Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

"All this talk—why don't we just battle instead? Rex, I'll let you witness the power of a Z-Move firsthand!"

Kiawe cut through the scholarly atmosphere between Professor Kukui and Rex with a fiery challenge.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to grow stronger, Kiawe was eager to test himself against Rex's Swellow, which already looked like a formidable opponent.

"Indeed, like Kiawe says, Rex, nothing beats firsthand experience. I'll act as the referee for your match!"

Before Rex could respond, Professor Kukui had already decided for him—it was clear he, too, wanted to see Swellow in action.

The rest of Class 3A burst with excitement. Kiawe's Pokémon were by far the strongest in the class, and the others rarely stood a chance against him. Finally, they'd get to watch a battle worth cheering for.

"Thanks, Professor Kukui. I'm looking forward to it."

Rex didn't hesitate—he was just as eager to see a Z-Move in action.

"Go, Turtonator!"

"Your turn, Swellow!"

Kiawe didn't use his grandfather's Charizard. Instead, he sent out his starter Pokémon, Turtonator.

Turtonator was a large, turtle-like Pokémon with a flat, star-shaped shell covered in explosive spikes. Its nose was like a nozzle, and its body armor stored sulfur-based explosives from the volcanic minerals it consumed. The concave star mark on its chest was its weak point, so it often fought with its back to its opponent.

Though its exploding shell was formidable, Turtonator was vulnerable to humidity. On rainy days, it would retreat deep into caves and remain motionless.

A quick scan with his Pokédex told Rex all he needed to know—Turtonator was a high-risk, high-reward kind of Pokémon.

"Turtonator, use Flamethrower!"

As soon as Professor Kukui signaled the start of the match, Kiawe launched his offense. A stream of searing flames burst from Turtonator's snout, aimed straight at the airborne Swellow.

Though powerful, the flames weren't fast enough to catch Swellow.

Rex could have ended the match quickly by having Swellow use Aerial Ace, targeting Turtonator's weak chest with its superior speed. But—

"Swellow, use Air Slash!"

He wanted to give Kiawe a chance to show off his Z-Move.

Swellow's wings beat rapidly, sending out a flurry of razor-sharp air blades raining down on Turtonator.

"Turtonator, Shell Smash, then dodge it!"

Kiawe responded with a counter. As Turtonator activated Shell Smash, its body seemed to lighten, and it swiftly maneuvered to avoid the air blades. But the dodging took a toll—Turtonator was already breathing heavily.

"Rex, looks like I'll have to go all-out if I want to beat your Swellow!"

Kiawe admitted with a grin. Against such a nimble flier, his options were limited—except for his Z-Move.

"Kiawe, Swellow and I are ready. Let's see what your Z-Move can do."

Rex looked toward the circling Swellow, full of confidence.

"Turtonator, it's time to go all-in!"

Kiawe struck a series of dramatic poses. Rex thought they looked a little over-the-top, but as Kiawe struck his final stance, a wave of blazing energy erupted from him and flowed into Turtonator.

"Turtonator, use Inferno Overdrive!"

Above Turtonator, a colossal fireball materialized. As it blazed into existence, waves of heat rippled outward—the air around the battlefield surged by at least ten degrees.

The spectators began to sweat buckets, stunned by the raw intensity of the fireball.

"Swellow, Brave Bird!"

Facing such an overwhelming attack, Rex didn't back down. This was a real battle. He couldn't have Swellow simply flee to avoid damage—that would be forfeiting.

And besides, he didn't think Kiawe's Z-Move could hit harder than Cynthia's Mega Garchomp's Dragon Rush.

Seeing Rex command Swellow to charge into the Z-Move head-on, the rest of the class grew worried. They could already imagine Swellow being overwhelmed and burned to a crisp.

Swellow, however, knew not to underestimate the opponent. It unleashed the strongest Brave Bird it could muster—so much flying energy gathered around it that it looked nearly double in size, cloaked in blinding force as it shot toward the fireball like a blazing arrow.

BOOM!

The instant the two attacks collided, the sky erupted in smoke and flame. The explosion was deafening, and smoke swallowed the entire battlefield.

"Swellow!"

The others strained to see through the haze, their hearts pounding.

"Swellow!"

From within the smoke, a sharp, clear cry pierced the air. A moment later, a scorched but determined Swellow shot out of the cloud, diving straight for Turtonator.

Turtonator looked stunned that Swellow had survived the blast. It turned instinctively, presenting its spiked back as a defense.

"Swellow, use Aerial Ace!"

Rex wasn't about to let Swellow fall for that trap. As Swellow closed in, it suddenly vanished from sight—then reappeared behind Turtonator, its beak slamming directly into the vulnerable star-shaped dent on its chest.

Turtonator let out a single pained cry before collapsing in defeat, without even the strength to struggle.

"Jumpluff, Grassy Terrain!"

"Swellow, use Roost!"

The battle was over. Rex quickly sent out Jumpluff to heal the field, while Swellow landed and began to recover.

(End of Chapter)