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On the battle stage for the intense top 8 to top 4 elimination round, tension filled the air as spectators held their breath in anticipation.
With Charizard's final devastating Eruption attack, Jacob demonstrated his absolute strength by defeating three opposing Pokémon in a row without losing a single one of his own. This dominant performance secured his entry into Starlight City's prestigious top 4 and guaranteed him a coveted spot in the upcoming provincial main competition.
After leaving the main battle arena, Jacob made his way to the exclusive private viewing box to observe the next crucial match that would determine another semifinalist. The atmosphere in the private box was considerably more relaxed than the crowded stands below, offering a perfect vantage point to analyze the upcoming battle.
The next match featured Amelia versus Valerie, two skilled Trainers who had fought their way through the preliminary rounds with impressive displays of tactical prowess and Pokemon mastery.
Looking down at the graceful and cool-faced Amelia standing confidently on the battle stage below, Jacob found it genuinely difficult to reconcile her current elegant and coldly composed demeanor with the gentle and charming appearance she had possessed just half a year ago. The transformation was quite remarkable to witness.
He had honestly never expected Amelia to successfully make it into the prestigious top eight of the tournament. One must understand that Amelia had become an official Pokemon Trainer a full two months later than Jacob himself, putting her at a significant disadvantage in terms of training time and experience.
Although Bug-type Pokemon are widely known to grow and develop the fastest among all Pokemon species, Amelia had only undergone approximately five months of intensive training so far. Even with her father's substantial financial support and access to specialized training programs in the exclusive Grass Bug Secret Realm, making it into Starlight City's competitive top 8 was still an extremely impressive achievement that spoke volumes about her natural talent and dedication.
In the luxurious private viewing box, Rory looked down at Amelia positioned on the field below, a distinct hint of fatherly pride clearly visible on his weathered face. He turned to Jacob with obvious satisfaction and said proudly, "Son, look at the disciple your dad took under his wing. How about it? Isn't her strength quite remarkable?"
"Very impressive indeed," Jacob praised with genuine sincerity in his voice, "She's only slightly less skilled than me at this point."
"You little brat," Rory chuckled warmly. He was genuinely quite satisfied with Amelia as his newest disciple, and the broad smile spreading across his face couldn't possibly be hidden from anyone observing. His satisfaction stemmed from knowing that if Amelia could manage to win this particular match, she would successfully enter the highly competitive provincial main competition alongside Jacob.
With Starlight City's top four positions, one spot belonged to his son Jacob, and potentially another would belong to his disciple Amelia. Having half of the top four competitors directly related to him personally would be an unprecedented achievement. Just thinking about such a possibility made him feel incredibly proud of his accomplishments. This would truly demonstrate the growing prestige and influence of the Bug-type Gym under his leadership.
As Rory looked at Jacob and then shifted his gaze to observe the many other young competitors scattered throughout the arena, he couldn't help but realize that he was indeed getting noticeably older with each passing year. The passage of time was becoming increasingly apparent to him.
As the two brothers, Asher and Jacob, continued to grow up and mature into capable young adults, the Xia family's overall development and reputation had also improved dramatically. Consequently, Rory's personal desire to actively train Pokemon and compete in high-level battles had faded considerably over recent years.
Besides, he was already well into his fifties or sixties now. Asking him to make another serious charge toward achieving Heavenly King-level Trainer status seemed far too physically and mentally demanding at this stage of his life. He genuinely felt it was much better to gracefully leave such ambitious opportunities to the younger generation of Trainers, and Rory found himself quite content to simply continue serving as the local Bug-type Gym Leader.
Rory's current hopes and dreams now centered around Asher's expected child being born soon, so he could happily dedicate his time and energy to taking care of his future grandchild. The prospect of becoming a grandfather filled him with warm anticipation.
It was precisely for this reason that Rory had essentially handed over all the valuable Bug-type Pokemon that Jacob had generously given him to Amelia instead. He had begun focusing his considerable expertise and experience on training Amelia intensively, as he himself genuinely wanted to gradually retreat from active competition and move into a more supportive background role.
"The match begins!" the official referee announced loudly.
As the referee's authoritative voice rang clearly throughout the arena, both Rory and Jacob immediately returned their full attention to the battle stage below. At this crucial moment, both sides of the upcoming battle had already released their chosen Pokemon onto the field.
