In the Combat Hall.
The third round of matches was about to commence.
For this round, students would challenge each other directly, with one condition: they could only target opponents ranked higher than themselves. If a challenger lost, they were ineligible to initiate further challenges and could only be challenged by others. A successful challenge allowed them to wait for their next opportunity to face even higher-ranked opponents until eventually defeated.
The order of challenges began with the highest-ranked student, starting from second place, though participants had the option to skip their turn.
Hassa from the Ellie Region held the second position, most likely aiming to challenge Kalia for the top spot; otherwise, it would signify surrender, which seemed highly improbable.
As expected, Hassa chose to challenge Kalia. Previously, he had been the top-ranked student in the mid-level class but lost his standing during the second round. Now, regaining that first-place position was crucial.
Moreover, Hassa's Pokemon naturally countered Kalia's team, giving him a significant advantage. Unless Hassa was foolish, there was no reason for him to pass up this challenge.
In the front row of spectators, a student from the advanced class turned to Kalia, surprised, "Who is she? I've never seen her before."
"I think she's an external participant from our region, named Kalia. She's definitely a dark horse, managing to secure first place in the second round."
"Between Hassa and Kalia, who do you think will win?"
"I bet Kalia will win," Sean suddenly spoke up beside him.
"That's not certain; Hassa's Pokemon clearly have an advantage over this Kalia. I think Hassa will triumph."
"Wanna make it interesting with a wager?"
"What kind of bet?"
"How about your Flight Essence Crystal?" Sean casually suggested, but his eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"How did you know I have a Flight Essence Crystal?" The student became instantly cautious; he hadn't revealed this to anyone, and the Pokemon League had yet to publicly disclose information on Z-Moves.
"Don't worry about how I knew, just say if you're in or out?" Sean pressed, implying that without agreeing to the bet, there was no further discussion.
"Fine, let's bet, but you need to put something at stake too," the student confidently responded, ready to challenge Sean.
"If I lose, I'll give you my Flame Orb, is that satisfactory?" Sean offered.
"Deal, we've got ourselves a bet." The student looked supremely confident, as while unfamiliar with Kalia, he knew Hassa well.
Kalia's three Pokemon specialized in Special moves, making them virtually ineffective against Hassa's Blissey. This seemed like a surefire victory for Hassa, so not betting would be missing out big time.
Sean observed their confident grins; it was too early to celebrate as the outcome remained uncertain - only time would tell.
On the battlefield, Kalia faced the young man with curly blonde hair dressed in deep blue academy attire, none other than Hassa. His striking golden curls seemed inherited from his mother, adding to his appealing appearance.
As both a mid-level student and a Trainer hailing from the Ellie Region, Hassa stood out at the Pokemon Academy. Alongside Hilary and a few others, he held great promise for advancing to the advanced class within the next year.
To qualify for the advanced class, one must attain at least mid-level Trainer status. According to Sebas region's standards, this required earning six or more badges, meaning successful challenges of all Silver Rank Gyms were necessary.
Kalia had already familiarized herself with Hassa's Pokemon lineup. Despite potential type advantages, victory or defeat wasn't her primary concern; she focused on giving her best effort in battle.
Winning signified progress, while losing provided insights into areas needing improvement, fostering growth.
Having pondered extensively over Hassa's challenge, Kalia devised several strategies she intended to test during the match.
"Both challengers, please send out your Pokemon," announced the referee of the Combat Hall, signaling the official start of this crucial battle. The outcome would determine whether Kalia could maintain her top position.
If she defeated Hassa, most other students would likely hesitate to challenge her further, knowing that even Hassa, who frequently held the first place, couldn't overcome her. Naturally, they'd lack confidence in defeating Kalia and might opt instead for challenging someone ranked slightly higher to improve their own standings.
Hassa swiftly retrieved a Poké Ball, tossed it into the air, and as it opened automatically, releasing its red light onto the ground, a tall blue Pokémon emerged beside him - unmistakably a Water-type Feraligatr. This was Hassa's starter Pokémon, also originating from the Ellie Region.
