The eight trainers who advanced to the quarterfinals are:
Kanto and Johto: Lorelei and Will.
Hoenn: Steven, Cain, and Wallace.
Sinnoh: Cynthia.
Unova: Caitlin.
Kalos: Diantha.
Except for Cain, all the other participants are destined to become Champions or members of the Elite Four in the future.
If we do the math, we'll find that out of these eight, four will eventually become Champions.
The others will take positions in the Elite Four.
It's undeniable that the level of quality in the first Interregional Tournament organized by the Pokémon League is extremely high.
Even the trainers who made it to the Top 32 are destined to become key pillars in their respective regions.
After a day of intense battles, all the competitors quickly returned to their accommodations. The quarterfinals will begin tomorrow, and since all the Pokémon suffered damage in battle today, recovery speed will be crucial for performance in the coming rounds.
Cain and the others returned to the small, quiet village on the outskirts of Hearthome City, where they were staying in a mansion.
Thanks to the Pokéblocks created by Cain, along with his custom-made medicines and Florges' help, the Pokémon were able to recover quickly.
As long as they didn't suffer major injuries, they would all be in perfect condition for tomorrow.
Phoebe, although eliminated in the round of 16, showed no discouragement at all. She spent the rest of the day cheering on her companions and wishing them success in their matches.
However, the atmosphere among the group became a bit tense on the way back.
This was because, after today's battles ended, the quarterfinal matchups were revealed.
Three trainers from Hoenn had reached this stage of the tournament, and if the battles didn't pit them against each other, some might question the fairness of the event.
As a result, two of them would inevitably have to face each other.
The ones chosen were Cain and Wallace.
That's right: the first quarterfinal match would be Cain versus Wallace.
A battle of destiny.
For both of them, avoiding Steven at this stage was already fortunate, as he was unquestionably the strongest among the three. The question now was: who was stronger, Cain or Wallace? Only the battle could answer that.
Cain and Wallace, both Gym Leaders specializing in Water-type Pokémon, had markedly different styles. Cain held the title of leader but didn't exclusively train Water-types. Wallace, on the other hand, was a true expert in the type.
Due to many training sessions and small friendly sparring matches in the past, both knew each other's styles well.
However, Cain had a unique advantage. Before his system went into sleep mode, he had collected and analyzed all the data on Wallace's Pokémon. This meant that, for Cain, there were no secrets or hidden cards in his opponent's arsenal.
The battle against Wallace represented a strategic opportunity. With the information he had, Cain could make decisions that played in his favor.
Even so, Cain wouldn't abandon his ethics. He helped Wallace treat his Pokémon and ensured they were in top condition. After all, this was just a battle, and maintaining a good relationship with Wallace was far more important in the long run.
For Cain, this match wasn't just a fight to advance; it was an opportunity to strengthen a friendship. In this duel, friendship came first and competition second.
While the tournament's trainers rested for the next day, the Pokémon League remained in full swing.
With the introduction of the Fairy type as a new category, there was a lot to be done. The Kalos region in particular was conducting massive evaluations to identify Pokémon that could be classified as Fairy-type.
Other regions were also conducting similar analyses, seeking to discover Pokémon in their territories that fit this new category.
The impact of the Fairy type on the metagame, especially against Dragon-types, was huge. Each region wanted at least one or two standout Pokémon with this new type.
And indeed, after numerous evaluations, several Pokémon were found to fit the Fairy-type category. Some, originally classified as Normal-type, were reevaluated and deemed better aligned with the Fairy type.
Among these were Cleffa, Clefairy, Clefable, Togepi, Snubbull, and Granbull.
Other Pokémon that were previously only Normal-type, like Jigglypuff and Wigglytuff, were now classified as Normal/Fairy. The same happened with Azurill.
The arrival of the Fairy type was reshaping the world of trainers. The League continued collecting and organizing data on this type as its impact kept expanding.
...
The night passed quickly.
Thanks to Cain's medicines and Florges' help, all the group's Pokémon were in optimal condition to compete.
The next day, the four trainers headed together to the Sinnoh Tournament stadium for the quarterfinals.
The crowd was more excited than ever after the intense battles from the previous day.
Although overwhelming victories could be satisfying, what truly thrilled the spectators were balanced battles, where both trainers went all out.
The first battle of the day was an internal Hoenn showdown, and the anticipation was sky-high.
Both Gym Leaders represented the Water type and shared many similarities, which increased the public's interest.
Would it be Cain, the trainer with humble beginnings and close to the people, who emerged victorious? Or would it be Wallace, the charismatic Gym Leader of aristocratic origin, who proved to be superior?
This matchup represented more than a battle—it symbolized the struggle between perseverance from the common people and the natural advantage of the privileged.
Cain, for his part, had become a symbol of hope for many trainers from humble origins. His popularity kept growing, as he represented the achievable dreams of the majority.
Both trainers emerged from the competitors' tunnel, greeting the cheering crowd. They looked at each other and exchanged a smile before taking their positions.
"The first battle of today will pit Cain, from Leafy Town, against Wallace, from Sootopolis City, both from the Hoenn region. Who will make it to the semifinals? Let's find out!" announced the commentator, aiming to capture everyone's attention.
Meanwhile, Hoenn's official representatives had mixed feelings.
On the one hand, they regretted that two of their best trainers had to face each other so soon. On the other hand, they were relieved, as this guaranteed that at least one of them would advance to the semifinals.
"Let the battle begin!" declared the referee without delay.
The first random battlefield of the day was a sandy terrain, which didn't offer clear advantages to either of them, although Cain seemed slightly more comfortable with it.
Both launched their Poké Balls at the same time.
Cain chose Swampert as his first Pokémon, his usual initial option to analyze his opponents.
Wallace, for his part, sent out his reliable Starmie onto the field.
The battle was ready to begin.
(End of chapter)