"Be careful from now on. Use Vine Whip to move around and keep your distance. Attack it with Magical Leaf from range."
Silas didn't say much — he simply reminded Serperior and issued the next command.
Serperior nodded slightly. The vines it had just retracted now stretched out once again but this time, instead of attacking Breloom, they were used in rhythm with its own swift gliding, allowing it to continuously shift positions across the Grassy Field.
It was fortunate the battlefield was covered in grass. On any other Field, Serperior's movements wouldn't have been nearly as smooth, and its speed would have suffered.
Sharp, bluish-purple leaves gathered and shot toward Breloom in rapid succession.
"Use Force Palm, then close the distance!"
Keith and his Breloom weren't backing down either.
"Breeee!"
With a cry, Breloom released shockwaves from its limbs — colliding with the incoming Magical Leaves.
Leaves scattered everywhere, fluttering down like a storm of green rain.
"What an intense clash! Both Pokémon are going all out! At this moment, Serperior moves like an artist, effortlessly controlling Magical Leaf, while Breloom counters with incredible footwork and precise fighting technique as skilled as a professional boxer!"
The announcer's voice rang out passionately.
This was exactly the kind of battle he'd been waiting for. The last two matches had bored him — flashy, sure, but without this raw, head-to-head intensity.
As he said, the fight on the field had reached a fever pitch.
Unintentionally, the distance between Breloom and Serperior kept narrowing.
Both trainers watched closely, completely ignoring the noise of the crowd, ready to change tactics at a moment's notice.
It felt like the standoff lasted forever.
"Now! Use Headbutt, then Mach Punch!" Keith shouted, thrusting his fist forward.
Bang!
Breloom kicked off the ground, launching itself like a missile straight toward Serperior.
A little closer… just a little closer… Silas's eyes locked onto Breloom.
"Now! Finish it with Aerial Ace!" Silas suddenly commanded.
"Oh no—!" Keith's pupils dilated in horror. A Flying-type move that was more than just "super effective" against Breloom.
As a Grass and Fighting-type, Breloom was four times weak to Flying. Aerial Ace, with its base power of 60 and guaranteed accuracy, might as well have been a no-recoil Explosion in this situation.
And unlike Explosion, Aerial Ace never missed — just like Magical Leaf.
Could they use Protect? Keith considered it but immediately knew it was impossible. Protect required time to prepare, and at the speed both Pokémon were charging, there was no chance to execute it.
If that was the case— "Take it head-on! Use Counter!"
"Breeee!"
Breloom's cry carried the spirit of a true Fighting-type Pokémon. Its body, almost parallel to the ground mid-sprint, straightened up under its control.
Though it couldn't completely stop its momentum — its feet dug two deep trenches into the turf — Breloom managed to take a solid defensive stance.
The seamless shift between offense and defense, the sheer physical control — even Silas was momentarily stunned.
It was like when a Togekiss used Steel Wing to dodge an Ice Beam at high speed — just imagining the precision required was mind-boggling.
It wasn't that Silas underestimated his opponent, but this display of mastery went far beyond what he'd expected from Breloom.
Would Aerial Ace be enough? Silas's thoughts raced.
Factoring in Serperior's Growth-boosted Attack power, the base damage of Aerial Ace, and Breloom's already weakened condition — could this strike bring it down completely?
But then again… Breloom had used Bulk Up earlier, which increased its Defense.
Silas's expression shifted uncertainly.
If Aerial Ace didn't knock Breloom out, Counter would reflect double the damage back at Serperior.
There was no need to calculate it — Serperior would definitely faint from that.
Serperior might still have more HP remaining, but not double Breloom's.
Those thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The next moment, Serperior, its body glowing bright white, slammed into the defending Breloom.
A deadlock.
To everyone's shock, the two Pokémon held their ground in the middle of the field.
Serperior's white aura flickered erratically, while Breloom's posture visibly faltered. Yet neither made a single extra move.
Trainers, commentators, and audience members alike held their breath, eyes locked on the motionless scene before them.
"Breee…"
Gritting its teeth, Breloom forced out a cry and swung its fist toward Serperior, who stood only inches away.
Keith's face brightened — a smile of triumph breaking through.
But Serperior didn't move. It lifted its elegant head proudly, its crimson eyes reflecting respect for its opponent.
Thud.
Under Keith's stunned gaze and the crowd's roaring cheers Breloom suddenly collapsed forward, fainting into the grassy field just before its punch could land.
"Breloom is unable to battle! Serperior wins! All three Pokémon on the blue side have been defeated! The winner of this match is the red-side trainer, Silas Alaric!"
The referee was the first to react, raising the red flag to signal Silas's victory.
"Whew…"
Silas exhaled deeply. That last moment had given even him a scare.
"What an incredible battle! After sweeping his first match three-to-zero, Silas once again brings us a thrilling performance!
This time, he used three entirely different Pokémon, facing each of Keith Morris's Pokémon in one-on-one duels. I'm sure even the audience didn't expect that!"
The commentator's voice echoed across the chaotic battlefield, even louder than the audience's thunderous cheers.
At the exit tunnel, Silas and Keith shook hands.
"You're strong," Keith said warmly. "Congrats on making it to Round 3."
