Chapter 628: Just Six More Matches
After the second day of the knockout stage, the wind direction in Kubfu's online communities changed instantly...
A day of rest followed, and after the fourth match day in the winner's bracket ended, people seemed to recall the fear of being dominated by the Big Demon King in the previous two tournaments.
"I didn't expect to see Grand Master in the finals again this year..."
"Will there really be a three-peat dynasty?"
"I don't want that..."
From the moment the knockout stage began, the Grand Master Team taught the world a profound lesson: Your daddy is still your daddy this year!
Emerging from the winner's bracket and locking in the first spot in the finals was none other than the defending champion.
After watching the match, Serena sighed with a hint of melancholy.
"He really held back in the group stage."
She was talking about Steven, the captain of the Grand Master Team.
It was only in the knockout stage that people were shocked to discover: Steven actually had a fourth ace Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution!
And he hadn't used this Pokémon even once during the group stage!
Before the format change, the Captain's Match wasn't a fixed event in every match, and the team's ace player was mainly responsible for the 6v6 singles.
So veteran star players generally locked their number of ace Pokémon at three.
The more established the player, the more they fit this pattern.
The players who broke this pattern first this year were almost all young people, like Future Yuzuru of Nine-Tailed Fox, and Arthur of Starlight and Frost.
Veteran players had been bound by the format for years, and their main Pokémon were basically fully grown; it was hard to change course.
However, no one expected that Steven, a benchmark figure famous for many years in the old era, would achieve a breakthrough again in less than a year after the format reform at the beginning of the year!
"Steven has a deep Pokémon reserve and so many Pokémon to take care of. Where did he find the energy to raise another ace?"
This was a doubt in the minds of many veterans.
In the past, limited by the format, everyone expanded their lineup horizontally after confirming three ace Pokémon, cultivating many counter-pick Pokémon, which took up a lot of the veterans' energy.
This was also why they were slower to transform than young people like Future Yuzuru.
Future Yuzuru of Nine-Tailed Fox didn't have many Pokémon in total, but she came from a wealthy family and entered the professional arena with four ace Pokémon in hand!
But she still had the flaw of insufficient lineup depth. In the second round of the winner's bracket, Leo seized on this point and defeated her with precise tactical countering like a scalpel.
That was somewhat acceptable.
But Steven was completely unreasonable!
Four captain-level aces with Mega Power!
Unfathomable lineup depth!
Rich tournament experience and keen tactical sense!
This allowed him to completely unleash himself after entering the knockout stage, strong like a monster!
First round, defeated Starlight and Frost; second round, defeated Blaze; third round, defeated Three Waves.
Three matches, exactly defeating three teams captained by Kubfu players.
Finally, he swept through the winner's bracket with an invincible posture and calmly stepped into the finals.
In two days, he silenced Kubfu's online social circles. Rational fans, extreme fans, haters, and fans alike fell silent.
Meanwhile, on Hoenn's social networks, countless netizens had excitedly begun preparing to celebrate the birth of the three-peat dynasty in advance.
Under such heavy pressure, starting from the fifth day of the knockout stage, the loser's bracket matches were about to begin again.
Early in the morning, the members of Starlight and Frost gathered in the tactical room as usual.
The head coach clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention.
This time, the head coach rarely didn't take out her ultimate weapon, the paper fan.
"Cheer up! Our competition has just begun! We have six more matches to play, so tighten your nerves! You're far from vacation time! No one think about resting now!"
"Six matches?"
Bella shivered, feeling like she discovered a highlight.
"Six matches, doesn't that mean—"
The head coach pushed up her glasses and glanced at her sideways. "What? You want an early vacation?"
"..."
Bella trembled, daring not to speak.
Although she was naughty, it didn't mean she liked to court death.
What if she agreed and the coach really let her take an early vacation?
The team had substitutes!
However, after her disturbance, everyone's mood improved a lot, and many couldn't help but smile.
Arthur also smiled at the right time. "Six more matches, let's make Grand Master taste our power again!"
Six matches starting from now, that would undoubtedly mean—
Straight to the finals!
At this moment, everyone laughed.
"Yeah, just six more matches!"
"Rest after six matches, let's crush them!"
"Brother Arthur is right!"
Aaron looked at Arthur and suddenly realized this scene was so familiar.
It was just like at the beginning of this year when this guy told him, "We'll win a championship within three years."
Back then, their Starlight and Frost Team had just been eliminated in the group stage of the Devon Cup, but after Arthur said that, they really won the professional league championship in just one year!
And now, although they also fell to the loser's bracket in the first round, this time he wouldn't question Arthur's words.
"Six matches, revenge on Grand Master!"
Aaron echoed as well.
It's just a loser's bracket run!
A miracle?
It's not like they haven't created one before!
The head coach nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good! Very spirited! Keep this momentum. Now, let's start the tactical discussion and analyze today's opponent: the Magma Team.
"The Magma Team is the Hoenn Alliance's number two seed!
"Challenging them today will serve as a rehearsal for revenge against Grand Master."
Everyone perked up.
Tactical analysis continued until 10 AM, then they went to the player rest area to watch other teams' matches in this round first.
The Kubfu player area was deserted this morning.
Before Arthur and his team arrived, only the Blaze Team members were sitting there.
Because the other two teams were playing in the morning.
The current loser's bracket had a very high Kubfu content...
This made fans both gratified and worried.
Gratified that their own teams were still there, worried that any slight mistake would send someone home.
There was no retreat in the loser's bracket matches; beneath their feet was a cliff, and falling meant death!
"Good luck this afternoon!"
When Arthur arrived, Forrest and the others encouraged them.
If nothing else, the overall atmosphere of the Kubfu region this year should be said to be the best in years.
Competing with each other, yet supporting and encouraging each other.
No one wanted to see their fellow teams leave early.
But competition is cruel; every round, someone advances and someone is eliminated.
After the two morning matches ended, the Otter Team defeated the Red Moon Team from the host Regal Alliance to advance further, while the Metro Team regrettably lost to the Royal Rapidash Team from the Sinnoh Alliance, stopping at 8th-12th place.
Then Arthur and his team left the rest area.
First match in the afternoon, it was their turn to take the stage!
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