"It's over..."
The team leader slumped back into his chair, powerless. Taking a Giga Impact head-on would cause even a Steel-type Pokémon to lose its ability to battle on the spot, let alone a creature of flesh and blood.
But just as his voice fell, a sudden change occurred!
That Krookodile, lying amidst the smoke and dust, actually began to stand up again... slowly and tremblingly!
Its body was covered in scars, blood overflowed from the corners of its mouth, and its aura had withered to the extreme.
However, an eerie, crimson aura, like boiling blood, began to burn upon its body!
"That... what is that?!" Yuki exclaimed.
The team leader's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks as the name of a skill that made his scalp tingle surfaced in his mind.
"Counter!"
On the field, after using Giga Impact, Tyranitar had fallen into a brief state of stiffness, unable to move.
And the Krookodile that had stood up took all the damage it had just endured and condensed it all into its right fist, with interest.
That crimson aura gathered entirely at a single point, as if it were clutching a supernova about to explode!
"Now!" Ariel's voice resounded through Krookodile's soul.
"Roar!"
Krookodile let out a roar that bet everything. Its figure turned into a final afterimage, crossing the entire battlefield.
One punch.
It was ordinary-looking, yet it condensed all its will and pain into that single strike.
It hit Tyranitar directly in the chest, which was undefended due to its stiffness.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a slight "crack" sound.
Tyranitar's hard abdominal carapace cracked open.
The crimson energy was like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly pouring into its body, returning the power it was so proud of... double-fold!
Tyranitar's massive body trembled violently. The fierce light in its eyes quickly faded, replaced by a blank and hollow stare.
Then, under the stunned gazes of everyone, this invincible "mountain" crashed backward.
BOOM—
The earth wailed.
The Sandstorm filling the sky vanished into thin air as it fell.
One Pokémon stood, while the other lay down.
The entire world was in dead silence.
The leader of the assessment team adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. His eyes behind the lenses reflected the deep red figure standing tall in the center of the field.
He opened his mouth but found his throat a bit dry. The set of official rhetoric he had prepared was now completely stuck in his throat.
Reckless? Giving up his own field advantage?
Recalling his previous judgments, his cheeks felt a bit hot.
The facts proved that it wasn't that the person was reckless, but that his own vision simply hadn't kept up with the other's level.
"He... he actually did it."
The team leader finally squeezed out these words. His voice wasn't loud, yet it was exceptionally clear in this silence.
"Using only one Pokémon to pass the Intermediate Cadre assessment..."
Yuki, who was beside him, had long been unable to contain herself. Her small fists were clenched tightly. If it weren't for the work regulations restraining her, she probably would have jumped up and cheered by now.
The look she gave the team leader had a bit of a "See, I told you the big shot was strong" meaning to it.
The team leader's old face turned red from that look. He coughed twice, lowered his head, and quickly signed his name on the assessment form. In the evaluation column, he wrote only two words:
Monster.
On the field, Ariel gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, and his tense nerves finally relaxed. He didn't look at the scoreboard, nor did he pay attention to the assessors. His gaze only fell on Krookodile—that guy had become stronger again.
This battle had not been won easily.
But the gains were far beyond imagination.
Not only did Krookodile's level increase, but more importantly, by personally experiencing Tyranitar's Sandstorm, it provided a direction for his future training with Sandstorm.
Having a clear goal for specialized improvement was more useful than training blindly for ten days or half a month.
And of course, he had also conveniently been promoted to Intermediate Cadre.
This wave was a massive profit!
"Come back, you've worked hard."
With a flash of red light, Krookodile was withdrawn into its Poké Ball.
This battle had been hearty and satisfying.
Ariel turned around, pushed open the heavy metal door of the battlefield, and walked out.
The bright and slightly cold light from the corridor lamps spilled over him, isolating the clamor of battle behind him.
"Big shot! Big shot, wait for me!"
A series of crisp footsteps approached from far to near. Yuki chased after him, bouncing like a little sparrow, her large eyes sparkling with undisguised admiration.
"Big shot, you're too amazing! It's simply divine! Charging into the opponent's Sandstorm for a brawl, and that final Counter was so cool! Did you see the team leader's face? It was like a color palette, haha!"
Ariel looked at her excited face and stopped his steps with some helplessness:
"Comrade Recorder, is your primary job finished?"
"Of course!"
Hearing this, Yuki acted as if she were showing off her own treasure, bringing the tactical watch on her wrist close to Ariel's face.
A light blue screen was projected, densely packed with data streams.
From the first second Krookodile stepped onto the field to the final moment Tyranitar fell, every skill's release time, energy fluctuation peaks, changes in the flow velocity of sand particles in the Sandstorm, and even the angle of every muscle exertion by Krookodile were accurately recorded, analyzed, and summarized.
"Don't look at me like this,"
Yuki raised her chin, her face full of pride,
"My professional ability is among the best in our office! Focusing entirely on the battle and my hands not stopping—there's no conflict!"
Ariel glanced at the data on the screen, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The level of detail in this record was far beyond his imagination, even more precise than some professional combat analyzers.
"Beep beep beep—"
The watch on Yuki's hand suddenly emitted an urgent prompt sound.
She took a look, and her small face immediately slumped, but she then quickly switched back to a high-energy state and waved to Ariel.
"Goodbye, big shot! The next task is here, I have to rush to the next scene!"
Before her voice had even faded, she had already turned around and run vigorously toward the other end of the corridor.
Ariel watched her figure disappear around the corner and couldn't help but chuckle.
Everyone is living their lives with all their might in their own way.
He withdrew his gaze and was about to head to the office to complete the promotion procedures when a familiar figure blocked the end of the corridor.
The person was wearing a crisp black suit and was tall, though his casual stance ruined the sense of elite professionalism the suit should have provided.
Ariel's footsteps paused.
Isn't this Laic?
"Yo, congratulations, Lord Ruth."
Laic leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets and winked at him.
"You've officially been promoted to Intermediate Cadre.