Amelia confidently sent out her Orbeetle, an Elite-level peak Orbeetle that gleamed with psychic energy. The Pokemon's distinctive spherical body and compound eyes gave it an imposing presence on the battlefield.
Valerie on the opposite side of the field sent out a powerful Lord-level Cloyster, its massive shell gleaming under the arena lights. Unfortunately for Valerie's strategic plans, this particular Cloyster's natural ability was Shell Armor rather than the more tactically advantageous Skill Link ability.
"Jacob, who do you honestly think will emerge victorious between Amelia and Valerie?" Rory asked his son with genuine curiosity.
Jacob carefully scanned and analyzed both Pokemon's available movesets using his advanced knowledge of competitive battling. Suddenly, his eyebrows drew together in a concentrated frown. He had spotted something particularly interesting and unusual in Orbeetle's extensive move pool that caught his experienced attention.
Baton Pass.
Baton Pass had always been considered a miraculous and game-changing move in serious Pokemon battles. The technique allows for strategic switching with a Pokemon waiting in reserve, and crucially, the newly switched-in Pokemon inherits all the stat changes and modifications that the previous Pokemon had accumulated during battle.
Around the versatile Baton Pass move, an extremely famous and sophisticated strategy known as the Baton Pass chain had developed over many years of competitive play. However, with the gradual rise in popularity of disruptive moves like Whirlwind, Roar, Haze, and Taunt, the traditional Baton Pass strategy had become increasingly difficult to execute successfully in high-level competition.
However, in battles of this particular skill level and tournament format, the Baton Pass strategy still retained tremendous potential for decisive victory. It was becoming very clear to Jacob's experienced eye that Amelia was currently preparing to employ the sophisticated Baton Pass strategy against her opponent.
At the same time, Jacob observed that Amelia's Orbeetle had also managed to learn both Calm Mind and Iron Defense through careful training. When combined with Light Screen and Reflect—moves that Orbeetle could naturally learn through normal development—as well as Orbeetle's inherently strong dual defensive capabilities, the strategic possibilities became quite impressive. If the Pokemon could truly power up sufficiently and then use Baton Pass to switch in her Frosmoth, it might genuinely be able to sweep through Valerie's entire team and secure a decisive victory.
This strategy seemed especially viable since Valerie's opposing Cloyster had not learned a move like Shell Smash, which significantly reduced its overall offensive threat level.
"I believe Amelia will ultimately win this match," Jacob stated with confidence.
"Oh? What makes you so certain?" Rory was genuinely surprised by his son's assessment. As Amelia's dedicated teacher and mentor, he naturally knew that Amelia's Orbeetle possessed a carefully hidden Baton Pass strategy that they had been practicing in secret.
But why would Jacob also predict that Amelia could achieve victory in this challenging matchup?
"I'm supporting a fellow classmate," Jacob replied with a slight smile.
Just then, the anticipated match officially began with both Trainers calling out their opening commands.
"Orbeetle, use Reflect!" Amelia called out calmly.
Facing the primarily physically attacking Cloyster across the field, Amelia responded with tactical wisdom, first having her Orbeetle use the defensive Reflect technique to significantly reduce any physical attack damage that might be received during the battle.
"Cloyster, Icicle Spear!" Valerie commanded assertively.
Valerie possessed the type advantage in this matchup, so she naturally chose to have her Cloyster go on the immediate offensive. Several sharp Icicle Spears quickly condensed in the air directly in front of Cloyster and flew with deadly precision towards Orbeetle. However, when facing Orbeetle—a Pokemon widely known throughout the competitive scene for its exceptional dual defensive capabilities—combined with the significant damage reduction effect provided by the Reflect barrier, Orbeetle sustained remarkably limited damage from the attack.
"Orbeetle, Iron Defense!" Amelia commanded strategically.
The Iron Defense technique can dramatically increase a Pokemon's physical defense rating. A substantial amount of Steel-type energy surged protectively around Orbeetle's body, causing its outer skin to glow with a distinctive metallic luster that indicated its defense had been greatly increased.
After receiving the considerable boost provided by the Iron Defense move, Orbeetle had effectively transformed into a nearly impenetrable fortress on the battlefield.
