When the aristocratic Trainer's sixth Pokémon, a Raichu, was also taken out in a single hit and fell powerlessly to the ground, the entire arena fell silent.
The eyes of tens of thousands were focused on the overbearing Krookodile in the center of the field, and on the youth who had remained calm from start to finish.
The referee's flag waved down mechanically, announcing the result of the match, but his voice was trembling slightly.
A 1-vs-6 sweep!
Following Lance, this was the second feat of this League Conference where a single Pokémon swept all six of the opponent's!
Even Gym Leader Brawly, the Gym Leader of the Wudou Gym, had two of his Pokémon defeated by his opponent in the previous round.
As for Ariel, his Krookodile didn't have a single decent scratch on it from beginning to end.
After a brief silence, cheers erupted like a volcanic eruption!
"Ariel! Ariel! Ariel!"
The waves of sound, like mountains crumbling and seas surging, nearly blew the roof off the arena.
People no longer discussed his background or his tactics; they were simply driven wild by this ultimate aesthetic of violence!
Ariel recalled his Krookodile, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding clamor.
He walked off the field, passed through the dark tunnel, and returned to the players' viewing area.
Throughout the entire process, there wasn't even a ripple of emotion on his face, as if what he had just accomplished was merely an ordinary, trivial matter.
"Incredible, Ariel!"
Steven had been waiting impatiently; as soon as he saw him return, he clapped him hard on the shoulder, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"That Krookodile of yours is simply a monster! Not even a bulldozer is as fast!"
Cynthia also turned her head, her violet eyes holding a hint of scrutiny and approval.
"Not bad."
Coming from her, the words "not bad" carried a different weight.
"Hey, I say,"
Wallace, known for his elegance, also leaned over and said half-jokingly, half-seriously,
"In the next round, you'd better not be matched against me. My beautiful children can't handle that kind of rough treatment."
Ariel simply found an empty seat and sat down, yawning out of boredom as his gaze drifted toward the big screen, where preparations for the next match had already begun.
It was as if the match that had just shocked the entire arena had nothing to do with him.
Only he knew that the moment he returned to his seat, he had cast an imperceptible glance at Lance in the distance.
That guy was still sitting there, his posture straight as a ramrod, but his gaze, which had been fixed on him without blinking, now seemed to hold an indescribable meaning.
Only then did the corner of Ariel's mouth truly curl into a nearly invisible arc.
On the other side of the field, that proud aristocratic Trainer was still standing there dazed.
He looked at the empty battlefield and the six Poké Balls at his feet; it was as if his soul had been sucked out of him.
He... had been swept... by a country Trainer... using just one Pokémon?
His family's honor, the Superior education he had received since childhood, and the elegant tactics he took pride in had become an utter joke in the face of absolute power.
It took a long time before he seemed to lose all his strength. Dejected, he turned around and slunk away from the place where he had suffered such a great humiliation, under the sympathetic or mocking gazes of the entire audience.
Steven's match followed immediately after.
His style was completely different from Ariel's ferocity; he was more like a mobile steel fortress—steady, heavy, and immovable.
When the opponent's attacks landed on his Metagross, they only kicked up a few insignificant metal sparks before being met with a precise and lethal counterattack that resulted in a one-hit KO.
The entire process was filled with beauty and power; the six duels were fluid and seamless, without a single wasted movement.
Cynthia's appearance turned the battle into an art form.
Her Garchomp was like a phantom in the dark of night, elegant and swift.
Every strike was precisely calculated; the timing, angle, and force were all flawlessly perfect.
The opponents could hardly even catch a glimpse of its shadow before they were defeated without even realizing it.
Her victory was quiet yet intensely oppressive.
And Wallace truly lived up to his reputation as the most elegant Trainer in the Hoenn region.
His Milotic danced across the field, water and light intertwining; it was less like a battle and more like a grand stage play.
Every move was magnificent and dazzling, leaving the audience mesmerized, while the opponent unconsciously lost all combat capability within this gorgeous trap.
Three top Trainers, three distinct styles, but the results were identical—all of them won and advanced easily.
The audience was treated to a feast for the eyes as the morning's matches were spectacular, with the only "unexpected" element being Ariel's unreasonable Krookodile.
The afternoon sun became somewhat sultry, making people feel drowsy.
The clamor in the stands had also died down significantly, as many people took advantage of the halftime break to grab lunch.
Ariel leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-closed, looking as if he were about to fall asleep.
"Hey, you, for real?"
Wallace leaned in and nudged him with his elbow.
"There's another match later. Are you okay in this state?"
"Noisy."
Ariel didn't even bother to open his eyes.
"Is that Gyarados of yours also Moxie?"
Steven was more interested in this; he had already noted down the data for Krookodile in his little notebook and was now preparing to start a new page.
Ariel didn't speak, simply shifting into a more comfortable position.
Steven didn't mind and continued his analysis to himself.
