Chapter 361:
"Round Three, first match concluded. The winner is Contestant Genfu!"
"Round Three, fifth match begins... Round Three, fifth match concluded. The winner is Contestant Kensuke..."
"Round Three, seventh match begins... Round Three, seventh match concluded. The winner is Contestant Yūji..."
Match after match passed by.
Hayashi Kaede also began to realize that even with 6v6 battles and field changes, the pace for some matches wasn't slow.
Each one took roughly fifteen to twenty minutes to complete.
However, this tenth match was scheduled for the afternoon, after the midday break.
Primarily because, even though this was the Pokémon League Conference, for 6v6 battles, not every contestant could cultivate six Pokémon with stable and comparable battle strength.
Often, contestants who could raise two or three Pokémon with energy levels above 55 were already considered quite good.
The ninth match was between Tobias and a female contestant.
The girl opposite him took a deep breath upon seeing her opponent was him. Even though she knew her chances of winning were slim, she still psyched herself up, thinking that regardless of victory or defeat, she should at least try to force out his second Pokémon?
But while the thought was hopeful, the reality was harsh.
Even with all six Pokémon giving their all, they were powerless against the Level 69 Latios.
In the end, she barely managed to break Latios's Light Screen but still lost.
After the match concluded, Tobias glanced at Hayashi Kaede.
This time, however, there was less provocation and more wariness.
By Kaede's estimate, it was probably because Alolan Ninetales's oppressive aura was too strong?
After all, the Ice/Fairy-type Alolan Ninetales has a 4x advantage against the Dragon/Psychic-type Latios.
Furthermore, Dragon-type energy attacks would be significantly weakened against Alolan Ninetales.
And so, the matches quickly approached the tenth round.
Watching the final Pikachu lose the ability to battle, the announcer, riding his Aegislash, promptly declared the match result.
"Ninth match concluded. The winner is Contestant Tobias! Contestant Tobias has once again defeated his opponent's six Pokémon using only his Latios...."
"My goodness, his Latios is truly formidable! Up to this point, only he and Contestant Hayashi Kaede have not had any Pokémon unable to battle!"
"However, compared to Contestant Hayashi Kaede, Contestant Tobias remains even more mysterious. He hasn't even used his second Pokémon, leading us to wonder: what are Contestant Tobias's remaining Pokémon?"
"Could there be another Legendary Pokémon among them?"
His commentary was filled with fervor, and he quickly pointed the microphone towards the contestants' seating area.
Mobilizing the audience's attention and emotions,
"The upcoming tenth match is even more explosive! The contestants will be the trainer who started documenting her journey from the very beginning and now boasts over twenty million followers—Sally! And from Aogiri Town, operating his family's Neighborhood Breeding House—Contestant Hayashi Kaede!"
"Both are popular contestants. Among them, Contestant Hayashi Kaede remains undefeated, often securing one-hit KOs. So, how about it? Can Contestant Sally snatch victory from him?"
"Woo-hoo! Brother Kaede! Go for it.... Wait, no, she's so cute, you should go easy on her!"
"Miss Sally, don't be afraid! With Serene Grace Togekiss and a few favorable field draws, defeating him isn't impossible!"
"Brother Kaede, Brother Kaede, show no mercy!"
"That darn Hayashi Kaede.... Why though..."
"Such an adorable little lolita, would she cry if she got swept by Hayashi Kaede?"
Stirred by the announcer's hype, the entire audience seating area boiled over like a kettle, instantly erupting into a frenzy.
The stands were filled with noise and clamor.
The law enforcement officers and Officer Jennys maintaining order couldn't help but tighten their grip on the police ropes connected to their Growlithe!
Fortunately, at this critical moment, no one dared to cause trouble.
The discussions remained just that—discussions.
Meanwhile, after hearing the announcer's words, Sally lips twitched in annoyance.
She had no confidence at all.
As a Psychic and Ice-type Pokémon trainer, she certainly recognized the prowess of the Gardevoir and Alolan Ninetales from that earlier match.
Especially that Gardevoir; she couldn't even fathom what level of Psychic control that was!
Originally, after being matched against him, she had considered approaching Hayashi Kaede to discuss how he trained his Psychic-type Pokémon.
But their brief eye contact in the morning, and Kaede's polite smile, had directly discouraged her.
*'He seems like a rather aloof person.'*
Stepping onto the field and seeing Hayashi Kaede deep in thought opposite her, Saki thought to herself.
After that, she began pondering which Pokémon to send out.
At that moment, the field selection display slowly concluded, revealing a scene of rippling water.
It was the Lake Water field.
Both stood at the edge of the battlefield, waiting for the central area to transform. As the rock flooring receded, it gradually revealed a clear blue water surface.
The lights shone on the water, creating a serene scene.
Hundreds of wooden planks of various shapes floated on the water's surface.
"Lake Water field?"
Hayashi Kaede looked at the field, lost in thought.
For a Lake Water field, the most suitable choice would undoubtedly be Milotic.
But whether Milotic was willing to participate depended on it.
Speaking of which, what was the reason Milotic didn't want to battle again?
Was it that time at the ranch when it battled one of Uncle Genmu's Pokémon and knocked it out in one move?
And that left a psychological shadow?
Actually, Kaede felt it was a minor issue.
After all, in Pokémon battles, who's that fragile?
It should be easy to overcome.
However, Kaede still chose to ask it using Aura.
"Milotic, it's a Lake Water field. Do you want to come out and give it a try?"
"Milotic~?"
Inside its Poké Ball, Milotic hesitated.
Because almost everyone else had already battled and been recorded.
The videos would be posted online for more people to see, helping Kaede attract more customers.
It was somewhat tempted, but also had reservations.
Seeing its hesitation, Kaede gently reassured it, "Don't be afraid. The opponent's Pokémon this time are quite strong; a situation like last time won't happen..."
"Let's just try, alright? You'll know once you try. If it doesn't work out, I'll recall you immediately."