"Roooaaarrr!!"
Salamence spread its massive, blood-red wings and unleashed a Dual Wingbeat, the sharp, slicing sound tearing through the air. The gust generated by the attack swept away the dense water vapor clinging to the battlefield, revealing the battered form of Heracross.
"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump on Salamence!" Yuta barked the order without hesitation, urgency in his voice.
"Aggron, Stone Edge—scatter formation!" Gary countered instantly.
"Feraligatr!!" The big-jawed Pokémon roared and launched a high-pressure stream of water straight at Salamence. But before it could land, jagged pillars of stone erupted from the ground, summoned by Aggron's precise Stone Edge. The rocks intercepted the Hydro Pump mid-flight, splashing water harmlessly into the air.
At the same time, the razor-edged wind blades from Salamence's Hurricane slammed into Heracross.
"Heraa!!"
The Bug/Fighting-type cried out in agony as the storm winds hurled it backward. The sheer force sent Heracross tumbling out of bounds, crashing hard against the arena's outer wall before collapsing unconscious.
"Heracross is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising his flag toward Yuta's side.
"Under Gary's relentless assault, Yuta's Heracross falls first!" the announcer boomed. "Now, Feraligatr must face a two-on-one situation. Can Yuta turn the tide?"
The crowd erupted in mixed reactions—some cheering Gary on, others shouting in disbelief.
"This Gary's something else. But seriously—can't he use his old Pokémon for once?"
"Gary, I get you want to train your new team, but if you mess around too much, I'm disowning you as my grandson!"
"That's right! Where's the arrogance you showed at the Indigo Plateau?!"
"Yeah! What happened to the bravery from the Silver Conference? End this in style!"
"Be a man! Finish the fight in three moves, tops!"
Gary ignored the hecklers. His eyes never left his opponent.
"Aggron—Heavy Slam!" he commanded.
"Doooora!!"
Aggron's entire steel-plated body glimmered as it charged forward, mobilizing the heavy metallic energy within.
"Feraligatr, Superpower!" Yuta countered fiercely.
"Graaaaarrr!!"
Feraligatr's muscles bulged, and its body glowed with a red-orange aura of pure strength. The water-type met Aggron head-on, slamming its massive palms into the Steel-type's armor. The sound of the impact—CLAAANG!—echoed across the stadium.
Though the blow shattered the metallic aura surrounding Aggron, the Pokémon itself didn't budge. Aggron stood like an immovable fortress.
Feraligatr strained, claws digging into Aggron's armor as it tried to lift its opponent. Not even an inch.
"Metal Claw!" Gary said sharply.
Aggron's eyes glinted, and it raised both massive claws before slamming them down on Feraligatr's head—once from the left, then from the right.
WHAAAM!! WHAAAM!!
"Graaaghh!!" Feraligatr's eyes rolled back from the concussion-like impact. Dizzy and stunned, its body slumped forward, collapsing on top of Aggron.
"Doooora..." Aggron grunted in disgust, stepping backward to let its unconscious foe fall to the ground.
The referee checked quickly, then raised his flag toward Gary. "Feraligatr is unable to battle! Both of Yuta's Pokémon have been defeated. The winner is Gary!"
"Congratulations to Gary for advancing past the second round of the qualifying tournament!" the announcer cheered.
Gary recalled Salamence and Aggron. "Good work," he said quietly, glancing at Yuta.
Yuta's jaw tightened. He had entered the match confident he could topple Gary—yet he hadn't managed to knock out a single one of Gary's Pokémon, nor inflict any real damage. Aggron, in particular, looked as if it could have fought for hours more.
After the match, Gary skipped watching the rest of the battles. Instead, he walked straight to the Pokémon Center in the Players' Village and handed over Salamence and Aggron to Nurse Joy for a quick check-up. Salamence would be needed for the afternoon match.
"Don't ask why," Gary muttered with a smirk. "EX Intimidate—it's unbeatable."
Back in his room, Gary tuned into the broadcast for the matches at Arena C.
Ash was competing, just as expected, with his Hoenn team. True to form, he pulled off a narrow win in the second round—but it had been far too close for comfort.
Since the tournament had fewer venues today, all 16 morning matches wrapped up before 11 a.m. The quickest bouts had ended even earlier, around 10.
Only eight matches were scheduled for the afternoon, starting at 2 p.m. and likely finishing within an hour. Afterward, the players would get a full day's rest before the championship finals.
2 p.m. – Afternoon Matches Begin
The players assembled at their respective arenas.
"Please welcome players Otome and Taro to the battlefield," the announcer said, starting the first match of the afternoon.
The two trainers fought fiercely, their Pokémon trading blows in a heated clash of tactics and endurance. In the end, Otome emerged victorious and advanced to the final championship bracket.
Two matches later…
"Please welcome players Gary and Yuta to the arena!"
Gary rose from his seat in the waiting area, alongside his next opponent, Yuta. The two walked side by side down the tunnel, stepping into the bright sunlight of the battlefield.
"Next up, we have Gary from the distant Kanto Region, who has performed flawlessly so far—winning both of his first matches without losing a single Pokémon!" the host announced.
"Facing him is Yuta from Slateport City. In his last match, Yuta managed to defeat one of his opponent's Pokémon. Will he be able to go further this time?"
The two trainers took their positions at opposite ends of the arena, silently sizing each other up.
"Are you both ready?" the referee asked.
"Ready," Gary replied.
"Same here," Yuta said.
Both trainers clutched two Poké Balls each.
"Then let the doubles match between Gary and Yuta begin! Trainers, release your Pokémon!"
Yuta was first. "Let's show them what we've got!"
Two flashes of light burst from his Poké Balls.
"Torrrkoooal!!"
"Caaameeerrruuupptt!!"
The fire-types stood tall—Torkoal and Camerupt.
As soon as Torkoal appeared, the sunlight above intensified dramatically. The heat shimmered on the battlefield tiles, distorting the air.
"Looks like that Torkoal has the Drought Ability," the announcer commented. "A dangerous advantage for Fire-types!"
Gary responded coolly, tossing his own Poké Balls.
"Salamence, Blaziken—battle positions!"
"Roooaaaarrr!!" Salamence roared, wings beating as it took to the air.
"Blaziiikeennn!!" The Blaze Pokémon clenched its fists, the flames on its wrists flaring in the boosted sunlight.
"The Pokémon chosen by Yuta are both Fire-types—Torkoal and Camerupt," the announcer narrated. "Gary, meanwhile, has gone with Salamence and Blaziken. Salamence has now appeared in three consecutive matches—it seems Gary favors this Pokémon heavily."