"Unfortunately, it's just a doubles match, so the full Sun Team strategy can't be set up."
Gary narrowed his eyes as Torkoal appeared on the opposite side. At first, the sight of the tortoise Pokémon under the blazing sunlight made him cautious—Drought ability was always dangerous.
But when the second Poké Ball opened to reveal Camerupt, he relaxed slightly.
A true Sun Team would rely on heavy hitters like Charizard or Venusaur, able to capitalize on the sunlight in multiple ways.
Camerupt's Fire typing gave it an offensive boost, but outside of Fire-type attacks, the harsh sunlight didn't make it much more dangerous.
The referee raised his flags. "Battle, begin!"
"Roooaaaarrr!!"
Salamence's deafening cry filled the stadium as it spread its mighty crimson wings. The dragon's presence radiated dominance, and its EX Intimidate Ability took hold instantly, lowering not just the Attack, but also the Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense of both Camerupt and Torkoal.
"Torkoal, Camerupt—Rock Slide together!" Yuta barked.
A double Rock Slide right from the start—Gary could see the plan instantly. Salamence was the main target; Rock-type moves were four times as effective against the Dragon/Flying Pokémon.
"Blaziken, Quick Attack—close in on Camerupt, then Power-Up Punch!"
"Salamence, Protect!"
Blaziken burst forward in a blur of motion, the white streak of Quick Attack carrying it out of Rock Slide's danger zone in the blink of an eye.
Above, massive boulders formed and hurtled downward, but Salamence remained unshaken.
A shimmering green barrier of Protect surrounded the dragon, absorbing the impact as the rocks shattered harmlessly.
Whooosh!!
Blaziken's speed brought it right in front of Camerupt before the slower Fire-type could react. Flames flared around Blaziken's wrists as it delivered a brutal Power-Up Punch directly to Camerupt's head.
The impact forced the volcano Pokémon backward, skidding over a meter across the field.
"Torkoal, Body Slam on Blaziken!" Yuta called urgently.
The coal Pokémon sprang forward with surprising speed, attempting to crush Blaziken under its heavy shell.
The distance was too close, and Blaziken had just finished its attack—dodging was impossible. The crowd gasped as Torkoal slammed down…
…but Blaziken caught the edge of Torkoal's shell mid-fall. With a grunt of effort, it lifted the massive tortoise clean off the ground.
"Woooaaahhh!!" Torkoal cried in shock, legs flailing.
"Blaziken—throw Torkoal at Camerupt!" Gary ordered.
"Blaaazii!"
With a powerful twist of its torso, Blaziken heaved Torkoal through the air. Camerupt, with its sluggish reflexes, had no chance to evade. The two Fire-types collided, Camerupt catching Torkoal full in the chest.
Gary seized the moment. "Salamence—Dragon Pulse!"
From high above, Salamence dove slightly, opening its jaws to unleash a swirling, dragon-shaped blast of energy.
BOOM!!
The Dragon Pulse struck Camerupt square on the hump. The explosion sent both Camerupt and Torkoal tumbling, their cries echoing across the field.
Yuta's expression tightened. That opening exchange had gone horribly—both his Pokémon were already looking worn down.
The level gap was too obvious now. Worse, he had no idea that Salamence's EX Intimidate had weakened both their offenses and defenses from the start.
"Salamence, Blaziken—Stone Edge, together!" Gary commanded.
"Roooar!!"
"Blaaazii!!"
Sharp, gleaming stone blades erupted from the ground, slicing through the air toward Yuta's team.
"Torkoal, Overheat! Camerupt, Eruption!" Yuta countered.
Torkoal spat a blinding beam of scorching red fire.
Camerupt's humps erupted violently, hurling blobs of molten lava.
The flaming projectiles and searing beam collided with the incoming stone blades.
KABOOM!!!
The clash triggered a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. Heat shimmered in the air. For now, the exchange ended in a tie.
Gary narrowed his eyes. The sunny weather was boosting their Fire-type moves by 50%. Without EX Intimidate's debuff, this might have been a lot more dangerous.
"Attack Camerupt—Dragon Claw! Brave Bird!"
Blaziken leapt high into the air—over 20 meters—its body cloaked in a turbulent blue aura. Mid-flight, the energy ignited into fiery red, taking the form of a majestic bird of prey.
"Roooaarrr!!"
Salamence swooped in low, both claws glowing with deep green draconic energy.
"Overheat! Eruption!" Yuta yelled desperately.
But Camerupt and Torkoal couldn't dodge in time. Worse, Torkoal's Overheat had already reduced its Special Attack earlier. The blast it produced was noticeably weaker than before.
Salamence crashed straight through the Overheat beam, Dragon Claws shredding it apart as it surged forward.
Meanwhile, Blaziken's Brave Bird sliced through the waves of molten lava from Eruption, the sheer wind pressure scattering them like droplets in a storm.
The two attackers struck almost simultaneously—Salamence raking its claws across Camerupt's side while Blaziken slammed into its chest with Brave Bird.
BANG!!!
The volcanic Pokémon's heavy body flew backward, smashing into the arena wall before collapsing with a loud thud.
"Camerupt is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
Now only Torkoal remained, and even with its natural bulk, it was clearly weakened and breathing heavily.
"Salamence, Hurricane! Blaziken, Flamethrower!" Gary gave the finishing orders.
Salamence's crimson wings whipped the air into a raging storm, the powerful wind howling across the arena. Blaziken unleashed a concentrated stream of fire into the gale.
The winds stretched the flames into long, twisting ribbons—fiery serpents that danced violently before spiraling into a swirling inferno.
The Flame Hurricane engulfed Torkoal completely. The tortoise staggered, shell glowing under the relentless heat. Its physical defense was legendary, but its special defense faltered under the onslaught.
"Toooorrr…!!"
The blast lifted Torkoal off its feet, sending it tumbling through the air before crashing into the far wall. It landed on its back, legs twitching weakly, eyes spinning.
"Torkoal is unable to battle! Both of Yuta's Pokémon have been defeated—the winner is Gary!" the referee announced.
The crowd roared in approval. Three matches, three flawless victories—Gary had not lost a single Pokémon in the qualifying rounds.
With the preliminaries concluded, the bracket for the final tournament was now set.