As expected, after Wallace called out his Walrein, it didn't stand much of a chance against Cain's Slowking, whose psychic abilities were at their peak.
Cain's Slowking had already developed a complete battle style. As long as it didn't face an opponent with a type advantage or significantly superior strength, the outcome was almost always the same.
It would start with Trick Room to control the battlefield, turning the opponent into trapped prey. Then, it would use its psychic abilities to maintain mobility. If it faced a powerful attack, it could dodge using Teleport; if the attack was weak, it countered with force.
If its energy dropped, it would resort to Heal Pulse to recover. When up against Pokémon with exceptional abilities, Slowking used Skill Swap to turn those advantages to its own benefit.
Even against Dark-type Pokémon, which normally counter Psychic-types, Slowking had learned Miracle Eye after evolving and experiencing a unique awakening as a Shiny Pokémon, completely removing that disadvantage.
If the opponent used a finishing move, Slowking could protect itself with Protect, and then seal the move using Disable.
For all these reasons, Slowking was currently Cain's strongest Pokémon in individual battles and the highest-leveled on his team. Its strength was undeniable.
Wallace lost.
He lost against Cain's ace, but he didn't feel too discouraged.
Facing Cain, whether winning or losing, was something he had already mentally prepared for.
In fact, in terms of raw strength, Wallace wasn't inferior to Cain. In certain aspects, he might have even been slightly superior, as his team had no obvious weaknesses, while Cain still had Swampert and Politoed as vulnerable points.
However, Cain had an advantage no one else possessed: information.
There's a saying: "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will win a hundred battles."
Before each match, Cain could learn the condition, abilities, and moves of the opponent's Pokémon. Moreover, he could deduce their strategies based on that information.
This innate advantage made the difference. Without it, Cain's chances of winning against Wallace would've been only 40%. But with it, his chances rose to 60%.
That's how important information was.
After the battle, the two shook hands at the center of the field, showing mutual respect. It was then that Wallace, smiling, raised his voice and exclaimed: "Cain, go on! Make it to the finals and face Steven!"
Even though Wallace lost, he wasn't truly sad. His main passion wasn't battling, but Pokémon Contests. Making it into the Top 8 of the Sinnoh tournament was already a significant achievement for him.
Cain didn't respond to his words.
Make it to the final?
Is this a joke?
When you see who's in the semifinals, you won't have such high expectations of me.
The two of them returned together to the lounge reserved for Hoenn competitors.
Steven and Phoebe had been waiting for quite some time.
"That was an incredible battle!" Steven commented with a smile.
No matter who won between Cain and Wallace, the Hoenn region already had a guaranteed spot in the semifinals.
For Steven, Cain winning was ideal. Though he had known Wallace since before the tournament, Cain was a close friend, and their relationship was tighter.
Steven also hoped to face Cain in the final rounds to gauge his true strength.
Sometimes, just watching a battle isn't enough to grasp an opponent's essence. You have to face them personally.
Wallace smiled and shook his head without saying anything, sitting on the couch.
Phoebe glanced at him with concern, wanting to comfort him but unsure of what to say. Her innocence made her hesitate.
"Ha ha ha! Phoebe, I'm not sad, nor am I pretending to be fine. Can't you see these two didn't even bother to comfort me?" Wallace joked.
Hearing this, Phoebe let out a relieved sigh, placing a hand on her chest.
"What a scare! My heart was beating so fast!"
The battle between Cain and Wallace was the first of the day and filled with excitement, being decided only at the end.
The fact that Cain only used five Pokémon didn't draw much attention. Everyone knew the remaining Pokémon was Poliwhirl, whose strength wasn't significant and wouldn't have changed the outcome.
The next match was Steven versus Will, a trainer from the Johto region.
"Steven, go! Avenge me!" exclaimed Phoebe, raising her small fist in support.
Steven waved confidently and smiled. "Don't worry!"
In this battle, Steven didn't face any type disadvantage. Although Will was stronger than Siebold, for Steven, there wasn't much of a difference.
From the beginning, Will failed to gain any advantage. He was completely dominated by Steven, who fulfilled his promise to avenge Phoebe.
For Will, this battle was an unexpected disaster.
But he had no one to blame, as Steven had simply shown his true level, albeit with slightly more intensity than usual.
Also, Will's relationship with Lorelei was only superficial, so he had no one to complain to.
Will, dressed elegantly and wearing a black mask, gave the impression of a magician on stage.
With this victory, Steven advanced to the semifinals.
The Hoenn region now had two competitors in the semifinals, which made Juan, the region's leader, ecstatic.
Having two people in the semifinals meant Hoenn was guaranteed a Top 3 finish. And judging by Cain and Steven's performances, it was unlikely both would lose in the next round.
Mission accomplished!
After Steven's battle, the next match was Cynthia versus Caitlin.
As the last remaining representatives of their respective regions, they were everyone's hope.
However, the result surprised many.
Caitlin, who usually lost control in battles, showed no signs of instability against Cynthia.
But that didn't mean she could fight normally.
What happens when a fangirl faces her idol?
Caitlin turned into a full-on Cynthia admirer.
The high-ranking officials of Unova were probably in despair watching this, but there was nothing they could do.
Caitlin's talent was undeniable. She was the youngest competitor to reach the Top 16 and had immense potential in psychic abilities, making her a treasure for her region.
However, there was no way to pressure her.
Cynthia couldn't do much about it either. Caitlin admired her deeply, and upon realizing she didn't lose control in her presence, that admiration only grew stronger.
The last match of the day was the most anticipated: Lorelei versus Diantha.
Who would prove stronger—the future Elite Four of Kanto or the future Champion of Kalos?
(End of chapter)