As the referee's voice fell, the match officially started. Both trainers gave their commands simultaneously.
"Mightyena, use Pursuit and finish it quickly!"
"Gloom, use Sleep Powder immediately!"
Both trainers understood the importance of striking first. They were no longer inexperienced rookies.
Hearing its trainer's command, the Mightyena crouched low and then leapt forward, leaving behind a shadowy trail of light—it was using Pursuit.
Seeing this, Paul smiled confidently. In previous matches, his Mightyena had always ended the fight with this exact move.
Even if Gloom used Sleep Powder, it wouldn't take effect in time—the Mightyena would already have struck it down.
Most of the audience shared the same thought: the gap between Gloom and Mightyena was just too big. Gloom couldn't possibly win.
But in the next instant, everyone froze.
The Mightyena's sprinting form suddenly halted. It stood in place, shaking its head as if in discomfort.
At the same time, everyone saw a pinkish, shimmering mist spread from around Gloom, blanketing the area.
"What kind of move is that?" the spectators murmured in confusion.
Sitting on the main platform, Aven narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded in approval.
The move Gloom had used was Sweet Scent.
Most Glooms in the competition had learned this move.
However, most trainers only used Sweet Scent to mask Gloom's own odor and hadn't seriously trained the move itself.
This Gloom was different. Judging by the intensity of the aroma, it had clearly been trained extensively.
Sweet Scent was a status move. In addition to its ability to attract other Pokémon, it could also lull opponents into a relaxed state, reducing their evasion.
A fully developed Sweet Scent could even slow the opponent's reactions and mobility, creating a state similar to drunkenness.
More importantly, for Pokémon like Mightyena, who had an extremely keen sense of smell, this move could be devastating.
When the aroma reached a certain intensity, it could become even more nauseating than a foul stench.
The Mightyena was clearly affected by the aroma—it couldn't adapt as quickly to this as it had to Gloom's usual stink.
While the Mightyena remained dazed, Gloom followed up with Sleep Powder. The light blue powder floated through the air, surrounding the canine.
Paul's face changed dramatically. He shouted at his Mightyena, urging it to stay awake and resist the effects.
But under the heavy influence of the Sleep Powder, the Mightyena could no longer resist its heavy eyelids and slowly lay down, drifting into sleep.
"Now, Poison Powder!" Pete clenched his fists excitedly and issued his next command.
Now that his opponent was asleep, his strategy was halfway complete. All he had to do was poison the Mightyena, and the battle would be nearly won.
Gloom, equally excited, stopped releasing Sleep Powder and began emitting a cloud of purple powder—Poison Powder—which blanketed the Mightyena.
Aven nodded approvingly from the platform, though he personally thought that using Stun Spore instead of Sleep Powder earlier might have been even better.
Paralysis and poison—a classic combo for attrition battles—could slowly wear down any opponent.
As expected, the sleeping Mightyena soon began to stir.
"Mightyena, hold your breath and use Pursuit!" Paul commanded anxiously.
Now that his partner was poisoned, he had no time to waste. He had to finish the fight before the poison took it down.
The Mightyena shook its head fiercely, forcing itself awake. Its sharp eyes locked onto Gloom, and it charged forward, holding its breath.
"This is it—the moment of truth."
"Gloom, use Absorb with all your might!"
Green light flared from Gloom's body. But instead of launching it as a beam, the energy wrapped around Gloom itself.
Boom! The two Pokémon collided.
The shadowy light of Pursuit clashed with the green glow of Absorb, resulting in a fierce impact.
Gloom felt an immense force strike it, but it lowered its head and braced itself, using the petals on its head as a shield.
At the same time, Absorb was pushed to its limits, weakening the force of the attack while siphoning the Mightyena's energy to heal itself.
"Howl!"
The Mightyena let out a roar, then raised its paw and slammed it down on Gloom.
An explosion of power followed—the blow sent Gloom flying, and the green light shattered.
"Is it over?"
The audience stared unblinkingly at the Gloom that had been knocked flying.
At the same time, they also heard Paul shouting an order for Mightyena to continue its assault.
However, the Mightyena standing there did not move an inch. Instead, it kept violently shaking its head, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"It worked. Earlier it was Sweet Scent, and now it's Gloom's natural stench." Pete rubbed his nose, a pleased smile appearing on his face.
Gloom, lying on the ground, had already struggled back to its feet. It was panting lightly through its mouth. Although the previous attack had inflicted significant damage, it was still far from losing its ability to battle.
After taking a few deep breaths, green light began to shimmer on Gloom's body, and it immediately used the move Absorb on Mightyena.
A green beam shot out, striking Mightyena and continuously drawing energy from its body, all of which flowed into Gloom, steadily healing its injuries and restoring its stamina.
Seeing this scene, Aven let out a breath. With this, the battle really was coming to an end.
He turned his gaze to Pete. He had quite a strong impression of Pete—he seemed to be able to devise excellent strategies for each battle, clearly possessing the potential to become an outstanding Pokémon Trainer.
And just as Aven had expected, under Gloom's relentless drain attacks and Mightyena's poisoned condition, the latter couldn't hold out for much longer and ultimately lost its ability to battle.
This was a textbook example of the weak defeating the strong. Even when the referee announced the result of the battle, the audience still hadn't come back to their senses—it was just too shocking!
"This was a truly brilliant battle," Aven suddenly stood up and gave the match high praise. "During the match, the Trainer played their role to perfection, adapting to their Pokémon's condition and crafting a suitable strategy."
