"Use Outrage!"
Ash's voice rang across the field. The moment Haxorus opened its eyes, they glowed bright red.
BOOM!
A burst of scarlet energy suddenly erupted. The surrounding ground shattered under the force. Just as Machamp was falling toward it, Haxorus raised both claws simultaneously and grabbed Machamp's front arms. Machamp's other two arms were preparing to strike.
"Haxorus, use Draco Meteor!"
Upon hearing the command, Haxorus opened its mouth. Orange energy condensed once more, releasing a direct blast toward Machamp above.
With a thunderous explosion, the Draco Meteor struck Machamp head-on. The tremendous power sent a look of shock across Machamp's face.
Its entire body was launched uncontrollably into the air by the Draco Meteor's force. Then, the energy detonated directly in mid-air.
BANG! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The energy scattered outward, creating dazzling fireworks in the sky. As debris fell across the arena, the entire field was engulfed in smoke, obscuring everyone's view.
"Machamp!" Giselle shouted worriedly toward the field. Ash also watched intently.
"Draco Meteor has exploded! What's the result?" the commentator shouted excitedly, holding his breath.
All the spectators held their breath as well, eyes fixed on the field. As the smoke gradually cleared, two figures emerged through the haze.
The red glow around Haxorus had faded. It faced forward, panting heavily. On the other side, Machamp was also standing, breathing hard. Its body bore numerous scars from the Draco Meteor's assault.
"Oh? Both Pokémon are still..." The commentator was about to continue when suddenly...
Machamp let out a low groan. Its body slowly tipped forward and collapsed to the ground.
"Machamp has fallen! Haxorus has successfully won the match!"
The stadium fell silent for a moment. Then the commentator was the first to react, letting out an excited exclamation.
"WAAAHHH!"
The audience erupted with thunderous applause and cheers. Giselle stood frozen in place, staring at the field. After a long moment, she recovered her composure.
She had thought victory was within reach. Biting her lip in frustration, her eyes stinging, she still managed to suppress her emotions.
"It's unfortunate that all three of contestant Giselle's Pokémon have lost their ability to battle. Contestant Ash has successfully advanced!"
"In this match, player Ash has also set a record. He is now the youngest Trainer in history to win four consecutive qualifier matches using only one Pokémon! Let's congratulate him!"
The commentator spoke with genuine excitement—this was truly witnessing history. Hearing this, the audience cheered even more intensely.
Listening to the cheers around her, Giselle slowly exhaled. Losing to such an opponent didn't seem so disappointing after all. She took out her Poké Ball and recalled Machamp.
"You worked so hard this time. We'll train harder together for next time!" Looking at the Poké Ball in her hand, Giselle regained her usual confidence. She put it away and walked off the battle platform.
Meanwhile, Ash also left the stage and approached Haxorus. His Pokémon was injured and had expended considerable energy.
"Haxorus, you did an amazing job. Thank you!" Ash walked up and gently placed his hand on Haxorus's chest.
In this competition, Haxorus had used Outrage twice without falling into confusion. This was significant progress. Ash felt genuinely proud—his Pokémon were breaking through their limits without even realizing it.
"Ash! I lost this match. I didn't expect your prediction would come true." Giselle approached Ash, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Her defeat meant that the Pokémon Academy's top student had been eliminated in the qualifying round. If several other academy students were also eliminated, it would be exactly as Ash had predicted.
However, Giselle wasn't discouraged. She took a deep breath, then extended her hand.
"But next time we meet, I definitely won't lose again! Good luck in the upcoming matches!"
Ash turned his head and looked at her. He could sense that she had gained something valuable from this battle.
"Yeah! Let's both do our best!" Defeating Giselle meant advancing to the top 32 full-team competition—the true stage of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Giselle's performance in this match had shown Ash her growth and effort. Any Trainer who worked this hard deserved respect.
"What a wonderful match. Although contestant Giselle did not advance, she still performed admirably. Let's give her a round of applause. At the same time, let's congratulate contestant Ash for successfully entering the tournament round!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As the commentator spoke, the two shook hands amid the cheers and applause of the entire audience, demonstrating excellent sportsmanship.
"I guess she's not that annoying after all. Well, since Ash helped me vent my frustration, I'll forgive her!" Misty said from the stands.
She had been holding onto what happened last time, but watching this match, she could see that Giselle had worked hard and made the battle truly exciting.
Her previous grudge from the Pokémon Academy incident had faded away. Brock smiled and spoke up.
"Ash wasn't fighting to vent your anger though, right?"
He knew well that Ash couldn't be swayed by outside opinions on the field. He simply wanted to battle his opponent and determine the victor.
Unless someone truly angered him, Ash never brought personal emotions into battle.
"Is this what a real Pokémon battle is like? It doesn't seem so intimidating after all, right Chuchu?"
Yellow, watching from the side, spoke unconsciously. An image formed in her mind—one day, she would face Ash on a field like this and then shake hands afterward.
Chuchu seemed to sense Yellow's emotions and responded with a soft cry.