"You're just as impressive," Silas replied modestly. "Your Butterfree's Psychic moves, Froslass's ability control, and Breloom's Counter transition — you really pushed me hard. I just got lucky this time."
Keith grinned. "That Breloom move was all its own doing. I told it to Headbutt and then Counter, I didn't expect it to handle the timing that perfectly."
Even Keith had been stunned in that moment.
Perhaps this was the true bond between Pokémon and Trainer — every Pokémon that steps onto the battlefield fights with everything it has, showing impossible strength born from trust.
"But that just proves it has the potential," Silas said with a smile. "If you train it specifically for that kind of follow-up, it could become something really strong."
Keith nodded. "Yeah, after this battle, I'm thinking of focusing on that. If it mixes a bit of Sky Uppercut into its Mach Punch, I think it could work."
The two Trainers, who had just finished their match, walked side by side while discussing Pokémon training methods.
After receiving their fully healed Pokémon from Nurse Joy, Silas bid Keith farewell and returned to his room.
He had barely sat down when his phone started ringing — it was Yezo.
"You've gone viral."
Silas blinked. "I've been popular, haven't I?"
As the Torch Runner — the young face of the League's new generation of Trainers, it was normal for him to be in the spotlight. Especially during the tournament season, media coverage around him was massive.
He was very self-aware about that.
Yezo was speechless for a moment — he didn't know how to respond."I mean your win went viral," he clarified quickly.
"Hm?" Silas took a sip of water, making a puzzled sound through his nose.
He didn't even need to say much; as long as he reacted a little, Yezo would keep talking that was just his nature.
"You say you're low-key, but I don't see it at all. First a clean sweep, then three straight 1v1 wins — you really know how to put on a show," Yozakura teased.
In elimination rounds, most Trainers tended to take conservative and stable approaches.
Generally, battles fell into three categories.
First, the Trainer's strength was overwhelmingly higher after a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1, the outcome was obvious. Sometimes, you'd see a 3-0 sweep like Silas's first match, though it was rare. Even with a quasi–Elite-class Pokémon, it was difficult to defeat two peak-level opponents in a row and still have enough stamina to fight a third.
In Silas's earlier Pidgeot match, it was only possible because his opponent's team had poor type matchups — otherwise, even he wouldn't have pulled it off.
Second, there was the moderate advantage — strong, but not by much.
In that case, Trainers might trade one Pokémon for one and a half, with their third Pokémon cleaning up at the end.
These were the most common outcomes; upsets were rare unless the stronger Trainer had almost no battle experience.
Third, the evenly matched battles, where both sides constantly traded knockouts the kind of matches Silas and Yezo had watched before.
Sometimes, you couldn't tell who'd win until the very end.
But Silas had carved out a fourth way turning a full 3-on-3 match into three separate 1-on-1 duels.
To outsiders, it looked like pure showmanship.
Like he was saying: Look how strong I am. Look how powerful my Pokémon are.
But given his age and talent, most people praised him instead of criticizing.
After all, this was a world that respected strength. Silas's future was bright, and no one wanted to risk offending him.
It wasn't unheard of for a powerful Trainer to become a wanted outlaw and still live just fine while those who angered them didn't end as well.
Ironically, the ones most delighted by Silas's performance were the League staff.
Thanks to his unique battle style, the first two rounds of the tournament's elimination phase saw a noticeable spike in viewership.
Normally, the real excitement didn't peak until the final round or the main arena matches, but this time, Silas had boosted interest early on — making him the perfect promotional figure, just as the League's higher-ups wanted.
"So no one's done this before?" Silas asked curiously after hearing Yezo's dramatic retelling.
"Not like you," Yezo replied immediately.
His tone carried a hint of envy.
"Don't overthink it," Silas said lightly. "The whole point of the League is to show ourselves and our Pokémon.
After they become our partners, they no longer have to fight for survival — training to grow stronger is one goal, but not the only one."
He spoke with conviction.
Pokémon were living beings with emotions. They wanted acknowledgment too — that's why both the Trainer's and the Pokémon's names were engraved on the Champion Trophy.
It represented their shared effort.
The process mattered, but so did the result.
When he sent out his three smaller Pokémon, he hadn't done it to show off. It simply felt right.
If his Pokémon didn't want to battle, he wouldn't force them.
Yezo fell silent for a moment.
Silas thought his words might've struck a chord—
"There's a one-million-credit job. You in?"
"Yeah. When, where, and what's required?"
Before Silas could even process what was happening, Yezo hung up.
"...Seriously?" Silas rolled his eyes. "And he says he doesn't fight for survival — broke as always."
Still, Silas couldn't help but grin. "If that job's real, send it to me," he muttered.
Out on the training grounds, Yezo's smartwatch pinged with Silas's message — though he was too busy to notice.
March 31 — The final day of March.
Indigo Plateau, Sub-Venue #4: Rock Field.
"He's down!!
Kyle's second Pokémon has fallen to Silas's Blaziken's blazing Blaze Kick!
Could this mean Silas will become the third Trainer in this year's tournament to score two consecutive clean sweeps?!!"
The announcer's voice practically shook the arena.
He didn't want to yell but with the deafening cheers all around, there was no other way to be heard.
The audience was going wild.
Silas and his Blaziken's performance was just too exhilarating.
...
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