Top Four Qualifying Tournament

The next day, when Yuga arrived at the stadium, he noticed that the audience members were brimming with excitement, all eagerly anticipating the final showdown.

At 7:30, the tournament's big screen displayed the groupings and order of matches for the seven remaining competitors:

First match: Erika vs. the Old Man

Second match: Ash vs. Anya

Third match: Bill vs. Nobukata

Bye: Hana

Ash facing Anya came as a surprise to many since both were highly favored to win the championship, though Ash's chances were slightly more favored.

At 8:00 sharp, the matches officially began.

Standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, the Old Man was visibly nervous, completely unprepared for such a strong opponent right from the start.

However, seeing his grandson in the audience energetically cheering for him, he had no choice but to muster his courage and proceed.

As soon as the Rotom camera signaled the start of the match, both contestants released their Pokémon. The Old Man sent out a Victreebel, while Erika countered with a Vileplume—two Pokémon with identical typings.

Determined to avoid an embarrassing loss, the Old Man made the first move.

"Victreebel, Sunny Day!"

Victreebel's ability was Chlorophyll, and Sunny Day would significantly boost its performance.

The Old Man had done his homework, analyzing Erika's previous battles. However, since she had defeated her opponents so effortlessly, he couldn't discern the ability of her Vileplume.

Vileplume's abilities typically fell into one of two categories: Chlorophyll or Effect Spore. Though the Old Man wasn't an accomplished Trainer, he still had a solid grasp of the basics.

If Vileplume's ability was Effect Spore, Sunny Day would have no effect on it. However, if it was Chlorophyll, the Old Man had already prepared a counter.

As Victreebel launched a golden orb into the sky, the battlefield temperature noticeably rose, and the sun shone even brighter, dazzlingly so.

With the weather now altered to Sunny Day, Victreebel's Chlorophyll activated, enhancing its speed. But Erika's Vileplume remained motionless, leaving the Old Man unsure about its ability.

"No matter!"

The Old Man steeled himself and commanded, "Victreebel, Gastro Acid!"

Regardless of whether Vileplume's ability was Chlorophyll or Effect Spore, neutralizing it with Gastro Acid could only be beneficial.

But while the Old Man was executing his plan, Erika and her Vileplume had no intention of cooperating. Before his command was fully given, a brilliant golden beam erupted from Vileplume's floral crown, engulfing Victreebel in an instant.

With a single cry of pain, Victreebel collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated.

Seeing his Pokémon taken down so swiftly, the Old Man felt a brief dizziness and even turned pale.

Noticing his discomfort, Erika quickly expressed her concern. "Sir, are you okay?"

Regaining his composure, the Old Man replied, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just getting old. The future belongs to the younger generation like you."

As he spoke, he recalled Victreebel back into its Poké Ball.

Despite all his carefully devised strategies to counter Erika, he had overlooked one undeniable truth: in the face of absolute strength, no tactic could prevail.

For his second Pokémon, the Old Man chose an Exeggutor, banking on its Psychic typing to counter Erika's Poison-type Pokémon.

Though he knew he stood little chance of winning, he was determined to give it his all. After all, his beloved grandson was watching from the stands. Even in defeat, he wanted to lose with dignity.

As soon as the Old Man's Exeggutor appeared, it was bombarded by relentless poisonous attacks from Vileplume.

While Psychic-type moves are strong against Poison-type Pokémon, Poison-types also have an advantage over Grass-types.

Wave after wave of poison was launched, and Exeggutor continuously countered by using Psychic to disperse the attacks.

However, Vileplume was a Pokémon at the Elite Four level, far surpassing Exeggutor in endurance. Soon, Exeggutor's mental strength waned, and it was struck by a glob of poison.

Things went from bad to worse—Exeggutor was poisoned.

Seeing Exeggutor's stamina steadily drain, the Old Man wanted it to use Synthesis to recover, but Erika wasn't about to let that happen. A single Sludge Bomb decisively knocked out Exeggutor.

Recalling his Exeggutor, the Old Man gave a bitter smile. "The gap is just too large."

Meanwhile, Erika felt somewhat disappointed with the Old Man's strength. She hoped one of her upcoming opponents would be strong enough to push her to her limits. She thought to herself, If no one here can challenge me, I might as well visit Gym Leader Shimizu more often. Battling him is much more interesting than facing these Trainers.

