October 25th, Sunday.
The highly anticipated semifinals of the Tokaido Region officially began.
Inside the arena, the sacred flame of Moltres burned brightly, and the entire venue was filled with enthusiastic cheers.
Media outlets from all over had gathered, setting up their cameras and equipment, with spotlights flickering everywhere.
During the pre-match draw ceremony,
A man with a gloomy expression walked out of the contestant tunnel and was immediately surrounded.
"Mr. Shouta! I heard you've already passed the Professional Evaluation. Is the rumor true?"
Shouta frowned, his tone annoyed as he muttered, "Step aside... I need to draw."
"With a 3:0 record to reach the semifinals, what are your expectations for the semifinals?"
"What are your thoughts on Contestant Natsume, who hasn't lost a single point so far?"
Shouta stopped in his tracks. "Say that again."
The male reporter was taken aback.
"Natsume-sensei... is currently the most favored to win the championship..."
"A second-year student..."
Shouta paused, then sneered. "Even his Pokémon refuse to evolve... how adorable."
The reporters exchanged glances.
There had been quite a bit of debate online about Natsume's two Pokémon.
Some believed that Natsume had only made it this far due to sheer luck, relying on two "unevolved" Pokémon.
This comment had a sour undertone, but now Shouta had bluntly pointed it out...
"In my eyes, there's only the championship."
Shouta looked up at the big screen, his gaze hostile.
"That backpacker... Tyranitar, huh? Let him wait."
Watching the man push through the crowd and stride away, the reporters looked at each other, their expressions odd.
"What an attitude!" an old reporter spat.
"That's a Professional Trainer from the Gym," someone whispered. "Also a contestant who won the Intercollegiate League championship..."
...
The guest panel was fully seated.
Shoya, Hiroshi, Takuya, Mato...
The Gym Leaders gazed into the distance, their eyes fixed on the draw ceremony in the center of the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semifinals of the Tokaido Tournament!"
The commentator's passionate voice echoed throughout the venue.
"After the draw, the contestants will face off in duels."
"Let's wait and see what the results will be!"
"There are so many people?"
Natsume looked around, slightly taken aback.
In the audience stands, Natsume spotted his coach, Takashi, leading a group of young fans, waving flags and cheering.
"Go, Natsume-sensei!!" Reina shouted, her voice nearly breaking.
Even the usually reserved Tomoya turned red and yelled, "Go!!"
Natsume smiled faintly and gave a small wave.
The cheers from the audience grew even louder.
At this moment, the other semifinalist,
The cool-faced Sayuri, walked up to Natsume.
"G-Good afternoon," Sayuri stammered.
"Huh? You made it to the semifinals too?"
Sayuri was stunned:
"You... don't even check the matchup list?!"
Natsume's expression turned strange, and he coughed awkwardly, scratching his head.
Who cares who the opponent is? Just crush them!
"Out of the four semifinalists, only you and I are still students."
Sayuri said, "The other two... are really strong..."
Natsume: "I'm stronger."
"Huh?"
"You'll see soon."
Natsume said calmly, waving his hand as he walked slowly toward the center of the arena.
Watching Natsume-sensei's back, Sayuri's face turned red, her heart skipping a beat.
The commentator shouted, "The draw results are in!"
"Semifinals: Natsume from Tokyo Metropolitan University versus Professional Trainer Shouta!"
Amid the roaring cheers,
Shouta stood with one hand in his pocket, a smirk on his face.
The two shook hands, and Shouta said with a smile, "Your Pokémon are quite cute."
Natsume replied, "Thanks, so are you."
Shouta was taken aback, his expression darkening as he snorted and walked away.
Natsume chuckled and said to the Poké Ball, "I've always thought you were cute."
"Sylveon~~φ(>ω<*)"
...
After a short break, Natsume faced Shouta, and the semifinals officially began.
"Takuya, what do you think the score will be?" Mato asked with a sharp look.
"3:0," Takuya said flatly.
"Haha, I think so too."
Mato found himself somewhat agreeing with Takuya for once. "If you're right, I'll buy you a drink later!"
"Deal!" Takuya laughed heartily.
"Let the battle begin!" The referee blew the whistle.
"Go, Typhlosion!" Shouta threw his Poké Ball.
The front-row audience felt a wave of heat wash over them, the air distorting slightly.
With flames erupting from its back, Typhlosion roared, the fire around its neck flaring up half a meter.
Shouta glanced subtly at Natsume.
When Natsume's Poké Ball flickered with red light, the audience gasped in unison.
"Sylveon!"
"So cute!!"
Natsume-sensei, who owned a Sylveon, instantly became the center of attention.
Looking at the elegant, snow-white Sylveon, a thought arose in the viewers' minds.
Natsume-sensei must be a trustworthy Trainer!
"Sylveon~~"
Sylveon lazily glanced at Typhlosion and muttered a complaint to Natsume.
"It's fine, I'll buy you a new hamster wheel with the prize money," Natsume reassured.
Sylveon then turned around, its gaze sharp as it stared at Typhlosion.