When Cloyster's subsequent attacks struck Orbeetle's heavily reinforced body, even with the significant type advantage that Ice moves possessed over Bug types, the damage was minimal—like scratching an itch rather than dealing meaningful harm.
Upon hearing Amelia's continued defensive commands, Valerie's expression shifted to one of concern and frustration. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Cloyster alone would be completely unable to break through Orbeetle's now-formidable defenses. After a moment of careful tactical consideration, Valerie chose to switch Pokemon entirely, recalling her Cloyster back to its Poke Ball and sending out her Glaceon instead.
Facing Valerie's Pokemon switch, Amelia remained remarkably calm and continued to methodically execute her carefully planned strategy. "Orbeetle, Light Screen," she commanded with unwavering confidence.
Since Glaceon primarily relied on special attacks for its offensive capabilities, high physical defense statistics wouldn't provide adequate protection. Amelia wisely chose to set up Light Screen first, creating a barrier that would reduce special attack damage received from Glaceon's anticipated moves.
"Glaceon, Freeze-Dry!" Valerie called out desperately.
"Orbeetle, Calm Mind," Amelia responded steadily.
The battle then settled into a pattern where Glaceon continuously used the super-effective Freeze-Dry technique to steadily chip away at Orbeetle's remaining HP, while Orbeetle consistently used Calm Mind to systematically raise both its Special Defense and Special Attack statistics to increasingly dangerous levels.
Several long minutes passed in this tactical exchange, and Amelia's Orbeetle had not used even a single attacking move during the entire sequence. Instead, it constantly used Calm Mind while patiently enduring multiple Freeze-Dry attacks, slowly building power for the inevitable conclusion.
After several consecutive Freeze-Dry attacks had landed successfully, Orbeetle's accumulated injuries had grown considerably heavier, and the Pokemon was clearly approaching its physical limits. However, simultaneously, its Special Attack and Special Defense statistics had been stacked to absolutely terrifying and overwhelming levels.
"Baton Pass, Orbeetle!" Amelia finally called out triumphantly.
Normal-type energy surged powerfully around Orbeetle's battered form, and then its body transformed into a brilliant red light before retreating safely into its Poke Ball. The strategic switch brought in Amelia's carefully prepared Frosmoth to continue the battle.
Frosmoth represented the fully evolved form of Snom, precisely the Quasi-King level Snom that Jacob had originally chosen and gifted. The Pokemon had been born around the same time as his own Axew, making them practically siblings in terms of age and development.
Snom was widely recognized as one of the weakest Pokemon species before evolution, requiring extensive care and protection. However, the evolved Frosmoth possessed an extremely powerful and valuable natural ability called Ice Scales.
The Ice Scales ability automatically halved all special attack damage received, which was essentially equivalent to having a permanent Light Screen effect naturally built into the Pokemon's physiology.
This particular Frosmoth had reached Elite-level peak strength through dedicated training. Although its raw power level was not quite as high as Valerie's Pokemon, Frosmoth was inherently known throughout the competitive scene for its exceptional Special Attack capabilities. When coupled with the significant boosts inherited from several Calm Mind uses and the defensive boost from Iron Defense, its Special Defense and Special Attack statistics had reached truly terrifying and game-ending levels.
At this critical point in the match, the battle had shifted to a significant advantage for Amelia. As long as she could maintain the current favorable situation and avoid any major tactical errors, she would most likely secure victory in this crucial match.
"Frosmoth, Bug Buzz!" Amelia commanded with growing confidence.
The pure white Frosmoth gracefully flapped its elegant white wings, emitting a high-pitched and devastating Bug Buzz attack that instantly dealt heavy damage to the opposing Glaceon. The sound reverberated throughout the arena as spectators watched in amazement.
The remainder of the match became Frosmoth's complete sweep of Valerie's remaining team. After inheriting the benefits of several Calm Mind boosts, Frosmoth's Special Attack power was more than sufficient to systematically defeat any Pokemon that Valerie could send out.
Indeed, the match unfolded exactly as Jacob had predicted with his experienced tactical analysis. Frosmoth successfully swept through Valerie's entire team without losing momentum, and Amelia triumphantly secured her well-deserved spot in the prestigious top four of the tournament.