The fourth match of the fourth round soon began. Tobias still used Darkrai, sweeping through all six of his opponent's Pokémon with Dark Hole, Dream Eater, Ice Beam, and Dark Pulse to advance smoothly to the semifinals.
"All the quarterfinal matches have concluded! Tomorrow's semifinal pairings are..." As the announcer spoke, two pairings immediately appeared on the big screen. Ash and Tobias, the winner of the fourth match, were in the first pairing, while Liu Qing and Zuo Jie, the winner of the second match, were in the second.
"That guy's the Pokémon Trainer who uses Darkrai!" Jun exclaimed in surprise.
"Darkrai?!" Ash's expression grew grave.
"Interesting. A battle against Zuo Jie!" Looking at his pairing, Liu Qing gave a faint smile. He knew Zuo Jie must have been waiting a long time for this battle!
"Finally! I've finally waited long enough! Liu Qing, I'll defeat you with Miss Cynthia watching!" Elsewhere in the stands, Zuo Jie clenched his fist tightly and made his solemn vow, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
After the crowd dispersed, Liu Qing accompanied Cynthia out of the field. On the way, they saw Ash hurrying outside alone. As they left the venue, they happened to run into Jun, Dawn, and Brock, who were looking for Ash. Seeing Jun's anxious expression, Cynthia could not resist teasing him. "Oh dear, how pitiful!"
"Ah, older brother! Sister-in-law!" Jun, who looked ready to demand a fine from Ash, jumped when he heard Cynthia's voice.
"If you're looking for Ash, he just ran outside!" Cynthia looked in the direction Ash had gone and continued, "He probably went after Paul. What will be born when one life encounters another? After watching today's battle, I could see that there really was something connecting them-a bond!"
"Ash and Paul started out hating