"Sylveon! (▼皿▼#)"
Typhlosion was momentarily stunned, its flames flickering slightly.
Shouta's expression darkened as he coldly commanded, "Eruption!!"
"Typhlosion!!"
Typhlosion stomped the ground, a ball of orange-red flames forming in its mouth. The ground trembled under the intense heat, and a wave of scorching air surged forward.
Boom!
A torrent of flames engulfed the entire battlefield.
Like a volcanic eruption, the fiery column roared with deafening noise.
The flames dyed the field red, and the front-row audience couldn't help but gasp.
Would Sylveon... be instantly wiped out?
"Sylveon!"
As the fiery column approached, Sylveon split into two, with Substitute clones running to the left and right toward Typhlosion.
A cruel smile appeared on Shouta's face.
A wide-range Eruption wouldn't leave it defenseless at close range!
Snap!
With Shouta's snap, the flames around Typhlosion's neck flared up, and an explosive shockwave radiated from its body.
"What the?!"
The viewers' eyes widened in disbelief.
"H-How is this possible?!"
Shouta stared at the approaching Sylveon.
A faint blue light barrier blocked the incoming shockwave.
Sylveon's deep blue eyes glowed as it charged through the shockwave!
"He predicted Shouta's follow-up move," Takuya murmured from the guest panel.
Hiroshi stroked his beard, satisfied. "After all... that's his strategic awareness."
Shouta gritted his teeth and commanded, "Giga Impact!!"
Shouta's sudden command left the audience in shock.
A long-range artillery Pokémon like Typhlosion... had a close-range killer move like Giga Impact hidden up its sleeve?
Typhlosion's muscles bulged with explosive power as it crouched low, its body glowing white.
As the two collided,
Boom!!
The entire audience instinctively looked up, swallowing hard.
Their vision was obscured by the shadow of Typhlosion's body, which hung in the air for half a second before crashing to the ground.
Thud!!
The ground cracked, and dust flew everywhere.
Typhlosion lay in the crater, already unconscious.
"What the?!"
"How did Typhlosion get knocked back?"
"Is that even a Giga Impact?!"
Shouta was completely dumbfounded.
These two aren't even in the same weight class, are they?
Even with the 'Pixilate' ability, there's no way it should be this strong!
Sylveon landed gracefully, its gaze disdainful.
Is that all?
Seems like it's not even a challenge!
Shouta's face darkened as he recalled Typhlosion.
"Go, Hariyama!"
If you like close combat, Shouta roared, "Hariyama, Belly Drum!"
The sturdy Hariyama, with its broad palms and powerful arms,
Upon entering the field, Hariyama pounded its stomach, its eyes bloodshot.
Belly Drum!
At the cost of half its HP, it maximized its strength!
Thud, thud, thud!
"Arm Thrust!" Shouta bellowed.
The uplifting war drums spurred Hariyama into a furious roar. Its massive, fan-like palms thrust forward with an Arm Thrust, creating gusts of fierce wind.
This terrifying power made the viewers gasp.
Before their eyes, a snow-white figure darted out like lightning.
"Looking to die?!" Shouta shouted furiously. "Keep using Arm Thrust!"
"Aim for the ankle, use Iron Tail," Natsume said calmly.
With the boost from Quick Attack,
Sylveon's ribbon gleamed with the icy light of Iron Tail, striking Hariyama's ankle.
Despite Hariyama's solid stance, its ankles were surprisingly slender.
Crack!
A sound like bones breaking echoed.
Hariyama grunted, lost its balance, and crashed headfirst into the ground.
Thud!!
Its sheer weight caused the battlefield to tremble slightly.
Then, Sylveon leaped gracefully, its bow glowing with a dark Shadow Ball!
Boom!!
The Shadow Ball exploded on Hariyama's back, causing the ground to cave in and debris to scatter.
In less than half a minute,
Hariyama was already unconscious.
"Just now it was brute force, and now it's all about the details?"
"Natsume-sensei is really meticulous!!"
"3:0, 3:0!"
The crowd chanted in unison.
Shouta's forehead was drenched in cold sweat, his expression terrifying.
Why... does he always predict my strategy?
He's just a student... how can he be this strong!
Shouta clenched his teeth, mustering all his strength, and threw a Great Ball. "Go, Gyarados!!"
Shouta's final ace.
The 7-meter-long Gyarados, covered in menacing scales, stood upright like a towering building.
Gyarados's fangs gleamed coldly, and its Intimidate roar silenced the audience!
"Should we switch?" Natsume whispered to Sylveon.
Although the little one's condition was good, facing Intimidate, sending out the Special Attack specialist Gengar would also work.
The little one shook its head, baring its not-so-sharp teeth at the massive Gyarados.
"Sylveon!! (▼皿▼#)"
Why are you yelling so loud!
Under Sylveon's Baby-Doll Eyes, Gyarados shivered.
Regaining its composure, Gyarados felt humiliated, its fangs coated with sharp icicles.
Ice Fang!
"Dodge and use Yawn," Natsume commanded.
Shouta's heart sank.
Oh no!
