The wooden giant's fists came down like massive pile drivers, hammering the same spot over and over as thick clouds of smoke billowed into the air.
Each punch tore through the wind.
Every impact cracked like thunder.
"That's enough... Sceptile!"
No one knew how many punches the golem had thrown.
At some point, everyone had simply lost count.
Only when Aaron called out did the giant finally stop.
The towering construct raised its head toward the sky and unleashed a deafening roar that echoed across the entire university grounds.
By then, nearly everyone in the arena had risen to their feet without even realizing it.
All eyes remained fixed on the battlefield below.
...
The smoke slowly cleared.
And when the devastation beneath it was finally revealed, the entire arena went silent again.
"Is... is that a meteor crater?"
Everyone stared in disbelief.
A massive crater now occupied the center of the battlefield.
It looked as though a meteor had slammed straight into the arena, the pit so deep that its bottom was barely visible.
At the very bottom lay Tyranitar.
Its eyes had rolled back, foam spilling from its mouth, and its battered body was sprawled motionless across the shattered earth.
The injuries were severe.
Even if Tyranitar survived, its strength would almost certainly plummet, and there was no guarantee it would ever return to its peak.
For all practical purposes...
Quincy's Tyranitar was finished.
A pseudo-legendary, Class Champion-level Pokémon had just been crippled by a freshman during the Trainer Camp Assessment.
It sounded like the setup to the biggest joke of the year.
And yet everyone had just watched it happen with their own eyes.
"This... this can't be real, right?"
"A Class Champion-level Tyranitar... beaten this badly by a freshman?"
"Can this get any more ridiculous?"
The spectators stared down at the broken Tyranitar lying at the bottom of the crater, still struggling to process what they had witnessed.
Then—
"Aaron!"
Someone in the stands suddenly shouted his name.
Another voice immediately followed.
"Aaron!"
"Aaron!"
"Aaron!"
...
Within seconds, the entire arena had joined in.
"AARON!"
"AARON!"
"AARON!"
The chant rolled through the stands like a rising tide.
Deafening cheers swept across the field.
Excitement and admiration were written across every face.
Many of the upper-year students present probably could not have defeated Quincy's Tyranitar themselves.
Yet a freshman from their own university had done exactly that.
How could they not be impressed?
"Good! Very good!"
The administrators were practically glowing with excitement, looking decades younger than they had a few minutes earlier.
Several nearly sprang out of their seats as they talked over one another.
"That kid is a monster... an absolute monster!"
"With him representing us, first place in the Intercollegiate Freshman Tournament is practically ours!"
"Hahaha! Forget just one tournament. A talent like this could keep our university at the top for years!"
"No wonder the president values him so highly. Number one on the Hidden Dragon Rankings—and he damn well deserves it!"
"Having Aaron here is a blessing. Imperial Elite can enjoy their lead while it lasts. We're taking back everything we lost—and then some!"
...
The university officials were almost bouncing in their seats.
One elderly administrator got so excited that his dentures slipped loose without him noticing, leaving half his words whistling through the gaps.
A freshman capable of defeating a Class Champion-level Pokémon.
That feat alone was enough to establish Aaron as the most terrifying talent among this year's freshmen.
Unless the prodigies from the reclusive families finally emerged...
Who else could possibly compete with him?
...
Down on the battlefield, the students from Classes 1 and 2 looked as though their eyes were about to pop out of their heads.
The way they looked at Aaron had completely changed.
Before today, they knew there was a gap between them and him.
They had simply assumed it was not that large.
Work hard enough, train long enough, and maybe they could still catch up.
Well...
They had been right about one thing.
The gap really was not that large.
It was only a few worlds wide.
That realization was enough to crush whatever competitive spirit they had left.
Catch up?
Forget catching up.
They could barely see his back anymore.
There was not even any point comparing themselves to him.
All that remained was awe.
...
"Tyranitar!"
Quincy finally snapped out of his stupor with a desperate shout.
He stumbled toward the edge of the crater and looked down.
The moment he saw Tyranitar lying broken at the bottom, his face twisted in anguish.
"Tyranitar!"
Then he whipped around toward Aaron, hatred burning in his eyes.
"Aaron! You went too far!"
"You ruined my Tyranitar!"
"You owe me an explanation!"
"If you think this ends here, you're wrong!"
Aaron stared at him for a second.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"Instructor Quincy, you really are something."
"You designed the assessment."
"You set the rules."
"You were the one who said we only had to defeat Tyranitar to pass."
Aaron spread his hands.
"So what's the problem?"
"Now that your own Pokémon paid the price, suddenly you want to change the rules?"
He shook his head.
"That's some impressive shamelessness."
"Your skin's thick enough to armor a city wall. I'm not sure a cannonball could get through it."
"Pfft—hahaha!"
The nearby students immediately burst out laughing.
They looked at Quincy as though he were a clown.
"That's shameless as hell. He said it himself—the assessment ends when Tyranitar loses. What, does getting beaten half to death somehow not count?"
"He brought this on himself."
"Exactly. He spent the whole week trying to screw us over, and now it cost him a pseudo-legendary."
"Serves him right."
"You old bastard! You treated us like dogs for seven straight days. Consider this karma."
"A Class Champion-level pseudo-legendary... wrecked just like that."
One student grinned.
"I'm not gonna lie. That feels way too damn good."
"Hahaha!"
...
The students openly laughed at Quincy, their faces full of barely concealed satisfaction.
All the resentment they had swallowed over the past seven days suddenly felt much lighter.
It was like drinking an ice-cold Coke after spending hours under the blazing sun, then letting out one long, satisfied breath.
Now that hit the spot.