Natsui's third match was the tenth in Group A. Based on the schedule, it wouldn't start until around 2 PM. Taking advantage of the break, the three of them left the Group A area and went over to Ash's Group C.
As luck would have it, when they arrived, Ash was in the middle of his second battle, using his Phanpy against a woman's Machoke.
They didn't call out to disturb him, instead finding Brock who was also watching nearby.
"You're here?" Seeing Natsui, Erika, and Misty, Brock asked, "How did the battles go?"
"Is that even a question?" Misty answered with a smile before Natsui could speak. "With Natsui battling, it was a piece of cake. He won two matches almost effortlessly! By the way, how's Ash doing? He didn't unlucky lose one already, did he?"
Brock shook his head. "Not exactly, but..."
From Brock, they learned that although Ash had won his first match, his opponent's Furret had used a very clever Dig strategy, constantly attacking from underground. It had pushed Pikachu into a corner, nearly causing Ash to lose. Fortunately, Ash had a flash of inspiration and told Pikachu to grab onto Furret's body, go underground with it, and unleash a Thunderbolt down there. This countered the tactic and allowed Pikachu to defeat Furret.
The process was extremely risky, and he almost stumbled right at the start.
Fortunately, Ash still managed to win in the end.
You really can't underestimate any opponent. There might be surprising talents among them...
Natsui shook his head, feeling a bit worried for Ash.
Having Pikachu burrow underground... that's definitely a tactic only Ash could come up with.
Looking back at the field, perhaps warned by the close call, Ash was particularly focused in this battle. Phanpy also performed well. With their teamwork, Phanpy eventually defeated Machoke by hitting it on the head with a Tackle, knocking it out.
"We won!"
Ash started cheering before his opponent even recalled her Pokémon. It was clear that the near-loss in the first match had served as a wake-up call, keeping him on edge. Now, having won the second match and being just one step away from qualifying, he couldn't help but feel excited.
When Ash came out and saw Natsui and the others were there too, he ran over with a big smile.
"Congratulations," Natsui said, leading the applause. "Good performance."
"Hehe, it was definitely easier than the first match," Ash's smile grew wider. "What about you, Natsui? You won too, right?"
"Yeah, didn't run into any tough opponents. Alright, let's go get some lunch."
The group went to a nearby restaurant. While Natsui ordered, Misty told Ash about meeting Koji earlier. After the food arrived and they ate heartily, Natsui and Ash focused on the competition, exchanging some experiences.
Well... there wasn't much to exchange, mostly just mutual encouragement.
The break was short. It was only 1 PM, and before they had even digested their food, Ash received an announcement over the broadcast and rushed back to the venue. This time, Natsui didn't go to watch his match. He, along with Erika and Misty, returned to the Group A field.
After watching one more battle from the seats, it was his turn again.
His opponent this time was a student fresh out of Pokémon School. This student hadn't qualified by collecting badges but had earned his spot through school exams, an alternative path to the conference.
This was common in every region.
Although graduates from Pokémon School certainly had more theoretical knowledge than average competitors, generally, their practical experience would be somewhat lacking, and they often lacked flexibility.
They could never learn Ash's unconventional battle style, even if their lives depended on it.
For this match, Natsui sent out his Scizor. In a battle against type disadvantage, he defeated the student's Cyndaquil, giving this newcomer to society a vivid lesson.
Namely—when facing an opponent with a four-times type advantage, if the power difference is large enough, victory can still be easily achieved.
The student recalled his Cyndaquil and left the field with a quiet sigh. His record in this conference was one win and two losses, a rather miserable performance. Losing despite having a type advantage against Scizor was a major demerit, likely costing him a spot in the preliminary rounds.
Compared to him, Natsui was undoubtedly in a much better mood.
He walked off the field, high-fived the jumping Misty, and then headed towards the league lobby.
Since both he and Ash were likely to qualify and only had one match left each, they had agreed before separating earlier that they would meet here after their matches instead of gathering again.
When he arrived at the lobby, Ash, whose match had finished earlier, had already won and was waiting there.
Their eyes met, and without needing words, they both saw the relief in each other's expressions. Clearly, their recent battles hadn't caused them too much trouble.
They waited in the lobby for a while. Competitors gradually returned after finishing their matches, but the number of people was significantly smaller than the initial two hundred plus.
On the large screen in the lobby, the photos of the competitors who had advanced to the preliminary rounds were displayed. They searched for a bit and found not only their own photos but also those of Gary, Kenta, Marina, and several other trainers they had met during their travels.
Natsui looked carefully and also saw Koji's photo.
Despite losing to Natsui in the first round, Koji had still managed to make it to the preliminaries. His strength was indeed impressive.
In the lobby, as everyone gathered and saw the results, they inevitably turned their gazes towards the other competitors.
By now, with fewer people around, those who knew each other naturally spotted one another.
Gary was the first to notice Natsui and Ash. However, the guy didn't come over to talk. He just glanced at them, confirmed they had both qualified, and then leaned against a pillar alone, closing his eyes to rest, acting aloof and cool.
Just as Natsui looked away from him, footsteps sounded nearby. Kenta, Marina, and a chubby boy, whom Natsui had met during the Raikou incident, walked over from the side.
Before they even arrived, Kenta's cheerful voice reached their ears. "Mr. Natsui, so you're participating in the Silver Conference too, and you made it to the preliminaries!"