The Elite Eight tournament, a decisive match for the coveted title of the Elite Four, was underway.
Aside from fame, reaching the Elite Four came with the honor of being invited to serve as an official in the League.
Contestants could decline the position, but beyond that, there wasn't much difference in rewards between finishing in the top four and top eight.
The schedule for the matches spanned four days, with one battle per day.
On the first day, the forest stage set Hancock against Saul, creating an immediate disadvantage for Saul.
Hancock's snake-like Pokémon team wielded a double-layered mastery of Haki. When moves like Bind or Iron Tail combined with Armament Haki, they became remarkably powerful.
The naturally defensive Onix, coated in Armament Haki, left Saul's team struggling to make a dent.
Despite Saul's formidable abilities, he eventually succumbed to Hancock, whose prowess placed her a full tier above him.
It was a disappointing loss for Saul, who had hoped that the Elite Four position would grant him the authority and respect he needed to pursue justice more effectively.
Nonetheless, he aimed to join the League, hoping for a respectable position, perhaps even joining the education department alongside Olvia to study ancient history.
The second day's scheduled match was supposed to be Brook versus Mihawk. However, Mihawk's withdrawal allowed Brook to advance directly to the semi-finals, creating an impromptu day of rest for the players and fans alike.
As a result, League Calendar marked March 8, with just a week left until the tournament concluded and League City closed until the next event.
On the third day, Hannyabal faced off against Vista in the plains arena, setting the stage for a true contest of strength.
Both trainers were evenly matched, with Hannyabal's Pokémon having a slight level advantage and the type matchups being balanced.
This match was as intense as Charlotte and Law's earlier clash, with no clear winner until the last second.
Vista's team, dubbed the "dual-sword master" lineup, featured Gallade, Sneasel, Pawniard, Empoleon, Scyther, and Kricketune. However, many of these Pokémon were still in their first evolution stages, putting Vista at a disadvantage against Hannyabal's fully evolved lineup.
Nevertheless, Vista trained his Pokémon according to his own style, focusing on sword techniques rather than traditional moves.
Empoleon, with its Water-Steel typing, was usually a trump card. Its type advantage neutralized most opponents, with only three typings strong against it.
However, Empoleon fell short this time, as Hannyabal's Krookodile boasted Ground-Dark typing, countering Empoleon. With a powerful Earthquake, Krookodile took Empoleon down.
Hannyabal kept the 1v1 tradition from his match with Newgate, leading to an evenly split victory for each trainer.
In the final rounds, Hannyabal's Krookodile overcame Vista's Kricketune and Sneasel, before finally defeating Vista's last Pokémon, Gallade, with Zoroark's finishing blow. This secured Hannyabal's place in the top four.
With that, all three members of the Whitebeard Pirates were out of the tournament—two in the top sixteen, and one in the top eight.
The fourth day's battle featured Kuzan versus Charlotte, with the lakeside setting shaping an unusual and intense confrontation.
Kuzan's team of Ice-type Pokémon included Froslass, Cloyster, Lapras, Mamoswine, Alolan Sandslash, and Abomasnow.
Charlotte's rare lineup included Charizard, Magmortar, Glaceon, Inteleon, Dedenne, and a fossil Pokémon, Tyrantrum.
Charlotte's collection of rare Pokémon drew intense curiosity. From Charizard, a renowned Kanto starter, to the ancient fossil Tyrantrum, her team inspired speculation about her true identity.
On paper, their Pokémon levels were evenly matched, with each side boasting type advantages. However, the real surprise lay in Charlotte's training approach. Unlike other contestants who taught their Pokémon dual-layered Haki, she had taught hers ninjutsu, greatly expanding their movesets.
This unique approach leaned toward the traditional Pokémon training style rather than the Haki-focused techniques popular in the current era.
The match started with Charlotte's Tyrantrum, only to have it fall quickly to Alolan Sandslash's Ice-Ground combination, which hit the Rock-Dragon type with a four-times weakness.
The audience immediately assumed Charlotte would lose, as she had already lost one of her strongest Pokémon.
But the tables turned swiftly.
In the next round, Magmortar retaliated with a barrage of Fire-type moves and Fire Release jutsu, finishing Sandslash with an A-Class Fire Release technique, Great Flame Ring. Alolan Sandslash's dual Haki bought it some time, but it ultimately succumbed, leveling the playing field.
Next, Lapras took down Magmortar with Water Pulse combined with Armament Haki. Charlotte responded by sending out Dedenne, whose Thunderbolt and A-Class Lightning Release, Chidori Blitz, delivered the knockout blow to Lapras.
Both trainers had lost two Pokémon within the span of fifteen minutes.
The audience was captivated by the blend of Pokémon moves and ninjutsu, making for a truly unique battle style.
(End of Chapter)
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