The fifth day of the Ever Grande Conference arrived, and the sky was washed a pristine, cloudless blue, stingy with even a single wisp.
The atmosphere within the battlefield was heavier and more sweltering than the previous days.
Of the remaining sixteen Trainers, not a single one was weak.
Suddenly, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers, the volume of sound nearly blowing the roof off.
"They're here! It's them!"
"The Elite Four!!"
At the highest VIP viewing area of the stadium, four figures slowly took their seats.
They were like the pinnacle of this pyramid, looking down upon all the juniors below who were striving for their dreams.
The Hoenn League Elite Four—Drake, Sidney, Phoebe, and Glacia.
Any one of them had once been the ultimate victor of this arena, legends who had climbed to the top by stepping over countless opponents.
Ariel sat in the competitor's area and looked up.
The distance was too great to make out their specific expressions; he could only see four blurred figures and the powerful aura they possessed, typical of those who have long held high positions, which felt out of place with the surrounding environment.
They were not just seniors here to watch the matches; they were judges and commentators.
A single word from them could determine a Newcomer Trainer's future commercial value, or even point the way toward becoming a powerhouse.
For the ordinary audience in front of their televisions, this was a top-tier public masterclass.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Trainers! The Round of 16 knockout tournament now officially begins!"
The announcer's voice boomed through the loudspeakers across the stadium.
"The first match is a highly anticipated showdown! Gym Leader Wallace from Sootopolis City versus Gym Leader Flannery from Lavaridge Town!"
On the big screen, Wallace's incomparably handsome face was displayed alongside Flannery's spirited features, with their glorious records as Gym Leaders listed below.
"Oh my, a blockbuster to start things off."
In the competitor's area, Steven leisurely wiped an unknown ore he had just pulled from his pocket with a handkerchief, his tone relaxed.
"Wallace really has good luck; he's guaranteed a flying start."
Beside him, Cynthia, with her blonde hair draped over her shoulders, watched the arena with a focused expression and nodded slightly at his words:
"The type advantage is too great. Water versus Fire—unless Flannery has an earth-shattering strategy or a hidden trump card, it will be difficult for her to turn the tables."
Ariel did not speak, simply watching the arena.
He certainly believed Wallace would win, but the process might not be as easy as Steven suggested.
Because there was an unyielding fire in Flannery's eyes that matched her type quite well.
"Now, let the match begin!"
The referee's flag swung down sharply.
"Go, my partner!"
Flannery threw her Poké Ball first. With a flash of red light, a massive Magcargo appeared on the field. The rocky shell on its back radiated astonishing heat, causing the ground beneath it to turn slightly red.
"Oh? A Magcargo, is it?"
Wallace smiled slightly and tossed his Poké Ball with an elegant gesture.
"Then I choose you, Luvdisc!"
A pink, heart-shaped Pokémon leaped nimbly into the pool on the field, happily blowing bubbles.
The entire stadium was in an uproar.
Using a Luvdisc? Against a Magcargo?
"This guy is back to his aesthetic games again."
Steven covered his forehead, unable to bear watching.
Magcargo was a dual Fire and Rock-type, and it was four times weak to Water.
Using a Luvdisc was indeed the ultimate type advantage, but in most people's minds, aside from being fast, a Luvdisc had almost no combat power.
Using it to lead the charge carried a hint of mockery.
Flannery's expression darkened; she felt slighted.
"Magcargo, use Flamethrower!"
Flannery commanded decisively.
Scorching flames erupted from Magcargo's mouth like a fire dragon, heading straight for the Luvdisc in the pool.
"Use Water-type energy to block it." Wallace's voice was calm and unhurried.
Luvdisc spun nimbly in the water, and a crystalline water wall rose up. The flames collided with the wall, emitting a sizzling sound and sending up a massive cloud of white steam that instantly enveloped the entire field.
"Now! Agility, then use Water Gun!"
The audience could only see a pink shadow in the white steam, so fast that it left only afterimages.
