Chapter 302: V2-Style Battle
Korrina was the daughter of a Fighting-type Gym Leader.
Interestingly enough, before Hu Ba was officially named the National Fighting-type Gym Leader, Korrina's family gym—Pora Gym—was one of the strongest contenders for the position.
But then Hu Ba suddenly emerged from obscurity and challenged every major Fighting-type gym to a 100-win streak. Naturally, Pora Gym was among the challengers.
The result was clear: Hu Ba won, and became the official National Gym Leader.
Since that defeat, Korrina's family gym had been in decline, and her grandfather—the gym leader—spent every day obsessively researching how to defeat Hu Ba's Urshifu.
In a sense, she was carrying her grandfather's dream.
From a young age, Korrina had made it her goal to become a top-tier Fighting-type Trainer and one day restore her family's honor.
She had just lost this year's Dragon-Tiger Cup, but she wasn't discouraged—she knew her journey was still long.
Korrina found herself deeply curious about Hikaru.
Though there was an age gap between them, both were Lucario Trainers.
When she watched the High School League, his Lucario had blown her away.
Was that level of performance really due to Aura?
Or was Hikaru's Aura just that powerful?
From inside her Poké Ball, Lucario suddenly gave her a telepathic ping through Aura.
"It's him."
"I sense a kindred aura within him—like we share the same origin."
Korrina gently touched Lucario's Poké Ball to soothe him.
Though she didn't possess Aura powers herself, spending years with Lucario had given her some understanding of it.
So it must've been Hikaru that Lucario waved at during the match.
But now… he was going to take the Master Trainer assessment?
She glanced at him again, sensing he wasn't joking.
Hu Ba gave a small nod.
"If you're serious, come with me to register and get your protection gear. Then we'll begin."
That caught everyone off guard.
The audience, who had only come to watch the Dragon-Tiger Cup, suddenly realized—they were getting bonus content.
"Wait… isn't Hikaru's Lucario only Gym-level?"
"You're missing the point. This is the Master Trainer exam—not the Cup."
"Besides, the guy has Aura. His burst potential is easily on par with most Elite-tier Pokémon!"
"And he wouldn't be taking the exam unless he had a good shot, right?"
As the audience buzzed with excitement, Hikaru followed Hu Ba and entered his information into the registry.
The Master Trainer exam wasn't free—it cost a hefty 500,000 credits.
The fee went toward energy shields and other protective measures. If the damage to the energy gauntlets exceeded a certain threshold, a refund might be denied—or worse, the Gym might charge for repairs.
By the time the transaction was over, Hikaru's wallet was completely drained.
After the paperwork, Hu Ba handed them both a device resembling a wristband.
"Put these on," he said.
Hikaru, curious, activated [Eye of Insight]:
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[Energy Gauntlet] – Contains enough energy to replicate a Master-level Pokémon's Protect.
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Once he strapped it on, a faint translucent barrier appeared around his body.
"Whoa…" Hikaru murmured, amazed by how advanced the technology was.
A small device, yet strong enough to mimic a top-tier Protect move.
But it wasn't cheap. Judging by the price of the exam, one of these probably cost at least seven figures.
Once the gear was working, Hu Ba spoke again:
"Your battle can happen anywhere on Jingwu Mountain. Pick your battlefield freely."
"The gauntlet has an energy bar. If it drops below 90%, you fail."
"Everyone else—find a safe place. Jingwu Hall isn't liable for collateral damage."
With that, he summoned a Skarmory, leapt onto its back, and soared into the sky to observe the match.
Despite being a Fighting-type leader, he had a Flying-type partner for mobility.
The spectators scattered toward the mountain's edge to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Hikaru was stunned.
"Wait… we're fighting here? On top of this mountain?"
Master-level Pokémon battles were no joke—every attack could cause serious destruction.
"Begin, challenger Hikaru—release all of your Pokémon."
The proctor, Kosuke, bowed respectfully with a traditional martial salute.
It seemed the battlefield had already been chosen.
Hikaru nodded, returned the salute, and summoned all of his Pokémon.
As per exam rules, the gym had the authority to ban one of the examinee's Pokémon.
The examinee had to reveal them all first.
One by one, red flashes lit up the air:
Gardevoir
Latias
Charizard
Greninja
Bulbasaur
Gible
Tyrunt
Korrina, watching from the crowd, blinked.
She'd brought Lucario back out, hoping to see Hikaru's Lucario in action and learn more about how it used Aura.
But now she realized—Lucario wasn't even here?
Still, she decided to stay and watch. The curiosity was too strong.
Hikaru, noticing Kosuke's puzzled expression, explained,
"Lucario's currently training under a senior. He's not with me right now."
Kosuke nodded and, without hesitation, pointed to Latias.
Hikaru sighed inwardly and recalled all his Pokémon.
He'd expected it.
Still, it was a bit disappointing.
If Latias had been allowed to fight, the exam would've been no contest.
Combined with his traits, it would've been a clean sweep.
Ban phase complete.
High above, Hu Ba's booming voice rang out:
"Assessment begins now! Proctor, release your Pokémon!"
Kosuke pulled out two Poké Balls.
The Master-level exam format was 2v2—simultaneous, not one-on-one.
This required high-level strategy and command.
What's more, Pokémon were allowed to attack the Trainer directly.
That raised the stakes even higher.
Kosuke's voice rang out:
"Come forth—Urshifu!"
"Come forth—…"
(To be continued.)
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