After all, everyone present here was either wealthy or noble, and they were all top-tier trainers. While they might not be at the exaggerated level of champion-tier trainers, their experience, gained through years of training, gave them a deep understanding of people.
It was impressive that Tetsuya possessed such knowledge at his age. His Pokemon had clearly been trained exceptionally well, and he seemed like a respectable person.
At times like these, civilian status became an advantage.
Tetsuya quickly signaled to Combusken and Boldore, who had been playing nearby, to head back to his room. He instructed Pidgeot to take care of itself before returning to his quarters to organize his notes.
For the next two days, his routine remained the same. In the mornings, he observed his potential opponents in battle, studying their techniques and watching recorded matches. In the afternoons, he went fishing—an activity that helped him relax, develop patience, and, incidentally, gave him a chance to consult Dr. Rowan.
After two days, he had gained valuable insights and had grown closer to his newfound "fishing buddies."
The fourth day since the S.S. Anne's departure.
Morning.
Tetsuya opened his eyes, donned a black sleeveless top and sports shorts, then went about his morning routine—brushing his teeth, washing his face, and feeding his three Pokemon a simple meal. After confirming everything was in order, he set off for the third deck.
Today's match was scheduled to take place at one of the battle arenas there.
When he arrived, a small crowd had already gathered. Some trainers who had become familiar with him over the past few days greeted him warmly. Tetsuya returned their smiles.
Through conversations, he had learned that Raiji had been reprimanded by several elite trainers for his belief that Pokemon were mere tools. Most trainers saw Pokemon as partners, and while keeping such opinions to oneself was one thing, voicing them openly was bound to invite criticism. Tetsuya guessed that Raiji had been given quite the lecture afterward.
As more contestants arrived and the audience filled in, the atmosphere in the venue grew more intense. People in this world had an almost fanatical passion for Pokemon battles.
A man dressed as an announcer walked to the center of the battlefield, holding a megaphone.
"Welcome to the annual S.S. Anne's Exchange Tournament for official gyms of the Kanto region!
As always, we will witness the battles of young gym representatives showcasing their skills over the next two days.
The rules are straightforward: a basic elimination format. Each trainer can swap out one Pokemon per match. Without further ado, let's welcome our first battle!
First up, we have Haixin Cheng from Hailin City Gym against Jinse from PJ City Gym. Let's give them a warm welcome!"
The tournament bracket had been decided the night before, with participants numbered 1 through 32. Matchups were arranged sequentially—1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, and so on—dividing the competitors into 16 groups. The winners of each group would battle in the next round to determine the top eight.
Tonight, another drawing would determine tomorrow's matchups.
With 24 battles scheduled for today and only one battlefield available, the matches had to proceed efficiently. Luckily, each battle was a 2v2 format and typically lasted around ten minutes. Factoring in short breaks, the tournament was expected to conclude before dinner.
Tetsuya watched the battles with casual interest, analyzing a few key opponents. His match number was 21, meaning he had a long wait ahead—probably until noon, just in time for a post-battle meal.
After over two hours of spectating, it was finally his turn.
"Next up, we have Tetsuya from Pewter City Gym facing Tienan from WW City Gym!"
As soon as his name was announced, Tetsuya's opponent's details flashed through his mind.
He walked calmly onto the trainer's platform, facing his opponent across the battlefield.
The noise from the audience grew noticeably louder upon his arrival. He could hear snippets of admiration from the crowd—"He's so handsome," "So cool," "Look at those muscles."
Indeed, while most people in this world were naturally good-looking, few possessed the striking features that made Tetsuya stand out.
He ignored the chatter, focusing entirely on the battle. As the referee signaled the start, both trainers released their Pokemon simultaneously.
"Go, Boldore!"
"Go, Hitmonlee!"
