Sixty-four, thirty-two, sixteen.
The rounds were progressing quickly, with one battle per day.
Ever since his fight with Sam, no trainer had dared to underestimate John, even though he was a breeder.
Starting from the Round of 64, the number of Pokemon each trainer could use had increased from one to two. With this added flexibility, John kept Makuhita in the lineup as his first choice, knowing he could rely on it to conserve energy.
However, as the quarter-finals arrived, John knew he couldn't rely solely on his first Pokemon. Makuhita had obliterated every opponent so far, and John was confident it could keep doing the same.
The round started with a Fake Out, leaving Grace's rookie from the battle department dazed. No matter which Pokemon you were, if my Fake Out connected, you were as good as done.
Rumors had spread among the defeated trainers who'd fallen to John's Makuhita, with a small group forming to try and figure out how to counter his Fake Out strategy.
But today, Grace, a fierce competitor, swore she would put an end to John's reign of dominance.
"The breeding department made it this far in the competition? You've done well, I'll give you that," Grace said with a smirk. "But your luck ends here. You're about to get a taste of what it feels like to be beaten by me!"
John half-heartedly responded, "Ah, yeah, sure," as the two trainers took their places in the battle area.
Yes, John's quarter-final opponent was Grace.
John hadn't expected to face her here, but Grace had been anticipating this match for quite some time.
John had thought he might face a different opponent, but Grace had been certain from the start that she was going to defeat him.
She didn't mind John's lack of enthusiasm—it was all part of the fun. Once the battle started, John would be the one realizing his mistake.
The two trainers stood ready as the referee announced the rules.
"We're now at the quarter-finals of Riverstone University's Freshman Military Training Competition. Trainer John will face Trainer Grace. Both trainers will use two Pokemon each, and no exchanges will be allowed. Let the battle begin!"
The referee signaled for both trainers to release their Pokemon.
John and Grace each reached for their Pokeballs and threw them into the air at the same time.
A flash of silver light marked the arrival of their Pokemon, landing in front of their respective trainers.
John's starter was Makuhita.
"Mega~" Makuhita roared, flexing its muscles.
As its level had increased, Makuhita had grown larger, its body becoming even more solid and powerful.
However, John couldn't help but joke to himself, "Guess it's the result of watching TV and drinking soda all day, huh?"
But Makuhita's "Mroww~~~" growl seemed to argue otherwise.
John had a good laugh at that. Even though Makuhita liked to relax, it was still an impressive fighter.
Grace sent out Pidgeotto.
Her ace was a Water-type Pokemon, she specialized in Water-type moves, as was common in the Combat Department at Riverstone University. But nobody had told her that she could only use Water-types.
John had to admit, Grace's choice of Pidgeotto took him by surprise.
"Come on, Grace!" cheered Rose from the sidelines. Grace had support, mostly from the male students, while the female students cheered for John.
The referee raised his hand, signaling the start of the match.
"Pidgeotto, take to the skies!"
"Makuhita, Bulk Up!" Both trainers issued their commands.
Pidgeotto soared into the air, quickly gaining altitude.
Flying-types had the advantage of being able to attack from the air, out of reach of most Pokemon on the ground. This was Grace's plan—to use her aerial superiority to launch long-range attacks while keeping Makuhita grounded and vulnerable.
John, however, anticipated this and decided to act first.
"Makuhita, Bulk Up!" John ordered.
Makuhita flexed its muscles, a white light enveloping its body as its attack and defense stats sharply increased.
"Gust!" Grace followed with her attack.
Pidgeotto flapped its wings, sending powerful gusts toward Makuhita.
John smirked, already knowing how he'd counter this.
"Vacuum Wave!" he commanded.
Makuhita raised a fist, releasing a concentrated wave of energy that blasted through the incoming wind, countering Pidgeotto's Gust mid-air.
The two energies collided, exploding with a burst of force, but both attacks dissipated, and the battlefield cleared.
"Vacuum Wave?" Grace frowned. She hadn't seen John's Makuhita use that move before.
Because of Vacuum Wave's range, Pidgeotto's wind-based attacks were ineffective, easily blocked like this.
Grace quickly shifted tactics. "Get closer, then.Twister!"
Pidgeotto flapped its wings, creating a powerful whirlpool of wind that spun debris toward Makuhita.
"Protect!"John called out.
Makuhita put its hands together, creating a shimmering barrier of energy to block the incoming Twister.
But before Makuhita could fully brace itself, Pidgeotto used the storm as cover to sneak closer and launch a direct assault.
"End it, Pidgeotto! Aerial Ace!" Grace shouted.
With impressive speed, Pidgeotto dove through the wind, its sharp beak aimed straight at Makuhita's chest.
Aerial Ace, in the games, was an automatic hit. Plus, with Flying-type moves being strong against Fighting-types, this was a critical moment.
John grinned, impressed. "Nice move."
Normally, this would've been enough to bring Makuhita down, but John had his own counterplan.
"Knock Off!" he called.
Makuhita took the blow but quickly retaliated, swinging its fist with incredible force.
Pidgeotto, sensing the incoming attack, tried to pull back, but it was too late. Makuhita's fist struck with lightning speed, knocking Pidgeotto to the ground.
"Arm Thrust!" John shouted.
Makuhita didn't give Pidgeotto a chance to recover. It lunged forward and slammed its fists repeatedly into the downed Pidgeotto, like a martial artist unleashing a barrage of punches.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!" The sound of Makuhita's fists landing echoed across the field.