Third POV
The next match was between Alex Shore and Brynden Malfoy, but it was scheduled in a separate arena with an intermission in between. The way the Top 16 was organized was fairly simple: four matches would happen in Arena 1 and the other four in Arena 2 throughout the day.
Grey moved toward the second arena and spent time either drinking the mojitos being offered around the stands or casually observing random trainers moving about.
A few trainers approached him during the break to congratulate him on reaching the Top 8, while others asked him for pointers and advice.
Grey gave them the usual answer.
"Train your Pokémon properly and try to fight according to their strengths."
The trainers left looking inspired, almost as if they had received some secret wisdom from a hidden master.
The funny thing was that what Grey did was not some impossible technique.
Every trainer deep down already knew the basics. Most simply did not commit to them consistently.
His growth had come from obsessive daily training, experimenting with creative fighting styles, and constantly challenging stronger opponents. There was no secret formula behind it.
Just hard work mixed with smart decisions.
Eventually, the intermission ended, and Grey settled down in the stands of Arena 2 to observe the upcoming match.
That was when he noticed a familiar face walking toward him.
Surge.
The Gym Leader casually approached Grey before speaking with his usual grin.
"Hey, kiddo. Been a while. Looks like you're doing pretty well in this tournament."
Grey blinked in surprise. He had not expected to see Surge here of all places and was about to ask why he was around when Surge immediately noticed the confused look on his face.
"Relax, kid," Surge laughed. "No need to look so shocked. I'm here on vacation after being overworked for the past two or three weeks because of this whole SS Anne tournament mess."
"That… actually makes sense," Grey admitted.
Surge dropped into the seat beside him casually, leaning back while crossing his arms.
"So," Surge said after a moment, "you're facing that Blackthorn kid tomorrow, right?"
Grey nodded.
"Yeah."
"Good," Surge replied immediately. "Beat him up real good for me."
Grey turned toward him with genuine confusion.
Surge noticed it instantly and snorted.
"I'm not exactly the biggest fan of a lot of Johto trainers. I'm sure you at least know a little about the Kanto-Johto War."
"A bit," Grey answered slowly. "But they never really taught us much about it in schools."
"Of course they didn't," Surge scoffed. "The government's trying its hardest to erase the hostility between both sides. The war ended peacefully, trade relations improved, and now both regions are trying to cooperate with each other. Hell, even the Elite Fours and League structures are getting mixed together."
Grey stayed silent for a moment.
He genuinely knew almost nothing about the war, neither in this world nor from the anime knowledge of his previous life.
Surge continued speaking, his voice becoming calmer.
"To be frank, I'm not the biggest fan of Lance either, though I respect the guy's strength. But even I can tell what the Blackthorns are trying to do by sending one of their clan members into this tournament."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That kid has resources backing him from every direction. Hell, he's even got a starter Pokémon that isn't native to Johto. Though," Surge added while glancing at Grey, "through luck and circumstance, neither do you."
Grey simply nodded.
Surge leaned forward slightly.
"Now listen carefully. I'm not trying to turn you into some Kanto nationalist or anything stupid like that. I just don't like the idea of a Blackthorn kid strolling in and winning this whole thing with all the backing he has."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Lance is different. I can respect how he earned his place in the Kanto Elite Four. But this kid? He ain't Lance."
Grey quietly listened.
"He's strong," Surge admitted. "No doubt about that. He probably would've earned my badge too if he challenged me. But he's missing something important."
Surge looked directly at Grey.
"He doesn't have what you have."
Grey frowned slightly.
"And what's that?"
"The desperation to win."
Those words made Grey freeze for a second.
Surge continued.
"Even a battle addict like me can see what the Blackthorns are trying to do. They're grooming another prodigy like Lance or Clair. But this kid won't become another Lance. I can already tell."
Surge pointed casually toward the arenas.
"Because it's not just you he has to compete against. There's Red. There's Blue. Hell, even that Ash kid's improving fast."
His tone became more serious.
"That Blackthorn kid has resources, connections, expectations, and a clear path his clan already laid out for him. He trains because greatness is expected from him."
Then Surge smirked slightly.
"You're different."
Grey stayed silent.
"You train because you don't have a choice," Surge said bluntly. "You fight because you want to claw out your own path and change your situation. That hunger drives you."
Grey genuinely did not know how to respond to that.
A small part of him felt strangely relieved hearing someone actually understand what pushed him forward.
Surge eventually stood up from his seat.
"To be honest, even Red or Blue could probably beat that Blackthorn kid," he said casually. "But personally? I want you to do it."
Grey looked up at him.
"All Top 4 trainers get money prizes alongside the Pokémon rewards," Surge continued. "And out of everyone here, you're one of the few who got this far without clan support, noble backing, or sponsorship."
Surge lightly tapped Grey on the shoulder.
"So don't lose tomorrow and waste all this effort."
His grin widened slightly.
