Scizor struggled to stand up, exhausted. Competing in two consecutive battles against higher-level opponents had placed an immense burden on its stamina.
"Pu-ha!"
Primeape was furious. The previous stalemate had left it feeling incredibly stifled, and it wanted nothing more than to tear Scizor apart. Its eyes were bloodshot, verging on a complete loss of control.
While charging forward, Primeape suddenly sensed a powerful surge of energy from nearby. It turned its head to see two massive blue blades of wind launching toward it, humming with a sharpness that could be felt in the air.
Taking things back ten seconds prior.
While Scizor was attacking Primeape, everyone's attention had been focused on the two Pokémon below. Very few people noticed the several Scizor clones in the sky. They had closed their eyes, secretly gathering energy within their pincers.
As they pressed their pincers together, the surrounding energy began to riot, with countless particles repelling and congregating simultaneously. Finally, once the Scizor in the sky had accumulated enough energy, all the clones vanished.
The Substitute revealed itself, slashing its pincers forward.
Two black lines appeared out of nowhere in a cross shape, instantly condensing into massive blades of wind. A breeze began to pick up across the field. The spectators in the stands felt a slight wind blow past, which felt quite refreshing.
Lorelei, sitting in the audience, had been watching the Scizor in the sky from the very beginning. When it closed its eyes, she found it strange, but once the two blades of wind appeared, a mysterious look flickered in her eyes.
Is that a combination move?
She exchanged another look with Bruno. This young boy was becoming more and more interesting.
The middle-aged man beside her looked at the move Scizor released and asked in confusion, "That looks like Air Slash, doesn't it?"
"But Air Slash isn't that powerful, is it? And I don't think Air Slash requires charging time," the man added.
"It's a combination move," Lorelei said expressionlessly.
"Is that so?"
"Then he is quite impressive. At only eleven years old, he has already taught his Pokémon combination moves," the man remarked.
The crowd also noticed the two massive blades of wind. Asen, of course, had noticed them as well. He had put all his focus on the battle between Primeape and Scizor below, subconsciously ignoring the Scizor in the sky. By the time he regained his senses, it was too late.
Primeape tried to dodge, but it suddenly felt a massive resistance that made it difficult to move. Its speed dropped several tiers, and it could only watch as the two blades of wind slammed into its body.
In the eyes of the spectators, a massive explosion occurred after the wind blades hit Primeape.
"Pu-ha—!"
Primeape let out a shrill scream, but the sound was drowned out by the explosion. Thick smoke billowed up from the ground, obscuring everyone's vision of the situation inside.
In the sky, the Scizor Substitute shattered into fragments and slowly vanished after using the Cross Slash.
"Unbelievable! The one Contestant Asen's Primeape was fighting was the real Scizor, while the one in the sky was a Substitute?"
"Contestant Asen made a misjudgment. One wrong move led to another. I wonder if he can make a desperate comeback," the commentator shouted.
The smoke slowly cleared. The audience waited in silence; the entire stadium was hushed.
In the backstage area, Ryuichi and Buliangren stared intently at the television. In the stands, Mumu clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, watching the smoke gradually dissipate on the field.
Eichi remained calm and confident. Under this strike, Primeape didn't have a single chance. Although a Substitute only possessed two-thirds of the original's strength, the power accumulated over several minutes was formidable.
Amidst the high expectations, the smoke cleared, and everyone looked closely. Two massive gouges marked the very center of the field, surrounded by countless pieces of shattered rock.
In the middle was a large crater, with Primeape embedded inside. It was covered in dirt and unconscious, clearly having lost its ability to battle.
Not far away, Scizor struggled to crawl up from the ground. It didn't look good—covered in dirt and riddled with injuries—but it didn't care. It had won.
On the electronic screen, the portrait of Asen's final Pokémon, Primeape, dimmed with a ding.
"Primeape is unable to battle. Scizor wins!"
"Since all three of Contestant Asen's Pokémon have lost their ability to battle, Contestant Eichi wins this match!" the referee announced expressionlessly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the results are in! After a fierce confrontation, it is a pity that Contestant Asen's Primeape could not hold on."
"We must comfort Contestant Asen. Even if he lost the match, it doesn't matter; there will be more opportunities in the future," the commentator added.
The moment the referee announced Scizor's victory, Scizor finally reached its limit. It collapsed directly onto the ground, its eyes dimming as it lost its ability to battle.
The audience began to cheer.
"Eichi!"
"Eichi!"
"Eichi!"
Watching the crowd cheer for Eichi, Asen found the result difficult to accept.
The result shouldn't be like this. Shouldn't I have easily defeated Eichi's Pokémon?
Why is it like this?
"No!"
Asen's entire face twisted. He couldn't accept this outcome. He, a top student from Celadon University, had actually lost to a little brat.
He truly couldn't handle the result and stumbled back toward the backstage, even forgetting about Primeape. The staff had no choice but to lift Primeape and take it away for treatment.
Eichi shook his head. He had originally thought Asen was someone of consequence, but he hadn't expected the man to break down after losing just one match. This person wouldn't amount to much in the future.
In the stands, Maple's expression was complicated. He had always viewed Eichi as his rival and thought he could wash away his shame at this Indigo League.
But now? He had lost in the third round to Eichi's friend, Buliangren. As for Eichi himself, he had already entered the top eight, and this wasn't even his true strength yet. There really was a gap between people.
Maple felt truly discouraged now, but it also allowed him to grow, letting go of the arrogance in his heart.
Bruno nodded as he watched Eichi's departing back. Lorelei remained expressionless, her eyes flickering as if she were contemplating something. The middle-aged man looked at Eichi with eyes full of admiration.
Eichi returned backstage, where Ryuichi and Buliangren met him.
"Eichi, congratulations!"
"Eichi, well done! You finally vented that frustration for Mumu," Ryuichi laughed, punching Eichi's chest.
"It was alright. Asen's strength was decent, but that was about it. If I couldn't beat him, I might as well go die," Eichi replied.
The three senior students also came over to congratulate him.
"Congratulations, Eichi! You've entered the top eight now."
"To be honest, you've really brought glory to our Silver Academy."