"Match over!"
"Winner: Okano Shuzo!"
The referee's whistle rang out.
"Lii!"
Articuno let out a high-pitched cry.
In the next second, she spread her enormous ice-blue wings and circled the entire venue in flight.
Glittering ice crystals drifted down from the sky, bringing a faint trace of coolness to the sweltering summer heat.
On the battle arena, Aisa hugged the head of her fainted Dragonite, her face filled with heartache.
"As expected!"
Inside the room, Himeko watched the match footage on the television and drew in a breath.
This highly anticipated match had ended, and the winner had advanced early into the winners' bracket top fourteen.
The victor was still Okano Shuzo.
However, Aisa's strength was still formidable enough.
No one had expected that her Dragonite would actually break through its limits in the middle of battle.
In one step, it crossed from the peak of Elite Four-level into the Champion-level tier!
A Champion-level Dragonite.
It had finally been able to stand against Okano Shuzo's Articuno, even if only slightly.
However, that was all it could do.
In the end, Articuno dragged her exhausted, wounded body through the fight.
And still accomplished the feat of sweeping all three opponents.
Once again, she won a tidal wave of cheers from the crowd.
Looking at that enormous blue bird soaring through the air, at that moment, every spectator who had witnessed the scene had already branded this Pokémon with the label of "invincible" in their hearts.
The champion of this tournament.
Without question.
It absolutely had to be Okano Shuzo.
...
At three o'clock in the afternoon.
All three elimination rounds for the day had ended.
On Himeko's side, she also received the official semifinal matchup list.
"They didn't match us up?"
"Is this basically a direct pass into the finals?"
Himeko muttered softly to herself.
On tomorrow's schedule, she had not been matched against Okano Shuzo. Her opponent was another Elite Four-level Trainer.
His strength was ordinary. He was completely no match for her.
From the looks of it, entering the finals was already guaranteed.
As for Okano Shuzo, the opponent he had drawn was also a Trainer who had relied on absurdly good luck all the way here, with strength at the middle stage of Elite Four-level.
But now.
It seemed that his good luck had run out.
Looking at the matchup situation, the ones who would face each other in the grand finals should be herself and Okano Shuzo.
...
"Match over!"
"Winner: Isobe Himeko!"
The referee's whistle rang out.
Himeko picked up her Poké Ball, recalled her Pokémon, then waved in acknowledgment toward the cheering and screaming spectators below the stage.
Just as she had expected.
In today's match, Okano Shuzo had still relied on Articuno's overwhelming strength to sweep all three opponents and successfully advance to the finals.
Himeko had also won her match, though not without some close calls.
Unexpectedly, today's opponent had still been hiding his strength in the previous matches.
He was actually a Trainer whose strength had reached the peak of Elite Four-level.
In the end, Himeko had been forced to let Gardevoir undergo Mega Evolution before she could finish the battle.
It looked like Shiko would have to appear and clean up the aftermath.
And right at the instant the referee announced that Himeko had won and advanced to the finals...
Shiko, who was resting inside his Poké Ball, also heard the system's mechanical notification sound.
[Congratulations, host! Special Quest completed!]
[Quest reward: 200 experience points have been distributed!]
In the next second, a stream of memory-like information merged into Shiko's mind.
After absorbing all of that information...
Shiko immediately felt the changes in his body.
The feeling of power throughout his body had grown a little fuller.
With every gesture and movement, an even more terrifying aura and presence flowed around him.
"I've finally reached the level of a Third-tier Legendary!"
Looking at how his level had crossed past Sect Master-level and advanced by two whole stages, Shiko let out a long breath.
No matter what.
An increase in strength was always a good thing.
The stronger he became, the more confidence he would have when dealing with the unpredictable emergencies that might come next.
...
Late at night.
Inside the city's Pokémon Center.
A dense crowd had gathered in the central lobby.
"What the hell are you doing?! They're still not done?!"
"My Pokémon have been here for treatment for two days already!"
"What kind of garbage efficiency is this? What are you people even doing?"
"Forget it! We're not treating them anymore! Give our Pokémon back!"
"That's right! Give them back!"
"Give them back!"
"Give them back!"
"..."
A large group of Trainers noisily gathered in front of the counter, demanding an explanation from the staff.
Looking closely, one would discover that the Trainers gathered here were all Trainers who had come to participate in this World Alliance Tournament.
After their matches ended, they had brought their Pokémon here to treat their injuries and recover their condition.
But strangely enough.
Under normal circumstances, just half an hour of machine treatment would be enough to restore a Pokémon to its original state.
But now.
Some people here had waited a full three days, yet their Pokémon still had not been returned.
Moreover, there were quite a few Trainers who had encountered this situation.
This situation ultimately led to this riot breaking out.
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
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