Internally dismissing the boy, his attention went back to Rattata, who was recovering quite quickly from the exercise. Her breaths were already steady, her eyes full of quiet frustration as she watched the play by play. He knew she was disappointed in herself, but he was once again interrupted from reassuring her when the clown suddenly spoke up.

"I'm talking to you," the boy sneered, stepping closer, his lanky frame casting a shadow across the room. "You deaf or just scared?"

Caelan's eyes flicked up, a wave of annoyance passing through him. Whatever the clown saw on his face caused him to flinch back before he quickly masked his fear. Instead of focusing on the boy, Caelan turned slightly as he saw another person walk into the room.

Standing at the entrance was someone he recognized as one of the referees for the club, trying to look busy but clearly uneasy.

"What's his deal?" Caelan asked flatly, directly addressing the man in uniform.

The referee walked over and leaned in close, his expression tight. "That's Liam Hunter," he said, his voice low. "He requested a spar with the new Rattata user—that means you. He's… notorious around here."

Caelan's gaze settled on the boy as the man explained, the clown standing tall with a cocky smirk.

He frowned as the man's words fully registered. "Notorious? For what?"

The referee's voice dropped even lower. "He's the reason the last Rattata trainer quit. Every day for the last year he's been trying to challenge Kioshi of the Fighting Dojo. And every time he loses, he comes and bullies anyone with Normal-type Pokémon to make himself feel better."

His eyebrows rose as he heard that, but mostly out of surprise the Rattata trainer before him hadn't found a solution in a whole year. The revelation was surprising, sure, but it didn't shake him. Caelan's gaze shifted back to the boy, sizing him up again. The Galarian Meowth at his side stretched lazily, its steel claws gleaming as it flexed its paws. Resistant to Normal-type moves. That was the trick, then.

"So that's it? Really?" Caelan blurted out, his expression barely shifting as he broke down the situation. Steel or not, the trainer before him gave up before trying to get around a single resistance.

The only reason he was even taking the boy seriously now was because of money. Since Liam already had a membership, he was paying every month just to spend time in the club. But if Caelan didn't win the sparring match, he was under no obligation to pay the commission fee. According to the club's logic, the fee was extra as the Liam's membership money was already partly in Caelan's normal salary.

As it turned out, the commission fee wasn't actually 25%. It was 25% of 25%, or in other words the fee was 6.25% of his salary. He'd read that wrong in his haste, but ₽250 was still quite a bit for a single battle.

What was the previous trainer even whining about? If he managed to make a strategy to beat Liam and the idiot insisted on coming back repeatedly, he'd be able to farm months' worth of money out of a single person.

He frowned, the situation suddenly feeling dull. 'How… unimpressive.'

The boy, noticing Caelan's lack of reaction, ramped up his taunting. "You really think that little rat of yours stands a chance? You're just the first one in line—another loser with a weak Pokémon."

Caelan rolled his eyes. "Are we battling or are you just here to run your mouth?" he cut in, his tone as dry as ever.

The boy faltered, if only for a second, before doubling down with a scoff. "Fine," he spat. "But don't come crying when your Rattata gets wrecked."

Caelan stood and Rattata leapt into place, positioning herself on the battlefield with a small puff of dust. She was still visibly frustrated, but her resolve was greater than her feelings. It was clear she was going to use the battle to let off some steam—the training lighting a fire under her.

Sensing the atmosphere change, the referee quickly scrambled into position, his hand raised. "This will be a one-on-one spar between Challenger Liam and Sparring Partner Caelan. Trainers ready?"

Caelan glanced toward Rattata. Her stance was low, muscles tense, waiting for the command. He nodded.

"Begin!"

Taking the initiative, Rattata was off like a rocket, a streak of silver shooting across the battlefield. Her Quick Attack sent her racing toward the Meowth with blinding speed. It was a clear imitation—the exact same rushing strategy Tyrogue used in their last battle. She was mere inches away when—

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound rang out as Meowth, with an almost lazy flick, swung its iron-tipped tail in front of its body. The hardened metal tip intercepted Rattata's Quick Attack with precision, halting her momentum in its tracks.

Caelan's eyes widened. Rattata rebounded off the impact, flipping back midair to land on her feet, glaring at Meowth. It hadn't budged an inch, the impact barely phasing it.

To add insult to injury, the Meowth was busy inspecting its claws, completely ignoring the battle around it.

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"Really? That's it? A Quick Attack?" Liam laughed from the opposite side of the battlefield. "That tail's not just for show, y'know."

Caelan ignored the taunt, his gaze shifting to Rattata. His mind ticked through the details, already dissecting his opponent. Steel-type. Resistant to Normal-type attacks. Decent attack but low speed. Rattata's First Gear should be more than enough to keep her out of danger, at least for now.

"Rattata," Caelan called out calmly, "probe its defenses. First Gear."

At his command, Rattata darted forward with the sharp burst of speed characteristic of her Quick Attack. But unlike a straight assault, she veered sharply to the side just before reaching Meowth, using the momentum to circle around the larger Pokémon. Her paws barely touched the ground before she shot off in another direction, fluidly zigzagging in a rapid series of feints and dodges.

Meowth hissed as dust kicked up in its face, swiping at her in frustration, but each lazy slash met only empty air as Rattata slipped past with ease.

Caelan watched quietly, his mind steady. Rattata was controlling the battle for now, maintaining her First Gear—the constant repositioning keeping Meowth off-balance. But it was only a matter of time before Rattata ran out of energy. He had to be ready to escalate when the moment was right.

