Although the Southwest College Pokémon Tournament carried significant influence, it was originally limited to the southwest region.
Other regions had their own college tournaments, so under normal circumstances, people from outside the area paid little attention to this one.
However, everything changed after the news spread that Oliver had personally entered the competition.
Almost overnight, attention surged.
Fans from other provinces began following the Southwest Tournament, and some even traveled long distances just to witness this legendary figure in person.
The group stage had officially ended, and the four group winners advanced to the semifinals.
As predicted by Coach Liu earlier, all four semifinalists were teams that possessed High-Tier Pokémon.
They were:
Rong City No. 1 High School
Rong City No. 2 High School
Mian City No. 1 High School
Fei City High School
According to the draw:
Rong City No. 1 High School would face Mian City No. 1 High School
Fei City High School would battle Rong City No. 2 High School
The winners would advance to the final, while the losers would compete for third place.
A Clash of Titans
Mian City No. 1 High School's captain wielded a Greninja with High-Tier strength, which naturally had a type advantage over Jiang Shuyun's Charizard.
Even so, the crowd's confidence in Rong City No. 1 High School remained unshaken.
By this point, they had already been widely regarded as the strongest championship contender.
Throughout the entire group stage, Oliver had not even taken the field once, which alone spoke volumes about the team's overwhelming strength.
Mian City No. 1 High School was also a veteran powerhouse, having reached at least the group stage in every previous tournament.
On paper, this matchup was nothing short of a battle between elites.
A Surprising Decision
As both teams lined up on opposite sides of the battlefield, the host's voice echoed through the stadium.
"Welcome, everyone, to the semifinals of the Southwest College Pokémon Tournament!
Today's match is Rong City No. 1 High School versus Mian City No. 1 High School.
Both teams have championship histories, but with Oliver joining Rong City No. 1 this year, their overall strength has reached unprecedented heights.
Can Mian City No. 1 High School rise to the challenge?"
While the host was speaking, Jiang Shuyun quietly leaned toward Oliver.
"Oliver, you still haven't fought once. Why don't you go first this time?"
The others immediately agreed.
"Yeah, Captain. You must be itching to battle by now."
Oliver chuckled.
"If I go first, you guys might not get a chance to step on the field."
Jiang Shuyun smiled and replied seriously,
"That's fine. Coach Liu always says we shouldn't rely on you completely—but if you never fight at all, then what kind of tournament experience is that for you?"
Oliver reached out and lightly messed up her hair, just like when they were younger.
"Alright. Then I'll take this one."
Oliver Enters the Arena
The host's voice suddenly rose in excitement.
"Wait—Rong City No. 1 High School is sending Oliver out as their first fighter!
This is the first time Oliver has appeared on the battlefield during this tournament!"
The stadium erupted.
On the opposite side, Mian City No. 1 High School sent out a girl with her hair tied in a bun.
Her Pokémon was a Dugtrio, already at Mid-High Tier strength.
She was well-liked by the audience thanks to both her appearance and her past performances.
But when she noticed where the crowd was looking, she followed their gaze—and froze.
Oliver was walking onto the field.
Her eyes widened.
"Oliver?! He's actually fighting—and he's first?!"
Another Oliver fan.
The Battle Begins
A flash of red light.
Garchomp landed heavily on the battlefield, its imposing form instantly igniting the atmosphere.
For the first time in the tournament, Oliver's Garchomp stood under the full gaze of the crowd.
Cheers thundered from every direction.
"ROAR!"
Garchomp lifted its head and roared, its battle instincts fully awakened by the deafening excitement.
"Dig!" the girl shouted.
Dugtrio vanished underground, choosing a hit-and-run strategy.
But Oliver did not move at all.
Neither did Garchomp.
They simply stood there.
Calm.
Still.
The girl frowned, commanding quickly,
"Wait for an opening—use Metal Claw!"
Suddenly—
Garchomp's tail shot upward and slammed into the ground with terrifying force.
The battlefield shook.
Before anyone could react, Garchomp thrust its claw straight into the shattered earth and pulled Dugtrio out by force.
The Pokémon was already unconscious.
Silence.
Then—
The host exploded with excitement.
"Unbelievable!
Garchomp detected Dugtrio's underground movement and defeated it in a single strike—without even letting it surface!"
One move.
One hit.
Victory.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/SwipeSage