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The afternoon matches were somewhat surprising. Josiah, who used Jangmo-o and was highly favored by the public, suffered a major upset, easily losing to Leonardo, who had little presence before the match.
It was then that everyone suddenly realized Leonardo's Gastly had been hiding its true strength from the very beginning. Jangmo-o, whose move pool was already somewhat restricted, was caught completely off guard by Gastly's sudden burst of power and was thoroughly outmaneuvered, easily losing the match.
After a long wait of almost a full day, David finally got to face his opponent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience watching today's matches! The final match of the Imperial City Novice Cup Quarterfinals is about to begin!"
As the announcer's voice filled the air, both competitors slowly entered the battle arena.
"Go, David!"
"Zorua is the cutest in the world!"
"Don't lose, Christopher!"
"Elekid is the strongest!"
In the surrounding stands, as the matches had progressed over the days, the remaining Trainers had accumulated quite a number of fans, and their respective family and friends were also cheering them on.
David turned his head toward the stands and immediately spotted Emma and her group. They were all cheering for him! At that moment, Miles had even pulled out a flag depicting Hisuian Zorua from somewhere and was waving it enthusiastically.
Waving back at them, David then turned around to face his opponent.
"Finally... finally, this day has come! Do you know how long I've waited for this? Let's battle, David! I won't lose this time!"
Christopher, facing him, looked at David as he walked onto the battle arena and said excitedly. The defeat he'd suffered against David had been his first and only loss since becoming a Trainer. That defeat had left an incredibly deep impression on him, so today, he absolutely had to get his revenge.
"If you can manage it."
Facing his eager opponent, David raised an eyebrow, remaining noncommittal to the other's passionate declaration.
"Today, I'll show you Elekid's true power—"
"Both Trainers, take your positions! Begin!"
Before Christopher could finish speaking, seeing that both Trainers were in position, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
"Go, Zorua."
"Time for revenge, Elekid!"
With the appearance of both Pokémon, the match officially began.
"Whoa, quite the improvement. No wonder he's so confident!"
David's gaze swept over Elekid, taking in its data. No wonder Christopher was so eager for a rematch! The Electric-type had made considerable progress.
[Name: Elekid]
[Type: Electric]
[Gender: ♂]
[Energy Level: 20 (Veteran)]
[Aptitude: Purple]
[Ability: Vital Spirit]
[Held Item: Electirizer]
[Moves: Leer, Quick Attack, Low Kick, Thunder Shock, Swift, Shock Wave, Thunder Wave, Electric Terrain, Endure, Fire Punch, Screech, Dynamic Punch, Brick Break, Charge, Hidden Power (Water), Charge Beam, Protect, Knock Off...]
It was still that familiar black and yellow figure, but Elekid's strength now was simply incomparable to what it had been during the preliminary rounds.
Not only had it broken through to Veteran level, but its aptitude had also reached the purple tier. To achieve such progress in such a short time, the resources invested must have been substantial.
If David remembered correctly, according to the Trainer information he'd reviewed earlier, Christopher was the younger brother of the current Electric-type Elite Four member of the Cloudspire Alliance. He just didn't understand why Elekid, as Christopher's starter Pokémon, only had light purple aptitude initially.
Well, it didn't really matter. Maybe Christopher had his own reasons. After all, compatibility between a Trainer and their Pokémon was most important. Aptitude could be improved later, but the mental bond wasn't so simple to establish.
However, upon seeing "Knock Off" at the end of the move list, David involuntarily smiled. Here was another opponent who'd come specifically prepared for him.
During those few days of rest, the Imperial City Research Institute had updated some basic information about Zorua on its official website, such as its ability and typing.
Christopher must have had Elekid learn Knock Off specifically because of that information. Well, he'd certainly drawn the right opponent for that strategy.
Of course, that was all the public knew. One must understand that the Hisuian Form of Zorua was unique to David. If he didn't reveal it himself, how could others possibly know about abilities like creating elaborate illusions and absorbing fear?
At least before demonstrating it publicly, David would definitely keep those capabilities secret.
"Elekid, Electric Terrain!"
"Roar!"
Accompanying Elekid's roar, intense electrical energy burst from its body, and rich golden current spread across the battle arena like flowing mercury, as if enveloping the entire stadium in an ocean of electricity.
Elekid was using a terrain-type move, on par with weather-based moves in strategic importance.
Speaking of which, David's expression was somewhat peculiar. First weather moves, and now terrain moves—why did he keep encountering such well-prepared opponents? And they were all specifically targeting him. What kind of matchmaking system was this?
At that moment, Zorua, who had returned to its original form in the arena, recognized its opponent. However, after seeing Elekid's fierce demeanor, it merely glanced briefly before self-absorbedly admiring the glittering arena, seemingly not considering its previously defeated opponent worth worrying about.
"Damn it! Elekid, don't let that opponent underestimate us! Use Electro Ball at full power!"
"Roar!"
Elekid, already irritated by Zorua's dismissive gaze—three parts disdain, three parts indifference, four parts nonchalance—finally found an outlet for its anger upon hearing its Trainer's command.
Elekid leaped high into the air, gathering all the surging electricity from its body and condensing it into a massive golden Electro Ball. The sphere shot toward Zorua at high speed, and as it traveled, stray electric currents from the arena poured into it, further enhancing its power.
This was one of the effects of Electric Terrain: after the field effect was established, the power of all Electric-type moves on the battlefield received a significant boost.
"Extrasensory!"
"Zorua!"
Pink flames ignited in Zorua's eyes, and a powerful psychic wave instantly swept across the entire battle arena. The exterior of Elekid's Electro Ball became covered by a layer of pink energy.
Then, the Electro Ball, now enveloped in pink psychic energy, suddenly changed direction under the influence of an unseen force. Just as it was about to reach Zorua, it reversed course and rushed back toward Elekid at an even faster speed than before.
"Is that for real..."
"How... how is that possible?"
The audience witnessing this scene couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. At the same time, in the official livestream, countless online viewers simultaneously flooded the chat with question marks.
"This Zorua's psychic power..."
"Incredible, truly incredible."
The guest commentators in their seats, specially invited by the organizers, also spoke up in astonishment at this unexpected display of power.