"I would say this is a battle that everyone should study. Pete, it's very clear that you have the potential to become an outstanding Trainer."
As the audience remained in a daze, Aven's voice rang out, and he was the first to start applauding.
Hearing Aven's words, the audience turned to look at Pete with newfound respect in their eyes, and they, too, began to applaud heartily.
Many of the apprentice Trainers in the crowd showed contemplative expressions as they took the moment to reflect on what they had witnessed.
"L-Lord Aven..."
Pete stood frozen on the spot, stunned. It took him a while to react, and when he did, his face was full of excitement.
He hadn't expected Lord Aven to give him such high praise. A warm current rose in his heart, filling him with a deep sense of motivation.
I must work even harder from now on so I won't let Lord Aven down, Pete vowed inwardly with enthusiasm. With great sincerity, he bowed deeply toward Aven.
Having secured the victory, Pete clenched his fists in excitement.
Making it into the top sixteen meant that he had officially earned the title of Knight. This thought alone brought a wave of relief through his entire body.
But remembering Aven's words of encouragement, he felt himself become energized once again. His next goal was to claim the championship!
As he climbed the ranks, he would gain access to increasingly generous rewards—and the one that tempted him the most, without a doubt, was the opportunity to challenge Lord Aven himself!
Afterward, he stepped onto the stage and picked up his equally excited Gloom in his arms, jogging toward the treatment area at the side of the arena.
At that moment, in the treatment zone, Petilil wearing a white coat was seated on a wooden table, its eyes focused intently on the battlefield.
Seeing the battle conclude, it stood up with a happy expression—now it was its turn to help.
Petilil had gradually come to embrace its role as a white-coated angel. Joyfully fulfilling its angelic duty, it helped soothe the pain of Pokémon and restore their energy.
"Petilil, please help Gloom recover its strength," Pete said as he approached the Petilil.
Thanks to the time spent together, Petilil's image as a white-clad healer had deeply embedded itself into everyone's hearts. Everyone on the scene had grown very fond of it and was continually amazed by its healing capabilities.
Now fully immersed in its role as a white-robed angel, Petilil did not hesitate to agree.
As life energy entered Gloom's body, it immediately felt a wave of comfort sweep over it. Its condition quickly returned to peak form.
Meanwhile, on the stage, the Mightyena was being carried down by Rhydon.
Seeing this, Petilil immediately used Aromatherapy, swiftly removing the poison afflicting Mightyena before treating its injuries with restorative energy.
Right now, Petilil's healing capabilities were simply incredible. It didn't even need to rely on potions to heal nearly any injury—this made Master Olai's eyes light up with enthusiasm.
"Meow meow..."
Nestled in Aven's arms, Shinx quietly opened its eyes to watch the battle.
Although it was normally quite frightened of humans, each time a battle began, it became so engrossed in watching that it forgot all its fears.
Now that the match had ended, the Shinx trembled slightly and quickly closed its eyes and ears again, finally feeling a sense of relief.
"I wonder if when it's your turn to battle, you'll be able to forget everything just like this."
Aven smiled as he gently stroked the Shinx in his arms.
Seeing that the little feline could forget its fear of humans while watching battles showed just how much interest it had in fighting.
Soon, the next battle began.
Then came the third, the fourth... until finally, the disabled knight Jorah stepped onto the field, prompting Aven to pay close attention once again.
Jorah's Pokémon was a Yanma, and he was the only Trainer present who had managed to capture such a Pokémon. Judging by its appearance alone, it was clear that this Yanma had been excellently trained.
This time, Jorah's opponent was a patrol officer named Lynn, whose Pokémon was a Weepinbell. Aven remembered that Lynn was likely the first person to have caught a Weepinbell.
Offstage, Pete watched as his friend entered the arena. His expression grew tense, and he clenched his fists tightly.
This Jorah, the disabled knight, was someone Pete had judged to be a very likely candidate for the championship. Yanma had a significant advantage over both Gloom and Weepinbell, making it a powerful threat.
"The match is about to begin. Will both sides please prepare themselves!"
Seeing his comrade enter the arena, Sutter gave him an encouraging look before raising his flag and announcing the start of the battle.
"Let's go, Yanma," Jorah said, smiling at the Yanma perched on his shoulder.
Bzzzzzzzz!
Yanma nodded and quickly beat its wings, shooting into the air with a loud buzzing sound.
After sending out his Pokémon, Jorah swiftly scanned the battlefield before his eyes settled on Aven, seated at the main platform.
He slowly closed his eyes and clenched his fist. This time, his goal was the championship. He absolutely would not disappoint Lord Aven.
The battle quickly commenced.
"Yanma, use Sonic Boom!"
"Weepinbell, use Acid!"
Both commands rang out simultaneously as the two Pokémon began gathering energy.
But before Weepinbell could even finish charging its Acid move, Yanma had already flapped its wings and unleashed a Sonic Boom.
The sound wave transformed into a shockwave that swept across the battlefield at lightning speed. Weepinbell didn't even have time to react before the move struck it head-on, sending its body flying through the air!
Seeing the outcome unfold before him, Pete sighed from his seat below the stage. As expected, this battle held no suspense—his good friend had lost decisively and cleanly.
Fortunately, Lynn had only lost one match. In the upcoming battles within the losers' bracket, as long as he could win two consecutive matches, he still had a shot at obtaining the title of knight.
And so, one match after another continued in the arena. First came the round of sixteen, followed by the quarterfinals and then the semifinals.
(End of Chapter)