The final semifinal match was one the crowd had been waiting for: Ash, whose unpredictable style had carried him to steady wins, against Mingyou, who had started as an unpopular underdog but kept opening everyone's eyes.
Cynthia sat poised as she watched the two competitors prepare. A faint smile touched her face. Compared with the previous match, whose outcome had never been in doubt, this one interested her far more.
Two young Trainers whose talent she recognized were finally meeting on the field. She thought Mingyou had the edge, but Ash's unpredictability kept her from making any firm predictions...
"I only entered the Junior Cup to get some practice before the Vertress Conference in a few months. I never expected to meet so many amazing Trainers here, let alone get to battle you!"
Ash looked at Mingyou and spoke from the heart. He had wanted to battle Mingyou ever since the Lily of the Valley Conference. Though Ash had lost back then, he had not given up. With Mingyou's help and guidance in training, he had gone on to win the conference.
He had thought Mingyou was a powerful Trainer who had chosen to retire and would no longer battle. But when Cynthia told him Mingyou had entered the Junior Cup, Ash agreed to compete without a moment's hesitation.
In fact, a large part of the reason Ash had entered was that Mingyou had, too. He wanted to meet him in the arena.
Hearing this, Mingyou took out a Poké Ball and smiled calmly. "Then show me what you're really capable of in this battle, just like you did in the Lily of the Valley Conference final!"
"I will!"
As their words fell, they threw their Poké Balls at the same time. Red light flashed, and Krookodile, wearing sunglasses, met