"Thanks for the previous battle."
After sending Sandslash to the treatment room, Ethan Black sat in the lounge. Dylan Scott hesitated for a moment but finally approached to thank him.
"It was nothing. I didn't want Sandslash to get hurt either."
Ethan Black smiled faintly, though he still felt a little uneasy inside.
Luckily, he had noticed the tunnel behind Sandslash just in time. If he hadn't, even if his Pokémon had come out victorious from the clash, he wouldn't have escaped unscathed.
"How's Primeape?"
At Ethan Black's question, Dylan Scott breathed a sigh of relief. From his expression, it seemed Primeape wasn't in danger.
"Oh, right. I want to give you this as a token of gratitude."
Dylan Scott seemed to remember something. He pulled a notebook from his backpack and handed it to Ethan Black.
"What's this...?"
Ethan Black was surprised as he flipped through the pages. "It's a training manual on Fighting-type Pokémon!"
"Yes. It's a notebook my master gave me, with fundamentals on physical conditioning and hand-to-hand combat techniques for Fighting-types. Though it's basic material, I hope it will be useful to you," Dylan Scott explained with a smile.
"This is exactly what I needed! Lately I've been thinking about how to improve Sandslash's close combat. This notebook is a real treasure!" Ethan Black was truly grateful.
Dylan Scott, as the Fighting-type leader at the Pokémon Island Adventure Club and a specialized trainer, had solid foundations in training Fighting-types. It was no wonder he held such an important position.
Moreover, the notebook was a legacy from his master. The information it contained wasn't just ordinary!
Although Sandslash had improved greatly in physical strength, he still lacked technique in close combat. This notebook, with its training methods for hand-to-hand fighting, would undoubtedly be of great help.
"You're welcome. I'll be leaving the city soon, but if we have the chance, I'd love to battle you again."
Dylan Scott smiled easily.
"You're leaving the city?" Ethan Black was surprised.
"Yes. In fact, I'm a disciple of the Iron Fist Dojo in Braveton City. I was working as a trainer at the Pokémon Island Adventure Club only to gain experience. Now that my time is up, it's time to return."
"The Iron Fist Dojo in Braveton City?"
Hearing that name, Ethan Black was even more surprised.
That dojo was famous throughout the country. He hadn't imagined Dylan Scott came from there.
"That's right. Braveton City is well known for its Fighting-type training. If one day you want to catch one, you can contact me. I know the area very well. I can definitely help you find the one you're looking for." Dylan Scott spoke proudly.
The two exchanged contact information and promised a future battle.
Time flew by. After more than half an hour of treatment, Sandslash had recovered his strength. Ethan Black spared no effort and treated him to a feast as a reward.
Still, something felt strange: Alex Baxter had disappeared. He wasn't answering his phone, and no one knew where he was.
However, with the afternoon Tournament about to begin, Ethan Black decided to leave the matter for after the competition.
...
3:00 p.m.
The afternoon Tournament officially began.
After the morning tournament, more than a thousand participants had been eliminated. Only eight ring leaders remained, which demonstrated the efficiency of the system. The Devon Corporation really knew how to maximize the spectacle without wasting time.
With the announcer's call, the eight leaders stepped onto the stage.
According to the tournament rules, the first four to successfully defend their rings could choose their opponents from the other four remaining.
Thus, Lucas Silver, as the first successful defender, chose his rival: the fifth-ranked contestant. The latter's face immediately turned dark—clearly, he hadn't expected to be targeted by the proud Lucas Silver.
Next came Ethan Black's turn, the second to defend successfully.
Ethan Black looked at the three remaining rivals and quickly fixed his gaze on the last one.
From what he knew, this leader wasn't the original occupant of that position. As the rounds advanced, challengers had started to pile up in the few remaining rings.
That last ring had witnessed chaotic battles. After a dozen leaders and several hours of intense combat, that trainer managed to prevail and become the new leader. However, his Pokémon had been gravely injured in the last fight.
And since only an hour had passed since then, no matter how much treatment he had received at the Pokémon Center, a full recovery was impossible.
Once everyone had chosen their rivals, the tournament formally began.
Lucas Silver's battle was, as always, overwhelming. His Metang easily crushed a rival Golem, who barely lasted a few seconds.
Ethan Black couldn't help but be surprised. If it hadn't been for his previous battle where Charmeleon evolved into Charizard and activated Outrage, landing a surprise blow against Metang, that duel would also have been very difficult to win.
After Lucas Silver's victory, it was Ethan Black's turn.
His opponent appeared scowling from the start and threw his Poké Ball: a battered Golduck appeared.
"Golduck, huh? What a shame..."
Ethan Black smiled as he released a completely rested and perfectly healthy Sandslash.
The audience erupted in murmurs. Seeing the condition of both Pokémon, some even started shouting that Ethan Black was shameless!
But Ethan Black only smiled and ignored them. As long as he could win easily and avoid Sandslash getting injured, it was all worth it.
He didn't consider himself a saint. Although he had principles, those didn't include giving up an advantage within the rules. Rules were rules, and he hadn't done anything outside of them. What was shameless about that?
The battle was quick. Injured as he was, Golduck couldn't withstand Sandslash's Rollout. He took several consecutive hits until he fell and lost the ability to fight.
(End of chapter)
----
My bros, sorry for the delay. These past few days have been crazy (it was the last days of my university's cultural week, and early this morning my mom got sick; she spent the whole day in the hospital—don't worry, she's fine now). I haven't had time to upload chapters.