"An Ace-versus-Ace battle!! Without a doubt, this is a clash of both trainers' ultimate partners!!"
The commentator's voice rang out hoarsely with excitement.
"No one could have predicted that, just as the first half of the match was about to end, both competitors would surprise us with these choices!
Those who've followed Silas and Shizuo know this — Blaziken and Blastoise are each trainer's strongest Pokémon."
"In the previous Round of 32, Silas's Blaziken single-handedly ended the first half of the match.
Its opponents? Three Pokémon, all around the level of a pseudo–Elite-tier.
That kind of overwhelming power and dominance is rarely seen."
"Meanwhile, Shizuo's Blastoise once made history three years ago at the Hoenn League's Lilycove Conference, when it set a record for the fastest knockout ever in the main arena.
Its opponent then was also a pseudo–Elite Pokémon and for a Pokémon not known for its raw offensive power, that performance was nothing short of stunning."
"In this year's Indigo League, Shizuo's Blastoise hasn't appeared in battle yet.
No one knows how much it has improved after three years or what kind of surprise it might bring us today."
"In any case, let's find out together!"
The commentator's lips barely paused between words, speaking at breakneck speed, his tone brimming with passion.
The crowd's cheers grew even louder.
If the very first Top 16 match was already this thrilling, many spectators felt their hearts and throats could barely handle the tension.
"That kid's probably this year's Indigo League Champion," said Flint, watching the match live on TV.
Brock and Forrest instantly understood what their father meant — both could only sigh helplessly.
On the battlefield, Silas and Shizuo blocked out all distractions, eyes locked on their respective partners and opponents.
"This isn't looking good," Silas thought to himself.
A faint, blue virtual screen visible only to him appeared beside Blastoise, displaying a single word in its strength column — "Elite-Level."
The pressure was immense.
The difference between Elite–level and pseudo–Elite–level Pokémon was not something that could be easily bridged.
To put it simply — the Elite level was the true dividing line of strength among Pokémon.
To the general public, a trainer with Elite–rank Pokémon was already considered strong — the kind of trainer admired and respected in any small city.
Not only could such trainers make a living far beyond ordinary means, but in times of crisis, they were also the first to defend cities from wild Pokémon attacks.
Even in the wild, Pokémon of Elite rank or higher were extremely rare and most preferred to live far from human settlements.
Without Elite Four-level trainers defending them, Elite and pseudo–Elite trainers were the main force protecting cities from wild Pokémon assaults.
Because of this, people naturally equated "Elite-level" with "strong," almost as an unspoken rule.
That's exactly why the League required that every officially recognized Gym Leader be at least of Elite level strength.
In Silas's own words — borrowed from a novel he once read in his previous life —
"An Elite trainer can defend an entire city single-handedly."
Though most Elite-level Pokémon live peacefully in secluded, resource-rich areas, not all of them are so harmonious.
Some short-tempered ones might even attack human cities — especially when their territory or habitats are encroached upon.
And those Pokémon weren't solitary. Many commanded massive groups — enough to terrify any ordinary human settlement.
Fortunately, the wild follows a simple rule: the strong rule the land.
If the leader is defeated, the rest of its group withdraws to find a new territory.
Silas recalled the anime's Vermilion City incident — when the giant Tentacruel attacked.
If it hadn't been for Ash and his friends, the city would have been destroyed unless an Elite trainer arrived in time.
On the other hand, without that giant Tentacruel leading them, the Tentacool swarm wouldn't have attacked humans at all.
The ocean is vast — moving to another home wouldn't have been difficult.
People had once wondered whether a pseudo–Elite-level Pokémon could defeat an Elite-level opponent but experience showed it was unrealistic.
Wild Pokémon are generally weaker than those trained by humans a fact beyond dispute, aside from a few exceptions.
While they might have rich battle experience, in every other aspect, they lag behind.
At the pseudo–Elite level, disregarding type advantage, a trained Pokémon could often take on two or even three wild Pokémon of the same level, assuming the trainer can keep giving commands.
But against a wild Elite–level Pokémon? Victory remained nearly impossible.
According to League records, such upsets had occurred only three times in history.
If even wild Elite-level Pokémon were that overwhelming, then the power gap between trained pseudo–Elite and trained Elite Pokémon was easy to imagine.
To this day, there had never been a recorded case of a pseudo–Elite Pokémon defeating an Elite-level one in an official match, at least not one-on-one.
Silas looked at his Fire-type Blaziken, then at the Water-type Blastoise.
Though he had absolute confidence in Blaziken, this was a tall order — the gap in both strength and typing was huge.
