Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 55: I'm Not a Jinx

From Lance's perspective, it was clear that Green's command skills were superior to Gary's.

She had accurately predicted several of Gary's moves, showcasing her tactical expertise.

Clefable's strength wasn't inferior to Pidgeotto's either.

Yet despite all this, she was clearly at a disadvantage.

It was hard not to associate this turn of events with Asahi's earlier overly confident remarks.

Hearing Lance's comment, Asahi fell silent.

It wasn't that he believed himself to be a jinx. Rather, he had noticed a subtle change in Green's demeanor.

Normally, Green was quick-witted and resourceful, capable of finding solutions even in tough situations.

But now, her commands seemed rigid, lacking her usual spark of ingenuity.

Watching Pidgeotto soar above, a thought crossed Asahi's mind:

"Could Green's struggles be due to her fear of bird Pokémon?"

As a child, Green had been kidnapped by bird Pokémon, which left her with a lingering fear of them. It was possible that this was affecting her performance.

Asahi's expression grew concerned.

...

Back on the battlefield, Green wasn't feeling great either.

It wasn't so much her fear of bird Pokémon.

As long as they weren't directly attacking her, she could manage the tension.

The real issue was the repeated failure of her supposedly reliable moves. Every time Clefable missed a crucial hit and got counterattacked, her confidence wavered.

Still, she managed to keep her composure, issuing commands to dodge attacks and recover with Life Dew. But Clefable was nearing its limit.

Determined not to lose, Green made a bold decision.

"Clefable, use Metronome!"

Electric moves weren't landing, and Clefable was out of options. Metronome was her last gamble.

Hearing the command, the battered Clefable dodged another Air Slash, raised its tiny hands, and began to wiggle its fingers.

Seeing this, Gary smirked. "Relying on Metronome to turn the tide? Don't make me laugh."

He didn't believe that Clefable, which had consistently missed its moves, could summon anything game-changing.

"End this, Pidgeotto! Use one final Air Slash!"

Pidgeotto let out a sharp cry, flapping its wings forcefully to unleash a crescent-shaped blade of air.

Unlike before, Clefable didn't dodge.

Clefable stood firmly on the battlefield, its determined eyes fixed ahead. As it waved its fingers, a mysterious energy coursed through its body.

In disbelief, Gary watched as golden sparks began to leap across Clefable's skin.

One, two… in the blink of an eye, Clefable was enveloped in crackling electricity.

"This is…" Gary struggled to process what he was seeing.

Before he could react, Clefable directed the energy toward the Pidgeotto hovering in the sky and unleashed it.

CRACK!

A deafening burst of electricity tore through the air. The arc obliterated the Air Slash heading toward Clefable and, without pausing, struck Pidgeotto before it could react.

"Pidgeooooo!"

Pidgeotto let out a piercing cry as its feathers stood on end and scorched smoke began to rise from its body. In seconds, it plummeted to the ground, unconscious.

The referee assessed the situation before announcing:

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Clefable wins!"

"Pidgeotto!" Gary called out, running to his defeated Pokémon, his expression filled with disbelief.

Just moments ago, victory had seemed within his grasp. How had Clefable suddenly turned the tide with Thunderbolt of all moves?

Behind him, Gary's cheerleaders swarmed to console him, trying to mend his wounded pride.

On the other side, Green sighed in relief, her suppressed emotions finally finding release. She flashed a cheeky grin.

"Well then, I guess the championship is mine!"

Despite some unexpected hurdles, she'd claimed the title in the end.

---

Up in the VIP viewing box, Asahi found himself on the receiving end of strange looks from both Steven and Lance. He opened his mouth to explain but then thought better of it.

Could he have been wrong? Was Green's earlier disadvantage not due to her fear of bird Pokémon but rather his own… jinxing?

After all, the moment he stopped talking, Green's luck had suddenly turned around.

No. He couldn't think about it anymore.

If he dwelled on it further, he might start believing that he truly was a jinx.

Desperate to change the subject, Asahi said, "By the way, Steven, I heard you're a stone enthusiast. When I was passing through Mt. Moon, I got my hands on a couple of stones from the Clefairy there…"

At the mention of stones, Steven's interest immediately piqued.

Asahi pulled out the meteorite and mysterious fossil he'd acquired from the Clefairy in exchange for energy cubes.

Steven first picked up the meteorite and examined it closely. After a moment, he said in a contemplative tone,

"This meteorite seems incomplete, just a fragment of something much larger. Look here… see these fracture marks? They indicate that it was broken by an external force.

"And the edges of the break show signs of high-temperature melting. The crystalline structure here is only possible if it was struck at an altitude of at least 10,000 meters. Otherwise, the heat wouldn't have caused such melting."

Steven had barely begun his analysis when Lance interjected, clearly exasperated. "You two can study rocks all you want later. The trainers are waiting for their awards."

Realizing they had other responsibilities, Steven offered an apologetic smile. "Ah, you're right. Let's go!"

---

Because this was just a friendly tournament and not an official competition, the award ceremony was kept simple.

Green stood on the podium, her face brimming with excitement, while Gary stood beside her on the runner-up platform, his expression anything but cheerful.

"Darn it, I was so close," Gary muttered under his breath.

If only his opponent hadn't gotten lucky, he'd be the champion right now.

---

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