Ch 28: The Rookie Tournament (3)

The next day, Mike prepared for his match, scheduled as the last one of the day. He made his way to the venue where the matches would be held, arriving early to watch the other battles and get a better understanding of the competition.

There were some changes to the format for this round. The battles had been switched to 2 vs. 2, meaning each trainer could use two Pokémon. Even though there weren't many trainers left, the change in format meant that each match took longer to finish.

At this stage, all of the remaining trainers had at least one Mid Rare Rank Pokémon. Some even had two Rare Rank Pokémon, which made the matches more exciting and challenging.

Mike noticed that Martina and Lopez had both made it this far as well. Each of them also had two Rare Rank Pokémon—one at Peak Rare Rank and the other at Mid Rare Rank—so they were well-prepared for the competition.

Mike had also heard that the top three favorites before he joined the tournament—Henry, Luke, and Sue—each had three Rare Rank Pokémon. One was at Peak Rank, and the other two were Mid Rare Rank, making them the trainers to watch out for.

The increased competition made the tournament even more interesting, and Mike knew that upcoming matches were going to be challenging.

Mike's opponent was a trainer named Darius, who hailed from Anister City. Known for his Bug-type Pokémon, Darius had built a reputation on his fast, aggressive battle style, overwhelming many opponents.

In this tournament, he had been relying on his Mid Rare Rank Beedrill, but Mike suspected there might be another Pokémon waiting in reserve.

As the announcer introduced both trainers, the crowd roared with excitement. Mike, calm and composed, walked to his side of the battlefield.

The referee raised his hand. "Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"

Darius, wearing a nervous smile, tossed his Pokéball. "Go, Beedrill!" he called, and the bug Pokémon emerged, its sharp twin needles gleaming as it buzzed menacingly in the air.

Mike gave a nod, pulling out his own Pokéball. "Let's give them a good show, Sylveon," he said softly. Sylveon appeared on the field in a flash of light, standing gracefully with her ribbons flowing in the gentle breeze.

Seeing the Peak Rare Rank Sylveon on the battlefield, the audience gasped audibly. Even the judges exchanged murmurs of surprise, realizing that Mike was not just any competitor.

His Sylveon was stronger than the Pokémon he had used in previous rounds, whispers going around that Mike had a real chance at winning the entire tournament.

Darius blinked in surprise but quickly shook it off. "We've got this, Beedrill. Let's go!" he shouted, refocusing.

"Start with Twineedle!" Darius commanded without hesitation.

Beedrill buzzed forward, its needle arms flashing as it shot towards Sylveon with incredible speed.

"Protect, Sylveon!" Mike said coolly.

Just before Beedrill could make contact, a shimmering shield surrounded Sylveon, blocking the sharp needles completely. Beedrill was forced to retreat, its attack useless.

"Set up Misty Terrain, Sylveon!" Mike called.

Sylveon's ribbons glowed softly as a thick mist began to spread across the battlefield, covering the ground with an ethereal, pinkish glow. The Misty Terrain would prevent status conditions and give Sylveon a boost to her Fairy-type moves.

Darius wasn't deterred. "Beedrill, use Pin Missile!"

Beedrill shot several glowing spikes from its stingers, the projectiles homing in on Sylveon from different angles.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, Sylveon!" Mike ordered.

Sylveon vanished in a blur of speed, weaving through the hail of missiles with ease. Her mastery over the move was evident, as she dodged each attack flawlessly.

"Now, Moonblast!"

Sylveon paused only for a second before gathering a glowing orb of lunar energy between her feelers. With a burst of light, she hurled the powerful Moonblast at Beedrill. The attack shot forward, but Darius acted fast.

"Beedrill, dodge and use Poison Jab!"

Beedrill barely evaded the Moonblast, and in an instant, its arm glowed purple as it darted in with a poisonous strike aimed directly at Sylveon.

"Evade, then Draining Kiss!" Mike countered.

Sylveon gracefully stepped aside, avoiding the dangerous jab. As Beedrill tried to pull back, Sylveon closed in, pressing her feelers against Beedrill in a soft Draining Kiss.

Beedrill staggered as its energy was sapped away, while Sylveon recovered a bit of her strength.

Darius bit his lip, seeing his Beedrill weaken rapidly. "We're not done yet! Beedrill, one more Twineedle!"

But Mike was ready to finish it. "Sylveon, use Magical Leaf!"

Bright, rainbow-colored leaves swirled around Sylveon, glowing with energy. She released them in a burst, sending them directly at Beedrill.

