Sam let out a long breath.
In this match, he had to endure pressure on both his mind and body. He needed to be careful not to let Erika lose too badly, or he might end up facing a mixed doubles match from both Erika and Vileplume afterward.
The first day of the competition was nearly over.
Ash had also successfully defeated Erika. Although there had clearly been some generosity involved, it was still good news for Sam. At least he would have companions when he left Celadon City to challenge the other Masters Tournament Gym Leaders.
After the matches ended, Sam returned to Erika's residence.
Having spent the entire day battling challengers, Erika looked somewhat tired.
"You really went easy on Misty today," Sam said.
Erika smiled.
"That was so you'd have more companions during your journey. Ash passed as well. But you should be careful when challenging the other Gym Leaders. They're much stronger than the trainers you faced today. They won't let you show off the way you do around me."
Sam nodded.
Though inwardly he couldn't help complaining.
Didn't you let me show off plenty?
"The most difficult opponents will probably be Norman and Pryce," Erika continued. "Both of them are extremely meticulous and won't hand out badges easily. Especially Pryce. Because of his relationship with Blaine, he may go all out against you."
Sam nodded seriously.
With the first day's battles concluded, most of the badge winners had already been decided.
However, earning five badges was only the first step toward qualifying for the Masters Tournament.
Only two spots were available.
If more than two trainers collected all five badges, additional elimination matches would be held to determine the final participants.
But what worried Sam most wasn't tomorrow's challenges.
It was the battle between Sabrina and Erika.
He had no idea what would happen when those two faced each other.
Sam didn't even dare imagine it.
So he simply went to sleep.
The next morning, the competition resumed as scheduled.
After several matches, it was finally Sabrina's turn to challenge Erika.
Sam immediately became nervous.
Hopefully nothing unexpected would happen.
Sabrina calmly stepped onto the battlefield and glanced at Erika and her Vileplume.
Then she gave a cold snort and released her Pokémon.
[Pokémon] Alakazam
[Attribute] Psychic
[Category] Psi Pokémon
[Ability] Synchronize
[Hidden Ability] Magic Guard
[Strength] Elite Mid-Level
Without wasting a single word, Sabrina launched the first attack.
"Confusion!"
A psychic wave shot toward Vileplume.
Erika responded immediately.
"Bullet Seed!"
The barrage of seeds collided with the psychic beam.
Although Confusion was stronger than Bullet Seed, Erika had no intention of relying on a direct clash.
The moment the Bullet Seeds were fired, she followed up with another command.
"Stun Spore!"
Golden spores drifted through the air.
Before Alakazam could fully evade them, some of the powder landed on its body.
Its muscles stiffened slightly.
The power of Confusion weakened.
At the same time, Vileplume activated Grassy Terrain.
The battlefield instantly became covered in lush green grass.
Within the grassy field, Vileplume's mobility and recovery were noticeably enhanced.
But Sabrina wasn't worried.
"Recover!"
A soft glow enveloped Alakazam, restoring its condition and removing the lingering paralysis.
Immediately afterward—
"Telekinesis!"
Vileplume was suddenly lifted into the air and dragged directly in front of Alakazam.
Then Alakazam raised its spoon and struck downward.
At such close range, retreat was impossible.
"You won't be escaping with Substitute this time," Sabrina said coldly.
Before attacking, she had already used Disable, preventing Vileplume from reacting immediately.
Yet Erika merely smiled.
"A low-level attack like hitting with a spoon isn't worth using Substitute for."
The petals around Vileplume suddenly began to spin.
"Petal Dance!"
A violent storm of petals erupted outward.
The spoon was knocked away instantly.
Sabrina's expression changed slightly.
Alakazam quickly recovered.
Using its psychic power, it retrieved the spoon and hurled it forward once more.
The spoon spun through the air like a boomerang, slicing toward Vileplume.
This was the result of Alakazam's special training.
However, Vileplume remained calm.
"Petal Blizzard!"
Countless petals swirled around its body.
The rotating spoon repeatedly attempted to break through the floral barrier but was blocked every time.
Eventually, Alakazam recalled the spoon.
This time, Sabrina prepared a more serious attack.
Alakazam assumed a stance and activated Ally Switch.
Instantly, the Grassy Terrain covering the battlefield vanished.
The lush green field disappeared and the arena returned to normal.
Without the terrain bonus, Vileplume's movement became much more restricted.
Its previously enhanced abilities weakened considerably.
Sabrina immediately seized the opportunity.
Alakazam burst forward at high speed.
"Psycho Cut!"
A blade of psychic energy slashed directly toward Vileplume.
At the same moment, Disable activated once more, locking Vileplume in place.
The attack was unavoidable.