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After exiting the contestant tunnel, Kai made his way to Field F.
The preliminary round of the Whirlpool Cup was being held atop a large aquatic stadium. The organizers had divided the water arena into sixteen grid-based platforms, with matches happening simultaneously across the surface. From here, the top 64 competitors would advance to the main bracket.
Because the entire field shared the same body of water, a particularly intense match in one section could ripple across and disturb others.
But Kai, having scoped out the venue the day before with Erika and the others, was already mentally prepared for such conditions.
Now in the waiting area, Kai stood calmly, focused, and still, awaiting his turn. Two other battles were underway in Field F before his match.
Taking advantage of the downtime, he glanced around for Ash and Misty.
Ash had been assigned to Field A, and Misty to Field B. From across the clusters of Trainers, he could just make out Ash, still waiting for his turn. Misty, however, was already engaged in a match.
He couldn't see who her opponent was from this angle, but considering her strength as a Water-type Gym Leader, she'd likely win unless she ran into someone truly exceptional.
Returning his attention to his own match, Kai observed the ongoing battles in Field F.
The first two matchups ended quickly. To Kai, the fights were… underwhelming.
"Just rookies pecking at each other," he thought. Most of these Trainers weren't impressive. Some performed decently, but the majority were clearly below average.
That was the drawback of having no badge requirements open entry meant uneven talent.
About fifteen minutes later, with the previous matches done, the referee signaled for Kai to step up.
He emerged from the crowd and approached the field. Instantly, every nearby eye turned to him, not because he was special but because every Trainer got that attention when stepping into the arena.
Kai had long gotten used to it. After so many high-stakes battles, the gaze of a few dozen spectators didn't faze him. Unlike the nervous rookies around him, many of whom looked like they'd melt under the pressure, he was calm and composed.
The format was one-on-one elimination each Trainer could only send out one Pokémon. No retries. No second chances.
Kai's opponent?
A boy no older than eight, with wide eyes and boundless enthusiasm. Despite his age, the kid looked thrilled to be competing. No fear. Just pure excitement.
They stood across from each other, separated by the water platform.
Kai tapped his chin. "Which Pokémon should I use…"
He had only three Water-types on hand: Blastoise, his mighty red Gyarados, and Suicune.
He ruled out Suicune immediately. It wasn't that he avoided using Legendary Pokémon but in a match like this, it would be overkill. He only brought out Suicune when the opponent could actually handle it someone like the "Iron Mask" he'd encountered before.
As for his red Gyarados…
"Yeah, not happening," Kai thought. "It's back at Professor Cerise's lab, and it's too violent anyway. Don't want to traumatize the poor kid."
With a sigh, he pulled out Blastoise's Poké Ball.
"Guess it's up to you again."
He tossed the Poké Ball. As the familiar blue light faded, Blastoise stood imposingly before him.
Across the field, the little boy sent out his Pokémon to Poliwag.
The size difference was staggering. Blastoise loomed over the tiny tadpole Pokémon like a fortress. Kai had warned Blastoise not to underestimate anyone, but the match-up made it hard to feel challenged.
Kai had briefly considered using his Dragonair, but the tournament required all competitors to use Water-type Pokémon only. While Dragonair could survive in water, it didn't officially qualify.
As the battle began, both sides issued commands.
Poliwag opened with [Water Gun].
Blastoise simply charged forward, tanking the minor hit like it was nothing. He slammed into Poliwag with a basic [Tackle] followed by [Bite].
The match was over in seconds.
Clean. Decisive. Brutally efficient.
It was the kind of mismatch that only happened in open tournaments and the kind of domination one expected from a Pokémon that had once helped Kai win the Silver Conference.
The boy's eyes widened as Poliwag's eyes spun in defeat, slowly sinking into the water.
He collapsed onto the ground in disbelief, struggling to process what had just happened.
All his confidence was shattered.
But Kai didn't stop there.
He went on to win his second and third matches just as smoothly.
With all the Pokémon being Water-types, most moves like [Water Gun] or [Bubble Beam] were heavily resisted making brute force and type versatility critical. Pokémon with high defense and alternate move pools had a clear edge.
Blastoise was exactly that.
By the time the third match ended, Kai had officially advanced to the main tournament bracket.
He returned to the waiting area just as Ash and Misty also arrived, laughing and clearly in good spirits.
"How'd it go?" Kai asked.
Ash threw up an "OK" sign. "Way too easy! Barely a challenge."
Misty nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I expected tougher opponents. Most of them didn't stand a chance."
All three had advanced cleanly no upsets, no surprises. The first step was complete, and the real battles lay ahead.
Outside the stadium, they rejoined Erika and Brock, who had watched everything from the stands.
Naturally, they already knew the results and greeted them with congratulations.
Feeling generous, Kai treated the group to a celebratory dinner this time, a sizzling barbecue feast.
They had earned it.
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