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High School Cup, Frosthollow Province Semifinals
Jacob stood backstage, his palms slick with nervous sweat. His heart hammered against his ribs like a caged bird desperate to escape. He had never felt this level of anxiety before a battle, not even when facing formidable opponents in previous rounds.
"Come on, breathe," he whispered to himself, taking long, deliberate breaths. But no matter how hard he tried to calm down, his pulse continued racing. He could practically feel his heart trying to burst from his chest.
Even his intense battle against Wylder hadn't made him this nervous. Why was today different?
The answer was simple: this match meant everything. Victory would secure his place in the National Finals – the ultimate stage where China's most talented young trainers would compete. Defeat meant his journey ended here, without even the chance to battle in the Imperial Capital.
Desperately seeking a distraction, Jacob pulled out his phone and opened the alternative social media account he had inherited from his older brother, Asher. Scrolling through the videos his brother had liked always helped calm his nerves and clear his mind.
His brother's account was like a digital sanctuary, filled with content that could soothe Jacob's restless emotions and help him find inner peace. The videos had a way of elevating his spirit and bringing clarity to his thoughts.
Just as Jacob was becoming absorbed in watching a particularly interesting video, a message notification popped up on his screen.
Nina: "Good luck."
Jacob stared at the simple message from his mentor, then looked back at the video still playing on his phone. Suddenly, the content seemed trivial and unimportant. How could he be wasting precious time on distractions when his future hung in the balance?
"Focus," Jacob muttered to himself, closing the app with determination. "This is what matters."
Meanwhile, in the commentary booth overlooking the arena, two familiar voices prepared to broadcast the match to audiences across the region.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Layne, and welcome back to our coverage of the High School Cup Frosthollow Province Semifinals."
"And I'm Liliana," his co-commentator added with enthusiasm. "We're thrilled to bring you what promises to be an absolutely spectacular battle between two incredible young trainers."
"Today's matchup features Chandler, the top-seeded competitor from Velora City, facing off against Jacob, the seeded player representing Starlight City," Layne explained to the viewing audience.
"Both contestants should be familiar faces to our regular viewers by now," Liliana continued. "Chandler has been a tournament favorite from the very beginning. His ace Pokémon, Garganacl, has dominated every opponent with overwhelming power and tactical brilliance."
"On the other side, we have Jacob – arguably the biggest surprise story of this entire competition," Layne noted. "Despite being largely overlooked by pre-tournament predictions, he's overcome every challenge thrown his way to reach these semifinals. The question everyone's asking is whether this remarkable dark horse can continue defying expectations."
Liliana consulted her notes before adding, "According to the official AI analysis system, which factors in both team compositions and individual Pokémon strength ratings, Chandler enters this battle with a commanding 70% probability of victory. Jacob's chances are calculated at just 30%."
"Of course, AI predictions can only tell us so much," Layne replied with a knowing smile. "The beautiful thing about Pokémon battles is that human creativity and determination can overcome any statistical disadvantage. I've learned never to count Jacob out, no matter what the numbers say."
"Absolutely right," Liliana agreed. "The battle is about to begin, so let's see if Jacob can once again create the impossible!"
The arena fell silent as both trainers entered from opposite sides. Chandler cut an impressive figure – tall and scholarly, with neat black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His youthful face carried the serious expression of an academic, but Jacob knew better than to be fooled by appearances. Behind that gentle exterior was one of the most tactically brilliant trainers in the competition.
As the referee raised his hand to signal the start of battle, Jacob felt all his nervousness evaporate. His mind became crystal clear, focused entirely on the challenge ahead. This was it – the moment that would determine his future.
Only one of them would advance to represent Frosthollow Province at the National Finals. Everything he had worked for led to this single battle.
"The match begins now!" the referee announced.
"Go, Sceptile!" Jacob called out, throwing his Poké Ball with practiced precision.
"Go, Garganacl!" Chandler responded simultaneously.
Both Pokémon materialized on the battlefield in flashes of white light. Jacob had carefully considered his opening choice – sending out Charizard against a Rock-type like Garganacl would have been tactical suicide, given Charizard's double weakness to Rock-type moves.
