Pokémon: Global Invasion

Chapter 48: The Competition Begins

"Yuto, what Pokémon do you have with you now?"

In Ryoma's dormitory, the two were discussing strategies to prepare for the Halloween Sun and Moon Cup Newcomer Challenge in three days.

"I only have Charmeleon with me. The other Pokémon are at my family's farm," Yuto replied quickly. "Do you want me to bring some of them over?"

"No need. Since you chose to bring Charmeleon with you, you need to trust it. So our competition lineup will be Sandshrew and Charmeleon," Ryoma nodded and began to think about a strategy that would enable the two Pokémon to cooperate.

To be honest, Fire-type Charmeleon and Sandshrew weren't a perfect fit. If he had a Ground-type, Rock-type, or Steel-type Pokémon, it would undoubtedly work much better.

Once Sandshrew unleashed Sandstorm, it would set the stage for their advantage.

However, with Charmeleon supporting Sandshrew, using Sandstorm freely would be tricky; otherwise, Charmeleon would also be harmed by the Sandstorm. It seemed they could only rely on pure strength to withstand it!

"What moves does Charmeleon know now?"

Yuto thought for a moment and answered, "Scratch, Growl, Smokescreen, Ember, and Flamethrower!"

"Just those five moves?"

Ryoma pondered for a while, writing down those five moves of Charmeleon in his notebook. He then also wrote down Sandshrew's currently known moves: Scratch, Defense Curl, Rollout, Sand Attack, Rapid Spin, and Gyro Ball, falling into deep thought about these moves.

Looking at Charmeleon's moves, it possessed powerful ranged fire output capabilities, which they had demonstrated during their first battle together.

Considering this, Sandshrew was skilled in close combat, while Charmeleon excelled in ranged attacks; this combination could indeed work well together.

"Relax. I feel that with our strength, we can sweep through the competition!"

"No problem, no problem!" Yuto replied confidently, crunching on some chips.

Ryoma gave Yuto a sidelong glance and then said, "I think it's important not to underestimate our opponents. Aloha Pokémon Academy is a well-known school nationwide, and there are definitely many of those wealthy second-generation trainers."

"Although they are called novice trainers, who knows how many Pokémon they have already obtained."

Upon hearing Ryoma's words, Yuto nodded, his expression losing its earlier arrogance. Strictly speaking, he wasn't really a novice trainer.

Since he entered Pokémon Academy at sixteen, his father had secretly brought him a Charmander, which is now this Charmeleon.

He also believed that there were plenty of people in the academy who were wealthier than his family. Some families had even participated in the exploration of the Secret Realm, so it was no big deal for them to get a Pokémon for their child before they turned eighteen.

"Knowing ourselves and our enemies will ensure victory in every battle."

"Ryoma, you keep researching; I'll go out for a bit and see if I can gather any information."

"Knowing what Pokémon those guys will use in the competition would make it much easier to deal with them!"

Having come to this conclusion, Yuto no longer wore his previous relaxed demeanor; he eagerly volunteered to scout for information.

Ryoma continued to focus on his notebook, diligently writing and sketching, waving his hand to indicate that Yuto could go ahead.

......

Time flies, and Halloween has arrived as scheduled.

Now it's the holiday season, and the entire campus appears somewhat empty; however, the school playground is bustling with excitement.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As several fireworks explode in the sky, it signals the official commencement of the Halloween Sun and Moon Cup Newcomer Challenge.

On the podium, the host holds a microphone and passionately announces the contest process, with the broadcast reaching every corner of the campus.

Amidst the host's voice, the contest members enter the venue, gathering beneath the podium, waiting for the event to start.

After the contest members enter, the school leaders also come in one after another, followed by a series of speeches from the leaders. Finally, after more than half an hour, the host holds the microphone and announces the competition is officially underway!

This competition has more than two hundred participants, which means more than one hundred pairs, and the rules are straightforward: it's a knockout system. The victors advance, while the losers are eliminated!

Due to the competition being limited to three days, the schedule is packed tightly. Essentially, every contestant must battle twice a day, aiming to determine the final winner by the third day!

Soon, with the arrangement of the competition staff, all competitors begin to draw lots. Ryoma's partner, Yuto, goes up to draw the number, which turns out to be 77.

Hmm, a very lucky number; it seems like there's hope for them in this competition!

After obtaining their competition number, the two quickly scan the area and soon locate their battle arena, number 7. The contestants currently on stage are 70 and 71, while they, as number 77, will be battling contestant number 76.

"Please both sides send out Pokémon, prepare for battle!"

"In a 2v2 double battle, each trainer will use one Pokémon. The match ends when one side's two Pokémon are unable to continue battling!"

As the referee's voice falls, all four participants simultaneously take out their Poké Balls, and with four flashes of white light, a Geodude, an Onix, a Pidgey, and a Spearow appear in the arena.

Contestant 70 has Geodude paired with Pidgey, while contestant 71 has Onix paired with Spearow.

The Pokémon alignments from both sides are surprisingly similar, each ensuring they have both airborne and grounded capabilities.

However, the combination of Geodude and Pidgey, two laid-back Pokémon, proves to be no match for Onix and Spearow, leading to a swift defeat.

"Indeed, among these competing contestants, there are quite a few who are merely filling numbers."

Ryoma observes the battle while slightly relaxing. As it was stated, Wealthy Second Generation Trainers are rare; most of the new students are genuine rookie Trainers who have just recently gotten their Pokémon and are still novice in battles.

Subsequently, the battles occurring in arena number 7 are all similar; it appears their group lacks any particularly strong contestant pairings, allowing them to confidently advance to the next round.

Soon, it's Ryoma's turn to battle, standing across from him are two girls, causing Yuto to show a hint of pity.

"You don't need to think about showing mercy; end it quickly," Ryoma reminds him.

"I know, I won't show any mercy. I want them to see what true power looks like, then fall beneath my Iron Fist!" Yuto grins wickedly, revealing a cruel smile, "Let me fight first, and you hold the line for me!"

"Alright, as you wish," Ryoma nods contemplatively.

So this is the trend in pursuing girls nowadays?