Underestimating Misty naturally came with a heavy price.
Following Hyde's command, Qwilfish first dodged Corsola's attack, then counter-attacked with Water Gun. However, Misty used Mirror Coat, instantly reflecting the Water Gun back!
The Water Gun returned to strike Qwilfish, causing damage to itself.
Misty's timing for Mirror Coat was perfect, used right at the moment of impact, leaving Hyde no time to react at all.
This greatly surprised Hyde, and he quickly checked the state of his Pokémon. Fortunately, because it was a same-type attack, Qwilfish hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
Despite feeling slightly shocked, Hyde still did not take Misty seriously, assuming she had simply gotten lucky. He quickly launched a second attack.
Qwilfish opened its mouth and began frantically sucking in seawater, its body constantly expanding and getting larger, quickly transforming into a spiky ball.
Natsui immediately saw that this was a technique to enhance Pin Missile, a form of charged attack.
Using the internal water pressure increases the speed of the Pin Missile launch, making it stronger and preventing the opponent from effectively defending.
This was the first time Natsui had encountered such a technique, broadening his perspective and allowing him to learn something from this man.
It must be acknowledged that a middle-aged Trainer like Hyde, even if his overall strength wasn't top-tier, was certainly rich in experience; he hadn't been a Trainer all these years for nothing and generally possessed one or two special skills.
Faced with this attack, Misty's mind quickly raced for a counter-strategy.
Mirror Coat cannot reflect Pin Missile, so she didn't repeat the same trick, nor did she have Corsola dive underwater to dodge. Instead, she chose to counter-attack with Spike Cannon.
This was a highly suitable choice. Spike Cannon is very similar to Pin Missile, and continuous attacks could exactly nullify the speed advantage of Pin Missile.
Both Pokémon simultaneously emitted white light, and in the next second, the two similar-looking moves were launched almost at the same time.
Swish, swish, swish!
Countless sharp needles and spike-like energy projectiles shot toward each other. The enhanced Pin Missile was noticeably faster, flashing across the sky in an instant. It ultimately collided with the Spike Cannon closer to Misty, resulting in a series of explosions!
The shockwave from the explosion knocked Corsola to the ground. Hyde, who had anticipated this, had already ordered Qwilfish to dive underwater, avoiding the blast.
The aftershock and smoke slowly faded.
While Corsola was still down, Hyde decisively had Qwilfish use Tackle, intending to finish the fight in one go.
From the screen, Natsui could even see a fleeting look of successful cunning on Hyde's face!
However, to everyone's astonishment, just as Qwilfish leaped near Corsola, the latter managed to stand up and turn its body toward the attacking Qwilfish. In the next moment, Qwilfish got stuck between the four horns on Corsola's back!
Due to the force of the collision, Qwilfish was completely lodged and unable to move.
This sudden turn of events not only left every spectator with a stunned expression, but it instantly froze the smile on Hyde's face!
In the arena, Corsola, with a Pokémon embedded in its body, naturally felt uncomfortable and tottered in place. It tried to shake Qwilfish off, but Qwilfish's spikes were locked with its horns, making it impossible to break free.
Qwilfish, meanwhile, desperately struggled but couldn't muster any strength.
The two Pokémon were locked in a stalemate!
Everyone was stunned by this spectacle!
Following the dramatic scene where Totodile bit Kingdra's mouth earlier, they never expected to see another moment of such dramatic absurdity!
After a moment of shock, Misty immediately realized this was a golden opportunity and once again commanded Corsola to use Spike Cannon.
As white light emanated from Corsola's body, Qwilfish could neither fight back nor avoid the attack, taking the full damage.
Under the impact of Spike Cannon, Qwilfish finally detached from Corsola's body and was blasted into the air. After flying for a few seconds from the shock of the attack, it crashed heavily onto the stone pillar and immediately fainted.
Seeing Qwilfish lose the ability to battle, the referee immediately announced the result.
Misty naturally jumped for joy at the outcome, while Hyde's face fell. He never expected to lose the match in such an unexpected way!
The audience applauded, and Misty smiled brightly while waving at them.
In the lounge, Natsui fell into thought as he watched Misty win in such a manner.
Just like Ash's match, Natsui never expected that both of Ash and Misty's battles would end with such dramatic, unexpected moments!
It felt as if neither of them had utilized their full strength; both victories were achieved through unforeseen circumstances.
It was fitting for Ash, the Trainer of the Unexpected, to maintain this style, but for Misty to also adopt it suggested she was increasingly leaning toward Ash's style of battling.
Regardless, it was a cause for celebration that all three of them successfully advanced to the Top 32. As for the process... well... that wasn't too important, after all.
After each of them had played one match, they had no more scheduled for the morning. Once Misty returned, the three left the lounge to meet up with Erika and Brock in the main hall.
Erika and Brock naturally praised them profusely, especially highlighting the high entertainment value of Ash and Misty's matches. They discussed the fights excitedly, vividly describing the audience's enthusiastic reactions, which made the two of them quite embarrassed.
The group ate lunch at the arena restaurant and rested for a while. After all the morning matches concluded and the Top 32 contestants were finalized, Natsui and his friends returned to the arena via a broadcast announcement for the Top 32 to Top 16 matches.
The three were lucky again and were not paired against each other. This time, Ash and Misty displayed their true skills, eliminating their opponents through pure strength and successfully advancing.
While they were pleased, the audience was slightly disappointed.
After all, they preferred to watch more "exciting" and surprising moments than ordinary battles!
For Natsui, there were no surprises.
He continued to use Blastoise, maintaining a stable performance. He defeated a female Trainer with a large advantage, successfully advancing to the Top 16.
With this, Natsui, Ash, and Misty had all made it through. In the battles to come, after weeding out the weaker contestants, no one would be an easy opponent. The difficulty would undoubtedly increase significantly!
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