Chapter 299: Advancing to the Quarterfinals
"Ampharos, use Thunderbolt!"
The battle began, and Yozora was the first to issue a command.
Bolts of lightning crashed toward the battlefield. Gary, still brimming with confidence, waved his hand and shouted,"Blastoise, spin with Rapid Spin to deflect it!"
On the field, Blastoise tucked into its shell and spun like a top. A fierce gust of wind swirled around it, and sure enough, the electricity from Thunderbolt was completely repelled.
Blastoise landed steadily, eyes gleaming with disdain. Not a single scratch marred its body.
Its defense was simply too high. With Rapid Spin's shielding winds, it outright nullified Thunderbolt!
Immediately after, Blastoise spun again, striking Ampharos multiple times and sending it flying.
"Now's our chance—use Hydro Pump!" Gary shouted.
BOOM!
Twin torrents of high-pressure water blasted forth, slamming directly into Ampharos and knocking it harshly to the ground.
"Ampharos is unable to battle! Blastoise wins!"
The referee raised the red flag toward Blastoise and made the announcement.
Blastoise had claimed its second straight victory, igniting cheers from the audience. Now, Yozora was down to just three Pokémon.
The gap between the two trainers was narrowing fast.
"Blastoise… Gary really has gotten stronger," Ash murmured in awe from the stands.
Yozora could feel the same. Compared to last year, Gary's strength had grown tremendously.
If Gary hadn't run into him this early, he might have advanced much further.
But fate had its own designs…
Shaking his head, Yozora sent out his fifth Pokémon—Dragonite.
"Yozora, you have a Dragonite too?!" Gary's eyes widened in shock.
He had raised a Dratini since childhood, and only this year had he finally evolved it into a Dragonite.
But Yozora? He seemed to obtain a Dragonite effortlessly…
The difference between them felt crushing.
"Battle, begin!"
The referee signaled, and the match resumed—Blastoise versus Dragonite.
Gary attacked first. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"
"Dragonite, dodge it!" Yozora countered quickly.
Dragonite soared gracefully, weaving through the incoming jets of water.
Its Ability: Speed Boost activated, and its movements grew faster and faster.
"Dragonite, use Thunderbolt!" Yozora commanded.
Dragonite's antennae sparked, unleashing a torrent of lightning from above while still evading Blastoise's attacks.
"Rapid Spin again!"
At Gary's order, Blastoise retreated into its shell and spun furiously, the turbulent winds once more shielding it from Thunderbolt.
"Zzzt… crackle…"
Sure enough, even Dragonite's Thunderbolt couldn't pierce Blastoise's defense.
"Whoa! Even Dragonite can't break through—Blastoise's defense is unbelievable!" the announcer cried out.
But Yozora only smiled.
The failure of Thunderbolt meant nothing. Dragonite wasn't a special attacker—it was a physical powerhouse.
If Dragonite's Special Attack was a hundred, then its Attack was two hundred. With Huge Power, that doubled to four hundred Attack!
The difference was overwhelming.
"Dragonite, use Thunder Punch!"
Dragonite dove from the skies, fists crackling with lightning.
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Gary shouted in desperation.
Blastoise popped out its cannons and fired rapidly. But Dragonite, with terrifying speed, slipped past the streams of water and closed the gap instantly.
Its electrified fists pounded down mercilessly on Blastoise's head.
"Woooahhh!"
Blastoise stumbled backward under the relentless assault, roaring in pain.
After three successive blows, it collapsed with a heavy thud, dust billowing into the air.
The referee watched carefully. After three silent seconds, Blastoise still hadn't risen. The red flag swung toward Dragonite.
"Blastoise is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!"
Gary was now down to his last Pokémon—and it, too, was a Dragonite.
He wasted no time, sending it out.
Two Dragonite now stood on the field.
But the difference was stark.
Gary's Dragonite stood about two meters tall. Yozora's towered at over 2.3 meters, its limbs thicker, its frame sturdier, even its potbelly looking more imposing.
"Roaaar…"
Gary's Dragonite growled uneasily, clearly feeling the bloodline pressure from Yozora's.
The gap was undeniable. Yozora's Dragonite carried the potential of a Tier 3 Legendary, while Gary's merely held Champion-level potential.
It was like a soldier facing a king.
"Dragonite, don't be afraid! Size doesn't decide victory. Use Dragon Pulse!" Gary urged, giving his partner courage.
At his words, Gary's Dragonite roared, firing a purple wave of draconic energy.
"Dragonite, respond in kind—Dragon Pulse!" Yozora countered.
The two blasts collided midair—one wide, one narrow. Unsurprisingly, Yozora's Dragonite's attack overpowered Gary's and crashed into him, drawing a pained cry.
"Follow it up with Ice Beam!"
Dragonite unleashed a frigid blue ray.
As a Dragon/Flying-type, Dragonite had a four-times weakness to Ice. If this hit, the result would be devastating.
Gary's eyes widened. "Dragonite, get away!"
But Yozora immediately followed up. "Chase it down! Ice Beam!"
