In the morning semifinals, Karen easily defeated her opponent and successfully advanced to the finals.
The result was similar to what most people had predicted before the match. The gap in overall strength was simply too obvious.
If Karen's opponent had participated in previous Indigo Plateau Conferences, he might have had a good chance of winning the championship.
But this time, his luck was terrible.
He had run into Karen, a true powerhouse.
---
Time passed quickly.
In the afternoon, at exactly two o'clock, the next match was about to begin.
The sun blazed overhead.
The Indigo Plateau Stadium was packed with spectators, all waiting to watch the afternoon battle.
Sam vs. Gary.
Two teenagers who had both started their journeys from Pallet Town.
That alone made the match extremely interesting.
"Sam versus Gary!"
As the commentator announced the names of the two competitors, the stadium erupted with cheers.
Both Sam and Gary had fought their way through the tournament, gaining a large number of supporters along the way.
Some people loved watching the unstoppable "devil" Sam dominate the battlefield.
Others hoped a dark horse would rise up and defeat him.
In their eyes, Gary was that dark horse.
---
"Do you think Sam will use that Gengar in this match? If he brings out that Gengar, the battle will be over instantly."
"It's impossible for Sam to use Gengar," Erika said confidently.
"Oh? Why?"
Her certainty immediately caught everyone's attention.
"As a Trainer who also started from Professor Oak's Laboratory, Sam would definitely choose to defeat his rival in a fair and honorable way."
Before Erika could continue, a cold voice interrupted.
"That's correct."
Sabrina's calm voice reached everyone at the table.
Erika immediately shot Sabrina an annoyed look.
"Hmph."
Sabrina responded with a dismissive snort.
The Gym Leaders who had been invited as guests to the Indigo Plateau Conference were no fools.
They could clearly sense the tension between Sabrina and Erika.
The smell of gunpowder in the air was obvious.
"The match has started. Let's focus on the battle," Blaine quickly said.
He was worried the two might actually start fighting at the guest table.
---
"I believe everyone is already familiar with Sam and Gary," the commentator continued with a smile.
"But there is one detail that many people may not know."
"These two Trainers started their journeys at exactly the same time."
"And believe it or not—Sam has been a Trainer for less than one year, just like Gary!"
The moment those words were spoken, the stadium exploded in disbelief.
"What?! Only one year?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Is this the difference between geniuses and ordinary people?"
"Forget it… I'm going back to farming."
Many audience members were completely shocked.
---
Meanwhile, the two Trainers stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
"Sam, I hope today will be a great battle," Gary said calmly.
He no longer talked about defeating Sam out loud.
Instead, he buried that determination deep in his heart.
Gary knew very well—
He still wasn't truly Sam's rival yet.
But he would never stop challenging him.
"I've been looking forward to this day too," Sam replied with a smile.
He wasn't joking.
He had waited a long time for this battle.
He wanted to defeat Gary with his own strength.
---
After confirming both sides were ready, the referee raised his flag.
"The battle—begin!"
The spotlight fell on the blue side.
Gary would make the first move.
"Go! Electabuzz!"
Gary released his first Pokémon without hesitation.
Pokémon: Electabuzz
Type: Electric
Strength: Early Gym Level
Potential: Mid Gym Level
Electabuzz was the evolved form of Elekid.
Its body was covered with yellow fur and black lightning-shaped stripes resembling those of a tiger. On its head were two conductive antennae that helped it store electricity.
"Electabuzz?"
Seeing Gary's choice, Sam became thoughtful.
"Come out, Aerodactyl!"
A massive gray prehistoric Pokémon appeared above the battlefield.
The ancient Aerodactyl spread its enormous wings and let out a sharp roar.
Sam had captured Aerodactyl some time ago.
Now it was finally time to let it stretch its wings in battle.
---
"Aerodactyl! The legendary prehistoric Pokémon Aerodactyl!" the commentator shouted excitedly.
"Sam truly has an incredible team! Nearly every Pokémon he owns is rare and valuable!"
The commentator had practically spoken the audience's thoughts aloud.
Even if powerful Pokémon existed, rare Pokémon were still incredibly difficult to obtain.
It was impossible not to feel jealous.
---
"Come on, Gary!"
"Gary! Gary!"
Suddenly, the cheers for Gary grew much louder.
It seemed many spectators were secretly hoping someone would finally defeat Sam.
---
The moment the battle began, Gary immediately launched the first attack.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
Against a Rock/Flying-type Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Thunderbolt was extremely effective.
Unlike when it was still an Elekid, Electabuzz no longer needed time to build up electricity before attacking.
The Thunderbolt fired instantly with tremendous speed and power.
"Aerodactyl, climb higher!" Sam shouted.
The moment the electricity shot out, Sam reacted immediately.
Aerodactyl narrowly dodged the lightning attack as it soared upward.
"Aerodactyl, use Agility!"
Sam wasn't in a hurry to defeat Gary.
Instead, he chose to strengthen Aerodactyl first.
For a Flying-type Pokémon, speed was one of its greatest advantages against opponents that couldn't fly.
If he could fully amplify that advantage, victory would come naturally.
Aerodactyl beat its wings rapidly.
Its body suddenly became lighter as its speed increased dramatically.
Soon, it was moving so fast that its silhouette was difficult to follow.
After every movement, multiple afterimages appeared in the air.
---
"Electabuzz, use Thunder!"
Gary remained calm.
He refused to let Sam's strategy disrupt his own plans.
A wide-area Thunder attack was the best method to deal with a high-speed flying opponent.
Sam smiled slightly.
"Wide-range Thunder is indeed a good choice… but can you guarantee it will hit Aerodactyl?"
There was still a gap between Electabuzz's Thunder and Pikachu's Thunder.
Pikachu's Thunder could practically cover the entire battlefield.
Dodging it was almost impossible.
But Electabuzz's version still left plenty of space for Aerodactyl to evade.
And Sam intended to take full advantage of that opening.
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