Gurdurr's final punch sent Growlithe rolling into a shallow pit, spinning in circles with dazed eyes. In the end, the match was decided by her skillful use of Detect. If only… but there are no ifs in battle.
"Growlithe is unable to battle. Gurdurr wins!" the referee announced.
Jace Rowan silently recalled his Growlithe. Looking down at the Poké Ball in his hand, he managed a small, grateful smile.
"You did your best, Growlithe. This one's on me. Looks like I'll have to step up my training once we get home—can't let you down, right?"
He gave the Poké Ball a quick kiss, then turned and walked back to join his friends.
Auron Vale stood up, ready to offer some comfort, but Jace held up his hand, reading his intent.
"Don't bother with the pep talk. She was just better today, that's all. No need to sugarcoat it. I'll learn from this and get stronger."
Auron rolled his eyes and batted Jace's hand away, flopping back into his seat with a mock scowl. Why worry about someone with such a thick skin?
The commentator's voice filled the arena, "What a match! In the end, Gurdurr's careful use of Detect allowed her to dodge Growlithe's finishing move, then win with a decisive Thunder Punch."
With a quick recap, the next matchup was drawn.
"Let's see who's up for Match Six!"
"The sixth match: Lena Greaves vs. Ethan Reed! Will both Trainers please come to the stage!"
Lena's face lit up when her name was drawn. She jumped up, then hugged Simon Greaves beside her, planting a kiss right on top of his head.
"Yes! No team matches—wish me luck, guys! I'm up next!"
She marched confidently toward the field, leaving Simon with ears burning bright red. But as usual, he kept his head down, so Auron and the rest didn't even notice.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
Lena released her Mismagius. Her opponent, Ethan Reed, threw out a Dugtrio.
Pokémon: Dugtrio
Gender: Male
Type: Ground
Ability: Sand Veil (Traps all non-Ghost, grounded Pokémon—prevents switching out or fleeing)
Tier: Blue
Basic Moves: Sand Tomb, Sucker Punch, Scratch, Growl, Tri Attack, Sand Attack, Astonish, Mud-Slap, Stomp, Pursuit, Slash, High Horsepower, Hyper Beam
Egg Moves: Headbutt, Hone Claws, Parting Shot
When Ethan saw Lena's choice, his heart sank. Dugtrio was Ground-type, and most of his moves were Ground as well—completely useless against Mismagius, thanks to her Levitate ability. Worse yet, as a Ghost-type, Mismagius was immune to several of Dugtrio's best attacks. All those pricey TMs he'd bought, like High Horsepower and Hyper Beam, were now worthless.
He tried to compose himself. "At least Dugtrio knows Sucker Punch and Pursuit—both Dark-type moves, both super effective. There's still a chance!"
Whack!
The flag dropped. The battle was on.
"Dugtrio—Pursuit!"
"Mismagius—Psybeam!"
Dugtrio surged forward, dark energy gathering in one of its heads, which lashed out and struck Mismagius, flinging her back as her Psybeam launched in retaliation.
Both Pokémon staggered—an opening salvo of brute force.
"They're not holding back! Both Trainers go on the offensive, trading damage right out of the gate!" the commentator called. "After an exchange of blows, both Pokémon are back on their feet, ready for more!"
Dugtrio immediately followed up with another Sucker Punch, but Mismagius responded by releasing three ghostly flames—Will-O-Wisp, which landed true. The burning status cut into Dugtrio's stamina and, more importantly, halved its Attack.
"Mismagius gets hit hard by another Sucker Punch, but that Will-O-Wisp is a game-changer. Dugtrio's strength is sapped, and he'll keep losing HP every turn—bad news for a physical attacker like him."
Mismagius took another Sucker Punch, left floating and gasping for breath. Two super-effective hits nearly took her out, but the burn made all the difference.
Lena realized how quick Dugtrio was. She'd hoped Psybeam would land first, but the Ground-type was simply too fast. From now on, she'd have to keep her distance for accuracy—getting in close risked another painful Sucker Punch.
As long as Mismagius survived, Dugtrio's fate was sealed.
"Mismagius—Hex!"
"Dugtrio—again, Pursuit!"
This time, Lena's plan worked. She had Mismagius drift higher and keep her distance, firing spheres of ghostly energy at Dugtrio. The move Hex, when targeting a Pokémon already afflicted with a status condition, does double damage—and Dugtrio, still ablaze, had no way to escape.
Dugtrio was fast enough to dodge most attacks, but it couldn't reach its airborne foe. The two fell into a rhythm: Mismagius rained down attacks from above, Dugtrio darted left and right, trying desperately to avoid the onslaught.
But the longer the battle dragged on, the more Dugtrio's HP was whittled away. Ethan's expression grew more and more sour. He realized he'd lost as soon as the burn had landed.
"If only I'd used Mud-Slap after my opening attack, maybe I could've finished her off before that Will-O-Wisp hit… too late for regrets," he muttered.
No one heard Ethan's thoughts, but everyone knew the outcome was inevitable. After a few more exchanges, Dugtrio finally collapsed, spinning with dizzy eyes.
"Dugtrio is unable to battle—Mismagius wins!" announced the judge.
Ethan managed a weak smile, recalling his Pokémon before heading off the field—eliminated just shy of the quarterfinals.
"Congratulations to Lena Greaves! Her Mismagius claims victory once again, securing a spot in the Top Eight. Only two slots remain—one more match, and a lucky draw for the final quarterfinalist!"
"Who will that lucky contestant be?" the commentator teased.
Auron turned to Serena Elm.
"Just the two of us left. So, do you think your weird luck will come through again? I'd rather not fight a teammate."
Serena rested her chin in her hands and grumbled,
"How should I know? I can't control it! Maybe it's all just coincidence."
Ever since the last Academy Battle Tournament, Auron had noticed Serena's strange luck. She'd gotten every bye round available, and just yesterday, she'd run into a wild Shellder with Rock Blast and the Skill Link ability. When it came to Pokémon, Serena's luck was off the charts.
"And now, for the final slot—who will get the bye?" the announcer intoned.
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