Facing Casey's Pidgey, although an Electric-type Pokémon would have a significant advantage, Natsui, adhering to his principle of training while battling, recalled his Jolteon.
Casey, of course, noticed this.
She couldn't help but smile. In fact, sending out a Pokémon with a type disadvantage after losing the first round was part of her own consideration.
Having watched Natsui's recent matches, she knew he rarely kept the same Pokémon in battle consecutively, regardless of the matchup. So, she decided to take a gamble.
As it turned out, she guessed correctly. Seeing her Pidgey, Natsui voluntarily recalled his Jolteon, which had the type advantage, not pressing his advantage.
Great! As long as I'm not at a type disadvantage, I have a chance to win!
But her smile vanished the next second.
Natsui took out his second Poké Ball, threw it far out, and an elegant Pokémon appeared before Pidgey.
With just one glance, Casey immediately recognized it as Natsui's Gardevoir!
Oh, this is bad...
She knew, of course, that as Natsui's first Pokémon, Gardevoir had always been his ace and most trusted partner.
Using a Pokémon like that against her Pidgey... he's really bullying her!
Seeing Casey's expression shift from joy to sorrow, showing clear distress, Natsui couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
For him, the Pokémon he caught in Johto indeed needed tempering through competitions like this, while his older partners from Kanto also needed occasional participation to maintain their battle readiness. Therefore, every Pokémon needed a chance to battle.
It just so happened to be Gardevoir's turn.
And when the battle began, Gardevoir acted with the principle of 'even if you know my trainer, I won't go easy on you,' cleanly defeating Casey's Pidgey.
Throughout the battle, the announcer and the audience, sympathizing with Casey, felt a deep sense of despair and helplessness.
Pidgey was utterly powerless against Gardevoir. Its Quick Attack was easily countered by Gardevoir's Teleport. Even its Twister attack from a distance was dodged, and Gardevoir then used Confusion to pull it to the ground and finish it with a combo.
The gap between the two was clearly immense; it was a one-sided domination.
2-0. Without causing Natsui much trouble, Casey had already lost two rounds.
"How can competitor Casey turn this around?" the announcer's voice was low, clearly worried for her.
On the field, Casey glanced at Natsui, took a deep breath, and took out her third Poké Ball.
"Go, Raticate!"
...
"She's going to lose again..."
In a plaza outside the stadium, Ash, Misty, and Brock were sitting on a bench, each holding an ice cream cone, watching the battle on a nearby screen. At this moment, Casey had already lost five rounds and was now using her last Pokémon, Beedrill, against Natsui's Scizor.
However, Beedrill wasn't in good shape, covered in injuries. In a moment of carelessness, it was pinned by Scizor's large pincers, looking like it was in imminent danger.
Seeing this, Ash remarked with envy, "Natsui-bro is as strong as ever. Casey doesn't even have room to fight back."
"Isn't that obvious?" Misty said, tilting her head up proudly. "I'm telling you, none of you competitors can beat him!"
As someone the same age as Casey, Misty could naturally sense Casey's vague crush on Natsui. Perhaps due to same-sex rivalry or their personalities, she and Casey had never quite gotten along since they met.
Beside them, Brock glanced at Ash and suddenly said, "Actually, this isn't good news for you. Haven't you noticed? If Natsui wins, then regardless of who wins between you and Gary later, your next opponent will be him."
"What!?"
Ash was shocked. He quickly pulled out the tournament bracket issued by the league. Looking closely, he saw that according to the grouping, he and Gary were indeed adjacent to Natsui and Casey. After reaching the Top 8, their winners would indeed be paired together.
Misty covered her mouth and giggled. "Fate really plays tricks, doesn't it? Well then, I look forward to you defeating Gary first, just like you said before the tournament, and then eliminating Natsui-bro!"
Before Ash could say anything, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from a distance.
"Ash!"
He turned and saw his mother, Delia, and Professor Oak walking over.
"Mom! Professor Oak!" he called out in surprise and hurried over to them. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to cheer you on, of course," Delia said, looking at Ash with pride. "Making it to the final tournament is already amazing. For such an important event, I had to come and encourage you in person!"
Professor Oak stood with his hands behind his back and said kindly, "I hear you and Gary are opponents?"
"Yes."
"Then you both must do your best." Professor Oak turned to look at the screen, where Natsui's Scizor had just defeated Casey's Beedrill. The camera focused on Natsui, showing his handsome face. "You are both very talented children. I wouldn't be surprised no matter who wins. However, compared to this young man, you are both still a bit inexperienced. I hope you can surpass yourselves and defeat him in the upcoming matches."
...
As Natsui and Erika walked out of the stadium through the competitor's passage, they happened to run into Ash and his group.
Seeing Delia and Professor Oak there was slightly surprising but also understandable. For such an important competition, Delia, as a mother, would naturally want to be present.
"Professor, Aunt Delia, long time no see."
"Congratulations on your victory just now." Seeing Natsui, Professor Oak smiled at him and said in a gentle, elder-like tone, "Truly incredible. You know, I still remember when I first met you. You were quite young then. After traveling for so long, you've grown so much. Not only have you become incredibly strong, but your personality has also become much more mature."
After chatting for a bit, seeing that it was almost time, they said their goodbyes and walked towards the battlefield with Ash.
Watching them leave, Erika asked curiously, "Isn't Professor Oak Gary's grandfather? Why isn't he with him? He seems so close to Ash and his group."
"Isn't it obvious?" Natsui laughed, repeating a widespread joke from Earth. "Of course, he and Ash have a good relationship. But my guess is, Professor Oak is an old bachelor, and Ash's mother is a beautiful woman who's been single at home for years. Professor Oak must be thinking of robbing the cradle!"
"Honestly," Hearing this, Erika shot him a look and gently pinched his waist. "You... at first I really thought you knew something, but then you became so improper. Stop joking about them. What if they hear you? Mrs. Ketchum looks like a very virtuous woman, and Professor Oak is highly respected. How could it be like what you're imagining?"
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