After Rex and Rina enjoyed a wonderful day of rest, the championship tournament of the Ever Grande Conference finally began. Today, there would be a total of 16 6V6 Pokémon battles, with the winners advancing to the top 16 and the losers being eliminated.
Ash's match was the first of the day, and his opponent was Katie, but she was a girl with a cold exterior dressed in sportswear.
Their battle was intense. Ash's Torkoal started with Flamethrower, heavily suppressing Katie's Venomoth. Katie quickly switched to Golduck, which had a type advantage over Torkoal.
Despite the type disadvantage, Ash continued using Torkoal, which eventually fell to Golduck's Fury Swipes.
Ash then sent out Pikachu, which had an advantage over Golduck. Seeing this, Katie switched to Dugtrio, again leveraging type advantages.
Under these circumstances, Pikachu fell to Dugtrio's Take Down, putting Ash at a disadvantage.
Fortunately, Ash's third Pokémon, Glalie, performed well. It first defeated Dugtrio with Ice Beam and then traded one-for-one with Mismagius using Destiny Bond.
Despite this, Ash was still at a disadvantage, having lost three Pokémon while Katie had only lost two.
Due to Ash losing three Pokémon, the battlefield was randomly changed, resulting in a switch from a rock field to a water field.
In the second half, Ash sent out Crawdaunt first, and Katie sent out Golduck again. After a tough battle, Crawdaunt defeated both Golduck and Venomoth.
However, due to the energy consumed in the previous battles and being confused, Crawdaunt was temporarily withdrawn by Ash.
Ash then sent out Swellow. After defeating Katie's fifth Pokémon, Scizor, Swellow was hit by Walrein's Ice Beam and lost its ability to fight.
With two Pokémon remaining, Ash sent out the rested Crawdaunt. However, Crawdaunt was too exhausted and was defeated by Walrein's Body Slam.
Ash's final Pokémon, Grovyle, then faced Walrein. Due to Walrein's fatigue from the previous battles, it was ultimately defeated by Grovyle's Leaf Blade, but it was a close win for Grovyle.
Having won the opening match, Ash advanced to the top 16 of the Ever Grande Conference. As time passed, it was soon time for Rex and Rina's group match.
Rina and Rex walked side by side to the battlefield, with Rex noting Rina's strong fighting spirit, showing she had been eagerly anticipating this battle.
As the referee announced the start of the match, both released their first Pokémon simultaneously.
Since the first half's battlefield was randomly chosen as a water field, Rex sent out Milotic while Rina chose Breloom, aiming to use type advantages despite the field disadvantage.
Under Rina's command, Breloom attacked first, using Seed Machine Gun to harass Milotic while bouncing on the floating platforms, trying to get closer.
Rex had Milotic use Water Pulse to neutralize the energy seeds. When Breloom got close, planning to use Brick Break, Milotic's tail, gleaming with metallic sheen, struck it hard, sending it flying.
For Milotic, nothing couldn't be solved with one tail slap; if one didn't work, then two would.
Breloom skipped across the water a few times before grabbing a platform to stabilize itself.
Unfazed by the initial setback, Rina continued to have Breloom attack Milotic. However, when Breloom got close again, Milotic used Aqua Tail, sending Breloom flying back at high speed.
Breloom, looking somewhat battered, still showed fighting spirit in its eyes, undeterred by the challenges.
Seeing that close combat wasn't working, Rina switched tactics, using Stun Spore and Toxic Powder to fill the field with floating powders.
Milotic inadvertently inhaled a significant amount of Stun Spore, becoming paralyzed. Breloom then used Leech Seed to continuously drain Milotic's energy.
After recovering a substantial amount of energy through Leech Seed, Breloom charged at Milotic, planning to use Brick Break to finish the battle.
Breloom's luck turned sour as Milotic's body temporarily recovered from paralysis just as Breloom was about to strike, reflexively hitting Breloom with Dragon Tail.
The powerful Dragon Tail sent Breloom crashing into the arena wall, where it lost consciousness.
After recalling Breloom, Rina sent out her second Pokémon, Roserade, which had both Grass and Poison types.
Learning from Breloom's fate, Roserade kept its distance from Milotic, using Magical Leaf to attack.
As Milotic attempted to use Twister for defense, it was paralyzed again, taking the full brunt of Magical Leaf.
Luckily, Milotic was tough enough to withstand the attacks, though the repeated onslaught from Roserade's Petal Dance and Magical Leaf took its toll.
Despite some retaliation, Milotic's limited mobility due to paralysis led to its defeat by Roserade.
Rex then sent out his second Pokémon, Gyarados, which had been eagerly waiting to battle.
Upon entering the battlefield, Gyarados's intimidating presence filled the arena, even causing Roserade to flinch.
Fixating its crimson eyes on Roserade, Gyarados instilled fear in its opponent.
Steadying itself, Roserade launched an attack, unleashing Petal Dance, sending a storm of grass energy petals toward Gyarados.
Unbothered by the petals, Gyarados created whirlwinds around itself, absorbing water from the field to form water tornadoes.
This sight of potential destruction not only scared Rina but also made the audience hold their breath, fearing Gyarados might rampage.
Gyarados rampaging in battles was not uncommon, often causing significant destruction, prompting the Ever Grande Conference organizers to bolster security.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen. Gyarados skillfully controlled the water tornadoes, directing them at Roserade while enduring the Petal Dance's attack.
Roserade's attacks barely scratched Gyarados's tough scales, leaving it largely unharmed.
(End of Chapter)