The Old Man's final Pokémon was a Ludicolo, the strongest member of his team, which he had already used in a previous match.

As soon as Ludicolo appeared, it began dancing joyfully, eliciting laughter from the audience. However, Erika and Vileplume remained serious and focused, showing their respect for the match.

While dancing, Ludicolo maneuvered closer to Vileplume and swung its Ice Punch at it.

Vileplume, being a stationary Pokémon with slow mobility, typically fought by standing its ground and attacking without moving. Even in the face of Ludicolo's close-range assault, it didn't budge.

Just as Ludicolo's punch was about to connect, a pillar of petals erupted from the ground, sending Ludicolo flying into the air.

Flailing helplessly midair, Ludicolo cried out, only to be hit by a Sludge Bomb that sent it crashing to the ground.

Upon landing, Ludicolo writhed in agony, the poisonous residue from the Sludge Bomb corroding its wounds. The pain was akin to having salt rubbed into fresh injuries.

"Ludicolo, Surf!"

Realizing Ludicolo might be poisoned, the Old Man urgently commanded it.

Following the command, Ludicolo summoned a massive wave and dove into it.

The Old Man wasn't just trying to attack Vileplume with Surf—he also hoped the water would wash away some of the poison afflicting Ludicolo.

Though this method was only a temporary solution and wouldn't cure the poisoning, it could at least slow its effects.

As the towering wave rushed toward it, Vileplume responded by using Dazzling Gleam. Its body radiated dazzling rainbow-colored light as it charged directly into the wave.

BOOM!!!

With a deafening crash, the wave shattered, and Ludicolo tumbled out of the water, its head tilting to the side as it fainted.

Though Vileplume emerged soaking wet, looking a bit bedraggled, it had suffered little actual damage.

"It's over!!! Miss Erika is the winner! Congratulations to Miss Erika for becoming the first contestant to advance to the semifinals!"

As soon as the match ended, Vivian's excited voice echoed across the stadium.

In truth, Erika wasn't the first to advance to the semifinals—Hana, who had a bye, had technically secured her spot earlier.

The reason Hana wasn't mentioned was that she didn't have a match in this round, so Vivian simply overlooked her.

After stepping off the field, the Old Man, feeling a bit down, made his way to the stands. Upon seeing his grandson, he said apologetically, "I'm sorry, my dear. Grandpa couldn't win the match. I must've let you down."

To his surprise, his grandson, Colt, wasn't upset at all. Instead, he ran into the Old Man's arms, playfully exclaiming, "Grandpa, you were amazing just now! I was so absorbed in watching you! You're the coolest grandpa ever!"

The Old Man was deeply moved by these words and thought to himself: Even if I couldn't win that Grass-type Pokémon today, I'll make sure to get my precious grandson an outstanding Pokémon in the future.

Seated near the Old Man's family were several of his old friends from the nursing home. Seeing him return, they each chimed in with praise, saying he hadn't lost his touch. The Old Man's disappointment over the loss quickly melted away in the warmth of their encouragement.

The second match featured Ash and Anya, two top contenders for the championship, which made the arena buzz with excitement.

When both stepped onto the field, Anya couldn't help but focus intensely as she spotted Ash. Though not close friends, they were acquainted, and she had some understanding of Ash's strength.

At the signal for the match to begin, both Trainers sent out their Pokémon simultaneously.

Ash's first Pokémon was a Meganium, while Anya released a brand-new Pokémon not used in the dyel tournament before: a Leavanny.

The moment Meganium entered the field, it began swinging its Vine Whip, relentlessly lashing at Leavanny. But Leavanny displayed extraordinary agility, dodging gracefully. Even when it was struck, its body bore the lash marks without sustaining any real damage.

While evading Meganium's whips, Leavanny used its nimbleness to close the distance. Its arms crossed as it executed a X-Scissor, aiming directly for Meganium's neck.

Leavanny's arms were equipped with sharp blades, and as a Bug-type move, X-Scissor had a clear advantage over the Grass-type Meganium. If the attack landed, Meganium would undoubtedly lose.

However, Ash and Meganium were not unprepared for Leavanny's approach. Just as it lunged, Meganium raised its right front foot and stomped heavily on the ground. Cracks spread rapidly across the battlefield, reaching Leavanny and throwing it off balance. Nearly toppling over, its X-Scissor failed to connect.

Meganium had used the move Stomp, which not only interrupted Leavanny's attack but also reduced its speed.