The blue Feraligatr is purely a Water-type Pokémon. By sending out Feraligatr first, Hassa clearly aimed to leverage its resistance against Fire-types to quickly eliminate Ninetales.
With this strategy, if he could endure until Sunny Day ended, Kalia would no longer be able to initiate another Sunny Day condition. Without Sunny Day, Kalia's advantage would diminish significantly.
Blissey's offensive capabilities were relatively weak, as widely known. Hassa's decision was undoubtedly correct; sending out Blissey initially would have only resulted in it taking damage without much retaliation.
"Go, Ninetales," Kalia confidently deployed Ninetales, regardless of her opponent's choice. Ensuring Sunny Day with Ninetales' Ability remained crucial for her strategy.
As soon as Ninetales entered the field, it let out an elegant cry, activating its Drought Ability instantly. The weather turned scorching hot, and the sunlight became intense, making it difficult to gaze directly at it.
The temperature rapidly increased, becoming even more sweltering. Hassa's Feraligatr visibly felt uncomfortable, as the surrounding fire energy exerted pressure on its Water-type nature.
Feraligatr emitted a deep roar, its naturally aggressive temperament unable to tolerate being suppressed under these conditions.
"Feraligatr, charge forward and use Crunch!" Hassa issued his command. Under Sunny Day, utilizing Water-type moves was disadvantageous, and his Feraligatr excelled in attack-oriented moves, which had limited options within the Water-type category.
The most common Water-type attacks include Waterfall and Aqua Tail, but Feraligatr hadn't mastered these yet. Therefore, using Crunch proved to be a better alternative.
Crunch's power is substantial and unaffected by Sunny Day, making it the most suitable move against Ninetales at this moment.
"Ninetales, dodge the attack and use Safeguard!" Kalia did not command Ninetales to counterattack; among her Pokémon, the primary damage dealer was Charmeleon. Ninetales' main objective was to create favorable conditions for Charmeleon, even if it meant getting defeated itself.
Kalia had a strategic overview of the battle. Blissey's offensive capabilities were not strong, but it possessed various moves capable of inducing negative status effects, such as Thunder Wave and Sing.
Once Charmeleon enters the field, if it gets paralyzed or put to sleep, rendering it unable to deal damage, Blissey becomes significantly harder to handle. While Sleep can be manageable, Paralysis with its prolonged duration poses the greatest threat to Charmeleon.
Ninetales activated Safeguard, creating a massive spherical barrier of light that enveloped it, protecting against any abnormal status conditions.
Simultaneously, Feraligatr propelled itself forward with a powerful leap, roaring as it charged towards Ninetales. Its mouth filled with sharp teeth and a scarlet tongue, it lunged at Ninetales, aiming for a vicious bite.
With Kalia's prompt, Ninetales swiftly darted away to evade Feraligatr's bite. Unfortunately, despite its speed, Feraligatr was equally swift and quickly caught up, managing to sink its teeth into Ninetales.
Ninetales stumbled under the force of the crunch, sustaining significant damage. Feraligatr then retreated, preparing for another assault.
Though not incapacitated, it was evident that the Crunch move had seriously injured Ninetales.
"Return," Kalia decisively switched her Pokemon. Ninetales was crucial, serving as one of her core team members. Since Ninetales hadn't been defeated yet, she opted to bring out Charmeleon next.
Without Ninetales' assistance, even though Charmeleon was powerful, it couldn't fully maximize its output with Sunny Day. Thus, defeating Ninetales prematurely was not an option.
"Hassel, use Crunch on the incoming Charmeleon!" Hassa smiled but chose not to switch his Pokemon. He believed this presented the perfect offensive opportunity. Charmeleon typically relied on its formidable Fire-type moves to overpower opponents.
However, regardless of its strength, Charmeleon is known for its weak defensive capabilities. Once an opening appeared, Charmeleon would undoubtedly fall easily.
During the second round of battles, Hassa had closely observed Charmeleon's performance. Noticing that it rarely took direct hits, he concluded with certainty that this Charmeleon must have low defense attributes.