Quarterfinals

After advancing to the Round of 16, Su Hao once again sent out only Incineroar and easily defeated his opponent in the quarterfinal qualifying match.

By two in the afternoon, the list of quarterfinalists had been finalized.

They were Su Hao, Li Hua, Wen Hao, Jiang Chengcheng, Kong Lingwei, Qi Shu, Xie Hongbo, and Wang Jin.

Of the eight, Su Hao, Li Hua, and Jiang Chengcheng were students from Class 1, Third Year Grade.

Wen Hao was from Class 2, Third Year Grade. His main Pokémon were a Normal Level Squirtle and Heracross.

Kong Lingwei and Qi Shu were both students from Class 5. During the quarterfinal qualifying match, Kong Lingwei had demonstrated her Psychic-type abilities, using them to assist her Normal Level Natu in unleashing an Elite Level attack that defeated He Xu from Class 1 and his Snivy.

Qi Shu, meanwhile, used a Normal Level Liepard and a Novice Level Seel.

As students from Class 8 and Class 10 respectively, Xie Hongbo and Wang Jin also each had one Normal Level Pokémon and one Novice Level Pokémon.

After the computer's allocation, the matchups had been decided.

Su Hao would face Wen Hao, Li Hua would face Wang Jin, and Jiang Chengcheng would face Qi Shu.

Class 1's Li Hua was the first to take the field. His Swablu had advanced to the Normal Level that morning, and under the fierce assault of Li Hua's Mid Stage Normal Level Blue Raven and Early Normal Level Swablu, Wang Jin from Class 10 was quickly defeated.

The Liepard used by Jiang Chengcheng's opponent, Qi Shu, proved rather troublesome. After Pangoro defeated Seel, it was toyed with and defeated by Liepard.

Facing Liepard's ghostly speed, Machop had no answer for the time being and could only remain locked in a stalemate.

With more and more injuries appearing across its body, Machop erupted completely in desperation. The Evolutionary Light broke the deadlock, and the evolved Machamp used Counter during a gap in Liepard's attacks, blasting Liepard away.

The super-effective move, coupled with Machamp's attack that had accumulated rage for so long, directly left the frail Liepard Out of Battle.

In the spectator stands, everyone was discussing who would win this match.

Some believed Wen Hao would win. Both of Su Hao's Pokémon were countered by his Squirtle, and within the same level, only a small number could win while fighting against an unfavorable type matchup.

Others believed Su Hao would win. Even after reaching the quarterfinals, Su Hao had only used one Normal Level Pokémon, Incineroar. The strength of Carbink, his Starter Pokémon, remained unknown.

In front of the Award Stage, Su Xu, seated together with Yangcheng High School's leaders, was asked by the principal beside him, "Gym Leader Su, do you have confidence in your son's victory?"

With his eyes closed and arms folded, Su Xu replied, "He could already defeat Elite Level Pokémon before school started."

"So that's how it is..." Learning this explosive piece of news, the people around them were extraordinarily shocked.

[Now entering the field are Su Hao from Class 1, Third Year Grade, and Wen Hao from Class 2, Third Year Grade.]

[Each side will use two Pokémon and may switch freely. Victory goes to the side that renders both opposing Pokémon Out of Battle.]

[Now, please release your Pokémon at the same time!]

"Go, Carbink!"

"Go, Heracross!"

"Holy shit!"

A wave of commotion arose from the audience, while several beads of cold sweat unconsciously appeared on Wen Hao's forehead as he stood on the field.

Carbink, facing off against Heracross on the battlefield, released its aura without restraint, brutally revealing a cruel fact!

Elite Level!

Su Hao's Starter Pokémon had advanced to the Elite Level during the brief month-and-a-half winter break!

Facing Carbink, whose strength surpassed its own by an entire stage, Heracross was somewhat intimidated as well.

Every level represented a massive leap in a Pokémon's strength. For Wen Hao and the other students, defeating a higher-level opponent with a lower-level Pokémon was practically fantasy.

Faced with Elite Level Carbink, Wen Hao had no idea how he could defeat her.

