The dome of the Indigo League Conference main arena poured down brilliant sunlight, illuminating the multi-type field with a dazzling glow. The tender leaves of the Grass Field were adorned with morning dew, the gravel of the Rock Field had sharp edges, the ice crystals of the Ice Field refracted a spectrum of colors, and the surface of the Water Field rippled gently. This meticulously designed multi-type field would put Trainers' on-the-spot adaptability to the ultimate test.
Ash stood in the shadows of the Trainer's passage, his fingertips gently caressing the Poké Ball at his waist. He could feel Pikachu trembling slightly on his shoulder—not from fear, but from eager battle intent.
"It's been a year, Pikachu," Ash whispered, "From leaving Pallet Town until now, we've finally made it to this stage." Pikachu's tail gently brushed his cheek, and a few blue sparks burst from his electric sac.
On the other side of the passage, A Wen was making her final preparations. She held Palafin's Poké Ball up to her eyes, its surface reflecting her determined gaze. "The glory of Paldea rests on us." The Poké Ball seemed to respond with a flicker.
The arena suddenly erupted in deafening cheers. The big screen began playing highlights of both Trainers—Ash's Charizard's explosive Flamethrower in the preliminaries, and A Wen's Palafin's magnificent rapid water strikes in the Top 16 battle.
"Now entering the arena is Trainer Ash, from Pallet Town!" The announcement boomed, and Ash took a deep breath, striding into the sunlight.
The audience immediately erupted. In the third-row VIP section, Serena suddenly stood up, unfurling her cheering banner which depicted Pikachu's cute smiling face. Next to her, Brock squinted and chuckled, "Looks like someone is more nervous than the Trainer."
"I, I just…" Serena blushed, trying to explain, but was interrupted by Professor Oak's laughter.
"That kid Ash," Professor Oak pushed up his glasses, "always gets people excited every time he appears." Beside him, Delia clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes shining with tears of pride.
Gary leaned back in his seat, seemingly nonchalantly fiddling with his car keys, but his gaze never left the field. "Hmph, don't embarrass yourself in the first official battle, Ash."
On the other end of the field, A Wen bowed gracefully under the spotlight. Her lavender battle suit was embroidered with unique spiral patterns from the Paldea region, and six Poké Balls were arranged in a specific order on her waist—this was her optimal battle sequence, derived from hundreds of simulated battles.
"Both Trainers are in position!" The head referee raised red and green flags, "6v6 all-out battle, four systems allowed, Trainer A Wen to go first!"
A Wen didn't hesitate for a moment, flicking her finger as a Poké Ball arced perfectly: "With the tide's swirl, Palafin!"
A blue light burst forth, and Palafin leaped into the Water Field, its slender body cutting shimmering ripples across the water. The golden emblem on its chest glittered in the sunlight, showcasing the glory of a Paldean guardian.
Ash acted almost simultaneously: "Charizard, burn the whole field!"
Blazing flames erupted in the air, and Charizard soared, casting a huge shadow over the field. It let out a long roar to the sky, its tail flame surging, illuminating half of the Rock Field in a fiery red.
"Battle start!" The referee's flag slashed down.
A flash of brilliance appeared in A Wen's eyes: "Palafin, U-turn!"
Palafin instantly transformed into a blue lightning bolt, shooting skyward, but just as it was about to touch Charizard, it strangely U-turned, its body completing a form change in mid-air before returning to its Poké Ball as a red light. Simultaneously, another Poké Ball automatically popped open—
"Trainer A Wen switches Pokémon! Lokix enters!" The referee announced loudly.
An orange-red figure landed on the Rock Field; Lokix's powerful hind legs crushed several pieces of gravel. It rubbed its forelegs, letting out a battle-hungry cry, its compound eyes fixed on Charizard in the air.
On the commentary desk, Lance suddenly leaned forward: "A brilliant opening! Trainer A Wen used U-turn's forced switch effect to allow Palafin to complete its Hero Form transformation and randomly summon Lokix!"
"But…" Lucia looked at the field with concern, "Lokix's Bug/Fighting typing is quadruply weak to Charizard's Flying typing!"