"Win it for yourself."
With that, Surge started walking away.
But Grey suddenly stopped him.
"Wait."
Surge turned back.
Grey hesitated for a second before speaking.
"Can I message you sometimes if I need advice? Especially if I catch an Electric-type in the future… I'd appreciate guidance from someone like you."
Surge stared at him for a moment before laughing.
"Sure, kid. Message me whenever you want tips."
Then the Gym Leader waved casually and walked away, leaving Grey sitting there quietly, deep in thought.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Grey's POV
The matches continued as usual after that unexpectedly nice talk with Surge.
When I focused back on the battlefield, Alex and Brynden's match was already nearing its conclusion. Both trainers had Bug-types remaining for the final clash. Alex had a Scyther while Brynden used a Pinsir.
The fight itself was brutal.
Pinsir tried overpowering Scyther with sheer physical strength, using its giant pincers to trap and crush it whenever it got close. But Alex's Scyther was simply faster and sharper.
Its green blades flashed repeatedly across the battlefield.
Slash after slash landed on Pinsir from different angles until eventually the beetle Pokémon could no longer keep up. One final brutal cross slash sent Pinsir crashing onto the arena floor, giving Alex the victory and qualification into the Top 8.
The next match immediately caught my attention.
Blue Oak versus Tyson Maverick from Olivine City.
I was genuinely interested in watching this one.
Both trainers released their Pokémon on the referee's signal.
Blue sent out his Scyther while Tyson released a Ledian.
The match ended so quickly it almost felt unfair.
Blue's Scyther was terrifying.
The moment the battle began, it used Double Team, splitting into multiple afterimages before launching Air Slash attacks with ridiculous precision. Even Ledian's own Air Slashes were dodged effortlessly while Scyther closed the distance at high speed.
Then came the slashes.
Fast.
Precise.
Brutal.
Tyson's Ledian barely managed to react before being overwhelmed completely.
After recalling it, Tyson sent out a Nidorino.
The poison type tried fighting more aggressively, launching Horn Attacks and poison-based strikes at close range, but it honestly did not matter much.
Scyther dodged everything.
Every single attack.
Then it retaliated using the same relentless combination of Double Team and barrages of Slash attacks from multiple angles.
The more I observed Blue's Scyther, the more I realized something.
That Pokémon fought almost like a martial artist.
It closed distance like a boxer slipping past punches while its blades struck with the precision of a swordsman.
Whatever training Blue had gone through with Chuck during childhood had clearly paid off massively.
That Scyther was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Still, the only way I would even face Blue again would be in the finals, assuming both of us actually made it there.
At this point, Blue qualifying for the next round was guaranteed. The difference between his Scyther and Tyson's Pokémon was like comparing a candle flame to the sun.
The next match was the first battle of Block D.
Aria versus Shion Gintoki.
That battle also ended fairly quickly.
Aria revealed yet another new Pokémon, this time a Shellos.
The small sea slug immediately overwhelmed Shion's Growlithe using powerful Water-type attacks. Muddy Water and Water Pulse hammered the fire dog repeatedly until it fainted.
Shion then sent out a Weepinbell, which managed to beat the Shellos after a rough fight.
I was honestly surprised.
Either Aria had recently caught that Shellos or simply had not revealed it before now. The fact that she trusted it enough to use it at this stage of the tournament was impressive.
Then came her second Pokémon.
Piloswine.
And honestly, the match became one-sided from there.
The massive ice beast bulldozed through Weepinbell completely.
Ice Fang after Ice Fang slammed into the grass type while Piloswine simply ignored most incoming attacks through sheer bulk and aggression. It fought like an unstoppable battering ram covered in fur.
Eventually, Weepinbell collapsed, giving Aria the win.
The final match of the day was Red from Pallet Town versus Kiba from Pewter City.
Kiba started with Graveler.
Red answered with Gyarados.
And the poor guy was basically doomed from the start.
I was honestly curious how Red even got a Gyarados. In the manga version, he usually got one connected to Misty after the Rockets experimented on it, but here Misty should logically still have her own Gyarados.
So this was probably a completely different one.
Not that it mattered much for Kiba.
A few Aqua Tail attacks absolutely demolished the Graveler.
The poor guy was probably a Rock-type specialist who had run into one of the strongest physical Water-types available in Kanto.
That was basically a death sentence.
Kiba's second Pokémon turned out to be a Golbat of all things. He probably caught both Pokémon somewhere around Mt. Moon.
Unfortunately for him, that did not help much either.
Red's Gyarados completely wrecked the Golbat too, smashing through it with Iron Tail and Bite attacks until the bat finally fainted.
Eventually, Red secured the victory, officially completing the Top 8 lineup.
After the matches ended, I finally decided to leave.
I needed some rest.
And food.
Tomorrow would be my match against Ryu.
As I headed back toward my room to relax before dinner, my mind was already busy planning strategies for the upcoming battle.