Teleport, Blastoise, double Hydro Pump!
Following the rapid string of commands, Ditto instantly vanished from its position.
"Magmar, block it with Fire Spin, then counter with Fire Blast!"
Kato launched his own counter-maneuver against Ditto's surprise attack. The moment it reappeared, Ditto transformed into a Blastoise and immediately unleashed a torrent of water from the twin cannons on its back.
Flames rose up as a Fire Spin formed to shield the Magmar. However, Kato had severely underestimated Ditto's prowess.
In Gu Yuan's current team, Charizard was naturally the strongest. Below it were Sylveon, Alakazam, and Annihilape, all of whom possessed quasi-Ace strength. Although Ditto hadn't reached the quasi-Ace level yet, it was only one step away and had few equals within the Senior Rank. Further down were Ceruledge, Haunter, and Skeledirge, all of whom were preparing to break through.
Having been boosted by Nasty Plot, Ditto's power was far beyond what a Fire Spin could withstand. Under the impact of the double Hydro Pump, the vortex of fire was instantly shattered, and the Magmar was sent tumbling backward.
"Ditto, keep it up with a Water Pulse barrage! Don't give him any room to breathe!"
One water sphere after another shot forward. The Magmar had barely managed to stabilize its footing when it was forced to endure the intense pain and attempt to retaliate with Fire Blast. However, its flames were quickly overwhelmed by two consecutive Water Pulse attacks.
The impact of Water Pulse followed shortly after. Since the move occasionally leaves the target confused, the Magmar became dazed and disoriented. It failed to follow Kato's commands and finally collapsed under the relentless pressure of the water.
Just as before, after defeating the Magmar, Ditto reverted to the form of Alakazam, ready to use Nasty Plot at a moment's notice.
Having lost two Senior Rank Pokémon in a row and left with only one Intermediate Rank Pokémon, Kato knew his hopes of winning had vanished. Even so, since he had worked so hard to reach this stage, he wasn't about to give up easily.
In a flash of white light, Kato released his final Pokémon: a Charizard!
A cunning glint flashed in Ditto's eyes as it took advantage of the Charizard's entrance to boost itself with another Nasty Plot. Finally, Ditto transformed into a Charizard and took to the skies to engage Kato's Charizard in a fierce dogfight.
Given the double Nasty Plot buffs and Ditto's superior base strength, the outcome was never in doubt. Consequently, Gu Yuan's first match of the secondary rounds ended in a clean 3-0 sweep!
"Contestant Gu Yuan is the winner!"
"I never expected Gu Yuan's Ditto to be this powerful!" the announcer shouted in admiration. "Its transformation abilities are especially remarkable. It can shift into other Pokémon with incredible speed, leaving the opponent completely unable to cope!"
Despite the victory, Gu Yuan remained calm, showing none of the arrogance typical of a winner. He gave a polite smile and a nod to Kato before leading Ditto away from the field.
"It's fine to be happy, but remember, this isn't the time to get cocky. We need to keep working hard for what's next," Gu Yuan whispered as he stroked Ditto in the player tunnel.
Ditto nodded firmly, its brief moment of pride dissipating under Gu Yuan's gentle guidance.
Outside, a group of reporters immediately swarmed him for an interview. After all, Gu Yuan was the first trainer in this Indigo League to achieve a clean sweep. He had anticipated this and had previously consulted Professor Oak, an expert in such matters, on how to handle the media.
As a result, Gu Yuan didn't make a fool of himself. Instead, he skillfully avoided the traps hidden in the reporters' questions. He didn't come across as dim-witted as Ash had during his early days.
Gu Yuan had actually considered adopting a "cool and aloof" persona by staying silent, but Agatha had warned him against it before he could try. According to her, having one "aloof" person in their teacher-student relationship was enough. Her strength and status meant she didn't need to care about public opinion, but Gu Yuan was different. He needed a positive public image to build his popularity.
To become an Elite Four member, strength was a prerequisite, but one's achievements and public support rating could not be ignored. It was clear that Agatha was truly grooming Gu Yuan to be her successor.
Shortly after returning to his quarters, Gu Yuan began to rest. Since his next opponent hadn't been decided yet, he wasn't in a hurry to study tactics. Instead, he continued training with his Pokémon. He focused the training load on Ceruledge and the others, striving to help them break through to the Senior Rank as soon as possible to make his strategies more flexible.
When Professor Oak and the others left the stands, he told Ash and Gary not to disturb Gu Yuan so that he could focus entirely on the upcoming matches.
As the matches concluded one by one, the second round of the secondary matches soon began. This time, Gu Yuan drew the Ice Field, and his opponent was a girl named Tsubaki. According to her previous records, she specialized in Ice-type Pokémon, making this battlefield extremely advantageous for her. Conversely, the right to move first went to Gu Yuan.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin the second round of the Indigo League! Our contestants are Tsubaki and Gu Yuan, who previously achieved a clean sweep with a single Ditto."
"What kind of spectacular performance will these two show us today? Let's find out!"
As the announcer's voice echoed, the referee began to read the rules.
"Both contestants, please release your Pokémon! Let the battle begin!"
As soon as the referee gave the signal, Gu Yuan and Tsubaki released their Pokémon simultaneously. Gu Yuan stuck with Ditto, while Tsubaki sent out a Dewgong.
"Alakazam, Nasty Plot!"
"Dewgong, cover the entire field with Blizzard!"
Ditto immediately transformed into Alakazam, a cunning light flickering in its eyes. Boosted by the Ice Field, the Dewgong's Blizzard was even more powerful. Piercing cold winds mixed with falling snow began to swirl, threatening to bury Ditto.
"Teleport, Skeledirge, Torch Song!"
As the Blizzard descended, Ditto teleported to a position closer to the Dewgong. A melody filled the air, and searing flames erupted alongside the song. The heat melted the snow while bearing down on the Dewgong.
"What is that Pokémon!? Contestant Gu Yuan has had his Ditto transform into a Pokémon I've never seen before!?"
The announcer's voice was full of shock, a sentiment shared by Tsubaki. However, she knew the most important thing right now was to block the attack. An Ice Beam shot out, neutralizing the remaining power of the Torch Song.
Even so, after the boosts from Nasty Plot and Torch Song, Ditto's offensive momentum was becoming nearly impossible to stop.