Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

"Senior Xia Yan, what if... what if someone learns this tactic and we encounter it in the future?" Kona asked hesitantly, voicing the doubts many people had.

Xia Yan didn't answer immediately, but looked at Du.

Du fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he tentatively asked, "Suppress it from the very beginning?"

"provocative?"

Cynthia suddenly spoke up, following Wataru's words and giving a more accurate answer.

“That’s right, Taunt is one of the moves Chansey fears the most in this tactic,” Xia Yan confirmed.

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good to have some self-control.

“Actually, you don’t need to worry so much, right? After all, not everyone can get Chansey,” Xia Yan added.

Chansey is mostly controlled by the Nurse Joy family, so the chances of obtaining it from the wild are not high.

Since Xia Yan left, he has experienced several different dimensions but has not seen a single Chansey.

"Moreover, one of the core moves of this tactic, the 'Spherical Throw,' is acquired through genetics. Only Nurse Joy and her team have a good chance of breeding such a Chansey. Nanami's Chansey is a rather special case."

This is true.

After all, she is Professor Oak's granddaughter.

That's what everyone was thinking.

However, when she looked at Nanami, she kept giving everyone meaningful glances, telling them to keep it a secret.

In her opinion, Xia Yan was unaware of her identity.

Upon seeing Nanami's gesture, Watari and the others exchanged knowing smiles.

Everyone tacitly refrained from saying anything.

At this moment, what they were thinking about was the bewildered look on Nanami's face when her identity was revealed, and everyone else took it for granted, while only Xia Yan was kept in the dark.

It must be a lot of fun.

I don't know.

Xia Yan had guessed Nanami's identity long ago.

...

...

The absence of Cynthia, Lance, and Steven in the ranking tournament significantly impacted the afternoon's competition.

As this situation gradually became apparent, some of the players who had qualified for the knockout stage began a collective, unplanned act.

Give up.

Of course, the reasons for "slacking off" are varied and bizarre, such as having diarrhea, forgetting to turn off the gas at home, or having one's wife about to give birth. These are all excuses that Xia Yan has already used up.

Since some people are "playing it off," others are taking this opportunity to try their luck and win.

Even if you're the first place in the group stage, you're still the first place.

When unsuspecting people see that this person is in the same group as Lance, Cynthia, and Daigo, and is even in first place, they will inevitably pay more attention to him.

And this is naturally what these people need.

As for winning first place and then facing Cynthia and others in the knockout stage?

It doesn't matter anymore.

Some people, whose skills weren't particularly outstanding but who were very lucky, made it into the elimination rounds.

No one would let go of a chance to become famous.

So even though there was a collective "giving up" situation, some unsuspecting viewers were still excited and in high spirits.

As for some viewers who understood the game, they are already looking forward to the start of the elimination rounds.

The organizers were caught off guard by this situation.

Fortunately, there were no complaints.

Once you get to the knockout stage, none of that matters anymore.

Currently, the organizers are compiling the player matchups for the knockout stage.

What, random?

Ha, don't be naive.

This competition was not just a single event; it involved six regions and dozens of players who were quite well-known in their respective areas.

In order to achieve the General Alliance's goal of "promoting friendly exchanges among regions," the organizers have gone to great lengths.

People are saying there's something going on inside?

So what if people say that? As long as the matches are exciting enough, who will care about the match-up list in the end?

And it was under such circumstances.

The knockout stage has finally begun amidst much anticipation!

Chapter 128 Ash... cough, and Gary...

The knockout stage officially began with an announcement from Kikuno, one of the Four Elite Four members of the Sinnoh League, who was hosting the tournament.

In the knockout stage, the small battlegrounds that were originally used were all abandoned, and all the battles will be held at the Suzuran Arena, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Furthermore, during the knockout stage, the number of Pokémon each player can use will increase to three, which greatly enhances the viewing experience of the battles. Various tactics and type advantages and disadvantages can also be better showcased.

All players who make it to the top 64 will receive a certificate issued by the league, regardless of the final result.

This certificate has practical value; anyone can use it to gain preferential treatment when seeking employment in any industry related to elves.

