Morning
Everyone gathered at the drawing venue to select their upcoming battlefields.
Since everyone had already learned their venues through various means, there wasn't much surprise—unless the system somehow crashed and assigned the same field twice, but that error would absolutely never occur.
Ice venue—this was the battlefield Red drew for the fourth round, marking the final match to be held at the four specialized venues.
After advancing to the fifth round, contestants' battles would transfer to the Indigo League's main stadium. The previous four venues served simply to test contestants' adaptability to different environments, better screening for the strongest competitors.
After Red finished drawing his battle venue, Ash and the others took their turns.
Amusingly, Ash's group no longer looked as anxious as before. The fourth round absolutely couldn't have them facing each other, putting their minds completely at ease.
Moments later, Ash drew the Grass venue, Gary drew the Rock venue, and Leaf drew the Water venue.
After everyone completed their drawings, they agreed to dine together, preparing mentally for tomorrow's fourth-round matches.
Indigo League - Ice Venue - Fourth Round
"This is the fourth-round match at the Indigo League's Ice venue! On the red platform, Lord Red from Pallet Town! On the green platform, contestant Ryosuke from Vermilion City!"
During the announcer's introduction, Red and Ryosuke stood simultaneously on their respective command platforms, gazing directly at each other.
"It's an honor to battle you, Lord Red," Ryosuke stated calmly, displaying neither nervousness about facing Red nor excessive excitement, maintaining remarkable composure.
However, the observant Red still noticed Ryosuke's hands trembling slightly—not from fear of the impending battle, but from sheer excitement.
Red recognized the blazing competitive fire in Ryosuke's eyes, clearly indicating genuine anticipation for their upcoming clash.
"Lord Red is this Indigo League's second seed contestant! As the premier rookie trainer from Pallet Town, he's demonstrated extraordinary strength in the first three rounds. We can confidently expect he won't disappoint us in the upcoming fourth-round Ice venue battle!"
"And Ryosuke from Vermilion City on the green platform reached the Top 8 in last year's Indigo League! His capabilities have earned recognition from most spectators. So let's focus our anticipation on both competitors and celebrate this upcoming match with enthusiastic applause!"
The announcer's voice rang with excitement as enthusiastic cheers and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
"This Ryosuke's strength must be formidable—he achieved Top 8 placement in last year's Indigo League," Gary observed from the stands.
After watching Red's Ice venue match, Gary's own fourth-round Rock venue battle would follow next. Yet Gary felt no anxiety whatsoever—he'd already thoroughly analyzed his opponent's capabilities. Even deliberately keeping his primary Blastoise in reserve, he absolutely wouldn't lose.
"Both sides may use three Pokémon! Whichever trainer's team is completely defeated loses! The Ice venue fourth-round match begins now!"
After the announcer finished explaining the rules, the referee at the battlefield's edge waved both flags as the match bell rang.
"I choose you, Milotic."
Red threw his Poké Ball with practiced precision.
White light burst forth, revealing Milotic's graceful form on the Ice venue. The Tender Pokémon used its elegant serpentine body to glide across the frigid ice surface, quickly adapting to the frozen environment.
Milotic turned back coquettishly toward Red, clearly expecting praise for its entrance.
Red helplessly offered slight acknowledgment to prevent Milotic's emotions from escalating.
Milotic's appearance instantly captivated most spectators at the venue. Having never witnessed such a beautiful Pokémon, they were naturally entranced by Milotic's elegance, withdrawing cameras to photograph it, wanting to preserve this memory permanently.
"Such a gorgeous Pokémon—clearly Water-type!" Misty exclaimed infatuatedly, envying Red for possessing such a magnificent specimen.
"That's the Feebas from before. Red must have been extremely dedicated in raising Milotic," Leaf murmured, recognizing that the confident Milotic on the Ice venue was the introverted, withdrawn Feebas from the unnamed island.
"Milotic is a Water-type Pokémon. Like our Kanto region's Gyarados, before evolution they're both considered inferior by most trainers, yet both achieve remarkable transformations!" Gary explained knowledgeably.
"If I captured a Milotic, could I attract beautiful women's attention..." Brock pondered thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he contemplated planning his future romantic prospects.
"Then I'm counting on you, Dewgong!"
Observing Red deploy Milotic, Ryosuke threw his Poké Ball, releasing Dewgong to battle.
With its snow-white body, sharp horn protruding from its head, two downward-pointing tusks flanking its mouth, and fin-like appendages on both sides—this was Dewgong in its full glory.
"Dewgong, use Ice Beam!"
"Milotic, use Ice Beam."
Upon hearing their trainers' commands, Milotic and Dewgong simultaneously executed Ice Beam. Two frigid energy beams streaked toward each other, colliding at the field's center within moments.
After a brief confrontation revealed Ice Beam couldn't suppress Dewgong directly, Milotic swiftly changed tactics. Using its supple body to weave gracefully between ice pillars, it evaded Dewgong's Ice Beam before condensing a Water Pulse in its mouth and launching it rapidly toward the Sea Lion Pokémon.
"Dewgong, use Icy Wind to freeze the Water Pulse!"
Ryosuke commanded calmly, demonstrating tactical awareness.
Dewgong released glacial wind from its mouth, freezing the approaching Water Pulse into a solid ice sphere within seconds before batting it away with its tail. The frozen attack shattered into harmless ice fragments scattered across the venue.
"Disarming Voice," Red stated evenly.
Milotic opened its mouth to emit an enchanting cry. The Disarming Voice instantly penetrated Dewgong's ears, inflicting mental damage on the Ice-type.
"Dewgong, quickly use Ice Shard!"
Witnessing Dewgong's pained expression, Ryosuke commanded urgently.
Dewgong rapidly created a hardened ice block, swinging its tail to propel the Ice Shard toward Milotic. Its swift velocity forced Milotic to abandon continuing its Disarming Voice assault.
The impact resonated sharply. Despite dodging, Milotic was clipped by the incoming Ice Shard. Though incapable of dealing substantial damage, the attack definitely irritated the prideful Tender Pokémon.
From Milotic's perspective, it had embarrassed Red and absolutely must employ full strength to restore its image.
Witnessing Milotic's increasingly serious demeanor, Dewgong's confidence wavered inexplicably, sensing the shift in battle intensity.