The next morning, Gabriel arrived early at the tournament venue. Today, he was up against a formidable opponent—his strongest adversary yet.
"Whoa! You're Gabriel, right?"
Gabriel turned to see a young boy standing beside him. His surprise only flickered in his eyes for a brief moment before he instinctively responded.
"Yes, that's me."
"Wow! You're really strong! I've watched all your matches. That Dratini of yours—it's your main Pokémon, right?"
"Yeah, he's also my closest family."
The boy nodded. Some Monster Tamers did treat their Pokémon like family. After all, most Pokémon were raised from a young age, and years of companionship naturally led to a deep bond.
"That Dratini is so cool! Can I get your autograph? I want to keep it as a collectible!"
Gabriel curiously touched his face. Was he really that famous now? Someone was actually asking for his autograph?
Still, he didn't refuse. A small part of him enjoyed the recognition.
"Here you go."
Gabriel handed over the signed paper and ruffled the boy's hair with a smile.
"Thank you, big bro! We'll meet again soon."
With that, the boy grinned and ran off.
"Young Master, here's your milk tea."
Elle approached, one hand holding the drink and the other carrying a Farfetch'd.
"Quaaack!" (I'm starving! Got anything to eat?)
Elle frowned slightly, then pulled an Pokeblock from his pocket and placed it in Farfetch'd's beak.
Farfetch'd's expression melted into pure bliss as it savored the treat. The past few days had been paradise for it—no danger, unlimited time to read novels, and a constant supply of delicious snacks. What a life!
Ignoring the content Farfetch'd in his arms, Elle watched the young boy disappear into the distance with a thoughtful expression.
"Young Master…"
"It's nothing. He just wanted to check out his opponent. Seems like a mischievous little brat with an odd sense of humor."
Gabriel smirked as he watched the boy leave. Kids like that probably cried for ages if you gave them a good punch.
"Young Master, are you sure everything's fine?"
Gabriel shook his head confidently.
"Don't worry, Elle. Sure, a lot of my Dratini's abilities have been exposed, but we still have plenty of tricks up our sleeves. Those reports don't show the whole picture."
"Good thing I listened to your advice. This opponent won't be easy. If I hadn't prepared ahead of time, even Little Mu would've struggled. This Monster Tamer tournament isn't as simple as I thought. Those sixteen seeded contenders must all have their own hidden aces."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. This match was crucial for his future—he couldn't afford to be careless.
"Alright, I'm heading to the battlefield. Elle, see you later."
With that, Gabriel followed the referee's guidance and stepped onto the battle stage. A moment later, that familiar young boy took his place on the opposite side.
"Hey! We meet again, big bro!"
The boy grinned at Gabriel.
"Nice to officially meet you, James."
"Oh? So you already knew who I was? Guess I made a fool of myself earlier."
James chuckled, completely unfazed by being exposed.
"Well, since you know me, then you must know my partner too! Go, Scyther!"
With a flash of light, a powerful-looking Scyther emerged onto the battlefield. Even from a distance, its sheer presence radiated strength.
"That's definitely a formidable Pokémon."
"Pokémon? What's that?"
"It's just a personal habit of mine. Don't worry about it. But with a Scyther like that, becoming a seeded contender should've been easy for you."
At this, James scratched his head sheepishly.
"Well, yeah… but I had some weird luck. I only had to battle twice in the preliminaries, then got two byes in a row. That's why I wasn't selected as a seeded contender. I really wanted one of those cool promo shots, though!"
The referee, looking increasingly impatient, quickly signaled for the match to begin.
"Your Scyther is strong, but my Dratini is no pushover either."
Gabriel tossed his Poké Ball into the air. Dratini emerged, unfazed by Scyther's imposing aura, its eyes burning with determination.
"Battle start!"
"Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
Scyther's astonishing speed left afterimages as it dashed forward. Before Dratini could react, two streaks of white light slashed across its body.
"Muuu!" (That hurt!)
Fury Cutter's damage was stacking fast. Judging by its sheer power, this Scyther likely had the Hidden Ability Technician, which boosted weaker moves—making them incredibly dangerous.
A tricky opponent indeed.
But Gabriel had anticipated this.
"Scyther, keep it up! Use Dual Wingbeat!"
Scyther slashed at Dratini again at high speed. With its current speed, dodging was out of the question—Dratini had no choice but to endure the attack.
"Great job, Scyther! Keep going!"
Hmph. This wasn't a big deal at all.
Just as Scyther was about to launch another strike, Dratini finally moved.
"Extreme Speed!"
A dark blur vanished from the battlefield—only to reappear right in front of Scyther. Waiting there for it was an enormous Dragon Tail.
"Not good! Use Double Team!"
Scyther immediately split into multiple copies, but it was still caught in the edge of the attack. As Dratini's tail slammed down, the battlefield cracked under the sheer force.
Both James and Scyther were stunned.
That Dragon Tail… if that had landed directly, it might've been an instant knockout!
Dratini narrowed its eyes, its whole demeanor darkening with battle intent.
(Weren't you acting cocky just now? Come on then—fight me head-on!)
"Scyther, keep your distance! Use Double Team to confuse it—don't get hit again!"
Dozens of Scyther illusions filled the battlefield, making it impossible to pinpoint the real one.
One after another, razor-sharp Air Slash attacks shot out from Scyther's wings, striking Dratini repeatedly.
It stung, but…
On the other side, James's expression darkened. He knew his own Scyther's strength. In previous matches, it had taken out opponents with a single hit. But now? It had used countless moves already, and that Dratini still looked unfazed!
Gabriel smirked.
You're not the only one with an ability. Little Mu is holding a Flame Orb—which means Marvel Scale is about to activate.
"Little Mu, let's end this! Use Twister!"
A powerful whirlwind engulfed the battlefield, revealing Scyther's true form.
The moment Scyther was exposed, a massive dragon tail came crashing down. Despite its desperate attempts to block, it was still sent slamming into the ground.
"Scyther is unable to battle! Dratini wins!"
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