Tetsuya walked down the opposite platform with a calm expression on his face.
Tienan, his opponent, was in a very uncomfortable situation.
If it were just paralysis, he might have managed, but then came the burn.
"Has my luck really gotten this bad?" he thought bitterly.
During the battle between Combusken's Thunder Punch and Hitmontop's Bullet Punch, Hitmontop had unfortunately fallen into a paralyzed state. Its movements were greatly restricted.
Of course, Tetsuya wouldn't let such an opportunity slip away. He immediately commanded Combusken to follow up with Fire Punch, further increasing the damage.
Who could have predicted that Hitmontop's misfortunes wouldn't stop there? After just a few more punches (or rather, claws), it succumbed to a burn as well.
Close combat became impossible.
Electric arcs occasionally flickered across Hitmontop's body, leaving its movements stiff and sluggish. Just as it managed to push through the paralysis, the burn flared up again, further slowing its reactions.
What followed was a relentless onslaught from Combusken.
With one final uppercut followed by a flurry of kicks, Hitmontop crashed to the ground, completely unable to continue the fight.
Throughout the battle, Combusken had sustained only minor injuries at the beginning. After that, it had simply used up its stamina.
After the match, Tetsuya handed both Pokémon over to Nurse Joy, who quickly healed them.
The host then announced the conclusion of the morning matches, with the remaining 12 battles set to resume at 12:30 p.m.
Tetsuya did a quick mental calculation. The matches were progressing slightly faster than he had expected.
After returning to his room and preparing lunch for himself and his Pokémon, he briefly reviewed the morning battles.
Boldore's performance had surprised him. It had used Stealth Rock more skillfully than he had anticipated. Its timing in battle was also quite impressive.
As for Combusken, its flames seemed to have reached the desired level of intensity.
Tetsuya had initially used Thunder Punch in hopes of paralyzing his opponent while training Combusken's close combat skills. After all, if things had gone south, Combusken could have relied on its Speed Boost ability and high-speed movement to retreat.
However, things had worked out in his favor. Combusken had managed to hold its own against a Fighting-type Pokémon in melee combat and, with some luck, had triggered the paralysis effect.
So, Tetsuya switched to Fire Punch. With paralysis already in play, Combusken's victory was practically guaranteed.
Given the difference in strength, he had wanted to test how likely Combusken was to inflict a burn.
It was clear now—Combusken's flames had reached a level where they could swiftly burn certain Pokémon.
As for those who might think his strategy was reckless, Tetsuya didn't care. His goal had been accomplished.
The one-hour break passed quickly, and it was time to return to the battlefield. The afternoon's first match had already begun.
This time, Tetsuya paid close attention.
One of the trainers on the field was Raiji, a potential opponent.
While the information Brock had provided was helpful, Tetsuya believed that firsthand observation was necessary to draw solid conclusions.
Soon, Raiji's battle ended.
Tetsuya had to admit—despite his poor first impression of Raiji, the guy was a skilled battler and trainer.
The level of synergy between Raiji and his Pokémon was remarkable, and his command style was fiery and aggressive. Yet, he was also strategic, always looking for an opportunity to turn a small advantage into a decisive victory.
To put it simply, he never let up once he gained the upper hand, and he fought fiercely even when he was winning.
The following battles were less noteworthy.
Then, the quarter-finals began.
Tetsuya was lucky—he faced an opponent with two standard-level Pokémon and won in a straightforward manner.
Most of the other strong contenders avoided facing each other in this round, except for the unfortunate Raiji.
His opponent was one of only three Gym challengers with an elite-level starter Pokémon.
In the end, Raiji managed to win, but not without exposing some weaknesses.
"A Drapion with the Sniper ability? It's stronger than the reports suggested, but still no match for Combusken. Boldore can wear it down with Rock-type moves first.
However, it'll be quite difficult for Boldore to take down Swalot, so I'll need a backup plan.
As for Staraptor, I'll leave that to Pidgeot—it shouldn't be a problem."
Tetsuya thought carefully.
He was convinced that his biggest roadblock to winning the championship was Raiji. The other two foreign challengers were strong but had their limits. Their elite-level Pokémon had only barely reached that threshold.
They were still weaker than Raiji.