Liam clenched his fists. "Meowth, stop messing around and hit it already!"

Meowth suddenly lunged, its claws glowing with energy as it charged a Metal Claw attack. Rattata darted away again, but this time the attack came too fast. The gleaming claws grazed her side, sending her tumbling across the floor with a soft grunt.

'What?' Caelan's eyes widened at the sudden turn-around. 'That wasn't even a priority move. It shouldn't be faster than Rattata at all.'

"Hah! You surprised?" Liam mocked. "Didn't you learn anything in school? Felines have some of the fastest reaction times among mammals. Meowth's used to dealing with garbage like—"

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Caelan snapped. "Rattata, let's kick this into Second Gear."

Rattata's recovery was swift. She sprang to her feet, instantly darting into a triangular pattern, moving even faster than before. Each corner of the triangle sent her careening off in a different direction, and the momentum behind each movement made her almost impossible to follow.

Meowth's eyes darted around, clearly struggling to keep track of the flickering blur that Rattata had become. The boy's smirk faltered for the first time, and he barked a new command in desperation.

"Meowth, Metal Sound! Shut that shit down, now!"

The Galarian Meowth planted its feet and slowly began to drag its iron claws together, producing a sharp, scraping noise that filled the air. The sound was jarring, reverberating off the walls and disorienting Rattata. She hesitated mid-movement, her sensitive ears pinned back against her head as the sound assaulted her senses.

"Rattata, stay focused!" Caelan called out, but even he could tell that she was struggling to maintain her usual control. Her zigzagging pattern became erratic, her quick dodges slowing as her confidence wavered.

Meowth, sensing weakness, lunged forward again, its claws raised for another strike. Rattata barely managed to dodge in time, the Metal Claw grazing her once more.

"Use Metal Sound again, Meowth. It can't handle it!" Liam continued laughing from the other side. "Looks like your rat's about to crumble!"

Caelan clenched his fists, frustration growing. The Pokemon wasn't even fully made of metal, yet they were having this much trouble? How would they deal with something as basic as Aron in the future if they couldn't get around this?

'There has to be a way around this,' Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he zoned out the loud battlefield. 'I just have to think.'

However, while Caelan had a propensity for staying calm under pressure, Rattata did not. The constant scraping sound was starting to take its toll on her patience. Looking back, she saw her trainer closed eyes, visibly trying and succeeding to calm himself down.

Using Quick Attack to back up, she closed her eyes as well, focusing through the disorienting noise.

But as Liam's taunts continued to fill the air, Rattata's frustration boiled over. With a guttural growl, she lifted her head and unleashed a Screech that cut through the metal scraping with an almost deafening intensity. The sharp, piercing sound sliced through the battlefield, drowning out the Metal Sound and forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"RAAAAAAAH!"

The sheer force of Rattata's Screech sent shockwaves through the air, rattling Meowth and making it wince. The noise was so overpowering that it seemed to shake the very ground. Meowth staggered, its earlier confidence shattering under the assault. Caelan snapped out of his focused state as he could feel along their connection the sheer amount of Rage rolling off her in waves.

Liam's eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed the effect of Rattata's Screech. "What the—?"

After letting out that war cry, Rattata abandoned her usual focused and obedient approach. She charged straight at Meowth, jaws bared, her anger and frustration fueling her attack. This time, it wasn't a standard Quick Attack. It was something far more primal.

She lunged, sinking her teeth deep into Meowth's flank with a Bite that reverberated through the battlefield. Meowth cried in pain, thrashing wildly as Rattata's jaws locked down with unrelenting force.

Caelan blinked, momentarily stunned by the sight. 'Bite? When did she learn that?'

Liam's face twisted in anger. "Get off of him! Now!"

But Rattata didn't let go. Meowth flailed and screeched, trying to shake her off, but her grip only tightened as she gnawed deeper into its steel-coated hide. The horrific scene left everyone frozen in place, the only sound left being Meowth's pained yowls echoing through the room.

"Enough!" the referee shouted, stepping forward and raising a hand. "Rattata wins!"

Caelan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He watched as Rattata finally released her grip, stepping back to stand beside him, panting heavily. The fire in her eyes hadn't dimmed.

The boy returned his Meowth with a scowl. "You…you freak! How dare you treat my Meowth like that!"

Caelan remained silent, his gaze fixed on Rattata. She had calmed down a little, her breathing heavy but steady. The raw intensity of her last attack was still palpable in the air.

Liam's face was a storm of rage. "This isn't over," he spat out, his words barely controlled. "I'll be back, and next time, I'll make sure you regret this."

Without another word, Liam stormed out of the room, leaving behind the echo of his angry footsteps. The atmosphere was thick with residual tension, but the immediate danger had passed.

The referee, still shaken, cleared his throat. "That was… uhm, intense," he said awkwardly, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm of his earlier announcements. "The reward for winning should be sent directly to your account. There's also a recording of the battle sent directly to your BattleNET account if you want. I, uh, have to go now."

"Right…" Caelan could barely reply as the man walked away in a hurry, almost slamming the door in his haste.

With Liam storming out and the referee's departure, the room settled into an uneasy calm. Caelan slowly turned his gaze to Rattata, who was slumped against the ground, her exhaustion evident. She looked up at him, her eyes reflecting a mix of fatigue and apprehension.

"Welp," He concluded lamely, side-stepping the elephant in the room. "That was a thing."