Chapter 296: Moving Up!
@SheepAndPigs: "Looking at this, Electivire definitely hid its real power during the National League. If it had fought like this back then, it would have soloed the entire tournament without Kenji ever needing a second Pokémon."
@StratKing99: "Is it possible it wasn't holding back? Maybe Kenji just leveled it up that much in the few months since then."
@HardcoreTrainer: "@StratKing99, are you a casual or something? Do you have any common sense regarding Pokémon breeding? No Pokémon can jump from Gym Leader level to one-shotting Elite-level veterans in that short of a timeframe. Even if you pumped it full of illegal rare candies and performance enhancers, it's physically impossible!"
@LoreSeeker: "Does nobody care about Kenji's background? A trainer that young with a Pokémon that looks like a legit Champion-tier threat... his family must be high-level League officials or something."
The internet was a storm of theories. Kenji had officially become the "Dark Horse" of the Huaxia League Conference based on a single qualifying match.
Of course, this being the highest-tier tournament in the country, it was a shark tank filled with veteran masters. As the fans debated, a "Top Candidates" list for the championship began to circulate.
Kenji was not on that list.
His age was the primary factor. Despite the flashy performance, many still couldn't believe a college freshman could consistently outplay trainers with decades of experience under their belts.
Over the next few days, the first round of qualifiers continued.
Whether it was luck or just the sheer size of the bracket, Kenji didn't encounter any high-profile threats. Most of his opponents possessed Pokémon at the early Elite level.
He even ran into an older student from Metropolis Academy who had graduated a few years prior. The poor senior's Ace was only early Gym Leader level.
...
Against this level of competition, Electivire was more than enough. It treated every match like a warm-up, ending most fights with a single strike.
A few days later, the first round concluded. Both Kenji and Namgung Xi advanced effortlessly.
On the other hand, Zephyr—the Imperial Academy Ace who had been Kenji's rival in the National League—suffered a tragic early exit.
Part of it was bad luck, but mostly it was a lack of experience against the "dirty" tactics used by older trainers. Zephyr was still just a student; he had the talent, but he lacked the grit of the veterans. He would likely be a major contender in the next Conference, but this year, his journey was over.
Next up: Round Two of the Qualifiers.
The goal: Whittle the massive pool of winners down to the Top 300 of the Southeast District.
Unlike the first round, the format shifted to 3v3 battles.
1v1 matches were fast, but they were a poor measure of a trainer's overall skill. A 3v3 format allowed for strategy, switching, and a more comprehensive look at a trainer's roster.
After a three-day break to allow everyone to recover, the second round began.
Back at the Metropolis Battle Arena, Kenji sat in the lounge, his eyes glued to one of the overhead monitors.
On the screen, Namgung Xi was in the middle of a brutal struggle.
Her Kingdra was currently trading blows with a Vanilluxe.
Stat-wise, they were almost perfectly matched. There was only a 5-point difference in their base stat totals.
In terms of typing, Kingdra's Water/Dragon dual-typing neutralized the standard Ice-type advantage, meaning it didn't take super-effective damage from Ice.
The levels were also close; Kingdra was only one level lower than the Vanilluxe.
The battle was a tense standoff. Both Pokémon were probing, circling, and looking for a split-second opening.
Kenji watched with genuine interest. This kind of high-level chess match was where the true charm of Pokémon battling lay.
After five minutes of intense stalemate, the opening appeared. Vanilluxe finished a Freeze-Dry and suffered a split-second post-move lag. Kingdra seized the moment, unleashing a point-blank Dragon Pulse.
The blow landed perfectly. The scales of victory tipped. After a final, exhausting exchange, Kingdra secured the knockout.
With Vanilluxe down, her opponent's final Pokémon fell soon after. Namgung Xi won the set and officially advanced to the next stage.
Kenji let out a sigh of relief for her. That was easily the hardest fight he had seen her in so far. Now, it was his turn.
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