Pokemon: Reborn Rich Alternate Earth

Under the crushing power of Meteor Mash, the Protect barrier shattered almost instantly, offering only a fleeting moment of defense. Still, that brief window allowed Salamence a chance to resist.

Although the opportunity was slim, Salamence was Owen's ace Pokémon—it was at the peak of pseudo-Elite, capable of challenging even Elite-level opponents.

As the Meteor Mash struck from behind, Salamence's vulnerable back offered no immediate way to retaliate. Its wings, arms, and head were all poorly positioned to counter the attack.

In a swift move, Salamence twisted its body, bringing its white abdomen shell to bear the attack, hoping to absorb the blow.

This white shell had once covered its entire body during its evolution as a Shelgon. Upon evolving into Salamence, the shell concentrated on its abdomen, serving as protection for its softer underbelly.

For many Pokémon with exposed abdomens, the belly is often a critical weak point. Some are shielded by tough scales, others by layers of fat, or at least thick fur.

"Boom!!"

Meteor Mash struck Salamence's abdomen shell with tremendous force, unleashing a shockwave upon impact. The sheer power sent Salamence hurtling to the ground like a meteorite.

The battlefield's surface caved in, forming a crater four to five meters deep and dozens of meters wide.

Salamence was lying at the center of the crater, its abdominal shell was largely shattered, with fragments scattered around. Despite its injuries, it struggled to stand up.

Above, Metagross hovered menacingly, its silver forearms gleaming with an intense light.

In Salamence's defiant roar, Flash Cannon was fired, engulfing it completely.

"Salamence is unable to battle! Metagross wins!" the referee declared.

A clash of the Top Five; a pseudo-legendary against another, a 4th-year against a freshman.

And yet, the 4th-year Owen had suffered a crushing defeat.

Recalling Salamence, Owen glared at Julian, unwilling to believe the outcome. He asked bitterly, "Why does your Metagross know Teleport?"

If not for that unexpected opening move, Salamence might still have lost, but it wouldn't have been such a swift and humiliating defeat.

It was a question on the minds of many experts as well.

Teleport, while a Psychic-type move, is learned by only a select few Psychic Pokémon—like Abra and Ralts.

Pokémon that can use Teleport are notoriously difficult to capture. If they sense danger, they escape instantly, leaving Trainers with no way to track them.

While some Pokémon can learn Teleport through TMs, others cannot master it even with this method.

Metagross was one such Pokémon. Despite being part Psychic-type, it is inherently incapable of learning Teleport, even via TM.

Metagross reproduces asexually through division, which eliminates the possibility of inheriting Teleport genetically.

The Walker family had been breeding Metagross for nearly 200 years, yet not a single one had learned Teleport.

Now, Julian's Metagross had miraculously broken this centuries-old barrier.

In the livestream, countless Pokémon researchers eagerly awaited Julian's explanation. If the reason Metagross had learned Teleport was due to something Julian did, he could easily earn a nomination for next year's Arceus Award, perhaps even winning it.

"My Metagross is a genius—it just figured it out on its own," Julian said confidently.

The fact that Metagross could use Teleport would eventually become public knowledge, so why not reveal it sooner and freely use the move in full view of everyone?

--

Meanwhile, at home;

Julian's father, Jake, sat watching the livestream. Upon hearing Julian's response, he froze for a moment, then a sense of familiarity washed over him, his expression growing strange.

It wasn't the first time he'd heard such an explanation.

When Julian had obtained the Dratini egg, he claimed he had "found it by chance." When he awakened his Psychic abilities—at Intermediate Level, no less—he said it happened after he took a nap.

And now Metagross learning Teleport? The explanation: "It's a genius; self-taught."

--

The livestream chat erupted:

"6666, First Slowpoke gets a new evolution and now Metagross self-learns Teleport."

"Metagross: When it comes to intelligence, the rest of you are trash."

"Why do I feel like he's lying?"

"I just smacked my Drowzee twice and told it to learn Teleport. Now I'm dangling out of my 15th-floor window thanks to Psychic. Anyone knows if the fall will kill me?"

"Not sure about the 15th floor, but I fell from the 13th. Broke 52 bones but survived. Still typing with my one working finger."

Some viewers believed Julian, some doubted him, and others were simply enjoying the chaos.

But some professional scholars asserted that Julian's explanation might hold some truth.

Metagross' brain was more advanced than a supercomputer, and its intelligence far surpassed that of most humans.

Perhaps Julian's Metagross was a once-in-a-generation genius among its kind, with an intellect so extraordinary that it could indeed self-learn Teleport.

Among the barrage of comments, a golden, officially verified ID suddenly appeared, standing out with bold, enlarged text:

"Elite Walker: My grandson has the makings of a Champion."

In the past, these words were only circulated among a few high-level trainers, but now, millions of netizens in Drakoria will know it.

Fortunately, Julian couldn't see it. Otherwise, he'd surely experience the agony of secondhand embarrassment.

The other comments instantly vanished as countless "My grandson has the makings of a Champion" messages flooded the screen.

And just like that, Julian gained millions of "grandpas" online.

Upon seeing the flood of comments, John himself was momentarily stunned. Then, he burst into hearty laugh.

--

The match continued.

On the Modu Academy side, the second challenger wasted no time. Without saying a word, he tossed his Poké Ball into the air.

A Dragonite appeared, its large frame hovering mid-air.

Julian glanced at its belly, 'It's not as fat as my Dragonite's.'

'Sure enough, my Dragonite is overweight after all.'

Dragonite, Level 70, another Pokémon at the peak of pseudo-Elite.

In the Top Five Universities, most 4th-year students had Pokémon at pseudo-Elite level. The most exceptional among them often reached the peak of pseudo-Elite.

This was why the Hundred Schools League primarily featured 4th-years. Even 3rd-years were rare, let alone a sophomore or freshmen.

For Julian to compete as a freshman was already a remarkable feat. Defeating a 4th-year from Modu Academy only elevated his accomplishment to another level.

Owen, who hailed from the prestigious Drake family—a family no less prominent than the Walker family—had been soundly defeated by Julian. He couldn't even put up a fight, highlighting the gap in their strength.

Back in the waiting area, Owen sat with a dark expression. His loss wasn't just a blow to his university's reputation but also a disgrace to the Drake family.

What made it worse was how quickly he'd lost.

He hadn't even had a chance to redeem himself. Instead, he had been reduced to nothing more than a backdrop for Julian and Metagross.

*****

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