Not long after, Ash and his friends returned together to the first floor of the Athlete's Village building.
Even before entering, his huge grin was clearly visible. It wasn't just because he had successfully reached the Top 8, his best result in two league conferences, but more importantly, because he had finally defeated his rival, Gary, for the first time, and on such a significant stage!
"Congratulations," Natsui said, applauding with a smile. "Just as I 'predicted,' you won the match."
"Thanks," Ash said, scratching his head sheepishly upon receiving Natsui's congratulations. Remembering that Natsui was his next opponent, his expression turned serious. "Natsui, our battle is the day after tomorrow. I'll do my best!"
Natsui's expression instantly became a bit strange.
How should he put it... he came to congratulate him, and Ash immediately declared he would try his best to beat him next. Natsui felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Fine, seeing as you're just a kid and the chosen one, I won't hold it against you.
To celebrate both of them advancing, a celebratory feast was naturally in order.
Besides the five of them, including Delia and Professor Oak, Natsui also invited Kenta and Marina, and called over Misa and Masa. The large group gathered in a private room at a nearby restaurant and ate heartily. After the meal, Professor Oak, being the eldest, was about to step up and pay, despite looking pained, only to find that Natsui had already settled the bill in advance!
Looking at the waitress's smiling face, Professor Oak stood there, thinking to himself: What a considerate young man...
Later that evening, after everyone returned to their respective rooms, Natsui stood on the balcony and happened to see Ash leaving the dormitory alone, heading towards the lakeside near the Silver Stadium.
"What are you looking at?" Erika came up beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, and looked in the same direction. "Huh? Isn't that Ash? What's he doing out so late?"
"You don't need to think too hard. He's obviously going to find Gary."
"Find Gary?" Erika was surprised at first, then nodded. "Right, their relationship is complicated. He must be going to comfort Gary."
Natsui turned and hugged Erika, inhaling her pleasant perfume. "If Ash had been the one eliminated, given Gary's current personality, he would definitely go find him too. But after tonight, Gary has probably entrusted his dream to Ash."
"Why do you say that?" Just as Erika asked, she felt her collar being opened and a large hand slipping inside, causing her face to flush.
Natsui didn't explain further, simply kneading gently while smiling. "If I'm not mistaken, Gary should be heading towards Pokémon research next. We probably won't see him competing actively in future conferences. Alright, such a beautiful night shouldn't be wasted. Let's celebrate properly."
...
The next day, since he had no matches, Natsui and Erika stayed in their room.
The TV broadcasted today's battles. On the computer, the two reviewed the lineups of Ash, Jon Dickson, and other potential opponents, carefully analyzing their Pokémon and capabilities to be fully prepared.
Like yesterday, four matches would be held today to decide the remaining four competitors advancing to the Top 8. Among Natsui's acquaintances, only Kenta and Marina would face off today.
Perhaps to outsiders, their match seemed like any other. But to someone like Natsui, who understood their relationship somewhat, emotionally, this match was far crueler than Ash and Gary's.
As the match began, it was clear it unfolded in roughly three stages.
The first stage involved mutual probing. Perhaps because neither had fully resolved their feelings and didn't know how to face each other, their battle was cautious, with neither going all out. It lacked the intensity expected of a Top 16 match.
This confused the announcer and caused the audience to whisper among themselves, questioning if it was a fixed match.
Even on the big screen, Kenta's and Marina's hesitation was visible. Fortunately, this didn't last long. Perhaps Marina came to some realization, as she stopped holding back. Her sudden offensive spurred Kenta, and both let loose, fighting back and forth.
This development into the second stage calmed the audience somewhat, at least providing some exciting moments.
This state continued until after halftime. When the second half began, neither held back any longer, launching all-out attacks.
Comparing their skill levels, Kenta was undoubtedly stronger than Marina. This allowed him to use his Typhlosion to defeat Marina's Feraligatr in the final moments, overcoming the type disadvantage and successfully advancing.
However, unlike Ash, Kenta clearly wasn't very excited about his advancement. In contrast, Marina, his opponent, seemed somewhat happy for her childhood friend.
Sigh, such a complicated relationship.
After their match, another battle from their half of the bracket took place... It concluded with a competitor from the Hoenn region named Harrison emerging victorious.
With that, all the qualifiers from Natsui's half were determined: Natsui, Ash, Kenta, and Harrison. In the upcoming matches, Natsui would face Ash, and Kenta would face Harrison, deciding the Top 4.
Focusing on their opponents, Natsui and Erika spent the day busy in their room, formulating several plans and making final adjustments to their lineup for tomorrow based on their opponents' Pokémon.
...
The Top 8 battles followed the same final tournament format as the Top 16, so there were no rule changes.
It was still a 6-on-6 full battle. The field and attack order would be decided before the match, and there would still be a 5-minute halftime break after one competitor's Pokémon had been defeated three times.
The only difference was the increased online discussion about who would advance and ultimately reach the finals.
In Natsui's half, due to the concentration of strong competitors... Ash and Harrison's votes were also significant. Only Kenta, due to holding back in the first half against Marina, had the lowest vote count.
In the other half, apart from Jon Dickson, there were no other standout competitors. Therefore, most believed the final battle would be between him and Natsui.
After resting for the night, at 9 AM the next day, Natsui and Ash stood on opposite sides of the battlefield in the Silver Stadium, looking at each other.
Ash looked well-rested, his eyes filled with determination, eager to battle.
Defeating Gary yesterday had undoubtedly boosted his confidence, making him feel optimistic about today's match.
Two matches would be held today: his battle against Ash in the morning, and Kenta versus Harrison in the afternoon. In just one day, the Top 4 from their half would be decided.
Seeing both were ready, the referee announced loudly, "We will now select the battlefield for this match!"
Natsui and Ash both looked up as the roulette on the big screen began to spin. When it finally stopped, the pointer once again landed on the Rock Field.
This was relatively good news for Ash. Having fought on the Rock Field just yesterday, he was not only comfortable with the environment but had also performed well, slightly increasing his chances of winning.
Next, when deciding the first move, Natsui unluckily drew the first turn again.
Natsui remained unfazed; he was used to it by now.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the field transformed, signifying the official start of the battle between Natsui and Ash!
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