and couldn't help but wonder if something shady was going on.
But it didn't matter.
Against a Level 15 Spearow, Snivy handled it easily.
And finally, around 4 p.m., the finals were officially set to begin.
The winner would take the Baby Cup championship.
Three minutes before the match, a plump boy munching on potato chips walked up to Kaede and squinted at him.
"Hey."
Kaede looked at him, a little puzzled. "Something wrong?"
If he remembered correctly, this was the trainer of the Lapras.
"My dad said you're pretty good," Ikeoka Testsuya said curiously.
"We'll find out soon enough. You good to go?" Kaede responded casually.
After the earlier encounter with Ikeoka Sho, Kaede didn't have a good impression of this kid.
But Testsuya didn't seem to notice Kaede's coldness.
"You must be strong. Otherwise, my dad wouldn't have told Lapras to hold back. Honestly, I hate suppressing Lapras's power like this."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why?"
Sho offered him a greasy potato chip.
Kaede looked at the slobbered fingers and politely declined.
Sho munched as he explained:
"My dad wants me to be a trainer. But I heard from some breeder that suppressing Lapras's energy transformation can raise its potential or something. I think he's been tricked."
A sigh escaped him.
"Honestly, do I look like a trainer?"
Kaede looked him over.
Testsuya was about 1.7 meters tall, but pushing nearly 200 kilograms. His body was soft and flabby.
He said gently, "Well… you don't look the part. But training could change that."
Being a trainer wasn't just about skill—it required real physical training.
In this world, human strength could be honed just like a Fighting-type Pokémon's—through effort and discipline.
But…
This kid clearly isn't built for field work, let alone cross-country journeys and battles.
Testsuya nodded as if he agreed.
He tossed the chips aside and stood up.
"Yeah, I think so too. Whatever, the match is about to start. Just go all out, okay? Doesn't matter to me if I win or lose."
And with that, he casually headed to the battlefield.
Kaede watched him go.
He's actually excited… This is the first time I've seen him move with energy.
Kaede smiled, his initial dislike fading. He followed after him.
The final match.
As Snivy and Lapras stepped onto the field, the stadium finally came alive with cheers.
"The finals! I've been waiting for this one. That Lapras barely used anything besides Water Gun—same for Snivy, just Vine Whip and Leaf Blade. They've both been hiding their true strength!"
"If you ask me, Lapras has the edge. Even with a type disadvantage, Snivy's still just in her early stage…"
"Yeah, but have you seen that Snivy fight? So elegant. I'm rooting for her all the way!"