Eichi spotted more than just Sato and his friends in the crowd; several second-year seniors who had participated in the exchange program were also present. Most notably, Yuli was there, and she even gave him a quick wink when their eyes met.
As Eichi approached, the crowd instinctively parted to create a path for him. Keita watched him arrive and let out a smug laugh.
"You actually showed up. I thought you might chicken out," Keita said.
Eichi remained silent, but Tetsu chimed in immediately. "Not a chance. Eichi always says that once someone is defeated by him, they'll never beat him again."
Eichi gave Tetsu a long, meaningful look. He hadn't actually said those words, but they certainly reflected his true feelings.
"Such arrogance," Keita sneered. "You'll find out soon enough who the strongest really is. Follow me."
He led the way inside, followed by a massive surge of students. The upperclassmen already in the Battle Hall looked on with confusion at the sudden influx of people. After pulling a few students aside to ask what was happening, they joined the crowd to see the spectacle for themselves.
The Battle Hall consisted of five floors, each containing several combat arenas. Despite the space, the arenas were never enough for the massive student body, so using them wasn't free. Each session required a fee. A wealthy student like Keita had pre-booked a private arena, which cost significantly more than a standard walk-in.
Keita led Eichi to Arena No. 7 on the first floor and stepped directly onto the stage. Standing there, looking down at the packed crowd, Keita felt a surge of adrenaline. He wanted to defeat Eichi under the gaze of everyone to wash away his past humiliation. He hadn't kept this battle a secret because the entire first and second-year classes already knew he had lost to Eichi; he had nothing left to lose.
"Tetsu, I'm heading up," Eichi said. "I'll see if I can wrap this up in the shortest time possible."
Tetsu watched Eichi's back as he walked up, thinking that Eichi was as imposing as ever. Tetsu then spotted Sato, Konan, and the rest of their group and walked over. "You guys came too?"
"Our Class Rep is battling a second-year; of course we had to come watch," Kelly replied.
"I heard from a second-year senior that Keita's strength is around the top ten of his grade," Ami added.
On the other side of the arena, several actual top-ten second-years were gathered.
"Who do you think will win?" one asked.
A student wearing glasses replied, "On paper, Keita has the better odds. We don't know how much he improved during his time in Hoenn."
Yuli stood nearby without saying a word, but in her heart, she was certain Eichi would win. She had no specific reason; she just felt it.
Back on the field, the referee prepared to start the match once Eichi was in position.
"This will be a 3v3 battle," the referee announced. "Substitutions are not allowed during the match. The battle ends when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue. Please release your Pokémon."
Keita pulled out a Poké Ball with total confidence. "Go, Charizard!"
A massive orange figure appeared on the field.
"Roar!"
It flew into the air, tilting its head back and letting out a long, thunderous cry. When Charizard appeared, Tetsu, Konan, Ami, and Kelly all turned to look at Sato.
"Sato," Tetsu joked, "this Keita has a Charizard just like yours. Think it's stronger than yours?"
Sato stared at the Charizard for a long moment before stating, "It's not as strong as mine."
Eichi reached for a Poké Ball of his own. "I'm counting on you, Heracross!"
"Heracross!"
Heracross appeared, full of energy, its wings vibrating as it hovered in mid-air. Eichi activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor. The Charmeleon he had seen last time had finally evolved into a Charizard, reaching the Elite rank. It was at the same level as Sato's Charizard, but Eichi could tell this one lacked the same raw power.
Once both sides were ready, the referee gave the signal. "Begin!"
"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Keita shouted.
Charizard fixed its gaze on Heracross, its dragon-like eyes wide with fury. With a beat of its wings, it lunged forward. It pulled its neck back, gathering energy in its maw before unleashing it with force. A massive pillar of fire, radiating intense heat, shot toward Heracross.
"Heracross, dodge to the right!" Eichi commanded.
Just before the flames could connect, Heracross zipped to the side. Charizard swung its head, the pillar of fire trailing after its target.
"Heracross, Double Team!"
The Heracross in front suddenly split into two copies, which then split again. In an instant, dozens of clones filled the air, flying in different directions. Charizard froze for a second, unsure which one to chase.
"Charizard, use Fire Spin!" Keita ordered.
Reacting to the command, Charizard regained its focus. It spat out strings of embers that rapidly converged into a massive vortex of fire. The flaming cyclone swept across the field, incinerating every Heracross clone it touched. Finally, only one Heracross remained—the real one.
"Heracross, Hidden Power!"
Just as the Fire Spin was about to engulf it, Heracross puffed out its cheeks and then snapped its mouth open. A powerful stream of water erupted. Sizzle! The water collided with the flames, extinguishing the vortex with a loud hiss. The stream didn't stop there, continuing its trajectory toward the airborne Charizard.
Keita's eyes narrowed. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Blast it back!"
Charizard opened its mouth wide, a ball of fire forming instantly. Once the energy peaked, it fired.
Whoosh!
The water from Heracross and the fire from Charizard collided mid-air. There was no explosion, only a series of muffled thuds as the two elements canceled each other out. Neither side gained the upper hand.
"Charizard, keep it up! Fire Blast!" Keita yelled.
Eichi let out a small smile. After that initial exchange, he had realized that Keita was all brute force. The guy had zero tactical sense. Eichi suspected that Keita had only ever won his past battles by relying on a higher level than his opponents.