In the skies above the arena, Yozora's Dragonite pursued relentlessly, bombarding Gary's with icy blasts.
Under the pressure, Gary's Dragonite could barely evade, its speed clearly inferior.
Finally—crack!
One Ice Beam struck home.
"GRAHHH!" Gary's Dragonite howled in agony, ice crystallizing across its back. Though not fully frozen, its flight became unstable, its speed crippled.
"This is bad!"
Gary clenched his fists. "Dragonite, use Ice Beam back!"
It was his only gamble.
His Dragonite turned and fired desperately—but its sluggish movements made it easy prey. Yozora's Dragonite sidestepped with ease.
"The finishing blow! Dragonite, Ice Punch!"
Dragonite lunged, fist wreathed in icy energy, and smashed Gary's Dragonite squarely.
BOOM!
The impact sent it hurtling like a cannonball into the ground. Dust rose.
When it cleared, Gary's Dragonite lay unconscious, eyes swirled out.
"Gary's Dragonite is unable to battle! Yozora's Dragonite wins! The match goes to Yozora!"
The referee raised his arm, declaring the victor.
Gary recalled his fallen Dragonite, smiling bitterly. He had trained earnestly for a year, only to be eliminated in the very first round…
Still, he knew he had grown stronger.
It was just his misfortune to encounter a monster like Yozora so early.
With Gary defeated, Yozora advanced smoothly into the Top 16 of the Silver Conference.
Ash, Ye Yue, and others followed, and soon, the sixteen were set.
In the second round, groups were drawn again.
Three days later, the Top 8 emerged: Yozora, Harrison, Ash, Shōshi, Jon Dickson, Takao, Gao Xiong, and Dushe.
In the quarterfinal matchups, Ash was paired against Harrison, while Yozora drew a thin young man named Jon Dickson as his opponent.
Ash's battle came first. Unfortunately, despite his determination, he fell to Harrison.
Next came Yozora versus Jon Dickson.
Under the host's enthusiastic introduction, the two trainers entered the arena.
Yozora had studied his opponent beforehand. Jon Dickson was twenty-six, an accomplished trainer who had competed in many regional leagues, often reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals. His experience was vast, and his strength formidable.
"According to the draw, Jon Dickson will send out the first Pokémon!" the host announced.
"First up, I'll rely on you—go, Typhlosion!"
A flash of light revealed Typhlosion, radiating power. Its aura alone marked it as Elite Level, early-stage.
No doubt about it—Jon Dickson was the real deal.
"In that case, since it's Fire-type… go, Gyarados!"
Yozora sent out his first Pokémon.
A dazzling red glow filled the stage—his Shiny Gyarados. Its fearsome crimson scales glinted under the stadium lights, drawing gasps and screams from the crowd.
Even though Yozora had revealed it in earlier matches, the sight of a Shiny Gyarados never failed to shake the audience.
"Don't think type advantage means you've won! Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"
Typhlosion roared, flames bursting from its back, and exhaled a scorching torrent toward Gyarados.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"
The high-pressure water beam smashed through the flames and surged onward.
Typhlosion darted aside with lightning speed, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Great work! Now—Quick Attack!"
Typhlosion blurred forward, rushing straight at Gyarados.
"Too slow."
Yozora shook his head. Typhlosion was fast, but compared to Gyarados? Not even close.
Gyarados was massive, but its attack speed was monstrous.
"Use Aqua Tail!"
As Typhlosion closed in, Gyarados's massive tail slammed down like a tidal wave, blasting Typhlosion backward.
"Raaaghhh!"
Typhlosion screamed as it hit the ground, eyes closing as it fainted instantly.
"Unbelievable power! Shiny Gyarados is too strong!" the announcer cried.
Yes, Water beat Fire, but to one-shot an Elite-level Pokémon so brutally? That was terrifying.
Gyarados's physical might far surpassed its special attacks—especially with Huge Power amplifying it.
"Truly monstrous strength…" Jon Dickson muttered, recalling Typhlosion.
But he didn't panic. Instead, he sent out his second Pokémon—one not of the Electric type.
He had studied Yozora carefully. He knew Yozora's Gyarados feared no lightning.
"Go—Crobat!"
The bat Pokémon appeared in a burst of light, wings cutting through the air with precision.
Crobat, the final evolution of Zubat and Golbat, was a fearsome force. Jon Dickson's Crobat radiated strength surpassing even Typhlosion's—it was Elite Level, mid-stage.
Yozora narrowed his eyes. Crobat was small, fast, and an aerial predator—Gyarados would be at a disadvantage.
Still, he made no switch.
"Gyarados, use Hurricane!"
The red leviathan bellowed, summoning violent winds that surged toward Crobat.
"Crobat, Acrobatics!" Jon Dickson ordered.
Crobat twisted through the storm, slammed back by the winds only to pivot sharply and dive with blistering speed. It struck Gyarados with incredible force, driving the giant beast backward.
"Now! Chain Air Slash!"
Crobat blurred behind Gyarados, wings glowing as it unleashed razor-thin waves of compressed air.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
The blades of wind slashed repeatedly into Gyarados's back.
…
(End of Chapter)