First Match: Top Ten to Top Five
The first match saw Jace Rowan from Class 1 going up against Cyrus from Class 5.
"Wow, I'm up already? Let me deal with that rival for you two," Jace said to Auron and Serena, clearly fired up.
His opponent was none other than the Togedemaru—the fat electric mouse—that had the potential to give both Auron and Serena major headaches.
Both trainers stepped up, sending out their Pokémon at the same time.
Pokémon: Togedemaru
Gender: Female
Type: Electric/Steel
Ability: Lightning Rod (draws in all Electric-type moves, avoids damage, and boosts Special Attack)
Potential: Blue
Basic Moves: Tackle, Nuzzle, Charge, Spark, Defense Curl
Egg Moves: Wish, Uproar
Auron glanced at Togedemaru's data and smiled. "Good—no Fake Out or Charm. That could've been trouble for Jace. As long as he plays it smart, this is his to win."
"Togedemaru, Nuzzle!" called Cyrus.
"Torkoal—Earthquake!" Jace commanded in response.
Both Pokémon moved at once. Togedemaru's Nuzzle paralyzed Torkoal, while Earthquake missed—Togedemaru dodged just in time.
Jace wasn't surprised. He'd gambled on his opponent going for a setup or status move and hoped to land a one-hit KO. But Togedemaru's speed and timely use of Nuzzle let her get away.
"Torkoal—Smokescreen!"
A haze of black smoke billowed out. Togedemaru darted through, her body flickering with electric sparks as she used Charge.
"Togedemaru, get out of the smoke and use Discharge!"
"Torkoal—Ember!"
Togedemaru burst from the smoke, only to be met with an Ember attack at point-blank range. The surprise left her wide open.
"Again, Ember!" Jace pressed.
"Togedemaru—Spark!"
The Pokémon clashed mid-attack, each landing their move.
"Togedemaru, Wish!" called Cyrus.
Both Jace and Auron's eyes lit up.
"There's the chance!" Auron murmured.
"Torkoal—Flamethrower! End this!"
Jace finally revealed his ace-in-the-hole. He'd been saving Flamethrower all tournament. As Togedemaru finished Wish, Torkoal hit her square-on, sending her tumbling. She rolled, eyes spinning. The healing from Wish arrived a moment too late.
A soft, white light drifted down onto Togedemaru's body, but she was already knocked out.
"Togedemaru is unable to battle. Torkoal wins!" announced the judge.
Jace coolly twirled his school jacket and swung it onto his shoulders like a cape, then turned his back to the field and recalled Torkoal with a deadpan expression.
Auron's eye twitched at the sight. He called over to Jace, "Too bad that's just a school jacket. If it were a real cape, your dramatic exit would've been flawless."
Jace burst out laughing, hands on his hips. "Just you wait. One day I'll have a real cape!"
Second Match: Forest vs. Tim
There wasn't much to say—Tim's Dratini swept through the opponent with ease.
Third Match: Auron vs. Lucas
"Send out your Pokémon!" called the judge.
Auron released Zubat, while his opponent sent out a Rolycoly.
Pokémon: Rolycoly
Gender: Male
Type: Rock
Ability: Steam Engine (boosts speed drastically if hit by Water- or Fire-type moves)
Potential: Green
Basic Moves: Tackle, Smokescreen, Rapid Spin, Rock Blast
Egg Moves: Rock Slide
Jace had mentioned Lucas's Rolycoly earlier, saying in his bracket finals, he'd beaten a Darumaka. The Darumaka thought it could win with Fire Punch, but Rolycoly's Steam Engine activated, boosting its speed, and then Rock Slide KO'd Darumaka for the win. Pure luck.
Auron studied Rolycoly for a moment. As long as he avoided triggering its Steam Engine by using Water or Fire moves, and didn't let its speed become an issue, Zubat could handle this with ease.
The flag dropped. "Battle start!"
"Zubat—Air Slash!"
"Rolycoly—Smokescreen!"
Rolycoly tried to engulf the field in smoke, but Zubat simply soared upwards, finding a clear line of sight, and landed Air Slash.
"Rolycoly—Rock Slide!"
