After diving into the water, the two Pokémon quickly disappeared from view. Fortunately, underwater cameras provided the audience with a fixed angle of the situation below.
For the trainers, once the Pokémon were underwater, they also lost track of them. Compounded by the water muffling their voices, they couldn't transmit commands and therefore couldn't direct the battle.
At times like this, the Pokémon's own battle instincts truly shine.
Through the big screen, people could clearly see Golduck's streamlined body, long tail, and webbed feet allowing it to move rapidly underwater.
But Blastoise was no slouch either.
As the Pokémon that had helped Natsui win the Alto Mare race, perhaps straight-line speed wasn't Blastoise's specialty, but its muscles were stronger. And great strength often translated to more powerful propulsion and explosive force!
Gurgle... gurgle...
People couldn't hear the sounds of the underwater battle, but the visuals clearly showed how intense it was.
Golduck, relying on its superior agility, swam circles around Blastoise, striking from the east, then the west, occasionally swiping at it.
Blastoise, protected by its hard shell, only needed to defend its front. This meant it only had to turn slightly, forcing Golduck to expend more energy circling around to find a suitable attack position.
However, as the battle progressed, Jon Dickson sensed something was wrong.
Blastoise suddenly withdrew its head and limbs into its shell. The massive shell began to spin wildly, faster and faster. After just a moment, he noticed the pool water itself was starting to rotate along with it.
This is bad!!
"Golduck, get out of there!"
Jon Dickson shouted at the water, but how could his voice possibly reach Golduck?
Fortunately, the underwater Golduck also sensed the change. It quickly turned to swim towards the bank, but by now, it was too late!
The underwater whirlpool had formed!
A medium-sized Pokémon like Golduck simply couldn't fight against the massive vortex. It had barely swum a few feet before its body was uncontrollably pulled, slowly, towards the center of the whirlpool.
The whirlpool's influence didn't stop there; it eventually spread to the entire water surface.
Even without the screen, the audience could guess what was happening underwater just by looking at the massive spiral that had appeared on the battlefield.
Amidst this anticipation, a loud rushing sound was heard as a waterspout erupted from the pool, shooting high into the sky!
And at the top of the waterspout, being buffeted by the torrent, was Jon Dickson's Golduck!
This was Natsui's tried-and-true underwater finishing move.
He had used this move to defeat many opponents before, and now it was Jon Dickson's turn to taste its power.
This is bad!
In his trainer area, Jon Dickson's face paled. He quickly took out a Poké Ball, trying to recall Golduck. But as the waterspout rose higher, it was clearly beyond the Poké Ball's recall range.
By the time the waterspout dissipated and Golduck fell from the sky, it was descending too fast. Jon Dickson tried several times but couldn't aim the beam, missing the optimal chance.
THUD!
Golduck crashed hard onto the land. When the dust settled, as expected, it was already unconscious.
Splash...
Another splash was heard as Blastoise leaped out of the water and onto the land as well.
The referee raised the red flag. "Golduck is unable to battle! The second round goes to Blastoise!"
The audience burst into thunderous applause. Although it was only the second match, they could already see the trend. At this rate, Natsui winning the championship was only a matter of time.
Jon Dickson recalled Golduck with a heavy heart. Unlike Natsui's relaxed state, his own heart had sunk to rock bottom.
He glanced at Natsui, gritted his teeth, and directly took out his ace Pokémon.
"Go, Rapidash!"
Seeing Rapidash appear on the field, the announcer was surprised. "Oh? Competitor Jon Dickson has chosen to send out his ace Pokémon now! This Rapidash has maintained an undefeated record in previous battles, serving Jon Dickson well as his strongest Pokémon. But... it's only the third round, not even halftime. Is it too early to bring it out now?"
Too early?
Hearing the announcer, Jon Dickson could only smile bitterly.
If he were battling any other trainer, he wouldn't even deign to use Rapidash; his other Pokémon could sweep them.
But now, he had to go all out to stop this losing streak.
If he kept losing like this, what was the point of winning the last round?
By then, he probably wouldn't have the strength left to deal with Natsui's remaining Pokémon. It was better to go all-in now and fight!
On the other side, even without the announcer stating it, Natsui knew this Rapidash, while not Jon Dickson's starter, was his strongest Pokémon, bar none.
If he continued using Blastoise, he could easily win with the type advantage. But a straightforward victory like that held no interest for him right now.
So, what should he use against it?
"This match is yours." After recalling Blastoise, Natsui didn't hesitate, immediately tossing his next Poké Ball into the air. "Go, Dragonite!"
As the new generation of Pokémon Natsui was raising, after his original team, Dragonite, Tyranitar, and Scizor would carry the banner in the next region. Tempering them as much as possible was essential.
Seeing Dragonite emerge, Jon Dickson couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Having watched the matches, he knew that compared to Gardevoir, Jolteon, Crystal Steelix, and even Gengar, Natsui's other Pokémon were relatively weaker and, consequently, easier to deal with.
Battling them would undoubtedly increase his chances of winning!
Whether he could turn the tide depended on this match!
Based on their expressions, both trainers were satisfied with their choices. When the battle began, they both simultaneously chose to attack.
In terms of typing, the Fire-type Rapidash and the Dragon/Flying-type Dragonite had no advantage over each other.
But that was just on the surface; their actual abilities told a different story.
For instance, in speed, the Pokédex data showed Rapidash, as an equine Pokémon, was exceptionally fast. Dragonite's speed stat was much lower. However, in reality, Dragonite's wings allowed it to fly, making its actual speed comparable to Rapidash's.
