Almost in the next moment, the entire venue erupted into cheers like a mountain avalanche.
"Natsuhiko! Natsuhiko! Natsuhiko!!"
"Lance! Lance! Lance!!"
"Tactical Master! Tactical Master! Tactical Master!!"
"Dragon Tamer! Dragon Tamer! Dragon Tamer!!"
"..."
They had long known about the relationship between Natsuhiko and Lance.
What they felt at this moment was the respect between both sides and that exhilarating fighting spirit.
This!
This is the battle they wanted to see!
This!
This is the battle they hoped to witness!
This!
This is friendship!
...
"Haha—Today's young people really make one feel... full of passion," Genji said with a hearty laugh.
At this moment, he felt as if he were ten years younger.
"This boy... should've said earlier he didn't have a Pokémon, Haunter always wanted to make an appearance."
Agatha's face wrinkled like a chrysanthemum, quite surprised at Natsuhiko and Lance's behavior.
"..."
Adick stood solemnly by the window, feeling that the dormant flame inside him had been rekindled by such a scene.
From Natsuhiko and Lance, he seemed to see a shadow of his own youth.
"Oh ho ho! I feel my whole body burning!! This is what a Trainer should be like! This is true passion!"
Da Ye roared in the contestant room, his eyes aflame as he glanced at Denji beside him. Although Denji's expression hadn't changed, his eyes said everything.
This time, everyone refrained from suppressing the excited Da Ye.
Hilona's bright eyes sparkled.
"I never expected you to be like this, Natsuhiko..."
This tournament had changed Hilona's perception of Natsuhiko so much that she couldn't remember how many times she had sighed like this.
Natsuhiko's image in her heart had become richer and more vivid.
"These two guys..."
Flint smiled, his fist clenching and unclenching.
He really wanted to have a match with Natsuhiko too.
"Senior Natsuhiko..." Kona murmured, staring intently at the TV screen.
The previously calm and indifferent image of Natsuhiko in the alternate space had also become more vivid through this competition.
Wusong adjusted his glasses and sat up straight, "This overtime was worth it."
Online.
The audience, who had been frantically breaking into various live-streaming platforms, also stopped their actions.
"Oh no, I've completely become a fan of them, what should I do? Tears in eyes."
"Don't worry, you're not alone."
"Wuwuwu, why did Natsuhiko go to Sinnoh? I want to see him fight side by side with Lance in Kanto..."
"No worries, Sinnoh always welcomes Lance to come along, haha."
"Actually, I think Hoenn is also a great place."
"Johto: %￥@%!&..."
"..."
Natsuhiko and Lance's decision once again brought the attention of this tournament to another peak.
This passion had already successfully ignited everyone even before the battle started.
Of course.
These things had little to do with the two standing on the stage at the moment.
Natsuhiko looked at Lance, and Lance also looked at Natsuhiko.
Fighting spirit was high.
In truth, as Natsuhiko saw it, there was no need to fight this semifinal; reaching the top four already exceeded his expectations and was more than satisfactory.
However, what he hadn't expected was Lance's serious attitude towards this battle.
His loss of composure during dinner was something Natsuhiko never thought he'd see in the steady and calm Lance.
So, after careful consideration, Natsuhiko made a decision.
Fight!
And fight seriously!
This was the least respect he could show to Lance, his first friend after coming to this world.
Whether he lost or won.
If he lost, he was already satisfied with his performance and would not feel regret.
If he won, well, then he just won.
Why couldn't he, a Trainer from a common background, be the champion?
Therefore, aside from some things he couldn't reveal or display, Natsuhiko decided to give it his all.
This was his attitude towards Lance!
"Trainers, please prepare your Pokémon," said the referee standing in the middle, who had received instructions from above.
Just a simple sentence: proceed as usual!
Then, Natsuhiko and Lance exchanged glances and simultaneously threw their Pokeballs.
As the red light flashed, the arena shook violently.
"Roar——!!"
The first Pokémon Lance summoned was the enormous Gyarados, nearly seven meters long, exuding an overwhelming presence even just by lifting its head.
Its rugged scales shimmered dazzlingly under the sunlight.
And the "Intimidation" emanating from Gyarados caused the audience to momentarily hold their breaths.
Then burst into even louder cheers!
In front of this giant creature, the Pokémon summoned by Natsuhiko seemed so small.
"Cha-ko-ee——!!"
Togekiss!
The first Pokémon Natsuhiko sent out was Togekiss!
The initial advantage earned was that Gyarados' "Intimidation" trait, which lowers the opponent's physical attack, was minimal in effect against the special attack-oriented Togekiss.
"Battle, begin!"
With the referee's flag waving down, this much-anticipated battle finally commenced.
"Gyarados, Dragon Dance!"
Lance's attention was highly focused; facing Natsuhiko, he dared not relax in the slightest.
The only thing he could do was one thing.
And that was to give it his all!
This was also a form of respect for Natsuhiko.
Between close friends, they should fight the toughest battles!