Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

When the list of the top 64 was finally released, Xiao Zhi found some names that caught his eye.

For example, Ash encountered Hiro and Robert before... especially the latter. Ash was very interested in his strength and hoped to have a match with such an elite Coordinator to see what was so special about their battles!

In short, the Whirlpool Islands Tournament officially begins tomorrow!

Chapter 489 Round of 64, VS Dragon King

On the opening day of the Whirl Islands Tournament, Ash and all the other contestants gathered at the Ancient Arena!

This battlefield is said to have a long history. The overall architectural style is that of ancient Rome. The main battlefield is located in the water, with floating platforms of various sizes and four towering stone pillars, giving it a strong sense of historical weight.

The venue was surrounded by rows of spectator seats, and the crowd was already buzzing when the athletes entered in small boats.

"The Whirl Islands have possessed a unique civilization since ancient times. We worship Water-type Pokémon and live alongside them. To this day, this tradition is still being passed down by the sea priestess, Miss Maya!"

The host's passionate voice rang out in the venue, and with his introduction, an elegant woman with long light purple hair and dressed as a priest slowly appeared on the high platform.

She held a beautifully crafted cane in her hand, the blue jewel at the top shimmering with a soft light, like ripples on the sea.

"Welcome, everyone, to the triennial Water-type Pokémon extravaganza – the Whirl Islands Tournament! In the Whirl Islands, people have revered Water-type Pokémon since ancient times, and those who can connect with Water-type Pokémon are known as the heroes of the sea."

"Now, please accept the blessing of the Soul of the Sea!" Priest Maya solemnly raised the scepter in her hand, and the sapphire suddenly shone with a dazzling blue light.

The Pearl of the Sea Soul…

The gem in Maya's hand is actually the reason why Lugia wanted Ash to compete.

According to Lugia, the jewel was made by using some of its scales and having it specially forged by ancient craftsmen, and it still retains a trace of its power.

Although its power is now negligible and can only be used to barely activate rituals, it can still be of some help to Pokémon.

At least, if Blastoise possessed that kind of power, it wouldn't have to worry about being torn apart and severely injured in the whirlpool's eye.

"In addition, the winner of this event will receive a mysterious water droplet!" Priest Maya continued to announce, a water droplet-shaped pendant now in her hand.

Mystic Drops are a type of type-boosting item. Ash's Blastoise has one, which was given to him by Tapu Fini.

However, it will soon need to replace the item. Ash handed over the Aggron Stone from Geez that he had captured to the League, and Lance kindly helped him replace it with a more suitable item, which should arrive in Kaco City during the tournament.

As for the water droplet that was the prize for the competition, it was a high-quality item, so it would be great to have it in my possession.

After all, no one can complain about having too many good things.

After the opening ceremony, the groups for the top 64 were determined, and Ash was the first of his companions to go on stage.

His opponent's name is Duri, and he is a trainer who uses Kingdra.

"That's Kingdra! It looks really cool!" Misty's companions were all watching from the stands, and the opponent's Pokémon had undoubtedly caught her eye.

She also has a sea dragon, a black seahorse that she captured during the giant jellyfish incident. Although it has been raised quite well, Xiaoxia did not choose to let it continue to evolve.

Evolving from Seadra to Kingdra requires using dragon scales for a connection exchange, and the quality of the dragon scales used often determines the aptitude of Kingdra after evolution.

Without a doubt, in the Guan and Cheng regions, besides the Dragon Sanctuary, Ash Ketchum possesses the highest quality dragon scales.

His Dragonite is currently training and evolving with its Shellder on Dragon Island. When they return, they will naturally bring Misty the evolution items she needs.

"I can't wait! Which Pokémon will Ash send out?" Rukia was so nervous she couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

Having spent time with him, she also knows that Ash is a water-type expert, and the water-type Pokémon he has caught are all unique.

Against the Water/Dragon-type Kingdra, the only options are probably Blastoise or Lapras...

"Fish, go battle!"

...

"Feebas?!" Ryukia in the audience was stunned, wondering if Ash was planning to withdraw from the competition on the spot.

Feebas and Kingdra... Lucia has a good understanding of both of these Pokémon and had never imagined them facing off before.

After all, even her uncle wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous.

"Hmph, are you looking down on me?" Ash's opponent was also furious, feeling that he had been clearly slighted.

"This battle is a rare training opportunity for Feebas... Please don't doubt it, I've given it my all as a trainer!" Ash explained with utmost seriousness.

His reason for sending out Feebas was simple: Feebas wanted a battle, and Kingdra was a suitable opponent.

Ash is willing to try his best to meet the needs of his Pokémon whenever possible.

If Feebas insists on challenging the champion now, Ash definitely won't agree... But now that he has a level advantage, if he loses to Kingdra, it's not Feebas's fault, but that Ash is not qualified to be a trainer!