Stretching his arms, Tetsuya continued watching the remaining battles.
"Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle," he reminded himself. Caution in tactical planning was key.
After sitting for so long, his body was starting to feel stiff.
"Tetsuya Tamaki, you are the only opponent I recognize. I hope we can have a legendary battle tomorrow."
A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Tetsuya turned his head stiffly. The moment he recognized who it was, he said nothing and immediately walked out of the venue without looking back.
"My rival, why are you ignoring me? Are you afraid of my strength?" Raiji called after him.
No, I just think your habit of embarrassing yourself in public is unbearable.
Tetsuya thought to himself, picking up his pace as he tried to shake off the other trainer.
Now, his only goal was to get as far away from Raiji as possible.
Raiji watched Tetsuya's retreating figure and fell into deep thought.
"Trying to act like you're afraid of me so I'll lower my guard? A true trainer never underestimates their opponent.
But as expected of a rival I recognize—you're already planning ahead."
Nodding to himself, Raiji seemed satisfied with his own interpretation.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Tetsuya let out a deep sigh.
He was convinced that Raiji lived by the philosophy of "As long as I'm not embarrassed, other people will be." He had no self-awareness when it came to his own ridiculous behavior.
In a way, his confidence was impressive.
Still, there was no way Tetsuya could ever behave like that.
Just thinking about Raiji's loud proclamations made him cringe.
"Looks like you and Raiji are pretty close, huh? Hahahaha."
The teasing voice of Chinatsu Asakawa drifted over from the neighboring balcony, clearly amused.
Tetsuya rolled his eyes. "No, I don't know him. Not at all."
"By the way, Uncle Chinatsu, what are you doing here?" he asked in confusion.
"It's not just me. A lot of people were watching and laughing. Haha! This tournament is a yearly source of entertainment for us."
Chinatsu Asakawa paused before adding, "It's always interesting to see young trainers giving it their all on the battlefield."
Tetsuya was silent for a moment.
Did this mean that Reggie's loud shouting at him just now was seen by many people he knew?
Damn!
A fake social death scene: someone from Sinnoh yelling at him in Kanto. A real social death scene: a local Kanto native getting yelled at in front of a bunch of people he knew.
He decided that if he met Reggie, he would beat him until he couldn't take care of himself.
Asakawa Chinatsu looked at Tetsuya's shifting expression with a smirk.
He found the situation amusing and knew that, at this moment, Tetsuya probably wanted to strangle that kid named Reggie.
Ah, to be young.
The older man took a sip of red wine, enjoying the sea breeze as it brushed against him.
Tetsuya briefly greeted Chinatsu Asakawa before heading back to his room.
Right now, his only priority was coming up with the perfect plan to make Reggie understand what "care" really meant.
Once inside, he picked up a pen and began furiously scribbling in his notebook, a sinister grin creeping across his face.
He checked his watch. Earlier, he had asked another staff member from the Pewter Gym to draw lots for him, and the results were already in.
In the semi-finals, he was set to face the trainer with the Scyther from the previous round.
The semi-finals and finals would have their matchups randomly determined by a computer on the spot.
His opponent: Mitsutomu Otake, heir to the Shizuku City Gym. He had a standard-level Beedrill and an elite-level Scyther.
Tetsuya quickly recalled his semi-final opponent's name and information.
A very good matchup, he thought, a strange smile forming on his lips.
Why? Well, was there even a need to explain?
Beedrill and Scyther were completely countered by all three of his Pokémon.
Of course, type advantages weren't everything—it always depended on who was fighting whom.
That being said, the Shizuku Gym was well-known for breeding Beedrill with unique traits.
Some had incredibly hardened Twin Needles, some possessed toxins far more potent than the average, while others boasted exceptional speed or strength.
As the heir, Otake's Beedrill, according to both reports and Tetsuya's own research, was noted for having speed and toxicity far beyond its peers.
But under the sheer power gap between them, it was hard to imagine that a standard-level Beedrill could stand a chance against his Combusken.
Not to mention Pidgeot—Beedrill wouldn't even get a chance to see its tail feathers.
As for Scyther? The outcome was the same.
In fact, even Boldore could rely on its Rock-type moves to cause some trouble for these two Pokémon.
