Song Yu sent out a Pikachu, while his opponent used a Normal Class Geodude.
Even setting aside its superior strength, Pikachu no longer feared unfavorable type matchups now that it had mastered Iron Tail. A Quick Attack followed by an Iron Tail easily took Geodude down.
"He's pretty good. His Pikachu's only in the early Entry Class, but it's already mastered Iron Tail. That move isn't easy to learn!" Xiao Ran praised.
Pikachu was an Electric-type Pokémon, so its weaknesses were types like Ground and Rock. The Steel-type move Iron Tail happened to be super effective against those Pokémon, making up for its own type disadvantages.
"So what? He's probably Chenguang University's last hope this year. What do you say we crush him in the Group Stage?" Lan Yanxi asked excitedly.
There were thirty-two qualifying spots in the Group Stage, and Nancheng Pokémon University took more than half of them every year. Once the remaining spots were divided among the other schools, each school averaged less than one.
That was why the other universities feared nothing more than finding themselves in a group with four or more seeded contestants from Nancheng University. It was practically a nightmare.
The early matches went quickly. On the first day, everyone played an average of four rounds. The groups for the Group Stage would be drawn the next day.
Xiao Ran hadn't been idle that day, either. He bonded with Diancie and Swablu, offered his classmates advice on their battles, and considered the next steps in his Pokémon's training plans.
The next day, the Group Stage officially began.
Nearly forty students from Nancheng Pokémon University had made it through the preliminary rounds. Only two students from Trainer Class One had been eliminated, but the Group Stage would be a challenge for everyone.
The Group