Chapter 193: The Tournament Begins

"Screee!"

The faint cry of a bird echoed through the stadium. Though not loud, it carried clearly across the entire venue.

Ron watched as the blazing flames of the legendary Pokémon Moltres surged skyward, briefly taking the shape of the Fire-type legend before falling back into the arena.

At that moment, Ron set himself a lofty goal—to train his Machamp and his other Pokémon to reach legendary-tier strength so they could one day challenge the true legends of the Pokémon world.

Of course, he wasn't referring to Legendary Pokémon like the three Legendary Birds, which existed in multiple numbers with varying strengths. His ambition was to stand against the likes of Groudon and Rayquaza—or even challenge the creator of all Pokémon itself, Arceus!

With such a grand objective in mind, Ron suddenly found that the trainers within the Pokémon League weren't as formidable as they once seemed.

Rather, their presence would serve as trials, refining him through battle and pushing him to grow stronger at an even faster pace.

Around him, fellow trainers sensed a shift in Ron. He still looked the same, yet there was an undeniable aura of dominance about him.

As the opening ceremony concluded, the Indigo League tournament officially commenced.

The massive screen began selecting matchups for the first round.

At first glance, the system appeared completely fair. However, anyone familiar with the League knew that the organizers had ways to discreetly manipulate the matchups without raising suspicion.

Otherwise, why else would certain trainers have already made plans to target Ron during the tournament?

As the selection process came to an end, Ron's first opponent was revealed—a rookie trainer among the handful of newcomers in the competition.

When Lando saw that he was matched against Ron in the very first round, his heart sank.

He knew that just making it through the preliminary rounds had already been a stroke of luck for him. If he wanted to progress in the main tournament, he had to face another rookie trainer. Otherwise, he was bound to be eliminated in the first round.

As if his prayers had been answered, he was indeed paired against a trainer who had only been on their Pokémon journey for a year.

Unfortunately, that trainer was Ron.

Even if Lando were to train for another entire year, he doubted he could match Ron's strength.

Spotting Ron in the crowd, Lando tried his best to remain composed, but his face still betrayed a sense of resignation.

Ron nodded at him in greeting before offering a reassuring smile.

With the matchups set, all that was left was to wait for the battles to begin.

To stir excitement among the audience from the very start, the tournament officials had arranged for Ron's battle to be the opening match. The battlefield chosen was the Water Arena.

As Ron stepped onto the battlefield, the cheers and applause of the audience filled the air. Yet, he remained composed, calmly looking across to his opponent.

Lando, in contrast, was a bundle of nerves. No matter how hard he tried to steady himself, he couldn't shake the anxiety from his heart.

According to the tournament rules, Lando was to release his Pokémon first and initiate the battle.

However, even after the referee had announced the battle rules, Lando hesitated, unsure which Pokémon to send out first.

From the stands, the crowd's murmurs turned to mockery, which only grew louder with time.

"Lando, let's give it our all! Don't let the fear of winning or losing hold you back! Don't forget, your Pokémon are right here with you!"

Ron's words cut through the noise, reaching Lando's ears. He was stunned for a moment before breaking into a smile, regaining his usual composure.

"I got it. Alright, my first Pokémon will be you, Seaking!"

"That's more like it. Let's battle, Gyarados!"

"Seaking, charge in and use Poison Jab!"

Lando knew that in terms of raw strength, he was no match for Ron. His goal was simple: take down at least one of Ron's Pokémon before losing.

Poison energy enveloped Seaking's horn as it surged forward toward Gyarados.

This was Lando's strategy—to poison Gyarados, gradually wearing it down before sending out his final Pokémon to finish the job.

"Gyarados, use Surf to wash Seaking away!"

Ron's command rang out, and Gyarados wasted no time in responding.

Its Intimidate Ability activated, lowering Seaking's Attack stat by one stage, naturally weakening the power of Poison Jab.

Raising the waters of the arena, Gyarados rode atop a towering wave like a true dragon as it rushed toward Seaking.

Compared to the massive wave, Seaking was like a small boat adrift in a storm, on the verge of being swallowed whole.

"Hang in there, Seaking! Use Waterfall alongside Poison Jab and strike!"

Lando's encouragement broke through Seaking's fear, and with a burst of determination, it surged forward like an arrow, using Waterfall to push against the incoming Surf attack.

"Gyarados, freeze both Seaking and the water with Blizzard!"

"No! Seaking, return now!"

The moment Ron issued the command, Lando hurriedly called out to his Pokémon.

Unfortunately, despite its best efforts to change course, Seaking couldn't gain enough distance in time.

A bone-chilling gust swept across the battlefield, accompanied by flurries of snow, rapidly lowering the water temperature. Seaking felt its body stiffen as the cold seeped into its fins.

Small ice shards began to form on the surface of the water, resembling...

Tiny shards of ice began forming on the water's surface—a clear warning signal. Within moments, the entire surface, along with Seaking, was encased in solid ice.

"Now! Gyarados, use Dragon Rage and Twister!"

"Brace yourself, Seaking! The moment the ice shatters, use Protect!"

Trapped within the frozen surface, Seaking had no way to dodge. Gyarados' Dragon Rage struck it directly, shattering the ice and sending Seaking flying out.

"Protect, now!"

Lando's voice rang out again, urging Seaking to act.

But perhaps due to the freezing cold slowing its reaction, Seaking hesitated for a second or two after the command was given. That brief delay was enough—Gyarados' Twister struck it head-on, lifting it into the air in a violent vortex.

"Gyarados, finish this with Surf!"

"Hang in there, Seaking! Use Ice Beam!"

Dizzy and disoriented from the rapid spinning, Seaking struggled to focus. It couldn't muster the strength to launch Ice Beam.

A massive wave crashed down. The powerful Surf swallowed Seaking completely, dragging it into the swirling water below.

Ron didn't command Gyarados to continue attacking. Instead, he waited.

A few seconds later, Seaking's unconscious body floated to the surface—unable to battle.

"That was a tough opponent, Seaking, but you gave it your all. Now, it's up to your teammates!"

"You're up—Poliwrath!"

Compared to Seaking, Poliwrath was undoubtedly the stronger Pokémon. It had reached Level 39, just one step away from Mid Elite level.

Unfortunately, against Ron's Level 42 Gyarados, that gap was still significant.

"Poliwrath, use Water Pulse!"

"Gyarados, counter with Water Pulse!"

Both trainers issued their commands simultaneously—round two had begun!

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