Still, just in case, Tetsuya planned to send out Combusken and Pidgeot.
After all, Boldore was still just a pup.
All in all, getting paired against Mitsutomu Otake was the best possible outcome for Tetsuya—a straightforward, almost effortless win.
That said, he still took his preparations seriously. He treated his opponent with strategic disdain but tactical respect.
Well, compared to the three full pages he had written detailing his revenge on Reggie, the three lines he jotted down about Otake felt like a generous amount of attention.
———
The night passed without incident.
Tetsuya walked to the railing on the third deck, spreading his arms wide to bask in the morning sun and let the salty sea breeze wash over him.
His semi-final match was about half an hour away.
Since he had prepared everything in advance, he took the time to relax.
As for the match itself against Mitsutomu Otake?
It was ridiculously one-sided. To put it simply, Combusken steamrolled both of his Pokémon with Fire-type moves, and Pidgeot didn't even need to step onto the field.
Total annihilation.
There were only seven matches scheduled for the day.
Even with a fifteen-minute break between each one, the schedule was far more lenient than yesterday.
Now he finally understood what Brock had meant about these battles being "exchanges between younger trainers." He suspected that, to the higher-ups, the only thing that mattered was the results—so they could use them as bragging material later.
Yesterday's schedule had been absurdly packed. Today, things finally felt normal.
Tetsuya couldn't help but grumble internally.
If he didn't already know that this event was an official exchange between thirty-two recognized Gyms, he might have mistaken it for some small-time tournament run by an obscure organization.
Only one battle arena?
A rush to cram in the quarterfinals?
No time to catch your breath at all?
Fortunately, today the organizers finally showed some generosity, booking the battle venue on the third floor.
It would only be open to the public once the tournament was over.
Otherwise, only the contestants would have been allowed inside, while everyone else would have to spectate from a distance.
As for whether other trainers had any complaints?
Well, tough luck. (Shrugs.) Tetsuya was just that confident.
Most people had no objections anyway. The ones aboard the S.S. Anne were either wealthy, noble, or skilled trainers themselves.
Many were already aware that the annual Kanto Gym Exchange took place on this cruise.
They were more than happy to watch high-level battles that determined the top eight competitors.
After all, missing a day of training wasn't a big deal. They were on vacation, and watching the battles between Gym heirs was a valuable learning experience.
To become an official Gym, a trainer needed more than just strength—there had to be something special about them.
"Hmm?"
A fleeting figure on the deck below caught Tetsuya's attention.
Was that… Cynthia?
Tetsuya wasn't sure. Though, in his previous life, he had been a die-hard fan of Cynthia—admiring her beauty, her strength, and just about everything else.
The distance was too far, and she disappeared around a corner in an instant, making it hard to tell.
All he saw was a glimpse of her outfit and that iconic long blonde hair.
But there were plenty of people with long blonde hair in this world, and at this moment, Cynthia was probably off training to strengthen herself.
After all, she was a woman who became Sinnoh's Champion in her twenties.
Tetsuya chuckled, shaking his head. He was probably just imagining things.
Checking the time, he saw it was almost time for his match, so he made his way to the battle venue.
The previous semi-final was still ongoing, but according to the large screen, both trainers were already on their second Pokémon.
Judging by how exhausted their Pokémon looked, the match was about to end soon.
"Charmeleon, use one last Flamethrower!"
"Machop, dodge!"
Tetsuya had just begun observing when, as the final commands rang out, the struggling Machop collapsed, unable to fight any longer.
Hearing the losing trainer's last-ditch order to "dodge," Tetsuya couldn't help but think—this wasn't an anime. You weren't Ash Ketchum. Not everyone could pull off a miraculous last-second dodge.
If it were him, he would've gambled on using Detect. If it worked, he could have stalled a little longer. If not, well, it would've been a normal loss. At least it was better than unrealistically trying to dodge an attack while exhausted.
Of course, it was possible that Machop hadn't learned Detect yet. After all, that skill was tough to master and usually required significant experience.
As the brief intermission ended, the announcer's voice echoed through the venue.
"Now, let's welcome our four remaining trainers onto the stage for the semi-finals draw!"
Tetsuya strode forward confidently, three other trainers stepping onto the stage alongside him.