"Oh? Is that so?"Yozora glanced at Sparky with interest, faintly sensing his Aura.
Elite Level, beginner stage.
Not bad. After more than a month, Ritchie had indeed made some progress.
But… if it was only to this extent, he was still a little green.
Noticing Yozora's eyes shift toward Sparky, Ritchie smiled."Not just Sparky. During this time, I've also captured two other reliable partners."
As he spoke, he pulled two Poké Balls from his belt, twirling them in his hand to show off.
"Good. I look forward to battling you too, Ritchie."Yozora gave a slight nod, then the two of them began their meal together.
Time slipped by, and soon, the long-awaited Cruise Tournament finally began.
The voice of the host echoed from multiple speakers, carrying through every corridor and cabin of the S.S. Anne.
Yozora and Ritchie exchanged a smile, then headed to the tournament hall together.
By the time they arrived, the venue was already packed. The host stood onstage with a microphone in hand, speaking passionately as he offered his thanks.
Beside him stood an elderly sailor with gray hair—no ordinary crewman, but the captain himself, the commander of this luxury cruise ship.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for choosing the S.S. Anne. By a fortunate twist of fate, our Captain Edson has obtained a Pokémon Egg with the potential of a future Elite-level Pokémon. To give back to our loyal passengers, he has made this Egg the grand prize of our Cruise Tournament!"
"As of now, over four hundred Trainers have registered. I wish you all the best of luck—may your battles be glorious and your victories many!"
"And one more announcement—our Captain Edson himself will also be participating in this tournament!"
With that, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
Captain Edson and the host bowed to the audience in thanks.
"Well then, time is limited, so let's not delay. Contestants, prepare yourselves. The first round of preliminaries will now begin!"
"For our opening match—Contestant No. 8, Da Jun, versus Contestant No. 105, Xiao Ye! Everyone, please welcome them to the stage!"
As soon as the words left the host's mouth, the two Trainers stepped onto the battlefield amid cheers, ready for battle.
Several minutes later, the match was decided.
The winner advanced to the next round, while the loser's tournament journey ended immediately.
Soon, the next match began.
…
An hour passed. Finally, by the sixty-fifth match, it was Yozora's turn to enter.
His opponent turned out to be a sailor.
"Go, Yozora!" Ritchie and Sparky cheered loudly from the sidelines.
Yozora smiled faintly and replied with an OK hand gesture.
Truth be told—The true reason he entered this tournament was to face Miss Sherry's Pelipper.
Still, since this was a major event with rich prizes and rankings, Yozora thought: Why not grab the championship while I'm here?
"Oh-ho! Contestant Yozora actually has a rare Charmander variant! Look, its tail flame is burning bright blue! That's something you don't see every day!"
Yozora and Charmander were inseparable. The moment he walked onstage, Charmander padded up beside him.
The host cried out in surprise the instant he saw it, quickly drawing the audience's attention.
Excited chatter filled the air, with many Trainers shouting in envy. Before the match had even started, Yozora and his Charmander were already in the spotlight.
"Charmander, huh?" The sailor laughed heartily. "Bad luck for you, my friend. It'll be tough to advance against me!"
As a sailor who spent most of his life at sea, naturally all his Pokémon were Water-types.
Water beats Fire!
He looked at Charmander with absolute confidence, already convinced of his victory. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Yozora.
Yozora chuckled."Don't be so sure. My Charmander isn't just any Pokémon. And besides… it's not the only partner I have."
The referee raised a flag, and the battle began.
Yozora immediately sent out Charmander.
The sailor responded by throwing a Poké Ball that burst open to reveal a Wingull.
A Hoenn-region Pokémon that, upon evolving, became Pelipper.
Yozora blinked, momentarily surprised. Then he smirked.
Of course… a sailor would catch a Wingull. Nothing strange about that.
Still, what a pity.
Wingull wasn't Pelipper, and thus lacked the Drizzle Ability. A small disappointment.
I wonder… do any of the other sailors or crew have a Pelipper?
Even though he knew Sherry's Pelipper definitely had Drizzle, it wasn't guaranteed he'd face her in this tournament. Having more potential targets would be safer.
[Pokémon: Wingull]
[Type: Water/Flying]
[Level: Junior]
[Potential: Senior]
"…So it's only at the Junior tier? This sailor isn't much of a threat."
Glancing at Wingull's stats, Yozora chuckled and gave his command:"Go, Charmander—Flamethrower!"
"Whoooosh—!"
Blazing flames surged forward in an instant.
"So fast!"
The sailor's eyes went wide. Before he could react, a torrent of crimson fire engulfed Wingull.
The bird Pokémon shrieked before tumbling from the sky, knocked out cold.
"Wingull is unable to battle!" The referee declared without hesitation.
"What incredible power! That Flamethrower wasn't just overwhelming—it was lightning fast! Contestant Yozora's Charmander is something special indeed!"
The host's praise made many competitors outside the ring grow uneasy.
Yozora's strength was simply too intimidating. None of them wanted to cross paths with him later.
"Impressive… just like my Pelipper, it has the strength of a mid-level Elite Pokémon."
From a quiet corner, Sherry observed the match.
Seeing Charmander dispatch Wingull with ease, she acknowledged Yozora's strength.
"But even at equal level… my Pelipper still has the overwhelming type advantage."
Her lips curved in a faint smile. If Yozora's only mainstay was this Charmander, then he wouldn't stand a chance against her.
"Return, Wingull!" The sailor recalled his fainted Pokémon, then sent out his second.
A Staryu appeared in a flash of light.
Under his command, Staryu spun rapidly, darting toward Charmander in a whirling tackle.
"Fire Punch!" Yozora ordered calmly.
Charmander's fist blazed bright, striking Staryu squarely. With a single blow, the star-shaped Pokémon was knocked out.
The battle ended in less than a minute.
Charmander had defeated both opponents on its own, carrying Yozora into the next round.
"Haha! I didn't expect you to be this strong. Even with the type advantage, I still couldn't beat you!"
After the match, the sailor walked over, scratching his head with a sheepish grin as he praised Yozora's strength.
…
…
(End of Chapter)