SWNOVELXO Chapter 27: Chapter 27: There Must Be a Side Job!
Paragraph 1
Pokémon: Luxray
Type: Electric
Gender: Male
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 61
Held Item: Magnet
Moves: Charge, Thunder Shock, Howl, Electric Terrain, Thunderbolt, Roar, Thunder Fang, Thunder Wave, Discharge, Bite, Wild Charge, Fire Fang, Hold Back, Power-Up Punch
The Luxray, with its hands soft like flowing water, is a Gym-level Pokémon!
Victor glanced at the other five Pokémon resting in the café. Although they weren't at the Gym level, all five were at least at the professional level.
There was definitely something unusual about a cat café housing such high-level Pokémon, but Victor decided not to dig into it.
"The owner must have a side job," he thought with a smirk.
---
After leaving the Whisker Wonderland cat café, Victor decided to head home to check on the progress of his Carbink and TORRACAT.
Victor had learned from Tessa earlier in the day that all the school classes were cultural lessons, so he chose to let his Pokémon train independently instead of keeping them confined in their Poké Balls.
Upon arriving home, Victor found Carbink and TORRACAT training in the backyard.
At that moment, TORRACAT'S body was enveloped in fiery red flames as it attempted to break through the Reflective Wall set up by Carbink.
Victor noticed a new move in TORRACAT'S repertoire: Flame Charge.
Flame Charge allowed TORRACAT to increase its speed while attacking, giving it more versatility in battle.
With flames surrounding its agile frame, TORRACAT circled around Carbink, searching for an opening in the Reflective Wall. However, Carbink's defense was impeccable, leaving no gaps to exploit.
---
For Carbink, controlling moves like Reflect and Light Screen was second nature. It could seamlessly create walls to block attacks from any direction.
Frustrated by its inability to break through, TORRACAT started scratching the ground in agitation.
The fiery Pokémon seemed uncertain about what to do next.
As Victor stepped into the garden, Carbink was the first to notice him.
"Victor is back!"
---
"I'm back," Victor greeted.
Seeing TORRACAT'S struggle, Victor paused to think. After a moment, he suggested, "Try using Shadow Claw."
Psychic-type moves like Reflect were weak against Ghost, Bug, and Dark-type moves.
Although TORRACAT hadn't mastered Dark-type techniques yet, Shadow Claw, a Ghost-type move, could effectively counter Psychic-type defenses.
Victor instructed Carbink to maintain the Reflective Wall and asked TORRACAT to attack with Shadow Claw.
--- TORRACAT!"
As Raboot charged forward, purple energy coalesced into a large spectral claw around its right paw.
With a powerful leap, TORRACAT swung its Shadow Claw downward.
The dark purple energy collided with the pink Reflective Wall, producing a sharp, crackling sound as the moves clashed.
---
Crack!
Under the sustained pressure of Shadow Claw, the Reflective Wall, lacking reinforcement, began to shatter from the center.
Finally breaking through, TORRACAT allowed the Shadow Claw to dissipate and landed gracefully on the ground.
"That was incredible!" Carbink hopped over to TORRACAT, praising its efforts.
"TORRACAT!" (I've still got a long way to go.)
Despite its success, TORRACAT remained humble. After all, the Reflective Wall was just Carbink's first layer of defense.
"Alright, that's enough for today's training," Victor announced, clapping his hands.
Both Pokémon looked tired from their day of training. Victor decided to reward them with a hearty meal.
He headed inside, leaving the two Pokémon to rest in the garden.
---
Class 3A Group Chat
[Ms.Deonna]: Notice: Starting tomorrow, the senior year competition will begin. Battles will follow a 2v2 format, with no restrictions on switching Pokémon.
[Ms.Deonna]: Results will be recorded in your school file. Please take the competition seriously and remember to bring your Pokémon.
[Balor]: Got it.
[Tessa]: Got it.
---
That evening, students began discussing the competition in the grade-wide group chat.
Student A: Did everyone get the notice?
Student B: Yeah, the battles start tomorrow, right?
Student C: 2v2… My first Pokémon isn't even fully trained yet. How am I supposed to fight?
Student D: Same here. My Bagon is still at the novice level. There's no way I can win against professional-level Pokémon.
Student E: Who do you think will take first place?
Student F: Probably Victor. His dad runs the Rising Sun Gym, after all.
Student G: I don't think so. Rumor has it Victor's starter Pokémon isn't even Fire-type—it's Rock-type!
Student H: What? Why would someone from a Fire-focused family choose a Rock-type starter?
Student I: Who knows? Personally, I think Balor from Class 2 has the best chance.
Student J: Balor has a warturtle as his starter, plus his family gave him a Drapion. That's a final-evolution Pokémon with outstanding combat power!
---
Victor wasn't aware of the chatter in the grade group chat because he hadn't joined it.
The next morning, Roman shared the gossip with him.
"Don't take that wartortle and Drapion too seriously, Victor. We all know you're stronger," Roman said confidently.
Victor simply smiled. He wasn't particularly interested in the competition, but he knew he'd give it his best.
---
Ding! Mission Triggered!
[Mission: Achieve first place in the Celestia High School Senior Competition!]
[Reward: 20 TORRACAT Candy, 5,000 System Coins]
TORRACAT Candy: Feeding this candy to a Pokémon from the litten evolutionary line increases its HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed, and Total Energy by 1 point each.
Additional Reward: The system shop will stock Carbink Candy and TORRACAT Candy upon task completion.
---
Victor's eyes lit up. He recalled a mobile game he used to play before his journey. In that game, candies were special items that enhanced Pokémon stats.
Now, with the system offering a similar reward, Victor felt a renewed determination to win the competition.
"Time to show everyone what I'm capable of," he thought, brimming with confidence.
---
Victor knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but with his trusty team and unwavering resolve, he was ready to claim victory.