"The second quarterfinal match-up has been drawn! Please welcome to the field—Auron Vale and Lena Greaves!"
"Ugh, another team-kill…" muttered Serena Elm, shaking her head.
Lena got up and gave Serena a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's fine! Honestly, I've been curious to see what Munchlax is really capable of."
Auron grinned as he stood. "Let's get to it, then. Game on."
"Let's do this," Lena replied, falling into step behind him as the two headed down to the battlefield.
"Trainers, release your Pokémon!"
"Go, Munchlax!"
"Let's go, Mismagius!"
Mismagius floated gently onto the field, glancing at her opponent, then winked and flashed a peace sign. Munchlax just smiled, totally relaxed, as if none of this was any big deal.
The judge's flag dropped. "Battle… begin!"
"Munchlax, use Metronome!"
"Mismagius, Will-O-Wisp!"
Munchlax waggled his stubby fingers, a shimmer of white light radiating outwards from his spot. Mismagius hesitated, not sure what was coming, then finally launched a cloud of ghostly blue flames at Munchlax—Will-O-Wisp, hitting its mark.
Lena smirked—burn status. Every turn, some HP lost, and all of Munchlax's physical attacks would be halved. For a tanky brawler like Munchlax, that was a huge handicap.
But as the flames licked at Munchlax, Auron quickly noticed: his Pokémon wasn't burned. Then he realized what Metronome must have triggered. Because the move had gone off before the Will-O-Wisp hit, and the only two moves that would block a burn preemptively were Safeguard or Misty Terrain. The glow wasn't pink, so it had to be Safeguard.
Auron broke into a satisfied smile. He'd expected to need a few turns for Munchlax to recover using Rest, but now he didn't have to worry about being burned at all.
"Munchlax, Metronome again!"
"Mismagius, Nasty Plot!"
But as Mismagius began to charge up her special attack, Munchlax's Metronome triggered, and—out of nowhere—a jet of water shot from his mouth, slamming into Mismagius and cutting off her Nasty Plot. (Aqua Jet!)
Auron laughed, almost in disbelief. "Luck's really on my side today—every move I need, when I need it!"
"Munchlax, Metronome once more!"
Lena bit her lip, slightly exasperated as she watched Munchlax cheerfully wiggle his fingers again. How could one guy be this lucky? Every Metronome, the perfect answer.
"Alright, Mismagius, let's go on the offensive—Thunderbolt!"
Most of her Mismagius's best moves were special, and the remaining physical ones needed her to get in close, which was dangerous against a heavyweight like Munchlax.
This time, Munchlax's Metronome summoned a swirling wave of dark energy—Dark Pulse. It struck Mismagius just as she was about to launch Thunderbolt, and she spun back, momentarily dazed.
The commentator's voice rose above the crowd:
"Munchlax's Metronome is wild today! First, Safeguard blocks Will-O-Wisp, then Aqua Jet to interrupt Nasty Plot, and now Dark Pulse for a super-effective hit! Somebody buy this kid a lottery ticket!"
The stands erupted in laughter.
On the field, Lena was running out of options.
"Mismagius, Shadow Sneak!"
Auron noticed her Mismagius slip into the shadows, but he wasn't worried. Munchlax could take a hit up close, and Lena was obviously desperate for a turnaround.
Sure enough, Mismagius darted out from behind Munchlax, claws poised for a sneak attack—
—but Munchlax's Metronome triggered Fire Punch. His fist ignited, and he landed a fiery blow, sending Mismagius flying and leaving her with a nasty burn.
Lena's cheeks turned red with frustration. "Mismagius, that's enough. We're done."
She called her Pokémon back, raising her hand to signal surrender.
Mismagius, looking reluctant, floated over, but she seemed to be enjoying herself regardless. After returning to Lena, she glanced back at Munchlax, who gave her a cheerful wave.
Off the field, Munchlax snuck into Auron's backpack for a Pokéblock, then beckoned for Mismagius to come share. She looked over her shoulder—Lena wasn't watching—then zipped over for a secret snack.
Auron's friends watched the scene, speechless.
"So that's why Lena was acting so annoyed on the field," Auron muttered, "She knew she'd lose, so she put on a show, and now she's backstage getting pampered."
The commentator summed up:
"That second match ended fast. Lena Greaves just had some tough luck—if her Will-O-Wisp had stuck, the match would've been much closer. That's how it goes sometimes in the Cup!"
"Now let's check who's up for the third quarterfinal!"
The display board flashed: "Next up—Gavin West versus Peter Lane!"
Gavin and Peter headed out, shook hands, and sent out their Pokémon. The crowd buzzed, excited for the next match in the tournament.
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