The final result turned out to be such a crushing defeat. Compared to the power Ash displayed with his other Pokemon in previous battles, this one seemed almost like child's play; they weren't even on the same level.
Ah Hong gritted his teeth but eventually came to terms and withdrew Babi.
In the last clash, he originally planned to use Bug Buzz to disrupt Butterfree, preventing it from successfully using its skills and then taking advantage of the increased Speed from Tailwind to widen the gap between the two sides.
However, to stop Butterfree's movements, one couldn't use a skill that was too weak. Bug Buzz, as Babi's STAB move, coupled with Babi's Ability Tinted Lens, could turn the weak impact of Bug Buzz into a normal one. It was already the strongest skill Babi could use.
If that couldn't block the opponent, then there's really no hope. The idea of using Quiver Dance to sweep the team afterward was just wishful thinking.
Now, that 'if' really happened. Babi's Bug Buzz failed to withstand Butterfree's attack and was then defeated in one move.
This defeat was somewhat expected, although the process exceeded Ah Hong's expectations a bit, but it was something he knew would happen midway, so his mood wasn't that bad.
Unfortunately, he ultimately didn't manage to defeat any of Ash's Pokemon. Compared to the top trainers within the Quartz Conference, he's still far from them!
After the match, Ah Hong shook hands with Ash amicably and then bid farewell and rushed to the Pokemon Center. He had quite a few injured Pokemon and, unlike Ash, he didn't have such healing capabilities, so he had to go to the Pokemon Center.
Actually, Ash did hold back a bit; he didn't use Pikachu's partner form, and Charizard's Sacred Fire wasn't deployed either. If these two forces were used, the injuries Ah Hong's Pokemon suffered wouldn't be so minor.
After defeating Ah Hong, the upcoming round of sixteen would elevate the competition to a six-on-six level.
It's strange, besides the Quartz Conference, other competitions start the full six-on-six matches right at the round of thirty-two, but Quartz Conference still sticks with the three-on-three format during the round of thirty-two.
But perhaps it's related to Quartz Conference being a Newbie Trainer tournament, as the six-on-six matches are more challenging compared to three-on-three.
Six-on-six and three-on-three are entirely different levels of competition. Six-on-six not only considers the depth of both parties' Pokemon but also their ability to rotate and engage in more tactical coordination.
Thus, in some formal large-scale competitions, the round of thirty-two directly starts with six-on-six duels, whereas Quartz Conference, which is mainly for newbies, still uses three-on-three at the round of thirty-two to reduce the gap in experience between competitors.
However, this benefit for newbies only lasts until the round of thirty-two; by the round of sixteen, it equals out to all being six-on-six, and that's when the true test for competitors begins.
With Ash's match concluded, the seventh match was Gary's turn. Reaching the round of thirty-two, everyone wasn't just simple characters. Even Gary had to reveal all his cards except for MEGA Evolution to narrowly edge out his opponent.
MEGA Evolution, capable of turning an entire match around, isn't something Gary would use unless in dire straits. The upcoming opponents are even harder to handle. If he uses MEGA Evolution now, how will he defeat the strong foes later?
If he can't even pass the round of thirty-two without using MEGA Evolution, then Gary would rather lose here. Until Ash uses MEGA Evolution, he won't use it either, out of respect for Ash, the discoverer, and as part of his persistence.
But ultimately, the result was good; Gary successfully advanced to the round of thirty-two.
Ash also paid attention to those two people, Conway and Paul; their matches are tomorrow. Today's eight matches finished by six o'clock, and there weren't any other opponents worth noting except for those two.
...
The next day, the round of sixteen continued. Conway demonstrated his superior analytical skills, still playing his opponent like a puppet in his hands, defeating his opponent with little resistance.
And Paul's match was even more straightforward. Relying on Torterra's power, he almost steamrolled his opponent. With a Gym Peak Torterra in the Quartz Conference, it really had no rivals.
So far, Paul hasn't met a trainer that forced him to go all out.
For trainers of his level, participating in such a competition is akin to fishing. If it weren't for having rivals like Conway and Ash, he could almost reserve a spot as champion.
In terms of performance, Conway and Paul were by no means inferior to Ash. If it weren't for Ash's battle records against Elites, even defeating them, then Ash might only suppress them in terms of age.
But now, not only does Ash outperform Conway and Paul in age, but he also has superior historical battle records. Don't worry about the means he used to win against Koga; let's just say he won or not?
Moreover, Ash later battled Lorelei to prove himself, and although he lost, it was still honorable. In terms of reputation, Ash still overwhelmingly surpasses the other two.
However, if Ash loses to them in battle, all of Ash's reputation might become their stepping stones, showing that fame isn't always a good thing.
And the draw for the round of sixteen was conducted directly after the round of thirty-two.
On the main stage of the Quartz Conference, all participating contestants nervously watched the blinking electric display board above. Although they weren't sure who their next opponent would be, they knew they definitely didn't want to be grouped with Ash!
Ash's prowess is acknowledged as the strongest in this year's Quartz Conference. Even among Conway, Paul, and Gary, none would choose to face Ash at the round of sixteen; losing here would be the end.
If they lose to Ash in the semifinals, then at least they still have a chance in the revival round.
As the electric display board rotated, the avatars of the sixteen competitors finally appeared and were grouped accordingly.
Gary's opponent turned out to be a boy named Jean. Seeing that his opponent wasn't Ash, Gary let out a huge sigh of relief. If it was Ash, he truly had no confidence in winning, perhaps only a one in ten thousand chance in a one-on-one.
But six-on-six… a sure defeat, my friend!
To get to Dragon Island, you must reach the top three in the Quartz Conference; he can't stop here!
And Ash's opponent is already determined, one of the big favorites in this Quartz Conference—Conway!
Facing Ash right at the round of sixteen, for Conway, this is surely an undesirable situation. At that moment, his thin face turned the color of liver, extremely dark.
He's all about data, having most of the competitors' data at his fingertips. Precisely for this reason, he was less keen on encountering Ash in the round of sixteen!
Gosh, even if he somehow beats Ash, he'd likely have all his cards exposed, which, for someone who likes to hold the reins and leave room for maneuver, is a hard pill to swallow.
But with the draw results out, unless he becomes the organizer and declares this draw invalid, he can't escape the fate of facing Ash in the next match.
On the other hand, seeing his opponent is Conway, Ash showed a hint of excitement on his face.
Finally… finally met a worthy opponent in the Quartz Conference!