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The moment both Pokémon dove into the water, they quickly disappeared from everyone's view. Fortunately, underwater cameras were set up at fixed angles so the audience could still follow what was happening beneath the surface.
For both Trainers, once their Pokémon went underwater, they naturally lost sight of them and with their voices unable to carry through the pool, they couldn't issue commands either.
At times like this, a Pokémon's true battle instincts were what mattered most.
On the big screen, viewers could clearly see that underwater, Golduck, with its streamlined body, tail, and webbed feet, swam swiftly and gracefully.
But Blastoise was in no way slower.
After all, Blastoise had once helped Kai win the Alto Mare Water Battle Tournament. While linear speed might not be its greatest strength, its raw power and explosive strength more than make up for it.
The camera caught bubbles swirling up as the two Pokémon clashed fiercely underwater.
Golduck relied on its agility, circling around Blastoise, darting in from different angles, and swiping whenever it saw an opening.
Blastoise, on the other hand, had its solid shell as protection. All it had to do was face forward, forcing Golduck to expend more and more energy to find new attack positions.
But then, something shifted Dusher felt it too.
Blastoise suddenly withdrew its head and limbs, tucking fully into its shell. A moment later, the massive shell began spinning violently, faster and faster, until even the water in the pool started rotating along with it.
"Not good!" Dusher shouted instinctively.
"Golduck, get out of there!"
But of course, his voice couldn't reach Golduck underwater.
Golduck itself noticed something was wrong and tried to swim toward the edge of the pool, but by then it was too late.
A powerful whirlpool had already formed.
For a Pokémon of Golduck's size, there was no way to resist the pull. After just a few meters, its entire body was dragged toward the vortex's center.
The water surface soon began to swirl as well. Even without looking at the underwater feed, the audience could clearly guess what was happening.
Then came a sudden, loud whoosh. A towering waterspout shot into the air!
At the top of the spiraling water was none other than Dusher's Golduck, being tossed helplessly into the sky.
This was Kai's signature underwater finisher, one that had taken down many opponents before. And now, it was Dusher's turn to feel its power.
"Damn it!" Dusher's face twisted in frustration. He reached for Golduck's Poké Ball, trying to recall it but the waterspout had already lifted Golduck beyond the Poké Ball's retrieval range.
As the vortex collapsed, Golduck fell from high above. Dusher tried several times to call it back but missed the timing each time.
BANG!
Golduck slammed hard into the ground. When the dust settled, it lay there unconscious.
A splash followed as Blastoise climbed out of the pool, landing heavily on the battlefield.
The referee raised the red flag. "Golduck is unable to battle! Blastoise wins the second round!"
Thunderous applause filled the stadium. After just two rounds, the audience could already sense it at this pace, Kai was on his way to becoming Champion.
Dusher clenched his teeth as he recalled Golduck. His heart felt heavier with every passing second.
Then, gritting his teeth, he threw his next Poké Ball.
"Let's go — Rapidash!"
The fiery horse appeared in a flash of flames, its mane burning brilliantly.
The announcer's voice rang through the stadium:
"Oh? Dusher is sending out his ace Pokémon already! This Rapidash has remained undefeated throughout the tournament and has carried him to the finals. But is it too early to play his trump card in the third match?"
Dusher gave a bitter smile. Against most Trainers, he wouldn't even need Rapidash.
But Kai wasn't "most Trainers." If he didn't stop this losing streak now, the match would be over before it began.
On the other side, Kai calmly recalled Blastoise. "You're up, Dragonite."
This was part of Kai's plan: to use his next-generation powerhouses Dragonite, Tyranitar, and Scizor to gain more battle experience.
Dusher exhaled when he saw Dragonite. He'd studied Kai's battles. Compared to Pokémon like Gengar, Gardevoir, or Steelix, Dragonite was the one he had the best chance against.
The battle began.
Fire and Dragon met on even ground. On paper, neither side had a type advantage, but battle isn't just about typing.
Rapidash darted forward, flames blazing, using Flamethrower and Flare Blitz, while Dragonite maneuvered through the air with surprising speed, countering with Thunder Punch and Aqua Tail.
The two Pokémon clashed again and again flame versus storm.
But then, Dragonite got burned. The flames had inflicted a Burn status. Every movement now came with a sting.
Kai hesitated for a moment but Dragonite's determined eyes said it all. He let it fight on.
Dragonite plunged into the water for a moment, then burst back out, steam rising from its body as the water soothed the burn.
The crowd roared at the clever move.
Dragonite then charged straight at Rapidash, engaging it in close combat. Thunder Punch met Fire Spin. Aqua Tail slammed into Rapidash's side. Neither side backed down.
And then both fell at the same time.
A stunned silence hung in the air before the entire stadium erupted.
Two Pokémon had knocked each other out.
For Dusher, it was a bitter blow for Kai, a pleasant surprise. Dragonite had grown stronger through this match, proving itself in the heat of battle.
The rest of the match was almost one-sided.
Dusher's remaining Pokémon, Quagsire, Hitmontop, and Marowak, fought defensively but without their Trainer's earlier sharpness. Kai, riding the momentum, sent out Scizor, Tyranitar, and Gardevoir.
Three clean victories followed.
As Marowak finally collapsed, confetti exploded into the air, fireworks boomed, and the crowd's cheers reached a deafening volume.
The referee raised his hand.
"Dusher's Marowak is unable to battle. The winner of the match and the Champion of the Silver Conference is Kai!"
Confetti swirled through the sky as Kai stood on the battlefield, blinking in disbelief. It felt almost too smooth. There hadn't been many real obstacles.
Dusher, just like his previous opponent, had been tough but not tough enough.
Later, on the podium, Pokémon League President Charles Goodshow placed the gold medal around Kai's neck and handed him the shining championship trophy.
"Congratulations, young man," he said warmly, though there was a touch of helplessness behind his smile. "Your second League victory… truly impressive."
"Thank you, President," Kai replied earnestly. "Don't worry. I'll keep pushing forward and win another one."
Goodshow's face twitched. That wasn't quite the reassurance he wanted.
But the crowd didn't care they were already chanting Kai's name.
Kai raised the trophy high as the Silver Conference came to a spectacular close.
🏆 Kai — Silver Conference Champion.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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