But with the arrow on the string, he had no choice but to fire it. He had stepped onto the battlefield—if he surrendered without even fighting, what kind of Trainer could he be in the future?

"Heracross, use Thrash and give it everything you've got!"

Heracross, also known as Pinsir, had a brown body and two large, long horns covered in small spikes on its head. Its teeth formed rows like toothbrush bristles on either side, making it look especially ferocious.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Maintaining a charging posture, Heracross aimed its two horns wrapped in white light at Carbink and charged straight ahead!

Heracross, speeding forward at high velocity, turned into a streak of white light that cut through the air and slammed toward Carbink.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

Dazzling rainbow light shone from the diamonds on Carbink's body, then gathered around her to form a colorful shield.

Unwilling to yield before the incoming Heracross, Carbink collided with it head-on.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The shockwaves produced by their clash swept across the entire battlefield.

With every collision, Heracross's force diminished considerably, until it could no longer withstand the pressure Carbink brought.

"Thud!!!"

Heracross was slammed into the ground by Carbink and was Out of Battle.

"A very impressive Heracross," Su Hao commented.

Being able to clash with Carbink so many times despite only being at the Normal Level, this Heracross truly was outstanding.

Recalling Heracross, Wen Hao threw out his second Pokémon—Squirtle.

Squirtle was a turtle Pokémon. Its body was a relatively light indigo color, and its oval head had a pair of fluffy ears resembling wings.

Its eyes were brown, tiny fangs could be seen in its mouth, and there were small dark-blue oval markings on its cheeks. Its forelimbs had three sharp claws, while its tail was fluffy.

Pokémon: [Squirtle]

Type: [Water-type]

Gender: [Female]

Ability: [Torrent]

Level: [25]

Item: [Mystic Water]

Moves: [Water Gun, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Protect, Aqua Jet, Dragon Pulse]

"Squirtle, Aqua Jet!" Wen Hao no longer felt that he could win, but... at the very least, he had to deal effective damage to Carbink.

Although Aqua Jet, as a priority move, could not guarantee moving first in reality, it was still extremely fast.

Water burst violently from Squirtle's entire body as it rammed toward Carbink with unstoppable momentum.

"Moonblast!"

"Naa—!"

A pink sphere of energy formed above Carbink's head. Contrary to its gentle color, the aura emerging from within it was immensely destructive and overwhelmingly powerful.

After condensing Moonblast, Carbink controlled it and locked onto Squirtle.

Facing the incoming Moonblast, Squirtle used every trick it had to evade.

Yet no matter where it darted with the speed provided by Aqua Jet, Moonblast clung to it like a parasite on the bone.

Finally, after Carbink poured additional energy into Moonblast, the attack accelerated once more and caught up to Squirtle.

"Rumble—"

Moonblast struck Squirtle directly on the back, and the exploding attack turned into pink mist that spread through the air.

When the smoke dispersed, the battered Squirtle was barely still standing on the field.

"Squirtle, Squirtle!"

Squirtle's brown eyes looked at Wen Hao with determination. It did not want to admit defeat like this.

Wen Hao wiped his eyes and nodded at Squirtle. "All right, let's go again!"

"Water Pulse!"

Squirtle withdrew its entire body into its shell, which began spinning at high speed.

Azure water gradually spread from within the rapidly spinning shell.

The water followed the shell's rotation, gradually forming a blade of water.

As Squirtle continued spinning, the water blade became sharper and sharper.

"Power Gem!"

A radiance even more dazzling than gemstones gradually formed around Carbink. Under Carbink's control, it transformed into gem swords and charged at the water blade created by Squirtle with irresistible force.

The rapidly spinning current collided with the gemstone swords formed from light, and the sharp sound of intense friction rang out from the center of the clash.

Several seconds later, the water blade locked in a stalemate against the gem swords gradually slowed and dissipated.

[Squirtle is Out of Battle. Carbink wins!]

[Therefore, the winner is Classmate Su Hao from Class 1, Third Year Grade!]

"Woo—!"

"So strong!"

"6666!"

The students in the spectator stands erupted in cheers, and the area occupied by Class 1, Third Year Grade, was especially boisterous.

"Su Hao is awesome!"