"The lucky contestant has been revealed—Serena Elm!"
"Let's all congratulate Serena on drawing the bye round!"
As the commentator's voice echoed through the arena, Auron Vale couldn't help but curiously size up Serena, as if she were some rare animal at the zoo. His gaze lingered so long that Serena's cheeks puffed out and she glared back at him, embarrassed and a bit flustered.
"It's just a coincidence, okay? There's no way I get the bye every single time. Pure coincidence!" she snapped.
Auron just grinned. "Coincidence or not, your legendary luck is as reliable as ever."
"Hmph! My wins come from skill, not luck!" Serena declared, tilting her chin upward with pride.
Nearby, Jace Rowan and Tim Wynn shared a look of exaggerated pain. They glanced from Serena—who had sailed into the quarterfinals without breaking a sweat—to themselves, who'd fought tooth and nail for every round, only to fall short.
The two boys exchanged a helpless shrug, then the next match was announced:
"And now, the competitors for our next bout are clear: Auron Vale and Leo Sterling, please come to the stage!"
Auron heard his name and immediately drew out his Snorlax's Poké Ball, whispering, "Alright, Snorlax, it's our turn. Let's give it our all."
The Poké Ball wobbled in his hand, as if answering with a cheerful promise. Auron smiled and strode purposefully toward the battlefield.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Snorlax!"
"Go, Centiskorch!"
Pokémon: Centiskorch
Gender: Male
Type: Fire/Bug
Ability: White Smoke (Prevents stats from being lowered by opponents or allies' Abilities; moves or items that lower the user's own stats still work normally. Not affected by Mold Breaker, Turboblaze, or Teravolt.)
Tier: Purple
Basic Moves: Smokescreen, Ember, Bind, Bite, Flame Wheel, Bug Bite, Coil, Heat Wave, Heavy Slam
Egg Moves: Rollout, Knock Off, Struggle Bug, Defense Curl
Auron quickly scanned his opponent's move set and felt a wave of relief—it wasn't going to be an easy match, but it wasn't the nightmare he'd feared.
After both Tim Wynn and Jace Rowan had been eliminated in the last round, Auron felt the pressure building. He'd set his sights on taking home the championship, and anything less than the Top Eight would be humiliating.
Snap!
The referee's flag dropped. The battle began.
"Snorlax—Bulk Up!"
"Centiskorch—Smokescreen!"
Snorlax immediately struck a bodybuilder's pose, focusing its energy to bulk up, while Centiskorch spewed out thick clouds of smoke, blanketing the battlefield.
Leo Sterling looked briefly thrown off—he'd expected Snorlax to charge straight in, so he'd planned to preempt that aggression by filling the field with smoke. Now, watching Auron's calm, unhurried style, Leo couldn't help but admire him.
Impressive. He read my setup and adapted. No wonder he's considered the biggest obstacle in the quarterfinals. Gotta stay on my toes.
If Auron had known what Leo was thinking, he probably would've laughed. Honestly, Snorlax was just slow—he'd wanted to let his opponent make the first move, and use the free turn to bulk up, since Centiskorch wasn't that fast, either.
"Centiskorch—Heat Wave!"
"Snorlax—Earthquake!"
Deciding to take the initiative, Auron commanded an all-out attack. Snorlax stomped the ground, sending powerful tremors toward Centiskorch. Hidden in the smoke, Centiskorch whipped up a searing heat wave, carrying the smoke with it toward Snorlax.
Snorlax took a few lumbering steps forward, but the moment he inhaled the thick smoke, he choked and coughed.
"Cough… Cough, cough—cheater," Snorlax grumbled under his breath, squinting through the haze.
But beyond the irritation, the Heat Wave didn't do much. With the Thick Fat ability and high special defense, Snorlax shrugged off the fire attack almost completely. Centiskorch, however, felt the full brunt of Earthquake—despite Bug resistance, the Fire-typing left it vulnerable, resulting in normal damage.
Centiskorch was rattled, its long body thrown askew by the shockwave, but as the smoke cleared, Leo quickly coached it back into form, trying to act like it hadn't taken a hit.
Auron frowned. That shouldn't have been possible. With all that smoke, there's no way Centiskorch could have dodged. But he let it slide. Not a big deal—he'd break through soon enough.
"Snorlax—get in close and use Double-Edge!"
Leo realized that Snorlax had probably activated its Thick Fat ability; otherwise, it couldn't have taken a Heat Wave unscathed.
"Centiskorch—Defense Curl, then Rollout!"
As Snorlax lumbered forward, Centiskorch curled into a tight coil and began rolling rapidly, combining Defense Curl and Rollout for maximum effect.
"Centiskorch is picking up speed! With Defense Curl boosting Rollout, that attack will be twice as strong. Even a tough Snorlax will struggle to endure more than a couple hits!" the commentator exclaimed.
Snorlax's powerful strike connected with the rolling Centiskorch. Even with Bulk Up's boost, the match was dead even—Rollout's momentum matched Double-Edge blow for blow. Both Pokémon locked together, neither willing to give an inch.
Centiskorch rolled faster and faster, while Snorlax gritted his teeth and held his ground.
"They're locked in a stalemate! Snorlax's Double-Edge is holding off Centiskorch's Rollout, and neither side can break through!" came the excited play-by-play.
But then, Snorlax's left arm suddenly glowed with white energy—he unleashed a second Double-Edge, striking Centiskorch again and breaking its momentum. With a mighty uppercut, Snorlax sent Centiskorch flying across the field, Rollout shattered.
Centiskorch tumbled to a halt, but Defense Curl's boost let it survive. It staggered to its feet as the smoke and dust began to settle.
"Snorlax—Double-Edge again!"
"Centiskorch—Coil!"
Leo banked on the distance Snorlax had created and called for another buffing move, hoping to catch up on defenses. Snorlax, however, closed in relentlessly, and only after Centiskorch finished its Coil did Snorlax finally connect.
"Centiskorch—Knock Off!"
As Snorlax's powerful charge landed, Centiskorch's tail whipped out, aiming to Knock Off any held item.
The impact sent both Pokémon reeling back. For a moment, they both stood still, then immediately launched at each other again—tail and fist colliding in midair. The next exchange, Snorlax's left hand glowed once more with white energy, landing another Double-Edge that finally sent Centiskorch flying—and this time, it didn't get up.
"Centiskorch is unable to battle—Snorlax wins!" announced the judge, raising his flag for Auron.
The crowd roared, and the other quarterfinalists took note—Snorlax's ability to use both hands independently for simultaneous or different attacks was something they'd all have to watch out for.
Auron patted Snorlax's head as he returned him to the Poké Ball, his face beaming with pride and satisfaction.