"Leavanny, use Energy Ball!"
With Energy Ball, Ash defeated his opponent's last Pokémon and secured a place in the round of sixteen.
With Ash advancing, all sixteen finalists in the Vertress Conference had been decided.
Kotetsu, Trip, and Kenny were among those who had qualified.
For the round of sixteen, the rules would change from two-on-two to three-on-three.
That meant the upcoming matches would be even more intense.
The matchups for the round of sixteen soon appeared on the big screen.
Bai Shi's opponent this round was a Pokémon Trainer named Lixiong.
Lixiong had competed in the Junior Cup alongside Bai Shi.
As such, Bai Shi remembered him somewhat.
His skills seemed decent, so Bai Shi absolutely could not afford to let his guard down.
As for Ash, he was matched against Kenny, just as he had been in the anime.
If the plot followed its original course, Ash should advance without trouble.
During the afternoon break, Bai Shi took a cautious approach and made a point of opening his computer to look through recordings of Lixiong's battles.
He discovered that Lixiong's strength was indeed nothing to scoff at.
Notably, Lixiong also had a Ghost- and Fire-type Chandelure.
Ghost-type Pokémon were usually tricky opponents.
Bai Shi would have to give it his all to avoid an upset.
After a night's rest, the Vertress Conference's battles resumed.
Bai Shi was the first to take the field for the opening match of the round of sixteen.
"Manectric, I choose you!"
Bai Shi threw a Poké Ball, sending Manectric onto the field.
"Go, Lilligant!"
Seeing this, Lixiong sent out his Grass-type Lilligant.
Once both Pokémon were in position, the battle officially began.
"Manectric, use Light Screen!"
Bai Shi seized the initiative and gave Manectric an order.
Manectric formed a pale yellow wall