Tienan's gym specialized in Fighting and Normal-type Pokemon. His lineup included an average-level Hitmonlee and an almost-elite Hitmonchan. Tetsuya, of course, was well aware of his opponent's strengths. Tienan also knew that Tetsuya was one of the tournament's top four competitors—perhaps even the strongest. But surrender was not an option.
Both trainers shouted their commands at the same time.
"Stealth Rock! Follow up with Mud-Slap to reduce visibility!"
"Use Defense Curl! Keep your eyes protected!"
Boldore let out a sharp cry, and sharp-edged rocks materialized around the battlefield, their locations known only to itself. Any Pokemon moving carelessly would take damage.
It then scooped up dirt from the ground, infused it with energy, and hurled it at Hitmonlee.
Hitmonlee curled into a defensive position, boosting its endurance while shielding its eyes from the incoming mud.
"Use Gravity to ground it! Then hit it with Rock Slide!" Tetsuya commanded calmly.
A long-range fighter like Hitmonlee was at a disadvantage against this strategy. Rolling up for defense was useless when faced with a persistent ranged assault.
Tienan quickly assessed the situation. On a standard battlefield, closing the distance in an instant was nearly impossible.
"Agility! Circle around and watch out for Stealth Rock!"
With Boldore as the center point, the ground slightly trembled as gravity intensified. More rocks formed and shot toward Hitmonlee.
Hitmonlee, using its speed, darted around, dodging most of the falling rocks. But suddenly, it faltered—it had stepped on one of the hidden Stealth Rocks.
That brief moment of hesitation was all it took.
A barrage of rocks rained down, striking it directly.
Tetsuya's plan was unfolding exactly as he had envisioned.
It was the Stealth Rock, and Tienan quickly determined what was causing the problem.
But there was no way around it. He had already anticipated this outcome when he ordered Furret to get closer. Circling was an attempt to avoid it, but if he didn't move in, he would just be waiting to lose.
"Take it down and keep advancing."
Now, Tienan could only hope that Furret's ability to curl up and minimize damage would allow it to withstand the attacks long enough to close the distance.
Fortunately, Pokémon like Furret are naturally quick. After enduring two hits from Stealth Rock and five or six more from falling stones, it finally entered attack range.
"Now, Quick Attack!" Tienan shouted immediately.
As long as Furret got close and used a Fighting-type move, Boldore would be finished with one solid hit.
Furret and its trainer shared a strong bond. Without hesitation, it lunged at Boldore, its body glowing with white light.
Tetsuya watched calmly as the injured and exhausted Furret rushed toward Boldore. His expression remained unchanged.
"Gravity."
Just as Furret entered the range of Boldore's Gravity ability, its body lost balance and slowed down slightly. Tetsuya didn't hesitate to give the next command.
It was as if Furret had crashed into an invisible force. It let out a sharp cry and collapsed, instantly losing its ability to fight.
Stealth Rock again. Boldore had set up some of the Stealth Rocks in the air, within the area affected by Gravity. The moment an opponent entered that space, the rocks struck immediately. With the extra force from Gravity, the damage was even greater.
Furret wasn't a Pokémon known for its endurance, and after taking so many hits earlier, there was no way it could hold on.
Tienan gritted his teeth. He had known the gap between them was big, but not being able to land even a single hit was humiliating.
Recalling Furret, he pulled out another Poké Ball. "Alright then, it's your turn, Hitmontop."
A Pokémon resembling a spinning top, adorned with armor-like plating and a skirt-like lower half, emerged onto the battlefield.
Luckily, Stealth Rock had only been set up in certain locations, so when Hitmontop appeared, it didn't take any immediate damage.
"Use Swift!" Tienan commanded.
Hitmontop was his starter Pokémon, nearly at an elite level, and its skillset was far more refined than Furret's.
That meant Tetsuya wouldn't be able to win with the same tricks.
"Block it with Rock Throw."
Tetsuya had Boldore create a barrier of stones to intercept part of the Swift attack.
