Misty's match took place the next morning. She easily defeated her opponent's Qwilfish and advanced to the next round.
Once the top thirty-two had been decided, the matchups for the round of thirty-two appeared on the Pokémon Center's large screen. As expected, Ash and Misty were paired together, just as in the original story. Liu Qing was scheduled for the second match, against a girl named Airl.
Time flew by. Early the next morning, after the first match ended, Liu Qing entered the arena. Airl sent out Seaking and Lapras in succession, but neither could match his Slowking. Slowking defeated them both, securing Liu Qing's place in the next round. Two easy victories in a row quickly made him famous, and thunderous cheers followed him out of the arena.
Misty and Ash's battle also played out much as it had in the original story. Psyduck's Confusion defeated Ash's Kingler, giving Misty an unexpected victory.
Unlike a Pokémon League tournament, the Whirl Islands tournament did not require eight Badges to enter. Although it attracted plenty of competitors, few were particularly strong. Still, while watching the remaining matches, Liu Qing spotted several capable Pokémon Trainers. One used Gyarados, and another used Feraligatr. Like Liu Qing, both defeated their opponents' two Pokémon with just one of their own.
The round of thirty-two finally ended that afternoon. By the time the four returned to the Pokémon Center, the matchups for the round of sixteen had been announced. The first match pitted Misty against Takami, the female Pokémon Trainer who used Gyarados. Liu Qing's battle was the fourth, the last match of the morning. His opponent was a Pokémon Trainer named Azu, whom Liu Qing remembered had a rather strong Vaporeon.
"Misty's probably in for a tough fight tomorrow. Her opponent will likely lead with