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After taking a day off, Kai returned to the Indigo Stadium for the quarterfinals of the Pokémon League.
From this round onward, the matches would be full 6-on-6 battles. According to the bracket, Kai's opponent this time was Richie, the trainer who had eliminated Ash in the earlier rounds.
Richie's team consisted of Pikachu, Charmander, Butterfree, Wartortle, Gloom, and Monferno, a lineup that included three Pokémon he had used against Ash.
To counter Richie's strategy, Kai sent out Gardevoir, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Gyarados, and Jolteon.
Interestingly, Richie's Pokémon resembled Ash's early team in terms of species and training style. This resemblance, along with Richie's similar age and appearance, led to lighthearted speculation among the audience about whether he might be Ash's long-lost sibling a joke, of course.
After Ash's elimination a few days prior, his mother, Delia, and Professor Oak had returned to Pallet Town. However, Ash decided to stay and observe the rest of the tournament, curious to see how far Kai would go.
Now seated in the stands, Ash watched intently, hoping to learn something from Kai's performance.
When the match began, Ash expected Richie to put up a strong fight. But to his surprise, Richie was completely outmatched by Kai's Pokémon. One after another, Richie's Pokémon fell with little resistance.
The match was a complete rout, ending with Kai's decisive 6-0 victory.
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Ash struggled to comprehend how Richie, who had defeated him, could lose so badly. Even combined, the six battles lasted less than 30 minutes!
The relentless pace and sheer gap in power left Ash speechless, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Richie.
"This was brutal..." Ash muttered to himself. But as he considered the outcome, he wondered: if it had been him facing Kai instead, would the result have been any different?
With that thought, Ash felt a little less upset about his own loss.
For Kai, Richie's performance didn't stand out much. Compared to trainers like Ash, Gary, or even Otoshi, Richie's skill level was average at best. It seemed that Richie's journey to the top 8 was more a result of luck and weaker opponents than outstanding talent.
As Kai exited through the players' tunnel, the announcer's voice echoed across the stadium:
"Let's all congratulate Kai on advancing to the semifinals! Not only did he achieve a perfect 6-0 victory, but he also set a new record for the Indigo League!"
Curious, Kai stopped to listen. On the large screen, a series of statistics appeared as the announcer continued:
"Since the Indigo League's inception, no trainer has ever advanced from the preliminary rounds to the semifinals without a single loss. Today, Kai has broken that record with his incredible performance!"
The audience erupted into applause, cheering for Kai's historic achievement.
As the applause subsided, the announcer added, "With his unmatched skill, I believe Kai has the potential to rewrite history in the upcoming battles!"
Though flattered by the praise, Kai remained humble. Setting records was a nice accomplishment, but it didn't bring any tangible benefits.
Besides, he recognized the overall skill level at the Indigo League was not as high compared to future tournaments like the Lily of the Valley Conference or the Kalos League.
After reuniting with Brock and Chloe, Kai returned to the dormitory, where they celebrated with a hearty meal.
By this point in the tournament, most of the competitors had been eliminated, leaving the contestants' village eerily quiet. With fewer than ten trainers remaining, the streets were empty and desolate.
Even Ash's dormitory had been reclaimed by the League after his elimination. Left without a place to stay, Ash was now sharing Kai's dormitory with Misty and Brock.
The League's policy of reclaiming eliminated contestants' accommodations was intended to prevent disgruntled trainers from disrupting the remaining players, but to outsiders, it could appear cold-hearted.
The next day, Kai faced Lily, a skilled trainer, in the semifinals. Unlike his previous matches, this battle proved to be more challenging.
Lily's Rhyhorn and Dustox were particularly impressive, showcasing nearly their full potential. However, Kai's Pokémon rose to the occasion.
In the first four battles, his team performed flawlessly, defeating Lily's Pokémon without issue. For the final two battles, Kai relied on Haunter to secure victory against Lily's strongest Pokémon.
Once again, Kai emerged victorious with a perfect 6-0 score, securing his place in the finals.
The crowd was electrified, thrilled to witness another dominant performance and another record-breaking win.
Reflecting on his journey, Kai couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. From starting out as a rookie trainer to now standing just one step away from the Indigo League championship, his progress felt surreal.
Still, he reminded himself to stay grounded. His final opponent was yet to be determined.
The winner of Group B was a mysterious trainer, someone Kai vaguely remembered encountering on New Island during the Mewtwo incident.
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