Chapter 41: Advancing to the Semifinals
Seeing the Swellow with deep navy-blue wings and crimson markings, Lu Ye had already thought of how to comfort Gastly. Something along the lines of: "Thank you, Gastly." Or "It's not that we're too weak, it's just that the opponent is too cunning."
After all, this Swellow's move set was simply luxurious, fully deserving of its nickname—the Broken Swellow.
[Swellow – Normal/Flying
Ability: Guts
Moves: Growl, Focus Energy, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Wing Attack, Agility]
Clearly, this was a physical attacker known for its mobility.
Spreading its deep blue wings, Swellow soared through the air like an arrow released from a bowstring, diving straight down.
"The battle has begun!" the announcer shouted. "Swellow is leading with Aerial Ace!"
As Swellow's signature move, Aerial Ace exuded an overwhelming presence—its wings and long beak gleamed with a sharp white glow.
"Ssshhk—"
Like a balloon being popped, Gastly's Substitute was instantly shredded by Swellow's razor-sharp talons!
From the judges' panel, Song Pengcheng, the president of the city's association, let out a soft hum.
"I thought the match would be decided in one turn, but I didn't expect Gastly to have such quick reflexes."
Tang Hui, the Psychic-type Gym Leader, also nodded. "Instantly judging the need for a Substitute—this Gastly has a remarkably seasoned battle sense!"
Having missed its first strike, Gastly had already floated underneath Swellow's belly.
"Keep using Aerial Ace!" Jiang Yun commanded.
Swellow instantly reversed direction, aiming straight at the Gastly below. Its long beak twisted like a spinning drill, striking with deadly precision!
"Protect!" Lu Ye squinted. "Watch out for its wings!"
Facing the diving Swellow, Gastly conjured a misty barrier, materializing into a tangible shield that blocked the razor-sharp talons. Sparks flew in all directions!
Swellow failed to land its hit, but it refused to relent, flapping its wings violently. Like two swinging blades, its wings slashed toward Gastly!
"This is Swellow's Wing Attack—going all in for the kill!" the announcer roared.
Yet, the seemingly guaranteed hit abruptly missed. With Lu Ye's prior warning, Gastly dodged at a blistering speed, pulling back over 3 meters in an instant!
"Did I see that wrong?"
Song Pengcheng muttered, "For a moment there… did Gastly move faster than Swellow?"
Tang Hui pondered, "This young man named Lu Ye… he must have specifically trained Gastly's speed."
"In terms of potential distribution, Gastly's max speed is already on par with Swellow!"
Every Pokémon has its limits. That's why the allocation of a Pokémon's potential is a crucial aspect of Pokémon breeding studies. To put it in gaming terms—Lu Ye's Gastly had its effort values maxed out in Speed. While Swellow's base Speed stat was indeed higher than Gastly's, thanks to meticulous training, Lu Ye's approach had the upper hand!
Jiang Yun seemed to realize this as well, his expression changing slightly.
"Swellow, use Agility!"
Gastly didn't have any moves that could threaten Swellow. There was risk involved, but as long as Swellow could outspeed Gastly, the match would be a foregone conclusion!
"He's going for Agility, huh." Lu Ye sighed. "You're just getting greedy now!"
Lu Ye didn't even need to give a command—Gastly had already sensed an opportunity.
From the stands, a wave of gasps erupted.
"Why is Swellow suddenly dropping?"
"Wait… does Gastly know Hypnosis?!"
While Swellow was circling in midair, a faint beam of light suddenly locked onto it. A hypnotic glow shot out from Gastly's eyes, directly hitting its mark!
"Screeech—!"
Swellow let out a sharp cry before crashing onto the battlefield, struggling but unable to resist its eyelids growing heavier. The sudden turn of events left the audience utterly stunned.
Swellow had been dominating just moments ago… How did the tide turn so quickly?!
"This kid… he was hiding Hypnosis all along?!" Song Pengcheng's eyes widened.
"He never used it in the previous rounds," Tang Hui remarked in amazement.
"Young trainers these days… they sure love playing tactical games!"
Despite successfully landing Hypnosis, Gastly didn't have much time left to act. Glancing back at Lu Ye, Gastly tilted its head slightly, eyes filled with anticipation.
"If you want to use it, go ahead." Lu Ye sighed. "It's not like you have any other good options."
"Gengarrr!" Gastly's eyes gleamed with excitement.
This was its first time using Toxic in an official match. Puffing up its cheeks, Gastly took a deep breath. Its eyes widened as it exhaled a thick, sickly green mist!
"Is that… Toxic?"
From the judges' panel, Song Pengcheng murmured, "That looks… kinda unsettling."
Even Tang Hui's smile turned a bit awkward.
"Who knows… maybe Lu Ye really does have a shot at winning!"
Swallowed by the poisonous mist, Swellow's entire body turned a sickly shade of blue. But in the next moment, its eyes snapped open. A blazing determination burned in its pupils.
[Guts Ability Activated!]
"That's the spirit, Swellow!" Jiang Yun clenched his fist. "Use Aerial Ace!"
"Screeech!"
The entire stadium seemed to erupt with energy as Swellow fearlessly charged toward Gastly, its wings flashing with a deadly gleam!
Lu Ye was dumbfounded.
Dude, I'm the one at a disadvantage here, why does it feel like I'm the villain?
"Gastly, Protect!"
BANG!
Swellow slammed into the impenetrable mist barrier, and the entire stadium held its breath. It almost sounded like Swellow's wings had fractured from the impact.
"Use Hypnosis again!"
Amidst the stunned silence, Swellow woke up—only to be put right back to sleep. If Hypnosis missed, Gastly would stall with Protect. Then, rinse and repeat with another Hypnosis.
Now completely drenched in purple toxins, Swellow lay twitching on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Beside it, Gastly hovered with a mischievous grin, looking as if it was ready to smack Swellow with a brick the moment it woke up.
Even the referee couldn't bear to watch anymore, blowing the whistle proactively.
"The winner is—Lu Ye!"
The entire stadium fell into dead silence, with the audience looking deeply conflicted.
Did we pay to watch an intense Pokémon battle? Swellow's performance was indeed passionate… but what the hell was up with that Gastly?! Who the hell just… tortures their opponent to death like that?!
"That was a dirty move!"
"Refund! I want a refund!"
"Teacher Lu is a filthy genius!"
Amidst the chaos, Han Xiaoxiao, who had also advanced to the semifinals, was cheering wildly for Lu Ye.
Watching the entire match, Shen Tingzhi stood frozen, question marks practically floating above her head.
"That was… allowed?"
Even the association president, Song Pengcheng, and Gym Leader Tang Hui exchanged glances.
The strategy was disgustingly dirty… But undeniably, it was effective.
"Is he really from the Finance Department?" Song Pengcheng's expression was unreadable. "Because he battles like a pro who's been competing for years."
"I don't know," Tang Hui replied, shaking his head.
"I just know that he broke another record today."
With Gastly, Lu Ye overturned the odds and defeated Jiang Yun from Modu Jiaotong University. For the first time in Piplup Cup history, a non-Battle Department student had made it to the semifinals—setting yet another record!