Seeing their trainer gettien by Julian, Hugo's Pokémon immediately grew anxious. They turned around, intending to rush back to protect him.

  Unfortunately for them, Dragonite, Lucario, aagross were waiting, blog their path.

  Metagross: If you want to pass, pay the toll.

  The message was clear. Dragonite and Lucario, followiagross's lead, dashed tengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir, ready to battle.

  Hugo, barely scious, felt the world spinning. Everything sounded muffled, like he was uer. Even the pain in his body had dulled. In his mind, for a brief moment, he thought he saw Arceus smiling down at him from above.

  "Julian, stop!"

  Frank called out, his voice cutting through the haze. The head teacher could see the fight had gone far enough. If Julian tihere was a real ce Hugo would either be disfigured or dead.

  "Alright, Teacher Frank"

  Julian replied casually. But before he stopped, he threw one more punch at Hugo's face, sending a spray of blood into the air. He shook his fist, flig off the blood like it was nothing.

  By now, Hugo had pletely bcked out. His face was almost unreizable, swollen beynition, and his teeth were all but shattered.

  Julian had made sure to send a clear message. When it came to someone like Hugo, who thrived on wild, no-rules fighting, showing mercy would only invite more problems. Being ruthless was the only way to earn respect from someone like him.

  Meanwhile, Hugo's remaining Pokémon were lying otlefield, defeated by Dragonite and Lucario, uo move.

  Frank called for the sediowing how intehe battle might bee, he had already summoned medical staff just in case things got out of hand.

  The school doctor rushed over, dispatg a sey to heal Hugo.

  "sey, Heal Pulse!"

  sey's soft pink glow spread across Hugo's battered body. After a few minutes, his face started to heal, and even his brokeh began trow.

  With the help of Pokémon like sey, modern medie had advao the point where even severe injuries could be healed in a short time. Humans had not only gained new partners in their everyday lives, but they had also seen their lifespans improve.

  Groggy and dazed, Hugo slowly woke up. The first thing he saw was Julian's face, grinning down at him.

  "Yo, wele back," Julian said, still wiping the st bit of blood from his knuckles.

  Hugo's eyes widened in terror as the memory of the brutal punches came flooding back. He scrambled back, a look of pure fear etched on his face.

  "No.. No.. Don't.."

  He touched his fad stared in shock at the blood on his hands.

  "Alright, Julian, that's enough," Frank said as he approached. "The match is over."

  Frank looked at Julian with a mix of admiration and surprise. He hadn't expected Julian to beat Hugo, the national champion of field fighting.

  Wild fighting was a pletely different style frur petitions, and being able to defeat someone like Hugo was no small feat.

  Of course, he could also see that Julian was not as good as Hugo in terms of wild fighting experiehe main reason Julian could win was due to his incredible rea speed and the power of Advanced Aura.

  If it weren't for Julian's ability to smash Sableye with an aura-powered pun the beginning and his quick use of Aura Sphere, Hugo's sneak attack would have succeeded.

  Thinking of Julian able to use Aura Sphere, Fra surprised and envious, After all which trainer didn't dream of having special abilities.

  The battle, though it felt long, had taken just over a minute from start to finish.

  Fo, this defeat was likely to leave a sting sot physically but mentally. Julian might bee his psychological shadow.

  "Who else?" Julian called out, his voice eg across the battlefield.

  As Hugo staggered off the stage, the remaining six challengers who had faced Julian were already defeated. Except for Tyler and Yanis who faced Julian's stro Pokémoagross.

  The other four had tried to go head-to-head in their areas of expertise, but they still failed.

  Now, as the group of twenty-three students watg the match exged nervous gnces, no one seemed eager to step up.

  The six challengers gave them a collective look of disdain.

  Six: seriously?

  Twenty-three: Hey, we're just following our hearts…

  With this final battle, the entire css had e to realize that Julian, their representative, was ued.

  Especially i match, if it was any of them, Sableye would have already taken them out, how could they be like Julian being able to beat up a Sableye.

  Kate, watg the whole se, csped her hands together and sighed. "He's just so cool. That Aura Sphere—it really touched my heart."

  Shen, standio her, rolled his eyes and muttered, "I advise you not to catch feelings for him."

  Kate turo Shen, raising an eyebrow. "Why? You like him or something?"

  Shen smirked. "You ever heard of Iroed guys of Oreburgh?"

  "Yeah, sure… wait, is Julian one of them? Makes sense, given his Steel-type preferences."

  "Nope," Shen corrected. "Julian's not an Iron. He's eveer—he's Titanium."

  Kate blinked. "Titanium? Wow… that sounds hardcore."

  Shen: I'm afraid this child is suffering from a brain injury...

  Julian, meanwhile, seeing that no one was ing forward recalled his Pokémon bato their Poké Balls and turo walk back toward the css.

  But as he took a step forward, the rest of the 21 students took a step back, Only Shen and Kate stayed in pce, Shen looking amused, and Kate still gazing at Julian with hearts in her eyes.

  Luis walked over with a grin. "Don't mind them, Walker. They're just still scared from watg you beat up Hugo."

  Julian didn't respond but gnced down at his right hand, still crusted with Hugo's blood. He could uand why they might feel a little nervous.

  "Walker, I ask you something?" Luis tinued, a little too eager.

  "What is it?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.

  The other party had a mouthful of Walker this and Walker that, which reminded him of Will's cheekiness, So he decided to eain him.

  "I saw you use that Aura Sphere with your hands earlier… To be ho, I've also awakened aura powers," Luis said excitedly, clearly hoping to be able to do the same.

  Julian's i piqued. Aura users were rare, and to meet another one in the special css was ued.

  He looked at him, curious. "Show me."

  Without hesitation, Luis trated, and a faint glow of aura appeared in his palm. It flickered for a moment before vanishing, leaving him looking a bit pale.

  "Well? What do you think?" he asked, his eyes full of hope. " I make an Aura Sphere like you?"

  Julian gave him a pat on the shoulder and said, "Go to bed early."

  He had not even awakened Aura to the primary level yet.

  Luis blinked. "Wait… what does that mean? Are you saying if I get enough rest, I'll be able to use an Aura Sphere too?"

  Julian smirked. "Go to bed early, and you dream about it."

  Luis: (X_x)