Immediately after, several powerful jets of water shot out from all directions within the steam, accurately striking Magcargo's massive body.
The effect of the four-times weakness was devastating.
Magcargo didn't even have time to cry out; the scorching rock shell on its back rapidly cooled and turned black, then its eyes rolled back, and it lost the ability to battle.
"Magcargo is unable to battle!"
From the start of the battle to the end, it took barely thirty seconds.
The stadium was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause.
"Beautiful!"
At the very top, Elite Sidney whistled.
"Using the steam to obscure the opponent's vision and then relying on Luvdisc's speed advantage to launch an all-around attack—he's utilized the Pokémon's ability to the extreme. Wallace is getting better and better at combining aesthetic appeal with practicality in battle."
Flannery recalled Magcargo, her face pale, but the fire in her eyes burned even brighter.
"You did well, return."
She took a deep breath and took out her second Poké Ball.
"I'm counting on you, Torkoal!"
A giant tortoise appeared on the field. Rolling black smoke poured from the hollow on its back, and with its breathing, the temperature of the entire field climbed once again.
"Oh? Is that Torkoal's Drought ability?"
Wallace looked at the sky; the sunlight seemed to have become a bit more scorching.
"Wanting to use Sunny Day to weaken the power of my Water-type moves? A nice idea."
He recalled Luvdisc and sent out his second Pokémon.
"Come on out, Ludicolo!"
A Pokémon with a lotus leaf on its head, looking very happy, appeared and immediately began to dance, swaying its head and body, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere on the field.
A wave of good-natured laughter came from the audience.
Ariel's eyes narrowed as he watched.
Ludicolo, a dual Grass and Water-type.
Under Sunny Day, the power of Fire-type moves increases, and the power of Water-type moves is halved.
But at the same time, Ludicolo's ability "Swift Swim" can only be activated in the rain, and its other ability, "Rain Dish," also requires rain.
This choice by Wallace was a bit puzzling.
"Torkoal, use Eruption!"
"Ludicolo, perform the Rain Dance!"
Almost simultaneously, the two issued their commands.
The hollow on Torkoal's back erupted with surging flames, while Ludicolo, beneath the scorching sun, began a strange, rhythmic dance.
The sunlight in the sky dimmed visibly, and dark clouds gathered out of thin air. In just a few seconds, a torrential downpour came pouring down.
Sunny Day was forcibly changed to a rainy day.
"What?!"
Flannery's pupils constricted.
"Torkoal's Drought ability isn't the same as Groudon's Drought; it just creates a Sunny Day weather effect that lasts for five turns at the start of the battle."
In the competitor's area, Steven explained to Ariel and Cynthia.
"You just need to overwrite it with Rain Dance before the effect ends. Wallace's grasp of timing is truly precise to the second."
The rain poured onto Torkoal, making it very uncomfortable.
More importantly, in the rain, the power of Fire-type moves was reduced, while Ludicolo's speed doubled due to the "Swift Swim" ability!
The subsequent battle became almost one-sided.
Ludicolo's figure became a flash of green lightning in the rain. Hydro Pumps shot toward Torkoal from various tricky angles. Although Torkoal had astonishing defensive power, it couldn't withstand such attrition and eventually collapsed into a puddle of rain after a powerful Energy Ball attack.
Flannery gritted her teeth and sent out Ninetales, Typhlosion, and Magmar one after another.
She was almost the top Fire-type Trainer in the Hoenn region, and her team configuration could be called luxurious.
But in front of Wallace, it seemed so powerless.
Wallace also displayed his profound foundation as a Water-type master. Blastoise, Milotic, Walrein... every single Pokémon was raised exceptionally well, and his tactics were flashy and effective.
Flannery tenaciously knocked out two of Wallace's Pokémon, but in the end, her sixth Pokémon lost all its strength under the elegant and lethal Hydro Pump of Wallace's trump card—Milotic.
"All Pokémon are unable to battle! Therefore, the winner of this match is Gym Leader Wallace from Sootopolis City!"
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