Baimu had to be grateful to have encountered the Water Field during the sea selection phase.
At the same time.
There was also the unlucky Tentacruel who made mistake after mistake, attacking a Steel-type Pokémon with Poison-type techniques, even getting momentarily stunned by Aggron's Surf, thereby missing an opportunity.
It clearly had the advantage in terms of attributes.
But it was understandable.
Thanks to this brief adaptation period from that guy and the subsequent opportunities provided by the two Water-type Pokémon, Aggron became more and more adept, even learning backstroke.
After all, Aggron was brave enough to use Surf to counter the Surf of a Water-type Pokémon, even though it was a Water-type move against them. Baimu wouldn't necessarily have the courage to command it like this, yet it dared.
It even successfully suppressed the opponent's own type Surf to a point where it wouldn't affect itself.
To put it bluntly, even if it comprehended a Water-type move on the spot, Baimu wouldn't find it strange.
Moreover, its adaptation to water has reached such an extent that he certainly wouldn't believe Aggron hadn't developed some resistance to Water-type moves.
Of course, staying in the water for so long must have also worn out the former considerably.
"Indeed, there is still much room for growth, with plenty of space for improvement in all aspects."
Baimu retrieved the three Pokeballs and was planning to check the countdown at the bottom right corner when he saw a window filled with text pop up on the screen.
The speaker system announced the news.
He quickly read through it, showing an expression of "as expected."
The initial three rounds of the battle tent are called the sea selection rather than preliminaries because participants' performances directly determine two participants moving into the semi-finals.
This is known as the sea selection reward mechanism.
Moreover, the matching mechanism of the battle tent is not like traditional competitions where all is completed before distribution. Instead, it's a system where trainers who finish early compete against each other, continuing until the three rounds of sea selections conclude.
Before the competition, the computer will predict the time needed to conclude the match based on the battle situation and adjust according to the actual situation.
Baimu's Pokémon finished three rounds in less than a morning, clearly among the fastest batch, naturally qualifying for the reward mechanism range.
Thus, they were only two steps away from victory; Aggron and the others needed just two more matches.
This format not only accelerated the pace of matches but also increased competitiveness, a special play style created by Yashida—adored in the Battlefront Zone for its unique approach.
However, such entertainment modes are probably only played in Yashida's territory and certainly won't be seen in regular official competitions.
"Just two more games..."
He stood up, stretching his muscles, and left the room.
The regular match time after the sea selection will be sent via SMS to his mobile phone. If not near the beginning time, they'll call him. Others are likely to take a while longer, giving him a perfect opportunity to check at the Pokémon Center and grab a meal.
And most importantly, before all of this—
Cleaning Mawile's body.
The Mud Wave still had traces of Tentacruel's bodily fluids in it, which would likely smell unpleasant mixed with the Mud Wave.
Thankfully, the special structure of the Pokeball allowed Mawile to endure it.
In fact, a quick cleaning in the room's restroom could be enough.
But when Baimu asked if Mawile wanted to get clean here, it shook the Pokeball vehemently, refusing, only wanting to head back to the inn for a bath.
Outside the battle tent.
All kinds of spectators and Pokémon crowded around the benches near the flower beds and the streets, raising their heads to watch the battles inside through many large screens on the outer walls.
Baimu glanced back, finding almost every screen engaged in lengthy battles.
Without their trainers, Pokémon seemed to lose their conscious brain, easily influenced by various factors, and their lack of understanding of enemies would lead them to make wrong judgments on their own.
And in most cases, they would end up entangled in combat.
For instance, in one giant screen, a Machoke and a Hariyama weren't even using moves, purely wrestling with each other and even employing soft skills.
Rather than calling it a Pokémon battle, it seemed more apt to describe it as a martial arts showdown.
There were also the likes of Golduck and Dusclops blasting destructive beams at each other, neither being Normal-type, diligently using destructive beams, probably ending with a contest between attribute energy and stamina.
Even Forretress and Shuckle merely stared at each other, neither willing to make the first move; who knows how long they could stall.
It's not surprising Yashida introduced the reward-punishment mechanism for such battles since some Pokémon love dragging the pace.
After all, without their trainers' guidance, Pokémon's combat styles rest entirely on their habits, displaying hesitance, decisiveness, wildness, and more, all on the large screens.
Baimu shifted his gaze away, his ears catching many people nearby talking about Aggron.
"What a shame, I wanted to see that Aggron battle again!"
"Yeah, incredible that it's so formidable even in water."
"I don't even know whether to consider it a land Pokémon or a water Pokémon; it swims so fast in water!"
"The key point is that it's intelligent, following a whole process: paralyzing with Electric techniques to close the distance, and then taking it down with a powerful move! The Mantine in the end seemed like it wanted to ram it, and upon realizing its weak resistance to Electric moves, quickly switched strategies."