According to the information received, the relationship between Ash and Cynthia seems quite close. At the very least, there's a clear sense of mutual respect—enough that the Yoto family would have no reason to refuse him.
"Exeggutor, use Confusion!"
As the referee's whistle blew, Mandi took the initiative. Facing Suicune, the pressure was immense. If he didn't act first, he'd be overwhelmed completely. Even if he lost, he wanted to go down fighting—with some dignity left.
"Exeggutor!"
At Mandi's command, the towering Pokémon glowed with psychic energy, releasing a shimmering beam of light that could leave its target in a daze.
"Mirror Coat."
Ash's voice remained calm. Suicune stood gracefully atop the surface of the water, a translucent blue barrier forming around its body like a mirror.
Clang!
The psychic blast struck Suicune's Mirror Coat and rebounded with a sharp sound—without leaving so much as a scratch on the Legendary Pokémon.
"Scald!"
Ash's eyes flashed with resolve. Suicune opened its mouth, unleashing a jet of boiling water that steamed as it cut through the air.
Boom!
"Exegguuuutor!"
The scalding blast struck Exeggutor head-on, leaving burn marks across its trunk. The pain was too much—before it could recover, the Grass-type collapsed into the water, fainted.
Ding~~~!
"The Exeggutor is unable to battle! Suicune wins! Player Mandi, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The referee's voice rang out over the arena.
"Suicune wins again! Ash's dominance is clear—Mandi is in serious trouble!"
The commentator's words were quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Suicune, one of the Legendary Pokémon, had always been a symbol of grace and power. To see it under Ash's command was breathtaking.
"Suuui!"
As Mandi recalled Exeggutor, Suicune turned its head toward Ash with a faintly exasperated look—as if to say, You really want me to fight matches like this?
Ash smiled faintly, understanding its frustration. Using a Legendary Pokémon this early in the conference did feel a bit like overkill—but in the preliminary rounds, this level of mismatch was almost unavoidable.
"Damn it! Go, Kingdra!"
Mandi shouted in frustration, throwing out his next Poké Ball.
"What? He actually has a Kingdra?" Ash's eyes narrowed in surprise. "That's impressive… Kingdra is an extremely rare Pokémon—almost on par with Dragonite. Its potential is enormous."
"Kingdra, Agility!"
The seahorse Pokémon moved at once, darting across the water with astonishing speed, weaving and gliding without resistance as though the waves didn't exist.
The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium:
"Amazing! Mandi's Kingdra is moving at incredible speed—let's see how Ash and Suicune will respond!"
Ash studied his opponent carefully.
"That Kingdra's power is at least near the level of an Elite Trainer's Pokémon. Compared to the Exeggutor just now, it's in a completely different league. But there's no way Mandi raised that Kingdra himself… someone must have given it to him."
Judging from Kingdra's speed and strength, Ash already had a good idea of what he was dealing with. This wasn't unusual—many competitors used powerful Pokémon passed down from their families. Even the League couldn't completely prevent such arrangements.
"Suicune—Thousand Water Sharks!"
As Ash gave the command, Suicune's entire body glowed a deep azure blue. In an instant, the surrounding lake surged to life—countless water-shaped sharks formed from the waves, all surging toward Kingdra with breathtaking ferocity.
"Kiiing!"
Startled by the oncoming assault, Kingdra cried out and began darting rapidly across the surface, weaving desperately between the rushing water constructs.
Announcer: "Incredible! According to information provided by Professor Oak, this is one of Ash's original techniques—its power rivals that of Ice Beam, but with an even wider attack range!"
Sada Varenza: "What an extraordinary move. Its range is enormous—almost impossible to dodge completely."
Masao Yoto: "True, but there are limitations. Judging by its energy output, this move consumes an immense amount of power. Only a Pokémon at least near the Elite level could even attempt it."
The audience was completely captivated by Suicune's Thousand Water Sharks. Even the other competitors watching were left speechless. Many of them exchanged uneasy glances, silently praying not to face Ash in the next round.
Some of the top trainers, however, only nodded knowingly. They had already studied Ash's battle data—his strength and creativity were well-known among the major families, especially the Draconis and Varenza circles.
"Damn it! We can't dodge them all—Kingdra, use Hyper Beam!"
Seeing the water sharks closing in, Mandi made a desperate call for an all-out counterattack.
"Draaa!"
Kingdra gathered blazing orange-red energy in its mouth, the air trembling from the sheer pressure as it prepared to unleash the beam.
Ash's eyes flashed. "Suicune, Ice Beam!"
With a fierce cry, Suicune fired a brilliant white beam of freezing energy. The temperature of the entire arena plummeted as the beam struck, instantly freezing the surrounding water solid.
Kingdra's movement halted as the waves turned to ice beneath it—it could barely move, its lower body trapped in the frozen lake.
Suicune, as a Legendary Pokémon, had not only unmatched power but also unmatched precision and speed. Its Ice Beam had formed before Kingdra could even finish charging Hyper Beam.
The Thousand Water Sharks dissipated along with the water they were formed from, but the result was clear—Kingdra was immobilized.
"How… how is this possible?!"
Mandi's face went pale.
"My Kingdra clearly used its move first! How could Suicune be faster?!"
The crowd erupted again, chanting Ash's name. Up on the field, Suicune stood poised and unshaken—its breath misting in the cold air, eyes gleaming like shards of sapphire.
...
TN:
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