Eichi arrived late, so by the time he appeared, most people had already shown up. It was nearly time for the event to begin. Only three people were currently seated in the audience area: Eichi, Konan, and Sato.
A little while later, the big screen lit up. The drawing for the match order was about to begin. Among the three contestants, the one who drew a bye would advance directly to the finals, while the other two would battle, with the winner moving on to compete against the one who received the bye for the championship.
3 2 1
The big screen stopped, and everyone looked at the results with some surprise. Eichi's expression was one of astonishment; his luck was so good that he had received the bye. However, no one felt it was unfair, as Eichi certainly possessed the strength to win the championship.
The next match would be between Sato and Konan, vying for the final spot in the championship.
Konan and Sato exchanged glances. Invisible sparks seemed to ignite in the air. Eichi could already smell the tension. The two Trainers stepped onto the stage simultaneously.
Once they were ready, the referee began the announcement: "The match will now begin between Sato from Class 2 and Konan from Class 3. This is a two-on-two Pokémon battle. Please release your Pokémon."
"Go, Combusken!"
"Go, Horsea!"
Hmm? Konan frowned when she saw that Sato was using a Pokémon he had never used before. Horsea's type advantage worked against Combusken, putting her at a disadvantage.
Eichi, watching from the side, was also surprised that Sato wasn't using Electabuzz, but he understood Sato's reasoning. Sato didn't want his main Pokémon to expend too much energy in the preceding match, so he had prepared several Pokémon.
Horsea, the Dragon Pokémon.
Type: WaterAbilities: Swift Swim / Sniper Hidden Ability: Damp Talent Grade: ExcellentTrainer Rank: ExperiencedDescription: Horsea is a column-shaped Pokémon, mostly blue, with a light yellow belly and dorsal fin. It has red irises and three spikes on each side of its head. It projects ink from its long, cylindrical snout. Its tail is curled forward, counter-clockwise.
Eichi activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor. Another Pokémon with an Excellent Talent Grade, he noted. Its level isn't very high, only mid-tier experienced.
"Begin the match!"
At the referee's command, the battle officially started.
Don't let Sato's Horsea's innocent appearance fool you; it was ruthless when attacking. It used various Water-type moves with great skill. Eichi guessed that this Horsea's Ability must be Swift Swim. Under Sato's command, Horsea practically turned the entire arena into a river, making it very difficult for Combusken to move. Ultimately, under a barrage of Water Gun attacks from Horsea, Combusken lost its ability to battle.
Konan's face was grim. She recalled Combusken and brought out her second Poké Ball, releasing her strongest Pokémon, Cloyster. Konan was under a lot of pressure now; Horsea appeared to have taken hardly any damage.
The battle continued. Cloyster is a Water/Ice-type Pokémon, so the current environment was very beneficial to it. After a period of fighting, Horsea couldn't break through Cloyster's defense and was defeated by a single Blizzard attack from Cloyster. Now the score was nearly even, with each Trainer having lost one Pokémon.
Sato recalled Horsea and brought out his second Pokémon, Electabuzz.
As expected, Electabuzz. Electric-type moves are Super Effective against Water-type Pokémon. Therefore, Konan's chances of turning the battle around were very low.
Just as Eichi expected, because of the excess moisture on the field, which created an excellent conductor, Electabuzz easily defeated Cloyster.
The moment Cloyster lost its ability to battle, Eichi knew it was his turn. After defeating Konan, Sato glanced at Eichi and went to rest off the field. The break lasted 15 minutes.
Time ticked by, and it was now the final match. Eichi stood up and walked onto the stage. Meanwhile, Director Yanagi and Teacher Takemoto were watching the battle from the spectator stands.
Director Yanagi spoke, "Takemoto, who do you think will win the championship?"
Teacher Takemoto looked at Eichi's back and replied, "I think this young Eichi will surprise us again today."
"I also believe Eichi will win the championship," Director Yanagi said, smiling.
"I think Sato will win the championship," a voice came from beside Director Yanagi. It turned out that another leader had come to watch the match today: the Vice-Principal.
"Vice-Principal, you think Sato will win the championship?" Director Yanagi asked.
The Vice-Principal said kindly, "That's right. While Eichi's Beedrill and Scyther are both very strong, they are type-disadvantaged against Sato's Pokémon. Furthermore, Eichi is relying on a Pokémon like Beedrill." After the Vice-Principal finished speaking, Teacher Takemoto and Director Yanagi fell silent.
In the battle arena, Sato and Eichi stood facing each other. Sato said, "I finally get to have a proper match with you. I can barely wait."
"Me too," Eichi replied.
"The match will now begin between Eichi from Class 1 and Sato from Class 2. Please release your Pokémon."
"Go, Scyther!"
"Go, Electabuzz!"
Electabuzz, the Electric Pokémon.
Types: ElectricAbilities: Static Hidden Ability: Vital Spirit Talent Grade: ExcellentTrainer Rank: ExperiencedDescription: Electabuzz has a black lightning bolt symbol on its abdomen, and parts of its body are covered in black skin, similar to a tiger. It has two antenna-like conductors on its head that help it store electricity.
"Begin the match!"
"Electabuzz, use Discharge!"
Electabuzz placed its hand on the ground, and electric arcs flashed across its palm.
"Scyther, use Air Slash!"
Scyther rushed toward Electabuzz. Because the ground was covered in water, Electabuzz's electricity quickly traveled through the water, immediately reaching Scyther's feet. Scyther was caught off guard and instantly took damage.
"This is bad! Scyther, fly up!" Eichi commanded.
After being electrocuted, Scyther immediately flew into the air. Sato's strategy is effective, Eichi thought. He first used Horsea to create an environment that greatly favors his Pokémon in battle.
I need to be careful next. I don't know how many strategies Sato has prepared for my Beedrill and Scyther.
Scyther continued to charge toward Electabuzz from the air.
"Electabuzz, use Screech!"
As Scyther rushed forward, Electabuzz calmly released an extremely grating sound from its mouth. Scyther, which was closest to Electabuzz, was instantly affected, and its speed rapidly dropped.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder Wave!"
Electabuzz opened its mouth wide and emitted an electromagnetic wave. Scyther, having just recovered from the effects of Screech, was then paralyzed by Electabuzz's Thunder Wave. It dropped from the air, splashing into the puddle on the ground, completely soaked.
This is not good. Now I'm in trouble, Eichi thought darkly.
Seeing his chain of moves succeed, Sato's mouth curved into a small smile. He immediately commanded Electabuzz to attack.
"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!"