I was such an idiot. Seriously.

  I could've just left it at that—why did I have to go and show off my acting skills?

  I was supposed to be an uninvolved bystander, kicking back in the office, scking off while watching the League and Team Rocket py their tug-of-war.

  And now? I've gone and dragged myself into this mess.

  I went from enjoying the drama to becoming the drama.

  August wished he could sp himself twice, but on the surface, he maintained his composure, staying in character:

  "Don't worry, Elite Four Lance! I will bring Team Rocket to justice!"

  Lance nodded approvingly. For someone to remain so determined despite facing such a dangerous mission—August had not let him down. It seemed his decision was the right one.

  However, after what happened to the entire Kanto division of the International Police—where every single officer was wiped out—Lance felt it was necessary to assess August before sending him on this mission.

  He couldn't afford to let the only remaining officer in the division fall into Team Rocket's hands as well.

  With that thought, Lance hesitated briefly before saying:

  "In that case, let's have a battle!"

  "…Huh?" August was caught off guard.

  Lance stood up. "I've reviewed your battle record in your file, but since you'll be up against Team Rocket, I need to make sure you have the strength to retreat safely if necessary."

  "Don't worry, it's just a small test—I won't be using my main team." Sensing that August might misunderstand, Lance added a reassuring remark.

  …Am I being underestimated?

  August blinked. He had spent years hunting down poachers, to the point where those criminals called him a demon. And now, someone thought he wasn't strong enough?

  Are poachers ranked that low on the criminal hierarchy?

  Is that why my skills are being underestimated too?

  But although he was being looked down on, August didn't mind battling Lance.

  In fact, he was curious—if he managed to defeat Lance, would he unlock a new title from the system?

  With that in mind, August smiled slightly.

  "Well, since you insist… let's do this."

  ---

  International Police Training Grounds

  The empty training field had only two people present—August and Lance.

  Since this was just a simple test, they hadn't bothered to call a referee.

  "The rules are one-on-one, standard League battle rules. The match ends when one Pokémon is unable to battle or if a trainer forfeits," Lance expined.

  Since this was just an assessment, there were no strict formalities.

  August nodded—this was perfect for him.

  After all, he really only had one Pokémon that could fight—his Gardevoir.

  What? His Dratini?

  She's just a kid!

  Maybe someday, he'd have her practice against some random Youngsters and Bug Catchers on the roadside, but right now, there was no way he'd send her into a battle just to get destroyed.

  Once August signaled that he was ready, both trainers threw out their Poké Balls simultaneously.

  Bang!

  The Poké Balls popped open mid-air, releasing two fshes of white light onto the battlefield.

  "Wooooo~!"

  On Lance's side, a sleek, blue figure emerged, letting out a clear cry.

  "A Dragonair?"

  Seeing the Pokémon before him, August guessed this must be from Lance's secondary team.

  Its exact strength couldn't be determined just by looking—he'd have to battle it to find out.

  On August's side, a blue Gardevoir floated gently down from the air, wrapped in a soft glow of psychic energy.

  "So it really is a shiny Gardevoir."

  Lance had already seen this detail in August's records.

  Gardevoir was already considered a rare Pokémon, and a shiny Gardevoir was even rarer. That made a strong impression on him.

  As for why Lance—despite knowing Gardevoir was a Psychic/Fairy type—still chose to send out a Dragon-type Pokémon…

  Well, what choice did he have? He was a Dragon-type trainer!

  People often mocked him, saying he didn't really act like a Dragon-type specialist since he used so many Flying-types.

  But that was only because those Pokémon were ones he had caught in his early years.

  To fix his reputation, he had specifically trained a full team of Dragon-types as his secondary lineup.

  Since he said he'd test August with his second team, he wasn't about to go back on his word.

  Besides, even though this was his second team, his Dragonair was strong—nearly at Elite Four level!

  Using it to assess August seemed just right.

  These thoughts fshed through his mind in mere seconds.

  Knowing he was at a type disadvantage, Lance decided to take the initiative.

  "Dragonair, use [Aqua Tail]!"

  Dragonair adjusted its posture slightly in midair before diving at Gardevoir with remarkable speed.

  In an instant, it had already crossed half the battlefield.

  As it closed the distance, August clearly saw Dragonair flick its tail lightly, gathering water energy into a swirling wave before striking forward with force.

  Smooth movements. August noted approvingly.

  Such fluid execution, bancing both grace and power—this was something that could only be achieved through years of rigorous training.

  If an average trainer were in his pce, they'd be in serious trouble right now.

  But was August just an average trainer?

  Obviously not.

  Faced with the oncoming tidal force, he simply snapped his fingers.

  "Take care of it."

  The next second, as if perfectly in sync with August's thoughts, Gardevoir lifted its slender blue arm. Its eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as it gently waved its hand.

  Crash!

  The incoming wave froze midair, held back by telekinetic force.

  Then, with a sudden burst of power, the psychic energy surged forward, reversing the force of the attack. The wave, mixed with a bst of psychic energy, crashed back toward its original user—Dragonair—sending it tumbling chaotically through the air.

  "What!?"

  Lance was caught completely off guard.

  Before he could react, Gardevoir raised its hand again.

  A dazzling, rainbow-colored glow burst forth from its body, gathering into a focused beam of light.

  The moment the dazed Dragonair stabilized itself, the attack struck it head-on.

  [Dazzling Gleam]!

  Boom!

  Dragonair took the full force of the Fairy-type attack, its body unched backward at an even faster speed than when it had charged forward. It smmed hard into the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

  As the dust settled…

  Lance looked at his unconscious Dragonair.

  Then he slowly raised his head, staring at August and his Gardevoir.

  And he fell into deep thought.

  …Had he made some kind of mistake?

  ---

  T/N: hmm this MC seems to be the opposite of Luo Yuan, against team rocket and not that driven to work :D