Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

Chapter 290 vs. Blastoise: First Battle Against a Champion-Level Opponent

"A clash of acees!! This is undoubtedly a clash of acees!!"

The commentator's hoarse voice rang out.

"No one expected that, as the first half was about to end, the two players would make an unexpected choice for the audience."

Viewers familiar with Tetsuya and Seiji know that Blaziken and Blastoise are the strongest Pokémon in their respective teams.

In the previous round of 32 to 16, Tetsuya's Blaziken single-handedly ended the first half of the match against three Pokémon of similar strength, demonstrating an exceptional level of power and dominance that is extremely rare.

Three years ago, Shizuka's Blastoise set the record for the fastest defeat in the Hoenn League's main arena at the Rainbow League. At that time, its opponent was also a powerful, near-Elite Four level Pokémon. Blastoise, which is not known for its attack power, made such a performance quite impressive.

In this Quartz Conference, Shizuka's Blastoise has not yet made its appearance. We wonder how much its strength has improved in the past three years, and what surprises it will bring us.

In short, let's wait and see!

The narrator's lips moved rapidly, uttering a long passage at an extremely fast pace.

The noise from the audience reached an even higher level.

The first match in the round of 16 was so exciting that many people said their hearts and throats couldn't take it.

"This kid is probably going to be the champion of this year's Quartz Conference."

Wu Neng, watching TV, made his judgment the instant he saw Blastoise.

Xiaogang and Jiro immediately understood their father's meaning and both sighed helplessly.

On the field, Tetsuya and Shinagawa Seiji shielded themselves from unnecessary external distractions, their eyes fixed on their partner and opponent.

"This isn't looking good," Tetsuya thought to himself.

The blue screen that only he could see appeared next to Blastoise on the other side, and the words "Elite Four" marked on the strength column made him feel immense pressure.

The gap between a Champion-level Pokémon and a near-Champion-level Pokémon is not as easily bridged as in the previous stages.

To put it simply, the Elite Four are the true dividing line between how powerful a Pokémon is.

In the eyes of ordinary League members, elite-level Pokémon and trainers are considered powerful enough to be respected even in a small city.

Besides earning unimaginable wealth through their own abilities, they also protect the city in times of crisis.

Even considering the vast number of Pokémon in the wild, there aren't that many elite or higher-level Pokémon, and most of them choose to live far away from human cities.

Without the protection of Elite Four level trainers, elite and near-Elite Four level trainers are the main force in fighting off wild Pokémon attacking the city.

In this context, the perception that elite trainers are powerful has become a default notion.

After all, compared to ordinary "trainers" who can only be called "Pokémon enthusiasts", their elite-level strength is enough for them to look up to.

But in reality, only those who reach the Elite Four level can truly be considered powerful in the Pokémon world.

This is why the league stipulates that the official recognition of a gym requires a Champion-level trainer to serve as the gym leader.

To paraphrase a novel Tetsuya read in his previous life, a Champion-level trainer can single-handedly control an entire city.

Although most Elite Four Pokémon live in remote, resource-rich areas with few inhabitants, it doesn't mean that all Elite Four Pokémon live in such a harmonious environment.

Many hot-tempered Elite Four Pokémon are fully capable of launching attacks on human cities, especially when their territory and habitat have been invaded by humans.

It's important to know that most Heavenly Kings of this strength are not lone wolves; their vast clans under their command can be terrifying.

Fortunately, elves follow the rule that whoever is the strongest in the wild occupies the territory. If their leader is defeated, the tribe will retreat to another place to live under its leadership.

In Tetsuya's memory, the attack by the giant stinging jellyfish in the city of Lampurch in the anime was a reflection of this kind of event.

If it weren't for Ash and his friends, unless an Elite Four member trainer arrived, Lumblechey City would have only one fate.

Of course, on the other hand, if it weren't for the giant stinging jellyfish, the stinging jellyfish swarm wouldn't easily attack human cities without a strong leader.

The ocean is so vast that changing habitats is not a big deal for them.

People once thought of using a near-Elite Four level Pokémon to defeat an Elite Four level Pokémon, but after trying it, they found it was not realistic.

It is an indisputable fact that wild Pokémon are generally weaker than those raised by their trainers; a few exceptional individuals are not included in this discussion.

Despite their relatively rich combat experience, wild Pokémon are at a disadvantage in other aspects.

At the level of near-Elite Four, disregarding attribute factors, a trainer's bred Pokémon can easily take on two or even four wild Pokémon in a two-on-three or four-on-four battle—provided the trainer is alive and can continue commanding.

However, with this level of strength, it's still unrealistic to expect to win against a wild Pokémon that has grown to the Elite Four level.

This has only happened three times in the league's current record.

If it's this difficult to fight wild Pokémon, then it's not hard to imagine the gap between potential Elite Four members and Elite Four members among trainers.

Based on the available information, no one has ever managed to defeat an Elite Four Pokémon in a formal battle with a pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon; there is no precedent for this, at least not in a one-on-one situation.

Tetsuya looked at his Fire-type Blaziken and then at his Water-type Blastoise. Although he had immense confidence in Blaziken, it was a bit of a stretch to ask for his opinion.

Their strength was already so much weaker, and their attributes were also at a disadvantage.

Shinagawa Seiji stood quietly on the command platform. The Blastoise in front of him, though not particularly large, seemed like a mountain at this moment, exuding an extremely calm and composed aura.