The audience immediately started buzzing with discussion. Professor Oak quickly opened his electronic Pokédex: "Lokix, a Pokémon unique to the Paldea region, its hind leg strength can reach… Oh my, it can kick through two-meter thick steel plates!"
"No matter how strong it is, it's useless." Gary suddenly interjected, his eyes surprisingly bright, "Type advantage is absolute."
On the field, Ash had already grasped the situation: "Charizard, Air Slash!"
Charizard furiously flapped its wings, and dozens of translucent wind blades whistled out. These wind blades, boosted by its Flying typing, significantly increased in speed and range, almost covering the entire Rock Field.
"Lokix, use Bounce to dodge!" A Wen urgently commanded.
Lokix's powerful hind legs unleashed astonishing elasticity, leaping over twenty meters in an instant. But Charizard was prepared; with a flick of its head, half of the wind blades suddenly changed direction to pursue!
"How could…" A Wen's pupils constricted.
"Charizard's control over Flying-type moves has been specially trained!" Ash shouted, clenching his fist.
The wind blades continuously struck Lokix in mid-air; the Bug-type Pokémon's fragile carapace was no match for the Flying-type moves. Lokix crashed heavily back onto the rock field, creating a shallow crater.
"Flamethrower to finish it off!" Ash gave no quarter.
A scorching pillar of fire descended from the sky, completely engulfing Lokix. A few pained Bug Buzz could be heard from within the flames, then silence.
"Lokix is unable to battle, Charizard wins!" The referee's flag pointed to Ash.
[Holy crap, one-shot!]
[Quadruple weakness is too terrifying]
When A Wen recalled Lokix, a scorching heat still lingered on the Poké Ball. She gently stroked the Poké Ball and whispered, "You worked hard. I'll take it from here, everyone." When she looked up again, her eyes burned with even greater battle intent: "Palafin, Hero Form!"
The Palafin that appeared this time was entirely different—it stood proudly in the center of the Water Field, its slender body held perfectly straight, its once azure coloration now a deep indigo, and the golden emblem on its chest had extended into intricate patterns, spreading all the way to its powerful limbs.
"Hero Form with comprehensively boosted stats!" Lance's commentary voice was filled with awe, "It is said that in this form, Palafin's Water-type moves' power can increase by 50%!"
Ash decisively recalled Charizard: "Venusaur, prepare for battle!"
In a burst of emerald light, Venusaur's heavy body landed on the Grass Field, and the huge flower on its back immediately resonated with the field, the edges of its petals glowing with a faint green light.
"Grass Field accelerates Grass-type move charging…" A Wen quickly analyzed, "Must finish this quickly! Palafin, Ice Beam!"
Palafin crossed its arms, and an icy blue beam shot from its palms. This beam, refracted by the Ice Field, split into three attacks from different angles!
"Venusaur, swing with Vine Whip!" Ash's reaction was lightning fast.
Two thick Vine Whip burst from the ground, and Venusaur used them to launch itself into the air, narrowly avoiding the crossfire. While airborne, the flower on its back began to furiously absorb sunlight—thanks to the Grass Field's boost, Solar Beam's charging time was shortened by a full two-thirds!
"Fire!"
A blinding pillar of light crashed down, and although Palafin dodged urgently, it was still grazed on its right shoulder. The Water/Fighting-type Pokémon suffered greatly under the Grass-type attack, staggering back to the edge of the Water Field.
"Palafin!" A Wen exclaimed, then gritted her teeth and changed tactics, "Wave Crash!"
Palafin endured the pain, clapped its hands together, and unleashed a high-pressure water blade. This water blade, strengthened by the water area, tripled in width, almost covering half the field!
A glint flashed in Ash's eyes: "Now! Use Ingrain!"
The Vine Whip on Venusaur's back suddenly plunged into the ground, and the Grass Field's energy continuously flowed into its body through the vines. It took the water blade attack head-on, but the Ingrain effect immediately began to heal its wounds.
"What?!" A Wen watched in shock as the wounds on Venusaur's body healed at a visible rate.
"Another characteristic of the Grass Field." Ash grinned, "Ingrain's effect is doubled! Venusaur, continue with Solar Beam!"
A second beam followed immediately. This time, although Palafin dodged with all its might, its speed was slowed by the right shoulder affected by the first hit, and it was struck squarely in the chest.
