"Ash did really well! I got so many great photos this time!"
Outside the stadium, Delia was with Brock and the others, scrolling through the photos she had taken earlier.
"Mom! Everyone!" Ash had packed up and left the venue, joining everyone outside.
"Congratulations, Ash!" Seeing him approach, Misty and the others immediately came forward to congratulate him on securing his spot in the tournament round.
"Thank you!" Ash thanked them all.
"Ash, congratulations on your successful advancement."
Green, who had finished her match much earlier, also came over. She had watched Ash's battle and seen him advance successfully.
"Same to you." Ash responded with a smile. Green had already confirmed her advancement after the morning matches.
"By the way, it looks like Gary's match isn't over yet. Want to go check it out?" Green smiled, then remembered Gary was battling at the Rock venue.
Gary and Ash had competed at the same time—both in the first afternoon slot—but the first match there didn't seem to be finished yet.
This was mainly because Ash's battle had been faster. Defeating three opponents with only one Pokémon meant his match ended quicker than other afternoon games.
"It's not over yet? Let's go take a look!" After hearing Green's suggestion, Ash paused briefly before responding.
The group rushed to the Rock venue. As they walked outside, they could hear intense cheers. Ash and his group entered.
The venue was packed at this point, so everyone could only stand by the guardrail at the entrance to watch the battle.
"Ah! Look at that..." Misty glanced at the large screen above the opposite side of the auditorium and spoke quickly.
Everyone looked up to see Gary and his opponent's Pokémon count displayed on the big screen—only one remained for each.
Both sides had sent out their final Pokémon. Gary's was Nidoking, while his opponent had Golem. Gary was at a complete disadvantage in terms of type matchup.
The Pokémon on both sides looked exhausted, clearly having been through intense battles. With only one Pokémon left each, the earlier matches had obviously been fierce.
"Both sides only have one Pokémon left. This is really intense!" Yellow said, watching the battle display on the big screen.
Ash and Green both watched the field with serious expressions. No wonder Ash's match had ended while Gary's was still ongoing. Such a fierce battle was likely the strongest opponent Gary had faced so far.
"Nidoking, use Megahorn!"
Gary launched his attack. In the field, Nidoking's sharp horn released powerful vibrations, then flashed with blue light.
It charged directly toward Golem. Golem didn't dodge. Its Trainer had a solemn look on his face.
As Nidoking approached step by step, both sides were clearly exhausted. Neither could withstand another attack. The opponent seemed to be waiting for the right moment.
Just as Nidoking reached Golem, the Trainer suddenly called out...
"Golem, catch it!"
The Trainer shouted. Golem suddenly raised its arms and grabbed Nidoking's sharp horn as it approached.
Golem's body retreated slightly under Nidoking's impact, but it quickly stabilized and suddenly exerted force, lifting Nidoking's body into the air.
Nidoking struggled after being hoisted up but couldn't break free. Against a Rock and Ground-type like Golem, Nidoking was at a severe disadvantage.
Its Poison-type moves were completely ineffective. Bug-type moves like Megahorn or Normal-type moves like Hyper Beam had minimal impact. Gary had done his best to fight to this level.
"Golem, use Seismic Toss!"
Seizing Nidoking's vulnerable moment, the opponent immediately counterattacked.
After hearing the command, Golem held Nidoking overhead with both arms, leaped into the air, and spun its body rapidly. Then it turned Nidoking downward.
With its added body weight, Nidoking was driven toward the ground. Though Golem's Seismic Toss couldn't reach the same height as Charizard's version, Golem's advantage was its weight. Even without reaching great altitude, falling from this height with its mass made the move devastatingly powerful.
BOOM!
In an instant, Golem brought Nidoking down with tremendous force. The entire venue shook, smoke filling the area as the center of the Rock field cracked open.
"Nidoking!" Gary shouted at the sight.
The smoke in the field gradually cleared, and everyone looked toward the center. Nidoking lay on the ground with Golem standing over it.
There was no doubt—Nidoking couldn't stand up anymore. With the scene before them, everything was decided.
On the big screen, Gary's avatar dimmed and disappeared, while his opponent's avatar moved to the center of the display.
"Gary's Nidoking has fallen! The winner of this match is Nathen from Cinnabar Island!"
As the commentator's voice rang out, the player who had defeated Gary raised his hands and cheered excitedly. Gary's eyes widened at the scene before him, and he didn't recover for a long time.
"I... I actually lost?"
As if still unwilling to believe it, Gary dropped to one knee, grabbing the guardrail in front of him with one hand. He closed his eyes in frustration.
"Gary actually lost! How could this happen?"
Gary's cheerleading squad burst into tears at the sight.
Ash and Green in the audience looked on seriously, saying nothing. Misty and the others were equally surprised. Gary, who always seemed so confident, had actually been defeated.
But they had to accept the reality—if someone advances, someone else must be eliminated. That's competition.