Leavanny excelled at physical offense, but the presence of Stomp made it difficult for it to approach Meganium easily, leaving it in a bind.

Forced to retreat, Leavanny found itself once again under a barrage of Vine Whip strikes. With its speed reduced, it now struggled to evade the onslaught.

Noticing Leavanny's predicament, Anya shouted, "Leavanny, Agility! Follow with Aerial Ace!"

As Anya's command rang out, Leavanny's speed surged dramatically. Using Aerial Ace, it instantly closed the gap to Meganium. Its blade-like arms gleamed with white light as it slashed from both sides.

"Meganium, Return!"

Ash's response was swift as he directed Meganium to counterattack.

Meganium's body began to glow with white light as it mustered all its strength to ram into Leavanny.

The move Return becomes more powerful the stronger the bond between the Pokémon and its Trainer. Considering the deep connection between Ash and Meganium, the attack's power was undoubtedly at its maximum.

Leavanny was sent flying, but Sceptile also took a direct hit from Aerial Ace. If it weren't for its high defense, it might not have endured.

Leavanny, however, did not have Meganium's level of defense. Being slammed by such a heavyweight Pokémon caused significant damage, leaving it kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Leavanny, use Agility!" Anya commanded.

"Meganium, Aromatherapy!" Ash quickly countered.

Agility would boost Leavanny's speed, but Aromatherapy could reduce its evasiveness.

As the field was engulfed in a sweet and heavy fragrance, Leavanny struggled significantly, finding it increasingly difficult to dodge the oncoming vine whips. It was soon struck several times in quick succession.

Meganium, categorized as the Herb Pokémon, naturally emits a special fragrance, making Aromatherapy one of its signature moves.

Spotting a weakness, Sceptile's vines suddenly ensnared Leavanny. Though it used its sharp bladed arms to cut through the vines, another quickly appeared, binding it once again.

Finally, a Grass Pledge sealed the match, and Leavanny fainted.

Leavanny's loss caused Anya to furrow her brows in frustration. After a moment's thought, she sent out her second Pokémon, Roserade, a high-level Pokémon in pseudo-Elite level, even slightly stronger than Ash's Meganium.

Unlike the close-combat-oriented Leavanny, Roserade was a long-range specialist. Its first move was Toxic, scattering a wide area of poisonous liquid. Ash's Meganium was soon badly poisoned.

However, Anya didn't immediately command Roserade to attack. Instead, she had it circle Meganium and spread toxic traps around the field.

For a poisoned Meganium, stepping into the traps would lower its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed significantly.

As expected, surrounded by toxic traps, Meganium's movements became heavily restricted.

"Meganium, use Aromatherapy!"

While Meganium couldn't use recovery moves like Heal Pulse, it did know Aromatherapy, a status-clearing move.

After the poisoned state was removed, Roserade used Sludge Bomb, and Meganium was unfortunately poisoned again.

This time, before Meganium could use Aromatherapy to clear the condition, it was brought down by Roserade's Venoshock.

Venoshock's power doubles against poisoned targets, and with Poison-type moves being super effective against Grass-types, Meganium was no match.

Ash then sent out his second Pokémon, Sceptile. Compared to the slower Meganium, Sceptile was much more agile. Roserade's poison attacks and traps found it hard to hit such a nimble opponent. Even if Sceptile got caught in a trap, it could easily escape with a swift leap.

Moreover, with its excellent mobility and quick reflexes, Sceptile managed to land two powerful Dragon Pulses on Roserade.

Seeing that Roserade's poison strategy wasn't working, Anya grew increasingly anxious.

"Sceptile, Dragon Pulse!"

At Ash's command, a blue dragon-shaped energy wave shot toward Roserade. Roserade scrambled to roll on the ground, barely dodging the Dragon Pulse in the nick of time.

Boom!

The attack left a massive crater in the ground, and Roserade broke into a cold sweat. Another Dragon Pulse could very well knock it out.

After a moment's thought, Anya ordered, "Roserade, use Grass Whistle!"

Hearing the command, Roserade quickly got up, pulling out a leaf. It brought it to its mouth and began to play, the soothing melody resonating throughout the arena. Meanwhile, Sceptile found its eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

"Sceptile, hang in there!"

Ash shouted to keep Sceptile alert, but despite his encouragement, Sceptile eventually succumbed and fell asleep.