The Zining High School seniors resting in the spectator area couldn't help but show embarrassment when they heard the discussions around them.
The reason students from other schools didn't recognize their purple uniforms was that last year, Zining High School only sent about 10 participants from both the second and third years combined, and almost all of them were eliminated in the first round.
Even if they got lucky and passed the first round, they would be eliminated in the second or third, so they naturally didn't leave a deep impression on other schools.
But they never expected that this year's juniors would be so formidable.
For instance, if it were them, they likely wouldn't be able to defeat that Drednaw and Corsola that just battled.
Even more tragically, when it was their turn to compete, all five of them lost, not even managing to defeat the sophomores from other schools… At this, the discussions on the field abruptly ceased.
Teachers from other schools immediately breathed a sigh of relief:
"That's more like it!"
"This is more in line with Zining High School's standard."
However, the next up were Zhong Cong and his Kricketune, which made the relieved teachers start worrying again.
The only pity was that Zhong Cong had bad luck, encountering a senior from Qu County No. 1 High School, and his Pokemon was a Charmeleon.
As the battle began, Zhong Cong commanded with full concentration, and Kricketune also vigorously waved his arms, throwing himself into the fight, causing the battle to enter a stalemate.
Just then, Kricketune seized the opportunity, puffed out his cheeks, and a melodious yet magical song rang out.
The accuracy of the Sing skill has always been very low, but this time, Lady Luck favored Kricketune; Charmeleon slowly closed his eyes, collapsed to the ground, and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhong Cong and Kricketune knew that the opportunity was fleeting.
Kricketune quickly adjusted his stance and unleashed the Fury Cutter skill.
Although this Bug-type move's power was weakened against the Fire-type Charmeleon, this was their only chance to win.
The initial slashes were not fast, and their power was relatively limited, but each swing gradually allowed Kricketune's body to adapt to the rhythm of the battle.
As the number of slashes increased, Fury Cutter's power continuously stacked, his movements became faster and faster, and each strike carried the sound of a sharp wind.
When Charmeleon sensed danger approaching in his sleep and suddenly woke up, Kricketune's Fury Cutter had already arrived like a storm.
By this point, Fury Cutter had already struck Charmeleon several times, reaching its maximum power of 160.
Charmeleon hastily used Fire Fang to defend, but this final strike seemed to condense all of Kricketune's energy and determination.
The blade light flashed, accompanied by a whistling sound of cutting wind, striking Charmeleon with the force of a thunderbolt.
Charmeleon was unable to dodge; this incredibly powerful strike directly broke through his Fire Fang and landed on his body.
His massive body swayed a few times, and finally, with a "boom," he fell heavily to the ground, losing his ability to battle.
Kricketune successfully defeated the powerful Charmeleon with this crucial and astonishingly powerful final strike.
Although he stood unsteadily, exhausted from the fierce battle, his eyes shimmered with the light of victory, writing a legend of comeback on the Pokemon battle stage.
The referee, somewhat disbelieving, swallowed his saliva before announcing: "Kricketune wins."
On the battleground next to Kricketune's, Su Yuexi entered with her Gloom.
At the same time, her opponent appeared at the other end of the field with his Ivysaur.
Ivysaur's figure was agile, and the flower bud on his back emitted a faint fragrance.
Su Yuexi could tell at a glance that this Ivysaur had been exceptionally well-trained.
"Teacher Xu, this is a top student from our No. 1 High School! Look how well his Ivysaur is trained!
He's almost reached Elite Level (Level 30), and he's one of the favorites to win this year!
This time, your student is probably going to be eliminated in the first round."
A middle-aged man next to Teacher Xu said with considerable pride.
"Hmm... hard to say," Teacher Xu responded after a moment of thought.
"What do you mean, 'hard to say'?"
But with the crisp whistle of the referee, both Teacher Xu and the teacher opposite focused their attention on the field, and this highly anticipated match officially began.
Ivysaur's trainer immediately shouted: "Ivysaur, use Growth!"
Upon hearing the command, Ivysaur immediately adjusted his posture, exerting his entire body, and a mysterious power surged within him.
His body rapidly grew; his already considerable physique became even taller and more robust, and the flower bud on his back became even more vibrant and striking, emitting an even richer fragrance.
Seeing this, Su Yuexi thought for a moment and said, "Gloom, we'll use Growth too!"
Gloom heard her trainer's command and did not hesitate for a second.
She took a deep breath, squinted her eyes shut, and fully mobilized the energy within her body.
Her body began to expand, her figure gradually grew taller, and the flower on her head became wider and thicker, its color deepening, as if showcasing her indomitable spirit and resilience.
Ivysaur, already in the Growth state, took the initiative.
The opposing trainer shouted: "Ivysaur, Vine Whip attack!"
In an instant, two thick vine whips shot out from behind Ivysaur like green pythons, whistling through the air, swiftly lashing towards Gloom.
Following that, Ivysaur quickly shook his body, and countless sharp leaves shot out like flying knives, forming "Razor Leaf," and finally, he concentrated his power to launch "Seed Bomb," with each seed carrying a powerful impact, smashing towards Gloom.
This series of moves was incredibly powerful, and the arena was instantly filled with dust.
During Ivysaur's attack, Su Yuexi remained calm and collected, only saying one sentence: "Gloom, Ultimate Drain!"
Gloom quickly opened her mouth wide, releasing a powerful green energy beam that precisely met Ivysaur's attack.
This beam seemed to have a life of its own, skillfully avoiding the attacks and directly hitting Ivysaur, continuously absorbing the energy contained within him.
After a round of absorption, Gloom, who had been slightly weakened by Ivysaur's attack, instantly recovered, her stamina surprisingly replenished by more than half.
With ample stamina, Gloom became even more formidable in battle.
Su Yuexi continued to command, though it was merely a simple instruction: "Gloom, alternate between Acid and Ultimate Drain!"
Subsequently, Gloom flexibly responded on her own, sometimes spraying highly corrosive Acid, causing Ivysaur's body and vine whips to sizzle from the corrosion; other times, she used Ultimate Drain, stealing energy from Ivysaur.
Ivysaur and his trainer were exhausted from responding, their attack rhythm disrupted, and their stamina continuously depleted.
Although he fought hard, Gloom's attacks were like an unending tide.
Ivysaur gradually ran out of stamina and could no longer contend with Gloom.
Finally, Ivysaur swayed a few times and, to everyone's surprise, fell heavily to the ground, losing his ability to battle.
The referee decisively raised his flag and announced Su Yuexi as the winner.
At this moment, the entire venue was first silent; everyone couldn't believe their eyes.
The teacher from Qu County First High School next to Teacher Xu's jaw nearly dropped.
Unlike the previous match between Kricketune and Charmeleon, this female student barely gave any commands, and both Pokemon had the same type, which proved that her Gloom completely overwhelmed Ivysaur with pure raw strength!
The crucial point was that this Gloom could evolve at any time! And they were only in their second year of high school!
The teacher from No. 1 High School was, for a moment, completely at a loss for words to describe his feelings.