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Tobias's face twitched as he stared at his Zapdos, now embedded deep into the stadium wall.
He had known from reports that Swampert possessed monstrous strength. But seeing it firsthand shattered any thought of letting his Pokémon engage Swampert in close combat.
"My heavens, what did we just witness?! Contestant Kira's Swampert has punched Contestant Diaz's Zapdos straight into the outer wall! That's unbelievable—what terrifying power!"
"After taking such a devastating blow, can Zapdos even continue fighting? Referee, please make a ruling!"
The announcer leapt to his feet, voice trembling with excitement as he shouted into the mic.
"Zapdos is unable to battle! The winner is Swampert!"
The referee sprinted to the impact site. After silently counting several seconds with no sign of Zapdos freeing itself from the wall, he raised his flag and loudly declared the result.
"Swampert!"
"Swampert!"
"Swampert!"
The crowd exploded. The victory would have been enough on its own, but the fact that Swampert had taken down the legendary Zapdos drove the audience into a frenzy.
Someone shouted Swampert's name, and in moments, the entire stadium echoed with the chant.
"Swampert!!!"
Hearing the stadium roaring his name, Swampert knew exactly what it meant. He raised his arms high and bellowed with joy.
"So… so powerful! Sato's Swampert is unbelievable—he even managed to suppress Zapdos in the air like this!"
Whitney, sitting in the front row, could hardly believe her ears or eyes. She whispered to Daisy beside her, both their faces filled with shock.
At the same time, Whitney made up her mind: she would treat Sato as someone worth befriending at the highest level—equal even to Daisy. Once the match ended, she would make an effort to "invest" in him, determined to secure him as a true ally.
"Yes… it's incredible. His Swampert's growth has far exceeded my expectations. But…" Daisy's eyes gleamed with burning determination. "I will not surrender so easily."
She looked as though she wanted nothing more than to jump into the arena herself and battle Sato.
"You… you just said Sato? From Pewter City? With a Pichu and a Natu by his side?"
A hesitant voice came from Whitney's right, startling her.
She turned to find a fashionable young woman with striking crimson hair gazing at her curiously.
"Hello, I'm Solidad. I'm an old acquaintance of Mr. Sato. Tell me—this 'Kira Hayashi' on the field… is he really Mr. Sato Kaede?"
Seeing Whitney's guarded expression, Solidad quickly softened her demeanor, flashing a warm smile as she asked in a lowered voice.
Solidad had actually traveled to Goldenrod with Sato. Like many women, she loved shopping, and Goldenrod's department store was always her first stop. By chance, she too had stumbled into the battle event and even participated—though she was eliminated in the fourth round.
Still, that didn't stop her from enjoying the rest of the matches. She had been present when Sato's Swampert defeated Clair's shiny Kingdra, and from that moment on, she had been captivated.
As Sato kept winning, she had joined other fans online in defending his reputation, gradually becoming one of his small but fervent supporters—just like many other female trainers from Kanto who happened to be in Goldenrod at the time.
Wanting to see her idol up close in the finals, she had even paid a hefty price to a scalper for a front-row seat.
And the closer she watched, the more she realized why he felt so familiar. It all clicked when she overheard Whitney utter the name "Sato."
That was when the suspicion struck her—Kira Hayashi and Sato were the same person. She couldn't resist asking.
"You misheard me—I didn't say that name."
Whitney's face paled as she denied it. She knew full well Sato wanted his true identity hidden. But being young and a poor liar, her panicked reaction betrayed the truth.
"So it really is him… Kira Hayashi is Sato. No wonder he felt so familiar. My god… his strength is beyond anything I imagined."
Solidad's sharp instincts caught Whitney's expression instantly. Her suspicion turned to certainty, and she was left awestruck.
Just like Whitney, she immediately raised her valuation of Sato in her heart. And she, too, decided—once the match ended, she would make sure to reconnect with him, to build Sato into a pillar of her personal network.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the front row, Chris' gaze burned hot as she stared at Sato like a jeweler appraising a rare gem. She had already resolved to approach him at the earliest opportunity after the match.
Unaware of how much he had stirred in the hearts of those watching, Sato remained focused on the battle. His Swampert's victory only fueled his fighting spirit further.
Tobias, meanwhile, recalled his Zapdos and sent out his next Pokémon—a Ludicolo, who immediately began its awkward dance upon entering the rain-soaked battlefield.
Despite Ludicolo's clear type advantage over Swampert, Sato chose not to switch out. Swampert's fighting spirit was blazing, and Sato knew pulling him back now would only sour his mood.
Tobias's Level 54 Ludicolo moved with ease in the rain, its speed nearly doubling. In a flash, it closed the gap between them by several meters, closing in rapidly.
"Ludicolo, use Giga Drain!"
At Tobias' command, streams of emerald energy shot from Ludicolo's body, lashing toward Swampert.