"Snorlax…"
Amu stood frozen, disbelief written all over his face.
He had expected to lose—
But losing in a pure clash of strength?
That was something he never imagined.
"ROOOAR!!!"
Charizard threw its head back and roared.
Flames burst from its nostrils—
Victory over a heavyweight like Snorlax had clearly fired it up.
The arena—
Which had been full of chatter—
Went completely silent.
Everyone was still processing what they had just seen.
Two matches.
Two overwhelming victories.
The atmosphere began to change.
Doubt Creeps In
When it came time for the third challenger—
No one rushed forward.
Instead—
Hesitation.
After repeated urging from the staff—
The third challenger slowly stepped onto the field.
A small girl.
About the same age as Yellow.
Nervous.
This was likely her first public battle—
And facing someone like Sam only made it worse.
It took her a long time—
Just to send out her Pokémon.
"C-come out… Swablu…"
A small, fluffy Pokémon appeared.
Swablu
Type: Normal / Flying
Strength: Mid Basic
Potential: Elite
Sam frowned.
The Swablu looked newly hatched—
Barely experienced.
From the system panel—
He could tell it had great potential.
And that made things worse.
If I go all out…
He might crush its confidence completely.
But—
If he held back?
Others might misunderstand.
They might think:
Even weak challengers have a chance.
And then—
This challenge would never end.
Sam's entire plan depended on overwhelming dominance.
He needed challengers to give up on their own.
Otherwise—
He'd be stuck here all day fighting endless weak opponents.
He sighed.
Then made a decision.
"Are you really ready?"
Sam asked seriously.
"Are you—and your Swablu—truly prepared?"
The girl blinked.
"Prepared… for what?"
Sam spoke calmly—
But his tone was firm.
"If you challenge someone far stronger than you…"
"It could destroy your Pokémon's confidence."
"Especially one that's just been born."
He looked directly at her.
"Have you thought about that?"
She froze.
Sam continued:
"There's a real chance…"
"That your Swablu may never want to battle again."
"And if that happens—"
"It's because of your decision."
Silence.
"I won't hold back in battle."
Sam added coldly.
"If we fight—I go all out."
The girl hugged her Swablu tightly.
Her original excitement—
Was gone.
"I… understand."
She bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Leader Sam."
"I withdraw."
Ï
"Wise decision."
Sam exhaled quietly.
He didn't want to crush a child's confidence.
But he also couldn't afford to be soft.
After that—
Battle after battle followed.
Flamethrower.
Dragon Rage.
Dragon Breath.
Charizard dominated every challenger.
No one could withstand even a single serious attack.
At some point—
Two familiar figures appeared.
Erika
Sabrina
Erika smiled lightly.
"This Charizard…"
"It's even stronger than during the Indigo Plateau Conference, don't you think?"
Sabrina glanced at her—
Clearly annoyed.
"…Hmph."
She didn't even bother replying.
Erika chuckled softly.
She had gotten used to Sabrina's personality.
Teasing her had become a bit of a habit.
"Number eight, please come forward."
The staff called out—
Frowning.
No response.
Sam wasn't surprised.
It's starting.
After witnessing multiple one-sided defeats—
Some challengers had finally lost their nerve.
They gave up.
Quietly.
Without even stepping onto the field.
Sam remained calm.
If anything—
This made things harder.
The weak ones were gone.
What remained—
Would be stronger.
He glanced at Charizard.
It had already defeated multiple opponents.
Even if it looked fine—
Its stamina had been drained.
Continuing now?
Too risky.
Time to switch.
Just then—
A voice cut through the silence.
"Hmph. Cowards."
A young man stood up—
Eyes sharp with fighting spirit.
"I'm Xiaohai from Fallarbor Town."
"I'm number nine."
"If number eight won't fight—"
"Then I will."
The moment he stood—
The atmosphere changed.
This wasn't like the others.
This one—
Was strong.
The crowd stirred.
"…Xiaohai?"
"…That name sounds familiar…"
---------------Author---------------
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