However, those who made it into the top 64 are all geniuses from various regions, so they don't need to worry about finding a job. Even if they really wanted to do something, they could choose to stay within the league.

It's no exaggeration to say that making it into the top 64 of this competition means you've officially entered the league's radar, which is probably more meaningful than some tangible rewards.

Of course, the Sinnoh League and its various leagues have prepared generous rewards to attract young trainers from all regions to participate in this competition.

Those who make it into the top 64 will receive a decent reward.

The higher the ranking, the richer the reward.

The players sitting in the players' lounge had already received their match lists. The 32 players in the round of 64 had already been assigned by the organizers through a completely "random" computer selection process.

Coincidentally.

Cynthia, the face of Sinnoh, will be the first to appear, and her opponent is someone Xia Yan doesn't recognize.

The final result was, unsurprisingly, as expected.

With Lucario's overwhelming strength, Cynthia achieved a "feat" of defeating three opponents in a row, successfully igniting the passion of the audience in this tournament.

And in a corner of the audience.

"Ash, hurry up! It's all because you were late that the competition has already started, and we missed Cynthia's debut." A blond boy in a navy blue shirt urged a slightly "simple-minded" boy behind him.

This boy wearing a baseball cap is none other than the future "chosen one," affectionately known as "Master Zhi" or "Big Fool" Xiao Zhi.

The person who called him was Professor Oak's grandson, Ash's rival, Gary.

"Is this what Pokémon battles are like?"

Ash stared blankly at the arena and the surrounding scene of cheering tsunami, his young mind deeply shocked.

"Hurry up." Seeing that Ash was staring blankly again, Gary quickly came back and pulled him to his seat. "Don't disturb other people's viewing."

"oh oh."

Behind them, an elderly man with a full head of white hair, dressed in casual clothes, had a big smile on his face. Looking at Ash and Gary, he suddenly felt several years younger.

This person is none other than the famous Professor Oak, now a leading authority in the Pokémon world's research community.

Unable to resist Xiao Mao's insistence, he secretly took them to Lily of the Valley Island to watch the battle.

"Hanako, let's go over there too."

Standing next to Professor Oak was a beautiful woman in her thirties, also dressed casually, Ash's mother, Hanako.

"Okay," Hanako replied with a smile.

The four of them settled down in an inconspicuous corner.

Xiao Mao took out a small computer from his backpack, which displayed the list of the 64 players who had entered the knockout stage, as well as the match list. The match against Cynthia in the first row had already been decided.

Although he was a little disappointed that he couldn't see Cynthia's first match, he swiped his finger and, as the screen moved, the image froze in front of a familiar portrait.

"Grandpa, look! My sister really came to participate in this competition. Her name is on the list." Xiao Mao said, pointing to Nanami's picture on the screen.

"Nanami-san is participating in this competition too? That's really amazing." Hanako covered her mouth, clearly not expecting that Nanami, who usually seemed so quiet, would participate in such a heated competition.

Professor Oak's smile remained, but a hint of helplessness flickered in his eyes.

One of the reasons he agreed to Shigeru's repeated requests to come and watch the match was because Nanami appeared in some of the match footage, which Shigeru captured.

His older sister secretly participated in this competition, so as her younger brother, he had to come and support her.

"This little girl..." The words were filled with helplessness but also with doting affection.

Unlike Professor Oak, who has certain expectations for Gary, Professor Oak has truly doted on Nanami since she was a child.

The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is vividly demonstrated in them.

Otherwise, Professor Oak wouldn't have entrusted his Pokémon to Nanami.

But he also knew that Nanami's personality was not suited to be a trainer; rather, the coordinator role, which had recently become increasingly popular, was more suitable for her.

"I hope she doesn't lose too badly."

Despite having a Chansey provided by me, Chansey is not a Pokémon that excels in battle, and since the elimination tournament is a three-on-three format, it is quite difficult for a single Pokémon to decide the outcome.

Nanami doesn't have as much combat experience as Cynthia.

"That's a Beedrill!"

Suddenly, Ash, who was sitting in his seat with his eyes fixed on the arena, jumped up.