Pokemon: Skybound

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"I don't care if he's a magician or not," Ash said, slurping his cold drink. "I must beat him and get to the next round!"

At this time, the TV hanging on the wall was still broadcasting live matches from other venues.

Suddenly, the voice of the announcer grew louder, drawing everyone's attention to the screen. The broadcast showed Gary Oak easily defeating his opponent with a decisive 3-0 victory on the Ice Field.

As one of the favourites to win the championship, Gary was now being interviewed by multiple TV stations.

"Gary Oak from Pallet Town achieved a memorable victory," the female reporter, dressed in pink professional attire, began, summarizing the results for the TV audience.

She then held the microphone out to Gary. "What are your thoughts on your performance in the first match?"

"The first match is always important, and I'm glad to have won," Gary replied confidently, crossing his arms. "Of course, this result was within my expectations. Advancing to the next round is reassuring, but it's just the beginning."

Hearing this, Ash subconsciously clenched his fists.

Gary had advanced, and Kai had already moved on to the next round as well. This meant Ash had even more reason not to lose!

At noon, perhaps motivated by the competition, Misty and Brock accompanied Ash to the Pokémon Center to strategize.

They also helped him adjust his Pokémon lineup. Afterwards, they headed to the next venue and picked good seats to watch the upcoming battles.

Coke, popcorn, and cheering sticks were essential. Kai and Chloe were already seated in the stands.

Bored while waiting, they had polished off half a bucket of popcorn before the match began.

Suddenly, Kai's phone buzzed. Checking it, he saw several unread messages on his communication app.

The latest was from Sabrina. Earlier, while Kai had been battling Damian, Sabrina had been busy with a gym match of her own.

She had defended her gym successfully, but since Kai's battle ended before she could watch it live, she had sent her congratulations after watching a replay.

Other messages were from Erika, Looker, and other friends Kai had made during his journey.

The earliest message, however, had come even before the referee announced his victory.

Judging by the cute avatar, it was from a girl in the Kalos region. Considering the time difference, it was already late at night there.

For someone who usually went to bed early, it must have been a big effort to stay awake and watch the match.

Kai quickly replied though Chloe glanced curiously at his phone, trying unsuccessfully to sneak a look at his screen.

Time passed, and the audience eagerly waited. Finally, as the match approached, Ash and his opponent entered the arena.

Unlike the lush Grass Field, the Water Field consisted of a large circular pool with small platforms floating inside.

When the match began, Ash's opponent sent out an Exeggutor, while Ash chose his Krabby.

Both sides had made strategic choices. Exeggutor's Grass typing gave it resistance to Water moves, while Krabby's Water typing suited the battlefield well.

"Wow, there seem to be more spectators for this match than earlier!" Chloe remarked, scanning the crowd.

"There are definitely more people about one-third more," Kai nodded.

The increased attention was largely due to Ash's opponent's popularity. Unlike less-known competitors like Kai or Ash, more established trainers naturally drew larger crowds.

However, as the match progressed, the tide began to turn.

Although Exeggutor's Psychic attacks initially troubled Krabby, Ash found an opening. Krabby used the water for cover, closed the distance, and unleashed a series of devastating moves that defeated Exeggutor.

To everyone's surprise, Krabby evolved into a Giant Kingler after the victory!

Ash's opponent was visibly shaken. Determined to regain control, he sent out a Seadra.

Despite their efforts, Ash secured another victory. The audience, now fully invested, began cheering for Ash.

"Is this kid really that strong?"

"Isn't he from Pallet Town too? Just like Gary, the favourite to win?"

In the final battle, Ash kept his Kingler on the field. It defeated his opponent's Golbat, securing a clean 3-0 victory.

"The match is over! Ash wins!" the announcer exclaimed in disbelief. "He didn't even switch Pokémon he won the match entirely with Kingler!"

The crowd erupted in applause. Ash's opponent, now kneeling on the battlefield, looked pale and defeated. Losing to a younger competitor had clearly shaken their confidence.

Misty, Brock, and others cheered loudly, banging their support sticks together.

Ash's victory meant that he and Kai had both advanced from the pool of 256 competitors to the next round.

The next stage, with 128 remaining players, would take place the day after tomorrow, cutting the number of participants in half again.

The intense elimination format forced trainers to give their all in every match.

After the match, Kai, Chloe, and their group joined Ash for dinner. Following the meal, they decided not to watch any more matches.

With the sheer number of battles in the Indigo league spread across four venues and 32 matches per venue keeping up with every game was simply impossible.

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