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Chapter 157: The Finals Begin
🕑 Added 2025-08-24 14:12:10 +0000 UTCChapter 157: The Finals Begin
When Basalt returned to the locker room, the second semi-final match was about to begin. On the screen, he watched the gentle and elegant Iris and the handsome but shy Brendan walk onto the field.
After a brief glance at each other, they both threw their Poké Balls at the referee's signal. Out came Gardevoir and Rotom.
Gardevoir, a dual Psychic/Fairy-type, had a graceful white body that resembled an evening gown, with a green underside to its "dress." Its green, curled "hair" framed its face, and its slender green arms looked as if they were wearing long gloves. Spikes on the side of its face resembled a masquerade mask, and a green band on its chest connected to its horn and arms, completing the look of a flowing gown.
Rotom, a dual Electric/Ghost-type, was composed of plasma. Its core was an orange, orb-like body, surrounded by a translucent blue aura of electricity that it could solidify to form arms.
"Let the battle begin!"
At the referee's command, the match started. On paper, the Ghost-type Rotom had the advantage. But from the very beginning, Gardevoir was in complete control. The so-called "Psychic Queen" was incredibly powerful, even without Mega Evolution. A simple psychic shield was enough to block Rotom's Thunder Wave, with no need for Double Team or Teleport.
"Yep, Brendan's throwing the match," Basalt thought, raising an eyebrow. It looked like his opponent for the finals was all but decided.
"Gardevoir," he thought, his gaze fixed on the screen.
Unfortunately for him, both trainers on the field were excellent actors. Although the battle looked intense, neither was using their full strength. Basalt's hopes of scouting Gardevoir's true power were dashed.
Five minutes later, Rotom "reluctantly" fainted at Gardevoir's feet, its eyes spinning.
"And we have a winner!" the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium. "The trainer moving on to the finals is Iris and her Gardevoir! Let's give her a huge round of applause!"
As the crowd erupted in applause, Basalt let out a small scoff and left the locker room. Not long after, Brendan and Iris walked in.
"He's not here," Brendan, wearing a pair of high-tech headphones, said after a quick look around. "Basalt's Excadrill is really strong, especially in a sandstorm. Are you confident you can win tomorrow?"
"About ninety percent," Iris said, her beautiful eyes serious. "After watching his last battle, I've already come up with a strategy. I'll only have one shot. If it works, I should be able to secure the win." She clenched her small fists, her chest rising and falling with a determined breath.
Brendan sighed. As her classmate and friend, he knew her better than most. Her mother was a Gym Leader-level trainer, but she was also an incredibly strict parent with sky-high expectations. Winning this tournament and becoming the Jiangnan region's Rookie of the Year was the goal her mother had set for her. The pressure on Iris was immense. That was the real reason both he and Mason had been willing to throw their matches against her. It wasn't just about the resources they didn't need or their budding crushes; it was about not wanting to see their friend live under such a heavy shadow.
"As long as you're confident, that's what matters," Brendan said with an encouraging nod. "You focus on your plan for tomorrow. I'll handle the Relay Battle this afternoon."
The Centralis City team still had their own Relay Battle semi-final against Olivine City. But the skill gap between the two teams was so large that Brendan was confident he could win even without Iris and Mason.
"Thank you, Brendan," Iris said softly.
When Basalt returned to the Poseidon Grand Hotel, he was met with a round of congratulations. The team immediately got to work, searching for any information they could find on Iris and her Gardevoir to help him prepare for the final match.
But their efforts were in vain. In her earlier matches, her opponents had been too weak to force her to use her full strength; she had won most of them with just Teleport and Psychic. In her later matches, her opponents had thrown the fight. There was nothing to analyze.
In the end, all Mr. Shane and the others could do was offer general advice on how to fight a typical Gardevoir. It was better than nothing.
The next morning, Basalt stood once again on the grand stage of the battle arena. For the finals, the stadium was packed to the rafters, with people standing in the aisles. A group of VIPs, including the president of the Jiangnan Pokémon League, the regional Gym Leader Champion, and the chancellor of South River University, were seated in a special guest box.
"Chancellor," the elderly League President said, "the quality of this year's rookie class is quite high. You must be pleased."
"The quality is high, yes, but how many of them will actually end up at my university is another question," the Chancellor replied, a hint of melancholy in his voice. In recent years, the top universities in the nation's capital had been poaching talent from all over the country. As the head of a top-tier regional university, the pressure was immense.
"I know Iris's mother," the League President said. "If her daughter has the chance, she'll definitely send her to the capital. But that Basalt kid from Metro City... there's hope for him. Doesn't your university have a research project in the great western desert? He's a Sandstorm specialist. That might be enough to attract him. What do you think, Champion?"
"Perhaps," the Champion replied vaguely, a strange look on his face.
"Basalt," the Chancellor's eyes narrowed. With his mastery of Sandstorm, it was almost certain the kid had been recruited by the Weather Bureau. If he came to South River University, he would have access to the resources of both the university and the Bureau, which would accelerate his growth even further. Thinking of their desert research project, the Chancellor made a decision. He would do whatever it took to recruit Basalt.
"It's a shame about the Brendan kid," he sighed. "He's already confirmed that he'll be going to the national university to study hydroelectric power. Another talent we couldn't keep in the region." Brendan was a genius on the same level as Basalt and Iris, but his family's connections in the energy sector were too strong.
As for the others, nothing was certain. People always strove to reach greater heights, and the universities in the capital were, undeniably, a step above his own.
On the field, Basalt sized up his opponent. Iris was tall, beautiful, and fair-skinned. At the same time, she was sizing him up, her mind racing with ways to defeat him.
Their eyes met for a brief moment before the referee's voice cut through the tension. "Both trainers, please send out your Pokémon!"
"Come out, Gardevoir!"
"Let's go, Excadrill!"
They both threw their Poké Balls in unison.
"Garde~"
"Excaaa~"
Two flashes of red light, and the finalists' Pokémon appeared. The elegant and graceful Gardevoir and the fierce and powerful Excadrill were a study in contrasts, like fire and water, black and white.
"I know Mason likes you," Basalt thought, looking at Iris, "but I'm sorry. I have to win this." His friendship with Mason was nothing compared to the promise of a Larvitar.
"Both trainers are ready! Let the final battle of the Regional Tournament... begin!"
