Silence took over the arena.
The children and young spectators in the stands, who had previously mocked Kenji and his small Charmander, now looked at him with a mix of astonishment and respect. He had defeated Renjiro's Porcobeast, something no one had expected.
—How did he win? —His beast seemed so weak at first… —Could he be stronger than we thought?
The small orange lizard was no longer seen with disdain. Now, the spectators looked at it with different eyes. However, before they could finish processing what had happened, a new surprise struck them.
Renjiro, with a confident smile, raised his hand.
—You don't think this is over, do you?
And then, he summoned his second beast.
A chill ran through everyone present. It was extremely rare for such a young student to be able to summon a second beast. Only true prodigies or those backed by powerful families could achieve it.
—Did he say… his second beast? —someone in the stands asked, incredulous. —This is ridiculous. We're only in the entrance exam… —It must be because of his family. I heard the Kisaragi spent a fortune on him.
Kenji watched closely as a dark shadow materialized on the ground. Shadow Venom slowly emerged, its elongated body slithering with hypnotic movements. It was a reptilian creature in the form of a snake but with thin limbs and sharp claws. Its skin was black with purple spots that pulsed as if charged with liquid poison. Its yellow eyes glowed with a sinister light as it hissed eerily. Its forked tongue flicked out between its fangs, dripping a thick, greenish poison that sizzled upon touching the ground.
—That thing… looks dangerous —Kenji murmured, then analyzed its data through the Poke-System:
📝 Poke-System Data – Shadow Venom
📊 Level: 12
☠ Rank: E+
☣ Type: Poisonous Beast
🔹 Abilities:
Toxic Fangs: Its bites inject paralyzing poison.
Acid Cloud: Exhales a corrosive gas that burns the skin and makes breathing difficult.
Shadow Lash: Its tail extends with dark shadows and can tear through flesh easily.
Poisonous Regeneration: Absorbs venom from the environment to heal its wounds slowly.
___________________________________________________________________________
Charmander, still exhausted from the previous fight, took a battle stance. Despite the fatigue, he did not take a single step back.
—Don't worry, Charmander. We can do this —Kenji said with determination.
The referee raised his hand.
—Begin!
The second battle had begun.
Shadow Venom slid forward with impressive speed. In the blink of an eye, it was already close to Charmander, launching an attack with its venom-coated claws.
—Smokescreen!
Charmander exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, covering its position and reducing the enemy's visibility. But Renjiro was prepared.
—Use Venom Sense!
Shadow Venom's eyes glowed, and it immediately detected Charmander through the smoke cloud. With a quick turn, it struck the small lizard with its poisonous tail, sending him flying backward.
Charmander struggled to stand, breathing heavily. His body was beginning to show signs of poisoning.
—He can't keep fighting like this… —Akari whispered, worried.
Kenji clenched his teeth. He knew that if he forced Charmander to continue, the poison would eventually weaken him completely.
—Charmander, return! —he finally said, pulling out his Pokéball and withdrawing him from the battle.
A murmur spread through the arena.
—He withdrew his beast? —That means… Renjiro won!
The referee was about to raise his hand to declare victory, but Kenji interrupted him with a firm voice:
—I haven't lost yet!
The crowd fell silent.
Kenji took a deep breath. His mind was working at full speed. He knew that if he lost here, he wouldn't be able to enter the academy. He needed another option.
And then he remembered.
The Poke-System.
Until now, he hadn't used his points significantly, but he still had Ursagris in his inventory… an opportunity he couldn't waste.
"System, redeem Ursagris available in my inventory. I spend 50 points to select it."
A confirmation sound echoed in his head.
[Congratulations! You have obtained Ursaring.]
Kenji felt his heart pound. The time had come to reveal his second beast.
The referee looked at Kenji with curiosity.
—Are you going to summon another beast?
Kenji smiled.
—Yes.
He pulled out a new Pokéball and held it tightly. Everyone in the arena watched him expectantly, unsure of what to expect.
—I choose you, Ursaring!
He threw the Pokéball to the center of the stage.
A flash of light illuminated the arena, and with a thunderous roar, a massive figure appeared.
A colossal bear, approximately 1.8 meters tall, with dark brown fur and a distinctive yellow ring on its chest. Its sharp claws and well-defined muscles made its power evident.
Ursaring's roar was so powerful that all the other arenas fell silent. The ongoing battles stopped as everyone turned their heads toward Arena 1, trying to see what was happening.
The referee's eyes widened in surprise.
—What… what kind of beast is that?
The professors in the stands exchanged glances, discussing among themselves. Some tried to identify the creature, but none seemed to recognize it.
—I've never seen anything like this… —It's not listed among the registered beasts for the entrance exams. —Where did he get that?
In the crowd, the murmurs grew louder.
—That beast is huge! —How is it possible that he also has two beasts? —This just got more interesting!
Hiroki and Akari were surprised but quickly recovered and smiled.
—I knew Kenji had something else up his sleeve!
Meanwhile, in the arena, Renjiro stood frozen for a few seconds. His mind couldn't process it.
He knew perfectly well how difficult it was to summon a second beast. It had taken a fortune and years of training to achieve it.
But now… that boy, whom everyone considered insignificant, had matched him in an instant.
His face darkened.
—This can't be… I won't let him surpass me.
He clenched his teeth and looked at his Shadow Venom.
—We're going to crush him. I don't want to leave a single doubt about who is the best.
The referee, still somewhat stunned, finally reacted upon hearing the voice of Taiga, one of the academy's most important professors.
—Continue the battle.
The referee swallowed hard and raised his hand.
—Very well! Both combatants, are you ready?
Kenji and Renjiro stared at each other.
The second phase of the battle was about to begin.
Both trainers shouted at the same time.
—Attack!
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