"Ladies and gentlemen! The Champion Cup has entered its key stage. We're at the quarterfinals. Who will defeat every opponent and claim the trophy?"
In Wyndon Stadium, Ryan stood at the referee's platform. His voice was louder than usual.
"As everyone knows, the runner-up may not be the true second strongest. But the champion is always the champion! No one remembers the runner-up, especially in Galar. Only winners receive respect and applause! So let's begin! Our first match features the undefeated Leon!"
As Ryan gestured toward the tunnel, Leon stepped out with a confident smile.
"On the other side," Ryan said as he turned, "we have the real successor of Circhester. The one everyone calls the Ice Kid, Marvin!"
'Ice Kid my foot…'
Marvin cursed inside, unhappy with the nickname the company made for him.
Couldn't it be Ice God, Ice Master? Even Ice King would be better.
Compared to the undefeated Leon, Ice Kid seemed to be just a clown walking up to be swept aside and sent home crying.
To be fair, that was probably what would happen…
He exhaled and accepted reality. He ran a hand through his messy orange hair and walked out.
"Good. Both trainers have arrived. This is the quarterfinals of the Galar Champion Cup. The rule is a 6v6 rotation battle. The first side to lose all their Pokémon will be defeated. Now, please send out your Pokémon!"
Ryan spoke quickly. Leon tossed his Poké Ball.
"Charizard!"
Once again, his first Pokémon was the Elite-level Charizard.
Fire beat ice.
How could he fight this?
Marvin's face twisted in pain.
'Ice Kid? More like Ice Clown…'
Even if Granny Shae lent him two Elite-level ice Pokémon, he doubted he could beat that Charizard.
It was Leon's signature partner, and in a way, the company's signature as well.
An Elite-level Charizard…
* * *
"Marvin only needs to stand there for ten minutes before coming back down," Edgar joked.
Shae glanced at him without speaking.
The remaining contestants who had not returned to their lounges stayed in the lobby to watch the match unfold on the central screen.
"This one should be decided fast. That Ice Kid won't withstand even a single move from Charizard."
In the corner room, two staff members whispered to each other.
Milo, who was sitting on a chair holding a Wooloo in his arms, glanced over. His freckled face lifted for a moment, but after seeing Marvin face Leon on the screen, he lowered his head again and continued playing with the Wooloo.
"But the real highlight today is still Shiro versus Raihan. I'm betting two thousand on Raihan." One staff member spoke again.
"Then I'll bet twenty thousand on Shiro."
A cool female voice came from the side. It was Nessa, who had been listening for a while.
The two staff members looked up, froze when they saw her, and forced awkward smiles before slipping away to another corner.
She bit her lip, her thin brows slightly furrowed as she walked toward Shiro on the sofa.
She hesitated, sat beside him, and heard him sigh.
"Marvin's going to lose."
Nessa looked up. On the screen, Marvin had just withdrawn his second Pokémon and was sending out his third.
His first two Ice types had been taken down by one Flamethrower each.
When the match began and he saw that determined look in Marvin's eyes, Shiro almost thought the guy might explode with some miracle strength and take down the Charizard.
Now it was clear that was impossible.
He sighed once more and finally noticed Nessa beside him.
"Shiro..." she muttered. "Your next opponent is Raihan. Maybe you should leave now."
"Leave where?" He didn't understand the question at first.
"Leave Galar." Her voice was barely a whisper.
He stayed quiet for a moment.
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
He smiled.
"It's almost your turn. Go on, Nessa."
She watched the screen as Marvin was defeated with ease. In fact, ease wasn't even the right word. He stood there for ten minutes, then walked off like he was going to get lunch.
His strength used to be only a bit behind Allister. Against other Elite-level Pokémon, he could at least put up a fight. Yet he was swept this easily?
So what level was Raihan, the one who could challenge Leon?
How much strength was he hiding? Which of his Pokémon was at Elite-level?
Nobody knew.
She didn't believe Shiro could keep advancing smoothly. It wasn't just the company hunting him. Under normal circumstances, the tournament had reached its peak. Everything was being sped up. He needed to find a chance to leave Wyndon and Galar as soon as possible.
His voice interrupted her worried state.
"Go, Nessa."
She stood, and he added:
"Believe me. I can win my way to the finals."
She nodded hard and walked into the tunnel opposite Allister.
* * *
Time moved quickly. The difference in strength between Allister and Nessa was obvious. Even when both fought seriously, Allister still won with two Pokémon left.
By ten-thirty in the morning, inside Wyndon Stadium.
"Now we begin the first match of the second group! Today's competitors are Shiro and Raihan! One is the prodigy from Spikemuth, the other is the mysterious heir of the Dragon Tamer family. I'm sure everyone has been waiting for this!"
Ryan raised his microphone high and shouted, "Who will reach the semifinals? Everyone has their favorite. Now it's time to find out! Trainers, please enter!"
Shiro walked in calmly, dressed in a simple black company uniform.
Across from him, Raihan stepped forward with his hands in his pockets, a smile always on his face.
"The rules are a 6v6 rotation battle. Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
The words had barely ended when both threw their Poké Balls.
"Come on, Corviknight!"
"Let's go, Flygon!"
Red light flashed. The black-feathered Corviknight spread its wings and rose into the air with a low rasp.
"Flyyyyy!"
Opposite it, the emerald Flygon chirped softly, almost like someone singing.
The instant the sound reached him, Shiro had Unown A seal his hearing.
Flygon, also called the Desert Spirit, produced a beautiful voice within its sandstorms. Legends said anyone charmed by the sound would lose their senses and be swallowed by the sand.
The legend might be exaggerated, but its voice still affected a trainer's focus. If someone got caught in it, they might freeze for a long time.
The audience was protected by the psychic barrier, so they were fine.
It was a natural trait that targeted trainers, dangerous for anyone inexperienced.
He examined the data for the Flygon:
[Name: Flygon
Type: Ground/Dragon
Level: 49 (Gym)
Ability: Levitate
Item: None
Moves: Dragon Claw, Sand Attack, Supersonic, Dragon Breath, Bulldoze, Mud-Slap, Sand Tomb, Dragon Tail, Screech, Bug Buzz, Sandstorm, Earth Power…]
His eyes sharpened.
This Flygon was strong, close to Elite-level. The question was how many Elite-level Pokémon Raihan actually had.
Both Leon and Raihan stood above most competitors. It was very likely they had more than one Elite-level Pokémon. Leon at least had Charizard, but Raihan remained a mystery.
Who knew? He might pull out a pseudo-legendary dragon that was Elite-level.
But for Corviknight, this matchup was quite good. Ground moves didn't work on Flying types and Dragon moves were resisted by Steel.
Ryan's voice cut through the tension.
"Both Pokémon are out. The battle begins!"
Neither trainer hesitated.
"Corviknight, Quick Attack into Drill Peck!"
"Flygon, Bug Buzz!"
Corviknight shot forward at once. It moved so fast it vanished before even a blur appeared and reappeared behind Flygon.
Raihan's pupils widened.
'Fast... either it was holding back before, or it improved again.'
Even when Corviknight closed in, he didn't call for Flygon to dodge or defend.
**
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