"Using Yawn only when the last Pokémon can't switch out."
On the guest panel, Principal Hiroshi stroked his beard with a smile. "This kid is quite patient."
Mato's face turned beet red as he nodded reluctantly.
"Natsume-sensei is so sneaky!"
"Is this the detail of a Strategy Master?"
Despite the size difference, Sylveon easily dodged Ice Fang.
It narrowed its eyes and let out a cute yawn.
Gyarados froze.
Despair filled Shouta's heart, but he still roared, "Gyarados, Aqua Tail!!"
At least take down this Sylveon!
Gyarados let out a furious roar, its tail swirling with water as it slammed down.
Thud!!
The viewers' eyes widened.
Sylveon crossed its ribbons, blocking the roaring Aqua Tail.
Its snow-white fur soaked, Sylveon was pushed back several meters, baring its teeth in anger.
"Sylveon! (艹皿艹)"
Whoosh!
Sylveon's ribbons were coated with a shimmering layer of water, sharp as blades.
Copycat · Aqua Tail!
In a flash, Sylveon leaped into the air.
The water blades slashed down, leaving two gruesome gashes on Gyarados's belly!
"Whoa—" The audience gasped.
This Sylveon... is so violent!
Natsume-sensei, what do you go through every day?!
Gyarados fell into a deep sleep, and a barrage of Shadow Balls exploded one after another.
Amid the shockwaves, the fierce yet adorable Sylveon was etched into the audience's minds.
Shouta's face was ashen, his lips trembling.
Was I... just swept?
"The winner is Natsume!" The referee blew the whistle.
Cheers erupted.
The unified chant of "3:0" made Shouta wish he could dig a hole and disappear.
His pre-match comments... were probably recorded by the reporters...
This is... social suicide!
On the guest panel, Takuya sighed in relief and patted Mato's shoulder.
"Let's go, I'll buy you a drink later!"
Mato replied, "You guys go ahead, my stomach hurts."
Hiroshi stroked his beard, smiling silently.
He had been considering whether to teach Natsume the training method for Aura Sphere.
As the Champion of the Touran Conference, Hiroshi had his pride.
But after seeing this, Hiroshi believed that Natsume, as a Trainer, had earned the right to inherit his teachings.
"Letting him learn from it would be beneficial," Hiroshi thought, nodding with a smile.
Amid the roaring cheers, Natsume picked up Sylveon with both hands.
"Are you hurt?"
"Sylveon! (｀皿｀)??"
"Oh right... let's check more carefully when we get home."
"Sylveon!（○｀ 3′○）"
Sylveon puffed out its cheeks, quietly wrapping its ribbon around Natsume's arm.
"Natsume-sensei really made it to the Finals!"
"A non-professional contestant reaching the Finals... that's a new record, right?"
"Wait, Natsume-sensei is registered as an amateur Trainer?"
...
The semifinals concluded, and Natsume charged into the Finals.
Shouta's pre-match comment, "My eyes are only on the Champion," became a memorable moment of the tournament.
In Group B, Haruki faced Sayuri and easily advanced to the Finals with Tyranitar.
Then, the System made a rare appearance.
[Ding! Mission discovered: 'Regional League Champion'
Task objective: Defeat the opponent in the Finals and win the championship.
Mission reward: Skill Level-Up Ticket, Random Orange Item *1]
"You only give me the mission now, in the Finals?!"
Natsume twitched his mouth. "So if I lose the Finals, I get nothing?"
Still, the Skill Level-Up Ticket was quite valuable.
At the very least, it would help him break through the long-stalled [Cooking Lv4] and reach the realm of a 'culinary god.'
Returning home, Natsume tried to catch Sylveon.
"Are you hurt or not? Let me check again!"
"Sylveon! (〃＞皿＜)" Sylveon darted around in panic.
Squirtle poured a cup of hot tea for Gengar.
Gengar and Squirtle sat on the couch, blowing on the steam, calm and harmonious.
"Growlithe~~" (I wanna play too~~)
Growlithe panted excitedly, joining the chase, only to be sent flying by Sylveon's Iron Tail.
"Growlithe (O_o)??" Growlithe lay on the ground, utterly confused.
As if sensing the harmonious and joyful atmosphere of Natsume-sensei's home,
Crack~
Another fissure appeared on the Pokémon egg.
"Gengar?" Gengar glanced at it, blinking its big eyes.
A new member is about to join the family.
A joyous occasion, indeed~
🌟 Join My Patreon and Unlock Exclusive Pokémon Content! 🌟
👉patreon.com/PokemonStoryWeaver
Are you a fan of the Pokémon series? Become a member today and enjoy amazing benefits!
🌟 Membership: Pokémon Series - Gold Champion
Unlock access to 65 Chapters in advance!
Enjoy daily updates with 2 new chapters every day!
🌟 Membership: Pokémon Series - Platinum Legend
Unlock access to 270 Chapters in advance!
Enjoy daily updates with 5 new chapters every day!
Join now and immerse yourself in the exciting world of Pokémon like never before! Your support means the world to me!