Though Beedrill tried to dodge, the leaves followed, homing in and striking the bug Pokémon with precision. Beedrill hit the ground hard, unable to continue.

"Beedrill is unable to battle! Mike's Sylveon wins the first round!" the referee declared.

The crowd erupted in applause as Sylveon stood tall. Despite the victory, she was ready for more.

Darius, now more determined, recalled his Beedrill. "You did great, Beedrill," he said before pulling out his second Pokéball. "Pinsir, let's go!"

A large Pinsir appeared on the battlefield, its massive horns clamping menacingly as it prepared to face Sylveon.

Pinsir to the battlefield, and although they weren't as strong as Sylveon in terms of rank, their synergy could be dangerous if Mike wasn't careful.

Darius gritted his teeth and recalled his fainted Beedrill. He was already nervous before the match as he know he couldn't win against Mike. But now he was feeling even more pressure.

But he didn't want to quit it as there was a chance of getting a Junior Rank trainer license if his performance was good enough in judges eyes.

The crowd had seen Sylveon's incredible strength, and the odds were stacking against him.

With a steady hand, Darius sent out his next Pokémon. "Pinsir, it's your turn!"

The large Bug-type Pokémon materialized on the field, its massive pincers snapping fiercely. Mike was a little surprised too, Ashe previously thought that Darius other Pokémon should be also around Rare Rank.

But seeing this Pinsir he was sure that it was his ace Pokemon. This Pinsir was very close to being a Peak Rare Rank Pokemon. The crowd grew silent for a moment, watching as the battle resumed.

"Pinsir, X-Scissor, now!" Darius commanded immediately, not wanting to give Mike a chance to get comfortable.

Pinsir's pincers glowed with a green light as it charged at Sylveon, aiming to strike with the bug-type move.

"Sylveon, dodge and use Substitute!" Mike responded calmly.

Sylveon deftly sidestepped Pinsir's charge, leaving a decoy of herself behind as Pinsir's attack connected with the substitute. The doll shattered upon impact, but Sylveon remained unharmed, standing a few feet away.

"Pinsir, don't let up! Use Brick Break!" Darius ordered, frustration clear in his voice.

Pinsir rushed again, its arm glowing as it prepared to smash through Sylveon's defenses. But Mike was still in control of the match.

"Sylveon, use Draining Kiss!"

As Pinsir lunged forward, Sylveon darted in quickly and kissed Pinsir, releasing a soft pink glow.

The kiss drained a portion of Pinsir's energy while restoring Sylveon's stamina. Pinsir staggered back, visibly weakened from the draining attack.

"Now, again Moonblast!" Mike commanded.

Sylveon charged up another lunar orb and fired it directly at Pinsir. The blast hit hard, knocking Pinsir backward and sending it reeling.

"Pinsir again use X-Scissor!"

Dispite the damage it take. Pinsir get up and again come forward with pincers glowed with a green light as it charged at Sylveon, aiming to strike with the bug-type move.

"Use Quick attack!"

Sylveon again use her mastery of Quick attack to dodge Pinsirs move. Darius seeing that his moves are not getting through, he started to become more frustrated.

Darius clenched his fists. "Pinsir, Use Guillotine!"

Pinsir's pincers glowed dangerously as it moved forward, aiming for a one-hit KO. The powerful move could turn the tide if it connected, but Mike wasn't going to let that happen.

"Sylveon, Protect!" Mike shouted.

Just as Pinsir's pincers closed in on Sylveon, a shimmering barrier appeared, blocking the lethal attack completely.

"Let's end this, Sylveon! Use Hyper Beam!"

Sylveon's eyes glowed as she gathered her energy, releasing a massive golden beam that engulfed Pinsir. The Bug-type Pokémon had no chance to evade, and the powerful attack knocked it out cold.

"Pinsir is unable to battle! The winner is Mike and his Sylveon!" the referee announced.

The crowd roared in approval as Mike stood victorious, with Sylveon by his side. Though Sylveon was still standing, it was clear she was also a bit tired after using powerful moves, in the battle. She had used considerable amount of Stamina and strength to take down both Beedrill and Pinsir.

Darius sighed in defeat and recalled his Pinsir. "Your Sylveon is really powerful, Mike. I didn't stand a chance."

"Thanks," Mike replied with a smile, patting Sylveon gently. "You put up a good fight. Beedrill and Pinsir were also tough."

As Mike walked off the battlefield, the crowd were abuzz with excitement after seeing the matches.

With a Pokémon as strong as Sylveon, Mike was becoming one of the frontrunners for the tournament, and now, he had his also became qualify for the quarterfinals.

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