Furthermore, while neither had a type advantage, Rapidash's main attacks were only Fire and Normal-type. Dragonite, as a versatile all-rounder, could use Electric and Water-type moves in addition to its own Dragon and Flying moves. Even a simple Aqua Tail could produce a surprising effect in a close-range clash.
While both seemed to have a chance, variables existed, adding much suspense to the duel.
In mid-air, Dragonite banked to the side, dodging Rapidash's Fire Blast, then dove towards it.
Rapidash saw this and immediately galloped away, trying to use its speed to shake Dragonite.
The two Pokémon chased each other, circling the field. Dragonite wasn't always on the offensive; Rapidash, proving itself as Jon Dickson's ace, always found chances to strike back.
Just then, as Dragonite missed a charge, Rapidash bucked its front hooves, kicking Dragonite's body.
The situation remained a stalemate, with both sides evenly matched, yet both had sustained damage after just a short time.
Unfortunately, one of Rapidash's fire attacks triggered a burn status. Now, every move Dragonite made was accompanied by the pain of the flames.
Perhaps another trainer would have recalled their Pokémon at this point, waiting for the burn to fade before sending it back out.
But seeing the determination in Dragonite's eyes, Natsui hesitated only a moment before shaking his head, allowing Dragonite to continue fighting.
Dragonite clearly wanted to win and was unwilling to back down. Recalling it now would undoubtedly crush its confidence.
Fortunately, it wasn't just being reckless; it actually had a way to mitigate the damage. It dove headfirst into the water, then leaped back out. The water dousing its body greatly alleviated the burn.
It was the same principle as rinsing a burn with cool water immediately.
"A smart choice!" the announcer called out. "Using water to temporarily relieve the burn! While it can't be completely eliminated, it will certainly lessen the pain!"
After this small interlude, Dragonite became ferocious. Ignoring its own injuries, it stopped attacking from a distance and closed in on Rapidash, initiating a close-quarters brawl!
It's already burned, how much worse can it get?
Dragonite used Thunder Punch, clashing directly with Rapidash's Flame Wheel, then landed an unexpected Aqua Tail on Rapidash's body.
Whether Rapidash was intimidated by Dragonite's frenzied assault, it couldn't run and couldn't break free. In the end, Dragonite managed to fight Rapidash to a mutual knockout!
Seeing both Pokémon collapse backward simultaneously, the audience gasped.
They took each other out!?
After all, everyone knew Rapidash was Jon Dickson's strongest Pokémon, while Dragonite was one of Natsui's relatively "average" ones. No one expected this outcome!
For Natsui, this result was also surprising.
He was even preparing his next Pokémon, but Dragonite gave him an unexpected bonus.
This guy is really growing fast during this tournament...
Only Jon Dickson shook his head helplessly, half his fighting spirit gone.
He knew that with his ace defeated, he could no longer stop Natsui from winning.
And it was true. After halftime, when the battle resumed, Jon Dickson seemed to have lost his edge. His Quagsire, Hitmontop, and Marowak were all focused on passive defense, rarely initiating attacks. Even his commands became much more conservative.
It was a complete 180-degree turn from his previous style.
In these three battles, Natsui used Scizor, Tyranitar, and Gardevoir respectively, defeating Jon Dickson's three Pokémon and winning three straight victories, seizing the match in one go.
The moment the final Marowak fell, before Natsui could even register his victory, cannons suddenly fired, and a deafening roar erupted from the crowd.
Colorful ribbons danced in the wind; the entire Silver Stadium had become a sea of excitement.
"We have a champion!" the announcer shouted at the top of his lungs. "As expected, it's competitor Natsui! Let's congratulate him on winning this year's Silver Conference championship, and also congratulate him on achieving two consecutive league victories since the Indigo Conference!"
Standing stunned in place, Natsui was happy, but not as thrilled as the first time.
That's it? I won?
It felt like just going through the motions. He just kept battling and won. The process lacked much drama.
How to put it... the opponents were just too weak, offering little challenge.
To him, Jon Dickson's strength was basically the same as Harrison's; neither was difficult to beat.
Geographically speaking, Johto and Kanto were on the same continent, closely related, with almost no cultural differences. They didn't really need two separate league divisions; one Pokémon Conference would suffice.
After all, they shared the Elite Four. If they gathered all the top trainers in one place, the competition would be truly spectacular, unlike the current situation where, aside from a few individuals, the skill level was so inconsistent.
But, from another perspective, as the first two stages, these conferences were excellent practice. They allowed him to accumulate vast experience and train his Pokémon, building a foundation for the truly difficult battles ahead.
Snapping back to reality, Natsui raised his face, a bright smile spreading as he waved to the cheering crowd.
After Jon Dickson listlessly shook his hand, Natsui, at the referee's signal, moved to the awards platform.
The Pokémon League President, Mr. Goodshow, was already waiting. As Natsui stood on the podium, Mr. Goodshow placed a gold medal around his neck, then took a gleaming gold trophy from a hostess and handed it to him.
"Congratulations, young man." Mr. Goodshow had a kind smile, though Natsui felt it was tinged with a trace of bitterness. "Congratulations on winning the Silver Conference. This is your second championship. Truly impressive!"
Mr. Goodshow's words, however, felt somewhat insincere.
The congratulations were genuine, but so was the reluctance.
As the League President, he had to consider the development of the entire Pokémon League. A two-time consecutive champion was a great honor for one competitor, but for the others, it was undoubtedly disheartening.
"Thank you, Mr. President," Natsui said, completely missing Mr. Goodshow's odd demeanor. He said sincerely, "Don't worry, I will continue to work hard on my next journey and strive to win another trophy!"
Mr. Goodshow's face instantly fell. That wasn't what he meant at all, but he couldn't say so explicitly. He could only force an awkward smile and say, "Well... just... do your best... I have high hopes for you!"
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