"Of course I'm a top student. Didn't you see how rare my Pokémon are? Only top students get Pokémon like these."
Benga was banking on the fact that Gary had never attended a Pokémon school, throwing out whatever excuses came to mind to bluff his way through.
Gary found it hard to argue with. Thinking back on the Pokémon schools in Kanto, even someone like Sundae counted as a top student. Judging by Benga's strength, the claim seemed plausible enough.
More to the point, Benga's grandfather was the Champion of the Unova League. With that unmistakable hair of his, what school would dare not list Benga as a top student?
"Then your strength is even worse than the students at Naranja Academy," Gary said.
"What?! You're from Naranja Academy?!" Benga exclaimed.
Blueberry Academy had been founded jointly by Naranja Academy and the Unova League, and many of its teachers were sent over from Naranja.
"I'm not a student. Strictly speaking, I count as half a practical instructor."
He'd never been officially hired as a teacher, but Gary had coached students on League Conference battle formats, which could pass for teaching. Calling himself half a teacher wasn't undeserved.
"Who are you kidding? You're barely older than me and you're calling yourself a teacher? I bet you're not even sixteen."
Benga didn't believe a word of it. He had at least that much common sense, and he figured Gary was just bragging.
"If you don't believe me, then hurry up and send out your next Pokémon. I've still got a meal waiting," Gary urged.
"Fine. My next Pokémon is this one — go, Gabite!"
Benga threw the Poké Ball.
Go!
[LV30 Gabite / Quasi-Legendary]
"Oh? Quasi-Legendary..." Gary was genuinely surprised.
He had seen Champions' Ace Pokémon before, and those Aces carried Champion-level potential.
Benga's Gabite had higher potential than Cynthia's Garchomp — it had actually reached the Quasi-Legendary tier. On top of that, its skin was blue. A naturally shiny Pokémon, which made it all the more precious.
Alder really did spoil his grandson.
"Gabite, the opponent is fast — stay careful." Having watched the previous battle, Benga wasn't about to be careless. He gave a proper order this time: "Surround yourself with Sand Tomb!"
Gabite slapped the ground with its fins. Sand Tomb turned the surrounding earth into quicksand, and under Gabite's control the sand rose up like tentacles, swirling around its body to ward off any sneak attack from Excadrill.
Gary was a little impressed. So Benga did know a thing or two — using a move proactively to guard himself, almost like a defensive counter-shield.
Still, a shield like that had its weaknesses. If you couldn't break through the front, you broke through somewhere else.
"Excadrill, Swords Dance!" Gary ordered.
Excadrill danced fiercely, building momentum and raising its physical attack by two stages.
Benga grew nervous, but he didn't dare have Gabite drop the Sand Tomb. Without it, Excadrill's elusive speed would be impossible to handle.
One boost was enough. Gary went straight on the attack. "Stone Edge!"
"Drill!"
Excadrill slammed the ground, and sharp blades of rock burst from the earth, tearing a path straight toward Gabite.
"Block it...!" Benga had no intention of dodging. He wanted to see whether Sand Tomb could stop Stone Edge.
Bang!
The first rock blade erupted and was caught by the Sand Tomb. But before Benga could celebrate, the blades that followed punched clean through its protection, bursting out and cutting the move short.
"Continuous Metal Claw!" Gary seized the opening.
"Drill!"
Excadrill vanished in an instant.
Clang! Clang! Clang...!
All anyone could make out was a nearly transparent red afterimage, the ringing of impact after impact, and Gabite's body being knocked back and forth between them.
"What kind of speed is that?!" Benga was stunned. Even with the Sand Rush Ability, this was far too terrifying.
Bang!!
"Drill!"
Excadrill delivered one final blow and broke off the assault. Sand Rush gave it astonishing speed, but that pace couldn't be maintained forever. After a full round of attacks it needed to rest, or it wouldn't be able to keep going.
So Excadrill had its shortcomings too. It had to pace itself carefully rather than run at full speed against every opponent it met.
But none of that mattered now. Gabite had already lost.
"Benga, are you going to continue?" Gary asked.
Dratini and Gabite had both appeared. The last one should be Larvesta.
Alder's Ace was Volcarona. Doting on his grandson the way he did, he would certainly have prepared a Larvesta for Benga — most likely, Larvesta was even Benga's starter Pokémon.
"Of course. No teacher of mine ever taught me how to write the word 'surrender.'"
Benga recalled Gabite and sent out his third Pokémon.
"This is my starter Pokémon. Come on, my Ace — Larvesta!" He threw the Poké Ball.
Go!
[LV38 Larvesta / Champion]
Just as expected.
Benga's last Pokémon was Larvesta, and its level wasn't low either — Level 38.
Unfortunately, for Larvesta to evolve into Volcarona, it needed to reach Level 59. That was no easy feat; an ordinary Trainer couldn't have raised one that far yet.
At Benga's pace, it would probably take another two or three years before Larvesta reached the level needed to evolve.
"Larvesta, protect yourself with flames!" Benga ordered.
The five red tentacles around Larvesta's head erupted with fire, wrapping its whole body in flames.
Excadrill was weak to Fire-types. Benga meant to use the flames as protection, mainly to counter Excadrill's terrifying speed.
The idea itself was sound, but Benga still hadn't learned his lesson. He was about to repeat the exact same mistake as before — none of the Pokémon in his hands could actually pin Excadrill down.
"Let's end this. Use Dig!" Gary ordered.
Bang!
Excadrill burrowed into the ground.
Seeing that, Benga reacted immediately. "Quick! Lay silk over the ground!"
The flames around Larvesta died away as it spat out a mass of silk, blanketing the ground beneath it.
Watching the maneuver, Gary found himself curious whether the silk could really stop Excadrill, so he held off on giving any orders.
Bang!!
The ground beneath Larvesta shattered and Excadrill burst out — but its body was tangled in the silk, leaving it unable to move for the moment.