"Enough talk! Let me show you our power, King Thorn Dragon, Tornado!"

Duli was clearly enraged. He commanded the King Thorn Dragon to spin violently in the center of the pool, which quickly created a huge whirlpool on the field, and he himself was also enveloped by the rising waterspout.

"Fish, light wall." However, Fish simply placed a wall, which almost completely blocked all influence.

It has been frolicking underwater in the babbling hills with the overlord for years, and recently it has even been surfing in the whirlpool, with the current having no effect on it at all.

Combined with the light wall as a precaution, as long as the attack doesn't hit it directly, it's as if there's no damage.

"In that case, let's just ram into it!"

"Jump onto the floating platform in advance!"

Duli was clearly getting impatient and gave orders to Thorn Dragon King to ride the waterspout forward, stirring up chaos throughout the entire area.

However, Ash had anticipated this move. Feebas cleverly left the water and leisurely lay on the floating platform, completely unharmed.

"Damn it... use water cannon!" After several unsuccessful attacks, Duli simply had Kingdra disperse its tornado and instead built up a powerful current of water to blast towards the floating platform where Feebas was!

"Splash up and unleash your scales!" "Hush!"

The powerful water cannon arrived in an instant, but it was weakened by the light wall first. Feebas took the opportunity to leap from the platform, dodging the water cannon attack while continuously bombarding Kingdra with a series of scale-like light spots!

After hitting its target five times in a row, Kingdra cried out in pain.

After doing all this, Feebas fell into the water and began swimming around King Spinosaurus at an extremely fast speed.

"That move just now..." Ryukia in the stands was greatly surprised.

It was a move she had never seen before, and it seemed to be extremely effective against Kingdra.

“The Dragon-type move Scale Shot is a series of moves similar to Pin Missile, and it has the effect of sacrificing defense to increase speed,” Lila explained. “Although Kingdra is a relatively well-rounded Pokémon, it is not very fast, and its level is not as high as my brother’s Feebas… With just one Scale Shot, Feebas can outrun its opponent with its speed.”

"But if we just use a speed-boosting technique, can't we catch up?" Rukia asked, puzzled.

"But that would be falling right into Ash's trap." Brock shook his head with a smile. "Just watch, Ash's show has already begun."

Just as Xiao Gang had predicted, seeing that the Clefairy was becoming increasingly elusive, Duli immediately had Kingdra use High Speed ​​Movement.

However, Ash accurately seized the opening when his opponent used his power-up and unleashed another Scale Burst!

After taking two such effective moves, Kingdra was starting to pant, only to find, to its dismay, that even with its increased speed, it still couldn't keep up with Feebas's movements.

Taking advantage of his opponent's growing frustration, Ash suddenly delivered a bombshell!

"Ugly Fish, full power of hypnosis!"

"dumb!"

The hypnotic spell, empowered by the Psychic Z, suddenly erupted. Tori never expected that the two Pokémon, which were almost a diameter apart on the field, could still hit the opponent's move with such precision!

As Kingdra's eyes rolled back and he fainted in the water, a series of devastating attacks, including scale attacks and dragon pulses, erupted!

"The match is over, the winner is Ash from Pallet Town!"

Chapter 490 The competition proceeds, and the top four are determined.

In an ordinary battle, Ash suddenly unleashed a Z-Move...

So what if he opened it? Is it illegal?

Ash never felt that using powers that others didn't have in battle was unfair.

He can use the power he obtains through legal means however he wants, as long as the rules allow it.

This was only a one-on-one match; if the battle had dragged on any longer, he might have even used his Mega Evolution!

The round of 64 ended quickly, and Xiaoxia and her two companions easily defeated their respective opponents, successfully securing their spots in the next round.

Starting from the Round of 32, they changed to using two Pokémon each, and Ash and his friends continued to maintain their excellent performance, achieving victory after victory with unstoppable momentum.

During this period, they both made a name for themselves and accumulated a considerable number of fans.

Ash changes his partners and tactics every battle, Misty has an incredibly strong fighting style, Lucia is as beautiful as her Pokémon, and Lyra uses silent command to cooperate with Hippowdon to wreak havoc.

It's no exaggeration to say that they are definitely the opponents that most contestants least want to face... and some have already unfortunately been 'killed'.

In the round of 16, Ah Hong accidentally bumped into Lila. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge the silent Lila or the Hippo King who had been standing with his hands behind his back since the start of the match.

The competition will not stop because of someone's withdrawal; it will continue in full swing.

In the quarterfinals, Ash and Misty continued their stable and strong performance, securing two semifinal spots.

"Great! If you keep this up, the four of you might meet in the semifinals," Xiao Gang said happily during a break in the match.

"I hope so..." To be honest, Ash didn't have much hope.

As the competition progresses, talented contestants will gradually emerge.

Ash and Misty were lucky; they didn't encounter any particularly difficult opponents. However, Rukia wasn't so fortunate.