With a backhand flick, he tossed out a red and white Poké Ball.
"Roar—!"
Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, a massive figure soared from the Poké Ball, kicking up a colossal spray of water.
It was Gyarados!
That hideous face, those crimson eyes, and the violent aura radiating from its body made the opposing Kingdra instinctively take half a step back.
The smile on the young man's face froze.
Gyarados?
In a competition of this level, someone was actually still using a Gyarados?
And this size, this presence... just how was it raised?
"Gyarados, Dragon Dance."
Ariel's voice remained flat.
Gyarados circled in the air as a red light manifested around its body; its speed and attack power began to skyrocket.
"Don't give it a chance! Kingdra, Dragon Pulse!"
The young man hastily ordered.
A purple, dragon-shaped energy wave whistled forth, aiming straight for the Gyarados in the sky.
Ariel didn't even look, simply uttering two words.
"Aqua Tail."
Gyarados let out a roar, its massive tail enveloped in surging water as if transformed into a world-splitting axe, smashing directly into the Dragon Pulse!
Boom!
Energy collided with physical mass, and the Dragon Pulse was actually swatted into dissipation by that single tail strike!
Immediately following, the giant tail—its momentum undiminished—slammed heavily into the Kingdra on the water's surface.
With a dull thud, Kingdra was smashed into the depths like a cannonball, triggering a sky-high pillar of water before floating back up with its white belly exposed.
Another one-hit knockout!
The entire audience, including Wallace in the VIP seats, watched with twitching eyelids.
"That guy's Gyarados... what brutal physical attack power."
Wallace murmured to himself. As a Water-type master, he could naturally see the terrifying power contained in that strike just now.
The battles that followed could no longer be called battles.
It was a complete one-sided crushing.
Whether it was the Quagsire the young man sent out or the final Milotic, they were all as fragile as paper before a Gyarados buffed by Dragon Dance.
Gyarados didn't even need to use any fancy skills; it used the simplest, most brutal Waterfall and Aqua Tail to end the battle with absolute power, like dry weeds before a flame.
Another clean three-Pokémon sweep!
When Ariel recalled his Gyarados and concluded his schedule for the day, every spectator at the Ever Grande Conference remembered this mysterious Trainer who used Greninja and Gyarados to dominate his opponents with two completely different but equally powerful styles.
...
Evening arrived, and the preliminary rounds were all finished.
Having finished his second match, Ariel was drinking juice in the contestant lounge, watching the passionate host on the central big screen.
"Spectators! After several days of intense competition, the Top 64 contestants of this Ever Grande Conference have all been decided!"
The host's voice carried a unique infectiousness, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.
Immediately after, the big screen began playing personal highlights of the contestants.
One brilliant moment after another flashed by, drawing continuous gasps from the stands.
Soon, Ariel saw himself.
On the screen, Greninja toyed with opponents like a phantom, while Gyarados destroyed everything with sheer brute force. The footage of his two sweeps was edited together, creating a powerful visual impact.
"Oh? They actually gave me a full ten seconds of screen time. Not bad, not bad."
Ariel stroked his chin, feeling a bit smug in his heart.
As the highlights ended, the host took a deep breath and spoke in a tone full of suspense:
"Next, we will reveal the two most mysterious specially invited contestants of this conference! They have also fought their way through and entered the Top 64. Now, let us see their true faces!"
As the words fell, the lights in the venue dimmed, and everyone's gaze focused on the big screen.
Two blurry figures slowly emerged.
One was an elegant female figure with flowing blonde hair.
The other was a sharp-auraed male figure wearing a cape.
When their faces appeared clearly on the screen, the entire stadium was first dead silent, followed by an unprecedented eruption of screams!
"It's Cynthia! Cynthia from the Sinnoh region!"
"My god! And Lance! Kanto's Dragon Tamer! Why is he here too!"
Screams, shouts, and discussions merged into a terrifying wave of sound that swept through the venue. Even Ariel in the backstage lounge felt his ears ringing, nearly deafened by the decibels.
Is this the influence of top-tier popular contestants?
Ariel was also quite shocked by this news.
He wasn't too surprised that Cynthia would come, since they had interacted before.
But this guy Lance... why did he come to join the fun too?
Wasn't this guy the strongest Investigator in the Kanto League, hailed as the 'number one person below the Elite Four'?
With his strength and status, coming to participate in a competition where the highest level was just Gym Leader... it didn't make sense!
Ariel stared at Lance's serious face on the screen, a thought flashing through his mind.
"This guy is deliberately suppressing his strength to play. With such a terrifying person here, I'm afraid the battle for the championship is going to turn into a bloodbath."
Sure enough, the host announced loudly:
"That's right! Sinnoh's Cynthia and Kanto's Lance have also successfully advanced to the Top 64 with their formidable strength! With this, all Top 64 contestants of this Ever Grande Conference have assembled!"
On the big screen, the avatars of the 64 contestants formed a giant photo wall.
Ariel immediately spotted several familiar faces.
The three Gym Leaders—Gym Leader Brawly, Flannery, and Wallace—were prominently listed.
Steven, Cynthia, and the Kanto Quasi-Elite Lance...
Then, he saw his own avatar, sandwiched among a group of legends, appearing somewhat out of place yet seemingly natural.
"Now! We invite our Top 64 contestants to the main arena!"
Following the host's command, the backstage passage opened. Ariel followed the flow of people, walking together toward that stage under the spotlight of ten thousand gazes.
When the 64 Trainers, representing the highest combat power of the younger generation from various regions, stood side-by-side in the center of the arena, the atmosphere of the entire venue reached its peak.
This was not just a competition; it was the prelude to a pinnacle showdown spanning across regions.
Just as Ariel stood still, he felt someone waving at him.
He turned to look and saw Steven, dressed in a well-tailored suit, smiling warmly at him and gesturing for him to stand by his side.
Ariel walked over, and just as he settled in, he felt another gaze.
It was Cynthia standing not far away. She gave Ariel a slight nod as a greeting, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry and appreciation.
Ariel nodded back in response.
However, at that moment, an extremely sharp gaze pricked Ariel like a needle.
He looked in the direction of the sensation and met a pair of deep, pressure-filled eyes.
It was Lance.
This Dragon Tamer of Kanto was squinting his eyes, staring at him without a word. That look didn't seem like he was looking at an ordinary contestant...
After only a second of eye contact, Lance moved his gaze away nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
But Ariel felt a slight chill down his back.
He had been targeted by this guy.
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