Lucas tried to counter immediately, but Zubat dodged the barrage of rocks with swift, practiced movements. Even the younger students in the audience were impressed at how nimble Zubat was.
Another Air Slash struck Rolycoly. Two hits in, it was already on its last legs.
"I forfeit!" Lucas raised his hand.
"You sure?" the judge asked.
"Yeah, the outcome's obvious. I got lucky just making it here. No point dragging it out."
Lucas smiled, returning his Pokémon and leaving the field.
"Victory goes to Zubat!"
Auron watched Lucas go, smiling quietly. He could guess the reason for the forfeit without hearing the words.
Fourth Match: Serena vs. Jason
It was an all-Class 1 match. Serena's Feebas—her little "magic cannon"—easily finished off Jason's Pidove with a double-damage Ice Beam.
Their homeroom teacher was thrilled. He was already daydreaming about promotions, not just bonuses. With three students in the top five and at least one guaranteed for the top three, all he needed was someone to take down Dratini to make it a perfect tournament.
Serena returned to the stands beaming, and gave Auron and Jace a quick high-five before joining them to watch the next match.
Fifth Match: Ben vs. Ken
A pure Water-type face-off, Ben's Buizel narrowly defeated Ken's Panpour.
With the top five decided, the principal gave a short speech and held a fresh drawing for the semifinals.
Semifinal Draw:
Match 1: Jace vs. Tim
Match 2: Auron vs. Ben
Bye: Serena
Everyone's attention shifted—not to Serena for getting the bye, but to Class 1's teacher.
No one had noticed before, but now it was obvious: three out of the five left were from his class. The man beamed, the sunlight glinting off his balding head.
Serena couldn't contain her excitement. "Haha! I got a bye again!"
Jace, on the other hand, groaned. "You're so lucky! Meanwhile, I have to take on Dratini... This is gonna suck."
Auron patted him on the back. "Hey, you never know. Maybe you'll get a chance to land an Earthquake and take him out. I'll see you in the finals!"
"Here's hoping," Jace replied, looking anything but optimistic as he made his way to the field. A short while later, he trudged back—unsurprisingly, Torkoal just couldn't get close to Dratini. Tim Su opened with Thunder Wave and used ranged attacks, never letting Jace get in range for Earthquake. He played it smart.
Auron offered a supportive pat on the back. "Don't worry, I'm still in this."
Auron stepped forward for his match.
"Send out your Pokémon!"
"Let's go, Zubat!"
"Go, Buizel!"
Pokémon: Buizel
Gender: Male
Type: Water
Ability: Swift Swim (speed increases in rain)
Potential: Blue
Basic Moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Water Gun, Bite
Egg Moves: Mud-Slap, Ice Beam
Auron's eyes narrowed. "So he saved Ice Beam for now—probably wanted it as a surprise for me or Tim. Either Zubat or Dratini would be in big trouble if caught off-guard. A single well-timed Ice Beam could decide the whole match."
"Not happening. Zubat—Supersonic!"
"Buizel—Quick Attack and then Water Gun!"
Buizel closed in with blinding speed, easily dodging Supersonic and firing off a Water Gun at close range.
Zubat, acting on pure instinct, twisted aside just in time, avoiding the attack. Supersonic is a straight-line move, and while Zubat's echolocation covers all directions, the attack itself doesn't.
"Fast, huh? Zubat, focus on dodging—use Swift!"
Buizel's only real ranged options were Water Gun and Ice Beam, so as long as Zubat stayed alert, he couldn't lose. And with Swift's guaranteed hit, he could slowly wear Buizel down.
So the match played out—Buizel couldn't land a hit, and Zubat's Swift kept chipping away. Finally, Ben had no choice but to reveal Ice Beam, but Auron was ready.
"There it is! Zubat, dodge and keep using Swift!"
Zubat slipped past the Ice Beam and kept up the barrage. Slowly but surely, Buizel went down.
"Buizel is unable to battle. Zubat wins!"
With the judge's call, the semifinals were set—Jace and Ben earned top five, while Serena, Auron, and Tim advanced to the final three.
After a short break, the finals would begin.
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