"Blazing Chicken, Flamethrower!"

Tetsuya took the lead.

To be honest, he had never faced a Champion-level Pokémon head-on before, so this was a good opportunity for him to experience it.

"Oh my!"

Blaziken, which spewed scorching flames from its wrists from the moment it appeared, let out an excited cry as a torrent of fire shot out from its mouth.

As an elf, it is better able to sense the strength of its opponent.

But so what?

For Blaziken, a Fire/Fighting type, the tougher the battle, the more it ignites its passion; the stronger the opponent, the brighter the flames in its heart and on its wrists burn.

It doesn't care about winning or losing; that's for its leader to worry about. All it needs to do is fight the opponent with all its might.

Shinagawa Seiji and Blastoise remained motionless.

Some viewers were confused, while a few realized what was going on and their eyes lit up.

"Click~"

When the intense flames reached Blastoise, it slowly turned its body to the side as instructed by Shinagawa Seiji.

The water cannon protruding from the left front of the tortoise shell is aimed directly at the spraying flames.

"Whoo-"

A powerful jet of water gushed out.

Blastoise has a natural physical advantage when using moves like Water Gun and Water Cannon.

The two cannons at the front of the tortoise shell are not just for show.

The unique structure generates a powerful impact that can easily penetrate incredibly thick steel plates.

Water and flames converged in the air, the red and blue colors gradually disappeared, and layers of white mist enveloped Blastoise's body.

Blastoise's action and the result of the water and fire clashing caused everyone to gasp in surprise.

For no other reason than that Blastoise's only skill, which involves firing water guns through a water cannon, is Water Gun.

The fact that Blastoise can use a low-powered water gun to neutralize a high-powered jet of flame means that even the most dull-witted person would know that Blastoise's strength has reached the Elite Four level.

Otherwise, this situation wouldn't occur even if the attributes were superior.

This is not something hard to imagine.

Even before this year's Quartz Conference began, rumors about Shinagawa Seiji's Blastoise breaking through to the Elite Four level had already spread widely.

Many people confidently assert that if Shinagawa Seiji hadn't had the Elite Four-level Blastoise as a trump card, giving him enough confidence to win the championship, he certainly wouldn't have returned to the arena after a three-year hiatus.

Those with quick minds are already feeling sorry for Tetsuya.

"Wow, that's really strong."

However, Tetsuya wasn't unhappy at all; on the contrary, he was incredibly excited.

During the last incident involving Gyarados in Vermilion City, he only got a glimpse of Lt. Surge's Raichu from afar.

In addition, my own strength was very limited at the time, and I didn't have a very clear concept of how strong the Heavenly King really was.

Now that my strength has reached this stage, I've truly experienced it after facing it head-on.

"The stronger the better," Tetsuya muttered to himself.

His eyes were burning with passion.

If even the King of Kings is like this, then what about the Champions, and the Mythical Beasts?

Don't mention the strength of Shiba from Twin Islands or Articuno to him. He didn't even see a hair of the latter, but he easily defeated the former as if it were child's play, and he couldn't see anything at all.

"We will only get stronger."

The sound of Blaziken's Aura resonated in Tetsuya's mind.

Tetsuya grinned.

"Faced with a powerful opponent, Tetsuya did not back down or show any fear. His smile said it all. In the battle of Pokémon, there is no victory or defeat, only courage and perseverance!"

The narrator's passionate voice echoed in the air.

He didn't boast about having everything under control; nobody would believe that.

However, this spirit is very much in line with the alliance's values.

The commentator suddenly understood why the higher-ups were pushing this young trainer so hard; besides talent and strength, his personality was even more important.

Shinagawa Seiji was also very happy.

Tetsuya's attitude shows that his choice was not wrong.

Otherwise, out of a desire to conceal his strength, he could have easily sent out his remaining powerful quasi-Elite Four Pokémon.

His gaze fell on Tetsuya again.

Tetsuya understood what he meant.

"Shall I attack?"

Tetsuya chuckled lightly; being too confident is not a good thing.

Blaziken moved forward step by step under everyone's gaze.

"Blazing Chicken, Swords Dance, Bodybuilding, Focus!"

Zhe didn't hold back either, and Blaziken completed the triple buff stacking that it had never fully demonstrated before at a speed that surprised everyone.

"And then, the True Qi Fist!"

Before anyone could react, Tetsuya's eyes widened, and he roared.

"Boom"

The sound of hard objects colliding rang out.

Blaziken leaped off with a powerful kick, transforming into a phantom as it charged forward.

Its claws were clenched tightly, and the white light grew increasingly blinding.

Chapter 291 Fall

"Shrinking the shell".

Faced with the Blaziken's lightning-fast attack, Shinagawa Seiji showed no surprise and quickly issued the command.

The Blastoise's three-jointed limbs instantly retracted into its hard shell, followed by its head and short, thick blue tail.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained of Blaziken's journey was a huge and heavy turtle shell.

The Blaziken, rapidly approaching, stared intently at its opponent who had entered a defensive stance, its clenched claws gleaming with a blinding white light.

"Boom-"

As Blaziken charged at high speed and slammed its Focus Punch into Blastoise, a dull thud echoed.

After a standoff lasting less than a second, the shell, along with the Blastoise inside, flew backwards at a low altitude, parallel to the ground.