"The Moxie ability is indeed unstoppable once it starts a sweep, but the opening is key. If the first one isn't taken down quickly, things will get troublesome later. Your opponent will likely target that point..."
Before he could finish, the large screen in the arena flickered, and the matchup list for the first set of the afternoon appeared.
Ariel's name was prominently displayed.
His opponent was a sweet-smiling girl with twin tails, and the introduction next to her photo read—"Idol Trainer Lily."
"Oho."
Wallace let out a strange cry.
"Ariel, is your luck with women improving? This Lily-chan is an Idol Trainer with huge popularity online and many fans. You'd better go easy on her."
Sure enough, a commotion broke out in the stands, with many male spectators letting out excited shouts, clearly fans of this Idol Trainer.
Ariel finally opened his eyes, glanced at the energetic girl on the screen, then stood up and stretched, his joints making a series of slight cracking sounds.
He said nothing, simply walking slowly toward the players' tunnel under the varied gazes of the crowd.
"This guy..."
Wallace watched his back, his mouth twitching.
"He's not really going to... use that bulldozer tactic on such a cute girl, is he?"
A hint of amusement also flashed in Cynthia's eyes; she was curious to see what the scene would be like for Ariel's second "Moxie" Pokémon.
On the field, the Idol Trainer Lily had already taken her position, full of energy. She waved vigorously toward the stands, triggering waves of fanatical screams.
"Everyone! Good afternoon! Today's Lily will also bring you the most brilliant victory!"
She struck a cute pose and then looked at Ariel as he emerged from the opposite tunnel, her face still wearing that commercialized sweet smile.
"Hello, contestant Ariel! I've seen your matches, and they're very impressive. But the Goddess of Victory will smile upon me today!"
Ariel walked to his position and yawned; his half-asleep appearance was completely out of place with the fanatical atmosphere around him.
The referee announced the start of the match.
Without hesitation, Lily threw her first Poké Ball.
"Go, Clefable! Use your Sing to bring me victory!"
A pink, chubby Clefable appeared on the field, flapping its tiny wings and looking adorably charming.
On Ariel's side, he simply tossed a Poké Ball forward casually.
A red light flashed, and a deafening roar echoed through the entire arena!
A ferocious beast, so massive it could almost cover half the field, appeared with a boom. Its deep blue scales glinted with a heart-chilling cold light under the lamps, its hideous head reared high, and its tyrannical eyes were fixed intently on the tiny Clefable across from it.
Gyarados!
That pure, ferocious aura from the top of the food chain instantly tore the cute atmosphere Lily had created to shreds.
The fans in the front rows of the stands had the smiles frozen on their faces.
"This... this size..."
The commentator's voice was a bit stuttered.
Lily's face also turned pale for a moment, but she still managed to command with forced composure.
"Clefable, don't be afraid! Use Sing!"
A melodious lullaby began to play, but for the beast before it, this was nothing more than a pre-meal appetizer.
Gyarados suddenly opened its blood-red maw, and a thick, deep-blue jet of water blasted out, giving the song no chance to spread and blowing Clefable away along with its melody!
A one-hit KO!
*Ding.*
Like a demon's whisper, an ominous red light rippled across Gyarados, its aura surging once more.
Moxie activated!
Lily's smile vanished completely. Gritting her teeth, she sent out her second and third Pokémon in succession, all of which were cute-looking Fairy-type or Normal-type Pokémon.
However, in front of a Gyarados that had already boosted its Attack by one stage and entered a berserk state, this "cuteness" appeared so fragile.
Hyper Beam! Hydro Pump! Dragon Rage!
The entire arena became a personal showcase for Gyarados. It didn't even need to move, simply standing in place and using the most simple and brutal moves to blast Lily's team off the field one by one.
The audience went from cheering for Lily at the start to shock, and finally to numbness.
When Lily's sixth Pokémon was hit head-on by an overbearing Hyper Beam and fell powerlessly, the entire arena fell silent.
Another 1-vs-6 sweep!
And it was even more arrogant and unreasonable than the Krookodile from this morning!
Even the host didn't know what to say, and after a long pause, finally managed to squeeze out:
"Contestant Ariel... is truly showing no mercy to a beautiful girl."
Ariel recalled his Gyarados expressionlessly and turned to leave the field. From start to finish, he didn't spare a single glance at the idol girl who stood there dazed, her eyes rimmed with red.
The day's matches all concluded, and the list of advancing contestants finally scrolled across the big screen.
Sixteen names, each carrying significant weight.
Ariel, Steven, Cynthia, Wallace, Gym Leader Brawly, Flannery, Lance...
The atmosphere of the entire Ever Grande Conference changed quietly at this moment.
Starting from the next round, every match would be a true clash between titans.
In the players' viewing area, the originally somewhat noisy atmosphere solidified completely. The gazes of all the advancers involuntarily swept over one another, and the air was filled with a tense aura called "the great battle is coming."
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