"Such incredible strength!"
"Himeko is way too strong!"
"She has both power and beauty!"
"I'm a fan!"
"..."
Himeko's overwhelming performance drew waves of amazement and cheers from the audience below.
Before the match, Himeko had been the underdog.
No one had expected that, in this battle, she would display such a crushing advantage.
It exceeded everyone's expectations.
A stunning upset like this naturally made the spectators feel incredibly excited.
After recalling her Pokémon, Himeko left the arena amid the roaring cheers.
All twelve matches had ended.
Including Okano Shuzo, who had received a bye, there would be thirteen competitors in tomorrow's matches.
According to the tournament format, tomorrow would have six battles.
There would still be one competitor who received a bye.
As for who that would be, they still had to wait for the organizers' announcement.
...
After returning to their residence, the organizers were as efficient as ever.
Tomorrow's matchups had already been released.
Miyazato Aisa had very good luck.
She had drawn the bye directly.
As for Shime Ukyo, he had been matched directly against Okano Shuzo.
As for Himeko herself, she had drawn an Elite Four-level Trainer as her opponent.
That Trainer's strength was somewhat weaker than Kurose Terumitsu's today.
In other words, Himeko advancing again in tomorrow's match was basically guaranteed.
What Himeko cared about the most was tomorrow's battle between Ukyo and Shuzo.
She had been thinking constantly about Shuzo's other Pokémon aside from Articuno. She wondered whether there would be a chance to see them in tomorrow's match.
There should be a chance!
After thinking it over, Himeko analyzed the situation.
Ukyo's Charizard had genuine high-rank Elite Four-level strength.
Moreover, its talent for flames and its control over them were both extremely high.
On top of that, this Charizard had also mastered Mega Evolution.
It could definitely pose a threat to Articuno!
However, whether Ukyo could win this 3v3 battle was still unknown.
Either way, once tomorrow's match ended, everything would be settled.
...
Shiko came out of his Poké Ball and lay down on the backyard lawn to rest, completing his Daily Task along the way.
Just then—
[Special Task triggered...]
[Special Task: Enter the finals.]
[Reward: 200 experience points]
When Shiko heard this, his head shot up at once.
The chance of triggering a Special Task was not high.
But every reward it gave was exactly what he needed.
In the past, Shiko would not have cared much about 200 experience points.
But now, he had already advanced to high-rank Sect Master-level strength at Level 88.
Once he obtained these 200 experience points, he would be able to push toward Level 90, break past his limit, and reach the level of a third-tier Legendary in terms of level as well.
At that point, his strength would soar again, reaching an entirely new height.
Besides, the task of reaching the finals was not difficult.
With a little luck, he might even be able to advance to the finals without having to take action himself.
...
Early the next morning, Shiko took the initiative today and suggested that Himeko bring him along.
After all, he still placed great importance on those 200 experience points.
To make sure nothing went wrong, he would only feel at ease if he personally came to the venue.
After arriving and completing registration, today's six matches were divided into two rounds.
Each round had three matches.
Himeko's match was still in the second round.
As for the first match of the first round, it was the battle he cared about the most, and also the battle that all the spectators cared about the most: Shime Ukyo against Okano Shuzo.
The moment the two of them stepped onto the arena, the thunderous cheers and applause continued for a long time.
Only after the cheers weakened did the referee raise the flag high and give the order.
The match officially began!
"Go! Charizard!"
"Come out! Articuno!"
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
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