The reservation process was extremely simple. Just follow the on-screen prompts, press a few buttons, and the match would be booked successfully.
"Hello, your match will begin in 10 minutes. Please proceed to the arena."
As soon as Sam completed his reservation, a system notification sounded.
"So fast?" Sam was slightly surprised. He left the lounge immediately and headed toward the assigned battlefield.
After passing several arenas where battles were already underway, Sam finally found his designated field.
By the time he stepped onto the platform, both the referee and his opponent were already in position.
Sam presented his ID. After confirming his identity, the referee promptly announced the start of the match.
Unlike standard arenas, there were no spectators here.
The Battle Tower had countless battlefields running simultaneously—no one could watch them all. Only Trainers who built up winning streaks would gradually draw attention.
But attention wasn't always a good thing.
A long winning streak didn't just attract an audience—it also attracted challengers looking to break it.
To encourage competition, the Battle Tower offered generous rewards to those who could end someone else's streak. For many Trainers, this was an easy way to earn extra money.
After all, facing a worn-down opponent with only one exhausted Pokémon left was practically free profit.
But Sam didn't care about any of that.
Right now, he was just an unknown challenger. What mattered most was building a winning streak as quickly as possible.
---
His opponent had already sent out their Pokémon—
Cacturne.
The green, humanoid Pokémon resembled a scarecrow made of cactus, with sharp spines covering its body and hollow yellow eyes that gave it an eerie appearance.
Pokémon: Cacturne
Type: Grass / Dark
Strength: Early Gym Level
Potential: Gym Level
This wasn't a weak opponent. Under normal circumstances, they could easily secure a few wins.
Unfortunately for them…
They had run into Sam.
"Come out, Charizard."
The moment Charizard appeared, the opponent's expression turned ugly.
A Fire-type against a Grass-type—this was a terrible matchup.
"Cacturne, use Pin Missile!"
Without hesitation, the opponent launched an attack.
Cacturne spun rapidly, firing a barrage of sharp needles toward Charizard.
Sam took one glance and immediately judged the attack's power.
Too weak.
"Charizard, Flamethrower."
With a roar, Charizard unleashed a blazing stream of fire.
The incoming needles were instantly incinerated. The flames didn't stop—they surged forward and engulfed Cacturne completely.
A cry of pain echoed from within the fire.
"Cacturne is unable to battle! Charizard wins!"
A clean one-hit knockout.
Against an opponent this far below his level, Sam had no reason to hold back.
---
The second battle followed just as quickly.
"Charizard, ignore it—charge in and use Seismic Toss!"
Facing a Water Gun attack, Charizard didn't even flinch. It flew straight through the stream of water as if it were nothing more than a light drizzle.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
Closing the distance instantly, Charizard grabbed Ludicolo, spun into the air, and slammed it down hard.
BOOM!
Dust exploded across the field as Ludicolo hit the ground, completely knocked out.
Two effortless victories.
The opponents hadn't even managed to challenge Charizard.
Charizard let out an unsatisfied roar—it hadn't even warmed up yet.
"Calm down," Sam said helplessly. "This is just the beginning. Stronger opponents will come soon."
Hearing this, Charizard finally settled down, waiting for the next match.
---
About ten minutes later, the staff brought in Sam's third opponent.
"Are you ready?" the referee asked.
The Trainer, Aoya, nodded casually. "Ready."
He glanced at Sam, clearly unimpressed.
Before the match, he had already learned that Sam only had a two-win streak.
Beating someone like that wouldn't earn much reward.
He just wanted to finish quickly and move on.
"So it's Charizard, huh…" Aoya muttered. "Then I'll counter it properly."
"Go—Pelipper!"
A flash of light appeared in the air as a large, pelican-like Pokémon took shape.
With its massive yellow beak and blue-and-white feathers, Pelipper hovered above the battlefield.
Pokémon: Pelipper
Type: Water / Flying
Strength: High Gym Level
Potential: Gym Level
This time…
The opponent was finally a bit more serious.