The Thirty-to-Fifteen Matches Begin

Before long, Su Tingxi returned. Unfortunately, the director did not switch the camera to Sui Yan's arena this time, but to another one, where Staravia was battling Pachirisu. Both were very fast, but Pachirisu ultimately found an opening. After slowing Staravia with [Nuzzle] and inflicting Paralysis, it finished Staravia off with a [Spark].

Because they needed to save time, whenever an arena became available, the next numbered pair would take the field. By the time Lu Ze left the arena, Sui Yan had already begun his match. Although there were many people, the progress was not particularly slow.

After Pachirisu won, the director shifted the camera to a newly entered pair. Both sides released their Pokémon: one was the Huge Power Bunnelby that had been one of Lu Ze's opponents in the Knockout tournament, while the other was the Lilligant Tang Yunqin had mentioned.

The moment he saw the Pokémon they released, Lu Ze had already made a guess. Unless something unexpected happened, this victory should belong to Lilligant.

Sure enough, Lilligant opened with the weather move [Sunny Day]. Then, boosted by its [Chlorophyll] Ability, it ran circles around Bunnelby while continuously bombarding it with [Solar Beam], quickly bringing Bunnelby down.

Lilligant successfully advanced as well. At that moment, Youyu You and Sui Yan returned together. Sui Yan chatted and laughed the entire way, while Youyu You kept nodding. With Youyu You's introverted personality meeting Sui Yan's outgoing one, neither of them felt awkward. It really was rather amazing.

Neither of their opponents had been very strong, and Sui Yan had also brought back an important piece of information. Fewer than twenty contestants had entered the main competition through ten consecutive wins, while six of them were on Lu Ze's side. Everyone else had entered through School Points.

Soon, Tang Yunqin and Yin Hanling had finished as well. With that, the sixty-to-thirty matches had ended, and the thirty-to-fifteen matches were about to begin.

Ten matches still began at once. Half the people were gone from the waiting room, making it seem somewhat scattered, but everyone still lowered their heads to look at their devices immediately, all guessing who their opponents would be.

Lu Ze keenly caught someone looking at him. When he turned to look, it was the girl in the princess dress whom Sui Yan had made cry.

Lu Ze was a little confused. Sui Yan was the one who made her cry. Why was she glaring at me?

The numbers had already appeared on the devices.

Sui Yan was number one.

Su Tingxi was number five.

Tang Yunqin was number eighteen.

Lu Ze was number thirty.

Youyu You was number nine.

Yin Hanling was number twelve.

With thirty contestants, it was quite easy for these six to be matched against one another. Fortunately, their luck was not bad.

A lot of people went out at once this time, leaving Lu Ze alone in the waiting room. As he watched the large screen, the first arena selected by the director was Sui Yan's.

When Lu Ze saw the opponent, he immediately laughed. Sui Yan's opponent was still that girl in the princess dress. The two had become opponents once again.

The commentator's passionate voice came from the large screen.

"The Pokémon on both sides are Growlithe and Drizzile. In terms of type matchups, this is extremely unfavorable for Growlithe! Not only do Fire-type moves deal only half their normal damage to Drizzile, but Drizzile, as a Water-type Pokémon, can deal double damage to Growlithe. That is no small difference!"

"All right, the match has begun! Drizzile takes the initiative with [Aqua Jet]—oh! What a pity, Growlithe dodged it! Growlithe used [Agility], and its body seems to have left behind an afterimage. Growlithe is incredibly fast!"

"It's [Crunch]! Growlithe closes in on Drizzile and bites down, but Drizzile reacts quickly, using [Aqua Jet] to blast Growlithe away. How will Drizzile respond next?"

"Drizzile charges at Growlithe—it's [Sucker Punch]! She is going all in. Hm? Why not use [Water Pulse]? It deals double damage and uses Special Attack, which fits Drizzile's Stats very well."

The commentator was somewhat puzzled. During the sixty-to-thirty round, the director had shown her match, so he knew Drizzile could use [Water Pulse]. However, he did not know why she had not allowed Drizzile to use that move, instead choosing [Sucker Punch], which held no advantage in either type or Stats.

Lu Ze chuckled when he heard the commentator's confusion. Of course she would not use it. She had already suffered for it during the Knockout tournament. The steam created when Water and Fire collided did not affect Growlithe much, but it had a huge impact on Drizzile. To put it bluntly, Growlithe could completely turn the battle around during the time before that steam dispersed.

By choosing [Sucker Punch], the girl in the princess dress could close the distance first before using [Water Pulse], raising its accuracy while also avoiding a battle environment unfavorable to herself due to the collision of Water and Fire.

"Drizzile uses [Sucker Punch]—wow! What am I seeing? Growlithe fires a point-blank [Flamethrower], blasting Drizzile viciously away!!"

In the arena, Sui Yan was quite clever as well. Rather than choosing to trade damage with [Crunch], he used a point-blank [Flamethrower] to catch Drizzile off guard as it approached with [Sucker Punch].

Because the two had fought in the Knockout tournament, the girl in the princess dress had fallen into a mental trap. She believed that if she did not use [Water Pulse], Growlithe would not use [Flamethrower]. As a result, Drizzile took a point-blank hit.

The commentator's excited voice continued to ring out from the large screen.

"Drizzile struggles back to its feet. It seems that point-blank [Flamethrower] dealt Drizzile quite a bit of damage! Does Drizzile still have a chance to turn this match around?"

"Oh, what a pity. There is no chance! Drizzile has fallen again! Growlithe wins!! It advances!"

Sui Yan recalled Growlithe and ignored the girl in the princess dress, who had fallen into a daze. He went to the nearby arena and waited for Su Tingxi.

Su Tingxi's opponent was a Hippopotas, and it did not have the [Sand Stream] Ability. Because it was too slow, it was unable to deal any damage to Dratini throughout the entire match. Dratini flew through the sky and fired [Water Pulse] after [Water Pulse], quickly taking down its opponent.

Su Tingxi finished his match as well. The two headed back to the waiting room together, stopping to glance at Youyu You and Yin Hanling's battle. Their match was still in its back-and-forth stage, so the two decided not to wait for them and returned first.

It was nearly Lu Ze's turn. The three met in the middle of the path, and Lu Ze walked between the two of them, high-fiving them both at once.

"Good luck!" ×2

Lu Ze arrived at the battle arena, and his opponent soon arrived as well. When Lu Ze saw him, a line from a song suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"Hair combed into a grown-up style, dressed in a handsome suit~"

The boy opposite him had hair that looked as though it had been slicked with gel, combed perfectly neat. He wore a suit that was slightly too large, making his already thin frame look like a child who had secretly put on an adult's suit.

"Both sides, take your positions and release your Pokémon."

Lu Ze released Munchlax, while his opponent released the Pawniard Su Tingxi had mentioned yesterday.