Chapter 141: The Four Championship Favorites
It was eight o'clock at night. All the members of the Metro City team were gathered once again in the rented conference room. Supervisor Hoffman was at a laptop, projecting a series of data files onto a large screen.
The first page showed the photos of three young men and one young woman.
"Alright everyone, the exhibition matches between the various cities are all finished. As a result, some preliminary data leaks are inevitable. This is why we warned you all not to reveal your trump cards," Hoffman began.
"We've compiled the basic information on this year's tournament competitors. The four trainers you see on the screen now are, based on the data we have, the strongest of their generation in the entire Jiangnan Region. They are this year's championship favorites."
"However, this information is only for reference. It's unlikely they've revealed their most critical secrets. Some trainers may not have shown their full strength, and others may have Pokémon on the verge of evolution, which could cause a massive leap in their power level."
Hoffman's words were pointed. It was just like with Basalt and Drilbur; with Sandstorm active, it was on one level, and without it, it was on another entirely. And if it evolved into an Excadrill, its power would be off the charts.
After the disclaimer, Hoffman picked up a laser pointer and aimed it at the first picture: a boy with short brown hair and a pair of headphones. "Kaden, the captain of the Centralis City team. It's said his family are high-ranking executives at the Azure River Power Plant. His signature Pokémon is a Rotom of incredible strength. He also has a Tynamo and a Morpeko, which is rarely seen in our country. Their strength is unknown."
"There are rumors, however, that Kaden's Tynamo hasn't been seen recently. It's highly likely that it's currently at the Azure River Power Plant, charging up and training for its upcoming evolution."
The Azure River Power Plant was the largest hydroelectric station in the entire Jiangnan region, a top-tier training ground for any Electric-type Pokémon.
"The captain of Centralis City?" The team members tensed up. Who would have thought that this kid, with his clean-cut looks, friendly smile, and almost boy-next-door charm, was the leader of the powerhouse Centralis City team?
This was Centralis City, the capital of the entire region. Historically, eighty percent of the individual tournament champions had been the Centralis City captain. Another fifteen percent had gone to Nexus City, with the remaining five percent split among all the other cities. In the last twenty years, Metro City hadn't produced a single champion.
But considering his family's connection to the power plant, Kaden had probably been training there since he was a child. It was a privilege few could ever dream of. It made sense that he would be the captain. Basalt had already steeled himself for this. He knew he'd be running into plenty of "legacy trainers" from powerful families.
"A Rotom, huh? Its Levitate ability makes it immune to my Ground-type moves. That's a bit of a problem," Basalt thought, already running simulations in his head. But with Sandstorm active, he wasn't afraid. He'd just have to bring it on, win or lose.
"Second, Elara. Also from Centralis City." Hoffman moved the laser pointer to the picture of a girl with angelic features. "Her mother is Lorelei, a Gym-leader level trainer who specializes in Fairy-types. Her father is unknown. Her starter was a Ralts, which recently evolved into a Gardevoir."
Everyone was listening intently, but when Hoffman mentioned her unknown father, a few snickers broke out in the room. Her mother must have quite a story.
"What are you laughing at? Be serious!" Hoffman said with a mild rebuke, then continued. "Third, from Nexus City, is Caspian. He's a Water-type specialist and a trainer who has mastered Rain Dance." At this, Hoffman shot a pointed look at Basalt. Rain was a direct counter to sand.
But Basalt wasn't focused on the weather move. He was stuck on the name.
"Caspian? Seriously?" he thought, a strange look on his face. With a name that ominous, you'd expect a Poison or Dark-type master, not a Water-type trainer.
"We currently have data on two of Caspian's Pokémon: a Pelipper and a Marshtomp," Hoffman explained. "So far, only his Pelipper has been seen using the weather move, but we can't rule out the possibility that his Marshtomp can use it as well."
Even based on what little they had seen, Caspian was a terrifying opponent. His Pelipper's known moveset included Rain Dance, Tailwind, Hurricane, Roost, Surf, and Aqua Ring. The combination of setting up rain, boosting its speed with Tailwind, healing with Roost and Aqua Ring, and then launching perfectly accurate Hurricanes and rain-boosted Surfs was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
"Fourth is Aiden, from Ochre City. It seems he only has one Pokémon, but it's an absolute monster." Hoffman paused, moving the laser to the final picture. "A Combusken, with astonishing talent in both its Fire and Fighting types. And its ability... is Speed Boost."
A collective gasp went through the room. Speed Boost was an incredibly broken ability. In a real battle, superior speed could allow a Pokémon to do almost anything it wanted.
After introducing the four main favorites, Hoffman went on to detail twelve other high-potential trainers who were almost certain to make it to the main event, most of whom were also seeded competitors. Basalt and Waylon were on that list.
As their profiles came up, Mr. Shane took over, providing a detailed analysis of each of the sixteen trainers, including their known Pokémon, moves, and potential counter-strategies. Two hours passed in a blur. Everyone was exhausted, but no one slacked off. These were the opponents they would soon be facing.
After the last profile, Director Sterling stood up to conclude the meeting. "Our opponents are strong," he said, his voice serious. "But so are we. If we give it our all, I believe we can achieve a great result."
"Everyone, for Metro City, and for yourselves, give it everything you've got!"
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