Shizuo stood calmly at his side of the field.
Before him, Blastoise's not-so-large body somehow exuded the presence of a mountain — steady and immovable.
"Blaziken, use Flamethrower!"
Silas made the first move.
Come to think of it, he'd never faced an Elite-level Pokémon head-on before
This was a perfect chance to experience it firsthand.
"Blaaaze!!"
From the moment it entered the field, Blaziken's wrists had already been flaring with heat.
It let out an excited cry, spewing a raging stream of fire from its beak.
As a Pokémon, it could clearly sense the immense power of its opponent —
But so what?
For the Fire- and Fighting-type Blaziken, the tougher the battle, the more its fighting spirit burned.
The stronger the enemy, the hotter the flames around its wrists blazed.
Victory or defeat wasn't its concern, that was its Trainer's job. All it needed to do was give everything it had.
Meanwhile, Shizuo and Blastoise remained perfectly still.
Some spectators looked confused, but a few sharp-eyed ones caught on — their eyes gleaming in anticipation.
"Blas-toise!"
Just as the blazing jet of fire reached it, Blastoise, at Shizuo's calm command, slowly shifted its body.
The left water cannon on its shell extended forward, aligning precisely with the incoming Flamethrower.
"Hsssss—"
A torrent of water blasted out.
Blastoise, as a Water-Type Pokémon, had a natural advantage when using moves like Water Gun or Hydro Pump.
The two cannons extending from the front of its shell weren't just for show.
The unique construction allowed an immense force, capable of easily piercing even extremely thick steel plates.
Where fire and water collided in midair, the red and blue colors quickly vanished, replaced by rising white mist swirling around Blastoise.
This maneuver, and the resulting neutralization of flames, left everyone gasping.
The reason was simple — Blastoise was only using Water Gun from a single cannon.
That it could counter a powerful Flamethrower with such a low-powered move made it obvious even to casual observers: Blastoise's strength had reached Elite-level.
Otherwise, even with a type advantage, this result wouldn't have happened.
This revelation was hardly a surprise.
Before the start of this Indigo League tournament, rumors had been circulating widely: Shizuo's Blastoise had broken into the Elite tier.
Many claimed confidently that if Shizuo didn't have an Elite-level Blastoise as a trump card, he would never have returned to competition after three years of silence.
Quick-witted spectators had already begun feeling sympathy for Silas.
"It really is that strong…"
At this moment, however, Silas didn't feel disappointed — he was thrilled.
During the previous Vermilion City Gyarados incident, he had only witnessed the raw power of Lt Surge's Raichu from a distance.
Plus, at that time, his own strength was limited, so he had never fully understood how strong an Elite-level Pokémon could be.
Now, at roughly the same stage of strength, facing one head-on gave him a tangible sense of that power.
"The stronger, the better," Silas murmured.
His eyes burned with determination.
If an Elite-level Pokémon was this imposing, imagine the Champion… imagine a Legendary Pokémon.
And don't even mention the Twin Islands' Machamp or Articuno — he hadn't even glimpsed Articuno, while Machamp was handled so effortlessly it seemed like a game.
"We'll only grow stronger."
Blaziken's telepathic voice echoed in Silas's mind.
Silas grinned.
"Facing such a powerful opponent, Silas does not retreat, does not fear. His smile says it all — in Pokémon battles, there is no victory or defeat, only moving forward!"
The commentator's passionate voice boomed across the stadium.
He wasn't trying to overhype or pretend Silas was confident, even ghosts wouldn't believe that.
But this spirit perfectly matched the Pokémon League's values.
Suddenly, the commentator understood why the League strongly promoted this young trainer.
Beyond talent and strength, this character mattered even more.
Shizuo was also pleased.
Silas's attitude proved his decision had been correct.
Otherwise, to hide his true strength, Shizuo could have easily sent out his remaining pseudo–Elite-level Pokémon instead.
His gaze returned to Silas.
Silas understood.
"You want me to attack?"
Silas smiled slightly. Overconfidence wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Blaziken stepped forward under the eyes of everyone in the stadium.
"Blaziken, use Swords Dance, Bulk Up, and Focus Energy!"
Silas wasted no time.
Blaziken executed a previously unseen triple buff in rapid succession, faster than anyone expected.
"Now, Focus Punch!"
Before anyone could react, Silas's eyes widened and he shouted.
"Boom!"
A resounding clash of hard surfaces rang out.
Blaziken pushed off with its legs, creating a blur as it charged forward.
Its claws clenched tightly, the white aura growing increasingly blinding.
....
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