After experiencing the control of internal toxins, Skorupi quickly charged toward Nosepass. Although he encountered several invisible rocks along the way, which limited his speed, he was still fast enough to stay out of Nosepass's reach.
"Nosepass, Thunder Wave!" ordered Tank, allowing Nosepass to use an Electric-type move for the first time.
In Tank's view, after using Harden multiple times, Nosepass already had enough physical defense to withstand Skorupi's attacks.
An electromagnetic orb appeared in front of Nosepass, forming and swiftly heading toward Skorupi.
But could Nosepass really hit Skorupi with his attack speed?
Skorupi approached at high speed, his tail glowing a dark purple hue.
The move Poison Tail has a higher chance of landing critical hits compared to other normal moves, and combined with Skorupi's ability, Sniper, it results in considerable damage even against a Pokémon with resistance to poison.
With the poison status dealing damage every turn and Skorupi's repeated Poison Tail attacks, the poison quickly accumulated, making it so that Nosepass, despite his double resistance, couldn't withstand it.
"Nosepass, use Rest quickly!" Tank shouted upon seeing his Nosepass become an easy target. Though he had prepared his strategy, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Cain smiled coldly, already expecting Nosepass to use Rest to buy time, relying on his high physical defense and resistances to gradually wear down Skorupi's energy.
"Skorupi, Taunt!"
Skorupi had perfected his Taunt move under Sneasel's teaching, and now he finally had the chance to use it in a real battle.
Nosepass, who was trying to enter the Rest state, was immediately interrupted by Skorupi's Taunt move, which prevented him from using any support or reinforcement moves for a while.
"I let you use Harden repeatedly just so you wouldn't fall too quickly. After all, practice targets like this one for Skorupi's intensive training don't come along every day," thought Cain, smiling as he saw his strategy working and Nosepass's Rest move being blocked.
In previous battles, Skorupi had shown excellent performance, using Bug-type moves skillfully, and he was getting familiar with his Sniper ability.
However, his Poison-type moves hadn't had many effective practice opportunities, as few Pokémon could withstand Skorupi's attacks.
Nosepass had been the perfect target for Cain to observe Skorupi's improvement in real combat. But now that Skorupi had mastered the release of internal toxins, it was no longer necessary to prolong the match.
The blocking of Nosepass's Rest move left Tank stunned. He had carefully planned to let Nosepass strengthen himself while the opponent attacked, then recover using Rest and wear down the opponent over time.
However, with the key move Rest interrupted, Tank was left bewildered. Why hadn't Nosepass's Harden move been interrupted before?
This doubt lingered in his mind even after Nosepass's defeat.
"Nosepass has lost the ability to battle! Trainer Tank must switch Pokémon!" announced the referee, pulling Tank out of his daze.
Tank's face, hidden under his mask, showed clear displeasure. He had thought this would be an easy fight, but he hadn't expected this outcome. If he had known this beforehand, maybe he wouldn't have stepped into the arena to fight.
Nosepass was his strongest card, but with him defeated, Tank knew he probably didn't stand much chance of winning the rest of the battle. Regret began to arise in his heart.
If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have claimed his reward after his ninth win and retired.
Afterward, Tank sent out a level 24 Tauros with a dark yellow quality. Although it was quite a strong Pokémon, without a type advantage, and with a speed lower than Skorupi's, along with multiple activations of the Sniper ability, Skorupi quickly secured the victory.
"Joker! Joker! Joker!" the crowd chanted from the stands.
After Tank retreated in dismay, the announcer returned to the center of the battlefield, proudly announcing Cain's victory and the fact that he would soon move to the second stage.
With ten consecutive wins, Cain had only used one Pokémon, making everyone remember the name of this competitor, cloaked in black.
Now, to watch his battles, one would have to go to the second-stage spectator area, where ticket prices were significantly higher.
Moreover, the prize of 1.1 million Pokédollars made the audience fill with excitement, wishing they were in the winner's place.
When the announcer finished his motivational speech, Cain left the battlefield with Skorupi, leaving the place to the next competitors.
However, the crowd's cheers didn't die down with his departure.
According to the tournament system, after ten consecutive wins, Cain could automatically claim the jackpot and advance to the second stage. The next time Cain competes under the name Joker, he will have to register in the second stage.
In reality, the first stage wasn't suitable for the power level of Cain's Pokémon. The only Pokémon that had found any training in this stage was Skorupi. Any other Pokémon that Cain might have used would have secured an instant victory.
Now, in the second stage, the rivals should provide a bit more training for Slowpoke, Murkrow, and the others.
Cain and Skorupi headed to the tournament officials' desk to claim their 1.1 million Pokédollar prize for ten consecutive wins, and then to the betting area to collect an additional 550,000 Pokédollars.
By betting 150,000 on himself and winning, he tripled that amount to 450,000, and then bet 200,000 in the last round, winning 300,000, for a total of 550,000 Pokédollars.
Thus, Cain earned a total of 1.65 million Pokédollars in this tournament.
The stronger one is, although the resource consumption is greater, the faster they can acquire those resources. It's quite a healthy cycle.
Cain left the grand battle arena, returning Skorupi to his Poké Ball and changing his attire in a secluded place before heading to his mansion.
Today, Skorupi had received enough training. In the following days, Cain planned to select a different Pokémon for each battle, ensuring they all had the opportunity to fight.
Training outside of combat is always different from real battle; today's battle with Skorupi was a clear example.
With about a week before the final test, Cain still had time.
(End of chapter)
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Merry Christmas! May this season be full of joy, love, and fulfilled dreams.