After the fourth round match assignments were confirmed, Brock and the others gave Ash some space, and Ash began deciding which Pokemon he would use in the upcoming battle.
The previous few matches had basically been for training purposes. Aside from Pikachu, both Muk and Kingler were Pokemon that rarely traveled with him on his journey.
However, their training at Professor Oak's Laboratory had been very effective. Of course, he had registered other Pokemon as well, but his opponents' strength hadn't been strong enough to require using them.
Now, for the final match of the qualifying rounds, his opponent was Giselle. When he'd met her at the Pokemon Technical Institute, her strength had been average. He wasn't sure how much she'd improved during this time.
He had paid attention to her previous matches. While her performance hadn't been as dominant as his own, she still seemed to have some energy in reserve, making it difficult to judge her true strength.
However, for this particular match, Ash's original plan had been to let his main team members battle. After thinking it over for a while, he decided on his lineup.
Pokemon Center
"So I'm facing Ash this soon?"
At that moment, in the public phone area of the Pokemon Center, Giselle stood alone in front of one of the video phones.
On the screen was a young boy. If Ash and the others had been there, they would have recognized him immediately. This was Joe, the boy they'd met being bullied at the Pokemon Technical Institute.
"Yeah! The last match of the qualifying rounds!" Ever since Ash had visited the academy, Joe had been the first to leave. He'd gone through the withdrawal procedures and left the school.
Later, Giselle had also left, though she hadn't dropped out. She was still traveling as a student of the Pokemon Technical Institute.
Joe had traveled to other regions, but the two had kept in touch. Joe hadn't attended the Indigo Plateau Conference this time, but he was watching the live television broadcast.
"Ash is very strong. I'm afraid he won't be easy to defeat," Joe said after a long silence.
He had already witnessed Ash's strength when they'd met at the academy, and he'd been watching the live broadcasts as well. He simply didn't want to damage Giselle's confidence too much. In truth, Ash wasn't just difficult to deal with—he was exceptional.
"I know, but no matter what, I still have to give it everything I've got and fight him as a student of the Pokemon Technical Institute!"
"Yeah! No matter what happens, just make sure you don't have any regrets."
Joe didn't know what else to say. On one side was the girl he admired, and on the other was the person who had inspired him to pursue his dreams. He didn't know who to support.
The Next Day
On the fourth day of the Indigo Plateau Conference, the final round of the qualifying stage officially began.
Both Ash's and Gary's matches were scheduled for the afternoon. Ash first went to watch Green's and Ritchie's morning matches. Both were intense battles where each side fought fiercely.
It was obvious that the level of competition had increased significantly, but both of them successfully advanced to the next round.
Ash's and Gary's matches were both scheduled as the first battles of the afternoon session. Gary's fourth match was at the Rock Field venue, so the two cousins didn't have time to watch each other's battles.
After lunch, it was time for the competition. After receiving notification, Ash arrived at the competition venue while Brock and the others made their way to the spectator stands.
Green, Silver, Ritchie, and others also headed to the competition site to watch the match. Compared to Gary's match, Ash's battle naturally drew more attention because of the rivalry with the Pokemon Technical Institute.
President Goodshow's Office
"It's quite rare for you to come watch a match in person!" President Charles Goodshow stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking outside. The view from here provided a perfect vantage point to see everything happening on the battlefield.
Standing next to him was a middle-aged man who maintained a respectful demeanor in President Goodshow's presence, always keeping a polite smile on his face.
"Most of our students have already been eliminated. I definitely need to pay close attention to Giselle's match! She's our school's last hope."
This man was none other than the principal of the Pokemon Technical Institute. He had served as principal for many years. Ash's visit to the academy had greatly challenged his long-held educational philosophy.
"That girl has considerable talent, but unfortunately, she's facing Ash!" President Goodshow looked down at the field. He had also been paying attention to Giselle's matches.
He could see that she possessed extraordinary talent and should become an excellent Trainer given time. But unfortunately, meeting Ash at this stage meant her journey would likely end here.
"Oh? You think that highly of this young man named Ash?" The principal was surprised by this assessment. This was the first time in many years he'd seen the League President speak so highly of a young Trainer.
"Wasn't Lance also from your academy? I'm almost certain that Ash will achieve accomplishments that are at least equal to Lance's—or perhaps even surpass them."
President Goodshow's eyes shone with conviction. His judgment had rarely been wrong throughout his life.
The principal's mind reeled with shock at this statement.
"This boy is indeed special. Even my educational philosophy, which has never wavered before, has been shaken after encountering him," the principal finally said after recovering from his surprise.
"I told you long ago that your education focuses too heavily on theory while lacking practical experience. It would work well if students learned theory from you and then went out to travel and gain practical experience, but it doesn't work when you focus too much on theory and let them mistake theoretical knowledge for real-world practice!"
President Goodshow spoke frankly. In fact, he had reminded the principal of this issue many years ago, but his advice hadn't been adopted.
"Well... whether theory or actual combat experience is more important—let's leave that question to be answered by this match!" Hearing President Goodshow's words, the principal let out a slight breath.
Decades of deeply held beliefs couldn't simply be abandoned at a moment's notice. He needed a catalyst that would allow him to genuinely change his educational philosophy.
The Arena
"The final match of the qualifying rounds, the third battle on the Grass Field, will now officially begin! Will both competitors please enter the arena!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as the announcer's voice rang out across the stadium. This was the last match of the qualifying rounds, and the audience's excitement had reached a fever pitch.
Soon, Ash and Giselle walked out from the passages on opposite sides of the field. Needless to say, Ash's popularity had surged during this conference.
Giselle had also gained many fans due to her impressive performance and striking appearance. When the two competitors appeared on stage, the cheers in the venue reached an extraordinary level of intensity.