However, Hitmontop's attack speed was too fast. Many of the star-shaped projectiles still struck Boldore, forcing it to stagger slightly. The remaining stars slammed into the stone barrier, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Return, Boldore. Go, Combusken!"
"Combusken!"
Tetsuya took the opportunity to switch Pokémon. Training Boldore was one thing, but if it couldn't win, there was no reason to keep it in battle.
As for why he didn't choose Pidgeot, which had a type advantage, it simply wasn't necessary.
As Combusken emerged, it let out a powerful cry.
The Pokémon's exceptional physical development immediately drew gasps from the spectators.
Normally, a Combusken stands around 0.9 meters tall and weighs 20 kilograms—far smaller compared to Hitmontop, which is 1.4 meters tall and weighs 50 kilograms.
But Tienan's Hitmontop was even larger than usual, standing at 1.5 meters.
Even so, Tetsuya's Combusken stood on the field, appearing just as imposing as the Hitmontop on the other side.
The other trainers on the sidelines exchanged glances. Stats on paper were one thing, but seeing this in person was something else entirely.
They all knew Tetsuya had raised an exceptionally strong Combusken, but its sheer presence was still a shock.
Tetsuya, however, paid no attention to their reactions. "Flamethrower!"
Combusken unleashed a jet of fire straight at Hitmontop.
Fire-type trainers often favored opening with Flamethrower. It was a low-energy, high-damage move with speed and range, making it a reliable choice to test an opponent's reaction.
During the switch, Hitmontop had already used Focus Energy to sharpen its senses and increase its critical-hit potential.
"Vacuum Wave, disperse it!"
Hitmontop swung its fists, sending out two transparent shockwaves that met Combusken's Flamethrower head-on.
The flames scattered on impact, but some still managed to burn Hitmontop.
Tienan frowned. This wasn't what he had expected. Fortunately, the damage wasn't too high.
"Use Agility and get in close! Mach Punch!"
Tienan wanted to force Combusken into a close-quarters battle.
Despite reports that Tetsuya's Combusken was skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Tienan refused to believe it could outperform a Fighting-type specialist like Hitmontop.
What worried him was if Combusken kept attacking from mid-range instead of engaging in a brawl.
"Flame Charge, then counter with Thunder Punch!"
Tetsuya didn't hesitate. He ordered Combusken to meet the attack head-on.
Tienan was thrilled to hear this command. He thought to himself that those without formal battle training often made poor tactical decisions.
Many spectators shook their heads. This was a reckless choice.
On the field, one Pokémon dashed forward with glowing fists, the other covered in flames with electricity crackling around its claws.
"Boom!" "Smash!" "Crack!"
Combusken collided with Hitmontop, knocking it off balance, then swung a Thunder Punch straight into its side.
But Hitmontop wasn't about to go down without a fight.
Despite being knocked off balance, it used the momentum to pivot and land a sharp uppercut under Combusken's chin.
Neither Pokémon gave an inch. The fight turned into a brutal exchange of fists and claws, with neither side letting up.
The crowd erupted in cheers. The raw intensity of the battle, the sheer force of each strike, sent adrenaline surging through the audience.
Fighting-type Pokémon always had a special appeal, and this battle was proving exactly why.
At first, many had doubted Tetsuya's decision. But now, they were enthralled by the clash.
Tetsuya, however, remained calm, his sharp eyes analyzing every movement.
It was Tienan who was starting to panic. His confidence wavered as he realized something shocking—Combusken wasn't losing the hand-to-hand fight.
"This... this is ridiculous."
He muttered to himself in disbelief. The difference between an ordinary Pokémon and an elite-level one was usually significant. Yet here, his nearly elite-level Hitmontop was struggling against a newly elite Combusken.
Worse still, Hitmontop was a pure Fighting-type using Fighting moves, while Combusken was a Fire-type using an Electric move in melee combat—and it was still holding its ground.
"This isn't good... If this drags on, I'll be in trouble."
As that thought crossed his mind, his worst fears began to unfold.