Sceptile was the logical choice. The massive Grass-type stood nearly four meters tall, its muscular frame radiating power and confidence. Its sharp eyes immediately locked onto its opponent, every muscle coiled and ready to spring into action.
Chandler's Garganacl was equally impressive – a towering three-meter-tall fortress of crystallized salt and rock. Its white, mineral-crusted body gleamed under the arena lights, and despite being slightly shorter than Sceptile, it projected an aura of impenetrable defense.
"Garganacl, use Salt Cure!" Chandler commanded without hesitation.
Jacob had expected this opening gambit. Salt Cure was Garganacl's signature technique – a move that perfectly embodied the Pokémon's strategic value in battle.
While Salt Cure appeared to be a simple Rock-type physical attack with relatively low base power, its true strength lay in its secondary effect. Any Pokémon struck by the move became trapped in a Salt Cure condition, suffering continuous damage that slowly wore them down. The effect was particularly devastating against Steel and Water-types, dealing double the usual residual damage.
This ability to counter two of Garganacl's natural weaknesses had earned it the nickname "Salt King" among competitive trainers. The move transformed what should have been unfavorable matchups into manageable battles.
Rock-type energy swirled around Garganacl's massive form, manifesting as chunks of crystallized salt that launched toward Sceptile like gleaming projectiles.
"Sceptile, use Swords Dance!" Jacob countered with calm confidence.
He had spent the past three days preparing specifically for this moment. Salt Cure was Garganacl's most dangerous weapon, but Jacob had developed a solution through careful study and practice.
Normal-type energy enveloped Sceptile as it began spinning rapidly on the battlefield. Despite its enormous size, the Grass-type moved with surprising grace, its powerful tail creating whistling sounds as it cut through the air. The spinning motion generated a small cyclone with Sceptile at its center.
The salt chunks flying toward Sceptile struck the swirling vortex and were immediately deflected, unable to penetrate the defensive barrier created by the spinning motion.
"Incredible technique!" Layne exclaimed from the commentary booth. "Jacob has found a way to use Swords Dance both offensively and defensively!"
Jacob smiled with satisfaction, catching sight of Jonah cheering for him in the audience. The Bug-type specialist gave him an encouraging nod, and Jacob felt a wave of gratitude wash over him.
The inspiration for this technique had come from watching Jonah's Beedrill during their previous encounter. Jacob had been amazed when the Poison-type had used Swords Dance's spinning motion to deflect a powerful Flamethrower attack from his Charizard.
That moment had sparked a breakthrough in Jacob's tactical thinking. If Beedrill could use Swords Dance defensively, why couldn't Sceptile do the same against Salt Cure?
He had immediately contacted Jonah after that realization, asking if the Bug-type trainer would be willing to share his insights about the technique. Jonah had not only agreed but had spent hours helping Jacob understand the mechanics of combining offensive stat-boosting moves with defensive applications.
For three days straight, Jacob and Sceptile had practiced this hybrid technique. While Sceptile couldn't match Beedrill's natural agility and precision, it had developed enough proficiency to successfully counter Garganacl's signature attack.
"Well done, Sceptile!" Jacob called out encouragingly. "Now we've got the upper hand!"
The crowd erupted in excitement as they witnessed this innovative use of a classic move. Sceptile stood ready for the next exchange, its attack power boosted by Swords Dance while having successfully neutralized Garganacl's opening strategy.
Chandler adjusted his glasses, his expression remaining calm despite this unexpected development. "Interesting approach," he admitted. "But the battle is far from over."
The scholarly trainer's mind was already working on his next move, analyzing this new variable in his carefully calculated strategy. Jacob had proven that this wouldn't be a simple victory, but Chandler had not reached the semifinals by backing down from challenges.
The real battle was just beginning, and both trainers knew that every decision from this point forward could determine who would advance to compete for the national championship.
Jacob felt his confidence growing as Sceptile maintained its spinning defense. The first phase of his plan had succeeded, but he knew Chandler would adapt quickly. The true test of his preparation was yet to come.