It was finally Gabriel's turn to battle. As soon as the referee called out his number, Gabriel raised his hand and followed the official's guidance to an isolated battle arena.
So, this is my battlefield?
At the same time, Gabriel caught sight of his opponent—a chubby kid.
"Hello, let's have a good match!"
Unexpectedly, the kid was quite friendly, greeting Gabriel as soon as he entered the arena. Gabriel smiled and returned the gesture.
"All right, the match will now begin. The battle format is a 1v1 fight. Start the match upon my command," the referee interrupted, explaining the battle rules.
The chubby kid grinned at Gabriel. "This is my first time competing, so go easy on me."
Wow, my first opponent is basically giving me a free win. This tournament was turning out to be even easier than he had expected. No wonder his dad lost in a competition like this—he really had no talent for battles!
Gabriel helplessly recalled his father's words from their past conversations and couldn't help but complain in his mind.
His opponent soon summoned his Pokémon—a young Zubat. In response, Gabriel's Dratini, Little Mu, gracefully slithered onto the battlefield.
There was no doubt about it—Gabriel would win this match. Zubat is a nocturnal Pokémon, and battling in broad daylight was already a disadvantage for it. On top of that, his opponent's Zubat seemed very young, likely freshly hatched. Compared to the battle-hardened Little Mu, it was hardly a challenge.
"Little Mu, use Thunder Wave to take down Zubat."
Since the opponent had practically surrendered from the start, it was best to end this quickly and mercifully.
"Zubat, dodge it!"
His opponent clearly didn't want to lose so easily, but the young Zubat's inexperience was its downfall. Upon hearing its Trainer's command, it panicked, unable to react properly. Ultimately, it failed to evade Dratini's Thunder Wave and was instantly knocked out, losing its ability to battle.
Gabriel awkwardly scratched his forehead. Is this really an official Beast Tamer Exam? Why are the opponents so weak?
"Zubat is unable to battle! Dratini is the winner! Trainer #666 advances to the next round!"
After hearing the referee's announcement, both Trainers exited the battlefield. As soon as he stepped out, Gabriel eagerly pulled out his phone.
"Dad, this tournament is ridiculously easy! How did you manage to lose back then? This doesn't make any sense!"
"....."
"What's wrong? Bad signal?"
"I heard you! I heard you loud and clear! So what if you won? It's just the first round! Your upcoming opponents will be much stronger. Come back and brag when you earn your official Beast Tamer License."
Seeing his father's annoyed response, Gabriel chuckled. He never expected his usually composed father to get so flustered.
In the afternoon, Gabriel's second match quickly began. Stepping onto the battlefield again, he couldn't help but feel impressed. There were so many participants in this competition—it was no wonder they needed three full days for the preliminary rounds. Gabriel even doubted if a week would be enough to complete the selection process.
But he didn't dwell on it too much, as his next battle was about to start.
"Hey there, your Pokémon is a Dratini, right? That's a powerful Pokémon, but I'm confident I'll win! My Machop won't lose to you!"
Gabriel patted Little Mu's head and looked seriously at his opponent.
"Dratini isn't just some 'Beast.' He's a Pokémon—my family."
"Pokémon? What's that?"
Before his opponent could continue questioning, the referee interrupted, swiftly going over the rules before signaling the start of the match.
"Machop, go!"
Following its Trainer's command, Machop charged at Little Mu with a Karate Chop.
"You're too slow. Little Mu, dodge and counter with Dragon Tail!"
Dratini's nimble body easily evaded Machop's attack. Then, with a swift flick of its tail, it struck Machop in the waist with immense force. The impact sent Machop flying, causing it to collapse onto the ground, unconscious.
"Machop is unable to battle! Dratini wins! Trainer #666 advances to the next round!"
As his opponent stood there in shock, Dratini had effortlessly secured another victory. It was almost disappointing how weak his opponents were—none could withstand even a single hit.
As Gabriel left the battlefield, even the referee cast him a glance. Pokémon of this caliber were rare in this competition.
Just as he was about to head back to rest, a familiar figure caught his attention.
Oh, isn't that Rafael, that little brat?
"Growlithe, use Flamethrower to finish it off!"
With a fierce roar, Growlithe unleashed a stream of flames from its mouth. Its opponent, a Wooper, had the potential to evolve into a Quagsire, a Water-type Pokémon.
Despite the unfavorable type matchup, this wasn't just any Growlithe—it was trained by sister phoebe. The young Wooper had no chance to counterattack. Despite its best efforts to defend itself, it was struck squarely by the Flamethrower and instantly defeated.
"Yes! We won! I knew my Growlithe was the best!"
Growlithe barked excitedly, celebrating alongside sister phoebe.
Watching their battle, Gabriel couldn't deny that sister pheobe's Growlithe had become impressively strong over time. Its Flamethrower was more intense than he had expected. Even Little Mu would struggle against such an attack.
I need to come up with a strategy.
The third match began soon after. This time, his opponent had a well-trained Geodude—though still not on the same level as sister phoebe's Growlithe.
Unlike his previous opponents, this Trainer didn't bother with small talk, and Gabriel wasn't in the mood either. Right now, all he could think about was finding a way to increase his chances of winning against Growlithe.
"Little Mu, use Agility to move quickly."
"Geodude, use Rock Throw to block its path!"
His opponent's command caught Gabriel's attention. Finally, a Trainer who actually knows what they're doing. This battle might be a bit more interesting.
But compared to Little Mu, Geodude was still too weak.
"Little Mu, dodge and get close! Use Dragon Tail!"
With lightning-fast reflexes, Little Mu weaved through the falling rocks and closed the distance in an instant.
"Geodude, use Rollout to escape!"
"Too late. Little Mu, finish this!"
Before Geodude could react, Little Mu's powerful Dragon Tail struck, sending it crashing to the ground, unconscious.
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