"Palafin is unable to battle, Venusaur wins!" The referee's announcement ignited cheers throughout the arena.
[Grass-type is too strong!]
[Ash's tactics are amazing!]
Serena jumped up excitedly in the audience, nearly bumping into Brock in the row ahead. Professor Oak was rapidly jotting something down: "Using field characteristics to enhance recovery… A genius improvisation!"
When A Wen recalled Palafin, her fingers trembled slightly. Losing two major Pokémon so quickly was a disadvantage she had never encountered since entering the competition. But she quickly regulated her breathing and took out a third Poké Ball: "Garganacl, crush them!"
With a rumble, a colossal creature made of salt crystals descended onto the Rock Field. Its grayish-white body shimmered with a dangerous light in the sun, and every step caused the ground to tremble slightly.
"Garganacl, Salt Cure!" A Wen struck first.
Garganacl swung its arms, and countless salt particles swept over like a Blizzard. These salt particles adhered to Venusaur's body, immediately beginning to corrode its surface.
"Persistent damage move!" Ash immediately sensed trouble, "Venusaur, finish this quickly! Solar Beam!"
However, the effect of Salt Cure was immediate—Venusaur's movements were noticeably sluggish, and the flower on its back began to wilt. The charging speed of Solar Beam was nowhere near what it was before.
"Garganacl, Rock Tomb!" A Wen pressed her advantage.
Several massive rocks rose from the ground, completely encircling Venusaur. By the time Venusaur finally unleashed Solar Beam, its aim was already affected, only shattering some of the rocks.
"Continue Salt Cure!" A Wen gave no quarter.
The second wave of salt particles struck, and Venusaur let out a pained roar. Ash knew he couldn't delay: "Power Whip!"
Venusaur endured the pain, its back vines surging like giant pythons, lashing fiercely at Garganacl. This attack, boosted by the Grass-type advantage, was astonishingly powerful, shattering crystals from Garganacl's body.
"Garganacl, Ancient Power!" A Wen screamed.
Ancient rock energy condensed in Garganacl's palms, striking the opponent almost simultaneously with the vines—
A violent explosion kicked up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Venusaur was seen kneeling on one knee, while Garganacl had crashed to the ground, its body shattered into countless salt blocks.
"Garganacl is unable to battle, Venusaur wins! First half of the match ends!" The referee's announcement triggered a thunderous roar of cheers.
[Ash 3:0!]
[How will A Wen turn the tide in the second half?]
On the commentary desk, Lucia's voice trembled with excitement: "An incredible performance! Trainer Ash perfectly utilized type advantages and field characteristics, winning all three battles!"
Lance, however, focused more on the tactical aspect: "Trainer A Wen's Salt Cure strategy was actually very excellent, but unfortunately, it ran into a Grass-type move with a double advantage. However…" He looked meaningfully towards the Trainer's passage, "She still has three unknown Pokémon, and… the four systems."
During the ten-minute halftime break, Ash returned to the lounge area, and Delia and his companions immediately gathered around him.
"Ash!" Serena was the first to rush over, offering a towel and water, "Your command was brilliant!"
Professor Oak patted his shoulder: "The idea of using the Grass Field for double enhancement, even I didn't think of it!"
Gary, however, stood on the periphery with his arms crossed: "Don't celebrate too early. That woman's eyes… she'll definitely use 'that' in the second half."
Ash's hand, wiping sweat, paused: "The four systems, huh… I'm prepared too."
Meanwhile, A Wen's waiting room was eerily silent. She gently placed the three used Poké Balls on the table, then took out three others. On the surface of one pure white Poké Ball, the faint pattern of a Dynamax Band was visible.
"I originally wanted to save it for the finals…" She stroked the Poké Ball, her gaze gradually sharpening, "Trainer Ash, you're worth my full effort."
The arena broadcast announced: "Both Trainers, please return to the field, the second half of the match is about to begin!"
Ash stood up and exchanged a smile with Pikachu on his shoulder. As they stepped back into the brilliant sunlight, the cheers from the stands almost lifted the dome. And on the other side of the field, A Wen's figure slowly appeared, her right hand holding a Terastallization Orb, glowing with a dangerous red light…